The life of Imam 'Ali Bin Musa al-Rida chapter7

The life of Imam 'Ali Bin Musa al-Rida

Chapter7

The Wāqifities

Another example of the events which occurred in the time of Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, and annoyed him very much was that the creed of the Wāqifities spread among the classes of the Shi'ites. The Wāqifities maintained that Imām Mūsā b. Ja'far, peace be on him, was alive, did not die, and would never die, that he was raised to the heaven just as al-Masih b. Maryam was raised, and that he was the awaited one who would undertake (the office of the Imāmate, al-qā'im) and fill the world with justice and fairness as it was filled with oppression and tyranny. They claimed that the one who was in the prison of al-Sindi was not Imām Mūsā, peace be on him, rather the people imagined that he was in prison. It is necessary for us to give a brief account of this group of people.

1. The Cause for the Wāqifites' doctrines

As for the reason for the Wāqifites's doctrines, it is that when Imām al-Kāzim, peace be on him, was in the prison of Hārūn (al-Rashid) , he appointed some agents on his behalf in order to collect the legal rights which had come to him from his Shi'ites, so some agents gathered many funds, for example, Ziyād b. Marwān al-Qandi collected seventy thousand dinars, and 'Ali b. Abū Hamza gathered thirty thousand dinars. When the Imām died, they dined his death and bought country estates and houses for the money which they had. When Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, demanded them to give the money to him, they denied the death of his father and refused to hand it over to him. [63]

2. The Wāqifites' doctrines spread

The Wāqifites' doctrines were spread by the summoners who lavishly spread enormous properties in order to buy the minds and to misguide the people. In this connection Yunus b. 'Abd al-Rahmān narrated, saying: "Abū Ibrāhim Mūsā, peace be on him, died and every one of his people had a lot of money; this is the reason for their doctrines and their denying his death as a sign of desire for the properties, for example, Ziyād b. Marwān al-Qandi had seventy thousand dinars, and 'Ali b. Abū Hamza had thirty thousand dinars. When I saw that, I realized the truth and knew the affair of Abū al-Hasan al-Ridā, peace be on him. I began speaking and summoning the people to him. So they sent for me and said: 'What makes you do this? If you want money, we will help you. ' They guaranteed me ten thousand dinars and said: 'Refrain from (this matter). ' However, I refused (that) and said to them: 'We have been told on the authority of the two truthful ones, peace be on them, who said: 'When heresies appear, then it is obligatory on (religious) scholars to manifest their own knowledge. If they do not do (that) , they will be deprived of the light of faith. ' Any how, I will not leave jihād according to Allah's command. Accordingly, they showed enmity toward me and harbored malice against me. [64]"

Through such deceiving ways, the Wāqifites spread their doctrines, but shortly after that they were destroyed and their false claims were discovered.

The Imām condemns the Wāqifites' doctrines

Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, condemned the Wāqifites for their creeds. One of his followers (Shi'ites) had written to him and asked him about them, and he, peace be on him, replied: "The Wāqifite has deviated from the True Religion and persisted in his evil deed. If he dies for it, then his abode is hell; and evil is the resort. [65]"

A Shi'ite asked Imām al-Ridā whether it was permissible for him to pay zakāt (alms) to the Wāqifites, and he prevented him from that, saying: "They (the Wāqifites) are unbelievers, polytheists, and hypocrites. [66]"

Mohammed b. Fudayl visited Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, and told him about the conditions of the leaders of the Wāqifites, saying: "May I be your ransom, I have left Ibn Abū Hamza, Ibn Mahrān, and Ibn Abū Sa'id (who were some leaders of the Wāqifites) , while they are the most violent of people in showing enmity toward Allah, the Most High. "

The Imām answered him: "He who goes astray does not harm you when you are rightly guided. They (the Wāqifites) have accused Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, of lying; they accused so-and-so, so-and-so of lying; and they have accused Mūsā b. Ja'far, peace be on him, of lying; and I follow my fathers' example. "

"You said to Ibn Mahrān: 'May Allah take away the light of your heart and enter poverty in your house,'" retorted Mohammed.

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"How is he, and how are his brothers? " asked the Imām, peace be on him.

Mohammed told him about the acceptance of his supplication and about their being miserable and poor, saying: "They are in the worst condition; they are grieved in Baghdad. "

The Imām, peace be on him, was severe in his attitude toward the Wāqifites, who mutinied against the True Religion and to denied the Imām.

1. The Imām and al-Husayn Bin Mahrān

As for al-Husayn b. Mahrān, he was among the eminent figures of the Wāqifites; and he wrote to Imām al-Ridā with an accent showing his hypocrisy and unbelief, for he ordered and prohibited the Imām; he did not respect the position of the Imām; and through that he did not conform to high moral traits in addressing. Accordingly, the Imām wrote a letter and ordered his companions to copy it, lest Ibn Mahrān (i. e. al-Husayn) should conceal it. The letter is as follows:

"In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, may Allah make you and me well; your letter have come to me; in it you have mentioned the man who is accused of treason and deception; and you say: 'Beware of him. ' And you have mentioned that through which he received me, and sent to me other than him, so you have advanced (many things) as arguments; and you have claimed an affair against him and wanted to enter upon the like of it... You say: 'He has worked for my affair through his reason and his stratagem, seeking it for his own soul and willing to make the hearts of the people incline to him, that the affair may be at his hand and work according to his own viewpoint; and he claims that I have obeyed him in what he has advised me; and now you have counseled me according to what is right with you through reason and stratagem after you (through other than you). The affair is not right except through the two affairs: Either you accept the affair as it is or you give the people what they have demanded and put an end (to their demand) ; otherwise the matter is crooked in our viewpoint; and the people will not hand over my property which is in their hands and take it along with them; therefore, the matter is not according to your reason and stratagem.

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"And we will not do what you have granted through opinion and consultation, but the affair belongs to Allah, the Great and Almighty, the One, and there is no partner with Him. He does toward His servants whatever He desires; he whom Allah guides is not misguided by anyone; and he whom He misguides is not guided by anyone, and you will not find any saint to guide him.

"You said: 'And work through their affair and practice stratagem therein; and how is the stratagem? And Allah says: And they swear by Allah with the most energetic of their oaths: Allah will not raise up him who dies. Yea! it is a promise biding on Him, quite true, but most people do not know, to these words of Him, the Great and Almighty: And that they may earn what they are going to earn (of evil). If you answer them concerning what they have questioned, they will be righteous and hand over; and what I have ordered you belongs to me; you and they have denied after me; and my meeting has been lengthened for me; and that has not occurred through me except that I have hoped for righteousness according to the words of the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him: 'Approach and question (me). ' He began rubbing his belly and saying: 'I have not filled it with food, but I have filled it with knowledge. By Allah, I know whether a verse was sent down on the sea or a land or a plain or a mountain, and I know concerning whom it was revealed. ' Similarly, Abū 'Abd Allah, peace be on him, said: 'I complain to Allah of the people of Medina; I am among them just like a hair, for I do not move; they want me not to say the truth. By Allah I will always say the truth until I die. ' I say the truth in order to spare your blood and unify you as you had been before, that your secrets may be hidden with you and not spread among those other than you.

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"And Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, already said: 'A secret about which Allah secretly told Gabriel; and about which Gabriel secretly told Mohammed, and about which Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family, secretly told 'Ali, and about which 'Ali secretly told whomever he wished. '"

Then he said: [Abū Ja'far, peace be on him, said: ] "Then you speak about it on the road, so I want, as you your leader (sāhib) , to explain you affair for you; lest you should place it in other than its place and ask about it other than its men, and hence your ruin occurs through your questioning them. How many a person claimed (the affair) for himself and he did not fall under (it). Then you said: 'If that belongs to him, it is necessary for him to maintain it and not to turn from it to other than it. ' I said: 'Because he practiced precautionary dissimulation, and refraining from (it) is better. If he speaks, then it is obligatory on him to answer everything about which he is questioned.

And what you claimed and demanded has occurred. So the affair concerns other than you and it is incumbent on you to follow them regarding it; but you have put into (effect) that which is right according to your reason, your viewpoints, and your analogy. When you claimed that my order was incorrect, you regarded your order as correct. '

"If you say that your leader (sāhib) was not such, then you have discarded the command of your Lord behind your backs. Accordingly, if I follow your caprices, then I will go astray and I am not among those who are rightly guided, and there will be no escape for you from that you will be like those who had been before you, while you have been told that the laws (sunan) and the examples are tit for tat.

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"The refraining from harm which you demanded in the first place and the answer in the end will not make well your chests; nor will it take away your doubts; nor there will be an escape from that which occurred through you; nor will it leave your hearts until Allah takes it away from you. If all people are able to love us, recognize our rights and submit to our command, they will do, but Allah does whatever He wills and guides to Him those who turn (to Him in repentance).

"I already answered you about many questions. Then you and those who asked such questions must carefully consider the answers. If there is no cure in the answers, then I already gave you something which was regarded as an argument and a lesson. The many questions (which are asked as a sign of) blame are reprehensible in our viewpoint, for the questioners want nothing except to examine (us) in order to find a way to vague errors and mischief; and he who wants to make (things) unclear, Allah makes them unclear to him and entrusts him with his own soul; you and your companions do not see that I have answered (your questions) ; therefore, that is up to me. If I will and determine, that is up to me, not up to what you and your companions say. You do not know so-and-so; rather there is no escape for us from that, for we are sure of it, while you are doubtful about it. [67]"

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This is the end of this letter which the Imām sent to al-Husayn b. Mahrān. It contains ambiguous matters as well as there is no logical coherence in its paragraphs. It is more likely that something necessary for logical coherence and clarity has been omitted from it.

Any how, this letter has expressed the hardships which the Imām and the community received from the Wāqifites, whom the world deceived.

2. Al-Husayn Bin 'Umar

He said: [I did my best with Yahyā b. Akthem (the judge of Sāmrrā') ; I debated with him, conversed with him, communicated with him, and asked him about the knowledge of Mohammed's Household; yet I heard say: ] "One day while I was circling the grave of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, I saw Mohammed b. 'Ali al-Ridā, peace be on him, circling it, so I debated with him on some questions which I had, and he answered them. The I said to him: 'By Allah, I want to ask you a question but I am ashamed of that, so he said to me: 'I will answer you before you question me, you want to ask me about the Imām. ' So I replied: 'By Allah, this is what I want,' and he said: 'I am he. ' Then I asked him: 'Is there any sign? ' There was a rod in his hand, and the rod uttered and said: 'Surely my master is the Imām of this time, and he is the argument. '[68]"

Al-Husayn b. 'Umar b. Yazid narrated, saying: "I went to al-Rida, peace be on him, and I was then a Wāqifite; my father had asked his father about seven questions, and he answered him about sixth of them and refrained from (answering) the seventh (question). So I said: 'By Allah, I will ask him about what my father had asked his father in order to know whether he is able to answer as (his father did). ' Then I asked him, and he answered six questions just as his father did, and he refrained (from answering) the seventh (question).

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"My father had said to his father: 'I will protest against you before Allah on the Day of Resurrection, for you have claimed that 'Abd Allah is not an Imām, so he, peace be on him, put his hand on his neck, and then he said to him: 'Yes, protest against me through that before Allah, the Great and Almighty. If there is any sin therein, then it is in my neck (i. e. I will shoulder the responsibility for it) , and so on. '[69]"

3. Al-Washshā'

Al-Washshā' reported, saying: "When I was a Wāqifite, I went to Khurasān; I carried a mask with me; there was with me a brocaded garment in one of the parcels, but I did not know where I had put it. When I arrived in Khurasān and stopped at one of its houses, a Medinan man came and said to me: 'Abū al-Hasan al-Ridā say to you: 'Send me the brocaded garment which is with you. ' So I asked the man: 'Who told Abū al-Hasan about my arrival and having a brocaded garment? ' He went to him and told him, and then he came back to me and said to me: [He (al-Ridā) says to you: ] 'It is in the place so-and-so. ' I looked for it where he said, and then I sent it to him. [70]" This was the reason for his being rightly guided.

These are some believers whom Allah guided to faith, who withdrew from the Wāqifites' doctrines and adopted the Imāmate of Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him.

The Problem of creating the Qur'ān

Among the important event in the time of Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, is the problem of creating the Qur'ān, for the religious scholars extremely differed over it, and a group of them suffered from the displeasure and vengeance of the state along with the anger of the people.

This opinion occurred at the end of the Umayyad government; al-Ju'd b. Dirham, the teacher of Marwān b. Mohammed, the last Umayyad caliph, was the first to originate it. He was the first to speak about it; he already wrote and explained its chapters, and then he announced it in Damascus. However the authorities there summoned him, but he left it for Kufa. Al-Jahm b. Safwān, to whom the Jahmi sect belonged, learned from him. [71] In this respect Ibn al-Athir said: "Surely, Hishām b. 'Abd al-Malik ordered al-Ju'd to be captured and to be sent to Khālid al-Qasri, the governor of Iraq, in order to kill him. Khālid imprisoned him and did not kill him. When Hishām heard of that, he wrote to him, blamed him, and commanded him to kill him. Hence Khālid ordered al-Ju'd to be brought in chains out of prison. After he had performed the prayer of 'Īd al-Addhā, he said at the end of his sermon: 'Go and sacrifice (animals) , may Allah accept (that) from you, for, today, I will sacrifice al-Ju'd, who says: 'Allah did not speak to Mūsā; nor did Allah take Ibrāhim as a bosom friend. ' Allah is far above what al-Ju'd says. ' Then he descended (from the pulpit) and killed him. [72]"

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This idea remained hidden until the time of Hārūn al-Rashid. When the Mu'tazilites appeared, they announced that the Qur'ān was created. Bishr al-Marisi was the most important person in summoning the people to this idea. He wrote many books on it. When Hārūn heard of him, he said: "By Allah, if I find him, I will kill him. " When Bishr hear of that, he hid himself throughout the government of Hārūn. [73]

When al-Ma'mūn undertook the government, he said that the Qur'ān was created, forced the people to believe in this idea, and subjected them to vengeance and torture when they opposed it. Accordingly, this movement became active, and the idea grew and spread widely.

This matter is regarded as the most important event in the time of Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him; the philosophers from among the Mu'tazilites and others presented it and explained its sides. It is worth mentioning that this idea belongs to the psychological branches and researches. Had it not been for that the chapter would be diffuse and the book become too long, we would speak about it in detail. [74]

Fabricating Lies against the Imāms

Fabricating traditions and lies against the Imāms, peace be on them, was famous in the time of Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, and other times. Some people fabricated traditions and ascribed them to the Imāms in order to degrade their rank and decrease their importance. Among the fabricated traditions is that which narrated by Abū al-Salt, who asked Imām al-Ridā, saying: "O Son of Allah's Apostle, what do the people narrate on your authority? "

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"What is it? " asked the Imām.

"They say that the people are your slaves," replied Abū al-Salt.

The Imām denied that and renounced it, saying: "O Allah, the Creator of the heavens and earth, Knower of the things unseen and seen, You bear witness that I have never said that; nor have I heard any of my fathers say it. You know that this community has practiced injustices toward us; this is one of them. "

Then he turned to Abū al-Salt and asked him: "'Abd al-Salām (i. e. Abū al-Salt) , if all people were our slaves, as they say, then to whom should we sell them? 'Abd al-Salām, do you deny our authority, made obligatory by Allah, as the others do? "

Al-'Allāma al-Sayyid Hāshim Ma'rūf al-Husayni commented on this narration, saying: "The Imām criticized the questioner for that accusation through which their enemies wanted to defame them; he regarded it as one of the injustices which the community practiced toward them, for ascribing that to them means that they broke the laws of Islam and the texts of the Qur'ān, which demonstrates that there is no difference between a person and other except through reverential fear (taqqwā) [75]"

With this matter we will end our talk about the time of Imām al-Ridā. I (the author) have mentioned a detailed research about this time in my book Hayāt al- Imām Mūsā Bin Ja'far, peace be on him, so I do not want to mention it again.

Footnote

[1] Al-Idāra al-Islāmiya fi 'Aiz al-'Arab, p. 82.

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[2] Al-Muqaddamat, pp. 179-180.

[3] Hayāt al-Imām Mūsā b. Ja'far.

[4] Ibn al-Athir, Tārikh, vol. 6, p. 433.

[5] Mu'jam al-Buldān, vol. 3, p. 175.

[6] Al-Dirāyāt, p. 364.

[7] Fam al-Sulh, a district north of Wāsit. It had a river called Fam al-Sulh, which took water from the Tigris on the eastern side. Mu'jam al-Buldān, vol. 5, p. 177.

[8] Al-Muwafaqāt, p. 98.

[9] Nisā' al-Khulafā', p. 68.

[10] Al-Tabari, Tārikh.

[11] Tazyin al-Aswāq, vol. 3, p. 117.

[12] Al-Hadā'iq al-Wardiya, vol. 2, p. 220.

[13] Hidārat al-Islām.

[14] Bashshār, Divan, vol. 3, p. 190.

[15] Ibid. , p. 59.

[16] Al-Hidāra al-Islāmiya, vol. 1, p. 199.

[17] Ibid. , vol. 1, p. 200.

[18] Ibid. , p. 234.

[19] Ibid. , pp. 132-133.

[20] Ahmed b. Yahyā, Dhikr al-Mu'tazila, p. 92.

[21] Ibn al-Athir, Tārikh, vol. 8, pp. 181-182.

[22] Al-Mahāsin wa al-Masāwi', p. 339.

[23] Al-Wizarā' wa al-Kittāb, p. 142.

[24] Al-Ya'qūbi, Tārikh, vol. 3, p. 146.

[25] Al-Kharājj, p. 116.

[26] Ibid. , 118.

[27] Al-Mas'ūdi, Murūjj al-Dhahab, vol. 3, p. 318. Al-Bid' wa al-Tārikh, vol. 6, p. 92. 'Umarā' al-Shi'r al-'Arab fi al-'Asr al-'Abbāsi, p. 35.

[28] Al-Zubayr, p. 23.

[29] 'Asr al-Ma'mūn.

[30] Al-Tabari, Tārikh.

[31] Tārikh Baghdad, vol. 10, p. 215.

[32] Al-Imāma wa al-Siyāsa, vol. 1, p. 145.

[33] Nihāyat al-Irab

[34] Hayāt al-Imām al-Ridā, p. 108.

[35] Ibn Rashiq, al-'Umda, vol. 1, p. 75.

[36] Nazariyat al-Imāma, p. 381.

[37] He was given this name because there was a stutter in his tongue when he was a child. It was his father who had given him this name. Ibn Khaldūn, vol. 4, p. 8.

[38] Maqātil al-Tālibiyyin, p. 539

[39] Ibid. , 519.

[40] Hayāt al-Imām Mūsā b. Ja'far, vol. 2, pp. 400-401, quoted from Ibn Khaldūn's Tārikh, vol. 7, p. 243.

[41] The poet has likened Islam to a camel.

[42] Maqātil al-Tālibiyyin, p. 533.

[43] Ibid.

[44] Ibid.

[45] Hayāt al-Imām Mūsā b. Ja'far, vol. 2, pp. 403-406, quoted from the book Maqātil al-Tālibiyyin and the like.

[46] Al-Tabari, Tārikh, vol. 10, p. 231. Ibn al-Athir, Tārikh, vol. 5, p. 177.

[47] Al-Siyūti, Tārikh al-Khulafā', p. 261. Al-Mas'ūdi, Murūjj al-Dhahab, vol. 4, p. 222.

[48] Al-Adab fi Zil al-Tashayyu', p. 68.

[49]Al-Tabari, Tārikh, vol. 10, p. 446.

[50] Al-Manāqib, vol. 10, p. 446.

[51]Al-Maqrizi, al-Nizā' wa al-Takhāsum, p. 51.

[52] Mukhtasar Tārikh al-'Arab, p. 18.

[53] Al-Ya'qūbi, Tārikh, vol. 3, p. 136.

[54] Hayāt al-Imām Mūsā b. Ja'far.

[55]Al-Ādāb al-Sultāniya, p. 20.

[56] Abū al-Farajj al-Asfahāni, al-Aghāni, vol. 5, p. 225.

[57] Al-Wilāt wa al-Qudāt, p. 198.

[58] Al-Shaykh al-Tūsi, al-Amāli, p. 330.

[59] Di'bil, Divan.

[60] By the evil Imāms the poet means the 'Abbāsid kings.

[61] Maqātil al-Tālibiyyin, p. 646.

[62] Hayāt al-Imām al-Ridā, pp. 100-106, quoted from al-Khawārizmi's Letters.

[63] Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 2, p. 308.

[64] Ibid. , vol. 12, p. 308.

[65] Hayāt al-Imām al-Imām Mūsā b. Ja'far, vol. 2, p. 207.

[66] Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 2, p. 909.

[67] Al-Kashi, Mu'jam Rijāl al-Hadith, vol. 6, pp. 104-107.

[68] Usūl al-Kāfi, vol. 1, p. 353.

[69] Ibid.

[70] Ibid. , vol. 1, p. 354.

[71] Sarh al-'Uyuān, p. 159.

[72] Asr al-Ma'mūn, vol. 1, p. 395.

[73] Al-Nujūm al-Zāhira, vol. 1, p. 147.

[74] Hayāt al-Imām Mūsā b. Ja'far, vol. 2, p. 213.

[75] Sirat al-A'Imma al-Ithnā 'Ashar, vol. 2, p. 359.

CHAPTER XIV

IN THE TIME OF AL-RASHĪD, AL-AMĪN, AND AL-MA’MŪN

IN THE TIME OF AL-RASHĪD, AL-AMĪN, AND AL-MA’MŪN

Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, was a contemporary of three ‘Abbāsid kings: Al-Rashid, al-Amin, and al-Ma’mūn. In the time of al-Rashid, the Imām’s soul was full of deep sadness and bitter sorrow, for Hārūn al-Rashid took severe measures against the ‘Alawides in general and against his (the Imām’s) father, Imām al-Kāzim, peace be on him. We talked about these measures in the previous chapters of this book. Now, we will briefly speak about these kings and their attitudes toward Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him.

Hārūn al-Rashid

He is the most famous ‘Abbāsid king; his name is widespread; his reputation is widely known in the east and the west; the world responded to him; the kingdom was brilliant to him; Baghdad, the bide of the east, was his capital; his rule and power extended to most regions of the world; it was he who said to clouds: “You rain in my kingdom! ” The kings of the world yielded to him and became small before his power. Now, we will speak about some characteristics of his personality as follows:

A. Cruelty

As for cruelty, it was among his elements and characteristics. Al-Amir Shakib said: “He (Hārūn al-Rashid) was as tyrannical and blood-thirsty just as the tyrannical kings of the east were. [1]”

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An example of his severe cruelty is that he destroyed the ‘Alawides, punished them severely, and wreaked upon them painful torture which they had never faced except in the time of his grandfather, the tyrannical shedder of blood, Mansūr al-Dawāniqi. We have demonstrated the tragedies they faced in his time.

B. Malice

Yet another element of al-Rashid’s personality is that he bore malice against those who had noble lineage and brilliant figures who enjoyed a remarkable rank in the social circles. For example, he bore malice against the master of the Muslims, Imām Mūsā b. Ja‘far, so he ordered him to be placed in a dark prison, and to be given poison to drink. That was because the Imām occupied a notable position in the souls of the Muslims. Similarly, he bore a grudge against those whose reputation was widely known and whose excellence was spread among the people. He distressed the Barāmika, killed their eminent figures, abased them, and confiscated their properties; that was because of their rank with the people, for example, the poets spoke constantly about their names, announced their generosity and munificence. He was so angry with them that he punished them severely. As a result, malice was one of the qualities of Hārūn’s personality and the most prominent one of his elements.

