Ja'far ibn Abī Tālib
Encyclopedia
Ja‘far ibn Abī Tālib (Arabic: جعفر ابن أبي طالب / جعفر الطيار) (died 629), also known as Ja‘far at-Tayyār, was the son of Abu Talib ibn 'Abdul Muttalib (the uncle of the Islamic prophet
Muhammad
), and the elder brother of the fourth Sunni
and first Shia caliph, Ali
ibn Abi Talib. Jafar was raised by his uncle, Abbas ibn 'Abdul Muttalib, for his father was a poor man and had to support a big family. He embraced Islam in jaround 613.
. They were among the very first persons to embrace Islam, and as a result suffered greatly at the hands of the Quraish. The Quraish restricted their movements and freedom until they could not bear it anymore. That is why Jafar went to Muhammed and took his permission to immigrate to Ethiopia
along with a small group of Sahaba
s.
They settled down in this new land under the protection of Negus
Ashama ibn Abjar
, and for the first time since they had become Muslims they knew what freedom was, and could worship God without any hindrances. However, Quraish would not let them enjoy freedom and peace for long; soon they sent Abdullah ibn Abu Rabiah and another man from Quraish in order to negotiate with Negus and get all the Muslims back to Mecca.
They took a lot of presents to the Negus, which pleased him a lot, and then told him that there is a group of wicked men moving about freely in his country and asked him to capture them before they cause any harm to his kingship as they did in Quraish. But the Negus refused to do that until he calls them and questions them regarding Quraish’s allegations. So he asked the group Muslims, among which was Jafar ibn Abu Talib, to come and meet him and the Muslims chose Jafar to be their spokesman.
The Negus asked them "what is this religion that has cut you off from your people, and made you in no need of our religion..?"
Jafar answered him saying "we were living in darkness and this religion came and commanded us to speak the truth, to honor our promises, to be kind to our relations, to cease all forbidden acts, to abstain from bloodshed. To avoid obstinacies and false witness, nor to appropriate an orphan's property or slander chaste women, Muhammed ordered us to worship Allah only and not to associate any god with Him, to uphold Salat
, to give Zakat
and fast in the month of Ramadan, so we believed in him and what he brought to us from Allah and we follow him in what he has asked us to do and we keep away from what he forbade us from doing."
The Negus was eager to know more about what Jafar said, and so he asked Jafar to read him a part from what Muhammed brought concerning God. Jafar recited for him the first portion of Surah Maryam, which narrates the story of Jesus and his mother Mary. On hearing the words of the Qur'an
, the Negus was moved and the bishops around him began to weep. The Negus said that he will never harm them.
However the two Quraish emissaries did not stop at that, they went to the Negus again and told him that the Muslims say that Jesus is a slave, and asked him to call them and ask them what they think of Jesus.
The Negus called the Muslims and asked them, so Jafar answered him saying, "Our Prophet says that Jesus is Allah’s prophet." The Negus gave back the gifts to Amr so he and his companion left broken and frustrated.
, which became a second home for them. There Asma gave birth to three children whom they named Abdullah, Muhammad and Awn. In the seventh year of the Hijra
, Jafar and his family left Abyssinia with a group of Muslims and headed for Medina
.
Jafar ibn Abu Talib headed the second batch of immigrants to Abyssinia in 616. Jafar was the name of Abi Talib’s eldest son. Abi Talib was Muhammad's protective uncle who always showed his loyalty towards his nephew. Jafar headed the first emigration of Muslims to Abyssinia, where they sought refuge amongst Christians of the time, following the orders of Prophet Muhammad. Upon attempts to sabotage their peaceful inhabitation in Abyssinia by the Quraysh, Jafar took a brave step in relaying the story of Maryam to the King of Abyssinia from the Qur’an, sealing trust between the Muslims and Christians during a dangerous time. Because of Jafar’s bold move, the King welcomed the Muslims into his homeland and granted them protection as long as they chose Abyssinia as their abode. Jafar and his wife Asma spent about ten years in Ethiopia, which became a second home for them. There Asma gave birth to three children whom they named Abdullah, Muhammad and Awn. In the seventh year of the Hijra, Jafar and his family left Abyssinia with a group of Muslims and headed for Madina.
