Zainab bint Ali [Orator, Teacher, Activist, Independent Spirit] To girls: Zainab, granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad, was an incredibly strong, intelligent, and empowered woman. Don’t let them portray her as anything else, and don’t let them make her or her mother seem like passive actors in their own lives. Don’t let them make you think that Zainab and Fatima ONLY matter because of who their husbands and fathers were. Realize that they matter because of how amazing they themselves were. When Zainab got married, she put in her marriage contract that she had the right to follow her brother Hussain if he ever needed her, and that this was a right her husband could not keep her from. So realize that the right to put conditions in your marriage contract is your RIGHT, and its equal to that of the husband to be your leader. Don’t miss the chance, if not for your own sake, then at least to be an example to other girls. Zainab was known as Al Balighah (the intensely eloquent) because of the classes she would lead for women in Medina. When she and her husband followed her father Ali to Kufa during the time of his Khilafat, her reputation preceded her, and women thronged to her daily sittings to learn about Quran from her. Her nephew, Imam Zain ul Abideen called her “‘Alimah Ghayr Mu’allamah” meaning “she who has knowledge without being taught” because of the depth of her knowledge. Her mother Fatima said that Zainab, like her father, was unparalleled in literary eloquence and courage. In Karbala, on Ashura, as she saw her family and sons being slaughtered, she stood as strong as a pillar, shedding not a single tear, and even offering up her sons for the cause. At nights, when the women and children were left amid the ruins of the burned tents after the battle, she stood with a spear and did not let anyone approach or threaten the children as long as she could. In the court of the tyrant Yazid, where she was dragged to the jail and they tried to humiliate her, she gave a fiery and eloquent speech in front of the court, saying “O Yazid! Do you think that we have become humble and despicable owing to the martyrdom of our people and our own captivity? As you have blocked all the paths for us, and we have been made captives and are being taken from one place to another, do you think that Allah has taken away his blessings from us? Do you think that by killing the godly persons you have become great and respectable, and the Almighty looks at you with special grace and kindness?…But what am I to do? Our eyes are shedding tears, our hearts are burning, and our martyrs cannot come to life by our reprimanding and reproaching you. My Husayn has been killed and the partisans of Satan are taking us to the fools so that they may get their reward for insulting Allah. Our blood is dripping from their hands and our flesh is falling down from their mouths… If you have gained something today by shedding blood, you will certainly be a loser on the Day of Judgment.” Like her mother, Zainab spoke up against oppression time and time again. Do not let them make you think that she only spoke up because of the circumstances of the moment. She spoke up because it was right and it was a testament to the strength of her character. After Karbala, Zainab established mourning ceremonies (known today as majlis) which she held every year to keep the message of Islam and what Hussain fought for alive. Don’t forget Zainab, and never think of her as important only because of her relationships. Remember her strength, her intelligence, her independence, and her bravery. And carry that into your own life. Don’t let people tell you you’re worth less, that your dreams and goals are not as important, and that your opinions are not valuable.
Posted on: Wed, 27 Nov 2013 18:28:42 +0000
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