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Imam al-Mahdi is from the descendants of Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn Zain al-Abidin (A.S.)
By: Ayatullah al-Uzma Lutfullah as-Safi al-Gulpaygani
Comprised of 197 traditions
542. Amālī al-Shaykh1: A group informed us from Abū l-Mufaḍḍal, from Abū `Abd-Allah Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-`Alawī al-Ḥusaynī, from Abū Naṣr Aḥmad b. `Abd al-Mun`im b. Naṣr al-Ṣaidāwī, from Ḥusayn b. Shaddād al-Ju`fī, from his father Shaddād b. Rushaid, from `Amr b. `Abd-Allah b. Hind al-Jamalī, from (Imam) Abū Ja`far Muḥammad b. `Alī, peace be on him, who said: When Fāṭima—the daughter of `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him—observed her nephew, Imam `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him, constantly worshipping, she approached Jābir b. `Abd-Allah b. `Amr b. Ḥizām al-Anṣārī and said to him, “O companion of Allah’s Messenger! Surely, we have some rights which you are obliged to fulfill for us. One of our rights is that when you see one of [the Imams] from us straining himself while striving [in the way of Allah], then you should remind him of Allah and invite him to save his soul. Such is the present state of `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, the remnant of his father al-Ḥusayn. His nose has become wounded and the skin of his forehead, palms, and knees have become coarse and thick because of constant worship.”
So, Jābir b. `Abd-Allah went to (Imam) `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn’s house and [saw Imam] Abū Ja`far Muḥammad b. `Alī standing there with some other boys from the Banī-Hāshim. Jābir stared at him and said, “The way you walk is like that of the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, [and your features] resemble his features. Who are you, son?” He replied, “I am Muḥammad b. `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn.”
On hearing this, Jābir cried and said, “By Allah! You are truly the splitter (bāqir) of knowledge. Come near me, may my father be sacrificed for you!” So, [Imam Abū Ja`far] went near him and Jābir opened the front of [Abū Ja`far’s] shirt, placed his hand on his chest and kissed it then put his own cheek and his face on [his chest] and said, “I bring you greetings (salām) from your great-grandfather, the Messenger of Allah, Allah\'s blessings be on him and his family, who ordered me to do what I just did.
He said to me, ‘You will live [a long life] and will continue to survive until you meet from my descendants the one whose name is [Abū Ja`far] Muḥammad. He will truly split knowledge.’ He further informed me, ‘You will live until you become blind and he will be the one who will give you back your sight.’”
Then, Jābir said to him, “‘Seek permission from your father for me.” (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, went to his father and informed him about what had happened and said, “There is an old man at the door whom behaved with me in such and such manner.” [Imam al-Sajjād], replied, “O son! He is Jābir b. `Abd-Allah al-Anṣārī. Amongst all the children, did he only say these things to you and behave with you in this particular manner?” [Imam Abū Ja`far, peace be on him], replied, “Yes.” He said, “We are from Allah. Surely, he did not intend anything bad for you . . .”
Then, he allowed Jābir to enter. [When Jābir entered], he found the Imam in his prayer-niche whilst excessive worship had worn him out. The Imam stood up and asked Jābir about his conditions then made him sit next to him. Jābir turned to him and said, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! Do you not know that indeed Allah, the Exalted, has created Paradise for you and for those who love you and He has created Hell for those who have hatred towards you and enmity against you? Why have you obliged yourself to perform such [a straining worship]? (Imam) `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him, said, ‘O Companion of the Messenger of Allah! Don’t you know that Allah had forgiven the past and future faults of my grandfather—the Messenger of Allah—and yet he did not stop striving (for Allah)? And he, may my father and my mother be sacrificed for him, continued worshipping until his shinbone and feet became swollen? He was asked, ‘Why do you do this whilst Allah has forgiven your past and future sins?’ He had replied, ‘Should I not be a thankful servant?’”
Jābir looked at Imam `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him, and saw that he could not convince him to ease his efforts and fatigue, so he said, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! Please save yourself. Surely, you belong to a family through whom calamities are warded off, hardships are removed, and the sky pours its rain.” The (Imam) replied, “O Jābir! I will continue to be on the path of my parents—Allah’s blessings be on them—and mourn them until I meet them.” Jābir turned to those who were present and said, “By Allah, none from the children of the Prophets can be found who are like `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn except Yūsuf b. Ya`qūb. By Allah, the seed (dhurriyya) of `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him, are superior to the seed of Yūsuf b. Ya`qūb. From them is the one who will fill the earth with justice just as it will be filled with injustice.”
The traditions with the following numbers also show the aforementioned concept: 113, 125, 126, 127, 129, 134, 136, 167, 168, 170, 173, 175–178, 181, 183, 191, 193, 194, 196, 205–308, 465, 466, 533-541, 543–571, 590, 608, 612, 641, 770, 786–807, 973, 974, 1216, and 1230.
Note:
1. Amālī al-Shaykh, vol. 2, session 13, pp. 249–251, no. 16; Bishārat al-Muṣṭafā, pp. 66–67, which is the same as the previous reference with slight differences in the wording and chain of narrators. It ends like this, “From him is the one who will fill the earth with justice just as it will be filled with injustice”; Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 46, chap. 5, pp. 60–61, no. 18.
Imam al-Mahdi is the seventh descendant of Imam Muhammad bin Ali al-Baqir (A.S.)
Comprised of 121 traditions
543. Kifāyat al-athar1: Narrated to us Abū l-Mufaḍḍal, may God have mercy on him, from Muḥammad b. `Alī b. Shādhān b. Ḥabbāb al-Azdī al-Khallāl in Kūfa, from al-Ḥasan b. Muḥammad b. `Abd al-Wāḥid, from al-Ḥasan b. al-Ḥusayn al-`Arabī [or al-`Arafī or al-`Uranī] al-Ṣūfī, from Yaḥyā b. Ya`lā al-Aslamī, from `Amr b. Mūsā al-Wajīhī, from Zaid b. `Alī, peace be on him, who recounts: I was with my father, (Imam) `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him, when Jābir b. `Abd-Allah al-Anṣārī entered. While he was talking with him my brother Muḥammad came from one of the rooms. Jābir fixed his gaze at him, then stood up and went towards him and said, “O boy, come!” He obliged. Jābir requested again, “Go back,” and he went back. Jābir remarked, “Characteristics like the characteristics of the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family! What is your name, son?” He replied, “Muḥammad.” Jābir said, “Whose son are you?” He replied, “I am the son of `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib.”
Jābir said, “Then, you must be al-Bāqir!” Then, Jābir bent over him and began kissing his forehead and hands. Then he said, “O Muḥammad! The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, has conveyed salutations to you.” He replied, “May the best of salutations be upon the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, and also upon you, O Jābir, for conveying the salutations.”
