Karbala and Beyond

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Category: Imam Hussein

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Karbala and Beyond

Karbala and Beyond

Author:
Publisher: www.al-islam.org
English

1

2

ح،ه H,

Habs حبس : confinement, imprisonment, detention, jail

Hadas حدس : conjucture, presumption, a sense of something

Hadd حد : penalty imposed by the Shari`a, border, adjoin, margin, frontier, barrier, ceiling, limit

Hadi هادي : guide, one who shows the right path to others: It may be any ordinary person who guides others towards what is good for them, something which is righteous, useful and beneficial. If the definite article "the " is added to it, it will have a special meaning, a much broader one: It will then refer to the Almighty Who guides His servants to His Right Path, or it may be one of the Infallible Imams who, in turn, are guided by the Almighty and instructed to show the right way to people. Here are two examples for you:

Al-Hadi الهادي , the Almighty God, Allah, سبحانه و تعالى Praise and Exaltation belong to Him and only Him. The Most Glorified and Exalted One has said, and sufficient is your Lord as a Guide and a Helper (Qur'an, 25:31). “Al-Hadi” is an Attribute derived, linguistically, from hidaya, guidance, which means: to attract someone to something, such as attracting the heart of a believer to al-Hadi, to the One Who provides such guidance.

Guidance means bringing the hearts closer to the Almighty. Guidance is the following of one's sound reason and common sense and the graceful way of bringing someone to the anticipated goal. He guides the elite from among His servants whom He has chosen to know His Essence, so much so that they see things through Him, and He guides the commoners among them to witness His creatures, so much so that they have seen them as signs of His being their Creator and Sustainer.

He has guided everything He created to whatever means whereby it can satisfy its needs. He has guided the baby to suck the breast of its mother, the young birds to pick the seeds, and the bees to build their honey-combs in hexagonal shapes which are the best to suit the forms of their bodies, and such examples are quite lengthy indeed.

Al-Hadi guides the guilty to repentance, and those blessed with knowledge to the facts regarding nearness to Him. Al-Hadi occupies the hearts by truthfulness and equity, the bodies by life and death. Al-Hadi has given everything He has created its shape and charac­teristics, and He guides whom He creates to the goals behind His creating them, to issues related to their life in this world and to those related to their creed, in addition to everything else related to them. He guides the hearts to know Him and the souls to obey Him; He guides the guilty to the path of repentance, the sincere ones to nearness to Him after being far from it. He keeps the hearts filled with love for equity and truth; He enables them to treat people justly. Al-Hadi is in all reality Allah. Al-Hadi has guided the elite from among His servants to wisdom and knowledge.

Whenever the Messenger of Allah woke up during the night for prayers, he would supplicate to his Lord saying, “Lord! God of Gabriel, Michael and Israfil, Originator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unknown and the Witness! You judge between Your servants regarding that wherein they dispute! I plead to You to guide me to that wherein they have differed, by Your will, for You guide whomsoever You please to a straight path." We know that the Almighty is the source of all guidance, but we also know that He works through mediums, agents, servants of His who obey His commandments and guide others to His Path, the Path of happiness in this life and in the life to come. These guides can be ordinary men and they can be scholars of theology who dedicate years of their life to studying His Holy Book, the Qur'an, and His Prophet's Sunna. Below is information about one of His servants who dedicated his life to serving his Creator and the servants of this Creator; he is Infallible Imam Ali al-Hadi, peace be with him and with all Imams from among the Prophet's Progeny:

Imam al-Hadi (ﻉ ): His first name is Ali which is usually prefixed by one of his many titles the most famous of which are: an-Nasih, al-Muftah, an-Najib, al-Murtada, al-Hadi, an-Naqi, al-Alim, al-Faqih, al-Amin, al-Mu'taman, at-Tayyib, al-Mutawakkil, a title which he avoided very much during the Abbasid ruler who also was called "al-Mutawakkil", and the "Askari Faqih". Because both Imams Ali ibn Abu Talib, al-Murtada, and Ali ar-Rida, peace be with both of them, were called "Abul-Hassan" each, Imam Ali al-Hadi (ﻉ ) is referred to as "Abul-Hassan III". His mother’s name is Sumana Khatun. He was born in Saria, a suburb of Medina, now "Saudi Arabia", on Rajab 5, 214 A.H./September 8, 829 A.D.

He enjoyed the love of his father, Imam at-Taqi and also al-Jawad (ﻉ ), for only six years because his father had to leave for Baghdad where he was martyred on the 29th of Thu al-Qi`da 220 A.H./November 24, 835 A.D. and the responsibilities of Imamate devolved on his young son’s shoulders. Providence was the only tutor and instructor that reared and raised him to the extreme zenith of learning. For more information about Imam al-Hadi (ﻉ ), refer to our discussion above of the nine Imams who descended from the hero of this book (ع ).

Hadith or Hadeeth حديث : A report on a statement or tradition (action) of Prophet Muhammad (ص ) or what he witnessed and approved of is called hadith (sing.; plural: ahadith). These are the explanations, interpretations and living examples of the Prophet (ص ) as he taught the nation and/or explained the teachings of the Qur'an. Other meanings of this word include: modern, new, talk, speech, conversation, fresh, novel

Hadith Qudsi حديث قدسي : one of ahadith in which the Prophet cites the Almighty; i.e. the speech of the Almighty as worded by His Prophet Muhammad. The meaning of these ahadith indicates revelations to the Prophet which the Prophet (ص ) put in his own words, unlike the Qur'an which is the word of Allah Almighty as conveyed to the Prophet (ص ) exactly, verbatim.

Hafi حافض : one who has learned the entire text of the Holy Qur'an by heart; plural huffaz; another meaning refers to an angel in charge of protecting a human’s life till it is time for his/her demise

Hajib حاجب : doorkeeper, usher

Hajiz حاجز : barrier, curtain, separator, obstruction, check or control post

Hajj or Haj or Hijj حج : Hajj is an Arabic word which means: the performance of the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Hijaz, northern Saudi Arabia. It is one of the five pillars of Islam. A Muslim is to perform hajj at least once in his/her life, if he has the means (of health and financial ability) to do so. There are rules and regulations as well as specific outfits related to the performance of this rite. The Islamic pilgrimage takes place during the last month of the Islamic lunar calendar, namely the month of Thul-Hijja.

