- Martyrdom
of
Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (a.s.)
The earth,
as a whole, was created, in the eyes of the Imam to be a worshipping
place, a concept first presented by the Apostle of Allah (s.a.w.). This
life was created so that people could serve and glorify Allah, the Most
High. It is merely a trip towards Allah, and an attempt to know Him
better. The Imam wouldn't feel a change in time or place. All the
times and places for him were the same. One the contrary, the more he
was persecuted, the closer he got to Allah (swt) by means of patience
and prayer. He made his prison a mosque, and his loneliness and the
dreariness of the jail a pleasant place filled with the remembrance of
Allah, the Most High. He fasted during the day, and prayed and recited
supplication in the night, staying up until daybreak.One of those
charged with keeping a watchful eye on the Imam in the prison of Isa bin
Ja'far related that he had heard the Imam praying, "O Allah, You know
that i had been asking You to free me from any obligation except
worshipping You. Now You have done that. So, praise be to You."
On
account of that, Isa bin Ja'far wrote to al-Rasheed, after he had kept
the Imam in his jail, saying, "Take him, and put him in the care of
anyone you like. Otherwise I will set him free. I tried hard to find a
way to incriminate him, but found none. I went to the point of
eaves-dropping, that he might invoke evil upon me or you, but I heard
him only asking Allah's mercy and forgiveness for himself."
Ahmad bin Abdullah is reported to have said, quoting his father, "I
called on al-Fadhl bin al-Rabi. He was sitting on the roof of his
house. 'Look at this house,' said he, 'What do you see?' 'A discarded
garment,' replied I. 'Look well,' he urged. I examined the thing
narrowly and said, 'A prostrate man.' 'Do you know him?' he said. 'He
is Musa bin Ja'far. I keep close watch on him, during the day and in
the night. Never did I see him anytime in another position. He says
his dawn prayer and recites the post-prayer supplications, until
sunrise. Then he kneels down in prostration, and remains so until
midday. He asked someone to tell him prayer times. When the man tells
him about the time of a certain prayer, he jumps performing the prayer
without renewing his ablution. That is his habit, saying his sunset
prayer, he breaks his fasting. He keeps performing prayer in the dead
night until day breaks."
Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (a.s.) influences his jailers. He passed his time
in prison reciting supplication, asking Allah's forgiveness. He devoted
him time to worship, regarding the trial of imprisonment as a favor and
mercy conferred on him by Allah (swt).
What kind of man is this? What force could overcome him? The light of
his heart swept away the darkness of the prison. The firmness of his
patience shattered the shackles of the jailer and the will of the
tyrant. The pleasantness of his prayers filled up the gloomy prison
with happiness and brightness. What could the jailer ever do? What
could the tyrant do? Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (a.s.) was winning over those
who were around him with his good manners, deep spirituality and unique
wisdom.
Al-Amiri, in his book "Al-Anwar", reports that "Haroon al-Rasheed sent a
maid to Imam Musa bin Ja'far (a.s.) to serve him in prison. She was
beautiful, with a bright face and black eyes. Imam Musa bin Ja'far
(a.s.) commented on this saying, 'Nay, you are excellent because of your
gift'. 'I have no need of this or to the likes of her.' Hearing that,
Haroon got furious. 'Go back to him,' he ordered his servant, 'and tell
him that it was not with your consent that we have jailed you. Nor was
it with your consent that we have captured you. Leave the maid there and
come back.'
The servant did what he had been ordered to do. Haroon then left the
room where he used to receive guests and visitors and sent the servant
back to see the maid and what had become of her. He saw her prostrate
saying, "O Holy One. Glory to You. Glory to You." 'By Allah', Haroon
commented, 'Musa bin Ja'far has bewitched her with witchcraft..."
Maybe Haroon desired to lure Imam Musa Kadhim (a.s.) away from his
sacred objectives with the beauty of women, and the pleasures of life,
acting out his own flawed convictions. He didn't know that Imam
al-Kadhim (a.s.) was totally absorbed in the beauty of right, and
dissolved in the love of Allah. He had turned his face away from life
and its cheap ornaments. Neither maids could occupy his attention, nor
life's pleasures would fascinate him. He was a man with a mission, who
dedicated his whole life to his principles, and submitted his whole soul
to Allah, the Glorified. As a result, he became a man guiding with his
words and actions, and a preacher who showed the right path with both
his silence and speech. His action spoke instead of his tongue, and his
words declared the path of right. That is why he overcame the maiden's
mind and soul. She cried, "O Holy One. O Glorified One," captured in
her prostration. After basking in the pleasures of entertainment,
drinking from the cups of love, passing her time playing musical
instruments, singing love poems, and enjoying wearing fine clothes and
necklaces, she turned to worship. She went on with her prayers and
praises of Allah until she passed away. It is said that her death
occurred a few days before the martyrdom of Imam Musa Al-Kadhim
(a.s.).
