|
Issues of the Ghaybah of Imam al-Mahdi
By: Sayed Jamaluddin Hejazi
The disappearance of the Mahdi, ‘alaihi al-salam, is suggested in authentic Sunni ahadith, although the details are not given. A lot of them talk about his “coming out” during the end of time. For instance, Imam al-Hakim (d. 403 H) records this hadith: Abu al-‘Abbas Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Mahbubi – Sa’id b. Mas’ud – al-Nadhr b. Shumayl – Sulayman b. ‘Ubayd – Abu al-Siddiq al-Naji – Abu Sa’id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said, “The Mahdi will COME OUT at the end of my Ummah.1
Al-Hakim comments: This hadith has a sahih chain2
Imam al-Dhahabi (d. 748 H) agrees: Sahih3
“Coming out” means that he would have been concealed from public view until then. It must be noted that this same term has been used to describe what al-Masih ‘Isa b. Maryam, ‘alaihi al-salam, the Dajjal and the Yajuj and Majuj will do as well. Imam Muslim (d. 261 H) has this: Muhammad b. Bashar – Muhammad b. Ja’far – Shu’bah – al-Nu’man b. Salim – Ya’qub b. ‘Asim b. ‘Urwah b. Mas’ud – ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Amr: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “The Dajjal will COME OUT in my Ummah.”4
We all know that, according to sahih Sunni ahadith, the Dajjal was even alive during the lifetime of the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alaihi wa alihi! That means he has been breathing for more than a millennium, or perhaps even several. But, he has been hidden from public view by Allah. He will be freed eventually; and then, he will become visible to everyone. That will be his “coming out”.
We also read this riwayah of Imam Ahmad (d. 241 H): ‘Abd Allah (b. Ahmad) – my father (Ahmad b. Hanbal) – ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Mahdi – Sufyan – Furat – Abu al-Tufayl – Hudhayfah b. Usayd al-Ghiffari: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, came out to us from a room while we were discussing the Hour. Then, he said, “The Hour will not be established until you have seen ten signs: the appearance of the sun from its west, the smoke, the creature, the COMING OUT of Yajuj and Majuj, the COMING OUT of ‘Isa b. Maryam, the Dajjal....5
Shaykh Shu’ayb al-Arnauṭ says: Its chain is sahih6
The Yajuj and Majuj have been in existence for thousands of years, and are still alive. However, they are concealed from public view. When they “come out” – apparently from concealment, they will become visible to all human beings. The same is the case with Prophet ‘Isa. He has been alive in the heavens for more than 2000 years. So, none can see him today. But, when he “comes out” as well, he will descend from the heavens and will be seen by everyone.
The Mahdi too will “come out”. This raises a very strong possibility that he – like ‘Isa, the Dajjal, and Yajuj and Majuj – would first be alive for a very long period, but concealed from public view. When his coming out occurs, he will then become visible to all human beings. These facts are confirmed in authentic Shi’i riwayat, with the necessary details. Shaykh al-Saduq (d. 381 H) records: Muhammad b. Musa b. al-Mutawakil, may Allah be pleased with him – ‘Ali b. Ibrahim – his father – ‘Abd al-Salam b. Salih al-Harwi – Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali b. Musa al-Ridha – his father – his ancestors – ‘Ali, peace be upon him: The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “I swear by Him Who sent me with the truth as a bearer of glad tidings, the Qaim from my offspring will surely become concealed from public view on the basis of a covenant that has been entrusted to him from me, such that most of the people will say “Allah has no need for the family of Muhammad” and the others will doubt in his birth. Whosoever meets his time, let him adhere to his religion, and he should not allow Shayṭan to get to him with his doubt, thereby bringing him down from my path and expelling him from my religion, for he had expelled your father from the Paradise in the past. And Allah has made the devils (shayaṭin) leaders of those who do not believe.”7
Al-Haj Muhammad Zakariya says about it: Its chain is sahih.8
