An Account of Hz. Ruqayyah and her Martyrdom in Karbala

Hz. Ruqayyah, a daughter of Imam al-Husayn, was a martyr who played a prominent role in turning the Ashura episode into a historical trend. The present paper deals with her life and martyrdom. Based on historical- descriptive library research, her given name was Fatimah, and her mother was Umm Is'haq bt. Talha b. Abd Allah. Born in Medina in 57 AH/677, she was arrested as a prisoner of war, and as a captive, she was arrested together with other Ashura survivors whom were sent to Damascus by the pro-Umayyid army. She passed away and was buried in Damascus in Safar 61 AH/ 680. The earliest historical sources that mention her name date back to the 2nd/ 7th century, as quoted in Maqtal Ruqayyah on the authority of Muntakhab al-tawarikh.