THE LIFE OF IMAM MUSA BIN JA'FAR chapter5

THE LIFE OF IMAM MUSA BIN JA'FAR

Chapter5

The Lavishness of al-Beramika

Al-Beramika dazzled the people with their lavish expenditure and their great gifts to the poets and the writers. They regarded money as worthless and unimportant. That is because the public treasury was at their hand and the organs of the government were under their control. None asked and reckoned them for that. So they went too far in practicing pleasures and desires. The gatherings of singing in

their palaces were more than those in al-Rashid’s ones. They were greater in the instruments of amusement. They had the singers the like of whom was not available in the country, especially as it concerns Fouz and Ferida. Al-Rashid thought that he was in the Garden when he attained al-Beramika’s places decorated with containers inlaid with jewels, full treasuries, silk pillows full of embroideries, slave girls wearing silk and jewels and received him with perfumes none came to know what they were, for they were sweet-smelling. [1]

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Um Ja‘far had a hundred maids who wore different kinds of clothes and ornaments. [2] Ja‘far built a palace on which he spent twenty million dirhams. [3] Al- Dimyari has mentioned: “Ja‘far possessed all the country estates. When al-Rashid passed by country estates or gardens, he asked about them, and it was said to him that they belonged to Ja‘far. ”[4]

Al-Beramika spent a lot of money on affecting noble deeds and attracting hearts to them. They gave money without reckoning. Al-Fedl gave sixteen thousand dirhams to a person, while the person asked him for four thousand dirhams. [5] He gave to the commander of his police four million dirhams. [6] Al-Beramika wen too far in giving money. Al-Khetib al-Baghdadi has mentioned: “When Yehya (al-Bermeki) rode (his mount) , he gave two hundred dirhams to those who asked him in the road. ” A poet came to Yehya and recited to him:

O Namesake of the chaste one, two gardens have been given to you through the favor of our Lord.

Whoever passes by you in the road gets two hundreds of your giving.

Two hundred dirhams to the one like me is few; they are given by you to him who asks to be given quickly.

Yehya approved his poetry and ordered twenty thousand dirhams to be given to him. [7] Abu Thumama praised al-Fedl b. Yehya, an orator, saying:

To al-Fedl belongs the day of al-Taliqan and before it, on the day when he inflects on Khaqan.

There is no two days like his two days that lasted for two successive campaigns.

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He closed the fortified borderline cities and returned the friendship of the Hashimites after the disunion, so their mountain passes are close to each other.

You have preserved the government of the group of Hashim from that two swords may be pulled out among them. [8]

That is the government, not that one because of its confusion the news became great and the two arbitrators scattered.

So al-Fedl gave him seven hundred thousand dirhams[9] and bestowed a robe of honor on him. Raja’ b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz asked Yehya for some money, and he gave him seven hundred thousand dirhams. [10] Al-Qali mentioned that a poet came in to al-Fedl b. Yehya, and a servant came out and told al-Fedl of his newborn baby, so the poet said to him:

Those who seek generosity, the spear, the sword, and the arrowhead rejoice at the newborn baby from among the family of Berek.

The hopes spread out because of his favor, especially when he is from among the children of al-Fedl.

So he ordered a hundred thousand dirhams to be given to him. Then the poet recited to al-Fedl another poem, and he gave him another hundred thousand dirhams. [11] An ‘Abbasid ruler usurped a village called al-Rughab. So their owners brought a suit against him before a judge, but the judge decided the suit for the ‘Abbasid ruler. The ruler threatened them and ordered them to leave the village. Accordingly, they sought help from Ja‘far, and he helped them through buying the village for twenty millions dirhams and gave it as a gift to their owners. For this reason a poet praised him for his favor, saying:

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The generosity of his hands returned al-Rughab when its inhabitants were in the same position with respect to an armless fisherman.

They believed in losing it and their destruction, and the time threatened them with a more difficult day.

So he freed it for them when they were in a critical situation.

None other than him was hoped to release it; the generous is hoped for all difficult affairs.

Those far and near talked about that generosity of al-Beramika. [12] Ja‘far minted for himself big gold dinars, that he might give it to the people. He wrote on both faces these two poetry lines:

Man a yellow (dinar) of the minting of the house of the kings. On its face Ja‘far’s face appears. It is one above a hundred. If a poor person attains it, he becomes wealthy. [13]

They generously gave and granted without reckoning the properties to the poets and the writers. They poets praised them with the best attributes, heaped laudation and praise upon them. For example, Ashja‘ al-Selemi praised Ja‘far, saying:

Ja‘far’s noble traits and deeds spread among the people just as the sun does.

A king whose soul rules high ranks; and reason is the best policy of soul.

When the kings see him, they change loud speech into whisper. [14]

Yazid b. Khalid better known as Ibn Hesiyat praise al-Fedl b. Yehya, saying:

Do you not see that generosity descended and came to Ja‘far’s palm of the hand.

If the sky of Abu al-‘Abbas rains heavily, then what a drizzle and what a downpour!

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Muslim b. al-Waleed praised Ja‘far, saying:

The misfortunes of the time turned away from Ja‘far’s neighbor; and his asker caught precious desires.

He is the see whose flowing covers the valley of the earth, and whose coasts reach the borders of the country.

If there was nothing in his palm of the hand except his soul, he would give it generously; therefore, his asker should fear Allah.

Allah has a sword the like of which is not available on earth. You strike with it and Yehya fight with it.

The poets went too far in praising and magnifying them, for they received from them many properties and gifts, to the extent that the market of poetry and literature was active. To that a poet referred when he said:

What we have found of the generosity of Fedl b. Yehya is that he has made all the people poets.

Anyway, those enormous properties al-Beramika gave to the poets were of the public treasury of the Muslims. That is because they had had no money before they undertook the ministry. The historians have narrated: “Khalid b. Bermek was a governor over Tebristan, al-Ray, and Demawand. Al-Mansur punished him, accused him of taking three thousand dirhams, and threatened him with killing. Khalid was unable to pay them from his personal property. He sought help from his companions, and they gave him some of it, and al-Khayzaran gave him a lot of it. Then al-Mehdi interceded with his father for him, and he exempted him from the remainder.

”[15] However, when he and his sons were entrusted with authority, they controlled the wealth of the ‘Abbasid government. So they possessed villages, gardens, and other things whose number was not accounted and whose value was not known. They had a good village in every corner, a fruitful garden on each creek, a valuable possession in every city and town. Their annual income was millions of dinars. [16] Of course this abundant wealth they had during that short period of time resulted from their possessing alone the properties of the Muslims and their plundering the possessions of the government. They made use of their political influence in playing with the public treasuries to which money was collected from all the Islamic regions.

These examples we have mentioned of Harun, his family’s, and his ministers’ extravagance indicate his high treason toward the Muslims, his possessing alone their wealth, and his violating the sacredness of Islam.

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[1] Hidart al-Islam fi Dar al-Salam, p. 112.

[2] Al-Jahshyari, p. 18.

[3] Al-Tabari, Tarikh, vol. 10, p. 82.

[4] Al-Dimyari, Hayat al-Hayawan, vol. 2, pp. 172-173.

[5] Al-Jahshyari.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Tarikh Baghdad, vol. 14, p. 14. Wafayat al-A'yan, vol. 2, p. 44.

[8] He refers to the story of Yehya b. 'Abd Allah al-'Alawi when he revolted against the government of Harun in al-Daylem. Harun sent al-Fedl b. Yehya to battle against him. However, a peace treaty was signed by the two parties, so no battle took place between them. Will mention the story within the book.

[9] 'Asr al-Ma'mun, vol. 1, p. 141.

[10] Al-Mustatraf, vol. 1, p. 228.

[11] Al-Qali, al-Amali, p. 99.

[12] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 17, p. 33.

[13] Al-Jahshyari, p. 241.

[14] Harun al-Rashid, vol. 2, p. 242.

[15] Ibn al-Athir, Tarikh, vol. 6, p. 8.

[16] Al-Imama wa al-Siyasa, vol. 2, p. 321.

His Letter to Sufyan

As Harun deviated from the moderate way and wasted the properties of the Muslims, the righteous men were displeased with him and turned away from him. He tried to meet with Sufyan al-Thouri. So he wrote him a letter and filled the letter with cajolery and showing affection to him, that he might respond to his purpose, and he would use that as a means to deceive the general populace. In it he has mentioned:

From the servant of Allah, Harun, the Commander of the faithful.

To his brother in Allah Sufyan b. Sa‘eed al-Thouri.

No then, O My brother, you have come to know that Allah has made the Muslims as brothers, and I have made you as a brother with a brotherhood through which I will never cut off your rope, and from which I will never cut love for you. I have the best affection to you and the most complete will. Were it not for this authority with which Allah had entrusted me, I would go to you, even if creeping. That is because of the love for you I find in my heart. All my and your brothers visited me and congratulate me on that to which I came. I have opened the public treasuries and given them grand gifts through which my soul has become happy and I have become delighted. I have found you slow. I have written you many letters telling you of my strong yearning for you. O Abu ‘Abd Allah, you have come to know of the excellence of the visitation to the believer and communicating with him. Therefore, when this letter of mine reaches you, then hurry! Hurry!

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Sufyan’s Answer

When Sufyan received Harun’s letter, he threw it away and said to his righteous brothers: “Let one of you read it, for I ask Allah’s forgiveness that I may touch a thing an oppressor had touched. When he read it, he (Sufyan) ordered them to write him an answer as follows:

From the dead person.

To the servant deceived by hopes, Harun, who is deprived of the sweetness of faith and the pleasure of the recitation of the Qur’an. Now then, I wrote to you to inform you that I have cut off your rope and affection to you. You have made me a witness against you through your confessing against yourself in your letter through your plundering the public treasury of the Muslims. You have spent it on something other than its right and employed it in something other than its concept. You are not content with that which you have done. You are far away from me when you wrote to me to make me as a witness against you. I and my brothers who were present when your letter was read have borne witness against you.

We will bear witness against you when we stand before Allah, the Just Judge, tomorrow. O Harun, you have spent the wealth in the public treasury of the Muslims without taking their consent. Are those whose hearts have been reconciled, those officials appointed over them on the earth of Allah, the Mujahid in the way of Allah, and the wayfarer content with your deed? Are those who know the Qur’an by heart and men of knowledge satisfied with your deed? Are the orphans and the widows pleased with your deed? Does a group of your subjects consent to that? Therefore, Harun, tie your loincloth, prepare an answer to the question, and a gown to the tribulation. Know that you will stand before Allah, the Just Judge.

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So fear Allah in respect with yourself, for you have deprived of the sweetness of knowledge, asceticism, and the pleasure of recitation of the Qur’an, and sitting with the good. Your soul has permitted you to be an oppressor and an Imam of the oppressive. O Harun, you have sat on the throne, worn the silk, lowered the curtains in front of your door, and likened yourself through the proof to the Lord of the worlds. Then you have seated your chamberlains before your door and your curtains. They wrong the people and do not treat them with justice. They punish those drink wine while they themselves drink wine.

They commit fornication while they punish those who commit it. They steal while they cut off the hands of those who steal. They kill but they kill those who kill. You and they should establish these prescribed punishments against yourselves before you establish them on the people. Therefore, Harun, what will you do when the caller on behalf of Allah calls out: muster the oppressive and their helpers? You will stand before Allah and your hands are shackled to your neck. Nothing will untie them except your justice and fairness.

The oppressive will stand around you; you will be in front of them and lead them to the fire. It is as if that I saw you, O Harun, seized by the neck and taken to the place of driving, and that you saw you good deeds in the balance of those other than you, the evil deeds of those other than you along with your own deeds in your balance, a tribulation on a tribulation, and a darkness on a darkness. Therefore, Harun, fear Allah in respect with your subjects and keep Muhammed, may Allah bless him and his family, in his community. Know that this authority has come to you and it will go to those other than you. In this manner the world does toward its inhabitants one by one. Some of them have supplied themselves with deeds that will benefit him; and some of them have lost their lives in this world and the next. Be careful and be careful not to write to me after this (letter). That is because I will not write you an answer. Greetings!

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Then he sent this letter open without folding and sealing. [1] This immortal letter indicates that Sufyan had great faith, bravery, and self-negation. That is because he showed Harun his arbitrary deeds in respect with the properties of the Muslims and his possessing alone their wealth, and that he was responsible for his conducts and would be punished because of them before Allah, the Most High. Besides he told him about the corrupt organs of his government. He told him that they betrayed the community and plundered its wealth. Moreover, he told him that he and the members of his government had to establish those prescribed punishments against themselves before they established them against thieves and criminals, due to the fact that they were the source of corruption and crime on earth.

It is not correct to regard Harun as among the caliphs who kept the Islamic entity and teachings because of his deeds that contradicted the essence of Islam.

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[1] Al-Dimyari, Hayat al-Hayawan, vol. 2, pp. 188-189.

Ibn Khaldun’s Statement

Ibn Khaldun went too far in sanctifying Harun. He acquitted him from extravagance and treason. He has said: “The man (Harun) did not commit any forbidden thing from among the great sins with the men of the creed. Indeed those people were far from practicing extravagance and luxury in their clothes and ornaments and the rest of their needs because of their coarse desert life and the simplicity of the religion they did not leave. ”[1]

Ibn Kaldun was among those who did not write for history and serving the community. Rather he wrote for a special party far from the essence of reality. In many of his researches he lowered the curtain on the reality. He served the government or the environment. Through that he has wronged Islamic history. Indeed to judge that Harun was innocent of extravagance and wastefulness does not fit the events on which the historians have unanimously agreed and that indicate that Harun wasted and plundered the properties of the Muslims.

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None of the writers has agreed with him on this statement. Ahmed Amin, known for his deviation from Islam and his partiality, has not agreed with him when he said: “We do not agree with him (Ibn Khaldun) on that which is concluded from his statement that he (Harun) was far from extravagance and luxury, that he led a simple life, and that he did not commit a forbidden thing. For this is also excessiveness in the sanctification Harun’s conduct does not show, especially as it concerns rhetorical proofs. For the nearness of his time to that of al-Mansur does not require that he lived as he did. Indeed he declared several times that luxury and comfort at the time of al-Rashid was more than that at the time of al-Mansur. If the nearness of the time was enough as a proof, we would not see that al- Ma’mun, whose time was near to that of al-Rashid, follow his behavior.

“The wonder is that he has specified long chapters in which he has dealt with describing the civilization, the comfort, and the luxury during the days of al-Rashid, al-Amin, and al-Ma’mun and their giving variety to food and drink. It is he who has agreed with al-Mas‘udi and al-Teberi on what they have narrated in respect with the wedding of al-Ma’mun and Bouran, daughter of al-Hasan, and that al-Ma’mun gave her during her dowry on the night of her wedding ceremony a thousand stone of corundum and kindled ambergris candles, each one weighed Mann (a dry measure =815,39 g). He ordered carpets to be spread out for her. Each carpet was woven in gold and inlaid with pearls and corundum. ”[2]

Is this not going too far in luxury? Did the nearness of the time of al-Ma’mun to that of al-Rashid make the people lead a simple life just as the nearness of the time of al-Rashid to that of al-Mansur did, as he says?

Indeed Ibn Khaldun is mistaken in his describing the time of al-Rashid with simplicity, and that he and his people were far from extravagance and luxury. [3]

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[1] Ibn Khaldun, Tarikh, vol. 1, p. 14.

[2] Ibid. , p. 145.

[3] Duha al-Islam, vol. 2, pp. 1118-119.

Al-Joumerd’s Defense

Not only Ibn Khaldun stood alone in this weak speech but also Dr. ‘Abd al-Jebbar al-Joumerd shared him in that. When he found no way to criticize those reports indicating al-Rashid’s going too far in practicing extravagance, he began searching for him excuses and justifications. He has said: “If we study the social and the then prevailing situation, and (if) we remember what we have previously said in respect with the amount of the properties the state taxes produced to the public treasury, which is nowadays equal to the public treasuries of more than ten states, the amount of luxury and lavishness of some special classes, the degree that competition reached for winning praise and attracting the public opinion through the poets, the writers, the narrators, every possessor of tongue and opinion, who are like the moving newspapers at this time; if we knew all these things, then we would give some right to this generous and munificent one (al-Rashid) if it was not all of it. ”

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[1] He has also said: “Indeed al-Rashid was worthier than those other than him in giving and in greater need of praise and good reputation than these (i. e. , al- Beramika) , due to the fact that he was a caliph and superior to the rest of the people. Nevertheless, he was open-handed by nature. He found the environment around him (full) in the violence of the madness of lavishness and expenditure, so he kept pace with it, that he might keep the balance of his fame; and he found in that neither affection nor trouble as long as the land tax (kharajj) of the state was in great inflation. ”[2]

An excited sentiment urged professor al-Joumerd toward Harun, for he refused to condemn him for his deviating from the way or to record against him any criticism from that on which the historians have unanimously agreed. Then he began to look for remote justifications to correct his mistakes in a weak manner far from the reality of thinking. As for his statement: “Indeed the budget of the state reached the top in inflation, that the extravagance of the special classes reached the zenith, and that they began to acquiring praise and laudation through the poets and the writers,” it cannot be regarded as a justification for spending the properties of the Muslims on his pleasures and his purposes which were not adopted by Islam, which required the ruler to spend the properties of the state on developing the economic condition and securing the noble, free life for citizens.

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According to the Islamic Law, it is forbidden for man to waste his own properties as well as that of men. That is because he should guarantee them and is responsible for spending them on illegal purposes. As for his need of praise and good reputation, it is not adopted by the Islamic Law, which orders the ruler to take precautionary measures in respect with the properties of the Muslims and not to spend them on any kind of personal propagation that brings no fruit or benefit to the Islamic society.

As for that the environment around Harun was in the violence of the madness of lavishness and expenditure, and he was forced to keep pace with it, that he might keep the balance of his fame, such things cannot be used as justifications for exempting him from the responsibility before Allah. For he, according to the Islamic Law, is responsible for his possessing alone the properties of the Muslims; like wise, he was responsible for the conducts of his people due to the fact that he was the caliph of the Muslims and ruler over them. It was incumbent on him to lead them to guidance and show them the straight path.

Surely these justifications mentioned to set right Harun’s mistakes in his fiscal policy are a kind of tribalism which is the misfortune from which the Islamic world has suffered in the past and in the present time, for it has hidden the truth, misled the public opinion in may sides of its ideological life, and placed the Muslims at the end of the caravan.

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It is incumbent on those who make researches on Islamic History and deal with its affairs in the light of Islam to be free from their traditional tendencies and to be loyal to the truth, that they might serve their community and their society.

Indeed it is incumbent on us to manifest to society the ideal, unique figures from among the Muslim men who turned away from tyranny and oppression, raised the slogan of justice, and demanded the rulers to put into effect the high principles Islam brought and who met because of that the most violent kind of problems and the greatest of them in tiredness and ordeal. So we should boast of them and praise them. We should make the young follow their laudable deeds. As for those who plundered, made mischief, regarded as lawful all forbidden things such as honor, blood, wealth, spread the forbidden and corruption among the Muslims, they should be send far from the high positions in Islam. We must give proofs of the great sins they committed in respect with their community and their country. After this brief account of the fiscal policy followed by Harun, we have to return to deal with his other deeds, which indicate that he did not cling to the religion, and that he practiced the pleasures made forbidden by Allah.

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[1] Harun al-Rashid, vol. 1, p. 272.

[2] Ibid. , 274.

His Fondness of Singing

Harun was fond of singing from his childhood, for he grew up in the laps of the songstresses. As he was so fond of singing that a large number of female singers and musicians gathered in his palace;[1] and his palace included different kinds of musical instruments. It was he who classified the singers into classes and ranks. Accordingly, Ibrahim al-Mousili, Ibn Jami‘, and Zelzel, the drummer, were in the first class. Zelzel drummed; al-Mousili and Ibn Jami‘ sang. As for the second class, it included Ishaq, Seleem b. Selam, and ‘Amru al-Ghezzal. As for the third class, it included those who played on the stringed instruments and lutes. Harun became delighted when he heard them singing. [2]

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He ordered the singers to choose a hundred songs, and they did. Then he ordered them to choose ten of them, and they did. Then he ordered them to choose three of them, and they did. [3]

Ibrahim al-Mousili promised al-Hadi not to sing for anyone after him. When he died, Ibrahim al-Mousili did not sing anyone a song as a sign of fulfilling the promise. When al-Rashid ordered him to sing, he refused to do that. So he ordered him to be thrown into prison. He did not release him until he sang a song in his gathering. [4]

An example of Harun’s fondness of singing is that he fell in love with three songstresses from among his slave girls, who were called Seher, Diya’, and Kheneth. He composed poetry in respect with them; of that which he composed concerning them are the following poetry lines:

The three young ladies have possessed my rein and dwelled in all the places in my heart.

Why do men obey me while I obey them, but they disobey me?

That is nothing except the power of love through which they have a power stronger than that of mine! [5]

Ibrahim b. Sa‘d al-Zuhri, a pseudo clergyman, went to Baghdad. Al-Rashid honored him and asked him about singing, and he gave a religious verdict according to his desire making singing lawful. Ibrahim went to a traditionist to hear from him the traditions narrated by al-Zuhri. He heard him singing, so he said to him: “I was desirous to hear from you, but, now, I will hear no tradition from you. ” So al-Zuhri said to him: “Therefore, I do not want to lose you. I must sing a song when I relate a tradition in Baghdad. ” The story became famous in Baghdad. Al-Rashid heard of it, so he sent for him and asked him about the tradition of al- Mekhzumiya whose hand the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, cut off in respect with stealing the ornaments. So Ibrahim asked for ‘ud (a lute). So al- Rashid asked: “The ‘ud (rod) of the brazier? ” “No,” he replied, “but the ‘ud (lute) of singing. ” So al-Rashid smiled. Ibrahim b. Sa‘eed understood the reason beyond his smile, so he said: “O Commander of the faithful, perhaps, you have heard of the tradition of the foolish who hurt me yesterday and made me resort to swear by Allah? ”

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Al-Rashid said: “Yes. ” He ordered a lute to be brought to him, so Ibrahim sang him:

O Telha’s mother, indeed the separation has come! The residence has become little, for the departure will be tomorrow!

“Which one of your jurists hate singing? ” al-Rashid asked him.

“He whom Allah has tied (lit. Protected) ,” replied Ibrahim.

“Have you heard anything from Malik b. Anas in this respect? ” asked al-Rashid.

“No, by Allah,” replied Ibrahim, “but my father told me that they met during an invitation to food took place in the (district) of Banu Yerbou’. They were then great, and Malik was less than them in the Islamic science of jurisprudence and in capability. They had tambourines, stringed instruments, and lutes. They sang and played. As for Malik, he had a square tambourine. He sang them:

Sulayma has reunited us; therefore, where is her meeting? Where?

She said to her friends (of the same age): Our meeting has shone!

Come! Indeed life has become good to us! Come! [6]

This attitude indicates that the people and the traditionists paid no attention to the Islamic precepts. This jurist gave a verdict contrary to the Islamic Law to seek nearness to Harun and to attain something of his world.

Harun was too fond of singing that he asked his sister ‘Aliya to sing him a song, and she said to him: “By your life, I will compose a poem on you; I will sing you a song. ” Immediately she said:

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Your sister is ransom for you. You have been gifted with a favor to which we find no equal at the time!

Except immortality, and that is the nearness to you, my master! May the nearness to you continue and the subsistence lasts longer! [7]

Then she sang him another song, and he became very delighted with it. ‘Aliya was on top of those songstresses at that time. The embarking of her own family on amusement centers, dissoluteness, and fornication encouraged her to do that, and made her follow them pulling the tails of treason and disgrace! Abu Firas al- Hemedani reviled the ‘Abbasid family because of her, saying:

Does ‘Aliya belong to you or to them? Does Ibrahim, head of the singers, belong to you or to them?

Any way, singing spread greatly in the time of Harun, to the extent that it was regarded as one of man’s necessary needs. Male and female singers were in the public places, in the streets, in the house of those rich and poor. The people were too fond of it that when a singer sang a song on the bridge, they overcrowded around him, to the extent that they feared that the bridge would break down. [8] Some of them banged their heads against the pole due to the good singing. [9] The prices of the slave girls who sang well became high. The better the slave girl sang, the better her price was. It was Ibrahim al-Mousili who taught them singing. When a slave girl mastered it, her price became high. Abu ‘Uyayna al-Muhelebi said in respect with a slave girl called Eman, whom he loved and whose price her master rose:

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When I saw Eman’s master, I said: He has greatly increased her price.

