Hadrat Shahrbano

Hadrat Shahrbano: The Reverend Mother of 

Imam Zayn al-Abidin(A.S.) 

Shahrbano was the daughter of the (Iranian) kings and was mother of Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him. This great mistress occupied an important position in the world of the Muslim woman. In fact, she was among the great mistresses of her time. She was among the well-known/obvious Muslim women and was distinguished by noble qualities. Among them are: 
A. She had a very clear family. She was the daughter of Choesroe, the just king and pride of the kings of the East. Concerning him, the Predictor of the future, may Allah bless him and his family, said with pride: "I was born at the time of the just King, Choesroe." 
B. She was the wife of the father of the free and lord of (people who die or suffer a lot rather than give up what they believe in), Ima`m Husayn, peace be on him. 
C. She was the mother of Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin and Sayyid al-Sa`jidin, peace be on him. 
D. She was the grandmother of the pure Imams from among the children of Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him. 
E. She was the holy relationship between the Arabs and the Persians. 
In fact these qualities added honor to her honor and glory to her glory. 
Her Mental Qualities 
As for her mental qualities, they were (never having sex), purity, perfection, standard morals, and cleverness. As she had good tendencies and honorable qualities, the Commander of the faithful (Ima`m 'Ali ), peace be on him, hurried to marry her to his son Ima`m Husayn, peace be on him. He ordered him to treat her kind/nicely and to do good for her. We will briefly present some of her affairs according to what the references have talked about. 
Reports of her Marriage 
The reports have differed over the time when she married Ima`m Husayn, peace be on him. The following are some of them: 
A. At the Time of 'Umar 
Al-Kulayni reported on the authority of Ima`m Abu Ja'far al-Baqir, peace be on him. He said: "When Yazdigird's daughter came, 'Umar made the virgins of Medina honor her. When 'Umar looked at her, she covered her face and said: "Uf biru`jj ba`da` Hurmuz." These words meaning the day of Hurmuz has become black because his daughters have become prisoners. 
"Is she abusing me ? "asked 'Umar. "That is not for you," said the Commander of the faithful, "Let her choose a person from the Muslims." 
She walked till she put her hand on the head of al-Husayn, peace be on him (Usul al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 467. Dala'il al-Imama, p. 370.) 
Some history experts have talked about a report similar to this account. They said: "Yazdigird had two daughters. They were taken prisoners during the time of 'Umar. So, the Commander of the faithful (Ima`m 'Ali), peace be on him, took them. Of these he had given Ima`m al-Husayn and she bore him Zayn al-'Abidin. He had given the other to Mohammed b. Abi Bakr and she bore him al-Qa`sim.(Shadharat al-Dhahab, vol. 1, p. 104. Nazhat al-Majalis, vol. 2, p. 192. Zahrat al-Maqul, p. 6). 
Ibn Kullakan has talked about a similar report to this. However, he has added that they were three (daughters). So he (the Commander of the faithful)had given the third to 'Abd Allah b. 'Umar.(Ibn Khullkan, Wafayat al-A'yan, vol. 2, p. 429). 
B. At the Time of 'Uthma`n 
Al-Sadu`q has reported: "When 'Abd Allah b. 'Umar won (by force) Khurasan (Iran)during the days of 'Uthma`n, he took the two daughters of Yazdigird prisoners. He sent them to 'Uthma`n. Of them the last thing just mentioned had given to al-Hasan. He had given the other to al-Husayn."('Uyyun al-Akhbar wa Funun al-Athar, p. 143. Roudat al-Wa'izin, vol. 1, p. 137. 
Tuhaf al-Raghib, p. 13. A'lam al-Wara, p. 151. Al-Mufid, al-Irshad) . 
C. At the Time of the Important Muslim religious leaderate of the Commander of the Faithful 
A group of the history experts and the narrators has reported: "When the Commander of the faithful (Ima`m 'Ali), peace be on him, had assumed the important Muslim religious leaderate, heselected/hired Hurayth b. Ja`bir over part of the eastern areas of a country. 
The last thing just mentioned had sent him two daughters of Yazdigird b. Sharyya`r. Of these he had given his son al-Husayn, peace be on him, Shahrbano and she bore him Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him. He had given the other to Mohammed b. Abi Baker and she bore him al-Qa`sim, the famous jurist." 
These are the reports which have been talked about of her marriage to Ima`m (Husayn), the Lord of (people who die or suffer a lot rather than give up what they believe in), peace be on him. Worth talking about, the last two reports have not talk abouted the capture of Shahrbano with her two sisters, rather they have talked about that they were sent to the Important Muslim religious leader. But the first report is clear in talking about their capture. 
Checking the Reports 
We must check these different reports. We think that the first report is wrong for the following reasons: 
1. Yazdigird was alive throughout the important Muslim religious leaderate of 'Umar. He died after his death. He was killed in Maru in the year 30 A.H. That was in the sixth year of theimportant Muslim religious leaderate of 'Uthma`n. We firmly believe that Shahrbano and her two sisters disappeared after the murder of their father till the important Muslim religious leaderate of the Commander of the faithful (Ima`m 'Ali). The Commander of the faithful selected/hiredHurayth b. Ja`bir over that area. The last thing just mentioned found them and sent them to the Ima`m, peace be on him. 
2. What Abu Hanifa reported points to/shows that the first report is wrong. When the daughter of Yazdigird was brought to the Commander of the faithful, he, peace be on him, said to her: 
"Choose whomever you lack of the Muslims." 
She answered with awareness and high purpose: 
"I want a head over whom there is no head." 
This points to/shows the strong awareness of this Princess. 
The Ima`m answered her kind/nicely, saying: 
"In fact 'Ali is an old man." 
This means that the Ima`m was in no need of women, for he was an old man. Besides he was busy treating the general affairs that surrounded him. 
But the Princess insisted on her idea, saying: 
"I talked completely to you." 
Some Persian leaders asked the Ima`m to marry her to them. 
The Ima`m answered, saying: "That is up to her. If she wishes to refuse (marriage), (she can refuse it). If she wishes to accept (marriage), (she can accept it)." 
The Ima`m had no right to (force (on people)/cause an inconvenient situation) marriage on her, rather that was up to her mental wishes. No one had the right to force her to what he wanted. The Mistress stopped answering him.( Al-Akhbar al-Tiwal). We firmly believe that it was Shahrbano. Her marriage happened during the time of the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him. 
The most famous of the previous two reports. Most jurists think that fame makes the report superior to (the other reports). Al-Muqrim, a researcher, believed in this report. 
Irregular Ideas 
Some history experts have talked about irregular ideas about the family of Shahrbano. They are as follow: 
A. She was from the country of al-Sind. 
B. She was among those who were taken prisoners in Kabul. 
These two ideas argue (against) what the narrators and the history experts have (every single person agreed) on, for they said that she was the daughter of Yazdigird, the king of the Persians. That was famous even during the time of the Ima`m. All the people knew that. In this connection, Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali, who was modern with the Ima`m, said: 
In fact there is a son between Kasra and Ha`shim. 
He is more noble than him to whom charms were 
trusted. He is the light. The place of his secret 
is the Light of Allah. 
He is the source of the fountain of the Ima`mate.(Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 46, p. 166). 
He is full of knowledge. 
Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him, represented that when he said: "I am the son of the two good (communities)." With this he, peace be on him, referred to the well-known tradition: "Allah, the Most High, has two good (communities) among His creatures. His good (community) from the Arabs is Quraysh, and from non-Arabs is Persia."(Ibn Khullaka Wafayat al-A'yan, vol. 2, p. 429. Ibn Tolon, Al-A'mmia al-Ithna 'Ashar, p. 175). 
Some history experts said: "In fact 'Ali b. al-Husayn (Zayn al-'Abidin) gathered predictor of the futurehood and authority on the side of his grandfathers." 
Her Holy Name
The mother of the Ima`m, peace be on him, was known as Shahrbano. This was not her name. Rather it was her nick-name. It means the queen or the mistress of the women.1 However, thehistory experts have differed over her name. 
The following are some of her names: 
1. Sala`ma. 
2. Sala`fa. 
3. Ghaza`la. 
4. Salama. 
5. Sa`dira. 
6. Shahrbano. 
These are some of the ideas which we have talked about concerning her name. It does not concern us which name is correct, for it does not get/help readers. 
