ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Victory of Truth: The Life of Zaynab bint Ali Assassination On the night before Friday the 19th of Ramadan in the fortieth year after hijrah, Imam Ali [a.s.] went to the central mosque for prayers. Shortly after the adhan (call to prayer), Zaynab [a.s.] heard a heart-rending cry. Soon the cries came nearer to her house and she realised that they were bringing her the news of her father's assassination.

Ibn Muljim had struck Imam Ali [a.s.] a fatal blow while he was in the defenceless state of sajdah (devotional prostration). Mortally wounded, he was carried back home on the shoulders of his followers. There was to be no recovery from this wound. On the twenty-first night of Ramadan Imam Ali [a.s.] died, leaving his two sons and daughter to witness and face his enemies' misguided lust for power and revenge.

After his father's soul was released, Imam Hasan [a.s.] said, "Tonight such a great man has died with whose good conduct no one in the past or the future can compare. He fought holy wars side by side with the Holy Prophet, and made his life a shield for him. The Prophet used to make him a standard-bearer of the army while the angels Jibra'il walked on his right and Mika'il on his left. He never came back from any war without victory.

At the time of his death he left nothing save seven hundred dirhams with which he had intended to provide the people of his house a servant." Zaynab [a.s.] was submerged in grief at the brutal loss of her dear father. Together with her husband she returned to Medina. Some ten years later Zaynab [a.s.] was once again stricken with a grievous loss, that of her brother Imam Hasan [a.s.]. He too fell victim to the schemes of the power-hungry Bani Umayya.

Mu'awiya was intent on converting the caliphate into a hereditary kingship so as to retain the seat of power within his clan. To achieve this it was necessary that he secure allegiance of the people for his son Yazid. This proved to be impossible as long as Imam Hasan [a.s.] was alive. Therefore he successfully eliminated him through an ingenious intrigue in which the hand that dealt Imam Hasan [a.s.] the deadly poison was none other than the Imam's wife.

The rights of leadership now passed into the hands of Imam Husayn [a.s.], but the Bani Umayya would not leave him in peace.