Martyrdom anniversary of Imam al-Sajjad (AS) | Raising a Hand in the Face of Falsehood III
Imam al-Sajjad (AS) proved that political struggle is not always through war and direct confrontation or even by making visible moves and loud noise
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and peace and blessings be upon the most honorable of prophets and messengers, the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad, and upon his pure and good family and chosen companions
Imam al-Sajjad (peace be upon him):
"The one who commits injustice, the one who helps him, and the one who is pleased with it are three partners."
We offer our heartfelt condolences to the faithful men and women on the occasion of the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Zayn al-Abidin, Ali ibn Hussein al-Sajjad (peace be upon him).
Imam Ali ibn Hussein (AS) was named al-Sajjad, literal translation means the prostrator, for his frequent prostration. And he was also named Zayn al-Abidin, best worshipper, because of his extensive worship and asceticism… And named inheritor of Karbala for witnesses the calamity in Ashura.
Although Imam al-Sajjad (AS) was known for his worship and his Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya for supplication and drawing closer to Allah, he had an important political role after the Karbala tragedy when his father, Imam Hussein (AS), and his father’s brothers and companions were martyred.
Every Imam has a political role, even after the tragedy of Karbala, even though there were no revolutions like the revolution of Al-Hussein (AS) or a military battle like what happened in Karbala... The struggle between truth and falsehood continues and the duty to promote the truth and pass it on like a luminating torch from an Imam to another kept being carried, and the side of truth, as it is, demands the reform of the nation of the Prophet (SAWA). However, only the tools and methods that differed according to the circumstances.
The role of Imam al-Sajjad (AS) during his time was extremely crucial and full of cautiousness. His Imamate period was a transition, a turning point after the Battle of Karbala, from a military revolutionary approach in support of truth to a revolutionary intellectual approach, a movement that seeks to clarify matters, to spread and establish the Husseini narrative and thought, to ensure the remembrance of Hussein (AS) and his sacrifice and school of thought remain alive, all of that under different circumstances and challenges.
Imam al-Sajjad’s (AS) strategic opposition after Karbala
Opposition with wisdom and patience
The martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS) shook the Umayyad regime and delegitimized its claim to Islamic leadership. After Karbala, many Muslims saw the Umayyads as just another oppressive government. The immense backlash could not be erased by propaganda, and the dynasty paid a heavy price in credibility.
After Karbala, the Ummayad were constantly looking for an excuse to kill Imam al-Sajjad (AS) and his followers, they knew his influence and the fact that he witnessed Karbala, he preserves and carries the entire message of Karbala in details. The Ummayad were waiting for any provoking or a reactionary opposition from the Imam or his followers to justify attacking them and killing them.
The Umayyads recognized that the Shia of Imam Ali (AS) were their strongest political opponents. Unlike other groups, the Shia had the potential to gain public trust and mobilize real support against the regime due to their reasonable approach. While groups like the Khawarij also opposed the Umayyads, but their extremism, irrational tactics, recklessness led to their elimination and defeat.
The Khawarij engaged in reckless violence, takfir (declaring someone or a group as non-believers), and chaos, all of that made them easy targets for Umayyad suppression as it justified countering them by fixating on the reckless actions of the Khawarij, the Ummayad were able to “appear” as the good side that was combating and countering a chaotic force and opposition. Most specifically, under brutal enforcers like al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf. As a result, their influence disappeared by the mid-Umayyad era and no longer posed a threat to the regime's power.
In contrast, the Shia opposition was organized, strategic, and deeply rooted with a purpose. They had political plans, underground networks, and armed revolts that continuously challenged Umayyad rule. Despite brutal persecution, including imprisonment, assassinations, and economic restrictions, they remained a persistent and steadfast force.
Imam al-Sajjad (AS) lived through this critical period. As the surviving witness of Karbala, he carried the moral and spiritual legacy of the martyrs. He was cautious not to provoke the regime directly, but he knew his role was to preserve the message of Ashura and continue the resistance through wisdom, prayer, and subtle influence.
What Imam al-Sajjad (AS) did was to hold Husseini gatherings (majalis) to revive the memory of Hussein and the approach of Hussein and to highlight the truth so that the belief would be firmly established among the believers first and foremost, after the calamity of Karbala as the Shias were in a weaker position and in instability.
