Imam Karz al-Din , popularly known among the Kurdish communities of Mandali as Bawa Karzin , was a revered Abbasid-era descendant of Jaʿfar al-Tayyar ibn Abi…
Imam Karz al-Din , popularly known among the Kurdish communities of Mandali as Bawa Karzin , was a revered Abbasid-era descendant of Jaʿfar al-Tayyar ibn Abi Talib (RA) and one of the best-known religious figures associated with eastern Diyala. Shrine tradition identifies him as Sayyid Ahmad , born in 193 AH , who became known for his knowledge, worship, asceticism and devotion to the Ahl al-Bayt. He is said to have studied with the scholars of his age and gained a wide reputation for piety and religious learning. According to the custodians of his shrine, he and members of his family were imprisoned during the reign of the Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakkil, before he later returned to teaching and spiritual guidance. He was martyred by bandits in 256 AH / 870 CE and buried at what is now the village of al-Ahmadiyya near Qazaniya and Mandali . His shrine became one of the most famous pilgrimage sites in Diyala and remains particularly important among the Feyli Kurdish communities, drawing large numbers of visitors from across Iraq during its annual visitation season. His precise genealogy is preserved in more than one form in local sources, but the longstanding tradition consistently identifies him as a descendant of Jaʿfar al-Tayyar.