This adventurous life of Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.) is such a life, that you see how passionate and exciting of a life this was. As we look today, we imagine that Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.) was an oppressed, quiet, and submissive man in Medina, whom the officers went to arrest him and brought him to Baghdad or to Kūfa in a certain place or Baṣra and imprisoned him, then they poisoned him and he departed this world; that’s all. This was not the case. The case was a long struggle, an organizational struggle, a struggle consisting of many individuals. In all the Islamic horizons, Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.) had people who were fond of him. While his paternal cousin, Mūsā b. Ja‘far’s (P.B.U.H.) undutiful nephew, who was among those individuals dependent upon the ruling apparatus, would talk to Hārūn about Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.), his interpretation was as follows:
«خَلِيفَتَانِ يَجِيءُ إلَيهِما الخَرَاج»
(Two caliphs to whom the tributes are brought.) He said: “Hārūn! Do not think that it is only you who is caliph on the Earth in the Islamic society and people pay you tributes, pay you taxes; there are two caliphs, one is you and one is Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.). People pay you taxes, they give you money; they also pay taxes to Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.) and give him money; and this was a reality. He said this out of his maliciousness, he wanted to criticize, but this was a reality. There were people from all over Islamic regions who had connections with Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.), the thing is that these connections were not at a level that Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.) could attempt an overt movement of armed fighting.
This was the condition of Mūsā b. Ja‘far’s (P.B.U.H.) life; and as for Hārūn al-Rashīd, when it came to Hārūn al-Rashīd’s turn, it was a time that although the Muslim community did not have anyone who oppressed the caliphate’s apparatus and he was busy ruling almost effortlessly and worry-free, however the condition of Mūsā b. Ja‘far’s (P.B.U.H.) life and spread of the seventh Imam’s (P.B.U.H.) propagation was such that its resolving was not so easy for them, either. But Hārūn was a caliph astute in politics and very perspicacious. One of the things that Hārūn did was that he went to Mecca in person, as Ṭabarī, the famous historian, with some possibility or with certainty or likelihood says, Hārūn al-Rashīd set out with the intention of going on this trip to perform the Hajj pilgrimage; however, his intention was secretly to go to Medina, to see Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.) from up close to see what kind of a person he was. Hārūn wanted to know what kind of personality he had that he was so much talked about, had so many friends, and many of his friends were even in Baghdad? Should one be afraid of him or not? Hārūn did go and had several meetings with Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.), which were among those extremely important and sensitive meetings. One of them was in Masjid al-Ḥarām in which Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.) apparently encountered Hārūn anonymously and bitter talks were exchanged between them and Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.) shattered the dignity of caliph in the presence of the audience. Here, he did not recognize Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.).
After he comes to Medina, he has several meetings with Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.) that are important meetings. I will mention this much for those who like to study, who like to do research and are interested in these issues to go and work. These are the conjectures; they should go look for it and find it. Among other things that he does now in these meetings, Hārūn al-Rashīd would do all those things that must be done in order to take possession of an opposing human being and a true struggler. Threatening, bribery, deception, he did all of these things.
1985/04/12
In the beginning when he assumed the caliphate and came to Medina, as you have heard, Hārūn praised Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.) and showed him respect and you know Ma’mūn’s famous story where he relates that, “We went [to see Hārūn], the Imam (P.B.U.H.) was riding a mule and entered the district where Hārūn was sitting and when he wanted to get off the mule, Hārūn swore the Imam (P.B.U.H.) to go to the place where he had set up his camp on his mount (riding and not getting off), and the Imam (P.B.U.H.) came on his mount.” Then Hārūn showed him respect and praised him, and told him this and that. Then when he left, he (Hārūn) ordered us to ‘take his [mount’s] stirrup’. Of course, what is interesting is that in this very narration he says that Ma’mūn says, “Hārūn, my father, used to give a prize of five thousand or ten thousand dinars to everyone, but he would give Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.) a prize of only two hundred dinars. Whereas when he asked the Imam (P.B.U.H.) how he was, he said he had many children, he had many problems, and his financial situation was not good.” Now, in this humble person’s opinion, Mūsā b. Ja‘far’s (P.B.U.H.) words to Hārūn is quite interesting, too. That is they are very familiar and understandable for us as to how it can be that a man can disclose to someone like Hārūn that his situation was not good and it was hard to live on and such things. In no way does this mean begging and humility. If a person has done so he knows how this is.
