The Shackled Son Who Shamed a Tyrant
Imam Zayn al-‘Abideen's (AS) Sermon in Shaam: A Divine Rebuke Echoing Through Tyranny and Time
The palaces of Damascus glittered with false power. Yazid sat on his throne, surrounded by ministers, soldiers, and opportunists — a court built on blood. Before him stood a chained caravan: the family of the Prophet Muhammad (S), paraded as prisoners after the massacre of Karbala.
The tyrant thought he had silenced Husayn (AS).
But Allah had preserved a voice — the voice of Zayn al-‘Abideen (AS), the son of Husayn (AS), the inheritor of light, truth, and resistance.
He was sick, wounded, and bound in iron. Yet when he rose to speak, he shook the palace of Shaam with a sermon that history has never forgotten.
The Palace of Oppression
The crowd was assembled. Syrians, unfamiliar with the Ahlul Bayt (AS), had been poisoned by Yazid’s propaganda. Some cheered the so-called "victory." Others stared with curiosity.
But none were prepared for what they were about to hear.
Imam Zayn al-‘Abideen (AS) asked to speak. Yazid initially refused, fearing the impact of truth. But the pressure of the people — and Yazid’s own arrogance — led him to give permission.
A shackled man stood before a nation, and with the light of tawheed in his heart and the fire of Karbala on his tongue, he began.
"I Am the Son of..." – The Thunder of Lineage
“O People! I am the son of Mecca and Mina.
I am the son of Zamzam and Safa.
I am the son of Muhammad al-Mustafa.
I am the son of Ali al-Murtaza.
I am the son of Fatimah al-Zahra.
I am the son of Husayn, the one slain in Karbala.”
The names echoed off the marble columns. Every title carried history, honour, and divine truth.
This was not a man giving his biography. He was declaring who the prisoners really were — not rebels, but the purest bloodline of Islam.
The Sword of Clarification
He then cut through the lies of Yazid’s propaganda.
“I am the son of he who was slaughtered unjustly, his blood spilled on the sands of Karbala while thirsty.
I am the son of the one whose head was raised on a spear and paraded from Iraq to Shaam.”
The crowd began to stir. Whispers spread. People turned to each other: Was this true? Was this the grandson of the Prophet (S)?
Even women in the crowd began to cry, realising they had been deceived.
Yazid’s face began to darken.
The Strategy of the Spirit
Imam Zayn al-‘Abideen (AS) didn’t insult Yazid directly. He didn’t shout. He struck with wisdom, not rage.
By repeating, “I am the son of...”, he didn’t just glorify his family — he humiliated Yazid without mentioning his name.
He showed the crowd what true nobility looks like — and how false power trembles before it.
Revolution in Chains
Remember: the Imam was chained. His body was weak. His family — women and children — stood beside him in veils and sorrow.
Yet, he turned the court of Yazid into a pulpit.
The sermon didn’t just reclaim their honour — it exposed the truth, broke the illusion of Yazid’s legitimacy, and planted the seeds of revolution across the Muslim world.
This moment marked the beginning of Yazid’s downfall.
If We Were in Shaam Today…
Today, if we:
Remain silent when truth is crushed by tyrants,
Share lies out of fear of standing with justice,
Cry for Karbala but ignore the message of Ahlul Bayt in action—
Then we, too, become part of Yazid’s court.
Imam Zayn al-‘Abideen’s sermon was not just a historical speech — it was a mirror held up to the Ummah.
“Look at us,” he was saying. “We are the Prophet’s household — and this is what you allowed to happen.”
Legacy of the Unbroken
Though Imam Zayn al-‘Abideen (AS) stood chained in the court of a tyrant, it is his words that survived, not Yazid’s.
The sermon in Shaam was a declaration of divine truth.
It was a slap across the face of corruption.
It was a resurrection of Karbala through the tongue, just as Husayn (AS) had delivered it through the sword.
And now, it echoes to us — in every gathering, in every recitation, in every protest where truth stands against injustice.
One Final Question
If you were in Yazid’s palace that day…
Would you cheer, stay silent — or weep and rise?
Zayn al-‘Abideen’s (AS) voice still calls out:
“We are the family of Prophethood.
Know us — before it's too late.”