Hadith 61-1

حَدَّثَنا الْحاكِم أَبُو عَلِي الحُسَيْنِ بْنِ أحْمَد الْبِيْهَقِيُّ قالَ حَدَّثَنا مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى الصُّوْليُّ حَدَّثَني عُبِيْد اللَّه بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّه وَمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُوسَى بْنِ نَصْرِ الرَّازِيُّ عَنْ أَبيهِ وَعمر الأخْباري عَنْ عَلِىِّ بْنِ الحُسَيْن كاتب بقاء الكبير فِي آخِرَين أَنَّ الرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ حُمَّ فَعَزَمَ عَلَى الْفَصْدِ فَرَكِبَ الْمَأْمُونُ وَقَدْ كَانَ قَالَ لِغُلامٍ لَهُ فُتَّ هَذَا بِيَدِكَ لِشَيْ‏ءٍ أَخْرَجَهُ مِنْ بَرْنِيَّةٍ فَفَتَّهُ فِي صِينِيَّةٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ كُنْ مَعِي وَلا تَغْسِلْ يَدَكَ وَرَكِبَ إِلَى الرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ وَجَلَسَ حَتَّى فَصَدَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَقَالَ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بَلْ أَخَّرَ فَصْدَهُ وَقَالَ الْمَأْمُونُ لِذَلِكَ الْغُلامِ هَاتِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الرُّمَّانِ وَكَانَ الرُّمَّانُ فِي شَجَرَةٍ فِي بُسْتَانٍ فِي دَارِ الرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ. فَقَطَفَ مِنْهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ اجْلِسْ فَفُتَّهُ فَفَتَّ مِنْهُ فِي جَامٍ فَأَمَرَ بِغَسْلِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِلرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ مَصَّ مِنْهُ شَيْئاً فَقَالَ حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَقَالَ لا وَاللَّهِ إِلا بِحَضْرَتِي وَلَوْ لا خَوْفِي أَنْ يَرْطَبَ مَعِدَتِي لَمَصَصْتُهُ مَعَكَ فَمَصَّ مِنْهُ مَلاعِقَ وَخَرَجَ الْمَأْمُونُ فَمَا صَلَّيْتُ الْعَصْرَ حَتَّى قَامَ الرِّضَاخَمْسِينَ مَجْلِساً فَوَجَّهَ إِلَيْهِ الْمَأْمُونُ قَدْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ هَذِهِ إِفَاقَةٌ وَفُتَارٌ لِلْفَضْلِ الَّذِي فِي بَدَنِكَ وَزَادَ الأَمْرُ فِي اللَّيْلِ فَأَصْبَحَ‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ مَيِّتاً فَكَانَ آخِرُ مَا تَكَلَّمَ بِهِ: (قُلْ لَوْ كُنْتُمْ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ لَبَرَزَ الَّذِينَ كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقَتْلُ إِلى‏ مَضاجِعِهِمْ وَكانَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ قَدَراً مَقْدُوراً). وَبَكَرَ الْمَأْمُونُ مِنَ الْغَدِ فَأَمَرَ بِغُسْلِهِ وَتَكْفِينِهِ وَمَشَى خَلْفَ جَنَازَتِهِ حَافِياً حَاسِراً يَقُولُ يَا أَخِي لَقَدْ ثُلِمَ الإِسْلامُ بِمَوْتِكَ وَغَلَبَ الْقَدَرُ تَقْدِيرِي فِيكَ وَشَقَّ لَحَدَ الرَّشِيدِ فَدَفَنَهُ مَعَهُ وَقَالَ أَرْجُو أَنْ يَنْفَعَهُ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى بِقُرْبِهِ.

Al-Hakim Abu Ali Al-Husayn ibn Ahmad al-Bayhaqi narrated that Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Sowli quoted on the authority of Ubaydillah ibn Abdullah and Muhammad ibn Musa ibn Nasr al-Razi, on the authority of his father and Al-Husayn ibn Umar al-Akhbari, on the authority of Ali ibn Al-Husayn - the author of Bogha al-Kabeer - that in the last days of his life, Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) got a fever. Then he decided to have a phlebotomy performed. Then Al-Ma’mun rode on (an animal) to see him. Before going there, he took out something from a vase and asked his servant to crush it with his hands. The servant crushed it on a tray. Al-Ma’mun told the servant that he does not have to wash his hands. Then he asked the servant to accompany him to Ar-Ridha’’s (a.s.) house. When Al-Ma’mun entered the house, he sat in front of the Imam (a.s.) until he (a.s.) decided to start the blood-letting. Or as Ubaydillah said he put off the blood-letting and told his servant to bring him a pomegranate. There was a pomegranate tree in the garden of Ar-Ridha’’s (a.s.) house. The servant picked a pomegranate from the tree. Al-Ma’mun asked him to peel it, open it up and prepare it for eating. The servant peeled it and prepared it in a bowl. Then Al-Ma’mun asked the servant to wash his hands. Then the servant brought in the pomegranate. Then Al-Ma’mun told Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.), ‘Have some.’ Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) replied, ‘No, not until the Commander of the Faithful (Al-Ma’mun) leaves.’ Then Al-Ma’mun insisted on it by saying, ‘By God! It is not possible. You must eat some of it in my presence. I would also have some of it along with you were it not for my stomachache.’ Then Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) ate a few spoonfuls of it and Al-Ma’mun left. However Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) fainted and sat up again fifty times that day before saying the afternoon prayers. Al-Ma’mun sent someone to Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) and said, ‘I know that this unconsciousness and feeling of apathy is due to the phlebotomy that you had done. However, Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) got worse at night, and died before the morning. The following were the final words which he uttered, ‘…Say: Even if you had remained in your homes, those for whom death was decreed would certainly have gone forth to the place of their death…’ [1] ‘And the command of God is a decree determined.’’ [2] When the following morning came, Al-Ma’mun woke up early and ordered that Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) be washed and shrouded. He himself followed the corpse with a bare head and in bare and said, ‘O brother! Indeed there is a gap in Islam due to your demise. And God’s destiny (for you) overcame my efforts on your behalf.’ Then Al-Ma’mun had the grave of Harun Ar-Rashid (al-Ma’mun’s afther) dug open and buried Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) there. Then Al-Ma’mun said, ‘I hope that God the Highest would grant some benefits to my father due to being close to Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.).’”