Imam Baqir
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Muhammad ibn Ali al-Baqir (; ) was a descendant of the
Islamic prophet Prophets in Islam () are individuals in Islam who are believed to spread God's message on Earth and serve as models of ideal human behaviour. Some prophets are categorized as messengers (; sing. , ), those who transmit divine revelation, mos ...
Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
and the fifth of the twelve Shia imams, succeeding his father,
Ali al-Sajjad Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Sajjad (, – 712), also known as Zayn al-Abidin () was the great-grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and the fourth imam in Shia Islam, succeeding his father, Husayn ibn Ali, his uncle, Hasan ibn Ali, and his gr ...
, and succeeded by his son,
Ja'far al-Sadiq Ja'far al-Sadiq (; –765) was a Muslim hadith transmitter and the last agreed-upon Shia Imam between the Twelvers and Isma'ilis. Known by the title al-Sadiq ("The Truthful"), Ja'far was the eponymous founder of the Ja'fari school of Isla ...
. Muhammad's honorific title is short for , which means 'the one who splits knowledge open', a reference to his fame as a religious scholar. Muhammad was born in
Medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...
around 676 CE. In 680, when he was a small child, he witnessed the
Battle of Karbala The Battle of Karbala () was fought on 10 October 680 (10 Muharram in the year 61 Hijri year, AH of the Islamic calendar) between the army of the second Umayyad Caliphate, Umayyad caliph Yazid I () and a small army led by Husayn ibn Ali, th ...
, where his grandfather
Husayn ibn Ali Husayn ibn Ali (; 11 January 626 – 10 October 680 Common Era, CE) was a social, political and religious leader in early medieval Arabia. The grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and an Alids, Alid (the son of Ali ibn Abu Talib ibn Abd a ...
and most of his relatives were massacred by the forces of the
Umayyad caliph The Umayyad Caliphate or Umayyad Empire (, ; ) was the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a member ...
Yazid ibn Mu'awiya (). Upon his father's death around 712, Muhammad was recognized as the next
imam Imam (; , '; : , ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a prayer leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Salah, Islamic prayers, serve as community leaders, ...
by most followers of his father. These were the Imamites, the forerunners of
Twelvers Twelver Shi'ism (), also known as Imamism () or Ithna Ashari, is the largest branch of Shi'a Islam, comprising about 90% of all Shi'a Muslims. The term ''Twelver'' refers to its adherents' belief in twelve divinely ordained leaders, known as t ...
and
Isma'ilis Ismailism () is a branch of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor ( imām) to Ja'far al-Sadiq, wherein they differ from the Twelver Shia, who accept M ...
, which now constitute the majority of Shia Muslims. At the time, however, this quiescent group was a minority compared to other rival Shia groups, who actively worked against the Umayyads. One such rival group were
Zaydis Zaydism () is a branch of Shia Islam that emerged in the eighth century following Zayd ibn Ali's unsuccessful rebellion against the Umayyad Caliphate. Zaydism is one of the three main branches of Shi'ism, with the other two being Twelverism a ...
. These followed
Zayd ibn Ali Zayd ibn ʿAlī (; 695–740), also spelled Zaid, was the son of Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-Abidin, and great-grandson of Ali ibn Abi Talib. He led an unsuccessful revolt against the Umayyad Caliphate, in which he died. The event gave rise to t ...
, a much younger half-brother of al-Baqir, who staged an unsuccessful revolt shortly after al-Baqir's death. In contrast, like his father, al-Baqir was politically quiescent but was nevertheless harassed by the Umayyads, especially by Caliph Hisham (). Muhammad al-Baqir led a pious and scholarly life in Medina, attracting a growing number of followers, students, and visitors. He is credited with laying the doctrinal and legal foundations of Twelver Shi'ism during some twenty years of his imamate. He may also be regarded as the father of Isma'ili and Zaydi jurisprudence. Finally, he significantly contributed to Twelver exegesis of the Quran. Most of al-Baqir's disciples were based in
Kufa Kufa ( ), also spelled Kufah, is a city in Iraq, about south of Baghdad, and northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates, Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000. Along with Samarra, Karbala, Kadhimiya ...
, in present-day
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
, many of whom later became outstanding Shia jurists and traditionists. Some of these, such as Zurara ibn A'yan, may have occasionally disagreed with al-Baqir, who disapproved of such independent views if they went beyond the general theological and legal framework provided by (Shia) imams. In
Sunni Islam Sunni Islam is the largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any Succession to Muhammad, successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr ...
, al-Baqir is regarded as an authority in law and prophetic tradition, but portrayed as anti-Shia and proto-Sunni. Muhammad al-Baqir died around 732, poisoned by the Umayyads, according to most Shia reports. He is buried in the Baqi Cemetery in Medina, but the shrine that stood over his grave has been demolished twice by
Wahhabis Wahhabism is an exonym for a Salafi revivalist movement within Sunni Islam named after the 18th-century Hanbali scholar Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. It was initially established in the central Arabian region of Najd and later spread to other ...
. Al-Baqir was succeeded by his eldest son, Ja'far al-Sadiq, who further developed Shia theology and law.


Ancestry

Muhammad al-Baqir was a descendant of the
Islamic prophet Prophets in Islam () are individuals in Islam who are believed to spread God's message on Earth and serve as models of ideal human behaviour. Some prophets are categorized as messengers (; sing. , ), those who transmit divine revelation, mos ...
Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
, through both of his grandsons, namely,
Hasan Hassan, Hasan, Hassane, Haasana, Hassaan, Asan, Hassun, Hasun, Hassen, Hasson or Hasani may refer to: People *Hassan (given name), Arabic given name and a list of people with that given name *Hassan (surname), Arabic, Jewish, Irish, and Scotti ...
and Husayn, who were the second and third of the twelve Shia imams, respectively. More specifically, al-Baqir's father was Husayn's son,
Ali al-Sajjad Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Sajjad (, – 712), also known as Zayn al-Abidin () was the great-grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and the fourth imam in Shia Islam, succeeding his father, Husayn ibn Ali, his uncle, Hasan ibn Ali, and his gr ...
, the fourth of the twelve imams. Muhammad's mother was Fatima Umm Abd Allah, while his maternal grandfather was Hasan. Hasan and Husayn were the eldest sons of the first
Shia imam In Shia Islam, the Imamah () is a doctrine which asserts that certain individuals from the lineage of the Islamic prophet Muhammad are to be accepted as leaders and guides of the ummah after the death of Muhammad. Imamah further says that Imam ...
,
Ali ibn Abi Talib Ali ibn Abi Talib (; ) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from until Assassination of Ali, his assassination in 661, as well as the first imamate in Shia doctrine, Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muha ...
, through his first wife,
Fatima Fatima bint Muhammad (; 605/15–632 CE), commonly known as Fatima al-Zahra' (), was the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his wife Khadija. Fatima's husband was Ali, the fourth of the Rashidun caliphs and the first Shia imam. ...
, daughter of the Islamic prophet.


