Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

The Seventh Imam: Musa ibne Ja'far (AS)

Name: Musa

Title: al-Kazim

Epithet: Abu Ibrahim

Father: Ja'far ibne Muhammad

Mother: Hamida Khatoon

Date of Birth: Safar 7th. 128 AH (October 28, 746 AD)

Place of Birth: Abwa near Madinah

Progeny: from Umma hat Awlad

Four sons: Ali, Ibrahim, Abbas, Qassim

He had many other children from other wives

Date of Death Rajah 25,'183 AH (September 1, 799 AD)

He lived to an age of 53 years

Place of Death: Baghdad

Place of Burial: Kazimain, near Baghdad

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF IMAM MUSA AL-KAZIM

Imam Musa Al-Kazim was born during the waning glow of the Umayyad dynasty. He was only three years of age when the Abbasids established themselves in a new dynasty. Before his death, Imam Ja'far as­Saadiq appointed his son Musa as the next Imam. Musa took up the responsibility of the Imamate at the age of twenty years, and carried it out through a troubled period of thirty-five years. He endured about ten years of the remaining rule of the Abbasid caliph al-Mansoor Dwaneeqi, about ten years of the caliph al-Mahdi, about one year of al-Hadi and the initial thirteen years of the caliph Haroon ar-Rashid.

The caliphs kept their stcm watch over the Aliyyids and their followers for their refusal to accept the caliphs as their religious leaders in addition to being their kings. Whereas during the Umayyad dynasty, the Aliyyid and their followers had gone underground to safe guard their survival, they were no longer hidden from the Abbasids. In fact, the Abbasids had achieved their success with assistance from the Aliyyids and their Shiite followers. The caliphs knew the strength of the Shiites, and took every opportunity to keep them under check in the empire. They did not grant the Imams any immunity against this policy.

Imam Musa Kazim spent fourteen years of his life in the darkness of several of the Abbasid jails of Basra and Baghdad, interspersed with only brief periods of reprieve in his native Madinah. Because of the hannless nature of the Imam who spent his time either in payers or preaching other intenis, many of the jail wardens were unable to carry out the caliph's orders to kill the Imam while under in captivity.

As regards the conduct of the leaders of the Muslims, the Abbasid caliphs were no better than their Umayyad predecessors. The reign of Haroon ar-Rashid is regarded in history as the golden era of the Abbasid dynasty regarding leaming, trade and stability, but for the Imam and his followers, the same era was that of darkness and gloom.

During the brief periods of reprieve that the Imam had from his internships in the jails, he used to be called back to Baghdad from Madinah to the court of the caliphs for debates that were in fact intended to slight his personality. The scope of this book makes it impossible to describe these debates here, but suffice it to say that the caliphs were unsuccessful in their attempts due to the vast knowledge and the wit of the Imam.

Haroon ar-Rashid became increasingly impatient, and became determined either to have unconditional submission from the Imam, or have him killed. As the huam could not submit to the demands of the caliph, he was ultimately given poisoned dates in the jail in 183 AH. As a result, the Imam died while he was still tied in chains and shackles. To further show his spite, the caliph ordered the body of the Imam be left on the main bridge leading in and out of Baghdad for all to see. This was intended to show to the people that the caliph wielded absolute power, and that the Alkyds were just ordinary human beings. However, some devotees took the body of the hnam away and buried it in Kaziznain, near Baghdad.

At his last summons to Baghdad, the Imam knew that his time had come, and that he would never return to Madinah alive. He was so certain that the caliph would have him lolled in that trip that he wrote a will appointing his son Ali to succeed him after his death. In order to make his decision reach wide circulation among his followers, the Imam wrote his will in the presence of seventeen of his chosen companions, and had it witnessed by sixty others. This is an example of extreme foresight and caution the Imam had exercised in order to prevent confusion among his friends and foes alike.

REFLECTIONS ON THE LIFE AND CONDUCT OFIMAM MUSA BIN JA'FAR

While surrounded by wealth of the new Abbasid regime, the Imam spent a life of simplicity and piety. In his personality, he manifested a living example of tolerance and forbearance. Even when he was intemed injails, he never missed his devout worship of Allah. Many of his supplications were recorded by his devotees and are available to the supplicant today.

