IMAM AL RIDHA Gharibul ghuraba

SEERAHName – Ali Bin Musa

Title – Al-Ridha, Zamin-e-Thamin, Gharibul Ghuraba, Alim e Ale Muhammad.Kuniyya – Abul Hassan Birth – 11th Dhulqa’ada 148 AH in Medina

Mother – Sayyida Suttana (or Najma or Ummulbanin)

Father – Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (AS)

Death – 29th Safar 203 AH in Iran at the age of 55 years.

Buried – In Mashad, Iran

HIS BACKGROUND Imam Ali Al-Ridha (AS) was born one month after the martyrdom of his grandfather, Imam Ja’fer As-Sadiq (AS). He was born during the reign of Harun Al-Rashid, who poisoned his father. Imam played a significant role in the educating of Muslims. Setting examples of education through his own conduct.

HIS LIFE

After the death of Harun Al Rashid, his son Mamoun became the Khalif. According to the tradition started by Muawiya, Harun had to name a successor. Mamoun summoned Imam Al-Ridha to him. The route he chose was not the normal route where a lot of shias used.

W H Y D I D M A M O U N WA N T T H E I M A M T O B E T H E I R H E I R A P PA R E N T ?

To please the Shia public opinion in Khurasan and the surrounding areas

This would make it easier for Mamoun to be accepted by the people there

THE GOLDEN CHAIN

On the way, Imam was asked to tell them a hadith. The Imam related the hadith famously known as the ‘Hadith of the Golden Chain’

From my father Al-khadim, through his father Al-Sadiq, through his father Al-Baqer, through his father Al-Sajjad, through his father Al-Hussain, through his father Amir Al-Mui’meen, from the Messenger, from Gabriel: Allah (swt) has said the word La Ilaha Ila Allah is my fortification, whoever says it will enter my fort and whoever enters my fort is safe. Then the Imam added, “ But this is with its conditions and I am one of those conditions.”

HIS LIFE IN MA’MOON’S PALACE

After he arrived at the palace Ma’moon kept a close eye on the Imam

He often invited many learned and knowledgeable people to the palace to meet Imam

They had a lot of questions and the Imam’s knowledge was so wide that he was able to answer all of them

One scholar asked, “How can you accept Muhammad to be the prophet of God when he showed no miracles?”

HIS LIFE CONTINUED..

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.

Seeing the Imam’s popularity disturbed Ma’moon and he decided to kill him

HIS MARTYRDOMThere are various accounts of how Imam Ali Al Ar-Ridha (AS) was killed by Mamun. One of them is that Imam used to like grapes and Mamun offered the Imam some poisoned grapes. Imam was ill and died after two days on the 29th of Safar 203 AH. He died in Toos in a village called Sanabad.

HIS MARTYRDOM CONT. .

Mamun ordered Imam’s grave to be dug near his father Harun’s, and when it was being dug he said that Imam has told him that when his grave would be dug up, 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 Mash-had in Iran.

HIS LEGACY

‘The first thing the worshiper will be judged for is his prayer and if the prayer is right every other act will be right. If it was rejected every other act will be rejected.’

He also used to gather people in majalis for the remembrance of Imam Hussain(as)

THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Thanks for your time