text:
ibn
Iran
Persia
Islamic prophet
Muhammad
Imam
Musa al-Kadhim
Muhammad al-Jawad
Imam
Zaydi (Fiver) Shia
Sufi
Abbasid
Al-Ma'mun
Imam Reza shrine
Khorasan
Mashhad
Twelver
Shia
Medina
Allah
kunya
Musa al-Kadhim
Ja'far al-Sadiq
Imamate
Musa al-Kadhim
Ja'far al-Sadiq
Ali
Mecca
Musa al-Kazim
Hadith
Fatwa
Medina
Al-Ma'mun
Harun al-Rashid
began fighting
Al-Amin
Arab
Al-Ma'mun
Persian
Imams
Muhammad
Allamah Tabatabaei
Shi'ite Islam
Khorasan
Mohammad
Ali
al-Ma'mun
Khorasan
Al-Ma'mun
Khorasan
Shia
hadith
Oyoun Akhbar Al-Ridha
William Chittick
Al-Risalah al-Dhahabiah
Ma'mun
blood
phlegm
The "Sahifah"
hadith
hadith
Muhammad's household
Ibn Babawayh
Maruf Karkhi
Sufism
Corbin
Ni'mat Allahi
Baghdad
Abbasid
Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi
Baghdad
Sarakhs
Tus
Harun al-Rashid
Madelung
Khorasan
Ahl al-Bayt
Ashura
Safar
Gregorian calendar
lunar calendar
solar calendar
Imam Reza shrine
Mashhad
Masjid al-Haram
largest mosque in the world
Al-Dhahabi
Ahl al-Bayt
Hashemites
Ali al-Hadi
Hajar Khatoon Mosque
Hasan al-Askari
Hasan ibn Ali
Muhammad al-Baqir
Muhammad al-Mahdi
Hadith of Golden Chain
Al-Risalah al-Dhahabiah
Encyclopædia Iranica

wikipedia_title:
Patronymic
Iran
Name of Iran
Prophets and messengers in Islam
Muhammad
The Twelve Imams
Musa al-Kadhim
Muhammad al-Jawad
Imam
Zaidiyyah
Sufism
Abbasid Caliphate
Al-Ma'mun
Imam Reza shrine
Khorasan Province
Mashhad
Twelver
Shia Islam
Medina
Allah
Teknonymy
Musa al-Kadhim
Ja'far al-Sadiq
Imamate in Twelver doctrine
Musa al-Kadhim
Ja'far al-Sadiq
Ali
Mecca
Musa al-Kadhim
Hadith
Fatwa
Medina
Al-Ma'mun
Harun al-Rashid
Fourth Fitna
Al-Amin
Arabs
Al-Ma'mun
Persian people
Imamate in Shia doctrine
Muhammad
Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai
Shi'ite Islam (book)
Khorasan Province
Muhammad
Ali
Al-Ma'mun
Greater Khorasan
Al-Ma'mun
Greater Khorasan
Shia Islam
Hadith
Oyoun Akhbar Al-Ridha
William Chittick
Al-Risalah al-Dhahabiah
Al-Ma'mun
Blood
Phlegm
Sahifah of al-Ridha
Hadith
Hadith
Ahl al-Bayt
Ibn Babawayh
Maruf Karkhi
Sufism
Henry Corbin
Shah Nimatullah Wali
Baghdad
Abbasid Caliphate
Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi
Baghdad
Sarakhs
Tus, Iran
Harun al-Rashid
Wilferd Madelung
Khorasan Province
Ahl al-Bayt
Ashura
Safar
Gregorian calendar
Lunar calendar
Solar calendar
Imam Reza shrine
Mashhad
Great Mosque of Mecca
List of largest mosques
Al-Dhahabi
Ahl al-Bayt
Hashemites
Ali al-Hadi
Hajar Khatoon Mosque
Hasan al-Askari
Hasan ibn Ali
Muhammad al-Baqir
Muhammad al-Mahdi
Hadith of Golden Chain
Al-Risalah al-Dhahabiah
Encyclopædia Iranica

categories: Family of Muhammad,Twelver imams,Deaths by poisoning,Medieval Arab physicians,8th-century imams,765 births,Assassinated Shia imams,The Fourteen Infallibles,818 deaths,Zaidi imams,Fourth Fitna,9th-century imams

paragraph: Ali al-Ridha

paragraph: 'Alī ibn Mūsā ar-Riḍā (), also called Abu al-Hasan, "Ali al-Reza" ( 29 December 765 – 23 August 818) or in Iran (Persia) as Imam Reza (), was a descendant of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, and the eighth Shi'ite Imam, after his father Musa al-Kadhim, and before his son Muhammad al-Jawad. He was an Imam of knowledge according to the Zaydi (Fiver) Shia school and Sufis. He lived in a period when Abbasid caliphs were facing numerous difficulties, the most important of which was Shia revolts. The Caliph Al-Ma'mun sought out a remedy for this problem by appointing Al-Ridha as his successor, through whom he could be involved in worldly affairs. However, according to the Shia view, when Al-Ma'mun saw that the Imam gained even more popularity, he decided to correct his mistake by poisoning him. The Imam was buried at the Imam Reza shrine in a village in Khorasan, which afterwards gained the name Mashhad, meaning the place of martyrdom.

paragraph: Section::::Birth and family life.

paragraph: On the eleventh of Dhu al-Qi'dah, 148 AH (29 December 765 CE), a son was born in the house of Imam Musa al-Kadhim (the seventh Imam of Twelver Shia Islam) in Medina. He was named Ali and titled al-Ridha, literally meaning in Arabic, "the contented", since it was believed that Allah was contented with him. His kunya (alternative name) was Abu'l Hasan, since he was the father of al-Hasan; the naming of a father after his son being a common practice in Arab culture. However, in the Shia sources he is commonly called "Abu'l-Ḥasan al-Ṯānī" (the second Abu'l Hasan), since his father, Musa al-Kadhim, was also Abu'l Hasan (he was known as "Abu'l-Ḥasan al-Awwal", meaning the first Abu'l Hasan). In keeping with his very high status amongst Shi'a, he has been given other honorific titles since, such as Saber, Vafi, Razi, Zakki and Vali.

paragraph: Ali was born one month after the death of his grandfather, Ja'far as-Sādiq, and brought up in Medina under the direction of his father. His mother, Najmah, was also a distinguished and pious lady. It is said that the boy al-Ridha required a great deal of milk, so that when his mother was asked whether her milk was sufficient, she answered, "it is not because my milk is not sufficient, but he wants it all the time, and consequently I am falling short in my prayers." Originally a Nubian woman, she was purchased and freed by Bibi Hamidah Khatun, the wife of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, who was also a Um Walad of Nubian origin. Imam Ali ibn Musa was said to be shadid udmah or aswad, meaning he had a very dark skinned or black complexion. Bibi Hamidah was a notable Islamic scholar.

paragraph: Disputes exist regarding the number of his offspring and their names. A group of scholars (Sunni) say that they were five sons and one daughter, and that they were: Muhammad al- Qani', al-Hasan, Ja'far, Ibrahim, al-Husayn, and 'Ayesha. Sabt ibn al-Jawzi, in his work Tadhkiratul-Khawass ( تذکرۃ الخواص, Introduced eminence of the heirs of Muhammad The Prophet of Islam), says that the sons were only four, dropping the name of Husayn from the list.

paragraph: Section::::Designation as Imam.

paragraph: The eighth Imam had reached the Imamate, after the death of his father, through Divine Command and the decree of his forefathers, especially Imam Musa al-Kadhim, who would repeatedly tell his companions that his son Ali would be the Imam after him. As such, Makhzumi says that one day Musa al-Kadhim summoned and gathered us and entitled him as "his executor and successor." From the onset, al-Kadhim preferred al-Ridha to the rest of his sons, informing them, "This is your brother ‘Ali b. Musa’, who is the scholar of the Household of Muhammad. Question him about your beliefs and memorize what he says to you, for I heard my father, Ja'far al-Sadiq say: ‘The scholar of the Household of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and his Household, is in your loins. Would that I met him, for he is the namesake of (Imam Ali) the Commander of the faithful.' "

paragraph: Yazid ibn Salit has also related a similar narration from the seventh Imam when he met him on his way to Mecca: "Ali, whose name is the same as the First and the fourth Imam, is the Imam after me." Said the Imam. However, due to the extreme choking atmosphere and pressure prevailed in the period of Musa al-Kazim, he added, "What I said must remain (restricted) up to you and do not reproduce it to anybody unless you know he is one of our friends and companions." The same is narrated from Ali bin Yaqtin, from Imam Musa al-Kazim who has said "Ali is the best of my children and I have conferred on him my epithet" According to Wāqedī, even in his youth, Ali al-Ridha would transmit Hadith from his father and his uncles and gave Fatwa in the mosque of Medina. Ali al-Ridha was not looked upon favorably by Hārūn Rashīd; and the people of Medina were disallowed from visiting and learning from him. According to Donaldson he was twenty or twenty-five years old when he succeeded his father as Imam in Medina, and it was about eighteen years later, when the Caliph Al-Ma'mun "undertook to ingratiate himself with the numerous Shia parties by designating Ali ar-Ridha as his successor to the Caliphate."

paragraph: Section::::Contemporary political situation.

paragraph: After the death of Harun al-Rashid in 809, Harun's two sons began fighting for control of the Abbasid Empire. One son, Al-Amin, had an Arab mother and thus had the support of Arabs, while his half-brother Al-Ma'mun had a Persian mother and the support of Persia. After defeating his brother, al-Ma'mun faced many insurrections from the followers of Muhammad's family in many areas.

paragraph: The Shia of al-Ma'mun's era, like the Shia of today, who made a large population of al-Ma'mun's Iran, regarded the Imams as their leaders who must be obeyed in all aspects of life, spiritual and terrestrial, as they believed in them as the real caliphs of Muhammad. The Abbasids, like the Umayyads before them, realized this as a big threat to their own caliphate, since the Shias saw them as usurpers of al-Ma'mun which was far from the sacred status of their Imams. Allamah Tabatabaei writes in his book Shi'ite Islam, that in order to quiet the many Shia rebellions around his government, al-Ma'mun summoned Imam al-Ridha to Khorasan and wanted to offer him the role of Crown Prince to prevent the Shias and relatives of al-Ridha from rebelling against the government, seeing as they would then be fighting their own Imam; secondly, to cause the people to lose their spiritual belief and inner attachment to the Imams, because the Imam would be associated with the corrupt government of al-Ma'mun. Thirdly, he intended it to fool other Shias into believing that his government was not so bad after all, because al-Ridha would then come into power after Ma'mun. And fourthly, he wanted to keep a close watch over the Imam of the Shias himself, so that nothing could happen without al-Ma'mun's knowledge.

