Imam Mahdi (pbuh)
This is the name of Mubarak Jaafar bin Muhammad Al-Sadiq, peace be upon them. Or the name of “Abu Abdullah” and the narrations of Abu Ismail, Abu Musa, Al-Fadil, Al-Tahir, Al-Qaim, Al-K Hope or salvation.
His mother is respected, Mrs. Umm Farwa bint Al-Qasim bin Muhammad bin Abi Bakr bin Abi Qahfa.
The birth of the enlightened city of Medina on April 24, 702 AH, corresponding to the 17th of Rabi’ al-Awwal, 80 AD The title of Faramaya is the title of Faramaya, may God bless him and his family. This is a hadith that mentioned that the Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family, came to the grave of Ja’far bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Hussein bin Ali, and when Al-Sadiq fell asleep, he came to her. It is true that in the past Jaafar was a liar. The claim of the Imam of Karinji was false.
Peace be upon him, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him. 34 He asked, “May God’s peace and blessings be upon you.” Respected father, Hazrat Imam Muhammad Baqir, peace be upon him, said, “This is the beginning of my life.”
The funeral of Fatima bint Al-Hussein Al-Athram bin Al-Hassan bin Ali Ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon them, may God’s prayers and peace be upon you, the honorable presence of Hamida Al-Barbariyah, Hazrat Imam Musa Kazem, peace be upon him, as his respected father. Ismail's family is the father of his children. (The jinn of the doctrine of Ismail say hi), Abdullah, Musa Al-Kadhim, Ishaq, Muhammad, Ali (Al-Ma’ruf Al-Aridhi) or Abbas, the daughter of Fatima, Asmaa, Fatima Sughra or Umm Farwa, may God’s peace May God bless you
Hazrat Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, the religious sciences, such as publication and dissemination, are limited to many sciences, for example mathematics, philosophy, astronomical sciences, or geological sciences. This is the reason behind the path of the Imams. Abu Hanifa Al-Numan or Malik bin Anas.
Hazrat Imam Jaafar Sadiq, peace be upon him, as Abu Jaafar Mansour, the wisdom of this day, which prompted Imam, peace be upon him, to witness the reality of the world.
What is the role of Imam Mahdi’s ambassadors during the time of the minor occultation? What are their achievements?
The minor occultation represented a temporary transitional phase in order to prepare for the phase of the major occultation. It is natural for it to have its own features, circumstances, and requirements, and for the qualifications and roles of the ambassadors to be consistent with the aforementioned goal. Despite the few accounts that have reached us about that period, we can record the following points about the features of that period. The stage and the roles of ambassadors in it:
1 - Since the occultation of the Imam (may God hasten his return) was a severance from direct connection with society, it was necessary for the ambassadors to have a special status among the believers and a source of their trust and reliance, in order to preserve their psychological stability and the firmness of their faith (first), and to cut off the traces of pretenders and charlatans (second), and therefore they were among the most prominent. The features of the ambassadors and their characteristics: the Shiite community’s confidence in them and their piety, especially the first ambassador with whom that stage began, as he was specifically documented and confirmed by the Imams al-Hadi and al-Askari (peace be upon them), and this was also included in some of the earlier narrations regarding him (may God be pleased with him), as well as documentation Imam Hassan Al-Askari (peace be upon him) and his son Muhammad bin Othman - the second representative - and some narratives have been presented indicating that the second ambassador, Muhammad bin Othman, returned the people to the third ambassador, Al-Hussein bin Ruh, during his lifetime, to confirm his authentication and approval.
2 - The same advanced point requires that the ambassador be very wise and balanced in his positions and behavior so as to preserve the peace and stability of the Shiite community away from emotional positions.
Al-Safadi said on the authority of Al-Hussein bin Ruh (may God be pleased with him): (His entourage increased until princes, ministers, those isolated from the ministry, and notables were riding to him, and people described his intelligence. Abu Al-Qasim remained in this state until Hamid bin Al-Abbas took over the ministry, and he had many affairs and long engagements with him. He explained it, and he was arrested and imprisoned for five years, and he was released from prison in the year (312 AH), and it was said in the year (313 AH) when Al-Muqtadir (the Abbasid Caliph) was deposed. When he was returned to the caliphate, they consulted with him about it. He said: Leave him, for because of his sin, what happened happened to us, and his sanctity remained as it was. It was (1).
Sheikh Al-Tusi (may God have mercy on him) said: (Abu Al-Qasim (Al-Hussein bin Ruh (may God have mercy on him)) was one of the wisest people among those who disagreed and agreed, and used taqiyya), and he cited some narrations for that, including:
A - The narration of Abu Abdullah bin Ghalib, who said: (I have not seen anyone wiser than Sheikh Abu Al-Qasim Hussein bin Ruh, and I met him one day in the house of Ibn Yasar (Bashar), and he had a place with the Sayyid (peace be upon him) (2). Al-Muqtadir was great, and the common people were He also venerated him, and Abu al-Qasim used to attend out of piety and fear... (3).
B - Abu Nasr Hibatullah said: Abu Ahmad Daranawayh the leper - whose house was in Darb Al-Qaratis - told me: He said to me: (I and my brothers used to go to Abu Al-Qasim Al-Hussein bin Ruh (may God be pleased with him) and deal with him - he said: And they were vendors - For example, we are ten, nine of us cursing him and one of us doubting him, so we leave him after we entered him, nine of us approaching God with his love, and one of us is standing, because he used to match us in the virtue of the Companions, what we have narrated and what we have not seen, so we write about him because of his goodness (may God be pleased with him) (4).
This text reveals to us the harsh conditions and suffering that the ambassadors and Shiites were going through at that time.
What confirms what we have mentioned about the necessity of the ambassador being characterized by wisdom, solidity, and strength of personality is what was mentioned previously on the authority of Abu Sahl al-Nubakhti in his evaluation of Hussein bin Ruh and his toughness, that if he had been embarrassed in front of the opponents and Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance) was under his garment, he would not have lifted his garment and his matter would not have been revealed to them.
3 - Providing the Shiite community with the signatures of the Imam (may God hasten his return), which are of three types:
The first category: what included directing the Shiites, starting with (may God hasten his return), such as appointing an ambassador or exposing the condition of deviants and impostors.
The second category: What includes answering the various questions of his Shiites (may God hasten his return), whether those that include legal rulings and teachings or those related to solving their problems, guiding them, and advising them.
The third category: What includes the texts of some supplications and recommended matters.
As for the first category: We have previously reviewed examples that included the appointment of some ambassadors and their successors.
Among that signature appeared from the Imam (may God hasten his return) cursing Muhammad bin Ali bin Abi Al-Azaqir, known as (Al-Shalmaghani), and we will address that, God Almighty willing.
As for the second category: which includes answering their questions and solving their problems that they face in their daily lives, the narrative sources have been exposed to many of these signatures, including:
A - What Al-Saduq (may God have mercy on him) mentioned. He said: Muhammad bin Ahmad Al-Shaybani, Ali bin Muhammad Al-Daqqaq, Al-Hussein bin Ibrahim bin Ahmed bin Hisham Al-Muaddeb, and Ali bin Abdullah Al-Warraq (may God be pleased with them) narrated to us. They said: Abu Al-Hussein bin Muhammad bin Jaafar Al-Asadi (may God be pleased with them) narrated to us. May God bless him) He said: It was in what was reported to me from Sheikh Abu Jaafar Muhammad bin Othman (may God sanctify his secret) in the answer to my questions to the owner of the time:
(As for what you asked about regarding the matter of the endowment on our part and what is made for us and then its owner needs it, everything that is not handed over, the owner has the choice in it, and everything that is handed over, the owner has no choice, whether the owner needs it or does not need it, whether he lacks it or does not need it...
- As for what you asked about regarding the matter of the praying person, the fire, the image, and the lamp in his hands, is it permissible for him to pray? People differed about that before you. It is permissible for someone who is not one of the children of idol worshipers or fire worshippers, while the image and the lamp are in his hands, and that is not permissible for someone who is one of the children of idol worshipers. And fire).
(It is noted that this answer includes a secondary jurisprudential ruling, and sheds light on the role of the jurist in understanding the nature of the ruling contained in the legal texts and the necessity of distinguishing between the primary ruling and the secondary ruling that changes with its subject and the circumstances surrounding the taxpayer and society, and that the lack of clarity of that at the time necessitated disagreement among the Shiites in aforementioned ruling).
(As for what you asked about regarding the matter of the man who makes a work for our neighborhood and hands it over to a custodian who will carry it out and populate it and pay its tax and supplies from its income and give what remains of the income to our neighbourhood, that is permissible for the one whom the owner of the estate has appointed as its custodian, but it is not permissible for anyone else.
- As for what you asked about regarding fruits from our wealth that a passerby passes by, takes some of it and eats it, is that permissible for him? It is permissible for him to eat it and forbidden for him to carry it (5).
(This answer refers to what jurists call (the right of passers-by) and they have discussed its ruling in detail in jurisprudential sources.)
B - What was narrated in the signatures of the answers to the well-known questions of the people of Qom, including:
- About a woman whose husband dies. Is it permissible for her to go out to his funeral or not?
Signature: “Graduation at his funeral.”
- Is it permissible for her, while she is in her waiting period, to visit her husband’s grave or not?
Signature: “She visits her husband’s grave, and does not stay away from her home overnight...”
- And about farewell to the month of Ramadan, when will it be? Our companions differed about it. Some of them say: It is recited on the last night of it, and some of them say: It is on the last day of it when the crescent of Shawwal is sighted.
Signature: “Working during the nights of Ramadan. The farewell occurs on the last night of it, so if he fears that it will decrease, he may do so in two nights” (6).
C - Another book which contains:
We have magicians who eat dead meat and do not wash themselves from ritual impurity, and they weave clothes for us. Is it permissible to pray in them [from] before they are washed?
The answer: “There is no harm in praying in it...”
- And on the authority of a man from the endowment steward who considers what is in his hand permissible and does not care (7) from taking his money. I may stay in a village while he is there, or I enter his house and his food has been prepared and he invites me to him. If I do not eat of his food, he opposes me to him, and says: So-and-so is not permissible for me to eat. He eats our food, so is it permissible for me to eat his food and give charity? How much is the charity? If this agent gives a gift to another man, and he comes and invites me to get it, and I know that the agent is not afraid to take what is in his hand, is (I) owed anything to him if I get it?
The answer: “If this man has money or a livelihood other than what is in his hand, eat his food and accept his righteousness, otherwise no” (8).
Moreover, the wording of some of the narrated signatures may have been on the part of the ambassador himself, if he was certain of the answer to the question presented to him, even because of his counterpart’s previous response and the response of the Imam (may God hasten his appearance) on his behalf at that time, as is the case in fatwa committees in the offices of religious authorities in our time, where Returning the referendum to the same authority is limited to the case that they do not know the answer, but this applies if the signature is not in the imam’s handwriting (may God hasten his return) or is attributed to him personally.
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1 - Al-Wafi bi al-Wafiyat: 12/226.
2 - It was said that she was: the mother of Al-Mutawakkil, who was influential in the Abbasid court at that time.
3 - Al-Ghaybah by Al-Tusi: 384.
4 - Source: 386.
5 - Perfection of religion and completion of grace: 520-521.
6 - Al-Ghaybah by Al-Tusi: 377-378.
7 - Pious, terrified of piety. See: Lisan al-Arab: 15/272.
8 - Al-Ghaybah by Al-Tusi: 381-383.
Two theories about the reason for the occultation of Imam Mahdi (may God bless him and grant him peace)
1 - The theory of unknown wisdom:
Sheikh Al-Saduq leaned towards this theory in “Ikmal al-Din” and determined the existence of wisdom in the absence of the Imam, based on the effects of God’s wisdom in his previous arguments. He said: Our belief in the infallibility of Imam Mahdi requires us to acknowledge the existence of wisdom behind his absence.
Sayyid al-Murtada Alam al-Huda denied the necessity of knowing the specific reason for the absence, and the sufficiency of general knowledge of the existence of some reason for the absence, with belief in the infallibility of the Imam, and he considered knowledge in this to be like knowledge of God’s will from the similar verses in the Holy Qur’an.
Thus, Sheikh al-Tusi said that it is necessary to assume a reason for (the owner of the time)’s absence and concealment, and to say that there is a justifiable wisdom even if we do not know it in detail, just as it is possible to assume reasons and a ruling for God’s (Glory be to Him) creation of animals, harmful things, ugly images, and the pain of children, even if we do not know the reason for its wisdom in detail, and he said: (If we know of his imamate with evidence, and we know of his infallibility with other evidence, and we know of his absence, we interpret his absence in a way that matches his infallibility, then there is no difference between the two situations.)
Sheikh Muhammad Hussein Kashif al-Ghita said in (The Origin of the Shiites and their Principles): (The question about wisdom is invalid if the proofs are established that the presence of the Imam is necessary in every era, and that the earth is not devoid of proof, and that his presence is a kindness and his behavior is another kindness), and he considered the position more precise and obscure than This, as he admitted ignorance of wisdom and failure to achieve the rightful interest.
2 - Scrutiny Theory:
There is another theory in explaining (the occultation of the Imam) is the theory of (scrutiny), that is, scrutinizing, distinguishing, and sifting the Shiites, in order to identify the truth of their belief in the Mahdi and their patience in the face of calamity.
Al-Saduq and Al-Tusi narrated many narrations on this subject from Imams Al-Baqir and Al-Sadiq (peace be upon them), and some of these narrations talk about the person in charge not appearing until after two-thirds of the people had gone, and no one remained except a few, and about the Shiites being sifted out just as tares are sifted out of wheat.
One of the narrations says: “The person in charge of this matter must go into an absence until he who used to say it withdraws from this matter. Indeed, it is a test from God by which He tests His creation. Your minds are too small for this matter and your dreams are too small for carrying it, but if you live, you will achieve it.”
Another narration, including the occultation of Imam Mahdi, likens the delay of the punishment that Noah brought down from heaven, until groups of those who believed in him began to turn away, one group after another. The same applies to the Qa’im, for the days of his absence will extend. Let the truth be revealed in its purest form and be purified of turmoil by the apostasy of every Shiite whose nature is evil, for whom hypocrisy is feared, if they feel the caliphate, empowerment, and widespread security during the era of the Qaim.
But only Al-Saduq took this theory, and it was neglected by Al-Mufid, Al-Murtada, and Al-Tusi. Although they mentioned some narrations that included it, Al-Tusi interpreted those narrations about the Shiites being tested in the event of occultation to mean that it happened during it, not that it was a reason for it.
Why did the occultation of Imam Mahdi (may God bless him and grant him peace) last more than a thousand years?
They said: Why all this eagerness to prolong the life of the Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance) to this extent, so that the laws are suspended because of him, or we are forced to perform a miracle?! Why do we not accept the other assumption that says: The leadership of humanity on the promised day can be left to another person who was born at that time and lives in objective circumstances, to carry out his mission of change?!
The answer to it - after taking into account the demands mentioned in the research - is very clear, for God (Almighty and Majestic) has kept people alive in this world or elsewhere much longer than the life of the Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance) has passed, and that is for wisdom and secrets to which we are not guided, or taught to us. Some of them, and in any case we believe in them with absolute faith, so let it be so with regard to the Mahdi; Because - as we pointed out before - as Muslims, we believe that God Almighty does not act in vain, and we also believe in many things that are hidden from us on which solid proof of reason has been established.
And the transmission, it does not harm us if we do not know the wisdom in one of our beliefs, and the same is the case with the legal rulings and acts of worship. We may not be guided to the secret of one of the rulings or the philosophy of one of the divine laws, but worshiping victory is a must, especially after it has been proven with certainty.
Accordingly, we say: If the evidence that we established in the previous chapters on the necessity of believing in the Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance) is consistent with those special specifications, and that he is Al-Hujjah bin Al-Hasan Al-Askari, and that he was born and was an Imam after his father - and at the honorable five years of his age -, and that he is alive and existing... Long blessed life. The inevitable result is to say about this long absence, whether we know - nevertheless - one of its secrets or not. Even if it is possible to imagine some of its secrets to the extent of our limited understanding and limited minds. As for those Muslims who cannot bear the commitment to the miracle of the Imam’s long life and the benefits resulting from his presence - despite his being absent - he must correct his belief from the beginning, and in the light of evidence from reason and transmission.
On this basis also, we cannot accept the other assumption, because the evidence is supposed to have led us to the impossibility of (the earth being devoid of any proof for God, even for a single moment), and after believing in that - whether or not we know any of the ruling on that, from what is stated in the scientific books detailed in the chapter or not. We know - there is no escape from saying that the Imam existed from his birth, and that there is no room for imposing the other assumption at all.
6 important information about the minor occultation of Imam Mahdi (may God bless him and grant him peace)... Learn about it
The minor occultation period extended from (260 AH) to (329 AH), and this time period has its own specificity, as it is a real reality experienced by a segment of people who were pioneers of this period.
The characteristics of this stage are the following:
1 - A number of those who lived and lived through the time of the Minor Occultation were among the companions of Imam Al-Jawad, Al-Hadi, and Al-Askari (peace be upon them), such as Ali bin Jaafar Abi Hashim, Dawud bin Al-Qasim Al-Jaafari, who saw five of the Imams (peace be upon them), Dawud bin Abi Yazid Al-Naysaburi, and Muhammad bin Ali bin Bilal, Abdullah bin Jaafar Al-Himyari, Ishaq bin Al-Rabi’ Al-Kufi, Abu Al-Qasim Jaber bin Yazid Al-Farsi, and Ibrahim bin Ubaidullah bin Ibrahim Al-Naysaburi.
2 - A number of those who witnessed the minor occultation were among the agents of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his return), such as Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Jaafar, Jaafar bin Suhail, Muhammad bin Al-Hasan Al-Saffar, Abdus Al-Attar, Sindi bin Al-Naysaburi, Abu Talib Al-Hasan bin Jaafar Al-Fafa, and Abi Al-Bakhtari.
3 - The Imam’s deputies during the time of the minor occultation are four: Othman bin Saeed Al-Amri, Muhammad bin Othman, Al-Hussein bin Ruh, Ali bin Muhammad Al-Samri.
4 - A group of those who lived through the Minor Occultation were scholars and jurists, such as Al-Kulayni, Al-Saduq, and his father.
5 - This stage was also distinguished by the fact that answers appeared in the form of correspondence and letters from him (may God hasten his return).
6 - This stage is also characterized by the presence of a mass base that carries a culture of attachment to the appointed Imam, and belief in the previous Imams (peace be upon them), and they carry a specific identity, a special affiliation, and dependence in the field of work on a specific jurisprudential method.
We will pause later in analyzing and finding out how these mass bases returned after the martyrdom of Al-Askari (peace be upon him) to Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his return), without being afflicted with confusion, except for what was rare and anomalous in the emergence of some groups that were afflicted with confusion for a period of time to the point that they It disappeared later, as stated by Sheikh Al-Mufid (may God have mercy on him) (1).
Note that these mass bases carry intellectual and behavioral characteristics that reflect great benefits for us.
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Sheikh Al-Mufid (may God have mercy on him) said in Al-Fusul Al-Mukhtara (p. 321): “None of these sects that we mentioned are present in our time, which is from the year three hundred and seventy-three, except the Twelver Imami who believe in the imamate of Ibn Al-Hasan, named after the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace). And his family (peace and blessings of God be upon him) which confirms his life and his survival until the time of his rising by the sword, according to what we explained above about them. They are the most numerous of the Shiite groups, scholars, theologians, theorists, righteous people, worshipers, jurists, scholars of hadith, writers, and poets. They are the face of the Imamiyya, the heads of their group, and those relied upon in religion, and all others are extinct. No one knows of the fourteen sects that we mentioned, apparently in an article, and none of them exist according to this description of their religion. Rather, what is narrated from them is an anecdote about those who preceded it, and rumors about the existence of a people among them are not proven.)
