The Fortress of Allah (s.w.t.)

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

In his Tarikh an-Nisabur, Imam Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah al-Hakim an-Nishaburi (r.a.), author of the al-Mustadrak ‘ala asw-Swahihayn, recorded that when Imam ‘Ali ibn Musa ar-Ridha’ (q.s.), son of Imam Musa ibn Ja’far al-Kazhim (q.s.), entered Nisabur, he was riding inside a veiled enclosure upon a grey mule.  When he entered the city’s main marketplace, the two huffazh of ahadits, Imam Abu Zur’ah ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Abd al-Karim ar-Razi (r.a.) and Imam Muhammad ibn Aslam ath-Thusi (r.a.), along with an uncountable number of students, stopped him and said, “O noble master, we ask you by the right of your noble and pure ancestors, to please expose your blessed face for us and narrate to us a hadits that you relate through your forefathers.” 

Imam ‘Ali ar-Ridha’ (q.s.) stopped his servant and ordered the veil to be removed, and everyone gazed upon his noble face.  He had two long braids which fell on his shoulders, and the populace was looking upon him, some screaming, others crying, others kissing the feet of his mule or rubbing their faces on the dirt in front of him, and their voices grew. 

So the ahadits scholars said, “O people, lower your voices and listen to that which will benefit you, and do not annoy us with your voices.”  Imam Abu Zur’ah (r.a.) and Imam ath-Thusi (r.a.) readied themselves to record. 

Imam ‘Ali ar-Ridha’ (q.s.) began, “Our father, Musa al-Kazhim, narrated to us, from his father, Ja’far asw-Swadiq, from his father, Muhammad al-Baqir, from his father, ‘Ali Zayn al-‘Abidin, from his father, the martyr of Karbala, from his father ‘Ali al-Murtadha, who said, ‘My beloved and delight of my eyes, Rasulullah, said to me, ‘Jibril said to me, ‘Allah (s.w.t.) Says: ‘’Laa ilaha illa Allah’ is My fortress, whoever recites it enters My fortress, and whoever enters My fortress is safe from My Wrath.’’’” 

Then he lowered the veil over himself and moved on, and those who had ink and were writing were counted to be above 20,000.” 

If people are impressed with the Golden Chain of Imam Abu ‘Abdullah Malik ibn Anas (r.a.) from Imam Abu Ruwaym ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahm an-Nafi’ al-Madani (r.a.) from Sayyidina ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (r.a.), then this is the Diamond Chain of healing and protection and blessing.  The Sufi, Imam Abu al-Qasim al-Qushayri ash-Shafi’i (q.s.) said, “This chain of narrations reached one of the umara’ of the Samaniyyah, so he had it written in gold ink and advised that writing to be buried with him.  After he died he was seen in a dream and asked ‘What did Allah (s.w.t.) Do with you?’ 

He replied, ‘Allah (s.w.t.) Forgave me because of my utterance of ‘Laa ilaha illa Allah’, and my conviction of ‘Muhammadar Rasulullah’.”