Following a gender disguised woman who conquers China to save her husband, the syair has been argued to be based on historical events.

They raise him to be a devout Muslim and, at age six, Zainal Abidin is sent away to learn to read the Quran and study martial arts.

On their way back to Kembayat Negara Zainal Abidin helps the King of Yaman repel an enemy attack, for which he is granted the hand of Princess Sajarah in marriage.

According to the Chinese-Malay literary historian Liaw Yock Fang, the earliest extant manuscript of Syair Siti Zubaidah dates to 1840 (1256 hijrah).

The French literary scholar Monique Zaini-Lajoubert suggests that, as Syair Siti Zubaidah is undated, it is impossible to determine which came first.

[7] In the syair Siti Zubaidah emphasises her loyalty to her husband and God, forsaking motherly duties to continue the war.

Ultimately, according to Malaysian literary scholar Barbara Watson Andaya, "loyalty, piety and submission to fate, even when a husband is unfaithful, earns [Siti Zubaidah] the status of consort.

"[8] Abdul Mutalib writes that Syair Siti Zubaidah may have been based on actual historical events; some Malaysian scholars suggest that Kembayat Negara is a representation of Champa (now part of Vietnam).

"[8] The syair does, however, draw parallels between war and sex: in one scene Zainal Abidin tells one of his Chinese captors "We ought to fight beneath the mosquito net / our krises and spears coax and caress.