Religion

Abu ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad b. Muḥammad b. al-Nuʿmān al-ʿUkbarī al-Baghdādī (Arabic: محمد بن محمد بن النُعمان العُکبَري البغدادي) (b. 336/948 or 338/950 – d. 413/1022) known as al-Shaykh al-Mufīd (Arabic: الشيخ المفيد) was among the greatest Twelver Shi’a scholars of the second half of the forth/tenth century and early fifth/eleventh century. He was among great revivers of Islamic sciences and among the hardworking preachers of Shi’a culture and jurisprudence. It is said by compiling the principles of jurisprudence, he founded a new approach in ijtihad which was a middle way between two other approaches namely extreme rational approach and hadith-based approach without applying the intellect.

Al-Shaykh al-Saduq, Ibn Junayd al-Iskafi, and Ibn Qulawayh are among the greatest teachers of al-Shaykh al-Mufid. Al-Shaykh al-Tusi, al-Sayyid al-Murtada, al-Sayyid al-Radi, and al-Najashi are his most famous students. His most important works are Al-Muqni’a in jurisprudence, Awa’il al-maqalat in theology, and al-Irshad in the history of Imams.

Birth and Childhood
Muhammad b. Muhammad b. al-Nu’man b. ‘Abd al-Salam b. Jabir b. al-Nu’man was born on Dhu l-Qa’da 11, 336/948 or 338/950 in ‘Ukbara, a small town to the north of Baghdad. Muhammad’s father was a teacher, and thus he became also known as Ibn al-Mu’allim (son of teacher). His two other epithets are ‘Ukbara and al-Baghdadi.

In his childhood, Muhammad went to Baghdad with his father and began learning knowledge under great scholars of theology such as Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Husayn b. Ali al-Basri known as al-Ju’al among the great teachers of Mu’tazilites of his time, who was famous in jurisprudence and theology and Abu Yasir, student of the famous scholar of theology, Abu al-Jaysh Muzaffar b. Muhammad al-Khurasani al-Balkhi who was apparently called al-Tahir. Following the advice of Abu Yasir, Muhammad attended the class of ‘Ali b. ‘Isa al-Rummani, the famous Mu’tazilite scholar. After a debate between Muhammad and al-Rummani, when Muhammad won the debate, in a letter, al-Rummani recommended him to Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Ju’al and titled him as “al-Mufid”.

Two children have been mentioned for him in historical sources; a son named Abu l-Qasim Ali and an unnamed daughter who has been the wife of Abu Ya’la al-Ja’fari.

According to reports, al-Mufid narrated hadiths since the age of five by permission.

As the Head of Shi’a
About the age of forty, he became the leader of Shi’a in jurisprudence, theology, and hadith and in defense of Shi’a, debated scholars of other sects.

The life of al-Shaykh al-Mufid was full of ups and downs, he was exiled from Baghdad three times in 392/1001-2 or 393/1002-3, 398/1007-8, and 409/1018-9. However, he had a high position before caliphs and his high influence in the society at his time can be understood by the cursing of him by Sunni biographers, especially al-Khatib al-Baghdadi. From his statement, it can be understood that many people became Shi’a because of him and this made disputant angry.

In religious conflicts at the time of al-Shaykh al-Mufid, Shi’a-resident areas of Baghdad such as Karkh and Bab al-Taq were set ablaze many times. In 361/971-2 (or 362/972-3), during the rule of ‘Izz al-Dawla, due to bigotry of Hajib Sabuktagin, revolt and chaos erupted in Iraq and grew every day. At that time, Abu l-Fadl, the minister of ‘Izz al-Dawla ordered the burning of Karkh. Karkh was an important part of Baghdad, its a Shi’a majority area and the biggest commercial center of Abbasids. In that accident, many people were burnt. In 363/973-4, Karkh was set on fire once again after religious struggles. Toward the last years of al-Shaykh al-Mufid’s life, in 408/1017-8, al-Qadir, the Abasid caliph, supported by Mahmud of Ghazni, killed, exiled, and imprisoned many opposing religious groups including – according to Sunni historians –Rafidis. Al-Shaykh al-Mufid was the leader of Twelver Shi’a at such a difficult time.

