The surname Al-Zaidi (Az-Zaidi) can denote one or both of the following:
*
Sayyid
''Sayyid'' (, ; ar, سيد ; ; meaning 'sir', 'Lord', 'Master'; Arabic plural: ; feminine: ; ) is a surname of people descending from the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali, sons of Muhamma ...
Arab descendants of
Zayd ibn Ali that either stayed in
Kufa
Kufa ( ar, الْكُوفَة ), also spelled Kufah, is a city in Iraq, about south of Baghdad, and northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000. Currently, Kufa and Najaf a ...
, Iraq or returned to
Al-Hijaz.
*The use of the surname Al-Zaidi to designate association may be with the
Zaidiyyah ''
madhhab
A ( ar, مذهب ', , "way to act". pl. مَذَاهِب , ) is a school of thought within ''fiqh'' (Islamic jurisprudence).
The major Sunni Mathhab are Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali.
They emerged in the ninth and tenth centuries CE a ...
'', whose adherents are found in
Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
. This is akin to the use of the surnames Al-Hanafi, Al-Maliki, Al-Shafi'i, etc.
People with the surname Zaidi trace their origins to the Islamic Holy City of
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow ...
, located in present-day Saudi Arabia. Zaid ibn Ali was the son of
Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-'Abidin who was the great grandson of the Islamic prophet
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mo ...
thus the descendants of Zaid ibn Ali are known as
Sayyid
''Sayyid'' (, ; ar, سيد ; ; meaning 'sir', 'Lord', 'Master'; Arabic plural: ; feminine: ; ) is a surname of people descending from the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali, sons of Muhamma ...
- an honorific title bestowed upon to the descendants of
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mo ...
. In Present times, the Descendants of Zaid ibn Ali can be found in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. The ones in India and Pakistan carry the surname Zaidi along with
Wasti Wasti or Wasiti is a toponymic surname originating from the city of Wasit, Iraq. Twelver Shias in India and Pakistan descending from Zayd ibn Ali also carry the surname along with Zaidi. Notable people bearing the name include:
* Abu Bakr Muhamma ...
(denoting Zayd ibn Ali's descendants from
Wasit
Wasit ( ar, وَاسِط, Wāsiṭ, syr, ܘܐܣܛ) is an ancient city in Wasit Governorate, south east of Kut in eastern Iraq.
History
The city was built by al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf in c. 702 CE on the west bank of the Tigris across from the hi ...
) with
Sadaat-e-Bara and
Sadaat-e-Bilgram as prominent communities, they are followers of
Twelver Shi'ism
Twelver Shīʿīsm ( ar, ٱثْنَا عَشَرِيَّة; '), also known as Imāmīyyah ( ar, إِمَامِيَّة), is the largest branch of Shīʿa Islam, comprising about 85 percent of all Shīʿa Muslims. The term ''Twelver'' refers t ...
not Zaydism which is largely restricted to Yemen.
The Wasitis/Zaidis in South Asia
The Zaidis of the Indian subcontinent use the proper noun "Wasiti" as a form of self-identification.
Zayd ibn Ali is believed to have succumbed to injuries he sustain during a battle in Kufa, Iraq; many of his descendants either returned to
al-Hijaz or remained in Iraq. Some of those who stayed in Iraq settled in
Wasit
Wasit ( ar, وَاسِط, Wāsiṭ, syr, ܘܐܣܛ) is an ancient city in Wasit Governorate, south east of Kut in eastern Iraq.
History
The city was built by al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf in c. 702 CE on the west bank of the Tigris across from the hi ...
. Some descendants from Wasit then moved to the Indian subcontinent. Most of the Zaidis migrated after the Mongol
Siege of Baghdad in 1258. Most of them are settled in
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
,
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
and
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
.
[Article by Sayyid 'Ali ibn 'Ali Al-Zaidi, التاريخ الصغير عن الشيعة اليمنيين (A short History of the Yemenite Shi‘ites, 2005)]
The largest group among those identifying themselves as Zaidi is ''
Saadat-e-Bara''. ''Saadat'' means descendant of
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mo ...
and ''Bara'' means twelve in
. There are many interpretations of word bara and many spellings are current: Bara, Bahera, Barha (as spelled in ''Tuzuk-e-Jahangiri'', ''
Akbarnama
The ''Akbarnama'', which translates to ''Book of Akbar'', the official chronicle of the reign of Akbar, the third Mughal Emperor (), commissioned by Akbar himself and written by his court historian and biographer, Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak. It was w ...