Verily, Allah and His Messenger speak the Truth! Today, we see Sunni brothers and sisters who claim that the Twelfth Imam is “useless”, and we see lots of them denying his birth! This clearly is one of the miracles of the Prophet. Al-Saduq again documents: Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Yahya al-‘Aṭṭar, may Allah be pleased with him - my father – Ibrahim b. Hashim – Muhammad b. Abi ‘Umayr – Safwan b. Mahran al-Jamal: Al-Sadiq Ja’far b. Muhammad, peace be upon them both, said: “I swear by Allah, your Mahdi will become hidden from you, such that the ignorant one among you will say, “Allah has no need for the family of Muhammad.” Then, he will appear like the piercing star. He will fill it with justice and equity just as it had been filled with aggression and injustice.”9
Al-Haj Muhammad Zakariya again comments: Its chain is reliable.10
Therefore, it is authentically established. The Awaited Mahdi would disappear from public view and would later “come out” of the concealment to liberate the earth from aggression and injustice. The truth of this matter is further strengthened by the fact that several different sects declared ghaybahs for their self-chosen “Mahdis”, long before the advent of the Twelfth Imam. In fact, there was a group which declared Imam ‘Ali, ‘alaihi al-salam, as the Mahdi and described his death as his “ghaybah”! That was less than four decades after the death of the Messenger of Allah. Obviously, these various sects must have learnt that the true Mahdi would go into occultation for a period from the authentic riwayat. However, they applied the right ahadith to the wrong persons, and thereby lost their ways.
But then, why would he need to hide from public view in the first place? After all, he is the Imam. Is he not supposed to be visible and accessible to his followers across the world? What exactly is the benefit of his concealment from the rest?
First and foremost, it must be noted that any human being – in ordinary circumstances – can be killed, including even prophets and messengers: That was because they used to disbelieve in the ayat of Allah, and also used to kill the prophets wrongfully.11
And: Is it that whenever there came to you a messenger with what your souls did not desire, you grew arrogant? Some, you called liars and some, you killed.12
And: Say: “Verily, there came to you messengers before me, with clear signs and even with what you speak of. Why then did you kill them, if you are truthful?”13
Therefore, the threat to the life of anyone sent by Allah is real and serious.
Moreover, it is permissible for a prophet, messenger or Imam – in certain circumstances - to flee or hide for his life from his enemies and opponents.
And when those who disbelieve plotted against you (O Muhammad) to imprison you, or to kill you, or to drive you out. They plot, but Allah (too) plots (against them); and Allah is the Best of plotters.14
This was what forced Prophet Muhammad to flee Makkah, on the Order of his Lord. He was in grave danger and his defences were weak. During his flight to al-Madinah, his enemies still tracked him on the way to “take him out”. Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir (d. 774 H) gives some further details: During the year of the Hijrah, the pagans tried to kill, imprison or expel him (i.e the Prophet). So, he ESCAPED with his friend and companion, Abu Bakr b. Abi Quhafah, to the Thawr Cave. They remained in there for THREE DAYS. So the scouts who were sent in their pursuit returned, and they proceeded to Madinah.15
Here, the Messenger fled from his murderous enemies, and hid in a cave for three days in order to preserve his life. If the scouts in pursuit of his life had not left on the third day, he would have remained there for much longer. He was hiding in the cave for days while his followers in Madinah had no guide to lead them16. This was his own ghaybah, his disappearance from public view, due to dire security concerns. It was short, and could have been longer. Yet, its significance is heavy, especially in any discourse on Imam al-Mahdi.
There are circumstances when fleeing is forbidden, especially during a field battle between Muslims and their religious enemies17. This was not one of such18. Meanwhile, the case of ‘Isa b. Maryam, ‘alaihi al-salam, is even more serious than that of Muhammad. The Masih’s life got into a true danger of imminent execution. Allah intervened on his behalf, and took him into the heavens to save him19. Our Lord has certain future plans for ‘Isa during the kingdom of the Mahdi. If he was killed – unless a raj’ah by him occurred – the plan would capsize, and Allah is above failure20. That is his own ghaybah too. His true followers were suddenly left without a prophet or messenger!21 By the logic of our brothers from the Ahl al-Sunnah, he has been “useless” for thousands of years.