Personal Traits
Al-Mufid was extremely pious and had great spiritual attainments. He had many charitable activities. He was kind and humble. He prayed a lot, fasted, and wore old clothes, that he was even called Shaykh Mashayikh al-Sufiyya (the master of the masters of Sufis).

Abu Ya’la al-Ja’fari, al-Shaykh al-Mufid’s son-in-law, said, “He did not sleep but a part of night and then got up and prayed, studied, taught, or recited the Qur’an.”

His appearance has been described as a person who was thin with average height and tawny skin.

Scholarly Position
It is reported that he memorized all the works of Shi’a’s opponents so that he could answer their questions. In his house, sessions were held and scholars of different sects attended and al-Shaykh al-Mufid discussed with all of them. His wit, power in repartee, intelligence, perspicacity, sea of knowledge, sweet tongue, and his patience against enemies helped him debate scholars of the Mu’tazilite, Mujbira, Zaydiyya, Isma’iliyya, etc.

In al-Fihrist, al-Shaykh al-Tusi says, “Muhammad b. Muhammad b. Nu’man al-Mufid, whose teknonym was Abu ‘Abd Allah was known as Ibn al-Mu’allim. He was among Twelver Shi’a theologians who became their leader at his time and was a pioneer in knowledge and theology at his time and was also a pioneer in jurisprudence. He had a good mental power, quick insight, and witty, who had about 200 minor and major works.”

Under Ibn al-Mu’allim, Ibn al-Nadim wrote that, “Abu ‘Abd Allah has become the leader of Shi’a theologians in our time. He is ahead of his contemporaries in other sects in theology. He is quick in understanding and has a sharp insight. I have seen him and found him matchless.”

He also wrote, “Ibn al-Mu’allim, Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad b. Muhammad b. al-Nu’man has become the leader of his companions and Shi’a in jurisprudence and theology in our time.”

Establishing a New Approach in Jurisprudence
In Tarikh fiqh wa fuqaha, al-Gurji wrote, “Before al-Shaykh al-Mufid, jurisprudence was not as common among Shi’a scholars as it is now, but hadiths in jurisprudence which were narrated from Imams (a) were mentioned in books with their exact chain of reference and jurists did not make any modifications in the text of hadiths and even in narrating hadiths mentioned their chains of reference as well. Later, this method was improved a little and jurists tried to mention their ideas in the extents of the hadiths and issue fatwa according to the justification and the subject. Al-Shara’i’ written by Ibn Babawayh, and al-Shaykh al-Saduq’s al-Muqni’ and al-Hidaya were written using the mentioned approach. In this period, referring to the appearance of hadiths increased and benefiting from rationality was not very popular and this had made an obstacle on the way of the progress of sciences and scholars. After al-Shaykh al-Mufid, this serious obstacle was removed from the way of Shi’a scholars.

By his great knowledge, al-Shaykh al-Mufid stood against the dominant stagnation and established a new approach in jurisprudence based on regular principles and later his students, al-Sayyid al-Murtada and al-Shaykh al-Tusi continued his way. This approach in ijtihad, was a middle way between the approach of al-Shaykh al-Saduq in hadith and the analogical approach of Ibn al-Junayd in jurisprudence. He first compiled al-Tadhkira bi-usul al-fiqh for drawing out the rulings; then, al-Sayyid al-Murtada in al-Dhari’a and al-Shaykh al-Tusi in ‘Uddat al-usul followed this initiative; while, al-Shaykh al-Mufid himself was inspired by, Ibn Abi ‘Aqil al-Ummani, for this approach.

