Nowadays, most historians study the\nlives of the Ahl al-Bayt (PBUT) merely from the confined aspect of their\npersonal lives, and even out of the context of their time. On the other hand,\nsome others study the lives of the Ahl al-Bayt (PBUT) from the political point\nof view, and evaluate their role in that regard. In fact, they even see the\nworship and the knowledge of the Ahl al-Bayt (PBUT) through the glass of\npolitics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is a compromise between these\ntwo methods in which the lives of the Ahl al-Bayt (PBUT) is considered full of\npersonal illuminations that transcend the borders of place and time, and deems\nthem politically vast, compatible to the specific situation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although the majority of the Imams\n(PBUT) were not political rulers, all the kings and governors used to take\nrefuge in them in all their difficulties, despite their continuous animosity\ntowards the Imams (PBUT). Indeed, the Imams (PBUT) did not hesitate to serve\nIslam and rescue the nation from making mistakes. History has narrated us a\ngood example of this issue in the case of Abdul Malik, the Umayyad caliph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After Abdul Malik became the king, he\nwas disturbed with the fact that the Romans used to depict the Father, the Son,\nand the Holy Spirit on paper. Therefore, he ordered the governor of Egypt to\nreplace these depictions with the chapter of Tahwid (the 112th chapter of the\nHoly Quran)(1), and the 18th verse of its third chapter (2). When the Roman\nking became aware of the news, he wrote to Abdul Malik,\u201d Making paper and what\nis depicted on it is the expertise of the Romans\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Abdul Malik read the letter, he\ndid not respond to it, and even returned the gift the Roman king had sent with\nthe letter. The very same incident was repeated several times, but Abdul Malik\nkept refusing the gift, even though the Roman king increased the gift every\ntime. Eventually, the Roman king wrote to Abdul Malik,\u201d Reverse the depictions\non the papers to as it was, or I will order that your Prophet be insulted on\nthe coins\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Abdul Malik read the letter, he\nbecame extremely angry, and since he did not come to a conclusion after\ndiscussing the issue with the Muslims around him, he asked for Imam Baqir (PBUH).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Imam Baqir (PBUH) met Abdul\nMalik, he narrated the incident to the Imam (PBUH). Imam Baqir (PBUH) said to\nhim,\u201d Do not overreact to this issue, because it is simple for two reasons:\nFirst, the Almighty Allah (SWT) will not let the Roman king execute his threat\nof insulting the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP). Second, there is a solution\nto this problem\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Abdul Malik asked,\u201d What is the\nsolution?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imam Baqir (PBUH) replied,\u201d Call upon\nthe artisans immediately and ask them to mint gold and silver coins with the\n112th chapter of the Holy Quran on one side and the name of the Messenger of\nAllah (PBUH&HP) on the other. Also, engrave the city and the date the coins\nwere produced on their sides\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then, Imam Baqir (PBUH) taught Abdul\nMalik the details of designing the weight of the coins, minting them, and\nweighing gold and silver coins, and ordered him to provide all the Muslims\nthroughout the country with the new minted coins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Abdul Malik followed the order of Imam\nBaqir (PBUH), and sent a message to the Roman king saying that \u201cAllah (SWT)\nprevented you from doing what you intended; I did such and such in the Islamic\nnation, and your coins are valueless now\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this, some of the Romans told\ntheir king,\u201d In this situation, you have to execute your threat\u201d. The Roman\nking replied,\u201d I sent him those letters to make him angry; because I was more\npowerful, and the Roman coins were common. However, I can not overpower him\nnow; because the Muslims do not trade with Roman coins, and it is not possible\nto execute my threat now\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this manner, the suggestion of Imam\nBaqir (PBUH) has remained effective till now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(The above is a\nselection taken from \u201cThe life of Imam Baqir (PBUH)\u201d, by Ayatullah Sayyid\nMuhammad Taqi Mudarrisi (with some changes))<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Roshd Website offers condolences\nto all the Muslims, especially you dear friend, upon the 7th of Dhi al-Hijjah,\nthe anniversary of martyrdom of heir of the Divine knowledge and the knower of\nthe realities of the creation, Imam Muhammad ibn Ali al-Baqir (PBUH).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Footnote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. \u201cSay (O\nMuhammad): He is Allah, (the) One – Allah-us-Samad (The Self-Sufficient Master,\nWhom all creatures need) – He begets not, nor was He begotten – And there is\nnone co-equal or comparable unto Him.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. \u201cAllah bears\nwitness that none has the right to be worshipped but He.\u201d (The Holy Quran, 3:18)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Nowadays, most historians study the lives of the Ahl al-Bayt (PBUT) merely from the confined aspect of their personal lives, and even out of the context of their time. On the other hand, some others study the lives of the Ahl al-Bayt (PBUT) from the political point of view, and evaluate their role in that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28248],"tags":[21430,20937,18952,17964,18418,21432,21433,21429,21431,20572,19695],"class_list":["post-4387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-occasional-letters","tag-2009-11-25","tag-imam-baqir","tag-king","tag-knowledge","tag-occasion-letters","tag-personal","tag-personal-illuminations","tag-serving-for-islam","tag-study","tag-view","tag-worship"],"yoast_head":"\n