Imam Zainul-Abideen (A.S.)
Who Safeguarded the Husaini Revolution
On the fifth of the
blessed month of Sh'aban, in the year of 38 A.H., Imam Husayn's (A.S.)
wife gave birth to her son.
Upon hearing the good news, the Commander of the Faithful, Ali bin
Abi-Talib (A.S.) prostrated to express his thanks to Allah. He gave the
newborn the name of Ali. He was chosen to assume the blessed office of
divine leadership (Imamat). He was the fourth Holy Imam from among the
Imams of Ahlul-Bayt (A.S.) after Imam Ali bin Abu Talib(A.S.), Imam
Hasan(A.S.) and Imam Husayn (A.S.).The rest of the Holy Imams were his
offspring.
We do not state this point randomly. It is the trustee of prophethood,
the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.), who confirmed it. Imam Husayn bin Ali (A.S.)
is reported to have said:
"I called on my grandfather, the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.). He sat me on
his lap and said: 'Allah certainly has chosen nine Imams from your
loins, O Husayn(A.S.), the ninth of them will revolt against injustice.
All of them are equal in their merit and position in the sight of
Allah.'"
Ibn Abbas is reported to have said: "I heard the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.)
saying: 'I, Ali(A.S.), Hasan(A.S.), Husayn(A.S.) and nine (men) from
(the loins) of Husayn(A.S.) are purified and infallible,'"
Ahmad related, on the authority of Masrooq, the following: 'We were
seated in the presence of Abdullah bin Mas'ood who was teaching us the
recitation of the Holy Qur'an. 'O Abdullah,' a man asked, 'did you ever
ask the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) how many caliphs this ummah will
have?!
'No one before you,' replied Abdullah,' has asked me this question since
I came to Iraq'. 'Yes', he added after a pause,' we did ask the
Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) and he said: 'Twelve, the same number of the
children of Israel.'"
Abdullah bin Ja'far Tayyar said: " I heard the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.)
saying: 'I have a greater claim on the faithful than they on each other.
Then, my brother Ali(A.S.) has a greater claim on the faithul than they
have on each other. Should he become martyred, then, my son, Hasan(A.S.),
shall have a greater claim on the faithful then they have on each other.
Then my son, Husayn(A.S.), shall have a greater claim on the faithful
than they have on each other. Should he be maryred, his son, Ali(A.S.),
shall have a greater claim on the faithful than they have on each
other...etc.'"
Features of the Imam's Noble Character:
Muslim writers and intellectuals openly praised the greatness of the
Imam (A.S.) because of having a high position in merit, knowledge, and
piety. Zuhri is quoted to have said: "I have not chanced to see anyone
from this family (the family of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) more
meritorious than Ali bin Husayn (A.S.)."
A young man from the tribe of Quraish once asked Sa'd bin Musayyab about
the Imam (A.S.). In reponse, he said:
"He is the leader of the worshippers, Ali bin Husayn bin Ali bin-Abu
Talib."
Ibn Hajar, in his book 'Burning Thunderbolts' 'Sawa'iq Muhriqa' writes:
"Zainul-Abideen, is the man who succeeded his father in his knowledge,
asceticism and worship."
Imam Malik is quoted to have said: "He was called Zainul-Abideen on
account of his constant worship."
Let us probe the character of the Holy Imam(A.S.). Different aspects of
Imam's character are presented in the following points:
1. Imam al-Baqir (A.S.) is quoted to have said: "Never did he mention
the Almighty Allah's grace, without making a prostration. Never did he
recite a verse from the Book of Allah, referring to prostration, without
making a prostration. Never did he succeed in bringing about a
reconciliation between two persons without making a prostration. The
mark of prostration was clearly seen on the parts of the body which
touch the ground during prostration. For these reasons he was called
al-Sajjad."
2. Imam al-Baqir (a.s.) also reported: "Ali bin Husayn (A.S.) stood in
prayer in the way a humble servant of Allah would do in the Almighty's
presence, the One and Only, the Great. Parts of his body would tremble
in fear of Allah, the Mighty, and Exalted. He used to perform his prayer
in the way of a worshipper not certain to be able to perform it once
more."
3. Ibn Ishaq is reported to have said: "In the city of Madinah were such
and such houses, whose inhabitants received their sustenance and their
needs regularly. They did not know from where they got them. When Ali
bin Husayn(A.S.) died, they lost all that."
