of the Quran appear in boldface.

The words between square brackets are usually additions added by the translator/editor to make the translation of the traditions more expressive. Sometimes, square brackets have been used for the purpose of showing differences in different manuscripts.

Some small sections from the original book have been omitted in the translation. These were mostly explanations by the author about not-so-common Arabic words used in the traditions. The results of these explanations have been incorporated in the translated text and have been used to select suitable equivalent English words. Other sections that have been omitted were mostly minor variations in the wordings of the traditions that the author had pointed to in the footnotes. Since these variations usually had the same meaning in English they have not been mentioned. Occasionally, the authors explanations have been slightly altered or shortened to make them more fluent in English.

Verses of the Quran have mostly been translated by the editor (unless otherwise mentioned).

All instances of ‘ibn’ (meaning son of) have been written as ‘b.’ except in places where ‘ibn’ is not preceded by a proper noun, e.g. ibn Qutayba.

For the sake of conciseness and simplicity, the connection between two narrators in a chain is simply shown using the word ‘from.’ For instance, if the chain is ‘X narrated to me that Y heard Z say’ it has been written as ‘From X, from Y, from Z.’

Phrases like: ‘Allah’s blessings be on him and his family’ and ‘peace be on him/her’ have not

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been abbreviated as is customary in some translations.

The word ‘father’ which is written as ‘Abū, Abā, and Abī’ in Arabic, is only written as ‘Abū’ in the translation, except in places where it is preceded by b. or ibn in a compound name. In such cases Abī is used in conformance with the Arabic pronunciation, e.g. Ali b. Abī Ṭālib or ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd.

‘He says’ is usually used to refer to the author of the last book mentioned, e.g. “Faraj al-mahmūm, p. 247, he says: ‘A section about what we have narrated . . .’”

After some of the references in the footnotes, ‘short version’ has been written. This means that the reference points to a shorter version of the same tradition mentioned in the main text.

The transliteration used is in accordance with the following table:

Symbol

Transliteration

Symbol

Transliteration

ء

‘

ط

ṭ

Long:

ب

B

ظ

ẓ

ا، آ

ت

T

ع

`

و

ث

Th

غ

gh

ی

ج

J

ف

f

Short:

ح

ḥ

ق

q

_َ

خ

kh

ک

k

_ُ

د

d

ل

l

ذ

dh

م

m

Diphthongs:

ر

r

ن

n

أو

ز

z

ه

h

أی

س

s

و

w

ش

sh

ی

y

ص

ṣ

ه

a, at

ض

ḍ

ال

al-, l-

Since we are fallible, it is inevitable that we will make mistakes. If you find any in the current book please inform us so they can be corrected in future versions.

Finally, I would like to thank Mr. Mr Abdol-Hossein Taleie for his useful suggestions during the reviewing process and Ali Mansouri for proofreading the draft.

The editor can be contacted through h.akhoondali@yahoo.com [10].

him, in the end of times (ākhir al-zamān) and the rise of the sun of his existence to dispel the darkness of ignorance, remove oppression and tyranny, spread the flags of justice, elevate the word of truth, and prevail over all religions even if the polytheists (mushrikīn) dislike it.

With the permission of Allah, he will free the world from the disgrace of worshipping anyone other than Allah. (He will) set aside shameful habits and morals, put an end to defective laws formulated by humans in accordance with their desires, destroy all things that create enmity and hatred, break the bonds of all forms of prejudice—whether they be tribal, familial, national, or otherwise—which lead to differences in the nation, create separations, and inflame the fires of civil unrest and disputes.

Through his reappearance, Allah will fulfill His Promise which He has pledged in His sayings:

Allah has promised those of you who believe and do good that He will most certainly make them successors on earth just as He made successors those before them, and that He will most certainly establish for them their religion which He has approved for them, and He will most certainly, after their fear, give them security in exchange.(1)

And We desired to bestow a favor upon those who were deemed weak on earth, and to make them the leaders, and to make them the heirs.(2)

Soon, the golden era will arrive during which no house will remain on the face of earth, but that in which Allah will

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enter the word of Islam and no village will exist, but that in which the testimony of there is no god except Allah will be called out every morning and evening.