May Allah not reward Abu Ishaq al-Mousili good and kindness on behalf of us.

He has come to us as a messenger through Satan’s inspiration through which he has increased the prices of the songstresses.

Because of the singing that is like the drunkenness of love, and to which hearts and ears incline. [10]

Corruption spread during that time. The people went too far in practicing dissoluteness. They were encouraged to practice that by their king Harun. For they saw that he did not leave pleasures and singing, to the extent that he sent for his brother Ibrahim b. al-Mehdi to sing him songs. [11] As Harun embarked on singing, he had abundant knowledge of all kinds of it. For this reason Ibrahim al-Mousili said to Ibn Jami‘, the singer: “By Allah, I do not know that there is someone on earth knows singing more than the Commander of the faithful, Harun al-Rashid. ” Ibn Jami‘ said to him: “You are right, by Allah! He has listened to singing for twenty years and he is very clever! ”[12] Accordingly, his son al-Amen followed him in this respect. He was fond of singing even if during his most critical hours. He was listening to singing when he was besieged. He was listening to the singers’ songs when the catapult stones fell on his carpet. [13]

The spread of singing inflicted heavy damages on the Islamic society. For it spoiled the morals, corrupted the society, and sent it far from the Islamic teachings that aimed at earnestness and prohibited men from practicing mischief and dissoluteness. The people were so morally corrupt that they became sad and sorrowful when Ibrahim al-Mousili died. A poet elegized him and lamented for him, for he lost singing and amusement, saying:

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The amusement has become residing beneath the earth in the district of the beloved ones.

When al-Mousili died, amusement died out through the good of the brothers and the companions.

The songstresses wept over him out of sadness, and so did amusement and pure drink.

The stringed instruments of the gatherings lamented for him, to the extent that the lute had mercy on the beat of the drum. [14]

Another poet elegized him, saying:

Al-Mousili died, so did the cheerfulness of the lutes and the songstresses.

Any cheerfulness subsists, the life of al-Mousili subsists throughout time.

Flutes and amusement centers will lament for him; and the old wine in the large jugs will help them.

The dead before this time were elegized through the lamentation of horses, swords, missing food bowls and guests. However, during the time of Harun, they were elegized by love, wine, and lute. Without doubt, this resulted from the disorder of the religion and the corruption of the thought in the people’s souls, to the extent that this horrible neglect grew among them.

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[1] Al-Tamadun al-Islami, vol. 5, p. 118. It has been mentioned in this book that there were in his palace three hundred beautiful slave-girls who sang and plaid on musical instruments.

[2] Al-Tajj, pp. 40-42.

[3] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 1, p. 7.

[4] Ibid. , vol. 5, p. 162.

[5] Taziyyin al-Aswaq. Fout al-Wafayat, vol. 2, p. 391.

[6] Tarikh Baghdad, vol. 6, p. 84.

[7] Sayyidat al-Bilat al-'Abbasi, p. 28.

[8] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 18, p. 127.

[9] Duha al-Islam, vol. 1, p. 91.

[10] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 5, pp. 8-9.

[11] Al-Tajj, p. 37.

[12] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 6, p. 174.

[13] Al-Tajj, p. 153.

[14] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 5, p. 47.

His Drinking Wine

Harun drank wine and became addicted to it. He invited his special slave girls when he wanted to drink it. [1] Perhaps he undertook giving wine to his drinking companions. Hemmad b. Ishaq related on the authority of his father, who said: “On night, al-Rashid sent for me. I came in to him. I found him sitting and there was before him a slave girl wearing a shirt, wide trousers, and veil decorated with flowers. The slave girl looked like a pearl. When he saw me, he said to me: ‘Sit down! ’ I sat down. Then he said to me: ‘Sing! ’, and I sang him:

“The brown-red horse complained of running and explained that he would “speak if he could.

“‘He asked: ‘To whom does this (poem) belong? ’ ‘To me, Commander of the faithful,’ I replied. ‘Sing me the song of Ibn Surayjj,’ he demanded. I sang it to him, and he became delighted, drank a Ratl (a weight) of wine, give a Ratl of wine to the slave girl, gave me a Ratl, and then he said: ‘Sing! ’, and I sang him:

“My yearning has become exited after the hair of my temples has become as “white as lightning.

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“It has made me feeble. And the lightning has yearned for this love since the “ancient time.

“So he asked: ‘To whom does this poem belong? ’ ‘To me,’ I replied. ‘I heard another poem concerning it,’ he retorted. ‘Yes,’ I replied, ‘the poem of Ibn Mihriz. ’ ‘Sing it,’ he demanded. I sang him the song. So he became delighted, drank a Ratl, give a Ratl of wine to the slave girl, and gave me a Ratl of wine. Then he said to me: “Sing! ” And I sang him:

“‘O Fatim, slow in some of this coquetry! If you have decided to desert me, then be nice to me! ’

“However he said to me, ‘I do not like this poem. Sing me the poem of Ibn Surayh, and I sang him the poem. He drank a Ratl of wine, gave a Ratl of wine to the slave girl. Then he asked Ishaq to tell him about the days and the stories of the Arabs. ’” [2] He gave to his companions glasses full of wine,[3] and so did they. Reeq narrated, saying: “I was before al-Rashid; and his brother al-Mansur was with him. They were drinking. A salve girl called Khelub came in to them. The slave girl was carrying two glasses full of wine. There was along with her a boy carrying a lute. She sang them a song while the two glasses were in her hands. Her singing was:

May Allah greet you, my bosom friends, whether I was died or alive!

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If I say something good, then it is good to you. If I say error, then it is error.

So they drank the wine and opened the letter. They found in it: ‘My two masters, your sister composed this poem today and dictated it to the slave girls. After I had had breakfast, I sent it to you. I have sent you some of my drink, my greetings, and the most skillful one of my slave girls,[4] that she may sing you a song. ” His sons followed that. Al-Amin never gave up drinking wine. So his minister al-Fedl b. al-Rabi‘ described him, saying: “His glass occupied him and his cup busied him. He went on his amusement, and the days went on destroying him. He drank out of glasses laid with jewels. ”[5] During his first days, al-Ma’mun drank on Tuesday and Friday. Then he became addicted to wine from his going to al-Sham (Syria) to his death. [6]

When the people came to know that their king Harun became addicted to drinking wine, they also became addicted to it. Wine spread among most circles and included those poor whose houses were not void of it. The poets wonderfully described it, to the extent that Abu Nu’as sanctified it through his poetry, saying:

Praise wine through its boons, and call it by its best names!

Dr. Taha Husayn commented on this poetry line, saying: “Is the first hemistich of it not glorification of wine? Is the second hemistich of it not sanctification of wine? Is this poetry line, though simple and innocent, not of the words of the greatest kinds of dissoluteness? Does it not contain mockery and sarcasm at the religion? Does the Qur’an not remind you? Do these words of Him, the Exalted, not remind you: And Allah’s are the best names; therefore call on Him thereby? [6] ”[7] Abu Nu’as drank wine openly though he came to know that it was forbidden, saying:

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If they say (that wine is) forbidden, say: (It is) forbidden, but pleasure is in the forbidden!

He also said:

Give me wine to drink and say to me that it is wine, and do not give it to me to drink secretly when openness is possible!

Abu Nu’as drank wine openly and described it in public because he came to know that the ruling authority became dissolute and turned away from the Islamic teachings that made it forbidden. The Holy Qur’an has clearly prohibited it. Allah, the Most High has said: O you who believe, intoxicants and games of chance and (sacrificing to) stones set up and (dividing by) arrows are only an uncleanness, the Shaitan’s work; shun it therefore that you may be successful. The Saitan only desires to cause enmity and hatred to spring in your midst by means of intoxicants and games of chance, and to keep you off from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer.

Will you then desist? [8] However, Harun and other ‘Abbasid kings paid no attention to the things made forbidden by Islam. They drank wine by day and night. Unfortunately, some people regard these dissolute persons as among the Imams of the Muslims and justify the great sins and the abominable things they committed. As for al-Joumerd, he went too far in defending Harun. He said that Harun never drank wine, and that he drank nothing except grape juice which was not made forbidden by Islam. [9] Indeed these justifications indicate tribalism that represent no scientific fact, for the historians have unanimously agreed on that Harun drank wine and became addicted to it.

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[1] Al-Tajj, p. 37.

[2] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 5, pp. 126-127.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid. , vol. 9, pp. 170-171.

[5] Tabari, Tarikh, vol. 10, p. 215.

[5] Al-Tajj, p. 153.

[6] Qur'an, 7, 180.

[7] Hadith al-Arbi'a', vol. 2, p. 109.

[8] Ibid. , 5, 90-91.

[9] Harun al-Rashid, vol. 1, p. 267.

His Playing Backgammon

Harun committed all the forbidden things in Islam. Among that is his playing backgammon that is a kind of gambling Islam has made forbidden. Ishaq al-Mousili narrated on the authority of his father that he one day played backgammon for the robe of honor Harun worn and for that which he worn. He gambled with al- Rashid, and he won that game. When al-Rashid won, Ibrahim rose and took off his clothes, and then he said to him: ‘We must be loyal to the rules of backgammon. You have won, so I must be loyal to you. Therefore, wear my clothes. ” So al-Rashid said to him: “Woe unto you! I wear your clothes? ” “Yes, retorted Ibrahim, “if you want to treat me with justice. If you do not treat me with justice, then you are able and capable. ” “Shall I ransom for you,” asked al-Rashid. “Yes,” answered Ibrahim. “What is the ransom? ” asked Harun. “You say, Commander of the faithful,” replied Ibrahim, “ for you are more appropriate for speech. ” “I will give to you all that which I have worn,” said Harun. “Ordered it to be given to me,

” Ibrahim demanded. Harun ordered clothes other than those he had worn. He took off his previous clothes and gave them to Ibrahim. [1] Harun played chess when traveled by the Tigris. [2] Accordingly, his sons followed his example. His son al-Amin played backgammon with his minister al-Fedl b. al-Rabi‘. [3]

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The historians narrated that he played with the scepter. He threw arrows at the target. He played the ball with the bat. [4] His two sons imitated him in that. Al- Ma’mun went to the field of playing every day. [5] A day after the pledge of allegiance to him, al-Amin ordered a field for those who played and for those who beat a ball with a rod to be built around Abu Ja‘far’s palace. [6]

Indeed at the time of Harun amusement prevailed, prostitution became general, dissoluteness spread, morals declined, and virtues were buried. If Harun had sat on the throne of the caliphate for a longer time, the Islamic state would have declined to a very low level with the ugliest declination, as Dr. Mustefa Jewad said. [7]

Surely Harun’s deeds indicate that he was corrupt and that he did not follow any religious rule. He went too far in practicing pleasures, to the extent that his royal palace became a café including all kinds of prostitution and dissoluteness. It was rarely void of the dance and singing parties and drinking wine. It was also an arena for oppression, tyranny, and dictatorship. Harun’s government did not represent Islam. Al-Rashid realized this aspect, so he pretended some Islamic aspects. He attained the gatherings of the pseudo clergymen, and they preached to him.

He showed weeping out of fear of Allah. He also went to the Sacred House of Allah (Mecca) to perform the hajj, for he wanted to deceive those naive and simple- minded, and to delude them that he was clinging to his religion and taking care of the affairs of Islam, and that he was the opposite to the Umayyads who neglected the affairs of the religion during their reign. Professor ‘Amru Abu Neseer referred to that when he said: “Indeed the ‘Abbasids accused the Umayyad caliphs of weakness in religion. So it was an act of the truth in respect with this condition that they had appeared before the people with a new appearance showing respect to the religion and strengthening the Islamic beliefs. ”[8]

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Certainly Harun and other ‘Abbasid kings had no purpose when they showed some religious rites except that they intended to mislead and deceive the public opinion through that their government protected Islam, defended its principles and objectives.

Yes, their achieving the great conquests apparently indicate that they took care of the affairs of Islam. However, if one carefully considers that, he will come to know that they did that to widen the area of their kingdom, spread their authority, enslave the peoples, and to control their economic resources. If they had been sticking to the interests of Islam, as it is said, they would have regarded the Muslims as equal through a truthful, just policy and put the Islamic precepts into practice. Yet, we have never witnessed anything of that. The books of history are full of disgraceful pictures of their amusement and dissoluteness, their disparaging humane values, their possessing alone the affairs of the Muslims, and their forcing them to lead a life of abasement and enslavement. There was no shadow of the Islamic government aiming at developing life and raising the level of thought.

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[1] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 5, pp. 69-70.

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

[3] Al-Fekhri, p. 55.

[4] Bayna al-Khulafa' wa al-Khula'a', p. 101.

[5] Tayfur, Tarikh Baghdad, p. 107.

[6] Al-Tabari, the Events of the Year 193.

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

[8] Harun al-Rashid, p. 75.

The Imam’s Attitude

The attitude of Imam Musa, peace be on him, toward Harun’s government was distinguished by severity and violence. For he made it forbidden for the Muslims to cooperate with it in all fields. This attitude clearly appeared through his conversation with Saffwan. He said to him: “All things issue from you are good and well except one thing. ”

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Saffwan burnt with grief and his soul melted, for he was sure that he did not incline to any act of disobedience; so he asked the Imam:

-May I be your ransom, which a thing is it?

-Your hiring your camels to this tyrannical one (i. e. , Harun).

-I was neither joyful nor ungrateful when I hired them to him, neither for hunting nor for amusement. However, I have hired them to him for this road (i. e. , the road to Mecca). I do not do that by myself; rather I send my servants with them.

-O Saffwan, do you take wage from them?

-Yes, may I be your ransom.

-Do you want them to subsist until you take your wage from them?

-Yes.

-Whoever wants them to subsist belongs to them; whoever belongs to them will enter the fire.

In his conversation, the Imam, peace be on him, expressed his strong vengeance and his intense displeasure with Harun’s government. This attitude is strict and resulted from the core of the Islamic thought that declared war without leniency against the oppressive and the despotic, and made it forbidden for the Muslims to cooperate with them in all conditions. Allah, the Most High, has said: And do not incline to those unjust, lest the fire touch you. [1] Besides through this decision of his, the Imam, peace be on him, displayed the severe resistance of Islam toward the unjust. That is because he made it forbidden for the Muslims to incline to them and to desire for their subsistence, even if that serves their personal interests that link them to their oppression and tyranny. For whoever loves the subsistence of the oppressive belongs to them and will be mustered with their group in the fire hell.

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In a tradition of his, the Imam, peace be on him, warned his Shi‘ites against taking part in Harun’s government and undertaking a job in his state. He, peace be on him, said to Ziyad b. Selema: “O Ziyad, if I was thrown down a tremendous height and cut into pieces, it would be more lovable to me than that I undertook a work for them or walked on a carpet of a man of them. [2]

The Imam, peace be on him, resisted Harun’s government with this intense resistance because following him would efface justice, change the Law of Allah, erase the truth, give life to falsehood, and destroy Islam. For this reason, he made it forbidden for his Shi‘ites to cooperate with him, but he, peace be on him, excluded those who through their jobs could save the Muslims from oppression and tyranny, and granted the needs of the believers. He, peace be on him, regarded that as lawful as it is in his conversation with ‘Ali b. Yaqteen, who was excluded from following the unjust. We will explain that in a chapter of this book.

Certainly the Imam’s attitude toward Harun’s government is frank and clear. It required destroying his government and removing his kingdom. We will explain that he used only a negative resistance as means to achieve that. He did not think of anything other than that, due to the fact that he came to know that it would fail. We will mention that when we deal with the ordeals of the ‘Alawids during his time.

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[1] Ibid. , 11, 133.

[2] Al-Shaykh al-Ansari, al-Makasib, Chapter on Authority undertaken by the Oppressive.

Harun severely punishes the ‘Alawids

Harun inherited from his grandfather al-Mansur violent detest and strong enmity toward the ‘Alawids. So, from the beginning of his reign, he treated them rudely and wreaked his wrath upon them. He swore by Allah to uproot and kill them. He said: “By Allah, I will kill them (the ‘Alawids) and their Shi‘ites (followers). ”[1]

He sent a big group of them to the fields of execution, buried part of them alive, threw many of them into the dark cells of prisons, and subjected them to other painful tragedies. The following is an account of some of them:

Harun banishes them from Baghdad

When Harun al-Rashid sat on the throne, he issued a royal decree ordering the ‘Alawids to be immediately banished from Baghdad to Yethrib, and the authorities banished them from it. [2]

Indeed al-Rashid practiced a severe pressure on the family of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. As they had come to know that he detested and hated them, they wandered aimlessly about the villages and the countryside in disguise lest someone should recognize them. Terror and fear surrounded them. The police went too far in following and pursuing them; the intelligence and the security forces spread to look for them. They arrested some of them. Then they sent them to graves, prisons and to some of Harun’s ministers, that they might send their heads as gifts on his birthdays.

May Allah take revenge on this tyrannical, arrogant one (Harun) for his subjecting the progeny of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, to exhaustion, and severe punishments, and for that he paid no attention to the sacredness of their grandfather, the Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family.

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[1] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 5, p. 225.

[2] Al-Tamadun al-Islami, vol. 4, p. 47.

 nasty and pulpits have become strutting through you congratulate you.

Your father is the friend of the chosen one excluding the Hashimites in spite of your enviers.

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So Harun gave him five thousand dinars and a robe of honor. He ordered ten Roman captives to be given to him. Moreover, he ordered him to be ridden on one of his special horses. [2]

Harun gave these enormous properties to this poet because he satirized Ahl al-Bayt, the members of the house, peace be on them, praised the ‘Abbasids, and indicated that he was worthier of the Prophet than the ‘Alawids.

Yet another example of that is that Mansur al-Nimri came in to Harun and recited to him his poem in which he satirized Imam ‘Ali’s family, saying:

Say to al-Hasan and a-Husayn’s children: Stick to right affairs.

Remove from you the untrue wishes and dreams regarded as falsehood.

You were kind to Yehya b. ‘Abd Allah when he was on the verge of death.

If you had punished him because of what his hand committed, you would have dealt him a fatal blow.

You have showed generosity toward ‘Ali’s family a favor that is not small.

When you hurt them, though wrongdoers, you feel pricking of the conscience.

I (complain) to Allah of the falsehood of ‘Ali’s children and of the great falsehood of their statement.

They call the Prophet father, while one of the lines of (Surat) al-Ahzab refuses (that). [3]

After al-Nimri had finished reciting the poem, Harun said to him: “Woe unto you! A thing has been in my soul for twenty years. I have been unable to manifest it, while you have showed it in this poetry line, ‘When you hurt them…. ’” Then he said to al-Fedl b. al-Rabi‘: “Take al-Nimri by the hand, let him enter the public treasury, and let him take whatever he pleases. ” Al-Rabi‘ let him enter the public treasury where there was nothing except twenty purses of money. He carried them (and went away). [4]

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Mansur al-Nimri affected inclination to Harun and enmity toward the ‘Alawids. However, he harbored friendship to them. So an opponent of his inform al-Rashid against him and told him that he secretly maintained Shi‘ism. He recited to him Mansur’s poem in which he lamented for the murder of the master of martyrs, Imam al-Husayn, peace be on him. The poem is as follows:

A luxurious, neglect one from among the people willed; they busy the people with the false.

The Prophet’s children are killed; and they wish the killer the abiding gardens.

Woe unto you, O killer of al-Husayn! You have borne a burden weighing heavily on the bearer.

Which favoritism have you given to Ahmed in respect with his family?

With which face will you meet the Prophet while you took part in killing him?

Come on! Seek his intercession tomorrow or do not come to his heavenly water along with those drinkers.

I have no doubt about him who killed him; rather I have doubt about him who killed him.

O you who blame me, indeed I love Ahmed’s children; therefore earth is in the blamer’s mouth!

I had adopted that on which your religion depended, but I had not reached any benefit through your religion.

Your religion is turning away from the Prophet; and one who turns away from the Prophet’s family is like him who communicates with them.

In his poem, Mansur has dealt with the complaint of Fatima, peace be on her, and demanded him who took vengeance on those who wronged her, saying:

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She is wronged, while the Prophet is her father. She turns her eye full of tears in all directions.

Are there not enthusiastic ones to show anger for her through pulling out the swords and thin, sharp spears?

His following poetry lines were recited to Harun:

The Apostle’s family and those who love them hide themselves out of fear of killing. The Christians and the Jews are safe, while the community of monotheism harasses and terrifies them.

So Al-Rashid burnt with rage and anger. He ordered him to be brought immediately. The police went to him, but they reached on the night when he died and was buried. [5] Al-Rashid said: “I have decided to exhume and burn him. ”[6]

The Muslims at that black period were afraid of mentioning the laudable deeds of Ahl al-Bayt, the members of the house, peace be on them. No poet dared to praise them and lament for them. If he had done that, he would have subject himself to vengeance and torture. For example, Ibn Herema[7] praised them in his following poetry lines:

Whatever I am blamed for love for them, indeed I love Fatima’s children.

The children of the daughter of him who brought the clear verses, the religion, and the standing Sunna.

He was asked about the one who said them, and he denied that he had not said them. He cursed the one who said them, so his son criticized him for that he cursed himself, and he had come to know that he had said them. However, he said to him: “O my little son, this is better for one than that Ibn Qehteba takes him. ”[8] The people turned a way from mentioning Ahl al-Bayt, the members of the house, peace be on them, out of fear of Harun. Besides some of those who renounced Islam and turned away from it openly cursed them and criticized them, that they might seek nearness to al-Rashid. An example of that is Merwan b. Abi Hefsa disparaged the dignity of Fatim, mistress of the women of the world, peace be on her. He said that she ground with a hand mill, and that Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, married her to ‘Ali, who was miserable and poor. Accordingly, Ibn al-Hajjajj[9] refuted his words, saying:

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Your statement on Fatima, the chaste, belongs to someone very fond of and fascinated by hostility.

You have reviled her because of the hand mill and the grains she ground, while your food is still grains not ground.

And you said that Allah’s Apostle married her to a miserable one, while she was miserable, daughter of a miserable one. [10]

Merwan b. Abi Hefsa violated all the Islamic sacred things and values to seek nearness to Harun. He attacked the dearest of all the people to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and the most loveable to him, his pure part, mistress of the women of the world (Fatima) , peace be on her, that he might attain something of Harun’s comfort and world. As for the attributes through which he tried to criticize the mistress of the women, they were the most distinguished of her attributes. She had no defect when she ground grains for her children and her husband without seeking someone’s help. For her father, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, did not buy her a servant to help her with her home affairs, while she was the dearest of his children to him. Through that he, may Allah bless him and his family, gave a lessen to the rulers of the Muslims in respect with taking great care of the Muslims’ properties and turning away from choosing any of them.

As for her marriage from Imam ‘Ali the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, though he was miserable and poor, that is because there was no equal to her except him. In respect with the subject of marriage, Islam pays no attention to material and wealth; rather it pays attention to chastity and excellence. It never takes into consideration life pleasures as long as man has a sound religion. In the Islamic history, since its dawn, there is none has talents, perfection, genius, firm thought, and strong faith like those Imam ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, had. Was there under the sky of the Muslim community anyone

better and higher than him, that the Prophet might marry his dear daughter to him?

However, those persons who did not understand the Islamic teachings looked at the highness of personality through one corner, that was wealth and property. For this reason they criticized and disparaged the mistress of the women, the equal to Meryam, daughter of ‘Umran, in sacredness and chastity. That is because she married Imam ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, who was poor and had no money.

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[1] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 20, pp. 75-76.

[2] Al-Tabari, Tarikh, vol. 3, p. 473.

[3] He refers to this sacred verse: Muhammed is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Apostle of Allah.

[4] Tabaqat al-Shu'ara', p. 246.

[5] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 12, p. 20.

[6] Al-Shi'r wa al-Shu'ra', p. 258.

