The Attitude of the Imam
Our sources have not shown the Ima`m's answer to this letter, but it is certain that the Ima`m vigorously refused to responded to it, for he was aware of al-Ma'mu`n's intentions and al-Fadl's unreal letter to him. It is worth mentioning that the political motives schemed behind the scenes urged al-Fadl and al-Ma'mu`n to write it.
Al-Ma'mun sends Messengers to the Imam
Al-Ma'mun sent an official delegation in order to ask the Ima`m to leave Medina (Yathrib) for Khurasan. As for the person who headed the delegation, he was al-Raja' b. Abu al-Dahhak; it is said that he was 'Isa b. Yazid, better known as al-Julu`di. Al-Sayyid al-Amïn has regarded that as unlikely, and he said: "Surely al-Julu`di was among the (military) commanders of al-Rashïd and was an opponent of Ima`m al-Rida`, peace be on him, so it was not wise for al-Ma'mu`n to send him to the Ima`m in order to ask him to leave (Medina for Khurasa`n).
1 "
Al-Ma'mun ordered the head of the delegation to bring the
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1. A'yan al-Shia 4/Q2/121.
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Imam, peace be on him, through the road leading to Basrah, al-Ahwa`z, and Fars, and not to bring him through the road leading to Ku`fa and Qum.
1 Also al-Ma'mu`n wrote to Ima`m al-Rida` and asked him not to come through the road leading to the mountain and Qum, and to come through the road leading to Basrah, al-Ahwa`z, and Fars.
2
The reason for al-Ma'mu`n's insistence and concern is very clear; it is that he did not want the Ima`m to come through Ku`fa and Qum, for both cities were among the Shï~'ite centers, and their inhabitants were from among those who showed friendship to the Ima`m and believed in his Ima`mate. So if the Ima`m had passed through them, he would have been magnified and honored; this would have reinforced his position and subjected the 'Abba`sid state to danger. As for the Ima`m's passing through Basrah, it did not benefit him, for its inhabitants inclined to 'Uthma`n and showed friendship to the 'Abba`sids. This step indicates the false plan of al-Ma'mu`n, who claimed that he would abdicate the caliphate and hand it over to the 'Alawides.
The Imam says Farewell to the Grave of the Prophet
Imam al-Rida, peace be on him, did not find any escape from responding to al-Ma'mu`n, so he went to the grave of his grandfather, the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, and said the final farewell to it, for he came to know that he would not visit it again. Muhawwil al-Sijista`ni has narrated, saying: "When the post regarding sending Ima`m al-Rida`, peace be on him, on a journey to Khurasa`n came, I was in Medina. He entered the mosque in order to say farewell to the grave of his grandfather, Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family. He said farewell to it several times. He wept and wailed loudly, so I walked towards him, greeted him, and he returned the greetings. Then I congratulated him on that which he would reach, but he, peace be on him, said: 'Leave me, for I am going to leave
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1. 'Uyun Akhbar al-Rida, vol. 2, p. 149.
2. A'yan al-Shia. Bihar al-Anwar.
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neighboring my grandfather, may Allah bless him and his family, so I will die strange and buried beside Ha`ru`n (al-Rashïd)."
Muhawwil al-Sijista`ni said: "So I went out following the road of the Ima`m until he died at Tu`s and buried beside Harun.
1"
The Imam orders his family to weep over him
Ima`m al-Rida`, peace be on him, came to know that he would not return to his family and homeland. So he gathered the members of his family, divided twelve thousand dinars among them, made them know that he would never return to them, ordered them to weep and wail for him while he could hear that, and then he said the final farewell to them.
2
The Imam appoints his Son al-Jawad
Ima`m al-Rida`, peace be on him, appointed his son al-Jawa`d as a successor after him, while he was seven years old or more than that. He made him enter the mosque of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and place his hand on the edge of the holy grave; he made him cling to it, ask his grandfather, the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, to protect him; then he said to him: "I have ordered all my agents and my servants to listen to you and obey you." Then the Ima`m told his companions that his son would be the successor after him.
3
To the Sacred House of Allah
The Imam had gone to the Sacred House of Allah to say the final farewell to it before he headed for Khurasa`n. Most his family accompanied him, among them was his son Ima`m al-Jawa`d, peace be on him. When he arrived the Sacred House, he greeted it,
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1. A'yan al-Shia 4/Q2/ 122.
