Imam Reza Shrine

Ali al-Ridha is the eighth successor of the Prophet Muhammad (p) and the eighth Imam of Shi’a Muslims. He was born in the city of Medina in the year 148 AH. His noble father, Imam Moses, was the seventh ruler of the Shi’a.  His most famous nickname is ‘Reza’. His son, Imam Mohammad Jawad, explained the reason for the title:

“God called him Reza, of God in heaven, and the Prophet of God, and the Imams were pleased with him. Also for his good humor  his friends and foes were content with him.”

At the age of 33, Hazrat Ali Ibn Musa al -Reza became Imam and spent most of his life in Medina. The time of their leadership coincided with the Caliphate and this symmetry made many difficulties for them. At the beginning of the Imamat, Abbasid Caliphate was in power.  Mamun  the son of Caliph Harun al-Rashid decided to overthrow the caliphate by planning to kill  his brother Amin, and chose the city of Merv for his Caliphate. After the advent of many Shias and Muslims in the name of Alavian, they found the opportunity and rebelled against the government. In order to quiet the many Shia rebellions around his government, Mamun summoned Imam Reza to Khorasan and wanted to offer him the role of the Crown Prince to prevent the Shias and relatives of Imam Reza from rebelling against the government, seeing as they would then be fighting their own Imam; secondly, to cause the people to lose their spiritual belief and inner attachment to the Imams, because the Imam would be associated with the corrupt government of Mamun. Thirdly, he intended it to fool other Shias into believing that his government was not so bad after all, because Imam Reza would then come into power after Mamun. And fourthly, he wanted to keep a close watch over the Imam of the Shias himself

Al-Ridha, who knew the real reason of this offer, politely refused it and said:

“If this caliphate belongs to you, then it is not permissible for you to take off the garment in which Allah has clothed you and to give it to other than you. If the caliphate does not belong to you, then it is not permissible for you to give me that which does not belong to you.”

However, the Authority did not accept any of its conditions, and the negotiations with them lasted more than two months, until Mamun Al – Hudheibi threatened to kill him.  

Finally,  Imam  agreed to Mamun’s suggestion with a few conditions. If they are not allowed to be installed or removed, they will not change the official, take the traditional form and view the establishment of the Caliphate, and accept the order of the caliph.

This situation continued for a while until Mamun was unable to accept the existence of Imam Reza, forced him to drink the toxic pomegranate juice. Hours later, the noble and the 8th Shia procession was Martyred at dawn of Safar 29th in the year of 203 AH.