Ali al-Sajjad

Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Sajjad (علي بن الحسين السجاد, c. 658 – 712), also known as Zayn al-Abidin (زين العابدين) was the great-grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and the fourth imam in Shia Islam, succeeding his father, Husayn ibn Ali, his uncle, Hasan ibn Ali, and his grandfather, Ali ibn Abi Talib.

Ali al-Sajjad survived the Battle of Karbala in 680, in which Husayn and his small caravan were massacred en route to Kufa by the forces of the Umayyad caliph Yazid I ((r. 680 – 683)). After the battle, al-Sajjad and other survivors were treated poorly and taken to the Umayyad capital Damascus. Ali al-Sajjad was eventually allowed to return to his hometown of Medina, where he led a secluded and pious life, without participating in the numerous uprisings against the Umayyads. Instead, he devoted his life to worship and learning, and was highly esteemed, even among Sunni Muslims, as a leading authority on Islamic tradition (hadith) and law, and was known for his piety and virtuous character. Being quiescent, al-Sajjad had few followers until late in his life; and many Shia Muslims were initially drawn to the anti-Umayyad movement of Mukhtar al-Thaqafi.

Ali al-Sajjad died around 712, either from natural causes or having been poisoned by the Umayyads. After his death, the mainstream Shia accepted the imamate of his eldest son, the equally quiescent Muhammad al-Baqir. Some others followed Muhammad's much younger half-brother, Zayd ibn Ali, whose rebellion was crushed by the Umayyads in 740. Some supplications attributed to al-Sajjad are collected in (lit. 'the scripture of al-Sajjad'), which is highly regarded by the Shia. Ali al-Sajjad is seen by the Shia community as an example of patience and perseverance when numerical odds are against one.

Birth and early life
Ali al-Sajjad was born in Medina, or perhaps in Kufa, in the year 38 AH (658–659 CE). Shia Muslims annually celebrate the fifth of Sha'ban for this occasion.

Al-Sajjad was the great-grandson of Muhammad, and the grandson of the first Shia imam, Ali ibn Abi Talib, by the latter's marriage with Muhammad's daughter, Fatima. In 661, his grandfather was assassinated. Ali al-Sajjad was then raised by his uncle Hasan and his father, Husayn, the second and third Shia imams, respectively. Husayn also had two other sons named Ali, both of whom were killed in the Battle of Karbala in 680. The first one was an infant, identified in Shia literature as Ali al-Asghar (lit. 'Ali junior'). The second one was Ali al-Akbar (lit. 'Ali senior'), although some believe that Ali al-Sajjad was the eldest son of Husayn.

The mother of al-Sajjad is named variously in sources as Barra, Gazala, Solafa, Salama, Shahzanan, and Shahbanuya. According to some Sunni accounts, she was a freed slave girl from Sind. In contrast, Shia sources maintain that his mother was the daughter of Yazdegerd III, the last Sasanian Emperor. Shia tradition thus refers to Ali al-Sajjad as Ibn al-Khiyaratayn (lit. 'son of the best two'), a title that signifies the union of Muhammad's tribe of Quraysh with Persians, representing Arabs and non-Arabs, respectively. According to some Shia sources, Shahrbanu, the daughter of Yazdegerd III, was brought to Medina as a captive during the reign of the second caliph, Umar ((r. 634 – 644)). She was then allowed to choose her husband, Husayn, and died shortly after giving birth to her only son, Ali al-Sajjad.

In Karbala
On 10 Muharram 61 AH (10 October 680), Husayn and his small caravan were massacred at the Battle of Karbala, en route to Kufa, by the forces of the Umayyad Caliph Yazid I, to whom Husayn had refused to pledge his allegiance. Ali al-Sajjad was also present in Karbala but was too ill to fight. After killing Husayn and his male relatives and supporters, the Umayyad troops looted his camp and found al-Sajjad lying deathly ill in one of the tents.

In Kufa
After the battle, al-Sajjad and the women were taken prisoner and marched to Kufa. They were badly treated along the way. Once at Kufa, they were paraded in shackles, and the women unveiled, around the city, along with the heads of the fallen. The captives were then presented to the Umayyad governor Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad, who boasted of killing Husayn and his relatives, calling it divine punishment. When al-Sajjad responded that Ibn Ziyad was a murderer, the governor ordered the execution of al-Sajjad but relented when al-Sajjad was protected by his aunt Zaynab, who asked to be killed first. Ibn Ziyad imprisoned the captives for a time and then sent them to the Umayyad capital, Damascus.

Journey to Damascus
As the captives were taken to Damascus, they were displayed from "village to village" along the way. A letter to Yazid, attributed to Muhammad's cousin Abd Allah ibn al-Abbas, chastises the caliph for treating the captives poorly, suggesting that such treatment was worse than the massacre.

