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8-Imam Reza Ibne Mosa (A.S)
Text Box: Profile: Rank: Eighth Imam Name: Imam Reza Nicknames: Abul Hassan Al-Sani (Father of Hassan the Second), Ali Al-Ridha. Father: Imam Mosa (Kazim) Mother: Bibi Sultana/Umul Baneen Date of Birth: 765 A.D. Place of Birth: In Medina (Saudi Arabia) Date of Death: 818 A.D. Lived: 55 years Place of Death: Mashad / Khorasan (Iran) Cause of Death: Poison. Burial: Mashad (Iran) Stories: THE UNFIXED WAGES One day Suleiman bin Jafar and Imam Reza (A.S.) had gone out together for some work. It was sunset when Suleiman wanted to return home. Imam Reza (A.S.) said to him: "Come to my house and be with us tonight." Suleiman agreed and with Imam (A.S.) he went to his house. Imam (A.S.) saw his servants busy in gardening. By the way, he saw a stranger, who was also busy in gardening with them. Imam (A.S.) asked: "Who is he?" The servants replied: "We have hired him today so that he may help us." Imam (A.S.): "It's all right. How much wages have you fixed for him?" Servants: " We will give him something and would make him satisfied." The signs of displeasure and anger appeared on Imam Reza (A.S.) face and he wanted to punish them. Suleiman Ja'feri came forward and said: ''Why do you make yourself uncomfortable?" Imam (A.S.) said: "I have repeatedly given orders that till the work and wages are not fixed, never get the work done by anyone. First fix the wages of the person and then get the work done. Even if you have fixed the wages, you could give something extra to him after the work is over. Certainly, when he finds that you have given him more than the fixed wages, he would be thankful to you and would like you. And the affection between you and him would increase. And even if you would give him the wages you have fixed, the person would not be unhappy with you. But if you do not fix the wages and employ someone to work, whatever you would give him after the work, he would not think that you have done a favour to him. Rather, he will think that you have given him less than his actual wages." IMAM-E-ZAAMIN (A.S.) There is a Hadith (Saying) of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) that when you travel, you should give charity (sadaqa/zakat/charity). So is it not better to give the money of Imam-e-Zamin before you go on your journey rather than when you get back, so that it may reach the poor quicker. It is said that the Sura of Tawheed (Sura Ikhlas) if written and cut into two halves, one given to the traveler and the other left at his home, will always come together again and so ensure the safe journey of the traveler. The king at the time of our 8th Imam, Imam Ali ar-Reza (A.S.) was Mamoon al-Rasheed. Mamoon had forced Imam (A.S.) to take the position of his heir apparent (i.e. Imam (A.S.) was supposed to take over as king after Mamoon); because he wanted to be accepted by the Shias. Although Imam (A.S.) did not want to take this position, he made full use of it to preach Islam openly. To show to the people how much he thought of Imam (A.S.), Mamoon changed the color of his court from black to green [the color of the Imams (A.S.)], he also had new coins made with Imam Ali ar-Reza's (A.S.) name on it. Each Imam (A.S.) is remembered for a specific thing: EX: 4th Imam, Imam Zain ul Abideen (A.S.) - In illness. 6th Imam, Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (A.S.) - For sustenance. And in the same way our 8th Imam, Imam Ali Ar-Reza (A.S.) is called upon when someone is about to go on a journey. The eight Imam, Imam Ali Ibne Musa Ar-Reza (A.S.) is also called as Imam-e-Zamin (A.S.). When Muslims go on journeys they take with them something called Imam-e-Zamin (another name for Imam Reza (A.S.)) which is some money tied in a cloth. This tradition probably came from the time of Imam Reza (A.S.) when people used to carry money with them especially because it had Holy Imam's (A.S.) name on it. As Mamoon, the Abbasid caliph the contemporary of Imam Reza (A.S.), had coins minted with the name of Imam Reza (A.S.) on them, it was very easy for the Muslims to carry the name of Holy Imam (A.S.) with them, especially when they went on journeys. Imam Reza (A.S.) is also known as Imam-e-Zamin (A.S.). Zamin means "The Guarantor". One day when Imam Reza (A.S.) was on his historical journey from Medina to Mawr (Khorasan), while in a jungle the Holy Imam (A.S.) came across a hunter who was about to kill a deer. The deer was trying to get away and when she saw Holy Imam (A.S.), she said something to him. Holy Imam (A.S.) asked the hunter to free the deer so that she could go and feed her little baby deer who were very hungry. Imam Reza (A.S.) also told the hunter that once the deer had fed her babies