Imam Riḍā’s Martyrdom

A year after the Imam (P.B.U.H.) was declared the heir (to the caliph), the situation was as follows: In the script he issued (when investing his) vicegerent, and in other addresses, Ma’mūn praised the Imam (P.B.U.H.) for his outstanding virtues, piety, and high degree of knowledge. The Imam (P.B.U.H.) was now well-known to people–to those who had merely heard his name, and to those who have been spiteful of him–as a praiseworthy personage deserving the succession, and senior to Caliph in age, knowledge, piety and family link with the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.).
Although he brought the Imam (P.B.U.H.) (closer) to the office, Ma’mūn did not succeed either in making his Shi‘ite opponents optimistic or in stopping them from speaking ill against the caliph and the caliphate (organization). ‘Alī b. Mūsā al-Riḍā (P.B.U.H.) was now a source of faith and confidence to people. In Medina, Mecca and other major Islamic towns no one accused the Imam (P.B.U.H.) of being greedy for this world and for (material) ranks. On the contrary, the external magnificence enhanced his spiritual glory. After decades (of silence), panegyrists began praising the merits of his oppressed and infallible ancestors. In short, Ma’mūn did not gain anything in this big gamble; he lost a lot instead, and other losses were impending.
Here, Ma’mūn, feeling that he was defeated, decided to compensate for his glaring mistake. After all the investment he had made, he felt that, to confront the irreconcilable enemies of the caliphate organization–the Imams (P.B.U.T.) from the House of the Prophet (P.B.U.T.)–, he had to resort to what his cruel and evil-doing predecessors always had resorted to: murdering of the Imam (P.B.U.H.), which was not a simple task, considering the Imam’s (P.B.U.H.) prominent rank.
Evidence shows that Ma’mūn took preparatory steps prior to murdering the Imam (P.B.U.H.).
Most probably, rumors got about in Merv that the Imam (P.B.U.H.) had regarded all people as his slaves. This could not have spread but through Ma’mūn’s agents. When Abā Ṣalt informed the Imam (P.B.U.H.) of the rumor, the Imam (P.B.U.H.) said, “O’ Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth! Thou art the witness; neither I nor my forefathers have ever said such a thing. This is one of the cruelties inflicted on us.”
The formation of assemblies of disputation–to which was invited any one of those expected to be able to overcome the Imam (P.B.U.H.)–was an example of Ma’mūn’s hopeless attempts. After the Imam (P.B.U.H.) defeated the disputants from various religions and sects and when the news of his knowledge and indisputable proofs spread everywhere, Ma’mūn decided to call all theologians to the assembly to debate with the Imam (P.B.U.H.) (hoping) that at least one of them might probably convince the Imam (P.B.U.H.).
The more the debates continued, the clearer the Imam’s (P.B.U.H.) high degree of knowledge became, and the more frustrated Ma’mūn became in his plan. Reports say that a couple of times he attempted to have the Imam (P.B.U.H.) killed by his servants and agents; and once he had the Imam (P.B.U.H.) jailed in Sarakhs. But all these generated confidence about the Imam’s (P.B.U.H.) spiritual rank, and made Ma’mūn more hopeless, more at a loss and more furious. He finally decided to poison the Imam (P.B.U.H.) with his own hands, without the help of anyone else. It was in the month of Ṣafar, in the year 203 after Hijra, about two years after the Imam’s (P.B.U.H.) migration from Medina to Khurāsān, about a year and a few months after the charter of heirdom had been issued in the name of the Imam (P.B.U.H.) that Ma’mūn committed, with his own hand, the foul murder that will never be forgotten– the murder of the Imam (P.B.U.H.).
1984/09/08