Ibn Shahr ‘Ashub has described Imam Ali Al-Naqi (a.

Ibn Shahr ‘Ashub has described Imam Ali Al-Naqi (a.s) thus: “He was the most perfect and the nicest of all the people. When he was silent, his dignity increased and when he talked his illumination appeared. He was from the family of Prophethood, Imamate, and caliphate of the Muslims. He was a branch from the great Prophethood tree, but benefitting from him did not last long.

He was the fruit of prophecy tree, which was selected a short time after getting ripe [11] .” Ibn Sabbagh Maliki has narrated from some scholars, thus: “The virtues of Abul- Hasan Ali Ibn Muhammad Hadi (a.s.) are like a tent that stands on the land of honor and whose ropes are attached to the stars. Any virtue or excellence that is mentioned he possesses. He is worth any praise. Any gratitude or respect deserves him.

His merits, virtues, and honor are rooted in his essence, keeping him away from vices, just as a cameleer maintains the little camels from dangers. His soul is pure, his ethics are good, and his conduct is excellent [12] .” His Leadership After the martyrdom of his father, the ninth Imam (a.s) in 835 AH, Ali al-Hadi gained the official role of Imamate while still he was a minor.

Consequently, the companions and followers of his father agreed on his Imamate, except for a small group who gathered around his younger brother, Musa, who when dissociated himself from them, turned to al-Hadi. According to his father’s will, he was to receive his estates, property, and slaves after reaching the majority to the exclusion of his brother Musa. In the beginning, Imam Ali Hadi (a.s) lived twenty-two years in Medina.

According to history, the rulers in Baghdad watched Imam Hadi (a.s) by their agents in Medina. Al-Mutawakkil was the most spiteful towards Imam al-Hadi (a.s) from among all the Abbasid caliphs and he oppressed him too much. Al-Mutawakkil was not satisfied with watching the Imam from a distance, so he decided to take Imam (a.s) from Medina to Samarra, in 233/847-8. When the Imam (a.s) reached Baghdad, many people gathered to see him.

Thereafter, he moved to Samarra where he lived for the rest of his life. The Imam (a.s) remained in Samarra for the rest of his life under constant observation. However, he (a.s) was able to maintain secret communications with the Shia living in various areas through an intricate network of representatives. He (a.s) would receive the religious dues from the believers, as well as answer questions on faith, Islamic law, and politics [13] .