Lady Zaynab

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Compiled by:

Badr ShahinBadr Shahin


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() ( )LADY ZAYNAB

Compiler: Badr ShahinPublisher: Ansariyan Publications - Qum

First Edition 2002 - 1423 - 1381Sadr Press Pages: 240

Copies: 2000 Size: 143 x 205 mmISBN: 964-438-399-0

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED AND RECORDED FOR THEPUBLISHER

Ansariyan Publications22, Shohada St.,

P.O. Box 187 - QumIslamic Republic of Iran

Tel: ++98 251 7741744 Fax: 7742647Email: [email protected]

www.ansariyan.org & www.ansariyan.net

Shahin, Badr, 1967 -

Lady Zaynab/ Compiled by BadrShahin. - Qum: Ansariyan, 2002.238 p.Includes bibliografical References.ISBN: 964-43-399-01. Zaynab bint Ali, 6-62 A.H. I.

Title.
mailto:[email protected]://www.ansariyan.org/mailto:[email protected]://www.ansariyan.org/


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Q


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IN THE NAME OFIN THE NAME OF

ALLAH,ALLAH,THE COMPASSIONATE,THE COMPASSIONATE,THE MERCIFULTHE MERCIFUL


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TRANSLITERATION TABLE The method of transliteration of Islamic

terminology from the Arabic language has beencarried out according to the standardtransliteration table mentioned below:Symbol Transliterat

ion

Symbol Transliterat

ion

a

b t th j

kh

d dh

r z

s sh

zh

gh

f q

k l m n

h w

y ah

Long

Vowels

Short

Vowels

a


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u

i


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TABLEOF CONTENTSTable of Contents ................................................ 7Dedication ............................................................ 8Publishers Word ............................................... 10

Introduction ....................................................... 45The Life of Lady Zaynab ................................... 56Personality ......................................................... 85Horrifying Events ............................................ 100

TO THE HEAVEN ............................................... 256ZIYARAH OF LADY ZAYNAB .............................261

Referfences ...................................................... 276


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DEDICATIONI pray that this modest work isaccepted by Almighty Allah, HisProphet, and his immaculate progeny. Ihave basically tried to present some

documented facts about a lady who leda revolution against oppression andfalsehood.

T dedicate this humble attempt toImam al-Husayn bin Ali, the mostbeloved individual to Lady Zaynab, forhe trained her to become anexceptional character-a characterwhich still stands to be unique.Consequently, she passed the Divine

Trial so remarkably and achieved allher brothers goals.

To you, Imam al-Husayn, I dedicatethis work hoping for acceptance-,because you have been the guide and


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9

inspirer of seekers of righteousness,justice, and real humanity.


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PUBLISHERS WORDAll praise is due to Almighty Allah Who will

reward those who sacrificed their lives for Hissake and declared the word of right fearlessly soas to extend justice and honesty on this earthand contribute in achieving the purpose forwhich He has created the creatures.

Allahs peace and all blessings be uponMuammad and his infallible Household whosuffered troubles and encountered horribleadversities; all for taking humankind to theeternal pleasure and serving Almighty Allah in

the best way.In the history of humankind, one can findmany names whose principles encouraged themto declare the word of right and justice openly inthe faces of the wrongdoers and the unjust. Thisbook deals with a lady who entered the field ofstruggle against wrong strongly and said theword of right and justice in the faces of the

wrongdoers and oppressors. The echoes of thisladys words are still disturbing every tyrant andstill reminding history of her immortal situationsthat gave, altogether with her brothersrevolution, a new birth to Islam after it had beenabout to be deformed and vanished at the handsof the illegal rulers who took over the leadershipof the Islamic nation. This lady was Zaynab

daughter of Imam Al (a).We must also yield to the fact that Imam al-

usayn (a) accompanied his sister, lady Zaynab,


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The Ahl al-Bayt in the Qurn and Sunnah 11

with him only after he had found her the fittestto complete his giant revolution, and she did

complete his revolution after him so perfectly.Besides, Lady Zaynab was such a perfectindividual that she understood the duty shewould burden about the revolution of her brotheralthough the Islamic Sharah1 has orderedwomen to remain at their houses since it is notobligatory upon them to participate in jihad.2Notwithstanding, lady Zaynab, being the

daughter of the Islamic Sharah that wasrevealed in her house, understood more thananyone else that the advocacy of the right andthe support of the religion were two missions tobe undertaken by her. Hence, she carried out thereligious duty as perfect as possible and couldact as an important ring in the series of Islam.

From this cause, we understand that therevolution of Lady Zaynab, granddaughter of theProphet of Islam and daughter of its protector,was due to a divine directive.

Everybody knows that Islam could see thelight only by virtue of the wealth of Khadjah(Prophet Muammads first wife) and the sword ofAl ibn Ab Tlib (a). In the same manner, Islam

has subsisted by virtue of the martyrdom ofImam al-usayn (a) and the revolution of LadyZaynab.

Only through the revolutionary speeches ofLady Zaynab did the publics recognize the falsity

1 Sharah is the Is lamic code of re l igious law, based

on the teach ings o f the Qur n and the t rad i t iona lsayings of Prophet Muammad (s) .2 J ihad is rel igious warfare or a war for thepropagation or defense of Is lam.


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12 Lady Zaynabof Muwiyah and Yazd and their enmity againstIslam.

The tragedy of Lady Zaynab forms the secondhalf of the revolution of Imam al-usayn (a).Against those unbearable misfortunes, she stoodwith steadfastness and had full custody on thecaptives, orphans, and the ailed Imam. She thendisputed the wrongdoers through her speechesand denied the horrendous crushing andviolation against human rights and dignity. Shethen rallied the publics against the oppressivegang of the Umayyad rulers and their tails untilthey banished her so as to save their state.Nevertheless, their state was smashedcompletely in consequence of Lady Zaynabsefforts.

The material of this book has been compiledfrom the most reliable reference books of history

and biography. However, the books entiled Al-Sayidah Zaynab and authored by Sheikh Jafaral-Naqdi, Al-Sayyidah Zaynab and authored bySheikh Baqir Sharif al-Qarashi have been mostdepended in the material of this book.

The Ansariyan Publications thus is pleased tointroduce this work, which focuses light, in abrief yet documented way, on the life account,

personality, and struggle of Lady Zaynab, to thegentle readers hoping they will benefit by theunparalleled situations of this great lady andderive items leading to human perfection.

Finally, we pray to Almighty Allah to make thepath of success paved for us and make ourintentions purely proposed to Him. He is mostcertainly the source of success and good fortune.

Ansariyan Publications, 2002


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THE AHL UL-BAYT

IN THE QURN ANDSUNNAH

Introduction HisEminence ShaykhMs Muammad Als al-SayyidahZaynab:1

All praises belong to Allah, Lord of the worlds.Peace and blessings be upon our masterMuammad, the most honorable of the prophetsand the chief of the Messengers of Allah, andupon his household, companions, and progeny.

Almighty Allah says:

The mercy of Allah and His blessings are on

you, O people of the house, surely He isPraised, Glorious. (11:73)

Allah only desires to keep away the

uncleanness from you, O people of theHouse! and to purify you a (thorough)

purifying. (33:33)

1

This in t roduct ion has been opted here in order toprove that the love for the Ahl a l -Bayt is not a Shi i teclaim or myth. The author of this introduction belongsto the Hanafite Is lamic school of jur isprudence.


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14 Lady Zaynab

Say: I do not ask of you any reward for it butlove for my near relatives. (42:23)In his book entitled al-a, Muslim records

the following:Zayd ibn Arqam narrated: In a place

between Mecca and Medina called Khumm,the Messenger of Allah (s) once delivered a

speech to us.

After statements of praising and thankingAlmighty Allah, as well as statements ofpreach and reminding of Him, the Prophet

(s) said: : ...

. O people, I am no more than an ordinary

person, and the messenger of my Lord (i.e.angel of death) will shortly come to me and

then I will respond. Among you, I have lefttwo weighty things: first, the Book of Allah

that includes right guidance andillumination. Preserve in the Book of Allahand hold fast on it. Second, my household;

remember Allah concerning my household,remember Allah concerning my household,

remember Allah concerning my household.The first thing one can learn from the previous

directive of the immaculate Prophet (s) is that

one who loves something must prefer it tohimself, lest such love will be false and untrue.To attain something after serious search is more


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pleasant and delightful than to get it withoutfatigue.

The true love for the Messenger of Allah (s)can be shown through following his words anddeeds, complying with his instructions, avoidingthings that he deemed forbidden, copying ethics,and following him in his love for his household(the Ahl al-Bayt), by showing love for them.

The Prophets household are the real pureones. It is they whom Almighty Allah has givenHis love, bestowed upon with variant miracles,purified from the natures of souls, and savedfrom following their own desires. As a result, alltheir thoughts have become completelyconnected to Almighty Allah.

Thus, love for the Prophets household hasbecome the origin and the first step in the way

towards Allah. All manners and ranks are onlylevels of love.Out of His honoring them, Almighty Allah

educated the ignorant among the Prophetsfamily, guided the lost, and strengthened theweak; therefore, to behave modestly beforethem is a duty, to seek justice for their wrongedones is obligatory, and to serve them as much as

possible is regarded as seeking nearness tothem.It is Almighty Allah, the Creator, Who favored,

awarded, purified, chastened, and honored theProphets household. This is clear in His saying:



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16 Lady Zaynabuncleanness from you, O people of theHouse! and to purify you a (thorough)

purifying. (33:33)

Therefore, creatures must bear in their heartssuch divine favoring as response to the Creatorsinstruction and carrying out the Prophets call.