What is the role of Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) in the state of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his return)?
The phenomenon of the Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) is a phenomenon that is very closely linked and very close in its beginning and end to the issue of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance), because it has become clear to Muslims and even to the followers of the heavenly religions that he (peace be upon him) is coming down to have some contribution, participation and some role in That divine state that will be established on earth to reform it.
It has become clear to Muslims in their frequent hadiths that the Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) is descending at that time to establish reform on earth in the state of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance), that state in which he will pray behind Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance), so his descent is a chapter. From the belief in the appearance of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance), that is, there are two parts to one belief, and it is a clear and established fact that Muslims believe in and half of it is believed by Christians and Jews. Therefore, the review of this phenomenon in the Holy Qur’an is closely and definitely related to the appearance of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance).
And the life of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance) in his absence, because the name of Jesus (peace be upon him) was associated with the name of the Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance) in the statements of the Holy Qur’an, and the details of the insights of the Prophet’s hadith that have been extensively transmitted by Muslim sects. Hence, the Holy Qur’an sheds light on the phenomenon of the Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him), and makes it clear that the Children of Israel, despite the presence of evidence of divine revelation to them, announced the role of the Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him), and that he will not be killed until he participates in a group appointed by heaven on earth in a declared manner for reform. And the establishment and spread of justice and the religion of truth throughout all parts of the earth, despite the presence of these proofs with them, how can they claim and say with this article that they killed him, and that he is not alive now?! For this reason, God has set a seal on their hearts.
“And there is not one of the People of the Book except that they believe in it” (An-Nisa: 159). This verse shows that the Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) will have a descent after he was raised to heaven, and that he will participate in spreading and spreading the true faith on earth. There is a close and close connection. In the same statements of the Noble Qur’an, between what was mentioned above regarding the descent of the Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) and the promise of God Almighty in His saying: “It is He who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, that He may make it prevail over all religions, even though the polytheists hate it” (Repentance). : 33), i.e. showing the religion of Islam On all parts of the earth and filling it with equity and justice, and that the Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance) is from the descendants of Fatima, the descendants of the Messenger, and the descendants of Ali (peace be upon them). These two Quranic truths are one identical truth.
So here are two phenomena that are broadcast through the lens of the Holy Qur’an as insights for humanity.
What is the date of the day that Imam Mahdi (may God bless him and grant him peace) disappeared?!
Sheikh Al-Saduq (may God have mercy on him) mentioned in “Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Nimah,” p. 503, that the fourth ambassador (Ali bin Muhammad al-Samri, may God be pleased with him) died in the middle of Shaban in the year 328 AH. He (may God have mercy on him) after he mentioned the news of the fourth ambassador. Regarding the death of Al-Saduq’s father: (Abu Al-Hussein Saleh bin Shuaib Al-Talqani, may God be pleased with him, told us in Dhul-Qa’dah in the year three hundred and thirty-nine, he said: Abu Abdullah Ahmad bin Ibrahim bin Mukhlid told us, he said:
I attended Baghdad with the sheikhs, may God be pleased with them, and Sheikh Abu Al-Hassan Ali bin Muhammad Al-Samri, may God sanctify his soul, starting from him, said: “May God have mercy on Ali bin Al-Hussein bin Musa bin Babawayh Al-Qummi.”
He said: So the sheikhs wrote down the date of that day, and the news came that he died that day.
Sheikh Al-Saduq said after that: (Abu Al-Hasan Al-Samri, may God be pleased with him, passed away after that in the middle of Shaban in the year three hundred and twenty-eight). I finish
Accordingly; According to the aforementioned transmission, the beginning of the great occultation is in the middle of Shaban, because it began with the death of the fourth ambassador (may God be pleased with him). If the death of the fourth ambassador was on the night of the middle of Shaban, then the beginning of the great occultation would be the night of the middle of Shaban, just as it is the night of the birth of a guardian. God is the Greatest Imam Al-Hujja (our souls are sacrificed for Him) in the year 255 AH, and if his death was on the day of the middle of Shaban - as is apparent in the report - then the beginning of the great occultation would be the day of the middle of Shaban, which is also the day of the blessed birth.
Five secrets of the occultation of Imam Mahdi (may God bless him and grant him peace). Learn about them
Many narrations mentioned reasons for backbiting, including:
1- Fear of killing:
Among the reasons mentioned in mentioning this is what Zurara narrated on the authority of Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him): “The boy must go back and forth.” I said: Why? He said: “He is afraid - and he gestured with his hand to his stomach -” (1), and in another narration on the authority of Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him): “He fears slaughter for himself” (2), and in a third narration on the authority of Imam Musa bin Jaafar (peace be upon him): “ Fearing for himself” (3), and others.
2- That no pledge of allegiance to an oppressor falls on his neck:
Among the narrations that mention this reason is what was narrated on the authority of Imam Zayn al-Abidin (peace be upon him): “The one who rises among us will have his birth hidden from the people until they say: He has not been born yet, so he will emerge when he emerges and no one has a pledge of allegiance on his neck” (4).
3 - Exploring the absences of the Prophets (peace be upon them):
Among the narrations that mentioned this reason are: On the authority of Hanan bin Sudair, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him), who said: “The one who rises from us will have a long absence,” so I said to him: O son of the Messenger of God, why is that? He said: “Because God (Almighty and Majestic) refuses except that the customs of the Prophets (peace be upon them) be applied during their absences, and that it is necessary for him, O Sidir, to complete the periods of their absences. God Almighty said: “You will certainly ride one level after another” [Al-Inshiqaq: 19]. That is, the traditions of those before you” (5), and others.
4 - Collecting faith deposits:
Among the narrations that mentioned this reason are: On the authority of Muhammad bin Abi Umair, on the authority of the one who mentioned it, on the authority of Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him), who said: I said to him: What is the matter with the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) when he did not fight so-and-so and so-and-so and so-and-so? He said: For a verse in the Book of God (Glory be to Him): “If they had desisted, We would surely have punished those who disbelieved among them with a painful punishment” [Al-Fath: 25]. He said: I said: What is meant by their desistance? He said: The deposits of believers are in the loins of an unbelieving people. Likewise, the Qaim (peace be upon him) will never appear until the deposits of God Almighty come out. When they come out, he will appear against whomever of God’s enemies appears and kill them” (6).
5- A secret of secrets:
Among the narrations that indicate this reason - if it is correct to call it the reason - is what was narrated on the authority of Ahmad bin Ishaq bin Saad Al-Ash’ari, who said: I entered upon Abu Muhammad Al-Hasan bin Ali [Al-Askari] (peace be upon them both) and I wanted to ask him about the successor [of] after him, and he said To me, starting with: “O Ahmad bin Ishaq, God, Blessed and Most High, has not left the earth since the creation of Adam (peace be upon him) and will not leave it until the Hour arises from God’s proof against His creation. He said: So I said to him: O son of the Messenger of God, who is the imam and caliph after you? So he (peace be upon him) quickly got up and entered the house, then he came out carrying on his shoulders a boy whose face looked like the moon on a full moon night. He was three years old and said: “Oh Ahmed bin Ishaq, had it not been for your honor before God (the Almighty) and for His proofs, I would not have presented this son to you. It is the name and nickname of the Messenger of God (may God bless him and his family and grant them peace), who fills the earth with fairness and justice as it was filled with injustice and injustice. O Ahmad bin Ishaq, his example in this nation is like Al-Khidr (peace be upon him), and his example is like Dhul-Qarnayn, and by God, he will go into an absence in which he will not be saved from destruction except those whom God (Almighty and Majestic) confirms in the belief of his Imamate and grants him success in supplicating for the hastening of his relief...”, to He said: I said: O son of the Messenger of God, will his absence be long? He said: “Yes, by my Lord, until most of those who say it will abandon this matter, and only those who have taken God Almighty’s covenant for our guardianship and written faith in his heart and supported it with a spirit from Him will remain. Oh Ahmed bin Ishaq, this is a matter of God’s command, a secret of God’s secret, and an unseen of God’s unseen, so take what I have given you and conceal it and be among those who are thankful, so that you will be with us tomorrow in the two heavens”(7).
It appears from the previous texts and others that what was mentioned about being complete causes and reasons for backbiting on their own is not so, but rather it is a ruling, because the meaning of the cause is that which does not differ or change. If we assume the disappearance of fear completely, then it must appear, even though it is due to another reason that is not complete. It does not appear yet, as if the deposits have not yet been fulfilled, and this reveals that they are not real problems.
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(1) Al-Kafi (vol. 1 / p. 342 / chapter on backbiting / no. 29).
(2) Kamal Al-Din (p. 481 / Chapter 44 / H. 10).
(3) Kamal al-Din (p. 361/Chapter 34/H. 5).
(4) Kamal Al-Din (pp. 322 and 323 / Chapter 31 / H7).
(5) Kamal Al-Din (pp. 480 and 481 / Chapter 44 / H. 6).
(6) The reasons for the laws (p. 147 / Chapter 122 / H. 2).
(7) Kamal Al-Din (p. 384 and 385 / Chapter 38 / H. 1).
Source: Deductive Lessons in the Mahdavian Doctrine (Episode One), written by: Sheikh Hamid Abdul Jalil Al-Waeli.
What are the benefits of the hadiths about the occultation of Imam Mahdi (may God bless him and grant him peace)?
The beginning of the minor occultation is from his birth, after what was meant by the occultation was the occultation of identity, and that the Imam (peace be upon him) lost his identity from the time of birth, not from the beginning of his Imamate until the death of the last ambassador, and as for the major occultation, it occurs after the first one until his appearance.
As for the aspect of backbiting, which is the Sunnah of the Prophets, Zurara narrated, saying: I heard Abu Jaafar al-Baqir (peace be upon him) say: “The Qa’im will have an backbiting before his appearance.” He said: I said: Why? He said: “He is afraid” - and he gestured with his hand to his stomach - Zurara said: He means killing (1).
In another narration on the authority of Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him): “He fears slaughter for himself” (2).
On the authority of Ibrahim bin Omar Al-Yamani, he said: I heard Abu Jaafar (peace be upon him) say: “The person in charge of this matter will have two occultations,” and I heard him say: “The Qa’im will not rise while there is no pledge of allegiance to anyone around his neck” (3).
On the authority of Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him): “Al-Qaim will have two occultations: one is short, and the other is long. The first occultation is known only to his place in it, and the second occultation is known only to those who are loyal to him in his religion” (4).
On the authority of Mufaddal bin Omar, he said: I heard Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) say: “The person in this matter will have two occultations: one of them will be returned to his family, and the other will be said: He perished. In which valley did he go?” I said: What should we do if that is the case? He said: “If a pretender claims it, ask him about things in which he will respond like him” (5).
In a report on the authority of Abu Abdullah al-Sadiq (peace be upon him), he said: “The person in charge of this matter has two occultations, one of which is long until some of them say: He died, and some of them say: He was killed, and some of them say: He went away, so only a small group of his companions remain in charge of his affairs. No one, whether a guardian or anyone else, can see his place except the guardian whose command he is in charge of.”(6).
We point out the benefits of these hadiths:
1 - Everything that was reported from the Messenger (may God bless him and his family and grant them peace) and the Imams (peace be upon them) in this resource is a process of psychological mobilization for the Islamic nation.
2 - What is meant by returning to his family, i.e. the four representatives.
3 - Two absences: The difference between the two absences is not in the Imam’s observation, i.e. he was absent, then he appeared, then he disappeared. Rather, the Imam did not appear in both of the two absences and in the completeness of the two periods, and so on is the difference between the two periods, just as what is meant is not by observing the shortness or length of time, but rather the nature of the connection. Imam with the Shiites.
In the minor occultation through the four ambassadors, while in the major occultation there were no ambassadors, so communication with the Imam during the days of the minor occultation was somewhat accessible, even to those other than his special deputies, unlike the major occultation, which was not possible, and perhaps the minor occultation occurred due to the type of special connection it had between his deputies. The elite and among the Shiites are a prelude to the occurrence of the major occultation, in addition to the fact that the benefit of the minor occultation is the realization of the existence of the Imam and his birth.
The martyr thinker Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr (may his soul be sanctified) said: (It was noted that if this occultation came suddenly, it would cause a great shock to the popular bases of the Imamate in the Islamic nation, because these bases were accustomed to contacting the Imam in every era, interacting with him, and referring to him in solving various problems. If the Imam was suddenly absent from his Shiites and they felt cut off from their spiritual and intellectual leadership, this sudden absence would cause a feeling of a huge, impetuous vacuum that might ravage the entire entity and disperse it. Thus, it was necessary to prepare for this absence so that these rules could gradually become familiar with them and adapt themselves little by little on their basis, and this was The introduction is the minor backbiting...(7).
So you conclude that the reasons for backbiting are: fear for him, examination and testing, and his failure to pledge allegiance to the oppressor.
In Al-Bihar: On the authority of Zurara bin Ayan, he said: I heard Al-Sadiq Jaafar bin Muhammad (peace be upon them) saying: “The boy has an occultation before he rises.” I said: Why is that? He said: “He is afraid - and he pointed with his hand to his stomach and neck -,” then he said: “He is the awaited one whose birth people doubt. Some of them say: If his father dies, he dies and there is no future for him, and some of them say: He was born two years before his father’s death, because God (Glory be to Him) He must test His creation, for then the false will doubt (8).
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(1) Kamal al-Din: 481/ Chapter 44/ H. 9.
(2) Kamal al-Din: 481/Chapter 44/H 10.
(3) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Numani: 176 / Chapter 10 / Chapter 4 / H. 3.
(4) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Numani: 175/Chapter 10/Chapter 4/H 2.
(5) Al-Kafi 1: 340 / Chapter on Backbiting / H. 20.
(6) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Numani: 176/ Chapter 10/ Chapter 4/ H5.
(7) Research on the Mahdi: 108.
(8) Bihar Al-Anwar 52: 95 / H. 10, on the authority of Kamal Al-Din: 342 / Chapter 33 / H. 24.
Why do the Ahl al-Bayt emphasize the importance of waiting for Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance)?
Waiting in the school of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) is considered one of the basic functions in the era of occultation, and Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) pointed out this function that is sufficient to build the individual in a correct Islamic manner, in addition to it being an act of worship.
Al-Tirmidhi and Al-Tabarani narrated on the authority of Abdullah, on the authority of the Messenger of God (may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family): “Ask God of His bounty, for God loves to be asked, and the best of worship is waiting for relief” (1).
There are many hadiths with this meaning, on the authority of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (peace be upon him)(2), and Zayn al-Abidin (peace be upon him)(3), as well as on the authority of Ibn Masoud(4), Anas(5), and Ibn Abbas(6). And Ibn Omar (7).
Hence, Imam Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) explained the qualities and duties of the one waiting for Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance), highlighting the effects and benefits of waiting, urging him, giving good tidings to those waiting for his appearance (may God hasten his appearance) that they are among the righteous saints, divine role models, and other similar matters. Other matters that can be presented - through his hadiths (peace be upon him) - are as follows:
1- Acceptance of work depends on waiting:
On the authority of Abu Basir, on the authority of Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him), that he said one day: “Shall I not inform you of something that God (Almighty and Majestic) will not accept any work from His servants without it?” I said: Yes, and he said: “Testimony that there is no god but Allah. And that Muhammad is His servant [and His Messenger], and acknowledgment of what God has commanded, and guardianship is ours, and disavowal of our enemies - meaning the Imams in particular - and submission to them, Piety, diligence, tranquility, and waiting for the One who rises (peace be upon him)....”(8).
Evidence of the validity of stopping work on waiting for relief can be sought from the Holy Qur’an in its view of despair of the Spirit of God as a characteristic of the disbelievers, as in the Almighty’s saying: “And despair not of the Spirit of God. Indeed, none despair of the Spirit of God except the disbelieving people” (Joseph: 87). ), he said Regarding the unbelievers: “And We will return to whatever work they did and make it as dust scattered” (Al-Furqan: 23).
2- Describing those who are waiting as saints:
On the authority of Abu Basir, on the authority of Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him), in the Almighty’s saying: “The Day when some of the signs of your Lord come, the belief of which will not benefit a soul if it had not believed before or earned by its belief any good.” (Al-An’am: 158), he (peace be upon him) said: “It means The departure of the Awaited Qa’im from us.” Then he (peace be upon him) said: “O Abu Basir, blessed are the Shiites of our Qaim, who were waiting for his appearance during his occultation, and who were obedient to him in the Day of Resurrection These are the saints of God upon whom there is no fear, nor do they grieve.”(9).
3 - The status of the awaited Imam of the Age (may God hasten his return):
On the authority of Al-Alaa ibn Sayyabah, on the authority of Abu Abdullah Jaafar ibn Muhammad (peace be upon him), that he said: “Whoever among you dies while waiting for this matter will be like someone who was in a thousand Satāt which belongs to Al-Qaim (peace be upon him)” (10).
On the authority of Al-Fayd bin Mukhtar, he said: I heard Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) saying: “Whoever among you dies while waiting for this matter is like the one who was with the one standing in Fustat.” Eh,” he said: Then he stayed for a while, then said: “No, but as if someone struck with his sword.” Then he said: “No, by God, except as one who was martyred with the Messenger of God (may God bless him and his family and grant them peace)” (11).
On the authority of Ibrahim al-Kufi, on the authority of al-Sadiq (peace be upon him): “...The one who waits for the twelfth is like one who wields his sword in the hands of the Messenger of God (may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family) and it will be sacrificed for him” (12).
4 - What the one who is waiting must have, and an explanation of the reward for his waiting:
On the authority of Abu Basir, on the authority of Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him), he said: “Whoever is pleased to be among the companions of the Qaim, let him wait, and act piously and with good morals while he waits, for if he dies and the Qaim rises After him, he will have a reward like the reward of the one who caught him, so be diligent and wait... »(13).
Another characteristic that a person who is waiting should have is the quality of religiosity and staying away from transgressions and sins so that he always takes into account fear of God Almighty. This is guided by the hadith of Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him): “The one who is in this matter will have an occultation, so let him fear God and adhere to his religion.”( 14) .
5 - The waiting person’s pain, sadness, and crying over the Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance) during his absence:
On the authority of Sudair Al-Sayrifi, he said: I entered, Al-Mufaddal bin Omar, Abu Basir, and Aban Ibn Taghlib defeated Maulana Abu Abdullah Al-Sadiq ( Peace be upon him), and we saw him sitting on the dirt, wearing a khaki robe, collared and without a pocket, with his sleeves shortened, and he was crying like a ruler. The bereaved, the one with the hot liver, sadness spread from his cheeks, change spread across his eyes, and tears filled his eyelids, as he said: Sir Guy Your house has banished my sleep, narrowed my cradle, and snatched from me the peace of my heart. My lord, your absence has brought my afflictions to the calamities of eternity...” (15 ).
6 - Prohibition of hardening hearts during the period of waiting:
Al-Saduq (may God have mercy on him) narrated on the authority of Sama’ah, on the authority of Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him), who said: “This verse was revealed about Al-Qaim (peace be upon him): “And let them not be like those who were given the Book before A period of time will be imposed upon them, and their hearts have hardened, and many of them are transgressors. (Al-Hadid) :16]”(16).
The aforementioned meaning is clarified by what Al-Numani (may God have mercy on him) narrated in the book (Al-Ghaibat), on the authority of Ahmad Ibn Al-Hasan Al-Maythami, on the authority of a man from the companions of Abu Abdullah Ja’far Ibn Muhammad (peace be upon them) that he said: I heard He says: “This verse in Surah Al-Hadid was revealed. “And let them not be like those who were given the Scripture before; a long period of time passed over them, and their hearts hardened, and many of them were disobedient.” Concerning the people of the time of the occultation, then he said ( Almighty: “Know that God gives life to the earth after its death. We have made clear to you the signs that you may understand.” [Al-Hadid: 17] And he said: “The period of time is only the period of absence” (17).