Jābir then returned to his prayer-mat and started talking to my father, saying, “One day, the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, said to me, ‘O Jābir! When you meet my son, al-Bāqir, convey my salutations to him because his name is like mine and he is the most similar of people to me. His knowledge is my knowledge and his judgment is my judgment. Seven of his descendants are infallible trustees and righteous Imams and the seventh is their Mahdī, who will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness.’ Then, the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, recited, ‘And We made them Imams who guide with Our Command and We revealed to them good deeds, establishment of prayers, and paying the poor-rate (zakāt) and they worshipped Us.’”
544. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī: Informed me `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, from
Muḥammad b. Ḥasan al-Rāzī, from Muḥammad b. `Alī al-Kūfī, from Ibrāhīm b. Muḥammad b. Yūsuf, from Muḥammad b. `Īsā, from `Abd al-Razzāq, from Muḥammad b. Sinān, from Fuḍail al-Rassān, from Abū Ḥamza al-Thumālī who narrates: One day, I was with (Imam) Abū Ja`far Muḥammad b. `Alī al-Bāqir. When the people around him dispersed, he said to me, “O Abū Ḥamza! From the inevitable things that Allah will not change is the rising of our Qā’im. Whoever has doubts about what I am saying will meet Allah while he does not believe in Him and denies Him.” He continued, “My father and my mother be sacrificed for him whose name will be my name and his epithet will be my epithet and he will be my seventh descendant. My father be sacrificed for the one who will fill the earth with justice and fairness just as it will be filled with unfairness and injustice.
O Abā Ḥamza! Whoever reaches [his era] but does not submit to him, then, it is as if he has not submitted to Muḥammad and `Alī, Allah’s blessings be on them. Allah will prohibit him from entering Paradise and his dwelling place will be in fire and how bad is the abode of the oppressors!”
A matter which is clearer, more illuminating, more lucid and brighter than this—for those who Allah has guided and is beneficent to—thank God, is His saying which is an unambiguous verse from His Book: “Verily, the number of months (al-shuhūr) with Allah are twelve months in the Book of Allah, the day He created the skies and the earth; from these, four are sacred. This is the established religion, so do not be unjust to yourselves during these [months].” Having knowledge about these months like Muḥarram, Ṣafar, Rabī` al-Awwal, etc. and the sacred ones from them like Rajab, Dhu l-Qa`da, Dhu l-Ḥijja, and Muḥarram, cannot be called “an established religion.” Because the Jews, the Christians, the Zoroastrians, and all the other nations and people—whether those in favor and the opponents [of Islam]—were aware of these months and they counted them with their names.
[In this verse,] months (shuhūr) refers to the infallible Imams, peace be on them, who will establish the religion of Allah. The sacred ones from these are Amīr al-Mu’minīn, whose name Allah, the Exalted, has derived from His Name al-`Alī, just as He has derived for the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, a name from His Name, al-Maḥmūd. Three others from his descendants bear the name `Alī: `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, `Alī b. Mūsā, and `Alī b. Muḥammad. These names have become sacred because they have been derived from the Name of Allah, the Exalted. And Allah’s blessings be on Muḥammad and his noble family who are sacred because of him.
545. Ithbāt al-waṣiyya2: Al-Ḥimyarī, from Muḥammad b. `Īsā, from al-Naḍr b. Suwayd, from Yaḥyā al-Ḥalabī, from `Alī b. Abī Ḥamza who said: I was with Abū Baṣīr and with us was a slave of (Imam) Abū Ja`far. He narrated to us that he heard, (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, say, “From us are twelve muḥaddaths3. The Qā’im is the seventh after me.” Abū Baṣīr stood up and declared, “I testify that I have been hearing Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, saying this since forty years ago.”
The traditions with the following numbers also show the aforementioned concept: 235, 242–308, 550, 551, 554–571, 608, 612, 641, 786–807, 859, 973, 974, 1216, and 1230.
Notes:
1. Kifāyat al-athar, chap. 40, pp. 301–303, no. 3; Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 36, chap. 41, p. 360, no. 230, with the following chain of narrators: “Abū l-Mufaḍḍal al-Shaibānī, from Muḥammad b. `Alī b. Shādhān, from al-Ḥasan b. Muḥammad b. `Abd al-Wāḥid, from al-Ḥasan b. al-Ḥusayn al-`Uranī, from Yaḥyā b. Ya`lā, from `Umar b. Mūsā, from Zaid.”
2. Ithbāt al-waṣiyya, p. 204; Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī, chap. 4, pp. 96–97; Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 36, chap. 45, p. 395, no. 11.
3. A muḥaddath is a person whom the angels speak with. This does not mean that the person whom the angels speak with is a prophet. This can be inferred from verses 19:17–19 of the Holy Quran that mention the story of Mary, peace be on her, speaking with one of God’s angels—Ed.
Imam al-Mahdi is from the descendant of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (A.S.)
Comprised of 120 traditions
546. Kashf al-Ghumma1: Ibn al-Khashshāb, may Allah have mercy on him, from Abū l-Qāsim Ṭāhir b. Hārūn b. Mūsā al-`Alawī, from his father Hārūn, from his father Mūsā, who said: My master (Imam) Ja`far b. Muḥammad said, “The righteous successor (al-khalaf al-ṣāliḥ) from my descendants is the Mahdī. His name is Muḥammad and his epithet is Abū l-Qāsim. He will emerge in the end of times and his mother will be called Ṣaqīl . . . He will have two names: Khalaf and Muḥammad. He will emerge in the end of times. There will be a cloud above his head which will shade him from the sun and will follow him wherever he goes. It will call out in a fluent voice, ‘This is the Mahdī.’”
The traditions with the following numbers also show the aforementioned concept: 235, 242–308, 550, 551, 554–571, 608, 612, 641, 770, 786–807, 859, 973, 974, 1216, and 1230
Note:
1. Kashf al-ghumma, vol. 2, p. 475, citing al-Tārīkh of ibn al-Khashshāb. Apparently, it is the book he (authored) about the births and biographies of the Imams. His saying, “He will have two names . . .” is probably a complement to this tradition. It is also probable that they are ibn al-Khashshāb’s words which he has derived from hadith books; Yanābī`’ al-mawadda, chap. 94, p. 491.
