All the tents were burned down.

All the tents were burned down. The Holy ladies and children were left homeless. Tonight is the night of Shaam Al-Ghariba . The night of the homeless. The children were frightened so they ran away to escape the fire, the restless horses and the beatings. Bibi Zainab and Umm Kulthoom went in search of the children. They found some dead, trampled by the horses or burnt by the fire. Zainab and Umm Kulthoom gathered the ladies and children together in a small space, where our 4th Imam was lying.

Sakina could not be found. Umm Kulthoom stood guard, while Zainab rushed to the battlefield screaming: “Sakina! Darling Sakina! Where are you? Sakina! Sakina!” Whilst searching, Bibi Zainab reached the area where Husayn's body was lying. There with her head buried in Husayn's chest, lay Sakina deep in sleep! Bibi Zainab gently picked up Sakina and took her back to her mother. Bibi Zainab settled all the ladies and children. She then stood on guard with a broken spear in her hand.

Bibi Rubab kept waking up. Zainab said to her: “Rubab! Do not worry. Rest peacefully as the daughter of ‘Ali is on guard. You have nothing to fear, Rubab!” “Zainab, I am not worried but I keep hearing my baby crying. I hear my dearest ‘Ali Asghar crying.” Poor Rubab. Poor mother. She was spending the first night without ‘Ali Asghar, her baby. How can she sleep comfortably when ‘Ali Asghar, her baby was lying alone under the sands of Karbala’? Bibi Rubab did not stop crying for her baby.

Late that night, Zainab had a vision. She saw a man on a horse, riding towards her. She cried out: “O man on the horse! Please do not come any nearer! I have just managed to get the children to sleep. We have nothing left. Please go away!” The rider continued riding towards her. Zainab got very angry. She lifted the broken spear and warned the rider: “Stop! Stop, just there! Do not come any nearer! I am the daughter of ‘Ali!

I am warning you to stop just there!” The man on the horse continued to ride towards her. He spoke to Zainab: “Daughter Zainab! Do you not recognise your father, ‘Ali?” Zainab rushed to her father. She threw herself to her father's feet and said: “Baba! I am glad you have come. But you are very late.” She continued: “Baba! Where were you when ‘Ali Akbar was being killed? Baba! Where were you when ‘Abbas was being killed? Baba! Where were you when Husayn was being killed? Baba!

Where were you when our tents were burned down? Baba! Baba! Where were you when our hijab was taken? Baba!