Love for the Prophets household can beachieved only by respecting them in presenceand absence; they hence should not beslandered or disrespected. Finally, it is forbiddento backbite, especially the Prophets householdand the sincere saints of Allah.1

As a result, Muslims must beware of such avicious trait. However, no one who plunges intosuch a thing will attain success, because thesaints are as same as the prophets, and to makedistinction between them is to deprive them oftheir prosperities and ingratitude for their

1 This is an indicat ion to Almighty Al lahs saying:

O you wh o b el ieve ! A void m os t o f su sp ic ion, fo rsure ly susp ic ion in some cases is a s in , and do not

spy nor let some of you backbite others. Does one ofyou l ike to eat the f lesh of h is dead brother? But youabhor it ; and be careful of your duty to Al lah; surely,Al lah is Oft-returning to mercy, Merciful. (49:12)


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graces.Unfortunately, the inattentive and the

deceived ones look at the people of honesty andfaithfulness with the eyes of despise, issuewrong decisions about them, charge them withdeviation, and regard them as ignorant. Theclear-sighted ones, on the other hand, arepersistently calm; they can see the unseen witheyes of discernment from beyond soft screens.Accordingly, misfortunes cannot defeat them and

attacks of time cannot provoke them. In aninstant, the flag of ease shall gleam for them,clouds of obscurity clear away and AlmightyAllah eradicate the intrigues of the conspirators.

On that account, men of perception, sagacity,decency, and observation hold faithful devotion,perfect constancy, sincere honesty, and

abundant esteem for the Prophets householdout of their compliance to the Creatorsinstruction, their honoring the Prophet, and theiracceding to his commandment in the followingadth:

Al-abarni, in his al-Mujam al-Kabr, Ab al-Shaykh, Ibn abbn, in his al-a, and al-Bayhaqi; all recorded the Prophets following

saying:

. A servant of Allah shall not be faithful

believer unless he loves me more than heloves himself, loves my household more

than he loves his household, loves my


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18 Lady Zaynabfamily more than he loves his family, and

loves my soul more than he loves his soul.1

Al-Bayhaqi, Ab al-Shaykh, and Ibn abbn, in

his al-a, all recorded the following adth onthe authority of Al:The Messenger of Allah (s) was furious when

he came out, sat on the minbar, thanked andpraised Allah, and then said:

.

What is the matter with those who hurt meconcerning my household? I swear by HimWho grasps my soul in His hand that aservant (of Allah) shall not be faithful

believer unless he loves me, and he shallnot love me truly unless he loves my

progeny.For this reason, Ab Bakr said:I love to respect the Prophets kinship more

than to respect mine.Out of his honesty and wisdom, the Master of

the Creatures (i.e. Prophet Muammad) who saysnothing but truth has said as it is reported by al-

Tirmidhi, in his al-Sunan, and al-kim, in al-Mustadrak, on the authority of (Abdullh) Ibn

Abbs: .

You should love Allah on account of thegraces that He bestows upon youceaselessly, and you should love me onaccount of your love for Allah, and you

1 Al-f izh al -Dhahabi decided this adth asauthentic.


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should love my household on account ofyour love for me.1

As a commentary of the Prophets saying, Youshould love Allah on account of the graces thatHe bestows upon you ceaselessly, the author ofFay al-Qadrsays:

This means that you should love Allah for thevarious material and tangible graces that Heconfers upon you, such as the facilitation of food

and drink as an example on the materialgraces-, and the leading to success and rightguidance, the nomination of figures of knowledge, the creation of senses, and thedispense of the illuminations of conviction onhearts in addition to the other tangible graces.

Ibn A-Allh al-Iskandari says:In every moment, Almighty Allah confers

upon you with graces for which you should loveHim and must thank Him at all times.Accordingly, it is impossible to settle the

thanking when its time slips away, since a newthanking must be renewed in every split second.In the same way, seeking forgiveness andevasion of sins must be renewed in every

moment.Almighty Allah says:

And if you would count Allah's favors, you

will not be able to number them; mostsurely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. (16:18)

1 Al-f izh al -Dhahabi decided this adth asauthentic.


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20 Lady ZaynabHence, the Prophet (s) intended to say that

you must love Almighty Allah because He isconferring upon you with His endless graces.

Al-Zamakhshari says in this regard:Grace denotes every advantage intended for

charity. On this account, Allah the Exalted hascreated the whole world as grace. The world is infact either animate or inanimate. The inanimateis grace for the animate, and the animate isgrace for liveliness is grace for the spirited,

because without liveliness, the spirited wouldlose the ability to benefit by other graces. Thus,anything that can be benefited is grace.

As a commentary on the previous notion, al-Fakhr al-Rzi says:

The graces of Allah the Exalted are countless,because everything that He has given to us, suchas advantages, pleasures, limbs and organs that

we use for getting benefits and evading harms,things that He has created in this universe toreason out the existence of Him as the one andonly Maker, and things that He has broughtabout so as to restrain from acts of disobedience; all these are graces. Furthermore,everything that brings pleasure is grace, andeverything that does not bring pleasure but isused for evading harms is also grace, andeverything that does not bring pleasure and isnot used for evading harms is also grace since itcan be used as evidence on the existence of theMaker and, thus, a means to the recognition ofand the obedience to Him. As a result, all thecreatures are graces.

It is now clear that a servants love for Allahdoes not need for interpretation, while Allahslove for a servant needs interpretation.


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In this regard, Imam al-Ghazzli says:Love for Allah is factual, not figurative,

because love, as l inguists cite, denotes thesouls tendency to something expedient andagreeable, while the excessive tendency is theardent love. Since Allah the Exalted is All-benevolent and pleasing, and tendency tobenevolence and pleasance is naturallysatisfying, love for Him has become real. On theother side, Allahs love for a servant is a

figurative matter that stems from the Lordsunveiling the divine screen between a servantand Him in order that the servant will see theLord with his heart, and also stems from theLords enabling the servant to be close to Him.

The following is excerpted from Shar al-Mawqif:1

Our love for Allah is a spiritual mannerdepending on the conception of His continual,limitless perfection, and necessitating perfectattention to His Sacred Presence without languoror whereabouts. While our love for things otherthan Him is a manner depending on theimagination of the perfection of pleasant,humane, or comparable things, such as the love

for ones beloved or the fathers love for his son.Moreover, love is satisfaction, will, andavoidance of protest.

In abstract, Allahs love for others is not real,because the reality of love denotes will, and willsassociate limited things only, and Almighty Allahhas no limits. In other words, a will to dosomething denotes that that thing has not beendone yet, and the will to avoid something1 Shar al-Mawqif is authored by al-Sharf al- Jur jni.


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22 Lady Zaynabdenotes that that thing can be avoided. On thataccount, Almighty Allah is too exalted to will todo or avoid something, because He is the

Everlasting, the eternally Besought of all.The Prophets saying, you should love me onaccount of your love for Allah, means thatbecause Allah the Exalted loves me, He specifiesyour love for me as an instruction that you mustcarry out. This meaning is stated in the followingauthentically narrated report:

When Allah loves a servant, ArchangelGabriel declares: Allah has loved so-and-so, youtherefore must love him.

The Prophets saying, You should love myhousehold on account of your love for me,means that because I love my household forAllahs love for them, you should then love them.

The Prophets saying may also denote an

instruction that must be carried out, becauselove for the Prophets household is for their lovefor the Prophet (s). Almighty Allah says:

Say: I do not ask of you any reward for it

but love for my near relatives. (42:23)

Al-Fakhr al-Rzi records that the Prophet (s)and his household are equal in five things:(1) During the Tashahhud1 of the prayers,

blessings should be said to the Prophet and hishousehold.

1

Tashahhud is the last obl igatory part of the prayer,in which per fo rmers (of p rayer) send b less ings toProphet Muammad and his household, by saying:

.


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(2) During the Taslm2 of the prayers,blessings should be said to the Prophet and his

household. In the Holy Qurn, Almighty Allahsays: Peace be on the family of Yasn. (37:130)

(3) In purity; Almighty Allah addresses toProphet Muammad (s) by saying, ,which means pure.

(4) Almighty Allah says:

Say: If you love Allah, then follow me, Allahwill love you. (3:31)

(5) Almighty Allah says:

Say: I do not ask of you any reward for it

but love for my near relatives. (42:23) The Holy Qurn, authentic adths, and

consensus of Muslim scholars from differentgenerations; all these refer to the divine

obligation of loving, adoring, esteeming,respecting, and honoring the household ofAllahs Messenger (s). Besides, reason decidesthis fact according to the previous proofs on theobligation of gratitude for the All-benefactorLords graces. Our Prophet (s), as being theprophet of mercy, the guide of the ummah, andthe savior of humankind, must be thanked,

appreciated, respected, and honored. To honor2 Tas lm i s the l as t obl igatory p il la r o f a p raye rreferr ing to salutat ion.


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24 Lady Zaynaband love the Prophets household is a part ofhonoring and loving him.

