Chapter Three

 

 

 

Imam Zayd on Political Terrain

 

Reasons and Motivations

 

When justice is the order of the day people live without those mental disturbances associated with tyranny. People become innovative and creative. Life takes on a pleasant air. But when rulers turn nasty and become symbols of adoration while they trample over people’s rights and silence the voices of advice all the while excluding competent and qualified talent from participation and production, at that time life becomes disruptive and unquiet. Society begins to lose its cohesion. The decent quality of life begins to turn acrid. And the social arena is open to chaos and mayhem. These dynamics begin to translate into public discontent and popular disapproval of the authoritarian decision makers. The stage is set for popular motion towards a form of government that will guarantee social justice and the respect and treasure of human rights.

 

If things get worse and the rulers begin to tighten their noose around their citizens it is only to be expected to have a public explosion that tries to obtain the end of tyrannical rule and all its devices and stratagems for concealment and deceit.

 

Muslims during the second half of the first hijri century were subjected to a pack of Umayad rulers who seized power by force; and this power was not just any power it was the Islamic khilafah. Then they steered the affairs of state in the wrong direction. This resulted in the best and brightest in the ummah coming together and working on dismantling the Umayad power holders and relieving them of their tyranny generating positions.

 

One of the most outstanding figures to lead the movement against this Umayad lapse was Imam Zayd ibn ‘Ali (AS). He worked on reinstating the right to oppose deviant rulers by the Muslim public, and towards that end he planted the seeds of revolution against oppression.

 

Referring to Imam Zayd’s writings and epistles we may acquaint ourselves with the main reasons and justifications for his revolt against the Umayad body politic. And that includes:

 

1- The Umayads were in violation of Islamic standards and did not observe the shared Islamic values that all other Muslims adhered to. This was expressed in how the Umayads played “cut and loose” with Islamic laws and hudud. A feature of Umayad rule was to kill innocent people. The rulers did not spare themselves indulging in vice and clubhouse pursuits. They had no second thoughts about stifling public expression while working on curtailing freedom of assembly and conscience. They turned Islamic khilafah into hereditary rule, for which any incompetent and bungling son can assume the highest office in the land: not because of his pious heart and enlightened brain but because of his genetic material!

 

2- The Umayads assaulted and insulted what Muslims hold dear to them. They went as far as having the Prophet of Allah being maligned and defamed in front of Hisham [ibn ‘Abd al-Melek] who expressed no objection. Imam Zayd said: “I saw Hisham who was in the presence of a person cursing the Prophet of Allah (P). I said to the foul-mouth: Woe to you O kafer! If I were in a position to do so I would send you to your Maker and expedite your blazing penalty.” And then Hisham said to me: Ease off our acquaintance, O Zayd! Zayd said: By Allah [because of that] I was determined even if it is only me and my son Yahya who are going to carry arms against [this tyrant] to perish; and so be it.”[1] Imam ‘Ali ibn Abi Taleb, Fatimeh the daughter of Allah’s Prophet (P) and Imam Husayn were all anathematized (damned) from the minbars during Jumu‘ah prayers in they years of this Umayad dynasty.

 

3- The Umayads showed fiscal irresponsibility. The wealth and revenues of the Islamic lands were laundered and pirated by a clan who spent it on their bellies and body parts. Consequently, Islamic society had to endure economic crises and hard times. It has been reported that Hisham ibn ‘Abd al-Melek – who was known for his stinginess – needed six hundred or seven hundred camels to carry his wardrobe.[2]

 

In a letter sent by Imam Zayd to the people of Mosul (Iraq) he says: “I am aware of the plight you are in and the religious persecution you endure as well as your deteriorating livelihood. Your blood has been shed and your resources have been confiscated.”[3]

 

4- There was an official line of jeering and affronting the Prophet’s progeny. Methodical and day-to-day efforts from the royal court attempted to disparage their prestige. The official line was to intimidate and harass the Prophet’s extended family.

 

The Umayad kings were known to dismiss any advice and ignore anyone who would try to talk some sense into them [the Umayads] about this whole issue. Hisham ibn ‘Abd al-Melek exemplified the arrogance and corruption of power when he stood up in the masjid in Makkah once and said that he will hack off the head of anyone who would say to him:Ittaqi Illah [Fear God]![4]

 

Some historians exaggerated the facts as they claimed that Imam Zayd had a personal ax to grind. Had they known that such personal scores are never capable of establishing principles and sustaining methodical opposition to tyranny.

