Abu Hamzeh Somali
Abu Hamzeh Somali, was one of the celebrities of Kufa and one of the famous companions of Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him).His full and real name was Sabet ebne Dinar.He was a master of hadith, jurisprudence and exegesis and was teaching the Knowledge of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) to Shiites. He learned a virtuous prayer from Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) and narrated that it is recited in the dawn of Holy month of Ramadan and it is known as the prayer of Abu Hamzeh.
Biography
Sabet Ebne Dinar Somali, known as Abu Hamzeh Somali, was one of the close companions of Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him). The exact year of his birth is not known, but considering the fact that he narrated from Zazan Kendy (died 82 AH), he must have been born before 82 AH. Abu Hamzeh was from Kufa.
Abu Hamzeh Somali was a pious and righteous companion of Imam Zeyn al-Abedeen. He was also one of the companions of Imam Muhammad Baqer and Imam Jafar Sadeq. Najashi said: "He was the best of our companions and the most reliable among them in narration and Sunnah." According to Ali al-Reza, he says: "Abu Hamzeh in his time is like Salman Farsi in his time." His prayer was accepted.
Three children of Abu Hamzeh, namely Hamzeh, Noah and Mansoor, were also killed in the uprising of Zeydebne Ali. He died in 150 AH.
The tribe
Al Mohlab considered him one of their slaves, but Najashi has rejected this claim. Ibn Babaveyh considered him to be from the tribe of Tayy and tribe of Banu saal and mentioned the reason of Abu Hamzeh's fame as his residence in the neighborhood of the tribe of Somaleh from the tribe of Azd. Abu Hamzeh interacted with Zeyd Ebn Ali in Kufa and witnessed his invitation and martyrdom in Kufa.
Abu Hamzeh Somali to get to know Imam Zain al-Abdeen (peace be upon him)
Abu Hamzeh Samali met Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) for the first time when he traveled from Madina to Kufa and became fascinated and interested in him. After Imam Sajjad prayed in Kufa mosque, I asked him why did you come here? Imam Sajjad said: To pray; If people knew the merits of praying in the mosque of Kufa, they would rush towards it like children. Then they went together to visit the grave of Amirul Mu’menin Ali (peace be upon him). On the way, he benefited from the knowledge of Ali Ibn al-Hussein (Zain al-Abedeen).
After the pilgrimage, Imam returned to Medina and Abu Hamzeh to Kufa. After that, Abu Hamzeh went to visit the grave of Amir al-Mu'menin Ali (peace be upon him) many times with a number of Shia jurists. During these trips, he taught the teachings of Ahl al-Bayt, Tafsir, Hadith and Fiqh to his fellow travelers.
The credibility of Abu Hamzeh among the Sunnis
Even though Sunnis narrate less narrations than Shia narrators, especially when it is of particular interest to this religion, Abu Hamzeh is one of those whose narrations are often noticed by them, as Ebn Asaker and Ebn Kasir have cited in many cases his news and narrations and Abul Faraj Esfahani also has many narrations about him in his “Ketab al-Aghani”. Abu Hamzeh has been praised among the Shiite celebrities, and Najashi considers him one of the trustworthy people.
In the description of his position, they have even mentioned a dignity for him and said that he recited the prayer learned from Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) over his son's broken hand, which was immediately healed, in such a way that Yahya ben Abdullah “the Osteopath” could not distinguish which of his hands was broken.
The prayer of Abu Hamzeh Somali
Abu Hamzeh became dignified as a result of mystical prayers, romantic worship, night prayers, obedience to the One Creator, and discipleship of the School of Imams (peace be upon them).
As a result of exhausting efforts and day and night activities in acquiring knowledge and wisdom, Abu Hamzeh Somali reached a stage where as a professor of Hadith, Fiqh and Tafsir, he appeared and taught the teachings of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) to the Shiites.
Abu Hamzeh Somali spends most of his time worshiping and teaching Islamic Sciences. He did not neglect to acquire spiritual and educational benefits from the presence of Imams (peace be upon him), especially Imam Zainul Abdeen (peace be upon him). It is known from the prayer document known as "Abu Hamzeh Somali" that Abu Hamzeh was the companion, and close friend of the fourth leader of Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) during those luminous nights.
In this regard, he says: Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) was engaged in prayer in the evenings of the holy month of Ramadan until dawn, and when it was dawn, he would recite the supplication of Abu Hamzeh:
O God, do not discipline me with your punishment, and do not use your tricks against me. Where can I find goodness, O Lord, when it only comes from you?
Abu Hamzeh's prayer is long and equal to two parts of the Holy Quran
(The Quran is divided into 30 parts and has 114 surahs)The last verses of the prayer come to an end with these mystical articles:
O Allah, I ask You for a faith that will fill my heart, and true certainty so that I may know that nothing will befall me except what You have decreed for me, and make me content with the life that You have allotted for me, O Most Merciful of the merciful.
The prayer of Abu Hamzeh Somali
Abu Hamzeh Somali has narrated that during the month of Ramadan, Ali Zain al-Abdeen spent most of the night in prayer and when it was time to start fasting, he recited a prayer that was later revealed as the prayer of Abi Hamzeh Somali . This prayer is recorded in the book Misbah al-Mutahjjed by Sheikh Toosi.
Works
- The book Tafsir Al-Qur'an Al-Karim (A Tafsir of the Qur'an).
- Kitab al-Nawader (a book about rare cases).
- Kitab Al-Zohd (The Book of Asceticism).
- Ali ibn al-Hussein’s the treatise of al-Hoqooq .
- Features of Abu Hamzeh's commentary
In some books of the Tafsir of Abu Hamzeh and in some books of the Tafsir of the Qur'an Al-Karim, in the Tafsir of Abu Hamzeh, unlike other Tafsirs, there are fewer hadiths of the “Morsal”. Abu Hamzeh paid attention to the causes of revelation and while paying attention to the virtues of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), he used the method of interpreting the Qur'an to the Qur'an and paid special attention to ijtihad, recitation, vocabulary, syntax, and recitation of different opinions on the meaning of the verses.
Some narrations about the greatness of Abu Hamzeh's position
· One day Hazrat Sadeq (peace be upon him) said to him: "Whenever I see you, I feel calm."
· Imam Sadeq (peace be upon him) said: "Abu Hamzeh in his time was like Salman in his time."
· Imam Reza (peace be upon him) said: "Abu Hamzeh Somali was like Luqman Hakim in his time."
Resources
Biography of Abu Hamzeh Somali, one of the companions of Imam Sajjad (AS).Retrieved April 26,2025, from
https://www.beytoote.com/religious/bozorgan-din/biography1-abuhamza2-thamali.html