paragraph: Word spread quickly among al-Ma'mun's circles that al-Ma'mun was not sincere in his offer to make Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha the Crown Prince, and that it was simply a political move. Al-Ma'mun also became paranoid and thought that al-Ridha would see through it as well, and so would his Shias. In order to quiet the doubts of the people, al-Ma'mun first offered al-Ridha the caliphate itself. He wrote a letter to the Abbasids, who were displeased with his decision to entrust al-Ridha the seat of the caliphate, saying:

paragraph: Al-Ridha, who knew the real reason of this offer, politely refused it and said:

paragraph: Al-Ma'mun kept trying to make his offer seem sincere and kept re-offering the caliphate, and finally moved on to his real plan to make his Crown Prince be Ali al-Ridha. In the document where he pledges allegiance to Ali al-Ridha, Ma'mun writes: His (al-Ma’mu’n’s) choosing ‘Ali b. Musa’ b. Ja‘far b. Muhammad b. ‘Ali b. al-Husayn b. ‘Ali b. Abu’ Ta’lib was after asking Allah for the best and exerting himself in accomplishing His right toward His servants and His Earth concerning the two houses in general (i.e., the ‘Abba’sid House and the ‘Alawide Family, may Allah increase it in honor). That is because he (al-Ma’mu’n) has seen his (the Imam’s) brilliant excellence, his plain knowledge, his manifest piety, his pure asceticism, his renouncing the world, and his being safe from the people. It has become clear for him that reports, tongues, and words have unanimously agreed upon his candidacy. Besides, he knew of his excellence as a youth and through adolescence, so he has appointed him as his successor after him.When Imam al-Ridha also declined this position, al-Ma'mun threatened him saying "Your ancestor Ali was chosen by the second caliph to be in a six member council to elect the third caliph, and ordered to kill any one of the six who didn't comply. If you do not accept the position of Crown Prince in my government, I will follow through on the same threat". Al-Ridha said he would accept, under the condition that none of the affairs of government would be his. He would neither appoint anyone, nor dismiss. He would not rule, or pass laws. He would only be Crown Prince in name. Al-Ma'mun became happy that al-Ridha had accepted and would stay out of his way in governing, and agreed to the condition.

paragraph: Al-Ma'mun even changed the black Abbāsid flags to green, the traditional color of Shia Mohammad's flag and Ali's cloak. He also ordered to mint coins with names of both Al-Ma'mun and Ali al-Ridha.

paragraph: Section::::Admonishment of his brother.

paragraph: When al-Ridha was summoned to Khurasan and reluctantly accepted the role of successor to al-Ma'mun, al-Ma'mun summoned the Imam's brother, Zayd, who had revolted and brought about a riot in Medina to his court in Khorasan. Al-Ma'mun kept him free as an honor to Ali al-Ridha and overlooked his punishment.

paragraph: One day, however, when Ali al-Ridha was delivering a speech in a grand assembly, he heard Zayd praising himself before the people, saying I am so and so. Ali al-Ridha asked him saying:

paragraph: Section::::Debates.

paragraph: Al-Ma'mun was very interested in working on various sciences translated into Arabic. Thus he arranged debates between the Imam and Muslim scholars and the leaders of religion sects who came in his presence.

paragraph: One of the discussions was on Divine Unity with Sulaiman al-Mervi; a scholar from Khorasan, another discussion with Ali ibn Muhammad ibn al-Jahm was devoted to the sinlessness of the Prophets, which led to another debate on the same subject which Ma'mun took a great part in it himself. Many of these debates are recorded in the collections of Shia hadiths, like Oyoun Akhbar Al-Ridha. The following is an example of these debates which took place between the Imam and an unbeliever(Zindīq).

paragraph: (The Imam) said to him (Zindīq), "Dost thou see that if the correct view is your view then are we not equal? All that we have prayed, fasted, given of the alms and declared of our convictions will not harm us. If the correct view is our view then have not you perished and we gained salvation?"

paragraph: the Man said. "Then let me know, how is He and where is He?" Abu-l-Hasan(the Imam)answered, "surely the opinion thou hast adopted is mistaken. He determined the 'where', and He was, when there was no 'where'; and He fashioned the 'how', and He was, when there was no 'how'. So He is not known through 'howness' or 'whereness'" The man said, "So then surely He is nothing if He cannot be perceived by any of the senses." Abu-l-Hasan said, "when our senses fail to perceive Him, we know for certain that He is our Lord …" The man said, "Then tell me, when was He?" Abu-l-Hasan said, "Tell when He was not, and then I will tell you when He was..." The man said, "Then why has He veiled Himself (from men)?" Abu-l-Hasan replied, "Surely the veil is upon creatures because of the abundance of their sins. As for Him, no secret is hidden from Him during the day or the night…"

paragraph: This is a long debate, entitled, "The Veil", full text of which could be found in the "A Shiite Anthology" translated by William Chittick. According to some accounts, Ma'mun's main objective of holding the meetings was a hope to render the Imam incapable of answering questions in order to undermine his popularity. It is related from al-Nawfali who quoted the Imam as saying

paragraph: Would you (al-Nawfali) like to know when al-Ma'mūn will feel remorseful? ...When he hears me argue with the people of the Torah quoting their own Torah, with the people of the Gospel quoting their own Gospel, with the people of the Psalms quoting their own Psalms, with the Zoroastrians arguing in their Persian language, with the Romans in their own Latin... then al-Ma'mūn will realize that he will not achieve what he aspires...

paragraph: Section::::Works.

paragraph: Section::::Works.:Al-Risalah al-Dhahabiah.

paragraph: Al-Risalah al-Dhahabiah (The Golden Treatise) is a treatise on medical cures and the maintenance of good health which is said to have been written in accordance with the demand of Ma'mun. It is regarded as the most precious Islamic literature in the science of medicine, and was entitled "the golden treatise" as Ma'mun had ordered it to be written in gold ink. It has been explained in this treatise that one's health is threatened when his blood, yellow bile, black bile and phlegm are unbalanced; and that nutrition and traditional medicine may be used to cure imbalances. Among his sayings is, "Do you think that you are a small body, while the greatest world has folded itself in you?" Research in the related documents, historical evidence and present volumes of this treatise indicates that even if a book titled Al-Risalah al-Dhahabiah could be attributed to Al-Ridha, it doesn't constitute that the present versions are that precise book, and it cannot be taken into use as "Sunnah".

paragraph: Section::::Works.:Sahifah.

paragraph: The "Sahifah" is a collection of hadith attributed to Ali al-Ridha which was transmitted by Abdallah ibn Aḥmad ibn Amer, who heard them from his father Aḥmad, who was said to have heard it from Ali al-Ridha in 194 AH (809–10 CE) at Medina. It contains hadiths on various topics like the invocation of Allah, the importance of praying five times a day and of saying the prayer for the dead, the excellence of the Muhammad's household, of the believer, of good manners, and of strengthening the bonds of kinship, and the danger of cheating, of backbiting, and of tattling. It discusses each member of the household.

paragraph: Section::::Works.:Uyun al Akhbar ar Reda.

paragraph: Uyun al Akhbar ar Reda is a book in which is gathered together everything that has been related about Imam from debates on religious questions and the sayings which have been recorded from him, to the explanations of the reason his name was chosen, and traditions concerning his death and the miracles which have occurred at his tomb. It is collected by Ibn Babawayh known as Al-Shaykh al-Saduq.

paragraph: Section::::Works.:Feqh al-Reżā.

paragraph: "Feqh al-Reżā" (al-Rida's Jurisprudence) Also called "al-Fiqh al-Radawi", is also attributed to Imam al-Ridha. It was not known till the 10th/16th century when it was judged to be authentic by Muhammad Baqir Majlisi. However, most of Imami scholars doubted its authenticity.

paragraph: Section::::Connection to Sufism.

paragraph: It has been commonly held that Maruf Karkhi who was converted to Islam through Ali al-Ridha is one of the foremost figures in the golden chain of most Sufi orders. He was a devoted student of Ali al-Ridha and is an important figure for Sufism and Shi'ism. According to Corbin, although at the end of the Safavid period a Ni'mat Allahi Sufi from India named Ma'sum been sent by his spiritual master, Shaykh Shah 'Ali Rida Dakhani, to Iran and settled with his family at Shiraz, to restore the Ni'mat Allahi order in Iran, however the Sufi order while owes its name to Shah Ni'mat Allah Wali, goes back originally to the Eighth Shia Imam, the Imam 'Ali Rida through Ma'ruf al-Karkhi.

paragraph: Section::::Selected sayings.

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Everyone's friend is his reason; his enemy is his ignorance."

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Worship is not abundant prayer and fasting; rather it is abundant reflecting on the affair of Allah, the Great and Almighty."

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Man is not worshipful unless he is clement."

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Faith is a degree above Islam; fear of Allah is a degree above faith; and nothing less than fear of Allah has been divided among men."

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Faith is four pillars: trust in Allah, satisfaction with Allah's decree, submission to Allah's command, and entrusting (affairs) to Allah."

paragraph: BULLET::::- "If one lacks five attributes, do not expect to gain anything good out of him for your life in this world or your life to come: if his lineage is known to be untrustworthy, if his nature lacks generosity, if his temper lacks balance, if he lacks a noble conduct, and if he lacks fear of his Lord."

paragraph: BULLET::::- "If only three years of a person's span of life has remained and he tightens the bond of kin, Allah will make them thirty years, and Allah does whatever He wills."

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Imamate is compulsory for religion and it is a system for Muslims. It is cause of benefit in this world and dignity for Believers."

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Adhere to the weapon of the prophets!" They asked, "What is the weapon of prophets?" He replied, "Supplication."

paragraph: BULLET::::- "A believer's secret supplication is equal to seventy open supplications."

paragraph: Section::::Death.

paragraph: Al-Ma'mun thought he would solve the problems of Shia revolts by naming al-Ridha as his successor. After finally being able to persuade al-Rida to accept this position, al-Ma'mun realized his mistake, for Shia began to gain even more popularity. Moreover, Arab party in Baghdad were furious when they heard that al-Ma'mun not only appointed the imam as his successor, but sent out commands that the Abbasid'd black flag should be changed to green in honor of the Imam. They were afraid that the empire would be taken from them. They got together, therefore, to depose Ma'mun and give allegiance to Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi, who was the uncle of Ma'mun. When Ma'mun heard this, the Imam advised him to solve the problem by dismissing him from his position but he did not heed and decided to return to Baghdad and assert his rights. However, when they reached the town of Sarakhs, his vizier was assassinated, and when they reached Tus, al-Ma'mūn poisoned the Imam. Then, Muhammad Taqi imam's son came. Al-Ma'mūn ordered that he be buried next to the tomb of his own father, Harun al-Rashid, and showed extreme sorrow in the funeral ritual and stayed for three days at the place. According to Madelung the unexpected death of both the vizier and the successor, "whose presence would have made any reconciliation with the powerful ʿAbbasid opposition in Baghdad virtually impossible, must indeed arouse strong suspicion that Ma'mun had had a hand in the deaths." The more popular record about his death is that he died in 203 AH, at the age of 50. The precise day is not agreed upon.

paragraph: Section::::Death.:Ritual of reciting the sermon.

