Speech of Sayyeda Zainab (s.a)

Speech of Sayyeda Zainab (s.a)

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SPEECH OF SAYYEDA ZAINAB (s.a)

By: Muhammad Iqbal Irshad

M.A. LL.B., Lahore.

Mirror of History is never befogged and always reflect the past with stark impartiality,

remarkable honesty and outstanding fairness in spite of subtle manipulative motives of the

exponents of historical events. Atrocities and injustice of horrifying magnitude are preserved in the

eyes of historical mirror. Blood-chilling tragedy of Karbala (61 Hegira) is an asset of the History.

The barbarity committed in Karbala has added dignity to the stock of History and History in return

has displayed the Tragedy at the top of its show room to arrest attention of the readers, at the first

glance, for all times to come. To begin with, after ruthlessly butchering the followers of Imam

Husain, members of the family of the Prophet (PBUH) and chopping the head of Imam Hussein the

Yazidian mercenaries turned to the camps where women and ailing Ali Abid were staying. They

pulled the innocent and pious ladies, of the House of Prophet (PBUH), out of the camps and

subjected them to humiliation and indignity. The camps were put to conflagration. The grieved

ladies were made captives and then tied on the backs of camels. The bereaved caravan was driven

from Karbala to Damascus. When the brutality-stricken caravan, en route, entered Kufa Ubaidullah

bin Ziyad son of Marjana was engrossed in beastly merry-making in his royal palace. Shameful

victory of brutes over the innocent and holy Ahle-Bait was being celebrated with wanton

excitement. They presented elaborate picture of misery, dilapidation, ill-treatment and affliction.

Ibn-e-Ziyad ordered to present the captives before him. Self-eloquent traces of cruelty and

harshness were stamped on the face of every member of the Caravan. Neck of Ali Abid was slashed

with iron chains that were curled around and blood was oozing from the wound. The prickly rope

had cut into the flesh of the hands of Lady Sherbano and Syeda Zainab. The holy head of Imam

Hussein was placed beside Ibn-e-Ziyad. The tyrant seeing Syedah Zainab enquired, “Who is this

woman”. Amro Sa’ad replied, “She is Zainab, sister of Hussein”.

Sister of lbn-e-Ziyad, Fatima by name was also present in the palace. She was properly

veiled. Syedah Zainab asked a Kofi woman about identity of that veiled woman and came to know

that she was real sister of Ibn-e-Ziyad. Ibn-e-Ziyad said, “Zainab, your brother Hussein has rebelled

against Yazid and received retribution and you also endured the consequences of disobedience to

Yazid. I thank Allah He secured victory for me over Hussein”.



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Syedah Zainab boldly rebuffed, “Ibn-e-Ziyad! Your sister, Fatima, who is named after the

name of my mother for the sake of auspiciousness and honour, is accurately veiled beside you but

daughter of the truthful Fatima is standing bare-headed in your palace. Your mother and sisters

obey the interdictions, and daughters and daughters-in-law of those, whose modesty and honour is

extolled by the Holy Quran, have been stripped off their veils. It is a woeful state urging you to

drown with shame. Be modest and lower your eyes lest some catastrophe envelopes the universe.

Syedah Zainab roared, “Ibn-e-Ziyad, “My brother has etched an inerasable line of discrimination

between truth and falsehood. Remember! You have not won; Surely victory goes to the lot of

Hussein. He has not only triumphed over your depravity, transgression and tyranny but he elegantly

won the hearts of the people by steadfastly adhering to truth and faith. If your eyes are blind today

to discriminate between truth and sinister mendacity, you will be able to know the distinction on the

Day of Final Judgment. My brother has pleased Allah by sacrificing his children for the elevation of

veracity and Sharia (divine code). He saved Sharia and faith from going to the abyss of ruin. You and

your heartless and greedy bag bearers wildly supported the brutal force of unfaith and falsehood.

You have secured indignation and wrath of Allah and His Prophet (PBUH). Ibn-e-Ziyad was ashamed

before the intense warning fiercely thrown at his face by Syedah Zainab.

