Ali Ibn Al-Hussein Zaynu’l-Abideen (AS) 

Ali son of the third Imam Hussein, son of Ali and Fatima, was born in Medina on the 15th Jamadiul-Uoola, 38 after Hijra. (658 A.D). His title was Abu Muhammad and was popularly titled as “Zaynu’l-Abideen”. The mother of this Holy Imam was the royal personage, Shahr Banu, the daughter of king Yazdegerd, the last pre-Islamic ruler of Persia.
Imam Zaynu’l-Abideen spent the first two years of his infancy in the lap of his grandfather Ali Ibn Abi Talib and then for twelve years he had the gracious patronage of his uncle, the second Holy Imam Hassan Ibn Ali. In 61 AH, the Imam had accompanied his father on the journey that terminated fatally in Karbala’. His father, his uncles, his brothers, his cousins and all the godly comrades of his father were massacred; he himself suffered a heartless captivity and imprisonment at the hands of the devilish forces of Yazid.
When Imam Hussein (as) had come for the last time to his camp to bid goodbye  his family, Ali Zaynu’l-Abideen was lying in his sickbed and hence escaped the massacre in Karbala’. Imam Hussein gave a brief talk to the inmates of his camp and departed nominating his son as Imam. It was after the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, peace be on him, that the burden of leadership and Imamate was laid onto the shoulders of Imam Zaynu’l-Abideen (as). The Holy Imam Zaynu’l-Abideen lived for about thirty four years after his father and all his life he spent in prayers to Allah (sw) and in remembrance of his martyred father. He used to prostrate frequently and for long periods of time to Allah (sw) and for this reason he was popularly called “Sajjad”. The knowledge and piety of this Holy Imam was matchless. He was so mindful of Allah (sw) that whenever he sat for ablution for prayers, the complexion of his face would change and when he stood before Allah (sw) in prayers he was seen trembling. When asked why this was, he replied, “do you not know before whom I stand in prayer, and with whom I hold discourse?”. Even on the gruesome day of Ashura’ when the evil forces of Yazid had massacred his father, his immediate family and dear friends and had set fire to the camp, this holy Imam was engrossed in the supplications to Allah (sw).
when the brutal forces of Yazid’s army had taken the ladies and children as captives, carrying them seated on the bare back of the camels, tied in ropes, this Holy Imam though sick, was put in heavy chains with iron rings round his neck and his ankles, and was made to walk barefooted on the thorny plains from Karbala’ to Kufa and to Damascus. Even under these harsh conditions, this godly soul never was unmindful of his prayers to Allah (sw) and was always thankful and supplicative to him.
His charity was unassuming and hidden. After his passing away, the people said that secretive charity ended with the departure of this Holy Imam. Like his grandfather Ali Ibn Abi Taleb (as), Ali Zaynu’l-Abideen used to carry on his own back at night bags of flour and bread for the poor and needy families in Medina and he so maintained hundreds of poor families in the city.
The Holy Imam was not only hospitable to his enemies but also used to continually exhort them to the right path. When the people of Medina began to get tired of the develish rule of Yazid, they revolted against his power, turned his governor out of Medina, and surrounded the Bani Umayyahds in the city. The Umayyahds got very worried. Under these circumstances, Marwan Ibn Hakam, one of the worst enemies of Ahlu’l-Bait got frightened thinking that the people would not spare him, his family and children. He sought protection from Abdullah Ibn Umar. But Abdullah refused to give any asylum to him. Marwan approached the Holy Imam requesting him for protection. The Holy Imam readily replied “Do not worry, your family and children are with me”. Then the Holy Imam sent all of them to a safe place of his own outside the city, and they were treated with ideal hospitality. The Imam was ideally good to his worst enemies.
Imam Zaynu’l-Abideen along with the Ahlu’l-Bait passed through dreadful and very dangerous times, for the aggressions and atrocities of the tyrant rulers of the age had reached a climax. There was plunder, pillage, and murder everywhere. The teachings of Islam were being neglected. The heartless tyrant al-Hajjaj Ibn Yusuf ath-Thaqafi was threatening everyone who professed allegiance or devotion to Ahlu’l-Bait. Those caught were mercilessly put to death. The movement of the Holy Imam was strictly restricted and his meeting with any person was totally banned. Spies were employed to trace out the adherents of the Ahlu’l-Bait. Practically every house was searched and every family scrutinized. Imam Zaynu’l-Abideen was not given the time to offer his prayers peacefully, nor could he deliver any sermons. This Allah’s vicegerent on earth therefore, adopted a third course which proved to be very beneficial to his followers. This was in  compiling supplicative prayers for the daily use of man in his endeavor to approach the Almighty Allah (sw). this invaluable collection of his edited prayers are known as as-Sahifa al-Kamila or as-Sahifa as-Sajjadiyyah. It is also known as “the Psalms of the household of the Prophet”. The collection is a wonderful treasure and consists of fifty seven prayers concerning the most sublime Divine sciences in inimitably beautiful language. Only those who have ever come across those supplications would know the excellence and the beneficial effect of these prayers. Though in these prayers, the Imam gave all the necessary guidance to the faithful during his seclusion.
On the 25th of Muharram 95 AH when he was in Medina, al-Walid Abdi’l Malik Ibn Marwan, the then ruler poisoned this Holy Imam. The funeral prayers for this martyred Imam were conducted by his son the fifth Imam, Muhammad al-Bakir and his body was laid to rest in the cemetery of Jannatu’l-Baqi’ in Medina.

•  Refrain from lying in all things, big or small, in seriousness or in jest. For when one starts lying in petty matters, soon he will have the audacity to lie in important matters (also).

• A man need not fear Allah except on account of his own sins, and should place his hopes only with his lord. When about something one does not know, one should not be ashamed of having to learn about it. And patience is to faith, what the head is to the body; one who does not have patience also lacks faith.