9th Imam Mohammed-asws Ibn Ali-asws ‘s Kuniya is Abu Jafar-asws the 2nd.
‘Abu Ja’far-asws, Mohammed-asws Ibn Ali-asws’s Nazool took place on Friday the 10th of Rajab in the year 195 and he-asws was martyred in 220 on the 30th of Zeeqad at the age of 25 years, two months and eighteen days. The 9th Imam-asws was buried in Baghdad in the graveyard of Quraysh, near the grave of his-asws grandfather-asws, Musa-asws Ibn Ja’far-asws.
The 9th Imam and a Prisoner:
The narrator of the Hadith says: ‘Mohammed, who belonged to Zaydi sect, said this to me: ‘I was in the army camp and I was told that a prisoner was brought from the area of AI-Sham (Syria) tied up.’
‘Ali ibn Khalid (the narrator) has said: I went through the guards until I reached him. I found him to be a man of understanding. I asked him, ‘O you, what is your story and your case?’ He said, ‘I am a man from AI-Sham. I was praying to Allah-azwj at a place in al-Sham called the ‘Ras-al-Hussain-asws’[1].’ During my prayer a man came to me and said, ‘Come with me.’ I went with him and I found myself in the Masjid of al-Kufa, He asked me, ‘Do you recognize this Masjid?’ I replied, ‘Yes, I recognize it.’ He (the prisoner) said, ‘He prayed and I prayed with him. Then I found us in the Masjid of the Rasool Allah-saww in Madinah. He offered greetings of peace to the Rasool Allah-saww and I did the same. He prayed and I prayed with him. He offered the special prayer for the Rasool Allah-saww. I was with him and we found ourselves in Makkah. I continued to find myself with him until we finished all the acts to be performed there. Then I found myself with him at the place in which I was praying to Allah in Al-Sham, The man left for his own destination.
The next year I was with him again and we did as in the year before. When we finished all of the activities of prayers and he returned me to my place of prayer in Al-Sham and he was about to leave I asked him this: ‘I swear you to the One Who has given all these capabilities to you, tell me, who are you?’ He said, ‘I am Mohammed-asws ibn Ali-asws ibn Musa-asws– the 9th Imam.’ The news spread and it reached Mohammed ibn ‘Abd al-Malik al-Zayyat, He sent his people who arrested me and tied me up in chains and transferred me to Iraq. This is why I am in prison.’
‘I (the narrator) then told him to send a petition for his release to Mohammed ibn ‘Abd AI-Malik. He did so, explaining the whole story, but the answer to his petition said: ‘He should ask the one who took him from al-Sham to al-Kufa, then to al-Madina then to al-Makkah then back to al-Sham to release him from prison.’
I felt very sad for him and tried to cheer him up and asked him to have patience. Early next morning, when I went to see him, I found people from the army, the chief of the security, the prison guard and a crowd of creatures of Allah-azwj around the area. I asked, ‘What is the matter?’ They said, ‘The prisoner from Al-Sham has disappeared and no one knows if the earth has swallowed him up or if birds have snatched him away.’[2]
The narrator of the Hadith says: ‘Once he-asws (Abu Ja’far Mohammed-asws ibn Ali Al-Reza-asws) sat down and said, ‘O Ali, Allah-azwj’s Presentation of Proofs in support of the ‘Imamat[3] is the same as those in support of the prophet-hood of a Prophet-saww. Allah-azwj has Said, ‘ … we gave knowledge and wisdom to John during his childhood.’ (19: 12) ‘ … When he attained maturity, Allah-azwj Gave him strength, wisdom and knowledge. Thus, do We reward those who do good.’ (12:22) ‘ When he grew up to manhood and became forty years old. ‘ (46:15) Allah-azwj may Give authority to a child and He-azwj may Do so when he is a forty year old man.’[4]
The narrator of the Hadith says: ‘AI-Ma’mun did all he could to prove that Abu Ja’far ( Mohammed-asws ibn Ali Al-Reza-asws) was only a young man with worldly desires. However, al-Ma’mun could not succeed. When he became frustrated, he gave his daughter in marriage to Abu Ja’far-asws, Mohammed-asws ibn Ali Al-Reza-asws.