she would come back. The hunter allowed the deer to go because Holy Imam (A.S.) had told him to, but he did not think the deer will come back. But Imam Reza (A.S.) waited with the hunter until the deer returned with her young ones. The hunter was amazed on witnessing this miraculous event and he set the deer free as a mark of respect for Imam Reza (A.S.). After this historical event Imam Reza (A.S.) became famous as Imam Zaamin (A.S.). The famous artist of the contemporary world, Ustad Mahmud Farshchiyan has depicted this historical event in this beautiful masterpiece iconographic entitled "Zaamin-e-Aahu" (The Guarantor of the Deer). MAMUN'S OFFER On Imam Reza (A.S.) arrival in Mawr (Khorasan), the seat of Al-Mammon's caliphate, the Abbasid caliph showed him hospitality and great respect, then he said to him: "I want to get rid of myself of the caliphate and vest the office in you." But Imam Reza (A.S.) refused his offer. Then al-Mamoon repeated his offer in a letter saying: "If you refuse what I have offered you, then you must accept being the heir after me." But again Imam Reza (A.S.) refused his offer vigorously. Al-Mamoon summoned him. He was alone with Al-Fadl Ibn Sahl, the Iranian noble in charge of two offices (i.e., military and civil). There was no one else in their gathering. Al-Mamoon said to Imam Reza (A.S.), "I thought it appropriate to invest authority over the Muslims in you and to relieve myself of the responsibility by giving it to you." When again Imam Reza (A.S.) refused to accept his offer, Al-Mamoon spoke to him as if threatening him for his refusal. In his speech he said, "Omar Ibn al-Kahttab made a committee of consultation (shura) (to appoint a successor). Among them was your forefather, the Commander of the faithful, Ali Ibn Abi Talib. (Omar) stipulated that any of them who opposed the decision should be executed. So there is no escape for you from accepting what I want from you. I will ignore your rejection of it." In reply, Imam Reza (A.S.) said: "I will agree to what you want of me as far as succession is concerned on condition that I do not command, nor order, nor give legal decisions, nor judge, nor appoint, nor dismiss, nor change anything from how it is at present." Al-Mamoon accepted all of that. On the day when Al-Mamoon ordered to make the pledge of allegiance to Imam Reza (A.S.) one of the close associates of Imam Reza (A.S.), who was present, narrates, "On that day I was in front of him. He looked at me while I was feeling happy about what had happened. He signaled me to come closer. I went closer to him and he said so that no one else could hear, 'Do not occupy your heart with this matter and do not be happy about it. It is something which will not be achieved.'' INTERCESSION It is written in 'Dhillul Mateen' that Meer Mu'inuddin Ashraf who was one of the virtuous attendants of the shrine of Imam Ali-Ar-Reza (A.S.) says that, "Once I dreamed that I was in the shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.) and was coming out to perform ablution (Wuzu). When I came near the mound of Ameer Ali Sher, I saw a group of people entering the shrine. An eminent personality was leading them, and they all carried spades in their hands. As soon as they entered the shrine, the eminent personality pointed towards a particular grave and said, "Dig out the wretched fellow from his grave". Hearing his command they started digging the grave. I asked one of those men as to who that man was. He replied that He was the Commander of the faithful Imam Ali (A.S.). Suddenly I saw that Imam Ali-Ar-Reza (A.S.) came out of His shrine and greeted Imam Ali (A.S.). Hazrat Ali (A.S.) answered His greeting. Imam Reza (A.S.) said, "O my Respected Grandfather! I request you, and have faith, that you will forgive this person on my behalf who lies buried here under the shelter of my shrine". Amirul Momineen (A.S.) answered, "O my dear son! Do you know that he was a mischief-creator, an adulterer, and a drunkard"? Imam (A.S.) replied, "I do know, but when his last moment neared he willed to be buried under the shelter of my shrine, so I request you to forgive him on my behalf." Hazrat Ali (A.S.) forgave him and left. I awoke from my sleep in awe and woke up the other attendants and related to them my dream. We all went to the place which I had seen in my dream, and found a newly constructed grave, whose mud was scattered. After inquiry we learnt that a Turkish man who had died was buried there the day before". Haji Ali Baghdadi had the honor of meeting Imam Mahdi (A.S.) and ask him some questions. One of the questions put forward by him was that "Is it true that a person who goes for the pilgrimage (Ziyarah) to the shrine of Imam Hussain (A.S.) on Friday night receives