Meanness

Hārūn al-Rashid had nothing of reverential fear and faith; he was ignoble and clinging to his lusts and pleasures. The following are some examples of his meanness:

A. His Drinking Wine

Hārūn al-Rashid was alcoholic. Perhaps he himself undertook giving wine to his drinking companions. His sister ‘Aliya made good wine and sent it to him. We have mentioned his alcoholism in detail in our book Hayāt al-Imām Mūsā Bin Ja‘far (the Life of Imām Mūsā Bin Ja‘far) , peace be on him.

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B. His Fondness of Singing

Hārūn al-Rashid grew up among the songstresses, for there was a large number of female musicians and songstresses, for example, there was in his palace three hundred beautiful women who played musical instruments and sang. [2] He classified the singers into threes categories: The first category consists of Ibrāhim al- Mousli, Ibn Jāmi‘, and Zalzal al-Dārib. As for Zalzal, he played on the lute; as for (Ibrāhim) al-Mousli and Ibn Jāmi‘, they were singers. The second category is composed of Ishāq, Salim b. Salām, and ‘Amrū al-Ghazzāl. The third category includes the owners of the stringed instruments and the mandolins. [3]

Hārūn al-Rashid fell in love with three songstresses from among his female-slaves; they are Ghādir, Mārida, and Haylāna. Concerning them he composed poetry of which are the following lines:

The three young ladies have possessed my rein and occupied the dearest place in my heart.

Why do all people obey me and I obey them, while they disobey me?

That is (nothing) except the power of love through which they overcame those who were powerful than me. [4]

We have presented in detail this quality of Hārūn al-Rashid’s life in our book Hayāt al-Imām Mūsā Bin Ja‘far (the Life of Imām Mūsā Bin Ja‘far).

C. His Playing Game at Dice

Another example of Hārūn al-Rashid’s meanness and his paying no attention to the unlawful is that he played game at dice (nard) , which is a kind of gambling. One day he played game at dice with Ibrāhim al-Mousli. He bet him on the robe of honor which he

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(Ibrāhim) wore. He beat Ibrāhim, so he (Ibrāhim) stood up and took off his garments, but Hārūn al-Rashid refused to wear them and said to him:

“Woe upon you! I wear your garments? ”

“Yes, by Allah,” replied Ibrāhim, “if you want to treat (me) with justice; if you do not treat (me) with justice, then you are powerful and able. ”

“Woe upon you! Shall I pay a ransom on your behalf? ”

“Yes,” he answered.

“What is the ransom? ” asked al-Rashid.

“You suggest, O Commander of the faithful,” replied Ibrāhim, “for you are more appropriate for power. ”

“I will give all the garments I am wearing,” al-Rashid retorted.

“Then order them (to be given to me) ,” demanded Ibrāhim.

As a result Hārūn al-Rashid called for garments other than those he was wearing, and then he took off the garments he was wearing and gave them to Ibrāhim. [5] He played chess when he traveled by the Tigris. [6]

These are some acts which have been transmitted regarding Hārūn al-Rashid, and they clearly show that he was mean and did not cling to the teachings of the True Religion.

Hārūn al-Rashid went too far in practicing pleasures; his palace was a theater for all kinds of prostitution and dissoluteness; it was rarely void of dancing and singing parties and drinking wine; therefore, his government did not represent Islam.

Hārūn al-Rashid’s Attitude toward Imām al-Ridā

When Hārūn al-Rashid assassinated Imām Mūsā b. Ja‘far, peace be on him, he sent a band of his security forces to spy upon the affairs of Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, and to inform him of his tendencies and inclinations.

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The Imām, peace be on him, understood that, so he intended to get rid of Hārūn al-Rashid. He went to market while the detectives were following him. He, peace be on him, bought a rooster, a dog, and a ewe. The detectives informed Hārūn al-Rashid of that. When he (Hārūn al-Rashid) came to know of that, he became free from worry and fear of the Imām and knew that he was not ready to establish any movement against him, and then he ordered his detectives to return to Baghdad.

As for Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, he busied himself with spreading the laws of Allah and the teachings of Islam and explaining the sides of the Imāmate. Accordingly, some eminent figures of his Shi‘ites feared that Hārūn al-Rashid would subject him to a reprehensible deed. They felt that the Imām was not afraid of Hārūn al-Rashid after buying the rooster, the dog, and the ewe. [7] Some of those who feared for the Imām and warned him against the attack of Hārūn al- Rashid are as follows:

1. Safwān Bin Yahyā

Safwān said: “When Abū Ibrāhim, peace be on him, passed way and Abū al-Hasan al-Ridā spoke (about the Imāmate) , we feared for him, so it was said to him: ‘Surely you have manifested a great affair, and we have feared for you from this tyrannical (i. e. Hārūn al-Rashid). ’ ‘Let him do his best,’ he, peace be on him, said, ‘for he has no way against me. ’[8]”

2. Mohammed Bin Sinān

Mohammed b. Sinān said: “I said to Abū al-Hasan al-Ridā (peace be on him) during the days of Hārūn (al-Rashid): ‘Surely, you have made yourself famous through this affair (i. e. manifesting the Imāmate) and your sitting in the assembly of your father, while the sword of Hārūn is dripping blood (i. e. the blood of the Household of the Prophet and their followers. ) ’

“Hence he, peace be on him, said: ‘I have been encouraged by the words of Allah’s Messenger (may Allah bless him and his family) , who said: ‘If Abū Jahl takes a hair from my head, then bear witness that I am not a prophet. ’ For this reason I say to you: ‘If Hārūn takes a hair from my head, then bear witness that I am not an Imām. ’[9]”

‘Īsā Bin Ja‘far informs Hārūn al-Rashid of the Imām

When Hārūn al-Rashid left al-Riqqa and headed for Mecca, ‘Īsā b. Ja‘far approached and said to him: “I want to remind you of the oath you made concerning the family of Abū Tālib; you swore (by Allah) that if anyone after Mūsā claimed the Imāmate for himself, you would strike off his head. This is ‘Ali, his son, claim this matter (i. e. the Imāmate) for himself, and it is said regarding him just as it is said regarding his father. ”

Hārūn al-Rashid paid no attention to his statement; he looked at him with anger and asked him: “What do you see? Do you want me to kill them all? ”

Mūsā b. ‘Umrān was at the meeting, so he hastened to Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, and told him about the matter, and he, peace be on him, said: “I do not worry; they can do nothing toward me! [10]”

Yahyā informs Hārūn al-Rashid of the Imām

Yahyā al-Barmaki was among those who informed Hārūn al-Rashid of the Imām; he said to him: “This is ‘Ali al-Ridā b. Mūsā has advanced and claimed the affair (i. e. the Imāmate) for himself. ”

Hārūn al-Rashid paid no attention to him and said to him: “What we had done toward his father is sufficient to us. [11]”

All the attempts which were woven against the Imām failed.

The Imām’s Supplication against the Barāmika

The Barāmika played a dangerous role in subjecting the Imām to tragedies, for they made Hārūn al-Rashid, the tyrannical, bear malice against him. As for Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, he was fully aware (of their plots) , hence he invoked Allah against them. Mohammed b. al-Fudayl narrated, saying: “In the year when Hārūn al-Rashid assaulted the Barāmika and a tribulation befell them, Abū al-Hasan al-Ridā was standing at ‘Arafa and supplicating (Allah) ; then he bowed his head. He was asked about that, and he answered: ‘I was invoking Allah, the Exalted, against the Barāmika regarding what they did toward my father, so Allah has accepted my supplication against them on this day. ’ Shortly after that, Hārūn al-Rashid attacked with violence Ja‘far and Yahyā, and their conditions changed. [12]”

Al-Hasan b. ‘Ali al-Washshā’ reported on the authority of Musāfir, saying: “I was with Abū al-Hasan al-Ridā, peace be on him, at Minā. Yahyā b. Khālid al- Barmaki along with a group of people from among the family of Barmak passed. So he, peace be on him, said: ‘Those (people) are miserable; they do not know what will befall them in this year. ’”

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The Imām added, saying: “I wonder at this! Hārūn and I are like this. ” He placed his two fingers together.

Musāfir said: “By Allah, we did not understand the meaning of his statement until we buried him beside him (Hārūn al-Rashid). [13]”

Allah accepted the supplication of His friend (al-Ridā). He severely punished the Barāmika, removed their blessings, and destroyed their eminent figures. That is because Hārūn al-Rashid attacked them with violence. He killed Ja‘far and halved him and put each part in a sensitive place in Baghdad. Moreover, he imprisoned Yahyā along with his own children and confiscated their movable and immovable properties.

The Imām’s House is attacked

Hārūn al-Rashid sent al-Julūdi to war against Mohammed b. Ja‘far b. Mohammed, who revolted against him. He ordered him to attack the ‘Alawides’ house and to plunder their womenfolk of their garments and jewels and not to leave them wearing anything except a garment for each of them.

Al-Julūdi attacked the house of Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, so the Imām stood up and gathered the ‘Alawide ladies from among the daughters of Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, in one house, and then he stood up at the door of the house. Al-Julūdi said to the Imām:

“There is no escape from that; I should enter the house and plunder them (of their garments and jewels) just as Hārūn al-Rashid ordered me. ”

“I will give (their garments and jewels) , retorted the Imām, “I swear (by Allah) that I will take all the things they are wearing. ”

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The Imām went on convincing al-Julūdi, and he became calm. Then the Imām entered the house and gathered the garments and ornaments of the ‘Alawide ladies, to the extent that he gathered their earrings, their anklets, and their buttons. Then he handed over all these things to al-Julūdi, who handed them over to the tyrannical one of Baghdad (i. e. Hārūn al-Rashid). [14]”

Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, was very displeased with this flagrant aggression against his household. This means that Hārūn al-Rashid did not respect the dignity of the Imām nor the dignity of the daughters of Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family. Besides he behaved toward them just as Yazid’s soldiers did toward the family of al-Husayn the sweet basil of Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, and the master of the youths of the Garden, peace be on him after murdering him. That was (at Karbalā’) when they pushed each other like vicious dogs in order to loot the garments and ornaments of the ‘Alawide ladies.

Any how, I (i. e. the author) think that Hārūn al-Rashid did not take any other measure toward Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him. It is worth mentioning that the Imām’s soul was full of deep sadness because of the misfortunes which befell his father Imām Mūsā, peace be on him, at the hand of Hārūn al-Rashid, who placed him in a dark prison for many years, tortured him, and then assassinated him. Moreover, he was so displeased with the ‘Alawides that he punished them severely and killed them everywhere. As a result he paid no attention to their genealogical links and closeness to Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, who asked his community to treat his Household kindly and to feel pity for them.

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Sufyān’s Letter to Hārūn

It is an act of goodness to end our talk about Hārūn al-Rashid with this valuable letter which Sufyān al-Thawri (or Sufyān b. ‘Ayniya) sent to him, for it discloses many sides of his life. He had written a letter to Sufyān asking him to show affection toward him and to communicate with him, and he answered him through the following:

“From the servant who will die, to the servant who is deceived by hopes and who is deprived of the sweetness of faith and the pleasure of reciting the Qur’ān.

“Now then, I am writing to inform you that I have severed your robe and cut off your love, and that you have appointed me as a witness against you through your confession against your own soul in your letter, for you attacked the Muslim public treasury, spent it on other than its right and used it up on other than its precept; yet you are not content with what you have done; you are far from me when you wrote to me to make me bear witness against you. As for me and my brothers who were present during the recitation of your letter, we have borne witness against you, and tomorrow we will give the witness before Allah, the Just Judge

“O Hārūn, you attacked the Muslim public treasury without their satisfaction. Are the people with reconciled hearts, the workers in charge with it, the mujāhidin in the way of Allah, and the tramps satisfied with your action? Are those who know the Qur’ān by heart and men of knowledge content with your action? Are the orphans and the widows satisfied with your action? Or are some creatures from your subjects content with it? Therefore, O Hārūn, wrap yourself in your own loincloth and prepare an answer for the question and a gown for the trial; know that you will stand before Allah, the Just Judge, so fear Allah regarding your own soul, for you have been deprived of the sweetness of knowledge, asceticism, the pleasure of reciting the Qur’ān, sitting with the good; you are pleased with yourself when you have become unjust and an Imām for the unjust.

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“O Hārūn, you have sat on the throne, worn the silk, lowered curtains before your door, and likened yourself, through the argument, to the Lord of the worlds, and then you have sat your oppressive soldiers in front of your door and curtain; while they wrong the people and do not treat (them) with justice. They drink wine, punish the drinker, commit adultery, and kill the killer. Are these precepts not against you and them before they judge the people through them? What shall you do, O Hārūn, tomorrow when the caller calls on the part of Allah: ‘Muster the oppressive and their helpers,’ so you will stop before Allah and your hands will be shackled to your neck, which nothing untie except your justice and fairness; the wrongdoers are around you, and you are their Imām and driver to the Fire?

I can see that you are seized by the neck and taken to the driving, while you see your good deeds in the balance of other than you, and the evil deeds of other than you are in your scale (added) to your evil deeds, a trial (added) to a trial, and oppression (added) to oppression. Therefore, fear Allah, O Hārūn, regarding your subjects, and keep Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family, concerning his community; know that this authority will reach other than you just as it has reached you; in this manner the world does toward its inhabitants one by one, so some of them have supplied themselves with useful provisions, and some of them have lost his (life) in this world and the next.

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Beware, and then beware of writing to me after this (letter) , for I will not answer you! Greetings. ”

Then he (Sufyān) sent the letter without stamping and folding. [15] This letter gives an account of that Hārūn al-Rashid illegally spent the properties of the Muslims as well as it gives an account of Sufyān’s firm faith, personality, and self-denial. With this letter we will end our speech about the government of Hārūn al-Rashid.

The Government of Al-Amin

Al-Amin undertook the Islamic leadership after the death of his father. According to the unanimous resolution of the historians, he was unqualified to this high office, for he was distinguished by mean inclinations of which are the following:

1. His Absorbing in Pleasures

After assuming the caliphate, al-Amin devoted himself to amusement and glee; he entrusted the affairs of the state to al-Fadl b. al-Rabi‘, who moved about in the affairs of the state according to his desires and tendencies. [16] He was serious about seeking entertainers[17] as well as he busied himself with the boys and the dancing of women. [18]

2. His Hating Knowledge

Among the qualities of al-Amin is that he detested knowledge and hated scholars. He was unlettered. [19]

If al-Amin had such a quality, then how did Hārūn entrust him with the affairs of the Muslims and appoint him as a ruler over the greatest empire in the world? He entrusted him with the caliphate in response to the feelings of Mrs. Zubayda and the rest of the ‘Abbāsid family whose inclinations were for him.

3. His Weak Opinion

Al-Amin had no wise opinion, for experiences did not teach him; nor did the days educate him. He was given the wide kingdom while he did nothing well. Al- Mas‘ūdi has described him, saying: “He (al-Amin) had ugly behavior and weak opinion. He followed his caprice, neglected his affairs, relied on other than him during great misfortunes, and had confidence in those who were not loyal to him. [20]”

Al-Kutubi also described him, saying: “The ugly things were easy to him, so he followed his caprice and did not reflect on anything of his final result. He was the most miserly of the people (in giving) food. He did not worry where he sat or with whom he drank. [21]”

Concerning him al-Fakhri said: “I have found nothing good in al-Amin’s behavior in order to mention it. [22]”

4. Concealing himself from Subjects

Another example of his inclinations is that he turned away from people as a sign of pride toward them as well as he hid himself from his subjects and the inhabitants of his kingdom, so Ismā‘il b. Sabih, who was preferred to him, hastened to him and said to him: “O Commander of the faithful, the souls of your commanders, your soldiers, and your subjects in general have become malicious; their viewpoints (toward you) have become bad; and they regard as great what they see because of concealing yourself from them, so sit in front of them for an hour and let them come in to you; surely this will calm them and renew their hopes. ”

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Al-Amin responded to this advice and sat in his royal court. The poets went in to him and praised him through their poems, but he did not understand their words. When the people departed, he boarded al-Harrāqa and went to al-Shammāsiya. As for the horses, they stood in ranks and there were men on their backs; they stood on both banks of the Tigris; the kitchen wares and stored things of the palace were carried along with him.

As for al-Harrāqa which he boarded, it was a small ship like the lion. The people had never seen a view more splendid and beautiful than that view. Abū Nu’ās was with him on the ship. He had a drink with him and described that ship, saying:

Allah has prepared for al-Amin mounts which He had not prepared for the Possessor of the mihrab (Sulaymān b. Dāwud).

When his riders travel by land, he travels on the water riding a jungle lion.

A lion stretching out its arms, running, with wide mouth and showing its teeth.

He does not suffer it with the bridle nor with the whip; nor has he placed his own foot in the stirrup.

The people wonder when they see you riding the image of a lion passing like clouds.

They become calm when they see you riding it, then how (is their condition) when they see you riding al-‘Iqāb (the Eagle) [23], with chest, beak, and wings, passing through the waves, going ahead of the birds in the sky in coming and going when they hasten it?

May Allah bless al-Amin and maintain for him the vitality of youth! He is a king of whom praise falls short and a lucky Hāshmi! [24]

These are some trends and qualities of al-Amin; they give an account of an insignificant man who devoted himself to his pleasures and lusts, and paid no attention to the affairs of the Islamic state.

His deposing Al-Ma’mūn

Al-Amin assumed the caliphate on the day when his father al-Rashid died; he received the ring of the caliphate, the gown, and the (iron) bar which the ‘Abbāsid kings had received before him.

Shortly after that, the relationships between al-Amin and Al-Ma’mūn become corrupt, for the retinues who were around them played an important role in creating the crises between them; they exchanged letters which carried insults and curses for each other; and there was in them no summons to cordiality and good will. Accordingly, al-Amin officially removed his brother al-Ma’mūn from the office of regency and entrusted it to his son Mūsā, who was still a baby in the cradle, and called him al-Nātiq bi al-Haqq (the one who says the truth). Then he sent someone to the Holy Ka‘ba to bring him the document of regency which was hung on it and in which al-Rashid had appointed al-Ma’mūn as a successor (after al-Amin). When it was brought to him, he tore it up and did not fulfill it. The historians said that this procedure occurred according to the viewpoints of al-Fadl b. al-Rabi‘ and Bakr b. al-Mu‘tamir. Concerning his breaking regency and his pledging allegiance to his son, a blind man from Baghdad said:

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The cheat of the minister, the act of the Imām, and the opinion of the adviser have lost the caliphate. That is (nothing) except the way of vainglory, and the way of vainglory is the most wicked of all ways.

The Caliph’s deeds are wonderful, but the minister’s deeds are more wonderful than them.

The most wonderful of this and that is that we pledge allegiance to the young child from among us, to him who does not rub his nose well and does not remove the fire stone from his own shoulder.

And that is (nothing) except a tyrannical, seductive one who desires to abolish the brilliant Book. Were it not for the change of the time, would these two (qualities) concern moral lessons or thinking?

However, they are discords like mountains therein he was promoted by the action of the ignoble one. [25]

Al-Rashid is Responsible for these Events

It was Hārūn al-Rashid who created the enmity and discord between his two sons, for he appointed al-Amin as a king after him and nominated al-Ma’mūn as a successor after al-Amin; concerning that he wrote promises and covenants, made (some people) bear witness to that, and then he ordered the document of regency to be hung on the Ka‘ba; whilst he was fully aware of the violent enmity between the two brothers. As a result sorrowful events occurred and resulted in killing ten thousand people and destroying Baghdad. In this connection a poet expressed his deep regret toward al-Rashid’s procedure, saying:

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I say out of the grief in my own soul and the increasing tears of my eye: Firmly prepare yourself for terror; you will meet that which will prevent you from sleeping.

Surely if you stay long, you will see an affair which will prolong for you depression and sleeplessness.

The opinion of the well-mannered king regarding dividing the caliphate and country is the most evil one.

If he had followed the opinion with knowledge, his black partings would have turned white. Through the opinion he desired to put an end to the differences between his two sons and to make them show affection toward each other. But he indifferently exited enmity (between them) and made dispersion inherit their friendliness.

He lighted between them a fierce war and made it easy for them to avoid leadership.

So woe be to the subjects shortly after that, for he (al-Rashid) has given to them as gift intense distress, clothed them in an endless tribulation and made them accompany declination and corruption.

Copious seas will flow out of their blood; they will not see their exhaustion. So the sin of that is always against him, whether that is right or wrong! [26]

Destructive Battles

When al-Amin officially removed his brother from succession and informed him of that, he summoned ‘Ali b. ‘Īsā, gave him a gold shackle, and said to him: “Shackle al-Ma’mūn and do not kill him until you bring him to me. ” He gave him two million dinars in addition to furniture, horses and mules. When the news concerning the procedures which al-Amin took against his brother came from Baghdad, al-Ma’mūn deposed his brother. He appointed himself as a general ruler over Islamic world; deprived al-Amin of land tax; removed his name from the embroidery, the dirham, and the dinar; mutinied against him; summoned Tāhir b. al-Husayn and Harthema b. A‘yun to war against him; and supplied them with an army.

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The two armies met in al-Ray and a terrible battle took place between them, at which rivers of blood flowed. Finally al-Ma’mūn’s Army gained a victory over al- Amin’s Army; the commander-in-chief of his armed forces was killed; and all his provisions and weapons were looted. Then Tāhir b. al-Husayn wrote to al-Fadl b. Sahl, al-Ma’mūn’s minister, to tell him about this marvelous victory and to congratulate him on it. He has mentioned in his letter: “I am writing to you while the head of ‘Ali b. ‘Īsā is on my lap; his ring is in my hand; and praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. ”

So al-Fadl hastened to al-Ma’mūn, gave him good news of this victory, and congratulate him on the caliphate. As for al-Ma’mūn, he became sure of the victory, hence he sent gifts and properties to Tāhir, thanked him very much for that, named him Dhā al-Yaminayn wa Sāhib Khayr al-Yadayn (the possessor of the two right hands and owner of the best hands) , and ordered him to head for Iraq in order to occupy Baghdad and to but an end to his (al-Ma’mūn’s) brother.

When al-Fadl b. al-Rabi‘, al-Amin’s minister, came to know of the defeat of the army and murder of ‘Ali b. ‘Īsā b. Māhān, he became perplexed and was sure of the fatal blow which befell them; concerning that the poet says:

I wonder at the people who hope for a success in an affair through which affairs are not completed.

And how is complete that which they have concluded and sought while dissoluteness is in the foundation of their building?

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The seductive Satan whose promises are delusive have invited them to error.

He achieves through them (his goals) and play with them just as wine plays with him who drinks it.

They have treacherously schemed against the Truth and

al-Ma’mūn; the fallacious are never successful! He (al-Ma’mūn) is just, excellent, and kind to us; the hearts show love for him.

The final results of the affairs are surely for him; the Shari‘a and the Zabūr bear witness to that. [27]

This poetry gives an account of the victory of al-Ma’mūn. It shows that he wined the caliphate; that the authority did not go well with al-Amin, for the foundation of those who supported him was standing on licentiousness and oppression; that error and temptation moved them; and that al-Ma’mūn was victorious, for he was just and highborn, and made the hearts of the people incline to him.

Baghdad is besieged

Al-Ma’mūn’s Army, headed by Tāhir b. al-Husayn, went in a hurry to Baghdad, and it could blockade it. As for al-Amin, he was sure of defeat, so he wrote to Tāhir and asked him for security for his own soul, his family, and his supporters. He promised to hand over the caliphate to his brother al-Ma’mūn. However, Tāhir said: “He (al-Amin) has been besieged; his wing has been broken; and his sinful followers have been defeated. No, by Him in whose hand is my soul, (I will not leave him) until he puts his hand in my hand and yields to me. ” He did not responded to anything of what he (al-Amin) wanted.

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Accordingly, Baghdad remained besieged for a long time to the extent that the features of civilization wherein were destroyed; poverty and misery dominated all its inhabitants; the mischievous and deviants assassinated the innocent, looted properties, and followed women. So a group of the good people headed by Sahl b. Salāma resisted them with their own weapons and drove them away from Baghdad.

