Personalities

16. Isma`'il Ibn 'Abd Allah

b. Ja'far b. Abi Ta`lib. He belonged to the leading members of the next generation. 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.

17. Aflah Ibn Hamid

al-Rawa`si, al-Kila`bi, al-Ku`fi. Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m al-Sajja`d, peace be on him. He narrated on his authority, also al-Muba`rak reported on his authority.

18 Ayyu`b Ibn al-Hasan

b. 'Ali b. Abi Ra`fi', the retainer of Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family. The name of Abi Ra`fi' is Aslam. Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m al-Sajja`d, peace be on him.

19. Ayyu`b Ibn 'Aiyidh

al-Ta`'i al-Bakhtari. Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m 'Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on him.

20. Burd al-Iska`fi

Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m 'Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on him.1 Al-Naja`shi said: "He was a retainer . He had a book which was narrated by Ibn Abi 'Umayr."

21. Bishr Ibn Gha`lib

Al-Asadi al-Ku`fi. Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m al-Sajja`d, peace be on him. Al-Barqi numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m ('Ali) the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, of al-Hasan, of al-Husayn, and of al-Sajja`d, peace be on them.

22. Bakr Ibn Aws

Abu` al-Manhal al-Ta`'i al-Basri. Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m al-Sajja`d, peace be on him.

23. Bukayr Ibn 'Abd Allah

b. al-Ashajj. 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.

24. Tha`bit Ibn Aslam

al-Bana`ni al-Qarashi. He belonged to the leading members of the next generation. He heard Anas. Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m al-Sajja`d, peace be on him.

25. Tha`bit Ibn Abi Safiya

Abu` Hamza al-Thuma`li. He was an Allah-fearing, pious, and great scholar. He followed the noble moral traits of the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them, delivered their knowledge and science. We will mention some of his affairs.

His Childhood

Abu` Hamza grew up in Ku`fa, which was the center of the followers and friends of the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them. He took his knowledge from the Ku`fan scholars (shaykhs), who held the knowledge and jurisprudence of the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them, hence he became one of the most prominent ascetic scholars of Ku`fa.

(Al-Kuna` wa al-Alqa`b, vol. 2, p. 132).

His Reliability

The biographers agreed that he was trustworthy, just, his traditions were authentic, that he was like Salma`n al-Fa`risi in his time, as Ima`m al-Sa`diq, peace be on him, said.Ibn Ma'in criticized him because he showed friendship to the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them, whose love Allah has made incumbent on Muslims.( Miza`n al-I'tida`l, vol. 1, p. 363. Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, vol. 2, p. 7).

His Scientific Position

He was the most eminent religious scholar of his time in the hadith, jurisprudence, linguistics, and others. Ibn Ma`ja narrated (traditions) on his authority in Chapter on Purity.(Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, vol. 2, p. 8).
The Shi'ites in Ku`fa referred to him because he had encompassed the jurisprudence of the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them.

His Books

He wrote a group of books on various sciences, which show his abundant knowledge. The following are some of them:

1. Kita`b al-Nawa`dir (the Book of Rare Things).
2. Kita`b al-Zuhd (the Book of Asceticism).
3. Kita`b Tafsir al-Qur'a`n (the Book of Interpretation of the Qur'a`n).
4. His narrating the Treatise on Rights by Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him.
5. His narrating Du'a`' al-Sahr, better known as Du'a`' Abu` Hamza. He narrated it on the authority of the greatest Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him.

His Narrations from the Ima`ms

Tha`bit b. Abi Safiya, better known as Abu` Hamza al-Thuma`li, narrated a large group of traditions on the authority of the pure Ima`ms, peace be on them; he reported on the authority of Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him, and Ima`m Mu`sa` b. Ja'far. Also he narrated on the authority of Abi Razin al-Asadi and Ja`bir b. 'Abd Allah al-Ansa`ri. Abu` Ayyu`b, Abu` Sa'id al-Mika`ri, Ibn Ra'a`b, Ibn Mahbu`b, Ibn Miska`n, Aba`n b. 'Uthma`n, and others narrated (traditions) on his authority.

His Death

This great scholar died in the year 150 A.H.1 When he died, the Muslims lost one of the great thinkers and strugglers.

26. Tha`bit Ibn 'Abd Allah

b. al-Zubayr b. al-'Auwa`m b. Asad b. Khuwaylid b. 'Abd al-'Uzza` al-Qarashi. Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m al-Sajja`d, peace be on him.

27. Tha`bit Ibn Hurmuz

al-Fa`risi, Abu` al-Muqda`m, al-'Ajali, al-Hadda`d, the retainer of the children of 'Ijjl. Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m al-Sajja`d, peace be on him. Al-Naja`shi said: "He reported a copy on the authority of 'Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on him, and the copy was narrated on his authority by his son 'Amru` b. Tha`bit." 'Alla`ma (al-Hulli) numbered him as one of the Batariya, concerning whom Ima`m Abu` Ja'far al-Ba`qir, peace be on him, said:

"They have misled many of these (people), and they are from among those concerning whom Allah, the Great and Almighty, said: And there are some people who say: We believe in Allah and the last day; and they are not at all believers."

Al-Sa`diq, peace be on him, said: "If the Batariya (stood) in one line between the east and the west, Allah would not strengthen a religion through them." Ahmed b. Ma'in and b. Hayya`n regarded him as trustworthy.(Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, vol. 2, p. 16).

Perhaps, they regarded him as a trustworthy person of the Batariya.

28. Thuwayr Ibn Abi Fa`khta

al-Ku`fi, the retainer of Umm Ha`ni'. It was said that he was the retainer of her husband, Ju'da. 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.

