07/23/2025
“His mother is a princess of Iran, and royal blood flows through his veins. He cannot endure any hardship.”
The esteemed orator of the family of Muhammad (peace be upon them), the late Khatib Aal-e-Muhammad, Syed Azhar Hassan Zaidi, used to say:
When Imam Ali Zain ul Abideen (al-Sajjad, peace be upon him) departed from Madinah, he was a healthy young man of 23 years. Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) had a veil placed only over his (Imam Sajjad’s) face. Someone asked, “O Master, when Ali Akbar (peace be upon him) is present, why have you veiled Zain ul Abideen’s face?”
Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) replied,
“He carries royal blood, and royal blood does not walk unveiled in the marketplaces.”
When departing from Madinah, Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) said,
“Give Zain ul Abideen one of the noblest horses of my father’s stable. A special saddle has been crafted for it, and the horse has been trained specifically to respond to subtle gestures so that the rider may not experience any discomfort.”
Someone asked, “Why are you making all these arrangements just for Zain ul Abideen (peace be upon him)?”
Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) replied,
“Because his mother is a princess of Iran, and royal blood flows through his body. He possesses a royal temperament, and a royal temperament cannot endure hardship. That is why I have made all these arrangements.”
Later, when Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) was taken as a prisoner and being led away from Karbala, he said:
“Father! If only my hands were free, I would not have left you upon the scorching land of Karbala, under the open sky, without a shroud. Look, Father, my hands are bound with ropes, my feet are shackled, and there is an iron collar around my neck.”
In commemoration of the martyrdom of Imam Ali Zain ul Abideen (al-Sajjad, peace be upon him).