The traditions that indicate he is the sixth descendant of (Imam) Ja`far b. Muḥammad al-Ṣādiq, peace be on him
Comprised of 112 traditions
547. Kamāl al-dīn1: Narrated to us `Abd al-Wāḥid b. Muḥammad al-`Aṭṭār al-Nīsābūrī, may Allah be satisfied with him, from `Alī b. Muḥammad b. Qutayba al-Nīsābūrī, from Ḥamdān b. Sulaimān, from Muḥammad b. Ismā’īl b. Bazī`, from Ḥayyān al-Sarrāj who said: I heard al-Sayyid ibn Muḥammad al-Ḥimyarī say, “I used to say things which were exaggerations (al-ghuluw) and I used to believe in the occultation of Muḥammad b. `Alī— ibn al-Ḥanafiyya—and I was deviated like this for a period of time. Then, Allah granted me a great favor through (Imam) al-Ṣādiq Ja`far b. Muḥammad, peace be on him, and saved me from the [hell]fire and guided me to the straight path.
After it was proved to me through the evidence that I saw from him that he is Allah’s proof upon me and upon all the people of his time and that he is the Imam whose obedience is obligatory and who must necessarily be used as a role-model, I asked him, ‘O Son of Allah’s Messenger! Things have been narrated to us from your forefathers, peace be on them, about the occultation and its correctness. Please inform me for whom will it occur?’
He responded, ‘The occultation will occur for my sixth descendant. He is the twelfth of the guiding Imams after the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family. The first of them is Amīr al-Mu’minīn `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib and the last of them is the one who will rise with the truth. He is the remnant of Allah (baqiyyat Allah) on earth and the master of time #7778;āḥib al-Zamān). By Allah! If he remains occult for the period that Noah remained amongst his people [or on earth], he will not pass away until he appears. He will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness.’”
Al-Sayyid says, “When I heard this from my master, al-Ṣādiq Ja`far b. Muḥammad, peace be on him, I repented to Allah, High be His Remembrance, at his hands and wrote a poem which starts like this:
When I saw the people being deviated in religion
By Allah’s [mercy] I followed [Imam] Ja`far, amongst those who were his followers2
The traditions with the following numbers also show the aforementioned concept: 235, 242–308, 558–571, 608, 612, 641, 786–807, 859, 973, 1216, and 1230.
Note:
1. Kamāl al-dīn, vol. 1, pp. 33–34 (Author’s preface); Bishārat al-Muṣṭafā, p. 278, no. 10, and in it is an evident mistake; Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 51, chap. 6, p. 145, no. 16.
2. Refer to Kamāl al-dīn, Bishārat al-Mustafa, or al-Ghadīr, vol. 2, p. 246, for the entire poem.
The traditions that indicate he is from the descendants #7779;ulb) of Imam Abū Ibrāhīm Mūsā b. Ja`far, peace be on him
Comprised of 121 traditions
548. Ghaybat al-Shaykh1: Imam Abū `Abd-Allah al-Ṣādiq, peace be on him, said in a lengthy tradition: Our master #7779;āḥib) who is from the descendants #7779;ulb) of this boy—and he pointed towards Mūsā b. Ja`far, peace be on them both—will appear and will fill [the earth] with justice just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness. He will take over the world.
The traditions with the following numbers also show the aforementioned concept: 113, 242–308, 550–571, 608, 612, 641, 770, 786–807, 859, 973, 1216, and 1230.
Note:
1. Ghaybat al-Shaykh, p. 42, no. 23; Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 49, chap. 2, p. 26, no. 44; Ithbāt al-hudāt, vol. 3, chap. 24, p. 241, no. 53.
The traditions that indicate he is the fifth descendant of the seventh Imam, Mūsā b. Ja`far, peace be on him
Comprised of 115 traditions
549. Al-Kāfī1: `Alī b. Muḥammad, from al-Ḥasan b. `Īsā b. Muḥammad b. `Alī b. Ja`far, from his father, from his grandfather, from `Alī b. Ja`far, from his brother (Imam) Mūsā b. Ja`far, peace be on him, who said: When the fifth from the descendants of the seventh disappears, fear Allah, fear Allah, concerning your religion. [Take care] that no one takes it away from you. O my son2! Inevitably, the master of this affair will have an occultation to the extent that even those who believed in this affair will no longer believe in it. Indeed, it is a test from Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, by which He will test His creation. Had your fathers and ancestors known a religion more correct than this, they would have certainly followed it.
I asked, “Who is the fifth from the descendants of the seventh?” He replied, ‘O my son! Your intellects (uqūl) become small regarding this and you will not be able to bear it. But if you live [to see him], you will find him soon enough.”
550. Kamāl al-dīn3: Narrated to us al-Ḥusayn b. Aḥmad b. Idrīs, may Allah be satisfied with him, from his father, from Ayyūb b. Nūḥ, from Muḥammad b. Sinān, from Ṣafwān b. Mihrān, from (Imam) al-Ṣādiq Ja`far b. Muḥammad, peace be on him, who said: “He who believes in all the Imams but denies the Mahdī is like he who believes in all the prophets but denies the prophethood of Muḥammad, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family.” He was asked, “O Son of the Messenger of Allah! Who is the Mahdī from your descendants?” He replied, “The fifth from the descendants of the seventh. His body will be hidden from you and will not have permission to say his name.”
He has recorded the same tradition from al-Ḥusayn b. Aḥmad in another chapter.
He has narrated the same from `Alī b. Aḥmad b. Muḥammad al-Daqqāq, from Muḥammad b. Abī `Abd-Allah al-Kūfī, from Sahl b. Ziyād al-Ādamī, from al-Ḥasan b. Maḥbūb, from `Abd al-`Azīz al-`Abdī, from `Abd-Allah b. Abī Ya`fūr, from (Imam) al-Ṣādiq, peace be on him, but with the difference: “‘Whoever acknowledges all the Imams from my forefathers and my descendants but denies the Mahdī from my descendants, is like the one who believes in all the prophets but denies the prophethood of Muḥammad, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his family.’ I asked, ‘My master! who is the Mahdī?’ . . . (to the end of the tradition).”
He has also recorded it from `Alī b. Aḥmad b. Muḥammad through his chain of narrators from ibn Abī Ya`fūr.
551. Kamāl al-dīn4: Narrated to us Aḥmad b. Ziyād b. Ja`far al-Hamdānī, may Allah be satisfied with him, from `Alī b. Ibrāhīm b. Hāshim, from his father, from Ṣāliḥ b. al-Sindī, from Yūnus b. `Abd al-Raḥmān who narrates: I went to Imam Mūsā b. Ja`far, peace be on him, and asked, “O son of Allah’s Messenger! Are you the one who will rise with the truth (al-qā’im bi-lḥaq)?” He replied, “I am the riser with the truth (al-qā’im bi-lḥaq) but the Qā’im who will purify the earth from the enemies of Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, and fill it with justice just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness is the fifth from my descendants. He will have an occultation that will be prolonged because of fear for his life. During this period [of occultation], some people will apostate from religion while others will remain steadfast.”
