Imam Muhammad Al-Baqar (A.S)

Name:      Muhammad bin Ali (A.S.)
Title:        Baqir, Shakir, Haadi
Kuniyya:   Abu Ja'fer
Father:     Imam Ali Zayn-ul-Abideen (A.S.)
Mother:    Fatima binte Hasan -2nd Imam (Umme Abdullah)
Birth:       1st Rajab 57 A.H. (677 C.E.) in Madina
Death:      7th Zul-hijjah 114 A.H. in Madina .
Buried:     Jannatul Baqee

He is the only Imam who is connected with Imam Ali (A.S.) and Sayyida Fatema Zahra (A.S.) from both sides. His father, Imam Zainul Abedeen (A.S.) was their grandson and his mother, Fatima their granddaughter.

Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (A.S.) was present in Kerbala on the day of Ashura. He was then a child of 3 years. He too was taken prisoner, with his father, the women and children, to Shaam (Damascus). They stayed in the prison for a whole year.

His Imamate was during a time when several threats faced Islam.

With the conquest of Iran and Rome, philosophy and new ideas came to Arabia. The simple minded Arabs got deviated and started 'Innovations'-Kiyaas [this means they tried to use their own reasoning when they faced questions or problems (masail).

The Khalifas were occupied in gaining more power, 'looting' of new countries but were reluctant at having new converts to Islam as this would stop jizya (tax paid by non-Muslims) to come to the treasuries. Islamic rule extended from Marrakesh to Mongolia.

Imam lived in a time of rulers who claimed to be the representatives of the Prophet (S.A.W.) but their behaviour was totally un-Islamic.

Imam Mohammed Baqir's (A.S.) main mission and message was knowledge. He encouraged his followers to acquire a Muslim character and to have excellent morals-akhlaq, and disperse in the world for this was the best form of tableegh.

He once told his companion Jabir bin Yazid Al-Jufi : "There is no Shia who has no taqwa and no obedience to Allah" i.e.. One cannot call oneself a Shia without these two qualities.

When Umar bin Abdul Aziz became Khalifa in 99 A.H. he called Imam and asked him for some advice.

Imam gave him 3 pieces of advice:-

1. Do not ever celebrate any occasion with excessive happiness which makes you forget 'halal' & 'haram’.

2. Never lose yourself in anger so that you forget 'halal' & 'haraam'.

3.     Never take away (usurp) anyone's property.

On hearing the third piece of advice Umar bin Abdul Aziz returned to Imam Mohammed Al-Baqir (A.S.) the garden of Fadak (it was this garden which Abu Bakr (L.A) had snatched from Sayyida Fatima Zahra (S.A) ). His advisors tried to stop him but he did not listen to them [it was Umar bin Abdul Aziz who stopped the cursing of Imam Ali (A.S.) in the mosques]

In an environment where conversion to Islam was discouraged and where the Khalifas were engrossed in the world and had no morals and were unjust; it was the light and character of Imam Mohammed Al-Baqir (A.S.) which kept the message of the true Islam alive.

It was he who collected the saying of the Prophet and ‘Aimma in the form of books establishing the laws of Fiqh as we know them today.

In 114 A.H. Hisham bin Abdul Malik arranged with Zaid bin Hasan (an uncle of Imam) to deliver a poisoned saddle to Imam as a gift. Imam was thus poisoned and died after 3 days of illness. His son Imam Ja'fer As-Sadiq (A.S.) buried him in Jannatul Baqee near Imam Hassan (A.S.)

Jannat ul Baqee

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