Imam Ali b. al-Husayn al-Sajjad (a): Difference between revisions

'''ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī b. ʾAbī Ṭālib''' (Arabic:{{iarabic| عَليّ بن الحُسَین بن علي بن أبي طالب}}) (b. [[38]]/[[659 CE|659]] – d. [[95]]/713) known as '''Imām al-Sajjād''' ({{ia|امام السجاد}}, lit. the Consistently Prostrating) and '''Zayn al-ʿAbidīn''' ({{iarabic|زين العابدين}}, lit. Adornment of the Worshippers) is the fourth [[Imam]] of Shi'a. The period of his imamate was 34 years. He (a) was present in the [[Battle of Karbala]] but did not participate in the battle because of sickness and was not martyred. He (a) was taken captive to [[Kufa]] and [[Damascus]] together with other [[captives of Karbala]]. His speech at the presence of [[Umayyad caliph]]s created awareness among people about the position of the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]]. After being released, he (a) stayed in [[Medina]] until the end of his life. The [[event of Harra]], [[Tawwabun movement]] and the [[uprising of al-Mukhtar]] happened at his time, however there is no reliable report of his opinions about them.

''[[Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya]]'' is a compilation of his [[supplication]]s which reflect the picture of the society that day and the true path of life through the education of the religion and the [[Qur'an]] and purification of souls and connecting souls to [[God]]. ''[[Risalat al-huquq]]'' (Treatise on Rights) is his another work which is a short treatise containing duties a human being have.

He (a) was poisoned and martyred by the order of [[al-Walid b. 'Abd al-Malik]]. He (a) was buried in [[al-Baqi' cemetery]] beside his uncle [[Imam al-Hasan al-Mujtaba (a)]].

'Ali b. al-Husayn b. 'Ali b. Abi Talib (a) known as Imam al-Sajjad (a) and Imam Zayn al-'Abidin is son of [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]]. He is the fourth [[Imam]] of [[Shi'a]].

Among disagreements about Imam al-Sajjad (a) was the name and lineage of his mother, different names have been mentioned for her including [[Shahrbanu]], Shahrbanuyeh, Shah-i Zanan,<ref>Mufid, ''al-Irshad'', vol. 2 p. 137</ref> Jahanshah, Khawla, Salafa, Ghazzala, Salama, Harrar, Maryam, Fatima. Accordingly, [[Sayyid Ja'far Shahidi]] wrote that, "among the names mentioned for her, Shahrbanu is more famous. Her father is said to be Yazdgerd, the last Sassanid emperor; or Nushjan from [[Khurasan]], or Shiruyih, son of Parviz, among which Yazdgerd is more famous." He does not believe that the mother of Imam al-Sajjad (a) would be a person having such a description mentioning some reasons and evidences.<ref>Shadidi, ''Zindigani 'Ali b. al-Husayn'', p. 10-26</ref> He says, "If we ignore this myth about her and check authentic books, we reach a clearer point: Ibn Sa'd wrote that after martyrdom of al-Husayn (a), Zuyayd, his freed servant married the mother of 'Ali b. al-Husayn (a) and 'Abd Allah b. Zuyayd was born, thus 'Abd Allah was 'Ali b. al-Husayn's (a) brother from his mother.<ref>Ibn Sa'd, ''Tabaqat al-Kubra'', vol. 5 p. 162 </ref> [[Al-Shaykh al-Saduq]] wrote, "Mother of 'Ali b. al-Husayn (a) was the daughter of Yazdgerd son of Shahriyar, the king of Persians, passed away while giving birth to him."<ref>Saduq, '' 'Uyun akhbar al-Rida'', vol. 2 p. 128</ref>

His titles are Zayn al-'Abidin (adornment of the worshipers), Sayyid al-Sajidin (master of the prostrators), al-Sajjad (the frequently prostrating one), al-Hashimi, al-'Alawi, al-Madani, al-Qurashi, and 'Ali al-Akbar.<ref>Dhahabī, ''Siyar aʿlām al-nubalāʾ'', vol. 4, p. 386; Kasrawi, ''Mawsu'a'', vol. 3 p. 64; al-'Asqalani, ''Tahdhib'', vol. 7 p. 231; Ibn Khallikan, ''Wafayat'', vol. 3 p. 266</ref> Dhu l-Thafanat is another title of Imam al-Sajjad (a), since the skin of his prostration points of his body [knees, palms and forehead] had become hardened and there were calluses on them like the knees of camels due to praying a lot.<ref>Ibn Khallikan, ''Wafayat'', vol. 3 p. 274; Al-Mas'udi, ''Muruj al-dhahab'', vol. 3 p. 160; al-Tha'alabi, ''Thimar al-qulub'', p. 226; Ibn Abi l-Hadid, ''Sharh nahj al-balagha'', vol. 10 p. 79</ref>