paragraph: The traditional "Kutbeh Khani" (Sermon reciting) ritual is held on the night of killing of Imam Reza every year. The ritual, based on the order of governor Ali Shah of Khorasan in 1160 AH, involves the shrine's servants walking from the nearest street around the shrine to Inqilab yard with candles in their hands. When they arrive, they stand around the yard and began reciting the sermon, worship Allah and praise Ahl al-Bayt. This ritual is also held on the night of Ashura.

paragraph: Section::::Death.:In the Gregorian calendar.

paragraph: While the "Khutbeh-khani" (Sermon reciting) on the night of the martyrdom of Ali al-Ridha is always on nearly the same day (30Safar) of the Islamic calendar, the date on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year because of differences between the two calendars, since the Islamic calendar, the Hijri calendar (AH), is a lunar calendar and the Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar.

paragraph: Section::::Imam Reza shrine.

paragraph: Today the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad occupies a total area of the shrine area occupies while the seven courtyards surrounding it cover an area of , together having an area larger than Masjid al-Haram and Masjid al-Nabawi (which have areas of and respectively). Based on this, some sources describe it as the largest mosque in the world.

paragraph: The courtyards also contain a total of 14 minarets, and 3 fountains. From the courtyards, external hallways named after scholars lead to the inner areas of the mosque. They are referred to as Bast (Sanctuary), since they were meant to be a safeguard for the shrine areas.

paragraph: The Bast hallways lead towards a total of 21 internal halls ("Riwaq") surrounding the burial chamber of Ali al-Ridha. Adjacent to the burial chamber is also a mosque dating back to the 10th century known as, Bala-e-Sar mosque.

paragraph: Section::::Narrations of his Character.

paragraph: Al-Dhahabi, known for his enmity towards the Ahl al-Bayt, could not help but acknowledge al-Ridha's merits, saying "He (al-Ridha’) is Imam Abu’ al-Hasan. He was the master of the Hashemites of his time; he was the most clement and noblest of them. Al Ma’mu’n honored him, yielded to him, and magniﬁed him to the extent that he appointed him as his successor."

paragraph: Section::::See also.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Ali al-Hadi

paragraph: BULLET::::- Hajar Khatoon Mosque

paragraph: BULLET::::- Hasan al-Askari

paragraph: BULLET::::- Hasan ibn Ali

paragraph: BULLET::::- Muhammad al-Baqir

paragraph: BULLET::::- Muhammad al-Mahdi

paragraph: BULLET::::- Musa al-Kazim

paragraph: BULLET::::- Hadith of Golden Chain

paragraph: BULLET::::- Al-Risalah al-Dhahabiah

paragraph: BULLET::::- Al-Sahifat al-Ridha

paragraph: Section::::External links.

paragraph: BULLET::::-  Social and Political Standing of the Imam

paragraph: BULLET::::-  A Brief Biography on the Life of Imam

paragraph: BULLET::::- Ali al-Riza an article by "Encyclopædia Iranica"

paragraph: BULLET::::-  About Imam Reza

paragraph: BULLET::::- 'Ali ar-Riza an article of "Encyclopædia Britannica" online

paragraph: BULLET::::- The Eighth Imām

paragraph: BULLET::::- Imam Ali ar-Rida

paragraph: BULLET::::-  Official WebSite of Astane Quds Cultural Department

paragraph: BULLET::::- Imam Ali Reza on Baabeilm.com

paragraph: BULLET::::- A Glance at the Biography of Emam Reza

paragraph: BULLET::::- Ali ibn Musa Rida biography and Hadith

paragraph: BULLET::::- Imam Ali Reza (p) Holy Shrine in Mashad – Live Broadcast

description: eighth of the Twelve Imams

enwikiquote_title: Ali al-Rida

wikidata_label: Ali Al-Ridha

wikipedia_title: Ali al-Ridha


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text: Imamate (Twelver doctrine)

text: Jafar ibn Ali al-Hadi

text: Encyclopædia Iranica

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categories: Family of Muhammad,Twelver imams,Deaths by poisoning,846 births,People from Medina,The Fourteen Infallibles,9th-century imams,874 deaths

paragraph: Hasan al-Askari

paragraph: Hasan ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ( 846 – 874) was the 11th Imam of Twelver Shia Islam, after his father Ali al-Hadi. He was also called Abu Muhammad and Ibn al-Ridha. Because Samarra, the city where he lived, was a garrison town, he is generally known as al-Askari ("Askar" is the word for "military" in Arabic). Al-Askari married Narjis Khatun and was kept under house arrest or in prison for most of his life. According to some Shia sources, he was poisoned at the age of 28 on the orders of the Abbasid caliph Al-Mu'tamid and was buried in Samarra. It was known that many Shia were looking forward to the succession of his son, Muhammad al-Mahdi, as they believed him to be the twelfth Imam, who was destined to remove injustice from the world.

paragraph: Section::::Birth and early life.

paragraph: In 231 or 232 A.H., Hasan al-Askari was born in Medina. Dwight Donaldson has put al-Askari's birth near the time Al-Mutawakkil transferred his father, Ali al-Hadi, from Medina to Samarra. It is unclear whether he was born in Samarra or Medina. Hans Halm has set 233 or 234 A.H.(849 A.D.) as the date of the departure of Hasan al-Askari with his father. Wilferd Madelung considers 23 Ramadan 233 AH (5 May, 848 A.D.) the date of their entry into Samarra, so he spent most of his life there. According to authentic Shia Hadith he was born in Medina on the 8th of Rabiul Akhar 232 Hijri (4 December 846 AD) and died in Samarra Iraq on the 8th of Rabiul Awwal 260 Hijri (4 January 874) aged 28. The period of his imamate was six years. He was taken along with his family to Samarra in the year 230, 231 or 232 A.H., and was kept there under house arrest. In Samarra, al-Askari spent most of his time reading the Quran and the Sharia. According to Donaldson, al-Askari must also have studied languages. In later years it was known that he could speak Hindi with the pilgrims from India, Turkish with the Turks, and Persian with the Persians. According to Shia accounts, however, it is part of the divine knowledge given to all Imams to be able to speak all human languages.

paragraph: It is said that even as a child, al-Askari was endowed with divine knowledge. One day a man passed by him and saw that he was crying. The man told him he would buy a toy that he might play with. "No!" said al-Askari, "We have not been created for play." The man was amazed at this answer and said, "Then, what for have we been created?" "For knowledge and worship", answered the child. The man said, "Where have you got this from?" Al-Askari said, "From the saying of God, "Did you then think that We had created you in vain"." The man was confused, so he asked, "What has happened to you while you are guiltless, little child?" Al-Askari replied, "Be away from me! I have seen my mother set fire to big pieces of firewood, but fire is not lit except with small pieces, and I fear that I shall be from the small pieces of the firewood of the Hell."

paragraph: Al-Askari's mother, as in the case of most of The Twelve Imams, was a slave girl who was honoured after bearing children with the title "Umm walad" (mother of offspring). Her given name was Hadith, though some say she was called "Susan", "Ghazala", "Salil", or "Haribta". Al-Askari had other brothers. Among them was Ja’far who was also known as "Ja'far al-Zaki" or "Jaffar-us-Sani". His other brother was Husayn, and together he and al-Askari were known as "as-Sibtayn", after their two grandfathers Hasan and Husayn, who were also called "as-Sibtayn".

paragraph: Section::::Family.

paragraph: Various legends relate to al-Askari's wife, Narjis Khatun (the mother of the twelfth Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi). It is said that al-Askari's father, Ali al-Hadi, wrote a letter in the script of Rûm, put it in a red purse with 220 dinars, and gave it to his friend Bashar ibn Sulaiman. The letter instructed him to go to Baghdad, to a ferry dock on the river where the boats from Syria were unloaded, and female slaves were sold. Bashar was told to look out for a shipowner named Amr ibn Yazid, who had a slave girl who would call out in the language of Rûm: "Even if you have wealth and the glory of Solomon the son of David, I can never have affection for you, so take care lest you waste your money." And that if a buyer approached her, she would say, "Cursed be the man who unveils my eyebrow!" Her owner would then protest, "But what recourse do I have I; I am compelled to sell you?" The Imam said, "You will then hear the slave answer, 'Why this hast, let me choose my purchaser, that my heart may accept him in confidence and gratitude'."

paragraph: Bashar gave the letter to the slave girl as he was instructed. She read it and was unable to keep from crying afterward. Then she said to Amr ibn Yezid, "Sell me to the writer of this letter, for if you refuse I will surely kill myself." "I therefore talked over the price with Amr until we agreed on the 220 dinars my master had given me," said Bashar. On her way to Samarra, the slave girl would kiss the letter and rub it to her face and body; and when asked by Bashar why she did so despite not knowing the writer of the letter, she said, "May the offspring of the Prophet dispel your doubts!" Later, however, she gave a full description of the dream she had, and how she had escaped from her father's palace. A lengthier version of this story is recorded in Donaldson's book, along with further discussion on its authenticity.

paragraph: Some Shia sources have recorded her as being a "Roman (i.e. Byzantine) princess" who pretended to be a slave so that she might travel from her kingdom to Arabia. Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi, in the "Encyclopedia of Iranica", suggests that the last version is "undoubtedly legendary and hagiographic".

paragraph: About his descendants, there are different views. According to many collections of Sunni and Shi'a hadith, his only son was Mohammed, who was born in 255 A.H.(869 A.D.). Some sources enumerate up to three girls and three boys as his offspring. Some others say he did not have any offspring.

paragraph: Section::::Imamate.

paragraph: Shia believe that Hasan al-Askari gained the Imamate after the death of his father—by divine command, as well as by the decrees of the previous Imams—at the age of 22. During the seven years of his Imamate, Hasan al-Askari lived in dissimulation ("taqiyah"), without any social contact, as the Abbasid Caliphs were afraid of the increasing popularity of Shia Islam at the time. The Caliphs also came to know that the leaders among the Shia believed that the eleventh Imam would have a son who was the promised Mahdi.

paragraph: Due to these fears, the Caliphs of the time had decided to put an end to the Imamate of Shi'ism once and for all.

paragraph: Section::::Imamate.:Under the rule of the Abbasid Caliphs.

paragraph: Hasan al-Askari lived almost his entire life under house arrest in Samarra and under the supervision of the Abbasid caliphs. He was not allowed to communicate with others and wore the "Taqiyah" (cap). Some say, however, that due to visits made on his traffic route, at the beginning of his imamate, he had a little freedom. According to Sachedina and Jassim M. Hussain, during his house arrest, al-Askari named a personal deputy to guide the Shia in religious thought and collect religious taxes ("Khums", "Zakat", etc.). He organized The institution of the deputyship ("wikala"). He criticized the rulers for appropriating the wealth of the nation and extorting the people under their rule by not communicating with or cooperating with the kings of his time. The state remained in a political crisis, as the Abbasid Caliphs were considered puppets of the Turks, who were seen as ruling through terrorism. After the death of al-Askari's father, Ali al-Hadi, the Caliph Al-Mu'tazz summoned him to Baghdad, where he was kept in prison during the short rule of the next Caliph, Al-Muhtadi. Most of his prison time, however, was during the reign of the succeeding Caliph, Al-Mu'tamid, who is known in Shia sources as the main oppressor of the Imam. The Imam's death has largely been attributed to poison administered by al-Mu'tamid. The al-Mu'tamid era coincided with the rebellion of the Alawites, and people allied to them, so al-Askari was released from prison, from 256 to 260 A.H. The news of his death was published in his home.

