Kufa and Syria

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Excerpts

SPEECHES OF HOLY LADY ZAINAB

One of the most excellent plans of Imam Hussain's revolution was accompanying his wives and family members with him, especially Lady Zainab who had the leading role in the process of the revolution's perpetuity. As he anticipated the coming events, he planned for his sister her honourable role in perfecting his uprising, showing his sacrifice that the Umayyad tyrant attempted to cover up, and putting into circulation his principles and aims. As a matter of fact, the Imam's harem contributed actively in the renaissance of the Muslim society and the overthrowing of the Umayyad regime’s false prestige. Through their enthusiastic speeches, the Imam's harem commenced the revolutions against the regime and shook the entity of their illegal state.

In this regard, Muhammad Hussain Kashif al-Ghita says:

"Does anyone doubt the fact that if those ladies -of the Prophet's family- had not challenged the ruling regime through their situations and addresses, the blood of Imam Hussain and his sons would have gone for nothing and none would have demanded with the punishment of those killers and, accordingly, Imam Hussain had already planned for this step and had full knowledge that none would be able to accomplish this mission so perfectly except those ladies. As a result, he asked them to accompany him for adding another item to the oppression that they would encounter -when these ladies would be taken as captives- In addition and overthrow the illegal regime of the Umayyad rulers before they would eradicate Islam and take people back to the per-Islamic customs and traditions."

Dr. Ahmad Mahmud Subhi says:

"Hussain insisted on accompanying his harem and family members with him in order that people would testify of the inexcusable and inhumane crimes that their enemies would do to them. Thanks to this procedure, the issue for which Hussain fought and revolted has not been lost in the desert with his blood. Without the existence of his family members and harem, all the incidents that occurred with Hussain and his enemies would have been completely forged and distorted, and all true testimonies would have been unavailable."

Dr. Aishah Bint al-Shati says:

"Zainab, Hussain's sister, caused Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad and the Umayyad dynasty to lose the elation of victory as she poured drops of deadly poison in their cups. All the events that took place after that, such as the rebel of al-Mukhtar and the revolution of 'Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, and resulted in the decline of the Umayyad regime, the 'Abbasid dynasty's coming to power, and the inveteracy of Shiaism; all these were the result of Zainab's formation."

To sum it up, without Lady Zainab, the tragic story of Karbala' would have been recorded from the viewpoint of Imam Hussain's enemies only, and the pure blood of the Imam, his relatives, and his companions, which was shed wrongly there, would have been lost in the desert.

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DAY AFTER MARTYRDOM OF HUSSAIN

The next day, the criminals decided to take the children and harem as captives to Kufa. The ladies however begged the criminals to make them pass by the dead bodies of Imam Hussain and the other martyrs. When her eyes fell on the severed, headless body of Imam Hussain, Lady Zainab shouted with a grief-stricken voice:

[["Oh, Muhammad! May the King of the Heavens bless you! This is Hussain! He is stained with his blood and his limbs are severed! And these are your daughters! They are taken captives! Complaining (about this) is only to Allah, to 'Ali al-Murtada (the Pleased One), to Fatima al-Zahra', and to Hamzah the chief of martyrs. This is Hussain in the desert! Winds are blowing his body! He is beig killed by bastards! Oh, for my grief! Oh, for my bereavement! This day only has my grandfather, the Messenger of Allah, died. Oh,companions of Muhammad! These are the descendants of al-Mustafa -the Divinely Selected Prophet- They are pushed like captives."]]

The only saved man, Imam Zainalabideen, could not control himself when he saw the dead bodies of his father and the other martyrs thrown away in the desert. His grief was about to kill him, but Lady Zainab, noticing his nephew's behaviour, hurried to him and said:

[["O the legacy of my grandfather, father, and brother : What for is it that I see you plead for death?1 Do not be sad for what you see. It is, by Allah to your grandfather and father. Allah has certainly made a covenant with some people, whom are not known by the tyrants on this earth but they are well known by the inhabitants of the Heavens, that they shall gather these severed organs and these bloodstained bodies to bury them. They shall also hoist in this land, al-Taff, a flag on the tomb of your father the master of the Martyrs. Throughout days and ages, the mark of this tomb shall never be obliterated and its figure shall not blotted out. Nevertheless, the heads of atheism and the spreaders of deviation shall exert all efforts for obliterating it, yet this shall make it more and more elevated instead."]]

