Ja'far b. Aqil

Companion of Imam (a)

Ja'far b. Aqil
The mausoleum of the collective grave of the martyrs of Karbala in the shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a)
Full Name	Ja'far b. 'Aqil b. Abi Talib b. 'Abd al-Muttalib
Companion of	Imam al-Husayn (a)
Lineage	Banu Hashim
Wellknown Relatives	Imam al-Husayn (a) (cousin), 'Aqil b. Abi Talib (father), Muslim b. 'Aqil (brother), Imam al-Hasan (a) (cousin), Imam 'Ali (a) (uncle)
Place(s) of Residence	Medina
Death/Martyrdom	61/680
Cause of Death/Martyrdom	Battle of Karbala
Burial Place	Karbala
Activities	Participating in the event of Ashura

Jaʿfar b. ʿAqīl b. Abī Ṭālib (جعفر بن عقیل بن ابي طالب) was a companion of Imam al-Husayn (a) and was martyred in Karbala on the Day of 'Ashura'. Some reported that his mother's nickname was Umm Thaghr and some said it was Umm al-Banin. Ja'far was the son-in-law of Imam 'Ali (a) as well as Muslim b. 'Aqil. It is reported that he was 23 when he was martyred.

Lineage, Birth and Demise

Ja'far was the son of 'Aqil b. Abi Talib. It has been reported in Maqatil al-talibiyyin that his mother was Umm thaghr bt. 'Amir from Banu Kilab; but al-Tabari narrated from Hisham that his mother was Umm al-Banin bt. Shaqr b. Hidab, also it has been reported that she was Khusa bt. Thaghriyya. Ja'far was the son-in-law of Imam 'Ali (a) as well as Muslim b. 'Aqil.

Little information is available about his birth and age. The author of Lubab al-ansab reported that he was 23 when he was martyred.

Presence in Karbala

The author of al-Futuh reported that he entered the battlefield after 'Abd Allah b. Muslim. Also, Ibn Shar Ashub mentioned in al-Manaqib: "… and then Ja'far b. 'Aqil entered the battlefield and killed 2 soldiers –according to another report 15 soldiers- of 'Umar b. Sa'd's army, and then he was martyred by Bishr b. Sawt al-Hamadani.

However, the author of Maqatil al-Talibiyyin reported that Ja'far was martyred by 'Urwa b. 'Abd Allah al-Khath'ami. Al-Tabari reported that he was martyred by Bishr b. Hawt al-Hamadani and in another part of his history book, he narrated from Hamid b. Muslim al-Azdi that Ja'far was martyred by an arrow shot by 'Abd Allah b. 'Azara al-Khath'ami.

His Rajaz

It has been reported in al-Futuh that Ja'far b. 'Aqil entered the battlefield while he was reciting this rajaz:

I am a young descendant of Abu Talib form Mecca. I am from the tribe of Hashim and Ghalib.

We are undoubtedly the masters of elites. This is al-Husayn, the master of the pure.

Al-Ziyarah al-Shuhada' and al- Ziyarah al-Rajabiyya

His name is mentioned in Ziyarah al-Shuhada' and al-Ziyarah al-Rajabiyya and his killer, Bishr b. Khawt al-Hamadani is cursed.

See also

• Muslim b. 'Aqil
• 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Aqil
• 'Aqil b. 'Abi Talib
• 'Ali b. Abi Talib (a)
• Imam al-Husayn (a)
• Ashura'