The martyrdom of Imam Muhammad bin Ali al-Jawād (the ninth Imam of Shi´a) (220 A.H. / 835 A.D.)
On Friday, the 7th of June 2024 A.D. (the 29th of Dhū al-Qaʹdah, 1445 A.H.)
Imam Muhammad bin Ali is the ninth Imam of Shia. His two famous titles are al-Jawād and al-Taqī. His epithet is Abū Ja'far and whereas Imam Muhammad al-Bāqir (the Fifth Imam) was called Abū Ja'far as well; historians have mentioned this Imam as Abū Ja'far al-Thānī (the Second Abū Ja'far). He was born in Medina (811 A.D.). His honorable mother, Sabīkah, was one of the most pious of women. Imam Muhammad al-Jawād was brought up by his holy father Imam Ridā for five years. After the martyrdom of his father, the mantle of divine leadership fell on the young shoulders of Imam Muhammad al-Taqī at the age of eight. Though some people from among the followers of the Imams and others doubted the Imam’s eligibility to become Imam at this young age, later, they realized that he possessed divine knowledge and that his knowledge was not acquired, but granted by Allah, since he did not participate in any classroom of his time and no one is famous to be his tutor.
After the martyrdom of his father (Imam al-Ridā), Imam al-Jawād was called to Iraq from Medina by the Abbasid caliph at the time, al-Maˋmūn. During his stay in Iraq, the Imam was able to impress the Caliph and the people through sharing his wealth of knowledge by answering the toughest questions posed by the top scholars of the area. After the death of al-Maˋmūn, al-Muʹtasim ascended the throne and began to persecute the Imam until he was able to poison him with the help of the Imam’s wife who was named Umm-e-Fazl (835 A.D.)
The story was that Umm-e-Fazl, who was the daughter of al-Maˋmūn, confederated with Ja’far (her brother) and al-Muʹtasim (her uncle) to murder the Imam. Later on, they decided that there was no one better than Umm-e-Fazl to accomplish the mission. They injected the poison into a bunch of grape and Umm-e-Fazl brought it to the Imam and described it as being very delicious. As soon as the Imam ate it, he felt the effect of the quick-acting poison in his body.
Imam al-Jawād was martyred at the age of 25 years and buried next to his grandfather (Imam Mūsā al-Kādim) in Kādhimayn, a suburb of Baghdad, Iraq.
