Goal of Life

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Publisher: Foreign Department of Bethat Foundation
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Goal of Life

Goal of Life

Author:
Publisher: Foreign Department of Bethat Foundation
English

This book is corrected and edited by Al-Hassanain (p) Institue for Islamic Heritage and Thought

Alhassanain (p) Network for Islamic Heritage and Thought

Goal of Life

This text contains five lectures that revolve around God, as the ultimate Goal of Life, discussing about topics such as the goal of creation, individual and social ethics, human perfection and Islamic monotheism.

Author(s): Ayatullah Murtadha Mutahhari

Publisher(s): Foreign Department of Bethat Foundation

www.alhassanain.org/english

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH

Table of Contents

Editor’s Note 4

Translator's Preface 6

Introduction by First Publisher 7

Chapter 1: The Goal of Creation 8

Notes 12

Chapter 2: The Basis of Individual and Social Ethics 13

Chapter 3: Faith, Schools of Thought and World Vision 19

Note 21

Chapter 4: Islamic Faith and Human Perfection 22

Chapter 5: Summing up Islamic Monotheism 26

Part Four: The Philosophy Refuting Nationalism 30

Note 32

Editor’s Note

These five lectures revolve around God, as the ultimate Goal of Life. The first lecture is introductory in content and the last one serves the purpose of summary and conclusion. The Introduction by the first publisher has been retained to emphasize the usefulness of these lectures. It poses a crucial question: “Are all the pains and sufferings, which have made life so bitter for mankind today, not due to the lack of human recognition of the goal of life?”

Lecture one deals with the above question in the context of the prophetic missions. It points out, Creation has a goal which is one of achieving perfection - on the part of the created, as envisaged by the Creator. Prophetic missions are acknowledged as enhancing this process. In the light of the divine revelations, individuals are called upon to realize their potential-and achieve the goal of their respective life, which, in its perfectibility before eventual return to the Creator, is identical with that of all creations .

Lecture two points out that a school of philosophical thought needs spiritual ideals, too, so that both individuals and their societies have objectives to strive for. It emphasizes their inborn spiritual or conscientious responsibility to the Creator. (“If there were no God, everything would be permissible.”). Its accomplishment is visualized on the basis of mutuality of human concern as part of the oneness of mankind.

Lecture three explains that faith is crucial to any school of thought or social ideology, in that it promotes love, affection and similar other virtues among people. In this context, it elaborates on the implications of monotheism in Islam, specially in lending a universal perspective that extends beyond dialectical materialism and humanism.

Lecture four examines Islamic Faith as a motive force for attaining human perfection. Having faith because it carries with it some beneficial effects is not considered a blessing in itself, since it requires to be constantly perfected. In fact, deriving benefits is not, or ought not to be, the aim.

In the words of Ibn Sina it is like “ working for a wage so that, without that wage, there would be no willingness to work”. The relevant Islamic logic concerning prayers is well summed up by Hadrat Ali (a) when he said: “O' God. I do not worship you for fear of your Fire, nor for cupidity in desiring heaven; I worship you because you are worthy of it”.

Lecture five evaluates various schools of thought concerning human perfection, including the views of Socrates, Plato, Gnostics and intellect- oriented divine philosophers. It concludes that God is not comparable to a father or anyone or anything else of the paternal kind. He is what He is and other things, too, are attributable to Him. As Sa'di's Boostan puts it: “The way of intellect is a maze; but, for the wise, there is nothing but God .” Knowledge, wisdom, sense of justice, truth, beauty, liberty and loving others are all inculcated and enhanced for His sake even as His blessings. These deserve grateful acknowledgment not merely in formal worship, but through constant awareness and rectitude of action and behavior.

M. K. Ali

Mehr, 1361 A.H (Solar)

October, 1982

Translator's Preface

The martyred scholar, Murtadha Mutahhari was born in 1918 in the village of Fariman of Mashad in Khorassan. He studied for 16 years at the Divinity College of Qum in the branches of literature, philosophy, jurisprudence and some other Islamic subjects, Then, for several years, he acted as professor of theology and philosophy in the same college and at Tehran University.

Then he turned his attention to research which resulted in the publication of many books on religious, philosophical and social topics.

He was an erudite and versatile scholar, as is proved by his numerous lectures, pamphlets and books, a total of 35 published works, the most well-known of which are “Islamic World Vision”, “Man in the Qur'an”, “Islamic Revolution”, “Man and Faith”, “Divine Justice”, “Society and History”, “Revelation and Prophethood”. He was assassinated in the year 1980 in Tehran.

This book contains the five following lectures:

1. The Goal of Creation

2. The Basis of Individual and Social Ethics

3. Faith, schools of Thought and World Vision

4. Islamic Faith and Human Perfection

5. Summing up Islamic Monotheism

These lectures are closely connected in this way that they offer various ideas offered by various schools and particularly Islam concerning the goal of life and human perfection.

In this book the letters (S) and (a) stand respectively after the name of Muhammad and other prophets and Imams, as abbreviation for the following two phrases: “Greetings upon him and his household” for the Prophet, and “Peace be on him” for each Imam.

I wish to express my thanks to Mr. M. Khurshid Ali, editor of the Be'that Foundation for his co- operation in reading the manuscript and making helpful suggestions.

A.P

Introduction by First Publisher

This book is a collection of five lectures delivered in 1972 on “Goal of Life”, as part of a series called “World in Islamic Perspective.”

In those years the matter of compiling a book entitled “Islamic World Perspective” and presenting it to the younger generation had attracted the attention of religiously enlightened people. This topic and its main outline was discussed in a small group consisting of not more than ten members.

It was Mutahhari's custom to propound an interesting topic many times in big and small sessions and subject it to criticism and analysis before it was presented to the public. Then, he would begin writing it in his charming style. His “Introduction to the Islamic World Perspective” was eventually written in the summer of 1978 in an abridged form under seven sections and gradually published in a series. (This collection is taken from a tape which is unfortunately not available.)

What encourages us to publish these lectures are the refined and original ideas of Mutahhari, which have their source in Islam. Secondly, we had in mind the recommendation of the Present Imam to enable the young generation to benefit more from the works of this martyred scholar which provide guidance to the Islamic society of modern Iran. We have, therefore, considered it our duty to offer the original text without any alteration, except a few phrases, to those readers interested in the works of Murtadha Mutahhari, We hope that they will find it acceptable.

In these lectures, our scholar discusses the “Goal of Life” from the viewpoints of the Qur'an and various human schools of thought, and opens up the intellectual horizon in every direction to allow the human mind to assimilate freely. For if the goal of life is to be defined as the Qur'an requires it and to be heeded, it will be to gain a warmth and enlightened way of life, which will produce men and communities different from those of today, and this is what mankind is longing for.

Are all the pains and sufferings, which have made life so bitter for mankind today, not due to the lack of human recognition of the goal of life?

Life is not bitter and unpleasant in itself. It is deviation from the right path that imposes all these pains and sufferings on mankind.

Today the young generation of our society is more than ever in need of an important discourse on life, such as presented here to avail its sublime spiritual revolution, to illuminate the dark paths of modernistic materialism through a precise knowledge of the goal of life.

Chapter 1: The Goal of Creation

One of the fundamental problems to investigate is the goal of life. Man always asks questions like what he lives for and what his objective in life should be. From the viewpoint of Islam, one would as well ask: “What is the objective and purpose of prophetic missions?”

The objective of the prophetic missions is not dissimilar to individual goals of men (peoples), for whom the prophets have been appointed; for, the prophets are sent to guide men towards certain goals. Going one step further, we could ask: “What is the goal of creation, of man as well as other creatures? “

This point requires an exact analysis. It may pertain to 'the goal of the Creator in Creation, the manifestation of His Will and Purpose. We cannot t assume a goal for God, and believe that He wishes to attain something by His acts. Such a supposition implies a shortcoming in the doer of an action, which may be true of creatures with a potential power, but not of the Creator; since it would mean that He intends to move towards perfection and secure something which He does not have.

But sometimes by the goal of creation is meant the goal of the created action, not of the Creator. This would involve the movement of the created towards perfection, not the perfection of the Creator Himself. In this sense, if we think that the nature of creation has always been movement towards perfection, then there is a motive in creation.

This is actually the case, that is, each thing that is created has an independent stage of perfection ahead of it to be attained; and so for everything there exist stages of deficiency or perfection until the maximum limit is reached. The question of the 'motive in the creation of man' is basically one that refers to the 'nature of man'. It pertains to whatever talents are inherent in him, and whatever individual perfections are possible for him. Once perfections are accomplished by one, we may say he was created for them,

There is apparently no need to elaborate on the purpose and goal of the creation of man as a separate topic. It will be sufficient to see what kind of a creature man is, and what abilities are inherent in him. In other words as our discussion concerns the Islamic aspect of the matter, and not a philosophical one, we must see how Islam regards man and his abilities .

