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Ibn Ziyad - Islam Guidance

  • An Eloquent Lady

    After the tragedy of Karbala, Lady Zainab (S.A) and the other captives were brought to the palace of Ibn Ziyad. There, Lady Zainab disguised herself among the other women. Once Ibn Ziyad noticed her, he asked:
    “Who is that disguised woman?”
    No one answered him; so he repeated his question. Then, one of his servants replied:
    “She is Zainab, the daughter of Fatimah, daughter of the Messenger of Allah”.
    Ibn Ziyad recognized this honoured Lady, and decided to express his joy of victory in front of the honourable daughter of Imam Ali (A.S). Through addressing Lady Zainab he planned to take advantage of the opportunity and advertise the cruel and disgraced tyranny of Yazid. He however, failed to realize that the Lady he was addressing happened to be the heroine who would disgrace Yazid and all other oppressors through her firm logic.  Ibn Ziyad rudely said:
    “Praise be to Allah who disgraced you, and revealed your sayings as false.”
    Perhaps Ibn Ziyad thought that one who is martyred in the way of fighting falsity is in fact disgraced, and his or her sayings are proven as false.  Or maybe he knew the truth, but spoke as such in order to deviate the mind of people and invert the realities, knowing that he attributed his sayings to Allah (S.W.T). In spite of that, Lady Zainab (S.A) immediately frustrated his conspiracy by replying:
    “Praise be to Allah who has honoured us with His Messenger, and purified us from impurity. The one who is disgraced is certainly the libertine, and the one who lies is the lewd; and we are not such people. Praise be to Allah.”
    Ibn Zyad, who never expected to be talking to such a knowledgeable and courageous woman, changed the subject and said:
    “How did you find the way Allah treated your brother and your family?”
    Lady Zainab (S.A), with a tone full of pride and power, indicating her faith and submission towards Allah (S.W.T), answered:
    I saw nothing but beauty. …They rushed towards their graves (with honour). But know that Allah will judge between you and them, and He will call you to account; so be worried about the winner at that day (either it will be you or them). O son of Marjanah! May your mother be mournful for you.”
    These few statements were so powerful that as the historians mention, they made Ibn Ziyad so angry that he decided to kill Lady Zainab (S.A). He however ceased to do such as one of his army generals, who was present there, calmed him down and prevented him from doing so.

    Roshd Islamic Shia website

  • Who was Yazid?

    In order to learn more clearly as to how far the views expressed by Imam Hussain (A.S) about Yazid are indisputable according to the history of Islam, one should refer to the following remarks of Mas'udi in respect of Yazid.
    "Yazid was a pleasure-seeking person. He was a man, who kept beasts of prey. He had dogs, monkeys and panthers. He always arranged wine-drinking parties. One day after the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (A.S) while he was sitting in such a party, Ibn Ziyad was seated on his right side; Yazid turned to the cupbearer and recited two couplets which are translated below:
    "Give me a cup of wine which should satiate my bones. Then give another such cup to Ibn Ziyad, the man who is my confidant and who has strengthened my position and the foundation of my caliphate".
    Yazid meant to say that Ibn Ziyad by killing Imam Hussain (A.S) had strengthened the foundation of his caliphate.
    Thereafter Mas'udi writes about the injustice and oppressions committed by Yazid and then say: "In the Muslim community Yazid was like Pharaoh amongst his subjects" and then writes: "It is not so, because Pharaoh was more just to his subjects".
    He adds: "The injustice, intrepidity and impiety of Yazid also penetrated into the Muslim community". The sins committed by Yazid were also committed by his favorites and they adopted his ways and manners.
    During the period of his caliphate music became current in Makkah and Medina, and all sorts of amusements and funs began to be used. The people began to drink wine openly. It is also the more surprising that the man, who claimed to be the successor to the Holy Prophet and occupied the seat of the caliphate, had a pet monkey, which was named Abu Qays. Yazid used to bring it in his drinking parties and he spread a mattress for it. He also mounted it on the back of a horse, and made it participate in the horse-race. One day Abu Qays won the race. The monkey was then dressed in red and yellow silken clothes and cloak, and an embroidered cap was placed on its head".
    This was the import of the sentence that Imam Hussain (A.S) wrote to Muawiyah about Yazid.
    However, this person attained to the Islamic Caliphate and pressed Imam Hussain (A.S) to take the oath of allegiance i.e. to acknowledge him to be the lawful successor of his (i.e. Imam Hussain’s (A.S)) grandfather, the Prophet of Allah.

    Taken from: A Probe into the History of Ashura
    By: Dr. Ibrahim Ayati

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