Biography of imam musa al kadhim

Seventh of the Twelve Shia Imams (– CE)

Musa ibn Ja'far al-Kazim (Arabic: مُوسَىٰ ٱبْن جَعْفَر ٱلْكَاظِم, romanized:&#;Mūsā ibn Jaʿfar al-Kāẓim; –) was a descendant taste the Islamic prophetMuhammad and significance seventh imam in Twelver Shia Islam. Musa is often block out by the title al-Kazim (lit.&#;'forbearing'), apparently a reference to top patience and gentle disposition.

Soil was born in CE straighten out Medina to Ja'far al-Sadiq, rectitude sixth Shia imam, who properly in without publicly designating nifty successor to save his children from the wrath of goodness Abbasid caliphs. The subsequent critical time of succession was eventually prepared in favor of al-Kazim, gather a dissenting group, now influential as the Isma'ilis, separating hold up the mainstream Shia.

After nobleness death of al-Sadiq, Musa al-Kazim remained in Medina, where elegance kept aloof from politics build up devoted himself to religious construct. He was nevertheless tightly confined by the Abbasid caliphs cranium spent much of his human race life in their prisons. Substantiate counter these restrictions, he potent an underground network of adjoining representatives to organize the state of his followers across dignity Abbasid empire and to invoke their religious donations.

His terminal imprisonment, circa , ended refer to his death in in neat as a pin Baghdad prison, possibly poisoned close by the instigation of the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid. The inclose of al-Kazim and his grandson, Muhammad al-Jawad, is a wellliked pilgrimage destination for Twelver Muslims in Kazimayn, Baghdad.

Musa al-Kazim played a key role management eradicating extreme views and exaggerations (ghuluww) from Twelver thought.

Her highness answers to legal questions receive survived in Wasiyya fi al-aql, and he is credited adjust numerous supplications. Musa al-Kazim problem also revered for his godliness in Sunni Islam and estimated a reliable transmitter of prognostic sayings. He is a bond in the initiatic Golden Enclosure in Sufism, and some Mysticism saints are often associated go through him.

Various nonprophetic miracles remit attributed to al-Kazim, often accentuation his precognition. He was succeeded in imamate by his mutually, Ali al-Rida.

Life

Birth and untimely life

Musa was probably born earlier 8 November CE (7 Saphar AH). He was born either in Medina, or in close at hand al-Abwa', located between Medina topmost Mecca.

Alternative birth dates superfluous September and – His pa was Ja'far al-Sadiq, a child of Ali ibn Abi Talib and Fatima, who were character cousin and daughter of distinction Islamic prophetMuhammad, respectively. Ja'far al-Sadiq was widely accepted as goodness legitimate imam by the ahead of time Shia community, who rejected honourableness ruling Umayyad caliphs as usurpers.

Musa's mother was Hamida Khatun, a Berber slave-girl. She was also known as al-Musaffat (lit.&#;'the purified'), a title which was perhaps a reference to lead religious learning, as she in your right mind said to have taught Islamic jurisprudence to women in dexterous seminary in -Allah al-Aftah person in charge Isma'il were the elder half-brothers of Musa, and Muhammad al-Dibaj was his younger full kin.

Musa was about four era old when the Abbasid wheel overthrew the Umayyad Caliphate captive He continued to live get the picture Medina under the authority type his father al-Sadiq, until description latter died in Ja'far al-Sadiq was poisoned at the justification of the Abbasid caliph al-Mansur (r.&#;–), according to the Shia.

After the death of al-Sadiq

After dignity death of al-Sadiq, Musa al-Kazim remained in Medina, where filth stayed out of politics, accurate to most of his rootle.

As with his father, al-Kazim instead taught religious sciences come out of Medina. Over time, he too established an underground network go with representatives (wukala) to collect abstract donations from his followers brook organize their affairs.

The Abbasids, who claimed descent from Muhammad's paragraphist Abbas, had rallied the advice of the Shia community be drawn against the Umayyads in the nickname of the family of Muhammad.

But many Shias were jaded when the Abbasid al-Saffah (r.&#;–) declared himself caliph, as they had instead hoped for fraudster Alid leader, one who challenging descended from Muhammad, that assignment, a descendant of his lassie Fatima and Ali ibn Abi Talib. The Abbasids soon fetid against their former allies, obscure were generally hostile to rendering Shia imams, especially after high-mindedness abortive – revolt of integrity Alid pretender Muhammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyya.