Then Sheikh Al-Numani (may God have mercy on him) said, commenting on this hadith: “For he (the Almighty, the Most High) meant: O nation of Muhammad, or O community of the Shiites, do not be like those who were given the Book before and a long period of time passed over them. So the interpretation of this verse came in the people of the time of the occultation and its days.” Without other people of the times (18).
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(1) Sunan al-Tirmidhi (vol. 5/p. 225/h. 3642), al-Mu’jam al-Kabir by al-Tabarani (vol. 10/p. 101/h. 10088), al-Kamil by Ibn Adi (vol. 2/p. 248), Shu’ab al-Iman (vol. 2/p. 43/ H. 1124, vol. 7/p. 205/h. 10007), Tafsir al-Wahidi (vol. 2/p. 201), Ihya’ Ulum al-Din (vol. 3/p. 551), Recording in Qazvin News (vol. 2/pp. 117 and 118), Intimidation and Intimidation ( Vol. 2 / p. 482 / h. 2533), Tafsir Al-Qurtubi (vol. 5 / p. 164), Sharia Etiquette (vol. 1 / p. 121), Tahdheeb Al-Kamal (vol. 7 / pp. 291 and 292), Tafsir Al-Qashi (p. 202), Al-Lubab fi Sciences of the Book (vol. 6 / p. 353), Al-Jami’ Al-Saghir (p. 289 / no. 4701), Tafsir Abi Al-Saud (vol. 2 / p. 172), The Key to Sa’ada (vol. 3 / p. 157), Kanz Al-Ummal (vol. 2 / p. 79 / H 3225).
(2) Kamal Al-Din (p. 287 / Chapter 25 / H. 6), Al-Jami’ Al-Saghir (p. 162 / H. 2719) on the authority of Ibn Asakir and Ibn Abi Al-Dunya.
(3) Amali al-Tusi (p. 405/H 907/55).
(4) Majma’ al-Bayan (vol. 3/p. 74).
(5) History of Baghdad (vol. 2/pp. 152 and 153).
(6) Summary of the Mutashabbah by drawing (vol. 1 / p. 228), and Musnad Al-Shihab (vol. 1 / p. 63 / h. 47).
(7) Al-Amali Al-Khamisiyya (vol. 1 / p. 302 / h. 1053), Musnad Al-Shihab (vol. 1 / p. 62 / h. 46).
(8) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Numani (p. 207 / Chapter 11 / H. 16).
(9) Kamal al-Din (p. 357/Chapter 33/Chapter 54), Yanabi’ al-Mawaddah (Chapter 3/Page 238/Chapter 71/Chapter 10).
(10) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Numani (pp. 206 and 207 / Chapter 11 / H. 15); With a slight variation in: Al-Mahasin (vol. 1 / p. 173 / h. 147), Kamal Al-Din (p. 644 / chapter 55 / h. 1).
(11) Al-Mahasin (vol. 1 / p. 174 / h. 151).
(12) Kamal Al-Din (p. 647 / Chapter 55 / H. 8).
(13) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Numani (p. 207 / Chapter 11 / H. 16).
(14) It was mentioned earlier on (p. 137), so see.
(15) Kamal Al-Din (pp. 352-357 / Chapter 33 / H. 50), Al-Ghaybah by Al-Tusi (pp. 167-173 / H. 129), Yanabi’ al-Mawaddah (Vol. 3 / pp. 310-312 / Chapter 80 / H. 2).
(16) Kamal Al-Din (p. 668 / Chapter 58 / H. 12).
(17) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Numani (p. 31) from the author’s introduction, Interpretation of the Apparent Verses (vol. 2 / p. 662 / h. 14) on the authority of Sheikh Al-Mufid (may God have mercy on him).
(18) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Numani (p. 31 and 32), at the end of the aforementioned hadith.
The occultation of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance) with Imam Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him).
Written by: Mr. Thamer Hashem Al-Ameed
The goal of the occultation of Imam Mahdi (may God bless him and grant him peace) is to scrutinize the believers
The divine will determined the creation of man in this upbringing for a desired goal that goes back to man and not to his Creator. The explanation of the legal evidence for this goal has differed. At one time it is said: He was created to be perfected, and at another time it is said: He was created to know his Lord, and a third time: He was created to be tested, and all are true. As for the test, it is a path to perfection, and were it not for the test that entails a suitable or inappropriate reward, that is, in the form of a reward or punishment, then people would not follow the path of perfection, so life would become useless from this aspect, and hence the life of this world without a place of reward would be absurd.
(Do you think that We created you in vain, and that to Us you will not be returned?) (Al-Mu’minun: 115).
Hence, affliction is a condition for perfection, and affliction cannot be a goal because affliction in any of its aspects can only be a prior matter, and like prior matters, they are not intended for their own sake, so they are not suitable for explanation or to be goals. Rather, some verses express the purpose of creation. It is considered a reason for achieving the desired goal.
(He who created death and life that He may test you as to which of you is best in deed; and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving) (Al-Mulk: 2).
(Indeed, We have made what is on the earth an adornment for it, that We may test them as to which of them is best in deed.) (Al-Kahf: 7).
The world is not a permanent residence and is not intended for itself. It does not represent an end and a goal, but rather the introduction that the divine wisdom is required to be assigned to a person by completing it by choosing it through the behavior of the path of truth that the sky sponsored by showing its detailed features, so it became a manner of clarity so that it is indicated and it is said: This (and this is a righteous righteousness, so they will follow it Raise with you about His way) (Al-An'am: 153).
The verses and narrations still remind us of the annihilation of the entire world and the annihilation of the lives of all individuals.
(Every soul will taste death) (Al Imran: 185).
(When the sun was dimmed * and when the stars were dim...) (Al-Shams: 1 and 2).
(On the Day when We will roll up the sky like the rolling up of a scroll for books) (Al-Anbiya: 104).
The direction that Sharia wants us to move towards is to avoid making this world a goal, as the mortal does not deserve to be made a goal.
The path to human perfection was represented by success in the trial that pervades all aspects of life, and some of the items of the trial were extremely difficult and did not reach the point of being obligated to do what the person obligated to do was unable to do, and many of the tasks that were extremely difficult were dropped as a mercy from Him, the Almighty, to His servants.
As for perfection, it does not contradict what was mentioned regarding knowledge of God Almighty, for perfection is only on the path of monotheism and knowledge of the Truth, Blessed and Most High.
And how it was, the test is necessary, otherwise life loses its purpose with respect to its giver and creator. The test pervades all the affairs of the life of the accountable person, and all parts of this life must be in harmony with its purpose. Yes, the parts of the test differ according to what the afflicted person sees as the benefit. It may be in a way that people see as good. It may be in a way that is seen as evil.
(And We test you with evil and good as a test) (Al-Anbiya: 35).
The severity of the affliction has two effects:
The first: Explaining the reality of individuals’ entitlements, as the distinction between individuals is not clear if the exam is not difficult.
The second: raising the level of those afflicted if the affliction is severe. Hence the share of the saints in it was great, as they were more severely afflicted after the prophets, then the best and then the best.
Hence, the trial is like a masterpiece that God Almighty bestows upon His loved ones and saints, as He promises them it time after time.
One of the difficult types of affliction is affliction with intellectual doubts, as the practical aspect is easier to afflict than the intellectual and theoretical aspect, and the absence of Imam Mahdi, peace be upon him, for such a long period that successive generations did not see him with eyes according to custom, except for the rare cases of encountering him, peace be upon him, that are considered a matter of suspicion. Rather, suspicions made many followers of other sects mock those who believed in his life, peace be upon him, and his absence from sight. This is what makes those who believe in Him and those who believe in His appearance after despair of Him more steadfast in their religion and belief. It also exposes the falsity of the claims of those who claim that they believe in His existence, peace be upon him, even when the afflictions became severe for them and their hearts became attached to Him, peace be upon him, for a period of time waiting for His relief and to free them from that, then a long time passed for them and it hardened. Their hearts and their tongues spoke what revealed the immorality in their hearts.
(So a long period of time passed over them, and their hearts hardened, and many of them were transgressors) (Al-Hadid: 16).
Here they called out: (He perished. In which valley did he take?), as the narratives state (1). Only those who have been blessed will be saved then, and they are people, one of whom in his religion is stronger than iron bars or more steadfast than solid mountains, and iron bars change if they are burned with fire, and the true believer does not budge in his faith even if he is cut down and scattered in the wilderness.
Therefore, one of the aspects of wisdom in his occultation, peace be upon him, is to impose a test on the nation and those who believe in his imamate, given what the appearance of the Imam, peace be upon him, represents among the people as a fortified fortress and an impenetrable dam from deviation and deviation.
On the authority of Furat bin Ahnaf, on the authority of Abu Abdullah Jaafar bin Muhammad, on the authority of his fathers, peace be upon them, he said: (The Furat increased during the reign of the Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him, so he and his two sons, Al-Hassan and Al-Hussein, peace be upon them, rode and passed by Thaqif, and they said: Ali has come to retrieve the water, so Ali, peace be upon him, said: By God, I and these two sons of mine will be killed, so that God will send a man from my descendants at the end of time to demand our blood, and they will disappear in recognition of the people of misguidance until the ignorant person says: God has no need for the family of Muhammad (2).
On the authority of Al-Hasan Ibn Mahboob, on the authority of Abu Al-Hasan Ali Ibn Musa Al-Rida, peace be upon them both, he said: (There must be a deaf and severe trial in which every ally and ally will fall, and that will happen when the Shiites lose the third of my sons) (3).
On the authority of Ali ibn Jaafar, on the authority of his brother Musa ibn Jaafar al-Kadhim, peace be upon him, he said: (O my son, the person in charge of this matter must go into occultation until whoever used to say it recanted this matter. Rather, it is a test from God Almighty by which He tests His creation. If Your fathers and grandfathers knew a religion more sound than this, so they would have followed it... (4) The report.
The examination is in terms of submitting to the ability of God Almighty to preserve him, peace be upon him, for all this time, and then submitting to the truth of the reports of the saints, peace be upon them. The longer the period, the more difficult it is for the soul to remain in the belief in his existence, peace be upon him, until people say: He perished. In which valley did he take?
It was mentioned in another narration on the authority of Sudair Al-Sayrafi, on the authority of Abu Abdullah Al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, that he said:
(...And as for Noah’s delay, peace be upon him, when the punishment descended from heaven, God sent Gabriel, peace be upon him, with seven intentions, and he said: O Prophet of God, God, glory be to His name, says to you: These are My creatures and My servants. I will not annihilate them with one of My thunderbolts except after confirmation. The call, and the obligation of the proof, so resume your diligence in calling for your people, for I will reward you for it, and plant these seeds, for for you in their growth, maturity, and realization, if they bear fruit, relief and salvation, and give good tidings of that to those who follow you among the believers. When the trees sprouted, became frothy, and blossomed, and their branches bore fruit on them, after a long time, He obtained from them. God Almighty ordered him to plant the seeds of those trees, to resume patience and diligence, and to confirm the argument against his people. So he told that to the sects that believed in him, and three hundred of them turned away and said: If what Noah claims were true, there would not have been any success in his preparation.
Then God Almighty continued to command him, upon reaching it each time, to plant one time after another until he planted it seven times, and those groups of believers continued to retreat from them, one group after another, until they returned to seventy-odd men, so God Almighty then revealed to him, and said Now the morning has separated from the night for your eyes when the truth has been declared pure, clearing the matter for faith from the turbidity of the apostasy of everyone whose nature is evil.
If I had destroyed the infidels and preserved those who had apostatized from the sects that believed in you, I would not have believed my previous promise to the believers who devoted their monotheism to me among your people and held fast to the rope of your prophethood, that I would make them successors in the land, establish their religion for them, and replace their fear with security, so that their worship of me would be purified by the removal of doubt from their hearts. .
How can succession and empowerment be achieved, and instead of fear there is security from me for them, despite what I knew of the weak certainty of those who apostatized, the wickedness of their nature, and the bad secrets of their secrets, which were the results of hypocrisy and the iniquity of misguidance? If they had breathed in the kingdom that was given to the believers at the time of caliphate, if their enemies had perished, they would have inhaled the scents of His attributes, and their secrets would have been controlled. Their hypocrisy, and the misguidance of their hearts perpetuated, and they exposed their enmity to their brothers, and fought them to seek leadership, and to be the only ones to command and prohibit them. How can there be empowerment in religion and the spread of the matter among the believers while provoking temptations and causing wars? No, for (Make the ark with Our eyes and Our revelation) [Hud: 37]).
Al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: (The same goes for Al-Qa’im, peace be upon him. His occultation will extend so that the truth will be revealed in its pure form, and faith will be purified of turbidity by the apostasy of everyone whose nature is evil among the Shiites, for whom hypocrisy is feared if they feel the caliphate, empowerment, and widespread security during the era of Al-Qa’im, peace be upon him...) 5).
On the authority of Ibrahim bin Omar Al-Yamani, on the authority of a man, on the authority of Abu Jaafar, peace be upon him, that he said: (By God, O community of the Shiites, the Shiites of the family of Muhammad, you will be mixed with kohl in the eye, because the one who wears the kohl knows when it gets into the eye and does not know when it goes away, so one of you wakes up while he sees that it is on the eye. (6)
On the authority of Mansour, he said: Abu Abdullah, peace be upon him, said to me: (O Mansour, this matter will not come to you except after despair, and not by God until you distinguish yourself, nor by God until you examine yourself, and not by God until he who is made miserable will be miserable and whoever will be happy) (7).
This content was repeated in other narratives.
What increases the severity of this trial is that no specific time has been set for it, for as it was reported from the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family: “Its likeness is like the Hour: ‘No one will bring it to light at its time except Him. It is heavy in the heavens and the earth. It will not come to you except suddenly.’” [Al-A’raf: 18 7])( 8).
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(1) See: Al-Kafi 1: 323 / Chapter on referring and texting about Abu Jaafar II, peace be upon him / H. 14, and 1: 339 and 340 / Chapter on backbiting / H. 11 and 20; Al-Ghaybah by Al-Numani: 158 and 159 / Chapter 10 / Chapter 1 / H. 18-20; Al-Irshad 2: 276.
(2) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Numani: 143/Chapter 10/H 1.
(3) Imamate and Insight: 114/H 102.
(4) Al-Kafi 1: 336/Chapter on backbiting/H. 2.
(5) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Tusi: 170 and 171 / H. 129.
(6) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Tusi: 339 and 340 / H. 288.
(7) Al-Kafi 1: 370/Chapter on scrutiny and examination/H. 3.
(8) Kamal al-Din: 373/ Chapter 35/ H6.
7 reasons for the absence of Imam Mahdi (may God bless him and grant him peace). Learn about them
The narrations point to some aspects of backbiting, some of which we mention:
1 - So that there is no pledge of allegiance on his neck (may God hasten his appearance) to anyone. On the authority of Ali (peace be upon him): “When the one who rises among us rises, no one will have a pledge of allegiance on his neck, so his birth will be hidden, and his person will be hidden »(1).
2 - Fear of being killed before the goal is achieved. On the authority of Al-Baqir (peace be upon him): “Indeed, the one who rises will have an absence before his appearance.” I said: Why? He said: “He is afraid,” and gestured with his hand to his stomach (2).
3 - Testing people and scrutinizing them. On the authority of Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him): “How will you be if you remain without an imam for guidance or knowledge, disavowing one another from one another? Then you will be distinguished, examined, and sifted, and at that will be the clash of two swords, and a leadership first in the day, and killing and deposition from the last of the people Day”(3).
4 - In order for the customs of the Prophets (peace be upon them) to be followed in the Imam (may God hasten his appearance), on the authority of Al-Askari (peace be upon him): “Indeed, my son is the one who will rise after me, and he is the one in whom the laws of the Prophets (peace be upon them) will be followed, with reconstruction and success Backbiting...” (4).
5 - In order to achieve the emergence of the believers from the loins of the unbelievers, it is narrated on the authority of Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him): “He will never appear until the deposits of God (Glory be to Him) are revealed. Then, when they appear, he will attack whoever appears and kill him” (5).
6 - In order to pave the way for all types of people to come to power, it was reported on the authority of Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him): “This matter will not be such that not a group of people will remain except that they have taken charge of the people so that no one will say: If only We have been loyal to our justice, then the One who will rise will rise With truth and justice” (6).
7 - An unseen divine command. On the authority of Abdullah bin Al-Fadl Al-Hashimi, he said: I heard Al-Sadiq Jafar bin Muhammad (peace be upon them) saying: “The person who did this matter has an absence, not a sin And every false person doubts it.” So I said: Why, may I be your ransom? He said: “For a matter that we were not authorized to reveal to you.” I said: What is the reason for the wisdom in his absence? He said: “The aspect of wisdom in his occultation is the aspect of wisdom in the occultations of those of the proofs of God Almighty mentioned above. Indeed, the aspect of wisdom is in that It will not be revealed until after its appearance, just as the face of wisdom was not revealed regarding what Al-Khidr (peace be upon him) came to destroy the ship and kill the boy A nation The wall belongs to Moses (peace be upon him) until the time of their separation” (7).
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(1) Kamal Al-Din (p. 303 / Chapter 26 / H. 14), I’lam Al-Wari (Vol. 2 / P. 229).
(2) Kamal al-Din (p. 481/Chapter 44/Chapter 9), Illal al-Shara’i (Part 1/Page 246/Chapter 179/Chapter 9).
(3) Imamate and insight (p. 130 and 131 / H. 136), Kamal Al-Din (pp. 347 and 348 / Chapter 33 / H. 36).
(4) Kamal al-Din (p. 524/Chapter 46/Chapter 4), Abscesses and Wounds (Part 2/Page 964).
(5) On the authority of Ibrahim Al-Karkhi, he said: I said to Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) - or a man said to him -: May God bless you. Was not Ali (peace be upon him) strong in the religion of God? He (Glory be to Him)? He said: “Yes.” He said: How did the people support him? How did he not push them away? What prevents him from doing that? He said: “There is a verse in the Book of God (Glory be to Him) that prevented it.” He said: I said: What verse is it? He said: “His (Glory be to Him) saying: ‘If they had desisted, We would surely have punished those who disbelieved among them with a painful punishment’ [Al-Fath: 25]. Indeed, Allah (Glory be to Him) is the Deposit of the believers in the loins of their bones A people who are unbelievers and hypocrites, and it was not for Ali (peace be upon him) to kill fathers until He brings out the deposits, and when the deposits came out, he attacked whoever appeared and fought him. Likewise, the leader of the Ahl al-Bayt will never appear until Wad appears “Loyalty to God Almighty, and when it appears, he will attack whoever appears and kill him.” Kamal al-Din (pp. 641 and 642).
(6) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Numani (p. 282 / Chapter 14 / H. 53).
(7) Kamal al-Din (pp. 481 and 482 / Chapter 44 / H. 11), Illāl al-Sharā’ī (Vol. 1 / pp. 245 and 246 / Chapter 179 / H. 8), Al-Ihtijāj (Vol. 2 / P. 140
Why did Imam Mahdi (may God bless him and grant him peace) appoint 4 ambassadors during the minor occultation?
In ordering the construction of the embassy during the minor occultation, Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his return) aimed at three things:
The first matter: proving his existence and life through his ambassadors:
In his work, Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance) adopted a special hierarchical system, through which he was able to connect with his popular bases and loyal factions. He (may God hasten his appearance) faced the top of this system and carried out his work with great secrecy, caution, and secrecy. He issued his instructions and orders directly to his ambassadors, and they were considered An important pillar of this system, and they were members of the connection between it and its agents spread throughout the rest of the Islamic countries. We do not know the strength of this connection because it is surrounded by mystery and completely unknown to everyone except the ambassador himself, who knew the strength and weakness of this connection.
