Editor’s Note: This piece was submitted to us anonymously by a Lebanese academic for the occasion of the holy month of Muharram.
The beloved daughter, Amna bint Al-Hussain ibn Ali (peace be upon them), nicknamed Sakina (inaccurately pronounced as Sokaina), has grew up in the purest family of those whom Allah Almighty has singled out, saying: {Allah only desires to remove impurity from you, O Ahlul Bayt, and to purify you with a thorough purification}.
Sakina (Arabic: سَكينة) is derived from sukun (Arabic: سـكـن, meaning: repose or, alternatively, tranquillity). It appears in different Qur’anic verses, most notably in Surah Ar-Rum, 21: “And among Allah’s mercies that He has created wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has established between you affection and mercy.” Hence, “repose” is one of the most prominent qualities of a virtuous woman.
Sayyeda Sakina’s exact date of birth is not known, but most historians believe that – during Karbala – she was fourteen years old. Her cousin, Abdullah ibn Imam Hassan (peace be upon them), who was martyred in Karbala, was her husband according to many credible narrations.
Historians have disagreed over the date and place of her death; some claims in Mecca, others say in Damascus, while others in Egypt. This disagreement is due to the systematic media blackout practiced by the Umayyads and Abbasids, who relentlessly besieged the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) to hide her noticeable and important role, especially since it was threatening to their malicious policies.
Sayyeda Sakina (peace be upon her) was dear to her father, Imam Hussain (peace be upon them). He treated her kindly just as her grandfather, Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon them), who strove hard – during his short-term caliphate – to consecrate women’s rights after the illegitimate caliphates had marginalised women in the aftermath of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)’s martyrdom.
Then, women’s rules were returned to the early pre-Islamic era, starting with the usurpation of the rights of Sayyeda Fatima al-Zahra (peace be upon her), who the Prophet said about: “Fatima is a part of me; whoever angers her angers me.” Nevertheless, the anti-Islam rulers usurped her legitimate rights and severely abused her (by attacking her sacred body causing the miscarriage of her fetus, Al-Mohsen).
Sayyeda Sakina (peace be upon her) was brought up and nurtured in this house, which had an extreme sense of gheira (a type of jealous honor) not only towards their own women but also towards the entire Muslims’ women, to the point that historians mention that, during the Karbala Battle – while he was heavily wounded – Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) yelled addressing the enemies: “If you are irreligious, and if you do not fear the Day of Resurrection, then just have a free [conscience] in this [temporary] world by adhering to the values of your ancestors, if you are Arabs as you claim […] The battle is between you and me; as for women, it is not their fault, so prevent your brutal, tyrant, and ignorant [soldiers] from attacking my women as long as I am alive.”
Although Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) had doubted the humanity of these people, he wanted to show them that the authentic Muhammadan Islam detests women’s exposure to men in war or otherwise, so when he saw his daughter, Sayyeda Sakina (peace be upon her), crying, he hugged her & recited these poetic verses: “You will cry for a long time after my martyrdom, O Sakina, so do not burn my heart with your tears as long as I am live. If I get martyred, a great the responsibility is placed on your shoulders, O best of women.”
When Sayyeda Zainab (peace be upon her) went out to the battlefield after the martyrdom of Ali al-Akbar, Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) returned her back to the tent. This is the case with the most of the women when they wanted to support him. Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) returned them to the tent to protect their honor and sanctuary, stressing: “Women do not have to practice [military] jihad.”
Meanwhile, the gheira of our Mujahideen – in the fields of resistance – is nothing but an extension of this Hussaini gheira. So that they would not be – God forbid – among those whom Imam Ali (peace be upon him) blamed by saying: “… I have heard that some men used to break into the homes of Muslim and non-Muslim women, and snatched their jewellery. If they resisted, they would return some of them. They resisted alone without any men scolding or fighting them. If a Muslim died after this out of grief/regret [that women are dishonored], he would not be to blame, rather he would be worthy of it in my eyes.”
I wonder; what would happen to Imam Ali (peace be upon him) if he heard about what was happening against the women of Gaza by the Zionists supported by the murderous, hypocritical West, while the Muslim rulers remained shamefully silent without doing anything to preserve the dignity, and sanctity of these honorable, chaste, and oppressed women who have given birth to Palestine’s brave, resistant heroes?
Those who have given birth to Palestine’s brave, resistant heroes. In fact, there are two types of men: heroic men who defend until they achieve martyrdom, and artificial men who have nothing to do but to disgracefully dance at promiscuous parties in Riyadh without respecting the sanctity of this region in which the Prophet has born, where Islam has emerged, and where the Holy Qur’an been revealed.
Sayyeda Sakina (peace be upon her) was the most chaste of women. Despite the virtue, honor, and chastity that she and her family enjoy, as the Almighty’s says in Surah al-Ahzab, 32 : “The Prophet’s women are not like any other of the women” and in Surah ale-‘Imran, 34 “They [the Ahlul Bayt]’s descendants are alike,” unfortunately Sayyeda Sakina (peace be upon her) was exposed – during and the aftermath of Ashura – not only for physical violence, such as thirst, orphanhood, but also for unethical fabricated lies, as the Umayyads’ interests required that the Muslims be ignorant of the facts of Karbala and its grounds.
