Imam al-Hādi ila al-Haqq, Abul-Hussein Yahya
bin al-Hussein bin al-Qāsim bin Ibrāhīm bin Ismā’īl bin Ibrāhīm bin al-Hassan bin al-Hassan bin Ali bin Abi Ťālib, upon them be peace. As we can readily notice from his lineage, he was a Hassani sayyid.
Also, on his mother side, he was a Descendant of the Prophet, peace and
blessings be upon him and his progeny. His mother was Umm al-Hassan bint al-Hassan bin Muhammad bin Sulaymān bin Dawūd bin al-Hassan bin al-Hassan bin Fātima bint Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny.
He was born in Medina in the year 245 AH/860 CE. His mother was
pregnant with him during the lifetime of his illustrious grandfather, Imam al-Qāsim bin Ibrāhīm ar-Rassi, upon him be peace. She delivered the child in Imam ar-Rassi’s dwellings, and the imam—acting upon the Prophetic Sunnah—recited the call to prayer in his grandson’s ears and supplicated for him.
Imam al-Qāsim then asked his son al-Hussein what he will name the child.
When al-Hussein responded by saying “Yahya,” Imam ar-Rassi, upon him be peace, is recorded to have then said: “By Allah, he will be the Master (Sāhib) of Yemen!”
This prophecy came true when Imam al-Hādi, upon him be peace, migrated to
Yemen and became its Imam. Imam ar-Rassi, upon him be peace, would not live long enough to see his grandson fulfill this prophecy because he only lived one year after the birth of Imam al-Hādi, upon him be peace.
Although little is known of his childhood, Imam al-Hādi followed a
rigorous system of education—an education befitting of a Descendant of the Prophet who was to attain the Imamate. Also, judging from the scholastic output of his forbears, especially Imam ar-Rassi, the young al-Hādi was inundated with study of the various sciences associated with theology, jurisprudence, Qur’ānic exegesis, philosophy, logic, language, etc.
His upbringing in Medina especially made him susceptible to the various
trends and areas of knowledge. Medina was the hub of the Muslim empire and one of the centres of Islamic learning. Although, the political capital of the Muslim Empire was in Iraq, Medina still held a high place of esteem and scholarly ambition. It is the City of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, and the home of one of the most sacred mosques in the world. It was a garrison town that hosted Muslims from all over the Muslim world and served as a headquarters for those serious about the study of divine knowledge. That withstanding, there was a vibrant trend in Medina that enabled the young Yahya to pursue his studies at the highest levels. His son, Imam Muhammad, upon him be peace, narrated that his father completed and mastered the sciences of divine knowledge at the age of 17. One can readily see the depths of his knowledge when one looks at the books that he authored. We will take a brief look at some of the areas of knowledge that he mastered utilizing his works.
Imam al-Hādi: The Linguist
Imam al-Hādi, upon him be peace, was a man of letters who demonstrated
knowledge of the various sciences of the Arabic language in his works. His Qur’ānic exegeses and responsa literature demonstrated his knowledge of word derivation and extraction. For example, in one of his replies to a question regarding the meaning of the verse: {“If Allah desires, He could leave you astray. He is your Lord…”} (Q.11:34), he demonstrated that the phrase {leave you astray (yughwiyakum)} is derived from the word “to punish” (ghayya). Therefore, the leaving astray of a person is said to refer to Allah’s punishment or chastisement.
Another instance of his mastery of the Arabic language is his use of metered
prose. In this, he followed the example of his grandfather, Imam ar-Rassi, upon him be peace, who oftentimes wrote his treatises in poetry form. One example of Imam al-Hādi, upon him be peace, writing in prose is his Jawāb li Ahl as-Sanā`, where he addresses the theological concerns of the people of Yemen using rhythmic poetry.
Imam al-Hādi: The Exegete (Mufassir)
Although there are two books of Qur’ānic exegesis (Kitāb at-Tafsīr and
Ma’āni al-Qur’ān) authored by Imam al-Hādi, upon him be peace, these books no longer exist. However, there are some extant works where Imam al-Hādi, upon him be peace, engaged in Qur’ānic exegesis.
