Zahrasadat Sheykholeslam, researcher in the field of Women’s Studies
The world is currently witnessing heart-wrenching images of the war in Gaza. These images depict injured and vulnerable children, grieving men carrying the bodies of their loved ones, and mothers feeling the pain of saying their final goodbyes to their shrouded newborns. The depth of the suffering in Gaza is overwhelming, and the unwavering patience and resilience of its people is truly remarkable. As a woman and a mother, my heart goes out to the women of Gaza. Witnessing the strength and determination of them, who continue to embrace life during the war, nourish their families, care for their little ones, and encourage others to stay strong, is incredibly moving. Honestly, while Western media often portrays Muslim women as disempowered, dependent, and oppressed, the images of women from Gaza tell a different story to the world. People around the world have witnessed the resilience of Palestinian women. Their dignity, modesty, endurance, wisdom, and strength have caused many Western women to re-evaluate their own societal norms and values. Many non-Muslim women have found inspiration in these real-life superwomen, challenging their preconceived notions about Muslim women. They have begun to question what gives those women the strength to endure the toughest situations in the recent history and still be grateful to God. They wonder what kind of faith can empower women and bring up their inner values like this. Unlike Western audiences, the resilience and strength of women in Gaza are familiar to me as a Muslim, as we have heard about and witnessed many similar stories throughout our history.
The heroic women in Gaza surely had role models to look up to. Throughout the history of Islam, there are remarkable female figures who serve as role models not only for women, but for all people. These women exemplify feminine strength within Islamic beliefs and values. Lady Zeinab, for instance, the granddaughter of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon them), is a timeless role model who showcased the intellectual and spiritual capacities of a woman beyond expectation. “Lady Zeinab represents a multi-dimensional personality: she is wise and well-educated with great knowledge, a distinguished person, anyone who meets her, feels humble before the greatness of her wise soul and her insight.” She was known as the Agheelah of Bani Hashim, meaning she had the highest level of wisdom in her tribe, Bani Hashim, the most prominent tribe at the time. Her character and wisdom have established her as an exceptional role model to admire. Muslims reflect on her values, traditions, and the essence of her spirit, acknowledging and embracing her influence. Also, they follow her guidance and share her teachings with others, ensuring her legacy continues to inspire.
If I want to sum up her life and impressions, she consistently did the right thing at the right time and in the right place. She was dedicated to serve God and her actions were always driven by duty rather than personal desires or a need for attention. Throughout her life, she played multiple roles in accordance with the social and political conditions of the time to educate, promote, and support the teachings of pure Islam. For instance, before the martyrdom of his brother, Imam Hussain (pbuh), she primarily took on the role of a teacher, educating the people of her time in the interpretation of the Quran, jurisprudence, and Hadith. It should be noted that in all the topics that Lady Zeinab (pbuh) taught, she possessed the highest level of knowledge. She was known as “the unschooled scholar and understanding without being explained”. However, after the martyrdom of her brother Imam Hussain, she immediately transformed into a political leader and a social pioneer who completely determined the course of historical events.
In terms of her political engagement, Lady Zeinab (pbuh) played a significant historical role in saving the religion of Islam from deviation and destruction. After the tragic battle and martyrdom of Imam Hussain (pbuh) and his companions, including seventeen dear members of Lady Zeinab’s family, the noble women and children of the Hussain’s family and his companions were taken captive by Yazid’s army. Despite her injuries and grief, Lady Zeinab took care of these women and children like a kind mother and devoted nurse. Yazid, the bloodthirsty tyrant of the time, brought them to his place and subjected them to mental and physical torture. When the captives and Yazid ibn Muawiyah met in his court, he sought to create his narrative and portray Imam Hussain's army as defeated. However, responding to him, Lady Zeinab (pbuh) delivered such a sermon that completely obliterated Yazid's narrative of the event and permanently established her own account in history. Lady Zeinab (pbuh) delivered a sermon that was both enlightening and highly eloquent. Her speech clarified the truth, which Yazid tried to distort. However, it was not just the content of this sermon that made Lady Zeinab's narrative historical; rather, her speech was so eloquent and beautiful that the audience were entirely captivated by her words. Furthermore, despite her captivity and all the hardships she had endured, she delivered her sermon with such strength and magnificence that the people felt that Lady Zeinab is the one in power and Yazid was her captive. Finally, with that single sermon, Lady Zeinab (pbuh) affected everyone to the extent that after her speech, Yazid completely denied the massacre of Imam Hussain and his companions (peace be upon them) and shifted the blame totally onto another person, namely Ibn Ziyad. Also, she had a speech in the city of Kufa for the people. However, she adapted a different tone when speaking to them; a very critical tone that touched the people deeply in their hearts.
When the group of captives was paraded among the people of Kufa, who initially pledged their support for Imam Hussain but later withdrew their support due to Yazid's threats and intimidation, Lady Zeinab (pbuh) delivered an affecting sermon. Her words made the people deeply regretful and moved by the truth, causing them to weep and express their remorse by biting their fingers. It is believed that Lady Zeinab's sermon and her enlightenment played a significant role in the movement of the "Tawwabin" (those who repented and sought revenge for Hussain and his companions). Additionally, Lady Zeinab and Imam Ali ibn Hussain (peace be upon them) established a tradition to commemorate the name of Hussain and his companions through the Arbaeen Walk. There is a narration that Lady Zeinab and Imam Sajjad (peace be upon them) made a pilgrimage to Karbala forty days after the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (pbuh). This tradition continues to this day, and every year Muslims from all over the world gather in Iraq to walk to Karbala and honor the martyrdom of Imam Hussain and his companions and to keep his goals alive. The Arbaeen pilgrimage is the largest annual gathering of human being throughout the history, however, her great legacy does not end there.
Blessed with her Islamic upbringing, she has a multi-dimensional personality. Of course, her comprehensive character cannot be fully described here. However, one important point that I would like to mention about her is the significant role played by her feminine traits in her life. She couldn’t bear all those extraordinary hardships if it was not for her feminine capacities. In terms of feminine power, Imam Khamenei says: “This is the magnificence of a woman who is a fusion of humane affection - in no man, we can detect such enthusiastic affection - and the sedateness of personality, endurance of the soul, that can overcome all the troubling hardships; and, on blistering flames, it can bravely step and move forward.” Just like women of Gaza, they demonstrated that ”the Muslim woman's personality becomes so magnificent and glorious, through the blessing of faith and reliance on Divine mercy, that the greatest incidents appear trivial and insignificant to her.” To sumerize, Lady Zeinab taught us that in order to make historical changes, we do not need to be "equal" to men, but simply have to embrace our God-given feminine traits and be faithful, strong, and aware women.
(The views expressed in this article are author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of Khamenei.ir.)
