No reliable source inspected preserves his exact date or place of birth. Shaykh al-Mufid identifies him only within the child list of Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin and names no mother beyond an unnamed umm walad.
Ali (youngest) ibn Ali Zayn al-Abidin
Genealogy research note — view details
This foundational list does not record the mother's personal name; no fictional person has been created for an unknown mother.
PER-000097
Ahl al-Bayt
Probable
General area known
Imami source baseline
⚙️ Print, share, and more tools
Ali, Peace Be Upon Him, was the youngest son of Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin, Peace Be Upon Him, in the child list preserved by Shaykh al-Mufid. Al-Mufid places him and his sister Khadija under an unnamed umm walad mother. His independent biography is extremely limited. A later genealogical work by Zahir al-Din al-Bayhaqi repeats that he was the youngest child, attributes descendants to him, and reports that he died at Yanbu at the age of 30 and was buried there. Because these later death and burial details are not equally preserved in the earlier list, they are retained as a later genealogical attribution rather than unquestioned fact.
A later genealogical report states that he died at Yanbu at the age of 30. The exact year and circumstances of death are not securely preserved in the earlier source.
Zahir al-Din al-Bayhaqi's later genealogical work attributes his grave to Yanbu. This is retained as a later burial tradition rather than independently verified proof, and no separate shrine or GPS link has been added.
Biography and historical profile
Ali, Peace Be Upon Him, was a son of Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-Abidin, Peace Be Upon Him, and therefore belonged to the Husaynid branch of the Ahl al-Bayt. Shaykh al-Mufid lists fifteen children of Imam al-Sajjad and identifies this Ali as the youngest of them. This wording distinguishes him from his father and from other Alid men who carried the same name.
Al-Mufid places Ali and Khadija under the same unnamed umm walad mother. The source does not preserve her personal name. Her identity therefore remains unknown. It also gives no secure birth date, childhood account, teacher list, public office, spouse, or independent body of sayings for this son.
A later genealogical source, Lubab al-Ansab wa-l-Alqab wa-l-Aqab by Zahir al-Din al-Bayhaqi, again calls him the youngest son of Ali ibn al-Husayn. It attributes posterity to him and describes him as an ancestor of a later figure called Imad al-Din. The same work reports that Ali died in Yanbu at the age of 30 and that his grave was there. These details expand the sparse earlier notice but belong to a later genealogical layer.
The surviving evidence therefore supports a cautious, limited profile. His father and position as the youngest child are the strongest points; his mother's personal name, exact chronology, spouse, and public career remain unknown. The Yanbu death and burial report is recorded with attribution, and the blank shrine and GPS fields are preserved because no separate central shrine record was supplied.
Al-Mufid places Ali and Khadija under the same unnamed umm walad mother. The source does not preserve her personal name. Her identity therefore remains unknown. It also gives no secure birth date, childhood account, teacher list, public office, spouse, or independent body of sayings for this son.
A later genealogical source, Lubab al-Ansab wa-l-Alqab wa-l-Aqab by Zahir al-Din al-Bayhaqi, again calls him the youngest son of Ali ibn al-Husayn. It attributes posterity to him and describes him as an ancestor of a later figure called Imad al-Din. The same work reports that Ali died in Yanbu at the age of 30 and that his grave was there. These details expand the sparse earlier notice but belong to a later genealogical layer.
The surviving evidence therefore supports a cautious, limited profile. His father and position as the youngest child are the strongest points; his mother's personal name, exact chronology, spouse, and public career remain unknown. The Yanbu death and burial report is recorded with attribution, and the blank shrine and GPS fields are preserved because no separate central shrine record was supplied.
Historical importance and legacy
Ali's importance lies chiefly in the genealogy of Imam Zayn al-Abidin's household. His entry preserves a lesser-documented branch of the Husaynid family and helps prevent the youngest son from being confused with his father or with other descendants named Ali.
The profile also demonstrates source discipline. Al-Mufid securely supplies the family-list identity and unnamed maternal category, while al-Bayhaqi supplies later claims about descendants, death at Yanbu, age 30, and burial. Keeping these levels distinct preserves useful genealogical information without manufacturing a fuller biography than the sources support.
The profile also demonstrates source discipline. Al-Mufid securely supplies the family-list identity and unnamed maternal category, while al-Bayhaqi supplies later claims about descendants, death at Yanbu, age 30, and burial. Keeping these levels distinct preserves useful genealogical information without manufacturing a fuller biography than the sources support.
Family relationships
👪 Parents
Father
Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin
Probable
🌱 Children
Sources
Kitab al-Irshad | Shaykh al-Mufid | Volume 2, page 155, child list of Ali ibn al-Husayn | https://ballandalus.wordpress.com/2014/04/28/children-of-the-first-ten-imams-of-ahl-al-bayt-according-to-shaykh-al-mufid-d-1022/ | Identifies Ali as the youngest child of Imam al-Sajjad and places him with Khadija under an unnamed umm walad motherImam Ali b. al-Husayn al-Sajjad, wives and children section | WikiShia, citing al-Shaykh al-Mufid | Child-list entry; accessed 2026-08-02 | https://en.wikishia.net/view/Imam_Ali_b._al-Husayn_al-Sajjad_%28a%29 | Corroborates the fifteen-child list, youngest-son identification, and shared unnamed mother with Khadija
Lubab al-Ansab wa-l-Alqab wa-l-Aqab | Zahir al-Din al-Bayhaqi | Part 2, section on the children of Zayn al-Abidin, digital page 43 | https://shamela.ws/book/355/43 | Later genealogy attributing posterity, death at Yanbu at age 30, and burial there
Gallery
No approved images yet.
📤 Submit a photo of this person or place
The image will remain private until approved.
💬 Visitor comments
No approved comments yet. Be the first to comment.
Comments are published after administrator approval.