25th Rajab: Martyrdom Anniversary of Baab-ul-Hawaij Imam Musa Ibn-e-Jafar al-Kazim (a.s)

Name: Musa

Title: Al-Kazim

Kunyat: Abu Ibrahim

Born: at Abwa (between Mecca and Medina) on Sunday the 7th Safar 128 A.H

Father’s name: Imam Jafar-as-Sadiq(A.S.).

Mother’s name: Hamida Khatoon.

Martyred: aged 55 years at Baghdad on Friday, 25th Rajab 183 A.H.

Poisoned by: Harun-al-Rashid.the ruling Abbasid caliph.

Buried: at Kazmain, Baghdad.

The Seventh Holy Imam, Imam al-Kazim (A.S.)

He was called Mūsā and was well-known as Kāẓim. His father was Imām aṣ-Ṣādiq (A.S.) and his mother was Ḥamīdah who was very knowledgeable and Imām aṣ-Ṣādiq (A.S.) used to ask women to consult her regarding religious edicts and teachings. He was born on Ṣafar 7, 128 Hijrah, and attained the position of Imamat (leadership) at 21.

He spent more than fourteen years in prison because Hārūn, the ‘Abbasīd ruler, deemed his presence among people dangerous and was jealous of his popularity among them and put him into jail on different pretexts. At prison, he spent his time saying prayers and worshipping God. At one of the prisons, the ‘Abbasīd ruler sent an attractive woman as a servant to Imām (A.S.) and his aim was to exploit this against him outside.

After a few days, the ‘Abbasīd ruler sent someone to inspect the prison and see about the Imām (A.S.) and the woman. He walked into the prison and saw that at one corner, Imām (A.S.) was engaged in prayers and at the other corner was sitting the woman praying.

The woman was taken to the ruler and was asked how come she had changed so dramatically. She replied, “Imām Kāẓim’s routine and his devotion and devoutness influenced and changed me.”.

Indeed, men of God and their conduct and lifestyle attracted people toward them and they reformed and rectified the environment.

He was martyred by poisoning by the ‘Abbasīd ruler Harun and passed away in the corner of the prison of Baghdād on the 25th of Rajab of 183 Hijrah and was buried at Quraysh cemetery which was later known as Kāẓimayn. Currently, his shrine is visited by all Muslims especially Shī’ahs.

Sayings of Imām Kazim (A.S.) Anyone whose yesterday and today are equal, that is, after twenty four hours, he has not gained anything in spirituality and humanity and has not advanced on the path of piety and faith, this person is like someone who has invested but has not obtained any value in return.

And anyone who is worse than yesterday, that is, instead of spiritual progress, has deteriorated and is inclined toward wrongdoing and impiety; such a person will be far from God’s grace.

Why Was He Known As Al-Kadhim?

A kadhim is someone able to exercise great self-restraint. Imam al-Kadhim was known to restrain his anger in every situation.

Shaykh Mufid narrates the following story as one example of his restraint:

There was a man in Medina who used to curse the Imam, and distort his image, to the extent that the companions of the Imam asked for permission to kill him, but the Imam used to forbid them from hurting him. Then one day, the Imam went to the man’s garden. When the man saw him, he said: Do not step on my plants, for he was so hateful that he did not even have the courtesy of welcoming him. The Imam continued to move towards him. And when he reached the man the Imam asked him: How much did you pay for your plants, and how much do you expect to gain? Adding the two sums together the Imam gave him the money and said:

Take this money and you still can sell your corps, and he started talking to him in a very pleasant and kind manner. The man felt guilty and changed his attitude towards the Imam. The next day the man went to the mosque. When he saw the Imam coming he said: “God knows where he puts His Message”. Asked what made him change his mind, he said that it was the way the Imam dealt with him. The Imam then asked his companions: which is better the way you wanted to deal with this man using violence or my way?

16 Wise Sayings of Imam Kadhim (a.s):

The below short sayings of Imam Kadhim (a.s) highlight his wisdom and knowledge and are worth reflecting over. These are taken from the book, Tuhaf al-Uqoul.

1. Everything has its tax, and the tax of the body is the recommendable fasting.
2. The moderate will never be needy. Moderation is half of the livelihood. Amicability is half of intelligence. Hastiness is the true clumsiness.
3. To depress the parents is impiety to them.
4. No one will gain the reward of suffering a misfortune unless he who forbears it and says inna lillaahi wa inna ilayhi raji’oun
5. God aids in as much as the need and endows with steadfastness as much as the misfortune. The graces will persist for the moderate and the satisfied. The graces will be removed from the immoderate and the exaggerative.
6. The fulfilment of the trusts and honesty bring earnings, while treachery and fabrication cause poverty and hypocrisy.
7. Anyone who acknowledges God should not complain when his earnings are delayed and should not accuse God of His acts.
8. Conviction is to depend upon God, submit to Him, consent to His acts, and entrust Him with the affairs.
9. The believer is like the two pans of a balance — the more faith he enjoys, the more misfortunes he faces.
10. He who speaks in the Essence of God will perish, he who seeks power will perish, and he who feels self-conceited will perish.
11. Whenever you extend your hand towards any source of worldly supplies, you will find out that a sinful has preceded you there. When you intend to obtain a source of religious supplies, you will not find anyone helping you.
12. Do not take liberties with your friend. You should keep any quantity of respect among you lest you will lose prudency.
13. O son, let not God see you committing an act of disobedience against which He warned you, and let Him not miss you in an act of obedience to Him of which He ordered you. Keep serious and do not convince yourself that you are worshipping and obeying God perfectly because no one can achieve perfection in worshipping God.
14. Beware of joking because it extinguishes the illumination of your faith and disgraces your personality.
15. Beware of indolence and laziness because they prevent you from receiving your shares of the pleasures of this world and the world to come.
16. When injustice predominates over the right, it is unacceptable to expect good from anybody before investigation.

Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (a.s) spent much of his life in prison during the peak of the Abbasid caliphate. He was martyred in the prison of Sandi Ibn Shahak in Baghdad on 25 of Rajab in the year 183AH. He is buried in Iraq.