We bring some divine characteristics of Imam Muhammad Taqi (pbuh), the truthful successor of the holy prophet and circumstances surrounding his age as following:
At the time of the martyrdom of Imam ‘Ali Al-Ridha’ our 9th Imam was only 9 years old. Some people from among the followers of Ahlul Bayt and others doubted Imam’s eligibility to become Imam at this young age.
It is an undeniable fact that the whole episode of the call for Imam ‘Ali Al-Ridha’ (pbuh)to Tus, and his appointment as heir apparent to Mamun was a game played for political convenience to get the sympathies and support of the Persians to get his empire back from his step brother Amin. Once this was achieved Mamun had the Imam poisoned to get him out of his way.
But the fact is that Mamun being the most learned among all the Abbasid rulers, was aware that the family of the Prophet had a special type of knowledge which should be appreciated and be known to other people as long as power remained in Mamun’s hands and his authority remained supreme. This became apparent when he arrived in Baghdad victorious.
After his father martyrdom, Imam Muhammad Taqi (pbuh) occupied the highest position in human virtues and moral attainments as this was the marked feature of the Prophet’s family. It was customary for the Imam to meet everyone humbly, fulfill the needs of the poor, maintain Islamic requisites of equality and simplicity, help the poor secretly, treat even foes fairly, extend hospitality, impart true Islamic knowledge to all and specially to the scholars of religion and the like, marked his saintly life-in full conformity with other members of this sacred series of infallible Imams.
Common people who could not appreciate such heights of moral excellence, might have thought the new relationship, i.e. to become son-in-law of the most influential monarch of his time, must influence the pattern of life of the Imam and change his manners altogether.
Mamun too, might have thought on the same lines because spiritualism which was the chief characteristic of this household was against the practices of worldly rulers. It could be said that neither the Ummayads nor the Abbasids had any personal grudge against the Prophet or his family, the Ahlul Bayt, but they were at war with the moral standards set by them.
They always tried to destroy the center of moral excellence and human values which was shown as the polar star of ideal spiritual perfection, overshadowing their royal glory.
In order to uphold their imperialistic and luxurious norms of life, these monarchs wanted to do away with these godly saints who demonstrated righteousness, compassion, faith, piety, fraternity and justice as the main teachings of Islam. Yazid’s demand of obedience from Imam Husayn (pbuh)or Mamun’s appointment of Imam ‘Ali Al-Ridha’ (pbuh)as his heir-apparent were two different aspects of the same desire.
The procedures were different but the end purpose was the same. Imam Husayn (pbuh)did not bow to pay homage, so he was slain in the battlefield. Imam ‘Ali Al-Ridha’ (pbuh) did not serve the cause of Abbasid imperialism, so he was silenced with poison. Appointment of Imam ‘Ali Al-Ridha’ (pbuh)as his heir-apparent were two different aspects of the same desire.