Ali al-Rida
Ali ibn Musa al-Rida (Arabic: عَلِيّ ٱبْن مُوسَىٰ ٱلرِّضَا, romanized: ʿAlī ibn Mūsā al-Riḍā, c. 1 January 766 – 6 June 818), also known as Abū al-Ḥasan al-Thānī, was a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and the eighth imam in Twelver Shia Islam, succeeding his father, Musa al-Kazim. He is also part of the chain of mystical authority in Sunni Sufi orders. He was known for his piety and learning, and a number of works are attributed to him, including Al-Risala al-Dhahabia, Sahifa al-Rida, and Fiqh al-Rida. Uyun al-Akhbar al-Rida by Ibn Babawayh is a comprehensive collection that includes his religious debates and sayings, biographical details, and even the miracles which have occurred at his tomb. He is buried in Mashad, Iran, site of a large shrine.
Ali al-Rida
عَلِيّ ٱلرِّضَاEighth Imam of Twelver Shi'ism
عَلِيّ ٱلرِّضَا
al-Rida[1]
(lit. 'the approved one')
c. 1 January 766 CE
(11 Dhu al-Qa'da 148 AH)
c. 6 June 818 (aged 52)
(30 Safar 202 AH)
Poisoning by Al-Ma'mun
(Shia, some Western sources)
- Sabika (or Khayzuran)
- Umm Habib bint Al-Ma'mun
- Muhammad al-Jawad
- Hasan
- Husayn
- Ja'far
- Ibrahim
- A'isha[2]
- Fatima[3]
- Musa al-Kazim
- Najma (or Tuktam)
Al-Rida was contemporary with the Abbasid caliphs Harun al-Rashid (r. 786–809) and his sons, al-Amin (r. 809–813) and al-Ma'mun (r. 813–833). In a sudden departure from the established anti-Shia policy of the Abbasids, possibly to mitigate the frequent Shia revolts, al-Mamun invited al-Rida to Marv in Khorasan, his de facto capital, and designated him as heir apparent, despite the reluctance of the al-Rida who accepted the offer on the condition that he would not interfere in governmental affairs. The appointment of the Ali al-Rida by the Abbasid al-Mamun immediately invoked strong opposition, particularly among the Abbasids, who revolted and installed Ibrahim al-Mubarak, a half-brother of Harun al-Rashid, as the anti-caliph in Baghdad. Realizing the severity of the Iraqi opposition, al-Mamun and his entourage left Khorasan for Baghdad, accompanied by al-Rida. The Imam, however, died mysteriously when the party reached Tus in September 818. His death followed shortly after the assassination of al-Fadl ibn Sahl, the Persian vizier of al-Mamun, who was publicly seen as responsible for his pro-Shia policies. The caliph is often seen as responsible for both deaths, as he made concessions to the Arab party to smooth his return to Baghdad. Tus was later replaced with a new city, called Mashhad, which developed around the grave of al-Rida as the holiest site in Iran, to which millions of Shia Muslims flock annually for pilgrimage.
Birth and early life[edit]
Ali was born in Medina in 765 (148 AH), 768 (151 AH), or 770 (153 AH).[4][1] The first date is said to be based on a prediction ascribed to his grandfather, al-Sadiq, who died in that year, that the successor to his son al-Kazim would be born soon.[1] There are some indications that Ali might have been born as late 159 AH.[1] In any case, the date often given by Shia authorities is 11 Du al-Qa'da 148 AH.[5] His father was al-Kazim, the seventh Twelver Shia Imam, who was a descendant of Ali and Fatima, cousin and daughter of the Islamic prophet, respectively. His mother was a freed slave, probably of Berber origin, whose name is recorded differently in various sources, perhaps Najma[1] or Tuktam.[1][5] It was reputedly Hamida Khatun, mother of al-Kazim, who chose Najma for him.[5] Momen writes that Ali was thirty-five years old when his father died,[6] whereas Donaldson holds that he was twenty or twenty-five at the time.[5]
Designation as Imam[edit]
Al-Kazim designated his son, Ali al-Rida, as his successor before his death in Harun al-Rashid's prison in 799 (183 AH),[4][7] following some years of imprisonment.[8] Madelung adds that al-Kazim had made al-Rida his legatee, and that al-Rida also inherited his father's estate near Medina to the exclusion of his brothers.[1] After al-Kazim, al-Rida was thus acknowledged as the next Imam by a significant group of al-Kazim's followers,[9] who formed the main line of Shia and went on to become the Twelvers.[10] The brothers of al-Rida did not claim the imamate but a number of them revolted against the Abbasids.[4][1] Some of the followers of al-Kazim, however, claimed that he had not died and would return as Mahdi, the promised savior in Islam.[11][12] These became known as the Waqifiyya (lit. 'those who stop') though it appears that they later returned to the mainstream Shia,[13] declaring al-Rida and his successors as the lieutenants of al-Kazim.[7][9] These also included the Bushariyya, named after Muhammad ibn Bashir, the gnostic from Kufa, who claimed to be the interim imam in the absence of al-Kazim.[7][14] The term Waqifiyya is applied generally to any group who denies or hesitates over the death of a particular Shia Imam and refuses to recognize his successors.[15]
According to Kohlberg, the creation of Waqifiyya might have had a financial reason.[13] Some of the representatives of al-Kazim evidently refused to hand over to al-Rida the monies entrusted to them, arguing that al-Kazim was the last Imam.[13][16] These included Mansur ibn Yunus Buzurg and Ali ibn Abi Ḥamza al-Bataini, Ziyad ibn Marwan al-Kandi, Uthman ibn Isa al-Amiri al-Ruasi (Ruwasi). Some reports indicate that al-Ruasi repented.[13]
Succession[edit]
