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Introduction

All praise belongs to Allah, the purest and most blessed of praise. We praise Him until He is pleased, and we praise Him after he is pleased as well. May the choicest mercies and blessings descend upon the best of the children of Adam ‘alayh al Salam, our master and our beloved—the coolness of our eyes—Muhammad salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and his pure Ahlul Bayt and all his Companions.

In this treatise I will attempt to present before the respected readers the life and achievements of one of the great scholars of the Muslims and of the Ahlul Bayt: Imam Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Hussain radiya Llahu ‘anhum commonly known as al Baqir.

There are a number of reasons why I have selected this personality and this topic, among them is:

1. The scarcity of books—which are free from exaggeration or conciseness—discussing the life of this illustrious scholar, and the absence of any literature which gathers the authentic narrations of Imam al Baqir rahimahu Llah concerning ‘aqa’id (belief), Fiqh (jurisprudence), and aspects relating to character and social life.

2. To defend this illustrious Imam from that which has been falsely attributed to him and the Ahlul Bayt of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam—specifically—and Islam in general. Many false narrations have been attributed to Imam al Baqir which the deviants have used to cloak their false agendas, using his name to propagate their falsities and misguidance. After these fabrications are embossed with the logo of the Ahlul Bayt they are passed on to the general Muslim public as the only din through which one can gain proximity to Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala. The name of al Baqir, as well as the names of the other Imams of the Ahlul Bayt, are misappropriated to sell these innovations and deviations to the unsuspecting minds and hearts of the Muslims.

3. Due to the love which permeates the heart of every Muslim for the family of our beloved Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, the love which creates the desire to learn about the scholars of the Ahlul Bayt, their blessed lives, and to follow in their footsteps of guidance on the path of their leader and our leader, Muhammad salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Verily one who is true in his claim of loving the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and his blessed progeny would be compelled to follow them and adhere to their teachings. He will never allow his passions and affiliations to detract him from the one he loves. May Allah shower His mercy upon Qadi ‘Ayyad who said:

Know well whoever loves something then it will have a marked effect on him and he will imitate the one he loves. If he does not then he is not true in his love but just a mere claimant of it. The one who is true in his love for the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is the one on whom the signs of that love can be seen. The sign is that he adheres to his teachings, follows his Sunnah, practices upon his sayings and actions, and inculcates his mannerisms in times of ease and difficulty. Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala says:

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Say, [O Muhammad], “If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.”[1][2]

During my research into the life of Imam al Baqir rahimahu Llah I was staggered on a number of occasions, and that was due to the number of fabrications that have been attributed to this illustrious Imam. The method I adopted in gauging the truth from falsehood, and ascertaining the true scholarly legacy of Imam al Baqir was the principle outlined by the Imam himself, “Everything must be referred to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah.” He made the Qur’an and the Sunnah the scale by which narrations ought to be authenticated, thus, I did not hesitate in accepting whatever I found to be in accordance with it, and attribute it to Imam al Baqir. On the other hand, whatever I found to be in conflict with the Qur’an and Sunnah, I did not attribute to the Imam and I can say with certainty that it is of the falsehood that has been circulated in his name. In some instances, I have indicated to these fabrications, providing a substantiated rebuttal to it in light of the sciences and logic.

I do not claim to have encompassed every aspect and angle of the life of this esteemed individual; however, I have—to the best of my abilities—endeavoured to do so. Whatever is correct, then it is only through the blessings of Allah, and if there are any errors then it is due to my shortcoming, for which I asked your forgiveness in advance.

It would only be fitting for me to express my heartfelt gratitude to all who have assisted me in the compilation of this book, and I have to make special mention of my two brothers—the illustrious scholars—Sheikh Muhammad Salim al Khidr and Sheikh ‘Ali ibn Hamd al Tamimi. They were the ones I would turn to—after Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala of course—when faced with any difficulty. Had it not been for their assistance, this book would not have seen the light of day.

I ask Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala to place whatever I have compiled in my scale of good deeds and grant me sincerity in my words and actions. I ask Allah to guide us towards that which He loves and pleases Him, and unite us with the Ahlul Bayt of His Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and his Companions, with the Prophets, martyrs, and pious in the eternal abode of Paradise.

Ever in need of the forgiveness and pleasure of his Lord

Badr Muhammad Baqir

NEXT⇒ Prelude

[1] Surah Al ‘Imran: 31.

[2] Al Shifa bi Ta’rif Huquq al Mustafa, 2/24.