By: Seyyed Ali Shahbaz

“We are the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet. Do not compare our knowledge and perfection to others. We receive these perfections in inheritance. The Earth can never remain without our presence. We are perfect in every matter, while all other people are deficient in reaching our level.”
These words were spoken by Imam Muhammad Baqer (AS) in Damascus to a self-styled Omayyad caliph, who after having kept Prophet Muhammad’s (SAWA) 5th Infallible Heir waiting for three days as a form of snub, ignored him when he entered the court where archers were testing their skills, and then disdainfully handed him a bow and a set of arrows to try his has hand at marksmanship, in the vain hope of ridiculing him if his volleys were to fall short of target.
Imam Baqer (AS) calmly picked up the bow and to the surprise of everyone, hit the bull’s-eye. He aimed another arrow which pierced the first to hit the centre of the target. Before the flabbergasted caliph stopped him, the Fifth Imam shot nine arrows in succession, each piercing the other, as testimony to his marksmanship.
The scene was not the Damascus of 61 AH (680 AD), when, after a similar 3-day wait at Bab at-Toma, Imam Baqer (AS), as a barely 4-year old boy, was brought in chains to the court of Yazid, along with his parents and the rest of the survivors of the heartrending Tragedy of Karbala, including Grand Aunts Hazrat Zainab (SA) and Hazrat Omm Kolthoum (SA), and his own aunt of his age, Hazrat Ruqa’iyya (SA), while placed in a tray before the infidel caliph, was the severed head of his grandfather, Imam Husain (AS).
Now, half a century later, the middle aged Imam Baqer (AS), along with his son and eventual successor, Imam Ja’far as-Sadeq (AS), was forcibly brought from Medina to Damascus to the court of the tyrant Hisham ibn Abdul-Malik, who gloating at the march of his marauding armies across the Pyrenees into France in the west, and into the Subcontinent in the east, thought of himself as the “Wali al-Amr” or the Vicegerent of God upon Earth, and wanted to humiliate the Prophet’s Divinely-designated successors – the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt.
It was here the 5th Imam expressed the statement mentioned at the beginning of this column when Hisham astounded at his marksmanship, said: who coached you.
Imam Baqer’s (AS) reply filled the self-styled caliph with rage and he said: Do you claim that the people of your time are obliged to obey you?
To his further exasperation, the Imam said: “Indeed! We are those vested with authority” – or “Ulil-Amr” as the Holy Qur’an says.
Hisham laughed and said your command is effective nowhere. The Imam said without hesitation: “Those who do not consider us “Ulil Amr”, are sinners.”
When the tyrant seething with anger, said: I am the “Ulil Amr”, Imam Baqer (AS) coolly replied: “You might be a king, made by the people, while it is we who are the “Ulil Amr”, appointed by Almighty Allah.”
Humiliated in front of his courtiers Hisham realized that further argument was useless and ordered that Imam Baqer (AS) and Imam Sadeq (AS) be detained, at which an Omayyad courtier said: Thank God, the ruler did not order your execution. The 5th Imam stunned him and the caliph with the following words:
“We Ahl al-Bayt (AS) are the Announcers of Allah’s Word and Expounder of the Truth; we never hesitate in this regard, and we are never afraid of death.”
Like Prophet Joseph in Egypt, the prison was an opportunity for father and son to reform the inmates and make them good Muslims. This horrified Hisham and he released them but did not allow them to leave Damascus. The Imam regarded this as a blessing in disguise and visited the chief Christian bishop of Syria, who after a lively debate became a follower of the Ahl al-Bayt along with his flock of devotees.
Hisham, alarmed at the situation in Syria, had now no other choice but to send back to Medina Imam Baqer (AS) and Imam Sadeq (AS) – like Yazid half a century before him who had to release Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS), Hazrat Zainab (SA) and the Survivors of the Tragedy of Karbala after their electrifying sermons changed public opinion in Damascus.
Since the 3rd of Safar, according to a narration, is the birth anniversary of the 5th Imam in 57 AH (the reliable date is Rajab 1st) and it was on the 1st of Safar 61 AH that the Ahl al-Bayt were brought in chains to the court of Yazid in Damascus, it would not be out of context to refer to the then 4-year old boy’s decisive debate with the killer of his grandfather – as well as granduncles (including Hazrat Abbas), paternal uncles Ali Akbar and the six-month infant Ali Asghar, and maternal uncles Muhammad, Qasim, and Abdullah (peace upon them).
When the Godless Omayyad, gloating over his success over the Bani Hashem, tried to ridicule Imam Husain (AS) and the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS) in front of his courtiers, Imam Zain al- Abedin (AS) in spite of being in fetters and shackles gave a fitting reply, resulting in a heated dialogue with Yazid, who lost the argument with the son of his victim. In anger he turned to his courtiers who advised him to kill Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS).
At this, the 4-year old Imam Muhammad Baqer (AS), boldly addressing Yazid, said: Your courtiers’ advice to you to kill my father is diametrically opposed to the advice of Pharaoh’s courtiers, who on being asked their opinion regarding Prophet Moses (AS) and Aaron (AS), said: Give respite to him and his brother.
Yazid and his courters were confused at these words expressed in flawlessly eloquent Arabic by a boy of tender age, and asked: what is the reason.
Imam Baqer (AS) answered: The reason why Pharaoh did not order the killing of Prophet Moses was that the Egyptian tyrant was of legitimate birth, which means only those of illegitimate birth slay a Prophet or his pure progeny.
Peace unto the “Baqer al-Uloum” (Splitter and Spreader of Sciences – as the Prophet had prophesied to Jaber ibn Abdullah). It was through him the “ziyarah” (standard form of salutation) for the Day of Ashura and the supplication “Du’a Alqama” have come down to us as treasure trove of the

legacy of the Ahl al-Bayt.
Imam Baqer (AS) who was descended from both sides from the Prophet (his mother Fatema (SA) being the daughter of Imam Hasan Mojtaba (AS), told his disciple Alqama ibn Hadhrami to regularly recite it, saying:
“With face turned towards the shrine of Imam Husain (AS), first send salaams upon him and imprecate (la’nat) his killers. Then after performing a (special) two-rak’at prayer, recite the Ziyarat Ashura.”
“O Alqama! If you recite this ziyarah, it is as if you have performed the pilgrimage to the shrine of Imam Husain (AS) in the manner of angels. Allah will register for you thousands and thousands of rewards and forgive your thousands and thousands of sins. The one who recites this ziyarah is exalted by 100,000 degrees while his reward would be equal to those martyred along with Imam Husain (AS), to the extent that he will share the rewards of the martyrs (of Karbala) and will be considered from among them. O Alqama, if possible, every day perform the pilgrimage of Imam Husain (AS) by (recitation of) this ziyarah.”
In his Last Will the 5th Imam, who despite his magnanimous help in setting up the first ever mint in Islam to stop the flow of bullion to the Byzantine Empire, was in 114 AH (733 AD) martyred by Hisham through a poison-laced saddle, specified the holding of mourning ceremonies every year at Mena near Mecca during the Hajj to acquaint pilgrims of the sufferings of the Ahl al-Bayt for safeguarding the pure and pristine teachings of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA).