Imam Baqer’s (AS) emphasis on the holy Qur’an & definition of Shi’as
Aug 19, 2018 05:18 UTC
Heartfelt condolences to you all on a very poignant occasion. Today, the 7th of the month of Zil-Hijjah is the sad day when the pilgrims were busy performing the rites of the annual Hajj in holy Mecca, the 5th Infallible Heir of the Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) was martyred in the Prophet’s city Medina by agents of the godless Omayyad regime that had seized power of the Islamic realm.
Before we present you a special feature on the life and times of Imam Muhammad Baqer (AS), we present you a wise saying from him as food for thought for us to reflect on the transient life of the mortal world.
“You are the son of three days; your birthday, the day on which you will be taken to your grave, and the day on which you will be resurrected to meet your Lord. That will be surely a horrible day (depending on one’s deeds).”
The bezel of wisdom which you hear is food for thought indeed. It reminds us to be on guard against waywardness and indulgence in frivolities in view of our eventual fate. It inspires us to be virtuous in our mortal life of this transient world, in order to achieve salvation. As we said, these are the words of the person whose martyrdom anniversary we commemorate every year on the 7th of Zil-Hijjah on the threshold of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
He was none other than the great-great-grandson and 5th Infallible Heir of the Almighty’s Last and Greatest Messenger to mankind, Prophet Muhammad (SAWA). As a matter of fact, the Prophet of Islam had not just predicted the imamate of his venerable descendent over half-a-century before his birth by hailing him as “Baqer al-Uloum” (or splitter and Spreader of Sciences), but also sending his greetings in advance through the loyal companion, Jaber ibn Abdullah al-Ansari, who would have a long life.
Every year, it was the habit of Imam Baqer (AS) to perform the Hajj pilgrimage, but in the year 114 AH, he was prevented from leaving his home in Medina, because of a fatal dose of poison given to him by agents of the accursed Hisham ibn Abdul-Malik, the self-styled caliph of the usurper Omayyad regime, through a saddle that was laced with venomous substances.
As a result, on this day the 19-year period of imamate of the 5th Imam came to its end. He was laid to rest in the Jannat al-Baqi Cemetery beside his father, Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS) and maternal grandfather, Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba (AS).
The life and times of Imam Muhammad Baqer (AS), including his emphasis on the correct performance of the Hajj along with the ritual of “bara’at min al-mushirkeen” (or disavowal of disbelievers) and enlightening the pilgrims with the tragedy of Karbala, serve as an immortal lessons for the faithful.
Born in 57 AH in Medina, he accompanied his paternal grandfather, Imam Husain (AS) to the fateful field of Karbala in Iraq, where as a hardly four-year old boy, he witnessed the ghastly tragedy that inflicted the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt.
He has said in this regard: “My grandfather was killed while I was four years of age. Indeed, I remember his martyrdom and what befell us during that time.”
The 5th Imam who suffered imprisonment in Damascus in the aftermath of history’s most heartrending tragedy, along with his parents and the womenfolk of the Prophet’s Household, has reported many of its stages.
The historian Abu Ja’far at-Tabari reported some of the events of Karbala on the authority of Imam Baqer (AS). The books titled “Maqtal al-Husain” on the tragedy of Karbala by early Muslim scholars, contain many of the eyewitness accounts reported by Imam Baqer (AS). Ibn al-Nadim has mentioned in his famous bibliographic work ‘al-Fihrest’ many of the events of that immortal tragedy which left great pain and sorrow on the Ahl al-Bayt.
As the “Qur’an an-Nateq” (or the Speaking Qur’an), Imam Baqer (AS) stressed the recitation of the Heavenly Scripture, calling it “the abundant source that guides people to righteousness, enlivens their hearts, and supplies them with abilities of light and awareness.”
He has quoted the Prophet as saying: “Whoever recites ten ayahs on a night will not be written among the heedless. Whoever recites fifty ayahs is written among those who praise (Allah). Whoever recites a hundred ayahs is written among the obedient. Whoever recites two hundred ayahs is written among the humble. Whoever recites three hundred ayahs is written among the successful. Whoever recites five hundred ayahs is written among the strivers. Whoever recites a thousand ayahs, a hundredweight of gold is written for him.”
The 5th Imam, at the same time, gave an interesting definition of the word Shi’a or the True Followers of the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt, and who really should be called Sh’ia Muslims.
He said: “Indeed, our Shi’as, as the friends of Allah and the friends of His Prophet, are those who tell the truth when they speak. They fulfill (the promise) when they promise… Our Shi’as are those who do not praise those who find fault with us, nor do they make friends with those who hate us, nor do they associate with those who betray us. When our Shi’as meet a believer, they honour him. Our Shi’as are those who do not growl as the dog does, nor are they greedy as the crow is, nor do they ask anyone (for alms) except their brothers even if they die of hunger. Our Shi’ as are those who believe in our doctrine, separate themselves from their beloved ones for us, approach the strangers who love us, and turn away from the strangers who hate us.”
Imam Baqer (AS) then added: “Our Shi’as fear Allah and obey Him. They are humble and pious. They pay the trust. They praise Allah very much. They perform the prayers and the fasting. They obey the parents. They take care of the poor neighbors, the needy, the debtors, and the orphans. They are truthful in talking. They recite the Qur’an. They hold back their tongues from (speaking against) people except good.”
Time does not allow me to go into details of the Imam’s martyrdom. The Imam wrote in his will and set aside a sum of money that his martyrdom should be commemorated in Mena for ten years. The land of Mena is different from other holy lands like Arafaat, Mash'ar and even Mecca. In Mecca, people are dispersed and everybody is preoccupied with his own rituals. In Arafat, the rituals take only half a day to perform. When the pilgrims arrive in Arafat in the morning, they are tired, and in the afternoon they are in a hurry to leave the site towards Mash'ar. In Mash'ar, they stay only for few hours overnight; it is a passage towards Mena, while in Mena they stay for three consecutive days. Thus, this is the appropriate place for making Muslims from different parts of the world of the truthfulness of the path of the Immaculate Ahl al-Bayt and the sufferings they went through in order to safeguard the genuine Islamic teachings of their illustrious ancestor, Prophet Muhammad (SAWA).
Before ending our programme here are passages worth pondering upon from the famous Dua Sahar during the late midnight hours of the month of Ramadhan which was bequeathed to the faithful by Imam Muhammad Baqer (AS), who has taught how to address our Loving Creator:
“O Allah, I beseech You to grant me from Your splendour at its most splendourous, and all Your splendor is splendourous. O Allah, I beseech You by all Your splendours.
“O Allah, I beseech You to grant me from Your majesty at its most majestical, and all Your majesties are majestic. O Allah, I beseech You by all Your majesty.”
AS/ME
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