Today, we often see historians who limit the lives of the infallible Imams (peace be upon them) to the narrow framework of individualism and even separate them from the context of their time. On the opposite side, there are others who evaluate the lives of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) solely through the lens of politics and the role they played in this arena. These individuals even view the worship, knowledge, and ethics of the Imams (peace be upon them) through a political perspective.
In between these two approaches, there is a balanced method that perceives the lives of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) as filled with individual enlightenment that transcends the temporal and spatial boundaries. It also acknowledges the broad political scope that aligns and harmonizes with the historical conditions of their time.
Although most of the Imams (peace be upon them) did not hold political power, rulers and monarchs, despite their constant and fierce opposition to them, would seek refuge with the Imams in times of hardship and crisis. The Imams, on the other hand, never hesitated in serving Islam and saving the Ummah from mistakes. One example of this can be found in the historical incident involving the Umayyad caliph Abdul Malik:
When Abdul Malik came to power, he was displeased with the fact that the Romans depicted the images of father, son, and the Holy Spirit on paper. He ordered the governor of Egypt to replace these images with the verse of Tawhid (the oneness of God) and the noble verse “Shahida Allahu annahu la ilaha illa Hu” (Allah bears witness that there is no god but Him) [1].
When the king of Rome heard about this action, he wrote to Abdul Malik saying, “The craft of paper making and its inscriptions belong to Rome…”
Upon reading the king of Rome’s letter, Abdul Malik did not reply and sent back the gift that had accompanied the letter. This exchange continued several times, until the king of Rome increased the value of the gift several fold, but Abdul Malik still refused. Finally, the king of Rome wrote: “Return the paper to its original design, otherwise, I will order insults against your Prophet to be engraved on your coins.”
When Abdul Malik read this letter, he became very angry, and after consulting with the Muslims and not finding a solution, he ordered that Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) be brought to him.
When Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) arrived, Abdul Malik recounted the situation. Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said to him, “This matter is not too great for you. There are two reasons why this issue is insignificant: First, Allah the Almighty will not allow the king of Rome to carry out his threat against the Prophet (peace be upon him). Second, this matter can be solved.”
Abdul Malik asked, “What is the solution?”
Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) replied, “Call the craftsmen and have them mint Dirhams and Dinars, on one side of which will be the verse of Tawhid, and on the other side, the name of the Prophet (peace be upon him). On the circumference of the coins, write the name of the city and the year they were minted.”
Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) then taught Abdul Malik how to determine the weight of the coins, how to mint them, and how to measure the weight of the Dirham and Dinar. He instructed him to distribute the coins in all Islamic cities for transactions.
Abdul Malik followed the Imam’s orders and sent a message to the king of Rome saying, “Allah the Almighty has prevented you from carrying out your threat against the Messenger of God, and I have done this and that across the country, and I have invalidated the Roman coinage.”
At this point, some of the king’s advisors urged him to follow through with his threats against the Arab king. The Roman king replied, “With the letters I sent him, I intended to anger him because I had power over him, and the Roman coins were in circulation in his land. But now, I have no power over him, for Muslims do not trade with Roman coins, and carrying out those threats is not possible.”
Thus, the suggestion of Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) remains in place to this day.
{Excerpted from the book “The Life of Imam Muhammad Baqir (peace be upon him)” by Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Taqi Modarresi (with slight modifications)}
Footnote:
[1] (Surah Aal-e-Imran, verse 18)