مجله منهاج
پیاپی 8 (بهار و تابستان 1388)

This article seeks to examine some of the characteristics of Hazrateh Zeinab (s. a.) each of which demonstrates her role as a model for human society. All that man is in need of today and he has been in need of through centuries is the practical and spiritual qualities without which he cannot reach salvation, and faith in God and Divine Knowledge are two wings which can help man ascend to the summit of humanness. The dignity, bravery, and self-confidence of Hazrateh Zeinab (s. a.); her awareness, insight, and her reminding people of facts; disclosure of crime and the real character of hypocrites by her; her understanding of the status of Imamate and particularly of Imam Hussein (a. s.); her knowledge of the Islamic teachings and her strong belief in the fact that the worldly life with its ornaments is ephemeral and the Hereafter is eternal; her understanding of the historical roots of the Karbala Episode and her strong belief in the fact that Allah’s laws are unchangeable; and thus her attention to the responsibility of being a human and acting on the basis of the belief that “life is nothing but belief in God and striving in His way” are the issues tackled in this article.

This article examines the training role of Hazrateh Zeinab (s. a.) from a family and social perspective. In the first part which is related to the training role of Hazrateh Zeinab (s. a.) in the family, we probe into her interactions with her brothers and her children who had been influenced by the ideology of the Prophet (p. b. u. h.), Hazrateh Ali (a. s.), and Hazrateh Zahra (a. s.). She herself had grown up under the influence of the same ideology, had strongly resisted heaps of misfortunes and sorrows since her childhood, and had taught her community how to be free. Following her mother’s will, she well accompanied her brother, and even she had made her marriage contract with Abdollah ibne-Omar contingent upon going on journeys with his brother so that she could always accompany him. Affection toward the family is among the most outstanding aspects of Hazrateh Zeinab’s (s. a.) training role. She defended her brother, her nephew, and the followers of Imam Hussein (a. s.), who had moved to safeguard the religion and enjoin the right conduct, under the toughest conditions. In the second part, which deals with the training role of Hazrateh Zeinab (s. a.) in the society, first, we examine issues such as her knowledge, her attempt to hold meetings to interpret the Quran, her role as an authority in religious understanding and theories and hadith, and her faith, piety, and intimacy with the Quran; and then we discuss her training role in the society as a spiritual model. It is hoped that this little attempt of us pleases Aghileh bani-Hashem, the great lady of Islam, and the companion and follower of Imam Hussein (a. s.).

Emulation method is among the most significant, training methods currently available to man. Both religious and scientific literature refers to it as the most important training method. The significance of this method is related to its particular role and function in training. Now that the worldly patterns are frequently introduced and human beings are constantly influenced by a variety of secular values, on the one hand, and that the big young population of our country and the current generation are under the influence of the sentiments of the diverse patterns of the present unruly world, on the other, we need to introduce our superior patterns. Hazrateh Zeinab (s. a.) is a great lady who shouldered a very significant responsibility in conveying the message of the Karbala Episode to the world. Her words and deeds in the Karbala Episode and after that made a character out of her that is a perfect role model not only for Muslim women but for the whole human community. If she wasn’t involved in the Karbala Episode and if she didn’t give her eloquent sermons after this event, Imam Hussein’s (a. s.) cry would be muffled and Yazid could fulfill his desires. In this article, examining the character and sermons of Hazrateh Zeinab (s. a.), we discuss the patterns and lessons which we can get from this great lady. Following these patterns and institutionalizing them in themselves, Muslims can now firmly resist the enemies of God and His religion.

In this article, following a short introduction, we examine the nature of Moäviyeh’s government and the community in which Imam Hussein (s. a.) lived. Then we discuss the virtues of Hazrateh Zeinab (s. a.) and her patience and resistance in defending Islam and the Imam of her time. Finally, referring to her role in Karbala, Kufa, and Shäm (Syria) as the transmitter of the message of Imam Hussein’s Revolution, we conclude that through careful, vigilant planning, she managed to convey the message of Imam Hussein’s revolution to the world and prepared people for revolting against oppression and tyranny.

For man to make progress and perfect himself, it is necessary to undergo the hardships of journeys. This phase of experimentation and constructiveness has a lot of gifts to offer, and it was Hazrateh Zeinab’s (s. a.) journeys’ which made her such an informed, resistant, and brave lady who successfully accomplished her divine mission during her lifetime. But how many journeys did this great lady have during her life and what was the purpose behind each of these journeys? Zeinabeh Kobra’s life was full of prosperity, human virtues, and ethical values, on the one hand, and all phases of her inspirational life were filled with many sorrowful occurrences and sufferings, on the other. In a considerable part of her life lasting about twenty-five years, she was faced with the heartrending tragedies of losing her grandfather, the Prophet of Islam, and her decent mother, Fatimah, and some other hardships. Then, began another difficult period of her life during which her father, the Commander of the Faithful, was made homebound and she lost her freedom, security, and many other privileges. Next, she faced her father’s flight from Kufa to Medina where his government was centered. Then, the all-wise will of Godmade her face the death of her father – the agonizing event and great tragedy which shook the heavens. Following this, she witnessed an atrocious battle which was started by Moäviyeh against her brother, Hazrateh Mojtabä, and his Shiites. Later on, Moäviyeh’s Satanic plot led to the martyrdom of her brother. After several years, this heroine came across still another event which is truly considered the biggest tragedy of history – a shaking episode which had many aspects and a long course. Therefore, to get familiar with the life of Hazrateh Zeinab (s. a.) which was full of ups and downs, we need to probe into the eight journeys of this model lady.

After over fourteen hundred years, the disclosing sermon of Hazrateh Zeinab (s. a.) in the Umayyads’ palace is still echoed in history, and the passing of time hasn’t consigned the content of this sermon to oblivion. Zeinab (s. a.) was a keen follower of Hussein (a. s.), and every aspect of her character and every phrase of her speech resembles an endless book which embraces a lot of unspoken words. Analyzing the content of this sermon in terms of stylish phrases, harmony, resonance, images, and emotion and within the framework of literary analysis, this article intents to reveal the artistic features of the sermon and prove that the above-mentioned qualities made it highly efficient in its own time and gave it permanence through centuries.

Message transmission and disclosing facts are among the major objectives of Ashoora Episode. Hence, the captives of Ahleh Beyt made the best use of every opportunity in order to fulfill this objective, and they didn’t let the real spirit of Imam Hussein’s movement be changed or distorted. When they arrived in Kufa, people all had come to watch the captives and thousands of armed guards had been posted in different parts of the town. However, Zeinab (s. a.) took advantage of this chance and began to express the facts of Karbala Episode. To fulfill her duty and to save the Imam of her time, she delivered a heart-rending sermon through which she called the people of Kufa beguilers, cursed them, and said that a heavy retribution was awaiting them in the Hereafter. Yazid’s agents who had been horrified by her speech prevented her from delivering the sermon. Nonetheless, using her fiery rationale, she managed to awaken the people of Kufa. The caravan of captives together with the heads of the martyrs were sent to Syria. Yazid arranged a reception there, and allthe nobles and leaders of Syria were invited. Yazid put the head of Imam Hussein in front of himself and hit his lips and teeth with a dry stick. At this moment, Ali’s (s. a.) daughter began to deliver an overwhelming sermon in which she proved that Yazid’s power wasn’t of slightest importance to her. She reproached him for his indecent and obscene acts and called him yabna tolaghä’ (descendent of those who were freed by my grandfather). She overwhelmed Yazid so much that finally he expressed his regret in the presence of all the invited leaders and nobles.