{"id":10751,"date":"2021-02-22T07:15:38","date_gmt":"2021-02-22T07:15:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/?p=10751"},"modified":"2021-02-22T07:15:38","modified_gmt":"2021-02-22T07:15:38","slug":"short-history-imam-al-jawad-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/10751\/short-history-imam-al-jawad-s\/","title":{"rendered":"A short history of Imam Al-Jawad (A.S)"},"content":{"rendered":"

A short history of Imam Al-Jawad (A.S)<\/h1>\n

Imam Mu\u1e25ammad Taq\u012b, better known as Al-Jaw\u0101d (\u2018The Generous\u2019), was born in Medina in 811 AD. He was killed by the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad in 835 AD. He was the Imam for 17 years. (Irsh\u0101d<\/em>) He was born at a time Ma\u02bem\u016bn and his half-brother, Am\u012bn, were locked in a bitter war of succession. Ma\u02bem\u016bn finally won in 298 AH and brought all the Abbasid territories under control. (T\u0101r\u012bkh al-Kulaf\u0101\u02be<\/em>)<\/p>\n

The Imam\u2019s life coincided with the caliphates of Ma\u02bem\u016bn and Mu\u02bfta\u1e63im of the Abbasid dynasty. Both summoned him from Medina to Baghdad. Imam Mu\u1e25ammad Taq\u012b was a great figure from the time of his childhood.<\/p>\n

When Ma\u02bem\u016bn invited Imam al-Ri\u1e0d\u0101 to Khorasan, he performed the \u1e24ajj pilgrimage first and took his son, Jaw\u0101d, who was six at that time, with him. In Mecca, Al-Jaw\u0101d saw that his father was bidding farewell to God\u2019s house in a way that he was sure he would never return. Al-Jaw\u0101d went and sat down somewhere. His father performed his pilgrimage and called on Al-Jaw\u0101d to prepare for the departure but Al-Jaw\u0101d refused. Imam al-Ri\u1e0d\u0101 asked his son why he was sitting there. Jaw\u0101d, tears in eyes, said: \u2018How do you want me to stand up while you were bidding farewell as if you would never return?\u2019 Then, he stood up. (Kashf al-Ghumma<\/em>)<\/p>\n

Following the martyrdom of Imam al-Ri\u1e0d\u0101 in 204 AH, Ma\u02bem\u016bn left Marv for Baghdad and repeated his duplicitous policy vis-\u00e0-vis the Imam\u2019s son. He wanted to have him under control and so the Ninth Imam was compelled to leave Medina for Baghdad. The Imam\u2019s arrival in Baghdad coincided with the convoy of Ma\u02bem\u016bn traveling in Baghdad street. All the children who were playing in the street fled as Ma\u02bem\u016bn\u2019s convoy approached, but someone was still there. Ma\u02bem\u016bn was surprised. He got off his howdah and went to the child.<\/p>\n

Ma\u02bem\u016bn asked the child: Why didn\u2019t you run away like others?<\/p>\n

The child replied: Your way was not narrow and I have done no wrongdoing.<\/p>\n

Ma\u02bem\u016bn: What\u2019s your name?<\/p>\n

The child: I am the son of \u02bfAl\u012b b. M\u016bs\u0101 al-Ri\u1e0d\u0101<\/p>\n

Ma\u02bem\u016bn: You are worthy of being his son. (Bi\u1e25\u0101r al-Anw\u0101r<\/em>)<\/p>\n

After the martyrdom of the eighth Imam in 203 AH, the Imam Mu\u1e25ammad Taq\u012b was named his successor. He was nine at the time, so his Imamate was reminiscent of the stories of John the Baptist and Jesus, both of whom were given wisdom at a young age. (Q19:12)<\/p>\n

The appointees of God had all been educated for special purposes and therefore they were infallible from the time of their childhood. Everyone could see the connection between Imam Al-Jaw\u0101d and God when he was discussing with scholars in Baghdad in the presence of Ma\u02bem\u016bn.<\/p>\n

