| NAME | ALI (A.S). |
|
FATHER'SNAME |
MUSA (A.S). |
| MOTHER'S NAME | NAJMA KHATOON. |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 11 ZILQAD 148 HIJRI. |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | MADINA. |
| WIVES NAME | KHAIZARAN. |
| SON'S NAME | IMAM MOHAMMAD JAWAD (TAQI) A.S. |
| DAUGHTER'S NAME | - |
| FAMILY NAME | ABUL HASAN. |
| TITLE | RAZA. |
| AGE | 55 YEARS. |
| MARTYRDOM | END OF SAFAR 203 HIJRI. |
| CAUSE OF MARTYRDOM | POISON GIVEN BY MAMOON. |
| BURRIED AT | MESHAD (IRAN). |
Imam Ali Raza (A.S) a brief look into his Life
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His Parents & Birth:
Mother:
She was a slave of Umme Hamida (6th Imam's wife). When the 7th Imam had gone
to buy her from the slave trader he was told that when he was coming to Medina
from Marrakesh a pious Christian lady had told him that Bibi Suttana was a
very special slave who would bear a son who would spread the true word from
the East to the West.
Umme Hamida saw the Prophet (S.A.W.) in her dream telling her to give Bibi
Suttana to Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (a.s.) which she did. The 6th Imam used to
tell his companions to await the birth of his grandson who he addressed as
Alim e Ale Muhammad. He was one of the three Imams who did Jihad with their
knowledge. (The other two were the 5th and 6th Imams). Imam Ali Ar-Ridha (a.s.)
was born one month after the martyrdom of his grandfather Imam Ja'fer As-Sadiq
(a.s.) He was born during the reign of the Harun Al-Rashid who poisoned his
father.
Father:
Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (a.s.)
His Titles:
Ar-Ridha - Angels, Prophets, Aimma, believers and even the enemies of Ahlul-Bayt
accepted him. So much so that Mamun Rashid had to offer him to be the heir
apparent (to be the leader after him).
Imam Zamin-e-Thamin - Thamin means eight. Zamin means safety and security.
One of the incidents attributed to this title is that one day Imam was going
through the market place with a few followers when he saw a hunter about to
kill a (struggling) female deer. Imam told the hunter to let the deer go as
she wanted to feed her two young ones who were in the forest and that she
would return to the hunter who could then kill her. The hunter thought that
Imam was making a fool out of him. Imam stood in surety and the hunter allowed
the deer to go. A little while later the deer returned with her young ones
and asked Imam to look after them. We believe that if anyone who is going
on a journey goes under the security of Imam he/she will return safely.
Gharibul-Ghurabaa (One who is a stranger i.e. he is away from his hometown).
Imam was far away from his home and family and he is the only Imam who is
buried out of Iraq and Hejaz (Saudi Arabia).
Alim e Aali Mohammed - The learned one from Aale Muhammad. This name was given
to him by his grandfather (Imam Ja'fer As-Sadiq (a.s.)).
Life And Works
Imam played a significant role in the educating of Muslims. Setting examples
of education through one's own conduct.
He saw a short period of the rule of Harun Rashid who had murdered his father.
Harun Rashid also attempted to kill Imam Ali Ridha (a.s.) but was unsuccessful.
After Harun's death, his sons, Amin and Mamun fought for power. Mamun won
with Amin being killed.
Immediately after becoming the Khalifa Mamun, according to the tradition started
by Muawiya, had to name a successor (heir apparent) . Mamun summoned Imam
to come to his capital Marw sending a messenger to Medina to bring the Imam
to him and specifying a certain route and sending a security force . The route
he chose was not the normal route where, a lot of Shia's lived. On the way
they entered a town called Nishapur. There the scholars and people requested
Imam to tell them a hadith. Imam related the following hadith which is known
as the hadith of the golden chain.
"My father Musa Al-Kadhim narrated to me from his father Ja'fer As-Sadiq
from his father Mohammed Al-Baqir from his father Ali Zaynul Abedeen from
his father , the martyr of Kerbala from his father Ali ibn Abu Talib saying
:"My loved one, and the pleasure of my eyes, the Messenger of God (S.A.W.)
told me once, that Jibrail told him from the Lord "The kalima of LA ILAHA
ILLALLAH is my fort; whoever said it would enter my fort; and whoever entered
my fort was safe from my punishment".
Those who wrote down the hadith numbered twenty thousand. People started reciting
the Kalima when Imam put his hand up and continued: "Yes, the kalima
is Allah's fort. It will provide you with excellent safety but on one condition
only and that is that you obey and follow us - the holy Imams in the progeny
of the holy Prophet (S.A.W.). On reaching Marw Mamun forced Imam to accept
the heir apparency (To be the leader after him). Imam accepted unwillingly.
Why did Mamun want Imam to be the heir apparent ?
1. To please the Shia public opinion in Khurasan and the surrounding areas
which would make it easier for Mamun to be accepted by the people there and
a victory over his brother Amin.
2. To avoid clashes with those like the Alawids who had always threatened
the Abbasids with various uprisings.
