THE LIFE OF IMAM MUSA BIN JA'FAR chapter4

THE LIFE OF IMAM MUSA BIN JA'FAR

Chapter4

At al-Rabadha

The caravan of the 'Alawids left Yethrib. When it was three miles far from it, they were made to dismount their camels. Blacksmiths were brought to them, and they put their legs into shackles. The shackles of 'Abd Allah b. al-Hasan were so tight that he moaned out of pained; so his loyal brother asked the blacksmiths to put them around his legs, and they put them around them. In this manner he has become the ideal for truthful brotherhood.

When the caravan reached al-Rabadha, the 'Alawids were ordered to dismount their camels while they were shackled and burnt by the sun. Then al-Mansur ordered Muhammed b. 'Abd Allah to be entered to him. [1] When he stood before him, he received him with cursing, insulting, and defaming; he accused him of things we do not want to mention because they were ugly. This wicked, dirty person (al-Mansur) , whose history is full of shame and disgrace, did not refrain from accusing (the 'Alawids of ugly things) and fabricating lies against them.

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The sinful oppressor (al-Mansur) ordered his policemen to take off 'Abd Allah's clothes. They did and left him naked. Then he ordered them to flog him, and they flogged him one hundred and fifty times. 'Abd Allah felt pain, while al-Mansur was delighted and happy. A policeman flogged 'Abd Allah on the face, and he said to him: "Refrain from flogging me on the face, for it has sacredness like that of Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family. "

However, al-Mansur commanded the policeman, saying: "Flog him on the head! Flog him on the head! "

So he fogged him thirty times on the head. Then he ordered his neck and hands to be tied to a piece of wood. Then he was taken out naked and was entered into a room where his companions sitting. He looked like a black man, for the flogging changed his color and made his blood flow; he received a whip stroke on the eye, and it made it bleed. A retainer of Abu Ja'far's asked him: "Shall I cover you with my cloak? " "Yes, may Allah reward you good," he replied, "by Allah, that I am naked is more intense to me than the flogging I have received. " The retainer covered him with his cloak. [2]

In that state Muhammed asked for water, but none gave him water to drink except a man from Khuresan. The man went to him and gave him water to drink. Shortly after that, al-Mansur passed by them, so 'Abd Allah b. al-Hasan reminded him of the favors and kindness of his grandfather the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, toward al-'Abbas, al-Mansur's grandfather, when he was brought as a captive, saying to him: "We have not treated your captives on the Battle of Badr in such a way! "

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However, al-Mansur turned his face away from him, for he hurts him with his words. Then he ordered the 'Alawids to be taken to Iraq.

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[1] Al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, vol. 10, p. 81.

[2] Al-Tabari, vol. 6, p. 179.

At al-Hashimiya

The caravan of the 'Alawids covered the desert and quickly took them to graves and prisons. When it reached al-Hashimiya, al-Mansur ordered the 'Alawids to be thrown into dark prisons, to the extent that they were unable to know the times of the prayers, so the divided the Qur'an into five parts. They performed the prayers according to the end of each part. [1]

Al-Mansur ordered Muhammed b. Ibrahim to be brought before him. Muhammed was so handsome that the people went to look at him. When he stood before al- Mansur, he turned to him, and sneeringly asked him:

-Are you the one who called the yellow silk?

-Yes.

-By Allah, I will kill you in a way with which I have never killed any of your household.

Then he ordered a built column to be emptied, and it was emptied. Muhammed was entered into the column, and he was bricked up in it alive. [2]

The policy of this sinful oppressor (al-Mansur) toward the 'Alawids was distinguished by all kinds of bad deeds and offenses, for he did not pay attention to the sacredness of Allah's Apostle in respect with his grandsons, and intentionally annihilated them in a way matchless in the history of mankind.

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The police of al-Mansur was so rude. An example of their rudeness is that 'Abd Allah b. al-Hasan, the head of the 'Alawids, asked for water. Some of them asked permission from al-Mansur to give him water, and he permitted that. He brought him cold water. While 'Abd Allah was drinking water, Abu al-Azhar went to him and violently kicked the glass with his foot, so 'Abd Allah's front teeth fell into the glass. [3]

The 'Alawids stayed in the prison of al-Mansur; they suffered from severe misfortunes. They performed the ritual ablution in their places, to the extent that they became bad-smelling. Some of their retainers brought them perfume of musk and ambergris, that they might through it remove the abominable smell, but it was useless. Their feet became swollen, then the swelling crept into their hearts, and most of them died. The tyrannical one (al-Mansur) ordered the prison to be demolished on the rest of them, and it was demolished. Most of them died; among them was 'Abd Allah b. al-Hasan. [4]

This tragedy, immortal in the world of sorrows, was full of different kinds of disasters and misfortunes, for through it the sacredness of the great Prophet was violated in respect with his progeny. That is because al-Mansur paid no attention to their sacredness, nor did he fear Allah in respect with them.

Those pure persons sacrificed their own souls for Allah to save His servants from the wickedness of that ruling group who disbelieved in all the values of mankind.

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This great tragedy moved waves of displeasure with the 'Abbasids. After long times Abu Firas al-Hamadani satirized the 'Abbasids for this abominable crime their grandfather al-Mansur committed. He has said:

You badly reward the Hasanid, whose father and mother were guiding eminent men.

Neither pledge of allegiance nor oath nor kinship nor covenants prevented you from (shedding) their blood.

Why did you not pardon those taken prisoners without any reason for those who had pardoned your prisoners (at the Battle of) Badr?

Why did you not stop your whip from striking the one called the Yellow Silk? And (why did you not) refrain from cursing the grand daughters of Allah's Apostle?

None of those souls belong to Allah's Apostle was far from whips; therefore was Mecca far (from them? )

The Banu Harb harmed them in away less than yours, though their crimes were great.

How many a clear perfidy you have toward the religion; and how many a blood for Allah's Apostle is with you.

You think that you are his followers while the blood of his pure grandsons is on your finger-nails.

How far! Neither kinship nor womb (relationship) is close (to him) one day as long as morals and self-esteem have been send far.

The love of Selman for him was a womb (relationship) , while there was no womb (relationship) between Noah and his son. [5]

This poetry contains deep sadness for the misfortunes and the disasters that befell the 'Alawids during the time of al-Mansur and all the 'Abbasid kings, who severed the bonds of the womb relationships and kinship, and denied the kindness the great Apostle did to their grandfather al-'Abbas when they returned that through severely punishing his family and descendants.

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[1] Al-Mas'udi, Murujj al-Dhahab, vol. 3, p. 225.

[2] Al-Tabari, vol. 9, p. 398.

[3] Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, p. 243.

[4] Al-Mas'udi, Murujj al-Dhahab, vol. 3, p. 225.

[5] Al-Ghadir, vol. 3, p. 238.

His confiscating the 'Alawids' properties

When al-Mansur ordered the 'Alawids to be arrested and to be thrown into dark prisons, he ordered his governor to confiscate all their properties and to sell their slaves. [1] Besides he ordered the properties of Imam al-Sadiq, peace be on him, to be confiscated. When al-Mansur perished, al-Mehdi returned them to Imam Musa, peace be on him.

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[1] Al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, vol. 10, p. 81.

The Revolt of Muhammed al-Zaki

Muhammed b. 'Abd Allah b. al-Hasan was among the leading 'Alawids in his knowledge, his jurisprudence, his bravery, and his generosity. He had all kinds of hereditary and acquisitive merits. He was called Dhu al-Nafs al-Zakiya and Sarih Quraysh, for neither his mother nor his grandmothers were slave wives; rather his forefathers and grandmothers belonged to Quraysh. The people called him al-Mehdi of whom the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, gave good news. [1] In this respect the poet says:

We hope that Muhammed will be an Imam through whom the revealed Book lives.

Through whom Islam is good as it became corrupt, and (through whom) a miserable, dependent orphan lives.

He will fill our land with justice as is filled with misguidance, and will bring that which I expect. [2]

He was similar to his grandfather the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, in his behavior and morals. The people of Medina thought that if it was possible for Allah to send a prophet after Muhammed, may Allah bless him and his family, he would be he. [3]

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All the Hashimites nominated him for the caliphate. Al-Mansur al-Dewaniqi served him, ordered the clothes he worn, and held his mount, that he might seek nearness to him. He and his brother al-Saffah pledged allegiance to him twice. When the 'Abbasids usurped the government, Muhammed severely felt pain and summoned the people to pledge allegiance to him, and they responded to him. Muhammed and his brother Ibrahim hid themselves, while the summoners to them traveled trough the cities summoning the people to them. Their father 'Abd Allah urged them to revolt (against the 'Abbasids) and moved them to struggle against them. He said to them: "Surely, If Abu Ja'far (al-Mansur) has prevented you from living as honorable, he cannot prevent you from dying as honorable. "[4]

When Muhammed heard of the death of his father along with his 'Alawid cousins in the prison of al-Mansur, and of different kinds of punishment and torture which happened to them, he and his brother Ibrahim decided to declare the revolt on a certain day. Muhammed declared it in Yethrib on the due day, as it was said. The people pledged allegiance to him; they were delighted with their pledging allegiance to him. His army occupied the official offices and controlled the public treasury. The people of the Yemen and Mecca hurried to pledge allegiance to him. Many people gathered to show obedience and submission to him, and he rose among them and delivered a sermon. He praised and lauded Allah, and then he said: "Now then, O people, it is clear to you that this tyrannical, the enemy of Allah, Abu Ja'far (al-Mansur) has built a green dome as a sign of opposing Allah in His kingdom and of belittling the Holy Kaaba, while Allah punished Pharaoh when he said: "I am your most high lord! The most appropriate of people in undertaking this religion are the children of the Emigrants and the Ansar, who helped them. O Allah, surely they have made lawful the things you made unlawful and made unlawful the things you made lawful. So they have given security to him whom You frightened and frightened him to whom You gave security. Therefore, count them in number, and kill them separately, and leave none of them!

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"O people, surely, by Allah, I have come out in revolt among you while I think that your not men of strength and intense. However I have chosen you for my self; I have come to this (city) while the pledge of allegiance has been taken to me in all those cities where Allah is served. "[5]

This oration indicates that the pledge of allegiance was taken to him from all the Islamic regions. However, some of those who commented on his speech thought that al-Mansur schemed against him. It was he who ordered his governors to write letters to Muhammed and to respond to his summons, that he might hurry to declare the revolt before he ended his plans, and that al-Mansur might put an end to it in the bud.

Any way, when al-Mansur hear of the revolt, he sent an army of about four thousand horsemen and appointed over it his crown prince, 'Isa b. Musa, as commander in chief. The army covered the desert and reached Yethrib (Medina). When Muhammed came to know of the arrival of the army, he spread his fighters all over the streets and the lanes. Before the outbreak of the battle, he addressed his army, saying: "O People, we have gathered you to fight (them) ; we will entrust the mountain passes to you. The enemy is close to you and is many in number. Victory is from Allah, and the affair is in His hand. It seems to me that I have to give you permission (to leave) and to make easy the ways to you; there fore, whoever wishes to stay, he can stay; and whoever wishes to leave, he can leave. "

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This oration belongs to someone who was deserted, had no trust in victory and no hope in overcoming the events due to the fact that his army was few in number while that of the enemy was great in number. He did not force his companions to battle against the enemy, nor did he depend on the means of deception and misguidance. So manhood and nobility were clear in this attitude of his.

When the opportunists and those ambitious heard his speech, they deserted him. Accordingly, none remained with him except his very loyal companions,[6] who had no ability to defend him. So 'Abd Allah b. Ja'far[7] hurried to him and said to him: "My father and mother be ransom for you; surely you have no ability (to defeat) what I have seen, and with you there is none honest to fight (them). Therefore, go now and join al-Hasan b. Mu'awiya in Mecca, for most your companions are with him. "

Muhammed answered him according to the honor and nobility his great soul had, saying: "O Abu Ja'far, by Allah, If I went out, the people of Medina would be killed. By Allah, I will not return until I kill or be killed. You are free in respect with me. So go wherever you wish. "[8]

If Muhammed had left Yethrib (Medina) , al-Mansur's Army would have occupied it, treated the people with an extreme severity, and violated all the sacred things. Thus, Muhammed thought that he had to stay therein and to sacrifice himself for security and safety of the people.

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The battle broke out between the two sides. After a terrible conflict between the forces of the truth and those of falsehood, the great leader, Muhammed Dhu al- Nafs al-Zakiya, was badly wounded and fell on the ground and knelt down. The sinful one, Hemid b. Qahtaba, shouted at his fighters, saying: "Do not kill him! " Then the rogue (Hemid b. Qahtaba) himself went and cut off his holy head,[9] that he alone might commit the sin and enter the Hell-fire!

With this one of the most wonderful page of the pages of the holy jihad ended, and the greatest reformative movement in the Islamic world was folded, while it aimed at spreading justice, prevailing of security and ease among the people.

The good forces collapsed; the hopes of the free were destroyed, for they lost their high leader, who was for them as a light stand in the way of struggle and jihad.

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[1] Ghayat al-Ikhtisar, p. 12.

[2] Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, p. 243.

[3] Shadharat al-Dhahab, vol. 1, p. 213.

[4] Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, p. 243.

[5] Al-Tabari, Tarikh, vol. 9, p. 219.

[6] Ibid.

[7] 'Abd Allah b. Ja'far was the eldest of his brothers after Isma'il but he did not have a position of honor with his father similar to the rest of his father's sons. He was suspected of opposing his father's teaching; and it is said that he used to mix with the Hashwiyya and was inclined towards the beliefs of the Murji'a. He claimed the Imamate after his father and argued that he was the eldest of the surviving brothers. A group of the followers of Abu 'Abd Allah, peace be on him, followed him in his declaration. Later must of them went back to the doctrine of the Imamate of his brother Musa, peace be on him. We will explain that. This has been mentioned in Tanqeeh al-Maqaal, vol. 2, p. 174.

[8] Al-Tabari, Tarikh, vol. 9, p. 224.

[9] Maqatil al-Talibiyyin.

The Revolt of Ibrahim al-Zaki

Ibrahim b. 'Abd Allah was among the leading thinkers and one of the eminent men of his time in his knowledge, his courtesy, his good manners, and his good management. His pure soul was full of faith in the right of the community. So he went to the fields of jihad to save it from the government of enslavement and abasement. He intended to establish among its lands the Islamic justice and the Qur'anic laws.

The thing for which Ibrahim was famous was that he had an iron will; he was alert and sensitive. Al-Mansur increasingly wanted him to be arrested, so he spread spies on him. Ibrahim could sit on the dinning tables of al-Mansur, and he did not recognize him. He mentioned that, saying: "The looking (for me) in al-Mousil forced me to sit on the dinning tables of al-Mansur. He came to it (al-Mousil) to look for me. The (people of) the land expelled me, and I found no allowable place. He imposed searching (for me) , spread spies (on me) , and invited the people to his lunch. However, I came in among those who came in, and ate among those who ate, and then I went out. As a result he refrained from looking (for me). "

This boldness is a proof of his unique abilities that placed him on the level of the great, who do not think of defeat, and whose determination is not changed by difficult events. The sad news of the murder of his brother came to him while he was on the pulpit and delivering a speech, so he recited the following poetry lines:

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O Abu al-Manazil, O best of knights, whoever is bereaved of you in the world is indeed bereaved!

Allah knows that if I fear them and the heart is fearful of them, they will not kill him, and I will not hand over my brother to them until we all die or we all live!

Then his tears flowed on his holy face, and he praised his brother, and composed some words out of his sadness, saying: "O Allah, You know that Muhammed went out in revolt to show anger for You, to remove these heavy (days) , and to prefer Your right; therefore have mercy on him, forgive him; make the hereafter the best resort and return for him in the world. "

He elegized his brother with these poetry lines:

I will lament for you through the thin, white (swords) and the spear, for surely through them the seeker attain his revenge.

We are the people who do not weep for their perishing one, even if he breaks their backs.

I am not like the one who mourns for his brother with tears he makes through pressing the water of his eyeball with pressing.

But I relieve my heart through an attack with which I inflame firebrands among their phalanxes. [1]

The heroism in the brilliant sense of the word was present in this wonderful attitude Ibrahim adopted, for the murder of his brother did not weaken his determination; rather it increased him in faith and determination, and he continued his struggle.

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Ibrahim declared his great revolt against al-Mansur in Basrah, so the Muslims responded to him and joined his summons. Sufyan b. Mu'awiya, the governor of Basrah, was among those who supported him. He always contacted with him and informed him of al-Mansur's new decisions concerning Basrah. He helped him very much with the affairs of the revolt.

Ibrahim occupied Basrah and sent the summoners to him to al-Ahwaz, Persia, Wasit, and al-Meda'in. These countries responded to him and pledged allegiance to him. The flag of the 'Alawid state waved over them. The news of the violent revolt successively came to al-Mansur, and he became afraid, frightened, and impatient. Al-Hajjajj b. Qutayba came in to him and saw him hitting the ground with his scepter and reciting:

I have installed myself as a target for spears; surely the head does the like of that!

So al-Hajjajj said to him: "May Allah make your glory last and grant you a victory over your enemy, you say just as al-A'sha has said:

"'And if their war is kindled among them and is heated for them after its being cold, it will find someone who is patient toward its heat, the attacks of wars, and their repetition. "

Al-Mansur said to him: "O Hajjajj, surely Ibrahim has come to know my rough side, my difficult direction, and my coarse horn. He has been encouraged to walk towards me from Basrah by these countries neighboring the troops of the Commander of the faithful; the people of Iraq have agreed with him on opposition and disobedience to me. I have shot each country with its own stone and every district with its own arrow. I have sent to them a noble, blessed, victorious one, 'Isa b. Musa along with many troops and equipment. I have sought help from Allah against him (Ibrahim) and regarded Him as sufficient to him, for surely the Commander of the faithful has neither strength nor force except through Him. "

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When Ibrahim had troops supplied with numbers and equipment, he decided to go to war against al-Mansur. However, his companions from Basrah advised him to stay in Basrah and to send the troops; if they had escaped, he would have reinforced them with other than them. Some people from Kufa said: "Surely there are many groups of people in Kufa. If they saw you, they would die before you; and if they did not see you, many reasons would hold them back (from fighting). " As for Ibrahim, he responded to the viewpoint of the Kufans. As a result he himself headed for al-Mansur to war against him. If he had stayed in Basrah, he would have overcome those events and won a victory.

Al-Mansur sent an army of fifty thousand fighters to battle against Ibrahim. He appointed 'Isa b. Musa, his crown prince, as a command-in-chief over the army and appointed Hemid b. Qahtaba as commander over its vanguard. He said to him when he saw him off: "Surely these wicked people (the ast3rs) claim that when you meet Ibrahim, your companions will wander about one time in order to find him, then they will come to, and the final result will be yours. "

Ibrahim along with his troops covered the desert; he was heard reciting al-Qatami's poetry lines:

If a wise man manage the affairs, then Whayb will end what he can do.

The disobedience to the one who is compassionate to you is of that which increases you in strength when you hear from him.

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The best of things is that which you receive from him, and not that you follow him with following.

But when the leather is cut, is won-out and defective, so artisans are overcome. [2]

This indicates that he repented of his walking (towards al-Mansur) , for he came to know that if had stayed in Basrah, it would have been better for him. Then he along with his troops headed for Bakhimra, and not for Kufa lest the honors should be violated and the children should be killed. Some people advised him to walk towards Kufa, for it would be more guaranteed, but he did not respond to them out of fear of what we have mentioned.

The fire of the war broke out between the two sides, and al-Mansur's army was defeated and its vanguards reached Kufa. So al-Mansur was afraid, intended to escape, and mentioned the words of Imam al-Sadiq, peace be on him, concerning that the 'Abbasids would win the government. That was when he said to al- Rabi': "Where is the statement of their (Imam called) al-Sadiq? How have our children not attained it (the government)? So where is the emirate of the boys? "

When he was besieged and straitened, he ordered the camels and other animals to be put at all the gates of Kufa, that he might escape from it.

Al-Mansur's troops returned after their defeat because of a river they found and were not able to pass it. So they all came back. Ibrahim's companions had moved through water, that they might fight on one front. Thus, when they tried to escape, the water prevented them from escaping. Ibrahim along with some of his companions resisted. Hemid b. Qahtaba fought against them and sent their heads to 'Isa. A treacherous arrow came and fell into Ibrahim's mouth, and he changed his place and said to his companions: "Bring me down! " They brought him down off his mount, and he said: "Allah's command is a sealed determination! We wanted an affair, and Allah wanted other than it. "

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His companions and his special group gathered around him to defend him and to fight on his behalf. So Hemid b. Qahtaba said (to his troops): "Attack that group (of fighters) to remove them from their places and to know that around which they have gathered. " They attacked them and removed them from Ibrahim. They cut off his holy head and brought it to 'Isa. So he prostrated and sent the head to al-Mansur. [3]

With this one of the most wonderful pages of holy jihad was ended and a great person in the Islamic world was folded, while he intended to put an end to oppression and tyranny, and to return the honorable life in Islam.

When al-Mansur, the wicked and evil one, heard of the murder of the great martyr (Ibrahim) , he was about to fly out of happiness, for he achieved all his hopes and expectations. He found delicious the food which was before him, and he said to those around him: "Ibrahim intended to prevent me from (having) such a food! "[4]

Surely, the revolt of Ibrahim al-Zaki was not for the enjoyments and pleasures of the world; rather it was for destroying evil deeds, annihilating oppression, and saving the people from the terrorist government that ruled them during the days of al-Mansur.

Surely that immortal revolt was for achieving ideals, putting the Qur'anic laws into practice among the general life of the people.

Al-Mansur happily turned to those present in his gathering and said to them: "By Allah, I have never seen one more loyal to Merwan's children than al-Hajjajj! "

So al-Musayyab b. Zahra al-Dabbi opposed him and showed him that they obeyed him more than al-Hajjajj did to his masters, the Umayyads, saying: "O Commander of the faithful, al-Hajjajj did not precede us to an affair, and we remained behind him. By Allah, Allah did not create on earth someone more beloved to us than our Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. You ordered us to kill his children, and we obeyed you and did (that) ; therefore, are we loyal to you? "

His words hurt al-Mansur, and he shouted at him: "Sit down! May you not sit down! "[5]

Al-Mansur possessed alone the kingdom after the revolt of the 'Alawids. After that, the tyrannical and arrogant one, al-Mansur, went too far in oppressing and exhausting the subjects. That was because the good forces of which he was afraid were defeated. As a result he became earnest in punishing the 'Alawids severely and in uprooting them. In the following pages we will deal with the different kinds of exhaustion they faced and which cannot be described out of its atrocity and severity.

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[1] Ibid. , 342.

[2] Al-Kamil, vol. 5, p. 18.

[3] Ibid. , p. 224.

[4] Al-Mas'udi, Murujj al-Dhahab, vol. 3, p. 224.

[5] Ibid.

