Ibn ZÐyÁd faced ÝAlÐ ibn al-Íusayn in the governor’s palace in Kufah and he asked: Who are you? The Imam (Ýa) answered: I am ÝAlÐ ibn al-Íusayn. Ibn ZÐyÁd responded: Did not God kill ÝAlÐ ibn al-Íusayn (in Karbala)? The Imam replied: I had a brother who was called ÝAlÐ ibn al-Íusayn, and the people killed him. Ibn ZÐyÁd replied: No, God killed him! Imam (Ýa) replied with this verse in the Quran: (ٱللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى ٱلْأَنفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَٱلَّتِى لَمْ تَمُتْ فِى مَنَامِهَا )[1], which means: ‘It is Allah that takes the souls (of men) at death; and those that die not (He takes) during their sleep’. Ibn ZÐyÁd said: You answer me with impudence? You still retain the ability to answer me back (after all that has taken place)? Take him and cut off his head! When Zaynab heard this, she embraced Imam Zayn al-ÝAbidÐn (Ýa) and said to Ibn ZiyÁd: You have spilled enough of our blood upon this earth. She then added: I swear by God that I will not separate from him; if you wish to kill him, you must also kill me. Ibn ZÐyÁd looked at Zaynab and Imam SajjÁd (Ýa) and he said: Amazing is this love between family. He then added: I swear by God that I think this woman wants to be killed with her nephew. Leave him alone (referring to ÝAlÐ ibn al-Íusayn), for I think his illness is enough for him in terms of pain and torment.[2] Sayyid ibn ÓÁwÙs has written in his book: Imam SajjÁd (Ýa) faced his aunt and said: Dear aunt, be calm so that I may speak with him. He then faced Ibn ZÐyÁd and said: Oh son of ZÐyÁd, do you threaten us with death? Do you not know that being killed (in the way of God) is our (ancient) tradition and martyrdom is a means for us of honor and glory? After this exchange of words, Ibn ZÐyÁd found himself completely defeated and he ordered for ÝAlÐ ibn al-Íusayn and his companions to be kept in a house alongside the mosque.[3] There is no doubt that the effect of these words cannot be properly described in the society of that time; without any question, news of this exchange passed along the people of Kufah, as well as outside of the city, and it affected a great deal of change in the hearts that it reached. It also showed the greatness of the Ahl al-Bayt and the depravity and baseness of the Ummayads and their caliphate.[4] ______________ [1] Surah Zumar, Verse 42 [2] IrshÁd, Shaykh MufÐd, p. 473-474; MalhÙf (LuhÙf), p. 202; also refer to: TÁrÐkh ÔabarÐ, vol. 4, p. 350. [3] MalhÙf (LuhÙf), p. 202 [4] Taken from the text: ÝÀshÙrÁ, RÐshehÁ, RuÐdÁdhÁ, PayÁmadhÁ, by SaÝÐd DÁwÙdÐ and MahdÐ Rustam NezhÁd (compiled under the guidance of Ayatullah NÁÒir MakÁrim ShÐrÁzÐ)...