Another important point in the life of Imam al-Sajjad (AS) during this period is his decision not to participate in the armed uprising of the people of Madinah against the Umayyads. The Imam foresaw the devastating consequences of this revolt, including the violation of the Prophet’s sanctuary and the mass killings committed by Muslim (Musrif) ibn Uqbah, who targeted the companions, their children, and the next generation, even violating the honor of women in the holy city.
The uprising lacked proper planning and strategic leadership, which made it doomed from the start. More importantly, Imam al-Sajjad (AS) did not want to give the Umayyads a justification to kill him or wipe out the remaining Shia after Karbala. He knew the regime was waiting for any excuse to eliminate the Shia opposition and eliminate its leader.
The Ummayads and their agents sent their spies on Imam al-Sajjad (AS) to keep a close watch on him, hoping for an excuse to kill him. This surveillance continued for two or three years after Yazid’s death. But the Imam, fully aware of the fragile political climate and the risks, acted with extreme caution to avoid giving them any justification. Once the environment changed and became more favorable, he shifted toward active religious and political engagement.
During this early period of persecution, Ismail ibn Ali Abu Sahl al-Nawbakhti described how people avoided the Imam out of fear, and only his closest companions dared meet him. The Imam remained private, focused on worship, and only shared limited knowledge due to the dangers of the time. When the threat lessened, people began to seek him out, and he began teaching more openly in the Prophet’s Mosque, Medina.
Despite his caution, the Umayyads still searched for any opportunity to kill him. Musrif ibn Uqbah once intended to do so but was stopped by divine protection. Later, al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf wrote to Caliph Abd al-Malik urging him to kill the Imam to secure his throne. Abd al-Malik ordered the Imam to be brought to Damascus in chains, under heavy guard, planning to interrogate him personally.
Imam al-Sajjad (AS) knew exactly what the Umayyads intended. He took every possible measure to deny them the opportunity to kill him and his Shia followers. Though he did not join the Madinah uprising, he did all he could to protect women, children, and the vulnerable during the chaos, reportedly sheltering around four hundred people from Umayyad violence.
It was during these difficult years that Mukhtar al-Thaqafi (RA) sent the severed heads of those who had killed Imam Hussein (AS) and his companions to Imam al-Sajjad (AS). The Imam was deeply moved, prostrated in gratitude to Allah, and prayed for Mukhtar, thanking him for his efforts and sacrifice.
Despite the difficult times and the surveillance and spying on Imam al-Sajjad (AS) and how cautious he had to be, he still disavowed and rejected the oppressors and tyrants as the concept. His approach was through form of supplications. One such example is a powerful supplication recorded by Sayyid Ibn Tawus in Iqbal al-A‘mal, and found in the fifth group of the Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya, where the Imam (AS) says:
"O Allah, the oppressors have denied Your right, disbelieved in Your Book, rejected Your messengers, turned away from worshiping You, abandoned the religion of Your friend [Ibrahim], altered what Your Messenger brought, established a path other than Your religion, followed guidance other than Yours, adopted practices other than Your Sunnah, crossed Your limits, strove arrogantly against Your signs, and cooperated in trying to extinguish Your light..."
and so on until the end of the supplication.
Imam al-Sajjad (AS) used also to warn the scholars of his time against cooperating with tyrants or taking part in their governments and positions of power. He said:
"The one who commits injustice, the one who helps him, and the one who is pleased with it are three partners.”
According to the words of the infallible Imam, these three are considered full partners in the oppression and share in all the responsibility the oppressor carries. This same idea is echoed in the famous Ziyarat al-Warith of Imam Hussein (AS):
"May Allah curse the nation that killed you, and may Allah curse the nation that wronged you, and may Allah curse the nation that heard about it and was pleased with it."
The surveillance and spying and the difficult times that put Shias in a weak position, was never an excuse for mingling with the oppressors and tyrants along with cooperating with them.
That is how the Imam spread the message, prevented unnecessary bloodshed and maintained Shiaism and the Husseini thought while the Shias were protected, the Ummayad were opposed but with patience, wisdom and full cautiousness, not recklessness.
📍 Imam al-Sajjad (AS) taught us that opposition has to be wise and not recklessness and adventurous, but with purpose and planning
🔸 A misconception that some Shias may have is that the infallible Imams after Imam Hussein (AS) had no political role because of the lack of military battles like the one in Karbala, so they view this transition as that the Imams were not political, and they translate this characteristic as that scholars and leaders in the time of occultation, have to refrain from political movements and leaderships, and just wait passively for the awaited Imam Mehdi (atj). They view it as, no wars mean no political role.
