4. Attitude of the Rulers
TheUmayyid rulersduringthe imamateofImam Muhammadal-Bāqir
(a.s.) werethe following:1.Walīd bin‘Abdu’l-Malik; 2.Sulaymānbin
‘Abdu’l-Malik;3.‘Umaribn‘Abdu’l-‘Azīz;4.Yazīdbin‘Abdu’l-Malik;
- Hishām bin ‘Abdu ’l-Malik.
Withthe exceptionof‘Umaribn‘Abdu‘l-’Azīz,alltherulerswereas
cruelandcorruptastheirpredecessors.Walīdappointedpeople(likeHa-
jjājbinYusūfath-Thaqafi)tothevariouspositionsintheMuslimempire
whohadnoregardforIslamicvaluesandwereguiltyoftorturing and
oppressingthose who did not accept their views.Sulaymānwas com-
parativelylessofatyrantnotoutofkindnessandasenseofresponsibil-
itybutbecausehewasdeeplyabsorbedinthepleasuresandexcessively
luxirious lifestyle at the expense of the public treasury!
‘Umaribn‘Abdu’l-‘Azīz’sshortreignoftwoyearswasthebestperiod
in the Umayyid history. Hetried to establish justice andequality, and
putanendtoquiteafewabhorrentpracticesstartedbyMu’āwiyah:e.g.,
thepracticeofcursingAmīru’l-Mu’minīn‘AlibinAbiTālib(a.s.)inthe
Fridaykhutbas.
ThenYazīdbin‘Abdu’l-Malikcametopowerwhoisconsideredtobe
morally the mostcorrupt of all the Umayyad rulers. He wasobsessed
withmusicanddance,andwouldinvitemusiciansanddancersfromall
overtohiscourtinDamascusandrewardthemheftily.Itwasduringhis
reignthat pleasurepursuit, chess,playing cards andothersuchgames
became common ways of entertainment among the Arabs.
Hishāmbin‘Abdu’l-Malikwasameanandcruelperson.Hewas in-
secureabouthisownpositionamongthepeople,andwasveryjealousof
thepopularityandrespectaccordedbythepeopletothedescendantsof
Imam ‘Ali(a.s.).It wasduringhis reign thatZayd bin‘Ali(son of the
fourthImam)startedanuprisingagainsttheUmayyadswhich,unfortu-
nately, ended in defeat in which Zayd was killed very cruelly.