 

The Start and the Constructive Phases

 

 

 

 

It was in Madinah that Imam Zayd established his broad movement. Initially it was underground and secretive. Its development was unhurried; that is because the general public was afraid to confront brutal and iron-fisted rulers. Especially if we know that Madinah was still tending to its wounds. The Madinians were suffering that after shock of the pitiless and savage Umayad military campaign led by Muslim ibn ‘Uqbah. The image of the folks of al-Husayn who had returned from the tragedy of Karbala was still fresh in their minds. The losses were stupefying. As if the verses of the poetry composed by Umm Kulthum bint ‘Ali were ringing in everyone’s ears:

 

O city of our grandfather could you no longer be ours

 

To you we have returned accompanied with sorrow and tears

 

We left and imparted you with family and all who is dear

 

Now whoever is left is back we have lost our men, sons, and heirs

 

until she says:

 

Our husbands and bread-winners are at al-Taff, dead, no longer near

 

Their heads have been hacked they butchered our sons without fear

 

Zayd’s activities were first pronounced within his family structure. They assisted and supported him. They felt for him and were keen on protecting him. Jaber al-Ja‘fi said: I was told by Muhammad ibn ‘Ali: My brother Zayd ibn ‘Ali — it appears – will carry arms in opposition and will be killed. Obviously, he is doing what is right. Woe to anyone who forsakes him, and to anyone who fights him, and to he who kills him.

 

Jaber said: When Zayd was preparing to revolt I said: I heard your brother say you will be killed…

 

He said to me: O Jaber! I cannot remain silent when the Book of Allah has been violated and when the state has become an evil and a monstrosity.[5]

 

When Imam Zayd realized that the pace was slow in Madinah he benefitted from Hajj to move on and mobilize the potential in Makkah. There he met many personalities from different lands. He sensed they were supportive of the principles of justice and we longing for freedom. He was thus encouraged to go to other lands and people.

 

When he arrived at Kufah he found a social ambiance unlike Madinah. People were fed up. In public people were speaking up against Umayad persecution. This boosted his morale and gave him hope for mobilizing a corrective trend to set the ummah back on track; even though he was aware of how these same people behaved with his grandfather Imam Husayn. His family cautioned him that these people may not honor their word. But deep down inside Zayd had to honor the conscience pulse in him. Something had to be done for these people who were strained and troubled. “I would wish to be hanging from the furthest star in the heavens and then drop and be sliced to pieces if that means that Allah will bring order to the ummah of Muhammad.”[6] This type of motivated and morally charged young man is rare indeed.

 

Imam Zayd returned to Madinah with one thing on his mind: how do you redeem the ummah from its condition of mistreatment and subservience?

 

Imam Zayd Bids Farewell to His Grandfather’s City

 

Meanwhile, Hisham ibn ‘Abd al-Melek was keeping an eye and getting information on Imam Zayd’s activities and writings. The wali [ruler] of Madinah wrote to him saying: “Zayd is turning public opinion in Madinah against you.”[7] Hisham then began to think of ways to entrap Zayd. He instigated some points of contention with Zayd via his cousins the descendants of Imam al-Hasan. This was meant to side-track Imam Zayd from concentrating on his critique of the regime. But then Zayd realized what was really at work and made up with his cousins. Zayd said to the ruler of Madinah who was Hisham’s vassal and who was instrumental in trying to drive a wedge between Zayd and his cousins: “You have united the descendants of Allah’s Prophet in a way unattainable by Abu Bakr and ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab.”[8] At that point Hisham and his functionary knew that they will not be able to sidetrack Zayd into petty issues. Then Hisham decided to try to get Zayd to al-Sham (the Levant) where he can keep a close eye on him. Imam Zayd having received information through different parties felt compelled to go to al-Sham. And he went there reluctantly.

 

Before he left Madinah he went to pray in the masjid of his grandfather – Allah’s Prophet (P) where he stood and expressed the following du‘a:

 

O Allah! You know I am compelled, constrained, and bound. It is not my choice or wish to do so. O Allah! Spare me his conspiracy. Cloak me with the garment of innocent pride so that I do not give in to the pomp of royalty. And so that I am not afraid of his troops. O Allah! Give me the words and articulation to say the truth and to support it without being apologetic or inferior to “the power of the state.” O Allah! Bring my heart to your guidance. Show me Your Sustaining power which will in my eyes make his power petty and his pulse vain. O Allah! Throw trepidation into his heart and quandary in his character. Protect me against his scheme.