salvation"? Imam (A.S.) replied, "Yes, by Allah". Haji Ali Baghdadi says that I saw tears in the eyes of Imam (A.S.). Then I asked him another question, "In the year 1269 A.H. when we went for the pilgrimage (Ziyarah) to the shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.), we met a nomadic Arab who was a native of Najaf. We invited him for a meal and asked him his views regarding the reward of the love of Imam Reza (A.S.). He replied, "Paradise", and said, "Since the past fifteen days I have been the ZAIR (pilgrim) of Imam Reza (A.S.), do Munkir & Nakeer' have the nerve to come near me. The food which I consumed from the table of Imam Reza (A.S.) has turned into flesh and blood". I asked Imam Mahdi (A.S.) whether his claim was true. Imam (A.S.) replied, "Yes it is true. Imam Reza (A.S.) himself will come and save him for the questioning in the grave. For verily by Allah! My Grandfather is a Zamin (Surety) Imam". THE HOLY IMAM'S SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR Ibrahim bin Abbas, who was one of the high-ranking officials of the Abbasid caliphate, has left the following eyewitness account of Imam Reza's (A.S.) impeccable character. - His Holiness never irritated others by verbal or practical teasing. - His Holiness did not interrupt others speeches. - The Holy Imam (A.S.) never refused the demands of others. - I never witnessed him to have his legs stretched out before the others. - And I could never find him in a resting position in the presence of other people. - His Holiness never swore at his servants. - His Holiness never cachinnated in happy circumstances. - I never saw him spit his saliva out. - At dinner all his servants including porters and even the stablemen were served in his attendance. - His Holiness used to stay up all nights invoking Allah the Almighty. The Holy Imam (A.S.) also observed regularly the religious duty of fasting and always gave alms in secret. FRATERNITY AND EQUALITY Quoting a witness from "Balkh", in his famous work entitled "Kafi", the celebrated scholar "Kulayni" relates the following: "On the way to "Khorasan" I was among the attendants of His Holiness Imam Reza (A.S.). At dinner the Holy Imam (A.S.) invited all his men around him and asked them to have dinner with him. There a few negro servants were among those men. Declaring that they were all of the same flesh and blood the Holy Imam (A.S.) asked that the whole company should have had dinner at one table. His Holiness practically combated against the superiority of race and color in CONNEXION with the distinction of the human beings. The Holy Imam (A.S.) tried to revive the Islamic precepts of fraternity and equality in the Muslim community. GENEROSITY Eleisha Ibn Hamza says: "I was once talking to Imam Reza (A.S.) when a large crowd of people assembled to ask him about what is permissible in Islam and what is not. A man as tall as Adam came to him and said: "Assalamo Alaikum, O Son of the Messenger of God! I am a man who loves you, your fathers and grandfathers, and I have just been on my way to perform the pilgrimage when I discovered that I had lost everything with me and now I do not have anything enough even for a leg of the trip. If you will, please help me with the expense of going back home, and I am a recipient of God's blessing (i.e., well to do). As soon as I reach there, I will give to the poor as much as you will give me, for I do not qualify to be a recipient of alms." He said to him: "Sit, may God be merciful to you," then he kept talking to people till they dispersed except that man, Suleiman al-Ja'feri, Khuthai'ama and myself. Then he (Imam Reza) said: `Do you permit me to enter (the room)?' Suleiman said to him: `May God advance your Endeavour.' So he entered the room and stayed for about an hour after which he came out and closed the door behind him, stretched his hand above the door and said: `Where is the man from Khorasan?' The man answered: `Here I am!' He said: `Take these two hundred dinars, use them for your preparations for the trip; may God bring you blessings thereby, and do not spend an equal amount to it on my behalf, and leave the room in a way that I do not see you and you do not see me,' then he left. Suleiman then said: `May my life be sacrificed for yours! You have made quite a generous offer, but why did you hide your face?' He answered: `I did so for fear of seeing the humiliation on the face of the man due to my assistance for him. Have you not heard the Hadith of the Holy Messenger of Islam (S.A.W.) in which he said: `The one who hides a good deeds receives rewards equal to performing the pilgrimage seventy times; one who announces his sin is humiliated, while one who hides it is forgiven'? Have you heard the saying