Ja'far b. Abi Talib: Difference between revisions

It is reported that the Prophet (s) said, “One night I entered the heavens and saw that Ja'far was flying with the angels.” There is a hadith from Imam al-Bāqir (as) to the effect that God honors Ja'far for four things he avoided during Jāhiliyah (the period of ignorance before Islam). It was aked, “What are they?” He answered, “Ja'far avoided wine, lying, fornication, and idolatory.” The Prophet (s) prayed for him and said, “God must be giving you two wings, with which to fly in the company of the angels.”

He is also called “Zu-Hijratayan” (the one who migrated twice), as he migrated once to Abyssinia and then to Medina.

It is reported that the Prophet (s) said, “People are created from different trees. Ja'far and I are created from the same tree, and we have the same substance.” In another hadith, he said, “Ja'far, you are like me in appearance and behavior.” This similarity was so much that sometimes people greeted Ja'far by saying, “Salamun Alaikum, O the messenger of God!” Ja'far replied, “I am not the messenger of God, but Ja'far.”

The Prophet (s) liked him very much. He donated a larger portion of booty from the Battle fo Badr to Ja'far, although the latter had not attended it. Returning from the Battle of Khaybar, the Prophet (s) met Ja'far, who had just come from Abyssinia, hugged him, and kissed the point between his eyes, saying, “I don't know what to celebrate: meeting Ja'far or our triumph in Khaybar?” Then, he taught him a prayer, which is known as the prayer of Ja'far al-Tayyar.

Imam Ali (as) liked him so much that Abudllah b. Ja'far said, “Whenever I wanted something from my uncle, I abjured him by the name of my father, Ja'far, and he accepted.”

Abu-Nu'aym al-Isfahani says, “Ja'far b. Abi-Tālib was a powerful orator, who was also generous, brave, and mystical.” Ibn Qudāmah says that he was tolerant and humble. al-Zahabi says that Ja'far b. Abi-Tālib was high-ranking, the master of the martyrs and soldiers.

One of Ja'far's honors is that some of the Qur'anic verses refer to him. In his interpretation of Qur'an 33:23 (“Of the believers are men who are true to that which they covenanted with Allah. Some of them have paid their vow by death (in battle), and some of them are still are waiting”), Ali b. Ibrahim al-Qummi reports a hadith from Imam al-Bāqir (as) to the effect that the former group includes Hamzah and Ja'far. Al-Qummi also believes that the Qur'an 22:39 (“Permission is given unto those who fight because they have been wronged”) refers to Imam Ali (as), Hamzah, and Ja'far.

Five years after the Prophet (s) started his mission, upon a commandment from him, a group of Muslims migrated from Mecca to Abyssinia to take refuge from persecution. Ja'far led the group, which was composed of 82 men and some women and children. The Prophet (s) said to these people, “Take refuge in Abyssinia. Their king is a righteous man, who does not wrong anyone. Travel there until God makes an opening for Muslims.

Upon learning about the entrance of the Muslim group, al-Najāshī called them to the court. Ja'far b. Abī-Tālib said to al-Najāshī, “I will tell you what I have heard from my leader, the Prophet (s).” Then as a spokesperson of Islam, he said, “A prophet has emerged among us to call us to avoid idolatory, usury, wronging others, unjust bloodshed, adultery, and fornication. He has invited us to prayer, zakāt (charity), justice and kindness to neighbors.” Then, al-Najāshī asked him, “Do you have anything from what the Prophet (s) has brought you from God?” Ja'far read verses from the Sura 19 (Maryam) which was about the story of Mary and Jesus. Al-Najāshī wept after he heard these verses. Meccan unbelievers had tried to persuade al-Najāshī with gifts to reject the Muslim group; but he refused their request. Muslims could live safely in that land.

After the Battle of Khaybar and Ja'far's return from Abyssinia, the Prophet (s) appointed him as the commander of the Islamic Army in Jumadah al-Ula of the year 8 AH. He went to war against the Byzantine Army in Mūtah. He said, “If Ja'far is killed, Zayd b. Hārithah will take over the commandment; and if he dies, Abdullah b. Rawāhah will replace him.” Some believe that Zayd b. Hārithah was the first commander and Ja'far was the second.

Ja'far was killed in the Battle fo Mūtah in Jumādah al-Ulā of the year 8 AH. Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani, believes that Ja'far was the first child of Abū-Tālib to be martyred for Islam. Al-Tabarī says, “After Zayd passed away, Ja'far took over the commandment of war. When he saw that he was surrounded by the enemy, he got off from his horse and cut off its legs [so that it would not fall into the hands of the enemy]. Then he fought until his hands were cut off and he died.” It is mostly believed that he was then 41 years old and was the tenth person to die in this battle.