Hajz حجز : seizure, sequestration, garnishment, confinement, impounding

Halal حلال : something which is lawful, permissible, in Islam, the opposite of haram

Halif or Haleef حليف : ally, one who enjoys the protection of a tribe but does not belong to it

Hakim حاكم : ruler, governor, judge, magistrate

Halaqa حلقة : ring, circle, cycle, a group of students involved in the study of Islam

Hamid or Hameed : حميد praiseworthy, commendable, laudable

Hamim or Hameem حميم : intimate, very close (friend); another meaning refers to the boiling water or pus given to the residents of hell whenever they ask for water

Hamiya حاميه : garrison, protection force

Hamil حامل : bearer, carrier, conveyor,, holder, expectant, pregnant

Hanan حنان : affection, tenderness, sympathy, compassion

Hanif or Haneef حنيف : Haneefs are people who, during the pre-Islamic period of jahiliyya, rejected the worship of idols. These people were in search for the true religion of Prophet Abraham.

Hanith حانث : perjurer, guilty of perjury

Hannata (v.) حنط : embalmed, (n.) embalming حنوط A word of caution here: Do not confuse what the Muslims do to corpses of their dead with that of non-Muslims, mostly the Christians who embalm their dead by draining them of blood then injecting a liquid in them. This is not permissible in Islam. Instead, Muslims anoint/oil the corpse with a special mixture of herbs which preserve the freshness of the corpse for some time. The best who excelled in this art are the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt.

The hardest period that follows death (which, in Islam, means: the separation of the eternal and indestructible soul from the temporal and decaying body) is the first three days of our own counting. Researching true life, eternal life, that is, life after death, is from my viewpoint a most fascinating research.

For those who wish to research this subject, the best reference I have come across is Sheikh (mentor) Abbas al-Qummi's Manazil al-Akhira which was originally written in Farsi then translated into Arabic by Dr. Abdul-Mahdi Yargari who, by the way, did an outstanding job. The edition I read was published in 1990 by the Balagh Foundation of Beirut, Lebanon. It falls only in 124 pages, yet it draws a road map for you and explains what you should expect, and how to be prepared for, as the stages on the very long and rough road to eternity succeed each other. To my deep dismay, not a single Publisher has till now asked me to translate this precious book, and I do not know if I will live long enough to see this great book translated into English…

Haqq حق : the truth, what is right, an obligation, a responsibility, what belongs to someone

Harām or Haraam حرام : a thing or action which is forbidden, prohibited, made unlawful by Islam

Haram حرم : sanctuary, a sacred territory. Mecca has been a haram since time immemorial. All things within the limits/boundaries of the haram are protected and considered inviolable; non-Muslims are not supposed to enter them. Medina was also declared a haram by the Prophet (ص ). The term “Haramain” refers to both sanctuaries of Mecca and Medina.

Hasana or Hasaanah حصانه : immunity, privilege, exemption, liberty

Hashd حشد : crowd (of people, etc.), throng, multitude (of persons, etc.), riotous assembly

Hashr حشر : crowding, grouping, gathering together, assembling يوم الحشر (such as for the Day of Judgment). Speaking of the Day of Judgment, here is the picture I have drawn in my imagination for the Gathering on that Day: First of all, the place where I believe the Judgment will take place will be on our Planet Earth since we all are earthlings. The globe will change its form considerably: The mountains will be crushed and made to look like cotton being worked by a cotton carder (نداف ) as we are told in 101:5 (Chapter 101, Verse 5) of the Holy Qur'an and the oxygen will be separated from the hydrogen in water and the oxygen is set ablaze, so much so that you will see oceans set on fire as we are told in verses such as 81:6 and 52:6, till the entire earth is flattened like a computer's storage CD.

This completely circular disk will be split into at least 128,000 triangles, this number corresponding to the number of prophets whom the Almighty sent to various nations of the human species. If you place many triangles side by side, you will come up with a circle. On tip of each pyramid will be the prophet who will face the nation to whom he was sent as those closest to him will be the nearest followed those who emulated them, and so on and so forth.

For example, immediately facing the prophet will be his wasis الأوصياء (successors to prophets), then the walis الأولياء , then the martyrs الشهداء , then the scholars العلماء , that is, the people of knowledge who did not profit by their knowledge, who did not sell their religion, who did not become wealthy or politically powerful (or who gained both wealth and power while losing all their balance with God), those who did not write for fame or reputation but to benefit the public and hopefully earn the Almighty's Pleasure and rewards.

Another tough condition for these scholars is that they should have acted upon what they had taught the people, a condition which not many of them can meet, and this includes the writer of this book who, therefore, needs your prayers and supplications, perhaps these prayers and supplications will benefit him on the Day of Gathering يوم الحشر .

These will be followed by others and others who disseminated knowledge or who in some way benefited the people especially in assisting them in getting closer to know and to worship their Maker rather than worship their ego, whims and desires. Within each triangle, there will be numerous groups. Each group will share one or more characteristic. People, we are told by a number of ahadith (traditions), will be gathered in the company of those whom they love the most, and "love" here does not mean only emotional but in actuality, in practicality, in reality, in degree of emulation and following.

So, it is now up to you to give your heart to whomsoever you please: the movie stars, the singers, the dancers and their likes, or those who sacrificed their lives for the sake of humanity, setting immortal models for self-denial and self-sacrifice, rather than self-worship, such as the prophets and messengers of God who we, Muslims, respect and revere without making distinctions, as we are instructed to do in the Holy Qur'an. Now, and only now, you have an option. When the Day of Gathering comes, there will be no options left.

The angels will know exactly where to place you for judgment; they are the judgment angels, for each angel has a function for which the Almighty creates him, and "him" here is used loosely since angels in Islam have no gender nor will have the souls. After the judgment is done and the accounts are settled (make sure you do not die while owing people some money or a past due apology!), the fortunate ones will be transported, in groups or individually, to the gardens of bliss جنات النعيم , which I think will occupy the vast cosmos at that time—and only God knows if that cosmos will be similar to this cosmos, and most likely it will not—whereas those doomed will remain on earth. At that time, the earth will take another shape, becoming an inferno with numerous methods and chambers of torture described vividly in the Holy Qur'an for our admonishment. This is just an imagined picture, that is all, and you can say that I have a "wild imagination"! If you have a better idea, let us hear it! Surely Allah knows best.

