THE
GENERAL LIFE-STYLE OF THE AHL AL-BAYT (AS)
The other members of the
Ahl al-Bayt (AS) are the perfect examples of the
education and training of the Holy Prophet (SA). Their
characters and life-style resemble the character of the
Holy Prophet (SA).
Certainly, during 250
years, beginning from the 11th year of Hijrah (the year
of Holy Prophet's [SA] demise) until the year 260 AH
(when al-'Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi's [AS] Ghaybat
al-Kubra, i.e., Great Occultation started), in their
associations with people, the infallible guides, the
Imams faced various situations showing their style of
living in different forms. They, however, never gave up
the main objective of the Holy Prophet's (SA) policy
which consisted of safeguarding the Usul al-Din (the
fundamental principles of Islam for believing in) and
the Furu' al-Din (the secondary principles of Islam for
action on) from undergoing changes and transformations,
and the education of people, as far as possible.
Within 23 years since his
call and invitation to Islam, the Holy Prophet (SA)
passed three phases of his life. He secretly called the
people to Islam in the first three years of his
al-Bi'that al-Nabawiyyah. He, then overtly invited the
people to Islam in the next ten years. However, he and
his followers lived under the severe tortures and
persecution of the society and enjoyed no freedom of
action that could make a tangible reform in the society.
The Holy Prophet (SA) spent the remaining ten years
(after the Hijrah) in an atmosphere in which the revival
of truth and reality was the main goal and in which the
holy Islam gained striking achievements day by day, thus
opening up a new gate of knowledge and perfection to the
people at every moment.
It is certainly obvious
that these three different environments demanded
different expediencies and would display the character
and life-style of the Holy Prophet (SA), who had no
other objective but to revive the truth and reality, in
various forms.
The different
environments, in which the guiding Imams (AS) lived,
were not unlike the pre-Hijrah period of the Holy
Prophet's (SA) call. Sometimes, like the first three
years of the prophetic mission, it was impossible even
to highlight the truth and thus the Imams (AS) performed
their duties with utmost care, as was the case at the
time of the fourth Imam (AS) and the latter part of the
time of the sixth Imam (AS) who had similar
expediencies. Sometimes, like the ten years prior to
Hijrah, when the Holy Prophet (SA) overtly called the
people to Islam in Makkah and when he and his followers
were unable to resist the pressure of the unbelievers,
the Imams (AS) also proceeded to educate the people with
the teachings of religion and the propagation of
religious precepts. The influential men of the time,
however, left no stone unturned in torturing and
persecuting them and created new problems everyday.
Indeed, an environment
resembling the Holy Prophet's (SA) post-Hijrah milieu to
some extent was the one in which Amir al-Mu'minin
(Commander of the Mu'minin), 'Ali (AS), ruled as a
caliph for five years, the one in which Hadrat Fatimah
(AS) and al-Imam al-Hasan (AS) lived for a small period,
and the one in which al-,Imam al-Husayn (AS) and his
disciples lived for a short duration. In all these
environments, the truth and reality were openly
manifested, thus clearly reflecting the image of the
general condition prevailing during the Holy Prophet's
(SA) time.
In short, except in what
has been mentioned, the infallible Imams could not
oppose the tyrant and usurper rulers and commanders of
the time basically and openly. Therefore, they were
obliged to have taqiyyah (concealing one's true beliefs
when life is in danger) and to give no excuse to the
rulers of the time to bother them. Nevertheless, their
enemies left no stone unturned to put off the lights of
their guidance and nullify their efforts.
THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE
DIFFERENCES
OF THE IMAMS (AS) WITH CONTEMPORARY GOVERNMENTS
Various governments, which came into being in the
Islamic society after the Holy Prophet (SA), under the
name of Islam were all in serious disagreement with the
Ahl al-Bayt (AS). This irreconcilable antagonism served
as a root which never dried.
Although the Holy Prophet
(SA) had mentioned about the virtues and excellent
qualities of his Ahl al-Bayt (AS), the most important of
which were the honour of knowing the teachings of the
Holy Qur'an and distinguishing between halal
(Islamically permissible) and haram (Islamically
prohibited) matters and even though it was incumbent
upon the Ummah to respect and honour the Ahl al-Bayt
(AS), the Ummah, in spite of this recommendation and
emphasis, did not discharge their obligations in this
connection.
When the Holy Prophet (SA)
openly invited people to Islam, on the very first day he
mentioned about his relatives, embracing Islam and
nominated 'Ali (AS) as his successor. He manifestly
specified 'Ali's (AS) succession in Ghadir Khumm and
elsewhere during the last days of his life. In spite of
this fact, the people designated others as successors of
the Holy Prophet (SA) after his death thus denying the
Ahl al-Bayt (AS) of their indisputable rights. As a
result, the governments of the time always considered
the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) as dangerous rivals and were
frightened of them. These governments exploited various
possibilities to annihilate the Ahl al-Bayt (AS).
The governments of the
time considered a deep discrepancy between the Ahl
al-Bayt (AS) and the so-called Islamic governments
indispensable. The Ahl al-Bayt (AS) believed that
Islamic governments must observe, preserve, and enforce
the divine precepts of Islam. As seen in their
endeavours, however, the so-called Islamic governments
that came to power after the Holy Prophet (SA) did not
completely observe the enforcement of the precepts of
Islam and the adherence to the sirah (life-style) of the
Holy Prophet (SA).
