Jafar ibn Abi Talib radiya Llahu ‘anhu

Jafar ibn Abi Talib

Sayyidina Jafar ibn Abi Talib ibn ‘Abdul Muttalib ibn Hashim ibn ‘Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy, Abu ‘Abdullah radiya Llahu ‘anhu, the paternal cousin of the Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. He is the eminent Sahabi, possessor of two wings, and one of the early forerunners to Islam. He is the full brother of Sayyidina ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu. The Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam contracted brotherhood between him and Sayyidina Muaz ibn Jabal radiya Llahu ‘anhu.

Sayyidina Abu Hurairah radiya Llahu ‘anhu would say:

كان جعفر أخير الناس للمسكين

Jafar was the sanctuary for the needy.[1]

Sayyidina Abu Hurairah radiya Llahu ‘anhu would also remark:

ما احتذى النعال و لا ركب المطايا و لا وطئ التراب بعد رسول الله صلى الله عليه و آله و سلم أفضل من جعفر ابن أبي طالب

None has put on sandals, nor ridden a mount, nor treaded the earth after Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam better than Jafar ibn Abi Talib.[2]

The Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam told him:

أشبهت خلقي و خلقي

You resemble me in character and appearance.[3]

He immigrated to Abyssinia and al Najashi and his followers embraced Islam at his hands. Sayyidina Jafar radiya Llahu ‘anhu remained by him and later emigrated from there to Madinah. He arrived when Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was at Khaybar. All of this is well known and documented in the chapters of Maghazi (expeditions) in many sahih reports. It is narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn Jafar that he said:

ما سألت عليا فامتنع فقلت له بحق جعفر إلا أعطاني

If I ever asked ‘Ali (for something) and he refused, I would say to him, “By the right of Jafar,” and he would give it to me.[4]

He was martyred at Mu’tah in the land of Sham, while advancing not retreating, fighting against the Romans during the lifetime of Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam in Jumada al Ula 8 A.H. He was 10 years elder than Sayyidina ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu so he was 40, in fact elder according to the correct view.

Al Tabarani narrates the report of Nafi’ from Sayyidina Ibn ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu:

كنت معهم في تلك الغزوة فالتمسنا جعفرا فوجدنا فيما أقبل من جسمه بضعا و تسعين بين طعنة و رمية

I was with them in that battle. We searched for Jafar and found more than 90 spear and arrow wounds on the front of his body.[5]

The Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam announced:

رأيت جعفرا يطير في الجنة مع الملائكة

I saw Jafar flying in Jannat with the angels.[6]

It appears in Sahih al Bukhari that when Sayyidina Ibn ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhuma would greet ‘Abdullah ibn Jafar he would say, “Peace upon you, O son of the possessor of two wings.”[7]

Sayyidah Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha recalls:

لما أتى وفاة جعفر عرفنا في وجه رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم الحزن

When news of Jafar’s martyrdom reached us, we saw the sadness on the face of Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.[8]

When the news of Sayyidina ‘Abdullah ibn Rawahah’s radiya Llahu ‘anhu martyrdom reached Sayyidina Hassan ibn Thabit radiya Llahu ‘anhu, he lamented the martyrs of Mu’tah in the following couplets:

شعوب و قد خلفت ممن يؤخر	رأيت خيار المؤمنين تواردوا
بمؤتة منهم ذو الجناحين جعفر	فلا يبعدن الله قتلى تتابعوا
جميعا و أسباب المنية تخطر	و زيد و عبد الله حين تتابعوا
وفاء و أمرا صارما حين يؤمر	و كنا نرى في جعفر من محمد
دعائم عز لا تزول و مفخر	فلا زال في الإسلام من آل هاشم

I saw the choicest of believers arriving successively in groups, while I had been left behind with those put behind.

The consecutive martyrs at Mu’tah will not be kept away from Allah, among them is the possessor of two wings, Jafar,

And Zaid, and ‘Abdullah when they all advanced one after the other, as the causes of death were threatening.

We saw in Jafar loyalty for Muhammad and a stern command when he was appointed leader.

So there will always remain in Islam from the family of Hashim endless pillars of honour and glory.