Hasra or Hasrah حسره : regret, sorrow, remorse

Hawza حوزه : place of acquisition (of higher learning), religious seminary; among the world's most famous hawzas are located in Najaf, Iraq, and Qum, Iran.

Haya' حياء : timidity, shyness, feeling of decorum or propriety, modesty

Hayawan حيوان : animal. It also means "eternal life", everlasting life, eternity, as we read in Ch. 29 (Al-Ankabut, Spider), Verse 64. Most Arabic words have more than one meaning.

Hayawi حيوي : vital, full if vitality and energy, of utmost importance, essential

Hayawiyya حيويه : vitality, energy

Hayd or Haydh or Hayz حيض : menstruation period

Hayta or Heeta حيطه ” precaution, safeguard; al-ahwat الأحوط refers to what is regarded by the creed as the most precautionary measure

Hazan (or Huzn) حزن : grief, agony, sorrow

Hazim حازم : strict, stringent, stern

Hifz حفظ : preservation, protection from loss, memorization (usually of the Holy Qur'an). Anyone who memorizes the entire text of the Holy Qur'an is called hafiz.

Hila or Heelah حيله : trick, cunning, ruse, artifice, stratagem, ingenuity, contrivance

Hijab حجاب : veil, curtain, barrier

Hijama or Hijaamah حجامه : cupping

Hikma حكمه : wisdom, sagacity, prudence

Hilal هلال : crescent, singular of ahilla

Hilf حلف : alliance, confederation, an oath

Hijra هجره : migration. The hijra or hegira refers to the Prophet's migration from Mecca to Madinah. This journey took place in the 13th year of his mission (which coincided at the time with the month of September of 622 A.D.). This is the beginning of the Muslim calendar. The word "hijra" means: leaving a place in order to seek sanctuary or freedom from persecution or to go where there is freedom of religion, or for any other purpose. Hijra can also mean to leave a bad way of life for a good or more righteous way, or to leave the company of bad folks and choose that of good folks.

Hiqd حقد : grudge, animosity, intense hatred, hostility, malice. (Do not let any of these diseases eat your heart up. Instead, pray for the wrongdoers to see the light of the Right Path so they may return to their senses, amend their ways and spare people their mischief. Do not harbor such negative feelings towards any human being, animal, plant or even stone, for all these are servants of the Almighty.

Direct such sentiments towards bad actions caused through the insinuations of the Devil, arch-enemy Satan, Lucifer, and those of his tribe. Direct your contempt towards the deed rather than the doer for the doer may not be aware of what he does or why he does it. Empty your heart of hatred and fill it with love for everyone and everything, and this love will return back to you multiplied many times. Those who sow good seeds will reap a good harvest. Try it! It comes with a guarantee!)

Hisab حساب : accounting, accounting (or right and wrong, etc.), arithmetic, computation

Hisar حصار : siege, boycott, blockade, embargo

Hiwar حوار : dialogue, conversation (usually between two persons or groups)

Hizb حزب : literally, it means party (plural azab); another meaning is each 60th portion of the text of the Holy Qur'an

Hisn حصن : fortress, fortified place, chateau, citadel, protection against or a protective place or measure, security against, immunity

Hudud or Hudood حدود : limits ordained by Allah. This includes the punishment for crimes; it also refers to the plural of hadd حد , specific penalty

Hujja حجة : proof, argument, evidence, authority

Huri حوري : heavenly wives known for their extreme whiteness and large lovely eyes married to the male residents of Paradise

Hurr حر : free, liberal, open-minded

Some Examples of Imam al-Ridha‘s (a.s.) Wise Answers

Although the holy Imam's wise sayings and decisive responses are quite many, we mention some of them here as examples.

Ibrahim b. Muhammad asked the holy Imam: “Why did God drown Pharaoh, although he came to faith?” The holy Imam answered: “Because he came to faith upon seeing punishment; coming to faith at that moment is not acceptable.”1

Aba Salt Hirawi asked: “Why did God drown all people in the time of Noah, although there were innocents and children among them, too?” His holiness answered: “There were no children among them, as for forty years their progeny had discontinued; some perished for their denial and some for their consent to denial. Whoever is absent from an event but consents to it, is like someone present perpetrating it.”2

Ibn Sikkit (Ya‘qub b. Ishaq) asked his holiness: “Why did God send down Moses (a.s.) with a staff and white hand and magic, Jesus (a.s.) with medicine, and Muhammad (S) with speech?” His holiness answered: “In the time of Moses (a.s.) magic prevailed, in the time of Jesus medical needs, and in the time of the Prophet (S) sermons and speeches.”

He went on to ask: “By God, I have never seen the like of you; what is Allah’s Authority over people now?” The Imam answered: “Intellect, by means of which the veracious-to-God will be distinguished from the liar.” Ibn Sikkit said, “By God, this is the true answer to my question.”3

Hasan b. ‘Ali b. Fadhdhal asked the Imam: “Why did the people distanced from Commander of the Faithful ‘Ali (a.s.) while they knew his excellence and achievement as well as his relation to the Prophet (S)?”

His holiness replied: “Because ‘Ali (a.s.) had killed their fathers, forefathers, brothers, uncles, and their near of kin, who battled against Allah and His Apostle and they were many in number, so they were vindictive to him and unwilling to be under his guardianship; but others did not do this in the holy wars (jihad), therefore the people distanced from ‘Ali (a.s.) and inclined toward them.”4

Haytham b. ‘Abd Allah asked his holiness: “Why didn’t [Imam] ‘Ali fight with his enemies twenty five years after the Prophet (S) but he fought during his ruling days?” Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) said, “He followed the example of the Prophet (S) who did not fight with the unbelievers for thirteen years in Mecca and nineteen years in Medina and the reason was lack of enough helpers; similarly, ‘Ali (a.s.) gave up fighting with the enemy because his helpers were few.”5

Hasan b. ‘Ali b. Fadhdhal asked his holiness: “Why is the Prophet’s nickname Abu al-Qasim?” He answered: “Because he had a son named Qasim.” The narrator said, “Do you deem me worthy of telling me more?”

