Umm Kulthum bint Ali

Umm Kulthūm bint 'Alī, also known as Zaynab al-Ṣughrā, was the youngest daughter of Fatima and Ali ibn Abi Talib. The former was the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the latter was his cousin. Ali is also recognized as the fourth Rashidun caliph and the first Shia imam. A young Umm Kulthum lost her grandfather and mother in 632 CE. While she was still a child, the second Rashidun caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab asked for her hand in marriage, which was resisted by Umm Kulthum and her father Ali, possibly due to Umar's reputation for harsh treatment of women. By one Sunni account, Ali finally agreed to the marriage when Umar enlisted the support of prominent Muslims for his proposal. Umm Kulthum survived the Battle of Karbala in 680, where her brother Husayn and most of her male relatives were massacred by the forces of the Umayyad caliph Yazid ibn Mua'awiya. Women and children in Husayn's camp were taken captive after the battle and marched to Kufa and then the Umayyad capital Damascus. A public speech ascribed to Umm Kulthum in Kufa condemns Yazid, defends Husayn, and chastises the Kufans for their role in his death. She was later freed and returned to her hometown Medina. Early life Umm Kulthum was the fourth child of Fatima and Ali ibn Abi Talib, and their youngest daughter. The former was the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the latter was his cousin. Ali is also recognized as the fourth Rashidun caliph and the first Shia imam. Umm Kulthum is also known as Zaynab al-Sughra to distinguish her from her older sister Zaynab al-Kubra. The Arabic world literally means 'adornment of father'. Umm Kulthum was still a young child in 632 CE when her grandfather Muhammad and her mother Fatima both died.