Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Lesson 40: The Third Imam (Husayn bin ‘Ali)

1. Birth & Early Life

Imam Husayn (Sayyidu ‘sh-Shuhada’, “the lord among martyrs”), the second child of ‘Ali and Fatimah, was born in the year 4 A.H.; and after the martyrdom of his brother, Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba, became Imam through Divine command and his brother’s will.

Imam Husayn was always with his brother during the life of the Prophet and Imam ‘Ali; he shared in the most important events of that era.

He stood by his brother during the difficult times of the latter’s imamat. His own imamat was for a period of ten years, all but the last six months coinciding with the caliphate of Mu’awiyah.

2. Mu’awiyah’s Rule

Imam Husayn lived under the most difficult outward conditions of suppression and persecution. This was due to the fact that, first of all, religious laws and regulations had lost much of their weight and credit, and the edicts of the Umayyad government had gained complete authority and power.

Secondly, Mu’awiyah and his aides made use of every possible means to put aside and move out of the way the Ahlul Bayt of the Prophet and the Shi’ah, and thus obliterate the name of ‘Ali and his family. And above all, Mu’awiyah wanted to strengthen the basis of the caliphate of his son, Yazid, who because of his lack of principles and scruples was opposed by a large group of Muslims.

Therefore, in order to quell all opposition, Mu’awiyah had undertaken newer and more severe measures.

By force and necessity Imam Husayn had to endure these days and to tolerate every kind of mental and spiritual agony and affliction from Mu’awiyah and his aides-until in the middle of the year 60 A.H. Mu’awiyah died and his son Yazid took his place.

3. Yazid’s demand for Bay’ah

Paying allegiance (bay’ah) was an old Arab practice which was carried out in important matters such as that of kingship and governorship. Those who were ruled, and especially the well known among them, would give their hand in allegiance, agreement and obedience to their king or prince and in this way would show their support for his actions.

Disagreement after allegiance was considered as disgrace and dishonor for the people and, like breaking an agreement after having signed it officially, it was considered as a definite crime. Following the example of the Holy Prophet, people believed that allegiance, when given by free will and not through force, carried authority and weight.

Mu’awiyah had asked the wellknown among the people to give their allegiance to Yazid, but had not imposed this request upon Imam Husayn.

He had especially told Yazid in his last will that if Husayn refused to pay allegiance he should pass over it in silence and overlook the matter, for he had understood correctly the disastrous consequences which would follow if the issue were to be pressed.

But because of his egoism and recklessness, Yazid neglected his father’s advice and immediately after the death of his father ordered the governor of Medina either to force a pledge of allegiance from Imam Husayn or send his head to Damascus.

After the governor of Medina informed Imam Husayn of this demand, the Imam refused to accept the demand and overnight started with his family toward Mecca. He sought refuge in the sanctuary of God which in Islam is the official place of refuge and security.

This event occurred toward the end of the month of Rajab and the beginning of Sha’ban of 60 A.H. For nearly four months Imam Husayn stayed in Mecca in refuge.

This news spread throughout the Islamic world. On the one hand many people who were tired of the inequities of Mu’awiyah’s rule and even more dissatisfied when Yazid became caliph, corresponded with Imam Husayn and expressed their sympathy for him.

On the other hand a flood of letters began to flow, especially from Iraq and particularly the city of Kufa, inviting the Imam to go to Iraq and accept the leadership of the populace there with the aim of beginning an uprising to overcome injustice and inequity.

Naturally such a situation was dangerous for Yazid. The stay of Imam Husayn in Mecca continued until the season for pilgrimage when Muslims from all over the world poured in groups into Mecca in order to perform the rites of the hajj.

The Imam discovered that some of the followers of Yazid had entered Mecca as pilgrims with the mission to kill the Imam during the rites of hajj with the arms they carried under their special pilgrimage dress (ihram).

The Imam shortened the pilgrimage rites and decided to leave. Amidst the vast crowd of people he stood up and in a short speech announced that he was setting out for Iraq.

In this short speech he also declared that he would be martyred and asked Muslims to help him in attaining the goal he had in view and to offer their lives in the path of God. On the next day he set out with his family and a group of his companions for Iraq.