His Putting them in Columns

When the revolt of the 'Alawids was suppressed, al-Mansur looked for the rest of the 'Alawids. He put those he found into empty columns built of plaster and bricks. He found a handsome boy of al-Hasan's. He handed over the boy to a builder and ordered him to put him into an empty column and to brick him up. He entrusted one of his reliable persons with carrying that task. The builder put the boy into the empty column. He felt pity for him, and he left for him an outlet in the column, that some air might enter through it. He said to the boy: "Do not worry! Be patient! For surely, I will take you out of this column when it gets dark! "

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When it became dark, the builder came and took the 'Alawid (boy) out of it and said to: "Fear Allah in respect with (shedding) my blood and that of those workers with me. Hide your person; for surely I have taken you out of the column in the dark, for I have fear that your grandfather, Allah's Apostle, may Allah and his family, will be my opponent before Allah on the Day of Judgment. " He asked the boy to hide his person, and he asked him to tell his mother of that, that her soul might be good, and her impatience might be less. The boy escaped, and none came to know where he lived. The builder reached the house appointed by the 'Alawid boy, and he heard sound like that of bees out of crying. He knew that it was the boy's mother. He told her about the story of her son and went away from her. [1]

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[1] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 47, pp. 306-307. 'Uyun Akhbar al-Rida, vol. 1, p. 111.

The Case of the 'Alawids' Heads

The story of the case is full of sorrows and anxieties, for al-Mansur filled it with the heads of the 'Alawids, old, young, and children. He ordered Rita, al-Mehdi's wife, not to let al-Mehdi open it and not to come to know about it except after his death. Al-Teberi has narrated it in his book al-Tarikh. The following is its text: "When al-Mansur decided to perform the hajj, he sent for Rita, al-Mehdi's wife, and ordered her about what he wanted. He entrusted her with and gave her the keys of the cases. He walked towards and made her take an oath. He confirmed the oath lest she should open some of the cases and inform anyone even her and al- Mehdi except that she came to know of his death. When she came to know of it, only she and al-Mehdi had to sit together to open the case. Al-Mehdi had been in al-Ray when Abu Ja'far (al-Mansur) went to the hajj. When he came from al-Ray and went to Medinat al-Salam (Baghdad) , Rita gave him the keys and asked him not to open the cases and not to inform anybody of them until she came to know of al-Mansur's death. When al-Mehdi heard of the death of al-Mansur and he undertook the caliphate, he along with Rita opened the door. Suddenly he found a big case where was a group of the Talibiyyin dead in whose ears were labels on which were their lineage. Among them were children, young men, and many old men. When al-Mehdi saw that, he became terrified. He ordered a bit to be dug, and they were buried in it. Then he ordered a shop to be built on them. "[1]

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Al-Mansur kept and stored that case for the day on which property will not avail, nor sons. He stored it for the Day of Decision, and the day when the unjust one shall bite his hands.

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[1] Al-Tabari, vol. 6, p. 320, first edition.

The 'Alawids ask al-Mansur for Mercy

The 'Alawids asked this tyrannical one (al-Mansur) for mercy. However, neither human feelings nor the close kinship moved him to pardon them. He went to the Sacred House of Allah. While he was walking among his procession, the daughter of 'Abd Allah b. al-Hasan walked towards him and recited to him the following, gentle poetry lines:

Have mercy on the young children of Yazid, surely they have become orphans because they have lost you, not because they have lost Yazid!

Have mercy on the toothless old people who are in chains and shackles in prison!

If you punish us due to our crime, then we will be killed out of it everywhere!

If you are generous through the womb kinship among us, then your grandfather is not far from our grandfather! [1]

Yet this gentle entreaty did not move his severe mind, and he said to her: "Have you reminded me of him, 'Abd Allah's daughter? "

Then he ordered him to be killed in the ground prison, and he breathed his last in it.

Through this action al-Mansur reached bottomless meanness and severity!

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[1] It has been mentioned in the book Tadhkirat al-Khawas, p. 230: "The statement of Fatima, daughter of 'Abd Allah, 'Have mercy on the young of Yazid,' was a slip of tongue. That is because 'Abd Allah b. al-Husayn had no son called Yazid, nor there was among the family of Abu Talib a person called Yazid except Yazid b. Mu'awiya b. 'Abd Allah b. Ja'far.

Imam al-Sadiq passes away

Imam al-Sadiq suffered all kinds of misfortunes and pain during the time of al-Mansur. He saw the exhaustion and the ordeals from which the Muslims suffered and saw the different kinds of punishments and torture the 'Alawids met. His being safe from al-Mansur was a miracle in spite of his guarding against taking part in any of the political fields. This can be established through his famous tradition: "Safety has become rear, to the extent that requesting it has become hidden, for surely if it is (attained) through a thing, then it is about to (be attained) through inactivity. If it is sought through inactivity and is not found, then it is about (to be attained) through silence; and the happy is he who is busy with his own soul. "

Al-Mansur tried to kill him several times, but Allah turned away his plot from him. He summoned him several times while he was bursting with anger. He tried to kill him, but Allah drove away his evil from him. One day he commanded al-Rabi' to go to him. However, al-Rabi' sent his son Muhammed to him. He ordered him to bring him in the state in which he was, saying to him: "Go to Ja'far b. Muhammed. Climb the wall. Do not open any door to him lest he should change his condition. However, come down (the wall) and go to him. " Muhammed carried out the orders. He found the Imam standing and praying. After the Imam had finished his prayer, Muhammed said to him:

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-Respond to the Commander of the faithful.

-Let me put on my clothes.

-We have no way to do that.

He brought the Imam as he was and made him come in to al-Mansur, and he angrily said to him: "Why do you not give up your envy, your oppression, and your plotting against this 'Abbasid house. Allah will increase you nothing through that but intense envy and unhappiness through which you cannot attain what you have expected. "

So the Imam said to him: "By Allah, O Commander of the faithful, I have done nothing of this. I lived during the reign of the Umayyads. You have come to know that they were the most hostile of creation to us and you, and that they had no right (to assume) this authority; nevertheless, by Allah, I did not wrong them, nor did they hear any evil from me, though I turned away from them. O Commander of the faithful, how do I do that while you are my cousin, the nearest of the creation to me in womb kinship, the greatest of them in giving and kindness to me? So how do I do that? "

Al-Mansur bowed his head for an hour. Then he raised his head and said: "You are false and sinful! "

He brought out a file of letters. He threw the file to him and said to him: "These are your letters to the people of Khuresan. In them you have summoned them to break their pledge of allegiance to me and to pledge allegiance to you instead of me. "

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The Imam said to him: "By Allah, O Commander of the faithful, I have not done that. I do not regard that as lawful, nor it is of my creed. I am among those who believe in obeying you in all circumstances. I have reached an age that has made me too weak to do that. If I intended to do that, then send me to one of your prisons until death comes to me, for it is close to me! "

The wicked, ignoble one (al-Mansur) shouted at him: "No! No dignity! "

He bowed his head. Then he stretched his hand to the sword, drew a span of the hand of it, caught its hilt, and then he sheathed it. After that he said rude words to the Imam: "O Ja'far, do you not feel shame of this white hair and this lineage? Why do say false words and sow dissension among the Muslims? You want to shed blood and stir up discord between the subjects and the rulers! "

The Imam said to him: "No, by Allah, O Commander of the faithful, I have not done that. These are not my letters, nor that is my hand writing, nor that is my seal. "

Al-Mansur drew a cubit of the sword, and then he sheathed it. He admonished the Imam, and he apologized to him. He drew the sword except a little bit of it, and then he sheathed it. He bowed his head, and then he raised it and said: "I think that you are truthful! " He commanded al-Rabi' to bring him a perfume of musk and ambergris (ghaliya). He took some of it and put it on the Imam's beard. The Imam's beard was white, and it turned black due to the perfume. He went too far in honoring and magnifying the Imam. The reason for that is that he saw a proof of his Lord, so he pardoned him. [1]

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Al-Mansur harbored malice against Imam al-Sadiq because the Muslims had unanimously agreed that he was great. Al-Mansur's name went out before the Imam's brilliant name. The Islamic world talked about his reputation and carried his merits and knowledge. The tyrannical, arrogant one (al-Mansur) tried to bring the Imam gradually to his procession when he wrote to him: "Why do you not visit us just as the people do? "

He thought that the Imam, peace be on him, would respond to him like those whom the world deluded. He did not know that the Imam, peace be on him, refrained from contacting with him, for he put before him these words of Him, the Exalted: And do not incline to those who are unjust lest the fire should touch you. When Imam al-Sadiq, peace be on him, read al-Mansur's letter, he answered him: "We have nothing of the world for which we fear you, nor have you anything of the hereafter for which we hope you, nor are you in a blessing on which we congratulate you, nor do you regard it as a wrath, that we may console you for it. Therefore, why do we visit you? "

However al-Mansur did not understand the Imam's speech, for the world deluded him, and the love for kingdom and authority blinded his heart. When he read the Imam's letters, he answered him: "Surely you make friends with us to advise us. "

The Imam, peace be on him, wrote an answer to him, saying: "Whoever likes the world should not advise you; and whoever likes the hereafter should not make friend with you. "

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Al-Mansur failed in achieving his hopes. Imam Musa, peace be on him, met with him. Some flies sat on al-Mansur's face and he drove them away with his hand, but they came again, to the extent that he became bored with them, so he turned to the Imam and asked him: "O Abu 'Abd Allah, why did Allah create flies? "

The Imam, peace be on him, paid no attention to him and indifferently answered him, saying: "In order to abase tyrants with them! " That answer displeased al- Mansur, and that the Imam paid no attention to him annoyed him. As a result he thought for a long time to assassinate him.

The tyrannical one (al-Mansur) decided to commit the most dangerous atrocity and the greatest crime in Islam, pay no attention to disgrace and the fire. He gave a deadly poison to his governor over Yethrib (Medina) and commanded him to put it into food and give it to the Imam to eat. When the Imam had the food, the poison cut off his intestines. The Imam felt severe pain and painful aches. When he felt that his decreed death was close at hand, he ordered his family and his relatives to be brought. When they gathered around him, he gave them this valuable teaching: "Surely our intercession do not include him who makes light of prayers. "

Then he secretly entrusted his son Imam Musa, peace be on him, with his affairs and gave him his special teachings. He also entrusted the office of the Imamate to five people, who were Abu Ja'far al-Mansur, Muhammed b. Sulayman, 'Abd

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Allah, Musa, and Hamida. He did that because he had fear for his son of the infidel authority. That became clear after his death. For al-Mansur wrote to his governor and commanded him to kill the testamentary trustee of the Imam if he had been appointed. So his governor wrote back to him that they were five people, and that he was among them. Al-Mansur said that he had no way to kill those people.

The pain of the Imam became intense, and he suffered from severe aches. When his decreed death was close at hand, the Imam recited some verses of the Holy Qur'an. He secretly addressed his Lord and implored him until his pure soul joined the Garden of the Abode. That great soul the like of which was not created in the past and the future, except his forefathers, in clemency, knowledge, kindness, and showing sympathy to all people rose high to the High Comrade (Allah).

The head of Islam and first guide of the Islamic caravan who spared no effort to enlighten human thought and to spread the essence of knowledge and virtue among people passed away. His death was among the dangerous events with which the Islamic world was afflicted; its gravity shook the world.

The outcry from the houses of the Hashimites became loud. The crying and wailing from the houses of Yethrib (Medina) became loud. Many people hurried toward the Imam. They were either silent or crying or astonished or wailing for the demise of the great Imam, who was for them as shelter and place of flight in all their affairs.

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Imam Musa, peace be on him, was broken-hearted; his soul melted in sorrows and regrets. He prepared his father for burial while he was shedding tears. He washed the pure corpse and shrouded it with two Shatawi garments he used during the ritual consecration, with a shirt and a turban belonged to Imam Zayn al- 'Abidin, peace be on him, and with a garment Imam Musa, peace be on him, bought for forty dinars. After he had prepared him for burial, Imam Musa, peace be on him, prayed over him. Then the holy corpse was carried on fingertips. The crowded masses surrounded it. He was brought to the holy cemetery of al-Baqi' and was buried in his final resting place beside his father al-Baqir and his grandfather Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him. The famous poet Abu Hurayra stood on the edge of the grave and praised Imam al-Sadiq with these poetry lines:

When they carried him on their shoulders, I said:

Do you know what are carrying to the earth? The one who is like a rock that falls off the top of a lofty height!

In the early morning the people poured dust upon his grave, while he had been on the crossroads! [2]

Having finished burying and praising Imam al-Sadiq, peace be on him, the Muslims walked towards Imam Musa to console him on his painful misfortune, and he thanked them for their consolations. Then he came back home accompanied by his household and his loyal companions. Then he ordered a light to be put in the place where his father died according to the sunna. The light was kindled every day until Imam Musa, peace be on him, was arrested in Iraq. [3]

Imam Musa undertook the great office of Imamate after his father's death; his holy age was then twenty years,[4] and al-Mansur was in the tenth year of his reign.

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[1] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 47, pp. 195-199. Muhajj al-Da'awat, p. 192.

[2] Usool al-Kafi.

[3] Al-Jawahir, Kitab al-Tahara.

[4] Saffwat al-Saffwa.

The Shi'ites follow Imam Musa

When the Shi'ites were afflicted with the death of their great spiritual leader, Imam al-Sadiq, peace be on him, they imitated his son Imam Musa. The people all over the countries that adopted the Imamate sent delegations to appoint the Imam after Abi 'Abd Allah (al-Sadiq) , peace be on him. Those delegations went to Yethrib (Medina). They met with Imam Musa, adopted his Imamate and pledged allegiance to him. That is because he had all the qualities his father had such as knowledge, piety, righteousness and other high moral qualities that were not available except with those Allah protected from slips, purified from defilement, and chose to guide His servants to the straight path.

Hisham b. Salim, a Shi'ite master and notable, related about how he and his companions resorted to Imam Musa after the death of his father, saying:

I (i. e. Hisham b. Salim) and Muhammed b. Nu'man (known as) Sahib al-Taq were in Medina after the death of Imam Abu 'Abd Allah (al-Sadiq). The people had agreed that 'Abd Allah b. Ja'far was the leader of the affair (sahib al-amr) and the one who would undertake the office of the Imamate after his father. My companions I and came in to him. When we sat down, we asked him the following questions:

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-How much poor-tax (zakat) should be paid on two hundred dirhams?

-Five dirhams.

-How much on a hundred dirhams?

-Two and a half dirhams.

They were astonished at this religious decision that has no relationship with the Islamic Law. That is because the minimum amount of dirhams is two hundred dirhams; and there is nothing on that which is less than it. Hisham sneered at this religious verdict that has no concept:

-By Allah, you are declaring the doctrine of the Murji'a.

-By Allah, I do not know the doctrine of the Murji'a.

Hisham and Muhammed left him while they could not see the way out of pain and sadness, for they did not come to know the Imam who would undertake the office of the Imamate after Abu 'Abd Allah (al-Sadiq). Then Hisham said: " (Shall I go) to the Murji'ites, the Qadarities, the Mu'tazilites, to the Zaydites, to the Kharijites? "

While Hisham and Muhammed were roaming in a current of suspicions and thoughts and were reflecting on a doctrine to follow, they saw an old man indicating with his hand to Hisham to follow him. Hisham thought that the old man was among the spies of al-Mansur and could understand their speech. He fearfully turned to his companion and ordered him to go away from him, that only he might be punished. He followed the old man, and he took him to Imam Musa b. Ja'far, peace be on him. When he came in to him, he became tranquil. When he sat down, the Imam turned to him and said to him with kindness and affection: "To me, not to the Murji'ites, nor to the Qadarities, nor to the Mu'tazilites, nor to the Zaydites.... "

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Hisham became happy, for he found his objective when the Imam told him about what he had in his inner self. This is one of the marks and signs of the Imamate. Then Hisham asked him the following question:

-May I be your ransom, has your father gone?

-Yes.

-Has he left through death?

-Yes.

-Whom shall we follow after him?

-If Allah wills, He will guide you to that man.

-May I be your ransom, your brother 'Abd Allah claims that he is the Imam after his father.

-'Abd Allah intends that Allah should not be worshipped (properly).

-Who is in charge of us after him.

He answered him with an answer similar to his first one, and Hisham asked him:

-Are you him?

-I am not saying that.

Hisham made a mistake in his speech, and he corrected his mistake, saying:

-Do you have an Imam over you?

-No.

He admired and magnified the Imam, to the extent that none knew except Allah. Then he said to him:

-May I be your ransom, may I question you like I used to question your father.

-Question. You will be informed but do not spread (the answer) around. For if you do spread it around, then slaughter will take place.

Then he asked him many questions, to the extent that he came to know that the Imam was a sea (of knowledge) which could not be exhausted out of his abundant knowledge and merit. After he had come to know him and been sure of his Imamate, he asked him:

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-May I be your ransom, the Shi'a of your father is lost (without a leader). May I put this matter to them and summon them (to follow) you? For you have taken (a promise of secrecy from me).

-Tell those of them whose righteousness you are familiar with, but take (a promise of) secrecy from them. For if it gets spread around, there will be slaughter. And he pointed to his neck with his hand.

Then he went out while he was tranquil and happy-hearted due to what he had found. So his friend hurried to him and asked him:

-What happened to you?

-Guidance.

Then he told him the story, and they both went to Zarara and Abu Basir. After they had met with them, they told them about the Imam's tradition. Thus, Zarara and Abu Basir hurried to the Imam and asked him some questions. He answered them, and they were sure of his Imamate. Then the Shi'ite masses went to the Imam in groups and pledged allegiance to him and acknowledged his Imamate. The overwhelming majority of the Shi'ites adopted his Imamate except the companions of Ammar al-Sabati, for they insisted on their own thoughts. [1]

After his father, the Imam, peace be on him, took care of the affairs of the Shi'ites, spreading the Islamic principles, supplying the religious scholars and the students with different kinds of knowledge. Due to these deeds the government kept an eye on him. Accordingly he was unable to communicate with the Shi'a openly; likewise the Shi'a were unable to declare their beliefs and principles.

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[1] Al-Mejalis, vol. 5, p. 328.

Al-Mansur's Policy is criticized

Al-Mansur followed a policy through which he opposed Allah's Book and the Sunna of His Prophet. For he killed the innocent, violated honors, plundered properties, threw the free into prisons, pursued the thinkers, and uprooted the progeny of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. These actions excited waves of displeasure against him. For example some great Muslim figures criticized him. The following are brief lines on each of them:

1. 'Abd Allah b. Tawus

'Abd Allah b. Tawus al-Yemeni[1] along with Malik b. Anas visited al-Mansur. Al-Mansur turned to him and said:

-Tell me about your father.

-My father related to me: "The greatest of people in torture on the Day of Resurrection is the one whom Allah makes a partner in His supreme authority, and he makes oppression enter it through his governing. "

Al-Mansur became displeased, and great anger appeared on his face. Malik was sure that his companion would be killed. He brought together his clothes lest they should be stained by 'Abd Allah's blood. Then al-Mansur turned to 'Abd Allah and commanded him:

-Give me the inkwell!

He did not give it to him, so al-Mansur shouted at him:

-Why do you not give me the inkwell?

-I fear that you may write an act of disobedience with it!

Al-Mansur found no answer. He ordered 'Abd Allah to be brought out. 'Abd Allah went away and left al-Mansur burst with anger and rage. [2]

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2. Sufyan al-Thawri

Sufyan al-Thawri[3] came in to al-Mansur. When he sat down, he turned to al-Mansur and bravely said to him:

-Fear Allah! You have occupied this position and reached this place through the swords of the Emigrants and the Ansar, while their children die of hanger! 'Umar b. al-Khattab performed the hajj and spent nothing except fifteen dinars; he used to stop under the trees!

Al-Mansur sneeringly said to him:

-You want me to be like you!

-Do not be like me, but be less than that in which you are and higher than that in which I am!

So al-Mansur shouted at him:

-Go out!

Al-Thawri opposed him and threw at him an arrow of his flowing knowledge, saying:

-Surely I know the position of one man! If he becomes righteous, all the community will be righteous!

-Who is it?

-You, Commander of the faithful!

He burnt his heart with his words. [4] Then he left him and went away.

3. Ibn Abi Dhi'b[5]

Some great Muslim jurists visited al-Mansur when he assumed the caliphate. His gathering was fearful. For he sat on furniture brocaded with pearls and precious stones. Many guards drawing their swords surrounded him. They were waiting for issuing his orders to execute any person whatever he was. When the jurists sat down, al-Mansur angrily looked at them and said:

-Now then, people of jurists! Something from you reached the Commander of the faithful, and it has displeased him, and he has no patience with it! You are the most appropriate of the people in showing obedience and advise secretly and openly to him whom Allah has appointed as caliph over you!

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The religious leader Malik b. Anas showed obedience to him and refuted those who informed him of them, saying:

-O Commander of the faithful, Allah, the Most high, has said: "O you who believe! If an evil-doer comes to you with a report, look carefully into it, lest you should harm a people in ignorance, then be sorry for what you have done. "

So al-Mansur's excitement and anger abated, and he turned to them and asked:

-What a kind of man am I in your viewpoints?

-Am I among the just Imams or among the unjust ones?

Malik begged him through Allah and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, to exempt him from the answer, and he exempted him. However, Ibn Sam'an, a pseudo clergyman, explained to him that he was the shadow of Allah in His earth, symbol of justice, and the one who made peace among the people, saying: "You, by Allah, the best of men, O Commander of the faithful. You make the pilgrimage to the Sacred House of Allah, struggle against the enemy, make the roads safe, the weak feel safe through you from the strong; the religion is established through you; therefore you are the best man and the most just Imam. "

Ibn Sam'an flattered al-Mansur through these cheap words that are of those hirelings and slaves, and that issued from a soul disposed by nature for abasement and hypocrisy. Then al-Mansur turned to Ibn Abi Dhi'b and asked him: "I adjure you before Allah, what a kind of man am I in your sight? "

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And he stood before him like a roaring lion; he was not afraid of that terrible view; he did not fear the severity of the tyrannical authority; he was good-hearted and had strong faith. He said to him: "By Allah, I think that you are the worst man; you have possessed alone the wealth of Allah and of His Apostle, the portion of the near of kin, of orphans, and of the needy. You have ruined the weak, exhausted the strong, and confiscated their properties; therefore, what is your answer before Allah tomorrow? "

Ibn Abi Dhi'b hurt al-Mansur with his words, and he became angry and shouted at him: "Woe unto you! What are you saying? Do you understand? Look! What is in front of you? " He indicated with his hands to the swordsmen.

Ibn Abi Dhi'b paid no attention to him and said to him: "Yes. I have seen some swords. It is death; there is no escape from it. Soon death is better than late one. "

He destroyed his entity through this frankness that issued from a good heart. Then he left him and went away. [6]

4. 'Abd al-Rahman b. Ziyad

'Abd al-Rahman b. Ziyad al-Afriqi went to visit al-Mansur. However he waited at the gate of his palace for a month. He was unable to came in to him. Then he was given permission to see him. When he sat down, al-Mansur asked him:

-What made you come?

