Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Notes

[1] ‘Abd Allah was Imam al-Baqir’s full brother.

[2] Safinat al-Bihar, vol.2, p.273.

[3] Ibn ‘Asakir, al-Tahdhib, vol.6, p.18.

[4] Al-Hada’iq al-Wardiya, vol.1, p.143.

[5] Koran, 9, 111.

[6] Koran, 3, 169.

[7] Koran, 4, 95.

[8] Al-Roud al-Nadir, vol.1, p.52.

[9] Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, p.128.

[10] Ibid, p.130.

[11] Ibid, p.128.

[12] Al-Khara’ijj wa al-Jara’ih, p.328.

[13] Imam Zayd, Muqaddamat al-Musnad, p.8.

[14] Ibid, p.7.

[15] Al-Maqrizi, Al-Khutat wa al-Athar, vol.2, p.440.

[16] Al-Millal wa al-Nihal, vol.2, p.208.

[17] Wafayat al-A‘yan, vol.5, p.60.

[18] Mohammed Abu Zahra, Imam Zayd, p.225.

[19] Al-Hada’iq al-Wardiya, vol.1, p.144.

[20] Zahr al-Adab, vol.1, p.87.

[21] Al-Ya‘qubi, Tarikh, vol.2, p.390.

[22] ‘Umdat al-Talib, vol.2, p.127.

[23] Ibid.

[24] Zahr al-Adab, vol.1, p.118.

[25] Ibn ‘Asakir, al-Tahdhib, vol.6, p.22.

[26] Ibn al-Athir, al-Kamil, vol.5, p.84.

[27] Sharh al-Nahjj, vol.1, p.315.

[28] Ibn al-Athir, al-Kamil, vol.5, p.84.

[29] ‘Umdat al-Talib.

[30] Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, p.129.

[31] Taysir al-Matalib, pp.108-109.

[32] Roudat al-Kafi.

[33] Al-Majjlisi, al-Amali, p.54.

[34] Mu‘jam Rijal al-Hadith, vol.7, pp.350-358.

[35] Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, p.129.

[36] Taysir al-Matalib, pp.108-109.

[37] Al-Roud al-Nadir, vol.1, p.75.

[38] Maqatil al-Talibiyyin.

[39] Al-Kamil, vol.5, p.56.

[40] Maqatil al-Talibiyyin.

[41] Ansab al-Ashraf, vol.3, p.203.

[42] Al-Tabari, Tarikh, vol.8, p.273.

[43] ‘Umdat al-Talib, vol.2, p.127.

[44] Al-Hada’iq al-Wardiya, vol.1, p.148.

[45] Ansab al-Ashraf, vol.3, p.202.

[46] Ibid.

[47] Al-Muqrim, Zayd al-Shahid.

[48] Ibn Abi al-Haddid, Sharh.

[49] Al-Niza‘ wa al-Takhasum, p.7.

[50] Ansab al-Ashraf, vol.3, p.292.

[51] Al-Tabari, Tarikh, vol.8, p.77.

[52] ‘Umdat al-Talib, p.258.

[53] Al-Sira al-Halabiya, vol.1, p.327.

[54] Ansab al-Ashraf, vol.3, p.255.

[55] Ibid.

[56] Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, pp. 148-149.

[57]Ibid, p.150.

[58] Ansab al-Ashraf, vol.3, p.256.

[59] Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, pp. 147.

[60] Al-Ya‘qubi, Tarikh, vol.2, p.391.

[61] Murujj al-Dhahab, vol.3, p.139.

[62] Ibn al-Athir, Tarikh, vol.4, p.217.

[63] ‘Umdat al-Talib, vol.2, p.29.

[64] Al-Mufïd, al-Irshad, p.302.

[65] Mu‘jam Rijal al-Hadith, vol.6, p.44.

[66] Safinat al-Bihar, vol.2, p.273.

[67] Al-Mufïd, al-Irshad, p.302.

[68] ‘Umdat al-Talib, vol.2, p.29.

[69] Mu‘jam Rijal al-Hadith, vol.6, p.44.

[70] ‘Umdat al-Talib, vol.2, p.29.

[71] Ibid, p.127.

[72] Al-Mufïd, al-Irshad, p.300.

[73] Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, vol.5, p.324.

[74] Al-Mufïd, al-Irshad, p.300.

[75] ‘Umdat al-Talib, vol.2, p.127.

[76] Ibid.

[77] Mu‘jam Rijal al-Hadith, vol.13, p.54.

[78] Ibid.

[79] Ibid.

[80] Safinat al-Bihar, vol.2, p.273.

[81] ‘Umdat al-Talib, vol.2, p.127.

[82] Mu‘jam al-Buldan, vol.5, p.450. Yanbu‘ is to the right of Radwa for those who leave from Medina to the sea. It belonged to the sons of al-Hasan. It has abandunt fresh springs, water and plants. Some of them said that it was a fort with date-palms. In it there were the religious endowments of Imam ‘Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, peace be on him. His sons inherited them.

[83] ‘Umdat al-Talib, vol.2, p.129.

[84] Mir'at al-Zaman fï Tawarikh al-A‘yan, vol.5, p.78. Ibn Sa‘d, al-Tabaqat, vol.5, p.320.

[85] Dr. Mohammed Yahya al-Hashimi has mentioned that in his book Imam al-Sadiq Mulhim al-Kïmya'.

[86] Al-Mufïd, al-Irshad, p.303.

[87] In his speech:" I will be a helper for you against Allah." He meant that he would be an intercessor for him with Allah.

[88] Ghayat al-Ikhtisar, p.64. Safïnat al-Bihar, vol.1, p.309.

[89] Ghayat al-Ikhtisar, p.63.

[90] Safïnat al-Bihar, vol.1, p.309.

[91] Al-Mufïd, al-Irshad, p.303. Sayyid Kazim Yamani, al-Nafha al-‘Ambariya. It is among the manuscripts of Imam Kashif al-Ghita' Public Library. ‘Abd Allah has not been mentioned in Jamharat Ansab al-‘Arab nor has he been mentioned in ‘Umdat al-Talib nor has he been mentioned in Mir'at al-Zaman.

[92] Al-Sirat al-Sawi, p.194.

[93] Mir'at al-Zaman fï Tawarikh al-A‘yan, vol.5, p.78. Ibn Sa‘d, al-Tabaqat, vol.5, p.230. In al-Nafha al-‘Ambariya, his daughters were Zaynab the elder, Zaynab the younger, and Umm Kulthum.

[94] Safïnat al-Bihar, vol.1, p.309.

CHAPTER IV: ADMIRATION AND GLORIFICATION

The learned, the scholars, the researchers, and the authors glorified Imam al-Baqir, peace be on him. They acknowledged his outstanding merits and his priority in knowledge to those other than him. They unanimously agreed that he was the greatest scholar whom the Islamic and the Arab world has ever known. The following are some of their words concerning him:

1. Imam al-Sadiq

Imam Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Sadiq, peace be on him said: “My father was then the best Mohammedan on the surface of the earth.”[1]

This means that Imam al-Baqir was then the best of all the Moslems in knowledge, devotion, conforming to the religion, and the like through which the Moslem person becomes high.

2. Mohammed b.al-Munkadir

Mohammed b. al-Munkadir was among those who were contemporary with Imam Zayn al-‘Abidïn and his son, Imam al-Baqir, peace be on him. He stated his impressions of him, saying: “I did not think that ‘Ali b. al-Husayn would leave a successor similar to him in outstanding merits, abundant knowledge, clemency, etc., till I saw his son, Mohammed. ”[2]

3. Sudayf al-Makki

Sudayf al-Makki was among the companions of Imam Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir). He communicated with him. He was among those who admired and glorified him. He said: “I have never seen a Mohammedan similar to him.”[3]

4. Hisham b. ‘Abd al-Malik

As for Hisham, he was among the most spiteful towards the Imam and among the most mortal enemies of his. Still, he acknowledge the high rank of the Imam and his great importance. Thus, he addressed him, saying: “O Mohammed, Quraysh will lead Arabs and non-Arabs as long as there are (persons) among them similar to you.”[4]

5. Al-Mansur al-Dawanïqi

(At an assembly), Imam al-Baqir, peace be on him, talked about the Oa'im (the one who will undertake the office of the Imamate) of the family of Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family, and the Mahdi (the rightly-guided one) of the this community. Al-Mansur al-Dawanïqi was at the assembly. He was astonished at that. Thus, he told Sayf b. ‘Umayr about what he had heard of the Imam, saying: “If all the people of the earth tell me (about that), I will not accept (it) from them. However, he is Mohammed b. ‘Ali.”[5] These words indicate that he admired and glorified the Imam. If the people of the earth had told him about that, he would have not accepted (it) from them nor would he have believed them. However, the Imam told him about it. So, al-Mansur acknowledged that the Imam was superior to all the people in truthfulness and reliability.

6. Abd Allah b.‘Ata'

Abd Allah b. ‘Ata' talked about the admiration, glorification, and humbleness of the scholars for the Imam (al-Baqir), peace be on him. He said: “I have never seen the scholars with (a person) inferior to them. (However, I have seen them) with Abï Ja‘far (al-Baqir), for they behaved humbly and modestly before him, knew his right and his knowledge, and learned from him. Although al-Hakam b. ‘Utayba was great and old, I saw him before al-Baqir to learn from him. He was like the boy before the teacher.”[6] He added : “I saw al-Hakam with al-Baqir. He was like a helpless bird.”[7]

We must mention a brief idea about al-Hakam b. ‘Utayba to understand his scientific rank so that we are able to understand the vast sciences of Imam al-Baqir, peace be on him, and his high rank with the scholars. The narrators said : “Al-Hakam was among the greatest and the most important scholars of his time. “Mujahid b. Rumi said: “I saw al-Hakam in the mosque of al-Khif. The scholars of the people were around him. “Jarïr reported on the authority of al-Mughïra, who said: “When al-Hakam came to Medina, the people left the praying-place of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, for him to pray at it.”[8] Ibn Sa‘d said: “He was a reliable jurist and prominent scholar. He had many traditions.”Al-Hakam had vast knowledge and a high rank. Nevertheless he was like a powerless boy before Imam al-Baqir. Therefore, the Imam was the most knowledgeable of all the people of his time in all sciences. The Shi‘a believe in this and produce it as evidence in support of his abundant sciences.

7. Jabir b.Yazïd

Jabir b. Yazïd al-Ju‘fi was among the most famous Moslem scholars and among the greatest reporters of traditions. He was among those who studied under Imam Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir), peace be on him. He reported seventy thousand traditions on the authority of the Imam, as al-Dhahabi said. He was among those who knew the Imam's scientific position. Thus, when he narrated traditions on his authority, he said: “The trustee of the trustees and inheritor of the knowledge of prophets related to me.”[9]

8. Jabir b. ‘Abd Allah

The great companion (of the Prophet), Jabir b. ‘Abd Allah al-Ansari was famous for following the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt), peace be on them. He loved them very much. It was he who sent the greetings of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, to Imam Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir), peace be on him, as we have already mentioned. He was among those who understood the high rank of the Imam, peace be on him. He glorified and respected the Imam from his childhood. When he addressed him, he said: “You are the son of the best of all the creatures. Your father is the Lord of the Youth of Heaven.”[10]

9. Ibn Hajar al-Haythami

Shahab al-Dïn, Ahmed b. Hajar al-Haythami, said: “Abu Ja‘far, Mohammed, was called al-Baqir. The word al-Baqir was derived from baqara al-ard, meaning he splits open the ground and lights the hidden

things in it. Thus, the Imam brought to light hidden things, such as the treasures of sciences, the facts of the rules, the maxims, and the good things. He made them so clear that nobody misunderstands them except those with bad insight and corrupt interior. Concerning him it was said that he split open knowledge and collected it. He made famous his knowledge and raised it. His heart became clear. His knowledge and his deeds were honest. His soul became pure. His morals were noble. His times were spent in Allah's obedience. The tongues of describers fall short of depicting his marks in the positions of the gnostic. This quick talk is unable to encompass all his words on behavior and sciences.”[11]

These words display some bright sides of the life of Imam Abï Ja‘far (al-Baqir), peace be on him. Among them was that he brought to light the treasures of sciences and the facts of the rules, while the people were unable to do that. We will talk about that in the researches that follow.

10. Ibn Kuthayr

Abu al-Fida', al-Hafiz b. Kuthayr, wrote Imam al-Baqir's biography. Concerning him he said: “Al-Baqir was among the leading members of the next generation. He had a great rank. He was among the great figures of this community in knowledge, deeds, leadership, and honor. He was called al-Baqir, for he split open knowledge and concluded the rules. He remembered Allah. He was humble and patient. He was among the progeny of the Prophet. He was of a noble lineage. He was cognizant of the hearts. He wept very much. He refrained from arguments and quarrels.”[12]

Ibn Kuthayr talked about the vast sciences of the Imam. (He also talked about) his worship, his patience, his much weeping because of his fear of Allah, and his refraining from the argument and the disputes. Because of these qualities, the scholars admired and glorified the Imam, peace be on him.

11. ‘Abd al-Hamïd al-Hanbali

‘Abd al-Hamïd b. al-‘Imad al-Hanbali wrote the Imam's biography. He said: “Al-Baqir was among the jurists of Medina. He was called al-Baqir because he widely split open knowledge. He was among the Twelve Imams according to the faith of the Imami (Shi‘a).”[13]

12. Al-Nabahani

Shaykh Yousif b. Isma‘ïl al-Nabahani said: “Mohammed al-Baqir b. ‘Ali, Zayn al-‘Abidïn, b. al-Husayn was one of the Imams of our masters, the noble members of the House (ahl al-Bayt), and was among the prominent scholars.”[14]

13. Al-Qirmani

Ahmed b. Yousif Al-Qirmani wrote the Imam's biography. He said: “He was called al-Baqir, for he split open knowledge. He was, out of (all) his brothers, the successor and testamentary trustee of his father. He undertook (the office of) the Imamate after him. None of the sons of al-Hasan and al-Husayn showed the same ability in knowledge of religion, the laws, the knowledge of the Koran, the ways of life, and the techniques of literature, as Abï Ja‘far (al-Baqir) did. The surviving Companions (of the Prophet) and

the leading members of the next generation reported the principal features of religion on his authority.”[15]

14. Al-Dhahabi

In many of his books, al-Dhahabi has written the Imam's biography. However, he was irregular in some of his words, which are as follows:

A. He said: “Al-Baqir was the best of the Hashimites at his time in outstanding merit, knowledge, and righteousness.”[16]

B. He said : “Al-Baqir was the lord of the Hashimites of his time. He was known as al-Baqir, for he split open knowledge. Thus, he knew its hidden origin.”[17]

C. He said : “Al-Baqir was among those who had knowledge, deeds, righteousness, honor, trust, and sedateness. He was appropriate for the succession (to authority). He was among the Twelve Imams whom the Imami Shi‘a respect and in whose infallibility and knowledge in all religion they believe.

“Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir) was a qualified Imam. He recited Allah's Book. He was of great importance. However, he was not the same level with b. Kuthayr in the Koran, nor was he the same level with Abï al-Zannad and Raï‘a in jurisprudence, nor was he the same level with Qattada and b. Shahab in memorizing and knowing the traditions.”[18] Al-Dhahabi deviated from the truth when he preferred b. Kuthayr, Abï al-Zannad, Raï‘a, Qattada, and b. Shahab to the Imam. Indeed these eminent men are not compared with his students, such as Zarara b. A‘yun, Mohammed b. Moslem, and Jabir b. Yazïd al-Ju‘fi. This is because knowledge and outstanding merits which have been reported on their authority are much more than those which have been reported on the authority of Qattada and his group. The Imam (al-Baqir) debated with Qattada and defeated him. However, al-Dhahabi was narrow-minded. He bore malice and hatred against the family of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and their followers. He has mentioned that in many of his researches. How wonderful what has been said concerning him is!

You are today called al-Dhahabi.

This name was derived from dhihab al-‘aql (madness)

not from al-dhahab (gold).