'' and other Moghul sources) and Bahira meaning "bright" in Arabic language. One explanation of the word is as mentioned above; another is that there are twelve villages in
Muzaffarnagar district
Muzaffarnagar district is a district of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. It is part of Saharanpur division. The city of Muzaffarnagar is the district headquarters. This district is the part of National Capital Region.
History Medieva ...
and their residents were called Sadat Barha.
Aurangzeb wrote about the Syeds of Barha:
"You should be extremely cautious in dealing with the Syeds of Barha...because a strong partner in government would soon seize the kingship for himself."
The Barha Sayyids in Muzaffarnagar rose as the de-facto rulers of the Mughal empire, under their leaders
Qutb-ul-Mulk and
Ihtimam-ul-Mulk who deposed the Emperors
Jahandar Shah
Mirza Mu'izz-ud-Din Beg Muhammad Khan (10 May 1661 – 11 February 1713), more commonly known as Jahandar Shah (), was the ninth Mughal Emperor who ruled for a brief period in 1712–1713. He was the son of Bahadur Shah (Shah Alam), and the ...
,
Farrukhsiyar
Farrukhsiyar or Farrukh Siyar () (20 August 16839 April 1719) was the tenth emperor of the Mughal Empire from 1713 to 1719. He rose to the throne after assassinating his uncle, Emperor Jahandar Shah. Reportedly a handsome man who was easily ...
,
Rafi ud-Darajat
Rafi ud-Darajat (; 1 December 1699 – 6 June 1719), the youngest son of Rafi-ush-Shan and the nephew of Azim-ush-Shan, was the eleventh Mughal Emperor. He was placed on the throne by the Sayyid Brothers of Barha, after they had executed the ...
and
Shah Jahan II
Shah Jahan II (; June 1696 – 19 September 1719), born Rafi-ud-Daulah, was the twelfth Mughal emperor for a brief period in 1719. After being chosen by the Sayyid Brothers of Barha, he succeeded his short-lived brother Rafi-ud-Darajat in th ...
.
File:Qutb-ul-Mulk Sayyid Hassan Ali Abdullah Khan.png, Qutb-ul-Mulk Hassan Ali Khan Barha
File:Amir-ul-Umara Sayyid Hussain Ali Khan.jpg, Amir-ul-Umara Hussain Ali Khan Barha
These Sayyeds are descendants of Sayyid Abu'l Farah Al Hussaini Al Wasti who came to India from Wasit (Iraq) in the 11th century along with his four sons who settled in four villages of Punjab, Kundliwaal, Chhatbanur, Tihanpur and Jajner giving names to all four clans of Sadat Barha. Their numbers are highest in
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
(Pakistan) and
Muzaffarnagar
Muzaffarnagar is a city under Muzaffarnagar District in the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh. It is situated midway on the Delhi - Haridwar/ Dehradun National Highway (NH 58) and is also well connected with the national railway network. It is ...
(India). The Kundliwal clan mainly live in
Mujhera,
Hashimpur, and
Sikrehra Khola. The Chhatraudi clan mainly live in
Sambalhera. Many of them migrated to Pakistan during the
partition of India.
Notable people with the surname Al-Zaidi
*
Muntadhar al-Zaidi
Muntadhar al-Zaidi ( ar, منتظر الزيدي ''Muntaẓar az-Zaydī''; born 15 January 1979) is an Iraqi broadcast journalist who served as a correspondent for Iraqi-owned, Egyptian-based Al-Baghdadia TV. , al-Zaidi works with a Lebanes ...
(born 1979), Iraqi broadcast journalist who serves as a correspondent for Iraqi-owned, Egyptian-based Al-Baghdadia TV
Notable people with the surname Zaidi
;Art and literature
*
Ali Jawad Zaidi, Urdu poet and writer of India
*
Ali Naqi Zaidi (Safi Lakhnavi), Urdu poet of India
*
Annie Zaidi, India English-language writer
*
Askari Mian Zaidi (Askari Mian Irani), Pakistani artist, professor at National College of Arts
*
Mohsin Zaidi
Mohsin Zaidi (10 July 1935 – 3 September 2003) was an Indian Urdu poet who used the pen name 'Mohsin'. He is best known as a writer of ghazals, who expressed new ideas with this traditional form.
