A Glance at the Life of Imam Reza (A.S)
Hazrat Reza (A.S), the eight shining star in the sky of Imamat was born in Medina on 11, Zilqadh 148 A.H. / 29 Dec, 765 A.D.
His beloved father Imam Musa-ibn-Jafar (A.S) named him Ali. He was divenely entitled al-Reza (meaning that Allah and His messenger were deeply pleased with him) and his agnomen was Abul Hasan.
His grand era of Imamat began from 183 A.H. when he was thirty five years old and he held that divine position for about twenty years.
The three Abbasid caliphs were his contemporaries: Haroon al-Rashid for the first ten years, Amin for another five years and finally Ma’mun for the last five years.
When Imam (A.S) attained the Imamat, the political government was then run by Haroon al-Rashid in Baghdad. The style of rule exercised by this Abbasid caliph was nothing but force over the people. They would constantly torment and kill the progeny and Shiites of Fatemah (A.S.) [Al-Uqdul-Farid 2/44].
Imam Reza (A.S.) at first, did not make public his Imamat and did not establish contacts with anyone save his special followers and Shiites. However, after a lapse of several years, Haroon al-Rashid’s government began to lose strength because of numerous rebellions against him. Taking advantage of this situation, Imam Reza (A.S.) made public his Imamat in Medina and engaged in solving the people’s social problems as well as problems pertaining to beliefs.
Imam’s invitation to Marv:
After Haroon’s death in 193 A.H., conflict took place between his two sons Amin and Ma’mun which led to bloody wars and finally the assassination of Amin in 198 A.H.
Thus, Ma’mun became the caliph.
The Shiites of that period continued to consider the holy Imam (A.S.) as their divine leader and caliph. The Abbasid caliph feared the holy Imam (A.S.) who was publicly recognized as the successor of the messenger of Allah.
Ma’mun thought of finding a new solution for this problem which his Abbasid predecessors had not been able to solve. He decided to invite Imam Reza (A.S.) to Marv with the evil intention of making a fake freindship with Imam. Thus, he intended to have a direct eye upon the holy Imam. Subsequently, by stationing Hazrat in his court he wanted to display that his government is approved by Imam Reza (A.S.).
In the beginning, Imam Reza (A.S.) did not accept this so-called invitation. Later, when these invitations turned into a threat, Imam forcefully traveled to Khorasan in 200 A.H. This was to avoid any bloodshed among the Shiites. Imam Reza (A.S.) explicitly displayed his dissatisfaction of such a foreceful emigration.
Anyhow, after traveling a very long distance, Imam Reza (A.S.) reached Naishabour. The most interesting incident during his journey occurred in Naishabour.
Ibne-Sabbagh (855 A.H.) a traditionist and faqih belonging to the Maliki sect writes:
Abu-Zareh and Mohammad-ibn-Aslam Tusi accompanied by countless of scholars and traditionists approached Ali-ibn-Musa Reza (A.S.) and said: ‘O the generous chief! O the offspring of Aaimma! We swear by the truthfulness of your pure forefathers, show us your blessed face and narrate to us the traditions narrated by your forefathers from your great grandfather Mohammad (S.A.W.A.) so that we remember you by these traditions. Thereafter, Hazrat stopped his mule and asked his servants to set up a canopy where people could come and see him……The people stood on their feet to see their Imam. A few yelled. A few others cried while yet a few others rolled over the ground. A few others were seen kissing the legs of Imam’s mule. This continued until the leaders, scholars and faqih’s cried out:
‘O people! Listen to that which brings you benefit………’
At that moment, Ali-ibn-Musa Reza (A.S.) said:
‘My father Musa Kazim narrated to me from his father Jafar Sadiq and he from his father, Mohammad Baqir and he from his father, Ali Zain al-Abedeen and he from his father, Husain the martyr of Karbala and he from his father Ali-ibn-Abi Talib who said: My beloved, the messenger of Allah narrated to me and said: Gabriel narrated to me and said: My Lord, Exalted by He and Glory be to Him said: The phrase (Kalema): “There is no god but Allah” is My castle. So anyone who recites this phrase (Kalema) shall enter My castle and anyone who enters My castle shall remain immune from My chastisement.
(Al-Fusool al Muhammah/353 & 354). Narrator says: When his mule moved a little, Hazrat added these words: But all this depends on some conditions and I am one of those conditions (Yanabi al-Muwadda/364&385; Amali Saduq/208; Al-Uyoon 2/135).
The number of those who wrote this golden tradition with pen and ink amounted to more than twenty thousand. (Al-Fusool al-Muhammah/254).
This historical and famous hadith is called “Sililat al-Dhahab”.
