Imam Muhammad al-Taqi (al-Jawad) – Life and Martyrdom

Türkçe · Deutsch · English

Who is Imam Muhammad al-Taqi (al-Jawad)?

Born	Medina (827 CE according to the short biography in the book)
Martyred	220 AH / 842 CE, Baghdad (858 in the short biography)
Age	25 (31 in the short biography)
Father	Imam Reza
Mother	Necime (Sebike)
Wives	Ümmü’l-Fazl and Semane

According to one tradition, Imam Muhammad al-Taqi is the only son of Imam Reza. He is the ninth Imam. Some other sources write that Imam Reza had three sons. When Imam Reza was martyred in 835, Imam Muhammad al-Taqi was about eight years old, still little more than a child. Whenever Imam Reza was asked who would succeed him in the office of the Imamate, he always pointed to his son Muhammad al-Taqi. On his deathbed, before drawing his last breath, he gathered his relatives and companions and enjoined them: “After me, my son Muhammad al-Taqi will be your Imam.”

His relatives and companions objected: “O Imam! The young man who is to be Imam is still little more than a child – in what matters can he lead us?” Imam Reza replied: “O believers! Have no doubt at all. Just as prophethood was given to the Prophet John (Yahya) as a child, and to the Prophet Jesus in his mother’s womb, so the Imamate has been given to my son Muhammad al-Taqi by God the Exalted (Hak Taâla). Do not forget the verse in the Holy Qur’an: “Biz dilediğimize küçük yaştayken de hikmet veririz” (“We give wisdom to whom We will, even at a young age”).”

At al-Ma’mun’s court: his transfer to Baghdad

Caliph al-Ma’mun (Memun) buried Imam Reza in the city of Tus, held the fortieth-day commemoration as well, and then came and settled in Baghdad. In Baghdad, however, his uncle İbrahim bin Mehdi had already started a revolt against Caliph al-Ma’mun, because the Abbasid clan feared that the caliphate would slip from their hands; the city was in turmoil. Caliph al-Ma’mun, who was very clever and as cunning as the devil, went to visit his uncle İbrahim bin Mehdi as soon as he reached Baghdad. He assured his uncle that he had eliminated Imam Reza in Tus and that the caliphate would never pass into the hands of Ali’s descendants. By this conduct he dispelled the rebels’ suspicions and calmed the Abbasid revolt.

While Caliph al-Ma’mun had calmed the revolt of the Abbasids, on the other side a revolt of the Shiites began. They rose up, claiming that the healthy Imam Reza had not suddenly died in Tus but had been poisoned with grapes and killed by the caliph. Once again Caliph al-Ma’mun’s position became difficult. Years went by, and he could not stop the Shiite revolt. To placate the followers of the Ehl-i Beyt (Ahl al-Bayt, the family of the Prophet) and of Ali, this cunning man decided to bring Imam Muhammad al-Taqi from Medina to his side in Baghdad. In the year 211 after the Hijra he ordered Imam Muhammad al-Taqi to be brought from Medina to Baghdad.

Imam Muhammad al-Taqi, compelled by the caliph’s order, agreed to come to Baghdad, and on his arrival he was received by Caliph al-Ma’mun with a magnificent ceremony. The scholars (ulema), not knowing why this young Imam was being shown so much favour, began to envy him. The Abbasids, too, put pressure on Caliph al-Ma’mun, fearing that he might once again be declared heir to the throne. The Abbasids, joined by the scholars, said: “What is this child, that you value him so highly? How much knowledge does he have, that you call him the Imam of the age?”

The debate with the chief judge Yahya bin Eksem

So these enemies of the Ehl-i Beyt gathered and made a decision among themselves: “Let us propose to the caliph: in order to learn about the knowledge of this young Imam, we would like, with your permission, to ask him some questions in your presence. Because the caliph trusts him greatly, he will not reject our proposal. And with the questions we ask, we will prove that he is not worthy of the Imamate. Only in this way can we turn the caliph away from him.” Thus they decided, and they put their proposal to the caliph.

Caliph al-Ma’mun accepted their proposal and said: “On that day I shall also have a very pleasant surprise for you.” They fixed the day. When the appointed day came, Caliph al-Ma’mun invited Imam Muhammad al-Taqi to the palace. The other side gave the task to the chief judge (Kadılar kadısı) Yahya bin Eksem. Yahya bin Eksem said to the caliph: “My Sultan! The conversation we shall hold here in your presence with Imam Muhammad al-Taqi will surely be very beneficial. With your permission, the other Islamic scholars would also like to listen to this valuable conversation.” Caliph al-Ma’mun took the proposal calmly and ordered: “Let them all in.”

