MUHARRAM SERIES - 11/04

Shaam-e-Ghareeban, the Imam was being introduced as tents burnt

previous episode

The high point of this verse is the concept of cleansing (TATHEER), the object of chadar is not mentioned in it. That is because, the chadar is a material object while cleansing is an abstract concept, it is spiritual in its form as the honour bestowed upon the ladies by Allah, if they followed His commands. The object of chadar is mentioned in the ahdeeth when explaining this verse. It was the chadar belonging to Fatima Zahra that the Prophet had used to express this concept of special honour for the Ahlul-Bayt. This Hadeeth is known as HADEETH-E-KISA, and it is reported by such respected authors as Muslim and Tirmizi.
While a physical object can be taken away by a tyrant, the HONOUR BESTOWED BY ALLAH cannot be taken away. The tyrant thought that by taking away the chadar he would be able to dis-honour the ladies, very much like he thought that by killing Husayn he would take away the Divinely Bestowed Imamat away from him and his family.

At this point, we would quote two lines of poetry:

Tha-hro sar-e-Zaynab se rida cheen-ne walo,
Lipti hui tatheer ki ayat hai kisa main,

Translation: Stop, O you who take the chadar away from Zaynab's head,
There is the verse of TAKHEER wrapped in this chadar(kisa).

Shaam-e-Ghareeban (the evening for the lost and looted) was falling upon the plain of Karbala. Ladies had already been deprived of their chadars. The tents were now burning. Ladies had two choices - either to run out of the tents without their chadars, or to stay inside and get burnt to death with their children. Zaynab, who had now taken charge of the looted caravan of Huasayn, approached the ailing Zayn-al-Abideen. She asked him:

"Nephew, you are now our Imam, what is your command, shall we get burnt to death or go out without chadars and save our lives?"

Zayn-al-Abidee replied: "Saving your life is wajib, Phuphee, leave the tents."

The ladies and the children had to come out in the open. Zaynab helped Zayn-al-Abideen to get out of the burning tents.

That one action of Zaynab where she had asked Zayna-al-Adideen for the ruling on hijab has told the world for all time to come - even in that hour of misery, plight and confusion, Zaynab was intent on introducing the Imam of the Time. Zaynab did not need to ask anything. She had grown up with Islam. There was nothing hidden from her as far as the law was concerned. Zaynab, by asking that question of Imam Zayn-al-Abideen, was educating the world.

LET THE TYRANT EAT HIS HEART OUT - HE COULD NOT, AFTER ALL, TAKE AWAY THE HONOUR OF THE GOD-BESTOWED IMAMAT AWAY FROM THOSE GLORIOUS PEIOPLE.

We shall see how the same Zaynab, the daughter of Ali and Fatima, will re-introduce the God bestowed honour of the CHADAR in the court of Yazeed - the tyrant himself.

.............to be continued