As reported by the master of traditions, Mullah Muhammad Muhsin ibn al-Murtada al-Fayd al-Kashani (may Allah make his grave fragrant), Ibrahim ibn al-’Abbas said:

“I have never seen al-Ridha (peace be upon him) being asked something but that he knew the answer, and I do not see another more knowledgeable than him. Al-Ma’mun would test him by asking about everything, and anything he said in reply would always be taken from the Qur’an. He would complete a reading of the whole Qur’an every three days, and would say, ‘If I wished to complete it in less than three days, then I would do so; but I never read a verse but that I reflect upon its meaning and in what circumstances it was revealed.’”

Ibrahim ibn al-’Abbas also said, “I have neither seen nor heard anyone more excellent than Abu al-Hassan al-Ridha (peace be upon him), and I have witnessed things in his presence that I witnessed at the hand of no other. I have never seen him speak harshly to anyone, nor heard him interrupt anyone who was speaking to him. He would never refuse to see to the need of anyone if it were in his power; he would never stretch his legs, or recline in front of anyone sitting with him. I have never seen him rebuking any of his servants, nor spitting or laughing out loud — rather, his laugh was as a smile. When he retired to eat and the food was set down, he would have his servants sit down with him, and even the gatekeeper and the stableman. He would sleep little at night and would fast much. He would never miss fasting for three days every month, saying this was like fasting for a lifetime. He would always help people and give charity without others knowing about it, especially on dark moonless nights. Do not believe anyone who claims to have seen someone like him in excellence.” 1

It is related by Shaykh al-Muhaddithin (the greatest hadith scholar), Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Babwayh, known as Shaykh Saduq (may Allah shower mercy on him):

Imam al-Ridha (peace be upon him) said, “Imamate is the rank of the prophets, and the inheritance of the spiritual guardians. Imamate is the caliphate of Allah and the Messenger; it is the station of the Commander of the Faithful and heritage of Hasan and Husayn. The Imamate is like the guiding reigns of the din, and the government of the Muslims; it is righteousness in this world and the glory of the believers. Truly, Imamate is the root of a flourishing Islam and its wide-spread branches. Through the Imam prayer, alms-giving, fasting and pilgrimage are perfected, booty and charity become plentiful and the laws and punishments are executed. The Imam makes lawful what Allah has made lawful, and forbids what Allah has forbidden.” 2

Imam al-Ridha (peace be upon him) was poisoned by the ‘Abbasid caliph, al-Ma’mun, and died on the 17th of Safar, 203 A.H. He was buried in Mashhad, Iran.

1. Al-Muhajjah al-Bayda fi Tahdhib al-Ihya
2. ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha

The master of traditions, Mullah Muhammad Muhsin ibn al-Murtada al-Fayd al-Kashani has written that the most noble Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) said:

“By the One Who has my soul in His hand, none will enter the Garden except those who have good behavior.” He also said, “Truly, Allah has encircled Islam with nobility of character and righteous actions.”

Al-Fayd al-Kashani commented:

“The following aspects of noble behavior might be mentioned: enjoying healthy social relations; spending one’s energy in undertaking kindly actions, establishing peace; feeding people; visiting sick Muslims, whether they be righteous or astray; accompanying the funeral procession to the grave; having good relations with one’s neighbors, be they Muslim or non-believers; showing respect for the older generation; forgiveness and peacemaking between people; having generosity; nobility and tolerance; greeting people with the word salam (peace); suppressing one’s anger, defending Islam; and rendering loathsome [to oneself and others] lying, backbiting, slander, miserliness, oppression, deviousness, trickery, bad relations between people, breaking off family relations, pride, haughtiness, deceit, envy, injustice, tyranny and violence.

“According to the consensus of scholars, jurists, and historians, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was the gentlest of people, the most courageous, the most just, the most forgiving, and the most generous; he would not sleep for a single night while there was a dinar or a dirham remaining in his house; if any money remained in his possession, he would not return to his house until he had given it away in charity or in generosity.

“He used to mend his own shoes and patch his own clothes; he would serve by performing household jobs and would help by cutting up the meat with the womenfolk. He was the most modest of men, never allowing his glance to linger when looking at someone’s face. He would accept an invitation from both freeman and slave. He would accept presents. He would not eat out of charity. When he ate, he would eat what was within his reach, and never reclining. He never ate his fill of bread for three consecutive days for as long as he lived, and this was out of desire to discipline himself — not because of poverty or miserliness. He would attend feasts, visit the sick, witness burials and walk amongst his enemies without a guard. He would sit with the poor and bereft and share their meals.”

Source: Al-Muhajjah al-Bayda fi Tahdhib al-Ihya

The celebrated traditionist ‘Ali ibn lbrahim al-Qummi (may Allah make his grave fragrant) related from his father that there was, in Mecca, a Jew called Yusuf. One night he saw stars moving and meteors falling. On that night the Prophet (Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah) was born.

