Zaynab bint Ali

Zaynab bint Ali, was the eldest daughter of Fatima and Ali ibn Abi Talib. The former was a 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. Zaynab is best known for her role in the aftermath of the Battle of Karbala (680 CE), in which 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, where Zaynab gave impassioned speeches, condemning Yazid and spreading the news of Karbala. She was later freed and died shortly afterward in 682, but her burial site is uncertain. The two shrines associated with Zaynab in Damascus and Cairo are destinations for Muslim pilgrimage. She is considered to be a symbol of sacrifice, strength, and piety in Islam, and a role model for Muslim women, typifying courage, leadership, and defiance against oppression. Titles The Arabic world literally means 'adornment of father'. She is also known as Zaynab al-Kubra to distinguish her from her younger sister Umm Kulthum or Zaynab al-Sughra. Another title of Zaynab is Aqilatu Bani Hashim, where the word literally means 'the secluded one' or 'pearl'. She is also recognized as Batalatu al-Karbala for her role in that event. Sometimes she is referred to as al-Sayyida, and in Egypt as al-Tahira and Umm al-Yatama. Birth and early life Zaynab was the third child of Fatima and Ali ibn Abi Talib, and their eldest 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. There is not much clarity about Zaynab's early life, and even the year of her birth is given variously by different sources as 46 AH (6268 CE), or 9 (631). Shia Muslims celebrate her birthday annually on 5 Jumada al-Awwal. Her name was chosen by her grandfather Muhammad, who attributed the name to divine inspiration. When she was born, the angel Gabriel is said to have forewarned Muhammad about her difficult life. Muhammad was very fond of his granddaughter, reputedly saying that she resembled his late wife Khadija. Shia sources also emphasize the intense devotion of the young Zaynab to her brother Husayn.