Hazrat Zainab (pbuh); A lady whose birth was the beginning of a lasting narrative of patience and courage

Hazrat Zainab Kabri (PBUH) was born in a house that was the cradle of faith, courage and truth; A lady whose name is associated with patience in the most difficult calamities and standing against oppression. On the anniversary of the birth of this great lady, we have a review of her life, moral qualities and her lasting role in keeping the message of Ashura alive.

According to the Missionary Thought and Culture Base, Hazrat Zainab Kabri (peace be upon him), the daughter of Imam Ali (a) and Hazrat Fatima Zahra (pbuh), is one of the most prominent figures in the history of Islam; A lady who played a decisive role in guarding the message of Ashura with her knowledge, insight, courage and perseverance. After the incident of Karbala, by attending Kufa and Sham and delivering enlightening sermons, he revealed the truth of the events and did not allow the sacrifice of Imam Hussain (a.s.) and his companions to be hidden in the dust of Umayyad propaganda. The life of this great lady is a manifestation of faith, responsibility, awareness and resistance to oppression.

The birth and childhood of Hazrat Zainab (pbuh)

According to Imamur's narration, Hazrat Zainab Kobri (peace be upon him) was the daughter of Imam Ali (a) and Hazrat Fatima Zahra (pbuh). In historical and religious sources, the 5th of Jumadi al-Awl of the 5th or 6th year of Hijri is mentioned as the date of his birth; However, there are differences among the sources regarding the historical details of the life of that Prophet, including the exact date of his birth.

He grew up in a family that was the center of science, faith, ethics and virtue. The childhood of Hazrat Zainab (pbuh) was spent with the Holy Prophet (pbuh), her honorable father Imam Ali (pbuh) and her mother Hazrat Fatima Zahra (pbuh). However, a few years of his life had not yet passed when the death of the Prophet (PBUH) and then the martyrdom of his mother brought the sadness of the loss of loved ones into his life.

In the narrations, it is mentioned about the intelligence, deep understanding and special attention of Hazrat Zainab (PBUH) to monotheistic teachings from her childhood. In one of these narrations, it is stated that one day Imam Ali (AS) asked his young daughter to recite the number one. Hazrat Zainab (pbuh) did so, but when her father asked her to say the number two, she replied, how could a language that testified to the oneness of God utter the word two?

This narrative, in religious literature, is considered to be a symbol of Hazrat Zainab's early attention to the principle of monotheism and the oneness of God. Such quotes, along with the reports related to her family education, provide a picture of the scientific and spiritual education of this great lady in the Prophet's (PBUH) family.

The story of naming Hazrat Zainab (pbuh)

In some narrative sources, the story of the naming of Hazrat Zainab (PBUH) is connected with the descent of the angel of revelation and the choice of this name by divine command.

According to this narration, after the birth of the baby, Hazrat Fatima Zahra (pbuh) took him to Imam Ali (pbuh) to choose a name for him. Imam Ali (a.s.) entrusted the naming to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.), and the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) also left this issue to God's will. In the continuation of the narration, it is stated that Gabriel descended on the Prophet and announced the name of "Zainab" and announced the sufferings that this great lady will face in the future.

It is also mentioned in some religious narrations that the Prophet (PBUH) wept upon hearing the news of Zainab (PBUH)'s future sufferings. In these narrations, the Prophet's crying is considered as a sign of his awareness of the difficulties that were in the path of this great lady's life, especially in the incident of Karbala.

Of course, the details of these reports are not the same in the narrative sources, and to check their documents, one must refer to the source of each narrative.

Hazrat Zainab (pbuh) is known by many titles in religious and literary sources, each of which refers to a dimension of her personality and status. "Aqeela Bani Hashem" is one of the most famous of these titles; A nickname that indicates his wisdom, wisdom and high status in the Bani Hashem family.

"Umm al-Mas'ab" is also one of the titles that is used about him because of enduring the heavy hardships of life, especially the events of Karbala and its consequences. "Sadiqa Soghari", "Abdeh Al Ali", "Fazleh", "Kamele", "Arafeh", "Aminullah" and "Naib Al-Hussein" are among the other titles mentioned in some sources for him.

All in all, these titles are a reflection of the image that the Shia religious tradition presents of the scientific, spiritual, moral and social personality of Hazrat Zainab (PBUH).

Hazrat Zainab's marriage and family life

Hazrat Zainab (pbuh) married Abdullah bin Jafar Tayyar, her cousin. Abdullah was the son of Jafar bin Abi Talib and Asma bint Umais, and he was famous for his generosity, kindness and social status in historical sources.

Historical reports examine the marriage of these two in the context of the family ties of the Bani Hashem family. In some religious sources, the 17th year of Hijri is mentioned for this marriage and the dowry of Hazrat Zainab (pbuh) is considered equal to the dowry of Hazrat Fatima Zahra (pbuh); However, the details related to the date and amount of dowry are not the same in all sources.

Abdullah bin Jafar was one of the well-known figures of the Hashemite family and was famous for helping the needy and arresting the deprived. In historical accounts, he is described as a generous man whose home was a refuge for the needy.

Various opinions have been raised about Abdullah bin Jafar not accompanying Imam Hussain (a.s.) on his journey to Karbala. Some sources have considered illness and physical disability as the reasons for this; Therefore, it is not possible to introduce a cause as a definite reason for his absence without checking the sources.

