Imam Reza(AS) Leaves Madinah

Imam Reza(AS) Leaves Madinah

 
Imam al-Reza, peace be on him, did not find any escape from responding to al-Ma'mu`n, so he went to the grave of his grandfather, the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, and said the final farewell to it, for he came to know that he would not visit it again.
Muhawwil al-Sijista`ni has narrated, saying: "When the post regarding sending Ima`m al-Reza`, peace be on him, on a journey to Khurasan came, I was in Madinah.

He entered the mosque in order to say farewell to the grave of his grandfather, Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family. He said farewell to it several times. He wept and wailed loudly, so I walked towards him, greeted him, and he returned the greetings. Then I congratulated him on that which he would reach, but he, peace be on him, said: 'Leave me, for I am going to leave neighboring my grandfather, may Allah bless him and his family, so I will die strange and buried beside Ha`ru`n (al-Rashïd)."

Muhawwil al-Sijista`ni said: "So I went out following the road of the Ima`m until he died at Tu`s and buried beside Harun. "

Imam Reza(AS) orders his family to weep over him

Imam al-Reza`, peace be on him, came to know that he would not return to his family and homeland. So he gathered the members of his family, divided twelve thousand dinars among them, made them know that he would never return to them, ordered them to weep and wail for him while he could hear that, and then he said the final farewell to them.

The Imam appoints his Son al-Jawad

Ima`m al-Reza`, peace be on him, appointed his son al-Jawa`d as a successor after him, while he was seven years old or more than that. He made him enter the mosque of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and place his hand on the edge of the holy grave; he made him cling to it, ask his grandfather, the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, to protect him; then he said to him: "I have ordered all my agents and my servants to listen to you and obey you." Then the Ima`m told his companions that his son would be the successor after him.

To the Sacred House of Allah

The Imam had gone to the Sacred House of Allah to say the final farewell to it before he headed for Khurasa`n. Most his family accompanied him, among them was his son Imam al-Jawa`d, peace be on him. When he arrived the Sacred House, he greeted it, circumambulated it, performed prayers in the Standing-place of Ibra`him, ran, and circumambulated it along with his son al-Jawad.

When al-Jawa`d arrived at the Stone of Isma'ïl, he sat by it for a long time. So Muwaffaq al-Kha`dim asked him to stand up, but he refused and looked sad and sorrowful. So Muwaffaq hurried towards the Ima`m and told him about the state of his son. Imam al-Reza`, peace be on him, hastened to his son and asked him to stand up, and he wept, sighed, and said:
"O Father, how can I stand while you are saying the final farewell to the House with a farewell after which there will be no return?"

Ima`m al-Jawa`d, peace be on him, saw sadness appear on the face of his father, so he concluded that his father was in the last part of his life. That happened, for Ima`m al-Reza`, peace be on him, did not return to the Holy Houses and martyred poisoned through the hand of al-Ma'mu`n, the 'Abba`sid.