Among our Imams, there are three noble ones who attained Imamate during their childhood:
the first is Imam al-Jawad (peace be upon him), who became Imam at the age of eight or nine after the martyrdom of his noble father;
the second is Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him), the tenth Imam, who assumed the responsibility of Imamate at the age of six or eight;
and the third is Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance), who was granted the position of Imamate at the age of five.
For us who follow the school of the Qur’an, this is by no means impossible or far-fetched. In the Qur’an we read that Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him), while still an infant, was granted prophethood:
“He said, ‘Indeed, I am the servant of Allah. He has given me the Book and made me a prophet.’”
(Surah Maryam, verse 30)
If Allah could grant the lofty rank of prophethood to an infant, then how could it be difficult for Him to bestow the position of Imamate upon a child of five, eight, or nine years old?
Moreover, beyond this Qur’anic insight, when we reflect upon the lives of these noble Imams, we find abundant evidence supporting their divine appointment and their connection to the source of divine knowledge and wisdom.
For example, when Caliph Ma’mun was criticized by the Abbasids for acknowledging Imam Muhammad al-Taqi (peace be upon him), he decided to test the Imam’s knowledge in a public gathering. A well-known Sunni jurist of the time, Yahya ibn Aktham, was selected to question the young Imam in matters of Islamic jurisprudence.
When the assembly was prepared and the dignitaries were present, Ma’mun invited the young Imam to the session. Yahya began by asking a question related to the rules of Hajj. The Imam, before answering, mentioned the many possible conditions under which the issue could occur and asked Yahya to specify which scenario he was referring to. Yahya, caught off guard and astonished by the Imam’s deep understanding, was unable to respond.
Those present were amazed by the vastness of the Imam’s knowledge, realizing that despite his youth, he possessed extraordinary mastery over jurisprudence. Ma’mun then requested the Imam to explain the ruling for each possible condition, and the Imam described them all in detail.
(The detailed account of this event is recorded in Ihtijaj al-Tabarsi and other historical sources.)
Keywords: Imam al-Jawad – Imam Muhammad ibn Ali al-Jawad – Imamate – Imamate in childhood – Qur’anic school – Jesus son of Mary – divine wisdom – child Imam – position of Imamate