Reflections by Zahra Jawad
As we have now approached the Islamic new year, we as the followers of Ahlulbayt a.s. begin this new year in utter grief and mourning. Henceforth, this period comes with much sorrow and sadness. We deeply feel and experience a time of mourning and remembrance for one of Islam’s strongest and most revered personalities known to be Sayyidu Shuhada Aba AbdillahilHusayn a.s.
The days of Muharramul Haraam stem from more than just wearing black clothes and to attend the mourning gatherings within the Husayniyahs/ imambarghah, the holy month of Muharram serves as a month of self- reflection, self-evaluation, and self- purification as a collective community. Though it is very important to show our solidarity in grief and wearing of black clothes and expressing our mourning, however there is also a deeper dimension to the A’shura school of thought.
We can see how the tragedy of Karbala relates to our own daily lives. Understanding the severe pain of the women and children will allow us to delve deeper into our own lives using them as a catalyst for our own inner growth when tackling our own set of life’s tests and challenges.
I want to iterate that Karbala is more than just a political dispute of bay’aat, it was the scale that tips the balance between good and evil, and looking at it more intrinsically we can holistically see that it’s profound lessons can be carried to oneself. Our fitrah is pure. And we as humans are constantly battling within between what is good and bad. We are striving to make the choices that take us back towards our purity and the light of God.
To tribute to the women of Karbala, we must acknowledge the role of Lady Zaynab (A.S) played. Her patience matches no other, which strikes as an example for many men and women of today. Not only did she persevere in patience but also in her own intrinsic resilience and strength. She was the backbone of the family when all the holy personalities were martyred, walking like a towering leader when faced in the court of Yazeed.
Who was Lady Zaynab
Sayyida Zaynab (A.S) comes from the lineage of both the imamate and prophet (SWA), she was the daughter of Imam Ali a.s. and sister to Imam Hasan, Imam Husayn and Umm Kulthum. Lady Zaynab’s grandfather, from her maternal side, was Prophet Muhammad (SAWW) and her grandmother, from the maternal side, was Lady Khadijah. Coming from such a pure lineage, she lived up to the status of the already pure women of Islam.
When Islam needed her the most, Lady Zaynab pbuh stood firm and was at the forefront playing the defending role that Islam needed the most when she was dragged into the court of Yazeed ibn Muawiyah L.A.
Her steering role in Karbala
It was narrated in the ahadith that during the time of captivation by yazeed’s army, ibn Ziyad went further ahead to mock the house of the ahlul-bayt, by striking the head of Imam Husayn a.s., iterating: “Praise be to Allah who has exposed you, killed you, and belied your narrations.” Yet Lady Zaynab remained calm but assertive, steadfast and strong, only exposing ibn Ziyad for his treachery. The narrations mentioned she never did fret, nor did she complain, she used her voice as the leader of the women to counter Ibn Ziyad’s taunts. Zaynab replied:
“Praise be to Allah who ennobled us with Muhammad and purified us with a thorough purification. Allah will only expose the transgressor and bely the wretched.”
Source: thaqayalyn- Al Amali
During the time of the Ahlul-bayt’s captivation, lady Zaynab had addressed the court of Yazid, whose speech is recorded by several hadith books including -Biḥār al-anwār, where Lady Zaynab rose up against him and delivered a powerful and an eloquent sermon that actually silenced Yazid in eternity. She quoted verses from the holy Qur’an on the noble characteristics and righteousness rightness of Imam Husayn a.s. and his pure and immaculate family, doing so in such an eloquent way. This ensured a difficult reply to Yazeed, who started off his sermon by reciting derogatory poetry, openly that he wanted to take revenge upon the descendants of the Ahlul-Bayt because the Prophet and his companions had killed his polytheist ancestors. To this; Lady Zaynab’s reply was absolutely profound and immaculate:
“O Yazid! Allah and His Prophet have said that committing sins and considering the signs of Allah to be false is ridiculing them! You have reached this stage because you have committed too many sins. Whoever treads the path of sin and persists in committing sins will, according to the verdict of the Qur’an, deny the signs of Allah one day and eventually will ridicule them and then deserve Divine punishment”
She quotes the Holy Qur’an stating the fate that awaited such ignorance from the caliph, for the ignorance of Yazeed had reached a point of no return.
“The disbelievers must not think that our respite is for their good We only give them time to let them increase their sins. For them, there will be a humiliating torment.” (Surah Ale Imran, 3: 178)
Lady Zaynab’s address within the court had no implication of sorrow amongst themselves, she instead with valor spread the message further to Yazeed and his court, iterating the grave mistake he had made in imprisoning the family of the Ahlul-Bayt. Not once did she pity herself amongst the court and she stood there to in fact inform the people of the truth. She ends her speech by thanking Allah (SWA)
“I thank Allah Who has concluded the task of the chiefs of the youths of Paradise with prosperity and forgiveness and accommodated them in Paradise. I pray to Allah that He may elevate their ranks and favor them more with His kindness, for Allah is Omnipotent”
We can learn a huge set of lessons from the events that unfolded in the epic tragedy of Karbala. Lady Zaynab shows us that there’s beauty in struggle and even in times of the most difficult adversity we should always remember our Lord even when the going gets tough. The women and children of Karbala rode on bare-backed camels in the splintering sun from Karbala to Kufa, with many who died along the way due to the harsh conditions of their traveling – yet not once did Lady Zaynab ask why in doubt. She accepted the test given to her, showing remarkable strength and determination.
We can use these lessons today, in a world where injustice is rampant, and where tyranny is global. We need to as women follow the example Lady Zaynab embodied, a woman of exemplary strength and Godcentred values who will compromise nothing even when it gets tough. We should as women understand that there is power in our words, our actions, and our behaviour, for the women of Karbala are beacons of God’s Light and Power that show us even in adversity there is always beauty in the struggle towards Allah (SWT)
Labbayk Ya Husayn!