Ma’mun’s invitation together with threat at last led to Imam Reza’s (A.S.) acceptance and he set out on a nonreturnable travel.

When the Ma’mun’s agents reached Medina and went to Imam Reza, he reluctantly accepted the invitation and prepared himself for a travel.

Imam Reza (A.S.) went to the holy Prophet’s Shrine to say good bye to him forever. Then he called on all his agents and companions and declared that after him, his son, Imam Javad (A.S.), should take the position of Imamah. Afterward, he bade farewell to his Ahlul Bayt (family). On the contrary to the conventional custom of that time that disapproved the crying for the traveler he asked them to cry loudly for him.

The origin of Imam Reza’s (A.S.) travel was Medina and the destination was Marv. The course which Ma’mun insisted that Imam Reza (A.S.) should be passed through was from Medina to Basra, from Ahwaz to Fars and then through the desert from Fars to Khorasan and finally ended in Marv. In that path, there was no news of the big cities of that time and the presence of the Shia; and during the course Imam Reza (A.S.) couldn’t interact with many people.

Imam Reza’s travel can be divided into 5 geographical sections:

_ From Medina to Basra

_ From Basra to Fars

_ From Fars to Yazd

_From Yazd to Khorasan

_The course from Khorasan to Marv

According to some historical quotations, at first Imam Reza (A.S.) went to Mecca; in this part of the travel his son, Imam Javad, accompanied him. Imam Reza (A.S.). After saying goodbye to Kaaba, he continues his travel from Mecca to Basra. Basra was a city which from the far past Osman’s supporter resided in it and they had not established good relationships with the Prophet’s family.

During the course from Basra to Fars, Imam Reza (A.S.) first went to Ahwaz and after reaching there he got terribly sick. The historical resources have attributed the reason of Imam Reza’s illness to the very hot and humid weather of Ahwaz.

After recovering from the illness, Imam Reza (A.S.) moved toward the Fars and continued his travel. There is exact news on Imam Reza’s exit from Ahwaz and it is reported that he passed through the Arbak or Arbaq Bridge. In the extension of the course of Arbak Bridge (Arbaq) in the old city of Arjan (Behbahan) there is a foothold called Imam Reza’s foothold whose existence makes clear Imam Reza’s course.

The next foothold which has been repeatedly referred to in historical resources is in the city of Abarqu or Abarkouh which is located at the end of the northern road of Shiraz to the town of Yazd.

According to the existing historical resources, Imam Reza (A.S.) went to Mashhad through Ahwaz and Fars and not the city of Shiraz. There has been registered no reliable news on his entry to Shiraz; moreover, in the local resources of this city’s history, no foothold or monument is attributed to Imam Reza (A.S.). This matter, enhances the possibility of Imam Reza’s passing through the ancient way of Ahwaz to Pasargad which after Arjan, was connected to Marvdasht plain through the mountainous ways of the district of Kohgiluyeh.

But there is one point about Imam Reza’s course of movement from Fars to Yazd that at that time Yazd was not considered an important city, rather it was one of the subsidiaries of the city of Istakhr. In this district, there are several footholds and monuments of Imam Reza (A.S.).

On his course from Yazd to Khorasan it should be noted that the exact determination of Imam Reza’s course of travel is difficult due to the existence of various and sometimes contradictory reports. There are various reports on the course of Imam Reza’s (A.S.) travel, the end of those courses have ended in the city of Nishapur.

But there are several well documented reports on Imam Reza’s entry to Nishapur. Especially the tradition of Selselah al-Zahab (The Golden Chain) which has been issued by Imam Reza (A.S.) in this city enhances the reports in this regard. Also the foothold of Nishapur near this city is one of the documented tributes of Imam Reza’s presence there. After passing from Nishapur Imam Reza (A.S.) reached a water fountain; there was a stone beside that fountain on which Imam Reza (A.S.) said his prayer. T is for a while that there has been built a construction on this stone as a memorial to Imam Reza’s (A.S.) presence there and it exists until now.

After exiting from Nishapur, at a place named Deh Sorkh Imam Reza (A.S.) dug the earth a little to reach the water and perform whudhu (ablution). From there sprang a fountain which exist until now. 

In Koohsangi, Imam prays for abundance of the stones of this district from which they made pots and stone dishes. Thus far, this job is still available in this district. 

The next destination after Koohsangi was Tous. When Imam Reza (A.S.) entered Tous, he resided in the village of Sana Abad at the area of Noqan which was considered as the possessions of Hamid binGhahtabe Taei. There was a garden at that domicile. Harun al-Rashid’s tomb was located at that garden, too. And it was the place where Imam Reza (A.S.) later said that he will be buried there. The people and great men and scholars of the city warmly welcomed Imam Reza. 

The next course after Tous led to Sarakhs. According to the historical resources, when Imam Reza (A.S.) entered Sarakhs, he was imprisoned him at Ma’mun’s command. Ma’mun jailed Imam Reza (A.S.) in Sarakhs for two reasons. 

First reason is that by stating the Selselah al-Zahab (The Golden Chain) Tradition, Imam Reza in fact reminded the people of his legitimacy in front of the rule of Abbasid and said that the condition for entering the Most High God’s safe fort is his Imamah and his family, then questioned the Abbasid caliphate. The second reason was the warm welcome of the Nishapur’s people to Imam Reza (A.S.). Ma’mun had planned the course of Imam Reza’s travel in such a way that he not be able to interact with the Shia people and reach Marv in silence; but this didn’t happen in practice. Thus, Ma’mun ordered to imprison Imam Reza (A.S.) at Sarakhs and they spread the rumor that Imam Reza (A.S.) has claimed divinity.

Sarakhs is the last city before Marv. Imam Reza (A.S.) was welcomed by the people of Marv in spite of the obvious dominance of Ma’mun over the city and its people; in this very city Imam Reza (A.S.) acquiesces to Ma’mun’s offer of succession to Caliphate. At last being martyred by Ma’mun’s poison was the end of Imam Reza’s (A.S.) travel.