Dr. Bushra Hanoon Mohsen / College of Islamic Sciences – University of Karbala
What do the family of Muhammad have to do with the world? They were created for the Hereafter, and the world was created for them.
The light of Zaynab (peace be upon her) shone upon the house of Ali and Fatima, but she was not greeted with the tears of joy; rather, she was welcomed with the tears of sorrow. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) bent down and kissed his granddaughter with a sad heart and tearful eyes, knowing the dark days that awaited her beyond the veils.
Zaynab (peace be upon her) lived five years in the care of her compassionate family, where the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) sheltered the house of Fatima with his protection. As soon as the eleventh year of Hijrah began, the sun of happiness began to set, for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) answered the call of his Lord and passed away. Zaynab, the young and sensitive, witnessed how the atmosphere in her home turned upside down from joy and happiness to great sorrow. She saw her mother, Fatima (peace be upon her), consumed by grief at the loss of the Prophet and the loving father. Gradually, this sorrow ate away at her spirit until she left this world and joined the eternal companion. How painful those moments were for Sayyida Zaynab and her siblings at the loss of their loving and compassionate mother. After the passing of Fatima (peace be upon her), Zaynab, despite her young age, became the lady of the house. The events and circumstances matured her quickly and prepared her to take the place of the beloved mother, becoming a mother in her own right to Hasan and Husayn, nurturing them with the full affection of motherhood. Thus, Sayyida Zaynab (peace be upon her) spent her childhood amidst responsibility and sacrifice.
The journey continues… After Imam Ali (peace be upon him) assumed the caliphate, he decided to move to Kufa, fully aware of the dangers awaiting him in his new capital. However, he insisted on taking his daughter Zaynab with him, wanting her by his side during these challenging and sensitive times. She too found it hard to part from her father. On the night of his martyrdom, she noticed that her father was in a state she had never seen before. She says: “When I saw him restless, frequently remembering and seeking forgiveness, I stayed awake with him that night and asked: ‘O father, why do I see you this night unable to sleep? Are you foretelling your own demise?’ He replied: ‘My daughter, the appointed time is near, and hope is gone.'” Thus, Sayyida Zaynab bid farewell to her father and grieved his loss.
Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) assumed the caliphate, which brought many events, and Sayyida Zaynab (peace be upon her) was never far from these painful events. She shared her brother’s struggles and lived with him the pain of the nation. She also stood with him in facing the injustices of the Umayyad regime. Zaynab was again struck with grief at the loss of her brother, poisoned, and the sorrow for the martyrdom of her elder brother and loving companion, Imam Hasan.
The journey of struggle and loss continues… All that preceded in the life of Sayyida Zaynab (peace be upon her) was a preparation for the greater role that awaited her—her crucial role in her brother Husayn’s revolution in Karbala. Had it not been for the massive reserve of resistance, suffering, insight, and awareness she had accumulated, she would not have succeeded in carrying out that monumental role. She had a fundamental role in this great revolution.
Karbala revealed the true essence of Sayyida Zaynab’s (peace be upon her) character, her remarkable competence, and leadership qualities. Without her, the goals and outcomes of Karbala could not have been realized in the nation and history. Indeed, she was the heroine of Karbala and Husayn’s partner (peace be upon him). If one reads the events of Karbala and flips its pages, they will find her beside her brother in most of the critical moments. She led the revolution after the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) and completed its path. She became the ambassador of the Husayni revolution, the media voice that thwarted every attempt to silence the voice of truth. She became the roaring voice that secured a victory for Ashura on earth after the enemies tried to erase the marks of the Husayni revolution. Her speeches, full of pride, dignity, and power, delivered in the palaces of Ubaydullah bin Ziyad and Yazid, ignited the crowds against the Umayyad house, prompting uprisings demanding retribution for Imam Husayn (peace be upon him). Sayyida Zaynab shook the thrones of the oppressors in their own palaces, without fear. The daughter of Ali and Fatima, the sister of Hasan, Husayn, and Abbas, knew no fear.
What the writer Bint al-Shati’ said about Zaynab’s role: “Zaynab did not pass without corrupting the joy of Ibn Ziyad, Yazid, and the Umayyads, pouring drops of poison into the cups of the victors!”
Such is Zaynab, the daughter of the Hashemites, who has been enveloped in sorrow since her early years but remained unbroken. She remained a mountain of patience and a spirit of jihad that never faded. She embodies the light of Fatima, the eloquence of Ali, the patience of Hasan, the pride of Husayn, and the courage of Abbas, writing the most magnificent epics in the pages of history, forever etched in the hearts of those who reject oppression.
References: 1 – “The Great Woman: A Study of the Life of Sayyida Zaynab bint Ali (Peace Be Upon Them),” Hassan al-Saffar 2 – “Sayyida Zaynab: The Pioneer of Jihad in Islam,” Baqir Sharif al-Qurashi 3 – “A Woman Named Zaynab,” Kamal al-Sayyid