Yusuf exclaimed: “A prophet was born this night! For we find written in our books that when the last of the prophets shall be born, devils will be stoned (with meteors) and prevented from approaching heaven.”

In the morning, he went to the assembly of Quraysh and asked: “Was there a child born among you last night?” They answered: “A child was born to ‘`Abdullah ibn `Abdi ‘l-Muttaiib last night.”

“Show him to me”, he said.

Thus, they all went to the door of Aminah’s house and demanded that she bring her son out to them, and he was brought out in his swaddling clothes. Yusuf looked into his eyes and uncovered his back. He saw a black mole between his shoulders, covered with a few soft hairs. When the Jew saw him, he fell down unconscious. The people of Quraysh laughed at him. But he said: “Do you laugh, O people of Quraysh? Shall he not soon come to destroy you? Prophethood shall, moreover, now depart from the Children of Israel to the end of time.”

Everyone went his way still discussing what the Jew had told them.

From: A’lam al-Wara bi-A’lam al-Huda (Informing people of the Guides of Righteousness) by Abu Ali al-Fadl ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Fadl al-Tabarsi

It has been related by the master of traditions, Abu Muhammad al-Hassan ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Shu’ba al-Harrani, in his monumental work, Tuhaf al-’Uqul (The Masterpieces of the Intellects) that the 7th Imam of the Prophet’s household (Ahl al-Bayt), Abu Ibrahim Musa ibn Ja’far al-Kazim said the folowing:

“Try to divide your time into four parts. The first part should be dedicated to (secret) supplication to Allah, the second to seeking livelihood, the third to associating with friends and trustworthy people who remind you of your faults and treat you sincerely, and the fourth to your lawful amusements. Through the last part, you can manage the other three parts.

Do not think of poverty and longevity of life. He who thinks of poverty will be stingy and he who thinks of longevity of life will be acquisitive. Offer a share of the worldly pleasures of this life to yourselves by moderately enjoying the lawful amusements that do not injure your personalities. Make such pleasures help you fulfill your religious duties perfectly. It is said that, ‘As for those who neglect the lawful worldly pleasures completely and adhere to the the religious duties or who neglect the religious duties and enjoy the worldly affairs, they are not from us.”

He also said, “Seek understanding of the religion, for understanding (fiqh) is the key to intelligence, the perfection of worship, and the means to high standing and respectful positions in this world and in the next world. The merit (fadhl) of the knowledgeable (faqih) over the worshipper is like the merit of the (visibility of the) sun over the stars (kawakib). Allah will not accept the deeds of those who do not seek understanding of the religion (din).”

Imam Abu Hanifah (founder of the Hanafi school) related, “After I had performed the Hajj, I went to Madinah to visit Abu ‘Abdullah as-Sadiq (peace be upon him). I entered his courtyard and sat in the entrance waiting for his permission. After a while, a male toddler went out. ‘O boy,” I said, ‘where should the stranger excrete in your country?’

“The boy asked for a moment, while he leaned against a wall and then spoke, ‘You should be away from riversides, places where fruits fall, yards of mosques, and roadbeds. You should also hide against a wall, lift up your garment, avoid turning your face or back to the Qiblah, and then you can excrete anywhere.’

“I highly admired the boy’s answer, so I asked him his name.

“He answered, ‘I am Musa ibn Ja’far ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib.’

“I then asked him about the source of acts of disobedience towards Allah. He answered, ‘The source of any sin is unquestionably one of three: either it is from Allah, from Allah and His servant, or entirely from the servant. If Allah is the source of sins, and He is not, then it is improper for Him to punish the servants for what they did not commit. If Allah and the servants are together in committing the sin, and this is also not accurate, then it is improper for the stronger partner to wrong the weaker partner. If, however, the servant is the source of the sins, and this is quite accurate, then the Lord may pardon out of His generosity or punish for the commitment of such a sin.’

“After I had heard this, I left before I had a chance to meet Abu ‘Abdullah, since that answer was sufficient for me.”

Once, Imam al-Kazim passed by an ugly villager, greeted him, sat with him, talked with him for a considerable time, and then asked him to settle his needs when he would be in need of him. Later, some people said to him, “O son of the Messenger of Allah, how can you sit with this one and ask him to settle your needs, while he is the one in need of you?”

The Imam answered, “He was one of Allah’s servants, a brother in the Book of Allah, and a neighbor in the land of Allah. He and we enjoy the same great father, Adam (peace be upon him), and the same great religion that is al-Islam. Perhaps, our needs will someday be in his hand, and we will have to sit modestly before him.”

Imam al-Kazim then recited a poetic verse: “We regard even those who do not deserve our regard so that we will not be friendless.”

And he (peace be upon him) said, “Only the sufferers of injustice can realize its intensity.”