Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Alhassanain (p) Network for Islamic Heritage and Thought

THE SPRING OF LIGHT

A play by:Hossein Fakhari

Translated by:Mojgan Jalali

www.alhassanain.org/english

Table of Contents

Props: 5

Scene: 6

THE END 11

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH

The play is acted be girls of about 15 years of age. List of the players and their roles is as below:

Narges as: the Narrator

Nafisah as:Khadijah

Haniyah as: Fatimah

Ziba as:Asiyah

Marziyah as: Mary

Rayhanah as:Sarahffp

Raziyah as:Safiyyah

Najmah as: aQurayshi Woman

Zaynab as: the Instructor

About 10 to 14 players as: Angels

Props:

The Angels are all uniformly dressed.

Qurayshi woman is wearing a black Arab-style chador (veil) or traditional Arab clothing.

The Instructor is wearing casual.

The rest are wearing loose white gowns with a green band (or stripe) over their scarves (or head covers).

* * *

Scene:

A waterfront at the back of the stage. The walls on the sides are arched. Decorations hang from the ceiling to depict the occasion of a birth anniversary. A prayer rug lies spread on the floor. Several pillows are laid by the prayer rug. An ‘aba ’ (men’s loose sleeveless clock open in front) hangs at a corner wall (representing the Prophet’saba ). Various lights are used. From the ceiling, it is possible to shower flowers…

As the curtain risesNarges andZiba are seen laying open the prayer rug; resetting the pillow, and considering the room’s decoration while also talking to one another.

NARGES: Ziba , Is your mother coming today?

ZIBA: Of course, she is. She is so fond of plays. Especially, she will be coming since this play is aboutHazrat Zahra (SA). Whenever mother hears the name ofHazrat Zahra (SA), she becomes so overwhelmed with emotion as though sensingHazrat Zahra’s (SA) presence by her side.

NARGES: My mother will also be coming today. My sister will try to make it too.

ZIBA: The girls are all fully ready. Allah willing, this year, the celebrations of the birth anniversary ofHazrat Sidiqah ( Another name forHazrat Zahra (SA)) will be gloriously held.

(At this point, six other girls walk onto the stage as if arriving just then.)

THE GIRLS: Assalamu AlaiKum ,Narges .Assalamu AlaiKum ,Ziba .

ZIBA: Assalamu AlaiKum ,Assalamu AlaiKum .

NARGES: Alaikum us Salam. You are on time.

MARZIYEH: Friends, I pray to Allah to enable us perform the play in such a way as to winHazrat Sidiqah’s (SA) grace and favor.

HAYHANAH: This will surely happen if each of us plays her role sincerely.

RAYHANAH: Each of us should feel as if she is in the presence ofHazrat Fatimah (SA). After all, this session is held marking herholiships’s birth anniversary. In fact, she is the hostess and the hostess pays heed to her guests.

RAZIYAH: I become strongly excited when I feel that I am in the presence ofHazrat Fatimah (SA) and that she is observing our activities.

NAFISAH: Allah willing,Hazrat will great us her favor and assembly will be graced.

NARGES: You have become fully ready through the rehearsals. But let us go over everything one more time.

(She takes a few steps and stands in the middle of the half circle configuration the girls have formed and reviews their roles.)

NARGES: I act as “the Narrator”, telling the story.Nafisah , you will play the part ofHazrat Khadijah .

Haniyah , you will play the part ofHazrat Fatimah, but we only hear your voice, as you will be behind the scene.

Ziba , you will act asAsiyah , the monotheistic wife the (pharaoh).

Marziyah , you will play the role ofHazrat Mary.

Rayhanah , you will perform the part ofHazrat Sarah, the wife ofHazrat Abraham (AS).

Raziyah , you will play the part ofHazrat Safiyyah , the wife of Moses (AS). You should promptly come on stage and play your parts.

Najamah , you will act as aQuarayshi woman. You should promptly act your part.

The rest of the girls play the part of angels and nymphs of paradise. They will be behind the scene and will enter at the right moment. I hope the parts will be performed well.

NAFISAH: Allah willing, it will be so.

AREZU: If you are ready girls, we shall start.

THE GIRLS: Yes, we are ready.

AREZU: Please take up your position, so thatNarges would start.

