Zuljanah
Encyclopedia
Dhuljanah was the horse of Husayn ibn Ali
. The original name of Zuljanah was Murtajiz and the reason for it being named that way was because of its sound of neighing being sweet, furious and high making it different from other horses. It was purchased by the Prophet Muhammad
from an Arab called Haris. It features prominently in the traditional narrating of the story of the Battle of Karbala
and it is thought to have been a White Stallion
.
was a mere child and learning to crawl, he used to go to the stable of Zuljanah and look at it. Once the Prophet of Islam said that his grand son was curiously looking at the horse as if some mysterious conversation was taking place, so the Prophet asked the child if he wished to ride the horse and on being answered the Prophet Muhammad
ordered the horse to be mounted and when Husayn ibn Ali
approached the horse it amazingly lowered itself to the ground allowing the child to mount him.
, Husayn ibn Ali
used the horse and went to the battlefield. According to a collection of Hadith
, Zuljanah on its own killed 60 enemies of Husayn ibn Ali
in the Battle of Karbala
.
It is also believed that Zuljanah wept in sorrow of Husayn ibn Ali's martyrdom, weeping a single tear.
After the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali
, Zuljanah went to the camps of Zaynab bint Ali
and then went to the Euphrates
river never to be found again.
. Muslims in countries like Pakistan
, Iran
, India
, Bahrain
and Iraq
decorate a replica of Zuljanah and take it along with them in an Azadari procession. This replica reminds them of the real Zuljanah and people often feed the replica with their own hands.
Zuljanah is a revered horse by most Muslims as it is believed that the Prophet Mohammad used to ride it as well.
Husayn ibn Ali
Hussein ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Fātimah Zahrā...
. The original name of Zuljanah was Murtajiz and the reason for it being named that way was because of its sound of neighing being sweet, furious and high making it different from other horses. It was purchased by the Prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
from an Arab called Haris. It features prominently in the traditional narrating of the story of the Battle of Karbala
Battle of Karbala
The Battle of Karbala took place on Muharram 10, in the year 61 of the Islamic calendar in Karbala, in present day Iraq. On one side of the highly uneven battle were a small group of supporters and relatives of Muhammad's grandson Husain ibn Ali, and on the other was a large military detachment...
and it is thought to have been a White Stallion
White horse (mythology)
White horses have a special significance in the mythologies of cultures around the world. They are often associated with the sun chariot, with warrior-heroes, with fertility , or with an end-of-time saviour, but other interpretations exist as well...
.
Legend of Zuljanah
According to the legend, when Husayn ibn AliHusayn ibn Ali
Hussein ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Fātimah Zahrā...
was a mere child and learning to crawl, he used to go to the stable of Zuljanah and look at it. Once the Prophet of Islam said that his grand son was curiously looking at the horse as if some mysterious conversation was taking place, so the Prophet asked the child if he wished to ride the horse and on being answered the Prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
ordered the horse to be mounted and when Husayn ibn Ali
Husayn ibn Ali
Hussein ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Fātimah Zahrā...
approached the horse it amazingly lowered itself to the ground allowing the child to mount him.
The Role of Zuljanah in the Battle of Karbala
In the battle of KarbalaKarbala
Karbala is a city in Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governorate, and has an estimated population of 572,300 people ....
, Husayn ibn Ali
Husayn ibn Ali
Hussein ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Fātimah Zahrā...
used the horse and went to the battlefield. According to a collection of Hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
, Zuljanah on its own killed 60 enemies of Husayn ibn Ali
Husayn ibn Ali
Hussein ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Fātimah Zahrā...
in the Battle of Karbala
Battle of Karbala
The Battle of Karbala took place on Muharram 10, in the year 61 of the Islamic calendar in Karbala, in present day Iraq. On one side of the highly uneven battle were a small group of supporters and relatives of Muhammad's grandson Husain ibn Ali, and on the other was a large military detachment...
.
It is also believed that Zuljanah wept in sorrow of Husayn ibn Ali's martyrdom, weeping a single tear.
After the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali
Husayn ibn Ali
Hussein ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Fātimah Zahrā...
, Zuljanah went to the camps of Zaynab bint Ali
Zaynab bint Ali
Zaynab bint Ali was the daughter of the Rashid Caliph and first Shi'i Imam, Ali and granddaughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatimah....
and then went to the Euphrates
Euphrates
The Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
river never to be found again.
Present day remembrance of Zuljanah
The practice of taking out the replica of Zuljanah is still prevalent in processions during MuharramMuharram
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year in which fighting is prohibited...
. Muslims in countries like Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
decorate a replica of Zuljanah and take it along with them in an Azadari procession. This replica reminds them of the real Zuljanah and people often feed the replica with their own hands.
Zuljanah is a revered horse by most Muslims as it is believed that the Prophet Mohammad used to ride it as well.