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

'''Muḥammad b. ʿAlī b. Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib''' (محمد بن علي بن حسین بن علي بن ابي طالب) known as Imām al-Bāqir (a) (57 – 114 AH, Medina) was the 5th Imam of [[Shi'a]] whose period of imamate took 19 years.

The period of his imamate was contemporary with weakening of [[Umayyad]] government and the struggle among them for power. In this period, Imam al-Baqir (a) made a great scientific movement which reached its peak at the time of his son [[Imam al-Sadiq (a)]]. He (a) was greater than anyone in knowledge, piety, grandeur and merits. His narrations in religion, conduct of the [[Prophet (s)]], [[Qur'an sciences]], moral conduct and manner are so many more than what 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'a thoughts in different fields including [[ethics]], [[fiqh]], [[Kalam]], [[Tafsir]], etc.

Great [[Sunni]] scholars attested to his scholarly and religious power. [[Ibn Hajar al-Haytami]] said, "Abu Ja'far Muhammad al-Baqir (a) disclosed hidden treasures of sciences, truth behind rulings, wisdom and intricate points. He (a) spent his life in worshiping [[God]] and in the ranks of mystics reached where is beyond description. He (a) has many words in the journey towards God and Islamic teachings."

Muhammad b. 'Ali b. al-Husayn b. 'Ali b. Abi Talib, known as Imam al-Baqir (a) was the 5th [[Imam]] of [[Shi'a]], son of [[Imam al-Sajjad (a)]], the 4th Imam of Shi'a. His mother was [[Fatima bt. al-Hasan (a)|Umm 'Abd Allah]], daughter of [[Imam al-Hasan al-Mujtaba (a)]].

His titles were, Shakir, Hadi and Baqir, the latte of which is his most famous title. The meaning of "Baqir" is "splitter". [[Ibn Wadih al-Ya'qubi|al-Ya'qubi]] wrote that, "he (a) [Imam al-Baqir (a)] was named Baqir since he (a) split knowledge." His famous kunya is Abu Ja'far. In hadith references, he (a) is mostly referred to as Abu Ja'far al-Awwal.

Tens of years before Imam al-Baqir (a) was born, the [[Prophet (s)]] named him Muhammad and titled as Baqir. The narration of [[Jabir b. 'Abd Allah al-Ansari|Jabir]] and other narrations prove this.

Imam al-Baqir (a) passed away on [[Dhu al-Hijjah]] 7th 114 AH/February 1st, 733. There are other opinions about the year of his demise as well.

About that whom martyred him, there are different narration and historical opinions. Some sources have mentioned [[Hisham b. Abd al-Malik]] as the one who martyred him. Some have introduced [[Ibrahim b. Walid b. 'Abd al-Malik|Ibrahim b. Walid]] as the person who poisoned Imam (a). Some narrations have considered Zayd b. Hasan who had strong hates towards Imam al-Baqir (a) as the person who made the plot of martyring him. In any case, Imam al-Baqir (a) was martyred during caliphate of Hisham b. Abd al-Malik, because his caliphate was from 108 until 125 AH (726 until 743) and the last year ever mentioned for the martyrdom of Imam al-Baqir (a) is 118 AH/736.

Although reports are seemingly different but it is not impossible that they would be somehow correct, since there is a possibility that several people cooperated in the martyrdom of Imam al-Baqir (a), each report refers to one of them. Regarding the violent behavior of Hisham towards Imam al-Baqir (a) and the undeniable enmity of [[Umayyads]] with Ali's (a) descendants, there is no doubt that Hisham had had a strong motivation to have a role in the martyrdom of Imam al-Baqir (a) even though indirectly.

Obviously, to make his plot actualized, Hisham would use his trustworthy people, therefore he would employ Ibrahim b. Walid who was an Umayyad and enemy of the [[Ahl al-bayt (a)]] and he provided the facilities for martyrdom of Imam (a) for a person who was counted a member of Ali's (a) descendants and could easily enter the living environment of Imam al-Baqir (a) so that through him, the dirty plot of Hisham would be actualized and Imam (a) would be martyred.