paragraph: Section::::Imamate.:Divisions.

paragraph: There was a large sect of Shia, the Waqifiyya, who believed that the Imamate stopped with the seventh Imam, Musa al-Kadhim. They were unwilling to approve the succession of the remaining five Imams. Also, Ja’far, the son of the tenth Imam, claimed to be Imam after the death of his brother, al-Askari, and was followed by a group of Shia. However, this group disbanded soon afterwards, as Ja’far himself gave up his claim. Except for Zaidiyyah and Isma'ilism, which continue to the present day, all other minority sects of Twelver Shia were dissolved in a short period, except for the division made by Ibn Nusayr after the death of Al-Askari, which later became the Alawites.

paragraph: Section::::Expertise.

paragraph: During their lifetimes, the Shia Imams trained hundreds of scholars whose names and works can be found in biographical books. During the time of the Eleventh Imam, however, some Shia saw Islamic religious life as being in shambles. The Imam was under house arrest and many non-believers took advantage of this to question religion, in spite of the Imam's continuing to speak out against those who questioned the Qur'an. An account of this can be found in a "tafsir" ascribed to him. The religious skepticism was manifested in a book entitled "The Contradiction of the Quran", by Abd al-Masih ibn Ishaq al-Kindi. News of the book came to al-Askari, who met one of al-Kindi's disciples and said to him, "Is there no wise man among you to prevent your teacher, al-Kindi, from that which he has busied himself with?" The disciple answered that they were al-Kindi's disciples and were unable to object. Later on, Hasan al-Askari instructed the disciple how to question al-Kindi.

paragraph: Go to him, be courteous with him, and show him that you will help him in what he is in. When he feels comfortable with you, you say to him, "If someone recites the Quran, is it possible that he means other meanings than what you think you understand?" He shall say that "it is possible because he is a man who understands when he listens." If he says that, you say to him, "How do you know? He might mean other than the meanings that you think, and so he fabricates other than its (the Qur'an) meanings..."

paragraph: The disciple did as al-Askari advised him; and Al-Kindi was shrewd enough to say, "...no one like you can get to this. Would you tell me where you have got this from?" And when he heard the true story said, "Now you say the truth. Like this would not come out except that house (the Ahlul Bayt)…". It is said that al-Kindi burnt his book afterwards.

paragraph: Section::::Expertise.:Tafsir al-Askari.

paragraph: Despite being confined to house arrest for almost his entire life, Hasan al-Askari was able to teach others about Islam, and even compiled a commentary on the Quran that became known as "Tafsir al-Askari". However, there was much suspicion about whether it truly was his work. The "tafsir" was thought by some to have a weak chain of authorities "(Sanad)", which is an essential part of the transmission of a tradition. The "tafsir" was also questioned because it contained a few inconsistencies and lacks eloquence, which some claim ruin its validity by default. The main reason people questioned its validity was the fact the Imam was under constant watch by the Abbasid government, which prevented any contact between him and other Shia, making it impossible for such knowledge to be transmitted.

paragraph: Section::::Death.

paragraph: Opinions differ on the cause of Hasan al-Askari’s death. Some believe he died from illness. But, according to some Shia sources, others think he was poisoned at the age of 28 at the instigation of the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mu'tamid and died on the 8th Rabi' al-Awwal 260 AH (approximately: 4 January 874) in his house in Samarra and was buried with his father. Shaykh Tabarsi thought, based on hadith of the Imamieh, that all Shia imams will be killed by someone else, so that he believed al-Askari was poisoned. Ibn Shahrashub, referring to documents such as "Dala'il al-imama", stated that al-Askari was killed by someone else. Rasul Jafarian, referring to historical documents and detention records of the sixth century A.H., stated that al-Askari opposed the Abbasid Caliph politically and that his death happened early in life. According to the "Encyclopaedia of Islam", in all of the sources there is one common thread: that al-Mu'tamid wanted a declaration by medical practitioners that showed the people that al-Askari died a natural death.

paragraph: When news of al-Askari's illness reached Caliph Al-Mu'tamid, he sent a physician and a group of his trusted men to observe the Imam's condition. After the death of the Imam, they had all his female slaves examined by the midwives. For two years, they searched for the successor of the Imam until they eventually lost hope. Al-Askari died on the very same day that his young son, Muhammad al-Mahdi, who then was five or a little over, disappeared and started what was henceforth known as the Minor Occultation.

paragraph: Genealogy trees of Middle Eastern families, mostly from Persia and Khorasan, show that Imam Hasan al-Askari also had a second son called Sayyid Ali Akbar. These indicate that Imam al-Askari had children and tend to substantiate the existence of Imam Muhammad al Mahdi. The reason for dispute over whether Imam Al Askari had children or not is perhaps because of the political conflicts between the followers of the Imamah and the leadership of the Abbasids and Ghulat Shiites who had not believed in Imam Hasan al-Askaris Imamah. In fact, the eleventh Imam had two sons, Sayyid Muhammad (i.e. Imam Mahdi) and Sayyid Ali Akbar. Notable descendants of Sayyid Ali Akbar are Sufi saints such as Maudood Chishti and Bahauddin Naqshband, descendant after 11 generations. Khwaja Khawand Mahmud known as Hazrat Ishaan, descendant after 18 generations and the three saintly brothers Sayyid ul Sadaat Sayyid Mir Jan Sayyid ul Sadaat Sayyid Mahmud Agha and Sayyid ul Sadaat Sayyid Mir Fazlullah, Qadhi ul Qudhad i.e. chief of justice of the Emirate of Afghanistan, maternal descendants of Imam Hasan al Askari and Hazrat Ishaan. The German entrepreneur and member of the royal family of Afghanistan is a contemporary descendant of Sayyid Ali-Akbar, through his great grandfather Sayyid ul Sadaat Sayyid Mir Fazlullah, Qadhi ul Qudhad i.e. chief of justice of the Emirate of Afghanistan. Also Gadi Qozi Sayyid Bahodirxon, and the Sufi saints Tajuddin Muhammad Badruddin and Pir Baba and Sayyid Ahmed Amiruddin. Another descendant of Sayyid Ali Akbar was Saint Ishan (Eshon) Imlo of Bukhara. Ishan Imlo

paragraph: Bukhara or "saint of the last time", as he is called in Bukhara, is believed to be the last offspring of the Saints. The average Asian Muslim revere him as the last of the Saints. Ishan Imlo according to the source, died in 1162 AH (1748–1749), the mausoleum ("Mazar") is in a cemetery in Bukhara.

paragraph: Section::::His Son.

paragraph: Shias believe the birth of al-Askari's son, like that of the prophet Moses, was concealed due to the difficulties of the time and because of the belief that the son was the promised Muhammad al-Mahdi, an important figure in Shia teachings. The Mahdi was believed to be destined to reappear before the end of time to fill the world with justice, peace, and to establish Islam as the global religion. Al-Askari's death coincided with the beginning of the imamate of the Mahdi.

paragraph: Ja'far al Zaki, al-Askari's uncle, claimed that his brother never had a son. It is said that when Ja'far al Zaki was about to say the prayer at his nephew's funeral, there appeared "a fair child, with curly hair, and shining teeth", who seized Ja'far's cloak and insisted on saying the prayer. A few days later, a group of Shia pilgrims from Qum, ignorant of his death, came to visit al-Askari. The same Ja'far claimed to be the next Imam. The pilgrims said they would accept him if he would prove himself by telling them their names and indicating how much money they had. While Ja'far was protesting this examination, a servant of al-Mahdi appeared, saying that his master had sent him to inform them of their particular names and their specific amounts of money. Ja'far searched everywhere but could not find the boy, al-Mahdi. The doctrine of his "ghaiba" declares simply that the Mahdi has been "withdrawn by God from the eyes of men, that his life has been miraculously prolonged, that he has been seen from time to time and has been in correspondence with others, and maintains a control over the fortunes of his people".

paragraph: Many Sunni do not believe the Mahdi has already been born, but there is a group of as many as 40 famous Sunni scholars including Al-Dhahabi, Ibn-Hajar, Abu al-Falah Hanbali and al-Qunduzi who believe that he has.

paragraph: Section::::See also.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Ali al-Hadi

paragraph: BULLET::::- Muhammad al-Mahdi

paragraph: BULLET::::- Sayyid Ali Akbar

paragraph: BULLET::::- List of extinct Shia sects

paragraph: BULLET::::- Muhammad ibn Ali al-Hadi

paragraph: BULLET::::- Muhammadite Shia

paragraph: BULLET::::- Imamate (Twelver doctrine)

paragraph: BULLET::::- Ahl Al-Bayt

paragraph: BULLET::::- Jafar ibn Ali al-Hadi

paragraph: Section::::External links.

paragraph: BULLET::::- The Life of Imam Al-Hasan Al-Askari

paragraph: BULLET::::- ABU MOHAMMAD HASAN B. ALI ASKARI by H. Halm, An article of "Encyclopædia Iranica"

paragraph: BULLET::::- The Eleventh Imam

paragraph: BULLET::::- Hasan Askari

description: Eleventh of the Twelve Imams

enwikiquote_title: Hasan al-Askari

wikidata_label: Hasan al-Askari

wikipedia_title: Hasan al-Askari


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categories: Family of Muhammad,Shia eschatology,Twelver imams,Mahdiism,869 births,Twelvers,Year of death unknown,Shia imams,9th-century imams,People of Byzantine descent

paragraph: Muhammad al-Mahdi

paragraph: Muḥammad ibn Al-Ḥasan al-Mahdī (), also known as "Imām Zamān" (امام زمان), is believed by Shia Twelver Muslims to be the Mahdī, an eschatological redeemer of Islam and ultimate savior of humankind and the final Imām of the Twelve Imams who will emerge with Isa (Jesus Christ) in order to fulfill their mission of bringing peace and justice to the world. Twelver Shī‘ites believe that al-Mahdī was born in 869 (15 Sha‘bān 255 AH) and assumed Imamate at 5 years of age following the killing of his father Hasan al-Askari. In the early years of his Imamate, he is believed to have had contact with his followers only through The Four Deputies. After a 69-year period, known as Minor Occultation, a few days before the death of his fourth deputy Abul Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri in 941, he is believed to have sent his followers a letter. In that letter that was transmitted by al-Samarri he declared the beginning of Major Occultation during which Mahdi is not in contact with his followers.

paragraph: Followers of Sunni Islam and other minority Shias mostly believe that the Mahdi has not yet been born, and therefore his exact identity is only known to Allah, other than the idea that he is to be from the descendants of Muhammad. Aside from the Mahdi's precise genealogy, Sunnis accept many of the same hadiths which Shias accept about the predictions regarding the Mahdi's emergence, his acts, and his universal Caliphate. Sunnis also have more hadiths about Mahdi which are not present in Shi'ite collections.