There were many instances from his daily life that illustrated his nature and popularity among the people of Hijaz. The poor and needy of Madinah badly missed the Imam. Among many other things he did, he used to get involved with the people in their daily lives, and help fulfill their needs in the matter of Faith and in the ritual practice of Islam. People particularly remembered the little pouches of money he used to hand out to those who asked for monetary assistance or to those whom he felt to be in need.

Many of the letters he wrote to his followers and companions, contained a world of wisdom and advice, which can still guide the seekers of the Truth. He addressed his sons when giving general advice towards an ideal conduct in life. There is a large collection of his sayings which, if followed today, would mold any human being into a picture of virtue.

The contents of his replies to complicated questions and the debates held in the court of the caliphs further provides glimpses of the wisdom and sagacity of Imam Musa bin Ja'far. He used a sweet and poetical language in his conversation, and his written word had a haunting rhyme in it.

Selected Sayings:

1. The status of your understanding can be judged from four things:

(i) recognition of the Beneficent Allah;

(ii) recognition of the your benefactor;

(iii) recognition of what is expected of you;

(iv) recognition of the things that would throw you out of your faith.

2. Try and divide your time into four portions:

(i) one portion for prayers and supplications;

(ii) one portion for livelihood;

(iii) one portion for social activities between friends and family;

(iv) one portion for the permissible indulgences while you maintain control over your other portions.

3. When good deeds seem to be large in number, consider them to be not enough; but when bad deeds seem to be just a few, consider them far too many. Bad deeds, even if trivial, tend to accumulate fast.

4. If one who was bom poor acquires wealth and plenty, it would tends to make him arrogant and headstrong.

5. It is not that people throw abuses at the one who rises high by ill begotten means, but that he would also see his downfall.

6. The pain and suffering of tyranny is felt worst by the one who has been targeted for it.

7. The one who invalidates three things with three others, has wasted his gift of intelligence:

(i) one who has extended his expectations but does not ponder on the ways and means for himself,

(ii) one who loses sagacity by wile talk;

(iii) one who loses his salvation by uncontrolled lust.

The Eighth Imam: Ali ibne Musa (AS)

Name: Ali

Title: Ar-Reza

Epithet: Abu al-Hasan

Father: Musa ibne Ja'far

Mother: Najma (Tuktam, Tah'I

Date of Birth: Zil Qa'd 11, 148 AH (December 29, 765 AD)

Place of Birth: Madinah

Progeny: From Umme Habiba binte Mamoon ar-Rashid

None

From: Sabika Nubia

One son: Muhammad

Date of Death: Safar 17, 203 AH (August 24, 818 AD)

He lived to an age of 53 years

Place of Death: Mashed (Tus)

Place of Burial: Mashed

THE LIFE AND THE TIMES OF IMAM ALI BIN MUSA

Ali bin Musa was bom during the reign of the Abbasid caliph al­Mansoor Dwaneeqi. He was only two weeks of age when his grand father, Imam Ja'far as-Saadiq was martyred. He was thirty-five years of age when his father was martyred by the caliph Haroon ar-Rashid. He had witnessed the treatment his father had received at the hands of the caliphs for refusing to accept them as his leaders.

The first encounter of the new Imam with the powers of the caliph came swiftly and like lightening. With the false accusation of an armed rising by an uncle of the Imam Muhammad bin Jafar, the caliph Haroon ar-Rashid despatched his captain Issa Jaludi with an army to sack Hijaz and to liquidate the house of the Alkyds. The havoc they rendered to the people and their property in Madinah dwarfed the deeds of the Syrian army sent by Yazid bin Muawiyah after the massacre of Karbala over a hundred years earlier. The Imam stood firmly in front of the dwellings of his clan, and handed the invaders all they had, except the clothing on their bodies at the time. The ruthless general and his soldiers departed with a large booty obtained from the homes of the innocent Muslims.

