The 9th Imam
His Holiness Imam Mohammad Taqi (AS)
God’s Opened Door and His Detailed Book, The Continuous Shadow of God and The Secret of Existence’s Secrets, The Extreme of Manifestation and Creation Imam Taqi Mohammad bin Ali al Jawad (AS). The birth of the essence of his auspicious attributes was in the second half of the month of Ramazan 195 Hijri (811 AD) in the radiant city of Medina. His respectable name Mohammad and patronym Abu Jaffar and for the similarity in name and patronym with his grandfather Imam Baqir (AS) he is called Abu Jaffer the second. His auspicious titles are Taqi and Jawad and Morteza, but his most famous title is Taqi. His honorable father was His Holiness Ali bin Musa al Reza (AS) and his paragon exalted mother was a bondswoman called Sabika. It is said, that lady was from the lineage of Maria Qibtiyya and His Holiness Reza (AS) named her Khaizaran. And according to some narrations probably His Holiness Imam Mohammad Taqi (AS) in the journey to Khorasan was at the service of his sublime noble father His Holiness Reza (AS) and in that same journey Mamun got his daughter Ommul Fazl married to His Holiness Jawad (AS) when he was young. However, as it has been mentioned in the books of biographies, when His Holiness was in Khorasan and got married to Mamun’s daughter, for reasons of pessimism and disgust in the state of affairs of Mamun’s palace and lack of desire to socialize with the people of the palace, requested permission from Mamun to return to his native place and with his wife Ummul Fazl set out for Medina, and at the time of martyrdom of his noble father stopped in Medina and according to received narrations, His Holiness for washing and shrouding his noble father came by his side with angelic power hidden from the worldly eyes and after washing and shrouding the sacred body of his father disappeared and only Aba Salat who was the servant of His Holiness Reza (AS) attained to visit him.
In short, His Holiness thus was a resident in Medina till the year 204 Hijiri (820 AD) when Mamun set out for Baghdad for resolving sedition and suppress Ibrahim bin Mahdi and when he reached the west of Baghdad Ibrahim bin Mahdi concealed himself and his supporters disintegrated and Mamun entered Baghdad without opposition and once again Baghdad became the capital and became brisk and active. Mamun chose his brother Abu Mohammad bin Harun as his heir and endowed him the title Al Motasim Billah. Then in the year 218 Hijri (833 AD) went to Gaza of Rome and during his return from Gaza in a fountainhead called Pazidon stopped for relaxation, over there he became sick, on the 17th Rajab 218 Hijri (833 AD), and left this world and was buried in Tarsus and his brother sat on the throne of caliphate and although he was the selected caliph by Mamun himself, nevertheless a group gathered round Abbas bin Mamun and wanted to seditate and remove him from the caliphate. Motasim summoned for Abbas. Abbas came to Motasim and swore allegiance to him and said: I transfer my caliphate to my uncle and the sedition which was to be caused subsided and Motasim sat on the caliphate. Since he was highly interested in purchasing Turkish slaves, their number increased in Baghdad and used to mostly cause inconvenience to the people. In the year 220 Hijri (835 AD) he made an encampment outside Baghdad to house them and called it “Sora-man-roa” that afterwards gradually was changed to Samarra.
In short, Motasim in the year 218 Hijri (833 AD) wrote to Abdul Malek Ziat (governing authority of Medina) to inform His Holiness Imam Mohammad Taqi (AS) to depart with his wife Ummul Fazl to Baghdad.
