Ali al-Rida عَلِيّ ٱلرِّضَا EighthImam ofTwelver Shi'ism | |
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 16th‑century Ottoman iconographic depiction of Ali al-Rida | |
| 8thShia Imam | |
| In office 148 AH (765/766CE) – 203 AH (818/819CE) | |
| Preceded by | Musa al-Kazim |
| Succeeded by | Muhammad al-Jawad |
| Title | al-Rida[1] (lit. 'the approved one') |
| Personal life | |
| Born | c. 1 January 766 (11Dhu al-Qa'da 148AH) |
| Died | c. 6 June 818(818-06-06) (aged 52) (30Safar 202 AH) |
| Cause of death | Poisoning byAl-Ma'mun (Shia, some Western sources) |
| Resting place | Harun ِal-Rashid Mausoleum,Imam Reza shrine,Mashhad, Iran 36°17′13″N59°36′56″E / 36.28694°N 59.61556°E /36.28694; 59.61556 |
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| Religious life | |
| Religion | Shia Islam |
| Part ofa series onShia Islam |
| Twelver Shi'ism |
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Ali ibn Musa al-Rida (Arabic:عَلِيّ ٱبْن مُوسَىٰ ٱلرِّضَا,romanized: ʿAlī ibn Mūsā al-Riḍā,c. 1 January 766 –c. 6 June 818), also known asAbū al-Ḥasan al-Thānī, was a descendant of theIslamic prophetMuhammad, and the eighthimam inTwelver Shia Islam, succeeding his father,Musa al-Kazim in 799 CE. He is also part of the chain of mystical authority in Sunni Sufi orders. He was known for his piety and learning, and a number of works are attributed to him, includingAl-Risalah al-Dhahabiah,Sahifah of al-Ridha, andFiqh al-Rida.Uyoun Akhbar Al-Ridha byIbn Babawayh is a comprehensive collection that includes his religious debates and sayings, biographical details, and even the miracles which have occurred at his tomb. He is buried inMashad, Iran, site ofa large shrine.
Al-Rida was contemporary with the Abbasid caliphsHarun al-Rashid (r. 786–809) and his sons,al-Amin (r. 809–813) andal-Ma'mun (r. 813–833). In a sudden departure from the established anti-Shia policy of the Abbasids, possibly to mitigate the frequent Shia revolts, al-Mamun invited al-Rida toMerv inKhorasan, his de facto capital, and designated him as heir apparent, despite the reluctance of the al-Rida who accepted the offer on the condition that he would not interfere in governmental affairs. The appointment of Ali al-Rida by the Abbasid al-Mamun immediately invoked strong opposition, particularly among the Abbasids, who revolted and installedIbrahim ibn al-Mahdi, a half-brother of Harun al-Rashid, as the anti-caliph inBaghdad. Realising the severity of the Iraqi opposition, al-Mamun and his entourage left Khorasan for Baghdad, accompanied by al-Rida. The Imam, however, died mysteriously when the party reachedTus in September 818. His death followed shortly after the assassination of al-Fadl ibn Sahl, the Persianvizier of al-Mamun, who was publicly seen as responsible for his pro-Shia policies. The caliph is often seen as responsible for both deaths, as he made concessions to the Arab party to smooth his return to Baghdad. Tus was later replaced with a new city, calledMashhad, which developed around the grave of al-Rida as the holiest site in Iran, to which millions of Shia Muslims flock annually for pilgrimage.