Naturally the mission of the prophets, too, is believed unanimously to facilitate man's perfection and to aid him to remove the deficiencies which neither he, as an individual, nor his society is able to remove. It is only with the aid of their divine revelations that he can advance towards enhancing perfection .

Accordingly, every individual must see what he can be after identifying his potentialities, so as to bring them to fruition. That is the goal of our life.

So far, the subject is treated in general, Now we must go into detail: Whether the Qur'an has discussed the goal of man, and whether it gives the reason for his creations as well as the mission of Prophets .

Very often we say that man is created for seeking happiness and God neither wants nor gets any benefit from man's Creation. Actually man is destined to choose his way freely, His guidance is a matter of duty and belief, not instinctive and compulsory. So, as he is free, he might as well choose the right way.1

But what is happiness according to the Qur'an? It is often said that the purpose of man's creation and prophetic missions is to make man strong in knowledge and resolution, so that he may learn more and more, and secure the power to do what he desires .

Thus the purpose of creating a seed is to realize its potential to become a mature plant. Likewise, a lamb ' s herbivorous development into sheep manifests a purpose of creation (useful to man. Ed.). Man's potentiality is much superior, he is meant to be knowledgeable and able. The more he knows, the more he can use his knowledge and the nearer he will be to his human goal and purpose.

Sometimes it is said that the goal of human life is happiness in the sense that during the time one is alive, he should live comfortably and happily enjoy the blessings of Creation and nature, suffer less pain from either natural causes or from fellow- creatures. This is considered happiness. This means, then, getting maximum pleasure and minimum pain .

It is also said that the prophets too are sent to make it possible for man to secure maximum pleasure and have minimum pain. If the prophets have introduced the subject of the next world, it is meant as a continuation of this life. In other words, as a way has been shown for human happiness and as following it requires the granting of a reward, and opposition to it involves punishment, this reward and punishment are presented on the models of this world, so that the laws of this world would not be futile. Moreover, as the prophets were in no position as executives in this world to grant rewards or deal punishment, another world had to be offered where the good would be rewarded, and the wicked punished.

But we come across none of these statements in the Qur'an, where the purpose of creating jinns and human beings is given as 'worship'.2 This may seem to us too difficult to understand. Of what use is worship for God? It does not benefit Him. Of what use is it to man? But this point has been explicitly mentioned in the Qur'an as the purpose of Creation. Contrary to the view that the next life is subsidiary to this one, the Qur'an says that “If there were no Resurrection, Creation would be futile.” And again it says:

“Do you suppose that we have created you in vain?”(The Qur'an, 23:115)

It is suggestive of something wisely done.

Is it assumed that creation is meaningless, and man does not return to God? In the verses of the Qur'an the question of Resurrection occurs repeatedly with the matter of the rightfulness of creation. Its reasoning is based on the implication that this world has a God, and He does nothing in vain, and all is rightful and not in play, and there is a return to Him who accounts for the whole universe.

We never come across this idea in the Qur'an that man is created in order to know more and act more to attain his goal. He is created to worship, and the worship of God is in itself a goal. If there is no question of knowing God which is the preface to worship, then man has failed in his advance towards the goal of creation, and from the viewpoint of the Qur'an he is not happy. The prophets, too, are sent to guide him towards that happiness which is the worship of God.

Thus the goal and ideal that Islam offers is God, and everything else is preparatory to it, and not of an independent and fundamental importance. In the verses where the Qur'an mentions perfect human beings, or speaks on their behalf, it says they have truly understood the goal of life and endeavored to attain it. It says for Ibrahim:

“I have devoted my worship to Him who has created heaven and earth, and I am not a pagan.” (The Qur'an, 6:79)

This Sura, too, says:

“My prayer, worship, life and death are for God, who is the Lord of the Universe “ (The Qur'an, 6:162)

This monotheism of the Qur'an is not merely an intellectual one, thinking that the origin of universe is one thing and its Creator is another. It includes the faith and conviction of man that there is only one Creator, and his goal, which is the only worthy one, is He alone. All other goals are the product of this one and subsidiary to it.

Thus, in Islam everything revolves round the axis of God, including the goal in the mission of prophets and individuals' goal of life.

Now let us study the question of worship. In the second verse, Ibrahim's words show pure devotion and he shows himself a thoroughly devoted servant of God who is ruled by no thought but that of God.

Concerning the reason for the mission of prophets, the Qur'an offers several explanations. In Sura Ahzab, Verses 33, 45 and 46 it says:

“O, Prophet, We sent you as witness, harbinger and giver of warning, to invite towards God by his leave, and to be a bright light.”

Thus a prophet is a witness to the people's deeds; a harbinger of the good deeds recommended by the prophets; an agent of warning against evil acts, and a man who calls human beings towards God, which is by itself an ultimate goal.

Elsewhere a prophet's mission is mentioned as a duty to bring people out of darkness into light. So, it is clear that the people are called upon to know God The prophets are the link between creatures and the creator.

In another verse another point is mentioned as the goal in the mission of the prophets:

“Truly we sent our prophets with clear proofs and with them we sent the Book and true measure, so that the people rise in justice, and we sent iron in which there is great firmness and benefits for people ...” (The Qur'an, 57:25)

In this verse by measure is probably meant law, so that justice will prevail. Thus, the prophets have come to establish justice, and this is another aspect of their objective.

Justice cannot, as people like Ibn Sina argues, be truly established among people without an equitable law, which for two reasons cannot be devised by man. Firstly, man cannot distinguish truth completely or free himself from personal bias, Secondly, there is no guarantee for its execution, for, man's nature makes him prefer himself to others. So, when the law is in his favour, he accepts it, and when it is against his interest, he rejects it.

A law must be of a kind to which man submits, and such a law must come from God to induce obedience in man's deep conscience. This just law is from God, and to have a guarantee for its execution, rewards and punishments must be devised, and to enable people to have faith in them, they must know God himself. Thus, knowing God is? for several reasons, a pre-requisite for the establishment of justice.

Even worship is set up to prevent people from forgetting the legislator and to remember Him always as an overseer, With this argument, calling people to God is another goal, otherwise there would be no motive for knowing Him,

In this way, we have three types of logic, The first one is that the goal in the mission of the prophets is only the establishment of justice among people and securing for them a happy life in this world, Accordingly, knowing God and having faith in Him and in Resurrection are all pre-requisites to hat. The second logic is quite the reverse, that is, knowing God and worship and proximity to God are the main goal, and justice is secondary Man' s spirituality in this world is predicated on his social life, and social life without law and justice is not possible. So, law and justice are pre-requisites for worshipping God. Thus attending to social problems which we consider so important today in connection with justice are objectives of the Prophets, but its importance remains secondary.

The third view questions the necessity of envisaging a separate goal for the prophets' mission and another for Creation and life, and thereby the need of considering one of them as the principal goal and the other as a subsidiary one We may say the prophets have had two independent goals, one of them as a link between man and God for the sake of worshipping Him, and secondly to establish justice among people; so we may put aside the idea of one of them being a pre-requisite to the other.

You can find examples of this in the Qur'an, where the matter of the purification of self is emphasised, and salvation is stated to depend on it Is self-purification a goal in Islam? Is it a goal or a pre-requisite, pre-requisite for what? For knowing God, and linking to Him and worshipping Him? Or for the establishment of social justice? According to this view, as the prophets' mission sought the establishment of social justice, social evils and goodness are distinguished. They recommend human beings to avoid the evils, such as envy, pride, selfishness, sensuality, etc, and cherish virtues such as truthfulness, integrity, affection, modesty, etc Or should it be claimed that self-purification is in itself an independent goal?

Which of the above views should be accepted? To our way of thinking the Qur'an never approves of dualism in any sense. The Qur'an is a monotheistic book in every sense of the word, it says:

“God has no like or equal “(The Qur'an, 42:11)

It represents all the Attributes of God in their utmost perfection::

“All the best Names are His,” (The Qur'an, 20: 8)

“The Most Exalted Attribute is only God's.” (16: 60)

It admits of no partners for Him, and no rival, and says all power belongs to Him and to none other. It is also monotheistic in not attributing any goal as a fundamental, independent and ultimate to the universe but God. For man, too, in both his creation and his obligations and actions, no goal but God is recognised,

There is all the difference between a man who wants Islam, and a man who believes in just schools of philosophy. Many of the things said by Islam are the same as those of others, but not in the same perspective. Islam always regards matters in a monotheistic perspective.