In his ijtihad approach, al-Shaykh al-Mufid regarded intellect very important and considered it one of the ways to reach an understanding of the concepts in the Book and the Tradition and even believed that if a hadith has contradiction with the rules of intellect, it cannot be accepted. With the same solidity he stood against hadith approach, al-Shaykh al-Mufid also stood against those who took analogy as the factor for drawing out rulings and criticized his teacher, Ibn al-Junayd openly but respectfully, for his approach and rejected it with powerful reasoning. He also wrote books in rejection of Ibn al-Junayd’s works, including Naqd risalat al-Junaydi ila ahl Misr and al-Naqd ‘ala Ibn al-Junayd fi ijtihad al-ra’y. He wrote about it,

“About the books of Abu Ali Ibn al-Junayd; he mixed some rulings in them and there, he acted upon his own conjecture and has used inappropriate method of our opponents, which is analogical deduction and this way, he has mixed narrated issues from immaculate Imams (a) and his own opinions and has not separated them from each other; while even if he did separate them, still his works could not be referred to, because for narrating hadiths, he has not sufficed to frequent ones and had also relied on some solitary reports.”
Therefore, al-Shaykh al-Mufid rejected jurisprudence based on the appearance of hadith and also the approach based on personal opinion and analogy and established a third approach in jurisprudence. In this method of ijtihad, al-Shaykh al-Mufid made a conclusion out of conflicting reports and avoided using of solitary reports void of evidences of authenticity and through compilation of the principles of jurisprudence, in practice, he founded a new jurisprudence.

Participation in Scholarly Debates
Since al-Shaykh al-Mufid was living in an age when great scholars of different Islamic sects were living in Baghdad, the center of the Islamic government at that time, and gatherings of scholarly talks and discussion were common among them and such debates were mostly held before caliphs, naturally al-Shaykh al-Mufid attended there to defend Shi’a theological principles and debated with disputants and answered their questions. These discussions were always held in a manner that they could remove the hate and enmity from the hearts of disputants, so that when al-Shaykh al-Mufid passed away, people of Baghdad including his followers and opponents were extremely sad and showed this sadness in their great participation in his funeral.

Regarding the social position of al-Shaykh al-Mufid among different Islamic sects, the opinions in jurisprudence and theology would be mentioned and thus naturally compared with each other and anyone who had an opinion would bring his justifications to convince others. In such an atmosphere, al-Shaykh al-Mufid showed a great role relying on Shia’s stable principles and wrote the valuable book al-I’lam bi-ma ittafaqat ‘alayh al-Imamiyya min al-ahkam in this regard and in fact, established the foundation of comparative jurisprudence. Later, this foundation was completed and promoted by Sayyid al-Murtada’s al-Intisar, al-Shaykh al-Tusi’s al-Khilaf and ‘Allama’s Tadhkirat al-fuqaha.

In the introduction to al-I’lam, al-Shaykh wrote that,

“Now, I have collected fiqh rulings agreed by Imamiyya and agreed-upon fiqh rulings of Sunnis or their sects whose opinion is different from Imamiyya’s, in order to be added to the beginning of Awa’il al-maqalat fi l-madhahib wa l-mukhtarat and no one has preceded me in this.”
Al-Shaykh al-Mufid was among great revivers of Islamic sciences and hard-working promoters of Shia culture and Imamiyya jurisprudence.

Teachers
Al-Mufid started his education in Baghdad by the time he was 11. According to A’yan al-Shi’a, He studied with 56 teachers, including Ibn Qulawayh (d. 368/978-9) in jurisprudence and hadith, and Abu l-Jaysh al-Balkhi (d. 367/977-8) in theology. Other teachers of his include,

Ahmad b. Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Qummi
Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Dawud al-Qummi
Ibn Babawayh
Muhammad b. ‘Imran al-Marzbani
Ibn al-Junayd al-Iskafi
Abu Bakr Muhammad b. ‘Umar al-Ji’abi
Al-Husayn b. ‘Ali al-Ju’al al-Basri
‘Ali b. ‘Isa al-Rummani
Students
Al-Mufid was the leading figure and spokesman of Twelver Shi’a in his time. Prominent students of his included:

