CHAPTER VI
HIS WORKS
The historians and the narrators have reported that Ima`m al-Rida`, peace be on him, compiled a group of books some of which were (compiled) according to al-Ma'mun's request, in some of which he (the Imam) discussed and explained the precepts of Islamic law as well as he recorded in some of which the traditions transmitted from his grandfather, the greatest Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and this work was called the
Musnad of Imam al-Rida, peace be on him. Yet another example of his scientific books is what is known as
al-Risala al-Dhahabiya fi al-Tibb (the golden medical dissertation), in which the Ima`m mentioned what put right man's body and soul, and which is among the main, briefed books on medicine. In the following topics we will present some of his works:
1. His Dissertation on Islamic Law
Al-Ma'mu`n ordered his minister al-Fadl b. Sahl to have the honor of meeting Ima`m al-Rida`, peace be on him, and to say to him: "I (i.e. al-Ma'mu`n) would like you to gather for me the lawful, the unlawful, the religious duties, and the
sunna (the Prophet's practices), for you are the proof of Allah over His creatures and source of knowledge." The Ima`m responded to al-Ma'mu`n's request. He ordered an inkwell and a sheet of paper to be brought to him, and then he ordered al-Fadl to write. He dictated to him:
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. It is sufficient for us to witness that there is no god but Allah, Who is Unique, Everlasting Refuge, has not taken a consort nor a son, Self-
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subsistent, All-hearing, All-seeing, Strong, All-steadfast, Eternal, Light, Knower never be ignorant, Powerful never be incapable, Rich never be needy, and Just never be unjust. He created all things.
There is nothing like Him. There is no like with Him nor an opposite nor a rival nor an equal. Surely Mohammed is His servant and apostle, entrusted by Him, chosen by Him from among His creatures, the master of the apostles, the last of the prophets, and the best of creatures. There will be no prophet after him. His ideals will be neither altered nor changed. And surely all what Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family, brought was the clear truth. We have believed in him and all Allah's apostles, His prophets, and His proofs. And we have believed in His truthful Book
falsehood shall not come to it from before it nor from behind it; a revelation from the Wise, the Praised one, that it is His Book which has dominated all the Books, and that it is true from beginning to end. We have believed in its clearly defined and its ambiguous, its specific and its general, its promise and its threat, its abrogating (verses) and its abrogated, and its giving information. No creature is able to bring the like of it. After it the proof and argument is the Commander of the faithful, who undertakes the affairs of the Muslims, speaks on behalf of the Qur'a`n, and knows its precepts, who is his (the Prophet's) brother, his successor, his testamentary trustee, whose position to him was as Harun had with Musa, 'Ali b. Abu Talib, the Commander of the faithful, the Ima`m of the Allah-fearing, the leader of the luminous famous ones, the master of the faithful, the best of the testamentary trustees after the prophets; after him were al-Hasan and al-Husayn, peace be on them, one by one up to this day of ours, who are the family of the Messenger; the most learned of them (men) in the Book and the Sunna (the Prophet's practices), the most just of them in the case, the most appropriate of them for the Imamate in every age and time; they are the firmest handle, the Imams of guidance, the proof over the inhabitants of the world until Allah inherits the earth and that which on it, and He is the best of the inheritors; all those who have opposed them are straying and misleading and leaving the truth and guidance; it is they who express the Qur'an and speaks on behalf of the Messenger with
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eloquence. He who dies and does not know their names and their fathers' names dies as those who died before Islam. Surely of their religion are piety, chastity, truthfulness, righteousness, diligence, returning the things deposited (with them to) to the pious and the sinners, prostrating themselves in prayers for a long time, refraining from the unlawful, waiting for relief by the virtue of steadfastness, good friendship, good neighborhood, offering the good, praying by night, turning away from harm, cheerfulness, advice, and having mercy on the believers."
This letter gives an account of praising and glorifying Allah, the Exalted, and mentioning some of His attributes as well as it is full of praising the greatest Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, who was the first to inspire man with good and virtue, whom Allah, the Most High, chose for His message and saving His servants from ignorance, whom Allah endowed with the immortal miracle, which is the Holy Qur'an
falsehood shall not come to it from before it nor from behind it, which is the constitution for putting man right and solving all his matters and problems.