Interestingly, even in our times, the life of the Masih is still not safe at all. If he came today and expressed ideas that agreed with the ‘aqidah of any particular sect, the other Muslims would call him an impostor and would have him executed or assassinated as soon as they could. For instance, imagine Prophet ‘Isa telling the Ummah: “The offspring of Muhammad, his Ahl al-Bayt, are his only genuine khalifahs, alongside the Book of Allah”. Despite the presence of this fact in several sahih Sunni ahadith, most Sunnis would instinctively oppose him, and the extremists amongst them would immediately call for his head. He could even be targeted repeatedly with sniper fire and car bombs, by none other than Muslims!
Meanwhile, it definitely goes without saying that the Mahdi too is in exactly the same, or perhaps an even worse, situation. If he “came out” today, and said things that undermined the legitimacy of certain Muslim sects, he would be rejected instantly by a lot and his life could be terminated violently in no time. The armed drones, warplanes and guided missiles of the powerful Western and Eastern nations, blocs and alliances are also there, to bomb, or perhaps “nuke”, him at the slightest opportunity. He will overthrow all juntas, regimes, kingdoms, administrations, and governments all over the earth, and will establish a unified worldwide Kingdom of Allah. Apparently, he will be fiercely targeted by all! This is why the Twelfth Imam has gone into hiding; and this is why he still remains invisible.
‘Allamah al-Majlisi (d. 1111 H) copies: Ikmal al-Din: Majiluyah – his uncle – al-Barqi – Ayub b. Nuh – Safwan – Ibn Bukayr – Zurarah: Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, said: “The boy will have a disappearance (ghaybah) before his rise.” I said, “And for what reason?” He said, “He will fear his being slaughtered.”22
The hadith has a mu’tabar (reliable) chain, according to Ayatullah al-Muhsini.23 Here, the Twelfth Imam is referred to as “the boy” by his sixth ancestor. This reveals that the Imam was predicted to become invisible very early, as a child. Moreover, his disappearance is of two stages. This is why it is sometimes also called the two ghaybahs. However, there was no time, since he first disappeared, that he was ever visible to the general public.
Al-Majlisi again records: Ikmal al-Din: al-‘Aṭṭar – Sa’d – Ibn ‘Isa – Khalid b. Najih – Zurarah: I heard Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, saying: “Verily, there shall be a disappearance for the Qaim before he rises.” I said, “And for what reason?” He said, “He will fear” and he gestured with his hand towards his stomach.24
Then, he cited six other chains for this hadith25, and Ayatullah al-Muhsini declares its sanad to be mu’tabar (reliable).26 This one probably refers to poisoning. The Imam would be killed violently or could get poisoned if he appeared before the right time.
Shaykh al-Kulayni (d. 329 H) too reports: And with this chain – Ahmad b. Muhammad – his father, Muhammad b. ‘Isa – Ibn Bukayr – Zurarah: I heard Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, saying: “Verily, there shall be a disappearance for the Qaim before he rises. He will fear” - and he gestured with his hand towards his stomach – meaning (he will fear) being killed.27
Al-Majlisi comments: Muwaththaq ka al-Sahih28
But then, will there ever be the right time? Will his life ever be safe? Moreover, will he ever be able to take on all the world superpowers at a time, or even at different times, to topple them and establish the divine kingdom on their lands? We will address these queries soon in the chapter on how the Mahdi will conquer the world.
1. Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad b. ‘Abd Allah al-Hakim al-Naysaburi, al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-’Ilmiyyah; 1st edition, 1411 H) [annotator: Mustafa ‘Abd al-Qadir ‘Aṭa], vol. 4, p. 601, # 8673
2. Ibid
3. Ibid
4. Abu al-Husayn Muslim b. al-Hajjaj al-Qushayri al-Naysaburi, Sahih Muslim (Beirut: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-‘Arabi) [annotator: Muhammad Fuad ‘Abd al-Baqi], vol. 4, p. 2258, # 2940 (117)
5. Abu ‘Abd Allah Ahmad b. Hanbal al-Shaybani, Musnad (Cairo: Muasassat Qurṭubah) [annotator: Shu’ayb al-Arnauṭ], vol. 4, p. 7, # 16189
6. Ibid
7. Abu Ja’far Muhammad b. ‘Ali b. al-Husayn b. Babuyah al-Qummi, Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni’mah (Qum: Muasassat al-Nashr al-Islami li Jama’at al-Mudarisin; 1405 H) [annotator: ‘Ali Akbar al-Ghiffari], p. 51
8. Muhammad Zakariya, al-Sahih wa al-Mu’tabar min Akhbar al-Hujjah al-Muntazar (Majmu’at al-Rasid; 1st edition, 1434 H), p. 14, # 1
9. Abu Ja’far Muhammad b. ‘Ali b. al-Husayn b. Babuyah al-Qummi, Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni’mah (Qum: Muasassat al-Nashr al-Islami li Jama’at al-Mudarisin; 1405 H) [annotator: ‘Ali Akbar al-Ghiffari], pp. 341-342, Ch. 33, # 22
10. Muhammad Zakariya, al-Sahih wa al-Mu’tabar min Akhbar al-Hujjah al-Muntazar (Majmu’at al-Rasid; 1st edition, 1434 H), p. 15, # 2
11. Qur’an 2:61. See also 2:91, 3:21, 3:112, 3:181, and 4:155
12. Qur’an 2:87. See also 5:70
13. Qur’an 3:183
14. Qur’an 8:30
15. Abu al-Fida Isma’il b. ‘Umar b. Kathir al-Qurashi al-Dimashqi, Tafsir al-Qur’an al-‘Azim (Dar al-Taybah li al-Nashr wa al-Tawzi’; 2nd edition, 1420 H) [annotator: Sami b. Muhammad Salamah], vol. 4, p. 155
16. We want to ask our Sunni brothers: was the Prophet “useless” during those three days?
17. Qur’an 8:15-16
18. There is a common mistake among our people who assume that awliya of Allah never have fear or sadness, based upon Qur’an 10:62. However, that ayah applies only to the Hereafter, as the authentic ahadith about it which we have quoted in the chapter “Is the Mahdi Superior to the Masih?” firmly establish.
19. Qur’an 4:157-158
20. This perhaps explains why Allah protected him, but did not protect many of the other prophets from death. He spared him because He had reserved a special job for him at the end of the world. Prophet Ibrahim, ‘alaihi al-salam, too was protected by Allah (Qur’an 21:69-70). He too escaped, by Allah’s Help, from his oppressors (21:71). Our Lord had placed a blessed lineage of prophets, messengers and Imams in his loins (2:124, 29:27), and his death would have caused a huge disaster over the earth.
21. Qur’an 5:19
22. Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar al-Jami’ah li Durar Akhbar al-Aimah al-Aṭhar (Beirut: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-‘Arabi; 3rd edition, 1403 H), vol. 52, p. 97, Ch. 20, # 18
23. Muhammad Asif al-Muhsini, Mashra’ah Bihar al-Anwar (Beirut: Muasassat al-‘Arif li al-Maṭbu’at; 2nd edition, 1426 H), vol. 2, p. 221
24. Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar al-Jami’ah li Durar Akhbar al-Aimah al-Aṭhar (Beirut: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-‘Arabi; 3rd edition, 1403 H), vol. 52, p. 146, Ch. 22, # 70
25. Ibid, vol. 52, pp. 146-147, Ch. 22, # 70
26. Muhammad Asif al-Muhsini, Mashra’ah Bihar al-Anwar (Beirut: Muasassat al-‘Arif li al-Maṭbu’at; 2nd edition, 1426 H), vol. 2, p. 227
27. Abu Ja’far Muhammad b. Ya’qub b. Ishaq al-Kulayni al-Razi, al-Usul min al-Kafi (Tehran: Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyyah; 3rd edition) [annotator: ‘Ali Akbar al-Ghiffari], vol. 1, p. 340, # 18
28. Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi, Mir-at al-‘Uqul fi Sharh Akhbar Al al-Rasul (Tehran: Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyyah) [annotator: Sayyid Muhsin al-Husayni al-Amini], vol. 4, p. 52
Issues of the Ghaybah: The Two Roles of the Imam
One of the major differences between the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah and the Shi’ah Imamiyyah – on the question of al-mahdawiyyah – concerns the location of the Awaited Mahdi at this present time. Most Sunnis maintain that he is not born yet, while all Shi’i Ithna ‘Ashariyyah believe that he came into this world in 255 H, more than 1000 years ago. If the Shi’is were right, then where is he? What exactly is he doing, assuming he is alive? What use does he have for this Ummah at this very moment?