For example, in one of his replies, he has many sections that begin with the
title “The Meaning of the Exalted’s statement…” In these sections, he interpreted
seemingly difficult Qur’ānic passages.
He also authored several works in which he, upon him be peace, sought to
interpret the meaning of “Celestial Chair” (al-Kursi) and “Divine Throne” (al-‘Arsh) in verses, such as {His Celestial Chair extends over the heavens and the earth} (Q.2:255) and {The Most Gracious is established on the Throne} (Q. 20:5). The majority of Muslims have agreed to retain the literal import of these verses and discouraged interpretation; yet, Imam al-Hādi, upon him be peace, did not hesitate to apply a figurative meaning to both terms.
Imam al-Hādi: The Hadīth Scholar (Muhaddith)
Imam al-Hādi, upon him be peace, compiled hadīths in works such as Kitāb
al-Ahkām fil-Halāl wal-Harām. His methodology towards the hadīths was simply to relate those narrations on the authority of his ancestors. For example, he may relate a hadīth with the following chain:
My father related to me on the authority of his father —his
grandfather—his ancestors, upon them be peace—the Messenger
of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, who
said: ((Friendship is security and separation is a bad omen)).
There are also instances where he related a hadīth with a chain containing
narrators other than his ancestors. For example, in the same Kitāb al-Ahkām, he related the following hadīth: My father related to me on the authority of his father —his grandfather—Abu Bakr Ibn Abi Uwais al-Madini—Hussein bin
‘Abdullah bin Damīra—his father—his grandfather—’Ali bin Abi
Ťālib said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon
him and his progeny, said: ((There’s no marriage except with a
guardian and two witnesses)).
Although, this chain contains some of his ancestors, it also contains narrators other than them. In addition to relating Prophetic hadīths, Imam al-Hādi, upon him be peace, also related the statements of the imams of Ahl al-Bayt, upon them be peace. He related the statements of Imam ‘Ali, Imam al-Hassan, Imam al-Hussein, Imam Zayd, and even his grandfather, Imam ar-Rassi, upon them be peace. However, in most cases, Imam al-Hādi, upon him be peace, did not relate the chain of narrators when he reported hadīths.
By the time Imam al-Hādi was born, the sciences of hadīth had been
developed. Indeed, He lived in a generation after the likes of Imam Ahmed bin
Hanbal, Imam al-Bukhāri, and Imam Muslim. Hadīth and its sciences were
widespread before Imam al-Hādi, upon him be peace, was born because Imam al-Bukhāri died in 256 AH and Imam Muslim died in 268 AH. Their compilations of hadīths were available during the lifetime of Imam al-Hādi, upon him be peace.
Since that is the case, a common question is “Why didn’t Imam al-Hādi,
upon him be peace, utilize the various sciences of hadīth developed by scholars like Imams al-Bukhāri and Muslim?” As we mentioned, he rarely narrated reports with a chain of narrators between him and the Prophet, like al-Bukhāri, Muslim, and others. Modern critics of Imam al-Hādi and his school have also asked this question and criticized his rulings based upon this.
It cannot be said that he was ignorant of such sciences because he lived in
Medina and studied many of the sciences related to the religion—hadīth being one of them. The importance placed upon listing the chain of narrators (sanad), was something current before and during the life of Imam al-Hādi, upon him be peace. Indeed, in his book Al-Muntakhab, he narrated hadīths from the texts of scholars like ’Abdur-Razāq and Imam Mālik bin Anas with complete chains.
We reply by saying that in most cases, his narrations are generally without a
complete chain of narrators because he cited well-known hadīths and refrained from relating the chains because of their notoriety. For example, in his Kitāb al-Ahkām, he commonly said: “It has reached us on the authority of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny…” without relating a complete chain. He mentioned his own methodology when relating hadīth in Al-Muntakhab: Verily we have only compiled, in this chapter, those reports with
authentic narrations from the narrators of the Generality so as to
prove to them with evidence. That way, we can overcome them by
using narrations deemed reliable by them.
