"By your life! I cherish the house in which there are Sakinah and Rabab, I endear them both and spend most of my wealth upon them, and there is no reason for censure in that, I shall not let them be neglected all throughout my life, until I am buried beneath the earth".
Imam Hussain (as)
The epic of Kerbala is full of events from which one can take lessons for each and every stage of our lives. For me to choose ‘a hero’ from the many heroes of Kerbala seems next to impossible. I know no one can surpass the patience, faith and conviction of Imam Hussain (as) and not a single person can match the bravery and eloquence of Sayyada Zainab (as). If I look further, I see that the dedication and valor of Hazrat Abbas cannot be outdone, that the courage and bravery in times of intense difficulty of Imam Sajjad(as) is exemplary. In fact, at every turn in the plains of Kerbala, we find a hero!
So in order to write about a personality who I can consider my hero, I decided to look for someone whose character I can emulate. I looked for someone who was a woman so I can relate to her, I looked for someone who was not a direct descendant of the Ahlulbayt so I cannot excuse myself by saying that I cannot be like her. My search led me to one of the wives of Imam Hussain (as) known as Umm Rabab or Rabab. Umm Rabab was the mother of Abdullah ibn Hussain (Ali Asghar) and Sayyada Sakina (Sayyada Ruqayyah or Amenah).
Rabab was the daughter of Imru' al Qays bin Adi Kalbi. Imru al Qays bin Adi was the chief of the clan of Bakr bin Wael. He used to be a Christian and accepted Islam during the Caliphate of Umar bin Khattab on the occasion of the Battle of Malh. He had not yet recited the Namaz, when Umar made him the governor of a province, and he had not yet witnessed night when Imam Ali (a.s) sent a proposal for the marriage of his daughter Rabab to Imam Husain (a.s).
It is related that the Commander of the faithful Imam Ali (a.s) took his sons Imam Hasan (a.s) and Imam Husain (a.s) to Imru al Qays and said, "O uncle! I am Ali bin Abi Talib, the cousin and son in law of the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.s), while these two are the sons of his daughter. And we desire to enter into a relationship with you through wedlock". He answered, "O Ali! I wed my daughter Mahyah to you, and O Hasan! I wed my other daughter Salma to you, while O Husain! I wed my daughter Rabab to you".
Rabab is known to have been a learned woman. Her father was a poet, and she is also known to be fond of writing poetry.
It is not just the sacrifice and dedication of Umm Rabab that is noteworthy, but her complete faith in her Imam which is exceptional!
If we look at the events of Kerbala, we notice that she leaves Medina to travel with the Imam taking along with her a young daughter and newborn baby. Since Hazrat Ali Asghar was only six-month old on the day of Ashura, he would’ve been perhaps one month old or younger at the time of their departure from Medina on Rajab 28, 60 A.H. I could not find many narrations about the events that took place during the beginning of the journey; however, it has been known that Sayyada Fatema Sughra, another daughter of Imam Hussain (as) insisted that the baby stay with her in Madina. We do not find any narration which shows that the mother, i.e. Umm Rabab, would not have been content with the decision of her Imam.
The journey from Medina to Kerbala was a difficult one for all the members of the caravan; however, I cannot imagine how difficult it would’ve been for a mother and a baby. The fact that we do not see any narrations from Umm Rabab during the journey is an attestation to the fact that she was dedicated to the Imam of the time and was willing to take this journey with him no matter how many difficulties she’d have to face.
As the day of Ashura draws near and Umm Rabab is unable to feed her infant, we still do not hear any complaints from her end. In fact, the prime of her sacrifice, her trust, and her dedication is revealed when she allows the Imam (as) to take the infant towards the army to get some water. I cannot imagine the reliance and commitment of Umm Rabab. I cannot fathom her positive thinking and her confidence in the words of the Imam! To think that this group of men who had mercilessly killed the entire family of the Prophet (pbuh) in one day would have any drop of sympathy left in them to be willing to give an infant some water is unimaginable, but Umm Rabab shows the level to which we must give another muslim the benefit of doubt. She still has faith in humanity, and she obviously has faith in her Imam (as) in order to hand him her six-month old.
Is this action of Umm Rabab any less than that of Bibi Hajra when she was left all alone with an infant in the desert of Makkah? Do you think that Umm Rabab showed any less reliance on the decree of Allah than Bibi Hajra as she handed her 6 month old to the Imam. Unimaginable! A mother, who only considers the positive! She still has faith in the Ummah of her Prophet (pbuh); only to discover within a span of a few minutes that the Ummah’s hearts have hardened enough to pierce the weak neck of a six-month old infant with a three-pronged arrow!
What follows, is definitely, heart-wrenching! The infant, who had been buried by the Imam Hussain (as), was dug up, and his head was put on a lance! I cannot picture what would have gone through the heart and mind of Umm Rabab when she must’ve seen the head of her infant baby on a spear!
The trials of Umm Rabab continue as she travels from Kerbala to Kufa and then to Syria. In Damascus, Umm Rabab loses her other child, her four-year old daughter who could not stop remembering her father! I cannot envision how agonizing that would have been for Umm Rabab, but we see her endurance and patience!
Once back in Kerbala, it has been narrated that Umm Rabab refused to return to Madina and did not sit under the shade until she passed away.
To me, Umm Rabab is a depiction of the height of faith, dedication, endurance, patience, persistence, tolerance and perseverance. She has left for us, the followers of Imam Hussain(as), an excellent example of how be a genuine devotee of our Imam. She has uncovered for us the height of sacrifice and commitment, not only to one’s Imam of the time, but also to one’s husband. Through the character of her young children, she has further exemplified her role as a mother.
I pray to Allah that He gives me the ability and guidance to follow the example of this great lady!
It is related that Rabab recited the following elegy for Imam Husayn (a.s.):
“The illuminated one who was a source of light, lies unburied martyred in Karbala, O son of the Prophet! May Allah reward you favorably with regards to ourselves, and may Allah save you from the deficiency in the scales (on the day of Qiyamah), you treated us with mercy and (according to the) religion, now who remains for the orphans and destitutes, who makes every deprived affluence and gives refuge to them, by Allah! I shall not establish relation with anyone else other than you, until I am hidden beneath the earth”.
References:
Nafsul-Mahmun, by Shaikh Abbas Qummi, translated by Aejaz Ali Bhujwala, Ansariyan Publications, Qum. 2005
www.al-islam.org
www.maaref-foundation.com
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