After everyone had come in, there was a short round of introductions, and then Yahya bin Eksem asked Imam Muhammad al-Taqi the following question: “O Imam, what ruling should be given concerning someone who has entered the state of consecration (ihram) to fulfil the obligation of the pilgrimage (hajj) and is thus bound by its prohibitions under religious law, if he hunts game?”

Imam Muhammad al-Taqi said: “You have asked a very good and very subtle question, and I am pleased with it. First of all, one must know and recognise the person of the one who has entered the state of consecration. Who is this person in ihram? Is it a man or a woman? An adult or a child? Did he hunt in a permitted area or in the sacred precinct? Did he hunt deliberately or by mistake? Is he a free person or a slave? Is he making such a mistake for the first time? Has he felt remorse or not? Was it at night or by day? Or has he committed such an offence several times? What kind of game did he hunt? A bird or a four-legged animal?” This answer astonished everyone – and the chief judge more than anyone.

When, after these answers, the Imam also cited the Qur’anic verses dealing with these questions, everyone fell silent as if they had swallowed their tongues. Caliph al-Ma’mun turned to the Abbasids present in the assembly and said: “This is he, Muhammad al-Taqi ibn Reza, whose knowledge and greatness you simply will not recognise, understand and acknowledge. Go on, ask him questions, give answers! I told you I would have a surprise for you at the end of the gathering. Now I shall announce it.”

Marriage to Ümmü’l-Fazl and return to Medina

Caliph al-Ma’mun first invoked blessings (salavat) and gave thanks and praise to God. Then he turned to the young Imam and said in a loud voice so that everyone could hear: “O Eba Cafer! I wish to give you my daughter Ümmi Fazl. Do you accept her as your wife?” The Imam: “Of course I accept, with pride.” Thus everyone also learned what the surprise of this gathering was. The caliph said that, according to custom and tradition, the bridegroom had to give a speech. The Imam then gave a very meaningful speech, with which he won the attention of the dignitaries of the court. Everyone praised him, saying that the caliph had chosen a special son-in-law and that one like him was truly not to be found.

Without delay the caliph had the marriage performed at once and held a pompous, magnificent wedding. With this marriage the caliph had achieved his aim. When describing the life of Imam Reza, I related how Caliph al-Ma’mun tried to present himself as one who loved the Ehl-i Beyt in order to remedy the disorders in society, to prevent the revolt of the Shiites and to win the affection of the Shiites and the Iranians. For this reason he had declared Imam Reza heir to the throne and thus stopped a great revolt. Afterwards he had the Imam treacherously poisoned. So that the people would not become suspicious, he wept and mourned at the grave for three days. When the murderers who had done it were caught, they confessed that it was Caliph al-Ma’mun who had incited them to the murder. When the people heard this, uprisings and revolts began again in every part of the country. Now, using the same policy once more, he suppressed the revolts by giving his daughter to Imam Muhammad al-Taqi, and so he reached the goal he wanted.

Caliph al-Ma’mun was playing such a double game that he said: “I wanted this marriage so that Ebu Cafer would have a child by my daughter and I would become the grandfather of a child descended from the Messenger of God and from Ali bin Ebu Talip!” Since he was not sincere in his intention, God the Lord (Cenab-ı Mevla) did not grant him a single child from his daughter. From his wife named Semane, whom Muhammad al-Taqi had chosen as a wife from among the servant women, came Ali al-Naqi, the tenth Imam and twelfth Innocent (masum). His other son, Musa bin Muhammad, was martyred in the city of Qom (Kum) in Iran; his shrine is in Iran. He had three daughters, named Fatma, Ümmü Gülsüm and Hekime.

When Muhammad al-Taqi married al-Ma’mun’s daughter and settled in the palace, all the Shiites began to fear that the Imam would now not give up this splendour and would not return to Medina. A friend asked him: “Are you thinking of leaving this splendour behind and going to Medina?” The Imam said: “I would not exchange barley bread and onions in the home of my forefather for this splendour.” A short time later the Imam moved to Medina with his family. In Medina Imam Muhammad al-Taqi devoted himself to learning and continued his modest life. During this time unexpected events took place in Baghdad.

The death of al-Ma’mun and the era of Caliph al-Mu‘tasim

Caliph al-Ma’mun opened a war against the Romans, who ruled Anatolia. The Arab armies had advanced as far as Tarsus and taken the whole surrounding region. The caliph had settled in Bedendem, a beautiful village near Tarsus. His brother al-Mu‘tasim, the heir to the throne, was with him. The two brothers went down together to the nearby stream to put their feet in the water and cool off. After sitting there for quite a while and refreshing themselves, the caliph felt like eating fresh dates. He asked his servants whether fresh dates could be found there. They said there were none. A little later the sound of bells was heard, and they reported that a caravan was coming. The caliph said: “Go and see whether among their provisions there is food from our homeland.” The servants went and shortly came back with two baskets of fresh dates. When the caliph saw the fresh dates, he rejoiced, saying that had he asked God for anything else at that moment, He would have granted it, and he began to eat the dates.