[7] Ibn Herema is Abu Ishaq Ibrahim b. 'Ali al-Qarashi al-Fihri al-Medani. He is a creative poet. He lived through two generations. This has been mentioned in the book al-Kuna wa al-Alqab, vol. 1, pp. 435-436.

[8] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 4, pp. 109-110.

[9] Ibn al-Hajjajj is Abu 'Abd Allah b. al-Husayn b. Ahmed b. al-Hajjajj al-Nili al-Baghdadi. He is a talented writer an on top of the Shi'ite poets. It is said that he is equal to Imru' al-Qays in poetry. He was a contemporary of the two Sayyids: al-Radi and al-Murtada. He has a collection of poems. Al-Sharif al-Radi has chosen some of his poems and named them al-Hasan min Shi'r al-Husayn. He died in Jamadi al-Thaniya 27th, in the year 391 A. H. He was buried by the grave of our master Musa b. Ja'far. He asked the people to write on the stone of his grave the following Qur'anic verse and their dog (lay) outstretching its paws at the entrance. A copy of his collection of poems is available in the Library of Imam Kashif al-Ghita'. This has been mentioned in the book al-Kuna wa al-Alqab, vol. 1, pp. 245-247.

[10] Al-Manaqib, vol. 2, p. 97.

A Terrible Massacre

Harun’s tyrannical soul had neither mercy nor compassion toward the ‘Alawids, for he committed the most horrible crime history has recorded against them. He ordered a group of them to be executed on one night in a sorrowful way. Hemid b. Qehteba, a headsman, related that terrible tragedy. ‘Ubayd Allah al-Nisaburi narrated, saying: “I came in to Hemid b. Qehteba in the month of Remedan. He ordered a lunch to be brought. Then he invited me to have food, so I said to him: ‘O Emir, this is the month of Remedan. I am not sick, nor have I an illness that makes fast breaking obligatory. Perhaps the Emir has an excuse in respect with that. ’ He said to me: ‘I have no illness that makes fast breaking obligatory. Then he wept. ’” After he had had the lunch, ‘Ubayd Allah turned to him and asked him about the reason for his weeping, and he answered him:

-When I was at Tus, Harun sent for me at a dark night. When I stood before him, he asked me:

-How is your obedience to the Commander of the faithful?

-I sacrifice my soul and property for him.

So Harun bowed his head, and then he let me go. Shortly after that he sent for me. When I stood before him, he asked me:

-How is your obedience to the Commander of the faithful?

-I sacrifice my soul and property for him.

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So Harun smiled, and then he allowed go. When I came into my house, the messenger came for the third time, saying: “Respond to the Commander of the faithful. ” When I stood before him, he asked me:

-How is your obedience to the Commander of the faithful?

-I sacrifice my soul and property for him.

So he smiled and said: “Take this sword and carry out the servant’s orders. I took the sword. The servant walked in front of me until he led me to a closed house. There was a well in the middle of the house. In it there were three closed rooms. He opened one of them, and I found in it twenty persons; they were ranging among old, middle-aged, and young. Then he said to me: “Indeed, the Commander of the faithful is commanding you to kill these (people) ; they all are the sons of ‘Ali and Fatima. ”

He took them out one by one, and I beheaded them. Then he threw their bodies and their heads into the well. Then he opened the second room where there was twenty persons and said to me: “Indeed, the Commander of the faithful is commanding you to kill these (people) ; they all are the sons of ‘Ali and Fatima. ” He took them out one by one, and I beheaded them. Then he threw their bodies and their heads into the well. Then he opened the third room where there was twenty ‘Alawids. He took them out one by one and ordered me to kill them. I executed nineteen of them, and there remained an old man, who said to me: “Woe to you! Which an excuse will you have on the Day of Resurrection when you meet my grandfather, Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, and you killed sixty persons from among his grandsons? So I shook all over with fear. A violent shock befell me, so the servant looked at me angrily and rebuked me. For this reason I killed that old man and threw him in that well.

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Then he turned to ‘Ubayd Allah and asked him: “Do my fasting and my prayer benefit me while I killed sixty persons from among the children of Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family? I have no doubt that I will be immortal in the fire! ”[1]

If the ascription of this massacre to him was correct,[2] then it would indicate that he had no faith in Allah and the Last Day. For he violated the things made forbidden by Allah and unjustly shed the blood of the family of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family.

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[1] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 11, pp. 285-286. 'Uyun Akhbar al-Rida.

[2] It has been mentioned in the books al-Tabari's Tarikh and al-Nijum al-Zahira: "Hameed b. Qehteba died in the year 158 A. H. , and the caliphate of Harun al- Rashid was in the year 170. " This opposes that the event took place during the days of al-Rashid. The nearest viewpoint to correctness is that this massacre took place during the days of al-Mansur.

His demolishing the Shrine of al-Husayn

Al-Rashid was unable to stand and flamed up with rage when he saw the Muslim masses frequently and in groups visit the shrine of the plant of the sweet basil of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and master of the youth of the Garden Imam al-Husayn, peace be on him. So he ordered the custodian of the Holy Shrine, Ibn Abi Dawud, that he might wreak his wrath and torture upon him. When he stood before him, he said to him angrily:

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“What has made you live in al-Hayr? ”[1]

“Indeed, al-Hasan b. Rashid[2] has put me in that place,” answered Ibn Abi Dawud.

So al-Rashid shook his head and ordered him to be brought immediately, saying: “I think that this has been planned by al-Hasan. ”

When he stood before him, he asked him: “What made you put this man (Ibn Abi Dawud) in al-Hayr? ”

Al-Hasan asked him for sympathy, saying: “May Allah have mercy on him who placed him in al-Hayr. Um Musa[3] ordered me to place him in it and to give him thirty dirhams a month. ”

So al-Rashid became calm and said: “Return him to al-Hayr and give to him what Um Musa had given to him. ”[4]

Shortly after that al-Rashid ordered the Holy Shrine and the neighboring houses to be demolished. He ordered the nabk tree beside the Holy Grave to be uprooted. [5] Moreover he ordered the land of Kerbela to be plow, that he might efface the traces of the Pure Grave. However, Allah took vengeance on him. For he died in Khuresan before the end of the year. [6]

Al-Rashid’s effort failed and his plot came to nothing. Al-Rashid’s name and glory, and those of the Umayyad and ‘Abbasid kings, and other than them from among those who showed enmity toward the master of martyrs, peace be on him, died. However Imam al-Husayn has remained as a symbol of immortality. His name is mentioned in all the languages on earth. Millions of Muslims frequently and in groups visit his Holy Shrine; they hold mourning ceremonies for them. The pure shrines in Kerbela will remain as immortal symbols for humanity, increase in importance and greatness throughout the stages of history.

Al-Husayn will remain on top of honor and glory until Allah inherits the earth and those on it.

__________________________________________

[1] In the books Mu'jam al-Buldan and al-Sihah it has been mentioned: "Al-Hayr is the name of the Sacred City of Kerbela'"

[2] Al-Hasan b. Rashid is among those who narrated the traditions of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, peace be on him. He was among the Shi'ite great figures.

[3] Um Musa is the mother of al-Mehdi. She was the daughter of Yazid b. Mansur al-Himyari, a Yemeni king.

[4] Al-Tabari, Tarikh, vol. 10, p. 118.

[5] Al-Menaqib, vol. 2, p. 19.

[6] Tarikh Kerbela', p. 198.

Harun orders the ‘Alawids to be executed and assassinated

The tyrannical, Harun, ordered a large group of the ‘Alawid great figures to be executed and assassinated, while they were the best of the Muslims in knowledge, piety, and sticking to religion. We will mention some of them and explain the murders and the severe punishments to which they were subjected:

1. ‘Abd Allah b. al-Hasan b. ‘Ali b. Imam Zayn al-‘Abidin

His kunya was Abu Muhammed. His mother was the daughter of Sa‘eed b. Muhammed b. Jubayr. He was entrusted with authority by al-Hasan b. ‘Ali, who was martyred in Fekh.

Al-Rashid said to al-Fedl b. Yehya: “Have you heard that there is a male of them (the ‘Alawids) in Khuresan? ”

Al-Fedl answered: “No, by Allah! I did my best, but none of them has been mentioned to me. However, I heard a man mentioning a place where ‘Abd Allah b. al- Hasan lived. ”

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When al-Rashid heard of that, he sent for him, and he was brought to him. ‘Abd Allah b. al-Hasan stood before al-Rashid, and he said to him: “I have heard that you gather the Zaydis and summon them to go out in revolt along with you. ”

‘Abd Allah begged him and denied that, saying: “O Commander of the faithful, I adjure you before Allah in respect with my blood. By Allah I do not belong to this class, nor have I a name among them. The possessors of this affair are contrary to me. When I was a boy, I grew up in Medina, walked in its deserts and hunted hawks. I intended to do nothing other than this. ”

However al-Rashid’s heart was not flexible for his seeking sympathy, and he ordered him to be detained in a prison of his. This ‘Alawid person was imprisoned for a long time, to the extent that he was fed up with prison, so he sent a letter to Harun and filled it with cursing and abuses. When al-Rashid read the letter, he burnt with rage. According he ordered him to be transferred from prison. Then he summoned Ja‘far b. Yehya and ordered him to keep him with him. On the following day, corresponded to Nouruz ‘Id, Ja‘far advanced him, beheaded him, washed his head, put it in a handkerchief, and sent it to al-Rashid as a gift along with a group of gifts. [1] Ja‘far committed this crime because he came to know that the most precious gift given to al-Rashid was the murder of the children of Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family. For it delighted him, and made him have great confidence in him.

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2. Al-’Abbas b. Muhammed b. ‘Abd Allah b. Imam Zayn al-‘Abidin

His Kunya was Abu al-Fedl. His mother was Um Selema, daughter of Muhammed b. ‘Ali b. al-Husayn. He came in to Harun and spoke with him for a long time, and he said to him: “O Son of the doer! ” So al-‘Abbas became exited and answered him with some severe words, saying: “That is your mother to whom the slave traders came one after the other! ”

This was the statement of the free who do not yield to force and authority. When al-Rashid heard that, he boiled with anger. He ordered him to be brought nearer to him. Then he rose, hit him with an iron bar, and killed him. [2]

3. Idris b. ‘Abd Allah b. al-Hasan b. al-Hasan b. Imam ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him

His mother was ‘Atika, daughter of ‘Abd al-Melik b. al-Herth, a famous, poet. Idris took part at the Battle of Fekh. He and his retainer called Rashid escaped it. He went out. Then he headed for Egypt. He arrived in it at night. He sat at the door of a man from among the followers of the ‘Abbasids. The man heard his words and went out. Idris advanced himself to him. He asked him not to tell anyone about him, and he responded to his words. The man lodged him at that night and entertained him well. A caravan wanted to go to Africa. The man sent Rashid with the caravan. He remained with Idris. He took him through another road for fear that he might be captured. They continued their walking a long the road until they reached Tenja and Fas. There Idris propagated his beliefs and spread his objectives, to the extent that the Barbers responded to him and pledged the allegiance to him.

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Al-Rashid heard of that, and he took a great care of his affair. He complained of his affair to his prime minister, Yehya al-Bermeki, and he said to him: “I will take care of his affair for you. ” He summoned Sulayman b. Jerir al-Juzri, a Zaydi theologian. He promised him enormous properties if he assassinated Idris, and his wicked soul responded to him. He gave him a deadly poison, and he went covering the country until he reached Idris. He secretly told him about his doctrine. He told him that he escaped from the authorities because he was a Zaydi theologian.

As a result Idris was intimate with him and brought him near to him. The Zaydis met him, and he gave them lectures and lessons on their doctrine. When Idris was sure of his loyalty, Sulayman took out for him a bottle of perfume, and said to him: “The like of it is not available in this country. ” Idris took it. He smelt it, and it poisoned him. He remained alive during the daytime. Then the poison acted on him, and he joined the Most High Comrade (Allah). It was said that he gave him a grilled fish as a gift. When he ate it, he died soon. A follower of the ‘Abbasids prided himself on killing Idris, saying:

O Idris, do you think that you will escape the Caliph’s scheme? Or an escape will protect you?

Either he will catch up with you or you will reside in a country where no daytime finds the right way to you.

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If his displeasure draws the swords, they grow longer and ages become short because of them.

He is a king as if that death obeyed his order, to the extent that it is said that fates obey him.

He was buried there. His wife was pregnant. Then she gave birth to a male baby, and the baby was called Idris. They waited until he became a grown-up and pledged allegiance to him. Through that the government of Banu al-Hasan was formed in Morocco, and their state was called Daulet al-Adarisa (the State of the Idrisis). [3]

4. Yehya b. ‘Abd Allah b. al-Hasan b. al-Hasan b. ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him.

His kunya was Abu al-Hasan. He was a man of great importance and a high rank. He had a remarkable position with the Muslims. We deal with some of his affairs and conditions as follows:

_______________________________________________

[1] Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, pp. 493-494.

[2] Ibid. , p. 498.

[3] Al-Tabari, Tarikh, vol. 9, pp. 14-31. Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, pp. 487-491.

some of his affairs and conditions

His distinguishing Features

He was short and handsome in face and body. The progeny of the prophets was recognized through his face. A spy of Harun’s described him saying: “He was medium-sized and brown. His brownness was beautiful. He was good-eyed and big-bellied. ”

His Scientific Position

He was among the great men of knowledge and virtue. He narrated hadith (tradition) and narrated many traditions on the authority of Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq, peace be on him. He narrated traditions on the authority of his father, his brother, and Aban b. Teghlub. Mukauwal b. Ibrahim, Bekkar b. Ziyad, Yehya b. Musawir, and ‘Amru b. Hemmad narrated traditions on his authority. When Malik b. Anas saw him, he rose for him and seated him beside him.

His Early Life

Yehya grew up in the house of Imam al-Sadiq, peace be on him. The Imam gave him many of his sciences and appointed him as one of his testamentary trustees. When he narrated traditions on the authority of Imam al-Sadiq, he said: “My dear Ja‘far b. Muhammed, peace be on him, related to me. ” He witnessed the severe disasters and the black misfortunes that befell his family and the members of his house at the hands of the oppressive, and the tyrannical rulers.

His taking Part in the Revolt of al-Husayn

Yehya was among the heroes of the revolt of the martyr leader of the (Battle of) Fekh. He played an active role in it. He along with his companions struggled for a long time, that they might establish justice and equality in the areas of the Islamic society and to remove the government of the oppressive from among the ‘Abbasids. When the ‘Abbasid troops arrested al-Husayn and killed him with that fearful and painful way, Yehya hid himself; and then he along with his brave companions escaped. They walked through the countries seeking a refuge.

His Flight to al-Daylem

Yehya had fear for himself and his companions of Harun. So he along with seventy men from among his companions secretly and in disguise went to al-Daylem. When they arrived in it, they were warmly received. His affair appeared. He summoned the people to himself, and they responded to him. The people from all over the cities and the countries came to him. Al-Rashid was afraid of that, so he gave up drinking wine and busied himself with thinking of him. While he was busy thinking of his affair, a man came in to him and said to him: “O Commander of the faithful, I have a piece of advice. ” Al-Rashid said to Herthema: “Listen to what he says. ” The man refused to tell him anything, saying: “It is among the secrets of the Caliph. ” So al-Rashid ordered him not to leave his place until he had finished one of his affairs. Having finished the affair, he sent for him. The man asked al-Rashid to order the people to leave the place, and he ordered those sitting with him to leave, and said to him:

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-Give me what you have!

-Provided that you should protect me from the black and the red!

-Yes, and I shall treat you well!

-I was in one of Helwan inns and saw Yehya b. ‘Abd Allah wearing a thick woolen jubbah and a thick woolen cloak. Some people were with him. They stop (at a place) when he stops (at the place) and leave (it) when he leaves (it). They sit far from him, that they may delude him who sees them that they do not recognize him (Yehya) , nor are they his helpers. ”

Al-Rashid said: “Do you recognize Yehya? ”

“In the past,” replied the man, “and that made my knowledge of him certain when I saw him yesterday. ”

“Describe him to me,” commanded al-Rashid.

The man fully described him to him.

Al-Rashid said: “That is he! Have you heard him saying anything? ”

The man answered: “I did not hear him saying anything except that I have seen him. I have seen his retainer I had known. When it was time to prayer the servant brought him a washed garment, and he worn it. Then Yehya took off a woolen jubbah and gave it to him to wash it. Then he performed a prayer after the declination of the sun. I think that he performed the afternoon prayer. He prolonged the first two (ruk’as) and canceled the last two ones. ”

Al-Rashid said: “How good your father is! What you have memorized is good! That was the afternoon prayer, and that was its time with the people. May Allah reward you well and thank your effort. So who are you and where are you from? ”

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“I am one of the subjects of this state. I am from Meru; and my house is in the City of Peace (Baghdad). ”

Al-Rashid became grieved. Painful thoughts and bitter suspicions occupied his mind. He thought for a long time of that; and then he concluded that there was no way before him except battle.

Al-Fedl goes out to war against him

Harun entrusted al-Fedl b. Yehya with warring against Yehya b. ‘Abd Allah. He supplied him with an army of fifty thousand fighters headed by brave military high-ranking commanders. He appointed him as a ruler over the mountainous district, al-Ray, Gurgan, Tebrestan, Qomas, Demawend, and al-Royan. He gave him enormous money to give it to the military commanders and the poets. Al-Fedl took the money to buy their consciences for it. He took his troops and advanced toward Yehya. He arrived in Taliqan and resided in it. He corresponded with the governor of al-Daylem. He promised to give him a million dirhams provided that he should facilitate Yehya’s departure.

The scatter of Yehya’s companions

When Yehya’s companions heard that al-Fedl came to war against him, they scattered from him and deserted him. They showed plentiful opposition and division toward him, so he addressed his Lord and supplicated him, saying: “O Allah, thank me for my fearing the hearts of the oppressive! O Allah, if You decree victory for us over them, that is because we want to strengthen Your religion; and if you decree victory for them, that is because You have chosen the good return and reward for your friends and their children! ”

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Al-Fedl asked Yehya to make peace and not to shed blood; so Yehya found no escape from responding to him, for he had no supporters, nor could he take refuge in a strong support.

The Peace Treaty

A peace treaty took place between Yehya and al-Fedl. The latter stipulated some conditions and sent them to Harun to sign them. Yehya asked some people to bear witness to that, and they did. After the peace treaty, ‘Abd Allah b. Imam Musa, peace be on him, went to Yehya and said to him: “O Uncle, tell me about what you have met. ” Yehya retorted: “I was just like Hay b. Akhteb said:

“By your life, Ibn Akhteb did not blame himself, but whoever deserts Allah “is deserted.

“He struggled until he made his soul reach its excuse and shook all swords “to seek highness. ”

Yehya was forced to make peace with his opponent because his fighters scattered from him, the people deserted him, and none stood beside him except some good people from among his companions who were unable to protect and defend him.

His going to Baghdad

Yehya went to Baghdad and his soul was full of pain and sorrow due to the fact he came to know that Harun would not fulfill his promise. He along with his companions came in to al-Rashid, and he rose for him, embraced him, and showed him false affection. In the meantime he ordered a hundred thousand dinars to be given to him. Yehya took the money and paid the debt belonged to al-Husayn, the leader at the Battle of Fekh, and he did not spent the rest of it. He resided in Baghdad. Al-Rashid set spies on him to watch him and to recognize his companions and the people who came to him. Meanwhile he was scheming to assassinate him. He felt that, so he asked al-Fedl to let him go to the Sacred House of Allah (Mecca) , but he refused to respond to him. However, Yehya asked him again, and he let him go. Al-Rashid came to know of that, so he summoned al-Fedl. He asked him when he stood before him:

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-What is about Yehya b. ‘Abd Allah.

-In his place; he is residing with me.

-By my life?

Al-Fedl felt that, so he said to him: “By your life, I have released him. He asked me through mercy from Allah’s Apostle, and I felt pity for him. ”

Al-Rashid retorted: “You have done well! I had decided to release him! ”

Al-Fedl left, while Harun was boiling with anger and rage. Then he suspiciously looked at him and said: “May Allah kill me if I do not kill you! ”

Having finished performing the hajj, Yehya returned to Baghdad. As al-Rashid was taking care of his affair and waiting for an opportunity, he sent for him and asked him:

-O Yehya, who is more handsome, you or I?

-Rather, you, Commander of the faithful. Indeed you are brighter in color and better in face.

-Who is more generous and munificent, I or you?

These questions are proofs of Harun’s vainglory, paucity of shame, impudence, going too far in committing sins, and recklessness.

-What is that, Commander of the faithful? What is that about which you asking me? The treasures of the land are collected to you, while I am poor.

Harun felt shame of his question, so he asked him: Who is closer to Allah’s Apostle, you or I?

Yehya said: “I have answered you about two plans; therefore exempt me from this! ”

Yehya tried to get rid of the answer due to the fact that he came to know that it would bring him about a problem of which he could not get rid. As he could not find escape from that, he asked him:

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-O Commander of the faithful, if Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, was alive and proposed to marry your daughter, was it lawful for you to marry her (to him)?

-Yes, by Allah!

- If he was alive and proposed to marry my daughter, was it lawful for me to marry her (to him)?

- No.

This is the answer to what you asked.

Al-Rashid became angry and had no answer to refute him. Then he ordered him to be imprisoned again. He thought of his affair for along time. It appeared to him that he had to hold a meeting between him and ‘Abd Allah b. Mus‘ab b. al-Zubayr, who was the most hostile to the ‘Alawids, that he might find, through that, a way to accuse him of disobedience, that he might use that as a justification for breaking his covenant and killing him. As a result he brought them together, and ‘Abd Allah said:

“O Commander of the faithful, this summoned me to pledge allegiance to him. ”

Yehya said: “Do you believe this and consult him? He is ‘Abd Allah b. al-Zubayr. He made your father and his children to enter the hill-pass (shi‘b) , set fire to them till ‘Abd Allah al-Jedeli, the companion of ‘Ali b. Abi Talib, peace be on him, save them by force. He did not call down blessings upon the Prophet, may Allah 

bless him and his family, for forty Fridays in his ceremony. So the people gathered around him, and he said: ‘He (the Prophet) has bad household. If I call blessings upon him or mention him, they stretch out their necks, and rejoice at that. So I do not like to make them happy through mentioning him. He did to ‘Abd Allah b. al- ’Abbas that which you clearly know. That was when a cow was slaughtered before him and a hole was found in its liver.

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His son asked him: ‘Father, do you not see the cow’s liver? ” And he said: ‘My little son, in this manner Ibn al-Zubayr has left your father’s liver! ’ Then he banished him to al-Taa’if. When he was about to die, he said to his son ‘Ali: ‘My little son, join your people from among the children of ‘Abd Menaf in Sham (Syria). Do not reside in a country where Ibn al-Zubayr has an authority! So he preferred for him the companionship of Yazid b. Mu‘awiya to that of ‘Abd Allah b. al-Zubayr. By Allah, the enmity of this (man) toward us is the same. However, he has overcome me through you; and I have become weak through you. He has sought nearness to you through me, that he may attain from you what he wants. ”

Yehya went on giving proofs of Ibn al-Zubayr’s hostility toward the ‘Abbasids. So ‘Abd Allah retorted: “What you claim is your oppression toward us and your seizing our power! ” However, Yehya turned away from answering him and addressed Harun, saying: “Have we seized your power? Who are you, may Allah set you right? Make me know (you) , for I do not know you! ”

So al-Rashid looked at the ceiling lest laughter should appear on his face. As for Ibn al-Zubayr, he became ashamed and was unable to give an answer. Yehya turned to al-Rashid and said to him: “Therefore, it is he and his brother who mutinied against your father and said to him:

“‘Indeed from its nest, the dove on the Day of al-Shi‘b exited the heart of a “‘lover with everlasting sadness.

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“‘Surely we hope that our friendliness will return after the disagreement, “‘the hatred, and the grudge.

“‘And the state whose leaders’ laws among us like those of an idol-“‘worshiping people will come to an end.

“‘They often sharpen our bones just as the artisans sharpen arrows with a “‘sharpener.

