The palaces of caliphs...
The palaces of caliphs, princes, governors, ministers and their entourage were filled with maidens and musical instruments and dancers, and poets whose main were collecting money. The rulers began eagerly to buy maidens,[^53] jewels, perfumes, clothes, tools of entertainment, pleasure and luxury.
They pilfered millions and squandered the wealth of the ummah which they milked from the veins of the oppressed, the hunted, the prisoners or those sentenced to death In spite of this oppression, science, literature and culture bloomed. Knowledge in general, literary works, arts and discoveries prospered and new schools in philosophy and fiqh surfaced. Such trends had both positive and negative effects on the life of Muslims. They deepened division and dissension among Muslims.
They split into numerous ideological schools that led to the growing of distrust, disbelief, and distortions in the beliefs of Muslims. Positively, such new trends contributed to the development of Islamic way of thinking, enrichment of the Islamic mentality and pushing it toward new horizons of innovation and advancement. Islamic studies expanded to new areas and realms. Imam Musa bin Ja'far (a.s.) followed in the footsteps of his father, al-Sadiq (a.s.).
He played a key role in standing against decadence in politics, morals and the Islamic way of life, brought about or helped by the Abbassid rule. Even in prison, Imam al-Kadhim (a.s.) didn't give up his responsibility towards the faith and the faithful. Some scholars, and many of his followers and students, kept contact with him secretly, asking him about any aspect of Islamic thought and beliefs. He had his means of writing back to them answering to their questions.
Due to the harsh conditions Imam al-Kadhim (a.s.) went through, during his Imamate, researchers find that the percentage of traditions and statements on the various branches of knowledge handed down from him is less compared to those of Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.), and Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.), his grandfather.