Students and Companions of Imam Zayn al-Abidin(a.s.) - Part 1

 

His Students and his Companions

A large group of scholars and jurists, who spread knowledge throughout the Muslim world, graduated from the Ima`m's school. We will mention their biographies as well as those of the Ima`m's companions. I (the author) think that mentioning them will complete the research on the Ima`m's character.
They are as follows:

1. Aba`n Ibn 'Ayya`sh

Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him among Ima`m al-Sajja`d's companions. Ibn al-Ghada`iri said: "He (Aba`n Ibn 'Ayya`sh) belonged to the next generation. He narrated (traditions) on the authority of Anas b. Ma`lik and 'Ali b. al-Husayn. He is a weak traditionalist, and no one pays attention to him. Our companions have ascribed to him the fabrication of the book 'Salim Ibn Qays'.(Mu'jam Rija`l al-Hadïth, vol. 1, p. 20).
Ahmed b. Hanbal said: "His traditions are abandoned; the people abandoned his traditions a time ago.( Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, vol. 1, p. 98).

2. Aba`n Ibn Taghlub

b. Raba`h, Abu` Sa'id al-Bakri al-Jarriri. He was among the great scholars and one of the eminent Muslim thinkers. He defended the Ima`ms of the members of the House, peace be on them, memorized their knowledge and inheritance, hence he was the honest guard of their jurisprudence. We will mention some of his affairs:

 

His Birth and Childhood

He was born in Ku`fa, but the sources have not mentioned the year of his birth. He grew up in Ku`fa, which was the capital of the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them, and whose assemblies was full of their remembrance, their laudable deeds, and their outstanding merits. Hence Aba`n loved and followed them to the extent that he became among the chosen Shi'ites and one of their eminent scholars. He studied at the Greatest Mosque (al-Ja`mi' al-A'zam), which was one of the most important religious institutes and schools in that time.

 

His Scientific Position

Aba`n was among the most prominent and mindful Muslim scholars in that time. The biographers said: "He was advanced in the sciences of the Qur'a`n and the hadith, literature, language, and grammar.

When he went to Medina, he was charged with the scientific seminars, the sitting place of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his Household, was voided for him, the jurists and scholars surrounded him in order to make us of his scientific wealth. This indicates his high scientific position.

 

His Narrations from the Ima`ms

Aba`n was one of those who safeguarded the knowledge of the pure Ima`ms, peace be on them, hence he reported on the authority of Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him, Ima`m Abu` Ja'far al-Ba`qir, peace be on him, and Ima`m al-Sa`diq, peace be on him." He narrated thirty thousand traditions on the authority of al-Sa`diq, who, peace be on him, said to Aba`n b. 'Uthman:

"Aba`n b. Taghlub reported thirty thousand traditions on my authority, so narrate them on his authority.( Mu'jam Rija`l al-Hadïth, vol. 1, p. 22).

Salim b. Abi Hayya said: "I was with Abi 'Abd Allah (al-Sa`diq), peace be on him. When I wanted to leave him, I saw him off and said to him: 'I want you to supply me (with traditions).' So he said: 'Go to Aba`n b. Taghlub, for he has heard many of my traditions. When he narrates them to you, you narrate them on my authority..( Mu'jam Rija`l al-Hadïth, vol. 1, p. 22).

 

The Ima`ms honored Him

The Ima`ms honored and magnified Aba`n b. Taghlub, for he had scientific wealth as was as he was endowed with fear of Allah, piety, and cling to the religion. When Aba`n visited Ima`m al-Sa`diq, peace be on him, he (Ima`m al-Sa`diq) received him, shook hands with, embraced him, welcomed him, and ordered a cushion to be brought to him..( Mu'jam Rija`l al-Hadïth, vol. 1, p. 22).

Ima`m Abu` Ja'far al-Ba`qir said to him: "Sit in the Mosque of Medina and give the people religious opinions, for I like your sitting among my followers (Shi'a).( Mu'jam al-Ada`b, vol. 1, p. 108).

This hadith shows that Aba`n had the ability to give religious opinions to the people.

Ima`m Abu` 'Abd Allah al-Sa`diq said to him: "Sit with the people of Medina, for I like your sitting among our followers ((Shi'a).(Mu'jam Rija`l al-Hadïth, vol. 1, p. 21).