Ali was born in Medina in 148AH (765/766 CE), 151 AH (768/769CE), or 153 AH (769/771CE).[4][1] The first date is said to be based on a prediction ascribed to his grandfather, al-Sadiq, who died in that year, that the successor to his son al-Kazim would be born soon.[1] There are some indications that Ali might have been born as late 159 AH (775/776CE).[1] In any case, the date often given by Shia authorities is 11Du al-Qa'da 148 AH (765/766CE).[5] His father was al-Kazim, the seventh Twelver Shia Imam, who was a descendant ofAli andFatima, cousin and daughter of theIslamic prophet, respectively. His mother was a freed slave, probably ofBerber origin, whose name is recorded differently in various sources, perhaps Najma[1] or Tuktam.[1][5] It was reputedlyJa'far al-Sadiq, the father of al-Kazim, who chose Najma for him.[5] Momen writes that Ali was thirty-five years old when his father died,[6] whereas Donaldson holds that he was twenty or twenty-five at the time.[5]
Al-Rida lived with his father Musa al-Kazim in Medina until 179 AH (795/796CE). When Harun arrested Musa and transferred him to Iraq, he took care of Musa's property and the affairs of the Shias as the attorney of his father.[7] With the death of Musa al-Kazim in Baghdad prison in Rajab 183 AH (799/800CE), his son Ali al-Rida became his heir and successor, according to his father's will.[1]
According to Madelung, al-Kazim had appointed al-Rida as his executor and al-Rida also inherited his father's property near Medina, excluding his brothers.[1] According to Musa al-Kazim will, the custody of his children, wives and property was also entrusted to Ali al-Rida.[7] Ali spent the next ten years of his life - from 183 AH (799/800CE) to 193 AH (808/809CE) - in the reign of Harun.[7]
The Abbasid caliph Harun died during theimamate of al-Rida and the empire was split between his two sons:[6] the reigning caliph, al-Amin, who was born to anArab mother, and al-Mamun, who was born of a Persian mother and was designated as the successor and the governor of the province ofKhorasan in present-day Iran.[8][9] In effect, according toMomen, al-Amin controlled Iraq and the west with his Arabvizier, al-Fadl ibn Rabi, while al-Mamun controlled Iran and the east with his Persianvizier,al-Fadl ibn Sahl.[6] Al-Amin reportedly violated these arrangements by appointing his son as successor in place of Mamun,[10] and soon a civil war ensued in which al-Amin was killed and Baghdad was occupied by al-Mamun's general, who nevertheless remained inMerv inKhorasan,[6][11] apparently determined to make there his new capital.[12] Al-Rida, who, according to a tradition narrated by Ibn Babawayh and al-Tabarsi, had informed one of his companions that Ma'mun would kill Amin, kept himself away from the conflicts between the two. The period of Amin's caliphate is said to be the time of peace for al-Rida, during which he found the opportunity to fulfill his mission of spreading the Islamic teachings.[7]
Al-Mamun claimed for himself the title of Imam al-Huda (lit. 'rightly-guided leader'), possibly to imply that he was best qualified for the caliphate.[8] Notably, he faced costly revolts in Kufa and Arabia byAlids[12][13] andZaydis,[14] who intensified their campaign against the Abbasids around 815 CE, seizing the cities ofMecca,Medina,Wasit, andBasra.[15] In particular, the Shia revolt byAbu'l-Saraya in 815 was difficult to suppress in Iraq, and compelledal-Hasan ibn Sahl, al-Mamun's governor of Iraq, to deploy the troops of the Khorasani generalHarthama.[16]
Throughout the years, several of al-Rida's brothers and his uncle Moḥammad ibn Ja'far participated in the Alid revolts in Iraq and Arabia, but al-Rida refused any involvement.[1][4] In this period, al-Rida's only involvement in politics might have been to mediate between the Abbasid government and his uncle Muḥammad ibn Ja'far, who had revolted in Mecca.[17]
Departing from the established anti-Shia policies of his predecessors,[14][4] al-Mamun invited al-Rida to Khorasan in 816 CE,[4] and designated him as successor in 817.[16] According to Madelung, al-Mamun wrote to al-Rida in 200 AH (815/816CE), invited him to come to Merv, and also sent Raja ibn Abi'l Zahhak, cousin of hisvizier, and a eunuch to accompany al-Rida on this trip.[1] In the same year, al-Rida might have also made the pilgrimage to Mecca with his five-year-old sonMuhammad al-Jawad.[1][18] After some initial resistance, al-Rida set out for Merv in 816.[14] According to a narration that some ancient sources have confirmed, Ma'mun had ordered that the Imam not be taken viaKufa andQom, as he was worried that the feelings of the Shias of these cities in their friendship with the Imam would create problems for him (Ma'mun).[7]
Though he did not pass through Qum on his way to Merv, he stayed for some time inNishapur, where prominent Sunni traditionists visited him, including Ibn Rahuya, Yahya ibn Yahya, Moḥammad ibn Rafe', and Ahmad ibn Ḥarb. Al-Rida continued on to Marv after receiving a new summons from al-Mamun.[1]
