[29] Imamah (Leadership) - Imam Sajjad - The Whispered Revolution

A series of discussions on the teachings of Imam Sadiq (sixth Imam of the Muslims), from the book Misbah ash-Sharia (The Lantern of the Path)

In His Name, the Most High

This is part twenty-nine of an ongoing series of discussions on the book attributed to Imam as-Sadiq entitled ‘Misbah ash-Sharia’ (the Lantern of the Path).

As is the case for each of the sessions in this series (and previous series), there is a requirement for the reader to at the very least take a cursory look at the previous sessions - though studying them properly is more beneficial - as the nature of this subject matter requires, a building up of understanding in a step by step manner.

Since each session builds on the one before, it is crucial that the previous sessions are studied - at least in a cursory manner, though fully is more beneficial - so we can try to ensure that misunderstandings and confusion do not ensue, as well as ensure we can garner more understanding from each session.

The previous parts can be found here:

The Lantern of the Path - Index

Video of the Majlis (Sermon/Lecture)

This is the video presentation of this write-up as a Majlis (part of the Truth Promoters Weekly Wednesday Majlis Program)

Audio of the Majlis (Sermon/Lecture)

This is the audio presentation of this write-up as a Majlis (part of the Truth Promoters Weekly Wednesday Majlis Program)

Recap

In the previous session, we did not merely remember the martyrs of Karbala—we bore witness to those whom God appointed to survive. Their survival was not passive. It was purposeful. It was sacred.

We explored how Sayyedah Zaynab al-Kubra (peace be upon her) emerged as the living proof that divine authority is not limited to bloodline or position—but is embodied in insight, endurance, and absolute loyalty to God. She did not carry her brother’s message as a relic. She carried it as a revolution.

In the courts of Kufa and Damascus, her words pierced thrones. Her veil became a banner of resistance. Her sermons, as noted by scholars such as Ayatullah Mutahhari, preserved the soul of Ashura when the battlefield had gone quiet.

Beside her stood Imam Zayn al-Abedeen (peace be upon him), the fourth Imam of the Ahl al-Bayt—shackled, sick, yet unbroken. Though denied the sword, he wielded truth. Though bound in chains, he carried the mantle of wilayah. And though surrounded by mockery and despotism, he refused to bow. His sermons, his silence, and his supplications each served as vessels of divine protest and guidance.

Together, they became the messengers of Karbala—guardians of the divine trust, preserving the truth of Husayn not through might, but through remembrance, resistance, and unshakeable faith.

And now, in this session, we continue the journey:

To understand the Imam who ruled without a throne.

To follow the path of Imam Sajjad—not in chains, but in dua.

To witness how the fire of Ashura became the light of divine reform.

We continue—

In the name of the Lord of the Oppressed, and the Avenger of every martyr’s blood…

Imamah (Leadership) - Imam Sajjad - The Whispered Revolution

A Misunderstood Imam

To speak of Imam Zayn al-Abedeen (peace be upon him) is to stand before a mountain veiled in clouds. His greatness is clear to those who seek it, yet misunderstood by many who claim to know him. In the public imagination, he is reduced to titles like al-Sajjad (the one who prostrates) or the sick one of Karbala, as though his life was spent only in tearful worship and passive isolation.

Yet such portrayals betray a profound ignorance of his reality. His brief illness on the Day of Ashura was divinely ordained — not a sign of frailty, but a means to preserve him for the burden of Imamah that lay ahead. After the martyrdom of his father, Imam Husayn (peace be upon him), he would carry the trust of wilayah through the most oppressive and spiritually suffocating period of Islamic history.

This reductionist view — that he lived a life of quiet worship with no political engagement — is not just incorrect; it is dangerous. It obscures the Imam’s strategic leadership, his deep engagement with society, and the spiritual resistance he embodied.

وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُوا وَكَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ

“And We made from among them leaders, guiding by Our command, when they were patient and had certainty in Our signs.”

— Quran, Surah al-Sajdah (The Chapter of Prostration) #32, Verse #24

Imam Sajjad’s silence was not apathy — it was divine leadership clothed in forbearance.

Understanding the Motive

The life of any individual — particularly a divinely appointed Imam — cannot be understood by isolated incidents. A character cannot be assessed by a series of disconnected events. It must be understood in light of the central motive that drives every act, every silence, every tear, and every word.

The same applies to Imam Sajjad. If one isolates his duas, his interactions, or his political stances without understanding the overarching purpose of his Imamah, one will fall into misinterpretation.

That motive, as evidenced by the lives of the Imams before him, was to restore the authentic Islamic order — an order rooted in Quran, justice, and divine guardianship (wilayah). This was not a passive teaching mission. It was a struggle — a strategic and spiritual movement — to prepare the grounds for an Islamic government that mirrored the Prophet’s vision.

A Legacy That Begins in Chains

With the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) on the 10th of Muharram, 61 AH, the mantle of Imamah fell upon Imam Sajjad. His era of leadership began not in a mosque, but in chains. Not surrounded by students, but shackled before tyrants. Not at the head of an army, but in the ruins of Karbala.

He would live for thirty-five years after that tragedy, under constant threat from the Umayyad dynasty, especially during the reign of Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan. Yet throughout that period, every sermon, letter, supplication, and silence was a calculated step toward reviving the Ummah’s spiritual and political integrity.

His famous confrontation with Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad in Kufa and then Yazid in Damascus exemplified extraordinary courage. Yet this outward defiance was balanced by a profound strategic subtlety in Madinah — where his calm demeanour disguised the underground currents of resistance.

Continuing the Strategy of the Earlier Imams

Imam Sajjad was not pursuing a new path. He was continuing a divinely revealed strategy initiated by Imam Ali (peace be upon him) and developed further by Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn (peace be upon them).

This strategy was long-term and multifaceted: to preserve the core of the Muslim Ummah, purify its beliefs, build a vanguard of the faithful, and ultimately re-establish divine rule when conditions permitted.

After the peace treaty of Imam Hasan in 40 AH, the Ahl al-Bayt focused on ideological groundwork. They taught, trained, wrote, and mobilised.

Imam Husayn continued this approach until conditions necessitated a revolution.

Karbala, while a massive sacrifice, was also a clarifying event — exposing the hypocrisy of the ruling elite and reawakening the Ummah’s conscience.

Had the events of Karbala not occurred, the trajectory laid by Imam Hasan might have resulted in an Islamic government in the hands of the Ahl al-Bayt. But after the massacre, that path was obstructed, and a new phase of subtle, patient rebuilding was required — a task entrusted to Imam Sajjad.

Rebuilding from the Ashes

The destruction of the Ahl al-Bayt’s followers after Karbala — through mass executions, fear, and co-option — was catastrophic. Yet the Imam did not abandon the cause. He recalibrated. His tools would not be the sword or public mobilisation, but supplication, scholarship, and silent resilience.

He would train a generation of scholars. He would compose whispered invocations that penetrated stone-hearted rulers. He would condemn injustice through letters, counsel the wayward, and reform through spiritual confrontation.

The Imam once remarked:

ما ندري ما نصنع بالناس، إن حدثناهم بما سمعنا من رسول الله ضحكوا، وإن سكتنا لم نصبر

“We do not know what to do with people. If we narrate what we heard from the Messenger of God, they mock us. And if we remain silent, it is a burden we cannot bear.”

— Al-Majlisi¹, Bihar al-Anwar², Volume 6, Page 259
— Al-Kulayni³, Al-Kafi⁴, Volume 1, Page 54, Hadeeth #11

This was the agony of divine truth trapped in a society no longer able to receive it.

The Corruption of the Scholars

Perhaps the most tragic aspect of the Umayyad era was not just the tyranny of rulers, but the betrayal of scholars. Men who once sat at the feet of the Ahl al-Bayt were now officials in the courts of despots.

Among them was Muhammad ibn Shahaab al-Zuhri, a jurist who had once been connected to the Imam. But fame and favour seduced him. In response, Imam Sajjad wrote a powerful letter — recorded in Tuhaf al-Uqul⁵ — that remains a searing indictment of every scholar who sells their soul to oppressive rulers.

يَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنَ شِهَابٍ، أَنَسِيتَ أَنَّكَ كُنْتَ تَعُدُّ فِيمَا مَضَى مِنْ خِيَارِ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ وَالدِّينِ، فَكَيْفَ رَضِيتَ لِنَفْسِكَ بِأَنْ تَكُونَ مِنْ أَعْوَانِ الظَّلَمَةِ، وَأَنْ تَدْخُلَ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَتُصَدِّقَ أَكَاذِيبَهُمْ، وَتُحَسِّنَ قَبِيحَهُمْ، حَتَّى صِرْتَ كَأَنَّكَ لَسْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ، وَلَا تُعَدُّ مِنْ أَهْلِ مِلَّتِهَا.

"O Muhammad ibn Shihab, have you forgotten that you used to be considered among the best of the people of knowledge and religion? How could you allow yourself to be among the helpers of the oppressors, entering upon them, confirming their lies, and beautifying their ugly deeds, until you have become as though you are no longer of this Ummah, nor counted among those who uphold its religion?"

— Al-Harrani⁶, Tuhaf al-Uqul⁷, Page 284

The Imam reminded him — and every scholar after him — that the true path was not defined by access to palaces, but by alignment with the oppressed.

Taqiyyah, Mukhtar, and Survival

Some criticise the Imam for not openly supporting Mukhtar al-Thaqafi or leading uprisings himself. But they fail to grasp the fragility of the situation. Had the Imam revealed his alignment with Mukhtar and the revolt failed, the entire community of Shia in Madinah — and the very lineage of the Imams — could have been exterminated.

This was not fear. It was divinely sanctioned dissimulation — taqiyyah — a protective measure to safeguard the greater mission.

وَلَا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ

“And do not throw yourselves into destruction with your own hands.”

— Quran, Surah al-Baqarah (the Chapter of the Cow) #2, Verse #195

When Muslim ibn Uqbah entered Madinah and unleashed the Harrah massacre, many feared that Imam Sajjad would be the first to be targeted. Yet he survived — not through compromise, but through divine strategy. He remained hidden in plain sight, quietly gathering a community of believers.

Rejecting Fabricated Accounts of Humiliation

Some narrations — weak in chain and inconsistent in tone — suggest that Muslim ibn Uqbah humiliated the Imam during the Harrah tragedy. But upon closer examination, these reports contradict both the Imam’s dignity and the known strategies of the Ahl al-Bayt.