-Tyranny has appeared in our country, so I have come to inform you (of it) , but suddenly I have come to know that tyranny has begun to come out of your own house. I have seen evil deeds and prevailing oppression; I thought that was because of that the country was far away from you. However, whenever I come nearer to you, (I feel that) the affair is worse. "

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Al-Mansur became displeased with his words, and ordered him to be brought out. [7] 'Abd al-Rahman visited al-Mansur another time, and he asked him:

-What is the difference between my authority and that of the Umayyads?

-In you authority I have seen all kinds of tyranny I saw in theirs!

-We have no helper.

-'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz said: "A supreme ruler (sultan) is like a market to which is brought that which is sold in it. If he is pious, they will bring him their piety; and if he is sinful, they will bring him their sins. "

Al-Mansur kept silent and said nothing. [8]

5. A great Reformer

A great reformer criticized al-Mansur for his policy that opposed the truth and justice. History has not mentioned the name of this great reformer. Any way, this reformer told al-Mansur about his crimes and censured him for his acts. He said to al-Mansur during his circumambulating the Kaaba: "O Allah, surely I complain to you of the appearance of error and corruption on earth, and of greed that comes between the truth and its men. "

These words stunned al-Mansur, the tyrannical and arrogant one. So after he had finished circumambulating the Kaaba, he ordered the man to be brought. When the man stood before al-Mansur, he asked him about his words. The man asked al-Mansur for security and not to punish him if he had showed the truth, and al- Mansur gave him security. He said to him:

-Surely the one who has greed to the extent that he has come between the truth and its people is you, O Commander of the faithful.

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-How have I greed while I have gold and silver, the sweet and the sour are under my grasp?

-Surely, Allah has appointed you as a ruler over the Muslims and their properties. But you have placed between you and them a veil of plaster and bricks, and chamberlains with weapons. You have ordered them not to let anyone come in to you except so-and-so; you have not ordered them to let those oppressed, sorrowful, weak, poor, hungry, and naked come in to you, while they all have rights against these properties. When those people you have chosen as your special group and preferred to your subjects have seen that properties are collected to you while you do not give them (to people) , and you gather them and do not divide them among (the people) , they said: "This (al-Mansur) has disobeyed Allah and His Apostle. Therefore, why do we not betray him while he has employed himself for us? " Accordingly, they have agreed on that they have not inform you of the stories of the people except that which they want. When a governor opposed them, they send him far and expelled him, that they may degrade his position and importance. When you and they have become famous for that, the people have magnified and respected you and them. Your governors are the first to flatter them through gifts, that they may gain power to oppress your subjects. Then this has

been done by those powerful and rich from among your subjects, that they may wrong those inferior to them; therefore, the land has become full of greed out of oppression and corruption.

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These (people) have become your partners in your supreme authority while you are heedless (of them). When someone comes to complain (to you of them) , he is prevented from coming in to you. When he wants to bring his story before you, he is prevented from doing that. You have appointed someone to solve complaints. The oppressed one frequently comes to him, and he dismisses him out of fear of your entourage. When he cries out before you, he is hit, that he may be an example to those other than him. You see (these deeds) but do not reflect (on them)! So Islam does not last on account of these (deeds). You, Commander of the faithful, collect properties for your children while Allah wills a woman to miscarry her baby, and it will have no wealth, and while there is a miserly hand that takes all properties. Allah will show kindness to that baby until it becomes a grown-up, and the desire of the people toward him becomes great. It is not you who give, but it is Allah Who give without measure. You collect properties to establish and strengthen your kingdom while Allah has shown you what He had done to the Umayyads in spite of the gold and the silver they had collected, and in spite of the men, the weapons, and the horses they had prepared. You collect properties to seek an objective more important than that in which you are whereas, by Allah, there is no position higher than that in which you are except that which cannot be obtained except through an act of disobedience (to Allah). [9]

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Through these statements, this great critic has shown all kinds of oppression and tyranny the Muslims met from al-Mansur and his treacherous hirelings who plundered the wealth of the community and veiled from al-Mansur the stories of the subjects and what they suffered such as pressure and tyranny. For if an oppressed one went to him, they prevented him from coming in to him. When he raised his voice through complaining and seeking help, they severely punished him, that he might be an example to those other than him. Meanwhile, al-Mansur veiled himself from the subjects; he did not take care of their interests and did not reflect on raising their standard of living. He devoted himself to hoarding up and storing properties and spending nothing of them on the Muslims.

6. 'Amru Bin 'Ubayd

'Amru b. 'Ubayd[10] met with al-Mansur and bravely said to him:

-Nothing has been done behind your door according to Allah's Book and the Sunna of His Prophet.

-What shall I do? I said to you: "My ring is in your hand, so you and your companions come and help me. "

-Summon us through your justice, and we will generously help you; surely there are a thousand complaints behind your door. Solve some of them, and we will come to know that you are truthful. [11]

All these pieces of advice to al-Mansur went in vain. For he went too far in practicing tyranny and oppression. He was not cautious of the punishment of Allah, nor was he afraid of the Day of Resurrection.

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[1] 'Abd Allah b. Tawus b. Kaysan al-Yemeni was a jurist and knowledgeable of Arabic sciences. He harbored malice against Ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them. He died at the time of al-Mansur. This has been mentioned in Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, vol. 5, pp. 267-268.

[2] Shadharat al-Dhahab, vol. 2, p. 188.

[3] He is the Shaykh of Islam and master of those whom memorized the Qur'an by heart. Abu Usama has said: "Do not believe him who tells you that he has seen the like of Sufyan. " Ibn Dhi'b has said: "I have not seen anyone like al-Thawri in Iraq. " He was born in the year 97. He sought knowledge while he was still young. His father was among the religious scholars in Kufa. He hid himself at the time of al-Mehdi because he said the truth. He died in Basrah in the month of Sha'ban, in the year 161 A. H. This has been mentioned in Tadhkirat al-Hafiz, vol. 1, pp. 190-192. He took his knowledge from Imam al-Sadiq, peace be on him, for he was among his students.

[4] Al-Musamarat, vol. 1, p. 98.

[5] Ibn Abi Dhi'b is Muhammed b. 'Abd al-Rahman al-Qarashi al-'Amiri, al-Medani. He was a jurist. Ahmed b. Hanbel has said: "Ibn Abi Dhi'b was better than Malik, but Malik was greater than him in purifying the traditionists. " Al-Waqidi has said: "He (Ibn Abi Dhi'b) was the most wonderful and best of all the people. " Ibn Abi Dhi'b was born in the year 80 A. H. He said the truth and did not fear the authority. When al-Mehdi came into the Mosque of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, all the people rose for him except Ibn Abi Dhi'b. So it was said to him: "Rise! This is the Commander of the faithful! " He said: "Men should rise for the Lord of the world! " He died in the year 159. This has been mentioned in Tadhkirat al-Hafiz, vol. 1, pp. 179-181.

[6] Al-Imama wa al-Siyasa, vol. 2, pp. 185-187.

[7] Tarikh Baghdad, vol. 10, p. 215.

[8] Tarikh al-Khulafa', p. 268.

[9] Mukhtasar Akhbar al-Khulafa', pp. 17-18.

[10] 'Amru Bin 'Ubayd al-Basri was the Shaykh of the Mu'tazilites and among their famous ascetics. His grandfather was taken as a prisoner of war in Persia. His father was a weaver, and then he became a policeman in Basrah during the time of al-Hajjajj. 'Amru was famous for his knowledge and his renouncing the world. Concerning him al-Mansur has said:

All of you seek hunting except 'Amru b. 'Ubayd.

'Amru has treaties and books of which are al-Tafseer, and al-Radd 'alaa al-Qadariya. He died near Mecca. Al-Mansur lamented for him. We have not heard that a caliph lamented for a person except him. This has been mentioned in the book al-A'lam, vol. 2, p. 736.

[11] 'Uyun Akhbar al-Rida, vol. 2, p. 337.

Imam Musa with al-Mansur

Imam Musa, peace be on him, witnessed all the misfortunes and disasters that befell his household and his family, so his soul had deep sadness and bitter sorrow; nevertheless he was patient, regarded Allah as sufficient to him, and restrained his anger.

The Imam did not take any part in any of the political affairs, nor did he join the 'Alawid revolutionaries, for he came to know that their movement would not succeed. For this reason al-Mansur refrained from harming him and from subjecting him to detested things. He asked him to represent him on the Day of al- Nouruz and to receive the gifts were given by the notables, the nobility, military commanders to the Caliph. That was legislated by Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan and was followed by the kings after him. Accordingly, the Imam, peace be on him, refrained from responding to al-Mansur, saying: "I have investigated the traditions narrated from my grandfather, Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, and found no tradition on this 'Id, which is a tradition (sunna) of the Persians and which Islam has erased. I seek refuge in Allah from that I give life to that which Islam has erased. "

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However, al-Mansur paid no attention to that such a tradition was Islamically unlawful, and insisted on that the Imam had to represent him on that day to comply with his Persian fighters who used to celebrate it. The Imam had no escape from responding to him. So he sat in his place, and the notables and the leaders came in to him in order to congratulate him and to give him gifts. There was with him a person appointed by al-Mansur to write to him the gifts. Meantime a shabby, old man came in to the Imam carrying a gift most precious of jewels and most expensive of all the things given to him. The old man stood in front of the Imam and said to him: "O My master, I am a poor man and have no money to give to you. Any way, I will gift you with three poetry lines my grandfather said in praising your grandfather al-Husayn. "

"Welcome to you and to your gift! Recite what he said. " retorted the Imam.

The old man began saying:

I wondered at the sword that rose over (you) , and its equal escaped on the Day of the Battle when dust rose over you.

(And I wondered at) the arrows that penetrated you in defense for the free ladies who called out your grandfather while their tears were copious.

Why did those arrows not become weak? And why did that esteem and admiration not prevent them from (penetrating) your body? [1]

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Accordingly the delights on that day turned into a funeral ceremony full of sorrow and sadness for the Master of martyrs (Imam al-Husayn) , peace be on him.

The Imam, who was full of grief and sadness, turned to the old man said to him: "I have accepted your gift! Sit down! May Allah bless you! "

Then he raised his head and said to the servant: "Go to al-Mansur and tell him about these gifts and (ask him about what) he will do with them. "

The retainer went to al-Mansur and told him about the Imam's speech, and he told him that all the gifts were a gift to the Imam. He returned to the Imam and told him about al-Mansur's answer. As a result the Imam, peace be on him, gave all those gifts to the old man as a sign of honoring his grandfather, who praised the Master of martyrs (Imam al-Husayn) , peace be on him, through these nice poetry lines.

The narration has not mentioned in which country the Imam, peace be on him, represented al-Mansur. Did he represent him in Yethrib (Medina) or in Baghdad? It has neglected that; besides al-Mansur was famous for miserliness and stinginess. This brings about a doubt about the narration.

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[1] Al-Manaqib, vol. 2, p. 380. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 11, p. 264.

The Death of al-Mansur

Al-Mansur decided to go to Mecca. He thought that he would die during his travel. He roamed in a current of suspicions and thoughts, so he said: "Surely I was born in the month of Dhi al-Hijja, undertook the caliphate in Dhi al-Hijja, and I think that I will die in Dhi al-Hijja, this year. "[1] Thus, he entrusted his affairs to his son al-Mehdi and appointed him as a king after him. He gave him the following teachings that show his terrorist policy: "Surely I have left three kinds of bad people: The poor who hope nothing except your riches; the fearful who hope nothing except your security; and the prisoners who hope none for release except from you. So when you become a ruler over them, make them taste welfare; do not lavishly extend aid to them. I have collected to you properties no caliph before me had collected. I have collected to you retainers no caliph before me had collected. And I have built to you a city the like of which is not available in Islam. "[2]

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Certainly al-Mansur not only left three kinds of bad people, but also he left all the people in such conditions. He terrified them, deprived them of security and ease, spread poverty and famine among them, and filled the prisons with the free and the reformers.

Any way al-Mansur's procession left Baghdad and covered the desert. When he was far away from Kufa, he felt a severe pain. Thoughts came to his mind, and he said to al-Rabi': "Quickly take me to the Sacred House and Security of my Lord, for I want to escape from my sins! "

He reached the last station of his road, so al-Rabi' said to him: "We have reached the Well of Maymoon. " And al-Mansur said to him: "Praise belongs to Allah! Can you take me to the Kaaba? " He was critically ill, so al-Rabi' was unable to continue walking. He stopped there and prevented the people from coming in to al- Mansur. The tyrannical, arrogant one (al-Mansur) perished on Saturday morning, Dhi al-Hijja 6, in the year 158. He made the people taste all kinds of oppression and fear.

This page full of tyranny, sins, and offences was folded. The Muslims did not come to know a ruler more tyrannical, more violent, and severer than al-Mansur.

Imam Musa, peace be on him, was then thirty years old. He spent his youth during the reign of this tyrannical one (al-Mansur). He was broken-hearted and sad. He felt pain out of sadness for the Muslims and out of patience for what the 'Alawids met such as severe punishments and painful torture. We will see him off here, that we may meet him at the time of al-Mehdi.

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[1] Ibn al-Athir, Tarikh, vol. 5, p. 43.

[2] Al-Ya'qubi, Tarikh, vol. 3, p. 349.

Chapter X

At the Time of al-Mehdi

The Islamic world received the government of al-Mehdi with more joys and delights. That is because of what it had met during the time of al-Mansur such as severity, strictness, and tyranny in the governing they ended with his death. For al-Mehdi was more tractable than his father and was famous for generosity, open- handedness, refraining from severity and rudeness.

When al-Mehdi ascended the throne, he issued a royal decree to release all the political detainees and prisoners except those killers and mischief-makers. He also returned the movable and the immovable properties his father unjustly and aggressively confiscated to their owners. He returned to Imam Musa what his father had taken from Imam al-Sadiq, peace be on him. The reason for that is that he undertook the kingdom that led a life of stability and tranquility. Besides he received the great wealth his father had collected while he was stingy toward himself and the community; so neither he nor it enjoyed the blessings of that great wealth. Unfortunately, al-Mehdi spent that great wealth on amusement, dissoluteness, gifts to the hirelings and the dissolute. The weak class did not make use of it, for he did not give anything of it, and for he had no concern except satisfying his pleasures and going too far in lavish expenditure, luxury, and dissoluteness.

Any way al-Mehdi cannot be compared to his father, for he was contrary to him in most his qualities and deeds, but he inherited from his father an intense enmity toward the 'Alawids and their followers, for he detested them very much. He inherited that from his father al-Mansur, thought that he would not last in undertaking the government and authority except through destroying the 'Alawids and their followers. In the following we will deal with some of his qualities and his deeds and what Imam Musa, peace be on him, met during his time.

His Dissoluteness

The Islamic Caliphate is the shadow of Allah on earth; therefore, it was necessary for it to represent the objectives, reality, and guidance of Islam; and it was necessary for it to be kept from futility and temptations, and to be far above amusement and dissoluteness. Any way it has not reported that many of the Umayyad and the 'Abbasid rulers were far away from the abominable things and amusement were forbidden by Allah. For they turned the Islamic caliphate into theaters for dance, pleasure, and corruption. If they had taken off the garment of the caliphate, they would have preserve Islam and kept its ideals.

Amusement, dissoluteness, liquidity, and corruption spread among the people during the time of al-Mehdi. Bashshar's poems circulated; the people memorized his love poetry. The honorable and the enthusiastic were displeased with that. An example of that is that Yazid b. Mansur came in to al-Mehdi and asked him to stop Bashshar and to prevent him from writing love poetry, and al-Mehdi summoned him and prohibited him from that. In this respect Bashshar says:

I lived among plants of sweet-basil, wine, and flowers under the protection of a good gathering.

I filled the land among Faghfor,[1] al-Qayrawan, and the Yemen with poetry to which the people pray just as the errant pray to an idol.

Then al-Mehdi prevented me from that, so my soul turned away (from that) due to the good deed of the successful one who quickly understands.

Therefore, praise belongs to Allah with Whom there is no partner, nothing will stay forever.

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Yet Bashshar secretly went on composing love poetry and practicing dissoluteness. In this respect he says:

I have seen a good view of a slave girl's face, and I ransomed it.

She sent for me to offer for sale the garment of youth while I had folded it.

By Allah, the Lord of Muhammed, I did not betray, nor did I intend (to betray).

I refrained from it; perhaps accidentally tribulation came, and I did not seek it.

Surely the Caliph refused (it) ; when he refuses a thing, I also refuse it.

The gallant King prevented me from the women and I did not oppose him.

Rather, I was loyal and broke neither covenant nor promise.

It is I who is towering over the enemies; and when praise is expensive, I will buy it.

I incline to the amusement of the drinking companion though I feel no appetite for it.

The lover's house fills me with longing when I leave in the early morning.

The Caliph has prevented me from (going to her) though I have not hated her.

Bashshar has also said:

I have buried love, so I will not visit neither Sulama nor Saffra' as long as the turtle dove cooks.

I have left the communication with her for the sake of the Mehdi of mankind and conformed to the covenant between us, which is not betrayal.

Were it not for Muhammed (al-Mehdi) , I would kiss her on the mouth or I would break my fast through her.

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By my life, a sin has burdened my own soul, so I do not want to commit sin by sin. [2]

Al-Mehdi straitened Bashshar in the beginning, and then he released him. Then a current of dissoluteness and prostitution carried Bashshar away. He is regarded as the first to establish the amusement during the 'Abbasid government. Al-Jahiz says: "In the first place, Bashshar veiled himself from the singers, and then he said: 'Pleasure is in witnessing joy through approaching him who delights me; there is neither good nor pleasure in keeping away (from him). "[3]

He (al-Mehdi) was informed of the voice of Ibrahim al-Mousili and his good songs, so he brought him near to him and promoted his position. [4] When he practiced dissoluteness and amusement, the people had suspicions about him and accused him of different accusations; to this meaning Bashshar b. Burd al- 'Uqayli refers when he satirized him:

The Caliph fornicates his aunts, plays with the tambourine and the scepter.

May Allah replace him by other than him and put Musa into the heat of the canes. [5]

Al-Jahiz mentioned that al-Mehdi loved songstresses and hearing songs, that he was fond of a slave girl called Jawher whom he bought, and that he composed poetry on her. [6] He was fond of drinking wine, to the extent that his minister Ya'qub b. Dawud prohibited him from that, saying to him: "Do you do that after performing prayers in Mesjid? "

However, he paid no attention to his advice and took the advice of some dissolute poets who recommended him to continue drinking wine and not to pay attention to his minister's speech, saying:

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Put Ya'qub b. Dawud aside and drink sweet-smelling wine! [7]

Al-Mehdi gave free rein to his desires, his pleasures, and his dissoluteness, to the extent that his son Ibrahim and his daughter 'Aliyya inherited that from him. Accordingly Ibrahim was the head of the singers, and 'Aliya was on top of the songstresses and the musicians in Baghdad.

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[1] A Chinese king.

[2] Duha al-Islam, vol. 1, pp. 112-114.

[3] Al-Tajj, p. 35.

[4] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 5, p. 5.

[5] Shadharat al-Dhahab, vol. 1, p. 265.

[6] Akhlaq al-Muluk, p. 34.

[7] Al-Fekhri, p. 167.

His Lavish Expenditure and Extravagance

Al-Mehdi spent on his sensual desires all the great properties al-Mansur had plundered from the Muslims and left behind. He spent them on pleasures and dissoluteness and left the community suffer from poverty and misery. He spent lavishly to the extent that he made the people astonished with him. An example of his lavish expenditure and extravagance was that when he married his son to Mrs. Zubayda. He celebrated a great festival and spent fifty million dirhams of the properties of the Muslims. He held the festival in the Palace of al-Khuld on the bank of the Tigris. He invited the people from all the cities before some months. They hurried to him and indulged in the hope of attaining enormous properties. They stopped at al-Mehdi as guests. Al-Mehdi had ordered various kinds of furniture to be brought. Examples of that are gold and silver containers, Armenia excellent carpets and rugs the 'Abbasids took from the Umayyad government. Those carpets and rugs were of the possessions of al-Walid b. Yazid, who was fond of them, for he decorated the floor and the walls of his palace; they were the most excellent things given as presents to the caliphs. Concerning them, Marco Polo, the explorer, has said: "The eye has seen nothing more beautiful and better than them. " Al-Mehdi also ordered clothes brocaded with gold, perfume of different kinds, boxes full of jewels, precious ornaments, maids, retainers, and boys to be brought.

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On the night of the wedding, Zubayda was clothed in a shirt brocaded with great pearls the like of which none had ever seen and whose value none could estimate, for it was very precious. He ordered her to be clothed in the budna of the wife of Hisham b. 'Abd al-Malik; the budna is a shirt; most of it is made of gold; it consists of only two Awkeias (127 gram) ; and the rest of it is gold. Then he ordered her to be adorned with ornaments, to the extent that she was unable to walk due to the many jewels she wore. Mitz says: "Neither the Persian kings, nor the Roman Caesar, nor the western kings had practiced such a thing. "

The Hashimite women came, and they were given a garment brocaded with gold, a bag full of dinars, and a vessel full of silver. The retainers filled the gold containers with dirhams and the silver containers with dinars and gave them to the notables; they added to that perfume of musk and ambergris. [1] In his book al- Diyarat, al-Shabishty has mentioned: "When al-Mehdi married his son to his niece Um Ja'far, he prepared for her furniture, boxes full of jewels, ornaments, crowns, wreaths, gold and silver domes, and perfumes. Then he ordered the budna of 'Abda, Hisham's wife to be given to her. " He (al-Shabishty) added: "The like of the budna and of the beads that were in it had never been seen in Islam. There were two lines of ruby on the front and the back of it; and the rest of it was decorated with great pearls the like of which was not available. "[2] It was said that the estimators were

unable to estimate these pearls because they were very expensive. [3]

This is an example of the lavish expenditure and of making light of the Muslims' properties of which Islam took great care and required (the rulers) to spend them on public interests, and made it forbidden for them to choose any of them.

Yet another example of al-Mehdi's lavish expenditure is that he bought a very precious gem of ruby for three hundred thousand dinars. The money was in bags. When they were put one on the another, they became like a mountain. When al-Mehdi received it, he gave it to his son al-Hadi. [4]

Through these examples we can understand his lavish expenditure and extravagance. Who could at that time criticize the Caliph and say to him that those properties belonged to the community and he had no share of it, nor had he the right to dispose of them?

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[1] Bayna al-Khulafa' wa al-Khula'a, pp. 25-26.

[2] Al-Diyarat, p. 100.

[3] Tuhfat al-'Arus, p. 36.

[4] Al-Jawahir, p. 61.

