Salaam dear young friends, and heartiest congratulations to you all on the threshold of a very auspicious occasion.
Do you know what we are referring to? Yes, you are absolutely right. Today we are marking the “Day of Nurse” in honour of a virtuous lady who nursed Islam and humanitarian values back to life.
For the information of our non-Iranian friends, especially those in other countries who regularly read the weekly Children’s Page of Kayhan International every year on the 5th of Jamadi al-Awwal, we celebrated the birthday of the Heroine of Karbala.
She is none other than Hazrat Zainab (SA), the sister of Imam Husain (AS) and the granddaughter of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA).
Her name is Arabic for “Ornament of the Father”, and the dynamic role she played throughout her life, especially in Karbala, Kufa, Damascus, and Medina, not just ensured that she was the brilliantly virtuous ornament of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (AS), but also of her Immaculate Mother, the Noblest Lady of all times, Hazrat Fatema Zahra (SA).
As a matter of fact, Hazrat Zainab (SA) continues to be the immortally impeccable ornament of believers for all time, all over the world.
She stood against heavy odds. Despite witnessing the tragic martyrdom of her brothers, nephews, and even two of her owns sons, she remained steadfast, by assuming charge of the caravan of captives of the widows and the orphans, never letting them feel depressed and never allowing the enemy to oppress them.
This is the reason we commemorate her birthday as the “Day of Nurse”, as an inspiration to all those engaged in this noble profession for the sake of God, for doing away with despondency, for upholding ethereal values, and for promotion of virtues in society.
You youngsters in Iran very well know how selflessly the noble Basijis strive in the way of Hazrat Zainab (SA), her parents, her grandfather, her brothers, and her nephews to keep alive the values she immortalized and universalized in the aftermath of the heartrending tragedy of Karbala by institutionalizing the life-inspiring mourning ceremonies of the months of Muharram and Safar.
Iranians know very well that no power will be able to harm the Islamic Republic, whatever the intensity of their plots, as long as the country is under protection of the Prophet and the Ahl al-Bayt.
This is indeed a blessing of God Almighty, dear young friends, and so are the seasonal rains and snows, which are vital for revival of the land and the filling of reservoirs.
In Tehran, although snow has descended upon the mountains on the northern rim of the city, the capital has yet to experience heavy rains and adequate snowfall.
Of course, excessive rains at times lead to floods and cause inconvenience to urban life and may be destructive for some crops, but this is the Will of the All-Wise God, and whatever He deems necessary for His creatures, He decrees.
God bless you until we meet again next week.