JAB KABHI GHAIRAT-E-INSAN KA SAWAL AATA HAI
AY BINT-E-ZEHRA TERE PARDE KA KHIYAL AATA HAI
Hazrat Zainab (S.A)
Hazrat Zainab (pbuh) the daughter of Imam Ali (pbuh) and Hazrat
Fatimah Zahra (pbuh) and the granddaughter of Prophet of Islam, Hazrat
Muhammad Mustafa (pbuh), reflected in her character the best attributes
of those who brought her up. In sobriety and serenity she was likened to
her grandmother Hazrat Khadijatul Kubra (pbuh); in chastity and modesty
to her mother Hazrat Fatimah Zahra (pbuh) – the Mistress of the Ladies
of the Worlds; in eloquence to her father Imam Ali (pbuh); in
forbearance and patience, and in bravery and tranquility of the heart to
her brothers Imam Hassan (pbuh) and Imam Hussein (pbuh) – the Masters
of the Youth of Paradise, respectively. Her face reflected her father’s
awe and her grandfather Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa’s
(pbuh) reverence.
On the 11th Muharram, 61 AH, after the battle of Karbala, the caravan
of the captives were marched through the city of Kufa and Shaam. For
one year they stayed captives in Damascus prison. Bibi Zainab (sa) faced
Yazid after the Tragedy of Karbala very bravely and told him of the
wrongs he had done. She also gave very good lectures whenever she got a
chance; she therefore enabled the people to know the principles and
practices of Islam and the wrong and merciless killings of the followers
of Imam Hussein (pbuh) in the battle of Karbala by Yazid and his cruel
army.
Due to her honesty, bravery and truthfulness, Islam spread through
Shaam. Then they were released from prison, Bibi Zainab (sa), along with
the rest of the members of Ahlul Bayt (as) went to Medinah. Even in
Medinah, she continued preaching. Islam spread rapidly. The governor of
Medinah became very frightened and wrote to Yazid that Bibi Zainab (sa)
was in Medinah and was spreading Islam quickly and that she would break
his empire. Yazid gave orders that Bibi Zainab (sa) should leave Medinah
and settle in a village outside Medinah. Later on from there she was
sent to a town called Misar, which is in Egypt. She continued spreading
Islam there as well. Yazid became very scared so he once again ordered
that she be taken prisoner and brought to Shaam. When she arrived at a
small village on the boundary of Shaam, she remembered where Imam
Hussein (pbuh) head had been kept on a farm under a tree. When she found
the tree, she started crying. A man of Shaam, who was a follower and
friend of Yazid, saw her and hit her with a spade on her head. She
collapsed and died. That is how this small town came to be known as
As-Syed Zainab. According to historians, Bibi Zainab’s husband –
Abdullah Ibne Jafar-e-Tayyar bought the surrounding land and made the
Rauza/Ziyarat especially in the name of Bibi Zainab (sa).
Hazrat Zainab’s shrine in the town of ‘Sit Zainab’, Damascus, the
capital city of Syria (Shaam), has granted her name to the town awarding
it more beauty, spirituality and fame. The holy tomb of Hazrat Zainab
(pbuh), is a haven and refuge for the disheartened ones from around the
world.
The shrine with regard to its elegance, magnificence, splendor,
grace, nicety, decoration and beauty is the most beautiful and marvelous
not in Damascus, Syria (Shaam) alone but in the Arab and Islamic world.
Note: In Cairo, Egypt there is another Rauza/Ziyarat dedicated to
Bibi Zainab (sa) and the place is known as Masjid-e-Zainabia. This Bibi
Zainab is the daughter of Yahya, Yahya bin Hassan, Hassan bin Zayed,
Zayed bin Hassan, Imam Hassan bin Imam Ali bin Abu Talib (pbut).