of the example of the first case: Whenever I approach him, one day, with a plea, I return home and my dignity is still with me. Then he hides himself from the person who appeals to him when he gives him something so that he does not see the humiliation on his face, and so that the pleading person retains his dignity when he does not see the face of the benevolent one who is giving him?" He asks him to leave without seeing him in order to safeguard himself against feeling as having the upper hand over the pleading person, and in order to relieve the pleading person from having to show his gratitude to him. While in Khorasan, Imam Reza (A.S.) once distributed his entire wealth to the poor on the day of Arafat, so Al-Fadl Ibn Sahl, the Prime Minister during Mammon's reign said to him: "Now you are bankrupt!" he said: "On the contrary! I am now wealthier than ever. Do not consider trading my wealth for God's rewards and pleasure as bankruptcy." He does not give others in order to buy their affection or friendship; rather, he considers giving with generosity as a good trait whereby man gets nearer to his Maker by including His servants in the wealth with which He blessed him. This is the difference between his method of giving and the method of others. Ya'qub Ibn Ishaq al-Nawbakhti is quoted saying: "A man passed by Imam Reza (A.S.) and begged him to give him according to the extent of his kindness. He said: `I cannot afford that.' So he said: `Then give me according to mine,' whereupon he ordered his servant to give the man two hundred dinars." The reason why the Imam Reza (A.S.) abstained from giving the man according to the extent of his own kindness, as the man asked him the first time, is probably due to the fact that he simply did not have as much money as he liked to give. As regarding his own affection towards the poor and the indigent, and his way of looking after them. Mu'ammar Ibn Khallad narrates this anecdote: "Whenever Imam Abul-Hassan al-Reza (A.S.) was about to eat his meal, he would bring a large platter and select the choicest food on the table and put on it, then he would order it to be given away to the poor. After that he would recite the following verse: `But he hath made no haste on the path that is steep.' After that he would say: `God, the Exalted and the Sublime, knows that not everyone has the ability to free a slave, nevertheless He found means for them to achieve Paradise (by feeding others).'" RESPECT FOR HUMANITY Imam Reza's (A.S.) behavior with the poor, the slaves, the servants, and the destitute, was humane in the deepest sense of the word. He looked on them as his co-religionists and brothers in humanity. One of his followers related the following: I was with Imam Reza (A.S.) when he traveled to Khorasan. One day he laid the table-cloth and gathered all his servants. "May I be your ransom, said I, "would not it be better if you lay a separate table-cloth for these?' "Do not say that" the Holy Imam (A.S.) replied, "The Lord, the Blessed and High, is One, and all the human beings are the children of Adam and Eve, and everyone shall be rewarded or punished according to his deeds. One of his servants Nadir, says: Imam Reza (A.S.) would never assign a task to any of us, the servants, while we were eating, until we had finished. Another servant, Yasir, reported the same about Imam Reza (A.S.), saying, "Abul Hassan said to us: "If I request you to do something and you are eating, do not get up until you have finished". Sometimes he called for some of us, but when he was told that we were eating, he would say. "Leave them till they finish their food". When Imam Reza (A.S.) had spare time, he would gather all his servants, and talk to them. He would show his pleasure with them, which he did to please them. And when he sat at the dining table-cloth, he would invite all those around him, to eat food with him. TOTAL DEVOTION TO ALLAH Imam Reza (A.S.) was the best worshipper of his time. Even his enemies acknowledged this fact and could not ignore this prominent trait of his. Mamoon, the Abbasid caliph, for instance praises the virtues of Imam Reza (A.S.) in the "Covenant of Allegiance", in which he declared His Holiness as his successor. Reja bin Zahak, who forced Imam Reza (A.S.) into exile from Medina to Mawr on the orders of Mamoon, the Abbasid caliph, also describes the Holy Imam's piety and worship saying "I accompanied him from Medina to Mawr . I swear by Allah! I have never seen a man who remembered Allah all the time like him, nor have I seen a man more fearing Allah, the Mighty and High, than he. At day break he would say his morning-prayers. Finishing his prayer, he would stay in his place glorifying Allah, and reciting these phrases repeatedly 'Praise