Some of the peculiarities of Lady Zaynab include...

Some of the peculiarities of Lady Zaynab include: i) Faith Lady Zaynab was fed with the core of true faith and the reality of Islam. Hence, love for Almighty Allah was in her nature and, later on, became a distinctive feature of her personality that led her to stand up to all the misfortunes and adversities she had to encounter in her early life. Firm faith and exclusive devotion to Almighty Allah were the features that ’s family enjoyed in a special way.

Each member of this exalted family expressed his/her firm faith distinctively. ii) Steadfastness Since early life, Lady Zaynab had equipped herself with steadfastness against misfortunes.

She had endured several hardships during her life, including the demise of the Prophet (PBUHH), the sufferings of her mother and her martyrdom, the martyrdom of her father, Imam ‘Ali (PBUHH), her brother, Imam al-Hasan (PBUHH), the event of Karbala, the martyrdom of her brother, Imam al-Husain (PBUHH) and her two sons and her other relatives, going to Kufa and Damascus as a captive. iii) Dignity Dignity was a prominent feature in the personality of Lady Zaynab.

After the martyrdom of Imam al-Husain (PBUH), she as well as the other granddaughters of the Prophet (PBUHH) were taken as captives from Karbala to Kufa and all their personal properties were usurped. While the children were harshly afflicted with hunger, she desisted from asking the soldiers of the Umayyad army for some food. Thus, Lady Zaynab did not succumb to any other than Almighty Allah.

She showed dignity, honor, and disdain inherited from her grandfather and father in spite of her hardships. iv) Courage No one can ever doubt the courage of the Prophet’s family. The members of this family gave the best examples of bravery and courage. Following her family members’ pattern, Lady Zaynab behaved so courageously before the criminals who killed her brother.

When she had to stop before Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad, the governor of Kufa, while she was considered a captive, she expressed despise and disrespect for him. He therefore showed his gloating over her misfortunes by saying, “Thanks to Allah Who unmasked, killed, and belied your revolution.” In reply, she said courageously: Thanks to Allah Who honored us with His Prophet and purified us from uncleanness thoroughly.

It is only the lewd that has been unmasked, and it is only the dissolute that has been belied. We are not any of these two. Indeed, we are not any of these two, O son of Marjanah.