Thuwayr narrated: "I went out to perform the hajj. 'Amru` b. Dharr al-Qadi, Ibn Qays al-Ma`sir, and al-Salt b. Mahra`m accompanied me. When they arrived in (Mecca), they said: 'Now, look! We have written four thousand questions, and we will ask Aba` Ja'far (al-Ba`qir) about thirty questions of them a day. We have charged you with this.' This grieved me.

When we entered Medina, we left each other. As for me, I stopped at Abi Ja'far, peace be on him, and said to him: May I be ransom for you, 'Amru` b. Dharr al-Qadi, Ibn Qays al-Ma`sir, and al-Salt b. Mahra`m accompanied me, and I heard them say: 'We have written four thousand questions, and we will ask Aba` Ja'far (al-Ba`qir) about thirty questions of them a day,' but this has grieved me.

Abu` Ja'far asked: 'What of this makes you sad? When they come, let them enter.' On the following day, a retainer came to Abu` Ja'far and said to him: 'May I be ransom for you, Ibn Dharr and a group of people are at the door.'

Abu` Ja'far, peace be on him, said to me: 'Thuwayr, go and let them enter.' I (Thuwayr) went and caused them to enter. When they entered, they greeted (Abu` Ja'far), sat down, and said nothing. As their silence became long, Abu` Ja'far began conversations with them; yet they said nothing. Abu` Ja'far understood this, so he said to a slave girl of him called Sarha: 'Fetch the tablecloth.' When she brought it and spread it, Abu` Ja'far said: 'Praise belongs to Allah, Who has appointed a rule for everything even this tablecloth!' Hence Ibn Dharr asked him: 'What is its rule?'

"When it is placed, Allah is remembered, and when it is raised, Allah is praised,' replied the Ima`m. Then the Ima`m ordered them to have food, and he ordered the slave girl to bring water. When she brought him a water-skin, he said: 'Praise belongs to Allah, Who has appointed a rule for everything even this water-skin!'

Hence Ibn Dharr asked him: 'What is its rule?' 'It's rule is that you remember Allah when you drink out of it, thank Him when you finish (drinking), drink not out of its handhold or a hole in it.'

When they had finished having food, the Ima`m began conversations with them, yet they kept silent out of his dignity, hence he, peace be on him, turned to Ibn Dharr and asked him: 'Do you not relate to us one of our traditions?'

'Yes,' replied Ibn Dharr, 'O Son of the Messenger of Allah, Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his Household said: 'I am going to leave among you al-Thaqalayn, (namely) the Book of Allah and my Household, one is greater than the other. If you cling to them, you will never go astray. Ima`m Abu` Ja'far asked: 'O Ibn Dharr, what will you say to Allah's messenger, may Allah bless him and his Household, when you meet him and he asks you about al-Thaqalayn?'

"Ibn Dharr replied: 'As for the greater one, namely the Book, we have torn it, and as for the great one, namely the Prophet's pure family, we have killed them."

"Abu Ja`'far said: 'You will be truthful to him, O Ibn Dharr, by Allah, before you walk a step, you will be questioned about three things: about your span(where did you finish it? About your property(where did you earn it? On what did you spend it? And about love for us, the Household.'"

The people left Ima`m Abu` Ja'far's house, and he, peace be on him, ordered his retainer to follow them to hear their words. When the retainer came back, he said to the Ima`m: "I heard them asking Ibn Dharr: 'Did we go out with you for this (attitude)?'

So Ibn Dharr replied: 'Woe unto you! Keep silent! What had I to say to the man, who claimed that Allah would question me about showing friendship to him? What had I to say to the man, who knew the rules of the tablecloth and water-skin?'

29. Thuwayr Ibn Yazid

al-Sha`mi. Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m 'Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on him. He narrated on the authority of Kha`lid b. Sa'da`n, and 'Abd al-Rahma`n b. Mohammed al-'Urzi reported on his authority.

30. Ja`bir Ibn Mohammed

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

31. Ja'far Ibn Ibra`him

al-Ja'fari, al-Ha`shimi, al-Medani. Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m 'Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on him.

32. Ja'far Ibn Aya`s

Abu` Bashir al-Nadari. Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m al-Sajja`d, peace be on him.

33. Ja'far Ibn Mohammed

b. 'Ali b. al-Husayn, al-Sa`diq, peace be on him. He was the most eminent thinker in the Islamic world, the renewer of this religion, and the one who safeguarded the message of his grandfather. It was he who spread all sciences and established their rules and roots.

His sciences and knowledge were not confined to the sciences of Islamic law; rather they included philosophy, theology, medicine, chemistry, physics, jurisprudence, astronomy, and so on. The Muslim scholars regard him as the greatest miracle of Islam as well as the western scholars regard him as the thinker of mankind. Writing on his affairs will result in a full encyclopedia.

We ask Allah, the Exalted, to grant us success to write about this Ima`m's life. Shaykh al-Tu`si numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m 'Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on him1, and he reported many traditions on his authority.

34. Ju'ayd Hamada`n

Al-Barqi numbered him as one of the companions of Ima`m al-Hasan, peace be on him, and of Ima`m al-Sajja`d, and he (al-Barqi) said: "He (Ju'ayd Hamada`n) was among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his Household. He narrated on the authority of 'Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on him, and 'Umra`n b. A'yun reported on his (Ju'ayd's) authority.

35. Jahm al-Hila`li

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.

36. Al-Ha`rith Ibn Ja`ru`d

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

37. Al-Ha`rith Ibn al-Fudayl

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