As regarding his life during the reign of al-Amin, we cannot review any incident regarding the government’s stance towards Imam al-Reza (A.S.), and this may be attributed to the confusing environment in which the Abbaside caliphate found itself due to internal dissents which led in the end to a serious split among the members of the ruling dynasty, the split which was caused by al-Amin deposing his brother al-Mamoon from the post of heir to the throne and the nomination of his son Mousa in his place after listening to the advice of al-Fadl ibn al-Rabee’ who had a personal vendetta against al-Mamoon and who feared him for his post should he become the caliph instead, since he had already opposed him openly.78