Zakaria ibn Adam Ash'ari Qomi (Persian: زکریا بن آدم اَشْعَری قمی) was a Shia Muhaddith (scholar of hadith)[broken anchor] from 8th century and one of the companions of Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad aṣ-Ṣādiq (the sixth Shiite leader). He was one of the narrators (Hadith transmitter) of Musa ibn Ja'far al-Kadhim (the seventh Shiite leader) and the agent of Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha (the eighth Shiite leader) and Muhammad al-Jawad (the ninth Shiite leader) in Qom, Iran.[1][2]
Zakaria ibn Adam Ash'ari Qomi also known as Abu Yahya (Persian: ابو یحیی)[3] is from the "Al-Ashari" family who migrated from Kufa to Qom.[4] His father is Adam ibn Abdullah ibn Sa'd Ash'ari,[5] whom Shaykh Tusi has considered one of the companions of Ja'far al-Sadiq (the sixth Shia Imam).[6] Adam ibn Abdullah has narrated a hadith from Ali al-Ridha (the eighth Shia Imam) transmitted by his son Zakaria.[7]
His brother Ishaq ibn Adam was one of the narrators of Ali al-Ridha (the eighth Shia Imam)[8] and his cousin Zakaria ibn Idris was also one of the narrators of Ja'far al-Sadiq (the sixth Shia Imam), Musa al-Kadhim (the seventh Shia Imam) and Ali al-Ridha (the eighth Shia Imam).[9]
Shaykh Tusi has considered Zakaria ibn Adam Ash'ari Qomi one of the companions of Ja'far al-Sadiq (the sixth Shia Imam).[10] None of the Islam scholar's sources have called him one of the companions of Musa al-Kadhim (the seventh Shia Imam), but he has been mentioned among the narrators (hadith transmitter) of this Imam.[11]
Shaykh Tusi has also considered Zakaria ibn Adam Ash'ari Qomi one of the companions of Ali al-Ridha (the eighth Shia Imam).[12] According to some narrations, Ali al-Ridha referred people to Zakaria ibn Adam in religious matters and introduced him as trustworthy in matters of religion and the world.[13] He received the religious funds of the people of Qom as the agent of the Imam.[13] On a Hajj pilgrimage from Medina to Mecca, Zakaria ibn Adam traveled with Ali al-Ridha.[14][15]
According to a narration, Zakaria ibn Adam said to Ali al-Ridha (the eighth Shia Imam): "I want to leave my family because idiots and ignorant people have increased among them". The Imam said to him: "O Zakaria, do not do this and do not emigrate from Qom, through your existence, God removes the calamity from your family (in another version: from the people of Qom) because of you, just as He removes the calamity from the people of Baghdad because of my father Musa al-Kadhim".[16][17]
Zakaria ibn Adam is also considered among the companions of Muhammad al-Jawad (the ninth Shiite Imam).[18] According to the narration of the book Rijal al-Kashshi, he was the agent of the ninth Imam of the Shiites in Qom.[13][19]
Islam scholar's sources attributed a book and a series of issues to Zakaria ibn Adam that have been narrated in different methods. Apparently, this set of issues was Zakaria ibn Adam 's questions from Ali al-Ridha (the eighth Shia Imam):[20][21]
He has narrated (transmitted) about forty hadiths (with or without intermediaries) from the Imams.[11][24]
Some[who?] have said that the date of Zakaria's death was between 819 and 835 (between 204 and 220 AH) and at the same time with the birth of Muhammad al-Jawad (the ninth Shia Imam).[17] Others say he died away during the life of Muhammad al-Jawad and after his death, the imam wrote about him in a letter:
May God have mercy on him on the day he was born, on the day he died, and on the day he will be resurrected. During his life, he was a mystic, a believer and a follower of the right to life, and he willed what is obligatory in the sight of God and His Messenger. He - may God have mercy on him - passed away without breaking the covenant and turning the verdict. May God reward him for his good intentions and his efforts.[13]
His grave is in Qom in Sheikhan cemetery near the Fatima Masumeh Shrine.[25][26]