Ali ibn al-Husayn (Zayn al-Abidin)

Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib, known as Zayn al-Abidin (the Ornament of the Worshippers) and by his patronymic Abu Muhammad (38–95 AH / 658–713 CE), was the son of the martyred Husayn ibn Ali and the great-grandson of the Prophet ﷺ. He was present at the Battle of Karbala in 61 AH but survived because he was severely ill and incapacitated, which prevented him from fighting.

His survival at Karbala and subsequent captivity in Kufa and Damascus gave him a unique historical position — he was the only adult male of the Prophet's direct line to survive that day. He witnessed his father's death, the killing of the men of his family, and the captivity of the women. His aunt Zaynab bint Ali shielded him from execution at the court of Yazid ibn Muawiyah.

After his release, he returned to Medina and spent the rest of his life in worship, scholarship, and supplications. He became renowned for his extraordinary depth of prayer and his famous collection of supplications known as al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya, one of the most beautiful Arabic prose compositions in the Islamic tradition, widely considered a masterwork of devotional literature.

He narrated hadith from his father Husayn, his uncle Hasan, and from Companions who were alive in his youth including Abd Allah ibn Abbas and Jabir ibn Abd Allah. He was highly respected by both Sunni and Shia Muslims of his time and taught many students. He died in Medina in 95 AH, and his prayer collection and the depth of his worship gave him lasting reverence across sectarian lines in Islamic history.