By these words, Lady Zainab could tranquil her distressed nephew. She confirmed that these dead bodies would be buried and their tombs would be sign of perseverance on principles and sacrifice for the religion. The tomb of Imam Hussain, in particular, would be a never-ending cry in the face of every tyrant and would persist forever despite the very often attempts to obliterate it.

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Bound with ropes and forced to ride on saddle less, lean camels, the ladies and orphans of the Prophet's family were taken as captives to Kufa. Their caravan was very horrible; clarions were blown and flags were fluttering.

As she saw the crowds blocking all streets of Kufa an surrounding the caravan. Lady Zainab decided to deliver a speech aiming at uniting the public opinion, referring to the grand misfortune that the Umayyad gang brought to the Islamic ummah by killing the actual leader, Imam Hussain, and charging people of Kufa with that crime...

Lady Zainab calm, composed, and courageous, said:

[["All praise is due to Allah. Blessing be upon my father Muhammad and upon his good and righteous progeny. Well now, O people of Kufa; people of deception and perfidy! Do you weep? May your tears never cease, and may the resounding of this calamity never stop. Your similitude is she who unravels her yarn, disintegrating it into pieces after she has spun it strongly; you make your oaths to be means of deceit between you. Is there anyone among you who is not a boaster of what he does not have, a charger of debauchery, a conceited liar, a man of grudge without any justification, submissive like bondmaids, of feeble before the enemies, just like a pasture in relics or like a dirty piece of cloth on a grave? Truly bad is that which your souls have committed. You have reaped theWrath of Allah, remaining in the chastisement for eternity.

Do You really cry and sob? By Allah, you should then cry a great deal and laugh very little, for you have earned nothing but shame and infamy, and you shall never be able to wash it away, How could you do so? The descendant of the bearer of the Last Message, the very essence of the Message,master of the youths of Paradise, the refuge of the righteous from among you, the one who saves you from calamity, the beacon of your guidance, and the keeper of your traditions has been killed. O how horrible is the sin that you bear!

May you be distanced and crushed. The effort is rendered futile, perdition overtakes the hands, the deal is lost, and you earned nothing but wrath from Allah and His Messenger. You are doomed with servitude and humiliation.

Woe unto you, O people of Kufa! Do you know whose heart you have burned, what a feat you have laboured, what blood you have, and what sanctity you have violated? you have done a most monstrous deed, something for which the heavens are about to split asunder and so is the earth, and for which the mountains crumble. You have done something most uncanny, most defaced, duskiest, most horrible, as much as the fill of the earth and of the sky. Do you wonder why the sky rains blood? Surely, the torment of the Hereafter is a greater chastisement, and you shall not be helped. Let no respite elate you, for rushing does not speed it up, nor does it fear the loss of the opportunity for revenge. you Lord is waiting in ambush to do so. Because he recognized that the situation could no longer stand the words of his aunt, Imam Zainalabideen interrupted her speech, saying, "That is enough, aunt, Thanks to Allah, you are a learned lady whom none taught and you can comprehend without being made to do so." ]]


Lady Zainab's eloquent speech, which is compared to Imam Ali's speeches, rebuked people of Kufa so effectively, exposed their false faith in Islam, falsified their deceitful tears, and introduced them as the most ignoble criminals as they contributed strongly in the murder of killing Imam Hussain, his household, and his companions.

With the utterance of justice and honesty and the voice of courage and right, Lady Zainab hit people of Kufa and pointed to their lowliness and rotten-heartedness. Their forgery and falsehood could not deceive her as she reproached them for their crimes and ascribed to them the meanest characters. Moreover , she commented on their weeping by saying that they should have wept for the big crime of disappointing the Imam and letting him down.

Then, Lady Fatima, daughter of Imam Hussain, delivered an eloquent speech similar to her aunt's. Because her words were so strong and had bearings on them, people of Kufa begged her to stop. She responded, but people could not stop their wailings and weeping.

Then, Lady Ummu-Kulthum spoke similar words that touched people so deeply that women began to slap their faced and men to weep incessantly.

Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad was sitting on his throne in the Governorate Mansion when the captive ladies and children of the Prophet's family were obliged to be before him. They were living horrible hours in the humility of captivity and under the swords of those miscreants who were there to congratulate him for his triumph and narrate to him their crimes in Karbala', while he was listening arrogantly and joyfully. With a baton he had in the hand, Ubaydullah was whacking the holy head of Imam Hussain and expressing his gloating over him by saying, "I have never seen such a face."

He tried to show his gloating over her misfortunes by saying, "Thanks Allah Who unmasked, killed, and belied your revolution."

Pattering her courageous fathers and brothers, Lady Zainab replied him :

[[" "Thanks Allah Who honored us with His Prophet and purified us from uncleanness thoroughly. It is only the lewd whom is unmasked, and it is only the dissolute whom is belied. We are not any of these two. Indeed, we are not any of these two , son of Marjanah!"


As he received these shocking words, Ubaydullah had nothing to say. he therefore spoke a word of wreak as an attempt to cover up his failure and incapability to answer. he addressed her, "How do you see that which Allah has done to your brother?"

Bravely and steadfastly, Lady Zainab answered with words of triumph:

"It was nothing but good. Those were people whom Allah knew they would be killed. They therefore came to the places where they would be slain. Allah will gather you with them for judgment and sentence. See, who will be the triumphant on that day. Woe shall be you, son of Marjanah, then."


These words of reproach and despise made the bastard governor lose his temper to the degree that the stood up to strike Lady Zainab, but 'Amr ibn Hurayth warned him against so, saying, "She is only a woman, and woman's words should not be considered."

Nevertheless, Ubaydullah returned to gloat at the misfortunes of the Ahl al-Bayt by addressing Lady Zainab, "At least, Allah has cured my heart and wreaked myself upon your tyrant master and the disobedient rebels of your family members."

These words filled Lady Zainab's heart with sorrow and grief as she recollected the images of her protectors. Hence, she said to him :

"I swear by my life, you have killed my protector, pulled up my branches, and uprooted my roots. So, if this heals your heart, then you are indeed healed."

Out of his uncontrollable rage, Ubaydullah said, "This one is rhymist. Her father was rhymist and poet. I swear it."

Lady Zainab answered, "I a too engaged to use rhyme. Women have nothing to do with rhyme."

As he found nothing to say, Ubaydullah turned his face towards Imam Zainalabideen and asked, "Who are you?"

"I am 'Ali son of Hussain," answered the Imam.

"But Allah has killed Ali ibn Hussain," shouted the filthy criminal.

"I had a brother called 'Ali, too. You have killed him, and on the Day of Resurrection, you will be interrogated about this," replied the Imam with composure.

"No, it was Allah who killed him," barked Ubaydullah furiously.

Imam Zainalabideen answered with words of almighty Allah:

"Allah takes the souls at the time of their death."

"And a soul will not die but with the permission of Allah the term is fixed."


Ubaydullah showed his arrogance saying, "How dare you answer my words? How dare you refuse my saying?" He then ordered one of his headmen to cut off Imam Zainalabideen head. But Lady Zainab hurried to embrace her nephew and address Ubaydullah,

"Son of Ziyad, suffice you what you have shed of our blood. Have you really spared anyone other than this? If you want to kill him, kill me with him as well."

Third Imam was spared.

Tied up with ropes, forced to ride saddle less, lean camels, and being in the utmost state of humiliation, the harem and children of the prophet's family were taken to Syria.


Yazid in Syria

Policemen of Yazid tied all the captives in one rope beginning with the neck of Imam Zainalabideen, to Lady Zainab's, up to the last child. They forced them to walk in such a manner, and whenever any of them would stumble, the policemen would whip heavily, Moreover, they surrounded them with cries of triumph. With this humiliative scene, the captives were place before the tyrant Yazid.

The cut of head Imam Hussain was brought to him.

The holy head was placed before the tyrant who went on beating it with a stick he had in the hand. he then began to say statement showing his limitless malice towards the Imam, his people, and the Divine Message.

Yazid showed his great rejoicing at the current situation as the family of the Prophet were captives between his hands and the heads of the Prophet's grandsons were thrown before him. He then quoted poetic verses said during the Battle of Uhud, claiming he had avenged his forefathers.

