Alimatun ghayru mu'allama
ʿĀlima ghayru muʿallama (a learned woman without having been taught) is one of the epithets of Lady Zaynab (a), which was bestowed upon her by Imam al‑Sajjad (a).
When the captives of Karbala entered Kufa, Lady Zaynab (a) delivered a sermon to the people. At its conclusion, Imam al‑Sajjad (a) said to her:[1] "You are, by the grace of God, a learned woman without having been taught." Based on this description, Lady Zaynab (a) came to be known by the epithet "ʿĀlima ghayr muʿallama."
Ayatollah Jawadi Amuli, a Shi'a philosopher and jurist, has regarded Imam al‑Sajjad's (a) description as a testimony to the infallibility and wilaya of Lady Zaynab (a). It has also been said that Imam al‑Sajjad's expression about his aunt is evidence of Zaynab's (a) awareness of divinely bestowed knowledge.[2]
Sayyid Ali Khamenei, a researcher of Islamic history, has regarded Imam al‑Sajjad's description of Lady Zaynab al‑Kubra (a) as being equivalent to a statement that an infallible Imam would make about a member of the Ahl al-Bayt (a). Regarding Imam al‑Sajjad's (a) intent in this description of Lady Zaynab (a), several interpretations have been suggested:
- Zaynab (a), through her pure nature, intellect, and reflection, without the need for a teacher, attained knowledge of God and His apparent signs, which enabled her to endure patiently and be content with divine decree.
- Zaynab (a), as a result of self‑purification, reached a station in which she became knowledgeable through divine inspirations.
- Her true teachers were the Five of the Ahl al‑Kisa' (a), not others.