Foreword

Why Is Ali Ibn Musa (s) Called al-Ridha

Traditions About Imam al-Ridha’s Mother and Her Name

On the Birthdate of Imam al-Ridha(s)

On Imam Al-kazim’s (s) Clear Appointment of Imam al-Ridha (s)

On Musa Ibn Ja’far’s Will

On Proofs of Divine Leadership of al-Ridha (s) Among the Twelve Imams (s)

On Traditions About Musa Ibn Ja’far (s), Harun Ar-rashid and Musa Ibn Al-mahdi

Traditions On the Death of Abi Ibrahim Musa Ibn Ja’far Ibn Muhammad Ibn Ali Ibn Al-hussein (s)

The Descendants of God’s Prophet (s) Said To Have Been Killed By Ar-rashid in One Night After Poisoning Musa Ibn Ja’far (s) - Besides Those Killed By Others

On Reasons For the Formation of the Waqifites

On Traditions From al-Ridha About Unity

A Session of al-Ridha (s)’s Debate With the Prominent Theologians From Among the Rhetoricians and the Various Religions

A Session in the Presence of Al-ma’mun of al-Ridha’s Debate On Unity With Soleiman Al-marwazi - the Theologian From Khorasan

Another Session of al-Ridha (s) and Al-ma’mun Along With People From Different Nations, and the Rhetoricians, As Well As Imam Al- Ridha’s Answers To Muhammad Ibn Al-jahm Regarding the Immaculateness of the Prophets

Another Session With al-Ridha (s) and Al-ma’mun On the Infallibility of the Prophets

Al-Ridha’s Words On the People of the Ditch

Imam al-Ridha’s Words On the Interpretation of the Almighty God’s Words, ‘and We Ransomed Him With a Momentous Sacrifice.’[327]

On Imam al-Ridha’s Views On the Prophet’s Statement, “I Am the Son of the Two Offerings”

On al-Ridha’s Words On the Sign of the Imam

On What al-Ridha (s) Has Said Regarding Divine Leadership, Its Nobilities and the Rank of the Divine Leader

Al-Ridha’s Words On the Marriage of the Blessed Lady Fatima (s)

On What al-Ridha (s) Said About Faith That Is Recognition of Paradise, Verbal Confession and Physical Action

On al-Ridha’s Debates With Al-ma’mun Regarding the Difference Between Family (itra) and Nation

On al-Ridha’s Words About the Man From Syria and His Questions From the Commander of the Faithful (s) in the Kufa Mosque

On What Is Narrated By al-Ridha (s) About Zayd Ibn Ali

On Rare Traditions From al-Ridha About Various Issues

On What al-Ridha (s) Said About Harut and Marut

On Various Traditions From Imam Ali Ibn Musa al-Ridha (s)

What Has Been Narrated From al-Ridha (s) On the Characteristics of the Prophet (s)

Various Traditions From al-Ridha (s)

1 - حَدَّثَنا عَلِىُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّه الوَرَّاقُ رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا سَعْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّه قالَ: حَدَّثَنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ أَبي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ البَرْقِيُّ، عَنْ أَبيهِ، عَنْ رَبِيعِ بْنِ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمنِ قالَ: كانَ وَاللَّهِ مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍعَلَيْهِمَا السَّلاَمُ مِنَ المُتَوَسِّمِينَ، يَعْلَمُ مَن يَقِفُ عَلَيْهِ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهِ وَيَجحَدُ الإِمامَ بَعْدَ إِمامَتِهِ، فَكانَ يَكظِمُ غَيظَهُ عَلَيْهِمْ و لا يُبدِي لَهُم ما يَعرِفُهُ مِنْهُمْ فَسُمِّي الكاظِمِ لِذلِكَ.