A number of Sunni hadith scholars also asked al-Rida to narrate a hadith for them that has become known as theHadith of Golden Chain.[7]
In Merv, al-Mamun first offered al-Rida the caliphate, though this was turned down by the latter.[1] According to Madelung, al-Rida resisted al-Mamun's proposals for about two months until he reluctantly consented to an appointment as heir to the caliphate.[1][6] The sources seem to agree that al-Rida was reluctant to accept this nomination, ceding only to the insistence of the caliph,[19] with the condition that he would not interfere in governmental affairs or the appointment or dismissal of government agents.[1][20] On 2 Ramadan 201 AH (23 March 817) by one account, the dignitaries and army leaders in Merv pledged their allegiance to the new heir apparent, who was dressed in green.[1] An official announcement was made in the mosques throughout the empire,[1] coins were minted to commemorate the occasion,[18] and al-Mamun also changed the color of uniforms, official dress, and flags from black, the official Abbasid color, to green. This move possibly signified the reconciliation between the Abbasids and the Alids.[1][21] To strengthen their relations, al-Mamun also married his daughter to al-Rida and promised another daughter to al-Rida's son in Medina, a minor at the time.[16][22]
The motivations of al-Mamun for this appointment are not fully understood.[23] At the time, he justified his decision by maintaining that al-Rida was the most suitable person for the caliphate.[4][24][1] The reluctance of al-Rida in accepting this designation, however, might reflect his suspicion that al-Mamun had ulterior motives.[25] With an age gap of more than twenty years, it also seems unlikely that al-Rida would ever have succeeded the much younger al-Mamun.[4][12][26] With this appointment, some have suggested that al-Mamun hoped for the support of the Shia and respite from their numerous revolts.[6][8][27] Others have suggested that al-Mamun was influenced by his powerful Persianvizier, af-Fadl ibn Sahl, who had Shia tendencies.[6][10] Madelung, however, finds it more likely that the initiative to appoint al-Rida belonged to al-Mamun and not hisvizier.[1] Some authors have not found the appointment surprising, noting the strained or severed relations of the caliph with his Abbasid relatives.[26][8][21] Yet others have written that al-Mamun wanted a merit-based caliphate,[4][16] though he made no mention of rules governing the succession to al-Rida during the ceremony.[4][19] It has been suggested that al-Mamun might have wanted to heal the Sunni-Shia division,[28] whileLapidus and others hold that al-Mamun wanted to expand his authority by adopting the Shia views about the divine authority of religious leaders, alongside his later religious inquisition (mihna).[25] Bayhom-Daou considers it likely that al-Mamun saw this appointment as a means of discrediting the Shia doctrine of Imamate,[17] and Tabatabai writes that al-Mamun might have also hoped to undermine the position of al-Rida as a Shia religious leader by engaging him in politics.[20]
Al-Rida's rejection of al-Mamun's initial offer for replacing him as the caliph has been used to argue that al-Rida's ultimate aim was not temporal and political power. Rather, Mavani suggests that such power was merely a means for the Imam to reach the ultimate goal of guiding the community to salvation. When al-Rida was asked why he accepted the successorship, he is reported to have emphasized his unwillingness, responding, "The same thing which forced my grandfather the Commander of the Faithful [Ali ibn Abi Talib] to join the arbitration council [i.e.,coercion]".[29] To show his dissatisfaction with the trip to Khorasan, as reported by Ibn Babuyyah, al-Rida not only refused to take his family with him but also asked them to cry loudly for him, saying that he would never return to his family's embrace.[7]It also appears that this appointment did not alienate any of the followers of al-Rida which, according to Bayhom-Daou, might imply that they were convinced that he was a reluctant player who had no choice but to accept his designation as the heir apparent.[17]
Perhaps incorrectly,[1][17] the appointment of al-Rida was at the time largely attributed to the influence of al-Mamun's Persianvizier, al-Fadl ibn Sahl.[1][16] Nevertheless, various Abbasid governors, with the exception of Ismail ibn Jafar in Basra, loyally carried out their orders and exacted the oath of allegiance to the new heir.[19][17] The appointment of the Alid al-Rida by the Abbasid al-Mamun apparently brought him the support of several notable Alids and nearly all the Zaydite partisans.[16] It also immediately invoked strong opposition, particularly among the Abbasids and Arab Sunni nationalists.[1][21] Al-Mamun's decision did not carry the public opinion of the Iraqis, who declared him deposed and installed Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi, another Abbasid, as caliph in 817, while the popular militia roamed through Baghdad, demanding a return to the Quran and theSunna.[16][27][19] Ibrahim, a half-brother of al-Mamun's father, is said to have been a weak statesman and a mere figurehead,[21] whose rule was largely confined to Baghdad.[30] There were also military engagements in Baghdad, Kufa, and Wasit between al-Mamun's forces and the supporters of Ibrahim who were themselves much harassed by financial and logistical difficulties.[16]