paragraph: Section::::Attributes.

paragraph: According to the Shia, the Mahdi belongs to Muhammad's "Bayt" (Household), being a descendant of Ali, Fatimah and Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin, and considered by Twelvers to be the son of Al-Askari, and consequently the twelfth Imam of the Twelve Imams of the "Bayt". It is considered that his life and occultation would be prolonged, and then that with his appearance, he would fill the earth with justice and righteousness, and allow Islam to rule it.

paragraph: Abdulaziz Sachedina describes him as "the victorious Imam" of Shia "who will restore the purity of the Faith" and "bring true and uncorrupted guidance to all mankind, creating an adequately just social order and a world free from tyranny and wickedness."

paragraph: Section::::Twelver Shi'ite accounts of his life.

paragraph: Aside from Shi'i works almost nothing is known about the life of this Imam. In the biographies of Mahdi written by Shi'is themselves, it is hard to draw a line between hagiographical and historical works. In Shia sources, even in historical works of Ibn Babuya, the birth of Imam was miraculous which must be considered as hagiography. According to Yaan Richard, some even cast doubt on his actual existence.

paragraph: Section::::Twelver Shi'ite accounts of his life.:Birth and family.

paragraph: According to the Shia, because of Abbasids' crackdown on Alids' revolts for fear of the expected messiah from Ali's progeny, Al-Askari kept the child's birth on 255/868 secret and informed only close companions of the existence of his successor.

paragraph: Al-Mahdi's mother was reportedly called Narjis. There are a couple of narrations regarding the origin of his mother. One is that Narjis was a Byzantine slave. Another narration says she was a black slave from Africa. Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi states that names like Sawsan, Narjis or Rayhana were common names for slaves at that time and his mother's name supports this narration. Another narration says that she was a Byzantine princess who pretended to be a slave so that she might travel from her kingdom to Arabia. Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi suggests in "Iranica" that the last version is "undoubtedly legendary and hagiographic". Shaikh Tusi says that his mother's name was Mali-ka the daughter of Yashu‘a-, son of the Caesar of Rome. Her mother was from the descendants of the Disciples of Jesus (Hawa-riyi-n), and her lineage went back to the successor of "Jesus, "Sham‘u-n"; she named herself Narjis when she traveled to Arabia.

paragraph: Section::::Twelver Shi'ite accounts of his life.:Occultation.

paragraph: Twelver Shi'as believe that the Imam did not suffer death, but that, for various reasons, has been concealed by Allah from mankind. This event is known as "The Occultation". Since the year AH 329 (about 940 CE), the occultation has been divided into two periods.

paragraph: The Quran states, that there are two kinds of saints of God among people: apparent and hidden. The hidden saints live among the people and are aware of them, but the people do not know them. Sura Kahf 18:65–66 implies that even though people do not know the hidden saints, they benefit from them like the sun hidden behind the clouds.

paragraph: Shias generally believe that in every age, there is an Imam, either apparent or hidden. But in times that there are dangers threatening the life of the Imam, he is concealed by God's order, hence the Occultation of the twelfth Imam. Al-Nu'mani states two reasons for the Occultation in particular: a) a test for the followers of the Imam and their faith, b) saving the Imam from Bay'a (allegiance) to the oppressive leaders. With all that said, a Hadith states that the real reason for the Occultation will be only known when the Imam re-appears as in the story of Musa and Khidr where the reasons for Khidr's deeds were not immediately revealed to Musa.

paragraph: When Jabir asked Muhammad about the benefits of the hidden Imam, he replied that the people would benefit from his love (Walayah) as they benefit from the sun when it is covered by the clouds.

paragraph: Sharif al-Murtaza, a classical Shia scholar has argued that the reason for the Imam's Occultation was to protect his life after establishing the just state had been rendered impossible by his enemies. But Shias would still benefit from the Imam because belief in his hidden presence keeps them from committing evil in their life.

paragraph: Since Shi'ites believe that the primordial light of the prophethood has continued to shine through the ages in the character of the Imams, be they hidden or apparent, no idea ever rose regarding the inaccessibility of the Hidden Imam in the state of occultation. According to Baha'i scholar Moojan Momen, numerous stories exist of the Hidden Imam "manifesting himself to prominent members of the ulama (Muslim religious scholars)." Publishers close to the Lebanese Shia militant organization, Hezbollah, have published accounts by Hezbollah fighters on how Mahdi intervened personally on the battlefields in critical moments during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah conflict to help them fight against the Israeli army.

paragraph: Section::::Twelver Shi'ite accounts of his life.:Occultation.:Minor Occultation.

paragraph: "Ghaybat al-Sughra" or Minor Occultation (874–941), consists of the first few decades of the Imam's disappearance when communication with him was maintained through his deputies. Tusi and al-Mofid state that the Occultation resumed on the third or seventh day of his birth.

paragraph: Section::::Twelver Shi'ite accounts of his life.:Occultation.:Major Occultation.

paragraph: "Ghaybat al-Kubra" or Major Occultation began 941 CE and is believed to continue until a time decided by Allah, when the Mahdi will reappear to bring absolute justice to the world. According to the last letter of al-Mahdi to Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri "from the day of your death [the last deputy] the period of my major occultation (al ghaybatul kubra) will begin. Henceforth, no one will see me, unless and until Allah makes me appear. " Another view is that the Hidden Imam is on earth "among the body of the Shia" but "incognito."

paragraph: Section::::Twelver Shi'ite accounts of his life.:Occultation.:Consequences.

paragraph: The occultation of 12th Imam left a considerable gap in leadership of Shias. According to Shia beliefs the Imam was both the spiritual and political head of the community. Although during the lesser occultation the network of Imam deputies (wikala) claimed to have the right to handle Shia communities' issues, this system was not continued during the Greater Occultation. After the greater occultation, the role of Imam as the head of community was left vacant, which did not theoretically matter at the beginning of Occultation because Shias had no political power at that time. However, when Shia states arose in later centuries, since the hidden Imam was alive and was the leader of Muslims, the role of the Shia states among Shia communities was in question.

paragraph: This problem has caused continuing tension between government and religion throughout Shia history.

paragraph: The occultation has resulted in many people claiming to be the returned Mahdi. According to seminary expert, Mehdi Ghafari, more than 3,000 fake Mahdis were in prison in Iran in 2012. In the last letter Muhammad al- Mahdi wrote to Ali Ibn Muhammad al-Samari, the last deputy: "whoever claims seeing me before the rise of Sufya-ni and the call, he is a liar and a slanderer".

paragraph: Section::::Twelver Shi'ite accounts of his life.:Reappearance.

paragraph: Twelver Shi'as cite various references from the Qur'an and reports, or Hadith, from Imam Mahdi and the Twelve Imams with regard to the reappearance of al-Mahdi who would, in accordance with Allah's command, bring justice and peace to the world by establishing Islam throughout the world. Shi'as believe that `Îsâ (Jesus) will also come (after Imam Mahdi's re-appearance) and follow the Imam to destroy tyranny and falsehood and to bring justice and peace to the world. This will also be accompanied by the raj'a (return) of several other personalities for retribution of the previously oppressed against the oppressor. Shia'as also believe that Imam Mahdi will reappear on a Friday, and that he will come forth speaking Arabic (probably all languages as he has Allah as translator).

paragraph: Section::::Twelver Shi'ite accounts of his life.:Visitations.

paragraph: Shi'ite works on the twelfth Imam have usually included a chapter or two on "those who have seen or met with the "Sahib az-Zaman" (Master of the Age)."

paragraph: Section::::Condition after Al-Askari's death.

paragraph: As Al-Askari died in AH 260 (874 CE) in Samarra, he did not leave any apparent son, because the situation was difficult and Mu'tamid was searching for the successor of the Imam; the Imam did not reveal his son and Shias were confused about the successor of the Imam. The troubled situation of the Abbasid khalifas made people think that a descendant of Muhammad would rise with a sword (Qa'im bi'lsayf) and wipe out injustice on earth which acted as a consolation for the oppressed people who were waiting for the establishment of God's will on earth.

paragraph: Section::::Historicity.

paragraph: The historical existence of the twelfth imam has been long debated since the death of the eleventh Imam. Even though Shi'ite Scholars believe that the Twelfth Imam is an actual person, the Eleventh Imam, Hasan al-Askari, was kept more or less a prisoner by the Abbasids in the camp at Samarra, about north of Baghdad, and died there in 874 CE at the age of twenty-eight. It appears that none of the Shi'i notables knew of the existence of the son of the eleventh Imam. The only possible occasion the son of the eleventh Imam is said to have made a public appearance was as a child at the time of the eleventh Imam's death, thereafter the boy was seen no more.

paragraph: It was believed that the twelfth Imam was connected to his community through four agents, giving his commands via letter; Moojan Momen, a much-published Baha'i historian, doubts the historical accuracy of these accounts, mentioning that there is no indication that the number of agents was limited to four and several others are mentioned. It seems likely that after the death of the eleventh Imam, for the duration of a natural lifespan (i.e. seventy years) this system had continued to operate. The brother of the eleventh Imam, Jafar ibn Ali, remained firm in his assertion that his brother had no progeny and there were legal disputes over the ownership of his brother's estate with the supposed agents.

paragraph: Henry Corbin in contrast believed that the question of historicity is irrelevant admitting that the idea of the hidden Imam was shaped by the person of twelfth and considering the extensive body of literature about him, saw the birth and his occultation as archetypal and symbolic, describing it as "sacred history". In his "History of Islamic Philosophy" He writes: "The simultaneity of these (birth and occultation) is rich in meanings from the mystical point of view… here above all, our approach should be that of the phenomenological: we must discover the aims of Shi’ite awareness...".

paragraph: There was a hadith that was already present in orthodox Sunni collections wherein Muhammad declares that he will be followed by twelve caliphs (alternative versions have qayyims) from his descendants all from his tribe, the Quraysh. The hadith appears in both Bukhari (as amirs Bab al-istakhlaf, 7062) and Muslim (as "caliphs", Bab al-nas taba l-Quraysh, 4667). The statement had been in circulation long before 874 A.D.

paragraph: Section::::Scholarly observations.

paragraph: Some scholars, including Bernard Lewis also point out, that the idea of an Imam in occultation was not new in 873 CE but that it was a recurring factor in Shia history. Examples of this include the cases of Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah (according to the Kaysanites Shia), Muhammad ibn Abdallah An-Nafs Az-Zakiyya, Musa al-Kadhim (according to the Waqifite Shia), Muhammad ibn Qasim (al-Alawi), Yahya ibn Umar and Muhammad ibn Ali al-Hadi (according to the Muhammadite Shia).

