Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi

Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) had married five times. Here is a short life-sketch of his wives.

1. Shahr Banu

Shahr Banu was a daughter of Yazd Gurd, the last emperor of Iran. She and her sister, Gayhan Banu, were sent to Arabia by Hurayth Ibn Jabir, governor of Persia in the time of Amiru ’1-Mu’minin ‘Ali. Shahr Banu was married to Imam Husayn and Gayhan Banu to Muhmmmad Ibn Abi Bakr, who was brought up by ‘Ali (peace be upon him).

Imam Zayn al-‘Abidin (peace be upon him) was Shahr Banu’s son. He was born in the year 38 A.H., in Kufa, and Shahr Banu died within ten days of the birth of Imam Zaynu ’l-‘Abidin. He was brought up by a maid of Imam Husayn whom he addressed as ‘mother’. The stories in which Shahr Banu is shown present in Karbala have no basis at all.

Gayhan Banu gave birth to Qasim, whose daughter, Umm Farwah, was married to Imam Muhammad Baqir (peace be upon him) and she was the mother of Imam Ja‘far as-Sadiq (peace be upon him).

2. Rubab

Rubab was a daughter of Imra‘u ’l-Qays who was the chief of the tribe of Kinda. One of her elder sisters, Mahyat, was married to Amiru ’1-Mu’minin ‘Ali (peace be upon him) and died in the life of Imam ‘Ali.

Rubab was mother of Sakinah and ‘Abdullah (known as ‘Ali al-Asghar). Imam was very fond of Sakinah (whose real name was Aminah or Amimah).

Rubab was present in Karbala and suffered all the agonies undergone by the family of the Prophet. She was arrested and imprisoned together with other members of the family. After returning to Madinah, she would sit under hot sun, never seeking any shelter. Thus mourning the deaths of her dear ones, she died after one year.

3. Laila

Laila was daughter of Abu Murra, son of ‘Urwah Ibn Mas‘ud ath-Thaqafi. Her mother was Maymunah, daughter of Abu Sufyan. Thus she was a cousin of Yazid. Her aunt Umm Sa‘id, daughter of ‘Urwah, was one of the wives of Amiru ’1-Mu’minin ‘Ali. Laila was mother of ‘Ali Akbar. Her name has not been mentioned in the old books written about Karbala.

Add to this the fact that her name was never mentioned in the court of Yazid and nobody blamed him that he had imprisoned his own cousin. Also, we hear that ‘Ali Akbar was brought up by Zaynab, the sister of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him). From these pointers, the scholars have concluded that Laila was not alive at the time of the tragedy of Karbala.

4. Umm Ishaq

Umm Ishaq was daughter of Talhah Ibn ‘Ubaydullah Taimi. She was first married to Imam Hasan and she gave birth to two sons and one daughter. When Imam Hasan was poisoned, he told Imam Husayn to marry Umm Ishaq. Thus, some time after the death of Imam Hasan, she was married to Imam Husayn, and gave birth to Fatimah Kubra.

When Hasan Muthanna, the second son of Imam Hasan, approached Imam Husayn so that the Imam might arrange his marriage, the Imam told him: “My son, select either of my daughters, Fatimah or Sakinah.” Hasan Muthanna blushed and could not answer. So the Imam said: '”I select Fatimah Kubra for you, because she resembles my mother, Fatimah.” Thus, Fatimah Kubra was married to Hasan Muthanna and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. One of their sons, ‘Abdullah, and two grandsons, Muhammad and Ibrahim, are well-knuwn in Islamic history; they fought Mansur, the ‘Abbaside king, and were killed. The tortures inflicted upon the descendants of Imam Hasan, owing to this opposition, are well-known to the students of Islamic history.

Hasan Muthanna was present in Karbala. He was seriously wounded and was put among the bodies of the martyrs. After the martyrdom of Imam Husayn, when sound of drums and the cries of rejoicings reached his ears, he regained conciousness. He found a broken sword in the battle-field and tried to fight the enemy again. But the loss of blood had made him so weak that the enemy overpowered him and he was arrested. Asma’ Ibn Kharijah, a man from the tribe of his mother, rescued him from his fellow-mercenaries of Yazid. He later recovered from the injuries and returned to Madinah. After about fifteen years, when Hasan Muthanna died in Madinah, Fatimah Kubra erected a tent on his grave in Jannatu ’1-Baqi’, and remained there for exactly one year.

Then she returned to her house.

These historical facts leave no room for the myth of marriage, on the day of ‘Ashurah, between Qasim Ibn Hasan and Fatimah Kubra. As Shaykh ‘Abbas Qummi wrote in Muntaha ’l- ‘Amal, the story-tellers, before reciting that story, should find out a daughter for Imam Husayn whom he could give in marriage to Qasim, in Karbala.

5. Qudha’iyah

She was from the tribe of Qudha’ah. Her name is not known. She gave birth to one child, Ja‘far, who died in childhood.

Children

All historians agree about these six children: 1) Imam Zaynu ’l-‘Abidin. 2) ‘Ali al-Akbar. 3) ‘Ali al-Asghar. 4) Ja‘far. 5) Fatimah; and 6) Sakinah.

Some historians, however, have added some more names. Kamalu ’d-din Muhammad Ibn Talhah ash-Shafi‘i in his book, Matalibu ’s-Su’ul, counts ‘Abdullah and ‘Ali al-Asghar as two sons and adds the names of one more son, Muhammad, and one more daughter, Zaynab.

Add to this the daughter who died in the prison of Yazid in Damascus, whose name, as written on the tomb, was Ruqaiyyah. Also, some unauthentic narratives mention one daughter, Fatimah Sughra, who, it is said, was left in Madinah because she was ill when Imam Husayn left Madinah for Mecca. Thus we get the names of six sons (two of which are doubtful) and five daughters (two or three of which are doubtful).

Only Imam Zayn Al-‘Abidin and Fatimah Kubra had any children.