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Ali ibn Hussein, Zainul Abideen, was born in Medina in 658. His parents were Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet and the Third Imam of Shia Islam, and his wife Shahr Banu, the daughter of the last Sassanid emperor, Yazdegerd III. He is thus also called Ibn al-Khiyaratayn, or "son of the best two", meaning the Quraysh among the Arabs and the PersiansThe Persians are an ethnic group that lives mainly in Iran, in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, and Uzbekistan. In Central Asia they are called Tajiks. Their language, called Persian or Farsi, is from the Indo-Iranian family of languages. The group is descended fr among the non-Arabs. According to some accounts, his mother was brought as a captive to Medina during the caliphate of UmarUmar ibn al-Khattab, al-Farooq (in Arabic, ) (c. 581 November, 644), sometimes referred to as Umar Farooq or just as Omar or Umar was the second caliph of Islam and one of the first four caliphs, also referred to as the Khulfa-e-Rashidun (or "Rightly Guid, who wanted to sell her. AliAli ibn Abi Talib (c. 600 661) was the fourth Caliph or successor of Muhammad. He was born at Mecca where his father, Abu Talib, was an uncle of the Prophet. Ali himself was adopted by Muhammad and educated under his care. While a boy, he distinguished hi suggested instead that she be offered her choice of the MuslimA Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. The word Muslim means one who submits and implies complete submission to the will of God ( Allah). Muslims believe that nature is itself Islamic, since it follows natural laws placed by God. Thus, a Muslim s men as husband and that her dower be paid from the public treasury. Umar agreed and she chose Ali's son Hussein. She is said to have died shortly after giving birth to her only son Ali. He was about two years old when his grandfather, the fourth CaliphCaliph is the term for the Islamic leader of the Ummah or community of Islam. Selected by committee, the holder of this title claims rulership over all Muslims. The Sunnis and Shiites differ as to whom was the first Caliph of Islam. According to Sunni tho, Ali ibn Abi TalibAli ibn Abi Talib (c. 600 661) was the fourth Caliph or successor of Muhammad. He was born at Mecca where his father, Abu Talib, was an uncle of the Prophet. Ali himself was adopted by Muhammad and educated under his care. While a boy, he distinguished hi was killed.

At the Battle of KarbalaThe Battle of Karbala took place on October 10, 680, in Iraq. The battle saw the mighty and numerous armies of Yazid, face the army of Imam Husayn, which consisted of 72 men and boys, 2 of whom were the Imams's sons. The armies of Yazid prevailed, and end, Hussein and most of his family were killed. Zainul Abideen survived because he was too sick to fight, and was bedridden. Afterwards, he was taken prisoner by the UmayyadThe Umayyad Dynasty (Arabic / ''umawiyy was the first dynasty of caliphs of the Prophet Muhammad who were not closely related to Muhammad himself, though they were of the same Meccan tribe, the Quraish. The first dynasty reigned from 661 to 750. Ironicall forces and transported to Damascus where he was made a prisoner of the Caliph, Yazid I. Eventually, he was freed, and returned to Medina where he generally lived a quiet life engaging in teaching the tenets of Islam.

Several accounts are related concerning his grief over the tragedy of Karbala. It is said that for twenty years, whenever food was placed before him, he would weep. One day a servant said to him, "O son of God's Messenger! Is it not time for your sorrow to come to an end?" He replied, "Woe upon you! Jacob the prophet had twelve sons, and God made one of them disappear. His eyes turned white from constant weeping, his head turned grey out of sorrow, and his back became bent in gloom [cf. 12: 84], though his son was alive in this world. But I watched while my father, my brother, my uncle, and seventeen members of my family were slaughtered all around me. How should my sorrow come to an end?"

Zainul Abideen resided in Medina until his death in c. 712- 714 (94 or 95 AH). Some claim that he was poisoned by theh Caliph of the day, Waleed bin Abdul Malik Marwan. He was buried in Jannat ul-Baqi, the cemetery in Medina where other important figures of Islamic history are buried. He was the object both of great sympathy because of the massacre of his family and of veneration as the great-grandson of the Prophet. He dedicated his life to learning and worship and became an authority on prophetic traditions and law, but he was known mostly for his nobility of character and his piety, which earned him his sobriquet (Zainul Abideen) within his lifetime.

It is said that he would pray one thousand units (rakaahs) of prayer in every twenty four hour period. ( Muslims are obliged to complete 17 units as part of their daily duties.) It is for this reason that he was bestowed the title of al-Sayyid al-Saajideen, the lord of the prostraters, and Zain al-Abideen by the people of Medina.

He is regarded as the source of the third holiest book in Shi'a Islam after the Qur'an and the Nahj al Balagha (the collection of the works of Ali , the Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya , commonly referred to as the Psalms of the Household of the Prophet.

The issue of who succeeded him as Imam led to a split within Shi'ism. While the Twelver Shi'a believe that it was Muhammad al-Baqir, his son, who succeeded him while another (minority) community, the Zaidiyyah believe it was Ali's other son, Zaid.

Zainul Abideen had many staunch supporters such as Sa'id bin Jubayr.

He fathered fifteen children, eleven boys and four girls.