Announcement of his Imamat This took the form of a family dispute...

Announcement of his Imamat This took the form of a family dispute: Muhammad al-Hanafiyyah claimed that he was the Imam after his brother, Imam Husayn (a.s) (as Imam Husayn, had become Imam after the eldest brother, Imam Hasan). Imam Zainul Aabidin said that his uncle’s claim was wrong; that he (i.e. Imam Zainul Aabidin) was Imam after his father, by divine appointment.

This family “feud” apparently could not be resolved; and ultimately Imam Zainul Aabidin suggested that the “Black Stone” ( al-Hajarul-aswad) of Ka’ba be approached for its judgment. Muhammad al-Hanafiyyah readily agreed and both parties went to Mecca during Hajj season, when thousands of pilgrims had assembled for the pilgrimage. The stranger than fiction news must have spread like wild fire that ‘Ali bin al-Husayn and Muhammad al-Hanafiyyah wanted the Black Stone to judge between them.

Everyone must have wondered how could a stone judge between two persons. They must have eagerly waited to see the outcome when the two parties would approach the Stone. What would they say when the Stone, being a stone, would not respond to their arguments! This must have been the feeling of the crowd when the uncle and the nephew slowly advanced towards the Black Stone. First Muhammad al-Hanafiyyah talked to the Stone; there was no response.

Imam Zainul Aabidin said: “Had you, O Uncle, been the Wasi (vicegerent) and Imam, it would certainly have answered you.” Muhammad al-Hanafiyyah said, “Now, O Nephew, you pray and ask it.” Imam Zainul Aabidin prayed to Allah and then asked the Black Stone to declare in clear Arabic as to who was the Wasi and Imam after al-Husayn bin ‘Ali.

There was a tremor in the Stone and then Allah made it speak in clear Arabic: “O Allah, verily Wisayah and Imamah, after al-Husayn bin ‘Ali is for Zainul Aabidin ‘Ali bin al-Husayn, son of ‘Ali bin Abi Talib and Fatima binte Rasulillah.” Muhammad al-Hanafiyyah accepted the verdict and declared his allegiance for Imam Zainul Aabidin.[^1] This “dispute” was the beginning of the end of the Kaisaniyah movement, which wanted to accept Muhammad al-Hanafiyyah as Imam.

The schism in the Shia rank was arrested; and as it was only a “family feud”, Yazid could not object to it in any way. But the miraculous nature of the episode and the timing served its purpose.