Desires, ideas, sects, and schools did not appear.

Desires, ideas, sects, and schools did not appear. Generally speaking, all these things did not happen during the days of Imam ‘Ati as they happened during the days of al- Sadiq. Al- Sadiq was a contemporary of the Marwani and the Abbasid dynasties. He lived during a period of time when he was not afraid of the power of the oppressive and the threat of the tyrannical ruler. That period of time was between the last days of the Marwânj dynasty and the first days of the Abbâsid dynasty.

That is because when the Omayyads and the people of Sham (Syria) attacked and killed al- WatTd b. YazTd, all parts of the country revolted against them. So, their authority became weak, and people began paving the way to banfl (the Sons of) Hashim. All these things diverted banU (the sons of) Marwan from the scientific life of at- Sâdiq. When the dynasty of banfl Marwân was over, the AbbâsTds took the reins of power.

So, they began purifying the lands from the Omayyads and establishing their new authority. These things diverted them from at- Sadiq for a period of time. For this reason, at- Sádiq was able to spread his knowledge and sciences though at- Sâffah was very careful of him. Then when al- Mansflr came and took the reins of power, he began showing enmity toward at- Sâdiq. He sometimes exerted pressures on at- Sâdiq and sometimes overlooked him.

In his book ‘al- Manâqib’, on the conditions of at- Sâdiq, the great scholar b. Shahrashflb has reported the following on the authority of at-Mufaddat b. ‘Amr:” At- Mansflr tried to kill Abu Abd Allah (al- Sadiq), peace be on him, several times. He sent for him and summoned him. When he looked at him, he respected him and did not kill him. However, he (at-Mansflr) prevented people from meeting him (at- Sâdiq), and prevented him from meeting them (people).

He (at- Mansür) exerted severe pressures on him. People who had no religious knowledge of marriage and divorce could not reach him. So, the man was forced to leave his wife. This condition became hard for his followers. Then Allah, the Great and Almighty, urged at- Mansur’s heart to ask at- Sadiq, peace be on him, for a thing of which no one had. At- Sâdiq sent him the scepter of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. The scepter was a cubit long. Al-Mansar was very happy to receive it.

Then he ordered (his servant) to divide it into four parts. Then he put the four parts in four places.