15. Mohammed b. Abï Bakr

Mohammed b. Abï Bakr, known as b. Hammad Dakkin died 700 A. H., said: “Our master Imam Mohammed, son of Imam Zayn al-‘Abidïn, peace be on him, showed an outstanding merit in knowledge, asceticism, and righteousness. He was of noble reputation and great importance. None of the sons of al-Hasan and al-Husayn, peace be on them, showed the same ability in the knowledge of religion, traditions, the sunna, the knowledge of the Koran, the life of the Prophet, and the techniques of literature, as Abu Ja‘far showed. The scholars of religion, the surviving Companions (of the Prophet), the leading members of the next generation, and the heads of the jurists of the Moslems reported on his authority. By virtue of his outstanding merit he became a signpost (of knowledge) to his family. Proverbs were coined about him and reports and verses were written to describe him.”[19]

16. Mohammed al-Jazri

Mohammed b. Mohammed al-Jazri said: “Abu Ja‘far, Mohammed b. ‘Ali b. al-Husayn b. ‘Ali b. Abï Talib, was called al-Baqir, for he split open knowledge. Thus, he knew its apparent and hidden (origins). He was the best of the Hashimites in knowledge, outstanding merit, and tradition.”[20]

17. Kamal al-Dïn al-Shafi‘i

Kamal al-Dïn al-Shafi‘i said: “He was the one who split open knowledge (al-baqir) and gathered it. Then he made it famous. His heart was clear. His act was honest. His soul was pure. His morals were noble. His times were spent in Allah's obedience. His foot was steady at the place of devotion. The features of closeness (to Allah) and the purity of kindness appeared on him. Thus, virtues competed with each other for him, and qualities were noble through him.”[21]

18. Idrïs al-Qarashi

Idrïs al-Qarashi said: “Mohammed b. ‘Ali (al-Baqir) was the first to get the honor of the two origins, and the birth of al-Hasan and al-Husayn came together for him. He grew up on the virtue, purity, leadership, mastership, and knowledge. He followed the behavior of his pure grandfathers. He moved through the degrees of virtues and went deeply into high glorious deeds.”[22]

19. Jamal al-Dïn

Jamal al-Dïn, Yousif b. Taghari Bardi al-Atabaki, said: “Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir) b. ‘Ali, Zayn al-‘Abidïn, b. al-Husayan, b. ‘Ali b. Abï Talib was the Lord of the Hashimites at his time. He was among the Twelve Imams in whose infallibility the Rafida (the Shi‘ites) believe.”[23]

20. Mohammed al-Sabban

Mohammed al-Sabban said: “As for Mohammed al-Baqir, he was the owner of sciences and was the brother of the details and the pleasant things. His miracles appeared. His hints in behavior were many. He was called al-Baqir, for he split open knowledge. Thus, he knew its hidden origin.”[24]

21. Ibn Abï al-Haddïd

‘Abd al-Hamïd b. Abï al-Haddïd said: “Mohammed b. ‘Ali al-Baqir was the Lord of the Jurists of Hijaz (Saudi Arabia). The people learned jurisprudence from him and his son, Ja‘far. He was called al-Baqir. Allah's Apostle nicknamed him so while he was not created yet. He (Allah's Apostle) announced good news to him. He promised Jabir to see him.”[25]

22. Shaykh al-Mufïd

Shaykh al-Mufïd said: “Al-Baqir Mohammed b. ‘Ali b. Al-Husayn, peace be on them, was out of (all) his brothers, the successor of his father, ‘Ali b. al-Husayn, his testamentary trustee, and the one who undertook the office of Imam after him. He surpassed all of them through his outstanding merit in traditional knowledge, asceticism, and leadership. He was the most renowned of them, the one among them who was most esteemed by both non-Shi‘a and Shi‘a, and the most able of them. None of the sons of al-

Hasan and al-Husayn, peace be on them, showed the same ability in knowledge of religion, traditions, the sunna, the knowledge of the Koran, the life of the Prophet, and the techniques of literature, as Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir) showed. The surviving Companions (of the Prophet), the leading members of the next generation, and the leaders of the Moslem jurists reported the principal features of religion on his authority. By virtue of his outstanding merit he became a signpost (of knowledge) to his family. Proverbs were coined about him and reports and verses were written to describe him.”[26]

23. Abu al-Hasan al-Tubrisi

Shaykh Abu al-Hasan al-Tubrisi said: “Indeed al-Baqir has become famous in the world, for he surpassed the creatures in knowledge, asceticism, and honor. None of the (grand) sons of the Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, showed the same ability in the knowledge of the Koran, the traditions, the life of the Prophet, sciences, wise sayings, and literature, as he showed. The great surviving Companions (of the Prophet), the leading members of the next generation, and the jurists of the Moslems visited him frequently. The reporters of the traditions narrated that Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, called him Baqir al-‘Ilm (the one who splits open knowledge).”[27]

24. Tajj al-Dïn

Tajj al-Dïn b. Mohammed, the head of Aleppo, said: “Abu Ja‘far, Baqir al-‘Ilm (the one who splits open knowledge), was the first for whom the birth of al-Hasan and al-Husayn came together. He had vast knowledge and plentiful clemency. Many traditions and abundant knowledge were reported on his authority.”[28]

25. Mahmud b. Whayb

Mahmud b. Whayb al-Baghdadi said: “His name al-Baqir was derived from baqara al-ard, meaning split open the ground and brought to light its hidden things. Thus, he brought to light the hidden things of the treasures of sciences, the facts of legal precepts and wisdom, and the pleasant things. He made them so clear that nobody misunderstands them except those with bad insight and corrupt interior. Concerning him, it was said that he split open knowledge and gathered it. He made famous his knowledge and raised it. Thus, his heart was clear. His knowledge and his deed were honest. His soul was pure. His morals were noble. His times were full of Allah's obedience. So, describers' tongues fall short of depicting his marks in the positions of the gnostic.”[29]

26. ‘Abbas al-Makki

Sayyid ‘Abbas b. ‘Ali al-Makki said: “Al-Baqir is among the Twelve Imams with the Imami (Shi‘a). He was a great scholar. He was called al-Baqir, for he widely split open knowledge.”[30]

27. Sayyid Kazim al-Yamani

Sayyid Kazim al-Yamani said: “Imam al-Baqir was the second grandson (of the Prophet) and the Fifth Infallible Imam in the opinion of those who

believe in that. (He was) the fourth pious one in the opinion of all Moslem legal scholars. It was he who was given the kunya of Abu Ja‘far.”[31]

28. Ibn Taymiya

Ibn Taymiya said: “Mohammed al-Baqir was the greatest of all the people in asceticism and worship. The prostration (in prayer) split open his forehead. He was the most knowledgeable of the people of his time. Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, named him al-Baqir.”[32] Ibn Taymiya mentioned the tradition which Jabir reported. However, he refrained from what he said. He denied that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, nicknamed (Mohammed) al-Baqir. He said: “(This tradition) has no origin with the people of knowledge. Rather, it is among the fabricated traditions.”[33] Surely, b. Taymiya bore malice and hatred against the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt), peace be on them, and their followers. He ascribed all stories and fables to them. Indeed Allah, knowledge, and history will punish him for that. Perhaps the greatest punishment that has afflicted him is that all historians mistrust all his writings.

29. Al-Shaykhani

‘Abd al-Qadir al-Shaykhani said: “Mohammed al-Baqir was the most famous of all the people of his time, the most perfect of them in outstanding merits, and the greatest of them in nobility. None showed at his time the same ability in the knowledge of religion, traditions, the knowledge of the Koran, the life of the Prophet, and the techniques of literature, as he showed.”[34]

30. Al-Majlisi

Shaykh al-Majlisi said: “None of the sons of al-Hasan and al-Husayn showed the same ability in sciences, the interpretation (of the Koran), theology, religious opinions, the lawful, and the unlawful, as he (al-Baqir) showed. The surviving Companions (of the Prophet), the leading members of the next generation, and the leaders of the Moslem jurists reported the principal features of religion on his authority. Among the Companions (of the Prophet) was Jabir b. ‘Abd Allah al-Ansari. Among the leading members of the next generation were Jabir b. Yazïd al-Ju‘fi, and Kaysan al-Sakhtyani, the leader of the Sufis. Among the jurists were b. al-Mubarak, al-Zuhri, al-Awza‘i, Abï Hanifa, Malik, al-Shafi‘i, Zyyad b. al-Mundhir, and al-Nahdi. Among the authors were al-Tabari, al-Baladhari, and al-Khatib, in their books called ‘Tarïkh'. (The principal features of religion have been also reported on his authority in various books, such as:) al-Muwatti', Sharaf al-Mustafa, al-Ibana, Hulyat al-Awliya', al- Sinan by Abï Dauwd, al-Musnad by Abï Hanifa, al-Targhib by al-Asfahani, al-Basït by al-Wahidi, al-Tafsïr by al-‘Ayyashi, (al-Tafsïr) by al-Zumakhshari, and Ma‘rifat al-Usul by al-Sama‘ani. They said:‘ Mohammed b. ‘Ali. ' Perhaps they said:‘ Mohammed al-Baqir. '”[35]

The speech of al-Majlisi refers to the scientific aspect of the character of the great Imam, who encompassed all the sciences. Thus, the Moslem scholars studied jurisprudence, history, interpretation (of the Koran), and the

techniques of maxims and literature under him. This played an important role in developing Islamic thought.