Imam al-Kadhim (a.s.) braved all difficulties and hardships on the
thorny path of faith. He taught the men who came after him, who treaded
the same path, how to be firm in their attitudes, and steadfast inside
prisons, not frightened by their jailers, or the oppression they
practiced against them so as to silence them. Imam al-Kadhim (a.s.), on
the orders of al-Rasheed, was transferred from one prison to another.
He was first sent to Isa bin Ja'far, then to al-Fadhl bin al-Rabi, then
to al-Fadhl bin Yahya, and finally to al-Sindi bin Shahik. Al-Rasheed
meant to hide Imam Musa (a.s.), drive him out from the attention of the
ummah and kill it's spirit of resistance. The result was quite the
opposite. The ummah was eager to follow the latest news about Imam Musa
al-Kadhim (a.s.), especially when he was moved from one prison to
another, with the authorities unable to take a decisive action against
him. Being in prison was of great value for Imam Musa al-Kadhim
(a.s.). He nurtured the revolution, rejection and resistance,
conferring legitimacy on them. That is why he turned down all offers to
intervene on his behalf with the rulers. He frankly told those who
asked him to allow them to send a delegation of prominent people to al-Rasheed
to persuade him to set him free, "My father told me on the authority of
his father and grandfather that Allah, the Mighty and Glorified, gave
Dawood (David) this piece of advice: 'Dawood, whoever from My servants
clings to one of My creatures, turning his face from Me, insisting on
that, shall certainly be deprived from heaven's support by Me. I shall
make the earth sink under his feet."
When al-Rasheed felt that the silent resistance of Imam Musa (a.s.) in
prison began to sneak into people's souls, and that his uncompromising
attitude moved the ummah's awareness and feelings, fear took hold of
him, for that awareness might grow into a violent revolution. He
consulted his vizier, Yahya bin Khalid, who advised him to release Imam
Musa al-Kadhim (a.s.).
Allamah al-Majlisi, in his book "Bihar al-Anwar", says that, When al-Rasheed
threw Abu-Ibrahim Musa in prison, and saw some miracles made by him, he
was greatly perplexed. He sent for Yahya bin Khalid al-Barmaki.
'Abu-Ali' he said, 'Do you not see what wonders we are witnessing? Can
you manage this man and spare us his troubles?' 'What I see as the best
solution, Commander of the Faithful,' said Yahya bin bin Khalid, 'is
that you do him a favor by being kind to him as he is your relative. He
has, by Allah, spoiled the hearts of your followers.' Yahya was a
follower of Imam Musa (a.s.) without the knowledge of Haroon. 'Go
instantly to him,' ordered Haroon, 'relieve him of his shackles,
remember me to him, and say to him, 'Your cousin says to you that Yahya
has interceded with me on your behalf, and that I will not release you
until you have admitted your wrong doings and asked forgiveness for what
you have done against me. No shame will be attached to your admittance;
nor will it be a flaw on your part to ask my pardon..."
When Yahya conveyed the message of al-Rasheed to Imam Musa bin Ja'far
(a.s.), he rejected the offer which would have put him in a humiliating
position, as if he were a wrongdoer. He said to Yahya, Tomorrow, when
we have knelt down before Allah, Who would judge between us, you would
know who was the oppressor who had wronged the other. Wassalam."
In
this way, Imam Musa al-Kadhim (a.s.) defeated all means of injustice
and terror, like prison, pressure, chains, distortion of the truth, and
deceiving public opinion. Al-Rasheed was left with only one choice, to
assassinate Imam Musa al-Kadhim (a.s.), and put an end to his blessed
life.
He
thought he could, by committing such a horrible crime, bring down the
curtain on one of the greatest scenes of jihad and resistance against
tyranny, extinguish the light of Imamate of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.), and get
rid of the greatest intellectual and religious figures of his time.
For such considerations, he made up his mind to assassinate
him.
