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Bibi Zaynab

Zaynab1is symbol of sanctity

A source of Pride for humanity

Hazrat Zaynab was born on the 5th of Jamadi al-Awwal in the 5th Hijrah a year after Imam Husayn's (‘a) birth2. In the 7th Hijrah the Peace Treaty of Hudaibiah was signed and this ended the days of hardships of the Muslims and strengthened root of Islam.

The Bani Hashim and the Sahaba congratulated the Prophet (S) and showered gifts. Blossoming of flower brought the hope of bearing fruits. Fruits came but what tyranny they faced I am wanting to write; May God help me to write; if my readers have tears in eyes, they should let them drop as shedding tears lightens the grief; weeping and smiling are human nature3.

A child at birth cries and the family smiles and laughs otherwise the family cries and is in grief. Here the newborn was the eldest of the endeared daughters. The younger was named Umm Kulthoom and both sisters were younger than Imam Hasan (‘a) and Imam Husayn (‘a).

Hazrat Fatimah (‘a) asked Hazrat Ali (‘a) to name her but he said he would rather wait for the Prophet (S) to return from his journey. Three days later the Prophet (S) returned and after hearing the news of the child's birth, came straight to his daughter's home. When he was asked to give her a name, he said he would rather wait for Allah to do so.

Jibra’il came and said4 Allah sends his greeting to you and says that the child should be named “Zaynab”, so he named her “Zaynab” and seventh day her “Aquiqa” was performed.

At this moment, I recall Ayats 3 and Ayat 4 of Surah an-Najm:

وَمَا يَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ

“The Prophet (S) does not utter any thing of his own” (53:3).

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ

“but what he utters is revealed of God”. (53:4).

The Prophet (S) loved his daughter very much but he loved his grandchildren even more.

The Upbringing

Bibi Zaynab (s.a) was born and brought up in a learned family. Her grandfather, the Prophet was the “City of knowledge” while her father Amirul Mu’mineen was the “Gateway of knowledge”. Her mother was the leader of all women in Paradise and she played the initial role of tutoring Bibi Zaynab. Janab Raziqul Khairi writes in “Sayyida Kee Beyti”:

She was full of sacrifice, wisdom, steadfastness, determination, truth, boldness, piety, worship, kindness and simplicity. This was in her blood and was due to the family's5 environments in which she was born.

The Egyptian writer Dr. Ayesha Bint Shati writes in “Batalat al Karbala”:

“The grandmother of Bibi Zaynab was Bibi Fatimah Bint Asad Ibn Hashim Ibn Abd Munaf who was the wife of Hazrat Abu Talib the paternal uncle of the Prophet. And she was the first Hashim woman to be married to Hashmi man and this was the origin of Hashmi lineage. She was also one of the first women to believe In Islam and this is praise worthy”.

Before her death she made a “will” to the Prophet who accepted it and praised her for it. He loved her so much that after her death he gave his shirt for her shroud and laid himself in her grave before she was buried.

When people asked the reason for this, he said that after Hazrat Abu Talib's death no one loved him as much as she loved. “I gave my shirt as her shroud so that she is given the raiments of Paradise and I have lain myself in her grave so that the stages of the grave become easy for her.

On the one side was this aunt who loved and reared him and on the other was 'Umm Jamil Bint Harb' the wife of Abu Lahab who has been condemned in Surah Lahab. This woman used to bring and strew thorny scrub and shrub in the Prophet's (S) pathway and used to speak abusively to him.

The great grandfather of Bibi Zaynab, Janabe Abdul Muttalib was the host of Hajis in Ka’bah. This was a legacy from his ancestors. Allah saved him from the threat of Abraha who came to destroy the Ka’bah”6.

Bibi Zaynab became the endeared icon of every woman's eyes in Madina because she was pious noble and she spent her life in righteousness. In the early years of her life, she was guided by great women like Umm al-Baneen and Asma Bint ‘Umays (second wife of Hazrat Ali (‘a). Who liked after her and gave her the respect she merited.

This is the family that practisced what the Prophet preached. We can team from the speeches of Bibi Zaynab that she was well versed in Qur’an, tafsir, literature and oratory and this was all due to the teachings of Hazrat Ali (‘a) at home7.

“Bibi Zaynab even in her childhood was regarded as reliable so far as knowledge was concerned and the girls of Madina often gathered in her house and she spent the time she could after household chores in teaching them. She was so elevated in her wisdom that no woman could be matched to her in Madina including, those of the family of the Prophet (S)8“.

