The Captivity Journey

The Captivity Journey75%

The Captivity Journey Author:
Publisher: The Society of Islamic Cultural Knowledge
Category: Imam Hussein

The Captivity Journey
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The Captivity Journey

The Captivity Journey

Author:
Publisher: The Society of Islamic Cultural Knowledge
English

The Debates of Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q) with Yazeed

The psychological warfare did reach the peak after the painful battle of Al-Taff, and it was not less important than the war with swords. Yazeed wanted to look like the most victorious winner in all aspects. He wanted to see things end by finishing them, to finalize everything to his favor, while he knew he could never reach that, unless he wins this war.

On the other side, we see the right front following the footsteps of its leader, moving towards achieving its objectives. So, we see Sayyeda Zeinab (O) standing behind Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q) in all situations, why not? As he was Hujjatu Allah after the martyrdom of his father (Q).

It was said that Yazeed had told Sayyeda Zeinab O: "Do speak!" so she (O) answered: "Indeed, he is our speaker" meaning Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q). By doing this, she wanted to point to the leader of the triumph journey.

Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q) was facing many problems that he needed to overcome:

1- An arrogant tyrant who was living the pleasure of the claimed victory, that needed to be confronted in front of the people to uncover his infidel reality and to expose his truth particularly in front of his followers and loyalists.

2- A suppressing regime that Muawiya established based on temptations, intimidations and the dead body skulls and carnages. Satan wanted for him to be the establisher of the Umayyad Empire which would be considered by the "Cursed Tree in the Quran" as a mean to obliterate the religion (Islam) and to falsify the canon of the Master of the messengers.

Thus, it was necessary to shake the pillars of this empire that considered God’s money to belong to it aside from other people, and used to think of the worshipers of Allah as their slaves while using Islam and the succession of the Messenger of Allah (Q) as coverage.

3- A misleading media and a poisoned environment that learned about Islam through Muawiya Bin Abi Soufian

 and then Yazeed. Here they hear that these captives were captivated during a battle with an outlaw who rebelled against "the prince of believers"!

Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q) had to confront all that to tear apart the clouds of ignorance that dominated the skies for around four decades.

Imam Jaafar Al-Sadiq (Q) said: "When the head of Imam Hussain (Q) was brought in front of Yazeed, may God curse him, then they brought Ali Bin Al-Hussain along with the daughters of the Prince of believers (Q), while Imam Ali Bin Al-Hussain was restrained and chained up".

Yazeed said: "O Ali Bin Al-Hussain, thank God who killed your father!"

So Ali Bin Al-Hussain (Q) said: "May Allah curse whoever killed my father".

Then Yazeed got fumed up and ordered them to behead him.

So, Ali Bin Al-Hussain said: "If you kill me, then who is going to return the daughters of the Messenger of Allah (P) to their homes, while there is not a chaperone (Mahram, unmarriageable kin) other than me?"

Then, Yazeed said: "You shall take them back to their homes".

Then he asked for a file to scrape the chain off the Imam’s neck with his own hands, then he said to the Imam: "O Ali Bin Al-Hussain, do you know why am I doing this?"

He (Q) said: "Yes, you do not want anyone to do me this favor but you".

So, Yazeed said: "Indeed, this is exactly what I wanted to do…, O Ali Bin Al-Hussain (Whatever misfortune happens to you, is because of the things your hands have wrought)17

Ali Bin Al-Hussain (Q) said: "Not really, this verse was not intended for us! But the one intended to us is (No misfortune can happen on earth or in your souls but is recorded in a decree before We bring it into existence, that is truly easy for Allah* In order that you may not despair over matters that pass you by, nor exult over favors bestowed upon you. For Allah loves not any vainglorious boaster)18 as we are those who do not feel sorry for what passed us and we do not exult over what life brings to us"

By this, Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q) had shattered the roots of the supporting base that Yazeed used, and he (Q) exposed how ignorant Yazeed was with the true meaning of the holy verse. Then, a man from Sham jumped up and said: "Allow me to kill him!" So, Sayyeda Zeinab (O) threw herself down on him.

While Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q) was saying:

Do not expect us to respect you if you are dishonoring us,

And to stop harm from reaching you, while you are hurting us

Indeed God knows that we do not like you,

And we do not blame you if you do not like us.

Thus Yazeed said: "You are saying the truth, but your father and grandfather wanted to become princes, so, thank God who had humiliated them and shed their blood!"

So, Imam Zein El-Abedeen stood up to remind Yazeed Bin

Muawiya of his parents and ancestors and to make him aware of his father and grandfather’s reality: "O son of Muawiya, Hind and Sakhr, my fathers and ancestors had held the reign before you were even born, and my grandfather, Ali Bin Abi Taleb (Q), was on the Days of Badre, Uhud, and Ahzab holding the flag of the Messenger of Allah (P) in his hand, while your father and your grandfather were holding the flags of the disbelievers in their hands".

Then he (Q) said: "Woe to you Yazeed, indeed if you are aware of what you have committed against my father, my family, my brother and my uncles, you would have escaped to the mountains, to sleep on the bare sand while calling for punishment and death, for that the head of Imam Hussain (Q) is hung on the doors of the city while he is the consignation of the Messenger of Allah (P)  among you, So do enjoy the feeling of regret and humiliation tomorrow, when the people are to be gathered for that Day that no one doubts".

Then Yazeed called for the women and children to be seated in front of him, when he saw their painful situation, he said: "May God punish the son of Murjana, as if there were a kinship between you and him, he would not have done this to you, or have sent you in this condition".

These speeches of Yazeed and other similar ones were on the second stage that followed the stage of expressing his joy and ultimate pleasure, but he was surprised with a reaction from the people that he did not account for at all, which obliged him to push the responsibility away from him and blame it all on Bin Ziad.

Many points emerge from the stances of Imam Ali Bin Al-Hussain (Q) that must be studied and contemplated:

The solid stance of the Imam (Q) and his stability during the assembly.

The Imam (Q) blamed the responsibility for the killing of Imam Hussain (Q), what happened in the Al-Taff battle, and all after that on Yazeed, while warning of the profundity of the Great Tragedy and threatening of Hell’s fire.

Exposing the truth about Yazeed, that he, his father and his grandfather were all on the wrong path, declaring war against the Messenger of Allah (P) and his progeny (R), and the Hussain renaissance is only a continuation for that confrontation and defiance.

Yazeed Gets Close to Killing Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q)

As Yazeed’s position, from what happened in Karbala, was fluctuating between the joy for what occurred and trying to escape the responsibility for it, Yazeed’s stances from Imam Sajjad (Q) did fluctuate between the gloating, trying to kill him, or implying that he was honoring him.

Yazeed, may Allah curse him, tried during his arguments with Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q) to drive him to say something that would allow Yazeed to kill him, and the Imam (Q) used to answer him in accordance with his speech while holding a small chaplet and turning it with his fingers as he was speaking.

So, Yazeed said to him: "I am speaking to you, and you are answering me while turning your fingers over the chaplet that is in your hand! How appropriate is that?"

So, He (Q) said: "My father had narrated to me about my Grandfather P: that he used to hold a chaplet in his hands and not talk to anyone after finishing his noon prayer and say: "God I woke up this morning while praising you, thanking you, acclaiming you, and glorifying you by the count of the beads I am turning on my chaplet", then he used to hold the chaplet in his hands while speaking of whatever he wants, without saying the glorifying words, and he mentioned that it is all counted to him as good deed and it would protect him till he goes to bed. When he went to bed, he used to say the same thing and then put the chaplet under his head, so he would get all the good deeds as if he was repeating them till he gets up", so I only acted this way to follow the steps of my Grandfather (P)”.

Then, Yazeed, may God curse him, said: "I am not able to speak to any of you without him confounding me with a strong comeback!"

Yazeed consulted his counsels in regards to the captives’ issue in an assembly that was on last days of the presence of Ahlu El-Bayt (R) in Sham, so they advised him to kill the Imam and they said: "Do not take in a puppy from a bad dog"

So, the Imam (Q) accosted Yazeed by thanking God and glorifying Him then he said: "Indeed, these people had advised you against what the councilors of Pharaoh had advised him when he consulted them about Prophets Moses and Aaron, as they had said: let go of him and his brother, while these people advised you to kill us".

Then Yazeed kept quiet.

The Head of the Jews in the General Assembly of Yazeed

After the arguments that went on between Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q) and Yazeed, a rabbi among the Jewish rabbis

was there so he turned to Yazeed and said: "O prince of believers, who is this young man?"

So Yazeed said: "This head belongs to his father"

Then the rabbi said: "and who is the owner of this head, O prince of believers?"

Yazeed said: "Al-Hussain Bin Ali Bin Abi Taleb".

The rabbi asked: "and who is his mother?"

Yazeed said: "She is Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad (P)”

So, the rabbi said: "Glory is to Allah! This is the son of your Prophet’s daughter, and you were this quick to kill him! What a bad way to repay him in dealing with his pedigree, By God, if Moses Bin Omran had left us one of his grandchildren, I believe we might have worshiped him instead of God, and you, your Prophet had just died, so you attacked his grandson and killed him, what a bad nation you are…"

Sayyeda Zeinab Bint Ali (O) In Yazeed’s Parlor

She is the hero of the battle in Yazeed’s parlor; she stands to face his tyranny with utmost solidity while talking to him with full courage since she can view the actual reality with Allah. That is why we see that she speaks the logic of her father who was the soul of the beloved Mustafa (chosen one), in a way that makes the Sham and its Umayyad Castle an extension to the fields of Karbala, the rise of the Master of martyrs, and a perfect embodiment for its noble values and dignified objectives.

Here she is saying to Yazeed: "O Yazeed, do you not fear Allah and his Messenger for killing Al-Hussain Q? As if

that was not enough for you, till you brought the daughters of the Messenger of -Allah (P) from Iraq to Sham, and it was not enough either till you brought us here the way you bring slaves on rides with no saddles! Indeed no one killed my brother Al-Hussain (Q) but you, and if it was not for your orders, the son of Murjana would have never been able to kill him, since he has less men and he does not have the courage to do it. Did you not fear Allah for killing him when the Messenger of Allah (P) had said about him and his brother: "Al-Hassan and Al-Hussain are the masters of the youth in heaven among all people"? If you say "No", you would be lying, and if you say "Yes", you would have opposed yourself and admitted your bad mistake…"

So, Yazeed said: "A pedigree each one follows the other…"

Thus Sayyeda Zeinab (O) focused in this speech on three points:

1 - The kinship to the Messenger of Allah (P).

2 - To hold Yazeed responsible for killing Imam Hussain (Q) to invalidate all his attempts to repudiate that.

3 - To prove that Yazeed does not relate to Islam, neither from near nor from far.

Sayyeda Zeinab (O) with the Holy Head

The stance of Sayyeda Zeinab (O) took an emotional direction when she saw the Holy Head, as she called with a grieving voice that saddens the hearts: "O Hussain, O the beloved of the Messenger of Allah, O son of Mecca and Mena, O son of Fatima Al-Zahra the Lady of all women, (O) son of the daughter of the Mustafa…"

So, she made everyone, of the attending people, cry

The Speech of Sayyeda Zeinab (O)19

It is the documented script of Mohammad, Ali, Fatima, Hassan and Hussain, which took its place along the speech of the beloved Mustafa on the Ghadir Day, the speech of her mother the Great Siddiqa, the Martyr, in the Prophet’s mosque, and the speech of her father that is known by the name "Al-Shaqshaqiyya" in a way for all these speeches to form the most prominent proofs for whoever had a heart and paid attention while witnessing this.

