The Deaths of Fadal bin Sahal and Imam Ali Rida

The Death of Fadal bin Sahal

It has been mentioned that whatever news Fadal bin Sahal wanted to communicate to Mamoon he passed it on and whatever he wished to conceal from him he withheld it. He therefore withheld from him the news of Ibrahim bin Mehdi's assuming power as caliph in Baghdad and none dared to acquaint Mamoon with the state of affairs in Iraq. Fadal had deputed Tahir bin Husain as the ruler of Riqqah. Tahir was a famous general whose services could have been utilized in putting an end to the unrest in Iraq but Fadal bin Sahal considered him to be like Harsimah. So, by appointing him governor of an ordinary state he had virtually paralyzed him.

In Iraq unrest continued to increase unabated and the masses began to hate Hasan bin Sahal even more. A few persons therefore gathered courage and ran the risk of undertaking the journey to Merv and called on Ali Rada bin Musa Kazim, the heir apparent to the caliphate, and said, "No one else dares to make Mamoon aware of the real state of affairs except you. So kindly settle this issue."

Although Ali Rada did not regard Fadal bin Sahal as his opponent and always looked at him as a supporter, it was the purity of his heart and intention that convinced him to do the job. He briefed Mamoon Rasheed in detail about Fadal bin Sahal's and Hasan bin Sahal's improper activities, the murder of Harsimah, neutralizing the power of Tahir, the riot in Iraq and the caliphate of Ibrahim bin Mehdi and said, "The masses are getting sick and your caliphate is in danger." While informing him of all these details he also said to him clearly, "Because you have made me your heir apparent Banu Abbas and their supporters are displeased with you."

After hearing about all these matters Mamoon said to him, "Is anybody else aware of these things other than you?" He said, "Your chiefs and companions also know these things but they are paralyzed with fear of Fadal bin Sahal and they dare not tell you." Mamoon called those officers in private and inquired of them. They all declined to speak but when he assured them that Fadal would not harm them, they opened their mouths and told him everything and confirmed what Ali Rada had informed him. Hearing this he intended to leave Merv and go to Iraq. When Fadal came to know about the disclosures, he persecuted the leaders who had acquainted Mamoon with the real state of affairs. He imprisoned some of them and some were insulted and lashed but it was too late to change anything. Mamoon took the wise step that he did not let Fadal bin Sahal become afraid or frustrated. He made Fadal bin Sahal's cousin Ghassan bin Abbad the governor of Khorasan and left Khorasan and went to Iraq. He arrived at Sarkhas. There Fadal bin Sahal was attacked and killed by four persons in his bathroom. The killers escaped.

Mamoon announced that whosoever captured the killers would be given 10,000 dinars. They were duly arrested and killed by his orders. Their heads were sent to Hasan bin Sahal.

Mamoon wrote a consolatory letter to Hasan bin Sahal and made him his minister in Fadal bin Sahal's place. He then visited Fadal's mother to console her. He said to her, "Just as Fadal was your son, I am your son also." After a few days, he married Hasan bin Sahal's daughter Boran and thereby raised Hasan's prestige. In short, Fadal bin Sahal's murder took place in the same way in which Jafar Barmuk's murder had taken place. It goes without saying that it was Mamoon Rasheed who had him murdered and those four men who killed him in his bathroom were ordered by Mamoon Rasheed. Fadal had proved himself deserving to be killed. In this respect, Mamoon followed his father Haroon Rasheed with the difference that the Haroon had Jafar Barmuk killed and then punished the entire Barmuk family and took the blame of his murder upon himself, while Mamoon had Fadal killed and bestowed so much favor on his family that no one could dare condemn or slander him or prove him guilty to such an extent that even Fadal's brother, father and mother did not complain. The murder took place at Sarkhas on 2 Shaban 202 A.H.

The Death of Imam Ali Rada bin Musa Kazim

Caliph Mamoon Rasheed had already had his daughter Umm Habib married to Ali Rada. During the journey to Iraq, he married his second daughter to Ali Rada's son Mohammad bin Ali Rada but the departure to her husband's house was deferred until she came of age some years later. Mamoon left Merv in Rajab 202 A.H. and reached Baghdad on 15 Safar 204 A.H. He covered the journey in one year and six months and came to Baghdad after halting at many places on the way. The journey fully acquainted him with the situation in the country and the people favorably responded to him upon his arrival in Baghdad. During the same journey, he sent Ali Rada's brother Ibrahim bin Musa Kazim as the leader of the pilgrimage and gave him the governorship of Yemen. He halted at Tus and came to his father's grave and prayed for him.

He stayed in Tus for over a month. What happened while they were there was that the heir apparent Imam Ali Rada died while eating grapes. Mamoon was extremely shocked about his death. He accompanied the funeral procession bare headed and said, "O Abui Hasan! Where should I go and what should I do after you?" For three days, he halted at the grave and lived on bread and salt. He had his father Haroon Rasheed's grave dug out and put Ali Rada's dead body into it so that Haroon Rasheed should be benefited from Ali Rada's grace. Mamoon Rasheed was dedicated to Ali Rada. The popular suspicion that it was Mamoon Rasheed who had his grapes poisoned seems to be totally baseless since he was not compelled to choose him as his heir apparent, which he did of his own accord. He married his daughters to Ali Rada and to his son willingly. He made Ali Rada's brother governor of Yemen and leader of the pilgrimage. He could not have served a man so much whom he wanted to have killed. Furthermore, how could he put the body of a man he had killed into his father's grave? To have him buried in his father's grave is ample proof of his true and deep love for him, which was not tainted by hypocrisy or pretense. His deep mourning over his death also indicates this fact. Mamoon Rasheed always dealt kindly with the Alawiites during his caliphate and appointed them to high posts, which cannot be overlooked. All these sufficiently demonstrate that he did not hate the Alawiites. He wanted to improve their lot and help them. Had he removed Ali Rada by poison, he could not have continued to behave with them in the manner that he did. It is possible that Banu Abbas or one of their supporters poisoned his grapes because they were displeased with Mamoon Rasheed for making Ali Rada his heir-apparent. Imam Ali Rada died in Safar 203 A.H. when he was 55. He was born at Madinah.