A Short Play on the 10th Imam
Born in Madina 5th Rajab 214 Hijri ( 8.9.829 AD). Died in Samarrah, Iraq 3rd Rajab 254 Hijri ( 1.7.868) aged 40 years. Period of Imamat 34 years. Started imamat at about 7-8 years, some riwayat say 6 years.
Narrator: Salam alaikum everybody. As we all know 10th Imam's khushali is tonight, we decided to do a play showing a few parts of his life and how we can learn from him. However, before we start I want to give you a few quick points on the 10th Imam. The 10th Imam was born in Madina on the 5th of Rajab 214 A.H. (829 A.D. ) He got Imamat when the 9th Imam died, at this point Imam Ali Naqi was about 6-7 years old. Imam Zamana is the only Imam who got Imamat at a younger age than the 10th Imam. Our first clip of Imam's life will be the Imam was about very young about 7-8 years.
(curtain opens)
Narrator 2: the Imam had just gotten his Imamat and was still very young, but people would still flock towards the Imam asking him for advice on various issues. This got the calipoh of the time very angry and so they set up a meeting in which they decided to find the most scholarly person yet one who is against the ahlulbayt, so that the Imam can be out under his care and the shias do not get easy access to the Imam. Finally they came to a decision and appointed Ubaydullah Junaidi for this task. (curtain comes down)One day a person met Ubaydullah and:
Person: Ubaydullah! Salam alaikum.
Ubaydullah: Alaikum salam. How are you
Person: Alhamdulillah and you?
Ubaydullah: Alhamulillah
Person: So how is that Hashemite servant doing?
Ubaydullah: Do not call him a Hashemite servant for he is not a servant but a leader of Banu Hashim. By Allah (SWT)! Despite his young age, he is more knowledgeable than I am. People think that I am disciplining him but the truth is that he is disciplining me. I swear by Allah (SWT)! He is not only the Hafiz of Noble Qur'an (Hafiz-e-Quran) but also possesses its knowledge. To be precise, he is the best of all on the face of this earth.
(curtain closes)
Narrator: This shows that an Imam's knowledge does not increase as he has complete knowledge from the time he is born. Let us see what other things our Imams are blessed with...
Narrator 3: One day a man by the name of Younas Naqqash (curtain opens) came to the Imam looking very distressed.
Younas: Oh the son of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) I am at the verge and threshold of death, please help me.
Imam: Oh younas, what happened?
Younas: One of the courtiers of Abbasid Caliphate has given me a gem to engrave a design upon it. During the work, the gem broke into two pieces. Tomorrow, he will send someone to collect the gem. If he comes to know about the matter he will kill me.
(Imam raises his hands in prayer and then says): I prayed for you, be satisfied no harm will reach you from him, instead, this work will end to your benefit. Get up and go you will face no trouble tomorrow.
(curtain closes)
Narrator 3: The next day Younas was called to that man's house and he went there with trembling legs. (curtain opens) However when he reached a surprise awaited him...
The man: Oh Younas Naqqash it was settled that you engrave a design over that gem but two of my daughters have a conflict upon this gem. If it is possible, break the gem into two pieces, and engrave the design on each of the two parts of it. I will give you a reward too, for that.
(curtain closes)
Narrator 3: Younas was very relieved although did not show his relief to the owner of the house. He went to the Imam and expressed his gratitude to the Imam as the Imam prayed for him.
Narrator 2: From this we see that no matter which situation you find yourself in, pray to Allah and trust in him as He can make anything happen.
Narrator 3: You know one day the abbasid Caliph at the time of the 10th Imam Mutawakil became sick and he went to the best doctors but no cure could be found for him, so his mother went to the 10th Imam and asked him to find a cure for her son. Imam told her what medicine to use on him and he was instantly cured!
Narrator 2: Wow! Our Imam's kindness was limitless. Now that we know something about Imam's knowledge and about his kindness let us seefind out about his humility...
Narrator 2: There was a very great shia scholar. He had a debate with a Nasibi (one who curses the Ahlulbayt) and the scholar defeated the nasibi through Quranic verses. One day he entered a gathering in which the Imam was sitting (curtain opens) and the Imam got up and went to the scholar and offered him a seat. An old man from the Banu Hashim (the prophet's tribe) did not like this so:
Old man: O Son of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)! How can you give preference to an ordinary person over a Sayyid who belongs to the progeny of Abu Talib and Abbas?
Imam (to the crowd): Do you believe the commands of Allah (SWT) in the Noble Qur'an?
Crowd: Yes!
Imam: Hasn't Allah (SWT) said: 'Allah will raise those who have faith and those who have been given knowledge in rank...'? Then know that just as Allah (SWT) loves a Mumin over a non-Mumin, similarly, He loves a Mumin with knowledge over a Mumin without knowledge. (Now tell me) Hasn't Allah (SWT) also said, 'Say (O Muhammad): Can those who know and those who do not know be equal? Verily only the men of understanding take the heed'? Noble Qur'an (39:9)Then why are you people trying to stop me from giving preference to one who has been preferred by Allah (SWT)? This Scholar has utilized his knowledge, which Allah (SWT) has blessed him and defeated our enemy with it. This act is better than any family ties and relation in my eyes.
(curtain closes)
Narrator 2: It is never about which family you were born in or who you are related to, Allah judges each man individually and will take into consideration their own deeds, not the deeds of his/her family. So we should work hard to perform good deeds stay away from the evil ones. The only to do this is if we have the knowledge of which is good and which is bad, and so we should go and learn and inshallah we will be raised in the eyes of Allah.
Narrator: The Imam like most other Imams was poisoned by the Caliph of the time. However, the 10th Imam went through many caliphs some of which were Mutawakil, Mustansir, Musta'in and Mu'tazz. Mu'tazz saw the uncontroable and intense devotion of the people towards the Imam and eventually ordered that the Imam should be poisoned. The Imam was killed within a few hours of being poisoned. He became shaheed on the 26th of Jamad al-Akhir 254 AH and his ghusl, kafan and namaz e-janaza was conducted by his son, Imam Hasan al-Askari. The 10th Imam was 40 yea old when he died and is buried in Samarra alongside the 11th Imam.
Narrator 2: This brings an end to our play. We hope you enjoyed it and we also hope that you learnt from it and inshallah we will be able to instil some of the lessons into our own daily lives.
Narrator: To conclude the program let us all stand up, hold hands and recite dua