Imam Zayd, peace be upon him… the voice of the Quran that shook the thrones of tyranny and revived in the nation the duty of resistance
The revolution of the martyred Imam Zayd bin Ali bin Al-Hussein bin Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon them, is one of the greatest pivotal moments in the history of the Islamic nation, not as a military event or a limited political confrontation, but as a comprehensive Qur’anic project to revive the nation, awaken it, and restore it to its natural position as a nation that bears witness to the people, carries the message of truth, and stands against injustice and deviation.
On the twenty-fifth of Muharram every year, the nation commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Zayd, peace be upon him, a memory that embodies the meanings of pride, dignity, jihad, insight, and responsibility, and brings to mind the image of the scholar, mujahid, and revolutionary believer who refused to submit to Umayyad tyranny, and acted in compliance with a religious and moral duty imposed on him by the Holy Qur’an, until he concluded his life with martyrdom for the sake of God.
The revolution of Imam Zaid was a natural extension of the revolution of his grandfather, Imam Hussein, peace be upon him, in Karbala, and a continuation of the authentic Muhammadan project in confronting deviation and protecting the message of Islam from distortion and falsification. Therefore, it remained present in the conscience of the nation despite the passage of centuries, and it turned into an eternal school from which generations draw inspiration for the meanings of steadfastness, perseverance, and liberation from hegemony and tyranny.
Imam Zayd: His upbringing in the house of Prophethood and Imamate
Imam Zayd ibn Ali, peace be upon him, was born in Medina in the year seventy-five AH, and he grew up in the house of the Prophet, which represented the true extension of the message of Muhammadan Islam.
He was raised under the care of his father, Imam Ali bin Al-Hussein Zain Al-Abidin, peace be upon him, and he absorbed the sciences of the Qur’an, the knowledge of Islam, and the ethics of prophethood, until he became one of the most prominent scholars of his time, and the most knowledgeable, learned, ascetic, and devout.
Imam Zayd was known for his vast knowledge, deep understanding, and strong connection to the Holy Qur’an, to the point that he was nicknamed “the ally of the Qur’an,” due to his constant engagement with the Book of God through recitation, contemplation, understanding, and practice.
He was also known for his courage, boldness, and firmness in his stance. He combined knowledge and jihad, wisdom and bravery, and insight and action, which made him qualified to carry the project of reforming the nation in a stage that was one of the most dangerous stages in its history.
The reality that preceded the revolution: The nation under the yoke of Umayyad deviation.
The revival of Imam Zayd came at a stage when the Umayyad state had reached the peak of political, intellectual and moral deviation.
After the caliphate turned into a hereditary monarchy based on oppression and tyranny, the Umayyad authority sought to establish a new reality based on disabling the true values of Islam and turning religion into a tool that serves the authority and justifies its practices.
The Umayyads worked to spread a culture of surrender and submission to tyranny, and promoted deviant concepts aimed at stripping the nation of its responsibility, foremost among them the doctrine of predestination, which attempted to portray injustice and tyranny as a divine destiny that cannot be objected to.
The matter did not stop at the limits of intellectual deviation, but extended to the shedding of blood, the violation of sanctities, the plundering of public money, the exclusion of free people, and the persecution of scholars and reformers, until the nation began to live in a dangerous state of decline and regression.
Imam Zaid realized that this reality not only threatens the present of the nation, but also threatens its religion, identity, and future. Therefore, he saw that silence was no longer permissible, and that the responsibility of enjoining good and forbidding evil required him to act, no matter what the sacrifices.
Why did Imam Zayd revolt?
Imam Zayd did not go out seeking power, influence, or a desire to rule, as his opponents tried to portray it.
His primary motivation was to fulfill the responsibility that God imposed on believers in the face of injustice and deviation.
He used to say: “By God, the Book of God does not allow me to remain silent.” This is a phrase that summarizes the entire philosophy of the Zaydi revolution.
Imam Zaid did not act out of personal, tribal, or narrow political motives, but rather he proceeded from a d