Examples of Ahl al-Bayt Imam's Deal with Rulers

The Imams of Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) have applied three methods in dealing with rulers as follows: taqiyyah (assimilation), armed struggle, and occultation. They have applied taqiyyah for keeping the unity among Muslims and their followers. This does not mean that they have kept silent and did not care about Muslims, rather they had active role in social life. An example of this active role is the Imams’ contact with their followers through establishment of an extensive net of representatives. This net has been very active from the time of the ninth Imam to the eleventh. This is considered an example of the Imams’ struggle to communicate with people. Armed struggle against political rulers is a method utilized only by Imam al-Husayn (‘a), not the other Imams (‘a). Also, the occultation pertains to Imam Mahdi, the twelfth Imam. It is by order of Allah, the Exalted, and it will continue until God Almighty orders him to reappear to fill the earth with justice as it was filled with oppression. My discussion here relies on books of history of Islam particularly the conducts of Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) and the method is dwcriptive-analytical.