Imam Husayn was determined not to give his allegiance to Yazid and knew full well that he would be killed. He was aware that his death was inevitable in the face of the awesome military power of the Umayyads, supported as it was by corruption in certain sectors, spiritual decline, and lack of will power among the people, especially in Iraq. Some of the outstanding people of Mecca stood in the way of Imam Husayn and warned him of the danger of the move he was making. But he answered that he refused to pay allegiance and give his approval to a government of injustice and tyranny.

He added that he knew that wherever he turned or went he would be killed. He would leave in order to preserve the respect for the house of God and not allow this respect to be destroyed by having his blood spilled there.

4. Towards Karbala

While on the way to Kufa and still a few days’ journey away from the city, he received news that the agent of Yazid in Kufa had put to death the representative of the Imam in that city and also one of the Imam’s determined supporters who was a wellknown man in Kufa.

After their death, their feet had been tied and they had been dragged through the streets.

The city and its surroundings were placed under strict observation and countless soldiers of the enemy were awaiting him. There was no way open to him but to march ahead and to face death. It was here that the Imam expressed his definitive determination to go ahead and be martyred; and so he continued on his journey.

Approximately seventy kilometers from Kufa, in a desert named Karbala, the Imam and his entourage were surrounded by the army of Yazid. For eight days they stayed in this spot during which the circle narrowed and the number of the enemy’s army increased.

Finally the Imam, with his household and a small number of companions were encircled by an army of thirty thousand soldiers. During these days the Imam fortified his position and made a final selection of his companions. At night he called his companions and during a short speech stated that there was nothing ahead but death and martyrdom.

He added that since the enemy was concerned only with his person he would free them from all obligations so that anyone who wished could escape in the darkness of the night and save his life.

Then he ordered the light to be turned out and most of those who had joined him for their own advantage, dispersed. Only a handful of those who loved the truth and the Banu Hashim remained.

Once again the Imam assembled those who were left and put them to a test. He addressed his companions and Hashimite relatives, saying again that the enemy was concerned only with his person. Each could benefit from the darkness of the night and escape the danger.

But this time the faithful companions of the Imam answered each in his own way that they would not deviate for a moment from the path of truth of which the Imam was the leader and would never leave him alone. They said they would defend his household to the last drop of their blood and as long as they could carry a sword.

On the ninth day of the month the last challenge to choose between “allegiance or war” was made by the enemy to the Imam. The Imam asked for a delay in order to worship overnight and became determined to enter battle on the next day.

On the tenth day of Muharram of the year 61/680 the Imam lined up before the enemy with his small band of followers, less than ninety persons consisting of his companions, thirty some members of the army of the enemy that joined him during the night and day of war, and his Hashimite family of children, brothers, nephews, and cousins.

That day they fought from morning until their final breath, and the Imam, the young Hashimites and the companions were all martyred. Among those killed were two children of Imam Hasan, who were only thirteen and eleven years old; and a five-year-old child and a suckling baby of Imam Husayn.

The army of the enemy, after ending the war, plundered the family of the Imam and burned his tents. They decapitated the bodies of the martyrs, denuded them and left them on the ground without burial.

Then they moved the members of the family, all of whom were helpless women and girls, along the heads of the martyrs, to Kufa. Among the prisoners there were three male members: a twenty-two year old son of Imam Husayn who was very ill and unable to move, namely ‘Ali bin Husayn, the fourth Imam; his four year old son, Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, who became the fifth Imam. The enemy took the prisoners to Kufa and from there to Damascus before Yazid.

5. The Consequences of Karbala

The event of Karbala, the capture of the women and children of the Ahlu 1-bayt of the Prophet, their being taken as prisoners from town to town and the speeches made by the daughter of ‘Ali, Zaynab, and the fourth Imam who were among the prisoners, disgraced the Umayyads. Such abuse of the family of the Prophet annulled the propaganda which Mu’awiyah had carried out for years.

The matter reached such proportions that Yazid was compelled to publicly disown and condemn the actions of his agents. The event of Karbala was a major factor in the overthrow of Ummayad rule although its effect was delayed. It also strengthened the roots of Shi’ism.

Among its immediate results were the revolts and rebellions combined with bloody wars which continued for twelve years. Among those who were instrumental in the death of the Imam not one was able to escape revenge and punishment.

