When the ladies of Imam Hussain (a.s.) household were made to halt at Kufa, on their way to Sham, from Karbala, Janabe Fatima Sugra (s.a.) delivered a rousing sermon to the people of Kufa. The same has been narrated from Hazrat Zaid b. Moosa b. Jaffar (r.a.) who recounts from his forefathers (a.s)
“I extol Allah (the Glorified) with equal to the number of the particles of sand and the distance between the throne and the earth. I have faith in Him alone and give credence only to Him. I bear
witness to the fact that there is no creator besides Allah (the Glorified). He works in solitude and has not taken any associate. And I bear witness that Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) is His servant and His Messenger, whose children were massacred on the banks of the Euphrates while in a state of innocence. O My God! I seek refuge in Thee, that I may ascribe falsehood to Thee and attribute lies against Thee.”
Then addressing the Kufans she declared,
“You have violated the pledge and fealty that was taken in favour of Ali b. Abi Talib (a.s.) and killed him in the mosque while he was free of any blame or wrongdoing. Not satisfied, you then decimated his children. Indeed these marauders were Muslims for name’s sake alone. Surely Hussain’s (a.s.) thirst remained unquenched till the very end. He remained afflicted with this thirst in life as well as in death. O Allah! You captured his soul and called him back towards Yourself Verily Husain (a.s.) is pure and blessed. The residents of Paradise acclaim his distinctions and his probity. O Lord! He was never concerned with the accusation of any accuser in Your affair; nor did the censure of any malignant ever distract him from Your path. You have guided him to Islam since infancy Then in his youth You blessed him with distinction and eminence. He was always upright in his religion and conducted Your, and Your Messenger’s affair, with undivided sincerity and ardour. You preferred him and directed him to the right path. And when he returned (to You), you found him in a state of abstinence and piety. O People of Kufa! O People of pride and pretenses! Surely Allah has tried us, the Ahle Bayt, through you and examined you through us. Then we excelled in our trials and were redeemed in our examination. So Allah granted us His knowledge and wisdom and made us inherit His erudition and sagacity. And we are His proof among the people and His emissaries on this earth. And He honoured us with a portion from His Honour and distinguished us through His Messenger (s.a.ws.). Then you denied us and belittled us. And you declared as admissible, war with us, and permitted plundering of our kin, as if we were descendants of (Turks and Qaaheel). Just the other day, you have slain our forefathers, as your sharp daggers dripping with our blood, will eloquently testify. And you perpetrated this heinous crime only to wreak your age-old vendetta (against us) and nurse your ancient wounds. Indeed your audacious disposition against Allah coupled with your meanness and deceit will invite His wrath and vengeance. May your hearts never find solace and satisfaction from looting us and shedding our blood! For surely Allah detests the proud and arrogant ones. May you all perish with the arduous chastisement that is awaiting you! This chastisement has already been decreed for you and is hurtling down upon you from the skies right now. This decree is a consequence of the evil that your hands have earned. Indeed you are the punishment for each other. Then the Day of Resurrection will greet you with an infliction that will be eternal, without any succor. Certainly this is just reward for your inimical disposition towards us and the nerve-wracking tribulations and sufferings with which you targeted us. Your hearts have hardened and are overwhelmed with insistence to wage war against us. Your intellects are sealed and are immune to guidance. Your eyes have turned blind and your ears have turned deaf and have become averse and impervious to truth. Satan has spun his web of deceit around you and has found willing accomplices in you. O People of Kula! Guidance will never reach you though destruction most surely will! Verily you are liable to the Prophet’s wrath and are answerable to him. You wreaked your vengeance on the Prophet’s brother and my grandfather. You did not even spare his children, who were also made victims of your genocide. Till one antagonist among them declared with disdain”
“We have slain All and his children with our sharp daggers and lances! And we have imprisoned their women like Turkish prisoners! What a battle it was that we waged (against them)!”
May Allah strike this antagonist dead! You pride yourself on slaying a clan that has been purified by Allah from all indecencies and flaws. Beware! Every man is responsible for what his hands have wreaked. You have tormented us out of your intense envy and rancor. Surely you will be called upon to answer for this prejudice. How are we at fault if Allah has endowed us with bounties and embellished us with virtues, while He has deprived you of it! For surely this is Allah’s grace and He bestows it on whomsoever He pleases. Then one who does not get a portion of His grace, is indeed dispossessed of it.”
It has been narrated that this moving sermon left a profound impression on the audience. Their cries and wailing rose to a crescendo and they began pleading,
‘Stop! O Daughter of Impeccable Souls! Our souls are anguished. Our hearts are wrenched and have been rent asunder.’
Janabe Fatima Sugra (s.a.) acquiesced and withdrew in silence. Then upon this lady and her forefathers be the best, plentiful, most perfect, everlasting and an endless count of blessings from Allah, His Prophets (a.s.) and His Angels.