31. Al-Nawawi

Al-Nawawi said: “(Mohammed) al-Baqir was a leading member of the next generation. He was a skillful Imam. (The Moslem scholars) have unanimously agreed on his greatness. He was numbered among the jurists and Imams of Medina.”[36]

32. Abu Zar‘a

Abu Zar‘a said: “Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir) was among the greatest scholars.”[37]

33. Ibn ‘Anba

Jamal al-Dïn, Ahmed b. ‘Ali b. al-Husayn b. al-Muhanna b. ‘Anba, said: “Mohammed al-Baqir had vast knowledge and plentiful clemency. His great position is more famous than calling (someone's) attention to it.”[38]

34. ‘Ali b.‘Isa al-Arbali

The minister, ‘Ali b. ‘Isa al-Arbali, talked about the high behavior of Abu Ja‘far (al-Baqir), peace be on him. Then he ended his talk, saying: “Indeed al-Baqir's virtues are too many to count, and his outstanding merits are too high to encompass. When his glorious deed are numbered, glorious and laudable deeds prostrate themselves before them. That is because his honor surpassed the limit and reached the end. His great rank overcame security and reached the highest degree. His place in knowledge and act raised a thousand banners for him. How many a mark of righteousness, an expression of leadership, a sign of generosity, enthusiasm, noble rank, high lineage, glorious origin, purity of mother and father he had. He learned liberality and purity through the strongest means. If he competed with the sky for highness, he would be higher than it. If he wanted the stars in their zenith, he would attain them.”[39]

35. Ahmed Fahmi

Shaykh Ahmed Fahmi said : “Imam al-Baqir is the fifth Imam with the Imami (Shi‘a). He, may Allah be blessed with him, was the most truthful of all the people, the best of them in splendor, and the most wonderful of them in language.”[40]

36. Farïd Wajdi

Farïd Wajdi said: “Al-Baqir was a noble scholar and great lord. He was called al-Baqir because he split open knowledge widely.”[41]

37. Abu Zahrah

Shaykh Abu Zahrah said : “His (Imam Zayn al-‘Abidïn's) son, Mohammed (al-Baqir), was his heir in leading knowledge and obtaining guidance. So the scholars from all the Islamic countries came to him. All those who visited Medina went to Mohammed al-Baqir's house to learn from him.”[42]

38. Al-Talmasani

Al-Talmasani said: “Mohammed b. ‘Ali b. al-Husayn b. Abï Talib was Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq's father. He was called al-Baqir because he went deeply into knowledge. He was a just, reliable member of the next generation and famous Imam.”[43]

39. ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Halabi

‘Abd al-Qadir al-Halabi said: “Al-Baqir was the first ‘Alid who was between two ‘Alids. He was a member of the next generation with a great rank. He was a skillful Imam. (The Moslem scholars) have unanimously agreed on his Imamate and his greatness. (They) numbered him as one of the jurists and Imams of Medina.”[44]

These are some of the words which the great scholars and researchers made concerning Imam al-Baqir. They have recorded their admiration for the character of the Imam. They have also revealed some dimensions of his bright life. Among them are the following:

1. Imam al-Baqir surpassed all the scholars of his time in knowledge and outstanding merits. No one was similar to him in scientific abilities and talents. He surpassed in outstanding merit and knowledge his brothers, the children of his uncles, and all the children of the Prophetic family who were the source of light and awareness in the earth.

2. The scholars of his time lowered themselves before him. They recognized his high scientific rank and his high authority for the Islamic world.

3. Imam al-Baqir had vast knowledge not only in Islamic jurisprudence but also in all sciences, such as theology, philosophy, interpretation (of the Koran), history, maxims, and literature. With that he became the bright signpost of Islamic sciences.

4. He brought to light the hidden origins of some sciences, which the people did not know.

5. He was the first pioneer of the scientific movement of his time. Thus, the scholars quoted from his pure knowledge. The researchers, the authors, and the writers took from his vast sciences.

6. He conformed to religion very much. He was very pious and feared Allah to the extent that he became one of the Imams of the pious and the repentant.

Notes

[1] Al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, vol.9, p.309.

[2] Roudat al-Kafï.Words similar to these have been mentioned in al-Ithaf bi Hub al-Ashraf ( p.53 ) and in Tahdhïb al-Tahdhïb, vol.9, p.352.

[3] Al-Saduq, al-Amali, p.297.

[4] Diya' al-‘Amilin, part 11 on the Life of Imam Mohammed al-Baqir.

[5] Al-Ghazali, al-Fara’id, vol.6, p.143.

[6]‘Uyyun al-Akhbar wa Funun al-Athar, p.14. Similar words have been mentioned in Hulyat al-Auliya' (vol.3, p.186), Shadhrat al-Dhahab (vol.1, p.149),Tarïkh by b. ‘Asakir (vol.51,p.43), and Mir'at al-Jinan ( vol.1, p.248).

[7] Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, vol.2, p.133.

[8] Ibid, p.134.

[9] Ibn Shar Ashub, al-Manaqib, vol.4, p.180.

[10] Bihar al-Anwar, vol.11, p.64.

[11] Al-Sawa‘iq al-Muhriqa, p.120.

[12] Al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, vol.9, p.309.

[13] Shadharat al-Dhahab.

[14] Jami‘ Karamat al-Awliya’, vol1, p.97.

[15] Akhbar al-Diwal, p.111.

[16] Tadhib al-Kamal, 3/Q4/262 (manuscript).

[17] Tadhkirat al-Huffaz, vol.1, p.124.

[18] Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala’, vol.4, p.241.

[19] Roudat al-A‘yan fi Mashahir Akhbar al-Zaman.

[20] Ghayat al-Nihaya fi Tabaqat al-Qurra’, vol.2, p.202.

[21] Matalib al-Sa'ul fï Manaqib Al al-Rasul.

[22]‘Uyyun al-Akhbar wa Funun al-Athar, p.212.

[23] Al-Nijum al-Zahira, vol.1, p.273.

[24] Is‘af al-Raghibin, p.316.

[25] Ibn Abi al-Haddid, Sharh.

[26] Al-Mufid, al-Irshad, p.293.

[27] Alam al-Wara bi Alam al-Huda, p.268.

[28] Ghayat al-Ikhtisar, p.401.

[29] Jawhart al-Kalam fi Madh al-Sada al-A‘lam, p.132.

[30] Nazhat al-Jalis, vol.2, p.36.

[31] Al-Nafha al-‘Anbariya.

[32] Minhajj al-Sunna, vol.2, pp. 114-115.

[33] Ibid, p.123.

[34] Al-Sirat al-Sawi, p.194.

[35] Bihar al-Anwar, vol.11, p.84.

[36] Tahdhib al-Lughat wa al-Asma’, vol.1, p.87.

[37] A‘yan al-Shi‘a, Q1/4/485.

[38] ‘Umdat al-Talib, vol.2, p.29.

[39] Kashf al-Ghumma, vol.2, p.363.

[40] Imam Zayn al-‘Abidin, p.18.

[41] Wajjdi, Da’irat al-Ma‘ari, vol.3, p.563.

[42] Al-Imam al-Sadiq, p.22.

[43] Al-Khafaji, Sharh al-Shafa, vol.1, p.292.

[44] Al-Hadith al-Mufahhas ‘an Sharaf Nasl al-Imam ‘Ali, p.139.

His Worship

Imam Abu Muhammad al-Askari (a.s.) was the best worshipper among all people of his time. He spent the night with praying, prostrating, and reciting the Book. Muhammad ash-Shakiri said, ‘The imam sat in the mihrab and prostrated. I slept and awoke while he was still in prostration.’[40]

His Prayer

In his prayer, he turned with all his heart and feelings towards Allah the Creator of the universe and the Giver of life. He felt or paid attention to nothing of the affairs of this life while he was in prayer. His soul clung to Allah devotedly and totally.

His Qunut[41]

In his prayer, Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) recited this du’a,

“O You, Whose light covers darkness, O You, by Whose holiness rugged mountain passes are lit, O You, to Whom all the inhabitants of the earth and the heavens submit, O You, to Whom every insolent tyrant surrender with obedience, O You the Aware of hidden consciences, You are Merciful to everything and Aware of everything, forgive those who repent and follow Your path, protect them from the torment of Fire, give them soon Your victory that You have promised them of and You do not fail the promise! Devastate the people of evil and take them to the worst abode in the worst punishment and the ugliest retreat.

O Allah, You know the secrets of creatures, and are aware of their consciences. You are in need of nothing except that You carry out what You have promised of. You do not uncover the hidden secrets of Your people. O my Lord, You know what I conceal and what I show of my behaviors, movements, and all my emotions. O my Lord, You see the sufferings of the people of Your obedience and what they meet from Your enemies, and You are generous and not stingy in Your blessings, and the more efforts require more reward. You have ordered Your people of supplication if they turn to You sincerely and this requires the more of Your favors.

