Ali al-Uraidhi ibn Ja'far al-Sadiq

Ali al-Uraidhi ibn Ja'far al-Sadiq, (Arabic: علي العريضي بن جعفر الصادق‎‎ ʿAlī al-ʿUrayḍī ibn Jaʿfar al-Sādiq) better known simply as Ali al-Uraidhi, was the son of Ja'far al-Sadiq and the brother of Isma'il, Musa al-Kadhim, Abdullah al-Aftah, and Muhammad Al-Dibaj. He was known by the title al-Uraidhi, because he lived in an area called Uraidh, about 4 miles (or 6.4 km) from Medina. He was also known by the nickname Abu Hasan (i.e. father of Hasan). He was a great Muslim scholar.

Ali al-Uraidhi (علي العريضي) was born and raised in Medina. He was the youngest son of Ja'far al-Sadiq. After his father died whilst he was still a child, he left Medina for the town of Al-Uraidh, where he settled and became the sheikh of all Banu Hashim and the Naqib (prefect) of the descendants of Muhammad.

He was a diligent worshipper, generous and a great scholar.

He lived approximately 100 years, until the time of his brother Musa al-Kadhim’s great-grandson Ali al-Hadi (828-868) and died in Al-Uraidh and was buried there.

The children and descendants of Ali al-Uraidhi became known as al-Uraidhiyun. They inhabited many areas, including Al-Uraidh, Kufa and Qom. His sons were:

• Hasan
  • Abdullah- whose descendants resided in Medina, Egypt, Iraq and other countries.
• Ahmad ash-Sya'rani
• Ja'far al-Ashgar
• Muhammad al-Naqib- who was born in Medina. After his father died, he left for Basra, where he became the Naqib (prefect) of the Ahl al-Bayt. He was a man of great learning who preferred isolation and was known for his zuhd (abstinence).
  • Isa al-Rumi- He was a great 'alim (learned scholar) and ‘arif (spiritual master). He was the Naqib of the Ahl al-Bayt in Basra.
    • Ahmad al-Muhajir (873-956/260-345H)- who was born in Basra. Al-Tabari, the famous 'alim and historian, held him in great esteem and gave him immense respect. He held the company of Bishr al Hafi, among others. After performing Hajj in 318 A.H. he migrated to Hadramaut in the same year and settled there. From Hadramaut he called people to God. He was given the title Al-Muhajjir (the Emigrant) primarily because he had travelled the path to God and secondarily because he had emigrated from Iraq to Hadramaut. From Hadramaut his descendants became the illustrious Alawi sadat, and most Sayyid’s and Habib’s residing in Indonesia and Southeast Asia are descended from him.
      • Ubaidullah
        • Alawi- who became a great Imam. It is from his name from whom the name of the tribe Bani Alawi is derived. Therefore, the Bani Alawi is the Ashraaf sadat (noble descendants) of Muhammad. Furthermore, many families in Hadhramaut, India, the Hejaz, Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar and the rest of the world are descendants of Imam Alawi ibn Ubaidullah.

Other descendants

• Sayyid Abu Bakr Al-Aidarus (1447–1508)- the Mansab (religious leader) of Aden, Yemen.

Nine Saints ( Wali Songo )are not from Al - Aidrus family

• Sunan Maulana Malik Ibrahim (d.1419 C.E.)- one of the Wali Sanga ("Nine Saints") involved in propagating Islam in Indonesia.
  • Sunan Ampel- one of the Wali Sanga ("Nine Saints") involved in propagating Islam in Indonesia.
    • Sunan Bonang- one of the Wali Sanga ("Nine Saints") involved in propagating Islam in Indonesia.
    • Sunan Drajat- one of the Wali Sanga ("Nine Saints") involved in propagating Islam in Indonesia.
    • Syarifah
      • Sunan Kudus- one of the Wali Sanga ("Nine Saints") involved in propagating Islam in Indonesia.
    • Another daughter
      • Trenggana- who succeeded his father as leader of the Sultanate of Demak.
• Sunan Giri- one of the Wali Sanga ("Nine Saints") involved in propagating Islam in Indonesia.
• Sunan Murya- one of the Wali Sanga ("Nine Saints") involved in propagating Islam in Indonesia.
• Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi- the President of Comoros since 26 May 2006.

Ali al-Uraidhi was a man of great knowledge. He was a transmitter of Hadith, and was quoted in a large number of books written by the famous 'ulama of his and subsequent ages.

He gained knowledge from:

• Ja'far al-Sadiq- his father.
• Musa al-Kadhim- his brother.
• Hasan ibn Zayd ibn Ali- his first cousin once removed.
• Zayd bin Ali- his grand uncle.

Many people transmitted the Hadith’s of Ali al-Uraidhi, including:

• Ahmad and Muhammad- his two sons.
• Abdullah ibn Hasan- his grandson.
• Ismail ibn Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Ja'far al-Sadiq- his brother Ishaq’s grandson.
• Imam al-Buzzi/al-Bazzi.

• Al-Dhahabi, the Shafi'i Muhaddith and historian, in his book Al-Miizaan said, "Ali bin Ja'far al-Sadiq narrated hadith from his father, also from his brother (i.e. Musa al-Kadhim), and also from Sufyan al-Thawri. Al-Tirmidhi also narrated the hadith from him in his book. "
• Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, another Shafi'i Hadith scholar, in his book At-Taqrib said, "Ali ibn Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Husayn was one of the great figures..."
• Ahmad ibn Hanbal narrated from Ali al-Uraidhi in his Musnad (Hadith collection).