Religion

Imam Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Musa (a.s) – also called al-Jawad (the generous) and al-Taqi (the pious) – was a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.a), the ninth of the Twelve Imams. According to historical accounts, he was the youngest of the Twelve Imams. This article offers a brief glimpse of the Imam’s life – his Imamate, marriage, children, and his wisdom implemented in his spiritual and social life.
The ninth Imam was born in 195 A.H., though his birth date is not agreed upon. According to ibn ‘Ayyash, it is Rajab 10th. In order to confirm his words, one can refer to the supplication received from Imam Mahdi (a.j.f), an excerpt of which reads as follows, “O Allah! I ask You by two newborns in Rajab, the Second Muhammad ibn Ali, and his son, Ali ibn Muhammad, the Chosen one.”
His name was Muhammad, his epithet Abu Ja‘far, and his most famous titles Jawad (generous)and Taqi (pious). He was known as Taqi because he feared Allah and turned and resorted to Him. He never responded to any incitement of desire or fancy. Al-Ma’moon, the Abbasid caliph, had tried him with different types of provocations, but he was never deceived. He turned to Allah and preferred His obedience to anything else.
He was also called al-Jawad and he was thus called because of his abundant acts of good, beneficence and charity towards the people. In a detailed narration, he quoted his father’s advice to him, “…Whenever you ride a horse, have dinar and dirham with you so that if somebody asks you for money, you can give it to him…”
His father was the 8th Shiite Imam, Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha (a.s) and his mother was Umm Walad, who was also called Sabika and Kheizaran. She was from the tribe of the Prophet’s wife, Mariyah Qibtiyyah (Mary the Copt) and was one of the purest and most abstinent and virtuous of Muslim women. It did not degrade her position nor harm her dignity that she was a bondmaid. Islam has declared a war against this phenomenon and considers it as an aspect of the pre-Islamic life, which Islam has done away with. In the Islamic point of view, piety and obedience to Allah are the bases of preference amongst people and nothing else.
Islam proudly annulled all kinds of racial segregation and considered them as factors of backwardness and declination in society because they divided the nation into fighting sects and parties. Therefore, the imams of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) married bondmaids in order to do away with malicious feuds and remove the causes of separation amongst Muslims.
Imam Ali bin al-Husayn Zaynul Abideen (a.s) married a bondmaid who gave birth to the great revolutionary martyr, Zayd. Imam al-Ridha (a.s) married a bondmaid who gave birth to Imam al-Jawad (a.s). The situation of the infallible imams in their marriages with bondmaids was a decisive refutation towards the enemies of Islam who tried their best to keep Muslims divided.
Another noble personality in the life of Imam al-Jawad (a.s) was his paternal aunt, the full sister of Imam al-Ridha (a.s), the Holy Lady Fatima al-Ma’suma. This great personality died and was buried in the Holy city of Qum in the year 201 A.H and her shrine has always been a focus of knowledge, spirituality and enlightenment for Shiite scholars. Imam al-Jawād (a) has said: Whoever visits my aunt [Lady Fatima Masuma (a)] in Qum, will enter Heaven.”
Imam al-Ridha (a.s) did not have a child until the age of 47. His son’s delayed birth caused doubt in his Imamate. According to Husayn ibn Bashshar, he wrote in a letter to Imam al-Ridha (a.s), “How can you be an Imam while not having any child?” The Imam patiently replied, “How do you know I will not have a child? By God, very soon He will grant me a son who will distinguish between the truth and the falsehood”
Delight and joy overcame Imam al-Ridha (a.s) after the birth of his blessed newborn son. He began saying:
“The like of Moses son of Imran, the splitter of the seas, and the like of Jesus son of Mary, blessed be the mother that bore him… has been born to me.”
Imam al-Ridha (a.s) turned to his companions and told them the good news of his newborn son. He said, ‘Allah has granted me one who will inherit me and inherit the children of Dawood (David)….’