Thus she (O) delivered this speech after Yazeed had recited the verses of Al-Zubary poem:

"O Yazeed, God and his Messenger had said the truth (Then it was the worst ramification for those who have done evil; for that they rejected the signs of Allah, and used to ridicule it)20 . O Yazeed, did you think, since we are overpowered on that side of earth and under the fringes of the sky till we were treated the way the captives are treated, that God does not care for us while He cares for you?!! And that is due to your superiority, so you lifted your nose and looked upon your shoulder (sign of acting arrogance), cheerful and happy when you viewed this life as it belongs to you, and things are going your way, indeed your punishment just being delayed and put off and that is clear from the words of Allah the Exalted, the Almighty: (Let not the Unbelievers think that our respite to them is good for themselves: We grant them respite that they may grow in their iniquity: but they will have a shameful punishment)21 . Is it fair, O son of the freedmen, that you dignify your ladies and slaves while the daughters of the Messenger of Allah (P) were brought to you, after you had exposed them, caused their voices to be husky due to their grief, you made them ride on weak camels, their enemies were yelling at them while taking them from one country to another, they were not cared for or sheltered. Everyone, near or far, was staring at them, they did not have any of their men to protect them. And how is it possible for someone to ask us not to hate him while he is looking at us with hatred, antagonism, implacability, and resentment, do you say: "I wish that my grandparents from Bader had witnessed…" without feeling guilty or sorry while batting the lips of Abu Abdu Allah in your parlor? Why wouldn’t you behave like this, when you have already poked the ulcers and cauterized the tumor by shedding the blood of the pedigree of the Messenger of Allah (P) and the earth’s stars from the family of Abdu Al-Muttaleb, you will soon go back to Allah as they did, and then you would wish if you had been blinded or muted before you said: "They would have cheered and shouted happily". O God, do punish them for our rights, and take our revenge from those who have wronged us. I swear to God, you only abraded your skin, and did not cut but your own flesh, you will surely, despite your will, be brought in front of the Messenger of Allah (P), his family, and his supporters in Heaven, on the Day when Allah will reunite them after having been scattered, and that is the saying of Allah the Exalted, the Almighty: "Think not of those who are killed in the Way of Allah as dead, but indeed they are alive, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord. "22 Thus, the one who enabled you to rule the believers shall know, especially if the Judge is Allah, your opponent is Muhammad (P), and your limbs are the

witnesses against you, this is the worst ending for the wrong doers, he shall know who of both of you is in a weaker position with less supporters. Even though, I swear to God O enemy of Allah and the son of His enemy, I do not

have any respect for you even to reprimand you, but the fact is that the eyes are tearful, and the hearts are sorrow and all this does not make up for our loss, as Al-Hussain (Q) was killed, and the party of Satan is handing us over to the party of fools to be rewarded from the Money of Allah for rending the sanctities of Allah! As these hands are soaked with our blood, these mouths are fed from our flesh, and those blessed corpses are being eaten by the wild animals. So, if you consider this a victory for you, you would indeed be gaining a chastisement at the time when you do not find but what your hands had already committed, you would cry for help from the son of Murjana and he would cry for your help as well, you and your followers will howl for each other at the weighing scale, where you would find that the best provision Muawiya had provided you is your killing of Muhammad’s (Q) Pedigree. Indeed, I have only feared Allah, and to him only is my compliant. So, plot your machination, strive all you want, and do your best, but, By Allah, you would never be able to eradicate the disgrace you earned for what you did to us. And Thank God for sealing the ending of the Masters of heavens with happiness and forgiveness so that He enjoined them to go to Heaven. I do ask Allah to elevate their ranks, and to enjoin them with many of His Merit, as He is the Powerful Protector".

This speech hit Yazeed like a thunder on his head, so he said:

O what a beautiful outcry better than others,

How easy it is to cry over tribulations.

Bafflement had overwhelmed Yazeed, and he did not know what to say, so all he did was to recite a poet’s verse, while there is no link between what this tyrant had heard, of the many thunders that had hit him and the Umayyad people, reminding

 him with each and every word of the hits of Thu Al-Fiqar (Imam Ali’s sword) between the hands of the Messenger of Allah (Q), and between the poetry he recited by announcing that the outcry is a good one among others! And that it is easy to weep over catastrophes! Indeed it is a failed attempt of a muted person to hide behind gloating.

A Quick Glance of the Contents of the Great Speech

1- Starting from a central theme in the Islamic knowledge which is the reprieving time Allah the Al-Mighty gives to the oppressing tyrants and the dissolute disbelievers, and clarifying that this was only to complete the proofs against them and to increase their iniquity.

2- To expose the unfair ruling of Yazeed, even though he claimed to be the Caliph.

3- Stressing the point of preserving the woman’s status and the importance of the ardor for her protection.

4- Stressing the fact that what Yazeed had done was a result of his infidelity, and that what he had committed was to revenge the killing of his disbelieving relatives by the Messenger (P) during the Badr Battle, by raising the swords against the Messenger of Allah fifty years after the death of the Prophet (P).

5- Confirming that the Reign and ruling is for the Progeny of Muhammad and no one else, and that shows in her saying: "…and when took control of our reign and kingdom…"

6- Pointing to the responsibility of the person who had enabled the tyrant to control the Muslims, this was the reply to those who wanted to refer this to God’s fate and destiny.

7- Declaring that neither Yazeed nor his followers were able to erase the history of the Prophet’s progeny, as this is something no one is able to do.

8- Illustrating the great rank of the martyr and the exalted value of martyrdom in the Islamic culture.

9- Blaming the major responsibility for killing Imam Hussain (Q) directly on Yazeed.

The Stance of Sayyeda Zeinab (O) from the Request of the Man from Sham

It was narrated about Sayyeda Fatima Bint Al-Hussain (Q) that she had said: "When we were sitting before Yazeed, a man from the people of Sham got up and said: O prince of believers, grant me this odalisque, meaning me, so I was terrified thinking that it is allowed for him to do that, so I held to my aunt Zeinab’s clothes, and she knew that it is not permissible.

So, my aunt (O) said to the man from Sham: "You are a despicable liar; By God neither you nor he has the right to do that!"

Then Yazeed got angry and said: "You are the liar, indeed it is my right and if I wanted to do it, I would have done it!"

She said: "I swear by God, Allah did not allow you do this unless you renounce from our denomination and believe in another religion".

So, Yazeed was flared up and said: "Are you saying this to me? Indeed who had renounced the religion are your father and your brother!"

Sayyeda Zeinab (O) said: "By the religion of my God, my Father and my brother you were guided along with your grandfather and father that is if you are a Muslim!"

He said: "You are a liar, O you enemy of Allah!"

She (O) said to him: "You are a prince who wrongfully scorns and overpower with your authority…" As he was ashamed so he kept quiet…

Then the man from Sham said again: "Grant me this odalisque".

So, Yazeed said to him: "Stop, may God grant you an eliminating death".

Thus, Sayyeda Zeinab (O) had accomplished a decisive victory over the tyrant while he was at the peak of authority and had the apparent power, as she had confuted him one time after another.

Thus, she was able to expose the ignorance of the person claiming to be the Caliph of the people, as she also had revealed his lack of knowledge of the religious rules and regulations, as it is not permissible to consider the Muslim women as captives of the wars and they should not be treated as captives either. So how is it when these women are the daughters of the Messenger of Allah Q?

The Role of the Ladies of the House of the Prophet (R) at Yazeed’s Parlor

The rest of the ladies of the Hussain’s convoy followed the steps of Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q) and Sayyeda Zeinab (O) to accomplish the same goals. They intended to expose the unjust authority, while presenting themselves as captives from Ahlu El-Bayt (R) in each and every situation, which caused things to turn against Yazeed Bin Muawiya. This is what Sayyeda Sukaina, the daughter of Imam Hussain (Q), did when she presented to the people that these captives are from the family of Muhammad (P) in order to control the media’s poisoned atmosphere.

As it was narrated by Imam Jaafar Bin Muhammad Al-Sadiq that his father (Q) had said: "When Yazeed brought the women of Imam Hussain, they entered during day time while their faces were uncovered, then the harsh people of Sham said: We have never seen better looking people than these! Who are you? So, Sukaina Bint Al-Hussain (Q) said: "We are the captives from the family of Muhammad!"

When the head of Imam Hussain (Q) was placed in front of Yazeed, Sayyeda Sukaina said to him: "I swear to God I have never seen a harsher heart than that is of Yazeed, nor a disbeliever or an infidel more evil or more ruthless than him".

This is also what Fatima Bint Al-Hussain (Q) had done, and she was older than Sukaina, when the women of Imam Hussain (Q) were brought before Yazeed, the women of Yazeed and the daughters of Muawiya and his family started to weep and cry, then Fatima Bint Al-Hussain (Q) said: "Is it possible for the daughters of the Messenger of Allah to become captives, O Yazeed?"

The Speech of Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q)

Yazeed gave his orders to bring a rostrum and a speaker to mention to the people the flaws of Imam Hussain (Q) and of his father Imam Ali (Q), so the speaker went up the podium and started by thanking Allah and praising Him, and he started to excessively slander Ali and Hussain (L), and exaggerated in praising Muawiya and Yazeed. So, Imam Zein El-Abedeen

Q yelled at him saying: "Woe to you O speaker, did you buy the approval of the creature with the exasperation of the Creator! Do await your place in Hell then". Then He (Q) said: "O Yazeed, allow me to climb up these sticks to say few words that would please God and grant these people good reward and compensation…"

Yazeed denied him that, but the people said: "O prince of believers, give him the permission to speak, maybe we can hear something good from him". So he told them: "if he goes up that rostrum, he shall never come down before humiliating me and the whole family of Abi Sufian…"

Then they said: "How much could this one know?!"

He said: "He is from a family that was fed the knowledge from birth…"

They kept arguing till he allowed him to speak, so he climbed the rostrum, thanked God and praised him then he delivered a speech that caused the eyes to cry and the hearts to be terrified, and that is what he said:

"O people, we were awarded six and distinguished by seven, we were awarded the knowledge, the tolerance, the indulgence, the eloquence, the courage, and the love in the hearts of the believers. And we are distinguished as one of us is the Chosen Prophet Muhammad (P), the Siddiq (Imam Ali), the Tayyar (Q) (meaning Jaafar Al-Tayyar), the lion of Allah and the lion of the Messenger of Allah (P), the Lady of all the women of the worlds Fatima Al-Batoul O, and from our family come the two grandsons of this nation and the two Masters of the youth in Heaven.