To prevent bloody conflict between his two sons Muhammad al-Amin and Mamoon ar-Rashid after him, the caliph Haroon ar-Rashid divided his empire between them. Al-Amin (from an Arab mother) was given the West with the Arab provinces, and Mamoon (from a Persian mother) the East with all of the non-Arab provinces. Due to his sickness, Haroon ar-Rashid retired from his throne and died in 193 AH at the age of forty-five years. He was buried in the city of Meshed. However, the two princes wasted no time in waging war on each other in order to grab the share of the other. The tussle between the divided caliphate went on for about five years till the year 198 AH. Finally, Al-Amin got killed in a battle and the original expanse of the empire was again unified under Mamoon. Although Mammon was victorious in his confrontation with his brother, he had made the Arabs very upset at their defeat and the death of al-Amin at his hands.

Mamoon knew that the people of Hijaz, and the Shiites elsewhere had already received a heinous treatment from his father. The memory of the events was still quite fresh in their minds. As a result of these events, the Shiites had become rebellious. There were many uprisings among them in various provinces led by prominent Alkyds. Mamoon took an unusual step to redress these ill feelings of his subjects. In the year 201 AH, he called the Imam to Merv (in Khorasan) from Madinah and declared him as his successor, and minted coins in the Imam's name. To further enhance his apparent goodwill among the Alkyds and the Shiites, he gave his daughter, Umm-e Habiba, in marriage to the Imam in 202 AH. The caliph had took wise steps to produce the desired effects. He managed to win the confidence of the Shiites and stabilize his rule.

Mamoon invited learned individuals to participate in religious and multicultural debates in his court. This afforded Imam Ali ar-Reza great opportunity to expound the vastness of his knowledge in these large gatherings. It also increased his visibility and the popularity of the Imam which had previously been denied to all his ancestors. He was now able to preach the Truth about the Faith of Islam according to teachings of the Ahle Bait. The Abbasids in Baghdad were already very unhappy at having an Aliyyid among them as a declared successor to the caliph. The growing popularity of the Imam in the eastern provinces naturally posed a grave threat to the rule of the dynasty. They decided to name a new Abbasid caliph to replace Mamoon. They started to rally behind Ibrahim bin Mahdi bin Mansoor as their new caliph.

Mamoon had to make a hasty move back to Iraq from Khorasan to quell the dangerous developments in Baghdad. It was this time when the Imam was given poisoned grapes that caused his death. Before his death, Imam Ali ar-Reza advised his followers that his only son Muhanunad (Jawad) would be the next Imam, even though he was at a young age of only eight years. After his death, the body of the Imam was buried in Meshed close to the gravesite of his tormentor, Haroon ar-Rashid.

REFLECRIONS ON THE LIFE OF IMAM ALI AR-REZA

The Imam had to face an unusual strategy posed by his appointment to the heirship. He had to accept the offer to go to the palace, otherwise the Imam would have to bear the blame of keeping aloof from involvement in governing the people when he was given the opportunity to do so.

His interaction with the literary circles of the Caliph caused a vast variety of written and oral traditions to be gathered from the Imam which later became available to the later generations to benefit from. They consist of his sermons, his debates and contests, his replies to complicated questions posed in the court of the caliph, his letters to his companions and family, as well as his writings and poetry. Much of the collected material is related to the meanings and the interpretations of the Qur'an. Some of it is related to Islamic law, some to the general knowledge of the heavens and the earth, and some to the Medicine of the Imam.

He produced many learned students from many lands in the empire. The Imam was fully conversant with many languages and fluently communicated with people from other lands in their mother tongues. When his students returned to their homes, they spread the Imams message far and wide. It became evident that the vast knowledge exhibited by the Imam was not obtained from any known school or university of the time. His school and his university was located in the "City of the Prophetic Knowledge" whose gateway was through none other than his own ancestor, Imam Ali bin Abi Talib.