2. A'yan al-Shia 4/Q2/ 123. Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 3, p. 95.
3. Al-Durr al-Nazim.
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circumambulated it, performed prayers in the Standing-place of Ibra`him, ran, and circumambulated it along with his son al-Jawad. When al-Jawa`d arrived at the Stone of Isma'ïl, he sat by it for a long time. So Muwaffaq al-Kha`dim asked him to stand up, but he refused and looked sad and sorrowful. So Muwaffaq hurried towards the Ima`m and told him about the state of his son. Ima`m al-Rida`, peace be on him, hastened to his son and asked him to stand up, and he wept, sighed, and said: "O Father, how can I stand while you are saying the final farewell to the House with a farewell after which there will be no return?"
Ima`m al-Jawa`d, peace be on him, saw sadness appear on the face of his father, so he concluded that his father was in the last part of his life. That happened, for Ima`m al-Rida`, peace be on him, did not return to the Holy Houses and died poisoned through the hand of al-Ma'mu`n, the 'Abba`sid.
To Khurasan
Ima`m al-Rida`, peace be on him, left the Sacred House of Allah for Khurasa`n, and he was extremely honored and magnified at every district or in every city through which he passed, for the Muslims hurried to receive him cordially, to get the blessing of kissing his hands, to ask him to stop at them, and to serve him. They asked him about the precepts of their religion, and he, peace be on him, answered them about that.
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In Nisabur
The caravan of the Ima`m covered the desert, was earnest in waking, and did not pay attention to anything until it arrived in Nisabur.
1 The Ima`m was received there with a unique popular reception, for Nisabur did not witness such a reception throughout its history. At the head of those who received him were the scholars, the virtuous, and the traditionalists who have narrated on his authority al-Hadith al-Dhahabi which we will mention.
The Ima`m, peace be on him, stopped at the district of al-Gharbi or al-Farawi, in the house of a person whom the people of Nisa`bu`r called Bisanda, a Persian word means satisfactory, for the Ima`m was satisfied with him apart from the rest of the people and stopped at his house. Then the Ima`m planted an almond in that house, and it grew and became a tree and bore fruit in a year. When the people came to know of the tree, they began curing themselves with its fruit. So he who was inflected by a certain malady got the blessing through eating some of its fruit, and he recovered through the bless of the great Ima`m. A person cut some of its branches, and he became blind. Ibn Hamda`n cut down that tree, and he became blind.
2
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1. Regarding Nisabur, Yaqut al-Hamawi (in his book titled Mu'jam al-Buldan, vol. 5, pp. 331-332) has said: "Nisabur is a great city with important excellences. It is the origin of the virtuous and source of the scholars. I have never seen the like of it in the country which I have circled." Abu al-'Abbas al-Zawzani, better known as al-Ma'mun has praised it saying:
There is no (land) like Nisabur: (it is) a good land and a Forgive Lord!
Dispraising its inhabitants, al-Muradi has said:
Do not stop at Nisabur while you are a stranger Unless your robe is connected to an authority:
Otherwise neither courtesy avails; nor does ancestry benefits; nor is man's sacredness respected.
Many learned scholars graduated from it: among them was al-Hafiz Imam Abu Ali al-Husayn b. 'Ali b.Zayd b. Dawud b. Yazid al-Nisaburi, al-Sa'igh.
3. 'Uyun Akhbar al-Rida, vol. 2, p. 133.
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There was a public bath-house in Nisa`bu`r. The Ima`m entered it, washed himself, and performed a prayer on its top, so the inhabitants of Nisa`bu`r began getting the bless of that public bath-house. They washed themselves wherein, drank from it seeking bless, prayed on its top, and asked Allah, the Great and Almighty, to accomplish their needs, and they were accomplished for them out of the bless of the great Imam.
1
Al-Hadith al-Dhahabi
The scholars and the traditionalists surrounded the Ima`m, peace be on him, who was on the (back) of a gray mule wearing his turban. At the head of the scholars were Yahya` b. Yahya`, Isha`q b. Rahawayh, Mohammed b. Ra`fi', Ahmed b. Harb, and others.
2 When the people saw him, and he was in that appearance which gave an account of the appearance of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, they said loudly, "There is no god but Allah," and exclaimed, "Allah is great!" They displayed sadness for the Ima`m and wept for him. That area became noisy out of weeping, so the scholars and the Huffa`z (memorizers of the Qur'a`n) called out: "O people, listen, understand, and do not harm Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, regarding his family!"