Who had met me he should know me, and for he who does not know me I shall inform him of my parentage and lineage. O people, I am the son of Mecca and Mena, I am the son of Zamzam and Safa, I am the son of who carried the Zakat within his clothes, I am the son of the best person who ever wore clothes, I am the son of the best person who wore shoes or walked barefooted, I am the son of the best person who performed Tawaf and Saei (duties of Hajj) I am the son of the best person to perform Hajj and answer the call of Allah, I am the son of the person who rode on Buraq (special horse) in space, I am the son of the one who travelled at night from the Sacred Mosque to the Aqsa Mosque, Praised be who made him travel, I am the son of he who travelled with Gabriel till he reached Sudrat Al-Montaha (special tree in the seventh heaven), I am the son of who approached and came close, and was at a distance of the length of two bows or even nearer, I am the son of who had led the prayer for the angels of the skies, I am the son of the person whom Al-Jaleel (The Exalted) had revealed to him the revelation, I am the son of Muhammad Al-Mustafa, I am the son of Ali Al-Murtada, I am the son of who fought the people till they admitted that there is no God but Allah (believed in God), I am the son of he who fought before the Messenger of Allah with two swords, stabbed with two spears, migrated two times, pledge allegiance in both times, prayed towards

the two Qiblah, fought in Bader and Honain, and did not ever disbelieve in God not even for a glance, I am the son of the best of believers, the heir of Prophets, the suppressor of infidels, the Chief of Muslims, the light of fighters (Mujahedeen), and the beauty of worshipers, the crown of the weepers (out of fear of Allah), the most patient of all, and the best one of the family of Yaseen, the Messenger of the Lord of the worlds, I am the son of who is assisted by Gabriel, and supported by Michael, I am the son of the defender of the Muslims’ sanctities, the killer of the promise breakers, the cheaters and the hypocrites, who strove against his eminent enemies, the best person ever to walk among all of Quraish people, the first believer to answer and respond to the call of Allah, the first of the first believers, the crusher of the aggressors, the demolisher of the polytheists, an arrow of the bows of Allah against the hypocrites, the speaker for the wisdom of the worshipers, the supporter for Allah’s religion, the guardian for Allah’s orders, the garden for Allah’s wisdom, the vantage point for Allah’s knowledge, pliable and generous, smiley, pure and the outgoing, pleasing and pleased by God, brave and courageous, patient who fasts during the days, polite who stays up late to pray, valiant and giving, the backs’ breaker, the parties divider, who has the bravest heart of all, who has the utmost self control of all, who does not speak too soon, with the strongest determination of all, the most powerful of all, a valiant lion, a torrential raining storm, who grinds his enemies in a close compact where swords and riding horses join together the way that a quern would grind the wheat, then he will toss them the way the wind would throw ashes in the air, the lion of Hijaz, the owner of miracles, the ram of Iraq, he is an Imam stated in the authentic text and by worthiness, from Mecca and Medina, from Bathaa and Tuham, from Khaifa and Aqaba, from Bader and Uhud, among the people of the Shajara (Tree treaty) and the migrants, among the Arab he is the leader and the lion of the battles, the heir of the poets, the father of the two grandsons Hassan and Hussain, the presenter of wonders, the splitter of troops, the shooting star, the dominant light, the victorious lion of God, the desideratum  of every seeker, and the predominant of every dominant, that is my grandfather, Ali Bin Abi Taleb.

I am the son of Fatima Al-Zahra, I am the son of the Lady of all women, I am the son of the pure Batoul,23 I am the son of the daughter of the Prophet, I am the son of Ali Al-Murtada, I am the son of Fatima Al-Zahra, I am the son of Khadija Al-Kubra, I am the son of the one who was unjustly murdered, I am the son of the one who is slaughtered from the back, I am the son of the one who was thirsty till he died, I am the son of the fallen in Karbala, I am the son of the one whose turban and clothes were plundered, I am the son of who was cried over by the angels of the skies, I am the son of who was wept for by the Jinn in the ground and the birds in the air, I am the son of whose head was given as a present on spears, I am the son of whose women were captivated and brought from Iraq to Sham, O people, indeed Allah the Almighty, and thank is to him, had tested us, Ahlu El-Bayt, with a good test by placing the banner of guidance, just and pious with us, and had placed the banner for deception and killing on others…"

Then people started to cry and weep loudly, which made Yazeed fear from sedition, so he ordered the muezzin to call for prayer, and to interrupt his speech and silence him.

When the muezzin said "God is Great" Ali Bin Al-Hussain (Q) said: "You glorified the Great God who could not be measured or realized with the senses, and no one is greater than Allah".

And when he said: "I testify that there is no God but Allah". The Imam (Q) said: "My hair, skin, flesh, blood, brain and bones all had testified that it is true".

When he said: "I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah" the Imam (Q) turned to Yazeed and said: "O Yazeed, is this Muhammad my grandfather or yours? If you claim he is your grandfather, then you would have lied, and if you say he is my grandfather, so why did you kill his progeny?"

Then the Muezzin finished the call for prayer and Yazeed got up and performed the noon prayer.

A Glimpse at the Speech of Imam Al-Sajjad (Q) and its Resonance

The Imam (Q) had confined in this speech to the identification of his family and himself and did not go near other subjects, and perhaps the secret behind that is his previous knowledge that the Sham’s community did not know anything about Ahlu El-Bayt (R) and their high status, since they were raised in the arms of the authority of the Umayyad tyrants who had concealed the truth away from them, and fed them the allegiance towards the descendants of the cursed tree and the hatred towards the family of the Messenger of Allah (P). From this point of view, we see that he (Q) dealt with the issue from an emotional perspective, because its effect in this situation is stronger than any other approach, and the content of the speech indicates that the audience were from the general public and not limited to the nobles and dignitaries, as the atmosphere of the assembly differed from the atmosphere of Yazeed’s general assembly that was crowded with nobles, dignitaries, senior Christian and Jewish scholars, and representatives of the top countries of that time. That is why we see that the Imam (Q) lists the merits of Ahlu El-Bayt (R) and he talks in particular about some men among them who have no substitute or anyone even comparable to them. So, he (Q) says: among us is the Chosen Prophet, and among us is the Siddiq - meaning Ali Bin Abi Taleb (Q) - and he lists many of the characteristics without stating at the beginning whom he meant by these traits, like being truthful, the two Masters of the youth of Heaven, and …, till he lists many of their traits that shows some of their merits and virtues to have a stronger impact on people, as this what had happened indeed.

After that, the Imam states his roots and origin as to his lineage and homeland, so that everyone shall know that he is the branch of the tree of the Prophet, the fruit of Ali, the jewel of Fatima and the pearl of Hussain, and that he is from the heart of Mecca and Medina, and how the oppressing authority and the autocratic government had distorted the reality for the people and spread the lies and the authority introduced them to the nation as being rebels against the prince of the dissolute, Yazeed!

Thus the Imam (Q), after having stated the characteristics of his grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (P), like the revelation and the ascension, he starts to indicate the attributes of his grandfather, the Prince of believers Ali (Q), while the Sham community hears descriptions of him that they hear for the first time. As he is the one who fought with the Messenger of Allah with two swords and stabbed with two spears…

Then he (Q) mentions the merits of his grandmother, the Grand Siddiqa and the human angel, Sayyeda Fatima Al-Zahra (O). Then he had reached the peak of his speech when he said: "…I am the son of the one who is slaughtered from the back, I am the son of the one who was thirsty till he died, I am the son of the fallen in Karbala, I am the son of the one whose turban and clothes were plundered…".

This is what happened in Karbala, and this is the reality of the killing of Imam Hussain (Q). But as for the current issue that the heedless and lost people of Sham must pay attention to is that even though the pure body of

Imam Hussain (Q) was in Karbala, but his holy head and his women were in Sham.

Thus Yazeed did not find an escape other than to recourse to the muezzin by using the call for prayer as an excuse, as he had known from the beginning that if the Imam (Q) would climb the rostrum, he (Q) would turn things against him, but he did not know that he might reach to this level, otherwise he would have never allowed it.

The speech of the Imam had a strong impact on the Sham’s community, as people started to look at each other and speak secretly to each other about their bad situation of failure and disappointment till they changed their attitude towards Yazeed and started to look at him with disgrace and contempt.

The Most Important Meetings of Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q) in Sham

The first meeting was when Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q) went down from the rostrum and sat at a corner of the mosque, so Bin Makhoul from Sham met with him, and he was the Imam for Sham, a companion of the Messenger of Allah (P), and an averse to the Prince of the believers Ali (Q), so he said to him: "How did you become O son of the Prophet?"

He (Q) said: "We have become among you like the Bani Israel among the people of Pharaoh, they were killing their children and captivating their women, and that is a great ordeal for you from your God".

As for the second meeting for the Imam Zein El-Abedeen, it was with Menhal Bin Omar Al-Asdi in one of the markets of Damascus, when he said to him: "How did you become O the son of the Prophet?" he (Q) said: "Woe to you, isn’t time for you to know how did we become? We have become among our people like Bani Israel among the people of Pharaoh, they are killing our children, and captivating our

women, the best person of all human after Muhammad is being cursed publicly on the rostrums, our enemy is being granted money and dignity, and he who loves us has become disgraced and taken advantage of, as the situation of the believers, and the non-Arabs became respectful of Arabs since Muhammad was from them, and Quraish has become proud over the Arab since Muhammad was from it, and the Arab are paying respect to Quraish since Muhammad was from it, and the Arabs are proud over the non Arab since Muhammad was from them, and we, being the family of the Prophet, no one knows our right!! So, this is how we have become O Menhal".

And we point out that the incident and the conversation was repeated with Makhoul and Menhal and it was not the same one. Especially as it was narrated that the conversation with Makhoul was on a corner of the mosque, and the conversation with Menhal was in the market of Damascus, and it is not strange to repeat and have a similar answer for the same question.

Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q) Makes Discussions with the Deluded Public Opinion

Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q) took interest in enlightening the thoughts and exposing the facts more than any other thing. We had mentioned parts of his words, conversations and speeches that dealt with this aspect. Thus, a man from Sham came to him and said: "Are you Ali bin Al-Hussain?"

He (Q) said: "Yes".

He said: "Your father had killed the believers!"

So the Imam (Q) cried then wiped his face and said: "Woe

 to you, how did you decide that my father had killed the believers?"

He said: "by his saying that our brothers had wronged us, so we fought their oppression".

So he (Q) said: "Do you read the Quran?"

He said: "Yes, I do read it"

He (Q) said: "did you not hear His saying: (And to the ‘Ad people (We sent) Hud, one of their own brethren…And to the Thamud people (We sent) Saleh, one of their own brethren…And to the Madyan people (We sent) Shuaib, one of their own brethren )... "24

He said: "Yes, indeed"

So he (Q) said: "Was he their brother from the same community or from the same religion?"

He said: "from their community".

He (Q) said: "you have relieved me, may Allah relief you as well".

The Imprisonment of the Rest of the Hussain Convoy in Sham

It was narrated about Fatima, the daughter of Ali (Q) that she said: "then Yazeed, may Allah curse him, had ordered for the women of Hussain (Q) to be jailed with Ali Bin Al-Hussain (Q) in a prison that does not protect them from heat or cold, till their faces were pealed of".

The house was in a bad shape, as it was feared it would fall on them, it was narrated about Abi Abdu Allah Al-Sadiq (Q) that he had said: "Ali Bin Al-Hussain (Q) was brought to Yazeed Bin Muawiya along with the women who were with him as captives, so they put them in a house and they put some non-Arab people, who do not speak Arabic, to guard them. So they said to each other: they have put us in this house to have it fall on us and kill us all in it. Then Ali Bin Al-Hussain (Q) said to the guards in their language: do you know what these ladies are saying? They are saying this and that…, so the guards said: they told us that you are going to be taken out tomorrow to be killed, so Ali Bin Al-Hussain (Q) said: no indeed, Allah will never allow that, then he approached them and started teaching them using their language".

Commemorating Imam Hussain (Q) in the House of Yazeed was for Misleading and Deceiving Purposes

When the Hussain’s convoy was brought to Yazeed, and the head was placed in front of him, Hind Bint Amer, the wife of Yazeed, heard the dialogue that went on in the castle hall, so she covered her face with her clothes, went out to Yazeed and asked him: "O prince of believers, is this the head of Al-Hussain the son of Fatima the daughter of the Prophet?"

