Publisher's Synopsis
?Ali b. al-Ḥusayn b. ?Ali b. Abi Ṭalib, who is popularly known as Zayn al- ?Abidin, was an eminent tabi?i and great-grandson of the Prophet ﷺ. He was born a few decades following the Prophet's death, and he met several of the close companions throughout his life in Medina. ?Ali was acknowledged by his peers and students alike as a generous, wise and virtuous man from Ahlulbayt, and he was one of the most prominent Hashemites at the time.
The importance of this figure's biography primarily stems from multiple factors: (i) his chronological and lineal proximity to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, (ii) his virtue and status, (iii) and the historical revisionism his legacy has suffered as a result of multiple competing Shi?ite and non-Shi?ite narratives across history.
This biography covers historically accurate traditions of ?Ali b. al-Ḥusayn from Sunni sources that are devoid of the lies, exaggerations and inaccuracies of forgers and unreliable transmitters. It aims to distinguish the historical ?Ali b. al-Ḥusayn from the numerous ahistorical and theologically-charged redactions of his life. Apart from the biography are several auxiliary studies and analyses pertaining to his ḥadith transmission. Hopefully, this book can serve as a stepping stone for a serious initiative to familiarize the Muslim community with Ahlulbayt and early Islamic history.
