Ja'far b. 'Alī b. Abī Ṭālib (a) (Arabic: جعفر بن علي بن أبي طالب) (b. ? - d. 61/680) was son of Imam Ali (a) and Umm al-Banin. He attended the Battle of Karbala and together with his brother 'Abbas (a), 'Abd Allah, and 'Uthman was martyred on the Day of Ashura.
 Burial place of Martyrs of Karbala | |
| Full Name | Ja'far b. 'Ali b. Abi Talib |
|---|---|
| Companion of | Imam al-Husayn (a) |
| Wellknown Relatives | Imam Ali (a) • Imam al-Hasan (a) • Imam al-Husayn (a) • 'Abbas b. 'Ali • Umm al-Banin |
| Place of Birth | Medina |
| Place(s) of Residence | Medina |
| Death/Martyrdom | 61/680 |
| Burial Place | Holy Shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a), Karbala, Iraq |
Birth and Lineage
Ja'far was the son of Imam Ali (a) and Fatima bt. Hizam b. Khalid known as Umm al-Banin. Imam Ali (a) named him Ja'far due to the great love he (a) had for his brother Ja'far b. Abi Talib.[1]
Some believe that Ja'far was 19 years old[2] and thus was born after the martyrdom of his father. Some believe that he was 21 years old[3] at the time of martyrdom, and thus was born two years before the martyrdom of Imam Ali (a).
Martyrdom
Since the beginning of the movement of Imam al-Husayn (a) from Medina, Ja'far accompanied him. According to the report of historians, in the evening of the Day of Ashura, 'Abbas (a) encouraged his brothers ('Abd Allah, Ja'far, and 'Uthman) to go to the battlefield before him and said, "Proceed, so that I see your sincerity and benevolence on the way of God and His Prophet (s), since you do not have any children."[4] So, Ja'far went to the battlefield.
Finally, Khuli b. Yazid al-Asbahi threw an arrow at him which hit his temple or eye[5] and according to another report, Hani b. Thubayt al-Hadrami martyred him.[6]
His Name in Ziyarah al-Shuhada
In Ziyarah al-Shuhada, Ja'far b. Ali (a) has been praised.
Notes
References
- Ibn Shahrāshūb, Muḥammad b. ʿAlī. Manāqib Āl Abī Ṭālib. Qom: Nashr-i ʿAllāma, 1379 Sh.
- Amīn, al-Sayyid Muḥsin al-. Aʿyān al-Shīʿa. Beirut: Dār al-Tʿāruf li-l-Maṭbūʿāt, 1403 AH.
- Ṭabarī, Muḥammad b. Jarīr al-. Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī. 2nd edition. Beirut: Dar al-Turāth, 1387 AH.
- Samāwī, Muḥammad b. Ṭāhir al-. Ibṣār al-ʿayn fī anṣār al-Ḥusayn (a). Qom: Dānishgāh-i Shahīd Maḥallātī, 1419 AH.
- Mufīd, Muḥammad b. Muḥammad al-. Al-Irshād fī maʿrifat ḥujaj Allāh ʿalā l-ʿibād. 1st edition. Qom: Kungira-yi Shaykh al-Mufīd, 1413 AH.