“‘Undertake the pledge of allegiance to you; and we will obey you. Surely “‘the caliphate belongs to you, O children of al-Hasan. ’”

Yehya went on mentioning what ‘Abd Allah had said, so al-Rashid’s face changed. ‘Abd Allah took a strong oath that the caliphate did not belong to him. Yehya asked him to take a special oath that was the oath for renouncing Allah’s force and strength. ‘Abd Allah refused to do that, so al-Rashid became angry with him; al- Fedl kicked him and shouted at him and said to him: “Take an oath! ” He took the mentioned oath. Shortly after he left his place, leprosy befell him, and he died of it on the third day.

This story indicates that al-Rashid greatly took vengeance upon the ‘Alawids and spared no effort to kill them paying no attention to their close kinship to Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, their dignity and excellence with Allah.

With Imam Musa, peace be on him

Shaykh al-Kulayni, may Allah have mercy upon him, mentioned that Yehya sent to Imam Musa, peace be on him, a letter in which he condemned his negative attitude toward him, and in which he criticized the Imam and his father Imam al-Sadiq, peace be on them. The letter reads as follows:

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Now then, I advise myself to cling to fear of Allah; and I advise you to cling to it, for its Allah’s advice to the first and the last. One of those who assisted Allah in spreading His religion and obedience to Him came to me and told me about your sympathy along with your desertion. I had consulted you about the summons to al-Rida from among the family of Muhammed, may Allah bless him and his family. You veiled it; and your father had veiled it before you. In the past you claimed that which did not belong to you. You pinned hopes on that which Allah did not give to you. So you attacked (the people) and misguided (them). Therefore, I caution you against what Allah Himself has made you cautious.

Accordingly, the Imam wrote him a letter in which he has mentioned:

From Musa, servant of Allah, b. Ja‘far b. ‘Ali, taking part in humbling themselves before Allah and obeying Him.

To Yehya b. ‘Abd Allah b. al-Hasan.

Now then, I caution your from Allah and of me myself. I inform you of His painful chastisement, and His perfect vengeance. I advise you and myself to cling to fear of Allah, for it is the ornament of speech and establishment of favors.

I have received your letter in which you have mentioned that I claimed, and that my father had claimed before. You have not heard that from me. Their witnesses will be written; and they will be questioned. Craving after the world and seeking it does not leave for its inhabitants a requirement for their life in the hereafter; to the extent that it spoils the requirement of their life in their hereafter in the world. And you have mentioned that I discouraged the people from you because of my desire in that which is in your hands. If I was desirous, then neither a weakness in sunna nor the paucity of insight in a proof would prevent me from your subject matter in which you are. However, Allah the Blessed and Most High, created men as mixed, wonders, and instinct.

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Therefore, tell me about two words I ask you about: What is al-‘utrif in your body? And what is al-Sehlejj in man? Then write me something good about that. While I am approaching to you, I warn you against disobeying the Caliph (i. e. , Harun). I urge you to do good to him and to obey him, and that you have to demand for yourself security before the finger nails take you and you are besieged from all places, so you will look for rest in all places, but you do not find it until Allah bestows his favor upon you, and the gentleness of the Caliph, may Allah keep him alive. So he will give you security, have mercy on you, and keeps through you the womb relatives of Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family. And peace be on those who follow guidance. Surely it has been revealed to us that the chastisement will surely come upon him who rejects and turns back. [1]

We cannot depend on the narration because it is an incompletely transmitted hadith (mursala). In its chain of authorities it has been mentioned: “A companion of us narrated. ” Besides many men of the chain of authorities are unknown. Among them are Muhammed b. Renjwayh and ‘Abd Allah b. al-Hekem al-Armeni. However, we have not found their names in the books of the traditionists we have. After this there is no way to depend on the narration and to have doubt about the state of Yehya.

Any way, we firmly believe that Imam Musa, peace be on him, adopted toward Harun the negative resistance and not the positive one due to the fact that he came to know that the positive resistance would fail. He thought that his revolutionary cousins had not to war against this tyrannical (Harun) and his unjust predecessors, and that they had to propagate the doctrine of Ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them, and to mention the defects of their oppressive enemies. That is because this is the best way in putting an end to their opponents and their enemies.

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Breaking the Security

Yehya harassed Harun, and he summoned the jurists of the time. He put before them the security he gave to him. They unanimously agreed that there was no way to break it except Abu al-Bukhteri,[2] who bought Harun his religion, drew upon him disgrace and loss. For he thought about the security and said: “This (security) is invalid and abrogated. Yehya has rebelled and shed blood; therefore, killing him and shedding his blood is lawful. ” Accordingly, Harun said to him: “If it is invalid, then tear it up with your own hand. ” This sinful person took the document of security, spitted at it, and torn it into pieces. So al-Rashid gave him a million and six hundred (dirhams) , and appointed him as a judge. Moreover he decided to execute Yehya.

His Martyrdom

The historians have differed over the way in which Yehya was martyred. It was said that Harun ordered him to be taken out of the underground prison in the dark night. When Yehya stood before him, he said to his policemen: “Take him and flog him a hundred times. ” They flogged him. He felt severe pain, so he begged Harun and asked him through Allah and his close kinship to Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, to pardon him. However, Harun said to him: “There is no kinship between me and you. ” Then he ordered him to be returned to underground prison and said to his police:

-How much food do you give to him?

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-Four loaves of bread and eight Ratls of water.

-Halve it!

Then he ordered him to be brought out on the second night and to be flogged a hundred times. Then he said to his policemen

- How much food do you give to him?

-Two loaves of bread and four Ratls of water.

-Halve it!

Then he ordered him to be taken out on the third night, while he was critically sick. They said to him: “He is invalid and seriously ill. ” However, he was not satisfied with that, so he said to them:

-How much food do you give to him?

- A loaf of bread and two Ratls of water.

-Halve it!

Then he ordered him to be released, and he died shortly after that. It was said that he ordered him to be bricked up in a wall alive. It was said that he gave him poison to drink. Then he ordered him to be taken to his royal court. He talked with him, but he did not answer him. So al-Rashid said to his companions: “Do you not see that he is not answering me? ” So Yehya put out his tongue, which was as black as coal due to the effect of the poison on it. Al-Rashid’s face changed and said: “He wants to show you that I have given him poison to drink. ” Then he ordered him to be taken out, and he was taken out. However, he had died before he reached the middle of the house.

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In another narration it has been mentioned that when he was seriously ill, Harun ordered him to be bricked up in a wall at al-Rafiqa. He died in the year 177 A. H.

Yehya met his Lord as a happy martyr. He won Allah’s good pleasure, while his opponent brought upon himself Allah’s anger and displeasure. His murder brought about a clamor of sorrow among the Islamic circles. The poets elegized him. Among them was ‘Ali b. Ibrahim al-‘Alawi, saying:

O Place where a Sayyid died. There is no Sayyid like him on earth.

Guidance and generosity died after him. Death was called an aggressor because of him.

I have taken a lot of shame from his face. The beggar has taken much generosity to live on.

O his grave, the rain of Allah goes and comes to you.

He was for us like rain through which we quenched our thirst. He was for us like the star through which we followed the right way.

If the time has let as do as we like and betrayed us at the end of the sovereignty, shortly we will demand vengeance for him through the rightly-guided, revolutionary, Hasanid one.

Surely Yehya b. ‘Abd Allah, glory, and dignity are in a grave.

Certainly Harun did not fear Allah, the Exalted, in respect with shedding the blood of the children of Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, and punishing them severely. This is a proof of that he violated the things made forbidden by Allah and deviated from the straight path. [3]

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5. Muhammed b. Yehya b. ‘Abd Allah b. al-Hasan b. al-Hasan b. Imam ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him

His mother was Khedija, daughter of Ibrahim al-Temimi. He was imprisoned by Bekkar b. ‘Abd Allah al-Zubayri, the governor of Yethrib (Medina) by Harun. He harassed and made him heavy with iron, so Muhammed said:

Indeed I am of the people whom intense mishaps increase in severity and patience.

He was still imprisoned and harassed until he ordered him to be released from prison. When he stood before him, he ordered him to bring someone to bail him out. However, he found none to do that. So he said:

The stick is growing in an origin; the good stick has refused to split.

The children of the righteous who set (men) right. Whoever belongs to truthful fathers meets them where they are concealed.

So he ordered him to be returned to prison; and he remained in it until he died. [4]

6. Al-Husayn Bin ‘Abd Allah Bin Isma‘il Bin ‘Abd Allah Bin Ja‘far Bin Abi Talib, peace be on him

His mother was Hemada, daughter of Mu’awiya b. ‘Abd Allah b. Ja‘far. Bekkar al-Zubayri, Harun’s governor over Medina, arrested him and severely flogged him until he died. [5]

7. Ishaq Bin al-Hasan Bin Zayd Bin al-Hasan Bin ‘Ali Bin Abi Talib, peace be on him

His mother was a slave-wife. Harun ordered him to be imprisoned, and he died in prison. [6]

As the ‘Alawids met tyranny and persecution, many of them fled. Among those who fled was Ahmed b. ‘Isa b. Zayd b. Imam Zayn al-‘Abidin, peace be on him. He fled to Basrah. He secretly summoned the people to follow him. Harun became grieved because of his affair. He decided to give a lot of money to those who would bring him. The spies looked for him, but they did not find him. They found his companion Hadir and brought him to al-Rashid. When Hadir arrived at the gate of al-Kerkh (in Baghdad) , he shouted at the top of his voice, saying: “O Men, I am Hadir, the companion of Ahmed b. ‘Isa b. Zayd al-‘Alawi! The supreme authority has ordered me to be arrested! ” So the policemen prevented him from speaking.

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They brought him to al-Rashid. When al-Rashid saw him, he asked him about the place where Ahmed resided. Then he asked him about his helpers and supporters. Hadir refused to tell them anything about them. So al-Rashid threatened him with painful chastisement. Hadir paid no attention to his threat and his authority, saying to him: “By Allah, if Ahmed was beneath this foot of mine, I would not raise it from him! I am an old man aged over ninety! Shall I end my deeds with leading you to the son of Allah’s Apostle to kill him? ”[7]

Al-Rashid became existed, lost his mind and his choice. So he ordered him to be severely whipped, and he died of that. Then he ordered him to be crucified, and he was crucified in Baghdad. Accordingly, Ahmed remained hidden; and none had any piece of information about him.

These are some tragedies and disasters Harun poured upon the ‘Alawids. He continuously shed their blood.

Generally speaking, Harun spread among the ‘Alawids murder, severe punishment, sadness, and mourning. So many of them fled in terror. They were pursued by the police and the spies. They witnessed matchless terrorism and harassment in horribleness and bitterness. As for what Imam Musa, peace be on him, met from this tyrannical (Harun) , we have specified a chapter for it. In the chapter we have talked about the torture and harassment he met.

With this point we will end our speech about the time of Harun. Through what we have mentioned, we have understood large part of his dissoluteness and his paying no attention to the Islamic values. Harun did not leave the lute, drinking wine, and associating with the singers. He led a life of delight and amusement. He sank into pleasure, mischief, and dissoluteness.

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The Muslim jurists have unanimously agreed on that the office of Islamic Caliphate should be undertaken by a person having all good inclinations such as knowledge, fear of Allah, clinging to the religion, and intense precautionary measures in respect with the Muslims’ properties. They have also stipulated other conditions such as that his royal court should be an Islamic base, a center of truth and justice, and a source for enjoining the good and forbidding the evil all over the country, that the ruling body should earnestly and actively work for the interests of society, develop the country in cultural and economic fields, remove all the factors of backwardness and decline, spread security, ease, and stability, pay attention to the economic life, and remove the shadow of misery and deprivation. These are some duties of the supreme authority calling itself the deputy of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and claiming that it represents the Islamic and religious reality.

However, unfortunately, we witness no part of the Islamic, bright rule in the shadow of most of the Umayyad and ‘Abbasid governments. They did not put into effect the wide objectives Islam seeks. We see nothing at that time except immoderate oppression, making light of the rights of the community, possessing alone its wealth, spending it generously on the things made forbidden by Allah, pursuing the aware men who intended to establish social and political justice. Those good people represented by the ‘Alawids met all kinds of terrorism, severe punishments, and pain.

After this, is it correct to say that the Umayyad and ‘Abbasid kings are the protectors of Islam and successors of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, over his community?

Anyway, Harun’s deeds turned away from the truth and justice. I (the author) think that it is necessary to mention that, for it is among the introductory reasons for having knowledge of Imam Musa’s ordeal and tribulation at that terrible time void of all kinds of freedom and when the Imam and other thinkers suffered from the severest kind of ordeals and misfortunes.

Footnote

[1] Usool al-Kafi, vol. 1, pp. 366-377.

[2] Abu al-Bukhteri is Wahab b. Wahab b. Kuthayr b. al-Aswad al-Qadi. Abu al-Bukhteri al-Qarashi al-Medani lived in Baghdad. He was appointed a judge in Baghdad. He is accuse of (fabricating) traditions. Yehya b. Ma'in has said: "Abu al-Bukhteri was a liar and was the enemy of Allah. " 'Uthman b. Abi Shayba has said: "Abu al-Bukhteri will be resurrected as a liar on the Day of Judgment. " Ahmed has said: "Abu al-Bukhteri fabricated traditions. " Al-Bukhari ordered (the people) to keep silent toward him. Abu al-Bukhteri died in the year 200 A. H. Al-Keshi has said that Muhammed b. al-Fedl b. Shadan has said: "Abu al-Bukhteri was the greatest of all the people in telling lies. " I (the author) do not know why al-Bukhari had ordered (the people) to keep silent to ward Abu al-Bukhteri and not to deal with his traditions, though it is incumbent on us to purify the traditionists from such people who deviated from Islam and divided the Muslims.

[3] Ibn al-Athir, al-Kamil, vol. 6, p. 5. Wafayat al-A'yan, vol. 1, p. 158, Paris edition. Jahshyari, p. 189. Tabari, Tarikh, vol. 10, pp. 84-89. Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, pp. 463-486, Egypt edition. I (the author) have quoted most of these researches from the last book.

[4] Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, pp. 495-496.

[5] Ibid. , p. 497.

[6] Sharh Shafiyat Abu Firas.

[7] Al-Ya'qubi, Tarikh, vol. 3, p. 154. In the book 'Umdat al-Talib it has been mentioned: "Ahmed was a great knowledgeable jurist and ascetic. His mother's name is 'Atiqa, daughter of al-Fedl b. 'Abd al-Rahman b. al-'Abbas b. al-Harith, al-Hashimiya. He was born in the year 158 A. H. and died in the year 240 A. H. He became blind at the end of his lifetime. "

Chapter XIII

The Time of the Imam

The time of the Imam, peace be on him, was marked by terrible waves of racial, popular inclinations, religious creeds, and ideological trends that had no relationship with Islam and met it in no way. Those ideological movements conflicted with each other in a conflict that had neither calmness nor stability, to the extent that that conflicted included most of the times. The reason for that is that the Islamic conquest carried the cultures and sciences of the nations to the Arab and Islamic world. Besides Islam brought a great wave of sciences and thoughts. In the meantime it urged the Muslims to be free and to be specialists in all kinds of knowledge. That brought about an ideological change in the Islamic society. The thoughts appeared in different kinds of culture the like of which the society did not come to know in the bygone times.

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The scientific abilities that burst in that time headed for the ideological part of life. Accordingly, the Islamic doctrines and the religious sects were formed. The community was divided into parties that witnessed great disputes, quarrels, and arguments. So the clubs were full of bloody fights and violent struggle, especially as it concerns proving the Creator, His positive and negative attributes, decree and determination, and the subject matter of the creation of the Qur’an. The most prominent group in this field was that of the theologians. Many books were written on this subject. They are full of many examples of those disputes and arguments.

Among the most dangerous and heated thoughts at that time was the atheistic thought propagated by those foreigners who harbored malice against the Muslims and Islam, for they were disturbed by the spread of Islam and its authority on the earth. Such people thought that they had no ability to face Islam through war and force. So they spread their corrupt beliefs among those weak, young Muslims. They propagated vague errors and imaginations among the Muslims, to the extent that a group of those deceived and vainglorious responded to them. As for Imam Musa, peace be on him, and the great thinkers from among his companions faced those coming beliefs through criticizing them with strong, scientific proofs, explaining their corruption and their remoteness from reality. Their arguments had the nature of loyalty to the truth and taking care of the interests of the Muslims. Large part of those who had such beliefs confessed their error and their corrupt trend. So they returned to the doctrine of the truth and correctness. Because of that, the movement of Shi‘ism appeared, and the scientific abilities of its leaders spread. So great part of the Muslims adopted it. This affair disturbed the responsible, and they resisted it through persecuting and severely punishing its followers. They prevented them from speaking in the ideological fields. So Imam Musa, peace be on him, was forced during the days of al-Mehdi to send a letter to Hisham. He asked him to refrain from theology due to the dangerous situation, and Hisham refrained from that until al-Mehdi died. [1]

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It is necessary to talk briefly about these subject matters; similarly, it is necessary to deal with some important events that happened at that time and to know the policy of the then government. That is because studying the life of the Imam, peace be on him, depends on having knowledge of these affairs. Besides they show us great part of the political and social problems at that time. I (the author) think that a researcher is in need of having knowledge of such matters.

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[1] Al-Keshi, Rijal, p. 172.

Al-Shi‘ubiya

Point

Rwait Ronaldson, an orientalist, maintained that the appearance of the movement of al- shi‘ubiya, intense conflict between the Arabs and the rest of other peoples were the most important events happened at the time of Imam Musa, peace be on him. [2]

This viewpoint is very surface. It indicates that its owner did not study the Islamic history deeply, that he did not understand the beginning and development of the events in history. For al- shi‘ubiya was not born at that time. Rather it began before it for a long time. We will give proofs of that.

It is necessary to pause to inquire into this important event, which is the greatest of all the events with which the Islamic world was afflicted. That is as follows:

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[2] 'Aqidat al-Shi'a, p. 163.

The Definition of al- shi‘ubiya

The linguists have differed over the definition of this word (al- shi‘ubiya). In the book al-Lisan, al- shi‘ubi is he who degrades the importance of the Arabs and sees that they have no excellence over other than them. In the book al-Sihah, al- shi‘ubiya is a sect that does not prefer the Arabs to non-Arabs. So according to the first definition, al- shi‘ubi is he who degrades the value and dignity of the Arabs and sees that they have no excellence over those other than them. According to the second definition, al- shi‘ubi is he who regards the Arabs and those other than them as equal. Ibn ‘Abd Rabba maintained this definition in his al-‘Aqd al-Ferid, saying: “Surely, al- shi‘ubiya are the men of equality. ”

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The modern writers have differed over defining the meaning of al- shi‘ubiya. Al-‘Adawi has maintained that al- shi‘ubiya has been derived from al- shi‘ub, meaning the return to the past of peoples, vainglory throughout geographical and historical fanaticism, leaving the Arabs’ message aiming at creating new society evaluating man according to his work and service. [3]

As for al-Duri, he believes that the concept of al- shi‘ubiya is complicated, that the secret movements that affected Islam, did to demolish the Arabic, Islamic supreme authority or to demolish Islam or the trends that tried to destroy Islam from inside are called al- shi‘ubiya. [4]

Kurd ‘Ali sees that al- shi‘ubiya are the people who show fanaticism toward the Arabs and prefer the non-Arab to them. [5]

This is the meaning of al- shi‘ubiya in the viewpoints of the linguists and the modern writers. They all have not agreed on a certain definition for this word.

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[3] Al-Mujjtama' al-'Arabi wa Munahadat al-Shi'ubiya, p. 12.

[4] Al-Judhur al-Tarikhiya lil shi'ubiya, p. 11.

[5] Al-Islam wa al-Hidara al-'Arabiya.

Its Beginning

According to the historical inquiry, this destructive movement started at the time of the Second Caliph (‘Umar b. al-Khettab) , to the extent that he was the victim of it. That was when he was assassinated by Abu Lu’lu’a as a result of the conspiracy among those forces who harbored malice against him.

As for the factors of its beginning, they resulted from that the supreme authority did not treat the Arabs and the non-Arabs equally in rights and duties. For the Second Caliph gave a religious verdict that none of the non-Arabs had the right to inherit except those who were born in the Arab land. [6] He also harassed them through taxes. Moreover, through his money policy, created classes in Islam. For example, in giving, he preferred al-Badriyyin[7], and the Emigrants to the Ansar (the Supporters). This required classifying the people according to the tribes and their lineage. So the genealogists became active to record the lineage and classifying the tribes according to their origins. Of course, this made the non-Arabs hate the Arabs and look for their defects.

‘Uthman, the Third Caliph, also followed this policy. He ordered his governor over Baghdad to prefer the Arabs to non-Arabs. [8] This unjust policy brought about many difficulties and discords to the Muslims. It divided their ranks and spread hatred and malice among them.

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[6] Al-Muwatta', vol. 2, p. 12.

[7] Those who took part in the Battle of Bedr.

[8] Al-Tabari, Tarikh, vol. 5, p. 63.

Its Development

The movement of al- shi‘ubiya greatly developed during the days of the Umayyad and the ‘Abbasid governments. This abominable fanatical instincts took place among the Muslims. The Arabs showed pride toward the rest of other peoples. They praised their qualities. They said: “Surely we have moral qualities by which we have been distinguished. We are the greatest of all the people in entertaining guest, relieving the grieved, and helping the seeker of help. We slaughter for night comer our only she-camel. We have good intuition, proverbs, and wonderful speech. We are the greatest of the people in memorizing our lineage. We know our lineage and name our forefathers. Besides Islam grew among us and spread at our hands. It is we who spread it and conveyed its message. ” These are the most important proofs on which the Arabs depended in their excellence and precedence over those other than them.

This immoderate fanaticism of the Arabs disturbed the other peoples of the Islamic Empire. So they went too far in mentioning their qualities just as the Arabs did. They degraded their importance, mentioned their bad deeds and their defects such as burying a new-born girl alive for fear of poverty, and the dependence of their economic life on invasion and loot. They disparaged them for their arid land and their simple life. In the mean time, they mentioned the greatness of the Roman Emperor, the Indian wisdom, the Greece logic and philosophy, the Chinese industry and arts, the Persian luxury and civilization. They said that the Arabs were the least of all the peoples in such things. So they have neither pride nor glory. As for their declamation and boast of Islam, it is that Islam is not only the religion of the Arabs but also it is the religion of all people. Islam itself has fought against pre-Islamic inclinations, buried their thoughts, and destroyed their preferences. It has regarded all Muslims as equal and fear of Allah as the measure for supremacy and excellence. Allah, the Most High, says: Surely the most honorable of you with Allah is the one among you most careful (of his duty) [9].

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Many books have been written on mentioning the defects of the Arabs and disparaging them. In this respect Abu ‘Ubayda Mu‘ammar b. al-Muthenna has written many books of which are: Arab Thieves (Lusus al-‘Arab) , Arab Bastards (Add‘iya’ al-‘Arab) , Good Qualities of the Persians (Fedaa’il al-Furs). On this subject matter al-Haythem b. ‘Adi wrote several books of which are: Big Book of Defects (Kitab al-Methalib al-Kebeer) , Book of Rabi‘a’s Defects (Kitab Methalib Rabi‘a) , Names of the Qurayshi Unchaste Women in the Pre-Islamic, and the Names of their Children (Asma’ Beghaayaa Quraysh fi al-Jahiliya wa Isma’ men weledna). Ahmed al-Bukhtkan wrote: Vengeance of Non-Arabs on the Arabs (Intisaaf al-‘Ejem ‘alaa al-‘Arab) , Excellence of Non-Arabs over the Arabs and their Pride (Fedl al-‘Ejem ‘alaa al-‘Arab wa Iftikhariha). [10] Spites became public among the Muslims and discords spread among them at that time.

The Persian poets boasted themselves on the Arabs and went too far in degrading their dignity. Abu Nu’as, a Persian poet on the side of his mother, satirized the Arabs, saying:

The wretched one stopped at the ruins to ask them; and I stopped to ask about the wine shop.

He wept over those bygone from among Asad. May your wealth be not much! Say: Who are the Banu Asad?

Who are Temeem? Who are Qays and the like? The Arabs are nothing with Allah!

Abu Nu’as talked again in his poetry about one of the Arabs’ qualities. He said that vainglory and dissension were famous among the members of their tribes. He also said that when two Arabs from two different tribes sat together, they quarreled and vied in glory with one another. So each of them boasted himself on his tribe and his family, whilst the Persians did not have such qualities. He says:

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I drank with them (the Arabs) to get used to their morals. As for drinking wine with the Persians, it was normal and decided.

