On What Ar-Ridha عليه السلام Wrote for Al-Ma’mun Regarding Pure Islam and the Religious Decrees

35-4 Al-Hakim Abu Ali Al-Husayn ibn Ahmad al-Bayhaqi narrated that Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Sowli quoted on the authority of Oun ibn Muhammad al-Kindi, on the authority of Sahl ibn Al-Qasim al-Noshajani: “In Khorasan Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام told me that there are ties of kinship between you and I.” He asked, “O Master! How is that?” Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام said, “When Abdullah ibn 'Amir ibn Kariz conquered Khorasan, he captured two of the daughters of Yazdegerd, the Persian King and sent them to Othman ibn Affan. He granted one of them to Al-Hassan عليه السلام and the other one to Al-Husayn عليه السلام. They both died during childbirth. The wife of Al-Husayn عليه السلام delivered Ali ibn Al-Husayn عليه السلام. Since she died during delivery, one of the maids - who was Umm Walad of one of Al-Husayn’s عليه السلام grandchildren took care of him (while another woman breast-fed him). The Imam عليه السلام grew up and knew no one else to be his mother, but later he realized that she had only been his care-taker. The people considered her Umm Walad to be his mother. When he married her, they thought that he has married his own mother. Take refuge in God! It was not so. This woman was living in Ali ibn Al-Husayn’s عليه السلام house. Once after Ali ibn Al-Husayn عليه السلام had finished making love to one of his wives and was leaving the room to go and make the ritual ablutions, that woman saw him. He asked her, “If you also wish to be married, fear God and tell me.” She replied, “Yes.” Then the Imam عليه السلام married her, too. Since the people considered her to be his mother, they spread the rumors that Ali ibn Al-Husayn عليه السلام had married his own mother.”(Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Sowli added,) “Oun told me that Sahl ibn Qasim that all of Abu Talib’s descendants had narrated this tradition of Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام from me.”