Muslims in general and the poor among them specifically were as happy with the return of Jafar as Muhammad was. And quickly Jafar became a well known as a person who was much concerned with the welfare of the poor.
(Jordan), because a Byzantine
governor had treacherously killed one of his emissaries. He appointed Zayd ibn Harithah
as commander of the army and gave the following instructions: "If Zayd is wounded or killed, Ja'far ibn Abu Talib would take over the command. If Jafar ibn Abu Talib is killed or wounded, then your commander would be Abdullah ibn Rawahah. If Abdullah ibn Rawahah is killed, then let the Muslims choose for themselves a commander."
Despite all the hardship they faced, the Muslim army battled the Byzantines. Zayd ibn Harithah, the beloved companion of Muhammad, was among the first Muslims who was killed in the battle. Jafar ibn Abu Talib then assumed command. Mounted on his horse, he penetrated deep into the Byzantine ranks. As he spurred his horse on, he called out: "How wonderful is Paradise as it draws near! How pleasant and cool is its drink! Punishment for the Byzantines is not far away!" Ja'far continued to fight vigorously but was eventually slain.
In the battle of Mu'tah, Ja'far at-Tayyar carried the Banner of Islam and was out-numbered by the enemies and killed. The two arms of one of Muhammad's bravest followers and his army's standard-bearer, Jafar at-Tayyar, brother of Ali, were cut off in the battle and he was martyred. When the news reached Muhammad he cried and prayed for Jafar's soul and the angel Gabriel came down and consoled Muhammad, saying "Jafar was a brave and loyal soldier. God has given him everlasting life, and in place of his arms which were cut off in the battle, the Lord has given him a pair of wings".
The news of the death of the three commanders reached Muhammad in Medina. The pain and grief he felt was intense. He went to Jafar's house and met his wife Asma. She was somehow prepared to receive her absent husband. Asma said: "When the Messenger of Allah approached us, I saw a veil of sadness shrouding his noble face and I became very apprehensive. But I did not dare ask him about Jafar for fear that I would hear some unpleasant news. He greeted and asked, 'Where are Jafar's children?' I called them for him and they came and crowded around him happily, each one wanting to claim him for himself. He leaned over and hugged them while tears flowed from his eyes.
The smiles and the laughter vanished from the faces of the little children when they heard their mother crying and wailing.
His tomb is located near Amman, Jordan and enclosed in an ornate shrine made of gold and silver, made by the Dawoodi Bohra
's 52nd Da'i, Mohammed Burhanuddin
.
Prophets of Islam
Muslims identify the Prophets of Islam as those humans chosen by God and given revelation to deliver to mankind. Muslims believe that every prophet was given a belief to worship God and their respective followers believed it as well...
Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
), and the elder brother of the fourth Sunni
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
and first Shia caliph, Ali
Ali
' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...
ibn Abi Talib. Jafar was raised by his uncle, Abbas ibn 'Abdul Muttalib, for his father was a poor man and had to support a big family. He embraced Islam in jaround 613.
Marriage
Jafar left his uncle Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib’s house when he became a young man and got married to Asma bint UmaysAsma bint Umays
Asma bint Umais from the Banu Hashim tribe was a Sahabiyyah . Her grave can be found in Baab Sagheer cemetery, Damascus, Syria.-Family:...
. They were among the very first persons to embrace Islam, and as a result suffered greatly at the hands of the Quraish. The Quraish restricted their movements and freedom until they could not bear it anymore. That is why Jafar went to Muhammed and took his permission to immigrate to Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
along with a small group of Sahaba
Sahaba
In Islam, the ' were the companions, disciples, scribes and family of the Islamic prophet...
s.
They settled down in this new land under the protection of Negus
Negus
Negus is a title in Ge'ez, Tigrinya, Tigre and Amharic, used for a king and at times also a vassal ruler in pre-1974 Ethiopia and pre-1890 Eritrea. It is subsequently used to translate the word "king" in Biblical and other literature...