In philosophy, as we said before, man has reached a stage where he says that the world is governed by a series of constant and unalterable laws. The Qur'an says the same but in the divine context:

“You will never find God's Way alterable.” (35: 43)

The Qur'an does not only accept the principle of social justice, but considers it most significant, though not as an ultimate goal, nor as a pre-requisite to what we understood by worldly happiness .

Islam accepts worldly happiness within the practical constraints of monotheism, that is, to be wholly devoted to God.

According to the Qur'an, man gains his happiness only from God, and it is He who fills all the gaps in his life, and satisfies him. The Qur'an says:

“Those who have faith and their hearts are tranquil in thinking of God, know that all hearts find peace by remembering God .”(13:28)

Only God brings repose to the anxious and inquisitive hearts of man. Other things are subsidiary and preliminary matters, not the final stage. The same is said of worship:

“To remember God, pray.” (The Qur'an: 20:14)

Also, the following verse says:

“Prayer checks wickedness and injustice, and remembering God is more important.”(The Qur'an: 29:45)

Islam thinks of man as created to worship God, to seek proximity to Him and to know Him, all of which give him power. But knowledge and power are not the ultimate goal, nor is self-purification.

Notes

1. The Qur'an, Sura Al-Insan, Verse 3: We have shown man the way to be grateful or ungrateful.” (76: 3)

2. The Qur'an, 51:56: I have only created Jinns and men, that they may serve Me.

Chapter 2: The Basis of Individual and Social Ethics

In his life, both personal and social, man is in need of a number of non-material objectives. Every social system requires a number of objectives which are common between individuals, without which social life would be impossible in its true sense. For, social life means co-operation and attainment of common goals, both material and spiritual.

The common goals of some people may be material, such as commercial or industrial companies which are formed by a number of people providing the capital and others providing the labor.

But human society cannot be managed like a company, since its basis is quite different from that of a firm, This is of course, our view, while there are others like Bertrand Russell who think that the basis of social ethics is only individual interest. They consider social ethics as a kind of contract between individuals, which they uphold as the best means of safeguarding their interests.

Russell gives the following example to illustrate his point. He says: “I wish to get possession of my neighbor' s cow, but I realize that if I do so, his reaction will be to seize mine, and another neighbor, too, may do the same. Thus, instead of getting a profit, I suffer a loss. So I consider it advisable to respect his right and let him keep him cow, so that I may

Russell believes the basis of social ethics to be a respect for individual rights. We may say robbers, too, have the same relationship, in being bound together for robbing and enforcing some kind of justice among themselves, since they cannot act alone That is why we say that Russell' s motto is at variance with his philosophy .

His motto is humanitarian, but his philosophy is contrary to it By considering self-interest as the basis of social ethics, we are making it compulsory for an individual to co-operate with others since he fears their reaction if they possess similar power and strength. But if a man reached a stage where he was sure that others were too weak to hurt him, there is no need to observe those moral principles.

Suppose Nixon and Brezhnev to be equally powerful, In facing each other they calculate that it is to their interest to respect their mutual expectations But if each of them faces a weak nation, there is no necessity for such a respect. Russell's criticism of the United States in fighting Vietnam would then appear to be unacceptable!

In any case, their school of thought is injudicious, for, it permits the strong to constrain the weak, If the weak have no tolerance for constraint they must try to become strong. Politically this may be true, but it is not ethics, for, the weak cannot persuade the strong to act otherwise. Arbitrary conduct would seem permissible for the strong in the political school of thought,

Any school of thought may be based on the same common material goals, but it ought to suggest other ways of checking depravity. By saying that the causes of individual aggression should be investigated and then removed, these causes are not necessarily related to human or intellectual or educational constraints.

If you ask what barrier there is against the aggression of the strong against the weak, they may say: the society should be built from the beginning in such a way that there would exist no strong or weak individuals in it. If the sources of strength and weakness are discovered and removed, then all men will be at the same level, and because of their equality of power, they will respect one another.

That is possible, according to them, by doing away with private ownership of wealth/property. Getting rid of ownership will put an end to human inequalities/ transgressions A society where all men have a common material goal, will be managed like a real co-operative enterprise in which there will be no injustice .

The school of Marxism is almost such a school, where no emphasis is laid on human spirituality and there is no talk of moral conscience etc, The emphasis is on ownership which, according to them, is the source of all wickedness and oppression. private ownership is replaced by state or societal ownership, so that each individual works according to his ability and receives compensation from the state or society in proportion to his needs.

This is believed to be naturally conducive to establishment of peace, tranquility, justice and good morals will be established there. All evils, such as enmity, hatred and other complexes, are then expected to be removed, and all will live in brotherhood and equality.

But this is all wrong for the following reasons: It is actually shown that in societies where private ownership has been abolished, oppression, and deviation continue to exist. If the socialists were right in their reformatory claim, as soon as society is organized on a communist basis, it would be impossible for it to suffer corruption again. On the other hand, we have often witnessed that communist societies purge their own leading members from time to time. Private ownership, therefore, cannot be the only factor for gaining privileges.

Firstly, privileges do not consist only of money and deals, There are many others which are valued by human beings, For a woman being more beautiful than others is an advantage, which has nothing to do with ownership, and in a communist system, too, it has its own place.

More important than that are the privileges of rank and position, Rockefeller who has been one of the richest men in the world, has always had a longing for being elected President of the United States. Sometimes such a desire is so strong that many a wealthy man is willing to sacrifice most of his wealth to fulfill it, and gain fame and honor as a man of power. Man has always valued being respected by others no matter whether it is through fear, or affection and devotion.

Are there not men who would be in the place of Ayatullah Boroujerdi, so that people would be eager to meet them, kiss their hands, bring gifts to them, and feel honored to be received by them? Do they not wish to be a king so that hundreds of officers and men would stand to attention before him, even if it is through fear? These things, then, are valued by human beings, otherwise they would not be willing to lose everything else to gain such an advantage.

Therefore, the root cause of human transgressions and social evils is not only wealth. There are also other factors which cannot be overcome by communism,

Secondly, when other privileges are secured by their previous advantages, even in a communist society the profits of those possessing better advantages are greater. Foe example, would the interest on the wealth of a Soviet leader be equal to that of a peasant, even if he represents the peasantry. A peasant may never get the experience of travel by Place even once in his life, while his leader has the best aircraft at his disposal. Therefore, it cannot be claimed that the advantage of wealth is solved by communism, nor that individuals will benefit equally from societal wealth .

Do our own civil servants benefit equally from public funds which are beyond private ownership. A man in a higher position enjoys much higher advantages than an ordinary employee.

What is significant is that even in the same communist societies, there arise needs for self- sacrifice and relinquishment of material advantages. For example, a soldier who goes to fight and is killed, is not killed on the basis of mutual interest. He must be motivated by certain ideals or sentiment to be willing to offer his life for their sake. So, the most materialistic school cannot do without some kind of spiritual values, even if he turns his conviction into something to be worshipped.

A school of thought of a community based merely on material interest, cannot be really comprehensive or practical. How do communist leaders act in connection with the principles, ideals, mottos and symbols of their system?

They act as if their system is above everything else, while in fact it is only a means of attaining life's interests, On the basis of materialistic school, their principle is like an architect's plan for a building. There is nothing sacred about a plan, It is only an aid to construction. The best plan is subsidiary to the building for which it is drawn up. The most that can be said of a school of thought is that it is the best plan for a society, but why should the plan itself be considered as something to be worshipped? The plan is for a building, and the building is for me; so why should I be sacrificed for the plan?

Such a claim is nonsense, and still a system is rarely regarded as only a means for building a society, It is often looked upon as something sacred for which it would be an honor to give up one's life. Its followers may think their claim baseless, yet they will have to inculcate themselves and others with a spirit of sacrifice.

Now let us see what comprise spiritual goals or values. Are they real or only suggestions to deceive simpletons? Why are they considered of much higher worth than material values?

What is a value after all? When a person performs a task willingly, it is for a purpose, a purpose which is important to him, whether it is material or spiritual. It means that that purpose has an interest for him, otherwise he would never follow it. It is said that absolute purposelessness or futility is impossible.

From a material viewpoint, it is obvious that I will be drawn to whatever is useful for me and for the continuation of my life; for, I am naturally attached to my life instinctively. The word value can be used for material things, as well as spiritual ones. A physician can have value for me. So has medicine .

Material things are in reality physical or required for the body; exercise is also needed for the body, though it is not a substance. SO! food and exercise have value for us. Being charitable to others may have no material benefit for the doer; similarly serving society and the next generation may only be good deeds, but what are their values to him who serves?

A person makes a great effort to serve in an educational organization for the sake of the next generation, and receives no profit, and may even lose his time and the possibility of having a higher income, How should we regard this matter spiritually?

