Before the Revolt: Imam Zayd ibn Alī’s First Efforts at Peaceful Reform

The following account is taken from Imam Zayd ibn ʿAlī (peace be upon him): His Life, Jurisprudence, and Influence by Ustadh Jamal al-Shamy:

Imam Zayd ibn ʿAlī at first followed peaceful methods of reform, such as directly advising rulers and governors with truth and guidance. Among these instances was what occurred with Hishām ibn ʿAbd al-Malik: Zayd ibn ʿAlī, peace be upon him, entered upon Hishām ibn ʿAbd al-Malik, and Hishām said to him:

“You have turned away from us and sat apart, raising your voice against us, lowering our status, openly showing hostility to us, and calling people to pledge allegiance to you. This is not befitting for someone like you.”

Imam Zayd replied with the words of his grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family):

“The worst of scholars is he who visits princes, and the best of princes is he who visits scholars. And woe to the scholars of evil who incline toward rulers—when they are commanded, they obey; when they are forbidden, they refrain; and when they are invited, they hasten.”

Then he added:

“O Hishām, beware lest Allah see you committing disobedience or transgression, or abandoning obedience to Him. For if you turn away from the path of your Lord and follow your desires, preferring your worldly life over your Hereafter, then your lot is destruction and your fate is loss.

By Allah, I do not fear death when it comes in obedience to Allah, nor do I dread the sword when it strikes in the path of Allah, nor the killing that is endured in the pleasure of Allah.”

He concluded:

“By Allah, disobedience to Allah is what I fear for you, O Hishām! That you follow your desires, break His commands, and oppose His rulings. You name yourself a caliph but in reality you are nothing but a tyrant. You claim to be a commander of the believers, but you have deviated from their path, and your actions have led you to destruction and damnation.”

Source

al-Imām Zayd ibn ʿAlī (ʿalayhi as-salām): ḥayātuhu, wa-fiqhuhu, wa-taʾthīruhu
Author: Ustadh Jamal al-Shamy
Page: 33