A Review of the most Important Events during the Imamate of Imam al-Reza(A.S.)

In 186/799, Imam Mūsā b. Ja‘far (A.S.) was martyred.
In 184/800, Ahmad son of Hārūn al-Rashīd known as Al-Sabtī, who practiced asceticism in the world and was engaged in worship, passed away.
In 187/803, Fudayl b. ‘Ayād, the ascetic mystic Sufi, died in Mecca. He was famous for his piety and worship. In his early years, Fudayl was an infamous highway robber; he would prowl in the night for victims on the road from Abiward to Sarakhs. Between these two cities was a small village in which lived a girl that Fudayl was in love with. One night, out of desperation to be with her, Fudayl climbed the wall of her home. As he was climbing over it, he heard a voice recite: ﴾ Is it not time yet for those who have faith that their hearts should be humbled for Allah's remembrance? ﴿ (Qur’an: 57/16)
At that moment, Fuḍayl answered, "O my Lord, the time has indeed come." He returned from where he came and sought refuge near a traveling party on the main road. They were busy engaging in a serious discussion. Fudayl heard one of them say, "Let us continue our journey now." Another answered, "No, not until the morning, for Fuḍayl is lurking on the road somewhere out there, just waiting to rob us."
Having heard the entire conversation, Fudayl thought to him, "I go around in the night to sin, while a group of Muslims remain here because they fear me. Indeed I feel that Allah has brought me here to them only so that I can reform my character. O Allah, I indeed repent to you...”
In 188/803, ‘Alī b. Hamza, known as Kasā’ī, who is renowned in science of syntax, philology, and reading [the Qur’ān] and Muhammad b. Ḥasan Shaybānī, the Hanafite jurist, who accompanied Hārūn in his journey to Ṭūs, both died in Rey, and Hārūn said about them: “We buried jurisprudence and Arabic [language] in Rey.”
According to some traditions, the eulogist of the Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.) and their accomplished poet, Ismā‘īl b. Muhammad,renowned as Sayyid Humayrī died in the time of Hārūn al-Rashīd. However, it is implied from the ahādīth and traditions that he passed away in the time of Imam al-Sadiq (A.S.). He made assiduous attempts in dissemination of the virtues of the Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.) to the extent that no one among the companions of the Imams (A.S.) surpassed him in promulgation of Commander of the Faithful and the Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.). He said in Kunāsa (a neighborhood of) Kūfa: “Whoever relates a virtue of ‘Alī (A.S.) for which I have not composed a poem, I will give him this horse with all the things on it. The transmitters of ḥadīth related ḥadīth and Sayyid recited his poems on the related subjects until a man related a virtue, about which Sayyid had not said any poems. He fulfilled his promise, and then composed a poem for that virtue.
In the reign of Hārūn a large number of the Alawis and Tālibīs were killed as martyrs whose names and date of martyrdom were not registered due their great number, including Idrīs b. ‘Abd Allāh b. al-Hasan al-Muthannā who had a vast rule in Egypt and Africa and was cunningly poisoned by Hārūn. Similarly, some Sādāt such as Yaḥyā b. ‘Abd Allāh b. al-Hasan al-Muthannā and his son Muhammad b. Muthannā, and Husayn b. ‘Abd Allāh b. Ismā’īl, a descendent of Ja‘far Tayyār, who was killed due to the wounds of scourge; or ‘Abbās b. Muhammad, a descendent of Imam al-Sajjād (A.S.), who was clubbed to death by the cursed Hārūn who called him the son of an adulterous woman and he retorted that Hārūn’s mother was indeed adulterous because she had been a slave girl with whom the slave dealers had adulterous liaison. Hārūn got furiously angry and clubbed him to death.
All in all, a great number of Alawis were murdered during the rule of Hārūn and the story of Humayd b. Qahtaba and the killing of sixty of the Sādāt in one night are recorded in history.