Spiritual matters are very important in human life. The question may be asked whether spirituality is confined to the faith in God, or whether it is possible to have no such faith and yet have a number of spiritual values to govern human life.

Sartre in his book on “Genuineness of Man” quotes this sentence of Dostoevsky: “If there were no God, everything would be permissible.” This means that goodness and badness, truth and falsehood, treason and service all depend on whether we believe in God or not, If we have no such belief, then there will be no barrier, and everything is allowed. Is this true or not?

There is one thing peculiar to Marxists that, as materialists, they claim that they have nothing to do with spirituality, or humanity, and if they refer to sound humanism, they imply a classless society, According to them men are either sound or deficient, and their defects arise from private ownership of property and socio-economic class differences. Once these differences are removed, human beings return to their previous state of soundness. They believe in no other perfection for man and no other progress or evolution.

What about recent schools of thought like Sartre's, which are materialistic and yet believe in spiritual values like humanism, and speak of human responsibility? On the one hand they believe man to be free from any divine sovereignty, or rule of nature, and his will does not by any means depend on the past, It is man who builds himself up, not environment, or destiny or God; so he is responsible for himself, Therefore any act chosen and done by him, must be good. In this way he makes himself a model for others to imitate, and to this extent he is responsible for the conduct of others, too.

Now let us see what this responsibility is and what it means, It is a spiritual matter, not a material one, In a materialistic school they may say, a human being has a conscience which answers questions of responsibility If they believed that man has two personalities, an animal one and a human one, when he commits an offence, the former is chastised by the latter, That would be something But they deny the existence of conscience. So, where is the root of responsibility?

In any case they believe in responsibility, and that is a spiritual matter. They say: “I am responsible before mankind and before the next generation. What does that mean? They belong to a materialistic school, and yet they want to build up humanism (or spirituality) and make men submit to it, They cherish this idea, but minus God. Sartre even says: “If God enters all this, then there exists no spirituality, for, the basis of it all is human liberty, and God's presence means lack of liberty, and thus responsibility without liberty of choice is meaningless .

Someone may say: “What prevents us from believing in spirituality without belief in God? For, there is a conscience inherent in man ' s nature, which enables him to enjoy good deeds, and abhor wicked acts. He performs good deeds not for the sake of material benefits, but simply because he enjoys doing do, as he enjoys knowledge of history or geography etc., the only profit of which for him is a greater awareness. Similarly, ethical matters give him pleasure.”

Epicurus, the Greek philosopher, supports this idea. Omar Khayyam, too, is said to believe in it. Hence Epicurism was applied later on to every type of pleasure-seeking unconcern. But it is claimed that in his real school, Epicurus also believed in spiritual pleasures which were more lasting and more easily secured. Love of beauty flowers, birds, songs, etc. is another example of pleasure without having any material benefit, but giving the spirit some enjoyment.

All those remarks may be true to some extent, but they involve two limitations. Firstly, man's conscience may not be sufficiently identifiable in depth to provide a basis for a school of thought. If a human being does something only for pleasure, it is only as far as the border of death or successive imprisonment, and within the field of diversion, but not in the form of profound needs which are identified by a school of thought. No one is ready to give his life for flowers in his garden. He wants to be alive to enjoy them. Helping others gives pleasure, but no one is willing to die for it.

So, it is true that one enjoys good deeds in the depth of his conscience, and the Qur'an, too, recognises this. However, even conscientiousness does not provide a basis for a school of thought. It requires a much deeper faith. So, if someone says that Imam Husain (a) came to Karbala and offered his own life and those of his young followers, as a way of merely satisfying his urge to serve people, this is not a true judgment. This is because he was evidently motivated by not only his conscientiousness, but his deeper faith.

If there is no God and no order of objectiveness, and no intrinsic connection between man and things, should we not say that there is an error in nature? Schopenhauer says: “Nature, in order to mislead people and send them after its own purpose, offers them pleasures.” For example, nature desires the survival of creatures. If it orders a man to marry and work to support his wife and children, an intelligent man would not do so. But nature deceives him in such a way that he willingly seeks marriage In any case every pleasure is based on a need. We eat because our nature requires that substance, and drink and sleep for a similar reason. If we had no need, we would not resort to them.

The reason for material enjoyments is clear, but what about spiritual pleasures? If I watch an orphan feed, why should I be pleased? It has nothing to do with me, and so this pleasure is futile, for, there is no basic wisdom in it. But if we believe in an inter-relationship in world order and in a creation based on wisdom, then we consider all human beings as fellow-members of a single community, who seek the pleasure of witnessing others' wellbeing.

This is so because we follow a true principle in creation. But if this pleasure is accidental and only due to one's natural make-up, again it would be futile, since it lacks a natural objective, Therefore, while we believe in a moral conscience and claim that men naturally benefit by good deeds and lose by evil ones, again our actions would be futile without a belief in God and in the goal of creation.

When we believe in a moral conscience granted by God to man to attain a goal, then an orphan and an old woman and myself will be considered fellow- members of an organization and parts of a general plan. Thus, we follow a divine will and wisdom and try to attain that goal. Then nothing is futile and everything is real and true.

Therefore every school of thought and every social system needs a number of spiritual ideas; an ideology which is above material values, and is so strong that it becomes sacred. This sacredness may be considered worthy enough by a man to sacrifice his personal life for it.

A school of thought, such as indicated above, is reminiscent of the poet Sa'di:

“The wind and clouds, the sun and the and firmaments are all busy working, So that you may gain a livelihood, and not spend it in negligence,”

It believes in a responsibility for every created thing. Or, as the Qur'an says:

“Do you not see that God tamed for you everything on the earth and in heaven?” (31:20)

Thus, each thing in creation is meant for a purpose, and it performs its task accordingly .

Therefore, man, too, has a responsibility, in an ocean of responsibilities. But a system which considers things to be without an ultimate goal, believes in no responsibility for any creature, but confines it to man. Why this should be so, is not explained .

Ideals are fundamental for every school of thought, in order to give an individual, as well as society, something to work for. And, these ideals are meaningless without a belief in the Creator and His Wisdom manifest in the Creation.

Dedication

In the Name of Allah the Compassionate the Merciful

Allah did choose Adam and Noah, the family of Abraham, and the family of Imran above all people; offspring, one of the other: And Allah heareth and knoweth all things.

(3:33-34)

And Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from you, ye members of the Family, and to make you pure and spotless.

(33:33)

Say: No reward do I ask of you for this except the love of those near of kin. And if any one earns any good, We shall give him an increase of good in respect thereof: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Ready to appreciate.

(42:23)

********

To the inspired, creative mind in the Islamic world…

To the conscience of humanity and the leader of social justice…

To the trustee of the Holy Prophet (S) and the gate of science, Imam Ali (as)…

I dedicate this collection, which is about the life of his successor, Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (as) who filled the world with knowledge and science.

Hope that this piece of work will be accepted and wish it to be a reward from Allah (SwT) at the day when meeting His Majesty.

The Author

Preface

Imam al-Sadiq (as), the most prominent scientific character in the human history, is well known for his intelligence and creativity, which we cannot find an end or a limit to. This talented Imam brought the source of information and wisdom back to earth and filled the world with his knowledge and sciences as al-Jahiz, a famous Arab man of letters, once said.

The Imams and leaders of the schools of Muslim jurisprudence are among those getting benefits from his knowledge and his legislative works. We can still see the effects of his highly new scientific achievements, especially in the field of religious instructions such as acts of worship and transactions, which are the sources of jurisprudents in their religious inferences. Additionally, his knowledge has been used by master scholars of law in the field of legislation.

This great intelligent figure holds positive and active share in the establishment of human culture and civilization as well as improving general public lives and enhancing human thoughts. This was achieved by means of his advanced technological discoveries and inventions that led human beings ahead in all aspects of life. He was among those who discovered oxygen as well as its properties and constitutions. He also declared that air was not a simple element, but it is composed of various elements.1

He also discovered many of the secrets of the universe that Western scholars and scientists have then confessed through their research in the books of Imam al-Sadiq’s (as) student, Jabir ibn Hayyan, the great chemist and the source of pride in the east, whose writing works are available in many Western libraries until now.2

Western scholars have considered Imam al-Sadiq (as) an intellectual and creative mind in humanitarian issues. It is also noteworthy that some of Orientalists have claimed that Imam al-Sadiq (as) was from the West, but he then migrated to the East, because they believed that eastern people do not possess such a scientific superiority like the one owned by the Imam (as). It was hidden from those who claimed this statement that he was from a prophetic family that was granted the privilege of having high knowledge on the earth.

