Ma’mun said...

Ma’mun said, “I just wanted to reassure the people and the troops and those rendering services and make them aware of what Allah has made you superior in.” He kept insisting until his holiness said, “I would rather you spare me; otherwise, I would set off (for ‘Id al-Fitr prayer) the same way as the Apostle of Allah (S) and ‘Ali b. Abi Talib (a.s.) did.

Ma’mun said, “Set off as you wish.” In the morning, when people found out that Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) would set out for ‘Id prayer, a throng of people, man and woman, young and old, filled up the lanes and rooftops; commanders had also gathered in the Imam’s house.

At sunrise, Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) performed a ghusl (major ablution) and while having a white turban on and having one end let down his chest and the other between his two shoulder blades, stood up and addressed his followers: “Do as I did.” Then, while holding a walking stick in hand, he came out, raised his head to the sky, and said takbir s (God is the greatest) in such a way that we thought the air and the walls were responding to his holiness.

Having put on their best clothes, the commanders and the people dismounted their horses and took off their shoes as soon as they saw his holiness and the entourage in that state. It is related in a tradition that some even had to cut off their footwear laces with a knife.[^2] The Imam (a.s.) stood next to the door and said out loud: “ Allahu akbar ‘ala ma hadana ….” And those present repeated; the sound of the crowd’s crying and shouting sent tremor through the city of Marv.

His holiness started to move on and after every ten steps he would pause and say three takbir s in a way that the heaven and the earth would respond to him. Fadhl b. Sahl – Ma’mun’s vizier and commander of army – said to him: “If (Imam) al-Ridha goes on to say prayer like this, the people will be fascinated and deceived by him. You had better ask him to return.” Ma’mun sent someone to the Imam to ask him to return.

The Imam put on his shoes and returned.[^3] The Story of Diʿbil al-Khuza’i Diʿbil al-Khuza‘i is one of the famous poets of Imam al-Ridha’s (a.s.) era. He went to the presence of his holiness and said, “O son of the Apostle of Allah!