On the auspicious occasion of the birth anniversary of the eighth infallible imam,   Imam Ali ibn Musa, al-Ridha (as), WABIL congratulates the Imam of Our Time (atfs), the Ahlul Bayt (as), all righteous scholars, and all believers.
 
Imam Ali al-Ridha (as) was born in Madina on 11 Dhil Qa’adah in 148 AH / 765 CE. He succeeded his father Imam Musa al-Kadhim (as) on his martyrdom in Baghdad where he was imprisoned and poisoned by the despotic Abassid caliphate. Imam Ali al-Ridha was 35 when he became the appointed Imam.
 
All the infallible Imams were given the divine task of protecting and spreading the real message of the Prophet (sawa). However depending on the needs of the time, they were assigned particular tasks by Allah. Imam Ali al-Ridha protected Islam from deviation and doubts created by infidels and deviators, and  shaped the Muslims’ great advances in many fields  of knowledge, such as medicine: he is famous for the work, The Golden Dissertation in Medicine.
 
Imam al-Ridha lived through the despotic plotting of three Abbasid calpihs –Harun al-Rashid, Amin and finally Mamun. Mamun decided that his predecessors had all failed by openly antagonising the Imams, therefore he forcibly summoned Imam Ali al-Ridha from Madinah to Marw (Khurasan). He then appointed Imam as his successor and made him attend the courts, in order to gain the people’s approval, and to monitor the Imam’s activities.
 
But Imam Ali al-Ridah (a.s) was indeed Allah’s representative and still a source to whom people flocked, not to the caliph. During his journey from Madinah, thousands of people gathered to greet him. Indeed in the courts, Mamun tried on many occasions to hold debates between the Imam and celebrated religious scholars to try and publicly defeat the Imam. However it was not so, for the Imam was victorious in every session with his answers laced with Quranic verses and Prophetic narrations.
 
The eighth holy Imam is famously known as the Zaamin, the Guarantor and protector: as Mamun had coins minted in Imam’s name, it meant that Imam’s loyal followers could openly carry these whenever they embarked on a journey, knowing that taking the Imam’s name would guarantee his help and intercession. Indeed Imam Ali al-Ridha is also known for his guaranteeing of the deer: a hunter was about to kill a deer during the Imam’s journey from Madinah, but the deer spoke to her Imam and asked that her life would be spared so that she could go and feed her young first. To the hunter’s surprise, the Imam conveyed this message and waited with the hunter, until indeed the loyal deer returned. The hunter spared her life, amazed at the Imam’s powers and compassion. To this day, believers appeal to the Imam for their safety and indeed to this day, many miracles of healing and safety are witnessed at his holy shrine in Mashhad (Khurasan).
 
Some well-known hadiths of Imam Ali al-Ridha (as) are:
Faith is one grade superior and sublime to Islam and piety is one grade superior to faith and certitude is one step superior to faith and nothing more elegant and excellent than certitude has been bestowed upon the sons of Adam (Bihar ul Anwar vol 78 p.338).
 
The best of servants are those men that when they perform a good deed they become glad and when they perform a bad deed they ask the forgiveness (of Allah) and when they are granted they thank (for it).  And while they get afflcted and grieved they exercise patience. And when they get enraged and angry they forgive (overlook others’ faults) (Tuhaf al Uqool p.44).
 
Behave with the friend humbly and with the enemy carefully and the general people with a smiling and blooming face (Bihar ul Anwar vol 78 p.355).
 
Allah dislikes futile (useless) talk and squandering the wealth and begging (asking things) (Bihar ul Anwar vol 78 p.335).
 
On this joyous occasion, WABIl wishes you peace and prays that we may all follow the teachings and example of Imam Ali al-Ridha (as).
 
Sayed Mohammad Al-Musawi
World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League (WABIL)
London UK
 

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