A Short Play on Bibi Zainab

Narrator 1: Salam Alaikum everybody. Today, our play is going to be on one of the greatest ladies in the history of Islam – Bibi Zainab.

Narrator 2: She was the daughter of Bibi Fatema and Imam Ali. However, our play today is going to centre on her life before Karbala. (curtain open) Our first scene is going to show the birth of Bibi Zainab:

(Imam Ali and Bibi Fatema holding Bibi Zainab in their arms)

Imam Ali: Salam Alaikum Ya Rasulullah

Bibi Fatema: Salam Alaikum Father.

Prophet: Alaikum Salam. Fatema, how are you feeling?

Bibi Fatema: By the Grace of Allah, Alhamdulillah.

Imam Ali (giving the child to the Prophet): We have come to you, O Prophet, like we came when my sons Hassan and Hussein were born, to ask you what we should name our daughter.

Prophet: Jibrael has just come down and has told me that she is to be named Zainab. (the Prophet then started weeping)

Bibi Fatema: Baba, why are you crying?

Imam Ali: What has happened?

Prophet: Jibrael has told me that Zainab will be present in Karbala and will be a witness to the massacre of her family!

Narrator 1: From the time Bibi Zainab was young she had suffered many calamities. When she was about 4-5 years old, her grandfather – the Prophet passed away.

Narrator 2: She watched her mother go into the darbar and give a khutba that shook the people. However, as we know, her mother also passed away soon after the Prophet.

Narrator 1: Bibi Zainab was her father's pupil. In fact it is also said that the khutba she gave in the darbar of Yazid was so much like her father that people began to wonder if Imam Ali was actually present in the darbar! She even had a really good memory, which was why one day a woman came to Imam Ali:

Woman: salam Alaikum ya Imam.

Imam: Alaikum Salam

Woman: I have come here to ask you for something. We need a woman to teach us about Islam and its rules so that we may also follow learn.

Imam: Okay! I will tell my daughter Zainab to lecture and teach you.

Narrator 2: And bibi Zainab went on to teach the women about Islam and the Quran and even other general knowledge like general mathematics, etc. Whenever the women had a problem of any sort, they went to her even though she was much younger than them.

Narrator 1: As she grew older she became more wise and knowledgeable and her attachment to her family especially to her brother – Imam Hussain – grew. She got married to Abdullah bin Jafar e-Tayyar. (curtain opens) Before she accepted the proposal she asked Abdullah for one thing:

Bibi Zainab: I want to ask you for one thing before our marriage.

Jaffar: Yes what is it?

Bibi Zainab: I want you to allow me to visit my family whenever I want.

Jaffer: Yes of course! By all means.

Bibi Zainab: Also I want your permission from now to be able to accompany my brother to Karbala.

Jaffer: Yes of course! I will not keep you from your family.

Narrator 1: Bibi Zainab was the best of housewives and mothers. Hazrat Jaffer e-Tayyar is reported to have said that she is the best of wives.

Narrator 2: Our next scene is going to show her after Karbala. We all know that she accompanied her brother to Karbala and then after Imam was killed, she went on towards Kufa and Sham. However, it is said the trials and tribulations of that one year made her an old woman, so much so that when she returned to Madina she looked completely different from when she had left. Her back was now stopped and her was white.

(curtain open – she is sitting on a chair. Jaffer e-Tayyar opens the door of the house and walks in and sees Bibi Zainab sitting on the chair.)

Jaffer: Salam Alaikum

Bibi Zainab: Alaikum salam

Jaffer: O' lady, who are you, do you not have a place to stay, a home of your own?

Bibi Zainab: O' Jaffer! Did you not recognise me, I am Zainab.

Jaffer: O' Zainab how you have suffered! In one year alone, your back has become stooped and you have changed so much that I do not even recognize you!

Narrator 1: Bibi Zainab lived for just a few years after her return from Karbala soon after which she passed away. Her grave is still present in Sham and inshaalh we all get the Taufiq to go for her ziyarat.

Narrator 2: Before we conclude we would like to say that the play we just did was paraphrased and was not the actually words of the Prophet or the Imams but was merely a gist of what happened in Karbala.

Narrator 1: We would like to conclude by holding hands and reciting dua e wahda.