The Imam perpetuated the tradition of the ritual majalis that had been initiated by his ancestors to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain. He used to sponsor these majalis and patronized them. He considered this to be a great opportunity to reach out to the sensitive souls of the people and propagate every aspect of the true teachings of Islam. Since the people who attended these majalis had come to listen, the Imam used their receptiveness to its greatest advantage. He dispelled many misconceptions about the Faith. He coffected many misquotes from the Prophet as well as those attributed to the preceding Imams. He personally was able to demonstrate the true methodology of the daily ritual practices of the Faith. He taught people how to pray and how to supplicate.

The members of the Abbasid clan had not suddenly developed love for the Alkyds. In fact, their spite had multiplied many-fold by the position the Imam had been placed by Mamoon. His life and conduct was under the stem scrutiny by his opponents. Under the watchful eye of his enemies, the Imam demonstrated the excellence of his personal way of life despite the imposing royal protocol. He never spoke harshly to any one, be it a slave or a master. He only smiled gently on amusing situations and was never seen in bursts of laughter. He was never seen to cut in a conversation.

Selected Sayings:

1. One who compares Allah with one of His creations, is a polytheist. One who relates to Allah with something he has been forbidden to do, is a kafir (a non-believer).

2. Knowledge, forbearance and less talk are the qualities of a pious practitioner of the Faith.

3. Man's best friend is intelligence, and ignorance is his enemy.

4. The believer is closer to Allah when he throws himself down in prostration before Him.

5. One who gives in the name of Allah, earns His nearness, His rewards and away from an abode in hell. The miser is distant from people and Allah, but closer to an abode in hell.

6. Charitable giving is like a tree planted in paradise and whose branches are in the world. One who gives charity clings to the branches and is carried to the fulfillment of the ultimate prize of paradise.

7. A Momin is that person who derives pleasure when he does a good deed, and repents with sincerity when he commits an error.A Muslim is that person from whose hands and tongue the other Muslims do not get hurt.

8. Belief has four components:

(i) Dependence on Allah;

(ii) Acceptance of the Acts of Allah;

(iii) Submission to His Will;

(iv) Reliance on Allah's help in his deeds.

9. One who is not thankful to his provider in this world, cannot be thankful to Allah.

10. Allah has ordained three sets of duties to be performed together:

(i) Pay the poor tax as you offer prayers;

(ii) Thank your parents as you thank Allah;

(iii) Fear Allah and do good to your own kin.

The Ninth Imam: Muhammad ibne Ali (AS)

Name: Muhammad

Title: at-Taqi (also Jawad)

Epithet: Abu Ja'far

Father: Ali ibne Musa

Mother: Khaizran (also Sabikah Nubia)

Date of Birth: Rajab 10, 195 AH (April 8, 81 1 AD)

Place of Birth: Madinah

Progeny: From Umm ul-Fadhl binte Mamoon ar-Rashid

None

From Summana Khatoon

Two sons: Ali, Musa

Two daughters: Fatirna, Amama

Date of Death: Zi Qa'd 29, 220AH ( November 25, 835AD )

He lived for only 24 years

Place of Death: Kazimain

Place of Burial: Kazimain

THE TIMES AND LIFE OF IMAM MUHAMMAD TAQI

Muhammad (Taqi) was only about five years of age when his father was called away from Madinah by the Caliph Mamoon ar-Rashid, never to return home alive. He was only eight years of age when he received the sad news of the martyrdom of his father at the hands of the Caliph.

Although, by having Imam All ar-Reza killed, Mamoon was able to win back the confidence of his Abbasid kinsmen, he lost his trust among the followers of the Imam. He succeeded to play his cards again, and summoned the young Imam Muhammad Taqi to Baghdad but he did not seethe youth for a long period of time.

The Imam's first contact with the Caliph:

Once, on his way to a hunting trip, Marnoon passed through that part of the city where the young Imam was staying. He saw some children playing in the street with his peers. When they saw the callph's entourage, all but the Imam ran away. The caliph approached the Imam and asked Imam why he was not one of those who had run away from there. The Imam was cool in his demeanor. He said that the street was wide, and that he was not making it any narrower; and that he had not committed any crime for which he would be afraid; and that he believed that the Caliph would take the path of justice and not harm an innocent bystander.