4. Abu Ja'far (A.S.) is reported to have said: "He would go out in the
darkness of the night carryimg a bag on his back. He would come to a
door and knock on it. He delivered food from his bag to anyone who would
open the door. He used to keep his face covered whem helping the poor,
lest they recognize him."
5. Once a man insulted him. The Imam (A.S..) said nothing to him. " I
mean you! said the man. 'And I ignore you!,' replied the Imam (A.S.).
6. He heard of people who slandered him. He went to them and said: "If
you say the truth, may Allah forgive me. And if you lie, may Allah
forgive you."
Imam al-Sajjad(A.S.) Leads the March
By Divine decree, Imam al-Sajjad (A.S.) survived the horribly bloody
massacre of Karbala', perpetrated by the Umayyads. In a tragic
condition, a fact to which Imam al-Sajjad (A.S.) himself referred in his
answer to Minhal bin Umar, who asked him: "How are you, O son of the
Messenger of Allah?". The Imam (A.S.) replied: "We have become like the
Israelites among the people of Pharoah: they were slaughtering their
children, and sparing their women."
Allah willed that Imam al-Sajjad (A.S.) be spared. He was 23 years old,
in the prime of life. On the day of the battle of Karbala' he was sick,
and the duty of fighting the Umayyad army was not obligatory on him.
Shortly after the battle of (Taff), Imam al-Sajjad (A.S.) embarked on
his reforms. Two phenomena stand out in the reform movement which was
led by Imam al-Sajjad (A.S.):
First: Continuation of Imam Husayn's Activities
The Umayyads, and their followers, were fully aware of Imam Husayn's and
Ahlul-Bait's unmatched status on the sight of the Muslims. For this
consideration, they did their best to make a smoke screen around the
cause of the Holy Imam(A.S.), so as to absorb any expected reaction from
the people, particularly in Syria, their main stronghold. They achieved
success in this field to the extent that they made people believe that
Imam Husayn (A.S.) had rebelled against the legitimate ruler! Clearly
these fallacies could have passed unopposed, if it were not for Imam
al-Sajjad (A.S.) who had decided to foil the Ummayyad rumors, and
present the revolution as plainly as possible.
Imam al-Sajjad (A.S.) and the chaste ladies of Ahlul-Bayt (A.S.), like
Hadrat Zainab bint Ali(A.S.) and Umm Kulthum bint Ali(A.S.), among
others, embraced the policy of unmasking the Umayyad's ugly policy, and
putting the ummah before its historical responsibility.
Upon the arrival of the captives to Syria, an old man approached Imam
Ali al-Sajjad (A.S.) and said to him: "Praise be to Allah who killed you
all and made the governor victorious over you."
"O Sheikh!," said the Holy Imam (A.S.) "Did you read the Quran?"
Certainly," answered the old man.
"Then," asked the Holy Imam(A.S.), "did you read this verse, 'Say: I ask
naught in return for it but love for my near relatives', and this verse,
'And give to the near of kin his due', and this one, 'And know that
whatever you acquire in war, a fifth of it is for Allah and for the
Messenger and for the near of kin?"
"Yes," replied the old man, "I did read that."
"By Allah," emphasized the Holy Imam (A.S.) "we are the near of kin,
mentioned in these verses."
Then the Imam (A.S.) asked the man, "did you read this verse :,And only
Allah desires to keep away uncleanness from you, O people of the
household , and to purify you a (thorough) purification."
"Certainly," replied the old man.
Then the lmam(A.S.) said: "We are Ahlul-Bayt whom were chosen,from among
all people for purification."The old man , confused, asked, "Tell me,by
Allah,are you really those people?"
"Certainly we are, and deyond any doubt, those people," the Imam (A.S.)
assured him.
The old man regretted from the depth of his heart for his judgement ,and
repented to Allah ,renouncing the Umayyads and their party.
That is why Imam al-Sajjad (A.S.) stood,in the stronghold rule,in the
presence of Yazid bin Mu'awiya and all his assistants and chiefs of
evil, to deliver his never-forgotten speech, in which he criticized the
deviant and devilish Umayyad policy. He talked about the captives and
their unique status in the sight of Allah. The speech reads, in part:
"O people! We were granted six privileges and preferred over all people
with seven. We were given knowledge, clemency, tolerance, bravery, and
the love of the faithful for us. And we were preferred over others by
the following: The chosen Prophet, the truthful, Tayyar and the Lion of
Allah and the Lion of His Messenger are all from us (Ahlul-Bait). The
Chief of the Women of the Worlds, the chaste Fatima(A.S.), and the two
grandsons of the Prophet (S.A.W.) are from us.