Any how, Baghdad suffered heavy casualties, lost its embellishment and radiance; bereavement, sadness, and mourning spread all over its districts. Hence a group of poets lamented over it; among them is al-A‘mā, who says in his poem:

I weep for burning and demolishing houses, looting seeds and provisions, manifesting veiled women bareheaded; they went out without veil or loincloths. You could see them bewildered, not knowing where to go, fleeing just like fleeing antelopes.

Baghdad seemed as if it was not the best view and place of amusement which the eye of a viewer and of a beholder had seen.

Yes such was it, but the decree of the fates took away its beauty and dispersed its unity.

What had befallen the people before them befell them, so they have become conversations reported by those in deserts and cities.

O Baghdad! O house of the kings and place of obtaining various kinds of wishes! O place of pulpits!

O garden of the world! O place of seeking riches and of creating funds through the stores!

Explain to us, where are those as far as I knew that they lived in the flourishing meadow of livelihood?

And where are those kings who walked in processions in the morning and were as beautiful as the bright stars?

The whole poem is pain and anguish for the destruction which included both properties and souls in Baghdad. Another poet describes the condition of Baghdad and the destruction occurred wherein, saying:

Who envied you, O Baghdad? Were you not the delight of the eye for a time?

Were not there in you people whose neighborhoods and houses were one of the ornaments?

The time shouted to them through separation and they perished. What a kind of pain of separation have you found through them? [28]

Another poet mourned for Baghdad and the tragedies which befell its inhabitants, saying:

My eye wept for Baghdad when it lost the freshness of the elegant life.

Worries have taken the place of our delight and distress replaced our plenty.

The eye of an envier befell us and annihilated our people with the catapult.

So some people were forcibly burnt by fire, and a female weeper wailed over a drowned one.

A female crier calling out: O my friends! A female sayer saying: O my brother!

A woman with intensely white and deep black eyes, coquetry, limbs perfumed with musk called out to the compassionate one but there was none compassionate, for the compassionate one was lost along with the gentle one. And people took their goods out of the shadow of a world, but it was sold at every market.

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And an emigrant with a distant house placed without a head in the middle of the road.

He was among their dead, so they did not know to which party he belonged.

There was no son to stay with his father, and the friend escaped from the friend. [29]

This poem shows that Baghdad led a life of chaos, for murder spread; there was no security; and fear dominated it.

Al-Amin is murdered

Al-Ma’mūn’s Army besieged al-Amin; yet he was absorbed in amusement and glee. The historians narrated: “Al-Amin was fishing along with a group of his servants. He was in love with one of them called Kawther. Kawther went out in order to look at the army which surrounded the palace, and he was wounded in the face. Al-Amin came to him, washed the blood off his face, and said:

They have struck the delight of my eye, and because of me they have struck him! May Allah punish the people who have burnt him! [30]

News about his defeated army and his besieged palace successively came to him; still he paid not attention to all of that and went on, along with Kawther, catching fish and putting them into a large basin, and said: “Kawther has caught three fish, and I have caught nothing except two fish. ”

In spite of that critical situation, he went on amusing himself. Any how, the vanguards of al-Ma’mūn’s Army attacked him, beheaded him, and sent his head to Tāhir b. al-Husayn, who installed it on a spear, and recited these words of Him, the Exalted: O Allah, Master of the Kingdom, You give the kingdom to whomever You please and take away the kingdom from whomever you please. [31]

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A poet satirized him, saying:

If a king occupies himself with amusement, then decide against his kingdom through woe and destruction.

Do you not see that the sun descends in the Balance when it leaves early in the morning; and it is the sign of amusement and glee.

Tāhir sent al-Amin’s head to al-Ma’mūn in Khurasān. When al-Ma’mūn saw the head, he became sad and felt sorry for him; however, al-Fadl said to him: “Praise belongs to Allah for this great favor, for Mohammed (i. e. al-Amin) wished to see you in this state in which you have seen him. ”

Then al-Ma’mūn ordered the head of his brother to be installed on a piece of wood in the door yard. Then he gave salaries to the soldiers and ordered them to curse the head. Each soldier took his salary and cursed it. A non-Arab soldier took his salary, and it was said to him: “Curse this head. ” “May Allah curse him and his parents,” he retorted. It was said to him: “You have cursed the Commander of the faithful (i. e. al-Ma’mūn). ” Al-Ma’mūn heard him, but he overlooked him. Then he ordered the head of his brother to be brought down and to be returned to Iraq, so it was buried along with the body. [32]

With this tragedy al-Amin’s life ended, and it gives an account of that al-Ma’mūn was cruel toward his brother and had no mercy on him, and that he was merciless because he craved for the kingdom.

As for al-Amin, he did not face Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him. Perhaps, the reason for that is that he was busy warring against his brother al-Ma’mūn.

The Government of al-Ma’mūn

Before we speak about the affairs of Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, during the time of al-Ma’mūn, it is necessary to give a brief account of al-Ma’mūn as follows:

His Mother

As for al-Ma’mūn’s mother, she was a female slave; she was one of the servants in al-Rashid’s palace; al-Rashid had entrusted her with cooking food. The historians said that she was the ugliest and dirtiest female slave in al-Rashid’s kitchen. Some sources said: “Mrs.

Zubayda played chess with Hārūn al-Rashid and beat him, so she

asked him to have a sexual intercourse with the ugliest slave-wife in

the kitchen, who was Marājil. Hārūn al-Rashid refused that and gave

her the land tax of Egypt and Iraq in order to exempt him from that, but she refused and did not accept it. Then he yielded to her decision and had a sexual intercourse with Marājil, and she born him al-Ma’mūn. [33]”

Al-Ma’mūn was born in the year 170 A. H. when al-Rashid became a caliph. When al-Rashid was given good news of him, he named him al-Ma’mūn as a sign of good omen. [34] Al-Ma’mūn’s mother died during her confinement, so al-Fadl b. Sahl took care of bringing him up.

Those who harbored malice against al-Ma’mūn used his mother and his incapability of undertaking the caliphate as means to satirize and slander him. His brother al-Amin said to him:

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If men vie with each other for their excellence, then you stop, for you cannot vie (with them).

Your Lord has given to you what you desired, but you meet that which is contrary to your caprice with Marājil.

You ascend the pulpits every day hoping for that which you cannot attain after me. [35]

During the days of the discord he reviled him because of his mother and wrote to him:

O son of her who was sold by auction for the smallest price among the people at the market.

Every place of the stitch of a needle in you has a sperm from someone else.

So al-Ma’mūn answered him, saying:

The mothers of men are mere containers and depositories, and the female-slaves have qualified ones.

Many an Arab woman does not beget, and non-Arab one often begets in the female-slave’s quarters. [36]

Praising al-Amin and dispraising al-Ma’mūn’s mother, al-Raqqāshi says: “He was not born by a slave-wife well-known at the market of the traders. [37]”

Al-Ma’mūn had no defect on the side of his mother, for Islam has demolished all these fanatical, pre-Islamic instincts and regarded all human races as equal; therefore none has an excellence over the others except through reverential fear.

Al-Ma’mūn’s Qualities

As for al-Ma’mūn’s psychological qualities and trends, they are as follows:

Treachery

As for treachery, it was among al-Ma’mūn’s characteristics and one of his elements. For example, he appointed Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, as his successor, but when his political ambitions terminated, he betrayed him through giving him fatal poison to drink; we will explain that in the chapters that follow. Similarly, he betrayed a group of the eminent figures of his time of whom he was cautious; who are as follows:

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1. ‘Abd Allah Bin Mūsā al-Hādi

He criticized al-Ma’mūn and shouted at him when he had a drink with him. Al-Ma’mūn was displeased with ‘Abd Allah, so he imprisoned him in his house and ordered some guards to sit at his door. Then he pardoned him and ordered the guards to leave his door. ‘Abd Allah was fond of hunting, so al-Ma’mūn put poison in a francolin and gave it to a servant of his in order to give it to him to eat. That was when ‘Abd Allah was at Mūsā Ābād. When he felt poison, he said to his companions: “This is the last thing which he (al-Ma’mūn) gave me to eat. [38]”

2. Ishāq Bin Mūsā al-Hādi

When al-Ma’mūn was in Khurasān, Ishāq headed some units of the army and occupied some areas of it, so al-Ma’mūn secretly sent his son and one of his servants, and they killed him; then his son took the servant and whipped him to death. [39]

3. Hamid Bin ‘Abd al-Hamid al-Tūsi

Al-Ma’mūn invited him (Hamid) to have a meal. Ahmed b. Abū Khālid al-Ahwal was with him; he was one of those who harbored malice against Hamid and among his enemies. When it was time (for them) to have the meal, al-Ma’mūn sat Ahmed beside him. Hamid was displeased with that, and he said to al-Ma’mūn: “O Commander of the faithful, may Allah not make me die until he make me see that the world is easy to you, that you may see which of us is more useful to you. ”

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Ahmed seized the opportunity and said to al-Ma’mūn: “O Commander of the faithful, he hopes that corruption and discord will dominate your kingdom. ”

As for al-Ma’mūn, he became angry, left the food and did not finish it, and concealed that in his heart. When he wanted to marry Bourān, he said to Hamid: “O Abū Ghānim, I have permitted you to make a pilgrimage. ” Hamid happily departed and ordered his baggage to be prepared. As he was fond of having sexual intercourse, Gabriel b. Bakhtishū’ went in to him and said to him: “O Abū Ghānim, be in a hurry. I hope that you will bring with you some slave-wives while they are pregnant. ” Then he gave him (poison) to drink. ‘Abd Allah al-Tayfūri was at the meeting; he had knowledge of medicine. When he saw the drink, he understood the matter and said to Gabriel: “Abū Ghānim has become weak because of this (drink). ”

Al-Tayfūri meant that he understood the assassination which had been schemed against Abū Ghānim. Abū Ghānim had the drink (of poison) and it immediately acted on him. Al-Tayfūri began treating him and he got well a little bit, but he (al-Ma’mūn) gave him poison to drink again and put an end to him. [40]

4. Al-Fadl Bin Sahl

Al-Fadl b. Sahl was the minister and adviser of al-Ma’mūn. As al-Ma’mūn was afraid of him, he secretly sent someone to assassinate him in the bath-house. We will explain this matter in the researches that follow.

These are some persons whom al-Ma’mūn assassinated; therefore, he followed the example of Mu‘āwiya, who was the first king to open the door to assassination and treachery in the time of Islam.

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Cruelty

Another example of al-Ma’mūn’s qualities is that he was cruel and merciless, for he ordered his brother to be killed and his head to be brought to him. If he had had a tendency of mercy, he would have pardoned his brother, who asked him for pardon and security and was ready to hand over the authority to him. Yet another example of his cruelty is that when he had assassinated Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, he treated the ‘Alawides with cruelty and severity. That was when he ordered his executioners to kill and punish them severely everywhere. [41]

Slyness

The Islamic diplomacy in the ‘Abbāsid time did not witness any person slyer than al-Ma’mūn or more knowledgeable than him in political affairs. He was a first- class politician, for he, through his deception, was able to overcome most terrible events which befell him and were about to fold his life and authority. Through an excellent skill he was able to put an end to his brother al-Amin, who was strongly supported by the ‘Abbāsid family and the high military commanders.

He was also able to suppress the great revolt of Abū al-Sarāyā, the inspired leader. It is worth mentioning that this revolt widely spread and included most Islamic regions when the revolutionists dominated them. The motto of the revolt was ‘the summons to al-Ridā from the family of Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family. ’ Al-Ma’mūn forced Imām al-Ridā peace be on him, who was the only leader of the ‘Alawide family and high authority of Islamic world to leave Medinā for Khurasān.

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Then he forced him to accept regency and ordered all the organs of his government to announce the outstanding merits of Imām ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, and of the rest of the pure Imāms. Moreover he ordered the currency to be minted in the name of Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him. In this manner he made the revolutionists and the military forces who adopted the authority of the ahl al-Bayt, peace be on him believe that he had ‘Alawide beliefs, and that he was earnest in handing over the caliphate to the ‘Alawides, to the extent that they thought that there was no need to continue the revolt and to shed blood.

Meanwhile he was able to discover the Shi‘ite elements whom his fathers were unable to discover. In this manner he suppressed those revolts. I (i. e. the author) think that this is one of the most marvelous, political schemes which the world has ever known throughout the stages of history.

Inclination to Amusement

Al-Ma’mūn extremely inclined to amusement. The following are examples of his inclination to amusement:

A. His Playing Chess

Chess was the most lovable game to al-Ma’mūn. He was fond of it, so he described it through the following poetry lines:

A square, red ground (made) from skin between two thousand (persons) described by generosity.

They discuss war, so they occupy (places) like it without striving therein to shed blood.

This attacks this, and that attacks this, and the eye of war does not sleep.

So look at the horses which have surged at a battle between two armies without a drum nor a flag. [42]

This poetry contains an exact description of chess. I (i. e. the author) think that al-Ma’mūn was the first to describe it in detail, and that he took this game from his father Hārūn al-Rashid, who was the most skillful person in chess. It is worth mentioning that Hārūn gave chess pieces to the King of France, and that the pieces are still available in the Museums of France. [43]

B. His Fondness of Music

Al-Ma’mūn was fond of singing and music. The historians said that al-Ma’mūn extremely admired Abū Ishāq al-Mousli, who was the greatest musician and singer in Arab world, and concerning whom he said: “When he sings, my increasing Satanic temptations go away from me. [44]”

Al-Ma’mūn enlivened his nights through singing, dancing, and playing on the lute. He imitated his father Hārūn al-Rashid, who did not mention the name of Allah in his palace; rather his nights were red.

C. His Drinking Wine

Al-Ma’mūn was alcoholic; he drank wine by day and night, paying no attention to the sin which resulted from this unlawful thing.

With this quality we will end our speech about al-Ma’mūn’s qualities and tendencies.

Al-Ma’mūn receives valuable Gifts

The chiefs and the noble sent valuable gifts to al-Ma’mūn in order to seek nearness to him. The following are some of them:

1. Ahmed b. Yusuf: He sent him a basket made of gold and there was in it an Indian lute equal to is its length and width, and he wrote on it: “This is the day on which the slaves have habituated themselves to sending valuable gifts to their masters; and I have said:

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There is a right against the slave and he, without doubt, does it, even if the master is great and his favors are grand.

Do you not see that we give as gift to Allah His property, and He accepts it though He is in no need of it.

If (things) were given as gift to the great one according to his rank, then the sea and its coast would someday fall short of him.

However, we give as gift to him whom we magnify though we do not have that which is similar to him. [45]”

2. Abū Dalaf al-Qāsim b. ‘Īsā al-‘Ijjli: He sent him on the day of a festival a hundred loads of saffron in silk bags. Wild, gray she-asses carried them. The gifts came while al-Ma’mūn was along with his wife. He was told about the gifts, and he hurried to look at them. When he saw them, he admired them. Then he asked whether the asses were males or females. It was said to him that they were females, so he became pleased with that and said: “I know that the man is so sane that he sends (gifts) on nothing except on she-asses. [46]”

The King of India: He sent him a group of gifts; among them were a cup (made of) ruby and a letter in which he mentioned: “We ask you, O brother, to show favor (toward us) through accepting them and to apologize us for negligence. [47]”

These are some persons who sent gifts to al-Ma’mūn in order to seek nearness to him and to crave for some jobs from him.

Footnote

[1] Hayāt al-Imām al-Ridā, p. 119.

[2] Al-Tamaddun al-Islāmi, vol. 5, p. 118.

[3] Al-Tājj, pp. 40-42.

[4] Tazyeen al-Aswāq. Fawāt al-Wafayāt, vol. 4, p. 225.

[5] Abū al-Farajj al-Asfahāni, al-Aghāni, vol. 5, pp. 69-70.

[6] Ibid. , vol. 9, p. 64.

[7] Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 12, p. 32.

[8] A'yān al-Shi'a, 4/Q2/97.

[9] Ibid.

[10] 'Uyūn Akhbār al-Ridā, vol. 2, p. 226.

[11] Al-Ithāf bi Hub al-Ashrāf, p. 59.

[12] 'Uyūn Akhbār al-Ridā, vol. 2, p. 225.

[13] Ibid. Bihār al-Anwār.

[14] 'Uyūn Akhbār al-Ridā, vol. 2, p. 161. Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 49, p. 166.

[15] Hayāt al-Imām Mūsā b. Ja'far, vol. 2, pp. 55-57, quoted from al-Dimyari's Hayāt al-Hayawān, vol. 2, p. 188.

[16] Hayāt al-Imām Mohammed al-Jawād, p. 284.

[17] Ma'āthir al-Anāqa fi Ma'ālim al-Khilāfa, vol. 1, p. 285. Roudat al-A'yān, p. 99, it has been mentioned wherein that he (al-Amin) bought 'Arabiya, the songstress, for one hundred thousand dinars.

[18] Al-Siyūti, Tārikh al-Khulafā', p. 134. Mukhtasar Tārikh al-Diwal, p. 134.

[19] Al-Maqrizi, al-Silūk li Ma'rifat Diwal al-Mulūk, vol. 1, p. 16.

[20] Al-Tanbih wa al-Ishrāf, p. 302.

[21] 'Uyūn al-Tawārikh, vol. 3, p. 212.

[22] Al-Ādāb al-Sultāniya, p. 212.

[23] Al-'Iqāb was one of the ships which were prepared for al-Amin.

[24] Ibn Manzūr, Abū Nu'ās, pp. 103-104.

[25] Al-Mas'ūdi, Murūjj al-Dhahab, vol. 3, p. 309.

[26] Al-Tabari, Tārikh, the Events of the Year 186 A. H.

[27] Al-Mas'ūdi, Murūjj al-Dhahab, vol. 3, p. 310.

[28] Ibid. , p. 316.

[29] Ibid. , p. 317.

[30] Roudat al-A'yān fi Akhbār Mashāhir al-Zamān, photographed, available at al-Sayyid al-Hakim Library, serial no. 3902, p. 103.

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[31] 'Uyūn al-Tawārikh, vol. 3, p. 211.

[32] Al-Mas'ūdi, Murūjj al-Dhahab, pp. 225-226.

[33] Al-Dimyari, Hayāt al-Hayawān, vol. 1, p. 72.

[34] 'Asr al-Ma'mūn, vol. 1, p. 210.

[35] Al-Dimyari, Hayāt al-Hayawān, vol. 1, p. 72.

[36] 'Asr al-Ma'mūn, vol. 1, p. 210.

[37] Al-Ādāb al-Sultāniya, p. 212.

[38] Asmā' al-Mughtālin, p. 200.

[39] Ibid. , p. 199.

[40] Ibid.

[41] Hayāt al-Imām al-Ridā.

[42] Al-Mustatraf, vol. 2, p. 306.

[43] Hayāt al-Imām Mohammed al-Jawād, p. 233.

[44] Jack C. Rislar, Arab Civilization, p. 108.

[45] Subh al-A'shā, vol. 2, p. 420.

[46] Al-Tuhaf wa al-Hadāyā, p. 105.

[47] Ibid.

His affecting Shiism

His affecting Shiism

Some historians and researchers believed that al-Ma'mūn adopted the Shi'ite doctrine; they depended on the following:

1. Who taught him Shiism?

Before his retinues and companions, al-Ma'mūn declared that he embraced the Shi'ite creed; this has been mentioned in the following tradition: Sufyān b. Nazār narrated, saying: [On day I was with al-Ma'mūn and he asked his companions: ]

"Did you know him who taught me Shiism? "

"No, by Allah, we did not know him," they all replied.

"Al-Rashid did," he retorted.

"How did that occur whilst al-Rashid killed the ahl al-Bayt? " they asked.

"He killed them for the kingdom," he answered, "for the kingdom is barren. One year I made a pilgrimage along with him. When he arrived in Medina, he walked toward his visitors and said to them:

"'If those from Mecca, Medina, the Muhājireen (migrants) , the Ansār (supporters) , the Hāshimites, and the rest of the tribes of Quraysh visit me, they should mention their ancestry. ' The chamberlains obeyed that. When a man wanted to visit him, he introduced himself to the chamberlains. When the man visited him (al-Rashid) , he gave him as a gift according to his rank and lineage; his gift ranging from two hundred to five thousand dinars. "

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Al-Ma'mūn said: "While I was standing, al-Fadl b. al-Rabi' came in and said: 'O Commander of the faithful, there is a man who claims that he is Mūsā b. Ja'far b. Mohammed b. 'Ali b. al-Husayn b. 'Ali b. Abū Tālib. '

"So al-Rashid walked toward his sons and the rest of his commanders and said to them: 'Keep your own souls. ' Then he said to al-Fadl: 'Give him permission to enter and do not (let him stop at any place) except at my own carpet. '"

Al-Ma'mūn said: "Then an old man with a yellow face came; worship exhausted him; he was like an old (water) skin; prostration wounded his face and his nose. When al-Rashid saw him dismounting, he shouted: 'No, by Allah, (he will not dismount) except on my own carpet. ' So the chamberlains prevented him from dismounting; and all the people looked at him with honor, admiration, and magnification. The Imām arrived at the carpet; he was surrounded by the chamberlains and the commanders. He dismounted, and al-Rashid rose for him, received him, accompanied him to the end of the carpet, kissed his face and his eyes, took him by the hand, accompanied him to the beginning of the assembly, sat with him, talked with him, asked him about his conditions, and then he asked him:

"'O Abū al-Hasan, what about your family? Are all of them boys? ' 'No, most of them are followers and retainers,' answered the Imām, 'As for my children, they are more than thirty. '" Then he mentioned the number of the males and of the females.

Then Hārūn (al-Rashid) turned to him and asked him: "Why do you not marry your womenfolk to their cousins and their qualified ones? "

"The hand falls short of that," replied the Imām.

"What about your land? " asked Hārūn.

"It sometimes produces and sometimes does not produce," answer the Imām.

"Are you in debt? " asked Hārūn.

"Yes," replied the Imām.

"How much is it? " asked Hārūn.

"Ten thousand dinars," answered the Imām.

"O cousin," retorted Hārūn, "I will give you a sum of money in order to marry the males to the females, pay your debt, and reform your lands. "

The Imām thanked him for that and said to him: "You have tightened the bonds of kin, O cousin, and Allah has thanked this beautiful intention; the blood relationship is contiguous; kinship is close; the ancestry is one; al-'Abbās is the uncle of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and full brother of his father, the uncle of 'Ali b. Abū Tālib, peace be on him, and full brother of his father; may Allah not make you far from doing that; for He has made you open- handed, made your element honorable, and made your origin high. "

"I will do that with pleasure," promised Hārūn.

Then the Imām advised him to show kindness to the poor in general, saying: "O Commander of the faithful, surely Allah has made it incumbent on the rulers to refresh the poor of the community, to pay (the debts) on behalf of the debtors, to settle (the debts) on behalf of the over burdened, to clothe the naked, and to treat the worried with kindness, for you are appropriate for doing that. "

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"I will do that, Abū al-Hasan," promised Hārūn.

Then the Imām, peace be on him, rose and Hārūn al-Rashid rose for him, kissed his eyes and his face, and then he turned to his sons and said to them: " 'Abd Allah, Mohammed, and Ibrāhim, go before your uncle and master; take hold of the stirrup (of his mount) ; set right his garments on him; and accompany him to his house. "

The Imām departed; on the same road, he delighted al-Ma'mūn and gave him good news of the succession, saying to him: "If you undertake this authority, then treat my children with kindness. "

The Imām went to his house escorted by Hārūn's sons. Then al-Ma'mūn returned to his house. When the sitting-place became void of the people, he turned to his father and asked him: "O Commander of the faithful, who was the man whom you honored, magnified, for whom you rose from your sitting-place and received, whom you sat in front of the sitting-place and you sat beside, and whose stirrup you ordered us to set right? "

"This is the Imām of the people, the proof of Allah over His creatures, and His vicegerent over His servants," replied Hārūn.

