The only question which has remained unanswered and which often comes to the mind of the people is whether all the activities of the Imams aimed at capturin government and overthrowing the usurping and despotic rulers or they endeavoured only to defend Islam, to safeguard the intrest of the Muslim Ummah and to save Islam and the Muslims from deviations.

This question requires a detailed answer which does not fit in this article.

A large number of traditions which have come down to us show that they did not consider it enough to carry out an armed revolution and form a government. They did not believe that to set up a virtuous was enough. In their opnion the correct policy was to infuse the true Islamic spirit in the ummah and to prepare it to believe properly in thier Imamate and infalliblity before launching on armed movement and overthrowing the usuper governments. They thought it necessary that the people should consider the obediance of Islam to be binding and understand the important goals of their leadership. Only on basis of this obediance and understanding a government of the Imam could be set up and the achievements of a revolutionary movement of the Muslim ummah could be safeguarded.

You must have heard the story of that man (Sahl bin Hassan) of Khurasan (Iran) who called upon Imam Sadiq A.S (Sixth Imam) and requested him to give support to the revolt of the Khurasani revolutionaries. The Imam gave him no immediate reply and decided to put him to test. One day he asked him to enter the furnance full of fire. The Khurasani was terror striken. He declined to enter the furnace. In the meantime Abu Basir *, who was one of the companions of the Imam, arrived and heard the order of the Imam. He without any hesitation plunged into the furnace which was full of fire. The Imam turned to the Khurasani and asked him:

"How many Abu Basirs have you in Khurasan?"