In the sources, several children are mentioned for Hazrat Zainab (pbuh) and Abdullah bin Jafar. In famous religious texts, Ali, Aoun, Abbas, Muhammad and Umm Kulthum are mentioned as the children of this family; However, there are differences in the reports about the number of children and the details of their lives.

Aoun and Muhammad are among the sons of Abdullah bin Jafar, who went to the aid of Imam Hussain (a.s.) in the Karbala incident and were martyred. The martyrdom of the children of this family, along with other companions of the Imam, adds to the emotional and human dimensions of the Ashura saga and highlights the position of the families accompanying the Hosseini movement.

The scientific and hadith status of Hazrat Zainab (pbuh)

Hazrat Zainab (pbuh) is not only known as one of the prominent characters of the Karbala event; Rather, in religious sources, she is also mentioned as a lady knowledgeable in religious knowledge and narrator of hadith.

Some sources have reported the narration of Fadakiyeh's sermon by Hazrat Fatima Zahra (S) through Hazrat Zainab (S). Also, the name of Ibn Abbas and a number of other personalities from the family of the Prophet (PBUH) can be seen in the number of narrators or transmitters of reports related to him.

Recitation of such materials, especially considering the young age of Hazrat Zainab (PBUH) during her mother's lifetime, has been considered in religious sources as a sign of her memory, intelligence and scientific status. However, in order to accurately determine the chain of transmission of each narration, it is necessary to examine its source and document.

In some reports, it is also stated that Hazrat Zainab (pbuh) used to hold training sessions and interpretation of the Qur'an for women during the presence of Imam Ali (pbuh) in Kufa. These reports, if verified and confirmed by the source, can tell about the scientific and educational presence of women in the social atmosphere of that era.

In Shia religious literature, the term "non-teaching scholar" is used to describe the scientific position of Hazrat Zainab (PBUH). This title emphasizes knowledge and knowledge that, in the religious view, is beyond the usual education and relies on a deep understanding of divine teachings.

In the narrations attributed to Imam Sajjad (a.s.), the knowledge and awareness of his aunt are mentioned in great terms. Hazrat Zainab's (pbuh) sermons in Kufa and Sham are also evidences that are cited in the study of her scientific and literary personality; Words that indicate the mastery of religious concepts, the power of reasoning and the ability to express political and moral positions.

Courage and tact; Two prominent features of Zainabi's personality

Hazrat Zainab's bravery is not only limited to enduring suffering. What highlights his historical position is his ability to maintain the integrity of the Prophet's (PBUH) family, defend the lives of the survivors, and provide enlightenment in a situation where the political and social environment was under the control of the Umayyad government.

After the Ashura incident, Hazrat Zainab (PBUH) took the responsibility of taking care of the survivors, despite the hard suffering of her brothers, children and other relatives. In the meantime, the support of Imam Sajjad (AS) was also of special importance; Because the continued presence of the Imam in the community, in a situation where his life was in danger, was vital for the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) family.

In one of the famous reports related to the assembly of Ubaidullah bin Ziyad in Kufa, it is stated that after Imam Sajjad (a.s.) was threatened with death, Hazrat Zainab (a.s.) came forward to defend him and announced that as long as he is alive, he will not allow the Imam to be killed. This narrative is an example of his courage and responsibility in defending the lives of the survivors of the Karbala incident.

Hazrat Zainab's resourcefulness in managing difficult situations after Ashura has also been noted in religious sources. In addition to maintaining the spirit of the survivors, he tried with his enlightening words to challenge the government's official narrative of the Karbala incident and to reveal to the people the truth of what happened to the Prophet's (PBUH) family.

Modesty, chastity and human dignity in the biography of Hazrat Zainab (pbuh)

Modesty and chastity are among the other characteristics mentioned in religious sources for Hazrat Zainab (PBUH). In these sources, his behavior and character are introduced as a model of adherence to moral and religious values.

In a narration attributed to Yahya Mazni, it is stated that he lived near the house of Imam Ali (a.s.) for a long time, but he did not see Hazrat Zainab (a.s.) and did not hear her voice. In the continuation of this quote, it is mentioned that Imam Hasan (a.s.), Imam Hussain (a.s.) and Imam Ali (a.s.) were with him when they visited the shrine of the Prophet (s.a.w.).

This report has been cited in religious literature to show the attention of the Prophet's (PBUH) family to the sanctity and dignity of Hazrat Zainab (PBUH). Of course, examining the document and its historical details requires referring to the original sources.

In the story of captivity, preserving the dignity of the women and girls of the Prophet's (PBUH) family is one of the important issues raised in the narratives related to the incident of Karbala. Hazrat Zainab (pbuh) in the difficult conditions of captivity, in addition to taking care of the survivors, stood up against humiliation and harsh behavior and tried to preserve the dignity and sanctity of the Prophet's (pbuh) family.

Worship, servitude and endurance against suffering

In religious sources, Hazrat Zainab (pbuh) is known for her worship, tahajd and adherence to God's service. There are reports of the continuation of his worship even in the difficult nights after Ashura; The nights when the mental and physical pressure caused by the martyrdom of loved ones and the responsibility of taking care of the survivors had created excruciating conditions.