To address these questions, we will start first with the roles of the Imams sent by Allah to mankind. The Qur’an says: And We bestowed upon him (i.e. Ibrahim) Ishaq and Ya’qub. Each one We made righteous. And We appointed them Imams, GUIDING BY OUR COMMAND.1
And: And indeed We gave Musa the Book. So be not you in doubt of meeting him. And We made it a guide to the Children of Israel. And We appointed from among them Imams GUIDING BY OUR COMMAND, when they (i.e. the Imams) were patient and used to believe with certainty (yaqin) in Our Verses.2
So, the primary role of the Imam is to “guide” by the Command of Allah. The phrase “by Our Command” establishes three things about the Imams:
1. They are appointed and commissioned by explicit Divine Decrees.
2. They guide others in accordance with, and towards, the Command of Allah in every circumstance.
3. The Imams possess the Command of Allah over His creatures.
This is the first role of the Imams: to guide mankind onto, and by, the Command of Allah.
The second type of role is spelt out in this hadith of Shaykh al-Saduq (d. 381 H): ‘Ali b. ‘Abd Allah al-Warraq – Sa’d b. ‘Abd Allah – Ahmad b. Ishaq b. Sa’d al-Ash’ari: I went to Abu Muhammad al-Hasan b. ‘Ali, peace be upon them both, and I intended to ask him about his successor. But, he said to me before I said anything, “O Ahmad b. Ishaq! Verily, Allah the Most Blessed, the Most High never leaves the earth since the creation of Adam, peace be upon him, and He will never leave it till establishment of the Hour, without an Hujjah of Allah over His creation. Through him, calamity is averted from the people of the earth; through him, rain descends; and through him, the blessings of the earth come out.”3
Al-Haj Muhammad Zakariya says: Its chain is reliable.4
‘Allamah al-Majlisi (d. 1111 H) also copies: Al-Tawhid, Ma’ani al-Akhbar: My father – Sa’d – Ibn ‘Isa – al-Husayn b. Sa’id – Fudhalah – Aban – Muhammad b. Muslim: I heard Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, saying: “Verily, Allah the Almighty has some creatures whom He created from His Light and from His Mercy for the sake of His Mercy. Due to this, they are the Eye of Allah which sees, His Ear that hears, His Tongue that speaks to His creation with His Permission, His Safeguards over what was revealed from justifications, warnings and proofs.
And through them, Allah erases the evils; and through them, He wards off grievances; and through them, He sends down mercy; and through them, He enlivens the dead and causes the living to die; and through them, He afflicts His creation; and through them, He judges cases among His creation.”
I said, “May I be sacrificed for you, who are these people?”
He replied, “The awsiya ”.5
The hadith has a mu’tabar (reliable) chain, according to Ayatullah al-Muhsini,6 and, of course, the word “awsiya” is another terminology for “Imams” (in addition to “amirs” and “khalifahs”). Apparently, the Imams, ‘alaihim al-salam, perform far more functions than most people know.
Meanwhile, some from the Ahl al-Sunnah – especially the Salafiyyah – may feel “appalled” at some of these more advanced roles of the awsiya. They may fear that such descriptions border on shirk (idolatry). Hasn’t Allah said: He (Allah) controls the affairs from the heavens to the earth.7
And: Is it they who distribute the mercy of your Lord? We distribute among them their livelihood in the life of this world.8
But, these verses do not contradict the above Shi’i hadiths. It is still Allah Who controls and distributes everything. He only controls and distributes through the Imam. The Imam himself is merely an automaton in this affair: he only follows Allah’s Orders. He has no personal input, opinion or choice, and cannot decide anything even in his own favour or avert any danger or harm decreed against him9. Moreover, since he merely robotically carries out orders, the actions of the khalifah are in essence those of Allah.