(At this point, all butNarges andNafiseh leave the stage.Nafiseh leans on the pillow close to the prayer rug.Narges appears in the middle of the stage and starts :)

NARGES: In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent the Merciful. Peacebe upon eminent spectators whose your hearts beat for the Holy Prophet’sAhl ul-Bayt (members of the Holy Prophet’s household). Today, I am the Narrator of the long familiar story of the birth (ofHazrat Fatimah).

In the dark days of paganism and oppression in the land of idolatry and polytheism, the Prophet of light was raised by the Mercy of Almighty Allah so as to guide and lead the slumbering spirits like a glowing torch and to direct the generation to come until the Day of Resurrection with his light of guidance. The Prophet of Mercy had come.(The spotlight appropriately focuses on her as she moves on the stage). Yet the people only turned their backs on him and taunted him. This was the reward he got. This slumbering nation showed no response but to harm the Prophet. From the men, only Ali (SA) and from the women, onlyKhadijah hearkened to his call. The Prophet received staunch opposition on the part of the people but proceeded with his mission: And did that by depending on Allah and enjoying the support of his affectionate wife,Khadijah (The light focuses onKhadijah .) Now is the moment when Allah has willed to bestow upon them the brilliant gem of humanity, the divine luminosity; the true light emerging from the divine Light will illuminate the house of humanity. NowKhadijah is in the place of worship and is supplicating to her Lord. (Narges exits.Khadijah , while raising her hands,prays: )

KHADIJAH: Oh, Lord! I praiseYou for bestowing upon me a husband such as Muhammad (S) and for granting me the blessing of (adherence to) Islam and belief. Praisebe to You for granting me a child who provides solace for me and who is my confidante even though it is still in my womb. O Allah! Assist me as I approach the hour of delivery. You are Aware that I sincerely gave to the messenger of Allah whatever I had. I tolerated the admonition of all the women ofQuraysh who advised me against marrying Muhammad since he was poor and who told me that there were many rich men who wanted to marry me. But I chose to be on Mohammed’s side. I need to have some women by my side at the time of help me. O Allah, assist me.

(Ziba , theQurayshi woman, wearing special clothes, proudly enters. From afar, she addressesKhadijah :)

THE QURAYSHI WOMAN: OKhadijah ! You didn’t listen to us and of all the rich suitors you had, you chose to marry the penniless Muhammad. You who were the first Lady orQuraysh did not listen to us. With all your wealth, you married Muhammad. So now it’s us who will not listen to you and none of us will come to your aid. It is better for you to be alone with Muhammad and his God!

(She exits laughing scornfully.)

KHADIJAH (sadly): O Lord! Bear Thou witness how unkindly they treat me! I didn’t ask them for anything except that they are by my side at this hour of need. But even this trifle is withheld from me. O Lord! O Mighty Lord! …

(At this moment, this sound is heard from the echoes.)

FATIMAH: Mother, mother….

KHADIJEH: Who is it? Is it you, my child, Fatimah, my dear daughter?(She leans on the pillow and touches her stomach.) My daughter, see how the women ofQuraysh have left us alone…

FATIMAH: Do not grieve, mother. Be patient. Allah is with us and will not leave us alone. Soon you will see Allah’s assistance.

KHADIJAH: Thank you, my daughter. You have always been my confidant and my solace. You have sympathized with me in my grief.(At this moment, four ladies, with beautiful clothes enter, and go towardKhadijah .) You have been my consolidation…(She turns toward the newly arrived women) Who are you? When did you come in? You do not resemble the women ofQuraysh !

ASIYAH: Do not grieve, O master of the women ofQuraysh . I amAsiyah , the daughter ofMazahim and the monotheistic wife ofFirawn (Pharaoh). This lady is Sarah, the wife of Abraham (AS). This isSafiyyah , the daughter ofShu‘ayb and the wife of Moses (AS). She isHazrat Mary. Allah has sent us to your beside to be with you at this hour when women are in need of one another. Don’t worry. We are by your side and we are your servants, O the finest lady ofQuraysh , O Mother of the most outstanding Lady of the world….

(They embrace and kiss her and sit by her side.) A spiritual atmosphere gradually prevails while the women keep kissing and encirclingKhadijah . A soft religious music is heard from the loudspeakers. Ten nymphs of paradise (according to the tradition) or fourteen nymphs of paradise (not according to the tradition!) enter the stage from the sides, each holding something (such as a towel, clothing, tray, little tub, cradle...) and moving around the stage chanting:

Tonight, the Paradise and heavenly flower garden is ornamented, tonight the sanctuary of theQiblah of faith is ornamented, and she is Fatimah, the glorious chaste lady. She is Fatimah, the dear daughter of the Prophet.

