“That we see, in talk of Her Holiness Zahra (S), Imam Sadeq (A) has first used the attribute ‘Seddiqah’ (truthful) and then ‘Shahidah’ (martyr), implies that She was martyred for Her truthfulness.” In a speech delivered at the end of the extra-textual discussions course of the principles of jurisprudence and on the occasion of Her Holiness Zahra (S)’s martyrdom, Grand Ayatollah Saanei described some of Hazrat Zahra (S)’s qualities and attributes and said, “Among all attributes counted for Her Holiness Zahra (S), there are two of them that best summarize her entire life, and it can be said that all hardship and oppression She suffered was for these two qualities: ‘She was the truthful martyr.’”
Pointing out that, in the Arabic literature, the adjective ‘seddiq’ is an exaggerated form and means ‘absolutely truthful,’ Grand Ayatollah Saanei added, “Her Holiness Zahra (S)’s truthfulness was manifested in her words, deeds, and beliefs, and She never, God forbid, lied about anything. She was truthful about her goal, and never acted hypocritically.”
Asserting that the order in which the two attributes were mentioned by Imam Sadeq (A) is not accidental, Grand Ayatollah Saanei stated, “Hazrat Zahra (S) was martyred since She did not abuse the Quran and Her dignified father’s religion and faith; because she was honest and truthful but not a liar or a deceitful person. By God, if just for a moment she had acted otherwise, she would not have been martyred; rather, She would have been given whatever position and wealth she could have asked for. This is the reason why Imam Sadeq (A) described her as primarily Seddiqah and then Shahidah; that is, She was a martyr to the cause of truthfulness and honesty.”
Stressing that all oppression and hardship that Her Holiness Zahra (S) suffered were rooted in lies, this great religious authority added, “Basically, all miseries and difficulties in the Islamic society and generally in human society are rooted in lies.”
- This exaggeration is called mubalagha in Arabic. It is not considered to be a derogatory term by the Arabs. Rather, it is considered to be an admirable capacity for oratorical eloquence. (Note by the translator)