| NAME | MUSA (A.S). |
|
FATHER'SNAME |
JAFER S/O MOHAMMAD (A.S). |
| MOTHER'S NAME | HAMIDA KHATOON. |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 7th SAFAR 128 HIJRI. |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | ABWA (NEAR MADINA). |
| WIVES NAME | NAJMA KHATOON, AND OTHERS. |
| SON'S NAME | ALI, IBRAHIM, ABBAS, QASIM, ISMAIL, JAFER, HAROON, HASAN, AHMAD, MOHAMMAD, HAMZA, ABDULLAH, ISHAQ, UBAIDULLAH, ZAID, FAZAL, HASAN, SULAIMAN. |
| DAUGHTER'S NAME | FATIMA KUBRA, FATIMA SUGHRA, RUQAIYA, SUGHRA, KULSOOM, UMA JAFER, LABABA, ZAINAB, KHADIJA, ALIYA, AMINA, HUSNA, MEHMOONA, UMMA KULSOOM, UMMA ABDULLAH, UMMA SALAMA, BARIHA. |
| FAMILY NAME | ABUL HASAN, ABU IBRAHIM. |
| TITLE | KAZIM, BABUL HAWAIJ, ABDUS SALEH. |
| AGE | 55 YEARS. |
| MARTYRDOM | 25th RAJAB 183 HIJRI. |
| CAUSE OF MARTYRDOM | POISON GIVEN BY HAROON ABBASI. |
| BURRIED AT | KAZMAIN (IRAQ). |
Imam Musa Kazim (alaihis salaam), a brief look into his Life
His Parents & Birth:
Mother:
Umme Hamida was a slave girl who was brought to Madina and bought by the 5th
Imam for his son for 17 dirhams. The first thing that he told her was : "You
are Hamida (the praised one) in this world and Mahmuda (praiseworthy) in the
hereafter".
When the women of Madina used to come to the 6th Imam to ask masails he used
to send them to Umme Hamida saying: "Her answers will be those given
by me".
Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (a.s.) was born in Abwa (a place between Mecca and Madina).
It is here that Bibi Amina (Prophet Muhammad's (S.A.W.) mother) is buried.
Imam was born when his parents were returning from Mecca. As soon as he was
born he did Sajda reciting Kalima and bearing witness to the Imaamate of all
the other Imams including his own.
Childhood
He is one of the Imams whose miracles in childhood are reported extensively.
Imam Ja'fer As-Sadiq (A.S.) repeatedly pointed out Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (a.s.)
as his successor because he knew of the people who after his death would differ.
(N.B. The Ismailis say Ismail (Imams eldest son who died whilst Imam Ja'fer
Sadiq (a.s.) was still alive) was the 7th Imam. One of the 6th Imam's other
sons - Abdullah also claimed Imaamate.)
Yaqub Al-Saraaj visited the 6th Imam once who told him to greet his son Musa
who was a week old in his cradle. Imam Musa replied to the salaam and told
Yaqub to change his daughters name (Humayra) as it was a name not liked by
Allah.
Safwan (a companion of the 6th Imam) once saw the young Imam Musa teaching the lamb he was playing with to prostrate to Allah.
Once when Imam was 5 years old, Abu Hanifa came to visit the
6th Imam. He asked Imam Musa (a.s.): "O son of the Prophet! What is your
opinion about the deeds of man? Does he do them on his own free will or does
God make him do them?".
The 7th Imam replied : "The doings of man can have three possibilities:
God compels a man to do them whilst he is helpless.
Both God and man share the commitment.
Man does them alone.
If the first is true than God cannot punish man for sins he did not commit.
If the second is true than too God cannot punish man for he is an equal partner.
Then, we are naturally left with the third, that man is absolutely responsible
for his own doings".
His Titles
(These were used to avoid using Imams name as the very mention of it would
lead to arrest, torture, harassment and/or death.)
Babul Hawaaij (Door of fulfilment of needs). Even after his death people have
their needs fulfilled and do not return empty handed from his shrine (Ask
especially for cure of physical illnesses, especially eyes).
Kadhim (One who swallows his anger). Imam Musa (a.s.) lived in an era when
the rulers were the cruellest ever. Their hatred for the Ahlul Bayt and their
followers was intense. Imam's followers were constantly harassed and tortured.
The last 19 years of his life was spent in prison. Despite all these hardships,
he was always patient spending entire nights in the worship of Allah. His
character even converted the prison wardens towards him.
His Life & Works (Imamate)
When his father was martyred (poisoned by the ruler Mansur Dawanaqi), Mansur
asked the governor of Madina to behead all the trustees Imam had left. The
governor (called Sulayman) wrote back to say that the 6th Imam had left 5
trustees of whom he (Mansur) was the first and Sulayman the second followed
by Abdullah, Umme Hamida and Imam Musa (a.s.). Mansur kept quiet.
After the 6th Imam's death Mansur encouraged the Ismaili sect to develop although
he knew that Ismail had died 20 years before. At the same time the 6th Imam's
other son Abdullah claimed Imamate (however he only lived 17 days after that).
Mansur was busy building Baghdad after that (although the torture and killing
of the followers of Ahlul Bayt continued) and left Imam Musa (a.s.) for a
while in which Imam had a little time to teach true Islam.
When Mansur died his son Mahdi came to power in 158 a.h. He increased the
atrocities on the family and followers of Ahlul Bayt. Imam Musa (a.s.) advised
his followers to practise Taqiyya (meaning not to show ones faith outwardly).
Mahdi called Imam to Baghdad and imprisoned him releasing him after a while.
After Mahdi came his son Musa who assumed the title Haadi. He only ruled for 15 months but the atrocities continued.
