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His Prisons

 This tyrannical person ordered roofless prisons to be built. Such prisons did not protect the prisoners from heat or cold. He ordered the prisoners to be tortured severely. He ordered them to be drawn on the broken Persian reeds to bleed their bodies. The historians said: "Fifty thousand men and thirty women died in his prisons out of torture. He imprisoned men and women in his prisons.3 Besides, thirty-three innocent persons were in his prisons.4 He said to the prisoners: "Go away into it and speak not to Me.5 He likened the prisoners to the people of the fire. He also likened himself to Allah, the Exalted, to show his might and haughtiness.
One of the reciters of the Koran reported: "Al-Hajja`j read the Sura of Hu`d: 'Surely, he is not a good 'amalun.' He was unable to read exactly the word 'amalun (deed). Then, he said: 'Bring me a reciter of the Koran.' So, they brought me. Al-Hajja`j left his assembly.
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1. Ibn 'Asakir, Tahdhib, vol. 4, p. 50.
2. Al-Siyuti, Tarikh al-Khulafa', p. 84.
3. Al-Dimyari, Hayat al-Hayawan, vol. 1, p. 170.
4. Mu'jam al-Buldan, vol. 5, p. 349.
5. Tahdib al-Tahdhib, vol. 2, p. 212.
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I was imprisoned. Al-Hajja`j forgot me. After six months, he visited the prison. When he came to me, he asked me: 'Why have you been imprisoned?' I answered: 'May Allah make the Emir righteous, because of the son of Noah.' So, he smiled at me. Then he released me.

His Death

 Allah destroyed this wicked criminal, who filled the country with disasters. Canker attacked his stomach. Allah empowered bitter cold over him. He was surrounded by fire. However, he did not feel the fire. Pains frequently attacked him. Then, he complained of his condition to al-Hasan al-Basri. Thus, al-Hasan said to him: "I had prevented you from torturing the righteous. However, you went on that." So, al-Hajja`j said to him: "O Hasan, I do not ask you to ask Allah to relieve me. Rather, I ask you to ask Him to make me die and not to prolong my torture.1 This criminal person suffered from the agony of death till he perished. 2 Then his evil soul went to the fire. When he died, oppression was over. When al-Hasan al-Basri heard of his death, he said: "O Allah, You have made him die. So, make his practices die also.3
The Moslems were very happy to hear his death. Then they began cursing him.

'Abd al-Malik and al-Akhtal

 Al-Akhtal was the poet and spokesman of the Umayyads. He drank wine. Yet 'Abd al-Malik loved him very much.
Abd al-Malik asked al-Akhtal to be Moslem. So, the latter said: "Make wine lawful for me. Abrogate the fasting of Ramada`n for me, then I will be Moslem." Thus, 'Abd al-Malik said to him: "If you
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1. Wafayat al-A'yan, vol. 6, p. 347.
2. He died in the month of Ramadan. It was said that he died in the month of Shawal, in the year 95 A.H. At that time, he was fifty three or four years of age. Wafayat al-A'yan, vol. 1, p. 437.
3. Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, vol. 2, p. 213.
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become Moslem and fall short of performing anything of Islam, I will cut off your neck." Still, he went on drinking wine. 'Abd al-Malik spent a lot of money on him to obtain his praise.1
Al-Akhtal praised 'Abd al-Malik on many occasions. Hence, 'Abd al-Malik thanked him for that. Al-Akhtal came to 'Abd al-Malik wearing a gold necklace and cross. Nevertheless, 'Abd al-Malik called him the poet of the Commander of the faithful, the poet of the Umayyads, and the poet of the Arabs.2

Ima`m al-Ba`qir and 'Abd al-Malik

 The Moslems at that time were afflicted by a fatalist. The fatalist corrupted the Moslems' religion. They were unable to refute his views. 'Abd al-Malik thought that there was no one to refute the fatalist except Ima`m al-Ba`qir, peace be on him. So, he wrote a letter to his governor over Medina. In the letter, he ordered the Ima`m to be brought to Damascus. The governor of Medina submitted 'Abd al-Malik's letter to Ima`m al-Ba`qir. However, the Ima`m told him that he was unable to go Damascus, for he was an old man. Yet, the Ima`m sent his son Ja'far al-Sa`diq to carry out this task. Then, Ima`m al-Sa`diq went to Damascus. When he arrived there, 'Abd al-Malik said to him: "This fatalist has tired us. I want to gather you with him, for he has defeated everyone." Then 'Abd al-Malik ordered the fatalist to be brought. When the fatalist came, the Ima`m asked him to recite al-Fa`tiha. The fatalist became astonished. Then, he read al-Fa`tiha. When he came to these words of Him, the Exalted: "You do we serve and You do we beseech for help," the Ima`m asked him: "Whom do you ask for help? If you are a fatalist, then what is your need of knowledge?" The fatalist was unable to answer the Ima`m.3 Then, Ima`m al-Sa`diq went on refuting the views of the fatalist.
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1. Al-Akhtal, Diwan, p. 98.
2. Al-Aghani, vol.8, p. 287.
3. Al-Ayyashi, Tafsir, vol. 1, p. 23.
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'Abd al-Malik ordered Ima`m al-Ba`qir to be arrested.