In al-Kafi by Kulayni, San‘ani said, “I was in the presence of Imam al-Ridha (a.s) when his little son, Abu Ja‘far (a.s), was brought in. Imam al-Ridha (a.s) said, ‘A no more blessed baby than this son has been born for the Shi‘as.’”
Imamate at a young age: The Shia became terribly confused about the imamate after the death of Imam al-Ridha (a.s), because Imam al-Jawad (a.s) was just seven years and some months of age at that time. However, Imamate at a young age is not considered a wonder. If God wills, He can perfect a person’s wisdom before maturity and even in the cradle, as preparation for heavy responsibilities to come. At least for Muslims, who consider the Quran a divine book, this is not a new issue. In addition to this, there are historical instances of early intellectual maturity. The Quran offers two, namely Prophet Yahya (John the Baptist) and Prophet Jesus. As mentioned in the Quran, God commanded Yahya, “Take hold of the Book with might.” God also said, “…and We gave him Wisdom when a child.” Likewise, in this very chapter, God stipulated that Prophet Jesus talked to people in the cradle, and God made him a prophet then. The prophethood of Yahya and Jesus in their childhood is by far more surprising than the Imamate of Imam Jawad (a.s).
Academic aspects of the Imam (a.s): Like his holy fathers, Imam al-Jawad (a.s) occasionally took part in academic meetings and debates and answered the audience’s questions, while also bringing his opponents to a standstill. It astonished some that Imam al-Jawad (a.s) became an Imam at a young age. Some asked him outlandish questions to evaluate him and assess his qualifications. Even the Caliph participated in this maneuver and made the Imam face scholars who aimed either to evaluate or defeat him; notwithstanding, the Imam responded to all appropriately.
When Ma’mun wanted to arrange his daughter’s marriage to Imam al-Jawad (a.s), his men objected to this decision, but Ma’mun insisted and finally made the Imam (a.s) face Yahya ibn Aktham in a gathering. Yahya asked the Imam (a.s), “What is the legal ruling on a man who hunted an animal when he was muhrim (i.e., dressed in a pilgrim state)?” The Imam (a.s) asked, “Outside the Haram (i.e., in Mecca) or in it? Did he know the legal ruling or not? Did he kill it on purpose or by mistake? Was he a slave or a free man? Was he a juvenile or an adult? Was it his first time doing so or not? Was the animal a bird or not? A chick or a hen? Has the hunter justified his act or has he repented? Did he do so at night in its nest or evidently during the day? Was he muhrim in the Greater Hajj or the Lesser Hajj (i.e., ‘Umrah)?” Yahya and the audience were stunned, and Ma’mun recited the marriage contract between the Imam (a.s) and his daughter. Then he asked the Imam (a.s) to issue a legal ruling on each question he had posed, and the Imam (a.s) did so.
Both parties’ reasons for acceptances of this marriage are as follows: Ma’mun’s reasons:
1. Watching the Imam (a.s) through his daughter, thus allowing for close surveillance.
2. Marring the Imam (a.s)’s reputation by having him attend frivolous gatherings in the court.
3. Preventing the Alawids’ uprisings against the court.
4. Building a familial relationship with the Imam (a.s) through his daughter (although this never occurred).
The Imam (a.s)’s reasons:
1. Prevention of his own martyrdom as Ma’mun’s coercion left him no choice
2. Preventing the Alawids and Shi‘as’ oppression (by Ma’mun) thus protecting Shi’ism.
This marriage changed some of the Shi‘as’ opinion about the Imam (a.s). While the following story somehow indicates the Imam (a.s)’s generative wilayah, it reveals some of his companions’ false ideas about him. Qutb Rawandi quoted Husayn Makkari as saying, “While Imam al-Jawad (a.s) was living in Baghdad wealthily, I went there, thinking now that he lived prosperously and dignified by Ma’mun, he would not return to Medina. The Imam (a.s) read my mind, lowered and then raised his head while he turned yellow, and said, “O Husayn! I prefer barley bread with half-ground salt in the city of Prophet Muhammad (Peace and salutations on him and his family) to this situation.”That is why Imam al-Jawad (a.s) did not remain in Baghdad and returned to Medina with his wife, Umm al-fadl, and lived in Medina until 220 A.H.
Children: Imam al-Jawad (a.s) did not have any children from Ma’mun’s daughter, Umm-ul-Fadl; his descendants can be traced back to Imam al-Hadi (a.s) and Musa Mubarqa’. In addition he had three daughters named Zainab, Umm-e Ahmad, and Maymunah.
Imam Jawad (a.s)’s martyrdom: There is disagreement among historians on how the Imam (a.s) was martyred. Mu‘tasim, who came to power after Ma’mun in 218 A.H., intended to kill him. He ordered a scribe of viziers to invite the Imam (a.s) to his house. Despite the Imam (a.s)’s initial refusal, he finally accepted the invitation. There he ate the poisonous meal and was martyred. Another group of historians considered Umm-ul-Fadl as the co- conspirator in the Imam (a.s)’s martyrdom, carrying out her uncle Mu‘tasim’s orders. She made the Imam (a.s) eat poisonous grapes.
Imam al-Jawad (a.s) was martyred at the age of 25. He left this world on the last day of Dhi al-Qa‘dah 220 A.H., leaving the Shi‘a world grieved at his loss.a grave was dug beside the grave of his granfather Imam Musa bin ja’far al-kadhim(a.s) (in Baghdad) and he was buried in it and human values and high ideals were buried with him.