Imam al-Sajjad (a) was also known by other names at his time such as 'Ali al-Khayr, 'Ali al-Asghar and 'Ali al-'Abid.<ref>Ibn Sa'd, ''Tabaqat'', vol. 5 p. 222; Ibn Abi l-Hadid, ''Sharh nahj al-balagha'', vol. 15 p. 273</ref>

According to the famous opinion, Imam al-Sajjad (a) was born in [[38]]/659; thus, he (a) has seen a part of [[Imam 'Ali (a)|Imam 'Ali's (a)]] life, the [[imamate]] of [[Imam al-Hasan al-Mujtaba (a)]] and [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] and [[Mu'awiya]]'s attempt in suppressing [[Shi'a]] in [[Iraq]] and elsewhere. However, in some reports, the age of Imam (a) is mentioned less than what is famous and have mentioned his time of birth about [[48]]/668.<ref>Al-Qadi al-Nu'man, ''Sharh al-akhbar'', vol. 3 p. 266</ref> Although such reports have been mentioned in different sources, but there are evidences which do not let one believe them; such as the fact that famously historians and biographers have mentioned the birth time of Imam al-Sajjad (a) 38/659, which implies that his age in the [[Battle of Karbala]] was 23 years old.

In historical sources, the number of Imam al-Sajjad's (a) children have been counted as fifteen, eleven of whom were boys and four of whom were girls.<ref>Mufid, ''al-Irshad'', p. 380; Ibn Shahrashub, ''Manaqib'', vol. 4 p. 189; Ibn al-Jawzi, ''Tadhkirat al-khawas'', p. 332-333</ref>

# Sulayman: The mother of 'Umar, al-Husayn al-Asghar and Sulayman was a maid.

Some accounts say that Imam al-Sajjad (a) gave a speech in Kufa, but it is hard to accept that due to restricted situation in Kufa, cruelty of government agents, the fear of the people of Kufa from them and their unsupportive manner. Moreover, the sentences narrated from him in his speech in Kufa are similar to those he (a) said in his speech in the [[mosque of Damascus]] and it is possible that some narrators have mixed them up. <ref>Shadidi, ''Zindigani 'Ali b. al-Husayn'', p. 56-57</ref>

 

Imam al-Sajjad (a) gave a speech in the mosque of Damascus and introduced himself, his father, and his grandfather to people and told the people of Damascus that what Yazid and his agents have propagated are not true. His father was not a rebel and did not want to disturb Muslim community and make mischief in Islamic lands. He (a) rose for truth and by invitation of Muslims to remove heresies brought up in religion and bring the simplicity and purity it had at the time of his grandfather.<ref>Shadidi, ''Zindigani 'Ali b. al-Husayn'', p. 75</ref>

Whenever he (a) drank water, he remembered his father and wept on the hardships of [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]]. It is mentioned in a narration from [[Imam al-Sadiq (a)]] that, "Imam al-Sajjad (a) wept forty years upon his honorable father, while he (a) was fasting the days and praying the nights. At the time of breaking his fasting when his servant took food and water for him, he (a) said, '[grand]son of [[the Prophet (s)]] was martyred hungry! [grand]son of the Prophet (s) was martyred thirsty!' He (a) frequently repeated this and wept so that his tears were mixed with his food and drink. He (a) was in such a state until when he (a) passed away."<ref>Majlisi, ''Bihar al-anwar'', vol. 45 p. 149; Al-Sayyid b. Tawus, ''al-Luhuf'', p. 290; 'Abbas Qumi, ''Nafas al-mahmum'', vol. 1 p. 794</ref>

At the time of Imam al-Sajjad (a) after the [[Battle of Karbala]], different movements were made, most important ones of which were:

 

Tawwabun movement was another movement after the [[Battle of Karbala]], the leader of which was [[Sulayman b. Surad al-Khuza'i]] together with some other distinguished [[Shi'a]] personalities of [[Kufa]]. In general, Tawwabun were about to hand the leadership of the society to the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]] in case they could win and obviously there was no one from the progeny of [[Lady Fatima (a)|Fatima (a)]] except Imam al-Sajjad (a). However, there was no political relationship between Imam al-Sajjad (a) and Tawwabun.<ref>Ja'fari, ''Tashayyu' dar masir tarikh'', p. 286</ref>