[[Jabir b. 'Abd Allah al-Ansari|Jabir b. 'Abd Allah]] narrated that in replying his question about Imams (a) after [[Imam 'Ali (a)]], the [[Prophet (s)]] said, "[[Imam al-Hasan (a)|al-Hasan]] (a) and [[Imam al-Husayn (a)|al-Husayn (a)]], the two masters of the youths of paradise, then the master of worshippers of his time [['Ali b. al-Husayn (a)]], then al-Baqir, Muhammad b. 'Ali (a), whom you will see, O Jabir…"

Also, Imam al-Sajjad (a) frequently attracted attentions towards his son, Baqir; for example when his another son 'Umar asked him about why Imam al-Sajjad (a) paid more attention to al-Baqir (a), Imam (a) answered, "It is because imamate will remain in his descendants until the day [[Imam al-Mahdi (a)|our Upriser]] rises and fill the world with just and equity. So, he [Baqir] is both Imam and the father of Imams (a)."

[[al-Shaykh al-Mufid]] said, Imam al-Baqir (a) was superior to all his brothers in knowledge, piety and dignity and his position is higher than them. Everyone praised him with glory and he was respected by the laymen and scholars. To the great extent, he (a) disclosed from the knowledge of religion and the Qur'an and ethics and manner, it was not taught by any of the children of al-Hasan (a) and al-Husayn (a). The rest of the companions of the Prophet (s), noble ones among the [[Tabi'un|Followers]] and leaders of [[fiqh scholars]] have narrated from him. His position in merits and nobility reached a level of being exemplar among the people of knowledge and they wrote works and composed poems to praise his personality.

Among the mentioned caliphs except 'Umar b. Abd al-'Aziz who somehow was just, other caliphs did not follow justice and made great injustice and oppression towards people especially [[Shi'a]] and there was a great deal of corruption, discrimination and tendencies to revenge in their courts.

From 94 to 114 AH (713 to 732) was a period of emerging different schools of [[fiqh]] and narrating many hadiths about [[Tafsir]] and this is because of the weakening of [[Umayyad]] government and the conflicts among statesmen to take the power. Among [[Sunni]] scholars, [[Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri]], [[Makhul al-Shami]], [[Hisham b. 'Urwa b. Zubayr|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]].

In this period, Imam al-Baqir (a) made a great scientific movement 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 and his narrations in religion, conduct of the [[Prophet (s)]], [[Qur'an sciences]], moral conduct and manner are so many more than what remained from the children of [[Imam al-Hasan (a)]] and [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] until then.

Although Shi'a's special viewpoints were still limited at that time and included [[Adhan]], [[Taqiyya]], [[funeral prayer]], etc. however a great step was taken after Imam al-Baqir (a) and an admirable cultural movement emerged among Shi'a. It was in this age that Shi'a began establishing its culture which included fiqh, Tafsir and [[ethics]].

The scientific fame of Imam al-Baqir (a) was not only known in Hijaz but also had spread in [[Iraq]] and [[Khorasan]] which there is report saying that, "I saw people of Khorasan had circled around him and asked him their scientific questions."

 

Imam (a) had dedicated a part of his time to explain Tafsir issues and holding Tafsir sessions and answering the questions of scholars and other people is a part of that. It is said that Imam al-Baqir (a) had written a book in [[Tafsir]] of the [[Qur'an]] which Muhammad b. Ishaq Nadim has mentioned in his ''al-Fihrist''.

Imam (a) considered the knowledge of the Qur'an only held by the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]], since it is only they who can distinguish the [[Muhkamat|clear issues]] in the Qur'an from [[Mutashabihat|unclear ones]] and the [[Nasikh|abrogating]] from the [[Mansukh|abrogated]]. And such a power is not held by anyone other than the Ahl al-Bayt (a) and thus Imam al-Baqir (a) said, "nothing is farther than Tafsir of the Qur'an from the reason of people; since, a [[verse]] which is an cohesive speech, the beginning of which happens to be about one issue and the end of it about another issue and this cohesive speech is interpreted from different aspects."

Imam al-Baqir (a) paid a particular attention to [[hadith|hadiths]] from the [[Prophet (s)]] so that [[Jabir b. Yazid al-Ju'fi]] narrated 70,000 hadiths from the noble Prophet (s). Also, [[Aban b. Taghlib]] and other students of Imam al-Baqir (a) narrated a great number of this tremendous legacy from Imam (a).

