IECOC invites you and your family and friends to join us on Thursday, August 27, 2015 for the celebration of the auspicious birth of our 8th Imam, Ali al-Ridha (pbuh). The program will begin at 8:00 pm with Maghrib prayers, and will include a keynote address by Sayed Moustafa al-Qazwini and poetry presentations by our guest Nouri Sardar (London, UK).
Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha (as) was born in the city of Medina in the year 148 AH. Although the Imam lived during a very turbulent time in Islamic history, he was able to successfully continue the mission of his forefathers in the propagation of the teachings of Islam according to the Holy Qur’an and the authentic tradition of the Holy Prophet (pbuh&hf). During his life, the Imam was forced to travel from his home in Medina to the Khorasan area of present day Iran, to be kept under the watch of the Abbasid Caliph. During his long journey, the Imam met with, taught, and inspired a large number of believers. According to historians, the Imam was poisoned and died in the year 203 AH. Since then, millions of pilgrims visit his mausoleum in the holy city of Mashhad, Iran, to pay their respects to this great Imam.