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

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In mentioning the names of the children of [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]], [[al-Shaykh al-Mufid]] only mentions that he (a) had two daughters by the names of [[Fatima bt. al-Husayn (a)|Fatima]] and [[Sukayna]] . However, Muhammad b. Talha al-Shafi'i mentions that Imam al-Husayn (a) had four daughters and that Zaynab, Sukayna and Fatima were the names of three of the daughters. He believed that this opinion was the generally accepted opinion and that the opinion of the two daughters was not the generally accepted opinion. As can be noticed, he did not bring a name for the fourth daughter, so it should be sought in other books.

 

Najm al-Din al-Tabasi, by comparing the report of Ibn Funduq with the one found in ''[[Matalib al-sa'ul]]'', comes to the conclusion that the name of Imam al-Husayn's (a) fourth daughter was Ruqayya and that her [[Kunya]] was Umm Kulthum.

 

::"It has come in ''al-Hawiya'' that the ladies from the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]], in the state of captivity, after all the men had been [[martyr]]ed in the [[Battle of Karbala]]; they hid the truth from their sons and daughters and every child was promised and told that your father had gone on a journey and will return. They were then taken to the palace of [[Yazid]]. A four year old daughter woke up from her sleep and said:'Where is my father Husayn? I saw him in my dream extremely worried!' The ladies and children started to cry and began to wail. Yazid was asleep. He awoke and started to investigate. He was brought news that such has happened. That accursed person said, 'Go! And take the head of her father and place it next to her.' The doomed guards took the head to her and placed it beside the four year old girl. She asked:'What is this?' the doomed guards replied: 'It is the head of your father.' That daughter began to tremble and let out a scream and became very ill; and in the following days passed away."

 

::"When she removed the cloth, she saw a head placed on that platter. She lifted it up and looked at it carefully. She recognized the head of her father. She let out a chilling scream, she rubbed her face upon his and kissed his lips and while in that state, she left this world. <ref>Mulla Husayn Wa'idh Kashifi Sabziwari, ''Rawdat al-shuhada''', p. 389</ref>

After Mulla Husayn Wa'idh Kashifi, [[Fakhr al-Din al-Turayhi]] (d. [[1058]]/1648) in his book ''[[al-Munthakhab]]'' describes this incident in a different manner. A part of the text found in ''al-Munthakhab'' is as follow:

::"It has been narrated that when the People of [[Allah]] and the [[household of the Prophet (s)]] entered upon [[Yazid]] in the city of [[Syria]], he provided for them a specific house and it was in this house that they [[mourning of Muharram|mourned]]. Our Master, Imam al-Husayn (a) had a three year old daughter... the head of Imam al-Husayn (a) was wrapped in a silk cloth. They brought the head and placed it in front of her and removed the cloth. The daughter of Imam al-Husayn (a) asked: 'Whose head is this?' They said: 'It is the head of your father!' She lifted it from the platter and hugged it and said: 'O my beloved father! After you, who can we give our love to? O my beloved father! Who will look after the orphans until they grow up? O my beloved father! Who will be the guardian of the weak ladies? O my beloved father! Who will be the guardian of the imprisoned widows? O my beloved father! Who will wipe our tears away? O my beloved father! Who will be the refuge for all the lost strangers? O my beloved father! Who will reassure those who are worried? O my beloved father! Who will fill the void for us left by you? O my beloved father! Who is there for us in our loneliness after you? O my beloved father! If only I could be sacrificed for you! O my beloved father! If only I was blind before this. O my beloved father! If only I had died before, I would not have seen your face covered in sand.' She then kissed the lips of her father and began to cry intensely until she fell unconscious. When they tried to wake her up, they realized that her soul had left this world." <ref>Fakhr al-Din al-Turayhi, ''al-Muntakhab fi jam' al-marathi wa l-Khutab'', P. 136</ref>

::"The family of the [[Holy Prophet (s)]] during those nights had no candle, no lamp, no water, no food, no carpet and no extra clothing; they just sat in sadness and kept themselves busy by grieving over the [[martyrs of Karbala]]. Until Lady Zubayda, the three year old daughter of Imam al-Husayn (a), one night cried intensely over her separation from her father...<ref>Muhammad Husayn Aarjastani, ''Anwar al-majalis'', p. 161</ref>