Anyone who studies closely the history of the life of Imam Husayn and Yazid and the conditions that prevailed at that time, and analyzes this chapter of Islamic history, will have no doubt that in those circumstances there was no choice before Imam Husayn but to be killed.

Swearing allegiance to Yazid would have meant publicly showing contempt for Islam, something which was not possible for the Imam, for Yazid not only showed no respect for Islam and its injunctions but also made a public demonstration of impudently, treading under foot its basis and its laws.

Those before him, even if they opposed religious injunctions, always did so in the guise of religion, and at least formally respected religion.

They took pride in being companions of the Holy Prophet and the other religious figures in whom people believed. From this it can be concluded that the claim of some interpreters of these events is false when they say that the two brothers, Hasan and Husayn, had two different tastes and that one chose the way of peace and the other the way of war, so that one brother made peace with Mu’awiyah although he had an army of forty thousand while the other went to war against Yazid with an army of less than a hundred persons.

For we see that this same Imam Husayn, who refused to pay allegiance to Yazid for one day, lived for ten years under the rule of Mu’awiyah, in the same manner as his brother who also had endured for ten years under Mu’awiyah, without opposing him.

It must be said in truth that if Imam Hasan or Imam Husayn had fought Mu’awiyah they would have been killed without there being the least benefit for Islam.

Their deaths would have had no effect before the righteous-appearing policy of Mu’awiyah, a competent politician who emphasized his being a companion of the Holy Prophet, the “scribe of the revelation,” and “uncle of the faithful” and who used every stratagem possible to preserve a religious guise for his rule.

Moreover, with his ability to set the stage to accomplish his desires he could have had them killed by their own people and then assumed a state of mourning and sought to revenge their blood, just as he sought to give the impression that he was avenging the killing of the third caliph.

This lesson has been adopted with changes from ‘allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn at-Tabataba’i, Shi’a Islam, Qum. For references, see the original source.

Lesson 41: The Fourth Imam (‘Ali ibn al-Husayn)

1. Birth & Early Life

Imam ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn was the son of the third Imam and his wife, the queen among women, the daughter of Yazdigird the last Sasanid king of Iran. He was known as “Zaynu ‘l-‘Abidin - the prince of the worshippers” and “Sajjad - the one who prostrates most”.

Imam Zaynu ‘l-‘Abidin was two years old when his grandfather was martyred. In his early teens, he witnessed the situation in which his uncle Imam Hasan lived.

2. Karbala & His Imamat

In his late teens and early twenties, he also observed the suppression and persecution under which his father lived during the reign of Mu’awiyah.

As you have already read in the last lesson, Imam Zaynu 1-’Abidin was the only son of Imam Husayn to survive, for his other two brothers ‘Ali Akbar and ‘Ali Asghar who was a suckling baby were martyred during the event of Karbala.

The Imam had also accompanied his father on the journey that terminated fatally in Karbala, but because of severe illness and the inability to carry arms or participate in fighting he was prevented from taking part in the holy war and being martyred.

The Yazidi forces had taken the womenfolk of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) as captives to Kufa and from there to Damascus with the intent of humiliating the holy family and also presenting them as an example for any potential opposition to Yazid’s rule.

But Allah had planned it otherwise: the journey of the captives turned, instead, into an opportunity for the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) to present their innocence to the people, convey the message of Husayn and enlighten the masses about the atrocities of the Yazidi regime.

The caravan of the captives from Ahlul Bayt exposed the true face of Yazid and his establishment. The most important role played in this awakening of the masses was by Zaynab bint ‘Ali, Husayn’s sister, and Imam Zaynu l-’Abidin.

The speeches of the holy Imam in the city of Kufa, in the court of Ibn Ziyad (the governor of Kufa), in Damascus and in the court of Yazid himself are excellent examples of how Imam Zaynu l-’Abidin was able to gain victory for Husayn and expose the tyranny of Yazid. And all this was done while he was a prisoner!

Here we shall just present a part from the speech given by Imam Zaynu l-’Abidin in the court of Yazid in response to a speech by a speaker of the establishment who had tried to create hatred in the minds and hearts of the audience against Imam ‘Ali bin Abi Talib and his family.