The Influence of Woman

According to her nature, woman follows the sentiments that achieve her desires, so how is it correct for them to dispose of the affairs of society? Al-Saffah and al- Mansur felt that, and they did not allow woman to enter the political affairs. Any way, when al-Mehdi undertook the office of the caliphate, the woman had an influence in it. An example of that is that his wife al-Khayzaran had an authority and a strong influence on the palace, the drinking companions, the chamberlains, the doctors, and the like; she brought near whomever she pleased and sent far whomever she pleased. For example, she harassed Bakhtshiyu' b. Jorjis, a famous doctor, and she forced al-Mehdi to return him to Jind Nisabur. [1] Since that day the influence of the women increased and became strong, to the extent that it reached zenith in the middle and end of the 'Abbasid state; this affair led to disorders and instability among the people.

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[1] Al-Quttfi, Akhbar al-Hukama', p. 101.

Bribe and Oppression

Al-Mehdi occupied himself with amusement and pleasures, so he neglected the affairs of his subjects. Accordingly, his wicked governors plundered properties and striped the people of their wealth. Bribe greatly spread among all the officials, especially as it concerns Egypt. For its governor was Musa, who went too far in collecting land taxes. He doubled it on the crop of each feddan. Besides he imposed land taxes on the owners of shops in markets and of cattle. He took bribe in respect with laws. To this meaning the poet refers in his saying:

If al-Mehdi came to know of what Musa and Ayyub did in Egypt when they inhabited it, he would not accuse Ya'qub of advice. [1]

Al-Mehdi himself intentionally wronged the people and unjustly behaved toward their rights. He ordered taxes and wages to be imposed on the markets in Baghdad. [2] He exerted intense pressure on the citizens. The people on whom land taxes were imposed met strictness and torture to the extent that there is no way to describe it. [3] If someone raised his voice to complain of (taxes) or to seek help (from the ruler) , he would be sent to graves or to prisons.

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[1] Al-Wilat wa al-Qudat, p. 125

[2] Al-Ya'qubi, Tarikh, vol. 3, p. 134.

[3] Al-Jahshyari, p. 103.

His Taking care of the Fabricators

Al-Mehdi brought near a bad group of religious scholars whose minds were not educated by the teachings of the religion, so they supported the oppressive and gave them good nicknames and noble attributes, that they might seek nearness to them and crave for their world. They neglected the Islamic ideals, so they followed greed and avarice, and strove for material. They abased themselves before the kings and the sultans, so they encompassed them with a halo of sanctification and magnification. They told the community that the kings and the sultans represented the will of Allah and that they were far above errors. It is these fabricators who destroy Islam and distort its principal features. Al-Mehdi brought near a group of such slaves, and they wrote false things in elegant style and fabricated lies on praising and lauding al-Mehdi. Examples of them are Abu Ma'shar al-Sindi, who was the most lying person under the sky;[1] and Ghayyath b. Ibrahim, who came to know that al-Mehdi was fond of doves and loved them. So he related to him on the authority of Abu Hurayra that he said: "There is no precedence except through a hoof or a spearhead or a wing! "

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So al-Mehdi ordered ten thousand dirhams to be given to him for his fabricating the tradition. When Ghayyath went away from al-Mehdi, he said to those sitting with him: "I bear witness that he fabricated (a tradition) against Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family. Allah's Apostle did not say that, but he (Ghayyath) intended to seek nearness to me. "[2]

Although al-Mehdi came to know that Ghayyath fabricated (a tradition) against Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, he gave him an amount of money as a gift. In this manner he encouraged the movement of fabricating traditions and spared no effort to develop it, while it was the most dangerous disaster with which Islam was afflicted, for it degraded its importance and entered many fables into it. We will mention that in a much more explanation when we talk about the problems at the time of the Imam.

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[1] Tarikh Baghdad, vol. 6, p. 346.

[2] Ibid. , vol. 2, p. 193.

His Showing Enmity toward the 'Alawids

Al-Mehdi inherited from his father an intense enmity toward the 'Alawids and their followers, so he was full of malice and hatred toward them. The reason for that is that the 'Abbasids had no right in undertaking the government, for the revolt against the Umayyad government was declared for the sake of the 'Alawids, the defenders of the truth and justice in Islam.

The revolt had the nature and reality of Shi'ism, for the revolutionaries adopted it as a slogan for them, and they struggled for it. For this reason the 'Abbasids joined the summons. The proof of that is that al-Mehdi came in to Abu 'Awn, who was the dearest of his companions to him and the most preferable of them to him, to visit him. Al-Mehdi asked him to mention his needs, that he might grant them. Abu 'Awn said to him:

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-My need is that I want you to be pleased with my son 'Abd Allah, for your anger toward him has lasted for a long time.

-O Abu 'Abd Allah, your son has not followed our way, and he is contrary to your and our opinions. He criticizes the two Shaykhs (i. e. Abu Bakr and 'Umar) and says bad words against them.

-By Allah, O Commander of the faithful, he is still following the affair for which we went out in revolt (against the Umayyads) and summoned (the people) to it. If you have changed your mind, then command us to follow what you like, that we may obey you. [1]

This statement indicates that the revolt against the Umayyad government was Shi'ite in the full sense of the word. Yet there is another example indicating that: Al- Qasim b. Mujashi' sent his will to al-Mehdi, that he might bear witness for it, in it he mentioned: "Allah bears witness that there is no god but He, and (so do) the angels and those possessed of knowledge, maintaining his creation with justice; there is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise. Surely the religion with Allah is Islam. I bear witness for that; and I testify that Muhammed is His Servant and His Apostle, and that 'Ali b. Abi Talib, was the testamentary trustee of Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family and inheritor of the Imamate after him. "

When al-Mehdi read the last statement of the will, he threw it away and did not read the rest of it. [2] A special group of the 'Abbasids believed in that and firmly believed that the revolt was declared for Shi'ism. However, the 'Abbasids who usurped the government deviated from that for their own ambitions and for their ascending the throne.

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Any way, al-Mehdi harbored intense malice against the 'Alawids. As for the aspects of that enmity, they are as follows:

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[1] Al-Tabari, Tarikh, the Events of the Year 169.

[2] Ibid. , vol. 6, p. 397.

His Spending a lot of Money on Disparaging the 'Alawids

Al-Mehdi spent enormous amount of money on disparaging Ahl al-Bayt and on degrading their importance. Some hireling poets came to know that the way to get rich was through disparaging Ahl al-Bayt and going too far in dispraising them, so they fabricated lies in order to satirize them. Among such slave poets was Bashshar b. Burd, who was famous for unbelief and atheism. He came in to al-Mehdi and recited to him his poem in which he said:

O Son of him who inherited the Prophet Muhammed excluding the womb relatives.

The Revelation has stopped the dispute between the children of the daughters and you, so it is too late to dispute.

Women have no religious duty along with men; concerning that Surat al-An'am has been revealed.

How is, and that is not, that the children of the daughters inherit the uncles? [1]

So al-Mehdi gave him seventy thousand dirhams for that to encourage him and those dishonest other than him to disparage Ahl al-Bayt. When Imam Musa, peace be on him, heard of Bashshar's poem, he was very displeased and spent that night upset and in pain. He heard someone reciting to him poetry lines contrary to that of Bashshar, saying:

How is it, and it is not, that the polytheists are the pillars of Islam?

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The children of the daughters have their share of their grandfather, whereas the uncle is left without share.

There is no relationship between the released one and the inheritance; the released one prostrated out of fear of the sword.

Ibn Shullah remained stopping and puzzled by it, and the womb relatives prevent him (from that).

Surely Fatima's son, whose name is mentioned, attained the inheritance excluding the cousins. [2]

When al-Mehdi spread disparaging Ahl al-Bayt, some poets began seeking nearness to him through satirizing them. Among them was Merwan b. Abi Hafs, who recited before him this poem in which he said:

Do you want to cover the stars and the moon of the sky with your hands?

Or do you refute a statement from your Lord Gabriel conveyed to the Prophet, and he said it?

The last verse in (Surat) al-Anfal bears witness for their inheritance, while you want to abolish it.

When al-Mehdi heard that, he crept from his place of praying and sat on the rug. He did not control himself, so he said to him:

-How many poetry lines does it (the poem) have?

-A hundred lines.

He ordered a hundred thousand dirhams to be given to him, and he said to him: "This is the first time I give it to a poet during the caliphate of the 'Abbasids. "[3]

Al-Mehdi granted these important properties in order to degrade the importance of Ahl al-Bayt. It is worth mentioning that he and the rest of his family did not assume the office of the Islamic caliphate except through the name, struggle, and sacrifices of the 'Alawids.

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[1] There is nothing refers to this meaning in Surat al-An'am. Besides it does not contain any of the precepts of inheritance.

[2] Al-Tabrasi, Ihtijajj, vol. 214. It was said that the poetry lines belonged to Muhammed b. Yehya al-Taghlubi. This has been mentioned in the book al-Shi'r fi Baghdad, p. 110.

[3] Tarikh Baghdad, vol. 3, p. 144.

His distressing his Minster Ya'qub

Ya'qub b. Dawud had a great influence with al-Mehdi, to the extent that he was loyal to him in love and taking part in all his affairs. He announced that in his official divan. Concerning that Muslim al-Khasir says:

Say to the Imam whose caliphate has come to gift him with a right not refused.

The best friend from whom you get help with piety is your brother in Allah, Ya'qub b. Dawud.

Ya'qub overcame al-Mehdi on his affair, so all his affairs were in his hand, and he managed them as he wished. Some of his friends harbored malice against him and envied him for that great influence, and they asked al-Mehdi to send him far from his office, but he did not accept that from them and refrained from responding to them. Those who envied him practiced various ways to send him far from his office. Al-Mehdi passed by a wall and saw a poetry line written on the wall:

What a generous man you are, O Mehdi! Were it not for that you had adopted Ya'qub b. Dawud!

But he paid no attention to this line and ordered to be written under it this statement: "In spite of the writer! Woe to his grandfather! "

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When his enemies despaired of him, they begged the Umayyads and asked them to revolt (against the 'Abbasids). In this respect Bashshar says:

Rise, O Umayyads! Your sleep has become long! Surely the Caliph is Ya'qub b. Dawud.

Your caliphate is lost; therefore look for the vicegerent of Allah between the flute and the lute. [1]

When al-Mehdi closed all the ways before his opponents, they followed another way through which they could remove his blessing and inflict a disaster on him. They said to al-Mehdi that Ya'qub inclined to the 'Alawids, that he was among their helpers and the summoners to them, that he was one of them when they revolted against his father, that he was the secretary of Ibrahim b. 'Abd Allah, that he and Muhammed went in revolt against al-Mansur in Yethrib. When al- Mehdi heard of these points, he fully changed his mind, and roamed in a current of suspicions and worries. So he decided to try Ya'qub and to know his real attitude. He ordered the floor of his palace to be covered with furniture brocaded with flowers. He also wore clothes brocaded with flowers. He ordered a pretty slave girl to stand by him. Then he summoned Ya'qub to his palace. When Ya'qub came in, al-Mehdi showed delight and happiness, and gave him all that valuable furniture along with that beautiful slave girl. Then he asked him to kill an 'Alawid person. Ya'qub responded to that. He took a strong oath to carry that out. Ya'qub along with the 'Alawid person and the slave girl went away. When he sat in his house, he talked with that 'Alawid, and he came to know that he was a perfect, ripe writer. The 'Alawid begged al-Mehdi through various ways to pardon him and to release him. He responded to him and gave him an amount of money to seek help through it against his time and his ordeal. The slave girl whom al-Mehdi gave to Ya'qub as a gift was a spy on him. So she went to al-Mehdi and told him fully about the talk. Accordingly, al-Mehdi sent policemen and spies to arrest the 'Alawid, and they arrested him. When they brought him to al-Mehdi, he ordered him to be hidden. Then he ordered Ya'qub to be brought. When he stood before him, he asked him about the 'Alawid, and he told him that he had executed him. Al- Mehdi asked him:

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-Is he dead?

-Yes.

Then al-Mehdi commanded him to put his hand on his head and to swear by Allah, and he did that. He said to a retainer of his: "Bring him who is in the house! "

When Ya'qub saw the 'Alawid, he became bewildered and was not able to say any word. As a result al-Mehdi said to him: "Now, it is lawful for me to shed your blood! If I prefer to shed it, I will shed it! " Then he ordered him to be imprisoned forever in an underground prison (al-Mattbaq) , and all his properties to be confiscated.

Ya'qub remained in prison until the caliphate of al-Rashid. Then Khalid b. Yehya al-Barmaki interceded with al-Rashid for Ya'qub, and he pardoned him. He came out of prison, while he was emaciated, blind, and subservient. [2] This attitude is a proof of that al-Mehdi harbored malice against the 'Alawids and their Shi'ites (followers).

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[1] Abu al-Fida', vol. 2, p. 10.

[2] Al-Wizara' wa al-Kittab, pp. 119-121.

With Imam Musa

In the beginning of his government, al-Mehdi did not harass Imam Musa. He did not subject him to detested things, nor did he treat him badly. In stead of severe punishment, he thought that it was sufficient for him to put him under an intense supervision. When the fame of the Imam spread among the circles, al-Mehdi did not control his anger, and he intentionally ordered him to be arrested. However, he quickly released him, for he saw a proof from his Lord, just as we will mention. We will deal with some attitudes that happened to the Imam along with explaining his arrest.

His giving a Proof of that Wine is forbidden

Al-Mehdi made a pilgrimage to the Sacred House of Allah. When he had finished the rites of the hajj, he went to visit the grave of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. He spent enormous amounts of money on the people of Medina. The Imam met with him. When he sat down, al-Mehdi asked him the following question:

-Is wine forbidden in the Book of Allah? The people know wine but they do not know that it is forbidden.

-Yes. It is forbidden in the Book of Allah.

-In which place is it forbidden?

-In the words of Allah, the Great and Almighty: Say: My Lord has only prohibited indecencies, those of them that apparent as well as those that are concealed, and sin and rebellion without justice. Then he, peace be on him, explained to him the meanings of the verse, saying:

As for His words: those of them that apparent, meaning open fornication and the flags the prostitutes hoisted in the pre-Islamic period. As for His words: as well as those that are concealed, meaning the women whom fathers married. This concerns the people before the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. If a man had a wife and died, his son married her if she was not his mother, so Allah prohibited that. As for the sin, meaning wine itself, for Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, says in another place: They ask you about intoxicants and games of chance. Say: In both of them there is a great sin and means of profit for men. So the sin in the Book of Allah is wine and games of chance, and in both of them there is a great sin.

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Al-Mehdi admired the Imam and turned to 'Ali b. Yaqtin and said to him:

-By Allah, this is a Hashimi religious verdict.

-By Allah, you are truthful, O Commander of the faithful, praise belongs to Allah, Who has not made this knowledge come out of you, O household!

Ibn Yaqtin hurt al-Mehdi with these words, and he said to him: "You are truthful, O Rafidite! "[1]

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[1] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 4, p. 48.

The Borders of Fadak

When al-Mehdi decided to return the confiscated properties to their owner, Imam Musa, peace be on him, came in to him. He saw him busy with that, so he turned to him and asked him:

-Why is our confiscated property not returned to us?

-What is it, O Abu al-Hasan?

-Fadak.

-Determine its boundaries to me.

-Its boundaries are: Jabal Uhd, Arish Masr, Sayf al-Bahr, and Domat al-Jandal.

-Are all these the boundaries of Fadak?

-Yes.

Al-Mehdi's face turned yellow and angry appeared on his facial expressions. Thus, he said: "This is too much! I will try it! "[1]

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[1] 'Umdat al-Akhbar fi Medinat al-Mukhtar, p. 316.

His Widening al-Mesjid al-Haram

Al-Mehdi ordered the Holy Mosque in Mecca (al-Mesjid al-Haram) to be enlarged along with the Mesjid of the Prophet. That was in the year 161 A. H. [1] The owner of the houses neighboring to the two Mesjids refrained from selling them to the government. Accordingly, al-Mehdi asked the jurists of his time whether it was possible for him to force them to do that. In his gathering was 'Ali b. Yaqtin, who advised him to ask Imam Musa, peace be on him, about that. He regarded his opinion as correct and wrote a letter to his governor over Yethrib (Medina) to ask the Imam about that. When the letter reached him, he went to the Imam and questioned him, and he wrote an answer as follows: "If the Kaaba has occupied (the houses of) the people, then the people are worthier (than it) of its building; and if the people have occupied the courtyard of the Kaaba, then the Kaaba is more entitled (than them to regain) its courtyard. "

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When al-Mehdi received the answer, he ordered the houses to be demolished and added to the courtyard of the two Mesjids. The owner of the houses restored to Imam Musa and asked him to write them a letter to al-Mehdi concerning that, that he might give them money in exchange for their house. He responded to them and wrote al-Mehdi a letter concerning that. When al-Mehdi received the letter, he gave them gifts and pleased them. [2] This is not a kind of the appropriation which is nowadays called Public Interest Appropriation just as it has been understood by some contemporaries. Rather, this is a religious decision that follows its special proofs that say that the Jami' (mosque) has a courtyard, and that it is not forbidden to demolish the house of him who occupies it. Al-Muhaddith, al-Hafiz Abu al-Khattab ascribed the story to Imam al-Sadiq, peace be on him, with al-Mansur. [3] That is impossible, for history has mentioned that al-Mansur did not achieve any constructional movement.

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[1] Al-Ya'qubi, Tarikh, vol. 3, p. 393.

[2] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 4, p. 248.

[3] Al-Nibras, p. 24.

Imam Musa is arrested

When the Imam's fame and name spread all over the cities, al-Mehdi became angry with and harbored malice against him. Al-Mehdi had fear for his throne and thought that his kingdom would not be stable except through arresting the Imam. So he wrote a letter to his governor over Medina and ordered him to send the Imam to him immediately. When the governor received the letter, he went to the Imam and told him about that. Soon the Imam, peace be on him, prepared himself for travel. When he, peace be on him, arrived in Zubala, Abu Khalid received him with depression and sadness. The Imam looked at him with pity and mercy, saying to him:

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-Why do you look depressed?

-Of course, I am depressed because you are going to this tyrannical one (al-Mehdi) ; I have fear for you.

The Imam, peace be on him, quietened his fear and told him that he would face no harm during that travel of him. He appointed a time to pass by him. Then the Imam left him and headed for Baghdad. When he arrived in it, al-Mehdi ordered him to be arrested and thrown into prison. Al-Mehdi slept that night and dreamt of the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, who was displeased and sad. He heard him addressing him: "O Muhammed, but if you held command, you were sure to make mischief in the land and cut off the ties of kinship! "

So al-Mehdi rose with fear and terror. Then he sent for his chamberlain al-Rabi'.

When al-Rabi' stood before him, he heard him repeating the sacred verse. Al-Mehdi ordered Imam Musa to be brought. When the Imam walked toward him, he rose, embraced him, and made him sit beside him. Then he said to him with sympathy and gentleness:

-O Abu al-Hasan, I dreamt of the Commander of the faithful, 'Ali b. Abi Talib, (and heard him) reciting to me so-and-so. Will you promise that you will not go out in revolt against me and my children?

-By Allah, I have not done that, nor is it among my affairs!

-You are truthful. O Rabi', give him three hundred dinars and return him to his home in Medina. [1]

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Al-Rabi' escorted the Imam, made his affairs firm, and released him at night. In the morning the Imam was on the road to (Medina). He covered the desert and reached Zubala on the day when he had appointed to Abu Khalid. Abu Khalid was impatiently waiting for the Imam. When he saw him, he hurried to him and kissed his hands with happiness. The Imam understood his too much delight, so he said to him: "Surely, I will return to them; and I will not get rid of them! "[2]

With that he, peace be on him, meant that Harun al-Rashid would arrest and throw him into his prisons until he breathed his last. Al-Mehdi brought the Imam to Baghdad one time. The Imam spent twenty years of his lifetime during the time of al-Mehdi. During that period of time, he spread knowledge and supplied the youths with different kinds of sciences and arts. This period was the most important of his lifetime when he established the edifices of knowledge, virtue, and morals.

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[1] Tarikh Baghdad, vol. 13, pp. 30-31. Wafayat al-A'yan, vol. 4, p. 493.

[2] Nur al-Abbsar, p. 136. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 11, p. 252.

The Death of al-Mehdi

The historians have differed over the reason for the death of al-Mehdi. It was said that he went hunting and chased a gazelle. The gazelle entered an old house, and he followed it. The door of that old house was narrow. He hit his backbone against that door, and it was badly injured. So he died on the same day. It was also said that one of his slave girls was jealous of the slave girl whom he loved and to whom he was loyal, so she put a poison into a food, and al-Mehdi ate it while he did not come to know of the poison. Any way, when he died, his household were impatient to his death, and sadness prevailed them. After his death some of his slave girls worn sackcloth as a sign of sadness and mourning for him. To them Abu al-'Atahiya has referred in his saying:

They went wearing embroideries and came back wearing sack cloth.

There is a butting day for every a butter of the time.

You will not remain (alive) even if you live as Noah did.

Therefore, wail over your own self if there is no escape from that you should wail. [1]

With this we will end our speech on the time of al-Mehdi and on what Imam Musa met during it.

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[1] Al-Fekhri, p. 157.

Chapter XI

At the Time of al-Hadi

At the Time of al-Hadi

Musa al-Hadi received the Islamic caliphate during its tender youth, the bloom of its wet branch, its perfect strength and its abundant wealth. A pledge of allegiance was given to him while he was in the bloom of youth. For he was, just as the narrators say, twenty-five years old. [1] He was reckless and vainglorious. He went too far in committing sins and practicing dissoluteness. Allah relieved the people from him in the beginning of his government. For his days did not last long. If he had lived for a loner time, the Muslims would have met during his reign the most violent and severest problems. He was tyrannical and arrogant. He did not refrain from shedding blood with out justice. He went too far in shedding the blood of the ‘Alawids and subjected them to severe punishment. At last he decided to severely punish Imam Musa, peace be on him, but Allah had broken his back before he carried that out. It is necessary for us to pause to talk about him.

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[1] Khulasat al-Dhahab al-Masbuk, p. 75.

His Tendencies

Musa al-Hadi was distinguished by wicked tendencies that appeared throughout his behavior and his deeds, to the extent that those near and far were displeased with him and all the people hated him. His mother al-Khayzaran harbored malice against him. She was so angry with him and so grudging to him that she killed him. As for his qualities, they are as follows:

A. His Vainglory and his Recklessness

Al-Hadi undertook the office of the caliphate while he was in the bloom of youth, and that urged him to go too far in showing vainglory and recklessness. Among the aspects of that is that when he walked, the police walked before him carrying swords and spears,[1] that he might, through that, show the pomp of the king and supreme authority, and show superiority to the people.

