according to a reliable tradition, they had arrived in Damascus on 2nd
Safar.1 Also according to whatever is mentioned in the books of Kerbala
tragedy, the Imam’s family was confined within a four-walled place during
these days.
The prison where the Imam’s family members were lodged neither
shaded them from the sun during the day, nor the cold at night. It was
only a four-walled enclosure in which they were, so that they may not
escape.
The above is the description given by the writers of Kerbala account.2
Now the question arises as to how much time did the Imam’s family
members spend in the prison? There is no perfect answer for this, whether
it was a few days, a few weeks or a few months. It is recorded in the
books of Kerbala tragedy regarding this, that a person saw Imam Sajjad
(a.s.) sitting at the gate of the prison one day. Seeing his worn-out facial
skin, he asked Imam (a.s.) the reason for this. The Imam replied, “We
were kept in such a prison where there was no protection against sun and
cold.”3
Anwar-e-Nomaniya, Vol. 3, Pg. 252; Muntahaiul Amaal, Vol. 1, Pg. 277.
229
The stay of Imam’s family in Syria was most torturous for them. It is
narrated by Imam Sajjad (a.s.) himself because he was once asked, “O master! Which was the most torturous stage for you? Was it the journey
from Kerbala to Kufa? Or from Kufa to Syria? Or the journey from Syria
to Medina?” The Imam replied, “Ash-Shaam, Ash-Shaam. Ash-Shaam”.4
The journey to Syria was the toughest for them of all the places. The main
cause of this was that the Imam’s family had to enter Yazid’s court where
there was no stone left unturned to humiliate them.
Imam Sajjad (a.s.) says, “Twelve of us were tied with a single rope. One
end of the rope was tied to my arm and the other to my aunt, Zainab’s
arm. We were brought in Yazid’s court in this state where Yazid was
sitting on his throne surrounded by his courtiers.” In this state also, Imam
Sajjad (a.s.) issued such a statement that Yazid was humiliated in front of
everybody. Yazid had not at all expected that a prisoner would talk to him
in this manner.
Imam Sajjad (a.s.) addressed Yazid and said, “Do you permit me to say
something?”
Yazid gave the permission but with a condition that he should not speak
anything obscene. The Imam said, “It is not possible for a person like me
to speak anything obscene in such a court. I am going to speak logic.” (The
Imam certainly said this so that people become aware of the fact and wake
up from their slumber of ignorance). “Yazid is sitting on his throne as the
caliph of the Prophet (s.a.). What if the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) comes here
and sees us who are his progeny, in this state?”
Ashnai ba Quran, Vol. 5, Pg. 57