Section Three: The Statements of Imam Muhammad al Baqir
Section Two: The Statements of Imam Zayn al ‘Abidin and his son Zaid
February 8, 2019Section Four: The Statements of Imam Jafar al Sadiq
February 8, 2019- Section Three
- The Statements of Imam Muhammad al Baqir
- 1. The Person who does not Recognise Abu Bakr’s and ‘Umar’s Virtue is Ignorant of the Prophetic Sunnah
- 2. Muhammad al Baqir loved and befriended Abu Bakr and ‘Umar and sought Forgiveness for them
- 3. Imam al Baqir Dissociates Himself from those who Dissociate from Abu Bakr and ‘Umar
- 4. The Ruling of Leasing Lands for Farming in Lieu of a Third or Fourth of the Produce
- 5. The Declaration of Imam Muhammad al Baqir
BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents
Section Three
The Statements of Imam Muhammad al Baqir
In this section, the statements of Imam Muhammad al Baqir in favour of Sayyidina ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu will be quoted. In the fifth chapter of the Siddiqi section, they were quoted in greater detail. We repeat them here so that those brothers who did not read the Siddiqi section do not remain unaware of the statements of the Ahlul Bayt and benefit fully from them.
1. The Person who does not Recognise Abu Bakr’s and ‘Umar’s Virtue is Ignorant of the Prophetic Sunnah
حدثنا يونس بن بكير عن محمد بن إسحاق عن أبي جعفر محمد بن علي قال من لم يعرف فضل أبي بكر و عمر رضي الله عنهما فقد جهل السنة
Yunus ibn Bukayr narrated to us―from Muhammad ibn Ishaq―from Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn ‘Ali who declared:
Whoever does not recognise the virtue of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhuma is ignorant of the Sunnah.[1]
2. Muhammad al Baqir loved and befriended Abu Bakr and ‘Umar and sought Forgiveness for them
حدثنا زهير عن جابر قال قلت لمحمد بن علي أكان منكم أهل البيت أحد يسب أبا بكر و عمر قال لا فأحبهما و أتولاهما و أستغفر لهما
Zuhair narrated to us―from Jabir who said: I asked Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, “Is there anyone from you, the Ahlul Bayt, who curses Abu Bakr and ‘Umar?”
He replied, “No. I love them, befriend them, and seek forgiveness for them.”[2]
3. Imam al Baqir Dissociates Himself from those who Dissociate from Abu Bakr and ‘Umar
First Narration
حدثنا شعبة الخياط مولى جابر الجعفي قال قال لي أبو جعفر محمد بن علي لما ودعته أبلغ أهل الكوفة إني بريء ممن تبرأ من أبي بكر و عمر رضي الله تعالى عنهما و أرضاهما
Shu’bah al Khayyat, the freed slave of Jabir al Ju’fi narrated to us saying: Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn ‘Ali instructed me when I went to bid him farewell, “Pass this message to the people of Kufah that I am exonerated from him who dissociates from Abu Bakr and ‘Umar―may Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala be pleased with them and may He make them happy.”[3]
Second Narration
عن عمرو بن شمر عن جابر قال قال لي محمد بن علي يا جابر بلغني أن قوما بالعراق يزعمون أنهم يحبوننا و يتناولون أبا بكر و عمر رضي الله عنهما و يزعمون أني أمرتهم بذلك فأبلغهم إني إلى الله منهم بريء والذي نفس محمد بيده لو وليت لتقربت إلى الله تعالى بدمائهم لا نالتني شفاعة محمد إن لم أكن أستغفر لهما و أترحم عليهما إن أعداء الله لغافلون عنهما
From ‘Amr ibn Shimr―from Jabir who said:
Muhammad ibn ‘Ali said to me, “O Jabir, it has reached me that some people in Iraq feel that they love us but at the same time curse Abu Bakr and ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhuma and think that I have instructed them to do so. So, convey my message to them that I exonerate myself from them to Allah. By the Being in whose Hands lies Muhammad’s life, had I been in authority, I would have sought proximity to Allah by shedding their blood. May I not receive Muhammad’s intercession if I do not seek forgiveness for them and supplicate for mercy upon them. Undoubtedly, the enemies of Allah are negligent of them.”[4]
Third Narration
و أخرج الدارقطني عن أبي حنيفة أنه لما قدم المدينة سأل أبا جعفر الباقر عن أبي بكر و عمر فترحم عليهما فقال له أبو حنيفة إنهم ليقولون عندنا بالعراق أنك تبرأ منهما فقال معاذ الله كذبوا ورب الكعبة ثم ذكر لأبي حنيفة تزويج علي بنته أم كلثوم بنت فاطمة من عمر و أنه لو لم يكن لها أهلا ما زوجه إياها فقال أبو حنيفة لو كتبت إليهم فقال لا يطيعوني بالكتاب
Al Daraqutni documents from Abu Hanifah that when he arrived in Madinah, he asked Abu Jafar al Baqir about Abu Bakr and ‘Umar. Al Baqir prayed for mercy upon them. So, Abu Hanifah told him, “Those with us in Iraq claim that you are exempt from them.”
He said, “Allah forbid! They have spoken a lie, by the Rabb of the Ka’bah!”
