Commemorating the 1287th blessed birth anniversary of Imam Ali Ar-Reda (peace be upon him)..

On the authority of God’s Prophet (peace be upon him): "One of my own flesh and blood will be buried in the land of Khorasan. God the Highest will surely remove the sorrows of any sorrowful person who goes on pilgrimage to his shrine. God will surely forgive the sins of any sinful person who goes on pilgrimage to his shrine."

On the eleventh of Month of Dhu Al-Qi'dah, the year 148 AH in Medina, one of the sacred bright divine lights of Imamat was born, cheers and happiness filled the house of Imam Musa Al-Kadhem (peace be upon him), and the lovers rejoiced for this house that Allah has ordered to be raised and that His name be mentioned therein. And, the earth was shined and the sky was adorned with the birth of the divine light, Imam Ali son of Musa Ar-Reda (peace be upon him), five years after the death of his grandfather Imam As-Sadeq (peace be upon him). His mom "Toktam" and was called "Najmah" was the best of women of her time in her mind and religion. Therefore, Imam Al-Kadhem (peace be upon him) named her The Pure "At-Tahirah".

The great mother of Imam Ar-Reza (peace be upon him) Lady Najmah said:"When I was pregnant to my son Ali, I didn't feel any heaviness, when I was sleeping, I could hear a sound of "dhikr" from inside myself which made me scared, but when i woke up i don't hear it. When I gave birth to him and he put his hands and feet on the ground, he faced the sky and moved his lips as if he was saying something. When Imam Musa Ibn Ja'far (peace be upon him) saw his child, he said:"Oh Najmah, congratulations on God's present". Then they rapped the child in white cloth and gave him to his father. He read the Adhan in his right ear and the Eqama in the left one, then he asked for water from the river of Forat, gave a bit of it to the child, and said to his mother: "Take him for he is God's representative on earth".

Imam Ali Ar-Reda (peace be upon him) related the following narration, which is known as the narration of the golden chain: “My father Musa Al-Kadhem narrated to me from his father Ja'far As-Sadiq from his father Mohammed Al-Baqer from his father Ali Zaynul Abideen from his father, the martyr of Karbala from his father Ali Ibnu Abu Talib saying: "My loved one, and the pleasure of my eyes, the Messenger of God (prayers and Allah's peace be upon him and his holy household) told me once that Gabriel told him from the Lord: {"LA ILAHA ILLALLAH" (there is no God apart from Allah) is my fort; whoever said it would enter my fort; and whoever entered my fort is safe from my punishment}". Then, Imam Ar-Reda (peace be upon him) put his hand up and continued: "Yes, but on one condition only: And that is that you obey and follow us [the holy Imams in the progeny of the holy Prophet (prayers and Allah's peace be upon him and his holy household)]".”

Gharibul-Ghuraba (One who is a stranger i.e. he is away from his home town); Imam Ar-Reda (peace be upon him) was far away from his home and family and he is the only Imam who is buried out of Iraq and Hijaz (Saudi Arabia). Our eighth Imam (peace be upon him) played a significant role in the educating of Muslims, setting examples of education through one's own conduct.
May the Almighty God bestow on us the blessing of his visit in this world, and his intercession in the Hereafter, and that is the great attainment.
And peace be upon him the day he was born and the day he was killed poisoned and the day he is raised alive.