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The Fifth Imam Imam Muhammad - Al- Baqir-Alaihis Salaam

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Name

Muhammad

Title

AI-Baqir

Kunyat

Abu Jafar

Born

At Medina on Tuesday, Ist Rajab 57 A.H.

Father's Name

Imam Zain-Ul-Abedin

Mother's Name

Fatima Bint Hassan , known as Umme-e-Abdullah.

Died

Aged 57 years, at Medina on Monday, 7th Zilhajj 114 A.H. Poisoned by Hisham bin Abdul
Malik

Buried

At Jannat-ul-Baqi at Medina


The fifth Imam Muhammad-al-Baqir was born in Medina on first Rajab 57 A.H. (677 A.D). His epithet was Abu Jafar and he was popularly titled "AIBaqir". His father was Ali-Zain-ul-Abedin, the son of Imam Husain, and his mother was Fatema, the daughter of Imam Hasan, Thus he was the only Imam who was connected with Janab Fatema-Zahra bora both from his paternal and maternal sides. Imam Muhamad-al-Baqir was brought up in the holy lap of his grandfather Imam Husain, for three years. For 34 years he was under the gracious patronage of his father, Ali-Zain-ul-Abedin.

The Holy Imam was presented in Kerbala at the time of the gruesome tragedy of the wholesale massacre of his grandfather Imam Husain and his companions. He also suffered with his father and ladies of the house of the Prophet (Ah-ul-Bait) the heartless captivity and imprisonment at the hands of the devilish forces at the command of Yazid Ibne Muawiya. After the tragedy of Kerbala, the Imam passed his time peacefully in Medina praying to God and guiding the people to the right path. The downfall of the Ummayyads has begun since Yazid the son of Muawiya who had slaughtered Imam Husain.Yazid himself had completely realised the evil consequences of his deeds even during the short period of his rule. His son Muawiya the second, refused to accept the Caliphate saying:

"I can not favour such a throne which has been erected on the basis of oppression and tyranny".

Aliama Ibne Hajar, a famous scholar belonging to the sunnite says: "Imam Muhammad-al-Baqir has disclosed the secrets of knowledge and wisdom and unfolded the principles of spiritual and religious guidance. Nobody can deny his exalted character, his God given knowledge, his divinely - gifted wisdom and his obligation and gratitude towards spreading of knowledge. He was a sacred and highly talented spiritual leader and for this reason he was popularly titled "AI-Baqir" which means "the expounder of knowledge." Kind of heart, spotless in character sacred by soul and noble by nature, the Imam devoted all his time in submission to God (and in advocating the teachings of the Holy Prophet and his descendants). It is beyond the power of a man to count the deep impression of knowledge and guidance ieft by the imam on the hearts of the
faithful. His sayings in devotion and abstinence, in knowledge and wisdom, and in religious exercise and submission to God are so great in number that the volume of this 'book is quite insufficient to cover them all". (Sawayed-e-Mohreqa, P. 120).

The Holy Imam managed to collect the teaching and reforms of the Holy Prophet and his Ahl-ul-Bait in the form of books. 'His pupils compiled books on different branches of science and arts under his instructions and guidance.

In the excellence of his personal purity and godly traits, the Holy Imam Muhammad AI-Baqir was a model of the Holy Prophet and his great grandfather, Ali Ibne Abi Talib. His admonitions created a spiritual sensation among the Muslims in general. He was not only hospitable even to h is worst enemies but also used to continually exhort them to the right path. He urged people to earn their livelihood by their own hand work.

The Holy Imam gave much importance to convening Majalis' (meetings) commemoration of the martyrdom of Imam Husain. Kumail Ibne Zaid, one of the most famous and highly talented poets of the time, used to recite the elegy of Imam Husain in those Majalis' (meetings) were also greatly encouraged by Imam Jafar-as-Sadiq and.lmam AliAl-Reza, the sixth and the eighth Imams. The Holy Imam continued his preaching peacefully fill 114 A.H. On the 7th Zilhajj when he was 57 years old, Hisham Ibne Abdul Malik, the then ruler , got him martyred through poison. the funeral prayers for this Holy Imam were conducted by his son lmam Jafaras-Sadiq, the sixth lmam, and his body was laid to rest in Jannat-ul-Baqi in Medina.

His Aloofness from Politics

He careful abstained from politics because he knew that it was impossible to educate the Muslim if he played the game of power of politics, If he got involved in it, the state would get an easy pretext to restrict his, freedom of speech and action and there was no one else to perform the belated task of humanising the barbarous converts to the new faith. He therefore confined himself to the teaching of his people in all that was essential to make them civilised and enlightened in the accepted sense. He harshly rebuked his step-brother Zaid-bin Ali when he tried to revolt against the Ummayids rule on the instigation of the Kufans and fight and ultimately lost his life in a massacre which proved utterly disastrous for Zaid. The headstrong Zaid really made a mistake by not listening to the Imam's advice.

In the well reasoned argument of Imam Muhammad Baqir with Zaid, the Imam has put forward clear and irrefutable points which define the conception of Jehad, or Holy War according to the teaching, of Imam does not become.

His Maxims

' The soul is like air. It is finite and perishable like other creatures. It has no weight and no density. It is a subtle thing encased in the mortal frame like the smell of musk. The smell however strong does not and any weight to the musk and does not decrease its weight by its absence. The limbs cease to function when soul departs form the body.

A learned man who applies his knowledge for the benefits of his fellow beings is better than a host of unproductive scholars. It is charity to impart knowledge.

Tell only as much as you know about the Qur'an. Keep your ignorance to yourself. It is your duty to disclose what you know if asked to do so and to keep quiet about what you are ignorant of.

When you have acquired knowledge and learning put them into practice. You should be liberal and magnanimous while you learn and those who are narrow minded and petty are dominated by Satan after they have acquired extra ordinary learning. They ultimately become conceited egoists. If you are roused by Satanic impulse, use your knowledge to suppress them and fight relentlessly against them.

I belive in God as the incomprehensible and infinite. That which you can conceive is not God. You cannot imagine Him. He is unchanging and hence He is beyond our conception. He does not enter into anything, Nothing mortal can be taken to be God. Everything is perishable and owes its being to him. Do not discuss Him. The more you argue about Him, the more get bewildered and confused. It is impossible to fathom His rnysterious existence.

Contentment and renunciation however around the heart of the believer till arrive at the stage they make his heart their home.

When pride enters a man's heart, his reason departs.

Bad language is the weapon of mean folk.

No one can be a true believer unless he is perfectly reasonable and reason cannot be perfect unless a rnan may be expected to do good; cause no injury to others; think little of his own virtues; minimize the defects of others; never despair of praying to God for what he wants; never grow tired of seeking knowledge ; prefer disgrace for the sake of convictions rather than honor; love poverty more and consider others more virtuous than himself.

There is no worship more meritorious than to guard your private parts and stomachs against sin.