Then the Imam -asws asked...

Then the Imam -asws asked: ‘Do you like to live this way, you will have what others have and be responsible for whatever they will be held responsible for on the Day of Judgement or would you like to live as before and enter into the Paradise (without accountability)?’ He said: ‘I would like to live as I lived before.’ The 5 th Imam -asws rubbed his eyes and he found himself as before.’ [4] Once, Imam Abu Jafar -asws (Imam Mohammed Baqir -asws ) was taken to Al-Sham (Damascus), to the court of Hisham Ibn ‘Abd al-Malik.

When he -asws arrived at his door he (Hisham) instructed his people from the Amawids [5] : ‘When I finish humiliating Imam Muhammad -asws Ibn Ali -asws and stop, then each of you, one after the other, should reprimand and insult him -asws .’ He then ordered for mam Muhammad -asws Ibn Ali -asws to come in his presence. When Imam Abu Ja’far -asws arrived, he made a gesture with his hand to all of them and offered a general greeting. He then sat down.

This increased the disappointment of Hisham because he did not address him -asws as the Caliph and sat down without his permission. Hisham then began to reprimand and scold him -asws . He said to him, among other things, ‘O Muhammad -asws Ibn Ali -asws , why is it that one or the other from you -asws cause disunity among the Muslims and call people to follow him -asws thinking that he -asws is the Imam -asws ?

It is nothing but because of his ignorance and foolishness.’ He scolded him -asws as much as he wanted. When he became quiet others, one after the other, began to annoy and displease the Imam -asws . When they all became quiet, he -asws stood up and asked: ‘O people, what is it that you want and where are you headed? Through us -asws , Allah -azwj Granted you guidance to the first one among you and through us -asws the last among you can receive guidance.

You do have a temporary power but to us -asws belongs the future power and there will be no power after our -asws power; to us -asws belongs the final good end as Allah -azwj has Said, “The final victory is for the pious ones.” (7: 128)’ He (Hisham) ordered him -asws to be imprisoned. In the prison whoever he -asws spoke to would sympathize with the 5 th Imam -asws . The guard came to Hisham and said: ‘O chief, I am afraid for you from the people of al-Sham (Damascus).

They may remove you from this position,’ and then gave him the full report.