Text:Sermon of Lady Zaynab (a) in Damascus

Sayyida Zaynab (a), the daughter of Imam Ali b. Abi Talib (a), arose and said:
In the Name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful	بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّ‌حْمَـٰنِ الرَّ‌حِيمِ
"All praise be to the Lord of the worlds! And blessings of Allah upon His Messenger and his entire progeny! How true has Allah, the Glorious, said: Then evil was the end of those who wrought evil, for they belied the Signs of Allah, and at them they used to mock..	الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعالَمِينَ وَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ وَ آلِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ صَدَقَ اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ كَذَلِكَ يَقُولُ: «ثُمَّ كانَ عاقِبَةَ الَّذِينَ أَساؤُا السُّواى‏ أَنْ كَذَّبُوا بِآياتِ اللَّهِ وَ كانُوا بِها يَسْتَهْزِؤُنَ»
O Yazid! Now when you have locked the paths of the earth and the horizon of the heavens upon us, and driven us similar to the captives, do you presume that we are degraded in the eyes of Allah while you are endeared?	أَظَنَنْتَ يَا يَزِيدُ حَيْثُ أَخَذْتَ عَلَيْنَا أَقْطَارَ الْأَرْضِ وَ آفَاقَ السَّمَاءِ فَأَصْبَحْنَا نُسَاقُ كَمَا تُسَاقُ الْأُسَرَاءُ أَنَّ بِنَا هَوَاناً عَلَيْهِ وَ بِكَ عَلَيْهِ كَرَامَةً
While you have acquired an eminent and lofty status near Allah due to this? So you look down upon us and become arrogant, elated, and you rejoice that the world has turned towards you? You assume that your task is organized, while your sovereignty and kingdom pleases you?	وَ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ‏ لِعِظَمِ خَطَرِكَ عِنْدَهُ فَشَمَخْتَ بِأَنْفِكَ وَ نَظَرْتَ فِي عِطْفِكَ جَذْلَانَ مَسْرُوراً حَيْثُ رَأَيْتَ الدُّنْيَا لَكَ مُسْتَوْثِقَةً وَ الْأُمُورَ مُتَّسِقَةً وَ حِينَ صَفَا لَكَ مُلْكُنَا وَ سُلْطَانُنَا فَمَهْلًا مَهْلًا
Gradually you seem to have forgotten the words of Allah, the Mighty, the Sublime, Let not those who disbelieve think that Our giving them respite is good for their selves; We only give respite to them that they may increase in sins, and for them is a disgraceful chastisement..	أَ نَسِيتَ قَوْلَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى «وَ لا يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنَّما نُمْلِي لَهُمْ خَيْرٌ لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ إِنَّما نُمْلِي لَهُمْ لِيَزْدادُوا إِثْماً وَ لَهُمْ عَذابٌ مُهِينٌ»
Is this the custom of justice that you sit your women-folk and maids behind the veils, while you captivate and parade the daughters of the Prophet of Allah (s)? You snatch the veils off them and leave them open, while their enemies parade them from one town to another, and the inhabitants of every stream and town have a glimpse of them?	أَمِنَ الْعَدْلِ يَا ابْنَ الطُّلَقَاءِ تَخْدِيرُكَ حَرَائِرَكَ وَ إِمَاءَكَ وَ سَوْقُكَ بَنَاتِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص سَبَايَا قَدْ هَتَكْتَ سُتُورَهُنَّ وَ أَبْدَيْتَ وُجُوهَهُنَّ تَحْدُو بِهِنَّ الْأَعْدَاءُ مِنْ بَلَدٍ إِلَى بَلَدٍ وَ يَسْتَشْرِفُهُنَّ أَهْلُ الْمَنَاهِلِ وَ الْمَنَاقِلِ
And all intimate and non-intimate look at them, as also the mean and noblemen, when they do not have along with them their men or support? What vigilance can one expect from them who have eaten the liver of the virtuous ones, and whose flesh has emerged (by consuming) from the blood of martyrs?	وَ يَتَصَفَّحُ وُجُوهَهُنَّ الْقَرِيبُ وَ الْبَعِيدُ وَ الدَّنِيُّ وَ الشَّرِيفُ لَيْسَ مَعَهُنَّ مِنْ رِجَالِهِنَّ وَلِيٌّ وَ لَا مِنْ حُمَاتِهِنَّ حَمِيٌّ وَ كَيْفَ يُرْتَجَى مُرَاقَبَةُ مَنْ لَفَظَ فُوهُ أَكْبَادَ الْأَزْكِيَاءِ وَ نَبَتَ لَحْمُهُ مِنْ‏ دِمَاءِ الشُّهَدَاءِ
