Sayeda Sakina bint al-Husayn was the daughter of Hussain ibn Ali. Sakina is a derivative of Sakoon meaning Peace. Sayeda Sakina was the most beloved daughter of Hussain ibn Ali and used to sleep on his chest every night. Hussain ibn Ali was often heard saying, A house without Sayeda Sakina would not be worth living in. Like any other four-to-five year old, when Sayeda Sakina went to bed at night she wanted to spend some time with her father. Hussain ibn Ali would tell her stories of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad and of the battles fought by her grandfather Ali ibn Abi Talib. There was a special bond between Sayeda Sakina and her paternal uncle, Abbas ibn Ali a.s. He loved her more than he did his own children. If Sayeda Sakina requested for anything, Abbas ibn Ali would not rest until he fulfilled her request. During the journey from Medina to Mecca and then Mecca to Karbala, Abbas ibn Ali was often seen riding up to the mehmil (a special saddle made for women) in which Sayeda Sakina sat to make sure that she had everything she wanted. Sayeda Sakina loved her uncle just as much. While in Medina, she would several times a day, visit the house in which Abbas ibn Ali lived with his family and his mother, Ummul Banin. Becoming an orphanEdit The tyrannical forces of Yazid came to the tents. They looted all the belongings of Hussain ibn Ali and his supporters. They even snatched away the hijab of the ladies. Shimr, the most evil of Yazids men, came too. Sayeda Sakina was crying for her father. Instead of comforting words, Shimr slapped Sayeda Sakinas face and pulled off earrings from her ears. Blood poured from little Sayeda Sakinas ears. Surely they would stop now. But they did not. One-by-one they set fire to the tents. The helpless ladies and children ran from one tent to another. Sayeda Sakinas dress was on fire, her ears were bleeding. All Sayeda Sakina wanted was her dear father.She ran to the battlefield screaming: Father, where are you? Father, father, speak to me father. As the night descended, since Hussain ibn Alis head was cut off by Yazids army, Zaynab bint Ali, the daughter of Ali ibn Abi Talib, took it on herself to protect the ladies and children. She gathered all the ladies and children, in to one small space in between the gutted tents. Ali ibn Hussain lay on the ground surrounded by these widows and orphans. There was no fire, no light. Only the moon cast its dull light. After a little while, Zaynab bint Ali noticed that Sayeda Sakina was missing. She asked Rubab, but even she did not know where Sukaina was. The two holy ladies (A.S.) panicked and ran out of the tents looking for her.The two ladies (A.S.) searched everywhere for the young girl but in vain. Finally, in desperation, Zaynab bint Ali went to the place where the body of her brother Hussain ibn Ali lay and cried, O my brother, Sayeda Sakina, who you left in my care, is nowhere to be found. Where shall I look for her in this wilderness? Just then, the moon came out from behind a cloud and Zaynab bint Ali saw Sayeda Sakina laid on her father, sleeping on his chest like she always used to.She shook the child awake and said, Oh, Sayeda Sakina! How did you recognize your father? A person can be recognized by their face or the clothes they wear. Your father is beheaded and his clothes are covered with red scars of blood. Sukaina replied innocently, I wanted to tell my father about what the people had done to me. I wanted to tell him how Shimr had robbed the earrings that my father had so lovingly given me. I wanted to tell him how he had ripped them from my ears leaving my earlobes torn and bleeding. I wanted to tell him how the beast had mercilessly slapped me when I cried in pain. When I was running aimlessly in the desert I thought I heard my fathers voice telling me he was here [Ilaiya Ilaiya Sakina]. I followed the voice and I found him lying here. I told him everything and then I felt like sleeping on his chest the way I always did, for the last time. So I kept my head on his chest and slept till you came.
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 07:04:45 +0000
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