On that account, the four major guidelines ofthe Islamic Sharah, namely the Holy Qurn,the holy sunnah, consensus of the differentgenerations of the Muslim scholars, and analogy,make incumbent upon Muslims to love theProphets household. To refer to all theseevidences is impossible in this brief essay,because it requires big volumes, and thesubmission to this fact is an indisputable matterfor both ordinary people and scholars. We havereferred to some points of this topic only in orderto enlighten those who love the Prophetshousehold, for Almighty Allah says:

Surely, Allah chose Adam and Noah and the

descendants of Abraham and thedescendants of 'Imrn above the nations.

(3:33)Undoubtedly, Prophet Muammad (s) belongs

to the descendants of Abraham and, as a result,his household belong to the descendants ofAbraham. As a conclusion, the Prophetshousehold are chosen by Allah.

Regarding Almighty Allahs saying:


uncleanness from you, O people of the


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House! and to purify you a (thorough)purifying. (33:33)

This is most surely clear-cut evidence on thespecial rank of the Prophets household.Furthermore, there are numerous Verses fromthe Holy Qurn and adth supporting eachother in this regard. The best example is Allahssaying:

Say: I do not ask of you any reward for itbut love for my near relatives. (42:23)

The authenticated frank adths regarding theProphets household are too innumerable. Let usrefer to some of them:

Al-Tirmidhi, in his al-Sunan, and Ab tam

reported the following adth on the authority ofZayd ibn Arqam:.

I am in war against him whoever is in waragainst them (the Prophets household), and

in peace with him whoever is in peace withthem.

Al-Tirmidhi and Imam Amad recorded the

following adth:. Anyone who hurts my relatives will be

hurting me, and whoever hurts me is surelyhurting Allah.

Imam al-Bukhri, in his al-a, recorded thefollowing on the authority of Abd-al-Ramn ibn

Ab Layl:


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26 Lady ZaynabKab ibn Ajarah met me and said, May I

present to you a gift that I have heard from theMessenger of Allah (s)?

Yes, I answered, give it to me.He spoke, We asked the Prophet (s) how to

send blessings on the Ahl al-Bayt, and heanswered: You should say:

: .

. Say: O Allah, have mercy upon Muammad

and upon the family of Muammad in thesame way as you had mercy upon Abraham

and the family of Abraham. You are surelyPraised and Glorious. O Allah, bless

Muammad and the family of Muammad inthe same way as you blessed Abraham and

the family of Abraham. You are surelyPraised and Glorious.

Commenting on this adth, our master Jbirsays:

I do not believe that my prayers in which I donot send blessings upon Muammad and thefamily of Muammad; I do not believe such

prayers will be accepted.Al-Tirmidhi, in his al-Sunan, records thefollowing on the authority of Umar ibn AbSalamah, the Prophets stepson:

Regarding the following Verse:


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Allah only desires to keep away theuncleanness from you, O people of the

House! and to purify you a (thorough)purifying. (33:33)When this Verse was revealed, the Prophet (s)

was in the house of Ummu-Salamah theProphets righteous wife-. He summonedFimah, al-asan, and al-usayn and coveredthem with a cloak, which, too, covered his back,and said:

. O Allah, these are my household; therefore,

(I beseech You to) keep away theuncleanness from them and purify them a

thorough purifying.Seeing the situation, Ummu-Salamah asked,

Am I added to them, Allahs Messenger?

The Prophet (s) answered, You are in yourown position, and you are on the right.1

These are the Ahl al-Bayt from whom AlmightyAllah keeps away the uncleanness and whom Hepurified thoroughly. In the previous adth, theMessenger of Allah (s) shows that this honor (ofthorough purification) is dedicated to themindividually and without the participation ofanyone else.

According to the narration, this exclusiveposition verifies that Ummu-Salamah heard andsaw the whole situation and asked the Prophet(s) to include her to them. As she tried to lift upthat cloak and go under it, the Prophet (s) tookthe cloaks edge from her hand and said, You

1 After recording this adth, al-Bayhaqi commented:According to Ab-Abdullh al-Tirmidhi, this adth isauthenticated and its narrators are trustworthy.


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28 Lady Zaynabare on your own position, and you are on theright.

Because this exclusive position is dedicated tothe Ahl al-Bayt alone, nobody else should beadded even Ummu-Salamah, the virtuous wife ofthe Prophet (s) and mother of the faithfulbelievers (Allah please all the mothers of thefaithful believers).1

If it was permissible or acceptable for anyoneelse to have a share in this exclusive position of

the Prophets household, it would be permissiblefor Ummu-Salamah to be under that cloak as, atleast, response to her desire, soothing her, orappreciation for her faithfulness and loyalty,especially from the one who has a greater claimon the faithful believers- than they have onthemselves, and is to the believers full of pityand merciful,2 and was the kind, the

sympathetic, the magnanimous, the generous,and the honest. Thus, it has become evident thatthe Verse is dedicated to those people of thecloak, not anyone else. This fact is also provedby authentic narrations. Thus, it has been provedthat the Verse intended is dedicate to the

1 In the Holy Qurn (33:6), Almighty Al lah says:

The Prophet has a greater claim on the faithful thanthey have on themselves, and h is wives are as theirmothers.Accordingly, the Prophets wives were cal led mothersof the bel ievers. 2 This is an ind icat ion to A lmighty A l lah s say ing inthe Holy Qurn(9:128)

Certa in ly an Apost le has come to you f rom amongyou rs el ves; g ri evou s to him i s yo ur fa ll ing i ntodistress, excessively sol icitous respecting you; to thebelievers (he is) ful l of pity and merciful.


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Prophets household who are distinguished bysuch honorable merits. In addition, the holy

Sunnah is glittering to brim the Muslims worldwith the virtues of the Prophets household:In his (book entitled) al-a, Muslim records the

following on the authority of Yazd ibn ayyn al-Taymi:

uayn ibn Sabarah, Muslim ibn Zayd, and Iwent to Zayd ibn Arqam. After we had sat beforehim, uayn asked, Zayd, you have reallyattained great benefaction because you saw theProphet (s), listened to his words, participated inhis campaigns, and followed him in prayers. Now,Zayd, please narrate to us what you have heardfrom the Messenger of Allah (s).

Zayd spoke: O son of my brother, (I swear) byAllah I have become old-aged, my days have

become very old, and have forgotten some ofthese narrations that I used to memorize directlyfrom the Messenger of Allah (s). You thereforeshould accept what I will tell you and should notask me things over my ability.

He then added, One day, in a place betweenMecca and Medina called Khumm, theMessenger of Allah (s) delivered a speech to us.

After statements of praising and thankingAlmighty Allah, as well as statements of preachand reminding of Him, the Prophet (s) said:

: ...

.


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30 Lady ZaynabO people, I am no more than an ordinaryperson, and the messenger of my Lord (i.e.angel of death) will shortly come to me and

then I will respond. Among you, I have lefttwo weighty things: first, the Book of Allahthat includes right guidance andillumination. Preserve in the Book of Allahand hold fast on it. Second, my household;remember Allah concerning my household,remember Allah concerning my household,remember Allah concerning my household.

uayn asked again, Zayd, who are theProphets household? Are his wives included withhis household?

He Zayd- answered: His wives are includedwith his household, but his Household are thosewhom are forbidden to receive alms after him.

uayn asked, Who are they, then?

Zayd answered, They are the family of Al,the family of Aql, the family of Jafar, and thefamily of Abbs.

(Abdullh) ibn Abbs narrated that theMessenger of Allah (s) had said:

.

. O sons of Abd-al-Mualib, I have besought

Allah to make the chiefs among you stable(on the right course), guide the straying

ones among you, teach the ignorant onesamong you, and make you generous, noble,

and merciful. A man who lines up his legs


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between the Rukn and Maqm1 for praying(there) and observes fasting (there) shall

most surely be entered into the fire of Hell ifhe meets Allah (on the Day of Resurrection)bearing malice against the household of

Muammad. This adth is recorded by al-kim (in his

book titled al-Mustadrak) on the criterion ofMuslim.2

The Prophets household are the worthiest ofthe Divine Care and love of the Messenger ofAllah (s), because they are regarded as securityfrom people on this earth.

Imam Amad ibn anbal-, in his al-Musnad,and Ab Amr al-Ghifri have reported on theauthority of Al that the Messenger of Allah (s)had said:

. .

Stars are acting as security for theinhabitants of the heavens. If stars vanish,the inhabitants of the heavens will vanish,

too. My Household are acting as security forthe inhabitants of the earth. If they

disappear, the inhabitants of the earth willdisappear, too.

1 The Rukn i s t he co rne r o f t he Ho ly Kaabah , andMaqm is the standing-place of Prophet Abraham nearthe Holy Kaabah.2 The most re l iable reference books of adth for ourSu nn i b re th re n are s ix each h aving i nde pe nde nt

cr i ter ion to decide a adths degree of authent ic i ty .Mus l im i s the compi le r o f one o f these books and ,hence, has h is own cr i ter ion of a adths degree of authenticity.


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: " . "

.

Truthful are the words of Allah (Who says):Your possessions and your children are

only a trial. As I saw these two boys walkstumblingly, I could not avoid interrupting

my speech so as to lift them up from theground.

Almighty Allah, too, urged to respect theProphets Household. In this regard, al-Bukhri, inhis al-a, records that Ab Bakr narrated thefollowing saying of the Prophet (s):

. O people, regard Muammad through

honoring his household.Imam Amad ibn anbal-, in his al-a-

records on the authority of Al that the Prophet(s) said to Fimah:

( ( ) . (

You, these two (i.e. al-asan and al-usayn),this sleeping one (i.e. Al), and I shall

certainly be in the same position on the Day

of Resurrection.Al-abarni records on the authority of Althat the Messenger of Allah (s) said:

. My household and those who love me

among the individuals of my ummah shallbe the first to join me on the Divine Pool.