Scholars of insight, including commentators of Bihar al-Anwar⁸, have noted that many of these accounts were fabricated by court historians or biased transmitters. The traditions that present the Imam as debased or submissive do not align with verified reports of his conduct, nor with the theological role of the Imam as the inheritor of divine authority.

The correct understanding is this: the Imam neither confronted recklessly nor surrendered shamefully. He acted with hikmah (divine wisdom), preserving the line of Imamah and protecting the fragile seed of future revival.

Spiritual Resistance in a Suffocating Era

The regime of Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, under which the Imam lived for the majority of his Imamah, was brutal in its oppression and sophisticated in its surveillance. Spies reported on the Imam’s private movements. His speech was monitored. Even his household was not free from the eyes of the state.

And yet — within that pressure — the Imam built an inner revolution.

Through Sahifa al-Sajjadiyyah⁹, he unveiled the most profound treasury of Islamic spirituality. His duas were not just personal invocations — they were encoded theology, ethics, resistance, and renewal.

اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي أَهَابُكَ كَأَنِّي أَرَاكَ، وَأُسْعِدْنِي بِتَقْوَاكَ، وَلا تُشْقِنِي بِمَعْصِيَتِكَ

“O God, make me revere You as though I see You. Grant me joy through reverent obedience to You. And do not doom me through disobedience.”

— Sahifa al-Sajjadiyyah¹⁰, Dua #47

In another of his sayings preserved in Tuhaf al-ʿUqūl, he declared:

ألا حرّ يَدَعُ هذه اللذّةَ لأهلها؟ إنه ليس لأنفسكم ثمن إلا الجنة، فلا تبيعوها إلا بها. فإنّ الدنيا دنيّةٌ، وهي متروكةٌ لمن تركها، وإنما أنتم بصدد عملٍ، فاعملوا

"Is there no free person who will abandon this fleeting pleasure to those who are attached to it? Verily, there is no price for your souls except Paradise, so do not sell them for anything less. For indeed, this world is base and will be left behind by those who forsake it. You are only engaged in actions, so act accordingly."

— Al-Harrani¹¹, Tuhaf al-Uqul¹², Page 391

These statements were sermons hidden in supplication — metaphysical calls to resistance, honour, and identity.

Revival of Identity and the Way for Imam al-Baqir

Imam Sajjad’s strategy was long-term. He knew that his role was not to ignite a war of swords but to rekindle the soul of a defeated Ummah — to restore hope, identity, and theology, so that the next Imam could act with greater clarity and freedom.

As narrated from Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him):

ارتد الناس بعد قتل الحسين (عليه السلام) إلا ثلاثة: أبو خالد الكابلي، ويحيى بن أم الطويل، وجبير بن مطعم، ثم إن الناس لحقوا وكثروا

“After the killing of Husayn (peace be upon him), the people turned back (from the truth) except for three: Abu Khalid al-Kabuli, Yahya ibn Umm al-Tawil, and Jabir ibn Mut’im. Then, the people joined (the truth) and their numbers increased.”

— Al-Majlisi¹³, Bihar al-Anwar¹⁴, Volume 44, Page 284

This transformation — from abandonment to reawakening — was due to the Imam’s 35 years of tireless struggle.

By the time Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) assumed the Imamah, the ground was fertile again for theological teaching and jurisprudential consolidation.

That is why the Imam, near the end of his life, formally appointed his son — delivering to him a box and a weapon, symbolic of both spiritual knowledge and the trust of revolutionary leadership.

A Death That Marked Completion

At last, in the year 95 AH — during the reign of Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik — the Imam was poisoned. His murder was not random. It was calculated, just as his entire Imamah had been conducted under pressure, surveillance, and sabotage. Yet he passed away in tranquility.

He had fulfilled the divine task.

He had:

• Preserved the spiritual legacy of Karbala

• Rebuilt a community of the faithful

• Safeguarded the line of Imamah

• Transmitted the divine trust to the next Imam

• And written, through silent strength, the blueprint of sacred resistance

Just as his father was slain in the open with swords, he was slain in silence with poison. But both were martyred for the same cause:

The preservation of the Divine Path.

The Aims of the Imam: Foundations for a Future Islamic Government

Strategy After Survival

Having established the ground realities surrounding Imam Zayn al-Abedeen’s (peace be upon him) Imamah, it becomes essential now to examine the aims that animated his leadership. His life did not unfold aimlessly, nor was it simply a reactive series of responses to the oppression of his era. Rather, the Imam undertook a systematic and forward-looking programme rooted in divine insight.

In this section, we will first outline the three central aims that governed his actions, then examine the smaller, strategic undertakings that supported them.

These aims, taken together, reveal that the Imam was not retreating from politics — he was, in fact, preparing the foundation of an Islamic order in the only way possible under such suffocating conditions.

A Delayed Victory: Divine Timing

It is essential to begin with a pivotal hadeeth narrated from Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him), wherein he says that God had originally decreed that an Islamic government led by the Ahl al-Bayt would manifest in the seventieth year after Hijrah. However, following the martyrdom of Ima al-Husayn (peace be upon him) in 61 AH, this divine plan was postponed to the years 147–148 AH.

إن الله عز وجل كان وقت هذا الأمر في السبعين، فلما قتل الحسين (عليه السلام) اشتد غضب الله على أهل الأرض، فأخره إلى أربعين ومائة سنة، فحدثناكم فأذعتم الحديث، فكشفتم قناع الستر، ولم يجعل الله له بعد ذلك وقتاً عندنا، ويمحو الله ما يشاء ويثبت وعنده أم الكتاب

“Indeed, God, the Mighty and Majestic, had set the time for this matter (the rise of the Ahl al-Bayt’s government) in the seventieth year (after Hijrah). But when al-Husayn (peace be upon him) was killed, God’s anger at the people of the earth intensified, so He delayed it to one hundred and forty years. We informed you of this, but you spread the report and uncovered the veil. After that, God did not set a time for us. God erases what He wills and confirms what He wills, and with Him is the Mother of the Book.”

— Al-Kulayni¹⁵, Al-Kafi¹⁶, Volume 1, Page 368, Kitab al-Hujjah (the Book of Proofs), Bab al-Bada’¹⁷ (The Chapter of Bada’)
— Al-Majlisi¹⁸, Bihar al-Anwar¹⁹, Volume 52, Page 107

This postponement was not failure — it was recalibration. It meant that Imam Sajjad’s (peace be upon him) role was not to ignite the final uprising, but to prepare the Ummah intellectually, spiritually, and organisationally for what would come generations later. The seed of Islamic governance had to be planted, watered, and protected — even if the harvest would be reaped by others.

The First Aim: Rebuilding Islamic Thought and Identity

The first and most fundamental task was to revive the true Islamic worldview — not the corrupted, palace-approved ideology that had spread throughout the Ummah.

Generations of propaganda, distortion, and worldly obsession had distanced people from the Quranic principles and the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them).

The masses had grown accustomed to a version of Islam that legitimised tyranny, obscured spiritual depth, and reduced religion to rituals without meaning.

Therefore, before any political change could occur, the ideological core had to be restored.

Imam Sajjad addressed this through the masterwork of Sahifa al-Sajjadiyyah²⁰, a book of supplications that is far more than devotional prayer — it is a curriculum of theology, ethics, metaphysics, social justice, political insight, and worship.

اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي أَخْشَاكَ كَأَنِّي أَرَاكَ

“O God, make me fear You as though I see You.”

— Sahifa al-Sajjadiyyah²¹, Dua #47

In a time when sermons could be banned, and gatherings spied upon, the Imam taught through the medium of dua — sermons disguised as whispers, theology veiled in prostration.

He addressed the people:

أَلاَ وَلاَ حُرٌّ يَدَعُ هَذِهِ الْمَظَالِمَ لأَهْلِهَا؟ إِنَّهَا بَقِيَّةُ الْكِلاَبِ

“Is there no free man who will leave this leftover of the dogs (i.e. the world) to those who deserve it? Surely, it is the remnant of the dogs.”

— Al-Harrani²², Tuhaf al-Uqul²³, Page 391

This wasn’t just rhetoric — it was a confrontation.

A reminder that Islam is not a tool for empire, nor a means of social climbing. It is a ladder to the heavens.

His duas reoriented the soul toward God, reinvigorated tawheed (the oneness of God), nubuwwah (the Prophethood), and ma’ad (return to God), and planted the foundation for a God-centric polity.

The Second Aim: Clarifying Divine Authority

The second pillar of his mission was to restore the legitimacy of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) in the public mind. Generations of political suppression had distorted the perception of their role.

Entire volumes of forged traditions had been attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) — not just to marginalise the Ahl al-Bayt, but to slander them.

The pulpit was used to curse them.

Scholars were paid to obscure their status.

Public knowledge of their spiritual and political right to lead was almost erased. This was not merely theological corruption — it was the erasure of divine succession.

In response, Imam Sajjad worked to re-educate the Ummah. His letters, sermons, and interactions reaffirmed that the Ahl al-Bayt were the rightful heirs of the Prophet, not only in knowledge and spirituality, but in governance.

إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا...

“Your guardian is only God, and His Messenger, and those who believe — those who establish prayer and give charity while they bow down in prayer.”

— Quran, Surah al-Maidah (the Chapter of the Table Spread) #5, Verse #55

According to both Sunni and Shia tafsir (exegesis), this verse refers to Imam Ali (peace be upon him). By invoking such principles, the Imam was not only offering guidance — he was undermining the legitimacy of the entire Umayyad regime.

The Third Aim: Rebuilding the Shia Base

The third aim was the reorganisation of the Shia community itself. Karbala, the tragedy of Harrah, and the failed uprisings of Mukhtar had shattered Shia networks.

The followers of the Ahl al-Bayt were scattered, traumatised, impoverished, and hunted.

To sustain the movement of wilayah, Imam Sajjad had to rebuild grassroots organisation — reviving the spirit of the faithful, teaching them privately, building trust, and uniting them beneath a quiet but enduring banner.

He worked strategically to:

• Educate select individuals

• Establish networks of communication

• Preserve the names of trusted companions

• Guide the oppressed without exposing them

This underground movement laid the foundations for the educational revolution of Imam al-Baqir and the formal jurisprudential school of Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon them both).

But its groundwork was here — in silence, in tears, in coded sermons.

Minor Tactics to Support Major Goals

Alongside these three primary objectives, Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) employed a number of tactical interactions and minor initiatives, each designed to open space in a suffocating political environment.

Sometimes these involved engaging with the very tyrants who ruled the land — such as his diplomatic yet strategic interactions with Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan.