Al-Ma'mūn admired this statement, so he asked his father: "O Commander of the faithful, are not all these qualities yours and fulfilled in your person? "

"I am the Imām of the masses by force and through oppression," answered Hārūn, "as for Mūsā b. Ja'far, he is the Imām in truth. By Allah, my little son, his more worthy of being the successor of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, as the caliph than I am and anyone else among the people. By Allah, if you yourself attempt to take such caliphate from me, I shall take it away from you even if that means gouging your eyes, for power is blind! "

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When Hārūn al-Rashid intended to leave Medina for Baghdad, he ordered a parcel of two hundred dinars (to be prepared) , and then he said to al-Fadl b. al- Rabi': "Take it and go to Mūsā b. Ja'far and say to him: The Commander of the faithful say to you: 'We are in financial straits; and our gifts will come to you in the near future. '"

Al-Ma'mūn stood up and said to his father: "You give five thousand dinars or less than it to the children of the Muhājireen (migrants) , of the Ansār (supporters) , and those whose ancestry you do not know; however you give two hundred dinars to Mūsā b. Ja'far, whom you honored and magnified. This is the least gift you have given to any of the people. "

Hārūn scold al-Ma'mūn and said to him: "Keep silent! May you have no mother! If I gave this (i. e. Mūsā b. Ja'far) what I had guaranteed, I would not be safe from him, for he will tomorrow strike my face with one hundred thousand swords from among his Shi'ites and followers; the poverty of this (man) and his household is more useful to me and you than lending a helping hand to them. "

Hārūn expressed his fear of the Imām, peace be on him, so he decided to wage an economic warfare against him lest he should be able to revolt against him. Makhāriq, the singer, was in the session. He felt pain, so he opposed Hārūn and said to him: "O Commander of the faithful, when I enter Medina, its inhabitants ask me for something. If I leave it and do not divide anything among them, they do not realize the favor of the Commander of the faithful toward me, and my rank with him. "

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So Hārūn order ten thousand dinars to be given to Makhāriq, but he said to him: "O Commander of the faithful, this (sum of money) is for the people of Medina. I am in debt, and I want to pay it. "

So Hārūn ordered ten thousand dinars to be given to him. Then he said to him: "I want to join my daughters in marriage. " So he ordered ten thousand dinars to be given to him. Then he said to him: "There is no escape from giving me a land producing for me, my family, and my daughters. " So he gave him a productive land whose revenues amounted ten thousand dinars a year, and he ordered it to be given to him quickly. Then Makhāriq quickly went to the house of Imām (Mūsā) al- Kāzim, peace be on him. When he arrived at it, he asked for permission to visit the Imām. He was given permission, and he said to him: "I have understood why this tyrannical (i. e. Hārūn al-Rashid) treated you in such a manner and what he ordered to be given to you. I tricked him for you, and I took from him three gifts amounting thirty thousand dinars, and a land producing ten thousand dinars a year. By Allah, master, I am in no need of any of that. I did not take it but for you; I bear witness that this productive land belongs to you; and I have brought you the money. "

The Imām, peace be on him, thanked Makhāriq for that and said to him: "May Allah bless you concerning your property and reward you well. I will never take even a dirham of it or a thing of the land. I have accepted your gift and kindness, so depart on the right path and do not consult me concerning that. [1]"

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This narration gives an account of the following:

1. Hārūn al-Rashid honored Imām Mūsā al-Kāzim, peace be on him, whilst he had never honored anyone before him, for he (Hārūn) dominated most regions of the earth and his name spread in the east and the west.

2. He admitted that Imām al-Kāzim, peace be on him, was the proof of Allah over His creatures, that he was the Imām of the community, leader of its temporal and spiritual authority, and that Hārūn was the leader of the community by force and through oppression, not through merit.

3. He gave an enormous amount of money to Makhāriq, the singer, whilst he deprived the children of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, of their legal rights.

Returning Fadak to the 'Alawides

Among the matters depended by those who believed that al-Ma'mūn was a Shi'ite is returning to the 'Alawides Fadak, which the previous government confiscated in order to spread poverty and deprivation among them, and to impose an economic siege on them lest they should oppose those rulers. As a result al-Ma'mūn returned Fadak to them and raised the economic straits from them. Accordingly, Di'bil al-Khazā'i, the poet of the ahl al-Bayt, praised him for this noble deed, which he offered to the 'Alawides, saying:

The face of the time has become smiling when al-Ma'mūn returned Fadak to the Hashimites.

Many researches have regarded this step as a proof of that al-Ma'mūn was a Shi'ite.

The Traditionalists and the Theologians keeps silent

The traditionalists and the theologians kept silent, for al-Ma'mūn confuted them, established argument against them, and produced evidence in support of the Imāmate of Imām 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, and then he asked them the following questions:

"Has the community not narrated unanimously that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, said: 'He who fabricates lies against me, then let him occupy his place in the Fire. '? "

"Yes, O Commander of the faithful," they replied.

Then al-Ma'mūn presented another Prophetic tradition before them, saying: "Any they have narrated on his authority that he said: 'He who disobeys Allah through an act of disobedience, whether small or great, then he adopts it as religion and follows it with insistence is immortal among the layers of the Hellfire. '"

The traditionalists and the theologians confirmed and admitted the tradition, so al-Ma'mūn said to them: "Tell me about a man whom the community chooses: Is it permissible to call him the successor (khalifa) of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, and (appointed) by Allah, the Great and Almighty, whereas the Messenger had not appointed him as a successor? If you say 'yes', then you have stubbornly contended. And if you say 'no', then it is obligatory that so-and-so is not the successor of Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family. "

After a talk took place between him and the traditionalists and the theologians concerning this matter, al-Ma'mūn began preaching to them, saying: "Fear Allah; consider your own souls carefully; leave imitation; avoid vague errors. By Allah, Allah does not accept (any deed) except from a servant who does not do (anything) except through that which he understands and does not enter (anything) except concerning that which he regards as true. Suspicion is doubt, and clinging to doubt is unbelief in Allah, the Most High, and its owner (i. e. the doubter) is in the Fire. "

After this rebuke, al-Ma'mūn turned to them and asked: "Tell me about the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family: Had he appointed (anyone) as a successor before he died or not? "

"He had not appointed (anyone) as a successor," they all replied.

"Was his leaving that (i. e. the succession) guidance or error? " asked al-Ma'mūn.

"Yes, it was guidance," they answered.

So al-Ma'mūn produced evidence in refuting their beliefs, saying: "Isn't it incumbent on the people to follow guidance, to leave falsehood and to avoid error? "

"They have done that (i. e. they have followed guidance) ," they replied.

Then al-Ma'mūn established wonderful argument and proof against their false statement, saying: "Why did the people appoint (Abū Bakr) as a successor after him (i. e. the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family) while he left it (i. e. the succession)? So leaving his practice is error, and it is impossible that guidance is the opposite of guidance. And if leaving succession is guidance, then why did Abū Bakr appoint (someone) as a successor, while the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, did not do that? And why did 'Umar regard the authority after him as a consultative council among the Muslims in contrast with his companion (i. e. Abū Bakr)?

That is because you have claimed that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, did not appoint (anyone) as a successor, whereas Abū Bakr appointed (someone) as a successor, and 'Umar did not leave appointing (someone) as a successor just as Abū Bakr did, and he brought a third meaning, which is the consultative council which he nominated in order to appoint the successor after him. So tell me which of that do you regard as right? If you regard the practice of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, as right, they you have regarded the practice of Abū Bakr as wrong, and such is (my) view concerning the rest of the statements. Then tell me: Which is better according to your claim leaving the succession which the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, did or the succession which a sect did? "

"Tell me: Is it permissible that leaving it (the succession) by the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, is guidance and doing it by other than him is guidance? Is there any guidance the opposite of guidance? So where was then the error?

"Tell me: Has anyone become a ruler through being chosen by the companions since the death of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, up to this day? If you say 'no', then you have made it obligatory that all the people have made error after the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family.

"If you say 'yes', then you have accused the community of lying, and your statement has disproved the existence which cannot be refuted. Then tell me about these words of Him, the Great and Almighty: Say: To whom belongs what is in the heavens and the earth? [30] Is this true or false? "

"Yes, it is true," they replied.

"Isn't that which apart from Allah belongs to Allah if He has created and possessed it? "

"Yes," was the answer.

Accordingly, al-Ma'mūn became exited and said: "So this disproves your obligatory choosing a successor, your making obedience to him obligatory, and your calling him the successor of Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family. It is you who appoint him as a successor, remove him (from office) when you become angry with him and he works in contrast with your love, and you murder him when he refuses to resign. "

After this speech, he spoke to the people with violence. Then he turned to the 'qibbla (the direction to Mecca) , raised his hands, and said: "O Allah I have guided them! O Allah I have explained to them everything obligatory on me!

"O Allah, I believe in seeking nearness to You through preferring 'Ali, peace be on him, to the creatures after Your Prophet Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family, just as Your Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, has ordered us (to do). [31]"

The people kept silent; they did not find any way to defend their beliefs. Most al-Ma'mūn's indications concerning the Imāmate of Imām 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, were based on logic and proof. I (i. e. the author) think that the Imāmate of Imām 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, is as clear as the sun, for it has been made obligatory by his talent and geniuses, his strong clinging to Allah, his asceticism, and his renouncing the world. All these qualities made him worthier of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, than other than him. None of the companions or the relatives of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family,

had such creative qualities of knowledge, honesty, honor,

and the like from among the noble qualities and great tendencies; and through this sense he was more entitled than the rest of the people to the office and rank of the Prophet. As for his relationship to the Prophet, it does not make him preferable to the rest of the Muslims, for it is incorrect to give relationship as proof of his right to undertake the caliphate.

Any how, al-Ma'mūn gave all proofs of the Imāmate of Imām 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, in order to seek nearness to Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, and to find favor with him; this has been demonstrated by Ishāq b. Hammād, who said: "Al-Ma'mūn preferred Imām 'Ali, peace be on him, to all companions (of the Prophet) in order to seek nearness to Imām Abū al-Hasan al-Ridā, peace be on him, who himself would say to his trustworthy companions: 'Do not be deceived by his (al-Ma'mūn's) statement. By Allah, none will kill me except him, but it is necessary for me to be patient until the moment of death comes. '[32]"

His Entrusting the Imām with Regency

Yet another proof depended by those who believed that al-Ma'mūn was a Shi'ite is that he entrusted regency to Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, that he subjected to danger the caliphate the 'Abbāsids undertook and hand it over to the 'Alawides.

These are the most important proofs given by those who say that al-Ma'mūn was a Shi'ite and had 'Alawide thought and opinion.

His Shiism is false

Through abundant consideration and research, I (i. e. the author) have come to know that al-Ma'mūn was not a Shi'ite; nor did he show love for the members of the House ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them. He took the previous measures for political considerations, not for summoning the people to adopt the Shi'ite doctrines, and this can be proved through the following:

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1. Al-Ma'mūn belonged to the 'Abbāsid family, who is famous for showing detest and enmity toward the members of the House ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them. This family begot none except tyrannical persons who wreaked their wrath upon the family and the children of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. They killed them, made them homeless, and punished them severely. They committed crimes toward them, to the extent that even the Umayyad family did not commit them. Rather the Umayyad family thought famous for violent enmity toward the children of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family did not treat them as the 'Abbāsid did; the Umayyads had excellences better than those of the 'Abbāsids. In this book we have explained that the 'Abbāsids persecuted the 'Alawides.

Any how, it is very unlikely that al-Ma'mūn turned away from the line of his fathers, that he changed their program and behavior overnight, that he became an 'Alawide, that he showed love for the opponents of his fathers and subjected his state to danger.

2. As for his disparaging Mu'āwiya and the rulers before him, and preferring Imām 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, to them, it was not earnest; rather it was formal and for political purposes, for al-Taghlubi, a contemporary of al-Ma'mūn, has narrated: "Al-Ma'mūn said: 'And they have thought that it is not permissible to prefer 'Ali except through disparaging the predecessors; I seek sanctuary in Allah from disparaging (anyone) even al-Hajjājj b. Yusuf, so just imagine how much more are the good predecessors? [33]"

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He refused to disparage al-Hajjājj b. Yusuf, the criminal terrorist, who drowned Iraq in the blood of the innocent.

The following poetry lines which confirm that have been ascribed to him:

Love for 'Ali after the Prophet has become my religion in which I believe and because of which I shall not make an apology tomorrow.

I shall not curse (Abū Bakr) al-Sidiq nor 'Umar.

Then Ibn 'Affān, who was unjustly killed, is in the Gardens along with the righteous.

Yet I shall curse neither al-Zubayr nor Talha when a sayer treacherously says.

And I shall not curse 'Ā'isha, the mother; we shall disown him who fabricates lies against her. [34]

Yet there are other examples and proofs which indicate that his Shiism was false, and that he had not any relationship with the members of the House ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them.

3. He assassinated Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, after he had achieved his political aims; he was not satisfied with that, so he ordered his governor over Egypt to wash the pulpits on which he delivered speeches concerning the regency of Imām al-Ridā[35], peace be on him; this procedure shows that he had harbored malice against the Imām.

The 'Alawide family fully understood that the friendship al-Ma'mūn showed toward them was false, formal, and unreal. The narrators said that al-Ma'mūn wrote to 'Abd Allah, Imām al-Ridā's brother, to grant him security and to guarantee him regency after him just as he did toward his brother Imām al-Ridā. It has been mentioned in his letter: "I do not think that any of the family of Abū Tālib will fear me after what I had done toward al-Ridā. "

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So 'Abd Allah answered him in a letter and disclosed therein al-Ma'mūn's intentions as follows:

"I have received your letter and understood it. You want to deceive me with regard to my own soul just as the hunter does, and you want to trick me with the trick of the assassin intending to shed my blood.

"I have wondered at regency and my undertaking it after you. You think that I have not been informed of what you had done toward al-Ridā; how have you come to know that I crave after kingdom? Do you think that (I crave after) the kingdom whose bloom and sweetness have deceived you? By Allah, if I was thrown into a flaming fire while I was alive, it would be more lovable to me than undertaking an authority over the Muslims or drinking unlawful drink during intense, deadly thirst.

"Or (do you think that I crave after) the poisoned grapes through which you had killed al-Ridā? Or do you think that hiding has tired me, and my chess has become strait out of it? By Allah, for that reason I have become tired of life and detested the world. If my religion permitted me to put my hand in yours in order to take your purpose from me, I would do that. However, Allah has made it prohibited for me to risk my blood. Would that you were able, without sacrificing my soul for you, to kill me, and I met Allah, the Great and Almighty, (stained) with my own blood, and I met Him while killed and wronged, so I would get rid of this world.

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"Know that I am one who seeks salvation for his own soul; I have done my best concerning that which makes Allah pleased with me and concerning a work through which I seek nearness to Him; I have found no opinion to guide me to any of that, so I have returned to the Qur'ān in which is guidance and cure; I run over it sura by sura, and verse by verse, but I have found nothing closer to one than martyrdom in seeking His good pleasure.

"I ran over it again considering which kind of jihad was the best and for which class (of people) , so I have found Him, the Great and Almighty, say: Fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness. [36] I asked myself: 'Which kind of the unbelievers is more harmful to Islam and nearer to my place, so I have found that none is more harmful to Islam than you, for the unbelievers have shown their unbelief, and the people have understood their affair, recognized them, and are careful of them. You have deceived the Muslims through (showing) Islam and hiding unbelief; you have killed (people) through doubt and punished them through accusation; you have illegally taken the property of Allah, openly drunk unlawful wine, spent the property of Allah on the amusers, given it to the singers, and deprived the Muslims of it; therefore, you have cheated (them) through (adopting) Islam; you have encompassed Islamic regions just as the Muslims have done; you have decided for the polytheist through Islam, disobeyed Allah and His Messenger just as the stubborn opponent has done.

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"As a result if the time makes me happy and Allah helps me against you through the supporters of the truth, I will sacrifice my own soul for struggling against you with a struggle which He accepts from me, but if He gave you a respite and delayed you in order to punish you through what you deserved in your return (to Him) or the days chose me before that, then sufficient unto me would be my efforts and my intention which Allah, the Great and Almighty, had known. Greetings! "

This letter displays al-Ma'mūn's falseness, deception, and unreal friendship toward the members of the House ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them.

As for the last paragraphs of the letter, they have added al-Ma'mūn to the caravan of the unbelievers against whom jihad is obligatory, and whom should be toppled. They have also demonstrated that al-Ma'mūn used a certain policy to kill the people out of doubt and punished them due to accusation, and that he was sinful, for he drank wine and spent the properties of the Muslims on amusement centers, singers, the mischievous, and the dissolute.

This letter was a thunderous outcry in the face of al-Ma'mūn, the criminal, and it is among the brilliant pages on resisting oppression and tyranny.

It is worth mentioning that another part of this letter or of another letter was sent to al-Ma'mūn by this great Sayyid. It is as follows: "Let me avenge myself on you and your fathers, who regarded our blood as lawful, took our right, openly declared concerning our affair, and of whom we are cautious; you are the subtlest of them in stratagem toward us through your satisfying us and concealing the ordeals we have received (through you) ; you have deceived us one by one, but jihad is lovable to me just as it is lovable to everyone you have wronged. I have sharpened my own sword, installed my own spearhead, and chosen my own horse.

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"I do not know which enemy is the most harmful to Islam, but I have come to know that Allah's Book contains all things; I have read it and found in it: O you who believe, fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness. "

Yet another paragraph of this letter is the following: "I had reflected (on you) and suddenly (found) that you were the most harmful enemy to Islam and the Muslims. For the unbelievers have turned aside from it and opposed it, so the people have become cautious of them and warred against them, but you have apparently entered it, so the people have refrained (from fighting against you) , and you have begun destroying its handles one by one; therefore you are the most harmful enemy to Islam. [37]"

These paragraphs give an account of some sides of the 'Abbāsid policy which was based on wronging the 'Alawides and punishing them severely. Similarly, they give an account of this great Sayyid, the son of Imām Mūsā, peace be on him, who was eager for waging jihad against the government of al-Ma'mūn, the mortal enemy of Islam, for he 'demolished its handles one by one,' as it has been mentioned in the letter.

4. Having assassinated Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, al-Ma'mūn destroyed the 'Alawides. He ordered his intelligence and his security forces to pursue and uproot them, and they assassinated a group of the children of Imām Mūsā, peace be on him. He used poison as a weapon in order to put an end to the progeny of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. For example, he assassinated with poison the great, noble 'Alawide Ibrāhim, the son of Imām Mūsā, peace be on him. When Ibrāhim died, Ibn al-Sammāk buried him and composed, saying:

Al-Imām al-Murtadā has died of poison, and the time has concealed his excellence and knowledge.

He unjustly died at al-Zawrā' just as his forefather was unjustly killed at Karbelā'.

So the yellow sun is mourning for him, and the sad moon is striking his own face. [38]

Surely his assassinating the 'Alawides and pursuing them, to the extent that they escaped out of fear of him and hid themselves in the countries and the cities, disproves his summons to Shiism and indicates that he had no relationship with friendship to the members of the House ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them, namely, he was like his fathers, who were the mortal enemy of the children of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family.

The Reasons for his Pretending Shiism

The Reasons for his Pretending Shiism

It is necessary for us to pause in order to discuss the reasons for al-Ma'mūn's showing friendship toward the members of the House ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them, and for his announcing his Shiism in the official gatherings. I (i. e. the author) think that he pretended Shiism for the following reasons:

A. He was in disagreement with his 'Abbāsid family, who inclined to his brother al-Amin, whose mother was Mrs. Zubayda, who belonged to the 'Abbāsid family and spent generously on the 'Abbāsids. As for the mother of al-Ma'mūn, she was Marājil, who was among the female-slaves in the palace. The 'Abbāsids disdained al-Ma'mūn because of his mother, and he intended to abase them through his showing friendship to the 'Alawides and his designating Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, as a successor after him.

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B. Through his pretending Shiism, al-Ma'mūn intended to please the commanders of his army, who showed tendencies and friendship to the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them.

C. Al-Ma'mūn intended to display sympathy with the 'Alawides and to announce the outstanding merits of Imām 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, that he might attract the feelings of the pious people whose sentiments and hearts were full of love and friendship toward the members of the House (ahl al- Bayt) , peace be on them, so he was able to use them as a weapon during his war against his brother, al-Amin.

D. He pretended Shiism and entrusted the office to Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, in order to suppress the violent, Shi'ite revolt headed by the great Sayyids from among the children of Imām Mūsā b. Ja'far, peace be on him. It is worth mentioning that this revolt extended to most regions of Islamic world and was about to put an end to the 'Abbāsid government, but with unique slyness al-Ma'mūn was able to suppress it; that was when he appointed Imām al-Ridā as a successor after him, for the latter was the master and leader of the 'Alawides, and large part of this community believed in his Imāmate.

As a result, al-Ma'mūn was able to suppress and uproot the revolt through his artificial sympathy with the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them, his designating Imām al-Ridā as his successor, and minting the currency in his name.

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D. He pretended Shiism because he wanted to discover the Shi'ites and to make the authorities know their names and places, for they were hidden groups. It is worth mentioning that the previous 'Abbāsid governments were unable to know of them, their secret activities, and their groups. Accordingly, through his kindness to the 'Alawides, his disparaging the caliphs, and his dispraising Mu'āwiya, and the like, al-Ma'mūn intended to discover the Shi'ites, that his security forces and his police might pursue them; this can be indicated by some official documents issued by him. These are some reasons for al-Ma'mūn's showing love for the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them.

His Policy

During the days of his rule, al-Ma'mūn followed the policy of Mu'āwiya b. Hind. The historians mentioned that he was asked to follow the policy of Abū Bakr and 'Umar, but he refused to accept it. As a result he insisted on following the policy of Mu'āwiya, the wicked pagan, who took money and spent it according to his desires. Al-Ma'mūn said: "There is no escape for me from (following) this (i. e. Mu'āwiya's policy). [39]" Any how, he followed Mu'āwiya's example, so he intended to kill the innocent through giving them poison to drink, and in this manner he was able to put an end to them just as Mu'āwiya did toward his opponents when he said: "Surely Allah has soldiers (made) of honey. " Cunning and deception were the most prominent of his qualities just as they were of Mu'āwiya's.

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His Praising Imām 'Ali, the Commander of the Faithful

Al-Ma'mūn lauded Imām 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, the pioneer of fairness and justice in Islam. He wrote to all regions that 'Ali b. Abū Tālib, peace be on him, was the best of the creatures after Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family. [2] Al-Sawli has reported his poetry lines concerning the excellence of Imām 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him. The following are some of them:

Repentance is not accepted from a repenter but through love for Ibn Abū Tālib, The brother of Allah's Messenger, successor of the rightly guided one; brother is superior to bosom friend and companion.

If they someday gather together regarding excellence, brother surpasses the desire of the desirous.

Advance the guide (al-hādi) in his excellence so that you will be safe from blamer and captious criticizer.

Another example of his poetry lines through which he refuted those who criticized him for his being close to the children of the Prophet is the following:

Many a seducer bites (the tips of his fingers) in rage against me when I bring near the children of the testamentary trustee.

So I have said: Have you not given knowledge, distinguished the misguided from the guided, come to know of my argumentation through the seven oft-repeated verses, intellectual concepts, and firm traditions?

Through which quality and meaning do you prefer unbelievers to 'Ali?

'Ali is the greatest and best of the thaqalayn (men and jinn) in right except the right of the Prophet. [3]

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The following lines are another example of his poetry which he composed regarding the ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them:

If the opponent turns aside (from the Shi'ite) , then I stand

by the Shi'ite. I am among the family of the Prophet of guidance, the best Prophet from among the children of Ghālib.

