Why Ja‘far ibn Abi Talib Is Known as Ja‘far al-Tayyar

Source Attribution

This excerpt is taken from the book Aḥkām wa Masā’il in the Light of the Qur’an and Sunnah by Shaykh Mubashir Ahmad Rabbani.

❖ Question:

Why was Jaʿfar al-Ṭayyār رضي الله عنه called Ṭayyār (the one who flies)? Is there any narration regarding this, or was it merely a popular attribution?

✿ Answer:

A narration from ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما is recorded in al-Mustadrak of al-Ḥākim and in al-Ṭabarānī, in which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“Last night, I entered Paradise and saw Jaʿfar flying with the angels, and I saw Ḥamzah reclining on a couch.”

Reference: Al-Mustadrak ʿala al-Ṣaḥīḥayn: 3/209, ḥadīth 3933

Reference: Al-Ṭabarānī: 2/107, aḥādīth 1466–1467


The statement of the Prophet ﷺ regarding Jaʿfar رضي الله عنه — “he is flying with the angels” (يَطِيرُ مَعَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ) — appears to be the reason why he came to be known as Jaʿfar al-Ṭayyār.
 
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