As one of the possessors of divinely-decreed authority (Wilayah al-Mutlaqa)

Today on the 6th of Ramadhan 201 AH, exactly 1231 lunar years ago, it appeared as if a 180-degree transformation was underway in the vast Abbasid realm, especially in its capital Merv (presently in the Republic of Turkmenistan) and the large province of Khorasan of which it was a part.
Not only the state colour of the Abbasids – black – had been replaced with the green of the Alawis or descendents of Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), but a new series of coins were in circulation proclaiming the Prophet's 8th Infallible Successor, Imam Reza (AS), as the heir-apparent of the caliph Mamoun.
Was it a transformation or yet another deception, considering the fact that over 70 years ago Abbasid agents had resorted to a similar ruse in Khorasan, Iraq, Hejaz, Yemen, Egypt, and other parts of the Islamic world, by raising the slogan of "ar-Reza min Aal-e Muhammad", to exploit the natural sentiments of the Muslims for the Prophet's progeny in order to hijack the caliphate from the equally undeserving Omayyads?
From the way the pompous ceremonies were being conducted in the lavishly decorated court and the city, with poets being showered with pearls and jewels for singing praises of the caliph and his decision, it was clear to anyone blessed with insight that the vital elements most conspicuously absent at this pageantry, were faith, piety, sincerity and honesty.
The more so, when it was obvious that Imam Reza (AS) had been forcibly brought all the way from distant Medina and was being made heir apparent against his will, under threats, as was the case with his illustrious forbear, Imam Ali's (AS) inclusion in the dubious shura or council that the 2nd caliph had appointed on his deathbed.
Earlier, on his arrival in Merv, Imam Reza (AS) had frustrated Mamoun's devilish design of pretensions to abdicate the caliphate in his favour by giving the polite reply: If the caliphate is really yours, you ought not give to others what God has given you as a trust; and if it does not belong to you, how can you give to others what is not yours.
Another glaring discrepancy in the strange scenario being unfolded was the age gap of 22 years between the young 31 year old ruler and the 53-year old heir apparent, who might not be expected to outlive the person he was supposed to succeed.
It was clear an intricate political ploy was underway to try to gain legitimacy for the Abbasid usurpers, whose claim to the Prophet's mantle – as was the case with their predecessors the Omayyads – was never accepted by the ummah. This was evident by the constant uprisings that used to rock the realm from North Africa to Central Asia as Muslims flocked to the banner of an Alawi whenever a direct descendant of the Prophet decided to challenge the despotic caliphs.
In short, Mamoun and his advisors thought they were very smart in deceiving the people by outwardly declaring Imam Reza (AS) to be the heir apparent, minting coins in his name, and changing the state colour from the Abbasid black to the Hashemite green.
As the Imam of the Age, the Prophet's 8th Infallible Heir clearly saw through their plot, fully aware that soon, within a space of two years, he would be martyred through poisoning when Mamoun and his minions realize what a big blunder they had made by axing their own feet and unwittingly contributing to the popularity of the Ahl al-Bait.
Today, Mamoun and the others who masqueraded as caliphs have long vanished from the scene. No one knows where the rotten bones of the Abbasid rulers lie, let alone the ruins of their palaces and pleasure dens where they used to commit the oldest sins in the newest ways.
As for the Ahl al-Bayt, their prestige and glory continues to shine brightly with each passing day. No wonder, God Himself has vouched the pristine purity of these chosen ones in ayah 33 of Surah Roum of the holy Qur'an.
In other words, when a long line of caliphs that terrorized the Islamic world for centuries by persecuting and martyring the Ahl al-Bayt and trying to tarnish their spotlessly clean personalities, failed in their elaborate plots, could a film financed by the modern-day devils in Islamic garb succeed in distorting the immaculate visages of the Prophet's grandsons, Imam Hasan (AS) and Imam Husain (AS), by portraying them as friends of Mu'awiyah the hardcore heathen?
Imam Reza (AS), as one of the possessors of divinely-decreed authority (Wilayah al-Mutlaqa) reigns supreme from his sprawling golden-domed shrines in Mashhad, drawing pilgrims from all over the world and showing the penitents the path to paradise and God's infinite mercy, as could be gauged by his following saying: "God forgives the sins of whoever asks for forgiveness seventy times during the month of Ramadhan even if his sins are as numerous as the stars."