He continued, “Salvation is for our followers; those who grasp our rope during the occultation of our Qā’im; those who are steadfast in loving us and dissociating from our enemies. They are from us and we are from them. They are satisfied with us as [their] Imams and we are satisfied with them as our Shias. Salvation is for them, salvation is for them. By Allah, they will be with us in our degree on the Day of Judgment.”
552. Muqtaḍab al-athar5: Muḥammad b. Ja`far al-Ādamī, from his own handwriting—and ibn Ghālib al-Ḥāfiẓ has praised him—from Aḥmad b. `Ubaid b. Nāṣiḥ, from al-Ḥusayn b. `Ulwān al-Kalbī, from Hammām b. al-Ḥarth, from Wahb b. Munabba, who said: Moses—in the night of Divine Conversation (laylat al-khiṭāb)—looked at all the trees at Ṭūr, while each and every stone and plant was speaking about the Prophet Muḥammad, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his family, and the twelve heirs (waṣīs) after him. Moses said, “My Lord! I do not see any creature that you have created but that it is speaking about Prophet Muḥammad, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, and his twelve heirs (waṣī). What is their position before You?”
He replied, “O son of `Imrān! I created them before the creation of the lights. I placed them in My Store of Sanctity (khazānat qudsī), whilst they enjoy the gardens of My Will (yarta`ūna fī riyaḍi mashī’atī) and inhale the fragrance of My Greatness (yatanassamūna rūḥ jabarūtī) and witness the realms of my kingdom, until I desired with My Will to implement My decree and destiny (qadā’ī wa qadarī). O son of `Imrān! . . . I have decorated My Heavens with them. O son of `Imrān! Fasten to their remembrance because surely, they are the store of My Knowledge, the chest of My Wisdom, and the mine of My Light.”
Al-Ḥusayn b. `Ulwān says, “I mentioned this (narration) to (Imam) Ja`far b. Muḥammad, peace be on him, who said, ‘It is the truth. They are twelve from the family of Muḥammad, Allah\'s blessings be on him and his family: `Alī, al-Ḥasan, al-Ḥusayn, `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, Muḥammad b. `Alī, and whoever Allah wills.’ I said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you! I am asking you so that you may make the truth clear for me.’ He replied, ‘[After them], myself, then followed by this son of mine—and he pointed towards his son Mūsā—the fifth from his descendants will be hidden and it will not be permitted to mention him by his name.’”
553. Kamāl al-dīn6: Narrated to us `Alī b. Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. `Imrān, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Muḥammad b. Abī `Abd-Allah al-Kūfī, from Mūsā b. `Imrān al-Nakha`ī, from his paternal uncle al-Ḥusayn b. Yazīd al-Naufalī, from al-Ḥasan b. `Alī b. Abī Ḥamza, from his father, from Abū Baṣīr, who heard [Imam] Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, say: “The customs of the prophets (sunan al-anbiyā) by which they went into occultation, will exactly occur for the Qā’im from us Ahl al-Bait.”
Abū Baṣīr says: “I asked, ‘O son Allah’s Messenger! Who is the Qā’im from you Ahl al-Bait?” He replied, ‘O Abū Baṣīr! He is the fifth from the descendant of my son Mūsā. He is the son of the Master of the Maids. He will have an occultation in which the people of falsehood will become skeptical. Then, Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, will make him appear and Allah will conquer by his hand the Easts and the Wests. The Spirit of Allah, Jesus son of Mary, will descend and pray behind him. The earth will be illuminated with the light of its Lord. There will not remain a single spot on earth where anyone other than Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, had been worshipped except that Allah will be worshipped there. The religion, in its entirety, will be only for Allah even if the polytheists detest it.’”
The traditions with the following numbers also show the aforementioned concept: 242–308, 558–571, 608, 612, 786–807, 859, 973, 1216, and 1230.
Notes:
1. Al-Kāfī, vol. 1, chap. 138, p. 336, no. 2; Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī, chap. 10, p. 154, no. 11; Kamāl al-dīn, vol. 2, chap. 34, pp. 359–360, no. 1; `Ilal al-sharā’i`, pp. 166–167, no. 128; Ghaybat al-Shaykh, p. 104, Kifāyat al-athar, chap. 35, pp. 268–269, no. 1; Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 51, chap. 7, p. 150, no. 1; Ithbāt al-hudāt, vol. 3, chap. 32, p. 476, no. 164; I`lām al-warā, chap. 2, sect. 1; Bishārat al-Islām, chap. 8, pp. 149–150, no. 1; Ithbāt al-waṣiyya, p. 205.
2. Apparently, ‘son’ is used by the Imam to refer to all those people who were present there—Ed.
3. Kamāl al-dīn, vol. 2, chap. 33, p. 333, no. 1; chap. 33, p. 338, no. 12; chap. 39, pp. 410–411,no. 4; and chap. 39, p. 411, no. 5; I`lām al-warā, chap. 2, sect. 2; Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 51, chap. 6, p. 145, no. 10; Ithbāt al-hudāt, vol. 3, chap. 32, pp. 469–470, no. 138.
4. Kamāl al-dīn, vol. 2, chap. 34, p. 361, no. 5; Kifāyat al-athar, chap. 35, pp. 269–270, no. 2; I`lām al-warā, chap. 2, sect. 2; Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 51, chap. 7, p. 151, no. 6, with the difference that it says, “grasp our love” instead of “grasp our rope”; Ithbāt al-hudāt, vol. 3, chap. 32, p. 477, sect. 5, no. 168.
5. Muqtaḍab al-athar, p. 41, no. 24; Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 51, chap. 26, p. 149, no. 24; Ithbāt al-hudāt, vol. 1, chap. 9, p. 712, sect. 18, no. 161.
I say: We have not mentioned this tradition because Wahb has narrated it, rather, we have relied on it because it has been confirmed by Imam al-Ṣādiq, peace be on him.
6. Kamāl al-dīn, vol. 2, chap. 33, pp. 345–346, no. 31; Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 51, chap. 6, p. 146, no. 14, with a slight difference; Ithbāt al-hudāt, vol. 3, chap. 32, p. 473, sect. 5, no. 152, with a slight difference.
The traditions that indicate he is the fourth descendant of Imam Abū l-Ḥasan `Alī b. Mūsā al-Riḍā, peace be on him
Comprised of 111 traditions
554. Kamāl al-dīn1: Narrated to us Aḥmad b. Ziyād b. Ja`far al-Hamdānī, may Allah be satisfied with him, from `Alī b. Ibrāhīm b. Hāshim, from `Alī b. Ma`bad, from al-Ḥusayn b. Khālid, that (Imam) `Alī b. Mūsā al-Riḍā, peace be on him, said: “He who does not restrain from sins (man lā wara`a lahū), has no religion. He who does not practice dissimulation (al-taqiyya) does not have faith. Surely, the most honorable of you before Allah is the one who practices dissimulation (taqiyya) the most.”
