Jumadi al-Awwal 5th Marks Joyous Birth Anniversary of Sayyida Zainab, Great Sister of Imam al-Hussein (peace be upon them both)

Jumadi al-Awwal 5th Marks Joyous Birth Anniversary of Sayyida Zainab, Great Sister of Imam al-Hussein (peace be upon them both)
——————————————
Sayyida Zaynab bint Ali (peace be upon them both) was born on 5th of Jumada al-Awwal, and was the granddaughter of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) and daughter of Imam Ali and Lady Fatima (peace be upon them both). She is revered as the Sayyida (lady) of the family and “heroine of Karbala.”

Shia tradition ascribes many honorifics to her – for example Zaynab al-Kubrā (“elder Zaynab”), ʿAqīlatu Banī Hāshim (“sage of Banu Hashim”) and Umm al-Yatāmā (“mother of orphans”). Devotional sources call her Baligha (eloquent) and alīmah ghayr al-muʿallimah (“knowledgeable without being taught”). She is also famed as the “Mountain of Patience” for enduring great sufferings throughout her life.

In Shia theology Sayyida Zaynab (peace be upon her) is a model of piety and courage – “a symbol of sacrifice, strength, and piety” and a role model for Muslim women.

Classical accounts, like Maqṭal al-Ḥusayn and Bihār al-Anwār emphasize her pivotal role at Karbala in 680 CE. When her brother, Imam al-Husayn (peace be upon him) and most of his male relatives were martyred by the Umayyad army, women and children of his camp – including herself – were taken captive to Kufa and then marched to Yazid’s court in Damascus. In Damascus she delivered a famous sermon condemning Yazid, exposing his tyranny and heresy, and publicized the Karbala tragedy to echo its enduring message. These acts cemented her legacy as the “heroine of Karbala” and as a stalwart defender of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them).

The shrine of Sayyida Zaynab in Damascus is a major pilgrimage site for Shia Muslims worldwide. During key festivals the shrine complex would host an estimated 100,000–150,000 visitors (mostly from abroad).