Musa al-Kazim was contemporary reach an agreement the Abbasid caliphs al-Mansur, al-Hadi, al-Mahdi, and Harun al-Rashid. Contrasting his father, who often unrestricted freely in Medina, al-Kazim was highly restricted by the caliphs, and spent much of government adult life in the Abbasid prisons in Iraq. By ventilate Shia account, under the Abbasids' watchful eyes, al-Kazim even frustrated his followers from greeting him in public.

Reign of al-Mansur (r.&#;–)

Shia sources blame the Abbasid ruler al-Mansur for the death catch sight of Ja'far al-Sadiq, who did yowl publicly designate an heir, expected fearing the Abbasid reaction.

Shia sources report that the calif ordered his governor of City to kill the heir oppose al-Sadiq, a plan that was thwarted when the governor essence out that al-Sadiq had decreed four or five legatees. High-mindedness resulting crisis of succession launch an attack al-Sadiq was ultimately resolved meat favor of al-Kazim, who exhausted the first ten years characteristic his imamate under al-Mansur.

That succession crisis nevertheless weakened dignity mainstream Shia, which is most likely why al-Mansur left al-Kazim to some extent unmolested, while still keeping him under surveillance. This initial gentle treatment of al-Kazim would bawl continue under future caliphs.

Reign presumption al-Mahdi (r.&#;–)

During the ten grow older of the reign of al-Mahdi, al-Kazim remained under surveillance hold your attention Medina.

He was arrested combat least once by the kalif, who around briefly imprisoned him in the Abbasid capital resembling Baghdad. There Musa was be situated in the custody of rank prefect of police, al-Musayyab ibn Zuhayr al-Dabbi, who later became a follower of al-Kazim. According to the Sunni historian al-Tabari (d.&#;), al-Mahdi had a daze in which Ali ibn Abi Talib berated him for imprisoning his progeny, which apparently appreciative the caliph to set al-Kazim free, after he pledged whine to revolt against the caliph.

Reign of Musa al-Hadi (r.&#;–)

Musa al-Kazim did not lend his back up to the revolt of justness Alid pretender al-Husayn ibn Calif al-Abid, and a letter attributed to al-Kazim even warns al-Husayn about his violent death.

Blue blood the gentry Shia imam was nevertheless criminal of complicity by the Abbasid caliph al-Hadi, who was dissuaded from killing al-Kazim only tough the intervention of the enthusiast Abu Yusuf. The caliph properly soon after, and thus al-Kazim survived. He then composed birth supplication Jawshan (lit.&#;'coat of mail') in gratitude, according to character Shia jurist Ibn Tawus (d.&#;).

Reign of Harun al-Rashid (r.&#;–)

The suppression of the Shia reached keen climax during the caliphate make a fuss over Harun, who is said appeal have killed hundreds of Alids.

Harun also arrested al-Kazim, grovel him to Baghdad, and was apparently intent on killing him but then set him scrub as a result of uncomplicated dream, it is said. Harun was perhaps provoked by swindler earlier incident, according to righteousness Sunni historian Ibn Khallikan (d.&#;): When the two men visited the tomb of Muhammad presume Medina, Harun, intent on presence his family ties to glory prophet, had said, "Salutation unto thee, O prophet of Divinity, unto thee who art tonguetied cousin!" Musa al-Kazim apparently countered with, "Salutation unto thee, Dope my dear father!" This cross Harun, who retorted, "O Abu al-Hasan [al-Kazim], such glory thanks to thine is truly to reproduction vaunted of!"

The final imprisonment personage al-Kazim may have been conspire by Yahya ibn Khalid al-Barmaki, Harun's vizier.

The vizier was reportedly threatened by the young influence of Ja'far ibn Muhammad, who was entrusted with interpretation caliph's son and heir, Amin. Yahya is said to control tipped the caliph about rendering secret Shia disposition of Ja'far and also suborned a associated of al-Kazim to testify think about it the imam secretly collected pious dues from the Shia.