These forelocks and necks are submissive to You subserviently acknowledging Your deity, invoking on You with their hearts, and looking forward to Your prompt rewarding, and what You willed took place and what You will shall take place. You are the called upon, the hoped for, and the asked that no taker whatever great he is shall decrease You(r favors), and no asker whatever he insists and invokes shall weary You. Your kingdom shall not come to an end, and Your eternal glory shall remain forever, and nothing in the ages is out of Your will a bit. You are Allah, there is no god but You the Merciful, the Mighty. O Allah, assist us by Your assistance, suffice us with Your protection, and give us what You give those who hold fast by Your rope, who shade themselves under Your shade…’[42]

His Du’a In The Morning

“O You, the greater than every great, Who have no partner and no vizier, O You, the Creator of the sun and the lighting moon, the shelter to the resorting fearful, the Liberator of tied captives, the nourisher of young babies, the setter of broken bones, the Merciful to the old, the light of light, the Manager of affairs, the Resurrector of those in graves, the Healer of chests, the Maker of shadow and hot, the Aware of all in chests, the Revealer of the Book, light, the great Qur'an, and the Book of Psalms, O You, Whom angels glorify in the morning and night, O You, the Permanent and Eternal, the Bringer forth of plants in the early morning and afternoon, the Enlivener of the dead, the Resurrector of decayed bones, the Hearer of sounds, the Everlasting, the Dresser of bones that decay after death! O You, Whom nothing distracts from any other thing, Who do not change from a state to another, Who do not need to move or advance, Whom no affair prevents from any other affair, Who cancel for charity and supplication what has been determined and affirmed in the Heaven of bad judgment, Whom no place can include or encompass, Who put remedy in what You like of things, Who keep alive from serious disease with the least of nourishment, Who remove by the least of remedy the worst of diseases, O You, Who if promise, carry out, if threaten, pardon, O You, Who possess the needs of requesters, Who know what is there inside the consciences of the silent, O You, the Most Magnificent, the Generous in pardoning, O You, Who have a face that does never become old, Who have infinite sovereignty, Who have inextinguishable light, Whose throne is over everything, Whose authority is over the land and the sea, Whose wrath is in the Hell, Whose mercy is in the Paradise, Whose promises are true, Whose favors are uncountable, Whose mercy is wide, O You, the Helper of the callers for help, the Responder to the call of the compelled, O You, Who are in the high view and Your creation is in the low view, O You, the Lord of the mortal souls, the Lord of the worn bodies, the most perceptive of seers, the most hearing of hearers, the promptest of accounters, the wisest of judges, the Most Merciful of the merciful, the Giver of gifts, the Releaser of captives, the Lord of glory, the One of piety and forgiveness, O You, Whose limit cannot be perceived, Whose number cannot be counted, Whose aid does not cease, I bear witness, and the witness to me is honor and supply, and from me obedience and submission, and by which I hope deliverance on the day of sigh and regret, that You are Allah; there is no god but You alone with no partner, and that Muhammad is Your slave and messenger, Your blessing be on him and on his progeny, and that he has informed and carried out on behalf of You what was his duty to You, and that You always create, provide with livelihood, give, deny, exalt, humble, enrich, impoverish, disappoint, help, pardon, show mercy, forgive, overlook what You know, do not wrong, straiten, enlarge, omit, fix, initiate, reproduce, enliven and make die; have mercy on Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad and guide me from You, give me from Your favor, spread on me from Your mercy, and send down to me from Your blessings, for You often have accustomed me to good and favor, given me too much, and uncovered my ugly deeds.

O Allah, have blessings on Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad and hasten my deliverance, forgive my slips, pity my loneliness, take me to the best of Your worships, gift me with healthiness from my illness, plenty of my supplies, inclusive soundness in my body, insight in my religion, and help me to ask you for forgiveness before death comes and hoping stops, and help me bear death and its distress, grave and its loneliness, the scales and their lightness, the sirat[43] and its slip, the Day of Resurrection and its terror. I ask You for the acceptance of deeds before death, and ask You for strength in my hearing and sight for the doing of the best of that You have taught and made me understand. You are the lofty Lord, and I am the humble slave, and how great difference there is between us! O You, Compassionate, Benefactor, of Glory and Honor, have blessings on Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad the good, the pure!”[44]

His Ideals

He was ideal in faith, morals, and psychology. He inherited all the perfections of his fathers who had been created for virtue and honor. We refer here to some of his perfections:

His Knowledge

Historians unanimously mentioned that Imam Abu Muhammad al-Askari (a.s.) was the most knowledgeable and the best of the people of his age, not only in the religious affairs and laws but in all fields of knowledge. Bakhtshou’ the Christian physician said to his disciple Batriq about the imam, ‘…and he is the most knowledgeable of all those under the sky in our day.’[45]

If the Abbasid tyrants had given way to the imams of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) and not subjected them to strict chase and confinement, they would have filled the world with their knowledge and sciences, and humanity would have got kinds of knowledge and intellectual development that it had never got throughout all ages and times.

The Abbasids perceived that if they did not prevent the people of knowledge and intellect from associating with the infallible imams, they (the imams) would spread powers of knowledge and culture and open new horizons not only in the fields of sciences but also in the political and social fields which would show to people the ignorance of the Abbasids and their being away from the Islamic values. Of course, this would shake their thrones, and therefore they tried their best to separate between the nation and its real leaders.

His Patience

Imam al-Askari (a.s.) was from the most patient people. He always suppressed his anger and treated whoever did him wrong with kindness and forgiveness.

The Abbasid government arrested and put him into prison while he was patient saying nothing. He did not complain to anyone about what he suffered, but he entrusted his case to Allah the Almighty. This was from the signs of his patience.

His Strong Will

Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) was distinguished by his strong will. The Abbasid rulers tried to involve him into the government body and spared no effort to subject him to their desires, but they failed. The imam (a.s.) insisted on his independency and keeping away from them. The Abbasids considered him as the only representative of the opposition against their policies that were based on subjugation and oppression.

He resisted all the seductions that the Abbasid government offered to bring him into its way. He preferred the obedience of Allah and the satisfaction of his conscience to everything else.

His Generosity

No one was more generous than him among all people of his time. He appointed agents in most of the Muslim countries, and entrusted them to receive the legal dues and spend them on the poor and the deprived, to reconcile between people, and in other ways of the general welfare.

From that which historians mentioned about his generosity was that Muhammad bin Ali bin Ibrahim bin Imam Musa bin Ja’far al-Kadhim said, “We were in utmost need. My father said, ‘Let us go to this man (Imam Abu Muhammad). It is said he is generous.’

I said, ‘Do you know him?’

He said, ‘No, and I have never seen him at all.’

We went to him. On our way, my father said, ‘How much we need that he may order to give us five hundred dirhams; two hundred for clothes, two hundred for flour, and one hundred for spending!’

I said with myself, ‘Would that he order to give me three hundred dirhams; one hundred to buy a donkey, one hundred for spending, and one hundred for clothes so that I can go to the mountain!’

When we stopped at his (Imam Abu Muhammad’s) door, his servant came out and said, ‘Let Ali bin Ibrahim and his son Muhammad come in!’

When we came in and greeted him, he said to my father, ‘O Ali, what made you not visit us all this time?’

My father said, ‘I felt shy to meet you in this case.’

They (Ali and his son) stayed with the imam for some time and then came out. The servant of the imam came, gave Ali bin Ibrahim a pouch of money and said, ‘These are five hundred dirhams; two hundred for clothes, two hundred for flour, and one hundred for spending.’ He gave Muhammad a pouch of three hundred dirhams and said to him, ‘Make one hundred for buying a donkey, one hundred for clothes, and one hundred for spending, and do not go to the mountain but go to Sawra!’ Muhammad went to Sawra and became one of the wealthy Alawids.[46]  

Abu Hashim al-Ja’fari said, ‘Once, I complained to Abu Muhammad the distress of imprisonment and the pains of ties. He wrote to me, ‘You shall offer the Dhuhr (noon) Prayer in your house today.’ I was set free (from prison) at noon and I offered the prayer in my house as the imam said. I was in need and I wanted to ask him for help (but I did not) in the letter I had sent to him. When I arrived in my house, he sent one hundred dinars to me and wrote to me, ‘If you need something, do not feel shy or refrain from asking. Ask and you shall get what you like inshallah.’[47]

Historians mention many stories on his generosity showing his love and kindness to the poor and the deprived.

High Morals

Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) was nonesuch in his very high morals. He met friends and enemies with his noble character. He inherited this nature from his great grandfather the Prophet (a.s) whose high morals included all people.