The Imam said, “Yes.” He said, “Do you know that ‘Ali is the distributor of the Paradise and the Hell?” The man said, “Yes.” His holiness said, “The Prophet (S) is called Abu al-Qasim (the father of the distributor) because he is [the spiritual] father of (‘Ali, who is) the distributor of Paradise and Hell.”6

Someone asked Imam al-Ridha (a.s.): “Is it (the hadith) true that the Prophet (S) said, “My companions are like stars, whichever you follow, you will be guided?” The Imam said, “Yes, what the Prophet (S) means are those who did not change or transform the way.”

He asked: “How would it become known?” His holiness said, “By means of the hadith related – by the Sunnis – from the Prophet (S) saying: “On the Resurrection Day some men will distance my companions from my Fountain just like they distance strange camels from the water.

I say: O Lord! My companions, my companions! I am told: You do not know what they did after you! And take them to the left. I say: May they be far! May they be perished!” Then Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) said, “Do you think this would be for those who remained unchanged and unvaried?”7

Notes

1. ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha (a.s.), vol. 2, p. 76.

2. Ibid, p. 74.

3. ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha (a.s.), vol. 2, p. 79 (in brief).

4. Ibid, p. 80.

5. Ibid, p. 80.

6. Ibid, p. 84.

7. Ibid, 86. Some of the dignitaries among Sunnis, such as Bukhari and Muslim in their Sahihs as well as others have related from various narrators the hadith about some of the companions’ deviation with various references and sanads.

Imam al-Ridha’s (a.s.) Knowledge of Various Languages

Imam al-Ridha’s (a.s.) scholarly character is not restricted to religious and intellectual issues and the common sciences; rather, some manifestations of his Divine knowledge was revealed to the people that indicated his connection to the unseen world, some examples of which are pointed out as follows.

1. Imam al-Ridha’s (a.s.) Familiarity with Various Current Languages of the Time

Aba Salt Hirawi said, “Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) used to speak with people whose languages were different in their own languages. By God, he was the most fluent and knowledgeable of all people in any language.”1

One day he said to Imam al-Ridha (a.s.): “O son of the Apostle of Allah! I am astonished of your mastery of different languages.” His holiness answered: “O Aba Salt!” I am Allah’s authority (Hujja) over His creatures and Allah never assigns a Hujja over a folk whose language he does not know.

Have you not heard Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) saying that we are given the clear proof (fasl al-khitab) and this is nothing but knowledge of languages?”2

Someone by the name of Ismaʿil Sindi had come from India to see Allah’s authority (Hujjat Allah). He was guided to Imam al-Ridha’s (a.s.) presence. He said, “I went to the Imam but I did not know Arabic, so I greeted him in Sindi language, his holiness answered my greeting in my own language.

I talked to him in my language and he talked back to me in my language. I told him: ‘I have come to see Allah’s authority in Arabia.’ He answered: ‘That is me (Allah’s authority) ask whatever you like.’ I asked my questions and the Imam answered in my own language.

When I wanted to leave, I said, ‘I do not know Arabic; ask God to inspire Arabic language to me! His holiness rubbed his blessed hand on my lips, just then I was able to speak Arabic!”3

In Basra, when one of his opponents called ‘Amr b. Haddab wanted him to prove his claim of knowing any language and speak with the Romans, Hindus, Persians, and Turks who were in town, the holy Imam said, “Call them in.”

A number of the speakers of various languages were brought to the presence of his holiness and he talked to all of them in such fluency that all admitted to the Imam’s mastery and the people were astonished at seeing this happening,4 because Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) had never had a teacher in this regard and had never learned various languages with anyone, nor had he associated with these individuals in Medina so as to learn to speak so many languages with such fluency.

2. Imam al-Ridha’s (a.s.) Familiarity with the Language of the Birds and Animals

Various manifestations of Imam al-Ridha’s (a.s.) knowledge of the animals’ language is recorded, some of which are pointed out here. Sulayman b. Ja‘far said, “I was with Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) in the garden when all of a sudden a sparrow came to his holiness and began to chirp.

His holiness said, ‘Do you know what it is saying?’ I said, ‘No, Allah and His messenger and his son know best.’ His holiness said, ‘She says a snake wants to eat her chicks. Take this stick, go to that house and kill the snake.’ He said, ‘When I entered the house, I saw a snake was moving around and I killed it.”5

A person called Harun b. Musa says: “I was in a desert with Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) when his horse neighed and the Imam let go of (the rein of) the horse; it went away (to a corner) and relieved itself and came back.

Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) – who had noticed my surprise – looked at me and said, ‘Nothing has been granted to the prophet David (a.s.) except that more also has been granted to Muhammad (S) and his Household (a.s.).”6 [Implying that the Prophet David knew the animals’ language; so, no wonder we know it, too.]

3. Imam al-Ridha’s (a.s.) Widespread Knowledge in Occult Sciences

A part of the vast knowledge of Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) is manifested in the occult news reported by his holiness, some of which are mentioned as follows:

Imam al-Ridha’s (a.s.) Predictions concerning the Barmakids

His holiness frequently pointed out the annihilation of the Barmakids, who were the closest people to Harun and very influential in his court. On his journey to Hajj pilgrimage, when the Imam glanced upon the dusty face of Yahya b. Khalid Barmaki in the land of Mina, he said, “These wretched people do not know what is going to happen to them this year.”7

Muhammad b. Fadhl said, “The same year that Harun toppled the Barmakid dynasty, I saw Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) standing to pray in ‘Arafat; then he suddenly cast his head down. When he was asked why he did so, he answered: “I had prayed God to punish the Barmakids, and today my prayer was answered.

When Dawud b. Kathir heard Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) that Yahya b. Khalid had caused Imam Musa al-Kazim’s (a.s.) martyrdom with poisoned dates, he said to the Imam: “May I be your ransom!

If Yahya b. Khalid is your father's murderer, I will sell my soul to God and kill him.” His holiness said, “Do him nothing; what is going to befall him and his children this year will be much more severe than what you have intended to do.”8

Harun will do no Harm to me!

