Imam Al-Hadi

By: Seyyed Ali Shahbaz “There are places of certitude where Allah likes the servants to supplicate to Him. One of these is the tomb of the Chief of Martyrs (Imam) Husain (AS).” The above statement on the significance of the place of martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad’s (SAWA) grandson, who was killed in the most brutal manner in the state of acute thirst, is a sincere tribute from a worthy descendent, who himself was martyred this day and in whose lifetime the holy shrine of the Martyr of Karbala was desecrated in 236 AH – 175 years after the heartrending Tragedy of Ashura. The Prophet’s 10th Infallible Heir needs no introduction. Named Ali (AS) in honour of the One and Only Commander of Faithful, he carried the same ‘kunya’ (agnomen) “Abu’l-Hasan”, and strove to enlighten the ummah with the genuine teachings of Islam in those days of Abbasid tyranny. If his impeccable purity of character brought him the epithet “an-Naqi”, his other famous epithet “al-Hadi” is proof of the fact that he was the divinely-decreed Guide of his age. Like his father, Imam Muhammad at-Taqi al-Jawad (AS), he was also a boy of 8 years when the divine trust of imamate came to rest on his tender shoulders in 220 AH. In the next 34 years, in the manner of Jesus (AS) – who was entrusted with prophethood while still an infant in the cradle, as the holy Qur’an says in Surah Maryam – he endured all sorts of hardships, including house arrest and imprisonment, to make the message of Islam triumph over deviated ideologies. This is testimony to the virtue of the Tenth Imam’s mother as well – the spotlessly pure Sumana al-Maghrebiyya. It is confirmation of the famous narration that the Prophets and the Infallible Imams are the offspring of the most virtuous parents of their age. Born in 212 AH in Medina and martyred through poisoning in 254 AH in Samarra, Iraq, in the prime of manhood at the age of 42 years, Imam Hadi (AS) was known in official circles as “Ibn ar-Reza”, since the awe of his grandfather, Imam Reza (AS), was still fresh amongst the Abbasid usurpers. On his authority, the “ziyaraat” or the standard form of salutations to the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), and to the Martyr of Karbala, Imam Husain (AS), has been recorded. The most famous salutation, however, taught by him is the “Ziyarat al-Jame’at-al-Kabira”, which, as suggested by its title, is a comprehensive form of greeting for the Infallible Imams, mentioning in the most eloquent terms their unrivalled merits and their prime position in the Sight of God Almighty. It has been hailed as food for thought for the seekers of truth and those in rational quest of Islam. It sheds light on many of the mysteries and wonders of creation. Although for several years, the Tenth Imam was not harassed by the Abbasid caliphs, such as his father’s assassin, Mu’tasim, who was preoccupied with wars with the Byzantines, and the latter’s son and successor, Watheq, who was immersed in pleasures, the accession of the tyrant, Mutawakkel, changed the situation. Son of a Greek concubine of Mu’tasim, among his first acts as ruler was to destroy the shrine of Imam Husain (AS) in 236 AH, and order the site to be flooded. To his utter astonishment, however, the waters miraculously did not touch the grave of the Martyr of Karbala. He levied heavy taxes on pilgrims to Karbala, and when this failed to deter them, he ordered the cutting of limbs of the pilgrims. With an aggrieved heart, Imam Hadi (AS) endured this fresh tragedy against his ancestor, Imam Husain (AS). He advised the devotees of the Ahl al-Bayt against risking their life, and to visit other shrines such as those of his venerable disciple and distant cousin, Seyyed Abdul-Azim al-Hassani in Rayy (near modern Tehran). Nonetheless, he continued to highlight the lofty status in the Sight of God, of the Immortal Martyr of Karbala. Mutawakkel, fearful of the popularity of Imam Hadi (AS) among the people, who were flocking to Medina from far flung places to learn Islamic sciences, forced Imam Ali Naqi (AS) to come to his capital Samarra, where the Prophet’s Righteous Successor was kept under close surveillance. With his stratagems to humiliate or martyr the Tenth Imam coming to naught, Mutawakkel was killed by his own powerful Turkic guards. In the next seven years, the Turkic guards raised and removed from power several caliphs. Among these was Mu’taz, an enemy of God who in a cowardly manner laced the food of the Imam. Imam Hadi’s (AS) achieved martyrdom and joined his illustrious ancestors in heaven, including Imam Husain (AS), the Chief of Martyrs, leaving behind his son and successor, Imam Hasan al-Askari (AS) to take charge of the divine trust of imamate before entrusting it to his own son, the Saviour of mankind, Imam Mahdi (AS), who will rise to avenge the blood of the Martyr of Karbala. As for the assassin, Mu’taz, soon the Turkic guards most humiliatingly beat and kicked him to death after exposing him to the torrid sun, and throwing away his corpse. Today, there are no signs of the graves of the Abbasid caliphs, let alone their palaces, while it is the Grand Shrine of Samarra which, despite being the target of dastardly terrorists, continues to attract pilgrims from all over the world.