10-1 Ali ibn Abdillah al-Warraq - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Sa’d ibn Abdillah quoted on the authority of Ahmad ibn Abi Abdillah al-Barqi, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Rabi ibn Abdurrahman, “I swear by God that Musa ibn Ja’far (s) was extremely intelligent. He knew those who will stop believing in Divine Leadership after him, and not accept the next Divine Leaders. However, he (s) quenched his anger and did not divulge what he (s) knew about them. That is why he (s) is called ’Kadhim.“

2 - حَدَّثَنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الحَسَن بْنِ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ الوَلِيدِ رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى العَطَّارُ، عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ الحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جُمهُورٍ، عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ الفَضْلِ، عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمنِ قالَ: لَمّا ماتَ أَبُو الحَسَنِ‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ وَلَيْسَ مِن قُوَّامِهِ أَحَدٌ إِلاّ وَعنْدَهُ المالُ الكَثِيرُ، فَكانَ ذلِكَ سَبَبَ وَقفِهِم وَجُحُودِهِم لِمَوتِهِ، وَكانَ عِنْدَ زِيادٍ القَنْدِيِّ سَبْعُونَ أَلْفَ دِينارٍ وَعِنْدَ عَلِىِّ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ ثَلاثُونَ أَلْفَ دِينارٍ.فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُ ذلِكَ وَتَبَيَّنَ ليَ الحَقُّ وَعَرَفتُ مِن أَمْرِ أَبي الحَسَنِ‏الرِّضا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ ما عَرَفتُ تَكَلَّمتُ وَدَعَوْتَ النَّاسَ إِلَيْهِ، قالَ: فَبَعَثا إِلَىَّ وَقالا لي‏: ما يَدْعُوكَ إِلى‏ هذا؟ إِن كُنْتَ تُرِيدُ المالَ فَنَحنُ نُغنِيكَ وَضَمِنا لي‏ عَشَرَةَ أَلْفَ دِينارٍ وَقالا لي‏: كُفَّ فَأَبَيتُ، فَقُلْتُ لَهُما: إِنّا رُوِّينا عَنِ الصَّادِقَينِ‏عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلاَمُ أَنَّهُمْ قالُوا: إِذا ظَهَرَتِ البِدَعُ فَعَلَى العالِمِ أَن يُظْهِرَ عِلمَهُ، فَإِن لَم يَفعَل سُلِبَ نُورُ الإِيمانِ، وَما كُنْتُ لأَدَعَ الجِهادَ فِي أَمْرِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَلَى كُلِّ حالٍ، فَناصَبانِي وَأَظمَرا العَداوَةَ.

10-2 Muhammad ibn Al-Hassan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Waleed - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Attar quoted on the authority of Ahmad ibn Al-Hussein ibn Sa’eed, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Jomhoor, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Al-Fadhl, on the authority of Yunus ibn Abdurrahman, “A lot of wealth was collected and was in the possession of each of the representatives of Abul Hassan (s) when he (s) passed away. This was a reason they denied his death, and considered the Imamate to be terminated with him (s). Ziyad al-Qandi had seventy-thousand Dinars, and Ali ibn Abi Hamzeh had thirty-thousand Dinars (for example). When I noted this and the truth became clear to me, and I recognized that Abil Hassan Al-Ridha (s) is in charge of affairs, I expressed what I knew and invited the people to (follow) Al-Ridha (s). Those two people sent for me and asked, ‘Why are you doing this? We will make you needless if you are after money.’ They offered me ten-thousand Dinars and asked me to stop. But I replied, ‘Those two Imams (s) were narrated to have said, ‘Whenever innovations became known, it is incumbent upon the knowledgeable ones to express what they know. Else they will be deprived of the light of faith.’ I am not one who would stop my struggling in the way of God.’ Thus those two (Ziyad al-Qandi and Ali ibn Abi Hamzeh) became my enemies.”

