There is a hadith of the Holy Prophet Mumammad (saw) that when you
travel, you should give charity (Sadaqah). So is it not better to give
the money of Imam-e-Zaamin before you go on your journey rather than
when you get back, so that it may reach the poor quicker.
It is said that the Sura Tawheed (Sura Ikhlas), if written and cut
into two halves, one given to the traveller and the other left at his
home, will always come together again and so ensure the safe journey
of the traveller.
The king at the time of our 8th Imam, Imam Reda (as) was Mamoon Rashid
son of Haroon Rashid. Mamoon Rashid had forced Imam Reda (as) to take
the position of his heir apparent (i.e. Imam Reda (as) was supposed to
take over as king after Mamoon Rashid); because he wanted to be
accepted by the Shias. Although Imam Reda (as) did not want to take
this position, Imam Reda (as) made full use of it to preach Islam
openly. To show to the people how much he thought of Imam Reda (as),
Mamoon Rashid changed the colour of his court from black to green [the
colour of the Imam Reda (as)], Mamoon Rashid also had new coins made
with Imam Reda's (as) name on it.
Each Imam (as) is remembered for a specific thing: EX: 4th Imam, Imam
Zainul Abideen (as)- In illness. 6th Imam, Imam Jafar Sadiq (as)-
For sustenance. And in the same way our 8th Imam, Imam Reda (as) is
called upon when someone is about to go on a journey.
The eight Imam, Imam Reda (as) is also called as Imam-e-Zaamin. When
Muslims go on journeys they take with them something called
Imam-e-Zaamin (another name for Imam Reda (as)) which is some money
tied in a cloth. This tradition probably came from the time of Imam
Reda (as) when people used to carry money with them especially because
it had Holy Imam's (as) name on it. As Mamoon Rashid, the Abbasid
caliph the contemporary of Imam Reda (as), had coins minted with the
name of Imam Reda (as) on them, it was very easy for the Muslims to
carry the name of Imam Reda (as) with them, especially when they went
on journeys.
Imam Reda (as) is also known as Imam-e-Zaamin (as). Zaamin means "The
Guarantor".
One day when Imam Reda (as) was on his historical journey from Madina
to Marw (Khurasan), while in a jungle Imam Reda (as) came across a
hunter who was about to kill a deer. The deer was trying to get away
and when she saw Holy Imam Reda (as), she said something to him. Holy
Imam Reda (as) asked the hunter to free the deer so that she could go
and feed her little baby deers who were very hungry. Imam Reda (as)
also told the hunter that once the deer had fed her babies she would
come back. The hunter allowed the deer to go because Holy Imam Reda
(as) had told him to, but he did not think the deer will come back.
But Imam Reda (as) 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 Reda
(as). After this historical event Imam Reda (as) became famous as
Imam-e-Zaamin (as).
The 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).
'' Our Lord ! grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter and save us from the torment of the Fire '' [Ameen]
-
{in Arab} :->
Rabbanaa aatinaa fid-dunyaa hasanatan wafil aakhirati hasanatan waqinaa 'athaaban-naar/-
(Surah Al-Baqarah ,verse 201)
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