Rafed English
site.site_name : Rafed English

A Syrian man who attended the session of Yazid looked at Lady Fatimah daugher of Imam al-Husayn in captivity and said to Yazid, "Give this girl to me to serve me." As she heard this shocking statement, the lady trembled and grabbed hold to her aunt's cloak. Lady Zaynab shouted at the Syrian man, "You, the mean one, have lied. Neither you nor can even your leader (i.e. Yazid) do this." This statement enraged Yazid who said, "I could if I would." Lady Zaynab answered, "No, you can not do it unless you abandon our religion and take another for yourself." As Yazid realized the big insult that Lady Zaynab targeted at him by these words, he shouted at her, "How dare you say such words in my face? It was your father and your brother who abandoned the religion!"
Indifferent to the tyrant's authority and ability to punish Lady Zaynab replied him so confidently saying, "Only by the religion of Allah and that of my father and grandfather you and your father were guided, if you are really Muslim." By these words, Lady Zaynab unmasked the tyrant who claimed Imam al-Husayn and his family's being apostates. As a result, people of Syria realized that the captives were the Holy Prophet's family about whom many Quranic Verses were revealed from the Almighty Lord, and that Yazid was no more than a faithless liar. "You have lied, enemy of Allah!" these were the only words that Yazid could find to answer Lady Zaynab whose answer was, "You are a dominant ruler! You can revile [at anybody] unjustly and you prevail on anyone through your authority."

The tyrant's rage decreased and he had to nod down meanwhile, the Syrian man repeated his request, but Yazid shouted at him, "May Allah inflict upon you a swift death!"

Hence, Lady Zaynab could control her self-power and self-will that she inherited from her forefathers to face the tyrant and to triumph upon him.

An author says:

"Despite her weakness and submission, Lady Zaynab could achieve the first decisive victory over an authoritative and strong tyrant. More than once, she confuted Yazid and declared before everybody his ignorance and irreligiousness, since it is, according to Islamic laws, not acceptable to regard Muslim women as captives or to be treated as such in wars."1

Anyhow, the Syrian man's request was seemly the opening of a long articles of criticism and reproach against Yazid and the beginning of the Syrian was not so dull, especially after he had heard the reply of Lady Zaynab that proved Yazid's having been excluded from Islam if he would respond to the Syrian man's request. This proveds that the man only intended to disgrace Yazid.

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1- See Baqir Sharif al-Qarashi's Hayat al-Imam al-Hasan; 3:390.

Adopted from the book : "Lady Zaynab" by : "Ansariyan Publications"