El Zein family
The family traces its origins to Zain Al-Abidin Al-Ansari Al-Khazraji, a descendant of Sa’d ibn 'Ubadah, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad and leader of the Khazraj tribe, who settled in Jamal Amil during Saladin's campaign in the 12th century.
[1] Historically, family members held positions in social and political spheres of Jabal Amil due to their large feudal estates in this region.
[2] During the 18th century, Ali El Zein "Al-Kabir" the "Proprietor of Shehour", under the leadership of Nasif Al-Nassar, lead the resistance against Jazzar Pasha’s invasion of Jabal Amil.
[6][7] The scholar and historian Ali Sebiti [ar] in his book The History of the Families of Jabal Amel (تاريخ عائلات عامل) narrates that the ancestor of the El Zein family is Zain Al-Abidin, known as Al Zain Al-Ansari Al-Khazraji, originally from Medina and a descendant of Sa’d ibn 'Ubadah, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad and the leader of the Khazraj tribe.
At the same time, Hossam Al-Din Bishara, Saladdin's nephew, was the ruler of the Beshara region (South Lebanon),[9] while Zain Al-Abidin was made governor of the Tebnine fortress.
[11][12] He returned to his hometown to engage in religious duties and community leadership but was martyred by the Ottoman governor Jazzar Pasha in 1773,[13] who saw him as a threat, burning his library of over 3,000 volumes in the process.
[17] The relationship between him and the inhabitants of Jabal Amel deteriorated due to his excessive oppression and tyranny, spreading fear and imposing heavy taxes on them.
The governor Suleiman Pasha, the new ruler of Acre,[22] convened a meeting attended by Bashir Al-Shehabi and Faris Nassif Al-Nassar,[19] representing Jabal Amil.
A poet, he funded the Jbaa religious school founded by Abdullah Nehme [ar] and established relations with officials like Fuad Pasha, a representative of the Ottoman Grand Vizier.
[30][31] After Suleiman's death in 1872, leadership responsibilities were taken over by his children who each settled in different villages: Hussein in Jibshit, Muhammad and Ismail in Kfar Reman, and Ali in Shehour.
[32][33] Known as Abu Khalil, Hussein bin Suleiman El Zein was a scholar and student of Abdullah Nehme, studying at the Jbaa Religious School.
[35] Muhammad bin Khalil El Zein was sent to study in Najaf, then returned to Beirut,[32] where he founded the Guidance and Enlightenment Society (جمعية الهداية والإرشاد).
[35]Abdul-Karim bin Hussein El Zein [ar] - A scholar, poet, and writer, known for his ownership of large estates, he authored numerous works in theology, literature, and medicine.
[37] Muhammad Hussein bin Abdul Karim El Zein [ar] – A religious scholar, poet, judge, and author, best known for his book The Rightly Guided Caliphs (الخلفاء الراشدون) and Shia in History (الشيعة في التاريخ).
He inherited his father Suleiman El Zein's estates and political leadership, expanding his land acquisitions including the village of Kfar Reman through trade ventures.
His achievements included renovating the Al-Hamidiya School in Nabatiyeh, supporting the Maqasid Charity Association, and financing a major water project in 1925 to supply Nabatieh and its surroundings.
He studied law at the Collège de la Sagesse and Saint Joseph University in Beirut, and held office as a member of the Lebanese Parliament from 1960 until 2018.
[55][56] Abdul Majeed bin Youssef El Zein [ar] – Officer in the Internal Security Forces, politician, and former Member of the Lebanese Parliament.
He was elected as a Member of the Lebanese Parliament in 1964, representing the Zahrani district in southern Lebanon and served on the Parliamentary Committees for Finance and Budget as well as Agriculture.
He moved to the town of Shehour where he resided and managed his father's extensive properties in Jabal Amil passing away in 1931, leaving behind four sons: Labib, Atif, Abdel-Ala'a and Ahmad Aref.