Muhammad, the only child of al-Rida, was seven years old when his father died.[6] The succession of the young Muhammad, who later became known as al-Jawad (lit. 'the generous'), became controversial among the followers of his father. A group of them instead accepted the imamate of al-Rida's brother, Ahmad ibn Musa. Another group joined the Waqifiyya, who considered al-Kazim to be the last Imam and expected his return as Mahdi. Some had opportunistically backed the imamate of al-Rida after his appointment as successor to the caliphate and now returned to their Sunni or Zaydi communities.[47] Tabatabai, however, regards the divisions in Shia after al-Rida as insignificant and often temporary.[48] Twelver scholars have noted that Jesus received his prophetic mission in the Quran when he was still a child,[49] and some hold that al-Jawad had received the requisite perfect knowledge of all religious matters through divine inspiration from the time of his succession, irrespective of his age.[1]
Views[edit]
In addition to Shia authorities,[1][17] Sunni biographical sources also list al-Rida as one of the narrators of prophetic hadiths, and al-Waqidi considers him a reliable transmitter.[16] As a Shia Imam who rejected the authority of Muhammad's companions as hadith transmitters,[16] initially only the Shia transmitted hadith on the authority of al-Rida.[1][17] In his later years, however, notable Sunni traditionists were said to have visited him, including Ibn Rahwayh and Yahya ibn Yahya.[4][1] In particular, his appointment as the heir apparent seemed to have added to the credibility to al-Rida in Sunni circles, who at the time apparently came to regard him as a distinguished transmitter by virtue of his learning and descent from the prophet.[16] In view of his continued veneration as a Shia Imam, later Sunni authors were divided about the authority of al-Rida, some saying that he was not always a reliable transmitter and others instead questioning the authority of those who transmitted from al-Rida. They all seem to refer to him as a man of piety and learning.[16]
It has been commonly held that Ma'ruf al-Karkhi, who converted to Islam at the hands of al-Rida, is a prominent figure in the golden chain of most Sufi orders. He is said to have been a devoted student of al-Rida,[53][54] though Bayhom-Daou regards the accounts of their encounters as apocryphal.[16] In Sufi tradition, al-Rida is regarded as a model of asceticism,[16] and the chains of authority in Shia Sufi orders progress through al-Rida, followed by al-Karkhi.[55] One such instance is the Ni'mat Allahi order.[56]
Works[edit]
Al-Risala al-Dhahabia (lit. 'the golden treatise') is a treatise on medical cures and the maintenance of good health which was reputedly commissioned by al-Mamun, who requested it in gold ink, hence the name. The studies by Speziale (2004) and Speziale - Giurini (2009) have critically analysed the issue of the authorship of the text. The book was text edited in Bombay and included by Majlesi in his Bihar al-Anwar. A number of commentaries have been written to it and it has been translated into Persian and Urdu.[1] Despite questions concerning its authenticity, the book remains popular among the Twelver Shia.[4]
Sahifa al-Rida is a collection of 240 hadiths, mentioned in some early Twelver sources and ascribed to al-Rida.[1][4] Fiqh al-Rida, also called al-Fiqh al-Radawi, is a treatise on jurisprudence (fiqh) attributed to al-Rida. It was not known till the tenth century (sixteenth CE century) when it was judged to be authentic by Majlesi but later Twelver scholars have doubted its authenticity, including S.H. Sadr.[1] Other works attributed to al-Rida are listed in A'yan al-Shia. Additionally, Shia sources contain detailed descriptions of his religious debates, sayings, and poetry.[1] Uyun al-Akhbar al-Rida by Ibn Babawayh is a comprehensive collection that includes the religious debates, sayings, biographical details, and even the miracles which have occurred at his tomb.[57]
Al-Mamun showed interest in theological questions[33] and organized debates between the scholars of different sects and religions in which al-Rida participated.[37] One of these debates was about Divine Unity, led by Sulaiman al-Mervi, a scholar from Khorasan. Another discussion with Ali ibn Muhammad ibn al-Jahm was devoted to the infallibility of the prophets, which led to another session on the same subject when al-Mamun took part in the debate himself.[38] Many of these debates are recorded in the collections of Shia hadiths, such as Uyun Akhbar al-Rida.[4] The following is an excerpt from a debate between al-Rida and an unbeliever (zindiq).
Character[edit]
Al-Rida is represented in historical sources as a thoughtful and likable man. Donaldson includes the account of Reyyan ibn Salt who, when bidding farewell to his Imam, was so overcome with grief that he forgot to ask al-Rida for one of his shirts, to use as a shroud, and some coins, to make rings for his daughters. As Reyyan was leaving, however, al-Rida called to him, "Do you not want one of my shirts to keep as your shroud? And would you not like some pieces of money for rings for your daughters?" Reyyan left after al-Rida fulfilled his wishes. Byzanti relates that when he visited al-Rida for a few hours, al-Rida invited him to stay for the night and spread his own bed for Byzanti. Muhammad ibn Ghaffar narrates that when he visited al-Rida to ask for financial help, al-Rida fulfilled his wish before he mentioned his need and then invited Muhammad to stay overnight as his guest.[59]