In Damascus
The captives were paraded in the streets of Damascus, and then imprisoned. Eventually, they were brought before the caliph. the Islamicist L. Veccia Vaglieri writes that Yazid treated them kindly after an initial, harsh interrogation and said that he regretted the conduct of his governor, even saying that he would have pardoned Husayn if he were alive. Similar accounts are offered by the historians W. Madelung and H. Halm. By contrast, M. Momen, another expert, suggests that Yazid, fearing unrest, released the captives only as public opinion began be in their favor,. Such views are expressed by other authors, including J. Esposito, R. Osman, K. Aghaie, D. Pinault, H. Munson, and the Shia scholar M. H. Tabataba'i. In particular, the Sunni historian Ibn Kathir writes that Yazid did not reprimand his governor in the wake of the massacre, which does not suggest remorse on his part to the Islamicist H.M. Jafri. Such claims of remorse also contradict Yazid's earlier orders to his governor, to either exact homage from Husayn or kill him.

An alternative account is presented by the Shia scholar Tabarsi and by the early historian Abu Mikhnaf. They write that the captives were brought, in a ceremony, to the caliph, who gloated over avenging his pagan relatives killed at the Battle of Badr in 624. By some accounts, Yazid also dishonored the severed head of Husayn with blows from a cane, although this last episode is sometimes attributed to Ibn Ziyad instead, in line with the Sunni tendency to exonerate the caliph in killing Husayn while blaming Ibn Ziyad. Part of the great mosque in Damascus, known as Mashhad Ali, marks where Ali al-Sajjad was incarcerated.

Freedom
The captives were eventually freed, and escorted back to Medina. Their caravan may have returned via Karbala, where they halted to mourn the dead. Sunni sources report of Yazid's remorse for the massacre and that he compensated the captives for the properties plundered by his soldiers. In contrast, Shia authorities contend that it was the captives' activism that compelled the caliph to eventually distance himself from the massacre. Similar views have been expressed by some contemporary authors.

Aftermath of Karbala
Ali al-Sajjad led a quiet and scholarly life after returning to Medina, confining himself to a small circle of followers and disciples. He kept aloof from politics and dedicated his time to prayer, which earned him his honorifics.

For many years, al-Sajjad commemorated the Karbala massacre in private gatherings, fearing the Umayyads' wrath. Such gatherings were a form of protest against the Umayyad regime, and the precursor of Shia Muharram rituals. Personally, al-Sajjad was deeply affected by the Karbala massacre, to the point that for many years he frequently wept over it. He justified his prolonged grief with a reference to the Quranic verse 12:84, which describes the immense grief of Jacob during the absence of his son Joseph.

Ibn Zubayr's revolt
After the Karbala massacre, Abd Allah, the son of Zubayr, who was a prominent companion of Muhammad, declared himself caliph in the Hejaz. He gradually gained popular support, to the extent that in 683 the Kufans forcibly replaced their Umayyad governor with a representative of Ibn Zubayr. Ali al-Sajjad remained neutral towards Ibn Zubayr, even leaving town during the unrest in Medina, and never pledging allegiance to Ibn Zubayr, but being left unmolested by him. Ali al-Sajjad was also not harmed by Yazid's forces, who later pillaged Medina after their victory at the Battle of al-Harra in 683. On this occasion, al-Sajjad, unlike others, was exempted from a renewed oath of allegiance to Yazid, perhaps because he had earlier sheltered the Umayyad Marwan ibn al-Hakam and his family. Some non-Shia sources describe a friendly relationship between al-Sajjad and Marwan, who in 684 succeeded Yazid's sickly son in the caliphate. Such sources even allege that al-Sajjad borrowed from Marwan to buy a concubine or that he was consulted by him about a message from the Byzantine emperor. In contrast, Shia sources contend that al-Sajjad interacted with authorities under the principle of religious dissimulation (taqiyya) to avoid persecution.

Tawwabin's revolt
In the wake of the Karbala massacre, the Tawwabins (lit. 'penitents') in Kufa were the first to seek revenge. They revolted to atone for having deserted Husayn, meaning to deliver the caliphate to his son, al-Sajjad; but they were crushed in 684 by a much larger Umayyad army. There is no evidence that al-Sajjad was involved in this uprising.

