He refused and said thus...

He refused and said thus: “I will not precede the Messenger of Allah in such a matter.” And they gave her in swaddling clothes to the Prophet. On getting to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), he also said: “I will not precede my Lord in such a matter.” Thereafter, Archangel Gabriel ascended from the Heavens and said to the Prophet: “This newborn’s name is ‘Zaynab’ [4] .

Almighty Allah has chosen this name for her.” She was also given the nicknames – ‘Ummu-Kulthum’ or ‘Ummu-al-Hasan’ [5] . The Prophet kissed her and wept. They asked why he wept and he said Gabriel told me that Zaynab would be an eyewitness of the fate of her brother, Husain in Karbala [6] .

Her Titles Lady Zaynab (peace be upon her) has numerous titles including: Al-Aqilah (i.e., the Wise Lady); al-Alimah (i.e., the Woman of Knowledge); Abidatu Ali-Ali (i.e., the Most Worshipping Woman of Ali’s household); al-Kamilah (i.e., the Perfect woman); ‘al-Fadhilah (i.e., the Virtuous Lady); al-Siddiqah al-Sughra (i.e., the Junior Veracious Lady); and Umm al-Masaib (i.e., Mother of misfortunes) due to the series of misfortunes she experienced in her lifetime [7] .

Her Unique Personality and Character Lady Zaynab possessed all elements of nobility and virtue that Almighty Allah bestowed upon her grandparents, parents and her two brothers. She inherited their peculiarities and copied their high moral standards.

From her maternal grandfather; (peace be upon him and his family), she had inherited deep-rooted faith and trust in Almighty Allah most perfectly, the highest principles of charity, standing in defense of the right and striving to elevate the Word of Allah. From her maternal grandmother; Lady Khadijah (peace be upon her), she inherited the highest moral standards and perseverance on principles.

Copying her grandmother, she supported her brother, Imam Husain (peace be upon him), in his revolution and supplied elements of eternity to his great uprising. From her father, the Commander of the Faithful, the historians have recorded unanimously that Lady Zaynab (peace be upon her) followed her father in behavior, knowledge and conduct. She, too, positively adopted all of her father’s goals and efforts for the sake of supplying Islam with sustenance.

In addition, she received the best lessons of piety, self-discipline, virtue, clemency, veneration, love and support for the sake of religion and its legal leaders from her mother, Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her).