is to Allah', 'Allah is Great', 'There is no god but Allah', "O Lord, Bless Muhammad (S.A.W.) and his progeny" till sunrise. Then he would go down in prostration till sunrise. Then he would go down in prostration till forenoon. Then he would see the people, asking about their concerns and enjoining them to do good. This would last till noon. Ibrahim bin Abbas, one of the high-ranking officials during Mammon's reign, said about the Holy Imam's worship. "He slept little at night, staying awake most of it. Most of the time, he stayed awake till the morning. He also often fasted. He used to fast three days of every month. He called this fasting "Fasting of Lifetime". He was very charitable, giving out alms in secret to the needy, often at night. Who ever claims that he has seen someone else who matches him in his virtues, do not believe him." HUMILITY A guest once kept entertaining him part of the night when the lamp started fading and the guest stretched his hand to fix it, but Imam Abul-Hassan al-Reza (A.S.) swiftly checked him and fixed it himself, saying, "We are folks who do not let their guests tend on them." Al-Manaqib states that Imam Reza (A.S.) once went to the public bath-house and someone asked him to give him a massage, so he kept giving the man a massage till someone recognized him and told that person who that dignitary was. The man felt extremely embarrassed; he apologized to the Imam (A.S.) and gave him a massage. GOLDEN CHAIN HADITH Once when our 8th Imam, Imam Ali ar-Ridha (A.S.) was traveling through a town called Naishapur, the people of the town asked Imam (A.S.) to tell them a Hadith from the Prophet (S.A.W.). Imam Ali ar-Ridha (A.S.) told them the following Hadith: "My father Musa al-Kazim (A.S.) told me, from his father Jafar as-Sadiq (A.S.), from his father Muhammad al-Baqir (A.S.), from his father Ali Zain ul Abideen (A.S.), from his father the martyr of Karbala (Hussain) (A.S.), from his father Ali Ibn Abu Talib (A.S.), from the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.). from Jibrail (A.S.), from Almighty Allah: "The Kalima of 'La Ilaha ill Allah' is My fort, and whosoever says it will enter My fort, and whosoever enters My fort is safe from My punishment." This Hadith is known as the golden chain Hadith. This is because each member of the chain was a Masoom. The people of Naishapur began reciting the Kalima and thought that His Holiness talk was over, but to their amazement the Holy Imam (A.S.) added the following words to what he had previously stated: "But all this depends on some conditions, and I am considered to be one of those conditions". This historical and the most famous Hadith Qudsi is called "Silsilat al-Dhahab". Imam Ridha (A.S.) confirms that worshipping God will be counted as a perfect procedure when it is based on the obedience of the immaculate Holy Imams (A.S.). This historical statement of Imam Ridha (A.S.) implied the presentation and assertion of the Imamate (socio-religious leadership) of His Holiness. Moral: Just to say something will be of no use. Only when you understand what you are saying and believe in it enough to follow it then will it be of use to you. COMMAND OF ALLAH The people of king Mamoon were very angry that he had made our 8th Imam, Imam Ali ar-Ridha (A.S.), his heir. To show Imam Ali ar-Ridha (A.S.) that they did not respect him, the servants of Mamoon decided that when Imam (A.S.) came to the court they would not open the doors, or lift up the curtains for Imam (A.S.) to pass through. That day when Imam Ali ar-Ridha (A.S.) came to the court, the doors and curtains were opening by themselves for Imam (A.S.) under the command of Allah. The servants became very scared and ashamed and resumed their duty of opening the doors and curtains for Imam (A.S.). Moral: No-one can do anything to you when Allah is looking after you, as Allah is the most powerful and in control of everything. Birth On 11th of ZiQad 148 Hijrah, a son was born in the house of Imam Musa Ibn-e-Jaffar (A.S.) who took over the position of the Imam of Islam, after his father. He was named Ali and titled Reza. The honorable and gracious mother of the Imam (A.S.) was Najmiyya, who was considered to be the most notable and distinguished lady in the realm of wisdom and faith. Right from the childhood period, he accompanied his father. Imam Musa Kazim (A.S.) who repeatedly told his friends that, "He is the Imam following him." As such, Makhzoomi says one day Imam Musa Ibn-e-Jaffar (A.S.) summoned and gathered us and said, "I invited you to be witnesses that this child (son) is my executor, and successor." Since an extreme choking atmosphere and pressure prevailed in the period of Imam (A.S.) he said in the end of his words, "What I said must