But if we look carefully at the transition of the Imamate from Imam Hussein (AS) to his son, and we read history, we find that even Imam al-Sajjad (AS) had a political role, all Imams had political roles and influence, and the Imams left us lessons and open options. If we speak about fighting wars with courage, we have Imam Ali (AS), if we speak about negotiations for the protection of the nation, we have Imam al-Hasan (AS), if we speak about revolutions, we have Imam Hussein (AS). For every Imam was his approach according to the challenges of their time.
🔸 Imam al-Sajjad (AS) proved that political struggle is not always through war and direct confrontation or even by making visible moves and loud noise. He worked quietly to protect the core of the Shia movement by preserving the remaining Shias after the tragedy of Karbala, in his period, he spread awareness, the narrative of Karbala, guide the community under constant threat and surveillance. His approach was grounded in wisdom, not weakness or passiveness, and showed that political influence can be exercised even under extreme repression.
🔸 The front of truth, in times of Imam al-Sajjad (AS) continued its struggle against the front of falsehood, bani Ummaya. Except that the methods, approach differed due to the difficult circumstances which set up the priorities.
The Imam’s approach to continue the Husseini mission, that is to reform the nation of the Prophet (SAWA), showed adaptability to the situations, the difficulties were never an excuse to just sit idly and restrict every movement to just religious speeches. The Imam’s holding on majalis (gatherings) for remembrance of Imam Hussein (AS) were not just remembrance of the event, it rather built a foundation and established the Husseini thought among the Shia community to strengthen their faith, keeping the mission alive as it is a continuous battle. The Imam’s approach was through tabyeen (clarification), the gatherings were with a purpose beyond just mourning and lamenting.
🔸 Today, what we can learn and apply from the teachings of Imam al-Sajjad (AS), worship is very necessary to strengthen our faith and draw closer to Allah (SWT), but there is a mission beyond just worship.
The resistance, indeed starts from within, within ourselves, through worship, through drawing closer to Allah and from there, we take it forward, beyond that level and based on the circumstances today, the states we live in, what challenges exist, analyze and then think of our capabilities, what we are capable of and what difficulties are ahead and which risks and threats we may face.
🔸 Being correct and on the true path itself is not enough nor it means all means and methods will be fruitful and constructive, Imam al-Sajjad (AS) did not join the uprise to revolt against Ummayad in Madinah, despite that the Ummayad were truly the enemies of Islam and biggest representative of falsehood in that time, with that patience from him, he highlighted and reminded us that how our approach has to be based on balance, to ensure that there is more benefit and reward than risk and losses, the approach has to be calculated and not done recklessly, the Imams always ensured avoiding bloodshed by all means necessary, while the message being important and truth needs supporters, it does not justify throwing ourselves in our own destruction, which can play into the enemy’s hand.. Through wisdom and patience, the Imam protected the message, maintained the path of the resistance and avoided all traps by the enemy. That was not weakness, rather intelligence and adaptability… And strong will to continue the mission by all means necessary.
🔸 Today, some resistance, some fronts, may also go through difficult times, suffer from losses which force the resistance to stay out of the scene for a while to rebuild, not to engage in reckless unnecessary conflicts by weighting the pros and cons, sometimes even have to take smaller blows in order to preserve themselves and their stability in the long run. That is normal for wars, normal for resistance and the dynamics it faces, especially when the front is being fought by nearly the entire world. The infallible Imams had similar phases, they teach us great lessons to adapt for the sake of greater good, be more focused on the long term goal rather than short term goals which may appear rewarding, but actually corners and suffocates the resistance in long term.
Allah Almighty said:
{Prepare against them what you ˹believers˺ can of ˹military˺ power and cavalry to deter Allah’s enemies and your enemies as well as other enemies unknown to you but known to Allah. Whatever you spend in the cause of Allah will be paid to you in full and you will not be wronged.} - Al-Anfal 60
Such phenomenon of limited capabilities and unfavorable dynamics are not only restricted to military resistance, but also with the narrative, tabyeen (clarification) type of resistance. Just like military resistance requires caution and planning, narrative and ideological resistance also needs strategic depth. There are times when the enemies of truth dominate the platforms, silence voices, or distort the message, and the response cannot always be loud confrontation. And times where the enemy is fixated on magnifying specific parts of our speech to fabricate our message, mislead the masses or exaggerate specific parts of the message. In such times, rushing to respond without wisdom can cause more damage than good. Fitnah, strife, and sectarianism are often fueled not by truth itself, but by how and when it is delivered. When the enemy is actively looking to twist words, provoke division, and paint resistance as extreme or dangerous, then every statement must be weighed. The Imams taught us that sometimes silence, restraint, or indirect response is more powerful than direct confrontation, especially when clarity will be lost in the noise or used to deepen internal fractures, or when such words may be weaponized against the cause.