 Abd al-Malik ordered his governor of Medina (Yathrib) to arrest Ima`m al-Ba`qir and send him to Damascus. However, his governor hesitated about answering him. He thought that it was an act of wisdom to close what 'Abd al-Malik had ordered. So, he answered him as follows: "This letter of mine is not disobedience to you nor is it refusal to carry out your order. However, I think it is better for me to consult you in the letter. I want to advise you. I feel pity for you. You want the man (Ima`m al-Ba`qir). Yet, there is no one on the surface of the earth nowadays better than him in chastity, asceticism, and piety. He recites (the Koran) in his prayer niche. Hence, birds and animals gather around him. For they admire his voice. His recitation (of the Koran) is very much like the flutes of David's family. He is the most knowledgeable of all the people. He is the most merciful of them. He is the most outstanding of them in worshipping. Thus, I do not encourage the Commander of the Faithful to arrest him. For 'Allah does not change what is in a people till they change what is in themselves.'" This letter shows the bright qualities of Ima`m Abu`` Ja'far al-Ba`qir, peace be on him. Among his qualities in the letter are as follows:
1. Ima`m al-Ba`qir, peace be on him, was the most chaste of all the people of the world.
2. He was the most ascetic of all the people of the world.
3. He was the most pious of all the people in refraining from what Allah forbade.
4. He was the most outstanding reciter of the Koran.
5. He was the most knowledge of all the people in the precepts of religion, the affairs of Islamic law, and all sciences.
6. He was the most merciful of all the people towards the poor.
7. He was the most obedient of all the people to Allah.
The Shi'a have believed in the Ima`ms, for they had all the above-mentioned qualities. So, the Shi'a do not exaggerate about the Ima`ms nor do they deviate from the true logic.

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When 'Abd al-Malik received the above-mentioned letter, he changed his mind. Then, he canceled the arrest of Ima`m al-Ba`qir, peace be on him. He thought that his governor's view was right.

Ima`m al-Ba`qir freed Islamic money.

 Ima`m Abu` Ja'far (al-Ba`qir), peace be on him, offered an excellent service to the Islamic world. For he freed Islamic money from the domination of the Roman empire, where Islamic money was made and had the Roman symbol. Ima`m al-Ba`qir, peace be on him, made Islamic money independent with an Islamic symbol. Thus, he cut off the relationship between Islamic money and the Romans. The reason for that was that 'Abd al-Malik looked at a book embroidered in Egypt. He ordered the book to be translated into Arabic The book was translated. The Christian symbol (Father, Son, and the Spirit) was written on the book. 'Abd al-Malik denied that. So, he wrote to his governor of Egypt, 'Abd al-'Aziz b. Marwa`n, to abolish that. Moreover, he ordered him to force the embroiderers to embroider books, clothes, and the like, with the Islamic motto: "Allah bears witness that there is no god but He." He also wrote to his governors all over the Islamic counties to abolish the books with Roman mottoes and symbols in their countries. He ordered them to punish those who had such books and clothes. The embroiderers wrote that on their books and clothes. Such books and clothes spread throughout the Islamic countries. Then, they were carried to Rome. So, the Roman Emperor became very angry. Thus, he wrote to 'Abd al-Malik, saying: "Books and clothes had been embroidered with the Roman mottoes and symbols before you abolished them. If your predecessors were right, then you are wrong. If they were wrong, then you are right. Choose one of these two views. I have sent you a gift appropriate for your position. I would be grateful to you if you would adopt the previous embroidery.
Abd al-Malik read the letter. Then he told the messenger that he had no answer to the letter. He also refused to accept the gift. So, the
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1. Al-Durr al-Nazim, p. 188.
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messenger went back to the Roman Emperor and told him about 'Abd al-Malik's words. Hence, the Emperor wrote again to 'Abd al-Malik and doubled the gift for him. In the letter he asked him to return the previous mottoes and symbols. However, 'Abd al-Malik refused to receive the letter and the gift. He insisted on his view. The messenger went back to the Roman Emperor and told him about what had happened. Accordingly, the Emperor wrote a threatening letter. The letter read as follows: "You have disparaged my letter and my gift. You have not helped me with my need. I thought that you had regarded the gift as small. So, I had doubled it for you. However, you went on your view. So, I increased it three times. I swear by Jesus Christ to order you to return the old-fashioned money; otherwise I will ordered the dinars and the dirhams to be engraved to abuse your Prophet. You know that the dinars and the dirhams had been minted in my country. No one of them had been minted during Islam. When you read the letter, prevent your head from sweating. I want you to accept my gift and to change the style (of money) into the previous one. That will be as a gift to show love towards me. So, the relationship between you and me will continue.
When 'Abd al-Malik read the Emperor's message, he became perplexed. In this connection, he said: "I think that I am the most unlucky baby born in Islam, for I will make this unbeliever (the Roman Emperor) curse Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family. This dishonor will remain to the end of the world. The Roman Emperor has threatened me to mint money. Such money will be passed around the world.
'Abd al-Malik gathered the people. He asked them about the affair. However, no one was able to give him a decisive answer. Then, Ru`h b. Zinba`' said to him: "You the person who is able to solve this affair. You want to leave him intentionally." 'Abd al-Malik blamed him for that, saying: "Woe unto you! Who is he?"
"He is al-Ba`qir, who is from the members of the House of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family," replied Ru`h b. Zinba.
So, 'Abd al-Malik submitted to Ru`h b. Zinba`'. He believed his view. He knew that he ignored Ima`m al-Ba`qir, peace be on him.

