Hawzah News Agency- There is much dispute about the name and origin of Imam Reza's mother; what is popular, however, is that her name is Najmeh Khatoon from Europe, Andalus in Spain, or Marseille in France. Born in Medina on the 11th Dhuʻl-Qiʻdah (148 A.H, 766 A.D), Imam Reza (PBUH) held the divine position of Imamat at the age of thirty-five for about twenty years, coinciding with the caliphate of Harun-al Rashid. With the approach of the birth anniversary of Imam Reza, which falls on Monday, May 20 this year, the lovers and devotees of the Imam go on a pilgrimage to Mashhad in Khorasan Razavi Province, Iran, in which the holy shrine of the Imam is located.

Imam’s Miracles & Virtues

Each year, many miracles are recorded in which people’s problems, especially incurable health ones, are solved with the blessing of Imam Reza (peace be upon him) following visiting his holy shrine or even remote appeals.

It is to be noted that according to Astan Quds Razavi, an administrative organization managing the Imam Reza shrine and various institutions related to the organization, the medical documents of some who claim to have been healed are thoroughly checked by relevant experts in the process of verification, and then the documents are kept at Astan Quds Razavi.

Imam Reza Heals the Swedish Engineer's Son Who Was Paralyzed

Years ago, a Swedish engineer was asked to come to the holy shrine to do some repairs. Impressed by the magnificence of the shrine and the amount of pilgrims, he asked me, as his interpreter, many questions regarding the place.

After a short while, the knotted fabrics on the shrine’s Window of Steel (a.k.a Fulad Window) aroused his curiosity, so he asked, “What are those fabrics, and what is that window of steel?

“Those suffering from a severe illness come here to be healed, or individuals having a serious problem come so that the problem would be solved with the help of Imam.”

Suddenly, handing me his cell phone, the engineer went to the Window of Steel and tied his tie to it.

After one hour, he told me, “Let’s go.”

As his phone was repeatedly ringing by his wife, I told him, “Your wife is on the phone; maybe it is an urgent call. Please answer, sir.”

After the conversation with his wife, he hung up the phone and began to cry, for which I asked him in surprise, “What happened? Is there something wrong?”

“I have a boy, 16, who is paralyzed,’ he said. “When you told me, ‘People come here and then get healed,’ it crossed my mind to see for myself whether you are right or lying. I thought to myself, if you lied, there would be no harm done to me, but if you were right, regardless of any religion I have, this Imam would heal my son. Just now, my wife told me that my boy was up on his feet and was no longer paralyzed.

Having converted to Islam upon this incident, This Swedish family visits the holy shrine annually.

The above-mentioned true story reveals only a small part of the magnificence of Imam Reza (PBUH), which explains why 27 million people from across the world visit the holy shrine each year, as reported by Astan Quds Razavi.

Martyrdom

According to Shia historians, ma’mun, the seventh Abbasid caliph, felt threatened by Imam’s popularity. Hence, he plotted to end the blessed life of the Imam by poisoning him on the last day of the month of Safar, 203 (A.H). As mentioned earlier, the Imam (PBUH) was buried in Mashhad.