3 - حَدَّثَنا أَبي، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الحَسَنِ بْنِ أَحْمَدِ بْنِ الوَلِيد -رَضِيَ اللَّهَ عَنهُما - قالا: حَدَّثَنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى العَطَّارُ، عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ الحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جُمهُورٍ، عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَمَّادٍ قالَ: كانَ أَحَدُ القُوَّامِ عُثْمانَ بْنِ عِيسَى الرُّواسِيَّ وَكانَ يَكُونُ بِمِصرِ و كانَ عِنْدَهُ مالٌ كَثِيرٌ وَسِتُّ جَواري، قالَ: فَبَعَثَ إِلَيْهِ أَبُو الحَسَنِ الرِّضا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ فِيهِنَّ وَفِي المالِ، قالَ: فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ: أَنَّ أَباكَ لَمْ يَمُت قالَ: فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ: إِنَّ أَبي قَدْ ماتَ وَقَدِ قسَمنا مِيراثَهُ وَقَدْ صَحَّتِ الأَخْبارِ بِمَوتِهِ، وَاحتَجَّ عَلَيْهِ فِيهِ، قالَ: فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ، إن لَمْ يَكُنْ أَبُوكَ ماتَ فَلَيْسَ لَكَ مِن ذلِكَ شَي‏ءٌ، وَإِن كانَ قَدْ ماتَ عَلَى ما تَحكِي، فَلَمْ يَأْمُرنِي بِدَفعِ شَي‏ءٍ إِلَيكَ، وَقَدِ أعتَقتُ الجَوارِي وَتَزَوَّجتُهُنَّ.قالَ مُصَنِّفُ هذا الْكِتابِ: لَمْ يَكُنْ جَعْفَرٍعَلَيْهِمَا السَّلاَمُ مِمَّنْ يَجْمَعُ المالَ وَلكِنَّهُ حَصَلَ فِي وَقْتِ الرَّشِيدِ، وَكَثُرَ وَلَمْ يَقدِر عَلَى تَفرِيقِ ما كانَ يَجتَمِعُ إِلاّ عَلَى القَلِيلِ مِمَّنْ يَثِقُ بِهِمْ فِي كِتمانِ السِّرِّ، فَاجتَمَعَت هذِهِ الأَمْوالُ لأَجلِ ذلِكَ، وَأَرادَ أَن لا يُحَقَّقَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ قَوْلُ مَن كانَ يَسعى‏ بِهِ إِلى الرَّشِيدِ، وَيَقُولُ: إِنَّهُ تُحمَلُ عَلَيهِ الأَموالُ، وَيَعتَقِدُ لَهُ الإِمامَةَ، وَيَحمِلُ عَلَى الخُرُوجِ عَلَيْهِ، وَلَوْ لا ذلِكَ لَفَرَّقَ مَا اجتَمَعَ مِن هذِهِ الأَمْوالِ، عَلَى أَنَّها لَمْ تَكُنْ أَمْوالَ الفُقَراءِ، وَإِنَّما كانَتْ أَموالاً يَصِلُهُ بِها مَوالِيهِ لِيَكُونَ لَهُ إِكراماً مِنْهُمْ لَهُ وَبِرّاً مِنْهُمْ بِهِ‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ.

10-3 My father and Muhammad ibn Al-Hassan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Waleed - may God be pleased with them - narrated that Mohammad ibn Yahya al-Attar quoted on the authority of Ahmad ibn Al-Hussein ibn Sa’eed, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Jomhoor, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Hammad, “Uthman ibn Isa Ar-Ravasay was one of the representatives (of Imam Al-Kadhim (s)) who lived in Egypt. A lot of (Imam Al-Kadhim’s (s)) property and six slave maids were in his possession. Abul Hassan Al-Ridha (s) sent someone to him and asked him to return the slave maids and the property. Uthman ibn Isa Ar-Rawasi wrote a letter in response and said, ‘Your father has not died yet.’ Imam Al-Ridha (s) wrote a letter to him and said, ‘My father (s) has passed away and we have divided up his possessions. There is correct news to confirm his death.’ Imam Al-Ridha (s) presented some proofs. Uthman wrote to him (s) in reply, ‘If your father is alive, you have no rights over his property. If he (s) has died as you say, he (s) has not given me any orders to dispose of these possessions to you. I freed the slave maids and married them.’”The author of this book (Sheikh Sadooq) said, “Musa ibn Ja’far (s) was not a man who would collect wealth. However, he lived during the region of (Harun) Ar-Rashid and had a lot of enemies. He could not give the collected property to the deprived, so he gave them secretly to a few to divide among the poor people. This is how this wealth was collected. He did not want to do what the ill-wishers told Ar-Rashid about him. Things like ‘he has collected a lot of wealth’, ’he believes he is the Imam’, ’and he incites the people to revolt against you,’ etc. If it were not for these accusations, he would have given the wealth to various people. Rather it consisted of gifts that his friends had brought for him in order to honor him.”

ʿUyūn akhbār al-Riḍā - Volume 1

Book 2, Chapter 10