The birth of abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.)

قَالَ لِي أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الْأَوَّلُ هَلْ عَلِمْتَ أَحَداً مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَغْرِبِ قَدِمَ قُلْتُ لَا قَالَ بَلَى قَدْ قَدِمَ رَجُلٌ فَانْطَلِقْ بِنَا فَرَكِبَ وَ رَكِبْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى انْتَهَيْنَا إِلَى الرَّجُلِ فَإِذَا رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ مَعَهُ رَقِيقٌ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ اعْرِضْ عَلَيْنَا فَعَرَضَ عَلَيْنَا سَبْعَ جَوَارٍ كُلَّ ذَلِكَ يَقُولُ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع لَا حَاجَةَ لِي فِيهَا ثُمَّ قَالَ اعْرِضْ عَل

“Once abu al-Hassan, the second asked me, “Do you know if anyone from Morocco (or the west) has arrived?” I replied, “No, no one has come.” He said, “Yes, a man has come. Come with us.” He rode and also rode and went until we reached the man. He was a man from Madina who had a few slaves with him for sale. I asked him

لَمَّا مَضَى أَبُو إِبْرَاهِيمَ ع وَ تَكَلَّمَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع خِفْنَا عَلَيْهِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَقِيلَ لَهُ إِنَّكَ قَدْ أَظْهَرْتَ أَمْراً عَظِيماً وَ إِنَّا نَخَافُ عَلَيْكَ هَذِهِ الطَّاغِيَةَ قَالَ فَقَالَ لِيَجْهَدْ جَهْدَهُ فَلَا سَبِيلَ لَهُ عَلَيَّ.

“when abu Ibrahim (a.s.) passed away abu al-Hassan (al-Rida) (a.s.) spoke (about his Imamat) and we became afraid for him because of it. It was said to him, “You have declared a very great issue and we are afraid for you from this rebel.” The Imam (a.s.) said, “Let him strive his best but he will find way against me.”

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى الرِّضَا ع فِي بَيْتٍ دَاخِلٍ فِي جَوْفِ بَيْتٍ لَيْلًا فَرَفَعَ يَدَهُ فَكَانَتْ كَأَنَّ فِي الْبَيْتِ عَشَرَةَ مَصَابِيحَ وَ اسْتَأْذَنَ عَلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ فَخَلَّى يَدَهُ ثُمَّ أَذِنَ لَهُ.

“Once I went to see al-Rida (a.s.) in a house inside his house in the middle of the night. He raised his hand and it was as if there were ten lamps inside the house and a man asked permission for a meeting. He lowered his hand and then gave him permission.”

كَانَ لِرَجُلٍ مِنْ آلِ أَبِي رَافِعٍ مَوْلَى النَّبِيِّ ص يُقَالُ لَهُ طَيْسٌ عَلَيَّ حَقٌّ فَتَقَاضَانِي وَ أَلَحَّ عَلَيَّ وَ أَعَانَهُ النَّاسُ فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُ ذَلِكَ صَلَّيْتُ الصُّبْحَ فِي مَسْجِدِ الرَّسُولِ ع ثُمَّ تَوَجَّهْتُ نَحْوَ الرِّضَا ع وَ هُوَ يَوْمَئِذٍ بِالْعُرَيْضِ فَلَمَّا قَرُبْتُ مِنْ بَابِهِ إِذَا هُوَ قَدْ طَلَعَ عَلَى حِمَارٍ وَ عَلَيْهِ قَمِيصٌ وَ رِدَاءٌ فَلَمَّا نَظَرْتُ إِلَيْهِ اسْتَح

“I owed money to a man from the family of abu Rafi‘, slave of the Holy Prophet (s.a), called Tays. He demanded payment and pressed me hard and people also assisted him. When I found myself in such condition I prayed the morning prayer in the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah and then headed to al-Rida (a.s.) who was in

بَانِي فَارِعٍ وَ هَادِمُهُ يُقَطَّعُ إِرْباً إِرْباً فَلَمْ نَدْرِ مَا مَعْنَى ذَلِكَ فَلَمَّا وَلَّى وَافَى هَارُونُ وَ نَزَلَ بِذَلِكَ الْمَوْضِعِ صَعِدَ جَعْفَرُ بْنُ يَحْيَى ذَلِكَ الْجَبَلَ وَ أَمَرَ أَنْ يُبْنَى لَهُ ثَمَّ مَجْلِسٌ فَلَمَّا رَجَعَ مِنْ مَكَّةَ صَعِدَ إِلَيْهِ فَأَمَرَ بِهَدْمِهِ فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ إِلَى الْعِرَاقِ قُطِّعَ إِرْباً إِرْباً.

The builder at Fari‘ and he who would demolish will be cut in pieces.” We had no idea what it meant. When he returned Harun arrived and camped at that place. Ja‘far ibn Yahya climbed the mountain and ordered to build a resting place for him. When he returned from Makka he climbed there and ordered to demolish what was

أَلْحَحْتُ عَلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ع فِي شَيْ‌ءٍ أَطْلُبُهُ مِنْهُ فَكَانَ يَعِدُنِي فَخَرَجَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ لِيَسْتَقْبِلَ وَالِيَ الْمَدِينَةِ وَ كُنْتُ مَعَهُ فَجَاءَ إِلَى قُرْبِ قَصْرِ فُلَانٍ فَنَزَلَ تَحْتَ شَجَرَاتٍ وَ نَزَلْتُ مَعَهُ أَنَا وَ لَيْسَ مَعَنَا ثَالِثٌ فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ هَذَا الْعِيدُ قَدْ أَظَلَّنَا وَ لَا وَ اللَّهِ مَا أَمْلِكُ دِرْهَماً فَمَا سِوَاهُ فَحَكَّ بِسَوْطِهِ الْأَرْضَ