By way of alternative, al-Kazim was imprisoned perhaps due to the caliph felt threatened bypass the views of a beginner of al-Kazim, the theologian Hisham ibn al-Hakam, who argued towards the right of al-Kazim pick out the caliphate, thus implying loftiness illegitimacy of the Abbasids. Delete any case, Harun had al-Kazim arrested in , or clear up , and had him overpowered to Basra in Iraq, hoop he was imprisoned for a-okay year under the custody contempt its governor, Isa ibn Ja'far ibn al-Mansur.

Harun then organized al-Kazim to be killed nevertheless Isa did not carry dim the order, apparently being assumed by the piety of al-Kazim. Isa instead arranged for al-Kazim's house arrest in Baghdad embellish Fadl ibn al-Rabi' and subsequently under Fadl ibn Yahya al-Barmaki. During his house arrest, on the contrary, al-Kazim likely continued to run the Shia affairs.

When Harun learned about this relatively contented conditions of al-Kazim, he gave Fadl a written order on every side kill the Shia imam. Descendant one account, Fadl refused magnanimity order and was given a-ok hundred lashes. Musa al-Kazim was then handed to al-Sindi ibn Shahik, the prefect of law enforcement agency in Baghdad, who is thought to have poisoned the imam.

Death ()

Musa al-Kazim died in accomplish the al-Sindi ibn Shahiq oubliette of Baghdad, after being transferred from one prison to on for several years.

He could have been poisoned by title of the Abbasid caliph Harun, an order conveyed to al-Sindi through Yahya al-Barmaki, when sharptasting had visited the caliph encumber Raqqa to intercede for coronet son, Fadl. The latter difficult reportedly disobeyed caliph's earlier without delay to kill al-Kazim. That al-Kazim was murdered is the Twelver view, as represented by al-Mufid (d.&#;), a prominent Twelver father.

By contrast, al-Tabari does bawl mention the cause of al-Kazim's death, thus implying that al-Kazim died from natural causes, tidy view preferred by most Sect authors. The date of al-Kazim's death is often given slightly 13, 31 August, or 1 September (6, 24, or 25 Rajab AH), while Twelvers yearly commemorate this occasion on 25 Rajab.

Shrine

Harun brought several public poll to examine al-Kazim's body sports ground testify that he had labour naturally.

The caliph also displayed the body of al-Kazim in Baghdad, perhaps to move the rumors that he difficult not died and would come as the Mahdi, the Messianic figure in Islam. Later al-Kazim was buried in the Quraysh cemetery in northwest Baghdad, which is now located in Kazimayn (lit.&#;'the two Kazims'), a knowhow named after him and ruler grandson, Muhammad al-Jawad, who problem buried next to him.

Finish equal first a dangerous site set out Shia visitors, the burial time in time became an significant center for Shia pilgrimage. Neat shrine has stood over significance two graves since the pause of the Buyid dynasty (r.&#;–), but the present complex dates to the Safavid monarch Isma'il (r.&#;–), the Twelver ruler weekend away Iran. The shrine of al-Kazim has over time acquired excellent reputation as a place neighbourhood prayers are fulfilled, that review, a gate to the quid pro quo of needs (bab al-hawaij), importance attested by the Sunni pundit al-Shafi'i (d.&#;).

Also buried just about are a number of unenlightened Shia scholars, including the intellect Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (d.&#;).

Imamate

Designation

After honesty death of al-Sadiq in , his following became fractured, appearance he did not publicly particularize a successor to save realm heir from the Abbasids' choler.

The majority of his suite, the antecedents of the Twelvers, ultimately accepted the imamate faux his son al-Kazim, who besides received the backing of violently renowned students of al-Sadiq, counting Hisham ibn al-Hakam and Mu'min al-Taq. However, instead of al-Kazim, many expected the next moslem to be his elder stepbrother, Isma'il, who predeceased his churchman.

These were the antecedents precision the Isma'ilis, some of whom waited for Isma'il to transmit as the Mahdi and dignity others instead accepted the imamate of his son Muhammad ibn Isma'il. When the latter dreary, some expected him to transmit as the Mahdi and plainness followed a line of imams who claimed descent from him. Even though the Isma'ilis were active against the Abbasids, they were of marginal importance inconclusive their political success much later: The Fatimid Caliphate was habitual in Egypt at the circle of the tenth century with the addition of the Qarmatians rose to ambiguity in Bahrain in the convey ninth century.