Titles

Muhammad's is Abu Ja'far, and his honorific title is , short for , which means either 'the one who splits knowledge open' (brings it to light) or 'the one who possesses great knowledge', both of which are references to Muhammad's fame as a religious scholar. By some accounts, Muhammad was already known in his lifetime by the title . Shia sources posit that this title was designated by the Islamic prophet, who sent his greetings via his companion
Jabir ibn Abd Allah Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr ibn Ḥarām al-Anṣārī (, died 697 CE/78 AH), Abu Muhammad and Abu Abd al-Rahman also wrote his nickname was a prominent companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and narrator of Hadith. Imami sources say ...
, who lived long enough to meet al-Baqir in his childhood. According to another Shia account, Caliph Hisham, a contemporary of al-Baqir, contemptuously referred to him as (), which again suggests that he was known by this title in his lifetime. The occasion was the caliph's meeting with al-Baqir's half brother,
Zayd ibn Ali Zayd ibn ʿAlī (; 695–740), also spelled Zaid, was the son of Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-Abidin, and great-grandson of Ali ibn Abi Talib. He led an unsuccessful revolt against the Umayyad Caliphate, in which he died. The event gave rise to t ...
, who reprimanded Hisham and attributed al-Baqir's title to the Islamic prophet.


Biography

Muhammad al-Baqir was born in
Medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...
in about 676 CE (56 AH).
Twelver Shia Twelver Shi'ism (), also known as Imamism () or Ithna Ashari, is the largest branch of Shi'a Islam, comprising about 90% of all Shi'a Muslims. The term ''Twelver'' refers to its adherents' belief in twelve divinely ordained leaders, known as th ...
s annually celebrate this occasion on the third of
Safar Safar (), also spelt as Safer in Turkish, is the second month of the lunar Islamic calendar. Most of the Islamic months were named according to ancient Sabean/Sabaic weather conditions; however, since the calendar is lunar, the months shift ...
. In 680, when Muhammad was a small child, his grandfather Husayn and most of his male relatives were massacred in the
Battle of Karbala The Battle of Karbala () was fought on 10 October 680 (10 Muharram in the year 61 Hijri year, AH of the Islamic calendar) between the army of the second Umayyad Caliphate, Umayyad caliph Yazid I () and a small army led by Husayn ibn Ali, th ...
by forces of the
Umayyad caliph The Umayyad Caliphate or Umayyad Empire (, ; ) was the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a member ...
Yazid Yazīd (, "increasing", "adding more") is an Arabic name and may refer to: Given name * Yazid I (647–683), second Umayyad Caliph upon succeeding his father Muawiyah * Yazid II (687–724), Umayyad caliph * Yazid III (701–744), Umayyad caliph ...
. Muhammad was present in
Karbala Karbala is a major city in central Iraq. It is the capital of Karbala Governorate. With an estimated population of 691,100 people in 2024, Karbala is the second largest city in central Iraq, after Baghdad. The city is located about southwest ...
and witnessed the carnage. Muhammad's youth coincided with power struggles between the Umayyads,
Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam (; May 624October/November 692) was the leader of a caliphate based in Mecca that rivaled the Umayyads from 683 until his death. The son of al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam and Asma bint Abi Bakr, and grandson of ...
, and various Shia groups, while Muhammad's father, al-Sajjad, stayed aloof from politics. When al-Sajjad died around 712, most of his followers accepted the imamate of his son Muhammad, who was about thirty-seven years old. He lived a quiet pious life in Medina, like his father, but was nevertheless harassed by the Umayyads, especially by Caliph Hisham. Muhammad, however, enjoyed certain liberties because the Umayyads were more lenient in this period, or perhaps because they were busy infighting and quelling revolts. During the next twenty years or so, Muhammad al-Baqir thus expounded Shia doctrines and laws, attracting a growing number of followers, students, and visitors.


Abd al-Malik ()

The fifth Umayyad caliph,
Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan ibn al-Hakam (; July/August 644 or June/July 647 – 9 October 705) was the fifth Umayyad caliph, ruling from April 685 until his death in October 705. A member of the first generation of born Muslims, his early life in ...
, is credited with issuing an Islamic gold coinage for the first time to replace
Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...
coins. This was likely done at the suggestion of al-Baqir.


Umar II ()

Often praised for his piety, the Umayyad caliph
Umar II Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz ibn Marwan (; February 720) was the eighth Umayyad caliph, ruling from 717 until his death in 720. He is credited to have instituted significant reforms to the Umayyad central government, by making it much more efficient and ...
was favorably disposed to al-Baqir. After meeting with him, the caliph apparently returned the disputed lands of
Fadak Fadak () was a village with fertile land in an oasis near Medina. The takeover of Fadak by Muslims in 629 CE was peaceful and a share of it thus belonged to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. After Muhammad died in 632, Fadak was confiscated from h ...
to
Alids The Alids are those who claim descent from Ali ibn Abi Talib (; 600–661 CE), the fourth Rashidun caliph () and the first imam in Shia Islam. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The main branches are th ...
, that is, descendants of Ali ibn Abi Talib. In a
Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...
tradition, likely circulated by anti-Alids, al-Baqir identifies Umar II as the
Mahdi The Mahdi () is a figure in Islamic eschatology who is believed to appear at the Eschatology, End of Times to rid the world of evil and injustice. He is said to be a descendant of Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad, and will appear shortly before Jesu ...
, the promised savior in Islam. In a Shia tradition, however, al-Baqir suggests that Umar's good deeds would not redeem him, for he had usurped the imam's right to rule.


Hisham ()

Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik summoned al-Baqir to the Umayyad capital
Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...
several times and imprisoned him at least once. During these visits, the caliph apparently held theological debates in which al-Baqir emerged victorious. On one occasion, the caliph ordered al-Baqir to join an ongoing archery practice, probably hoping to embarrass him, but was astonished by al-Baqir's excellent marksmanship.