The Imam went on the pulpit shackled in chains and introduced himself as follows: “...Those who know me, they know me...And those who do not know, then listen:

I am the son of Mecca and Mina; I am the son of zamzam and Safa; I am the son of the noble one who placed the black stone in the Ka’bah;

I am the son of the one who put on the ihram and did tawaf; I am the son of the one who was taken from Masjidul Haram to Masjidul Aqsa [in mi’raj]; I am the son of one on whom Allah sent revelations;

I am the son of Husayn who was killed in Karbala; I am the son of Muhammad al-Mustafa; I am the son of Fatimah az-Zahra’;

I am the son of Khadija al-Kubra;

I am the son of the one who was killed and left in a pool of his own blood; I am the son of the one who was left without a shroud and without burial; I am the son of the one who was killed thirsty...”

He soon turned the tide against Yazid; the entire audience started to cry in sympathy for the Imam and his family. It was such speeches that forced Yazid to publicly disown the actions of his own men.

After spending a period in imprisonment, the Imam and the womenfolk of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) were sent with honour to Medina because Yazid wanted to conciliate public opinion.

3. Jihad by Knowledge

The fourth Imam, upon returning to Medina, retired from public life completely and spent his time in worship and in educating his loyal followers. He was in contact with the elite among the Shiltes such as Abu Hamzah Thumali, Abu Khalid Kabuli and the like.

The elite disseminated among the Shi’ah the religious sciences they learned from the Imam. The number of such students of Imam reached to 170. In this way Shi’ism spread considerably and showed its effects during the imamate of the fifth Imam.

The high status of knowledge and piety of the companions of Imam Zaynu l-’Abidin can be seen from one example of Said bin Jubayr. Said was arrested by Hajjaj bin Yusuf ath-Thaqafi, the governor of the Umayyads in Iraq and a bitter enemy of Imam ‘Ali and the Shi’as. When Said was brought to Hajjaj, an interesting conversation took place and we present part of it below:

Hajjajj: “What is your belief about Abu Bakr and ‘Umar- are they in Paradise or Hell?” (Hajjajj was looking for an excuse to kill Said.)

Said: “If and when I go to Paradise and see the people over there, then I will be able to say who is there; and if I go to Hell, only then I will know who is over there.”

Hajjajj: “What is your belief about the caliphs?”

Said: “I am not responsible for them.”

Hajjajj: “Whom do you like the most among the caliphs?”

Said: “The one with whom God is most pleased.”

Hajjajj: “With whom is God most pleased?”

Said: “God knows best.”

Hajjajj: “How should I kill you.”

Sa’id: “Kill me in whatever way you like, because, by God, you will be treated in the same way on the day of judgment.”

Hajjajj finally ordered the executioner to kill Sa’id. May Allah bless his soul and elevate his ranks among the martyrs.

Among the works of the fourth Imam is a book called as- Sahifah as-Sajjadiyah. It consists of fifty-seven prayers concerning the most sublime Divine sciences and is known as “The Psalm of the Ahlul Bayt.”

Another famous work of the Imam is Risalatu ‘l- Huquq (the Charter of Rights) on socio-ethical rights in fifty different cases. Fortunately, both these works are available in English also.

4. Attitude of the Rulers

Although Imam Zaynu ‘l-‘Abidin refrained from any political activity and dedicated his life to further the knowledge of his followers in religious and spiritual matters, the caliphs were always uneasy with him and kept a close watch on his movements and on those who visited him.

The knowledge and character par excellence of the Imam attracted people of all kinds towards him. This was the main reason that created jealousy in the hearts of the rulers who thought that this attraction to the Imam had the potential of turning a political tide against their establishment. One incident in the life of the Imam clearly shows the hold he had on the hearts and minds of the common people:

Once, Hisham, son of caliph ‘Abdu ‘1-Malik, entered the Masjidul Haram in Mecca with his entourage for doing tawaf of the Ka’bah. There were many people doing the tawaf, but nobody gave any importance to Hisham or gave room for him to get close to the Black Stone.

While he was waiting on the perimeter for the crowd to become less so that he may go and kiss the Black Stone, he noticed a sudden movement among the people who starting making way for a person who had just entered the mosque. That person went straight to the Black Stone and kissed it. It was none other than Imam Zaynu ‘l-‘Abidin (a.s.).