"O people! Whoever knew me would recognize me. But whoever does not know
me, I will tell him about my lineage. I am the son of Makkah and Mina. I
am the son of Zamzam and Safa. I am the son of the one who carried the
Black Stone with a mantle. I am the son of the best who circumambulated
the Ka'ba, walked to and from seven times between Safa and Marwa, and
the best who performed pilgrimage and said, 'Here I am, my Lord, here I
am, O You Who has no partner. Certainly praise, favours,and the
world,are all Yours, O you Who has no partner.'
I am the son of the man who was carried on Buraq (an animal) and whom
Gabriel led to the sidrah-tree (beyond which no creature may pass), and
came down within two bows' length or even closer to Gabriel. I am the
son of the one who led the angels of heaven in prayer. I am the son of
the one to whom the Almighty had revealed what He has revealed. I am the
son of Fatima al-Zahra', the chief of all women, and I am the son of the
Great Khadija. I am the son of the one who was sprinkled with his own
blood. I am the son of the one who was slained in Karbala'...
At that point panic swept over the audience. Most of them broke into
tears at the terrible truth. This forced Yazid to order the caller of
prayer to say Adhan (call to prayer), in an attempt to interrupt the
speech of Imam Zainul-Abideen (A.S.). The Imam(A.S.) said nothing until
the caller said, 'I bear witness that Muhammad(S.A.W.) is the Messenger
of Allah,' whereupon he turned to Yazid and asked him, 'Is this mighty
and noble Messenger your grandfather or mine? If you say that he is your
grandfather, all the people present here, and all the rest of them will
know that you are a liar. And if you say he is my gtandfather, then why
did you slaughter my father unjustly and aggressively? Why did you
plunder his property and take his womanfolk as captives? Woe to you on
the Day of Judgement, when my grandfather will be your rival."
As for the women of the household of the Prophet (S.A.W.) their
achievements were no less than those of al-Sajjad (A.S.). They severely
rebuked the Ummayyads and stripped them of their false pride before the
umma which they were ruling. This fact can be found in the speech of the
great Zainab, which she delivered in the presence of Yazid in Damascus,
and in certain sharp arguments which broke out there.
Second: Adoption of New Approach to Reforms
If one examines the dimensions of the Imam's role, in the life of the
Muslims, after his returm to Madinah, one will find that he made use of
the experience of his father, Imam Hussein (A.S.), in reforming
Muslims's social life.
Imam al-Sajjad (A.S.), in his capacity as the Imam of the umma, after
his father, in whom the idelogical and social authority had converged,
had to take the experience of his father into consideration. In its
light he had to make his plans for reforms, and this he did.
When the Imam (A.S.) embarked on his reforms, which aimed at beginning a
spiritual and cultural revolution among the Muslims, a set of objective
conditions were on his side. They helped in advancing his plans futher.
These conditions can be summed up in two elements:
First Element: The political and social upheavals which exploded in the
most important cities of the Muslim world after the tragedy of Taff.
Second Element: There was a warm response to the mission of Ahlul-Bait (A.S..)
from a wide section of the umma and there was a sweeping feeling that
Ahlul-Bait (A.S.) were victims of the brutal policies of the rulers. The
Imam (A.S.) found the sympathy of the masses towards Ahlul-Bait (A.S.)
helpful in his endeavor to further the Islamic goals and bring the
Islamic historical mission to fruition.
He set certain broad guidelines according to which he acted. He
broadened the popular base to Ahlul-Bait (A.S.), sharpened peoples
sentiment towards them and changing it into active and virtual loyality.
He (A.S.) also raised the level of Islam awazareness of the umma and
encouraged the masses to embrace Islam. Lastly, he (A.S.) created
ideologically distinguished leadership which could bear the original
Islamic thought and not that thought which served the narrow interests
of thr Ummayyad rulers.
The
Practical Method of the Imam (A.S.)
A clise look to the Imam's way of life tells us that the Imam (A.S.)
embraced a method having special goals vnd aims. It focused on the
following:
1.Educational Task
The Imam (A.S.) made both the mosque of the Prophet (S.A.W.) amd his
home centers for disseminating Islamic knowledge. Through his
constructive efforts, he became a magnet attracting pioneers of Islamic
thought at defferent levels and fields.
