The 10th of Rajab marks the date of birth of the 9th Imam in the Progeny of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W.), Imam Muhammad Taqi (A.S.). He was born in the year 195 AH in Madinah.
Courtesy: Syed Awn Husain Rizvi
Name, Title and Kunniyat
He was born Muhammad to Imam Ali Raza (A.S.) and Bibi Sabikah Khatoon (S.A.), whom Imam Raza (A.S.) used to call by the name Khaizarun. She belonged to the tribe of Bibi Maria-e-Qibtia (S.A.), the wife of the Prophet (S.A.W.W.) from whom he had his son Ibrahim (A.S.) who died in infancy.
About Bibi Sabikah Khatoon (S.A.), the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) said:
“My father be sacrificed on the mother of the 9th Imam who will be a pure and pious Nubian.”
The most famous of his titles are Taqi (Pious) and Jawwad (Generous). His Kunniyat is Abu Ja’far, meaning father of Ja’far.
Family Tree
Muhammad-e-Taqi (A.S.), son of, Ali-e-Raza (A.S.), son of Musa-e-Kazim (A.S.), son of Ja’far-e-Sadiq (A.S.), son of Muhammad-e-Baqar (A.S.), son of Ali Zain-ul-Abideen (A.S.), son of Husain (A.S.), and Fatimah (S.A.), daughter of Hasan (A.S.), both sons of Ali (A.S.) and Fatimah (S.A.), son-in-law and daughter of the Prophet (S.A.W.W.), respectively.
Childhood
Imam was only 5 years old when his father was called to Baghdad by Mamun Rashid (L.A.), the then Abassid (L.A.) caliph, to be his ‘heir apparent’. When Imam Ali Raza (A.S.) was leaving he saw his son putting sand in his hair. He asked why and the young Imam replied that this was what an orphan did.
Imam Raza (A.S.) was poisoned by Mamun Rashid (L.A.) in 203 AH and Imam Taqi (A.S.) became Imam at the small age of 8 or 9 years.
The Level of Knowledge and Scholastic Attitude
Mamun (L.A.) called the young Imam (A.S.) to Baghdad from Madinah and offered his daughter, to try to bribe him by making him his heir and also in the hopes that the much awaited Imam Mehdi (A.S) to be born in Imam’s lineage would be from his daughter’s children. This infuriated his family (the Abassids [L.A.]). To prove to them the excellence of Imam even at a young age he arranged a meeting between Imam and the most learned of men at that time – Yahya bin Aksam.
It was a grand occasion with some 900 other scholars present.
Imam (A.S.) was first asked by Yahya:
What is the compensation (kaffara) 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 Sharia or not?
3. Did he hunt intentionally or not?
4. Did he hunt for 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 by night?
9. Was he baligh or not?
10. Was he repentant or not?
11. Was his ehraam for Hajj or Umra?
Yahya was stunned!
Although Mamun (L.A.) did succeed in forcing Imam (A.S.) to marry his daughter Ummul Fazl (L.A.), his plan never neared fruition as his daughter gave birth to none and he could not subdue Imam (A.S.) either.
Imam’s Holiness and Knowledge of All To Happen
Following the martyrdom of Imam Raza (A.S.), eighty men of wisdom traveled to perform Hajj. On the way, they arrived in Madinah and went to Imam’s (A.S.) house to pay him a visit. Imam (A.S.) who was at a young age (child), moved into the aggregation and all of them stood up to honor and respect him.
Then they asked questions about their problems and heard responses of the Imam (A.S.) and were very glad. One of them named Ishaq says, “I had written down a number of problems to ask from the Imam (A.S.) and request him to pray for me so that God gives me a son. Since the assembly was quite overcrowded I got up to go and come back the next day. Imam (A.S.) saw me and told me that O Ishaq, God has granted my demand (prayer) and will give you a son. Name him ‘Ahmad’.
“Thereafter, Imam (A.S.) answered my problems. I heard the answers to my questions without even putting them to Imam (A.S.).
