According to different historical accounts, between the 3rd and 13th Safar is the day when we remember the martyrdom anniversary of Bibi Sakina bint-al-Hussain (sa) - the 4-year old beloved daughter of Imam Hussain who died in the prison of Damascus after the family of the Prophet Mohammad were made prisoners after the events of Karbala and detained in the prison of Damascus.
On the day of Ashura - the 10th of Muharram, she gave her mashk to Hazrat Abbas to get some water for her and the children. When Hazrat Abbas went to fetch water, the children gathered round Bibi Sakina with their little cups, knowing that as soon as Hazrat Abbas brought any water, Bibi Sakina would first make sure that they had some before taking any herself. When Bibi Sakina saw Imam Hussain bringing the blood drenched 'alam she knew that her uncle Abbas had been martyred.
Knowing that her weeping upset her mother, Bibi Sakina (sa) would cry silently and quickly wipe away her tears! In the prison in Damascus she would stare at the flock of birds flying to their nests at sunset and innocently ask Bibi Zainab (sa), "Will we ever be going home like those birds flying to their homes?"
Her martyrdom
One night Bibi Sakina (sa) was asleep and she suddenly woke up crying and started to look for her father everywhere. All the ladies tried to console her so she would stop crying but she didn't get any peace and continued crying, "O my dear aunt where is my father a few minutes ago I was with my father and he kissed me and said to me that my dear Sakina you will soon be with me. But where is my father now?"
When Bibi Sakina told her dream, all the ladies started to cry and now this noise of crying was heard by Yazid (la) at his court. Yazid (la) sent a servant to ask why they were crying. The servant was informed that Bibi Sakina (sa) missed her father and that is why she was crying. They informed Yazid of the situation, and Yazid, for his sadistic pleasure, sent the severed head of Imam Hussain to the prison and when Bibi Sakina received the head of her father she started to cry even more and held it very tight and asked her father, who cut off my father's head, who martyred my father, why are we held as captives?
With these words of sorrow suddenly Bibi Sakina (sa) was quiet and there was a silence in the cell. Everyone thought that Sakina had finally gone to sleep again but this was not a temporary sleep, Sakina had now gone into a permanent sleep. Bibi Zainab called Zain-ul Abideen to check the status of Sakina as they thought she had fallen unconscious. When the Imam went over to check on his sister, he noticed she had stopped breathing.
Burial
Bibi Sakina (sa) was buried in the same dungeon. Bibi Zainab held the still child as Imam Zain-ul Abideen dug a grave for her sister in the dungeon. Her clothes were burnt in Kerbala, and due to injuries, had intermingled with her flesh. Therefore, she was buried in the same burnt, ripped clothes right there in he Dungeon of Syria .
When the time came and they were released from the prison, Bibi Rubab (mother of Bibi Sakina) came to the grave of her beloved daughter (sa), put her cheek on Bibi Sakina (A.S)'s grave and cried out, "Speak to me Sakina. Only a word, my child, speak to me".
Bibi Sakina's body was removed from its original burial place, Dungeon of Syria, some centuries later, when a pious man of Damascus was informed in his dream that water was pouring into the grave of this young Hashmite princess (sa). Upon confirmation that ground water was actually entering the grave, Bibi Sakina's body was buried in a new shrine near Yazeed's (La) palace, where she rests today. Her body was in the condition that if she had been buried the same day.
It was her father Imam Hussain who was brutally killed in Kerbala. It was her baby brother Ali Asghar who had an arrow shot through his neck. It was her beloved uncle Abbas that had both his arms cut off. It was she who spent her last days in a dungeon. The little princess of Imam Hussain . The only person to never make it out of that desolate dungeon. She was Bibi Sakina (sa), the young Hashemite princess.
On this occasion of mourning in the household of the Prophet Muhammad , I extend my condolences to the Prophet Muhammad and his Ahlul Bayt and our 12th Imam (ajtf). May the curse of Allah (swt) be on those who inflicted pain upon the Prophet and his holy family .