Imam Ali Zayn al-ʿAbidin عليه السلام
عَلِيّ زَيْن العَابِدِين
The fourth Imam, the ornament of the worshippers, who turned the silence after Karbala into a horizon of prayer.
Imam Ali Zayn al-ʿAbidin عليه السلام
Survivor of Karbala, witness to his family in chains, he carried the message of his father into the courts of tyrants and into the heart of every supplicant. His Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya is called 'the Psalms of the Family of Muhammad.'
Carrying grief with prayer
Bring one heaviness into a single sincere du'a today, in your own words, without rushing.
Family connections
Son of Imam Husayn (ع). His mother is Shahrbanu. Father of Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (ع).
Major life events
- 38 AHBorn in Madinah
- 61 AHSurvived Karbala; carried the message forward
- 61–95 AHYears of worship, teaching, and quiet rebuilding
- 95 AHMartyred by poison; buried in al-Baqiʿ
Important narrations
“Beware of the company of the sinner, the miser, the liar, and the one who cuts family ties.”
“He who is given four things is given the good of this world and the next: a thankful heart, a remembering tongue, a patient body, and a wife who does not betray him in herself or his wealth.”
Duas connected to them
O my God, grant me complete devotion to You and illumine the eyes of our hearts with the light of looking at You…
Iqbal al-Aʿmal · Sahifa supplement
O my God, do not discipline me with Your punishment, and do not plan a plan against me…
Misbah al-Mutahajjid · recited in Ramadan
Their light in the Book of Allah
His supplications are a living tafsir of the Qur'an's names, attributes, and ethics. The Sahifa carries the Qur'an into the heart's most private corners.
قُل لَّا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلَّا الْمَوَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبَىٰ
“Say: I do not ask of you any reward for it except love of those near of kin.”
The Prophet ﷺ asks for no payment for his message — only that the Ummah love his near family. Love for the Ahlulbayt (ع) is the reward of prophethood.
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا
“Allah only wishes to remove all impurity from you, O People of the House, and to purify you with a thorough purification.”
Allah testifies to the purity of the Ahlulbayt (ع). The grammar shifts in the middle of the verse — singling them out — and the Prophet ﷺ gathered Ali, Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn (peace be upon them) under his cloak when this was revealed.
Important places
- Madinah · birthplace and resting place at al-Baqiʿ
- Karbala · where his witness began
A lesson for children
Imam Sajjad used to feed orphans with his own hands at night, his face covered so no one would know. The most beautiful good is the good no one sees.
With gratitude
- al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya
- al-Kafi
- Tuhaf al-ʿUqul
- Bihar al-Anwar
Continue Your Journey
Continue Your Journey
Soft suggestions to keep walking quietly, at your own pace.