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The Captives Of Karbala In The Court Of Ibn Ziyad

Speeches went on, Caravan moved on and eventually this caravan of helpless people reached Kufa's court. The court was decorated, the affluents and prominent people were seated, all waiting for the prisoners and then Syed-e-Sajjad along with holy, chaste and pious ladies was brought into the court.

‘Ubaidullah Ibn Ziyad liked haughtily at them and in the rear portion of the court he saw a harassed but dignified lady who despite misery and hardships was sitting calmly behind the other prisoners. He asked harshly “who is that woman?”

The crowd was silent. He repeated the question but still there was no reply. He lost his composure and said, “Why are you silent? Why don't you tell me?”

Janabe Fidhdha An-Nubiyya got up and said:

“This is the daughter of Hazrat Ali (‘a), Bibi Zaynab salamu Allah alayha”.

His face contorted and he harshly said to the Ahl al-Bayt.

“Thank God that he has disgraced you, killed you and exposed your unpleasant desires”.

Hearing this daughter of Ali (‘a) the victor of Khyber, the possessor of Zulfiqar, the grand daughter of the last Messenger of God said In her power breaking and kingdom shattering tone.

“All thanks to that Allah who gave us the prominence through the last Prophet (S) and kept us clean from worldly unclean. Verily the Fasiq is shamed and the Fajir is belied. Thanks to Allah that we are not among such people”.

إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا

“Allah wants to keep all sins away from you, O Ahl al-Bayt and Allah may keep you clean as you merit to be clean”. (33:33).

Bibi Zaynab said, “Insulted is he Who is a sinner and a debauch. He who breaks the law becomes a liar and we are not such but others”.

This reply infuriated Ibn Ziyad and wriggling like a wounded snake he hissed.

“Look how Allah has disgraced your family and how He punished your brother?”

She could not tolerate this insinuation and accusation that he was heaping on her brother Imam Husayn (‘a).

Though a hypocrite, disguised as a Muslim he was insulting the Prophet's (S) lineage. She erupted like a volcano.

O Son of Marjana! What I have seen I have seen all well. God destined Martyrdom for my brother and his devotees. They have all left for their heavenly abode and you are left to be interrogated. God will call us and you people and He will give His judgment”.

Ibn Ziyad said, “How did you like Allah's treatment to your family?”

She answered:

“It was Allah's 'will' that they be martyred and they went valiantly to their hereafter. Soon Allah will drag you to the Court of Enquiry and will ask for justice. You will know only when face them and know what bring to you the prayers of the oppressed and how the blood of the innocent brings the change of effect.

Oh son of Marjana! may your mother's womb be barren and she mourns you. Listen! yes listen! You will know who has won and who has lost the day, Allah will pronounce His Judgment.”

Sentinel ol Karbala and caretaker of Husayni carvan Bibi Zaynab (‘a) set an example in ridiculing the arrogant ruler of Kufa. This was the strength of the lion-hearted lady, the daughter of Ali (‘a) and the granddaughter of the Prophet (S) that in such untoward circumstances she was peaceful and was courageously replying to oppressor from the platform of faith. Ibn Ziyad was stunned as if the earth was out of his feet. He lost his strength; his arrogance was shattered and his politics belittled and his state underwent the tremors of an earthquake.

His inferiority complex overawed him. He had no answers and so under frustration he said:

“Allah gave peace to my heart by the killing your rebellious brother and others of your family. “

The granddaughter of the last Prophet (S) looked at the audience with red and ferocious eyes, turned to Ibn Ziyad and said in dignified manner:

“Ibn Ziyad! you have put our elders to sword and did not spare our near ones. You not only cut the branches of our shady tree1 but uprooted it also. If this is how peace is obtained then you may think you have obtained peace. The reality will be seen on the day of resurrection when it will be you and the blaze of Hell.”

He retorted “Your verbosity and poetic speech reflects that your father also resorted to verbosity to cheat people”.

Hearing his nonsensical talk, she replied furiously “Don't you feel ashamed of accusing the daughter of the Prophet (S) in this manner and you resort to abuse to hide the truth. Whatever I have said is not poetry but the bitter truth and is the voice of my pained heart. We do not use worthless poetry like the people of this world, our words reflect the truth.”