The history of the ambassadors was full of pain and troubles, with serious persecution by the authorities and their spies who were sent everywhere to pursue the remnants of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance) and his followers, and their attempt to eliminate the legitimate leadership and everyone associated with it, and this is completely evident in the texts mentioned about them (upon them). Peace be upon him) from the prohibition of announcing his name or announcing his location, so the mission of the ambassadors was to adopt an appropriate ideology of caution and secrecy on the one hand, and to make the utmost efforts to convince public opinion - through their leadership of the nation - of the existence of the Twelfth Imam (may God hasten his appearance) and that he was hidden from sight. And issuing signatures and statements issued by him (may God hasten his return) to remove sanctions and solve social, intellectual, political, and other problems on the other hand.
The approach of secrecy and secrecy provided the ambassadors with many opportunities for precise and organized work under his leadership (may God hasten his return), and they noticed several things in this ideology, which are:
The first: The authority’s fear of the Alawites, and its intense efforts to persecute their senior leaders and limit their activities. Abu Al-Faraj Al-Isfahani mentioned them in his (Muqatil).
Second: Cultivating an atmosphere of anxiety and terror and spreading malicious and poisonous rumors by the authorities, and the resulting negative responses to the nation.
Third: Serious pursuit of the remnants and bases of the Imam (may God hasten his appearance), and launching regular and unorganized inspection campaigns of the Imam’s house (may God hasten his appearance) during the nineteen years of the caliphate of the Abbasid al-Mu’tamid and al-Mu’tadid.
The second matter: Taking care of the affairs of the Islamic nation:
One of the most important and most dangerous tasks entrusted to ambassadors is taking care of the affairs of the Islamic nation through these social, political and intellectual circumstances and complexities, with the disappearance of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance) from the public stage and the need to convince them of his existence, and this will become clear in this study.
The third matter: Preparing the nation to comprehend the concept of the great occultation:
The Islamic nation during the period of the minor occultation was in need of sharpening its minds to make it aware of the concept of the great occultation. The strategy of Imams Al-Hadi and Al-Askari (peace be upon them) was focused on that, by following the path of disappearance and concealment from the nation without surprise and prior introductions, as the sudden method may lead to undesirable complications that lead to... Society led to denying the existence of Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him) at all, and Imam Mahdi also had to double down on this path and gradually increase its depth.
Anyone who follows historical texts and evidence clearly sees the extent of the disparity between the methodology of Imam Al-Askari (peace be upon him) and his son, Imam Al-Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance). The companions of Imam Al-Askari were much more than the companions of Imam Al-Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance), and they used to see him during his visit to the Abbasid court. They know the shape and features of his face, and the Islamic nation witnessed his death, after the divine plan ensured the absence of his son (may God hasten his appearance), while only a few of his companions saw Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance), and then the Islamic generations continued during his absence, and they do not It bears any idea about his shape and appearance other than the texts mentioned about him. However, Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance) was not hidden in person, isolated from the nation, but rather he saw them and they saw him, and he knew them and they did not know him, and what was an outside reality was: ignorance of his title as Imam Mahdi! Not the disappearance of his body, as some unproven ideas say.
How were the messages of Imam Mahdi (may God bless him and grant him peace) reach the ambassadors? What are its sections?
The method of receiving the signatures was not clear, and even the meetings that took place between the ambassadors and Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance) may take a long time and then the meeting takes place.
Al-Tusi narrated with his chain of transmission on the authority of Abdullah bin Jaafar Al-Himyari, who said: I asked Muhammad bin Othman - Al-Amri - (may God be pleased with him), and I said to him: Have you seen the person in charge of this matter?! He said: Yes, and my last covenant with him was at the Sacred House of God, and he said: “O God, fulfill for me what you promised me” (1).
Al-Amri also said: I saw him (may God’s prayers be upon him) clinging to the curtains of the Kaaba in the shelter, and he was saying: “O God, avenge me from your enemies” (2).
Second note: Duration for signatures to be issued:
The texts differed about the period of time for the signatures issued by Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his return) to his ambassadors, and they were issued in many forms:
A - Oral signature:
Sometimes the signature was conveyed orally to the questioner, making him understand that it was from Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his return).
Al-Tusi (may God have mercy on him) narrated that two men entered upon Ibn Ruh al-Nubakhti - the third ambassador of Imam al-Mahdi (may God hasten his return) - with a mute man with them, so they asked him to pray for recovery for the mute, and Ibn Ruh answered them, saying: You were ordered to go out to al-Ha’ir, so they went to him and the mute was healed by the Imam’s miracle. (May God hasten his return) (3).
B - Signature in the form of an urgent letter:
A signature from him (may God hasten his relief) came out to Ibn Ruh al-Nawbakhti in the year (312 AH) of the month of Dhul-Hijjah while he was in prison for cursing Ibn Abi al-Azaqir al-Shalmaghani, the claimant of the embassy, who lied about Imam al-Mahdi (may God hasten his relief) with unimaginable speed, while the ink was fresh and had not dried.) 4).
C - Absentee signature:
And one time the signature comes out from him (may God hasten his appearance) and the question comes to the mind of the questioner, so Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance) tells him what is in his conscience and conscience, and no one knew that except him.
Al-Tusi (may God have mercy on him) narrated a signature issued by Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his return) to his ambassador, Muhammad bin Othman Al-Amri, which stated: Abu Al-Hussein Al-Asadi said: By the One who sent Muhammad as a bringer of the truth, I looked after that at the signature and found it It turned into what happened to me ( 5).
D - Signing after hours:
One time, the signature came out of it (may God hasten his relief) a few hours after the questions were presented to him (may God hasten his relief).
Al-Tusi (may God have mercy on him) narrated with his chain of transmission on the authority of Al-Safwani, who said: The noon prayer came, so we prayed there, and the messenger - a black servant of Muhammad bin Al-Fadl - returned and said: He - Ibn Ruh Al-Nubakhti - said to me: Go, for the answer is right Yes, and the table was served, so we Concerning eating, since the answer was contained on that piece of paper, written in ink, chapter by chapter (6).
E - Signature after three days:
Another time, the signature was taken out of him (may God hasten his return) three days after the questions were submitted to him.
Al-Tusi (may God have mercy on him) narrated with his chain of transmission on the authority of Ali bin Al-Hussein bin Babawayh Al-Qummi that he said: I asked Ibn Ruh Al-Nubakhti to intercede with the Imam (may God hasten his appearance) to pray to God Almighty for him to grant me a son, and he granted that to him, so he informed him after three days that he had prayed. For Ali bin Al-Hussein (may God have mercy on him), a blessed son will be born to him whom God will benefit from, and after him there will be children (7).
F - Signing a set of questions:
One time, his signature came out (may God hasten his return) on a group of questions that were presented to him on a single sheet of paper.
Al-Tusi (may God have mercy on him) narrated with his chain of transmission on the authority of Abu Ghalib al-Zarari, who said: When we sat with Abu Ja`far, he brought out the scroll, and in it were many questions that had been answered in their multiples (8).
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(1) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Tusi (pp. 251 and 364 / H. 222 and 330).
(2) The previous source.
(3) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Tusi (p. 309/h. 262).
(4) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Tusi (pp. 409 and 410 / H. 384).
(5) Kamal Al-Din (p. 522 / Chapter 45 / H. 51).
(6) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Tusi (p. 316 / h. 264).
(7) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Tusi (p. 320/h. 266); It was narrated by Al-Saduq (may God have mercy on him) in Kamal Al-Din (p. 502 / Chapter 45 / H. 31).
(8) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Tusi (p. 304 / h. 256).
Source: Ambassadors of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his return) between facts and illusions - written by: Diya al-Din al-Khazraji.
5 important information about the occultation of Imam Mahdi (may God bless him and grant him peace)... Learn about it
Here are several points:
The first point: Backbiting in the hadiths of the Imams (peace be upon them):
We should know that Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) paid attention to this issue by clarifying it and clarifying its circumstances through multiple hadiths, which together form an objective unit about backbiting. These hadiths can be extracted through several points:
1 - Confirmation of the occurrence of backbiting:
On the authority of Al-Mufaddal bin Omar, he said: I heard Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) saying: “Beware of mentioning it. By God, your Imam will disappear for years from your life, and he will be fortified until it is said: He died, he was killed, he perished. Which valley did he take? And the eyes of the believers will shed tears for him, and they will be shaken as ships are shaken by the waves of the sea. Only he who God takes his covenant, writes faith in his heart, and supports it with a spirit from Him... will be saved.
2- The necessity of not denying backbiting:
On the authority of Hisham bin Salem, on the authority of Al-Sadiq Jaafar bin Muhammad, on the authority of his father, on the authority of his grandfather (peace be upon them), he said: The Messenger of God (may God bless him and his family and grant them peace) said: “The one who rises from my descendants, his name is my name, his nickname is my nickname, his names are my names, and his Sunnah is my Sunnah. He establishes the people in my religion and my law, and calls them to the Book of my Lord (Glory be to Him), whoever obeys Him has obeyed me, whoever disobeys him has disobeyed me, whoever denies him in his absence has denied me, whoever denies him has denied me, and whoever believes him has believed me. To God I complain of those who deny me in his affairs. And those who deny my words regarding him, and those who lead my nation astray from his path, “And those who have wronged will know to what point they will turn.” [Al-Shu’ara’: 227]”(2).
3- The necessity of steadfastness in guardianship during his absence:
On the authority of Yaman Al-Tamar, he said: We were sitting with Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) and he said to us: “The owner of this matter will have an occultation, during which he who clings to his religion is like the prick of a spear - then he said like this with his hand - so which of you holds the thorns of a spear in his hand?” Then he touched carefully, Then he said: “The author of this matter is backbiting, so let him fear God and adhere to his religion” (3).
On the authority of Abu Basir, he said: Al-Sadiq Jaafar bin Muhammad (peace be upon them) said: “Blessed is he who adhered to our command during the absence of our Qaim, and his heart did not deviate after being guided...”(4).
Due to the necessity of this matter, we find emphasis on it from the People of the House (peace be upon them) on many occasions and in different periods. On the authority of Amr bin Thabit, he said: Ali bin Al-Hussein, the Master of the Worshipers (peace be upon them), said: “Whoever remains loyal to us during the absence of our Qaim, may God grant him (peace be upon them)” Glory be to Him) the reward of a thousand martyrs from the martyrs of Badr and Uhud” (5).
And on the authority of Imam al-Kadhim (peace be upon him): “Blessed are our Shiites, who cling to our rope in the absence of our Qaim, who are steadfast in their loyalty to us and disavowal of our enemies. Our degrees on the Day of Resurrection” (6).
4 - Declaring the two absences and the length of the major one:
On the authority of Ishaq bin Ammar, he said: Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) said: “Al-Qa’im has two occultations: one is short, and the other is long. The first occultation is known only to his place in the group of his followers, and the second occultation is known only to the elite of his loyalists” (7).
On the authority of Abu Basir, on the authority of Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him), he said: I told him: Abu Jaafar (peace be upon him) used to say: “The Qa’im of the family of Muhammad (peace be upon him) will have two occultations, one long and the other short,” he said: And he said to me: “Yes, O Abu Basir, one of them is taller than the other” (8).
5 - Revealing the condition of people during the time of absence:
On the authority of Abdullah bin Al-Fadl Al-Hashimi, he said: I heard Al-Sadiq Jaafar bin Muhammad (peace be upon them) saying: “The owner of this matter has an inevitable occultation, which every false person will doubt” (9).
On the authority of Furat bin Ahnaf, on the authority of Abu Abdullah Jaafar bin Muhammad, on the authority of his fathers (peace be upon them), he said: “The Euphrates increased during the reign of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), so he and his two sons Al-Hassan and Al-Hussein (peace be upon them) rode and passed by Thaqif, and they said: Ali has come. He returned the water, and Ali (peace be upon him) said: By God, I and my two sons will be killed, and God will send a man from my descendants at the end of time to demand our blood, and they will disappear from them in order to distinguish between the people of misguidance until the ignorant person says: God has no need for the family of Muhammad (10).
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(1) Al-Kafi 1: 336/Chapter on backbiting/H. 3.
(2) Kamal al-Din: 411/ Chapter 39/ H6.
(3) Al-Kafi 1: 335 and 336 / Chapter on Backbiting / H. 1.
(4) Kamal al-Din: 358/Chapter 33/H 55.
(5) Kamal al-Din: 323/ Chapter 31/ H7.
(6) Kamal al-Din: 361/ Chapter 34/ H5.
(7) Al-Kafi 1: 340 / Chapter on Backbiting / H. 19.
(8) I’lam Al-Wari 2: 259.
(9) Kamal al-Din: 482/Chapter 45/H 11.
(10) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Numani: 143/Chapter 10/H 1.
Are there agents other than the four ambassadors to Imam Mahdi (may God bless him and grant him peace)?
Al-Mamaqani mentioned in his (Tanqih) that Al-Hujjah (may God hasten his appearance) had agents other than the four ambassadors, and the specification of these four was either because the other agents were referred to them and they did not command or be commanded except through their mediation, or because they were agents in general and others in particulars (1).
These agents were trustworthy people who received signatures from those originally assigned to the embassy (2).
A group of these agents deviated after they had been righteous in the beginning, and signatures came out from it (May God hasten his return) cursing these agents and disavowing them after their service and long companionship, so God Almighty replaced them with faith with disbelief when they did what they did, so God hastened their vengeance and did not give them respite.
The reason for this deviation and hostile stance toward the Imam (may God hasten his appearance) with their witnessing of miracles, clear miracles, and strong proofs from him (may God hasten his appearance) was envy and hatred for the People of the House (peace be upon them), and their greed to obtain profits and leadership over people.
As for the purpose of selecting agents in the embassy matter, its summary is:
First: Facilitating the affairs of ambassadors and expanding their work:
The ambassadors in their embassy lived in harsh and difficult conditions due to the difficult times and the sword dripping with blood at that time. It was difficult for them to move and communicate with the popular bases in the Islamic countries. The reason for this was due to the situation created by the authority of pursuing the Imam’s bases and pursuing its leaders, and spreading a state of fear and terror among the ranks of the opposition. The emergence of deviant sects that played a dangerous role in the process of deviation, the emergence of heretic and extremist movements among the factions of the nation, and the weakness of political and intellectual awareness among the nation.
Second: The agent system contributed to concealing the work of ambassadors:
The idea of adopting this system had contributed to giving the name and person of the ambassador a character of secrecy and secrecy, because the only thing an individual belonging to the popular bases loyal to the Imam (may God hasten his appearance) is to contact one of the agents without wanting to know the name of the ambassador or the type of his work and his place, and these were They include jurisprudential, ideological, social, or political issues and send them to the ambassadors.
Al-Saduq (may God have mercy on him) mentioned twelve representatives who had witnessed the miracles of the Imam (may God hasten his return).
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(1) Revising the article (vol. 2/p. 142).
(2) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Tusi (p. 415).
Ambassadors of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his return) between facts and illusions - written by: Diya al-Din al-Khazraji.
What are the benefits of waiting for Imam Mahdi (may God bless him and grant him peace) 4.... Important benefits, learn about them
1- Achieving knowledge:
The command to wait for relief emerges from a number of interests, the most important of which is achieving the necessary knowledge of the Imam, peace be upon him. Otherwise, how can we be asked to wait for what we do not know exists? Knowing the Imam during his absence is extremely difficult for reasons, including:
The long term is one of the factors of lack of psychological engagement with what you believe will be achieved. This is what the noble verse indicates:
(So a long period of time passed over them, and their hearts hardened) (Al-Hadid: 16).
It was stated in the narration on the authority of the Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him:
(Do not rush the matter before it reaches it, lest you regret it, and do not prolong the matter lest your hearts harden) (1).
Among them: that witnessing the infallible person and learning from him is more important than just hearing it through an intermediary, as in the time of occultation. Hence, during the time of the occultation of the Infallible One, the believer deserved to be described by the Messenger of God, may God bless him and his family and grant them peace, as brothers.
On the authority of Abu al-Jaroud, on the authority of Abu Basir, on the authority of Abu Ja`far, peace be upon him, he said: (The Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family, said one day while a group of his companions were with him: Oh God, teach me my brothers twice, and those of his companions around him said: Are we not your brothers, O Messenger of God? He said: No, you are my companions, and my brothers are a people from the end of time who believed in me and did not see me. God made them known to me by their names and the names of their fathers before He brought them out from the loins of their fathers and the wombs of their mothers. For one of them, his religion remains stronger than the nostrils of a spearman on a dark night, or like one who holds a burning coal. Lamps of darkness, may God save them from every dark, dusty trial (2).
There are multiple narrations in this sense.
Among them: The length of his absence, peace be upon him, raises suspicions, making it possible for him to abandon his belief.
Staying on the belief requires consolidating knowledge in the soul to be able to resist these doubts and the whisperings of Satan, and this calls for striving to concentrate knowledge and clarify the belief as a necessary introduction to remaining firm on the truth in such travails that souls go through as a result of the impediments to remaining on the belief.
The reflection of that belief on the action represented by waiting and its necessities requires focusing that knowledge in a certain way, in addition to activating that belief in the way that the soul is led to in the position of action, for not everyone who knows action. Not every piece of information is reflected in behavior unless it includes other elements that support it, the most important of which is consolidating it in the soul while educating the soul to obey what it has taught. The waiting that is required by law requires things that are considered preliminaries to it, the first of which is the self’s submission to it, and submission is a branch of knowledge, as it calls for knowledge, and even its activation in the soul’s depths. Obtaining information theoretically does not require submission, compliance, and follow-up in practice. Hence the Almighty’s saying:
(And they denied it, but their souls were certain of it) (An-Naml: 14).
In addition, the information may disappear from the presence of the soul and be shrouded in forgetfulness, thus preventing its effect on the soul. This may constitute a calamity for the soul, as the argument is more complete for the knowledgeable than for the ignorant person, and striving to embody that information or its effects repeatedly means keeping it away from forgetfulness or heedlessness. Perhaps one of the aspects of the request to repeat worship throughout one’s life is this.
The request to wait achieves knowledge first or contributes to that, and contributes to its activation in terms of its impact on the soul secondly, and prevents forgetting about it and heedlessness by keeping it present in front of the soul, as it is unreasonable for the soul to exercise and do what waiting requires without remembering who the person is waiting for and what his project is. .
2_ Hope:
One of the benefits of focusing the matter clearly on waiting for relief is the necessary realization of the hope that inspires action. This is what some narratives explicitly talked about.
During the absence of Sheikh al-Tusi, he narrated on the authority of Ali bin Yaqtin, who said: Abu al-Hasan, peace be upon him, said to me: (O Ali, the Shiites have been raised with aspirations for two hundred years).
Hence when Yaqtin(3) said to his son Ali: What is the matter with us? We were told and it happened, and you were told and it did not happen? Ali said to him: What was said to you and to us comes from one way out, except that your matter came to you, so you were given its pure meaning, and it was as it was said to you, and if our matter did not come, we explained it by wishful thinking. If we were told: This matter will not take place for two hundred or three hundred years, hearts would harden and most people would turn away from Islam, but they would say: How quickly it will happen and how soon it will come, to warm people’s hearts and bring relief closer to them (4).
This is what Ali learned from Al-Kadhim, peace be upon him, when he said to him: Why is it that what was narrated about you from the epics is not as it was narrated, and what was narrated about your enemies has been authentic? He, peace be upon him, said: (Indeed, what came out against our enemies was from the truth, so it was as it was said, and you justified it with wishful thinking, so it came out to you as it did) (5).
3- Restraining followers:
Then one of the benefits of this is to restrain the followers from hasty action, which often causes great losses to the followers of the true doctrine. It appears from numerous narrations that the Imams, peace be upon them, were about to address this problem by urging people to be patient for once, to be a beautifier for homes until their star rises, and to warn them to be among those who wish, and to rise before the time.