The reply impressed the Caliph. He asked the Imam who he was. When the Imam told him who he was, the Caliph felt ashamed. He suddenly remembered having sent for him but not having granted him audience for such a long time.

The Imam's Second contact with the Caliph:

On his way back from the hunting trip, the Caliph hid a fish in his hands and asked the Imam what he was carrying. The Imam said that his hawk flew in the skies, but found his prey in the waters. He had a fish in his hand and was now testing the Imam for his knowledge. The Caliph was dumb founded at both these encounters with the Imam and took him along with him to his palace.

He declared his intentions to his kinsmen that he was so impressed with the child. He decided to give his daughter Unnne Fadhl in marriage to him. They were unhappy at the possibility of repetition of the story of his father Imam Ali ar-Reza. Mammon said that the youth was no ordinary person and that they all had already seen his courage, knowledge and mannerism which was no match with any one of them. In order to obtain an upper hand over Mamoon's decision, they proposed that a contest be held with the chief Kadhi Yahya bin Aktham.

The Imam's Contest with the Chief Kadhi of Baghdad:

In the contest, Yahya bin Aktharn asked the Imam on the penalty for man who hunted while in ahram, (the state of purity, also applied to a body wrap of white cloth used by the pilgrims). The Imam said that his question was incomplete and that he should complete it before the correct answer could be given. Yahya requested that the Imam complete the question for him. The Imam asked:

(i) Was the hunting done within the holy precinct or outside it?

(ii) Was the hunter aware of the religious law concerning the hunt?

(iii) Was the hunting done with intention or was it an accident?

(iv) Was the hunter a free man or a slave?

(v) Was the hunter of age or was he under-age in the religious law?

(vi) Was the hunting done for the first time or was a repeated act?

(vii) Was the prey a bird or was it some other animal?

(viii) Was the prey young of age or was it of an age allowed for hunting?

(ix) Was the hunter repentant on his act or was he defiant?

(x) Was the hunting done at night or was it an act of the day?

(xi) Was the ahram for Haj or was it for Umra?

The Imam then further elaborated the significance of these circumstances concerning the question to qualify for an appropriate answer! They all were flabbergasted at the details offered by the Imam, and accepted his completion of the question, followed by his answer. Mamoon was very pleased to see his own arrogant kinsmen being beaten in the contest.

Mamoon then asked the Imam to pose his question. Even before the Imam could pose his question, Yahya apologized. He said that he would try to answer Imarn's question, but if he could not find an answer, he would have to ask the Imam to answer it himself.

The Imam asked, on what four conditions would one woman be legal and illegal for marriage for the same individual. Neither Yahya nor any one else in the audience had any answer to this question. The Imam then detailed the four conditions concerning his question and made the puzzle seem easy to solve:

(i) The woman was a slave-girl of another man, so it was illegal for this man. When he paid her price to her master, she became legal for him;

(ii) (ii) When he freed her she was no longer legal for him. However he got married to her, and thus she became legal for him. (iii) He reckoned her like his mother, making her illegal for him again, but on paying the penalty for such an act, she became legal for him again. (iv) He then divorced her, making her illegal for him, but before saying the third talaq, they made up again, making her legal again.

They acknowledged the uncommon depth of the Imam's knowledge, and agreed on Mamoon's decision to give his daughter in marriage to the Imam. Mamoon offered the Imam to stay in Baghdad and be declared his successor, but the Imam declined to have any thing to do with the heirship to the Caliphate, or on staying in the palace in Baghdad. He requested the Caliph to allow him to return home to Madinah. Mamoon did not force the Imam to stay, and allowed him to leave with his wife.

Umme Fadhl was a princess. She had lived a life of luxury. She had no concept of what her life style would be in Madinah with material deprivation compared with the luxury of her father's palace. She was miserable and made it no secret to the Imam. She wrote letters to her father complaining bitterly about her predicament, but he took no action.

Furthemiore, there was no progeny issued from this relationship. When the Imam manied Sumana Khatoon, the jealousy of Umme Fadhl reached its heights, but her father still did nothing.

