Ali b. al-Hussein b. ʿAli b. ʾAbi Talib, known as Imam Al-Sajjad and Zayn al-‘Abidin, is the fourth Imam of Shi’a Muslims. The period of his imamate was 34 years. He was present in the Battle of Karbala but did not participate in the battle because of sickness and was not martyred. He was taken captive to Kufa and Damascus together with other captives of Karbala.

He is none other than Imam, the son and successor of Imam Hussein (AS). Named Ali at birth in honor of his grandfather, the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), this virtuous grandson of the Immaculate Lady, Hazrat Fatema Zahra (SA), became famous as Zain al-Abedin or Ornament of the Worshippers of God. Born in Medina in the year 38 AH, his mother was the pious Iranian princess, Shahrbanoo, and he was destined to be the 4th Infallible Heir of his great-grandfather, Prophet Mohammad (S).

In 61 AH, at the age of 23, Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS) was entrusted with the divine trust of imamate on the afternoon of the tragic Day of Ashura in Karbala, and immediately found himself the captive of the Godless forces of the tyrant Yazid. He was taken in chains to Kufa and then to Damascus, along with the women and children of the Prophet’s noble household. In such a grave situation, he never allowed the dignified image of the imamate to be tarnished. Despite seeing his aunts and sisters in fetters, along with the heads of his father, brothers, uncles, and cousins, mounted on lances, he exercised the utmost patience in carrying the message of Imam Hussein (AS) to the enemy’s camp. In the court of the tyrant Yazid, he unmasked hypocrisy and exposed the oppressive Omayyad regime as usurpers of the caliphate.

His famous sermon, in which he called the pulpit no more than planks of wood for having lost its Islamic use, had an electrifying impact on Yazid’s court. And when Azaan (call of the prayer) was recited, he asked Yazid, as to whose grandfather was Prophet Mohammad (S) and how Yazid could call himself a Muslim after brutally killing the Prophet’s grandson. On release from captivity, he returned to Medina along with his noble aunt, Hazrat Zainab (SA), who had also shaken the Omayyad court to its very foundations by her eloquent sermons, and then her holding of the life-inspiring mourning ceremonies for the Martyrs of Karbala.

For the next ten years, Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS) lived a quiet life in Medina under circumstances when Abdullah ibn Zubayr had seized power in the Hijaz as the caliph and was terrorizing the Prophet’s family members. The 4th Imam, nonetheless, continued his enlightening task through his impeccable manners and the power of prayers to enlighten minds and souls. His supplications during this period and the subsequent period of another twenty years, when the Omayyad regime reasserted its questionable authority over Arabia and other lands, and this time under Abdul-Malik Marwan and his accursed sons, were the means of guidance for the seekers of truth. In this way, he rebuilt the fabric of Islamic society and conveyed to the Muslims the genuine teachings of Prophet Mohammad (S).

For instance, he stressed that without firm faith in the fundamentals of Islam, including the principle of Wilaya or Imamate, which means divinely-designated leadership, a Muslim would be in perpetual loss. He clarified that the first questions to be posed in the grave to a freshly buried person by the two angels known as Munkir are monotheism, creed, Prophethood, and imamate. The one who rightly answers these questions attains salvation, and the one who doesn’t, is doomed.

This was part of the unique method of Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS) to emphasize the five fundamental principles of religion, that is, monotheism, divine justice, prophethood, imamate, and resurrection. In other words, without the concept of imamate, the faith of a Muslim is incomplete and open to serious doubt.

In this way, he conveyed to the Ummah in a subtle manner that the rule of the Omayyads and others was illegal, because God had entrusted the leadership after the Prophet, to the Ahl al-Bayt, as is evident by the famous Hadith Saqalayn of the Prophet as well as the Prophet’s proclamation of Imam Ali (AS) as his vicegerent on the Day of Ghadeer.

A close scrutiny of the supplications and statements of Imam Zain al-Abedin reveals how he taught the correct faith by negating the rule of tyrants, especially the Omayyads, who were in power during his days. Here are passages from the famous Salawaat of Sha’ban as taught by the 4th Imam, and where the prime position of the Prophet and the Ahl al-Bayt as the chosen of God is evident:

 “O Allah blesses Mohammad and the progeny of Mohammad with a plenteous blessing that would make them pleased; and do justice to the right of Mohammad and the progeny of Mohammad, with your power and might, O Lord of all the worlds!