4_ Moral integration:
We have presented that among its benefits is also striving to achieve what the expectation requires of striving for perfection and self-purification, so that the person is qualified to keep pace with the movement of the Imam, peace be upon him. Whoever hopes for something, he asks for it, and the request requires lifting obstacles and striving to endure what qualifies him to achieve what he wants, and this means making an effort to achieve the perfections whose presence may contribute to getting him closer to what he wants.
Will the Prophet of God, Jesus (peace be upon him), descend upon the appearance of Imam Mahdi (may God bless him and grant him peace)?
Many Muslim texts included the descent of the Prophet of God Jesus (peace be upon him) with the Awaited Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance), although they differed in the details of that.
Al-Saduq (may God have mercy on him) narrated with his chain of transmission on the authority of Abdullah bin Abbas, who said: The Messenger of God (may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family and grant them peace) said: “By the One who sent me with the truth as a prophet, if only one day remained in this world, God would lengthen that day until my son, the Mahdi, emerges in it, and then he descends.” The Spirit of God, Jesus, son of Mary, will pray behind him, and the earth will shine with his light, and his authority will reach the East and the West” (1).
Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated with his chain of transmission on the authority of Ibn Sirin that he said: (The Mahdi is from this nation, and he is the one who leads Jesus bin Maryam (peace be upon him)) (2).
It is consistent with what Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated with their chain of transmission on the authority of Abu Hurairah, who said: The Messenger of God (may God’s prayers and peace be upon him) said: “How will you be when the son of Mary descends among you and your imam is from among you?” (3) Al-Suyuti narrated on the authority of Muhammad bin Al-Hussein Al-Sahri that he said: (The reports have been repeated and extensive. Many of its narrations on the authority of the Chosen One (may God bless him and his family and grant them peace) about the coming of the Mahdi and that he is from his family and that he will reign for seven years and that he will fill the earth with justice and that he will emerge with Jesus (peace be upon him)... and that he will lead this nation and Jesus will pray behind him... (4) .
His appearance with Jesus (peace be upon him), which Muslims agreed would descend at the end of time, reveals that (may God hasten his appearance) at the end of time as well, as mentioned above.
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1 - Al-Mu’jam Al-Saghir / Suleiman bin Ahmed bin Ayyub Al-Tabarani (d. 360 AH), Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyya, Beirut.
2- The Objective Dictionary of the Hadiths of Imam Mahdi / Sheikh Ali Al-Kurani / First Edition (1426 AH).
3 - Dictionary of Men of Hadith/Sayyid Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei/Fifth Edition/1413 AH - 1992 AD.
4 - Dictionary of Language Standards/Ahmed bin Faris bin Zakaria (d. 395 AH), Arab Heritage Revival House/Beirut 1429 AH - 2008 AD.
Source: Mahdavi Culture (Methodological Lessons) - Written by: Mr. Riad Al-Hakim.
Why are there no ambassadors for Imam Mahdi (may God bless him and grant him peace) during the great occultation?
The Shiites in those times were accustomed to direct contact with the Imams (peace be upon them), until the time of the two Askari Imams (peace be upon them) came, paving the way for the occultation of Imam Mahdi (peace be upon them) through their concealment from the eyes of the people for many times despite their sacred presence, so they made the Shiites They are accustomed to the issue of not communicating directly and receiving from ambassadors and agents. Whenever they want something, they go to the ambassadors, and the ambassadors in turn contact the infallible Imam (peace be upon him). Likewise, the issue of the embassy and the four ambassadors was made a paving way to prepare people for the great absence of the Imam (peace be upon him).
As for the period of minor occultation, the companions of the Imams (peace be upon them) departed, and the generation following them remained accustomed to the issue of ambassadors and agents. For this reason, Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him) could suffice with the general representatives, who are the authorities whom he designated according to the signature: “As for the incidents that occur, refer in them to the narrators of our hadith, for they are my proof against you and I am God’s proof against me It matters” (1).
From the explanation of the wisdom of appointing ambassadors during the era of the minor occultation, we know the wisdom behind not appointing them during the major occultation, for the wisdom of appointing the ambassadors is a prelude to the major occultation, which requires interruption and lack of communication with the Imam (peace be upon him).
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Kamal al-Din: 484.
Source: Mahdavian Landmarks - Sheikh Nizar Al-Sunbul Al-Qutayfi
Where was Imam Mahdi (may God bless him and grant him peace) absent?
Most of the narrations that talk about (Al-Mahdi Muhammad bin Al-Hasan Al-Askari) indicate that he was in his father’s house in (Surr Min Ra’a), the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate at that time, and that those who saw him during his father’s life saw him there, and some narrations say: He went out to pray over the body of the Abbasid Caliphate. His father, who died and was buried in (Samarra), and that he met after that with the Qom delegation, which came looking for the new imam, and that he remained residing in the house for many years, until Al-Mu’tadid’s forces raided him and he disappeared into (the basement). The Abbasid Caliph Al-Nasir Billah built a dome on that basement, which still exists today, and is visited by Shiites from everywhere. It is the dome known as the Dome of the Occultation Crypt, next to the tomb of Imams Al-Hadi and Al-Askari in the city of Samarra, north of Baghdad.
Sheikh Al-Mufid mentions in: (Al-Irshad) the story of a man named (Ali bin Al-Hussein) who says: He visited Imam Al-Mahdi in his house in Samarra, and sat with him for three days. He also mentions the story of (Al-Hasan bin Al-Fadl) who says: He defeated the army (i.e. Samarra). ), so Imam Mahdi sent him a bundle containing dinars.
Al-Mufid narrates on the authority of Al-Hasan bin Abdul Hamid that he doubted the matter of one of the Mahdi’s agents, whose name was (Hajiz bin Yazid), so he went to the army, and something came out to him confirming the validity of that agent’s claim and forbidding him from doubting.
The second requirement: How long is the absence?
The duration of the absence, at the beginning of its statement, fluctuated between days, months, or years, not exceeding the number of fingers on the hands, as stated in many narrations mentioned by Al-Kulayni in (Al-Kafi) and Al-Tusi in (Al-Ghaibat).
While some accounts say that it will last for about thirty or forty years.
Some of the narrations transmitted by Al-Numani in (The Occultation) indicated that the duration of the occultation was very specific and the young age of Imam Mahdi when he appeared, and Al-Numani explained it by his young age at the time of the imamate.
Al-Tusi narrated another narration from Imam Al-Baqir, peace be upon him: (The person in charge of this matter does not exceed forty).
Other accounts said that his age may exceed one hundred and twenty.
Al-Tusi narrated in: (Al-Ghaybah) on the authority of Abu Abdullah, peace be upon him, that he said: (Why do you deny that God extends lifespan to the one who did this matter just as He extended lifespan to Noah?) He responded to those who were confused about the length of the absence and its departure from the custom, by saying that the matter is not what they said, and if it were true, it would be permissible for God to break the custom out of some interest.
Al-Saduq and Al-Tusi cited the absences of Musa bin Imran, Yusuf bin Yaqoub, Yunus bin Matta, the Companions of the Cave, the owner of the donkey, Noah, Salman the Persian, the Dajjal, Luqman bin Ad, and Rabi’ bin Daba’ and Ya’rab bin Qahtan, who said: They were absent from their people for periods of time.
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Source: Mazes in the City of Fog
Did Imam Mahdi (may God bless him and grant him peace) be absent until he gained experience and integration?
It was attributed to the martyr Al-Sadr (may God have mercy on him) that the Imam had this major absence. Because it requires experience and integration, and this can only be achieved by seeing successive civilizations how one collapses and another rises.
But we are considering this attribution to him (sanctified his secret), for even if he mentions it; But he did not adopt it; Rather, he explained the justification that prompted him to answer with this answer, which is to refute the suspicions of the opponent, the lenient and the skeptics according to the rules of sociology that everyone accepts, so he (may God have mercy on him) said:
(People do not want to hear an unseen answer, that is, they demand a social explanation for the situation, in light of the tangible facts of the great change process itself) (1).
Otherwise, the issue is clear to him that it is related to the unseen.
If we assume that the martyr al-Sadr (may God have mercy on him) had taken this view, then it is rejected and contradicts the righteous Imami doctrine of the infallible Imam (peace be upon him), for he is the companion of the Qur’an and its justifier, and he has knowledge of what is in the entire Book, and he knows what was, what is, and what is to come. Until the Day of Resurrection; It does not require integration through the integration of civilizations. Rather, he is the perfect human being whom God provided with all the tools of knowledge and virtue from the time of his birth.
Abbasid inspection campaigns for the house of Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him)
Historical texts indicated that Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him) remained for a period of time at the beginning of the minor occultation in Samarra, where Al-Omariyan was receiving the signatures issued by him (peace be upon him) while they were in Baghdad, and it was not mentioned in those texts how to deliver it to them or receive it, and that remained surrounded. With mystery and secrecy; For their part, the two ambassadors were also delivering the money and messages they received to Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him) while he was in Samarra (1).
Where the teachings and instructions regarding it were extracted from him (peace be upon him) by some special agents there (2), and some of the interviews that took place between him (peace be upon him) and some Islamic figures indicated that, as stated in the reports of Hajiz Al-Washa (3) and Abu Muhammad. Al-Razi and others (4).
During that period, the authorities were intensely pursuing the Imam (peace be upon him) and his followers and supporters, to the point that they suppressed the house of the Imam (peace be upon him) several times after the death of his father, Imam Al-Askari (peace be upon him), by the two Caliphs Al-Mu’tamid and Al-Mu’tadid (5).
Al-Rawandi narrated that Al-Mu'tadid sent three of his commanders to barricade the house of the Imam (peace be upon him) and said to them: Go and barricade the house of Al-Hasan bin Ali, for he has died, and whoever you see in his house, bring me his head (6).
Who is in that house other than his son Al-Mahdi (peace be upon him)!! Which indicates that he (peace be upon him) was in Samarra for the remaining nineteen years from the caliphate of Al-Mu’tadid until the beginning of the caliphate of Al-Mu’tadid in the year 279 AH.
Some texts indicate that Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him) had reduced many of his agents in Samarra. Rather, he asked his companions to leave Samarra immediately so that suspicions would not arise around him, and to make room for them to participate in the embassy matter as his agents in the Islamic countries, in Baghdad. It is calmer and more stable than Samarra, and possesses the elements of Islamic work due to its geographical location and its connection to other Islamic capitals. This matter contributed to imparting a character of secrecy and secrecy to the work of Imam Mahdi and his embassy.
However, despite all this, the inspection campaigns of the house of Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him) did not end by the authorities, who felt the severe danger that was threatening them from time to time without any deterrence or restraint. For example, Naseem, one of the authorities’ servants and spies, stormed the house of Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him). He broke down his door, but he was soon surprised by the presence of the Imam (peace be upon him) standing in front of him defiantly, holding Tabarzine in his hand, saying: What are you doing in my house? Naseem had no choice but to retreat, feeling disappointed and broken, saying: Jaafar claimed that your father had passed away and had no children (7)!!
He then conveyed his news to the authorities and warned them about him. It was fortunate that the state was preoccupied with the war of the owner of the Zanj, and some internal disturbances that prevented it from doing so, and all attempts by the authorities to arrest the Imam (peace be upon him) failed miserably, and the nightmare of the Imam (peace be upon him) continued to haunt and terrorize it, in addition to incidents of rioting. The owner of the Zanj almost cut off the lifeline of the ruling regime.
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(1) End of article: Al-Mamaqani 1/241; And the Minor Occultation of Al-Sadr: 480.
(2) Bihar Al-Anwar Al-Majlisi: 52/380.
(3) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Tusi: 258.
(4) Al-Rawandi’s Abscesses and Wounds: 164.
(5) Abscesses and wounds for Al-Rawandi: 67.
(6) Abscesses and wounds: 67.
(7) Al-Kharaijah wal-Jariyah: 67 and 164, Al-Ghaybah by Al-Tusi: 162.
Will evil and injustice end when the Mahdist state is established? ..And what will happen after the death of Imam Mahdi (may God bless him and grant him peace)?
News has spread through private and public channels about the emergence of a man from the family of the Prophet (may God bless him and his family) at the end of time who will fill the earth with justice, and he is the Awaited Mahdi (peace be upon him).
In the special ways, such as the hadith: “If only a day remained in this world, God would send a man from my family who would fill the earth with equity and justice as it had been filled with injustice and injustice” (1).
And the hadith: “By God, your Mahdi will disappear from you until the ignorant among you says: God has no need for the family of Muhammad. Then he will come like a piercing meteor and fill it with justice and justice just as it was filled with injustice and injustice” (2).
And the hadith: “This is your companion after me and my successor over you, and he is the one who rises to whom necks extend in expectation. When the earth is filled with injustice and oppression, he will come out and fill it with equity and justice” (3).
And in the ways of the common people: An example of the hadith: “The earth will be filled with oppression and hostility, and then a man from my family will come out until he fills it with equity and justice, just as it was filled with oppression and hostility” (4).
And a hadith: If only a day remained in this world, God would prolong that day until He sent in it a man from me - or from my family - who would fill the earth with fairness and justice, as it would be filled with oppression and oppression.
And in the wording: “The world will not pass away until a man from my family, whose name is the same as my name, rules over the Arabs.”
As for the situation after him, it is known that the final state that will fill the earth with equity and justice as it was filled with injustice and oppression is the state of the Savior, the Mahdi, but he is a human being who will die, so who will follow him in his state before the Hour comes?
There are three opinions on the issue:
The first opinion: He dies forty days before the Hour comes, and chaos and confusion will occur, and the people will live in chaos, and he will be the last of the countries, and this is what Sheikh Al-Mufid indicated in his book “Al-Irshad.”
I said: This opinion does not agree with the Imami doctrine that the earth is not without a single day of proof, so how can it be without forty days, as was reported from the Commander of the Faithful Ali: “Yes, by God, God must have a proof on earth. If only a day of the world remained, God would prolong that.” today "
The second opinion: Twelve Mahdi will rule after the Mahdi from among the Mahdi’s descendants, as stated in some narratives.
I said: This opinion is contrary to the well-known, as Al-Majlisi narrated in “Bihar Al-Anwar” and also Al-Hurr Al-Amili in his book “Awakening from Dormancy in the Proof of Returning.”
He said: As for the hadiths of the twelve after the twelve - meaning: twelve Mahdis after twelve imams - it is no secret that they do not lead to certainty and certainty due to their frequency, scarcity, and many opposition to them. There have been many hadiths that the imams are twelve - meaning: not more - and that their state will be extended until the day Resurrection, and that the twelfth is the seal of the guardians, the imams and the successors, and that the imams are the descendants of Hussein until the Day of Resurrection.
The third opinion: Imams from his fathers will rule after him, from those who return to life, as the reports indicate. Sheikh Al-Mufid narrated in his book “Al-Irshad”: On the authority of Abdul Karim Al-Khathami, he said: I said to Abu Abdullah Al-Sadiq - peace be upon him -: How much does the Qa’im own? He said: “Seven years, and his days and nights will lengthen, until one year of his years is equal to ten years of your years, so the years of his rule will be seventy years of your years. And when his resurrection comes - meaning: before his resurrection - it will rain rain on the people in Jumada al-Akhirah and ten days of Rajab. Creatures have never seen anything like it, so God grows with it the flesh of the believers and their bodies in their graves - meaning: He refers to the issue of return - as if I were looking at them coming from Juhayna, shaking off the dirt from their hair.”
Likewise, the narration of Ahmad bin Uqba, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Abu Abdullah: I asked him about taking her back, is she more worthy? He said: Yes, so he was told: Who is the first to leave? Who is the first to return from the graves? He said: “Al-Hussein will emerge in the wake of Al-Qaim,” meaning: After the emergence of Al-Qaim, he will emerge. I said: And with all the people? He said: No, but as God Almighty mentioned in His Book: “The day the trumpet is blown and you will come in crowds” [19] people after people.
And also the narration of Hamran bin Ayan: I heard Abu Abdullah say: “The first one for whom the earth will open and return to this world is Al-Hussein bin Ali, and the return is not general, it is specific. No one will return except from pure faith or pure polytheism.”
I said: This opinion is the most correct and it is based on the doctrine of the Imamis. The scholar Al-Majlisi in Al-Bahar mentioned that the hadiths about the return are approximately “two hundred authentic hadiths, narrated by more than forty of the great trustworthy scholars and eminent scholars (6).
Al-Sayyid Al-Murtada said: “Know that what the Imami Shiites believe is that God Almighty will bring back, upon the appearance of the Imam of the time, Mahdi, peace be upon him, a group of his Shiites whose death had preceded, so that they may win the reward of his support, aid, and witnessing his state. He will also bring back a group of his enemies, to take revenge on them.
So they take pleasure in what they see of the emergence of the truth and the exaltation of the word of its people” (7).
Sheikh Al-Mufid said in the beginning of the articles: “The saying about the return... is that God Almighty brings a people back from the dead to the world in the forms they were in, and He exalts a group of them, and humiliates a group.. (8).
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1- Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 52, p. 390, 27 h, 212
2- Kamal al-Din: Vol. 2, p. 341, b. 33, h. 22
3- Kamal al-Din: vol. 2, p. 431, b. 42, h. 8.
4- Sahih Al-Jami’, Hadith No.: 5074
5- Sahih Abu Dawud Hadith No.: 4282 and Al-Tirmidhi (2231) in brief.
6- Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 53, p. 122
7- Messages of Al-Sharif Al-Murtada, vol. 1, 125.
8- Early Articles, p. 78.
Is there a difference between the reasons for the occultation of Imam Mahdi (may God bless him and grant him peace) and the wisdom behind it?
We must first point out a general observation, which is that searching for wisdom from the occultation of Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him) is not a matter of interfering in revealing what is unseen, or knowing what God has concealed, so that the matter would be interference in what God has designated for Himself in terms of planning and wisdom. But as a matter of knowing the issue of backbiting related to man, just as the wisdom behind the issue of creation in what is related to man is worship, so we search for backbiting in the wisdom related to man.
The natural approach to discovering this wisdom and getting closer to it is to search for the reason for the backbiting because it constitutes the direct factor in knowing the reasons for the backbiting, knowing that knowing the reasons does not necessarily mean knowing the wisdom and complete reason for the backbiting.
Therefore, we must differentiate between reason and wisdom. For example, the reason for building the school is the engineer, but the wisdom behind the building is something else, just as Adam’s exit from Paradise was due to his eating from the tree. However, there is wisdom in that exit as is known, and it may overlap. Wisdom is accompanied by reason in some examples, but there must be a distance separating them.
What is proposed among the Shiites is that the reason for backbiting is fear of being killed. Al-Kulayni narrated in Al-Kafi, and Al-Saduq in Ikmal al-Din, a group of narrations from Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him), indicating that the reason for backbiting is piety and fear for life.
Sheikh Al-Mufid said in Al-Irshad: “Al-Hasan succeeded his expected son to the state of truth, and he had concealed his birth and concealed his affairs, due to the difficulty of the time and the intensity of the requests of the Sultan of the time for him, and his diligence in searching for his cause, as the doctrine of the Imamate spread among him and he knew of their waiting for him, so his son did not appear in His life, and the public did not know him after his death.” (Al-Irshad - Sheikh Al-Mufid, vol. 2, p. 336)
Al-Sayyid Al-Murtada confirmed: “The reason for his absence is that the oppressors feared him and prevented him from disposing of what was entrusted to him to manage and dispose of it.. So, if something prevents him from achieving what he wants, the obligation of assuming the Imamate is waived from him, and if he fears for himself, his absence is obligatory and he must remain hidden” (Al-Murtada’s Messages 2/ 295)
Al-Tusi limited the reasons for backbiting to fear, saying: “There is no reason preventing him (peace be upon him) from appearing except his fear for himself from being killed, because if it had been other than that, he would not have been justified in concealing himself, and he would have endured hardships and harm, for the positions of the imams, as well as the prophets, are only magnified by their endurance.” Great hardships for God’s sake” (Al-Ghaiba, p. 329).