She was an expert in household work which she had learnt from her mother. She looked after her brothers like a mother so long as she was not married and when she went to her husband's house, she took charge of the new household without any inconvenience.

Mawlana Raziqul Khairi writes:

“She never kept any trash and useless thing in the house. She cooked per her requirement and when all her family had eaten, she would give the remnant to the poor rather than keep it for the next meal”.

She was competent regarding, money matter and would never overspend but helped the poor to her heart's content. Like her reverend mother she was not partial to rich food but would eat frugally and was grateful. When Abdullah Ibn Ja’far at-Tayyar said that she was the best mistress of the house he was praising her for house management9.

Yahya Mazani was the immediate neighbour of Hazrat Ali and he said that he never saw her stature nor ever heard her voice10.

The Prophet's (S) demise was in the 11th Hijrah and three months later Hazrat Fatimah (‘a) left this world for heavenly abode. Bibi Zaynab (‘a) was surrounded by tragedies at the tender age of six. Her later life included the blood bath at Karbala but she was like a colossus riding the infirmities of life with a strong will. She was fifty-six years old at Karbala.

Dr. Ayesha Bint Shati writes in “Batlat al-Karbala” (the lion-hearted lady of Karbala).

“Historians say that the events of Karbala about which the Prophet (S) had foretold at her birth had become public”.

The household of the Prophet knew about it fifty years before it actually occurred. Ahmed Ibn Hambal writes in his Sunan volume one.

Jibra’il had informed the Prophet (S) about Karbala and gave him fistful of earth, which he in turn gave to Janabe Umm Salama saying, “When this earth turns into blood you would know that Husayn has been martyred” Hazrat Umm Salama kept it in a glass bottle. On the Day of Ashura (10th day of Muharram 61 A. H) the earth turned into blood after the Imam's martyrdom. Only then did the people of Madina get the news11.

A Strange Dream Of Her Childhood

Bibi Zaynab had a strange dream in her childhood in the last year of the Prophet's (S) life when she was only a child of six. She narrated the dream to the Prophet (S).

“I was standing all alone on a ridge in the desert. There came a storm with a strong wind raising dust and making it pitch dark. There was a tree near me, I caught hold of its trunk for shelter but the tree was uprooted. I then caught hold of a branch of the tree but that also broke. I caught hold of another but that broke too then I went to a jointed branch but that too broke, I was in great despair standing alone when my eyes opened”.

The Prophet (S) was very perturbed by this dream and he interpreted this dream as under.

“I am that uprooted tree and it means my death is very near. The first branch you caught was your mother the second your father and the jointed branch, your brothers Hasan (‘a) and Husayn (‘a). This dream is about the tribulations that you will face after we all are gone but you will come out with flying colours as your steadfastness will always be remembered”.

One day Bibi Zaynab (‘a) was reciting some Ayats of the Qur'an and she asked her father Hazrat Ali (‘a) for explanation. Hazrat Ali referred to the event of Karbala and was very surprised when Bibi Zaynab said, Oh Baba! I knew about it from my mother (Fatimah (‘a)) so that she could prepare me to face that day. “Hazrat Ali became silent on hearing it and his heart throbbed in love for his daughter”12.

  • 1. Zaynab Comprises of two words "ZAIN" and "AB"' which means ernbellishment of Father.
  • 2. According to some versions Bibi Zaynab was born in 6th Hijra.
  • 3. And He is the one who makes a person laugh and cry. (53:43)
  • 4. Naming of the reverend personalities from God is not new as it is evident from Ayat of Qur’an:
    (i) I give you glad tiding that I bless you with a son with the name Yahya.
    (ii) As about Hazrat Essa who himself said my name is Messiah son Of Maryam.
    (iii) About our prophet Jesus said " after me a messenger named Ahmed will come.
    (iv) Prophet (S) also changed the name of some of his Sahaba.
  • 5. As the birds of the same feather lock together. God reveals, "always be with truthful people".
  • 6. Text from'Batlat al-Karbala by Dr. Aeysha Bint Shali Misri p-19.
  • 7. Syyeda Ki Beti by Mawlana Raziq-al-Kheri.
  • 8. Syyeda Ki Beti by Mawlana Raziq-al-Kheri.
  • 9. Syyeda Ki Beti by Mawlana Raziq-al-Kheri.
  • 10. For detail "Daira al- Maarif Islamia Punjab University Lahore, Volume-10, Page 568 may be referred.
  • 11. Dr. Ayosha Bint Shati Misri "Batlat al-Karbala" (Page 26).
  • 12. Dr. Ayosha Bint Shati Misri "Batlat al-Karbala" (Page 20,21).