 

Then he said:

 

I shall leave my fatherland and the abode of my asylum. I may not return

 

Then he approached the tomb of Allah’s Prophet (P) and prayed beside it. After leaving prayers he said: Peace be to you O Prophet of Allah. Peace be to you O Messenger of Allah. Peace be to you the quintessence of Apostles and the noblest of emissaries. Peace be to you the beloved of Allah. This may be my last day in your city and I may never see your tomb or minbar again. Father! I am leaving with difficulty. I have become a prisoner in this land. I ask you al-shafa’at (intercession) with Allah, the Exalted, the Extolled so that He may support me with the confidence of yaqeen (certitude), and the pride of taqwa. I ask for a final testimonial which will place me in the company of my honorable fathers and my impeccable folks.

 

Imam Zayd in al-Sham

 

Meanwhile the news that Zayd was on his way to Damascus arrived before Zayd did. Pros and cons were anticipating his arrival. Once he did arrive he was put under “house arrest” at a place called al-Rusafah[9]. He then became the focal point of scholars and students who went to see and learn from him. Overnight al-Rusafah became a hub of scholarly, fiqhi, and literary activity.

 

In al-Sham Imam Zayd found people who were genuinely fooled. Deen was not entrenched in its deepest meanings. The Umayad establishment had employed pseudo-‘ulema who were busy tailoring religion to the diktats of the state. They told the people that the ruler is dispensed to them by Allah; and that he and his partisans are the people of haqq, and if these rulers do things that seem ridiculous or abhorrent it turns out that these things are Allah’s qadar (predetermination) and qada’ (decree). And whatever these ridiculous and abhorrent things are they do not exclude these rulers from the title of Iman. Therefore, there can be no justification for revolting against them. Besides, they are the people ofqiblah, aren’t they!? There were other religious concepts that were slanted and angled. To buttress this whole machination, hadith s were concocted and supportive arguments were produced in the form of philosophies. While Imam Zayd was in al-Sham he tried to set the record straight and bring out the lost components of Islam.

 

Imam Zayd and Hisham Face to Face

 

Conceited individuals are obsessed with glorifying themselves. Some of them actually begin to believe that nobility originates from their peculiar condition, sweat and quality. When a brave-heart comes along and destroys this illusion and vaporizes this myth the self-conceited self-destruct. He sees that his vain and glory have been jammed. Thus, he reacts to try to regain his vanity which only exists in his imagination. The ominous part of this whole episode is that this egotist’s reaction employs everything at its disposal: power, potential, and politics.

 

But for this all to happen there has to be an element of adventure and sacrifice from a brave soul and a free mind which is not much concerned with “the consequences” but rather is more concerned with Allah’s power presence than any tin pot dictator. In this context Allah’s Prophet (P) said: “The superior shahid (martyr) is a man who stands up to an imperious despot and orders him to fear Allah’s power and to desist from breaching the commandments of Allah, and follows that up with momentous resistence. If he dies in the process he is a superior shahid.”[10]

 

Hisham ibn ‘Abd al-Melek was conceited and thought he had a halo around his head. He imagined himself beyond reproach and rebuke. But Allah would have Imam Zayd bring Hisham to the real world and have his fantasies evaporate.

 

Hisham ignored the arrival of Imam Zayd to al-Sham for more than a month. After that he had his first encounter with Imam Zayd. Hisham stuffed the room with all his subordinates who were instructed to mingle and socialize and to ignore Imam Zayd. This was Hisham’s first psychological shot. He thought that this would contribute to an erosion of Zayd’s morale.

 

When Imam Zayd entered the royal court he greeted everyone with salam (peace). But Hisham and his underlings ignored him. Imam Zayd immediately sensed an air of scheming. Then he emphatically said: “Peace be to you the cross-eyed; and you merit this description!” The artificial and pre-planned social atmosphere was deflated; and the royal scheming ceased. At this point Hisham was furious and he sought to put an end to Zayd’s courage by intimidations and humiliations.