Then the Ima`m, peace be on him, delivered to the scholars this holy tradition, saying: "I heard my father Mu`sa` b. Ja'far say: I heard my father Ja'far b. Mohammed say: I heard my father Mohammed b. 'Ali say: I heard my father 'Ali b. al-Husayn say: I heard my father al-Husayn b. 'Ali say: I hard my father the Commander of the faithful 'Ali b. Abu` Ta`lib say: I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, say (on behalf of Allah): 'There is no god but Allah is My stronghold, so he who enters My stronghold is safe from My chastisement.'"
When the Ima`m passed, he called out to the people of Nisabur,
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1. Ibid., p. 135.
2. Ibn al-Jawzi, al-Muntazam, vol. 10, p. 67. (photographed and available in al-Sayyid al-Hakim Library).
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saying: "But according to its conditions, and I am among its conditions.
1 "
Surely the statement, 'there is no god but Allah,' is one of the strongholds of Allah, the Most High, but according to conditions among which is professing the Ima`mate of Ima`m al-Rida`, peace be on him, who is one of the testamentary trustees of Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family.
More than twenty thousand scholars and memorizers of the Qur'an (
huffaz) has written this holy tradition.
2 As for the chain of authorities of this tradition, it is the greatest and most wonderful of all chains of authorities. Ahmed b. Hanbal says: "If this chain of authorities was recited before a mad person, he would recover from his madness.
3" A Sa`ma`ni ruler ordered this tradition to be written in gold and to be buried along with him.
4
To Tus
The caravan of the Imam, peace be on him, left Nisabur and covered the desert until it arrived at Sanabad where there was a mountain from which cooking-pots were made. The Ima`m leaned on the mountain and said: "O Allah, benefit (the people) through it, bless that which is placed in it, and that which is made from it." Then he ordered some cooking-pots for him to be made from it. They were made for him, and he said: "My food will not be cooked (in anything) except in them."
The house of Hamid b. Quhtuba al-Ta'i was at Sanabad, where the grave of Harun al-Rashï~d is. The Ima`m went to it and reached the grave of Harun. So he drew a line with his own hand and said to those around him: "This is my earth, and I will be buried in it. Allah will
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1. 'Uyun Akhbar al-Rida, vol. 2, p. 135. The scholars have taken great care of this tradition, so they have mentioned numerous chain of authorities for it and regarded it as one of the authentic traditions.
2. Akhbar al-Diwal, p. 115.
3. Al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqa.
4. Akhbar al-Diwal, p. 115.
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make my Shï'ites and those who love me visit me. If any of them visits me and greets me, Allah will forgive him (his sins) and have mercy on him through our intercession, the
ahl al-Bayt." Then he turned to the
qibbla, performed some rak'as, and supplicated with some supplications. Having finished his prayers, he performed a long prostration. I (i.e. Hamid al-Ta`'i) counted that he said, "glory belongs to Allah," five hundred times.
1 Then the Imam, peace be on him, gave some of his clothes to Hamid, who, in turn, gave them to a slave-wife of his. She took them, and then she quickly came back and said: "I have found a piece of cloth in the shirt of Abu` al-Hasan (al-Rida`)." Then she handed it to Hamid, and he at once gave it to the Ima`m, peace be on him, and asked him: "What is in it, O son of Allah's Messenger?"
"This is a supplication," the Ima`m, peace be on him, replied, "he who carries it in his own pocket, (all evil deeds) will be driven away from him, and it will be an amulet against the accursed Satan and the ruler."
Hamid asked the Ima`m to dictate it to him, and he recited it to him. It reads as follows: "In the name of Allah, I seek protection in the Merciful (Allah) from you if you are pious or not pious. I have clung to Allah, the All-hearing, the All-seeing, against your ear and your eye. You have no power over me; nor over my ear and my eye; nor over my hair; nor over my skin and my flesh; nor over my blood; nor over my brain; nor over my nerves; nor over my bones; nor over my family; nor over my wealth; nor over what my Lord has provided me. I have been covered over between me and you with the cover of Prophethood through which the prophets of Allah covered themselves from the power of the Pharaohs. Gabriel is on my right hand; Michael is on my left hand; Seraphiel is behind me; Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family, is before me; Allah is aware of what withholds you and Satan from me.
