Ijtihad Network Being Wise and Faithful Muslim in the Contemporary World
Concerning him al-Qurazi says:
O (you) who split open (baqir) knowledge (making it available) to the people of piety and the best of those who seek to answer the call of the Exalted.
Malik ibn Ayan al-Juhni said in praise of him, peace be on him:
When the people seek for knowledge of the Qur’an, Quraysh rely upon him.
If someone asked where is the son of the daughter of the Prophet, you would gain through him the wide branches (of knowledge).
(You are like) stars which shine for night-travellers, (you are) like mountains which have inherited vast knowledge.
He, peace be on him, was born in Medina, in 57 A.H. (676 7). He died in 114 A.H. (732) at the age of fifty-seven. He was a (leading) member of the Hashimite family within the Hashimites. He was a (leading) descendant of ‘Ali among the descendants of ‘Ali. He was buried in (the cemetery of) al-Baqi’i in (Medina) the city of the Apostle, may God bless him and his family.
[Maymun al-Qaddah reported on the authority of Ja’far ibn Muhammad, on the authority of his father, peace be on them:]
I (i.e. al-Baqir) visited Ja’far ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Ansari, may God be pleased with him. I greeted him and he returned my greeting. Then he said to me: “Who are you?” That was after he had lost his sight.
Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be on them, I answered.
My young child, come close to me, he said. I went closer and he kissed my hand. Then he stooped down to my foot and kissed that. I turned away from him.
Then he said to me: “The Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family, recites his greeting to you.”
Peace and God’s mercy and blessings be on the Apostle of God,” I said. “How is that, Jabir?”
He told me: “One day I was with him when he said to me: “Jabir, perhaps you will live until you meet one of my descendants called Muhammad ibn ‘‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be on them, on whom God will bestow light and wisdom. Then recite to him my greetings.”
In the testamentary bequest (wasiyya) which the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, made to his children, mention was made of Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn and of his trusteeship. The Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family, named him and caused him to be known as the one who split open (religious) knowledge (ulum) as the narrators of tradition (ashab al-athar) report.
Thus it is reported on the authority of Jabir ibn Abd Allah in a direct (mujarrad) tradition: The Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family, said to me:
It will happen that you will live until you meet one of my children descended from al-Husayn, peace be on him, called Muhammad, who will split wide open knowledge of religion. When you meet him, recite my greeting to him.
