Question 027: I have a question regarding Imam Musa Kadhims (as) unmarried daughters. I was recently in conversation with some of my Shia family about the fact that our Imam (as) had 18 daughters, but they never married. Is this true? If it is true, please give an explanation as to the reason(s) why the daughters never married. I was told that one reason is that there were no Sadat around to marry them, is this true?
Answer 027: There have been mentioned some different opinions regarding the daughters of Imam Musa Kadhim (as) and why his daughters never married. We need to evaluate the reasons to see which are considered sahih.
First Theory – The will of Imam Musa Kadhim (as): It is said that Imam Musa Kadhim (as) has expressed a will to his daughters to not get married! This opinion is supported by Ibn Wadih Ya’qui, as he has said, “Imam Musa Kadhim (as) had eighty sons and twenty three daughters. His sons were: Ali Ridha, Abraham, Abbas, Qasim, Ismael, Jafar, Aaron, Hasan, Ahmad, Muhammad, Ubaid allah, Hamzah, Zaid, Abdullah, Isaac, Hussain, Fadhl and Solomon.”
Imam Musa Kadhim (as) has expressed a will to his daughters not to get married. None of them got married except Umm Salama as she got married to Qasim bin Muhammad bin Jafar bin Muhammad in Egypt. This presented a severe problem between Qasim and his family. Qasim took an oath that he only recited a temporary marriage contract in order to become mahram to her, in order to go to Hajj and never had any sexual relations with her.[1]
Critique: It should be said in reply to Yaqoubi’s opinion: This will is contrary to the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (saws) and the way of Infallibles (pbuth) as they have never issued such a ruling. The text of the Imams (as) will is in regards to other thing than Yaqoubi has asserted. In order to judge about it we need to at first review this will as follows:
اُشْهِدُ هُمْ اَنّ هَذِهِ وَصِيَّتي … اَوصَيْتُ بها اِلي عَلَيٍٍّ اِبْني … و اِنْ اَرادَ رَجَلٌ مِنْهَم اَنْ يُزَوِّجَ أختَهُ فَلَيْسَ لَهُ اَنْ يُزَوِّجَها الاّ بِاِذْنِهِ وَ اَمْرِهِ … وَ لا يُزَوِّجَ بَناتي اَحَدٌ مِنْ اِخْوتِهِنَّ وَ مِنْ اُمّهاتِهِنَّ وَ لا سُلْطانٌ وَ لا عَمِلَ لَهُنّ اِلاّ بِرأيِهِ وَ مَشْوَرتهِ ، فَاِنْ فَعْلُوا ذلِکَ فَقَدْ خالَفُوا الله تَعالي وَ رَسُولَهُ (ص) وَ حادُّوهُ في مُلْکِهِ وَ هُوَ اَعْرَفُ بِمنالحِ قَوْمِهِ اِنْ اَرادَ اَنْ يَزَوِّجَ زَوَّجَ، وَ اِنْ اَرادَ اَنْ يَتْرَکَ تَرَکَ.
I call to witness that this is my will to my son Ali (Imam Ridha (as)). If one of your sisters want to get married they can’t do it without your (Ali) permission and consultation. If one of them got married without your permission, indeed she would oppose Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saws) and dispute in the kingdom of Allah (swt). Imam Ridha (as) is well aware of the interests of his family regarding the marriage affair. If he wants to marry his sister to anyone he deems it advisable, he would do it and if not, he would refuse.[2] It is clearly mentioned in this will that Ali bin Musa al-Ridha (as) is Allah’s (swt) HUjjat after him, (Imam Kadhim (as)). The sisters must obey him in everything including getting married. Imam Ridha (as) is well aware of the interest of his family. It never spoke of not getting married at all. This means that their marriage must be done under the supervision of Imam Ridha (as).
Therefore, Yaqoubi’s opinion is baseless and unreliable, according to some of scholars.[3]
Second Theory – Matchless: This means that Imam Musa bin Jafar’s (as) daughters, especially Lady Masoomah (sa) were at the highest level of scientific and spiritual perfection that nobody were equal to them. Equality is one of the marriage conditions, in which both the man and woman are supposed be at such equal level to one another; they have never got married.
Critique: This theory is unreliable as well, because this is not the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (saws) to not allow their daughters to get married for such a reason. They always said that a believing man and woman are equal in rank. There is a hadith from the Holy Prophet (saws) where he has said, “Whenever a suitor comes to marry your daughter and you approve of his piety and trustworthiness, let her get married to him, even if he is not equal to your daughter. If you don’t do that, it will cause corruption in the land”.[4]
Note: There were many decent young men, such as Imam Hasans and Hussains (pbuth) children, and also among the Shia Muslims who could be well suited for the Imams (as) daughters as potential husbands.
Third Theory – Repression/Political Problems: The violent repression had been used by Haroun al-Rashid to restrict Imam Kadhim (as) was on high level that nobody dared to refer to the Imam (as) in order to ask about canonical problems. How is it possible for those who wanted to get married to the Imams (as) daughters and be continuously in touch with the Imam (as)? The Imam (as) would be tortured by Haroun al-Rashid if he had established such a simple relationship. Haroun was a cruel and oppressive, although he pretended to be religious. A historian has said, “Haroun shed many tears while he was listening to sermons, but when he became angry he was such a tyrant.[5] It is said that Haroun had 2000 female slaves and that 200 of them were dancing and singing for him.[6]The Shia at that time were oppressed by Harun, such as Ali bin Yaqtin, who had to do Taqiyya. All his movements were controlled.[7]
When the Imam was imprisoned, the suitors’ motivation have been decreased. A dreadful condition was obtained there after the Imam (as) had been killed and nobody dared to establish communication with Imam Ridha (as) as he was also under control at that time. Therefore, it seems that the third theory is the real answer of this question, however we are not completely sure about it.
[1] . Yaqoubi History, Ahmad bin Abi Yaqoub (ibn Wadheh), Wezarat Farhang wa Amoozesh Aali, translated by Muhmmah Ibrahim Ayati, Vol. 2, Pg. 421.
[2] . Biharul Anwar, Dar e Ihya al-Torath al-Arabi, Vol. 48, Pg. 276 – 280; Oyoun al-Akhbar, Vol. 1, Pg. 26; Awalem, Vol. 21, Pg. 475; Usul al-Kafi, Vol. 1, Pg. 317.
[3] . Hayat (the Life) al-Imam Musa bin Jafar), Qorashi, Vol. 2, Pg. 497.
[4] . Montakhab (selected) Mizan al-Hikmat, Pg. 234; Biharul Anwar, Darel Kutub al-Islamiyah, Vol. 103, Pg. 237, Hadith 25.
[5] . Al-Aghani, Abul Faraj Esfahani, Beirut, Dare Ihya al-Torath al-Arabi, Vol. 5, Pg. 241).
[6] . Tarikh Tamaddon Islam (History of Islamic Civilization), Jurji Zaydan, translated by Ali Jawahir Halam, Amir Kabir Institution, Pg. 162).
[7] . al-Irshad, Sheikh Mufid, Basirati Qom, Pg. 293; Sheblanji, Noor al-Anwar, Pg. 150.