“The world is a kind of a commercial marketplace. Some take profit out of it, and some exit it as losers. And some others, when they leave this world, would be lamenting and regretful for not taking a gain for their afterworld.”
This sentence was as a stimulus for the decision of Umayyad’s ruler, Umar Ibn Abd al-Aziz, to give the Fadak Garden (1) that was usurped by the previous rulers for a long time, back to it true owners.
Hisham Ibn Ma’az narrates:
One day Umar Ibn Abd al-Aziz entered Medinah and ordered his agents to announce publically that anyone who had suffered from the government could refer to him for compensation. At the same time he faced Imam Baqir (PBUH). Imam addressed him as such:
“O, Umar Ibn Abd al-Aziz!
The world is a kind of a commercial marketplace. Some take profit out of it, and some exit it as losers. And some others, when they leave this world, would be lamenting and regretful for not taking a gain for their afterworld.
Contemplate on two issues about yourself:
First, take into account what you like to keep with you in order to be prosperous in the court of God.
Second, be careful about what you don’t like and what you find unpleasant that would make you shameful in the court of God, and will hinder your path on the Serat Bridge. Then replace them with a suitable good (a virtuous action)…
O, Umar Ibn Abd al-Aziz! Open the doors to the people and those who refer to you. O Umar! Solve the problems, and always try to be beside the oppressed and confront the oppressors and offenders.”
Then he added: “The one with the three traits has a full faith.”
The words of Imam (PBUH) were so warm and pleasant that he could not hide his enthusiasm.
Umar Ibn Abd al-Aziz, after hearing these words, sat on his feet and said: “O, son of the Prophet of Allah, tell me the three traits.”
Imam said:
“First is to not to commit a sin when he is happy and contented;
Second is to not forget justice when he is sad or angry.
Third is not to exceed his limits when he reaches to power.” (2)
The words of Imam (PBUH) penetrated into the mind of Umar Ibn Abd al-Aziz to an extent that without considering and following the practice of the previous rulers, he could no longer turn a blind eye to the truth, and ordered his agents to bring him a pen and paper, and returned Fadak, as the right of the Ahl al-Bait (PBUT), to the son of Zahra (PBUH).(3) However, finally, he never accepted the truth fully to return the Caliphate to its true owners, and exited from the world marketplace as a loser…
The Roshd website congratulates the 3rd of Safar, the birthday anniversary of kind Imam, Imam Muhammad ibn Ali al-Baqir (PBUH), to all Muslims and especially you dear friend.
Footnotes:
1. Fadak is a fertile piece of land in Hijaaz that the Great Prophet (PBUH&HP), in his lifetime and by the order of Allah, gave it to Lady Zahra (PBUH) as a gift. Lady Fatimah (PBUH) used to cover the costs of a large number of the poor and needy from the profits of this piece of land. However, after the Great Prophet (PBUH&HP) passed away, the rulers of the time usurped this piece of land without the consent of daughter of the Prophet (PBUH&HP) for the government. The next rulers continued this practice one after another.
2. Al-Khisal, vol. 1, p. 104-105
3. As long as Imam Baqir (PBUH) was the owner of Fadak, he used to donate the profits of Fadak to the poor and needy like his grandmother Lady Zahra (PBUH). However, this situation did not last very long, and after Umar Ibn Abd al-Aziz, Yazid Ibn Abd al-Malek, the next ruler, usurped Fadak like the previous rulers.