Summary: The Life of Imam Musa Al-Kazim

   Imam Musa al-Kazim (p.b.a.h) lived under the most crucial times in the regimes of the despotic Abbasid kings who were marked for their tyrannical and cruel administration . He witnessed the reings of al-Mansur ad-Dawaniqi , al-Mahdi and Harun ar-Rashid .

   In 179 AH., Harun ar-Rashid visited Medina . The fire of malice and jealousy against the Ahl-al-bayt (p.b.a.h) was kindled in his heart when he saw the great influence and popularity which the Holy Imam (p.b.a.h) enjoyed amongst the people there . He got the Imam (p.b.a.h) arrested while he was busy in prayer at the tomb of the Holy Prophet (p.b.a.h)  and kept him in prison in Baghdad for a period of about four years. 

   On the 25th Rajab 183 AH , he got the Imam (p.b.a.h) martyred by poison. Even his corpse was not spared humiliation and was taken out of the prison and left on the Bridge of Baghdad. When Harun Rashid's brother Sulayman heard of this he was furious and arranged for his burial in a Quraysh cemetery outside Baghdad. A town grew around the tomb of Imam called Kazemain since the 9th Imam is also buried there.