Koh-E-Bibi Shahr Banu Near Tehran in Iran.Courtesy: Google Images
Dr.
Mazhar Naqvi
"Born of the race of
Yazdigird the King
From Nushirwan my
origin I trace.
What time kind Fortune
naught but joy did bring
In Ray's proud city was
my home and place.
There in my father's
palace once at night
In sleep to me came
Fatima ' the Bright ' ;
' O Shahr-banu ' — thus
the vision cried —
' I give thee to Husayn
to be his bride ! '
Said I, ' Behold
Mada'in is my home,
And how shall I to far
Madina roam ?
Impossible ! ' But
Fatima cried, ' Nay,
Hasan shall hither come
in war's array,
And bear thee hence, a
prisoner of war,
From this Mada in to
Madina far,
Where, joined in
wedlock with Husayn my boy,
Thou shalt bear
children who will be my joy.
For nine Imams to thee
shall owe their birth,
The like of them hath
not been seen on earth ! "
This wonderful translation of a Persian play By Browne Edward describes
how the marriage of Imam Hussain with Janab-E-Shahr Banu was predicted by Bibi
Fatima in a dream. Every year in Iran passion plays are enacted with Janab-E-
Shahr Banu - as the main character. The
drama titled as " The Passing of
Shahr Banu," portrays her speaking that
one day when she was fast asleep in the palace of her father King Yezdigird,
Bibi Fatima –The illuminated one, appeared in my dream. She told Shahr Banu
that she has given the princess to her son Hussain as his bride. Shahr Banu wondered
over the declaration and asked how could she be in Medina being too awayt from
the holy city. She got the answer from Bibi as prisoner of war she would be in Medina, marry
Hussain and be considered as mother of nine Imams who will be unparalleled on
earth. The time proved prophecy correct.
Shahr Banu, with two sisters, was brought to Medina from Ctesiphon as captives.
The Caliph ordered them to be sold as slaves, but Hazrat Ali intervened and
Shahr Banu was given to Imam Husain. The marriage was of much significance
because it included the blue blood of the royal house of Sasan in the veins of
those blessed with the pure and pious
blood of Prophet Hazrat Mohammad. Imami
scholars also claim that Hazrat Ali too had foretold the birth of the next Imam,
for he said to imam Hussain "Treat
this lady kindly, for she will bear you the best of the people of the Earth
after you. She is the mother of the trustees (of authority), the pure
progeny".
The blogger has given a detailed description of the marriage of Imam
Hussain with Shahr Banu because today is 3rd Shaban – the birth anniversary
of Imam Hussain. He was born in 4th year of Hijrah in Medina. The Prophet had rejoiced upon hearing the news of
his birth and reached the house of his beloved daughter to see the child. When Imam Hussain was brought to him wrapped
in a white cloth the Prophet picked him up in his lap and recited the Azaan
in his right ear and iqamah in the left one.. On the seventh day of the birth,
an angel came from the God and he said, "Just as Haroon was the brother,
sympathizer, and helper in each and every difficulty of Moses similarly Ali is your sympathizer, helper and
brother in each and every matter of yours. Therefore, keep the name of this
child upon the name of Haroon's son "Shabeer," the Arabic translation of which becomes 'HUSSAIN.
Usually, his name brings tears only and azadari is performed to recall his
martyrdom. No doubt Muharram has kept alive his memory and mission both. But
much rejoicing should also be done on
his birth day .If the birth anniversary of the savior of Islam is not celebrated
with pomp and show who else deserves?( Browne Edward G.is author of ‘A literary
history of Persia and the translation has been taken from the book of John Norman
Hollister titled as The Shia of India )
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