In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Imam Rida (AS) and the Golden Chain Hadith (for teens)

 

Once when our 8th Imam, Imam Rida (AS) was travelling from Medina to Tous, reached a town called Nishapur.

People of Nishapur came out to welcome and greet the son of Rasulullah [PBUH]. They all wanted to see Imam Rida (AS) and learn from him. Cries of Allahu Akbar; Allahu Akbar; went up. Scholars and reciters of the Quran waited to hear the Imam. They asked him to narrate a hadith from the Holy Prophet Muhammad [PBUH]. Imam Rida (AS) told them the following hadith:

"My father Musa al-Kadhim (AS) told me,

from his father Ja’far al-Sadiq (AS),

from his father Muhammad al-Baqir (AS),

from his father Ali Zain al-Abideen (AS),

from his father the martyr of Karbala (Hussain) (AS),

from his father Ali ibn Abitalib (AS),

from the Holy Prophet Muhammad [PBUH].

from Angel Jibrail (AS),

from Almighty Allah:

The declaration, La ilaha illalallah (there is no Allah except Allah) is My Fortress; whoever enters My fortress is safe from My punishment.

More than 20000 person began reciting the hadith and thought that His Holiness talk was over, but to their amazement the Holy Imam Rida (AS) added the following words to what he had previously stated:

“But all this depends on some conditions, and I am (accepting my Imamah and obeying my wilayah is) one of those conditions.”

This historical and the most famous hadith Qudsi is called "Silsilat al-Dhahab" (the Golden Chain) because each member of the chain was a Ma’soom (infallible).

In this hadith, Imam Rida (AS) confirms that worshipping Allah will be counted as a perfect procedure when it is based on the obedience of the immaculate Holy Imams (AS). He showed that there was a vital and clear link between Tawhid, Nubuwah and Imamah.