Ja’d bin Dirham was the teacher and Sheikh of Jahm bin Safwan. Haravi, may Allah have mercy on him, writes: “The first person who created the sedition of denying the words of Allah Almighty (the holy Qur’an) among the people was Ja’d bin Dirham.” When Ja’d bin Dirham emerged, Zuhri, may Allah have mercy on him, who was one of the great scholars of Islam at that time, stated, “Ja’d is not from the Ummah of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.”
Ibn Asaker says: “Ja’d bin Dirham derived these beliefs from Ibn Samaan.” Ibn Samaan learned from Aban, Aban from Talut, and Talut from Labid bin Asim, a Jew who bewitched the Prophet, peace be upon him. The first person known for this opinion and belief was Ja’d bin Dirham, the teacher of Jahm bin Safwan. At that time, Islamic scholars ordered his execution due to his beliefs, and ultimately, he was killed for those beliefs. The account of his murder is well-known and has been mentioned in many books.
It has been narrated that Khalid bin Abdullah al-Qasari delivered a speech to the people in Ausat on the day of Eid al-Adha, saying: “O people, sacrifice! May Allah Almighty accept your sacrifices, and I will also sacrifice Ja’d bin Dirham,” because he believed that Allah Almighty did not choose Abraham as Khalil nor spoke to Moses. May Allah protect us from the words of Ja’d bin Dirham. He then descended from the pulpit and slaughtered him. This act followed his appeals to the scholars of his time, and Khalid was recognized as one of the scholars of the Salaf and elders of this Ummah.
Ja’d bin Dirham was originally “Kurd,” though some reports suggest he was a Persian speaker. He hailed from the Harran region and was responsible for disciplining Marwan Hamar, the last caliph of the Umayyad dynasty; thus, Marwan Hamar is also referred to as Marwan Ja’di. He was a follower of Suwayd bin Ghaflah bin Ausja Jahfi.
One of Ja’d bin Dirham’s misfortunes is that he contributed to the downfall and destruction of the Umayyad dynasty. Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, states: “Ja’d bin Dirham, to whom Marwan bin Muhammad Jahdi, the last caliph of the Umayyad, is attributed, was very sinister and suspicious to the extent that his suspicions led to Marwan’s government falling. When heresies arise that oppose the prophets, Allah Almighty avenges the opponents of the prophets and supports the prophets and their followers.”