Al-Rida was given a high status at the court of al-Mamun.[4] While the caliph evidently desired that al-Rida should immediately engage in all official ceremonies, the latter is reported to have refrained, stipulating that he would not participate in government affairs. Al-Rida was given his own police force and guard, as well as a chamberlain and a secretary. The caliph is said to have relied on the judgment of al-Rida in religious questions and arranged for debates between him and scholars of Islam and other faiths.[1][31][32] According to Rizvi, however, these religious disputations seem to have been designed as set pieces to embarrass al-Rida.[4] Their accounts were later recorded byIbn Babawayh in hisUyun akhbar al-Rida.[4]
The seriousness of the civil unrest in Iraq was apparently kept hidden from al-Mamun by hisvizier until 818, and it was al-Rida who urged the caliph to return to Baghdad and restore peace.[16][1][30] Al-Rida's assessment was supported by several army chiefs and al-Mamun thus left Khorasan in 818.[1][19] Before their return, hisvizier offered his resignation, pointing out the hatred of the Abbasids in Baghdad for him personally, and requested the caliph to leave him as governor in Khorasan. Al-Mamun instead assured thevizier of his unrestricted support and published a letter to this effect throughout the empire.[1] However, six months later inSha'ban 202 (February 818), thevizier was assassinated inSarakhs by several army officers as he accompanied al-Mamun back to Baghdad.[1][16] Those responsible were soon executed, but not before declaring that they had been acting on the orders of the caliph.[16][1] Henceforth, al-Mamun governed with the help of counsellors on whom he did not confer the title ofvizier.[16]
Al-Rida died inTus (present-dayMashhad) on the last day ofSafar 203 (September 818), probably poisoned.[16][33] Other given dates range from Safar 202 (September 817) toDhu al-Qadah 203 (May 819).[1] The sources seem to agree that al-Rida died after a short illness as he accompanied al-Mamun and his entourage back to Baghdad. His death followed shortly after the assassination of al-Fadl ibn Sahl, the Persianvizier of al-Mamun,[16] who had become a divisive figure.[34] Both deaths are attributed in Shia sources to al-Mamun as he made concessions to the Arab party to smooth his return to Iraq.[34][8][33] Madelung writes that the sudden deaths of thevizier and the heir apparent, whose presence would have made any reconciliation with the powerful Abbasid opposition in Baghdad virtually impossible, strongly suggest that al-Mamun was responsible for them.[1] This opinion is echoed byHugh N. Kennedy and Bobrick,[26][34] and Bayhom-Daou considers this the prevalent view among Western historians.[17] Similarly, Rizvi writes that the sudden reversal of al-Mamun's pro-Shia policies and his attempt to eradicate the memory of al-Rida might support the accusations against the caliph.[4] In contrast, the Sunni historiansal-Tabari andal-Masudi, who both lived under the Abbasids, do not consider the possibility of murder.[19] In particular, al-Masudi writes that al-Rida died as a result of consuming too many grapes.[35][36] Alternatively, the Shia scholarMuhammad Husayn Tabataba'i believed that al-Mamun poisoned al-Rida given the growing popularity of the latter and the immediate proliferation of the Shia teachings.[20] Some Sunni authors seem to have also adopted the Shia practice of referring to al-Rida's death as martyrdom.[17]
The caliph then asked a group of Alids to examine the body of al-Rida and testify that he had died of natural causes. At the funeral, al-Mamun recited the last prayers himself.[19] The reports note his display of grief during the funeral.[1][35] Madelung does not view these emotions as necessarily insincere, noting that on other occasions in the reign of al-Mamun, cold political calculation appears to have outweighed the personal sentiments and ideals.[1] A year later, in Safar 204 (August 819), the caliph entered Baghdad without a fight.[30] The anti-caliph, Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi, had already fled from the city several weeks earlier.[16] The return to Baghdad marked the end of the pro-Shia policies of al-Mamun,[33][16] and was followed by the return to the traditional black color of the Abbasids.[16]