Moreover, Ima`m al-Rida`, peace be on him, presented the pioneer of the truth and justice in Islam, the testamentary trustee of the Apostle, and his successor after him, Ima`m 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, the Ima`m of the Allah-fearing, the best of the testamentary trustees, and he, peace be on him, praised the pure Ima`ms, who guided this community to the ways to the Garden, spoke on behalf of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, expressed the Qur'a`n, delivered the message of Allah, and explained its precepts.
After this presentation, Ima`m al-Rida`, peace be on him, began explaining the rules of comprehensive, Islamic law, saying: "As for wudu`' (the minor ablution), as Allah has ordered in His Book, it is washing the face and hands, rubbing the head and feet. One is a religious duty and two are recommended. He who increases (wudu`') is sinful and is not rewarded. Nothing invalidates wudu`' except flatus, urine, feces, sleep, and jana`ba (sexual intercourse or just discharge of semen).
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"He who rubs over the shoes opposes Allah, His Apostle, and His Book, and his wudu`' is invalid. That is because 'Ali, peace be on him, opposed rubbing over shoes and 'Umar said to him: 'I saw the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, rub (over shoes).' 'Before or after the revelation of Surat al-Ma`'ida?' asked 'Ali. 'I do not know,' replied 'Umar. 'But I know,' explained 'Ali, 'that Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, had not rubbed (over shoes) since the revelation of Surat al-Ma'ida.'"
The first act of Islamic law which Ima`m al-Rida`, peace be on him, presented was
wudu', which is light and purity for man, and which is the most brilliant of the prerequisites of prayer through which man is exalted and have the honor of communicating with his Almighty Creator. In his presentation of
wudu', the Ima`m dealt with the following:
1. The acts of wudu'
As for the acts of
wudu', they are as follows:
A. Washing the face from the point where the hair of the head normally grows down to the chin in length. Breadthwise, the span is that the area which is covered by the thumb and the middle finger when they are spread out.
B. Washing the hands from the elbow down to the finger tips.
C. Rubbing the head (with a wet hand) from the front of the top of the head; rubbing should be over the skin (of the head) or the hair grows on the front (of the head) on the condition that it should not exceed its limit by the virtue of extension.
D. Rubbing the upper part of the feet from the tip of the toes to the ankle; rubbing should be over the skin; it is not permitted to rub over an obstacle such as shoes and socks, and he who rubs over them oppose the Book of Allah and the Sunna (practices) of His Messenger, and his
wudu' is invalid, as it has been mentioned by the Imam, peace be on him, and the successive texts (traditions) transmitted from the Imams of the members of the House (
ahl al-Bayt), peace be on them.
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2. Things that Invalidate wudu'
The Ima`m has mentioned the things that invalidate
wudu' as follows:
A. discharge of flatus through the anus,
B. urine,
C. feces,
D. sleep which overcomes reason,
E. jana`ba (sexual intercourse or just the discharge of semen).
These things invalidate wudu`'. He, peace be on him, said: "
Ghusl (the major ablution) is (performed) because of
janaba (sexual intercourse or just the discharge of semen), wet dreams, hayd (regular menstrual bleeding), and touching the corpse of the dead. (These
Ghusls are) obligatory.
"
Ghusl (is also performed) on Friday, the two 'Ids, entering Mecca and Medina, visiting (the holy shrines), entering into state of ritual consecration (
ihram), the day of 'Arafa, the first night of the month of Ramadan, the 19th night of it, the 21st of it, and 23rd of it. (These
Ghusls are) recommended."
Among marvelous, Islamic legislation, rules, and practices is
Ghusl which protects bodies from diseases, and in the meantime it brings about the cleanness of body and removing dirt from it, and it is of two types: obligatory, and recommended. The Ima`m , peace be on him, has presented both types as follows:
1. The Obligatory Ghusls
Ghusl is obligatory in the following states:
A. Ghusl of janaba
There are two reasons for janaba, the first is the discharge of semen accompanied by libido, ejaculation, and flagging, so he who has a wet dream and this material (
semen) discharges from him is in a state of major ritual impurity (
junub), and
Ghusl is obligatory on him; the second is sexual intercourse (
juma') even if there is no discharge of (semen), and it is real by the virtue of entering the glans into the vagina or the anus without any difference between man and woman.
