The Resemblance of Lady Zaynab al-Kubra (p) to Lady Khadijah al-Kubra (p) — Part 7

Some Aspects of Resemblance Between the Two Ladies

7. Modesty, Chastity and Veiling

Lady Khadijah:

And the most chaste of them, and the most devout in religion, and the most modest

Riyahin al-Shari'a, vol. 2, p. 204

Lady Zaynab:

She is the noble lady ('aqila) of Banu Hashim, and she acquired such praiseworthy qualities as none after her mother has acquired, so that it is right to say of her: she is the Lesser Siddiqa. In hijab and covering she was surpassing: no man saw her person in the time of her father and her two brothers, except on the Day of Taff. In patience, steadfastness, strength of faith and piety she was unique, and in eloquence and rhetoric it was as though she were speaking from the tongue of the Commander of the Faithful

Mustadrak Safinat al-Bihar, vol. 4, p. 313

Yahya Mazini reports that for a long time he lived in Medina as a neighbour of Amir al-Mu'minin (a), and not even once did anyone see Lady Zaynab or hear her voice.

Riyahin al-Shari'a, vol. 3, p. 46

8. Precedence in Faith and Wilayah; Deputyship and Wasiyya

Lady Khadijah, the first believing woman and the first to pledge allegiance to Ali (a):

O Khadijah! This is Ali, your master and the master of the believers, and their Imam after me. She said: You have spoken the truth, O Messenger of God! I have pledged allegiance to him upon what you have said. I call God to witness and I call you to witness to that, and God suffices as a witness.

Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 18, p. 231

Lady Zaynab, the special deputy of Imam Husayn (a):

I said: To whom do the Shia turn? She said: To the grandmother, the mother of Abu Muhammad ... Then she said: In emulation of Husayn ibn Ali; for Husayn ibn Ali made his bequest (wasiyya) to his sister Zaynab, daughter of Ali, outwardly, and whatever knowledge came out from Ali ibn al-Husayn was attributed to Zaynab, as a covering for Ali ibn al-Husayn

Kamal al-Din, vol. 2, p. 501

Lady Zaynab (s) held special deputyship from Imam Husayn (a), and people would refer to her in the rulings on the lawful and the unlawful.

Ithbat al-Wasiyya, p. 272

9. Mother of the Believers and Mother of Calamities

Lady Khadijah is the “Mother of the Believers”:

O Khadijah, you are the best of the mothers of the believers, and the most excellent of them, and the leader of the women of the worlds

Al-Khisal, vol. 2, p. 418

And Lady Zaynab is the “Mother of Calamities”:

Peace be upon you, O aunt of the Wali of God, the honoured. Peace be upon you, O Mother of Calamities, O Zaynab, and the mercy of God and His blessings. Peace be upon you, O truthful and well-pleasing lady

A passage from the Ziyarat of Lady Zaynab