The stirring speeches made by Lady Zainab (sa), Imam Sajjad (as), and the daughter of Imam Hussain (as) in Kufa and Damascus notwithstanding their tragic circumstances are everlasting examples of bravery, heroism, and steadfastness in the way of God.
After Imam Hussain (as) was brutally martyred along with his companions and close relatives on the Day of Ashura, the surviving members of his camp were held captive. The heartbreaking tragedy of holding the Imam’s remaining family members captive and taking them to Kufa and from there to Damascus and putting them in display was a clear transgression of Islamic rulings. According to Islamic law taking a Muslim man captive is not allowed, let alone women and children.
In the Battle of the Camel, when the war was over and the enemy was defeated, Imam Ali (as) did not held the remaining members of the opponent army captive but sent Aishah, the wife of the Prophet (pbuh), respectfully back to Medina escorted by a group of women.
Yazid, in contrast, ordered his army to hold the family members of Imam Hussain (as) captive and send them all the way to Damascus. His purpose was to humiliate the household of the Prophet (as) and to frighten any probable revolt in future but his attempt turned out to have damaging consequences to his reign. The captives not only did not show any weaknesses, rather, they used whatever opportunity they had to further expose the tyranny and corruption of the Umayyad rule and as a result foiled Yazid’s plot.
The stirring speeches made by Lady Zainab (sa), Imam Sajjad (as), and the daughter of Imam Hussain (as) in Kufa and Damascus notwithstanding their tragic circumstances are everlasting examples of bravery, heroism, and steadfastness in the way of God.