Imam Zayd Bin Ali – Biography and Short Video
The Biography of the Imam of Imams:
Imam Zayd ibn ʿAlī, peace be upon them
Our master, the Proof of God, the reviver of the religion, the guardian of the believers, and the Imam of the noble Household, Majd al-Dīn ibn Muḥammad ibn Manṣūr al-Mu’ayyidī — may God’s mercy and peace be upon him and upon them — said in his biography of the Greatest Imam, the one who rose with the proof of the Generous Lord, the Commander of the Faithful, ally of the Clear Remembrance, Imam Zayd ibn ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn ibn the Commander of the Faithful ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib — peace be upon them — in his magnificent book al-Tuḥaf al-Fāṭimiyyah, Sharḥ al-Zulf al-Imāmiyyah, the following words:
“Zayd, ally of the Remembrance, was betrayed by a nation — so let it never be sanctified in its rejection, how swiftly it strayed!”
The Jewels:
Imam Zayd ibn ʿAlī, peace be upon them
He is the Imam who opened the door of jihad and ijtihād, who grew angry for God upon the earth, who upheld the rulings of Sunnah and obligation — Abū al-Ḥusayn Zayd ibn ʿAlī, the son of the Master of the Worshippers, the grandson of al-Ḥusayn the grandson of the Prophet ﷺ. He was the brother of the one who uncovered the knowledge of the Prophets, and he was the reviver of the first century.
His Birth, peace be upon him:
In the year 75 AH, according to the most reliable reports.
A Digression on the “Renewers”:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“God will raise for this community at the head of every hundred years one who renews its religion.”
This wording is narrated by al-Amīr al-Ḥusayn (peace be upon him) and others.
In some narrations:
“Indeed, God bestows upon the people of His religion at the beginning of every century a man from my Household who clarifies their religion for them.”
This ḥadīth has been transmitted widely and used as proof; Abū Dāwūd and al-Ṭabarānī narrated it with sound chains, and al-Ḥākim included it in al-Mustadrak.
Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Wazīr said: “In summary, the ḥadīth of renewal is agreed upon by all schools of thought.”
Imam Zayd ibn ʿAlī himself said — in a narration preserved in al-Muḥīṭ, addressing his companions:
“Woe unto you! Do you not know that no century passes except that God raises from us a man, or one of us emerges, as a proof for that century? Whoever knows him, knows him; whoever rejects him, rejects him.”
This corresponds to the Prophet’s saying:
“I leave among you two weighty things: as long as you hold to them, you will never go astray after me — the Book of God and my Household. The All-Subtle, the All-Aware has informed me they shall never separate until they return to me at the Pond.”
This is among the perfect proofs of God against His servants.
The renewers at the heads of the centuries will be listed, until our own time (year 1365 AH), disregarding fractions of years — as some of our verifying scholars have established.
His Description:
It is reported: He (peace be upon him) had a wheat-colored complexion, large eyes, joined eyebrows, complete build, tall stature, thick beard, broad chest, an aquiline nose, and black hair and beard with grey in his sideburns. He resembled the Commander of the Faithful in eloquence, clarity, and brilliance.
Some Reports About Him:
Among the transmitted traditions is what al-Hādī (peace be upon him) narrated from al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī (peace be upon him), from his father, from the Messenger of God ﷺ:
“From me will emerge a man named Zayd, who will snatch away the dominion of the ruler, be slain, then his soul will ascend to the lowest heaven. The Prophets will say to him: ‘May God reward your Prophet on our behalf with the best reward, as he testified the message to us.’ And I (the Prophet) will say: ‘You have gladdened my eyes, my son, and fulfilled my charge.’”
Also, ʿAlī (peace be upon him) once gave a sermon in Kūfa, predicting tribulations. He said:
“Then Hishām will rule for nineteen years, buried in al-Ruṣāfah, covered by fire. Woe to me from Hishām, the tyrant, the slayer of my pure, noble son! He will show no mercy, crucifying my son in Kūfa’s marketplace — Zayd will be at the highest ranks in Paradise. If Zayd is slain, it is upon the path of his father. Then al-Walīd will be a wicked Pharaoh, a cursed transgressor.”
This was narrated by Imām al-Manṣūr bi-llāh and others from the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt.
The Cause and Meaning of Affiliation to Imam Zayd:
When misguidance spread and darkness prevailed under the Umayyads — though discord arose earlier after the Prophet’s passing — the tribulations multiplied. People who were not of Islam claimed it; hypocrites entered it. Imam Zayd ibn ʿAlī rose to cleanse the religion, renew what the Messenger of the Lord had brought, leading a group of his family and allies.
The Prophet ﷺ had promised that a group from his nation would remain upon the truth, fighting for it until the Day of Judgment.
Thus Ahl al-Bayt openly declared their allegiance to Imam Zayd — meaning: they held the same creed as he, in tawḥīd, justice, and Imamate — to show people the religion of God.
Imam ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Ḥasan ibn al-Ḥasan said:
“The standard between us and the people is ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib. The standard between us and the Shīʿa is Zayd ibn ʿAlī.”
His son, Imām Muḥammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyyah, said:
“By God, Zayd ibn ʿAlī revived the forgotten traditions of the Messengers, straightened the column of religion when it bent. We draw only from his light. Zayd is the Imam of the Imams.”
Abū Ḥanīfa al-Nuʿmān ibn Thābit (d. 150 AH) was among his students and followers.
The “Rejecters” (al-Rāfiḍah):
The noble Imam Zayd rose among his grandfather’s nation. Only the sect known as the Rāfiḍah abandoned him, fulfilling the prophetic report about their misguidance.
Their reason for deserting him is detailed in the works of Imams of Ahl al-Bayt. In summary: they demanded he curse Abū Bakr and ʿUmar. He refused, saying:
“They wronged us in authority, but they ruled with justice and according to the Qur’an and Sunnah. I only call you against the unjust rulers of today.”
So they rejected him and broke their pledge. Hence he called them “al-Rāfiḍah” (the Rejecters).
The rest of the Muslims — Sunnis, Muʿtazilīs, even Khārijites — joined him. Only this small faction abandoned him.
His Martyrdom:
He was martyred in the reign of Hishām ibn ʿAbd al-Malik, on the night of Friday, 5th of Muḥarram, 122 AH, at the age of 46.
Some of His Miracles:
After his crucifixion, a fragrance of musk emanated from his body, astonishing witnesses. A voice declared: “Such is the scent of the sons of the Prophets, who judge with truth.”
Spiders wove webs to cover his exposed body. When burned and his ashes scattered into the river, they gathered in the form of a crescent moon — seen by both friend and foe.
His Children:
He had sons: Imam Yaḥyā, ʿĪsā, Muḥammad, and al-Ḥusayn. His descendants continued through them.
His Works:
He authored many writings, including:
- Tafsīr al-Qur’ān
- Gharā’ib Maʿānī al-Qur’ān
- Kitāb al-Īmān
- Refutation of the Murji’ah
- Sermons on Tawḥīd
- Argument on the Few and the Many
- Virtues of the Commander of the Faithful
- Treatise on the Imamate
- Kitāb al-Ṣafwah
- Exegesis of al-Fātiḥah
- Debates
- Admonitions and Wisdoms
- Hadith and legal collections.
Peace and blessings be upon him and his pure forefathers.