Imam al-Sadiq (as) had very much attention to the distribution of science, culture and the crystallization of the Islamic thoughts in various aspects. His great university, which was seen as a place for one of the most important events of that time, elevated the scientific level; extended the cultural knowledge; provided the necessary prerequisite of the nations’ advancement through the publication of different scientific and intellectual waves throughout the Islamic world and the surrounding regions.

The scientific revolution in the Abbasidd era was considered to be the result of the Imam’s (as) university. In addition to that, some researchers believe that the technological advancement and the high industrial upgrading of the modern countries at that period were based, to some extent, on the findings and brilliant heritage of Jabir ibn Hayyan, the student of Imam al-Sadiq (as), in the fields of chemistry and physics, which are considered the foundations of today’s scientific revolution.

Anyway, in this book, the Imam’s university is presented in a comprehensive, subject-based method. Also, the scientific and cultural programs, number of students, fields and all relevant issues will be mentioned in the book.

Imam al-Sadiq (as), in his brilliant lectures and researches, touched the issue of monotheism, which is the forefront of the Islamic thought. He posed the doubts that were arisen around this issue by anti-Islam persons in the intention of spoiling the beliefs of Muslims. The Imam (as) had a steady program to remove their doubts. He cured the monotheism issues by making use of philosophical researches and by referring to sense-based issues that points to self-evident, obvious reasons with no other disputations allowed. So, he reasonably abolished all the doubts set forth around monotheism and proved the originality of the Islamic ideology in all aspects. This book presents a comprehensive view of the Imam’s (as) endeavour and vast knowledge and wisdom in this issue.

Imam al-Sadiq (as) enriched the Islamic thought with his fabulous maxims and comprehensive expressions in all fields of human life that he used to spread among people. These maxims and expressions can be adopted as comprehensive programs and complete instructions to solve all problems of humanity. In addition, the majority of these maxims have been in the highest level of eloquence and fluency; since they have been characterized by beauty of composition, preciseness of writing style and magnificence of statements.

They are thus considered one of the essential resources of Arabic literature and one of the treasures of Muslim heritage. Because of the innumeracy and significance of these maxims, we have allocated a special chapter in the book to them.

Among the brilliant intellectual treasures of Imam al-Sadiq (as), his honourable prayers can be mentioned, which are regarded as equal to the prayer-book of his grandfather, Imam al-Sajjad (as), which is considered as the Bible of Muhammad’s (S) family. Those prayers are evidence for his devotion and adherence to Allah (SwT), in addition to the various spiritual aspects that include moral, social and political issues. He narrated what went on to the people of his era, such as the problems and disasters, which were the results of the cruelty of the ruling authorities of that time who used to force people to do things they disliked to do.

The prayers of Imam al-Sadiq (as) are similar to those of his ancestors and successors. They are all aiming to plant proper characteristics in Muslims’ hearts, refine their behaviours and distribute devoutness and refinements among their communities. Because of the importance of these prayers, we have presented them distinctively in a book entitled “al-Sahifah al-Sadiqiyyah.” This book was submitted to be published before printing the sections of this book.

Imam al-Sadiq (as) established a great, independent, complete and comprehensive methodology for his followers, which dealt with advanced jurisprudence that went well with all eras. He made them independent from other Islamic sects or schools of thought. Their jurisprudence has thus been the most brilliant jurisprudence ever established. Dr. Abd al-Rahman al-Badawi made the following statement:

“Imam al-Sadiq (as) was the same one who organized the Shiah and originated jurisprudential entity thus making it one of the most striking Islamic jurisprudence. He enriched it from the intellectual point of view and deepened its focus for the sake of Allah (SwT) and for the benefit of humanity.”3

This book tries manifesting his honourable jurisprudence in a comprehensive and complete way.

The sources and collections of Hadith (tradition) are full of brilliant set of Imam al-Sadiq’s (as) traditions that were narrated from his great ancestor, the Holy Prophet (S) and the infallible Imams (as), in addition to some other narrations from the customs, behaviours and advices of other prophets (as). These traditions are generally about moral behaviour and proper characteristics that urge Muslims to imitate in order to be masters of human beings and leaders of the world.

We have allocated a special section to this group of traditions in this book.

Among the many available works of this great superhuman, there were a set of medical instructions and medical prescriptions transferred to his medical students. This evinced his proficiency and skill in this science. The late Shaykh Muhammad al-Khalili had written a book in which he mentioned what was derived from the Imam (as) in some medical topics. We will bring some parts of this book later on.

It is worth mentioning that narrators have narrated a collection of traditions in which the Imam (as) discussed the importance of vegetables on human health. We will present some of these topics later in the book too.

It rarely happened that we read a book regarding Quran Interpretations (i.e. Tafsir) without finding an original idea taken from Imam al-Sadiq (as) in interpreting some of the holy verses of Quran. This confirms that Imam al-Sadiq (as) had an important emphasis on interpreting the Holy Quran. So he granted this field of Islamic knowledge a lot of efforts and outcomes as well as considering the task as a teaching program, which he used in turn to pass to his high rank students. If this effort were collected, there would undoubtedly be a comprehensive, self-describing book. We will present the personal interpretation of some of the verses of the Holy Quran in the book.

An important complementary in discussing the life of Imam al-Sadiq (as) is to study the lives of his students in details and to acquaint ourselves with their identities and cultural skills. This research is quite necessary according to modern studies, as it reveals the scientific and cultural life of that period. It also exposes the amount of efforts exerted to distribute the science and the organized operations in having it public among people.

Crowds of students rushed into Yathrib (al-Madinah al-Munawwarh where Imam al-Sadiq (as) used to deliver lectures) to make use of the Imam’s (as) vast knowledge. The number of those students reached to something around four thousands. This large number revealed the capacity of Imam al-Sadiq’s (as) sciences that persuaded students to get what they needed from the diverse fields of knowledge and sciences available.

Yathrib thrived by this scientific faculty. Its golden majesty, which was constructed by the Holy Prophet (S), came back to it. The Islamic world started its expansion by the appearance of scientists and scholars graduated from the University of Imam al-Sadiq (as). They distributed the cultural and scientific awareness among Muslims and exploded the scientific revolution that was one of the most important objectives of Imam al-Sadiq (as) who aimed to reach that stage.

We have brought brief lives of three thousands and six hundred and sixty students of Imam al-Sadiq in this encyclopaedia on the life of the Imam (as). It is worth mentioning that the majority of these students were from the city of al-Kufah (Iraq) to which they came back after they had graduated from the Imam’s (as) University. As a result, they elevated the level of science and established different courses at the University of al-Kufah. As they distributed Imam’s (as) sciences and knowledge, they were surrounded by the youth. This way, al-Kufah became the most outstanding cultural center in Islam.

Imam al-Sadiq (as), with his intelligence and creativity, proved the originality of the fact, the Shiah believe, that Imam (as) should be the most knowledgeable person of his time in a way that no one else might reach his scientific level and capacity of knowledge.

Imam al-Sadiq (as) was the sole person in the whole history that had such a wide scientific capacity, while he neither attend any school nor did he study under any teacher.

So, from where did this advancement and progress, which made his mind illuminated, come?

There should be an acknowledgement to what the Shiah believe to the fact that Ahl al-Bayt (The family of the Holy Prophet (S)) were granted this knowledge and eloquence from Allah (SwT) in the same way as He, the Majestic, granted His messengers (as) and Prophets (as). In this, there is no exaggeration or deviation from the criteria of the truth, especially after the availability of original proofs, which will be clearly demonstrated in this book.

Imam al-Sadiq’s (as) characteristics and personality stand in for the best example of nobility of character and high moral standards, such as forbearance, generosity, mercy and self-denial. As for nobility of character, he has reached the highest level of morality to which his great ancestor - namely, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S) who excelled all other prophets (as) in this field - reached.

Imam al-Sadiq’s (as) morality was a grant from Allah (SwT) Who endued him with such characteristics so that he could be the guide and the leader of the nation in its cultural and intellectual revolution.

The huge quantity of excellent mannerisms that the Prophethood-descending Imam (as) enjoyed made him in the forefront of all Muslim leaders in rank and position throughout history.

Allah (SwT) has granted this Imam (as) such supreme levels of tender-heartedness, precise feeling and high morality that no one has seen before; as if he was an angel that came down to the earth to fill it with prosperity, justice and mercy.

This book aims at presenting a comprehensive, live and distinguished form of the attributes and moral behaviour of Imam al-Sadiq (as).

One of the unique characteristics of Imam al-Sadiq (as) is his tendency to pray and devotion to Allah (SwT). Therefore, he used to spend his leisure time glorifying Allah (SwT) and reciting His Book. Malik ibn Anas was astonished with the prayers of Imam al-Sadiq (as) as he went on saying with wonder and surprise:

“When I was running into Jafar ibn Muhammad (al-Sadiq), I never saw him in a situation other than the following three ones: praying, fasting or reciting Quran.”