It is clear that the peculiarity that these notables pointed out about the Mahdi, not other imams, is that he is the last of them, and therefore, concealing him until he is able to carry out his role is more important than his appearance and killing him without achieving his goal.
Accordingly, all of the above reasons revolve around the general circumstances that accompanied the absence and do not talk about the complete cause or the final wisdom because it is one of the unseen matters that God Almighty alone specializes in. Therefore, it is stated in the narratives that the absence is one of the divine secrets that are hidden from us, and it is not possible to recognize it. Except after the appearance of the Imam (may God hasten his appearance), Sheikh Al-Saduq narrated: On the authority of Ahmed bin Ishaq bin Saad Al-Ash’ari, he said: I entered upon Abu Muhammad Al-Hasan bin Ali (peace be upon them) and I wanted to ask him about the successor after him, so he said to me, beginning: “Oh Ahmed bin Ishaq, God, Blessed and Almighty, has not left the earth since the creation of Adam (peace be upon him) and will not leave it until the Hour arises as God’s proof against His creation. Through Him, He repels calamity from the people of the Earth, with Him rain descends, and with Him He brings forth the blessings of the Earth... Oh Ahmed. Ibn Ishaq: This is a matter from God’s command, a secret from God’s secret, and an unseen from God’s unseen, so take what I have given you, conceal it, and be among those who are thankful, so that you will be with us tomorrow in the heavens.” (Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni`ma: 384-385)
Sheikh Al-Saduq narrated on the authority of Abdullah bin Al-Fadl Al-Hashemi, who said: I heard Al-Sadiq Jaafar bin Muhammad (peace be upon them) saying: “The owner of this matter will have an inevitable occultation in which every false person will become suspicious.” So I said: Why have I been made your ransom? He said: “For a matter that we were not authorized to reveal to you.” I said: What is the reason behind his absence? He said: “The aspect of wisdom in his occultation is the aspect of wisdom in the occultations of those who preceded it from the proofs of God Almighty mentioned. The aspect of wisdom in that is not revealed until after its appearance, just as the aspect of wisdom was not revealed in what al-Khidr (peace be upon him) came to him of breaching the ship, killing the boy, and erecting the wall.” To Moses (peace be upon him) until the time of their separation.
O Ibn Al-Fadl: This matter is a command of God Almighty, a secret of God’s secret, and an unseen of God’s unseen, and when we know that He (the Almighty is Wise) is Wise, we will believe that all of His actions are wisdom, even if their face is not revealed.” (Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni`ma: 481) -482)
If we look at it in its entirety, the narration to which the questioner referred, we find that it combines the two matters. Between the circumstances of the backbiting and the circumstances that constituted the reasons for the backbiting, and between the command not to ask about the wisdom and the complete reason for it being a matter of the unseen, as it was stated in the narration on the authority of Ishaq bin Yaqoub that it was answered from the sacred side by Muhammad bin Othman: “As for the reason for the backbiting that occurred, it is God Almighty says: “O you who have believed, do not ask about things that, if made clear to you, would trouble you.” Indeed, there was not one of my fathers without a pledge of allegiance to the tyrant of his time falling on his neck, and I will leave when I leave and no pledge of allegiance to any of the tyrants will be on my neck. As for the way to benefit from me in My absence is like benefiting from the sun when it is hidden from sight by the clouds, and I am a security for the people of the earth just as the stars are a safety for the people of the sky, so close the doors of asking about what does not concern you, and do not be burdened with what you have sufficed, and increase your supplication for hastening your relief, for that is your relief, and peace be upon you, O Ishaq bin Yaqoub and upon him. "Whoever follows guidance"
Although the narration forbade asking questions, it explained one of the reasons for his absence, which is, “There was not one of my fathers without a pledge of allegiance to the tyrant of his time being on his neck, and when I leave, there is no pledge of allegiance to any of the tyrants on my neck.”
In conclusion, there is no contradiction if we differentiate between the reasons for backbiting and its objective circumstances and the reason for backbiting and its wisdom.
The state of Imam Mahdi (may God bless him and grant him peace) is a state of mercy, not a state of violence
There is a suspicion raised by some Islamic writers to the effect that the Mahdi of the Shiites is different from the Mahdi of the Sunnis and the community. Whoever reviews the Shiite narrations will find that the Mahdi is a dictatorial person, an aggressive person, a source of violence, oppression, and eradication of the nation of the Prophet, may God bless him and his family and grant them peace, and the image that the Imami narrations about the Mahdi depicts is a We have a state based on the sword, brutality, eradication, and violence. Therefore, the features of this state that the Imami Shiites are waiting for are:
First: A state that is incompatible with the spirit of Islam because the spirit of Islam is mercy. The Almighty said: (And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds) (Al-Anbiya’: 107), while the state of the Mahdi among the Shiites is a state based on the sword, oppression, and eradication, so it is incompatible with the spirit of Islam.
Second: Is it reasonable that humanity has been waiting for thousands of years for that final state with all longing and eagerness, and then is surprised by a state based on oppression, eradication, and aggression that neither remains nor leaves?
As a result, humanity’s hope was not fulfilled, but rather it suffered disappointment and disappointment. This is the Mahdi of the Shiites, a violent and aggressive human being. As for the Mahdi of the Sunnis and the community, he is a source of mercy and compassion. This writer relied on a group of narrations that are actually present in the books of the Shiites, including:
The first narration: From the book Bihar Al-Anwar by Sheikh Al-Majlisi, may God have mercy on him (vol. 52 / p. 353 / h. 109), narrated by Zurara, on the authority of Abu Jaafar, peace be upon him, I said to him: Is he following the biography of Muhammad? - Meaning that if the Mahdi emerges, will he follow the path of Muhammad? _. He said: (No way, no way, O Zurara, that is not the case). I said: May I be made your ransom, why? He said: (Indeed, the Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family, walked his nation with leniency. (1) He used to befriend people, and the one who rose would lead to killing. Thus, he commanded in the book that he had that he should walk with killing and not ask anyone to repent. Woe to whoever opposes him. (2)
The second narration: On the authority of Abu Khadija also in Bihar Al-Anwar (vol. 52 / p. 353 / h. 110) on the authority of Imam Al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, that he said: (Ali, peace be upon him, said: It was my duty - in a sense of my powers - to kill the servant and finish off the wounded man, but I left that for the afterlife among my companions. If they are wounded, they are not killed, and the one who is in charge has the right to kill the one who is loyal to him and finish off the wounded person (3).
The third narration: On the authority of Al-Ula, on the authority of Muhammad, he said: I heard Abu Jaafar, peace be upon him, saying: (If the people knew what the Qa’im would do when the Qa’im came out, most of them would love not to see him, because of the people he kills, but he does not start except with the Quraysh, so he does not take from them except the sword. He will not give her anything but the sword, until many people say: This is not from the family of Muhammad. If he were from the family of Muhammad, he would have mercy (4).
The fourth narration: On the authority of Abu Basir, on the authority of Abu Abdullah, peace be upon him, that he said: (When Al-Qaim emerges, there will be nothing between him and the Arabs and Quraysh except the sword. He only takes the sword from them, and they are not in a hurry for Al-Qaim to emerge? By God, his clothing is nothing but thick, and his food is nothing but wood. And it is nothing but the sword, and death is under the shadow of the sword (5).
The fifth narrator: Al-Numani mentioned it in the book (Al-Ghaybah) (6) on the authority of Abu Al-Jaroud, on the authority of Al-Qasim Ibn Al-Walid Al-Hamdani, on the authority of Al-Harith Al-A’war Al-Hamdani, who said: The Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him, said: (By my father, the son of the best female slaves - meaning Al-Qa’im - he will give them a drink and give them to drink from a cup. Patient, and nothing gives them anything but the sword as a means of rebellion...).
What is our position on these narratives?
First: A number of these narrations are weak in chain of transmission, as Muhammad ibn Ali al-Kufi, nicknamed Abu Samina, was mentioned in its course, and Sheikh al-Najashi, the sheikh of the Ar-Rajaliyyin, says: (He was called Muhammad ibn Ali Abu Samina. He was very weak, corrupt in belief, and was not relied upon in anything. He was reported in Qom. _ He was famous for lying in Kufa - and it was revealed to Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Isa for a period, then he was famous for his extremism, then he dried up, and it was narrated by Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Isa on the authority of Qom (7), and also from its chain of transmission is Muhammad bin Ali Al-Hamdani, who is unknown (8), and from its chain of transmission is Al-Hasan. Ibn Ali Ibn Abi Hamza Al-Bataini, and men’s scholars have stated that he is weak (9), and among its paths is Al-Hasan ibn Harun (the seller of patterns), who is unknown (10), and among its paths is Abu Al-Jaroud, who was the head of the Jarudi sect that split from the Zaidi sect, and he is weak in some respects. He wrote “Ilm al-Rijal” (11). Therefore, these narrations are plagued by weak chain of transmission. One should not rely on them and infer from them a concept about the state of the Awaited Qa’im, peace be upon him.
Second: These narrations are contradicted by narrations that show us the splendor of the state of the Qaim and that it is a state of mercy and a state of tenderness towards all, obedient and disobedient. Notice in the book (Aqd al-Durar) on the authority of Imam Ali, peace be upon him, that the Mahdi takes the pledge of allegiance from his companions on the condition that they do not take a Muslim captive, do not kill a forbidden person, and do not They destroy a harem, do not demolish a house, and do not strike anyone except with due rights (12). This is the approach of the Mahdi, even with his greatest enemy, who is the Sufyani.
In the narration on the authority of the Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him: (He - meaning the Mahdi - will march with them in twelve thousand if they are few or fifteen thousand if they are many. Their motto is: I died, I died, until the Sufyani meets him and says: Bring my cousin to me so that I may speak to him. Then he will go out to him and speak to him and the matter will be handed over to him. And he pledges allegiance to him - meaning that Al-Sufyani retracts his approach - and if Al-Sufyani returns to his companions, he becomes remorseful and returns to resign and dismiss him, and he and the army of Al-Sufyani fight... (13), so the Imam begins a dialogue with his enemy, which indicates that he is a dialogue personality whose approach is mercy, and whose approach is not violence and fighting.
It is mentioned in Al-Bihar on the authority of Imam Al-Sadiq, peace be upon him: that Al-Mahdi summons before him the leaders of the Jews, their rabbis, the leaders of the Christian religion, and their scholars, and he brings the Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms, and the Criterion, so he does not fight them first, but rather clarifies to them the facts, and argues with them over each book alone, and asks them to interpret it and informs them of what he changed from it. 14).
Third: Some authentic narrations in this area indicate that there was intense fighting between the Mahdi, peace be upon him, and his opponents, but they are absolute in this respect, so the rule requires that it be restricted to what indicates the type of fighting, who is targeted by it, and its purpose, and here we note that the noble texts specify for us who is the target. By fighting, and you specified that fighting him, peace be upon him, is a defensive fight and not an offensive fight. The West, with its Jews and Christians, will believe and submit to the Mahdi and will not fight him. Rather, the one who will fight the Mahdi is a group of Muslims, which is the Nawasib group. Otherwise, most of the people of the earth will surrender to him voluntarily because he will appear with the logic of science and knowledge, and with the logic of compassion. And kindness, and a special group of Muslims will fight him, namely the Nawasib. On the authority of Imam al-Baqir, peace be upon him:
(And he - meaning the Mahdi - will go to Kufa, and sixteen thousand of the tribes will emerge from it, doubting their weapons, reciters of the Qur’an, and scholars of religion, who have sore their foreheads, rolled up their clothes, and are blinded by hypocrisy, and they are all saying: O son of Fatima, come back, we have no need of you. (15), and in some narrations: (The Mahdi approaches the deviant sect and advises them and delays them for three days, so they only increase in transgression and disbelief, so the Mahdi, peace be upon him, orders their killing) (16).
In addition, the establishment of complete justice on the entire earth cannot be achieved except by uprooting the clutches of injustice rooted in many societies, and this requires a long period of fighting, intensity and harshness, as the roots cannot be uprooted except with this approach, and God Almighty said about the process of radical cleansing carried out by the Prophet May God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family: (Fight them; God will punish them at your hands and disgrace them, and grant you victory over them and heal the breasts of a believing people) (At-Tawbah: 14), and God Almighty said: (So kill the polytheist wherever you find them) (At-Tawbah: 5), and God Almighty said: (And fight them until there is no persecution and there is All religion belongs to God” (Al-Anfal: 39), and God Almighty said: “And let them find in you harshness” (Al-Tawbah: 123), so the prominent features of the Muhammadan fight are the prominent manifestations of the Mahdavi fight.
Through these observations, we learned that the Mahdi’s state is a state of mercy, compassion, and tenderness, and that it will not impose religion by coercion or coercion, but rather will spread the religion in the language of science, and this is the biography of his fathers and grandfathers, peace be upon them. The Messenger of God was a conversational person. He began dialogue and did not begin fighting, and Ali, peace be upon him, was He was also a communicative person who started the dialogue but did not start the fighting. Hussein himself was a communicative person who dialogued with the fighters and preached to them until the last moment of his honorable existence.
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(1) And in some versions of Al-Nu’mani’s Book of Backbiting: (with manna).
(2) On Al-Ghaybah by Al-Numani: 236 and 237 / Chapter 13 / H 14.
(3) On the Backbiting by Al-Numani: 237/Chapter 13/H 15.
(4) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Numani: 238 / Chapter 13 / H 18.
(5) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Numani: 239 / Chapter 13 / H 21.
(6) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Numani: 234 / Chapter 13 / H 11.
(7) Men of the Negus: 332/No. 894.
(8) See: Al-Fahrist / Al-Tusi: 337 / No. 618; Rijal Ibn Dawud: 274/No. 468.
(9) See: Rijal al-Najashi: 36/No. 73; Ikhtiyar Ma’rifat al-Rijal 2: 827/No. 1042.
(10) See: Mustadrakat Ilm Rijal al-Hadith by Sheikh Ali al-Namazi 3: 67/No. 4069; Al-Fa’iq fi Narrators and Companions of Imam Al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, by Abdul Hussein Al-Shabestari 1: 386/No. 778.
(11) See: Rijal al-Najashi: 170/No. 448; Ikhtiyar Ma’rifat al-Rijal 2: 495 and 496/No. 413-416.
(12) See: Dictionary of Imam Mahdi, peace be upon him, 3: 95 / H. 639, on the authority of Aqd al-Durar: 90-99.
(13) Kitab al-Fitan by al-Marwazi: 217.
(14) See: Bihar al-Anwar 53:9, from Mukhtasar Basa’ir al-Darajat: 185.
(15) Evidence of the Imamate: 455 and 456/h (435/39).
(16) Mukhtasar Al-Basa’ir: 190.
A study and criticism of Imam Mahdi (may God bless him and grant him peace) signing of Al-Samari the end of the minor occultation
The signature issued by Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his return) in his announcement to his ambassador Al-Samri of the end of the minor occultation and the occultation and the beginning of the major occultation, it is:
Al-Tusi (may God have mercy on him) narrated with his chain of transmission on the authority of Abu Muhammad Ahmad bin Al-Hasan Al-Muttab, who said: I was in the city of Al-Salam in the year in which Sheikh Abu Al-Hasan Ali bin Muhammad Al-Samari (may God sanctify his soul) died, so he attended A few days before his death, he presented to the people a signature, which I copied:
“In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful As you are not recommended to anyone, then your place will rise after your death, so the absence has fallen into the time, so there is no appearance except for God after God This is after a long time, the hardness of hearts, and the earth being filled with injustice. And my Shiites will come whoever claims to be witnessing. Indeed, whoever claims to be witnessing Before the emergence of Al-Sufyani and the cry, he is a liar and slanderer, and there is no power nor strength except in God, the Most High, the Great.”
He said: So we copied this signature and left him, and on the sixth day we returned to him while he was being generous, and it was said to him: Who is the executor? After you? He said: God has a matter which He has fulfilled, and he decided. This was the last word heard from him, may God be pleased with him and please him (1).
The discussion here occurs in two places:
First: In the extensive chain of transmission of this famous hadith.
Second: in its meaning.
The first thing to say:
Know that this hadith is technically correct, because it was narrated on the authority of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance) through three narrators:
1 - Al-Samri, the ambassador of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his return).
2 - Sheikh Al-Saduq Muhammad bin Ali bin Babawayh Al-Qummi.
3 - Abu Muhammad Al-Hasan bin Ahmed Al-Mukhtab.
We limit the speech to the third person, to give precedence to the speech in the first two persons:
Inayatullah said: Al-Saduq narrated from him repeatedly, pleasingly and with compassion, and this is one of the signs of authenticity and reliability. Then I mentioned many evidences for it (2).
We point out two things here:
The first matter: It was narrated in (the absence) like this: A group told us, on the authority of Abu Ja`far Muhammad bin Ali bin Al-Hussein bin Babawayh, who said: Abu Muhammad Ahmad bin Al-Hassan told me To a writer, he said: I was in the city of peace..., Al-Khabar (3).
A similar example was narrated by Ibn Babawayh in “Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Nimah” (4). I knew that the one from whom Ibn Babawayh narrated was Al-Hasan ibn Ahmad, not Ahmad ibn Al-Hasan, and it appears that the oversight in the Sheikh’s book occurred from copyists, and this oversight is supported by what Al-Nuri Al-Tabarsi narrated in (Jannat Al-Ma’wi) in Al-Fa’idah Al-Awla, and on the authority of (Ghaibat Al-Tusi) on the authority of Al-Hasan. Bin Ahmed Al-Muttab (5). God knows best.
The second matter: that the author of (Al-Mustadrak), despite his extensive knowledge, extensive knowledge, and interest in investigating the names of the sheikhs of Al-Saduq, had neglected this great personality whom Al-Saduq narrated repeatedly, pleasingly, and with compassion. Such matters call for investigation and follow-up, and necessitate finding out what was overlooked by those before him. Inayatullah narrated this hadith in “Majma’ Rijal” from the book “Rabi’ al-Shi’a” by Ibn Tawus (may God have mercy on him), on the authority of al-Hasan ibn Ahmad al-Muttab, so consider (6).
The support for this hadith has been challenged...
They said: It is a single report, transmitted, weak, and its transmitter - who is the sheikh in the aforementioned book - did not act on it, and the companions turned away from it, so he does not oppose those facts and stories whose totality can be cut off, but rather from some of them that include honors and honors that could not have come from anyone else (aliyah). peace).
These appeals can be discussed and all of them can be rejected with the following matters:
First: The fact that it is one piece of news is not a deficiency in it, as it has been proven in the principles that a single reliable piece of news is authoritative, and the statement that it is not authoritative is an anomalous statement that is only said by rare scholars.
Secondly: That it was mursal is incomplete, as it was narrated by Al-Tusi (may God have mercy on him) in (Al-Ghaybah), and Al-Saduq (may God have mercy on him) in (Ikmilah), and others, so where is the mursal?!
The time, according to custom, is appropriate with the presence of one intermediary.
As for what Al-Tabarsi (may God have mercy on him) mentioned this narration as mursal without mentioning the chain of transmission, he committed himself at the beginning of his book (Al-Ihtijaj) to not mention the chain of hadiths in it, either because of their agreement with consensus, or their popularity among the dissenters and those who agree, or their agreement by reason (7).
It appears that the aforementioned hadith was also needless to mention the chain of transmission, either because it agreed with consensus, or because it was famous, or both together, because our scholars, starting from Al-Saduq (may God have mercy on him) until our time, relied on it and relied on it, and no one discussed it or contemplated its consideration, as is well known. Whoever has familiarity and follow-up in their words and writings, then these are among the definitive narrations in which there is no doubt or suspicion. He (peace be upon him) said: “There is consensus on it, there is no doubt about it” (8).
Third: We do not accept that it is weak, and based on acceptance, it is for historical proof, even if it is not sufficient to prove the Sharia ruling.