Love for them is an obligatory religious duty which we should perform just as we perform an obligatory pilgrimage. [4]

This poetry clearly shows that he was a follower of the ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them, and that he preferred them to others.

Al-Sawli has narrated the following poetry lines al-Ma'mūn composed concerning Imām 'Ali, peace be on him:

Mother shows love for the testamentary trustee Abū al-Hasan, and that is with me among the wonders of this time.

The successor of the best of men, and the first to help Allah's Messenger secretly and openly.

Had it not been for him, the Hāshimites would not have seized an authority, and they would in the course of time have perished and been despised.

So he has appointed the 'Abbāsids as governors and has not singled out other than them (for authority). So 'Abd Allah made clear guidance in Basrah, and 'Ubayd Allah bestowed lavishly on Yemen.

And he divided the works of the caliphate among them, so he is still connected to this thankfulness and hostage to (it). [5]

This poetry gives an account of that Imām 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, rendered a service to the 'Abbāsid family when he appointed 'Abd Allah b. al-'Abbās as a governor over Basrah, and he was his minister and special adviser. Similarly he appointed 'Ubay Allah b. al-'Abbās as a ruler over Yemen; however the 'Abbāsid family renounced this favor and treated the children of the Imām with murder and severe punishment and committed toward them crimes which even the Umayyad family had not committed. In this book we have given many examples of their persecuting the 'Alawides. It goes without saying that the 'Abbāsids did not regard them as the children of the Prophet and his trust among his family, on the contrary they killed them everywhere.

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The following two poetry lines has been ascribed to al-Ma'mūn:

If you want the Muraji'i to die before the time of his death, then mention before him the name of 'Ali and call down blessing upon the Prophet and his Household. Ibrāhim b. al-Mahdi, better known as b. Shakkla, answered him, saying:

If the Shi'ite maunders regarding an statement and you want him to reveal what is in himself, then call down blessing upon the Prophet and his two companions, his two helpers and his two neighbors by his grave. [6]

Al-Sawli has mentioned that it was written on one of the columns of the mosque of Basrah: "May Allah have mercy on 'Ali; surely he was pious (taqiyā). "

Hafs Abū 'Amr al-Khattābi, who was one-eyed, would sit beside that column. He erased the writing, and one of the neighbors of the mosque wrote to al-Ma'mūn and told him about al-Khattābi's erasing the writing, so he was displeased with him and ordered him to be brought before him. When al-Khattābi was brought before al-Ma'mūn, he asked him: "Why have you removed the name of the Commander of the faithful from the column? "

"What was on it? " asked al-Khattābi.

"'May Allah have mercy on 'Ali; surely he was pious (taqiyā) ,' was on it. " replied al-Ma'mūn.

"It was written on it," retorted al-Khattābi, "'May Allah have mercy on 'Ali; surely he was a prophet (nabiyā) '"

"You have told a lie," said al-Ma'mūn, "rather the qāf was sounder than your sound eye. Had it not been for that I increase your hypocrisy before the general populace ('āmma) , I would punish you. " Then he ordered him to be driven out. [7]

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His Disparaging Mu'āwiya

Those who thought that al-Ma'mūn was a Shi'ite indicated that he ordered Mu'āwiya b. Hind to be cursed and disparaged all over Islamic world, for he ordered the caller to call: "There shall be no pardon for anyone guilty of praising Mu'āwiya or preferring him to any companion of Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family. [8]"

This cannot be as a proof of that al-Mu'mūn was a Shi'ite, for Mu'āwiya was discovered; his realty appeared; all circles have agreed on dispraising him; he was the mortal enemy of Islam; he was the leader of the events and committed grave sins.

His Proving the Imāmate of Imām 'Ali

The most important thing which those who believed that al-Ma'mūn was a Shi'ite gave as a proof of that he was a Shi'ite is that he held scientific sessions and gave firm proofs of that 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, was an Imām, that he was the first Muslim leader after the Prophet, may Allah bless him 

and his family, that he was more entitled to his rank and worthier of his office than the rest of the people.

Among the most marvelous and important sessions which al-Ma'mūn held in his palace is that which attended by the forty traditionalists and theologians, whom Yahyā b. Akkthem had chosen from among the scholars of Baghdad, who spared no effort to prove that the caliphs were better than Imām 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him. However, al-Ma'mūn refuted their proofs through his decisive indications, which showed his skill and abundant knowledge of theological researches. We will mention the full text of this marvelous debate because it is of great importance; it is as follows:

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Al-Ma'mūn

When the scholars appeared before al-Ma'mūn, he turned to them, greeted them, and said to them: "On this day of mine I want to place an argument between Allah and me, so he who suffers from retention of urine or wants to relieve his nature, then let him go and relieve his nature; be delighted; take off your sandals and your cloaks. "

They carried out al-Ma'mūn's order, then he turned to them and said: "O People, I have summoned you in order to advance you as an argument before Allah, the Exalted, so fear Allah; consider your own souls and your Imām (leader) ; let not my majesty and my place prevent you from saying the truth wherever it be and returning falsehood to him who brings it; fear for your own souls from the Fire; seek nearness to Allah, the Most High, through His good pleasure and preferring obedience to Him, for everyone who seeks nearness to a creature through an act of disobedience to the Creator, Allah empowers him over him; therefore debate with me with your all intellects.

"I claim that 'Ali b. Abū Tālib is the best of all creatures after Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family. If I am right, then regard me statement as right; if I am wrong, then answer me quickly. If you want me to question you, I will question you; if you want to question me, then question me. "

In this speech there is no crookedness or deviation from logic, for its owner seeks plain truth.

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The Traditionalists

"Rather, it is we who will question you," retorted the traditionalists.

Al-Ma'mūn undertook the matter and guided them to the way to debates, saying: "Give (me your proofs) and entrust one of you with your speech. When he speaks and one of you has an addition, then let him add it to his speech; if he brings a shortcoming, then show him rightness. "

The First Proof

A traditionalist mentioned a proof of that Abū Bakr was the best of the community after Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, saying: "We claim that Abū Bakr is the best of the people after Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, for a tradition, upon which there is unanimous agreement, has been transmitted from Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, who said: 'Follow those who will come after me: Abū Bakr and 'Umar. ' As the Prophet of mercy ordered (us) to follow them, we have come to know that he ordered us to follow none except the best of men. "

Al-Ma'mūn's Answer

He objectively discussed the traditions fabricated against the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, saying: "The traditions are numerous; there is no escape from that either they are all right or they are all false or some of them are right or some of them are false; if they are all right, then they are all false, for they contradict each other; if they are all false, then the religion is false and (Islamic) law is dead. As these two possibilities are untrue, the third (possibility) is true, namely some traditions are right and some are false. If (the matter) is such, then there is no escape form (giving) a proof of which of them is right, that we may believe in it and reject the opposite of; therefore, if the evidence for a tradition is right in itself, then it is necessary for one to belive in it and to put it into effect.

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"As for this tradition of yours, it is one of the traditions whose proofs are false in themselves, for Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, is the wisest of the wise, the most entitled of the creatures to truthfulness, and the farthest of men from ordering the impossible and making the people embrace the opposite, for this means that these two men (i. e. Abū Bakr and 'Umar) are harmonious with each other in all sides, (namely) they are one in number, quality, form, and body; it is impossible that two (persons) are equal in meaning in all sides.

"If they are different, then how is it permissible to follow them? This is an order (to perform) that which is unbearable, for if you follow one (of them) , you will oppose the other; the evidence for that they are different is that Abū Bakr had ordered the apostates to be taken as prisoners, while 'Umar regarded them as free; 'Umar ordered Khālid to be removed (from the office) because he had killed Mālik b. Nuwayra, whereas Abū Bakr prevented him from doing that; 'Umar prohibited the two mutt'as, while Abū Bakr had adopted them; 'Umar established the Divan of Gifts, whereas Abū Bakr had not adopted it; Abū Bakr had appointed ('Umar) as successor (after him) , whilst 'Umar did not do that; there are numerous examples of this (matter). "

Al-Ma'mūn's answer is very trustworthy, for he refuted the tradition and established that it was one of the fabricated traditions.

The Second Proof

Through a tradition attributed to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, another traditionalist indicated that the two Shaykhs (i. e. Abū Bakr and 'Umar) were better than Imām 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, saying: "Surely, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, said: 'If I had to take a bosom friend, I would have taken Abū Bakr as a bosom friend. "

Al-Ma'mūn's Answer

Al-Ma'mūn disproved this tradition, saying: "This is impossible, for your traditions show that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, asked his companions to associate as brothers with each other, and that he delayed 'Ali, peace be on him. When he ('Ali) asked him about that, he replied: 'I have delayed you (for nothing) except for my own soul. ' Therefore, if one tradition is established, the other is null and void. "

Al-Ma'mūn's discussion about the tradition is objective; there is no partiality therein; rather it was based on a decisive proof.

The Third Proof

Another traditionalist said: "Surely 'Ali, peace be on him, said on the pulpit: 'The best of this community after the Prophet are Abū Bakr and 'Umar. '"

Al-Ma'mūn discussed this tradition, saying: "This is impossible, for if the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, had come to know that they were the best (of the community) , he had not appointed 'Amrū b. al-'Āss as a commander over them one time and Usāma b. Zayd another time; among the things which refute this tradition is the statement of 'Ali when the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, passed way: 'I am more worthy for being near to the Prophet (than they are) , but I feared that the people would become apostates'; these words of him, peace be on him: 'How are they better than me? I have worshipped Allah before and after them. '" In this manner al-Ma'mūn disproved the tradition and showed that it was fabricated.

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The Fourth Proof

Another traditionalist said: "Surely Abū Bakr closed his door and said: 'Is there anyone to accept my resignation and I will render my resignation to him? ' So he ('Ali) , peace be on him, said to him: 'Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, has advanced you, then who can delay you? '"

Al-Ma'mūn's Answer to the Tradition

He disproved the tradition, saying: "This (tradition) is untrue, for 'Ali, peace be on him, did not pledge allegiance to Abū Bakr; you have narrated that he did make homage until Fātima, peace be on her, died, and that she asked ('Ali) to bury her at night lest they (Abū Bakr and 'Umar) should witness her coffin.

"Another proof is that if the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, appointed him (Abū Bakr) as a caliph, then why did he resign and say to the Ansār: 'I have chosen for you these two men: Abū 'Ubayda and 'Umar'? "

The Fifth Proof

Another traditionalist said: "'Amrū b. al-'Āss asked: 'O Prophet of Allah, which woman is the most lovable to you? ' ''Āi'sha,' he replied. 'Amrū asked again: 'Which man is the most lovable to you? ' 'Her father (i. e. Abū Bakr) ,' he answered. "

Al-Ma'mūn's Answer

He refuted this tradition, saying: "This (tradition) is false, for you have narrated that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, placed before him a grilled bird and said: 'O Allah, bring me the most lovable creature to you,' and it was 'Ali (who came to him). Then which of your traditions do you accept? "

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The Muslims have unanimously agreed that 'Ali was the most lovable of the creatures to Allah and the nearest of them to Him.

The Sixth Proof

Another traditionalist said: "'Ali said: 'If one prefers me to Abū Bakr and 'Umar, I will administer the punishment of the liar to him. "

Al-Ma'mūn's Answer

He answered this tradition ascribed to Imām 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, saying: "How is it permissible for 'Ali to administer such a punishment to him against whom there is no punishment? Therefore, he broke the punishments prescribed by Allah and opposed His orders. He who prefers 'Ali to Abū Bakr and 'Umar is not a liar, for you have narrated on the authority of your Imām (Abū Bakr) , who said: 'I have become a caliph over you but I am not the best of you.

' So which of the two men is more truthful in your viewpoint Abū Bakr against himself or 'Ali against Abū Bakr, though the tradition contradicts itself? There is no escape from that he is either truthful or a liar. If he is truthful, then how did he come to know that? Through a revelation (whereas) the revelation has ceased? Or through conjecture (while) the conjecturer is perplexed? Or through thinking (whereas) thinking (nazar) is a research? And if he was untruthful, then it is impossible for a liar to undertake the authority and precepts of the Muslims and to administer the prescribed punishments to them. "

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The Seventh Proof

Another traditionalist said: "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, said: 'Abū Bakr and 'Umar will be the masters of the old men of the Garden. '"

Al-Ma'mūn's Answer

He said: "This tradition is impossible, for there will be no old men in the Garden; it is narrated that Ashhamiya visited the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and he said to her: 'No old woman will enter the Garden. ' She wept, so the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, said to her: [Allah, the Most High says: ] 'Surely We have made them to grow into a (new) growth. Then We have made them virgins, loving, equals in age. [9]' If you claim that Abū Bakr will be a young man when he enters the Garden, then you have narrated that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, said concerning al-Hasan and al-Husayn: 'Surely they are the masters of the youths of the haven from among the first and the last; their father is better than them. '"

Al-Ma'mūn's answer to the tradition is logical and not based on doctrinal caprices and trends.

The Eighth Proof

Another traditionalist said: "The Prophet said: 'If I had not been appointed (as a prophet) among you, then 'Umar would have been appointed. '"

Al-Ma'mūn's Answer

Disproving this tradition, al-Ma'mūn said: "This (tradition) is impossible, for Allah, the Exalted, says (to the Prophet): Surely We have revealed to you as We revealed to Nuh and the prophets after him. [10] And He, the Most High, said: And when We made a covenant with the prophets and with you, and with Nuh and Ibrahim and Musa and Isa, son of Maryam. [11] Therefore, is it permissible for Allah to appoint as a prophet him with whom He had not made a covenant and to delay him with whom He had made a covenant for Prophethood? "

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Al-Ma'mūn's answer to the tradition is based on intellect and logic, and nothing therein deviates from them.

The Ninth Proof

Another traditionalist advanced an argument, saying: "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, looked at 'Umar on the Day of 'Arafa, smiled (at him) and said: 'Surely Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, boasts of His creatures in general and of 'Umar in particular. '"

Al-Ma'mūn's Answer

Disproving this tradition, al-Ma'mūn said: "This is impossible, for Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, does not boast of 'Umar and leaves His Prophet; therefore, 'Umar is among the elite and the Prophet is among the populace.

"This tradition is not more wonderful than your tradition which says that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, said: 'I entered the Garden and suddenly I heard the beat of two sandals; (I came to know that) Bilāl, Abū Bakr's retainer, had entered the Garden before me. ' For this reason you have said: 'Abū Bakr's retainer is better than the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, for the early is better than the late. '"

The Tenth Proof

Another traditionalist said: "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, said: 'If the punishment came down, none would be safe from it except 'Umar b. al- Khattāb. '"

Al-Ma'mūn's Answer

He said: "This tradition also opposes the Book, for Allah, the Exalted, says to His Prophet: But Allah was not going to chastise them while you were among them. [12] So you have regarded 'Umar as an equal to the Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family. "

The Eleventh Proof

Another traditionalist said: "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, bore witness that 'Umar would enter the Garden before ten of his companions. "

Al-Ma'mūn's Answer

He said: "If 'Umar was as you have said, he would not say to Hudhayfa: 'I adjure you before Allah, am I among the hypocrites? ' If the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, had said to him: 'You are among the inhabitants of the Garden,' and he did not believe him and Hudhayfa confirmed him, then he believed Hudhayfa and did not believe the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and this is (something) opposes Islam; if he had believed the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, then why did he ask Hudhayfa? These traditions contradict each other. "

The Twelfth Proof

Another traditionalist said: "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, said: 'I was placed in the scale of a balance and my community was placed in the other scale, and I outweighed it; then Abū Bakr was put in my place, and he outweighed it; then 'Umar (was put in his place) , and he outweighed it; then the balance was raised. '"

He confuted this tradition, saying: "This (tradition) is impossible, for either their bodies or their deeds were placed in the balance. If their bodies (were placed in the balance) , then every human being knows that their bodies do not outweigh the bodies of the community; if their deeds (were placed in the balance) , then they have not been (weighed) yet. Just imagine how much more is that which has not been (weighed) yet? "

Al-Ma'mūn's questions

Then al-Ma'mūn turned to the traditionalists and asked them: "Tell me: Through which thing do the people claim that they are superior to each other? "

"They claim that they are superior to one another through good deeds," replied a traditionalist.

Commenting on this statement, al-Ma'mūn said: "Tell me about him who was more excellent than his companion during the time of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family: did the less excellent (mafdūl) do after the death of the Messenger more than the most excellent (al-fādil) did in the time of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family? Would he be equal to him? If you say 'yes', then I will make you find in this time of ours him who is the best of them in jihād, hajj, fasting, prayer, and alms. "

"You are right," they all replied, "the most excellent (fādil) in our time is not equal to the most excellent in the time of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. "

So al-Ma'mūn said to them: "Carefully consider what your Imāms, from whom you have taken your doctrines, have narrated concerning the outstanding merits of 'Ali, peace be on him, and compare them with what it has been mentioned concerning the ten (persons) for whom they have borne witness that they will enter the Garden. If they ('Ali's outstanding merits) were part of numerous parts, then you are right; if they (your Imāms) have narrated concerning 'Ali's excellences more (than they have narrated concerning the excellences of the ten persons) , then take what your Imāms have narrated and do not exceed (it). "

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The traditionalists were perplexed, not knowing what to answer, for al-Ma'mūn had closed before them all avenues of argument. Then al-Ma'mūn turned to them and asked: "Why have you kept silent? "

"We have fully searched out (the matter) ," they replied. That is because they had nothing to advance as an argument.

"I am going to question you," said al-Ma'mūn, "tell me: which work was the best when Allah appointed His Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family? "

"Priority in belief in Islam," they all answered, "for Allah, the Exalted, says: And the foremost are the foremost, these are they who are drawn nigh (to Allah). [13]"

"So did you know that there was anyone earlier than 'Ali (in belief) in Islam? " asked al-Ma'mūn.

"He (Ali) was earlier but he was still young; there was no religious, obligatory duty on him. As for Abū Bakr, he became a Muslim when he was an old man, and there was a religious, obligatory duty on him, so there is a difference between these two states," they answered.

Al-Ma'mūn answered, saying: "Tell me about the Islam of 'Ali: Was it through an inspiration by Allah, the Exalted, or through the summons of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family? If you say that it was through an inspiration, then you have preferred him to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, for the Prophet had not been inspired; rather Gabriel came to him from Allah; he summoned him to Him and informed him of Him.

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"If you say (that 'Ali became Muslim) through the summons of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, then did he summoned him (to Islam) of his own accord or through the order of Allah, the Most High? If you say (that he summoned him to it) of his own accord, then this opposes the words through which Allah has described His Prophet, saying: Say: I do not ask you for any reward for it; nor am I of those who affect [14], and through these words of Him, the Exalted: Nor does he speak out of desire. It is not naught but revelation that is revealed. [15] If he (summoned him) on behalf of Allah, then Allah had ordered His Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, to summon 'Ali (to Islam) from among the boys of the people and preferred him to them. Therefore, he (the Prophet) summoned him ('Ali to Islam) because he was trustworthy and Allah, the Exalted, supported him.

"Yet there is another quality. Tell me: Is it permissible for the Wise (Allah) to impose upon His creatures unbearable religious duties? If you say 'yes', then you are unbelievers; if you say 'no', then how is it permissible for Him to order His Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, to summon him who does not accept what he is ordered (to perform) because of his boyhood, minority, and his being weak to accept (Islam).

"Still there is another reason. Did you know that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, summoned any boy from among the boys of his family or other than them, and he was equal to 'Ali? So, if you claim that he had not summoned any other than him, then this is an excellence for 'Ali over the boys of the people. "

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Then al-Ma'mūn turned to the traditionalists and asked them: "Which work is after the precedence to faith? "

"Jihad in the path of Allah," they all answered.

As a result al-Ma'mūn continued establishing argument against them concerning that Imām 'Ali was the most excellent one, saying: Do you think that any of the ten (persons) had any act during jihad as 'Ali had throughout the attitudes of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family? (For example, at the Battle of) Badr more than sixty polytheists were killed; 'Ali killed more than twenty, and the rest of the people killed forty. "

"Abū Bakr was directing it (the battle) along with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, in his canopy," a traditionalist replied.

"You have brought a wonder through this," retorted al-Ma'mūn, "was he (Abū Bakr) directing it with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, or without him? Did he make him as a partner? Was the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, in need of Abū Bakr's opinion? Which of these three (viewpoints) is the most lovable to you? "

"I seek refuge in Allah," replied the traditionalist, "I do not claim that he (Abū Bakr) directed it without the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, or he (the Prophet) made him as a partner or the Prophet was in need of him. "

"Then what is the excellence (of his being) in the canopy? " asked al-Ma'mūn, "if the excellence of Abū Bakr came through absenting himself from the battle, then all those who absented themselves (from it) must be more excellent than the mujāhideen, while Allah, the Great and Almighty, says: The holders back from among the believers, not having any injury, and those who strive hard in Allah's way with their property and their persons are not equal; Allah has made the strivers with their property and their persons to excel the holders back a (high) degree, and to each (class) Allah has promised good; and Allah shall grant to the strivers above the holders back a mighty reward. [16]"

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Then al-Ma'mūn addressed Ishāq b. Hammād b. Zayd, a leading traditionalist, saying: "Recite the Sura Hal Atā. "

Ishāq recited the Sura. When he reached these words of Him, the Exalted: And they give food out of love for Him to the poor and the orphan and the captive.... , al-Ma'mūn asked him: "Concerning whom these verses have been revealed? "

"Concerning 'Ali," answered the traditionalist.

"Have you heard that 'Ali, peace be on him, had said: 'We only feed you for Allah's sake; we desire from you neither reward nor thanks,' when he had given food to the poor, the orphan, and the captive? "

"No," replied the traditionalist, "surely Allah, the Most High, had known 'Ali's inner self and intention, so He has manifested that in His Book, that His creatures may recognize his ('Ali's) affairs. "

"Did you come to know that Allah has described the Garden with a thing other than the (transparent) glasses made of siliver (qawārir) as it is in this verse? " asked al-Ma'mūn.

"No," came the answer.

"Therefore, this is another excellence," retorted al-Ma'mūn, "What did Allah mean by the (transparent) glass made of siliver (qawārir)? "

"I do not know," was the answer.

"He meant that they were made of siliver because of their clearness," commented al-Ma'mūn, "what in them is seen just as what outside them is seen; this is like these words of him (the Prophet) , may Allah bless him and his family: 'O Ishāq, your longing for the (transparent) glasses made of siliver (qawārir) ' (must be) gentle, by this he meant the women who were as transparent as glasses made of siliver; (this is) like these words of him, may Allah bless him and his family: 'I rode the horse of Abū Tallha and found it a sea,' namely, it was like a sea because of its abundant running; and like these words of Him, the Exalted: And death will come to him from every quarter, but he shall not die; and there shall be vehement chastisement before him [17], which mean that as if death came to him (from every quarter) ; and if it came to him from one quarter, he would die. "

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"O Ishāq, are you not among those who bear witness that the ten (persons) are in the Garden? " asked al-Ma'mūn.

"Yes," came the answer.

"If one says: 'I do not know whether this tradition is right or wrong,' do you regard him as an unbeliever? " asked al-Ma'mūn.

"No," was the answer.

"If one says: 'I do not know whether this sura (belongs) to the Qur'ān or not,' do you regard him as an unbeliever? " asked al-Ma'mūn.

"Yes," came the answer.

"O Ishāq," said al-Ma'mūn, "tell me about the tradition of the grilled bird: Is it authentic in your view? "

"Yes," was the answer.