For the ceremony, there was a man called Mukhariq who had a voice, musical skills, a guitar and a long beard. AI-Ma’mun called him and he said, ‘O Amir al-Mu’minin, if he is a worldly man I will prove it.’ He sat in front of Abu Ja’far-asws, Mohammed-asws ibn Ali Al-Reza-asws and began to bray, which made all the people of the house gather around him. He began to play his guitar and sing.
He did it for an hour but Abu Ja’far-asws did not pay any attention. Then he-asws raised his head and said, ‘O you, long-bearded one, be pious before Allah-azwj.’
‘The narrator has said that the musical instrument fell off his hand and he could not use his hands ever again after that. When al-Ma’mun asked him about his condition he said, ‘When Abu Ja’far-asws expressed his disappointment I was struck with fear from which I have not been able to relieve myself ever since.[5]’
The narrator of the Hadith says: ‘Once a group of Shi’a from the suburbs asked permission to meet Imam Mohammed-asws Ibn Ali-asws. The Imam-asws granted them permission and they came in his-asws presence. They asked him-asws thirty thousand questions in one meeting (place). The Imam-asws answered them all and at that time he-asws was ten years old.’[6]
The narrator says in a Hadith: ‘Once I went to see Imam Mohammed-asws Ibn Ali-asws. He-asws said ‘O Mohammed, has something happened to the family of al-Faraj (the governor of al-Madina)?’ I said, ‘Yes, ‘Umar (a member of al-Faraj family) has died.’ The Imam-asws then said, ‘All thanks and praise belongs to Allah-azwj.’ He said it twenty-four times. I then said, ‘My master, had I known it could make you-asws this happy I should have come to you-asws running and barefoot with the news (to congratulate you).’
The Imam-asws said, ‘Do you not know what he, may Allah condemn him, once had said to Mohammed-asws ibn Ali-asws, my father?’ I (the narrator) then said, ‘No, I do not know it.’ The Imam-asws said, ‘He spoke to my father-asws about an issue and then said to him-asws, ‘I think you are drunk.’ My father-asws then said, ‘O Lord, You know that I-asws have been fasting this day, so make him feel the wrath of war and the humiliation of captivity.’ By Allah-azwj, in just a few days his belongings were looted and he was captured. Now he is dead, may Allah deprive him of His-azwj Mercy. Allah-azwj has Exacted revenge from him and He-azwj Continues to exact revenge for His friends from His-azwj enemies.’’[7]
‘Once I prayed with Abu Ja’far-asws in the Masjid of al-Musayyib, He-asws led the prayer with us and for the direction of Makkah he-asws stood up facing straight. The Imam-asws also has said that a berry tree that was in the Masjid had dried up and had no leaves. The Imam-asws asked for water and prepared himself-asws under that tree for prayer. The berry tree came alive with leaves and fruits in that year.’[8]
The narrator of the Hadith says: ‘Imam Al-Reza-asws (8th Imam-asws) passed away and owed me four thousand Dirhams. I said to myself, ‘My money is lost.’ Mohammed Ibn Ali-asws (9th Imam-asws) sent me a message to meet him-asws the next day and bring with me a balance and weighing stones. I went to see him-asws and he said, ‘(my father) Ali Reza-asws has passed away. Did he-asws owe you four thousand Dirhams?’ I said, ‘Yes, he-asws did.’ The Imam-asws then lifted up his-asws prayer rug on which he-asws was sitting and there were the Dinars that he-asws gave to me.’’ (The balance and weighing stones were to weigh the money.)[9]
The narrator of the Hadith says: ‘Mohammed-asws Ibn Ali-asws was martyred at the age of 25 years, three months and twelve days. The Imam-asws left this world on a Tuesday on the sixth of Zil-Hajj in A.H. 220. Our 9th Imam-asws lived nineteen years less twenty five days after his father.’[10]
