The loneliness of the Imams, these noble figures (P.B.U.T.), did not come to an end in their own lifetimes, but centuries of disregard for the major aspects of the lives of these noble personages prolonged their loneliness. Books written in the course of these centuries are certainly unique in worth, for they have left for the future generation a collection of traditions on the lives of these noble personages. However, among the reports, Ḥadīths, and biographies dealing with the scholarly and spiritual aspects of their lives, the element of “intense political campaign”, forming a two-hundred-and-fifty-year continuum, is missing.
We should learn the lives of the Imams (P.B.U.T.) as a lesson and an example, not merely as valuable glorious memoirs, and this will not be possible except by considering the political manners and disposition of these noble personages. I first became fond of this dimension in the lives of the Imams (P.B.U.T.) in 1350 S. / l970 C.E.–during a hard Divine trial. Although prior to that I regarded the Imams (P.B.U.T.) as great combatants who sacrificed their lives in exalting monotheism and establishing the Divine government, but the point that suddenly came to my mind in that period of time was that in spite of external differences the lives of these honorable personages are a long continuous movement although some people took parts of it as contradictory. This movement began in the 10th and 11th year after Hijra, continued for two hundred and fifty years, and ended in the year two hundred and sixty after Hijra, which marks the onset of the minor occultation (of the twelfth Imam, may Allah hasten his reappearance).
These honorable personages are but one, a single personality, and there can be no doubt that they follow one single direction and purpose. Thus, instead of making an analysis of the life of Imam Ḥasan Mujtabā (P.B.U.H.) in isolation and separated from the life of Imam Ḥusayn and that of Imam Sajjād (P.B.U.T.)–and making provisions for a possible fall into the dangerous and erroneous pitfall of considering the apparently varied lives of these three Imams (P.B.U.T.) as opposing each other–we need to imagine a human being who has lived for two hundred and fifty years; in the 11th year after Hijra he started off on a path and paved it by the year two hundred and sixty after Hijra.
On the basis of this view, it will be possible to understand and explain all attempts of these great and infallible personages (P.B.U.T.). Any man gifted with wisdom–though not with infallibility–devises local tactics and (considers) his options for his long-term moves. At times, he may move quickly or slowly. He may even make a wise retreat, but those who are aware of his knowledge, wisdom and purposefulness consider even this retreat as a forward move. When it is taken so, the lives of the Commander of the Faithful (Imam ‘Alī (P.B.U.H.)) and of Imam Mujtabā (P.B.U.H.), together with the life of the eighth Imam (P.B.U.H.), will be an unbroken move continued until the year two hundred and sixty after Hijra. This is what I realized in that year i.e. in l350 S. With this in mind, I reviewed their lives; the further I proceeded, the more this impression was confirmed. Reviewing (the whole matter) is of course beyond the time limit of one session, but it should be noted that the lives of these infallible and honored personalities from among the household of the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) is politically oriented. This (part of the) discussion deserves to be raised separately. Today, I am going to deal with it; God willing, I am going to develop the matter a bit more.
First of all, what is this political campaign or acute political campaign that we attribute to the Imams (P.B.U.T.)? By political campaign and acute political campaign we mean that the Infallible Imams’ (P.B.U.T.) campaigns were not merely scholarly, ideological, and theological–similar to the Mu‘tazilites’ and Ash‘aris’–in circulation within this particular period of the history of Islam. The Imams (P.B.U.T.) did not mean merely to establish an instructional circle, fully prove a theological or juridical school related to themselves, and have their foes silenced. They meant something more. Nor did the Imams (P.B.U.T.) lead armed uprisings–as did His Eminence Zayd and those who survived him, as well as Banī al-Ḥasan and some others from the offspring of Ja‘far as mentioned in the life-history of the Imams (P.B.U.T.). Here, it should be noted that the Imams (P.B.U.T.) did not unconditionally charge all these moves as faulty; they refuted only some for reasons other than armed uprisings. They even gave their approval to some, and supported some others who were not directly involved in battles. This consisted of financial support, preserving (certain people’s) prestige and that rendering assistance to conceal certain others. (It is quoted from the Imam (P.B.U.H.), “I would love (to see) one from among the household of Muḥammad (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) would rise up and I would be supporting his family financially.”, But as far as we know they (the Imams–P.B.U.T.), themselves, did not stage military campaigns. Political campaign is neither the former nor the latter. It is a politically-aimed struggle. That is the formation of the Islamic government, which we call the ‘Alawī rule.