More than likely, he figured that those who wanted to identify and verify
the chains could refer to the already extant books of hadīth. This is why he never authored a compilation of hadīths. Also, the books in which he related the most hadīths are books of jurisprudence, not books of hadīth. He sought to justify his positions by these narrations, not justify the authenticity of these narrations.
Even in his texts concerning theology, history, or the imamate, he stated
that the narrations he cited could be found in the books of the Generality. For
example, in this text Uŝūl ad-Dīn, he said:
The community agrees that the Messenger of Allah, peace and
blessings be upon him and his progeny, said: ((Al-Hassan and al-
Hussein are the masters of the youths of Paradise, and their father
is greater than them)).
He acknowledged the existence of such narration in the texts of the general body of Muslims. That withstanding, there would be no need to relate a complete chain of narrators.
Imam al-Hādi: The Jurist
He became an accomplished jurist during his time and the “Hadawi School”
was named after him. His jurisprudential rulings are available in his books: Al-
Muntakhab and Kitāb al-Ahkām. He also addressed many issues of jurisprudence in his letters to individual provinces and people. However, the basis of his jurisprudence is in the two aforementioned books which are called the “Two Collections” (al-Jāmi’ayn).
He utilized the first two of the existing methodologies to derive rulings (e.g.
the Qur’ān and Sunnah); however, he differed with many of the jurists of his time in the third source of jurisprudential derivation. As this third legal source, Imam al Hādi, upon him be peace, utilized the statements and consensus of the Progeny of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny. According to him, their individual and collective statements and actions were a firm proof for the Prophetic Sunnah. Similar to the Sunnite jurist, Imam Mālik bin Anas, who contextualized the first two legal sources using the actions of the people of Medina (amal al-Madīna), Imam al-Hādi based the understanding of the Qur’ān and Sunnah upon the individual and collective opinions of the imams of the Ahl al-Bayt, upon them be peace.
In those issues where the imams of the Prophetic Household agreed, their
consensus and collective actions formed a definitive and irrefutable proof. For
example, Imam al-Hādi, upon him be peace, narrated:
Regarding wiping over the leather socks (al-khuffayn), slippers,
leggings, a head-scarf, a turban, and a cap, the consensus of the
Progeny of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him
and his progeny, is that it is not permissible to wipe over any of
those things. However, in those issues where the Descendants disagreed, there was room for one to choose an opinion out of their rulings.
Imam al-Hādi: The Mystic
Imam al-Hādi, upon him be peace, as evident from his writings, was also
adept in the area of Islamic spirituality. Although he did not author texts specifically dedicated to the spiritual path like his grandfather, al-Hādi nevertheless attained a semblance of spiritual mastery. For example, his biographers reported regarding his scrupulousness:
One day, [Imam al-Hādi] entered after having purified himself for
the prayer [by making ablution]. He took a rag and washed his face
with it. He then said: “To Allah we are from and to Allah we will
return! This rag is from the tithe [donated to give to the poor]!”
When I mentioned it, he said: “It is not even lawful for us to wipe
our faces with it or shade ourselves from the sun with it!”
Imam al-Hādi’s scrupulousness and spiritual awareness didn’t even allow him to dry his face with the scraps of cloth donated to charity!
Among his writings that address the issue of the spiritual path is the last
chapter of his Kitāb al-Ahkām entitled: “The Book of Asceticism (az-zuhd),
Manners, and Other Things Related to the Perfection of Character.” In this chapter, he addressed topics such as seeking forgiveness, giving in secret, controlling anger, dreams, and showing off—just to name a few. As evident from this text, Imam al-Hādi, upon him be peace, perceived the spiritual path in terms of character
reformation and adopting praiseworthy habits.
Although his sense of spirituality would be seen as “sober” compared to the
ecstatic nature of the Sufism prevalent during his time, his success in the Path to Allah was evident by the miracles attributed to him by his biographers. We will relate some of them, insha-Allah.
