Sukayna bt. al-Imam al-Husayn (a): Difference between revisions

==Birth and Lineage==

Sukayna bt. al-Husayn b. Ali b. Abi Talib (a) was the daughter of [[Imam al-Husayn]] (a) and [[Rabab bt. Imri' al-Qays]].<ref>Iṣfahānī, ‘’Maqātil al-ṭālibīyyīn’’, vol. 4, p. 192; Ibn Athīr, ‘’al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh’’, vol. 4, p. 94.</ref>

Although she was characterized younger than [[Fatima bt. al-Husayn|Fatima]], the other daughter of Imam al-Husayn (a).<ref>Ibn Athīr, ‘’al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh’’, vol. 4, p. 86; Ṭabarī, ‘’Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk’’, vol. 5, p. 464.</ref> in early historical sources; there is no report about her exact birthday. However, it can be concluded from the report, in which [[Imam al-Hasan b. 'Ali al-Mujtaba (a)|Hasan al-Muthanna]] asked Imam al-Husayn (a) to marry him one of his daughters and in response Imam let him choose Sukayna or Fatima, that she was an adult woman and in the right age for marriage when Imam al-Husayn (a) started his journey toward [[Karbala]].<ref>Abū l-Faraj al-Iṣfahānī, ‘’al-Aghānī’’, vol. 21, p. 79; Mufīd, ‘’al-Irshād’’, p. 366; Ibn Ṣabbāq, ‘’al-Fuṣūl al-muhimma’’, vol. 2, p. 751.</ref>

Her name is "Amina" ({{ia|آمنة}}) or according to some reports "Amina" ({{ia|اَمینة}}) or "Amima" ({{ia|اَمیمة}}). However, she is mostly known by her title Sukayna, which was given to her by her mother, as she was so calm, tranquil and in peace (Sukayna is a derivative of "Sukun" meaning "Peace.")<ref>Abū l-Faraj al-Iṣfahānī, ‘’al-Aghānī’’, vol. 21, p. 79; Ibn al-Jawzī, ‘’al-Muntaẓam’’, vol. 7, p. 175.</ref>

Some sources reported that she married her cousin (son of her father's brother) [['Abd Allah b. al-Hasan|Abd Allah (Abu Bakr) b. al-Hasan]].<ref>Balādhurī, ‘’Ansāb al-ashrāf’’, vol. 2, p. 195.</ref> Qadi Nu'man al-Maghribi said that she married Abd Allah b. al-Hasan, but before consummation, he was martyred in [[Karbala]].<ref>Maghribī, ‘’Sharḥ al-akhbār’’, vol. 3, p. 180-181.</ref> However, these reports contradicts with that of [[al-Shaykh al-Mufid]] and some other historians that Abd Allah b. al-Hasan had not reached puberty in Karbala.<ref>Mufīd, ‘’al-Irshād’’, p. 465.</ref>

"By your life! I do like a house, in which there are Sukayna and Rabab. I love them and give all my properties [for them] and no blamer has the right to blame me."

Historians and biographers mentioned her name in various occasions in [[Karbala]]. According to a report, on the [[day of 'Ashura']], when [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] came to women tents for bidding farewell, he said to women of [[Ahl al-Bayt]]: “Be patient and put on your long clothes ([[chadors]]). Get ready for affliction, and be reassured that [[Allah]] is your protector; he will guard you against the evil of the enemy, turn your mishap into good, chastise your enemy with all sorts of torment, and compensate you for this tragedy with a plethora of bounties and dignity. So do not complain, and do not utter that which may degrade your lofty prestige."

"O, my dear Sukayna! Know that after me your weeping is prolonged. [So my daughter] do not burn my heart by your sorrowful tears as long as I am alive. O, the best of women! Weeping is more suitable for you after my [[martyrdom]].”

In another report about Imam al-Husayn's last farewell, Imam (a) came to women tents and said calling the women of Ahl al-Bayt: "O [[Zaynab]], O [[Umm Kulthum]], O [[Fatima bt. al-Husayn|Fatima]] and O Sukayna! My salutation be upon you!"

After the [[event of Ashura']], Sukayna along with other members of [[Ahl al-Bayt]] were taken as captives. They were taken to [[Kufa]] and then to [[Damascus]]. Throughout this journey, she along with other captives informed people about the tyranny of [[Umayyad]] and the horrifying act they did to descants of [[the Prophet (s)]] in [[Karbala]].

It is reported that on the day after [['Ashura']] and when [[Ahl al-Bayt]] were biding farewell to pure bodies of [[martyrs of Karbala]], Sukayna hugged his father's headless body and mourned. She spoke with her father and wept until a group of soldiers from [[Umar b. Sa'd]]'s army took her away from her father by force and dragged her to other captives.<ref>Ibn Ṭāwūs, ‘’al-Luhūf’’, p. 134; Baḥrānī, ‘’al-ʿAwālim al-Imām al-Ḥusayn’’, p. 303.</ref>

Sukayna and other members of Ahl al-Bayt passed very hard and difficult times in captivity. However, the day that they entered [[Damascus]] was the hardest and most painful day. Describing the entrance of the caravan of Ahl al-Bayt to Damascus, [[Sahl b. Sa'd al-Sa'idi]], a companion of [[the Prophet (s)]], reported: “On the day that captives entered Damascus, I saw a man holding a spear with a head, whose face looked liked the Prophet (s), at its point. After the spearman there was a girl on a bareback camel. I hurried to her and said, “O, my daughter! Who are you?” she said, “Sukayna bt. al-Husayn.” I said, “Can I do you any favor? I am Sahl b. Sa'd, who has seen your great grandfather and heard his speech.” She responded, “O, Sahl! Could you tell them to move away these heads from us so by looking at these heads the people would not look at women of Ahl al-Bayt?” ”Sahl said that I went to the man who was carrying [[Imam al-Husayn]]'s pure head by a spear and told him, “Could you do me a favor? and in return I will give you forty dinars [or four hundred dinars].” He said, “What do you want?” I said, “Take this money and move forward and keep this head away from these women.” He accepted, took the money and moved the head away from the women.”<ref>Khwārizmī, ‘’Maqtal al-Ḥusayn’’, p. 60-61; Majlisī, ‘’Biḥār al-anwār’’, vol. 45, p. 127-128.</ref>

After captivity, Sukayna and other members of the caravan returned to [[Medina]]. There are not many authentic and reliable reports about her life in Medina until her demise. Her conversation with 'Uthman's daughter is perhaps one of the few reliable reports of this period.

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