Fourth: As for the turning away of the companions such as al-Tusi (may God have mercy on him) and others, it is a fantasy and delusion, because the Sheikh and others considered the proof of seeing the Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance) in his great occultation to be beyond doubt. However, it only serves as evidence of their turning away if there was opposition and contradiction between Signature and proof of the vision. As for the lack of opposition, it is possible that Al-Tusi (may God have mercy on him) and others adhered to both aspects without lying between them, and with him there is no evidence of this turning away from them, and if this had been done by them, it would not have harmed the authenticity of the report, since it is established and verified in knowledge. The principles are that the scholars’ turning away from the narration does not necessitate a weakness in the narration, neither in support nor in evidence (9).
As for the talk in the second place:
We have already mentioned the signature on his behalf (may God hasten his return), and it says: “The complete absence has occurred,” which is an explanation for his statement (may God hasten his return): “And do not appoint anyone to take your place.” This indicates that the major absence is the one in which representation and the embassy are cut off. Its own.
He confirmed this by saying (may God hasten his return): “And there will come to my Shiites those who claim to have witnessed it,” and there is no doubt that what is meant by it is that it will happen in the same way as it happened to the four ambassadors. He declared that everyone who claimed the matter after Al-Samari is an uncivilized infidel, misguided and misguided.
Viewing here is restricted to being in the manner of the Babiyyah and the specific embassy, not absolute viewing, and it comes under the heading of mentioning the absolute and the will of the restricted, or mentioning the general and the will of the specific, and this is common in custom and language.
There is no contradiction, then, between the honorable signature and the occurrence of the sighting during the great absence of many of those who won the honor of seeing him (may God hasten his return). The scholars said: This aspect is very close, and it was reported from (Al-Bihar) (10) and others.
This, and it has been said about the combination of the occurrence of the sighting during the great absence and the signature issued by him (may God hasten his return) have multiple meanings, and they are far away, and there is no need to address them here, and they are mentioned in (Al-Bihar), so see them (11).
Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance) confirmed many things in his signature to Al-Samari, which are:
First: He was informed of the death of Al-Samari within six days, and it was information about the unseen that could be verified by the Imam (may God hasten his return), and no one doubted at that time the veracity of the news, so his companions tomorrow morning after six days, and they found him doing good to himself, and it came true as the Imam (may God hasten his return) had told him about it. gap).
Second: His instruction (may God hasten his return) that the embassy would end and the Great Occultation begin with the death of al-Samri, and that he would not recommend to anyone after him.
Third: ignoring the date of the appearance, and that it will not appear (may God hasten its appearance) except with His Almighty permission.
Fourth: His expression that the duration of the great occultation will be long and long.
Fifth: His reference in the signature to unseen matters such as hardness of heart, weak faith, lack of a sense of responsibility, and the verge of deviation.
Sixth: His information (may God hasten his appearance) on the authority of Al-Sufyani and Al-Sayhah, and that it is an inescapable truth before its emergence and appearance, and his confirmation of what came from the Prophet (may God bless him and his family and grant them peace) regarding unseen matters.
Seventh: Telling him (may God hasten his return) about the earth being filled with oppression and injustice, the loss of justice, and the dominance of desires and their control over the world.
Eighth: His statement (may God hasten his appearance) that whoever claims to have seen him like the ambassadors saw him, claiming the Babiyyah on his behalf (may God hasten his appearance) and the embassy before the emergence of Sufyani and the cry, then he is a slanderer and a liar (12).
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(1) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Tusi (p. 395 / h. 365); It was narrated by Al-Saduq (may God have mercy on him) in Kamal Al-Din (p. 516 / Chapter 45 / H. 44).
(2) See: Majma’ al-Rijal (vol. 2/p. 98, and vol. 7/pp. 190 and 191).
(3) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Tusi (p. 395 / H. 365).
(4) Kamal Al-Din (p. 516 / Chapter 45 / H. 44).
(5) Paradise of Shelter (p. 159).
(6) Al-Qahba’i’s Majma’ al-Rijal (vol. 7/pp. 190 and 191).
(7) Protest (Part 1/Page 4).
(8) Al-Kafi (vol. 1/p. 68/Chapter Differences in Hadith/H. 10).
(9) History of the Minor Occultation (p. 641 and 642).
(10) Bihar Al-Anwar (vol. 52 / p. 151 / tail of hadith 1).
(11) The benefits mentioned in Al-Bahar (vol. 53/pp. 318-325) are from the book “The Garden of Shelter” (pp. 159-166), so be careful.
(12) See: History of the Minor Occultation (vol. 1/pp. 634-639).
The similarity between the occultation of Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him) and the occultation of the prophets
The issue of Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him) is similar to the issues of the previous prophets (peace be upon them), as evidenced by the news, and one of the similarities between him and them is the absence and concealment from view and sight. The similarity deters doubts from those who doubt his absence (peace be upon him), whether it was due to strangeness or not. Guidance, what is mentioned regarding the occultation of the Imam refers to the occultation of the prophets and the righteous in the past Sunnahs. After proving that these Sunnahs were applied against the prophets and the righteous, there is no surprise if they were proven from the Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him).
Narrations that indicate his resemblance (peace be upon him) to the prophets of God (peace be upon them):
The first narration: On the authority of Saeed bin Jubayr, he said: I heard the master of worshipers, Ali bin Al-Hussein (peace be upon him), saying: “In the Qa’im among us are the traditions of the prophets: a tradition from our father Adam (peace be upon him), a tradition from Noah, a tradition from Abraham, and a tradition from Moses. And a Sunnah from Jesus, and a Sunnah from Job, and a Sunnah from Muhammad, may God’s prayers be upon them.
As for Adam and Noah, it is longevity. As for Abraham, it is concealment of birth and isolation from people. As for Moses, it is fear and backbiting. As for Jesus, it is people’s disagreement about him. As for Job, it is relief after calamity. As for Muhammad (may God bless him and his family and grant them peace), it is going out with the sword.(1) ).
The second narration: On the authority of Muhammad ibn Muslim al-Thaqafi al-Tahan, he said: I entered upon Abu Ja`far Muhammad ibn Ali al-Baqir (peace be upon him) and I wanted to ask him about the Qaim from the family of Muhammad, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and upon them. He said to me, beginning: “O Muhammad ibn Muslim, in the Qaim The family of Muhammad (may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family) resembles five of the messengers: Yunus bin Matthew, Joseph bin Jacob, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, may God’s prayers be upon them.
As for his resemblance to Yunus ibn Matta, he returned from his absence as a young man after old age.
As for his resemblance to Yusuf bin Yaqoub (peace be upon him), it is the absence from his elite and the common people, his disappearance from his brothers, and the confusion of his affairs with his father Yaqoub (peace be upon him), despite the close distance between him and his father, his family, and his Shiites.
As for his resemblance to Moses (peace be upon him), it is his constant fear, his long absence, the concealment of his birth, and the fatigue of his Shiites after him from the harm and humiliation they suffered until God (the Almighty) permitted his appearance and victory and supported him against his enemy.
As for his resemblance to Jesus (peace be upon him), those who disagreed about it differed to the point that a group of them said: He was not born, and a group said: He died, and a group said: He was killed and crucified.
As for his resemblance to his grandfather, the Chosen One (may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family and grant them peace), he went out with the sword and was killed by the enemies of God and the enemies of His Messenger (may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family), the tyrants and the tyrants, and that he was victorious by the sword and terror, and that his banner would not be returned.
Among the signs of his emergence are: the emergence of the Sufyani from the Levant, the emergence of the Yamani from Yemen, a shout from the sky in the month of Ramadan, and a caller calling from the sky in his name and the name of his father (2).
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(1) Kamal al-Din: 321 and 322/ Chapter 31/ H. 3.
(2) Kamal al-Din: 327 and 328/ Chapter 32/ H7.
Source: Mahdavian Landmarks - Written by: Sheikh Nizar Al Sunbul Al Qatif
Can we meet Imam Mahdi (may God bless him and grant him peace) during his occultation?
Meeting the Imam is meeting God because the Imam is a manifestation of God, so meeting the Imam means meeting God Almighty.
It is the encounter with annihilation, not the encounter with connection as expressed in the terminology of philosophy, as there is a difference between the relational relationship and the annihilation relationship. To bring the idea closer, we give an example: If you put honey in a cup of milk, the milk with the honey is called (a relational relationship), because when you drink the milk you still feel... That there is milk and that there is honey, means that there are two existences that are linked to each other.
Whereas if gold is melted with another metal and becomes one substance, this is called an annihilation relationship, because you do not feel that there are two things, but rather one substance, while the relationship of mixing between milk and honey is a correlative, non-annihilation relationship. This is due to the observation of external existence as well as the observation of mental existence, and it occurs by contemplating the relationship of the name. With the noun, for example: If a boy is brought to me and I name him Dhargham, then when one of the people says to me: Dhargham, my mind does not come to the boy because I am not accustomed to that, so I feel that there are two existences, an existence for the child, which is my son, and an existence for the letters, a dhaad, a khafa, a ghain, an alif, and a meem.
But if days pass and I become accustomed to the name, as soon as I am told: Dargham, my mind moves to my son and I never feel the letters. This is called (an annihilation relationship) the annihilation of the name in the given name. The relationship between the name and the named one in the first days of birth was relational linking the name to the named one, but Over time, the relationship changed from a relational relationship to an annihilation relationship, and you never felt the name.
Thus, our encounter with God must be an encounter of annihilation such that we feel that there are not two existences, an existence for us and an existence for God, and we only feel the presence of God. This is what is called the annihilation relationship, and the annihilation encounter is when a person reaches the point of feeling the presence of God. The Holy Qur’an expresses the annihilation relationship when He says: (Indeed, those who pledge allegiance to you pledge allegiance to God, but God’s hand is above their hands) (Al-Fath: 10), where a person feels that God’s hand touches his hand, and God Almighty says: (Do they not know that it is God who accepts the repentance of His servants? And he takes alms.) (At-Tawbah: 104) , so that we come to the feeling that God is the one who takes our alms from us, and God Almighty said in a third verse: (Never will their flesh or their blood reach God, but piety from you will reach Him) (Al-Hajj: 37).
What is required in our meeting with God is to be an encounter with annihilation, meaning that we do not feel ourselves, but rather we only feel the presence of God, and this is what Imam Hussein, peace be upon him, spoke about in the supplication of the Day of Arafah: (When are you absent until you need evidence to point to you, and when are you far away until traces She is the one who reaches you. An eye has been blinded and does not see You watching over her, and she has lost the bargain of a servant for whom you did not give him a share of your love.
Does the Imam, peace be upon him, want to meet us?
The scholars of mysticism say: There is a difference between a human encounter and an honorable encounter, and the difference between them is that the honorable encounter means that the Imam, peace be upon him, bestowed favor on me and showed me his good countenance and praiseworthy forelock, as stated in the supplication: (O God, show me the good countenance and praiseworthy forelock, and make my eyes shine with A look from me at him And hasten his relief.)
But the Imam does not want that, rather the Imam wants to meet people, and how can the Imam meet us to meet people if we are not worthy of the Imam’s companionship, and we are not worthy of making the Imam’s heart happy, then the Imam wants something and we want something. We want to remain in our sins and transgressions and the Imam must We are honored to meet him, and he honors us with his appearance, while the Imam calls to us: I do not want this meeting, I want to meet humanity. I want to meet you, and I am happy with you, rejoicing in you, and joy, joy, and humanity depend on us becoming fused with the Imam and for our relationship with the Imam to be an annihilative, not relational relationship, so that our meeting with the Imam is a meeting with humanity. Otherwise, the Imam is kind enough to meet us and he is generous, but he wants to honor us with a meeting which he expresses as meeting with people, so what we are asking for is other than what the Imam is asking of us.
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How many years will the life of the state of Imam Mahdi (may God bless him and grant him peace)?
There are many narrations that were received that talked about the duration of the rule of Imam Mahdi (may God Almighty hasten his appearance), and they differed in specifying the mention of this period. There are hadiths that mentioned that the duration of his rule was seven years, and others mentioned that he ruled for nine or ten years, and the most period mentioned in the hadiths is three hundred and nine years. And so on. But the most famous of these narratives is the one that stated that the duration of his rule was nineteen years and months, as will become clear.
It was reported on the authority of Abu Saeed Al-Khudri that he said: The Messenger of God (may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family) said: “The Mahdi will rule the people for seven (or nine) or ten years. The people of Kufa will be happiest with him” (1).
On the authority of Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) when he was asked: How much does the Mahdi (may God Almighty hasten his appearance) own? He (peace be upon him) said: Seven years, the days and nights will lengthen until one year of his years becomes one of your years, so the duration of his reign will be seventy years of these years of yours. And when the Resurrection comes, it will rain upon the people the Jumada al-Akhirah and the ten days of Rajab, rain the likes of which the creatures have never seen, and with it God Almighty will cause the flesh of the believers to grow. And their bodies are in their graves, and it is as if I see them coming from the front of a tent, shaking off the dirt from their hair” (2).
On the authority of Al-Haytham bin Abdul Rahman, on the authority of someone who told him on the authority of Ali (peace be upon him), he said: “The Mahdi will rule the people for thirty or forty years” (3).
It was reported on the authority of Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) that he said: “The Qa’im will reign for three hundred years and add nine, just as the People of the Cave remained in their cave. He will fill the earth with justice and justice as it was filled with oppression and oppression...” (4).
But the most famous narrations, which people rely on, are the ones that stated that the duration of the Imam’s rule (peace be upon him) was nineteen years and months.
On the authority of Abdullah bin Abi Yafour, on the authority of Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him), that he said: “The Qaim will reign for nineteen years and months” (5).
Abu Sulaiman Ahmad bin Hudha Al-Bahili told us, he said: Ibrahim bin Ishaq Al-Nahawandi told us in the year two hundred and seventy-three, he said: Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Hammad Al-Ansari told us in the year two hundred and twenty-nine, he said: Abd bin Abi Ya’four told me, he said: Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) said: Peace be upon him: “The reign of the Qa’im among us is ten years and months, God willing, for ten years and months” (6).
On the authority of Jabir bin Yazid al-Ja’fi, he said: I heard Abu Ja’far Muhammad bin Ali (peace be upon him) saying: “By God, a man from among us, the Ahl al-Bayt, will reign for three hundred and thirteen years, or more, for nine.” He said: So I said to him, “When will that be?” He said: After the death of Al-Qaim. I said to him: How long will the Qaim (may God Almighty hasten his appearance) remain in his world until he dies? He said: Nineteen years from the day of his resurrection until the day of his death.
Ali bin Ahmad Al-Bandaniji told us, on the authority of Ubayd Allah bin Musa Al-Alawi, on the authority of some of his men, Ahmad bin Al-Hasan, on the authority of Ishaq, on the authority of Ahmad bin Omar bin Abi Shu’bah Al-Halabi, on the authority of Hamza bin Hamran, on the authority of Abdullah bin Abi Ya’four, on the authority of Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him). He said: The Qaim (may God Almighty hasten his appearance) will reign for nineteen years and months (8).
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(1) Ghayat Al-Maram, by Al-Bahrani, p. 117, edited by Mr. Ali Ashour.
(2) Explanation of the realization of rights for one’s master, vol. 29, p. 492, edition: first, year of publication: 1415, printing press: Hafez - Qom.
(3) Al-Fitan by Naeem Al-Marouzi, p. 234, year of publication: 1414 AH, publisher: Dar Al-Fikr for Printing, Publishing and Distribution - Beirut - Lebanon.
(4) Mikael Al-Makarim, vol. 1, p. 130, first edition, year of publication: 1421, Al-Alami Publications, Lebanon.
(5) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Numani, p. 353, first edition, year of publication: 1422 AH, printing press: Mehr - Qom, publisher: Anwar Al-Huda.
(6) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Numani, p. 353, first edition, year of publication: 1422 AH, printing press: Mehr - Qom, publisher: Anwar Al-Huda
(7) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Numani, p. 354, first edition, year of publication: 1422 AH, printing press: Mehr - Qom, publisher: Anwar Al-Huda.
(8) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Numani, p. 354, first edition, year of publication: 1422 AH, printing press: Mehr Qom, publisher: Anwar Al-Huda.
Source: The Final Say on the Mahdi of the Age (May God Hasten His Reappearance), Sheikh Ali Tarad Al-Amili, pp. 398-399.
3 theories about the occultation of Imam Mahdi (may God bless him and grant him peace). Learn about them
Backbiting is meant by the absence of the Twelfth Imam from the People of the House (peace be upon them) from the senses and the lack of knowledge of his location. Here we ask: What is the nature of the backbiting that occurred in the Twelfth Imam (may God hasten his return)?
Is it absent, the absence of a title or a title, or is there something else?
The answer varies depending on the time of absence, and perhaps we divide it into three categories:
The first period: the early period of his occultation, either from his birth to his great occultation or from the death of his father (peace be upon him) to his great occultation. During this period, he is absent from most people and is only known by special people, as indicated by the previous narrations, since his father (peace be upon him) He took it out to some of his companions in his person and address. As for the general public, he is absent from them in his person and address. The two absences in the two previous meanings - the absence of a person and the absence of an address - occur in this period of time according to the differences between the people. For example, from ambassadors, it is apparent to them - even at some times - in his person and address, and from Other than the ambassadors are absent.
The second period: which is complete absence. It may be said that his absence from the people is an absence of a title and a person, so his person and body are absent from the people, based on a number of narrations, including what Sheikh Al-Kulayni (may God have mercy on him) narrated on the authority of several of our companions, on the authority of Jaafar bin Muhammad. On the authority of Ibn Faddal, on the authority of Al-Rayyan ibn Al-Salt, he said: I heard Abu Al-Hasan Al-Rida (peace be upon him) say - and he was asked about Al-Qaim - and he said: “His body is not seen, and his name is not given” (1).
And what was narrated by Sheikh Al-Saduq (may God have mercy on him), he said: Muhammad bin Al-Hasan (may God be pleased with him) narrated to us, he said: Saad bin Abdullah narrated to us, he said: Abu Jaafar Muhammad bin Ahmad Al-Alawi narrated to us, on the authority of Abu Hashim Dawud bin Al-Qasim Al-Jaafari, he said: I heard Abu Al-Hasan, the owner of the military (peace be upon him), said: “The successor after me is my son Al-Hasan, so how can you treat the successor after the successor?” So I said: Why did God make me your ransom? He said: “Because you do not see his person and it is not permissible for you to mention him by his name.” I said: So how do we mention him? He said: “Say: The proof is from the family of Muhammad (may God bless him and his family and grant them peace)” (2).
It may be said: His absence is the absence of a title and an identity, but his person and body are present among the people, and what indicates this saying from the narrations is what was narrated by Sheikh Al-Saduq (may God have mercy on him), who said: Muhammad bin Musa bin Al-Mutawakkil (may God be pleased with him) told us, he said: He told us Abdullah bin Jaafar Al-Himyari, on the authority of Muhammad bin Othman Al-Amri (may God be pleased with him), said: I heard him say: “By God, the author of this matter attends the season every year and sees the people and knows them, and they see him but do not know him” (3).
It may be said: This sect restricts the first and explains the meaning of body and person by title and identity, because the second is explicit and the first is apparent, since calling the person “the title” is customary. As for the body, in conjunction with the rest of the texts, there is no objection to preventing its use in it - the title - and if you do not accept the aforementioned restriction, it is possible to assume that it is not Seeing the body during a special period of absence or a special group of people.
Thus, it becomes clear that it is appropriate to attribute the absence to the absence of the title in this period of time.