 

He said: “You are Zayd who holds hopes for the khilafah. How can you aspire to such a thing when you are a slave-woman’s son?! These are the types of peeving comments that Hisham was best at: he would try to sink a person’s virtues and take pride in his own ancestry. He thought that by coming from a lineage of royalty his is automatically entitled to purity, chastity, and majesty. Imam Zayd wanted him to understand that his mode of thought is a residual of jahiliyah (pre-Islamic ages), which Islam came to delete. He said to him: “O Hisham! Mothers are never men’s obstacles on their way to their goals. I do know of a Prophet sent by Allah who is a son of a slave-woman and who is so much loved by Allah. He is Isma‘il the son of Ibrahim. And in this case Prophethood which was achieved by Isma‘il is more important than khilafah. And besides, he being a son of a slave-woman did not exclude him from becoming the father of the Arabs, and the father of the preferential of Prophets: Muhammad (P). If mothers were any consideration in this regard then Allah would not have had him a Prophet.”

 

After that Imam Zayd said to Hisham that he stated the facts for the record and to give virtue its due. Otherwise, Zayd had an ancestral line that cannot be matched. He said: “How do you impugn a man whose grandfather is Allah’s Prophet (P) and whose father is ‘Ali ibn Abi Taleb?!”

 

Hisham was flabbergasted. He could not find the right words to speak. Imam Zayd realized this and said to him: “Ittaqi Illah ya Hisham” (Fear Allah, O Hisham).

 

Hisham uncontrollably and in anger reacted by saying: “Is it someone like you ordering someone like me to fear Allah?” Once again Hisham provides us with a sample of his behavior. He thinks that just because he has some worldly, “religious,” and social rank that he is no longer in a position to be assessed and criticized. His head swarms with the false praise and the cheap talk that comes from his subordinates. This places him in a position far beyond reality and away from the facts of life.

 

Imam Zayd wanted to talk some sense into Hisham and provide him with the bitter truth that usually upsets ego maniacs, so he said to him: “O Hisham! Allah has not elevated anyone above listening to the word Ittaqi Illah (fear [the power of] Allah), nor did Allah denigrate anyone as to be as insignificant and not worthy of counseling [those in power] by saying: Ittaqi Illah.” These are words bursting with wisdom and in the best tradition of Muhammad’s (P) eternal teachings.

 

At this point Hisham realized that Zayd is not someone who will scramble for words or be caught off balance. So Hisham expressed himself like all authoritarians and said to Zayd: “You have just confirmed all the information I have on you… Who told you to place yourself where you do not belong and think of yourself very highly? You should be smarter than that and you should behave appropriately. You should never talk terms with your higher authority and you should not disagree with your leader.”

 

Imam Zayd replies in a measured and poised way: “Whoever places himself where he does not belong has offended his Lord, and whoever elevates himself beyond his rightful position has forfeited his self identity, and whoever is unable to assess his own self is unable to get to know his Lord, and whoever confers with his leader while disobeying his [legitimate] authority perishes. O Hisham! Do you know who does such things? It is he who disobeys his Sustaining Lord, behaves as if he is his Creator’s superior, and claims to be what he is not. I state emphatically that I have given you my words of advice and tried to have you see the way.”

 

These words hit Hisham like a thunderbolt. He in a fit and a rage stood up and uttered words to the effect that he is unable to take on Zayd verbally and mentally. He said to his hired hands and minions: “Take him out of my presence and do not let him dwell among my troops.”

 

Then Zayd said to him: “You will find me where it annoys you most.” Imam Zayd left while stating his well-known expression: “People who dislike the ardor of swords are candidates for humiliation.” It is also reported that he said: “Whoever is cozy with holding on to worldly life shall experience humiliation unendingly.”

 

Hisham was later told of these words by Zayd. And he realized something that he had been ignoring, he said to his hirelings and assistants: “And you claim that this [Prophetic] household are a thing of the past? Not so when a person like this [Zayd] is their successor.”[11]

 

A Flagrant Plot

 

 

After that heated exchange in the court of Hisham, royalty began to concoct and connive until they figured that Zayd should be preoccupied with travel. This would expose him to dangers. Have him go from al-Sham (Damascus) to Iraq; and then from Iraq to Hijaz (Arabia). And that was pretty much the way it was. This new scheme was as follows:

 

*Imam Zayd should be made to leave al-Sham where the news of his scholarly status and outspoken eloquence began to spread.

 

*His exodus should be to Iraq not to settle there but to be on the turf of Yusuf ibn ‘Umar al-Thaqafi one of the Umayad butchers who was known for his shoot first and ask questions later mentality. This may put some fear into Zayd or it may end his “adventure.” The Umayads were known to instigate their functionaries against their enemies of the Prophet’s descendants. Contracting gruesome tasks to mercenaries or “hit-men” is a well established course by tyrants by which they escape the condemnation of history.