So he answered her: "Yes, do weep for him and mourn for the son of the daughter of Allah’s Messenger (P) and the cry of Quraish, as Bin Ziad had hastened in killing him, may Allah kill him".

Then she tore her clothes out of grief, so Yazeed jumped and covered her.

Then the Hashim’s women were brought to Yazeed’s house, and no woman was left from the family of Yazeed but had approached them and expressed their grief and sorrow for what happened to them and what was inflicted on them.

Yazeed did send after the lady captives of the prophetic house (R) and said to them: "Which one do you prefer, to stay in my castle, or go back to Medina? And you shall be rewarded generously!"

They said: "First, we need to mourn over Hussain (Q)”

He said: "Do whatever you want".

Then the rooms and houses in Damascus were emptied for them, and no lady from Hashim or Quraish was left without wearing black clothes for the Imam (Q) and they wailed over him during all the time they had spent in Sham, and the people of Sham cried till their voices became really loud.

So Yazeed, may Allah curse him, felt compelled to pretend crying in front of the people due to his fear from their strong anger towards him. Then he feared sedition or a revolution, so he started to apologize, condemn the act of Bin Ziad and began to show glorification and dignifying of Ali Bin Al-Hussain (Q). Then, he moved the women of the Messenger of Allah to

his private house, and he refused to eat lunch or dinner without the presence of the Imam (Q).

The Head of Imam Hussain (Q) with his Orphan

Imam Hussain (Q) had a young daughter named Roqayya, she was three years old, and she was among the captives in Sham. She was crying day and night for her father’s parting, and they used to tell her: "he had travelled- meaning travelled to the Hereafter". Thus one night she saw him in her dreams and when she woke up, she was frightened and panicked and she said: "Get me my beloved father", and every time Ahlu El-Bayt (R) tried to calm her down, she would cry even more. And due to her crying, the grief of the family of the Prophet (R) was stirred up, so they started to cry, they slapped their faces, threw sand over their heads and they started to howl. Yazeed heard their howling and crying and said: "What’s wrong?" it was said to him: "it is the young daughter of Al-Hussain (Q), she saw her father in her sleep and woke up crying, howling and asking for him". When Yazeed heard that he said sarcastically: "take her father’s head to her and put it in front of her, so she would be comforted!", so they brought the head on a plate while covered with a veil, and they placed it before her, so she said: "Hey you, I asked for my father and not for food!", so they said: "your father is in there". She lifted the veil and saw a head and said: "whose head is that?" they said: "it is the head of your father" so she raised the head, held it close to her chest and said: "O father, who had pigmented your face with your blood? O father, who had cut off your veins, O father, who made an orphan of me even though I am still young, O father, who is going to take care of the orphan till she grows up? O father, who is going to comfort the grieving ladies, O father, who is going to help the captivated widows, O father, who is going wipe the tearing eyes? O father, who is going to protect the lonely and lost ladies, O father, who is going to take care of us after your depart? O what a disappointment! O father, who is to protect us after you, how lonely is it going to be after your depart! O father, I wish I had been sacrificed for your sake, O father, I wish I was blinded before this day, O father, I wish I was dead rather than seeing your grey hair pigmented with blood".

Then she put her mouth over the mouth of the oppressed martyr, and she cried till she fainted. When they moved her, they found that she was dead. Then the voices of Ahlu El-Bayt (R) became loud with the crying and howling, and the grief and mourning were renewed, along with whoever had heard  their crying from the people of Sham, as it was not seen on that day anyone, man or woman, but was crying.

Imam and the 'Caliphs'

The Imam (a.s.) was contemporary to a short period of al-Rashid's regime during which he suffered the tragedy of the assassination of his father Imam Musa al-Kazim (a.s.) and other Alawides. After the murder of his father, he was not safe from the moves of some of those who flattered the rulers and followed their course and pretended to show their loyalty by instigating enmity against the regime's opponents, encouraging their elimination, thinking that that would increase the rulers' liking for them and nearness to them, that it would strengthen their position and grant them unique distinctions and raise them to the highest pinnacles.

Attempts to Eliminate the Imam

Ja’far ibn Yahya says: "I heard Isa ibn Ja’far say to Haroun (al-Rashid) upon leaving al-Riqqa for Mecca, `Remember your oath by the dignity of the descendants of Abu Talib that should anyone after Musa (al-Kazim, A.S.) claim Imamate, you would strike his head with the sword. This Ali, his son, claims so, and people are addressing him in the same way they used to address his father.' He looked at him angrily and said, `Why? Do you expect me to eliminate each and every one of them?'" Musa ibn Mahran says that when he heard Ja’far ibn Yahya say so, he went to him (i.e. to Imam ar-Ridha’) and told him what he had heard. Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) responded by saying, "What do I have to do with them? By God, they cannot hurt me in the least."

Such incitements were not confined within a reasonable limit but went beyond it to dangerous ones where instigation might cause al-Rashid to pay serious attention, for the Barmakis were most antagonistic towards the Descendants of the Prophet (S) and the most cruel among them in their grudge, so much so that it is reported that Yahya ibn Khalid al-Barmaki was the one who ordered the murder of Imam Musa ibn Ja’far (a.s.)1 when the Abbaside caliphate was under their mercy.2 Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) rendered God's retribution against the Barmakis to their persecution and oppression the worst of which was suffered by Imam al-Kazim (a.s.).3 Suffices for proof is the fact that Yahya ibn Khalid was the one who plotted the ugly plot against Imam al-Kazim (a.s.) after causing Haroun al-Rashid to be angry with him, instigating al-Rashid against the Imam (a.s.) and using some naive weaklings among the Alawides to achieve his goal.4

It was, indeed, an attempt which spelled the extent of grudge felt by Yahya ibn Khalid whose purpose was to pressure al-Rashid into murdering Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) and make him join his father. He said to him one day: "This Ali, his son, has seated himself in place and claimed the matter (Imamate) for himself." He (al-Rashid) said: "Is it not enough for us what we have done to his father? Do you wish that we should kill them all?"5 Al-Rashid's answer points out to the extent of anguish he was suffering deep inside, and it reveals the bitter struggle exploding deep inside him. Suffices him to live carrying the guilt of murdering the pure soul of the Imam's father whom he subjected to numerous types of trials and tribulations till he joined his Lord well-pleased and satisfied after having faithfully executed the responsibilities of Imamate which were entrusted to him honestly and

faithfully, while the tyrant's soul was no longer able to bear any bigger sin anymore.

Al-Rashid Moves to Eliminate the Imam

Finally, al-Rashid is surrounded by a large number of courtiers instigating him to kill Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.), and they finally succeeded in stirring his feeling of anger against the Imam (a.s.), stimulating his beastly instinct to eagerly kill. Abul-Salt al-Harawi narrates saying that one day he was sitting with the Imam (a.s.) at his house when a messenger from Haroun al-Rashid came in and ordered the Imam (a.s.) to present himself before the caliph.

The Imam (a.s.) said: "O Abul-Salt! He does not call upon me at such a time of the night except for trouble. By God! He cannot do anything which I hate to me because of what I had come to know of certain statements said by my grandfather the Messenger of God (S)." Abul-Salt continues his narrative to say that he accompanied the Imam (a.s.) when he entered the court of Haroun al-Rashid.

When the latter looked at him, ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) read those words of the Prophet (S), and when he stood before al-Rashid, the latter looked carefully at him and then said, "O Abul-Hasan! We have ordered a hundred thousand dirhams for you, and write down the needs of all your family." When the Imam (a.s.) left the court, the caliph kept looking at him as he was leaving and said behind his back: "I wished, and God wished otherwise, and what God wished was good." Thus did God save the life of the Imam (a.s.) who sought refuge with Him, seeking His assistance through the sincere words he had come to know that his grandfather the Messenger of God (S) had articulated. Al-Rashid, on the other hand, went back to himself satisfied after destiny had opposed his vicious intention just to realize that what God had done was indeed better than what he himself had intended to do.

Sincere Attempts

Contrariwise, there were sincere attempts to distance Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) from danger which were undertaken by some of his followers who had tasted the bitterness of pain during the adversity suffered by his father Imam al-Kazim (a.s.) who suffered a great deal of oppression and persecution at the hands of the stubborn tyrant Haroun al-Rashid.

Those attempts required the Imam (a.s.) to cease publicly promoting his mission and to distance himself from the situations which would clearly attract the attention of the government to him and become a cause for its revenge and desire to eliminate him. But the Imam (a.s.) who was confident of his stance did not pay attention to those attempts, and he was of the view that they were simply unnecessary due to some knowledge he had learned from his forefathers which assured him that al-Rashid would not be able to harm him in any way.

For example, Safwan ibn Yahya is quoted saying: "When Abul-Hasan Musa (a.s.) passed away and ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) started preaching his mission, we were worried about his life and we said to him, `You have declared something of great magnanimity, and we worry about your safety because

of this tyrant.' He said, `Let him try his best, for he shall not have the means to hurt me.'"6

Muhammad ibn Sinan said: "During the reign of Haroun, I said to Abul-Hasan ar-Ridha’ (a.s.), `You have made yourself well-known because of this matter and followed in the footsteps of your father while Haroun's sword is dripping with blood.' He said, `What made me bold in this regard is that the Messenger of God (S) had said: `If Abu Jahl harms even one hair on my head, then bear witness that I am not a Prophet,' and I tell you that if Haroun took one hair away from my head, then bear witness that I am not an Imam.'"7

Vicious Intentions

Some Waqfis tried to warn him against declaring himself as the Imam (a.s.) and openly acting as such, and he answered them saying that such a matter did not require a warning, and that the fear that Haroun might hurt him was groundless. Those individuals had only one objective in mind: to discourage the ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) from making himself known as the Imam and making his Imamate public so that they might be able to promote their "sect" which claimed that the Qa'im was Imam Musa ibn Ja’far (a.s.) and that he was still alive as we mentioned above. Let us review the dialogue between the Imam (a.s.) and some of those Waqfis. Abu Masrooq has stated:

"A group of Waqfis entered the house of the Imam (a.s.) once and among them were men like Abu Hamza al-Bataini, Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Ammar, al-Husayn ibn Umran, and al-Husayn ibn Abu Sa'id al-Makari. Ali ibn Abu Hamza said to him, `May my life be sacrificed for you! Tell us how your father is doing.' He said, `He, peace be upon him, passed away.' He said, `Who did he recommend to succeed him?' He answered, `Myself.' He said, `You are claiming something which none among your forefathers claimed, starting from Ali ibn Abu Talib downwards.'

He said, `It was said by the best of my forefathers and the most distinguished among them: the Messenger of God (S).' He asked, `Do not you fear them for your safety?' He said, `Had I worried about my safety, I would have been in a position to do something to protect myself. The Messenger of God (S) was approached once by Abu Lahab who threatened him; the Messenger of God (S) said to him: `If I am scratched by you even slightly, then I am indeed a liar.'

That was the first time the Messenger of God (S) incited someone, and this is the first time I do likewise and tell you that if I am scratched by Haroun even slightly, then I am indeed a liar.' Al-Husayn ibn Mahran said to him, `If this comes to pass, then we will have achieved our objective.' He said, `What do you exactly want? Should I go to Haroun and tell him that I am the Imam (a.s.) and that he is nobody?

