Umm al-Fadl: Difference between revisions

[[Al-Ma'mun]], the [[Abbasid]] caliph, was the father of Umm al-Fadl. He was ruling in the time of [[Imam al-Rida (a)]]. In [[202]]/817-8. Al-Ma'mun requested [[Imam al-Jawad (a)]] to be married to Umm al-Fadl, which was accepted by Imam al-Rida (a). It is said Imam al-Jawad (a) travelled to [[Khorasan]] to visit his father, and al-Ma'mun asked him to marry his daughter. However [[al-Mas'udi]] stated Imam al-Jawad (a) married Umm al-Fadl when he was in [[Iraq]]; it took place after the martyrdom of Imam al-Rida (a).

According to [[al-Shaykh al-Mufid]], al-Ma'mun was greatly fond of knowledge, manners and morality of Imam al-Jawad (a) and he asked him to marry his daughter. Imam al-Rida (a) specified the dowry of the marriage the same as [[Lady Fatima]]'s (a). Several supporters of al-Ma'mun disapproved this marriage as they were afraid [[caliphate]] would be handed from Abbasid to [[Alavi]]s. Imam al-Jawad (a) did not have any children from Umm al-Fadl.

Based on [[al-Mas'udi]], [[al-Mu'tasim]] and [[Ja'far b. Ma'mun]] (brother of Umm al-Fadl) were planning to martyr Imam al-Jawad (a). Finally when Imam (a) arrived in [[Baghdad]] to meet Mu'tasim, Ja'far encouraged Umm al-Fadl to poison grapes and bring them for Imam al-Jawad (a) which led to martyrdom of Imam al-Jawad (a). However, Al-Shaykh al-Mufid stated: "Although it is said Imam al-Jawad (a) was poisoned and martyred, it is not proved to me yet to testify martyrdom of Imam (a)." A number of sources stated that al-Mu'tasim himself poisoned Imam (a) by means of a secretary of his ministers.