"ALI son of HUSAIN" was the reply.

"ALI son of HUSAIN" was the reply. "Was not Ali son HUSAIN slain by Allah?" asked the tyrant. AS-SAJJAD answered by saying that his brother of the same name had been slain by IBN ZIYAD'S soldiers. The haughty ruler still asserted that ALI was killed by Allah. But AS-SAJJAD again quoted the QUR'ANIC verse: "Allah takes away the souls at death", meaning that God does not kill; He only takes the souls away.

The well-argued contradiction maddened furious ruler who ordered his swordsman to execute IMAM ZAIN AL-ABIDIN (AS) immediately. It was then when ZAINAB darted to cling to her nephew and ask to be put to death along with him. But ZAIN AL-ABIDIN asked her to stay aloof and to let him reply to IBN ZIYAD who was sure that, having witnessed his people being slain, the surviving youth might shudder at the execution order.

But the gallant son of dauntless IMAM HUSAIN (AS) sternly replied: "Do you threaten me with death, O IBN ZIYAD? Have you not come to know that to be slain is our tradition and martyrdom is an honor from Allah?". These courageous words forced the tyrant to lower his head in shame, and the death order was withdrawn. It was obvious that even after such a horrifying onslaught, IMAM HUSAIN'S family was not afraid of death. From KUFA these people were sent to Damascus.

When their caravan entered the capital, it noticed how the bazaars were festively decorated and people were embracing each other congratulating. The agony of humiliation suffered by IMAM HUSAIN'S helpless folk was immeasurable, yet ZAIN AL-ABIDIN still stood and carried out IMAM HUSAIN'S mission of guiding the nation.

As the prisoners were passing through the market-place, an UMAYYAD flatterer tauntingly asked AS-SAJJAD: "O son of HUSAIN, who won this battle?" "Wait a little", replied AS-SAJJAD, "you will know who is the victor when the Prophet's name is loudly proclaimed as the prayer call is made".

Again, when the captives came before the gate of the grand mosque of Damascus, an aged man looked on and said: "Thank God who destroyed you; Who killed your men and made the country peaceful, granting victory to the caliph YAZID", AS-SAJJAD had perceived that the old man did not know who he was, so he asked him if he had read this verse of the QUR'AN: "Say, O Prophet: 'I ask no compensation for it except that you be kind unto my kith and kin (QUR'AN, 42:23)".

The old man answered in the affirmative.