His holiness frequently pointed out that no harm would be done to him by Harun. When the Imam was informed that ‘Isa b. Ja‘far had told Harun and sworn that he would murder the one who claims Imamate after Musa b. Ja‘far and that ‘Ali b. Musa al-Ridha has succeeded his father and claims to be the Imam after him and that Harun has given a negative answer, the Imam said, “There will be no harm done to me by Harun.”9

And when it was told to the Imam: “You have been recognized as Imam and popularized as such; blood is dripping from Harun's sword!” The Imam answered: “My answer is what the Messenger of Allah (S) said.

The Prophet (S) said, “If Abu Jahl hurts me in the slightest, be witness that I am not a Prophet; I do also say that if Harun hurts me in the slightest, be witness that I am not an Imam.10 It is related in another hadith that when the Imam was warned about Harun, he said, “He won’t be able to hurt me so much as he tries.”11

Various Predictions

His holiness informed that ‘Abd Allah (i.e. Ma’mun) would kill Muhammad (i.e. Amin) and when the narrator [of this hadith] asked with surprise: “Will ‘Abd Allah, son of Harun kills Muhammad, son of Harun?!” The Imam said, “Yes, ‘Abd Allah, who is in Khurasan will kill Muhammad b. Zubayda, who is in Baghdad.”

And it happened as the Holy Imam (a.s.) predicted.12 When Imam al-Sadiq’s (a.s.) son revolted against Ma’mun in Mecca, His holiness said to him: “O Uncle! Do not deny your father and brother; this will lead you nowhere and will not end. It did happen so and after a while, he was defeated and disarmed by Maʾmun’s army.”

One day Ja‘far b. ‘Ali ‘Alawi passed by a group of Hashemite youth with an unfit appearance. They humiliated him for his unfit appearance.

Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) said, “You will soon see him with abundant properties and a large following. Less than a month later he was appointed as governor of Medina and his condition changed for the better.13

Awareness of Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) of Children in Mother’s Wombs

Someone said to Imam al-Ridha (a.s.): “When I was coming – from Kufa – my wife was pregnant, ask God that our baby be a boy child!” His holiness said, “It is a pair of twins!”

“When I wanted to leave, his holiness addressed me and said, ‘Name one ‘Ali and the other Umm ‘Umar – or ‘Amr (i.e. they are not both boys).’ When I returned to Kufa I found out there were a boy and a girl born to us.14

Because of Imam al-Ridha’s (a.s.) advice, I named the boy ‘Ali and the girl Umm ‘Umar. When my neighbor (who was an adversary) heard about it said, ‘Now I no longer accept the words of those who say you are a Rafidhi”15

One day, Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) went to visit his uncle, Muhammad b. Ja‘far, who was in his deathbed. He noticed that his other uncle, named Ishaq b. Ja‘far, and some other people weeping at his bedside. His holiness left the room with a meaningful smile, so that those present were surprised.

His holiness said, “My surprise is because Muhammad b. Ja‘far will recover and Ishaq b. Ja‘far who is now weeping for him will die and Muhammad b. Ja‘far will weep for him!” And it happened as the Imam (a.s.) had stated.16

Someone named Hasan b. Musa, two of whose handmaidens were pregnant, sent a letter to the Imam asking him to pray for his handmaidens to bear boy children. His holiness replied in a letter: “All things are in the Hands of God; if He wills, there will be a boy and a girl born to you. Name the boy Muhammad and the girl Fatima.” It turned out to happen as his holiness had predicted.17

Someone else, whose eleven children had died, complained to Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) about his children not to survive; the Imam lowered his head and prayed for a long while, then said, “Hopefully two sons will be born to you, one after another.” The narrator goes on to say: “It turned out as his holiness had predicted; so, I named the first one Ibrahim and the second one Muhammad and both of them survived.”18

After the martyrdom of Imam al-Ridha (a.s.), his cunning enemy, Ma’mun, Said, “I requested something (a prayer) from the Imam for an easy and safe delivery of the baby that one of my most delightful and favorite handmaidens was pregnant with, as she had miscarried several times before.

His holiness said, ‘Do not worry! She will deliver a baby boy who is most similar to his mother. However, he will have an extra finger on his right hand and one on his left foot; and it happened as he had predicted.”19

Imam al-Ridha’s (a.s.) Knowledge of How he would be Martyred and where he would be buried

His holiness had frequently talked about how he would be martyred by Ma’mun, which we will recount in detail in the chapter on his martyrdom. Following are some instances.

Sometimes he said, “I am going on a trip to Khurasan, from which I will not return.”20 The narrator says: “When Ma’mun invited the Imam (a.s.) to Khurasan from Medina for heir apparency, his holiness went to the Holy Shrine of the Prophet (S) while weeping loudly.

I greeted him and congratulated him for the heir apparency. His holiness said, ‘They are taking me away from my grandfather and I will die in a strange land and will be buried next to Harun.’21 That was why he enjoined people to cry for him, when he was leaving Medina.”22

As Ma’mun ostensibly expressed interest in Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) and defended the Imamate of Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) here and there, his holiness would say to his friends: “Do not let Ma’mun deceive you; by God, no one but him would kill me; and I have no choice but let what is destined be fulfilled.”23

Another narrator reports: “I saw Harun, the Abbasid Caliph, leaving through one of the gates of Masjid al-Haram and Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) from another. His holiness said, ‘How far is home and how near is the meeting; [the city of] Tus will gather me and him [in one place].’24 And as we know the Harun’s tomb is next to Imam al-Ridha’s (a.s.).”

Sometimes in Medina Mosque, while Ma’mun was lecturing, the Imam (a.s.) said, “You will see me and him buried in one place.”25 On another occasion he said, “Harun and I would be like these two”, showing his middle and index fingers. The narrator says: “We did not figure out the meaning of the Imam’s words until his holiness was buried next to Harun.”26

Notes

1. ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha (a.s.), 2/27.

2. Ibid.

3. Kashf al-Ghumma, 3/91; Al-Khara’ij wa al-Jara’ih, 1/340; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 49, p. 50.

4. Al-Khara’ij wa al-Jara’ih, 1/341; Al-Thaqib fi al-Manaqib, 186; Bihar al-Anwar, 49/73.

5. Basa’ir al-Darajat, p. 365; Dala’il al-Imama, p. 343; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 49, p. 88.

6. Manaqib Al-i Talib, vol. 4, p. 334; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 49. P. 57.

7. Al-Irshad, vol. 2/258; Al-Kafi, 1/491.

8. Dala’il al-Imamiyya, 327.

9. ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha (a.s.), 1/245.

10. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 49, p. 59; Manaqib Al-i Abi Talib, 4/368.

11. ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha (a.s.), 2/245.

12. Al-Manaqib, 4/363 (A‘lam al-Hidaya, p. 22).

13. Al-Fusul al-Muhimma, 247.

14. Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 3, p. 98.

15. Al-Thaqib fi al-Manaqib, p. 216; Al-Khara’ij wa al-Jara’ih, 1/361; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 49, p. 54; Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 3, p. 98. Rafidhi is a name that the Sunnis have given to the zealous Shi’as. By this term they mean someone who rejects (yarfuduna) Islam, but as Kulayni quotes from Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) it was bestowed on the Shiʿa by God and is preserved in both the Torah and the Gospels.

According to Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.), there were seventy men among the people of Pharaoh who rejected their master and chose to join Moses instead. God therefore called them Rafidha, i.e. those who rejected evil, and ordered Moses to write this word, in the original Arabic, in the Torah. After Muhammad's death, when most of the early adherents of Islam began to stray from the path of truth, only the Shiʿas rejected evil. They thus became the successors of the original Rafidha. (Kulayni al-Kafi, edit by ʿAli Akbar al-Ghaffari, 1375-7, Tehran, vol. 8, p.34. – Editor.

16. ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha (a.s.), vol. 1, p. 223.

17. Ibid, p. 236.

18. Ibid, 240.

19. Al-Ghayba, Shaykh Tusi, p. 52; ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha (a.s.), vol. 1, p. 241.

20. ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha (a.s.), vol. 1, p. 233.

21. Ibid, p. 234.

22. Ibid, p. 235.

23. Ibid, p. 199

24. Al-Ittihaf bi Hubb al-Ashraf, 59.

25. Ibid.

26. Ibid.

Some Examples of Imam al-Ridha‘s (a.s.) Wise Answers

Although the holy Imam's wise sayings and decisive responses are quite many, we mention some of them here as examples.

Ibrahim b. Muhammad asked the holy Imam: “Why did God drown Pharaoh, although he came to faith?” The holy Imam answered: “Because he came to faith upon seeing punishment; coming to faith at that moment is not acceptable.”1

Aba Salt Hirawi asked: “Why did God drown all people in the time of Noah, although there were innocents and children among them, too?” His holiness answered: “There were no children among them, as for forty years their progeny had discontinued; some perished for their denial and some for their consent to denial. Whoever is absent from an event but consents to it, is like someone present perpetrating it.”2

Ibn Sikkit (Ya‘qub b. Ishaq) asked his holiness: “Why did God send down Moses (a.s.) with a staff and white hand and magic, Jesus (a.s.) with medicine, and Muhammad (S) with speech?” His holiness answered: “In the time of Moses (a.s.) magic prevailed, in the time of Jesus medical needs, and in the time of the Prophet (S) sermons and speeches.”

He went on to ask: “By God, I have never seen the like of you; what is Allah’s Authority over people now?” The Imam answered: “Intellect, by means of which the veracious-to-God will be distinguished from the liar.” Ibn Sikkit said, “By God, this is the true answer to my question.”3

Hasan b. ‘Ali b. Fadhdhal asked the Imam: “Why did the people distanced from Commander of the Faithful ‘Ali (a.s.) while they knew his excellence and achievement as well as his relation to the Prophet (S)?”

His holiness replied: “Because ‘Ali (a.s.) had killed their fathers, forefathers, brothers, uncles, and their near of kin, who battled against Allah and His Apostle and they were many in number, so they were vindictive to him and unwilling to be under his guardianship; but others did not do this in the holy wars (jihad), therefore the people distanced from ‘Ali (a.s.) and inclined toward them.”4

Haytham b. ‘Abd Allah asked his holiness: “Why didn’t [Imam] ‘Ali fight with his enemies twenty five years after the Prophet (S) but he fought during his ruling days?” Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) said, “He followed the example of the Prophet (S) who did not fight with the unbelievers for thirteen years in Mecca and nineteen years in Medina and the reason was lack of enough helpers; similarly, ‘Ali (a.s.) gave up fighting with the enemy because his helpers were few.”5

Hasan b. ‘Ali b. Fadhdhal asked his holiness: “Why is the Prophet’s nickname Abu al-Qasim?” He answered: “Because he had a son named Qasim.” The narrator said, “Do you deem me worthy of telling me more?”

The Imam said, “Yes.” He said, “Do you know that ‘Ali is the distributor of the Paradise and the Hell?” The man said, “Yes.” His holiness said, “The Prophet (S) is called Abu al-Qasim (the father of the distributor) because he is [the spiritual] father of (‘Ali, who is) the distributor of Paradise and Hell.”6

Someone asked Imam al-Ridha (a.s.): “Is it (the hadith) true that the Prophet (S) said, “My companions are like stars, whichever you follow, you will be guided?” The Imam said, “Yes, what the Prophet (S) means are those who did not change or transform the way.”

He asked: “How would it become known?” His holiness said, “By means of the hadith related – by the Sunnis – from the Prophet (S) saying: “On the Resurrection Day some men will distance my companions from my Fountain just like they distance strange camels from the water.

I say: O Lord! My companions, my companions! I am told: You do not know what they did after you! And take them to the left. I say: May they be far! May they be perished!” Then Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) said, “Do you think this would be for those who remained unchanged and unvaried?”7

Notes

1. ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha (a.s.), vol. 2, p. 76.

2. Ibid, p. 74.

3. ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha (a.s.), vol. 2, p. 79 (in brief).

4. Ibid, p. 80.

5. Ibid, p. 80.

6. Ibid, p. 84.

7. Ibid, 86. Some of the dignitaries among Sunnis, such as Bukhari and Muslim in their Sahihs as well as others have related from various narrators the hadith about some of the companions’ deviation with various references and sanads.

Imam al-Ridha’s (a.s.) Knowledge of Various Languages

Imam al-Ridha’s (a.s.) scholarly character is not restricted to religious and intellectual issues and the common sciences; rather, some manifestations of his Divine knowledge was revealed to the people that indicated his connection to the unseen world, some examples of which are pointed out as follows.