At other times, they included exposing and reforming compromised scholars — like Muhammad ibn Shihab al-Zuhri, once a student of the Imam who was later seduced by courtly favour.

The Imam's famous letter to Zuhri²⁴, preserved in Tuhaf al-Uqul²⁵, is a public rebuke of complicity with injustice.

These smaller acts may appear trivial — but in the climate of fear, even a sentence of truth could shatter the regime’s illusion of legitimacy.

أَفَحَسِبَ الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ أَن لَّن يُخْرِجَ اللَّهُ أَضْغَانَهُمْ

“Do those with diseased hearts think that God will not expose their hatred?”

— Quran, Surah Muhammad (The Chapter of (Prophet) Muhammad) #47, Verse #29

These engagements were not capitulations. They were calculated openings — windows to let some air into a tightly sealed room. And slowly, the room began to breathe again.

Breaking the Social Stagnation

The Imam's actions — whether through subtle advice, moral exhortation, or interactions with compromised scholars — were ultimately geared toward breaking the stagnation of the Ummah. The social environment was choked by fear, corruption, and despondency.

His sermons and teachings often took on a majlis-like form — part sermon, part counsel, part awakening.

He did not lecture openly on political theory.

Instead, he spoke of the soul, of moral obligation, of spiritual accountability — but within these themes, he planted seeds of divine authority, social justice, and the need for truthful leadership.

When one reads his expositions with an informed lens, it becomes clear: every utterance was part of a divine strategy.

Preparing the Path Without Premature Action

The Imam never believed that the Islamic government could be re-established during his own lifetime. He was aware — both through divine inspiration and political clarity — that the time had not yet come. Oppression was too entrenched, and the people too fragmented.

His role, therefore, was not to revolt, but to prepare. He laid the foundations upon which the next generations — particularly Imam al-Baqir and Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon them) — would build.

And even they, at least during their early years, would not consider the overt establishment of a government. Instead, they would continue the project of intellectual, spiritual, and social revival.

وَتِلْكَ الْأَيَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ

“These are the days which We alternate among the people.”

— Quran, Surah Aal-e-Imraan (The Family of Imraan) #3, Verse #140

The Imam understood that his role was not to force the divine plan ahead of its appointed hour, but to ensure that when the time came, the people would be ready.

Sermons and Supplications: A Veiled Revolution

Because of the oppressive conditions, Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) could not teach openly or elaborate on his thoughts directly.

Thus, he resorted to two primary methods of communication:

1. Supplications, preserved in Sahifa al-Sajjadiyyah²⁶

2. Sermons and expositions, transmitted through companions and scholars

The tone of these works was pastoral, devotional, and advisory — but beneath the surface, they were transformative.

They rekindled the connection between the soul and its Creator, reintroduced the language of true Islamic governance, and prepared the Ummah for eventual reawakening.

His duas are not generic invocations — they are spiritually encoded doctrines.

His sermons are not soft moralising — they are divine blueprints for societal healing.

This style — indirect yet powerful — reflects extraordinary foresight. In a time when a wrong word could cost lives, he used language as sanctuary and prayer as proclamation.

اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي أُحِبُّكَ وَأُحِبُّ مَنْ يُحِبُّكَ، وَأُحِبُّ كُلَّ عَمَلٍ يُقَرِّبُنِي إِلَى قُرْبِكَ، وَأَنْ تَجْعَلَ حُبَّكَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِنَ الْمَاءِ الْبَارِدِ عَلَى الظَّمَإِ الشَّدِيدِ

O God, make me love You, love those who love You, and love every action that brings me nearer to Your nearness, and make Your love more beloved to me than cool water to the intensely thirsty.

— Sahifa al-Sajjadiyyah²⁷, Dua #20

The Imam's Legacy: A Bridge to the Future

With this foundation in place, we can now turn to the Imam’s actual sayings, expositions, and historical actions — all of which must be read in light of the three-fold strategy:

1. Reviving authentic Islamic ideology

2. Clarifying rightful divine leadership

3. Rebuilding the Shia network for future transformation

Every dua, every letter, every sermon must be understood as part of this divine architecture. Without this context, one may misread the Imam’s words as merely pious lamentation. With context, one sees that they were constructing the pillars of God’s awaited order.

Important Note Before Continuing

Before we begin analysing these sayings in detail, let us note once more: the Imam lived under conditions of severe restriction. He could not articulate his political programme openly. Thus, his thoughts were clothed in the language of supplication and moral instruction.

But to the discerning heart — one attuned to the mission of the Imams — it is clear: every word he spoke was purposeful. Every counsel was strategic. Every whisper was thunder.

We now proceed to examine those sayings — not as isolated spiritual aphorisms, but as windows into the strategic, spiritual, and revolutionary mind of Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him).

The Expressions of Imam al-Sajjad (peace be upon him) as the Epiphany Point of Political Struggle and Combat

The Imam’s Expositions as a Framework for Resistance

We now turn our gaze toward the luminous expositions of Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn, Zayn al-Abedeen (peace be upon him), preserved in sources such as Tuhaf al-Uqul²⁸.

These discourses, while delivered in diverse styles and to varied audiences, serve as a deep reservoir of both theological awakening and political resistance.

In them, we find not merely moral counsel or personal supplication, but rather the articulation of a deliberate and strategic struggle — one rooted in Quranic revivalism, socio-political consciousness, and preparation for a future Islamic order.

Public Discourses: Reawakening the Masses Through Quranic Reminders

One of the most prominent sermons from the Imam (peace be upon him) is delivered to the general Muslim populace. The tone, structure, and content indicate that it was not meant for his close companions or elite followers, but for the broader society.

This is evident from the way it begins — not with “O you who believe!” but with the universal address: “O people!” (يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ).

The Imam, in this address, anchors his message in the Holy Quran — not merely quoting verses, but weaving them subtly into his speech, thus grounding every exhortation in divine authority.

Over fifty verses of the Quran are either directly cited or alluded to. This is a masterstroke of pedagogy: the people did not necessarily recognise him as their Imam due to the prevailing propaganda and historical conditions, but they could not refute the Book of God.

He begins with words that awaken the soul:

اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ

“Be mindful of God, and know that you shall return to Him.”

This is a direct reminder of the verse:

إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ

“Indeed, we belong to God, and to Him shall we return.”

— Quran, Surah al-Baqarah (the Chapter of the Cow) #2 Verse #156

Reviving Forgotten Pillars of Faith

Rather than offering theological debate, the Imam seeks to revive what the people have forgotten. This approach is not one of instruction, but of sacred remembrance (tadhkirah).

He reminds the people of the questions that await every soul in the grave:

فَإِنَّهُ يُسْأَلُ عَنْ رَبِّهِ الَّذِي كَانَ يَعْبُدُهُ

“One will be questioned about his Lord, whom he worshipped…”

وَعَنْ نَبِيِّهِ الَّذِي أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِ

“…and about his Prophet, who was sent to him…”

وَعَنْ دِينِهِ الَّذِي كَانَ يَدِينُ بِهِ

“…and about the religion he professed…”

وَعَنْ كِتَابِهِ الَّذِي كَانَ يَتْلُوهُ لَيْلًا

“…and about the Book he recited in the night…”

— Al-Majlisi²⁹, Bihar al-Anwar,³⁰ Volume 78, Page 133

And crucially, the Imam adds:

وَعَنْ إِمَامِهِ الَّذِي كَانَ يَتَوَلَّاهُ

“…and about the Imam whose leadership he accepted…”

— Al-Majlisi³¹, Bihar al-Anwar³², Volume 78, Page 133

This is a subtle but decisive political intervention.

In a time when Banu Umayyah were seen as the “leaders of the faithful,” Imam Zayn al-Abedeen (peace be upon him) places the question of who truly deserves to be followed at the heart of accountability in the Hereafter.

The term “Imam” here is not merely spiritual; it is civilisational.

As the Quran declares:

وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا

“And We made them Imams, guiding by Our command…”

— Quran, Surah al-Anbiya (the Chapter of the Prophets) #21 Verse #73

Reclaiming Imamah as Political Authority

The Imam reclaims the meaning of Imamate from the distortion it had suffered. In public perception, the ruler — even a corrupt one like Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan — was referred to as “Imam.”

This linguistic appropriation had severed the organic link between rightful guidance and political sovereignty.

To counter this, Imam Zayn al-Abedeen (peace be upon him) links Imamah directly to the succession of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), insisting that an Imam is the divinely mandated leader — both spiritually and politically.

As Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) has said:

وَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ (ص) كَانَ هُوَ الْإِمَامَ

“And verily, the Messenger of God was an Imam.”

— Al-Kulayni³³, Al-Kafi³⁴, Volume 1, Page 276, Kitab al-Hujjah (the Book of Proof), Hadeeth #1

Thus, to speak of Imamah is to speak of the right to govern in the name of God.

The Reminder vs the Teacher

This initial exposition demonstrates a powerful insight: the Imam was not primarily a teacher in this address — he was a reminder (dhaakir). He did not engage in complex philosophical or theological debate. There was no need — not yet. The people still remembered the Prophet. They had lived through the time of the Khulafa al-Rashidun, of Amir al-Mu’mineen, Imam Ali, of Imam Hasan and Husayn (peace be upon them). Their knowledge of Islam had not been distorted — it had simply been buried under the rubble of worldly ambition.

Thus, Imam Zayn al-Abedeen (peace be upon him) does not correct false doctrine — he revives lost clarity. His was a voice in the fog, calling not to new ideology, but to the original covenant with God.

Contextual Comparison: Imam al-Sadiq and the Rise of Intellectual Deviations

This approach stands in contrast to the time of Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him), whose discourses often engage in logical deduction and philosophical reasoning — precisely because, by then, atheists, dualists, and deviant theologians had emerged in public teaching spaces like the mosques of Madinah and Kufa.

As one narration records, Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) countered the heretic Ibn Abi al-Awja with rational proofs drawn from creation:

أَلَيْسَ الَّذِي يُنْمِي الصَّغِيرَ حَتَّى يَصِيرَ كَبِيرًا، وَيَرُدُّ الْقَوِيَّ إِلَى ضَعْفٍ، وَيَأْتِي بِالصِّحَّةِ بَعْدَ الْمَرَضِ، جَدِيرًا بِأَنْ يُعْرَفَ بِأَنَّهُ الْوَاحِدُ؟

“He who causes a small thing to grow into something great, and makes the strong return to weakness, and brings health after illness — is He not deserving of being recognised as the One?”

—Paraphrased from Multiple Sources³⁵

But Imam al-Sajjad (peace be upon him), in contrast, does not debate the existence of God — he revives the remembrance of God.

