By: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Hussein ibn Musa ibn

243 Pages·2009·1.14 MB·English

UYUN AKHBAR AL-REZA
The Source of Traditions on Imam Reza (a.s.)
By:
Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Hussein ibn Musa
ibn Babawayh al-Qummi Known as
(Sheikh Sadooq)

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

CHAPTER ONE: 
5 
WHY IS ALI IBN MUSA (S) CALLED AL‐REZA

CHAPTER TWO:  
6 
TRADITIONS ABOUT IMAM AL‐REZA'S MOTHER AND HER NAME

CHAPTER THREE: 
9 
ON THE BIRTHDATE OF IMAM AL‐REZA(S)

CHAPTER FOUR: 
11 
ON IMAM AL‐KAZIM'S (S) CLEAR APPOINTMENT OF IMAM AL‐REZA (S)

CHAPTER FIVE: 
19 
ON MUSA IBN JA'FAR'S WILL

CHAPTER SIX: 
23 
ON PROOFS OF DIVINE LEADERSHIP OF AL‐REZA (S) AMONG THE TWELVE IMAMS (S)

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CHAPTER SEVEN: 
1
ON TRADITIONS ABOUT MUSA IBN JA’FAR (S), HARUN AR‐RASHID AND MUSA IBN AL‐MAHDI 

CHAPTER EIGHT: 
59 
TRADITIONS ON THE DEATH OF ABI IBRAHIM MUSA IBN JA’FAR IBN MUHAMMAD IBN ALI IBN AL‐HUSSEIN (S)

CHAPTER NINE: 
THE DESCENDANTS OF GOD'S PROPHET (S) SAID TO HAVE BEEN KILLED BY AR‐RASHID IN ONE NIGHT AFTER  67 
POISONING MUSA IBN JA'FAR (S) ‐ BESIDES THOSE KILLED BY OTHERS

CHAPTER TEN: 
70 
ON REASONS FOR THE FORMATION OF THE WAQIFITES

CHAPTER ELEVEN: (Part 1) 
72 
ON TRADITIONS FROM AL‐REZA ABOUT UNITY

CHAPTER ELEVEN:  (Part 2) 
87 
ON TRADITIONS FROM AL‐REZA ABOUT UNITY

IMAM AL‐REZA’S SERMON ON THE UNITY OF GOD   99  

CHAPTER TWELVE: 
A SESSION OF AL‐REZA (S)’S DEBATE WITH THE PROMINENT THEOLOGIANS FROM AMONG THE  103 
RHETORICIANS AND THE VARIOUS RELIGIONS

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: 
A SESSION IN THE PRESENCE OF AL‐MA’MUN OF AL‐REZA’S DEBATE ON UNITY WITH SOLEIMAN AL‐MARWAZI  121 
‐ THE THEOLOGIAN FROM KHORASAN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: 
ANOTHER SESSION OF AL‐REZA (S) AND AL‐MA’MUN ALONG WITH PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT NATIONS, AND 
132 
THE RHETORICIANS, AS WELL AS IMAM AL‐ REZA’S ANSWERS TO MUHAMMAD IBN AL‐JAHM REGARDING 
THE IMMACULATENESS OF THE PROPHETS

135
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: 
2
ANOTHER SESSION WITH AL‐REZA (S) AND AL‐MA’MUN ON THE INFALLIBILITY OF THE PROPHETS

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: 
143 
AL‐REZA'S WORDS ON THE PEOPLE OF THE DITCH

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: 
IMAM AL‐REZA'S WORDS ON THE INTERPRETATION OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD'S WORDS, ‘AND WE RANSOMED  146 
HIM WITH A MOMENTOUS SACRIFICE.’

