Instead...

Instead, the replies that he sent to her were so disappointing that they silenced his daughter. Nevertheless, Mutasim was still having in his bosom the scar caused by the shock of the appointment of Imam Reza (AS) as heir apparent.

Moreover, he had been in the forefront of the entire Bani Abbas clan in opposing Mamun’s decision to induct Imam Muhammad Taqi (AS) as his son-in-law He was now giving importance to the complaints of Ummul Fazl to justify his opposition to her wedding with Imam Besides, there were other causes too that incited Mutasim against Imam Muhammad Taqi (AS).

Most important of them were the attraction of the people towards his meritorious scholarship and his winning manners that had spread unto Iraq, transcending the boundaries of Hijaz. Moreover, there was that deep-rooted animosity which his ancestors had nurtured against the forefathers of Imam Muhammad Taqi. Furthermore, there was the realization of the failure of that diplomacy and planning that lay behind the solemnization of this marriage.

All these factors and considerations made Mutasim hostile towards the Imam (AS). Consequently, in the second year of his rule he called Imam Muhammad Taqi (AS) fron Medina to Baghdad. He wrote an urgent letter in this regard to Abdul Malik, he governor of Medina. Imam Taqi (AS) was forced to go to Baghdad, leaving behind Imam Ali Naqi (AS) and his mother in Medina.

Propagation of Mourning of Husain (AS) Along with the propagation of the tenets of the true faith, Imam Reza (AS) also had the opportunity now to carry forward the mission of condoling the martyrdom of Husain (AS), the foundation for which had been laid earlier by Imam Muhammad Baqir (AS) and Imam Jafar Sadiq (AS). But those were the days when only such people used to visit those Imams (AS) who recognized them and had faith in them as their Imams or as religious scholars.

Now the position was different. Imam Reza (AS) was not only a spiritual leader but also the heir apparent of the caliphate. Therefore, the circle of the visitors attending his court was now much wider. The place (where the Imam had settled) was Marw, which is situated almost in the center of Khurasan, Iran . People thronged in from all sides and the condition of the Imam (AS) was such that the moment the new moon of Muharram was sighted tears would start flowing from his eyes.