The Imam (as) resorted to Allah (SwT) and worshiped him honestly; he did only that what would take him closer to Allah (SwT). This book will bring some selections of his prayers.

One of the researches of this book is discussion of the age in which Imam al-Sadiq (as) grew up.

A research should necessarily be conducted comprehensively regarding the social, economical and political situations of that time. Therefore, discussing that era has become one of the most principled methodologies in studying the life and biography of a person. The era in which the Imam (as) lived was full of important and affecting events.

The social life of his time is one of the most controversial issues; the boundaries of the Islamic world were encompassed by terrifying problems as ordeals and afflictions. These were the result of the different parties’ struggles to win authority and power. Therefore, various seditious matters and riots overshadowed Muslims who, gradually, strayed off their religion.

Imam al-Sadiq (as) had a decisive decision in dealing with political conflicts; he avoided engaging himself in any political conflict. He therefore retired to distributing science and knowledge among people.

This book presents comprehensive details about the Imam’s (as) attitude to the political events of that time.

Another phenomenon that characterized the age of Imam al-Sadiq (as) was the appearance of diverse Muslim sects such as the following: al-Mutazilah, al-Ashairah, al-Khawarij, al-Kaysaniyyah, al-Zaydiyyah and many others.

Conflicts amongst these sects attained its climax in tension and violence. Every sect had its own meetings and assemblies in which they discussed and tried to prove the accuracy of their own tenets. They tried to invite people to their opinions.

The ruling authority adopted the ideas of certain sects and forced people to embrace their opinions as it ordered the judges to judge according to the jurisprudential ideas of these sects, because they acted as trumpets for the ruling authority.

Imam al-Sadiq (as), alongside his top students, confronted and refuted the claims of these sects, which were in contrast with the fact of Islam.

This book explains thoroughly all the details of this issue.

This book tends to demonstrate the life accounts of the rulers and governors who were contemporaries of Imam al-Sadiq (as) as well as the events that took place between these rulers and the Imam (as) without taking side with any specific group or taking anyone’s part. Our aim is to be sincere to the truth, without mixing it with any sort of sectarian imitation or fancy.

We have to highlight the historical documents, as they are considered backbones of historical researches, to spare no effort in studying them and to infer the resulting facts, so not to follow a wrong path. The history is filled with various subjects that could cause concealment of the truth from the sights of many writers and researchers.

After this brief introduction about some of the studies in the book, I would like to indicate that in spite of the book’s comprehensiveness, it would not narrate, in a definite way, all the traditions of Imam al-Sadiq (as), as it did not collect his knowledge-based and scientific works wholly. The book only takes a short glance at some of his characteristics, which are considered part of the unlimited intellectual and scientific treasures of the world.

I hope that I have presented a simple, modest service in this collection to Imam al-Sadiq (as), whom Allah (SwT) granted wisdom, intelligence, chastity and straightness - attributes that made him one of the greatest leading figures of Muslims, the most dutiful towards his religion and the most desirous to revive Allah’s (SwT) Book and the Prophet’s (S) customs in words and deeds. I ask Allah (SwT) to aid us to reach success and to grant us the rewards.

Before finishing this introduction, it is necessary to express my gratitude to the great Allamah Shaykh Hadi (may Allah (SwT) save him) for his efforts in reviewing the historical texts from which I have benefited in authoring this collection, in addition to his valuable notes that he made. May Allah (SwT) grant him more rewards! Also, I would like to express my thanks to His eminence Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin Shaykh Husayn al-Khalifah for motivating me to document the biographies of the Holy Imams (as). May Allah (SwT) reward him duly. It is only Almighty Allah (SwT) Who is able to do so.

Baqir Sharif al-Qarashi

Notes

1.Refer to al-Imam al-Sadiq Kama Arafahou Ulama al-Gharb (Imam al-Sadiq (as) as Known by Western Scholars), by A Group of Authors, pp. 120-130.

2.We will present the writings of Jabir ibn Hayyan in details within his biography in the chapter of this book on the biographies of Imam al-Sadiq’s (as) companions.

3.Abd al-Rahman Badawi, Dirasat Islamiyyah.

The Shining of the Light

Before speaking about the birth of Imam al-Sadiq (as) as well as the religious traditions immediately following his birth, let us speak about the Imam’s (as) generous family and the shining sources from which he ramified.

The Respected Family

Imam al-Sadiq (as) is from a respected, generous family; it is the most brilliant and famous family in the Arab and Islamic world; the family that gave birth to Muhammad (S), the Seal of the Prophets and the Chief of the Messengers, may Allah (SwT) bless him and his family; it is the family that gave birth to those great Imams (as) and master scholars.

This family has kept the role of destination for Muslims’ hearts, the center of Divine revelations and the core of the sound of the truth that reverberate on the sand of deserts, valleys of mountains, and versants of hillocks to act as light on all shores and gulfs from sunrise to sunset.

The great master of Arabs, Abd al-Muttalib (ar), stated the following about that family:

The glory does not descend except in our houses

as sleep does not rest except in quiet eyes

In his famous panegyric on the leader of the dutiful and the chief of all worshippers (of Allah); namely, Imam Zayn al-Abidin (as), the great Arab poet, al-Farazdaq, composed the following:

He who recognizes Allah (SwT) will recognize the priority of this one

For glory, which all nations may gain, has come out from his house.

From this family that Almighty Allah (SwT) has endued with favour and is always present in the hearts and emotions of Muslims, Imam al-Sadiq (as) appeared in the nation as the founder of its intellectual and scientific revolution. He inherited the brilliant characteristics of the prominent members in this family and was great indeed in his manner and behaviour.

The Father

Imam al-Sadiq’s (as) father was Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (as) who was not only the master of the Muslim nation in his time, but also in all times throughout history as much as honesty and religiousness are concerned. There was no one amongst the sons of Imam al-Hasan (as) and Imam al-Husayn (as) who were familiar with sciences, customs, Quran, literature and rhetoric as much as Imam al-Baqir (as) was.1

This Imam (as) had an important role in activating the sources of knowledge and wisdom in the world. He also positively participated in progressing human mind. This is quite apparent through looking at what was published in various sciences at the hands of this Imam (as). Later in the book, we will discuss some cases.

The world shone with this great new-born, who was a branch of the prophetic tree. The poet says:

If the new-born is born in this family

The world celebrates and the platforms are shaken

He was from the mine of wisdom and knowledge and from a household that

Allah (SwT) removed all dirties from and made pure:

If there had been a famous glory before them

You would have found it many miles behind them

If you come to them, you will see in their houses

Such unparalleled generosity that saves you from begging

The light of Prophethood and items of honour are found in them

Never extinguished in both aged and infants.2

The Mother

The mother of Imam al-Sadiq (as) is a well-mannered, honest woman called Umm Farwah, the daughter of al-Qasim3 ibn Muhammad ibn Abi-Bakr4 , a master jurisprudent. She was a lady of illustrious chastity, nobility and virtuousness. She grew up in the house of her father, one of the brilliant, virtuous personalities of his age.

She learnt jurisprudence and Islamic knowledge from her husband, Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (as); as she was among the most virtuous women and was considered the authoritative source for women in their religious affairs. It is enough to say that she was the mother of the greatest of all leaders of Muslims. Her husband, as well as the rest of her family members, used to treat her with glorification and respect.

A short time after the marriage of Umm Farwah with Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (as), she became pregnant. Glad tidings prevailed in the members of the family of Ali (as) who were expecting the coming of this new-born as same as expecting the shining of the sun. After the gleaming of the world with the birth of the new-born, the midwife hurried to the father, but she could not find him at home.

However, she found the grandfather, Imam Zayn al-Abidin (as), and congratulated him for the new-born. He became happy and delighted; because he knew that this new-born would renew the religious outlines and revive the traditions of his great ancestor, Prophet Muhammad (S). The midwife informed the grandfather that the new-born had nice blue eyes. He smiled and said, “His eyes looked like my mother’s eyes.”5

Imam Zayn al-Abidin (as) went to the room to get his grandson and kissed him. Afterwards, he performed the religious birth customs and began whispering adhan (call to prayer) in the newborn’s left ear and Iqamah (prefatory statement of prayer) in his right ear.

The first thing in the life of Imam al-Sadiq (as) was the reception of his grandfather who was the noblest person on the earth as he whispered the eternal poem of Islam to the newborn’s ears:

“Allah (SwT) is the greatest…”

“There is no god but Allah (SwT)…”

So, he was fed with these words, which are the secret of the existence, to be his hymn in his future life.

Naming

His respected name is “Jafar.” Many historians stated that the Holy Prophet (S) gave him this name as well as the nickname “Sadiq (veracious).”

