AlMujtaba Islamic Articles > Sayeda Zainab (AS)
 

Birthday of Hazrat Zainab (5th of Jamadi-ul-Awwal)
 
Short history of Hazrat Zainab’s birth and meaning of her name. Few words about her characters and her speech in different places.

Birthday of Hazrat Zainab (5th of Jamadi-ul-Awwal)

The glorious birthday of the holy Prophet’s nephew, Hazrat Zainab is a pretext for reviewing a few points so that we acquire some knowledge.
Zainab is the daughter of Hazrat Ali and Fatemah Zahra. She was born on the 5th of Jamadi-ul-Awwal 5 Hijri in Medina. At the time of her birth, the holy Prophet was busy travelling. Since the children of Amir-ul-Mumineen and Fatemah were named by the holy Prophet, thus they awaited the Prophet’s return. When the holy Prophet returned, he was rejoiced by seeing the new-born infant and he named her “Zainab”. This name comprises of two parts: “Zain” (adornment and ornament) and “ab” (father). Thus, Zainab means “father’s ornament”. When Zainab would spoke, everybody thought as if hazrat Ali (p.b.u.h.) was speaking.
In 17 Hijri, she married her cousin, Abdullah-ibn-Jafar-ibn-Abi Talib. Abdullah was the first child born in Habasha at the time of the Muslims’ migration.
In the words of Imam Sajjad, hazrat Zainab is portrayed as a learned and wise women who was without a teacher. Due to her extraordinary intelligence and her safeguarding of the holy aims, she was given the title: “the wise one from the progeny of Hashim” and the champion of Karbala.
Her lofty virtues are worthy of analysis from various aspects. We shall refer to some of them as follow:
Knowledge and insight: During the era of hazrat Ali’s caliphate, a group of learned women from Kufa sent their respective husbands to hazrat Ali with a message as follow: “We are informed that hazrat Zainab, like her mother, hazrat Fatema, has umerous knowledge. Thus, if you allow us, we would like to seek benefit from her knowledge.”
Hazrat Ali agreed their request. The women of Kufa attended her classes and benefited from the ocean of her knowledge. Among the lessons, one could find “Tafsir” (interpretation) of the holy Quran.
In the post-Ashura time, her wise speeches and sermons in Kufa as well as in the court of Ibne Ziyad and Yazid, together with her reasonings from the holy Quran, all and all shows her immense and valuable knowledge. She was a narrator of traditions too. People like “Jabir-ibn-Ebad Aameri” have narrated from her.
The following is a part of her speech wherein she introduces herself as the Prophet’s child, to the ignorant and covenant-breaking people.
“All praise is only for Allah and peace be upon my father, Muhammad and his pure and chaste household. ‘O people of Kufa, O sly and deceitful people. Do you weep over our state. So shed tears. May your eyes be always filled with tears and your hearts roasted. Your example is like the example of a Quraish woman (who acted stupidly. This Quraish woman appointed a lady who would spin thread from morning and at the end of the day tear them apart by order of this Quraish woman! In verse 92 of Sura Naml, the holy Quran has set this woman as an example for the covenant-breakers) who spun thread and then tore them apart. Your covenant is false and the light of your faith is lost. You have driven to the extremities such that its shame shall not fade away with the passage of time. How shall you cleanse yourself from this disgrace? What have you to reply for the killing of the Prophet’s son! He was the chief of the youths of paradise. He was your guide and your helper in difficulties and ……………….
Verily, such shattering words from a woman, deeply drown in sorrow from the loss of her dear ones, cannot be expected from any woman save the daughter of Ali.
Devotion and worship: Supplications and prayers (all night) on the part of this great lady continued till she breathed her last. Even on the night after the tragedy of Ashurā, notwithstanding the pains and agonies that had filled her heart from the loss of her brother and other dear ones, she did not forsake her midnight prayers.
Hazrat Sajjad says: “During the entire length of our journey as captives from Kufa to Shām, my aunt Zainab constantly offered her obligatory and recommendatory prayers. The pains of travelling, the difficulties of attending the orphan children and the trouble of consoling the bereaved women did not hinder her from supplications and prayers (all night). Out of severe weakness and hunger, she, at times, offered prayers in a sitting position.
When they asked for the reason, she said: “I have distributed my share of food among the children, and thus I am too weak to stand on my feet.”
On several occasions, hazrat Zainab saved the life of Imam Sajjad, the only remembrance of her brother, and the divine appointed Imam. In the evening of Ashura, after the enemies had martyred Imam Husain, they attacked the tents and intended to kill Imam Sajjad. Displaying her valour, hazrat Zainab prevented them from that ugly act.
During the entire of her blessed life, hazrat Zainab was a support for her brothers and a source of knowledge for the Shias.
Her pondering and pleasant words would shake even the cold and dry hearts. When she recited the sermon in Kufa mosque, the people started biting their fingers and shedding tears. An old man cried out and said: “May my parents be sacrificed for you. Your men are the best of all men, your young ones are the best of all youngsters, your women are the virtous of all women and your household, the noblest of all household – neither they are degraded nor subdued.”
The holy tomb of hazrat Zainab is in Syria, a refuge for the disheartened ones.
We congratulate you all on the anniversary of birth of hazrat Zainab (p.b.u.h.).
 

Source: http://www.nabacultural.org