Were it not for the unique role of Lady Zainab (as), the Umayyad would have labeled the incident of Karbala as a political rebellion which had to be suppressed to ensure calm of the society and today there would have been no trace of Imam Hussain (as) and his great sacrifice nor that of the religion of Islam.
Hazrat Zainab (as) was only a little girl when her mother, Lady Zahra (as), died at the young age of 18. About thirty years later, in the holy month of Ramadan of the year 40 AH, she saw her father’s face covered in blood due to a sword stroke to his head while he was offering the morning prayer in the mosque. Though the blow was fatal itself, Ibn Muljim (may God distance him further from His mercy) who hit the Imam with the sword, had previously poisoned the sword to make sure the Imam (as) would never survive. As a result of the blow, the Imam (as) departed this world two days later. Ten years after the martyrdom of her father, she had to witness her brother, Imam Hassan al-Mujtaba (as) vomiting blood because of the poison administered to him by his wife on the order of Muawiyah.
After the martyrdom of her mother, father, and brother Imam Hassan (as) Lady Zainab sought solace in her other brother and the last remnant of the People of the Cloak, Imam Hussain (as). Lady Zainab (as) was destined to be put to test even further. A test that despite being utterly bitter, proved her unique virtues. In the year 61 AH her beloved brother Imam Hussain (as) along with many other of her close relatives, including her own two sons, were tragically murdered in Karbala.
After the tragedy of Karbala, it was Lady Zainab (as) who was in charge of the women and children in her brother’s caravan. In the evening of Ashura, she had to condole and gather in one place the women and children since they had fled when the enemy set fire on the tents in their camp and started beating, plundering, and robbing women and children of their jewelry. She also had to tend to her nephew, Imam Sajjad (as), who was extremely ill at the time. Despite all the unbearable difficulties she had gone through, she did not miss her midnight prayer, which is recommended not obligatory, but on account of all the running and efforts she had made to protect other women and children, she could not offer her prayer in standing position, therefore offered it while sitting.
During their captivity, whenever women and children needed help they sought refuge in Lady Zainab (as). At one point, when Imam Sajjad (as) was on the brink of dying of grief when he saw the beheaded, mutilated, and trampled bodies of his father, brothers, uncles, cousins and the other martyrs who were left unburied on the ground, it was Lady Zainab who condoled the Imam (as) and told him that the place was going to become a center of pilgrimage. (Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 45, p. 179)
Despite calling himself the caliph of the Muslims, Yazid was a drunkard who paid no respect to Islamic rulings and openly rejected revelation to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Were it not for the unique role of Lady Zainab (as), the Umayyad would have labeled the incident of Karbala as a political rebellion which had to be suppressed to ensure calm of the society and today there would have been no trace of Imam Hussain (as) and his great sacrifice nor that of the religion of Islam.
May God elevate further the high positon of Lady Zainab, peace and blessings of God be upon her.