Sufyan ibn Nazaar narrates:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once when we were in the presence of\nMa\u2019moon, he asked us: \u201cDo you know whom I learned the Shia faith from?\u201d Everyone said they do not know. Ma\u2019moon then continued, \u201cI learned it from my\nfather Haroon al-Rashid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We asked: \u201cHow is that possible, when\nHaroon would actually kill this group?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ma\u2019moon replied: \u201cHe would kill them\nsolely for the purpose of power and kingship, so he would not lose his\nposition. However, it was in one of his\ntrips to Hajj in that I came to this realization. When we reached the city of Medina, he went\nwithin his tent and said, \u2018Do not allow anyone from any tribe to enter this\ntent until they have stated their lineage.\u2019 \nThus, people began approaching and introducing themselves. They would list their lineage until they\nreached their ancestor who was either from Quraysh, Muhajir, Ansar, or Bani\nHashim. Then Haroon would reward each one 200 to 5000 Dinars depending on that\nperson\u2019s lineage.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In one of these days, a man whose name\nwas of Fazl ibn Rabi\u2019 entered and said, \u2018A man is approaching who introduces\nhimself as Moosa ibn Ja\u2019far (PBUH) whose lineage reaches Ali ibn Abi Talib\n(PBUH).\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was standing in the tent with Amin,\nMu\u2019tamin, and other nobles. Haroon approached us and said, \u2018Watch your manners\nand behave\u2019. He then allowed Imam Moosa\nibn Ja\u2019far (PBUH) to enter, and said he would take the Imam to his place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A weak old man approached; his acts of\nworship had weakened him to the extent that he looked merely like a dry\nskin. His forehead was slightly indented\nfrom all the prostrations he had made. \nWhen the man saw Haroon al-Rashid, he wanted to climb down from his\ndonkey. Haroon however, shouted and told him not to get down from his\nride. He asked for the old man to come\ntowards his place while he was on his ride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The old man pushed the\ncurtain aside, and we looked at him with the utmost respect. He climbed down from his ride, and even\nthough the nobles were all around him, Haroon al-Rashid went toward him,\ngreeted him warmly, and told him to sit in an important seat that was next to\nHaroon\u2019s seat. Then he began talking to the old man very politely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Imam turned to Haroon and said,\n\u2018Allah (SWT) has made it obligatory upon the rulers to help provide the means\nof livelihood for the poor, pay the debt of those who cannot pay their debt,\nclothes those who do not have suitable clothes, and do good to the\ncaptives. It is better that you too, do\nthese same things.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Haroon said, \u2018We do these same things\nO father of Hassan.\u2019 Then the Imam rose\nto leave. Haroon rose as well, kissed the Imam, and turned to us, \u2018Abdullah,\nMuhammad, and Ibrahim, accompany your cousin and leader. Hold his ride so he\ncan climb on his mount, and escort him to his home.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the way to the Imam\u2019s home, the\nImam turned to me and quietly gave me glad tidings of my coming to power. He\nthen told me to be kind to his son, once I had become the ruler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was the most courageous from amongst\nmy father\u2019s sons. When my father was left alone, I said, \u2018O leader of the\nfaithful, who was this man whom you respected so much, seated him in such an\nimportant place next to you, and told us to hold his ride for him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Haroon replied, \u2018This man is the Imam\nof the people, the representative of Allah on earth, and the Caliph of Allah\namongst the people.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I said, \u2018O leader of the faithful,\ndon\u2019t you have the same qualities as this man?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Haroon answered, \u2018I am the Imam of the\npeople, but only on the surface. I reached this position through force and\nviolence. Moosa ibn Ja\u2019far however, is the true Imam. By Allah, he is most\nworthy of all, even me, to the position of Prophet Muhammad. By Allah if you\nquarrel with me in this issue, I will take away your life, and my reign will\nremain barren.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Haroon wanted to leave Medina and\ngo towards Mecca, he ordered Fazl ibn Rabi\u2019 to give 200 Dinars to Moosa ibn\nJa\u2019far (PBUH) and say, \u2018the leader of the faithful has said that at this time\nwe do not have more to give, hopefully next time we will do more good to you.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I said, \u2018O leader of the faithful, you\ngave more than 5000 Dinars to the sons of Muhajir, Ansar, Quraysh, Bani Hashim,\nand even to those whom you did not know. \nWhy did you give Moosa ibn Ja\u2019far (PBUH) so little, when you respected\nhim more than everyone else?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Haroon said, \u2018Keep quiet. If I give this large amount of money to Moosa\nibn Ja\u2019far, there is no guarantee that he will not rise against me with 100,000\nswords of his friends and followers. The\npoverty of him and his family will keep us safer\u2026.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Reference: Uyoon Akhbar al-Reza, vol. 1, book 7, page 88)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On behalf of the Roshd website, we\ncongratulate all Muslims, especially you dear friend, on the 7th of Safar,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the anniversary of the birth of the\nparadigm of patience and gentleness, and the seventh leader of salvation and\nfelicity:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imam Moosa ibn-Jafar al-Kadhim (PBUH)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sufyan ibn Nazaar narrates: Once when we were in the presence of Ma\u2019moon, he asked us: \u201cDo you know whom I learned the Shia faith from?\u201d Everyone said they do not know. Ma\u2019moon then continued, \u201cI learned it from my father Haroon al-Rashid. We asked: \u201cHow is that possible, when Haroon would actually kill this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28248],"tags":[21840,21839,18591,21843,21824,21842,18418,21841,17873],"class_list":["post-4450","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-occasional-letters","tag-2005-03-18","tag-and-the-enemy-professes","tag-father","tag-haroon","tag-imam-musa-ibn-jafar","tag-mamoon","tag-occasion-letters","tag-presence","tag-shia"],"yoast_head":"\n