"By Allah, your obstinacy has appeared," retorted al-Ma'mūn, "either this (i. e. 'Ali) is as the Prophet summoned him or he is rejected, or Allah had known the most excellent (al-fādil) of His creatures, but the less excellent (al-mafdūl) was more lovable to Him, or you claim that Allah does not distinguish the most excellent (al-fādil) from the less excellent (al-mafdūl) ; therefore, which of these three (views) is the most lovable to you? "

Ishāq became perplexed, did not find any answer, and remained thinking until he found a way to defend his viewpoint, saying: "O Commander of the faithful, surely Allah, the Exalted, says concerning Abū Bakr: "He is the second of the two, when they were both in the cave, when he said to his companion: Grieve not, surely Allah is with us. [18] So Allah ascribed him to the companionship of His Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. "

"Glory belongs to Allah! " exclaimed al-Ma'mūn, "how little your knowledge of the language and the Book is! The unbeliever may be the companion of the believer. Therefore, which excellence is in this (companionship)? Have you not heard these words of Him, the Most High: His companion said to him while disputing with him: Do you disbelieve in Him Who created you from dust, then from a small life-germ, then He made you a perfect man? [19] He made him a 

companion for him; and al-Hazali composed poetry, saying:

I left early in the morning and my wild companion (which) was under the cloak was aware of the east.

"And al-Azdi has said:

I summoned the wild animal regarding it and my companion has pure legs and body.

"Therefore, he regarded his own horse as his companion. As for these words of Him: surely Allah is with us, Allah is with the pious and the sinful. Have you not heard these words of Him, the Most High: Nowhere is there a secret counsel between three persons but He is the fourth of them; nor (between) five but He is the sixth of them; nor less than that nor more but He is with them wherever they are. [20] As regarding these words of Him: Grieve not, tell me about the grief of Abū Bakr: Was it obedience or disobedience? If you claim that it was obedience, then you have regarded the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, as one who prohibits obedience, and this opposes the attribute of the Wise (Allah) ; and if you claim that it was disobedience, then the disobedient have no excellence. Tell me about these words of Him, the Exalted: Allah send down His tranquillity upon him. Upon whom (did He send tranquillity)? "

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"He sent down tranquillity upon Abū Bakr," replied Ishāq, "for the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, was free from the quality of tranquillity. "

Then al-Ma'mūn demanded: "Tell me about these words of Him, the Exalted: Certainly Allah helped you in many battlefields and on the Battle of Hunayn, when your great numbers made you vain, but they availed you nothing and the earth became strait to you notwithstanding its spaciousness, then you turned back retreating. Then Allah sent down His tranquillity upon His Apostle and upon the believers. [21] Do you know the believers whom Allah has meant in this verse? "

"No," was the answer.

Then al-Ma'mūn explained the meaning of this sacred verse, saying: "Surely the people turned their backs in flight at the Battle of Hunayn, so none stayed with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, except seven Hāshimites: 'Ali, peace be on him, was striking (the polytheists) with his sword; al-'Abbās took hold of the bridle of the mule of Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, and five persons were surrounding the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, lest he should be wounded by the weapon of the unbelievers until Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, granted His Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, a victory.

The believers whom Allah meant in this verse were 'Ali and the Hāshimites who were present. So who was more excellent he who was with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and the tranquillity was sent down upon the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and upon him or he who was in the cave with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and was not entitled to sending it upon him? O Ishāq, who is more excellent he who was in the cave with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, or he who slept on his bed and protected him with his own soul until the determined emigration went well with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family?

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"Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, ordered His Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, to order 'Ali to sleep on his bed and to protect him with his own soul. So he ordered 'Ali to do that, and he said: 'Will you be safe, O Allah's Prophet? ' 'Yes,' he said. 'I listen and obey,' he retorted. Then he ('Ali) wore the Prophet's garment, and slept on his bed. As for the polytheists, they surrounded him; they were sure that it was the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, who was on bed. They had unanimously agreed that each man from each Qurayshi tribe should strike him one time, lest the Hāshimites should demand his blood. As for 'Ali, peace be on him, he heard of the order of the people which would destroy his own soul, but he was not as impatient as Abū Bakr was in the cave while he was with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. 'Ali was still alone with patience and fore-thought, so Allah sent His angels to protect him from the polytheists of Quraysh. When he entered upon morning, he got up. The people looked at him and asked: 'Where is Mohammed? ' 'I do not know,' he answered. 'Then you have deceived us,' they retorted. Then he followed the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. Therefore, 'Ali was still the most excellent due to his (brave) attitudes; he increased himself nothing except good until Allah, the Exalted, took him to Himself while he was praiseworthy and forgiven. "

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"O Ishāq, do you not narrate the tradition of authority (hadith al-wilāya)? " asked al-Ma'mūn.

"Yes," came the answer.

"Narrate it," ordered al-Ma'mūn.

He narrated it to al-Ma'mūn, and he asked him: "Do you not see that it (the tradition) has made obligatory his right against Abū Bakr and 'Umar whereas it has not made obligatory their rights against him? "

"The people say that the Prophet said this tradition concerning Zayd b. Hāritha," answered Ishāq.

Denying this answer, al-Ma'mūn asked: "Where did the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, say it? "

"He said it at Ghadir Khum," replied Ishāq, "after he had finished the Farewell Pilgrimage. "

Al-Ma'mūn hastened to disprove that, asking: "When was Zayd b. Hāritha killed? Was he not killed before Ghadir Khum? "

"Yes," was the answer.

"Tell me: If you came to know that your own son became fifteen years of age and said: 'My master is the master of my cousin, O people accept (him) ,' would you hate that? " asked al-Ma'mūn.

"Yes," came the answer.

Denying these words of Ishāq, al-Ma'mūn asked: "Do you deem your son far above what you do not deem the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, far above? "

Then al-Ma'mūn turned to him in order to establish an argument against him, saying: "Do you narrate the statement of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, to 'Ali: 'Your position with me is as Hārūn had with Mūsā. '? "

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"Yes," was the answer.

"Did you not know that Hārūn was the brother of Mūsā on side of his father and mother? " asked al-Ma'mūn.

"Yes," came the answer.

"So did 'Ali have such a position? " asked al-Ma'mūn.

"No," was the answer.

"Hārūn was a prophet," retorted al-Ma'mūn, "but 'Ali was not a prophet, so the third position is nothing except the succession (khilāfa). The hypocrites said: 'He (the Prophet) was displeased with him ('Ali) ; he appointed him as a successor in order to soothe him. ' This is just as Allah has given an account of Mūsā when he said to Hārūn: Take my place among my people, and act well and do not follow the way of the mischief-makers. [22]"

Commenting on these words of al-Ma'mūn, Ishāq said: "Surely Mūsā appointed Hārūn as successor among his people while he was alive, and then he went to the appointed place and time of his Lord; surely the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, appointed 'Ali when he went out to make campaigns (ghazawāt). "

Al-Ma'mūn answered him, saying: "Tell me about Mūsā: Was there with him any of his companions when he appointed Hārūn as successor and went to the appointed place and time of his Lord, the Great and Almighty? "

"Yes," answered Ishāq.

"Did he not appoint him as a successor over them all? "

"Yes," came the answer.

"So such was 'Ali," explained al-Ma'mūn, "when the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, went out to make campaigns, he appointed him as a successor over the weak, the women, and the boys, for most of his people were along with him; he appointed him as a successor over them all; the proof of that he appointed him as a successor over them all during his lifetime, his absence, and after his death is this statement of him, may Allah bless him and his family: ' 'Ali's position with me is as Hārūn had with Mūsā, except that there will be no prophet after me. ' According to this statement, he was also the helper of the Prophet,may Allah bless him and his family,for Mūsāsupplicated Allah,the Exalted,and said in his supplication:

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And give to me an aider from my family, Hārūn,my brother. Strengthen my back by him,and associate him (with me) in my affair. [23] Therefore, if 'Ali had a position with the Prophet as Hārūn had with Mūsā, then he was his aider just as Hārūn was the aider of Mūsā and was his successor just as Hārūn was the successor of Mūsā. "

Al-Ma'mūn debates with Theologians

After al-Ma'mūn had debated with the traditionalists and overcome them through discussing the traditions which they produced as evidence in support of their beliefs, he turned to the theologians and asked them:

"Shall I question you or you question me? "

"Rather we shall question you," they replied.

A theologian turned to al-Ma'mūn and asked him: "Wasn't the Imāmate of 'Ali, peace be on him, (decided) by Allah, the Great and Almighty? Was it reported from Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, by him who reported the religious duties such as the four-rak'a noon prayer, one dirham per five dirhams, and the hajj to Mecca? "

"Yes," replied al-Ma'mūn.

"Why have the people not differed over all religious duties and differed over the Imāmate of 'Ali only? "

"Because they do not compete and desire for the religious duties as they do for the succession (khilāfa) ," answered al-Ma'mūn.

Another theologian asked: "Have you not denied that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, ordered the people to elect a man from among them in order to take his place as a signof mercy and gentleness toward them, without that he himself did not appoint anyone as a successor lest his successor should be disobeyed, so the punishment would befall them? "

Al-Ma'mūn replied: "I have denied that, for Allah, the Exalted, is more merciful to His creatures than the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and He already sent His Prophet to them and knew that there were obedient and disobedient among them; still that did not prevent Him, the Most High, from sending him.

"Yet there is another reason: If he (the Prophet) had ordered them to elect a man from among them, then either he would have ordered them all or some of them. If he had ordered them all, who would have been the elected one? And if he had ordered some of them, then there would have been a sign for this meaning. If you say that (the sign) is the jurists, then there is no escape from specifying the jurist and his qualities. "

Another theologian said: "It has been narrated that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, said: 'If the Muslims regard something as good, then Allah regards it as good; and if they regard something as ugly, then Allah regards it as ugly. "

Al-Ma'mūn disproved this corrupt statement which requires correction (taswib) which is generally regarded as void, and which is that when Allah decrees a certain event, some people rectify Him and others accuse Him of mistake; and this is the answer of al-Ma'mūn: "There is no escape from that this statement either concerns all the believers or some of them. If it concerns all (the believers) , then this is impossible, for it is not possible for the whole (believers) to be in agreement; and if it concerns some of them, then each (sect) narrates something good concerning its leader (sāhib) just as the narration of the Shi'ites concerning 'Ali and the narration of the Hashawiya concerning other than him, so when do you establish what you want regarding the Imāmate? "

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Another theologian asked: "So is it permissible for you to claim that the companions of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, were mistaken? "

Al-Ma'mūn answered him, saying: "How do we claim that they were mistaken and were in agreement on error while they knew neither a religious duty nor a tradition (sunna) , for you have claimed that the Imāmate is not a religious duty from Allah nor a tradition from the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family? So how is the Imāmate wrong while it is neither a religious duty nor a tradition in your viewpoint? "

Another theologian said to al-Ma'mūn: "You claim that the Imāmate belongs to 'Ali and not to other than him, then produce evidence in support of what you claim. "

"I do not claim that," explained al-Ma'mūn, "but I acknowledge that; the claimer is he who claims that appointment, deposition, and choice belong to him. As for evidence, it is entrusted to his partners, for they are opponents, or it must be produced by other than them, and the others are not available, so how is evidence produced in support of this (matter)? "

Another theologian asked: "What had 'Ali, peace be on him, to do after the death of Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family? "

"He had done it," replied al-Ma'mūn. (i. e. 'Ali had done what was obligatory on him).

"Was it not obligatory on 'Ali to tell the people that he was an Imām? " asked the theologian.

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Al-Ma'mūn retorted: "Surely the Imāmate does not occur through an act from him concerning himself; nor does it occur through an act from the people concerning him such as choice or preference or the like; rather it occurs through an act from Allah concerning him just as He said to Ibrāhim: Surely I will make you an Imām of men. [24] And just as He, the Most high, said to Dāwud: O Dāwud We have made you a ruler in the land. [25] And just as He, the Great and Almighty, said to the angels: I am going to place in the earth a vicegerent (khalifa). [26]

"Therefore the Imām becomes an Imām on the part of Allah, the Exalted, and through His choosing him through good deed in beginning, nobility in ancestry, purity in childhood, and infallibility in the future. If the Imāmate occurs through an act from him concerning himself, then he who performs such an act is worthy of it; if he performs an act opposite to it and resigns, then he is a vicegerent (khalifa) on the part of his deeds. "

Another theologian asked al-Ma'mūn, saying: "Why have you regarded the Imāmate as obligatory for 'Ali after the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family? "

Al-Ma'mūn answered: "Because he was faithful when a child just as the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family was; he renounced the error of his people and refrained from polytheism just as the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, did, for polytheism is oppression, and the oppressive cannot be an Imām; he ('Ali) was not among those who worshipped the idols according to the unanimous resolution (of the Muslims). He who becomes a polytheist takes the place of the enemies of Allah, the Exalted, so the decision concerning him ('Ali) is the witness to him through that on which the community has unanimously agreed until another unanimous resolution like it comes, and for it is not permissible for one convicted even one time to be a ruler; if the ruler is convicted one time, then there is no difference between him and the convicted. "

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Another theologian asked al-Ma'mūn: "Why did 'Ali, peace be on him, not war against Abū Bakr and 'Umar just as he did against Mu'āwiya? "

"The matter is impossible," replied al-Ma'mūn, "for the 'why' (lima) is requirement, and 'did not do' is denying, and there is no cause for denying; rather the cause is for positiveness; it is obligatory to think about the authority of 'Ali, peace be on him, was it (decided) by Allah or by other than Him? If it is correct that it (was decided) by Allah, then doubt of His direction is unbelief because of these words of Him, the Most High: But no! by your Lord! they do not believe (in reality) until they make you a judge of that which has become a matter of disagreement among them, and then do not find any straitness in their hearts as to what you have decided and submit with entire submission. [27] So the deeds of a doer are a link clinging to him; therefore, if his undertaking (the authority) was from Allah, the Exalted, then his deeds from Him, and it is obligatory on the people to be content and submissive. And Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, left a warring against the polytheists on the Day of al-Hudaybiya, on the day when the polytheists prevented his animals for immolation (haddyahū) from (going to) the House (i. e. the Ka'ba). However, when he found helpers and became strong, he warred (against them) just as Allah, the Most High, has said concerning the first (attitude): So turn away with kindly forgiveness. [28] Then He, the Great and Almighty, said: Then slay the polytheists wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush. [29]"

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Another theologian asked him, saying: "If you claim that the Imāmate of 'Ali, peace be on him, (was decided) by Allah, the Exalted, and obedience to him was obligatory, then why it was not permissible for the prophets, peace be on them, to leave delivering (their messages) and summoning (men to their Lord) , while it was permissible for 'Ali to leave what he was ordered to do such as summoning the people to obey him? "

Al-Ma'mūn answered: "We do not claim that 'Ali, peace be on him, was ordered to deliver (a message) in order to be a messenger, but he was placed as an Emblem between Allah and His creatures, so he who followed him was obedient, and he who opposed him was disobedient. If he ('Ali) had found helpers through whom he would be strong, he would have waged jihad (against those who deprived him of authority) ; if he had not found helpers, then the people would have been blamed, not him, for they had been ordered to obey him in all circumstances; he had not been ordered to wage jihad against them except through a force; he was of the same rank with the House (i. e. the Ka'ba) , to which it is obligatory on men to make a pilgrimage; if they make a pilgrimage (to it) , then they will fulfill what is against them; and if they do not do, they will be blamed, not the House. "

Another theologian asked al-Ma'mūn: "If it is obligatory that there is no escape from that there should be an Imām to whom obedience is due through compulsion, then how is it obligatory through compulsion that he was 'Ali apart from other than him? "

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He disproved this vague error, saying: "Surely Allah, the Most High, does not impose (something) unknown; the imposed (i. e. the Imāmate and other religious duties) is not impossible, while the unknown is impossible, for Allah, the Exalted does not impose (something) unknown, and the imposed is not impossible; therefore, there is no escape from that the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, had to demonstrate divine command in order to put an end to the excuse between Allah and His servants.

For example, if Allah, the Most High, imposed on the people fasting a month and they did not know which month it was, and the month was not marked with a mark, and it was obligatory on them to find that out through their intellects in order to find what Allah, the Exalted, had willed, then they would be in no need of the Messenger who would explain (it) to them, and of the Imām who would convey to them the tradition of the Messenger. "

Another theologian questioned al-Ma'mūn, saying: "Where did you make it obligatory that 'Ali was adult when the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, summoned him (to faith)? The people claim that he was a boy when he was summoned to (faith) , that it was not permissible for him to perform (the religious) precepts, and that he was not an adult. "

He replied: "Surly it cannot be thought that in that time he was among those for whom the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, sent in order to summon (them to faith). If he was so, then it would possible that he was responsible and strong enough to perform the religious duties. "

Footnote

[1] 'Uyūn Akhbār al-Ridā, vol. 1, pp. 88-93.

[2] Tadhkirat al-Khawās, p. 366.

[3] Al-Bayqahi, al-Mahāsin wa al-Masāwi', vol. 1, p. 105.

[4] Tadhkirat al-Khawās, p. 367.

[5] Ibid. , 366.

[6] Al-Mas'ūdi, Murūjj al-Dhahab, vol. 3, p. 329.

[7] Tadhkirat al-Khawās, p. 367.

[8] Al-Mas'ūdi, Murūjj al-Dhahab, vol. 3, p. 361.

[9] Qur'ān, 56, 35-37.

[10] Ibid. , 4, 163.

[11] Ibid. , 33, 7.

[12] Ibid. , 8, 33.

[13] Ibid. , 56, 10-11.

[14] Ibid. , 38, 86.

[15] Ibid. , 53, 3-4.

[16] Ibid. , 4, 95.

[17] Ibid. , 14, 17.

[18] Ibid. , 9, 40.

[19] Ibid. , 18, 37.

[20] Ibid. , 58, 7.

[21] Ibid. , 9, 25-26.

[22] Ibid. , 7, 142.

[23] Ibid. , 20, 29-32.

[24] Ibid. , 2, 124.

[25] Ibid. , 38, 26.

[26] Ibid. , 2, 30.

[27] Ibid. , 4, 65.

[28] Ibid. , 15, 85.

[29] Ibid. , 9, 5.

[30] Ibid. , 6, 12.

[31] 'Uyūn Akhbār al-Ridā, vol. 2, pp. 184-199. Bihār al-Anwār.

[32] 'Uyūn Akhbār al-Ridā, vol. 2, p. 185.

[33] Hayāt al-Imām al-Ridā, quoted from 'As al-Ma'mūn, vol. 1, p. 369.

[34] Al-Bidāya wa al-Nihāya, vol. 10, p. 277.

[35] Al-Kindi, al-Wilāt wa al-Qudāt.

[36] Qur'ān, 9, 123.

[37] Maqātil al-Tālibiyyin, pp. 630-631.

[38] Hayāt al-Imām Mūsā b. Ja'far, vol. 2, p. 48, quoted from Mukhtasar Akhbār al-Khulafā'.

[39] Hayāt al-Imām al-Ridā, p. 181, quoted from al-Mahāsin wa al-Masāwi' by al-Bayqahi, p. 295.

CHAPTER XV

IMAM AL-RIDĀ AND REGENCY

IMAM AL-RIDĀ AND REGENCY

We are in front of an important historical event which busied the public opinion and stunned all political circles. The event is that al-Ma’mūn appointed Imām al- Ridā, peace be on him, as a heir apparent after him; it indicates that the succession would be taken from the ‘Abbāsids and handed over to their opponents, the ‘Alawides; it astonished the people and they asked each other: “How has the ‘Abbāsid policy changed into this line opposing the political line which the ‘Abbāsids have followed since the beginning of their reign? ” They asked one another such a question because the ‘Abbāsids were famous for persecuting and uprooting the ‘Alawides; in other words, the ‘Abbāsids destroyed the ‘Alawides, buried them while they were alive, threw their children into the Tigris, and used against them all kinds of genocide.

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The people and history have known that al-Ma’mūn belonged to this (‘Abbāsid) family, who wronged the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them; therefore, it was not possible for him to follow behavior other than that of his fore-fathers or to deviate from their anti-‘Alawides trend. Al-Ma’mūn was fed on showing detest and enmity toward the ‘Alawides, for his grandfather al-Mansūr and his father al-Rashid followed all ways to put an end to them; they employed all their economic and political organs to degrade their importance and dignity and to remove them from the political arena in the world of Arabs and Islam.

The ‘Abbāsids were the opponents of the ‘Alawides, but why did al-Ma’mūn create such a sudden change (in his policy) and turn away from the plan and method of his fathers? Why did he appoint Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, as a successor after him? Similarly, why did Imām al-Ridā agree to undertake regency while he was fully aware of the deviation of al-Ma’mūn and of his harboring malice against the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them? We will answer these questions as follows:

Al-Ma’mūn’s Motives

It is necessary for us to pause in order to consider the reasons and motives which urged al-Ma’mūn to appoint Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, as a successor after him:

1. Al-Ma’mūn had no strong position in Islamic state, for the ‘Abbāsid family disdained him because of his mother Marājil, who was among the slave-wives in the palace, because of his strong relationship with al-Fadl b. Sahl and his entrusting all his affairs to him, while he was originally from Persia. Moreover, his brother al-Amin hated him, intended to do evil deeds toward him, and schemed against him, for he competed with him for the authority. Accordingly, al-Ma’mūn wanted to reinforce his position, to strengthen his influence, and to overcome those who harbored malice against him. As a result, he vested the office in Imām ‘Ali b. Mūsā al-Ridā, peace be on him, the greatest personality in Islamic world and son of Imām al-Sādiq, who was the first to supply Islamic world with thoughts and knowledge. Moreover large part of the Muslims believed in his Imāmate and showed friendship to him. For this reason al-Ma’mūn took the initiative and designated him as his successor over this important office in Islamic world.

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2. Al-Ma’mūn undertook the leadership of Islamic state while he was fully aware of that Islamic society harbored hate and detest against the ‘Abbāsid family, who oppressed the Muslims, appropriated their affairs, wreaked all kinds of oppression and tyranny upon the ‘Alawides, the summoners to social justice. So the Muslims wished for the return of the Umayyad reign though it was famous for cruelty and torture. In this connection, the poet says:

Would that the tyranny of the Marwānis returned to us, and would that the just of the ‘Abbāsids was in the fire.

Another poet says:

I do not think that tyranny will come to an end while over the community is an ‘Abbāsid governor.

Al-Ma’mūn intended to open a new page for the citizens and to conceal the policy of his fore-fathers, so he appointed Imām al-Ridā the hope of Islamic community, peace be on him as a successor after him.

4. Most al-Ma’mūn’s Army, officers and soldiers, were from among the Shi‘ites who adopted the Imāmate of Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, so he wanted to win their affection and loyalty.

5. Surely the revolt against the ‘Abbāsid government broke out and extended to most Islamic regions, and the motto of the revolutionaries was: “The summons to al-Ridā from among the family of Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family. ” The revolutionists responded to this allegiance al-Ma’mūn pledged to the Imām. In the meantime, he gave the Imām the nickname of al-Ridā (i. e. the consent) , that, through that, he might attract the feelings of the revolutionaries, and they pledged allegiance to him, and he got rid of the danger which encircled his state and was about to wrap up its banner and fold up its principal features. This was the plan of al-Ma’mūn, who was among the first-class diplomatic corps, so he was able to overcome the events surrounding him and to save his government from the deadliest danger encircling it.

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5. Through his nominating Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, for succession, al-Ma’mūn was able to give a religious quality to his government in order to indicate that it was not oppressive like that of his fathers, that mutiny against him was illegal, and that it was obligatory on the Muslims to war against those who revolted against him.

6. Among the aims which al-Ma’mūn achieved through this pledge of allegiance (to the Imām) is that he was able to know the Shi‘ite elements and to recognize their identities. It is worth mentioning that the places of the Shi‘ites were very secret, that the Shi‘ites worked in secret and in hiding-places. However, after this pledge of allegiance (to the Imām) , their affair appeared, and the authorities were able to discover them.