paragraph: According to Jassem Hossein, traditions regarding occultation of Mahdi had been collected by many different shia sects. Before 874, the traditions existed in Waqifi, Zaydi, Jarudi and Imamite books. In Waqifis, Anmati Ibrahim ibn Salih Koufi, a disciple of the fifth Imam, wrote a book titled "Occultation". Ali ibn Hossayn Taee Tatari and Hassan ibn Mohammad ibn Sama'ah each wrote a book titled "Book of Occultation" and introduced the seventh Imam as the Imam who will go into Occultation. Among Zaydis AbousSaeed Ibad ibn Yaqub Ravajini Asfari in a book titled Aboosaeed Asfari collects traditions on occultation and the twelve Imams and the end of Imams in twelve without naming them all. From the twelvers, Ali ibn Mahziar Ahwazi who died on or before 874 CE wrote two books titled, Kitab Al-Malahem and Kitab Alqaem both on occultation and the rise of Imam with sword. Hossein ibn Mahboob Sarad wrote the book titled Al-mashikhah on occultation. Fazl ibn Shazan Nisabouri wrote Al-Qaybah which is narrated from Al-Mashikhah. He died two months before the 11th Imam and declared the twelfth Imam as the Qaem.

paragraph: Yaan Richard suggests occultation was a "convenient solution" for the last Imams' justification of their quietism. According to Sachedina, however, the idea of the eschatological Qa'im who would rise after going to occultation was mentioned by the fifth and sixth Imam, i.e. Muhammad al-Baqir and Ja'far al-Sadiq at various times when the two were approached by their followers and assured of their support if they wanted to rise against the existing regime.

paragraph: Hasan al-Askari's estate was divided between his brother Jafar and his mother. Moojan Momen writes: Jafar remained unshakeable in his assertion that his brother (Hasan al-Askari) had no progeny." According to Sachadina, "sources describe Ja'far as a worldly and pleasure-loving man who in order to become the Imam had used various repressive means in the presence of al-Mu'tamid and more than once has tried to slander those who upheld the Imamate of the infant son of al-Askari in concealment."

paragraph: During the caliphate of al-Mu'tamid to that of al-Muqtadir, the agents of the dead Imam believed that Hasan al-Askari had left a son who will appear at Allah's will. This group of people were under attack and opposed by others. Al-Mutamid, the Abbasid caliph, ordered to investigate the house of Imam and also to inspect if Imam's wives were pregnant. During these investigations, Narjis was imprisoned for not revealing the place of her baby. In order to promote a dispute within Imam's family, they "supported Ja'far a brother of al-Askari and claimant to the office of the Imamat". The situation changed when "political disturbances caused by the Zanj and provincial leaders in Iran, Egypt and Syria." led to the capture of the caliph.

paragraph: According to Jassim M. Hussain, the majority of the Imamites denied his birth or even his existence, and abandoned their belief in the hidden Imam except for a small minority belonging to the circles of narrators, like Ibn Qubba and al-Nu'mani who based their belief on the traditions of the Imams (i.e. Hadith about twelve Imams). Jassim Hussain indicates, several books were written before the minor Occultation predicting the event of the twelfth Imam being the Mahdi and his going to occultation.

paragraph: By the third and fourth decades of the 10th century (i.e. the closing years of the Lesser Occultation), the majority of the Shiis were agreed on the line of the Twelve Imams.

paragraph: Section::::Non-Twelver views.

paragraph: Section::::Non-Twelver views.:Sunni and Sufi.

paragraph: Historically, "the Sunnites often applied it [Mahdi] to the four caliphs after the Prophet, who were called al-Khulafa' al-Rashidun al-Mahdiyyun, the rightly guided caliphs.' Sulayman b. Surd called al-Husayn, after his martyrdom, Mahdi b. al-Mahdi". The majority of Sunni Muslims do not consider the son of Hasan al-Askari to be the Mahdi nor to be in occultation. However, they do believe that the Mahdi will come from Muhammad's family. Sunnis believe that the Mahdi has not yet been born, and therefore his true identity is known only to Allah. Aside from the Mahdi's precise genealogy, Sunnis accept many of the same hadiths Shias accept about the predictions regarding the Mahdi's emergence, his acts, and his universal Khilafat. Sunnis also have a few more Mahdi hadiths which are not present in Shia collections.

paragraph: Sunnis also believe that Jesus will return alongside the Mahdi, with the only difference being that they disagree with the Shia regarding exactly who the Mahdi is. Many another Sunnis, Ismaili and Zaidiyyah argue that Al-Askari did not have a son.

paragraph: Twelver Shias say his birth was concealed. Others argue that even if he had a son, Muhammad ibn al-Hassan could not live for over a thousand years. The existence of any descendant of Al-Askari is disputed by many people. However it is believed by Twelver Shi'ites and some Sunnis that Al-Askari had a son who would be the redeemer of Islam. Genealogy trees of Middle Eastern and Central Asian families, mostly from Persia, Khorasan, Samarqand and Bukhara show that Imam Hasan al-Askari had also a second son called Sayyid Ali Akbar, however, his existence is rejected by Shiite historians. It definitely indicates that Imam al-Askari had children and it also substantiates the existence of the Imam. The reason, why the fact that Imam Al-Askari had children or not is until today disputed was maybe because of the political conflicts between the followers of the Imamah and the leadership of the Abbasids and Ghulat Shiites who had not believe Hasan al-Askaris Imamah. Notable descendants of Sayyid Ali Akbar are Sufi Saints like Bahauddin Naqshband, descendant after 11 generations, Khwaja Khawand Mahmud known as Hazrat Ishaan, descendant after 18 generations and Sayyid ul Sadaat Sayyid Mir Jan, maternal descendant of Imam Hasan al Askari and Hazrat Ishaan. In her book "Pain and Grace: A Study of Two Mystical Writers of Eighteenth-Century Muslim India" p. 32, Dr.Annemarie Schimmel writes:"Khwaja Mir Dard`s family, like many nobles, from Bukhara; led their pedigree back to Baha'uddin Naqshband, after whom the Naqshbandi order is named, and who was a descendant, in the 11th generation of the 11th Shia imam al-Hasan al-Askari."

paragraph: Although Shiite historians generally reject the claim Hasan al-Askari fathered children other than Muhammad al-Mahdi, the Shiite hadith book Usul al-Kafi, in Bab Mawlid Abi Muhammad al-Hasan b.'Ali confirms the Sufi claim that Hasan al-Askari had more than one wife, in addition to slave girls, with whom he had relations. In his Usul, al-Kafi writes, "When the caliph got news of Imam Hasan 'Askari's illness, he instructed his agents to keep a constant watch over the house of the Imam...he sent some of these midwives to examine the slave girls of the Imam to determine if they were pregnant. If a woman was found pregnant she was detained and imprisoned...".

paragraph: In 648/1250-1 the Syrian Shafi'i author Muḥammad b. Yusuf al-Gandji al-Kurashi wrote K. al-Bayan fi akhbar sahib al-zaman in proving the Mahdiship of the Twelfth Imam using Sunni traditions. In 650/1252 Kamalal-Din Muḥammad b. Talha al-ʿAdawi al-Nisibini, a Shafi'i scholar composed his Maṭalib al-suʾul fi manaḳib al al-rasul answering Sunni objections to the belief that the Twelfth Imām was the Mahdi. The Sibt ibn al-Jawzi wrote Tadhkirat khawass al-umma bi-dhikr khasaʾis al-aʾimma collecting hadiths from Sunni sources about the virtues of ʿAli and his descendants, and at the end affirmed that the Twelfth Imam was the Expected Qaʾim Al Mahdi. Among Sufi circles Abu Bakr al-Bayhaḳī (d. 458/1066) had noted that some Sufi gnostics (djamaʿa min ahl al-kashf) agreed with the Imami doctrine about the identity of the Mahdi and his ghayba (occultation). The Persian Sufi Sadr al-Din Ibrahim al-Hammuyi (late 7th/13th century) supported Imami doctrine on the Mahdi in his Faraʾid al-simtayn. The Egyptian Sufi al-Shaʿrani, while generally showing no sympathy for Shiʿism affirmed in his al-Yawaḳit wa ’l-dj̲awahir (written in 958/1551) that the Mahdi was a son of Imam al-Hasan al-ʿAskari born in the year 255/869 and would remain alive until his meeting with Jesus.

paragraph: Section::::Non-Twelver views.:Bahá'í.

paragraph: `Abdu'l-Bahá has interpreted the Book of Revelation 11:3 "And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." The two witnesses are Muhammad and Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib. The 1,260 years are lunar years which refer to AH 1260 when Sayyed ʿAli Muhammad Shirāzi revealed himself to be the special representative of Muhammad al-Mahdi on 23 May 1844.

paragraph: Section::::Historical social impact.

paragraph: The messianic belief in Mahdi helped Shias to tolerate unbearable situations to the level that without it the Shia religion might not have been able to survive persecutions in the course of history. It also acted as a moderating force among them by postponing political activities until the future coming of the Awaited Mahdi. The belief has also acted as an inspiration for social movements against political repression. The sense of responsibility for paving the way for the reappearance of Mahdi has also led Shi'as to re-evaluate their social circumstances and the shortcomings of their lives and strive to build their own provisional Islamic government in anticipation of Mahdi's promised rule.

paragraph: Section::::Historical social impact.:Contemporary influence.

paragraph: The Shia millennial vision of history continues to be expressed, even today, through radical social protest against political oppression. Abdulaziz Sachedina writes: "Without the deep sense of paving the way for the reappearance of the Imam, the Shi'as would not have felt the need to re-evaluate their social circumstances and the shortcomings of their present lives. Thus, the ghayba (occultation) of the Mahdi has acted as a creative force in their lives that has not only helped them bear with patience the difficult times but also has also prepared them to fulfill their historical responsibility of establishing a true Islamic rule, even before the Imam assumes the leadership of the Shia after his final reappearance."

paragraph: The Shia Mahdi doctrine was a key element in inspiring the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini who argued as part of his theory of the that the highest and most learned Muslim Jurist could legitimately administer the government on a God-given mandate to prepare the world for the return of the Hidden Imam. Khomeini succeeded in using the potent concepts of Shia eschatology and theodicy –– such as the Shia notions of struggle against injustice and worldly oppression –– to mobilize the masses towards revolutionary goals.

paragraph: Islamic traditions hold that before the ultimate return of the Muslim messiah, his influence manifests itself in the world in different ways. Throughout history, "a vast and deeply personal literature" has emerged in the Shia world that apparently exemplifies this influence in form of "revelations, dreams, healings, visions, and other occurrences all attributed to the Mahdi’s personal intervention." Over the recent years in particular, a growing anticipation of Mahdi's imminent return among the wider public has been identified, leading to spread of widely-available literature about predictions and prophecies concerning Mahdi and his imminent appearance that include great detail on where, when and how Mahdi will appear, overturn the modern order and establish the just state. For example, under the influence of the Lebanese resistant organization Hezbollah, literature containing classical traditions as well as interpretations of contemporary events in the light of Mahdi's return have sprang from the Lebanese press. A book including "miraculous occurrences" has been published including accounts by Hezbollah fighters on how Mahdi intervened on the battlefields during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah conflict to help them fight against the Israeli army.

