Muhtadi and Imam Askari (AS)

Although Muhtadi had adopted a fair ruling strategy compared to his predecessors, his policy against the Imam and his Shia followers remained as hostile as the other Abbasid caliphs. His hostility towards the Imam was to such an extent that he swore by God to exile the Imam and the Alavids from every land on the earth they settled. One of Muhtadi’s military leaders, Nasr ibn Ahmad, also agreed to implement his decision against the Imam, but Muhtadi’s short government did not allow him to exile or kill the Imam. Around this time, problems in Muhtadi’s government intensified. Muhtadi had to send Nasr ibn Ahmad to a war in which he was killed . In a letter, the Imam had referred to Nasr ibn Ahmad’s death as a sign of God’s power.

Around this time, one of the Imam’s companions wrote a letter to him and told him what Muhtadi had sworn against the Imam. He praised God for keeping the Caliph busy in government affairs so that he was distracted from harassing and killing the Imam. The Imam responded to him by writing, “Muhtadi’s life is shorter than what you even can imagine.” The Imam informed him that Muhtadi would be humiliatingly killed in just six days. Muhtadi was killed six days later, and the Imam’s prophecy had come true.

Despite the problems in Muhtadi’s government, he had decided to imprison the Imam just a few days before his death. While in prison, the Imam told his companion, who was imprisoned with him, that Muhtadi had decided that night to eventually kill the Imam. He repeated his previous prophecy that God had shortened Muhtadi’s life and he would be killed the following day. As the Imam had predicted, Muhtadi was killed by the Turks the next day, before getting the opportunity to implement his decision against the Imam.