The third period: This is a period that may be said to be one of the periods of occultation, and it may be said otherwise, and it is before his public appearance in the Holy Mecca and his move from Medina to it and the gathering of his loyal companions around him. Sheikh Al-Numani (may God have mercy on him) narrated on the authority of Imam Al-Baqir (peace be upon him). ): “O Jabir, stay on the ground and do not move a hand or a foot until you see signs that I will mention to you if you realize them: ...And the Sufyani sends an army to Kufa, and their number is seventy thousand, and they attack the people of Kufa with killing, crucification, and captivity. And while they are like that, banners from Khurasan came. The houses are rapidly being surrounded, and with them is a group of Al-Qaim’s companions. Then a man who is loyal to the people of Kufa emerges in a weak state and the commander of the Sufyani army kills him between Al-Hira and Kufa. The Sufyani sends a group to Medina and the Mahdi flees from it to Mecca. The commander of the Sufyani army is informed that the Mahdi has departed to Mecca. He sends an army in pursuit of him, but it does not catch him until he enters Mecca in fear, observing the Sunnah of Musa bin Imran (peace be upon him)....”(4), it is somewhat similar to the first period.
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(1) Al-Kafi (vol. 1 / p. 333 / chapter on the prohibition of names / vol. 3).
(2) Kamal Al-Din (p. 381 / Chapter 37 / H5).
(3) Kamal Al-Din (p. 440 / Chapter 43 / H8).
(4) Al-Ghaybah by Al-Numani (pp. 288 and 289 / Chapter 14 / H67).
Source: Deductive Lessons in the Mahdavian Doctrine - Written by: Sheikh Hamid Abdul Jalil Al-Waeli.
12 benefits for Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his return) in the era of occultation
The period of absence differs from presence, especially in the Great Occultation, and this difference necessitated a difference in the distribution of duties and the renewal of others, and research at times into the assignments and duties on the side of the Imam (may God hasten his return), and this may be expressed in terms of the benefits of his blessed presence in the era of the Great Occultation, and at other times in the costs and duties of those assigned to it.
He may reply: How can he benefit from him while he is absent?
I said: The Messenger of God (may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family) answered this by saying: “... They are illuminated by his light and benefit from his guardianship during his absence, just as people benefit from the sun even if it is covered by clouds...” (1).
On the authority of Suleiman bin Mahran Al-A’mash, on the authority of Imam Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him): ... Suleiman said: So I said to Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him): How can people benefit from the hidden, hidden proof? He said: “Just as they benefit from the sun when the clouds cover it”(2).
He (may God hasten his return) said about that in his famous signature to Ishaq bin Yaqoub: “... As for the way to benefit from me during my absence, it is like benefiting from the sun when the clouds disappear from sight...” (3).
Benefiting from the setting sun behind the clouds is realized by conscience and necessity.
The first research: Of the effects, benefits and tasks resulting from the presence of the Imam (may God hasten his return) in the era of the Great Occultation, as many narrations indicate that the presence of the Imam (peace be upon him), even if he is absent, is not seen, there are several very important benefits that we refer to in the following points:
1- His presence is necessary for knowing and worshiping God Almighty:
In several narrations, including on the authority of Abu Ja`far al-Baqir (peace be upon him): “Only those of us who know God and know His Imam from among the People of the House know and worship God, and whoever does not know God (Glory be to Him) and [does not] know the Imam among us, the People of the House, only knows Him.” And he worships other than God. Thus, God is misguided” (4).
The presence of the Imam (peace be upon him) necessitates knowing God Almighty, worshiping Him, and emerging from error.
2- His knowledge is a condition for accepting work:
The acceptance of deeds is dependent on the knowledge of the Imam (peace be upon him) - and not his presence, as one might imagine - on the authority of Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) in the words of God (Glory be to Him): “And to God belong the best names, so call upon Him by them” [Al-A’raf: 180], he said: “We, by God, are the Most Beautiful Names by which God does not accept any deed from His servants except with our knowledge” (5).
3- The presence of the Imam to know truth from falsehood:
Evidence of this is what Abu Basir narrated on the authority of one of them (peace be upon them): “God did not leave the earth without a knower, and had it not been for that, truth would not have been known from falsehood” (6), and it is clear that the presence of the Imam (peace be upon him) is to know truth from falsehood. .
4- His presence in knowing what is permissible and what is forbidden:
Several narrations have been narrated about this, including: On the authority of Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him): “The earth does not cease to exist unless God has a proof therein. He knows what is permissible and what is forbidden, and calls people to the path of God” (7).
Roughly speaking: the presence of proof, even if it is absent, is something that has an impact on memorizing Sharia law, knowing what is permissible and what is forbidden, and calling to the path of God Almighty, even if we do not know how that is done in detail, then absence does not prevent him from exercising his assigned role in the manner appropriate to the absence.
5- Its presence to protect the Sharia from addition or subtraction:
There are several narrations about this, including: On the authority of Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him): “The earth is not empty unless there is an imam in it, so that if the believers add anything, He will restore it to them, and if they lack anything, He will complete it for them” (8).
And its approximation: With the above, the presence of the Imam (peace be upon him) in preserving the religion from addition and subtraction in general is beyond doubt.
Yes, we do not have the means of preserving the religion, just as we do not have the means of God Almighty preserving the religion, supporting the believers, managing the affairs of the universe, and so on.
6- His presence to bear witness to people’s actions:
Al-Kulayni (may God have mercy on him) narrated on the authority of Ali bin Ibrahim, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn Abi Umair, on the authority of Ibn Uthayna, on the authority of Burayd al-Ijli, on the authority of Abu Jaafar (peace be upon him): “...And we are the witnesses over the people, so whoever speaks the truth on the Day of Resurrection, we will confirm him. And whoever denies it, We will deny him” (9).
7 - Its existence due to the necessity of familiarity with the Holy Qur’an at all times:
On the authority of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him): “...and He made us with the Qur’an and He made the Qur’an with us. We will not separate from it and it will not separate from us” (10).
Roughly speaking: The presence of the Imam (peace be upon him) with the Qur’an even in his absence is necessary to preserve the Qur’an from distortion, and this is what was stated in the mutawatir hadith of al-Thaqalayn.
8- His presence to guide people:
On the authority of Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him): “... every imam is a guide for the generation that is among them” (11), and in the report that follows it: “... and for every time among us there will be a guide who guides them..., then the guide after him is Ali, then The guardians one by one” (12).
Even if it is in the form of formative guidance.
9 - He held the heavens and the earth with the Imam, and through him rain descends and mercy is spread:
On the authority of Imam al-Rida (peace be upon him): “We are God’s proofs in His creation, His successors in His servants, and His secretaries. We are the word of piety and the most trustworthy handhold. We are God’s martyrs and signs in His wilderness. Through us God keeps the heavens and the earth from passing, and through us He sends down rain and spreads mercy. The earth is not devoid of any of us standing, whether visible or hidden, and if it were empty one day without a proof, it would be filled with its people just as the sea is filled with its people.” (13)
10 - His existence for the sake of providing sustenance:
On the authority of Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him): “... Through us, trees bore fruit, fruits blossomed, and rivers flowed, and through us rain descends from the sky, and the grass of the earth grows, and through our worship, God is worshipped, and had it not been for us, God would not have been worshiped” (14).
11 - His presence in order to ward off calamity and bring forth blessings:
On the authority of Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn Ali (peace be upon him): “...O Ahmad ibn Ishaq, God, Blessed and Most High, has not left the earth since the creation of Adam (peace be upon him), and He will not leave it until the Hour arises of God’s proof over His creation, through which He will repel calamity. On behalf of the people of the earth, and with it He sends down rain, and with it He brings forth the blessings of the earth...”(15).
12- His presence in order to answer prayers:
On the authority of Abu Jaafar (peace be upon him), on the authority of the Messenger of God (may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family) in his conversation with the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him): “...he said: The Imams are from your progeny..., and through them their supplications are answered, and through them God averts calamity from them. And through them mercy descends from heaven, and this is the first of them - and he gestured with his hand to Al-Hasan (peace be upon him), then he gestured with his hand to Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) -, then he said (peace be upon him): The Imams are from his descendants” (16).
It has become clear that the benefit of his presence is not limited to his presence (may God hasten his appearance), as his presence among people is a necessity that does not prevent the concealment of his address and his not being known during his absence, and there are other functions and benefits that will come in a broader study, God Almighty willing.
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(1) Kamal al-Din (p. 253/Chapter 23/Chapter 3).
(2) Kamal Al-Din (p. 207 / Chapter 21 / H. 22).
(3) Kamal Al-Din (pp. 483-485 / Chapter 45 / H4).
(4) Al-Kafi (vol. 1 / p. 181 / chapter on knowing the imam and responding to him / no. 4).
(5) Al-Kafi (vol. 1 / pp. 143 and 144 / Chapter on Anecdotes / No. 4).
(6) Al-Kafi (vol. 1 / p. 178 / chapter that the earth is not devoid of proof / h. 5).
(7) Al-Kafi (vol. 1 / p. 178 / chapter that the land is not devoid of proof / h. 3).
(8) Al-Kafi (vol. 1 / p. 178 / chapter that the earth is not devoid of proof / h. 2).
(9) Al-Kafi (vol. 1 / p. 191 / chapter that the Imams are witnesses of God (Glory be to Him) over His creation / H. 4).
(10) Al-Kafi (Part 1 / p. 191 / Chapter: The Imams are witnesses of God (Glory be to Him) over His creation / H. 5).
(11) Al-Kafi (vol. 1 / p. 191 / chapter that the Imams (peace be upon them) are the guides / no. 1).
(12) Al-Kafi (Part 1 / pp. 191 and 192 / Chapter: The Imams (peace be upon them) are the guides / Part 2).
(13) Kamal Al-Din (p. 202 and 203 / Chapter 21 / H6).
(14) Al-Kafi (vol. 1 / p. 144 / Chapter on Anecdotes / No. 5).
(15) Kamal Al-Din (p. 384 / Chapter 38 / H1).
(16) Kamal Al-Din (p. 206 and 207 / Chapter 21 / H. 21).
Ali bin Muhammad Al-Samri.. Embassy seal
The fifteenth day of Shaban in the year (255 AH) witnessed the birth of the last moon of the family of Muhammad (may God’s prayers be upon them), who is the Awaited Imam Mahdi (may God Almighty hasten his honorable appearance). After five years, God’s will was for the Imam to disappear, but the earth must have a proof. Divine wisdom required that the earth should not be devoid of their lights and knowledge (peace be upon them), for they are the stars of guidance and the ships of salvation.
The connection between the Imam and his Shiites was not broken. During this (minor) occultation of the Imam, which lasted for about seventy years from (260 AH) until the year (329 AH), four trustworthy and trustworthy Shiite men assumed responsibility for the embassy and on his behalf (peace be upon him) in matters. Religion and the world, and they formed a link of communication between him and his Shiites through his signatures (may God’s prayers be upon him), so they fulfilled what he entrusted to them with all honesty and sincerity, and they were his dependants and the place of his trust in responding to the Shiites’ issues and their inquiries before him and receiving the legal rights from them and disbursing them in what he commanded them to do until their death. These four men are:
1 - Othman bin Saeed Al-Amri: He held the embassy for five years from the year (260 AH) until his death in the year (265 AH)
2 - Muhammad bin Othman bin Saeed Al-Amri: He held the embassy for about forty years, which was the longest embassy, from the year (265 AH) until his death in the year (305 AH)
3 - Al-Hussein bin Ruh Al-Nubakhti: He held the embassy for more than twenty years from the year (305 AH) until his death in the year (326 AH)
4 - Ali bin Muhammad Al-Samri: He held the embassy for three years, which was the shortest of the embassies, from the year (326 AH) until his death in the year (329 AH)
Many narrations indicate to us that this pattern in selecting representatives was ordered by Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him) (1) , and the signatures that came from him to the people also indicate that. Their selection was a divine text that came in accordance with the qualities and advantages that God had given them that were not available in others. It qualified them to carry God’s trust and perform it to the fullest. If these advantages had been available to someone after them, this embassy would have continued. Among the words of Al-Samri - the last of the ambassadors - when death approached him and the Shiites gathered around him, they said: Who will be the representative after you and who will take your place? He said: I was not ordered to recommend this matter to anyone after me. (2)
Al-Majlisi’s narration confirms that the Imam used to appoint one of them upon the death of the one who preceded him, with proof indicating this representation. He said: As for the sick doormen and the praised ambassadors during the time of absence.... none of them did that unless it was stipulated by the owner of the time, peace be upon him, and his owner was appointed. Which was previously mentioned, but the Shiites did not accept their statement until after the appearance of a miraculous sign appearing at the hands of each one of them, from the One in authority, peace be upon him, indicating the truthfulness of their statement and the validity of their representation) (3)
Sheikh Abbas Al-Qummi said that Imam Al-Hujjah (peace be upon him) used to carry out miracles, miracles, and answers to Shiite issues at the hands of Sheikh Abu Al-Hasan Ali bin Muhammad Al-Samri, and they would hand over money and rights to him by his order (peace be upon him). (4)
The Imam informed his Shiites of the end of this embassy six days before the death of Al-Samari in preparation for the great occultation, as stated in the last signature of Imam Al-Mahdi (may God’s prayers be upon him) saying: (In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, O Ali bin Muhammad Al-Sammari, may God reward your brothers for your sake. He will die and there will be six days between you, so gather your affairs and do not appoint anyone to take your place after your death, for the second occultation has occurred, and there will be no appearance except after the permission of God - the Almighty - and that is after a long period of time and the hardening of hearts, and the earth being filled with injustice, and those who claim to have witnessed my Shiites will come. Indeed, whoever claims to have seen it before the emergence of Sufyani and the shout, he is a liar and a slanderer, and there is no power nor strength except in God, the Most High, the Great.” So Al-Samari’s agents copied this signature, and six days later they returned to him and found him dying, and when they asked him who would be his guardian after him, he said: God has a matter that He can accomplish. He died, and these were the last words heard from him (may God be pleased with him). (5)
But the Imam (peace be upon him) would not leave his Shiites without an argument and a reference to which they could return in matters of their religion and their world, for his noble signatures included his saying: (As for the incidents that occur, refer in them to the narrators of our hadith; for they are my proof against you and I am God’s proof over them), (6) and his saying ( Peace be upon him): (As for whoever is among the jurists who protects himself, preserves his religion, opposes his desires, and is obedient to the command of his master, then the common people should imitate him) (7)
The fourth ambassador and the seriousness of the mission
The embassy of Representative Ali bin Muhammad al-Samri - although it was short - was filled with many political events. During the three years of his embassy, many wars and strife took place: including the seizure of Ahwaz by Mu’izz al-Dawla Ahmad bin Buyeh, the war in Turkish Bajkam by al-Radi al-Abbasi with al-Baridi, and the strife of Ibn Ra’iq and Ibn Muqla, the seizure of Baghdad by Bajkam, Shukri bin Mardi’s caliph and Shamkir over Azerbaijan, and the spread of the Qarmatians who prevented the Hajj and then fought among themselves in the strife of Ibn Sanbar. Also, many strife and disturbances took place that will be explained at length in Isfahan, Gorgan, Wasit, Baghdad, Basra and other countries. (8) Despite these turbulent political conditions, Al-Samri was competent for the task that the Imam assigned him.
Al-Samri was one of the companions of Imam Al-Askari (peace be upon him) and those close to him, and he wrote to him during his lifetime (9) . His embassy was during the era of the Abbasid Caliph, may God be pleased with him (Abu Al-Abbas Muhammad bin Jaafar Al-Muqtadir) (322 AH - 329 AH), who was described as having bad morals and prejudice against the Shiites. His reign witnessed the most severe crises, ruptures, divisions, and sectarian disputes, as the Buyids gained independence in Persia, the Hamdanids in Mosul, Diyar Bakr, and Aleppo, the Ikhshidids in Egypt and the Levant, the Samanid in Khorasan and Transoxiana, the Umayyads in Andalusia, and the Qarmatians in Bahrain and Al-Yamamah, while Baghdad, which was the focus of attention of the Buyids, fell under sectarian fanaticism. The Hanbalis controlled it.
History conveys to us one picture of the chaos that the country was in. It was stated in incidents in the year (327 AH), that is, one year after Al-Samari took over the embassy, what it says: (The public spread corruption in the land, and they attacked the public baths and took the clothes of those in them, and confiscations increased, and the evil of the people increased. The thieves who armed themselves with tools to block the floors at night, and the people complained in vain to (Bajkam) about the affliction that his companions had befallen them, and chaos and disputes spread, and the conditions of Iraq worsened) (10)
During that difficult period and critical circumstances, the Shiites were suffering from the Abbasid authority’s hostility and harassment towards them on the one hand, and the sectarian war that was waged against them on the other hand, which made Al-Samri’s mission extremely dangerous, and he had to deal with his agents with the utmost secrecy for fear of the Shiites...
These difficult conditions and bitter reality are what prevented the arrival of sufficient information and news about Al-Samri’s life and the details of his representation, but what was said about him from the words of Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him) and the sayings of prominent Shiite scholars indicate to us his lofty position and high status and that he performed his mission to the fullest extent, and he was He is trustworthy in fulfilling the trust and he did what the Imam wanted from him towards his Shiites, in terms of guiding and directing them according to their knowledge of his (peace be upon him) signatures, and receiving the legal rights and disposing of them according to what he (peace be upon him) authorized them to do.
Al-Samari in the history book
Sources described Al-Samri as ascetic, pious, and pious. Among his virtues are narrated: A group of the people of Qom came to him in Baghdad, and he asked them about Ali bin Al-Hussein bin Musa bin Babawayh - the father of Sheikh Al-Saduq - and he was one of the venerable Shiite scholars and great jurists. So Al-Samari would ask them about him whenever they came to him, and they would tell him that he had The book responded independently. But this time, Al-Samri added, after they said this, by saying: May God reward you for Ali bin Al-Hussein, for he was arrested at this hour, so whoever was with him confirmed the date of the hour, day, and month, and when it was seventeen or eighteen days later, the news came that he died at that hour that Al-Samari mentioned it (11)
It is not surprising for Al-Samri to have this honor on his hands, as he was the one chosen by Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him) as his representative and ambassador for his Shiites. This was not the only honor. Rather, the sources confirmed that each one of them brought proof of his embassy. The Shiites did not accept Al-Samri’s statement until after The appearance of a miraculous sign appearing on his hand from the person in charge (peace be upon him) indicating the truthfulness of his statement and the validity of his authority (12) . Then the money was brought to him, and he would bring out the signatures for them. He would mention the amount of money in general and detail and name its owners by informing him of the Qa’im (peace be upon him). In that (13) .
All Shiite sources described Al-Samri as trustworthy, revered, and glorified. Sheikh Al-Mufid described him as: (A person of reason, honesty, trustworthiness, knowledge, understanding, achievement, and intelligence) (14) , and Al-Tabarsi said about him: (He is truthful in his tone) (15) . Sheikh Al-Wahid Al-Bahbahani said about him: (His majesty is too famous to be mentioned) (16) and Sheikh Abbas Al-Qummi described him as (the great and venerable sheikh) (17) and Sheikh Ali Al-Namazi Al-Shahraudi said about him: (His trustworthiness and majesty are too famous to be mentioned, and too prominent to be written off.) He is like the sun in the fourth day.) (18) Sayyed Hasan al-Sadr said about him: (He was the authority of the Lord over the believers, a divine scholar, ascetic and pious, our sheikh in hadith and jurisprudence, and he was the authority after Sheikh Abi al-Qasim al-Hussein bin Ruh (may God be pleased with him) and the chapter on rulings for the sect; and he has tales. And miracles and revelations narrated by trustworthy people (19)
Al-Samari was one of the narrators of the hadith of the Imams (peace be upon them). Al-Tabari the Shiite (20) and Al-Arbali narrated to him. (21) Ibn Shahrashob considered him one of the Shiite poets and mentioned that he had poetry collections (22) , but nothing of his poetry was recorded. (23) It is most likely that the era in which Al-Samri lived and the political pressures exerted on the Shiites by the Abbasid authority were what determined his legacy. Scientific and literary confidentiality
Al-Samari died in Baghdad and was buried on the western side of Baghdad. His grave is located near the grave of Sheikh Al-Kulayni (may God Almighty have mercy on them).