 

*And if Zayd survives that he should be led to al-Madinah without respite, for if he were to stay in Iraq (where he had been before) he would become “a national security risk” for the Umayad regime. This plan was put into effect with all its contingents.

 

The triggering mechanism was a Khaled ibn ‘Abdullah al-Qasri who was Yusuf ibn ‘Umar’s predecessor as “governor” of Iraq. This Khaled was deposed and thrown into the dungeons of the regime where he “confessed” to Zayd being in possession of money belonging to the state treasury!

 

Imam Zayd in Kufah

 

After a long journey Imam Zayd arrived at Kufah and arriving with him were the functionaries of Hisham who delivered to Yusuf ibn ‘Umar a letter from Hisham with instructions: “to keep the people of Kufah at a distance from [Imam] Zayd as his tongue is razor-sharp and his words are transcendental.”[12]

 

Upon arrival in Kufah Zayd was straightaway escorted to Yusuf ibn ‘Umar who demanded the money [allegedly in Zayd’s possession]. Zayd said: How could Khaled have given me this money when he was maligning my fathers from his pulpit?[13] Then Yusuf began to browbeat and threaten. Then Imam Zayd said to him: “Spare me your eruptions and fury. I am not your accessory against whom you may take vindictive action. Hold me up to the standards of Allah’s Book and the Sunnah of His Prophet and not to yours and Hisham’s gages.”[14]

 

And so Yusuf ibn ‘Umar also came to realize that Zayd is not one who accepts half-measures or a bullying around. So he had Khaled al-Qasri brought in. He said to him: This is Zayd ibn ‘Ali. Tell us what you gave him.

 

Khaled said: By Allah, beside Whom there is no divinity, I did not give him any amount of money. The only reason you bring him here is to do him wrong.

 

The plot was exposed. Yusuf ibn ‘Umar approached Imam Zayd and said to him: “The commander in chief [Hisham] ordered me to have you leave al-Kufah upon arrival! Zayd said: Give me three days of relaxation before I embark on my journey out of here. He said: But I cannot do that. So Zayd asked for one day, and the reply was not even one more hour.”[15]

 

Zayd left with Yusuf ibn ‘Umar’s escorts.

 

Supporters and partisans of Imam Zayd in Iraq were aware of these developments. They kept a close eye on events. When they knew he was leaving Kufah they followed him to an area called al-‘Atheeb from where the escorts returned. Then his supporters went to him and told him: Where will you go O son of Allah’s Prophet? Will you leave Kufah where you have one hundred thousand swords ready to fight against the Umayad clan? We beg Allah that you stay. They insisted until he agreed and returned with them to Kufah.[16]

 

Preparing for Armed Confrontation

 

“O Allah! As we are surrounded by deceptive sedition, and as we are overcome by the fold of confusion, we have been reduced by indignity and deprivation, we have been ruled by those we do not trust with Your deen. Our affairs have been exploited by those who take issue with Your judgement and take-it-out on Your servants. Our revenue has become exclusively theirs, our leadership positions have been usurped, and the trust belonging to us has been turned into a hereditary affair from degenerate groin to degenerate groin. Widows’ and orphans’ shares and allocations are used to buy entertainment places. It is open season by cold and conniving officials on Allah’s wealth. Truly committed Muslims have become subordinate to people under administrative government care (Ahl al-Thimmah). Every deviant has a local civic responsibility. There seems to be no one to protect anyone from ruin, and no one to check the excesses and abuses of state. No one in a position of authority cares. Fellow-feelings and understanding is absent for anyone in need of it. It is an atmosphere of total loss, of an unnerving bondage, and an overall slump and suffering.

 

O Allah! The fields of injustice are ready for harvest. The season is upon us.

 

O Allah! Leave no support system or mechanism for injustice. Prepare for the task of uprooting it an able hand that is willing to go beyond the surface and to penetrate the bunch. Let there be no command positions for tyranny and bring down its super and sub structure.

 

O Allah! Extinguish its false spark, de-brain its head, tackle its troops, and terrorize its droves.

 

O Allah! Leave injustice with no remnants. Abolish its bogus status, break its chains, take the edge out of its sword and the wind out of its sail.

 

O Allah! Show us injustice’s cohorts far apart rather than their stilted intimacy, show us their division instead of their common cause, and rip the masks off their identities so that they stand exposed to all the ummah.

 

O Allah! Hasten the daybreak of justice and extend it forever with its young spirits and victorious souls.