Al-Mamun buried al-Rida in Tus next to his father, Harun al-Rashid, in theHarun ِal-Rashid Mausoleum.[37][38][39] Tus was later replaced with a new city, calledMashhad (lit. 'place of martyrdom'), developed around the grave of al-Rida as the holiest site in Iran for the Shia. The present shrine dates to the fourteenth century, when theIl-khanÖljaitü converted toTwelver Shi'ism. Most of the elaborate decorative work in the present imposing complex dates fromSafavid andQajar periods. Adjacent to the shrine is theGoharshad Mosque, one of the finest in Iran, named after the wife of theTimurid emperorShah Rukh and completed in 1394. Several theological colleges have been built around the shrine, the most famous of which is that of Mirza Ja'far Khan.[40]
The traditional ritual of Khutbeh Khani (lit. 'reciting sermon') is held annually on the night of al-Rida's death. The ritual, dating back to governor Ali Shah ofKhorasan in 1160 AH, involves the servants of the holy site walking from the nearest street to Inqilab yard with candles in their hands.[41] There, they stand around the yard and the crowd recites religious sermons and praise God. This ritual is also repeated on the night ofAshura.[42]
Theimamate of al-Rida overlapped with the reigns of the Abbasid Harun al-Rashid and his sons,al-Amin andal-Mamun.[13] He initially adopted a quiescent attitude and kept aloof from politics, similar to his predecessors, namely, the fourth through seventh Shia Imams;[13] and he refused to officially approve and accompany the uprisings of theAlids. Therefore, theZaydis, who followed the method of armed struggle, were against him. According to al-Rida, armed conflict is not the best way to fight when there are rulers who do not tolerate any kind ofEnjoining good and forbidding wrong. Based on this, al-Rida did not accept Muhammad bin Suleiman request to unite and accompany him. Also, it has been said that in a meeting with his uncle,Muhammad ibn Ja'far, the Imam warned him against opposing the way of his father and brother (Ja'far al-Sadiq andMusa al-Kazim) and warned him that his rebellion would be unsuccessful. The Imam even quarreled with his brother,Zayd ibn Musa al-Kazim, and left him. Nevertheless, al-Rida called the current situation in his time as the rule of a false government and the system of oppressors. By explaining the concept of "Ulu'l-amr" and the necessity of obeying them, he emphasized on following theAhl al-Bayt and he considered the leadership of oppressors and obeying them to be invalid and wrong. Among the companions of al-Rida, there were those who, while appearing to accompany the government, had relations with the Imam and protected and supported the Shias from harm and oppression.[7]
Al-Rida, known for his piety and learning,[19][17] issuedfatwas (legal rulings) atThe Prophet's Mosque in Medina when he was still in his twenties and narrated hadith from his forefathers.[1][19]
Al-Kazim designated his son, Ali al-Rida, as his successor before his death inHarun al-Rashid's prison in 799 (183 AH),[4][43] following some years of imprisonment.[13]Wilferd Madelung adds that al-Kazim had made al-Rida his legatee, and that al-Rida also inherited his father's estate near Medina to the exclusion of his brothers.[1] After al-Kazim, al-Rida was thus acknowledged as the next Imam by a significant group of al-Kazim's followers,[14] who formed the main line of Shia and went on to become the Twelvers.[44] The brothers of al-Rida did not claim the imamate but a number of them revolted against the Abbasids.[4][1] Some of the followers of al-Kazim, however, claimed that he had not died and would return as Mahdi, the promised savior in Islam.[45][23] These became known as theWaqifite Shia (lit. 'those who stop') though it appears that they later returned to the mainstream Shia,[46] declaring al-Rida and his successors as the lieutenants of al-Kazim.[43][14] These also included the Bushariyya, named after Muhammad ibn Bashir, the gnostic fromKufa, who claimed to be the interim imam in the absence of al-Kazim.[43][47]
During his Imamate, al-Rida fought fiercely against the leaders of the Waqifiyya, calling them enemies of the truth, wanderers, heretics, infidels, and polytheists. In one case, he compared the Waqifiyya with the Jews and stated that verse 64 of SurahAl-Ma'idah was revealed about the Waqifiyya because they, like the Jews, doubted the continuity of the Imamate because no child had yet been born to the Imam and attributed impotence to God.[7] The term Waqifiyya is applied generally to any group who denies or hesitates over the death of a particular Shia Imam and refuses to recognize his successors.[48]
According to Kohlberg, the creation of Waqifiyya might have had a financial reason.[46] Some of the representatives of al-Kazim evidently refused to hand over to al-Rida the monies entrusted to them, arguing that al-Kazim was the last Imam.[46][17] These included Mansur ibn Yunus Buzurg and Ali ibn Abi Ḥamza al-Bataini, Ziyad ibn Marwan al-Kandi, Uthman ibn Isa al-Amiri al-Ruasi (Ruwasi). Some reports indicate that al-Ruasi repented.[46]