Lady Zainab up rose against the tyrant and said:

[["All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, Allah's blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad and his entire progeny. True are the words of Allah Who says, "Then the end of those who committed evil was that they disbelieved in Allh's Signs and they were ridiculing them. (30:10)" Do you, Yazid, think that -when you blocked all the avenues of the earth and the horizons of the heavens before us, so we were driven as captives- that we are worthless in the sight of Allah and that you are respectful in His eyes? Or is it because you enjoy with Him a great status? So, you look down at us and become arrogant, elated, when you see the world submissive to you and things are done and you want them, and when our authority and power became all yours?

But wait! Have you forgotten that Allah has said, "Do not regard those who disbelieved that we grant them good for themselves? We only give them a respite so that they may increase their sins, and for them there is a humiliating torment. (3:178)" Is it fair, O son of the 'Released ones', that you keep your ladies and condmaidens in their chambers (under protection), and at the same time you drive the daughters of the Messenger of Allah as captives with their veils removed and faces exposed, taken by their enemies from one land to another, being viewed by those at watering places as well as those who man your forts, with their faces exposed to the looks of everyone -near or distant, lowly or honorable, having none of their men with them nor any of their protectors?

But what can be expected from one descended from those whose mouths chewed the livers of the purified ones1 and whose flesh grows out of the blood of the martyrs? How can it be expected that one who looks at us with grudge and animosity, with hatred and malice, would not hates us- the Ahl al-Bayt? Besides, you, without feeling any guilt or weighing heavily what you say, recite saying,

They would have been very much delighted,
Then they's have said, "May your hands, O Yazid,
never be paralysed

How dare you hit the lips of Abu 'Abdullah, the master of the Youths of Paradise? But why should you not do so, since all mercy is removed from your heart, having shed the blood of the offspring of Muhammad, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his Progeny, and the stars on earth from among the family of 'Abdul-Muttalib? Then you cite your mentors as if you speak to them. Soon shall you be lodged with them, and soon shall you wish you were paralyzed and muted and never said what you said nor did what you did.

O Allah, take what belonges to us out of his hands, seek revenge against all those who oppressed us, and let Your wrath descend upon whoever shed our blood and killed our protectors! By Allah, you have burnt only your own skin, you have cut only your own flesh, and you shall come face to face with the Messenger of Allah, peace of Allah be upon him and his progeny, bearing the burdens of the blood which you have shed, the blood of his offspring, and of his sanctitie which you violated, when Allah gathers them together and seeks equity on their behalf. "and do not reckon those who are slain in the way of Allah as dead. Nay! They are living with their Lord, receiving their sustenance.(3:169)" It is quite sufficent that Allah is your Judge and Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny, is your opponent, and (Archangel) Gabriel as the supporter (of Muhammad). All those who instigated you to do what you did and all those who put you in charge due to which you are playing havoc with the lives of the Muslims will know for certain how evil the end of the oppressors is and which of you shall have the worst place and will be the least protected?

Although calamities have force me to speak to you, I see you trivial in my eye and find your verbal attacks great and I regard your rebuke too much to bear, but the eyes are tearful, and the chests are filled with depression. What is even stranger is that the honored Party of Allah is being killed by the Party of the 'Released ones' -Party of Shaitan. Such hands are dripping with our blood; such mouths are feeding on our flesh, while those sacred and pure corpses are offered as food to the wild beasts of the desert and are dirtied by the brutes, If you regard us as your booty, you shall soon ding us as your opponents -that will be when you find nothing but what your hands had unjustly.(41:46)" To Allah is my complaint, and upon Him do I rely.

So scheme whatever you wish to scheme, and carry out your plots, and intensify your efforts, for, by mention, nor will you ever be able to kill the revelation (that was revealed to us), nor will you ever exalt to our position, nor will your shame ever be washed away. your view shall be proven futile, your days limited in number, and your wealth wasted on the upon the oppressors.(11:18)" All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, Who sealed the life of our early ones with happiness and forgiveness, and that of our last ones with martyrdom and mercy. We plead to Allah to complete His rewards for them, grant them an increase, and recompense us pleasingly; He is the most Merciful, the most Compassionate. Allah suffice us, and He is the best Guardian."]]


