Muhammad al-Baqir

Imam Muhammad al-Baqir Fifth imam in Twelver Shi'ism and Isma'ilism
مُحَمَّد ٱلْبَاقِر
A drawing depicting a delegation of merchants from Khorasan visiting al-Baqir (in the center)
5th Shia Imam
In office 712–733
Preceded by	Ali al-Sajjad
Succeeded by	Ja'far al-Sadiq
Personal
Born	c. 10 May 676 Medina, Hejaz, Umayyad Empire
Died	c. 28 January 732 (aged 57) Medina, Umayyad Empire
Cause of death	Poisoning[a]
Resting place	Jannat al-Baqi, Medina 24°28′1″N 39°36′50.21″E / 24.46694°N 39.6139472°E / 24.46694; 39.6139472
Religion	Shia Islam
Spouse	Umm Farwa bint al-Qāsim Umm Hakīm bint Usayd ibn al-Mughīra al-Thaqafī
Children	Ja'far al-Sadiq[1] Ibrāhīm,[1] ʿAlī,[1] ʿAbd Allāh,[1] Aḥmad,[1] ʿUbayd Allāh,[1] Zaynab,[1] Umm Salama.[1]
Parents	Ali al-Sajjad Fatima bint Hasan

Part of a series on Shia Islam
Twelver Shi'ism
The Fourteen Infallibles Muhammad Fatimah The Twelve Imams Ali Hasan Husayn al-Sajjad al-Baqir al-Sadiq al-Kazim ar-Rida al-Taqi al-Naqi al-Askari al-Mahdi
Principles Monotheism Justice Prophethood Imamate Judgement Day
Other beliefs Imamate of the Family Angels Mourning of Muharram Intercession Occultation Wilayat al-Faqih Usul al-fiqh Ijtihad Taqlid Irfan
Practices Salat Sawm Hajj Zakat Khums Jihad Amr bi-l maʿrūf Nahy ani l-Munkar Tawalli Tabarri
Other practices Mourning of Muharram Arba'een Pilgrimage Intercession
Holy cities Mecca Medina Najaf Karbala Mashhad Jerusalem Samarra Kadhimiya Qom
Groups Ja'fari Usuli Akhbari Alevi Shaykhi
Other related sects and groups Alawites Sufism and Alevism Qizilbash Safaviyya Bektashism and folk religion Malamatiyya Qalandariyya Hurufism Bektashism Rifa`i Galibi Ni'matullāhī
Scholarship Law Marja' (list) Hawza Ayatollah (list) Allamah Seghatoleslam Hojatoleslam Ijtihad
Hadith collections The Four Books Kitab al-Kafi Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih Tahdhib al-Ahkam Al-Istibsar Other hadith collections Book of Sulaym ibn Qays Bihar al-Anwar Wasā'il al-Shīʿa Reality of Certainty Nahj al-Balagha Mafatih al-Jinan Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya Al-Amali
Sources of ijtihad and jurisprudence Qur'an Hadiths of The Infallibles Consensus Reason
Related topics List of Twelver Shia books Criticism of Twelver Shi'ism
Shia Islam portal
v t e

Muhammad ibn Ali al-Baqir (Arabic: محمد بن علي الباقر, romanized: Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī al-Bāqir; c. 676–732) was a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the fifth of the twelve Shia imams, succeeding his father, Ali al-Sajjad, and succeeded by his son, Ja'far al-Sadiq. Muhammad's honorific title al-Baqir is short for baqir al-ilm, which means 'the one who splits knowledge open', a reference to his fame as a religious scholar.

Muhammad was born in Medina around 676 CE. In 680, when he was a small child, he witnessed the Battle of Karbala, where his grandfather Husayn ibn Ali and most of his relatives were massacred by the forces of the Umayyad caliph Yazid ibn Mu'awiya (r. 680–683). Upon his father's death around 712, Muhammad was recognized as imam by most followers of his father. These were the Imamites, the forerunners of Twelvers and Isma'ilis, which now constitute the majority of Shia Muslims. At the time, however, this quiescenct group was a minority compared to other rival Shia groups, who actively worked against the Umayyads. One such rival group were Zaydis. These followed Zayd ibn Ali, a much younger half-brother of al-Baqir, who staged an unsuccessful revolt shortly after al-Baqir's death. In contrast, like his father, al-Baqir was politically quiescenct but was nevertheless harassed by the Umayyads, especially by Caliph Hisham (r. 724–743).

Muhammad al-Baqir led a pious and scholarly life in Medina, attracting a growing number of followers, students, and visitors. He is credited with laying the doctrinal and legal foundations of Twelver Shi'ism during some twenty years of his imamate. He may also be regarded as the father of Isma'ili and Zaydi jurisprudence. He also significantly contributed to Twelver exegesis of the Quran. Most of al-Baqir's disciples were based in Kufa, Iraq, many of whom became outstanding Shia jurists and traditionists. Some of these, such as Zurara ibn A'yan, may have disagreed with al-Baqir about certain topics. Al-Baqir disapproved of such independent views if they went beyond the general theological and legal framework provided by (Shia) imams. In Sunni Islam, al-Baqir is regarded as an authority in law and prophetic tradition, but portrayed as anti-Shia and proto-Sunni.

Muhammad al-Baqir died around 732, poisoned by the Umayyads, according to most Shia reports. He is buried in the Baqi' Cemetery in Medina, but his shrine has been demolished twice by Wahhabis. Al-Baqir was succeeded by his eldest son, Ja'far al-Sadiq, who further developed Shia theology and law.

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).