His high morals affected his enemies and opponents, and they turned to be his loyal lovers. Historians say that he was imprisoned during the reign of al-Mutawakkil who was the bitterest enemy to the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) and the progeny of Imam Ali (a.s.). The caliph ordered the imam to be punished too severely, but when he communicated with the imam and saw his high morality and piety, he turned upside down. After that, he did not raise his eyes before the imam as a kind of respect and glorifying. When the imam left him, he praised the imam with the best words.[48]

Infallibility

The Twelver Shia consider infallibility as a condition in their imams. They mean by infallibility that it is impossible for an imam to mistake whether intentionally or unintentionally. Because of this, the opponents of the Shia waged violent attacks against them claiming that there was no difference between the imams and the rest of people in committing sins and disobediences. However, this claim has no any bit of reality. The serious studies on the lives of the imams of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) give us the result that they were infallible and no one of them had ever erred or committed a mistake since birth until the last breath. Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘By Allah, if I am given the seven districts with all that under their skies to disobey Allah in a bran of a grain of barley that I deprive it of a mouth of a locust, I will never do.’ Is this not infallibility?!

The truth in its brightest pictures and aspects appeared in the lives of the imams of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s). Whoever reads their biographies can find a slip neither in their doings nor in their sayings, but he only finds true faith, piety, and high morality. And we do not mean by infallibility except these meanings.

His Imamate

Imamate is the firm base of political and social development in Islam. It is one of the most important pillars on which the civilization, safety, and ease of man, and the equality in opportunities among the members of society are built. It provides the noble life that people can live at ease under its shade. Under imamate, there are no racial or natural differences, but the criterion in Islam is as much as the services man offers to the nation and as much as what takes him closer to Allah.

Imamate is a kindness from Allah and a gift from His mercy. The Shia have believed in the imams of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) and considered that as a part of their doctrinal life depending on many reasons such as:

First, the Prophetic traditions in which the Prophet (a.s) made it obligatory on Muslims to follow the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) whom the Prophet (a.s) had made as the equal to the Holy Book. He said, “I leave to you what if you keep to, you shall not go astray after me. One of them is greater than the other; the Book of Allah which is a rope extended from the heaven to the earth, and my household. They shall not separate until they shall come to me at the pond (in Paradise). See how you will obey me through them.”[49]

This tradition shows clearly that imamate would be limited to the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) and shows that they were infallible because the Prophet (a.s) compared them with the Book of Allah, and of course, every error from them would take them away from the Book whereas the Prophet (a.s) announced that they would not separate from the Qur'an until they would come to him at the pond in Paradise.

 The Prophet (a.s) also said, ‘The example of my household for you is like the example of the Noah’s Ark which whoever rode on was rescued and whoever lagged behind drowned, and the example of my household for you is like the example of the gate of Hittah (repentance) for the Israelites that whoever entered through it would be forgiven.’[50]

Imam Sharafuddeen al-Aamily said when talking about this tradition, ‘You know that the purpose behind comparing them (the Ahlul Bayt) to the “Ark of Noah” is that whoever resorts to them in religion and takes its bases and branches from them shall be safe from the torment of Fire, and whoever turns his back to them is like one who betook himself (on the day of the great flood) to some mountain which might save him from the command of Allah, but he drowned in water and would be in the Hell. The purpose behind comparing them to the “gate of Hittah” is that Allah the Almighty has made that gate as a matter of humbleness to Allah and submission to His commands, and therefore it was a cause for forgiveness. This is the point of comparison. Ibn Hajar said, after he mentioned these traditions and others like them, about the cause of comparing them (the Ahlul Bayt) to the “Ark of Noah” that whoever loved and glorified them out of gratefulness to the blessing of their honor, and followed the guidance of their ulama would be safe from the darkness of disagreements, and whoever lagged behind that would drown in the sea of ungratefulness to blessings and would perish in the wilderness of oppression…until he said, ‘and comparing them to the “gate of Hittah” is that Allah has made the entrance through this gate, which was the Gate of Ariha or Jerusalem, with humbleness and with asking for forgiveness, as a cause for forgiveness, and He has made the love to the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) as a cause for this nation to be forgiven…’[51]        

Second, the Shia believed and followed the imams of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) because the represented honor and dignity that there were and there will be no likes to them throughout the history of humanity. No one in the whole Muslim world was like them in their guidance, conducts, devotedness, and adherence to Islam.

The faith of the Shia in the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) was not out of emotion or fancy, but it was due to the reality and situations of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s).

Third, the Shia did not believe in the imamate of the Umayyad and the Abbasid kings because they were naked of moral and humane values. During their reigns, the nation suffered terrible kinds of oppression and cruelty. They extorted the wealth of the nation and spent it on their pleasures and amusement. They encouraged debauchery and corruption among Muslims. Therefore, the Shia and other than the Shia rose in armed revolts against those rulers in order to establish justice among people.

The Traditions On His Imamate

The following are some of the traditions that were transmitted from Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) concerning the appointing of his son Abu Muhammad al-Hasan as the imam after him.

1. Yahya bin Yasar al-Anbari said, ‘Abul Hasan Ali bin Muhammad (al-Hadi) entrusted his son Abu Muhammad al-Hasan with the matter (imamate) four months before his death and made me and some of his mawali (adherents) bear witness to that.’[52]

2. Ali bin Umar an-Nawfali said, “Once, I was with Abul Hasan (al-Hadi) (a.s.) in the yard of his house when his son Muhammad (Abu Ja’far) passed by us. I said to him, ‘May I die for you! Is this our man (the imam) after you?’ He said to me, ‘Your man after me is al-Hasan.”[53]

3. Shahwayh bin Abdullah al-Jallab said, “Abul Hasan wrote a letter to me saying in it: ‘You wanted to ask about the successor after Abu Ja’far and you were worried about that. Do not worry because(Allah will not mislead a people after He has guided them) .[54] Your man (the imam) after me will be my son Muhammad. He has all what you shall need. Allah advances what He wills and delays what He wills;(Whatever verse We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring one better than it or like it) .[55] I have written what has a clear proof for one of an awake mind.”[56]

4. Dawud bin al-Qassim said, “I heard Abul Hasan (a.s.) saying, ‘The successor after me will be al-Hasan. How will you deal with the successor after this successor?’ I said, ‘Why? May I die for you!’ He said, ‘You shall not see him and it will be not permissible for you to mention him by his name.’ I said, ‘How shall we mention him then?’ He said, ‘You say: al-Hujjah (the authority) from the progeny of Muhammad (peace be on them).’[57]

5. Abu Bakr al-Fahfaki said, “Abul Hasan (peace be upon him) wrote to me saying, ‘My son Abu Muhammad is the best of the progeny of Muhammad in nature and the most trustworthy in authority. He is the eldest of my children, and he is my successor and to him imamate and our verdicts get. Whatever you asked me about, you can ask him about for he has all that which people need.’[58]

6. As-Saqr bin Dulaf said, “I heard Ali bin Muhammad bin Ali ar-Redha (Imam al-Hadi) saying, ‘The imam after me will be al-Hasan and after al-Hasan will be his son al-Qa’im (Imam al-Mahdi) who will fill the earth with justice and fairness as it has been filled with injustice and oppression.’[59]

7. Abdul Adheem al-Hasani narrated that Imam Ali bin Muhammad al-Hadi (a.s.) said, ‘The imam after me will be my son al-Hasan, but how will people deal with the successor after him?!’[60]

8. Ali bin Mahziyar said, ‘One day, I said to Abul Hasan, ‘If something happens[61] -God forbid!-then to whom the imamate will be?’ He said, ‘To the eldest of my sons. (He meant al-Hasan).’[62]

9. Abdullah bin Muhammad al-Isfahani said, “Abul Hasan said, ‘Your man after me is the one who will offer the prayer on me (after death).’ We did not know Abu Muhammad before that, and when Abul Hasan (a.s.) died, Abu Muhammad came out and offered the prayer (of the dead) on him.’[63]

These are some traditions narrated by reliable narrators from Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) about the appointing of his son Abu Muhammad al-Hasan (a.s.) as the next imam besides other traditions transmitted from Imam al-Jawad (a.s.). As-Saqr bin Dulaf said, “I heard Abu Ja’far Muhammad bin Ali ar-Redha (Imam al-Jawad) saying, ‘The imam after me is my son Ali. His command is my command, his saying is my saying, and obedience to him is obedience to me. And the imam after him will be his son al-Hasan.’[64]

There are other traditions that were narrated from the Prophet (a.s) concerning the appointing of the guardians and caliphs after him among whom was Imam Abu Muhammad al-Askari (a.s.). These traditions were mentioned in the famous reference books of Hadith and history.