The Martyred Imam:
By all means, Al-Rasheed tried to get rid of Imam Musa bin Jafar
(a.s.). The Imam, being a man of great social, religious and
intellectual position, was a nightmare for al-Rasheed. Hearts of people
hovered over Imam al-Kadhim (a.s.). They loved Ahlul Bayt (a.s.). No
Muslim could ever say that he knew nothing about them. People respected
them. Nobody dared ignore their glorious position and their status in
the eyes of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.), except those who greedily
sought spoils of life and trampled all ideals and values under their
feet. Even these worthless people could not make public their enmity
toward Ahlul Bayt (a.s.); nor could they fight them without twisting the
facts to suit their purposes. That is why Isa bin Ja'far, the governor
of Basrah, refused to kill him, asking al-Rasheed to relieve him of this
task and transfer Imam Musa (a.s.) to another prison. Being in prison
of al-Fadhl bin al-Rabi, Imam Musa (a.s.) impressed him. Al-Fadhl bin
Yahya who treated him kindly and made his prison a bit comfortable.
When al-Rasheed asked him to slay Imam Musa (a.s.) he declined. When
word came that al-Fadhl bin Yahya treated his prisoner well, al-Rasheed
was enraged. He ordered him to be punished. Al-Fadhl was stripped
naked and given 100 lashes in the assembly hall of al-Abbas bin
Muhammad.
Casting around him, al-Rasheed found no one better than the chief of his
police in Baghdad, al-Sindi bin Shahik, a man known to be rough,
stone-hearted and merciless, like other criminals, to murder the
Imam.
As
we have seen, al-Sindi bin Shahik received Imam Musa (a.s.) from al-Fadhl
bin Yahya, and put him in his prison. He burdened him with heavy chains
and fetters, treating him most brutally and inhumanly. Yahya bin
Khalid, one the other hand, was agonized by the punishment of his son,
al-Fadhl, had receive from al-Rasheed. He decided to propitiate al-Rasheed
and restore his family's position before the Abbasid ruler. The price
would be the blood of Imam Musa al-Kadhim (a.s.) even if that would
torture the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.).
Base people do such things. Controlled by meanness, opportunism and
sycophancy, they seek the closeness of the rulers and blood-thirsty
tyrants by shedding blood and persecuting innocent people who preached
righteousness. They are dazzled by the fake social reputation and
passing pleasures. They act out of the inferiority complex which
overpowers them and prods them to win other's favor.
Yahya ibn Khalid talked the matter over with al-Rasheed. He assured him
that al-Fadhl was an inexperienced young man. He offered to go to
Baghdad. Al-Rasheed was not delighted at having an offer from an
obedient, faithful man. He gave him the green light to perpetrate the
crime. Arriving in Baghdad, Yahya instantly held a meeting with al-Sindi
bin Shahik, during which he explained to him the plan he had set to get
rid of the Imam (a.s.). the latter accepted it gratefully. According
to the plan, poison was given to Imam Musa al-Kadhim (a.s.) in a plate
of dates, or in some other food, according to another version. Imam
Musa (a.s.) partook from that food and felt the poison sneaking through
his pure body. For three days, he struggled with death, before
breathing his last. One the third day, he died at the prison of al-Sindi
bin Shahik, or at the mosque of Haroon, which was called Al-Musayyab
Mosque. He won martyrdom on the 25th of Rajab, in the year 183 A.H.
Imam Musa al-Kadhim's (a.s.) start set, and his light faded away from
the sky of a bereaved Baghdad. Dark descended on the city, whose sky
was cloudy with sorrow and anguish. Her blank eyes were swelled with
the tears of separation and bereavement. She flung aside the false flag
of peace her founder had concurred on her, and put on the clothes of
mourning and protest. She cried out, "I am no longer the city of peace,
nor a resting place for the free, righteous men." The hangman sat
perplexed. Before him the crime was flashing. The horror of such a
heinous act filled him with remorse. This terrorist, al-Sindi bin
Shahik, felt the graveness of the tragedy. He saw Baghdad seething with
anger and tumult. All the criminals who were involved in the conspiracy
saw it. The voice of right was loud on every tongue filling all parts
of Baghdad, "The Imam died without doing any wrong. He was martyred in
the tyrant's prison."
Reference
Al-Balagh Foundation. Imam al-Kadhim. Ahlul-Bait, book 9. Pages
90-99. Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
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