B. His Amusement and Dissoluteness

Musa al-Hadi was dissolute; he went frequently to the houses of prostitution and amusement. So he lavishly spent enormous money on his desires and pleasures. For example, he gave fifty thousand dinars to Ibrahim al-Mousili because he sang him a song of three poetry lines, and they delighted him. [2] He gave him thirty thousand dirhams for the same reason. [3] He was too fond of singing that he spent a large amount of the state treasury. For this reason Ishaq al-Mousili said: “If al-Hadi had lived for a longer time, we would have build the walls of our houses of gold! ”[4]

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Al-Hadi was interested in drinking wine, so he was the first ‘Abbasid caliph to be fond of wine. [5] Then al-Rashid and the rest of the ‘Abbasid kings followed his model! [6]

C. His Ill-temperedeness

He was bad-tempered and ill-natured. Al-Jahiz has said: “Al-Hadi was peevish; he was hard in choosing his wishes, overlooked (the people) a little bit and mistrusted (them). He enriched those who guarded against him and came to know of his morals. Nothing was more abominable to him than beginning him with a question. [7]

D. His Showing Enmity toward the ‘Alawids

This vainglorious, tyrannical one (al-Hadi) went too far in punishing the ‘Alawids severely and in exhausting them. He spread among them fear and terror. He stopped from them the livelihood and the gifts apportioned by al-Mehdi. Then he wrote letters to his governors in all the regions to look for them and to transfer them to Baghdad. [8]

During the short period of this terrorist ruler, the ‘Alawids suffered all kinds of persecution and tyranny. For the authorities were excessive in oppressing them, abasing them, and forcing them to do what they had disliked. This made the ‘Alawids head for the fields of jihad and declare their great revolt aiming at saving the community from tyranny and oppression. We will talk about that.

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[1] Hadart al-Islam fi Dar al-Salam, p. 84.

[2] Al-'Asr al-'Abbasi, p. 128.

[3] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, vol. 5, p. 241.

[4] Ibid. , p. 6.

[5] Al-Jahshyari, p. 144.

[6] Al-Tabari, Tarikh, vol. 6, p. 489. Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, vol. 5, p. 216.

[7] Al-Tajj fi Akhlaq al-Muluk, p. 35.

[8] Al-Ya'qubi, Tarikh, vol. 3, p. 136.

The Tragedy of Fekh

The most horrible tragedy the Islamic world faced was that of Fekh, which was similar to that of Kerbela’ in pain and sorrow. Imam al-Jewad spoke of its strong effects on Ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them, saying: “After (the Battle of) al-Taff we have no killed greater than those at (the Battle of) Fekh.

At this horrible tragedy the sacredness of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, was violated in respect with his family and his progeny. For at it the ‘Abbasids committed (crimes) and offences similar to those committed by the Umayyads during the tragedy of Kerbela’. They planted the heads of the ‘Alawids atop the spears, showed the prisoners of war all over the countries and the cities, left the pure bodies thrown on the surface of the earth, and did not bury them, that they might extremely quench their thirst for revenge on Ahl al-Bayt. Thus, the tragedy of Fekh was similar to that of Kerbela’ in painful stages.

The following is a brief account on some stages of that tragedy, explaining the attitude of Imam Musa, peace be on him, and what happened to him:

Al-Husayn, the great Revolutionist

Al-Husayn, the great Revolutionist

It was al-Husayn b. ‘Ali who declared the great revolt against the ‘Abbasid government. We have to talk about his lineage, his tendencies and his qualities before we talk about his revolt:

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A. His clear Lineage

As for his noble lineage, it is: Al-Husayn b. ‘Ali b. al-Hasan b. al-Hasan b. ‘Ali b. Abi Talib. His mother is Zaynab, daughter of ‘Abd Allah b. al-Hasan b. ‘Ali b. Abi Talib. Zaynab and her husband ‘Ali b. al-Husayn were nicknamed the righteous wife and husband due to their much worship.

When Abu Ja‘far al-Mansur killed her father, her brother, her uncles and her cousins; so she wore sackcloth and wore no underwear between it and her body till she joined Allah, the Great and Almighty, (lit. passed away). She mourned for her household with the most tragic mourning, to the extent that the people had fear for her. Yet she did not say bad words against al-Mansur, for she was pious and hated to quench her thirst for revenge through things that would make her commit sins. She said nothing except: “O Originator of the heavens and the earth! O Knower of the unseen and the seen! O He Who judges between his servants, judge between us and our people with justice; and You are the best of the judges! ”

She predicted that her son al-Husayn would raise the standard of the revolt against the ‘Abbasids, so she danced him when young and said to him:

O Son of Zayd and Hind[1], do you know how many truthful, glorious uncles and grandfather who belong to Ma‘ad you have? [2]

B. His Early Life

Al-Husayn grew up in a house covered with pain and sorrows and prevailed by losing children and mourning for the martyrs from among his family whom al- Mansur had executed. He witnessed nothing in his house except crying and impatience. His soul was full of deep sadness and bitter sorrow. So since his earliest life, he got ready to demand vengeance for them and to battle against their opponents.

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C. His unique Qualities

Al-Husayn’s personality had all noble qualities such as knowledge, fear of Allah, piety, righteousness, and renouncing the world. He was among the generous people of his time. The historians have narrated many examples of his generosity. Abu al-Ferajj al-Asfahani narrated on the authority of al-Hasan b. Hudhayl, who said: “I used to accompany al-Husayn b. ‘Ali, the leader of (the Battle of) Fekh. He went to Baghdad and sold his estate for nine hundred dinars. We went out and stopped at the Market of Asad. Carpets were spread for us at the gate of al-Khan. A man carrying a basket came and said to him: ‘Order the boy to take the basket from me. ’ ‘Who are you? ’ he asked him. ‘I make good food,’ he replied, ‘When a generous man stops at this village, I give it to him as a gift. ’ He said: ‘Boy, take the basket from him.

Then come back to us to take your basket. ’” He (al-Hasan b. Hudhayl) said: “Then a man wearing old clothes came towards us and said: ‘Give me of what Allah has given to you. ’ Al-Husayn said to me: ‘Give him the basket. ’ And he said to the man: ‘Take that which in the basket and return the basket to us. ’ Then he turned (to me) and said: ‘When he returns the basket, give him fifty dinars. When the owner of the basket comes, give him a hundred dinars. ’ So I (al-Hasan b. Hudhayl) said to him: ‘May I be your ransom, you sold your state to repay the debts against you, but one asked you and you gave him satisfying to him, and you were not satisfied with that until you ordered fifty dinars to be given to him. Then a man brought you some food, that he might get one or two dinars, while you ordered a hundred dinars to be given to him. ”

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So he (al-Husayn b. ‘Ali) said: “O Hasan, we have the Lord Who knows the good deeds. When the beggar comes, give him a hundred dinars; and when the owner of the basket comes, give him two hundred dinars. By Him in whose hand is my soul, surely I fear that He does not accept (that) from me. That is because gold, silver, and earth are the same to me. ”[3]

Surely they were generous souls having qualities from their grandfather, the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, who came to make the people happy and to raise unhappiness from them.

Al-Hasan b. Hudhayl has narrated, saying: “I sold a wall belonged to al-Husayn b.

‘Ali for forty thousand dinars, but he scattered them at his door, and none of his family took any of them. He gave me a relief, and I sent it to the poor in Medina. ”[4]

Surely he was among the origins of favor and kindness. He thought that money was worthless except that through which he satisfied the hungry and clothed the naked; he was similar to his forefathers who showed kindness and good toward all the people.

The tradition narrated from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, in respect with him:

It has been narrated on the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, that he passed through Fekh and led his companions in the prayer for the dead, and then he said: “A man from among my household along with a group of believers will be killed here. Shrouds and scent for embalming will be sent down to them from the Garden; and their souls will precede their bodies to the Garden. ”[5]

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Muhammed b. Ishaq reported on the authority of Abu Ja‘far Muhammed b. ‘Ali, peace be on him, who said: “The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, passed through Fekh; he dismounted and performed one ruk’a. When he performed the second, he cried while he was praying. When the people saw the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, cry, they cried. When he went away, he asked them: ‘What made you cry? ’ They replied: ‘When we saw you cry, we cried, O Allah’s Apostle. ’ He said: ‘When I had finished performing the first ruk’a, Jibril came down to me and said: ‘O Muhammed, one of your grandsons will be killed in this place; the one who will be martyred with him takes reward of two martyrs. ’”[6]

A tradition narrated from Imam al-Sadiq concerning him:

Al-Nadr narrated, saying: “I rent out (my camel) to Ja‘far b. Muhammed from Medina to Mecca. When we passed through Batn Murr, he said to me: ‘Nadr, when we arrive at Fekh, tell me. ’ I asked him: ‘Do you not recognize it? ’ ‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘but I fear that my eye may overcome me. ’”

Nadr added: “When we arrived in Fekh, I approached the double camel-litter, and found him sleeping. I cleared my throat, but he did not rise. Then I shook the double camel-litter, and he woke up. I said to him: ‘You have reached (Fekh). ’ He said to me: ‘Take my place. ’ And I took it. Then he said: ‘Go on walking. ’ I went on it. Then I took him away from the road and made his camel kneel down, and he said: ‘Give me the container and the coffee pot. ’ He performed the ritual ablution and prayed. Then he mounted (his camel) , and I asked him: ‘May I be your ransom, I saw you doing something; is it among the rites of the hajj? ’ ‘No,’ he replied, ‘but

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a man from among my household along with a group (of believers will be killed here). Their souls will precede their bodies to the Garden. ’”[7]

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[1] Hind was Zaynab's mother. She was the daughter of Abu 'Ubayda b. 'Abd Allah b. Samm'a b. al-Aswad b. al-Muttalib b. Asad b. 'Abd al-'Izza b. Qasir. Before 'Abd Allah b. al-Hasan married her, she had been the wife of 'Abd al-Malik b. Merwan. When 'Abd al-Malik died, she took her inheritance and returned home. 'Abd Allah said to his mother: "Propose to Hind. " She blamed him for that and said to him: "Do you crave after her while you are poor and having no money? " So 'Abd Allah left his mother and went to Hind's father. He proposed to his daughter, and he welcomed him and responded to him. He said to him: "She is your wife. "

Then he came in to his daughter and said to her: "My daughter, 'Abd Allah b. al-Hasan has proposed to you. " She asked him: "What have you said to him? " "I have married you to him," he replied. She agreed with him on that. 'Abd Allah married Hind, but his mother had no knowledge of that. He remained there for seven days, and then he returned to his mother. He was perfumed and dressed in new clothes, so his mother asked him: "My son, from where have you brought this? " "From her whom you had claimed that she did not like me," he answered. Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, vol. 18, p. 209.

[2] Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, pp. 431-432.

[3] Ibid. , pp. 436-441.

[4] bid.

[5] bid.

[6] bid.

[7] Ibid. , p. 437.

The Reasons for his Revolt

The historians have unanimously agreed on that the reason for the revolt of al-Husayn, the great, is the enormous pressure and intense tyranny from which he suffered. Musa al-Hadi appointed ‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, a grandson of ‘Umar bin al-Khattab’s, as a governor over Yethrib (Medina). [1] ‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz was rude, boorish, and ill-tempered. He was known for showing enmity toward Imam ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him. The sinful one (‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz) went too far in abasing and wronging the ‘Alawids. He forced them to stand before him every day and imposed upon them personal observation. He made them bail each other to stand before him. His policemen arrested al-Hasan b. Muhammed b. ‘Abd Allah b. al-Hasa, Muslim b. Jundub, and ‘Umar b. Selam. They claimed that they had found them drinking wine.

So ‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ordered them to be flogged. Accordingly, al-Hasan was flogged eighty times; Muslim b. Jundub was flogged fifteen times; and ‘Umar b. Selam was flogged seven times. He ordered their necks to be tied to ropes and they to be displayed through the streets of Yethrib (Medina) , that he might expose them. For this reason the Hashimite (lady) , who carried the black standard during the days of Muhammed b. ‘Abd Allah, sent him (a letter in which) she said to him: “No, and there is no dignity (for you). Do not expose any Hashimite, and do not revile them, while you are an oppressor. Refrain from that and release them! ”

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Al-‘Umari (‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz) appointed a man called Abu Bakr b. ‘Isa al-Ha’ik (the weaver) as a ruler over the Talibiyyin, and he showed them on Friday. He did not allow them to go to their houses until it was time for prayer. They frequently asked him to perform the religious duty, and he allowed them after several attempts. After they had performed the religious duty, he imprisoned them in the fortified, wide house until the afternoon. He did that to them for nothing except that he wanted to seek nearness to al-‘Umary.

Then he showed them and sent for al-Husayn b. Muhammed, but he did not come, so he said to Yehya and al-Husayn b. ‘Ali: “You should bring him to me, otherwise I will imprison you, for he has been absent from the show for three days. They gently answered him, but it was useless to this rouge, so Yehya was forced to return in like. He angrily went out to al-‘Umary and told him of the story, and he ordered them to be brought before him. When they stood before him, he threatened them. However, al-Husayn laughed at his silly words and said to him with mockery: “Are you angry, Abu Hafs? ”

Al-Husayn called al-‘Umary by his kunya, and not by an official title, and he became angry and displeased with him, saying: “Why do you sneer at me and call my by my kunya? ”

Al-Husayn opposed him and aimed at him an arrow of his eloquent words, saying: “Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, who were better than you, were called by their kunyas, and they did not refuse that, while you hate the kunya and want (us) to call you by an official title! ”

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Al-‘Umary became exited and did not control himself, saying: “The end of your words is worse than its beginning. ”

“I seek refuge with Allah; Allah refuses that for me; it does not belong to me,” retorted al-Husayn.

“Did I make you come in to me to vie with me in glory and to harm me? ” al-‘Umary asked.

Yehya became angry due to his flagrant aggression against al-Husayn, saying to him: “What do you want from us? ”

“I Want you to bring me al-Hasan b. Muhammed,” al-‘Umary replied.

“We are unable to bring him,” Yehya retorted, “he is like any other person. Send for the household of ‘Umar b. al-Khattab; gather them just as you have gathered us; then show them one by one, and you will find some of them have absent from you for a period loner than that of al-Husayn. In this case you must have treated us with justice. ”

Al-‘Umary lost his mind and swore by divorcing his wife and releasing his slaves that he would not release al-Husayn unless he brought him during the rest of his daytime and his night. If he did that, it would be good and well, otherwise he would go to Suwayqa[2] to destroy it and burn it and flog him a thousand times. If he had found al-Husayn, he would have shed his blood. Yehya answered him while he could not see his way out of displeasure. He decided to revolt and battle against that government, saying: “I will give a promise to Allah, and all my slaves will be released. I will not taste sleep tonight until I bring you al-Hasan b. Muhammed. If I do not find him, I will nock at your door, that you may come to know that I have come to you. ”

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They left him and went out. They were angry with him, for his rudeness hurt them. Al-Husayn turned to Yehya and criticized him for the promise he gave to al- ‘Umary in order to bring al-Hasan, saying: “By Allah, bad is what you did when you swore (by Allah) to bring him! Where will you find al-Hasan? ”

Yehya told him that he practiced precautionary dissimulation, and that he meant to carry out something else.

“By Allah, if bring him al-Hasan, then I will turn away from Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, and from ‘Ali, peace be on him. I want to sleep that I will be able to knock at his door while I have the sword with me. If I have power over him, I will kill him. ”

Al-Husayn met al-Hasan and said to him: “O Cousin, you have heard of what was between me and this sinful (al-‘Umary) ; therefore, go wherever you wish. ”

“No, cousin,” replied al-Hasan, ”by Allah, I will come with you now, that I may put my hand in his hand. I do not want Allah to see me when I will meet Muhammed, may Allah bless him and his family, while he will be my opponent and argumentative out of (shedding) your blood. ”

Honor and nobility have appeared in these words that issued from a soul that did not come to know of treason and betrayal, nor was it defiled by the love of life.

The ‘Alawids and their believing, righteous followers held a meeting and discussed al-‘Umar’s bad treatment toward them. So they decided to attack him in his house. When they attacked him, he escaped in a cowardly manner. Then Yehya said: “This is al-Hasan. I have brought him; therefore, bring al-‘Umary; otherwise, by Allah, it will go out of my right hand. ”

This attitude is the reason for the revolt of al-Husayn, for the foolish authorities forced him to resist them. That is because he thought that he had to yield to abasement and humility refused by the ‘Alawids who drew the refusal and glory in the world of Arabs and Islam or he had to die for dignity that was the slogan of the ‘Alawids, who said: “When people hate the heat of fight, they become low. ”

As a result al-Husayn chose the way of resistance and struggle, so he and the choice from among his household decided to die free and noble under the shadow of the spearheads.

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[1] Al-Kamil, vol. 5, p. 74. It has been mentioned in Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, p. 243: "Musa al-Hadi appointed over Medina Ishaq b. 'Isa, and he appointed over it a man from among the children of 'Umar b. al-Khattab called 'Abd al-'Aziz b. 'Abd Allah. "

[2] Suwayqa was a house belonged to the children of al-Hasan. It was near Medina and was among the endowments of the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him. Mu'jam al-Buldan, vol. 5, p. 18.

His Martyrdom

Al-Husayn hoisted the standard of the revolt and declared holy jihad, so al-Talibiyyin joined him; none was absent from them except few persons. He took them and headed for Imam Musa to consult him. After he had sat down, he presented his viewpoint before the Imam, and he, peace be on him, turned to him, saying: “You will be killed; therefore, sharpen the sword, for the people are sinners; they show faith and harbor hypocrisy and polytheism. To Allah we belong and to Him is our return! I sacrifice you, O Group of people, in anticipation of Allah’s reward! ”

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Imam Musa, peace be on him, thought that the revolt would fail and the ‘Alawids would be the victims to the treacherous aggression. However, al-Husayn had no escape from the revolt, for he suffered oppression and abasement. He went away from the Imam, gathered the people and led them in prayer. After he had finished performing the prayer, he rose and delivered a sermon among the people. He praised and lauded Allah, and then he said:

I am the son of Allah’s Apostle and in the Sacred City of Allah’s Apostle. I summon you to the practices (sunna) of Allah’s Apostle, [1] may Allah bless him and his family. Do you seek the traditions of Allah’s Apostle on prevention and benefits, while you have lost his grandsons! [2]

When he had finished his wonderful speech, the people walked toward him to pledge allegiance to him according the Book of Allah, and the sunna of His Apostle, and the summons to al-Rida from among the family of Muhammed, may Allah bless him and his family. [3]

It was said that he said to those who pledged allegiance to him: “I pledge allegiance to you according to the Book of Allah and the sunna of Allah’s Apostle, that Allah should be obeyed and not disobeyed. I summon you to al-Rida from among the family of Muhammed, and that we should behave toward you according to the Book of Allah, the sunna of his prophet, justice among the subjects, equal division, and that you should side with us and struggle against our enemy. So when we are loyal to you, then you must be loyal to us. If we are not loyal to you, then we have no pledge of allegiance against you. ”[4]

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This speech is a proof of what he sought through his reformative revolt. He intended to spread social justice, to raise the standard of living, to put into practice the Qur’anic laws, and to establish the Islamic justice.

After the people had pledged allegiance to him, he appointed Dinar al-Khaza‘i as a governor over Yethrib (Medina) , and then he headed for Mecca accompanied by his household and his companions, who were about three hundred people. He stopped at Fekh and pitched his tents there. The ‘Abbasid troops headed by al- ‘Abbas b. Muhammed and Musa b. ‘Isa followed them. The two parties met during the morning prayers on the Day of al-Tarwiya (Dhu al-Hijja 8th). The troops of oppression and error (the ‘Abbasid troops) attacked those some believers who have no objective except saving the community from that ruling group who spread corruption in the land.

After a terrible conflict between the troops of the truth and those of oppression, al-Husayn was killed with a treacherous arrow shot at him by Hammad al-Turki, the sinful rogue!

Most al-Husayn’s companions were martyred; their heads were cut off[5] and sent to the ‘Abbasid Caliph. The ‘Abbasid troops, who did not come to know of honor and humanity, buried their sinful companions, and left al-Husayn and his companions, who were slaughtered immolation, without washing and shrouds. They sent the heads to Musa b. ‘Isa, in whose gathering was a group of the ‘Alawids headed by Imam Musa, peace be on him. When the Imam saw the heads, he felt pain and sadness, so he, peace be on him, praised al-Husayn, saying: We belong to Allah and to him is our return! By Allah, al-Husayn has died! He was a righteous Muslim! He used to fast, to pray, to enjoin the good, and to forbid the evil; none of his household was like him. ”[6]

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The murder of al-Husayn was among those great events at that time. For it made a big gap in Islam, and for through it the sacredness of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, was violated, while it is the most appropriate of the sacred things to be respected. The Shi’ite poets wept bitter tears for his murders and mourned over him with moving mourning. Among those who elegized him is ‘Isa b. ‘Abd Allah, saying:

I will weep over al-Husayn and al-Hasan[7] with lamentation.

And so do I for Bin ‘Atiqa[8] whom they buried without a shroud.

In the early morning they left him in Fekh, which is not his homeland.

They (the ‘Alawids) died noble; they were neither reckless nor cowardly.

They washed abasement off themselves just as dirt is washed off clothes.

People have been guided by their grandfather; therefore, they have showed kindness to men. [9]

Another poet has elegized al-Husayn with a poem in which he has said:

O my eye, weep with tears pouring down, for I have seen what the children of al-Hasan meet!

They were thrown down at Fekh; the wind and the rain clouds that come at the last hour of night and in the early morning draw their tails on them.

To the extent that their bones have been effaced. If Muhammed saw them, he would defend them and be not feeble.

What will they and those before them say concerning the enmity, the hatred, and the grudge?

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What will they say when the Prophet asks them: What did you do to us in the bygone time?

Neither the people from among Mudar, nor Rabi‘a, nor the districts from the Yemen protected (them) and became angry (with their enemies).

Woe unto them! Why did they not respect their sacredness, while the Elephant respect the Corner of the Kaaba? [10]

Certainly, the murder of al-Husayn, the martyr, was among the heavy events in Islam, for it has left bitter pain in the souls of Muslims who still remember it with too much sorrow and sadness.

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[1] In his history, al-Tabari has mentioned that al-Hasan has said: "I summon you to the Book of Allah and the Sunna of his Prophet. If I was not loyal to you in respect with that, then you had not to pledge allegiance to me. "

[2] Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, p. 484.

[3] Al-Tabari, Tarikh, vol. 10, p. 25.

[4] Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, p. 490.

[5] In his history, vol. 10, p. 28, al-Tabari has mentioned that the number of the heads cut off was a hundred and some.

[6] Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, p. 453.

[7] Al-Hasan b. Muhammed b. al-Hasan, the Prophet's grandson, peace be on him. Was captured at the battle and his head was unjustly cut off.

[8] Ibn 'Atika is 'Abd Allah b. Ishaq b. al-Hasan al-Muthenna, as it has been mentioned in the book al-Istisqa', vol. 1, p. 67.

[9] Al-Mas'udi, Murujj al-Dhahab, vol. 3, pp. 248-249.

[10] Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, p. 460.