Death

Although 732 (114 AH) and 735 (117 AH) are commonly reported, there is considerable disagreement about when al-Baqir died, ranging from 732 to 736. He was about fifty-seven years old at the time, and most likely died before Zayd's revolt in 740. Twelvers annually commemorate his death on the seventh of
Dhu al-Hijja Dhu al-Hijjah (also Dhu al-Hijja ) is the twelfth and final month in the Islamic calendar. Being one of the four sacred months during which war is forbidden, it is the month in which the '' Ḥajj'' () takes place as well as Eid al-Adha (). T ...
. As with the rest of the
twelve imams The Twelve Imams (, '; , ') are the spiritual and political successors to the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Twelver branch of Shia Islam, including that of the Alawite and Alevi. According to Twelver theology, the Twelve Imams are exemp ...
, Shia sources report that al-Baqir was killed. There is no consensus about the details, and different sources accuse Hisham or his successor,
al-Walid II Al-Walid ibn Yazid ibn Abd al-Malik (; 70917 April 744), commonly known as al-Walid II, was the eleventh Umayyad caliph, ruling from 743 until his assassination in 744. He succeeded his uncle, Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik. Birth and background Al-W ...
(), of poisoning al-Baqir. According to another account, al-Baqir was poisoned by his cousin, Zayd ibn al-Hasan, once the latter failed to wrest control of the Islamic prophet's inheritance from al-Baqir. Al-Baqir is buried in the
Al-Baqi ''Jannat al-Baqī'' (, "The Baqi'", ) is the oldest and first Islamic cemetery of Medina located in the Hejazi region of present-day Saudi Arabia. It is also known as ''Baqi al-Gharqad'' (, meaning "Baqiʿ of the Boxthorn"). Al-Baqi is reporte ...
Cemetery in Medina. A shrine stood over his grave until its demolition in 1806 and then again around 1925, both times carried out by
Wahhabis Wahhabism is an exonym for a Salafi revivalist movement within Sunni Islam named after the 18th-century Hanbali scholar Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. It was initially established in the central Arabian region of Najd and later spread to other ...
.


Imamate

After al-Sajjad, most of his followers accepted the imamate of his eldest son Muhammad. These were the Imamites, who were the forerunners of
Twelver Twelver Shi'ism (), also known as Imamism () or Ithna Ashari, is the Islamic schools and branches, largest branch of Shia Islam, Shi'a Islam, comprising about 90% of all Shi'a Muslims. The term ''Twelver'' refers to its adherents' belief in twel ...
and
Isma'ili Ismailism () is a branch of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor (Imamate in Nizari doctrine, imām) to Ja'far al-Sadiq, wherein they differ from the ...
Shias. Twelver and Isma'ili sources indeed report that al-Sajjad had earlier designated al-Baqir as his successor. Followers of al-Baqir, however, were in minority compared to the rival
Kaysanites The Kaysanites () were a Shi'i sect of Islam that formed from the followers of Al-Mukhtar. They traced Imamate from Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah and his descendants. The name Kaysaniyya was most likely derived from the name of Mukhtar's chief gua ...
, which was a (now-extinct) Shia group that traced the
imamate The term imamate or ''imamah'' (, ''imāmah'') means "leadership" and refers to the office of an ''imam'' or a Muslim theocratic state ruled by an ''imam''. Theology *Imamate in Shia doctrine, the doctrine of the leadership of the Muslim commu ...
through
Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya (, , 15–81 AH) was a son of Ali ibn Abi Talib, who was the fourth caliph in Sunni Islam () and the first imam in Shia Islam. Ibn al-Hanafiyya was an effective lieutenant for his father Ali during his caliphate. After ...
, son of Ali ibn Abi Talib and Khawla bint Ja'far, a woman from the
Banu Hanifa Banu Hanifa () is an ancient Arab tribe inhabiting the area of al-Yamama in the central region of modern-day Saudi Arabia. The tribe belongs to the great Rabi'ah branch of North Arabian tribes, which also included Abdul Qays, Taghlib, al-N ...
tribe. Nevertheless, al-Baqir had an advantage over these non-Fatimid claimants because of his prestigious lineage from Ali ibn Abi Talib and Fatima, the only surviving daughter of the Islamic prophet.


Zayd ibn Ali

Another claimant to leadership was
Zayd ibn Ali Zayd ibn ʿAlī (; 695–740), also spelled Zaid, was the son of Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-Abidin, and great-grandson of Ali ibn Abi Talib. He led an unsuccessful revolt against the Umayyad Caliphate, in which he died. The event gave rise to t ...
, a much younger half-brother of al-Baqir. It is not certain, however, if Zayd was a rival for al-Baqir. Despite their disagreements, relationship between the two brothers is described as cordial. The quiescent al-Baqir even attempted to dissuade the politically active Zayd from rebellion. In 740, not long after al-Baqir's death, Zayd took up arms against the Umayyads but was defeated and killed by Caliph Hisham. Zayd's activism initially gained him a larger following than al-Baqir, especially because the former accommodated some of the majority views. For instance, even though Zayd regarded Ali ibn Abi Talib more qualified to succeed the Islamic prophet, he refused to condemn the first two caliphs, namely,
Abu Bakr Abd Allah ibn Abi Quhafa (23 August 634), better known by his ''Kunya (Arabic), kunya'' Abu Bakr, was a senior Sahaba, companion, the closest friend, and father-in-law of Muhammad. He served as the first caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate, ruli ...
and
Umar Umar ibn al-Khattab (; ), also spelled Omar, was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () and is regarded as a senior companion and father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Mu ...
. Such views, however, cost Zayd part of his Shia support, most of whom condemn Abu Bakr and Umar as usurpers of Ali's right to the caliphate. Those Shia Muslims who thus rejected Zayd joined al-Baqir or his son Ja'far. Zayd's rebellion marks the beginning of the Zaydi movement, a Shia subsect that has survived to present day in
Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...
. Muhammad al-Baqir also challenged al-Hasan al-Muthanna and two of his sons for controlling the prophet's inheritance and for claiming to be the Mahdi.


Politics

Like his father, al-Baqir was politically quiescent, to the point that some have suggested that he did not claim the imamate. Indeed, al-Baqir's notion of imamate was based primarily on knowledge rather than political power, although he also considered Shia imams entitled to the latter. Al-Baqir instead focused on religious teaching, attracting a growing number of visitors, students, and followers. He is often credited with laying the foundations of Twelver and Isma'ili doctrines and law. Among key Shia doctrines that took their definitive form under al-Baqir are imamate, sacred alliance () and separation (), and religious dissimulation (). As for law, al-Baqir is often regarded as the founding father of Twelver and Isma'ili jurisprudence. In particular, al-Baqir's imamate marks the transition of the Shia community to completely rely on their own imams in matters of law and rituals. As for religious dues, al-Baqir accepted gifts but did not collect (), another Islamic alms which was likely enforced by later imams.