paragraph: Another instance of contemporary Shia messianic tendency manifested itself in the discourse and policies of the former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who thought that Mahdi's return was imminent. He "merged messianic rhetoric with populist nationalism" at home and in his UN speeches he "combined references to the Mahdi with a blistering Third-Worldist ideological attack on "Western Imperialism" and "Zionism" intended to appeal to some Middle East audiences." He and his supporters also sought to depict Iran as "a chosen nation and a superpower uniquely blessed by the special favors of the Lord of Age" [Hidden Imam] to lead a global mission against injustice."

paragraph: In Iraq where many hold deep suspicions of U.S., there are frequent assertions in the apocalyptic literature claiming that the U.S.-led invasion was aimed at finding and killing the Mahdi as part of an apocalyptic war against the Shia world.

paragraph: Section::::Historical social impact.:Political controversies.

paragraph: On 3 May 2017, the then-Saudi deputy crown prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud, in an interview with MBC made repeated references to the Shi'ite ideology of the Iranian state to reject the possibility of dialogue with Iran for settling the regional rivalry between the two countries. He argued that it was impossible to have dialogue with an entity with an "extremist ideology" that believes its policies are divinely-guided to prepare conditions for the return of the Imam Mahdi, fearing a spread of Twelver Shi'ite or Iranian influence to the land of Islam's holiest shrine.

paragraph: Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah Secretary General of the Iran-backed Lebanese resistance organization Hezbollah responded to bin Salman's remarks by accusing him of wanting to turn a political struggle in the region into a religious one. He added that the Mahdi doctrine is not specific to Shias and that, apart from the question of his actual birth, there's a consensus among all Muslims that Imam Mahdi is from the progeny of Prophet Muhammad and that he will rise from Mecca and that when he rises he will get rid of all corrupt rulers and fill the Earth with justice. Addressing bin Salman directly, Nasrallah remarked: "Neither you nor your children nor grandchildren can change this Divine destiny."

paragraph: Section::::Birthday celebration.

paragraph: The birthday of Muhammad al-Mahdi is celebrated annually in Iran. Every year on the evening of the birthday, millions of people in the country celebrate the occasion by handing out food, often tossing juice containers and candy into passing cars. Also, people picnic and enjoy fireworks displays. The city of Qom is decorated by bright lights and flags. The date of the celebration is based on the Islamic calendar and changes from year to year:

paragraph: Section::::See also.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Sayyid Ali Akbar

paragraph: BULLET::::- Holiest sites in Islam (Shia)

paragraph: BULLET::::- Ismaili

paragraph: BULLET::::- Fatimid Empire

paragraph: BULLET::::- People claiming to be the Mahdi

paragraph: BULLET::::- Criticism of Twelver Shia Islam

paragraph: BULLET::::- The signs of Muhammad al-Mahdi's reappearance in Islamic traditions

paragraph: BULLET::::- Nafs-e-Zakiyyah (Pure soul)

paragraph: BULLET::::- Princess of Rome

paragraph: BULLET::::- Occultation (Islam)

paragraph: BULLET::::- The signed letter of Muhammad al-Mahdi (Tawqee)

paragraph: Section::::Sources.

paragraph: Section::::Sources.:Encyclopedias.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Kitab al-Irshad, Muhammad b. Muhammad b. Nu'man (al-Shaikh al-Mufid), 4th A.H./10 A.D.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Review of 'Kitab al-Irshad' by Al-Mufid, by Dr. I. K. A. Howard

paragraph: BULLET::::- 'Kiṫâbu-l-Kâfî', compiled by Muḥammad Ya'qûb Kulaynî, published by the Islamic Seminary INCNY, translated by Muḥammad Sarwar.

paragraph: Section::::External links.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Muhammad al-Mahdi al-Hujjah an article by Encyclopædia Britannica Online

paragraph: BULLET::::- Ghaybah an article by Encyclopædia Britannica Online

paragraph: BULLET::::- Mahdi an article by Encyclopædia Britannica Online

paragraph: BULLET::::- ghaybah(The Occultation) an article by Encyclopædia Britannica Online

paragraph: BULLET::::- MAHDI'S DEPUTIES by Verena Klemm, an article by encyclopedia Iranica

paragraph: BULLET::::- "The Awaited Saviour" by Ayatullah Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr & Ayatullah Murtadha Mutahhari

paragraph: BULLET::::- "A Discussion concerning the Mahdi", by Ayatullah Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Imam Mahdi's Biography"

alias: لم يتوف، بعد

description: 12th and last Imam in Twelver Shia Islam

enwikiquote_title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

wikidata_label: Muhammad al-Mahdi

wikipedia_title: Muhammad al-Mahdi


text:
Shiva
Srikalahasteeswara Temple
Nayanars
Saivite
Shiva
Arjuna
Pandavas
Raja
Sri Kalahasti
Andhra Pradesh
Vettuvar
gerent
Shaiva
Sri Kartikeya
lingam
Sri Bhalanetra
Sri Priyabhakta
Nayanmars
Pasupathastra
Kali Yuga
Kalahasti Temple
Mutharaiyar
Thirumangai Alvar
Kongu Vettuva Gounder
Bedara Kannappa
Bhakta Kannappa
Archive.org
Shaivam.org: Kannappa Nayanar
Srividya.org: Kannappa Nayanar

paragraph: Kannappa

paragraph: Kannappa was a staunch devotee of Shiva and is closely associated with Srikalahasteeswara Temple. He was a hunter and is believed to had plucked his eyes to offer to Srikalahasteeswara linga, the presiding deity of Srikalahasti Temple. He is also considered one of the 63 Nayanars or holy Saivite saints, the staunch devotees of Shiva. According to historical chronicles, he was Arjuna of the Pandavas in his past life.

paragraph: Section::::Birth and Life.

paragraph: Kannappa Nayanar is also known as Thinnappan, Dinna, Kannappa, Tinnappan, Dheera, Bhakta Kannappa, Thinnan, Kannappan, Dinnayya, Kannayya, Kannappa Nayanar or Nayanmar, Kannan, Bhakta Kannappan and Dheeran. He was born in a "vyadha" (hunter) family, the son of Raja Naga Vyadha and his wife in Uduppura (modern Vutukuru) near Sri Kalahasti, in present-day Utukkuru, Rajampet Andhra Pradesh. He is an ancestor of the modern-day Vettuvar community. His father was a notable gerent among their hunting community and a great Shaiva devotee of Sri Kartikeya. He was named Dinna or Dheera by his parents, which is known to Tamil-speakers today as Thinnan or Dheeran respectively. His wife's name was Neela.

paragraph: Section::::History.

paragraph: Dinna was a staunch devotee of the "Vayu linga" of SriKalahasti which he found in the forest while hunting. Being a hunter, he did not know how to properly worship Lord Shiva. It is said that he poured water from his mouth on the Shiva lingam which he brought from the nearby river Swarnamukhi. He also offered Lord Shiva whatever animal he hunted, including swine flesh. But Lord Shiva accepted his offerings since Thinnan was pure at heart and his devotion was true. Once, Lord Shiva tested the unshakable devotion of Tinna. With his divine power, He created a tremor and the roof-tops of the temple began to fall. All the sages ran away from the scene except for Dinna who covered the linga with his body to prevent it from any damage. Hence he was named thereafter as "Dheera" (valiant one).

paragraph: Tinna noticed that one of the eyes of the Shiva linga was oozing blood and tears. Sensing that Lord Sri Bhalanetra's eye had been injured, Dheera proceeded to pluck his one eye out with one of his arrows and placed it in the spot of the bleeding eye of the Shiva linga. This stopped the bleeding in that eye of the linga. But to complicate matters further, he noticed that the other eye of the linga has also started oozing blood. So Tinna thought that if he were to pluck his other eye too, he would become blind to exactly know the spot where he has to place his own second eye over the bleeding second eye of the lingam. So he placed his great toe on the linga to mark the spot of the bleeding second eye and proceeded to pluck out his other and only eye. Moved by his extreme devotion, Lord Sri Priyabhakta appeared before Dinna and restored both his eyes. He made Dinna as one of the Nayanmars and he was called as "Kannappan" or "Kannappa Nayanar".

paragraph: When Arjuna was meditating on Sri Shiva for Pasupathastra, to test him Sri Shiva entered that forest as an animal hunter and due to word war between Sri Shiva and Arjuna, a battle took place between both and finally impressed by Arjuna's efforts, Sri Mahashiva gave him the Pasupathasthra. However, because of his boastful nature of being the greatest warrior, he is born again as a devotee in the Kali Yuga as Kannappa Nayanar and finally got liberation.

paragraph: Section::::See also.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Kalahasti Temple

paragraph: BULLET::::- Mutharaiyar

paragraph: BULLET::::- Thirumangai Alvar

paragraph: BULLET::::- Kongu Vettuva Gounder

paragraph: BULLET::::- Bedara Kannappa

paragraph: BULLET::::- Bhakta Kannappa

paragraph: Section::::Bibliography.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Bai, Lilli. "Kannappa Nayanar Puranam". (in Tamil) 1990. Archive.org

paragraph: Section::::References.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Shaivam.org: Kannappa Nayanar

paragraph: BULLET::::- Srividya.org: Kannappa Nayanar

wikidata_label: Kannappa Nayanar

wikipedia_title: Kannappa


text: Israel

text: Jerusalem

text: mayor

text: Polish

text: Gorzkowice

text: Palestine

text: Israel's founding

text: West Jerusalem

text: Jewish Agency for Palestine

text: Hapoel HaMizrachi

text: New York Times

categories: 1995 deaths,Mayors of Jerusalem,1899 births,Israeli Orthodox Jews,Polish emigrants to Israel,Polish Orthodox Jews,Members of the Assembly of Representatives (Mandatory Palestine),People from Piotrków County

paragraph: Shlomo Zalman Shragai

paragraph: Shlomo Zalman Shragai (, 1899–1995) was an Israeli politician and Jerusalem's first elected mayor.

paragraph: Shragai was born into a Polish Orthodox Jewish family in Gorzkowice in 1899. He then became active in the religious Zionist movement and settled in Palestine in 1924, already playing an important political role before Israel's founding in 1948.

paragraph: In 1950, Shragai was elected mayor of West Jerusalem, a position he held for two years. He then became the head of immigration of the Jewish Agency for Palestine. This was a time of extensive immigration to Israel from Muslim countries, so he often went on clandestine trips to these countries to obtain the release of the Jews living there. He served as honorary world president of Hapoel HaMizrachi movement.

paragraph: Section::::External links.