 

O Allah! Revive with social and state justice broken hearts; unite desperate spirits. Bring back with it Your forlorn commandments and Your lurched laws. Have it fill the empty stomachs of the wretched and the poor. Vitalize with it fatigued bodies… do so with Your might and Your Grace, O Sustainer of the worlds. Amen.”[17]

 

Likewise did Imam Zayd pray and plead with Allah every time he looked around and realized people were in agony and distress.

 

In strict secrecy Imam Zayd returned to al-Kufah and began preparing for armed conflict. There were three tasks he had to do:

 

Dispatching Emissaries and Covert Activities

 

 

Imam Zayd brought together hand-picked ‘ulema, men of arms and chivalry, and patricians. All were of superb moral quality. Their deen and commitment was beyond doubt. He had them “stationed” in different lands as “publicists” for the cause and to try to gain support and allegiance for Imam Zayd. They were to prepare as much as possible public opinion for revolution.

 

Among his assistants in al-Kufah and al-Basra and surrounding areas were: Abu Khaled al-Waseti, Abu al-Jarud, Mu‘mmar ibn Khuthaym, Nasr ibn Khuzaymah, and Mu‘awiyah ibn Is-haq.

 

His delegate to al-Riqqah and vicinity (in present day Syria) was Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad. There were many who were won over and gave their allegiance in this area.[18]

 

Zayd wrote to Helal ibn Khabbab in the area of Mada’en where he was a judge. Consequently the people of Rey (in present day Iran) responded favorably and they also gave their allegiance.

 

Zayd sent al-Fadl ibn al-Zubayr and Abu al-Jarud to Abu Hafeefah al-Nu‘man. When they reached Abu Hafeefah he was ill. They sought out his support, to which he replied: “He [Zayd] has by all means a just and right cause. He is the most knowledgeable person we know about in our time. Convey to him my greetings and tell him my ailment makes it difficult for me to carry arms with him.” Abu Haneefah gave them thirty thousandsdirhams to give to Zayd to be used for the jihad; and he said: “If I recover I will join him in his revolt.” He also said: “Zayd’s combat resembles the combat of Allah’s messenger on the Day of Badr.”[19]

 

The reknown hafez and the famous narrator Mansur ibn al-Mu‘tamer al-Salami corresponded with the ‘ulema and would approach with tears in his eyes saying: “Answer the call of Allah’s Prophet’s son.”[20]

 

‘Uthman ibn ‘Umair al-Faqih went with Zayd’s call to al-A‘mash and his circle of scholars. After reading Imam Zayd’s letter, al-A‘mash said: “I think no one knows of Zayd’s exceptional quality more than I. Communicate to him my greetings of peace. Say to him that al-A‘mash tells you: ‘I do not trust the people will carry through this with you. Had we found three hundred from us who were willing to carry arms with you we would be the first to endure the responsibilities of war.”[21]

 

Shu‘bah said: I heard al-A‘mash say: ‘Had it not been for an ailment I have I would be on may way [with Zayd]. By Allah! I sense he will be betrayed as was his grandfather and uncle.”[22]

 

After a year long campaign to drum up support for Imam Zayd the number of those who pledged allegiance were more than fifteen thousand warriors.[23] Prominent among them were distinguished ‘ulema, huffaz [memorizers of the Quran], and its reciters. They all came from different backgrounds and affiliations. A Shi‘i, a Mu‘tazili, and a Murji’ all were on an equal footing as they hastened to enlist in Imam Zayd’s military campaign. The scholars of his time were very supportive of Zayd’s revolution. Up to this point the momentum was promising.

 

Sulayman al-Razi said: “Never have I seen in my life a day filled with manpower support, packed with arms and robust men along with their knowledge of the Quran and fiqh than was the case with the companions of Imam Zayd.”[24]

 

Topping the list of his supporters was his brother Muhammad al-Baqer. Even though he was not yet prepared to enlist, he was, though, a keen observer of Imam Zayd’s movements. He would say to his friends: “He [Zayd] is the “ace” of Bani Hashem. If he calls on you respond to him, and if he asks you for help and victory, then offer him help and victory.”[25]

 

His nephew Imam Ja‘far al-Sadeq wanted to accompany his uncle Zayd the last time he left from al-Madinah to al-Kufah. He said to him: “I am with you, uncle.” To which Zayd replied: “Do you not know that we are in complementary positions: one of us has to bear arms and the other has to stay behind, for if we both take up arms, who will tend to our family?” Ja‘far stayed behind on instructions from his uncle Zayd, but he sent his two sons ‘Abdallah and Muhammad with him.[26] He said: “Whoever dies with my uncle Zayd it is as if he died with al-Husayn, and who ever dies with al-Husayn it is as if he died with ‘Ali ibn Abi Taleb, and who dies with ‘Ali it is as if he died with the Prophet (P).”[27]

 

Imam Zayd’s revolution had substantial support and considerable popularity.

