After the martyrdom of his noble father, Imam Husayn (peace be upon him), and during the period of oppression under the Umayyad dynasty, the Fourth Imam, Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon him), attained the position of Imamate. His period of Imamate coincided with the oppressive rule of nine Umayyad caliphs, and for most of this time, he resided in Medina. He was known by several titles, including Zayn al-Abidin, Sayyid al-Abidin, Sayyid al-Muttaqin, Amin, and Sajjad. Among these titles, Zayn al-Abidin and Sajjad are the most famous.
An important point in examining these titles is that they were not names given at birth, as was customary among the Arabs, nor were they merely honorary titles bestowed by the government. Rather, these titles were attributed to him by the people[1]. These were people who were not necessarily Shia and did not necessarily view him as the divinely appointed Imam. The excellence of his soul, his faith, and his piety was so evident that people could not ignore what they saw in him. As a result, he became recognized as the leader and master of the worshipers (Zayn al-Abidin) and the embodiment of devotion and servitude (Sajjad, meaning one who performs many prostrations) in his time. The following two narrations illustrate some aspects of Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn’s (peace be upon him) virtues:
Shaykh al-Mufid, a prominent Shia scholar and theologian, narrates: Whenever Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon him) performed ablution (wudu), his complexion would turn pale. His companions asked him, “What is this condition that comes over you?”
He replied: “Do you know who I am about to stand before?”[2]
Shaykh al-Saduq, a famous Shia hadith scholar, narrates from “Zuhri”[3]: On a cold and rainy night, I saw Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon him) carrying flour and firewood on his back.
I said, “O son of the Messenger of Allah! What is this?”
The Imam replied: “I have a journey ahead, and I have prepared provisions to place in a safe place.”
I said, “Let my servant carry it for you.”
The Imam refused.
I said, “Let me carry it myself.”
The Imam (peace be upon him) replied: “No, why should I not carry something that will benefit me in my journey and make my arrival to my host more pleasant? I swear to God, leave me and go about your business.”
After a few days, the narrator met the Imam (peace be upon him) and asked, “I see no sign of the journey you spoke of.”
The Imam (peace be upon him) said: “Zuhri, it is not as you thought; that journey is the journey of death, and I am preparing for it. The preparation for death is through abstaining from the unlawful, giving to those in need, and performing good deeds.”
At that moment, Zuhri understood that the Imam (peace be upon him) had been carrying the flour and firewood to assist the poor and needy, taking them on his own back to deliver them to those in need…
The existence of the Fourth Imam (peace be upon him) during this dark period of history, marked by the oppressive Umayyad rule, which aimed to extinguish the light of Islam and obscure the truth of faith, was a beacon for those seeking humanity. Through his actions and words, Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon him) revived the forgotten character of his grandfather, father, and the family of the Prophet, allowing people who had been far removed from the era of prophecy to witness the true path of Islamic education.
Adapted from “The Life of Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon him)” by Dr. Sayyid Ja’far Shahidi (with modifications and abridgments)
Footnotes:
[1] For further reading on the views of Sunni scholars regarding the virtues and characteristics of Imam Zayn al-Abidin (peace be upon him), refer to “The Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) in the Words of Sunni Scholars” by Dawood Ilhami, section on “The Virtues of Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-Abidin (peace be upon him)”, pages 287-322.
[2] Mukhtasar Tarikh Dimashq, vol. 17, p. 236; and similarly in Tabaqat Ibn Sa’d, vol. 5, p. 216; Siyar A’lam al-Nubala, vol. 4, p. 392, etc. (also referenced in Al-Irshad by Shaykh al-Mufid, vol. 2, p. 142, and A’lam al-Wara, vol. 1, p. 488).
[3] Muhammad ibn Muslim al-Zuhri initially worked as a court official in the Umayyad palace and was later known as one of the prominent jurists and hadith scholars of Sunni Islam.