What was Imam Sajjad’s response to the man who criticized him for going to Karbala?

It is narrated that after Imam Sajjad (a.s.) returned to Medina from Karbala-- maybe ten or eleven months passed between the time this caravan left Medina and returned-- a person visited him and said: "Oh! Son of the Messenger of Allah, you see, you went and what happened?” He was right; the caravan had left while Imam Hussain (a.s.), the bright sun of Ahlulbait, so much loved by the Messenger of Allah, was among them, leading them. The daughter of Imam Ali (a.s.) had left while she was dignified and honored. The children of Imam Ali (a.s.) --Abbas and others-- the children of Imam Hassan (a.s.), prominent and talented youth of Bani Hashem had all left with this caravan. But the caravan returned with only one man -- Imam Sajjad (a.s.), with the women gone through sufferings of captivity and loss of their loved ones. Imam Hussain (a.s.), Ali Akbar (a.s.), even the baby were now gone. Imam Sajjad (a.s.) answered that man, stating: "Imagine what would have happened if we had not gone."
Yes! If they had not gone, their bodies might have survived, but the truth would have died. The soul would have died out. Consciences would have been shattered. Logic and reason would have been condemned throughout history, and even the name of Islam would not have remained.
March 18, 2002

Today, wherever humanity has undergone some defeat, either political, military or economic, the roots of it can be traced to ignorance or abasement. That is, either they do not have the knowledge and necessary understanding, or they understand but have sold themselves cheap. They have bought into abasement and have submitted to viciousness. Imam Sajjad (a.s.) and Imam Ali (a.s.) have been narrated to have said: “Oh! Man, if your essence and existence is to be sold, it has only one price, which is the divine heaven. If you sell it to anything cheaper than heaven, you are at loss.” Even if you are offered the whole world in exchange for accepting abasement and viciousness, it is not fitting. All those who in different places around the world have surrendered to coercion and money of the wealthy and powerful, and have accepted this abasement, --whatever position they are in: scholar, politician, political or social activist or intellectual-- they have failed to know their value and have sold themselves cheap. Many politicians of the world have sold themselves.

Dignity is not simply represented by holding high positions like a king or a boss. Sometimes a person is sitting on a throne, bullying a thousand people boastfully. Meanwhile, he is under the coercion of another power or center. He might be a captive of his own desires and lust; but today's political captives will not reach the latter, because they are captives of major powers.

April 14, 2000

The magnanimous Imam Sajjad (a.s.) lived for almost thirty-four years after the Karbala event, in an Islamic environment of that time. His life history is full of lessons; hopefully, those who are aware of the qualities of his life, will relate them to the people: to Muslims and even non-Muslims, so that everybody learns how our fourth great Imam (as), after Ashura, which was a huge blow to the pure and true Islam, managed to stand alone and prevented the destruction of religion's foundations. If it was not for the efforts of Imam Sajjad (a.s.), the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (a.s.) would have been annihilated, and its effects would no longer remain.

July 14, 1993