Imam Abu Ja’far Mohammed al-Baqir, peace be on him, was martyred at the age of 58 through poison on 5 Dhol-hijja in the year 114 AH.

Imam al-Baqir, peace be on him, gave several enjoinments to his son, Imam as-Sadiq, peace be on him. Among them are the following:

1. He said: "Ja'far, I give testamentary enjoinments to you (to treat) my followers well." So, Imam as-Sadiq, peace be on him, replied: "May I be your ransom, I will make them (know their religion so well) that any man among them in the country will not (have to) ask any one (for advice). (Usul al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 306)

He, peace be on him, enjoined his son to spend (money) on them and to take care of their affairs to make them devote themselves to seek knowledge, to record his traditions, and to spread his sciences and morals among the people.

2. He, peace be on him, enjoined his son as-Sadiq, peace be on him, to shroud him in the cloak in which he used to perform the prayer.(Safwat al-Safwa, vol. 2, p. 63. Ibn al-Wadi, Tarikh, vol. 1, p. 184. Abi al-Fida', Tarikh, vol. 1, p. 214. Ibn al-Jawzi, al-Muntazam, vol. 7)
He wanted that to be a truthful witness with Allah for his great worship and his obedience to Him.

3. He endowed some of his money to some female weepers to weep for him for ten years at Mina.(Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 11, p. 62).

The reason for that is that Mina was the greatest center where Moslems gathered, and that there were many female weepers at it. This would make the Moslems ask about the reason for weeping. They would be told that the Umayyad persecuted and killed Imam Abu` Ja'far (al-Baqir), peace be on him. So, the Umayyad would be unable to hide the murder of the Imam.

As for the text of his testamentary enjoinments, it was reported by Imam Abu` 'Abd Allah as-Sadiq, peace be on him, who said: When my father was near to death, he said (to me): "Call witnesses for me." I summoned four men from Quraysh, among them Na`fi', retainer of 'Abd Allah b. 'Umar. (My father said:) "Write this testimony which I bequeath (like) Jacob did to his sons: My sons, Allah has chosen the religion for you. So, do not die except as Muslims.

Mohammed b. 'Ali makes this last testimony to Ja'far b. Mohammed. He orders him to shroud him in his cloak in which he used to perform the Friday prayer, to put his turban on him, to make his grave a square, to raise it the height of four fingers above the ground, and to take his shabby clothes away from him at his burial.

Then he said to the witnesses: "Depart, may Allah have mercy on you.

You "Father," I said to him (after they had gone), "what was in this that there had to be witnesses for it?"

"My son," he answered, "I was unwilling for you to be overcome and for it to be said that no testimony had been mad for him. I wanted you to have proof.
(Usul al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 307)