From the moment the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) passed away until the year 260 after Hijra, the Imams (P.B.U.T.) were planning to establish theocracy in society. This is the principle claim. We cannot of course say that each Imam (P.B.U.H.) meant to establish the Islamic rule in his own time; there were three kinds of future efforts: medium, distant, and sometimes near. For example, we believe that during the lifetime of Imam Mujtabā (P.B.U.H.), exertions were made for the Islamic governance to be established within a short period of time. In answer to Musayyab b. Najaba and others, who asked why the Imam (P.B.U.H.) remained silent, he said, “If you understand, this might be sedition for you and ﴾enjoyment till a time﴿”,. In my opinion, in the time of Imam Sajjād (P.B.U.H.), efforts were of medium term, and for this I will present evidence. In the time of Imam Bāqir (P.B.U.H.) efforts were most probably for a near future. After the martyrdom of the eighth Imam (P.B.U.H.), the efforts were probably aimed at long term results. “Exactly when?” It differed, but persisted. This is the meaning of the political campaign.
Except for what concerns one’s spiritual exaltation, which moves him closer to Allah–(engaging in) lessons, (narrating) Ḥadīth, (disseminating) knowledge, (studying) theology, (holding) debates with foes on knowledge and politics, and (being) exiled and supporting a certain group–the Imams’ (P.B.U.T.) entire practice followed this course: the formation of the Islamic government. This is the (main) claim.
Have the Imams (P.B.U.T.) had a political life or not? Has the life of the infallible Imams (P.B.U.T.) been summarized only in having a few students, a group of disciples, some people around themselves and teaching the provisions of performing prayer, paying alms and performing Hajj as well as Islamic morals over and above teachings and principles of religion and mysticism to them? Or nay, apart from these things that were said and the essence of what was alleged, there is another framework in the Infallibles’ (P.B.U.T.) life which is the same political life of the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.); this is a very important issue that should be clarified. However, there is no much time for argumentative and detailed arguments in short times [like this]. [In this regard,] I [only] outline main topics for those who have the desire to go looking for them, look once again at the traditions through this framework and flip through history books, then it would become clear which truth of the life of Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.) or our other Infallibles (P.B.U.T.) is still unclear, unspoken about and unknown. After the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.) felt that, in terms of Imamate and Ahl al-Bayt, the aim of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) which means ﴾to purify them, and to teach them the Book and wisdom﴿–had not been met; after they saw that the formation of an Islamic state, the formation of an Islamic world as the prophets had demanded had been totally forgotten after the early years of Islam, [that] the reign [and caliphate] took the place of prophethood and Imamate, and [people like] Khosrow, Caesar–the bullies, [as well as] Alexander and the other famous rebellious tyrants of the history came to power [as the] successor [of the holy Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.)] and [the] caliph [of Muslims] by the name of Umayyad and ‘Abbasid dynasties; and the Holy Qur’an was interpreted in the way those who were in power sought, and the minds of people were affected by the insidious practice of those scholars who were fascinated with the ambitions and material friendship of [the then] rulers; after the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.) saw all of these, they formed an overall plan in their life.
That I say the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.) I mean all the infallible Imams (P.B.U.T.)–from the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) to Imam ‘Askarī (P.B.U.H.). I have repeatedly said that the life of the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.) which had lasted 250 years should be considered as a person’s life–a 250 year old man; they are not separated, “they are all one light”. If each of them said something, it was in fact the saying of others as well. If each of them did something, it was in fact what the others did too. It seems that [the Infallibles’ (P.B.U.T.) life] is like a man who had lived 250 years. [In other words,] what the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.) did in these 250 years seems [as] the efforts of one man with one aim, one purpose but with different tactics.
When the infallible Imams (P.B.U.T.) felt that Islam was relegated and the Islamic community was not established, they made some aims as their principal goals. One was “explaining Islam properly”. Islam was annoying in the eyes of those who had been in power for a long time during those years. The Islam of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.), the Islam of the Qur’an, the Islam of the battles of Badr and Ḥunayn, the anti-luxury Islam, the anti-discrimination Islam, the pro-oppressed Islam, the anti-arrogant Islam was not beneficial to those who wanted to disguise themselves as Moses while having the nature of Pharaoh or disguise themselves as Abraham while having the nature of Numrūd–it was not possible. They had to distort Islam, it was not possible [for them] to take Islam away from the hearts or minds of people at one time, because people were believers, [thus] they had to change and empty out Islam of its spirit, content, and nature.
