Hazrat Zainab (PBUH) nicknamed Zainab Kobra(PBUH) was born on the 5th of Jumadi al-Awal in the sixth year of the lunar calendar (in some sources, the year of her birth is mentioned as the fifth year of the lunar calendar) in the city of Medina; she is the third child of Amirul Momineen (AS) and Fatima Zahra (AS) after Imam Hassan (AS) and Imam Hussein (AS).

 It has been narrated that when Hazrat Zainab (PBUH) was born, Hazrat Zahra (PBUH) went to Hazrat Ali (PBUH) and told him to name her. Hazrat Ali (pbuh) said that I do not surpass the Prophet (pbuh) in this matter. When the matter was returned to the Prophet (PBUH) from his journey and the matter was told to him, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: I will not overtake the Almighty Lord in this matter. Name this child "Zainab", because we have written this in the “Loh Almahfooz”.

Zainab is a combination of "zain" and "ab" which means "father's adornment" and also Zainab means "beautiful and fragrant tree".

Hazrat Zainab married Abdullah bin Jafar. In some sources, four sons named: Ali, Aoun, Abbas, Muhammad and a daughter named Umm Kulthum are mentioned as the children of Hazrat Zainab (PBUH) and Abdullah. It is said that two of the martyrs of Karbala (Aun and Muhammad) were the children of Hazrat Zainab (PBUH).