The Cause of the Death of Hesham
The fame of Hesham had spread everywhere and people
used to come from every corner of the world in groups to listen and
witness the fascinating debates.
Haroon who was very much annoyed and alarmed by
the matter considered the speeches of Hesham as the biggest danger to
the caliphate, and had decided several times to kill Hesham. He had
warned him of his death, especially on that very day when Yahya ibn
Khaled had arranged the meeting by the order of Haroon and he had
listened to the convincing speech of Hesham personally and had sworn to
kill him.
At last he called for Hesham and ordered to
imprison and kill him. So, Hesham had to escape to Kufa and hid away
for some time in the house of Bashir Nabbal where he was too ill.
However much they asked him to see a doctor he would refuse saying: I
shall die and shall not recover from this illness. Finally Bashir
brought a few doctors. When they finished their examinations Hesham
asked them about his illness.
Some of them said: We do not know what the
illness is, and others told him something else as a result of their
examinations. Hesham said: You are telling a lie; my illness is due to
my heart trouble which is affected by the fear I have. It cannot be
treated.
After a time, he died of the same heart illness
in 379 A.H. in Kufa. At the time of his death, he made his will to take
out his corpse at night after bathing and shrouding and put a note on
his coffin which noted that: This is Hesham ibn Hakam. This was done so
that the couflien of the caliph would know that he has died and free
from prison those who were arrested due to being his relatives.
When the news of his death reached Haroon, he said: "Thank God, I got rid of
his mischief."
When the news of the death of Hesham was brought
to the 8th Imam [a], he prayed to God for his forgiveness and said: A
great pillar of defence for Wilayah and Imamate has vanquished.[50]
Hazrat Jawad al-Aimma [a] also used to say about him that: God may
bless him as he used to endeavor to clarify the doubts of the opponents
and defend our right cause and faith.
The date of Hesham's death is also not free from ambiguity and controversy.
Some have written[51]
that Hesham died in 179 A.H. in Kufa during the caliphate of Haroon
al-Rashid and others have thought his date of death to be 188 A.H.[52] and
other writers as 199 A.H.[53]
This was the brief story of the life and bold debates of Hesham, his
defence of the cause of Wilayah and Imamate and his ultimate fate.
Countless blessings be showered upon his sacred soul and all followers
and searchers of the Truth! Now we will finish this book with Hesham's
own prayer as quoted by Younus ibn Yaqub. Hesham always prayed as
follows:
O' Creator bestow upon us the reward for the necessary or
unnecessary deeds we have done or will perform in the future which are
according to the commands of your Apostle and his sacred household [s].
(Peace be upon him and all of them according to the merit). O God,
accept all these deeds from them and us and bestow upon us the blessing
according to your own lofty and proper dignity.
[50] Ghahramanan e Islam, Heroes of Islam by. Mr. Ali Akbar Tashaiod, vol.2.
[51] Rejal, by Abu Umar Kashi, quoted through Fazl ibn Shazan.[52] Al
Fehrest, by Ibn Nadim.[53] (Ayan- al- Shiah)
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