Highlighting the Strategic Political Message

Although his language is veiled, the Imam subtly introduces the concept of governance (wilayah and imamah) into even general sermons. By naming the Imam as part of the grave’s questioning — and by defining the Imam as the divinely appointed guardian — he plants a theological landmine under the legitimacy of the Umayyads.

Were the people ready to understand the full implication? Perhaps not. But they would remember. And memory, in times of oppression, is resistance.

This is how the Imam worked — awakening hearts through indirect speech, nourishing the soul with hidden fire.

Focused Discourses to the Faithful: Veiled Revolution and Political Clarity

A New Audience: Private Discourses to the Faithful and Committed

In contrast to the earlier public sermons addressed to the masses, Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) also delivered intimate, sharply worded discourses to his most loyal followers — the Shia, the committed believers, the ones who stood firm against tyranny. These were people who had suffered at the hands of the Umayyad regime, who bore scars not only on their bodies but in their hearts, and to them, the Imam spoke plainly.

This second genre of exposition opens differently. No longer does he say, “O People” — now he calls out:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا

“O you who believe!”

This Quranic phrase — appearing over 80 times in the Quran — is not just a rhetorical shift. It is a declaration of fraternity, of trust, of intimacy.

The Imam speaks to those already aligned with the Ahl al-Bayt.

Warnings Against the Regime: Subtlety Gives Way to Sharpness

In these sermons, the Imam begins to denounce the regime more directly.

His opening words (as preserved in Tuhaf al-Uqul³⁶) are:

وَكَفَانَا اللَّهُ وَإِيَّاكُمْ كَيْدَ الظَّالِمِينَ وَبَغْيَ الْحَاسِدِينَ وَبَطْشَ الْجَبَّارِينَ

“May God protect us and you from the deceit of the oppressors, the envy of the jealous, and the brutality of the tyrants.”

— Al-Harrani³⁷, Tuhaf al-Uqul³⁸, Page 252

Here the regime is no longer obscured — they are dhalimeen (oppressors), jabbareen (tyrants), the exact terms used in the Quran for Pharaoh, Nimrod, and the enemies of the Prophets.

The Imam’s message is stark: the world is full of spiritual and material traps.

The tyranny of the rulers is not merely physical but ideological. It dulls the senses, deforms priorities, and slowly seduces the soul.

Guarding the Faith Against Corruption

The Imam urges his companions not to be seduced by wealth, power, or social ease:

كفانا الله وإياكم كيد الظالمين وبغي الحاسدين وبطش الجبارين أيها المؤمنون لا يفتننكم الطواغيت وأتباعهم من أهل الرغبة في الدنيا المائلون إليها، المفتونون بها، المقبلون عليها وعلى حطامها الهامد وهشيمها البائد غدا...

“May God protect us and you from the plots of the oppressors, the envy of the jealous, and the violence of the tyrants. O believers, let not the tyrants and their followers from among those who desire this world, who incline toward it, who are infatuated with it, and who rush toward its withered and perished remains, deceive you...”

— Al-Harrani³⁹, Tuhaf al-Uqul⁴⁰, Page 252

This is the voice of a revolutionary spiritual leader training his underground community. The Imam sees clearly the danger of “integration” — that is, of becoming so accustomed to tyranny that one forgets the very meaning of justice.

In the Quran, Pharaoh also tempted the people:

وَنَادَىٰ فِرْعَوْنُ فِي قَوْمِهِ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَلَيْسَ لِي مُلْكُ مِصْرَ وَهَٰذِهِ الْأَنْهَارُ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِي ۖ أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ

And Pharaoh proclaimed to his people, saying, ‘O my people! Do not the kingdom of Egypt and these rivers that run at my feet belong to me? Do you not perceive?

— Quran, Surah al-Zukhruf (the Chapter of Ornament) #43 Verse #51

So too did Abd al-Malik entice the Muslims of his time with the trappings of power. But the Imam, like Moses (Musa) before him, called them back.

Unmasking the Regime: Linking Power with Satan

In an extraordinary move, Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) places the Umayyad rulers on par with the devil himself.

He says:

وَإِنَّ الْأُمُورَ الْوَارِدَةَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ مِنْ مُظْلِمَاتِ الْفِتَنِ، وَحَوَادِثِ الْبِدَعِ، وَسُنَنِ الْجَوْرِ، وَبَوَائِقِ الزَّمَانِ، وَهَيْبَةِ السُّلْطَانِ، وَوَسْوَسَةِ الشَّيْطَانِ...

“Among the trials you face day and night are the darkness of tyranny, the innovations of heresy, the norms of injustice, the tribulations of time, the fear of authority, and the whisperings of Satan.”

— Al-Harrani⁴¹, Tuhaf al-Uqul⁴², Page 252

This is not only eloquent rhetoric — it is revolutionary psychology. He is telling his followers that submitting to the regime is tantamount to listening to Satan.

The Umayyad caliph is not simply an unjust politician — he is a spiritual saboteur.

Calling for Separation: Ethical and Social Dissociation

In a daring and radical statement, the Imam commands his followers to sever association from those tainted by allegiance to the oppressors:

وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَصُحْبَةَ الْعَاصِينَ وَمَعُونَةَ الظَّالِمِينَ وَمُجَاوَرَةَ الْفَاسِقِينَ، احْذَرُوا فِتْنَتَهُمْ وَتَبَاعَدُوا مِنْ سَاحَتِهِمْ

“Beware of sitting with the wicked and assisting the oppressors, and associating with the wicked. Beware of their trials and keep away from their circles.”

— Al-Harrani⁴³, Tuhaf al-Uqul⁴⁴, Page 254

This is a command to resist, not only with the tongue and heart, but with social withdrawal.

Just as the Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) (peace be upon him) declared:

إِنِّي بَرَاءٌ مِمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ

“Indeed, I disassociate myself from that which you worship.”

— Quran, Surah al-Zukhruf (the Chapter of Ornament) #43, Verse #26

Political Memory as Resistance: Ashura and the Past Atrocities

The Imam evokes memory not merely as nostalgia, but as a tool of resistance.

He recalls the afflictions of the Ahl al-Bayt and their followers:

• The tragedy of Karbala

• The martyrdoms of Hujr ibn ‘Adi and Rushayd al-Hajari

• The endless persecution of those loyal to the family of the Prophet

He asks:

أَفَلَا تَذَكُرُونَ كَيْفَ كَانَتِ الْفِتَنُ وَالْمِحَنُ؟

“Do you not remember how severe the trials and afflictions were?”

— Al-Harrani⁴⁵, Tuhaf al-Uqul⁴⁶, Pages 254-255

By remembering these crimes, he prevents normalisation. His aim is not grief for its own sake — it is to keep the flame of resistance alive.

Absolute Obedience to Divine Authority

The Imam culminates these teachings in an unequivocal demand for tawalli (loyalty) to divine authority, and tabarri (disassociation) from illegitimate rule:

فقدّموا أمر الله وطاعته وطاعة من أوجب الله طاعته بين يدي الأمور كلها

Give precedence to the command of God, His obedience, and the obedience of those whose obedience God has made obligatory, before all other matters.

— Al-Harrani⁴⁷, Tuhaf al-Uqul⁴⁸, Page 254

Here, the Imam establishes the theological legitimacy of the Ahl al-Bayt’s rule — not as one political party among others, but as the divinely ordained stewards of Islam.

A Political Asceticism: Dissociation as a Revolutionary Tool

In a third style of exposition, the Imam adopts the voice of a spiritual ascetic. But the asceticism (zuhd) he preaches is not mere withdrawal — it is political:

إِنَّ مِنْ عَلَامَاتِ الزُّهَّادِ فِي الدُّنْيَا أَنْ يَتْرُكُوا كُلَّ خَلِيطٍ لَا يُرِيدُ مَا يُرِيدُونَ

“Among the signs of those detached from the world is that they sever ties from those whose aims differ from theirs.”

— Al-Harrani, Tuhaf al-Uqul, Page 272

This was not an abstract ideal. It was a call to form a distinct community — one whose values, vision, and leadership were aligned with divine governance.

Risalat al-Huquq: Building the Infrastructure of a Future Islamic Order

Another text of paramount importance is Risalat al-Huquq — the “Treatise of Rights.” In it, the Imam outlines the rights of every entity: God, the Prophet, the Imams, one’s limbs, neighbours, family, ruler, and subjects.

Although delivered in the soft tone of advice, the political content is profound.

He is outlining the ethical infrastructure for a just Islamic order — not for his own time, but for a future society that will rise from the ashes.

حق إمامك أن تعلم أنه عمودك وهاديك والسلطة التي يحفظك الله بها

“The right of your Imam is that you should know he is your pillar, your guide, and the authority through whom God protects you.”

— Paraphrased⁴⁹ from a more detailed entry in Risalat al-Huquq⁵⁰

Though often categorised under personal or ethical writings, this document forms a constitutional vision for a just society — a model of governance rooted in the sanctity of divine rights and the dignity of human beings.

In this treatise, the Imam details over fifty mutual rights, beginning with the rights of God, the self, and bodily faculties, and continuing through to the rights of relatives, neighbours, rulers, the ruled, the seeker of knowledge, and even enemies.

While the tone is calm and devoid of overt political confrontation, the content clearly maps the moral infrastructure for an Islamic society — one guided by justice (adl), accountability (hisbah), and sacred trust (amanah).

When Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) outlines the “right of the leader over the ruled” as being the protection of their dignity, equity in judgment, and provision of counsel, he is implicitly contrasting this divine ideal with the tyranny of the Umayyads — who trampled such rights for worldly gain.

Conversely, the “right of the ruled over the leader” is framed in terms of loyalty, sincere advice, and prayer for the leader’s success — when that leader walks the path of righteousness.

The treatise thus functions not only as a spiritual charter but as a manifesto for Islamic governance grounded in servitude to God and respect for His creation.

Sahifa al-Sajjadiyyah: Supplication as Subversion

The Imam’s final, and perhaps most powerful, weapon was dua. In Sahifa al-Sajjadiyyah⁵¹, he enshrined the language of resistance within the cloak of devotion.

With the rhythm of prayer, he pierced through apathy and awakened the soul.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ، وَاخْتِمْ لَنَا بِالسَّعَادَةِ، وَلا تَسْلُبْنَا حُسْنَ مَا أَعْطَيْتَنَا، وَافْتَحْ لَنَا بَابَ التَّوْبَةِ وَالرَّحْمَةِ، وَحَسِّنْ عَاقِبَتَنَا فِي الْأُمُورِ كُلِّهَا...

