It was then that he (al-Mamun) took a pledge of succession...

It was then that he (al-Mamun) took a pledge of succession from Ali ibn Musa Al-Reza (s) without his consent. \n This he did after threatening him (Imam al-Reza -asws ) with death. He insisted on this over and over. The Imam -asws refused to accept this offer every time, until he -asws finally faced the threat of being killed. \n Then he -asws said, \u201cO My Allah -azwj ! Verily You -asws have Admonished me against getting myself killed.

Indeed I -asws dislike it but I am forced to accept the succession of Abdullah Al-Mamun, else he would kill me. Indeed I -asws dislike it but I am forced to do it, just as Joseph -as and Daniel -as were forced to when they each accepted the succession of the tyrant rulers of their time. \n O My Allah -azwj ! There is no pledge for me -asws except Your Pledge, and there is no succession for me -asws except what You -azwj may Grant to me -asws .

Help me -asws succeed in establishing Your -azwj Religion, and reviving the tradition of your -saww – since You -azwj are my Master and my Helper. How good a Master and Helper!\u201d Then he (the Imam -asws ) accepted the succession from Al-Mamun with tears and silence on condition that he -asws will not appoint anyone, dismiss anyone, or exchange\/implement any customs or traditions. He -asws accepted to be a counsellor on the affairs from a distance.

Then AI-Ma\u2019mun had all the people including his personal entourage, and the general public pledge allegiance to Imam AI-Reza -asws (s). However, whenever one of the nobilities of Imam AI-Reza -asws , his knowledge and good management ability was manifested in front of AI-Ma\u2019mun; AI-Ma\u2019mun became jealous of the Imam -asws _ up to the point that he could not bear it anymore.