Zayn al-Abidin Muhammad Husayn, , أبو زبيدة, known as Abu Zubaydah, was born in Saudi Arabia to displaced Palestinian parents. He grew up in Riyadh with a deep sense of identity tied to his Palestinian heritage, and became increasingly troubled by what he saw as the oppression of Muslims around the world. Raised by a caring mother and a strict father, he was close to his siblings, who affectionately called him “happy Hani” and described him as the idealist of the family. He has not seen his family for more than two decades.