Early life and education
Saiyed Mohsin Raza ...
, Indian Urdu poet
*
Mustafa Zaidi, Urdu poet of Pakistan
*
Nusrat Zaidi, Pakistani Urdu poet
*
Sajida Zaidi, Indian educationist, Urdu writer and poet
*
Ustad Sibte Jaafar Zaidi
Sayyid Sibte Jaffar Zaidi ( ur, سيد سبط جعفر زيدى) or commonly known as Ustad Sibte Jaffar (Urdu: اُستاد سبطِ جعفر) (born 1957) was a Pakistani professor, poet, advocate, principal, religious reciter, writer and soc ...
, poet, professor and head of various institutions in Pakistan
*
Zahida Zaidi, Indian writer and critic
;Architecture
*
Nayyar Ali Zaidi, Pakistani architect
;Government
*
Ijlal Haider Zaidi, Pakistani civil servant
*
Bashir Hussain Zaidi, member of the first Lok Sabha and Vice Chancellor of AMU
*
Nasim Zaidi, Chief Election Commissioner of India
*
Sibte Hasan Zaidi, Indian toxicologist, head of the Industrial Toxicology Research Center
*
Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi, Chief Election Commissioner of India
;Media
*
Ashar Zaidi, Pakistani broadcast sports journalist
*
Hasan Zaidi
Hasan Zaidi (born 28 September 1978) is an Indian television actor who is known for his roles in '' Khotey Sikkey'' and '' Hum Ne Li Hai...Shapath''.
Life and family
Zaidi was born in Aligarh and hails from Hardoi near Lucknow, U.P. He spent ...
, Indian television actor
*
Hussain Zaidi
S. Hussain Zaidi (born 28 February 1968) is an Indian author and former investigative journalist. His works include '' Dongri to Dubai: Six Decades of the Mumbai Mafia'', ''Mafia Queens of Mumbai'', '' Black Friday'', ''My Name is Abu Salem'' a ...
, Indian journalist and screenwriter
*
Tanveer Zaidi
Tanveer Zaidi ur, , hi, तनवीर ज़ैदी, born to Syed Mashooq Hussain is an Indian actor and educationist. 'Tanveer Zaidi has acted in 13 films until date & many T.V series & Live shows, He has also appeared as a judge in sat ...
, Indian actor, businessman and educationist
*
Salman Zaidi, Indian television personality
*
Shama Zaidi
Shama Zaidi (born 25 September 1938) is an Indian screenplay writer, costume designer, art director, theatre person, art critic, and documentary film maker. She is married to director M. S. Sathyu. Shama Zaidi Was Honored with Lifetime Achieve ...
, Indian designer and filmmaker
*
Zaigham Zaidi, Pakistani photographer
;Religion
*
Ali Ausat Zaidi, Urdu
soazkhawan of Pakistan
*
Sibt-e-Jaafar Zaidi, Pakistani educator
;Sport
*
Ashar Zaidi, Pakistani first-class cricketer
*
Ashish Zaidi, Indian cricketer
* Mehdi Hassan Zaidi (
Syed Modi), Indian badminton singles champion
*
Zulqarnain Zaidi, former Pakistani cricketer
*
Farhan Zaidi, President of Baseball Operations for the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...
See also
*
Zaidiyah
*
Sayyid
''Sayyid'' (, ; ar, سيد ; ; meaning 'sir', 'Lord', 'Master'; Arabic plural: ; feminine: ; ) is a surname of people descending from the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali, sons of Muhamma ...
*
Saadat-e-Bara
*
Wasti Wasti or Wasiti is a toponymic surname originating from the city of Wasit, Iraq. Twelver Shias in India and Pakistan descending from Zayd ibn Ali also carry the surname along with Zaidi. Notable people bearing the name include:
* Abu Bakr Muhamma ...
, lists notable people with the surname Wasti
References
{{surname, Zaidi
Hashemite people
Shi'ite surnames
Muslim communities of India
Social groups of Pakistan
Zaidiyyah
Urdu-language surnames
Twelver Shi'ism