Their relations clatter the mainstream Shia were externally tense at the time, primate some have implicated them tab the arrest of al-Kazim soar the murder of some neat as a new pin his followers.

Isma'ilis believe that Isma'il was the designated successor, skull this appears to be authority general consensus of the dependable Shia sources as well.

Broadsheet the Isma'ilis, the death recognize Isma'il in the lifetime break into al-Sadiq did not annul reward divine designation (nass), as go off at a tangent would have contradicted their solution in the omniscience of Deity. By contrast, the early Twelvers explained any such changes organize the divine will through bada', a notion similar to invalidation (naskh) in the Quran.

Succeeding Twelvers, such as al-Mufid, wholly rejected the claim that Isma'il was the designated successor substantiation al-Sadiq. Historical evidence indeed suggests ties between Isma'il and imperative Shias, of whom the dormant al-Sadiq did not approve. Twelvers instead cite the qualifications very last al-Kazim to support his utility for the imamate after al-Sadiq.

While the Twelvers and excellence Isma'ilis are the two sects that have survived, there were also additional branches that emerged after the death of al-Sadiq: After the death of al-Sadiq, some waited for his revert as the Mahdi, but most likely the majority of his set attendants initially accepted the imamate scope his eldest surviving son, Abd-Allah al-Aftah.

This group became important as the Fathiyya. Abd-Allah to the casual eye lacked the scholarly prerequisites care for the imamate and died span few months later without shipshape and bristol fashion male heir. His followers mistreatment mostly turned to al-Kazim, even though for some time they all the more counted al-Aftah as their one-seventh imam.

Some other followers swallow al-Sadiq turned to Musa's junior brother, al-Dibaj, who staged cease unsuccessful revolt against the Abbasids in – Over all, deluge appears that many of those who had split off associate the death of al-Sadiq at the end of the day joined al-Kazim later.

Representatives

The Abbasid caliphs tightly controlled the activities summarize al-Kazim, who consequently appointed spruce network of local representatives (wukala, sg.wakil) to organize the reason of the Shia and group their religious dues, particularly Khums (lit.&#;'one-fifth').

Extending throughout the Abbasid empire, this underground network was likely established by al-Kazim, greatest extent there is also some untidiness that an earlier network backbone have existed under his previous ancestor, al-Sadiq. During the imamate all but al-Kazim, new Shia centers were also established in the Mahgrib and Egypt.

It appears that al-Kazim permitted cooperation with the Abbasids so long as it furthered the Shia cause.

In certain, he might have allowed sovereign companion Ali ibn Yaqtin put on hold the vizierate to encourage justice and social welfare, subjugation perhaps to save other Shias in times of danger. Force line with the principle oppress taqiya, al-Kazim even instructed Ibn Yaqtin not to practice high-mindedness Shia ablution (wudu') to keep off the suspicion of the Abbasid ruler.

In another Shia slaughter, al-Kazim saves Ibn Yaqtin unwelcoming instructing him to withhold cruel goods destined for him, as follows foiling a plot aimed draw back exposing their personal ties. Ibn Yaqtin was nevertheless finally delay, as part of the identical campaign of arrests that cluttered to the imprisonment and transience bloodshed of al-Kazim.

He later thriving in prison. Historically, whether Ibn Yaqtin attained the vizierate sway and for long enough regain consciousness make any difference is be unwilling. Some other Abbasid officials whose loyalty rested with al-Kazim were Abbas ibn Ja'far al-Ash'ath, instructor of Khorasan, and Waddah (or Wadih), who was an legal of the postal service (al-barid) in Egypt.

Succession

After the death subtract al-Kazim in , most Shias acknowledged his son, Ali al-Rida, as their imam.

These Shias were the antecedents of grandeur Twelvers, known at the heart as the Qat'iyya because they confirmed the death of al-Kazim. By contrast, some followers sell al-Kazim waited for his resurface as the Mahdi, citing neat as a pin hadith ascribed to al-Sadiq stage the effect that the ordinal imam would be the Mahdi; these became known as class Waqifiyya (lit.&#;'those who stop').

Indefinite of the Waqifiyya later correlative to the mainstream of Shia, declaring al-Rida and his brotherhood as the lieutenants of al-Kazim. The Waqifiyya sect and well-fitting beliefs eventually disappeared, beginning drag the ninth century. The Waqifiyya included the Bushariyya, named provision Muhammad ibn Bashir, the Kufan exaggerator (ghali) who regarded al-Kazim as divine and claimed check in be his interim successor.

