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Imam Zaid
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Professor Sheikh Muhammad Abu Zahra – may God have mercy on him – was a proven scholar and a proven jurist who was the most precise in the sciences of Sharia and made him the authority in it. He had a strong personality, and he rose above the absurdity of matters and the ambitions of the world, and he took pride in knowledge and in the dignity that a scholar should have. Through him, God has benefited thousands. He was one of the students who studied Sharia sciences with him at the Faculty of Law at Cairo University. God also benefited the general Muslims through his numerous writings and publications, which were characterized by ease of style and mastery of the material, while ensuring objectivity and justice in treatment and when issuing judgements. He also had stances before the rulers.
His book “Imam Zaid” is one of the books he published on the authority of some imams of jurisprudence, such as Malik and Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and it reveals his doctrine of history and his understanding of what biographical writing should be like. He is not a historian whose knowledge ends with what can be said about the person for whom he is translating. Or attributes or actions – this represents only less than half of Imam Zaid’s book (181 pages out of 539 pages). As for what is included in the rest, it is the jurisprudence of Imam Zaid, and the Zaidi doctrine in general, and it is a matter that only an experienced jurist can investigate and decide upon. The one who is familiar with the regions of jurisprudence and has mastered its principles and branches, then does not incline based on his whims and does not fear the blame of a critic in the truth. By virtue of this approach, the book of Imam Zaid gives the reader an accurate and detailed picture of the life of Imam Zaid from his upbringing until his martyrdom, then he takes it into the two fields of Zaidi jurisprudence and dives into its depths. So that he fully understands the origins of the doctrine, the aspects of the alliance, the differences between it and other doctrines, the points of strength and weakness, and the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the treatment, the reader is familiar with the origins of other doctrines of jurisprudence by virtue of comparing the Zaidi doctrine to them, and only a skilled professor and a verified scholar can do this.
Imam Zaid – may God be pleased with him – is the branch of that fragrant and pure prophetic spirit, and he is the happy martyr who followed the example of his grandfather – the master of martyrs – Imam Hussein, and his grandfather’s father, the knight of Islam and the Prophet’s description, Imam Ali bin Abi Talib – may God honor his face – in revolting against the darkness. And to prevent the oppressors from controlling the affairs of life and the destinies of people, they are not deterred from doing so by the small number of people or the possibility of defeat, because they are not specifically asking for “victory.” Rather, they are carrying out an unavoidable and unavoidable duty, and in any case one of the two good deeds will guarantee them “martyrdom.” Or victory.”
Imam Zaid is the son of Ali Zain al-Abidin, whom God saved from his enemies so that he might be a source of sorrow for them, and so that the good lineage might branch out from him. He was the one who was characterized by good qualities and virtues that prompted the poet to say, “No, he is earning money,” or praising him, in his long poem:
This is the son of the best of all God’s servants, this one who is pious, pious, pure, and knowledgeable.
If the Quraysh saw him, the one who said it would say to generosity, this will end the generosity
He conceals his shyness and conceals his awe, and does not speak except when he smiles.
The plain of creation, do not be afraid of its signs, is adorned with two qualities: forbearance and generosity
Imam Zaid narrated on the authority of Ali Zain al-Abidin, Saeed bin al-Musayyab, Nafi’, the client of Abdullah bin Omar, and Ikrimah, the client of Ibn Abbas, and he narrated on the authority of his father, grandfather, Ibn Abbas, Jabir, some of the Mothers of the Believers, and others.
There are three aspects of Imam Zaid’s personality that are highlighted in the book:
The first aspect: The jurist who was familiar with jurisprudence and the companion of Wasil bin Ata, from whom Abu Hanifa learned, in addition to Shiite jurisprudence and the hadiths of the Prophet’s family based on it that were forbidden or restricted by traditional Sunni jurisprudence.
The second side: the statesman who believes in revolution against injustice and restoring the ancient monarchy to its former rational caliphate, based on foundations that he inspired from his own jurisprudence and distinguished him from the rest of the sects.
The third aspect: the person who touched and suffered from injustice, and witnessed the violation of rights and freedoms and the usurpation of authorities, so the revolution against the tyrants took on a specific character and goal in him, which is to achieve justice and spread dignity, security, and reassurance among the people.
Due to these aspects, Imam Zaid did not oblige Medina to bestow blessings and peace upon its owner, as the Ahl al-Bayt did, and he did not follow the path of his father, who saw interest in taqiyyah until the matter was strengthened. He did not limit himself to Shiite jurisprudence, so he went to Iraq and got to know its people and scholars. The most prominent of them at that time was Wasil ibn Ata, the head of the Mu’tazila.
During his acquaintance with the people of Iraq and his awareness of the injustices of the Umayyads, he decided to revolt against the Umayyad rule, and the caliph at that time was “Hisham bin Abdul Malik” and the governor of Kufa, when Zayd Yusuf bin Omar revolted, and he was not dissuaded from that by what his advisors tried, and what they found of betrayal and treachery, and it was enough for him. For the people to pledge allegiance to him, the pledge of allegiance that he formulates: “We call upon you to the Book of God and the Sunnah of His Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and to struggle against the oppressors, defend the oppressed, give to the deprived, and divide this booty equally among its people, redress injustices, and support the people of truth… Will you pledge allegiance to that?” If they said yes, he placed his hands on their hands and said: “You are bound by God’s covenant, His covenant, and the pledge of His Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, to fulfill my pledge of allegiance, to fight my enemy, and to be honest with me in secret and in public.” If the seller said yes, he wiped his hand over his, and said, “O God, bear witness.” It is clear from this formula that the emergence of The idea of justice and fairness.
Ibn al-Atheer said that fifteen thousand pledged allegiance to him, but those who rose – in practice – to fight with him did not exceed two hundred and eighteen men, and it was said about four hundred, and Zaid with this small number confronted the army of Jarar that was stripped by Hisham bin Abdul Malik, and the small group was victorious until Zaid was hit by an arrow in his forehead. He fell as a martyr, so the crowd dispersed and his supporters were defeated, and Yusuf bin Omar, the commander of Hisham’s army, took Zaid’s body and placed it on his tree in the church of Kufa:
You were exalted in life and in death. You are one of the miracles
Zayd’s blood was not wasted, and his high status was not diminished by his being crucified “in the Kufa church,” as all of this was a reason for inciting the events that led to the Umayyad Caliphate, which then dealt with them ten years later, alive or dead, with torment and humiliation.
When Zaid was martyred, he was 42 years old. He was born in the year 80 and was martyred in the year 122. This is evidence of his genius and success. He was not without
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