🔸 However, worth noting that adaptability and cautiousness is not a retreat, nor compromising in values, rather, using the correct methods and wise ways in delivering the message in maximum efficiency to seek most benefit possible according to the situations. Difficulties and challenges have never been an excuse for total silence, compromise and normalization, submission to tyrants, or distorting the facts or concealing them to please certain political group or a sect, especially if the message is scientific and sound with the aim of informing, clarifying and erasing doubts in well manners. However, it is also important to determine the timing, determine the situation, and weigh the positives and negatives.
Therefore, our approach is very important. It can determine the result of our message, our fate and those around us.
Allah Almighty said:
{Spend in the cause of Allah and do not let your own hands throw you into destruction ˹by withholding˺. And do good, for Allah certainly loves the good-doers.} - al-Baqara 195
Our approach has to be well thought about and planned, not to cause more harm than good, we have to be cautious in our acts and words and how we choose to support the cause, while we may be correct in a certain topic, we have the right in a certain matter, we are on the right path, but recklessness can easily distort the meaning of the message.
Amali al-Saduq: From al-Maktab, from Ibn Zakariyya, from Ibn Habib, from Ibn Bahlul, from Ja‘far ibn ‘Uthman, from Sulayman ibn Mehran who said: I entered upon al-Sadiq (AS) while a group of Shia were with him, and I heard him saying: O group of Shia, be an adornment for us and not a disgrace. Speak to people with good words, guard your tongues, and restrain them from idle talk and ugly speech.
So we need to be mindful not just of the message but how we carry it and continue the resistance. We as ordinary people, our duty is to clarify and speak with purpose. Sometimes it's not just what we say but how we say it that makes the impact, our tone, our choice of words and even attitude can have an effect how our message of truth can be portrayed. However, such cautiousness never means watering down the truth by going against our principles and belief, nor it means submission, but rather patience and wisdom are necessary when danger is surrounding us and minimize the threat. When the Imam didn’t mention tyrants by name in his prayers to curse them, it wasn’t silence or compromise, nor surrender and acceptance and normalization. He still showed disassociation through supplication, and even warned the believers not to cooperate with tyrants and called for boycotts.
After al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik (curses be upon him) assumed power, al-Mas‘udi described him as a tyrannical, oppressive, and arrogant ruler. Even Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz criticized his rule, saying the earth was filled with his injustice. During his reign, the great scholar Sa‘id ibn Jubayr was martyred by al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, one of the most brutal Umayyad governors.
Al-Walid was among the most resentful towards Imam al-Sajjad (AS), believing his rule could not be complete while the Imam was alive. The Imam had great popularity and was admired for his knowledge, worship, and patience. People spoke of him with deep respect and saw meeting him as an honor, which deeply disturbed the Umayyads.
Al-Walid decided to assassinate the Imam after becoming caliph. He sent deadly poison to his governor in Yathrib and ordered him to administer it to the Imam. The governor carried out the order, and the great soul of Imam al-Sajjad (AS) returned to its Creator after a life that illuminated the world with knowledge, worship, and devotion.
After the Imam’s martyrdom, his son, Imam Abu Ja‘far Muhammad al-Baqir (AS) assumed the Imamate, al-Baqir (AS) prepared the body of his father, Imam al-Sajjad (AS). After a large and solemn funeral that Yathrib had never seen before, the pure body was brought to al-Baqi‘. A grave was dug beside the grave of his noble uncle, Imam al-Hassan al-Mujtaba (AS), and Imam al-Baqir (AS) laid his father to rest in his final resting place.
Peace be upon the inheritor of Karbala, peace be upon who was patient in the face of calamities, peace be upon you O Zayn al-Abidin
Monday, 25th of Muharram, 1447 - 21st of July, 2025
May Allah increase your reward… Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un
— Rydro (Abbas), Leader of NEW WORLD ORDYR ٣١٣