After the tragedy of Karbala, Lady Zainab (PBUH) 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 honored Lady, and decided to express his joy of victory in front of the honorable daughter of Imam Ali (PBUH). 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 (SWT). In spite of that, Lady Zainab (PBUH) immediately frustrated his conspiracy by replying: “Praise be to Allah who has honored 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 (PBUH), with a tone full of pride and power, indicating her faith and submission towards Allah (SWT), answered: “I saw nothing but beauty. …They rushed towards their graves (with honor). 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 (PBUH). 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.
(Selection taken from “The Life of Lady Zahra and Lady Zainab (PBUT)”, by Sayyid Hashim Rasouli Mahallati)