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Imam Mohammad ibn Ali(A.S.)
(al-Baqir)
THE SEVENTH INFALLIBLE
THE FIFTH IMAM
MUHAMMAD IBN 'ALI AL-BAQIR(Peace be on 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.
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 Shite 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 on 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.
