|
It is a
6 Raka't Namaaz (SALAT)
(a) In each raka't recite Sooratul Faatih'ah, recite Sooratul
Ikhlaas 70 times.
(b) After Salaam recite the following Dua'a:
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
(For Arabic Text please see "Mafateehul
Jinaan")
O Allah send blessings on Muhammad and on the
children of Mohammad.
In the name of Allah the Beneficent the
Merciful.
O my Allah!
Lord of the fleeting frail souls, & perishable bodies!
I beseech Thee, in the name of willing return of souls
to their bodies and the obedient joining of the bodies in their original
form, in the name of Thy word summoning all of them before Thy court of
justice, to hear & learn from them what actually they did; & the whole
created beings standing before Thee waiting for Thy decisive judgment,
hoping for Thy mercy, afraid of Thy punishment, to send blessings on
Mohammed & on the children of Mohammed, & make me see things clearly &
discern, have sure belief in truth, remember Thee, day & night, & live
a virtuous life, free of sins.
Oh Allah! Send blessings on Mohammed & on the children of Mohammed.
|
|
IMAM MUHAMMAD al-Jawad (or at-Taqi) is the Ninth Apostolic Imam.
His epithet was Abu Ja`far and his famous titles were al-Jawad and at-Taqi.
Since Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, the Fifth Imam was called Abu Ja`far,
historians have mentioned this Imam as Abu Ja`far the Second.
Childhood
Imam Muhammad al-Jawad was brought up by his Holy
father Imam `Ali ar-Rida for four years. Under the force of
circumstances Imam `Ali ar-Rida had to migrate from Medina to Khurasan
(Iran), leaving his young son behind him. The Imam was fully aware of
the treacherous character of the ruling king and was sure that he would
return to Medina no more. So before his departure from Medina he
declared his son Muhammad al-Jawad as his successor, and imparted to him
all his stores of Divine knowledge and spiritual genius.
Imamate
Imam `Ali ar-Rida was poisoned on 17th Safar 203 AH and
with effect from the same date Imam Muhammad al-Jawad was commissioned
by Allah to hold the responsibility of Imamate. At the tender age of
eight there was no chance or means of the young Imam reaching great
heights of knowledge and practical achievements. But after a few days he
is known not only to have debated with his contemporary scholars on
subjects pertaining to fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), hadith
(tradition), tafsir (Qur'anic exegesis), etc. and outwitted them,
but also to exhort their admiration and acknowledgment of his learning
and superiority. Right from then the world realized that he possessed
Divine knowledge and that the knowledge commanded by the Holy Imam was
not acquired, but granted by Allah.
Literary Attainments and Excellence
The span of the life of Imam Muhammad al-Jawad was
shorter than that of his predecessors as well as his successors. He
became Imam at the age of eight years and was poisoned at the age of
twenty-five ; yet his literary attainments were many and he commanded
great respect and esteem. The Holy Imam al-Jawad was the symbol of
Prophet Muhammad's affability and Imam `Ali's attainments. His
hereditary qualities comprised of gallantry, boldness, charity,
learning, forgiveness and tolerance. The brightest and most outstanding
phases of his nature and character were to show hospitality and courtesy
to all without discrimination, to help the needy ; to observe equality
under all circumstances, to live a simple life ; to help the orphans,
the poor and the homeless ; to impart learning to those interested in
the acquisition of knowledge and guide the people to the right path.
Migration to Iraq
For the consolidation of his empire, it was realized by
al-Ma'mun, the `Abbasid king, that it was necessary to win the sympathy
and support of the Iranians who had always been friendly to the Ahlu 'l-bayt.
Consequently, al-Ma'mun was forced, from a political point of view, to
establish contacts with the tribe of Banu Fatimah at the expense of the
ties with Banu `Abbas and thereby win the favor of the Shi`ah.