Hisham knew him; but, out of jealousy, he asked his entourage: “Who is this?” Farazdaq, the famous and powerful poet of the time, was standing close by.

When he heard Hisham’s question filled with jealousy and contempt, he could not control himself and extemporaneously started to recite a poem in praise of the Imam. That piece of poetry is of such high eloquence and clarity that even the modern anthologies of Arabic literature include it in their collections. It is a long poem, but we shall just present a few lines:

He is the one whose footsteps are known to the holy land, the Ka’bah knows him, so does the sanctuary and the land beyond.

He is the best of all Allah’s servants; he is the pious, the pure, and the knowledgeable.

The father of this person is the chosen Ahmad6 , may Allah shower blessings on him for ever.

If the Black Stone would know who is kissing it, it would fall upon his footsteps and kiss the ground.

When the Quraysh see him, they say, “With his character, nobility reached perfection.” Your statement “Who is this?” does not diminish him, the Arabs and others know him whom you refuse to recognise.

His mother is Fatimah, if you do not know him!

And with his grandfather ended the prophethood.

This one incident clearly shows the attitude of the caliphs towards our Imam. And, therefore, it is not surprising that ‘Abdu ‘1-Malik ordered him to be arrested, chained and sent from Medina to Damascus and then again returned to Medina.

It was during the reign of Hisham that the holy Imam was poisoned by Walid ibn ‘Abdu 1-Malik and died in 95 AH/712 CE after thirty-five years of imamate.

This lesson has been written and compiled by Sayyid M. Rizvi by using the following sources.

1. Shi’a Islam’ of Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn at-Tabataba’i.

2. Pishway-e Chaharum: Hazrat Imam Sajjad (a.s.) by Dar Rah-e Haq, Qum.

The main sources have been extensively edited in order to fit the requirements of our course. Also, for the sake of brevity, we have not included the references quoted by our sources. Those who are interested to know the sources may refer mentioned above.

Lesson 42: The Fifth Imam (Muhammad ibn ‘Ali)

1. Birth & Early Life

Imam Muhammad bin ‘Ali’s lineage is unique in the sense that he is the only Imam who was connected to Fatimatu ‘z-Zahra’ through his father as well as his mother:

his father was son of Imam Husayn bin ‘Ali, and his mother was daughter of Imam Hasan bin ‘Ali Hence he was known as “Ibnu 1-Khayaratayn - the son of two virtues”. He was also known as “al-Baqir - the digger [of the knowledge of the prophets]”.

The first years of his life were blessed with the presence of his grandfather Imam Husayn bin ‘Ali. He was four years old when the massacre of Karbala took place;

and the childhood memories of that tragic event stayed with him forever. He witnessed the thirtyfour years of his father’s imamate and his contribution in furthering the education of the Muslims in general and the Shi’as in particular.

2. Continuation of Jihad by Knowledge

During the imamate of the fifth Imam, as a result of the injustice of the Umayyads, revolts and wars broke out in some parts of the Islamic world every day. Moreover, there were disputes within the Umayyad family itself which kept the government occupied and, to a certain extent, the Ahlu 1-Bayt of the Prophet were left alone. From the other side, the tragedy of Karbala and the oppression suffered by the Ahlu 1-Bayt, of which the fourth Imam was the most noteworthy embodiment, had attracted many Muslims to the Imams.

These factors combined to make it possible for people and especially the Shi’as to go in great numbers to Medina and to come into the presence of the fifth Imam.

Possibilities for disseminating truth about Islam and the sciences of the Ahlu 1-Bayt, which had never existed for the Imams before him, were presented to the fifth Imam.

The proof of this fact is the innumerable traditions recounted from the fifth Imam and the large number of illustrious men of science and Shi’a scholars who were trained by him in different Islamic sciences. These names are listed in books of biographies of famous men in Islam.

‘Abdullah bin ‘Ata’ al-Makki testifies that, “I have never seen students who are much older than their teacher in age as I have seen in the audience of Imam Muhammad bin ‘Ali. Hakam bin Utayba, with all his reputation and prestige, used to sit at his pulpit like a child sitting in front of his tutor.” ‘Abdullah, son of the second caliph ‘Umar, was a highly respected scholar for the early Sunni Muslims.