“I was much surprised and said that I thank God for the benediction and boon that he has given us. He is the same proof of God (Imam) as I returned to my city, not long after God gave me a son just as Imam (A.S.) had said. I named him ‘Ahmad’.”
Ashari Qumi says, “I had the honor to visit Imam (A.S.). I humbly said that one of the ladies, who is your follower, has asked me to bring along with me one of your dresses for her so that she may use it as her coffin.
“Imam said that she did not need it any longer.
“I did not exactly understand what it meant. I did not utter a word and said good-bye to Imam (A.S.) and came back. Afterwords, I came to know that a few days before my reaching the Imam (A.S.), that woman had died.”
One day in Baghdad, some children were busy playing on a street. Standing near them was the 9th Imam (A.S.). Suddenly the children saw Mamun Rashid (L.A.), the Abbasid (L.A.) ruler passing by with his soldiers. The children quickly dispersed from that place. However, Imam (A.S.) did not run away, rather he (A.S.) stood at his place.
When Mamun (L.A.) arrived at that spot, he looked at the young boy and asked, “Haven’t you recognized me? Why didn’t you move from this place?”
The young child replied, “The path is not narrow that it would become wider by moving aside, nor have I committed any crime that I should run away from you. Moreover, I do not think that you are the sort who would punish someone who is innocent”.
This hit Mamun (L.A.) very hard. He stared at the handsome and illuminated face of this young child for sometime and was wonder-struck. He realized that this child couldn’t be an ordinary child so he asked, “Tell me what is your name?”
The child said, “I am Muhammad”.
“Whose son are you?” asked Mamun (L.A.).
The child replied, “I am the son of Ali-e-Raza, son of Musa, (A.S.)”.
When Mamun (L.A.) heard this, he praised the 8th Imam (A.S.) and left.
However, the incident does not end here.
After this brief meeting with our Imam (A.S.), Mamun (L.A.) proceeded to a nearby forest for hunting. There, he released his eagle, which flew and returned after a while with a small live fish in its beak. Mamun (L.A.) was quite surprised by this. As he returned and passed by the same spot where he had met our Imam (A.S.), he found the young child again at the same place.
So he halted and asked him, “O Muhammad! Tell me what do I have in my hand?”
Imam (A.S.) replied, “Allah has created many vast oceans from which clouds are formed. When clouds are forming, they absorb small live fish which are caught by the eagles of kings, who then use them to test the Imams of their times”.
Mamun was dumbfounded by this reply and said, “Indeed you are the son of Ali-e-Raza, son of Musa, (A.S.) – for such miracles are not impossible from his son”.
(Soure: Ahsan al-Muqaal)
Martyrdom
When Mamun (L.A.) died, Mu’tasim (L.A.) ascended the throne. He, like his Abbasid (L.A.) ancestors, was worried about the leadership of Ahle Bayt (A.S.) and their political and scholarly status. Therefore, he exiled Imam Taqi (A.S.) from Madinah to Baghdad in the year 219 AH, for fear from his popularity and extending his effect. He did this, in order to draw the Holy Imam near the center of power and scrutiny and isolate him from practicing his popular, political and scholarly role.
Imam (A.S.) stayed in Baghdad until the year 220 AH, when he was martyred from poisoning by his wife Ummul Fazl (L.A.) at the instigation of the ruling Abbasid caliph Mu’tasim (L.A.).
His short life lasted twenty five years and some months, and was full of historical, ideological and scholarly struggles and achievements. He is the Imam martyred at the youngest age, and second youngest Infallible with respect to age, behind Bibi Fatimah (S.A.), the Prophet’s (S.A.W.W.) daughter, who was martyred at the age of slightly less than eighteen.
The Holy Imam (A.S.) was martyred in Baghdad in the year 220 AH, on the 29th of Ziqa’ad and was burried in the graveyard of Quraish behind his grandfather, Imam Musa-e-Kazim (A.S.), the seventh holy Imam. The place has became famous as Kazmain, in Iraq.
Some Pictures of Kazmain
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