They revere each other and intone when they speak. Their hidden (words) are understandable.

The free of Persia have the most precious selves; and their pride is not available during their association.

When I drink with an Arab group, Temeem begin mentioning their vainglory. They prepare their bows for Qays. Tameem are captured; and their gathering is defeated.

I do not guard against the evil of children of the non-Arabs. For the way of their drinking wine is good.

They do not show haughtiness toward a drinking companion when they become drunk. They greet the Arabs when they aggress against them.

When I sit among them, they show humbleness and respect toward me.

That brought about the spread of disagreement between the Arabs and the rest of the people and the fanaticism of each party for his people. On top of those racists who continually satirized the Arabs was Bashshar b. Burd. He always disparaged them and degraded their position. A desert man came in to Majjza’a b. Thour al- Sudusi in Basrah. Bashshar was present at his gathering and wearing the uniform of poets. The Bedouin asked Bashshar, asking:

-What are you?

-A poet.

-Are you an Arab or non-Arab?

-There is no relationship between non-Arab and poetry!

So Bashshar became angry. He kept silent for a while. Then he turned to Majjza’a and said to him: “Abu Thour, may I say something? ”

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“Say whatever you whish, Abu Ma‘adh,” replied Abu Thour.

O my friend, I do not over look compulsion, nor do I disdain a non-Arab and a neighbor.

I will tell the one who boasts of the Arabs about me and about him when he has made pride known.

At the time when you were clothed in silk after nakedness and sat with the generous a round the wine.

O one whose parents are shepherds, do you vie in glory with the sons of the free; sufficient unto you is a loss!

When you were thirsty for pure water, you made the dog take part in licking the rim.

You want to break the non-Arabs through an oration, and the hunting of a mouse makes you forget noble deeds.

You wear old clothes and graze the sheep in the desert. [11]

The movement of al- shi‘ubiya reached zenith during the days of al-Mehdi and of Harun. That was because of the influence and control of the Beramika over the government.

Anyway, this inclination created an enmity among the Muslims and divided their ranks. The Arab and non-Arab poets and writers satirized and cursed each other. Al-Khuzaymi says:

O Abu al-Seghd, when a camel lends me its glory, then that is a harm. And of my neighbor’s morals is ignorance.

O Camel, if you show vainglory or adorn yourself, then the religion and reason is far above pride.

I think that people are equal in life; and I think that no grave has exaltedness and excellence over another.

That Yehabir did not bear me, Jerm and ‘Aqel did not include me did not harm me.

If you do not protect the old with a new glory, then that which was before does not avail you. [12]

Indeed talking about al- shi‘ubiya is painful. For this quality and other corrupt qualities lead to the division of the Muslim, the split of their unity, the spread of enmity and hatred among them.

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[9] Qur'an, 49, 13.

[10] Ibn al-Nedeem, Fihrast, p. 123.

[11] Ahmed Hasanayn, Bashshar b. Burd Shi'rahu wa Akhbarahu, p. 56.

[12] Duha al-Islam, vol. 1, p. 66.

The Attitude of Islam toward it

The attitude of Islam is distinguished by strictness toward all corrupt qualities that split the unity of the Muslims and spread disagreement among them. Since the appearance of its light, Islam has declared that the Muslims are one hand, the link of the religion is stronger than that of lineage. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, condemned all racial, fanatical instincts. A hypocrite sneered at the adhan of Bilal, for he was unable to pronounce the letter sheen, and he pronounced it seen. He would say: Ashed anna la ilaha illa Allah. Bilal wen to Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, and told him about the sneering of the people at him. Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, became displeased and said:

“Indeed the seen of Bilal is sheen with Allah. ”

Condemning the hypocrites, he, may Allah bless him and his family, said: “Indeed the seen of Bilal is better than your sheen. ”

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While the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, was sitting with Selman al-Farisi, Bilal al-Hebeshi, Suhayb al-Rumi, and other weak believers, al-Eqre‘ b. Habis al-Temimi, ‘Uyayna b. Husayn al-Ferazi, and other Arab chiefs came and said to him:

“O Allah’s Apostle, put these (people) aside, that we may be alone with you. The Arabs delegates come to you, and feel shame when they see us sitting with these (people). When we go away, then you sit with them. ”

So Allah, the Most High, revealed to his Prophet this verse: And do not drive away those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, they desire only his favor; neither are you answerable for any reckoning of theirs, nor are they answerable for any reckoning of yours, so that you should drive them away and thus be of the unjust. [13]

Accordingly, Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, approached them, talked with them, and paid no attention to the words of those hypocrites. [14]

One of those whose hearts reconciled boasted himself on his lineage and mentioned the days of his father during the pre-Islamic period before Selman al-Farisi. He repeated that on some other occasions, so Selman rose and told the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, about that. Thus he, may Allah bless him and his family, went to his mosque in terror. He was sorrowful and astonished, so he declared before the people his famous words: “Selman is (one) of us, Ahl al-Bayt! ”

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He also said: “It is forbidden for Selman to take alms! ”

He, may Allah bless him and his family, condemned all kinds of division among the Muslims. He, may Allah bless him and his family, said: “No Arab has an excellence over a non-Arab except through fear of Allah! ” Allah says in His Holy Book: O you men! Surely We have created you of a male and a female, and made you tribes and families that you may know each other; surely the most honorable of you with Allah is the one among you most careful (of his duty) ; surely Allah is Knowing, Aware.

This brilliant policy was followed by Imam ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, the testamentary of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and gate of the city of his knowledge. When he took the reins of government, he regarded all the Muslims as equal in giving and the like. He treated them with one treatment. He did not make any distinction among them. He regarded them as equal in position. He, peace be on him, has declared that in his world document in which he has shown human rights. He, peace be on him, said to Malik: “People are two kinds: They are either your brother in the religion or your like in creation. ” A Qarashi lady came to him and asked him to increase her salary. She saw an old woman sitting by the gate of the mosque. She asked her about her salary, and she answered that she received it from the public treasury. She came to know that she received an amount equal to that the old woman did. So she became displeased, caught the old woman, and shouted: “Is it an act of justice and fairness that ‘Ali gives me an amount equal to that of this Persian (old woman). She entered the mosque while she was repeating that at the top of her voice. When she reached the Commander of the faithful, she rudely said to him: “Why do you give me an amount equal to that of this salve woman? ”

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The Imam looked at her. Then he took a handful of earth. He turned the handful of earth with his hand and said: “Some of this earth is not better than some of it. ”

Then he recited these words of Him, the Exalted: O you men! Surely We have created you of a male and a female, and made you tribes and families that you may know each other; surely the most honorable of you with Allah is the one among you most careful (of his duty) ; surely Allah is Knowing, Aware.

This policy exited the Arabs’ spites and Qurash’s grudge against him. So a companion of his asked him to change his policy, saying: “O Commander of the faithful, give these properties. Prefer these noble from among the Arabs and Quraysh to non-Arabs. ”

These cheap words hurt the Imam, and he said: “Do you order me to seek victory through oppression? ”

Ali b. Abi Talib, the pioneer of justice and equality on earth, refused to prefer the Arabs to non-Arabs and regarded that as tyranny and aggression against the Muslims’ rights.

This policy made the unjust forces to unite in a bloc and to cooperate with each other to war against him. In this respect al-Meda’ini has said: “Indeed among the reasons for that the Arabs deserted ‘Ali b. Abi Talib was his following the principle of equality among the people. For he did not prefer the noble to those less noble, nor did he prefer an Arab to a non-Arab, nor did he flatter the heads and the tribes. ”[15]

This brilliant policy was an extension to the message of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and following to his method.

The Arabs and the non-Arabs witnessed this bright justice Imam ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, followed. So they followed it and adopted it as a unique model. They asked the Muslim rulers to follow it and to put its program into effect. Accordingly, they met different kinds of exhaustion and severe punishments from the tyrannical rulers who ruled the community with an abominable policy void of justice and truth.

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[13] Qur'an, Surat al-An'am, verse 52.

[14] Majjma' al-Bayyan, vol. 7, p. 305.

[15] Ibn Abi al-Haddeed, Sharh Nahjj al-Balagha, vol. 1, p. 180.

Ahmed Amin’s Fabrications

Ahmed Amin is among those who harbored malice against the Shi‘ites. For he said: “Indeed Shi‘ism was the shelter and curtain of al-shi‘ubiya. ”[16]

A handful of earth is on Ahmed Amin and on those other than him from among those who write for neither the truth nor for history nor for the interests of the community. Rather they write according to certain objectives to whom the colonists dictate, that they may divide the ranks of the Muslims, to possess alone their wealth, and put them in the places of their influence.

Indeed the Shi‘ites take their teachings from the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt, who resisted all the destructive movements, took toward al-Shi‘ubiya and the like a decisive attitude marked by strictness and hardness. Imam ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, ordered the racists to be killed with the sword because they intended to split the unity of the Muslims.

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Can Ahmed Amin and the like of him from among those who believe in his beliefs give proof of that the Shi‘ism was the shelter of al-Shi‘ubiya and other than it from among the destructive instincts?

With pride the Shi‘ites have hoisted the flag of Islamic justice and lightened the Islamic history through their heroic, brilliant struggle. Were it not for their great sacrifices and their noble attitude toward the tyrannical and the oppressive, Islam would have neither name nor trace. Therefore, they are the shelter of Islam, the truth, and justice. They are the shelter of every social movement aiming at establishing justice and putting an end to oppression.

Anyway, al-Shi‘ubiya and the rest of the slogans disagree with the Shi‘ite reality taken from the core and essence of Islam. Certainly these accusations fastened to the Shi‘ites have no purpose except creating a gap among the ranks of the Muslims to abase them, to undermine them, and to send them far from their true religion seeking for them exaltedness, dignity, and independence.

Surely the Muslims are in a dire need of unifying their words and ranks, getting rid of discords and fanatical instincts. That is because before them is the Imperialistic America and its ally, Israel, that schemes against the Arabs and the Muslims in broad daylight and at dark night, spares no effort to war against Islam, to usurp Arab homeland, to dismiss its inhabitants, and to establish a country for the Jews. Unfortunately, the Muslims are heedless of the great danger and the affliction surrounding them.

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America and the western countries support Israel with all kinds of fatal weapons, supply it with the whole economic and military helps, that they may destroy the Arabs, control their oil and their minerals.

Therefore, it is incumbent on every writer to enlighten the Muslims and to warn them against this dangerous affliction.

Anyhow, we are wide of the subject, but the painful circumstances, the misfortunes and disasters from which the community suffer have urged us to exceed this subject matter. After this let us return to deal with some problems took place at the time of the Imam, peace be on him. They are as follows:

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[16] Duha al-Islam, vol. 1, p. 63.

Atheism and Hypocrisy

The atheistic movement appeared at the ‘Abbasid first time. The devious principles aiming at chaos and mischief spread during it. Some simple people the propagation colored whatever it wished adopted it. They followed them with out awareness and guidance. However the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt along with their great students from among the Muslims thinkers resisted that ideological invasion, falsified the coming thoughts, refuted the vague errors of the atheists, and saved the Muslims from them.

Imam al-Sadiq, peace be on him, spared no effort to save the Islamic country from the unbelievers and mischief-makers. His son Imam Musa, peace be on him, helped him in this holy field of jihad. A group of their students-who armed themselves with rational programs, famous for strong explanation, good opinion, sharp insight, and firm argument-cooperated with them. They held gatherings and debates in the public places, in the houses of the ministers and the kings. They debated with the atheists on theological matters. Through strong proofs they proved that those beliefs were false, to the extent that some leading atheists withdrew from their creeds and followed the way of the truth and correctness. In the meantime the local governments persecuted and severely punished the atheists. Unfortunately, they punished the innocent more than the hypocrites. They used the accusation of atheism as means for throwing the innocent into prisons. It is necessary to speak briefly about this important subject matter, which is the most important of the events to take place at the ‘Abbasid time.

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The Beginning of Atheism

Point

Atheism is a psychological aspect. It is the most dangerous of all the social diseases and the greatest of them in destroying man’s civilization and progress. It urges men to deny the Great Creator, to deny the Day of Resurrection, to accuse the Apostles of lying, and to believe that man is not under the domination of another power, that he manages and creates all his life affairs.

This disease results from a violent excitement that separates the vigilant feeling from the thought and the faith in Allah. It results from either the desires of the soul or from the disease of deprivation clinging to it. [17]

When man is infected by this dangerous disease, the psychological deterrents that prevent him from committing sin and abominable deeds completely collapse, his soul is void of all good instincts, and he follows dark trends. In this respect the Holy Qur’an says: And (as to) those who disbelieve, their guardians are Shaitans who take them out of the light into the darkness. [18]

When soul goes too far in committing sin, it rushes into the fields of vices and it is not prevented from that by any law in the world. For this reason social education is necessary, for it takes care of purifying conscience, directs man to the righteous way, plants in soul all good instincts that urge him to believe in Allah and the Day of Resurrection and prevents him from committing crimes and offences.

As such education is not available, a flood of problems faces man in the fields of behavior and morals, social links and other humane values disappear.

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Anyway, atheism and all evil instincts subject man to danger and are a sign of destruction that includes all life elements.

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[17] Haqiqat al-Nafs wa Amradiha.

[18] Qur'an, 1, 57.

Kinds of Atheism

There are various kinds of atheism such as denying the Creator, the Most High, denying His positive or negative attributes, disbelief in the Prophets and the Messengers, and denying the Day of Resurrection. The title including them all is denying one of the requirements of the religion.

The most dangerous of all kinds of atheism is denying Allah, the Exalted. This is the western atheism as Nietzsche says: “Allah has died! ”[19] The Marxist ideology stands on it. I (the author) have explained it in one of my books. [20] As for the atheism in the early Islamic times, it resulted from doubts about one of His attributes and denying Islam. We will explain that.

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[19] Tarikh al-Ilhad fi al-Islam.

[20] I (the author) have objectively mentioned that in my books al-'Amal wa Huquq al-'Amil fi al-Islam, Nizam al-Hukum wa al-Idara fi al-Islam.

At the Umayyad Time

The marks of atheism appeared at the Umayyad time. For one of the Umayyad kings declared the word of atheism and apostasy from the religion. An example of that is Yazid b. Mu‘awiya. When he killed the grandson of Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, his plant of sweet basil, master of the youth of the Garden, Imam al-Husayn, peace be on him, he recited the poetry line of Ibn al-Zub‘ra:

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Hashim played with the dominion, so no news came, nor was a revelation revealed!

He inherited this atheistic instinct from his grandfather, who said before ‘Uthman b. ‘Affan: “Catch it (the office of the Caliphate) just as the boys catch the ball with their own hands. By him by whom Abu Sufyan swears, there is neither garden nor fire! ” However, ‘Uthman did not blame him, nor did he punish him.

Most their kings had such a belief. Fore example, when al-Waleed opened the Holy Book of Allah and read the verse any every insolent oppressor was disappointed, he became angry, placed the Holy Book as a target, and threw arrows at it, and said:

You threaten me with an insolent oppressor, and I am an insolent oppressor!

When you come to your Lord on the Day of Resurrection, say: O My Lord, al-Waleed torn me up!

This clearly indicates his atheism and his apostasy from the religion. Most Umayyad kings had such an atheistic instinct. They appointed some atheists to educate their children. ‘Abd al-Semed, the educator of al-Waleed, was an atheist. [21] Merwan b. al-Ju‘d, the educator of the last Umayyad king, Merwan b. Muhammed, was an atheist. Ibn al-Nedeem says: “Surely, Ibn al-Ju‘d made Merwan and his children atheists. ”[22] Al-Duri said that Ibn al-Ju‘d was on top of those who propagated the Manawiya at his time. [23] The most prominent atheist at the Umayyad time are Younis b. Abi Qurrah, ‘Ammarah b. Hems, al-Mutiee‘ b. Ayas, those who lived through the Umayyad and the ‘Abbasid governments, and who were called the three Hammads, namely, Hammad ‘Ajrad, Hammad al-Zubrqan, and Hammad al-Rawiya. [24]

Indeed the roots of the atheistic thought were formed during the Umayyad time that was the source of all the destructive movements.

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[21] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani.

[22] Ibn al-Nadeem, al-Fihrast, p. 472.

[23] Al-Judhur al-Tarikhiya lil Shi'ubiya, p. 26.

[24] Al-Amali, vol. 1, p. 134.

At the ‘Abbasid Time

Point

During the first ‘Abbasid Age the summons to atheism clearly appeared, and all the destructive doctrines became active. Felhauzen maintains that there was a close relationship between the summons to the ‘Abbasids and atheism. He says: “The then ‘Abbasids gathered the atheists around them and did not neglect them but after that. ”[25] The summons to the Manawiya, the Mezdakiya, the Khuramiya, and the Zeradishtiya started. The Khuramiya carried the banner of the armed revolt and the summons to it spread in Persia. It summoned (the people) to the communism of Mezdek. [26] We will deal with some of these doctrines as follows:

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[25] Al-Duwal al-'Arabiya, p. 489.

[26] Al-Judhur al-Tarikhiya lil Shi'ubiya, p. 41.

The Manawiya (Manism)

Mani’s thought was the greatest of the atheistic doctrines in spreading at that time. It was an old and was established by Mani, son of Fatiq, the Persian wise man. He was born in the year 215 or 216 A. D. He appeared at the time of Shahpoor. He was killed by Behram. He maintained the prophethood of al-Mesih (Jesus Christ) and denied that of Musa (Moses). He claimed that the world was made and composed of two old origins: light and darkness, and that they were eternal. He dined all things except those resulted from an old origin. [27]

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Manism maintained the transmigration of souls depending on what Mani mentioned in a book of his where he said: “The souls that leave bodies are of two kinds: the souls of the truthful and those of the devious. When the souls of the truthful leaves bodies, they go during the morning light to the light that is above the orbit and stay in that world with everlasting delight. When the souls of the devious leave bodies and want to join the most high light, they come back down and transmigrate with the souls of the animals until they become free from the defects of darkness, and then they join the most high light. ”[28]

Mani imposed on his followers one tenth in all the affairs, supplicating the Truth, leaving lying, murder, theft, fornication, magic, worshiping idols, and killing living things. He regarded the existence of man as a crime committed by his parents. He thought that man must cease to exist. Besides he thought that man’s good deeds resulted from the god of good and his evil deeds resulted from the god of evil. His thoughts were described by Abu Nu’as when he satirized Aban, a leading member of this thought, saying:

One day I sat with Aban. May Aban’s good be not much.

We were present in the tent of the Emir at al-Nehrwan.

When the first (morning) prayer approached the adhan, he rose, showed fluency and eloquence.

We said whatever he said until the adhan came to an end.

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He said: How did you bear witness for that while you were not eye-witnesses?

I will not bear witness forever until I be an eye-witness.

I said: “Glory belongs to my Lord! ” And he said: “Glory belongs to Mani! ”

I said: “‘Isa is the Apostle of Allah! ” And he said: “From Satan! ”

I said: “Musa is the one who secretly addressed the Guardian, the Benefactor (Allah)! ” And he said: “Therefore, your Lord has an eye and a tongue! ”

Did his soul create him? Or who (did create him)?

So I left my place because of an atheist who adorned himself through disbelieving in the Most Merciful (Allah). [29]

The Manism spread atheistic movement at the ‘Abbasid time. Ibn al-Muqaffa‘ was among their prominent figures. He translated from Persian into Arabic Mani’s, Ibn Daysan’s, and Merqiyun’s books. [30] He also wrote a book in which he propagated Manism and attacked the Islamic principles. He began the book in the name of the Light, the Most Merciful, the Merciful. Al-Mehdi said: “All the books on atheism belong to Ibn al-Muqaffa‘. ”[31] He passed by a Persian’s fire house and recited the following poetry line:

O ‘Atiqa’s house, I praise you out of fear of the enemies and the heart is entrusted to you.

Surely I grant you alienation. I swear by you that I incline to alienation. [32]

It was said that he did not respect the Qur’an and tried to oppose it. [33] Ferinshiko Gabriel doubted about the ascription of that to him. [34] He claimed that he was killed not because of that he was accused of atheism, rather it was because of his demanding security from al-Mansur to ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Ali. So he harassed al- Mansur, and he ordered him to be killed. [35]

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Anyway, Manism was the greatest of all the principles in attacking the Muslims at that time.

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[27] Al-Milal wa al-Nihal, vol. 1, p. 224.

[28] Al-Ferq bayna al-Firaq, p. 271.

[29] 'Abd al-Rahman Sidqi, Abu Nu'as Qisat Hayatihi, p. 63.

[30] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 12, p. 87.

[31] Mu'jam al-Udaba', P. 15. Al-Amali, vol. 1, pp. 93-94.

[32] Al-Amali, vol. 1, p. 94.

[33] Tarikh al-Ilhad fi al-Islam, p. 43.

[34] Majallat al-Dirasat al-Sharqiya, vol. 13, p. 1932.

[35] Jahshyari, p. 110.

The Mezdakiya (Mezdekism)

Mezdikism was among the principles that spread during the ‘Abbasid Age I.

It was a kind of communism and urged the people to free themselves from all the social values. Al-Sheristani has mentioned some of Mezdik’s principles, saying: “He made the people take part in it just as they take part in water, fire, and grass. ”[36] Al-Teberi has said: “Mezdek and his companions said: ‘Surely Allah has placed livelihoods on the earth, that people may divide it among themselves equally. However, people have wronged each other in respect with them. They claimed that they took from the rich to the poor, regain from the wealthy to the needy, that whoever has additional money, women, and possessions, then he is not more appropriate than those other than him. ’ So the lowly violated that and took it as booty. ”[37]

Those who had malice against the Islamic values adopted these principles and spread them among the Muslims. Some people embraced them to satisfy their low desires and their dissoluteness. As a result immorality and abominable deeds spread among the people. We will mention that.

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[36] Al-Milal wa al-Nihal, vol. 1, p. 229.

[37] Al-Tabari, Tarikh, vol. 2, p. 88.

The Zeradishtiya

The Zeradishtiya was among the principles that appeared at the ‘Abbasid time. It maintains two gods: the god of good, and the god of evil. Al-Kherbutli talked about some of their principles, saying: “The essence of Zarathushtra’s principles is that there are many, various events in the world: Some of them are good, and some of them are evil; these events do not create themselves; rather they stand on an origin. Zarathushtra thinks that it is impossible to ascribe good and evil to one origin. For this reason it was necessary for him to explain the world of faith through the existence of two different, contradictory forces. One force is pure and sacred, from which result life and natural elements. The other force is wicked and dirty from which issue blights, perishing, destruction, evil and affliction that befall man. The first force is called Ihriman, meaning the god of evil or Satan. The other is called Mezad that means the god of good and light. ”[38]

Zarathushtra thinks that life does not perish, that it is happy or unhappy through the pleasures in life, and that its ordeal is three days after death. Then the wind carries it until it reaches the straight path (sirat). It is judged there fore three days. The good souls go to the Garden, and the evil ones are driven to the fire.

The Zeradishtiya spread during the ‘Abbasid Time 1. It was adopted by some simple, deceived persons. It spared no effort to war against the Islamic values, to untie the social links, and to make the Muslims abandon morals and the Islamic manners.

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Anyway, these principles, which spread during the ‘Abbasid time, clearly show us that there was ideological emptiness, shallow thinking, that ignorance prevailed, that the Muslims had no knowledge of the reality of their religion, which urged them to be mentally aware and be free from all kinds of ignorance and inactivity.