Perhaps, some may claim that there exists no consensus amongst the Muslims on the issue (of the Mahdī) and their agreement on it is mere speculation. Obviously, such a claim is baseless, because many claimed to be the Mahdī in the first era of Islam and in the following ages in which people were still close to the time of the Holy Prophet Allah's blessings be on him and his family, his companions (ṣaḥāba) and the followers (tābi`īn), but we do not see any of the companions or the followers refuting the original concept of Mahdawiyya, but rather, they disputed the claims of the imposters on the basis of their characteristics and features.

Among those subjects that have been narrated to us and we don’t have any method of proving except by hearing them, there is no subject that we must have faith in which is more important than believing in the appearance of the Mahdī, may peace be on him.

This is because the glad-tidings that have been narrated concerning him are many and beyond the limit of tawātur. This is while the traditions about most of the beliefs of the Muslims have not reached such a state of tawātur. In fact, for some of these beliefs, one can only find a single tradition as support and yet, it is

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regarded as a definite fact.

Thus, how can a Muslim—who believes in what the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, has brought and conveyed—have doubts about the reappearance of Mahdī, peace be on him, despite the existence of such abundant traditions?

These traditions cannot be disputed because of the weakness of the chain of narrators in some of them or because of the odd concepts and improbability of the occurrence (of the events mentioned) in others. Surely, the weakness of the chain of narrators does not harm the other traditions which have highly authentic and reliable narrators and contents.

Otherwise, we will be forced to put aside all the correct traditions due to the presence of a few weak ones on the subject. Furthermore, their definitions are well known amongst the faithful and the (religious) leaders of the Muslims, great scholars, and the specialists in the science of traditions have narrated them. Besides, the weakness of the chain of narrators can cast doubt on the narration if the narration is not mutawātir. But, when a narration is mutawātir, the weakness of the chain is no longer a criterion for its reliability.

As for the improbability of the occurrence of some of the events mentioned in the narrations, we can answer: Improbability and oddness have no value in scientific matters—especially those related to the transmission of hadith. For, if this door is opened (i.e., if it is allowed to reject matters on grounds of improbability or oddness), it will

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become necessary to reject most of the true beliefs that have been established through the traditions of the Prophet, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, about which and about whose characteristics we have no means of gaining knowledge, except through divine texts.

For example, some of the features of the hereafter like the Bridge (Ṣirāṭ), the Weighing Scale (Mīzān), Heaven, Hell, etc. Indeed, even the polytheists (mushrikīn) of Mecca regarded the glad tidings of the Holy Prophet, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, about the domination of his religion and victory of his words, during the early period of proclamation (bi`tha) as improbable, (because) in those days Islam was confined only to the Messenger of Allah, Amīr al-Mu’minīn, and Khadija, peace be on them. They considered this news as ordinarily impossible. Hence, whenever he informed the (polytheists) about matters considered impossible under normal circumstances and apparent causes, they declared:

O you to whom the remembrance (dhikr) has been sent own! Verily, you are a mad man!(1)

But hardly a few days had passed, when Allah made His affairs (kalima) the highest while he degraded the affairs of the disbelievers. As a result, the Arabs submitted to him and Arab and non-Arab tyrants surrendered before Islam and the Muslims.

Furthermore, there is nothing about the Mahdī which is strange or amazing in comparison with the miracles narrated from the Prophets, peace be on them, and the Divine customs in the past nations. Things like giving life to the dead, curing

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the blind and the lepers, the miracles of the Prophets Abraham, Moses, etc., and their occultation’s (ghayba) from their people.

Thus, there is no reason to regard these mutawātir narrations as strange or improbable. Narrations which were narrated by people who were from different regions: Mecca, Medina, Kūfa, Baṣra, Baghdad, Riyy(1), and Qum. Some were Shia, others Sunni, Ash’arī, and Mu`tazilī. Some belonged to the first era (of Islam), while others were from later times.

Furthermore, it was not possible for their narrators to come together in one congregation to fabricate them—because they lived in separate lands and times and had different religions and opinions. Moreover, the suggestion of fabrication regarding the majority of these traditions is extremely weak and unacceptable, as the narrators were famous for their reliability, were great scholars, and were the men of religion, piety and worship.

