Having been defeated...

Having been defeated, he fled for Media in northwestern Iran, and from there to Merv[^3], an ancient Central Asian city near modern day Mary in Turkmenistan (until very recently one of the republics of the Soviet Union), where he was killed by a miller. The slain emperor left two daughters who, during their attempt to escape, following the murder of their father, were caught and sold as slaves.

One of them, Shah-Zenan, ended up marrying our Third Holy Imam, al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abu Talib (ﻉ), whereas her sister married the renown scholar and acclaimed muhaddith (traditionist) Muhammad son of the first Muslim caliph Abu Bakr.

Shah-Zenan was awarded a royal treatment and was given a new name in her own Persian mother tongue: Shahr Banu, which means "mistress of the ladies of the city." The marriage between her and Imam Husayn (ﻉ) produced our Fourth Holy Imam Zain al-Abidin, or as-Sajjad, namely Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abu Talib (ﻉ). After the Battle of Qadisiyya (637 A.D.), Shahr Banu was brought in custody to Medina.

With the age-old racist attitude still alive, not too many Arabs would have expressed due respect to her. But it was the humane chivalry of Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (ﻉ) who paid full regard to this royal prisoner whom he married to his noble son Husayn (ﻉ), as explained above. Imam Zain al-Abidin was, thus, the grandson of Imam Ali (ﻉ) and the Persian emperor Jazdagird (Yazdegerd) III son of Shahryar, rendering him in high esteem by both Arab and Persian nations.

Imam Zain al-Abidin (ﻉ) could not enjoy the love of his mother for a long time. She died soon after giving birth to him. At the age of two, his grandfather Imam Ali (ﻉ) was also martyred. He was, thus, brought up and instructed by his father Imam Husayn (ﻉ) and by his uncle Imam Hassan (ﻉ). He was twelve when Imam Hassan (ﻉ) died and the burdens of the Imamate fell on Husayn’s shoulders.

The cunning of Mu'awiyah, the then Umayyad ruler of Syria, led to the tragedy of Karbala’ during the reign of his son Yazid; therefore, youthful Zain al-Abidin watched the pace of the events which culminated in that terrible massacre. Imam Husayn (ﻉ), who was leading a peaceful life in Medina, arranged the marriage of his son to Fatima daughter of Imam Hassan (ﻉ), thus ensuring that the series of Imamate would continue even in the face of coming events.