Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Imam al-Rida: A Historical and Biographical Research

Author: Muhammad Jawad Fadlallah
Translator: Yasin T. al-Jibouri
Publisher: www.al-islam.org
Category:

• Introduction
• Notes
• Preface: Our Belief in Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.)
• Notes
• Historical Aspect of the Imam's Biography 
• His Distinctions and Characteristics
• Lineage
• Birth and Demise
• His Mother
• Offspring
• Personality and Characteristics
• Government's Attitude Towards the Imam
• His Knowledge
• Ethical and Humane Conduct
• His Conduct Regarding His Appearance
• Clemency and Tolerance
• Swiftness of Response
• His Patience and Perseverance
• Generosity
• Equity
• Reluctance to Cooperate With the Rulers
• Notes
• Imam and the Waqfis
• Pioneers of Waqfism
• Objectives of the Waqfis
• Imam Denounces Waqfism
• Advocates of Waqfism Reveal Their Own Nature
• Imam Musa Ibn Ja’far (a.s.) Warns the Waqfis
• Materialistic Objectives of Waqfis
• Imam Reveals the Real Motives of the Waqfis
• A Leading Waqfi Confesses
• Waqfism Spreads and Gains Momentum
• Confusion of Some Waqfis
• Notes
• Imam and the 'Caliphs'
• Attempts to Eliminate the Imam
• Al-Rashid Moves to Eliminate the Imam
• Sincere Attempts
• Vicious Intentions
• From the Series of Tragedies
• Imam During al-Amin's Reign
• Imam During al-Ma’mun's Regime
• Al-Ma’mun's Personality
• Al-Ma’mun's Inclination Towards Shi'aism
• Differences of Personalities of al-Amin and al-Ma’mun
• Al-Rashid Evaluates his Sons
• Differences of Conduct of Both Brothers
• Dissension Begins
• Confused Behavior of al-Rashid Towards His Sons
• Al-Rashid Divides the State
• Apprehension of the Public Regarding the Division
• Ambition of Some Followers Deepens Division
• War is Waged and al-Ma’mun Wins
• Notes
• The Regency
• Regency Between the Imam and al-Ma’mun
• Why the Imam Rejected the Regency
• Al-Ma’mun Reveals His Intentions
• Al-Ma’mun and the Astronomer Nawbakhti
• Al-Ma’mun's Objective Behind Regency
• Forcing the Imam to Accept the Regency
• Imam's Awareness of al-Ma’mun's Schemes
• With Ahmed Amin
• Comments
• Imam's Contempt for the Regency
• Political Motives Behind the Regency
• Abbasides Defy al-Ma’mun
• The Abbasides Treat Caliphate Lightly
• Al-Ma’mun Backs Off and Apologizes
• Doubt in al-Ma’mun's Sincerity
• Al-Ma’mun Places the Imam Under Surveillance
• Al-Ma’mun's Motives Behind Enforcing Surveillance
• Strictness of Followers of the Imams
• Naive Analyses of the Regency Issues
• Queries
• Al-Ma’mun Was the One Who Suggested It
• Al-Fadl Could Not Have Suggested It
• Al-Ma’mun Asserts the Idea Was His
• Historical Analysis of Its Attribution to al-Fadl
• Al-Fadl Sows Mischief Between the Imam and al-Ma’mun
• Subjective Analysis of the Dialogue
• Imam Foils al-Fadl's Attempt
• Al-Ma’mun Calls Imam to Him
• Al-Ma’mun Determines Imam's Route
• Imam in Nishapur
• Story of the Gold Chain
• Imam Continues His Trip to Marw
• Imam Preconditions
• Regency Celebrated
• Poems in his Praise
• An Interesting Anecdote
• Researching History
• Silent Opposition
• Eid Prayers
• Sending Imam Back
• Analyzing Imam's Handling of Eid Prayers
• Some of the Imam's Dawah Methods
• Notes
• Imam's Role in Eliminating al-Fadl ibn Sahl
• Al-Fadl Controls the Government
• Al-Fadl Tests al-Ma’mun's Attitude Towards Him
• Ambiguity of al-Ma’mun's Handling of al-Fadl
• Elimination of Harthama
• Al-Fadl Incites About Harthama
• Analysis of Harthama's Stance
• Leaders Move to Eliminate al-Fadl
• Imam as Savior
• Al-Ma’mun is Convinced of the Gravity of the Situation
• Al-Fadl Seeks Revenge Against Instigators
• Al-Ma’mun Pretends to be a Star Gazer
• Imam Refuses to Go to the Bath-House and Gives a Warning
• Al-Fadl is Murdered
• Assasins are Close Friends of al-Ma’mun
• Imam's Motives for Causing the Elimination of al-Fadl
• Notes
• The Tragic Ending
• Simplistic Justification of al-Ma’mun's Situation
• How the Imam Was Murdered
• Imam is Eulogized
• Notes
• Imam and Alawide Revolts
• Alawide Uprisings
• Zayd and al-Ma’mun
• Imam Rebukes His Brother Zayd
• Imam's View of the Alawide Revolutionary Method
• Imam's Stance Towards Abul-Saraya's Revolution
• Why Did the Imam Refuse to Participate in the Revolution?