The Ima`ms, peace be on them, honored and magnified this great scholar, who delivered their knowledge, walked on their path, and followed their behavior.

The biographers agreed that Aba`n was reliable, honest, and truthful in narrating the hadith. None criticized him in this respect, but some people criticized him for his love for the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them, an example of them is al-Jawzja`ni, who said: "He (Aba`n) was straying with a dispraised doctrine.(Mu'jam Rija`l al-Hadïth, vol. 1, p. 21).

Another example of them is al-Dhahabi, who said: "He (Aba`n) was a firm Shi'ite, but he was truthful, so his truthfulness is for us, and his innovation is against him." He added: "How is it possible to regard an innovator as trustworthy while the bound of trustworthiness is justice and mastery? How is an innovator just?

"The answer to this question is this: Innovation is of two kinds: A small innovation, such as the immoderate Shi'ism or Shi'ism without immoderation and deviation, so this (innovation was wide-spread) among the next generation and those who followed it, and was accompanied by religion, piety, and truthfulness.

If the hadith narrated by these (people) is refused, a group of the Prophet's traditions would be missing, and this would be manifest corruption. Then there is the great innovation, such as the total immoderate abandon (radfd), degrading Abu` Bakr and 'Umar, and summoning (men) to do that, hence such a kind (of people) is not regarded as proof.( Miza`n al-I'tida`l, vol. 1, pp. 5-6).

This opinion is not objective, for the scientific research decides accepting the words of the trustworthy, reliable one who refrains from telling lies. As for the ideological inclinations in is respect, they are not important.

 

His Friendship to Ahl al-Bayt

Allah was kind to Aba`n through making him recognize the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them, and show friendship toward them. Hence he safeguarded their knowledge and their morals, exerted himself in their jurisprudence, gave the people religious opinions according to it, solved the problems of the people in its light, talked about their outstanding merits in the assemblies of Ku`fa, debated with their opponents and enemies.

That was in the time when it was dangerous for anyone to mention them with good, for the Umayyads spared no effort to punish severely those who showed love for the Ahl al-Bayt or displayed friendship to them, but Aba`n accustomed himself to their severe punishment, for his love for them was not emotional; rather it was based on intellect and proof, for the Qur'a`n and the Sunna made it incumbent on all Muslims to love the Ahl al-Bayt and in order to show friendship to them; moreover they made love for them as inseparable part of Islam.

Anyhow, Aba`n showed strong friendship to the Ahl al-Bayt. He thought that the Companions (of the Prophet) had been excellent if they had showed friendship to the pure Household (of the Prophet). 'Abd al-Rahma`n b. al-Hajja`j narrated: "While I was sitting with Aba`n b. Taghlub, a young man came and ask him: 'O Aba` Sa'id, how many Companions of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his Household, were with 'Ali b. Abi Ta`lib (at the Battle of the Camel)?'

"Aba`n understood the young man's purpose, so he asked him: 'It seems that you want to know Ali's excellence through the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his Household, who followed him?'

"Yes," replied the young man.

Aba`n answered him with the answer of those who understood Ima`m Ali's excellencies: "By Allah, we did not know their (the Companions') excellencies except through their following him." Surely, Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, was the pioneer of wisdom and justice in Islam.

He was the measure with which the values of men are known, so those who were sincere to him were of great excellence, and those who showed enmity toward him deviated from the truth.

Another aspect of Aba`n's friendship to the pure Ima`ms from among the family of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, is that he passed by some people who criticized him for his narrating from Ima`m Abi Ja'far al-Ba`qir, peace be on him, so he asked them: "Why do blame me for my narrating from a man who (when I ask him) he says: 'Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his Household, said.

Aba`n narrated on the authority of Ima`m al-Ba`qir, peace be on him, on the authority of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his Household, hence his narration is the most trustworthy of all narrations and the most authentic of them in the chain of authorities.

 

His Books

Aba`n wrote a group of books showing his abundant knowledge and sciences, the following are some of them:

1. Tafsir Gharib al-Qur'a`n, in which he mentioned examples of poetry. Afterwards, 'Abd al-Rahma`n b. Mohammed al-Azdi al-Ku`fi gathered in one book the books of Aba`n, Mohammed b. al-Sa`yib al-Kalbi, and Ibn Rawa`q b. 'Atiya.