He was asked, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! Until when [should one practice dissimulation]?” He replied, “Until the appointed time and that is the day of the emergence of the Qā’im from us Ahl al-Bait. Whoever abandons dissimulation before the emergence of our Qā’im is not from us.” He was asked, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! Who is the Qā’im from you Ahl al-Bait?” He answered: “The fourth from my descendants; the son of the Master of the Maids. Through him, Allah will purify the earth from every injustice and sanctify it from all unfairness. He is the one about whose birth people will have doubts. He will have an occultation before his appearance. When he reappears, the earth will radiate with his light [or with the light of its Lord] and the scales of justice will be set up amongst the people.
Then no one will oppress another. He is the one whom the earth will be in his possession (yuṭwī lahū al-arḍ). He will not have a shadow. He is the one for whom an announcer will call out from the skies—that will be heard by all the inhabitants of the earth—‘Know that Allah’s Proof #7717;ujjat Allah) has reappeared at the House of Allah, so follow him because truth is with him and in him.’ This is [the meaning of] the saying of Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, ‘If We want, We will send upon them a sign from the sky, then their necks will bend before it in humility.’2”
555. Kamāl al-dīn3: Narrated to us Aḥmad b. Ziyād Ja`far al-Hamdānī, may Allah be satisfied with him, from `Alī b. Ibrāhīm, from his father, from al-Rayyān b. al-Ṣalt who said: I asked (Imam) al-Riḍā, peace be on him, “Are you the master #7779;āḥib) of this affair?” He replied, “I am the master of this affair but I am certainly not the one who will fill it [i.e. the earth] with justice just as it will be filled with injustice. How can I be he while you are seeing the weakness of my body and the Qā’im is the one who reappears and he will be old in age but young in appearance. His body will be so strong that if he stretches his hand towards the greatest tree on earth, he will uproot it and if he shouts between the mountains, their boulders will fall down. He will have with him the staff of Moses and the ring of Solomon. He is the fourth from my descendants. Allah will hide him in His veils as long as He wishes. Then, He will make him appear and [through him] he will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness.”
556. Kamāl al-dīn4: Narrated to us Aḥmad b. Ziyād b. Ja`far al-Hamdānī, may Allah be satisfied with him, from `Alī b. Ibrāhīm, from his father, from `Abd al-Salām b. Ṣāliḥ al-Harawī, from Di`bil b. `Alī al-Khuzā`ī who said: I recited the poem I had composed for my master, (Imam) `Alī b. Mūsā al-Riḍā, peace be on him, which starts with the following line:
The schools for learning [Quranic] verses have become empty of recitations
The places of revelation have been abandoned
When I reached to the following section:
The reappearance of an Imam is inevitable
He will rise in the Name of Allah and with His blessings
He will separate for us the truth from the falsehood
And he will reward as well as punish
(Imam) al-Riḍā, peace be on him, started crying violently, then raised his head towards me and said, “O Khuzā`ī! The Holy Spirit (Rūḥ al-Qudus) spoke these two lines through your tongue. Do you know who this Imam is and when he will rise?” I replied, “No, my master, but I have heard of the emergence of an Imam from amongst you who will purify the earth from corruption and fill it with justice [just as it will be filled with injustice].”
He answered, “O Di`bil! The Imam after me is my son Muḥammad, after Muḥammad, his son `Alī, after `Alī his son al-Ḥasan, and after al-Ḥasan, his son al-Ḥujjat al-Qā’im. He is the awaited one during his occultation and the obeyed one when he appears. If only one day remains from the [end of the] world, Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, will prolong that day until he emerges and fills it with justice, just as it will be filled with injustice. As for the [question of] when?
Then, [answering this question] is determining the time [of his question]. My father has narrated to me from his father, from his forefathers, peace be on them, that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, was asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah! When will the Qā’im from your seed (al-dhurriya) emerge?’ He replied, ‘His example is like that of the Hour [i.e. Judgment day] about which [the Holy Quran says], “No one can reveal its time except Him. It is heavy in the skies and the earth. It will not come to you but suddenly.” 5’”
The traditions with the following numbers also show the aforementioned concept: 242–308, 558–571, 608, 641, 786–807, 859, 973, and 1230
Notes:
1. Kamāl al-dīn, vol. 2, chap. 35, pp. 371–372, no. 5; Kifāyat al-athar, chap. 36, pp. 274–275, no. 1; Farā’id al-simṭain, chap. 61, pp. 336–337, no. 590; Yanābī`’ al-mawadda, chap. 78, p. 448, and chap. 94, p. 489; Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 52, chap. 28, pp. 322–325, no. 29; Ithbāt al-hudāt, vol. 3, chap. 32, pp. 477–478, sect. 5, no. 172; I`lām al-warā, chap. 2, sect. 2.
2. Quran 26:4.
3. Kamāl al-dīn, vol. 2, chap. 35, p. 376, no. 7; I`lām al-warā, chap. 2, sect. 2; Kashf al-ghumma, vol. 2, p. 542, with the difference that he has added this to its end: “As if I am seeing them while they are extremely hopeless. Then, a call will be heard which will be heard from far like it is heard from near. It will be a mercy for the worlds and a punishment for the unbelievers.” Apparently, this is a part of another tradition altogether— that being the third tradition from the aforementioned chapter of Kamāl al-dīn; Ithbāt al-hudāt, vol. 3, chap. 32, p. 478, no. 173.
4. Kamāl al-dīn, vol. 2, chap. 35, pp. 372–373, no. 6; Kifāyat al-athar, chap. 36, pp. 275–277, no. 2; Farā’id al-simṭain, vol. 2, pp. 337–338, no. 191; al-Itḥāf bi ḥubb al-ashrāf, chap. 5, p. 62; Yanābī`’ al-mawadda, chap. 80, p. 454; `Uyūn akhbār al-Riḍā, vol. 2, pp. 269–270, no. 35; I`lām al-warā, chap. 7, sect. 4; Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 51, chap. 8, p. 154, no. 4.
5. Quran 7:187.
The traditions that indicate he is from the descendants of Imam Muḥammad b. `Alī, al-Riḍā, peace be on him
Comprised of 109 traditions
557. Kamāl al-dīn1: Narrated to us Aḥmad b. Mūsā al-Daqqāq, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Muḥammad b. Hārūn al-Ṣūfī, from Abū Turāb `Abd-Allah b. Mūsā al-Rūyānī, from `Abd al-`Aẓīm b. `Abd-Allah b. `Alī b. al-Ḥasan b. Zaid b. al-Ḥasan b. `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, who said: I went to see my master (Imam) Muḥammad b. `Alī b. Mūsā b. Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, peace be upon them, with the intention of asking him about the Qā’im [and to see] if he is the Mahdī or not? He initiated the conversation [before I asked the question] and said, “O Abū l-Qāsim! Surely the Qā’im from us is the Mahdī who must be awaited during his occultation and obeyed when he reappears.
