Famous Women in Islam

Lady Shahr-Bano - Princess of Persia and the Mother of Imams

          Lady Shahr-Bano also called as "Shah-e Zanan" was not an ordinary woman. She was the wife of Imam Hussain (AS) and the mother of Imam Zain ul-Abedin (AS). She was a princess and daughter of Yazdjard III, the last Kayani King of ancient Persia, who was the son of Shahryar ibn Parviz (or Khosrow) ibn Hormuz ibn Naushirwan-e-Adil.

          Lady Shahr-Bano's marriage with Imam Hussain (AS) holds a special  significance since from this stage onwards the Imams have not only the blood of the Noble Prophet (SAW), but also that of the royal house of the Sassanian kings. Later on, when a Persian dynasty was again established in the 16th century, Shah Ismail, who traced his descent to Imam Musa al-Kazim (AS) decreed the Shi'a religion to be the state religion.

          Sheikh Abbas Qummi relates that before the Muslim armies attacked the Persians, Lady Shahr-Bano dreamt that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) entered her house accompanied by Imam Hussain (AS) and proposed that she should marry his grandson. When she consented, he recited the formula of marriage (Seegha-e-Nikah) with Imam Hussain (AS). Lady Shahr-Bano relates as follows:

          "From that moment my love for Imam Hussain (AS) was deeply-rooted in my heart and all the time I would sink in his thought. On the second night I again dreamt that Hazrat Fatima Zahra (SA), daughter of the Prophet (SAW) came to me and invited me to embrace Islam, and I adopted the faith and became a Muslim through her righteous hand. Then she told me: Behold, the Muslim army shall soon conquer Persia, your father will be defeated and you will be captivated. But you need not fear, for you will soon thereafter meet my son Hussain, and Allah will protect you and will not allow anyone to touch you until you reach your destination. So Allah protected me and I reached Medina safely. And when I saw Imam Hussain (AS) I recognized him to be the same youth whom I had seen in my dream with Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and to whom I had been married. Thus my dream proved to be true and that is why I chose him." (Muntaha al-Amal, and Ahsan al-Maqal, vol. 1, pp. 570-571)

          There is difference of opinion amongst the scholars as to how Lady Shahr-Bano reached Medina. Allama Majlisi quoting Ibn-e Bauyah who reports, that Imam Reza (AS) had said that when Abdullah ibn Aamir conquered Khorasan, he arrested two daughters of the Persian King Yazdjard and dispatched them as captives to Usman. One of them was given to Imam Hassan (AS) and the other one was given to Imam Hussain (AS). And the one who was given to Imam Hussain (AS) bore him Imam Zain ul- Abedin (AS) and after a few days of his birth she died. The first daughter - who was married to Imam Hassan (AS) - also died after giving birth to a child. Thus, Imam Zain ul-Abedin (AS) was brought up by a maid-servant of Imam Hussain (AS) and to whom Imam Zain ul-Abedin (AS)  used to refer to as his mother. After the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (AS), Imam Zain ul-Abedin (AS) got her married to a Shi'a Mu'min" (Jalal ul-Uyoon).

          But some scholars including Sheikh Abbas Qummi refute the above-mentioned narration. According to them Qutub Rawandi narrates that Imam Muhammad Baqir (AS) said that when Muslim armies under the command of Amir ibn Muslim captured Khorasan and routed the Persians forcing King Yazdjard to flee, they captured two of his princesses whom they sent to Medina as prisoners-of-war. When they arrived in Medina, throngs of women came out of their houses to see the exquisite beauty of these princesses. When they were produced into the court of Caliph Umar, Lady Shahr-Bano (the elder princess) exclaimed, "Dark be the days of Hormuz when you dare compel his daughter to unveil her face."

          At this the Caliph said that this "magician girl" was abusing him and took offence and looked as if he was going to punish her. But Imam Ali (AS) who was present at the court, asked Umar that whereas he could not understand their language (Farsi) how could he say that she was abusing him. Then Imam Ali (AS) explained to him the meaning of the words she had uttered.

          Caliph Umar declared that the girls be auctioned. But Imam Ali (AS) said, "It is not proper to sell the princesses of royal blood as slaves even though they are non-Muslims. Let them choose freely a husband from amongst the Muslims and marry them and let their dowry be accounted for out of the shares of that person in the Bayt ul-Mal (Public Treasury)."

          Imam Ali's (AS) advice was accepted by Caliph Umar who asked the princess to choose someone amongst the gathering. Lady Shahr-Bano came forward and indicated to Imam Hussain (AS). Then Imam Ali (AS) asked her in Farsi, "What is your name?" She replied, "Shah Zanan (king of women)." Thereafter Imam Ali (AS) said to Imam Hussain (AS): "Protect her and be kind to her, for she will bring forth a son who will be the most excellent of men after you and she is the mother of my descendents"  (Muntaha al-Amal and Yanabi ul-Mawaddat by Qandoozi).

          According to Sheikh Mufeed, Imam Ali (AS) had appointed Hurajis ibn Jabir al-Hanafi over part of the eastern provinces. He had sent to the Imam two daughters of Yazdjard ibn Shahryar. Of these two, one was given by him to his son Imam Hussain (AS). Her name was Shah Zanan who bore him Imam Zain ul-Abedin (AS). The other one (Kaihan-Bano) was given by Imam Ali (AS) to Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr and she bore him al-Qasim. Thus,  these two (Zain ul Abedin and al-Qasim) were maternal cousins. Al-Qasim was the maternal grandfather of Imam Ja'far Sadiq (AS) - (Kitab al-Irshad).

          It is narrated that Princess Shahr-Bano died soon after the birth of Imam Zain ul-Abedin (AS) who was her only issue. But she has the distinction of being the mother of all the nine generations of the Imams of the House of the Prophet (SAW) and her conversion by means of her dream - is also an evidence of Divine Grace and Favour, a distinction bestowed only on the chosen ones of the Almighty Allah.

Courtesy: Ja'fari Observer Magazine.