Mamoon died in 218 AH, and his brother Mu’tasim Billah succeeded to the throne. Umme Fadhl started writing letters to her uncle, the new caliph in Baghdad to get her back to Baghdad. Since the Abbasids were no friends of the Alkyds, and with the constant complaints of Umme Fadhl, the Imam was summoned to Baghdad and put in jail. Finally,he was given poison in jail and killed in 220 AH at the young age of only twenty-five years.

The Imam appointed his son Ali Hadi to follow him as the next Imam before he left for his second and last trip to Baghdad. Ali Hadi was also only eight years of age when he was appointed to the position of leadership of Islam.

REFLECTIONS FROM THE LIFE OF IMAM MUHAMMAD TAQI

The Imam was deprived the patronage of his father at a tender age of five, and when he learnt of his martyrdom he was only eight years of age. He was the youngest Imam who was also killed at the youngest age compared with the others. He was only twenty-five years when he was killed by poisoning.

As detailed above, the Imam, at a very young age demonstrated unusual courage, knowledge and presence of mind in the circle of his aristocratic adversaries in the court of Marnoon ar-Rashid. In addition to the constant pressures from the government, he had a considerable trouble at home from his wife, the Abbasid princess. Despite these difficulties, the Imam made his lasting impression with examples of exceptional tolerance, superior conduct, and advice to his followers and many sagacious sayings.

Selected Quotes:

1. Bolster your conduct with forbearance, be content during deprivation, refrain from lust, and antagonize temptation. Remember that you are neither far nor hidden from your Lord.

2. Refrain from friendship of the mischievous, for his likeness is that of a sharp dagger: beautiful to behold but deadly in action.

3 Do not show animosity to someone until you have assessed his, relationship with the Lord, for if the person is good, the Lord will not hand him over to you; and if he is bad, then suffice it for him that you do not be his enemy.

4. Make early an amendment of a matter before it deteriorates, for then you would repent. Beware, lest years add to your life and your heart hardens.

5 Do not pretend to be a friend of the Lord in the open while you have doubts about Him in your heart.

6. Be thankful to the Lord for what He has granted you, lest you desire for something that would drag you towards temptation.

7. Do not delay in repentance, for the delay in doing so is equivalent to defiance.

Offering excuses to justify a bad deed would make you lose fear of the Lord and invoke His anger.

Selected Sayings:

1. Dependence on the Gracious Lord is the true value in all the precious things and in all heights of achievement.

2. The respect of a believer is in his independence from others.

3. All believers need three things:

(i) Help from the Lord;

(ii) Awakened conscience;

(iii) Ability to listen to good advice given by others.

4. Obedience and remembrance of the Lord from the depths of your heart is superior to the toils of rituals.

5. How can that (thing) go waste whose guarantor is the Lord, and how can that (person) escape who is sought by the Lord. One who sells himself to other (deity) than the Lord, the Lord relinquishes that to his chosen deity.

6. One who falls for his desires, fulfills the alms of his sworn enemy (Satan), and cannot escape from wrongdoing.

7. One who takes an action without prior knowledge, could do more damage than good.

8. The tyranny of the rulers forestalls their downfall.

9. When the hour (i.e. death) comes, the environs tend to shrink.

10. There is no additional danger in the anger of the tyrant.

The Tenth Imam: Ali ibne Muhammad (AS)

Name: Ali

Title: an-Naqi ( also al-Hadi )

Epithet: Abul Hasan

Father: Imam Muhanunad Taqi

Mother: Sumana Khatoon

Date of Birth: Zilhaj 15, 212 AH (September 27, 827 AD)

Place of Birth: Surba, near Madinah

Progeny From Saleel: Four sons: Hasan, Husain, Muhammad,

Jayar

One daughter: Aliya

Date of Death: Jamadi-ul Akhar 26, 254 AH (June 28, 868 AD)

He lived to an age of 41 years

Place of Death: Samrah

Place of Burial: Samrah

THE TIMES AND THE LIFE OF IMAM ALI NAQI

Imam Ali (Naqi) was bom in 212 AH during the reign of Caliph Mwnoon ar-Rashid who was responsible for the death of the Imam's grandfather, Imam Ali ar-Reza. Mamoon died in 218 AH and his brother Mue'tasim Billah became the caliph. He was responsible for the.death of the Imam's father, Imam Muhammad Taqi. Mue’tasim then became busy with the construction of the new capital Samrah, and in quelling a rebellion by his nephew, Abbas bin Mamoon in Baghdad. He ruled the Islamic state till 227 AH. Like his predecessors, commanded the Ummah to obey him as their religious leader.

