Imam Ali bin Al-Hussain (as), the fourth Imam of the Shias, according to the famous saying, was born in Madinah in the year 38 Hijri1. In some sources, the year 35 and 36 Hijri have also been mentioned as the year of his (as) birth2. The day of his (as) birth is mentioned in some sources as the 5th of Shaban3
Also, in some sources, the 9th of Shaban is mentioned4 and in some other sources, the 15th of Jumadi al-Awwal has been recorded as the day of his birth5.
Regarding Imam Zain ul-Abideen (as)'s noble mother, although there is some disagreement on certain matters, there is a consensus on the fact that she was the daughter of a famous Iranian chieftain. Among the oldest sources of the Shias, such as Waqat-e-Siffin (The Event of Siffin)6 Tarikh-e-Yaqoobi (The History of Yaqoobi)7 Basair ud-Darajat (Insights into the Ranks/Degrees)8 and Tareekh-e-Qum (The History of Qum)9 and others, all of which were authored in the third and fourth centuries (Hijri), furthermore, a narration from Imam Sadiq (as)10.
Similarly, Shaikh Mufeed (ra) has also corroborated this point and writes in his book that Imam Zain-ul-Abideen's (as) mother was Hazrat Shah Zanaan bint Yazdgard, whose original name was Shahr Bano11. The late Ṭabarsi (ra) has also explicitly stated in the book Taj-ul-Mawalid (The Crown of Births) that the mother of Ali bin Al-Hussain (as) was Shahr Bano bint Yazdgard12. Among the most famous titles (Alqab) of the Fourth Imam (as) are Zain-ul-Abideen and Sajjad.
When it is said about Imam Ali bin Al-Hussain (as) that he was Zain-ul-Abideen (as), some people might imagine that he (as) was someone who withdrew from the world, remained engrossed in worship in some corner, had no concern for the public, and was not famous among people. No, this is not the case! Despite being widely famous for his worship, he (as) was constantly striving for the guidance of society, helping people, and assisting them. This is the reason why he (as) was considered the most beloved personality among all Muslims. Here, we will present statements from some of the great scholars of Ahl as-Sunnah as proof of this fact, which they recorded concerning him (as):
The famous Sunni scholar Jaahiz, regarding the personality of Ali bin Al-Hussain (as), says: Be they Shias or Mutazilis, common people or elites, all hold the same view concerning Ali bin Hussain (as), and no one denies his superiority and excellence over others13.
Ibn Abi Al-Hadeed says: This magnificent Imam (as) was famous in his time by three names:
عَلَى الْخَیْرِ ،عَلَى الْأَعَزِّ وَ عَلَى الْعَابِدِ
Ali the Best (or Ali the Good), Ali the Most Honored (or Ali the Most Mighty) and Ali the Worshiper14
The famous Ahlay Sunnah scholar of Ilm Ar-Rijal (Science of Narrators), Ibn Hibban, says in his book Ath-Siqaat (The Trustworthy): Ali bin Hussain (as) was called Zain-ul-Abideen during his lifetime, and Hamumi writes:
کَانَ مِنْ أَفَاضِلِ بَنَى هَاشِمٍ مِنَ فُقَهَاءِ المدینه وَ عُبَّادُهُمْ
He was the elder of the Bani Hashim, and the jurist and worshipper of Madina15
Yes indeed! The proof that Imam Zain-ul-Abideen (as) was the helper and consoler of all Muslims lies in the narratives that have been conveyed about him (as) in history.
Accordingly, it is narrated from Imam Baqir (as) in the book Mukhtasar Tareekh-e-Dimashq: Imam Sajjad (as), during the night, would load bread onto his back and walk in the darkness of the night searching for the poor, and he would say: The charity of the darkness of the night extinguishes the fire of God's wrath16.
We read in the book Siyar Alam An-Nubala by the Sunni scholar Zahbi: Muhammad bin Usamah bin Zaid was weeping at the time of his death. Imam Sajjad (as), who was present beside him, asked the reason for his weeping. He replied that he was in debt of fifteen thousand dirhams. The Imam (as) said: Do not worry, this debt is my responsibility17.
Yes indeed! According to some narrations, one hundred poor families in Madinah were under his (as) patronage, but he always helped them secretly by covering his face. It was for this reason that people did not recognize him (as), and they only came to know after he had departed from this world18.
In the Imam's (as) aforementioned praiseworthy attributes, there are several points that serve as a guiding light for us, his followers:
Neither is that person perfect whose only work is worship, nor is that person perfect who is solely immersed in the world and has forgotten God. Rather, the best person is one who, besides being beloved of God due to their Divine worship, also becomes beloved of creation because of their service to humanity. This is because the service to humanity is also a part of worship, through which a person moves towards perfection.
A person should avoid showing off (riya) as much as possible in their deeds and perform them secretly, so that they may be included in the category of the sincere (mukhlisin).
If a wealthy person wishes to help the poor, they should take the aid to their door so that their self-respect is not hurt. It is not appropriate to call the poor to one's office or home and take pictures while distributing rations in front of everyone, which would destroy the poor person's honor and dignity, because this kind of behavior has no connection with the conduct of our Aaima (as). If we implement these golden aspects of the Aaima (as) conduct in our lives, we will surely become deserving of felicity in both worlds (this world and the hereafter).
We pray to Allah Almighty to hasten the reappearance of Imam Zaman (may God hasten his reappearance). Ameen.
1Al-Arshad, p. 284
2Iqbal Al-Aqamah, Ibn Tawas, p. 621
3Kashf al-Ghamma, vol. 2, p. 105
4Rawdat al-Wazeen, p. 242
5Misbah al-Mutahjad, p. 733
6Waqqa Safin page 12
7Tarikh Al-Yaqoobi, vol. 2, p. 335
8Basair al-Darjad fi Fadayl al-Muhammad p. 96
9History of Qum, p. 196
10Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 369
11Al-Irshad Vol. 2, p. 137
12Taj Al-Mawalid, Tabarsi, p. 88
13Umada Talib, p. 193
14Sharh Nahj al-Balagha, Ibn Abi al-Hadidij 15, p. 273
15Al-Thaqat, vol. 5, p. 160
16Al-Thaqat, vol. 5, p. 160
17Seer Al-Iqal al-Nabula, vol. 4, p. 291
18Bihar al-Anwar, Human, vol. 46, p 62