Imam Muhammad b. Ali al-Baqir (a): Difference between revisions

  |main title = Baqir al-'Ulum (splitter of the knowledges)

Imam al-Baqir (a) made a great scientific movement which reached its peak at the time of his son [[Imam al-Sadiq (a)]]. His narrations in religion, [[conduct of the Prophet (s)]], [[Qur'an sciences]], moral conduct, and manner is more than what is remained from the children of [[Imam al-Hasan (a)]] and [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]]. Thus, during his [[imamate]], a great step was taken towards organization of Shi'i thought in different fields including [[ethics]], [[jurisprudence]], [[theology]], [[exegesis]], etc. According to historical sources he was present at [[Battle of Karbala]] as a child.

Many years before Imam al-Baqir (a) was born, the [[Prophet (s)]] named him Muhammad and titled him as al-Baqir. [[Hadith al-Lawh]] transmitted by [[Jabir b. 'Abd Allah al-Ansari]] and others corroborates with this.<ref>Qummī al-Rāzī, ''Kifāyat al-athar'', p.144-145.</ref>

Imam al-Baqir (a) was born on Friday [[Rajab 1]], [[57]]/[[May 10]], 677 in [[Medina]].<ref>Ṭabarī, ''Dalāʾil al-Imāma'', p. 215; Ṭabrisī, ''Iʿlām al-wara'', vol. 1, p. 498.</ref> Some have reported his birth to have been on [[Safar 3]]/[[December 16]] of the same year (57/676)<ref>Majlisī, ''Biḥār al-anwār'', vol. 46, p. 212.</ref>. He was a small child and present in the [[Battle of Karbala]]<ref>Yaʿqūbī, ''Tārīkh al-Yaʿqūbī'',vol. 2, p. 289.</ref>.

In narrations, [[Umm Farwa bt. al-Qasim b. Muhammad|Umm Farwa]] is mentioned as the wife of Imam al-Baqir (a), who was the mother of [[Imam al-Sadiq (a)]]. Also narrations mention another woman called [[Umm Hakim bt. Usayd al-Thaqafi|Umm Hakim]], daughter of Usayd al-Thaqafi as a wife of Imam (a), who was the mother of two of the Imam's (a) children and another wife of Imam (a) who was a concubine and the mother of three other children of Imam (a)<ref>Mufīd, ''Al-Irshād'', vol. 2, p. 524.</ref>.

# Zaynab: the mohter of the these two was a concubine.

Also, Imam al-Sajjad (a) frequently attracted attention towards his son, Imam al-Baqir (a). For example, when his other son 'Umar asked him about why Imam al-Sajjad (a) paid more attention to Imam al-Baqir (a), Imam (a) answered, "It is because the imamate will remain in his descendants until the day [[Imam al-Mahdi (a)|our Upriser]] rises and will fill the world with justice and equality. So, he [al-Baqir] is both Imam and the father of Imams (a)."<ref>Qummī al-Rāzī,  ''Kifāyat al-athar'', p. 237</ref>

From 94/712-3 to 114/732-3, there was a period of different schools of [[jurisprudence]] emerging and narrating many hadiths about [[exegesis]]. This was because of the weakening of the [[Umayyad]] government and the conflicts among statesmen over power. [[Sunni]] scholars, Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri, Makhul al-Shami, Hisham b. 'Urwa, etc. were active in narrating hadiths and issuing [[Fatwa]], and other groups tried to spread their own beliefs such as [[Khawarij]], [[Murji'a]], [[Kaysaniyya]], and [[Ghulat]].{{citation needed}}

