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

In the views of Shi'a, Imam will only be appointed through a prior proof; i.e. every Imam needs to introduce, in clear words, the Imam after himself. In several cases, Imam al-Rida (a) declared the imamate of Muhammad b. Ali (a) for his companions. In all the books of ''[[al-Kafi]]''<ref>Kulaynī, ''al-Kāfī'', vol. 1, p. 320-323.</ref>, ''[[al-Irshad]]''<ref>Mufīd, ''al-Irshād'', vol. 2, p. 274-280.</ref>, ''[[I'lam al-wara]]''<ref>Ṭabrisī, ''Iʿlām al-warā'', vol. 2, p. 92-96.</ref>, and ''[[Bihar al-anwar]]''<ref>Majlisī, ''Biḥār al-anwār'', vol. 50, p. 18-37.</ref>, there is a chapter about the proofs for the imamate of Muhammad b. Ali (a) which have mentioned 14, 11, 9, and 26 hadiths respectively.

Through appointing agents in different parts of the Islamic world, Imam al-Jawad (a) was connected with Shi'as. Imam al-Jawad (a) had agents in in Islamic lands including [[Baghdad]], [[Kufa]], [[Ahvaz]], [[Basra]], [[Hamadan]], [[Qom]], [[Rey]], [[Sistan]], and Bost.<ref>Jāsim, ''Tārīkh-i sīyāsī-yi ghaybat-i Imām Dawāzdahum'', p. 79.</ref> The number of the deputies of Imam al-Jawad (a) is mentioned as 13. They took [[religious taxes]] of Shi'a and delivered them to Imam al-Jawad (a). [[Ibrahim b. Muhammad al-Hamadani]] in Hamadan and [[Abu 'Amr al-Hadhdha']] in [[Basra]] were deputies of Imam (a). [[Salih b. Muhammad b. Sahl]] managed donated properties in [[Qom]]. Also, [[Zakariyya b. Adam al-Qummi]], [['Abd al-'Aziz b. Muhtadi al-Ash'ari al-Qummi]], [[Safwan b. Yahya]], [[Ali b. Mahziyar]] and [[Yahya b. Abi 'Imran]] were among the deputies of Imam al-Jawad (a). Some authors referred to some evidences and mentioned [[Muhammad b. Faraj al-Rukhkhaji]] and [[Abu Hashim al-Ja'fari]] among his deputies as well. Also, [[Ahmad b. Muhammad al-Sayyari]] claimed deputyship of Imam al-Jawad (a), but Imam (a) rejected his claim and asked Shi'a not to give him religious taxes.{{cn}}

That he (a) was not connected with Shi'a directly and benefited from agents had some reasons, one was that Imam (a) was under serious surveillance and control of ruling government and another was that he (a) wanted to make preparations for the [[Occultation of Imam al-Mahdi (a)]].{{cn}}

Imam al-Jawad (a) met Shi'a and spoke with them during hajj. Some researchers believe that the journey of Imam al-Rida (a) to Khurasan made the relations of Shi'a with their Imams (a) develop. Thus, Shi'a from Khurasan, Rey, Bast and Sajistan went to visit Imam al-Jawad (a).{{cn}}

[[Qutb al-Din al-Rawandi]] narrated from Muhammad b. Miymun, "when Imam al-Jawad (a) was a child and Imam al-Rida (a) had not yet gone to Khorasan, he (a) had a journey to [[Mecca]] and I was with him. Upon his return, I told him, 'I want to go to Medina. Please write a letter to Abu Ja'far Muhammad al-Jawad (a) I take to him.' Imam (a) smiled and wrote a letter. I took the letter to Medina. That time I had become blind. Muwaffaq, the servant of Imam, brought Muhammad al-Jawad (a) while he (a) was in his cradle and I gave him the letter. Imam (a) asked Muwaffaq to unseal the letter and open it. Then he (a) asked, 'O Muhammad! How are your eyes?' I said, 'O son of the Prophet (a), my eyes have a disease and my eyesight is lost.' He (a) then touched my eyes and by the blessings of his hand, my eyes were healed. Then, I kissed his hands and feet and went out while I was not blind anymore."{{cn}}

Based on another hadith, when people were giving allegiance to al-Mu'tasim, he wrote a letter to 'Abd al-Malik al-Ziyyat, governor of Medina to send Imam al-Jawad (a) with Umm al-Fadl to Baghdad. When Imam (a) arrived in Baghdad, al-Mu'tasim showed a façade of respect toward him and sent some gifts for him and Umm al-Fadl. Based on this hadith, al-Mu'tasim sent an orange juice to Imam (a) by his servant (called Ashnas). Ashnas told Imam (a), "The caliph has given this orange juice to some noble people including Ahmad b. Abi Dawud and Sa'id b. Khadib before you and now has ordered that you too drink of it." Imam (a) said, "I will drink it at night." But, Ashnas insisted that he (a) should drink it as long it is cold and that its ice would melt. So, Imam (a) drink that and was martyred by it.{{cn}}

According to a hadith [[Dawud al-Sayrafi]] transmitted from [[Imam al-Hadi (a)]], visiting the shrine of Imam al-Jawad (a) has great rewards. Also in a letter to Imam al-Hadi (a), [[Ibrahim b. 'Uqba]] asked about visiting the [[Shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a)|shrines of Imam al-Husayn (a)]], [[shrine of al-Kazimayn|Imam al-Kazim (a) and Imam al-Jawad (a)]], and Imam al-Hadi (a) mentioned visiting the shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a) more important and said that visiting all the three is perfect and has many rewards. The shrine of Imam al-Jawad (a) and Imam al-Kazim (a) is in Baghdad, where Muslims and especially Shi'a visit. They visit his shrine in Kadhimiya and make entreaty to him. In the martyrdom anniversary of Imam al-Jawad (a), Shi'a hold mourning ceremonies, recite elegies and [[Chest-beating|beat their chests]].{{cn}}