He is my third descendant. I swear by the One Who sent Muḥammad with prophethood and distinguished us with leadership (imāma), if nothing remains from this world except one day, Allah will certainly prolong that day until he emerges in it and fills the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness. Surely Allah, Blessed and High be He, will set right his affairs in one night just as He set right the affairs of Moses—the one he spoke with (kalīmuhū)—when he went to bring fire for his family but returned while he was a Prophet.” Then he said, “The best deed of our Shias is to wait for relief (intiẓār al-faraj).”
The traditions with the following numbers also show the aforementioned concept: 242–308, 558–571, 608, 641, 786–807, 859, 973, and 1230.
Note:
1. Kamāl al-dīn, vol. 2, p. 377, no. 1; Kifāyat al-athar, chap. 37, pp. 280–281, no. 1; I`lām al-warā, sect. 2, chap. 2; Ithbāt al-hudāt, vol. 3, chap. 27, sect. 2, p. 386, no. 19; Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 51, chap. 9, p. 156, no. 1.
The traditions that indicate he is from the descendants of Imam Abū l-Ḥasan `Alī b. Muḥammad b. `Alī b. Mūsā al-Riḍā, peace be on him
Comprised of 107 traditions
558. Kamāl al-dīn1: Narrated to us Aḥmad b. Ziyād Ja`far al-Hamdānī, may Allah be satisfied with him, from `Alī b. Ibrāhīm, from `Abd-Allah b. Aḥmad al-Mauṣilī, from al-Ṣaqr b. Abī Dulaf, from (Imam) `Alī b. Muḥammad b. `Alī al-Riḍā, peace be on him, who said: “The Imam after me is al-Ḥasan, my son, and after al-Ḥasan will be his son, the Qā’im, who will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness.”
559. Kamāl al-dīn2: Narrated to us `Abd al-Wāḥid b. Muḥammad b. al-`Abdūs al-`Aṭṭār, may Allah be satisfied with him, from `Alī b. Muḥammad b. Qutayba al-Nīsābūrī, from Ḥamdān b. Sulaimān, from al-Ṣaqr b. Abū Dulaf, who said: I heard (Imam) Abū Ja`far Muḥammad b. `Alī al-Riḍā, peace be on him, say, “The Imam after me is my son `Alī. His affair is my affair (amruhū amrī), his speech is my speech, and his obedience is my obedience. The Imam after him will be his son al-Ḥasan. His affair is the affair of his father, his speech is the speech of his father, and his obedience is the obedience of his father.”
Then, he became silent. I asked him, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! Who is the Imam after al-Ḥasan?” [On hearing this], he started weeping violently and said, “Verily, after al-Ḥasan will be his son who will rise with the truth; the awaited one (al-muntaẓar).” I asked, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! Why is he called the one who will rise (al-Qā’im)?” He answered, “Because he will rise after he is no longer remembered and after most of those who had believed in his Imamate will no longer believe in him.”
I enquired, “Why is he called the awaited one (al-muntaẓar)?” He replied, “Because he will be in an occultation which will continue for many days and long periods. The purified ones (al-mukhliṣūn) will wait for his reappearance, the skeptics will renounce him, and the deniers will make fun when he is mentioned. Those who determine the time [of his reappearance] will be liars, those who hasten concerning his reappearance will perish, and only those who submit will be saved.”
The traditions with the following numbers also show the aforementioned concept: 242–308, 558–571, 608, 641, 786–807, 859, and 1230.
Notes:
1. Kamāl al-dīn, vol. 2, chap. 37, p. 383, no. 10; Kifāyat al-athar, chap. 38, pp. 292, no. 4; I`lām al-warā, chap. 2, sect. 2; Ithbāt al-hudāt, vol. 3, chap. 30, sect. 1, p. 394, no. 17; Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 50, sect. 2, p. 239, no. 4.
2. Kamāl al-dīn, vol. 2, chap. 36, p. 378, no. 3; Kifāyat al-athar, chap. 37, pp. 283–284, no. 3; I`lām al-warā, chap. 2, sect. 2,; Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 51, chap. 2, p. 30, no. 4.
The traditions that indicate he is the Successor of the Successor of (Imam) Abū l-Ḥasan and the son of (Imam) Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan, peace be on them
Comprised of 107 traditions
560. Al-Kāfī1: `Alī b. Muḥammad, from the one whom he mentioned, from Muḥammad b. Aḥmad al-`Alawī, from Dāwūd b. al-Qāsim who said: I heard Imam Abū l-Ḥasan, peace be on him, say, “My successor will be al-Ḥasan. What will be your condition regarding the successor of my successor?” I enquired, “May I be sacrificed for you! Why?” He replied, “Because you cannot see him and you are not allowed to mention his name.” I asked again, “Then how will we mention him?” He replied, “Say: The proof from the family of Muḥammad (al-ḥujja min āl Muḥammad), peace be on them.”
561. Kamāl al-dīn2: Narrated to us Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-`Aṭṭār, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Sa`d b. `Abd-Allah, from Mūsā b. Ja`far b. Wahb al-Baghdadi, from (Imam) Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan b. `Alī, peace be on him, who said: [I am seeing the time] that you are disputing about my successor after me. Surely, the one who acknowledges the Imams after the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, but denies my son, is like he who acknowledges all the Prophets of Allah and His Messengers but denies the prophethood of the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his family.
He who denies the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, is like he who denies all the Prophets of Allah; because the obedience of the last of us is like the obedience of the first of us and the denier of the last of us is like the denier of the first of us. My son will surely have an occultation in which the people will become doubtful except the ones whom Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, has protected.
562. Kamāl al-dīn3: Narrated to us Muḥammad b. Ibrāhīm b. Isḥāq, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Abū `Alī b. Hammām, from Muḥammad b. Uthmān al-`Amrī, may Allah sanctify his soul, from his father who said: Imam Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan b. `Alī, peace be on him, was questioned—while I was there—about a tradition narrated from his forefathers, peace be on them, that: The earth cannot be empty of Allah’s Proof #7717;ujja) upon His creatures until the Day of Judgment and that he who dies without knowing the Imam of his time, has died the death of ignorance (al-jāhiliyya). The (Imam) replied, “Surely, this tradition is true just as daylight which is true.”
He was asked, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! Who is the Proof and Imam after you?” He replied, “My son Muḥammad. He is the Imam and the Proof after me. Whoever dies without knowing him, will die the death of ignorance. Know that he will have an occultation in which the ignorant will be baffled, the skeptics will perish, and those who determine the time of his appearance will be liars. Then, he will emerge; as if I am seeing white flags waving over his head in the city of Najaf, near Kūfa.”