::"I remember the loneliness in the Ruins of Syria. Were the family of the [[Holy Prophet (s)]] not alone in the Ruins of Syria? Were not [[Sukayna]] and Ruqayya the children of Husayn (a)? Why after all the troubles they had been through; from losing their father and brothers, did no one, out of sympathy, come to their assistance?"<ref>Muhammad Husayn Aarjastani, ''Anwar al-majalis'', p. 160</ref>

At the beginning of the 14th/20th century, [[Shaykh Muhammad Jawad Yazdi]] wrote in his book ''Sha'sha'at al-Husayni'' the following:

::"It has been narrated that a child of Imam al-Husayn (a) passed away in the prison of Syria after seeing the head of her father. However, there is a difference of opinion concerning her name i.e. was it Ruqayya, Zubaydah, Zaynab or Sukayna?<ref>Shaykh Muhammad Jawad Yazdi, ''Sha'sha'at al-Husayni'', vol. 2, p. 171</ref>

::"Husayn (a) had a little daughter who he loved very much and she also loved the Imam (a) very much. It is said that her name was Ruqayya. She was three years old and was amongst the captives in Syria.<ref>Sayyid Muhammad Ali Shah 'Abd al-Azimi, ''al-Iqad'', p. 179</ref>

::"Some of the people of Syria told me that there exist in Damascus, Syria, a mausoleum for Lady Ruqayya, the daughter of [[Imam 'Ali]] (may Allah illuminate his face), whose walls at that time had been damaged. The people of Syria wanted to remove the corpse from its grave so that they could rebuild and repair the mausoleum. However, no one, because of the admiration and respect they had for her, had the courage to enter the grave until a person from the family of the Holy Prophet (s) by the name of Sayyid the son of Murtada entered the grave. He threw a piece of cloth over the grave and wrapped the body with the cloth and brought it out; everybody saw that it was a child who had not reached the age of maturity. I told this story to one of the great teachers; he also narrated the same story from a few of his teachers."<ref>Shiblanji, ''Nur al-absar'', p. 195</ref>

During the first part of the 14th/20th century, [[Shaykh Muhammad Hashim Khurasani]] (d. [[1352]]/1933), in his book- written in Farsi -''[[Muntakhab al-tawarikh]]'' in addition to attributing the grave to Ruqayya bt. Husayn (a), he goes into detail describing the damage done to the grave. <ref>Shaykh Muhammad Hashim Khurasani, ''Muntakhab al-tawarikh'', p. 388</ref>

Even though many historical differences still exist concerning her, amongst the people and during the [[mourning]] gatherings held in [[Muharram]], Lady Ruqayya has a very elevated position. The third night of [[Muharram]] is dedicated specifically for her remembrance. Many groups ([[Hay'a]]) of mourners are named after her. A large amount of eulogies and poetry have been composed and recited in her honor. In some of the eulogies, those people who have denied her existence have been sarcastically and slyly reprimanded.

{{references}} | ʾ | ʿ | Ḥ , ḥ |Ṣ , ṣ |Ḍ , ḍ |Ṭ , ṭ |Ā , ā | ū |Ī , ī |

* Arjistānī, Muḥammad Ḥusayn. ''Anwār al-majālis''. [n.p]. [n.d].

* Shaʿrānī, Abu l-Ḥasan. ''Damʿ al-sujūm, tarjuma-yi kitāb-i Nafas al-mahmūm''. Qom: Muʾassisat Intishārāt-i Hijrat, 1383 Sh.

* Ṭabarī, ʿImād al-Dīn Ḥasan b. ʿAlī. ''Kāmil Bahāʾīe''. Tehran: Murtaḍawī, 1383 Sh.

* Ṭurayḥī, Fakhr al-Dīn. ''Al-Muntakhab fī jamʿ al-marāthī wa al-khuṭab''. Edited by Naḍḍāl ʿAlī. 1st edition. Beirut: Muʾassisat al-Aʿlamī, 1424 AH.

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