From The Signs Of His Imamate

Allah had provided the prophets and their guardians with miracles that ordinary people were unable to do in order to be as true proofs on the missions of these prophets and guardians, otherwise they would fail in achieving their missions, and none of people would believe them. Allah had made them know what there was inside the inners of people and what events would take place. Allah had granted that to the infallible imams of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) and one of them was Imam al-Hasan al-Askari (a.s.). Here we mention some narrations concerning this matter:

1. Al-Hasan an-Naseebi said, ‘It came to my mind that whether the sweat of a junub[65] was pure or not. I went to the house of Abu Muhammad al-Hasan to ask him about that. It was night and so I slept. At dawn, he came out and found me sleeping. He waked me and said, ‘If it is lawful, it is pure, and if it is from unlawful thing, it is not.’[66]  

2. Isma’il bin Muhammad al-Abbasi said, ‘One day, I complained to Abu Muhammad about my neediness and I swore to him that I did not have even one dirham.’ He said to me, ‘Do you swear by Allah falsely while you have buried two hundred dinars? My saying to you does not mean that I do not gift you. O servant, give him what there is with you!’ The servant gave me one hundred dinars. Then he (the imam) said to me, ‘You make the dinars that you have buried unlawful while you are in utmost need to them.’ I searched for the money but I could not find it. I found that one of my children knew about this money, and so he stole them and ran away.’

3. Muhammad bin Hujr complained to the imam at the oppression he received from Abdul Aziz and from Yazid bin Eesa. The imam (a.s.) said to him, ‘As for Abdul Aziz, I have relieved you from him, but as for Yazid, you and he shall have a situation before Allah the Almighty.’ After a few days, Abdul Aziz died, but Yazid killed Muhammad bin Hujr and he shall have a situation (be punished) before Allah (on the Day of Resurrection).’[67]

4. Abu Hashim said, ‘Once, I complained to Abu Muhammad of the distress of imprisonment and the pains of ties. He wrote to me, ‘You shall offer the Dhuhr (noon) Prayer in your house today.’ I was set free (from prison) at noon and I offered the prayer in my house as the imam had said.’[68]

5. Abu Hashim said, ‘I was in need and I wanted to ask Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) but I felt shy to do that. When I arrived in my house, he sent one hundred dinars to me and a letter saying, ‘If you need something, do not feel shy or refrain from asking. Ask and you shall get what you like inshallah.’[69]

6. Abu Hashim said, “I heard Abu Muhammad (a.s.) saying, ‘In the paradise there is a gate called al-Ma’ruf (good deed). No one will come through it except the people of good deeds.’ I thanked Allah with myself and felt delighted for I often satisfied the needs of people. Abu Muhammad looked at me and said, ‘Yes, I knew what you were thinking of. The people of good deeds in this life will be the people of good deeds in the afterlife. May Allah make you from them, O Abu Hashim, and have mercy on you.’”[70]

7. Muhammad bin Hamza ad-Duri said, ‘I wrote to Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) asking him to pray Allah for me to make me rich after I had become poor and I feared to be exposed. His reply came to me saying: “Be delighted! Wealth has come to you from Allah the Almighty. Your cousin Yahya bin Hamza died and left for you one hundred thousand dirhams. He had no inheritor except you. The money shall come to you soon. Thank Allah, be economical, and beware of wasting!” The money and the news of the death of my cousin came to me a few days later. My poverty disappeared. I paid the rights of Allah, helped my brothers, and became economical after I had been wasteful.’[71]

8. Muhammad bin al-Hasan bin Maymun said, ‘I wrote to my master al-Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) complaining of poverty, and then I said to myself: has Abu Abdullah (Imam as-Sadiq) (a.s.) not said, ‘Poverty with us (the Ahlul Bayt) is better than wealth with our enemy, and being killed with us is better than living with our enemy.’? The reply to my letter came saying, ‘Allah the Almighty tries our followers, when their sins increase, by poverty, and He may forgive many (of sins). It is as your self said to you: poverty with us is better than wealth with our enemy. We are a shelter for whoever resorts to us a light for whoever seeks light, and preservation for whoever turns to us. Whoever loves us will be with us in the highest position, and whoever deviates from us will be in Fire.’[72]

9. Abu Ja’far al-Hashimi said, ‘I was with some men in prison when Abu Muhammad and his brother Ja’far were brought to prison. We hurried to him. I kissed him on the face, and seated him on a mat that was under me. Ja’far sat near to him. The guard of the prison was Salih bin Waseef. There was a man with us in the prison claiming that he was Alawid. Abu Muhammad turned to us and said, ‘If some one, who is not from you, was not with you, I would tell you when Allah will deliver you…’ Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) beckoned to that man and said, ‘This man is not from you. Beware of him! There is a book in his clothes in which he writes to the ruler all what you say.’ One of the prisoners searched him and found with him a book in which he accused us of great accusations and claimed that we wanted to pierce the prison and escape from it.’[73]

10. Ahmad bin Muhammad said, “I wrote a letter to Abu Muhammad (a.s.) when al-Muhtadi, the Abbasid caliph, began killing the Shia and said to him, ‘O my master, praise be to Allah Who has made him (the caliph) busy away from you for I have heard that he threatened you and said: ‘by Allah, I will dispel them again.’ Abu Muhammad wrote with his handwriting: ‘This makes his life shorter. You count from this day five days and he shall be killed in the sixth day after meeting meanness and disgrace.’ And it was as the imam said.’[74]  

11. Abu Hashim narrated, ‘Once, al-Fahfaki asked Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) about the reason that makes man take two shares while woman takes one share in the inheritance. The imam (a.s.) answered: ‘For neither jihad, nor expenditure, nor guarding (in castles) are required from woman.’ It came to my mind that this question was the same question that ibn Abul Awja’ had asked Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) and Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) answered with the same answer. Imam Abu Muhammad turned towards me and said, ‘Yes, this is the question of ibn Abul Aw’aj and the answer is the same from us. If the meaning of the question is the same, the answer of the last one of us will be like the answer of the first one of us. The first and the last of us are the same in knowledge and imamate, and the messenger of Allah and Ameerul Mo’mineen (the blessings of Allah be on them) have the preference to them.’[75]

12. Abu Hashim narrated, ‘One of the Shia wrote to Abu Muhammad (a.s.) asking him for some supplication. The imam replied, ‘Pray Allah with this du’a: “O You the most Hearing of hearers, the most Perceptive of seers, the best of lookers, the promptest of accounters, the Most Merciful of the merciful, the Wisest of judges, have blessing on Muhammad and on the progeny of Muhammad, and increase my livelihood, prolong my old, favor me with Your mercy, make me from those who defend Your religion, and do not replace me by other than me…!” I (Abu Hashim) said with myself: ‘O Allah, make me from Your party and Your group!’ Abu Muhammad turned to me and said, ‘you are in His party and in His group if you have faith in Allah and believe His messenger.’[76]

13. Shahwayh bin Abd Rabbih said, ‘My brother Salih was in prison. I wrote to my master Abu Muhammad (a.s.) asking him about some things and he answered by writing to me: ‘Your brother Salih shall be set free from prison on the day when my this book shall come to you. You wanted to ask me about him but you had forgotten.’ While I was reading his book, some one came and told me that my brother was set free. I received him and read this book to him.’[77]

14. Abu Hashim narrated, ‘It came to my mind whether the Qur'an was created or not. Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) looked at me and said, ‘O Abu Hashim, Allah is the Creator of everything, and everything other than Him is created.’[78]

15. Abu Hashim said, ‘Once, I went to Abu Muhammad (a.s.) and wanted to ask him for a stone that I wanted to make a ring from to bless myself with it. When I sat with him, I forgot what I had come for. When I said farewell and wanted to leave, he gave me a ring, smiled, and said, ‘You wanted a stone and we gave you a ring, and so you won the stone. May Allah delight you by it!’ I was astonished at that and said, ‘O my master, you are the guardian of Allah and my imam by whose favor and obedience I serve Allah.’ He said to me, ‘May Allah pardon you, Abu Hashim!’[79]

16. Abu Hashim said, “Once, I heard Abu Muhammad saying, ‘On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will forgive with forgiveness that cannot be even imagined by people, until polytheists shall say: by Allah, we were not polytheists.’ I remembered with myself a tradition narrated to me by a man from our companions from the people of Mecca that the messenger of Allah (a.s.) recited:(Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, for Allah forgives all sins) ,[80] and some man said, ‘even polytheists.’ I denied that and hid it into my heart. While I was thinking of that with myself, Abu Muhammad turned to me and recited,(Surely Allah does not forgive that anything is associated with Him, and He forgives all save that to whom He pleases) .[81] How bad what that man said was and how bad what he narrated was!’[82]

Historians mentioned many examples on the imam’s knowledge of what people concealed inside themselves, and on his predicting of different events and occurrences. All those were signs on his imamate, for other than the imams had no knowledge about that. Abu Hashim, who was one of the best, reliable scholars, and who was a close companion to Imam Abul Hasan al-Hadi (a.s.) and Imam Abu Muhammad al-Askari (a.s.), narrated most of the traditions that talked about the signs of these two imams (a.s.). He said, ‘Whenever I went to Abul Hasan and Abu Muhammad (peace be upon them), I saw a proof and evidence (on their imamate).’[83]

