Ali al-Akbar ibn Husayn

Ali al-Akbar ibn al-Husayn, commonly known as simply Ali al-Akbar, was the son of Layla bint Abi Murra and Husayn ibn Ali, the third Shia imam and the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Aged between eighteen to twenty-five, Ali was killed at the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE, alongside his father and some seventy-two relatives and supporters, who fought against the army of the Umayyad caliph Yazid ibn Mu'awiya. In Shia Islam, Ali al-Akbar is commemorated as a brave youth martyred before he could marry, and celebrated for his striking resemblance, in appearance and manners, to his great-grandfather, the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Birth Ali al-Akbar was born to Husayn ibn Ali, the third Shia imam. Husayn was a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a son of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first Shia imam and also a cousin of Muhammad. All three men belonged to the Banu Hashim tribe. Mother of Ali al-Akbar was Layla, daughter of Abu Murra, who was the son of Urwa ibn Mas'ud, a companion of Muhammad from the Banu Thaqif tribe. The maternal grandmother of Ali al-Akbar, Maymuna, was the daughter of Abu Sufyan, chief of the Banu Umayya tribe. For this reason, the Umayyad caliph Mu'awiya apparently praised Ali al-Akbar as the most worthy of the caliphate, as he combined "the courage of the Banu Hashim, the generosity of the Banu Umayya, and the pride of the Banu Thaqif." Ali al-Akbar is often celebrated for his striking resemblance to Muhammad, both in appearance and manners, so much so that others looked at Ali al-Akbar whenever they missed Muhammad. This similarity also explains the Persian epithet of Ali al-Akbar, Shabih-e Payghambar. Ali al-Akbar was the eldest son of Husayn, per majority of the early authorities, including the Sunni scholars Ibn Sa'd and al-Baladhuri and the pro-Shia historian al-Ya'qubi. Ali al-Akbar was therefore older than Ali Zayn al-Abidin, the only son of Husayn who survived the Battle of Karbala. The Islamicist W. Madelung, however, thought that Zayn al-Abidin was the eldest son of Husayn. The birthdate of Ali al-Akbar is also disputed and his age at the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE is variously reported as 18, 19, 23, or 25. Among all these reports, 25 might be the most likely age because his younger brother, Ali Zayn al-Abidin, was probably 23 years old at the time of Karbala. Battle of Karbala and death (680)