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: 
147 
ON IMAM AL‐REZA'S VIEWS ON THE PROPHET'S STATEMENT, “I AM THE SON OF THE TWO OFFERINGS”

CHAPTER NINETEEN: 
149 
ON AL‐REZA'S WORDS ON THE SIGN OF THE IMAM

CHAPTER TWENTY: 
ON WHAT AL‐REZA (S) HAS SAID REGARDING DIVINE LEADERSHIP, ITS NOBILITIES AND THE RANK OF THE  151 
DIVINE LEADER

CHAPTER TWENTY‐ONE: 
156 
AL‐REZA’S WORDS ON THE MARRIAGE OF THE BLESSED LADY FATIMA (S)

CHAPTER TWENTY‐TWO: 
ON WHAT AL‐REZA (S) SAID ABOUT FAITH THAT IS RECOGNITION OF PARADISE, VERBAL CONFESSION AND  158 
PHYSICAL ACTION

CHAPTER TWENTY‐THREE: 
ON AL‐REZA’S DEBATES WITH AL‐MA’MUN REGARDING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAMILY (ITRA) AND  160 
NATION

CHAPTER TWENTY‐FOUR: 
ON AL‐REZA’S WORDS ABOUT THE MAN FROM SYRIA AND HIS QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMANDER OF THE  169 
FAITHFUL (S) IN THE KUFA MOSQUE

CHAPTER TWENTY‐FIVE:  175
ON WHAT IS NARRATED BY AL‐REZA (S) ABOUT ZAYD IBN ALI
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CHAPTER TWENTY‐SIX: 
179 
ON RARE TRADITIONS FROM AL‐REZA ABOUT VARIOUS ISSUES

CHAPTER TWENTY‐SEVEN: 
187 
ON WHAT AL‐REZA (S) SAID ABOUT HARUT AND MARUT

CHAPTER TWENTY‐EIGHT: (Part 1) 
191 
ON VARIOUS TRADITIONS FROM IMAM ALI IBN MUSA AL‐REZA (S)

CHAPTER TWENTY‐EIGHT: (Part 2) 
206 
ON VARIOUS TRADITIONS FROM IMAM ALI IBN MUSA AL‐REZA (S)

CHAPTER TWENTY‐NINE: 
221 
WHAT HAS BEEN NARRATED FROM AL‐REZA (S) ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PROPHET (S)

CHAPTER THIRTY: 
225 
VARIOUS TRADITIONS FROM AL‐REZA (S)

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CHAPTER ONE:
WHY IS ALI IBN MUSA (S) CALLED AL-
REZA
The author of this book (Sheikh Sadooq) lived in Ray. He was a jurisprudent whose name was
Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Hussein ibn Musa ibn Babwaih al-Qumi, a resident of Ray -
may God help him in obedience of God, and grant him success in His gratification.
1-1 My father, Muhammad ibn Musa ibn al-Motawakkil, Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Majiluwayh,
Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashem; Al-Hussein ibn Ibrahim Natanat; Ahmad ibn Ziyad ibn
Ja’far al-Hamadani; Al-Hussein ibn Ibrahim ibn Hisham al-Mokattib, and Ali ibn Abdullah -
may God be pleased with them all - narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashem quoted on the
authority of his father that Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Nasr al-Bezanti told Abi Ja’far
Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Musa (s), “Some of your opponents think that Al-Ma’mun called your
father Al-Reza (s) that means ‘acceptable’ or ‘liked’ since he liked your father and chose him to
be his crown-prince. Imam Al-Jawad (s) said, “No, by God, they are liars. God the Almighty the
Sublime named him Al-Reza (s) since he was accepted by God the Almighty in His Heavens [8]
, and he was accepted by his Prophet (s) and the Imams (s) that followed the Prophet (s) on His
Earth.” Al-Bezanti said, “Were not your father and grandfathers accepted by God, the Prophet
and the Imams?” Imam Al-Jawad (s) said, “Yes, they were.” He then asked, “Why then only was
your father called Al-Reza and they were not?” Then Imam Al-Jawad (s) said, “That is because
his friends and followers as well as his opponents accepted him, while this was never the case for
my forefathers. Therefore, he is the only one who is called Al-Reza.”
1-2 Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Imran ad-Daqqaq - with whom God may be pleased -
narrated that Muhammad ibn Abi Abdullah al-Kufi quoted on the authority of Sahil ibn Ziyad al-
Adami, on the authority of Abdul Azeem ibn Abdullah Al-Hassani, on the authority of Soleiman
ibn Hafs al-Marwazy that Imam Al-Kazim (s) used to call his son Al-Reza and said, ‘Call my
son, Al-Reza’, or ‘I called my son Al-Reza.’ When he talked to his son Al-Reza, he called him
Abul Hassan (that is the same as Abul Hassan or Abil Hassan).[9]

