Zayd ibn Ali

Zayd led a rebellion against the Umayyads in the middle of 8th century, renewing hostilities that existed between the Umayyads and the Hashemites. Zayd was killed during fighting in 740.

After his death, some felt that he was the rightful successor to his father, rather than his half-brother Muhammad al-Baqir. Those who believe in this line of succession form the Zaidi sect within Shi'a Islam.

A shrine in his memory is located in Karak, Jordan.

Imam Jafar As-Sadiq said, "Among us [Zayd] was the best read in the Qur'an, and the most knowledgeable about religion, and the most caring towards family and relatives."

Who was Zaid bin 'Ali (as)? (by Sayyid 'Ali ibn 'Ali Al-Zaidi)

The Prophet prophesied his martyrdom, as narrated by Imam Hussain (as): "The Holy Prophet put his sacred hand on my back and said: 'O Hussain, it will not be long until a man will be born among your descendants. He will be called Zaid; he will be killed as a martyr. On the day of resurrection, he and his companions will enter heaven, setting their feet on the necks of the people.'" 1

Zaid bin 'Ali (as) was known as Imam Zaid bin 'Ali ash-Shahid (The Martyr). His official name is Zaid bin 'Ali bin Hussain bin 'Ali bin Abu Talib (as). He was the Son of the fourth Imam and half brother of the fifth Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (as). Zaid (as) was the most outstanding and the most learned of the scholars of his time. Shaykh Mufid describes him as "a devout worshipper, pious, a jurist, God-fearing and brave." 2

It is worth mentioning that he is also the first narrator of the famous as-Sahifah as-Sajjãdiyya of Imam Zainul 'Abidin (a.s.). Historians of both Shi'is and Sunnis recorded that when Hisham bin Abdu'l-Malik became the caliph, he committed many atrocities. With regard to the Bani Hashim, he was particularly cruel. At last, Zaid bin 'Ali (as), well known as a great scholar and a pious theologian, went to see the caliph to seek redress for the grievances of the Bani Hashim. As soon as Zaid (as) arrived, the caliph, instead of greeting him as a direct descendant of the prophet, abused him with such abominable language that it can not be repeated. Because of this disgraceful treatment, Zaid (as) left Syria for Kufa, where he raised an army against the Bani Umayyad. The governor of Kufa, Yusuf bin 'Umar Thaqafi came out with a huge army to face him. Zaid (as) recited the following war poem: "Disgraceful life and honourable death: both are bitter morsels, but if one of them must be chosen, my choice is honourable death." Although he fought bravely, Zaid (as) was killed in battle on the 2nd of Safar in 120 A.H. at the age of forty-two by Yusuf bin 'Amr ath-Thaqafi (the Umayyad governor). His son, Yahya, took his body from the field and buried him away from the city near the river bank, causing the water to flow over it. However, the grave was discovered and, under Yusuf's orders, the body was exhumed, Zaid (as)'s head was cut off and sent to Hisham in Syria. In the month of Safar, 121 A.H., Hisham had the sacred body of this descendant of the Prophet placed on the gallows entirely naked. For four years the sacred body remained on the gallows. Thereafter, when Walid Bin Yazid bin Abdu'l-Malik bin Marwan became caliph in 126 A.H., he ordered that the skeleton be taken down from the gallows, burnt, and the ashes scattered to the wind. This accursed man committed a similar atrocity to the body of Yahya bin Zaid (as) of Gurgan. This noble man also opposed the oppression of the Bani Umayyad. He too was martyred on the battlefield. His head was sent to Syria and, as in the case of his revered father, his body was hung on the gallows - for six years. Friend and foe alike wept at the sight. Waliu'd-din Abu Muslim Khorasani, who had risen against the Bani Umayyad on behalf of Bani 'Abbas, took his body down and buried it in Gurgan, where it is a place of pilgrimage. 3

Because of his jihad and his claim for the Ahlul Bayt, some Shi'as, however, thought that Zaid was claiming imamate for himself and therefore started believing in him as the Imam. The Ithna-'Ashari sources do not believe that Zaid (as) claimed imamate for himself. For example, Shaykh Mufid, one of the earliest Shi'a theologians says, "However that was not his intention because he knew of the right of his brother, peace be on him, to the Imamate before him, and of his bequest of trusteeship (wasiyya) at his death to Abu 'Abd Allãh (i.e., Jafar as-Sadiq), peace be on him." 4

Even the way Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (a.s.) reacted to Zaid (as)'s martyrdom shows the uprightness of the latter in his faith in the Imams of Ahlul Bayt. When Imam as-Sadiq was informed about Zaid (as)'s martyrdom, "he was very sad...and he set apart a thousand dinars of his own money for the families of those of (Zaid (as)'s) followers who were killed with him." 5

In conclusion, we can say that Zaid bin 'Ali (as) was an outstanding Muslim, a mujãhid and a shahid who was loyal to the line of the Imams of Ahlul Bayt, including his own brother, Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (as), and, his nephew, Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (a.s.). This leaves us with no choice but to reject the statement made by the late 'Allamah Tabãtabã'i that Zaid (as) himself "considered the first two caliphs, Abu Bakr and Umar, as their Imams." 6

In Karak, Jordan is the shrine of Zaid bin 'Ali bin Al-Hussain (as). He was the great, great, grandson of Prophet Mohammad and a religious leader known for his righteous, majestic and knowledgeable ways. When describing Zaid (as), Imam Jafar As-Sadiq (as) said: "Among us he was the best read in the Holy Qur'an, and the most knowledgeable about religion, and the most caring towards family and relatives."

Sources

1 (Peshawar Nights by Sultanu'l-Wa'izin Shirazi)

2 (al-Irshad, p. 403)

3 (al-Mufid, al-Irshad, p. 404; al-Mas'udi, Muruj adh-Dhahab; al-Qummi, Muntahal Amãl, p. 36).

4 (al-Irshad, p. 404).

5 (al-Irshad, p. 405) For other such narrations by Shaykh as-Saduq, see Muntahal Amãl, p. 36.

6 (Shi'a Islam, p. 77)

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../z/a/y/Zayd_ibn_Ali_37a2.html"

Category: 740 deaths