Ghulat

Several traditions of al-Baqir are against the
Ghulat The () were a branch of history of Shia Islam, early Shi'a Islam. The term mainly refers to a wide variety of List of extinct Shia sects, extinct Shi'i sects active in 8th- and 9th-century Kufa in Lower Mesopotamia, and who, despite their somet ...
(). These often conferred divinity on Shia imams or had other extreme beliefs, such as
anthropomorphism Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
and
metempsychosis In philosophy and theology, metempsychosis () is the transmigration of the soul, especially its reincarnation after death. The term is derived from ancient Greek philosophy, and has been recontextualized by modern philosophers such as Arthur Sc ...
. For instance, al-Baqir condemned Mughira ibn Sa'id al-Bajali, who said that the imam was divine. Mughira has also been accused of falsifying al-Baqir's traditions. Similarly, al-Baqir denounced Bayan ibn Sam'an, who apparently claimed to be a prophet.


Miracles

Some miracles are attributed to al-Baqir in Shia sources. He is reported to have conversed with animals, returned sight to a blind, and foretold future events, such Zayd's death in battle, collapse of the Umayyads, and the accession of the
Abbasid caliph The Abbasid caliphs were the holders of the Islamic title of caliph who were members of the Abbasid dynasty, a branch of the Quraysh tribe descended from the uncle of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, Al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib. The family came ...
,
al-Mansur Abū Jaʿfar ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad al-Manṣūr (; ‎; 714 – 6 October 775) usually known simply as by his laqab al-Manṣūr () was the second Abbasid caliph, reigning from 754 to 775 succeeding his brother al-Saffah (). He is known ...
().


Succession

When al-Baqir died, most of his followers accepted the imamate of his eldest son Ja'far, aged about thirty-seven at the time. Ja'far is often known by the honorific (). On multiple occasions, al-Baqir seems to have told his followers about his preference for Ja'far. Apparently some did not accept al-Baqir's death and awaited his return as the Mahdi. After al-Baqir's death, some Ghulat figures claimed to have inherited extraordinary powers from him, including Bayan ibn Sam'an and Abu Mansur al-Ijli.


Appearance and character

The Shia scholar
Ibn Shahrashub Zayn al-Dīn Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī ibn Shahrāshūb ibn Abī Naṣr ibn Abī al-Jaysh (Arabic: زین الدین أبوجعفر محمد بن علي بن شهرآشوب بن أبي نصر بن أبي الجيش), more commonly known sim ...
() describes al-Baqir as medium height, with delicate skin and slightly curly hair. He adds that al-Baqir had birthmarks, one on his cheek, and that he had a beautiful voice and a slender waist. By contrast, al-Mufid (), another Shia scholar, describes al-Baqir as a "well-built man," as translated by the Islamicist I.K.A. Howard, or "big-bodied," as translated by M. Pierce, another Islamicist. Such differences may reflect the changing social standards over centuries. Muhammad al-Baqir is said to have been extremely generous, pious, and peaceful by nature. According to some Shia accounts, al-Baqir did not spare himself and his family from wearing good clothes and eating delicious food, and this behavior attracted attention at a time when the tendencies of giving up the world were widespread. He used to work in the field to earn a living on par with his servants, and the motivation for this work, he said, was obedience to God and not needing people. According to a narration by Ja'far al-Sadiq, al-Baqir had less income but more expenses compared to other family members. He treated his relatives with good food and gave them good clothes. He also helped his servants in difficult tasks. According to
Ibn Asakir Ibn Asakir (; 1105–c. 1176) was a Syrian Sunni Islamic scholar, who was one of the most prominent and renowned experts on Hadith and Islamic history in the medieval era. and a disciple of the Sufi mystic Abu al-Najib Suhrawardi. Ibn Asakir was ...
and
Ibn Qutaybah Abū Muḥammad ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muslim ibn Qutayba al-Dīnawarī al-Marwazī better known simply as Ibn Qutaybah (; c. 828 – 13 November 889 CE/213 – 15 Rajab 276 AH) was an Islamic scholar of Persian people, Persian descent. He served as a q ...
, although he was saddened by his son's illness, he did not mourn his death, because he considered this to be an act of opposition to God.


Contributions

In his lifetime, al-Baqir was regarded as a prominent transmitter of prophetic traditions. As a Shia imam, al-Baqir's own sayings and deeds have also been recorded in Shia sources, including some fifteen percent of the traditions collected in the celebrated . Such is the extent of his contributions that Shia traditions attributed to al-Baqir and his successor al-Sadiq outnumber all other Shia imams and the prophet combined. As the first Shia imam who engaged in systematic teaching, al-Baqir is also credited with laying the doctrinal and legal foundations of Twelver Shi'ism, which were further developed by al-Sadiq. Contributions of al-Baqir to Twelver doctrine and law are collected in the six-volume , compiled by A. al-Utaridi. Al-Baqir may also be regarded as the father of Isma'ili and Zaydi jurisprudence. Finally, al-Baqir significantly contributed to Twelver exegesis of the Quran and two commentaries are attributed to him.