O God, bless Muhammad and his family, and conclude our lives with happiness, and do not take away from us the good You have given us, and open for us the door of repentance and mercy, and make good the outcome of all our affairs...

— Sahifa al-Sajjadiyyah⁵², Dua #11

What sounds like a private plea is, in reality, a public battle cry.

This is not mere rhetoric. It is a spiritual roadmap — reminding the faithful that every decision, policy, and inclination must be measured against the divine scale. Through dua, Imam al-Sajjad (peace be upon him) subtly reshapes the moral compass of society.

Where tyrants drowned the public in pomp and spectacle, the Imam offered tearful invocations under the night sky. Where the rulers enforced allegiance through coin and sword, the Imam infused conviction through whispered supplication. In this way, he re-centred the ummah’s sense of purpose — away from the palaces of Damascus and toward the throne of God.

Indeed, if one were to trace the soft revolution that revived Shia thought after the trauma of Karbala, Sahifa al-Sajjadiyyah stands as its theological core — stirring the conscience, healing the broken, and inspiring resistance through inward transformation.

Every supplication is a call to reorder society, to return the world to the axis of divine justice.

Reclaiming Dignity from the Dog’s Leftovers

The Imam also confronted scholars and elites who sold their souls for position under the Umayyads. To them he said:

أَلَا حُرٌّ يَدَعُ هَذِهِ السُّؤَةَ لِأَهْلِهَا؟

“Is there no free man to leave these leftovers of the dog to their people?”

— Attributed to Imam Sajjad in multiple sources⁵³

These “leftovers” — the wealth, palace life, and favour of the court — were scraps. True men of honour would not debase themselves for them.

Poetry and Protest

Imam Zayn al-Abedeen (peace be upon him) also used poetry — concise, piercing, and potent — to denounce the materialism and moral decay of the regime.

These verses were circulated privately, protecting the truth like sparks hidden beneath ash.

A Quiet Thunder: Rethinking the Image of Imam Sajjad

This entire analysis compels us to shed the false image of Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) as merely a passive, sickly figure confined to prayer mats and hidden weeping. He was not merely a survivor of Karbala — he was the architect of the revival.

He crafted a theological language that would nourish generations. He reminded the people of their principles, responsibilities, and worth. He protected the memory of the martyrs not through militancy, but through moral clarity. And he did all of this under the eyes of oppressors, without ever compromising truth.

His companions were trained, his community was reawakened, and his legacy — sealed in ink, tears, and flame — laid the groundwork for the Imams who followed.

Let none say he was silent. His silence was louder than swords.

The Tactics Behind the Third Phase of the Imams’ Revolutionary Movement

When examining the life of Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him), a noticeable distinction becomes apparent: his methods lacked the overt, confrontational aggression employed by other Imams, such as Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq or Imam Musa al-Kadhim (peace be upon them).

This absence, however, was not rooted in timidity or resignation, but in profound strategic insight.

To understand this, we must recognise that the third stage of the revolutionary movement of the Imams began with Imam Sajjad. At this formative stage, the fragile community of the Shia — the "garden" of wilayah — was still tender, its roots just beginning to take hold. It would have been strategically irresponsible to expose this vulnerable group to the ravenous brutality of the Umayyad machine.

The Imam, therefore, adopted the role of a careful gardener. His mission was not yet to provoke or challenge openly, but to nurture quietly — to water the seeds of conviction and preserve the continuity of the divine path.

Strategic Parallels with the Prophetic Era

To comprehend Imam Sajjad’s method, one might liken his situation to the early Makkan phase of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) mission.

In those early days, Islam had not yet gone public, and its nascent community required protection from the hostilities of Quraysh. Just as the Prophet concealed certain aspects of his movement to safeguard the believers, so too did Imam Sajjad.

The next phase, typified by Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him), mirrors the public Makkan era — a gradual unveiling. The post-Baqir period, culminating in the Abbasid transition, reflects the later Madinan dynamics of mobilisation and resistance.

Had Imam Sajjad prematurely employed the open aggression seen in the time of Imam al-Sadiq or Imam al-Ridha (peace be upon them), the mighty claws of Abdul-Malik ibn Marwan — then at the height of his power — would have effortlessly crushed the revivalist current.

The Imams never acted out of emotion; their actions were rooted in wisdom, calibrated to the demands of the time.

Yet, despite this guarded approach, one still discerns subtle, but potent, indictments of the regime embedded within Imam Sajjad’s sermons, writings, and correspondence — particularly in the later years of his life⁵⁴.

Unmasking the Tyrants through Theological Subtlety

One of the Imam’s most eloquent critiques of the regime is found in a narration where he exposes the intellectual manipulation of the Umayyads.

He says:

إِنَّ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ أَطْلَقُوا لِلنَّاسِ تَعْلِيمَ الْإِيمَانِ، وَلَمْ يُطْلِقُوا لَهُمْ تَعْلِيمَ الشِّرْكِ لِكَيْ إِذَا حَمَلُوهُمْ عَلَيْهِ لَا يَعْرِفُونَهُ.

“The Banu Umayyah opened the doors for people to learn about faith, but they forbade them from learning about shirk (polytheism), so that when they imposed it upon them, the people would not recognise it.”

— Al-Harrani⁵⁵, Tuhaf al-Uqul⁵⁶, Page 253

This is a profound indictment. The Umayyads allowed discussions on ritual prayer, Hajj, fasting, and even belief in God and the Prophet — yet they silenced any discourse on the essence of tawheed and its opposite, political and theological shirk.

Why?

Because if people were taught the true nature of shirk, they would immediately recognise the regime itself as an embodiment of it.

To recognise Abdul-Malik ibn Marwan or his ilk as rightful rulers was, in the view of Imam Sajjad, an act of theological compromise — an allegiance to taghut.

Shirk and the False Caliphate: The Verdict of the Ulama

The late Allamah al-Majlisi⁵⁷, may God sanctify his soul, articulates this truth powerfully in his magnum opus Bihar al-Anwar, quoting from Imam as-Sadiq:

إِنَّ آيَاتِ الشِّرْكِ فِي ظَاهِرِهَا فِي الْأَصْنَامِ، وَفِي بَاطِنِهَا فِي خُلَفَاءِ الْجَوْرِ الَّذِينَ نَصَبُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ مَعَ أَئِمَّةِ الْحَقِّ.

“The verses of shirk (polytheism), outwardly, refer to idols, but inwardly, they refer to the unjust caliphs who set themselves up alongside the true Imams.”

— Al-Majlisi⁵⁸, Bihar al-Anwar⁵⁹, Volume 48, Page 96

Such rulers were not merely political usurpers — they were theological threats. By inserting themselves into the position of divinely mandated leadership, they hijacked the place of the Imams, and in so doing, challenged the very Oneness of God in governance.

Letters of Defiance: Imam Sajjad’s Written Resistance

The Imam’s resistance was not confined to abstract statements. Even in his personal correspondences, we find piercing critiques of the ruling elite.

Letter 1: The Marriage to a Freed Slave Woman

Abdul-Malik ibn Marwan once wrote to rebuke Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) for marrying a woman who had previously been a slave under his ownership. The criticism was veiled in arrogance and surveillance.

The Imam responded:

لَا مَلَامَ عَلَى مُسْلِمٍ، إِنَّمَا الْمَلَامُ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ

“There is no blame upon a Muslim. The blame lies upon the people of Jahiliyyah.”

— Al-Majlisi⁶⁰, Bihar al-Anwar⁶¹, Volume 46, Page 105

In a single sentence, the Imam flipped the accusation, implying that Abdul-Malik was the inheritor of pre-Islamic ignorance. The Imam had acted in the way of the Prophet — honouring the oppressed. It was the Caliph, steeped in pride and tribalism, who exposed his own lineage of ignorance.

Even the Caliph’s own son, Sulayman, understood the gravity of the Imam’s words. He turned to his father and exclaimed:

“Look how ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn has boasted over you!”

To which Abdul-Malik sombrely replied:

“This is the speech of Banu Hashim — it cracks stone.”

Letter 2: The Sword of the Prophet

In another letter, Abdul-Malik demanded that Imam Sajjad relinquish possession of the Prophet’s sword, an artefact that carried both historical and symbolic authority.

The Caliph even offered to fulfil any wish the Imam might have in exchange.

The Imam refused. The Caliph then threatened to cut off the Imam’s share from the public treasury (Bayt al-Mal).

The Imam responded:

اللَّهُ يَرْزُقُ أَوْلِيَاءَهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُونَ، وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ خَوَّانٍ كَفُورٍ

God provides for His friends from where they do not expect, and God does not love every treacherous, ungrateful one.

— Al-Majlisi⁶², Bihar al-Anwar⁶³, Volume 46, Page 80
— Al-Tabarsi⁶⁴, Al-Ihtijaaj⁶⁵, Volume 2, Page 51

It was clear whom this was aimed at. Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) never considered himself treacherous or ungrateful — nor did anyone else.

His subtle implication was that the Caliph himself was both.

The Poetry of Defiance: Farazdaq and the Public Declaration of Virtue

While the Imam himself rarely composed extended poetry, the poetry written about him by his companions became weapons of spiritual resistance.

One of the most famous moments came from the poet Farazdaq. During the Hajj season, Hisham ibn Abdul-Malik, before ascending to the caliphate, attempted to touch the Black Stone. The crowd refused to yield to him.

Moments later, Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon him) entered the Haram (the great sanctuary). The masses parted, reverently making way for him. He touched the Black Stone with ease. Angered and humiliated, Hisham pretended not to know who he was.

At that moment, Farazdaq⁶⁶, moved by indignation, stood up and recited verses that have become immortal:

هَذَا الَّذِي تَعْرِفُ الْبَطْحَاءُ وَطْأَتَهُ
وَالْبَيْتُ يَعْرِفُهُ وَالْحِلُّ وَالْحَرَمُ

“This is the one whose footsteps are known by the sands of Batha⁶⁷.
The House (Ka’bah), the sanctuary, and the sacred precincts all know him.”

— Al-Majlisi⁶⁸, Bihar al-Anwar⁶⁹, Volume 46, Page 121

Farazdaq’s poem (qasida) went on to praise the Imam as the inheritor of prophecy, the refuge of the seekers, and the embodiment of nobility. Each line was like a sword against the Umayyads, affirming that true leadership did not lie in thrones, but in divine inheritance.

Hisham, furious, imprisoned Farazdaq. But the Imam — out of gratitude — sent him a reward.

Farazdaq refused:

“I did it for the sake of God and the honour of Ahl al-Bayt. I do not accept payment.”

