THE LIFE OF IMAM

'ALI BIN MUSA AL-RIDHA

BY

Baqir Sharif al-Qarashi


Translated by

Jasim al-Rasheed


PUBLISHER'S PREFACE 43
A FOREWORD BY HIS EMINENCE, 45
IMA`M AL-SAYYID 'ABD AL-A'LA` AL-SABZWA`RI, MAY HIS BLESSINGS LAST 45
DEDICATION 46
INTRODUCTION 47
A. TIBB (DISSERTATION) OF IMA`M AL-RIDA` 52
B. IMA`M AL-RIDA`'S MUSNAD 53
C. JAWA`M' AL-SHRI'A 53

CHAPTER I
THE GREAT BABY 59
HIS FATHER 59
HIS MOTHER 59
Her Name 61
Her Reverential Fear 62
THE GREAT BABY 63
His Nicknames 64
1. Al-Rida` 64
A. Al-Ma'mu`n 64
B. Ima`m Musa 65
2. Al-Sa`bir 65
3. Al-Zaki 65
4. Al-Wafi 65
5. Sira`jj Allah 65
6. Qurrat 'Ayn al-Mu'minïn 66
7. Makkyadat al-Mulhidïn 66
8. Al-Siddïq 66
9. Al-Fa`dil 66
His Kunya 66
1. Abu` al-Hasan 67
2. Abu` Bakr 67
The Year of his Birth 67
His Characteristics 68
His Solemnity 69
The Inscription of his Ring 70
His Childhood 70
His Behavior 71

CHAPTER II
HIS QUALITIES 73
HIS RENUNCIATION THE WORLD 76
HIS MUNIFICENCE 77
HIS ENTERTAINING GUESTS 80
HIS RELEASING SLAVES 80
HIS KINDNESS TO SLAVES 80
HIS KNOWLEDGE 81
HIS KNOWLEDGE OF ALL LANGUAGES 82
HIS PROPHECIES 83
HIS ACTS OF WORSHIP AND REVERENTIAL FEAR 87
HIS SUPPLICATION DURING HIS PERSONAL PRAYER (QUNU`T) 91
HIS SUPPLICATION DURING THE PRAYER FOR 92
GIVING THANKS (SALA`T AL-SHUKR) 92
THE IMA`M USES SUPPLICATION AS WEAPON 93
Supplication is the Weapon of the Prophets 94
Concealing Supplication 94
Slowness in Answering Supplication 94
His Amulet (hirz) 95
SOME OF HIS SUPPLICATIONS 96

CHAPTER III
IMPRESSIONS OF HIS CHARACTER 103
1. IMA`M AL-KA`ZIM 103
2. AL-MA'MU`N 104
3. IBRAHIM BIN AL-'ABBAS AL-SAWLI 106
4. ABU` AL-SALT AL-HARAWI 106
5. AL-RAJA`' BIN ABU` AL-DHHA`K 106
6. AL-SHAYKH AL-MUFID 107
7. AL-WA`QIDI 107
8. JAMAL AL-DIN 108
9. YOUSIF B. TAGHRI BARDI 108
10. IBN MAJA 108
11. IBN HAJAR 109
12. AL-YAFI'I 109
13. 'AMIR AL-TA'I 109
14. ONE OF THE IMA`MS 110
15. HA`SHIM MA'RU`F 110
16. AL-DHAHABI 111
17. MAHMU`D BIN WIHAYB 111
18. 'ARIF THA`MIR 111
19. MOHAMMED BIN SHA`KIR AL-KUTUBI 112
20. 'ABD AL-'AL 112
21. YOUSIF AL-NABAHA`NI 112
22. 'ABD AL-QA`DIR AHMED 113
23. YOUSIF BIN OGHLA` 113
24. AL-ZARGALI 114
25. MOHAMMED JAWA`D FADL ALLAH 114
26. AHMED AL-KHAZRAJI 115
27. ONE OF THOSE WHO SHOW LOVE FOR HIM 115
28. AL-SHABRA`WI 115
29. ABU` NU'A`S 116
30. DI'BIL AL-KHAZA`'I 118
31. AL-SA`HIB BIN 'ABBA`D 118
32. IBN AL-HAJJA`J 119
33. 'ABD ALLAH BIN AL-MUBA`RAK 120
34. AL-SAWLI 120
35. IBN HAMMA`D 120
36. AL-ARBALI 120

