The name Zainab is derived from the two root words "Zain" and "Ab",
which means the Adornment of her Father.
Sayyida Zainab (a.s.) and her dream at a young age:
One day, when Zainab (sa) was
about five years old, she had a strange but terrible dream. A violent wind arose in the city and darkened
the earth and the sky. The little girl was tossed hither and thither, and suddenly she found herself
stuck in the branches of a huge tree. But the wind was so strong that it uprooted the tree. Zainab caught
hold of a branch but it broke. In a panic she grabbed two twigs but these too gave way and she was left
falling with no support.
She woke up petrified. When she told her grandfather, Prophet
Muhammad (saw), about the dream he wept, bitterly so, and said, "O my girl, that tree is me who will
shortly be leaving this world. The branches are your father Ali and your mother Fatima, and the twigs are
your brothers al-Hasan and al-Husain. They will all depart this world before you do, and you will suffer
their separation and loss."
Zainab was only five years old when her grandfather, the Prophet,
passed away. Just six months later, she lost he mother, Fatima al-Zahra. When on her death bed, Fatima
said to Zainab: "O Zainab, do not leave your brothers alone, take good care of them, be a loving sister
and be so kind to them as if you were a mother to them." And Zainab followed her mother's advice as long
as she lived.
It is important to note that both Fatima and Zainab lost their
respective mothers at the age of only five years old. Her sister Umm Kulthoom (was four years old at the
time of her mother's death.
Zainab was famous for her knowledge, even during her childhood.
Once she asked her father Imam Ali: "Do you like me?"
Imam Ali replied, "Yes of course."
Then she continued, "There are two affections - the love of Allah
and the love for children - that overflow the heart of every believer. Thus the base of this affection is
that the actual and main affection is for Allah, and the sympathy and compassion is for the children. And
this affection (to the children) is based on the main affection to Allah."
Imam Ali acknowledged her explanation and praised her. This degree
of knowledge in this young period of life is an indication of her deep inwardly knowing of the Creator.
Zainab was an exemplary woman of great ability, intelligence,
knowledge, insight, courage and perseverance; she performed her divine duties to the best of her ability.
And it was through her holy origins and pious edification that she manifested so great a fortitude in
Karbala (Iraq).
Zainab and Al-Husain
From very early on Zainab
developed an unbreakable bond of attachment to her brother al-Husain. At times when as a baby in her
mother's arms she could not be pacified and made to stop crying, she would become quiet only upon being
held by her brother Al-Husain, and there she would sit quietly gazing at his face. Later on, when she was
ready to pray, she used to first cast a glance at the face of her beloved brother, Imam Hussein, then
pray.
One day Fatima Zahra mentioned the intensity of her daughter's love
for al-Husain to Prophet Muhammad, he took a deep breath and said with moistened eyes, "O Fatima, this
Zainab would be confronted with a thousand and one calamities and face serious hardships in Karbala."
Zainab, while still a young girl she was fully able to care for and
be responsible for the running of her father's household. As much as she cared for the comforts and ease
of her brothers and sisters, in her own wants she was frugal and unstintingly generous to the poor,
homeless and parentless. After her marriage her husband is reported as having said, "Zainab is the best
of housewives."
Zainab was married in a simple ceremony to her first cousin,
Abdullah Ibn Ja'far Tayyar. Her marriage settlement was equal to that of her mother's. Abdullah Ibn
Ja'far Tayyar had been brought up under the direct care of Prophet Muhammad (saw). After the Prophet’s
death, Imam Ali became his supporter and guardian until he came of age. He grew up to be a handsome youth
with pleasing manners and was known for his remarkable hospitality to guests, and selfless generosity to
the poor and needy. The Arab tribes called Abdullah Ibn Ja'far Tayyar "the sea or the cloud of
munificence".
The marriage of Zainab did not diminish her strong attachment to
her family. Together they had five children, of whom four were sons, Ali, Aun, Muhammad, and Abbas, and
one daughter, Umm Kulthoom.
The Foundation of Mourning Gathering (Majalis-E-Aza) of Imam Husain (a.s.)
A unique feature of Zainab's
character was to establish mourning ceremonies. This tradition lived in the memories and hearts of
millions of Muslims to this day, has kept the sacrifices of Imam Husain alive, and brought dynamism to
every movement that aimed at removing injustices on earth.
