Immunity from Injustice and Humiliation of Restriction and Confinement (May Their Glory Be Mighty)

Is the Imam oppressed?

Khālid al-Jawār said: "I entered upon our Master Abū al-Ḥasan (al-Kāẓim) (May His Glory be Mighty) when he was in the courtyard of his house. He was at that time in al-Rumayla. When I looked at him, I said, 'May my father and mother be ransomed for you, O my Master, you are oppressed, usurped, persecuted'—to myself. Then I approached him, kissed him between his eyes, and sat before him. He turned to me and said: 'O son of Khālid, we are more knowledgeable of this matter, so do not entertain this idea.' I said, 'May I be made your sacrifice, by God, I did not intend anything [wrong] by this.' He said: 'We are more knowledgeable of this matter than others. If we willed, permission would be granted to us. Indeed, these people have a limit and a purpose that must be reached.' He said: I replied, 'I will not return to it and will never conceive anything in myself.' He said: 'Do not return to it, ever.' "¹

Reflect, my brother, the believer: Can he who takes the whole world like a piece of a walnut be oppressed?

But these people have a limit and a purpose that must be reached...

The Incident of Confinement of Our Master Zaynu al-'Ābidīn (May His Glory be Mighty)

Al-Zuhrī said: "I witnessed our Master ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn Zaynu al-ʿĀbidīn (May His Glory be Mighty) the day ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān carried him from Medina to Syria, and burdened him heavily with iron [chains], and entrusted him to a group of guards. I asked their permission to greet and bid him farewell, and they allowed me. I entered upon him while he was in a tent, with shackles on his feet and a yoke on his hands. I wept and said: 'I wish I were in your place and you were safe.' He said: 'O Zuhrī! Do you think what you see on me and around my neck distresses me? If I wished, it would not be so. Indeed, if it reaches you and those like you, it is merely a reminder of God's punishment. ' Then he brought out his hands from the yoke and his feet from the shackles."²