Al-Sharif al-Radi
Al-Sharif al-Murtada
Al-Shaykh al-Tusi
Al-Najashi
Al-Karajaki
Sallar al-Daylami
Abu Ya’la Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Ja’fari
Works
Main article: List of Works of al-Shaykh al-Mufid
According to al-Fihrist of al-Najashi the works of al-Shaykh al-Mufid is 175 books and treatises. Some of the most important of which are:

Al-Irshad fi ma’rifat hujaj Allah ‘ala l-‘ibad, al-Shaykh al-Mufid’s most famous work in history, about the biography of Shi’a Imams (a).
Al-Muqni’a, is one of the oldest books on jurisprudence of Shi’a. It is the most famous work of al-Shaykh al-Mufid in fiqh. Al-Shyakh al-Tusi’s Tahdhib al-ahkam is the commentary of al-Muqni’a.
Awa’il al-maqalat fi l-madhahib wa l-mukhtarat, his most famous work in theology, is about the theological opinions specific to Shi’a.
Al-Jamal wa l-nusra li-Sayyid al-‘Itra fi harb Basra, a historical-theological book about the Battle of Jamal.
Al-Amali, hadith dictaions of al-Shaykh al-Mufid to his students in the month of Ramdan.
Al-‘Uyun wa l-mahasin, is the debates of al-Shyakh al-Mufid.
Kitab al-mazar, about the manners of ziyarah.
Demise
Al-Mufid died on the eve of Friday, Ramadan 3, 413/November 30,1022. His student al-Sharif al-Murtada led his funeral prayer, in the presence of nearly eighty thousand people, a crowd never seen before in any funeral in Baghdad.

Al-Shaykh al-Tusi (d. 460/1067) describes this event in al-Fihrist :

“The day of his death drew the largest crowd ever seen in any funeral, and both friends and foes wept uncontrollably”.
Al-Mufid’s tomb is located in the holy Shrine of Kazimiyan (a), near the tomb of his teacher, Ibn Qulawayh.

Zaynab bt. ʿAlī (Arabic: زینب بنت علي) (b. 5 (or 6) / 626 (or 627) – d. 62/682) the daughter of Imam Ali (a) and the Lady Fatima al-Zahra’ (a), and ‘Abd Allah b. Ja’far’s wife. She and her two sons accompanied Imam al-Husayn (a) on the Event of ‘Ashura’ where her two sons were martyred and she was taken as captive to Kufa and then to Damascus. Her sermons in Kufa and Damascus (in front of Yazid) are very famous. Due to her many sufferings, she was called Umm al-Masa’ib (mother of calamities). She passed away in 62/682.

Birth, Name, Title, and Lineage
She is the daughter of Imam ‘Ali (a) and the Lady Fatima al-Zahra’ (a). Her most famous name is “Zaynab”, which literally means “a scenic tree with a beautiful fragrance”. Zaynab is also a compound of two words “zayn” (adornment) and “ab” (father), meaning the adornment of the father.

She was born on Jumada I 5, 5 (or 6) /October 2, 626 (or September 22, 627) in Medina.

According to several hadiths, the Prophet (s) named her Zaynab. It is said that Gabriel brought this name from God to the Prophet (s).

When the Prophet (s) held her for the first time, he kissed her and said, “I advise the present and the absent of my Umma to honor and respect this girl as she looks like Khadija (a).”

Many titles have been reported for her such as ‘Aqilat Bani Hashim (wise woman of Banu Hashim), ‘Alima Ghayr Mu’allama (the knowledgeable without being taught), al-‘Arifa, al-Muwaththaqa (trustworthy), al-Fadila, al-Kamila (perfect), ‘Abida Al ‘Ali (worshiper of the family of ‘Ali), al-Ma’suma al-Sughra, Aminat Allah, Na’ibat al-Zahra’ (representative of Zahra’), Na’ibat al-Husayn, ‘Aqilat al-Nisa’, Sharikat al-Shuhada’, al-Baligha, al-Fasiha, and Sharikat al-Husayn.