• Why Did the Imam Decline From Demanding Caliphate?
• Lack of a Popular Front of Confrontation
• Imam's Main Responsibility was Disseminating Awareness
• Governments' Persecution of Imams
• Imams' Support of Alawide Revolutions
• Notes
• Intellectual aspects of the Imam's life
• His Works
• Ibn Khaldun Doubts Imams' Knowledge
• Imams and the Persecution of Rulers
• Al-Fiqh al-Radawi
• How the Book Appeared
• Doubting the Accuracy of Rendering it to the Imam
• Views of Some Scholars About the Book
• Al-Risala al-Dahabiyya fil Tibb
• Dissertation Was Authored by the Imam
• Al-Ma’mun Evaluated Dissertation
• Al-Ma’mun Asked the Imam to Write It
• Commentaries on the Dissertation
• Sahifat ar-Ridha’
• Al-Saheefa's Musnads
• Mahd al-Islam
• Doubting Its Attribution To The Imam
• Ajwibat Masail Ibn Sinan
• 'Ilal Ibn Shathan
• Summary
• Notes
• Altercations
• Al-Nawfali Warns the Imam
• Imam's Debate With the Sabian
• Debating al-Maroozi
• Imam Proves Badaa
• Eternity Versus Transience of the Will
• Al-Maroozi's Argumentativeness
• Imam's Style in Debating
• Al-Ma’mun Rebukes al-Maroozi for Fumbling About
• Imam Debates Ali ibn al-Jahm
• Interpreting the Holy Qur'an According to One's Opinion
• Interpreting Verses Whose Superficial Meaning Suggests Prophet's Fallibility 
• An Artificial Argument
• Notes
• Basic Beliefs
• Misconception of the Similitude of God to His Creation
• God's Attributes are His Own Essence
• Belief in Plurality of the Essence and Attributes is Shirk
• The Difference Between God's Will and People's
• Seeing God
• Compulsion and Empowerment
• Notes
• The Approach Adopted by Ahl al-Bayt
• Empowerment
• Imam Warns
• Imams Did Not Endorse Making Similitudes With God
• Transmigration of Souls
• Imamate
• Imam's Qualifications
• Selection of the Imam is Done by God
• An Imam's Attributes
• Indications of Imamate
• Notes
• Exegesis
• Exegesis (Tafsir) According to the Ahl al-Bayt
• An Exegesis Phenomenon Regarding Ahl al-Bayt
• Exegesis of Imam ar-Ridha’
• The Holy Qur'an and the Infallibility of the Prophets
• Adam
• Ibrahim, the Friend of God
• Messengers and Despair
• God's "Hand" is His Might
• Notes
• Shari'a (Islamic Legislative System)
• Their Hadith is Muhkam and Mutashabih
• Justifying the Mutashabih in the Qur'an
• Justifying the Mutashabih in the Hadith
• Genuineness of the Creed of Ahl al-Bayt
• Independence of the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) From Qiyas and Others
• Imam ar-Ridha’ (a.s.)'s Hadith Regarding Legislation 
• His Hadith Regarding Causations
• Our View Regarding Causes
• Questioning the Causes is Human Nature
• Imam's Answers are Harmonious With the Nature of Legislation
• Select Hadith of the Imam
• His Morals and Counsels
• Notes
• Supplement: Regency Document
• Notes