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The Prisoners of War reaches al-Hadi

The heads of the pure, pious ‘Alawids reached al-Hadi, the tyrannical. Along with them were the prisoners of war. They were shackled with ropes and chains; their hands and legs were put into iron, to the extent that abasement and humility prevailed them. Al-Hadi, the sinful and tyrannical, ordered them to be killed. They were unjustly killed and crucified on the gate of the prison. [1] Among them was an invalid man who begged al-Hadi, saying: “I am your follower, O Commander of the faithful? ”

However, al-Hadi shouted at him, saying: “Does my follower go out in revolt against me? ”

Musa b. ‘Isa had a knife, and he said to him: “By Allah, I will cut you into pieces with this knife. ”

The invalid man lived for an hour. The illness overcame him, and he died a natural death. [2]

The ‘Alawids’ heads were put before al-Hadi, the tyrannical, and he recited these poetry lines:

Our cousins, do not compose poetry after you have been buried in the desert with very hot borders!

We are not like him whose attainment you had got, and he accepted oppression or appointed someone as a judge!

However, the decision of the sword among you is empowered! So we are pleased when the sword is pleased!

If you say that we have oppressed you, we have not oppressed you, but we have misjudged! [3]

This poetry is evidence for al-Hadi’s vainglory and recklessness, and for his vengeful soul, which did not came to know of mercy and pity.

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[1] Al-Tabari, Tarikh, vol. 10, p. 29.

[2] Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, p. 453.

[3] Mu'jam al-Buldan, vol. 6, p. 308.

His threatening Imam Musa

When Musa al-Hadi uprooted the ‘Alawids, he threatened those living from among them with murder and destruction. He mentioned their head and master, Imam Musa, peace be on him, saying: “By Allah, al-Husayn did not go out in revolt except through his order, nor did he follow anything except love for him. For he (Imam Musa) is the one who gives orders to his household. May Allah kill me if I keep his life! ”

He added: “Were it not for that which I heard from al-Mehdi who narrated from al-Mansur concerning that Ja‘far (i. e. Ja‘far al-Sadiq) , peace be on him, had merits exceeding those of his household in his religion, his knowledge, and his virtue, and (were it not for) that which reached me from al-Saffah concerning praising him and preferring him to others, I would dig up his grave and burn him completely with fire! ”

Abu Yousif, the judge, was in his gathering; he opposed him, saying: “I would divorce my wives, release the slaves whom I own, give all me properties as alms, imprison my back animals if Musa b. Ja‘far went out in revolt. Neither he nor his sons believe in that. We should not think that that will issue from them. ”

Abu Yousif went on calming down al-Hadi, and he became calm. [1] This noble attitude is a proof of his nobility and honor.

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[1] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 11, p. 278.

Imam Musa pays no attention to al-Hadi’s Threats

Al-Hadi threatened Imam Musa, peace be on him. So his household and his companions hurried to him. They had fear for him, so they unanimously greed on that he had to hide himself, that he might be safe from the wickedness of al-Hadi, the tyrannical. However, the Imam smiled at them, for he came to know through the unseen that al-Hadi, the oppressive, would perish. He, peace be on him, recited the poetry line of Ka‘ab b. Malik[1]:

Sukhayna claims that she will overcome her Lord; the Victor will overcome the fighter!

And he recited another poetry line:

Al-Farazdaq claims that he will kill Mirbi‘; be delighted at a long safety, O Mirbi‘!

This is evidence for that Imam Musa, peace be on him, paid no attention to al-Hadi’s threats, for he had come to know that Allah would beak his back before he harmed him.

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[1] Ka'b b. Malik al-Kazraji was the poet of Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, and was among the seventy persons who pledged allegiance to him at al-'Aqaba. He took part in all the battles except the Battle of Badr. He became blind. He died during the Caliphate of Imam 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him. Mu'jam al-Shu'ra',

His Supplication against him

Imam Musa, peace be on him, faced the Qibla (direction to prayer). He pleaded to Allah and implored Him in order to save him from the wickedness of al-Hadi, the tyrannical. He invoked Allah against him through this great supplication:

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My God, how many an enemy has unsheathed the sword of his enmity toward me, honed the cutting edge of his knife for me, sharpened the tip of his blade to me, mixed his killing poisons for me, pointed toward me his straight-flying arrows, not allowed the eye of his watchfulness to sleep toward me, and secretly thought of visiting me with something hateful and making me gulp down the bitter water of his bile! So you looked, my God, at my weakness in bearing oppressive burdens, my inability to gain victory over him who aims to war against me, and my being alone before the great numbers of him who is hostile toward me and lies in way for me with an affliction about which I have not thought. You set out at once to help me and You barced up my back!

You blunted for me his blade, made him, after a great multitude, solitary, raised up my heel over him, and turned back upon him what he had pointed straight. So you sent him back, his rage not calmed, his burning thirst not quenched! Biting his fingers, he turned his back in flight, his columns having been of no use. So Your is praise, O My Lord, the All-powerful who is not overcome, and the Possessor of patient waiting who does not hurry, bless Muhammed and the family of Muhammed, place me among those who thank You for Your favors, and among those who remember Your boons!

My God, how many an oppressor has oppressed me with his tricks, set up for me the net of his snares, appointed over me the inspection of his regard, and lay in ambush of a predator for its game, waiting to take advantage of its prey, which he showed me the smile of the flatterer and looked at me with the intensity of fury! So when You saw the depravity of his secret thoughts and the ugliness of what he harbored, You threw him on his head into his own pitfall and dumped him into the hole of his own digging. So he was brought down low, after his overbearing, by the nooses of his own snare, wherein he had thought he would see me; and what came down upon his courtyard-had it not been for Your mercy-was on the point of coming down upon me! So Your is praise, O My Lord, the All-powerful who is not overcome, and the Possessor of patient waiting who does not hurry, bless Muhammed and the family of Muhammed, place me among those who thank You for Your favors, and among those who remember Your boons!

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My God, how many an envior has choked upon me in his agony, fumed over me in his rage, cut me with the edge of his tongue, showed malice toward me by accusing me of his own faults, made my good repute the target of his shots, collared me with his own constant defects, showed malice toward me with his trickery, and aimed at me with his tricks! So I called upon You, my Lord, seeking aid from You, trusting in the speed of Your response, relying on Your good defense which I still know, knowing that he who seeks haven in the shadow of Your wing will not be mistreated, and he who seeks asylum in the stronghold of Your victory will not be frightened. So You fortified me against his severity through Your power. So Your is praise, O My Lord, the All-powerful who is not overcome, and the Possessor of patient waiting who does not hurry, bless Muhammed and the family of Muhammed, place me among those who thank You for Your favors, and among those who remember Your boons!

My God, how many a cloud of detested things You have dispelled from me, a cloud of favor You have made rain down upon me, a stream of dignity You have let flow, an eye of mishap You have blinded, a growing mercy You have spread, a well-being in which You have clothed me, a wrap of distress You have removed, a going on affair You have decreed, which does not render You feeble when I ask You for it, and is not impossible to You when You will it. So Your is praise, O My Lord, the All-powerful who is not overcome, and the Possessor of patient waiting who does not hurry, bless Muhammed and the family of Muhammed, place me among those who thank You for Your favors, and among those who remember Your boons!

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My God, how many a good opinion You have verified, a destitution You have redressed, a heavy misery You have transformed, an infirmity You have restored to health, and a hardship You have removed. You cannot be questioned concerning what You do and they shall be questioned. What You give does not decrease You. You are asked and You bestow. You are not asked, and You begin. Your favor is requested, and You do not skimp. You refuse, my Master, everything but beneficence, kindness, graciousness, and favor; and I refuse everything but plunging into what You have made unlawful, showing audaciousness to the acts of disobedience to You, transgressing Your bounds, paying no heed to Your threat, obeying my and Your enemy. My God, my Helper, my breaking gratitude does not hinder You from completing Your beneficence, nor am I stopped from committing

acts displeasing to You!

O God, so this is the station of a lowly servant who confesses to Your Oneness, acknowledges against himself in falling short of performing Your right, bears witness to Your ample favor upon him, Your beautiful manners toward him, and Your beneficence to him. So give me, my God, my Master by Your favor which I want as means to Your mercy and may take as a ladder with which to climb to Your good pleasure and be secure from Your displeasure, through Your might and power, and by the right of Muhammed, Your Prophet, and the Imams, the blessings of Allah be upon him and them all. So Your is praise, O My Lord, the All- powerful who is not overcome, and the Possessor of patient waiting who does not hurry, bless Muhammed and the family of Muhammed, place me among those who thank You for Your favors, and among those who remember Your boons!

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My God, how many a servant enters into evening and upon morning in the anguish of death, rattle in the throat, looking at that with which skins shiver and of which hearts are afraid, while I am secure from that all. So Your is praise, O My Lord, the All-powerful who is not overcome, and the Possessor of patient waiting who does not hurry, bless Muhammed and the family of Muhammed, place me among those who thank You for Your favors, and among those who remember Your boons!

My God, how many a servant enters into evening and upon morning sick, feeling pain, seriously ill, moans, wails, rolls in grief, finds no escape, does not swallow food easily, does not find drink sweet, can do neither harm nor benefit, in regret and remorse, while I have a sound body and safety life; all that is from You. So bless Muhammed and the family of Muhammed, place me among those who thank You for Your favors, and among those who remember Your boons!

My God, how many a servant enters into evening and upon morning afraid, frightened, sleepless, broken-hearted, lonely, ignorant, fugitive, runaway or confined in a narrow place or a hiding place, feeling the earth narrow though it is wide, finding no means nor refuge nor shelter nor a place of flight, while I am in security, safety, tranquility, and secure from that all. So Your is praise, O My Lord, the All-powerful who is not overcome, and the Possessor of patient waiting who does not hurry, bless Muhammed and the family of Muhammed, place me among those who thank You for Your favors, and among those who remember Your boons!

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My God, my Master, how many a servant enter into evenings and upon mornings handcuffed, shackled in iron, in the hand of the enemies who have no mercy upon, deprived of his homeland, his children, and his family, cut off from his brothers, every hour expecting in which killing he will be killed, and in which maiming he will be maimed, while I am secure from that all. So Your is praise, O My Lord, the All-powerful who is not overcome, and the Possessor of patient waiting who does not hurry, bless Muhammed and the family of Muhammed, place me among those who thank You for Your favors, and among those who remember Your boons!

My God, my Master, how many a servant enters into evening and upon morning suffers war, undertakes fighting, surrounded from all sides by enemies, swords, spears, war tools, moving in iron in the range of his effort, knowing no means, coming upon no way, finding no place of flight, weakened by inflicting wounds, stained with blood, under the toes of the hoofs and feet, desirous for a drink of water, unable to see his family and his children, while I am secure from that all. So Your is praise, O My Lord, the All-powerful who is not overcome, and the Possessor of patient waiting who does not hurry, bless Muhammed and the family of Muhammed, place me among those who thank You for Your favors, and among those who remember Your boons!

My God, how many a servant enters into evening and upon morning in the shadows of sea, violent winds, terrors, waves, expecting drowning and ruin, unable to find a means or afflicted with a thunderbolt or a burn or choking or sinking down or disfigurement or defamation, while I am secure from that all. So Your is praise, O My Lord, the All-powerful who is not overcome, and the Possessor of patient waiting who does not hurry, bless Muhammed and the family of Muhammed, place me among those who thank You for Your favors, and among those who remember Your boons!

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My God, how many a servant enters into evening and upon morning a traveler, faraway from his family, his homeland, his children, perplexed in the deserts, wandering among wild animals, beasts, and vermins, lonely, singular, knowing no means, finding no way, suffering from cold, heat, hunger, nakedness or other hardships of which I am void; I am secure from that all. So Your is praise, O My Lord, the All-powerful who is not overcome, and the Possessor of patient waiting who does not hurry, bless Muhammed and the family of Muhammed, place me among those who thank You for Your favors, and among those who remember Your boons!

My God, how many a servant enters into evening and upon morning poor, dependent, naked, reduced to poverty, failing, abandoned, hungry, afraid, thirsty, waiting someone to do him a favor; or a notable servant, who is more notable than me with You or greater in worshiping You, (but he is) fettered, overcome, carrying the burden of tiring toil, severe enslavement, troublesome slavery, and a heavy tax or afflicted with an intense tribulation which he cannot endure except through Your showing kindness to him, while I am served, live in comfort, enjoy well-being, honored, and secure from that in which he is. So Your is praise, O My Lord, the All-powerful who is not overcome, and the Possessor of patient waiting who does not hurry, bless Muhammed and the family of Muhammed, place me among those who thank You for Your favors, and among those who remember Your boons!

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My God, my Master, my Protector, how many a servant enters into evening and upon morning homeless, runaway, perplexed, hungry, afraid, bareheaded in the deserts and lands, burnt by heat and cold, in a harmful, hard life, and a lowly station, looking at himself with regret, can do neither harm nor benefit, while I am secure from that all through Your munificence and generosity. So there is no god but You; glory belongs to You, the All-powerful who is not overcome, and the Possessor of patient waiting who does not hurry, bless Muhammed and the family of Muhammed, place me among those who thank You for Your favors, and among those who remember Your boons! Have mercy upon me through Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Possessor of the merciful!

My Protector, my Master, how many a servant enters into evening and upon morning sick, ill, invalid, seriously ill, on the bed of illness and in its garment, turning left and right, knowing nothing of the pleasure of food and drink, looking at himself with regret, can do to it neither harm nor benefit, while I am secure from that all, through Your munificence and generosity. So there is no god but You; glory belongs to You, the All-powerful who is not overcome, and the Possessor of patient waiting who does not hurry, bless Muhammed and the family of Muhammed, place me among those who worship You, among those who thank You for Your favors, and among those who remember Your boons! Have mercy upon me through Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Possessor of the merciful!

My Protector, my Master, how many a servant enters into evening and upon morning close to his death, encompassed by the Angel of death and his helpers, suffering the agony of death, turning his eyes left and right, looking not at his beloved ones and his friends, prevented from speech, veiled from addressing (them) , looking at himself with regret, can do to it neither harm nor benefit, while I am secure from that all, through Your munificence and generosity. So there is no god but You; glory belongs to You, the All-powerful who is not overcome, and the Possessor of patient waiting who does not hurry, bless Muhammed and the family of Muhammed, place me among those who worship You, among those who thank You for Your favors, and among those who remember Your boons! Have mercy upon me through Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Possessor of the merciful!

My Protector, my Master, how many a servant enters into evening and upon morning in narrow prisons, in their distress, their abasement, and their iron; their guards undertake him one by one; he does not know what they will do to him and what kind of maiming they will maim him, so he is in a harmful, hard life, looking at himself with regret, can do to it neither harm nor benefit, while I am secure from that all, through Your munificence and generosity. So there is no god but You; glory belongs to You, the All-powerful who is not overcome, and the Possessor of patient waiting who does not hurry, bless Muhammed and the family of Muhammed, place me among those who worship You, among those who thank You for Your favors, and among those who remember Your boons! Have mercy upon me through Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful.

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My Protector, my Master, how many a servant enters into evening and upon mornings the decree continues against him, the tribulation encompasses him; he leaves his beloved ones and his friends; he becomes lowly, captive, humble in the hands of the unbelievers and the enemies taking him to the left and to the right. He is confined in the underground (prisons) and made heavy with iron, seeing nothing of the light and happiness of the world, looking at himself with regret, can do to it neither harm nor benefit, while I am secure from that all, through Your munificence and generosity. So there is no god but You; glory belongs to You, the All-powerful who is not overcome, and the Possessor of patient waiting who does not hurry, bless Muhammed and the family of Muhammed, place me among those who worship You, among those who thank You for Your favors, and among those who remember Your boons! Have mercy upon me through Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Possessor of the merciful!

My Protector, my Master, how many a servant enters into evening and upon morning yearling for the world and desirous for it, to the extent that he endangers his life and his properties out of craving after it. He embarks the ships, and they break down while he is in the horizons and the shadows of the seas, looking at himself with regret, can do to it neither harm nor benefit, while I am secure from that all, through Your munificence and generosity. So there is no god but You; glory belongs to You, the All-powerful who is not overcome, and the Possessor of patient waiting who does not hurry, bless Muhammed and the family of Muhammed, place me among those who worship You, among those who thank You for Your favors, and among those who remember Your boons! Have mercy upon me through Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Possessor of the merciful!

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My Protector, my Master, how many a servant enters into evening and upon morning the decree continues against him, surrounded by tribulation, the unbelievers, and the enemies, taken by the spears, the swords, and the arrows; he is thrown down, and the earth absorbs his blood; beasts and birds of prey eat his flesh, while I am secure from that all, through Your munificence and generosity, not through a merit of mine. So there is no god but You; glory belongs to You, the All- powerful who is not overcome, and the Possessor of patient waiting who does not hurry, bless Muhammed and the family of Muhammed, place me among those who thank You for Your favors, and among those who remember Your boons! Have mercy upon me through Your mercy, O Possessor of the merciful!

I swear by Your might, O Generous, I will seek of that which is with You, insist on You, resort to You, stretch out my hand toward You though it is sinful in Your sight. So with whom, my Lord, shall I seek protection? And with whom shall I take refuge? I have none except You. Shall You turn me away while I rely and depend on You? I ask You -through Your name which You put on the heaven, and it became independent, on the mountains, and they became firm, on the earth, and it became stationary, on the night, and it became dark, on the day, and it became luminous-to grant my needs, to forgive me all my sins, small and great, and to give me generously that You may make me reach the honor in this world and the next, O Most Merciful of the merciful!

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My Protector, I seek Your help, so bless Muhammed and the family of Muhammed, and help me. I see protection with You, am in no need of obeying Your servants through obeying You, of begging Your creatures through begging You. Move me from the abasement of poverty to the glory of riches, for the abasement of acts of disobedience to the glory of the acts of obedience, for You have preferred me for many of Your creation in munificence and generosity, not out of a merit of mine!

My God! So praise belongs to You for that all! Bless Muhammed and the family of Muhammed, place me among those who thank You for Your favors, and among those who remember Your boons! Have mercy upon me through Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful! [1]

After the Imam, peace be on him, had finished his holy supplication, he turned to his companions to calm them down and to give them some of his knowledge which he took from his grandfather, the Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, saying: “Your fear will be relieved. The first letter to come from Iraq is on the death of Musa al-Hadi. ”

They asked him to disclose to them the veil, saying: “And what is that, may Allah set you right? ”

“By the sacredness of the owner of this grave-he indicated with his hand to the tomb of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family-” he replied, “Musa al- Hadi has died on this day of his. By Allah, it is true just as you say. ”

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The people scattered and impatiently looked for the coming of the postman from Iraq. The postman quickly came and gave them good news of the death of Musa al-Hadi, the tyrannical. One of Ahl al-Bayt composed a poem on this miracle, which happened at the hand of the Imam, saying:

Many a night supplication which does not walk on earth seeking a place and which no messenger carries due to the remote distance.

It walks where it does not bound the stirrup, does not stay at a place, and no hindrance shortens the remoteness for it.

It passes from behind the night which is long in mid, during which there are sleeping and sleepless.

The gates of the heaven and those below them are open when a knocker knocks on them.

When it comes, Allah does not turn its coming away from its men; and Allah is Seeing and Hearing.

I hope for Allah as if that I, through good opinion, could see what he would do. [2]

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[1] This Supplication is better known as the Supplication of al-Jawshan al-Sagheer. It has been mentioned by al-Sayyid Ibn Tawus in his book Muhajj al-D'art, pp. 220-427. It has also been mentioned by Shaykh 'Abbas al-Qummi in his book Mafatiheeh al-Jinan. It has also been mentioned by Ibn Shahrashub in his book al-Menaqib.

[2] Al-Manaqib, vol. 2, p. 378.

The Death of Musa al-Hadi

Allah responded to the supplication of his friend, the righteous servant, (Imam Musa). He destroyed his tyrannical, arrogant enemy, saved the people and the country from his wickedness and tyranny. As for the reason for his death is that some sources say that he had an ulcer in his stomach, and he died of it. [1] Most resources have mentioned that his mother al-Khayzaran was angry with him, for he stopped her influence for a famous story, and that she had fear of him for her son Harun, who was the most lovable to her of the world and what was in it. [2] So she ordered some of her slave girls to strangle him, and they strangled him while sleeping. [3]

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Any way the page of al-Hadi, the tyrannical, was turned over, and his days did not last long. His caliphate was a year and some months, but it was tiring and heavy on the Muslims who faced during it the most violent and difficult problems. That was when they saw the heads of the grandsons of the Prophet were planted atop spears and displayed all over the countries and the cities. They also saw their captives killed and crucified, so the sacredness of the great Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and that of Islam was not respected, while Islam made it incumbent on Muslims to love them.

The thing that increased the Muslims in ordeal and tiredness is that Musa al-Hadi devoted himself to amusement, futility, and dissoluteness. He spent the money in the central treasury on his pleasures and gave a lot of money to the singers. He paid no attention to Islam, which made it obligatory on rulers to be very careful of the Muslims’ properties and made it forbidden to them to spend money on things other than their interests and their economic development.

Imam Musa, peace be on him, witnessed all those immense events and faced most of its tragedies, which increased him in tiredness and effort. He came to know that the truth was lost, justice was deserted, and Islamic life was absent. That is because the then ruling authorities broke all the Islamic teachings on the world of policy, economy, and administration.

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[1] Al-Tabari, Tarikh, vol. 10, p. 33.

[2] Ibid. , 36.

[3] Al-Jahshyari, p. 175. Al-Ya'qubi, Tarikh, vol. 3, p. 138.

Chapter XII

The time of Al-Rashid

The Caliphate reached Harun; the world shone for him; the affairs went well with him; and he attained from his world all that which he desired and wanted. His influence included most part of the earth, to the extent that he addressed the clouds, saying: “Go wherever you want; your kharaj (land tax) will come to me! ”[1]

Kharaj (land tax) was brought to him from all the Islamic countries. His capital Baghdad became the bride of the world and a store for the biggest public treasury in the world. The distinguished persons, the geniuses, and the artists from among all the peoples headed for it. The merchants, the officials, the drinking companions, the singers, and the dissolute in it were excessively rich. The wonderful palaces were built according to the Arabic-Persian beautiful architecture spread in it. Baghdad and its fascinating gardens became the embellishment of the East. It became the greatest capital of the most important empire history witnessed. In it were the Palace of Immortality (Qasr al-Khuld) , which was likened to the abiding garden which the Allah-fearing are promised, the Palace of Peace (Qasr al-Salam) , which was likened to these words of Him, the Exalted, the abode of peace with their Lord. Rivers flowed beneath these palaces full of intensely white and deep black-eyed women the like of the hidden pearls.

