Ali al-Rida
The Abbasid Caliph al-Ma'mun named him successor in 817 AD, then poisoned him with a plate of grapes eight years later.
Born 766 (age 1260)·Eighth of the Twelve Shia Imams (766–818)·Birthday: January 1
Biography
Caliph al-Ma'mun declared Ali al-Rida his heir apparent in March 817 AD, minting coins with the Imam's name alongside his own across the Abbasid Empire from Baghdad to Merv. The appointment aimed to reconcile Sunni Abbasid rule with the Shia population of Persia, but provoked a rebellion in Baghdad that installed al-Ma'mun's uncle as rival caliph. Al-Rida, a scholar who had taught Hadith in Medina for twenty years, accepted the position with public reluctance. He participated in a series of theological debates in 818 AD that the Caliph's court recorded in the 'Al-Risalah al-Dhahabiah.' Al-Ma'mun moved the court to Merv in present-day Turkmenistan, taking al-Rida from his power base in Arabia. The Imam died in September 818 AD in the village of Sanabad after eating grapes; Shia sources maintain al-Ma'mun ordered the fruit poisoned. His burial shrine in Mashhad became a pilgrimage site that attracted 20 million visitors annually by the 21st century. The succession crisis fragmented after his death, with one faction forming the basis of Twelver Shi'ism. Al-Rida's forced incorporation into the Abbasid court created a theological paradox that Shia scholars debated for three centuries. The Imam's tomb generated the economic foundation for Mashhad, which became Iran's second-largest city.
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Ali's Life & Times
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766Born
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784Could vote
787Turned 21
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816Turned 50
826Turned 60
836Turned 70
846Turned 80
2026Age 1260 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- His designation as heir marked the only time a Shia Imam held a position in a Sunni caliph's line of succession.
- The text 'Al-Risalah al-Dhahabiah,' attributed to him, became a foundational work of Islamic medicine.
- His shrine in Mashhad housed the largest library in the Islamic world during the 15th century.
Did You Know?
A well in his shrine complex, called the 'Well of Secrets,' traditionally receives written prayer requests.
The city of Mashhad ('Place of Martyrdom') derives its name entirely from his burial there.
Sunni and Shia sources both record that he wore a ring inscribed with the phrase 'My sufficiency is God.'
“The believer's dignity is his religion, his manhood is his intellect, and his lineage is his character.”