They audaciously slandered Sayyeda Sakina (peace be upon her) by that – God forbid her – she used to mingle with poets and singers, and other shameful lies out of prejudice against her in a bid that the Muslims deviate from the values of Ashura – the most prominent of which are chastity and modesty – in a way that suits their hegemonic interests because Sayyeda Sakina (peace be upon her) has played an influential role in immortalising the philosophy of Karbala just like the role played by her aunt, Sayyeda Zainab (peace be upon them).
The companion Sahl bin Saad narrates an incident about his meeting with Karbala’s captives as he says: “I approached one of them [i.e. Sayyeda Sakina], and said to her: O slave, who are you? She replied: I am Sakina bint al-Hussain. Then, I asked her: Do you need any help?; I am Sahl bin Saad, one of those who met your grandfather and heard his speech. She replied: O Sahl, ask the holder of that head [the severed head of Imam Hussain raised on spears] to proceed us so that the people [of Damascus] will be busy gazing at it instead of gazing at the honored women of the Ahlul Bayt.”
Besides, Sayyeda Sakina (peace be upon her) narrates: “I was sitting on a moonlit night in the middle of the tent. Suddenly, I heard someone crying and wailing behind the tent. I was afraid that the other women follow me, so I went out tripping over the hem of my dress […].” By saying “I went out tripping over the hem of my dress,” Sayyeda Sakina shows women who grieve over her affliction the importance of fully covering and wearing a loose hijab, even in the darkest circumstances. This is what we are witnessing in Gaza, where women sleep in their prayer costume for fear of being bombed and their bodies exposed to non-mahrams.
Sayyeda Sakina (peace be upon her) was patient with the calamities she faced with unprecedented faith and forbearance. It was in confirmation of the Almighty’s promise in Surah al-Baqarah, 94: “Say, ‘If the abode of the Hereafter is yours with Allah, purely to the exclusion of all other people, then wish for death if you are truthful.’”
In the aforementioned poetic verses, we notice that Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) already informed Sayyeda Sakina that she should survive long after his martyrdom, as she has most likely lived for fifty-six years.
Apparently, the Imam (peace be upon him) was preparing Sayyeda Sakina for that hardship similarly to what Allah has elected Al-Khidr (described in.the Qur’an as the Servant of Allah with Knowledge) as he addresses Prophet Moses (peace be upon them) as highlighted in Surah Al-Kahf 67 & 68: “He [Khidr] said: Verily! You will not be able to have patience with me; How can you be patient with what is beyond your realm of knowledge?”
Indeed, Sayyeda Sakina (peace be upon her) was patient, and enjoyed the utmost level of basira (deep insight) and perseverance. A’alama al-Majlisi narrates that Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) says: “When the [captured progeny] of [Imam] al-Hussain (peace be upon him) were brought to Yazid, he took them in [his infamous court] during the day, their faces were revealed [to everyone as their Niqab were forcibly removed]. One of his bold ministers said: We have never seen captives more beautiful than these. [Other one asked them:] Who are you? [Sayyeda Sakina] replied [proudly]: We are captives of Ahlul Bayt.”
Iman Hussain (peace be upon him) has called her “the best of women” because – at the time of Karbala Battle – she had already been a mature women, in both age and prudence. As we have mentioned earlier – roughly at the age of fourteen, in addition to her firm faith; Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) said about her: “As for Sakina, she was often busy in worshipping the Almighty.” It has also narrated in Bihar Al-Anwar that Sayyeda Sakina used to distribute her money to the poor and needy, which indicates that – undeniably – she was not at all preoccupied with her worldly pleasures as the Umayyads has blatantly accused her.
Among her virtues too is her clear mind in exposing the vicious conspiracies of the Umayyads, as Sayyeda Sakina (peace be upon her) has exposed their barbarism by narrating the tragic events of Karbala to the people in a way that stirred their hearts and revived the consciences. This is the jihad of clarification, Jihadul Tabyeen, frequently recommended by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Sayyed Ali Khamenei.
Accordingly, Sayyeda Sakina (peace be upon her) is the best role model for all women, particularly at this critical time of history, in terms of her commitment to worship, contemplating the Qur’an, maintaining a loose hijab, displaying modesty, as well as performing the obligation of defying the misconceptions, i.e. Jihadul Tabyeen, because engaging in men’s fronts is reprehensible according to the principles Sayyeda Fatima al-Zahra has taught us, in particular stressing that seclusion is for the good of the women.
Sayyeda Sakina (peace be upon her) has practised a jihad that is compatible with women’s physical, mental, and psychological capabilities. “Jihad of clarification” can be performed in the most cruel circumstances by women in a bid to expose the hypocrisy and misguidance of our immoral enemies, and to awaken the consciences of people who are immersed in deviations, suspicions and the trappings of this material world.
The venerable Sayyeda Sakina was our heroine in this episode in terms of her closeness to the Almighty, and her patience in the face of afflictions and calamities. She is the best example for every resistance girl who supports the mujahideen by sincerely praying for their victory, as well as by preserving her chastity and by committing to her religious Takleef (duty) to be a pioneer fighter in the Soft War against the Satanic US regime and its colonial functional entity of “Israel” that spare no efforts but to spread corrupt feminist values, as according to what the AnsarAllah’s leader, Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, “They want societies to turn into rude, decadent and vile; societies that do not carry a sense of dignity, modesty, or chastity, societies that they can overcome, control, and humiliate. A person who loses his sense of chastity, dignity, purity, and all these lofty traits becomes an enslaved, humiliated, oppressed, and degraded person.”
