The 3rd or 5th of Rajab marks the anniversary of the birth of Imam Ali ibn Muhammad al-Hadi or al-Naqi. Although, it is widely disagreed upon which day he was born exactly, one date is celebrated as his birth and the other is mourned as the anniversary of his martyrdom. i.e. if the 5th of Rajab is his birth, then his death is on the 3rd and vice versa.
Imam al-Hadi is our tenth Imam and the son of Imam Muhammad al-Jawad. He is our 12th infallible, as his son was Imam Hassan al-Askari and his grandson, the Imam of our time, Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi. Imam al-Hadi was living at a time that did not allow room for much leadership, but by God's mercy, he became the Imam, after his father died, when he was at the age of six years old. He was beyond his years, and this is surely an understatement.
Our Imam lived in Madina for the remaining 8 years of the reign of Mu’tasim and 5 years of the reign of Wathiq Billah. It was when Mutawakkil became caliph in 236 Hijiri (847 AD) the Imam was called over to the Abbasid capital Baghdad. Mutawakkil, was the cruelest and deadly enemy of the Ahlul Bayt (as) , who tried to drown the Grave of Imam Husayn (as) in Karbala’ by diverting the waters of the Euphrates River.
But by a miracle the river water encircled the grave and did not go over it in spite of the fact that the surrounding ground was higher. When the Caliph failed in his action of drowning the grave he ordered that the whole area should be turned into farmland but when horses failed to take the plough over the grave, he realized his folly.
Eventually he left the hallowed ground as it was but as long as he lived he forbade any pilgrimage to the Shrine of Imam Husayn (as) . History tells us that pilgrims to the grave of Sayyidush Shohada (as) did continue to go in spite of the danger to their lives. Indeed many were killed on their way to the Shrine but the enthusiasm to visit the grave never subsided.
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"Ali al-Hadi (a.s.) was born in Siriya8 in Yathrib (Medina) and by this birth the world was delighted. No one had ever been born in that age more pious, more devoted, or more knowledgeable than him. He inherited all qualities of good, honor, and nobility. His father Imam al-Jawad (a.s.) named him ‘Ali like the blessed name of his two great grandfathers Amir’ul- Mu’minin Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) and Imam ‘Ali bin al-Husayn Zaynul Aabidin (a.s.). He resembled his grandfather Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) in eloquence and rhetoric, and his grandfather Imam Zaynul Aabidin in piety, worship, and asceticism. Giving a surname to a child was a way of honoring the child which helped his personality grow well towards perfection. The infallible Imams (a.s.) paid attention to this important fact and therefore, they surnamed their children in their early childhood. The Arabs were proud of their surnames. Imam al-Jawad (a.s.) surnamed his son, Imam al-Hadi (a.s.), as Abul Hasan, which was the same as the surnames of his two grandfathers Imam Musa al-Kadhim (a.s.) and Imam ar-Ridha (a.s.). Narrators differentiated between these three Imams in this surname by saying Abul Hasan the First (Imam Musa al-Kadhim), Abul Hasan the Second (Imam ar-Ridha), and Abul Hasan the Third (Imam ‘Ali al-Hadi)."
His epithets expressed the high qualities he possessed. His epithets are as follows:
1. An-Nasih (loyal); he was called so because he was the sincerest advisor to the nation.
2. Al-Mutawakkil (reliant on Allah); he disliked this epithet and ordered his companions not to call him with it. I think he hated this epithet because it was the epithet of the Abbasid caliph Ja’far al-Mutawakkil who held a bitter grudge and enmity, and was spiteful, towards the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.).
3. At-Taqiy (pious, devout); he was called so because he feared Allah and turned to Him. Al-Mutawakkil, the tyrant Abbasid caliph, tried his best to attract Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) to the fields of amusement and debauchery but he failed.
4. Al-Murtadha (being pleased with Allah); it was his most famous epithet.
5. Al-Faqeeh (jurisprudent); he was the most informed person of his age in jurisprudence, and was the authority that jurisprudents and scholars turned to.
6. Al-Aalim (knowledgeable); he was the most knowledgeable one among the people of his time, not only in the Islamic laws, but all branches of knowledge and sciences.
7. Al-Ameen (trustee on religion and life)
8. At-Tayyib (generous, kind-hearted, good-natured)
9. Al-Askari (military); he was called so because he resided in Surra Men Ra’a (Samarra’) which was called al-Askar.16
10. Al-Muwadhih (explainer of the verdicts of the Holy Book and the Sunnah)
11. Ar-Rasheed (wise, prudent); he was called so because he was the wisest and most prudent of his time.
12. Ash-Shaheed (the martyr) because he was martyred at the hands of the enemies of Allah.
13. Al-Wafiy (loyal); he was the most loyal of his people, and loyalty was a key element of his personality.
14. Al-Khalis (pure from every defect and bad)
For more information and further clarification, click here. It is a short book, that encompasses much more than what is included here, alhamdulillah.