Impressions about him

The scholars and men of intellect, who were contemporary with Imam al-Hasan al-Askari (a.s.), glorified him, and acknowledged his virtue and preference to all others for his talents, geniuses, vast knowledge, and piety. Here we quote some words said by some of those men about him:

1. Imam Al-Hadi

Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) praised the high position of his son Abu Muhammad (a.s.) by saying, ‘My son Abu Muhammad is the best of the progeny of Muhammad in nature, and the most trustworthy in authority. He is the eldest of my children, and he is my successor and to him imamate and our verdicts get…’[84]

2. Abu Hashim al-Ja’fari

Abu Hashim associated closely with Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) and Imam al-Hasan al-Askari (a.s.). He loved them too much and composed many poems on praising them. He said in one of his poems:

“He (Allah) gave him all signs of imamate,

like Moses, and the cleaving of the sea, the hand, and the staff.”[85]

3. Bakhtshu’ the physician

He was the most famous physician at the age of Imam al-Askari (a.s.) and he was the special physician of the royal family. One day, the imam needed a physician to phlebotomize him, and so he asked Bakhtshu’ to send him one of his disciples. Bakhtshu’ sent for his disciple Batriq and ordered him to go to treat the imam. He said to him, ‘The son of ar-Redha asked me to send him someone to phlebotomize him. You go to him. He is more knowledgeable than every one under the sky. Beware not to object to him in all what he orders you of…’[86]

4. Ahmad bin Ubaydillah Bin Khaqan

He was one of the famous statesmen and politicians at the time of Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.). He said about the imam,

‘I have neither seen nor known in Surra Man Ra’a a man from the Alawids like al-Hasan bin Ali bin Muhammad bin ar-Redha, nor have I heard of like his guidance, faith, chastity, nobility, and generosity near his family and near the rulers among all the Hashimites who preferred him to their important and old men, and also near the leaders, viziers, clerks, and all classes of people…’[87]

5. Ubayd bin Khaqan

He was one of the important politicians at that time. He said about Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.),

‘If the caliphate is removed from the Abbasids, no one from the Hashimites will deserve it except this man (he meant al-Hasan bin Ali al-Askari). He deserves it by his virtue, chastity, guidance, gravity, asceticism, worshiping, good morals, and righteousness…’[88]  

Ubayd did not believe in imamate. In fact, he was contrary to that, but the bright reality of Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) made him declare that the imam was the worthiest of the caliphate for the high qualities he had.

6. Sheikh al-Mufid

Sheikh al-Mufid said, ‘The imam after Abul Hasan Ali bin Muhammad (al-Hadi) was his son Abu Muhammad al-Hasan bin Ali for he had all high qualities and virtues and he was preferred to all people of his age. He deserved imamate and leadership for his incomparable knowledge, asceticism, perfect mind, infallibility, courage, generosity, and the many good deeds that took him close to Allah…’[89]

7. Ibn as-Sabbagh

Ali bin Muhammad al-Maliki known as ibn as-Sabbagh said, ‘The qualities of our sire Abu Muhammad al-Hasan al-Askari show that he is a master and a son of a master that no one ever doubts or suspect his imamate. Know that if a good quality was sold, the seller was other than him and he was the buyer…He was the unique of his time with no equal, and he was sole with no like. He was the master of the people of his time and the imam of the people of his age. His sayings were true and his deeds were praiseworthy. If the good people of his time were as a poem, he would be the main verse of that poem, and if they were organized as a necklace, he was the unique, middle pearl. He was the knight of knowledge that was not possible to keep pace with him, and he was the explainer of mysteries that it was not possible to argue with him. He was the uncoverer of facts by his true thinking, and the discloser of minutes by his sharp reason. He was the informed in secrecy of the unseen. He was the highborn, of high soul and high essence…’[90]  

8. Bin Shaharshub as-Sarawi

Abu Ja’far Rasheedudeen Muhammad bin Ali bin Shahrashub as-Sarawi said about the imam, ‘He was al-Hasan bin Ali the guide, the subjugator of difficulties…He was pure, free from any fault, trustee with the unseen. He was the essence of gravity with no blemish, humble with liberal hand, modest, true to his word…of little food, of much smiling, patient, the father of the (awaited) successor…’[91]

9. Ibn Shadqam

Ibn Shadqam, the genealogist, said, ‘Al-Hasan al-Askari was a guiding imam, exalted master, and a pure guardian.’[92]

10. Ibn al-Jawzi

Ibn al-Jawzi said, ‘The highest feature and characteristic that Allah had distinguished him (Imam al-Askari) with, and made unique to him, and as eternal aspect that time would not wear out and tongues would not forget reciting and repeating was that Muhammad al-Mahdi (peace be on him) was his offspring that was created from him, and his son that was ascribed to him…’[93]

11. Ruknuddeen al-Husayni

Ruknuddeen al-Husayni al-Musili said, ‘Imam Abu Muhammad al-Askari…his virtues, qualities, and charismata were uncountable…the highest quality that Allah had distinguished him with was that al-Mahdi (peace be upon him) was his son…’[94]  

12. Al-Yafi’iy

Al-Yafi’iy said, ‘Sharif al-Askari Abu Muhammad al-Hasan bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Musa bin Ja’far as-Sadiq was one of the twelve imams as the Shia believed and he was the father of the awaited imam (peace be on him)…’[95]  

13. Yousuf an-Nabahani

Yousuf bin Isma’eel an-Nabahani said, ‘Al-Hasan al-Askari was one of the imams of our masters the great Ahlul Bayt (a.s) and one of their noble chiefs (may Allah be pleased with them). Ash-Shabrawi mentioned him in his book “al-Ittihaf Bihubil Ashraf” but he abbreviated his biography and mentioned no charisma to him. However, I myself saw a charisma to him. In the year 1296 AH I traveled to Baghdad from Kooy Sanjaq, one of the Kurd villages, where I was a judge there but I left it before I completed the specified period because of the high costs and rainlessness which prevailed in Iraq in that year. I traveled by a kalak which was a means of water transportation. When the kalak reached Samarra’, which was the capital of the Abbasid caliphs, we liked to visit (the shrine of) Imam al-Hasan al-Askari. When I came to his holy tomb, something spiritual happened to me that nothing like it had ever happened to me…it was a charisma to him. Then I recited, as possible as I could, verses from the Qur'an, supplicated Allah with some du’as, and left.’[96]  

14. Al-Arbali

Allama Ali bin Eesa al-Arbali said about the imam, ‘He was the knight of knowledge that was not possible to keep pace with him, and he was the explainer of mysteries that it was not possible to argue with him. He was the uncoverer of facts by his true viewing, the discloser of minutes by his piercing insight, the knower-by the will of Allah-of the secrets of creatures, the informer-by the will of Allah-about the unseen, the told-by Allah-about what had happened and what would happen, the inspired with the unseen matters, the noble in origin and soul and essence, the man of proofs, signs, and miracles…the interpreter of verses, the confirmer of traditions, the heir of the good masters, the son of the imams, and the father of the awaited one. So look at the branch and the origin and think again and be sure that they were more brilliant than the sun, and brighter than the moon. If branches are good, surely the fruit will be good. Their (the imams’) features and traditions are the eyes of history, and the headlines of conducts.

By Allah, I swear that whoever deems Muhammad as grandfather, Ali as father, Fatima as mother, the imams as fathers, and al-Mahdi as son is worthier of reaching the heaven with his highness and honor…How can I count his virtues and news whereas my tongue is short and my eloquence is tired? So my tongue and eloquence come back tired from his high rank, and dwindle because of failure and inability…’[97]

15. Al-Bustani

Al-Bustani said, ‘Al-Hasan al-Khalis bin Ali al-Hadi…they mentioned about him many characteristics that were well-known in the people of this house of the Talibites[98] … perceiving and wisdom appeared in him since his early childhood…’[99]

16. Khayruddeen az-Zarkali

He said, ‘Al-Hasan bin Ali al-Hadi bin Muhammad al-Jawad al-Hashimi: Abu Muhammad the eleventh imam to the Twelver Shia…he was paid homage as the imam after the death of his father. He was like his good ancestors in piety, asceticism, worshipping…’[100]  

17. Al-Abbas bin Nooruddeen

Al-Abbas bin Nooruddeen al-Mekki said, ‘Imam Abu Muhammad al-Hasan al-Askari…his lineage is more famous than the moon in the fourteenth night. He and his father are known as al-Askari. As for his virtues, tongues cannot count…’[101]