Biography of Imam Ali ibn Musa al Reza (as)

Early Life

Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Reza (as), lovingly known as Imam Reza, holds a cherished place in Twelver Shia Islam as the eighth Imam. Born on 11th Dhul-Qa’dah, 148 AH in the holy city of Madinah, Hejaz, he was the beloved son of Imam Musa al-Kazim (as). His father named him Ali, and his revered title, al-Reza, reflects the deep satisfaction of Allah and His Messenger with him. His agnomen (kunya) was Abul Hasan, shared with several other Imams, including Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as), Imam Zain ul Abidin (as), Imam Musa Kazim (as), and Imam Ali al-Hadi (as).

Imam Reza’s Debate with a Christian scholar

Imam Reza's (as) life was marked by his profound knowledge and piety. He was a key figure in Islamic scholarship and engaged in numerous theological debates. One notable instance is as follows:

In one of the debates with Christian scholars, Imam Reza (as) reached a point where he said, “By God, we believe in the Jesus who believed in Muhammad, and we don’t blame your Jesus except for his weakness and the lack of his fasting and prayer.”

The Christian scholar Jathliq responded, “By God, you have corrupted your knowledge and weakened your issue; and I thought that you were the most knowledgeable among the people of Islam!”

The Imam said, “And how is that?”

Jathliq replied, “You said that Jesus was weak, lacking in his fasting, and lacking in his prayer, when Jesus did not break his fast on any day at all, nor did he sleep at night at all, but rather he fasted throughout (his) time and stayed up in worship at night.”

The Imam replied, implicitly clarifying his initial statement, “So (if you say Jesus is God, then) whom did he fast for and pray to?” — Al-Ihtijaj, al-Tabrasi, vol. 2, pg. 203

Departure of Imam Reza (as)

Imam Reza’s life was tragically cut short when he was poisoned by the Abbasid caliph Mamoon on 17th Safar, 203 AH in the city of Tous, Iran. His legacy, however, continues to be honored by millions of Shia Muslims who revere him for his wisdom, integrity, and commitment to truth.