In spite of all the hardships he had to suffer there...

In spite of all the hardships he had to suffer there, he passed all his time worshipping his Maker. He fasted during the day and prayed during the night. Although confined within the four walls of a dark dungeon cell, his fame was on the wing. It was known in every house of SAMARRA', rather throughout Iraq. Millions hated the cruel who had put such a man of noble character in prison.

AL-FADL IBN KHAQAN, a lover of the Prophet's Progeny, had risen to the post of Minister in the cabinet of AL-MUTAWAKKIL solely by virtue -of his intellectual and administrative merits. On his recommendation, AL-MUTAWAKKIL ordered that the Imam's imprisonment be changed to house arrest. He granted him a piece of land and allowed him to build his house and live in it. But he was forbidden from leaving SAMARRA'. SA'ID was directed to keep a close watch on his movements, contacts and correspondence.

During this period, too, IMAM ALI AN-NAQI (AS) set an admirable example of trust in God, ignoring all worldly gains. In spite of permanent residence in the capital, he neither made a protest to the caliph, nor did he ever ask him for a favor. The same worshipping and hermit-like life that he led during his imprisonment was passed in confinement as well. The tyrant had changed his behavior but the saint had maintained his own. Even in such circumstances, he was not allowed to live peacefully.

He was not harassed physically but psychologically. His house was searched for arms or dissenting correspondence undermining the position of the government. Such an act is certainly painful for a man of an innocent and noble character. To top all this, the Imam was once summoned to the royal palace where the cups of wine were in rotation.

Surrounded by his courtiers, AL-MUTAWAKKIL was very much given to merry-making, so much so that in the excess of vanity and lewdness, that arrogant and shameless ruler handed the cup of wine to the Imam and asked him to drink. This order was surely more painful than a thousand strokes of the sword, but the guardian of faith said with unruffled dignity: "Spare me this order, for the flesh and blood of my forefathers and my own have never mixed with wine".

Had there been a slight sense of faith in AL-MUTAWAKKIL, he would have been impressed by the dignity of this saintly reply. But he was dead to such a feeling; he therefore said: "Well, if you do not like it, then sing a song for us". The Imam replied: "I do not know that art, either".