Monday, May 20, 2013

IMAM MUHAMMAD TAQI AL-JAWAD (A.S.)


Imam Muhammad bin Ali, al-Taqi-al-Jawad was born on 10th Rajab 195 in Madinah. His parents were Imam Ali al-Reza (a.s.) and Bibi Khaizarun. He became the Imam at the age of 8.
The caliph Mamun invited the young Imam to Baghdad to get him married to his daughter for his political aims. This infuriated his Abbasid clan. To prove his choice, Mamun arranged a meeting between the Imam and the leading scholars headed by Yahya bin Aktham, the Chief Justice. It was a grand occasion with 900 other scholars present.
Yahya asked:
                     What is the compensation (kaffarah) for a person in Ehraam who hunted and
                      killed his prey?
Imam replied that there were many more details required before he could answer the question:
1.      Did the Muhrim (one in Ehraam) hunt in the Haram or outside?
2.      Did the Muhrim know the Sharia or not?
3.      Did he hunt intentionally or not?
4.      Did he hunt the first time or was this one of many times?
5.      Was he free or a slave?
6.       Was his prey a bird or an animal?
7.      Was it big or small?
8.      Had he hunted by day or night time?
9.      Was he adult (baligh) or not?
10.  Was he repentant or not?
11.  Was his Ehraam for Hajj or umra?
Yahya was stunned and looked down and started sweating.
Mamun requested the Imam to answer the question himself. The Imam replied: “If he had killed the animal outside the sacred ground and it was winged and large, an atonement of a sheep would have been necessary for him. If he had struck it down in the sanctuary, the penalty would  be doubled. If he killed a young bird outside the sacred ground then the atonement of a lamb which has been weaned off milk would have been required of him. If he had killed it in the sanctuary, then he would have been required to sacrifice a lamb and the value of the young bird. As for wild animals, if it was a wild donkey, he would have been required to sacrifice a cow. If it was an ostrich, the sacrifice of a camel would be necessary. If it had been a deer, then a sheep would have been necessary. If he had killed any of those in the sanctuary, the penalty would have been doubled. Mamoun said to the Imam: “You have done well Abu Jaffer and God has adorned you”
Mamoun asked the Imam to ask any question from Yahya bin Akhtam.
The Imam asked the Chief Justice:
“Can you describe the situation when a man looked at a woman at dawn when it was forbidden (haram) to do so; but then at sunrise it was permissible (halal) for him to look at her? Then at noon hour, it became haram for him to look at that woman; but in the afternoon, it became permissible for him to look at her? Then at sunset it became haram for him to look at that woman; but at night, it became halal for him to look at her? Then at midnight, it became haram for him to look at her; but at dawn, it became halal for him”
Yahya bin Akhtam said: “By Allah! I do not know the answer to this question. We would, however, benefit from your answer”
The Imam explained the answer as follows:
“At dawn, the woman was a slave of someone else; however, by sunrise, the man had already bought her for himself so it became halal for him to look at her.
“At noon, he made her free, so she became haram for him; but by afternoon, he had married her, so she became halal for him”
“At sunset, he did zihar by which one’s wife becomes haram for a person; but by night time, he paid the penalty for Zihar, and so she became halal for him again.
“At midnight, he divorced her; but by next morning he revoked his divorce, so she became halal for him”
After Mamoun married his daughter Umme Fadhl to the Imam, he refused to stay in the royal palace, hence he moved to simple house with his wife. After one year, when Mamoun realized that the Imam was not comfortable in Baghdad, he allowed the couple to move to Madinah.
In order to uphold the imperialistic and luxurious ways of life, these monarchs wanted to do away with these Godly saints who demonstrated righteousness, compassion, faith, piety, fraternity, and justice as the main teachings of Islam. Yazid’s demand of allegiance from Imam Hussain (a.s.), or Mamoun’s appointment of Imam Ali al-Reza (a.s.) as heir apparent were two different aspects of the same wicked desire.
Contentment: The Imam used to live a simple and austere life wearing ordinary clothes. One day someone told him that since he sat besides the king, it did not befit him to wear such simple clothes. The Imam said: “If my value had been due to my clothes, it would have befitted me to wear expensive clothes, when it is not so, why should I give up simplicity. My present dress is concealing my body and it is comfortable, then why should I give up for fashionable ones. We Ahlul Bayt are content on whatever we get and we do not allow greed to approach us.”
Hospitality: The Imam was very hospitable. Once, a guest arrived at his place in the middle of the night. The Imam asked him if he would like to have dinner. The man replied that although he was hungry but would not bother the Imam at such odd hour and that he would sleep hungry. The Imam said: “Guests do not sleep hungry at our place”
The Imam went inside and with the help of a servant, prepared the food and personally brought to the guest. Seeing this the man started crying and on inquiry from the Imam, said: “I am crying at the thought that how the world did not recognize such Godly people”
Patience: The Abbasid clan did not approve of the marriage of Umme Fadhl with the Imam hence they continued to poison her ears. And Umme Fadhl herself was of a haughty nature and these instigations increased the gulf between the couple. She made the Imam’s life miserable, but the Imam exercised utmost patience.
Forgiveness: The relatives of the Imam were against him because of inheritance. Some of the allegations were that the Imam’s complexion differed from Imam Reza (a.s.) and they refused to accept that he was Imam Reza’s son. The Imam heard such taunting remarks but said nothing. One day, some money of Khums arrived and he distributed it to every one including one who was most inimical to the Imam. When people pointed out, the Imam said that he has left the affair to Allah. On hearing this, the person felt ashamed and fell on Imam’s feet and asked forgiveness. The Imam had forgiven him.

References:
Fourteen Masoomeen                                                by Muhammadi Trust, London
Akhlaq-e-A’imma                                                     by Sayyid Zafar Hasan Amrohi
The Infallibles                                                            by workshop@dir.com.Co.UK

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