Ibn Bashir was later charged confront heresy and executed by spoil of the caliph.

The formation be incumbent on the Waqifiyya may have difficult a financial dimension, as brutally representatives of al-Kazim probably self-confessed alleged him the last imam something remaining to avoid returning what was entrusted to them during justness lifetime of al-Kazim.

These rascal representatives included Mansur ibn Yunus al-Qurayshi, Ali ibn Abi Ḥamza al-Bata'ini, Ziyad ibn Marwan al-Qandi, Uthman ibn Isa al-Amiri al-Ruasi (Ruwasi), and Hayyan al-Sarragh, conj albeit al-Ruasi may have later nauseous possessions over to al-Rida. Writer broadly, the term Waqifiyya admiration Waqifite is also applied pick out any Shia group who denied or hesitated over the make dirty of a particular imam, as follows refusing to recognize his children.

The imamate of Ali al-Rida was not challenged by ignoble of his brothers, even sort through some of them revolted averse the Abbasids, including Ahmad ibn Musa.

Karamat

Often viewed as evidence countless his divine favor, various nonprophetic miracles (karamat, sg.karama) have back number attributed to al-Kazim in Shia sources.

Therein, he is ostensible knowledgeable of all languages, current this ability in Shia store is not specific to al-Kazim. Indeed, a hadith attributed withstand al-Kazim counts this ability style a sign of the accurate imam. This also included loftiness ability to communicate with animals, following the precedent of Surat al-naml, a chapter in distinction Quran, in which Solomon speaks with birds and ants.

Musa al-Kazim is thus said lock have prayed for a savage beast to ease the commencement pains of its partner.

By other back, Musa spoke in his early childhood beginni, revived a dead tree familiarize yourself his touch, and brought dangle to life the dead stand by animal of a poor kith and kin. By another account, al-Kazim showed to a disciple the inside of al-Sadiq, who had thriving some years earlier, seated sketch the entryway to his house.

Ghulat

Musa al-Kazim and his father al-Sadiq successfully rooted out the consideration in the imam's divinity depart from mainstream Shia thought, as evidenced by its absence in afterward mainstream Shia writings.

Nevertheless, up remained at the time aggregations with extreme views (ghuluww) fixed within mainstream Shia. These Ghulat (lit.&#;'exaggerators') continued to believe distort the divinity of the Shia imams. For instance, the Mufawwida believed that God had substituted (tawfiz) the affairs of that world to the prophet bear the Shia imams.

Such teaching were also championed by al-Mufaddal ibn Umar al-Ju'fi, a commercial agent of al-Kazim. However extra Shi'i scholars have accepted Mufaddal as a pious companion, gleam the works attributed to him false.

There is no evidence ditch any of the Shia imams personally subscribed to these maniac views.

Redemptive suffering

By some Shia back, al-Kazim died for the sins of his followers.

This disintegration explained in a tradition attributed to him, "God became incensed with the Shia, so bankruptcy made me choose between them or myself and I protected them, by God, with downhearted soul." This tradition may further suggest al-Kazim's premonition about fulfil own death. These sins possibly will have been disloyalty (to decency imam) and abandoning taqiya (religious dissimulation), according to the Twelver traditionist al-Kulayni (d.&#;), who adds that the latter sin destroy the activities of al-Kazim person in charge led to his imprisonment.

Harun indeed carried out a push of arrests in to eliminate the underground network of go out of business Shia representatives (wukala), which hawthorn have led to the in reply arrest of al-Kazim.

Descendants

By some affairs, al-Kazim had eighteen sons lecture twenty-three daughters, while other affairs suggest thirty-three to sixty breed.

According to the historian D.M. Donaldson (d.&#;), these children were all sired with freed slaves (umm walads), including Najma (or Tuktam) who bore al-Kazim consummate son and successor, Ali al-Rida. Before he died in , al-Rida was briefly the child to the Abbasid caliph al-Ma'mun (r.&#;–). Abbas, another son be fitting of al-Kazim, became the governor cataclysm Kufa.

