Ja‘far about Imam al-Ridha (a.

Ja‘far about Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) before being born: “The learned one of the Prophet’s household ( ‘Alim Al-i Muhammad – S ) is from your progeny; I wish I would meet him.”[^4] Muhammad b. Musa Yaqtini said, “I have gathered fifteen thousand [topical] issues from among the answers that Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) gave to people.”[^5] Aba Salt Hirawi, one of the notables of his time, said, “I have not seen anyone more learned than ‘Ali b.

Musa al-Ridha; no scholar saw his holiness unless he would confirm this same witness of mine. In numerous sessions, Ma’mun would gather a number of scholars of (various) religions, jurists of (Islamic) law, and theologians – who debated with the Imam (a.s.) – and the holy Imam defeated all of them in such a way that all of them acknowledged his moral excellence and their own helplessness.

And I heard him (Imam al-Ridha – a.s.) saying: ‘I would sit in the mosque (of the Prophet – S – in Medina) while there were many scholars there, whenever one of them was unable to answer a question, all of them would point at me and refer the problem to me to answer, and I would answer.”[^6] Ibrahim b. ‘Abbas said, “I never heard anyone asking something from Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) and he would not know the answer. I saw no one more aware than him of the history of the past up to his own time.

Ma’mun would constantly test him with various questions and he would give him full answers.”[^7] Hasan b. ‘Ali al-Washsha’, who, due to the misconceptions raised by the opponents converted to the school of waqf (or Waqifiyya )[^8], said, “I wrote some questions in a scroll by which to test Imam al-Ridha (a.s.). There was such a big crowd gathering at the door of the Imam’s house that I did not manage to meet him.

All of a sudden I noticed that the Imam’s retainer is looking for me, asking: ‘Who is Hasan b. ‘Ali al-Washsha’, the grandson of Ilyas al-Baghdadi?’ I said, ‘That is me.’ He gave me a letter and said, ‘Here are the answers to the questions you have with you (and have not shown them to the Imam yet)!’ This way I became certain of his Imamate and gave up the school of waqf .”[^9] Some of the sessions that Ma’mun had arranged were so magnificent and pompous and so many scholars of various nationalities from among the Jews, Christians, Sabaeans, Zoroastrians, and theologians had gathered that Hasan b.