Due to the hardships she suffered during her life (demise of the Prophet (s), sufferings of her mother and her martyrdom, martyrdom of her father, Imam ‘Ali (a), her brother, Imam al-Hasan (a), the event of Karbala, the martyrdom of her brother, Imam al-Husayn (a) and her two sons and her other relatives, going to Kufa and Damascus as a captive) she was titled as Umm al-Masa’ib (lit, mother of calamities, referring to the numerous miseries she was inflicted with).

Husband and Children
Zaynab married Abd Allah b. Ja’far al-Tayyar (her cousin) in 17/638-9. She gave birth to four sons named: ‘Ali, ‘Awn, al-‘Abbas and Muhammad, and one daughter named: Umm Kulthum. Muhammad and Awn were martyred in Karbala.

Mu’awiya asked to marry Yazid to Umm Kulthum, but Imam al-Husayn (a) married her to al-Qasim b. Muhammad b. Ja’far b. Abi Talib (Umm Kulthum’s cousin).

Characteristics, Virtues, and Merits
Knowledge and Eloquence
Her utterances and sermons, which are full of demonstrations from the Qur’an, in Kufa and the court of Yazid, show how knowledgeable she was. She has narrated hadiths from her father, Imam Ali (a), and her mother, Lady Fatimat al-Zahra (s). Muhammad b. Amr, Ata’ b. Sa’ib, Fatima bt. al-Husayn, and other narrators have narrated hadiths from her.

During the residence of Imam Ali (a) in Kufa, Zaynab held sessions on exegesis of the Qur’an for women of Kufa.

Her sermons reminded the audience of the sermons of her father, Imam Ali (a). Her sermons in Kufa, in front of Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad, and in the court of Yazid are very similar to those of Imam Ali (a), and the Fadakiyya sermon from her mother Fatima (a).

Worship
She would worship at nights. She never missed tahajjud (night vigil). She spent so much of her time worshiping that she was given the title”‘Abidat Al ‘Ali” (the female worshiper of the family of Ali).

On the tenth and the eve the eleventh 61/October 680 and after the martyrdom of her brothers, children, and many of her relatives, she did not abandon her acts of worship.

Fatima bt. al-Husayn (a) said, “On the eve of Ashura, my aunt (Zaynab) was worshiping, praying and crying all night.”

It is narrated that Imam al-Husayn (a) in his last moments on the day of Ashura said to her, “O, my sister! Do not forget me in your night prayers.”

Patience and Resistance
On the day of Ashura when she saw her brother’s bloody body, she said, “O, Allah! Accept this humble sacrifice from us.”

She rescued Imam al-Sajjad (a) from death several times, one of which was in the court of ‘Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad after that Imam al-Sajjad (a) debated with him, he ordered to kill the Imam (a), but Zaynab (a) put her hand around Imam’s neck and said, “As long as I am alive, I do not let you kill him.”

In the Tragedy of Ashura
On the Eve of Ashura
Main article: Eve of Ashura
Al-Shaykh al-Mufid has narrated from Imam al-Sajjad (a), “On the eve of the day that my father was killed, I was sitting and my aunt was nursing me. My father went to his tent… and started repairing his sword while reading this poem,

“O, days! Fie upon your friendship!, How many of your fellows and seekers, are killed in mornings and evenings? and the days are not content with substitutes (other than the lives of people). The Majestic (Allah) is in charge of this affair, and every living creature will go through this path (will die).
He repeated this poem two or three times until I understood what he meant, I choked up, but I kept silent and knew that tragedy has been sent down, but my aunt, like other women who are prevailed by their tender hearts, could not control herself. She jumped towards him and said, “Oh, what pain! May demise deprive me of life! Today my mother, Fatima, my father, Ali, and my brother, al-Hasan, died. You are the successor of the bygone ones and the last of the remainder.” Imam al-Husayn (a) looked at her and said, “O, My dear sister! Do not let Satan take away your patience.” then his eyes overflowed with tears, and he added, “If the bird is left alone, it will sleep.”