He then mentioned to Abu Hanifah ‘Ali marrying his daughter Umm Kulthum bint Fatimah to ‘Umar and that had he not been worthy, he would not have married her to him.
Abu Hanifah suggested, “Why do you not write to them?”
He said, “They will not obey me by letter.”[5]
Fourth Narration
Ibn Jarir al Tabari has reported a similar narration from Kathir al Nawa’ wherein Imam Muhammad al Baqir rahimahu Llah labels those who dissociate from Sayyidina Abu Bakr and Sayyidina ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhuma as misguided and erroneous and encourages love and friendship with Sayyidina Abu Bakr and Sayyidina ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhuma.[6]
4. The Ruling of Leasing Lands for Farming in Lieu of a Third or Fourth of the Produce
Imam Muhammad al Baqir rahimahu Llah has provided as evidence for the permissibility of the above ruling:
قال سمعت أبا جعفر يقول آل أبي بكر و آل عمر و آل علي يدفعون أرضيهم بالثلث و الربع
I heard Abu Jafar saying, “Abu Bakr’s, ‘Umar’s, and ‘Ali’s family would lease their lands in lieu of a third and fourth (of the produce).”[7]
It is apparent from this substantiation that the religion of all these individuals was the same. They did not practice on another religion. They presented the senior’s actions as proof in religios rulings. This is a clear proof for their mutual goodwill, friendship, and religious faith.
5. The Declaration of Imam Muhammad al Baqir
Finally, we like to cite the declaration of Imam Muhammad al Baqir rahimahu Llah which both the Shia and Sunni scholars have documented. It is reported on the authority of Kathir al Nawa’. There is no need to present proof for his adherence to Shi’ism. Many points are deduced from this declaration, some of which are listed below:
- Sayyidina Abu Bakr and Sayyidina ‘Umar did not destroy the rights of the Ahlul Bayt even to the weight of an atom.
- They are worthy of friendship and love in both worlds.
- Mughirah and Bannan have fabricated lies in the name of the Imams and propagated them among the Muslims.
قال أبو بكر (الجوهري) … قال يحيى بن المتوكل أبو عقيل كثير النواء قلت لأبي جعفر محمد بن علي جعلني الله فداك أرأيت أبا بكر و عمر هل ظلماكم من حقكم شيئا أوقال ذهبا به من حقكم فقال لا والذي أنزل القرآن على عبده ليكون للعلمين نذيرا ما ظلمانا من حقنا مثقال حبة من خردل قلت جعلت فداك أفأتولاهما قال نعم ويحك تولهما في الدنيا و الآخرة و ما أصابك ففي عنقي ثم قال فعل الله بالمغيرة و بنان فإنهما كذبا علينا أهل البيت
Abu Bakr al Jawhari says―Yahya ibn al Mutawakkil Abu ‘Aqil Kathir al Nawa’ reports:
I said to Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, “May I be sacrificed for you for Allah’s sake! Do you feel that Abu Bakr and ‘Umar deprived you of any of your rights―or he said: trampled your rights?”
He answered, “No. By the being who revealed the Qur’an upon His special servant so that he may be a warner for the worlds, they did not deprive us of our rights to the extent of a mustard seed.”
I said, “May I be sacrificed for you, should I befriend them?”
“Yes, woe to you,” he yelled, “befriend them in the world and the Hereafter. And whatever calamity befalls you in your endeavour is on my shoulders.”
He continued, “May Allah deal with Mughirah (ibn Sa’id) and Bannan in a befitting manner for they have fabricated lies in our, the Ahlul Bayt’s, name.”[8]
This declaration of Muhammad al Baqir is extremely weighty and deserves supreme attention. We implore the readers to read over it again and again, and obtain guidance from it.
[1] Hilyat al Auliya’, vol. 3 pg. 185, biography of Muhammad al Baqir; al Riyad al Nadirah, vol. 5 pg. 57, chapter 5, with reference to Ibn al Samman.
[2] Tabaqat Ibn Sa’d, vol. 5 pg. 236, biography of Muhammad al Baqir, Leiden print, Europe.
[3] Hilyat al Auliya’, vol. 3 pg. 185, biography of Muhammad al Baqir; al Riyad al Nadirah, vol. 1 pg. 58, chapter 5.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Al Sawa’iq al Muhriqah, pg. 28, section five on the misconceptions of the Shia, misconception 11, Egypt print, with Tathir al Jinan; Muwaffaq ibn Ahmed al Makki: al Manaqib li al Imam al A’zam, vol. 2 pg. 165; al Kurdi: al Manaqib, vol. 2 pg. 110, Dakkan print.
[6] Tafsir al Tabari, vol. 14 pg. 26, with Nishapuri, under the verse: as brothers upon couches, facing each other; Tafsir Ibn Kathir, vol. 2 pg. 553, under same verse, Egypt print.
[7] Musannaf ‘Abdul Razzaq, vol. 8 pg. 101.
[8] ‘Allamah Nur al Din al Sahmudi: Wafa’ al Wafa’ bi Akhbar Dar al Mustafa, vol. 3 pg. 1001, chapter on his charity salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam; Sharh Nahj al Balaghah, vol. 4 pg. 113, discussion on Fadak, section one, Beirut print, Sham.