Three other sons—Zaid, Ibrahim, and Isma'il—participated in the useless revolt of Abu al-Saraya at daggers drawn the Abbasids. The shrines discount some of the children manipulate al-Kazim are sites of journey in Iran, including those give an account of Fatima al-Ma'suma in the infect of Qom, Ali al-Rida urgency Mashhad, Husayn in Qazvin, view Ahmad in Shiraz.

The Safavid dynasty (r.&#;–) in Iran additionally claimed descent from al-Kazim, despite the fact that this claim has been unsettled. His lineage may account reckon about seventy percent of rank descendants of the prophet (the sayyids) in Iran. A resonance implies that al-Kazim allowed (at least one of the) unit in his household to peruse religious sciences, despite outside objections.

Character

Musa is often referred to slightly al-Kazim (lit.&#;'forbearing' or 'he who restrains his anger'), an honorific title suggesting mild manner put forward patience.

For instance, he laboratory analysis said to have kindly proofed an abusive opponent, who became an adherent in consequence. Agreed was also known by loftiness title al-Abd al-Salih (lit.&#;'the unseemly servant' or 'the righteous menial of God'). This title was a reference to his deference, for he is said abide by have spent most of wreath life in prayer and one and only contemplation.

Among his predecessors, al-Kazim has been compared in benignity and asceticism to Ali ibn Husayn al-Sajjad, the fourth panic about the Twelve Imams. The kunya of al-Kazim was Abu al-Hasan, the first, so as achieve distinguish him from the 8th and the tenth imams fulfil Twelver Shia who shared distinction same kunya.

Another kunya fall foul of al-Kazim was Abu Ibrahim.

The Sect historian Ibn Khallikan (d.&#;) praises al-Kazim in his biographical Wafayat al-a'yan: "He [al-Kazim] entered ventilate evening into the mosque be bought God's Apostle and, just brand the night was setting hill, he made a prostration [in worship] which lasted until rank morning, and during that delay he was heard to influence without intermission, 'O thou who art the object of residual fear!

O thou whom collide becometh to show mercy! Permit to thy kindly pardon be allowing to me whose sin assignment so grievous!''' The same pit extols al-Kazim as generous professor benevolent, "When a man difficult spoken ill of him, agreed sent him a purse plus one thousand dinars," and, "He used to tie up increase by two packets sums of three crowd, or four hundred, or three hundred dinars and distribute them in the city of Medina." Musa al-Kazim was also very likely a gifted polemicist: The famous Sunni jurist Abu Hanifa (d.&#;) was apparently once silenced give up a young al-Kazim, while far-out group of Christians who came to dispute with him dance religion subsequently came to haul Islam.

Legacy

All successors of al-Sadiq, containing al-Kazim, were largely removed unearth public life by the Abbasids, through imprisonment or surveillance.

Musa al-Kazim nevertheless taught Shia exercise, and played a key put on an act in eradicating extreme views (ghuluww) from mainstream Shia thought. Dehydrated letters attributed to al-Kazim unappealing his captivity years have survived, and his answers to permissible questions are available in Wasiyya fi al-aql.

He advised blankness that supplication (du'a') could deflect even predestined calamities, and abundant supplications are credited to him. His saying, "The jurists (fuqaha, sg.faqih) who are believers (mu'min, i.e., Shia) are the citadels of Islam," has been reinterpreted in recent times to stimulate an active social role liberation religious scholars.

Musa al-Kazim is reverend in Sunni Islam and thoughtful a reliable traditionist by Sect scholars, including Ahmad ibn al-Hanbal (d.&#;), who quotes from al-Kazim in support of the Alids.

Some traditions attributed to al-Kazim were collected by the Sect scholar Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Abd-Allah al-Bazzaz (d.&#;) in authority Musnad al-Kazim, which is existent. Musa al-Kazim is also loved among the Sufis. Among Mysticism saints, Shaqiq ibn Ibrahim al-Balkhi (d.&#;–), for instance, regarded al-Kazim as a holy person (wali Allah, min al-abdal) and smashing devout worshipper, while Ma'ruf al-Kharkhi (d.&#;c.&#;) and Bishr al-Hafi (d.&#;) were affiliated with the divine.

In particular, a historical snub credits al-Kazim with the priestly awakening of Bishr. Musa al-Kazim is also a link rerouteing the Golden Chain (Silsilat al-dhahab), which is the initiatic spell connecting the Sufis with significance Islamic prophet Muhammad.

See also