This is not how the Messenger of God behaved at the outset of his mission; rather, he said so to his family and followers and those whom he trusted from among the public. You believe that Imamate belongs to my father, claiming that what stops me from admitting that my father is alive is my own fear. I do not fear you when I say to you that I am the Imam; so, how can I fear you if my father is indeed alive?'"8

The Imam's expectation proved to be true; al-Rashid breathed his last without hurting the Imam (a.s.) a bit.

From the Series of Tragedies

One incident that took place during the reign of al-Rashid reminds us of the chain of tragic events from which the Alawides suffered during the reign of al-Mansour. In Medina, Muhammad ibn Ja’far declared rebellion against the government; therefore, al-Rashid sent an army under the command of al-Jalloodi to crush his rebellion, ordering al-Jalloodi to behead the man if he could lay his hand on him.

Al-Rashid, furthermore, was not satisfied with just that. He instructed his commander to assault the houses of the descendants of Abu Talib and loot everything their women had without leaving even one piece of clothing on them. Al-Jalloodi tried to execute al-Rashid's order in person; therefore, he attacked the house of Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) using his cavaliers. Having seen him, the Imam (a.s.) put all the women in one house, and he stood at its door.

Al-Jalloodi said to Abul-Hasan: "I have got to enter the house and strip the women of everything just as the commander of the faithful ordered me." Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) said: "I can do that for you, and I will not leave anything for them." The Imam (a.s.) kept requesting him to accept, swearing that he would do just that till the man calmed down and consented. Abul-Hasan took their wares, including their ear-rings, anklets, shirts, and every valuable item in the house, small or big.

This incident, if true, does not depict an unusual behavior by al-Rashid towards the Alawides since he was full of grudge and animosity towards them. What encourages us to believe in it is what Ibn al-Athir narrates about al-Rashid at the time of his death, shortly before meeting his Maker. He was moaning and groaning while saying, "How horrible my evil deeds are towards the Messenger of God! How Horrible!"9 This is a clear expression of the admission of the calamities he inflicted upon the family of the Prophet (S), of his horrible sins, of a bitter regret which was consuming his soul at the time of its departure.

Imam During al-Amin's Reign

As regarding his life during the reign of al-Amin, we cannot review any incident regarding the government's stance towards Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.), and this may be attributed to the confusing environment in which the Abbaside caliphate found itself due to internal dissents which led in the end to a serious split among the members of the ruling dynasty, the split which was caused by al-Amin deposing his brother al-Ma’mun from the post of heir to the throne and the nomination of his son Musa in his place after listening to the advice of al-Fadl ibn al-Rabee' who had a personal vendetta against al-Ma’mun and who feared him for his post should he become the caliph instead, since he had already opposed him openly.10

Such a shaky situation is credited for the fact that al-Amin and his ruling apparatus diverted their attention from Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) and from pursuing him, and we can regard that period of the Imam's life as a peaceful respite with which circumstances blessed him in order to be able to dedicate

his time to carry out the responsibilities of his mission and disseminate its pristine principles among the nation.

Imam During al-Ma’mun's Regime

As regarding the period of the Imam's life during which he was contemporary to al-Ma’mun's regime, this may be the richest and most eventful of all his life, for his personality enjoyed a significant role in the turning of events and their reflection thereupon. But first we have to provide a general expose of the intricate events which caused Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) to enjoy a significant role in the shaping of the events of that period. After that, we have to conduct a general study of the personality of al-Ma’mun and of its distinctions, since he was the number one man around whom the contemporary political events revolved. Such a study may even lead us to research some other leading personalities of the time that played and assumed a large role in the political wheel of the time.

Al-Ma’mun's Personality

As regarding al-Ma’mun, there is no doubt at all that he was one of the strongest personalities of the Abbaside caliphate during its first epoch, and one of the most moderate, highly intellectual and highly learned of its scholars. He encouraged scholarship during his regime and promoted free discussions out of his passion for increasing his own knowledge and expanding its spheres.

He was also known to demonstrate an inclination towards Shi'aism, preferring Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (a.s.) to and recognizing his superiority over all other sahaba. Narrators ofhadith have recorded lengthy dialogues with a number of narrators ofhadith and scholars of the Sunnah and with orators which reveal a glorious intellectual depth and an absorption of his view which he strongly and enthusiastically advocated.

Al-Ma’mun's Inclination Towards Shi'aism

There is a disagreement regarding his school of thought. Some think that he was Shi'a, while others think that he only pretended to be so out of his regard for the feelings of Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) and other Alawides while in reality he was otherwise. But his discourses, debates, and his serious method in challenging what was regarded as accepted facts by those who opposed his views, all dispel any doubts regarding his acceptance of Shi'aism.

Moreover, there are certain noteworthy measures he undertook which support this view such as his belief that the Holy Qur'an was the Word of God created by Him, and his insistence that scholars and faqihs should indicate and promote this view, so much so that he caused quite a reaction among contemporary Islamic circles to the extent that it was referred to as the ordeal of the Holy Qur'an.

His father, al-Rashid, differed from him in this regard. When he heard that Bishr al-Marisi endorsed the concept that the Holy Qur'an was created by God, he said: "If I ever lay my hand on him, I shall strike his neck with the sword."11 Also, he believed in the temporary marriage of mut'a, and he refuted the views of the second caliph in this regard with arguments which have already been recorded by foremost historians.

Add to all the above his preference of Ali ibn Abu Talib (a.s.) over all other companions of the Prophet (S) and his view that Ali was more worthy of succeeding the Messenger of God (S) as the caliph. Yet another supporting argument is his serious attempt to make the cursing of Mu'awiya a tradition and enforce it on his subjects; he announced to people once the following:

"There shall be no pardon for anyone guilty of praising Mu'awiya, and the best of creation after the Prophet (S) is Ali ibn Abu Talib (a.s.)."12

That was in response to Mu'awiya who made the cursing of Ali a tradition which continued during the reign of all Umayyad governments till the days of the caliph Umer ibn Abd al-Aziz who put an end to it in order to safeguard the government of the Umayyads against the disgust people felt towards such ignominious tradition, sympathized with the Alawides, and returned Fedak to them when they requested him to do so.

Al-Ma’mun, in fact, sincerely felt guilty about the crimes his predecessors had committed against the Alawides as a letter he wrote to some Hashemites testified and in which he said: "The Umayyads killed anyone (among the Alawides) who unsheathed a sword, while we, the Abbasides, have been killing them en masse; so, ask the great souls of the Hashemites what sin they committed, and ask the souls of those who were buried in Baghdad and Kufa alive..."13

Al-Ma’mun's inclination towards Shi'aism is the result of many factors of a permanent impact upon his way of thinking, starting with his childhood when a Shi'a educator planted deeply in his soul the allegiance to Ali and the family of Ali (a.s.), and ending with his residence in parts of Khurasan where mostly Shi'as lived. Al-Ma’mun himself narrates an anecdote with a moral which taught him to sympathize with Shi'as.

It involved an encounter with his father al-Rashid who was very well known for his cruelty, tyranny, arrogance and hatred of the Alawides, especially Imam Musa ibn Ja’far (a.s.) whose life he ended with poison. Al-Ma’mun states that when Imam Musa ibn Ja’far (a.s.) met al-Rashid at Medina, al-Rashid showed a great deal of humbleness before the Imam (a.s.) and a great deal of respect for him to a degree which attracted his own attention; so, he continues to say, "When there was nobody else present, I said, `O commander of the faithful! Who is this man whom you have held with such a high esteem, respected a great deal, stood up to receive, and even seated in the most prominent place while seating yourself in front of him, and you even ordered us to hold the rein of his horse?!'

He said, `This is the Imam of the people, the Proof of God's Mercy to His creation (Hujjatullah) and His caliph among His servants.' I asked, `O commander of the faithful! Are not all these attributes yours and fulfilled in your person?' He replied, `I am the Imam of the masses by force and through oppression, while Musa ibn Ja’far (a.s.) is the Imam in truth. By God, son, he is more worthy of being the successor of the Messenger of God (S) as the caliph than I am and anyone else among the people! By God! If you yourself attempt to take such caliphate from me, I shall take it away from you even if that means pulling your eyes out, for power is blind!'"14

From all these arguments we can conclude that al-Ma’mun was indeed a believer in Shi'aism, convinced of the principles of this school of thought which are based on the preference of Ali (a.s.) for caliphate over all others upon which principle al-Ma’mun insisted while debating others. As regarding his conduct with Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.), his forcing him to be his regent, and his possible assassination, all these fall under the same precept adopted by his father al-Rashid that "power is blind."

Differences of Personalities of al-Amin and al-Ma’mun

There was a clear difference in mentality and way of thinking between al-Amin and his brother al-Ma’mun. Al-Ma’mun was broader in mentality and more open-minded than his brother, and he was more receptive to new ideas, more deep in his political and theological philosophy. Al-Ma’mun, moreover, was more serious than his brother in the administrative management of the government.

Al-Amin did not enjoy these merits, and the reason may be the fact that he was pampered and spoiled by his parents, that he was brought up to feel distinctly superior to his brother al-Ma’mun. Add to this his temper of hereditary stubbornness which he inherited from his mother who was daughter of Ja’far son of (caliph) al-Mansoor; as regarding al-Ma’mun's mother, she was a women who gave birth to several children, and her name was Marajil. Al-Amin's mother raised her son to be aware of the class distinctions by narrating to him some interesting anecdotes involving herself and al-Rashid whenever the latter felt a psychological and emotional inclination towards his son al-Ma’mun.

Al-Rashid Evaluates his Sons

Al-Rashid was aware of the intellectual differences among his sons, but he could not clearly express it out of his respect for the feelings of his favorite wife and to safeguard the status of her son. He is quoted as having said: "I am aware of the fact that Abdullah is gifted with determination like that of al-Mansour, with asceticism like that of al-Mahdi, and with dignity like that of al-Hadi.

Had I wished to link him to the fourth (meaning himself), I would have done so and preferred Muhammad over him. I am aware of the fact that he follows his own inclination, wastes what is in his possession, and shares slave and free women in his views. Had it not been for the mother of Ja’far, and the inclination towards the Banu Hashim, I would have preferred Abdullah over him."

Differences of Conduct of Both Brothers

The vast difference which separates the brothers unveils when we review the biography of each one of them and study its distinctions and attributes. Al-Ma’mun was a practical man, strong in his administrative management skills, serious, wise regarding his conduct, far-sighted in his political or academic ambitions, loves knowledge and scholars, so much so that he was nicknamed "scholar of the Banu al-Abbas (the Abbasides)."

Al-Amin was the opposite of all of this in his general conduct. He inclined more towards merry-making and entertainment which is the natural

outcome of his spoiled childhood and adolescence. To prove this point, we have to read this interesting incident which spells out the type of general conduct of al-Amin during the moments which preceded his assassination. Ibn al-Athir states the following in hisTarikh (chronicle):

"Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi narrated saying that he was with al-Amin when he fell under the political pressure of Tahir. He says that al-Amin came out during one night to cheer himself up and forget about his depression, so he went to a house he had had in the Khuld suburb, then he sent for Ibrahim. When Ibrahim was brought to him, he said, `Do you see how nice this evening is, how beautiful the moon appears in the sky and how its light is reflected on the water of the Tigris? Would you like to have a drink?' He answered that that was up to him, so he drank a bottle of wine, and Ibrahim entertained him with the songs he knew he liked best."15

It is beyond imagination to conceive how a monarch undergoing a horrible political crisis which was about to uproot his throne could resort to such an extravagant behavior so far from permitting him to contemplate upon the fate threatening him and jeopardizing his very existence. Some other such extravagant norms of behavior narrated about al-Amin the caliph since he ascended the throne and till his last moments clearly indicate that he was not a man of government in the wide sense of the word, nor were he a leader.

