The biography of Imam Reza

Imam Ali Bin Musa Al-Reza (peace be upon him) was born in the eleventh of Zi Al-Ghade in Medina. His father was Musa Bin Jafar (peace be upon him) and his mother was Najme Khatun. It has been said that Najme was called the beginning of Toktam and after the birth of Imam Reza (peace be upon him), she was called Tahere. The title of the eighth Imam (peace be upon him) was Abo Al-Hasan and they called him Abu Al-Hasan Al-Sani. The most famous title for him is Reza and other titles have also been narrated for him such as: Saber, Fazel, Vafa, Razi and …Imam Javad (peace be upon him) stated '' God called my father '' Reza'' because he was selected by God in the sky and was selected by the messenger of God and Imams on the earth. All of people were satisfied with him and selected him for Imamate.
He spent his childhood and youth with his great father in Medina that was to make a divine revelation and he was directly trained by the seventh Imam and his father taught him sciences, religious matters and moral and educational principles that had learned from his father. He lived with his father for thirty five years and benefited from his knowledge. During this time, he revealed his natural talent for the acceptance of the position of Imamate that is a Godly rank and his father regularly repeated his rank for Imamate. Among his children, he introduced him as his successor according to the order of God.
The eighth Imam lived with his father for thirty five years and most of this period was related to the ruling of Aaron Al-Rashid and his father was imprisoned by Aaron Al-Rashid. He sometimes spent his precious time in the prison of Baghdad and Basra. Imam Reza (peace be upon him) saw these tyrannizes, suffered from them and he could not express them to anyone. The life of Imam Reza was like the life of his fathers, on the one hand, it was like the life of Ali Bin Abi Taleb and on the other hand, it was like the life of immaculate Imams (peace be upon them).
Imam is a person that undertakes the presidency and the leadership of the Islamic society in three ways: government, the statement of the religious rules and leading the religious life of people. According to the beliefs of Shias, such a person should be appointed by God and it should be announced to people. One of brothers of Imam Reza (peace be upon him) with high rank is Ahmad Bin Musa (peace be upon him). He is known as the King of the light and his sacred tomb is in Shiraz. This great personality was respected by people; even when there was rumor related to the martyrdom of Hazrat Musa Bin Jafar (peace be upon him) in Medina, some people came to the house of Ahmad as the acceptance of his Imamate and they went to the mosque with Ahmad Bin Musa ( peace be upon him). Since Ahmad Bin Musa had high ranks, people imagined that he would be selected as Imam after Imam Kazem ( peace be upon him). They swore allegiance with him as Imam and he swore allegiance with them. Then he started sermonizing and recited a sermon eloquently and fluently and stated '' o' people! All of you have sworn allegiance with me, but you should know that I have sworn allegiance with my brother, Ali Bin Musa (peace be upon him), he is Imam, the successor of my father and the guardian of God. It is necessary for us to obey whatever he orders us. All of them accepted whatever Ahmad Bin Musa said and left there as Ahmad Bin Musa was their pioneer. They went to the house of Imam Reza (peace be upon him) and swore allegiance with him. Imam Reza (peace be upon him) prayed for Ahmad Bin Musa (peace be upon him) and since then Ahmad Bin Musa was in the service of his brother until Hazrat Reza (peace be upon him) moved toward Khorasan.
The Imamate of Imam Reza (peace be upon him) was twenty years, seventeen years in Medina and three years in Khorasan.
Imam Reza (peace be upon him) undertook the Imamate after his father was martyred and he dealt with affairs, summoned the students of his father, taught in the theological school of his grandfather, Imam Sadeq( peace be upon him), and took great and permanent steps in this path.
The position of Imam Reza (peace be upon him) in Medina dominated the scientists and the political and social personalities of Hejaz. The people considered Imam Reza (peace be upon him) as a source and a resort in their material and religious affairs and his light shined in the hearts like the sun and he lightened darkness from different aspects.
Imam Reza (peace be upon him) interfered in all affairs in order that he could solve the social, cultural and political problems of people and was present among people in the society and he always cared about different social affairs and problems, especially he had a lot of attempt in two cultural and political aspects. The great man stated when he was talking to Mamoon in Khorasan
و ما زادنى هذا الامر الذى دخلت فيه، فى النعمة عندى شيئاً و لقد كنت بالمدينة و كتابى ينفذ فى المشرق و المغرب، و لقد كنت اركب حمارى، و امرّ سكك المدينه، و ما بها اعزّمنّى، و ما كان بها احد يسألنى حاجة يمكننى قضاؤها له الاّ قضيتها له:
'' Although I have been appointed as Imam here, nothing has changed about my position. When I had a position in Medina, my letter was sent to the west and the east (my handwriting was read anywhere), I rode my horse, passed the paths of Medina and no one was more beloved than me. People sought their needs from me and I met their needs as much as I could''.