During the days of Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.), someone asked ‘Abdullah a question which he was unable to answer. “Ask that young man,” said ‘Abdullah pointing towards the Imam, “and also narrate to me his answer to your question.” When the person came back to ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar with the answer, the latter said, “They belong to a family whose knowledge comes from God.”

3. Some Distinguished Companions of the Imam

Aban bin Taghlib had the opportunity of seeking knowledge from the fourth, fifth and sixth Imams. He was an expert in commentary of the Qur’an (tafsir) and hadith. Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) asked him to sit in Masjidu ‘n-Nabi and give fatwa to the people “because I like to see people like you among my Shi’ahs.”

Zurarah bin A’yan was a student of the fifth and sixth Imams. He is counted as one of the six most prominent companions of these two Imams. His greatest contribution is in spreading the ahadith of these two Imams among the Shi’ahs.

Kumayt Asadi was a very powerful poet of the later Umayyid period. He used his talents in the defence of Shi’ism and the Imams of Ahlu 1-Bayt, and against the rulers of the Umayyads. He was always on the “most wanted” list of the rulers.

Once during hajj, Kumayt recited poems for Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.). The Imam became so pleased that he raised ten thousand dirhams from the Banu Hashim family to reward Kumayt. Kumayt refused to accept the money, saying: “By God! I did not say the poem for this money; if you must reward me, then please give me one of your own shirts.” He wanted to have that shirt with him in the grave for intercession in the hereafter.

Muhammad bin Muslim, an expert in Shi’a laws, was a prominent student of both the fifth and the sixth Imam. He was a resident of Kufa, but went to Medina and stayed for four years studying with the Imams.

Once ‘Abdullah bin Abi Ya’fur asked Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.), “Sometimes I have questions which I cannot answer and I cannot reach you at all times. What should I do?” The Imam said, “Why do not you ask Muhammad bin Muslim?”

4. Attitude of the Rulers

The Umayyid rulers during the imamate of Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) were the following: 1. Walid bin ‘Abdu 1-Malik; 2. Sulayman bin ‘Abdu 1-Malik; 3. ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdu ‘l- Aziz; 4. Yazid bin ‘Abdu 1-Malik; 5. Hisham bin ‘Abdu 1-Malik.

With the exception of ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdu ‘l-’Aziz, all the rulers were as cruel and corrupt as their predecessors.

Walid appointed people (like Hajjaj bin Yusuf ath-Thaqafi) to the various positions in the Muslim empire who had no regard for Islamic values and were guilty of torturing and oppressing those who did not accept their views. Sulayman was comparatively less of a tyrant not out of kindness and a sense of responsibility but because he was deeply absorbed in the pleasures and excessively luxirious lifestyle at the expense of the public treasury!

‘Umar ibn ‘Abdu ‘l-’Aziz’s short reign of two years was the best period in the Umayyid history. He tried to establish justice and equality, and put an end to quite a few abhorrent practices started by Mu’awiyah: e.g., the practice of cursing Amiru 1-Mu’minin ‘Ali bin Abi Talib (a.s.) in the Friday khutbas.

Then Yazid bin ‘Abdu 1-Malik came to power who is considered to be morally the most corrupt of all the Umayyad rulers.

He was obsessed with music and dance, and would invite musicians and dancers from all over to his court in Damascus and reward them heftily. It was during his reign that pleasure pursuit, chess, playing cards and other such games became common ways of entertainment among the Arabs.

Hisham bin ‘Abdu 1-Malik was a mean and cruel person. He was insecure about his own position among the people, and was very jealous of the popularity and respect accorded by the people to the descendants of Imam ‘Ali (a.s.).

It was during his reign that Zayd bin ‘Ali (son of the fourth Imam) started an uprising against the Umayyads which, unfortunately, ended in defeat in which Zayd was killed very cruelly.

5. Final Days & Death

During one of the hajj rituals, the Imam gave a speech exholting the rights of his family and himself. This was reported to Hisham who was also in Mecca at that time. On his return to Syria, Hisham ordered Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) and his son, Ja’far, to be brought to Damascus. Hisham tried to intimidate and humiliate the Imam but did not succeed. After some time, he was forced to let the holy Imam go back to Medina where he was always under surveillance by the regime’s spies and informers.