"O Allah, let not his ignorance overcome your slowness if he incites and makes little of me! O Allah, I have sought refuge in You!
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1. 'Uyun Akhbar al-Rida, vol. 2, p. 136-137.
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O Allah, I have sought refuge in You! O Allah, I have sought refuge in You!
1"
Al-Ma'mun receives the Imam
Al-Ma'mun ordered the Ima`m to be received with an official reception, so the armed forces and the rest of the people went out to receive him. Al-Ma'mu`n was at the head of those who received him. There were along with him al-Fadl b. Sahl, the rest of his ministers and advisers. Al-Ma'mu`n shook hand with the Imam, welcomed him warmly, appointed for him a splendid house supplied with servants and all the necessary requirements, and took great care of him.
Al-Ma'mun asks the Imam to undertake the Caliphate
Al-Ma'mu`n officially abdicated the caliphate and asked the Ima`m, peace be on him, to undertake it, saying: "O son of Allah's Messenger, I have realized your excellence, your knowledge, your asceticism, your piety, and your acts of worship; therefore, I see that you are more appropriate for the caliphate than me."
The Ima`m answered him: "Through renouncing the world I hope for the salvation from the evil of the world; through refraining from the unlawful I wish for wining good final results; through humbleness in the world I hope for exaltedness with Allah."
"I have seen that I must remove myself from the caliphate and entrusted it to you," retorted al-Ma'mun.
However, the Imam was fully aware of the intentions of al-Ma'mun, who spared no effort to achieve his political objectives. How did al-Ma'mun abdicate the caliphate while for it he killed his brother al-Amïn; destroyed Baghdad; spread bereavement, sadness, and mourning among the regions of Islamic world? How did he hand it over to the Imam in spite of all these evil deeds?
The Imam gave a decisive answer which enraged al-Ma'mun, saying to him: "If this caliphate belongs to you, then it is not
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1. Ibid., vol. 2, p. 138.
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permissible for you to take off the garment in which Allah has clothed you and to give it to other than you. If the caliphate does not belong to you, then it is not permissible for you to give me that which does not belong to you."
The Ima`m silenced al-Ma'mu`n and closed before him all avenues of argument, so the latter threatened the former, saying: "There is no escape for you from accepting this matter."
"I will never do that willingly," retorted the Ima`m.
Dhu al-Riyasatayn
1 admired this attitude of them and began saying: "How fantastic, I have seen al-Ma'mu`n, the Commander of the faithful, entrusting the matter of the caliphate to al-Rida`, and I have seen al-Rida saying to him: 'I have no ability or power for that.' I have never seen the caliphate more abandoned than that."
The Ima`m, peace be on him, was aware of this false purpose, for al-Ma'mu`n belonged to the 'Abbasid family, who harbored malice against the members of the House (
ahl al-Bayt), peace be on them, killed them during the brightness of day and darkness of night, and spared no effort to eliminate them from the face of earth. As for al-Ma'mu`n, he was the wickedest of them, for he killed the master of the 'Alawides, Imam al-Rida, and killed other than him from among the pure 'Alawides. So how did the Ima`m trust him?
Al-Ma'mun's claimed Justifications
As for al-Ma'mu`n's claimed justifications during his asking the Ima`m, peace be on him, to undertake the caliphate, they are as follows:
1. He summoned al-Fadl b. Sahl and his brother al-Hasan b. Sahl. When the were before him, he told them that he would entrust the caliphate to the Ima`m. So al-Hasan exaggerated that before him and explained to him its disadvantages. However, al-Ma'mu`n said: "I had promised Allah that if I overcame the deposed one (i.e. al-Amïn), I would have handed over the caliphate to the most meritorious (
afdal)
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1. Dhu al-Riyasatyn means the man with two offices. The nickname was given to al-Fadl b. Sahl, who was in charge of the military and civil administration.
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of the family of Abu` Ta`lib. I do not know anyone more meritorious than this man on the face of the earth.
1"
This means that al-Ma'mun had promised Allah that if he put an end to his brother and overcame him he would have handed over the caliphate to the most meritorious of the family of Abu Talib, and the most meritorious of them in his time was Ima`m al-Rida`, peace be on him. But this did not happen according to the events that followed.