After the death of Haadi came his brother Harun Rashid. It was he who introduced Backgammon, Chess and Music as Islamic culture (they are Haraam). Harun was told of the popularity of Imam Musa (a.s.) by Muhammad bin Ismail (Imam's nephew) and about the collection of khums.
Harun was furious and wanting to prove his relationship to the
Prophet went to the Prophets grave and greeted the Prophet addressing him
as his uncle. Imam Musa (a.s.) was there and he addressed the Prophet as his
grandfather. Imam then asked Harun that if the Prophet were to come and ask
Harun for his daughters hand in marriage would he agree?
Harun said "Yes". Imam said "That is the difference between
you and me - my daughter would be haraam for the Prophet (mahram)".
Harun had Imam arrested in the Prophet's mosque whilst Imam was praying. He
was handcuffed and shackled and sent to Basra. A similar caravan was sent
to Baghdad to fool Imam's followers. Imam was put into prison under the custody
of Isa bin Ja'fer. After a year Isa wrote to Harun saying he could no longer
imprison Imam as he could find only piety and righteousness in him.
Harun had Imam moved to Baghdad under the custody of Fadhl bin Rabi who too
became a follower of Imam. The prisons were so small that there was no room
to stand and the food was a cup of water and two pieces of dry bread a day.
Imam remained patient.
Harun also hired people to kill Imam (It is reported that they were from England).
They too on seeing Imam cried and refused to murder him even though they were
paid to do so.
Harun finally moved Imam in the care of Sindi bin Shahak (a very cruel man).
Imam remained in prison for the last 19 years of his life.
The 19 years of imprisonment gave the Shia population a little relief as the rulers concentrated on Imam. It enabled the Shias to disperse from Arabia to Iran, India etc. thus spreading Islam and it was one of the factors towards the popularity of the 8th Imam.
Summary of his Life Works
In a situation in which the family and followers of the Ahlul Bayt were being
murdered and tortured Imam taught the true word of Allah. Through his character
and piety he showed the meaning of tabligh living up to the hadith of the
6th Imam:
"Acquire a true Muslim character and that shall spread Islam".
In 183 a.h. Sindi had Imam killed with poisoned dates. Another narration says Imam was wrapped in a carpet and he was suffocated and stamped on. His body was left on the bridge of Baghdad and an announcement was made for all to come and see him.
N.B. It was a ploy to encourage Shias to come out in anger so they could be identified.
When Harun Rashid's brother Sulayman heard of this he was furious and arranged for his burial in a Quraysh cemetery outside Baghdad (the 8th Imam gave ghusl and kafan). A town grew around the tomb of Imam called Kadhmain (meaning the two Kadhims) since the 9th Imam is also buried there.
His Children
He had 19 sons & 18 daughters. The most famous of his sons is his successor,
Imam Ali Ar-Ridha (a.s.) and the most famous of his daughters is Fatima Kubra
known as Masuma Qum who is buried in Qum.
Sayings of Maula Hazarath Imam Musa Kazim (AS)
I found the knowledge of people in four things: firstly, that
you know your Lord (recognition of Allah) and secondly that you know it as
to what factors He made use of in creating you, and thirdly that you know
as to what does he want and intend from you, and fourthly that you learn what
is it that will expel you from your religion.
Comprehend and understand the religion of Allah, for jurisprudence is the
key to vision and the completion of worship and the cause of reaching the
lofty grades and magnanimous stations in the world and in the hereafter.
The one whose two days are equal is a loser. And the one whose last one of
the two days is the evil one of those (two days) is a cursed one.
I inform you that the obligatory most right of your brother (in faith) is
that you do not hide and conceal anything, which is beneficial and useful
for his worldly affairs or affairs of the hereafter, from him.
Be cautious! Never at all be arrogant, for, the one who has a Misqal (unit
of quantity) smallest amount of arrogance in his heart, will not enter the
paradise.
Hisham! There is a proof and logic for everything and the proof of the intelligent
person is his meditation and the proof of meditation is quietness. Allah has
prohibited heaven for all the users of abusive and obscene language. The shameless
person, who does neither care about what he says and nor what is said about
him. And so combat and fight a holy war against your ego so as to move it
away from its lust and passions. Because indeed it is obligatory for you like
waging holy war against your enemy. Beware of not spending in (the course
of) Allah’s obedience otherwise, you spend twice in the way of Allah’s
disobedience (sin, transgression). The worst of the servants of Allah are
those whose company is undesirable due to their obscene and filthy language
(false, futile, and dirty conversation).
The one who squanders, wastes, and spends lavishly, the beneficence and blessings
are abated, terminated, and cease to exist in him.
Oh Hisham, verily Prophet Luqman said to his son, "Adopt humility and
humbleness for the right of Allah and you will be the most intellectual of
the people. Oh son! The world is a deep and profound ocean, already many of
the worlds creations have immersed and sunk into it. So make piety your ship
in it to sail out safely and make the faith its cargo and putting trust in
Allah its sails and intellect its sailor and knowledge its guide and patients
its passengers.
Put in endeavor and exercise effort that your time is schedule into four hours.
An hour for the supplication to Allah and an hour of it for the affairs of
its economy and livelihood and still another hour for social contact with
the brothers and persons of confidence who may let you learn your shortcomings
and faults and they have sincere interior heart for you. And a part of it
in which you enjoy the unforbidden and lawful entertainments. With this part
of the time you get strength and vigor for the rest of the three other times.
Bad is the person who has two faces and two tongues (double-cross, and hypocrite).
He praises and commends his brother (in faith) in his presence, and when he
is absent, he backbites and slanders him. If he achieves (something) he gets
jealous of him and if he is afflicted, he leaves and abandons him (does not
help him).