(Light sparkles at this moment, making the stage brilliant. From a corner, the Narrator (Narges ) faces the spectator and says :)

NARRATOR: The Realm ofWahy (Divine Revelation) (i.e. Mecca) had never experienced such a moment except for the birth of the Messenger of Allah. It was at such great moment that the angel moment that the angels descended from the heavens and spread their wings on the earth. A curtain of light wrapped the heavens and the earth. Flowers were pelted down from the heavens(a shower of flowers from above the stage or freeing of pigeons) until the promised moment emerged and the Morning Star-Zahra, the Virgin Fatimah, the Apple of the Eyes of the Prophet was born.(The ten angels move about a little faster andsing: )

O precious soul of Ahmad,

O life of the caravan of existence,

O boundless spring of blessing,

The link betweenNubuwwah andImamah , (more calmly)

O secret of Allah, the purity ofHaq , the hidden sign,

The world has become luminous by your gleaming face.

(At this moment, they place their bowls and e equipment close toKhadijah and the four ladies by her side. They encircle her. The Narrator uses this opportunity to say :)

NARRTOR: The Angel take out the white heavenly clothes whose fragrance is more aromatic than musk and amber and warp Fatimah in them so as to embrace this unique heavenly pearl and this `heart of the Messenger of Allah` and to ask her to speak. While embrace by the heavenly ladies, Fatimah speaks:

FATIMAH: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah. And I bear witness that my father Muhammad is His Messenger and that Ali is the master of the Faithful and my child is the master of the tribes.

(She then greets the women and smiles upon them. They too smile back.)

NARRATOR: The Angels become jubilant and fly to the heavens to give the good tiding of her birth to the other heavenly beings. An unprecedented light shines in the sky.

(At this moment, the Angels exit.)

ASIYAH: OKhadijah ! O master of the women ofQuraysh ! Take hold of your eminent pure, purified and pious daughter. Congratulation to you upon her birth, for her offspring would be auspicious for you.

(They give toKhadijah the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and bid adieu.)

SARAH: Goodbye OKhadijah . Goodbye O Fatimah.

SAFIYEH: Farewell O master of the women of the world, O greatest of all mothers, O best of all mothers, O best of all daughters.

MARYAM: Goodbye dearKhadijah . Goodbye dear Zahra. May I be sacrificed for you?

(They would like to exit when suddenly Mary faces the spectators and excitedly says :)

MARYAM: O God, what do I see? Peace and greeting be upon Fatimah Zahra. Peace and greeting be uponSidiqah Kubra. Finally, you honored us with your presence. We welcome you.(She then kneels and while overpowered with emotions says :) They had said that you are affectionate. They had said that you are thoughtful of those who love you. See, my Lady, we have taken part in your birth celebration. We have been jubilant, but the hearts are grieved. The hearts are chagrined and the bodies are afflicted.

Dear Zahra! Welcome to our gathering. They had said that you would come, O mother of the Sadat, O wife of Ali, O intercessor of the Day of Judgment. Intercede for these (pointing to themselves) petty slave girls of yours. Bless our gathering. O Zahra, welcome here. You deigned to come to our gathering. See how the hearts are grieved for theGhaibah (occultation) of your sonMahdi . Bless us with the appearance of your son. Welcome dear Zahra. Welcome dear Zahra. Where are you going? Please stay a little more.

(She bursts into tears. The rest of the ladies encircle her.)

SARAH: What happened,Maryam ? What did you see? So why didn’t we see it?

(The instructor enters.)

THE INSTRUCTOR: Excellent my daughters. Finally,Hazrat Zahra (SA) approved of our work. Finally,Marziyah , asMaryam , saw herMawla . Thanks are to Allah. It was excellent. Let us chant a song for our Lady.

(Then all the girls andNarges , together with the Instructor, come to the stage and chant thefollowing: )

The mercy of the Merciful, which is on the people of the world, is Zahra. (2)

In both worlds, Zahra is the mistress of the women. (2)

The light, which the branch ofTooba (Heavenly tree) flashes out, is from Zahra (2)

TheKawthar (river in Paradise) which Allah mentions in Quran is Zahra.

(They keep chanting until all the spectators also sing alone with them. Then they pass through the spectators while repeating the above verse, especially the last line. They finally leave the hall and the program comes to an end.)

THE END

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