Devil’s disciple, Ubaidullah bin Ziyad son of infamous Marjana ordered to tighten the ropes

around the hands of the captives of Karbala and caravan began journey to Damascus, the capital

seat of Mephistophelean Yazid. The captives were laden on the harsh bare back of the camel. The

delicate bodies of the family of the Prophet (PBUH) were painfully bruising. The sublime head,

butchered from body, of resplendent Imam Hussein was stuck at the spear point and held high to

the sight of the spectators as nefarious victory of Yazidian hordes after merciless massacre of the

Imam Hussein and his true and devoted followers. Thos who were blessing and ornament for the

inhabitants of earth and benevolent intercession for the sinners were in piteous plight. They were

disgracefully driven to Damascus. Syeda Zainab was anxiously taking care of the caravan with tender

love and consolation. She was the gallant escort of the looted and humiliated caravan. The lowly

captives adorned with consummate patience, profound resignation, unparalleled forbearance,

inexhaustible endurance continued to travel on the breast of misery and agony, reciting

remembrance of the “Creator” with dignity. Their steadfastness and perseverance were printing

indelible stamp on Yazidian oppression and brutality versus Hussainian endurance and magnanimity.

Manoeuvres of Yazid will be buried under the contempt and aversion of the readers but splendor of

Hussein is imperishable till eternity.



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Sahl ibn Sa’d al-Sa’idi sketched ocular account of exultation of the Yazidian hordes

blinded with worldly allurements at the risk of losing eternal bliss of the

Hereafter:

In the course of my visit to Jerusalem I passed by Damascus but it was going through

striking land unusual embellishment. The city was fabulously adorned with colourful

gilding, its people were found enraptured with joy, and their women were playing

tambourines and drums. I thought that people of Damascus had a festival that we

did not have. Curiosity made me restless to know about the background of festivity

prevailed on the city. Noticing some people stealthily whispering I crept into their

confidence and asked “Is there a celebration of a festival”.

“Perhaps you are a stranger.”

“Yes I am, Sahl ibn Sa’d one of those who have inhaled fragrance of the company

of the Prophet.”

He explained, “Sahl, do you not think that it is very strange that the heavens are

not raining blood and the earth is not sinking with its inhabitants”.

What are you saying? Asked I. “All these are expecting the arrival of Hussein’s

(hacked) head from Kufa”, they exposed for the sake of clarification.

I went to a lady and introduced myself to have been a Companion of the Prophet

(PBUH) and offered my services. She told, “I am Sakina, daughter of Hussein”. She

asked me to convince the man carrying aloft the head of Hussein to go at a distance

from the caravan so that the curious spectators and malicious elements will

concentrate on the head of Hussein and we will be safe from the prying sight of the

people of all brands that was unbearably embarrassing to the ladies of Ahle-e-Bait. I

contacted the carrier of the head and tried to persuade him but he refused. I

gratified him with 4 hundred dirhams and he agreed. He goaded his horse and went

far ahead of the caravan.

Heavens stay witness; there in Damascus the entire Darbar (Royal Court) of Godless

Yazid was inebriated with spurious victory at Karbala. Yazid was drowned in arrogance and

faithlessness. Captives after unprecedented holocaust in Karbala were herded by the brutal officers

of Yazidian army to Darbar of cursed Yazid. Head of Imam Hussein was displayed high, visible from



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distance, at the spearhead for the sake of proud flourish of publicity of dastard and shameful

victory by the Yazidian hordes that had preferred worldly pelf and glory to spiritual magnificent

wealth and splendid salvation in the Hereafter. Jingle of the gold coins and bait of being posted

against influential positions had lulled their conscience to sleep. They had gone hysterical in the hoax

of getting worldly rewards.

The Mephistophelean Yazid was proudly seated on his temporal throne with grandeur of

Chosroes and Caesars surrounded by sycophant elites and ugly renegades, who, all were devoid of

scruples. Armed guards were fervently vigilant around him for his pleasure and safety. Maids and

slaves were cloaked in dazzling dresses. Dance and debauchery was let loose to grimace modesty

and piety that is the essential distinction of Islam. Shamr ibn Jaushan and Makhfar ibn Tha’labah

proudly offered the head of the Imam Hussein to Yazid. He drowned in drunken exultation and

arrogant statements irresistibly emerged from his filthy inner. Ignoble, contemptible and ill-bred

people were invited to the court of the cursed Yazid All rougues wore cloak of respectability and

congratulated Yazid for “savage triumph and shameless revenge over the Prophet and his family.

The Holy Imam Hussein was the mightiest hurdle in the way of Yazid’s transgression, cruelty,

oppression and depravity. Now the soil was smooth and receptive for him to sow the seeds of

unrighteousness, injustice, favouritism and debauchery. He cast a nasty look at the bare-headed

queens of Sadaat Family with sparkle of triumphant derision in his eyes. Syed Zainab was the

dauntless leader of the grieved, fatigued and disgraced caravan of captives. Her chivalry was

awesome for the Yazidian poltroons.

