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The Issue of Imam al-Reza's (A.S.) Heir Apparency
The mysterious event that the Abbasid Ma’mūn had plotted, was a divine trial that the Shi'as were afflicted with; for, not a long time had passed since so many crimes and suppressions by the Abbasids, in particular by Hārūn (Ma'mūn’s father) and the massacre of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.)’s children and Shi’a’s, especially the martyrdom of Imam al-Kazim(A.S.), that Ma'mūn’s proposing heir apparency to Imam al-Reza(A.S.) bewildered everybody. The hatred that the Shi'as in general had towards the despotic ruling system, in particular Hārūn al-Rashīd, because of the latter’s animosity with the Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.) and the crime of killing Imam al-Kāẓim’s (A.S.) as a martyr, caused them not to agree with the Imam’s (A.S.) decision to accept Ma’mūn’s proposal, and although his holiness had been forced to accept it, this unprecedented task sounded extremely controversial to a group, particularly the deviated Waqifites seized the opportunity to intensify their propaganda. That was how the simple-hearted and unaware people began to protest instead of conceding to their Imam, frequently saying to the holy Imam: “Why did you enter Ma’mīn’s court?” And his holiness would answer: “For the same reason that my forefather, Commander of the Faithful ‘Alī (A.S.) entered the Shūrā.”
Once in a response to one of these protesters, the Imam (A.S.) said, “Is the Holy Prophet Afdal (superior) or the successor?” “The Holy Prophet,” said the protester. The Imam (A.S.) asked again: “Is a Muslim superior or a polytheist?” The man answered: “The Muslim.” The Imam (A.S.) said, “Potiphar was a polytheist and Joseph was a Holy Prophet; Ma’mūn is a Muslim and I am a waṣī (successor). Joseph personally asked Potiphar (as described in the Qur’ān) to give him wilāya (mastership), but I was forced to.”
The Issue of Heir Apparency
After Imam al-Reza(A.S.) arrived in Marv in 201/816 at the insistence of Ma’mūn and his frequent letters of invitations to him and his rejecting the excuses that the Imam made, Ma’mūn first offered him the caliphate and told him: “O son of the Apostle of Allāh! I am aware of your excellence, erudition, asceticism, piety, and devotedness and consider you as more deserving of the caliphate than myself.”
Imam al-Reza(A.S.) said, “I take pride in my devotion and servitude to Allāh, hoping to be secure from the torment of the Hereafter by asceticism in this world, to gain profits by minding the unlawful, and to achieve high standing before Allāh through humility in this world.” Ma’mūn said, “I am of the opinion to resign from caliphate and leave it to you and swear allegiance to you!”
Imam al-Reza(A.S.) said, “If this caliphate is rightfully yours and Allāh has assigned it to you, it is not permissible for you to take off the garment that Allāh has clothed you with and give it to another one; and if you have no rights in caliphate, you are not permissible to give me what is not yours.”
Ma’mūn said, “O son of the Apostle of Allāh! You have to accept this task.” His holiness said, “I never do this voluntarily.”
For a long time Ma’mūn kept on insisting until he got disappointed in his holiness and said to him: “If you do not accept caliphate and do not wish me to swear allegiance to you, then be my heir apparent so that you become the caliph after my death.”
Imam al-Reza (A.S.) said, “By God, my father heard from his forefathers who heard from Commander of the Faithful that the Apostle of Allāh (S.A.W.) said that I would depart from the world before you do, while I will be tyrannically killed with poison and the angels of the heaven will cry over me, and I will be buried in a strange land near Hārūn’s tomb.”
Ma’mūn cried and said, “O son of the Apostle of Allāh! Who would kill you or would be able to harm you so long as I am alive?”
His holiness said, “I would say who will kill me if I wished to.”
Ma’mūn said, “O son of the Apostle of Allāh! By saying this, you intend to lighten burden and take it off your shoulders so that the people say that you are an ascetic in the world!”
Imam al-Reza(A.S.) said, “By God, since my Almighty and Glorious Lord created me, I have not told a lie, and I have never abstained from the world for the sake of [profiting from] the world; and I know what your intention is.”
Ma’mūn said, “What is my intention?” His holiness said, “Am I really safe?” Ma’mūn said, “You are safe.” The Imam said, “You want the people to say that ‘Alī b. Mūsā al-Reza was not uninterested in the world; rather, it was the world that was uninterested in him; do you not see that he accepted heir apparency to assume the caliphate.”
At this moment Ma’mūn became furious and said, “You always make me encounter with what disturbs me and remain safe from my anger. I swear by God that you will accept the heir apparency or I will force you to, otherwise, I will cut your head off.” Imam al-Reza(A.S.) said, “The Almighty and Glorious Allāh has forbidden me from putting myself to death with my own hands. If it is so, do whatever you like to do; I will accept, provided that I would –neither install nor dismiss anyone, nor change any rules or procedures, and just be an advisor from a distance.”
Ma’mūn accepted these conditions and appointed his holiness as his heir apparent.
It is related in some traditions that the Imam said, “O God! You have prohibited me from putting myself to death; if I do not accept his heir apparency, I will be few steps away from death [i.e., to be killed] by him; I am compelled and distressed… O God! There is no pledge of allegiance except to You; there is no guardianship except from You; help me succeed in establishing Your religion and reviving the Sunna of Your Holy Prophet; You are the Mawlā and Helper, and the best Mawlā and Helper as you are.” Then, while weeping and sorrowful, he accepted the heir apparency with the above-mentioned conditions.
After Imam al-Reza(A.S.) accepted the heir apparency in this manner, Ma’mūn ordered that his son Abbās, his commanders, judges, servants, and children all come and swear allegiance to the Imam. He spent a lot of properties to content the commanders; all agreed except three of them called Jallūdī, ‘Alī b. ‘Imrān, and Abū Mūsā (or Abū Yūnus) who did not swear allegiance to the Imam al-Reza(A.S.) and Ma’mūn sent them to prison.
The allegiance ceremony was held most splendidly, coins were minted in the name of his holiness, and sermons were delivered on the pulpits.
Fulfillment of Pledge
Imam al-Reza(A.S.) said, “One day Ma’mūn told me: ‘O Abū al-Hasan! I would like you to write a letter to some of your devotees in this region who have rebelled against us. (Meaning: ‘You would ask your followers among the rebels to give up their revolting.’)
I told him: ‘O Amīr! If you fulfill the pledge by which I entered this task – that I may not command, nor install or dismiss anyone – I will fulfill [your request], too.
This heir apparency did not bring me any blessings; I was in Medina and my handwriting (command) was influential in the East and West; I would ride on my steed and pass through the alleys and no one was more respected there than I was. No one would ask me a favor that I was able to do, unless I would do it. Ma’mūn said, ‘I will fulfill that pledge.”
Reference:
Story of the Sun
A Look at Imam al-Reza's Life
Author: Sayyid Muhammad Najafi Yazdi
Translated by: Ahmad Rezwani
Published by: Islamic Research Foundation, Astan Quds Razavi, Mashhad - I.R. Iran
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