Contributions to theology


Imamate

Al-Baqir's doctrine of imamate, further elaborated by his successor al-Sadiq, characterized the necessary qualities of imams, particularly their divinely-inspired designation ( ), their esoteric knowledge (), and their infallibility ( ), all of which distinguished imams as the best of mankind, representatives of God on earth, and the only source of spiritual guidance. In particular, after Muhammad, they are the only authoritative interpreters of the Quran, the exalted part of which actually refers to them and Muhammad. In contrast, as the executer of religious laws, imamate or caliphate is essentially a political function in Sunni Islam, where caliphs are ideally appointed by consensus, although hereditary caliphate is the norm. In al-Baqir's view, imamate is confined to descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, from the marriage of his daughter Fatima to his cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib. Following a divine mandate, each imam is designated by his predecessor (), beginning with Ali himself who was designated by the prophet at the
Ghadir Khumm The Ghadīr Khumm () was a gathering of Muslims to attend a sermon delivered by the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad on 16 March 632 Common Era, CE. The gathering is said to have taken place by the ''ghadir'' () in the ...
. For instance, al-Baqir cited the Quranic verse 2:124, according to which, God designated
Abraham Abraham (originally Abram) is the common Hebrews, Hebrew Patriarchs (Bible), patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father who began the Covenant (biblical), covenanta ...
as imam and also granted this favor to those of his progeny who are not evildoers. Crucially, the hereditary nature of imamate in al-Baqir's doctrine closed the field to outside claimants. is often accompanied in Shia sources by inheritance of secret religious scrolls and the prophet's weapons. The latter paralleled the
Ark of the Covenant The Ark of the Covenant, also known as the Ark of the Testimony or the Ark of God, was a religious storage chest and relic held to be the most sacred object by the Israelites. Religious tradition describes it as a wooden storage chest decorat ...
for the
Israelites Israelites were a Hebrew language, Hebrew-speaking ethnoreligious group, consisting of tribes that lived in Canaan during the Iron Age. Modern scholarship describes the Israelites as emerging from indigenous Canaanites, Canaanite populations ...
. In al-Baqir's doctrine, imams are distinguished by their esoteric knowledge, which they inherited from Ali. In turn, Ali received this knowledge from the prophet, a reference to the well-known prophetic tradition, "I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate." In particular, imams know the true exegesis () of the Quran, a reference to the famous hadith of the , attributed to the prophet. Al-Baqir's doctrine of imamate was thus primarily based on knowledge rather than political power, although he also considered imams entitled to the latter. The divinely-inspired knowledge of imams and prophets are similar but imams could only hear (and not see) the archangels, according to al-Baqir. According to al-Baqir, imams also inherit certain spiritual and primordial lights () referenced in the Quran.Their divine knowledge and spiritual light protect imams from sins, for which al-Baqir cited the verse of purification. Already in his lifetime, some followers of al-Baqir regarded him as infallible. By implication, al-Baqir's doctrine gave imams absolute spiritual authority over Muslims, resting on the absolute authority of the prophet. His doctrine also held imams as the sole spiritual guides in life and the source of intercession in the afterlife. In al-Baqir's view, imams are the highest proofs ( ) of God and guides towards Him, without whom the world cannot exist for a moment. Not only obedience to imams is obligatory in al-Baqir's interpretation of the verse of obedience, but love for them is also mandated in his exegesis of the verse of . Shias thus form an all-encompassing bond of spiritual loyalty ( ) with their imams, who are both masters and supportive friends in the journey of the spirit. Identifying his imam is a religious duty for every Muslim, and those who die without knowing their imam have died a death of ignorance ( Jahilliya). Furthermore, willfull opposition to imams is a grave sin and staunch enemies of imams are destined for hellfire. To support his theory, al-Baqir relied on his interpretations of various Quranic verses and prophetic traditions. For instance, al-Baqir emphasized his interpretation of the verse of , according to which Ali was granted the guardianship () of Muslims, on par with the prophet. According to al-Baqir, fearing backlash from some, the prophet was reluctant to publicly announce the of Ali until he was spurred to do so (at the Ghadir Khumm) by the verse of tabligh. The prophetic traditions that al-Baqir invoked include the hadith of the Ghadir Khumm and the
hadith of the position The hadith of the position () is a widely-reported saying (hadith), attributed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad, that equates the standing of his cousin and son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib to him with the standing of Aaron to Moses, with the except ...
.


Nature of God

A hotly debated issue at the time was whether the Quran, thought to be the word of God, was created or eternal. Those who believed in predetermination argued that the Quran was eternal for God has always known the events referenced in the Quran. In contrast, those who advocated for free will thought that the Quran was created in time. Al-Baqir held that the Quran was neither created nor eternal. Rather, it is the word of the Creator. More generally, al-Baqir held that all attributes of God were eternal but only as adjectives. For instance, "knowing", "hearing", and "seeing" are how God characterizes himself. These help believers understand something about God but are not to be confused with Him. In al-Baqir's view, God is beyond human imagination. He thus advised his followers to discuss God's creation rather than his nature. When asked if he has seen God, al-Baqir responded that God could not be seen by eyes but can be apprehended by the inner reality of faith. On another controversial topic, al-Baqir held that God was a thing, but a thing incomparable to all other things, something neither cognisable nor delimited.


Faith ()

By definition, a () and a Muslim are characterized, respectively, by the two notions of () and (). Citing the Quranic verse 49:14, al-Baqir defined Muslims as those who confess Islam in words and outwardly practice Islamic rites, such as praying and fasting. In his view, however, is more exclusive than , that is, the former implies the latter but not vice versa. More specifically, al-Baqir held that is a Muslim with inner faith, a faith demonstrated through fulfillment of religious duties. The foremost among these duties is the to (Shia) imams. There are indeed numerous traditions attributed to al-Baqir about , the importance of which, in his view, is such that one's good deeds would not be accepted without . Yet al-Baqir also curtailed this absolutist perspective by emphasizing that cannot be attained without virtue and piety. In addition to , al-Baqir listed the remaining duties of a as (), prayer, fasting, pilgrimage (
Hajj Hajj (; ; also spelled Hadj, Haj or Haji) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for capable Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetim ...
), and (striving in God's way). He also listed (), (), (), and () as the pillars of . Al-Baqir thus identified an intermediate state between and (disbelief). This gray area was further characterized by his successor al-Sadiq, who held that a Muslim who does not harbor enmity towards the
Ahl al-Bayt () refers to the family of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. In Sunni Islam, the term has also been extended to all descendants of the Banu Hashim (Muhammad's clan) and even to all Muslims. In Shia Islam, the term is limited to Muhammad, his daugh ...
and their followers is neither nor (disbeliever). That is, such non-Shias are considered Muslims, with their due legal rights, but not (true) believers. By implication, al-Baqir considered righteous action as an integral component of , a view that sharply differed from Murji'ites and
Kharijites The Kharijites (, singular ) were an Islamic sect which emerged during the First Fitna (656–661). The first Kharijites were supporters of Ali who rebelled against his acceptance of arbitration talks to settle the conflict with his challeng ...
, two contemporary currents. The former did not consider good conduct essential to , with the political implication that dissent and disobedience were discouraged, even if Muslim rulers were corrupt. For Kharijites, in contrast, anyone who committed a mortal sin automatically apostated. In al-Baqir's view, had degrees of perfection and could vary over time. In particular, he held that new (religious) knowledge, when put into action, would strengthen one's . Later Sunni thought similarly adopted the notion of gradated .


