The life of Imam Sajjad (a.s.) represents a bright chapter of the lifetime of our infallible Imams (a.s.). The 35-year Imamate of Imam Sajjad (a.s.) was replete with different types of revolutionary and resistance features, in the pathway of performing the great responsibility of Imamate during the suppressive Umayyad and Abbasid rules
In summary, Imam Sajjad (a.s.) played three main roles. Two of the roles he played were shared between Imam Sajjad (a.s.) and the rest of the Imams (a.s.): the main task that Imams performed in relation to the Islamic society and Islam during the 250 years of Imamate consisted of firstly, explaining and promoting the teachings of Islam, the Islamic laws and the jurisprudence of Islam as well as preserving Islam from deviations and distortions. Secondly, their task was to pave the way for the creation of an Islamic society, a divine society, under the rule of the followers of Imam Ali (a.s.). These two duties were pursued by all the Imams (a.s.) until the time of the occultation of Imam Mahdi (God’s greetings be upon him and may God hasten his return) [Leader and audience recite salawat]. The Fourth Imam, Imam Sajjad (a.s.), performed these two duties with particular subtlety, which best suited the conditions of his time and community.
The principles of Islam were endangered. The tyrannical rulers who ruled over Muslims had to manipulate Islam in order to protect their own interests. If Islam had been presented to people in its original form, the reigns of the Umayyad and Abbasid rulers would have had no foundation or reason. They had to distort Islam in order to keep their governments in place. Islam required a government based on justice, but their governments were symbols of oppression.
Islam required paying attention to God, but they worshipped idols in place of God. Islam required respecting humankind; but they humiliated humans. Islam required an Islamic society, governed by Islamic laws; but they ruled based on their material desires. They had to distort Islam in order to keep their governments and power in place. This was a calamity that endangered Islam since the early years. The main factors [behind endangering Islam in such a manner] were the ones with most power and coercion as well as the toys in their hands: the perfidious jurists, preachers and sultans—or anyone who had sold out their faith in exchange for the material world and sought after accumulating wealth by cooperating with the oppressive rulers to spend the ephemeral lowly life of this world.
One of the responsibilities of the Imams was to rise up against this deviation. Look at the world today and see the situation of some Muslim rulers such as Al Saud and the like, and you will see how they strike at the roots of Islam by claiming [advocacy for] Islam; how they ignore and deny the basic rules of Islam; how they make friends with enemies of God and fight against God's friends. The same situation existed at that time [of the infallible Imams]. Then, in this extreme oppressive environment, the Imams were obliged to oppose this trend, and they had the responsibility to express and present the true Islam to the Islamic society, in a manner that would persist in the hearts and minds of the people and would spread. This was the first commission.
Another commission was to prepare the society, to revive Islam within the existing reality of the society; that is, establishing justice in society-- a political movement. The first action was a movement, that despite having a political nature, it was a movement of thought and belief and a religious struggle. The second action, although religious in nature—as it was part of the religion-- was a political representation and a political movement. The oppressive governments were both opposed to and afraid of these movements, and therefore they put pressure on our Imams (a.s.), and they eventually martyred them.
These two great movements were carried out by Imam Sajjad (a.s.) in a situation when the repression was extremely severe in the Muslim world; because the events of Ashura had frightened the people. It was then followed by the Battle of al-Harrah: the massacre of the people of Medina and the pressures Marwan and Abdul Malik put on the people. As a result, the people were so terrified that even the devout believers didn’t dare [to practice the true religion]. In such an environment, Imam Sajjad (a.s.) very expertly and while facing many difficulties, started and continued both movements together, in the manner that I am going to elaborate. In the first case, the statements of Imam Sajjad (a.s.) are extraordinary[...]
