As Zainab (PBUH) grew up, many of the\nnoblemen and great men of Arabia asked for her hand in marriage. They thought\nthat due to their wealth and high social position they would be successful in\nmarrying Zainab (PBUH).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, Ash\u2019ath Ibn-Qeis, who was\none of the wealthiest men and a close relative to the first caliph, was very\ndignified, and thought his closeness to the first caliph would made it possible\nfor him to become the son-in-law of Amir Al-Mu\u2019minin (PBUH).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is said that one day he was in Imam\nAli\u2019s (PBUH) house while he saw Zainab (PBUH) passing by from a distance. Then\nhe asked her father if he could marry her, but Amir Al-Mu\u2019minin (PBUH) refused\nand reproached him for his arrogance. (1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among the men who were eager to marry\nZainab (PBUH) was Abdullah Ibn-Jaffar. He was a close companion to the Prophet\nand Amir Al-Mu\u2019minin (PBUT).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Abullah Ibn-Jaffar was the son of\nJaffar Tayyar, the martyr whom the Prophet had mentioned that he flies in the\nheavens with his two wings. Jaffar Tayyar was the brother of Amir Al-Mu\u2019minin\n(PBUH) and was a forerunner in Islam and Jihad. His munificence and generosity\nhad made him very famous among the Arabs so much so that they called him\n“the father of the poor.” His son Abdullah had inherited this\nattitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All the historians refer to Abdullah\nas a very gracious person. They have especially written about his generosity\nand benevolence. According to the historians, he was the foremost generous\npeople of his time,(2) to the extent that some have called him “the master\nof generosity.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Abullah Ibn-Jaffar was a person whom\nImam Ali (PBUH) had trust in. Later he took a great part in the Jihads along\nwith Imam Ali (PBUH). In the battle of Seffin he was one of the commanders of\nthe Imam\u2019s army.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like other suitors, Abdullah was\ninterested in marrying Zainab (PBUH), but felt embarrassed to state his request\ndirectly. He sent a courier to Imam Ali (PBUH) and offered the proposal. Imam\nAli (PBUH), who saw him the best, accepted his request. But how much was the\nmarriage-portion? Imam Ali (PBUH) put Zainab’s (PBUH) dowry equal to her\nmother\u2019s. (3) However, this auspicious wedding had one condition. Zainab (PBUH)\nshould be allowed to travel along with her brother Hussain (PBUH). She should\nbe allowed to visit her brother too. In fact, it rarely happened that they\ndidn\u2019t meet everyday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, this wedding took place, and\nZainab (PBUH) went to her husband\u2019s house. Of course, the house of Abullah\nIbn-Jaffar, who was a very wealthy man, was a big house with lots of servants,\nbut history witnesses that Zainab (PBUH) never got attached to worldly life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She was a pious woman in the perfect\nsense. Piety (Zuhd) in her vocabulary was exactly what her father depicted,\n\u201cZuhd is that one owns the world, not that the world and its charms become the\nowner of the person.\u201d (4)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The best evidence of Zainab\u2019s (PBUH)\npiety was that she left her comfortable and prosperous life with servants and\nwealth for a divine and holy goal. Just like a person who is aware of the\nfuture and its happenings, she put her condition for marriage that she should\nbe allowed to travel with Imam Hussain (PBUH) to fulfill that goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like other women, she was very\naffectionate. However, whenever necessary, she was strong like a mountain in\nthe path of Islam. Like other mothers, she was a kind and loving mother, but\nwhen it came to defending Islam and the Holy Quran and her religious duty, she\nwould sacrifice her children as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who is like Zainab (PBUH) in having\nall that wealth and not being attached to it? Who is like her, having a warm\nhouse, nice husband and children, and bear hunger and homelessness in order to\nfulfilling her holy goals? Is this anything except Islamic piety?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Taken from the\nbook, “Life of Lady Zainab (PBUH), Mission of Blood and Message” by\nDr. Ali Qa\u2019emi)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Congratulations on the 5th of Jamadi\nal-Awwal, the birthday anniversary of the symbol of piety and complete\ncertainty, Lady Zainab (PBUH).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Footnotes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Iqd al-Farid,\nvol.3, p. 301<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Al-Isti\u2019ab by\nIbn Abd al-Birr<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. 480 or 500\nDirham, each Dirham is equal to a religious Methqal of Silver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Nahj\nal-Balaghah<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As Zainab (PBUH) grew up, many of the noblemen and great men of Arabia asked for her hand in marriage. They thought that due to their wealth and high social position they would be successful in marrying Zainab (PBUH). For example, Ash\u2019ath Ibn-Qeis, who was one of the wealthiest men and a close relative to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28423,28248],"tags":[24244,24245,18658,18478,24231,18126,18418,18522,18003,24246,24243],"class_list":["post-4784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lady-zainab-pbuh","category-occasional-letters","tag-2007-05-22","tag-arabia","tag-great","tag-house","tag-lady-zainab","tag-law","tag-occasion-letters","tag-social","tag-son","tag-successful","tag-unique-in-piety"],"yoast_head":"\n