Finally, in the year 114 A.H., the Imam was poisoned by the Umayyad agents and died on 7th Dhu 1-Hijja, and was buried beside his father in the Jannatu 1-Baqi‘ graveyard.

This lesson has been written and compiled by Sayyid M. Rizvi using the following sources.

1. Shi’a Islam3 of Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn at-Tabataba’i.

2. Pishway-e Panjum: Hazrat Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) by Dar Rah-e Haq.

3. Zindagani-e Imaman be Zaban-e Sadeh by Ayaullah Ja’far Subhani. The main sources have been extensively edited in order to fit the requirements of our course. Also, for the sake of brevity, we have not included the references quoted by our sources. Those who are interested to know the sources may refer to the aforementioned sources.

Lesson 43: The Sixth Imam (Ja‘far bin Muhammad)

1. Birth & Early Days

Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq, son of the fifth Imam, was born in 83 A.H./702 C.E. After the death of his father in 114 A.H., he became Imam by Divine Command and decree of the Imam who came before him.

2. His Imamate: Continuation of Scholarly Jihad

During the 34 years of imamate of as-Sadiq (a.s.) greater possibilities and a more favorable climate existed for him to propagate religious teachings. This came about as a result of revolts in Islamic lands, especially the uprising of the Muswaddah to overthrow the Umayyad caliphate, and the bloody wars which finally led to the fall and extinction of the Umayyads.

The greater opportunities for Shi’ite teachings were also a result of the favourable ground the fifth Imam had prepared during the twenty years of his imamate through the propagation of the true teachings of Islam and the sciences of the Ahlu 1-Bayt of the Prophet.

Imam as-Sadiq took advantage of the occasion to propagate the religious sciences until the very end of his imamate, which coincided with the end of the Umayyad and beginning of the Abbasid caliphates.

He instructed many scholars in different fields of the intellectual and transmitted sciences, such as Zurarah, Muhammad ibn Muslim, Mu’min at-Taq, Hisham ibn Hakam, Aban ibn Taghlib, Hisham ibn Salim, Hurayz, Hisham Kaibi Nassabah, and Jabir ibn Hayyan, the alchemist.

Even some important Sunni scholars such as Sufyan Thawri, Abu Hanifa (the founder of the Hanafi school of law), Qadi Sukuni, Qadi Abu 1- Bakhtari and others, had the honor of being his students.

It is said that his classes and sessions of instruction produced four thousand scholars of hadith and other sciences. Refering to the two years that he spent as a student of Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.), Abu Hanifa used to say: “If it had not been for those two years, Nu’man7 would have perished.”

The number of traditions preserved from the fifth and sixth Imams is more than all the hadith that have been recorded from the Prophet and the other ten Imams combined. That is why the Shi’a school of laws in Islam is known as “Ja’fari”.

3. Students & Companions

Hamran bin A’yan: Some of the students of Imam Ja’far as- Sadiq (a.s.) had reached such heights of excellence that they earned the complete trust of their teacher. Once a Syrian (who those days were usually against the Ahlu ‘1-Bayt because of the Umayyad propaganda) entered the gathering of the Imam.

Upon inquiring the purpose of his visit, he said, “I have been told whatever the people ask you, you have an answer for that. So I have come to debate with you.”

Imam (a.s.): “On what issue would you like to debate with me?”

Syrian: “About the Qur’an.”

Imam pointed towards Hamran bin A’yan and said, “Go and debate with him.”

Syrian: “I have come to challenge you and debate with you, not with him.”

Imam (a.s.): “Defeating Hamram would be like defeating me!”

So the Syrian went to Hamran and had a debate with him about the Qur’an. Hamran answered all questions satisfactorily until the Syrian ran out of them. He finally conceded his own defeat.

Mufazzal bin ‘Umar: He is well known for a treatise which the Imam dictated for him on the subject of tawhid. Here we will just mention one incident which shows that Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq was also actively working for peace and social harmony among his followers.

One day Mufazzal saw that two Shi’as were arguing and fighting with one another on the division of the estate of their relative. Mufazzal took both of them home and after discussion, resolved their conflict. In bringing about the resolution he had to add four hundred dirhams from himself.

