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Imam Muhammad ibn Ali (A.S.)
Muhammad Ibn Ali Al-Jawad (At-Taqi) (peace be on him) Name: Muhammad Title: al-Jawad or at-Taqi. Agnomen: Abu
Jafar. Father's name: Ali ar-Ride. Mother's name: Sabikah ( or
khayzuran). Birth: In Medina, on Friday, 10th Rajab 195 AH
Death: Died at the age of 25 ,in al-kazimiyyah on Wednesday, 29th
Dhi'l-qidah 220 AH, poisoned by Mutasim, the Abbasid caliph;
buried in al-kazimiyyah, Baghdad. Imam Muhammad al-Jawad (or at -
Taqi) is the Ninth Apostolic Imam. his epithet was Abuja far and
his famous titles were al-jawad and at-Taqi. Since Imam Muhammad
al-Baqir, the Fifth Imam was called Abu Jafar the Second.
Childhood:
Imam Muhammad al-jawad was brought up by his Holy father Imam
Ali ar-Rida for four years. under the force of circumstances
Imam Ali ar-Rida had to migrate form Medina to khurasan (Iran),
leaving his young son behind him. the Imam was fully aware of the
treacherous character of the ruling king and was sure that he
would return to Medina no more. So before his departure from
Medina he declared his son Muhammad al-Jawad as his successor,
and imparted to him all his stores of divine knowledge and
spiritual genius.
Imamate:
Imam Ali ar-Rida was poisoned on 17th safari 203 AH and with
effect from the same date Imam Muhammad al-jawad was commissioned
by Allah to hold the responsibility of Imamate. At the tender age
of eight there was no apparent chance or means of the young Imam
reaching great heights of knowledge and practical achievements.
But after a for days hi is known not only to have debated with
his contemporary scholars on subjects pertaining to fiqh (
Islamic jurisprudence), hadith ( tradition), tafsir (Qur'anic
exegesis), etc. and outwitted them, but also to exhort their
admiration and acknowledgment of his learning and superiority.
right from then the world realized that he possessed divine
knowledge and that the knowledge commanded by the Holy Imam was
not acquired, but granted by Allah.
Literary Attainments and excellence:
The span of the life of Imam Muhammad al-Jawad was shorter
than that of his predecessors as well as his successors. He
become Imam at the age of eight years and was poisoned at the age
of twenty - five ; yet his literary attainments were many and his
commanded great respect and esteem. The Holy Imam al-Jawad was
the symbol of Prophet Muhammad's affability and Imam All's
attainments. His hereditary qualities comprised of gallantry,
boldness, charity, learning, forgiveness and tolerance, The
brightest and most outstanding phases of his nature and character
were to show hospitality and courtesy to all without
discrimination , to help the needy; to observe equality under all
circumstances, to live a simple life; to help the orphans, the
poor and the homeless; to impart learning to those interested in
the acquisition of knowledge and guide the people to the right
path.
Migration to Iraq:
For the consolidation of his empire, it was realized by
al-Ma'mun, the Abbasid king, that it was necessary to win the
sympathy and support of the Iranians who had always been friendly
to the Ahlul-Bayt. consequently, al-Ma'mun was forced , from a
political point of view , to establish contacts with the tribe of
Banu Fatimah at the expense of the ties with Banu Abbas and
thereby win the favour of the shiah. Accordingly, he declared
Imam Ali ar-Rida as his heir even against the Imam's will and
got his sister umm Habibah married to him. al-Ma'mun expected
that Imam Ali ar-Rida would lend his support in political
affairs of the state. But when he discovered that the Imam was
little interested in political matter and that the masses were
more and more submitting themselves to him due to his spiritual
greatness, he got him poisoned. Yet the exigency which directed
him to nominate Imam Ali ar-Rida as his heir and successor
still continued. Hence he desired to marry his daughter ummau
l-fadl to Muhammad al-Jawad, the son of Imam Ali ar-Rida and
with this object in view, he summoned the Imam from Medina to
Iraq. The Banu Abbas were extremely disconcerted when they come
to know that al-Ma'mun was planning to marry his daughter to Imam
Muhammad al-Jawad. A delegation of some leading persons waited on
him in order to dissuade him from his intention. But al-Mamun
continued to admire the learning and excellence of the Imam. He
would say that though Imam Muhammad al-Jawad was still young ,
yet he was a true successor to his father in all his virtues and
that the profoundest scholars of the Islamic world could not
compete with him when the Abbasides noticed that al-Ma'mun
attributed the Imam's superiority to his learning they chose
yahya ibn Aktham, the greatest scholar and jurist of Baghdad, to
contend with him. al-Ma'mun issued a proclamation and organized a
grand meeting for the contest which resulted in huge gathering of
people from all parts of the kingdom. apart from noble and high
officials, there were as many as nine hundred chairs reserved for
scholars and learned men only. The world wondered how a young
child could contest with the veteran judge in religious laws
(qadi'l-qudat) and the greatest scholar of Iraq. Imam Muhammad
al-Jawad was seated beside al-Ma'mun on his throne face to face
with Yahya ibn Aktham , who addressed the Imam thus: Do you
permit me to ask you a Question? Ask me whatever you
wish , said the Imam in the typical tone of his ancestors.
