✅ | The disgrace flows through the prayer mats and the rows of silent congregations those prayers that begin with bowing to Allah and end with kissing the hand of Donald Trump.

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📕 | Brothers! You may not read these pages during my lifetime. Perhaps you will read them after I am gone. At that time, I will not be among you to play with your young hearts in order to gain position or power by winning your favor.

I care for you because you are worthy young people, and I wish for you to dedicate your youth to the path of God, the Noble Islam, and the Islamic Republic, so that you may attain success in both worlds.

I ask the Forgiving God to guide you to the straight path of humanity and to forgive both your past and ours with His vast mercy.

In your solitude, you too should ask God for the same—He is the Guide and the Most Merciful.

— Imam Khomeini (r)

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🏴 | Adieu | 29th of Dhul-Qa’dah ends with the remembrance of the martyrdom of the ninth Imam of Ahlulbayt, Imam Muhammad al-Jawad (A). He was the son of Imam Ali al-Ridha (A), the eighth Imam.

Although terms like “Shia Imam” are often used and promoted in Western academia and are widely accepted, they do not fully convey the reality and significance. Imam Jawad (A) is the ninth Imam in the line of twelve Imams from the Ahlulbayt, who are not only accepted by many scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah but are also deeply loved and followed. Their presence in jurisprudence, ethics, and spirituality is undeniable.

Imam Jawad (A) was only eight years old when his father, Imam al-Ridha (A), was poisoned by one of the most cunning propagandists and tyrants from the Abbasid lineage; Ma’mun. Al-Ma’mun not only martyred Imam Ridha (A) but also plotted to control, suppress, or assasinate Imam Jawad (A), the only known son of Imam al-Ridha (A).

Despite his young age, Imam Jawad (A) displayed extraordinary intellect and divine knowledge. The most famous scholars of his time, including Yahya ibn Aktham, the chief judge of Baghdad, posed extremely difficult philosophical, theological, and jurisprudential questions to him. Imam Jawad (A) responded by breaking down the question into several detailed branches, asking Yahya which specific aspect he meant. Yahya was left speechless, humiliated in the court, and admitted he could not match the depth of the Imam’s knowledge.

The era in which Imam Jawad (A) lived was a flourishing age for Islamic civilization, marked by scientific advancement, the translation of medical and philosophical works, and the establishment of libraries and educational institutions. But this outward development was also marked by internal tyranny and political manipulation.

Ma’mun forced Imam Jawad (A) to leave Yathrib (Medina) and live under house arrest in Baghdad. He placed spies around him, monitored his movements, and controlled his interactions. When he realized that the Imam did not support his policies or lend legitimacy to his regime of oppression and corruption, he plotted the Imam’s assassination.

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The Assassination of Imam Jawad (A)

Imam Jawad (a.s) did not die a natural death; rather, he was assassinated by Mu’tasim, the Abbasid caliph.

Historians have differed on who exactly carried out the poisoning, but several narrations offer insight:

1. Some narrators state that al-Mu’tasim instructed a scribe from among his viziers to invite Imam Jawad (A) to his home, where he planned to poison him. The scribe extended the invitation, which the Imam initially declined. The scribe insisted, claiming a vizier wished to meet him, and the Imam finally accepted. After eating the food, the Imam felt the effects of the poison and immediately asked for his mount to leave. When the host urged him to stay, the Imam said, "My leaving your house is better for you.”

2. Another narration suggests that al-Mu’tasim bribed his niece, Umm al-Fadhl (the Imam’s wife), with money, and she poisoned Imam Jawad (A) in his food.

Regardless of the method, Mu’tasim was directly responsible.

The motives behind this heinous act, as many scholars believe, stemmed from both political insecurity and personal envy. Mu’tasim had grown jealous of Imam Jawad (A) because of the reverence and respect he commanded among the people. His reputation for profound knowledge, noble character, patience, generosity, and unwavering piety had made him beloved across the Muslim world even from a young age.

Another possible trigger was the betrayal of Abu Dawud, which may have emboldened Mu’tasim to act. Fearing the growing influence of the Imam, Mu’tasim placed him under house arrest, monitored his every move, and ultimately resorted to assassination.

The poison took a severe toll on Imam Jawad (A). It ravaged his body, causing excruciating internal pain. He reportedly said to those around him during his final night:

"We are a people such that if Allah does not wish for us to remain in this world, He takes us to Himself.”

Even in agony, he recited verses from the Holy Qur’an, and his final breath came while his tongue remembered Allah. With his martyrdom, the Muslim Ummah lost a radiant sun of knowledge, virtue, and divinely guided leadership.

Imam Jawad’s (A) holy body was prepared, washed, and enshrouded. The streets of Baghdad witnessed an unprecedented scene of mourning and reverence. Tens of thousands joined the funeral procession, lamenting the loss and recalling the virtues of this young Imam.

He was buried beside his grandfather, Imam Musa ibn Ja’far al-Kadhim (A), in the Quraysh cemetery, which is now known as Kadhimayn. Imam al-Jawad (A) was only 25 years old at the time of his martyrdom, making him the youngest of the infallible Imams (A).

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How did Imam Jawad (A) stay in contact with his followers in different regions?

Despite the many restrictions he faced, Imam Jawad (A) maintained his connection with the Shi’a and other Muslims through the appointment of agents and representatives. Across the vast territories of the Abbasid Caliphate, the Imam sent delegates (agents), and through their widespread activities, he prevented the fragmentation of the Shi’a community.

The Imam’s agents were deployed in many provinces such as: Ahwaz, Hamadan, Sistan, Bust, Rey, Basra, Wasit, Baghdad, and the traditional Shi’a centers of Kufa and Qom.

Shaykh al-Kulayni narrates that Imam Jawad (A), in response to a request from one of his followers in Bust and Sistan, wrote a letter to the governor of that region, asking him not to be harsh in collecting taxes from the follower. The governor, who was himself a supporter of the Imam, not only waived the follower’s tax debt but declared that as long as he was in office, the man would be exempt from paying taxes. In addition, the governor ordered a regular stipend to be allocated to him!

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Footnotes:
1. Abu al-Fida (672–721 AH) writes: “Bust is situated along the Helmand River. It is a city in Sijistan (Sistan), large and prosperous, with many palm and grape orchards. It is about a fourteen-day journey from Bust to Ghazni.”
(Taqwīm al-Buldān, trans. Abd al-Muhammad Ayati, Iranian Cultural Foundation, 1970, p. 391)
2. Furu‘ al-Kāfī, vol. 5, p. 111.
3. Compiled from: Sirah-ye Pīshvāyān by Mahdi Pishvā’ī, Imam Sadiq Institute, Qom, 2011, 23rd edition, p. 559.

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