The Qur’an too has confirmed that our Lord controls our affairs and distributes His mercy among us through some intermediaries: And (I swear by) THOSE WHO CONTROL by Command.10
Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir (d. 774 H) has this to say under the ayah: His Statement:{And [I swear by] those who control by Command} ‘Ali, Mujahid, ‘Aṭa, Abu Salih, al-Hasan, Qatadah. Al-Rabi’ b. Anas, and al-Suddi said: “They are the angels”. Al-Hasan added: “They control the affairs from the heavens to the earth, that is, by the Command of their Lord, the Almighty.” They (i.e. the ‘ulama) do NOT disagree on this.11
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (d. 751 H) also submits: The meaning is: that Allah, Glorified be He, has put angels in charge of the world, the highest and the lowest. So, they control the affairs of the world by His Permission, Wish and Command. This is why control is attributed to the angels at a place because they are those in direct control, like His Statement {And [I swear by] those who control by Command}.12
So, it is the angels who control the affairs of the earth by the Command of Allah. However, their actions are also those of our Lord, since they are based strictly upon His Orders.
We also read this verse: And (I swear by) THOSE WHO DISTRIBUTE by Command.13
The two Jalals say: {And [I swear by] those who distribute by Command} the angels who distribute the provisions, the rains and others among the towns and creatures.14
A prominent Salafi authority, Shaykh Abu Bakr al-Jazairi, has the same exegesis: {And [I swear by] those who distribute by Command}: that is the angels. They distribute the provisions, the rains, and others among the servants (of Allah) by the Command of their Lord.15
Therefore, it would not be shirk (idolatry) at all to state that Allah distributes the provisions, the rains and others of His blessings to his servants through certain other creatures of His. Those who shout “shirk!” when they hear about such matters are clearly in great haste, and in grave error.
It must be added that the angels are responsible for the creation of humans too, as well as some other related functions. Imam Muslim (d. 261 H) is one of those Sunni authorities with the relevant hadith: Abu al-Tahir Ahmad b. ‘Amr b. Sarh – Ibn Wahb – ‘Amr b. al-Harith – Abu al-Zubayr al-Makki – ‘Amir b. Wathilah: I heard ‘Abd Allah b. Mas’ud saying, “The doomed person is he who was (made) doomed in the womb of his mother, and the saved person is he who learns from the (fate of the) others.” Then, he (Amir b. Wathilah) went to a man from the Sahabah of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, called Hudhayfah b. Usayd al-Ghiffari, and narrated the statement of Ibn Mas’ud to him and said, “And how can a person be doomed without having done anything?” The man (i.e. Hudhayfah) said to him, “Do you wonder at that? Verily, I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, saying: ‘When forty nights pass after the semen gets into the womb, Allah sends an angel to it. So, he (the angel) gives it a shape, and creates its hearing, its sight, its skin and its flesh, his bones, and then says, “My Lord, male or female?” So, your Lord decides whatever He likes, and the angel writes. Then, he says, “My Lord, his lifespan?” Your Lord will say whatever He likes and the angel will write. Then, he will say, “My Lord, his livelihood?” So, your Lord will decide whatever He likes, and the angel will write. Then, the angel gets out with the page in his hand, and nothing is added to it, and nothing is subtracted from it.’”16
He equally has one more hadith in stock: Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Abi Khalaf – Yahya b. Abi Bukayr – Zuhayr Abu Khaythamah – ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Aṭa – ‘Ikrimah b. Khalid – Abu al-Tufayl: I went to Abu Sarihah Hudhayfah b. Usayd al-Ghiffari and he said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, with these two ears of mine saying: ‘Verily, the semen stays in the womb for forty nights. Then, the angel gives it a shape.”17
