The greatest sacrifice, Karbala in Muharram, can surely never be forgotten by any Muslim, be it Shia or Sunni. Such a monumental atrocity inflicted upon the helpless family of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) can never be justified nor can it be emotionally detached. Muharram and Karbala go hand in hand, just as Imam Hussain (A.S) and Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) did.
On the day of the 10th Muharram, when the last warrior of the tents of the Prophet (S.A.W)’s family, Hazrat Imam Hussain (A.S) went for battle, he fought tooth and nail but was outnumbered by the enemy in great proportions. Imam Hussain (A.S) lost his life in battle and his arrow-struck body was left lying on the ground.
Shimr, the general of Yazid’s army, cut off Imam Hussain (A.S)’s head and pierced it with a spear, taking it back with him. When Imam Hussain (A.S)’s horse came back to the tents, with blood on it, the women ran to the field looking for Imam Hussain (A.S)’s body, among them was his daughter, 4-year-old Bibi Sakina.
The inhumane treatment of the Holy Prophet (PBUH)’s family
The tyrannical forces of Yazid then entered the sacred tents of the Holy Prophet (PBUH)’s family, looting and plundering everything they saw, even snatching away the Hijabs of the park women. Shimr, the evilest form of human, entered the tents too, when he saw little Bibi Sakina crying, he slapped her and ripped her earrings off her ears, with blood pouring down.
Bibi Sakina ran away into the battlefield, while Yazid’s army started burning the tents. Bibi Zainab, Imam Hussain (A.S)’s sister, and Bibi Rubab, Imam Hussain (A.S)’s wife, went looking for little Bibi Sakina and found her at the body of her father. Crying and weeping with her head on his chest.
Bibi Zainab asked Sakina: “Oh, Sayeda Sakina! How did you recognize your father? A person can be recognized by their face or the clothes they wear. Your father is beheaded and his clothes are covered with red scars of blood.”
Sakina replied innocently: “I wanted to tell my father about what the people had done to me. I wanted to tell him how Shimr had robbed the earrings that my father had so lovingly given me. I wanted to tell him how he had ripped them from my ears leaving my earlobes torn and bleeding.
I wanted to tell him how the beast had mercilessly slapped me when I cried in pain. When I was running aimlessly in the desert I thought I heard my father’s voice telling me he was here, Ilaiya Ilaiya Sakina.
I followed the voice and I found him lying there. I told him everything and then I felt like sleeping on his chest the way I always did, for the last time. So I kept my head on his chest and slept till you came.”