[As] you remember and witnessed, this is just like what was practiced during the previous regime against the Islamic manifestations. Under the previous regime, there was no opposition against Islamic demonstrations but there was opposition against the meaning and the spirit of Islam, against the Islamic Jihād, against the enjoining good and forbidding wrong of Islam, and against telling the truths of Islam; however, there were no oppositions against those Islamic aspects that do not harm their cows and sheep (i.e. properties). This situation also existed during the caliphates of Umayyad and ‘Abbasid; for this reason, in order to make Islam devoid of its spirit and truth, they had [hired] a group of mercenary writers and eulogists whom they paid to praise them and write books for them. [Someone] says that when Sulaymān b. ‘Abdul Malik passed away, we saw that the books of a great scholar–whose name I would rather not to mention here–were loaded on animals, they were loaded on mules and brought out of the treasury of Sulaymān b. ‘Abdul Malik. This means that this author, this great narrator, this famous scholar whose name is mentioned in many Islamic books, this very person wrote books for Sulaymān b. ‘Abdul Malik. Well, do you expect that in the book which is written for Sulaymān b. ‘Abdul Malik would be something that Sulaymān b. ‘Abdul Malik did not like? Well, what kind of Islam would Sulaymān b. ‘Abdul Malik–who had oppressed [people], had drunk wine, had compromised with the infidels, had put Muslims under pressure, had discriminated among people, had put [economic] pressures on the poor and had taken people’s property–have preferred? This great pain of our community was also the same problem of Islamic community during the first centuries. The Infallibles (P.B.U.T.) saw this; they felt that the precious legacy of the holy Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) i.e. Islamic provisions, which should have been remained throughout history and led the human being [to the truth] all the time, had been distorted. [Thus,] one of the goals of the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.), which was very important, was explaining Islam properly, [introducing] the true interpretation of Qur’an and exposing distortions and the misleading.
If you look at the words of the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.), you would find what they had stated refers in many cases to the things that the scholars, jurists, and narrators dependent on the then governmental organizations and royal courts had uttered in the name of Islam; the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.) rejected their sayings and elucidated the truth; this was a major goal for the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.): to explain the Islamic ordinances, this is the first.
Well, this has also a political nature. We know that when the distortion is performed by the nudge of monarchy and caliphate; and the apparent mercenary writers and hirelings distort [religion] for the sake of sovereigns and rulers; it is natural that if a person does something against [these] distortions, it is indeed deemed contrary to the policies of those sovereigns and rulers. Today, in some Islamic countries, some mercenary writers, authors and paid scholars write books on behalf of their states in order to sow discord between Muslims or show an ugly face of their Muslim brethren; if in these countries there be a liberal writer who writes a book about Islamic unity and brotherhood among Muslim communities, in fact his work is deemed political and against ruling classes. One of the main activities of the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.) was stating Islamic ordinances. This does not mean that the Islamic ordinances were not stated on those days in the Islamic community. Yes, there were people in every corner of the Islamic world who recited the Holy Qur’an, narrated Ḥadīths, quoted from the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.). Some of the narrators knew around thousands of Ḥadīths. This was not specific to Mecca, Medina, Kūfa and Baghdad but the entire Islamic world. Look at the history. For example, in Khurāsān, there was a young scholar who compiled some thousands of Ḥadīths. In Tapuria, a great scholar quoted several thousands of Ḥadīths from the Prophet [P.B.U.H. & H.H.] and his companions. There were Ḥadīths, the Islamic ordinances were also stated, yet what were not stated were the true interpretation and explanation of Islam in all aspects and affairs of the Islamic community. The Infallibles (P.B.U.T.) wanted to stop this; this was one of the important activities of the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.).
Another important activity of the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.) was to discuss the issue of Imamate. Imamate means the leadership of Muslim community. A major issue for the then Muslims–which was obvious that it was practically and theoretically distorted–was the issue of Imamate and leadership. Who is responsible for the Imamate and leadership of the Islamic community? It reached a point that those who did not practice Islamic provisions and performed most prohibitions publicly, claimed to be the successor of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.), took his position and felt no shame. It was not the case that people did not know about these. People saw that a person as the caliph–drunken and unaware–came to the Friday Prayers and performed prayers as the leader. People were aware that Yazīd b. Mu‘āwīya had great moral diseases and committed mortal sins. While at the same time when they were told to stand against Yazīd, they [simply] said, “[Since] we had sworn allegiance to Yazīd, we cannot revolt against him”. The Imamate and leadership issues were not clear to the people. The people thought that the Imam of Muslims and Islamic community could perpetrate these sins, these offenses, these cruelties and these acts which are contrary to the Holy Qur’an and Islam; this was not an important issue for the [then] people. This was a big problem that due to the importance of a government in a society and its dominant influence on the orientation of the society is regarded as the greatest threat for the Islamic world. Therefore, the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.) feel the need to state two things to people.