Heresies and vague errors appeared at that time in astonishing and strange way. Al-Rawendiya, who claimed that al-Mansur al-Dewaniqi was their lord who feed and watered them, took place at that time. [39] Al-Meqanna’ al-Khuresani created a heresy. He maintained the transmigration of souls and claimed that he was a god. He claimed that Allah created Adam, and He turned into His form. Then he turned into the form of Nuh, then into Ibrahim. Then he turned into the form of the prophets, then into the form of the Prophet Muhammed, may Allah bless him and his family. Then he changed into the form of Imam ‘Ali b. Abi Tali, peace be on him. After him he turned into the form of his children, and then into the form of Abu Muslim al-Khuresani. After him, He moved to him. He asked his followers to serve him and to prostrate themselves in prayer before him. [40] He commanded them not to pray and not to pay zekat (alms). He made it lawful for them to sleep with women. [41]

Al-Muqanna‘ was skillful in engineering. He made an artificial moon. The moon appeared and the people saw it from the distance of a month. Then it disappeared. Al-Muqanna‘ deceived the people with that. Concerning that false moon, Abu al-‘Ala’ al-Ma‘rri says:

Beware, the moon whose head is veiled is misguidance and error; it is like Al-Muqanna’s moon.

Anyhow, these destructive movements divided the Islamic society and made the cultural movement disordered.

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[38] Al-Majus wa al-Majusiya, p. 149.

[39] Al-Tabari, Tarikh, vol. 6, p. 147.

[40] Ibid. , p. 367.

[41]Wafayat al-A'yan, vol. 1, p. 453.

The Summoners to Atheism

The summons to atheism and all the destructive principles at that time stood on some unknown people suffering from psychological diseases. Yezdan b. Badhan was one of them. He was famous for atheism and hypocrisy. He went to the Sacred House of Allah during the season of hajj. When he saw the people circumambulating the Kaaba, he said: “They look like cows treading on wheat. ” This statement of his created waves of anger and displeasure in the souls of the good and those clinging to their religion. Al-‘Alaa’ b. al-Haddad addressed caliph Musa al-Hadi and urged him to kill Yezdan b. Badhan, saying:

O one entrusted by Allah over His creatures, inheritor of the Kaaba and the

Pulpit, what is your opinion of an unbelieving man who likens the Kaaba to a threshing floor, and the people circumambulating the Kaaba to cows treading on wheat and darnel?

So Musa al-Hadi ordered him to be killed and to be crucified. [42]

Yet another examples of the unbelievers is Bashshar b. Burd. He went too far in summoning the people to atheism. He urged them to warship fire. He declared that when he said:

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Iblis is better than your father Adam; therefore distinguish, o group of the wicked.

Fire is his element; Adam is a piece of clay. Clay is not as high as fire.

Clay is dark, and fire shines. Fire has been worshipped since it came into existence. [43]

He insisted on his creed until he was killed. [44]

Among them was Salih b. ‘Abd al-Qudus. He was among the most prominent atheists. Al-Mehdi ordered him to be executed, and he declared his repentance. When was about to release him, he heard him reciting:

The enemies cannot reach an ignorant one, O he who makes the ignorant reach you.

The old man does not leave his morals until he is buried in the earth of his grave.

When al-Mehdi heard the last line, he ordered him to be killed and said to him: “You will not leave your manners until you die! ”[45]

Among their great figures are the three Hammads: Hammad ‘Ajrad, Hammad al-Rawiya, and Hammad al-Zuberqan. Among them are Ibn al-Muqaffa‘, Younis b. Abi Ferwa, Mutee‘ b. Ayas, ‘Abd al-Kareem b. Abi al-‘Awja’, ‘Ali b. Khaleel, and Yehya b. Ziyad al-Harithi. The biographers have mentioned many examples of their heresies and vague errors, which indicate their unbelief and their apostasy from the religion. [46]

Any way these atheists spared no effort to spoil the Islamic society, to spread chaos, and corruption among the Muslims. They also intended to distort Islam through fabricating traditions, that they might degrade the dignity of Islam. ‘Abd al-Kareem b. Abi al-‘Awja’ had confessed that before he was ordered to be killed, saying: “You want to kill me because I have fabricated four thousand hadiths (traditions). ”

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The atheists spoiled and distorted Arabic literature. Khelef al-Ahmer and Hammad al-Rawiya did that. Concerning the latter, al-Sayyid al-Murteda has said: “Surely Hammad is famous for fabricating narration, composing poetry and ascribing it to the early poets, to the extent that the narrators have said: ‘Hammad has spoiled the poetry because he is able to compose it. He writes poetry similar to that of the poets and put it into theirs. So the correct poetry has mixed with that incorrect. ”[47]

In this manner, they spoiled the religion, the language, and the rest elements of the Arab and Muslim community. They also prevented Islam from spreading all over the world.

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[42] Al - Tabari, Tarikh, vol. 10, p. 15.

[43] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 3, p. 24.

[44] Abu al-Fida', the Events of the Year 166 A. H.

[45] Tarikh al-Khulafa', p. 275.

[46] Al-Murtada, Amali. Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani.

[47] Al-Amali, vol. 1, p. 132.

The Atheists are persecuted

The ruling authorities at the ‘Abbasid time officially persecuted the atheists in the last years of the caliphate of al-Mehdi and during the short-termed caliphate of al-Hadi. In the year 163 A. H. al-Mehdi ordered the atheists to be arrested. He ordered ‘Abd al-Jebbar, a Muslim inspector of market, to arrest all the atheists in the country. He arrested some of them and brought them to the Caliph, and he ordered some of them to be killed and the rest to be severely punished. The atheists were severely persecuted between the year 166 A. H and the year 170 A. H. They were tortured by certain judges such as ‘Abd al-Jebbar, ‘Umar al-Kelwazi, ‘Umer, and Muhammed b. ‘Isa.

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Al-Mehdi launched a wide-ranged campaign against the atheists. He ordered a divan to be established for them. The security forces and the detectives spared no effort to look for them. They killed all the atheists they arrested except those who announced their repentance. Al-Mehdi himself went through some countries to look for them. He went to Syria to search for them. He came to know that some of them fled Iraq to Aleppo. So he ordered them to be arrested and to be driven to courts. Then he ordered them to be killed after their atheism had been proved. [48]

Al-Mehdi went too far in pursuing the atheists and killing them. Al-Seyuti says: “Al-Mehdi went too far in pursuing the atheists, destroying them, looking for them in all the cities, and killing them for an accusation. ”[49] When he was about to die, he ordered his son al-Hadi to kill them, saying:

O my little son, if this authority comes to you, then prepare yourself for this group (the atheists). For they summon the people to follow something apparently good such as refraining from criminal frauds, renouncing the world, working for the hereafter. Then they made it forbidden for them to eat meat and to touch pure water. They order them to refrain from killing pests as a sign of clinging to (religion) and of giving up sins. Then they order them to worship two things: the first is light, and the other is darkness. Then they make it permissible for them to marry their sisters and their daughters, to wash (themselves) with urine and kidnap children from the road, that they might bring them out of darkness into light. Therefore execute them, kill them with the sword, and seek through them nearness to Allah, the One without partner. For I saw your grandfather al-‘Abbas in sleep giving me two swords and ordering me to kill the followers of the two (beliefs: light and darkness). [50]

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Al-Hadi carried out his father’s will. He killed and executed all the atheists. Al-Rashid and the rest of the ‘Abbasid kings followed the same policy toward them. They gave no way to the destructive groups to spoil the Muslims. They put an end to all the summoners to atheism and hypocrisy.

The caliphs employed all ways to war against the atheists and to put an end to these wicked souls. When they arrested an atheist, they ordered him to spit at Mani’s picture or to slay a bird called pheasant. As for spitting at Mani’s picture, it means degrading the creator of Mani’s thought. In the meantime it means that the unbeliever withdrew from his thought. As for slaying a bird, it means that slaying a bird was forbidden according to the Manism. As for slaying the bird pheasant, it has not been mentioned in the books we have, as professor Gorge Fida says. [51]

Anyway, the caliphs launched a violent campaign against the unbelievers. Unfortunately this campaign was against the innocent more than it was against the real atheists. We will explain that.

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[48] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 6, p. 67.

[49] Tarikh al-Khulafa', p. 273.

[50] Al- Tabari, Tarikh, vol. 6, p. 388.

[51] Al-Ilhad fi al-Islam, pp. 28-29.

Going too far in Accusing

Those accused of atheism and apostasy from religion were not real atheists. Rather some of them were accused of atheism for some political reasons. The caliphs used this accusation as means to put an end to their opponents from among the Hashimites. For example, one of the sons of Dauwd b. ‘Ali and of Ya‘qub b. al-Fedl were accused of atheism and were brought to Al-Mehdi. As this Caliph had made a covenant not to kill them, he ordered them to be imprisoned. However, he ordered his son al-Hadi to kill them after his undertaking the caliphate.

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The accusation of atheism included all those who opposed the caliphs and refused to perform the prayers behind them. An example of that is Shurayk al-Qaadi (the judge). He did not believe in performing the prayers behind al-Mehdi. So al-Mehdi ordered him to be brought. He was brought before him and he said to him: “O son of the adulteress! ” “Slow, Commander of the faithful, ”Shurayk retorted, “she fasted and performed prayers! ”

“O atheist,” said al-Mehdi, “I will kill you! ”

Shurayk smiled and said: “Commander of the faithful, the atheists have signs through which they are recognized. They drink wine and associate with songstresses! ” So al-Mehdi kept silent and was unable to answer. [52]

This story indicates that the caliphs went tool far in accusing people of atheism to the extent that they included all those whom they hated. Shurayk’s answer also indicates that the atheism were recognized through some marks such as drinking wine and associating with songstresses. As a result the atheist was dissolute and mischievous. For this reason Adam, the grandson of ‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, was arrested. He was accused of atheism because he was dissolute and mischievous. He went too far in drinking wine. While he was drunk, he composed some poetry lines in which he violated the sacredness of the religion. He says:

Give me and my bosom friend to drink wine throughout the long night.

It has a clear, yellow color; it is like excellent musk.

It tastes like ginger on one’s tongue.

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Its bright smell comes from a distance of a mile.

Whoever attains three (drinks) of it forgets the open road.

When he attains five (drinks) of it, it leaves him like the killed.

At that time he does not know who goes and who comes.

Surely my ear is heavy toward the words of him who blames me for it.

On account of the strong veneration, I am not obedient and submissive.

Say to him who reviles you because of it, whether a jurist or a noble, leave it and hope for another (kind) of the nectar of the fresh, cool water.

You feel thirst today, and tomorrow you will be given to drink delicious wine.

For this reason al-Mehdi took him and accused him of unbelief. He ordered him to be flogged three hundred times, that he might confess that, while he denied that and said: “By Allah, I have not associated with Allah in the twinkle of an eye. When have you come to know that a Qarashi becomes an atheist? However, delight has overcome me, and poetry has controlled my heart. I am among the Qurayshi boys. I drink wine. I say what I said for dissoluteness. ” Then he gave up wine. He hated

seeing wine and said:

I drank (wine). When it was said (to me) , ‘Do you not give up (wine)? ’, I gave up, and my garment is pure from the harm of meanness. [53]

Adam was accused of atheism, while he was not an atheist. He was overcome by poetry, that he might say obscene language through it. The caliphs did not restrict themselves to that, rather they regarded as an atheist everyone who discussed the traditions of the companions (of the Prophet) or refute them. [54] The reason for that is that they wanted to accuse the Shi‘ites of apostasy from the religion, that they might legally shed their blood. ‘Abd al-Rahman Bedawi says: “Indeed the accusation of unbelief at that time went side by side with joining the decree of the Rafidites (Shi‘ites) , as professor Fida sees. ”[55]

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Joining the Shi‘ite doctrine during those black periods was the most important of all crimes. This crime was more dangerous than that of atheism in the responsible’ viewpoint. The repentance of the one accused of atheism was accepted, and he was pardon. As for the one accused of showing friendship to Ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them, he was regarded as an atheist and apostate from the religion, thought he believed in Allah and His Apostle and performed the Islamic duties.

Anyway, the ‘Abbasid caliphs often used the accusation of atheism as means to execute the Shi‘ites and to throw them into dark prisons. They showed oppression in respect with that, for the Shi‘ites declared war against all the oppressive and tyrannical people. They gave many sacrifices to put an end to the oppressors. They regarded the rulers as among the Imams of oppression and error, so they resisted them and spared no effort to destroy their thrones. We will soon mention that in detail.

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[52] Ibn Kuthayr, Tarikh, vol. 10, p. 53.

[53] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 1, pp. 60-61.

[54] Tarikh Baghdad, vol. 14, p. 7.

[55] Tarikh al-Ilhad fi al-Islam.

The Imams debate with them

The answers of the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them, to the atheists was distinguished by scientific thinking and decisive proofs that proved the genuineness of the Islamic thought in all sides of its laws, the falsehood of the atheists and their invalid beliefs. The effect of those debates on their souls was stronger than all the means used by the local governments to suppress them. As the government lacked thinking, they restored to the force of iron and fire and throwing into prisons to suppress and destroy them. However, this is the weapon of the feeble. For beliefs cannot be refuted by anything except by scientific means. It is impossible to be overcome by something other than that.

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As for the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them, they depended on scientific means during their debates full of all ways of conviction and that give no way to doubt in respect with the invalidity of their opponents’ beliefs. Accordingly many atheists confessed their invalid beliefs and came back to the way of the truth and correctness. Besides some of them stated that the Imams were the masters of mankind, and that perfect humanity could not be ascribed to anyone other than them. Ibn al-Muqafa‘ and ‘Abd al-Kerim b. Abi al-‘Awja’ acknowledged that. That was when Ibn al-Muqafa’ saw the Muslims circumambulating the Kaaba and said: “None of those (people) deserve the name of humanity except that (Imam Ja‘far b. Muhammed, peace be on him). As for the rest they are mobs and beasts. ”

Ibn Abi al-‘Awja’ hurried to the Imam and asked him: “O Shaykh, may Allah have mercy on you! In which thing do we believe? In which thing do they believe? The thing in which they and we believe is one. ”

The Imam, peace be on him, answered him saying: “The thing in which you believe may be similar to that in which they believe. They believe in the hereafter and the threat. They maintain that there is a god in the heaven, and that there is inhabitedness therein, while you claim that the heaven is destruction and there is none in it. ”

‘Abd al-Kareem said: “If the affair was just as we believe, then what has prevented Allah from appearing before his creatures and summons them to serve Him, that they may not differ over Him? Why has He disappeared and sent messengers to them? If He appeared, then it would be easy (for mankind) to believe in Him. ”

The Imam answered him: “How has He who has shown His power in your soul and in your growth disappeared? ”

The Imam, peace be on him, gave him additional proofs of the existence of Allah. Then Ibn Abi al-‘Awja’ left the Imam and went running to his companions, saying to them: “This is not a human being! In this world, he is outwardly a body, but inwardly he is a soul. ” Then he indicated with his hand to the Imam, peace be on him. [56]

It is necessary for us to pause to mention some of their debates as follows:

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[56] Ibid. , pp. 68-69.

Imam al-Sadiq’s Debates

Hadith and theology books are full of Imam al-Sadiq’s many debates in this respect. The Imam gave firm proofs of the authenticity of the Islamic thought and the falsehood of the beliefs of his opponents. We will mention some of them as follows:

1. Ibn Abi al-‘Awja’ came in to Imam al-Sadiq, peace be on him, and he asked him:

-O Ibn Abi al-‘Awja’, are you created or not?

-I am not created.

-If you were created, then how would you be?

So Ibn Abi al-‘Awja’ became perplexed and gave no answer. [57]

2. Abu Shakir al-Daysani, an atheist, came in to Imam al-Sadiq, peace be on him, and said to him:

-O Ja‘far b. Muhammed, show me the way to the One Whom should I worship!

Abu ‘Abd Allah said:

-Sit down!

A boy came. The boy was carrying an egg in the palm of his hand. The Imam, peace be on him, ordered him to hand him the egg, and he handed it to him. Then he, peace be on him, said:

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-O Daysani, this is a compact, protective container; inside it is the thin (substance of an) egg which is surrounded by what could be compared with fluid silver and melted gold. Neither the fluid silver mixes with the melted gold; nor does the melted gold mixes with the fluid silver. So it is as it is. No reforming exterior comes out of it and tells (you) about its goodness, nor does a corrupt interior comes into it and tells you about its corruption. None knows that it has been created for a male or a female. Then it splits open showing a form like (for example) a peacock. Therefore, do you think that it has a Creator? ”

Al-Daysani bowed his head and thought about the Imam’s words. Shortly after that, he raised his head and said: “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, the One without a partner; and I bear witness that Muhammed is His Servant and Apostle. I bear witness that you are an Imam and Allah’s proof over His creatures. I have repented of what I had believed in! ”[58]

3. Hisham b. al-Hekem narrated, saying: [An Egyptian atheist came to know that Imam Abu ‘Abd Allah had knowledge. So he went to Medina to debate with him. He did not find him. He was told that the Imam was in Mecca. So he went to it and met him. He approached and greeted him. Then Abu ‘Abd Allah (al-Sadiq) asked him: ]

- What is you name?

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- ‘Abd al-Malik.

- What is you kunya?

- Abu ‘Abd Allah.

-Who is the king whose servant is you? Is he among the kings of the earth or among the kings of the heaven? Tell me about your son: Is he the servant of the heaven god or of the earth one?

The atheist kept silent and was unable to answer. So Abu ‘Abd Allah said to him: “Say! ” The atheist became perplexed. So the Imam, peace be on him, looked at him and said to him: “After you have finished circumambulating the Kaaba, come to me. ” When the atheist had finished circumambulating the Kaaba, he went to the Imam. The Imam, peace be on him, asked him:

-Did you know that the earth has bottom and top?

-Yes.

-Did you go to its bottom?

-No.

-Did you know what was beneath it?

-I did not know. However, I imagine that there is nothing beneath it.

-Imagination is feebleness unless you are sure.

-Have you ascended to the heaven?

-No.

-Do you know what is therein?

-No.

-Have gone to the east and the west and seen what is beyond them?

-Therefore, I wonder at you! You have not gone to the east and the west. You have not descended to the bottom of the earth, nor have you ascended to the heaven. You have not come to know what is there and what is beyond them. Nevertheless you have denied what is in them. Does the sane deny what they do not know?

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-None has told about that except you!

-Therefore, you have doubt about Him. Perhaps, He is He. And perhaps, He is not He.

-Perhaps!

-Fellow, he who has no knowledge has no proof over him who has knowledge; and the ignorant have no proof over the knowledgeable. O brother of the inhabitants of Egypt, learn from me! Do you not see that the sun and the moon, day and night alternate and do not precede each other? They go and do not return. They are forced. They have no place except their place. If they could go and not come, (they would do). If they were not forced, then why did night not become day, and day (become) night? O brother of the inhabitants of Egypt, by Allah, they are forced. Surely the thing in which you believe and of which you have an imagination is of time. If it was it that which made them go, then why did it not make them return? If it made them return, then why did it not make them go? Do you not see that the earth and the heaven are raised? The heaven does not fall on the earth, nor does the earth slope down that which is beneath it. By Allah, their Creator and Manager has caught them.

The Egyptian kept silent and was unable to give an answer. He thought of the dimensions of the words of the Imam. He found in them guidance and truth, so he returned to correctness. He declared his faith and became Muslim. [59]

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4. An atheist went to the Imam, peace be on him, and asked him:

-Did you see Allah when you worshipped Him?

-I am not one who worships someone whom I have not seen.

-Then how did you find Him when you saw Him?

-The eyes do not see Him in terms of human eye-sight. Rather the hearts see Him trough the inner realities of faith (iman). He is not attained through sense perception, nor is He compared to people. He is known without comparison. [60]

5. An atheist went to the Imam, peace be on him, and asked him about many problems of which is:

-How do creatures worship Allah and do not see Him?

-The hearts see him through the light of faith. The intellects prove him through their alertness just as the eyes do. The eyes attain Him through what they see, such as good structure and firm creation, then the apostles and their communications, the Books and their clear verses. The knowledgeable have restricted themselves to what they have seen of His Greatness without seeing Him. [61]

Through this debate, the Imam, peace be on him, gave many proofs of the existence and oneness of Allah. Many debates have been narrated on his authority in this respect. To mention them requires elaborateness and being wide of the subject. So we are satisfied with these small debates narrated on his authority.

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[57] Al-Tabrasi, al-Ihtijajj. Bihar al-Anwar.

[58] Al-Ihtijajj.

[59] Al-Tabari, al-Ihtijajj.

[60] Ibid.

[61] Ibid.

Imam Musa

Imam Musa, peace be on him, played an important role in defending the Islamic thought, refuting the vague errors of the atheists, and falsifying their beliefs. We will deal with some theological questions about which the Imam was asked:

1. His confuting the Movement of Allah

Through the chain of the authorities of the non-Shi‘ites (‘amma) , it has been mentioned that Allah comes down in the last one third of night and calls out in the heaven: “Is there anyone who supplicates (Me) and asks (Me) for forgiveness? ”

Those who regard Allah as body deal with the surface structure of these traditions without interpreting them or carefully consider their chain of authorities, that they might establish that Allah had a body. The Imam, peace be on him, was informed about that, and he said: “Surely Allah does not come down and is in no need of coming down. His existence is the same in nearness and remoteness. [62] No close thing is far from Him, nor is a distant thing is close to Him. He is in no need of anything; rather all things are in need of Him; and He is the possessor of might. [63] There is no god but Allah, the Mighty, the Wise. ”

“As for the words of the describers, ‘He, the Blessed and Exalted, comes down,’ they are of those who ascribe him to decrease or increase. [64] All moving things are in need of that which moves them or that through which they move. [65] Whoever has doubts about Allah perishes. [66] Therefore, be careful in respect with His attributes lest you should define Him through increase, decrease, mobilization, movement, disappearance, coming down, rising, and sitting down. For Allah is far above the description of the describers, the depict of the depicters, the imagination of the imagining. And rely on the Mighty, the Merciful, Who sees you when you stand up and your turning over and over among those who prostrate themselves before Allah. [67]”[68]

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The Imam, peace be on him, talked to his companions about negating movement from Allah, the Most High, saying: “I do not say that He is standing and remove Him from His place, nor can I find Him in a place where He is, nor can I find Him move through a thing such as foundations and limbs, nor can I define Him through a word. However, that is as Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, says: Be, so there it is through His will without hesitation in a soul. (He is) eternal and signal. He is in no need of a partner to mention His kingdom to Him and to open to Him the doors to His knowledge. ”[69]

The Imam, peace be on him, wanted not to describe Allah, the Most High, through the rising the linguists maintain, that His disappear from the place where He had been before His rising is required; similarly he did not describe Him through His being in a place, that His being a limited body is required. He also did not describe Him through the movement of the whole His body or through the movement of the limbs, for this requires from Him change and the need of others; Allah, the Exalted, is above all of that. The Imam, peace be on him, explained Allah’s way of creating things, that is not through speech; rather His command when he desires a thing, He says to it: Be, so there it is. Allah, the Most High does what He wills through His will without using any tool or a limb, without hesitation or thinking. In creating things He is in no need of a partner to help him nor a minister to manage for Him His affairs, seeks help from him or mention to Him His Kingdom and power.

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2. Negating Body from Allah

Among the things maintained by the atheists at that time is: “Allah, the Most High, has a body just as the rest of beings. ” Hisham b. al-Hakam believed in that before his repentance and his returning to the true way. Imam Musa was informed about his beliefs, and he said in the answer to him: “Which obscenity and indecency is greater than the statement of him who describes the Creator of things with body or form or creation or limitation or limbs?! Allah, the Exalted, is far above that! ”[70]

Al-Shahristani mentioned that Hisham b. al-Hakam had essays on comparing Allah to human being, and that Hisham b. Salim al-Jewaliqi agreed with him on that. Among the things they said is that “Allah, the Exalted, is seven spans (of the hand) in His own span, that He is in a certain place and a certain direction, that He, the Most High, looks like human being. His upper part is hollow; and his lower part is solid. He glares and shines. He has five senses, a leg, a nose, an ear, and an eye. He has black hair hanging down His ears. However, He is neither flesh nor blood. ”[71]

Some researchers criticized ascribing that to Hisham, for that he was trustworthy and knowledgeable, and that he was on top of the Muslim thinkers. So how is ascribing that to him correct? These beliefs might issued from him because he maintained some atheistic beliefs before he got acquainted with the Imam. However, when he communicated with the Imam, peace be on him, he returned to the way of the truth and correctness; he became among the great Muslim thinkers. We will explain that when we speak about his life.