2. Through his handing over the caliphate to the 'Alawides, he tried to reward Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, for his favors toward the 'Abbasids, for the latter appointed 'Abd Allah b. 'Abbas as a minister and entrusted him with the Emirate of Basrah. Similarly, he entrusted 'Ubayd Allah b. al-'Abbas with the Province of Yemen, and other favors he did toward them. So al-Ma'mu`n wanted, through what he did, to reward the Ima`m regarding his children.
2
3. He did that in order to seek obedience to Allah, His good pleasure, good for the community, and the interests of the Muslims.
3
These are some justifications which al-Ma'mu`n advanced as pretext for handing over the caliphate to Ima`m al-Rida`, peace be on him.
His false Justifications
These justifications were unreal. If al-Ma'mun had been truthful to them, he would not have prevented the Imam from passing through Kufa when he came from Medina (Yathrib), for he feared that the people would receive him in this city, which was among the centers of the Shï'ites in Islamic world; likewise, he would not have prevented him from passing through Qum, for the same reason. Moreover 'Abd Allah b. Abu` Sahl al-Nobakhti, an astrologer, told him that it was not good for him to pledge allegiance to Ima`m al-Rida` when he appointed him as a successor after him; yet al-Ma'mun insisted on pledging
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1. Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, pp. 562-563.
2. Al-Adab al-Sultaniya, p. 219.
3. Al-Ma'mun has declared than in the document of regency which we will mention.
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allegiance to the Ima`m during that time.
1 This demonstrates that he was a liar regarding this matter.
Al-Ma'mun asks the Imam to undertake Regency
Through all ways and means, al-Ma'mu`n tried to convince the Ima`m, peace be on him, to accept the caliphate or at least the regency after him, but he refused him vigorously. He went on convincing the Ima`m for more than two months, but all his attempts came to nothing, for the Ima`m insisted on refusing him and refraining from undertaking any state office.
Al-Ma'mun forces the Imam
All the diplomatic ways which al-Ma'mu`n followed to convince the Ima`m, peace be on him, to accept regency came to an end, so he thought that he had to follow another way which was threatening the Ima`m. He sent for the Ima`m. When he was in his presence, a conversation took place between them, so the Ima`m said to him: "By Allah, I have never told a lie since my Lord, the Great and Almighty, has created me. I have not renounced the world for the world, and I definitely know what you want."
"What do I want?" asked al-Ma'mu`n.
The Ima`m asked him for security if he said the truth frankly, saying: "The Ima`m (i.e. the leader) must be truthful, mustn't he?"
"I have given you security," replied al-Ma'mun.
The Ima`m explained the motives which urged al-Ma'mun to vest regency in him, saying: "Through that you want the people to say: 'Surely 'Ali b. Musa (al-Rida`) has not renounced the world; rather it is the world which has renounced him. Do you not see that he has accepted regency and craved for the caliphate?'"
Al-Ma'mu`n became angry, so he shouted at the Ima`m, saying: "You always face me with what I hate! You have felt safe from my power! I swear by Allah, you should accept regency or I will force you
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1. Farajj al-Mahmum, p. 142. Tarikh al-Hukama', pp. 222-223.
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to (accept) it! You should do that; otherwise, I will strike off your head!
1"
The Imam, peace be on him, pleaded to Allah and supplicated Him, saying: "O Allah, You have prohibited me from throwing my own soul into destruction; I have been forced; I am about to be killed by 'Abd Allah al-Ma'mun if I do not accept regency! I have been forced just as Yusuf and Danya`l, peace be on them, had been forced by the tyrant of their time to accept authority! O Allah, there is no covenant except Your covenant; nor have I a friend except You! So give me success to establish Your religion and to enliven the Sunna of Your Prophet, Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family! Verily, You are the Master, and You are the Helper! You are the best Master, and You are the best Helper!
2"
Any how, the Ima`m accepted regency while he was weeping and sad.
3 Pain and worries dominated him.
The Conditions of the Imam
The Imam mentioned before al-Ma'mu`n some conditions which showed that he was dissatisfied with regency and that he was forced to accept this office. These conditions are as follows:
1. He would not appoint anyone as a governor.
2. He would not dismiss anyone.
3. He would not abolish any rite.
4. He would be a distant adviser in the affairs of the state.
4
Yet al-Ma'mu`n accepted these conditions which clashed with his objectives and exposed his intentions.
