LIVES OF THE INFALLIBLE IMAMS

Title: A Survey into the Lives of
the Infallible Imams
Author: yatullah Murtada Mutahhari
Translator: Zainab Muhammadi ،®Araghi
Prepared by: Translation Unit, Cultural Affairs Department; The Ahl
al-Bayt (،®a) World Assembly
Editor: Zahra Abbas Razavi
Proofreader: Majid Karimi
Publisher: ABWA Publishing and Printing Center
First Printing: 2010
All rights reserved.

FOREWORD - 1
INTRODUCTION - 3
A Comparison between Imam al-Husayn’s (‘a) Path and That of Other Imams (‘a) - 3
Dissimulation [Taqiyyah] - 3
CHAPTER 1 - 11
‘Ali’s (‘a) Struggles - 11
‘Uthman’s Assassination (the Problem of Hypocrisy) - 12
Inflexibility in the Enforcement of Justice - 15
Bluntness and Honesty in Politics - 15
Kharijites [Khawarij], ‘Ali’s Fundamental Problem - 15
‘Ali’s (‘a) Demeanour towards the Kharijites - 20
The Principles of the Kharijites Sect - 22
‘Ali’s Attitude towards Kharijites - 23
Characteristics of the Kharijites - 25
‘Ali’s (‘a) Martydom - 30
CHAPTER 2 - 35
Imam al-Hasan’s (‘a) Pacifism (Session 1) - 35
The Holy Prophet (s) and Peace - 36
‘Ali and Peace - 37
The Cases for Jihad in The Shi‘ah Jurisprudence - 40
Fighting Rebels - 42
Peace in the Shi‘ah Jurisprudence - 43
Hudaybiyyah Peace - 46
Question and Answer - 51
CHAPTER 2 - 53
Imam al-Hasan’s Pacifism (Session 2) - 53
Contrasting the Circumstances of Imam al-Hasan (‘a) And Imam al-Husayn (‘a) - 54
The Elements Contributing to Imam al-Husayn’s Uprisal and Their Contrasts with Imam al-Hasan’s Circumstances - 57
The Conditions in the Contract - 63
Question and Answer - 65
CHAPTER 3 - 71
A Dicourse on Imam Zayn al-‘Abidin (‘a) - 71
The Imam’s Acts of Worship - 71
The Herald of Affection - 72
The Service in the Hajj Caravan - 72
The Imam’s Prayers and Tear Sheding - 73
CHAPTER 4 - 75
Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) and the Issue of Vice-regency (Session 1) - 75
The ‘Abbasids’ Utilization of the People’s Discontentment - 77
Abu Salmah’s Letter to Imam al-Sadiq and ‘Abd Allah al-Mahd - 80
The Reaction of Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) and ‘Abd Allah al-Mahd - 81
Investigation - 84
The Secret Gathering of the Heads of Bani Hashim - 85
Allegiance with “Muhammad Nafs Zakiyyah” - 85
Characteristics of Imam al-Sadiq’s Time - 88
CHAPTER 4 - 91
Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) and the Issue of Vice-regency (Session 2) - 91
The Comparison between the Time of Imam al-Sadiq and the Time of Imam al-Husayn - 92
The War of Beliefs - 94
The Attitude of Imam al-Sadiq with the Various Intellectual Streams - 96
The Words of Malik ibn Anas about Imam al-Sadiq - 97
The View of Ahmad Amin - 98
The Confession of JahIz - 99
The View of Mir ‘Ali Hindi - 99
The Words of Ahmad Zaki Salih - 100
The Endeavour of the Shi‘ah towards Intellectual Issues - 100
Jabir ibn Hayyan - 101
Hisham ibn al-Hakam - 101
The Factors Affecting Scientific Enthusiasm during the Time of Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) - 103
Question and Answer - 107
CHAPTER 5 - 109
The Reasons for Imam Musa al-Kazim’s (‘a) Martyrdom - 109
The Influence of Time on the Type of Combat - 110
The Imam in Basrah Prison - 111
The Imam in Various Prisons - 112
Harun’s Request from the Imam - 113
The Reasons for the Imam’s Arrest - 114
Ma’mun’s Saying - 115
The Imam’s Spiritual Influence - 116
Two Common Customs among the Imams - 118
The Plot of Harun’s System - 118
Bishr Hafi and Imam al-Kazim (‘A) - 119
Safwan Jammal and Harun - 120
The Manner of the Imam’s Martyrdom - 122
CHAPTER 6 - 125
The Issue of Imam al-Rida (‘a) as the Crown Prince (Session 1) - 125
The ‘Abbasid Attitude towards the ‘Alawis - 126
The Issue of Imam al-Rida’s Successoral and Historical Citations - 128
Ma’mun and the Shi‘Ism - 129
The Views of Shaykh Mufid and Shaykh Saduq - 130
The Second Probability - 131
Jurji Zaydan’s View - 132
The Third Probability - 133
The Historical Facts - 135
Imam al-Rida’s Refusal - 136
Imam al-Rida’s Condition - 137
The Imam’s Attitude after the Issue of Acceptance - 138
CHAPTER 6 - 139
The Issue of Imam al-Rida (‘a) as the Crown Prince (Session 2) - 139
Doubtful Issues - 143
Analyzing the Assumptions - 147
Cooperation with Caliphs from the Holy Imam’s Point of View - 148