Then she said, “Oh, woe! Do they take your soul by force? This hurts my heart more and is more painful to me.” Then she slapped her face and tore her clothes and fell on the ground, losing consciousness. Imam (a) went to her, sprinkled some water on her face, and told her, “O, my dear sister! Be content with Allah’s will and know that the inhabitant of the earth will die and the inhabitant of heavens will not remain and everything will perish except Allah who has created all the creatures by His omnipotence and will resurrect them, they will return to Him and He is Single and the Only One. My father was better than me, my mother was better than me, my brother was better than me, and for me and every Muslim there is a good exemplar in the Prophet of God.”

He consoled her with this and other similar sentences and said, “O, my dear sister! I put you under this oath and please do not break it: never tear a piece of your clothes (as a sign of your sorrow) for me, never slap your face (for mourning) for me, and never invoke woe and perdition when I was slain.” Then he accompanied her to my tent and went to his companions.”

On the Day of Ashura
Main article: Day of Ashura
In the evening of the day of Ashura, when Zaynab saw Imam al-Husayn (a) had fallen on the ground and was surrounded by his enemies who intended to kill him, she came out of her tent and shouted at Umar b. Sa’d (the commander of the enemy’s army), “O, Ibn Sa’d! Is Abu Abd Allah (Imam al-Husayn) being slain while you are watching?”

He did not reply and Zaynab cried, “Oh for my brother! Oh, for my master! Oh, for my household! I wish the heavens had been fallen upon the earth! I wish the mountains had been crumbled and scattered on plains!”

And when she came to his brother’s body, she said, “O Allah! Accept from us this sacrifice.”

Then she faced toward Medina and started addressing the Prophet (s), “Oh, Muhammad! These are your daughters! They are being taken captives! Your children are slain! The Zephyr is blowing on their bodies! And this is al-Husayn, who has been beheaded from the back of his neck! His turban and cloak have been plundered.”

“May my father be the ransom for the one whom the army plundered. May my father be the ransom for the one whose tents were taken down…”

Her words made both friends and enemies cry and wail.

In Kufa
After Ashura, the captives were taken to Kufa. They were circulated around the city tragically.

As they entered Kufa, Zaynab delivered a sermon, which influenced the people who had come to see the captives.

Bashir b. Khuzaym al-Asadi said, “On that day, I looked at her. By Allah, I have never seen any proud and modest woman with such eloquence; it was as if she was talking with Ali’s tongue. She told people to be silent. People became silent; even the bells on the camels stopped jiggling.” When she finished the sermon, Kufa was filled with emotions and sadness. Some people were nipping their fingers (as a sign of regret and being shocked). After her sermon, there was a possibility of an uprising and riot against the government; thus, the captives were taken to Dar al-Imara (the palace of the ruler) to Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad.

Zaynab spoke and debated with Ibn Ziyad, the governor of Kufa, in his palace.

Her arguments enlightened people and left Umayyads in disgrace. Then ‘Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad ordered to imprison them. The sermon of the lady Zaynab (a) and the words of Imam al-Sajjad (a), Umm Kulthum, and Fatima bt. al-Husayn in Kufa and Dar al-Imara followed by the protests of Abd Allah b. Afif al-Azdi and Zayd b. Arqam encouraged the people of Kufa and prepared the grounds for a revolution against the government

In Damascus
After the tragedy of Karbala, Yazid b. Mu’awiya asked Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad to send the caravan of captives along with the heads of the martyrs of Karbala to Damascus.