Mukhtar's revolt
Shortly after Yazid's death in 683, Mukhtar al-Thaqafi appeared in Kufa, where he campaigned to avenge Husayn, while claiming to represent Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya, who was a son of Ali ibn Abi Talib, but not from the latter's marriage to Fatima. By some accounts, Mukhtar initially sought the support of al-Sajjad, who refused. Mukhtar's campaign in Kufa was nevertheless successful, and he seized control of the city in 686, whereupon he killed some of those thought to be responsible for the Karbala massacre, including Shimr, Ibn Sa'd, and Ibn Ziyad. Mukhtar may have even made a gift of Ibn Sa'd's head to al-Sajjad. When Mukhtar was himself killed by Ibn Zubayr's forces in 687, they did not harm al-Sajjad, which suggests that al-Sajjad had only weak ties to Mukhtar. Sources are contradictory as to what al-Sajjad thought of Mukhtar, although Shia sources are largely unsympathetic towards Mukhtar, in part because he championed Ibn al-Hanafiyya rather than al-Sajjad. Similarly, al-Sajjad was not harmed by the Umayyad commander al-Hajjaj, who defeated and killed Ibn Zubayr in 692.

Death


Ali al-Sajjad died in 94 or 95 AH (712–714 CE) and was buried next to his uncle Hasan in the al-Baqi cemetery in Medina. Shia Muslims annually commemorate this occasion on the eleventh of Safar. A shrine stood over his grave until its demolition in 1806; and then, after reconstruction, it was demolished again in 1925 or 1926, both demolitions being carried out by Wahhabis.

Ali al-Sajjad either died from natural causes or was poisoned at the instigation of the reigning Umayyad caliph al-Walid or perhaps his brother Hisham, as reported by Shia authorities. Shia sources add that the destitute in Medina discovered, after his death, that al-Sajjad was the benefactor who regularly brought them food at night, while covering his face to preserve his anonymity.

Succession to Husayn
The majority Shia view is that the imamate passed from Husayn to his son al-Sajjad, whose imamate coincided with the caliphates of Yazid ((r. 680 – 683)), Mu'awiya II ((r. 683 – 684)), Marwan I ((r. 684 – 685)), Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan ((r. 685 – 705)), and al-Walid I ((r. 705 – 715)).

As the only surviving son of Husayn, al-Sajjad was the natural candidate for the imamate. There are also some Shia traditions to the effect that Husayn had designated al-Sajjad as his heir and successor. At the time, however, many Shias felt that, like Husayn, their imam should rise against the tyranny of the Umayyads. Given the quiescent attitude of al-Sajjad, these Shias rallied behind Mukhtar, who revolted under the auspices of Ibn al-Hanafiyyah. The latter thus initially diverted much support away from al-Sajjad, who led a secluded, pious life after Karbala. Indeed, even though al-Sajjad was widely respected, he had few supporters until the collapse of the Zubayrid Caliphate in 692. Such was his quiescent attitude that some Western historians are uncertain whether he put forward any claims to imamate. Yet some Shia figures, including Abu Khalid al-Kabuli and Qasim ibn Awf, are known to have switched their allegiance to al-Sajjad from Ibn al-Hanafiyyah.

For his part, Ibn al-Hanafiyya remained in his hometown of Medina and declined active leadership of Mukhtar's uprising. Ibn al-Hanafiyya neither repudiated Mukhtar's propaganda in his own favor nor made any public claims about succession to Husayn. But perhaps Ibn al-Hanafiyya had secret designs for the caliphate, because he never pledged allegiance to Ibn Zubayr, who even imprisoned him until he was rescued by Mukhtar.

Kasaniyya was a Shia sect that traced the imamate through Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya and his descendants. Some Kaysanites apparently joined al-Sajjad when Ibn al-Hanafiyya died. Among other Shia sects, the Isma'ilis believe that Husayn had designated Ibn al-Hanafiyya as a temporary imam to protect the identity of the true imam, that is, al-Sajjad. Most Zaydis, by contrast, do not count the quiescent al-Sajjad among their imams.

Successor
When al-Sajjad died, most of his followers accepted the imamate of his eldest son Muhammad, who is often known by the honorific al-Baqir (lit. 'the one who brings knowledge to light'). Indeed, popular Shia sources report that, before his death, al-Sajjad designated al-Baqir as his successor.

Zayd, a much younger half-brother of Muhammad al-Baqir, also asserted a claim to leadership. Unlike the quiescent al-Baqir, Zayd was politically active. He revolted against the Umayyads in 740 but was soon killed. Perhaps to widen his support, Zayd accommodated some majority views. For instance, he did not condemn the first two caliphs: Abu Bakr and Umar. Such views, however, cost Zayd part of his support among Shias, most of whom view Abu Bakr and Umar as usurpers of Ali ibn Abi Talib's right to the caliphate.

Zayd's rebellion marks the beginning of the Zaydi (Shia) movement. Especially for early Zaydis, any (religiously) learned descendant of Ali ibn Abi Talib and Fatima qualified for leadership as long as he rose against the unjust government.

Miracles
Shia sources attribute some miracles to al-Sajjad: He spoke to a gazelle in the desert, restored youth to an old woman, and the sacred Black Stone in Mecca attested to his imamate in the presence of Ibn al-Hanafiyyah.