After being informed about Motasim’s letter and after taking decision His Holiness’ decision to set out; in presence of a group of special Shiites, introduced and nominated his honorable son His Holiness Ali Al Naqi (AS) as his vicegerent and Imamate and guide of people, and moved towards Baghdad. At the time of the arrival of His Holiness, Motasim encountered with a false outward respect and perfect warmth, but inwardly decided to kill His Holiness, and as he was aware that his niece Ummul Fazl the wife of His Holiness for the reason that she did not have child, and His Holiness Jawad also in relation to Samaneh (his paragon exalted mother) expresses attention and affection, was bad hearted and resentful in respect to His Holiness, so for this reason he misused women’s jealousy of Ummul Fazl and mislead her. According to the famous saying, that accursed poisoned His Holiness by means of poisoned clothes. After the poisonous effects and pain and agony and thirst manifested, closed the door of His Holiness’ house and prohibited the bondswomen and servants not to listen to His Holiness’ request. His Holiness during one night and day of pain and agony every time expressed being thirsty and asked for water, no body answered him and like his noble grandfather with thirsty and parched lips left for the garden of paradise. Martyrdom of His Holiness according to the most correct narration was at the end of Dhu-al-qidah in the year 220 Hijri (835 AD) and his glorified age during martyrdom was twenty five years and some and the duration of Imamate was seventeen years and some months.
Wives and children of His Holiness:
His Holiness except Ummul Fazl daughter of Mamun did not have a non-bondswoman wife and his children were mainly from bondswomen. His Holiness had two exalted sons. First: His Holiness Ali Al Naqi, the 10th Imam, Second: Musa titled Al Mobargha, and two virtuous daughters 1) Fatemeh 2) Hakimeh.
Famed companions of His Holiness:
1) Is’haq bin Ibrahim
2) Ahmad bin Mohammad bin Nasr Abaznati
3) Ayub bin Nooh
4) Hakam bin Beshar al Marvazi
5) Hassan bin Saeed Alahwazi
6) Hussain bin Muslim
7) Salh bin Ziad al Adami
8) Davood bin Qasim bin Is’haq
9) Saleh bin Abi Hamad
10) Abdul Rahman bin Abi Najran
11) Abdullah bin Mohammad al Razi
12) Abdul Azeem bin Abdullah bin al Hassan
13) Mohammad bin Sanan abu Jaffer Al Razi
Contemporary Caliphs and Emirs of His Holiness:
1) Mamun bin Rashid
2) Motasim bin Rashid
In conclusion as a blessing a narration is mentioned indicating the opulence knowledge of His Holiness during his youth: In the book “Ihtijaj” of Tabarsi it is quoted that when Mamun intended matrimonial relationship for his daughter with His Holiness, to test him and also to introduce his degree of his knowledge to others, he summoned Yahya bin Aksam jurist of that time, said to ask religious questions to His Holiness. Yahya after asking permission from His Holiness asked a question that, what would be your verdict about a person who puts on the dress of Ihram and goes to the house of God for pilgrimage hunts and kills a prey over there. His Holiness replied: It must be known if the killed prey was inside or out of the sanctuary area? Was the slayer learned or ignorant? Did the slayer kill purposely or by mistake? Was the slayer a free person or slave? Was small or big? Was it his first time or was repeated? Was the hunted a bird or otherwise? Whether he was a minor or major? Was the slayer insistent or repented? Was the slaying in the day or night? Whether the Ihram was for Umra (the lesser pilgrimage) or for Hajj (the greater pilgrimage)? Yahya by listening to all these conditions was bewildered and remained quite. Then His Holiness explained and illustrated all conditions. Then His Holiness asked Yahya a question to inform him about the state of a man who looks at a woman which is unlawful in the early morning and in the mid day lawful and during the afternoon time unlawful and evening lawful and sunset unlawful and during nightfall lawful, during midnight unlawful and at end of night lawful? Yahya was incapable to answer, and requested the answer from His Holiness. His Holiness said: That woman during the early morning was someone’s slave therefore the man’s first glance was unlawful, mid-day he purchased the bondswoman his glance became lawful, during afternoon he freed her, his glance became unlawful, evening he married her she became lawful, at sunset he separated from her by saying Zihar, she became unlawful, then he made an atonement for the Zihar she became lawful. Mid-night divorced her she became unlawful, end of night referred to her she became lawful. Mamun after acquaintance with His Holiness’ abundance knowledge with delight got his daughter Ummul Fazl married to His Holiness.
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