Muhammad, the only child of al-Rida, was seven years old when his father died.[6] The succession of the young Muhammad, who later became known as al-Jawad (lit. 'the generous'), became controversial among the followers of his father. A group of them instead accepted the imamate of al-Rida's brother, Ahmad ibn Musa. Another group joined the Waqifiyya, who considered al-Kazim to be the last Imam and expected his return as Mahdi. Some had opportunistically backed the imamate of al-Rida after his appointment as successor to the caliphate and now returned to their Sunni or Zaydi communities.[49] Tabatabai, however, regards the divisions in Shia after al-Rida as insignificant and often temporary.[50] Twelver scholars have noted that Jesus received his prophetic mission in the Quran when he was still a child,[51] and some hold that al-Jawad had received the requisite perfect knowledge of all religious matters through divine inspiration from the time of his succession, irrespective of his age.[1]
Often viewed as evidence of his divine favor,[52] various nonprophetic miracles (karamat,sg.karama) have been attributed to al-Rida. During his stay in Nishapur, it is said that the Imam planted an almond in the house where he stayed, which grew into a tree and bore fruit the next year. Also, in the Imam's residence, there was a ruined bathhouse and a barrenqanat, but when the Imam arrived, the water in that qanat flowed again, and the people rebuilt that bathhouse, and it was named after the Imam, and people sought blessings from that tree and this bathhouse.[7]
After leavingNishapur, Reza reached a village namedSanabad and went to the palace ofHumayd ibn Qahtaba and entered the courtyard where Harun al-Rashid's grave was located. According to Ibn Babawayh, al-Rida drew a line next to that grave and said, "This will be my tomb".[7]
As related by Ibn Babuwayh, at the beginning of al-Rida's presence in Khorasan, it did not rain much. Al-Mamun asked al-Rida to pray for rain. He accepted and appointed Monday for this work. In the morning al-Rida went to the desert with the people and went to the pulpit and asked God for rain. After that, clouds appeared in the sky and when people returned to their homes, it started raining heavily. A large crowd gathered around al-Rida and people congratulated him on this honor.[7]Donaldson includes the account of Reyyan ibn Salt who, when bidding farewell to his Imam, was so overcome with grief that he forgot to ask al-Rida for one of his shirts, to use as a shroud, and some coins, to make rings for his daughters. As Reyyan was leaving, however, al-Rida called to him, "Do you not want one of my shirts to keep as your shroud? And would you not like some pieces of money for rings for your daughters?" Reyyan left after al-Rida fulfilled his wishes.[53]
Ibn Hibban a hadith scholar, writes in his work, Al-Thiqat, that he would frequently visitImam Reza shrine and by praying over the grave of the Imam, the problems or difficulties he was facing would be resolved, and he had experienced this many times.Al-Hakim al-Nishapuri quoted Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Sahl, a jurist known as Masarjisi (d. 384), as saying that no problem in religious or worldly matters arose for me unless I sought out the grave of Ali ibn Musa and prayed there, and that problem and need were resolved.[7]
The title al-Rida (lit. 'the approved one') was reputedly bestowed upon him by the caliph, in a reference to a descendant of Muhammad upon whom Muslims would agree for the caliphate (al-rida min al Muhammad), a rallying cry of the Shia and, earlier, of Abbasids against the Umayyads.[1][54][4]He is commonly known in Iran and other countries in central Asia as Shah-i-Khorasan (the Emperor of Khorasan) this is well known in that region especially among Shia and Sufis.Muhammad al-Jawad, according to Ibn Babawiyah, stated that God called him Rida because his enemies and his friends were pleased with him, while this did not happen to any of his fathers.[7] Al-Rida is also known as Abu al-Hasan al-Thani (lit. 'Abu al-Hasan, the second') to distinguish him from his father, Musa al-Kazim, who is also known as Abu al-Hasan al-Awwal (lit. 'Abu al-Hasan, the first').[1]
In a move to strengthen their ties, al-Mamun had married his daughter, Umm Habib, to al-Rida,[1] though no children resulted from that marriage.[40] Muhammad, who later became known asMuhammad al-Jawad, was the child of al-Rida, born to Sabika (or Khayzuran), a freed slave (umm walad) fromNubia, who was said to have descended from the family ofMaria al-Qibtiyya, a freed slave of the prophet and mother of his son Ebrahim, who died in childhood.[55] There is a disagreement as to the number of children Ali al-Rida had. Some have reported them as five sons and one daughter with the names of Muhammad, Hasan, Ja'far, Ibrahim, Husayn and A'isha. According toIbn Hazm al-Rida had three sons named Ali, Muhammad, and Hussein, whose lineage continued through Muhammad. While others mentioned the existence of a daughter of Ali al-Rida called Fatima.
