Mouood Mouood English Edition
Imam Hussain then said to her, “May Allah bless you with His best rewards, return towards the women and remain with them, may Allah bless you, women aren’t supposed to fight in the war.” She returned to the tents. With his wife’s moral support, Abdullah was able to protect the Imam and became the second martyr of Karbala on the day of Ashura. When he died, Umme Wahab went to her husband’s body on the battlefield, and wiping the dirt from his cheeks she said, “May paradise of Allah be pleasant for you! I ask Allah, who bestowed upon you Paradise, to make me your companion over there.” Just then, Shimr commanded his slave to hit Umme Wahab with a stick. The blow killed her, and she died at her husband’s side.
Another family that had come to Karbala with the Imam’s caravan was that of Janada, son of Ka’b, who had come with his wife Lady Bahria and son Amr. When Janada died, Bahria sent Amr to help the Imam. Imam Hussain was hesitant to give the son permission to fight since his father had just been killed, and he thought that it would be too much of a trial for Bahria to lose her son too. The son told the Imam that it was Bahria herself who had dressed him for battle and sent him. So great was the strength of Bahria that she remained focused on the protection of the Imam when her husband had just been killed.
She had grief, yes, but she managed it for a higher purpose, which would not be an easy task for anyone in such circumstances, man or woman.
From her tent Bahria watched her son wage battle, and after Amr was martyred, Bahria herself went towards the enemy with an iron club. Such was her loyalty towards the Imam, she wanted to fight herself. In this instance also, Imam Hussain told her to go back, and she obeyed him and returned to the tents.
It must have been tempting for the women to fight when they saw their imam was in danger, but despite their feelings, they had enough strength inside to obey their Imam’s command. They submitted to Imam Hussain’s authority just as the men had submitted, because they knew he was the true leader, that he cared for them, and had a higher purpose in mind. That purpose would only become clear after the battle, when they would remain behind to continue the Imam’s mission.
Not all the women had relatives who were Imam Hussain’s companions from the start of the journey to Karbala. Some of the men switched to the Imam’s side during the journey, often due to the influence of their wives.
Most famous among these ladies is Lady Dulham. She was married to Zuhayr son of Qayn, who was on the enemy’s side during the journey to Karbala. At one of the stops, Imam Hussain sent a request for a meeting with Zuhayr, which surprised Zuhayr very much. That was when Dulham said, “Glory to Allah! The Holy Prophet’s on has called you, has sent someone to see you, and how would you refuse to see him? Why don’t you visit him and hear his words?!”
Respecting her advice, her husband went, came back elated, and declared that he was going to remain in the Imam’s company and sacrifice his life upon him. When she bid her husband farewell, weeping, Dulham said, “May Allah be your helper and protector, bestow upon you good in this journey, and don’t forget to mention about this, my self-sacrifice, to Imam’s Grandfather [the Prophet] on the Day of Judgment.” Her weeping as her husband left was not an impediment to her sacrifice – it was a part of it.
The women of Karbala contributed to the sacrifices for Islam in their own way at Karbala. These brave, pious, and modestly-attired women did not stand aside indifferently when they saw oppression taking place upon the household of the Prophet. If their male relatives were not on the side of the Imam, the women did not just keep quiet and do nothing. They used their influence in their families to encourage their husbands, sons, and brothers to support Imam Hussain, even if they would possibly have to mourn their own men. They wanted to save the Imam. Mourning the grandson of the Prophet would be worse. When the time was right, the women would speak out in their families and take a stand on the issue.
The women who were at Karbala are a supreme example of how ordinary people can become extraordinary beings who serve the Imam of their time in their own ways. By spreading the news of the events at Karbala, these women ensured that Imam Hussain’s message of truth would continue to live on.
These were not the first women to play crucial roles in the history of Islam, nor were they the last. From the Prophet’s first wife Lady Khadija, a prominent businesswoman who dedicated her wealth to the cause of Islam, to their daughter Lady Fatima, God’s example for all women, to Lady Masooma, the sister of the eighth Imam, to Lady Hakima, the great-aunt of the Twelfth Imam (may Allah hasten his reappearance), to the same Imam’s mother Lady Nargis, women have always played an important role in serving Islam. And while these abovementioned women are very special in their own right, most of all Lady Fatima, all women today have these examples to inspire them. Finding her own way to serve the Twelfth Imam even while he is in occultation is what each and every believing woman needs to do today.