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CHAPTER TWO:
TRADITIONS ABOUT IMAM AL-REZA'S
MOTHER AND HER NAME
2-1 In the year 235 A.H. (849 A.D.) al-Hakim Abu Ali Al-Hussein ibn Ahmad al-Bayhaqi
narrated from his home in Neishaboor that Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Sowly said that Abul
Hassan Al-Reza (s) is Ali ibn Musa ibn Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Al-Hussein ibn Abi
Talib (s). His mother was an Umm Walad [10] who was called Toktam. She was named Toktam
when Abul Hassan Musa ibn Ja'far (s) became her master (i.e. husband).
2-2 Al-Hakim Abu Ali Al-Hussein ibn Ahmad al-Bayhaqi quoted on the authority of al-Sowly,
on the authority of Own ibn Muhammad al-Kendy quoted on the authority of Abul Hassan Ali
ibn Maysam[11] - Imam Al-Kazim's mother - who was one of the noble Persian ladies called
Hamideh, bought a female slave of the Mowalledeh [12] type named Toktam. Toktam was one of
the noblest ladies in regards to intelligence, religion and respect for her master and his mother
Hamideh. She respected Lady Hamideh so much that she would never sit down in her presence.
Then Lady Hamideh told her son - Imam Musa ibn Ja’far (s), “O my son! Toktam is a female
slave. I have never seen any female slave better than her. I have no doubt that God will purify
any generations from her offspring. Therefore, I will bestow her on you. Treat her with kindness.
When she gave birth to Imam Al-Reza (s), Imam Al-Kazim (s) called her Taherah.”
Then Ali ibn Maysam added, “Imam Al-Reza (s) drank a lot of milk and was a chubby baby.
Then his mother asked for a wet-nurse to breast-feed the baby. She was asked if she had run out
of milk. She replied, ‘No, I swear by God that I have not run out of milk, but since the birth of
this baby I cannot attend to my own prayers and supplications.’”
Al-Hakim Abu Ali quoted on the authority of al-Sowly, “One proof that the name of Imam Al-
Reza's mother is Toktam can be found in this poem composed about Imam Al-Reza (s):
The Noble Ali is the best of the people
Who has the best father, forefathers and tribe.
Toktam gave birth to him
Who is the eighth Leader.
With his knowledge and patience
He will stress God's covenant with the people.”
Al-Sowly said, “And some people have ascribed this to my paternal uncle - Ibrahim ibn Abbas -
but no such thing has been narrated for me about him. I neither accept nor will I reject what has
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been narrated for me or what I have not heard. However, the following poem was undoubtedly
composed by my paternal uncle - Ibrahim ibn Abbas:
The deeds of just men are just witnesses for their doers.
O yes, they have some considerable amount of new wealth
that is not at all similar to what they had before.
They [13] give you [14] only one percent of your own wealth,
yet they mention it as if they are doing you a favor.
Whoever eulogizes your enemies, has not eulogized God.
You are nobler than your eighth-generation cousin (al-Ma’mun)
Just as your forefathers were nobler than his forefathers.”
Al-Sowly said, “I found these verses written in my father's notebook in his own handwriting. My
father used to say that his brother had recited these poems and said that our uncle had composed
them about Ali [15] . There is a note in the margin of one of the pages of that notebook stating,
‘What is meant by eighth-generation cousin is Al-Ma’mun, since both Imam Al-Reza (s) and Al-
Ma’mun were eighth generation descendants of Abdul Muttalib.”
Moreover, Toktam is an Arabic name that is often seen in Arabic poetry. Al-Sowly said, “My
uncle - Ibrahim ibn Abbas - had composed a lot of eulogies about Imam Al-Reza (s). He used to
recite them in public. However, he was finally forced to hide them. Later he searched for them
and compiled them again.”
Some people have narrated that the name of Imam Al-Reza's noble mother was Sakan An-
