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Muhammad ibn 'Ali al-Baqir
(Peace be Upon him) |
Name: Muhammad.
Title: al-Baqir.
Agnomen: Abu Ja'far.
Father's name: 'Ali Zaynu 'l-'Abidin.
Mother's name: Fatimah bint al-Hasan,
known as Umm Abdillah.
Birth: In Medina, on Tuesday,
1st Rajab 57 AH.
Death: Died at the age of 57, in
Medina on Monday, 7th Dhi'l-hijjah 114 AH; poisoned by Hisham ibn 'Abdi
'l-Malik; buried in Jannatu 'l-Baqi ', in Medina.
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THE HOLY Imam Muhammad al-Baqir
is the Fifth Apostolic Imam. His epithet was Abu Ja'far and he was
popularly titled "al-Baqir". His mother was the daughter of Imam
Hasan. Thus, he was the only Imam who was connected with Hadrat
Fatimatu'z-Zahra', both from his paternal and maternal sides. Imam
Muhammad al-Baqir was brought up in the holy lap of his grandfather
Imam Husayn, for three years. For thirty-four years he was under the
gracious patronage of his father, 'Ali Zaynu'l-'Abidin. The Holy
Imam was present in Karbala' at the time of the gruesome tragedy of
the wholesale massacre of his grandfather Imam Husayn and his
companions.
He also suffered with his father and the ladies of the House of the
Prophet (Ahlu'l-Bayt) the heartless captivity and imprisonment at
the hands of the devilish- forces at the command of Yazid ibn
Mu'awiyah. After the tragedy of Karbala', the Imam passed his time
peacefully in Medina praying to Allah and guiding the people to the
right path. The downfall of the Umayyads had begun since Yazid, the
son of Mu'awiyah, had slaughtered Imam Husayn. Yazid himself had
completely realized the evil consequences of his deeds even during
the short period of his rule.
His son Mu'awiyah, the second, refused to accept the caliphate
saying: I cannot favour such a throne which has been erected on the
basis of oppression and tyranny. Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, a famous
scholar belonging to the Sunnite School says: "Imam Muhammad
al-Baqir has disclosed the secrets of knowledge and wisdom and
unfolded the principles of spiritual and religious guidance. Nobody
can deny his exalted character, his God-given knowledge, his
divinely-gifted wisdom and his obligation and gratitude towards
spreading of knowledge. He was a sacred and highly talented
spiritual leader and for this reason he was popularly titled
'al-Baqir' which means 'the exponder of knowledge '. Kind of heart,
spotless in character, sacred by soul and noble by nature, the Imam
devoted all his time in submission to Allah (and in advocating the
teachings of the Holy Prophet and his descendants). It is beyond the
power of a man to count the deep impression of knowledge and
guidance left by the Imam on the hearts of the faithful. His sayings
in devotion and abstinence, in knowledge and wisdom, and in
religious exercise and submission to Allah are so great in number
that the volume of this book is quite in- sufficient to cover them
all." (as-Sawa'iqu 'I-muhriqah, p. 120)
The Holy Imam managed to collect the teachings and reforms of the
Holy Prophet and his Ahlul-Bayt in the form of books. His pupils
compiled books on different branches of science and arts under his
instructions and guidance. In the excellence of his personal purity
and godly traits, the Holy Imam Muhammad al-Baqir was a model of the
Holy Prophet and his great grandfather, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib. His
admonitions created a spiritual sensation among the Muslims in
general. He was not only hospitable even to his worst enemies but
also used to continually exhort them to the right path. He urged
people to earn their livelihood by their own hard work. The Holy
Imam gave much importance to convening majalis (meetings) in
commemoration of the martyrdom of Imam Husayn.
Kumayt ibn Zayd al-Asadi, one of the most famous and highly talented
poets of that time, used to recite the elegy of Imam Husayn in those
majalis. Such type of majalis were also greatly encouraged by Imam
Ja'far as-Sadiq and Imam 'Ali ar-Rida, the Sixth and the Eighth
Imams. Imam Muhammad al-Baqir continued his preaching peacefully
till 114AH. On the 7th Dhi'l-hijjah when he was fifty-seven years
olds Hisham ibn 'Abdi 'I-Malik ibn Marwan, the then ruler, got him
martyred through poison. The funeral prayers for this Holy Imam were
conducted by his son Imam Ja'far as.-Sadiq, the Six Imam, and his
body was laid to rest in Jannatu'l-Baqi' in Medina.
Allamah Tabatabai writes:
Imam Muhammad ibn 'Ali al-Baqir (the word 'Baqir meaning he who cuts
and dissects, a title given to him by the Prophet) was the son of
the Fourth Imam and was born in 57/675. He was present at the event
of Karbala' when he was four years old. After his father, through
Divine Command and the decree of those who went before him, he
became Imam. In the year 114/732 he died, according to some Shiite
traditions, he was poisoned by Ibrahim ibn al-Walid ibn 'Abdillah,
the nephew of Hisham, the Umayyad caliph. During the Imamate of the
Fifth Imam, as a result of the injustice of the Umayyads, revolts
and wars broke out in some corner of the Islamic world every day.
More- over, there were disputes within the Umayyad family it- self
which kept the caliphate busy and to a certain extent left the
members of the Household of the Prophet alone. From the other side,
the tragedy of Karbala' and the oppression suffered by the Household
of the Prophet, of which the Fourth Imam was the most noteworthy
embodiment, had attracted many Muslims to the Imam. These factors
combined to make it possible for people and especially the Shi'ites
to go in great numbers to Medina and to come into the presence of
the Fifth Imam. Possibilities for disseminating the truth about
Islam and the sciences of the Household of the Prophet, which had
never existed for the Imams before him, were presented by the Fifth
Imam. The proof of this fact is the innumerable traditions recounted
from the Fifth Imam and the large number of illustrious men of
science and Shi`te scholars who were trained by him in different
Islamic sciences. These names are listed in books of biographies of
famous men in Islam. (Shi'ite Islam)
Imam al-Baqir, peace be Upon him, said:
The height of perfection is excellence in the understanding of the
religion, endurance in hardships and administration of the affairs
of life according to one's means, in the right measure.
The scholar (`alim) who derives benefit from his knowledge is better
than seventy thousand devotees ('abid ). One who disobeys Allah has
no knowledge of Him. |
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(A Brief History of The Fourteen Infallibles,p. 117-121)
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