Imam Muhammad bin Ali,
al-Taqi-al-Jawad was born on 10th Rajab 195 A.H. in Madinah. His
parents were the Infallible 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 of the
country. 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 have been will 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 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”
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. Similarly, Yazid’s
demand of allegiance from Imam Husyain (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 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 everyone including the 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.
Sources:
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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