God says in His Glorious Book: Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from you, ye members of the Family, and to make you pure and spotless… One of these members is the eighth Imam (a.s.), Ali Bin Musa Al-Rida whose birth anniversary was on the 11th of this month.

Imam Al-Rida filled the era he lived in with his knowledge, wisdom and guidance. People used to visit him to learn the facts of life and Islam. He was such an outstanding and unique scholar that when other religious scholars could not answer a question they would tell the people to go to the Imam and ask him "for he knows what we do not".

His knowledge was not restricted to a single branch of religious knowledge. It included all aspects such as theology, jurisprudence and all other scientific and religious branches.

A companion of his, describes this fact:

I have not seen any one more knowledgeable than Ali bin Musa Al-Rida.

Any scholar who saw him came out with the same testimony.

Al Ma'moun gathered a number of the best theologians and jurists to contest him, but he beat all of them. His companions complied the questions he answered and found them to be over 18 thousand questions. His father, Imam Musa bin Jaa'far, used to tell his children: This is your brother Ali bin Musa, the scholar of Muhammad's family. Ask him about your religion, and learn what he tells you.

The Imam used to sit in the Medina Mosque, the Mosque of the Messenger. Other scholars used to sit in the same mosque. Whenever they were unable to answer a question they used to tell the people go to Imam Al-Rida for he knows what we know not.

As for his more morals, one of his companions said:

"I have never seen the Imam rude to any body. And he never interrupted any body's talk. And he never refused to offer a favour he knew he was capable of doing… He never cursed any of his slaves… He never laughed in a high voice. His laugh was but smiling.

As for his humbleness and respect of the poor and especially for the servants and slaves, traditions have stated that he used to sit with them at the same table refusing to let them sit at a separate one for we have "the same God, the same father and the same mother. And Allah rewards the people for what they do"… we are all the children of Adam and Eve and the servants of Allah. The only difference between us is in what we do.

He also said to one of his companions, who asked him not to sit with his servant at the dinner table. "I do not think that I am better than this (black slave) because I am related to the Messenger, except by my good deeds". This gives us a general rule in Islam that the linage no matter how great it is, does not make an individual better than others. Thus, the Imam did not behave, God forbids, in an arrogant way towards those who were socially in a lower rank, since they are his brothers in Islam and humanity.

Imam Al-Rida used to ask the people to read the Quran in a profound manner to understand its concepts and follow its commands. He described the Quran as, the words, of God which should not be surpassed, "nor should you seek guidance anywhere else lest you will be deviated".

He used to advise the people to read the Quran and follow it as a guide in all their actions. His own sayings were deduced from the Quran that covered all aspects of life and religion, for he wanted to teach the people that the Quran is the light that illuminates the path of Right and the way to become nearer to Allah.

Sayyed Abdul Aziem Al-Hassani, one of the great scholars who was a contemporary of the Imam, carried the following advice to the Shiites of the Imam "Give my best wishes to my followers, and tell them not to enable Satan to find his way to them. Do not let him seduce you to obey him in what makes you disobey God. And tell them to be truthful in what they say, and to return what they are entrusted with to its owners, and do not involve in debates in what does not concern you. Tell them also to be close to one another and exchange visits.

They ought to visit one another and not to go and pay a visit to the Imam's shrine while fighting one another. He added: They should not be concerned in breaking up one another".

Those who do so, the Imam has asked God to punish them in this world and in the Hereafter…

He ends by saying: "Let them know that Allah has rewarded those who had done good deeds among them, and forgiven those who sinned, except those who assumed partners to God or hurt one of Allah's followers… If they do so, Allah will not forgive them until they cease to do so.

If one does not do so, Allah will remove the spirit of Islam from his heart and he will no longer be one of our followers.

This saying by Imam Al-Rida was intended for those who believe that such an act is not a part of charity, He meant to explain to the people that charity is not only giving money to the poor, but also giving the weak any kind of strength. This is better than giving them money. Giving some money in charity might solve a limited problem but providing with strength is like giving a new spirit that will allow the week to face his troubles.

He also told some people who entrusted their money with someone who will then betray their trust: "The trustworthy did not betray you it is you who chose a traitor". Choosing those who are worthy of trust in our responsibility not only in money but also in all aspects of life including choosing the political and religious leadership.

