Ja'da bt. al-Ash'ath b. Qays: Difference between revisions

Ju’da (or Ja’da) bt. Ash’ath b. Qeys Kindi was the wife of Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba (a) who poisoned Imam (a) following the plot and provocation of Mu’awiya. She had no children from Imam al-Hasan (a). There are different accounts about how and why she married Imam (a).

There is no mention in historical books about the birth of Ju’da, but about her lineage, it is mentioned that her father Ah’ath b. Qeys Kindi was among famous people in early decades of Islam and her mother was Umm Farwa, Abu Bakr’s sister.

Abu al-Faraj Isfahani said, “It is said that she had names including Sukayna, Sha’tha’ and ‘Ayisha but her correct name was Ju’da. Later, her children were called “Bani Musammat al-Azwaj”, i.e. ‘children of the one who poisoned her husbands.’”

Biladhuri believed that Ash’ath had a hypocrite role in this marriage. He believed that Imam Ali (a) had considered the daughter of Sa’id b. Qeys named Umm ‘Imran for the wife of his son Hasan (a), but Sa’id consulted his brother Ash’ath about that and Ash’ath directed him so that Sa’id gave his daughter to son of Ash’ath and the marriage of Umm ‘Imran and Imam al-Hasan (a) was cancelled, then he suggested his own daughter Ju’da for the marriage with Imam al-Hasan (a).

As it can be learned from historical reports, the marriage of Imam al-Hasan (a) with Ju’da happened during the rule of Imam Ali (a) in Kufa.

Imam Ali’s (a) proposal for Imam al-Hasan’s (a) marriage in Kufa weakens the views of those who say that Imam al-Hasan (a) married women and then divorced them frequently and that Imam Ali (a) was not happy with this and asked people in Kufa not to allow their daughters marry Imam al-Hasan (a); because, if Imam Ali (a) was not happy with the marriage of Imam al-Hasan (a), he (a) himself would not make a proposal for him.

On the other hand, Ju’da was living with Imam al-Hasan (a) until the end of his life for about 10 years and this weakens reports suggesting that Imam al-Hasan (a) divorced his wives frequently, because Imam al-Hasan (a) could stand living with someone like Ju’da, whose father was Ash’ath who had stood up against Imam Ali (a) in the battle of Siffin and made him accept the judgment of Abu Musa Ash’ari and led the events toward a judgement in favor of Mu’awiya, and also she had such a characteristic that finally killed Imam al-Hasan (a) and had no children from Imam (a) either. Thus, it cannot be claimed without any definite reason that Imam al-Hasan (a) divorced mothers of his children easily.

== Imam al-Hasan’s (a) Children from Ju’da ==

There is no report about Imam’s (a) children whose mother would be Ju’da. Shaykh Mufid has mentioned 8 sons and 7 daughters for Imam al-Hasan (a), none of whose mother is Ju’da.

According to Shia and Sunni reports, Ju’da was the one who killed Imam al-Mujtaba (a). Sakhawi quoted from Ibn ‘Abd al-Birr saying, “Due to her hatred toward Imam al-Hasan (a), Ju’da poisoned him.

Shia sources have said that Mu’waiya made plot and promised Ju’da with financial helps and marriage with his son, Yazid and encouraged her to poison Imam al-Hasan (a).

Some reports say that Mu’wiya gave the poison for poisoning Imam (a) to Ju’da by himself.

Qutb Rawandi has narrated a report suggesting that after drinking the poisoned drink, Imam (a) cursed Ju’da.

Kulyni has narrated a hadith, in which Imam al-Sadiq (a) says, “Ash’ath b. Qeys is an accomplice in the murder of Imam Ali (a), his daughter, Ju’da poisoned Hasan b. Ali (a) and his son, Muhammad was an accomplice in the martyrdom of Husayn b. Ali (a).

Abu al-Faraj wrote, “Mu’awiya fulfilled his financial promise and sent a hundred thousand Dirhams for Ju’da, but did not accept that she marries Yazid. About this, Mu’awiya said, ‘I am afraid you do to my son what you did in poisoning the son of the Prophet (s).’”

About Ju’da’s destiny after Imam al-Hasan (a), it has been mentioned in the history that she married two times after Imam al-Hasan (a). First, she married Ya’qub b. Talha b. ‘Ubayd Allah from whom she bore three sons named Isma’il, Ishaq and Abu Bakr and Isma’il, Ishaq died while their father was alive. After Ya’qub b. Talha was killed in the event of Harra in 63 AH, she married ‘Abbas b. ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Abbas, the eldest son of Ibn ‘Abbas and bore a son for him named Muhammad and a daughter named Qariba, no descendants remained of them.