CHAPTER IV
UNDER THE CARE OF HIS FATHER 123
A. HIS SCIENTIFIC TALENTS 124
B. HIS ACTS OF WORSHIP AND HIS REVERENTIAL FEAR 124
3. HIS ASCETICISM 126
4. HIS CLEMENCY 127
HIS MUNIFICENCE 129
6. HIS HELPING THE DISTRESSED 129
THE IMA`M WITH HA`RU`N 131
The Ima`m is arrested 131
His Imprisonment in Basrah 133
Harun orders the Ima`m to be killed 134
His Imprisonment in Baghdad 134
HIS TEXTUAL NOMINATION FOR THE IMA`MATE OF AL-RIDA` 136
1. Mohammed Bin Islma`'ïl 137
2. 'Ali Bin Yaqtïn 137
3. Na'ïm Bin Qa`bu`s 137
4. Da`wud Bin Kuthayr 138
5. Sulayma`n Bin Hafs 138
6. 'Abd Allah al-Ha`shimi 138
7. 'Abd Allah Bin Marhu`m 139
8. 'Abd Allah Bin al-Harth 139
9. Haydar Bin Ayyu`b 139
10. Al-Husayn Bin Bashïr 140
11. Ja'far Bin Khalaf 140
12. Nasr Bin Qa`bu`s 140
13. Mohammed Bin Sina`n 141
THE IMA`M'S COMMANDMENTS 142
THE PRISON OF AL-SINDI 142
IMAM MU`SA` SENDS A LETTER TO HA`RU`N 142
HARUN AL-RASHID ORDERS THE IMA`M TO BE ASSASSINATED 143
THE IMA`M JOINS THE MOST HIGH COMRADE 143
THE POLICE INVESTIGATE THE EVENT 145
THE IMA`M IS PUT ON THE BRIDGE 146
THE HORRIBLE ANNOUNCEMENT 147
SULAYMA`N PREPARES THE IMA`M FOR BURIAL 147
IMAM AL-RIDA` UNDERTAKES THE GREAT LEADERSHIP 149
HIS TRAVEL TO BASRAH 149
THE IMA`M TRAVELS TO KU`FA 155

CHAPTER V
HIS DEBATES AND HIS ARGUMENTS 157
1. 'UMRA`N AL-SA`BI'I'S QUESTIONS 159
THE DEBATE IS BEING POSTPONED 168
THE DEBATE IS BEING RESUMED 169
AL-SA`BI'I BECOMES MUSLIM 174
MOHAMMED FEARS FOR THE IMA`M 175
THE IMA`M HONORS 'UMRA`N 176
THE QUESTIONS OF SULAYMAN AL-MARU`ZI 177
THE IMAM DEBATES WITH ABU QURRA 190
HIS DEBATE WITH THE CATHOLIC 197
THE IMA`M DEBATES WITH THE HIGH RABBI 208
THE IMA`M DEBATES WITH THE HINDU HIGH PRIEST 212
THE IMA`M DEBATES WITH AN ATHEIST 214
THE IMA`M DEBATES WITH 'ALI BIN AL-JAHM 217
AL-MU'MU`N QUESTIONS IMA`M AL-RIDA` 222
AL-MA'MU`N LAUDS THE IMA`M'S TALENTS 232
IBN AL-SIKIT'S QUESTIONS 233
THE IMA`M DEBATES A MAN 234
THE IMA`M'S DEBATE CONCERNING THE PROPHET'S FAMILY 234

CHAPTER VI
HIS WORKS 249
1. HIS DISSERTATION ON ISLAMIC LAW 249
1. The acts of wudu`' 252
2. Things that Invalidate wudu`' 253
1. The Obligatory Ghusls 253
A. Ghusl of jana`ba 253
B. Ghusl of hayd 254
D. Ghusl for touching a corpse 254
The Recommended Ghusls 254
Group of precepts regarding the hajj 264
2. HIS GOLDEN MEDICAL DISSERTATION 277
A. The Cause of Writing it 278
The Explanation and Translation of the Dissertation 279
3. Al-Ma'mu`n praises the Golden Medical Dissertation 281
A. Its Medical Contents 283
2. His Studying it 283
3. His Showing it to the Physicians 283
THE TEXT OF THE GOLDEN MEDICAL DISSERTATION 283
A. The Heart 285
2. The Nerves 286
3. The Brain 286
4. The Hands and the Legs 287
5. The Ear 287
6. The Eye 288
The Characteristics of the month of April (Nisan) by Imam 293
3. THE SAHIFA OF AL-RIDA` 313
CHAPTER ONE 314
ON INVOCATION OF ALLAH 314
CHAPTER TWO 321
ON THE ADHAN 321
CHAPTER TWO 324
ON URGING TO PERFORMING THE FIVE PRAYERS AND THE QUALITY OF THE PRAYER FOR THE DEAD 324
CHAPTER FOUR 328
ON THE EXCELLENCE OF AHL AL-BAYT,
AND IT IS IN THREE PARTS 		328
Part one is on the Excellence of 'Ali Bin Abu` Ta`lib (a.s): 328
PART TWO 333
ON THE EXCELLENCE OF FATIMA (A.S) 333
Part Three 337
On the Excellence of al-Hasan and al-Husayn, their Birth, and ahl al-Bayt (a.s) in General 337
CHAPTER FIVE 346
ON THE EXCELLENCE OF THE BELIEVER, GOOD MANNERS, AND THE EXCELLENCE OF HIM WHOSE NAME IS MOHAMMED OR AHMED 346
CHAPTER SIX 351
ON MENTIONING FOODS, FRUIT, AND OINTMENTS 351
CHAPTER SEVEN 357
ON OBEYING THE PARENTS AND TIGHTENING THE BONDS OF KIN 357
CHAPTER EIGHT 359
ON WARNING AGAINST CHEATING, BACKBITING, AND TATTLING 359
CHAPTER NINE 360
THE EXCELLENCE OF INVASION AND JIHAD 360
CHAPTER TEN 361
MISCELLANEOUS TRADITIONS 361
AL-FIQH AL-RADAWI 366