World Muslims mourn Imam al-Sadiq’s martyrdom

Rasa – With heavy hearts, Shi’a Muslims have amassed in religious congregations worldwide to mark the martyrdom of the sixth Shi’a Imam, Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq.

News ID: 422623

Date: 30 July 2016 - 15:23

RNA – Saturday coincided with the martyrdom anniversary of the Imam, a descendant of Ali ibn Abi Talib, who was the first Shi’a Imam to assume the role of leading Muslims after the Prophet Muhammad.

After holding the role of imamate (leadership) for 28 years, Imam al-Sadiq was poisoned at the age of 65 in 765 C.E. at the behest of then Abbasid Caliph Mansur. Mansur would regularly summon the Imam before orchestrating his martyrdom and consider him a sizeable challenge to his rule.

After his martyrdom, the Imam was buried in the Jannat al-Baqi Cemetery in Madinah, in present-day Saudi Arabia.

Mourning his martyrdom, Iranian followers of the Household of the Prophet converged on the Shrine of the Eighth Shi’a Imam, Imam al-Ridha, in the northeastern city of Mashhad. The faithful also gathered at the holy mausoleum in the central city of Qom of Lady Fatimah ql-Ma’sumah, Imam al-Ridha’s sister.

Commemoration ceremonies saw the participants paying tribute to Shi’a religious figures by mourning to religious eulogists and beating their chests.

A mourning ceremony has been scheduled at the mausoleum of the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, in Tehran.

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