Hadiths of al-Rida andMuhammad al-Jawad indicate that al-Rida had only one son namely Muhammad al-Jawad and the al-Rida's lineage continued through him.[7]
In addition to Shia authorities,[1][19] Sunni biographical sources also list al-Rida as one of the narrators of prophetic hadiths, andal-Waqidi considers him a reliable transmitter.[17] As a Shia Imam who rejected the authority of Muhammad's companions as hadith transmitters,[17] initially only the Shia transmitted hadith on the authority of al-Rida.[1][19] In his later years, however, notable Sunni traditionists were said to have visited him, includingIshaq ibn Rahwayh and Yahya ibn Yahya.[4][1] In particular, his appointment as the heir apparent seemed to have added to the credibility to al-Rida in Sunni circles, who at the time apparently came to regard him as a distinguished transmitter by virtue of his learning and descent from the prophet.[17] In view of his continued veneration as a Shia Imam, later Sunni authors were divided about the authority of al-Rida, some saying that he was not always a reliable transmitter and others instead questioning the authority of those who transmitted from al-Rida. They all seem to refer to him as a man of piety and learning.[17]
It has been commonly held thatMa'ruf al-Karkhi, who converted to Islam at the hands of al-Rida, is a prominent figure in the golden chain of most Sufi orders. He is said to have been a devoted student of al-Rida,[56][57] though Bayhom-Daou regards the accounts of their encounters as apocryphal.[17] In Sufi tradition, al-Rida is regarded as a model of asceticism,[17] and the chains of authority in Shia Sufi orders progress through al-Rida, followed by al-Karkhi.[58] One such instance is theShah Nimatullah Wali order.[59]
Among the poets who wrote poems in praise of al-Rida wereAbu Nuwas and Di'bil ibn 'Ali al-Khuza'i, both Shia poets. Two famous Persian poetsSanai andKhaqani have also written poems about the desire to visit the al-Rida's shrine. Sanai expressed his deep feelings and belief in al-Rida in a famous and long poem, in which he compared the al-Rida's shrine to the Kaaba in terms of crowding. For Khaqani Khorasan was the Qibla of religion and spirituality.[7]
Al-Risalah al-Dhahabiah (lit. 'the golden treatise') is a treatise on medical cures and the maintenance of good health which was reputedly commissioned by al-Mamun, who requested it in gold ink, hence the name. The studies by Speziale (2004) and Speziale - Giurini (2009) have critically analysed the issue of the authorship of the text. The book was text edited in Bombay and included byMajlesi in hisBihar al-Anwar. A number of commentaries have been written to it and it has been translated into Persian and Urdu.[1] Despite questions concerning its authenticity, the book remains popular among the Twelver Shia.[4]
Sahifah of al-Ridha is a collection of 240 hadiths, mentioned in some early Twelver sources and ascribed to al-Rida.[1][4]Fiqh al-Rida, also calledal-Fiqh al-Radawi, is a treatise on jurisprudence (fiqh) attributed to al-Rida. It was not known till the tenth century (sixteenth AD century) when it was judged to be authentic byMuhammad Baqir Majlisi but later Twelver scholars have doubted its authenticity, including S.H. Sadr.[1] Other works attributed to al-Rida are listed inA'yan al-Shia. Additionally, Shia sources contain detailed descriptions of his religious debates, sayings, and poetry.[1]Uyoun Akhbar Al-Ridha byIbn Babawayh is a comprehensive collection that includes the religious debates, sayings, biographical details, and even the miracles which have occurred at his tomb.[60]
Al-Ma'mun showed interest in theological questions[27] and organized debates between the scholars of different sects and religions in which al-Rida participated.[31] One of these debates was about Divine Unity, led by Sulaiman al-Mervi, a scholar fromKhorasan. Another discussion with Ali ibn Muhammad ibn al-Jahm was devoted to the infallibility of the prophets, which led to another session on the same subject when al-Mamun took part in the debate himself.[32] Many of these debates are recorded in the collections ofShiahadiths, such asUyoun Akhbar Al-Ridha.[4] The following is an excerpt from a debate between Al-Rida and an unbeliever (zindiq).