Titles and epithets
Ali's kunya is reported variously as Abu al-Ḥasan, Abu al-Ḥusayn, Abu Muḥammad, Abu Bakr, and Abu Abd Allah. A reference to his devotion to worship, Ali's honorific title is Zayn al-Abidin (lit. 'ornament of worshipers'), by which he was already known during his lifetime. His other titles are al-Sajjad (lit. 'the one who is constantly prostrating in worship') and al-Zaki (lit. 'the pure one'). He was also known as Dhu al-Thafenat in reference to the calluses formed on his forehead from frequent prostration in worship.

Character
Ali al-Sajjad was thin and resembled his grandfather, Ali ibn Abi Talib, both in appearance and demeanor. He spent much of his time in worship and learning, to the point that his face was bruised and his legs were swollen from lengthy prayers. He was also a leading authority on Islamic tradition (hadith) and law (fiqh), and was well known for his virtuous character and piety. For all these reasons, Muhammad's great-grandson was highly esteemed, even among Sunni Muslims. This was particularly the case within the learned circles of Medina, such that among his associates and admirers were some top Sunni scholars of the time, including al-Zuhri and Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib. These and some other hadith scholars have copied from al-Sajjad in Sunni sources. A poem praising al-Sajjad, attributed to the renowned poet al-Farazdaq, describes the ire of Hisham, prior to his caliphate, when crowds showed more respect to al-Sajjad than to Hisham during a hajj pilgrimage.

There are also numerous stories about the generosity of al-Sajjad in Shia sources. He bought and freed dozens of slaves in his lifetime, and secretly provided for destitute Medinans. Among the stories about his forbearance and magnanimity, he is said to have sheltered Marwan's family during the anti-Umayyad revolt in Medina. Ali al-Sajjad also prevented ill-treatment of Hisham ibn Isma'il when the latter was dismissed as the governor of Medina, even though Hisham had regularly insulted al-Sajjad. Ali al-Sajjad is seen by the Shia community as an example of patience and perseverance against numerically superior odds.

Family
Ali al-Sajjad had between eight and fifteen children, perhaps eleven boys and four girls. Four of his sons were born to Fatima bint Hasan and the rest were from concubines.

Companions and narrators
Even though he was widely respected, al-Sajjad had few supporters until the collapse of the Zubayrid Caliphate in 692. Shia authors have listed 168 to 237 companions and narrators for al-Sajjad, some of whom believed in his infallibility (ismah). Some senior associates of al-Sajjad were among the companions of Muhammad and Ali ibn Abi Talib, such as Jabir ibn Abd Allah, Amir ibn Wathila al-Kinani, and Salama ibn Kahil. Among other notable companions of al-Sajjad were Abu Hamza al-Thumali, Aban ibn Taghlib, Abu Khalid al-Kabuli, Yahya ibn Umm Tawil, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib, Muhammad and Hakim ibn Jubair ibn Mut'am, and Humran ibn Muhammad ibn Abd Allah al-Tayyar. Transmitters of hadith from al-Sajjad include Aban ibn Taghlib, Abu Hamza al-Thumali, Thabit ibn Hormuz Haddad, Amru ibn Thabit, and Salim ibn Abi Hafsa.

Al-Sahifa al-sajjadiyya
Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya (lit. 'the scripture of al-Sajjad') is the oldest collection of Islamic prayers. Shia tradition regards this book with great respect, ranking it behind only the Quran and Nahj al-balagha, which is attributed to Ali ibn Abi Talib. Fifty-four supplications form the core of the book, which also includes an addenda of fourteen supplications and another Fifteen Whispered Prayers. The book, attributed to al-Sajjad, is often regarded as authentic, although its whispered prayers (munajat) may have been artistically edited by others.

Regarded as a seminal work in Islamic spirituality, al-Sahifa is also a rich source of Islamic teachings. Its prayer "Blessing Upon the Bearers of the Throne", for instance, summarizes the Islamic views about angels. The book was translated into Persian during the Safavid era; and its English translation, entitled The Psalms of Islam, is available with an introduction and annotations by the Islamicist W. Chittick. Numerous commentaries have been written about al-Sahifa.

Supplication of Abu Hamza al-Thumali
This supplication is attributed to al-Sajjad, and is transmitted by his companion Abu Hamza al-Thumali.

Risalat al-Hoquq
Risalat al-Huquq (lit. 'treatise on rights') is attributed to al-Sajjad; it was written at the request of a disciple. Available in two recensions, this book is concerned with social and religious responsibilities. It exhaustively describes the rights God bestows upon humans and the rights humans should give themselves and each other, as perceived in Islam. The book describes the social duties each human must observe, and that those are predicated on more fundamental duties, such as faith in God and obedience to Him.