Muḥammad b. ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib (Arabic: محمد بن علي بن حسین بن علي بن أبي طالب) (b. 57/677 – d. 114/733) known as Imām al-Bāqir (a) and Bāqir al-‘Ulūm, was the fifth Imam of the Shi’a, whose period of Imamate lasted nineteen years.
Imam al-Baqir (a) made a great scientific movement which reached its peak at the time of his son Imam al-Sadiq (a). His narrations in religion, conduct of the Prophet (s), Qur’an sciences, moral conduct, and manner is more than what is remained from the children of Imam al-Hasan (a) and Imam al-Husayn (a). Thus, during his imamate, a great step was taken towards organization of Shi’i thought in different fields including ethics, jurisprudence, theology, exegesis, etc. According to historical sources he was present at Battle of Karbala as a child.
Lineage
Muhammad b. ‘Ali b. al-Husayn b. ‘Ali b. Abi Talib, known as al-Baqir (a) was the fifth Imam of the Shi’a faith, son of Imam al-Sajjad (a), the fourth Imam of the Shi’a faith. His mother was Umm ‘Abd Allah, daughter of Imam al-Hasan al-Mujtaba (a).[1] Hence he is called Hashimite among Hashimites, ‘Alavi among ‘Alavis, and Fatimi among Fatimis.[2]
Wives and Children
In narrations, Umm Farwa is mentioned as the wife of Imam al-Baqir (a), who was the mother of (a). Also narrations mention another woman called Umm Hakim, daughter of Usayd al-Thaqafi as a wife of Imam (a), who was the mother of two of the Imam’s (a) children and another wife of Imam (a) who was a concubine and the mother of three other children of Imam (a)[9].
The number of the children of Imam al-Baqir (a) was seven, including five sons and two daughters:
- ‘Abd Allah: the mother of these two was Umm Farwa, daughter of al-Qasim b. Muhammad.
- Ibrahim
- ‘Ubayd Allah: the mother of him and Ibrahim was Umm Hakim, daughter of Usayd al-Thaqafi. No children remained from these two sons
- ‘Ali
- Zaynab
- Umm Salama