Imam jawad (PBUH)

Meeting between young Imam and the most learned of men:

The Banu Abbas were extremely disconcerted when they come to know that al-Ma'mun was planning to marry his daughter to Imam Muhammad al-Javad. A delegation of some leading persons waited on him in order to dissuade him from his intention. But al-Ma`mun continued to admire the learning and excellence of the Imam. He would say that though Imam Muhammad al-Javad was still young, yet he was a true successor to his father in all his virtues and that the profoundest scholars of the Islamic world could not compete with him" when the `Abbasides noticed that al-Ma'mun attributed the Imam's superiority to his learning they chose Yahya ibn Aktham, the greatest scholar and jurist of Baghdad, to contend with him.

Al-Ma'mun issued a proclamation and organized a grand meeting for the contest which resulted in huge gathering of people from all parts of the kingdom. apart from noble and high officials, there were as many as nine hundred chairs reserved for scholars and learned men only. The world wondered how a young child could contest with the veteran judge in religious laws (qadi'l-qudat) and the greatest scholar ofIraq. Imam Muhammad al-Javad was seated beside al-Ma'mun on his throne face to face with Yahya ibn Aktham , who addressed the Imam thus:

"Do you permit me to ask you a Question?"

"Ask me whatever you wish," said the Imam in the typical tone of his ancestors.

Yahya then asked the Imam, O what is your verdict about a man who indulges in hunting while he is in the state of Ehram." (In the code of religious law hunting is supposed to be forbidden for a pilgrim.)

The Imam at once replied, "Your question is vague and misleading.

You should have definitely mentioned whether he hunted within the jurisdiction of the Ka`bah or outside; whether he was literate of illiterate;

whether he was a slave of a free citizen;

whether he was a minor or a major;