yahya then asked the Imam, O what is your verdict about a man who
indulges in hunting while he is in the state of Ehram. (In
the code of religious law hunting is supposed to be forbidden for
a pilgrim.) The Imam at once replied , Your question is
vague and misleading. You should have definitely mentioned
whether he hunted within the jurisdiction of the Kabah or
outside; whether he was literate of illiterate; whether he was a
slave of a free citizen; whether he was a minor or a major;
whether it was for the first time of he had done it previously;
also whether, that victim was a bird or some other creature;
whether the prey was small or big; whether he hunted in the day
or at night; whether the hunter repented for his action of
persisted in it ; whether he hunted secretly of openly ; whether
the Ehram was for umrah of for hajj. Unless all these points
are explained no specific answer can be given to this
question. al-Qadi Yahya was staggered in listening to these
word of the Imam and the entire gathering was dumbfounded. There
was no limit to al-Ma'mun's pleasure. he expressed his sentiments
of joy and admiration thus, Bravo! well done ! o Abu
Jafar ! ( Ahsanta, ahsanta ya Aba Jafar ) , your learning and
attainments are beyond all praises. As al-Ma'mun wanted
that the Imam's opponent be fully exposed , he said to the Imam,
You may also put some question to Yahya ibn Aktham.
Then Yahya also reluctantly said to the Imam, Yes, you may
ask me some questions. If I know the answer, I will tell it ;
otherwise , I shall request you to give its answer.
Thereupon, the Imam asked a Question to which Yahya could not
reply. Eventually, the Imam answered his question. Then al-Ma'mun
addressed the audience thus: Did I not say that the Imam comes of
a family which has been chosen by Allah as the repository of
knowledge and learning? Is there any one in the world who can
match even the children of this family? All of them
shouted, Undoubtedly there in no one parallel to Muhammad
ibn Ali al-Jawad. In the some assemble al-Ma'mun wedded
his daughter ummu 'l-Fadl to the Imam and liberally distributed
charity and gifts among his subjects as a mark of rejoicing. One
year after his marriage the Imam returned to Medina from Baghdad
with his wife and there he set about preaching the commandments
of Allah.
Death:
when after the death of al-Ma'mun, al-mutasim ascended the
throne, he got and opportunity to persecute the Imam and to
ventilate spite and malice against him. He summoned the Imam to
Baghdad. The Imam arrived at Baghdad on 9th Muharram 220 AH and
al-Mutasim got him poisoned in the same year. He died on 29 th
Dhi'lqidah 220 AH and was buried beside his grandfather, Imam
Mussa al-Kazim the Seventh Imam , in al-Kazimiyyah , in the
suburb of Baghdad (Iraq).
al-Imam al-Jawad, peace be on him, said:
the trust in Allah is the price of every thing that is
precious and the ladder to every goal which is high and sublime. One who follows his desires, concedes to the wishes of his
enemy. Do not be an apparent friend of Allah in open and a secret
enemy of His in private.
(A Brief History of The Fourteen Infallibles, p. 145-150)