Yazid’s government was powerful at that time in Syria, as the people were bombarded with false information about the household of Imam ‘Ali (a) and fake virtues and merits of descendants of Abu Sufyan. So it is not surprising that “when the household of the Prophet (s) entered Damascus, people had worn new clothes, decorated the city, musicians were playing songs and the city was filled with happiness.”

However, the sermons delivered by Imam al-Sajjad (a) and Lady Zaynab (a) quickly turned the tides. They informed people about the tyranny of Umayyads and the horrifying act they did to descendants of the Prophet (s) in Karbala. Soon the enmity of the people of Damascus toward Ahl al-Bayt (a) was changed towards friendship and affection.

Yazid, who thought that killing of Imam al-Husayn (a) would help consolidate his governing position in the Islamic world, realized that it has actually damaged his popularity and weakened his authority.

In Yazid’s Court
Yazid had prepared an unprecedented ceremony in his court. He had invited all the elite officials, noblemen, and army commanders of Umayyads. In the presence of the captives, he recited blasphemous poems, talked about his victory and interpreted some verses of the Qur’an in support of his actions.

The holy head of Imam al-Husayn (a) was put before Yazid, who disrespected it by hitting on it with a stick he had in hand. Meanwhile, he recited these poems, which show his deep enmity and hatred of the Prophet Muhammad (s) and Islam:

“I wish my forefathers who were killed at Badr had witnessed, the worry of Khazraj from unsheathed swords. They would have been thrilled and delighted, and would have said: “O Yazid! May your hand never be paralyzed”. We have killed the masters of their chiefs and equated it with Badr, and it has been so, indeed. The Banu Hashim played with the Dominion, while no news from the Heaven had come, nor was there anything revealed. I am not a descendant of Khunduf if I will not seek revenge from Ahmed’s descendants for what he did to us!”
Reacting to these verses, Lady Zaynab rose up against him and delivered an eloquent sermon which proved the rightness of Imam al-Husayn (a) and the wrongdoing of Yazid. Her logical sermon influenced the attendance very much in a way that Yazid preferred to react gently and avoid harsh decisions.

He consulted in regards the captives with Umayyad officials. Although some of them suggested killing the captives, Nu’man b. Bashir advised him to deal with them mildly and gently.

Due to the enlightening of Zaynab, Yazid had to blame Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad for the martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn (a) and cursed him.

Yazid allowed the captives to mourn for some days in Damascus. Umayyad women, including Hind, Yazid’s wife, joined Ahl al-Bayt (a) in the ruin (where the captives were held), they kissed hands and feet of Ahl al-Bayt (a) and mourned for three days.

Finally, the captives were returned to Medina with respect and reverence.

Demise
Lady Zaynab (a) passed away on Sunday, Rajab 15, 62/March 30, 682. Some reported that she passed away on Rajab 14.

Burial Place
There are three reports about her resting place:

Al-Baqi’ cemetery: Some historians have reported that she was buried in al-Baqi’, Medina. Al-Sayyid Muhsin al-Amin, the author of A’yan al-Shi’a, accepted this report and mentioned some evidence refuting the other two reports.
Zaynabiyya: It is widely believed that she was buried in Zaynabiyya, a southern suburb of Damascus, Syria, where her shrine is nowdays.
Maqam of Lady Zaynab (a): Some historians said that she was buried in Egypt. Her shrine in Egypt has been renovated several times and now is a ziyara site.

Qubāʾ Mosque (Arabic:مسجد قباء) was the first mosque which was built by Prophet Muhammad (s). This mosque was mentioned in Qur’an 9:108-109.

Location

Quba mosque was built six kilometer off Medina in village of Quba, which is currently part of Medina. The name of the mosque is taken from the village which was named after a famous well, called Quba.