Yazid asked, “Who is this woman?” gesturing towards Sayedah Zainab. “I am daughter of Ali

(AS). My father was loftier than your father. My mother was loftier than your mother. My grand

maternal father was loftier than your maternal father. I am the same Zainab, when my “Chaddar”

(veil) slipped aside from my head; Almighty Allah screened the sun to mask my modesty of Syed

queen from being exposed to the sight of unfamiliar eyes. The same Zainab is presenting bare-

headed in your court today.”

“Yazid! Your tyranny has reached ugliest climax. You mother, sisters, daughters are veiled

and sheltered securely in their chambers but grand-daughter of Muhammad (PBUH) is tied with

ropes and made a (dishonourable) spectacle before your maids and stooges and toadies. You have

subjected Ahl-e-Bait to oppression and atrocities to establish your ephemeral sovereignty in

temporal world, remember my Brother Hussein’s sacrifice will overwhelm you and your false



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sovereignty. It is your illusion that name of my brother Hussein will be faded into oblivion; you will

ignominiously come to the dust, instead. My brother’s name and grand sacrifice is eternal and will

radiate imperishably. He has given his blood to enliven Muslims and uphold Islam with dignity. He

has rejuvenated the dying spirit of democracy.

Extract from exact address by Syedah Zainab runs like this:

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. Allah’s blessings be upon His Messenger

Muhammad and his entire progeny. True are words of Allah Who says:

“Then the end of those who committed evil was that they disbelieved in Allah’s Signs and

they are 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 respectable in His eyes? Or is it because you view the world servile to you and things and

authority 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 bond maidens in their cloisters

(sheltered) 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 all sorts of people.

But what can be expected from one descended from those whose mouths chewed the livers of the

purified ones 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 spite, would not hate us – The Ahl-

e-Bait?

Yazid was flabbergasted and ordered to remove the ropes of the captives and shut

them in the dreary prison cell. The Prophet’s family was pushed into the dark dungeon to pine away.

Sorrow and gloom was cast in the cell. Woeful moaning, groaning and cries were tearing out the cell.

Night that is epitome of silence, peace and relief subdued under dismal yells of the helpless captives.



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Yazid was unsettled in his bed under the storm of terrific mourning. He went to the prison cell and

Syeda Zainab keeping hacked head of his brother and calling, “Ya Hussein”. Her shrieks were

touching the High Heaven of Almighty Allah. Yazid asked, “Syedah! Be silent for God’s sake lest

some calamity befalls Ummah of your grandfather”

Dr. Taufiq al-Fukayki says about the fiery eloquence and skillful fluency of

Syedah Zainab:

“ Join me to contemplate on this for-reaching address that contained all skills of

rhetoric, all arts of oratory, manifestations of incisive expressiveness, significances

of fervour, invincible power of allegation and force of defense of freedom and

belief, in such a forthright manner that was piercing more than swords for Yazid to

jump on adders’ fangs or to be perforated by pointed spears was easier than

hearing these slashing words that slapped his unabashed face in his own house

and in the midst of the capital of his illegal, despotically usurped state.

Throughout ages, this historical, overwhelming address has been spreading the

unprecedented resolute courageousness, the unwonted fearlessness before an evil

monster and dignified ideals of Sayedah Zainab. It is finally an ever engraved

literature that screams in the faces of the tyrants throughout generations”.

A devoted poet of current age has depicted the scenario as:

Qabr-e-Shabbir pay Zainab ne pukara ay Hussein’ Tera paigham zamanay ko suna aye hoon; (Zainab declared at the grave of Hussein, “I have conveyed your message in every

nook corner of the Universe”)

. Mein bhi Qarrar ke baiti hoon ke takbeer ke sath; Qasr-e-Shahi ke aiwan hila aye hoon; (I am also daughter of Qarrar (Hazrat Ali – The Loin of God) and have boldly shaken

the glorious royal courts)

Sar utha kar na chalay ga ab koyee pisr-e-Yazid; Tere parcham ko har ghar pe laga aye hoon; (Now no son of Yazid will boast with arrogance as I have joisted your Standard of

truth at every conscientious home)

Hashr tak barsein gi ankhein tere chahney walo ke; Mein teri piyas ko ankhon mein saja aye hoon; (Your devotee will weep till Doomsday as I have filled the eyes with insatiable thirst)

Speech of Sayyeda Zainab (s.a)

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Transcript of Speech of Sayyeda Zainab (s.a)