remain (restricted) up to you and do not reproduce it to anybody unless that you know he is one of our friends and companions." The Features of Imam's (A.S.) Morality The infallible Imams were the selected ones of the God and outstanding, distinguished and superior to all the people. They used to become the practical example for others during their lives. They taught the lesson of life to the people. They did not segregate and separate themselves from them and did not lead their lives on the style and pattern of the tyrants and oppressors. They did not overlook or show heedlessness and disrespect to anyone. Sheikh Saduk narrates through the words of Ibrahim bin Abbas that, "I never saw Imam Reza (A.S.) committing excess over anyone in talking and interrupting anybody's speech before its coming to the end. He did not stretch his legs in the presence of others. When the meal table was laid he invited the servants to it, and took his meals with them. After taking rest in the nights he got up and made himself busy with the prayers to God. Similar to his fore fathers he carried food to the houses of the afflicted ones at the mid of nights." "Mohammad bin Abi Ebad" says about Imam (A.S.) "He used mats of palm date leaves, straws and marsh reed in the summer season, and woolen carpets in the winter." He led a simple life in his home, but when he went out he used to decorate himself and put on new and clean dress. He respected and honored the guests to the extent that one night a lamp of the house went out of order, the guest got to his feet to put it right. Imam (A.S.) made him sit and himself set the lamp right, and said, "We do not employ our guests (exploit) upon work." Yasir, the servant of Imam (A.S.) says, Imam (A.S.) said to us, "Whenever you are busy taking your meal, if I call you, do not get up till you have finished up eating." Another friend of Imam (A.S.) says, "One day a stranger came to Imam's (A.S.) house and said, I am one of your friends and am also not a poor man but my money has finished up and I do not have the expanses to return. You give me an amount and when I return to my city I will give it out as alms on you behalf." Imam (A.S.) got up and went to another room, brought an amount of two hundred dirhams and gave it to him from upside the door and said, "Take this and go and it is not necessary to give it away as alms on my behalf." They asked the Imam (A.S.), "Why did you do it this way that he may not see you." He said, "So that he does not catch my sight and get ashamed (embarrassed)." "Suleiman", one of the friends of Imam (A.S.) says, "I went along with the Imam (A.S.) to the house. The labors were busy at work. There was a stranger among them whom the Imam (A.S.) did not recognize." He said, "Who is this man?" They said we have brought him from outside, so that he may help us. He said, "Have you concluded an agreement with him and fixed his wages?" They said, "No, he is a good man, whatever we pay him he accepts it and does not utter a word." Imam (A.S.) was angry and annoyed and said, "I have always told you that when you employ someone for a job first of all fix his wages. Because, when his wages are fixed and you give more than that to him, he will become happy. But if you do not fix his wages and give him three times the amount, he thinks you have not given him the correct wages." Don't be Proud Ahmed Bazanti was one of the wise men of his age. After he had written letters to Imam Reza (A.S.) and received the answers from him, he became a believer of his Imamate. One day he said to him (A.S.), "I wish to be present with you alone for an hour and we talk to each other." Imam (A.S.) accepted, and acceded to his request, so far so, that he sent to him his personal horse so that he arrives comfortably. That day they had a mutual discussion till midnight. Bazanti solved his problems and difficulties in the assembly of Imam (A.S.). In the night, when it was time to go to bed Imam (A.S.) called his servant and said, "bring my personal bed and prepare it for this guest, who has a great dignity in my eyes, so that he may take rest." The conversations of Imams ecstasies him and made the bird of his heart fly. He said to himself, "Nobody is better than me, after the Imam (A.S.), in this world. It is I, to whom Imam (A.S.) sent his horse and gave his bed to me and sat along with me for hours together and had discussion." He was busy spinning his ideas when suddenly Imam (A.S.) returned to the room and said, "Oh Bazanti what you came across with, never make it a source of boasting upon others." Because, when Sassa who was one of the valuable friends of Imam Ali (A.S.) fell ill. He (A.S.) visited him and treated him with great love and affection. And for the reason