The Shiite Imams faced immense pressure throughout much of their lives, especially under the regimes of their time. Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him) was moved from Medina to Samarra during his youth, along with his father, Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him), due to the pressure from the Abbasid Caliphate. They were confined to a military compound (the ‘Askar’), under strict surveillance by the Caliphate. Imam al-Askari’s period of leadership lasted for six years after the martyrdom of his father, Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him). During these six years, Imam al-Askari spent three years in prison and was under heavy surveillance for the remaining three years. For instance, Imam was required to appear at the Abbasid court every Monday and Thursday for these meetings.
Abu Hashim al-Ja’fari was from the descendants of Ja’far al-Tayyar, a prominent and influential Shiite figure from Baghdad. He was a close companion of Imam al-Jawad, Imam al-Hadi, and Imam al-Askari (peace be upon them), holding high status and respect among them.] recounts: “We were a group in prison when Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him) and his brother Ja’far were brought in. We rushed to him to greet him and gathered around him. There was a man in the prison claiming to be from the Alawi family (descendants of Ali ibn Abi Talib). Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him) noticed his presence and said, ‘If there were no one here among you who doesn’t belong to you, I would have asked when you would be freed.’ He then pointed to the man and told him to leave, which he did. Imam continued, ‘This man is not one of you. Beware of him. He has prepared a report on what you have been saying for the Caliph, and it is now among his clothes.’ One of the people present searched him and discovered the report hidden among his garments. The man had written dangerous and significant things about us.”
Another narrator reports: “One day, I was sitting in the street leading to the market when suddenly I saw Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him) walking toward the city gate. I thought to myself that it would be good to shout out: ‘People! This is the Proof of God, recognize him!’ But then I realized they would kill me for it! When Imam reached me and I looked at him, he put his index finger to his mouth and signaled for silence. I quickly went forward and kissed his feet. He said, ‘Be careful! If you reveal the true position of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), you will be destroyed!’ Later that night, I went to see Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him) and he said, ‘You must keep the secret, otherwise you will be killed. Do not put yourself in danger.’”
Despite all the hardships and pressures, Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him) took significant and influential steps to preserve and continue the Shi’a faith. He strongly encouraged his companions to write books, and the result of this effort led to 118 hadith books being reported.
Another of Imam al-Askari’s (peace be upon him) actions was the writing of letters to the Shi’ah. Given the obstacles to meeting with him, Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him) wrote many letters to maintain communication, spread Shi’a teachings, and improve the knowledge and development of Shi’a followers. Sending these letters was accompanied by particular challenges and difficulties.
Dawood ibn Aswad, a servant of Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him), who was responsible for gathering firewood and heating the bathhouse in Imam al-Askari’s home, says: “Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him) told me, ‘Take this piece of wood and deliver it to Uthman ibn Sa’id.’ I took the wood and set off. On the way, I encountered a water carrier whose mule blocked my path. He asked me to move the animal aside. I raised the piece of wood and struck the mule. The wood broke, and when I looked at the broken part, I found a letter hidden inside.”
Despite all these challenges, Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him) sent numerous letters to various regions and cities with significant Shi’a populations, such as Medina, Qum, and Nishapur. Some of these letters have been fully documented. Through this, he solidified the foundations of Shi’ism in different cities.