7. Al-Ma’mūn pledged allegiance (to Imām al-Ridā) in order to indicate that the Imām, peace be on him, was not among those who renounced the world; rather he was among those who loved it through his accepting this pledge of allegiance. However, the Imām was fully aware of al-Ma’mūn’s objectives which he disproved when he stipulated that he would not appoint nor remove nor take part in government.

These are some motives which urged al-Ma’mūn to appoint Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, as a successor after him. [1] Now, we will return to talk about regency, the attitude of Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, toward it, and some matters concerning it; that is as follows:

Al-Fadl’s Letter to the Imām

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Al-Fadl b. Sahl sent a letter to Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, in which he asked him to come to Khurasān in order to receive the caliphate from al-Ma’mūn; this is the text of the letter:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,

To ‘Ali b. Mūsā al-Ridā, son of Allah’s Apostle, the chosen one, who has become rightly guided by his guidance, followed his practice, kept the religion of Allah, and stored the revelation of Allah.

From his friend, al-Fadl b. Sahl, who sacrificed himself for returning his right to him, and connecting his night to his day concerning it. Peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you, O rightly guided one. Verily I praise on your behalf Allah, other than Whom there is no god, and ask Him to bless Mohammed, His servant.

Now then, surely I hope that Allah has helped you and permitted you to return your right from him who has deemed you as weak, that He may magnify His favors toward you, make you the inheriting Imām, make your enemies and those who have turned away from you see

from you what they feared.

Verily, this letter of mine is out of a determination from the Commander of the faithful, the servant of Allah, Imām al-Ma’mūn and from me for returning your right to you, confirming your right before you, handing it over to you, for which I ask Allah who has become aware of it, that you will inform me of that through which I will be the happiest of all people, among the successful with Allah, among those who accomplish the right of Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, and his deeds, among those who help you with it, that I may reach both good through showing friendship to you and your state.

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When my letter reaches you, my I be your ransom, and it is possible for you not to place it off your hand, so that you may come to the Commander of the faithful (i. e. al-Ma’mūn) , who regards you as a partner in his authority, a mediator in his ancestry, and the mos appropriate of the people for that which is under his hand. I have done that while I am surrounded by Allah’s choice, protected by His angels, safeguarded by Him, and Allah is a guarantor for you through all that which gathers good benefit for you, and set right the community through you. Allah is sufficient for us and most excellent is the Protector.

Peace, Allah’s mercy and blessings be upon you. [2]

This letter, sent by the highest ranking official in the ‘Abbāsid government, contains the following:

1. Giving noble nicknames and exalted qualities to the Imām, peace be on him, as follows: (the one who) kept the religion of Allah, and (the one who) stored the revelation of Allah. Of course, it is the Shi‘ites who have given these nicknames to their Imāms.

2. Informing the Imām, peace be on him, of that the caliphate would be returned to him, that Allah, the Exalted, decreed to return this usurped right to its people and leaders, the Household of the Prophet, whose master was Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him.

3. This letter was not written by al-Fadl only; rather it was written by him and al-Ma’mūn, who had decided to abdicate the caliphate and to hand it over to the Imām.

4. This letter shows that al-Fadl asked the Imām to leave Medina (Yathrib) for Khurasān at once in order to undertake the leadership of the rule.

The Attitude of the Imām

Our sources have not shown the Imām’s answer to this letter, but it is certain that the Imām vigorously refused to responded to it, for he was aware of al- - 

Ma’mūn’s intentions and al-Fadl’s unreal letter to him. It is worth mentioning that the political motives schemed behind the scenes urged al-Fadl and al-Ma’mūn to write it.

Al-Ma’mūn sends Messengers to the Imām

Al-Ma’mūn sent an official delegation in order to ask the Imām to leave Medina (Yathrib) for Khurasān. As for the person who headed the delegation, he was al- Rajā’ b. Abū al-Dahhāk; it is said that he was ‘Īsā b. Yazid, better known as al-Julūdi. Al-Sayyid al-Amin has regarded that as unlikely, and he said: “Surely al- Julūdi was among the (military) commanders of al-Rashid and was an opponent of Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, so it was not wise for al-Ma’mūn to send him to the Imām in order to ask him to leave (Medina for Khurasān). [3]”

Al-Ma’mūn ordered the head of the delegation to bring the Imām, peace be on him, through the road leading to Basrah, al-Ahwāz, and Fars, and not to bring him through the road leading to Kūfa and Qum. [4] Also al-Ma’mūn wrote to Imām al-Ridā and asked him not to come through the road leading to the mountain and Qum, and to come through the road leading to Basrah, al-Ahwāz, and Fars. [5]

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The reason for al-Ma’mūn’s insistence and concern is very clear; it is that he did not want the Imām to come through Kūfa and Qum, for both cities were among the Shi‘ite centers, and their inhabitants were from among those who showed friendship to the Imām and believed in his Imāmate. So if the Imām had passed through them, he would have been magnified and honored; this would have reinforced his position and subjected the ‘Abbāsid state to danger. As for the Imām’s passing through Basrah, it did not benefit him, for its inhabitants inclined to ‘Uthmān and showed friendship to the ‘Abbāsids. This step indicates the false plan of al-Ma’mūn, who claimed that he would abdicate the caliphate and hand it over to the ‘Alawides.

The Imām says Farewell to the Grave of the Prophet

Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, did not find any escape from responding to al-Ma’mūn, so he went to the grave of his grandfather, the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, and said the final farewell to it, for he came to know that he would not visit it again. Muhawwil al-Sijistāni has narrated, saying: “When the post regarding sending Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, on a journey to Khurasān came, I was in Medina. He entered the mosque in order to say farewell to the grave of his grandfather, Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family. He said farewell to it several times. He wept and wailed loudly, so I walked towards him, greeted him, and he returned the greetings. Then I congratulated him on that which he would reach, but he, peace be on him, said: ‘Leave me, for I am going to leave neighboring my grandfather, may Allah bless him and his family, so I will die strange and buried beside Hārūn (al-Rashid). ”

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Muhawwil al-Sijistāni said: “So I went out following the road of the Imām until he died at Tūs and buried beside Hārūn. [6]”

The Imām orders his family to weep over him

Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, came to know that he would not return to his family and homeland. So he gathered the members of his family, divided twelve thousand dinars among them, made them know that he would never return to them, ordered them to weep and wail for him while he could hear that, and then he said the final farewell to them. [7]

The Imām appoints his Son al-Jawād

Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, appointed his son al-Jawād as a successor after him, while he was seven years old or more than that. He made him enter the mosque of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and place his hand on the edge of the holy grave; he made him cling to it, ask his grandfather, the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, to protect him; then he said to him: “I have ordered all my agents and my servants to listen to you and obey you. ” Then the Imām told his companions that his son would be the successor after him. [8]

To the Sacred House of Allah

The Imām had gone to the Sacred House of Allah to say the final farewell to it before he headed for Khurasān. Most his family accompanied him, among them was his son Imām al-Jawād, peace be on him. When he arrived the Sacred House, he greeted it, circumambulated it, performed prayers in the Standing-place of Ibrāhim, ran, and circumambulated it along with his son al-Jawād. When al-Jawād arrived at the Stone of Ismā‘il, he sat by it for a long time. So Muwaffaq al- Khādim asked him to stand up, but he refused and looked sad and sorrowful. So Muwaffaq hurried towards the Imām and told him about the state of his son. Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, hastened to his son and asked him to stand up, and he wept, sighed, and said: “O Father, how can I stand while you are saying the final farewell to the House with a farewell after which there will be no return? ”

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Imām al-Jawād, peace be on him, saw sadness appear on the face of his father, so he concluded that his father was in the last part of his life. That happened, for Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, did not return to the Holy Houses and died poisoned through the hand of al-Ma’mūn, the ‘Abbāsid.

To Khurasān

Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, left the Sacred House of Allah for Khurasān, and he was extremely honored and magnified at every district or in every city through which he passed, for the Muslims hurried to receive him cordially, to get the blessing of kissing his hands, to ask him to stop at them, and to serve him. They asked him about the precepts of their religion, and he, peace be on him, answered them about that.

In Nisābūr

The caravan of the Imām covered the desert, was earnest in waking, and did not pay attention to anything until it arrived in Nisābūr. [9] The Imām was received there with a unique popular reception, for Nisābūr did not witness such a reception throughout its history. At the head of those who received him were the scholars, the virtuous, and the traditionalists who have narrated on his authority al-Hadith al-Dhahabi which we will mention.

The Imām, peace be on him, stopped at the district of al-Gharbi or al-Farawi, in the house of a person whom the people of Nisābūr called Bisanda, a Persian word means satisfactory, for the Imām was satisfied with him apart from the rest of the peopleand stopped at his house. Then the Imām planted an almond in that house, and it grew and became a tree and bore fruit in a year. When the people came to know of the tree, they began curing themselves with its fruit. So he who was inflected by a certain malady got the blessing through eating some of its fruit, and he recovered through the bless of the great Imām. A person cut some of its branches, and he became blind. Ibn Hamdān cut down that tree, and he became blind. [10]

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There was a public bath-house in Nisābūr. The Imām entered it, washed himself, and performed a prayer on its top, so the inhabitants of Nisābūr began getting the bless of that public bath-house. They washed themselves wherein, drank from it seeking bless, prayed on its top, and asked Allah, the Great and Almighty, to accomplish their needs, and they were accomplished for them out of the bless of the great Imām. [11]

Al-Hadith al-Dhahabi

The scholars and the traditionalists surrounded the Imām, peace be on him, who was on the (back) of a gray mule wearing his turban. At the head of the scholars were Yahyā b. Yahyā, Ishāq b. Rāhawayh, Mohammed b. Rāfi‘, Ahmed b. Harb, and others. [12] When the people saw him, and he was in that appearance which gave an account of the appearance of Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, they said loudly, “There is no god but Allah,” and exclaimed, “Allah is great! ” They displayed sadness for the Imām and wept for him. That area became noisy out of weeping, so the scholars and the Huffāz (memorizers of the Qur’ān) called out: “O people, listen, understand, and do not harm Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, regarding his family! ”

Then the Imām, peace be on him, delivered to the scholars this holy tradition, saying: “I heard my father Mūsā b. Ja‘far say: I heard my father Ja‘far b. Mohammed say: I heard my father Mohammed b. ‘Ali say: I heard my father ‘Ali b. al-Husayn say: I heard my father al-Husayn b. ‘Ali say: I hard my father the Commander of the faithful ‘Ali b. Abū Tālib say: I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, say (on behalf of Allah): ‘There is no god but Allah is My stronghold, so he who enters My stronghold is safe from My chastisement. ’”

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When the Imām passed, he called out to the people of Nisābūr, saying: “But according to its conditions, and I am among its conditions. [13]”

Surely the statement, ‘there is no god but Allah,’ is one of the strongholds of Allah, the Most High, but according to conditions among which is professing the Imāmate of Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, who is one of the testamentary trustees of Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family.

More than twenty thousand scholars and memorizers of the Qur’ān (huffāz) has written this holy tradition. [14] As for the chain of authorities of this tradition, it is the greatest and most wonderful of all chains of authorities. Ahmed b. Hanbal says: “If this chain of authorities was recited before a mad person, he would recover from his madness. [15]” A Sāmāni ruler ordered this tradition to be written in gold and to be buried along with him. [16]

To Tūs

The caravan of the Imām, peace be on him, left Nisābūr and covered the desert until it arrived at Sanābād where there was a mountain from which cooking-pots were made. The Imām leaned on the mountain and said: “O Allah, benefit (the people) through it, bless that which is placed in it, and that which is made from it. ” Then he ordered some cooking-pots for him to be made from it. They were made for him, and he said: “My food will not be cooked (in anything) except in them. ”

The house of Hamid b. Quhtuba al-Tā’i was at Sanābād, where the grave of Hārūn al-Rashid is. The Imām went to it and reached the grave of Hārūn. So he drew a line with his own hand and said to those around him: “This is my earth, and I will be buried in it. Allah will make my Shi‘ites and those who love me visit me. If any of them visits me and greets me, Allah will forgive him (his sins) and have mercy on him through our intercession, the ahl al-Bayt. ” Then he turned to the qibbla, performed some rak‘as, and supplicated with some supplications. Having finished his prayers, he performed a long prostration. I (i. e. Hamid al-Tā’i) counted that he said, “glory belongs to Allah,” five hundred times. [17] Then the Imām, peace be on him, gave some of his clothes to Hamid, who, in turn, gave them to a slave-wife of his. She took them, and then she quickly came back and said: “I have found a piece of cloth in the shirt of Abū al-Hasan (al-Ridā). ” Then she handed it to Hamid, and he at once gave it to the Imām, peace be on him, and asked him: “What is in it, O son of Allah’s Messenger? ”

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“This is a supplication,” the Imām, peace be on him, replied, “he who carries it in his own pocket, (all evil deeds) will be driven away from him, and it will be an amulet against the accursed Satan and the ruler. ”

Hamid asked the Imām to dictate it to him, and he recited it to him. It reads as follows: “In the name of Allah, I seek protection in the Merciful (Allah) from you if you are pious or not pious. I have clung to Allah, the All-hearing, the All-seeing, against your ear and your eye. You have no power over me; nor over my ear and my eye; nor over my hair; nor over my skin and my flesh; nor over my blood; nor over my brain; nor over my nerves; nor over my bones; nor over my family; nor over my wealth; nor over what my Lord has provided me. I have been covered over between me and you with the cover of Prophethood through which the prophets of Allah covered themselves from the power of the Pharaohs. Gabriel is on my right hand; Michael is on my left hand; Seraphiel is behind me; Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family, is before me; Allah is aware of what withholds you and Satan from me.

“O Allah, let not his ignorance overcome your slowness if he incites and makes little of me! O Allah, I have sought refuge in You!

O Allah, I have sought refuge in You! O Allah, I have sought refuge in You! [18]”

Al-Ma’mūn receives the Imām

Al-Ma’mūn ordered the Imām to be received with an official reception, so the armed forces and the rest of the people went out to receive him. Al-Ma’mūn was at the head of those who received him. There were along with him al-Fadl b. Sahl, the rest of his ministers and advisers. Al-Ma’mūn shook hand with the Imām, welcomed him warmly, appointed for him a splendid house supplied with servants and all the necessary requirements, and took great care of him.

Al-Ma’mūn asks the Imām to undertake the Caliphate

Al-Ma’mūn officially abdicated the caliphate and asked the Imām, peace be on him, to undertake it, saying: “O son of Allah’s Messenger, I have realized your excellence, your knowledge, your asceticism, your piety, and your acts of worship; therefore, I see that you are more appropriate for the caliphate than me. ”

The Imām answered him: “Through renouncing the world I hope for the salvation from the evil of the world; through refraining from the unlawful I wish for wining good final results; through humbleness in the world I hope for exaltedness with Allah. ”

“I have seen that I must remove myself from the caliphate and entrusted it to you,” retorted al-Ma’mūn.

However, the Imām was fully aware of the intentions of al-Ma’mūn, who spared no effort to achieve his political objectives. How did al-Ma’mūn abdicate the caliphate while for it he killed his brother al-Amin; destroyed Baghdad; spread bereavement, sadness, and mourning among the regions of Islamic world? How did he hand it over to the Imām in spite of all these evil deeds?

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The Imām gave a decisive answer which enraged al-Ma’mūn, saying to him: “If this caliphate belongs to you, then it is not permissible for you to take off the garment in which Allah has clothed you and to give it to other than you. If the caliphate does not belong to you, then it is not permissible for you to give me that which does not belong to you. ”

The Imām silenced al-Ma’mūn and closed before him all avenues of argument, so the latter threatened the former, saying: “There is no escape for you from accepting this matter. ”

“I will never do that willingly,” retorted the Imām.

Dhu al-Riyāsatayn[19] admired this attitude of them and began saying: “How fantastic, I have seen al-Ma’mūn, the Commander of the faithful, entrusting the matter of the caliphate to al-Ridā, and I have seen al-Rida saying to him: ‘I have no ability or power for that. ’ I have never seen the caliphate more abandoned than that. ”

The Imām, peace be on him, was aware of this false purpose, for al-Ma’mūn belonged to the ‘Abbāsid family, who harbored malice against the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them, killed them during the brightness of day and darkness of night, and spared no effort to eliminate them from the face of earth. As for al-Ma’mūn, he was the wickedest of them, for he killed the master of the ‘Alawides, Imām al-Ridā, and killed other than him from among the pure ‘Alawides. So how did the Imām trust him?

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Al-Ma’mūn’s claimed Justifications

As for al-Ma’mūn’s claimed justifications during his asking the Imām, peace be on him, to undertake the caliphate, they are as follows:

1. He summoned al-Fadl b. Sahl and his brother al-Hasan b. Sahl. When the were before him, he told them that he would entrust the caliphate to the Imām. So al- Hasan exaggerated that before him and explained to him its disadvantages. However, al-Ma’mūn said: “I had promised Allah that if I overcame the deposed one (i. e. al-Amin) , I would have handed over the caliphate to the most meritorious (afdal) of the family of Abū Tālib. I do not know anyone more meritorious than this man on the face of the earth. [20]”

This means that al-Ma’mūn had promised Allah that if he put an end to his brother and overcame him he would have handed over the caliphate to the most meritorious of the family of Abū Tālib, and the most meritorious of them in his time was Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him. But this did not happen according to the events that followed.

2. Through his handing over the caliphate to the ‘Alawides, he tried to reward Imām ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, for his favors toward the ‘Abbāsids, for the latter appointed ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Abbās as a minister and entrusted him with the Emirate of Basrah. Similarly, he entrusted ‘Ubayd Allah b. al- ‘Abbās with the Province of Yemen, and other favors he did toward them. So al-Ma’mūn wanted, through what he did, to reward the Imām regarding his children. [21]

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3. He did that in order to seek obedience to Allah, His good pleasure, good for the community, and the interests of the Muslims. [22]

These are some justifications which al-Ma’mūn advanced as pretext for handing over the caliphate to Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him.

His false Justifications

These justifications were unreal. If al-Ma’mūn had been truthful to them, he would not have prevented the Imām from passing through Kūfa when he came from Medina (Yathrib) , for he feared that the people would receive him in this city, which was among the centers of the Shi‘ites in Islamic world; likewise, he would not have prevented him from passing through Qum, for the same reason. Moreover ‘Abd Allah b. Abū Sahl al-Nobakhti, an astrologer, told him that it was not good for him to pledge allegiance to Imām al-Ridā when he appointed him as a successor after him; yet al-Ma’mūn insisted on pledging allegiance to the Imām during that time. [23] This demonstrates that he was a liar regarding this matter.

Al-Ma’mūn asks the Imām to undertake Regency

Through all ways and means, al-Ma’mūn tried to convince the Imām, peace be on him, to accept the caliphate or at least the regency after him, but he refused him vigorously. He went on convincing the Imām for more than two months, but all his attempts came to nothing, for the Imām insisted on refusing him and refraining from undertaking any state office.

Al-Ma’mūn forces the Imām

All the diplomatic ways which al-Ma’mūn followed to convince the Imām, peace be on him, to accept regency came to an end, so he thought that he had to follow another way which was threatening the Imām. He sent for the Imām. When he was in his presence, a conversation took place between them, so the Imām said to him: “By Allah, I have never told a lie since my Lord, the Great and Almighty, has created me. I have not renounced the world for the world, and I definitely know what you want. ”

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“What do I want? ” asked al-Ma’mūn.

The Imām asked him for security if he said the truth frankly, saying: “The Imām (i. e. the leader) must be truthful, mustn’t he? ”

“I have given you security,” replied al-Ma’mūn.

The Imām explained the motives which urged al-Ma’mūn to vest regency in him, saying: “Through that you want the people to say: ‘Surely ‘Ali b. Mūsā (al- Ridā) has not renounced the world; rather it is the world which has renounced him. Do you not see that he has accepted regency and craved for the caliphate? ’”

Al-Ma’mūn became angry, so he shouted at the Imām, saying: “You always face me with what I hate! You have felt safe from my power! I swear by Allah, you should accept regency or I will force you to (accept) it! You should do that; otherwise, I will strike off your head! [24]”

The Imām, peace be on him, pleaded to Allah and supplicated Him, saying: “O Allah, You have prohibited me from throwing my own soul into destruction; I have been forced; I am about to be killed by ‘Abd Allah al-Ma’mūn if I do not accept regency! I have been forced just as Yusuf and Danyāl, peace be on them, had been forced by the tyrant of their time to accept authority! O Allah, there is no covenant except Your covenant; nor have I a friend except You! So give me success to establish Your religion and to enliven the Sunna of Your Prophet, Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family! Verily, You are the Master, and You are the Helper! You are the best Master, and You are the best Helper! [25]”

Any how, the Imām accepted regency while he was weeping and sad. [26] Pain and worries dominated him.

The Textual Document of Regency

The regency between the Imām, peace be on him, and al-

Ma’mūn was not confined to speech; rather it was written on anofficial document signed by the Imām and al-Ma’mūn, witnessed by high-ranking statesmen, and transmitted by a group of historical sources. Ibn al-Jawzi came to know of the document and said: “My uncle bought it (the document) for two hundred dinars and brought it to Sayf al-Dawla Sadaqa b. Mansūr, and there were in it scripts of a group of writers such as ‘Abd Allah b. al-‘Abbās and the Moroccan Minister (al- Wazir al-Maghribi). [28]” Similarly, ‘Ali b. Īsā al-Arbali came to know of it and has mentioned its text in his book entitled Kashf al-Ghumma, and that was in the year 670 A. H. [29] I (i. e. the author) will narrate its text as follows:

“In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,

“This letter has been written by the servant of Allah (i. e. al-Ma’mūn) b. Hārūn al-Rashid, the Commander of the faithful, to ‘Ali b. Mūsā b. Ja‘far.

“Now then: So surely, Allah, the Great and Almighty, has chosen Islam as religion and chosen from among his servants messengers showing the way to Him and guiding to Him, the first of them gives good news of the last of them and the last of them testifies the first of them, until the Prophethood of Allah reached Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family, after a cessation of the (mission of the) apostles, extinction of knowledge, a cessation of revelation, and approach to the Hour. So Allah has ended the prophets through him, made him a witness to them, and dominator over them, and He sent down to him His Holy Book falsehood shall not come to it from before it nor from behind it, a revelation from the Wise, the Praised One through which He has made lawful and unlawful, promised and threatened, cautioned and warned; through which He has ordered and prohibited, that the firm argument over His creatures may be His, that he who would be perish might perish by clear proof, and he who would live might live by clear proof, and most surely Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

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“So he (the Prophet) delivered on behalf of Allah His message and summoned (men) to His path through what He had ordered him of wisdom, good exhortation, reasoning in the best way, then through jihad and hardness, until Allah took him to Himself and chose for him that which is with Him. So when the Prophethood came to an end, and Allah ended through Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family, the revelation and the message, He has made the religion continue and regulated the authority of the Muslims through the caliphate, its completion and exaltedness, and undertaking it with respect to Allah through obedience through which the duties and punishments imposed by Allah, Islamic laws are carried out, and jihad is waged against His enemy.

“So it is obligatory on the vicegerents of Allah to obey Him concerning what He has entrusted to them and attracted their attention regarding His religion and His servants, and it is obligatory on the Muslims to obey their caliphs and to help them in establishing the right and justice of Allah, the security of the way, sparing blood, settling hostility, and reuniting; otherwise, the cord of the Muslims disorders; they become disordered; their beliefs become different; their religion is defeated; their enemy becomes powerful; they are different in opinion; and they lose this world and the next.