She exposed the animosity that Ibn Ziyad had with Islam and shamed him in his own court in front of the people who prostrated themselves to him.

It was then that Ibn Ziyad spotted Imam Ali Ibn Husayn (‘a) who was grief stricken, fatigued by journey and continued sickness, he said to the Imam: “Who are you?”

Imam: “I am Ali Ibn Husayn (‘a)”

Ibn Ziyad: “Did Allah not kill Ali Ibn Husayn (‘a)?”

Imam: “My one brother Ali (Ali Akbar) was killed by your cruel forces and you will be questioned on the day of Judgment for killing that innocent youth”.

Ibn Ziyad was furious on Imam's reply and loudly said:

“It was not forces but Allah who killed your brother.”

On this audacity of Ibn Ziyad, the Imam could not stop and said:

“You are wrong your oppressors have killed him. Though when at the time death is destined the soul is seized by the order of God and none else because only Allah has the power to do so.”

Then the Imam recited the ayats:

اللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى الْأَنْفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَالَّتِي لَمْ تَمُتْ فِي مَنَامِهَ

“Allah takes lives of the people at the time of their death” (39:42).

وَمَا كَانَ لِنَفْسٍ أَنْ تَمُوتَ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

“And any living being on earth can not die but, with order of Allah” (3:145).

Ibn Ziyad on hearing Imam's crushing reply said: “How dare you talk in this tone to me? How dare you insult me; you will have to suffer punishment of your such loud voice.”

After that he called one hangman and asked him to take the Imam out and chop off his neck.

Bibi Zaynab who was observing the barbarity of Ibn Ziyad could not control herself, she caught hold of Imam and said:

“Does killing the progeny of the Prophet (S) not satisfy you that you want to kill the only male left amongst us who signifies our family and is so sick. Do not try to harm him because you will have to go over my dead body”.

Ibn Ziyad retracted and said: “leave him or else we will have to kill this woman too as it is difficult for us to tackle the repercussion”.

Had the daughter of Ali (‘a) not shown the steadfastness and courage Imam Ali Ibn Husayn (‘a) may have been killed and that would have been disastrous. It is her valour that Islam is enlivened to save the soul of millions of Muslims. It is she who has regenerated Islam and Kalima at-Tauheed is reverberating2 throughout the world. In their opinon, however. Yazid's army eliminated the household of Muhammad (S).

The Arrival Of The Prisoners In Jail

Ibn Ziyad then gave the order for the family of the Prophet (S) to be incarcerated in dark and air- tight cell and when they were being brought towards the cell the roads and streets were full of people.

They were kept in places where there was no facility for sunlight and fresh air. When the women of Kufa wanted to meet her, Bibi Zaynab (‘a) said, “We are prisoners now and our rights are usurped”.

The injustice Bani Omayya meted out to the Ahl al-Bayt is singular in history. Their rejoicing after putting the women and children in jail is the darkest spot in the history of Khilafat. They trampled Islam yet they called themselves Muslims.

History records that Ibn Ziyad never had a moment of peace after this. The speeches of Bibi Zaynab had stirred the souls of the Kufis and then began the initial upsurge against the Khilafat3. When his son Mu’awiyah who was a good-hearted person was given the Khilafat after Yazid's death, he said that “Banu Omayya badly tyrannized Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet (S)”.

Khilafat and Imamat was their right he kicked off4 the power and went into seclusion as a result the Khilalfat went to Aale Marwan.

The Effects Of The Speeches Of Bibi Zaynab (‘A)

It was the effect of the speech and dialogues of Aqeela-e-Bani Hashim Bibi Zaynab (‘a) that the sahabi of the Prophet (S) Abdullah Ibn Afeef Azdi, in that fully crowded court very strongly protested. Similarly, some courageous people of Ghamid and Banu Walla family also became active against the Government. The movement kept spreading till every household had a member willing to fight against the Khalifa.

“Oh people! My grandfather Mu’awiyah had fought against the person (Hazrat Ali (‘a)) who deserved the Khilfat more as he was closely related to the Prophet (S). You know well what he did what he did on your strength and went to his grave with his loads of sins. My father Yazid succeeded my grandfather though he did not deserve. He obeyed his lust but death did not give him a reprieve and he went with his sin”.

