4. Rulers & their Attitude
Imamas-Sādiq’simamatecoincidedwiththeruleofthelastfiveUmayy-
adrulers(Hishāmbin‘Abdu’l-Malik,WalīdbinYazīd,YazīdbinWalīd,
IbrāhīmbinWalīd,andMarwānal-Himār)andthefirsttwo‘Abbāsidca-
liphs (Abu ’l-‘Abbās Saffāh and Mansūr Dawāniqi).
Asmentionedinthepreviouslesson,theMuslimpeopleweregradu-
ally turning away from the Umayyads. The anti-Umayyad sentiment
whichhadstartedwiththemassacreofKarbala,finallyledtothefallof
theUmayyadsin 132 A.H.However,thosewhowereleadingtherevolt
inthenameofAhlu’l-Baytcouldnotresistthetemptationofpower,and
seizedtheseatof caliphateforthemselves.Thesewerethedescendants
of‘Abbāsbin‘AbdulMuttalib,theuncleoftheProphet.Hencethenext
dynasty to rule the Muslim world was known as Banu ‘Abbās or the
‘Abbāsids.
* * *Hishām,theUmayyadcaliph,hadorderedthesixthImamtobearres-
tedandbroughttoDamascus.ThelaterUmayyadrulerswerenotstrong
enough to harass the Imam.
The ImamwasthenarrestedbySaffāh, the first‘Abbāsidcaliphand
broughttoIraq.After sometime,hewasallowedto returntoMedina.
ThereignofMansūr,thesecond‘Abbāsidcaliph,wasevenworseforthe
Shi’as.Heorderedsuchtortureandmercilesskillingofmanyofthedes-
cendantsoftheProphetwhowereShi’itethathisactionsevensurpassed
thecrueltyandheedlessnessoftheUmayyads.Athisordertheywerear-
restedingroups,somethrownintodeepanddarkprisons,andtortured
untiltheydied,whileotherswerebeheadedorburiedaliveorplacedat
the base of or between wallsof buildings, andwalls wereconstructed
over them.
OnceMansūrwrotetoImamas-Sādiq(a.s.)askinghimwhyhedidnot
visithimlikeotherdignitaries.TheImamwroteinreply:“Neitherdowe
possessany worldly treasure for which we may fear you, nor do you
possessanyspiritualvirtueforwhichwemayseekyourfavour.Sowhy
shouldwecometoyou?”Mansūrreplied,“Thencomeforadmonishing