Abbas was the son of Imam Ali (peace be on him) and the brother of Imam Husain (peace be on him) from a different mother. He was the flag-bearer of the Imam’s army. One of his titles was Abalfadl.

Abaas was known for his bravery and his penetrating eyes; however, in the camp of the Imam, he was always a source of comfort for his brother and a support for the children and women. He was renowned for his beauty and for this reason had the title of the moon of the Hashemites. Abbas was also known for his obedience to his brother as he always considered him as his Imam and leader. He received letters of immunity from the enemy twice but refused to compromise with them as their condition was that he abandons his Imam. He could not accept this condition and in one of his replies said to them that we are in God’s refuge and will not accept this shameful letter of immunity. The next time his reply to one of the commanders of the enemy’s army – who was his maternal cousin – was: O enemy of God! Death to you for calling me to obey disbelief and abandon assisting my brother Husain (peace be on him).

On the day of Ashura, which was the day of the Imam’s fight against the enemy, Abbas was present in Karbala along with three of his younger brothers. All three of those brothers went to the battlefield before Abbas and he had seen their martyrdom with his own eyes and experienced the pain of losing them. He and his Imam, Husain, were the only ones left who had not gone to the battlefield. Hearing the cries of thirst of the children, Abbas requested permission from his brother to get water for them from the River Furat. He therefore got on his horse and went to the battlefield; he beat back the soldiers guarding the water and reached the river. He got off his horse; thirst had weakened him and he put his hands into the water and brought them to his cracked lips and sought to have a drink of water. It was at this moment that he remembered his brother and the children’s thirst. He threw back the water into the river and drank none of it, filled the water skin, got back on his horse and moved towards their camp through the palm grove.

He showered with the enemy’s arrows from all sides; however, Abbas made his limbs, his shoulders, hands, sides and back, a shield for the arrows and protected the water skin. Tens of arrows pierced his body and blood covered him like a crimson shield. But until the water skin was safe, Abbas felt none of the wounds on his body.

Suddenly, someone jumped out from among the palm trees and cut of his right hand. Abbas immediately shifted his sword to his left hand and started fighting. During the tumult of the battle, someone came from behind one of the trees and cut off his left hand and then struck his head with a heavy iron pole and this blow caused his martyrdom a short while later. In the time that he remained alive, Imam Husain came to his flag bearer’s side and cried beside him and said: now my back has broken… this short sentence could be a source of comfort for Abbas as his brother considered him to be his support; however, Abbas was ashamed of the children because the water skin that he was supposed to bring for them to relieve their thirst had been pierced with the arrow of the most vicious of people

The Day of Ashura – 10 October 680 AD

“I see death as nothing but happiness while living with the oppressors is nothing but annoyance.” – Imam Husayn

After the morning prayer, the Imam gave a speech to his companions to be patient. Then he prayed: “O God, you are my supporter in every unfortunate event.”

Then he ordered to dig trenches around the tents and to fill them with bushes so that they could set it on fire to prevent the enemies from attacking them from behind.

After the sunrise, the Imam went to the Kufa army and recited a sermon for them. He reminded them of his status and virtues and that of his father and brother and that the Kufis wrote letters to him that they will support him. However, the Kufis denied it. The speech lasted approximately half an hour. One of the leaders of the opposite front asked the Imam why he would just not accept the orders and rulings of Ibn Ziad and would so save them from the stigma of confronting the son of the Prophet? Here, the Imam said one of his famous sentences: “… he has forced me to choose between being killed and being accepted, and accepting humiliation. Humiliation is far from us.”

After the Imam’s speech, some of his companions said similar aspects to the Kufi army. Then Imam Husayn called on the army to think about the consequences of their actions and said: “Is there someone who will support me?”

After this sentence, some soldiers started to doubt and changed their site, including Hur. Some of the others also fled while seeing the situation escalating to war.

The Kufa army finally agreed to start the war and shot the first arrow, then all the soldiers started to shoot their arrows. A lot of companions already died in this first shooting.

Then the melee started. During these attacks, Imam Husayn ‌ordered his companions to leave the field and fight one by one. Some of the companions were directly martyred in front of Imam Husayn’s eyes.

When one of the companions, named Muslim Ibn Awsajeh, was martyred another companion Habib went to his bedside and said: “I wish I could carry out your will.” Then Muslim pointed to Imam Husayn and answered: “My will is this man.”

The Kufa army was asked to stop the war for the noon prayer but they did not accept and continued to fight.

So the Imam and some of his companions prayed while a group of his companions continued to defend themselves. A couple of them stood around the Imam to intercept and resist the arrows.

