When Sa‘īd was brought to Hajjāj...

When Sa‘īd was brought to Hajjāj, an interesting conversation took place and we present part of it below: Hajjājj: “What is your belief about Abu Bakr and ‘Umar—are they in Paradise or Hell?” (Hajjājj was looking for an excuse to kill Sa‘īd.) Sa‘īd: “If and when I go to Paradise and see the people over there, then I will be able to say who is there; and if I go to Hell, only then I will know who is over there.” Hajjājj: “What is your belief about the caliphs?” Sa‘īd: “I am not responsible for them.” Hajjājj: “Whom do you like the most among the caliphs?” Sa‘īd: “The one with whom God is most pleased.” Hajjājj: “With whom is God most pleased?” Sa‘īd: “God knows best.” ...

Hajjājj: “How should I kill you.” Sa‘īd: “Kill me in whatever way you like, because, by God, you will be treated in the same way on the day of judgment.” Hajjājj finally ordered the executioner to kill Sa‘īd. May Allah bless his soul and elevate his ranks among the martyrs. Among the works of the fourth Imam is a book called as-Sahīfah as-Sajjādiyah.

It consists of fifty-seven prayers concerning the most sublime Divine sciences and is known as “The Psalm of the Ahlul Bayt.” Another famous work of the Imam is Risālatu ‘l-Huqūq (the Charter of Rights) on socio-ethical rights in fifty different cases. Fortunately, both these works are available in English also.

Attitude of the Rulers Although Imam Zaynu ’l-‘Ābidīn refrained from any political activity and dedicated his life to further the knowledge of his followers in religious and spiritual matters, the caliphs were always uneasy with him and kept a close watch on his movements and on those who visited him. The knowledge and character par excellence of the Imam attracted people of all kinds towards him.

This was the main reason that created jealousy in the hearts of the rulers who thought that this attraction to the Imam had the potential of turning a political tide against their establishment. One incident in the life of the Imam clearly shows the hold he had on the hearts and minds of the common people: Once, Hisham, son of caliph ‘Abdu ’l-Malik, entered the Masjidul Haram in Mecca with his entourage for doing tawāf of the Ka’bah.

There were many people doing the tawāf, but nobody gave any importance to Hisham or gave room for him to get close to the Black Stone.