In 189/804, the prosperity star of the Barmakids, who had been given the authority to run the state, began to die out, and they were wiped out by Hārūn, with their condemnatory story being recorded in history as a lesson for others. Ma’mūn carried out this plot so cunningly that Ja‘far b. Yaḥyā Barmakī who was Ma’mūn’s brother-in-law and very close and dear to him did not have the slightest idea of what would happen until the night that Hārūn ordered his agent to murder him. When Hārūn’s agent went to his house for executing the order, he (Ja‘far) told him: “Ma’mūn makes such jokes with me a lot.” Finally, it was arranged for him to be taken to the back part of the Hārūn’s tent and to ask Hārūn’s view again about his murder. When he directly heard the order of his murder, he tied his own handkerchief over his eyes and was beheaded. Surprisingly enough, Hārūn told the agent who had beheaded Ja‘far to summon such and such persons, and when they came in, he told them: “Behead the agent, as I cannot tolerate to see Ja‘far’s murderer.
On Saturday 3 Jamādī II 193/24 March 809, Hārūn died in Ṭūs. He ruled as a caliph for 23 years and a few months. He was four months past 44 years old when he died and was buried in the same place that the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Reza(A.S.) is located now, about which his holiness had frequently informed. Sometimes he would say: “You will bury me with him in the same room.” At other times he would say: “Tūs city will fill the gap between us.” Yet at other times he would say: “I and Hārūn would be like these two…,” joining his middle and index fingers together.
In this respect, Di'bil has some poems the gist of which is as follows: “There are two graves in Ṭūs, one for the best of the people and the other for the worst of them; and this in itself is an admonitory lesson; neither that impure will benefit from that pure one, nor will this pure be harmed by this impure.
On Thursday 15 Jamādī II 193/5 April 809, allegiance was secured for Muhammad Amīn, Hārūn’s son, who was his heir and was in Baghdad when his father died. His mother, Zubayda, daughter of Ja‘far b. Abī Ja'far Mansūr, was among the noble ladies of the Abbasids. Her monuments, including the construction or the reconstruction of the city of Tabriz and some wells on the way to Mecca, are famous. She had one hundred female slaves who knew the Qur’ān by heart. The sound of the Qur’ān recitation was heard in her palace like the sound of the bees. She died in Baghdad in 216/831.
Qāḍī Nūr Allāh has related in his Majālis al-Mu’minīn that Zubayda was a devoted Shī‘a, and when Hārūn found out about her staunch belief, he divorced her and sent her the bill of divorce. Zubayda wrote on the back of the bill: “I am thankful to God for the previous situation, and now that we are separated I am not regretful.”
Eighteen nights had passed since Muhammad Amīn’s rule when he decided to break his covenant and to dethrone Ma‘mūn who was introduced as his father’s successor during the latter’s reign and to make his son, Mūsā Nātiq, the caliph. He consulted the viziers and commanders, but no one except ‘Alī b. ‘Īsā b. Māhān deemed it advisable.
Amīn proceeded to dethrone Ma’mūn and sent a massive army under the command of ‘Alī b. ‘Īsā to fight against Ma’mūn in Khurasan. Ma’mūn, in turn, dispatched four thousand troops under the commandment of Tāhir b. Husayn to fight back and the two armies met in battle near Rey. Being proud of the great number of his troops and having failed to act with foresightedness, the commander of Amīn’s army was defeated and killed by Ma’mūn’s troops. After this victory, Ma’mūn deposed his brother Amīn and dispatched Tāhir b. al-Husayn to Baghdad along with Harthamat b. A‘yan. After fighting for a while and besiege of Baghdad, the people of Baghdad became exhausted and withdrew from Amīn. Also, Tāhir made dignitaries inclined towards Ma’mūn by promising gold and silver to them, and they, in turn, dethroned Amīn. Then, Harthama granted safe-conduct to Amīn and they met in a small boat; he did much honor to the latter but Tāhir sent a group of agents to arrest Amīn. They both jumped into the water and the boat got drowned. Harthama and Amīn swam away and rescued themselves; however, Amīn swam to a spot where Tāhir’s troops were stationed. They arrested Amīn and before he could meet Tāhir, they killed him on the latter’s order. This event took place on Saturday night, Muharram 25, 198/September 25, 813.
Amīn was killed on Muḥarram 25, 198, at the age of 33. His caliphate lasted about five years and since he was constantly indulged in feasting and drinking, debauchery, and playing and diversion, and as for a time he was sieged by and engaged in war with Ma’mūn’s army, he made no objection to the children of Abū Tālib (i.e., descendants of Imam ‘Alī (A.S.) and therefore no accident befell them.