Al-abarni, in his al-Mujam al-aghr,records on the authority of Abdullh ibn Jafarthat the Messenger of Allah (s) said:


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34 Lady Zaynab

.

. O sons of Hshim, I have implored to Allahthe Exalted to make you generous, noble,

and merciful. I have also asked Him to guidethe straying ones among you, secure the

fearful ones among you, and to supply thehungry ones among you.

In his al-Mustadrak, al-kim records the

following adth on the authority of Anas ibnMlik and decides it as authentically reported:The Messenger of Allah (s) said:

. Concerning my household, my Lord has

promised me that He shall not punish

anyone of them who believes in Allahsoneness and my (divine) message.Al-abarni, in his al-Mujam al-Kabr, records

on the authority of (Abdullh) Ibn Abbs thefollowing adth whose reporters are decided astrustworthy:

The Messenger of Allah (a) said to Fimah:.

Most surely, Allah shall not punish your sonsand you.

Amad, al-kim, and al-Bayhaqi record on theauthority of Ab Sad (al-Khidri) that theMessenger of Allah (s) said while he was on theminbar:

.


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What is the wrong with some individualswho claim that the kinship of Allahs

Messenger (s) shall not be helpful on theDay of Resurrection? This is definitely notcorrect. By Allah, I swear that my kinship ishelpful in this world as well as the world to

come. O people, I will precede you to theDivine Pool.

Al-Bukhri, in his al-a, records the followingon the authority of Ab Bakr:

While the Prophet (s) was delivering a sermon,al-asan came; therefore, the Prophet (s) said:

. This is my son. He is a chief. Perhaps, Allah

will reconcile two Muslim parties throughhim.

Ibn ajar, in Fat al-Bri (Commentary and

explanations of al-Bukhris al-a), records thefollowing saying of al-Muhallab:In the previous adth, the Prophet (s) relates

leadership to conciliation; therefore, thisindicates that none deserves leadership exceptthose by whom people benefit.

Imam Amad and al-abarni, in his al-Mujamal-Kabr, record that Al reported:

As the Messenger of Allah (s) assigned me asthe judge of the Yemen, I said: Messenger ofAllah (s), you have chosen me while I am stillyoung and many elderly men are there. Besides,I do not have full acquaintance with judiciary.

The Prophet (s) answered:.

Go ahead, for it is Allah Who shall guideyour heart and strengthen your tongue.


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36 Lady ZaynabAl then said: After this statement, I have

never failed.In fact, the authentic adths in this regard

are innumerable, for the six most reliablereference books of adth, as well as manyothers, are filled up with such narrations ofhonoring and esteeming the Prophetshouseholds exalted rank and unanimouselevated standing. Besides, this fact is known foreverybody, and it is impossible to find a singlefaithful believer ignoring the esteem of thefamily of Allahs Messenger (s).

Ab Bakr al-Bayhaqi (m), the grand scholar,says:

All these reports appertained to the virtues ofthe Prophets household are mentioned in thefamous books of adth in authenticated seriesof narration. Refer to these books for the topic

intended.The Prophets household are Al, Fimah, al-asan, and al-usayn, and their descendants andoffspring are attached to them.

The adth of Mubhalah invocation of Allahscurse- is the evidence on the fact that only theaforementioned five individuals enjoy the specialrank given to the Prophets household.

Exegetes of the Holy Qurn have confirmedthe following incident:

Regarding Almighty Allahs saying:


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If any one disputes in this matter with thee,

now after (full) knowledge Hath come tothee, say: Come! Let us gather together, -

our sons and your sons, our women and

your women, ourselves and yourselves:Then let us earnestly pray, and invoke thecurse of Allah on those who lie!

When this Verse was revealed, the Messengerof Allah (s) embraced al-asan and al-usayn,Fimah walked after them, and Al walkedafter them. He then asked them to say Amenwhen he would invoke Allah etc.1

On this incident, Jrallah comments:This Verse is the strongest evidence on the

virtue of the Ab al-Kis (owners of the Cloak-the Prophets household-.)2

About their descendants following them invirtue, the following Qurnic Verse proves it:

1 The inc ident o f Mubhalah invocat ion o f A llah scur se- i s ver y w el l- know n, for i t i s m en ti one d i nalmost al l the books dealing wi th the Is lamic history.


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38 Lady Zaynab

And (as for) those who believe and theiroffspring follow them in faith, We will unite

with them their offspring.Scholars have confirmed that offspring

includes the descendance of the origin up to theDay of Resurrection. On that account, theProphets household includes his offspring anddescendants up to the Day of Resurrection. From

this point, scholars of Islamic laws have decidedmany verdicts, especially in questions of waqfs1and the like. In this respect too, the question ofthe belongingness of the Prophets daughtersdescendants to his lineage is very famous, andour great Imam Ab anfah al-Numn ibn

Thbit has his clear opinion in this question.Commenting on the previous Qurnic Verse,

the author ofMasin al-Tawl says:The Verse refers to those who imitate theirascendants with relation to faith and righteousdeeds. The Verse also shows that thosedescendants will be joined to their ascendants inParadise and (eternal) bliss. Because theaddressees in the Verse are the Prophetscompanions who are sure of Allahs promise,

they receive the good tidings that their2 The Ab a l -K is (owners of the Cloak) is a namecal led on the P rophet ( s), Imam Al, F imah a l-Zahr , Imam a l -asan, and Imam a l -asan, becausethe Prophet (s) covered these four individuals under ac loak and supp l ica ted to A lmighty A l lah to removeuncleanness f rom them and pur i fy them thoroughly.In th is inc ident , the Prophet (s ) named them as my

household ( i .e. the Ahl ul-Bayt) .1 Waqf is the endowment or set t lement o f propertyunder wh ich the p roceeds a re to be devo ted to arel igious or charitable purpose.


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descendants who imitate them righteously willbe added to them.

The other Hashemites whom are forbidden toreceive anything from the alms enjoy a rank ofhonor higher than that of others, but they cannotattain the characteristics of the Ab al-Kisand the Prophets progeny in relation to theobligation of loving, respecting, reverencing, andhonoring them.

Scholars have had different opinions regarding

Almighty Allahs saying:


uncleanness from you, O people of theHouse! and to purify you a (thorough)

purifying. (33:33)Some scholars have decided that this Verse isdedicated only to the descendants of Al andFimah, while others have included the familiesof al-Abbs, Jafar, and Aql with them.

In his al-Rislah al-Zaynabiyyah, Jalluddn al-Suyi have recorded precious words concerningthe identification of the Sharifs. He says:

In the first age of Islam, the epithet of Sharifwas said to anyone who belonged to theProphets household, whether through al-asanor al-usayn, belonged to Al whether throughMuammad ibn al-anafiyyah or any other son, orbelonged to Jafar, Aql, or al-Abbs.

Thus, in the biographies mentioned in al-Dhahabis book of history, you can find many

names such as, Sharif of al-Abbs, Sharif ofAql, Sharif of Jafar, or Sharif of Zaynab.


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40 Lady ZaynabBut, when the Fatimid dynasty ruled Egypt,

they dedicated the epithet to the descendants ofour masters al-asan and al-usayn. This matter

has been followed in Egypt up to now.Lady Zaynab married my master Abdullh ibnJafar, her cousin. The first of her excellent, puredescendants were Sayyid Al, the namesake ofhis grandfather, Sayyid Awn al-Akbar, SayyidAbbs, Sayyid Muammad, and Lady Ummu-Kulthm respectively. Lady Zaynabsdescendants are now numerous.

They are, according to al-abbn the scholar,added to the Prophets family and household. This fact is unanimously decided because theProphets family are the faithful believers fromthe Hashemites, son of Abd-al-Mualib, hisprogeny, and his descendants. Sons (anddescendants) of ones daughter are regarded ashis progeny and descendants, and when such a

man records something in his will for hisdescendants, the descendants of his daughtermust have a share in it. This meaning however ismore specific than the previous.

As it is unanimously decided, it is forbidden forthe descendants of Jafar to have from the alms,because they belong to the Prophets household.Even though it is now dedicated to thedescendants of al-asan and al-usayn, theepithet of Sharif must be said to all theindividuals who belong to the Prophetshousehold, according to the old concept of thisepithet.

The author of al-Mawhib says that theMessenger of Allah (s) had no descendantsexcept those who came through his daughterLady Fimah al-Zahr. Hence, the Prophetsnoble progeny came through the two grandsons,Imam al-asan and Imam al-usayn. Those who


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belong to the descendants of the two Imams arecalled asani and usayni. Besides, the name

Isqi is added to those who belong to Isq sonof Jafar al-diq son of Muammad al-Bqir son ofImam Zayn al-bidn son of Imam al-usayn. HeIsq- was the husband of Lady Nafsahdaughter of al-asan ibn Zayd ibn al-asan ibn al-asan ibn Al.

Al-abbn says that sharifship is of variousclasses; a general one includes all the Prophets

household, a special one is dedicated to theProphets progeny and, hence, includes thedescendants of Lady Zaynab and all of theProphets daughters descendants, and a thirdclass is restricted to al-asan and al-usayn andcalled sharifship of kinship.