Ashama ibn Abjar
Ashama ibn Abjar
According to Arabic sources, Aṣḥama ibn Abjar was Emperor or al-Najashi of Aksum at the time of Muhammad, and gave refuge to several Muslims in the Kingdom of Aksum. The term "al-Najashi" has the variant al-Negashi; it corresponds to the ancient Aksumite title Negus, with the variant Negash...
, and for the first time since they had become Muslims they knew what freedom was, and could worship God without any hindrances. However, Quraish would not let them enjoy freedom and peace for long; soon they sent Abdullah ibn Abu Rabiah and another man from Quraish in order to negotiate with Negus and get all the Muslims back to Mecca.
They took a lot of presents to the Negus, which pleased him a lot, and then told him that there is a group of wicked men moving about freely in his country and asked him to capture them before they cause any harm to his kingship as they did in Quraish. But the Negus refused to do that until he calls them and questions them regarding Quraish’s allegations. So he asked the group Muslims, among which was Jafar ibn Abu Talib, to come and meet him and the Muslims chose Jafar to be their spokesman.
The Negus asked them "what is this religion that has cut you off from your people, and made you in no need of our religion..?"
Jafar answered him saying "we were living in darkness and this religion came and commanded us to speak the truth, to honor our promises, to be kind to our relations, to cease all forbidden acts, to abstain from bloodshed. To avoid obstinacies and false witness, nor to appropriate an orphan's property or slander chaste women, Muhammed ordered us to worship Allah only and not to associate any god with Him, to uphold Salat
Salat
Salah is the practice of formal prayer in Islam. Its importance for Muslims is indicated by its status as one of the Five Pillars of Sunni Islam, of the Ten Practices of the Religion of Twelver Islam and of the 7 pillars of Musta'lī Ismailis...
, to give Zakat
Zakat
Zakāt , one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is the giving of a fixed portion of one's wealth to charity, generally to the poor and needy.-History:Zakat, a practice initiated by Muhammed himself, has played an important role throughout Islamic history...
and fast in the month of Ramadan, so we believed in him and what he brought to us from Allah and we follow him in what he has asked us to do and we keep away from what he forbade us from doing."
The Negus was eager to know more about what Jafar said, and so he asked Jafar to read him a part from what Muhammed brought concerning God. Jafar recited for him the first portion of Surah Maryam, which narrates the story of Jesus and his mother Mary. On hearing the words of the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
, the Negus was moved and the bishops around him began to weep. The Negus said that he will never harm them.
However the two Quraish emissaries did not stop at that, they went to the Negus again and told him that the Muslims say that Jesus is a slave, and asked him to call them and ask them what they think of Jesus.
The Negus called the Muslims and asked them, so Jafar answered him saying, "Our Prophet says that Jesus is Allah’s prophet." The Negus gave back the gifts to Amr so he and his companion left broken and frustrated.
In Abyssinia, 616
Jafar ibn Abu Talib headed the second batch of immigrants to Abyssinia in 616. Jafar was the name of Abi Talib’s eldest son. Abi Talib was Muhammad's protective uncle who never embraced Bani Qurashs religion and helped his nephew. Jafar headed the first emigration of Muslims to Abyssinia, where they sought refuge amongst Christians of the time, following the orders of Muhammad. Upon attempts to sabotage their peaceful inhabitation in Abyssinia by the Quraysh, Jafar took a brave step in relaying the story of Maryam to the King of Abyssinia from the Qur’an, sealing trust between the Muslims and Christians during a dangerous time. Because of Jafar’s bold move, the King welcomed the Muslims into his homeland and granted them protection as long as they chose Abyssinia as their abode. Jafar and his wife Asma spent about ten years in EthiopiaEthiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, which became a second home for them. There Asma gave birth to three children whom they named Abdullah, Muhammad and Awn. In the seventh year of the Hijra
Hijri year
The Hijri year is year numbering system used in the Islamic calendar. It commemorates the Hijra , or emigration of Muhammad and his followers to the city of Medina in 622 CE. In Arabic, AH is symbolized by the letter هـ...