Dissension Begins

Indications of dissension between both brothers started appearing before al-Rashid's death, and historians render that to the fact that al-Rashid had handed the reins of government over to his son al-Ma’mun in Khurasan and secured the oath of allegiance to him from the army commanders and civilian dignitaries there, granting him all what he had of money and other items of value.16 When the news reached him in Baghdad, he did not relish it at all but considered it as a premature action undertaken by his departing father and something he himself was entitled to do in his capacity as the first regent who had the authority to determine such matters.

Confused Behavior of al-Rashid Towards His Sons

Al-Rashid seemed to sense deep inside his soul the psychological gap which separated his son al-Amin from him when he detained the messenger his son had dispatched to Khurasan in the pretext of bringing him back news about his father's health conditions whereas in reality he was carrying secret letters to army leaders and civilian notables to be delivered to them immediately after the death of his father al-Rashid.

The letters contained orders to carry out the duties the recipients were expected to perform. The objective was to depose his brother al-Ma’mun from actual authority vested upon him by his father. Al-Rashid tried to extract an admission from the messenger that he was carrying secret letters from al-Amin to army leaders and civilian notables, but he did not succeed even when his patience reached its limit and he threatened the messenger to have him killed, and he almost did so before death overtook him whereupon the messenger was subsequently released and the letters were delivered as

planned. The result was the army leaders and their troops reneging on the promises they swore to al-Rashid, causing a great deal of political chaos.17

We can easily discern the confusing ordeal which dominated the conduct of al-Rashid regarding his arrangement of the issue of his own succession by his sons. He was not satisfied with just securing assurances and taking the most serious of oaths from his sons al-Amin and al-Ma’mun, so he went during thehajj season to Mecca to require his sons to write down their pledges, then he hung what they wrote down on the walls of the sacred Ka'ba in the presence of a multitude of people so that those who did not witness the event would be told by those who did so on that day.

Al-Rashid Divides the State

Yet he was still not quite satisfied, so he went a step further to divide the domains of the state to three sections, granting al-Amin authority over Iraq and Syria up to the end of his western possessions; to al-Ma’mun he gave the territories from Hamadan up to the eastern borders of his domains; to al-Qasim he gave the peninsula, the sea ports, and the metropolises after having secured the oath of allegiance for him after his brother al-Ma’mun and giving him the option to keep or depose al-Ma’mun.18

Thus, al-Rashid thought, the ghost of dissension would be averted, and the government after his death would be secured for all his sons since he gave each one of them a portion thereof whereby he would maintain a force strong enough to deter the transgression of any other brother. Despite all of that, however, al-Rashid could not put an end to the causes of his dilemma deeply rooted within himself as the incident of the messenger who was sent by his son al-Amin suggested.

Apprehension of the Public Regarding the Division

People predicted ominous consequences to take place because of what al-Rashid had done. Some of them said that he sowed the seeds of evil and war among them, and they feared the consequences, and indeed what they feared came to pass.19 Some wise men said that he caused them to fall into an inner conflict the perils of which victimized the subjects.20

Ambition of Some Followers Deepens Division

The conflict among the two brothers was worsened by the incitement of some top rank politicians in each party, and there were many reasons for incitement and entrapment. On one hand, we find al-Fadl ibn al-Rabee', who caused the army to renege on its sworn promise of support for al-Ma’mun in Khurasan as soon as al-Rashid died and marched with it to Baghdad in order to strengthen al-Amin's position, trying to aggravate the tension between al-Amin and his brother al-Ma’mun, instigating the first to nullify the allegiance to al-Ma’mun and change it to his son Musa, depending in so doing on various means of incitement which in the end pushed al-Amin to assault his brother.

Al-Fadl, by doing so, was trying to get rid of al-Ma’mun as the regent for fear that should he come to rule, he would certainly seek revenge against him due to his going back on his promise to support al-Ma’mun whom he slighted and the allegiance to whom he broke after the death of al-Rashid.21

On the other hand, we find al-Fadl ibn Sahl, the Khurasani leader, who was appointed in his post by al-Ma’mun, trying to secure the government for al-Ma’mun by his brilliant methods after pledging to help him reach the throne and dethrone his brother al-Amin at any price and stand in the face of al-Amin's attempts to deprive him of his regency. Al-Fadl and his brother al-Hasan ibn Sahl, in addition to the rest of Khurasani leaders and chiefs, were aware of the precarious situation in which they would find themselves should destiny decide that al-Amin must have victory over his brother al-Ma’mun especially since they had already declared their allegiance to al-Ma’mun and reneged in their promise to al-Amin.

War is Waged and al-Ma’mun Wins

The gap between the brothers became wider, and the presentiments of the tragedy to befall the two brothers were in sight when al-Amin announced in Baghdad his decision to drop the name of his brother al-Ma’mun from Friday sermons and substitute it with that of his own son Musa whom he named his successor, and he sent letters to places far and wide in this meaning. Al-Ma’mun rose to defend his right and started planning to overrun Baghdad, the capital of the government, while al-Amin was gathering troops to take over his brother's domains.

Both armies finally clashed and fierce battles ensued in more than one location, and in the end al-Ma’mun came out victorious, took control of Baghdad and killed al-Amin. All of that became possible due to the planning of al-Fadl ibn Sahl, who was nicknamed "Dhul-Riyasatain," i.e., the man who had a say in two states, and his brother al-Hasan, assisted by an elite group of military experts and top political advisors.

Having won victory over his brother, al-Ma’mun tried to make Marw the base of power for the Abbaside dynasty instead of Baghdad due to the advice of his army leaders and top political aides who were credited with regaining his right to the caliphate after al-Amin had deposed him, and because of his own feeling of gratitude towards the city that assisted him and brought him victory during the darkest periods of his political crisis.

Notes

1. 'Uyoon Akhbar ar-Ridha’, Vol. 2, p. 226.

2. 'Umdat al-Talib, p. 185, 1st edition (Najaf, Iraq).

3. Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 48, p. 249, quoting Al Kafi.

4. Shaikh al-Toosi's Al Ghayba, p. 22.

5. 'Uyoon Akhbar ar-Ridha’, Vol. 2, p. 226.

6. Al Kafi, Vol. 1, p. 487. It is also mentioned in Al 'Uyoon, Al Manaqib and Al Irshad.

7. Rawdat al-Kafi, p. 257.

8. A'yan al-Shi'a, Vol. 4, Part I, p. 138.

9. Ibn al-Athir, Vol. 5, p. 130.

10. Ibn al-Athir, Vol. 5, p. 138.

11. Tarikh al-Khulafa by al-Sayyuti, p. 284.

12. Ibid., p. 308.

13. Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 49, p. 210 as quoted in Ibn Maskawayhi's book Nadeem al-Farid.

14. 'Uyoon Akhbar ar-Ridha’, Vol. 1, p. 88.

15. Ibn al-Athir, Vol. 5, p. 162.

16. Ibn al-Athir, Vol. 5, p. 134.

17. Ibn al-Athir, Vol. 5, pp. 134-135.

18. Ibid., p. 112.

19. Ibn al-Athir, Vol. 5, p. 113.

20. Tarikh al-Khulafaa by al-Sayyuti, p. 290.

21. Ibn al-Athir, Vol. 5, p. 138.

Imam and the 'Caliphs'

The Imam (a.s.) was contemporary to a short period of al-Rashid's regime during which he suffered the tragedy of the assassination of his father Imam Musa al-Kazim (a.s.) and other Alawides. After the murder of his father, he was not safe from the moves of some of those who flattered the rulers and followed their course and pretended to show their loyalty by instigating enmity against the regime's opponents, encouraging their elimination, thinking that that would increase the rulers' liking for them and nearness to them, that it would strengthen their position and grant them unique distinctions and raise them to the highest pinnacles.

Attempts to Eliminate the Imam

Ja’far ibn Yahya says: "I heard Isa ibn Ja’far say to Haroun (al-Rashid) upon leaving al-Riqqa for Mecca, `Remember your oath by the dignity of the descendants of Abu Talib that should anyone after Musa (al-Kazim, A.S.) claim Imamate, you would strike his head with the sword. This Ali, his son, claims so, and people are addressing him in the same way they used to address his father.' He looked at him angrily and said, `Why? Do you expect me to eliminate each and every one of them?'" Musa ibn Mahran says that when he heard Ja’far ibn Yahya say so, he went to him (i.e. to Imam ar-Ridha’) and told him what he had heard. Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) responded by saying, "What do I have to do with them? By God, they cannot hurt me in the least."

Such incitements were not confined within a reasonable limit but went beyond it to dangerous ones where instigation might cause al-Rashid to pay serious attention, for the Barmakis were most antagonistic towards the Descendants of the Prophet (S) and the most cruel among them in their grudge, so much so that it is reported that Yahya ibn Khalid al-Barmaki was the one who ordered the murder of Imam Musa ibn Ja’far (a.s.)1 when the Abbaside caliphate was under their mercy.2 Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) rendered God's retribution against the Barmakis to their persecution and oppression the worst of which was suffered by Imam al-Kazim (a.s.).3 Suffices for proof is the fact that Yahya ibn Khalid was the one who plotted the ugly plot against Imam al-Kazim (a.s.) after causing Haroun al-Rashid to be angry with him, instigating al-Rashid against the Imam (a.s.) and using some naive weaklings among the Alawides to achieve his goal.4

It was, indeed, an attempt which spelled the extent of grudge felt by Yahya ibn Khalid whose purpose was to pressure al-Rashid into murdering Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) and make him join his father. He said to him one day: "This Ali, his son, has seated himself in place and claimed the matter (Imamate) for himself." He (al-Rashid) said: "Is it not enough for us what we have done to his father? Do you wish that we should kill them all?"5 Al-Rashid's answer points out to the extent of anguish he was suffering deep inside, and it reveals the bitter struggle exploding deep inside him. Suffices him to live carrying the guilt of murdering the pure soul of the Imam's father whom he subjected to numerous types of trials and tribulations till he joined his Lord well-pleased and satisfied after having faithfully executed the responsibilities of Imamate which were entrusted to him honestly and

faithfully, while the tyrant's soul was no longer able to bear any bigger sin anymore.

Al-Rashid Moves to Eliminate the Imam

Finally, al-Rashid is surrounded by a large number of courtiers instigating him to kill Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.), and they finally succeeded in stirring his feeling of anger against the Imam (a.s.), stimulating his beastly instinct to eagerly kill. Abul-Salt al-Harawi narrates saying that one day he was sitting with the Imam (a.s.) at his house when a messenger from Haroun al-Rashid came in and ordered the Imam (a.s.) to present himself before the caliph.

The Imam (a.s.) said: "O Abul-Salt! He does not call upon me at such a time of the night except for trouble. By God! He cannot do anything which I hate to me because of what I had come to know of certain statements said by my grandfather the Messenger of God (S)." Abul-Salt continues his narrative to say that he accompanied the Imam (a.s.) when he entered the court of Haroun al-Rashid.