After Imam Kazem was martyred in 183 Gh, the Imamate of Imam Reza (peace be upon him) started. Harun( the fifth caliph of Abasi dynasty) died in 193, so ten years of the Imamte of Hazrat Reza( peace be upon him) was in the time of the caliphate of Aaron.
The stand of Imam Reza (peace be upon him) against Aaron was like the stand of his father, Imam Kazem( peace be upon him) and he never acted less than this stand. In such era, he revealed his Imamate and this was clear disagreement against the government of Aaron. Imam Reza (peace be upon him) never confirmed the government of Aaron and as it was said, he boycotted any assistance to the government of Abasian and said clearly '' helping them, working in their social situations and meeting their needs are the same as blasphemy. Deliberate attention to them is a big sin and its consequence is the torture of the hell.
It has been narrated that Imam Musa Bin Jafar (peace be upon him) stated to his children '' your brother, Ali, is the scientist of the descendants of Hazrat Muhammad (peace of Allah be upon him and his descendants). Ask him about your religion and learn whatever he says to you. I have heard from my father, Jafar Bin Muhammad (peace be upon him), several times that said to me '' the scientist of the descendants of Muhammad will be one of your children and his name will be Ali Bin Abi Taleb (peace be upon him)''. I wish I had understood his remarks.''
Ibrahim Bin Abbas Suli says'' I never saw that any questions were asked from Imam Reza (peace be upon him) and he did not know their answers. I never found anyone wiser and more knowledgeable than Imam Reza (peace be upon him) in his era''.
Hamu says '' I never saw that Abu Al-Hasan hurt anyone with his remarks and he never interrupted some one that was speaking. He never rejected the need requests of others when he was able to meet them. He never stretched his legs in presence of other persons and never leaned in the presence of his companions. He never laughed loudly, but he just smiled. Imam Reza (peace be upon him) ate food along with his servants and he said '' no one is superior that another person except in worshiping and obeying God''. One of the companions of Imam Reza (peace be upon him) in the journey from Medina to Khorasan said '' I was travelling Khorasan with Hazrat Reza (peace be upon him). He ate food along with servants. One day I said to Hazrat Reza (peace be upon him) '' It is better for you not to eat food with the servants and common people''. Imam Reza (peace be upon him) said
ان الله تبارك و تعالى واحد و الام واحد و الاب واحد و الجزاء بالاعمال;
: Nahv Al-Arz is a felicitous night that the blessing of exalted God descended and it was the night of Dahv Al-Arz. In the morning of such night, the earth extended from the below part of the house of God and the level of water increased. Revitalizing this night for worshiping and praying has a lot of reward. It has been narrated that Hussein Bin Shae said '' when I was a child, my father and I were eating along with Imam Reza (peace be upon him). Then he said to my father '' Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was born in the twenty fifth night of Zu Al-Ghade and Isa Bin Maryam (peace be upon her) was born at the same time. Then the earth from the below part of the house of God (Kabe) extended. If a person fasts the next day of that day, it is like a person that has fasted sixty years''. It has been said in the same book '' Imam Zaman (may God hasten his advent) will revolt in such a day''. Seyed Bin Tavus says in the book '' Eghbal Al-Emal'' '' it has been narrated that the blessing of God descends in the twenty fifth night of Zi Al-Ghade and the order of great remembrance to human''. The Zi Al-Ghade Month is the first month of Haram Months and according to the narrations, it is common that the needs of human from God are accepted. The night of fifteenth, the twenty third and the twenty fifth of Zi Al-Ghade are the day of Dahv Al-Arz. In such a day, God descended the blessings to his creatures (human, angel and animals). Exalted God descended his favors and blessings to human. In such a day, as wise person worships, he expresses his thankfulness to the king of the world (God) and through worshiping, he receives the favor of God.
Amir Al-Momenin (peace be upon him) says '' the first blessing that descended from the sky on the earth was the twenty fifth of Zi Al-Ghade. If a person worships in the night of the twenty fifth and fasts, he or she will have the reward of hundred years of worshiping (as if he or she has fasted all of his or her days, has worshiped all of his days). The specific mercy of God will descend for persons that worship him. It has been narrated from the prophet (peace of Allah be upon him and his descendants) '' God will descend his mercy in last five days of Zi Al-Ghade Month and it has been said in another narration '' if any one worships and fasts in the twenty fifth of Zi Al-Ghade, all of creatures of the world will seek forgiveness for him or her according to a narration, the twenty fifth day of Zi Al-Ghade is the visit of Imam Reza (peace be upon him) because Imam Reza (peace be upon him) set off from Medina toward Khorasan and it has been said in the Shiite texts that it is Mostahab to visit Imam Reza ( peace be upon him) whether from far or near places in every day related to Imam Reza ( peace be upon him).