There is this hadith of Imam Muslim as well, which seems to contradict the above two in some fundamental ways, especially on the question of what happens immediately after forty days of fertilization: Abu Bakr b. Abi Shaybah – Abu Mu’awiyah and Waki’: Muhammad b. ‘Abd Allah b. Numayr al-Hamdani – my father – Abu Mu’awiyah and Waki’ – al-A’mash – Zayd b. Wahb – ‘Abd Allah: The Messenger of Allah, the truthful and trusted one, peace be upon him, informed us: “Verily, the material for the creation of each one of you is gathered in the womb of his mother for forty days. Then, it becomes in it a clot of blood for a similar period. Then, it becomes in it a lump of flesh for a similar period. Then, the angel is sent, and he breathes the spirit into it; and he is commanded with four instruction: to write its livelihood, its lifespan, its deeds, and whether it will be doomed or saved.”18
It nonetheless corroborates the key point: that angels are the creators of human beings with Allah’s Power and Permission, and only under His explicit, strict instructions and directions. So, He is the real Creator, while they are figuratively His Hands. Moreover, these ahadith reveal that some of the angels have a certain level of unseen knowledge (‘ilm al-ghayb), which our brothers from the Salafiyyah often rigidly restrict to Allah Alone. They knew our statuses in the Hereafter, our livelihoods, our lifespans and our deeds even before we were born.
Meanwhile, certain Sunni ahadith also establish that human beings are among those who control and distribute – and perhaps perform some other functions - by Command. ‘Allamah al-‘Azim Abadi (d. 1329 H), the commentator of Sunan Abu Dawud, has this important submission concerning that: Among them are what Ahmad recorded in his Musnad from ‘Ubadah b. al-Samit from the Prophet: “The abdal in this Ummah are thirty men. Their hearts are like the heart of Ibrahim, the Beloved Friend of al-Rahman. Whenever a man from them dies, Allah substitutes another man in his place.” Al-Suyuṭi copied it in al-Jami’ al-Saghir, and al-‘Azizi said, and al-Manawi too said in his Sharh: “Its chain is sahih.”
Among them is what ‘Ubadah b. al-Samit narrated (from the Prophet): “The abdal in my Ummah are thirty. Through them, the earth stands; and through them, you are given rain; and through them, you are granted help and victory.” Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Kabir, and al-Suyuṭi copied it in the mentioned book, and al-‘Azizi and al-Manawi said: “Its chain is sahih.”
Among them is what ‘Awf b. Malik narrated (from the Prophet): “The abdal are in Syria. Through them, they are given help and victory; and through them, they are given sustenance.” Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Kabir, and al-Suyuṭi copied it in the mentioned book. Al-‘Azizi and al-Manawi said: “Its chain is hasan.”
And among them is what ‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with him: “The abdal are in Syria, and they are forty men. Whenever a man among them dies, Allah substitutes another in his place. Through them, He provides the rain; and through them, He grants help and victory over the enemies; and through them, He averts punishment from the people of Syria.” Ahmad recorded it, and al-‘Azizi and al-Manawi said: “Its chain is hasan.”19
The truth is: ahadith about these abdal are actually mutawatir (absolutely authentic due to mass transmission). This is why Imam al-Kattani (d. 1345 H) has included them in his book on mutawatir reports, saying:
The Existence of Abdal
It is narrated through chains from (1) Anas with different texts, all of them dha’if, and it is also narrated from (2) ‘Ubadah b. al-Samit, (3) Ibn ‘Umar, (4) Ibn Mas’ud, (5) Abu Sa’id, (6) ‘Ali, (7) ‘Awf b. Malik, (8) Abu Hurayrah, (9) Mu’adh b. Jabal, and others.20
Then he adds: Ibn al-Jawzi claimed that all the ahadith on abdal are fabrications. But, al-Suyuṭi contended with him, and said, “The report on the abdal is sahih; and if you like, say it is mutawatir.”21
Of course, when a hadith has reached the level of tawattur, the strength or weakness of its individual chains becomes irrelevant. The sheer number of the chains and narrators alone – whatever their statuses – establish absolute certainty in its authenticity.
