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One of the imams of the Ahl al-Bayt; the fourth imam of the Twelvers.
His full name was Abu'l-Hasan 'Alî b. al-Husayn b. 'Alî b. Abî Tâlib. His mother was Shahrbânû, the daughter of Yazdegerd III, the last ruler of the Sasanians.
He was born at Medina around the year 38 (659), the sources differing.
Because he prostrated much he was also called al-Sajjâd and Sayyid al-sâjidîn; but the best known of his epithets is Zayn al-'Âbidîn.
At Karbalâ he could not take part in the fighting because he was ill, and for that reason he survived; the Umayyad commander 'Umar b. Sa'd protected him from being killed.
In order to be safe from the harm of tyrannical rulers he entered no religious or political faction; he passed his life in learning and worship.
He died at Medina in Rabî' al-awwal of the year 94 (December 712).
His Circle of Influence — He was counted the greatest jurist of his age and took knowledge from Companions such as Ibn 'Abbâs and Umm Salama. Among his students al-Zuhrî and Sufyân b. 'Uyayna are named. Thirteen sons are recorded for him, of whom Muhammad al-Bâqir is the fifth imam of the Twelvers and Zayd the figure from whom the Zaydiyya takes its name.
His Works — The al-Sahîfa al-sajjâdiyya, on prayers and matters of belief, and the Risâlat al-huqûq, on rights and duties, are attributed to him.
His Tomb and Complex — He was buried in the cemetery of Jannat al-Baqî'.
The tombs and gravestones at the Baqî' were demolished in 1806 by Su'ûd b. 'Abd al-'Azîz; the structures later rebuilt were destroyed again in 1926 in the time of 'Abd al-'Azîz b. Su'ûd. Today there is neither tomb nor gravestone in the cemetery, and the ground continues to be used for burial.
Differing Scholarly Views
The date of his birth is not certain; the sources give differing dates around the year 38 (659).
The cause of his death. In the Shî'î sources it is claimed that he was poisoned by the caliph Hishâm. The atlas conveys this claim in the form in which the source ascribes it to a particular tradition, and passes no judgement of its own (rule #9, principles 3 and 5).
Sources
- TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi (DİA) — Mustafa Öz · vol. 44, pp. 365-366, entry “ZEYNELÂBİDÎN”
- TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi (DİA) — Mustafa Fayda · vol. 7, p. 387, entry “CENNETÜ'l-BAKĪ'”
The sources for this record are listed below (Mandatory Sources).
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