His Nicknames

His nicknames reveal his great characteristics and striking personality:

(1) Al-Sadiq (the veracious): His great grandfather, the Holy Prophet (S), nicknamed him this way, because he would be the most honest person in speeches and talks6 . It was mentioned that Mansour al-Dawaneeqi, the Imam’s (as) bitterest enemy, used this nickname for Imam al-Sadiq (as). The reason, according to what narrators said, was that Abu Muslim al-Khurasani once asked Imam al-Sadiq (as) to lead him to the grave of his grandfather Imam Ali (as), but he refused and informed that this fact (the location of the grave) would be disclosed in the reign of a Hashimite man called Abu Jafar al-Mansour. When Abu Muslim revealed this prediction during al-Mansour’s reign on al-Rusafah (the left side of River Tigris in Baghdad); he became happy and said: “He is true veracious (i.e. Sadiq).”7

(2) Al-Sabir (the steadfast): He was called this way, because he had to suffer steadfastly severe disasters at the hands of his enemies; the Abbasidd and Umayyad rulers.8

(3) Al-Fadhil (the virtuous): He was called so, because he was the best and the most knowledgeable of the people of his time not only in religious affairs but also in all scientific fields.9

(4) Al-Tahir (the pure): He was nicknamed so because he was the purest in mannerism, behaviour and tendencies.10

(5) Amoud al-Sharaf (the pole of honour): Imam al-Sadiq (as) was the pole of honour and the epitome of pride and glory for all Muslims.11

(6) Al-Qaim (the undertaker of the mission): As much as I believe, the Imam (as) was given this nickname because he was the one who undertook the mission of reviving the true religion and defending the law of the Chief of Messengers (i.e. the Holy Prophet (S)).12

(7) Al-Kafil (the supporter): He was nicknamed so, because he was the supporter of the poor, orphans and needy and he was in the custom of assisting them by spending for their needs.13

(8) Al-Munji (the saviour): He was nicknamed so, because he was the saviour from gloom of straying off. He thus guided anyone who would refuge to him and save anyone who would contact him.14

These were some of his nicknames that reveal some of his characteristics and features of his personality.

His Surnames

The surnames (i.e. kunyah) of Imam al-Sadiq (as) were:

1. Abu Abdullah,

2. Abu Ismail, and

3. Abu Mousa.15

Physical Descriptions

Narrators have mentioned that Imam al-Sadiq (as) was of a normal height, pink-faced, black-haired, wavy-haired, high-nosed, half-bald (from the fore of the head), and soft-skinned. He had a black mole on the face and he had other moles on the body.16

It is also said that he was normal in length and tawny in colour.17

These were his physical descriptions.

Concerning his personal characteristics, it can be said that they were similar to those of the Holy Prophet (S) as we will discuss later in the book.

His Birth Year

Historians have disagreed about Imam al-Sadiq’s (as) year of birth. The following are some opinions:

He was born in Medina in 80 A.H. (After Hegira)18

He was born in 83 A.H. on Friday or Monday, thirteen nights before the end of the month of Rabi al-Awwal.19

He was born in 86 A.H.20

His House

The house in which Imam al-Sadiq (as) was born and brought up was the house of his father and grandfather. This house had been called Imam al-Sadiq’s (as) House at former times. However, in the reign of the Saudi government, it was granted to the custodian of the Holy Precinct and afterwards, when this office was cancelled, the house was granted to the custodian of the waqfs (endowment or settlement of property under which the proceeds are to be devoted to a religious or charitable purpose) of the Holy Prophet’s (S) Precinct.21

His Creativity and Intelligence

Imam al-Sadiq (as) was the symbol of creativity and intelligence at an early age. No one, of the same age, could ever keep racing with him throughout history. This fact raised much astonishment and admiration. An admirable instance was his attendance in the lectures of his father while he was an infant whose age not exceeding three years. He highly absorbed all his father’s lectures, even better than the rest of the students who were high rank scholars.

It is worth knowing that the lectures of his father were not only dedicated to jurisprudence, traditions and interpretation of the Holy Quran, but they also included other fields of knowledge like philosophy, medicine, chemistry, astronomy and so forth. Imam al-Sadiq (as) was familiar with these sciences.

The following story proves this fact: al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik ordered his representative (official) in Yathrib, Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz to expand the building of the Prophet’s (S) Mosque. Umar completed a part of the project and informed him about the situation. Al-Walid travelled to Yathrib to personally acquire what Umar did for extending and repairing affairs. Umar went one hundred fifty miles away from the city to meet him and to prepare a formal reception. The people of Yathrib went out of the city to meet and greet him.

Afterwards, when he arrived to Yathrib, he went to the Prophet’s (S) Mosque to monitor the progress of the repair process. At that time, he saw Imam al-Baqir (as) who interrupted his lecture to greet and honour him while he was on the pulpit giving lectures for his students. Al-Walid insisted to continue the lecture. The Imam (as) agreed and went on teaching. The subject was geography. Al-Walid became astonished and asked the Imam (as): “What is this science?”

The Imam (as) replied: “This is the science that talks about the earth, the sky, the sun and stars.”

Al-Walid glanced at Imam al-Sadiq (as) and asked Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz: “Who is this young boy among these men?”

Umar started answering: “He is Jafar ibn Muhammad al-Baqir (as)’”

Al-Walid went on asking rapidly: “Is he capable of understanding the lecture and absorbing it?”

Umar had already known the boy’s capabilities in sciences and knowledge, so he said: “He is the most intelligent one in this gathering and the most active person in querying and discussions.”

Al-Walid was really astonished; he called him instantly to ask the following questions, when the boy arrived: “What is your name?”

The boy answered with fluency: “My name is Jafar.”

Al-Walid was interested in examining him, so he said: “Do you know who the owner of logic was? That is, who was the founder?

The boy answered: “Aristotle was named as the owner of logic. His students and followers named him so …”

Al-Walid put a second question, saying: “Who is the owner of al-Maz?”

Imam al-Sadiq (as) informed him of this inaccurate piece of information and, instead, said: “This is not a name of someone. It is a name of a collection of stars, which are called Dhoul-Ainnah.”22

Amazement and astonishment surrounded al-Walid, as he did not know what to say next. He thought for a long time to recall something else to question the descendent of the Prophet (S). Therefore, he recalled the following and addressed him: “Do you know who the owner of al-Siwak is?”

The Imam (as) instantly answered: “This is the nickname of Abdullah ibn Masoud, a companion of my great grandfather, the Holy Prophet (S).”

Al-Walid could not remember another question to ask the Imam (as). So, he found himself unable in front of this great intelligent boy. Therefore, he went on admiring the Imam (as); greeted him and held his hands while approaching Imam al-Baqir (as) to congratulate him, saying: “Your son will be the greatest scientist of his age.”23

The prediction of al-Walid became true. Imam al-Sadiq (as) became ultimately the most knowledgeable scientist of his time, if not the greatest throughout history. There is no reasonable rationale for this wisdom and knowledge that the Imam (as) was granted, except considering the fact that Allah (SwT) granted the Imams (as) science, knowledge and wisdom during their lives as He the Almighty granted the Prophets (as) and Messengers (as) the same. An infant, according to his psychological evolution, cannot own these scientific capacities, even though he is highly intelligent.

His Familiarity with Languages

One of Imam al-Sadiq’s (as) most striking characteristics in intelligence and wisdom was his familiarity with all of the live languages. When speaking with a foreigner, it seemed that he was one of them. Here are some of the languages he was speaking:

1. Nabataean Language: Imam al-Sadiq (as) was fluent in Nabataean language. Younus ibn Zabyan, the Nabataean, narrated that Imam al-Sadiq (as) used to speak to him in Nabataean language when he described the first rebellious facts that revolted against Prophet Moses (as), Prophet Jesus (as) and Imam Ali (as) in Nahrawan. He continued his speech saying: “Maleh Dir Bir Maki Maleh” which means; this took place near your hometown.

2. Hebrew was another language fluently spoken by Imam al-Sadiq (as).

Amir ibn Ali al-Jamii narrated the following: I told Abu Abdullah (al-Sadiq (as)): We eat all the sacrifices of the People of the Book (i.e. Scripturists), but we do not know whether they call the name of Allah (SwT) or not when they slaughter these animals.

He answered: “If you hear that they called the name of Allah (SwT) then you can eat. Do you know what they say for their sacrifices?”

I said: “No.”

He read something I did not understand and then said: “This is what they are commanded.”

I said: “Would you please allow us to write this?”

He replied: “Write! (Nooh Away Adino Balhiz Malhoo Alam Ashraso Awvsobanwa yosea mosegh theal astahoo)”

According to another report, the Imam (as) dictated a statement in Hebrew, which means the following:

Blessed be You! You are Allah (SwT) the Master of the worlds, Who has sanctified us with His commands and ordered us to slaughter animals.