Imam Sajjad’s work on educating and teaching to the people was coupled with so much difficulty—the like of which cannot be observed in the lifetime of any other Imams. An example of [of his teachings] is Saheefeh-Sajjadiyeh. I’d like to use this opportunity to talk to our people about Sahifeh-Sajjadiyeh. The importance of Sahifeh-Sajjadiyah is not less than Imam Ali’s Nahja Al-Balaghah. There are two main streams in Sahifeh-Sajjadiyeh: the first one is providing teachings on matters such as monotheism, the accurate image of pure monotheism, explaining prophethood, illustrating the personality of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the effect that Prophet had on the world and on the movement of mankind. Provided in the Sahifeh-Sajjadiyeh are the facts on the Day of Resurrection, on Imamate, on humanity, the divine attributes as well as all the essential principles of Islamic beliefs and teachings. When you read this script, you can find prayers in praise of Allah similar to the ones you can read in Nahja Al-Balaghah, for instance, in the first sermon which is about monotheism and divine attributes. That is, even if Nahja Al-Balaghah contains sermons, while Sahifeh-Sajjadiyeh contains prayers, the tone and content, and even some of the phrases are similar. In Sahifeh-Sajjadiyeh, the same teachings have been expressed in the form of supplications. The second point is Sahifeh- Sajjadiyeh consists of preparing and educating humans. It is not enough to only know the Islamic teachings; rather, people should change [so as to accept them fully]. Simply knowing Islamic teachings does not make anyone a Muslim.
It is complying with Islamic ethics and manners that makes a Muslim. Relying on God; piety before God; avoiding forbidden acts; performing all duties, even if difficult; constant remembrance of God; having no fear of any powers except God; relating all the affairs to God, the Exalted; in addition to seeking help from Him; feeling powerful for being connected to the unlimited source of power: the Holy Divine Essence are the virtues that if present in a person, will make them truly and practically a Muslim. So, this was the second stream in Sahifeh-Sajjadieh which teaches the wisdom, ethics and manners through the words of supplications. “Oh, the one who can untie the knots of any problem, Oh! The one who removes the difficulties of the hardships by His support [Sahifeh-Sajjadieh; 7th supplication].”
The supplication expresses facts by through the semantics of imploring and soliciting. It makes people aware of what they are and what they should become. We should develop a fondness of Sahife-Sajjadieh; I ask all the brothers and sisters to read this book, to contemplate on it; so they can benefit from the attention they pay to God by reading the supplications, and also from the great teachings of this book, which follows the Quran and Nahjul-Balagheh. Scholars, thinkers, and prominent figures of religious studies should work more on Sahifeh-Sajjadieh.
These were two movements and actions that Imam Sajjad (a.s.) pursued. Another duty Imam Sajjad (a.s.) performed during his Imamate was to keep the events of Ashura alive-- this is a lesson to learn from. The events of Ashura took place so that history, the future generations and all Muslims—until the return of the last Imam (a.s.)—should take a lesson from. In the previous sermon about Ashura and Muharram, I mentioned that the events of Ashura and Imam Hussain’s uprising presented the pathway the Muslims should take when facing similar conditions. Hence, if this event wants to be effective, it should persist in history; it should not be forgotten. The Umayyads used their wicked methods and conspiracies to make the events of Ashura be forgotten so that no one would learn about it. However, Imam Sajjad (a.s.) rose up against this conspiracy. Since the time of their captivity, in the gathering before Ubaidullah and before Yazid, throughout the arduous journey of their return to Medina-- all through his life-- Imam Sajjad (a.s.) used any opportunity to remind the people of the events of Ashura, and reveal to the people the reality of those events. This is an important lesson: the events that shed light on facts, making the people’s hearts and minds aware should not be forgotten[...]
Imam Sajjad played this important role all on his own during those times of oppression. During his life of 35 years, his Eminence used all his divine power to carry out these important and perilous tasks, and God almighty helped him in his mission. Likewise—although according to some accounts, at the beginning of Imam Sajjad’s Imamate no more than 3 or 5 persons were close followers of him— after 35 years, when it was time for the Imamate of Imam Baqir (a.s.), the whole Islamic world was overwhelmed by this school of thought and this current. All around the world of Islam, there were people who were acquainted with and believed in the thoughts of Imam Sajjad and what he wanted people to know. God's blessings be upon Imam Sajjad's pure soul, and I hope that we can be eligible followers of him. May we be able to know that holy personality as he was—as much as the limits of our abilities allow us—and follow that path and pursue that goal, the way his eminence deemed.