History Books

Thus did the Imam (A.S.) desire to give the Eid prayers their great spiritual meaning and separate them from the fake appearances which were attached to them by ruling caliphs who were using them to make a display of the power they commanded and to s...

Thus did the Imam (A.S.) desire to give the Eid pr...

Al-Mamoon came to know about all of that. Al-Fadl ibn Sahl Dhul-Riyasatayn said to him, "O Commander of the faithful! If al-Rida (A.S.) reaches the mosque in such a condition, people will be fascinated by him and we all will have to fear for our live...

Al-Mamoon came to know about all of that. Al-Fadl ...

The regency arrangement was the source of horror mixed with outrage and anger of the Abbasides and their followers, and this became manifest by their removal of all political influence of al-Mamoon from Baghdad and by reneging on their pledge of alle...

The regency arrangement was the source of horror m...

We have no choice here except to clear some of the ambiguity which encompasses this negative stance of the Imam (A.S.) towards the government, for why should he refuse to cooperate with al-Mamoon in carrying out the state affairs? Before doing anythi...

We have no choice here except to clear some of the...

According to Tarikh Nishapur, as quoted in Al-Fusool al-Muhimma by Ibn al-Sabbagh the Malekite, when the Imam (A.S.) entered Nishapur on his way to Marw, he was inside a dome with curtains conveyed on a gray mule, and he went through Nishapur where t...

According to Tarikh Nishapur, as quoted in Al-Fuso...

Having evaluated the general status of the political policies of his government, which were surrounded with tumultuous events starting with Baghdad going back against its promise of support to him and passing by the Shi'a Alawide throngs surrounding ...

Having evaluated the general status of the politic...

The Imam (A.S.) foiled his attempt to achieve his goal in either possibility, and Imam al-Rida's assertion to al-Mamoon that al-Fadl was quite serious about his offer is a strong reason added to the other reasons which caused al-Mamoon to eliminate a...

The Imam (A.S.) foiled his attempt to achieve his ...

Al-Fadl actually did try to transfer the caliphate from one tribe to another in order to satisfy by so doing his own personal conceit and in pursuit of his own personal ambition to be a second Abu Muslim, so he enters the residence of al-Rida (A.S.) ...

Al-Fadl actually did try to transfer the caliphate...

If we observe the Imam's conduct towards al-Fadl, his view about the Imam (A.S.), and his warning to al-Mamoon against giving him the reins of leadership of his government, we cannot help endorsing the view which says that the choice of regent was so...

If we observe the Imam's conduct towards al-Fadl, ...

Al-Mamoon was not satisfied with all of that; he went ahead and subjected the Imam (A.S.) to a strict surveillance whereby he was closely watching all his internal and external movements, and he indirectly defined the extent of his contacts with othe...

Al-Mamoon was not satisfied with all of that; he w...

Had al-Mamoon been sincere in his intention to bring justice to the oppressed, and had he been serious in his handling of the issue of succession to the throne, why did he not name Muhammad al-Jawad (A.S.), son of Imam al-Rida (A.S.), after the death...

Had al-Mamoon been sincere in his intention to bri...

Such a reaction stirred the reservations of al-Mamoon as seen in a letter he wrote after the death of Imam al-Rida (A.S.) and during his march to Iraq. Ibn al-Athir writes: "When he (al-Rida (A.S.)) died, al-Mamoon wrote al-Hassan ibn Sahl informing ...

Such a reaction stirred the reservations of al-Mam...

The effect of that violent challenge stamped the behaviour of the Abbasides since then, for they deliberately and for the second time decided to dethrone him in a counter challenge, warning him that it would not be easy for him to get the caliphate o...

The effect of that violent challenge stamped the b...

We can summarize the causes which forced al-Mamoon to decide the issue of regency in the following: 1. In order to please the Shi'a public opinion in Khurasan and its territories which were credited with paving the road for al-Mamoon's accession to t...

We can summarize the causes which forced al-Mamoon...

The Imam (A.S.) expressed his contempt for the regency through statements he made which express his inner bitterness and pain and during times when he was suffering from emotional irritation. He was unable to do anything in the face of the stubborn i...

The Imam (A.S.) expressed his contempt for the reg...

Imam al-Rida (A.S.) knew beforehand about al-Mamoon's intentions through his knowledgeable foresight of the circumstances which led al-Mamoon to vest the regency upon him, and he was contented that he would not actually accede to the throne in the fu...

Imam al-Rida (A.S.) knew beforehand about al-Mamoo...

Having failed to convince the Imam that he, al-Mamoon, would abdicate the throne for him, al-Mamoon requested him to accept to be the regent and to name him the succeeding caliph after him, but the Imam again insisted on refusing, so much so that al-...

Having failed to convince the Imam that he, al-Mam...

As regarding his request that the Imam should accept to be the caliph after he himself abdicates, his objective was more than just proving to the public that the Imams from the Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.) were certainly after the glory of this life, coveting ...

As regarding his request that the Imam should acce...

What proves the fact that al-Mamoon was not serious in his offer to the Imam to be the regent is a narration stating that al-Fadl al-Nawbakhti, who was an astronomer thought to be Shi'a, wanted to test al-Mamoon's intentions, so he wrote him saying: ...

What proves the fact that al-Mamoon was not seriou...

Al-Mamoon himself revealed to us the far-sighted implication of his choice for regent in a letter to Banu Hashim answering their objections regarding the promise of regency to the Imam in which he said: "As regarding my intention behind choosing Ali ...

Al-Mamoon himself revealed to us the far-sighted i...

The reason we understand as to why he rejected it is that the Imam realized that al-Mamoon, by selecting him, aimed at using him as a bargaining ticket between him and the Abbasides on one hand, between him and the Alawides on another, and between hi...

The reason we understand as to why he rejected it ...