Ja'far b. Abi Talib: Difference between revisions

'''Jaʿfar b. Abī Ṭālib b. ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib''' (جعفر بن أبي طالب), also known as Ja'far al-Tayyar (the flying Ja'far) and Zu l-Janahayn (the winged one) was a cousin and companion to the [[Prophet Muhammad (s)]] and the older brother to [[Imam 'Ali (a)]].

He was appointed as the commander of the Muslim Army in the [[Battle of Muta]], in which war he was later martyred. His tomb is in [[Jordan]].

It is said that Ja'far was born twenty years before the [[Prophet (s)]] started his mission. He belonged to the [[Banu Hashim]] clan in the [[Quraysh]] tribe. His father, [[Abu Talib]], was a notable Qurayshi figure and his mother was called [[Fatima bt. Asad]]. His older brothers were [[Talib b. Abi Talib|Talib]] and [[Aqil b. Abi Talib|Aqil]] and his younger brother was [[Imam 'Ali (a)|'Ali (a)]]. It is said that these four brothers were 10 years apart.

Ja'far's kunya was Abu 'Abd Allah, because he had a son called 'Abd Allah. His other Kunya was Abu l-Masakin (the father of the poor), because he supported and helped the poor. After his death by the loss of his two hands, he was called Tayyar (the flying one) and Zu l-Janahayn (the winged one).

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-Baqir (a)]] to the effect that God honors Ja'far for four things he avoided during Jahiliyya (the period of ignorance before Islam). It was aked,"What are they?" He answered,"Ja'far avoided drinking wine, lying, fornication, and idolatory." The Prophet (s) prayed for him and said,"May God give you two wings, with which to fly in the company of the angels."

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

Ja'far was married to [[Asma' bt. 'Umays|Asma' bt. 'Umays b. Nu'man]]. [[Ibn 'Inaba]] enumerates eight children for them, including [['Abd Allah b. Ja'far|'Abd Allah]],[['Awn b. Ja'far|'Awn]], [[Muhammad b. Ja'far|Muhammad]], and Ahmad.

When [[Abu Talib|his father]] became very destitute, Ja'far was given to the care of his uncle [['Abbas b. 'Abd al-Muttalib]]. After he accepted Islam and became independent, Ja'far lived with his uncle.

He was the second man who accepted Islam, his brother [[Imam 'Ali (a)|'Ali (a)]] being the first. Seeing that his son, 'Ali (a), was praying with the [[Prophet Muhammad (s)]], Abu Talib told Ja'far to pray on the left side of the Prophet. Some have also said that he was the 26th or the 32nd man to believe in Islam. Ibn Sa'd reports that he accepted Islam before the Prophet (s) entered Bayt Arqam.

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, "Assalamu Alaykum, 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 portion of booty from the [[Battle of 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 (a)]] liked him so much that [['Abd Allah 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 Talib was a powerful orator, who was also generous, brave, and mystical." [[Ibn Qudama]] says that he was tolerant and humble. al-Dhahabi says that Ja'far b. Abi Talib 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-Baqir (a)]] to the effect that the former group includes [[Hamza b. 'Abd al-Muttalib|Hamza]] 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 (a), Hamza, and Ja'far.

Five years after the [[Prophet (s)]] started his mission (614 AD), as a consequence of being annoyed by pagans of [[Mecca]], and upon a commandment from the Prophet (s), 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, [[Negus]] called them to the court. Ja'far b. Abi Talib said to Negus, "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, [[zakat]] (charity), justice and kindness to neighbors." Then, Negus asked him, "Do you have anything from what the Prophet (s) has brought you from God?" Ja'far read verses from the Sura 19 ([[Sura Maryam|Maryam]]) which was about the story of [[Mary]] and [[Jesus (a)]]. Negus wept after he heard these verses. Meccan unbelievers had tried to persuade Negus with gifts to reject the Muslim group; but he refused their request. Muslims could live safely in that land.

Muslims stayed in Abyssinia until the year 6 AH/628. Just before the [[Battle of Khaybar]], the Prophet (s) asked Negus to return the Muslims. He accepted, accepted Islam, and sent Ja'far and others, including [['Amr b. Umayya al-Damri]], in two ships to [[Medina]].

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 [[Jumada al-Awwal]] of the year 8 AH/September,629. He went to war against the Byzantine Army in Muta. He said, "If Ja'far is killed, [[Zayd b. Haritha]] will take over the commandment; and if he is killed, [['Abd Allah b. Rawaha]] will replace him." Some believe that Zayd b. Haritha was the first commander and Ja'far was the second.

Ja'far was killed in the [[Battle of Mūta]] in [[Jumada al-Awwal]] of the year 8 AH/September,629. [[Abu l-Faraj al-Isfahani]], believes that Ja'far was the first child of Abu Talib to be martyred for Islam. [[Al-Tabari]] says,"After Zayd martyred, 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.

[[Al-Shaykh al-Saduq]] reports that after Ja'far's martyrdom, the Prophet (s) visited his family and wept and hugged Ja'far's children and condoled them.It is reported that [[Asmā' bt. 'Umays]] and [[Ka'b b. Malik]] composed dirges for Ja'far.

Ja'far and other Muslims who were killed in [[Battle of Muta|that battle]] were buried in Mazār, near Mūtah, [[Jordan]]. Muslims honor his grave. Ja'far, [['Abd Allah b. Rawaha]] and [[Zayd b. Haritha]] were buried in one tomb, which was then hidden.