1. Imam al-Ridha’s (a.s.) Familiarity with Various Current Languages of the Time

Aba Salt Hirawi said, “Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) used to speak with people whose languages were different in their own languages. By God, he was the most fluent and knowledgeable of all people in any language.”1

One day he said to Imam al-Ridha (a.s.): “O son of the Apostle of Allah! I am astonished of your mastery of different languages.” His holiness answered: “O Aba Salt!” I am Allah’s authority (Hujja) over His creatures and Allah never assigns a Hujja over a folk whose language he does not know.

Have you not heard Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) saying that we are given the clear proof (fasl al-khitab) and this is nothing but knowledge of languages?”2

Someone by the name of Ismaʿil Sindi had come from India to see Allah’s authority (Hujjat Allah). He was guided to Imam al-Ridha’s (a.s.) presence. He said, “I went to the Imam but I did not know Arabic, so I greeted him in Sindi language, his holiness answered my greeting in my own language.

I talked to him in my language and he talked back to me in my language. I told him: ‘I have come to see Allah’s authority in Arabia.’ He answered: ‘That is me (Allah’s authority) ask whatever you like.’ I asked my questions and the Imam answered in my own language.

When I wanted to leave, I said, ‘I do not know Arabic; ask God to inspire Arabic language to me! His holiness rubbed his blessed hand on my lips, just then I was able to speak Arabic!”3

In Basra, when one of his opponents called ‘Amr b. Haddab wanted him to prove his claim of knowing any language and speak with the Romans, Hindus, Persians, and Turks who were in town, the holy Imam said, “Call them in.”

A number of the speakers of various languages were brought to the presence of his holiness and he talked to all of them in such fluency that all admitted to the Imam’s mastery and the people were astonished at seeing this happening,4 because Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) had never had a teacher in this regard and had never learned various languages with anyone, nor had he associated with these individuals in Medina so as to learn to speak so many languages with such fluency.

2. Imam al-Ridha’s (a.s.) Familiarity with the Language of the Birds and Animals

Various manifestations of Imam al-Ridha’s (a.s.) knowledge of the animals’ language is recorded, some of which are pointed out here. Sulayman b. Ja‘far said, “I was with Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) in the garden when all of a sudden a sparrow came to his holiness and began to chirp.

His holiness said, ‘Do you know what it is saying?’ I said, ‘No, Allah and His messenger and his son know best.’ His holiness said, ‘She says a snake wants to eat her chicks. Take this stick, go to that house and kill the snake.’ He said, ‘When I entered the house, I saw a snake was moving around and I killed it.”5

A person called Harun b. Musa says: “I was in a desert with Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) when his horse neighed and the Imam let go of (the rein of) the horse; it went away (to a corner) and relieved itself and came back.

Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) – who had noticed my surprise – looked at me and said, ‘Nothing has been granted to the prophet David (a.s.) except that more also has been granted to Muhammad (S) and his Household (a.s.).”6 [Implying that the Prophet David knew the animals’ language; so, no wonder we know it, too.]

3. Imam al-Ridha’s (a.s.) Widespread Knowledge in Occult Sciences

A part of the vast knowledge of Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) is manifested in the occult news reported by his holiness, some of which are mentioned as follows:

Imam al-Ridha’s (a.s.) Predictions concerning the Barmakids

His holiness frequently pointed out the annihilation of the Barmakids, who were the closest people to Harun and very influential in his court. On his journey to Hajj pilgrimage, when the Imam glanced upon the dusty face of Yahya b. Khalid Barmaki in the land of Mina, he said, “These wretched people do not know what is going to happen to them this year.”7

Muhammad b. Fadhl said, “The same year that Harun toppled the Barmakid dynasty, I saw Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) standing to pray in ‘Arafat; then he suddenly cast his head down. When he was asked why he did so, he answered: “I had prayed God to punish the Barmakids, and today my prayer was answered.

When Dawud b. Kathir heard Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) that Yahya b. Khalid had caused Imam Musa al-Kazim’s (a.s.) martyrdom with poisoned dates, he said to the Imam: “May I be your ransom!

If Yahya b. Khalid is your father's murderer, I will sell my soul to God and kill him.” His holiness said, “Do him nothing; what is going to befall him and his children this year will be much more severe than what you have intended to do.”8

Harun will do no Harm to me!

His holiness frequently pointed out that no harm would be done to him by Harun. When the Imam was informed that ‘Isa b. Ja‘far had told Harun and sworn that he would murder the one who claims Imamate after Musa b. Ja‘far and that ‘Ali b. Musa al-Ridha has succeeded his father and claims to be the Imam after him and that Harun has given a negative answer, the Imam said, “There will be no harm done to me by Harun.”9

And when it was told to the Imam: “You have been recognized as Imam and popularized as such; blood is dripping from Harun's sword!” The Imam answered: “My answer is what the Messenger of Allah (S) said.

The Prophet (S) said, “If Abu Jahl hurts me in the slightest, be witness that I am not a Prophet; I do also say that if Harun hurts me in the slightest, be witness that I am not an Imam.10 It is related in another hadith that when the Imam was warned about Harun, he said, “He won’t be able to hurt me so much as he tries.”11

Various Predictions

His holiness informed that ‘Abd Allah (i.e. Ma’mun) would kill Muhammad (i.e. Amin) and when the narrator [of this hadith] asked with surprise: “Will ‘Abd Allah, son of Harun kills Muhammad, son of Harun?!” The Imam said, “Yes, ‘Abd Allah, who is in Khurasan will kill Muhammad b. Zubayda, who is in Baghdad.”

And it happened as the Holy Imam (a.s.) predicted.12 When Imam al-Sadiq’s (a.s.) son revolted against Ma’mun in Mecca, His holiness said to him: “O Uncle! Do not deny your father and brother; this will lead you nowhere and will not end. It did happen so and after a while, he was defeated and disarmed by Maʾmun’s army.”

One day Ja‘far b. ‘Ali ‘Alawi passed by a group of Hashemite youth with an unfit appearance. They humiliated him for his unfit appearance.

Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) said, “You will soon see him with abundant properties and a large following. Less than a month later he was appointed as governor of Medina and his condition changed for the better.13

Awareness of Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) of Children in Mother’s Wombs

Someone said to Imam al-Ridha (a.s.): “When I was coming – from Kufa – my wife was pregnant, ask God that our baby be a boy child!” His holiness said, “It is a pair of twins!”

