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Musa al-Kazim

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Musa al-Kazim (Arabic: الإمام موسى الكاظم‎) (Seventh of Safar, 128 AH – Twenty-fifth of Rajab, 183 AH) (Approximately: October 28, 746 AD - September 1, 799 AD) was the seventh of the Twelver Shia Imams. He was the son of the sixth Shi’ah Imam, Ja'far al-Sadiq, and his mother’s name was Hamida Khatoon. He was born during the power struggles between the Umayyad and the Abbasid.

Birth

Musa al-Kazim was born on Sunday, the seventh of Safar, 128 Hijrah at the land of Abwa situated between Mecca and Medina from his mother named Hamidah. Musa al-Kazim had access to Imamate at the age of twenty-one years.

Abu Baseer says, "We traveled to perform Hajj along with Ja'far al-Sadiq. No sooner we had reached a place known as Abwa, and after the breakfast was over, the Imam was informed that Allah had bestowed upon him a son.”

Ja'far al-Sadiq happily and merrily got up to see his wife Hamidah. Not very long afterwards he came back smiling and said to us, "Allah has given me a son who is the best gift of the Allah."

His mother described that, "When my son came to the world, he set his head on ground for prostration, and thanked Allah, and this is the sign of his Imamate." When Ja'far al-Sadiq arrived in Medina, he laid the meal tables for as long as three days and invited all the afflicted and poor ones to it.

Ya'qub Siraj says, “I happened to visit Ja'far al-Sadiq in Medina, I saw him near the cradle of his son Musa al-Kazim. I saluted him and he cheerfully answered it. Then he said, "Come near Musa al-Kazim, the Imam who is going to become my successor and salute him." I came close and saluted. He responded eloquently and said, "Allah has given you a daughter to whom you have not given a good name. Go and change her name."

Although the mother of Musa al-Kazim was a maid who was purchased by Ja'far al-Sadiq but she was trained in such a way under the shadow of Ja'far al-Sadiq's training that she became conversant and knowledgeable regarding the religious problems. As such, Ja'far al-Sadiq used to order women to enquire the answer to their religious problems from her.

Musa al-Kazim's life can be divided into two parts:

  1. The period (20 years) during which Musa al-Kazim was present before Ja'far al-Sadiq in Medina, which falls before the beginning of his Imamate period.
  2. The period of the beginning of combat, Prison, and his exile which comprised his Imamate.

Musa al-Kazim's Generosity

Musa al-Kazim was famous and well known among the people for his generosity and munificence such as; he set free one thousand slaves. He used to help those in distress and involved in problems and paid their debts.

Ibn-e-Sheher Ashoob narrates that one-day Al-Mansur summoned Musa al-Kazim to his court and asked him to be seated there on the day of Norouz, and take the gifts being brought in custody. Although Musa al-Kazim did not have inclination towards this work but was obliged to accept it. He sat there. The chieftains, dignitaries and nobles who had participated in the official salutation surrendered their gifts to Musa al-Kazim by the order of Mansur. A person was appointed by Mansur to record and write down the details of all of them, and prepare their inventory.

Finally, an old man came and said, "Oh son of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, I do not have anything from this world to present it to you, but I have composed a few rhymes of elegy regarding the agony and grief of your grandfather Hussain ibn Ali (the third Shi’ah Imam) which I have brought as a gift." That man recited his verses, which greatly affected Musa al-Kazim. He ordered the official of Mansur to go and ask Mansur what was to be done with those gifts. The man went and returned saying, The King said, "I give all of these to you, give it to anybody you wish!"

Musa al-Kazim facing the old man, said, "For the sake of the rhymes which you have recited in connection with calamities and sufferings of my grandfather, I bestow these gifts upon you, so that you are freed of poverty and hardships."

Designation of the Imamate

Musa al-Kazim became the seventh Shi’ah Imam after his father was assassinated by the Abbasids, Musa al-Kazim was 21 years old.

According to "Ketab Al Irshad" of Sheikh al-Mufid:

"Among the shaykhs of the followers of Abu Abd Allah Ja'far al-Sadiq, peace be on him, his special group (khassa), his inner circle and the trustworthy righteous legal scholars, may God have mercy on them, who report the clear designation of the Imamate by Abu Abd Allah Jafars peace be on him, for his son, Abu al-Hasan Musa, peace be on him, are: al-Mufaddal b. Umar al-Jufi, Mu'adh b. Kathir, Abd al-Rahman b. al-Hajjaj, al-Fayd b. al-Mukhtar, Yaqub al-Sarraj, Sulayman b. Khalid, Safwan al-Jammal...[That designation] is also reported by his two brothers, Ishaq and Ali, sons of Jafar, peace be on him."

Musa al-Kazim was not the eldest son Ja'far al-Sadiq, Ismail bin Jafar was, whose supporters split from mainstream Shi'ah on that grounds, forming the Ismaili branch of Shi'ah Islam. There are two narrations about Ismail. One said he died before his father, Ja'far al-Sadiq, another said to protect him from persecution, his father sent him into hiding and publicly declared him deceased. While Twelvers believe Ja'far as-Sadiq publicly declared Musa to be his successor in accordance to Allah, Ismaili believe that Allah designated Ismail as the proper successor, and a fake death was done by his father so he could escape assassination by the caliph.

Musa al-Kazim's moral specifications

Musa al-Kazim had a lean and thin body but a very strong and powerful soul. He used to put on rough clothes under his dress. He walked on foot, saluted the people, loved his family members and respected them. He was thoughtful and considerate about the poor and afflicted ones. During the nights he carried food upon his shoulders to distribute among the needy without being discovered who he was and he gave monthly stipend to few of them.

One of the friends of Musa al-Kazim says about his forbearance and patience that, "the enemy use to feel shy and ashamed by his morality and nice behavior." There lived a man in Medina, whenever he saw Musa al-Kazim he would stop him and use foul language about him. The friends of Musa al-Kazim said, "Permit us to reprimand him." Musa al-Kazim said, "Leave him alone and do not bother him." A few days passed and there were no news about him. Musa al-Kazim enquired after his health. They said he has gone out of Medina towards his agricultural fields. Musa al-Kazim rode upon the horse and moved towards the fields. When that man saw Musa al-Kazim he shouted from a distance, "Do not enter my field I am an enemy of you and your fore fathers."

Musa al-Kazim came near him. Saluted and enquired after his health and well-being and said kindly to him, "How much have you spent over these fields." He replied, "A hundred dinars." He asked, "How much profit do you expect from it." He said, "Two hundred dinars." Musa al-Kazim took out a bag containing three hundred dinars and gave it to him and said, "Take this amount and the agricultural (products) fields may also be yours."

The rude and impudent man who had been taking liberties with Musa al-Kazim for a long time, and did not expect such a thing, was very much ashamed. When Musa al-Kazim returned to Medina he said, "Repulse the evil from yourself in this way." This is the very reason why Musa al-Kazim became known by the title of Al-Kazim (meaning one who suppresses his anger when disturbed and uneasy). He repaid evils with goodness and virtue. So that he put his enemies to shame.

Musa al-Kazim used to show love and warm feeling to his relative and said, "Be there any amount of enmity between the relatives. But if they shake hands while they see each other their enmity will finish up, and all of them will have the feelings of comfort and enjoyment."

His death

In 795 Harun al-Rashid imprisoned ´Musa al-Kazim. Four years later, he ordered Sindi ibn Shahiq to poison him. He died in a prison in Baghdad in 799.

See also

References

External links



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