2. Political Circumstance of His Imamate
Musaal-Kazim(a.s.)becametheImamattheageoftwentythroughDiv-
ineCommandandthedecreeofhisforefathers.Hisimamate,however,
began under a very difficult political atmosphere.
ThefirsttenyearscoincidedwithMansurwho,asalreadymentioned
inthepreviouslesson,hadgivenorderstohisgovernorinMedinatobe-
headtheheirofImamJa‘faras-Sādiq(a.s.).HisplotfailedbecauseImam
as-Sādiq,predictingthismoveofMansur,hadwritten thelastwillina
way that confused the enemiesbut guided the seekers of truth to his
rightful successor.
The Imam had written five names: the names of the caliphand his
governorinMedinawerejusttoconfusetheenemy.Itwasobviousthat
Hamidah,beingawoman, cannotbe animam.Soweareleftwith two
possible successors to Imam as-Sādiq: ‘Abdullāh Aftah, the olderson,
andMusaal-Kādhim,hisyoungerson.If‘Abdullāh,theolderson,was
capable ofinheriting the father’s status, therewasnoneed to mention
theyounger son’sname!Thiswill, besidesotherproofs, clearlyguided
the Shi‘as towards their new Imam.
Obviouslywithsuchabeginning,itwasnotpossiblefortheImamto
openlyassume theroleofleadership.Hiscontactswiththe Shi‘aswere
verymuchrestricted.Some reliefcame whenMansurdiedin 158 A.H.
andwassucceededbyhisson,Mahdi,whoadopted alenient policyto-
wardstheShi‘asandtheAhlu‘l-Bayt.Duringthistime,theImam’sfame
inknowledgeandpietyspreadfarandwide.ThisfamepromptedMahdi
to orderhis officersto arrest Imam Musaal-Kādhimandbring himto
Baghdad. But soon the Imam was released and sent back to Medina.
NowtheImamstartedmeetinghisfollowersmoreopenlyandcontinued
the scholarly jihād of his forefathers.
In 169 A.H.,MahdidiedandwassucceededbyHadi.Hadi,unlikehis
father, had no respect for people’s views, and openly persecuted the
Shi‘as and the Ahlu’l-Bayt. Morally he wasa very corrupt person. It
wasduringhisshortreign thatHusaynbin ‘Aliorganized anuprising
againstHadiwhichendedinanarmedconfrontationinFakh.Unfortu-
nately, Husayn and all his companions were killed.