“So it is incumbent upon him whom Allah has appointed as a vicegerent on His earth and entrusted him with His creatures to do his best for Allah, to prefer that in which there is the good pleasure of Allah and obedience to him, to follow that for which Allah will make him stand and about which He will question him, to rule with the truth and do with justice in what Allah has placed him and vested him with, for Allah, the Great and Almighty, says to His prophet Dāwud: O Dāwud, surely We have made you a ruler in the land; so judge between men with justice and do not follow desire, lest it should lead you astray from the path of Allah; (as for) those who go astray from the path of Allah, they shall surely have a severe punishment because they forget the day of reckoning. And (for) Allah, the Great and Almighty, said: So by your Lord, We shall ask them all about what they were doing. And (for) we have heard that ‘Umar b. al-Khattāb said: “If a goat got lost on the bank of the Euphrates, I would fear that Allah would ask me about it. ’

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“By Allah, surely the one who will be asked about his own soul and informed of his work regarding what is between him and Allah will be brought before a great affair and tremendous danger; therefore, just imagine how much more is (the situation) of him who is responsible for taking care of a community? And reliance is on Allah; to Him is the flight, desire for success and protection, directing and guiding to that through which argument is established, good pleasure and mercy from Allah are won.

“And the best of the community in reflecting on his own soul and the loyalist of them to Allah regarding His religion and His servants from among His creatures on His earth is he who works according to obedience to Allah, His Book, and the Sunna (practices) of His Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, during the period of his days and after it, strains his own opinion regarding him to whom he has entrusted his reign, whom he has chosen for the Imāmate over the Muslims and taking care of them after him, and appoints for them him who is a great figure and a place of flight in order to bring them into harmony, to reunite them, to spare their blood, to give them security, with Allah’s permission, from their division, their being corrupt by enmity, and their difference, and to raise the insinuation and trickery of Satan from them.

For Allah, the Great and Almighty, has regarded regency after the caliphate as part of completing and perfecting Islam, exalting and setting right its followers, and He has inspired succession in His vicegerents through His emphasizing on him whom they choose for Him after them, who through whom blessing is great and well-being is inclusive, and Allah, through that, has invalidated the deception of men of dissension, hostility, slander, difference, and any lying in wait for discord.

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“He (al-Ma’mūn) has been the Commander of the faithful since the caliphate reached him, so he has tried its ugly taste, its burdensome undertaking, its hard provisions, clinging to obedience to Allah which is obligatory on him who undertakes it (the caliphate) , and fear of Him concerning what He has burdened with it. So he has tired his body, kept his eye awake, elaborated his thinking on that through which the religion is glorified, the polytheists are suppressed, the community is set right, justice is spread, the Book and the Sunna are established; and he has deprived himself of ease, gentleness, and happy life.

He is aware of that about which Allah will ask him; he likes to meet Allah while he is loyal to Him regarding His religion, His servants, choosing for succession after him and taking care of the community the best one (of men) in religion, piety, and knowledge, and the most hoped of them for assuming the command and right of Allah, whispering (to Him) through seeking refuge (in Him) concerning that, asking Him for inspiration in which there is His good pleasure and obedience to Him by day and night, reflecting on seeking and requesting him through the members of his household from among the children of ‘Abd Allah b. al-‘Abbās and ‘Ali b. Abū Tālib, confining himself to his knowledge of him whose condition and doctrine he has come to know, sparing no effort and power to ask about him whose affair is unknown to him, till he examined their affairs through knowledge, tried their stories through seeing, regarded their conditions as innocent through observing, and discovered that which is with them through questioning.

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“So his (al-Ma’mūn’s) choosing him (al-Ridā) was after asking Allah for the best and exerting himself in accomplishing His right toward His servants and His earth concerning the two houses in general. That is because he (al-Ma’mūn) has seen his (the Imām’s) brilliant excellence, his plain knowledge, his manifest piety, his pure asceticism, his renouncing the world, and his being safe from the people. He has clearly come to know that reports, tongues, and words have unanimously agreed upon him.

Besides, he still knows his excellence when young and adult, hence he has appointed him as his successor after him, having confidence in asking Allah for the best regarding that, for Allah has come to know that his act is as preferring for him and the religion, taking care of Islam and the Muslims, seeking safety, and establishing argument and salvation on the day when men will stand for the Lord of the worlds.

“The Commander of the faithful had summoned his sons, the members of his house, his personal entourage (khāssa) , his commanders, and his servants, and they with pleasure have pledged allegiance (to al-Ridā). They are aware of that the Commander of the faithful has preferred the obedience to Allah to his own desire regarding his children and other than them from among those who are more interlaced than him in womb relationships and closer (than him) in kinship.

“He (al-Ma’mūn) has named him al-Ridā (consent) , for the Commander of the faithful is satisfied with him; therefore, O group of the household of the Commander of the faithful and those who are in the guarded city from among his commanders, his soldiers, and the Muslims in general, pledge allegiance to the Commander of the faithful and after him to al-Ridā, ‘Ali b. Mūsā in His name, His blessing, His good decree for His religion, and His servants, with a pledge of allegiance for which you stretch out your hands and at which you are delighted.

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You are aware of what the Commander of the faithful has intended through it (the pledge of allegiance) , preferring through it the obedience to Allah, taking care of himself and you, giving thanks to Allah for what He has inspired in the Commander of the faithful through it regarding accomplishing His right in taking care of you, his clinging to directing you and setting you right, hoping for the advantage of that through reuniting you, sparing your blood, bringing you together, closing your frontiers, strengthening your religion, defeating your enemy, setting right your affairs; and hasten to obedience to Allah and to the Commander of the faithful, for it is security; if you hurry to him and praise Allah for him, you will know that good luck is through him, Allah willing. [30]”

This document has ended and was dated on Monday on the eighth of the month of Ramadān, in the year 201 A. H.

Al-Ma’mūn asked Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, to write the document of regency with his own sacred hand, and he, peace be on him, wrote the following:

“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, praise belongs to Allah, the Doer of what He intends, there is no repeller of His decision; nor is there any repeller of His decree, who knows the stealthy looks and that which the breasts conceal, and His blessings be upon His Prophet, the last of the prophets, and his family, the good, the Pure.

“I say, and I am ‘Ali b. Mūsā b. Ja‘far, that the Commander of the faithful, may Allah support him with rightness and give him success for right guidance, has come to know of our right of which other than him has failed to know, so he has tightened the womb links which have been cut, made safe the souls which have become frightened; rather he has enlivened them while they were already destroyed, made them rich while they were poor, seeking the good pleasure of the Lord of the world, wanting no reward from other than Him, and Allah will reward the grateful and He does not waste the reward of the doers of good.

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“And that he has entrusted his regency and the great authority to me if I remain (alive) after him, so he who unties the knot of the command of Allah through tying it and breaks a handle whose fastening is more lovable to Allah, then surely Allah will make lawful his sacredness if he through that reproaches the Imām and violates the sacredness of Islam, according to this the former (i. e. Imām ‘Ali) did, was patient toward the random matters, and did not object the resolutions, for he feared that the religion would be scattered, the cord of the Muslims would be disordered, the affairs of the pre-Islamic paganism age was close (to him) , an opportunity might be seized, and calamity might quickly be created.

“And I have appointed Allah (as witness) over my own soul if He makes me take care of the authority over the Muslims and vests me with His vicegerency to work among them (men) in general and the children of al-‘Abbās b. ‘Abd al-Muttalib in particular, through obedience to Him and to His Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, that I will not shed forbidden blood; nor will I make lawful pudenda nor property except that which is shed by the punishments prescribed by

Allah and made lawful by the religious duties issued from Him, and that I will do my best and power to choose the most qualified persons, and through that I have placed against my own soul a certain promise about which Allah will ask me, for He, the Great and Almighty, says: And fulfill the promise; surely (every) promise shall be questioned about.

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“And if I originated or changed or altered, I would be worthy of being changed and liable to severe punishment, and I seek refuge in Allah from His wrath, desire for success in obeying Him, coming between me and disobeying Him, (giving) well-being to me and to the Muslims.

“Al-jāmi‘a [31] and al-jafr [32] indicate the opposite of that, and I do not know what will be down toward me and you, surely the judgment is Allah’s; He relates the truth and He is the best of the deciders, but I have obeyed the order of the Commander of the faithful, preferred his good pleasure, and Allah protects me and him; I have called Allah to bear witness to my own soul through that, and Allah is enough for a witness.

“I have written (the document of regency) in my own handwriting in the presence of the Commander of the faithful, may Allah prolong his life, al-Fadl b. Sahl, Sahl b. al-Fadl, Yahyā b. Akkthem, Bishr b. al-Mu‘tamir, and Hammād b. al-Nu‘mān, in the month of Ramadān, in the year 201 (A. H. ). ”

Al-Fadl b. Sahl, the minister of al-Ma’mūn, wrote the following: “The Commander of the faithful, may Allah prolong his life, has decreed reading the meaning of this letter outwardly and inwardly in the Holy Shrine of our master, Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, between the theological center (rouda) and the Pulpit in the presence of the elite from among the Banū Hāshim, the rest of the friends and the soldiers, and he asks Allah to make the Commander of the faithful and all Muslims know through it the argument over all Muslims and to invalidate the vague errors which have hindered the viewpoints of the ignorant: On no account will Allah leave the believers in the condition which you are in. ”

Al-Fadl b. Sahl wrote (this document) in the appointed date.

Yahyā b. Akkthem has written the following: “Yahyā b. Akkthem has testified to the content of this page outwardly and inwardly, and he has written in his own handwriting the (appointed) date. ”

Hammād b. al-Nu‘mān has written the following: “Hammād b. al-Nu‘mān has testified to the content (of this document) outwardly and inwardly. ”

Bishr b. al-Mu‘tamir has written the following: “Bishr b. al-Mu‘tamir has testified to the like of that and written in his own handwriting the (appointed) date. [33]”

It is necessary for us to pause in order to consider the document of al-Ma’mūn, what Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, has written, and what al-Fadl b. Sahl has testified, and that is as follows:

The Conditions of the Imām

The Imām mentioned before al-Ma’mūn some conditions which showed that he was dissatisfied with regency and that he was forced to accept this office. These conditions are as follows:

1. He would not appoint anyone as a governor.

2. He would not dismiss anyone.

3. He would not abolish any rite.

4. He would be a distant adviser in the affairs of the state. [27]

Yet al-Ma’mūn accepted these conditions which clashed with his objectives and exposed his intentions.

The Contents of the Document of Regency

The document of regency signed by al-Ma’mūn and Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, contains the following:

Firstly, praising Islam and Allah’s great Book, which is a perfect system and an inclusive institution for making man happy and righteous.

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Secondly, lauding the great Prophet, the greatest summoner to Allah, hoister of torch of monotheism and intellectual renaissance on earth.

Thirdly, clarifying the succession after the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, for through it the religion is established, the authority over the Muslims is regulated, and it is the shadow of Allah on earth.

Fourth, it is obligatory on the Muslims to obey the caliphs, for disobedience to them causes disadvantages to Islamic world.

Fifth, the caliphs undertake important responsibilities of which are preferring obedience to Allah to all things, ruling over men with fairness and justice, and other important responsibilities which the document has inclusively shown.

Sixth, among the most important responsibilities of the caliphs is that they designate successors after them, that the designation should be based on perfect choice and exact test regarding him whom they appoint after them, and that the choice should not be subject to partiality and desires, for such an action leads the community to disadvantages.

Seventh, al-Ma’mūn did his best to choose the successor after him, so he did not find in the ‘Abbāsid and the ‘Alawide families anyone more meritorious than Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, because he had noble qualities of which are the following:

A. Brilliant excellence,

B. Useful knowledge,

C. Pure asceticism in the world,

D. And refraining from all things made unlawful by Allah, the Most High.

It is these noble qualities which urged al-Ma’mūn to elect the Imām and to nominate him for regency after him.

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The Contents of what the Imām has written

As for the contents of what Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, has written concerning regency, they are as follows:

Firstly, praising al-Ma’mūn’s relationships with the ‘Alawides, for he refreshed them through such relationships after they had faced tyranny and oppression through the ‘Abbāsid rulers, who spared no effort to eliminate the ‘Alawides from the face of earth; it is worth mentioning that the ‘Abbāsids buried the ‘Alawides while they were alive, killed them everywhere, threw their babies into the Tigris, and wreaked other tragedies upon them.

Secondly, through these word of him, “if he through that reproaches the Imām,” Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, referred to his grandfather, Imām ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, the gate of the city of the knowledge of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his

family, and the pioneer of his wisdom, whom the people removed from his office which the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, entrusted to him on the Day of Ghadir Khum, and accordingly the community suffered from terrible kinds of tragedies and calamities, for the caliphate was undertaken by some criminals such as Mu‘āwiya, Yazid, al-Walid, al-Mansūr, and other than them from among the Imāms of oppression and tyranny who spared no effort to oppress the people and to force them to yield to what they hated.

Similarly, through these words of him, “and was patient toward the random matters,” he referred to the words of ‘Umar b. al-Khattāb, who described the pledge of allegiance to Abū Bakr as, “a random matter (falta) from whose evil Allah has protected the Muslims. ” So Imām ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, was patient toward this random matter, which he has mentioned in his saying: “and there is pricking (qadhā) in the eye and suffocation (of mortification) in the throat. ” That is because he feared that the word of Islam would collapse, and the unity of the Muslims would crack, for the Muslims were still close to the pre- Islamic paganism age, and the enemy forces lied in wait for attacking Islam if any division occurred in it; therefore, it is this matter which prompted Imām ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, to be patient toward those who took his legacy.

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Thirdly, the Imām promised before Allah and the Muslims that he would rule the Muslims with a policy based on pure justice, that he would return to the people the practices of his grandfather the greatest Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and that he would choose for the organ of government qualified and righteous persons who feared Allah, the Exalted, and sought the next world. If the Imām had undertaken the caliphate over the Muslims, he would have achieved all these great goals.

Fourth, the Imām, peace be on him, predicted that he would not assume the caliphate; nor would the community lead a life of ease and comfort during his rule, for he had read al-jāmi‘a and al-jafr, which were among the deposits of the Prophethood, in which was the knowledge of what was and what would be until the Day of Resurrection, which showed that he would not undertake the caliphate, and that al-Ma’mūn would deceive him through regency.

The Contents of al-Fadl’s writing

As for what al-Fadl b. Sahl wrote in the document of regency, it refers to that al-Ma’mūn ordered this document to be read in the mosque of the Prophet between the theological center and the Pulpit, and in the presence of the Hāshimite notables, the armed forces, and the rest of the people, for reading the document in such a place would emphasize regency and disprove the views of the ignorant and of the partial.

These are some contents of the document and its supplements. They are plain; there is no confusion or ambiguity in them.

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The Pledge of Allegiance to the Imām

Al-Ma’mūn held a general popular festival attended by the ministers, the high-ranking statesmen, the commanders of the armed forces, and the rest of the people; at their head were the ‘Alawides and the ‘Abbāsids; the festival was held on Tuesday, the second day of the blessed month of Ramadān[34], in the year 201. [35]

Al-Ma’mūn was seated and he had had two great cushions placed for Imām al-Ridā, so that he would have the same kind of seat and covers. He seated al-Ridā, peace be on him, on them; he was dressed in green and wearing a turban and a sword. Then al-Ma’mūn ordered his son, al-‘Abbās, to be the first of the people to make the pledge of allegiance to him[36], and then the people pledged allegiance to him.

The Way of the Pledge of Allegiance

As for the way the people followed to pledge allegiance to the Imām, peace be on him, it was unique, with which the Umayyad and the ‘Abbāsid kings were not familiar, for he, peace be on him, moved his hand and hit his own face with the back of it and their faces with the palm.

“Stretch out your hand for the pledge of allegiance,” al-Ma’mūn demanded.

“The Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family, used to make the pledge in this way when the people pledge allegiance to him,” retorted al-Rida, peace be on him. [37]

Perhaps the Imām depended on these words of Him, the Exalted: “The hand of Allah is above their hands. ” So it was not permissible for one who made the pledge of allegiance to place his own hand above the hand of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, or above the hand of the Imām, peace be on him.

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The Imām predicts that this Matter will not be achieved

Imām al-Rida, peace be on him, was dressed in the robes of honor and attended that meeting. Orators and poets rose and began to mention his great merit and summoned the people to pledge allegiance to him. The Imām, peace be on him, looked at one of his close associates, who was feeling happy about what had happened. He signaled him to come closer. He went closer to him, and he said so that no one else could hear: “Do not occupy your heart with this matter and do not be happy about it. It is something which will not be achieved. [38]”

The matter was as the Imām, peace be on him, had said, for this pledge of allegiance to him was not achieved, and al-Ma’mūn broke his promise when he gave him poison to drink and assassinated him.

Al-Ma’mūn, Imām al-Ridā, Al-‘Abbās deliver Speech

When the ceremonies of the pledge of allegiance to the Imām were over, al-Ma’mūn rose, ascended the pulpit, and addressed the people, saying: “O people, you have come to know about the pledge of allegiance to ‘Ali b. Mūsā b. Ja‘far b. Mohammed b. ‘Ali b. al-Husayn b. ‘Ali b. Abū Tālib, peace be on him. By Allah, if I recited these names before the deaf and the dumb, they would recover with the permission of Allah, the Great and Almighty. [39]”

Imām al-Ridā delivers a Speech

After the pledge of allegiance to Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, had terminated, al-Ma’mūn asked him to ascend the pulpit and address the people, so he went up on the pulpit. He praise and glorified Allah, and then he said: “O People, we have a right due to us from you through the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family, and you also have a right due to you from us through him. If you carry out your duty to us, then it is necessary for us to carry out our duty to you. 

The Imām did not mention anything other than these words[40] in which he has expressed his right due to him from the people, for he is the grandson of the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family, who was faithful to their religion and their world, and took them out of the life of error and estrangement, so if they had carried out his right and installed him as a caliph, then it would have been obligatory on him to establish in their regions justice in all its senses and concepts.

Al-‘Abbās delivers a Speech

Al-‘Abbās, the orator, delivered an eloquent, wonderful speech and ended it with this poetry line:

There is no escape for the people from having a sun and a moon, so you are a sun, and this is that moon. [41]

Persons abstain from pledging Allegiance to the Imām

Some persons abstained from pledging allegiance to the Imām, for they harbored malice against him, hated him, and were indignant with al-Ma’mūn because of his appointing the Imām as a successor after him. They are as follows:

1. ‘Īsā al-Julūdi.

2. ‘Ali Bin ‘Umrān.

3. Abū Yunus. [42]

Al-Ma’mūn ordered them to be arrested and imprisoned.

Al-Ma’mūn orders them to be executed

He ordered these three persons to be taken out of the prison. When they stood before him and saw Imām al-Ridā sitting beside him, they became so angry that ‘Ali b. ‘Umrān addressed al-Ma’mūn, saying: “I seek refuge for you, O Commander of the faithful, with Allah from taking out this authority, which Allah has vested in you and with which He has singled you out, and placing it in the hands of your enemies and those whom your forefathers had killed and made homeless in the land. ”

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“O Son of the adulteress,” shouted al-Ma’mūn at him, “why have you insisted on that? ”

Then he ordered his head to be struck off. Then Abū Yunus was brought before him. When he saw the Imām sitting beside al-Ma’mūn and enjoying honor and magnification, he became displeased and addressed al-Ma’mūn, saying: “O Commander of the faithful, by Allah, this (one) who is sitting beside you worships an idol apart from Allah. ”

As a result al-Ma’mūn ordered him to be executed, and he was executed. Then ‘Īsā al-Julūdi was brought into his presence. It is worth mentioning that he was the mortal enemy of the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them. It was he whom Hārūn al-Rashid had sent to Medina (Yathrib) in order to loot and confiscate the garments and jewels of the granddaughters of Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family. Accordingly, he went to the house of Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, intended to break into it and to loot the garments of the ‘Alawide ladies. The Imām refused that, but al-Julūdi paid no attention to him. So the Imām began entreating him and promising him that he would go in and bring him what he wanted. Al-Julūdi yield to the words of the Imām, who went in, gathered the garments and jewels of the ‘Alawide ladies, and gave them to him. He took them and went away. As for the Imām, he asked al-Ma’mūn to pardon al- Julūdi, but he refused him vigorously, saying: “O my master, it is this (person) who had looted (the garments and jewels) of the granddaughters of Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family! ”

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Al-Julūdi looked at the Imām when he was speaking to al-Ma’mūn and entreating him in order to pardon him, but the stupid one (i. e. al-Julūdi) thought that the Imām intended to avenge himself upon him because of what he had done toward him, so he said to al-Ma’mūn: “O Commander of the faithful, I ask you through Allah and my service to al-Rashid not to accept the statement of this (i. e. the Imām) concerning me. ”

Al-Ma’mūn turned to Imām al-Ridā and said to him: “O Abū al-Hasan, he has asked me for pardon, and we regard his oath as true. ”

Then he addressed al-Julūdi, saying: “No, by Allah, I will not accept his statement concerning you. ”

Then he turned to the police men and said to them: “Let him join his friend! ” So he was advanced and his head was struck off. [43]

Important Decrees

Al-Ma’mūn issued some important decrees on the occasion of appointing Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, as a successor. They are as follows:

1. Giving salaries to the soldiers for one full year.

2. Abandoning the black uniform of the ‘Abbāsids[44], and dressing in green. I (i. e. the author) think that the inhabitants of the Garden will be dressed in green, for Allah, the Most High, says: “And they shall wear green robes of fine silk and thick silk. [45]”

3. Striking dirhams and dinars with the name of Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him. Al-Sayyid ‘Abd al-Qādir Ahmed al-Yusuf has mentioned some examples of that currency as follows:

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(The Dinar)

It has been written in the center of its face: “There is no god but Allah, the One without associate with Him. ” It has been written in the girth: “In the name of Allah, this dinar was struck in Samarqand in the year 202. ” And it has been written in the circle: “Allah’s is the command before and after, and on that day the believers shall rejoice at Allah’s help. ”

It has been written in the center of the back: “Allah, Mohammed is Allah’s Messenger, al-Ma’mūn is the vicegerent of Allah, of what the Emir al-Ridā, the regent over the Muslims, ‘Ali b. Mūsā b. ‘Ali b. Abū Tālib has commanded. ”

And it has been written in the circle of the center of the back: “Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah; He has sent him with guidance and the religion of truth, that He might cause it to prevail over all religions, though the polytheists may be averse. ”

(The Dirham)

‘Abd al-Qādir has moved the shape of the dirham from Berlin Museum numbered 1295. The formula of the writing in the center of the face is: “There is no god but Allah, the One without an associate with Him. ” in the year 203.

The writing in the circle is: “Allah’s is the command before and after, and on that day the believers shall rejoice at Allah’s help. ”

The writing in the back is: “Allah, Mohammed is Allah’s Messenger, al-Ma’mūn is the vicegerent of Allah, of what al-Ridā has commanded. ”

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The writing in the circle is: “Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah; He has sent him with guidance and the religion of truth, that He might cause it to prevail over all religions, though the polytheists may be averse. ”

Another shape of the dirham available in the British Museum in London, number 289 is as follows:

The writing in the center of the face is: “There is no god but Allah, the One without an associate with Him. ”

The writing in the girth is: “the year 2”

The writing in the circle is: “Allah’s is the command before and after. ”

The writhing in the center of the back is: “It was commanded by the Emir of the Muslims, ‘Ali b. Mūsā... ‘Ali b. Abū Tālib... Dhu al-Riyāsatayn. ”

The writing in the circle is: “Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah. ”

These dots show that some letters have been erased, for they have copied in this manner in the world catalogs. This writing has been erased because the currency is very old and used very much. There are examples of the dirhams which were struck in the year 704 A. H. , the same as the currency of the Imām, and it has been written in them what had been written in the original currency. [46]

The Imām marries al-Ma’mūn’s Daughter

Al-Ma’mūn asked Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, to marry the Princess, Mrs. Umm Habib[47]; the Imām accepted that and married her. Al-Ma’mūn intended to seek nearness to the Imām, that the relationships between them might be strong. Some traditionalists think that al-Ma’mūn married his daughter to the Imām in order to spy on his behavior and activities. This step suits al-Ma’mūn, who is famous for deception and trickery.