Imam Ali Naqi and Wikala Institution

Wiladat-E-Imam Sabhi Momneen to Muabarak Ho

Dr.Mazhar Naqvi

The world today celebrated another birth anniversary of Imam Ali Naqi .The blogger offers his heartiest congratulations to all those who love Prophet Hazrat Muhammad and his progeny. Imam Naqi was born in the vicinity of Medina on 15 Zil Hij in 214 Hijri. He lost his father Imam Muhammad Taqi at the age of 6 years. His  mother Janab-e Samana al-Maghribiya was a very pious lady. She spent her whole life in fasting. The Imam has eulogized her, saying “ she was one of the ladies of paradise and one of those from 'Ahlul Haqq' (people of truth).” Like his illustrious father, Imam Naqi also suffered persecution from the Abbasid tyrants. Al-Mutwakkil surpassed all the Abbasid Caliphs in harassing and torturing Imam. He moved the Imam from Medina to Samarra' and put him under house arrest and deployed security men who watched even his breathes. Yet Imam served the cause of Islam by strengthening and brining to the peak the institution of Wikala .The insrtitution was started by Imam Jafar Sadiq. It was subsequently nursed by 7^th ,8^th and 9^th Imams for protecting the Imami faith from tyrants and anti-Ahle-Bait elements. How badly an institution like Wikala was needed could only be understand by going through the merciless persecution of Imamis and the efforts made by Imams to protect Mazhab-E-Haqqa against the heavy odds.  

After the decline of the Umayyad dynasty, the  Abbasids had risen to power by using the name of Ahle-Bait. They also garnered support from the followers of Ahle-Bait. Then, Abbasid founding rulers, Saffah and Mansoor, became apprehensive of Ahle-bait’s followers , thinking that they might one day  overthrow them if they realize the fact that they had used the name of Imam Hussain and Ahle-Bait for the sake of only power. Therefore, Abbasid rulers resorted to indiscriminate killing of Imamis  and persecuted the lovers of Ahle-Bait more than  Umayyad. Mere suspicion was enough to put to sword anyone irrespective of the fact whether he was a follower of Ahle-Bait or not? To overcome such a precarious situation, Imam Jafar Sadiq  had to develop a mechanism to remain in  touch with his followers without evoking any suspicion from  the rulers and their spies. The Imam started an underground means of communication called Wikala. The movement facilitated the communication between Imam with his followers through some trustworthy agents who were not afraid of dying for undertaking this dangerous task. These agents penetrated into every part of the Muslim Empire. They guided believers by  spreading the true message of Islam through traditions learnt from the Imams .They also collected  khums, zakat and other dues and gifts from the followers endowed with means and to funnel them to the Imam of the time or use it in accordance with the instructions of the Imam. These trustworthy agents also assisted the followers in in meeting their day to day  economic, social and religious requirements. They even pushed followers to  earn a post in the government to further the cause of Imams. Ali ibne Yaqtin is one such example. Jafar ibn Mohammed al-Ashath and his son Abbas become governor of Khurasan and Waddah as a sequel to such efforts and they  contributed to the cause of Wikala secretly. Imam Musa Kazim gave further impetus to the system after Imam Jafar Sadiq. Imam Rida also did likewise. Imam Muhammad Taqi used  Wikala to inform his followers who will be his  successor?. Shehr Ibne Ashub mentions in his Manaquib that when Imam Taqi  was leaving for Baghdad not to come back, he insisted that his agent, Muhammad Bin Al-Faraj, hand over the revenue collected as khums to Imam Naqi. This was a way of letting the followers know who was to be their next Imam. “

As a result, the majority of followers of Imam Taqi  accepted Imam Naqi  as their Imam despite his  young age Imam Naqi added a new dimension to Wikala movement. Prior to him, Wikala was more or less dependent on the direct supervision of the Imam. Imam began developing movement in such a way so that the reliance on direct supervision could be replaced with the monitoring of the institution by trustworthy community leaders themselves. He prepared such leaders so as to ensure that Wikala continues to serve its purpose even in the absence of Imam.

Jassim Husain in his book “The Occultation of the Twelfth Imam” argues “the growing strength of the `Wikala network might have been one of the reasons that prompted the governor of Medina, Abdullah Bin Hakim, to write to Mutawakkil, the caliph at Samarra, complaining that the Imam  was secretly plotting to overthrow the government. This was the beginning of Imam's second phase of life: his migration to Samarra.”

Imam Naqi lived for only 42 years. Half of his life was spent in prison. Despite these hurdles, he served the cause of Allah very well and impacted the lives of people from all walks of life. Besides being the centre of knowledge and learning, he was also known for his piety and generosity. His wisdom , integrity and character  made him so popular that the rulers envied him. He was loved and respected by the public when he was alive, and remembered by many after his passing away. Two prominent Sunni scholars are worth quoting to illustrate the character and accomplishments of Imam Naqvi. Ibne Katheer portrays in his book ‘Al Badaya Wan Nahaya’ the personality of the Imam in these words: "The son of Imam Jawad  and the father of Imam Hasan Askari  was ascetic and pious”. While  Ali Bin Muhammad Maliki of "Faslul Muhimma" says, "...The words of praise, the eulogy and commendations that one cannot even imagine for others are appropriate for this Imam whose soul was pure, whose behavior and general conduct with people exuded brilliance....".(Other references are also available on request).