The Holy Relationship 
Shahrbano was the holy relationship between the Arabs and the Persians. This is because she was the mother of Zayn al-'Abidin, who was the son of the two good (communities) and father of the pure child/outcome who filled the world with all the factors of awareness, seriousness and self-respect, and (moving ahead or up). Sayyid 'Abid al-'Aziz Sayyid al-Ahal said: "Zayn al-'Abidin is a strong relationship between us, we, the Arabs, and the Persians. 
Then he is a strong relationship among all people. It is as if he is among the strong causes which the Difficult to notice/skillful, the Powerful (Allah) drove to erase division, to strengthentogetherness, and to bring people close to each other." This was the strongest relationship between the Arabs and the Persians because it has spread love, feeling of love, and togethernessamong them. 
Pre-Islamic Beliefs 
Islam destroyed the pagan beliefs that divided the Muslims and paralyzed their togetherness. Among those beliefs was that an Arab did not marry a non-Arab (woman ). This is because he wanted to preserve Arab blood and family. Surely this important thing/big event divided the Muslims and destroyed their togetherness. Islam in fact cast away this hollow selfishness and these (self-loving/useless) titles. It supported the honor and beauty of soul. 
That's the reason for the Predictor of the future, may Allah bless him and his family, said: "Surely, the most honorable of you with Allah is the most religious of you." Islam has represented in a positive way the just equality among the Muslims. It has destroyed class differences and all racism. Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, married his relative Zaynab, the daughter of Jahash, who belonged to the chiefs of the Hashimites, to his (pre-payment given to a professional/teeth-straightening device), Zayd b. Ha`ritha. He, may Allah bless him and his family, wanted the Islamic community to learn a lesson from that and to follow this clear straight path. 
The Imams of the members of the House (ahl al -Bayt), peace be on them, followed this(something that predicts the future) method. They fought war against racism and resisted pre-Islamic beliefs by marrying female slaves after they had released them. They sometimes married them with money before they had freed them. This had great influence on the Arabs, and theyleft alone their pre-Islamic beliefs. 
The history experts said: "Ima`m al-Husayn, peace be on him, married Shahrbano 
and she bore him the great figure of guidance, Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him. The Arabs saw his perfection and his high self. Hence Quraysh hurried to marry slave-wives.Al-Mubarrad has narrated the following on the authority of a man from Quraysh. The man's mother was a slave-wife. The man said: "One day I sat with Sa'id b. al-Musayyab, and he asked me: 'Who are your mother-based uncles?' My mother is a slave-wife, I answered." 
Sa'id strongly disliked the man. However, the man was clever. He waited for a while. In the mean time Sa`lim b. 'Abd Allah b. 'Umar came. The last thing just mentioned was a Quraysh great figure, but his mother was a slave-wife. Sa'id talked with Sa`lim. Then the last thing just mentioned went away. So the man asked Sa'id: 
"Uncle, who is this man ?" 
Sa'id became angry. He shouted at the man, saying: 
"Glory be to Allah ! Do you ignore this man who is from your people ? This is Sa`lim b. 'Abd Allah b. 'Umar b. al-Khatta`b." 
"Who is his mother ?" asked the man. 
"A slave-wife," replied Sa'id. 
Then al-Qa`sim b. Mohammed b. Abi Baker came to Sa'id. The former's mother was a slave-wife. A talk happened between them. When al-Qa`sim went away, the man asked Sa'id the same question. The man answered him in the same manner. Then Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin came. Sa'id welcomed him warmly. When the Ima`m went away, the man asked Sa'id: "Uncle, who is this man?" 
"This is whom no Muslim can ignore. This is 'Ali b. al-Husayn b. 'Ali b. Abi Ta`lib," replied Sa'id angrily. 
"Who is his mother ?" asked the man. 
"A slave-wife," replied Sa'id. 
"Why did you strongly dislike me when I said that my mother was a slave-wife ? Is my mother not similar to theirs?" asked the man. 
Sa'id confessed his mistake. He liked and respected the man and took care of him.(Al-Mubarrad, al-Kamil, vol. 2, p. 462 Nazhat al-Jalis, vol. 2, p. 23. al-A'mmia al-Ithna 'Ashar, p. 176). 
