The Simplicity And Kindness Of Imam Ali Al-Ridha (A)

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Imam Ali Al-Ridha (A) did not like to decorate his house with expensive carpets, instead he covered its floor with rough mats during the winter and grass mats during the summer.

When food was served, he would call all his servants, including the gatekeeper to sit and eat with him.

Majlisi in Biharul Anwar  writes that our 8th Imam insisted on eating his meals only after the entire members of his family, young and old, servants and grooms were present.

One day someone who was fonder of royal formalities than the fraternity of the Ahlulbayt, suggested that it would be better to make separate eating arrangements for the servants. The Imam replied,

"All are created by God, Adam is their father and Eve is their mother. Everyone will be dealt with by God according to his deeds. Why should there be any discrimination in this world."

Imam Ali Al-Ridha’s (A) life contains countless anecdotes of this sort. Once a man said to him,

"By God, there is none who is superior to you in the nobleness of your ancestry.”

The Imam said to him,

“My ancestors are honoured merely for their Godliness, piety and worship.”

Another man once declared,

” By God, you are the best in the world.”

 The Imam checked him by saying:

 “Don’t you declare an oath. Any man who is more pious than me can be better than me.”

 Imam several times declared the Hadith of the Prophet that a black slave can be better than a person from my own family if his deeds are better.

Imam Reza's Lifestyle on Generosity, Fraternity and Equality

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Imam Reza lifestyle was famous with his generousity, fraternity and equality towards the ummah. It could be seen by how the Imām spent all what he had on the poor and the miserable in Khurasān, where it caused the Prime Minister during Mamoon Rashid's reign, al-Fadl bin Sahl censured him for that by saying,

 “Surely this is (a kind of) damage!”

The Imām answered him with a strong argument, saying:

 “Rather it is a profit. Do not regard as damage that which results in reward and generosity.”

Imam Reza (as) does not give others in order to buy their affection or friendship; rather, he considers giving with generosity as a good trait whereby man gets nearer to his Creator, Allah by including His servants in the wealth with which He blessed him. This is the difference between his method of giving and the method of others.

Imam also stressed on equality and fraternity in the ummah. It was mentioned by the celebrated scholar “Kulayni” who was quoting a witness from "Balkh in his famous work “Kafi”,

"On the way to Khorasan I was among the attendants of His Holiness Imam Reza (as). at dinner. The 8th Imam, Holy Imam Reza (as) invited all his men around him and asked them to have dinner with him.

 There were a few negro servants were among those men. Declaring that they were all of the same flesh and blood the Holy Imam Reza (as) asked that the whole company should have dinner at one table.

 His Holiness Imam Reza (as) practically combated against the superiority of race and colour in connexion with the distinction of the human beings. The Holy Imam Reza (as) tried to revive the Islamic precepts of fraternity and equality in the Muslim community.

The Guest of Imam Reza a.s.

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Bismillahirrahmanirrahim
Allahumma salle ‘ala Muhammad wa Aali Muhammad

              

               This is the experience of my father when he was visiting Iran abaut four years ago. He went along with some fellow shia brothers and sisters from Indonesia for  ziyarat and Umrah. By a travelling agent,  they were visiting Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran only in two weeks. A story has been told to us about an experience  at  Imam Reza’s shrine in Mashad.

                It was the time  when my father at first came to the gate of the shrine, somehow he felt a sense of a deep longing. Then when he get in, and saw  the crowded of the people there, his heart was so touched. He whispered to his own heart,

                “They are all Imam Reza’s guest, mashaAllah.”

                My Father  told me  how the servants of Imam Reza there  act so humbly to every guest, when they want to rebuke any of the zarine who maybe did something a bit unproper in the crowded, they rebuke very politely using a feather duster. it was such a touchful experience. My father in that such of crowded felt how small he was. He realized that he and all the visitors are the guest of Imam Reza, so he didn’t dare to force his self to move on due to affraid of disturbing other guest. At the same time, he was so eagerly wants to reach the tomb of the shrine to release his belonging to Imam. In the situation, he was praying to Imam Reza in his heart,

                “Ya Imam, we are all your guest, and I don’t want to disturb your  others guest, but I want to reach your tomb.”

                After my father praying, didn’t know  where from, suddenly there was a huge man. From the figure, he was like an Arabic. That man gave his arm on my father’s shoulder like protecting him, and said a word,

                “Bareng!”

                My father was so amazed! Bareng is our traditional language! Not even our national language. It means LETS TOGETHER. Hows the guy knows our traditional language? Javanese language? His figure even does not like any Indonesian. And how he knows that my father knows Javanese? My father is an Arab’s descent. He doesn’t look like an Indonesian, moreover a Javanese.

                That huge man was like protecting my father so he could move on the crowded smoothly. Very smooth like even he didn’t  touch others guest. And right at the time my father reach the tomb, that huge man was also gone.  Until now my father still asking to his self who that man was. But whoever he was, my father believes that man came as the answer for his dua to Imam Reza a.s.

(by: Syarifah Luluk for  International Razavi Weblog Festival)