The Night of Reunion
Lady Ruqayyah (PBUH)
“And those who maintain the ties which God has commanded to be joined, and fear their Lord, and dread an evil reckoning.”
(Surah al-Ra’d, Verse 21)
It was the noon of thirst and separation...
Lady Sukayna said: “My sister Ruqayyah, come, let us cling to our father’s cloak and stop him from leaving...”
And oh, the tears of a sorrowful father upon hearing this...
But Lady Ruqayyah replied: “Father, I won’t stop you. Just sit with me a little so I can look at you. Do you want to leave us so soon?”
And the daughter’s cry filled the father’s heart with pain...
A little while after that heart-wrenching farewell between brother and sister, Dhuljanah stood ready, waiting for his rider...
Imam Ḥusayn (PBUH) mounted the horse, but no matter what he did, the horse did not move.
And his heart trembled when he saw what lay beneath the horse... A crying girl had wrapped herself around the horse’s leg and held on tightly...
Then the father’s soul trembled, and he opened his arms to embrace his daughter...
“My daughter! Endure patiently with your aunt. Your patience in the face of immense grief and the torment of captivity shall raise you to the station of intercession.”
And then the wailing of the women rose from the tents...
Not many nights had passed when the cries of the women now echoed in the ruins of Sham...
That night, she had dreamt of her father— and what a night it was for the Lady of Karbala, whose heart was torn once more...
It was the night of reunion... The head of her father had been brought to rest beside the girl, and a three-year-old child, whose hair had turned white and back had bent from grief, held him close in sorrow... Grief and pain embraced her— and shortly thereafter, her pure soul departed… and Alas for Zaynab’s heart…
And today, here we are, longing for reunion… Maybe we must take inspiration from the little girl who wept for forty days over the loss of her Imam— and drowned the deception of Yazid’s palace in her tears...
O Aunt of the Imam of Our Time! Here we are, with our hands stretched in supplication to you, asking permission to shed tears over the absence of our Master, so that—like you— we may strive in this path...