This bad important thing/big event won that time. It resulted from the backgrounds of the pre-Islamic time that was (related to the mind and thinking) and socially backward. One has no shortcoming when his mother is from Rome, Persia, and the like. For this reason the poet said: 
Do not curse the person whose mother is from the Romans 
Or is black from the non-Arabs. 
In fact the mothers of people are trusted containers 
And the family has fathers. 
They only thing that increases the importance of the person is his good deeds, his services for his community, and his high self even though his mother is black from non-Arabs. If the person's deeds are bad, then he is mean even if he is a Sharif from Quraysh. The great Islam has underlined that. It does not hold importance to anything except good deeds, for they are the onlyjudging requirement in showing the high and low position in it. 
Ima`m 'Ali took care of Her 
Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, took care of Shahrbano, for heknew about her belief and her perfect thinking ability. A group of traditions was narrated on his authority. The traditions have praised her outstanding qualities. Some of them are as follows: 
A. He recommended his son, Ima`m Husayn, to treat her kind/nicely, saying: "Treat Shahrbanokind/nicely, for she is acceptable. She will bear you the best of the people of the earth after you."('Uyyun al-Mu'jizat. Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 5, p. 14). 
B. He told his family that she would be the pure mother of the pure Imams. He, peace be on him, said: "She is the mother of the trustees (of authority ), the pure child/outcome."( Basa'ir al-Darajat, p. 96. Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 5, p. 214. Nasikh al-Tawarikh, vol. 1, p. 13). 
The pure Imams, from whom Allah kept away the uncleanness and purified completely, branched from this noble Mistress. 
Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, took care of Shahrbano, for he knew that she had good abilities such as good qualities/advantages, perfection, and politeness. He, peace be on him, asked her: "What have you memorized from your father after the Event of the Elephant?" 
She answered him with this golden word that represents her father's huge thinking ability and his experience in the affairs of life: 
He said: "When Allah overcomes an affair, the desires to do great things become humble after it. When the period is over, death is in the means." 
The Ima`m was surprised and shocked at this wise word that points to/shows the reality of life. Hence he liked and respected her, saying: "What good your father said ! All matters are subject topre-planned future, so much so that sometimes death results from effort."(Al-Mufid, al-Irshad, p. 160. Al-Bihar, vol. 46, pp. 11-12). 
Every thing in this existence is subject to Allah's will. In fact Allah , the Most High has the power over everything. Man may depend on firm means. He thinks that such means protect him from dangers. However, they do not get/help him. This is because they might endanger him. Therefore, his death results from them. 
Al-Husayn took care of Her 
Ima`m Husayn, peace be on him, took care of his wife,Shahrbano, very much. He preferred her to his wives. As a result this Shahrbano found respect and honor with the Ima`m. So she forgot the beautiful life which she led during the rule of her father. The Ima`m taught her the Islamic spiritual teachings to the extent that she rejected her royal life. Sayyid 'Abd al-Aziz Sayyid al-Ahal said: "Al-Husayn, peace be on him, taught her Islamic teachings to the extent that she forgot the palaces of al-Mada`'in and the meadows of Kabul." 
The History experts praised Her 
Some history experts praised this noble lady. The following are their words (concerning her): 
A. Al-Mubarrad 
Concerning this great Mistress, al-Mubarrad said: 
"Shahrbano was among the excellent women."(Al-Kamil, vol. 2, p. 462). 
In fact Shahrbanowas among the mistresses of the women. She was (not involved with sex or sex-related things), and her thinking ability was perfect. More than that, her morals were high. 
B. Ibn Shadqam 
Ibn Shadqam said: "Shahrbano had many outstanding good qualities."(Zahrat al-Maqul, p. 16). 
C. Al-Kunji 
Ima`m al-Hafiz, Mohammed b. Yousif al-Kunji, said: "Allah, the Blessed and Praised, created the rightly-guided Imams, from among the child/outcome of al-Husayn, from the daughter of Choesroe with the exclusion of the rest of his wives.(Kifayat al-Talib, p. 414). 
In fact Allah gave His favors and His care on this noble lady. He gave/given her with great favor. He made her a noble mother for Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin and good pure grandmother for the pure Imams, who raised the Word of Allah high in the earth.