“My children! Your brother, Ali ibn Musa (peace be upon him), is the Scholar of the Household of Muhammad (peace be upon them). Learn the teachings and principles of your religion from him and preserve his words. I have repeatedly heard my father, Ja’far (peace be upon him), say to me: ‘The Scholar of the Household of Muhammad (peace be upon them) will be from your progeny.’”[1]
These are the words of Imam Musa al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) addressing his children about Imam Ali al-Ridha (peace be upon him).
The title “Scholar of the Household of Muhammad” refers to the knowledgeable figure from the lineage of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), a title specifically used in some narrations for Imam al-Ridha (peace be upon him). All the Imams inherited the knowledge of the Prophet and were scholars of divine teachings. However, why was this specific title attributed uniquely to the eighth Imam?
This may be because Imam al-Ridha (peace be upon him) disseminated Islamic knowledge widely during debates with scholars of other religions. He had the opportunity to articulate previously unspoken truths and present compelling arguments to refute the claims of falsehood, guiding seekers of truth toward the clear path of righteousness.
The debates held by Imam al-Ridha (peace be upon him) in the court of Ma’mun are examples of his dissemination of the knowledge of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them). The following incident illustrates this further.The Story of Imam al-Ridha’s Visit to Basra
Muhammad ibn Fadhl al-Hashimi narrates:
“After the martyrdom of Imam Musa al-Kadhim (peace be upon him), I traveled from Basra to Medina to meet Imam al-Ridha (peace be upon him). I said to him, ‘The people of Basra are in much disagreement regarding the matter of Imamate. They will ask me about the proofs of your Imamate. Will you provide me with something to convince them?’
The Imam replied, ‘Do not worry about the matter of my Imamate. Tell my followers that I will soon come to them.’ He then showed me the relics of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).
When I returned to Basra, the people asked me about the Imam. I informed them that Imam al-Ridha (peace be upon him) would arrive in three days. They were instructed to bring forth any questions they had.
Three days later, the Imam arrived in Basra and stayed at the house of Hasan ibn Muhammad. He said:
‘O Hasan! Invite all those who were with Muhammad ibn Fadhl—whether Shia, non-Shia, prominent Christians, or Jews—and let them know they may ask any questions they desire.’
When everyone had gathered, the Imam said:
‘I have assembled you to ask me about any of the signs of Prophethood or the proofs of Imamate you seek. Know that these are found only with us. So, present your questions.’
Amr ibn Hadhab, an opponent of the Imam, was the first to speak. He said, ‘Muhammad ibn Fadhl attributes to you matters that the mind cannot accept.’
The Imam asked, ‘What matters?’
Amr replied, ‘He claims that you are knowledgeable about everything God has revealed and that you know every language and dialect.’
The Imam responded, ‘I said this to him myself. Now, ask me whatever you wish.’
Amr challenged, ‘Then let us test you. Among those present are people of Indian, Roman, Persian, and Turkish origin.’
The Imam said, ‘Let them speak in their languages. By God’s will, I will respond to each in the same tongue.’
Each individual from the diverse group spoke in their native language, and the Imam replied fluently in the same language. This left the audience astonished, as they admitted that the Imam’s mastery of their languages exceeded their own.
The Imam then informed Amr ibn Hadhab about future events. In response, Amr said, ‘No one knows the unseen except God.’
The Imam recited a verse from the Qur’an:
‘(He is) the Knower of the unseen, and He does not disclose His unseen to anyone, except a messenger whom He has chosen’ [2].
The Imam then explained:
‘Know that the chosen messenger is our grandfather, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). From him, we inherited the knowledge of the unseen, granted by God’s will. We are aware of all that has occurred, all that is happening, and all that will transpire. This includes what I have just informed you.’
Muhammad ibn Fadhl adds:
‘By God, the events foretold by the Imam unfolded exactly as he had described. When Amr ibn Hadhab was later asked whether the Imam’s words were truthful, he replied, “By God, I knew at the time that he was truthful, but I persisted out of stubbornness.”’[3]
(Adapted from the book “The Radiant Sun of Guidance” by Hussain Faridouni, with slight modifications)
Footnotes:
[1] I’lam al-Wara, p. 315
[2] Qur’an, Surah Jinn verse 26 – 27
[3] Kharā’ij, by Qutb al-Din al-Rawandi, Vol. 1, p. 341