Imam Ali Raza (AS)
Assalamu Alayka Ya Ali ibne Musa Ar Ridha
Imam Ali Raza (as) is the son of the 7th Imam. He was born in 148 AH in Madina. He was very handsome and was called the pride of his tribe Bani Hashim.
Mamoon was the King of Toos (now part of Iran). He was a cruel ruler. He forced the Imam to come to his capital so that he could boast that the 'son' of the Prophet supports his government.
He forced him to marry his daughter and made hint his successor. While Mamoon was brain washing his subjects, the subjects got more interested in the Imam, then the King. This became a threat for the King. The King wanted to have a monopoly of Islam, he wanted his government to be seen as Islamic. His plans began to backfire ever since he forced the Imam into this capital because the Imam gave his version of Islam.
Once a thief was brought in for judgement. The King said his hands should be chopped off The thief said he can't do this as the King created economic climate where poverty is on an increase and he had no choice but to steal to feed his family. Secondly the thief said he was a freeman while the King was a slave! And slave can not punish free men. This infuriated the King in front of the court. He enquired about this riddle, and the thief said the Kings father had bought female slave (King's mother) from public money and the King remained a slave as he was the property of the people. Further insult that the thief was a Sayed, a descendent of the Prophet and he accused the King, rightly so, of stopping "Khums' (20 percent of saving) reaching him.
All this was too much for the King and he sought the help of it Imam. The Imam said whatever the thief said was correct and his hands should not be cut.
On another occasion this every King had called magicians to play tricks on the Imam while he was eating. The magicians would pull away the bread that he was about to eat. This ridiculed the Imam. In turn the Imam signalled to a lion weaved in a wall carpet. The Lion became alive and ate the magicians. The lion asked if he could eat the King as well. The Imam told him not to and return to the wall carpet and be the same.
Once Imam was passing through the wilderness and a hunter was aiming to kill a deer. The Imam interrupted the hunter and said the deer has requested that it be spared for the time being as it has to go and feed her two kids. After she has done this she will return to this spot again and the hunter can kill her and sell her flesh. The hunter was puzzled and said how can you understand its language and what's the guarantee that the deer will return. The Imam said I will give that guarantee and I will stand at that spot until its return.
The hunter let go the deer and many people gathered in the meantime to see the spectacle. After feeding its two kids the deer returned to the awe of tile people and stood at the same spot and said its ready for the hunter, and asked the Imam to guard and look after its two kids.
This started a tradition of Imam-e-Zamin which means, Imam who guards. So, Shias tie some money in a band on the right arm when they travel or go for some special cause so that the Imam guards the person. On the safe return the money is given to the find of the Imam.
The schemes of the King were supposed to make him popular because of the Imam. All this worked the other way round and this jealousy and threat forced him to poison the Imam and he was martyred at the age of 56. The King as a show of display was the chief mourner.
Greatness of the Ziarat ofImam Raza (As
)The Prophet said: "A part of my body will be buried in the land of Khorasan (part of Iran) and any believer who visits him then Allah will make him enter heaven and will prevent him from entering the hell fire."
The Prophet said:
"A part of my body will be buried in the land of Khorasan and any disheartened person, who visits, Allah will remove his disheartedness and any sinner who visits him Allah will forgive his sins."Imam Musa al Kazim (AS) said: "The visitors of the grave of my son Ali have a reward of 70 accepted Hajj." Someone asked in astonishment "70 Hajj!" and the Imam replies "More so. 70 thousand accepted Hajj." And the man said "7o thousand Hajj!" The Imam said "How many Hajj there are which are not accepted, anyone who visits him or stays one night near him, it is as if he has visited Allah in his Throne."
The man said 'Yes, because on the day of Judgment, four people from the earlier ones and four people from the later ones will be on the throne of Allah. Those from the earlier ones are Nooh (AS), Ibrahim (AS), Musa (AS) and Isa (AS). And those from the later ones are Mohammed (SAW), Ali (AS), Hassan (AS) and Hussain (AS). They will pull a rope at the foot of the throne, and the visitors of the graves of the Imam will sit with us and the visitors of my son Ali will have the highest place amongst all of them and their reward will be the greatest.
How to do the Ziarat
When you reach Masshad, you should not go to Ziarat right away. First you should take a Ghusl and when you take Ghusl read the following Dua: "0 Allah Purify me and purify for me my heart and expand my chest and give my tongue the power to praise you glorify you for surely there's no power except with you. O Allah make this Ghusl for a purification and an intercession".
Wear clean clothes and put on fragrance and at the time you leave the house read the following Dua: "In the name of Allah and towards the son of the prophet of Allah. Allah is sufficient for me and I put my trust in Allah. O Allah I am facing towards you and towards you is my intention and that which is with you is what I want."
Then with a tranquil peaceful heart and remembering Allah, go towards the Haram saying: "Allahu Akbar. La Ilaha Illallah. Subhaanallah Al Hamdolillah"
Do NOT JOKE OR LAUGH.
When you enter the Haram say "In the name of Allah and with Allah and in the nation of the Prophet of Allah (May Allah send salutations on him and on his family.) I testify there is no God but Allah. He is alone without any partner and I testify that Mohammed is his servant and his messenger and that Ali is the vicegerent of Allah."
Then while entering the Imam's Haram, read the Dua for permission to enter and read the Ziarat of Imam near his grave.
