In the aftermath of the tragic battle of Karbala, came the night of tenth of Moharram the Shaam e Ghareebaan. That night, the sky was red like blood. It was the hardest night for the family of the Prophet. In the emptiness of the desert, they faced...
After the death of Sayeda Sakina in the prison, the people of Damascus started questioning Yazid about the prisoners. Many felt that they had already spent so long (about a year) in the prison in the worst possible conditions, and they started condemning Yazid.
Yazid as cunning and crafty as he was, realized that if he did not do anything to change the situation, the people would turn against him,He made arrangements for the prisoners to be brought to the palace court, and issued orders to his court Minister to make special arrangements for the ladies of the family of Imam Husayn a.s, with curtain drawn.
Instructions were also despatched for removing the chains and the iron bar in which Imam Zainul Abideen a.s was tied.
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It was late in the evening when the court was assembled. When Imam Zainul Abideen walked in, everyone stood up. The people could not believe what they saw. Even though the chains had been removed, he could hardly walk. His neck, hands and feet were deeply cut and were bleeding. His back was bent because of the way he had been chained. But there was dignity in his face, which never bowed down to Yazid, at any time.
Yazid told Imam Zainul Abideen a.s that he and his family were now free to stay where they liked, or to go wherever they liked. He also offered to Imam whatever amount he named as " blood money" for the martyrs of his family, at the hearing which, the Imam's faced turned red with anger.
Before Imam Zainul Abideen a.s could reply to Yazid, Sayeda Zaynab, who was listening to the talks from behind the curtain, cried out,
"O Yazid, are you not satisfied with wounding our feelings and torturing us all these days that you want to insult us, by this offer? Your action can only be judged by Allah. If you think that your wealth can undo what you have done to the family of the Prophet, you offer what you possess o the day judgement to Prophet Muhammad himself, when he questions you about his grandson.
She wept bitterly and continued "O Yazid, it is not for us to accept any blood money for those who were martyred by your orders. If you have called us today with the expectation that we will accept what you want to offer us, you are very much mistaken. Your actions will be judged by Allah and his Prophet and you will have to answer to them for your tyrannies on the day of judgement."
Imam Zainul Abideen a.s also informed Yazid that he did not want anything from his worldly possessions. He added that all they wanted was the severed heads of the martyrs of KARBALA
which had been kept in his possession, and their looted property and clothes of which they had been deprived and robbed on the evening of the tragedy of Kerbala.
Sayeda Zainab also spoke up and said."How can we explain to you, Yazid the sentimental values we have for the blood-stained clothes worn by Imam Husayn a.s when he was beheaded by SHIMR and which were woven by Sayeda Fatima Zehra with her own hands. There was the veil which he used to wear and which I inherited from her on her death. There are the ear-rings of Sayeda Sakina which were given to her by her father, Imam Husayn a.s. These were our belongings which were snatched from us and there is nothing that you can give us to replace these things, which means more to us than anything else."
Realising the sentimental value of the looted articles of Imam Husayn's a.s family, Yazid ordered his men to restore all these things to them at once. He also issued orders, upon Sayeda Zaynab's insistence, that a house should be given to them, where they can mourn the martyrdom of their dear ones.
On reaching the house, Sayeda Zaynab held the first Majlis for Aza-e-Husayn and the Syrian woman came to condole her. Many amongst them were asking for details of the ladies of her household, narrated to them all the events from the day when they left Madina to the fateful day when they lost their dear ones on the burning sands of Kerbala. All the ladies along with other ladies of the family were crying their hearts out. Even the walls and doors of the house were resounded with cries due to the renditions of Sayeda Zaynab.
Imam Zainul Abideen a.s and the rest of the ladies and children stayed in Syria for a few more days and then made preparations to travel to Kerbala, to pay their respects to their martyrs, and then go back to Madina.
..........................To be continued in the next part that will be the final part of the story....................
coming up: after getting release from prison how they went back to Kerbala to say goodbye to there dear ones who lost their lives in the battle of Kerbala and how they will finally reach to Madina after losing all men of entire family.