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‘Abd al-Rahman told the Imam, peace be on him, about Hisham’s statements on comparing Allah to human body as follows: “Surely Allah is a body; nothing like the likeness of Him. (He) is Knowledgeable, Hearing, Seeing, Powerful, Speaking, and articulate. The speech, the power, and knowledge proceed in the same manner; nothing of them is created. ”

So the Imam refuted that, saying: “May Allah fight him! Did he not know that the body was limited, and that the speech was other than the speaker? Allah forbid! I am clear before Allah of this statement. (Allah) is neither a body, nor a form, nor a limitation. All things apart from him are created. All things happen according to His will and His desire without a speech nor hesitation in soul nor utterance through a tongue. ”[72]

Among the things he, peace be on him, was asked about in respect with the attributes of Allah is that he was asked about the body and form of Allah, and he, peace be on him, answered: “Glory belongs to Him the like of Whom there is nothing! (He) is neither body nor form! ”[73]

3. The Meaning of Allah

Vague errors and heresies spread during that time. The Imam, peace be on him, was asked many questions about the selfness and attributes of Allah. Among the questions about which he was asked is: “the meaning of Allah. ” So he, peace be on him, answered: “He has controlled the small and the great. ”[74]

This explanation the Imam expressed is the explanation of a thing through which that requires it. For the meaning of Godhood requires Him to control all things, small and great, present and absent, and all things wherein. In the book al-Mehasin it has been narrated that he was asked about the meaning of these words of Allah: The Beneficent is firm in power[75], and he, peace be on him, answered: “He Has controlled all small and great things. ”[76]

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4. His Knowledge

The Imam was asked about the knowledge of Allah, the Exalted: “Had Allah been knowledgeable of things before He created and formed them? Or had He been unknowledgeable of that until He created them and wanted to create and form them, so He came to know of what He created when He created and what He created when He created? ”

So he, peace be on him, answered: “Allah had still been knowledgeable of things before He created them just as His knowledge of things after He came to know of the creation of things. ”[77]

Muhammed b. Hamza wrote to him a letter in which he asked him about the knowledge of Allah. This is the text of the letter: “Surely, your followers have differed over the knowledge (of Allah). Some of them say: ‘We say that Allah had still been knowledgeable before creating things. And some of them say: ‘We do not say that Allah had not still been knowledgeable, for the meaning of to know is to do. If we prove knowledge, then we will prove an eternal thing along with Him. ’ So, I think, may Allah make me your ransom, that you must teach me of that to which I restrict myself and do not exceed it. ”

Accordingly, the Imam, peace be on him, wrote him back: “Allah is eternally knowledgeable, may His name be blessed and exalted. ”[78]

His answer to this question is very short due to the fact that the questioner was unable to understand the answer. For this question is among the most difficult philosophical questions. The early philosophers differed over it. The Aristotelians followed their teacher Aristotle. They maintained that the knowledge of Him, the exalted, of things had been before them. Plato’s followers believed that the knowledge of Allah, may His name be exalted, is simultaneous to things. The two parties gave many proofs that included a kind of obscurity and vagueness. As the questioner was unable to understand such subjects, the Imam gave him a short answer.

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5. Allah’s Will

Saffwan b. Yehya asked the Imam about Allah’s will: Does it (will) issue from Allah or from creatures?

He, peace be on him, answered: “The will of the creatures is the pronoun and the verb that seems to them after that. As for that of Allah, it is His creating (things) only, for He neither deliberates nor intends nor thinks. He does not have these attributes, for they are the attributes of the creatures. Therefore, Allah’s will is the verb only. He says to it: Be, so there it is without a word nor utterance nor a tongue nor intention nor thinking. There is no howness to that just as there is no howness to Him. ”[79]

The explanation of his statement is that man’s will is a psychological manner takes place after his imagining the thing appropriate for him and his believing in its being positive and useful with scientific believing not hypothetical one. So when a thing reaches the level of superiority in the depth of one’s mind, the determination of finding it takes place. As for Allah’s will, it is not something new added to His Holy Selfness, for the occurrence of an attribute or a manner in His Selfness is impossible. The will for Him is nothing but His creating things, for He, the Exalted, is far above deliberation and reflection.

6. Allah’s Desire

‘Ali b. Ibraheem said: [I heard Abu al-Hasan Musa, peace be on him, say: ] “Nothing occurs except what Allah wills, desires, ordains, and decrees. ”

“What is the meaning of desires? ” I asked him.

“The beginning of the verb,” he replied.

“What is the meaning of ordains? ” I asked him.

“To ordain the length and width of a thing,” he answered.

“What is the meaning of decrees? ” I asked him.

“When He decrees (a thing) , He says to it: be,” he replied, “therefore, that is the thing which nothing can avert. ”[80]

The short explanation to his speech is that man has optional deeds of which are will, desire, estimation, and carrying out. As He, the Most High, regarded the out beings as among His own verbs, they were preceded by desire, will, estimation, and carrying out, issued from His knowledge and His power. Therefore, they should be preceded by desire, will, determination, and decree. The desire and the will must be achieved in finding an optional deed. The meaning standing in the 

soul through its relationship with the doer is called a desire, and through its relationship with the verb is called will; the estimation is the specification of the amount of the verb. The decree is the final decision between which and the verb there is no means. When the decree of Him, the Most High, associated with a thing, He carried it out; it is the thing which nothing can avert.

7. The Formative and Legislative Will

The Imam, peace be on him, said: “Surely, Allah has two wills and two desires: the will of ordainment, and the will of determination. He prohibits and desires; He commands and does not desire. Did you not know that He prohibited Adam and his wife from eating of the tree. He desired that. If he had not desired that they would not eat, their desire would have not overcome the desire of Allah, the Exalted. He commanded Ibrahim to slay (his son) Ishaq. He did not desire to make him slay him. If He had desired, the desire of Ibrahim would have not overcome the desire of Allah, the Most High. ”[81]

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The explanation of his statement is that will is divided into the real, formative will and the nominal, legislative will. So man’s will that associates with his own deed is a formative will that urges his limbs to find deed; along with it, it is impossible for limbs to refuse to obey except due to a certain obstruction. As for the will that associates with the deeds of others such as that he orders a thing to be done or ordered it not to be done, it is not formative; rather it is legislative. For it does not affect finding or leaving the verb by others; rather it depends on his formative will.

As for the formative will of Allah, it is that which associates with a thing, there is no escape from finding the thing, and it is impossible for it to stay behind it. As for His legislative will, it is that which associates with the deed in respect of its being good and righteous. As for Allah’s prohibiting Adam from eating and He willed that, and the command of Him, the Exalted, to Ibrahim to slay his son and He willed that, the command and prohibition in respect with them were legislative. Similarly the meaning of the desire is the formative desire. The narration declared that Ibrahim was ordered to slay his son Ishaq, not Isma‘il. This opposes the traditions narrated on the authority of the Imams of guidance, peace be on them, and which indicated that Ibrahim was ordered to slay his son Isma‘il, and not Ishaq.

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We are satisfied with this amount of his answers to the atheists and his refuting their vague errors. The Imam has another legacy related to the prophethood and the Imamate. Al-Mejjlisi has mentioned it in his book al-Bihar. Al-Kulayni has also mentioned it in his book al-Usool. If we dealt with it, then we had to write a big book on it. For this reason we are satisfied with what we have mentioned as proof of his taking care of refuting the vague errors and confuting misleading thoughts that spread among the Muslims.

Anyway, an atheistic movement invaded the time of the Imam. The enemies of Islam and those who harbored malice against its victories led that movement. They thought that they had no means to resist it except through spreading destructive beliefs among the Muslims, that they might weaken the ideological side. However, shortly after that, those thoughts disappeared; those misleading thoughts and heresies were buried through the good efforts of the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them, and the leading thinkers from among their students. That was when they set off with great enthusiasm to defend Islam and to protect it from the vague errors of the atheists and the misleading people.

Those atheistic waves, which spread during that time, clearly indicate that the society led a bad life full of ideological differences and doubts about the Islamic thought. Without doubt, the debates of the Imams, peace be on them, played an important role in returning the Muslims to the way of the truth and correctness. With this point we will end our talk about the ideological invasion that befell the Muslims, and that was the most important event at that time.

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[62] It means that Allah is far above movement and going from place to another. For the one distinguished by movement is possible, and for his existence in places is not one. When he is present in one place, he is absent from another. When he is close to one thing, he is far from another. When he has a purpose in a certain place, he must move and go to attain the purpose. As for Allah, the Most High, it is impossible for Him to do that. For His ratio to all places is one. None of the places is nearer to Him than another. Therefore, he is in no need of movement, and His existence is the same in nearness and remoteness.

[63] Certainly all things are in need of Allah, the Exalted. For it is He who gives existence to them. If He, the Most High, was in need of a thing, then the lack of a thing required the thing of which it was in need through one whereness. That is impossible, for it requires the vicious circle, which is invalid.

[64] The Imam, peace be on him, refers to the corrupt beliefs that result from maintaining that Allah, the Most High, comes down the heaven. For that requires movement.

[65] He, peace be on him, refers to another proof of the invalid thoughts of those who claims that Allah comes down the heaven. For that also requires His movement.

[66] He, peace be on him, warned against corrupt doubts, for it brings about destruction and apostasy from the religion, and for that Allah, the Exalted, is far above these corrupt beliefs whose incorrectness is known by all people even those who have little knowledge.

[67] Qur'an, 26, 219.

[68] Usool al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 125.

[69] Ibid.

[70] Ibid, p. 105.

[71] Al-Milal wa al-Nihal.

[72] Usool al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 106.

[73] Ibid. , p. 104.

[74] Ibid. , p. 115.

[75] Ibid. , 20, 5.

[76] Al-Tabrasi, al-Ihtijajj.

[77] Usool al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 107.

[78] Ibid.

[79] Ibid. , p. 127.

[80] Ibid. , p. 150.

[81] Ibid. , p. 151.

Bad Manners

In most of its periods, the ‘Abbasid time was the time of amusement and dissoluteness. During it the people were interested in delight and singing. They rushed to enjoy all kinds of the forbidden things such as drinking wine, playing gambling, drinking with slave girls and boys, and the like from among the things made forbidden by Allah. The ruling persons encouraged them to practice such abominable deeds. For they themselves were immersed in abominable deeds, sins and urging the people to that amusement. We regard the poets of that time as a measure for the corrupt manners, for they correctly represented the whole trends and inclinations of the society. Their poetry represents neither earnestness nor activity in the public life, nor does it picture any reality of cultural life. Rather the poetry describes wine, songstresses, urging people to practice pleasures and low desires. Their poems in this respect are black pages in Arabic literature. An example of this is that the poets of the ‘Abbasid royal palace met and said: “Where shall we spend our evening. ” They invited each other to their houses. So Abu Nu’as suggested that that invitation should be poetry and not prose, and that the group had to decide the best of them in composing poetry. Accordingly, Dawud b. Razeen al-Sabati said:

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Rise (and go) to the house of amusement and the hidden shadow of a house in which are flowers, narcissus, jasmine, fragrant musk, redolent plants, a songstress with coquetry and sedate reason, who sings all the original, clear (poems) of Ibn Razeen.

They all composed poems urging (people) to practice pleasures, amusement, and dissoluteness. This kind of corrupt poetry indicates that mischief and bad manners, and that the people abandoned the religious teachings that forbade that. The poetry represents the characteristics of the life in that time. For their sentiments and feelings clung to amusement and dissoluteness. Their hearts clung to wine. So they described and praised it. Abu Nu’as devoted his mental efforts to describing cups, glasses, vats (of wine) , barmen, vintners, drinking companions, and grapevines. He mentioned different kinds of wine and how they were made. He made a distinction between this and that in taste, color, and smell. He explained the intoxication and its movement in limbs and heads. He not only explained that in a technical way, but also he explained it with love. He loved wine so much that he adorned it.

Drinking wine was associated with singing and dancing at that time. The princes and the ladies from among the high life in Baghdad took part in certain concert parties. Private house prepared for wine, singing, beating tambourines and drums spread there. The gardens in the outskirts of Baghdad were full of bars to which the poets, the youth, and the young ladies frequently went. In a poem of his, Muti‘ b. Ayas described the bar in Sabah’s garden. The abbeys also became places of drinking wine, love, and dissoluteness.

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Baghdad, rather all cities of Iraq, became houses of amusement, drinking wine, and dissoluteness. Accordingly, the people followed their low desires and abandoned the Islamic values that forbade that. That brought about bad manners. The people were absorbed in sin, abominable things, and corruption. Dissoluteness included celebrating boys in love poems. Abu Nu’as and the like went too far in practicing such an art. This matter made bad manners spread among the people.

Without doubt the policy of the ‘Abbasid First Time Government was responsible for this wave of corruption and dissoluteness. For those kings played an important role in spreading amusement, abominable things, and corruption.

Misery and Unhappiness

The overwhelming majority in the Islamic countries suffered from poverty and deprivation. It was burdened with oppression and misery. Properties were piled- up with special groups of the singers and the dissolute. They practiced all kinds of pleasures and went too far in following their low desires. As for the general populace, they suffered from hunger and poverty due to the oppression of the rulers and their tyranny in taking kharaj (land taxes). Persecuting the society and the bad economic life have been described by Abu al-‘Atahiya, a great social poet, in his poem he wrote to the king of Baghdad. In it he has mentioned.

Who gives on my behalf successive pieces of advice to the Imam?

Surely I see that the prices of the subjects are high.

I see that the earnings are insignificant. I see that the necessity is widespread.

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I see that the worries of the time come and go.

I see that the orphans are miserable, empty houses.

They, hopeful male and female, yearn for you.

They complain (to you) of hard work with weak, loud voices.

They hope for your relief out of what they have faced that they may see well-being.

The misfortunes of hunger enter into evening and upon the morning (causing) hunger.

Who relieves the hungry stomachs and naked bodies?

I have reported to you conclusive news from the subjects.

This is the social conditional that prevailed the time of Harun. Millions of the subjects were naked and hungry, whilst the treasury in Baghdad was full of their properties. However, none had the right to use them except the caliphs, their children, and their oppressive, dissolute ministers. As for those who did not flatter the rulers, they led a life of poverty and misery. Now, let Abu al-‘Atahiya tell us about that Golden Time, as the historians say:

The dry loaf of bread you eat in a corner, and a narrow room where you are alone or a mosque far from the people is better than the hours in the shade of the high palaces.

This statement tells (you) about my state.

Blessed is he who hears it! By my life, it is sufficient.

Therefor, listen to the advice of the loyal one called Abu al-‘Atahiya.

These kinds of hopelessness, pessimism, and pain mentioned by the poet of the ‘Abbasid society resulted from the corruption of the then rulers and their bad power. For their crooked policy spread among the people poverty and deprivation, while it placed wealth among a special class that went too far in practicing pleasures. They decorated their palaces with excellent furniture and their walls with silk. They planted flowers in their gardens, to the extent they brought to them excellent flowers from India. They went too far in creating different kinds of enjoyments. When they were tired of a certain enjoyment, they changed it into another. Abu al-Faraj al-Asfahani said: “Some of them were about to bang his head against an iron bar due to the good singing. ” The result of that was the spreading of poverty among the popular classes.

Anyway, the ‘Abbasid governments at the ‘Abbasid Time 1 plundered the properties of the Islamic peoples, spread poverty throughout their countries, spent the money in central budget on prostitution, amusement, and spoiling morals. So the masses were sure of the corruption of those authorities and of their illegal rule. In the meantime, they were sure that the ‘Alawids were the summoners to social justice, the shelter of the oppressed and persecuted.

The Policy of the ‘Abbasid Government

During most of its times, the ‘Abbasid government stood on oppression and tyranny. It did not witness social and political justice. Through their governing, the ‘Abbasids followed a special dictatorial method. They controlled all the judicial and administrative authorities. There was no administrative and consultative council to deal with the affairs of the subjects, their interests, the means of their development and progress. The nature of the government was dictatorial. The caliph decided according to his personal viewpoints, for he was the shadow of Allah on earth, as they say. So he went too far in practicing dictatorship, plundering properties, preventing freedoms, and forcing the people to do what they hated.

In most of its historical periods, the ‘Abbasid government was similar to the Umayyad one in material and form. Lithfy Dilla Fida says: “Certainly the administrative system followed by the ‘Abbasids was in essence the system of the Umayyads. ”[82]

The official circles damaged the rights of the common people, while they flattered the notables, the heads, and the possessors of influence. Amin al-Rayhani says: “The oppressive did not suffer from adversities. Rather the miserable, those who paid taxes and answered the summons to jihad[83] suffered from adversities. It was they who suffered from oppression and tyranny. For their affair was simple with those rulers who alone possessed distributing good and evil among those whom they liked and disliked. They spent the wealth of the miserable Muslim peoples on their low desires and on their followers. They sometimes admired a song, so they gave to the singer a lot of money. In the meantime they hated the word of a reformer, so they shed the reformer’s blood and confiscated his properties. When al-Mu‘tazid, the ‘Abbasid Caliph, was angry with a military commander, he ordered the military commander to be buried alive. [84] Many ‘Abbasid rulers were famous for violence, oppression, and shedding blood.

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Al-‘Atabi was asked the state of the then government: “Why do you not seek nearness to the ruler through your poems? ”

“I saw him give ten thousand (dirhams) for nothing, and he ordered someone to be thrown down the wall for nothing,” replied al-‘Atabi, “I do not know which of the two men I follow. ”[85]

Muhammed b. al-Harith was ordered to go to al-Wathiq, and he said: “I was very afraid. I was afraid that someone had informed the Caliph against me or a certain misfortune had happened. ”[86]

When al-Ma’mun killed his minister al-Fedl b. Sahl, he entrusted the ministry with Ahmed b. Abi Khalid, but he refused to accept it and said: “All those who undertook the ministry were endangered. ”[87] The reason for that is that the caliphs did not follow a certain law; rather they decided according to their personal inclinations. So they divided death and life among those whom they liked and disliked.

The caliphs ordered people to be killed in group for a certain piece of information. An example of that Abu Ja‘far was informed against a man called al-Fudayl, the secretary of his son Ja‘far. He was informed that al-Fudal played with Ja‘far. So he sent two men and ordered them to kill him wherever they found him. He wrote a letter to Ja‘far to inform him what he had ordered them. He said to the two men: “Do not give the letter to Ja‘far until you have killed al-Fudayl. ” When they reached al-Fudayl, they beheaded him. Al-Fudayl was a righteous person. Al-Mansur was told that he was an innocent person, and that he was quick in killing him. So he repented of that. He gave ten thousand dirhams to a messenger and ordered him to go to al-Fudayl before he had been killed. However, the messenger came and found him a motionless corpse. Accordingly, Ja‘far condemned that and said to his retainer: “What does the Commander of the faithful say in respect with the murder of a chaste, religious, Muslim man without a crime? ”

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So Suwayd answered him: “He is the Commander of the faithful. He does whatever he pleases. He is more knowledgeable of what he does. ”

The kings killed the people and shed their blood according to their low desires. They did whatever they wanted, for they were the Shadow of Allah on earth. They were not asked about sin or crime.

During the ‘Abbasid days, the Islamic countries suffered from oppression and tyranny. For the ‘Abbasids employed violence in carrying out their plans. For the first time in Islamic history the leather rug (for executing people) was put by the throne of the Caliph. The Caliph employed it and the headsman as means to ascend the throne, as Philip Hety says.

The ‘Abbasid Caliphs followed this policy throughout their times. They did not yield to the truth and justice; rather they yielded to their low desires and feelings. The boys, the women, and the corrupt drinking companions played an important role in managing the affairs of the government, distributing gifts and salaries among the people, and depriving them of them. All these things did not depend on the Law of Allah; rather they resulted from the caliphs personal inclinations, which were very far from justice.

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[82] Al-'Asr al-'Abbasi al-Awwal, p. 45.

[83] Al-Nekebat.

[84] Tarikh al-Islam, vol. 3, p. 18.

[85] Al-Mustatraf, vol. 1, p. 215.

[86] Abu al-Farajj al-Asfahani, al-Aghani, vol. 3, p. 215.

[87] Tayfur, p. 215.

The Muslim Sects

Perhaps the most important things took place at the ‘Abbasid Time 1 were the Muslims sects, who differed over the origins and branches of the religion. The certain thing is that the ‘Abbasid authorities founded the Muslim sects, fed them, and made them grow. They forced the people to embrace them. I (the author) think that they wanted to send the Muslims far from the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt, who represented the true Islam and its revolutionary trends aiming at putting an end to social oppression, saving the people from the political tyranny.

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During the ‘Abbasid time, the ‘Alawids went to the fields of the holy jihad, that they might protect the society from the Umayyads’ violence and severe punishments, and return to society the Islamic noble principles, which depended on spreading justice, freedom, equality, ease, stability, perfect faith in the individual’s rights, securing the means of his daily bread, and his security. Islam regarded that as a basic rule for developing the society and making it lead a free, noble life.

For these noble principles the ‘Alawids went to the fields of struggle and jihad. So they met difficult problems, their limbs were cut off, their blood was shed, and they were executed. The masses were sure that the ‘Alawids were the protectors and leaders of this community, that the society would obtain the means of its livelihood and its welfare except through their government. Accordingly, they supported them. The slogans of the revolutionaries and of the demonstrators were the summons to al-Rida from among the Family of Muhammed. The violent revolt that broke out all over the Islamic countries put an end to the Umayyad government, toppled it and removed its traces. However, the ‘Abbasids usurped the authority. When the affairs went well with them, they spared no effort to destroy the ‘Alawids and their followers, who were the source of the aware forces in Islam.

The terrible plan the ‘Abbasid government drew to destroy the Shi‘a and all the opposing forces includes the following:

1. They founded the Islamic doctrines, divided the Muslims, and made them busy with ideological beliefs, that they might divert them from thinking of political affairs. Accordingly, the clubs in Baghdad, Kufa, Basrah, Medina, and all the cities of the Islamic world were full of theological debates and philosophical discussions. All these debates and discussions were about the ideological frame in Islam. The scientific life at that time was directed to this side only; it was not direct to any side of the political life the Muslims led.

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2. They wanted to isolate the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt from the Muslims, to impose supervision on them, to prevent the Muslims from communicating with them and taking the principal features of the religion from them.

The ‘Abbasids felt that the people were in need of understanding the affairs of their religion. So al-Mansur al-Dewaniqi entrusted Imam Malik, the head of a Muslim sect, with writing a book on Islamic jurisprudence, that he might force the people to follow it. However, Malik refused that, but he finally responded to him out of pressure and wrote al-Muwatta. [88]

The ‘Abbasid government supported the Imams of the doctrines and spread their jurisprudence. It forced the people to follow them. Besides it gave a lot of money to them and greatly honored them. Al-Rashid ordered his governor over Medina not to carry out any order without consulting Malik; similarly, he sat on the ground to hear his speech. [89] He ordered the pilgrims to be told that none had the right to give religious decisions except Malik. So the people overcrowded around him, and the delegates came to him from all over the Islamic countries to listen to his speech and to take religious verdicts from him. None was able to approach Malik because he was officially respected. Some strong black young men surrounded him. They severely punished him who intended to criticized him. Isma‘il al-Fezari said: “I came in to Malik and asked him to narrate me some traditions. He related to me twelve traditions, and then he ceased. So I said to him: ‘Relate to me more traditions, may Allah honor you. ’ He had some black young men standing behind him. He commanded them to take me out of his house, and they did. ”[90]

Certainly the ‘Abbasid government took great care of Malik and other than him from among the Imams of the sects, that it might undermine the entity of the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them, and put an end to the Shi‘ites, who were the greatest of all the people in opposing it. It is important for us to pause to talk about the Shi‘ite sect, who carried the standard of righteousness, revolted against the tyrannical rulers, whose history is full of achievements, laudable deeds, and serving the Muslims. That is as follows:

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[88] Al-Zarqani, Sharh al-Muwatta', vol. 1, p. 8.

[89] Al-Zawi, Menaqib Malik.

[90] Sharh al-Intiqa', vol. 2, p. 42.