This poetry became a form of public tabyeen (clarification). Through it, the people remembered who the true leaders were — not the sons of tyrants, but the sons of Sayyedah Fatimah and Imam Ali.

The Shouts from Kufa: Yahya ibn Umm Salamah

Another companion of the Imam, Yahya ibn Umm Salamah al-Tawil, expressed his loyalty and defiance without poetry, but with public cries.

He would enter the streets of Kufa and proclaim:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ! يَا أَتْبَاعَ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ! إِنَّا بُرَآءُ مِنْكُمْ! لَا نَقْبَلُكُمْ حَتَّى تُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ!

“O people! O you who follow the Umayyads! We disavow you! We do not accept you until you believe in God!”

— As quoted in Imam Khamenei’s lecture on the "250-Year-Old Person" (Insan-e 250 Saleh), discussing the era of Imam Zayn al-Abedeen⁷⁰

His message was simple but explosive. He identified the Umayyad regime and its followers as polytheists, directly invoking Quranic rhetoric. It was no minor act of resistance — it was theological warfare waged in the streets.

Tactics Shaped by Wisdom

In all of these expressions — the sermons, the sharp letters, the Quranic allusions, the supportive poetry, and the cries of his loyalists — Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) pursued the same goal:

To preserve, to cultivate, and to ready the Ummah for the time when open confrontation would be possible.

He did not plant in sunlight. He planted in shadow.

And like the Prophet in the early days of Makkah, he prepared the soil of hearts so that the seeds of divine authority could take root, even in the darkness of oppression.

The Fierce Stand of Imam Sajjad Against the Official Scholars

We now arrive at one of the most critical elements of his revolutionary mission: his confrontation with the regime-aligned religious class. These were the so-called scholars and narrators who—rather than defending divine truth—chose to justify falsehood, accommodate tyranny, and sell their silence or speech to the highest bidder.

Though Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) is often remembered for his patience, worship, and duas, it is imperative not to let this overshadow the steely resolve with which he confronted falsehood and resisted the ideological machinery of the Umayyad state. Over the course of his thirty-four-year Imamate, he quietly but effectively prepared the soil for a future Islamic awakening—an awakening grounded in authentic belief, free from distortion, and guided by the rightful heirs of Prophethood.

At the heart of any Islamic society lies its intellectual compass—its scholars, narrators, judges, poets, and commentators. When this compass is corrupted, the people lose direction.

Thus, the regime sought to manipulate the public's faith by co-opting the scholars and turning the religious narrative to serve the caliph’s throne. This subtle but deadly campaign was one of the most sinister tools in the arsenal of the Umayyads and later the Abbasids.

Among those who fell into this trap was Muhammad ibn Shahab al-Zuhri—a man who once studied at the feet of Imam Zayn al-Abedeen (peace be upon him), but eventually betrayed the Imam’s teachings by aligning himself with the Umayyad court. Initially a transmitter of knowledge, al-Zuhri became a conveyor of propaganda, embedding regime interests within religious discourse and even forging traditions.

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) recognised the gravity of this deviation. He knew that the distortion of religion by “official” scholars would become the biggest obstacle to establishing a truly Islamic government. For what use is power if the ideological foundations of a community are already rotten?

Thus, alongside spiritual formation, he waged an ideological war.

One of the most powerful examples of this confrontation is a letter Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) wrote to al-Zuhri, preserved in the annals of history with piercing clarity and righteous anger. The letter is a testament to the Imam’s refusal to tolerate the betrayal of divine knowledge for the sake of political patronage.

The Imam begins:

كَفَانَا اللَّهُ وَإِيَّاكَ مِنَ الْفِتَنِ، وَرَحِمَكَ اللَّهُ مِنَ النَّارِ

“May God protect you and us from tribulations, and may He have mercy on you and protect you from the Fire.”

— Al-Majlisi⁷¹, Bihar al-Anwar⁷², Volume 75, Page 132

Though seemingly gentle, this is not a prayer of affection—it is a sharp rebuke. The Imam is praying that al-Zuhri be saved from the very fire he is walking towards through his compromises and sycophancy.

He continues:

فَقَدْ صِرْتَ بِحَالٍ يَنْبَغِي لِمَنْ عَرَفَكَ أَنْ يَرْحَمَكَ عَلَيْهَا

“You are in such a state that anyone who truly knows you would feel sorry for you.”

— Al-Majlisi⁷³, Bihar al-Anwar⁷⁴, Volume 75, Page 132

He reminds al-Zuhri that though the world sees him as honoured, in reality he is pitiable—ensnared by the allure of power, trapped in the machinery of oppression.

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) then exposes the function al-Zuhri now performs for the regime:

أَدْنَوْتَ مِمَّنْ لَمْ يُرَدَّ حَقًّا قَطُّ، وَلَمْ يُدْفَعْ بَاطِلًا أَبَدًا

“You drew close to one who never upheld justice nor repelled falsehood.”

اتَّخَذُوكَ جِسْرًا لِمَظَالِمِهِمْ، وَسُلَّمًا لِضَلَالَتِهِمْ، وَدَاعِيًا إِلَى غَيِّهِمْ

“They took you as a bridge for their injustices, a ladder for their deviations, and a caller to their misguidance.”

— Al-Majlisi⁷⁵, Bihar al-Anwar⁷⁶, Volume 75, Page 132

He accuses al-Zuhri of becoming not merely a passive enabler, but an active agent of oppression. He was used to beautify the crimes of the rulers, to legitimise their authority in the eyes of the masses.

And then comes the thunderous indictment:

فَمَا أَقَلَّ مَا أَعْطَوْكَ فِي مَا أَخَذُوا مِنْكَ

“How little they gave you in comparison to what they took from you.”

— Al-Majlisi⁷⁷, Bihar al-Anwar⁷⁸, Volume 75, Page 132

The Imam strips away the illusion of privilege. Whatever wealth or titles al-Zuhri gained were dust compared to the truth, dignity, and salvation he surrendered.

The Quranic indictment is clear:

وَلَا تَكْتُمُوا الشَّهَادَةَ ۚ وَمَنْ يَكْتُمْهَا فَإِنَّهُ آثِمٌ قَلْبُهُ

“And do not conceal testimony. Whoever conceals it—his heart is sinful.”

— Quran, Surah al-Baqarah (the Chapter of the Cow) #2, Verse #283

And again:

لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَكْتُمُونَهُ

“You must make it clear to the people and not conceal it.”

— Quran, Surah Aal-i-Imraan (the Chapter of the Family of ‘Imraan) #3, Verse #187

In abandoning this duty, al-Zuhri betrayed the Divine Amanah (trust) of knowledge.

The Imam concludes:

فَأَنتَ أَعَظَمُ النَّاسِ فِي تَضْيِيعِ ذَلِكَ الْأَمَانَةِ، وَفِي فِتْنَةِ النَّاسِ بِكَ

“You are the greatest of people in violating that trust and in misleading others by your example.”

— Al-Majlisi⁷⁹, Bihar al-Anwar⁸⁰, Volume 75, Page 132

This letter was not merely a private reproach—it was an ideological missile. It became a part of Shia heritage, preserved and repeated, a warning to every generation: beware the scholar who stands with tyrants.

The Legacy of Resistance

Though Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) refrained from open rebellion in the military sense, his political resistance was profound and enduring. His chains—borne from Karbala to Kufa to Damascus—did not silence him. Instead, they became emblems of spiritual steadfastness and intellectual rebellion.

He cultivated a core of loyal, enlightened followers. Through the Sahifah Sajjadiyyah, the Treatise of Rights, and his pointed engagements with false scholars, he built the foundations of a school that would later blossom under his son, Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him), and grandson, Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him).

Despite the relentless pressure, threats, and surveillance, the Imam never ceased to speak the truth. And this made him feared. The regime resorted to their final tactic.

According to reliable narrations, in the year 95 AH, under the caliphate of Walid ibn Abd al-Malik, the Imam was poisoned by order of the state and martyred. The one who had once walked in chains now walked into eternity.

He was buried in al-Baqi’ in Madinah—next to his uncle Imam Hasan (peace be upon him). His voice lives on in every du'a that declares loyalty to truth, and in every scholar who refuses to bow to tyranny.

Conclusion

The Silent Earthquake and the Seeds of Renewal

In reflecting on the life and mission of Imam Zayn al-Abedeen (peace be upon him), we do not simply encounter a historical figure—rather, we meet a divine strategist, a wounded witness, and a silent earthquake who shook the foundations of falsehood with quiet insistence.

His was not the revolution of the sword, but the revolution of the soul. He rebuilt the shattered spirit of the ummah after the catastrophe of Karbala. While others saw a captive in chains, the discerning eye sees a general laying the groundwork for the next phase of the divine movement.

Through whispered duas, he reconnected the heart of the believer to its Creator. Through his teachings, he exposed the fabrications of the palace scholars. Through his lived dignity, he challenged the legitimacy of tyrants. And through his long patience, he nurtured a core of companions capable of transmitting the legacy of Wilayah forward—untarnished, unafraid.

As we have seen, his stand against the likes of Muhammad ibn Shahab al-Zuhri, his relentless clarification of Tawheed and Shirk, and his ideological confrontation with the tools of the Umayyad system mark him not as a retreating mystic, but as a visionary warrior of truth. His battlefield was the intellect, the soul, and the conscience of a broken society.

He taught us that sometimes the Imam must roar without raising his voice, and that chains do not bind those whose hearts are anchored in divine mission.

And now, as the curtain begins to fall on his era, we turn toward the son of the Sajjad, the bearer of deep knowledge, the splitter of divine sciences—Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (peace be upon him). If Sajjad rebuilt the soul of the ummah, Baqir will illuminate its mind.

May God allow us to continue this journey of understanding, and may our hearts be ever open to the teachings of those who carry the Divine Trust.

A Supplication at the Threshold of Chains and Light

In His Name, the Patient Avenger, the One who never forgets a tear shed for His sake

O God, send Your blessings upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad,
the lanterns in the night of tyranny,
the anchors in the storm of sedition,
the inheritors of prophecy, and the witnesses to betrayal.

O God…
This is the son of Husayn, the captive of Karbala,
the chain-bound Imam whose voice reached beyond iron and fear.
This is the one who spoke when others wept,
who prayed when others despaired,
who taught when others were silent.

O Lord of Sajjad…
He was the orphaned son of a slaughtered father.
He stood alone in the courts of falsehood, with no sword in his hand—
but with the truth blazing from his tongue, and the light of Wilayah veiled in his supplication.