Harun sat on the throne of the Islamic, great Caliphate. He was the absolute master and obeyed spiritual ruler. He controlled all the powers of the state and the fates of the society. He gave to whomever he pleased and prevented from whomever he pleased. He was not questioned about what he did and not reckoned about what he wasted. That is because he was the shadow of Allah on His earth and His vicegerent over His creatures, just as they say. He undertook the office of the Caliphate while he was in the prime of youth. He tasted nothing of the hardships and ordeals of the days, nor was he hardened by experience. The authority spontaneously came to him after a plot made by his mother al-Khayzaran and his prime minister, Yehya al-Bermeki. They managed to assassinate al-Hadi. They succeeded in designing that plan and put an end to him very quickly. None of the members of the royal palace came to know of it. Harun also did not know that, for he was detained. He did not know all the affairs. After the plot had been carried out, al-Hadi had been killed and become a motionless body in his palace, Yehya hurried to the prison and walked towards al-Rashid, who was sleeping. He woke him, and he got up in terror. Yehya said to him: “Rise, Commander of the faithful! ”

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Al-Rashid became angry, so he rebuked him, saying to him: “You always terrify me due to your admiration for my succession! You are fully aware of my condition with this man (al-Hadi). If he hears of this, what will my affair with him? ”

Yehya smiled at him and said to him: “Al-Hadi has died. This is his ring. His minister al-Herrani is at the door. ”

Al-Rashid rose happily. He immediately went to the palace where his brother’s corpse was. He came to know of the affair. He spent that night there. It was a historical night full of important events of which were: Al-Rashid left prison and was appointed as a caliph. His Persian slave girl, Merajil, born him a male baby, and he named him ‘Abd Allah, who is better known as al-Ma’mun. Concerning that night, they said: “It was the night of the caliphs. ” On it a caliph died, a caliph was given the pledge of allegiance, and a caliph was born.

In the morning al-Rashid rose and performed the prayer over his brother and buried him in the garden of his palace. [2] Then the notable men of Baghdad went to al-Rashid to pledge allegiance to him. When the White Palace was full of the people from among different classes, Yousif b. al-Qasim b. Sabeeh al-Katib ascended the pulpit and addressed them, saying: “Surely Allah, the Great and Almighty, has made his vicegerent Musa al-Hadi die and appointed al-Rashid as Commander of the faithful. He (al-Rashid) has promised to have mercy on the people, to establish justice, to spread the truth among them, to protect their souls and their honors from the disobedient apostates. ”

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Then he turned to the people and asked them to hurry to give the pledge of allegiance, saying: “Rise to your pledge of allegiance and give the bargain of your faith. ” The people hurried to give al-Rashid the pledge of allegiance and declared their pleasure with him. All things were completed in the White Palace. So al-Rashid decided to leave ‘Iyabad and to go to Baghdad. However, Yehya advised him to delay, that he might prepare for him popular festivals. Nevertheless, al-Rashid did not yield to that. He along with his procession immediately headed for his capital (Baghdad). When he approached it, the masses received him with cheers, and the women uttered trilling cries of joy from the balconies of the palaces. So it was a wonderful, popular celebration.

When it was time to pray, al-Rashid went to the mosque along with a great procession. He led the people in prayer, and those who were not present in the White Palace pledged allegiance to him. After he had finished the prayer and taken the pledge of allegiance, he went to his royal palace. In the following day, he held a meeting attended by the politicians and high-ranking men. He summoned Yehya al-Bermeki. When he stood before him, he entrusted him with the office of the prime minister, gave him the ring, and said to him: “O My father, you have seated me in this place through your blessed opinion and your good management. I have entrusted the affair of the subject to you and regarded you as responsible for it. Therefore govern according to your viewpoint, employ whomever you please and depose whomever you please. For I will not be a supervisor along with you in anything. ”[3]

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A poet composed a poem before him, saying:

Do you not see that the sun was ill, but when Harun has become a caliph, its light has shone.

And the world has been clothed in beauty through his face. So Harun is its Caliph and Yehya is its minister. [4]

Yehya received the seal of the ministry. He was entrusted with all the executive and administrative powers. He was also entrusted with the fates of the state. Accordingly, he neither consulted nor resorted to anyone in respect with his work. Al-Rashid depended on him when he was in the prime of youth, and he supported him, freed him from need to watchfulness, and mental troubles. He devoted himself to life pleasures such as music, singing, and jokes in the gatherings of the witty.

As for Yehya, he purified the organs of government from the hostile elements or those friends of the past reign. He also took care of developing and constructing the country. He spent part of the budget on land reform, constructing bridges, industries, and other constructional projects that widened the civilization in Baghdad, to the extent that the world bloomed and fascinated the people. Fascinating gardens and charming flowers such as jasmine and pomegranate blossom spread in Baghdad. The luxurious palaces of the ‘Abbasids and of the Beramika also spread in it. The Palace of Immortality and other than it from among Harun’s palaces towered over it. ‘Ali b. al-Jahm has described one of them in a wonderful poem, saying:

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Many a dome of a king as if that the stars reveal their secrets to it.

The delegations fall down in prostration when it manifests to their eyes.

Many a fountain whose flow is (high) in the sky, and it does not fall short of its flowing.

It sends back to the rain clouds what they send down to the earth from the direction of their copious shower.

When its fire is kindled in Iraq, the brilliance of its light illuminates al-Hijaz.

It has balconies as if that spring had clothed them in gardens through their light. [5]

That civilization progress depended on al-Beramika, for it was they who placed the life of luxury and lavishness in Baghdad, developed the mental and constructional life in it.

The most important thing is that many historians gave Harun the nickname of the Caliph of the Muslims and the Commander of the faithful. They described him as the greatest of all the caliphs in taking care of the Islamic affairs. They said: “He put the precepts and laws of the Qur’an in practice. ” They also said that he renounced the world and turned away from the forbidden things. Ibn Khaldun said: “He (Harun) avoided and refrained from the forbidden things. He enjoyed that which was made lawful to him. ”

Ibn Khilikan said: “Surely he (Harun) preformed a hundred rak‘as a day. ”

A historian exaggerated when he added him to the level of those good and complying with their religion from among the Orthodox Caliphs. However, the measures narrated from him in respect with his fiscal policy and other than it from among the affairs of his general police clearly indicate the opposite of that which his followers mentioned such that he was distinguished by fear of Allah and sticking to the religion. That is because the nature of his fiscal police was selfish use, plundering the wealth of the Muslims, spending a great part of the public treasury on the mischievous and the dissolute. His nights were full of all kinds of singing and amusement. He spent a lot of money on the slave girls and the singers while the community did not enjoy the enormous revenues that came to the public treasury. The government did not appoint any amount of money to spread knowledge and sciences and to send away ignorance from the Islamic peoples. Besides it did not spend anything on developing the economy and industry in the country.

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When we carefully consider his other polices, we find that he faced the ‘Alawids and their followers very severely and strictly. He treated them just as his grandfather al-Mansur did through the policy of violence, tyranny, and persecution, just as we will talk about that.

Any way, there is no relationship between the fear of Allah and righteousness ascribed to him with the reality of his conduct and policy. Yes, without doubt, he was the most brilliant political personality history has ever known in the Islamic world and other than it. That is because, through his skill and ability, he was able to control most regions of the world, to the extent that his name became brilliant in the east and the west. He got a wide reputation history has rarely recorded to the kings and the sultans other than him. However the affair of this does not concern us; rather the thing that concerns us is that his policy in all its plans was far away from the Islamic principles that are the criterion, in reality, of the Islamic government. So whoever of the rulers applies them to the reality of his policy, then he is of the Orthodox Caliphs we respect a lot. Whoever turns away from them is not regarded as among the Muslim caliphs, and it was not correct for him to be the representative of this Islamic, great office.

The following is a brief account of that which reported from Harun, whether in the political fields or in the world of manners and morals; they all oppose the Islamic principles and do not suit any firm program of them.

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[1] Subh al-A'sha, vol. 3, p. 270.

[2] Al-Tabari, Tarikh, vol. 3 p. 568.

[3] Ibid. , p. 903.

[4] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 5, p. 240.

[5] Ibid. , vol. 9, p. 114.

His Fiscal Policy

Before we speak about Harun’s fiscal policy, we have to deal with the fiscal policy in Islam. Islam has taken very severe precautionary measures in respect with it. It has made it incumbent on the state not to spend any of it on things other than the interests of the Muslims and their economic development. It has not permitted the president of the state to choose for himself and his relatives anything of it. The proof of that is the conduct of Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family. That was when his only dear daughter the mistress of the women of the world, Fatima, the chaste, peace be on her. She asked him to grant her a servant to serve her with the affairs of her house, for her hands blistered because of the hand mill. However, he answered he generously and asked her to glorify, praise, and magnify Allah.

Through that, he, may Allah bless him and his family, gave a lesson to those who undertake the affairs of the Muslims, that they may take precautionary measures in respect with their properties and do not spend any of them on things other than their interests.

This luminous policy was followed by Imam ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, testamentary trustee of Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, and gate of the city of his knowledge. An example of that, his brother ‘Aqeel was afflicted with neediness and poverty. He took his children, who were shaggy and dust-colored out of misery, whose face were black as if that they were blackened by darkness, as the Imam, peace be on him, said. So he went to him, but the Imam prevented and blamed him. Such a way was useless, and he insisted on asking him. Accordingly, the Imam showed him the Islamic justice. He heated a piece of iron and drew it nearer to his body, so he cried because of its heat with the crying of one who suffered from a serious illness. This hot piece of iron was about to burn ‘Aqeel, so he left in terror and sadness. The Imam did that to show the world that the public treasury belonged to the Muslims, and that the president of the state had no right to spend it according to his wishes and his low desires.

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When the companions of Imam ‘Ali came to know that money played an important role in attracting great part of people, they asked him to change his policy in respect with distributing money, that he might singled out the nobility and the notable men with part of it. They said to him: “Commander of the faithful, give these properties. Give preference to this nobility from among the ‘Arabs and Quraysh and include the people whose opposition you fear. ”

However, the Imam, peace be on him, answered them with the words of justice and truth: “Do you order me to seek victory through tyranny? If the money belonged to me, I would equally divide it among them. Just imagine how much more (one should be just) when the money belongs to Allah! ”

This is the precept of Islam in respect with the properties of the Muslims. They belong to them all. It is not permissible for the head of the state to spend them lavishly on his wishes and low desires and strengthening his authority. Islam has ordered them to be spent on:

1. The deprived, the orphans, the widows, and the disable. Therefore, it is incumbent on the state to specify for them part of the public treasury, that they may lead a pleasant life and are free from need to that which in the hand of men.

2. Those who are unable to maintain their families. So the state is responsible for remedy their lack with something of the public treasury.

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3. The debtors who cannot find money to repay their debts provided that they should not spend it illegally.

4. Those who are not able to get married because of the paucity of that which in their hands.

5. General projects leading to economic and industrial development of the country and increasing per capita real income.

6. Putting an end to unemployment, securing work for civilians, and improving the conditions of their livelihood. That is because Islam regards poverty as a social disaster; so it is obligatory to put an end to poverty and to remove its effects.

7. Education, removing illiteracy, spreading science and knowledge among people. That is because the community cannot develop itself and reaches its objectives unless science prevails and knowledge spreads among all its circles.

These are some affairs of which Islamic fiscal policy takes care. However, Harun and other than him from among the Umayyad and ‘Abbasid kings achieved nothing of that on the arena of life. Rather they swallowed Allah’s wealth just as camels swallowed spring plants. They lavishly spent the properties of the Muslims on dissolution and prostitution, and on warring against the members of the House (Ahl al-Bayt) , the summoners to truth and justice.

Anyhow, through his fiscal policy, Harun deviated from the Islamic policy in this respect. That was when he, his family, his ministers, and his servants went too far in wasting and spending lavishly on themselves, while the community led a life full of exhaustion, tiredness, and straits.

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His general Budget

The greatest budget of the Islamic state was that at the time of Harun. For he had money the like of which none of the Muslim kings had. Ibn Khaldun reported that the money carried to the public treasury amounted to 7500 Cantars a year. [1] Al-Jahshyari estimated the total revenues in about five hundred million, two hundred and forty thousand dirhams. [2] It is worth mentioning that the dinars at that time was of great importance cannot be compared to that which we have today. A ram was sold for a dirham, a camel for four dinars, sixty ratl (a weight) dates for a dirham, sixteen ratl oil for a dirham, and eight ratl cooking fat for a dirham. The wage of an excellent builder was five habba. It was well-known that the habba was one-third a dirham during their days, and the danak was one-sixth a dirham. [3] According to this the budget of the state of Harun was, according to the price of the Iraqi current dinar, two billions, two hundred and twenty millions, nine hundred and sixty thousand dinars. [4] It was a great budget the like of which no government before that of Al-Rashid had. These revenues were collected from the following:

1. Land tax (al-kharajj) , which was an amount of money or of crops imposed on the lands of those polytheists before the Conquest (feth).

2. Poll tax (al-jizya) , which was that the Zimmis paid to the Islamic state, that it may protect them. Meanwhile it is instead of the taxes were taken from the Muslims. It had no harm of the Zimmi when it was taken from him, as the enemies of Islam say. It was in exchange for the services and interests the state rendered to them and other than them.

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The poll tax the Zimmi paid at the time of al-Rashid was different according to his wealth. It ranged from eight to fourteen dirhams. It was not taken from woman, the poor, and the young. [5]

3. Alms (Zekat) , which is an important revenue. It is due on the following:

A. The two currencies: gold and silver. The minimum amount of gold is twenty dinars. Whoever has it, it is incumbent on him to pay a half dinar. If the amount is more than twenty dinars, it is obligatory on him to pay two Qirats for every four (dinars). The minimum amount of silver is two hundred dirhams. The zekat on it is five dirhams. When it increases and comes to forty dirhams, then a dirham is due on it whatever it amounts. The Muslim jurists have mentioned some conditions for the zekat of the two currencies; zekat is not obligatory unless these conditions are available.

B. The three kinds of livestock: camels, cows, and sheep of various kinds such as handsome Arabian camels (al-‘Iraab) , Persian camels (al-Bekhaati) , cows, buffaloes, goats, and sheep. The conditions concern them should be available such as the minimum amount, freely grazing livestock, and the like, according to what the jurists have mentioned.

C. The four crops: wheat, barely, dates, and raisins. There should be available conditions such as the minimum amount, and other conditions the jurists have mentioned.

Zekat is an Islamic duty for which the Islamic state fights and regards him who does not pay it as an apostate. It is enormous revenue that satisfies many affairs of the state and the needs of the poor. It had a special divan in Baghdad and had many branches all over the country.

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These are some state revenues Islam established to satisfy its economic affairs. They are huge revenues. If the Islamic government put them into practice, no fiscal lack would befall it, and it would be in no need of loans from foreign countries that place it among the regions of their influence. Besides, if the Islamic governments spent their budgets on the interests of the Muslims and follow the Islamic fiscal policy, poverty and deprivation would not spread among the houses of the society, atheist thoughts and weak principles that threaten their entity, subject them to distress and destruction would not invade them.

On whom is the public treasury spent?

Surely the properties collected for Harun’s budget set a record in their greatness, as we have mentioned. Unfortunately, not much of it was spent on the interests of the Muslims. Rather it was spent on giving variety to pleasures, desires, building palaces full of singers and the dissolute. It was also spent on the poets who devoted their mental activities to praise, laudation, giving noble qualities to Harun and regarding him as one of the caliphs who were careful of the affairs of the Muslims.

Anyhow, Harun spent a lot of the public treasury on his pleasures, which are as follows:

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[1] Al-Muqaddama, pp. 117-118.

[2] Al-Wizara' wa al-Kittab, p. 288.

[3] Ahmed Ameen, Harun al-Rashid, p. 88.

[4] Al-Joumerd, Harun al-Rashid, vol. 2, p. 362.

[5] Al-Hakam al-Sultaniya, p. 175.

Gifts to Singers

Harun went too far in spending on the singers. He gave to them wide wealth and spent on them enormous properties, while it was incumbent on him to spend them on the interests of the Muslims, not on the things that spoiled morals and exited desires. The historians have mentioned many examples of his gifts to them. If they were collected, they would be a big book. We will mention some of them as proofs of his wasting the wealth of the community. They are as follows:

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1. Abu al-‘Atahiya recited to him the following poetry lines:

May my father be ransom for whom there is strong, little love in my heart, and it has been stolen.

O Banu al-‘Abbas, there is among you a king from whom kindness branches.

The whole of Harun is good. All evil has died since he was born.

Ibrahim al-Mousili song him a song through these lines, and he gave to him a hundred thousand dirhams and a hundred garments. [1]

2. His singer Ishaq al-Mousili narrated, saying: “I went out along with al-Rashid to al-Hira. When he stopped at it, he ordered the lunch to be brought. He had lunch, and then he slept. So I seized the opportunity of his sleep and went away. I rode (my mount) and went around al-Hira. I looked at a garden and headed for it. I found a handsome young man. I asked the young man to allow me to come into the garden, and he allowed me. I came into it and came to know that it was one of the gardens on the best earth and the greatest of them in water. I went out and asked him: ‘Whose garden is this? ’ ‘To one of the Asha‘itha,’ he answered. ‘Does he sell it? ’ I asked him. ‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘and it is for sale. ’ ‘How much is it? ’ I asked him. ‘Fourteen thousand dinars,’ he answered. ‘What is the name of this places? ’ I asked him. ‘Shamara,’ he replied. So I said:

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“‘O Shamara gardens, there is nothing like you in view. I have ophthalmia that has made the doctor tired.

Your earth is camphor; your light is a flower giving a good scent after plowing.

“When Harun woke and ordered me to sing him a song, I song him these lines. So he said: ‘Woe unto you! Where is Shamara? I told him about the story. So he ordered fourteen thousand dinars to be given to me, and I bought it. ”[2]

3. Yehya al-Mekki song Harun a song and delighted him, and he said to him: “O Yehya, rise and take what is in the house. ” Yehya thought that there were carpets and garments in the house. However, he found in it notes and coins. They were carried before him. When they were counted, they were fifty thousand dirhams. [3]

4. Yehya song him a song through this poetry line

When does the thousands meet with all the camels that ascend a valley and

descend to a valley?

So Harun had wine until evening, and then he ordered ten thousand dirhams to be given to him. [4]

5. Al-Rashid became angry with al-Mousili and ordered him to be imprisoned. One day he sat and remembered his good songs, so he said: “If al-Mousili was present, our affair and delight would be perfect. ” Accordingly, one of those who were sitting with him said to him: “Commander of the faithful, shall we bring him? He did not commit a great crime. ” So he sent for him. When he stood before him, he ordered him to sing him a song. So he sang him a song through this poetry line:

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Ni‘man’s belly exudes musk when she walks among ashamed women.

Al-Rashid became delighted. He ordered the shackles to be untied. Then he ordered him to be covered with robes of honor, and ordered thirty thousand dirhams to be given to him. [5]

6. Ibrahim al-Mousili sang al-Rashid one of his best songs, and he became so delighted that he said: “I have never heard a song greater in gathering generosity, delight, and good skill than this one! ” So Ibrahim asked him: “If a man granted you two hundred thousand dirhams, would you be delighted at it or at this song? ”

“By Allah, I am more delighted at this song than the two million dirhams,” al-Rashid replied.

“Why do you not give me two hundred thousand (dirhams)? ” asked Ibrahim.

So, al-Rashid immediately ordered two hundred thousand dirhams to be given to him. [6]

7. Dehman al-Ashqar sang him a song through this poetry line:

If we enter and you are our Imam, then it is enough for our mounts to see you as a guide.

One day I remembered you at al-Dayr, so the prostitutes shone, to the extent that they came up to the throat.

O Malik’s mother, if the time ended you, then the fatal death will do the same to me.

Al-Rashid became delighted, asked him to repeat the song several times, and then he said: “Ask me for something. ”

Dehman said: “I wish that you would give al-Heni’ and al-Meri. ’” They were two country estates whose corps amounted forty thousand dinars. It was said to Harun: “Commander of the faithful, these two country estates are too great that you have not given them to him. ” “There is no way to get back what I have given,” he retorted, “but try to buy them from him. ” So they bought them from him for a lot of money. [7]

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8. One night Harun and his drinking companions chatted with one another, and one of them sang him a song through Jereer’s poetry line:

Surely those who left early in the morning are still on your mind and have left in your eye dripping water (like) a spring.

So he became delighted, admired these poetry lines, and said to his friends: “Whoever composes poetry lines similar to these will take this purse of money from me. ” They tried to do that but did nothing. So the servant who was standing behind him: “I will do it for you, Commander of the faithful. ” “Do as you like! ” retorted Harun. The servant went to al-Natifi and told him about the story. Al-Natifi came in to ‘Enan, and she composed that, saying:

Through the words you have said, you have exited in my heart the illness that is till hidden.

Its fruits have ripened in their foldings, they were watered of the love water and drank their fill.

My master, those who say that hearts love when they love are liars.

He brought them to al-Rashid, and asked him about him who composed them. He told him about the affair, and he bought the slave-girl for thirty thousand dirhams. He let her stay with him for some days, and then he gifted her to one of his special associates. [8]

These are some examples the historians have mentioned in respect with Harun’s gifts to the singers who represented mischief and dissoluteness at his time. Such an action opposes Islam that has made it forbidden to spend money on all things made forbidden by Allah. In the meantime it opposes the Islamic economy that has required the rulers over the Muslims to spent money on the interests of the Muslims, their economic and scientific development, and establishing vital projects that bring about the prosperity of the country.

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Surely this excessive spending wasted the wealth of the community and paralyzed its economic movement; it is one of the things Islam has made forbidden.

Yet another example of Harun’s wasting the properties of the Muslims is that which Abu al-Ferejj narrated: “Very beautiful and perfect slave girl was gifted to al- Rashid. One day he was alone with her; he brought out all songstresses of his house, and had breakfast. So the number of his slave girls who sang him and the servants who offered him wine was two thousands. They wore the best kinds of clothes and jewels. Um Ja‘far heard of that, and she became displeased with it.

“So she sent for ‘Aliya and complained to her of that. So ‘Aliya sent to her (a letter saying): ‘Do not let this terrify this. By Allah, I will return him to you. I have decided to compose poetry and to set melody and teach it to my slave girls. Therefore, send all your slave girls to me. Clothe them in different kinds of garments, that they may take part in singing with my slave girls. ’ Um Ja‘far did what ‘Aliya had ordered her. When the time of the afternoon player came, al-Rashid did not feel when ‘Aliya suddenly came out of her room, and Um Ja‘far came out of her room along with two thousand slave girls and the rest of the slave girls in the palace. They were dressed in strange garments. They all sang the poetry ‘Aliya had composed, saying:

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“He is separated from me, and my heart is not separated from him.

“O You who have stopped associating with me, with whom have you “Intended to associate?

“Accordingly, al-Rashid became delighted and rose on his leg, to the extent that he received Um Ja‘far and ‘Aliya. He was too pleased that he said: ‘I have never seen a day like this day! Mesrur, do not let any dirham in the public treasury. Scatter them all! ’ The amount he scattered on that day was six thousand dirhams. None has ever heard of the like of that day. ”[9]

This is the excessive recklessness in respect with the properties of the Muslims and the disobedience to the will of Islam and its precepts that has made that forbidden.