How could he lessen his envy towards us, who looks at us, the Ahl al-Bayt (a), with the sight of arrogance, enmity and resent? And he boldly declares that 'they would have hailed me with cries and said: O Yazid may your hands never stupefy'!	وَ كَيْفَ يَسْتَبْطِئُ فِي بُغْضِنَا أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ مَنْ نَظَرَ إِلَيْنَا بِالشَّنَفِ وَ الشَّنَئَانِ وَ الْإِحَنِ وَ الْأَضْغَانِ ثُمَّ تَقُولُ غَيْرَ مُتَأَثِّمٍ وَ لَا مُسْتَعْظِمٍ «لَأَهَلُّوا وَ اسْتَهَلُّوا فَرَحاً/ ثُمَّ قَالُوا يَا يَزِيدُ لَا تُشَلَ‏»
Then you turn towards the teeth of Abu 'Abd Allah (a), the Master of the youth of Paradise, and strike it with the stick of your hand? Then why would you not say so? You have sent the wound to its bottom, and you have uprooted the origins by shedding the blood of the Progeny of Muhammad (s)	مُنْتَحِياً عَلَى ثَنَايَا أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ سَيِّدِ شَبَابِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ تَنْكُتُهَا بِمِخْصَرَتِكَ وَ كَيْفَ لَا تَقُولُ ذَلِكَ وَ قَدْ نَكَأْتَ الْقَرْحَةَ وَ اسْتَأْصَلْتَ الشَّافَةَ بِإِرَاقَتِكَ دِمَاءَ ذُرِّيَّةِ مُحَمَّدٍ (ص)
and the stars of earth from the descendants of 'Abd al-Muttalib. Then you call out to your forefathers and in your assumption you summon them? Very soon you too shall face their conclusion, and then you will desire you were paralyzed and were dumb so as not to have uttered these words, nor would you have possessed this character.	وَ نُجُومِ الْأَرْضِ مِنْ آلِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ وَ تَهْتِفُ بِأَشْيَاخِكَ زَعَمْتَ أَنَّكَ تُنَادِيهِمْ فَلَتَرِدَنَّ وَشِيكاً مَوْرِدَهُمْ وَ لَتَوَدَّنَّ أَنَّكَ شَلَلْتَ وَ بَكِمْتَ وَ لَمْ تَكُنْ قُلْتَ مَا قُلْتَ وَ فَعَلْتَ مَا فَعَلْتَ
O Lord! Take away our rights from them and seek revenge from our oppressors, and send forth Your wrath upon those who have shed our blood and killed our aides. By Allah! You have torn your own skin and have ripped your own flesh, and you shall go to His presence with the heavy burden of having shed the blood of the progeny of the Prophet (s) and violating the sanctity of his family and adherents,	اللَّهُمَّ خُذْ لَنَا بِحَقِّنَا وَ انْتَقِمْ مِنْ ظَالِمِنَا وَ أَحْلِلْ غَضَبَكَ بِمَنْ سَفَكَ دِمَاءَنَا وَ قَتَلَ حُمَاتَنَا فَوَ اللَّهِ مَا فَرَيْتَ إِلَّا جِلْدَكَ وَ لَا حَزَزْتَ إِلَّا لَحْمَكَ وَ لَتَرِدَنَّ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ (ص) بِمَا تَحَمَّلْتَ مِنْ سَفْكِ دِمَاءِ ذُرِّيَّتِهِ وَ انْتَهَكْتَ مِنْ حُرْمَتِهِ فِي عِتْرَتِهِ وَ لُحْمَتِهِ
at a place where Allah will have united their dispersed ones and increased the quantity of their scattered ones, and present to them their rights. And reckon not those who are slain in the way of Allah, to be dead! Alive they are with their Lord being sustained..	حَيْثُ يَجْمَعُ اللَّهُ شَمْلَهُمْ وَ يَلُمُّ شَعَثَهُمْ وَ يَأْخُذُ بِحَقِّهِمْ «وَ لا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْواتاً بَلْ أَحْياءٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ»
Allah is sufficient as a judge upon you and the Prophet will be your enemy supported by Jibra'eel. Very soon will your father, who set forth the kingdom for you and sat you upon the neck of the Muslims, realize what an evil place awaits the oppressors.	وَ حَسْبُكَ بِاللَّهِ حَاكِماً وَ بِمُحَمَّدٍ ص خَصِيماً وَ بِجَبْرَئِيلَ ظَهِيراً وَ سَيَعْلَمُ مَنْ سَوَّلَ لَكَ وَ مَكَّنَكَ مِنْ رِقَابِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ بِئْسَ لِلظَّالِمِينَ بَدَلًا
