Zubaidah bint Jaafar: The Compassionate Architect of Darb Zubaidah

By Afroz Khan, New Age Islam 1 August 2025 Zubaidah bint Jaafar, an Abbasid princess, was a compassionate and intelligent woman who funded water systems and rest houses along the Kufa-Mecca route, named Darb Zubaidah. Her initiatives eased pilgrims' journeys, boosted trade, and left a lasting legacy. Main Points: 1. Zubaidah bint Jaafar, born 766, married Caliph Harun al-Rashid. 2. Built wells, canals, and rest houses on Kufa-Mecca route. 3. Spent millions on Mecca’s water supply, including aqueducts. 4. Employed 100 women to recite Quran in her palace. 5. Darb Zubaidah aided pilgrims, trade; proposed UNESCO site. ----- (Darab Zubaidah) ----- Zubaidah bint Jaafar was the most famous of the Abbasid princesses. She was a very kind and intelligent woman who laid a network of wells and canals on the route from Kufa to Mecca for the convenience of the pilgrims, which provided great convenience to the pilgrims. For this noble deed done by her, that route was named "Darb Zubaidah" i.e. the path of Zubaidah. Zubaidah bint Jaafar ----- Zubaidah Bint Jaafar was born in 766 AD in the Abbasid Empire (present-day Iraq). Her father Ja'far was the brother of the Abbasid caliph al-Mahdi, her mother was Salsal, the elder sister of al-Khayzuran. Zubaidah Bint Jaafar was named Sukhainah at birth but her grandfather caliph al-Mansur gave her a cute name "Zubaidah" which means "little ball of butter". She became famous by this name and later also got the title of Umm Ja'far. Zubaidah Bint Jaafar is a precious gift of the Islamic Golden Age, at this time the Islamic world was witnessing unprecedented innovations in science, medicine, technology and education. Women were also an important part of this revolution, Zubaidah was also brought up in this era, which had a profound impact on her personality. Being an Abbasid princess, complete arrangements were made for her education. Zubaidah has been very intelligent since childhood. She studied the Holy Quran and Hadith in depth. It is said that she had a special love for the verses of the Holy Quran. For this, she had appointed 100 women in her palace who knew the Quran by heart. Those women used to recite the Quran continuously. The sound coming from her palace was like the continuous humming sound coming from a "beehive". Whenever she went anywhere, those women used to accompany her and recite verses to her all the way. Zubaidah was married to Harun al-Rashid, the fifth Abbasid caliph. Zubaidah used the power and wealth she gained as the wife of an Abbasid caliph to promote Islam and public welfare. When she went to Mecca for the fifth time on Hajj, she saw that the population there was devastated due to drought, there was a severe shortage of water due to which the common people as well as those who had come to Mecca for Hajj were facing problems, then she ordered to improve the water supply in Mecca and the surrounding provinces from her personal expense, for which she spent about 20 lakh dinars. According to Ibn Khallikan, Zubaidah was warned by her engineers that the project could be very costly because of technical reasons, and she said she was determined to complete it "even if each blow of a spade cost one dinar." She had previously built an aqueduct from the spring of Hunayn as well as the famous Spring of Zubaidah in the plain of Arafat. The road connecting Kufa to Mecca was named after Zubaidah Bint Jaafar because she had done many important works on this route. She had arranged for water on this route and also built rest houses for rest on this route, installed lighthouses and milestones for the guidance of travellers. Darb Zubaidah is being considered to be named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site so that this historical heritage can be preserved and it can get recognition on the world stage. Darb Zubaidah made the journey of Hajj pilgrims easy and safe and also promoted trade activities on this route. Many people got employment at the rest houses on the route. Merchants doing business through this route also got encouragement due to safe trade. The world-famous Moroccan traveller and writer Ibn Battuta mentions Zubaidah in his travelogue, saying that "every reservoir, pond or well on this road from Mecca to Baghdad is the result of his generous grace... If it were not for his concern for this road, it would not be of any use to anyone." Ibn Battuta specifically mentions the reservoirs of Birkat al-Marjum and al-Qarura. Zubaidah employed a team of assistants to manage her properties and to work on her behalf in a number of business ventures, independent of Harun. The income from these business ventures was often used by her for social welfare. She rebuilt Tabriz after a devastating earthquake in 791. Zubaidah died in 831 during the reign of her stepson al-Mamun. Zubaidah Bint Jaafar was a generous, compassionate, intelligent and religious woman. She spent her personal income for the public good and in religious works. She employed 100 women to recite verses from the Quran in her palace. ---- Afroz Khan is a teacher by profession, focusing on writings about women and Islam. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education. 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