____________________________________

[1] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. ,4 p. 74.

[2] Ibid, vol. 5, pp. 174-175.

[3] Ibid, vol. 6, p. 187.

[4] Ibid. , p. 185.

[5] Ibid. , p. 205.

[6] Al-Tajj, p. 41.

[7] Tarikh al-Khulafa', p. 116.

[8] Al-'Aqd al-Farid, vol. 3, p. 258.

[9] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. , 10 pp.

His Gifts to the Poets

Harun went too far in spending money on the poets. He generously spent properties on them. He enriched them, for they went too far in praising him and giving him the qualities of the Allah-fearing, the protection of the religion and keeping it. They described him as the shadow of Allah on earth. They said that Allah would not accept deeds except through Harun’s pleasure and showing obedience to him. They also said that if Harun was discontented with someone, then prayer and acts of worship would not benefit. This meaning has clearly been mentioned in what Mansur al-Nimri has said:

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If someone discontents Harun, he does not benefit by the five prayers.

Surely noble deeds and kindness are valleys. Allah has placed you where they widen.

If you raise a man, then Allah raises him. And whomever of the peoples you push down is pushed down.

Harun employed those poets as mouthpieces of propagation and buffoonery. So they, through what they composed, spread among the people that Harun was the protector of Islam, that he was the representative of the Islamic justice on earth, and that he spread the truth all over the country. Among those who described him as the representative of justice and the protection of the religion is Dawud b. Razin, who said:

Through Harun light appeared in all cities, and through his just conduct the right way has been established.

He is the Imam who is busy (thinking of) the selfness of Allah, and the most thing of which he takes care is invasion and the hajj.

The eyes of the people become narrow because of the light of his face when his bright view appears before the people.

An Umayyad person praised him through a poem in which he has mentioned:

O One entrusted by Allah, I say the words of one with intelligence, truthfulness, and lineage.

You have an excellence over us; and we have through you the excellence over all the Arabs.

‘Abd Shams followed Hashim, and they both belonged to one father and mother.

Therefore, bestow upon our womb relatives, for ‘Abd Shams was ‘Abd al-Muttalib’s uncle.

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So he ordered a thousand dinars to be given to him for each a poetry line; and then he said to him: “If you increase us, we will increase you. ”[1] The poets went too far in praising him, elaborating on and lauding him. He also went too far in giving them generously and bestowing on them. One of his gifts to them is that which has been narrated by al-Teberi, who has said: “Sa‘eed b. Muslim b. Qutayba al-Bahili came in to al-Rashid in his gathering of poetry, and the poets were reciting to him their poems. He said to him: ‘Commander of the faithful, there is a Bedouin from Bahila at the door. I have never seen a person greater than him in poetry. ’ He permitted the Bedouin, and he came in. The Bedouin was wearing a silk jubbah and a Yemeni cloak.

He tied it in the middle, and then he bent it on his shoulder. He folded his turban on his cheeks and loosened a tassel of it. He recited him an excellent poem on praising him. In his gathering were al-Kesa’i, Ibn Selem, and al-Fedl b. al-Rebi‘. When he finished, al-Rashid said to him: ‘I hear you as one who approves (your poetry) , and denies you as one who accuses you. If you yourself have composed this poetry, then compose two poetry lines in respect with these. ’ He indicated with his hand to al-Amin and al-Ma’mun, who were present there. So he said:

They are its two ropes, may Allah bless them; and you, Commander of the faithful, are its pole.

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The top of the dome of Islam was built by ‘Abd Allah after Muhammed, so its two sticks shook.

Accordingly, al-Rashid gave to him a hundred thousand dirhams. [2]

Ashja‘ al-Selemi, who was disagreeable to him, came in to al-Rashid and said to him:

“Commander of the faithful, I think you have to permit me to recite a poem to you. That is because if I do not attain my wish from you today, then I will never attain it.

Al-Rashid asked him: “How is that? ”

Ashja‘ said: “For I have praised you through poetry. I think neither I nor those other than me can compose something better than it. If I do not shake you on this day, I will be deprived of that to the end of the time. ”

So al-Rashid said to him: “Give. Therefore, we will hear (it). ”

So he recited to him his poem until he reached:

And over your enemy, O Muhammed’s cousin, are two observers: the light of the morning, and the shadows of darkness.

So if he is careful, you terrify him; and if he raves, you will pull out your clement swords.

Al-Rashid said: “By Allah, this is the good praise and the correct meaning, not that with which you busied my ears this day. ” On that day a group of poets recited poems to him. Then he recited to him his poem in which he has said:

His father was a king; and his mother was from among the good people to whom belongs the glowing lamp of the community.

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On the tops of the basin-shaped valleys of Mecca, they drank the pure water of the prophethood.

When Harun heard these two poetry lines, he was about to fly out of happiness. Then he said to him: “O Ashja‘, you came in to me and you were the most disagreeable of all the people to me; and now you are going to leave me while you are the most lovable of the people to me. ”

So Ashja‘ asked him: “What has this position made me acquire? ”

Al-Rashid said: “Riches. Therefore, ask whatever you wish. ”

Ashja‘ said: “One million dirhams. ”

Al-Rashid said: “Give it to him. ”[3]

Al-Asfahani said that the total amount Ibrahim al-Mousili took was more than two hundred thousand dinars. [4] The books of history are full of his plentiful giving to the poets and their rear stories with him. We do not doubt that generosity is a good, high quality, that is when the person spends on others something of his private properties. However if he spends on them lavishly something of the properties of the Muslims, then he betrays Allah and the Muslims.

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[1] Al-'Aqd al-Farid, vol. 3, p. 258. Al-Mas'udi, Murujj al-Dhahab, vol. 3, p. 382.

[2] Al-Tabari, Tarikh, vol. 3, p. 261.

[3] Tabaqat al-Shu'ara', p. 252.

[4] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 5, p. 20.

His spending lavishly on Food

Harun spend lavishly on food. He spend on it ten thousand dirhams a day. Perhaps, the cooks cooked him thirty kinds of food. [1] Al-Asma‘i narrated, saying: “One day I came in to al-Rashid. While he was eating al-Faludhej[2], he asked me: ‘What have the Arabs said about this? ’ I answered: ‘The Arabs have no Faludhej. However, they have something similar to it concerning which al-Shammakh has said:

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When my mother went to visit her family, she fell upon al-‘akem, which was not available.

A measure of pressed dates was mixed with two measures of wheat; and a measure of fat sat on it.

They are provided with tails like andirons; it is like men’s heads cut off and not gathered together.

If you have yellows, then this is your medicine; and if you are hungry, then this is the day when you become full.

So Harun laughed and gave him the plate that was before him. One day he called his cook, and when he stood before him,[3] he said to him:

-Have you food of slaughter sheep?

-Yes, I have various kinds of it.

Al-Rashid said: “Bring it along with the food. ”

When the food was brought, al-Rashid took some of the meat. Ja‘far al-Bermeki laughed. So al-Rashid asked him: “Why are you laughing? ”

Ja‘far answered: “Nothing, Commander of the faithful, I have remembered a conversation took place yesterday night between me and my slave girl. ”

Al-Rashid said to him: “By my right against you, I want you tell me about it. ”

Ja‘far said: “Until you eat this mouthful. ”

When al-Rashid took it out of his mouth, Ja‘far asked him:

“How much is this food along with the meat? ”

Al-Rashid replied: “Three dirhams. ”

Ja‘far retorted: “No, by Allah, Commander of the faithful. Rather, four hundred thousand dirhams. ”

Al-Rashid asked: “How is that, Ja‘far? ”

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Ja‘far answered: “A long period before this day, you commanded your cook to fix you mutton, but it was not available with him. And I said to him: ‘The kitchen should not be void of mutton. ’ Accordingly, we slaughter a sheep for your kitchen every day. That is because we do not buy mutton from market. So we have spent four hundred thousand dirhams since that day. The Commander of the faithful, had not requested mutton except this day. So I laughed because the Commander of the faithful had nothing of it except this mouthful. So has the Commander of the faithful bought it for four hundred thousand dinars. ”[4]

Food along with small pieces of fish in gold containers was put before Harun. So he sent for the head of the cooks. When he stood before him, he said to him: “Did I not tell you that the pieces of fish should not be small? ” So he answered him: “Commander of the faithful, this year I have placed the fish among the food as an ornament. ” Harun asked him about their price, and he answered him: “They cost four thousand dirhams. ” The most delicious fruit was brought to him from the Islamic countries. The ‘Abbasid kings after him went too far in spending on food, to the extent that they requested different kinds of birds and meat from the remote places and spent a lot of money on bringing them. [5] All these things are regarded as violating the Islamic regulations and rules that require the head of the government to be moderate and not to waste the properties of the Muslims.

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[1] Al-Mustatraf, p. 341.

[2] A kind of candy made from flour, water, and honey.

[3] Al-'Aqd al-Farid, vol. 3, p. 285.

[4] Al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, vol. 10, p. 26.

[5] Thimar al-Qulub, p. 428.

His Spending lavishly on Salve Girls

Harun was fond of slave girls and desirous for enjoying them, to the extent that he went too far in that and deviated from the way of justice and Islamic law. The historians have mentioned many examples of his fondness of that. They have narrated his story with Ghadir, the slave girl of his brother al-Hadi. Ja‘far b. Qaddama[1] has narrated about her, saying: “Ghadir was the best of the people in beauty and singing. Al-Hadi loved her very much. One day while she was singing him a song, a thought came to his mind. So one of his special associates who were present there asked him about that, and he answered him: “I think that I will die, and that my brother Harun will marry my slave girl after he undertakes the caliphate after me. ” So it was said to him: “I seek refuge for you with Allah, and that He may advance all (people) before you. ”

So he ordered his brother Harun to be brought before him. He told him about the thought came to his mind, and he answered him with that which was a must on of that. However, he said: “I am not satisfied until you swear (by Allah) that when I die you should not marry her. ” He swore by Allah. Yet al-Hadi took a full oath from him, that he should perform the hajj on foot, divorce his wives, release his slaves, and to dedicate his possessions to charitable purposes. Then he ordered her to swear by Allah just as he did to his brother, and she swore by Allah. One month after that, al-Hadi died and al-Rashid undertook the caliphate. He sent for Ghadir and proposed to her. So she asked him: “What shall we do toward the oath? ” He answered: “I will expiate on behalf of all and perform the hajj on foot. ” She responded to him, and he married her. He loved her so much that he put her head in his lap. When she slept, he did not move until she woke. One day, while she was sleeping, she woke in terror. She wept, and he asked her about her condition. She said to him: “I dreamt of your brother and heard him saying to me:

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You have broken my promise after I had neighbored the inhabitants of the cemeteries.

You swore before me through your lying, dissolute oath.

And you, Ghadira, have married my brother. Truthful was he who named you Ghadir.

You have become among the men of tribulation and one of the women having eyes with a marked contrast between white and black, and who go and come.

The new mate will not enjoy you; and the calamities will not turn away from you.

And you will follow me before the morning.

By Allah, Commander of the faithful, it is as if that I heard them, and as if that I wrote them in my heart. I have forgotten no word of them. So al-Rashid said to her: “This is a confused dream. ” So she said: “No. ” She became disordered and shook all over until she died before him. [2]

This is an example of his fondness of slave girls and his disobedience to the Islamic Law through his breaking the oath he gave to his brother for that he would not marry her. Besides he opposed the Islamic Law when he married her because she was in her waiting period; Islam has made that forbidden and decided that it is forbidden for husband to marry the woman in such a state for ever.

Yet another example of his fondness of slave girls is that he abandoned his slave girl Marida, and then he remorsed for that, to the extent that he was about to die due to his love for her. He showed pride toward starting her with peace, and she also showed pride to start him with peace. So he unwillingly showed patience and was about to die. His minister al-Fedl b. al-Rabi‘ understood that, so he sent for al-‘Abbas b. al-Ahnef and told him about the affair and said: “Say something about that. ” And he said:

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Both lovers are avoid; they blame each other and angry with one another.

She has turned away, and he has turned away. They both are tired of that which they treat.

Surely if an experience lasts long, forgetfulness will creep into (hearts) because of it. Then the request will be difficult.

Al-Fedl sent him these poetry lines, and he became very pleased with them. Before al-Rashid completed reading them, al-‘Abbas composed other two poetry lines in this respect:

The lover must have a pause between reunion and desertion.

If desertion lasts long, he will comes back to his lover.

Al-Rashid approved that and said: “I will make peace with hear. ” Then he went to her and made peace with her. Marida came to know of the reason for the poetry lines, but she did not know him who composed them. She sent for al-Fedl to ask him about him. He told her about him. So she ordered him to be given one thousand dinars. [3] Al-Rashid also ordered him to be given two thousand dinars. He also fell in love with a slave girl. So he ordered his minister Yehya to buy her for one hundred thousand dinars. Yehya regarded this sum as much and did not intend to pay it. So al-Rashid became angry with him. Yehya wanted to explain to him the amount spent on such things of which the government made no use. So he changed this sum into dirhams, and they amounted a million and a half dirhams. He put them in the corridor through which al-Rashid passed to perform the ritual ablution. When al-Rashid saw them, he regarded them as many. So he understood his extravagance. In the mean time he felt that Yehya disobeyed him. [4]

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Al-Rashid gave a lot of money to his salve girls. The historians narrated that he sent al-Hereshi to the district of al-Mousil, and he collected to him a lot of money from the remainders of the land taxes. He brought it to Harun, and he ordered all of it to be spent on some of his slave girls. The people regarded that as great and talked about it. Semi madness befell Abu al-‘Atahiya because of that, so Khalid b. al-Azher asked him:

-What wrong with you Abu al-‘Atahiya?

-Glory belongs to Allah! Why is this plentiful money given to a such woman? [5]

Surely these huge gifts to his slave girls made the good discontented with him and those who clung to their religion bear a grudge against him. That is because he broke the Islamic law in respect with the properties of the Muslims when he spent them on things other than their interests.

Anyway Harun was very fond of slave girls; he adored them. For his sexual desires he paid no attention to the things made forbidden by Allah. For example, he loved the slave girl his father al-Mehdi had already married. However, she refused him and said to him: “It is not lawful for you to marry me, for your father had married me. ” He loved her too much that he sent for the jurist Abu Yousif and asked him: “Do you have anything concerning this affair? ”

So Abu Yousif gave a religious decision contrary to the Book of Allah and the Sunna of His Prophet, saying: “Commander of the faithful, shall we believe all the things a slave girl claims? Do not believe her because she is not reliable! ”

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Abu Yousif gave a verdict suitable to Harun’s low desire and turned away from that which Islam legislated concerning believing women in respect with their marriage. Ibn al-Mubarak commented on this measure, saying: “I do not know at whom shall I wonder: Shall I wonder at this (Harun) who has put his hand in the blood of the Muslims and their properties and does not pay attention to the sacredness of his father? Or shall I wonder at this community that has turned away from the Commander of the faithful? Or shall I wonder at the jurist of the land? He said: ‘Violate the sacredness of your father, carry out your pleasure, and I am responsible for that! ”[6]

Abu Yousif gave many religious verdicts according to Harun’s desires that oppose the Islamic precepts. Yet al-Rashid lavishly spent on him for that. Abu Yousif gave a religious decision appropriate for Harun’s inclination, and he ordered a hundred thousand dirhams to be given to him. [7]

Anyhow, al-Rashid went too far in associating with the slave girls. He had a slave girl called Haylana. The slave girl lived with him for three years. Then she died, so al-Rashid grieved for her very much, and then he elegized her, saying:

I have said when they buried you and regret occupied my heart: Shall I go? No, by Allah! Nothing will please me after you to the end of the time!

Al-‘Abbas b. al-Ahnef elegized her with forty poetry lines, so al-Rashid ordered forty thousand dirhams to be given to him. [8] Al-Rashid was too fond of slave girls that he went too far in acquiring them, to the extent that their number was two thousands. His slave girls were from different countries: Some were from Rome, some were from al-Sind, and some were from Persia. [9] Al-Rashid bought a slave girl from al-Mousil for thirty-six thousand dinars. [10] The inhabitants of Baghdad talked about a slave girl called Kheneth. The slave girl was given the nickname of Dhat al-Khal (the possessors of the beauty spots). She charmed the poets and the singers.

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Yet al-Rashid bought her for seventy thousand dinars and made her live in his palace. [11] He bought all those beautiful slave girls offered for sale. His palace had no slave girl bought for less than ten thousand dirhams or dinars. [12] These salve girls required too much expenses such as ornaments, clothes, and decoration. It is worth mentioning that these too much expenses were not of his private properties; rather they were of the Islamic Public Treasury, and that Islam made it for bidden to spend anything of it on such affairs.

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[1] Concerning Ja'far b. Qaddama, al-Khateeb al-Baghdadi has said: "He is among the Shaykhs and religious scholars of the writers. He has abundant literature and good knowledge. He has many books. He died in the year 319. " Tarikh Baghdad, vol. 7, p. 207.

[2] Nisa' al-Khulafa', p. 46.

[3] Ibn al-Mu'taz, Tabaqat al-Shu'ra', pp. 356-357.

[4] Al-Tabari, Tarikh, vol. 3, p. 332.

[5] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 4, p. 67.

[6] Tarikh al-Kulafa', p. 291.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Nisa' al-Khulafa', pp. 54-55.

[9] Harun al-Rashid, p. 85.

[10] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 5, p. 7.

[11] Ibid. , vol. 15, p. 85.

[12] Harun al-Rashid, vol. 1, p. 264.

His Fondness of Jewels

Harun was too fond of jewels and precious stones that he spent a lot of money on buying them. He bought a ring for a hundred thousand dinars. [1] He had an emerald bar longer than a cubit. He wore a very precious bird-like ruby crown. The value of the crown was a hundred thousand dinars. [2] As Harun was fond of jewels, he sent al-Jewheri, al-Kindi’s grandfather, to the leader of Sarandib to buy jewels from him. [3]

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He scattered jewels over his slave girls with out reckoning. He had a very beautiful slave girl. The slave girl refused her share when Harun gave her jewels similar to that of his slave girls. So he was displeased with that. One day he scattered jewels on his slaves, and they picked them, but that slave girl did not stretch her hand out to them. Then he ordered better jewels to be brought. They chose, and he said to that slave girl: “Why do you not choose as your friends do? ” She answered: “If the thing I choose is available, I will do. ” Then she took him by the hand and said to him: “This is my choice from among the jewels of the world. ” So he admired her and called her Khalisa (the pure one). [4]

Al-Bayqehi mentioned that al-Rashid bought jewels for two hundred thousand dinars and gave them as gift to al-Beramika. His children followed him in acquiring jewels and giving them to those loyal to them. For example, al-Ma’mun gave a thousand pearl stones to his wife Bouran on her wedding night. He ordered carpets to be spread for her. Each carpet was brocaded with gold, pearls, and corundum. The whiteness of the pearls covered the yellowness of gold. [5] Al-Amin drank out of crystal glasses inlaid with precious jewels. [6] The value of the jewels that were safe from plundering when al-Ma’mun killed his brother al-Amin was one million, a hundred and sixteen thousand dirhams. [7] Besides the entourage and the slave girls had too many jewels and precious stones bought for plentiful money plundered from the public treasury, for there was none to ask and punish them for spending it illegally!

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[1] Ibn al-Athir, Tarikh, vol. 6, p. 44.

[2] Mattla' al-Budur, vol. 2, p. 138.

[3] Bayna al-Khulafa' wa al-Khula'a', p. 54.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Bayna al-Khulafa' wa al-Khula'a', p. 57.

[6] Al-Mahasin wa al-Masawi', p. 362.

[7] Mattla' al-Budur, vol. 2, p. 138.

The Extravagance of Zubayda

The princess Zubayda amassed enormous properties. She spent the properties of the Muslims on her pleasures. She bought a good musician for three hundred thousand dinars[1] and gave the musician as gift to ‘Abd Allah, son of Musa al-Hadi. She ordered her maids to wear pearls. Then she became too fond of pearls that she wore sandals inlaid with jewels in her palace. [2] She bought a pearl rosary for fifty thousand dinars. [3] One day she sent for her husband al-Rashid to see him. When he came to her, Ibn Jaami‘ sang them a song from behind a curtain, saying:

It neither thundered nor lightened, but it made for us a circle.

The water flowed according to a regulation of it. If the water found a place of tearing, it would tear it.

We spent the night, and she spent the night on her pillows until the eye of the morning appeared sleepless.

Accordingly, Zubayda ordered her servant to give a hundred thousand dirhams to Ibn Jami‘ for each poetry line. So al-Rashid said: “Abi al-Fedl’s daughter has overcome us and preceded us in showing generosity to our guest and friend. ” Then he sent him dinars as equal as to the dirhams she had given to him. [4]

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Ashja‘ b. ‘Amru al-Selemi came in to Muhammed al-Amin, aged four years, to teach him. He said in respect with him:

His father was a king; and his mother was from among the good people to whom belongs the glowing lamp of the community.

On the tops of the basin-shaped valleys of Mecca, they drank the pure water of the prophethood.

So Zubayda ordered a hundred thousand dirhams to be given to him. Surely this money given to this poet and others represent part of wasting the properties of the Muslims. Although misery prevailed the people, Zubayda and her husband spent this enormous money on such things made forbidden by the Islamic Law.

Another example of her extravagance is that al-Rashid regarded staying at al-Riqqa as good, so Zubayda said to the poets: “Whoever describes Medinat al-Selam (the City of Peace, Baghdad) through poetry lines that pleases the Commander of the faithful, I will make him rich. ” So a group of them described it. Among them was al-Nimari, who said:

What are in Baghdad of good fashions and of wonders for the world and the religion?

When the east wind blows and the night is deep-black, it comes together among the branches of the plants of sweet basil.

So al-Rashid approved it and returned to Baghdad. As for Zubayda, she gave a jewel to al-Nimri. Then she sent someone to buy it from him for three hundred thousand dirhams. [5] She ordered a carpet to be made for her. The carpet contained all kinds of animals and birds. The picture of each bird was made of gold and its eye was made of pearl. It was said that she spent on it about a million dinars. [6] Zubayda used a tool made of gold and inlaid with jewels.

She wore a garment of top embroideries and estimated at fifty thousand dinars. [7] She fell ill for three times, so Dr. Bekhtshiyu’ treated her, and she gave him a hundred thousand dinars for each time. [8] The historians have mentioned many examples of her extravagance and lavish expenditure. She wasted the properties of the Muslims, whilst Islam ordered them to be spent on the poor and the deprived.

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[1] Sayyidat al-Bilat al-'Abbasi, p. 48.

[2] Bayna al-Khulafa' wa al-Khula'a', p. 55.

[3] Ibid. 54.

[4] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 6, p. 77.

[5] Tabaqat al-Shu'ra', p. 246.

[6] Al-Mustatraf, vol. 1, p. 98.

[7] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 6, p. 78.

[8] Mattla' al-Budur, vol. 6, p. 138.