IMAM MALIK
He stood up to the Khalifah Abu Ja`far al-Mansur regarding the hadith “The divorce of the coerced does not take effect”. Imam Malik was told not to narrate this hadith but he did anyway and was flogged for it. Even after being flogged and while being paraded he still defied the Khalifah by narrating the hadith.

SAID IBN JUBAIR
Said ibn Jubair fought along side Abdullah ibn az-Zubair and was part of a group called the “Battalion of Quran reciters”. He was eventually captured and brought to Al Hajjaj.

He is renowned for his conversation with Al Hajjaj and consequent death.All throughout the conversation he remained steadfast to the truth even though this infuriated al Hajjaj even more.What makes him even more special is that you can lie when your life is at risk.When he was finally killed his blood gushed out in a way that al Hajjaj had never seen before, the explanation for this was that Said ibn Jubair was so relaxed at the time of his murder that his blood was kept in its original form, but usually if one is scared or afraid their blood curdles and does not flow profusely.

Abdullah ibn az-Zubair (ibn Asma) He stood up to Yazid and had to fight the army of Al Hajjaj.

While under siege Abdullah ibn Zubair went to his mother,Asma. She asked him, “what brings you at such an hour when the war is on?” He said “I came to consult with you.”Consult with me on what?” asked Asma. He said,”Most of my supporters have betrayed me, either out of greed or out of fear. Only a few remain with me, and they will not be able to resist for long. Messengers have been sent from the Umayyads proposing that I stop the fight, and they would give me whatever I ask for.” She answered “its up to you.You know yourself best. If you believe that you are right and fighting for a right cause, be persevering in the fight as were your supporters who died for it. But if you are after worldly gains, then wretched are you and you have destroyed yourself and those with you”. He later died in battle.

IMAM ABU HANIFA
In 763, al-Mansur, the Abbasid Khalifah offered Abu Hanifa the post of Chief Judge of the State, but he declined to accept the offer, choosing to remain independent. His student,Abu Yusuf, was appointed Qadi Al-Qadat (Chief Judge of the State) instead of himself.

In his reply to al-Mansur,Abu Hanifa excused himself by saying that he did not regard himself fit for the post.Al¬Mansur, who had his own ideas and reasons for offering the post, lost his temper and accused Abu Hanifa of lying. “If I am lying”,Abu Hanifa said,”then my statement is doubly correct. How can you appoint a liar to the exalted post of a Chief Qadi (Judge)?” Incensed by this reply, the ruler had Abu Hanifa arrested and locked in prison and tortured.

IMAM BUKHARI
Even here, there were envious people who did not leave him alone.They met the governor of Bukhara, who was a representative of the Khalif, Khâlid ibn Ahmad.They told him to call Imâm Bukhârî to his house and busy him withteaching his son.When the governor put this suggestion to Imâm Bukhârî, he was told,”I do not want to abuse knowledge and carry it to the footstep of the rulers. If anybody wants to learn, they should come to my school”.The governor replied, by stating,”If my son was to attend your school, he should not sit with ordinary people.You would have to teach him separately”. Imâm Bukhârî answered,”I cannot stop any person from hearing Ahâdîth”. Upon hearing this, the governer of Bukhara became angry with him and manufactured a fatwa (verdict) against Imâm Bukhârî to banish him from the city.

OTHER EXAMPLES
Ibn al-Qayyim (d. 751/1350) and Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328), both tortured and imprisoned. Ibn Taymiyya died in prison.

Ibn Rushd (d. 595/1198), imprisoned and exiled.

Al-Nisa’i (d. 309/915), beaten and died from his injuries in jail

Al-Tabari (d. 310/923), Muslim historian, was persecuted by fanatic Hanbalis; his books were eventually burned, and grave desecrated by enemies.

Al-Nawawi (d. 676/1277), fired from his teaching post and banned to Damascus, then to Egypt, fired again, arrested and imprisoned, died poor and lonely in his father’s home.

The common characteristic of all of the above is that despite obstacles including in some instance the worse of oppression and torture they all remained firm in their belief and constant in their struggles to make the word of Allah highest. May Allah (swt) accept their actions and may we all be inspired to strive in their footsteps. Ameen.

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