Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya: Difference between revisions

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==Appellation==

Owing to his death in 81/700-1 and that he was 65 at the time, it could be calculated that he was born in 16/637-8<ref>Ibn Sa'd, ''Al-Tabaqat'', Vol.5, P.87</ref>. His [[teknonym]] was Abu l-Qasim.<ref>Ibn Sa'd, ''al-Tabaqat'', Vol.5, P.67</ref>.

And the Prophet (s) allowed him to do so. Thus, the name and teknonym of Imam Ali's (a) son became Muhammad and Abu l-Qasim.<ref>Baladhuri, ''Ansab al-ashraf'', vol.2 p.200-201</ref>

Before his martyrdom, when [[Imam Ali (a)]] was making his will, he told Muhammad: "I advise you to respect your brothers, because you owe them greatly. Obey their commands. Do not make a decision without consulting them."

Then the Imam (a) told Imam al-Hasan and Imam al-Husayn: "I advise you regarding [caring for] him, as he is your brother ... and you know that your father loves him."<ref>Tabari, ''Tarikh al-Tabari'', vol.5 p.147</ref>

The [[Battle of Jamal]] took place in the year [[36]]/656. Muhammad stopped fighting in the middle of the action, so [[Imam Ali (a)|'Ali (a)]] took hold of the standard and having disordered enemy forces, took it back to Muhammad and said; 'strike them anew as compensation for what you did earlier'.  

The Imam (a) commanded Muhammad for a third time to raid the middle side of the enemy's army. Muhammad successfully conducted the raid, but returned crying and with great injuries.  

===The Battle of Nahrawan===

Muhammad was not present in the battle of Karbala. Shi'a scholars have mentioned several reasons for his absence; they believe that his absence was not out of disobedience or disagreement with Imam al-Husayn (a). These reasons include:

Nevertheless, a hadith is narrated from [[Imam al-Sadiq (a)]] in ''[[Ithbat al-hudat]]'' that: [[Hamza b. Humran]] said; 'we mentioned Imam al-Husayn's (a) setting off and that Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya did not go with him'. Imam al-Sadiq (a) said; 'O Hamza, I utter you a hadith that you may not ask about this again. Having gone away from Medina, al-Husayn (a) asked for a piece of paper and noted;

Regarding this hadith of Imam al-Husayn (a), [[al-'Allama al-Majlisi]] has said; 'his holiness gave them the choice whether or not to join him, and it was not a sin to neglect to join him, since it was not an obligation, but an option.'<ref>Al-Majlisi, ''Bihar al-anwar'', vol. 42, p. 81</ref>

Following to [[Imam al-Husayn]]'s (a) refusal to swear [[allegiance]] to [[Yazid]], Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya suggested his brother to set off for [[Mecca]] to protect his life, and to [[Yemen]] if he was also threatened in Mecca, and to take shelter in deserts or mountains in case he was even troubled in Yemen. Imam al-Husayn (a) appreciated his suggestion and said; 'Dear brother, you are free to remain in Medina, so that you can keep your eyes on my enemy and report me of their affairs.'<ref>Qumi, ''Dar Karbala chi guzasht'', P.98</ref>

[[Kaysanites]] perceived that, after [[Imam al-Husayn (a)|Imam al-Husayn's (a)]] [[martyrdom]], Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya has assigned [[al-Mukhtar]] as the governor of [[Kufa]] and [[Basra]] to seek revenge on his murderers. Kaysanites revolted a while after the martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn (a) and believed in the [[Imama]] of Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya. They believed he had inherited the mysteries of religion, knowledge of interpretation, and esoteric knowledge from [[Imam al-Hasan (a)]] and Imam al-Husayn (a). Some of them would interpret [[prayer]] and [[fasting]] as symbols for other things, and believed in [[reincarnation]], and they were unanimous in the [[Imama]] of Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya, and the possibility of [[bada']] for [[God]]. This sect is also called "Mukhtariyya".<ref>Al-Nawbakhti, ''Firaq al-Shi'a'', p. 23</ref>

==Claim for Imamate==

Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya knew his brothers, [[Imam al-Hasan (a)]] and [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]], superior to himself, but after the martyrdom of [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] wrote a letter to [[Imam al-Sajjad (a)]]  asking him to accept his [[Imama]]. He argued that, contrary to previous Imams, Imam al-Husayn (a) had not assigned anyone as the Imam after himself. Besides, he was the son of [[Imam Ali (a)|'Ali (a)]], and more qualified owing to his age and great number of hadiths narrated by him.

:"My father had recommended me before he set off for [[Iraq]], and had me vow a while before his martyrdom."

===Belief in the Imamate of Imam al-Sajjad (a)===

:"[['Ali b. al-Husayn]] is the Imam of you and I and all Muslims."<ref>Al-Rawandi, ''al-Khara'ij wa al-jara'ih'', Vol.1, P.261-262</ref>

As al-Mukhtar got killed, Ibn al-Zubayr again asked for his [[allegiance]], planning to assail him and his companions in case of his refusal. Meanwhile, he received a letter from 'Abd al-Malik b. Marwan, who had of late become the caliph, in which he was asked to go to Damascus. Muhammad and his companions then, got out of Shi'b Abi Talib, and set off for Damascus. But having arrived in [[Midian]], Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya found out about 'Abd al-Malik's disloyalty to 'Amr b. Sa'id (a companion of Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya). Therefore he landed in Ayla, a port on the border of Syria, and got back to [[Mecca]], where he resided in Shi'b Abi Talib, and then traveled to [[Ta'if]]. He remained there until Ibn al-Zubayr was surrounded in Mecca by [[Al-Hajjaj b. Yusuf al-Thaqafi|al-Hajjaj]], and after that he went back to Shi'b Abi Talib. He rejected al-Hajjaj's request for allegiance to 'Abd al-Malik. Following to the death of Ibn al-Zubayr, asking for refuge, Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya wrote a letter to 'Abd al-Malik, which was accepted.<ref>Al-Nawbakhti, ''Tarjuma-yi firaq al-Shi'a-yi Nawbakhti'', P. 86-87</ref>

==Demise==

:'I was with him in his sickness, and I closed his eyes (when he died), and made his funeral ablution, and shrouded him, and performed his funeral prayer, and buried him'.<ref>Al-Kashshi, ''Rijal al-Kashshi'', P.315</ref>

However, it is reported in non-Shi'a references that Aban b. 'Uthman (the son of the third caliph) performed his funeral prayer.<ref>Ibn Qalich, ''Ikmal tahdhib al-kamal'', vol. 10, p. 285</ref>

==Imamzadas in Iran Believed to be Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya==

There is an imamzada in Khark near Bushehr (south of Iran) and another one near Rudbar (north of Iran) , who are believed to be Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya. However, considering Muhammad's place of demise, these claims do not seem to be right.

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* [[Mukhtar al-Thaqafi]]

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* Amin, al-Sayyid Muhsin al-. ''A'yan al-Shi'a''. Beirut: Dar al-Ta'aruf, 1420/2000.