Sayyida Sakina was
born on 20 Rajab 56 A.H. in Madinah. She was the most beloved daughter of The
King of Martyrs, Imam Husayn (a.s.) and she in turn loved her father
and used to sleep on his chest. Imam Husayn (a.s.) used to say: “A house
without Sayyida Sakina would not be worth living in!” She loved all
her brothers and sisters specially her younger brother Ali al-Asghar
who was about six months old in Karbala. Moreover, she had a special
relationship with her uncle, Abbas ibn Ali (a.s.) and he also loved
his niece more than his own children.
She was very religious, enjoyed reading the Glorious Qur’an, would
pray salaat (namaaz) regularly and was always dressed-up in Islamic attire
including head-cover. She was 5 years old in Karbala.
In Karbala, after 7 Muharram, Yazid (l.a.)’s army did not allow
the water inside Imam Husayn (a.s.)’s camp. Sayyida Sakina shared whatever
water was left with other children. As the days passed, the desert heat made
the children uncomfortable without water. On the Day of Ashura,
when all the companions and the family members of Hashmi youths had attained
martyrdom, Hazrat Abbas ibn Ali (a.s.), the Commander of the Imam (a.s.)’s band
of warriors, sought permission for Jihad. Imam Husayn (a.s.) refused to grant
permission saying that he was the Commander of Imam (a.s.)’s army. In the meantime,
Sayyida Sakina, along with some 42 children, brought a dry water-bag (mashk)
and Imam Husayn (a.s.) reluctantly permitted Hazrat Abbas (a.s.) only to get
some water. Hazrat Abbas (a.s.) courageously fought his way and landed his
horse in the River Euphrates. Neither he nor his faithful
horse drank a drop of water. He filled the water-bag with water and was
galloping towards the camp when the treacherous enemy cut-off both of his hands
from behind but he still held tight the water-bag in his teeth but the arrows
of the enemy pierced the water-bag and the water flowed away. Hazrat Abbas
(a.s.) attained martyrdom. After that time, she never asked for water anymore!
After the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (a.s.), the accursed Shimer
slapped Sayyida Sakina, forcibly snatched her ear-rings tearing her ear lobes.
The barbaric Yazid (l.a.)’s army looted the sacred household of the Noble
Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.), and set the camps on fire. The sacred ladies were
deprived of their head covers, the children ran out of the burning camps.
Sayyida Sakina’s clothes also caught fire, and when one of the reporters tried
to extinguish the flames, she warned the man not to touch her as she was the
member of the sacred Ahlul Bayt (a.s.). She was running in the battlefield crying: “Father! O Father,
where are you?” As the butchers of Karbala, had already severed the pious heads
of the martyrs, the bodies in the battle field were unrecognizable.
As night fell, the “Sham-e-Ghareeban” became sorrowful and
painful. The Sani-e-Zahra, Sayyida Zaynab (s.a.) took charge
of the caravan and along with her sister, Umme Kulsoom (s.a.), they started
counting the children and could not find Sayyida Sakina. They went in the
battle-field and searched her and at last found her sleeping on the trampled chest
of Imam Hussayn (a.s.). She woke her up and Sayyida Zaynab (s.a.) inquired as
to how she recognized her father? Sayyida
Sakina replied: “I was running around in the battle-field and calling my
father, when a voice came from this trampled body calling me towards him” During the “Sham-e-Ghareeban”, the widow of Hazrat Hurr, the deflected
commander of Yazid (l.a.) army, brought some water and food into
AhlulBayt’s burnt down camp site, Sayyida Zaynab (s.a.) gave some water to
Sayyida Sakina. She took the water towards the battle field for her
martyred baby brother, Hazrat Ali al-Asghar, who was the youngest in the
family!
The children at Karbala were
in no way connected to the “allegiance” to Yazid (l.a.). In any humane and
civilized Muslim society, the survivors of this catastrophic carnage are
pacified and offered kind words of consolations. In the tragedy of Karbala, the
so-called Muslims did not stay even at the level of humanity! It was the height
of barbarism and butchery, un-parallel in human history.
On the 11 Muharram, the daughters of the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.)
were made captive, their hands were tight behind their backs and made to sit on
the camels without seats and routed through the battlefield, where the bodies
of their loved ones were scattered all over the battle-field. Imagine the
sorrow and grief of the women who saw their loved-ones un-buried (against the
dictates of Islamic customs). The caravan proceeded towards Kufa. In Kufa, the
markets were decorated in celebration of the massacre at Karbala and the procession
of Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s)’s captive family! Sayyida Zaynab (s.a.) was made
to go through the bazars without head-cover while her mother, Lady of Paradise,
Sayyida Fatimah Zahra (s.a.)’s funeral was taken out at night and not seen by
any one! On the way from Kufa to Damascus, at one point, Imam Husayn (a.s.)’s
head will not move forward. On inquiry it was found that Sayyida Sakina had
fallen from the camel and Sayyida Zaynab (s.a.) walked back and saw that she
was sitting in the lap of a sacred lady in black attire concealing her
identity. When Sayyida Zaynab (s.a.) tried to thank her, she disclosed her
identity; she was the Lady of Paradise, Sayyida Fatima Zahra (s.a.) who was all
along with the Holy Caravan from Madinah.
The oppressive armed men, to cause pain and misery, hurriedly
completed the journey in two days, which normally takes sixteen days!
The
sacred members of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) were imprisoned in a prison without roof
when the scorching sun light fell on them while they were exposed to the chill
at night!
While in the court of Yazid (l.a.), he was desecrating Imam Husayn
(a.s.)’s head by hitting his lips and teeth with a cane. At one time, he wanted
to test Sayyida Sakina’s love for her father. He (l.a.) challenged Sayyida
Sakina to call her father’s head to come to her lap. She responded and raised
her little hands and called her father to come to her. Imam Husayn (a.s.)’s
head rose from the big plate and flew in to the waiting arms of Sayyida Sakina.
Sayyida Sakina used to sit at the gate of the prison and witness
that birds were returning to their nests in the evening. She would ask her aunt
Sayyida Zaynab (s.a.) as to where those birds were going, she would reply that
they were going to their homes. Sayyida Sakina would ask her aunt as to when
they were going back to Madinah? Unfortunately, it was not destined that she
will ever return to Madinah!
In the prison, one night, she woke up from her sleep and cried
continuously. The family members tried their best to pacify and console her.
She said: “O dear aunt, where is my father? A few minutes ago, I was
with my father and he kissed me and said that “my dear Sakina you will soon be
with me” But where is my father now?” When Sayyida Sakina described her
dream, all the sacred ladies started to cry and when this noise reached Yazid
(l.a.)’s quarters, he sent the severed head of Imam Husayn (a.s.) to the
prison. As soon as she received her father’s head, she held it tight to herself
and cried even more and said to her father: “Who cutoff my father’s head?
Who martyred my father? Why we are kept as captives?” With these words
of sorrow, she suddenly became quiet. Everyone thought that she might have
slept again, but alas! Sayyida Sakina had gone into the eternal sleep. Imam
Sajjad (a.s.) dug a grave in the prison and buried her little sister in her
torn clothes as it was completely attached to her flesh after the burning of
the camps on Ashura!
May Allah curse the oppressors of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.).
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