563. Yanābī` al-mawadda4: In al-Manāqib from Wāthila b. al-Asqa` b. Qarkhāb, from Jābir b. `Abd-Allah al-Anṣārī (in a tradition wherein he has mentioned the coming of Jandal b. Junādat b. Jubair—the Jew—to the Messenger of Allah, and him believing in Allah and His Messenger and the questions he asked the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, and the answers he gave): Jandal said, “Last night, I dreamt of Moses, son of `Imrān, peace be on him, who said, ‘O Jandal! Accept Islam at the hands of Muḥammad, the seal of the prophets and fasten to the heirs after him.’ I said, ‘I accepted Islam, all praise is for Allah. I have accepted Islam and He has guided me through you.’” Jandal continued, “O Messenger of Allah! Inform me of the heirs after you so that I can fasten to them.” He replied, “My successors are twelve.”
Jandal said, “This is exactly what we saw in the Torah. O Messenger of Allah! Name them for me.” He said, “The first of them is `Alī who is the master of the heirs and the father of the Imams. Then, his two sons, al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn. Fasten to them and do not allow the ignorance of the ignorant to deceive you. When `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn—the Ornament of Worshippers (Zain al-`Ābidīn)—is born, Allah will bring your life to an end. Your last provision from this world will be some milk that you will drink.” Jandal replied, “We found in the Torah and in the books of the prophets, peace be upon them, (the names of) Īlīa, Shabbar, and Shabīr. These are the names of `Alī, al-Ḥasan, and al-Ḥusayn. Who are [the heirs] after al-Ḥusayn and what are their names?”
He said, “When the time of al-Ḥusayn comes to an end, the Imam will be his son `Alī. He will have the title Zain al-`Ābidīn. After him will be his son, Muḥammad, who will bear the title of al-Bāqir (the Splitter), followed by his son, al-Ja`far, who will be called al-Ṣādiq (the Truthful). He will be followed by his son Mūsā, who will be addressed as al-Kāẓim (the Restrainer of Anger). After him will be his son al-Riḍā (the Satisfied) followed by his son Muḥammad who will be called al-Taqī (the Pious) and al-Zakī (the Pure). After him will be his son `Alī who will bear the titles of al-Naqī and al-Hādī (the guide) followed by his son al-Ḥasan who will be called al-`Askarī.
Then, his son Muḥammad, who will be called al-Mahdī, al-Qā’im, and al-Ḥujja. He will go in occultation then he will emerge. When he emerges, he will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness. Salvation is for those who have patience during his occultation. Salvation is for those who are steadfast on their love. They are those whom Allah has described in His Book and said, ‘A guide for the pious; those who believe in the unseen.’5
He has also said, ‘They are the party of Allah; surely the party of Allah are the victorious.’6 Jandal said, “All praise is for Allah Who has made me successful in knowing them.” [Jandal] lived on until Imam `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn was born. He went to Ṭā’if where he fell ill. He drank some milk and said, “The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his family, informed me that my last provision in this world would be a drink of milk.” He then passed away and was buried at Ṭā’if in a place known as al-Kūzāra.
564. Kamāl al-dīn7: Narrated to us `Alī b. `Abd-Allah al-Warrāq, from Sa`d b. `Abd-Allah, from Aḥmad b. Isḥāq b. Sa`d al-Ash`arī who said: I went to see (Imam) Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan b. `Alī, peace be on him, with the intention of asking him about his successor. Before I could ask he said, “O Aḥmad b. Isḥāq! Surely Allah, Blessed and High be He, has not left the earth empty of His Proof upon His creatures ever since He created Adam, peace be on him, and [He will not leave it empty of a proof] until the Hour is established. Through him, He repels the calamities from the inhabitants of the earth, through him He causes the rains to fall, and through him He brings out the blessings of the earth.”
I asked him, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! Who is the Imam and the Caliph after you?” [On hearing this], the Imam stood up quickly and went inside the house. He returned, while on his shoulder was a boy whose face was [shining] like the full moon, and whose age was about three years. He said, “O Aḥmad b. Isḥāq! Was it not for your reverence before Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, and his proofs, I would not have shown my son to you. His name and epithet are the same as that of the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family. He is the one who will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness. His example in this nation is like that of Khiḍr, peace be on him; and his example is like that of Dhū l-Qarnain.
By Allah! He will certainly go in an occultation in which no one will be saved from destruction except for those whom Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, has made steadfast in the belief of his Imamate and made them successful in praying for the hastening of his relief (bi-ta`jīl farajih).” I asked, “O Master! Is there a sign by which my heart will be assured?” Suddenly the young boy spoke in fluent Arabic: “I am the remnant of Allah on His earth and the one who will take revenge on His enemies. Don’t seek further evidence after you have witnessed with your eyes, O Aḥmad b. Isḥāq.”
I came out happily and gleefully. The next day I returned to him and said, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! Indeed, I have become greatly joyful because of the great favor you bestowed upon me. What is the custom in him from Khiḍr and Dhū l-Qarnain?” He replied, “Prolonged occultation, O Aḥmad.” I asked, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! Will his occultation really be prolonged?”
He replied, “Yes, by my Lord! His occultation will be prolonged to such an extent that most of those who believe in this affair will reject it. No one will remain [on this affair] except those from whom Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, has taken the covenant of our Guardianship, written belief in their heart, and assisted them with a Spirit from Himself. O Aḥmad b. Isḥāq! This is an affair from the affairs of Allah, a secret from His secrets, and a concealed [news] from His concealed [news]. Take what I have given you and conceal it. Be grateful and tomorrow, you will be with us in the highest positions (`illīyīn).”
565. Tārīkh mawālīd Ahl al-Bait (by ibn al-Khashshāb)8: Narrated to us Ṣadaqat b. Mūsā, from his father, from (Imam) al-Riḍā, peace be on him, that, “The Righteous Successor (al-khalaf al-ṣāliḥ) is the son of Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan b. `Alī. He is the Master of the Time and he is the Mahdī.”
566. Al-Kāfī9: `Alī b. Muḥammad, from Muḥammad b. `Alī b. Bilāl: “A messenger from (Imam) Abū Muḥammad, peace be on him, came to me—two years before he passed away—to inform me about his successor after him; then, again, a messenger came to me three days before his death to inform me about his successor after him.”
567. Al-Kharā’ij10: `Alī b. Ibrāhīm b. Hāshim, from his father, from `Īsā b. Masīḥ who said: “(Imam) al-Ḥasan al-`Askarī, peace be on him, came to see us while we were imprisoned—and I was aware of his position [of Imamate]. He said to me, ‘You are sixty-five years one month and two days old.’ I had a prayer book with me in which my birth-date was recorded. I looked at it and it was exactly as he had said. He asked, ‘Do you have a son?’ I replied in the negative. He invoked Allah, ‘O Allah! Grant him a son who will be a support for him. How good a support is a son!’ Then, he recited:
Whoever has a support will achieve his rights
Humble is he who does not have any support
I asked, ‘Do you have a son?’ He replied, ‘Yes, by Allah! Soon I will have a son who will fill the earth with fairness and justice, but as of now, no.’