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Immediately, he wrote to his governor of Medina (Yathrib). He ordered him to send the Ima`m to him. Moreover, he ordered him to treat the Ima`m kindly and to give him four hundred thousand dirhams. When the governor received the letter, he carried out 'Abd al-Malik's orders. Thus, Ima`m al-Ba`qir, peace be on him, went to Damascus. When he arrived there, 'Abd al-Malik received him warmly. Then he told him about the Roman Emperor's threats. Thus, Ima`m al-Ba`qir, peace be on him, said: "Do not regard this affair as great. It nothing for two reasons. The first is that Allah, the Great and Almighty, will not allow the Roman Emperor to carry out his threat concerning Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family. The other is that there is a solution for this affair.
So, 'Abd al-Malik asked the Ima`m: "What is the solution?
Ima`m al-Ba`qir, peace be on him, answered: "At this hour, summon some makers. Order them to make coins of dirhams and dinars. Then order them to engrave the Sura of al-Tawhid in one face and the name of Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, in the other face. Then order them to mention the year and country of minting. Order them to make a dirham of ten weights and a dinar of seven weights.
'Abd al-Malik accepted that. He ordered the coins to be minted as Ima`m al-Ba`qir, peace be on him, described. When the Roman Emperor found out about this, he kept silent. Thus, all his efforts were in vain. Accordingly, Moslems passed the coins Ima`m al-Ba`qir, peace be on him, designed till the time of the Abbasids.1
Ibn Kuthayr said: "Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him, suggested the coins.2
However, the Islamic world thanked Ima`m Abu` Ja'far (al-Ba`qir) for freeing its money from the domination of the Romans.
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1. Al-Dimyari, Hayat al-Hayawan, vol. 1, pp. 63-64.
2. Al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, vol. 9, p. 68.
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The Death of 'Abd al-Malik

 Then 'Abd al-Malik became ill. He was neither safe nor calm. His abominable deeds came to him. For he oppressed the Moslems and shed their blood for his government. Then he hit his head with his hand, saying: "I wish I earned my daily bread day by day. I wish I worshipped and obeyed Allah, the Great and Almighty.1
Before his death, 'Abd al-Malik appointed his son al-Walid as caliph. He advised him to treat al-Hajja`j well. In this respect, he said to him: "Walid, take care of al-Hajja`j. It was he who paved the way for you to sit in the pulpits. He is your sword and your hand against your enemies. Do not listen to the words of the ones who slander him. You are in need of him while he is in no need of you. When I die, summon the people to pledge allegiance to you. Use your sword against the persons who refuse to pledge allegiance to you.2
These enjoinments show the evil intention of 'Abd al-Malik even at the last hour of his lifetime. For he advised his successor to take care of al-Hajja`j, who filled the country with sadness. Then, he advised him to kill the persons who would refuse to pledge allegiance. Then 'Abd al-Malik died after these enjoinments. His death was on Wednesday, the fifteenth of Shawa`l, in the year 86 A. H.3 Al-Hasan al-Basri was asked about 'Abd al-Malik. So, he said: "What shall I say about a man of whose bad deeds was al-Hajja`j.4