In sum, you have to study the people before you entrust them with anything because Allah will hold you responsible for your choices.

Dear loved ones

Imam Al-Rida used to represent the Islamic wise spiritual and jurisprudence leadership who lived a very moving life being the heir-apparent. He laid down a plan for his relationship with Al-Ma'moun and continued to run this relationship until he passed away in Mashhad, where he is buried near his father's grave.

Dear beloved

We have to live the spirit of this Imam, and to follow his guide in his sayings and actions. We have to read the vast heritage he left us, and to constantly revive the memory of Ahl-el-Beit, by studying and publishing their knowledge and ethics.

Peace be on Imam Ali bin Musa Al-Rida, the day he was born, the day he died and the day he will be brought back to life,

On the road to Annapolis, the American Administration is trying hard to summon the Arab officials to this conference, in the midst of the impasses that haunt the region, and which continue to appear one after the other whether the Turkish -Kurd problem or what is happening in Pakistan or in Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine.

Thus, the American Administration seems in a hurry to ensure a formal success for this conference. That is why it insisted that the Arabs should send their foreign ministers.

It also wants to move the normalization process forward, giving it priority and leaving all the other dossiers awaiting the changes in the circumstances.

This is the perspective through which one could see the meetings between the enemy's Prime Minister and the Head of the Palestinian Authority. These meetings did not give the Palestinians any clear indication about any of their major issues including settlements, Jerusalem, the separating wall and the return of the refugees, because America wants to give Israel more time to tighten its settlement siege on Jerusalem and execute its plan concerning the 1948 Palestinians. In addition, it wants to ease the international pressures on the Jewish entity with the passing of time, especially that it continues its besiege to starve the Palestinians in Gaza, and its assassinations that it commits using the American weapons that haunt the people of the region and the opposition forces under the pretence of fighting terrorism.

Thus, the Middle East, especially the Arab region, is living a state of acute political instability, with several political and security troubles as well as economic collapses that are awaiting it, as a result of the continuous execution of the American schemes and plots.

In Iraq, the situation is still critical, as a result of the daily killings practiced by the Takfiris, the occupation forces, and the remnants of the previous regimes, in addition to the sectarian blocs that adopt several negative attitudes and stands to thwart the political stability Iraq needs to establish its free and independent state, and the American policy of constructive anarchy that aims at using all cards to pursue its own political and economic projects.

As for Pakistan that is allied with the American Administration; it lives in a state of political and security anarchy through the dictatorship that covers its tyranny with a democratic mask, although it has agreed to use its country as a base for the US Arrogance to expand its hegemony over all the neighbour countries.

In Afghanistan too, which is dominated by the NATO forces, victims continue to fall daily in its various regions in a way that it could not be said that the country enjoys political security and economic stability.

Then we have the American and European pressures on Iran, on the basis of the false accusation that it seeks to make the nuclear bomb although the International Atomic Agency has denied that there is not any indication to that effect. America is trying to impose additional sanctions to tighten the economic besiege on Iran. It also threatens to wage a war against it that might lead to a mad catastrophe in the Gulf region, which America does not care about its consequences on the peoples of the region, as long as it promotes its interests or that of Israel.

In Lebanon, there are many knots that have complicated the presidential elections represented by the power struggle among the parties that was obvious from refusing this or that candidate, which suggests that there will be a repeat of a previous historical mistake.

The problem is actually that there are international strings to these local knots, especially that some are talking about regional or international deals involving minor or major concessions on the regional level leading to several internal crises, especially with the repeated talk about the possibility of electing a consensual president in the absence of national accord, or according to the slogan of "There is no winner and no loser" which has been reciprocated ,and the logic that is not adopted is the logic of a winner and a loser.

As for the people’s concerns and aspirations, they are living in a state of fatal perplexity, that is aggravated by the mad statements of setting up security plans and the international interferences in which every county tries to set its foot in Lebanon to become an active player in the international and regional game of political influences.

To top all this, the Lebanese are suffering from inflation and unprecedented raise in prices that consumes the people's incomes, distorts their economic conditions and increases their security concerns.

It is a farm-country which the people in charge of do not abide by any system that will make them respect their citizens. In contrast, the people are looking for a state which although adopted as a slogan does not find a chance to be realized in reality, thus frustrating any hopes the Lebanese might have nurtured.