Yazid could not respond to Lady Zainab. People began to cry with Lady Zainab. The speech of Lady Zainab includes many lessons. It proved to be one of the deathblows that snapped the Umayyad State.

This address has been a completion of Imam Hussain's uprising and one of the most marvelous revolutionary speeches in Islam. By such sweeping, Lady Zainab smashed the despotism of Yazid and inflicted disgrace and dishonor on him and on those who caused him to reach such a position.


About this address, Shiekh Muhammad Hussain Kashif al-Ghita says:

"Can the brush of the best painter or the pen of the most eloquent writer depict the reality of Yazid's arrogance, pride, and elation for having the world submissive to him and tasting the pleasure of conquest in a way better and more effective than that depicted by the words of Lady Zainab in this speech? And can anybody refute all the claims of an opponent in such a way full of expressiveness, substantiation, and even reproach and censure? Moreover, Lady Zainab, as if all her words of reprimand were not enough, proved before the tyrant and the attendants the inescapable abject resutl of the wrong and the pleasant end result of the right. Using a courageous, brave language, she showed Yazid his lowly, mean, ugly, and shameful reality"

Dr. Tawfiq al-Fukayki says:

"Join me to contemplate on this far-reaching speech that contained all arts of rhetoric, style of oratory manifestation of expressiveness, significances of enthusiasm, power of allegation, and authority of defense of freedom and belief, in such a forthright way that was sharper than swords. For Yazid, to jump on addres' fangs or to be rargeted by pointed spears was easier than hearing these words that slapped his unshamed face in his own house and in the middle of the capital of his illegal, despotic state. Throughout ages, this historical, sweeping speech has beed spreading the unparalleled interpidities, the unwonted courage, and the high ideals of Lady Zainab. It is finally a never-ending literature that screams in the faces of the tyrants throughout generations."


The great speech of Lady Zainab has been an extension of the uprising of Karbala' and a good representation of its values and goals, Let us now refer to some goals that the speech achieved :

1) Lady Zainab referred to the false elation of Yazid who thought of himself as victorious in that encounter. She uncovered the truth that his military superiority was transient and that Almighty Allah let the unbelievers enjoy bliss in this world so that their sons will increase and, thus, they will have a painful chastisement on the Day of Resurrection.
2) She reproached Yazid for taking tha harem of the Prophet's Household as captives. While it was the Holy Prophet who freed Yazid and his unbelieving family on the Conquest of Mecca while they were captives of the Islamic armies. Instead of thanking the Prophet who saved him from slavery, Yazid rewarded his family very badly.
3) She referred to the hereditary, educational, and psychological motives beyond Yazid's slaying the Prophet's family. She referred, as an instance, to his grandmother, Hind, who chewed the liver of Hamzah out of her limitless malice against the Prophet and the Hashemites, She also referred to Yazid's grandfather Abu Sufyan who was the leading enemy of Islam and who led campaigns against the Prophet and his Divine Mission. Not forgetting Yazid's father, Lady Zainab referred to Mu'awiyah who slain innocent Muslims and violated all what Allah has deemed respected.
4) She disapproved of Yazid's citing poetic verses in which he wished his forefathers whom were killed at the hands of Imam 'Ali, as well as Muslim warriors, during their conflicts against the holy Prophet to be witnessing him so that they would take revenge upon the Holy Prophet. She also asserted to yazid courageously that he would certainly face tha same fate of those cursed forefathers.
5) She shed lights on an important point; the tyrant, by slaying Imam Hussain and his pure family members and companions, has in fact slain himself, none else. The souls of the martyrs are pure, alive, abiding, and covered by auras of glory. Disgrace and loss would be Yazid's only.
6) She mentioned those who paved the way to Yazid to hold such a position with words of scolding as she added them to Yazid. This point should studied carefully.
7) She referred to her high standing and unreachable honor as another way of making little of the tyrant. Despite all the misfortunes that inflicted on her and weakened her, she showed her power and scolded the tyrant so harshly that he could not find any answer.
8) She proved that all Yazid's endeavors to eradicate the immortal good mention of the Ahl al-Bayt would fail, because they represent the right, which will inevitably triumph.

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