I know that during the period of the tyrannical regime and the period of repression many of you have naturally done many of these things and this is entirely understandable. Anyway, after the Imam (P.B.U.H.) says these things, which calls for Hārūn to say, “Well, very well, so, for example, these five thousand dinars are yours.” But he just gives him two hundred dinars. He says, “After I asked my father, why did you do so? He said, ‘If I gave this money, it would mean that he would mobilize the armed forces of Khurāsān, he would cause two thousand to rise against me’.” This was Hārūn’s impression and he had figured out it right. Now, some people imagine that the Imam (P.B.U.H.) was backbiting; no, the truth of the matter was merely that the time when Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.) was struggling against Hārūn, if indeed there was money in (the treasury of) the government apparatus there would have been many people who were ready and willing to use a sword alongside Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.) and we have seen such an example among those other than the Imams (P.B.U.T.), in case that if the Imam (P.B.U.H.) had risen up, people like Ḥusayn b. ‘Alī–the Martyr of Fakh–was before Hārūn in the time of Mūsā al-Hādī and more and more others. It was very clear that their action is an indication of how many people the Imams (P.B.U.T.) could have gathered round them, and Hārūn had rightly understood.
1986/07/19
One of the things that he talks to Imam Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.) about is that he says, “You Hashemite, ‘Alī’s household, were deprived of Fadak, they took Fadak away from you, now I want to give Fadak back to you; say where Fadak is and what the boundaries of Fadak are so that I can return it to you.” Well, it is clear that this is a deception that he says he wants to return Fadak, [he is pretending] as a person who wants to return the right of the household of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) to them and build up a reputation for himself. The Imam (P.B.U.H.) says, “Very well, now that you want to give Fadak back to me, I will specify the boundaries of Fadak for you.” They agree to specify the boundaries of Fadak. The boundaries that Imam Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.) ascertained for Fadak encompassed all the Muslim countries of that day; this is what Fadak means. That is, [addressing Hārūn, he says] you imagine that our dispute of that day was over a garden, that it was over a few palm trees, this is simple-minded. Our problem that day was not several palm trees or the garden of Fadak, either; the problem was the Caliphate of the Prophet (P.B.U.H & H.H.), the problem of Islamic government. However, that day what was thought it would completely deprive us of this right, was taking back Fadak. So we would insist upon the matter of the garden of Fadak. Today that thing that you have usurped before our very eyes, which does not have any value, is not the garden of Fadak. What you have usurped is an Islamic society, an Islamic country. Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.) mentions the fourfold boundaries and says, “This is Fadak, hurry up now, if you want to give it [back], give it. That is Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.) explicitly raises the matter of claiming sovereignty and Caliphate.
1985/12/04
«خُذ فدكاً حَتَّی أردّها إليك»
[Tell me the extent of Fadak I will return it back to you.]
Delineate it; specify it, until I give Fadak back to you. At first, the Imam (P.B.U.H.) refuses, then He says,
«لا آخذها إلا بحدودها»
[I won’t take it except with its boundaries.]
If you give it back with its original boundaries, I will take it. Then he (Hārūn) says, “Very well, specify its boundaries. It is very interesting that at that time the Imam (P.B.U.H.) specifies a boundary for Fadak, its boundary is this:
«أمّا الحَدُّ الأوّلُ فَعَدَن»
[One boundary is Aden.] Now they are sitting, for example, in Medina or Baghdad and they are talking to each other. One bound is Aden, the farthest end of the Arabian Peninsula.
«فتغيّر وجه الرشيد»
[Then the color of Rashīd’s face changed.]
«و قال تيهاً»
[And Hārūn said, “O!”] Hārūn said: “How strange!”
«و قال و الحدّ الثاني سمرقند»
[Imam (P.B.U.H.) said, “The second boundary of Fadak is Samarqand.”] Samarqand is the second boundary of Fadak.
«فاربدّ وجهه»
[Hārūn’s face became dark.]
«والحدّ الثالث افريقيا»
[The third boundary is Africa] The third boundary is Tunisia.
«فاسودّ وجهه»
[His face became black.] Hārūn al-Rashīd’s face turned black.
«و قال هيه»
[He said, “Heh heh!”] “How strange! What are you saying?”
«قال و الرابع سيف البحر مما يلي الجزر أرمينيا»
[He said, “The fourth boundary is the islands and shores and Armenia.”] He (the Imam (P.B.U.H.)) said, “The fourth boundary is the margins of the seas and islands, like Armīnīyya (modern Armenia) or such and such a place, that farthest end like the Mediterranean Sea and those places.
«فقال الرشيد لم يبق شيء»
[Al-Rashīd said, “Then nothing remains for us”.]
«فتحوّل إلی مجلسي»
[“Stand up and sit on my place”.]
«قال موسی بن جعفرعلیه السلام
قد أعلمتك أنّني إن حدّدتها لم تردّها»
[Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.) said, “Indeed, I knew before that if I limit it, I would not be reimbursed.”] “I said that if I limit it, you will not return it.”
«فعند ذلك عزم علی قتله»
[So at that time he was determined to kill him.”] When they got to this point, Hārūn became determined to kill Mūsā b. Ja‘far (P.B.U.H.).
1986/07/19
