Growing up, the eulogies of Syeda Zainab bint Ali echoed through the gatherings of my childhood. Her name was synonymous with courage, strength, and unwavering faith. But it wasn’t just her unparalleled role in the tragedy of Karbala that captivated me-it was her boundless resilience and her ability to embody so many virtues simultaneously. How does one woman carry such immense strength, steadfastness, and compassion, even in the most devastating circumstances?
Syeda Zainab’s journey wasn’t confined to the harrowing fields of Karbala or the oppressive courts of Damascus. Her story began in Medina, where she grew up in the luminous presence of her parents, Fatima al-Zahra and Imam Ali, and her grandfather, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). After the martyrdom of her parents, Zainab stepped into a pivotal role, educating and empowering the women of Medina. She became an advisor to her brothers, a wise political observer, and a pillar of strength for her family. Her voice resonated with wisdom and courage, whether it was in domestic matters or complex socio-political issues.
Yet the Zainab we see after Karbala reveals a different depth of resilience. Taken captive, forced to march through the streets of Kufa and Damascus alongside the grieving women and orphans of her family, she endured what most of us could not even imagine. Yet, she didn’t falter. Even in the court of Yazid, Syeda Zainab’s voice thundered with truth. Her powerful sermon, an eloquent condemnation of tyranny, still reverberates through history:
“O Yazid! Do you think that by killing us, you have become victorious? Rejoice as much as you want, for you have but gained nothing. The day will come when you shall face divine justice for your tyranny.”
Despite her grief, she transformed her captivity into a platform to challenge oppression. She turned her pain into a weapon of resistance, delivering sermons that ignited the hearts of many and exposed the injustices of Yazid’s regime. In her words, we find a lesson in resilience: to stand tall even when the world seeks to break you.
When she was released from captivity, Zainab returned to Medina with a heavy heart. But her mission didn’t end there. She became an activist in the truest sense, traveling across Medina, recounting the horrors of Karbala, and calling for justice. Her relentless activism made her a threat to the oppressive regime, leading to her forced exile from her beloved homeland.
Imagine the anguish of being uprooted from the city of your birth, where your memories, your loved ones, and your entire identity reside, only to be sent to a desolate, unfamiliar land. Yet, Zainab bore it all with remarkable patience. Today, her shrine stands tall in Damascus, not just as a symbol of her unyielding courage but also as a sanctuary for the displaced. Refugees from Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria-forced to flee their homes-find solace within its walls. This phenomenon is a living miracle of the Ahlul Bayt (House of the Prophet), a testament to their enduring legacy of compassion and humanity. Syeda Zainab’s legacy of compassion and strength continues to manifest in the lives of those who seek refuge at her shrine in Damascus. During my visit, I witnessed her shrine as a sanctuary for displaced families-those who, like her, were forced to leave their homes behind.
I met Zainab, a little girl from Beirut, Lebanon, who found shelter with her family in the shrine of Bibi Sakina. Despite having only three bottles of milk for her family of four, she offered me one while I prayed. It was a gesture so profound, it left me speechless. Sakhawat-true generosity-is not giving from abundance but sharing when you yourself have little.
As I walked through the shrine, I met others like Zainab. Nuar, Noor, Rijaz, Zahra, and Rukayya-all displaced from their homes but still hopeful. Their faces, though marked by sorrow, carried a glimmer of resilience. When I asked a mother of three if she missed her homeland, her reply humbled me: “Syeda Zainab is our home now.”
These words brought tears to my eyes, a bittersweet reminder of Zainab bint Ali’s own journey. My heart ached for her-the daughter of Medina who was denied her homeland, the sister who couldn’t properly mourn her brother, the aunt who comforted orphans in chains. My heart ached for Sakina bint Hussain, the four-year-old niece of Zainab, whose cries for her father were silenced in Yazid’s dungeons.
Yet, amidst this sorrow, the shrines of Bibi Zainab and Bibi Sakina stand tall today, embodying the values of the House of Kissa. They offer refuge to the homeless, displaced, and broken, just as Zainab herself did. These sacred spaces are not merely historical monuments-they are living lessons of resilience, compassion, and unwavering faith.
Syeda Zainab is often referred to as Jabal-e-Isteqamat-the Mountain of Steadfastness. Her life reminds us of the unyielding power of faith and humanity. In one of her sermons, she declared:
“Beware, O oppressors! You may extinguish one flame, but a thousand more will rise in its place. Our mission is eternal; our sacrifice is immortal.”
Her words resonate in the hearts of those who face adversity today. Zainab’s legacy calls us to rise above our struggles and serve humanity, just as she did. It teaches us that true courage lies not in the absence of fear but in standing firm despite it.
As I left the shrine of Bibi Zainab, I couldn’t help but marvel at the enduring impact of her legacy. Her life and the lives of those around her-like little Sakina-are not just stories of sorrow but of profound hope and strength. They remind us that love, compassion, and resilience can transform even the darkest trials into sources of light.
Today, her shrine shelters countless families displaced by conflict, embodying the lessons of the Ahlul Bayt. This is what makes her legacy so extraordinary: she was denied her own homeland, yet her name and shrine now serve as a home for the homeless, a sanctuary for the oppressed, and a beacon of hope for all.
This is Zainab. This is the lesson of the House of Kissa. This is humanity at its most courageous, its most beautiful. And it is a legacy that will live on forever.