that he does not become proud said to him, "Oh my kind friend whatever you saw out of these things (love) you should not consider it the fortress (stronghold) of boosting upon other and do not boast upon others that I was such and such that the Imam loved me very much. I have performed all these for the sake of my religious and human duty." "Bazanti" says, "Imam (A.S.), by describing this story attracted my attention towards my mistake and fault. I decided not to entertain false ideas. Rather, I must be careful and vigilant about my intentions and practices." A man from Balkh says, "I was traveling with lmam Reza (A.S.) to Khorasan. When the meal cloth was spread he ordered all to come and be present beside it. I said, "I may lay my life for you. Do allow that the meal table of the slaves be segregated." He said, "Keep quiet! Be aware none of us has superiority over the other. Our God is one; our mother and father are one. We attain superiority only under the shade of Piety." Jabir Zahak says, "I was taking Imam (A.S.) along with me from Medina to Mawr upon the order of Mamoon. By God, all that time I was in the service of Imam (A.S.) I had never seen a man with that degree of piety, chastity and innocence." Imam Admonishes Brother In the period when Imam Reza (A.S.) was summoned to Khorasan and he forcibly accepted the special conditions of the succession of Mamoon, Mamoon summoned his brother "Zaid" who had revolted and brought about a riot in "Medina" to his court in Khorasan. Mamoon kept him free as a regard and honor to Imam (A.S.) and overlooked his punishment. One day, when Imam (A.S.) was delivering a speech in a grand assembly. He heard Zaid praising himself before the people, saying I am so and so. Imam (A.S.) shouted at him saying, "Oh Zaid, have you trusted upon the words of the grocers of Kufa and are conveying them to the people? What kind of things are you talking about? The sons of Imam Ali (A.S.) and Zahra (S.A.) are worthy and outstanding only when they obey the command of God, and keep themselves away from sin and blunder. You think you are like Musa Ibn-e-Jaffar (A.S.) and Imam Sajjad (A.S.) and other Imams? Whereas, they took pains and bore hardships on the way to God and prayed to God day and night. Do you think you will gain without pain? Be-aware, that if a person out of us the Ahl al-Bayth performs a good deed. He gets twice the reward. Because not only he performed good deed like others also that he has maintained the honor of the Prophet (P.B.U.H.). If he practices some thing bad and does a sin. He has performed two sins. One is that he performed a bad act like the rest of the people and the other one is that he has negated the honor of the Prophet (P.B.U.H.)." Oh brother! The one who obeys God is from us the Ahl al-Bayth and the one who is a sinner is not ours. God said about the son of Noah (A.S.) who cut the spiritual bondage with his father "He is not out of your lineage, if he was out of your lineage, I would have (saved) and granted him salvation." A discussion with other religion scholars One of the days Mamoon decided to invite the scholars from different sects of the world and he brought Imam Reza (A.S.) to the assembly. He thought he might be able to get the Imam (A.S.) invalidated and un-credential from the knowledge point of view, thus finish his influence. Therefore, he ordered his minister Fazal bin Sahal to invite all the scholars and wise men to hold a discussion with Imam (A.S.). And he did it. When the assembly had been arranged he informed Mamoon that all are present. Mamoon summoned Imam Reza (A.S.) inviting him to attend the assembly. Hassan Naufali says, before leaving the house to attend that aggregation facing myself Imam (A.S.) said, "I know the aim and objective of Mamoon in this work." But I know the time when he will repent upon his work that is; when you see that I talk to the Christians from their own Book and talk to the Jews from Torah and with fire worshipers in Persian language. When all of them are defeated Mamoon will become aware that he is not fit for that past. He will repent upon this work of his. What Imam (A.S.) had said exactly and accurately took place. When Imam (A.S.) arrived the assembly, all of them got up from their seats to honor him. He seated himself beside Mamoon. Mamoon addressing "Jasaleeq," the great Christian scholar said, "Ask him what you feel like." "Jasaleeq" said, "What is your opinion about Christ Esa (A.S.)