Ma\u02bem\u016bn\u2019s Plot<\/h5>\n

Among Abbasid caliphs, Ma\u02bem\u016bn was famous for his intelligence and foresight. He was fond of learning and culture but he was also aware that the Abbasids lacked popular support and that the Muslims loved the family of the Prophet. Ma\u02bem\u016bn knew very well that revolutionaries throughout the Muslim world all sought the leadership of God\u2019s genuine representatives. But, instead of using force and intimidation, Ma\u02bem\u016bn decided to align himself with revolutions and movements in a bid to bring them under control. To that effect, he invited the eighth Imam to Khorasan, but he finally decided to kill him for fear of his growing popularity.<\/p>\n

The martyrdom of the eighth Imam did not spare Ma\u02bem\u016bn the threat of overthrow because Imam al-Ri\u1e0d\u0101\u2019s son could still lead an uprising against him. So Ma\u02bem\u016bn invited Imam Al-Jaw\u0101d to Baghdad and married him to his daughter Umm al-Fa\u1e0dl in an attempt to win over the hearts and minds of his followers.<\/p>\n

The Abbasids were not happy with this marriage but Ma\u02bem\u016bn knew it was necessary to keep the Sh\u012b\u02bfa placated. In order to allay the Abbasids\u2019 concerns, Ma\u02bem\u016bn organized an event so that the Abbasids would see Imam Jaw\u0101d\u2019s level of knowledge and stop criticizing the marriage. In the meeting, the then chief-justice, Ya\u1e25y\u0101 b. Aktham (see\u00a0T\u0101r\u012bkh Baghd\u0101d<\/em> for more information) posed questions to the ninth Imam. His first question was as follows: \u2018What\u2019s your judgment of someone who has hunted an animal while having been in a state of sanctification for the pilgrimage to Mecca?\u2019<\/p>\n

In response to this question, Imam al-Jaw\u0101d asked the following ten questions:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Where has the animal been killed?<\/li>\n
  2. Has it been killed inside the sanctuary or outside of it?<\/li>\n
  3. Was the hunter aware of the ruling for this act?<\/li>\n
  4. Has it been done on purpose or by accident?<\/li>\n
  5. Was it the first time he did so?<\/li>\n
  6. Was the prey a bird or not?<\/li>\n
  7. Was the prey small or big?<\/li>\n
  8. Did he regret his actions?<\/li>\n
  9. Was hunting done in the day or in the night?<\/li>\n
  10. Was the hunting done during the major or minor pilgrimage?<\/li>\n
  11. Was the hunter a slave or not?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The Imam said these questions must be answered before he gave any ruling. Ya\u1e25y\u0101 was astonished and did not know how to respond, so he ended the discussion. (Kashf al-Ghumma<\/em>)<\/p>\n

    Ma\u02bem\u016bn had decided to blame the Imam for the government\u2019s ineptitude in a bid to humiliate him in the eyes of Muslims. Imam Al-Jaw\u0101d was aware of this trap so he sought a pretext to distance himself from the Abbasid Caliph. He convinced Ma\u02bem\u016bn to let him go to the \u1e24ajj pilgrimage with his wife. After the end of the pilgrimage, the Imam settled in Media and never returned to Baghdad.<\/p>\n

    There is no precise date given for the Imam\u2019s marriage and his departure for Mecca. However, \u1e6cabar\u012b says the Imam left Baghdad in the same year he got married. (T\u0101r\u012bkh \u1e6cabar\u012b<\/em>) What is clear is that the Imam settled in Medina and trained companions. Ma\u02bem\u016bn died in 218 AH and was succeeded by Mu\u02bfta\u1e63im who followed in his footsteps. Mu\u02bfta\u1e63im once again forced Imam al-Jaw\u0101d to come to Baghdad; the Imam arrived in 220 AH and was poisoned in the same year. He was buried next to his father. (Kashf al-Ghumma<\/em>)<\/p>\n

    Some of the companions of Imam Al-Jaw\u0101d are as follows: 1. Fa\u1e0dl b. Sh\u0101dh\u0101n 2. \u02bfAbd al-Azim \u1e24asan\u012b 3. Ab\u016b al-Tamm\u0101m 4. \u02bfAl\u012b b. Mahziy\u0101r 5. Mu\u1e25ammad b. Ab\u012b \u02bfUmayr 6. A\u1e25mad b. Mu\u1e25ammad b. Ab\u012b Na\u1e63r.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Sh\u012b\u02bfa Islam (11): The principal beliefs of Sh\u012b\u02bfa<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n