The evidence of those who claim that thename of Ahl al-Bayt is restricted to definite

individuals is the following adth, which isrelated from many authenticated ways of narration:

The Prophet (s), accompanied by Al andFimah, gave his two hands to al-asan and al-usayn and entered. He asked Al and Fimahto come close and sit before him, seated al-asan and al-usayn on his thighs, covered them

with a cloak, and recited (Allahs saying):


uncleanness from you, O people of the

House! and to purify you a (thorough)purifying. (33:33)


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42 Lady ZaynabAccording to another narration, the Prophet (s)

then said:.

O Allah, these are my household; (So, Ibeseech to You to) Keep away theuncleanness from them, and purify them a

thorough purifying.According to a third narration, the Prophet (s)

then said:

.

O Allah, these are the family of Muammad;(So, I beseech to You to) make Your mercyand blessings on the family of Muammad inthe same way as You have made i t onAbraham. You are certainly Praised,Glorious.Supporting those who claim generality of the

expression of Ahl al-Bayt, al-Baywi states thatparticularizing the expression to the fiveindividuals only does not suit the Verses thatprecede and antecede the intended Verse (i.e.Verse of Purification). In addition, the adth hasmentioned those individuals particularly so as torefer to the Prophets household, not anyoneelse.

On the other hand, the particularization ismentioned for adding the particular progeny tothem, for their special rank. As a result, thisdoes not oppose the generality of theexpression.

It is also credible that the particularization ofthese four individuals is intended for a divinecommandment. This fact is proved by the adth

narrated by Ummu-Salamah:Seeing the situation, Ummu-Salamah lifted anedge of the cloak and tried to be with them


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under it. But the Prophet (s) took the cloaksedge from her hand. She then asked, Am I

added to them, Allahs Messenger? The Prophet (s) answered, You are in yourown position, and you are on the right.

In al-Musnad, Amad (ibn anbal) and al-abarni narrate the following adth on theauthority of Ab Sad al-Khidri:

The Messenger of Allah (s) said: :

. This Verse (of Purification) has intended five

individuals; they are Al, al-asan, al-usayn, Fimah, and I.

Ibn Ab Shaybah, Amad, al-Tirmidhi, al-abarni, and al-kim (who decided the adthas authentic); all narrate the following on the

authority of Anas:Whenever he went out for the Fajr dawn-Prayer (in the Masjid), the Prophet (s) used topass by the house of Fimah and declare:

.

Hurry for the prayer, O people of the House

(i.e. the Ahl al-Bayt.) Allah only desires tokeep away the uncleanness from you, Opeople of the House, and to purify you a

thorough purifying.At any rate, some narrations assert the

generality of the expression:Muslim and al-Nass narrate the following on

the authority of Zayd ibn Arqam:

The Messenger of Allah (s) delivered a speechto us in which he (s) said:


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44 Lady Zaynab

.

Remember Allah concerning my household,remember Allah concerning my household,

remember Allah concerning my household.He then was asked, Who are the Prophets

household?Zayd answered, His household are those

whom are forbidden to receive alms after him.He was asked, Who are they, then?

Zayd answered, They are the family of Al,the family of Aql, the family of Jafar, and thefamily of Abbs.

To sum it up, the individuals of the Prophetspure progeny have been given exclusivelystepped up honoring, covered by great virtuethrough Lady Fimah, dressed with the wear oftribute, and granted more respect and

reverence.


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INTRODUCTIONLady Zaynab, daughter of Imam `Al (a) and

granddaughter of Prophet Muammad (s), wasthe first lady in the world of Islam to form awhole history, erect edifices of right and justice,demolish the gloomy castles of wrong andoppression, and record, through her honorablesituations, new items of honor and dignity forIslam and Muslims throughout history. Thus, shehas been a ring in the series of the ideal, humanglories that her fathers, brothers, descendants ofher brothers, and their partisans have introducedto humanity.

She contributed actively in constructing theedifices of the Muslim ideal renaissances and inthe propagation for the religious and politicalcognizance in the meanwhile as the rulingauthorities and their tails used all media forovercastting the pure mentalities of people andforging even the intuitive facts of Islam.

Positively, Lady Zaynab aborted all theseforgeries and brought into view the reality of theUmayyad rulers; the actual enemies of Islam.She, also, proved to the publics that theUmayyad rulers were polluted by crimes andviolations against human rights and that theirauthority was illegal since they usurped theothers rights and appointed themselves as

absolute rulers over Muslims without obtainingtheir satisfaction or consulting them.


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46 Lady ZaynabThrough her marvelous revolutionary speeches

and situations, Lady Zaynab particularizedminutely the reality that was hidden from the

publics, and focused lights on the misdemeanorof the Umayyad rulers political plots.Lady Zaynab, the Prophets granddaughter,

was characterized by a personality that joined allthe high moral standards and the honorabletendencies and, accordingly, she has been thebest exemplary of honor, chastity, and dignity inaddition to every virtue of human perfection.

From her grandfather and parents, LadyZaynab inherited perfectly the highest principlesof charity including deep-rooted faith and trust inAlmighty Allah. Historians have recordedremarkable pictures and situations of incomparable faith and perseverance onprinciples the leading roles of which was proudly

given to Lady Zaynab. At the night that followedthat horrible day of `shr1 in Karbal, LadyZaynab offered Thanksgiving Prayer to AlmightyAllah for that tragedy which inflicted not only theAhl al-Bayt (a), but also all human beings ingeneral and Muslims in particular.

Another picture of Lady Zaynabs tremendousfaith is that on the day of `shr she stopped

near the body of her killed brother, Imam al-usayn (a), that was cruelly severed by theswords of the criminal band of the Umayyadarmy, and uttered her immortal word:

. O Allah, accept this offering and rewardhim for his deed.

1 Day of shr is the tenth of Muharram, celebratedas a day of mourning (the anniversary of themartyrdom of Imam Al-Hussein (a).)


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The Life of Lady Zaynab 47Has humanity ever seen such a scene of faith?

The most destructive adversity that inflictedIslam was taking the Ahl al-Bayt (a) away fromthe political theatre of Islam while everybody,especially those who contributed directly in thescenario of setting them aside from theirpositions, knew for certain the divine decision ofchoosing them (i.e. the Ahl al-Bayt) for theleadership of the Islamic nation. Historians haverecorded unanimously that after the demise ofProphet Muammad (s), some individuals led arebellion against his general decision of succession in the leadership of the Islamicnation, claiming that it is unacceptable for theHashemites1 to have both prophesy andleadership.2

This adversity resulted in handing theleadership and destiny of the Islamic nation over

to unsuitable individuals who were the mainreason beyond the collapse of Muslims. Thus, the Islamic nation, as a whole, was

deprived of the pure source of the knowledge ofthe Ahl al-Bayt (a) which was the naturalextension of the divine knowledge of theprophets (a). Imam `Al (a), in consequence,lived in complete confinement away from the

political and practical life of the Islamic nation allduring the reigns of the three caliphs, and whenhe was elected, freely for the first time, for theleadership of the Islamic nation, the capitalists,the greedy, the deviants, and the ignorantrevolted against his just government and1 T he H as he mi tes are son s a nd d es cend an ts of Hshim, the grandfather of Prophet Muammad (s) .2 See Ahmed Hussein Yaqb, The Concept ion of theSahabas Ultimate Decency and the Pol i t icalLeadership i n I sl am ; translated by Badr Shahin,Published by Ansariyan Publicat ions Qum, 1998.


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48 Lady Zaynabengaged him against many things. By suchengagement, the Islamic world was afflicted witha big loss when Imam `Al (a) did not have

enough time to extend ideal justice and equalityall over the Islamic state. As a matter of fact, theImmaculate Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) facedthe same fate of their grandfather Imam Al (a)when the Umayyad and Abbsid rulers preventedthem from extending their idealities andknowledge among people and caused humanityto lose such sources of wisdom.

Because of the policies of the caliphs ofQuraysh1, the mortal enemies of Islam couldcome to power, rule Muslims, and change theIslamic State into kingdom dominated bypersonal interests and hereditary dynasty.

Thus, wrong and oppression became thedistinctive features of the ruling authorities,

killing was the fate of men of thought andfreedom, people were deprived of their rights,which became in the hands of a few gang loyalto the ruling authorities, and corruption foundrich pasture in the Islamic provinces.

Wrong, oppression, and corruption attaintedthe climax in the reign of Yazd the dissolute.Historians have unanimously agreed on the fact

that Yazd was such an unjust, immoral, andsinful man that he did not believe in Allah andHis Apostle for a single moment. In abstract,

Yazds policies exploded in every matter thatviolated Islam.

In the midst of these circumstances, nobodyhad the ability to utter a single word of rightexcept Imam al-usayn (a) who formulated hisgreat revolution that paved the way to the1 Quraysh is the tr ibe to which Prophet Muammad (s)belonged.


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The Life of Lady Zaynab 51misfortunes of the Ahl al-Bayt in particular andMuslims in general.

Most certainly, within the most significantfactors that resulted in the absolute dominationof the Umayyad dynasty on the Islamic Statewere the plot of the Saqfah1 and the spuriousforgery of the Shr.2 Because of the invention ofthese two baseless systems, the Umayyadinfidels, though they were humiliated by Islamand decided as slaves and then were releasedafter they had fought against Islam with allweapons, could come to power and prevail onMuslims and their destiny.