In 198/813, upon the killing of Amīn, people of Baghdad swore allegiance to Ma’mūn.
In the same year, Ma’mūn dismissed his brother Qāsim b. Rashīd from heir apparency.
In 199/814, Abū al-Sarāyā Serrī b. Mansūr Shaybānī, who was brave and skilful in battle, rebelled in Kūfa and called people to swear allegiance to Muhammad b. Ibrāhīm (Ibn Tabātabā) and all the Kūfans swore allegiance to him.
Muhammad thrived in his role as a commander, frequently defeating the caliph’s troops, until he died and the people swore allegiance to Muhammad b. Muhammad b. Zayd b. ‘Alī b. al-Husayn and he sent his own governors around.
Eventually, Hasan b. Sahl (brother of Fadl, Ma’mūn’s vizier) dispatched Harthama to fend him off. He left for Kūfa with thirty thousand troops. A bloody war broke out between the armies of Harthama and Abū al-Sarāyā and Harthama’s army was defeated. However, despite Abū al-Sarāyā’s warning concerning the ambush by Harthama’s troops while being chased, his troops were ambushed by five thousand troops of the latter’s army and once again a battle broke out and Harthama, who had been captivated, was freed. He deceitfully approached the Kūfans by suggesting: “If you wish the rule to get out of the hands of the Abbasids, wait until Monday so that we may talk together; whoever is chosen, we will swear allegiance to him.” This trick worked and the Kūfan army gave up the war, ignoring Abū al-Sarāyā who was repeatedly shouting: “This is a deceit and they are losing the war; our victory is near; go on fighting.” The Kūfans did not take any actions. Finally, he angrily quit the war and gave a lecture on Friday, calling all of them the killers of ‘Alī (A.S.) and deserters of Husayn(A.S.) and bitterly reproached them for their disloyalty. Although a group of them became zealous and wanted to take action, but he did not consent and left Kūfa along with some others on Sunday night, Muḥarram 13th.
On the other hand, Kūfa dignitaries asked Harthama for safe-conduct (amān) for the people and he granted it. When the situation calmed down, Harthama went to Baghdad and finally Abū al-Sarāyā surrendered with safe-conduct and was sent to Hasan b. Sahl, but he killed Abū al-Sarāyā for his brother’s murder, hanging his head on Western side and his body on the Eastern side of the city.
In 200/815, Ma’mūn commanded to collect statistics of the Abbasid dynasty, whose number amounted to 33,000.
In the same year, the Abbasid Ma’mūn dispatched his chief attendant, Rajā b. Abī Dahhāk, to Medina to respectfully bring the Imam (A.S.) to Marv. In 201/816, the heir apparency of Imam al-Reza(A.S.) was celebrated in a great ceremony in which the dignitaries, nobles, Sādāt, and scholars were gathered. First of all, Ma’mūn ordered his son, ‘Abbās, to swear allegiance to his holiness; then, other people swore allegiance and he gave them many prizes and rewards and the orators and poets recited many lyric poems. Ma’mūn, then, ordered the Abbasids to take out the black garments they used to wear and put on green clothes, instead.
In 201/816, Hadrat Fātima Ma‘sūma, daughter of Imam Mūsā b. Ja‘far, set off from Medina to see her brother, Imam al-Reza(A.S.) in Marv. She got sick in Sāva and inquired how far it was to Qum. She was told it was ten parasangs. She told her attendant to take her to Qum. More accurately, the Sa‘d family came to her and asked her to go to Qum. Mūsā b. Khazraj, took her camel’s halter, led it into Qum, and lodged her in his house. Her highness stayed in Qum for seventeen days and then passed away. She was buried where her mausoleum is now located in Qum. May Allāh’s peace and blessing be upon her.
In 202/817, Fadl b. Sahl (Ma’mūn’s trainer, vizier, and commander of army and his energetic servant) was murdered in a bath-house in Sarakhs. In the same year, Mālik b. Anas, the chief of Mālikī school, died and was buried in Baqī‘ cemetery in the mausoleum of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.)’s wives.
Reference:
Story of the Sun
A Look at Imam al-Reza's Life
Author: Sayyid Muhammad Najafi Yazdi
Translated by: Ahmad Rezwani
Published by: Islamic Research Foundation, Astan Quds Razavi, Mashhad - I.R. Iran