Al-Walid bin 'Abd al-Malik

 Al-Walid became caliph after the death of his father, 'Abd al-Malik. The historians said: "Al-Walid had no noble quality. He was inappropriate for the caliphate. Rather, he was an oppressive tyrant. 5 He committed grammatical mistakes in Arabic. He made a speech in the mosque of the Prophet. He said: "Ya` ahlu al-Madina (O People of
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1. Ibid.
2. Al-Siyuti, Tarikh al-Khulafa', p. 220.
3. Al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, vol. 9, p. 68.
4. Abi al-Fida', Tarikh, vol. 1, p. 209.
5. Al-Siyuti, Tarikh al-Khulafa', p. 223.
(359)

Madina)." However, he had to say: "Ya ahla al-Madina.
One day he made a speech and said: "Ya` laytu`ha` ka`nat al-Qa`diya (O would that it had made an end (of me)." However, he had to say: "Ya` laytaha` ka`nat al-Qa`diya.1 Thus, his father blamed him for his grammatical mistakes, saying: "No one will become a ruler over Arabs except the one who speaks their language well." So, al-Walid gathered the grammarians and remained in a house for six month. Then he came out of the house while he was more ignorant in grammar than he had been before.2
'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz dispraised the government of al-Walid, saying: "Al-Walid was one of the persons who filled the earth with oppression.3 The historians said: "Al-Walid married and divorce many women. Thus, he married sixty-three women. Besides. He married many slave-women.4
Al-Walid built the big mosque of Damascus, known as the Umayyad mosque. He spent six million gold dinars on the mosque.5He widened the mosque of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, then he decorated it with mosaic. Thus, the mosque included the rooms of the Prophet's wives and all the houses around it.6
During the time of al-Walid, al-Hajja`j killed Sa'id b. Jubayr. The murder of Sa'id was one of the dangerous events that terrified the Islamic world.
The period of his caliphate was nine years and seven years. He died at Dir Marwa`n. He was forty-five years old.7
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1. Ibn al-Athir, Tarikh, vol. 4, p. 138.
2. Ibid.
3. Al-Siyuti, Tarikh al-Khulafa', p. 223.
4. Al-Anafa fi Ma'athir al-Khilafa, vol. 1, p. 133.
5. Al-Zargali, al-A'lam, vol. 9, p. 141.
6. Al-Anafa fi Ma'athir al-Khilafa', vol. 1, p. 133.
7. Ibn al-Athir, Tarikh, vol. 4, p. 138.
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Sulayma`n bin 'Abd al-Malik

 He became caliph after the death of his brother, al-Walid. That was in the month of Jama`di al-Akhira, in the year 96 A. H. He punished severely the family of al-Hajja`j. Then, he ordered 'Abd al-Malik b. al-Muhalab to torture them.1 He removed from the office all the governors of al-Hajja`j. On one day, he released eighty-one prisoners from his (al-Hajja`j's) prison. Then, he ordered them to go to their families. He found in the prison thirty thousand innocent men and thirty thousand innocent women.2
Sulayma`n was unjust in collecting land taxes. So, he wrote a letter to his governor of Egypt, Usa`ma b. Zayd al-Tanwakhi: "Milk the milk till it cease, and milk the blood till it terminates." Then Usa`ma came to him bringing him what he had collected of land taxes, and said to him: "I did not come to you till I exhausted the subjects. I did my best for that However, I think you have to be kind to them and to have mercy on them. Decrease their land taxes to the extent that you are able to develop your country. Do that, for you will get much more land taxes in the next year." However, Sulayma`n shouted at him, saying: "May your mother lose you. Milk the milk till it cease. When it ceases, then milk the blood.3 These words show that Sulayma`n had neither mercy nor affection for his subjects. So, he deadened the economic movement, and spread poverty in the country.

