Encyclopedia of Islam

Zaynab bint Ali ibn Abi Talib

---

Shii Muslims as the first Imam. Sayyida Zaynab’s 

brothers Hasan and Husayn met violent deaths 

like their father and are recognized as the second 

and third Imams, respectively. At an unknown age 

she married Abd Allah ibn Jaafar, with whom she 

had five children.

The most significant event in Sayyida Zaynab’s 

life was certainly her presence in 680 at the Battle 

of  k

arbala

, in present day i

raq

, where a much 

larger Umayyad army overwhelmed Husayn’s 

forces. As the sole surviving adult, Sayyida Zaynab 

was transported, along with the head of Husayn, 

first to Kufa and then to d

amascUs

, where the 

caliph Yazid I (r. 680–683) made them examples 

of the fate of rebels. Sayyida Zaynab is remem-

bered for having publicly and eloquently defended 

the honor of Husayn, his companions, and 

ahl

al

-

bayt

 (Muhammad’s family) generally, in front 

of her captors. Sources say that upon returning 

to  m

edina

, she educated the nascent Shii com-

munity about what happened at Karbala and 

led them until the fourth Imam, Ali ibn Husayn 

Zayn al-Abidin (658–713), matured. She also is 

remembered for having initiated many of the ritu-

als that are now part of the annual commemora-

tion of Husayn’s 

martyrdom

 known as a

shUra

,

which occurs in Muharram, the first month of the 

Islamic calendar.

There is some dispute about Sayyida Zaynab’s 

final resting place. Both c

airo

 and Damascus 

are home to large shrines in her name that host 

pilgrims and tourists from all over the Muslim 

world. Pilgrims often appeal to Sayyida Zaynab 

to intercede with God on their behalf. They hope 

that as a woman who suffered much in her life 

she will understand their suffering and help them 

with issues ranging from business matters to ill-

nesses to efforts to become pregnant.

Each year Sayyida Zaynab’s 

mawlid

 festival in 

Cairo draws tens of thousands of Sunni and Shii 

Muslims. This stands in contrast to her Damascus 

shrine, which is more dominantly Shii and shows 

significant Iranian influence both architecturally 

and in the population it attracts. Since the late 

1970s, Sayyida Zaynab has become an important 

figure for political activists, especially in i

ran

 and 

l

ebanon

. The patience, piety, and forthrightness 

in the face of oppression that she exhibited during 

her life are seen by many as ideal characteristics 

for a modern Shii woman seeking to live a truly 

Islamic life.

See also  h

Usayn

 

ibn

  a

li

; 

intercession

; 

saint

; 

Women

; 

ziyara

.

Michelle Zimney