After the death of Mu'tasim, his son Wathiq Billah became the Caliph, and ruled for only five years till 232 AH. He was followed by his son Mutwakil who ruled for a period of fifteen years till 247 AH. This was one of the worst periods of suffering and oppression the members of Able Bait and their followers had to endure.

Mutwakil was a suspicious and ill-tempered ruler. He drank alcohol much more freely than any of his other Abbasid ancestors. He surpassed the tyrannical rule of the Umayyad duo, Hujaj bin Yusuf and his master Abd al­Malik bin Marwan. Thousands of innocent devotees of Ahle Bait were actively sought out from their homes and killed by all kinds of atrocities.

He had forbidden the devotees of the Able Bait from visiting the shrines of Imam Husain and other Imams and martyrs. He had imposed the penalty of amputation of one limb each time a devotee made such a trip. He was amazed to note that there were people who paid the stiff penalty more than once to make the ziyara. Notwithstanding his failure to deter the pilgrims from making the devotional trips, he decided to demolish the shrines.

To his further amazement his attempts to demolish the shrines or to flood them with water from diverted canals also failed. The water would not rise high enough to flood the area. Anyway, these schemes of the cruel caliph failed on two occasions. But he was not about to give up his determination to eliminate the Alkyds and their influence for all times.

In 234 AH. Mutwakil appointed Abd Allah bin Muhammad as governor of Madinah, with specific instructions to purge and to disperse the Alkyds from their homes. The Imam wrote a letter of complaints to the Caliph about the undue pressures imposed on his household by the new governor. This gave the Caliph the excuse to have the Imam move from Madinah to Samrah, with an escort of three hundred mounted soldiers. The army was not sent there to protect the Imam but to have him arrested, and to prevent any possible reprisals by his devotees.

The Imam was brought to Samrah in 236 AH, and was housed in the notorious garrison precinct of the city, which was well protected with guards posted on the entrance. While the Imam was in Madinah, the Caliph was not able to assess the popularity of the Imam among his followers. As the people became aware of the whereabouts of the Imam they started to come to him for advice and for the interpretations of the Quran. To prevent the people from seeking him, the Caliph kept moving the Imam's residence from house arrest to the formal prison, and from the prison to a comer of his own palace, and back again to house arrest at some other location. He had to move the Imam from the formal prison to house arrest since the prison guards became influenced by the Imam's piety and preaching, and became his devotees. And, he had to move him away from house arrest because of the stream of devotees the Imam used to attract. While the Imam was under house arrest, the Caliph would send police to search his residence at odd times under the slightest excuse, looking for any munitions against his authority. He never found clues against the Imam in all of his random searches. Thus, the Imam was kept in virtual house arrest for a period of over twenty years during most of the period of Mutwakil's rule as well as the rule of his successors.

During this period of time, Mutwakil changed his faith from the Mu'tazill to the Shafii school. He appointed two muftis in the two major mosques and had them instructed to get people involved in the fruitless discussions over the question of predestination, and Qadha and Qadr. People got tangled up in the discussions designed by the Caliph.

Decadence in the state was making people feel uneasy. The Caliph's own son Muntansir Billah, who had turned forty-two, got ambitious. He decided to capture the caliphate for himself. With the help of some Turkish defectors, he had his father assassinated and gained access to the throne. People paid fealty to him and prayed behind him as their spiritual leader. However, his was a short life span, and he died within six months. He was succeeded by his brother Musta'in (248 AH).