And what an evil place you have acquired and what a feeble army you possess. Nonetheless, the unpleasant circumstances have made me speak to you; while I consider your status to be quite low and your reproach to be large, as also I consider scoffing you abundantly.	وَ أَيُّكُمْ شَرٌّ مَكاناً وَ أَضْعَفُ جُنْداً وَ لَئِنْ جَرَّتْ عَلَيَّ الدَّوَاهِي مُخَاطَبَتَكَ إِنِّي لَأَسْتَصْغِرُ قَدْرَكَ وَ أَسْتَعْظِمُ تَقْرِيعَكَ وَ أَسْتَكْثِرُ تَوْبِيخَكَ
But the eyes are manifest and hearts volley. Beware! It is astonishing that the army of the noblemen of Allah be killed at the hands of the army of the freed-ones, the Satans. These are the very hands that have clenched our blood, and these are the very jaws that have devoured our flesh.	لَكِنَّ الْعُيُونَ عبْرَى وَ الصُّدُورَ حَرَّى أَلَا فَالْعَجَبُ كُلُّ الْعَجَبِ لِقَتْلِ حِزْبِ اللَّهِ النُّجَبَاءِ بِحِزْبِ الشَّيْطَانِ الطُّلَقَاءِ فَهَذِهِ الْأَيْدِي تَنْطِفُ مِنْ دِمَائِنَا وَ الْأَفْوَاهُ تَتَحَلَّبُ مِنْ لُحُومِنَا
While these are the chaste and radiant corpses who are guarded, time and again, by the wolves, and hyenas strew sand upon them. And now when you consider us to be booty, 'this is for what sent before your hands (what you did in your life),	وَ تِلْكَ الْجُثَثُ الطَّوَاهِرُ الزَّوَاكِي تَنْتَابُهَا الْعَوَاسِلُ وَ تُعَفِّرُهَا أُمَّهَاتُ الْفَرَاعِلِ وَ لَئِنِ اتَّخَذْتَنَا مَغْنَماً لَتَجِدَنَّا وَشِيكاً مَغْرَماً حِينَ لَا تَجِدُ إِلَّا مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاكَ
and that (verily) Allah is not unjust to his servants. I complain to Allah and rely on Him Alone.	وَ ما رَبُّكَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِلْعَبِيدِ فَإِلَى اللَّهِ الْمُشْتَكَى وَ عَلَيْهِ الْمُعَوَّلُ.
Then you may lay whatever traps you have, and take thou whatever steps you desire, and endeavor as much as you want. By Allah! You shall never be able to wipe out our remembrance nor oust our inspiration from the midst, nor will you be able to wipe off the disgrace of this episode.	فَكِدْ كَيْدَكَ وَ اسْعَ سَعْيَكَ وَ نَاصِبْ جُهْدَكَ فَوَ اللَّهِ لَا تَمْحُو ذِكْرَنَا وَ لَا تُمِيتُ وَحْيَنَا وَ لَا تُدْرِكُ أَمَدَنَا وَ لَا تَرْحَضُ عَنْكَ عَارَهَا
Your opinion is erroneous, and your days less, while your group is scattered on the day when the caller will announce: Beware! (Now) Verily the curse of Allah is on the unjust..	وَ هَلْ رَأْيُكَ إِلَّا فَنَدٌ وَ أَيَّامُكَ إِلَّا عَدَدٌ وَ جَمْعُكَ إِلَّا بَدَدٌ يَوْمَ يُنَادِي الْمُنَادِي أَلا لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الظَّالِمِينَ
Praise be to the Lord of the worlds, Who ended felicity upon our beginning with forgiveness, and Who destined martyrdom for our conclusion with blessings. I desire from Allah to complete His reward upon them, and increase it further, and to turn with fairness their succession upon us,	فَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعالَمِينَ الَّذِي خَتَمَ لِأَوَّلِنَا بِالسَّعَادَةِ وَ الْمَغْفِرَةِ وَ لِآخِرِنَا بِالشَّهَادَةِ وَ الرَّحْمَةِ وَ نَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يُكْمِلَ لَهُمُ الثَّوَابَ وَ يُوجِبَ لَهُمُ الْمَزِيدَ وَ يُحْسِنَ عَلَيْنَا الْخِلَافَةَ
for He is Merciful and a Friend. Allah is (quite) sufficient for us and the most Excellent Protector is (He)."	إِنَّهُ رَحِيمٌ وَدُودٌ «وَ حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَ نِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ ».

From the Shia sources, the books of al-Ihtijaj, al-Luhuf ala qatla l-tufuf, Muthir al-ahzan wa munir subul al-ashjan and from the Sunni sources, Balaghat al-nisa' have narrated this sermon.