Imam Zainul Aabidin Alī ibn Ḥussain(PBUH) was born on 15th Jamadiulawwal or 5th Shabaan 38 AH (654) in Medina. His father,Imam Ḥussain ibn ‘Alī Ibn Abi Talib (PBUH), was a grandson of Prophet hazrat Muhammad(PBUH). His brothers were Ali Akbar ibn Hussain and Ali Asghar ibn Hussain. His sisters were Sakina bint Hussain and‘Alī ibn Ḥussain(PBUH), like his grandfather, cultivated land and palm date orchards. All the human qualities and attributes were collectively present in his personality. He was the complete specimen of tolerance, forgiveness and self-sacrifice. During the prayers he would get himself so absorbed that he did not have any attention towards anything except God. He traveled to Mecca, on foot, twenty times and continuously guided and conducted people through the attractive melody of the Qur’anic verses.

As the son of Imam Ḥusasin ibn ‘Alī(PBUH), he was under great scrutiny and could not directly guide those who secretly followed the household of Muhammad. But he conveyed his understanding of the relationship between human and God by the prayers and supplications that he offered God during his extensive nighttime vigils in the mosque of the Prophet in Medina. These prayers and supplications were written down and then disseminated by his sons and the subsequent generations. Among them is the Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya, which is known as the Psalms of Islam.

He looked after and administrated hundreds of houses of the poor and hunger stricken. Daily a number of goats were slaughtered in his house and he distributed all their meat among the afflicted. He dressed the naked and the destitute ones and paid their debts and loans. But he himself took simple meals and put on simple dress.

When the nights would become dark and all the people went to sleep, ‘Imam Alī ibn Ḥussain(PBUH)would get up put the food in a sack and on his shoulder. He covered his face so that he is not recognized. Then he took that food to the houses of the inflicted and have-nots and gave it to them.