." Imam (A.S.) said, "We believe he was the Prophet of God" Jasaleeq again asked, "What proof do you have about your own Prophet's Prophet-hood." Imam (A.S.) said, "Have you not read it the Bible that Yohana narrates the saying of Christ (A.S.) that, "A Prophet will come following me, who will be the accomplisher of the constitution of the other Prophets." He said, "Yes, but he did not name him as to who and where he will be." Imam (A.S.) said, "Do you wish that I may read out to you from the Bible?" He said, "Read it." Imam (A.S.) recited the third chapter up to the place where Christ (A.S.) said, "I will proceed towards God and "Barklita" i.e. "Mohammad (P.B.U.H.)" will come towards you and he will break and dismantle the infidelism. Jasaleeq became silent and did not utter a word. Then Imam (A.S.) facing "Rasool Jalout" the chief scholar of the Jewish religion said, "What is the proof and argument that you have about the Prophet-hood of Moses (A.S.)?" He replied "Moses (A.S.) had miracles such as turning the club into a serpent, splitting the river Nile and passing through it and a light shone from his hand." Hazrat Imam (A.S.) said, "Why did you not believe in the Prophet-hood of Esa the Christ (A.S.)?" He said, "They say Christ (A.S.) made the dead men alive and cured the skin diseases but we have not seen these to have faith and belief in it?" Imam (A.S.) said, "Then why do you believe in the Prophets before him? Similarly in Moses himself have you seen the miracles of Moses?" He replied, "The way it has been narrated to us he has said, such things which other have not and brought such things which have no previous record." Imam (A.S.) said, "From which source did you come to know that he brought these words." He replied, "Through the history and those who heard those words from him." Imam (A.S.) said, "Others too seek refuge in history and so how do you want to invite them to your creed?" Rasool Jalout kept calm and quiet and did not utter a word. Then Imam (A.S.) turned to Imran the chief of the Star worshipers and said, you too ask me what you wish. Imran questioned him regarding a few topics about God, the philosophy of creation and got his answers and embraced Islam at the hand of Imam (A.S.). The assembly finalized and came to an end to the benefit of Imam (A.S.) and Mamoon did not expect and foresee such a thing to happen. He turned and twisted like a snake bitten person and rebuked and scolded himself for organizing such an aggregation. Imam's (A.S.) Arrival at Qum (Iran) When Mamoon invited Imam (A.S.) to come to Khorasan. He went from Medina to Basra and Basra to Baghdad and from there he arrived Qum. The people of Qum rushed to greet and welcome him; everyone keenly desired to invite him at his home. Hazrat Imam (A.S.) said, "Get aside, my camel is deputed and detailed upon her work. On the door of which ever person she stops and lies down, the same will be my destination." The camel moved in the turning twisting and intricate streets of Qum till she reached a door and lay down and Imam arrived into that house which is today one of the religious schools (Madrasas) named as "Madrasa-e-Rizvia." Imam (A.S.) kept on moving in the same manner towards Khorasan. Wherever he reached, people warmly and lovingly gathered around him and manifested their strong feelings and sentiments of devotion for him. The Imam's (A.S.) Arrival at Naishapur Naishapur in those days was one of the thickly and densely populated cities of Iran. The welcome that the people of that city organized and shaped for him did not have any match or parallel in the history. In the later days this city was perished and destroyed by the Mongols. The wise men and scholars of Naishapur rushed to the gate of the city with pens in their hands, so that they might write down the words, which Imam (A.S.) said. In those times Naishapur had hundreds of traditionalists (narrators of traditions) and jurisprudents. A few thousand of golden pen holders were readily present to jot down the Imam's speech and because of the fact that the series and chain of narrators of this Hadith reached the Prophet (P.B.U.H.), Jibrael (A.S.) and finally the God it was named the "Series of Gold." Mohammad Bin Aslam Tusi, who was one of the great narrators of traditions, came forward and requested Imam (A.S.) to narrate a Hadith for the people. Imam (A.S.) pushed the curtain of the camel's pannier up and pepped his head out from it. No sooner people caught his sight, they shouted the slogans of Takbir and salutations and benediction for the Prophet and his family. Imam (A.S.) gave a gesture and all of them got calm and silent. Then, he started reciting the Hadith whose translation is this: God has said "Kalima of La-ilaha-ill-Ial-lah is my fort and fortification and whosoever says it, will enter the realm of my fort and will be safe and sound from my torment. (Here Imam again said, but this is with its conditions, and I am one of those conditions.)" Text Box: NEXT

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