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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Imam ar-Ridha’, A Historical and Biographical Research His Distinctions and Characteristics Lineage He is Ali son of Musa son of Ja’far son of Muhammad son of Ali son of al-Husayn son of Ali son of Abu Talib (a.s.), eighth in the series of the Imams belonging to the (a.s.). His birthplace is Medina, and his resting place is Toos (Iran).

Birth and Demise Historians disagree a great deal about the year of his birth and even in determining the month as well, and they also disagree about determining the year and the month of his death.

Their disagreements are not confined to the limit of a short span of time but they may be five years apart, and the disagreement is so confusing that it is very difficult to determine clearly such matters; however, we shall point out the statements recorded in this regard without favoring any of them due to the lack of purpose of such favoring which naturally requires research and investigation and a proof for selecting what seems to be the most accurate.

He was born in Medina on Friday, or Thursday, Dhul-Hijja 11, or Dhul-Qi'da, or Rabi'ul-Awwal, of the Hijri year 148 or the year 153. He died on Friday, or Monday, near the end of the month of Safar, or the 17th of Safar, or Ramadan 21, or Jumada I 18, or Dhul-Qi'da 23, or the end of Dhul-Qi'da, of the year 202 or 203 or 206.

In his 'Uyoon Akhbar ar-Ridha’ , al-Saduq states: "What is accurate is that he died on the 13th of Ramadan, on a Friday, in the year 203." What is most likely is that his death took place in the year 203 as stated by al-Saduq. It is the same year in which al-Ma’mun marched towards Iraq. To say that he died in 206 is not to agree with the truth because al-Ma’mun marched towards Baghdad in the year 204, and the Imam died while he was heading in the same direction.

His Mother There is a great deal of dispute regarding the name of his mother. Some say she was called al-Khayzaran; others say she was Arwi and that her nickname was "the blonde of Nubia," while others say she was Najma and her nickname was "Ummul-Baneen." Others say she was called Sekan the Nubian; still others say she was called Takattam as may be proven from the poetry in his praise which said: The best in self and parenthood, In offspring and in ancestry, Is Ali al-Muaddam, Eighth in series of the knowledgeable and the clement, An Imam descending from the Proof of God, that is Takattam.