O God…
We bear witness—
That he did not bow to the thrones of gold.
That he did not trade Your truth for their coins.
That he did not conceal Your message beneath their robes.

We bear witness—
That in every sigh he uttered, the fire of Karbala lived on.
That in every supplication, the soul of Husayn marched again.

He recited Your Names in the depth of the night,
while the world slept intoxicated by the false caliphs’ flattery.
He taught us that tears can be a sword,
that remembrance can be a revolution,
that patience is not passivity—
but the strongest blow against the idols of power.

O God…
We ask You by the sanctity of his sujood,
by the bleeding of his feet upon the prayer mat,
by the dignity he carried even when shackled—
to include us among those who love him, follow him, and uphold his mission.

Do not allow us to betray him with our forgetfulness.
Do not allow us to claim loyalty while living in hypocrisy.
Do not allow our tongues to recite what our limbs fail to embody.

And O God—
As he yearned for the justice that never came in his time,
as he planted the seeds for a future not his to witness,
as he wrote for generations yet unborn—

We are those generations.

So by his right, by his chains, by his supplications…

O God, hasten the return of the awaited son of Fatimah.
O God, raise the banner of justice over this broken world.
O God, send the voice that silences oppression, the light that consumes darkness, the face that is veiled for our sins.

Let us not die before we see him.
Let us not live unless we prepare for him.
And if we are not worthy to stand beside him—
Then make us worthy through Your mercy.
Write us among his lovers, his servants, his defenders,
those who rise when others sleep,
who sacrifice when others hesitate,
who cry out when others remain silent.

O God…
By the pain of Zaynab,
By the tears of Sajjad,
By the blood of Husayn,
Make us true soldiers of al-Mahdi.

And shower Your peace upon our Master, the chained Imam who never gave up hope.

“And those who did wrong shall know what their end shall be.”

Amen, O Lord of the worlds.
Amen, O Most Merciful of the Merciful

And from Him alone is all ability and He has authority over all things.

1. Allamah Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi (1037 AH / 1627 CE - 1110 or 1111 AH / 1698 or 1699 CE), a highly influential Shia scholar of the Safavid era, is best known for compiling Bihar al-Anwar, a monumental encyclopedia of Shia hadeeth, history, and theology that remains a crucial resource for Shia scholarship; he served as Shaykh al-Islam, promoting Shia Islam and translating Arabic texts into Persian, thereby strengthening Shia identity, though his views and actions, particularly regarding Sufism, have been subject to debate.

2. Bihar al-Anwar (Seas of Light) is a comprehensive collection of hadeeths (sayings and traditions of Prophet Muhammad and the Imams) compiled by the prominent Shia scholar Allamah Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi.

This extensive work covers a wide range of topics, including theology, ethics, jurisprudence, history, and Quranic exegesis, aiming to provide a complete reference for Shia Muslims.

Allamah Majlisi began compiling the Bihar al-Anwar in 1070 AH (1659-1660 CE) and completed it in 1106 AH (1694-1695 CE), drawing from numerous sources and serving as a significant contribution to Shia Islamic scholarship.

3. Shaykh al-Kulayni (c. 864–941 CE / 250–329 AH), whose full name is Abu Jaʿfar Muhammad ibn Yaqub al-Kulayni al-Razi, was a leading Shia scholar and the compiler of al-Kafi, the most important and comprehensive hadeeth collection in Shia Islam.

Born near Rey in Iran around 864 CE (250 AH), he lived during the Minor Occultation of the twelfth Imam (874–941 CE / 260–329 AH) and is believed to have had contact with the Imam’s deputies.

Shaykh Al-Kulayni traveled extensively to collect authentic narrations, eventually settling in Baghdad, a major center of Islamic scholarship.

His work, al-Kafi, contains over 16,000 traditions and is divided into sections on theology, law, and miscellaneous topics, forming one of the "Four Books" central to Shia hadeeth literature.

Renowned for his meticulous scholarship and piety, Shaykh al-Kulayni’s legacy remains foundational in Shia studies, and he is buried in Baghdad, where he died in 941 CE (329 AH).

4. Al-Kafi is a prominent Shia hadeeth collection compiled by Shaykh al-Kulayni (see Note 1) in the first half of the 10th century CE (early 4th century AH, approximately 300–329 AH / 912–941 CE). It is divided into three sections:

• Usul al-Kafi (theology, ethics),

• Furu' al-Kafi (legal issues), and

• Rawdat al-Kafi (miscellaneous traditions)

Containing between 15,000 and 16,199 narrations and is considered one of the most important of the Four Books of Shia Islam

5. Tuhaf al-Uqul (Arabic: تحف العقول, "The Masterpieces of the Mind") is a well-known collection of ethical, spiritual, and wisdom-filled sayings, sermons, and letters attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, the Twelve Imams, and other key figures in early Islam. The book was compiled by the Shia scholar Ibn Shu’ba al-Harrani (Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Shu’ba al-Harrani), who lived in the 4th century AH (10th century CE). Tuhaf al-Uqul is especially valued for its focus on moral guidance, practical advice, and spiritual teachings, and it is notable for including many narrations not found in other major hadeeth collections. The compiler, Ibn Shu’ba al-Harrani, is respected for his careful selection and arrangement of these narrations, making the book a significant resource for students of Islamic ethics and Shia tradition.

6. Al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Shu'ba al-Harrani al-Halabi, likely from Harran and/or Aleppo in 10th-century Syria, is known as the author of Tuhaf al-Uqul 'an Al al-Rasul, a revered Shia collection of concise and eloquent sayings and sermons attributed to the Prophet Muhammad and the Twelve Imams, covering diverse ethical, moral, and theological topics, though precise biographical details about al-Harrani and the reliability of all narrations remain subjects of scholarly consideration.

7. See Note 5.

8. See Note 2.

9. Sahifa al-Sajjadiyyah, also known as Zabur Al Muhammad ("The Psalms of Islam"), is a collection of prayers and supplications attributed to Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-Abedeen (38 AH – 94/95 AH / c. 658 CE – c. 713/714 CE), the great-grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and the fourth Imam of the Muslims.

It is highly revered in Shia Islam for its eloquent language, profound spiritual insights, and comprehensive themes encompassing a wide range of human experiences and theological concepts.

The Sahifa is considered one of the most authentic and reliable sources within Shia Islam, and is generally regarded as even more authentic than Nahjul Balagha.

This is because Sahifa al-Sajjadiyyah has well-established, multiple, and reliable chains of narration (isnaad), with two distinct and meticulously documented lines of transmission:

One through Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, the fifth Imam of the Muslims, and the other through Imam Zayd ibn Ali.

These independent chains provide strong corroborative evidence for the text's authenticity, demonstrating that it was widely disseminated and accepted within the early Shia community.

In contrast, Nahjul Balagha, though highly esteemed for its eloquence and content, was compiled by Sharif al-Radi in the 4th/10th century and often lacks complete chains of transmission for its sermons, letters, and sayings, making its authentication more challenging from a hadeeth sciences perspective.

The prayers in Sahifa al-Sajjadiyyah cover diverse topics, including praise of God, supplication for forgiveness, blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad and his family, seeking guidance, expressing gratitude, and reflecting on moral and ethical principles.

The book provides guidance on how to communicate with God, seek His mercy, and live a virtuous life. It is widely studied, recited, and used as a source of inspiration and spiritual guidance by Shia Muslims around the world.

10. See Note 9.

11. See Note 6.

12. See Note 5.

13. See Note 1.

14. See Note 2.

15. See Note 3.

16. See Note 4.

17. The doctrine of Bada’ (بداء), meaning "to become apparent," is a key theological concept in Shia Islam. It affirms that while God possesses complete and perfect knowledge, He may alter conditional decrees based on human actions, prayers, and repentance. This does not imply any lack of knowledge on God's part, but rather reflects His divine power and wisdom to adjust His plans in response to the choices of His creation.

Bada’ emphasizes that certain divine decrees are not fixed but are contingent upon specific conditions being met. By encouraging good deeds and sincere supplication, the concept of Bada’ provides hope and motivates believers to actively seek God's grace and guidance. It underscores God's sovereignty while affirming human agency within the framework of His divine plan, striking a balance between determinism and free will.

This doctrine should not be misconstrued as suggesting ignorance or contradiction on God's part, but rather as an affirmation of His absolute power and mercy.

18. See Note 1.

19. See Note 2.

20. See Note 9.

21. See Note 9.

22. See Note 6.

23. See Note 5.

24. This is the full Arabic and English text of the letter of Imam Sajjad to Muhammad ibn Shahaab al-Zuhri:

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

أما بعد، فإني أخاف عليك من أن تكون قد غرّتْك الدنيا، وأصبحتَ بزينتها وزخرفها، وممن قد أعجبك حسن حاله، فركنت إلى ما ركنت إليه، وأحببت ما أحببت، وأصبحت من أهل العلم، فاحذر أن تكون ممن قال الله فيهم:

فخلف من بعدهم خلف ورثوا الكتاب يأخذون عرض هذا الأدنى ويقولون سيغفر لنا وإن يأتهم عرض مثله يأخذوه

وإنما ذلك لأنك أخذت ما ليس لك، ولم تؤدّ ما عليك، وتحب أن تحمد بما لم تفعل، فاحذر أن تكون ممن قال الله فيه:

ولا تركنوا إلى الذين ظلموا فتمسكم النار

إنك قد أُخذتَ ببدنك، وجُعلتَ في حبسك، فاحذر أن تكون ممن قال الله فيه:

ألم تر إلى الذين أوتوا نصيباً من الكتاب يشترون الضلالة ويريدون أن تضلوا السبيل

واعلم أنه لا يغني عنك من الله شيئاً من أمرهم، وإنك إنما تُؤخذ بذنوبك، وإنك إنما تُبعث وحدك، وتسأل وحدك، فإن استطعت أن لا تكون عوناً للظالمين، ولا ساعياً لهم، فافعل، فإن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله قال:

«من مشى مع ظالم ليعينه وهو يعلم أنه ظالم فقد خرج من الإسلام»

واعلم أن أدنى ما كتمت وأخف ما احتملت أن آنست وحشة الظالم، وسهلت له طريق الغي بدنوك منه حين دنوت، وإجابتك له حين دعيت، فما أقل ما أعطوك في مقابل ما أخذوا منك، وما أيسر ما عمروا لك في مقابل ما خربوا عليك، فانظر لنفسك، فإنه لا ينظر لها غيرك، وحاسبها حساب رجل مسؤول.