The Meaning of the Shi‘a

In Arabic the Shi‘a means followers and supporters. This meaning includes all those who follow Imam ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, and his household. Al-Fayruz Abadi said: “Man’s Shi‘ites are his followers and supporters. This name includes all those who follow ‘Ali and his household, peace be on them, to the extent that it concerns them only. ”[91]

Ibn Manzur said: “The origin of the Shi‘a is the sect of people; it includes one, two, plural, masculine, feminine. This name is used to those who follow ‘Ali and his household, may Allah be pleased with them all, to the extent that it concerns them. If it is said, ‘so-and-so is a Shi‘ite,’ it means that belongs to them. ”[92] The linguists have unanimously greed on the explanation of the Shi‘a we have mentioned.

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[91] Al-Qamus, vol. 3, p. 47.

[92] Ibn Manzur, Lisan al-'Arab, vol. 10, p. 55.

The Beginning of the Shi‘a

The certain thing is that the Shi‘a was formed during the time of the great Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. He was the first to put this good seed, to make it grow, and to take care of it. Imam Kashif al-Ghita’ said: “The leader of the Islamic Law (the Prophet) was the first to put the seed of Shi‘ism in the field of Islam. This means that the seed of Shi‘ism was but beside that of Islam. The one who planted it (the Prophet) took care of watering it until it grew up and flourished during his life. Then it produced fruit after his death. My proofs of that are his holy hadiths (traditions). (I will not mention them) through the chain of the authorities of the Shi‘ites and the Imami narrators lest it should be said: ‘They are invalid because the maintain the return or their narrator draws the fire to his own loaf of bread. ’

Rather (I will mention) them from among the traditions of the Sunni scholars and their great figures and through their trustworthy chain of authorities. ” Then he, may Allah have mercy on him, has mentioned what al-Sayuti has narrated in his book al-Durr al-Mantur in respect with the explanation of these words of Him, the Exalted: Those are the best of mankind. He said: [Ibn ‘Asakr narrated on the authority of Jabir b. ‘Abd Allah al-Ansari, who said: ] “We were with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. When ‘Ali, peace be on him, came, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, said: ‘By Him in whose hand is my soul, surely this (‘Ali) and his Shi‘ites are the successful on the Day of Resurrection. ’” Then he, may Allah have mercy one him, has mentioned a group of traditions confirming what we have mentioned. [93] Abu Hatem al-Razi said: “The first name to appear in Islam was Shi‘a. This was the name of four companions (of the Prophet) , who are Abu Dharr, Selman, ‘Ammar, and al-Muqdad. When the time of the (Battle of) Siffin came, the followers of ‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, were famous for this name. ”[94]

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This thought began at the dawn of Islamic history. It was founded by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and was embraced by his great companions, who believed in Islam and fought bravely for it, such as Abu Dharr, Selman, ‘Ammar, al-Muqdad, and the like of them from among the Muslims great figures.

All Shi‘ite researchers have confirmed the correctness of this viewpoint. The late Shaykh al-Muzaffari says: “Surely, the summons to Shi‘ism began on the day when the great savor Muhammed, may Allah bless him and his family, called out: ‘There is no god but Allah. ’ When these words of Him, the Exalted, were revealed to him: And warn your nearest relations[95], he gathered the Hashimites and warned them, saying: ‘Whoever helps me in this matter will be my brother, my testamentary trustee (wasi) , my helper (wazir) , my heir and my successor after me. ’ However, none answered him to what he wanted except al-Murtada (‘Ali). So the Prophet said to them: ‘This is my brother, my testamentary trustee (wasi) , my helper (wazir) , my heir and my successor after me. Therefore, listen to him and obey him. ’”

Al-Muzaffary added: “The summons from the leader of the message (the Prophet) to following Abu al-Hasan (‘Ali) walked alongside the summons to the two witnesses. For this reason, Abu Dharr al-Ghifari was among the Shi‘ites of ‘Ali. ”[96]

If we look at the reality with a look free from inclinations and sentiments and distinguished by scientific investigation, we will find the reality, originality, and depth of this statement. The following points confirm it:

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1. The great Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, left after him great principles that developed the individual and social life of his community. He left behind him great inheritance the like of which people have never found throughout their historical stages. He has declared human rights and brought high objectives aiming at man’s security, welfare, and happiness.

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, took great care of spreading his message. So it was important for him to appoint someone after him to protect his principles, to keep his message, and to spread it among the peoples on earth. Of course, every leader of a message certainly takes this procedure.

2. There was a necessity that required the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, to entrust the affair to someone after him. This necessity is that there were forces that harbored malice against Islam, schemed against it by day and night, and spared no effort to put out its light. These forces were the hypocrites the Holy Qur’an has dispraised and against whom the great Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, warned his community. These forces were represented by Abu Sufyan, and most the Umayyads. Therefore, how did the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, neglect the affair of the succession after him and leave his community lead a life of chaos? This means that he wanted to empower the wicked forces to destroy his objectives and put an end to his principles and message. It was impossible for the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, to do that.

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In addition to that is that the Arab Peninsula was not familiar with the summons to regulation and stability of which the message of Islam took care of. For it contained great development in respect with world of economy, policy, administration, and all the regulations that take care of general security, keeping political stability, the general balance in the individual and social life. The Arab Peninsula was not fully aware of this great development, nor was it fully aware of the real dimensions of the message of Islam and its great renaissance. So it was incumbent on the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, to appoint a successor after him, that his message might continue achieving its activities and objectives.

Yet there is a very important thing that required the great Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, to appoint a successor after him. This thing was the outside situation. The Romans, the Persians, and the like from among the governments of the world were afraid of the progress and spread of Islam. Their peoples were eager for embracing Islam, that it might save them from tyranny and oppression, protect them from despotism and dictatorship. Those countries waited for an appropriate opportunity to destroy Islam and were ready to send all their troops to put an end to it. Of course, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, was fully aware of that. Therefore, how did he neglect the affair of the caliphate, which was in the same position to backbone in respect with his community?

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Certainly, the local chaos and the outside danger required the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, to take great care of the affair of the succession after him. As for the statement that he, may Allah bless him and his family, neglected it, it has no aspect of scientific research, and it is very far from the thinking of the aware, wise personality of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, the like of which people have never seen in awareness and understanding the realities of affairs.

I (the author) think that if a person is free from tribalism, imitation, reflects on the reality accurately and deeply, he will come to know that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, took great care of succession and regarded it on top of the important affairs.

3. If we carefully consider the events happened during the time of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, we will conclude that he appointed the pioneer and gave proofs of the leader who would undertake the cultural and political leadership after him, and that he definitely adopted and prepared this matter, that he might keep the future of his mission, protect its achievements from collapse and disappearance.

The great Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, chose Imam ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, to undertake the general and timely authorities; we will give proofs of that. This choice was not because of preference and love for relationship. For that is very far from the thinking of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, for he yielded to nothing except the truth, justice, and the interests of his community. Rather, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, appointed Imam ‘Ali, peace be on him, over this important office because he had unique abilities, noble tendencies, and abundant power to undertake the huge responsibilities. Imam ‘Ali was nearest of all the people to Allah’s Apostle, the greatest of them in understanding and awareness of his objectives and principles, the most similar of them to him in clinging to the true Islam. He accompanied the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, when young. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, supplied him with his knowledge, and he, peace be on him, has expressed that, saying:

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Certainly, you know my position of close kinship and special relationship with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. When I was only a child, he took charge of me. He used to press me to his chest and lay me beside him in his bed, bring his body close to mine and make me smell his smell. He used to chew something and then feed me with it. He found no lie in my speaking, nor weakness in any act…. I used to follow him like a young camel following in the footprints of its mother. Every day he would show me in the form of a banner some of his high traits and commanded me to follow it. Every year he used to go in seclusion to the hill of Hira, where I saw him but no one else saw him. In those days Islam did not exist in any house except that of the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family, and Khadija, while I was the third after these two. I used to see and watch the effulgence of divine revelation and message, and breathed the scent of Prophethood.

Imam ‘Ali, peace be on him, spent a great part of his life with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, who took care of him and was kind to him. He took part beside him in the fields of jihad and the fields of the scientific experience of the success of the Islamic message, and his knowledge of its methods and its philosophy, his abilities and genius. All things required his nomination for the office of the caliphate, as preference the best to those other than him and as a guarantee for the interests of the community.

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4. As for the events narrated from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, concerning his nominating and appointing Imam ‘Ali as a successor after him, they are so many that many books have been written on them. Among these books are al-Wasiya by al-Mas‘udi, al-Alfayn by al-‘Allama (al-Hili) , Talkhis al- Shafi by al-Tusi, and others. Al-‘Allama (al-Hili) has mentioned in his book over thirty books on the will of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, to Imam ‘Ali. [97] The Shi‘ite theologians have mentioned many proofs of that. We will mention some of them as follows:

A. The Shi‘ites have proved their belief in this subject matter through Hadith al-Manzila (the Tradition of the Position) in which the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, has said: “You are in the same position in respect with me as Harun was to Musa except that there is no prophet after me. ”[98] Shaykh al-Mufid think that this tradition is a proof of the Imamate of Imam ‘Ali, saying: “That is because Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, decided his (Imam ‘Ali’s) merit over the group, support, help, succession during his life and after his death, and the Imamate for him, due to the fact that Harun received all these positions from Musa during his lifetime. ”[99]

B. Surely the most reliable, clearest, and the greatest of all the proofs in including the attitude the Shi‘ites maintain is The Hadith of Khum. For on that immortal day the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, appointed Imam ‘Ali, peace be on him, as a successor after him and asked the Muslims to pledge allegiance to him. He took ‘Ali by the hand and addressed the Muslims, saying: “This is my successor after me among you; therefore, listen to him and obey him. ”[100]

The Hadith of Khum is a decisive, unquestionable proof. It is part of Islam.

Whoever denies it denies Islam, as al-‘Ala’ili says.

C. There is a group of traditions confirms that which the Shi‘ites maintain. Of this group is his statement before the Muslims: “This is my brother, my testamentary trustee, and my successor among you; therefore listen to him and obey him. ”[101] There are tens of traditions similar to this one. They clearly show that the 

Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, appointed Imam ‘Ali, peace be on him, as a caliph over the Muslims.

D. The dangerous events that accompanied the demise of the great Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, indicate that he at the last moment of his life time tried to reinforce the Imamate of Imam ‘Ali and to support it through all means. This is clear through the following:

Firstly, he, may Allah bless him and his family, took care of preparing the troops of Usama while he was in the last hours of his life time. He made it incumbent on the Muslims among whom were some of his great companions to join them immediately. He ordered them to leave Median soon. Apparently, he intended to void Medina of those craved after the caliphate. However, the people tarried and did not obey the Prophet’s commands. They looked for some excuses.

Secondly, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, ordered ink and parchment, that he might write for the community a document after which it would never go astray. Those who craved after the government came to know of his purpose, so they created violent disputes. They accused the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, of delirium. So they spoiled his command and they prevented him from his purpose. Accordingly, he, may Allah bless him and his family, rebuked them and ordered them to leave his house. Then he turned to those present and asked them to take care of his household. Of course, through this procedure he wanted to reinforce the pledge of allegiance to Imam ‘Ali at Ghadir Khum. However, the people prevented him from that.

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E. The pure family of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, protested against Abu Bakr and refrained from pledging allegiance to him, especially as it concerns the positive attitude Fatima, the mistress of the women of the world, peace be on her, took toward him. She wonderfully protested against him. When she was about to die, she asked (her husband) Imam ‘Ali to bury her in the dark lest one of the members of the government of Abu Bakr should come to know of her burial. All these things clearly indicate that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, appointed Imam ‘Ali as a successor after him.

The flagrant protests issued from Fatima, mistress of the women of the world, peace be on her, from the pure family of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and from the Muslim great figures such as ‘Ammar b. Yasir, Abu Dharr, Selman al-Farisi, and al-Muqdad are among the most reliable proof of what we have mentioned. I (the author) think that the protest of the daughter of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and his sweet basil, against Abu Bakr and her strict, violent attitude toward him was the reason for focusing the Shi‘ite thought, providing it with originality and subsistence. For the Shi‘ites have used this protest as a reliable proof of what they believe in respect with that Ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them, were more appropriate for the succession (after the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family).

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With this point we will end our talk about the foundation of the Shi‘ites. According to these brief proofs, the Shi‘ism began at the time of the leader of the message (the Prophet) , may Allah bless him and his family, for it was he who planted its seed and made its origins grow.

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[93] Asl al-Shi'a wa Usoolaha, pp. 87-88, Beirut edition.

[94] Roudat al-Jannat, p. 88.

[95] Ibid. , 26, 214.

[96] Tarikh al-Shi'a, p. 9.

[97] Ithbat al-Wasiya, pp. 3-4.

[98] Iman Ahmed b. Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 1, p. 179. Hulyat al-Awliya', vol. 7, p. 195. Tarikh Baghdad, vol. 1, p. 324. Al-Nisa'i, al-Khasa'is, p. 14. Asad al- Ghaba, vol. 4, p. 46. Al-Turmidhi, Sahih, vol. 2, p. 301. Al-Tabari, Tarikh, vol. 2, p. 368. Kanz al-'Ummal, vol. 3, p. 154. Majjma' al-Zawa'id, vol. 9, p. 109

[99] Al-Nikat al-I'tiqadiya, p. 51.

[100] Al-Shafi, Telkhis, vol. 2, pp. 56-70.

[101] Al-Tabari, Tarikh, vol. 2, p. 63. Ibn al-Athir, al-Kamil, vol. 2, p. 22.

The Ideological Frame of Shi‘a

The Shi‘ites maintain all the Islamic, ideological fundamentals whether they concern Allah’s positive and negative attributes or His decree and predetermination or other than that their theological books have mentioned. They also maintain the Imamate. They believe that it is among the obligatory fundamentals of the religion. They have stipulated that the Imam should be infallible and the most knowledgeable of the people of his time. We have objectively mentioned that in the first part of the book.

As for the legislative side, they take the branches and affairs of the religion from the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt. They believe in all the traditions narrated or said by them. The traditions narrated or said by the Imams are among the four proofs a Shi‘ite jurist use when he gives a religious decision. The Shi‘ites take their ideological frame in respect with the fundamentals and branches of the religion from the true Islam and from that which narrated on the authority of the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt for whom love has been made obligatory by Allah and whom the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, has regarded as equal to the Holy Qur’an.

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Love for Ahl al-Bayt

Among the Shi‘ite principles is showing sincere love for Ahl al-Bayt (the members of the House) , peace be on them. They deeply love and follow them as a sign of obedience to Allah, the Exalted, Who says: Say I do not ask of you any reward for it but love for my near relatives. [102] Allah, the Most High, has limited the reward of the message of His great Apostle to the love for his near relatives. Many traditions narrated on the authority of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, indicating that love for them is a sign of faith and detesting them is a sign of hypocrisy, that whoever loves them loves Allah and His Apostle, and that whoever detests them detests Allah and His Apostle. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, has guaranteed that whoever clings to them will never deviate from the way of the truth and correctness, as it has been mentioned in Hadith al-Theqelayn.

He, may Allah bless him and his family, has compared them to Noah’s Ark, saying: “The likeness of my family among you is like the likeness of Noah’s Ark. Whoever embarked it was saved (from drowning) ; and whoever stayed behind it drowned and died. ” For this reason love for the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them, and faith in their Imamate are among the essential affairs with the Shi‘ites and among their true beliefs. The Shi‘ites regard him who harbors malice against the Imams and denies their outstanding merits as like him who denies one of the Islamic, well-known necessities. “Rather he denies (the Islamic) message though he apparently confesses al-shehadetayn. ”

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The Shi‘ites are not excessive in their love for the Imams; rather they restrict themselves to the obligatory taking from that which narrated on their authority in respect with religious laws, and social, good manners. We have in detail mentioned that in the introduction of the book.

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[102] Ibid. , 42, 23.

The Revolt against Oppression

The history of the Shi‘ites is full of bitter struggle and violent revolts against the oppressive, tyrannical rulers. The Shi‘ites have set off to the fields of the brilliant jihad since the dawn of their history. They have raised the slogan of the Islamic justice and demanded it to be established on the arena of life. They have also resisted all kinds of social oppression. So, really, they are the flowing spring from which the revolts against the tyrannical flow.

The first summons to the inclusive reform started by the Shi‘ite men during those difficult periods when terrorism and tyranny prevailed, for the authorities imprisoned all those who talked about reform or summoned the people to it. However the Imams of the Shi‘ites and their great figures went to the fields of honor and sacrifice. They criticized the deeds of the oppressive and condemned their behavior. They carried out violent revolutions history has recorded for them with a pen of honor and light. They have been provided by the essence of revolt and sacrifice by Imam ‘Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, the leader of human justice on earth, for he was the first Muslim leader revolted against those arrogant, demanded justice and equality.

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During the short period of his government, he created true awareness and a revolt in the souls of his followers against all the oppressive dictators. Examples of that are: Hijr b. ‘Adi and his righteous companions revolted against Mu‘awiya. Some righteous people from among this community revolted against oppression, demanding Islamic justice and the Qur’anic precepts to be put into practice. The first one of their Imams to die a martyr was Imam al-Husayn, master of martyrs, peace be on him. He refused the oppression prevailing at his time and revolted against Yazid b. Mu‘awiya, the dictator. Through his revolt, he, peace be on him, has changed the course of history and taught the oppressive a wonderful lesson which is not forgotten until the Day of Resurrection. After him his grandsons and those of his brother al-Hasan, peace be on him, carried out continuos revolutions that astonished the oppressive, divided the unity of the dictators, enlightened the public opinion, and provided it with the essence of revolt against all the tyrannical and despotic.

The Shi‘ites maintain that if government is not in the hand of the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them, the community will suffer from oppression and tyranny, that justice and equality will never spread among it. Al-Wardi says: “The Shi‘ites were the first to hold the cultural revolt in Islam against tyranny. The essence of revolt is in their theory. The thought of the Imamate they maintain urged them to criticize the ruling class, (to declare) their opposition throughout the stages of their history, to regard all governments as usurping and oppressive except those undertaken by an infallible Imam. For this reason they continually carried out revolutions. They did not calm down, nor did they flag. ”[103]

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Through their continuous revolts, the Shi‘ite figures wanted to establish social justice, to put an end to all kinds of oppression and corruption. For this reason they offered many sacrifices to achieve this noble objective aiming at removing the corrupt government from the country.

According to these revolutionary doctrines the Shi‘ites have made it forbidden to cooperate with the oppressive rulers or to mange their official jobs. Imam al- Sadiq, peace be on him, said to his companions: “I dislike to make a contract with them (the oppressive) …. The oppressive and their helpers are in the Fire until Allah decides among his servants. ”

Imam Musa, peace be on him, said to Ziyad b. Abi Selema: “O Ziyad, if I fell off a high mountain and cut into pieces, it would be better for me than undertaking a work for them (the oppressive) or walking on a carpet of a man from among them. ”

The Imam, peace be on him, made it forbidden (for Muslims) to present a case against each other (in the courts) of the rulers of the unjust states. They gave a religious decision that what the judges did was invalid. Imam al-Sadiq, peace be on him, warned the jurists against communicating with those oppressive rulers, saying: “Jurists are the ones entrusted by the apostles. So, if you see them incline to the rulers, then beware of them! ”[104]

The Muslim, good class responded to these verdicts of Ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them. They refrained from communicating with the rulers. They made light of and disparaged all those who worked for them. An example of that is that Ibn al-Mubarek condemned Isma‘il b. Ibrahim al-Qereshi when he became a judge. He wrote him the following poem:

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O you who has appointed a falcon over knowledge to hunt the properties of the miserable!

You trick for the world and the pleasures wherein with a trick that destroys the religion.

You have become mad through it (job) , while you had been the medicine of the mad.

Where are your bygone narrations on the authority of Ibn ‘Ayun and Ibn Sireen?

Where are your detailed narrations on leaving the doors of the rulers?

If you said that you were forced, then that would be invalid. The donkey of knowledge has slipped in clay! [105]

The Shi‘ites have offered Islam and Muslims all the valuable services, and hoisted the flag of justice on earth. They are the greatest of all the Muslim sects in going to the fields of jihad to make high the word of truth and justice.

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[103] Wa ''az al-Salateen, p. 293.

[104] Hulyat al-Awliya, vol. 3, p. 194.

[105] Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, vol. 1, p. 278.

Courage and Intrepidity

The leader of the Shi‘ites and their great figures have strong courage and intrepidity. They are not afraid of authorities, nor do they yield to tyrannical governments. They bravely declare the Word of Allah and condemn abominable things.

An example of them is ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Afif al-Azdi. He was blind, but Allah lighted his heart with the light of faith. He revolted against ‘Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad when he delivered a speech after the murder of Imam al-Husayn, master of the martyrs, peace be on him, and cursed him. He refused his statement before the people in the mosque of Kufa, saying: “You, your father, and he who has appointed you as a governor are liars, O retainer of Banu ‘Allajj! Why have you killed the Prophet’s grandson and ascended the pulpits of the Muslims? Where are the children of the Emigrants and of the Ansar to take vengeance on you and on your tyrannical (leader) , the cursed one, son of the cursed one by the tongue of the trusted Prophet? ” He referred to Yazid b. Mu‘awiya.

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Through this great way people can put an end to oppression, remove unhappiness and tyranny from society, and achieve the objectives of the community. The Shi‘ite leaders condemned the deeds of the kings and of the governors throughout the stages of history. Al-Kumayt b. Ziyad al-Asadi, for example, satirized the Umayyads and made comparison between them and the ‘Alawids, saying:

They (the ‘Alawids) are politicians, but they are not like those who treat people and sheep in the same manner!

They are not like ‘Abd al-Malik, al-Waleed, Sulayman, and Hisham!

Another time he satirized Hisham and the sons of Merwan, saying:

The day of riding it is a misfortune upon the enemies. He is mistaken in what he has said about it.

Our speech is the speech of the guiding prophets; we perform the deeds of those people who lived before Islam.

He addressed the Umayyads through these brave poetry lines:

Say to the Umayyads even if you are afraid of the sword and estrangement:

May Allah make hungry him whom you have satisfied and make satisfied him who has been hungry through your oppression.

The Umayyads persecuted, tortured, and severely punished al-Kumayt, but he was firm in his thought and faith.

Al-Ferezdeq, a poet, appeared at that time. He criticized the Umayyads and openly dispraised them. He bravely defended his thought. Among his noble attitudes is that he praised Imam Zayn al-‘Abidin, peace be on him, and dispraised Hisham b. ‘Abd al-Malik when he pretended that he did not recognize the Imam. He said to him before the people:

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This is he whose ability the valley (of Mecca) recognizes, and whom the (Sacred) House recognizes (as do) the sanctuary and the area outside the sanctuary (al- hill).

This is the son of the best of all Allah’s servants. This is the pure, pious man, the pure eminent man.

Your statement, ‘who is this? ’ does hot harm him. The Arabs and the non-Arabs recognize him whom you have denied.

So the Umayyads were displeased with al-Ferezdeq and took vengeance on him. However, he paid no attention to that. He went on mentioning their defects. He satirized Hisham b. ‘Abd al-Malik when he imprisoned him, saying:

He turns the head, which is not the head of a master; and he has a cross-eye whose defects are manifest.

The Shi‘ite writers and poets disparaged and satirized the oppressive. An example of that is Di‘bil al-Kheza‘i. He defamed the ‘Abbasids and exposed their bad deeds. He satirized them through a number of poems through which he shook their entity. He made the people displeased with them. He satirized al-Rashid, al- Amin, al-Ma’mun, al-Mu‘tasim, and Ibrahim b. al-Mehdi. He satirized al-Mu‘tasim through these painful poetry lines, saying:

He has become an Imam, while he is not rightly guided. He has neither reason nor mind.

The ‘Abbasid kings are seven in the books. No book has come to us on their eighth one.

Similarly, the Companions of the Cave were seven good ones in the cave; and their eighth one was a dog.

I regard their dog as higher than you in position, for you have a sin, and he had no sin.

Through inspiration from his thought, Di‘bil disputed with the oppressive and took vengeance on them. He satirized and condemned the ‘Abbasids, to the extent that they made him homeless. Terror and fear pursed him. He said his famous statement: “I have carried my gibbet on my shoulder for forty years; I have found none to crucify me on it! ”

Surely the history of the Shi‘ites is full of heroism and mutiny against oppression, vengeance on social tyranny, demanding the people’s rights, defending the interests of the miserable and the weak whom those tyrannical circles deprived of their rights.