In Ashura, the women were directly involved in politics; they represented the lessons learned from the efforts of Lady Fatimah (S.A) during the events of Fadak and her support for Imam Ali (A.S). They also did not forget their duty to protect their Hijab during the tragedies. When all the companions of Imam Hussain (A.S) were martyred and Imam (AS) was about to go to the battlefield, he came to the tents to give farewell to the women and tell them about their future duties. He said:
“Be prepared for the tragedy. Wear your overgarments tightly. Know that God supports, protects, and saves you from your enemy and will create a good destination for you.”
Imam Hussain (A.S) gave his first advice to women about their Hijab. And because the women knew that the battle was for material purposes, they took off their jewellery and extra garments and threw them at the enemy to avoid the attack. When the enemy was taking the captives into Damascus (Shaam), Umm Kulthtum asked the soldiers to keep the heads away from women so that people of the city would look at the heads and not at the women and girls whose head coverings were snatched away from them. But Shimr did the contrary and moved the women to the city first.
After Imam Hussain (A.S)’s warning, the women chose two kinds of clothing for themselves, the first of which were lost in the attacks of the soldiers. When Yazid asked Imam Hussain (A.S)’s daughter Sukayna why she was crying during the meeting, she replied: “Why would a person who has no face covering in this gathering not cry?”
Like her father, mother, and brother, Lady Zaynab (S.A) discredited the enemy and belittled Yazid due to his maliciousness to render the tragedy of Ashura a good example of how women’s Hijab is the most powerful weapon. The tragedy of Ashura showed that women were the enemy’s primary target with the aim of emotionally breaking them after the death of their men. The tragedy also showed that if women defend religious leadership, they become the most powerful and resolute people against the enemy.
The enemy saw women’s hijab as the most powerful weapon in supporting religious authority, thus forcibly pulled off their hijab, unaware of the fact that although hijab gives value to women, what makes Hijab more effective is acting like Lady Zaynab (A.S). Thus, the enemy unintentionally reinforced this idea that Hijab has two positive consequences a) to cover, and b) to emulate Lady Zaynab.
Sahi ibn Sa’idi reported: “I went to the gate of Damascus where I saw flags coming after each other, and a horseman carrying a flag. There was a head placed on top of it which was most similar to the Prophet than anyone else. Suddenly, I saw women following him on camels without any saddle or covering. I approached the first woman and asked, ‘Who are you?’ She answered, ‘Sukaynah Bint Al-Hussain (AS).’ I asked: ‘What can I do for you?’ She answered, ‘O’ Sahl! Please tell the bearer of this head to go forth so that people are occupied with watching it and not look at the women of the family of the Prophet (PBUH).’ Then I gave four hundred dinars to that man to do so.”
The importance of the duty of women in protecting their Hijab was manifested in the tragedy of Ashura; and the message of that tragedy will continuously include the concept of Hijab.
Source: Shafaqna English