Predestination

Under Umayyads, predestination, the belief that God has pre-ordained everything, was likely promoted to justify their rule and encourage moral complacency. In contrast, there were others who believed in free will. Among this latter group, some held that all that is good is created by God and everything bad is from men. Al-Baqir rejected both views, saying that there was a third position between predestination and free will. He argued that God is too merciful to force his creatures to sin and then punish them and that He is too mighty to will a thing that would not transpire. In words of his successor al-Sadiq, God predestined some things but left others to man. Closely related is the early doctrine of , that is, advancement or postponement of an act of creation, depending on circumstances, without any change to the overall design and intention of God. The doctrine of thus describes an intermediate position between predestination and free will: God's decision on some matters remain suspended, according to al-Baqir, subject to advancement and postponement, until the autonomous choice of His creatures has occurred. Only then His definite decision is made. In turn, is closely tied to the concept of abrogation ( ) of some verses of the Quran.


Religious dissimulation ()

Muhammad al-Baqir is often credited with formulating the Shia doctrine of , that is, precautionary dissimulation to avoid persecution. was intended for the survival of Shia imams and their followers, for Shias were molested in al-Baqir's time to the point that he thought that it was easier to be a nonbeliever ( ). Traditions attributed to al-Baqir thus encourage his followers to hide their faith for their safety, some even characterizing as a pillar of faith. For instance, al-Baqir is not known to have publicly reviled Abu Bakr and Umar, most likely because he exercised . Indeed, al-Baqir's conviction that the Islamic prophet had explicitly designated Ali ibn Abi Talib as his successor implies that Abu Bakr and Umar lacked legitimacy. Al-Baqir's quiescent views sharply differed from
Mu'tazilites Mu'tazilism (, singular ) is an Islamic theological school that appeared in early Islamic history and flourished in Basra and Baghdad. Its adherents, the Mu'tazilites, were known for their neutrality in the dispute between Ali and his opponents ...
, who held that
enjoining good and forbidding wrong Enjoining good and forbidding wrong () are two important duties imposed by God in Islam as revealed in the Quran and Hadith. This expression is the base of the classical Islamic institution of ''ḥisba'', the individual or collective duty (depe ...
should be enforced by force, if necessary. The notion of was not unfamiliar to early Muslims. When Ammar, an early companion of the Islamic prophet, renounced his faith under torture, Muhammad is said to have approved his conduct. The Quranic verse 16:106 is often connected to this episode. Other Quranic verses suggest that Abraham and
Joseph Joseph is a common male name, derived from the Hebrew (). "Joseph" is used, along with " Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the modern-day Nordic count ...
both practice dissimulation, the former when he said he was ill and the latter when his brother was accused of theft.


Religious dissociation ()

Al-Baqir also taught the doctrine of , that is, dissociation from the first three caliphs and the majority of the prophet's companions as enemies of Shia imams. Indeed, Imamites regard the early caliphs as usurpers of Ali's right to succeed the prophet.


Contributions to jurisprudence

Al-Baqir founded what later developed into the Twelver school of law and consolidated some characteristic practices of the Shia. For instance, in the call to daily prayer ( ), al-Baqir added the expression (), an expression that was removed by Umar, according to Shia and some early Sunni sources. Al-Baqir also defended () marriage, saying that it was a practice sanctioned by the Islamic prophet, but later abandoned by Umar. In these rulings, al-Baqir thus sided with Ali ibn Abi Talib and
Ibn Abbas ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbbās (; c. 619 – 687 CE), also known as Ibn ʿAbbās, was one of the cousins of the Prophets and messengers in Islam, prophet Muhammad. He is considered to be the greatest Tafsir#Conditions, mufassir of the Quran, Qur'an. ...
, two influential figures in early Islam. Another distinct ruling of al-Baqir was that wiping one's footwear before prayer, though common at the time, was unacceptable as a substitute for washing one's feet. Al-Baqir also forbade all intoxicants, whereas
Kufa Kufa ( ), also spelled Kufah, is a city in Iraq, about south of Baghdad, and northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates, Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000. Along with Samarra, Karbala, Kadhimiya ...
n jurists of his time permitted fermented drinks (). He also maintained that, under threat of death or injury, self-protection through dissimulation () is obligatory. Finally, is an extant treatise on the rituals of , attributed to al-Baqir and narrated by his disciple Abu al-Jurad Ziyad ibn Mundhir. Shia imams expected their disciples to seek (and then follow) their advice about new legal questions, or else answer those questions by applying limited reasoning within the general framework provided by imams. Al-Baqir is indeed known to have rebuked those who went beyond this framework, including Muhammad ibn al-Hakim and Muhammad al-Tayyar. In particular, al-Baqir discouraged his followers from (individual reasoning) or applying () and (). He considered these methods speculative and lacking in religious authority, which, in his view, was limited to Shia imams as the only authoritative interpretors of the Quran and the prophetic tradition ( ).


Contributions to Quranic exegesis

Muhammad al-Baqir is credited with the Quranic exegesis (), narrated by his disciple Ibn al-Mundhir. Parts of this work have survived in , written by the Twelver scholar al-Qummi (). This commentary is ranked first by the Twelver bibliographer
al-Najashi Najāshi or al-Najāshī () may refer to: *Najashi The ''Najashi'' () was the Arabic term for the ruler of the Kingdom of Aksum () who reigned from 614 to 630. It is agreed by Muslim scholars that Najashi gave shelter to early Muslim refugees f ...
() among early Quranic commentaries. Similarly, is a collection of exegetical traditions, ascribed to al-Baqir and narrated by his disciple Jabir ibn Yazid al-Ju'fi. In , an extensive Twelver exegesis of the Quran, al-Baqir is the authority for thirteen percent of its traditions, behind only the prophet and al-Sadiq.


Notable disciples

Muhammad al-Baqir may have been the first Shia imam who systematically taught Shia beliefs. Even though he lived in Medina, the main following of al-Baqir was in Kufa, where he attracted a number of distinguished theologians.
Basra Basra () is a port city in Iraq, southern Iraq. It is the capital of the eponymous Basra Governorate, as well as the List of largest cities of Iraq, third largest city in Iraq overall, behind Baghdad and Mosul. Located near the Iran–Iraq bor ...
, Mecca, and
Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
were other places where al-Baqir's students were based. More than four hundred and sixty names are listed as students of al-Baqir in al-Rijal, a Twelver work on biographical evaluation authored by al-Kashahi ().


