Zuljanah

Zuljanah decorated by Shiites in Hallaur, India to be taken out in Ashura procession

Dhuljanah (Arabic: ذو الجناح‎) 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.

Legend of Zuljanah

According to the legend, when Husayn ibn Ali 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.

The Role of Zuljanah in the Battle of Karbala

In the battle of Karbala, 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.

Present day remembrance of Zuljanah

The practice of taking out the replica of Zuljanah is still prevalent in processions during Muharram. 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.

See also

• Battle of Karbala

References

• Zuljanah - A brief introduction