Entrance of The Prophet (s) and Building a Mosque

Before staying in Medina in the first year after Hijra, the Prophet Muhammad (s) accepted requests of people of Quba and ordered to build a mosque there. The Prophet (s) entered this village on twelfth or fourteenth of Rabi’ I, he stayed in Quba and helped Muslims to build the mosque in a week. In some sources it is mentioned that ‘Ammar b. Yasir proposed the idea of building a mosque in Quba; while some other sources stated that ‘Ammar played the main role in building Quba mosque which made him the first Muslim who built a mosque.

Features

The Prophet (s) said: “If a person perform wudu (ablution) in his house and say prayers in Quba mosque, the rewards of performing an Umra will be given to him.”

Prophet Muhammad (s) always mentioned the significance of Quba mosque. It is mentioned in a narration that after staying in Medina, Prophet Muhammad (s) visited Quba mosque every week on Saturdays in order to say prayers.

Rebuilding

Quba mosque was rebuilt and developed in the time of caliphate of Uthman b. Affan. The second vast rebuilding took place in the time of ‘Umar b. Abd al-‘Aziz and it remained unchanged so far.

In 555/1160, Jamal al-Din Isfahani, the minister of Mosul ordered to rebuild Quba mosque. It was also rebuilt and repaired in the eighth and ninth/fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Quba mosque was later developed in the time of Ottomans and Saudi government. Nowadays it has several sections with domes built on their roofs.

Quba Mosque in the Qur’an

According to large number of interpreters of Qur’an, the mosque mentioned in Qur’an 9:108 is a reference to Quba mosque:

The 108th verse of Qur’an 9 expresses two features for Quba mosque: First Quba mosque is more worthy to say prayer there, and second there are men in this mosque who love to purify themselves.

ʿĀm al-Fīl (Arabic: عام الفيل) (literally: year of the Elephant), is the year in which Abraha, the king of Yemen, started a huge military expedition toward Mecca in order to destroy Ka’ba. As he had an army with war elephants, the year turned to be known as the year of the Elephant. This event has been addressed in the Qur’an 105. Based on a famous historical account, this year is the birth year of the Prophet Muhammad (s). Historians believe the year of the Elephant was about 570 CE in the Julian calendar.

Military Expedition

After assuming the full control over Yemen, Abraha built a church in San’a and called it: Qulays. He wrote to the Ethiopian king: I have built a church similar to which none had existed before. Upon finishing its project, I will attract the pilgrims of Mecca to my church.

When Arabs knew about this letter, a member of Bani Faqim polluted the building with his feces. Upon such an outrageous act, Abraha who had long been waiting for a chance to destroy Ka’ba, prepared a great army with fourteen war elephants and started his military expedition toward Mecca.

Resistance against Abraha

Two of Yemeni elite, namely Dhu nafar and Nufayl b. Habib al-Khath’ami stood against Abraha but they were defeated and captured by him.

Message to ‘Abd al-Muttalib

Before reaching Mecca, Abraha sent a message to ‘Abd al-Muttalib, then the head of Quraysh, saying: I have not come to kill people but only to destroy Ka’ba.

‘Abd al-Muttalib went to him and asked him to give back his 200 camels which were plundered by Abraha’s army.

Abraha said in amazement: with all nobility that I see in your character, I don’t undrestand why you make such a humble request, while I have come to destroy Ka’ba which is [the center of] your religion and the religion of your ancestors.

‘Abd al-Muttalib replied: I am the lord of the camels and The House (Ka’ba) has a Lord who will protect it.

“Nobody can stop me from my goal.” Abraha said with conceit and ordered his men to give back the camels to ‘Abd al-Muttalib.

Quraysh Evacuating Mecca

‘Abd al-Muttalib told Quraysh to evacuate Mecca and take refuge in surrounding mountainous areas.

Attack of Ababil

Once the army of Abraha marched close to Ka’ba, Allah commanded flocks of birds, known as Ababil, to attack and destroy the Army of Abraha by throwing stones from their beaks.

The Holy Qur’an tells this story in the Qur’an 105. After ‘Am al-Fil, Quraysh gained a special position and respect among other Arab tribes.