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 salat (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!
The famous Marsiah
writer, Mir Anees had described the last meeting between Imam Husayn (a.s.) and
Sayyida Sakina. The expert Mir Anees had painted a grim picture of this painful
departure in many Marsiyas. A couplet is mentioned here; “Neend Aeygi Jab Apki
Bu Paungi Baba * Main Raat Ko Maqtal Mein Chali Aungi Baba.” “I can sleep only
when I am near you * At night I will come to you in the battlefield.” 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 Husayn (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” 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 inquired why water was given
to her first? Sayyida Zaynab (s.a.) replied that she was the youngest. She
took the water towards the battle field for her martyred six months old 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, along with other females, their
hands were fastened 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!
In Demascs, 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.).
Sources: Islamicoccasions.com,
WIKIPEDIA, WIKIVISUALLY, Infogalactic.com
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