The Series of Al-Kawthar | Part 5 | The Sultan, Abu al-Hasan, Ali ibn Musa al-Rida (pbuh) بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ Allah Almighty says in the Holy Qur’an: إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِنْدَ اللهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ “Indeed, the number of months ordained by Allah is twelve, as recorded in the Book of Allah from the day He created the heavens and the earth. Of these, four are sacred.” In a narration explaining the interpretation of this verse, it is stated that the twelve months refer to the twelve Imams, while the four sacred months refer to four Imams among the twelve who bear the name Ali and possess the distinctive Alawi characteristic. These four Imams are: • Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (p) • Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn (p) • Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha (p) • Imam Ali ibn Muhammad al-Hadi (p) However, among the twelve Imams, there are also four who possess a distinctive Fatimi characteristic, the secret of which is connected to the meaning of Kawthar (كوثر). In the Arabic word كَوْثَر, the only letter that bears dots is the letter ث (Tha), which has three dots. Likewise, among the twelve Imams, four are distinguished by the appearance of the letter ث (Tha) in their ordinal designations in Arabic: • The Second Imam (الثاني), Imam Hasan ibn Ali (p) • The Third Imam (الثالث), Imam Husayn (p) • The Eighth Imam (الثامن), Imam al-Ridha (p) • The Twelfth Imam (الثاني عشر), Imam Baqiyyatullah (may Allah hasten his reappearance), about whom the Qur’an says: بَقِيَّةُ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ “What remains with Allah is better for you.” (Surah Hud, 11:86) Among these Imams, however, Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha (peace be upon him) holds a unique position, because both the Alawi and Fatimi characteristics are united in him. What is the common characteristic shared by Imam al-Ridha and Lady Fatimah (peace be upon them)? The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said regarding Imam al-Ridha: سَتُدْفَنُ بَضْعَةٌ مِنِّي بِأَرْضِ خُرَاسَانَ “Soon, a part of my own being will be buried in the land of Khurasan.” And regarding Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her), the Prophet said: فَاطِمَةُ بَضْعَةٌ مِنِّي “Fatimah is a part of me.” Therefore, among the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), Imam al-Ridha possesses both the Alawi characteristic, as his name is Ali, and the Fatimi characteristic, as he is the Eighth Imam (الثامن), whose ordinal designation contains the letter Tha associated with the Fatimi Kawthar. It is for this reason that he is given the title Sultan, signifying the manifestation of both the Alawi and Fatimi realities in the person of the Sultan. This is also why it is said that accepting Imam al-Ridha means accepting all the Ahl al-Bayt (p). And the Ziyarah of Imam al-Ridha is regarded as superior to all other Ziyarahs. ⸻ References 1. The Holy Qur’an — Surah At-Tawbah, Verse 36 2. و روى جابر الجعفي قال سألت أبا جعفر عن تأويل قول الله عز و جل إن عدة الشهور عند الله اثنا عشر شهرا في كتاب الله يوم خلق السماوات و الأرض منها أربعة حرم ذلك الدين القيم فلا تظلموا فيهن أنفسكم قال فتنفس سيدي الصعداء ثم قال يا جابر أما السنة فهي جدي رسول الله و شهورها اثنا عشر شهرا • Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 24, p. 240 • Ta’wil al-Ayat, p. 209 • Al-Ghaybah by al-Tusi, p. 149 • Al-Ghaybah by al-Nu’mani, pp. 86–87 • Al-Manaqib, Vol. 1, p. 284 3. و قال رسول الله (ص): ستدفن بضعة مني بخراسان ما زارها مكروب إلا نفس الله عز و جل كربه و لا مذنب إلا غفر الله له ذنوبه • Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, Vol. 2, p. 583 • Wasa’il al-Shi’ah, Vol. 14, pp. 553, 555 • Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 99, p. 33 • Al-Amali by Shaykh al-Saduq, p. 119 4. قَالَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ فَاطِمَةُ بَضْعَةٌ مِنِّي مَنْ آذَاهَا فَقَدْ آذَانِي وَ مَنْ آذَانِي فَقَدْ آذَى اللَّهَ The Prophet (pbuh&hf) said: “Fatimah is a part of me. Whoever hurts her has indeed hurt me, and whoever hurts me has indeed hurt Allah.” • Kitab Sulaym ibn Qays, p. 868 • Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 30, pp. 347, 353 • Irshad al-Qulub, Vol. 2, p. 231 • Al-Amali by Shaykh al-Sa - @misbahinc110