One is to say that the Imam (P.B.U.H.) has certain conditions; that the Islamic governor should have certain characteristics. Their innocence, their virtue, their knowledge, their spirituality, their manner toward people, their act in front of Allah showed the characteristics of an Imam–which means the Islamic governor–to people. This is the first, and the second is to identify who has these qualities at the moment. They identified that person and expressed themselves. This is a great activity of the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.) and you see that it is one of the most important political activities, propagations and teachings.
If the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.) had not done something other than the two that I mentioned, it would have been sufficient for us to say that the life of the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.) from the beginning to the end had been a political life. Wherever they interpreted the Holy Qur’an, they had stated the Islamic teachings as well; in fact, they performed a political act yet again wherever they talked about the characteristics of an Imam, they performed a political act as well. This means that if the teachings of the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.) had been summarized in these two features–the two titles and topics which I had mentioned, their life still would have been regarded as a political one; however, they would have not been content with these [two].
In addition to all these, the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.)–at least from the time of Imam Ḥasan Mujtabā (P.B.U.H.) on ward–initiated an all-out political and revolutionary underground movement in order to seize [back] the government. This would leave no doubt for the researcher of the Infallibles’ (P.B.U.T.) lives that the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.) had such a movement. What I say has been remained unknown is this part of the story that unfortunately has not been mentioned in the books written about the Infallibles’ (P.B.U.T.) lives; Imam Ṣādiq’s (P.B.U.H.) life, Imam Kāim’s (P.B.U.H.) life, and the lives of many other Imams (P.B.U.T.). That the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.) had established a broad political and organized movement has not been mentioned and remained untold despite all the evidence; and this is the major problem for understanding the life of the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.). The truth is that the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.) had initiated this. Of course, there are many evidence in this regard.
So to summarize, all the brothers and sisters should know that as soon as all the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.) were entrusted with the Imamate, one of the things they established was a political campaign–a political struggle to seize [back] the government. This political struggle is like all the struggles of those who seek to form a government and the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.) did so.
You see that all the disputes and conflicts during the Infallibles’ (P.B.U.T.) lives between them and the tyranny and oppressive governments were over this issue. The dispute of those who opposed our infallible Imams (P.B.U.T.), poisoned them, murdered them, sent them to prison, surrounded them, was over their claim to the Infallibles’ (P.B.U.T.) rule. If the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.) had not had a claim to the government–even if they had attributed any knowledge to themselves–if it had not been a political issue, if there had been no claim to the political power, no aggression would have been shown toward them or at least it would have not been so severely; in general, the problem is this! This is why you see that there is a great sensitivity on the term and issue of Imamate among the invitations and propagation of the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.). In other words, whenever Imam Ṣādiq (P.B.U.H.) sought to have a claim to the government and political power, he stated, “O’ people, indeed, the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) was an Imam”. The Imam–stood at the gathering of the people in ‘Arafāt–and stated, “O’ people, indeed, the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) was an Imam”; that the Imam of the society, the leader of the society, the governor of the society was the holy Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.). “Then there was ‘Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, then Ḥasan and Ḥusayn”, until he reached himself. This means that all the disputes and arguments of the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.) with their opponents over and above the disputes of the Infallibles’ (P.B.U.T.) companions in their campaigns were over the same issue of government, sovereignty, absolute and general authority over Muslims as well as political power; [the opponents] had no dispute over the spiritual authority of the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.). It often happened that there were some people in the community–at the time of the caliphs–who were pious, knowledgeable, known for their interpretations [of the Holy Qur’an], knowledge and so forth that the caliphs not only did not oppose them but they were also very sincere toward these people, the caliphs showed intense devotion to them, they went to these people and sought their advice. Why? Because they had no political claim for the caliphate; certain prominent figures like Ḥasan Baṣrī and Ibn Shubruma or ‘Amr b. ‘Ubayd were of the scholars whom the caliphs had respect for and accepted. Even though these people made claims for knowledge, made claim for piety, made claim for spirituality, made claim for the [best] interpretation [of the Holy Qur’an], made claim for knowledge of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.); and they made all of these claims, there was no opposition from the caliphs; why? There were no such claims to political power. The conflict of the Infallibles (P.B.U.T.) with the caliphs of [both] Umayyad and ‘Abbasid was over the same issues of Imamate and vicegerency which is [or has been] the same meaning we will apply today.
