Download Here - IslamicBlessings.com

Commander of the faithful,” replied Ibrahim, “ for you are more appropriate for speech.” “I will
give to you all that which I have worn,” said Harun. “Ordered it to be given to me,
[1] Ibid., 5, 90‐91.
[2] Harun al‐Rashid, vol. 1, p. 267.
” Ibrahim demanded. Harun ordered clothes other than those he had worn. He took off his
previous clothes and gave them to Ibrahim.[1] Harun played chess when traveled by the Tigris.[2]
Accordingly, his sons followed his example. His son al‐Amin played backgammon with his minister
al‐Fedl b. al‐Rabi‘.[3]
The historians narrated that he played with the scepter. He threw arrows at the target. He played
the ball with the bat.[4] His two sons imitated him in that. Al‐Ma’mun went to the field of playing
every day.[5] A day after the pledge of allegiance to him, al‐Amin ordered a field for those who
played and for those who beat a ball with a rod to be built around Abu Ja‘far’s palace.[6]
Indeed at the time of Harun amusement prevailed, prostitution became general, dissoluteness
spread, morals declined, and virtues were buried. If Harun had sat on the throne of the caliphate
for a longer time, the Islamic state would have declined to a very low level with the ugliest
declination, as Dr. Mustefa Jewad said.[7]
Surely Harun’s deeds indicate that he was corrupt and that he did not follow any religious rule. He
went too far in practicing pleasures, to the extent that his royal palace became a café including all
kinds of prostitution and dissoluteness. It was rarely void of the dance and singing parties and
drinking wine. It was also an arena for oppression, tyranny, and dictatorship. Harun’s government
did not represent Islam. Al‐Rashid realized this aspect, so he pretended some Islamic aspects. He
attained the gatherings of the pseudo clergymen, and they preached to him. He showed weeping
out of fear of Allah. He also went to the Sacred House of Allah (Mecca) to perform the hajj, for he
wanted to deceive those naive and simple‐minded, and to delude them that he was clinging to his
religion and taking care of the affairs of Islam, and that he was the opposite to the Umayyads who
neglected the affairs of the religion during their reign. Professor ‘Amru Abu Neseer referred to
that when he said: “Indeed the ‘Abbasids accused the Umayyad caliphs of weakness in religion. So
it was an act of the truth in respect with this condition that they had appeared before the people
with a new appearance showing respect to the religion and strengthening the Islamic beliefs.”[8]
Certainly Harun and other ‘Abbasid kings had no purpose when they showed some religious rites
except that they intended to mislead and deceive the public opinion
[1] Abu al‐Farajj al‐Asfahani, al‐Aghani, vol. 5, pp. 69‐70.
[2] Ibid., vol. 9, p. 64.
[3] Al‐Fekhri, p.55.
Presented by http://www.alhassanain.com & http://www.islamicblessings.com