Nawbiyeh. She was also called Arwa, Najma, and Somayeh. Her nickname was Ummul Banin.
2-3 Tamim ibn Abdullah ibn Tamim al-Qurashi - may God be pleased with him - narrated that
his father quoted on the authority of Ahmad ibn Ali Al-Ansari, on the authority of Ahmad ibn
Ali Al-Ansari, on the authority of Ali ibn Maysam, on the authority of his father, “When the
mother of Imam Al-Kazim (s) - Lady Hamideh - bought (the female slave) Najma who later gave
birth to Imam Al-Reza (s), she said, ‘I had a dream. In my dream God's Prophet (s) told me to
give Najma to my son Musa (s). The Prophet (s) told me that Najma and Musa (s) will have a
child who will be the best man on the Earth. Then I gave her to my son Musa (s).’ When Najma
gave birth to Imam Al-Reza (s), Imam Musa Al-Kazim (s) named her Taherah. She also had
other names including Najma, Arwa, Sakan, Samaneh and Toktam. Toktam was her last name.”
Ali ibn Maysam added on the authority of his father, “I heard my mother say that Najma was a
girl when Lady Hamideh bought her.”
2-4 (The author of the book narrated) my father - may God be pleased with him - narrated that
Sa'd ibn Abdullah quoted on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, on the authority of
Al-Hassan ibn Mahboob, on the authority of Yaqoob ibn Ishaq, on the authority of Zakariya al-
Wasety, on the authority of Hisham bin Ahmed that Abul Hassan the first (Imam Al-Kazim (s)
said, “Do you know anyone from the West who has come here?” I said, “No.” Imam Al-Kazim
(s) said, “Yes, a red man has come here. Let’s go to see him together.” We mounted our horses
and rode over to see him. He was a Western man with several slaves. Imam Al-Kazim (s) said,
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“Show us your slaves.” The man showed the Imam (s) nine of his female slaves. About each one
of them Imam Al-Kazim (s) said, “I do not need her.”[16] Then he said, “Show us the rest of
them.” The man said, “I do not have any more.” The Imam (s) said, “Yes you do. Show them to
us. The man swore to God and said, “I swear by God that I do not have any more. There is just
an ill female slave left.” The Imam (s) said, “What would happen if you also show her to us?”
The man refused and then the Imam (s) left. The next day Imam Al-Kazim (s) sent me to that
man, instructed me to ask him what the last price was for her and to accept whatever price he
quoted for her. Then I went to see that man. He said, “I will not sell her for an less than so
much.” I said, “O.K. I accept the amount. Here is the money. It is yours.” He said, “O.K. That
female slave is ours. But please tell me who the man with you was.” I said, “He is from the
Hashemite [17] tribe.” He asked, “Which branch? “I answered, “He is from the noble men of the
Hashemite tribe.” The man said, “Please explain more.” I said, “I do not know anymore than
this.” Then the man said, “O.K. Let me tell you then. I bought this female slave from one of the
farthest towns away in the West.” A woman of the People of the Book saw me and asked me,
“What is this female slave doing with you?” I said, “I have bought her for myself.” She said, “It
is neither proper nor possible for her to be with people like you. She must live with the best of
the people on the Earth. She will give birth to a child after living in their house for a short while
to whom all the people of the East and the West will be humble.” Hisham said, “After buying
her, I took her to Imam Al-Kazim (s). Then after a short while, she gave birth to (Imam) Ali ibn
Musa Al-Reza (s). Muhammad ibn Ali Majiluwayh - may God be pleased with him - quoted the
same tradition in the same form for me on the authority of his uncle Muhammad ibn Ali al-
Qasim, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Ali al-Kufi, on the authority of Muhammad ibn
Khalid, on the authority of Hisham bin Ahmed.

