11th Zee al-Qa\'adah the Auspicious Birthday Anniversary of Imam Reza(A.S.)

His Birth and Titles:

Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Reza (A.S.), the eighth Shi\'ite Holy Imam was born on 11th Zee al-Qa\'adah 148 A.H. in the holy city of Madinah. His father was Imam Mousa al-Kadhim (PBUH), the seventh Imam. He was martyred by Haroon on 138 (AH). His mother was Najmah.He was divinely entitled \'Al-Reza\"(meaning that Allah Almighty and His Holy Messenger (S.A.W.) were deeply pleased with him).The Holy Imam (A.S.) is also considered as the Aalim (the Greatest Erudite) of the Holy Ahlul Bayt (A.S.).

His life in Medina:

Before traveling to Marv, Imam Reza (PBUH) lived in Medina; city where the shrine of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) and his forefathers grave exist. He was occupied with guiding people, indicating Islamic educations and Prophets (PBUH&HP) Sirah (manner and behavior).  People of Medina loved him and assumed him as their father. Although he had spent most of his life in Medina, he had many followers throughout the Islamic counties. He points out this fact on a discussion about succession: In fact succession didn’t make a distinction for me. When I was in Medina, people in east and west obeyed me and nobody was superior to me. They told me their requirements and I granted their requests and they treated me as a magnate.

His Imamate:

His Imamate was announced repeatedly by his father, grandfathers, and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP).  Especially Imam Kazem (PBUH) mentioned him as the Imam after himself several times. For instance, one of his followers narrates,

\"One day Imam Kazem (PBUH) came to us, holding his sons (Ali) hand. We were 60 people. He said: Do you know me? I said:  You are our leader. He said: Say my name and title I said: You are Mosa bin Jafar bin Muhammad He said: Who is this guy with me? I said: Ali bin Mosa bin Jafar. He said: So profess that he is my representative during my life and my successor after my death.\"

He is further introduced as the eighth Imam in a saying of Prophet (PBUH&HP) narrated by Jaber.  Also, Imam Sadegh (PBUH) told Imam Kazem (PBUH&HP) that the knowledge of Prophet\"s (PBUH&HP) progeny is of your sons and he is your successor

The journey to the Khurasan:

To accomplish his mentioned goals, Ma’moon sent some of his special agents to Imam Reza (PBUH) in Medina to force him to set on a journey to Khurasan. He also ordered to take Imam Reza (PBUH) through a path that has the least number of Shiites. The main roads in those days were the roads to Kufa, Jabal, Kermanshah, and Qom, which were all mainly Shiite cities.  It seemed probable to Ma’moon that Shiites may get excited when they see Imam and prevent him to continue his travel to stay with them instead.  To prevent these troubles, Ma’moon made Imam Reza (PBUH) travel through the paths of Basreh, Ahvaz, and Fars to Marv. His agents also watched  Imam continuously and reported to Ma’moon on all of Imam’s activities.

The Selselah al-Zahab (The Golden Chain) tradition:

Wherever he stopped, during his journey towards Marv, he caused for many blessings upon the people.  At one point on his way, he entered the city of Neishaboor.  A large crowd of people gathered to welcome his entrance.  Meanwhile two learned men who had recorded many prophetic traditions came with scholars of Hadith, took the halter, and said: You, the great Imam and you, the son of great Imams, for the sake of your innocent fathers and your great grandfathers, show us your shining face and narrate us a tradition from your fathers and your great grandfather, the messenger of Allah, to be as a reminder for us. Imam ordered to stop and the people obeyed.  Once they saw his face, they became so happy that some of them start crying and some who were close to him kissed his carriage.  A big clamor was made throughout the city so, the elders of the city wanted people to be quiet so they could hear a tradition from Imam reza (PBUH).  After a while the crowd got silent and Imam dictated this tradition word by word from his honored father which was narrated from his pure grandfathers and from the messenger of Allah (PBUH & HP) and from Gabriel and from Almighty Allah that: The word of  La Ilaha Illa al-Allah [There is no god but Him]  is my fortress (then whoever says this has entered my fortress) and whoever enters my fortress will be saved from my punishment. Imam paused for a while and then said, But on some conditions and I am one of its conditions.

This tradition indicates that one of the necessities of saying the word of  ,La Ilaha Illa al-Allah which is to strengthen the principle of divine unity, is confirming his Imamate, obeying, and accepting his words and deeds that has been specified by the Almighty Allah. In fact Imam believes the Oneness of God (Towhid) as a condition of being safe from Allah’s punishment and the acceptance of the leadership and Mastership   (Imamate and Wilayat) as the condition of believing in Oneness of Allah.

Martyrdom:

Holy Imam was poisoned by Mamun, the Abbasid caliph in Sanabad in Toos region (Khurasan).The Holy Imam (A.S.) attained martyrdom on the last day of the month of Safar 203 A.H./ 818 A.D. and was buried in Sanabad. After the burial of Imam Reza (A.S.) in this place, Sanabad soon transformed into a metropolis. The holy shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.) in the holy city of Mashhad is also one of the most extensively visited pilgrimage center in the world and annually more than 20 million pilgrims and lovers of Holy Ahlul Bayt (A.S.) from all parts of the world visit the holy shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.).

On the Happy and Auspicious Occasion of the Birthday Anniversary of Imam Reza (A.S.) we extend our Heartiest Felicitations and Happy Greetings to all the lovers of the Holy Ahlul Bayt(A.S.) in the world.

11th Zee al-Qa\'adah, 1435.