Accordingly, he declared Imam `Ali ar-Rida as his heir even against the
Imam's will and got his sister Umm Habibah married to him. al-Ma'mun
expected that Imam `Ali ar-Rida would lend him his support in political
affairs of the State. But when he discovered that the Imam was little
interested in political matters and that the masses were more and more
submitting themselves to him due to his spiritual greatness, he got him
poisoned. Yet the exigency which directed him to nominate Imam `Ali ar-Rida as his heir a and successor still continued. Hence he desired to
marry his daughter Ummu 'l-Fadl to Muhammad al-Jawad, the son of Imam
`Ali ar-Rida and with this object in view, he summoned the Imam from
Medina to Iraq. The Banu `Abbas were extremely disconcerted when they
came to know that al-Ma'mun was planning to marry his daughter to Imam
Muhammad al-Jawad. A delegation of some leading persons waited on him in
order to dissuade him from his intention. But al-Ma'mun continued to
admire the learning and excellence of the Imam. He would say that though
Imam Muhammad al-Jawad was still young, yet he was a true successor to
his father in all his virtues and that the profoundest scholars of the
Islamic world could not compete with him. When the `Abbasids noticed
that al-Ma'mun attributed the Imam's superiority to his learning they
chose Yahya iba Aktham, the greatest scholar and jurist of Baghdad, to
contend with him. al-Ma'mun issued a proclamation and organized a grand
meeting for the contest which resulted in a huge gathering of people
from all parts of the kingdom. Apart from noble and high officials,
there were as many as nine hundred chairs reserved for scholars and
learned men only. The world wondered how a young child could contest
with the veteran judge in religious laws (qadi 'l-qudat) and the
greatest scholar of Iraq. Imam Muhammad al-Jawad was seated beside al-Ma'mun
on his throne face to face with Yahya ibn Aktham, who adderssed the Imam
thus:
``Do you permit me to ask you a question ?'' ``Ask me
whatever you wish, ''said the Imam in the typical tone of his ancestors.
Yahya then asked the Imam,
``What is your verdict about a man who indulges in
hunting while he is in the state of ihram.'' (In the code of religious
law hunting is supposed to be forbidden for a pilgrim).
The Imam at once replied, ``Your question is vague and
misleading. You should have definitely mentioned whether he hunted
within the jurisdiction of the Ka`bah or outside ; whether he was
literate or illiterate ; whether he was a slave or free citizen ;
whether he was a minor or a major ; whether it was for the first time or
he had done it previously ; also whether, that victim was a bird or some
other creature ; whether the prey was small or big ; whether he hunted
in the day or at night ; whether the hunter repented for his action or
persisted in it ; whether he hunted secretly or openly ; whether the
ihram was for `umrah or for hajj. Unless all these points are explained
no specific answer can be given to this question.''
al-Qadi Yahya was staggered in listening to these words
of the Imam and the entire gathering was dumbfounded. There was no limit
to al-Ma'mun's pleasure. He expressed his sentiments of joy and
admiration thus,
``Bravo ! well done ! O Abu Ja'far ! (Ahsanta, ahsanta
ya Aba Ja'far), your learning and attainments are beyond all praises.''
As al-Ma'mun wanted that the Imam's opponent be fully exposed, he said
to the Imam,
``You may also put some question to Yahya ibn Aktham.''
Then Yahya also reluctantly said to the Imam, ``Yes, you may ask me some
question. If I know the answer, I will tell it ; otherwise, I shall
request you to give its answer.'' There upon, the Imam asked a question
to which Yahya could not reply. Eventually, the Imam answered his
question. Then al-Ma'mun addressed the audience thus :
``Did I not say
that the Imam comes of a family which has been chosen by Allah as the
repository of knowledge and learning ? Is there any one in the world who
can match even the children of this family ?''
All of them shouted,
``Undoubtedly there is no one parallel to Muhammad ibn `Ali al-Jawad.''
In the same assembly al-Ma'mun wedded his daughter Ummu 'l-Fadl to the
Imam and liberally distributed charity and gifts among his subjects as a
mark of rejoicing. One year after his marriage the Imam returned to
Medina from Baghdad with his wife and there he set about preaching the
Commandments of Allah.
Death
When after the death of al-Ma'mun, al-Mu'tasim ascended the throne, he
got an opportunity to persecute the Imam and to ventilate spite and
malice against him. He summoned the Imam to Baghdad. The Imam arrived at Baghded on 9th Muharram 220 AH and al-Mu'tasim got him poisoned in the
same year. He died on 29th Dhi 'l-qi'dah 220 AH and was buried beside
his grandfather, Imam Musa al-Kazim the Seventh Imam, in al-Kazimiyyah,
in the suburb of Baghdad (Iraq). |