The ruling authorities who usurped the legalright of Imam `Al (a) showed favor to theUmayyad rulers, removed the mask of humilityand meekness that Islam put on their faces,granted them abundant wealth, and invested

them with leading offices in the Islamic State. Muwiyah ibn Ab Sufyn was the biggest1 The Saqfah shed- o f Ban-S ' idah i s the p lacewhere Ab-Bakr, Umar ibn al -Khab, andAb-Ubaydah ibn a l- Ja rr held a secre t meeting ,attended by the Anr the inhabitants of Yathrib whoreceived and supported the Prophet and theemigrants of Mecca-- , immediately after the demiseof Prophet Muammad (s) to name the one to hold the

po si ti on of the l ead er sh ip o f th e I sl amic na ti onalthough al l the attendants knew for certa in that theProphet (s ) , on more than one occas ion, nominated'Al i ibn Ab- l ib as h is successor and declared thatthe issuer of this decis ion was Almighty Al lah.2 Although he dec la red before everybody that theProphet (s) did not nominate anybody for hissuccess ion in the leadersh ip o f the Is lamic nat ion ,Ab-Bakr , in h is f inal hours, nominated Umar ibn a l -Khab as h is successor and the coming leader. The

latter, however, invented a funny counci l to elect theleader to succeed h im. Th is sys tem was ca l led theSh r . F or d eta il s, see the boo ks of th e I sl amichistory.


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52 Lady Zaynabbeneficiary of such procedures. He was given thegovernorship of Syria and was granted specialsupport and advocacy. When Umar ibn al-

Khab was informed that the governor of Syria,namely Muwiyah, exceeded all limits inviolating the Muslims treasury as he builtpalaces, committed every sin forbidden by Islam,dressed silky clothes, and ate in golden andsilver plates, Umar found him excuses bysaying, This is the Khosrow king- of the Arabs.Everybody knew that Islam has been empty of

royalty or aristocracy. In the sight of Islam, allMuslims are of the same class. Nothingdistinguishes them except piety and charity.

It is ironic that Muwiyah who opposed Islamopenly and was forced to accept it so as to savehimself from killing; it is ironic for such anindividual to be described as the king of theArabs. In the holy Qurn, Muwiyah and hisfamily are described as the doomed tree.1 Inmany texts related authentically to the Prophet(s), the Umayyad dynasty is cursed. After all,they are only slaves of Muslims although theProphet released them and they have beennamed the Released Ones.

In abstract, a view at the events of Karbal and

the ordeals faced by the Ahl al-Bayt (a) provesthat they, primarily, are the results of the plot ofSaqfah and the spurious forgery of Shr.Moreover, these two unfounded systems have

1 See the exegesist s exp lanation o f the QurnicVerse: And when We sa id to you: Sure ly your Lordencompasses men; and We d id not make the v is ion

w h i ch W e s h o w e d y o u a n d t h e cu r s e d t r e e i n t h eQur'n as well but a tr ial for men; and We cause themto fear , bu t i t on ly adds to the i r g reat ino rd inacy .(17:60)


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The Life of Lady Zaynab 53been the reason beyond all the ordeals ofMuslims during history.

In point of fact, the greatest and the mostconstructive service to be presented to theIslamic nation is to hint at, propagate for, andrefer to the Ahl al-Bayts numerous, genuinemerits and elevated idealities since thesematters leave direct influence on the spread ofvirtue and moral standards and the developmentof behavior. The Ahl al-Bayt (a) have beenacting, through their words, deeds, andbehaviors, as rays of Almighty Allahsillumination, since they are, as is proved byauthenticated reports related to the Prophet (s)who does not speak out of desire, the ships ofsalvation of the Islamic nation and the matchesof the Book of Allah.

The life accounts of the Ahl al-Bayt have been

schools of God-fearing, genuine faith, andstruggle against the wrong. They dedicated theirlives to the Almighty and acted perfectlysincerely for His sake. Thus, the life account ofany of them is no more than a record of modelitems of God-fearing and obedience to the Lord.

They spent their days with fasting and spenttheir nights with prayers and recitals of the Holy

Book of Allah. The Ahl al-Bayt (a), men and women, actedearnestly for spreading knowledge, wisdom, andhigh moral standards among people. They alsospent their lives with distributing their charityamong the needy, acting kindly to the miserable,struggling intently against the wrong, andexerting all possible efforts for opposing injustice

and the unjust individuals no matter how strongthey were, and which positions they held.


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54 Lady ZaynabThey adopted the issues of the Islamic nation

so bravely; therefore, they were exposed tokilling at the hands of the unjust rulers who held

the reins of the Islamic nations wrongfully.Among the individuals of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) towhom all the previous activities and descriptionsare applicable is Lady Zaynab daughter of Imam`Al (a) who contributed in raising the word ofAllah on this earth and struggled intently againstthe oppressors and had to suffer the mosthorrible adversities and misfortunes for thissake. After the killing of her brother Imam al-usayn (a), Lady Zaynab, as well as the otherharem of the Prophets household, was taken ascaptive and had to be present before the bastardUbaydullh ibn Ziyd who was given the positionof the governorship of two Islamic provinces.

Before Ubaydullh, Lady Zaynab showed such

remarkable courage that he could not controlhimself when he hurried towards her to beat her. The caravan of the Prophets household then

was taken to Syria where they had to be presentbefore Yazd ibn Muwiyah. Before this criminaldescendant of the mortal enemies of Islam, LadyZaynab delivered her historical speech, which isconsidered as the most important document that

condemned and decided as illegal the UmayyadState and its partisans.For the sake of Islam, this granddaughter of

Prophet Muammad (s) had to suffer horrifyingadversities and misfortunes, and due to herheroic situations and honorable struggle againstwrong and oppression, women of this world musttake her as their model and through a deepunderstanding of her pioneership of struggleagainst wrong, all women should recognize their


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The Life of Lady Zaynab 55roles in adopting the issues of justice on thisearth.


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THE LIFEOF LADY ZAYNABTo throw light upon the odorous memories and

to work perseveringly for obtaining the items ofsuch memories; these two things cast on soulsgood manners, virtues, and acquaintance withthe conducts of the past personalities who werecharacterized by high merits, piety,righteousness, and decency.

Thus, the noble, deep-rooted character of LadyZaynab should not be passed over because shehas contained all points of immaculacy, majesty,dignity, and distinguished origin. She has also

possessed renowned bearings in the fields ofperseverance on the principles, courage,eloquence, and full-heartedness in addition toasceticism, chastity, piety, holiness, andmagnanimity.

On that account, it is necessary for seekers ofmerits and fact-finders to adopt from herprecious life account and please the ears by

listening to her admirable, odorous memories soas to take from her a model of self-disciplining,knowledge, and aspiration.

Let us now refer to a brief presentation of thelife of Lady Zaynab.

LINEAGE

Lady Zaynab enjoyed the most exalted lineagesince she ramified from the tree of prophecy andImamate and combined all the elements of honor


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The Life of Lady Zaynab 57and dignity. The family of Imam `Al (a) hasbeen the most elevated all over history in fieldsof struggle against wrong and adaptation of the

issues of human rights. For the sake of theseissues, sons and descendants of Imam Al (a)have provided hundreds of martyrs.

Lady Zaynabs grandfather, from the maternalside, was Prophet Muammad (s) who explodedsprings of knowledge and wisdom on this earth,founded the features of civilization anddevelopment, constructed a noble societycontrolled by justice and law, smashed thecustoms, superstitions, and pagans of thesavage, tribal society that prevailed in the ArabPeninsula, called for worshipping the OneCreator, and brought to his nation abundantgoodness. Indeed, Almighty Allah sent ProphetMuammad (s) as mercy for humankind.

From this great personality, Lady Zaynabinherited defense of the right and struggle forelevating the Word of Allah highly.

Her grandmother, from the maternal side, wasKhadjah who supported Islam in its darkestdays, struggled for sake of Allah in the ever-bestway, and spent her entire fortune for sake of herreligion. She therefore has been one of the two

supports on which Islam relied in existence. TheProphet (s) used to appreciate for his loyal wifeher situation in her life and after her death.

From this great grandmother, Lady Zaynabinherited the highest moral standards andperseverance on principles. Copying hergrandmother, she supported her brother, Imamal-usayn (a), in his revolution and supplied hisgreat uprising with elements of eternity.


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58 Lady ZaynabLady Zaynabs father is Imam `Al Amr al-Mu

minn (commander of the faithful believers):chief of the prophets successors, leader of the

pious ones, and head of the worshippers. `Alwas the representative, successor, and heir ofProphet Muammad (s). His merits areinnumerable and his situations for sake of Allahare incomparable. He was the mostknowledgeable, the most self-possessed, themost magnanimous, the most generous, themost ascetic, the most courageous, the most

reputable, the best worshipper, the most loyal,the most faithful, and the most pious amongMuslims.

Historians have recorded unanimously thatLady Zaynab was imitating her father inbehavior, knowledge, and conduct. She, too,adopted positively all of her fathers goals andsituations for sake of supplying Islam withelements of continuity. Hence, she, along withher brother Imam al-usayn (a), could thwart theUmayyad infidels plots aimed at wiping outIslam and replacing it with the pre-Islamiccustoms.

Lady Zaynabs mother was Lady Fimah al-Zahr the Veracious (a) who was a copy of her

father in adoration of Allah, piety, self-discipline,knowledge, virtue, clemency, veneration, andthe other features of perfection. Her fathernamed her as the Chiefess of the Women of the


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The Life of Lady Zaynab 59World.1 From this cause, her father addressed hisbest words of laudation and respect to hisdaughter who was the ideal woman on this earth.

