The defiance powerfully exhibited by Bibi Zainab (a.s.), the daughter of Hazrat Ali (a.s.) and Bibi Fatima (a.s.) in the Damascus court of Yazid ibn Muawiya, remains a memorable feat almost 1400 years after she led the captives from Karbala to appear before the ruler.
It was a brave stand against a powerful empire which will be central to this week’s commemorations of ‘Arbaeen’ or the 40th day after the massacre of Imam Hussain (a.s.) and his followers in Karbala, southern Iraq. The event will be remembered in Pakistan today as street processions and gatherings with scores of participants are held all across the country. In Iraq, where the massacre took place, millions of mourners have arrived to remember the occasion.
For today’s mourners, a roughly 100-kilometre journey on foot from the city of Kufa to Karbala, known as ‘mishi’, has become more than just a ritual. It highlights the ultimate victory of Imam Hussain (a.s.) and his followers over Yazid ibn Muawiya, who represented the worst form of evil in the history of the world. In Karbala itself, the day is marked by scores of visitors paying their homage at the mausoleums of Imam Hussain (a.s.), his younger brother and standard-bearer of the battle, Hazrat Abbas (a.s.) and other martyrs.
The odds were huge against Bibi Zainab (a.s.) and other captives from Karbala. With the presence of just a single male adult, Imam Zainul Abideen (a.s.) among the prisoners, their agony was amplified ahead of their appearance in court. The prisoners were kept waiting for three days at the historic ‘Souq e Hamidia’ or Hamidia Bazaar while the court of Yazid ibn Muawiya was decorated in detail to celebrate the victory. Besides, the 72 heads of the martyrs of Karbala, which were severed and mounted on spears after the massacre on the 10th of Muharram, were paraded alongside the prisoners to be presented as trophies from the battle.
Visitors even today to the court located in a part of the towering Umayyad Mosque are easily overwhelmed by its massive character. With the height of the mosque in parts rising up to 30 to 40 metres, the complex spans across just over fifteen thousand square meters. Yet, visitors there today arrive to remember Imam Hussain (a.s.) and his followers, martyred more than a month earlier in Karbala while the captives were imprisoned and transported in inhuman conditions.
Bibi Zainab’s stand became especially impressive not only due to the collective loss of the families of martyrs of Karbala. Bibi Zainab (a.s.) personally joined the sacrifices when she sent two of her teenage sons, Hazrat Aun bin Abdullah (a.s.) and Hazrat Mohammad bin Abdullah (a.s.), to fight for Imam Hussain (a.s.).
Facing Yazid ibn Muawiya, who was surrounded by scores of soldiers and other notables from his empire, Bibi Zainab (a.s.) began her eloquent sermon with quotes from Surah Aal e Imran of the Holy Quran. “The disbelievers must not think that their respite is for their good. We only give them time to let them increase their sins. For them there will be a humiliating torment”, she said, adding, “Why shouldn’t you be like this, although you have done what you wanted to do and have pulled out the roots of piety and virtue! You have shed the blood of the sons of the Holy Prophet [pbuh] and have hidden the brilliant stars on the earth from amongst the descendants of Abdul Muttalib under the clouds of oppression and injustice. However, you shall go before Allah soon [and meet your fate]”.
Many historians have concluded that her brave defiance conclusively ended the disinformation spread by the empire of the time, which had widely introduced the captives as family members of rebels who had risen against Yazid ibn Muawiya’s rule and were defeated in battle. Bibi Zainab (a.s.) instead introduced the prisoners as descendants of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) and his followers. Those present in court included representatives of foreign governments who reported the true identities of the prisoners to their rulers, marking the end of the propaganda spread widely. Additionally, the disinformation within the empire lost its validity over time.
Meanwhile, the prisoners were incarcerated in Damascus, though the damage had already been done. Yazid ibn Muawiya died within three years of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (a.s.). His empire quickly crumbled as his son, Muawiya ibn Yazid, the chosen successor, refused to occupy his father’s throne on the grounds that the empire was built with the blood of the descendants of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
The enduring legacy of Karbala that gives hope to people struggling worldwide today owes its existence to Bibi Zainab (a.s.) and her defiance for all times to come.
The writer is an Islamabad-based journalist who writes on political and economic affairs. He can be reached at: [email protected]