Through his blessed efforts during a long period of time (35 years), the
term of his Imamate, he graduated traditionists, jurisprudents, and
leading intellectuals who emerged as leading scholars.
Imam al-Sajjsd (A.S.) used to report authentic traditions from his
grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.), through a pure and
reliable chain of transmitters that began with the two young lords of
Paradise, namely Imam Hasan(A.S.) and Imam Hussein (A.S.), through the
Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali bin Abi-Talib (A.S.) and the
Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.), ending with the Divine revelation itself.
2. Practical Embracing of the Problems of the Umma
Imam al-Sajjad (A.S.), like any of other Imams (A.S.), paid increasing
attention to the umma. By strengthening his ties with them, he became
the merciful father, the wise leader, who made a point of healing their
wounds.
Regarding his father (A.S.), his son, Imam al-Baqir (A.S.) is quoted to
have said:
"Imam al-Sajjad (A.S..) was supporting 100 poor families in Madinah. He
liked the orphans, the needy, the long-time sick, and the poor who had
no supporters, to be present at his feasts. He, himself, used to deliver
food among them. Those who had wives and children were entitled to
receive their share of food from the Imam."
He (A.S.) used ro bring water to the weak among his neighbours at night
and to buy a lot of slaves and freed them in order to save them from
servitude.
His care for the people, from all walks of life, was so great that one
of them said to him, "You associate with low class people.' This man
thought it was bad to have contact with such people, and the the Imam
should leave them. 'I, "said the Imam (A.S.) 'am surely associating with
whom I benefit for the sake of my faith.'"
3. Reviving the Tragedy of Imam Hussein (A.S.)
He (A.S.) allocated a special place within his house in which the battle
of Taff was remembered and his men was revived. The memory of these
martyrs was kept fresh, warm, and alive in the conscience and history of
the umma. As it remained inside the minds of the people, it was
simultaneously heightening their anger and discontent against the
Ummayyads.
4. Supplication
Imam al-Sajjad (A.S.) left us a collection of supplications that are the
zenith of perfection and eloquence. His supplications are like two sides
of the same coin: the ritual side and the social one. The two sides go
hand-in-hand.
These supplications, authorized by Imam al-Sajjad (A.S.), were collected
into one eternal book entitled 'Sahifa Sajjadiyya' which is still read
eagerly by the faithful. Thos book enjoyed increasing care and attention
of the Imams of Ahlul-Bait (A.S.)
The
Ummayyad's React
The Ummayyad regime, headed by Abdul-Malik bin Marwan, raised the slogan
of doing away with the faithful, and especially most effective forces
among them. To carry out that devilish plan, Hajjaj bin Yusuf Thaqafi,
the bloodthirsty, notorious Ummayyad leader, was installed as the new
governor of Kufa, the capital of Ahlul-Bait (A.S..). Hajjaj ruled with
an iron fist, spreading horror and death, killing the faithful on the
slighest suspicion.
Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (A.S.) depicts, precisely, the scope of bloodshed
during that time. He says:
"...then came Hajjaj. He killed them ( the followers of Ahlul-Bait (A.S.)
in the most horrible ways. He punished them on the slightest suspicion.
Things were so bad that a man would like to be called 'atheist' or
'infidel' rather than 'follower of Ali'."
Many historians maintain that "Hajjaj died in 95 A.H. in the city of
Wasit in Iraq... He killed more than 120,000 and in his prison 50,000
men and 30,000 women, among them were 16,000 single were found dead. He
used to imprison men and women in one place... etc."
Things deteriorated further after the death of Abdul-Malik. At the time
when Walid, his son, assumed office, the opposition was nearly
liquidated with the exception of Imam al-Sajjad (A.S.) who went on with
his social reforms. This upset the Ummayyads and made then anxious about
their political future. Terrorizing the Imam (A.S.) would not make him
change his mind.
They had only one choice left and that was to physically liquidate the
Imam (A.S..) himself. They did it. Sulaiman bin Abdul-Malik assassinated
Imam al-Sajjad (A.S.) by poisoning him. Thus, during the reign of Walid
bin Abdul-Malik, the shining light of the Imam (A.S.) was put out
forever.
Though murdered, Imam al-Sajjad (A.S.) lived through his thoughts and
objectives which remained vividly alive, flowing with good and
fertility, animating man's history and carrying the light of virtue and
guidance.
Peace be upon him, and upon the guiding Imams, his fathers, and sons and
those who strive hard in their right path. |