, Jafar and his family left Abyssinia with a group of Muslims and headed for Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
.
Overseas Preaching, 617 onwards
Jafar ibn Abu Talib was one of the Sahabas who left Abyssinia in 614-5 for overseas preaching and later returned to Abyssinia by the same route. Jafar ibn Abu Talib accompanied Sad ibn abi Waqqas and other Sahabas in their mission to Chittagong-Manipur-Tibet-Khotan-China region.Jafar ibn Abu Talib headed the second batch of immigrants to Abyssinia in 616. Jafar was the name of Abi Talib’s eldest son. Abi Talib was Muhammad's protective uncle who always showed his loyalty towards his nephew. Jafar headed the first emigration of Muslims to Abyssinia, where they sought refuge amongst Christians of the time, following the orders of Prophet Muhammad. Upon attempts to sabotage their peaceful inhabitation in Abyssinia by the Quraysh, Jafar took a brave step in relaying the story of Maryam to the King of Abyssinia from the Qur’an, sealing trust between the Muslims and Christians during a dangerous time. Because of Jafar’s bold move, the King welcomed the Muslims into his homeland and granted them protection as long as they chose Abyssinia as their abode. Jafar and his wife Asma spent about ten years in Ethiopia, which became a second home for them. There Asma gave birth to three children whom they named Abdullah, Muhammad and Awn. In the seventh year of the Hijra, Jafar and his family left Abyssinia with a group of Muslims and headed for Madina.
Preaching in Khotan
The Muslims of Khotan (west of Tibet, China) trace their origin to Jafar, a cousin of Prophet Muhammad. He is Jafar ibn Abu Talib.The oasis city of Khotan is located in the Xinjiang Province just six miles south of the Taklamakan Desert. The Muslims of Chams (Cambodiya) also trace their origin to a father-in-law of Prophet Muhammad who is Jahsh (Geys), the father of Zainab (wife of Muhammad). Chinese Muslims dedicated a mauseleum in Hami, 400 miles east of Urumqi in Xinxiang, to Jahsh's (Geys') memory that was misconstrued as Geys' tomb by later generations.Arrival in Medina, 626
On their arrival at Medina, Muhammad was returning from the Battle of Khaybar and on seeing Jafar he was very happy and said, "I don't know which event is more cheerful – Jafar's coming or the Conquest of Khaybar!"Muslims in general and the poor among them specifically were as happy with the return of Jafar as Muhammad was. And quickly Jafar became a well known as a person who was much concerned with the welfare of the poor.
In the Battle of Mu'tah
Ja'far did not stay in Medina for long. In the eighth year of the Hijra, Muhammad mobilized an army to confront Byzantine forces in the LevantLevant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
(Jordan), because a Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
governor had treacherously killed one of his emissaries. He appointed Zayd ibn Harithah
Zayd ibn Harithah
Zayd ibn Harithah or Zayd mawla Muhammad was a prominent figure in the early Islamic community and the only one of sahaba whose name is spelled directly in the Qur'an. As he was the adopted son of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, before Islam abolished adoption in exchange of Kafala. He was an...
as commander of the army and gave the following instructions: "If Zayd is wounded or killed, Ja'far ibn Abu Talib would take over the command. If Jafar ibn Abu Talib is killed or wounded, then your commander would be Abdullah ibn Rawahah. If Abdullah ibn Rawahah is killed, then let the Muslims choose for themselves a commander."
Despite all the hardship they faced, the Muslim army battled the Byzantines. Zayd ibn Harithah, the beloved companion of Muhammad, was among the first Muslims who was killed in the battle. Jafar ibn Abu Talib then assumed command. Mounted on his horse, he penetrated deep into the Byzantine ranks. As he spurred his horse on, he called out: "How wonderful is Paradise as it draws near! How pleasant and cool is its drink! Punishment for the Byzantines is not far away!" Ja'far continued to fight vigorously but was eventually slain.