When the latter looked at him, ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) read those words of the Prophet (S), and when he stood before al-Rashid, the latter looked carefully at him and then said, "O Abul-Hasan! We have ordered a hundred thousand dirhams for you, and write down the needs of all your family." When the Imam (a.s.) left the court, the caliph kept looking at him as he was leaving and said behind his back: "I wished, and God wished otherwise, and what God wished was good." Thus did God save the life of the Imam (a.s.) who sought refuge with Him, seeking His assistance through the sincere words he had come to know that his grandfather the Messenger of God (S) had articulated. Al-Rashid, on the other hand, went back to himself satisfied after destiny had opposed his vicious intention just to realize that what God had done was indeed better than what he himself had intended to do.

Sincere Attempts

Contrariwise, there were sincere attempts to distance Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) from danger which were undertaken by some of his followers who had tasted the bitterness of pain during the adversity suffered by his father Imam al-Kazim (a.s.) who suffered a great deal of oppression and persecution at the hands of the stubborn tyrant Haroun al-Rashid.

Those attempts required the Imam (a.s.) to cease publicly promoting his mission and to distance himself from the situations which would clearly attract the attention of the government to him and become a cause for its revenge and desire to eliminate him. But the Imam (a.s.) who was confident of his stance did not pay attention to those attempts, and he was of the view that they were simply unnecessary due to some knowledge he had learned from his forefathers which assured him that al-Rashid would not be able to harm him in any way.

For example, Safwan ibn Yahya is quoted saying: "When Abul-Hasan Musa (a.s.) passed away and ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) started preaching his mission, we were worried about his life and we said to him, `You have declared something of great magnanimity, and we worry about your safety because

of this tyrant.' He said, `Let him try his best, for he shall not have the means to hurt me.'"6

Muhammad ibn Sinan said: "During the reign of Haroun, I said to Abul-Hasan ar-Ridha’ (a.s.), `You have made yourself well-known because of this matter and followed in the footsteps of your father while Haroun's sword is dripping with blood.' He said, `What made me bold in this regard is that the Messenger of God (S) had said: `If Abu Jahl harms even one hair on my head, then bear witness that I am not a Prophet,' and I tell you that if Haroun took one hair away from my head, then bear witness that I am not an Imam.'"7

Vicious Intentions

Some Waqfis tried to warn him against declaring himself as the Imam (a.s.) and openly acting as such, and he answered them saying that such a matter did not require a warning, and that the fear that Haroun might hurt him was groundless. Those individuals had only one objective in mind: to discourage the ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) from making himself known as the Imam and making his Imamate public so that they might be able to promote their "sect" which claimed that the Qa'im was Imam Musa ibn Ja’far (a.s.) and that he was still alive as we mentioned above. Let us review the dialogue between the Imam (a.s.) and some of those Waqfis. Abu Masrooq has stated:

"A group of Waqfis entered the house of the Imam (a.s.) once and among them were men like Abu Hamza al-Bataini, Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Ammar, al-Husayn ibn Umran, and al-Husayn ibn Abu Sa'id al-Makari. Ali ibn Abu Hamza said to him, `May my life be sacrificed for you! Tell us how your father is doing.' He said, `He, peace be upon him, passed away.' He said, `Who did he recommend to succeed him?' He answered, `Myself.' He said, `You are claiming something which none among your forefathers claimed, starting from Ali ibn Abu Talib downwards.'

He said, `It was said by the best of my forefathers and the most distinguished among them: the Messenger of God (S).' He asked, `Do not you fear them for your safety?' He said, `Had I worried about my safety, I would have been in a position to do something to protect myself. The Messenger of God (S) was approached once by Abu Lahab who threatened him; the Messenger of God (S) said to him: `If I am scratched by you even slightly, then I am indeed a liar.'

That was the first time the Messenger of God (S) incited someone, and this is the first time I do likewise and tell you that if I am scratched by Haroun even slightly, then I am indeed a liar.' Al-Husayn ibn Mahran said to him, `If this comes to pass, then we will have achieved our objective.' He said, `What do you exactly want? Should I go to Haroun and tell him that I am the Imam (a.s.) and that he is nobody?

This is not how the Messenger of God behaved at the outset of his mission; rather, he said so to his family and followers and those whom he trusted from among the public. You believe that Imamate belongs to my father, claiming that what stops me from admitting that my father is alive is my own fear. I do not fear you when I say to you that I am the Imam; so, how can I fear you if my father is indeed alive?'"8

The Imam's expectation proved to be true; al-Rashid breathed his last without hurting the Imam (a.s.) a bit.

From the Series of Tragedies

One incident that took place during the reign of al-Rashid reminds us of the chain of tragic events from which the Alawides suffered during the reign of al-Mansour. In Medina, Muhammad ibn Ja’far declared rebellion against the government; therefore, al-Rashid sent an army under the command of al-Jalloodi to crush his rebellion, ordering al-Jalloodi to behead the man if he could lay his hand on him.

Al-Rashid, furthermore, was not satisfied with just that. He instructed his commander to assault the houses of the descendants of Abu Talib and loot everything their women had without leaving even one piece of clothing on them. Al-Jalloodi tried to execute al-Rashid's order in person; therefore, he attacked the house of Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) using his cavaliers. Having seen him, the Imam (a.s.) put all the women in one house, and he stood at its door.

Al-Jalloodi said to Abul-Hasan: "I have got to enter the house and strip the women of everything just as the commander of the faithful ordered me." Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) said: "I can do that for you, and I will not leave anything for them." The Imam (a.s.) kept requesting him to accept, swearing that he would do just that till the man calmed down and consented. Abul-Hasan took their wares, including their ear-rings, anklets, shirts, and every valuable item in the house, small or big.

This incident, if true, does not depict an unusual behavior by al-Rashid towards the Alawides since he was full of grudge and animosity towards them. What encourages us to believe in it is what Ibn al-Athir narrates about al-Rashid at the time of his death, shortly before meeting his Maker. He was moaning and groaning while saying, "How horrible my evil deeds are towards the Messenger of God! How Horrible!"9 This is a clear expression of the admission of the calamities he inflicted upon the family of the Prophet (S), of his horrible sins, of a bitter regret which was consuming his soul at the time of its departure.

Imam During al-Amin's Reign

As regarding his life during the reign of al-Amin, we cannot review any incident regarding the government's stance towards Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.), and this may be attributed to the confusing environment in which the Abbaside caliphate found itself due to internal dissents which led in the end to a serious split among the members of the ruling dynasty, the split which was caused by al-Amin deposing his brother al-Ma’mun from the post of heir to the throne and the nomination of his son Musa in his place after listening to the advice of al-Fadl ibn al-Rabee' who had a personal vendetta against al-Ma’mun and who feared him for his post should he become the caliph instead, since he had already opposed him openly.10

Such a shaky situation is credited for the fact that al-Amin and his ruling apparatus diverted their attention from Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) and from pursuing him, and we can regard that period of the Imam's life as a peaceful respite with which circumstances blessed him in order to be able to dedicate

his time to carry out the responsibilities of his mission and disseminate its pristine principles among the nation.

Imam During al-Ma’mun's Regime

As regarding the period of the Imam's life during which he was contemporary to al-Ma’mun's regime, this may be the richest and most eventful of all his life, for his personality enjoyed a significant role in the turning of events and their reflection thereupon. But first we have to provide a general expose of the intricate events which caused Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) to enjoy a significant role in the shaping of the events of that period. After that, we have to conduct a general study of the personality of al-Ma’mun and of its distinctions, since he was the number one man around whom the contemporary political events revolved. Such a study may even lead us to research some other leading personalities of the time that played and assumed a large role in the political wheel of the time.

Al-Ma’mun's Personality

As regarding al-Ma’mun, there is no doubt at all that he was one of the strongest personalities of the Abbaside caliphate during its first epoch, and one of the most moderate, highly intellectual and highly learned of its scholars. He encouraged scholarship during his regime and promoted free discussions out of his passion for increasing his own knowledge and expanding its spheres.

He was also known to demonstrate an inclination towards Shi'aism, preferring Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (a.s.) to and recognizing his superiority over all other sahaba. Narrators ofhadith have recorded lengthy dialogues with a number of narrators ofhadith and scholars of the Sunnah and with orators which reveal a glorious intellectual depth and an absorption of his view which he strongly and enthusiastically advocated.

Al-Ma’mun's Inclination Towards Shi'aism

There is a disagreement regarding his school of thought. Some think that he was Shi'a, while others think that he only pretended to be so out of his regard for the feelings of Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) and other Alawides while in reality he was otherwise. But his discourses, debates, and his serious method in challenging what was regarded as accepted facts by those who opposed his views, all dispel any doubts regarding his acceptance of Shi'aism.

Moreover, there are certain noteworthy measures he undertook which support this view such as his belief that the Holy Qur'an was the Word of God created by Him, and his insistence that scholars and faqihs should indicate and promote this view, so much so that he caused quite a reaction among contemporary Islamic circles to the extent that it was referred to as the ordeal of the Holy Qur'an.

His father, al-Rashid, differed from him in this regard. When he heard that Bishr al-Marisi endorsed the concept that the Holy Qur'an was created by God, he said: "If I ever lay my hand on him, I shall strike his neck with the sword."11 Also, he believed in the temporary marriage of mut'a, and he refuted the views of the second caliph in this regard with arguments which have already been recorded by foremost historians.

Add to all the above his preference of Ali ibn Abu Talib (a.s.) over all other companions of the Prophet (S) and his view that Ali was more worthy of succeeding the Messenger of God (S) as the caliph. Yet another supporting argument is his serious attempt to make the cursing of Mu'awiya a tradition and enforce it on his subjects; he announced to people once the following:

"There shall be no pardon for anyone guilty of praising Mu'awiya, and the best of creation after the Prophet (S) is Ali ibn Abu Talib (a.s.)."12

That was in response to Mu'awiya who made the cursing of Ali a tradition which continued during the reign of all Umayyad governments till the days of the caliph Umer ibn Abd al-Aziz who put an end to it in order to safeguard the government of the Umayyads against the disgust people felt towards such ignominious tradition, sympathized with the Alawides, and returned Fedak to them when they requested him to do so.

Al-Ma’mun, in fact, sincerely felt guilty about the crimes his predecessors had committed against the Alawides as a letter he wrote to some Hashemites testified and in which he said: "The Umayyads killed anyone (among the Alawides) who unsheathed a sword, while we, the Abbasides, have been killing them en masse; so, ask the great souls of the Hashemites what sin they committed, and ask the souls of those who were buried in Baghdad and Kufa alive..."13

Al-Ma’mun's inclination towards Shi'aism is the result of many factors of a permanent impact upon his way of thinking, starting with his childhood when a Shi'a educator planted deeply in his soul the allegiance to Ali and the family of Ali (a.s.), and ending with his residence in parts of Khurasan where mostly Shi'as lived. Al-Ma’mun himself narrates an anecdote with a moral which taught him to sympathize with Shi'as.

It involved an encounter with his father al-Rashid who was very well known for his cruelty, tyranny, arrogance and hatred of the Alawides, especially Imam Musa ibn Ja’far (a.s.) whose life he ended with poison. Al-Ma’mun states that when Imam Musa ibn Ja’far (a.s.) met al-Rashid at Medina, al-Rashid showed a great deal of humbleness before the Imam (a.s.) and a great deal of respect for him to a degree which attracted his own attention; so, he continues to say, "When there was nobody else present, I said, `O commander of the faithful! Who is this man whom you have held with such a high esteem, respected a great deal, stood up to receive, and even seated in the most prominent place while seating yourself in front of him, and you even ordered us to hold the rein of his horse?!'

