Martyrdom of Imam Muhammad Baqir (AS), the the explorer of Sciences

An Account of His Brothers and an Extract from the Reports about Them

Abd Allah ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be on them, the brother of Abu-Ja’far Muhammad, peace be on him, was in charge of the endowments (sadaqat) of the Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family, and the endowments (sadaqat) of the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him. He was a man of merit and a jurist. He reported many traditions on the authority of his fathers, on the authority of the Apostle of God. The people told traditions on his authority and also gave historical reports (athar) on his authority. Among these is:

[Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Dawud ibn Abd Allah al-Ja’far reported on the authority of Abd al-Aziz ibn Muhammad al- Darawardi, on the authority of Umara ibn Ghuzayya, on the authority of Abd Allah ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be on them:]

He (Abd Allah ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn) said: The Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family, said: “The meanest of men is one whom when my name is mentioned by him is unwilling to ask for God’s blessing on myself and my family.”

[Zayd ibn al-Hasan ibn Isa reported: Abu Bakr ibn Abi Uways told us on the authority of Abd Allah ibn Siman, who said: I met Abd Allah ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be on them, and he told me on the authority of his father, on the authority of his grandfather, on the authority of the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him:]

(The Commander of the faithful) used to have the right hand of the thief cut off for the first theft. If he stole again, he would have his left leg cut off. If he stole a third time, he would put him in prison for life.

Umar ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be on them, was a man of merit and of high-standing. He was in charge of the endowments (sadaqat) of the Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family, and the endowments (sadaqat) of the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him. He was pious and God-fearing.

[Dawud ibn al-Qasim has reported: Al-Husayn ibn Zayd said :]

I (Husayn ibn Zayd) saw my uncle, Umar ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be on them, stipulate to those who wanted to buy (produce from) the endowments of ‘Ali that if they made a hole in such and such a walls he would not stop anyone from entering it to take it from there.

[Al-Sharif Abu Muhammad informed me: My grandfather told me: Abu al-Hasan Bakkar ibn Ahmad al-Azdi told us: Al-Hasan ibn al- Husayn al-Urani told us on the authority of Abd Allah ibn Jarir al- Qattan, who said:]

I (Abd Allah ibn Jarir al-Qattan) heard Umar ibn ‘‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be on them, say:

The one who is excessive in his love for us is like the one who is excessive in his hatred of us. We have a right (to authority) through our relationship with our Prophet, blessing and peace be on him. It is a right which God has given us. Therefore whoever abandons it, abandons (something which is) great. Grant us the position which God has granted us. Do not say things about us which do not exist concerning us. If God punished us, then it would be for our sins. If God has mercy on us, then it is because of His mercy and favour.

Zayd ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be on them, was the outstanding brother after Abu Ja’far, peace be on him, and the one with the most merit. He was a devout worshipper, pious, a jurist, God-fearing and brave. He came out in revolt with the sword to enjoin the good and forbid the evil and to demand vengeance for al-Husayn, peace be on him.

[Al Sharif Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn Muhammad informed me: His grandfather (Yahya ibn al-Hasan) informed him on the authority of al-Hasan ibn Yahya, who said: Al-Hasan ibn al-Husayn told us on the authority of Yahya ibn Musawir, on the authority of Abu al-Jarud Ziyad ibn al-Mundhir, who said:]

I (Abu al-Jarud) went to Medina. When I began to ask about Zayd ibn ‘Ali, peace be on him, I was told: “That man is an ally of the Qur’an.”

[Hisham ibn Hisham reported:]

I (Hisham) asked Khalid ibn Safwan about Zayd ibn ‘Ali, peace be on him, when (Khalid) was reporting traditions on his authority.

“Where did you meet him?” I asked.

“At al-Rusafa,” he answered.

“What kind of man was he?” I asked.

“(He was) just as you have been told,” he said. “He would weep out of fear of God until his tears became mixed with his running nose.”

Many of the Shi’a believed in his Imamate. The reason for their belief was because of his coming out (in revolt) with the sword calling on support for the one who is acceptable from the family of Muhammad, may God bless him and his family. Therefore they thought that he intended that for himself. However that was not his intention because he knew of the right of his brother, peace be on him, to the Imamate before him, and of his bequest of trusteeship (wasiyya) at his death to Abu Abd Allah (i.e. Ja’far al-Sadiq), peace be on him.

The reason for Abu al-Hasan Zayd ibn ‘Ali, may God be pleased with him, coming out (in revolt) is also more than his determination which we have already mentioned, to seek (vengeance) for the blood of al-Husayn, peace be on him. He had visited Hisham ibn Abd al- Malik. Hisham had gathered the Syrians for him and ordered them to press around him in the assembly so that it was not possible for him to come close to him. Zayd said to him:

None of the servants of God are above being warned to show fear towards God, nor can any of them be excluded from showing fear towards God. I am warning you to show fear towards God, Commander of the faithful (i.e. Hisham). So show fear towards Him.”

You are the one who thinks yourself entitled to the caliphate, Hisham replied to him, “and (you are) the one who hopes for it. But that is not for you. You have no mother. (At least) your mother was only a servant-girl.

“I do not know anyone greater in rank with God than a prophet whom He has sent,” retorted Zayd. “(Yet such a prophet) was the son of a servant-girl. So if he had been unable to carry out His purpose, He would not have sent him. (That prophet) was Isma’il ibn Ibrahim (Ishmael, son of Abraham), peace be on them. Prophethood is greater in rank with God than the mother of the caliphate, Hisham. Furthermore, a man should not be ignored whose father is the Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family, and who is the son of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be on him.”

Hisham jumped up from his assembly. He summoned his servant and said: “Don’t let this man spend the night in my camp.”

Zayd left saying that he would never have forced anyone to take up the sword if they had not humiliated him. When he arrived at Kufa, its inhabitants gathered around him and they soon pledged allegiance to fight on his behalf. Then they broke their pledge to him and handed him over. He, may God have mercy on him, was killed and his body (was left) hanging on a cross among them for four years. None of them denounced it, nor did they help him with hand or tongue.

When he was killed, the full report of that was sent to Abu Abd Allah al-Sadiq, peace be on him. He was very sad when it became clear to him (what had happened). He set apart a thousand dinars of his own money for the families of those of (Zayd’s) followers who were killed with him.

That is reported by Abu Khalid al-Wasiti. He said: Abu Abd Allah, peace be on him, handed me a thousand dinars and told me to divide it among the families of those killed with Zayd. Four dinars of this reached the family of Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, the brother of Fudayl al-Rassan.

His death was on Monday on the 2nd of (the month) of Safar in the year 120 A.H. At that time he was forty-two years of age.