والسلام

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

After this, I fear for you that the world has deceived you, and you have become enamoured with its adornments and its embellishments, and with those whose good fortune has impressed you.

You have inclined to what they have inclined to, and loved what they have loved, and you have become one of the people of knowledge.

So beware lest you be among those about whom God has said:

“But after them there followed a posterity who inherited the Book: they choose (for themselves) the vanities of this world, saying (for excuse): ‘(Everything) will be forgiven us.’ And if similar vanities came their way, they would (again) seize them.”
— Quran, Surah al-A’raaf (the Chapter of the Heights) #7 Verse #169

This is because you have taken what is not yours, and you have not fulfilled what is upon you, and you love to be praised for what you have not done. So beware lest you be among those about whom God has said:

“And do not incline to those who do wrong, lest the fire should touch you.”
— Quran, Surah Hud (the Chapter of Prophet Hud) #11, Verse #113

You have been seized with your body and placed in your prison, so beware lest you be among those about whom God has said:

“Have you not seen those who have been given a portion of the Book? They buy error, and wish that you should lose the way.”
— Quran, Surah al-Nisa (the Chapter of the Women) #4, Verse 44

And know that nothing of their affairs will avail you before God, and you will only be taken to account for your own sins, and you will be resurrected alone and questioned alone.

So if you are able not to be an assistant to the oppressors, nor a helper to them, then do so.

For the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said:

“Whoever walks with a tyrant to assist him, knowing that he is a tyrant, has indeed left Islam.”

And know that the least of what you have concealed and the lightest of what you have borne is that you have comforted the oppressor in his loneliness, and made easy for him the path of error by your nearness to him when you drew near, and your response to him when you were called.

How little is what they have given you in comparison to what they have taken from you, and how insignificant is what they have built for you compared to what they have destroyed of you.

So look to your own soul, for no one will look after it but you, and take account of it as a man who is responsible.

And peace.

— Al-Harrani, Tuhaf al-Uqul, Section on “The Letter/Advice of Imam Zayn al-Abedeen (peace be upon him) to Muhammad ibn Muslim al-Zuhri”

25. See Note 5.

26. See Note 9.

27. See Note 9.

28. See Note 5.

29. See Note 1.

30. See Note 2.

31. See Note 1.

32. See Note 2.

33. See Note 3.

34. See Note 4.

35. This statement is a paraphrase reflecting the rational arguments frequently employed by Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq in discussions about the existence and attributes of God. While the exact wording is not found verbatim in primary sources, the themes of creation, growth, change, and healing as signs of divine power are central to his teachings. For example, in Al-Ihtijaj, Imam al-Sadiq challenges skeptics like Ibn Abi al-Awja with questions about the origin of creation and the nature of existence, prompting them to recognise the power and wisdom of the Creator (al-Tabarsi, Al-Ihtijaj, vol. 2, p. 74). Similarly, Bihar al-Anwar records Imam al-Sadiq using arguments from the natural world to demonstrate God’s existence and oneness (Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 10, p. 208). Some secondary sources cite Majmu‘at al-Rasa’il (v.1, p.565) for similar content; however, this title is generic and has been used for various collections by different authors, so the precise reference may be ambiguous without further bibliographic details.

36. See Note 5.

37. See Note 6.

38. See Note 5.

39. See Note 6.

40. See Note 5.

41. See Note 6.

42. See Note 5.

43. See Note 6.

44. See Note 5.

45. See Note 6.

46. See Note 5.

47. See Note 6.

48. See Note 5.

49. This is paraphrased from the more detailed entry in Risalat al-Huquq of Imam Sajjad:

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ سَائِسِكَ بِالإِمَامَةِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أَنَّهُ قَائِمٌ مَقَامَ اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى، وَيَرْعَاكَ، وَيُدَبِّرُ مَا أَقَامَهُ اللَّهُ فِيهِ مِنْ أَمْرِكَ، وَيَجِبُ أَنْ تُسَلِّمَ لَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ، وَلاَ تُخَالِفَهُ، وَتَعْلَمَ أَنَّهُ حُجَّةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكَ، وَأَنَّكَ مَعْرُوضٌ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ بِمَا تَكُونُ فِيهِ مِنْ طَاعَتِهِ وَمَعْصِيَتِهِ، وَأَنَّهُ لاَ يَنْفَعُكَ قَدْرُ مَا تَجِدُ إِلاَّ بِحُجَّةِ اللَّهِ وَوَفَاقِهِ، وَأَنَّهُ قَائِمٌ مَقَامَ اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى، وَيَرْعَاكَ، وَيُدَبِّرُ مَا أَقَامَهُ اللَّهُ فِيهِ مِنْ أَمْرِكَ.

The right of the one who leads you (by authority of Imamate) is that you should know he is set up by God as your guide, and that he is responsible for you, and that God has tried you through him and tested you through his authority. You should sincerely submit to him in what is right, and you should not quarrel with him, and you should know that he is the proof of God against you, and you are responsible to God for what you do in obedience to him or disobedience. You should help him in what is right, and you should not oppose him, for he is the pillar of your religion, and it is through him that God protects you.

— Risalat al-Huquq

50. The Risalat al-Huquq (The Treatise of Rights) of Imam Zayn al-Abedeen stands as a profound testament to the ethical and moral framework of Shia Islam. Penned by the Imam, this seminal work meticulously outlines a comprehensive system of rights and obligations, serving as a guide for believers seeking to navigate their relationships with God, themselves, and the wider community. It illuminates the intricate web of responsibilities incumbent upon every Shia, from the rights of the Creator to the rights of one's own body, family, leaders, and even those outside the faith. By delving into the Risalat al-Huquq, we, as Shia Muslims, are reminded of the profound importance of upholding justice, compassion, and righteousness in all aspects of our lives, thereby drawing closer to God and embodying the true spirit of the Ahl al-Bayt.

51. See Note 9.

52. See Note 9.

53. Quoting from Imam Khamenei, al-Ma’aref Islamic Knowledge Foundation:

يقف الإمام السجّاد عليه السلام ويقول مخاطباً الناس 'ألا حرّ يدع هذه اللمّاظة لأهلها..

Imam al-Sajjad (peace be upon him) stood and addressed the people, saying: 'Is there no free man who will leave this scrap (of the world) to its people?'

— Imam Khamenei on the Objectives of Imam Sajjad’s Movement

54. It should be clarified here that we are not referring to his earlier open defiance against Yazid in the aftermath of Karbala, which belongs to a different category of resistance and has already been discussed.

55. See Note 6.

56. See Note 5.

57. See Note 1.

58. See Note 1.

59. See Note 2.

60. See Note 1.

61. See Note 2.

62. See Note 1.

63. See Note 2.

64. Abu Mansur Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Abī Ṭālib al-Tabarsi was a Shia scholar who lived around the 6th century AH (12th century CE). He is best known as the author of Al-Ihtijaaj, a significant collection of debates and arguments involving the Prophet Muhammad and the Imams.

It is important to distinguish him from the more famous al-Tabarsi, the author of the Majma al-Bayaan commentary on the Quran, as they are two different scholars from the same family.

Details about his life are scarce, but his work Al-Ihtijaaj indicates that he was deeply invested in documenting and preserving the intellectual and theological heritage of Shia Islam. His book remains a valuable resource for understanding Shia beliefs and the historical context of early Islamic debates.

65. Al-Ihtijaaj, authored by al-Tabarsi, is a prominent Shia Islamic book that serves as a compilation of debates, dialogues, and arguments featuring the Prophet Muhammad and the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt.

Titled "The Argument Against the People of Disputation," it meticulously documents theological and doctrinal discussions, many of which are unique to this text. This collection includes both public debates and private correspondences, offering valuable insights into the intellectual defence of the Imamate and the historical context of early Islamic debates.

Notably, Al-Ihtijaaj is also recognised for containing the text of Ziyarat Aal-e-Yaseen, attributed to Imam al-Mahdi, further solidifying its significance in Shia scholarship.

66. Abu Firas Hammam ibn Ghalib ibn Sa'sa'a al-Tamimi, known as al-Farazdaq (أبو فراس همام بن غالب بن صعصعة التميمي), was born circa 641 AD (38 AH) in Basra. He was a prominent and highly regarded Arab poet of the Umayyad period, belonging to the influential Banu Tamim tribe. Al-Farazdaq was celebrated for his mastery of classical Arabic poetry, particularly his fakhr (boasting) and naqa'id (invective) styles. He engaged in famous poetic rivalries, most notably with the poet Jarir ibn Atiyah. Al-Farazdaq is especially remembered and respected within Shia tradition for his eloquent and courageous poem composed in praise of Imam Zayn al-Abedeen. This poem, recited during Hajj in the presence of the Umayyad Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, eloquently highlighted the virtues, piety, and noble lineage of the Imam, capturing the deep respect he commanded. Al-Farazdaq's poem remains a powerful testament to the Imam's spiritual authority and continues to be admired for its literary merit and the poet's recognition of the Imam's esteemed position. He passed away around 728 AD (110 AH), leaving a lasting legacy in Arabic literature.

67. The term "Batha" (البطحاء) in Farazdaq's renowned poem refers to a wide, open valley near Makkah, characterised by its gravelly terrain. Historically, it served as a gathering place and a site of significance for the Makkan people. In the context of the poem, Farazdaq's invocation of Batha is deeply symbolic. It signifies that Imam Zayn al-Abedeen was so well-known and respected that even the very ground of Makkah recognised his footsteps. This highlights the Imam's constant presence, virtuous actions, and widespread influence among the community, contrasting sharply with the anonymity of the Umayyad Caliph Hisham. Furthermore, Batha's proximity to the Ka’bah connects the Imam to the sacred traditions and values of Islam, emphasising his embodiment of the faith's highest principles. Thus, "Batha" serves as a powerful testament to the Imam's esteemed status and the profound respect he commanded, a recognition that permeated even the physical landscape of Makkah.

68. See Note 1.

69. See Note 2.

70. Imam Khamenei, Insan-e 250 Saleh. This work compiles Imam Khamenei’s lectures framing the lives of the Twelve Imams as a continuous 250-year struggle (11–260 AH) against political and ideological corruption. The chapter on Imam Zayn al-Abedeen emphasises his companions’ resistance to Umayyad rule, including symbolic disavowals (e.g., Yahya ibn Umm Salamah al-Tawil’s reported declaration).

71. See Note 1.

72. See Note 2.

73. See Note 1.

74. See Note 2.

75. See Note 1.

76. See Note 2.

77. See Note 1.

78. See Note 2.

79. See Note 1.

80. See Note 2.