By the same token, the Alkyds were getting restless at the unending tyranny of Mutwakil's reign. In 250 AH, two leaders of prominence, one from the lineage of Zaid bin Ali in Kufa and the other from Zaid bin Hasan in Tabaristan rose to carve out a zone of peace for their clans and the Shiites. However, despite the apparent internal disruption in the Abbasid Caliphate, the Turkish army was still loyal and strong. These, and several other uprisings in the empire were successfully crushed.

A civil war broke out in the capital city in 252 AH. With the help of the Turkish generals, Mu'tazz had his own brother Musta'in assassinated and became the Caliph. However, the vast nation was in turmoil and Mu'tazz felt insecure. He considered Imam Ali Naqi, being the leader of the Alkyds, to be a possible living threat to his stability. In 254 AH, he got the Imam killed by poison in his own home. His body was laid to rest in the same house where he had died.

When Imam Ali Naqi left Madinah, he knew that he would not be allowed to return to his ancestoral home. Although his son Hasan was only four years of age at that time, he had declared that after his death, his son Hasan would succeed him as the next Imam.

REFLECRIONS FROM THE LIFE OF IMAM ALI NAQI

Having been deprived of the patronage of his father at a young age, some well wishing devotees thought that it might be appropriate to appoint a tutor for the youth. Umar bin Farrah sent Obayd Allah Jonaidi for this purpose. After a while he was asked on the progress of youth. Jonaidi said that if it were asstuned that he was teaching the youth something, then they should know that the youth had taught him things he never knew. When Mutwakil brought him to Samrah, he was only twenty-four years of age.

The Imam witnessed the waning glow of the Abbasid Caliphate when the seat of government revolved under several rapidly changing caliphs. He refrained from the temptation of an easy win of the Caliphate for himself If he had done so, it would have shown his political ambition, and would have ruined the generations of sacrifices made by his ancestors to continue upholding the values of Truth and justice. Ahle Bait were never thirsty for political gains. They had lived and died for the cause and the values of Islam.

Although the Imam had a very limited exposure to his followers, he left some renowned students who expounded his word to others for many years later. Despite their contemptuous behavior towards the Imam, he was called upon by the Caliph to answer complicated questions on the meanings and the interpretations of the Qur'an and on the Islamic law. He had stood up in defense of Islam on many occasions in the Caliph's court. Many of his quotes were collected by his devotees for reference in later times. Likewise, people had also collected many of his supplications.

Selected Quotes:

1. Once he told his devotees, "Take good care of gifts of the Lord and thank Him for having given them to you. Remember that the self always turn, towards gratification, and defied deterrents. Seek to subdue its desire for vain things."

2. He told his companion Fateh bin Yazid Jarjani, "Strive to obey Allah in all His commandments, turn to the life of the Prophet and seek Allah's help to follow it, and seek those in whom He vested the authority to interpret the Qur'an and the Islamic law."

3. He told his companions, "Remember that day when you separate from your loved ones for ever, when no physician can keep you back, and no friend can benefit you."

4. He told Caliph al-Mutwakil:

-"Do not expect devout obedience from someone whom you had treated with contempt.

- Do not expect loyalty from one who you had betrayed.

- Do not expect good advice from one whom you had treated with mistrust. His feelings for you are not any better than yours for him."

Selected Sayings:

1. One who is pleased with his self, has more of those who would not be pleased with him.

2. The one who is contented, has only one problem to face, but the one who bemoans, has many more problems.

3 Backbiting is the humor of the idiot, and the art of the ignorant.

4. Keeping awake enhances the sweetness of sleep, just as hunger enhances the taste of food.

5 The world is with wealth but the hereafter only with deeds.

6. Avoid jealousy, for it reveals your action, but none of your opponents.

7. The worst affliction is ill manners.

8. Ignorance and meanness are worst conduct.

9. The world is like a market where one group benefits while the other loses.

10. Keeping bad company shows your own flaw.

II. Morphic beauty is only of the exterior, but wisdom is beauty of the interior.

12. One who seeks fast motion is slave of his desires, the idiot is slave of his tongue.