This was the mother, educator, and instructorof Lady Zaynab who was nourished on allfeatures of human perfection.

Let us also refer briefly to the grandfather andgrandmother of Lady Zaynab from the paternalside.

Ab Tlib, father of Imam Àl (a), was the

protector of Islam as he defended ProphetMuammad (s) so bravely and suffered in thiscourse unbearable troubles. Only under theguardianship of Ab Tlib could ProphetMuammad (s) propagate for his divine missionand spread his principles fearlessly. With thedemise of his protector, the Prophet (s)expressed his great loss and grief. He therefore

called that year as year of grief. After the1 Bes ides Prophet Muammad (s ) , F imah a l -Zahrthe Veracious (a) was praised by everyone who l ivedin her t ime. Ibn a ja r a l - Àsqa l n i , in h is al- Ibah,re co rd s tha t ` ` is ha h, th e Pr op he t s wi fe, s ai d:Except Prophet Muammad (s) , nobody is preferredto F imah. Àbdull h i bn ' Abbs said, as i t isrecorded in the prev ious re ference book: The bestwomen of Paradise are four: Khadjah, F imah, Mary,

and siyah the Pharaohs wife.Al-Bukhr i , in his al-a , and Musl im, in h is al-a ,record the fol lowing:A l -Musawwir ibn Makhramah quoted the Prophet (s )saying, F imah is a piece of me. Whatever hurts heris cer ta in ly hur t ing me and whatever p leases her iscertainly pleasing me.'Al i (a) reported the Prophets addressing to F imah:F imah, most surely Al lah is p leased when you arepleased and enraged when you are enraged.

Final l y, ref erence books of I sl ami c history andnar ra tion a re ful l o f repor ts relat ing the e levatedstanding of F imah al-Zahr the Veracious (a).


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60 Lady Zaynabdemise of Ab Tlib, the enemies of the Prophet(s) agreed on assassinating him, but Allah savedand ordered him to flee to Yathrib and let his

cousin, `Al, sleep in his bed for making theassassinators understand that he was still there.From this great personality, Lady Zaynab drew

the best lessons of defending the principles.Lady Zaynabs grandmother was Fimah bint

Asad; an example of faith and purity. On herhands, the Prophet (s) was brought up and

treated so kindly and tenderly since she used totake care of him rather than her sons and bestowupon him with all colors of sympathy and love.Hence, she was highly respected by him; whenshe departed life, he (s) dressed her his ownshirt and laid down in her grave as expressionsof his great love for her.

From this great mother, Lady Zaynab learnt

the best lessons of love and support for sake ofher religion and its legal leaders.We, also, should not neglect the fact that

Imam al-asan and Imam al-usayn (a)participated in composing the unparalleledpersonality of their sister, Lady Zaynab, sinceshe spent a long term of her l ife under theircustody.

The two Imams merits and virtues are toomany to be contained. As a result, the Prophet(s) called them Chiefs of the Youth of Paradise.1

Lady Zaynab imitated the morals and ethics ofImam al-asan (a) who was known of hiscomposure and liberality in addition to all thehigh moral standards. As he noticed that his

grandfather and parents take care of Zaynab,Imam al-asan encompassed her with very much1 See Yanb ul -Mawaddah; 196.


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The Life of Lady Zaynab 61love and compassion and preferred her to theother harem of the Prophets household.

Imam al-usayns relation with his sisterZaynab has been the melody of seekers ofhuman perfection. She could occupy his feelingsand emotions for the genuineness of herestimation, elevation of her ethics, and highmoral standards. She was the most dependablein the sight of Imam al-usayn (a) who used totake counsel with her in all of his affairs. Shealso accompanied him in all the stages of hisrevolution. Without Lady Zaynabs struggle,efforts, and honorable situations, the revolutionof Imam al-usayn (a) would have been lost. Asan example of Lady Zaynabs great standing inthe sight of her brother Imam al-usayn (a) isthat when he bade her the last farewell on theday of `shr, he asked her to mention him inher Night Prayer.1

Through the second part of this book, we willrefer to sections of the unmatched relationbetween Imam al-usayn (a) and his sister, LadyZaynab.

THE BLESSED NEWBORN

The life of the Prophets family was highlyflourishing with the existence of the two Imamsal-asan and al-usayn (a) who occupied theirgrandfathers heart completely. Their patents,too, were highly delighted as they saw their twosons before them and as they saw the Prophetslove for them. Once, he (s) expressed his love forthese two sons by saying:

.

1 See Zaynab al-Kubr ; 60.


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62 Lady ZaynabThese two are my only basils that I take from

this world.1

In the midst of this delightful atmosphere,Lady Fimah al-Zahr became pregnant for thethird time. Everybody, including the Messengerof Allah (s), was waiting for the new baby.2

With more delight and pleasure, Lady Fimahgave birth of a she-baby who would exceed allMuslim women in fields of faith, honor, chastity,and perseverance on the principles. The Ahl al-

Bayt and the Prophets companions received thenews of the birth of Lady Zaynab with gladness.Imam `Al (a) hurried to take his newborn,

kissed her frequently, and held the Shariiteceremonies of newborns. The Imam (a) recitedazan3 in his newborns right ear and iqmah4 inthe left. Hence, the first voice that penetratedthe newborns hearing was her fathers,

shouting:Allhu Akbar Allah is the GreatestL ilha illa (a)llh there is no god but Allah.

1 See Kenz a l - Umml; 7 /110, a l -Bukhri s al-a;Chapter: Kitb al-Adab, Majma al -Zaw id ; 9/181, andIbn Askir s at-Trkh; 13/39.2 Though some histor ians say that the f i rst she-baby

of Lady F imah al -Zahra was Ruqayyah, n icknamedUmmu Kulthm, most of h istor ians have proved LadyZaynabs having been Lady Fat imas f i rst she-baby.As evidence, in the reign of the Umayyad State whenthe Ahl a l -Bayt and their part isans were persecuted,anyone who wanted to re late something to Imam Al i ,he would say, Father of Zaynab said so-and-so. Thisis because Zaynab was the e lder daughter , and theenemies d id not rea l ize th is n ickname. See Ibn Abu

al-Hadid, Sharh Nahj al -Balaghah .3 Azan is the cal l to prayer.4 Iq mah i s the p re fa to ry s ta tements o f the r i tua lprayer.


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The Life of Lady Zaynab 63 These great words found a strong ground in

the inner self of Lady Zaynab. They, later on,became the most significant elements of her

personality. In the future, she would adopt thecalling to the true application of these words forwhich she would encounter horrible adversities.

As soon as he was informed about the news ofthe giving birth of this newborn, the Prophet (s)hurried to his daughters house, embraced thenewborn to his chest warmly, and began toweep. It was a surprising view for the mother,Fimah al-Zahr, to see her fathers tears dropon his face, What for are you weeping, father?asked she.

Fimah, said the father (s) with sad tone,you should know that this daughter will have tosuffer horrible misfortunes and tragedies aftermy and your demise.1

At these moments, the Prophet (s) perceivedthe horrifying hardships that would afflict hisgranddaughter. Naturally, Fimah al-Zahr (a)participated in her fathers griefs at thesemoments. Then the close friend of the Ahl al-Bayt, Salmn, came to congratulate on thatoccasion but he found the household sinking ingriefs and unhappiness. Hence, he also

participated in that ceremony of consolation.2CHOOSING THE NAME

The blessed mother carried her newborn to thefather and asked for choosing a name for her.

I will not precede the Messenger of Allah insuch a matter, answered the father modestly.He then took the newborn and asked him to

choose a name for her.1 See A-irz al-Mudhahhab ; 38.2 See Baalatu Karbal ; 21.


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64 Lady ZaynabI will not precede my Lord in such a matter,

answered the Messenger of Allah modestly.From the Heavens then ascended Archangel

Gabriel to say to the Prophet, This newbornsname is Zaynab.1 Almighty Allah has chosenthis name for her.2

She was also given the nickname Ummu-Kulthm or Ummu-al-asan.3

EPITHETS

Epithet is a word or phrase expressing aquality or attribute regarded as characteristic ofthe person or thing mentioned.4 Epithets, then,show ones mental characteristics, whether goodor bad. Thus, Lady Zaynab had many epithetsthat expressed some aspects of her personality.1) AL-ÀQLAH

The Arabic Àqlah means the gentlewomanwho is honorable among her people andvenerated in her house.

Lady Zaynab was such an honorable andvirtuous lady that all her descendants have beencalled Ban al-Àqlahsons of thegentlewoman.

During the journey of Imam al-usayn (a) fromMedina to Karbal, Lady Zaynab was the chiefessof the harem and was obeyed and respected byeverybody.

1 In Arab ic , the word Zaynab is a name ca lled on ahandsome, odorous t ree. ( see Ibn Manzhr s Lisnal- Arab, vol. 6 p.88)2 See Zaynab al-Kubr ; 16-7.3 See Zaynab al-Kubr ; 17.4 Excerpted f rom the Oxford Talking D ic tionary .Copyright 1998 The Learning Company, Inc.