“O Allah, bless Mohammad and the progeny of Mohammad, the good and the pious, the chosen ones, whose right You have made mandatory to observe, enjoining obedience to them and acknowledgement of their guardianship!

“O Allah, bless Mohammad and the progeny of Mohammad and make my heart thrive with obedience to you. Do not put me to humiliation by being guilty of disobedience to you. Enable me to do kindness to those whose provision You have tightened through the plenty You have provided me with Your grace, and what You have apprised me of Your justice, and made me flourish in Your shade!

“This is the month of Your Prophet, the Chief of Your Messengers—Sha’ban, which You have enveloped in Your mercy and Your approval, the month wherein it was the practice of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his progeny, to observe, until his death, its fast and to perform devotions during its nights and days, in order to do it honor and reverence out of humility before You! O Allah, so help us in following his example with regard to it and to win his intercession!”

As is clear from the wordings, the devotion to the Prophet’s progeny is compulsory for every Muslim, the lack of which is blatant disobedience of the commandments of the All-Merciful Lord. Most of these eloquently moving supplications have been collected in book form as “Sahifat as-Sajjadiyya”, and today are recited fervently by the faithful all over the globe, while there is no trace of the tombs of the Omayyads and the Zubayrids.

This is yet another proof of the peerless position in Islam of the Prophet’ progeny, whose obedience is incumbent upon all Muslims.

Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya is a compilation of his supplications which reflect the picture of the society that day and the true path of life through the education of the religion and the Qur’an and purification of souls and connecting souls to God.

Birth of Imam Sajjad (AS)

According to the famous opinion, Imam al-Sajjad (AS) was born in 38/659; thus, he has seen a part of Imam ‘Ali’s (AS) life, the imamate of Imam al-Hasan al-Mujtaba (AS) and Imam al-Hussein (AS) and Mu’awiya’s attempt in suppressing Shi’a in Iraq and elsewhere. However, in some reports, the age of the Imam is mentioned as less than what is commonly known, and his time of birth is given as about 48/668. Although such reports have been mentioned in different sources, but there are evidences which do not let one believe them; such as, the fact that famous historians and biographers have mentioned the birth time of Imam al-Sajjad 38/659, which implies that his age in the Battle of Karbala was 23 years old.

After narrating from Imam al-Sadiq (AS) saying, “‘Ali b. al-Hussein (AS) passed away at the age of 58”, the Sunni narrator of historical reports, Muhammad b. ‘Umar al-Waqidi wrote that, “this report suggests that Imam al-Sajjad (AS) was with his father in Karbala while he was 23 or 24 years old.” Also, al-Zahri said that ‘Ali b. al-Hussein (AS) was with his father when he was 23 years old.

Imamate

Imamate of Imam al-Sajjad (AS) began after the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS) in 61/681 and continued until his own martyrdom.

Based on clear hadiths narrated in Shi’a sources, Imam al-Sajjad (AS) was the successor of his father al-Husayn b. ‘Ali (AS). Al-Shaykh al-Mufid mentioned his superiority in knowledge and practice over others after his father as the proof for his imamate.

Also, hadiths narrated from the Prophet (S) about the names of Imams of Shi’a contain Imam al-Sajjad’s (AS) name.

Moreover, according to Shi’a references, there was a tradition that belongings of the Prophet (S), such as his sword and armor, would be with the rightful Imam (AS) of the time, and it is even mentioned in Sunni references that Imam al-Sajjad (AS) kept them with himself.

Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya

Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya is the collection of Imam al-Sajjad’s (AS) supplications and a mirror in which the picture of the society at that time, especially Medina, can be seen: his aversion to bad behaviors and speech of people at that time and taking refuge to God from what he (a) saw and heard, and clarifying the right path under the guidance of religion and the Qur’an and purification of souls from pollutions; as if Imam (a) wanted as much as possible to disconnect people from Satan and connect them to God. Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya has been translated into several languages.

Supplication of Abu Hamza al-Thumali

Imam al-Sajjad (AS) would recite this supplication in the dawns of the month of Ramadan which is narrated by Abu Hamza al-Thumali. It contains transcendental concepts and eloquent statements.

Martyrdom of Imam Sajjad (AS)

Imam al-Sajjad (AS) was martyred in 94/713 (or 95/714) with a poison given by the order of al-Walid b. ‘Abd al-Malik. He (AS) was buried in al-Baqi’ cemetery beside his uncle, Imam al-Hasan al-Mujtaba (AS).

Compiled & Reported by: S. M. Ahmadi