 

Scholarly support may be attributed to two things: First, Imam Zayd’s revered status as they all attested to his knowledge and entitlements. Second, society was in need of change because oppression and injustice were all too prevalent.

 

The “law” had banned Imam Zayd from being in Kufah so he had to go underground. He would always move from one house to the next and from one neighborhood to the other. If someone sought to pay allegiance to Imam Zayd he would be escorted both ways under deep cover.

 

His missives (written letters) were carefully carried and delivered across areas and lands to be communicated to distant public opinions. It has been reported that a man with a cane was hastily walking one day. The soldiers deployed by Yusuf ibn ‘Umar who were posted on the thorough ways to frisk people stopped this man. They asked him: Where are you from? And he said: From al-Sham. They checked him but could not find anything suspicious. Then one of them took his cane and began to look it over. He found a piece of wax glued to it. He took the wax out and discovered that the cane was hollow, and in its chamber were pages of a letter. After extracting it out it turned out to be a letter from Imam Zayd to the inhabitants of Mosul![28]

 

This story has two observations. First, the extent to which the regime was on alert against its enemies, and especially the potential of Imam Zayd. Second, Imam Zayd was at an advanced stage of underground activities.

 

Imam Zayd’s revolution was discovered after one year of stealth movements only days before his uprising. This may be attributable to a compact society, an iron handed regime, and the proliferation of mercenaries and the faint hearted.

 

The Legality of Opposition to Oppressors

 

Islam is a blue-print for humanity. It defines the direction for mass movements. It also takes note of rulers and citizens in this context. And popular movement contravening Allah’s directives is – sooner or later – doomed. There are procedural issues that have to be watched attentively so as to avoid instability and to secure justice and order.

 

No doubt deviation by a native is not as consequential as deviation by a sovereign. A sovereign’s deviation causes rumbles and ripple-effects throughout society. Sometimes the consequences are denial of human rights and the total disregard for human dignity. Ergo, people yearn for justice, freedom, love, and prosperity.

 

Due to the fact that this is a crucial fixture of life, Islam provides for an assembly of qualified and experienced advisers whose credentials permit them to monitor the course of the decision making process away from personal interests or dogmatic/fanatic considerations:

 

Let there be a category of people who publicize the good and who

 

command the [common sense] right and ban the [common sense]

 

wrong-doing. 3: 105

 

When a sovereign deviates these qualified and learned individuals render their advice and directives. All peaceful means should be exhausted to correct such political errors. If the sovereign insists on his course of political deviation and proves impervious to any good counsel and office they should force him to abide by Allah’s order. This may first take the form of verbal communication. After that there may be ultimatums, threats, and even civil disobedience. The last measure towards this end is the use of arms. An errant tyrant could destroy his own society if he is permitted to get away with breaking Allah’s laws: “You will indeed enforce the [common sense] good and you will indeed ban the [common sense] evil or else Allah will impose on you the worst among you; and then your best come calling on Allah but they merit no [divine] response and solace.”

 

In view of the “supreme rulers” this Islamic perspective on corrective political action is the most dangerous component of Islam. They are scared stiff of its implications and possibilities. That is why they have been working overtime to obfuscate this perspective if they are unable to wipe it out altogether. To this end they have an army of opinion makers. They allocate budgets and material incentives to have some hadith(s) circulate that would infer religious immunity on dictatorships and emperors. The iron-fist ruler’s worst nightmare is to see the principle of jihad come alive in the social context of his own citizens and constituency.

 

Imam Zayd spent long and laborious times trying to resuscitate the principle of political and principled dissent from arbitrary and subjective governance. He lectured and penned on the subject. He substantiated his position with faithful and authentic hadith he heard from his fathers who in turn attributed it to Rasul-Allah (P). One such hadith is quoting the Prophet (P) to have said: “The best of martyrs is he who takes issue with a tyrannical ruler, advises him of taqwa and admonishes him for disobeying Allah. If this jihad is sustained and the person is killed [by the autocratic ruler(s)] he ranks the highest among martyrs.”[29]

 

It has also been reported on the same authority that Allah’s messenger (P) said: “O ‘Ali! Nearest to me among the martyrs on the Day of Resurrection and more deserving of my company besides Hamzah and Ja‘far is a person who carries arms and opposes a dubious and deviant leader until he dies.”[30] There are other ayats and hadith pertaining to the legality of breaking with an oppressive head of state.

