Shafaqna English– A member of the Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom said: “If today the Islamic countries had adopted the thoughts of Imam Ridha (AS) as their policy and strategic approach, we Muslims would never have found ourselves in this situation, and the blood of Muslims in Gaza would not have been spilled in this manner.”
Ayatollah Najm-ud-Din Tabasi in an interview with Shafaqna congratulated the birth of Imam Ridha (AS) and Hazrat Masoumah (SA) and stated: “All scholars, especially Sunni scholars, acknowledge that Imam Ridha (AS) is a scholar from the family of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He lived in an era when the policy of the Abbasid government focused on spreading various schools, sects, and religious and political movements to occupy the scholars and keep them busy so that the government could achieve its own objectives.
This harmed the faith and piety of the people. The government sought to distract people with different sects, but the outcome either went unnoticed by them or was of no concern. When Imam Ridha (AS) arrived in Merv, one of the things he did was to set the different religious movements, sects, and ideologies in their places through debates and scholarly discussions, showing them that their offerings were unworthy.”
Imam Ridha (AS) Restored Human Dignity
He continued: “Imam Ridha (AS) in his debates emphasized that what is truly valuable is the teachings, guidance, and wisdom of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS). He essentially restored human dignity and made people realize that the worth and honor of human beings are far greater than being manipulated by political movements and governments.
Through his debates, Imam (AS) made people aware of this reality, and various groups were astonished by his approach. They began to differentiate between the governance of Amir-al-Mu’minin (AS) and the Abbasid caliphate, leading the Abbasid government to panic and prevent Imam Ridha (AS) from leading the Eid Prayer.”
He emphasized the significance of the uprising of Seyyed-al-Shuhada (AS) and the revival of the event of Karbala as the second crucial action of Imam Ridha (AS) in Merv, saying: “The eighth Imam (AS) focused on the issue of the oppression of Imam Hussain (AS) and the injustice inflicted upon the Ahlul-Bayt (AS), especially since the Abbasid government sought to cover up the incident and even attempted to destroy the graves of the martyrs of Karbala by farming over them and blocking water.”
Imam Ridha (AS) Revived the Name of Seyyed-al-Shuhada (AS)
He pointed out: “Imam Ridha (AS) revived the name of Imam Hussain (AS) and declared his support for humanity, showing that Imam Hussain (AS) epitomized the defense of humanity and the fight against tyranny and oppression.”
A member of the Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom remarked: “Imam (AS) encouraged poets and rewarded them for their poetry defending the cause of Karbala. The verses, such as those written by Dabbal Khaza’i, resonated throughout society.”
He continued: “Another action of Imam Ridha (AS) in preserving the memory of Karbala was the organization of mourning gatherings. In these gatherings, a curtain would be hung in the house, and women would sit behind it while crying out ‘O’ Muhammad!’ Imam (AS) himself would also cry.”
He emphasized: “Through these actions, Imam Ridha (AS) stood firm in support of the cause of Imam Hussain (AS) and exposed the oppressors and tyrants.”
He explained: “Imam Ridha’s (AS) arrival in Iran was due to the coercion of Ma’mun and the Abbasid government. Ma’mun had several goals: First, to prevent the Alawi uprising because the Abbasid government, and Ma’mun in particular, was weakening due to conflicts with his brother. Second, the country faced many problems, and the people attributed all these issues to the Abbasids, so Ma’mun wanted to assign responsibility to Imam Ridha (AS) in order to distance himself from the situation and shift the blame onto the Imam (AS).
Imam Ridha (AS) was fully aware of Ma’mun’s political strategies. He only accepted the position of heir apparent when he was threatened with death, but on the condition that he would not interfere in any appointments or dismissals.”
“Gaza” is the Result of Not Adopting Imam Ridha’s (AS) Policy
He concluded: “If today the Islamic countries had made Imam Ridha’s (AS) policy their guiding principle and strategic approach, we Muslims would never have found ourselves in this situation, and the blood of Muslims in Gaza would not have been spilled in this way. We failed to adopt the policy of Imam Ridha (AS), and now we are witnessing the consequences.”