Imam Mohammed-asws Al-Taqi-asws‘s martyrdom
After Ma’mun-la’s death, Mutasim Billa-la, within the Abbasid family, took over the reins of government in the month of Shaban. As soon as coming to power, Mutasim-la started planning to poison Imam Taqi-asws, following the footsteps of his predecessors. He secretly convinced umul fazal-la, who was Ma’mun’s daughter (an Abbasid), to poison Imam Taqi-asws. One day she presented poisoned grapes to Imam-asws and insisted Imam-asws to eat at least some. When Imam-asws had eaten those grapes, she realised the consequences and started crying. Imam-asws asked her: ‘Why are you crying now? God-azwj will never forgive you and you will never escape His-azwj wrath. You would soon see its signs through such a bad syndrome that you will never recover. She suffered from an ulcer, which proved untreatable, she spent all her wealth on its cure but got killed by it in the end.[11]
(It is narrated) in Al-manaqib Ibn Shaher Ashub that (Imam) Mohammed-asws Ibn Ali-asws’s Zahoor is as per Ibn Ayyash on Friday on the 10th of Rajab, in 195 A.H. He-asws was martyred through poisoning on the last day of Zeeqad (30th of Zeeqad) on Saturday 220 A.H. and was buried in the tombs of the Quraysh.[12]
Burial of Imam Mohammed al-Jawad-asws
Imam Mohammed Taqi-asws was buried by the side of his grandfather Imam Musa ibn Ja’far-asws. Their burial place is called Kazmain, as both Imam-asws’s patience and endurance was so impressive for Muslims of that time that they called it Kazmain, the two Kazims: the enduring ones.
Bequest of the 9th Imam-asws:
‘Ahmad Bin Abu Khalid, a slave of Abu Ja’far-asws Muhammad-asws Bin Ali-asws Bin Musa-asws Bin Ja’far-asws Bin Muhammad-asws Bin Ali-asws Bin Al-Husayn-asws Bin Ali-asws Bin Abu Talib-asws testifies, ‘I hereby testify that he-asws bequeathed to Ali-asws his-asws son-asws with himself-asws and his-asws sisters, and made the matter of Musa, when he reaches adulthood, to him-asws.
And he-asws made Abdullah Bin Al-Musawir to him on that day to be custodian upon his-asws legacy from the properties, and wealth, and the expenditure monies, and the slaves, and other than that, until Ali-asws Bin Muhammad-asws reaches adulthood. Abdullah Bin Al-Musawir, on that day, came to be standing with the matter of his-asws own self, and his-asws sisters, and the matter of Musa came to be with him, standing for himself after the two of them, upon the stipulation of their father-asws regarding his-asws charities which he-asws gave with, and that is the day of Sunday the third night of Zil Hijjah, the year two hundred and twenty.
And Ahmad Bin Abu Khalid wrote his testimony by his own handwriting it was witnessed by Al-Hassan Bin Muhammad Bin Abdullah Bin Al-Hassan Bin Ali-asws Bin Al-Husayn-asws Bin Ali-asws Bin Abu Talib-asws, and he is Al-Jawwany, upon the like of the testimony of Ahmad Bin Abu Khalid in the beginning of this letter, and he wrote his testimony by his own hand, Nasr the servant testified and wrote his testimony by his own hand’’.[13]
[1] Place of the head of al-Hussainasws.
[2] Al-Kafi, Vol. 1, Chapters on History, H. 1.
[3] People with Divine Authority.
[4] Al-Kafi, Vol. 1, Chapters on History, H. 3.
[5] Al-Kafi, Vol. 1, Chapters on History, H. 4.
[6] Al-Kafi, Vol. 1, Chapters on History, H. 7.
[7] Al-Kafi, Vol. 1, Chapters on History, H. 9.
[8] Al-Kafi, Vol. 1, Chapters on History, H. 10.
[9] Al-Kafi, Vol. 1, Chapters on History, H. 11.
[10] Al-Kafi, Vol. 1, Chapters on History, H. 12.
[11]Biharul Anwaar vol 9-10 p22
[12] , H. 8, بحار الأنوار (ط – بيروت)، ج50، ص: 7
[13] Bihar Al-Anwaar – V 50, The book of History – Ali Bin Muhammad-asws, Ch 2 H 4