“I would urge abu al-Hassan al-Rida in a matter that I would demand from him and he would ask to give him time. One day he went out to receive the governor of Madina and I was with him. He came near the castle of so and so and stopped for rest among a few trees. Just the two of us and not a third was there. I said, “Ma

لَمَّا انْقَضَى أَمْرُ الْمَخْلُوعِ‌[1] وَ اسْتَوَى الْأَمْرُ لِلْمَأْمُونِ كَتَبَ إِلَى الرِّضَا ع يَسْتَقْدِمُهُ إِلَى خُرَاسَانَ فَاعْتَلَّ عَلَيْهِ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع بِعِلَلٍ فَلَمْ يَزَلِ الْمَأْمُونُ يُكَاتِبُهُ فِي ذَلِكَ حَتَّى عَلِمَ أَنَّهُ لَا مَحِيصَ لَهُ وَ أَنَّهُ لَا يَكُفُّ عَنْهُ فَخَرَجَ ع وَ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع سَبْعُ سِنِينَ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ الْمَأْمُونُ لَا تَأْخُذْ عَلَى طَرِيقِ الْجَبَلِ وَ قُم

7. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from from Yasir al-Khadim and al-Rayyan ibn al-Salt all have said the following. “When the matter of the deposed Caliph (Amin) ended and it was established for al-Ma’mun he wrote to al-Rida asking to come to Khurasan. Abu al-Hassan (a.s.) in reply presented certain reason to justify his

لَمَّا خَرَجَ الْمَأْمُونُ مِنْ خُرَاسَانَ يُرِيدُ بَغْدَادَ وَ خَرَجَ الْفَضْلُ ذُو الرِّئَاسَتَيْنِ وَ خَرَجْنَا مَعَ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع وَرَدَ عَلَى الْفَضْلِ بْنِ سَهْلٍ ذِي الرِّئَاسَتَيْنِ كِتَابٌ مِنْ أَخِيهِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ سَهْلٍ وَ نَحْنُ فِي بَعْضِ الْمَنَازِلِ إِنِّي نَظَرْتُ فِي تَحْوِيلِ السَّنَةِ فِي حِسَابِ النُّجُومِ فَوَجَدْتُ فِيهِ أَنَّكَ تَذُوقُ فِي شَهْرِ كَذَا وَ كَذَا- يَوْمَ الْأَرْبِعَاءِ حَرّ

“When al-Ma’mun left Khurasan for Baghdad along with him came Fadl, Dhu al-Al-Ri’asatayn and we came out with abu al-Hassan (a.s.) Fadl ibn Sahl had received a letter from his brother Hassan, while we were on our journey. Hassan had said in the letter, “I studied the Zodiac changes this year according to the astrologic

لَمَّا أَرَادَ هَارُونُ بْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ أَنْ يُوَاقِعَ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ لِي أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ع اذْهَبْ إِلَيْهِ وَ قُلْ لَهُ لَا تَخْرُجْ غَداً فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ خَرَجْتَ غَداً هُزِمْتَ وَ قُتِلَ أَصْحَابُكَ فَإِنْ سَأَلَكَ مِنْ أَيْنَ عَلِمْتَ هَذَا فَقُلْ رَأَيْتُ فِي الْمَنَامِ قَالَ فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ لَا تَخْرُجْ غَداً فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ خَرَجْتَ هُزِمْتَ وَ قُتِلَ أَصْحَ

“When Harun ibn al-Musayyib decided to fight Muhammad ibn Ja‘far, abu al-Hassan (a.s.) told me to go to him and say, “Do not go our tomorrow. If would do so you will be defeated and your people will be killed.” If he would ask, “How do youknow that?” Say, “I saw it in my dream.” The narrator has said that he went to hi

أَنَّهُ حَمَلَ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ع مَالًا لَهُ خَطَرٌ فَلَمْ أَرَهُ سُرَّ بِهِ قَالَ فَاغْتَمَمْتُ لِذَلِكَ وَ قُلْتُ فِي نَفْسِي قَدْ حَمَلْتُ هَذَا الْمَالَ وَ لَمْ يُسَرَّ بِهِ فَقَالَ يَا غُلَامُ الطَّسْتَ وَ الْمَاءَ قَالَ فَقَعَدَ عَلَى كُرْسِيٍّ وَ قَالَ بِيَدِهِ وَ قَالَ لِلْغُلَامِ صُبَّ عَلَيَّ الْمَاءَ قَالَ فَجَعَلَ يَسِيلُ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَصَابِعِهِ فِي الطَّسْتِ ذَهَبٌ ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ إِلَيَّ

“A Certain person of our people has said that he wanted to deliver an amount of propertyto al-Rida (a.s.). It was a large amount. When he saw it he did not become happy. I became depressed and said to myself, “I delivered this property to him but he did not become happy.” The Imam (a.s.) called, “O boy, bring water and

قُبِضَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُوسَى ع وَ هُوَ ابْنُ تِسْعٍ وَ أَرْبَعِينَ‌[1] سَنَةً وَ أَشْهُرٍ فِي عَامِ اثْنَيْنِ وَ مِائَتَيْنِ عَاشَ بَعْدَ مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عِشْرِينَ سَنَةً إِلَّا شَهْرَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلَاثَةً.

“Ali ibn Musa (a.s.) died at the age of forty nine and few months in the year two hundred and two AH. He lived for nineteen years and two or three month after the death of Musa ibn Ja‘far (a.s.).”