3. Farsi (Persian): This was one of the eastern languages that Imam al-Sadiq (as) was perfect in.

Abu Basir narrated the following: I was with Abu Abdullah (as) when a man from Khurasan was talking with him with a language that I could not understand. The language with which the Imam (as) spoke with that man was Farsi.

When a number of people came from Khurasan, the Imam (as) addressed them saying: “If one collects money protecting it, Allah (SwT) will punish him to the same extent.”

They said in Farsi that they could not understand Arabic. So, the Imam (as) repeated the same in Farsi.

Abu Yazid Farqad narrated the following: I was with Abu Abdullah (as) when he sent a Persian slave to perform a task. The slave came back and the Imam (as) tried to understand what he had done; but the slave could not clarify what he was trying to say. The Imam (as) asked the slave to clarify what he was trying to say so many times that I thought that the Imam (as) would be angry with him. Finally, the Imam (as) said to him, “You can speak in any language, for I can understand you.”

4. Fluency in all Languages: Imam al-Sadiq (as) was familiar with all languages on the earth. Aban ibn Taghlib narrated: I left my house in Medina, heading for Abu Abdullah (as). When I reached his house, I found there peoples whom I had not seen before, wearing the best clothes I had ever seen; handsome and completely quiet. Abu Abdullah (as) began his speech and then we all came out. The fifteen persons of different languages could understand what the Imam (as) had said. Among them were Arab, Persian, Nabataean, Abyssinian and Sicilian persons. The Arab said, “He (i.e. the Imam (as)) talked with us in Arabic.” The Persian said, “He talked with us in Farsi.” The Abyssinian stated, “He talked with us in Abyssinian.” The Sicilian said, “He talked with us in Sicilian.”

Imam al-Sadiq (as) informed some of his companions that the subject was the same and he just translated it into each one’s language.

When a discussion started between Imam al-Sadiq (as) and Ammar al-Sabati in Nabataean, Ammar was astonished; he thus said surprisingly, “I have not seen any Nabataean person more fluent in Nabataean language more than you are.”

Commenting, Imam al-Sadiq (as) said, “Ammar; not only Nabataean but also all languages.”

Imam al-Sadiq (as) owned indescribable intelligence and creativity when he was a child and also when he became a youth and then old. He excelled all genius individuals of the world in this characteristic.

His Participation in Rebuilding the Prophet’s (S) Mosque

When al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik commanded his representative in Yathrib, Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz to expand the Prophet’s (S) Mosque and works began, Imam al-Sadiq (as), who was a child at the time, asked his father to allow him to participate in building the mosque. His father said: “No son! You are too young to do such a hard work.”

The child answered with a manlike reply: “I would like to participate in the construction of the mosque as my great grandfather, the Holy Prophet (S), did.”

Imam al-Baqir (as) was surprised with his son’s answer, which indicated his intelligence, eager and aspiration to leadership. So, he could not find anything appropriate except giving him a positive response. Therefore, Imam al-Sadiq (as) participated in these works. He looked like his great grandfather, Prophet Muhammad (S), who had participated in the construction of the holy mosque with his companions.

The Disease of His Mother

In 90 A.H., smallpox spread in Yathrib and affected a large number of children. Imam al-Sadiq (as) was seven or ten years old when his mother feared the health of her son and went to al-Tanfasah, a rural village near Medina.

Umm Farwah, the Imam’s (as) mother, stayed with her son in al-Tanfasah to be far from the danger; but she had been affected with this disease without noting so at the starting stages. When the symptoms of the disease appeared, she noticed the extent of the danger. She did not pay much attention to her cure, because her sole concern was saving her son. So, she sent him elsewhere far away from her place and she had to suffer the pains of the disease alone.

When Imam al-Baqir (as) was informed about the case, he ceased his lectures and courses and directed towards his wife. However, before traveling to visit her, he visited the tomb of his great grandfather and asked Allah (SwT) to save his wife from this disease.

When she knew about the Imam’s (as) coming, she felt so proud of this visit. However, she also feared the affection of the disease and thanked him for his trouble in coming. He announced the good news of her recovery, saying: “I asked Allah (SwT) to save you from this disease when I went to visit the tomb of my great grandfather. I am sure that my grandfather does not reject my request; rather, he will fulfil my demand. So, be sure that you will be recovered from this disease. I am also immune if Allah (SwT) will.”

Allah (SwT) responded to his prayers and Umm Farwah was totally recovered from the disease. It is worth mentioning that this disease does not usually affect adults, but if they are affected, there are very a few recovered.

His Dignity and Staidness

All faces used to humble themselves before Imam al-Sadiq (as), for his dignity and gravity. He resembled the solemnity of prophets and the glory of saints. No one saw him except that he would notice his dignity, because he had the spirit of the Imams (as) and the holiness of lords. Ibn Miskan, a respected and truthful Shiite, would never visit the Imam (as), fearing that he would not fulfil the duty of glorifying and venerating the Imam (as); he therefore used to receive the information he needed from the Imam’s (as) companions.

Notes

1.Ibn al-Sabbagh, al-Fusoul al-Muhimmah, pp. 192.

2.Al-Qayrawani, Zahr al-Adab, 1:85.

3.Ibn al-Jawzi, Sifat al-Safwah 249/2 as quoted from al-Maarif, pp. 175.

4.Al-Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abi-Bakr was one of the sublime master jurisprudents. Having shown great respect towards al-Qasim, Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, one of the Umayyad rulers, used to say, “Had I any hand in the matter (of leadership), I would give the power to al-Qasim ibn Muhammad.”

Al-Qasim lived a very long life and he lost sight in the final years of his lifetime. At the last hours of his lifetime, he called his son and instructed him saying, “Throw dust on my body easily and level my grave to the ground and then join your family members. Beware of mentioning my praiseworthy deeds after my death.”

Al-Qasim passed away in a placed called Qudayd, situated between Mecca and Medina. (For more details about his biography, the gentle reader is advised to refer to Sifat al-Safwah (by Ibn al-Jawzi), 2:49-50, al-Maarif, pp. 54, Mujam al-Buldan (by al-Hamawi), 7:38, Wafiyyat al-Ayan (by Ibn Khallakan) 3:224, Tahdhib al-Tahdhib (by Ibn Hajar).

5.Al-Imam al-Sadiq Kama Arafahou Ulama al-Gharb (Imam al-Sadiq (as) as Known by Western Scholars), by A Group of Authors, pp. 72.

6.Yousuf ibn Hatam al-Shami, al-Durr al-Nazim fi Manaqib al-Aimmah; A manuscript found in Amir al-Muminin Library, pp. 185.

In his book entitled al-Ansab (3:507), al-Samani says: Al-Sadiq is a nickname of Jafar al-Sadiq (as) who was given this nickname for his honesty in speech.

7.Muhsin al-Amin, Ayan al-Shiah, 4:91.

8.Al-Yafii, Mirat al-Zaman, A manuscript found in Amir al-Muminin Library 5:166.

9.Ibid.

10.Ibid.

11.Abu Nasr al-Bukhari, Sirr al-Salsalah al-Alawiyyah, pp. 34.

12.Ibn Shahrashoub, Manaqib Al Abi-Talib 4:281.

13.Ibid.

14.Ibid.

15.Ibid.

16.Ibid.

17.Al-Dhahbi, Tadhkirat al-Huffaz 1 :158.

18.Ibn al-Wardi, Tarikh 1:266; al-Shabrawi al-Shafii, al-Ithaf bi-Hubb al-Ashraf, pp. 54; Abu Nasr al-Bukhari, Sirr al-Salsalah al-Alawiyyah, pp. 34; al-Qanadouzi, Yanabi al-Mawaddah, pp. 457; Al-Dhahbi, Tadhkirat al-Huffaz 1:157; al-Shablanji, Nour al-Absar, pp. 132; Ibn Khallakan, Wafiyyat al-Ayan 1:191.

19.Al-Kulayni, Usoul al-Kafi 1:472; Ibn Shahrashoub, Manaqib Al Abi-Talib 4:280; al-Tabarsi, Ilam al-Wara bi-Alam al-Huda, pp. 271. In this reference book, the author says, “He (i.e. Imam al-Sadiq (as)) was born in Medina thirteen nights before the end of the month of Rabi al-Awwal.”

20.Ibn Shahrashoub, Manaqib Al Abi-Talib 4:208.

21.Muhammad Hasanain Haikal, Fi Manzil al-Wahy, pp. 532.

22.This collection of stars is scientifically called Erika.

23.Imam al-Sadiq Kama Arafahou Ulama al-Gharb, pp. 108-112.