He then started weeping copiously and i said, “what I am hurt most about it is that their fate is doomed for they have killed the people of the Prophet's (S) family resorted to murder in the precincts of Kaaba, desecrated the Kaaba. I cannot take this Khilafat. Please appoint someone else”. He went back to his palace. His dear ones became his enemies and poisoned him.

The army commanders started resigning and the respectable gentry started leaving the city. The door of the jails started breaking. Compiler of “Al-lmamat Was-Siyasal” Ibn Oatiba analyzing the situation, writes:

“‘Ubaidullah Ibn Ziyad had also to face such bad days that when he stood up to speak in Basra where he was Governor, the people started potting stones at him and this is called retribution of deeds”.

Having gone through the events from Karbala to Kufa the readers better know about their feelings. It cannot be said with certainty as to how many days it took in the journey from the Karbala to Kufa, for how many days caravan-e-Husayni was kept in Kufa and when did it depart for Damascus.

It is, however, only known from historians of old time that this caravan while going to Damascus reached Karbala on 20th Safar 61 Hijra. That very day the ladies held the mourning of the martyrs of Karbala, that means that it was first Chehlum (Arbayn) of Shuhada Karbala on 20 th Safar 61 Hijra.

According to the historians, Hazrat Jabir Ibn Abdullah Ansari was present in Karbala and he is the first 'Zayer' of Imam Husayn (‘a). His friend “Ata” was with him. They condoled and kept weeping with Hazrat Ali lbnal Husayn (lmam Zayn al-’Abidin) (‘a) on the martyrs of Karbala.

According to some historians, Qafila-e-Husayni was taken first from Karbala to Kufa, Kufa to Damascus. While going to Madina from Damascus it passed through Karbala and on 20th Safar 61 Hijra first Chehlum (Arbayn) of Shuhda-e-Karbala was held.

But this whole episode of going to Karbala, keeping the mode of transport at that time and the distance in view it seems a bit far-fetched because the distance between Karbala and Kufa is 75 Kilometers, Kufa to Damascus 968 kilometers. Since they were taken by a circuitous route this visit to Karbala seems impossible.

Of course, this could be said that the Husayni Caravan travelled from Karbala to Kula, Kula to Karbala and Damascus and after Damascus! they may have gone to Madina. While going from Damascus to Madina they again passed through Karbala on 20th Safar 62 Hijra, the detail of journey is something like:

Husayni Caravan left Karbala for Kufa and then from Kufa to Damascus via Karbala. The Caravan passing through different halts reached Damascus. Here, only important halts of Caravan have been mentioned. The readers interested to know the details of Caravan may refer to the bibliography in the end of this book.

  • 1. At that time, Bibi Zaynab must have remembered the dream of her childhood and the interpretation of the dream by her grand father Muhammad (phuh). The dream has been mentioned in early part of this book.
  • 2. Islam was through livened by sacrifices and matrydom of Husayn (‘a).
    But completeness was achieved by Zaynab's sufferings and pain.
  • 3. Yazid died (went to hell) on 14th Rabiul Awwal 64th Hijra. He ruled for three years and six months and committed countless cruelties.
  • 4. After the death of Yazid, rule of Mu’awiyah Ibn Yazid was accepted in Syria, Abdullah Ibn Zubair became caliph in Hijaz and Yernen and Ubaidullah Ibn Ziyad in Iraq.
    Mu’awiyah Ibn Yazid was a submissive and noble young man who hated the evils committed by his ancestors. He believed that Ali (‘a) and his descendants deserved the Khliafat" (Tareekh al-lslam Vol. I, P-37;'Karbala Aur Karbala key baad", Irteza Nawaz Puri, P. 255, 256). Mu’awiyah Ibn Yazid hated the rulership and never agreed to accept it but Bani Ummayya and their cohorts throned him. He addressed the people and in detail described the Incidents of oppression and tyrannies committed by his grandfather Mu’awiyah and father enumerated the excellence and eulogy of Ahle Bayt and the afflictions faced by Imam Husayn (‘a). His speech is preserved in the books of history. I am quoting the text of his speech from the book of Dr. Hasan Ibrahim Hasan Misri.