In the end, Imam Husayn and his beloved brother Abbas were left alone, all the ones who were able to fight, fought, and died. Abbas asked for permission to go to the battlefield and to fight, but the Imam commissioned him to deliver water to the women and children in the tents first. There was a distance to the river and while the brave Abbas tried to bring them water, he was surrounded by the enemy, his hands were cut off and he was hit on the head so he fell from the horse to the ground. Imam Husayn rushed to his brother’s dismembered body. The enemy retreated slightly. Then the Imam cried and said: “Now my back is broken.”

Imam Husayn returned to the tents to say goodbye. He took his infant Ali Asghar to the battlefield to ask the soldiers for some water for the baby, but he was also killed cruelly by an arrow.

When Imam went to the battlefield to fight, only a few people were willing to confront him. Some shot arrows and some threw spears from the distance. “Shimr” and ten more soldiers came to confront with the Imam and killed him mercilessly. After his martyrdom, 33 spear wounds and 34 sword wounds were counted on his blessed body.

When he was at the point of death the people in the tents noticed the noise of his horse Zul-Jannah and ran out of the tents. A child named Abdullah ran towards the battlefield into the arms of Imam Husayn. Even he was killed next to his uncle.

About 4 pm “Shimr” shouted and commissioned to kill the Imam finally and meanwhile one of the soldiers attacked and plunged his spear into the heart of Imam Husayn…

After the martyrdom of the Imam, some people even looted his clothes and took whatever they could from the Imam and his dead companions.

It was near sunset when the Imam’s head was cut off and taken to Ibn Ziad. Then, according to the orders of Omar Sa’d, they run horses over the holy body of the Imam and his companions to break their bones.

This is how the story of the sad day of Ashura ends.

Despite the fact that Lady Zainab (the daughter of Lady Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet (peace be on him and his household), and Imam Ali (peace be on him)), was apparently taken prisoner; however, through the behavior she exhibited, she changed the nature of captivity and transformed it into real freedom.

The event of Ashura is the most tragic event that occurred in the history of mankind and one cannot deny the role of women in Ashura as they also played a role in this tragic event in the true sense of the word and performed actions that went down in history.

Women like Lady Ummul Banin, who sacrificed her sons for Imam Husain (peace be on him); women like the wife of Zuhair b. Qain, who was influential in encouraging her husband and in him joining the companions of the Imam, and the mother of Wahab, the Christian, who sent her son to the battlefield to fight the enemies of the Ahlul Bayt; these are but a few examples of the role women played in this event.

However, the main and most prominent role of women in Ashura belongs to Lady Zainab (peace be on her) because the Ashura campaign was a combination of the role of both men and women; the men in the battlefield and with swords and the women were responsible for protecting and strengthening the truth. Lady Zainab undertook this serious responsibility with all her strength.

Lady Zainab’s role in the event of Ashura is such that one can say with certainty that the event at Karbala would have finished in Karbala had it not been for Lady Zainab and this is not a slogan; rather, it is a reality retrieved from the role this woman played as the messenger of Karbala.

The men who accompanied Imam Husain as his companions and helpers and were loyal to their promise and commitment to him till their last breath had, in reality, been raised by pure mothers who loved the Ahlul Bayt and this household of infallibility and purity and transferred this love and wilāyah (mastership) of the Ahlul Bayt as Divine leaders, with their heart and soul into the depths of their children’s existence.

Lady Ummul Banin raised a child like Hazrat Abbas (peace be on him) who would hasten to the aid of Imam Husain in the event of Ashura and do something that would forever remain in the history of mankind and this would not have been possible without the upbringing of a mother such as Lady Ummul Banin who had attained true knowledge and cognizance of the status and position of Imamate.

As a woman, Lady Zainab took on serious responsibilities in the event of Ashura and after it and one would understand the role this noble lady played by studying these responsibilities.

The spirit of resistant of the women of Ashura, particularly Lady Zainab, and her patience is a great lesson which one can learn from this movement and which can be seen in all her actions and conduct as she stood tall in front the enemies while maintaining all the human and Islamic values and did not back down from religious ideals even for a moment.

Spreading the message of Ashura is another highlight in this noble lady’s glowing record. In captivity, through her fiery sermons in the face of the murderers of her dear ones, she was able to make the entire world and the enemies of Imam Husain (peace be on him) understand that the battle between truth and falsehood is never-ending. And even if the enemy martyrs all the men, the women would continue this struggle till their last breaths, reveal the truth, and convey the message of Ashura to the next generations.

Even though Lady Zainab (peace be on her) was apparently in captivity; however, through the behavior she manifested she changed the nature of captivity and transformed it into true freedom and did not complain to God of these calamities even for a moment and standing tall in front of the enemies, uttered the enduring statement of “I saw nothing but beauty”.