Before this time, Shi'a jurisprudential viewpoints were clarified in a few issues like [[adhan]], [[taqiyya]] (precautionary dissimulation), [[funeral prayer]], .... By the begining of Imam al-Baqir's (a) imamate a great scientific movement by him emerged in Shi'a which reached its peak at the time of his son, Imam al-Sadiq (a).  He (a) was superior to all nobles of Banu Hashim in knowledge, piety, dignity, and merits. His narrations in religion, conduct of the Prophet (s), Qur'an sciences, moral conduct, and manners are more than what remained from the children of Imam al-Hasan (a) and Imam al-Husayn (a) until then.<ref>Mufīd, ''al-Irshād'', vol. 2, p. 507.</ref> It was in this period that Shi'a started to well establish its culture -including jurisprudence, exegiseis, and ethics.<ref>Jaʿfarīyān, ''Ḥayāt-i fikrī wa sīyāsī-yi imāmān-i Shīʿa'', p. 295.</ref>

Imam al-Baqir (a) strongly rejected reasoning of the followers of analogy (qiyas) in jurisprudence<ref>Ḥurr al-ʿĀmilī,  ''Wasāʾil al-Shīʿa '', vol. 18, p. 39.</ref> and took sharp stances against other Islamic sects and this way tried to separate the authentic ideological domain of the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]] in different fields from other sects. Regarding Khawarij, he (a) said, "Khawarij suffered out of ignorance; while religion is more lenient and flexible than how they know it."<ref>Jaʿfarīyān, ''Ḥayāt-i fikrī wa sīyāsī-yi imāmān-i Shī'a'', p. 299.</ref>

Imam al-Baqir (a) had dedicated a part of his time to explain exegesis issues, by holding exegesis sessions and answering the questions of scholars and other people. It is said that Imam al-Baqir (a) wrote a book in [[exegesis]] of the [[Qur'an]] which Ibn Nadim has mentioned in his ''al-Fihrist''.<ref>Ibn Nadīm, ''al-Fihrist'', p. 59; Sharīf al-Qurashī,''Ḥayāt al-imām Muḥammad al-Bāqir'', vol. 1, p. 174.</ref>

Imam al-Baqir (a) paid particular attention to [[hadith]]s (or traditions) from the [[Prophet (s)]] to the extent that [[Jabir b. Yazid al-Ju'fi]] narrated 70,000 traditions from the noble Prophet (s) from him (a). Also, [[Aban b. Taghlib]] and other students of Imam al-Baqir (a) narrated a great number of this tremendous legacy from the Imam (a).{{citation needed}}

Imam al-Baqir (a) did not suffice to only narrating and spreading traditions, but he (a) also encouraged his companions to strive in understanding traditions and learning their meanings. In a statement, he (a) said:

::"Know the levels of our [[Shi'a]] by the number of hadiths from the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]] they narrate and their knowledge to them, which is the knowledge to hadith ([[dirayat al-hadith]]); and it is through understanding of hadiths that the faithful reach highest levels of faith."<ref>Sharīf al-Qurashī,''Ḥayāt al-imām Muḥammad al-Bāqir'', vol. 1, p. 140-141.</ref>

At the time of Imam al-Baqir (a), the emerging foundations and expression of different beliefs and thoughts were easier, due to opportunity and the lack of pressure and control by the government which also caused deviant thoughts to spread in the society. Under these circumstances, Imam al-Baqir (a) had to announce authentic Islamic beliefs, denounce and reject false beliefs, and answer related questions. Therefore, he (a) held his theological discussions with the direction towards the mentioned issues. Among such issues was the inability of human intellect to understand the truth of [[God]]<ref>Kulaynī, ''al-Kāfī'', vol. 1, p. 82.</ref>, eternal existence of the [[Necessary Existent]]<ref>Kulaynī, ''al-Kāfī'', vol. 1, p.88-89.</ref>, and the necessity to obey Imam<ref>Kulaynī, ''al-Kāfī'', vol. 1, p. 185.</ref>.

Other legacies left behind by Imam al-Baqir (a) are jurisprudential<ref>''Pīshwāyān-i hidāyat'', p.341-347.</ref> and historical legacies<ref>''Pīshwāyān-i hidāyat'', p.330-334.</ref>.