Al-Rida is represented in historical sources as a thoughtful and likable man.[53] He was of medium height, according to Ibn Sabbagh, and his skin color was dark or wheatish. He ate slowly and little and used to wear cheap and rough clothes, but when he met people, he wore luxurious clothes.
When he laughed, he did not giggle and smiled. He used to sit and eat with his slaves. He did not make his guests to work for him and tried to respect them in the best possible way.[7] Byzanti relates that when he visited al-Rida for a few hours, al-Rida invited him to stay for the night and spread his own bed for Byzanti. Muhammad ibn Ghaffar narrates that when he visited al-Rida to ask for financial help, al-Rida fulfilled his wish before he mentioned his need and then invited Muhammad to stay overnight as his guest.[53] When he was in Khorasan, he distributed all his wealth among the people on theDay of Arafat.[7]
* "The sincere friend of every man is his intelligence, while his enemy is his ignorance."[62] * "Worship is not abundant prayer and fasting; rather it is abundant reflecting on the affair of Allah, the Great and Almighty."[63] * "Man is not worshipful unless he is clement."[63] * "Faith is a degree above Islam; fear of Allah is a degree above faith; and nothing less than fear of Allah has been divided among men."[63] * "Faith is four pillars: trust in Allah, satisfaction with Allah's decree, submission to Allah's command, and entrusting (affairs) to Allah."[63] * "If one lacks five attributes, do not expect to gain anything good out of him for your life in this world or your life to come: if his lineage is known to be untrustworthy, if his nature lacks generosity, if his temper lacks balance, if he lacks a noble conduct, and if he lacks fear of his Lord".[63] * "If only three years of a person's span of life has remained and he tightens the bond of kin, Allah will make them thirty years, and Allah does whatever He wills."[63] * "Adhere to the weapon of the prophets!" They asked, "What is the weapon of prophets?" He replied, "Supplication".[63] * "A believer's secret supplication is equal to seventy open supplications."[63] * "Imamate is compulsory for religion and it is a system for Muslims. It is cause of benefit in this world and dignity for Believers."[63]
"The sincere friend of every person is his intellect, while his enemy is his ignorance."[62]
"True worship is not in the abundance of prayer and fasting, but in frequent reflection on the greatness and affairs of Allah, the Almighty."[63]
"A man is not truly devout unless he is gentle and forbearing."[63]
"Faith stands one degree above Islam, and the fear of Allah stands one degree above faith; and nothing less than fear of Allah has been distributed among people."[63]
"Faith is built upon four pillars: trust in Allah, contentment with His decree, submission to His command, and entrusting all affairs to Him."[63]
"If a person lacks five qualities, expect no good from him in your worldly or spiritual life: if his lineage is unreliable, if he lacks generosity, if his temper is unbalanced, if he lacks noble conduct, and if he does not fear his Lord."[63]
"If a person's lifespan has only three years remaining, yet he strengthens the bonds of kinship, Allah may extend his life to thirty years — and Allah does whatever He wills."[63]
"Adhere to the weapon of the prophets!" They asked, "What is the weapon of the prophets?" He replied, "Supplication."[63]
"A believer's private supplication is equal to seventy public supplications."[63]
"The Imamate is essential to religion; it is the foundation of unity among Muslims, a source of benefit in this world, and a means of dignity for the believers."[63]
… they placed him in a grave inside the tomb of Harun al- Rashid.
Media from CommonsQuotations from Wikiquote
Data from WikidataAli al-Rida of theAhl al-Bayt Clan of theBanu Quraish Born: 11thDhul Qi'dah148 AH≈ 1 January 766 Died: 17th/30thSafar203 AH≈ 6 June 818 | ||
| Shia Islam titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | 8thImam ofTwelverShi'a Islam 799–818 | Succeeded by |
