Biography

Name: Ali bin Musa (a.s.)

Mother: Al Khayzran 

Kunniyat (Patronymic): Abu al-Hasan 

Laqab (Title): Al-Rida 

Birth: He was born at Madina in 148 A.H. 

Martyrdom: He was poisoned in the year 203 A.H. and is buried in the Khurasan district of Iran.

Imam Reza (A.S.), the eighth Shi'ite Imam was born on Thursday 11th Zee al-Qa'adah 148 A.H. /29 December 765 A.D. in Medina. The new-born child was named Ali by his holy father, Emam Musa al-Kazim (A.S.), the seventh Shi'ite Emam. He was divinely entitled al-Reza and his nickname was Abul Hasan. For many times Emam Musa Al-Kazem (A.S) explicitly introduced his eldest son "Ali" as his immediate successor to accede to the divine position of Imamat. 

The 8th Shi'ite Imam, Imam Ali ibne Musa ar-Reza (A.S.) is also called as Imam-e-Zaamin(A.S.).When Muslims go on journeys they take with them something called Imam-e-Zaamin (another name for Imam Reza (A.S.)) which is some money tied in a cloth. This tradition probably came from the time of Imam Reza (A.S.) when people used to carry money with them especially because it had Holy Imam's (A.S.) name on it. As Ma'mun,the Abbasid caliph the contemporary of Imam Reza(A.S.), had coins minted with the name of Imam Reza (A.S.) on them, it was very easy for the Muslims to carry the name of Holy Imam (A.S.) with them, especially when they went on journeys. Imam Reza (A.S.) is also known as Imam-e- Zaamin (A.S.). Zaamin means "The Guarantor". One day when Imam Reza (A.S.) was on his historical journey from Madina to Marw(Khurasan),while in a jungle the Holy Imam(A.S.) came across a hunter who was about to kill a deer. The deer was trying to get away and when she saw Holy Imam (A.S.), she said something to him.Holy Imam(A.S.) asked the hunter to free the deer so that she could go and feed her little baby deer who were very hungry. Imam Reza(A.S.) also told the hunter that once the deer had fed her babies she would come back. The hunter allowed the deer to go becauseHoly Imam (A.S.) had told him to, but he did not think the deer will come back. But Imam Reza (A.S.)) waited with the hunter until the deer returned with her young ones. The hunter was amazed on witnessing this miraculous event and he set the deer free as a mark of respect for Imam Reza(A.S.).After this historical event Imam Reza(A.S.) became famous as Imam Zaamin(A.S.). The most famous artist of the contemporary world, Ustad Mahmud Farshchiyan has depicted this historical event in this beautiful masterpiece iconograph entitled "Zaamin-e-Aahu"(The Guarantor of the Deer).