Perhaps it is not necessary to prove that the missionary methods of all our Imams were identical and that they followed a common line of action. The mission of Islam being ideological and doctrinal, obiviously, it was necessary that there should have existed a fixed plan to protect its ideology from every kind of deviation and ensure its development in all times.

It is on this basis that the ideological leadership of human society was entrusted to the Imams, who had reached the heights of sprititual and ideological evolution and enjoyed infalliblity, the basis of their immunity from deviation and error. That is why they were in a position to guide and supervise the ideological movement of society.

Anyhow, while discussing the common role of the Imams and their painful history, we do not intend to deal with their outward government and analyse the experience through which Islam passed during their times. The painful events which took place following the demise of the Prophet of Islam removed the rightful leaders of Islam from the scene of government. The task of guiding and enforcing Islamic law fell to the lot of those who deviated Islam from its right course and turned the Muslim society away from Islam. Anyhow, we only want to discuss the general position of the Imams and the overall policies pursued by them in the course of their stormy history. We would anaylse the steps taken by them to overcome the diffculties with which the mission of Islam was confronted, and explain with viability they gave to Islamic ideology.

In the course of our study of the common role of our Imams we come across a false impression which is no more than a myth. Generally the Shia believe that the Imams throughout their life were opressed. They were set aside from government and subjected to many disablities and tyrannies. These people think that the role of the Imams throughout their life has been rather negative. They had a negative policy in regard to the social questions, and were like a person whose house had been usurped and who had no hope to recover it.

An Analysis of the life of the Imams will show that not only such a thinking is mistaken and incorrect, but from practical point of view it is also very dangerous from the follwers of the Imams. Such a view of the policy of the leaders of the Ummah will lead to the conclusion that they had no social duty, and that they had lost all hope of ever coming to government power. Therefore we feel that it is our duty to rectify this wrong thinking and identify the points which led to it. In order to make it clear that throughout their life the Imams played an active role in defending their mission and creed, we purpose to study their life as a driving force of human history.

Though the tyrants of the day by employing various fraudulent means had set aside the Imams from government , the Imams from government, the Imams on their part considered themselves to be responsible for protecting the mission of Islam from any deviation and preserving its orignal features, in order to ensure the observance of the religious commandments. Whenever there was a deviation from the Islamic tenets in threatning the position of Islam and the rulers of the day were unable to solve the problems, the rightly guided Imams with their infallible insight took proper steps to avert the danger.

In short, the Imams of the Shia (Peace be Upon Them) devoted all their efforts to preserve the Islamic character of society, to protect the correct doctrines and to see that deviation do not grow to the extent of threatning the ideology itself. What we mean is that they played a positive rolein safeguarding the interests of Islam and the Muslims and in defending the basic doctrines of the religon.

This basic role is clearly visible in the life of Imam Ali (peace be upon Him). We see how boldly he protected his society from deviation and played his role positively.

Once Omar asked people from the pulpit how they would treat him if he deviated from the truth to the falsehood. It was Ali (A.S) the first Imam of the Shia, who boldly said:

"We would set aright your crookedness with sword".

We also see how Imam Hussain (peace be upon him), dutiful son of Imam Ali(Peace be upon Him) forestalled the danger of deviation. When Yazid (May the Curse and Wrath of Allah be on Him and His Followers) decided to do away with Islam, he averted the threatning danger by offering armed resistance and laying down his own life.

Islam Saved by Imam Hussain (A.S)

We see when the tyrannical government of his time found itself unable to solve a problem facing it, Imam Sajjad(Peace be Upon Him), ignoring the fact that it was a usuper-government rose to the occasion with great serenity and safeguarded the position of Islam.

The details of the fact are that during the reign of Abd- al-Malik ibn Marwan, the Roman emperor wrote a letter to the caliph, who found himself unable to write a suitable reply to it.Imam Sajjad(Peace be Upon Him) drafted such a reply that it saved the position of the government as well as the dignity of the Muslim nation.

During the reign of Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik the unbelieving Roman government threatned the soverignity and independence of the Muslim government. He wanted to impose the Roman coinage on it.Imam Baqir(Peace be Upon Him), the fifth Imam of the Shia met the threat by proposing Islamic coinage to Hisham and thus saved the economic independence of Muslim society.

Thus we find that the Imams played their great and earnest role of protecting Islamic society and the Muslim governments from errors and failings at a time when they were in serious conflict with these usuper-governments and were opposing them tooth and nail, though mostly their opposition was passive and they did not resort to armed conflict. Nevertheless, they played a positive role in championing the cause of Islam and protecting its values, morals and doctrines.

As the cruel governments of the usupers were trying to distort the image of Islam by introducing various alterations, the mission of the true Imams was to restore its image and to make clear through their ceaseless efforts the difference between the Islam of the Holy Prophet and that of the caliphs. Thus they crystallized Islam at the popular level, and purged it of the distortions of the calpihs.

It appears to be in the fitness of things to cite a little example to make this point clear and to throw light on the extent to which the Imams worked to protect society from the deviations of the caliphs.

Recall to your mind this picture: Since long the seventh Imam, Musa ibn Jaffer (Peace be upon Him) is in prison of the caliphs. His safety is in danger. His body has so dwindled that when he prostrates himself during prayers it appears as if a piece of cloth is lying on the ground.No body can think that actually a human being is prostrating. To this very Imam an envoy of the government comes and says:

"The caliph is sorry for what happened. He has ordered your release, provided you present yourself before him, make an apology and gain his pleasure."

The Imam suddenly flares up with idignation and spurns the offer. He is ready to be posioned, but not willing to help the selfish government succeed in its treacherous aims. He would not allow the dirty actions of the despotic government to take the colour of sanctity and thereby pollute the mission of the Holy Prophet (SAWS).

Again we see that the Imams played an active and positive role in the fructification of the doctrinal field of the Islamic society. They dedicated their lives to the cause of Allah and stood as a Bulwark against the flood of deviations which threatened the objectives of the mission of Islam. They did not allow the Muslim ummah to be alienated from the genuine Islamic achievements in the very beginning of the divine movement.