Imam al-Baqir (a) did not suffice to only narrating and spreading hadiths but he (a) also encouraged his companions to strive in understanding hadiths 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."

At the time of Imam al-Baqir (a), due to the opportunity made and lessening the pressure and control of the government, the grounds for emerging and expressing different beliefs and thoughts were prepared and this caused spreading deviational thoughts in the society. In this situation, Imam (a) had to announce genuine and authentic Shi'a beliefs, renounce 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 is inability of human intellect from understanding the truth of [[God]], eternal existence of the [[Necessary Existent]] and the necessity of obedience from Imam (a).

Jews were among the groups existed in the society at the time of Imam (a) and they had a deep influence over the culture at that time. Some of the Jewish scholars who pretended to become Muslim and some others were still Jewish and spread in the Islamic society and become the authorities of some simple-mined people. Imam's (a) reaction included fighting with the Jew and their malicious instigations in the Islamic culture and renouncing their false hadiths invented by Jews about divine [[prophet|prophets]] (a) and issues which tarnished true face of prophets (a). Here is given an example:

 

 

Imam al-Baqir (a) said, "you and Ka'b al-Ahbar both are lying [wrong].", then angrily said, "[[God]] has not created a monument more beloved than Kaaba on earth."

The time situation prepared a ground for Imam al-Baqir (a) and [[Imam al-Sadiq (a)]] other Imams (a) did not benefit. That desirable situation was the result of weakness of [[Umayyad]] government. Internal crises of their political system did not let the rulers to suppress the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]] and make them isolated like previous rulers. This desirable situation helped Imam al-Baqir (a) and Imam al-Sadiq (a) to give most jurisprudential, Tafsir-related and ethical opinions in [[fiqh]] and [[hadith]] books.

That was how someone like [[Muhammad b. Muslim al-Thaqafi|Muhammad b. Muslim]] managed to narrate 30,000 hadiths and [[Jabir b. Yazid al-Ju'fi|Jabir al-Ju'fi]] narrated 70,000 hadiths from Imam al-Baqir (a).

From the viewpoint of Shi'a scholars, most prominent fiqh scholars of first centuries of Islam were six people who were all companions of Imam al-Baqir (a) and Imam al-Sadiq (a) who were Zurara b. A'yan, [[Ma'ruf b. Kharrabudh al-Makki]], [[Yahya b. Abi l-Qasim al-Asadi|Abu Basir al-Asadi]], [[Fudayl b. Yasar al-Basri|Fudayl b. Yasar]], [[Muhammad b. Muslim al-Thaqafi]] and [[Burayd b. Mu'awiya al-'Ijli]].

In his book about [[Rijal]], [[al-Shaykh al-Tusi]] counted companions and students of Imam al-Baqir (a) who narrated from him 462 men and 2 women.

Some of the companions and students of Imam al-Baqir (a), regarding credit and reliability are approved by both [[Sunni]] and [[Shi'a]] and a group of them have not been accepted by Sunni Rijal scholars sue to their deep Shi'a tendencies and have only been accepted by Shi'a scholars.

However, it should not be thought 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) has been [[Taqiyya]], because following the certain culture inflicted upon the society as the result of the ruling of unjust governments, leaving Taqiyya could mean abandoning scientific activities and preaching principle teachings of religion.

[[Ibn Hajar al-Haytami]] wrote, "Abu Ja'far Muhammad al-Baqir (a) had so much disclosed 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] and its great source and the establisher of knowledge. He (a) spent his life in worshipping God and in the ranks of mystics reached where is beyond description. He (a) has many words in the journey towards [[God]] and Islamic teachings."

[['Abd Allah b. 'Ata']] who was a distinguished scholar of the time of Imam (a) said, "I saw scholars no humble before anyone, more humble than I saw them before Abu Ja'far (a)."

About Imam al-Baqir (a), [[al-Dhahabi]] wrote, "He (a) is among those who have gathered knowledge, its observation, dignity, honor, reliability and serenity and he (a) was competent for [[caliphate]]."