Imam Reza (A.S.) finally reached Marv, the capital of Ma’mun. He was welcomed by Ma’mun himself and some distinguished Abbasid nobles.
Ma’mun at first offered Imam (A.S.) the caliphate. His holiness seriously rejected Ma’mun’s proposal and replied:
If this caliphate is your right and Allah has set this for you it’s not lawful that you remove the clothes which Allah has made you wear and give others to wear.
If the caliphate is not your right, then it’s not lawful for you give me that which does not belong to you. (Al-Uyoon 2/140).
Then, Ma’mun proposed Imam to accept the heir-apparency. The holy Imam (A.S.) turned down this proposal too but he was finally forced to accept it.
However, before that, Imam (A.S.) put forward certain conditions such that he would not interfere in government affairs or in the appointment or dismissal of government agents. Here we see that Imam (A.S.) did not accept any official responsibility in the state affairs as he did not recognize Ma’mun’s government to be lawful.
Ritual of Fitr prayer:
In Ramadhan 202 A.H., Ma’mun sent a message to Imam Reza (A.S.) requesting him to conduct the “Fitr Prayers” in Marv.
The holy Imam (A.S.) did not accept this task but due to Ma’mun’s insistance his holiness agreed to perform the related ritual but only on the basis of the method adopted by the holy Prophet (S.A.W.A.). Ma’mun accepted Imam’s suggestion on this issue.
On the day of “Fitr”, the caliph’s horse ornamented with glossy galloon was kept waiting at the door of Imam’s dwelling place. The high-ranking officials of the state such as military commanders, judges, distinguished and celebrated authorities of Marv were all in costly costumes waiting to escort the Imam. Large number of people were awaiting to welcome the Imam.
Unexpectedly, Imam (A.S.) appeared in plain clothes and bare-footed before that congregation, attented by his own men in simple garments and bare-footed.
The holy Imam (A.S.) bare-footed marched forward and glorified God by chanting: “Allaho-Akbar”.
When the officials saw Imam Reza (A.S.) in simple clothes and bare-footed, they hurriedly jumped down from the saddles of their horses.
The holy Imam (A.S.) continued glorifying God while repeating the phrase “Allaho-Akbar”.
The magnificence and splendour of that event was reported to Ma’mun and the rally was related as an alarm for the caliph. He quickly dispatched one of his men to request the holy Imam (A.S.) to cease the continuation of that ritual under the pretext of some excuse Ma’mun had invented. Despite being deeply annoyed Imam (A.S.) left the place and the people who had turned into a fiery mass.
Imam’s discourses:
Yet another of Ma’mun’s evil programs was that he spread strange thoughts and reflections peculiar to the Greek philosophy in the domain of Islamic branches of learning.
Ma’mun’s motive behind propagation of alien books particularly the Greek philosophy was to attract the people towards alien sciences thereby isolating the household of Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.). Secondly, by this act, the deficient knowledge of the Abbasids in comparison with the Ahl al-bayt would remain concealed.
However, Hazrat Reza (A.S.) opposed the obscure policies of the Abbasid government and skillfully safeguarded the realities of religion through discussions and debates with the learned philosophers and speakers of Ma’mun’s court.
The Jewish and the Christians erudite as well as dualists and atheists used to take part in those debates and they always submitted to Imam’s vast field of knowledge.
Imam’s martyrdom:
By laying down conditions for accepting the heir-apparency and by overcoming the scholars of his time, Imam (A.S.) made futile Ma’mun’s gloomy plans and once again made clear before all, the truthfulness of the Ahl al-bayt (A.S.) school of thought.
The vicious caliph feared the holy Imam’s increasing popularity and he had appointed him as his heir to the throne only for the fulfillment of his own sinister designs and getting Imam’s endorsement to his tricky plans. When all these failed, Ma’mun sought to find a remedy for this problem and decided to poison the holy Imam (A.S.).
Ma’mun poisoned Imam (A.S.) with grapes and consequently Imam (A.S.) attained martyrdom in 203 A.H. He was buried in Toos (Mashad) and his grand shrine speaks well for the great personality the Imam possessed.
Hearing the sad news of Imam Reza’s martyrdom, De’bel Khozaee, the celebrated Arab poet wrote an elegy in praise and commemoration of his holiness. The following is a translated theme of the purport of that famous ode:
“ Two graves are located in Toos. One belongs to the best man (Imam Reza), while the other is occupied by the worst creature (Haroon al-Rashid). This serves as an example for others.
That wicked spirit can gain no benefit from its nearness to the pure body of the holy Imam (A.S.) and the sacred remains of his holiness will not be polluted by its foul neighbour.
