He was so great a poet that he resisted the Umayyads through his poetry.

He was so great a poet that he resisted the Umayyads through his poetry. He cursed them openly. Hence, the Umayyads persecuted him. They imprisoned and tortured him. However, he went on spreading his beliefs and principles. Among those who supported the truth and disdained the Umayyads was al-Farazdaq. That was when he praised Imam Zayn al-‘Abidïn, peace be on him, and dispraised Hisham b. ‘Abd al-Malik, who ignored the position of the Imam and said that he did not know him.

Al-Farazdaq said to him: This is he whose ability the valley of (Mecca) recognizes, and whom the (Sacred) House recognizes (as do) the sanctuary and the area outside the sanctuary (al-hill). This is the son of the best of Allah's servants. This is the pure pious man, the pure…