In the battle of Mu'tah, Ja'far at-Tayyar carried the Banner of Islam and was out-numbered by the enemies and killed. The two arms of one of Muhammad's bravest followers and his army's standard-bearer, Jafar at-Tayyar, brother of Ali, were cut off in the battle and he was martyred. When the news reached Muhammad he cried and prayed for Jafar's soul and the angel Gabriel came down and consoled Muhammad, saying "Jafar was a brave and loyal soldier. God has given him everlasting life, and in place of his arms which were cut off in the battle, the Lord has given him a pair of wings".
The news of the death of the three commanders reached Muhammad in Medina. The pain and grief he felt was intense. He went to Jafar's house and met his wife Asma. She was somehow prepared to receive her absent husband. Asma said: "When the Messenger of Allah approached us, I saw a veil of sadness shrouding his noble face and I became very apprehensive. But I did not dare ask him about Jafar for fear that I would hear some unpleasant news. He greeted and asked, 'Where are Jafar's children?' I called them for him and they came and crowded around him happily, each one wanting to claim him for himself. He leaned over and hugged them while tears flowed from his eyes.
The smiles and the laughter vanished from the faces of the little children when they heard their mother crying and wailing.
His tomb is located near Amman, Jordan and enclosed in an ornate shrine made of gold and silver, made by the Dawoodi Bohra
Dawoodi Bohra
Dawoodi Bohra is a subsect of Ismāʿīlī Shīʿa Islām. While the Dawoodi Bohra is based in India, their belief system originates in Yemen, where it evolved from the Fatimid Caliphate and where they were persecuted due to their differences from mainstream Sunni Islam...
's 52nd Da'i, Mohammed Burhanuddin
Mohammed Burhanuddin
Doctor Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin is the 52nd Dā‘ī l-Muṭlaq of the Dawoodi Bohras. The Dawoodi Bohras are a sub group within the Mustaali, Ismaili Shia branch of Islam.- Biography :Burhanuddin was born in Surat, Gujarat, India...
.
Sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren
- Abdullah ibn Ja'farAbdullah ibn Ja'farAbdullah ibn Ja'far was the son of Ja'far ibn Abu Talib and the nephew of Ali.-Migration to Abyssinia, 615 and overseas preaching:...
married Zaynab bint AliZaynab bint AliZaynab bint Ali was the daughter of the Rashid Caliph and first Shi'i Imam, Ali and granddaughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatimah....
. Their sons were martyred in the battle of KarbalaBattle of KarbalaThe Battle of Karbala took place on Muharram 10, in the year 61 of the Islamic calendar in Karbala, in present day Iraq. On one side of the highly uneven battle were a small group of supporters and relatives of Muhammad's grandson Husain ibn Ali, and on the other was a large military detachment...
. - Muhammad ibn Ja'farMuhammad ibn Ja'farMuhammad ibn Jafar was the son of Ja'far ibn Abu Talib, and therefore the grandson of Fatima bint Asad and Abu Talib. He married a woman called Umm Kulthum bint Ali.-External links:*http://www.yazehra.com/fatimabint.htm...
. - Awn ibn Ja'farAwn ibn Ja'farAwn ibn Ja'far was a Sahabi of the prophet Muhammad. He was the third son of Ja'far ibn Abu Talib and Asma bint Umais . He married the youngest daughter of Ali ibn Abi Talib and Fatimah Zahra, Umm Khultum bint Ali....
and he married Umm Kulthum bint Ali. - Yahya ibn UmarYahya ibn UmarYahya ibn Umar ibn Yahya ibn Husayn ibn Zayd ibn Ali Zayn al-Abidin ibn Al-Husayn ibn Ali al-Murtada was an Alid Imam. His mother was Umm al-Husayn Fatimah bint al-Husayn ibn Abdallah ibn Ismail ibn Abdullah ibn Ja`far ibn Abī Tālib. In the days of the Abbasid Caliph Al-Musta'in, he marched out...
- Descendant who lead a rebellion. - Abdallah ibn Muawiya- Descendant who set up by Shia's in KufaKufaKufa is a city in Iraq, about south of Baghdad, and northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000....
as Imam and lead a rebellion.