How it was established, should take us up to Damascus, when
arrangements were made to bring Zainab to Yazid. She arrived properly veiled. She asked, "O Yazid, since
the day our leader Al-Husain was butchered, we have not had any opportunity to mourn for him." A large
house was therefore provided for them in the residential sector of Damascus. Zainab held her first
gathering for the mourning and remembrance (Majlis Azaa) of Imam Husain. The women of the Quraish and
Banu Hashim arrived clad in black for the mourning.
Imam Zainul Abideen sat on the carpet and then Zainab told the
women of Syria some details of the atrocities dealt in Karbala, and some of its aftermath. This stirred
their emotions, raised their sympathy, and they shed tears and mourned. They had not known about the
events of Karbala and Kufa, but now when they went home they told their men folk, all about the frightful
events and the unparalleled unfairness. Thus the illusions of Yazid's victory gave way and his cover up
was exposed and dispelled. The truth of Karbala became known to so many.
It was Zainab’s destiny to proclaim to the world that the
sacrifices made by Imam Al-Husain and the companions were for the cause of Islam. She exposed the evil
deeds of Yazid and Ibn Ziyad with courage and fearlessness.
She endured physical pain and mental agony with fortitude and was
the hero and the leader, and she was the source of strength to all women and children around her. Never
did she rebel against the destiny decreed by Allah. The strength of her submission was divine. The spirit
of Zainab bint Ali will live forever. Her courage, forbearance, and submission will continue to inspire
those who hear her life story of suffering and leadership for all time to come. Had it not been for her,
the sacrifices of Karbala might have faded into oblivion; and the ignorant Ummah not knowing the truth,
would have gone completely astray. In Karbala’s aftermath, she proved through her superb oratory, that
"the word is mightier than the sword." People of Medina hailed Imam Al-Husain as the savior of Islam, and
Zainab as the savior of the Muslim Ummah.
In Medina it was Zainab’s practice to hold regular meetings
for women in which she shared her knowledge and taught them the precepts of Islam. Her gatherings were
well and regularly attended. She was able to impart the teachings with such clarity and eloquence that
she became known as Faseeha فـصـيـحـه (skillfully fluent) and Baleegha بلـيــــغـه (intensely
eloquent).
When in 37AH Imam Ali moved to Kufa as the headquarters of Khilaafah, he was accompanied by Zainab and
her husband. Her reputation as an inspiring teacher among the women had preceded her. In Kufa women
thronged to Zainab’s daily discourses, benefiting from her wealth of knowledge, wisdom and scholarship in
the exegesis of the Quran. The depth and certainty of her knowledge confirmed the name given to her by
Imam Zainul Abidin: “Alimah Ghayr Mu'allamah” عـآلمـه غـيـر معلمه , meaning (The knowledgeable without
being taught).
The Heroine after Karbala:
Zainab had returned to Medina so devastated that her hair was gray, and as if the weight of the world was
on her shoulders, for such was the effect of the catastrophic events on her.
Over in Medina she lost no time to give
speeches about Karbala and the calamity of Karbala caused by Yazid and Benu Umayya.
Her speeches were so penetratingly
effective and so well-presented that the governor of Medina wrote to the Khalifa of the grave danger of
an imminent uprising against his rule. There was no one equal to the quality of the speech delivery as
Zainab’s about Karbala. She continued to broadcast with unparalleled vigor all the horrendous events that
took place in Karbala at the hands of Muslims behaving in savage ways, under the orders of Yazid. She did
this until she died. Nothing would distract her otherwise.
Zainab lived about one year after the
torturous trials she had to bear. The exact date and place of her death is not clear but it is probable
that she died in the year 62AH.
In the end...
As it is said, "the word is
mightier than the sword", this should stay in the minds of all Muslims, particularly the women. They
should realize that they could always make a difference. They can always reach for the better. Also, they
can make their Ummah (Community) look better.
The Muslim women should read more about the hardships which faced
the great women of Islam understand and practice the patience that characterized the life of Zainab, and
teach their children the value of these acts.
The men alone cannot win independence and prosperity, neither can
the women. Together, and under the banner of Islam, they can achieve success.
