Imam Ridha's (a.s.) Awareness of al-Mamoon's Schemes

Imam al-Rida (A.S.) knew beforehand about al-Mamoon's intentions through his knowledgeable foresight of the circumstances which led al-Mamoon to vest the regency upon him, and he was contented that he would not actually accede to the throne in the future. Al-Madaini quotes one of his sources saying: "When al-Rida (A.S.) was seated during the regency celebration, with the orators and poets surrounding him and the flags fanning him, one individual who was present there and then said, `I was close to him that day, and he looked at me with an optimistic smile on his face regarding the event, and he beckoned for me to come close. When I did, he told me while nobody except me could hear him: `Do not let this excite you, and do not be overly optimistic, for it would never materialize.'"100

Notes:

100 Al-Irshad, p. 291

Adapted from: "Imam al-Ridha (a.s.), A Historical and Biographical Research" by: "Muhammad Jawad Fadlallah"