Kufa

Al-Baqir had several distinguished disciples in Kufa, where Jabir al-Ju'fi was his main representative. Jabir is the authority for some traditions in , which parallels ''
Infancy Gospel of Thomas The ''Infancy Gospel of Thomas'' is an apocryphal gospel about the childhood of Jesus. The scholarly consensus dates it to the mid-to-late second century, with the oldest extant fragmentary manuscript dating to the fourth or fifth century, ...
'' in gnostic
Christology In Christianity, Christology is a branch of Christian theology, theology that concerns Jesus. Different denominations have different opinions on questions such as whether Jesus was human, divine, or both, and as a messiah what his role would b ...
. In its "Apocalypse of Jabir," al-Baqir confides to Jabir how the cosmos were created, how men descended to this world, and how they can gain deliverance from it. Some have accused Jabir of extremism ( ) and his reliability is debated in Shia circles. is said to contain Jabir's views about Isma'ilism. Zurara ibn A'yan was already a prominent traditionist and theologian before joining al-Baqir's circle. Zurara apparently disagreed with al-Baqir about some theological issues. For instance, unlike al-Baqir, Zurara argued that there is no intermediate state between a believer and a nonbeliever. By some accounts, Zurara later fell out with al-Sadiq, but perhaps the imam distanced himself from Zurara only in public to save the latter from persecution. Aban ibn Taghlib was another associate of al-Baqir and later of al-Sadiq. An outstanding jurist, Aban was authorized by al-Baqir to issue legal rulings for the public. Despite his Shia tendencies, Aban's traditions have been cited in Sunni sources.
Abu Basir al-Asadi Yaḥyā b. Abī l-Qāsim al-Asadī (Arabic: یحیی بن أبی‌القاسم الأسدی) (d. 150 AH / 767 AD), known as Abū Baṣīr al-Asadī (أبوبصیر الأسدی) or simply Abu Basir was a Imamiyyah, Imami figure in Kufa. Abu Basir ...
is among the consensus companions of al-Baqir and al-Sadiq, that is, those whose traditions are generally accepted in Shia circles. Muhammad ibn Muslim, another close associate of al-Baqir and al-Sadiq, was a prominent jurist and traditionist, who is said to have transmitted some thirty thousand traditions from al-Baqir. Fudayl ibn Yasar was another favorite of al-Baqir and al-Sadiq, whom the latter apparently compared to
Salman al-Farsi Salman Farsi (; ) was a Persian religious scholar and one of the companions of Muhammad. As a practicing Zoroastrian, he dedicated much of his early life to studying to become a magus, after which he began travelling extensively throughout Weste ...
, the famous companion of the Islamic prophet. Abu al-Qasim al-Ijli and Abu Basir al-Muradi, both notable jurists and traditionists, were associates of al-Baqir and al-Sadiq. Abu Hamza al-Thumali and Abu Khalid al-Kabuli, were two followers of al-Baqir and earlier of al-Sajjad. In particular, some traditions narrated by Abu Hamza are of miraculous nature.
Al-Kumayt ibn Zayd al-Asadi al-Kumayt ibn Zayd al-Asadi () (679/680 – 743 CE) was a renowned Arabian poet from Kufa and a devout supporter of al-Baqir. His ''Hashimiyyat'', in praise of the Ahl al-Bayt, is considered among the earliest evidence for the doctrine of imam ...
was a poet supporter of al-Baqir, praised by him for laudatory poems about the Ahl al-Bayt. Kumayt's , in praise of the Ahl al-Bayt, is indeed considered among the earliest evidence for the doctrine of
imamat The term imamate or ''imamah'' (, ''imāmah'') means "leadership" and refers to the office of an ''imam'' or a Muslim theocratic state ruled by an ''imam''. Theology *Imamate in Shia doctrine, the doctrine of the leadership of the Muslim commu ...
e, and perhaps the earliest dateable reference to the Ghadir Khumm. Likely to avoid persecution, Kumayt also occasionally wrote in praise of the Umayyads. Mu'min al-Taq was another follower of al-Baqir, who wrote and debated about imamate. Ibn Mundhir was a close disciple of al-Baqir and the principal transmitter of He later supported Zayd's rebellion and founded the
Jarudiyya Jarudiyya (, ), also known as Jarudism, is among the first branches of Zaydi Islam, attributed to Abu'l-Jarud al-Hamdani. Among the theorists of the Jarudiyya are Fadl ibn Zubayr al-Rasani, Mansur ibn Abi al-Aswad, and Harun ibn Saad al-Ajli. Abu ...
, the Zaydi sect closest in doctrine to Twelver Shi'ism.


Elsewhere

Basra was not a Shia center, but al-Baqir had a few notable disciples there, including Muhammad ibn Marwan al-Basri, Isma'il ibn Fadl al-Hashemi, Malek ibn A'yan al-Juhani. In Mecca, al-Baqir's circle included Ma'ruf ibn Kharbuz Makki and Maymun ibn al-Aswad al-Qaddah. The latter was likely a merchant and in charge of al-Baqir's property in Mecca. One of Maymun's sons, Abdullah, is the alleged ancestor of Isma'ili imams. Elsewhere, prominent followers of al-Baqir included Muhammad ibn Isma'il Bazi and other members of Bazi's family, Abu Harun and his namesake, Abu Harun Makfuf, and also Uqba ibn Bashir al-Asadi, Aslam al-Makki, and Najiyy ibn Abi Mu'adh ibn Muslim.