Imam al-Baqir's (a) debates with different people over different issues were among his scientific activities. Some of his debates are as listed below:

Jews were among the present groups in society at the time of Imam al-Baqir (a) and they had a deep influence over the culture at that time. Some of the Jewish scholars pretended to have converted to Islam and others remained openly Jewish. Their influence spread in the Islamic society and thus, they became the authorities of some simple-minded people. Imam's (a) reaction included fighting with the Jews and their malicious instigation in Islamic culture, and renouncing their invented false hadiths about divine [[prophet|prophets]] (a) or issues which tarnished the true face of the Prophets (a). Below is an example:

The situation at that time prepared a foundation that Imam al-Baqir (a) and [[Imam al-Sadiq (a)]] benefitted highly from. That opportune situation was the result of weakness of the [[Umayyad]] government. Internal crises of their political system did not allow the rulers to suppress the voices of [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]] and isolate them as previous rulers had done. This situation helped Imam al-Baqir (a) and Imam al-Sadiq (a) to give jurisprudential, exegesis-related, ethical opinions in [[jurisprudence]] and [[hadith]] books.{{citation needed}}

However, there should be no claim that Imam al-Baqir (a) was free from restrictions which governments imposed on the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]]; rather, undoubtedly the ruling atmosphere of the life of Imam al-Baqir (a) was in a state of [[Taqiyya]]. At that point, because of the specific culture which was inflicted upon the society as a result of the ruling of unjust governments, leaving Taqiyya would mean abandoning scientific activities and preaching principle teachings of religion.{{citation needed}}

Although the reports are seemingly different, it is not impossible that they could all be correct to a certain degree. There lies a possibility that several people cooperated in the martyrdom of Imam al-Baqir (a), as the reports refer to each of them. Regarding the violent behavior of Hisham b. 'Abd al-Malik towards Imam al-Baqir (a) and the undeniable enmity of [[Umayyads]] with Imam Ali's (a) descendants, there is no doubt that Hisham had strong motivation to play a role in the martyrdom of Imam al-Baqir (a) even if it was indirectly. Clearly, to have made his plot materialize, Hisham would have used trustworthy people. Therefore, he employed Ibrahim b. al-Walid who was an Umayyad and an enemy of the [[Ahl al-bayt (a)]], who could use a person who could easily enter the home of Imam al-Baqir (a). Through him, the scheming plot of Hisham unfolded and Imam (a) was martyred.{{citation needed}}

Imam al-Baqir (a) was buried beside [[Imam al-Sajjad (a)|his father]]'s grave and the grave of [[al-Hasan b. 'Ali (a)]], his father's uncle, in [[Al-Baqi' Cemetery]]<ref>Nawbakhtī, ''Firaq al-Shīʿa'', p. 61; Kulaynī, ''Al-Kāfī'', vol. 2, p. 372; Mufīd, ''al-Irshād'', vol. 2, p. 158; Ṭabarī, ''Dalāʾil al-Imāma'', p. 216; Ṭabrisī, ''Iʿlām al-wara'', p. 259; Sibt Ibn Jawzī, Tadhkirat al-khawāṣṣ, p. 306; Kafʿamī, ''al-Miṣbāh'', p. 691.</ref>.

[[Ibn Hajar al-Haytami]] wrote, "Abu Ja'far Muhammad al-Baqir (a) had disclosed so many hidden treasures of sciences, truth behind rulings, and points of wisdom that are not hidden except to ignorant or ill-wishers and thus they have called him Baqir al-'ilm [splitter of knowledge]. He is a great source and the one who establishes knowledge. He (a) spent his life in worship of God and in the ranks of mystics, he reached a status beyond description. He (a) has many words in the journey towards [[God]] and Islamic teachings"<ref>Ibn Hajar , ''al-Ṣawāʿiq al-muḥraqah'', p. 201.</ref>