Mamun celebrated the occasion of Imam's acceptance of heir apparency. Imam
only gave a short sermon saying after he had praised Allah "We have over
you a right appointed by the Prophet, and you have a right over us as well;
so if you fulfil your duty towards us, we will be bound to perform our duty
towards you".
Mamun ordered a new coin to be minted with Imam Ar-Ridha's name on it. Imam however knew that this would not last long.
Soon Mamun put Imam under constant watch. Imam used the position to spread the true word of Islam. Mamun's court was visited by thousands and Imam made an impact on their minds. His ahadith were widely recorded. Mamun who was fond of scholarly discussions would arrange for intellectuals from Greece, Italy , India etc. to come to his court and hold discussions with the Imam.
One day a Jewish scholar was brought by Mamun to debate with
Imam. The scholar asked: "How can you accept Muhammad to be the prophet
of God when he showed no miracles ? "
Imam replied : "The greatest of miracles of Allah is the human mind.
It allows ideas to be thought through and reasoned out. Islam appeals to human
reason. Man must accept God through reason and not through miracles ".
The scholar did not have much to say after that answer.
Imam also encouraged greatly the remembrance of Imam Husayn (a.s.)
Mamun was never sincere in his behaviour towards Imam. Seeing the Imam's popularity increase disturbed him immensely especially after the occasion when he requested Imam to lead Eid prayers as he was not well. He saw that even before Imam had reached the mosque the people had lined the streets and were reciting takbir and it seemed that even the walls of Marw were doing the same. He had to ask Imam to go back that day.
There are various accounts of how Imam Ali Ar-Ridha (a.s.) was
killed by Mamun. One of them is that Imam used to like grapes and Mamun offered
Imam poisoned grapes. Imam was ill and died after two days on the 29th Safar
203 a.h.
Imam Ali Ar-Ridha (a.s.) died in Toos in a village called Sanabad. He had
only one son, Imam Muhammad At-Taqi (a.s.), who succeeded him as the 9th Imam.
Mamun ordered Imam's grave to be dug near his father Harun's and when it was
being dug he said that Imam had told him that when his grave would be dug
water and fish would appear underneath. Just as Imam had said when they finished
digging a spring of water appeared with fish in it and then disappeared. Imam
is buried there at what is today called Mashhad in IRAN.
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Sayings of Maula Hazarath Imam Ali Raza (AS)
Faith has four pillars: Trusting and relying upon Allah, & contentment
and pleasure with the Divine will, and submission to the ordain and ordinance
of Allah, and delegation and turning over (the affairs) to Allah. I.e. (Total
submission and resignment to Allah).
And faith means performing and discharging the obligatory duties and avoiding
the committing of forbidden acts, and faith is the recognition and knowing
(Allah) through the heart and admitting and confessing through the tongue
and practicing through the parts of body (physically).
Rayyan says I said to Imam Raza(AS): "What do you say about Quran?"
So he replied, "It is the speech of Allah, do not exceed and move ahead
of it and do not seek guidance from other than it, otherwise you would go
astray.
Indeed Imamat is the rein of religion and the system of Muslims and the righteousness
and welfare of the world and the honor and glory of faithfuls. Verily, Imamat
is the growing and ongoing root of Islam and it’s elevated and sublime
branch.
Services, alms, fasting, Hajj, and Jihad (holy war) attain completion and
perfection and the booty (tributes) and alms gets plentiful and abundant,
and Allah’s bounds, sanctions, and ordinances get executed, and the
frontiers and boundaries (of Islamic lands) get safe and secure, through Imam.
The intellect of a Muslim man does not mature and complete till he has ten
qualities:
1.Benevolence and benefaction be expected and hoped from him.
2.And people be secure and peaceful from his evildoing.
3.He considers the small amount of benefaction from others as abundant and
plentiful.
4.And takes plenty of his own benevolence and goodness to be a meager amount
of it.
5.He does not get tired & exhausted by the demands & requirements
asked to be fulfilled.
6.He does not get fatigued & restless from seeking knowledge for all the
length of his life.
7.He loves poverty more than the plentifulness and affluence, on the course
of Allah.
8.And he loves disgrace and abjectness on the way of Allah more than the honor
on the course of His enemy.
9.And anonymity is more liked by him than fame.
Then he (PBUH) said, "The tenth one and what is the tenth?" The
person asked him(PBUH) what is that?" The Imam reflected:
"He does not see a person but that he says, ‘He is better and more
pious than myself.’"
Allah may take pity and be merciful to the servant who resurrects and revives
our affair. So I said, "How is it that your affair gets revived?"
He responded, "By learning our knowledge and teaching it to the people."
He who takes himself to account gets benefited and the one who gets negligent
and careless about himself bears loss. And the one who fears Allah becomes
peaceful. And that one who takes lesson becomes more clear-sighted and discerning.
And he who becomes most clear-sighted understands. And he who understands
and comprehends becomes knowledgeable and informed.
Silence is a door among the doors of wisdom. Indeed, silence begets and attracts
love. It is the proof of all beneficiaries.