At the beginning of Mahdi’s government, he was lenient in his treatment of the people and the Prophet’s lineage. Mahdi was looking to gather legitimacy for his new government after years of the tyranny and oppressive government of his father, Mansur. He distributed a large amount of the stored wealth in Bayt al-Mal (public treasury) among the people. He freed the prisoners and returned the properties that Mansur had forcefully confiscated from the people. He also returned the properties that Mansur had seized from Imam Sadiq to Imam Kazim. Imam Kazim knew that Mahdi’s policy was solely to stabilize his government. Once, the Imam came to Mahdi while he was returning the unlawfully confiscated wealth to their owners. The Imam asked Mahdi, “Why don’t you return the Land of Fadak (the Prophet’s gift to Lady Fatimah (SA) which was confiscated by the first caliph) to us?” He asked the Imam to define the boundaries of Fadak. The Imam defined the limits of Fadak as the four corners of the Islamic world of that time. With this response, the Imam implied that the entire Islamic kingdom belonged to him, and the Abbasid government was illegitimate. Mahdi, who was shocked and nervous by the Imam’s response, left his place.
Mahdi once came to Medina and met the Imam. He decided to test the Imam’s knowledge. He asked the Imam about consuming alcohol, which he himself indulged in. He asked the Imam if there was any Quranic evidence for why intoxication is Haram or prohibited, since the Quran only orders to maintain distance from it. The Imam said that God prohibits the sin in the Quran [7:33]: ‘Say: My Lord has only prohibited indecencies, those of them that are apparent as well as those that are concealed, and sin and rebellion without justice….’. The Imam continued that one of the sins that God has prohibited is intoxication which is explicitly mentioned in the following verse of Quran [2:219]: ‘They ask you about intoxicants and games of chance. Say: In both of them there is a great sin and means of profit for men, and their sin is greater than their profit’. Mahdi was completely convinced by the Imam’s logic, and admitted that the Imam’s answer had originated from the Prophetic source.
With the passing of time, Mahdi became suspicious of Imam Kazim, as more and more people were referred to him as the Imam. Mahdi summoned the Imam from Medina to his palace in Baghdad, and imprisoned him. After a short period, he decided to kill the Imam. However, Mahdi saw Imam Ali (AS) in his dream, who recited the following verse of the Quran [47:22]: “May it not be that if you were to wield authority you would cause corruption in the land and ill-treat your blood relations?.” Mahdi was frightened by his dream. He understood that Imam Ali’s addressee was Imam Kazim, as he was from the children of Imam Ali, and also had a familial relation with the Abbasids. Mahdi summoned Imam Kazim from the prison and greeted him with respect. He asked the Imam to pledge that he would no
Mahdi once came to Medina and met the Imam. He decided to test the Imam’s knowledge. He asked the Imam about consuming alcohol, which he himself indulged in. He asked the Imam if there was any Quranic evidence for why intoxication is Haram or prohibited, since the Quran only orders to maintain distance from it. The Imam said that God prohibits the sin in the Quran [7:33]: ‘Say: My Lord has only prohibited indecencies, those of them that are apparent as well as those that are concealed, and sin and rebellion without justice….’. The Imam continued that one of the sins that God has prohibited is intoxication which is explicitly mentioned in the following verse of Quran [2:219]: ‘They ask you about intoxicants and games of chance. Say: In both of them there is a great sin and means of profit for men, and their sin is greater than their profit’. Mahdi was completely convinced by the Imam’s logic, and admitted that the Imam’s answer had originated from the Prophetic source.
With the passing of time, Mahdi became suspicious of Imam Kazim, as more and more people were referred to him as the Imam. Mahdi summoned the Imam from Medina to his palace in Baghdad, and imprisoned him. After a short period, he decided to kill the Imam. However, Mahdi saw Imam Ali (AS) in his dream, who recited the following verse of the Quran [47:22]: “May it not be that if you were to wield authority you would cause corruption in the land and ill-treat your blood relations?.” Mahdi was frightened by his dream. He understood that Imam Ali’s addressee was Imam Kazim, as he was from the children of Imam Ali, and also had a familial relation with the Abbasids. Mahdi summoned Imam Kazim from the prison and greeted him with respect. He asked the Imam to pledge that he would no
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