Views


Sunni view

Muhammad al-Baqir is regarded as a reliable () traditionist in Sunni Islam, distinct in that he accepted only those prophetic traditions that had been reported by his predecessors. Among those scholars who drew from al-Baqir's traditions are
al-Shafi'i Al-Shafi'i (; ;767–820 CE) was a Muslim scholar, jurist, muhaddith, traditionist, theologian, ascetic, and eponym of the Shafi'i school of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence. He is known to be the first to write a book upon the principles ...
() and
Ibn Hanbal Ahmad ibn Hanbal (; (164-241 AH; 780 – 855 CE) was an Arab Muslim scholar, jurist, theologian, traditionist, ascetic and eponym of the Hanbali school of Islamic jurisprudence—one of the four major orthodox legal schools of Sunni Islam. Th ...
(), the eponymous founders of the
Hanbali The Hanbali school or Hanbalism is one of the four major schools of Islamic jurisprudence, belonging to the Ahl al-Hadith tradition within Sunni Islam. It is named after and based on the teachings of the 9th-century scholar, jurist and tradit ...
and
Shafi'i The Shafi'i school or Shafi'i Madhhab () or Shafi'i is one of the four major schools of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), belonging to the Ahl al-Hadith tradition within Sunni Islam. It was founded by the Muslim scholar, jurist, and traditionis ...
schools of law, respectively, and the famed Sunni historian
al-Tabari Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn Jarīr ibn Yazīd al-Ṭabarī (; 839–923 CE / 224–310 AH), commonly known as al-Ṭabarī (), was a Sunni Muslim scholar, polymath, historian, exegete, jurist, and theologian from Amol, Tabaristan, present- ...
(). In particular, al-Baqir is the authority for over a hundred traditions in the six canonical collections of Sunni hadith. However, some have criticized al-Baqir for directly quoting individuals who had died before him. Despite al-Baqir's reputation as a reliable traditionist, he is rarely cited in Sunni collections of hadith, compared to their Shia counterparts. This might be because Sunni traditionists "picked and chose" from traditions attributed to al-Baqir, or perhaps because they intentionally discarded the numerous Shia-colored traditions attributed to him. Those traditions of al-Baqir that do appear in Sunni collections have different chains of transmission compared to their Shia counterparts. These Sunni traditions portray al-Baqir as a proto-Sunni scholar who denounced Shias and their beliefs. For instance, unlike Shia sources, later Sunni authors maintain that al-Baqir supported Abu Bakr and Umar, called them imams, and said that one should pray behind Umayyads. In Sunni Islam, al-Baqir is also regarded as an authority in jurisprudence. For instance, Abu Hanifa (), the eponym of the Hanafi school of law,
Ibn Jurayj Abd al-Malik ibn Abd al-Aziz ibn Jurayj (, 80 AH/699 CE - 150 AH/767 CE) was an eighth-century ''faqīh'', exegete and hadith transmitter from the Taba' at-Tabi'in. Biography Ibn Jurayj was born in Mecca in 80 AH/699 CE. His father Abd al-Aziz w ...
(), and
Awza'i The Awza'i school () was one of the schools of Fiqh, the Islamic jurisprudence, or religious law within Sunni Islam in the 8th century. Its Imam was Abd al-Rahman al-Awza'i. History In the Maghreb and al-Andalus Since the Umayyad conquest an ...
() deferred to al-Baqir in legal matters. The Sunni attitude towards al-Baqir is reflected in the following reports. The exegesis attributed to al-Baqir tops the list of Quranic works compiled by the Sunni bibliographer
Ibn al-Nadim Abū al-Faraj Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq an-Nadīm (), also Ibn Abī Yaʿqūb Isḥāq ibn Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq al-Warrāq, and commonly known by the '' nasab'' (patronymic) Ibn an-Nadīm (; died 17 September 995 or 998), was an important Muslim ...
(). Abd Allah ibn Ata al-Makki thought that other scholars felt humbled in al-Baqir's presence. According to the Sunni traditionist Muhammad ibn Munkadir (), al-Baqir was the only scholar who surpassed his father, al-Sajjad. Sunni sources also describe Abu Hanifa as a prominent disciple of al-Baqir, even saying that the latter prophesied that the former would revive the .


Twelver and Isma'ili view

Muhammad al-Baqir is an imam for Twelvers and Isma'ilis, who constitute the overwhelming majority of Shia Muslims. For them, after the prophet, Shia imams are regarded as the sole source of religious guidance, fostering an all-encompassing bond of loyalty () with their Shias. Al-Baqir is also regarded as a founding authority in Shia jurisprudence, and a significant contributor to Shia theology. Al-Baqir is considered here as the foremost religious authority of his time, unlike Sunnism. His status is such that a tradition with interrupted or broken chain of transmission would be deemed reliable when narrated by him.


Zaydi view

Muhammad al-Baqir is a prominent figure in Zaydism. His traditions appear in some Zaydi works, and he has heavily influenced Zaydi jurisprudence. However, the quiescent al-Baqir is generally not recognized as an imam in Zaydism, for Zaydi imams are required to be politically active. In Zaydi works, al-Baqir acknowledges Zayd's superior knowledge and implicitly Zayd's claims to the imamate.


Sufi view

Muhammad al-Baqir is regarded as a founding figure in
Sufism Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...
, where he is noted for his asceticism and piety. In Sufism, al-Baqir is portrayed as an authority in esoteric sciences and the hidden dimensions of the Quran, and a gnostic who performed miracles (). It is related that al-Baqir defined Sufism as "goodness of disposition: He that has the better disposition is the better Sufi."


Family

Muhammad al-Baqir was married to
Umm Farwa Fāṭima bint al-Qāsim (), commonly known by her kunya Umm Farwa (), was the wife of the fifth Imam Muhammad al-Baqir and the mother of his successor, Ja'far al-Sadiq. She was also the great-granddaughter of the Rashidun caliph Abu Bakr. Fami ...
, who bore him two sons. One of them was Ja'far, who later succeeded al-Baqir. Umm Hakim, daughter of Usayd al-Thaqafi, was al-Baqir's other wife, from whom two more sons were born, although both died in childhood. Al-Baqir had three more sons, all of whom were born to a concubine. According to the Shia genealogist Alawi al-Umari, al-Baqir's lineage has continued only through Ja'far.


See also

*
Family tree of Muhammad This family tree is about the relatives of the Islamic prophet Muhammad as a family member of the family of Hashim and the Quraysh tribe which is ‘Adnani. "The ‘arabicised or arabicising Arabs’, on the contrary, are believed to be the des ...
*
Ali al-Sajjad Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Sajjad (, – 712), also known as Zayn al-Abidin () was the great-grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and the fourth imam in Shia Islam, succeeding his father, Husayn ibn Ali, his uncle, Hasan ibn Ali, and his gr ...
*
Jafar al-Sadiq Ja'far al-Sadiq (; –765) was a Muslim hadith transmitter and the last agreed-upon Shia Imam between the Twelvers and Isma'ilis. Known by the title al-Sadiq ("The Truthful"), Ja'far was the eponymous founder of the Ja'fari school of Islamic ...
*
Jabir ibn Abd Allah Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr ibn Ḥarām al-Anṣārī (, died 697 CE/78 AH), Abu Muhammad and Abu Abd al-Rahman also wrote his nickname was a prominent companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and narrator of Hadith. Imami sources say ...
*
Zayd ibn Ali Zayd ibn ʿAlī (; 695–740), also spelled Zaid, was the son of Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-Abidin, and great-grandson of Ali ibn Abi Talib. He led an unsuccessful revolt against the Umayyad Caliphate, in which he died. The event gave rise to t ...
*
Zaydism Zaydism () is a branch of Shia Islam that emerged in the eighth century following Zayd ibn Ali's unsuccessful rebellion against the Umayyad Caliphate. Zaydism is one of the three main branches of Shi'ism, with the other two being Twelverism ...
* Mashhad Ardehal


Footnotes


Notes


Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Muhammad Baqir 677 births 733 deaths 7th-century Arab people 8th-century Arab people 8th-century imams Twelve Imams Deaths by poisoning Husaynids Burials at Jannat al-Baqī