Ali ibn al-Husayn was known as "ibn al-Khiyaratayn", the "son of the best two", meaning the Quraysh among the Arabs and the Persians among the non-Arabs". According to some accounts, Shahrbanu was brought as a captive to Medina during the caliphate of Umar (some say during the caliphates of Uthman or Ali), who wanted to sell her. Ali suggested allowing her to choose a husband from among the Muslims and paying her mahr from the public treasury. Umar agreed; she chose Ali's son, Husayn. She is said to have died shortly after giving birth to her only son, Ali.