After Caliph al-Ma’mun had eaten a great many dates, a chill came over his body. Those around him immediately took him to his tent. Although the two doctors he always took with him treated him with various medicines, they could find no remedy. On the 12th of the month of Rajab (Recep) in the year 218 after the Hijra he died, poisoned by the dates he had eaten. His brother al-Mu‘tasim took his place. Al-Mu‘tasim was suspicious of Imam Muhammad al-Taqi living in Medina. Gripped by the constant fear that he might start an uprising against him, he had him brought to Baghdad in the year 220 after the Hijra. In this way, keeping him under close surveillance, he took measures, as he saw it, to learn in good time of any dangers that might come from him.

After the death of Ümmül Fazl’s father, her uncle al-Mu‘tasim came to the office of caliph. Because of a theft, Caliph al-Mu‘tasim gathered all the scholars in Baghdad, wishing to decide at what point the thief’s hand should be cut off. Of the scholars who came, some issued legal opinions (fetva) that it must be cut off at the wrist, others at the elbow. When the debate among the scholars dragged on, Caliph al-Mu‘tasim also invited the young Imam Muhammad al-Taqi and asked him too. The Imam did not wish to answer. When Caliph al-Mu‘tasim insisted, the Imam offered the following interpretation: “Prostration (secde) takes place when seven parts of the body touch the ground. The forehead, the palms of the hands, the knees and the toes unite with God in prostration. The places of prostration belong to God, and what belongs to God may not be cut off. Only the thief’s fingers may be cut off at the joints; the palm is to be left.” Caliph al-Mu‘tasim and the other scholars could not object to this interpretation. The chief judge Ahmet bin Ebu Davud not only could not object to it, but was also aggrieved that his own legal opinion had been invalidated. From that day on he began to plan how this young man could be quietly done away with.

His martyrdom

Because Ümmül Fazl, the daughter of Caliph al-Ma’mun, could not give the Imam a child, Imam Muhammad al-Taqi had married a servant woman named Semane as his second wife. All his children were born of this second wife. For this reason Ümmül Fazl was very jealous of the Imam’s relationship with Semane. Already in the time of her father, Caliph al-Ma’mun, she had complained to him many times about this relationship of the Imam’s, but without result.

Two days later Ahmet bin Ebu Davud went to the palace to explain his discomfort to Caliph al-Mu‘tasim. He complained: “O Commander of the Faithful! In the administration under your rule it is my duty to give legal opinions or counsel. It can hardly be right that, in the presence of the jurists, the viziers and the leading men of the government, you do not follow the legal opinion of a man who holds the office of judge by your decree, but follow the legal opinion of someone who divides the community (ümmet) with his claim to the Imamate. How, then, can those who hold office by your decree enforce their rulings?”

When Caliph al-Mu‘tasim heard these words, he was greatly troubled. Because of this complaint, made in the form of advice, he said: “May God reward you, I shall settle that matter soon.” According to one tradition, four days later Caliph al-Mu‘tasim invited Imam Muhammad al-Taqi to a meal; the table was laid, the food was brought and they ate – but the Imam realised that he had been poisoned. He got up at once; the caliph insisted that he stay seated. Saying, “It is better for you if I leave your presence,” the Imam went to the house where he always lived. That same night he surrendered his soul to God (Hak).

According to another tradition, relations between Imam Muhammad al-Taqi and his wife Ümmü Fazl, the daughter of Caliph al-Ma’mun, were bad because she was jealous of the Imam. It is written that her uncle, Caliph al-Mu‘tasim, knowing this, had him poisoned by the hand of Ümmü Fazl. In the end Imam Muhammad al-Taqi was martyred at the age of 25, in the year 220 after the Hijra, 842 CE. Imam Muhammad al-Taqi had no children other than his two sons named Ali al-Naqi and Musa. Another name of Imam Muhammad al-Taqi is Imam Muhammad al-Jawad (Cevat). After his martyrdom his son Imam Ali al-Naqi continued the office of the Imamate. In Iranian Shiite books or prayers you may come across him under the name Imam Muhammad al-Jawad. I wanted you to be aware of this as well.

Source: Seyit Derviş Tur, Erkânname – Aleviliğin İslam Yorumu ve Alevi Erkânları (The Alevi Interpretation of Islam and Alevi Rites), expanded 3rd edition (ISBN 975-6791-52-7).

Translated from the Turkish original by Seyit Derviş Tur.