He was martyred in the Battle of Mu’tah in the year 8 A.H.[9]

Guarantee of his entry into Jannat comes in the narration of Sayyidina Abu Hurairah, Sayyidina Ibn ‘Abbas radiya Llahu ‘anhum, and a mursal narration from al Hilali. I will suffice on quoting the narration of Sayyidina Abu Hurairah and Sayyidina Ibn ‘Abbas radiya Llahu ‘anhum:

عن عبد الرحمن بن يعقوب عن أبي هريرة قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم رأيت جعفرا يطير في الجنة مع الملائكة

From ‘Abdul Rahman ibn Ya’qub from―Abu Hurairah who reports that Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “I saw Jafar flying in Jannat with the angels.”^{^[10]}

Another narration contains the wording:

أريت جعفرا ملكا يطير بجناحيه في الجنة

I was shown Jafar as an angel flying with his wings in Jannat.

Al Tirmidhi narrated it saying:

حدثنا علي بن حجر أخبرنا عبد الله بن جعفر عن العلاء بن عبد الرحمن عن أبيه عن أبي هريرة قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم رأيت جعفرا يطير في الجنة مع الملائكة

‘Ali ibn Hijr narrated to us―’Abdullah ibn Jafar informed us from―al ‘Ala’ ibn ‘Abdul Rahman from―his father from―Abu Hurairah who reports that Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “I saw Jafar flying in Jannat with the angels.^{^[11]}

The isnad is da’if due to ‘Abdullah ibn Jafar. Al Tirmidhi remarks, “This is a gharib hadith from Abu Hurairah, we only know it from ‘Abdullah ibn Jafar. Yahya ibn Ma’in and others have labelled it da’if. ‘Abdullah ibn Jafar is the father of Yahya ibn al Madini. In the same chapter is a report from Ibn ‘Abbas radiya Llahu ‘anhuma.

The hadith which al Tirmidhi indicated to has been documented by al Tabarani:

و عن ابن عباس رضي الله تعالى عنهما قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم دخلت الجنة البارحة فنظرت فيها و إذا جعفر يطير مع الملائكة

On the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas radiya Llahu ‘anhuma who said that Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “I entered Jannat last night and looked inside and behold, I saw Jafar flying with the angels.”[12]

Another narration reads:

رأيت جعفر بن أبي طالب ملكا يطير في الجنة ذا جناحين يطير بهما حيث يشاء مقصوصة قوادمه بالدماء

I saw Jafar ibn Abi Talib as an angel flying in Jannat, soaring with two wings wherever he desired, the fore parts were severed and covered in blood.

Reported by al Tabarani in al Kabir and Abu Nuaim in Ma’rifat al Sahabah from Ibn ‘Abbas radiya Llahu ‘anhuma.[13]

Al Haythami said, “Al Tabarani narrated it with two isnads, one of which is hassan.”[14]

NEXT⇒ Harithah ibn Suraqah radiya Llahu ‘anhu

[1] Sahih al Bukhari, Hadith: 3505.

[2] Musnad Ahmed, Hadith: 9342; Sunan al Tirmidhi, Hadith: 3764; al Sunan al Kubra, Hadith: 8157. Al Tirmidhi remarked, “This is a hassan sahih gharib hadith.”

[3] Sahih al Bukhari, Hadith: 2698; Sunan al Tirmidhi, Hadith: 3769. The hadith of Sayyidina Bara’ radiya Llahu ‘anhu.

[4] Fada’il al Sahabah, vol. 2 Hadith 1142; al Mu’jam al Kabir, vol. 2 pg. 109. Mujalid ibn Sa’id is present in the isnad who is da’if.

[5] Al Mu’jam al Kabir, vol. 2 pg. 106.

[6] Sunan al Tirmidhi, vol. 5 pg. 654.

[7] Sahih al Bukhari, Hadith: 3506; al Sunan al Kubra, vol. 5 pg. 47.

[8] Al Mu’jam al Kabir, vol. 2 pg. 108; al Mustadrak, vol. 2 pg. 231. Al Hakim commented, “This is a sahih hadith meeting the standards of Muslim, but they have not documented it.”

[9] Al Isabah, vol. 1 pg. 485.

[10] Sunan al Tirmidhi, vol. 5 pg. 654.

[11] Sunan al Tirmidhi, vol. 5 pg. 654.

[12] Al Tabarani, Hadith: 1466.

[13] Al Mu’jam al Kabir, Hadith: 1448, 1449; Ma’rifat al Sahabah, Hadith: 1339.

[14] Majma’ al Zawa’id, vol. 9 pg. 443.

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