His Death

 The historians said: "Sulayma`n was self-conceited. He wore his excellent clothes and said: 'I am a young king. I am grand, generous, and a giver.' One of his slave-girls appeared before him. Thus, he said to her: 'How do you see the Commander of the faithful?' 'I see him the wish of the soul and the delight of the eye. However, the poet said,' replied the slave-girl.
'What did the poet say?' he asked.
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1. Ibid.
2. Ibn 'Asakir, Tarikh, vol. 5, p. 80.
3. Al-Jahshyari, p. 32.
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He said:
If you remained (alive), you would be the best enjoyment.
However, man will not remain.
Allah knows best, we do not doubt you.
However, you are mortal.
Sulayma`n, there is no defect in your appearance.
But you are mortal.
These lines of poetry shook Sulayma`n. So, his tyranny and self-conceit vanished. The historians said: "Sulayma`n died after a short time.1 The period of his caliphate was two years, five months, and five days. He died on Friday, the twentieth of the month of Safar, in the year 99 A. H.2

'Umar bin 'Abd al-'Aziz

 Ima`m Abu Ja'far (al-Baqir), peace be on him said: "'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz was the most glorious one of the Umayyad house. He was the master of their kings. He was the high-born one of the Umayyads.3 He became caliph according to the pledge of allegiance of Sulayma`n b. 'Abd al-Malik to him. That was one Friday, the tenth of the month of Safar, in the year 99 A. H.4During his short caliphate, the people felt security and welfare. For he removed from them the oppression and tyranny of the Marwa`nis. He was skillful, for experiences educated him. He had balanced reason. He followed a wise policy with Moslems. The Moslems had never seen such a policy before. He did the Alwids many favors. People mention his favors throughout history. The following is some of his favors:
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1. Murujj al-Dhahab, vol. 3, p. 113.
2. Ibn al-Athir, Tarikh, vol. 4. p. 151.
3. Al-Siyuti, Tarikh al-Khulafa', p. 230.
4. Nihayat al-Irab, vol. 21, p. 355.
( 362 )

He prevented the People from Cursing

 Ima`m 'Ali.
From its early days, the Umayyad government ordered the people to curse Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, peace be on him. The Umayyads thought that cursing Ima`m 'Ali would help their government to continue. For the principles of Ima`m 'Ali and his laudable deeds, such as political and social justice, would urge the people to mutiny against their oppressive tyrannical policy.
With his awareness and his genus thinking, 'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz realized that the policy his fathers followed against Ima`m 'Ali, peace be on him, was not wise. For such a policy caused the Umayyads many difficulties and through them into great evil. Thus, 'Umar decided to remove this error. He ordered his governors all over the Islamic countries to prevent people from cursing Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, peace be on him. Then he ordered them to replace the cursing of the Ima`m with: "Surely Allah enjoins the doing of justice and the doing of good (to others) and the giving to the relatives.
'Umar himself justified the reason for abandoning the practices of his fathers who defamed Ima`m 'Ali, peace be on him. In this connection, he said: "When my father made a speech and defamed 'Ali, he stammered. So, I said to him: Father, why do you stammer in your speech when you come to the name of 'Ali? 'Have you known that?' he asked. 'Yes,' I replied. Thus, he explained: 'My little son, if the people around us knew 'Ali as we know him, they would scattered from us and followed his ('Ali's) sons.'1 Accordingly, 'Umar abolished the cursing of Ima`m 'Ali, peace be on him. All the people admired this laudable deed. They always praised him. They mentioned his unique bravery in opposing his predecessors. The great poet, Kuthayr 'Azzah, came to him and recited the following lines of poetry:
You have become caliph, but you have not cursed 'Ali.
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1. Ibn al-Athir, Tarikh, vol. 44, p. 154.
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You are not afraid of any creature.
You have not followed the words of a criminal.
You have spoken with the plain truth.
Rather, you have explained the verses of guidance with your speech.
You are truthful in doing your favors.
So, every Moslem is satisfied (with you).1
Kuthayr had not praised an Umayyad king with such a wonderful poem. For this poem raised 'Umar to the level of the unique Immortal persons. Kuthayr started his poem with the laudable deed of 'Umar, who prevented the people from cursing Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, peace be on him. Then, he mentioned his policy based on kindness to the subjects. Moreover, the Moslems loved the policy of 'Umar. So, they were ready to sacrifice their souls for him to prolong his lifetime.
Umar commented these lines of poetry, saying: "Therefore, we have become successful. 2 He was successful, for he pleased his conscience. He did not betrayed the community through cursing the leader of its message and its matchless hero, Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, peace be on him.
Al-Sharif al-Radi praised and lauded 'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz:
O Son of 'Abd al-'Aziz, if the eye wept for an Umayyad young man, it would weep
for you.
However, I want to say: You are good
though your house was not good.
You have freed us from cursing.
So, if reward was possible, I would
reward you.3
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1. Al-Aghani, vol. 8, p. 148.
2. Ibn al-Athir, Tarikh, vol. 4, p. 654.
3. Ibn Abi al-Haddid, Sharkh Nahjj al-Balagha, vol. 1, p. 357.
( 364 )

In these lines of poetry, al-Sharif al-Radi thanked 'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz for preventing the people from cursing Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, peace be on him.

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