As the two Shi’as were leaving, Mufazzal said, “You should know that the money I have used to resolve your conflict is not my own money; it belongs to Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) who had given it to me with the instruction that whenever I see conflict among his followers, I should try to maintain peace among them by using that money.”

4. Rulers & their Attitude

Imam as-Sadiq’s imamate coincided with the rule of the last five Umayyad rulers (Hisham bin ‘Abdu 1-Malik, Walid bin Yazid, Yazid bin Walid, Ibrahim bin Walid, and Marwan al- Himar) and the first two ‘Abbasid caliphs (Abu ‘l-’Abbas Saffah and Mansur Dawaniqi).

As mentioned in the previous lesson, the Muslim people were gradually turning away from the Umayyads. The anti-Umayyad sentiment which had started with the massacre of Karbala, finally led to the fall of the Umayyads in 132 A.H.

However, those who were leading the revolt in the name of Ahlu 1-Bayt could not resist the temptation of power, and seized the seat of caliphate for themselves. These were the descendants of ‘Abbas bin ‘Abdul Muttalib, the uncle of the Prophet. Hence the next dynasty to rule the Muslim world was known as Banu ‘Abbas or the ‘Abbasids.

Hisham, the Umayyad caliph, had ordered the sixth Imam to be arrested and brought to Damascus. The later Umayyad rulers were not strong enough to harass the Imam. The Imam was then arrested by Saffah, the first ‘Abbasid caliph and brought to Iraq. After some time, he was allowed to return to Medina.

The reign of Mansur, the second ‘Abbasid caliph, was even worse for the Shi’as. He ordered such torture and merciless killing of many of the descendants of the Prophet who were Shi’ite that his actions even surpassed the cruelty and heedlessness of the Umayyads.

At his order they were arrested in groups, some thrown into deep and dark prisons, and tortured until they died, while others were beheaded or buried alive or placed at the base of or between walls of buildings, and walls were constructed over them.

Once Mansur wrote to Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) asking him why he did not visit him like other dignitaries. The Imam wrote in reply: “Neither do we possess any worldly treasure for which we may fear you, nor do you possess any spiritual virtue for which we may seek your favour. So why should we come to you?” Mansur replied, “Then come for admonishing us.” The Imam replied, “Those who seek this world will never admonish you, and those who seek the hereafter will never come to you.”

5. Last Days & Death

Finally, Mansur had Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) arrested and brought to Samarrah (Iraq) where he had the Imam kept under supervision, was in every way harsh and discourteous to him, and several times thought of killing him.

Eventually the Imam was allowed to return to Medina where he spent the rest of his life under severe restrictions placed upon him by the Abbasid ruler, until he was poisoned and martyred through the intrigue of Mansur.

Upon hearing the news of the Imam’s martyrdom, Mansur wrote to the governor of Medina instructing him to go to the house of the Imam on the pretext of expressing his condolences to the family, to ask for the Imam’s will and testament and read it. Whoever was chosen by the Imam as his inheritor and successor should be beheaded on the spot.

Of course, the aim of Mansur was to put an end to the whole question of the imamate and to Shi’ite aspirations. When the governor of Medina, following orders, read the last will and testament, he saw that the Imam had chosen five people rather than one to administer his last will and testament: the caliph himself, the governor of Medina, ‘Abdullah Aftah, the Imam’s older son, Musa, his younger son, and Hamidah, his wife. In this way the plot of Mansur failed.

Abu Basir, a close companion of Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.), went to the Imam’s house for expressing condolences on the death of the Imam. Umm Hamidah, the wife of the Imam, said, “O Abu Basir, if you had been at the Imam’s side when he died, you would have been surprised.

In his last moments, the Imam opened his eyes and asked that all family members come close to his bed. When everyone had gathered around him, he said, ‘Verily, the person who considers the salat as a trivial issue, he will not deserve our intercession.”

This lesson has been written and compiled by Sayyid M. Rizvi by using the following sources.

1. Shi’a Islam’ of Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn at-Tabataba’i.

2. Hshway-e Shishum: Hazrat Imam Ja’far-e Sadiq (a.s.) by Dar Rah-e Haq, The main sources have been extensively edited in order to fit the requirements of our course. Also, for the sake of brevity, we have not included the references quoted by our sources. Those who are interested to know the sources may refer mentioned above.