He said, `This is the Imam of the people, the Proof of God's Mercy to His creation (Hujjatullah) and His caliph among His servants.' I asked, `O commander of the faithful! Are not all these attributes yours and fulfilled in your person?' He replied, `I am the Imam of the masses by force and through oppression, while Musa ibn Ja’far (a.s.) is the Imam in truth. By God, son, he is more worthy of being the successor of the Messenger of God (S) as the caliph than I am and anyone else among the people! By God! If you yourself attempt to take such caliphate from me, I shall take it away from you even if that means pulling your eyes out, for power is blind!'"14

From all these arguments we can conclude that al-Ma’mun was indeed a believer in Shi'aism, convinced of the principles of this school of thought which are based on the preference of Ali (a.s.) for caliphate over all others upon which principle al-Ma’mun insisted while debating others. As regarding his conduct with Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.), his forcing him to be his regent, and his possible assassination, all these fall under the same precept adopted by his father al-Rashid that "power is blind."

Differences of Personalities of al-Amin and al-Ma’mun

There was a clear difference in mentality and way of thinking between al-Amin and his brother al-Ma’mun. Al-Ma’mun was broader in mentality and more open-minded than his brother, and he was more receptive to new ideas, more deep in his political and theological philosophy. Al-Ma’mun, moreover, was more serious than his brother in the administrative management of the government.

Al-Amin did not enjoy these merits, and the reason may be the fact that he was pampered and spoiled by his parents, that he was brought up to feel distinctly superior to his brother al-Ma’mun. Add to this his temper of hereditary stubbornness which he inherited from his mother who was daughter of Ja’far son of (caliph) al-Mansoor; as regarding al-Ma’mun's mother, she was a women who gave birth to several children, and her name was Marajil. Al-Amin's mother raised her son to be aware of the class distinctions by narrating to him some interesting anecdotes involving herself and al-Rashid whenever the latter felt a psychological and emotional inclination towards his son al-Ma’mun.

Al-Rashid Evaluates his Sons

Al-Rashid was aware of the intellectual differences among his sons, but he could not clearly express it out of his respect for the feelings of his favorite wife and to safeguard the status of her son. He is quoted as having said: "I am aware of the fact that Abdullah is gifted with determination like that of al-Mansour, with asceticism like that of al-Mahdi, and with dignity like that of al-Hadi.

Had I wished to link him to the fourth (meaning himself), I would have done so and preferred Muhammad over him. I am aware of the fact that he follows his own inclination, wastes what is in his possession, and shares slave and free women in his views. Had it not been for the mother of Ja’far, and the inclination towards the Banu Hashim, I would have preferred Abdullah over him."

Differences of Conduct of Both Brothers

The vast difference which separates the brothers unveils when we review the biography of each one of them and study its distinctions and attributes. Al-Ma’mun was a practical man, strong in his administrative management skills, serious, wise regarding his conduct, far-sighted in his political or academic ambitions, loves knowledge and scholars, so much so that he was nicknamed "scholar of the Banu al-Abbas (the Abbasides)."

Al-Amin was the opposite of all of this in his general conduct. He inclined more towards merry-making and entertainment which is the natural

outcome of his spoiled childhood and adolescence. To prove this point, we have to read this interesting incident which spells out the type of general conduct of al-Amin during the moments which preceded his assassination. Ibn al-Athir states the following in hisTarikh (chronicle):

"Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi narrated saying that he was with al-Amin when he fell under the political pressure of Tahir. He says that al-Amin came out during one night to cheer himself up and forget about his depression, so he went to a house he had had in the Khuld suburb, then he sent for Ibrahim. When Ibrahim was brought to him, he said, `Do you see how nice this evening is, how beautiful the moon appears in the sky and how its light is reflected on the water of the Tigris? Would you like to have a drink?' He answered that that was up to him, so he drank a bottle of wine, and Ibrahim entertained him with the songs he knew he liked best."15

It is beyond imagination to conceive how a monarch undergoing a horrible political crisis which was about to uproot his throne could resort to such an extravagant behavior so far from permitting him to contemplate upon the fate threatening him and jeopardizing his very existence. Some other such extravagant norms of behavior narrated about al-Amin the caliph since he ascended the throne and till his last moments clearly indicate that he was not a man of government in the wide sense of the word, nor were he a leader.

Dissension Begins

Indications of dissension between both brothers started appearing before al-Rashid's death, and historians render that to the fact that al-Rashid had handed the reins of government over to his son al-Ma’mun in Khurasan and secured the oath of allegiance to him from the army commanders and civilian dignitaries there, granting him all what he had of money and other items of value.16 When the news reached him in Baghdad, he did not relish it at all but considered it as a premature action undertaken by his departing father and something he himself was entitled to do in his capacity as the first regent who had the authority to determine such matters.

Confused Behavior of al-Rashid Towards His Sons

Al-Rashid seemed to sense deep inside his soul the psychological gap which separated his son al-Amin from him when he detained the messenger his son had dispatched to Khurasan in the pretext of bringing him back news about his father's health conditions whereas in reality he was carrying secret letters to army leaders and civilian notables to be delivered to them immediately after the death of his father al-Rashid.

The letters contained orders to carry out the duties the recipients were expected to perform. The objective was to depose his brother al-Ma’mun from actual authority vested upon him by his father. Al-Rashid tried to extract an admission from the messenger that he was carrying secret letters from al-Amin to army leaders and civilian notables, but he did not succeed even when his patience reached its limit and he threatened the messenger to have him killed, and he almost did so before death overtook him whereupon the messenger was subsequently released and the letters were delivered as

planned. The result was the army leaders and their troops reneging on the promises they swore to al-Rashid, causing a great deal of political chaos.17

We can easily discern the confusing ordeal which dominated the conduct of al-Rashid regarding his arrangement of the issue of his own succession by his sons. He was not satisfied with just securing assurances and taking the most serious of oaths from his sons al-Amin and al-Ma’mun, so he went during thehajj season to Mecca to require his sons to write down their pledges, then he hung what they wrote down on the walls of the sacred Ka'ba in the presence of a multitude of people so that those who did not witness the event would be told by those who did so on that day.

Al-Rashid Divides the State

Yet he was still not quite satisfied, so he went a step further to divide the domains of the state to three sections, granting al-Amin authority over Iraq and Syria up to the end of his western possessions; to al-Ma’mun he gave the territories from Hamadan up to the eastern borders of his domains; to al-Qasim he gave the peninsula, the sea ports, and the metropolises after having secured the oath of allegiance for him after his brother al-Ma’mun and giving him the option to keep or depose al-Ma’mun.18

Thus, al-Rashid thought, the ghost of dissension would be averted, and the government after his death would be secured for all his sons since he gave each one of them a portion thereof whereby he would maintain a force strong enough to deter the transgression of any other brother. Despite all of that, however, al-Rashid could not put an end to the causes of his dilemma deeply rooted within himself as the incident of the messenger who was sent by his son al-Amin suggested.

Apprehension of the Public Regarding the Division

People predicted ominous consequences to take place because of what al-Rashid had done. Some of them said that he sowed the seeds of evil and war among them, and they feared the consequences, and indeed what they feared came to pass.19 Some wise men said that he caused them to fall into an inner conflict the perils of which victimized the subjects.20

Ambition of Some Followers Deepens Division

The conflict among the two brothers was worsened by the incitement of some top rank politicians in each party, and there were many reasons for incitement and entrapment. On one hand, we find al-Fadl ibn al-Rabee', who caused the army to renege on its sworn promise of support for al-Ma’mun in Khurasan as soon as al-Rashid died and marched with it to Baghdad in order to strengthen al-Amin's position, trying to aggravate the tension between al-Amin and his brother al-Ma’mun, instigating the first to nullify the allegiance to al-Ma’mun and change it to his son Musa, depending in so doing on various means of incitement which in the end pushed al-Amin to assault his brother.

Al-Fadl, by doing so, was trying to get rid of al-Ma’mun as the regent for fear that should he come to rule, he would certainly seek revenge against him due to his going back on his promise to support al-Ma’mun whom he slighted and the allegiance to whom he broke after the death of al-Rashid.21

On the other hand, we find al-Fadl ibn Sahl, the Khurasani leader, who was appointed in his post by al-Ma’mun, trying to secure the government for al-Ma’mun by his brilliant methods after pledging to help him reach the throne and dethrone his brother al-Amin at any price and stand in the face of al-Amin's attempts to deprive him of his regency. Al-Fadl and his brother al-Hasan ibn Sahl, in addition to the rest of Khurasani leaders and chiefs, were aware of the precarious situation in which they would find themselves should destiny decide that al-Amin must have victory over his brother al-Ma’mun especially since they had already declared their allegiance to al-Ma’mun and reneged in their promise to al-Amin.

War is Waged and al-Ma’mun Wins

The gap between the brothers became wider, and the presentiments of the tragedy to befall the two brothers were in sight when al-Amin announced in Baghdad his decision to drop the name of his brother al-Ma’mun from Friday sermons and substitute it with that of his own son Musa whom he named his successor, and he sent letters to places far and wide in this meaning. Al-Ma’mun rose to defend his right and started planning to overrun Baghdad, the capital of the government, while al-Amin was gathering troops to take over his brother's domains.

Both armies finally clashed and fierce battles ensued in more than one location, and in the end al-Ma’mun came out victorious, took control of Baghdad and killed al-Amin. All of that became possible due to the planning of al-Fadl ibn Sahl, who was nicknamed "Dhul-Riyasatain," i.e., the man who had a say in two states, and his brother al-Hasan, assisted by an elite group of military experts and top political advisors.

Having won victory over his brother, al-Ma’mun tried to make Marw the base of power for the Abbaside dynasty instead of Baghdad due to the advice of his army leaders and top political aides who were credited with regaining his right to the caliphate after al-Amin had deposed him, and because of his own feeling of gratitude towards the city that assisted him and brought him victory during the darkest periods of his political crisis.

Notes

1. 'Uyoon Akhbar ar-Ridha’, Vol. 2, p. 226.

2. 'Umdat al-Talib, p. 185, 1st edition (Najaf, Iraq).

3. Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 48, p. 249, quoting Al Kafi.

4. Shaikh al-Toosi's Al Ghayba, p. 22.

5. 'Uyoon Akhbar ar-Ridha’, Vol. 2, p. 226.

6. Al Kafi, Vol. 1, p. 487. It is also mentioned in Al 'Uyoon, Al Manaqib and Al Irshad.

7. Rawdat al-Kafi, p. 257.

8. A'yan al-Shi'a, Vol. 4, Part I, p. 138.

9. Ibn al-Athir, Vol. 5, p. 130.

10. Ibn al-Athir, Vol. 5, p. 138.

11. Tarikh al-Khulafa by al-Sayyuti, p. 284.

12. Ibid., p. 308.

13. Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 49, p. 210 as quoted in Ibn Maskawayhi's book Nadeem al-Farid.

14. 'Uyoon Akhbar ar-Ridha’, Vol. 1, p. 88.

15. Ibn al-Athir, Vol. 5, p. 162.

16. Ibn al-Athir, Vol. 5, p. 134.

17. Ibn al-Athir, Vol. 5, pp. 134-135.

18. Ibid., p. 112.

19. Ibn al-Athir, Vol. 5, p. 113.

20. Tarikh al-Khulafaa by al-Sayyuti, p. 290.

21. Ibn al-Athir, Vol. 5, p. 138.


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