The traditions with the following numbers also show the aforementioned concept: 242–308, 558, 559, 568–571, 608, 641, 786–807, 859, and 1230.
Notes:
1. Al-Kāfī, vol. 1, chap. 133, p. 328, no. 13, and chap. 136, pp. 332–33, no. 1; Kamāl al-dīn, vol. 2, chap. 37, p. 381, no. 5. He said: “Narrated to us Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Sa`d b. `Abd-Allah, from Abū Ja`far Muḥammad b. Aḥmad al-`Alawī, from Abū Hāshim Dāwūd b. al-Qāsim al-Ja`farī, from Abū l-Ḥasan al-`Askarī, peace be on him, who said, ‘My successor after me will be my son al-Ḥasan . . . (to the end)’” with a minor difference; `Ilal al-sharā’i`, chap. 179, p. 254, no. 5; Ghaybat al-Shaykh, p. 202, no. 169, the same as Kamāl al-dīn; Kifāyat al-athar, chap. 38, pp. 288–289, no. 2; al-Irshād, p. 376; I`lām al-warā, chap. 2, sect. 2; Ithbāt al-hudāt, vol. 3, chap. 30, sect. 1, p. 393, no. 15; al-Ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm, vol. 2, chap. 10, p. 170, and chap. 11, sect. 3, p. 231; Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 50, chap. 2, p. 240, no. 5, and vol. 51, chap. 3, p. 31, no. 2, and chap. 9, pp. 158–159, no. 1; Ithbāt al-waṣiyya, p. 186; Taqrīb al-ma`ārif, pp. 184 & 192; Mir`āt al-`uqūl, vol. 3, p. 393; Rauḍat al-wā`iẓīn, p. 262; al-Wāfī, vol. 2, chap. 45, p. 403, no. 903-1; Mustadrak al-wasā’il, vol. 12, p. 281, no. 5; `Uyūn al-mu`jizāt, p. 141; Kashf al-ghumma, p. 406; al-Wasā’il, vol. 16, chap. 33, p. 239, no. 21458.
2. Kamāl al-dīn, vol. 2, chap. 38, p. 409, no. 8; Kifāyat al-athar, chap. 39, pp. 295–296, no. 5; Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 51, chap. 9, p. 160, no. 6; al-Ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm, vol. 2, chap. 11, sect. 2, p. 232; Ithbāt al-hudāt, vol. 3, chap. 32, p. 482, no. 188.
3. Kamāl al-dīn, vol. 2, chap. 38, p. 409, no. 9; Kifāyat al-athar, chap. 39, p. 296, no. 6; Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 51, chap. 9, p. 160, no. 7; al-Ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm, vol. 2, chap. 11, sect. 2, p. 232; Ithbāt al-hudāt, vol. 3, chap. 32, p. 482, no. 189.
4. Yanābī`’ al-mawadda, chap. 76, pp. 442–443. Ibn Qarkhāb which has been mentioned in it is probably incorrect and was originally Abū Qarṣāfa which is the epithet of Wāthila; Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 36, chap. 41, pp. 304–306, no. 144; Kifāyat al-athar, chap. 7, pp. 56–61, no. 2.
I say: In the copy of Kifāyat al-athar that is available to us, there are some parts missing in the tradition although they don’t affect the overall concept. Al-Majlisī has explained it as a mistake made by the scribe. This justification does not seem appropriate because the version in Yanābī` does not have this problem.
Tabyīn al-maḥajja ilā ta`yīn al-Ḥujja, pp. 261–264; In al-Maḥajja, he has recorded a part under the tradition on p. 17, but he has narrated it from ibn Bābawayh. I could not find it in any of ibn Bābawayh’s books that are available to us. Maybe, he had thought that Kifāyat al-athar was authored by al-Ṣadūq.
There is an error in Yanābī` regarding the verse, “They are the party of Allah, know that surely the party of Allah are the successful ones.” It has been recorded correctly in Kifāyat al-athar—which is one of the primary references of this tradition that is available to us—and also in Biḥār al-anwār and other sources. Thus, the tradition should be corrected in accordance with these sources. In Kifāyat al-athar, Biḥār al-anwār, and all other books that we referred to except Yanābī`, it has been recorded as Jundab (not Jandal) b. Junāda who was a Jew from Khaibar. Also in al-Kifāya and the other books— except al-Yanābī`—it has been explicitly mentioned that it is prohibited to say his name: “Then, their Imam will become concealed from them. He asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah! Is he al-Ḥasan?’ He replied, ‘No, it is his son, al-Ḥujja.’ He questioned, ‘O Messenger of Allah! What is his name?’ He answered, ‘His name should not be mentioned until Allah makes him appear . . .” It also has other additions.
5. Quran 2:4-5.
6. Quran 5:56.
7. Kamāl al-dīn, vol. 2, chap. 38, pp. 384–385, no. 1; Kashf al-ghumma, vol. 2, chap. 2, sect. 3, p. 526, no. 1; Yanābī` al-mawadda, chap. 81, p. 458; Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 52, chap. 18, pp. 23–24, no. 16; I`lām al-warā, chap. 2, sect. 3; al-Ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm, vol. 2, sect. 3, chap. 11, pp. 231–232; Ithbāt al-hudāt, vol. 3, chap. 32, pp. 479–480, no. 180.
8. Kashf al-ghumma, vol. 2, p. 475; Yanābī` al-mawadda, p. 491, chap. 94.
9. Al-Kāfī, vol. 1, chap. 134, p. 328, no. 1; al-Wāfī, vol. 2, chap. 42, pp. 391–392, no. 880–1; Mir`āt al-`uqūl, vol. 4, chap. 134, p. 1, no. 1; al-Irshād, p. 375; I`lām al-warā, chap. 2, sect. 3.
10. Al-Kharā’ij, chap. 13, p. 72, no. 17; Kashf al-ghumma, vol. 2, p. 503; Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 50, chap. 37, pp. 275–276, no. 48, and vol. 51, chap. 10, p. 162, no. 15; Wasā’il al-Shī`a, vol. 21, chap. 3, pp. 360–361, no. 27302; Ithbāt al-hudāt, vol. 2, chap. 31, p. 422, no. 78. In all references except Kashf al-ghumma, ‘`Īsā b. Ṣabīḥ’ has been recorded instead of ‘`Īsā b. Masīḥ’. In Kashf al-ghumma, ‘`Īsā b. Shaj’ has been used.
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