“When I wanted to leave, his holiness addressed me and said, ‘Name one ‘Ali and the other Umm ‘Umar – or ‘Amr (i.e. they are not both boys).’ When I returned to Kufa I found out there were a boy and a girl born to us.14

Because of Imam al-Ridha’s (a.s.) advice, I named the boy ‘Ali and the girl Umm ‘Umar. When my neighbor (who was an adversary) heard about it said, ‘Now I no longer accept the words of those who say you are a Rafidhi”15

One day, Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) went to visit his uncle, Muhammad b. Ja‘far, who was in his deathbed. He noticed that his other uncle, named Ishaq b. Ja‘far, and some other people weeping at his bedside. His holiness left the room with a meaningful smile, so that those present were surprised.

His holiness said, “My surprise is because Muhammad b. Ja‘far will recover and Ishaq b. Ja‘far who is now weeping for him will die and Muhammad b. Ja‘far will weep for him!” And it happened as the Imam (a.s.) had stated.16

Someone named Hasan b. Musa, two of whose handmaidens were pregnant, sent a letter to the Imam asking him to pray for his handmaidens to bear boy children. His holiness replied in a letter: “All things are in the Hands of God; if He wills, there will be a boy and a girl born to you. Name the boy Muhammad and the girl Fatima.” It turned out to happen as his holiness had predicted.17

Someone else, whose eleven children had died, complained to Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) about his children not to survive; the Imam lowered his head and prayed for a long while, then said, “Hopefully two sons will be born to you, one after another.” The narrator goes on to say: “It turned out as his holiness had predicted; so, I named the first one Ibrahim and the second one Muhammad and both of them survived.”18

After the martyrdom of Imam al-Ridha (a.s.), his cunning enemy, Ma’mun, Said, “I requested something (a prayer) from the Imam for an easy and safe delivery of the baby that one of my most delightful and favorite handmaidens was pregnant with, as she had miscarried several times before.

His holiness said, ‘Do not worry! She will deliver a baby boy who is most similar to his mother. However, he will have an extra finger on his right hand and one on his left foot; and it happened as he had predicted.”19

Imam al-Ridha’s (a.s.) Knowledge of How he would be Martyred and where he would be buried

His holiness had frequently talked about how he would be martyred by Ma’mun, which we will recount in detail in the chapter on his martyrdom. Following are some instances.

Sometimes he said, “I am going on a trip to Khurasan, from which I will not return.”20 The narrator says: “When Ma’mun invited the Imam (a.s.) to Khurasan from Medina for heir apparency, his holiness went to the Holy Shrine of the Prophet (S) while weeping loudly.

I greeted him and congratulated him for the heir apparency. His holiness said, ‘They are taking me away from my grandfather and I will die in a strange land and will be buried next to Harun.’21 That was why he enjoined people to cry for him, when he was leaving Medina.”22

As Ma’mun ostensibly expressed interest in Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) and defended the Imamate of Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) here and there, his holiness would say to his friends: “Do not let Ma’mun deceive you; by God, no one but him would kill me; and I have no choice but let what is destined be fulfilled.”23

Another narrator reports: “I saw Harun, the Abbasid Caliph, leaving through one of the gates of Masjid al-Haram and Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) from another. His holiness said, ‘How far is home and how near is the meeting; [the city of] Tus will gather me and him [in one place].’24 And as we know the Harun’s tomb is next to Imam al-Ridha’s (a.s.).”

Sometimes in Medina Mosque, while Ma’mun was lecturing, the Imam (a.s.) said, “You will see me and him buried in one place.”25 On another occasion he said, “Harun and I would be like these two”, showing his middle and index fingers. The narrator says: “We did not figure out the meaning of the Imam’s words until his holiness was buried next to Harun.”26

Notes

1. ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha (a.s.), 2/27.

2. Ibid.

3. Kashf al-Ghumma, 3/91; Al-Khara’ij wa al-Jara’ih, 1/340; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 49, p. 50.

4. Al-Khara’ij wa al-Jara’ih, 1/341; Al-Thaqib fi al-Manaqib, 186; Bihar al-Anwar, 49/73.

5. Basa’ir al-Darajat, p. 365; Dala’il al-Imama, p. 343; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 49, p. 88.

6. Manaqib Al-i Talib, vol. 4, p. 334; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 49. P. 57.

7. Al-Irshad, vol. 2/258; Al-Kafi, 1/491.

8. Dala’il al-Imamiyya, 327.

9. ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha (a.s.), 1/245.

10. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 49, p. 59; Manaqib Al-i Abi Talib, 4/368.

11. ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha (a.s.), 2/245.

12. Al-Manaqib, 4/363 (A‘lam al-Hidaya, p. 22).

13. Al-Fusul al-Muhimma, 247.

14. Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 3, p. 98.

15. Al-Thaqib fi al-Manaqib, p. 216; Al-Khara’ij wa al-Jara’ih, 1/361; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 49, p. 54; Kashf al-Ghumma, vol. 3, p. 98. Rafidhi is a name that the Sunnis have given to the zealous Shi’as. By this term they mean someone who rejects (yarfuduna) Islam, but as Kulayni quotes from Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) it was bestowed on the Shiʿa by God and is preserved in both the Torah and the Gospels.

According to Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.), there were seventy men among the people of Pharaoh who rejected their master and chose to join Moses instead. God therefore called them Rafidha, i.e. those who rejected evil, and ordered Moses to write this word, in the original Arabic, in the Torah. After Muhammad's death, when most of the early adherents of Islam began to stray from the path of truth, only the Shiʿas rejected evil. They thus became the successors of the original Rafidha. (Kulayni al-Kafi, edit by ʿAli Akbar al-Ghaffari, 1375-7, Tehran, vol. 8, p.34. – Editor.

16. ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha (a.s.), vol. 1, p. 223.

17. Ibid, p. 236.

18. Ibid, 240.

19. Al-Ghayba, Shaykh Tusi, p. 52; ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha (a.s.), vol. 1, p. 241.

20. ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha (a.s.), vol. 1, p. 233.

21. Ibid, p. 234.

22. Ibid, p. 235.

23. Ibid, p. 199

24. Al-Ittihaf bi Hubb al-Ashraf, 59.

25. Ibid.

26. Ibid.


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