Women's role in Karbala
Karbala is the holy land of sacrifice, where defeat and victory were redefined. This historic event revealed not only the bravery of men but also the extraordinary courage of women, who prepared their sons, brothers, husbands and fathers to give their lives in accordance with the will of Allah and in line with the true spirit of Islam.
Nowhere else in history is such unity and determination among women as evident as in Karbala, where they willingly offered their loved ones for martyrdom. The unique precedent set in Karbala saw women witnessing and joyfully offering their loved ones to safeguard the mission of Hussain ibn Ali (AS).
These great women are revered not only for their sacred blood but also for their noble acts. Umme Rubab, wife of Imam Hussain, handed her six-month-old son, Ali Asghar, to him, knowing the baby would not return alive. Her son, parched and without water for three days, was struck by an arrow intended for warhorses and elephants, yet his mother entrusted him to a sacred death.
Umme Laila, wife of Imam Hussain, sent her eighteen-year-old son Ali Akbar to the battlefield. Cherished by all for his resemblance to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Ali Akbar met his fate and returned covered in blood. Umme Farwa, the widow of Hassan ibn Ali (AS), allowed her son, Qasim, to go to the battleground with Hussain's permission, knowing he would return in pieces.
Ummul Baneen, the mother of Abbas, raised him with the sole purpose of safeguarding Hussain. She taught him from childhood to serve Hussain, whether in life or death. Abbas fulfilled his promise, giving his life for Hussain and losing both his arms while bringing water from the Euphrates River. Sakina, Hussain's four-year-old daughter, who had never once slept without resting her little head on her father's chest, bore the slaps of Shemir on her face and had her earrings snatched and looted.
Other strong women who witnessed the tragedy of Karbala and carried the mission of Imam Hussain for a noble cause include Fizza, a loyal servant of Fatima, who accompanied the family to Karbala; Ramla (Umme Habiba), wife of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him); Amina, daughter of Muslim ibn Aqil, who witnessed the loss of her father and relatives during the battle; Umme Wahhab, wife of Abdullah, who encouraged her husband to support Hussain and mourned his martyrdom with loyalty; and Amina, daughter of Hassan and niece of Hussain, who contributed to the legacy of the Ahlul Bayt through her suffering and dedication.
Fatima Zehra, the Queen of Paradise, was the mother of Hussain, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and the wife of Ali. She knew the fate of her son and reared him with love and care so that he could offer a sacred sacrifice for Allah. Among the brave women of Karbala, Zainab, the sister of Hussain and daughter of Ali, stood out as a leader. She showed immense courage and strength, leading the group after the battle and defending the sacrifice of Hussain and his entire family.
Zainab cursed Yazid and his soldiers for their brutal murder of the pious family of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). She advocated for the righteousness of Hussain and his sacred mission from the manipulations of Yazid, who engaged in practices prohibited by Allah.
These women are models of courage. They made Karbala a sacred land of sacrifice through their unified consent to give away their loved ones for the will of Allah, to preserve the religion of Islam and to stand firm with Hussain, the Imam of the time.
History remembers these women as noble individuals who sacrificed everything for Hussain's sacred mission. Their noble sacrifices continue to inspire women throughout all times.
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Women's role in Karbala
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War on women
Another Muharram approaches. Once again, we will gather and mourn wearing black while remembering a tyrant's violence and a family's sacrifice. But let this not be another year where we ritualistically grieve Karbala and then return to silencing our women. Let this not be another Muharram where we cry over Yazid's cruelty while enabling our own. Because if not for a woman, Islam wouldn't have survived. Not the Quran you recite. Not the Hadith you forwarded. Not the faith you gatekeep while violating every principle it upholds. Islam would never have made it past its earliest trials, political boycotts, economic starvation and rebellions, if it weren't carried on the backs, in the arms, and through the voices of women. Before Islam had a following, it had Bibi Khadijah (RA), not just a supporter, but the first believer. A businesswoman. A strategist. A financier. The one who bankrolled the mission of the Prophet (PBUH) when no man dared. When Quraysh exiled him, it was her caravan, her gold, her unwavering faith that sheltered him. It was Bibi Fatima (AS) who bore the lineage through which the Ahlul Bayt lived on. The axis of legacy. The embodiment of strength in grief. It was Aisha (RA) who brilliantly narrated over 2,000 hadith and debated scholars. Her voice helped shape the jurisprudence we now cite while refusing to let women speak in the same rooms. And then came Bibi Zainab (AS), shattered, shackled, but unafraid. After Karbala had become a graveyard and her brother Imam Hussain (AS) lay slaughtered in the sand, it was she who rose, not with weapons, but with words. Dragged to the court of Yazid, surrounded by mockery, she did not ask for mercy. She gave a sermon. She didn't break. She broke him. She was not just surviving. She was defying. And yet today, in a land that recites their names in every sermon, we silence their daughters. We call it modesty when we erase them. We call it culture when we kill them. We turn their resistance into relics, then light candles at their graves. As though mourning without action ever saved anyone. In 2024 alone, over 5,200 cases of gender-based violence were reported in Pakistan — murders, rapes, forced marriages, suicides, disappearances. We call our daughters Zainab, but fear their fire. We call them Aisha, but shush their speech. We call them Khadijah, but question their independence. We call them Fatima, but scorn their principles. We want them quiet. Covered. Passive. We fear their intellect, police their tone and question their clothing. Every year, we mourn the tragedies of the past and the violence of now and walk in processions. We cry for Karbala and for today's graves. And then? We go back. Back to honour killings, child brides, acid attacks. To clerics who blame women, politicians who mock abuse, courts that shame victims, and homes where daughters are silenced. We mourn the dead but never protect the living. Guilt has never been enough. You cannot grieve Karbala and ignore the women being buried in your own neighbourhood. You cannot claim love for Imam Hussain (AS) while tolerating Yazid's spirit in your own actions. If your grief does not make you just, then it is performance. If your rituals don't translate into compassion, then they are empty. If you cry for the women of Islam but ignore the pain of living women, then you are the problem. Because Karbala was not just a battlefield. It was a woman with a voice. And she didn't whisper. Because Muharram will come and go. But the Yazid of today doesn't need a throne; he rules from homes, offices, police stations, pulpits, parliaments, WhatsApp groups, comment sections, and benches. All he needs is a gun, a platform, and our silence. And too many others, like the armies that watched Karbala unfold, just looked away. Had Bibi Zainab stayed silent, you wouldn't even have a story to tell. So tell it. Live it. Let this be the year your grief grows a spine.