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CHAPTER THREE:
ON THE BIRTHDATE OF IMAM AL-
REZA(S)
3-1 Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Ishaq Taleqani - may God be pleased with him - quoted on the
authority of Al-Hassan ibn Ali ibn Zakariyya from Medina who quoted on the authority of Abu
Abdullah Muhammad ibn Khalilan, on the authority of his father, on the authority of his grand-
father, on the authority of Attab ibn Osayd who narrated that he had heard from a group of the
Sheikhs from Medina, “Al-Reza Ali ibn Musa (s) was born in Medina on Thursday the 11th of
Rabi’ul Awwal [18] in the year 153 A.H. (769 A.D.) - five years after the death of Imam As-
Sadiq (s) He died in Toos in a village called Sanabad in the town of Nawqan. He was buried in
Hamid ibn Al-Ta’ee’s house in the same vault in which Harun Al-Rashid was buried. He was
buried on the Qibla[19] side of the grave of Harun Ar-Rashid. This occurred on Friday the 21st
(or the 20th) of the (Arabic) month of Ramadhan in the year 203 A.H. (817 A.D.). He lived for
forty-nine years and six months. He spent twenty-nine years and two months with his noble
father Imam Musa ibn Ja'far (s). Then he succeeded his father, and was Imam for a period of
twenty years and four months. He became Imam when he was twenty-nine years and two months
old. This period of his Divine Leadership coincided with the period of the ruling of Harun ar-
Rashid. After Ar-Rashid, Muhammad known as Al-Amin who was the son of Zobayda ruled for
three years and twenty-five days. Al-Amin was then dethroned and his uncle Ibrahim ibn
Shaklah was put in power for fourteen days. Then he released Muhammad ibn Zobayda (al-
Amin) from prison, and had the people pledge allegiance to him again. He ruled for another year
and a half and twenty-three days. Then Abdullah Al-Ma’mun ruled for twenty years and twenty-
three days. It was then that he (al-Ma’mun) took a pledge of succession from Ali ibn Musa Al-
Reza (s) without his consent.
This he did after threatening him (Imam al-Reza) with death. He insisted on this over and over.
The Imam (s) refused to accept this offer every time, until he finally faced the threat of being
killed. Then he said, “O My God! Verily you have admonished me against getting myself killed.
Indeed I dislike it but I am forced to accept the succession of Abdullah Al-Ma’mun, else he
would kill me. Indeed I dislike it but I am forced to do it, just as Joseph (s) and Daniel (s) were
forced to when they each accepted the succession of the tyrant rulers of their time. O My God!
There is no pledge for me except Your Pledge, and there is no succession for me except what
You may grant to me. Help me succeed in establishing Your Religion, and reviving the tradition
of your Prophet Muhammad - may God's Peace and Blessings be upon him and his Household-
since You are my Master and my Helper. How good a Master and Helper!” Then he (s) accepted
the succession from Al-Ma’mun with tears and silence on condition that he will not appoint
anyone, dismiss anyone, or change any customs or traditions. He accepted to be a counselor on
the affairs from a distance. Then Al-Ma’mun had all the people including his personal entourage,
and the general public pledge allegiance to Imam Al-Reza (s). However, whenever one of the
nobilities of Imam Al-Reza (s), his knowledge and good management ability was manifested in
front of Al-Ma’mun; Al-Ma’mun became jealous of the Imam (s) - up to the point that he could
9
not bear it anymore. He then tricked Imam Al-Reza (s) and poisoned him to death to go to the
Almighty God's Heaven and His Nobility.”
3-2 Tamim ibn Abdullah ibn Tamim al-Qurashi - may God be pleased with him - narrated that
his father quoted on the authority of Ahmad ibn Ali Al-Ansari, on the authority of Ali ibn
Maysam on the authority of his father, “I heard Najma, the mother of Imam Al-Reza (s), say,
‘When I was pregnant with my son Ali, I did not feel any burden. I used to hear God's praises,
glorification and supplications from my stomach when I slept. I got scared hearing these sounds
and woke up to hear nothing more when I was awake. Once I gave birth to my child, he put both
of his hands on the ground, and raised his head towards the sky and moved his lips as if he was
saying something.’ His father, Musa ibn Ja'far (s) came to me said, ‘O Najma! Congratulations
for this Divine Blessing that God has bestowed upon you.” Then I wrapped the baby in white
cloth and handed him to Imam Al-Kazim (s)[20] He (s) said the ‘Azan [21] in his right ear and
the Iqamah [22] in his left ear. Then he (s) asked for some water from the Euphrates River and
gave the infant (Imam Reza) some of it. Then he gave the baby back to me and said, “Take him.
He is God's Continuation (baqiyyatulah) on the Earth.”

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