Imām ʿAlī al-Riḍā (ʿa) – The Eighth Imām
Imām ʿAlī al-Riḍā (ʿa) was the son of Imām Mūsā al-Kāẓim (ʿa). He is the eighth Imām from the Ahlul Bayt (ʿa). His most famous title is “al-Riḍā”, which means “the one who is content”—someone who is always pleased with Allah’s plan.
🌍 His Amazing Knowledge
One of the miracles of Imām al-Riḍā (ʿa) was that he could speak every language! When someone asked him how, he said, “I am Allah’s proof on Earth. A proof must speak the language of the people.” This shows how perfect and prepared the Imāms were to guide everyone.
👑 The Caliph Ma’mūn’s Plan
After the death of Caliph Hārūn, his two sons, al-Amīn and Ma’mūn, fought over who would rule. Ma’mūn killed his own brother to take over the empire. But after doing this, people started to hate him.
At the same time, everyone loved Imām al-Riḍā (ʿa) because he was a descendant of the Prophet (ṣ), and he was known for his deep knowledge and worship.
Ma’mūn made a clever plan. He forced Imām al-Riḍā (ʿa) to come to his palace in Khurāsān. He then announced that the Imām would be his successor—but not because he wanted to hand over the throne. He just wanted to fool the people and gain their support.
The Imām tried his best to refuse, but when he was threatened with death, he agreed—but only on strict conditions:
• He would not rule or make political decisions.
• He would not appoint or remove anyone.
Ma’mūn agreed, just so he could still use the Imām’s name for his own benefit.
📜 The Ḥadīth of the Golden Chain
When the Imām (ʿa) reached a city called Nīshābūr, thousands of scholars came to greet him. They begged him to give them a ḥadīth (saying of the Prophet). The Imām (ʿa) shared a very special ḥadīth, passed down from every Imām before him, all the way to the Prophet (ṣ), then to Angel Jibrāʾīl, and finally to Allah:
“Lā ilāha illallāh is My fortress. Whoever enters My fortress will be safe from My punishment.”
Then the Imām added,
“…but with conditions. And I am one of those conditions.”
He meant that to truly be saved, people must believe in the Imāmah of the Ahlul Bayt (ʿa).
Because of this perfect chain of narrators, this saying is called the Ḥadīth of the Golden Chain.
🌧️ The Rain Prayer
Once, there was a terrible drought in Khurāsān. Ma’mūn wanted to embarrass the Imām, so he asked him to pray for rain, hoping no rain would come. But when the Imām raised his hands and made duʿā, dark clouds gathered, and rain began to pour!
Everyone was amazed and talked about this miracle. The Imām became even more beloved, and Ma’mūn became even more jealous.
🗣️ The Big Debate
Ma’mūn then invited scholars and priests from other religions to debate with the Imām (ʿa). He thought maybe they would defeat the Imām and make him look weak.
But the opposite happened.
The Imām (ʿa) quoted from their own books like the Tawrāt and the Injīl and answered every question clearly. The scholars were shocked by the Imām’s deep knowledge—some even accepted Islam!
☠️ The Imām is Poisoned
Now Ma’mūn was really scared. The Imām (ʿa) was loved by all, and his knowledge amazed everyone. So, Ma’mūn decided to kill him.
He secretly poisoned the Imām and acted like he was sad when the Imām died. He even arranged the burial to make it look like he cared.
The Imām (ʿa) was buried in Ṭūs, which is now called Mashhad. Today, there is a beautiful shrine built over his grave, and millions of people visit it every year to show their love and respect.