One of them said:
There was my young son with me who couldn’t talk. I sought some
medicine for him, but to no avail. I decided to carry him to Mecca
with me. On the way, a letter from al-Hādi, upon him be peace,
came to me. We took his seal, placed it in water, and gave it to the
boy to drink. All of a sudden, he began to speak clearly! A group
of people witnessed the boy speaking, some of whom knew him
when he couldn’t talk!
Another one of them said:
A man used to hurl insults at the companions of al-Hādi, upon him
be peace, during the day of Mīnās. Al-Hādi supplicated against
him that Allah sever his fingers. The man’s fingers began falling
off until his wrists. He died as a result.
Imam al-Hādi: The Imam
Imam al-Hādi, upon him be peace, was also recognized as an imam during
his lifetime. This title entailed that he was recognized by his contemporaries as
suitable for leadership based upon certain qualifications stipulated by the Qur’ān andSunnah.
He attained the Imamate on 284 AH. Before that time, when the tribes of
Yemen were embroiled in disputes, they wanted someone just and independent to arbitrate between them. They sent a message to Medina to have a Descendant of the Prophet, known for his piety and knowledge to come to Yemen and arbitrate. Imam al-Hādi, upon him be peace, answered the call and proceeded to Yemen. As a result of his fairness and knowledge, the people of Yemen collectively decided to make him their imam—fulfilling the prophecy of his grandfather, Imam ar-Rassi, upon him be peace. The people pledged allegiance to him on the conditions that he revive Allah’s religion and the Prophetic Sunnah, fight the enemies of Allah and the religion, and command the good and prohibit the bad. He assumed this role and was labeled “the Imam of Yemen.”
His most abundant literary output occurred during his Imamate. This
demonstrates that he was not just a statesman preoccupied with power and rule only; rather, he was an imam whose primary goal and concern was the protection of the people’s beliefs and practices. His many letters to provincial governors and refutation of deviants demonstrate this.
Imam al-Hādi: The Theologian
The role that is the most important to us for this present text is his role as a
theologian. He authored a number of texts on theology, some of which includes: Kitāb Bāligh al-Mudarik, Kitāb fīhi Ma’rifat Allah ‘Azza wa Jalla, Al-Mustarshid fī at-Tawhīd, and Uŝūl ad-Dīn—just to name a few.
Imam al-Hādi, upon him be peace, was a theologian concerned with the
beliefs of those who were his subjects. He approached the subject of theology very seriously. Indeed, it could be said that in his works, no other topic occupied as much of his energy as theology. As we previously mentioned, his primary concern as an imam was the protection of the people’s beliefs and their adherence to the Prophetic Sunnah as preserved through the Muhammadan Descendants, upon them be peace. In his theological works, Imam al-Hādi, upon him be peace, addressed issues such as Divine Oneness (at-Tawhīd) and its dimensions, Divine Justice (al-‘Adl) and its dimensions, Prophethood and its dimensions, the Imamate of the Ahl al-Bayt and its dimensions, as well as the affairs of the Hereafter and its dimensions. Although his approach has been likened to that of the Mu’tazilites, he nonetheless, formulated some theological concerns utilizing methods unique to him and not prevalent amongst the Mu’tazilite school. That is not to say that he refrained from using terminology developed by the Mu’tazilites (e.g. “al-manzila bayna almanzilatayn“). However, judging from his approach regarding the Imamate of the Prophetic Descendants, he took a drastic turn from the Mu’tazilites who held to the Imamate of Abu Bakr.
Imam al-Hādi: The Martyr
During his Imamate in Yemen, he also engaged in military campaigns. His
chief adversaries were the Qarmatians, a deviant sect of Ismā’īli Shi’ites. This group was so devious that according to historians, they overran the Sacred Mosque in Mecca and held the Ka’aba for ransom! A group of them led by a false-prophet from Kūfa named ‘Ali bin al-Fadl, marched towards Yemen. The Imam gathered a force and led the troops against Ibn al-Fadl.
Al-Hādi, upon him be peace, continued to wage war against this deviant
group until the end of his Imamate. He, upon him be peace, died at the age of from poison at the hands of one of the Qarmatians.