On several occasions, the
Almighty Allah enjoins the Holy Prophet (SA) and the
Islamic Ummah not to make any changes or transformations
in the divine precepts and warns them of showing the
slightest tendency against any one of the Islamic
precepts and orders. On the basis of these unchangeable
and immutable orders, the Holy Prophet (SA) adopted a
life-style through which he displayed no difference in
the implementation of Islamic laws as far as time,
place, and people were concerned.
Observing the divine
precepts was incumbent upon everybody and even upon the
Holy Prophet (SA) and was obligatory on the part of
everyone. The Islamic laws were steadfast and effective
in all circumstances.
As a result of this
equality and justice, all types of preferences among the
people disappeared. The Holy Prophet (SA), who by
Allah's order was the ruler and commander and whose
obedience was obligatory, did not have the slightest
privilege over others in the internal and external
affairs of his life. He did not avail himself of any
luxury, maintained no protocol and formalities
commensurate to his position as a ruler, and did not
boast of his greatness and position. He showed no
magnanimity or reverence. He could not be distinguished
from the rest of the people through any outward
appearance.
No group from the various
strata of people sought superiority over others only by
relying on their own discriminative preferences. Men and
women, the rich and the poor, the strong and the weak,
the urban and the rural, the slaves and the free men,
and the black and the white all were equally ranked and
no one was under obligation to perform actions beyond
his religious duty. Everyone was immune against paying
homage to the powerful people of the society or to be
belittled by the influence and oppression of the
oppressors.
With a little
consideration, it will be clear (particularly after we
have had long experiments after the death of the Holy
Prophet [SA]) that the sole objective of the Holy
Prophet's immaculate character was the just and
equitable implementation of the divine orders of Islam
among the people and the immunity and preservation of
these laws against changes and transformations. But the
"Islamic governments" did not conform their conduct with
that of the Holy Prophet (SA) and entirely changed h is
course of action. As a result:
(1) Shortly, class
distinctions appeared in the "Islamic society" in the
worst form. The people were divided into two groups, the
strong and the weak. The life, property, and reputation
of one group were subjected to destruction through the
whims and desires of another group.
(2) The so-called "Islamic
government" gradually changed Islamic laws. Sometimes,
under the pretext of safeguarding an Islamic society and
sometimes under the pretext of saving the government and
its policy, these "Islamic governments" refrained from
compliance with Islamic commandments and implementation
of Islamic laws and provisions. This mode of working
expanded day by day to such an extent that the so-called
Islamic governments felt no responsibility towards the
observance and implementation of Islamic laws. It is
quite obvious to know as to what would be the status of
Islamic laws and general provisions which have no proper
executive power for implementation.
In Short, the "Islamic
governments", during the lives of Ahl al-Bayt (AS),
brought about changes in the precepts and laws of Islam
as per the "expediency of the time". It was due to these
changes that their conducts were contrary to that of the
Holy Prophet (SA). But according to the Qur'anic
directives, the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) considered the precepts
of the conduct of the Holy Prophet (SA) indispensable.
Due to these differences
and contradictions, the contemporary powerful
governments did not refrain from crushing the Ahl
al-Bayt (AS). They embarked on using every possible
means to extinguish the light of their guidance.
Although the Ahl al-Bayt
(AS) continuously faced many problems and encountered
stubborn and sinister enemies, they continued their
invitation of Islam to people and the work of Islamic
tabligh (communication) in accordance with their divine
duty, they did not leave any stone unturned for
education of the righteous individuals.
To appreciate this matter,
one must refer to history and notice the large
population of Shi'ahs during the five-year Khilafah
(caliphate) period of the Amir al-Mu'minin, 'Ali (AS).
Certainly, this population had come up during the 25
years of , Ali's (AS) seclusion. Also, there Was similar
gathering of a large number of Shi'ahs at the house of
Al-Imam al-Baqir (AS). They were those who were quietly
educated by Al-Imam al-Sajjad (AS). Furthermore,
hundreds of thousands of Shi'ahs following the Ahl
al-Bayt (AS) and faithful to Al-Imam al-Rida (AS) were
the truth seekers whom Al-Imam Musa ibn Ja'far (AS) had
guided even from the dark comers of the prisons.
Finally, because of the
continuous training and education by the Ahl al-Bayt
(AS), the Shi'ahs, who were an insignificant number at
the time of the death of the Holy Prophet (SA), sharply
increased to an amazing number during the last period of
the infallible Imams (AS).
AN EXCEPTIONAL POINT IN
THE POLICY
OF THE AHL AL-BAYT (AS)
As mentioned earlier, the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) of the Holy
Prophet (SA) spent their lives under tyranny and
accusation. They performed their assigned duties in the
atmosphere of taqiyyah and under the most difficult
conditions. Only four members among the Ahl al-Bayt
(AS), for brief periods, could exceptionally have an
opportunity to work independently without restraint and
taqiyyah. We will briefly discuss the biographies of the
members (other than the Prophet (SA) whose life-sketch
has been already given) of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) here |