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The Life of Lady Zaynab 65It is to add that she was also called Aqlatu

Bani Hshim the gentlewoman of theHashemites, and Aqlat ut-libiyyn the

gentlewoman of the sons (and descendants) ofAb Tlib.2) AL-LIMAH

For her supreme knowledge, Lady Zaynab wascalled al-limah the she-knowledgeable-.Historians have confirmed that she was anauthority for Muslim ladies who used to refer to

her in their religious affairs. Of course, shereceived such knowledge from her grandfather,parents, and brothers who were the sources ofknowledge for the Islamic ummah. Furthermore,Lady Zaynab has had similar epithets, such asal-rifah the well-versed- and al-Muwathaqah the trustworthy-.3) BIDATU LI-ÀL

Lady Zaynab was recognized also as beingdistinguished worshipper among Muslim ladies.She committed herself to all the recommendablerites of Islam to the degree that even at themost horrible night of her life i.e. the night ofthe tenth of Muarram, 61 AH - she offered thesupererogatory prayers. Thus, she was called

bidatu li-Àl the she-worshipper of Àlshousehold.4) AL-KMILAH

In all aspects of human perfection, LadyZaynab preceded everybody and occupied theleading position. She therefore is called al-Kmilah the perfect-.

5) AL-FDHILAHBecause of her great jihad, service for Islam,

and steadfastness for sake of Allah, Lady


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66 Lady ZaynabZaynabs virtue has exceeded all limits and,therefore, she was proudly conferred with theepithet of al-Fdhilah the virtuous.6) AL-IDDQAH AL-UGHR

Like her mother who is known as the SeniorVeracious, Lady Zaynab was so veracious thatshe gained worthily the epithet of al-iddqahal-ughr the Junior Veracious Lady.7) UMM AL-MAIB

Because she had to suffer various andinnumerable misfortunes all over her lifetime,Lady Zaynab was called Umm al-Maib Motherof misfortunes-.

Let us refer to some of these misfortunes thatshe saw in a period of about one month:1) She saw al-urr ibn Yazd force Imam al-

usayn to stop and reside in a desolate

place.2) She saw the Imams few companions incomparison with the great numbers of theenemys army.

3) She saw most of the Imams so-calledpartisans abandon him and join his enemies.

4) She saw the womens fear and worry when

they had to reside in Karbal.5) She saw the enemies deprive her people andher of water.

6) She had to take care of the children andwomen while they were crying out of thirst.

7) She had to witness her brothers feelings ofdisappointment and loneliness.

8) She had to witness the martyrdom of her twosons, as well as the other relatives andcompanions whom were martyred one by


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The Life of Lady Zaynab 67one. The martyrdom of al-Abbs howeverwas the most disastrous for her.

9) She saw how Imam al-usayn was withoutany supporter or helper, while he wasseeking help.

10)She saw the cut off head of Imam al-usaynlie on spearheads.

11)She saw the enemies attack her brotherscaravan and women, trying to set fire on thetents.

12)She had to gather the scattered children andwomen who fled to everywhere in thatdesert.

13) She had to pass by the dead, severed body ofher brother.

14)She had to ride on saddleless, lean camelsand to help the children and women to ride

on such animals.15)She had to exert all efforts for taking care ofthe ill nephew and consoling him.

16)She had to go through the scenes of beingcaptives and driven from a town to anotherwhile people were looking at them as rebels.

It is narrated that the Holy Prophet (s) oncesaid, To weep for the misfortunes of Zaynab isas same as to weep for her brothers; al-Hasanand al-usayn.1

YEAR OF BIRTH

Historians and narrators have had differentopinions about the year of Lady Zaynabs birth.Some have referred to the fifth year afterHijrah,2 others to the sixth, and a third party to

1 See Jafar al-Naqdi, Zaynab al-Kubr ; 32.


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68 Lady Zaynabthe ninth. The last opinion however isinaccurate,1 and the most acceptable is the first.

2 Hi j rah is the emigrat ion o f Prophet Muammad (a)and his family and companions from Mecca to Medinain 622 A.D.; the Musl im era reckoned from this

history.1 Shaykh Jafar al-Nadir , in his Zaynab al-Kubr; p.18,refutes the narrat ions that Lady Zaynab was born inthe ninth year of the Hijrah. He says:Despite the var iance of narrat ions, Lady F imah al -Zahr the Veracious (a) died in the tenth or eleventhyear o f the H i j rah . I f Lady Zaynab was born in theni nth year of the Hij rah, then when w as Ummu-Kul thm, her s is ter , born , and when was a l -Mus in ,the third son of Imam Ali , was born?

O n t hat accoun t, i t i s un de rs tan da ble th at LadyZaynab was born in the f i f th year of the Hijrah.Besides, Shaykh a l -Naqdi has referred to other factsproving this opinion.


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The Life of Lady Zaynab 69

EARLY LIFE

Lady Zaynab was brought up at the hands ofProphet Muammad, Imam `Al, and LadyFimah the Veracious (a). In other words, shewas brought up in the lap of the divine prophesy,spent her early life in the house of the divinemission, suckled the milk of the most perfectwoman of all ages, and was nourished at thehands of the Commander of the Faithful

Believers. Hence, she enjoyed a divine upgrowthand spiritual education and received garments ofelevation, eminence, chastity, and decency.After the demise of Prophet Muammad (s) andhis daughter Fimah (a), Imam `Al marriedUmmah1 who took care of Lady Zaynab perfectlysince this lady was known of her piety andsubmission to the Lord.

Lady Zaynab, hence, was covered by the mostexalted colors of education, honor, dignity,mercy, and compassion. She learnt from thebehaviors of her parents and brothers manythings that composed her perfect personality.

For instance, whenever she visited her brotherImam al-usayn, he would stand up as a sign of

reverence and respect for her. Whenever shewanted to visit the holy tomb of her grandfather,her father and two brothers used to accompanyher. They also used to extinguish any light sothat nobody would see her.2

1 Ummah is the daughter of Zaynab stepdaughter of P rophet Muammad ( s) . Imp lement ing the w il l o f

F imah al-Zahr, Imam Ali marr ied Ummah after thedemise o f Lady Fimah. I t i s a lso worth ment ion inghere that Ummah was great ly respected by ProphetMuammad (s).


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70 Lady ZaynabShe was really the inheritor of Imam Als

values, moralities, and ethics. To the scholarsand narrators of adth,3 Lady Zaynab enjoyed a

great position. They, therefore, used to refer toImam Al, during the Umayyad reign whobanned any mention to the Imams name, bysaying Father of Zaynab reported

SCHOLARLY CAPACITIESFrom early life, Lady Zaynab was marvelous in

intelligence and cleverness. She learnt by heartthe holy Qurn and the Prophets sayingsregarding Islamic laws, rules of education, andprinciples of ethics. She also memorized thefamous, confounded the speech of her mother,

Lady Fimah al-Zahr (a), that she delivered inthe Prophets Masjid protesting against AbBakrs usurpation of the Islamic ummahsleadership, which was the right of Imam Alaccording to the instructions of Almighty Allahand Prophet Muammad (s), as well asconfiscation of Fadak that the Holy Prophet (s)had given to her as gift within earshot of all

Muslims. In addition to many other narrations,she narrated her mothers speech when theMuslim ladies visited her in her final disease.

Her father, too, was greatly admired by hersharp cleverness. One day, she asked him,Father, do you love us? He answered, Ofcourse I do, daughter. I do love you because you

2 See a-abarn i s a l -Mu jam al-Kabr as re lated toYay al- Mzini.3 ad it h i s t he bo dy of tr ad it ion s co ncer ning th esayings and doings of the Prophet Muammad (s) .


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The Life of Lady Zaynab 71are the fruit of my heart. She replied politely,Father, love is exclusively for Almighty Allah,while it is compassion which is for us.1

As he was teaching her the numbers, heasked, say: one. She said, one. As he askedher to say two, she kept silent. Why do younot say: two? asked the father. She answered,A tongue which pronounces one cannot saytwo.2 As he heard this great answer, he fatherkissed and embraced her.3

She also used to say: . . :

. Anyone who intends not to have thecreatures as interceders for him before Allahshould praise Him. Listen to His saying:Allah listen to anyone who praises Him.Hence, one should fear Allah for He hasability over him, and should feel shy of Himfor He is very close to him.4

This statement in fact implies that she was sovirtuous and perfectly adhered to Allah.

Moreover, she represented her brother, Imamal-usayn (a) whenever he would be absent.

Hence, Muslims used to refer to her in thequestions of the Islamic laws. For her extensive

1 see Zaynab al-Kubr ; 53.2 This means that one who be l ieves honest ly in theoneness of Almighty Al lah must never betake anotheras god.3 See Rayn al -Sharah ; vo l . 3 p.54, and j j Abd-ul-Hdi a l -Shehr istn is Yanb a l -Ramah ( 3) p .8 .

Th is nar ra t ion i s a l so recorded by Ibn As k i r , IbnMandah, and Al Mullah al-Qr i .4 See Sayyid Musin al-Amn al- mil i , Ayn al-Shah ;vol. 7, p. 140.


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72 Lady Zaynabknowledge, Imam Zayn al-bidn (a), Abdullhibn Jafar, Lady Fimah daughter of Imam al-usayn, Muammad ibn Amr, and A ibn al-

Sib used to report her sayings.1In Kufa and during her fathers reign, LadyZaynab had special sessions to which Muslimladies used to come for listening to her preciouslectures about Islam and exegesis of the HolyQurn. She thus was the most trustworthyreference from whom Muslim ladies used to takeconcerning questions about Islam, moralinstructions, and general ethics.

For her tremendous virtue too, Abdullh ibnAbbs2 frequently asked her for answer

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Lady Zaynab