Whatever the case, it is our firm belief – based upon our authentic ahadith – that Allah averts calamity from the people of the earth, sends rain to them, gives them the blessings of the earth, erases the evils from them, wards off grievances from them, sends down His mercy to them, gives life to the dead among them, causes the living among them to die, afflicts them with trials and tests, and judges them through their Imam. How all these happen is a matter of the ghayb, and therefore largely beyond our common understanding. This is also in addition to the role of the khalifah as the guide of humanity during his time.
The bottom-line is: whether the people are able to gain access to the Imam or not, he is always in the service of Allah, performing crucial roles and functions that benefit every single living soul on the earth.
1. Qur’an 21:72-73
2. Qur’an 32:23-24
3. Abu Ja’far Muhammad b. ‘Ali b. al-Husayn b. Babuyah al-Qummi, Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni’mah (Qum: Muasassat al-Nashr al-Islami li Jama’at al-Mudarisin; 1405 H) [annotator: ‘Ali Akbar al-Ghiffari], p. 384, Ch. 38, # 1
4. Muhammad Zakariya, al-Sahih wa al-Mu’tabar min Akhbar al-Hujjah al-Muntazar (Majmu’at al-Rasid; 1st edition, 1434 H), pp. 27-29, # 19
5. Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar al-Jami’ah li Durar Akhbar al-Aimah al-Aṭhar (Beirut: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-‘Arabi; 3rd edition, 1403 H), vol. 26, p. 240, Ch. 5, # 2
6. Muhammad Asif al-Muhsini, Mashra’ah Bihar al-Anwar (Beirut: Muasassat al-‘Arif li al-Maṭbu’at; 2nd edition, 1426 H), vol. 1, p. 479
7. Qur’an 32:5
8. Qur’an 43:32
9. Of course, he has the opportunity to pray to Allah on any matter, and He is very likely to accept his request. However, without His sanction, the Imam has no ability to carry out any independent function or task.
10. Qur’an 79:5
11. Abu al-Fida Isma’il b. ‘Umar b. Kathir al-Qurashi al-Dimashqi, Tafsir al-Qur’an al-‘Azim (Dar al-Taybah li al-Nashr wa al-Tawzi’; 2nd edition, 1420 H) [annotator: Sami b. Muhammad Salamah], vol. 8, p. 313
12. Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad b. Abi Bakr Ayub al-Zar’i, Ighathah al-Lahfan min Masaid al-Shayṭan (Beirut: Dar al-Ma’rifah; 2nd edition, 1395 H) [annotator: Muhammad Hamid al-Faqqi], vol. 2, p. 130
13. Qur’an 51:4
14. Jalal al-Din Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Mahalli and Jalal al-Din ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Abu Bakr al-Suyuṭi, Tafsir al-Jalalayn (Cairo: Dar al-Hadith; 1st edition), p. 692
15. Abu Bakr Jabir b. Musa b. ‘Abd al-Qadir b. Jabir al-Jazairi, Aysar al-Tafasir li Kalam al-‘Aliyy al-Kabir (al-Madinah al-Munawwarah: Maktabah al-‘Ulum wa al-Hikam; 5th edition, 1424 H), vol. 5, p. 154
16. Abu al-Husayn Muslim b. al-Hajjaj al-Qushayri al-Naysaburi, Sahih Muslim (Beirut: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-‘Arabi) [annotator: Muhammad Fuad ‘Abd al-Baqi], vol. 4, p. 2037, # 2645 (3)
17. Ibid, vol. 4, p. 2037, # 2645 (4)
18. Ibid, vol. 4, p. 2036, # 2643 (1)
19. Abu al-Tayyib Muhammad Shams al-Haqq al-‘Azim Abadi, ‘Awn al-Ma’bud Sharh Sunan Abi Dawud (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah; 2nd edition, 1415 H), vol. 11, pp. 253-254
20. Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad b. Ja’far al-Idrisi al-Kattani, Nazam al-Mutanathir min al-Hadith al-Mutawatir (Egypt: Dar al-Kutub al-Salafiyyah; 2nd edition), p. 220, # 279
21. Ibid
|