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Shlomo Zalman Schragai, Former Jerusalem Mayor, 96" in "New York Times", September 4, 1995. Retrieved October 15, 2006.

description: Israeli politician

wikidata_label: Zalman Shragai

wikipedia_title: Shlomo Zalman Shragai


text:
Scottish
prelate
diplomat
William Gordon
Roman Catholic
Church of Scotland
Master of Arts
St Leonard's College, St Andrews
Civil Law
France
University of Paris
University of Bourges
Lanark
Lesmahagow
Cadder
Lenzie
Provost
Bothwell
Collegiate Church
Patrick Adamson
Archbishop of St Andrews
chaplain
James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton
Regent
Scotland
magnate
Bishop of Aberdeen
Chancellor
King's College, Aberdeen
Scottish church
episcopacy
James VI of Scotland
Prince Henry
George Gordon, 6th Earl of Huntly
Denmark
Germany
Kingdom of England
Aberdeen
, accessed 22 Feb 2007
Watt, D.E.R.
Scottish Reformation

categories: Scottish diplomats,Scottish bishops,16th-century bishops,1540s births,16th-century diplomats,Bishops of Aberdeen,Chancellors of the University of Aberdeen,1600 deaths,People from North Ayrshire

paragraph: David Cunningham (bishop)

paragraph: David Cunningham (c. 1540–1600) was a 16th-century Scottish prelate and diplomat. He was the first Bishop of Aberdeen fully independent of the Roman Catholic Church. His predecessor, William Gordon began as a Roman Catholic bishop, but accepted the Church of Scotland's authority.

paragraph: Born around 1540, he graduated in the early 1560s as Master of Arts from St Leonard's College, St Andrews. Cunningham also studied Civil Law in France, at the University of Paris and the University of Bourges.

paragraph: He became a Protestant sometime before 1562, when he was made minister of Lanark; he held this position until 1570, when he took over Lesmahagow, moving to Cadder in 1572 and then to Lenzie in 1574. Additionally, on 22 March 1572, Cunningham became Provost of Bothwell Collegiate Church.

paragraph: After the appointment of Patrick Adamson as Archbishop of St Andrews in December 1576, Cunningham replaced Adamson as the chaplain of James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, Regent of Scotland. With access to such high level magnate patronage, on either 5 October or 5 November 1577, Cunningham was elected as Bishop of Aberdeen, receiving consecration on 11 November. In this year, too, he became Chancellor of King's College, Aberdeen.

paragraph: Cunningham would eventually enjoy a good relationship with the king, but his association with Regent Morton initially made him suspect. The death of his patron, Morton, in 1581, put his position under pressure, and he was forced to flee into the west for a little time. He was also under pressure from the a large section of the Scottish church, which was becoming more hostile to episcopacy; in 1586, the General Assembly accused him of adultery, a charge which the king cleared him of in 1587.

paragraph: He became a trusted servant of the king, James VI of Scotland, and it was Cunningham who was chosen to baptise the king's son, Prince Henry, on 30 August 1594. Cunningham helped negotiate reconciliation between the king and the devoutly Catholic George Gordon, 6th Earl of Huntly, and in 1598 was sent to Denmark and Germany to promote King James' claims to the throne of the Kingdom of England.

paragraph: Cunningham died on 30 August 1600, at Aberdeen.

paragraph: Section::::References.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Keith, Robert, "An Historical Catalogue of the Scottish Bishops: Down to the Year 1688", (London, 1924)

paragraph: BULLET::::- Riis, Thomas, "Cunningham, David (c.1540–1600)", in the "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography", Oxford University Press, 2004 , accessed 22 Feb 2007

paragraph: BULLET::::- Watt, D.E.R., "Fasti Ecclesiae Scotinanae Medii Aevi ad annum 1638", 2nd Draft, (St Andrews, 1969)

paragraph: Section::::See also.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Scottish Reformation

description: Scottish bishop

wikidata_label: David Cunningham

wikipedia_title: David Cunningham (bishop)


text:
maritime artist
Luminism
vedute
Claude Lorrain
William Bradford
Fitz Henry Lane
Samuel Cabot
Robert Bennett Forbes
U.S. Naval Academy
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
National Maritime Museum
Walker Art Gallery
New Britain Museum of American Art
Yale Center for British Art
Mariners Museum
Newport News, Virginia
Peabody Essex Museum
Shelburne Museum
Worcester Art Museum
Askart.com
Artcyclopedia.com
Wwar.com
"The Estridge off Dover", 1800

categories: 1845 deaths,English male painters,British marine artists,19th-century English painters,18th-century English painters,1775 births

paragraph: Robert Salmon

paragraph: Robert Salmon (1775 – ) was a maritime artist, active in both England and America. Salmon completed nearly 1,000 paintings, all save one of maritime scenes or seascapes. He is widely considered the Father of American Luminism.

paragraph: Section::::Early life in England.

paragraph: Salmon was born in Whitehaven, Cumberland, England in October or November, 1775 as Robert Salomon; he was christened on 5 November 1775 in Whitehaven. His father, Francis Salomon, was a jeweler. The young Salmon clearly studied the work of Dutch marine painters of the 17th century, the Italian painters of "vedute", and the work of Claude Lorrain, but little else is known of his early training. His earliest known works, "Two Armed Merchantmen Leaving Whitehaven Harbor" and "The ‘Estridge’ Off Dover" are dated 1800; the first work he exhibited at the Royal Academy was in 1802.

paragraph: Salmon settled in the busy seaport of Liverpool in 1806 and changed his name from Salomon to Salmon. Many of his marine paintings from this early period survive, and are housed in the National Maritime Museum in London. His ship portraits indicate he had a familiarity with sailing ships and an intimate knowledge of how they worked. These portraits tend to follow his traditional practice of showing the same vessel in at least two positions on the same canvas. In April, 1811 he moved from the Liverpool area to Greenock, Scotland and then back to Liverpool in October 1822. In 1826 he returned to Greenock, then he left for London in 1827, and shortly thereafter he went to Southampton, North Shields and Liverpool.

paragraph: Along with many other young artists, Salmon believed that his artistic future lay in the United States. Before his departure in 1828, the artist executed his only extant portrait, "Portrait of the Corsair, John Paul Jones", a work very much a part of the Romantic ethos of his time. He assumed his "likeness" of Paul Jones would form a bond with the viewers in his future home. He could not know, having never been to America, that the memory of America's greatest naval hero had effectively vanished in the public mind before the painting was completed.

paragraph: Section::::Emigration to America and life in Boston.

paragraph: In 1828, Salmon left Europe for the United States on the packet ship, "New York", arriving on New Years Day, 1829 and staying until 1840. Living in a small hut on Marine Railway Wharf overlooking Boston Harbor, Salmon prospered as a marine painter, accepting commissions to paint ship portraits. During the growth of Boston Harbor in the first half of the century, Salmon painted between 300-400 paintings of the Harbor, in the style of 17th century Dutch genre painting. He was thought to be an eccentric, solitary and irascible man.

paragraph: Salmon soon became one of the most prominent Boston seascape painters. During the ensuing years, he divided his time between painting and working in the lithographic studio of William S. Pendleton, where he encountered William Bradford and Fitz Henry Lane. This contact between Lane and Salmon was of great importance to Lane, and became evident in his marine views.

paragraph: During his lifetime, Salmon's work was very popular, and was collected by Bostonians Samuel Cabot, Robert Bennett Forbes, and John Newmarch Cushing.

paragraph: Section::::Later years.

paragraph: Salmon left Boston in 1842 and for many years was believed to have died shortly after his leaving there. Instead, he returned to Europe and went to Italy. A number of Italian views attributed to him have survived, the latest of which is dated 1845, the year of his last documented work. The actual date of his death remains uncertain.

paragraph: Robert Salmon's works can be found at the U.S. Naval Academy; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; National Maritime Museum, Greenwich; Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool; New Britain Museum of American Art, Connecticut; Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut; Mariners Museum, Newport News, Virginia; William A. Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, Maine; Peabody Essex Museum of Salem; Shelburne Museum, Vermont; and the Worcester Art Museum, Massachusetts.

paragraph: Section::::External links.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Askart.com

paragraph: BULLET::::- Artcyclopedia.com

paragraph: BULLET::::- Wwar.com

paragraph: BULLET::::- "The Estridge off Dover", 1800 - Rehs Galleries' biography and an image of an early painting.

alias:
Robert Salomon
Robert W. Salmon
Salomon
R. Solomon
Salmon
Saloman

description: American painter, born in England

wikidata_label: Robert Salmon

wikipedia_title: Robert Salmon


text: Colonel

text: OBE

text: DL

text: FRGS

text: hereditary peer

text: House of Lords

text: House of Lords Act 1999

text: crossbencher

text: 1st Viscount Slim

text: Dehra Dun

text: British Indian Army 6th Gurkha Rifles

text: Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

text: Special Air Service

text: Staff College, Camberley

text: Joint Services Staff College

text: Lieutenant-Colonel

text: OBE

text: Peek plc

text: Trailfinders

text: Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League

text: Burma Star Association

text: SAS Association

text: Pakistan

text: Britain–Australia Society

text: Arab-British Chamber of Commerce

text: Royal Geographical Society

text: Worshipful Company of Clothworkers

text: Spinney

categories: Viscounts in the Peerage of the United Kingdom,1927 births,British Indian Army officers,Special Air Service officers,Crossbench hereditary peers,Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society,Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders officers,2019 deaths,Officers of the Order of the British Empire,Deputy Lieutenants of Greater London

paragraph: John Slim, 2nd Viscount Slim

paragraph: Colonel John Douglas Slim, 2nd Viscount Slim, OBE, DL, FRGS (20 July 1927 – 12 January 2019) was a British peer and soldier. He was one of the 92 hereditary peers in the House of Lords, elected to remain after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999. In 1970, he succeeded to his father's title. He sat as a crossbencher.

paragraph: Section::::Life and work.

paragraph: The son of Aileen Robertson and the 1st Viscount Slim, he was born in British India and educated at Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College in Dehra Dun in India. In 1944, Slim joined the British Indian Army 6th Gurkha Rifles and was transferred to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in 1948. He entered the Special Air Service in 1952. From 1961, he was instructor at the Staff College, Camberley, and from 1964 at the Joint Services Staff College. In 1972, he retired from the armed forces at the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel with a later honorary promotion to Colonel. He was appointed OBE the following year.

paragraph: Slim was chairman of Peek plc from 1976 to 1991, deputy chairman from 1991 to 1996, and eventually consultant from 1996 to 2003. He was further director of Trailfinders travel company and Trustee of the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League (RCEL). From 1971 until his death he was president of the Burma Star Association and from 2000 president of the SAS Association. He was also Patron of Prospect Burma, a London-based charity that offers higher education scholarships to Burmese students as well as the Graham Layton Trust, a British charity which helps to raise money for eyecare in Pakistan.

paragraph: From 2005 to 2016 he was Patron of the Burma Children's Fund a UK Charity supporting children's education and health care in Burma. Having been chairman in the past, he was vice-president of the Britain–Australia Society. From 1977 to 1996, he was vice-chairman of the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce. In 1983, Slim was made a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. Between 1995 and 1996, he was also Master of the Worshipful Company of Clothworkers. He served as an honorary chairman of The OSS Society.

paragraph: He was married to cordon bleu chef Elisabeth Spinney from 1958 until her death in 2018. They had two sons, including his successor Mark William Rawdon Slim, and one daughter.

paragraph: He died on 12 January 2019, aged 91.

description: British Viscount

wikidata_label: John Slim, 2nd Viscount Slim

wikipedia_title: John Slim, 2nd Viscount Slim