 

Persistent Objectives

 

“People! I still hear what some of you are saying: the Umayad clan are our spoils of war; we shall shed and spill their blood, do what we want with their wealth, and have the final say on their affair! These are baseless judgements and misplaced motivations. You can fight fire with water. I’m surprised there are people who are rash and heedless. How does anyone entertain such thoughts? Is he basing his words in the Book of Allah? Or the Sunnah of His Prophet (P)? Or is he as covetous as to think I would be inclined to such things? Far from it! Far from it!”[31]

 

This was Imam Zayd’s comment upon hearing that some of his partisans were saying that they will pass judgement on the lives, blood, and wealth of the Umayad clan and their nationals. This is a clear indication that Imam Zayd did not for once entertain feelings of revenge against the Umayads with all that they did to him. A person with a divine mission knows that he cannot sugar-coat a vengeful drive with an ideological coating and a religious flavor; any attempt at including personal vendettas in an issue like this will inevitably torpedo it.

 

The goals of Imam Zayd were of a divine magnitude in which he knew that all his efforts had to be in harmony with heavenly guidelines. Armies will never withstand the heat of the war and sustain its staying power if they are not grounded in noble aims and a higher cause. This can only come from a pure and uncontaminated ideological persuasion. This is ultimately more important than material weapons and physical armaments. A hightened morale and a vibrant understanding of things converts what is few into what is many, and an apparent loss into a prolonged gain, and the love for martyrdom into a demand.

 

Imam Zayd’s eternal objectives glowed throughout his writings, his allegiance, and his missives. They may be summarized as follows:

 

*Breathing life into the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger and an upkeep of Islamic sanctuaries.

 

*A life of integrity within a climate of justice and honesty.

 

*A fair distribution of the common-wealth and an end to official lavish and ostentatious spending.

 

*Defending the oppressed and helping the dispossessed.

 

*Due respect to the Prophet’s offspring (Ahl al-Bayt), fending for and protecting them.

 

These were the strategic concerns of the time; and for which Imam Zayd gave his precious life.

 

Imam Zayd understood that some of his supporters and aids may not be able to see this whole affair with the required clarity of vision and purpose. Some may be motivated by feelings of revenge and blind sympathy for the Prophet’s responsible family members. Zayd had to reiterate the importance of drawing a line between a holy cause and some transient emotions.

 

It may be true that we may owe the Prophet’s persecuted progeny the intensity of our feelings and even our own lives to protect them; but Imam Zayd wanted that to be a means and not an end. He said to his admirers and supporters: “Do not say we bear arms as an expression of anger for you (Ahl Al-Bayt); rather say: we bear arms to express our anger for Allah and His deen.”[32]

 

He also knew that there will be people bearing arms with him in opposition to the Umayad regime not to bring about an eventual victory but only because they calculated that to be the opportune time to settle their score with the Umayads.

 

Many of his supporters may have felt elated just to be with him and they expressed such a feeling by saying as long as they are with him they do not care what objective they are fighting for! They may not have been sure whether the enemy they were fighting deserved to be fought! Some people can only see things from their own parochial perspective. People according to their positions in life are bound to fluctuate between knowledge and ignorance, courage and cowardice, and certainty and doubt.

 

Victory over an enemy is problematic in the absence of a clear vision and a firm belief. In there absence it is questionable whether we have a vital ummah or even hope. For this reason Zayd said to his companions: “Subjects of Allah! Do not kill your enemy while doubting the validity of your positions. If you do you will lose sight of Allah’s course and cause. Rather be internally firm on what you are doing… firm on your battlefield. Allah rewards you for your certainty as He would reward you for the truth (al-haqq). Whoever kills another person while doubting the dead person’s dalalat (deviation) is like killing someone without haqq (justification and authority). Subjects of Allah! Be sure of what you are doing… be certain.”[33] Long lasting defeat is the share of those who “went forth from their homelands full of self-conceit and a desire to be seen and praised by men.”

 

8: 47

 

But if they step onto the battlefield for the sake and cause of Allah then they “shall have gardens through which running water flows.” 3: 198