Mansur and Imam Sadiq (AS)

Mansur gained full control over his government after defeating the uprisings of Muhammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyya and his brother, Ibrahim. He constructed the city of Baghdad as a capital for his government to show off his incomparable power. He regarded the Imam as the only threat for his established government. In these few years, until the Imam’s martyrdom, Mansur made multiple attempts to kill the Imam. He was looking for any excuse to kill the Imam. Mansur had said that he had killed many from the Prophet’s lineage, and yet their master, Imam Sadiq, was still alive. He had also said that the Imam was like a bone in his throat; he did not have any excuse to kill him, nor could he ignore his status in society.
Mansur, who was worried about any other rebellions against his government, forcefully migrated the elders of Banu Hashim, including Imam Sadiq, from Medina to Iraq. It was highly possible that he would order their beheading. They selected two people among themselves, including Imam Sadiq, to represent them in the meeting with Mansur. In the meeting, the Imam stated three narrations from the Prophet about the impact of devotion and maintaining the relationship with kin on the elongation of life. Mansur, like the other cruel governors, feared death. He was influenced by the Imam’s words on elongation of life, and decided to release the Imam and the other elders of Banu Hashim who were his own relatives, as the Abbasids belonged to the Prophet’s clan of Banu Hashim.
On one occasion, someone accused the Imam of plotting an uprising against Mansur by collecting weapons and wealth in hiding. Mansur became furious. He sent a letter to his governor in Medina, and asked him to send the Imam to Baghdad immediately. When the Imam received Mansur’s order, he went to the Prophet’s Mosque, prayed, and recited some supplications. The Imam left Medina the following day. When the Imam met Mansur, Mansur angrily accused the Imam of conspiracy against his government. The Imam firmly denied Mansur’s claims. Mansur then brought forth the accuser as a witness, who swore by God that he was telling the truth. The Imam rejected his oath, and asked him to take an oath without taking refuge in the merciful names of God. The person took an oath as instructed by the Imam, fell, and died immediately. Mansur, who was overtaken by fear upon seeing this, allowed the Imam to return to Medina, and promised to not accept any person’s conspiracy against the Imam in the future.
The Imam remained under intense surveillance by Mansur’s spies. Anyone who would contact the Imam would be arrested and beheaded. No one dared to contact the Imam, even to ask him simple Islamic laws. The Imam had asked his followers to stop visiting him, in order to protect their lives. Mansur once contacted the Imam and asked him for a precious and unique gift. The Imam sent him a wooden staff of the Holy Prophet, and Mansur was overjoyed. Mansur cut the gift into four pieces, and kept each piece in