2. Al-Fada`'il, in which, perhaps, he mentioned the outstanding merits of the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them.

3. Al-Usu`l fi al-Ruwa`iya 'ala` Madhhab al-Shi'a.

 

His Death

This great scholar (Aba`n) died in the year 141 A. H., hence his death was a great loss in Islam. Ima`m al-Sa`diq grieved over him when he said with sorrow and grief: "By Allah, the death of Aba`n has made my heart ache!

(Mu'jam al-Udaba`', vol. 1, p. 108).

 

Abu` al-Bila`d said:

"Woe unto the Shi'ites all over the land if they do not grieve over Aba`n's death!"
May Allah have mercy upon Aba`n, for he strove bravely in the way of the Truth and raising the Word of Allah; his death was the greatest calamity in the Islamic world then.

3. Ibra`him Ibn Abi Haffsa
He was the retainer of the children of 'Ijjl. Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m 'Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on him.

4. Ibra`him Ibn Bashir

al-Ansa`ri, al-Medani. According to this nick-name, Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m al-Sajja`d (Zayn al-'Abidin), peace be on him.

5. Ibra`him Ibn 'Abd Allah

b. Ma'bad b. al-'Abba`s b. 'Abd al-Mutalib b. 'Abd Mana`f. According to this title, Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m al-Sajja`d, peace be on him.

6. Ibra`him Ibn Mohammed

b. 'Ali b. Abi Ta`lib b. al-Hanafiya al-Medani. Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m al-Sajja`d, peace be on him.

7. Ibra`him Ibn Yazid

al-Nakha'i, al-Ku`fi. He was given the Kunya of Aba` 'Umra`n. He died in the year 906 A. H. He was a one-eyed retainer, as Shaykh al-Tu`si mentioned.1 A group of people was indignant with him because he said that Abu` Hurayra was not a jurist.(Miza`n al-I'tida`l, vol. 1, p. 75).

8. Ahmed Ibn Hamawayh

According to this title, Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m 'Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on him.

9. Isha`q Ibn 'Abd Allah

b. al-Harth b. Nawfal b. al-Harth b. 'Abd al-Mutalib al-Medani. According to this title, Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m al-Sajja`d, peace be on him.

10. Isha`q Ibn 'Abd Allah

b. Abi Tallha al-Medani. Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m al-Sajja`d, peace be on him, and of Ima`m al-Ba`qir, peace be on him.

11. Isha`q Ibn Yasa`r

al-Medani. He was the retainer of Qays b. Mukarrima and was the father of Mohammed b. Isha`q, the companion of al-Wa`qidi. Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m al-Sajja`d, peace be on him, and of Ima`m al-Ba`qir, peace be on him.

12. Isma`'il Ibn Umayya

According to this title, Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m al-Sajja`d, peace be on him.

13. Isma`'il Ibn Ra`fi'?

Al-Medani. Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m 'Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on him. Al-Dhahabi said: "He was a well-known (person) from Medina. He lived in Basrah and reported (traditions) on the authority of al-Maqabari and al-Qurrtubi. Wakki', Mekki, and a group (of traditionalists) narrated on his authority. Ahmed, Yahya`, and a group (of biographers) regarded him as a weak traditionalist." Al-Da`rquttni and others said: "His traditions have been abandoned." Ibn 'Adi said: "All his traditions need checking."

14. Isma`'il Ibn 'Abd al-Kha`liq

Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m al-Sajja`d, peace be on him. He said: " He (Isma`'il) lived until the days of Abi 'Abd Allah al-Sa`diq, peace be on him." Al-Naja`shi said: "He was one of our eminent companions and jurists. He was a Shi'ite traditionalist. His uncles were Shaha`b, 'Abd al-Rahim, and Wahab. His father was 'Abd al-Kha`liq. They all were trustworthy. He reported on the authority of Abi Ja'far (al-Ba`qir) and Abi 'Abd Allah (al-Sa`diq), peace be on them." He (al-Naja`shi) added: "He had a book."

15. Isma`'il Ibn 'Abd al-Rahma`n

b. Abi Karim al-Saddi al-Ku`fi. Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m 'Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on him, and of Ima`m al-Ba`qir, peace be on him, and he said: "He (Isma`'il) was given the kunya of Abu` Mohammed al-Mufassir, al-Ku`fi."