Mukhtar's uprising was the third important movement after the Battle of Karbala, about the relation of Imam al-Sajjad (a) and this movement there are some doubts. This relation not only has some political problems, but it also has some problems regarding ideological aspects (following [[Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya]] by al-Mukhtar). It is said that after [[Mukhtar]] succeeded to attract Shi'a to himself in Kufa, he asked Imam al-Sajjad (a) for help but Imam (a) did not face him with open arms.<ref>Kashshi, ''Rijal'', p. 126; Tusi, ''Ikhtiyar'', p. 126</ref>

[[Malik b. Anas]] said, "Ali b. al-Husayn (a) made a thousand [[Rak'a]] prayer everyday before he (a) passed away. Thus, he (a) was called Zayn al-'Abidin (adornment of the worshipers)."<ref>Dhahabī, ''al-'Ibar'', vol. 1 p. 83</ref>

At night, he (a) put baskets of bread on his shoulder and went to the houses of the poor and said, "The charity made secretly appeases the wrath of God." Those baskets had left marks on his shoulders and when they were washing his body after he (a) passed away, they saw those marks.<ref>Isfahani, ''Hilyat al-awliya' '', vol. 3 p. 136; Irbili, ''Kashf al-ghumma'', vol. 2 p. 77; Ibn Shahrashub, ''Manaqib'', vol. 4 p. 154; Ibn al-Jawzi, ''Sifat al-safwa'', vol. 2 p. 54; Saduq, ''al-Khisal'', p. 616; '' 'Ilal al-sharayi' '', p. 231</ref> Ibn Sa'd wrote, "When a poor person came to him, he (a) went and gave the poor what he wanted and said, 'before charity reaches the asking one, it reaches God's hand.'"<ref>Ibn Sa'd, ''Tabaqat'', vol. 5 p. 160</ref>

One year he (a) wanted to go for [[hajj]]. His sister [[Sukayna bt. al-Husayn (a)|Sukayna]] prepared a provision pack for his travel worth a thousand dirham. When he (a) arrived in Harra, they took that provision to him and Imam (a) distributed it among all the poor.<ref>Ibn al-Jawzi, ''Sifat al-safwa'', vol. 2 p. 54; Irbili, ''Kashf al-ghumma'', vol. 2 p. 78</ref>

Imam al-Sajjad (a) has a poor cousin. He (a) went to him at night in a way he did not recognize him and gave him some dinars. His cousin said, " 'Ali b. al-Husayn (a) does not care about his relatives, May [[God]] punish him." Imam (a) heard this and forbore and did not show his face to his cousin. When Imam (a) passed away and nightly donation of that man was stopped, he realized the donator was actually 'Ali b. al-Husayn (a), so he went to Imam's (a) grave and cried.<ref>Irbili, ''Kashf al-ghumma'', vol. 2 p. 107; Al-Isfahani, ''Hilyat al-awliya' '', vol. 3 p. 140</ref>

One of the efforts of Imam al-Sajjad (a) which was religious and also political was paying attention to slaves; people who were under greatest social pressures especially after the time of the second caliph ([['Umar b. al-Khattab]]) and especially at the time of [[Umayyad]]s and they were among the most deprived people in the Islamic society in first centuries.

Like [[Imam 'Ali (a)]] who attracted [[Mawali]] [freed servants] in [[Iraq]] to himself with his Islamic behavior, Imam al-Sajjad (a) tried to promote social dignity of these people.

Sayyid al-Ahl wrote, "Imam al-Sajjad (a) bought slaves even though he (a) did not need them. He (a) bought them only to free them. Slaves who saw this intention of Imam (a), they wanted him to buy them. Imam al-Sajjad (a) released them at any time or situation, so that many people, like an army of released servants, men and women were seen in [[Medina]] who were all the freed servants of Imam (a)."<ref>Sayyid al-Ahl, ''Zayn al-'Abidin'', p. 7, 47</ref>

Ziyarah Amin Allah is a ziyarah that Imam al-Sajjad (a) has recited it when visiting the grave of [[Imam 'Ali (a)]].

* [[Jabir b. Abd Allah al-Ansari]]; Companion of the Holy Prophet (s) who participated in many [[ghazwa]]s and [[saryya]]s. He is the narrator of [[Hadith al-Lawh]] from the Holy Prophet (s) which contains the names of Shiite Imams (a).

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