Imam Muhammad al-Taqi (peace be upon him), the ninth infallible Imam and son of Imam Ali al-Reza (peace be upon him), assumed the position of Imamate at the age of seven. Since Imam al-Jawad (peace be upon him) was the first Imam to attain this divine position at such a young age, one might wonder whether it is possible for a person to reach such a level of perfection at such a young age to be able to succeed the Prophet of God and carry the weight of His responsibilities. Is there any precedent for this in past nations? And, was this sudden and unexpected for the community?
To answer these questions, the following points are helpful:
Normally, and according to natural laws, reaching the age of intellectual and physical flourishing and the emergence of intellectual and spiritual abilities requires the passage of time. However, God, as the one who governs the natural laws of the world, is more capable than being bound by these laws. In other words, there is no impediment for God to shorten the time needed for the intellectual blossoming of some of His servants due to specific divine wisdom, and He may grant them this ability in fewer years. This is possible for any human being. Furthermore, when discussing Prophets and Imams, it is important to consider another subtle point: their selection by God.[1] This is something God refers to in the Quran, highlighting that they were endowed with the essential characteristics needed for these positions from the beginning of creation, through His special grace and beyond the realm of material calculations and apparent causes .
Regarding the historical precedent for such events, the Quran mentions the Prophethood of Prophet Yahya (peace be upon him) and says: “And We gave him Prophethood while he was still a child”[2] . Similarly, it mentions Prophet Isa (Jesus) (peace be upon him), who spoke from the cradle and defended his mother against false accusations. This is particularly remarkable because normally, it takes around twelve months for a child to speak. What came out of this newborn’s mouth was so wise that it resembled the words of great philosophers .[3]
Given these points, Imam al-Reza (peace be upon him) was aware of the situation and made efforts to familiarize the general Muslim public, especially the Shi’ah and his followers, with the idea. For instance, one of Imam al-Reza’s companions recounts: “We were in Khurasan, in the presence of Imam al-Reza (peace be upon him). Someone asked: ‘My master, if something were to happen, to whom should we refer?’ The Imam replied: ‘To my son Abu Ja’far.’ When the person underestimated the age of Imam al-Jawad (peace be upon him), Imam al-Reza (peace be upon him) responded: ‘God made Jesus (peace be upon him) a Prophet and Messenger, and gave him a new Shari’ah at an age even younger than Abu Ja’far.'”[4]
Despite the possibility of a child reaching such a great divine position, and Imam al-Reza’s efforts to reshape the public’s mental framework, historical sources indicate that due to the novelty of this event, people who were far from the teachings of previous Imams and lacked sufficient education raised questions. In pursuit of truth and understanding their duty, the Shi’ah held gatherings and met with Imam al-Jawad (peace be upon him) to ask questions, so they could recognize their Imam and be assured of the existence of the knowledge of Imamate within him. The Imam, in his usual enlightening and reassuring manner, participated in these sessions without hesitation and provided convincing and unique answers to the questions posed by scholars and jurists, thus assuring them and providing peace of heart . Naturally, given the meticulous approach of the Infallible Imams regarding intellectual and doctrinal matters and their teachings to their disciples, it is perfectly natural for the Shi’ah community to ask questions and for the Imam to respond and remove doubts.[5]
(This text was adapted from “The Face of the Leaders” by Mr. Mahdi Pishvayi.)
Footnotes:
[1] (Aal-e-Imran: 33)
[2] (Maryam: 12)
[3] (Maryam: 30-32)
[4] Sheikh Mufid, Al-Irshad, Maktaba Basirati, p. 319 – Kulayni, Al-Kafi, Tehran, Maktaba al-Saduq, Vol. 1, p. 322 & 384
[5] Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, 2nd ed., Tehran, Al-Maktaba al-Islamiyyah, 1395 AH, Vol. 50, p. 98-100 – Muhammad bin Jarir al-Tabari, Ibn Rustam, Dala’il al-Imama, 3rd ed., Qom, Maktabat al-Ridha, 1363 AH, p. 204-206