If we abandon these traditions (because of these inconvincible reasons), then, there will remain no reliable traditions from the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, and his Ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them, in all subjects of jurisprudence, beliefs, ethics, etc. Also, it will be necessary to discard the authentic traditions regarding this world as well as the hereafter, even though the rational Muslims and non-Muslims view these as the foundations of their beliefs.

The existence of improbable matters (which our opponents use against us) is what they themselves have no problems with and rely on in most of their traditions. They object to the Shias,

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without realizing the results of their stance, which in reality, cannot be accepted by any Muslim. God willing, we will explain this in more detail in the future.

The tawātur of these traditions has been clearly declared and the reappearance of Imam Mahdī, peace be on him, is famous amongst the Muslims and there is consensus among scholars regarding this matter. Highly esteemed Sunni scholars agree on this issue and their greatest narrators of hadith have narrated such traditions. Some of them are as follows: Aḥmad (b. Ḥanbal), Abī Dāwūd, ibn Māja,

al-Tirmidhī, al-Bukhārī, Muslim, al-Nisā’ī, al-Bayhaqī, al-Māwardī, al-Ṭabarānī, al-Sam`ānī, al-Rūyānī, al-`Abdarī, Ḥāfiẓ `Abd al-`Azīz al-`Ukbarī in his Tafsīr, ibn Qutayba in Gharīb al-ḥadīth, ibn al-Sarrī, ibn `Asākir, al-Dāraqutnī in Musnad Sayyidat al-Nisā’ al-`Ālamīn Fāṭimat al-Zahrā’, al-Kisā’ī in al-Mubtada’, al-Baghawī, ibn al-Athīr, ibn al-Daiba` al-Shaibānī, al-Ḥākim in al-Mustadrak, ibn `Abd al-Bir in al-Istī`āb, Ḥāfiẓ ibn Muṭīq, al-Far`ānī, al-Numayrī, al-Munāwī, ibn Shīrawayh al-Daylamī, Sibṭ b. al-Jauzī, al-Shāriḥ al-Mu`tazilī, ibn Ṣabbāgh al-Mālikī, al-Ḥimawī, ibn al-Maghāzilī al-Shāfi`ī, Muwaffaq b. Aḥmad al-Khāwrazmī, Muḥib al-Dīn al-Ṭabarī, al-Shablanjī, al-Ṣubbān, Shaykh Manṣūr `Ali Nāṣif, and others.

You should bear in mind that the appearance of the Mahdī, peace be on him, in the end of times is a subject about which many books, articles, and treatises have been written about; from the time of the eleventh Imam, al-Ḥasan al-`Askarī, peace be on him, until now. Rarely, can one locate a Shia scholar who has not written an exclusive book or an article or

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some special words on this subject. For the seekers of truth, reference to even a few of these would suffice.

This is in addition to the works of Sunni scholars on the issue like: Ḥāfiẓ Abu Nu`aim al-Aṣbahānī’s Ṣifat al-Mahdī and Manāqib al-Mahdī, Ḥāfiẓ al-Kanjī al-Shāfi`ī’s al-Bayān fi akhbār Ṣāḥib al-Zamān, Mullā `Ali al-Muttaqī’s al-Burhān fī `alāmāt Mahdī ākhir al-zamān, `Abbād b. Ya`qūb al-Rawājinī’s Akhbār al-Mahdī, Ḥāfiẓ Jalal al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī’s al-`Arf al-wardī fī akhbār al-Mahdī, ibn Ḥajar’s al-Qaul al-mukhtaṣar fī `alāmāt al-Mahdī al-Muntaẓar, Shaykh Jamāl al-Dīn Yūsuf b. Yaḥyā al-Dimashqī’s `Iqd al-durar fī akhbār al-Imām al-Muntaẓar, etc. Moreover, an independent book called al-Fawāṣim `an l-fitan al-qawāṣim has been mentioned in one of the biographies available in al-Sīrat al-ḥalabiyya.

The purpose of this book’s preface is to clarify for the readers the falsity of those who claim to be the Mahdī or another Imam, during the period of occultation, particularly in recent times. This is a great need of the Muslims today because the enemies of Islam are constantly on the lookout to grasp at any available opportunity to break up the Muslims and ignite the fire of differences and disputes among them in order to facilitate their imperialistic and colonialist desires and gain control over their countries and peoples.

By Allah, nothing disgraces the Muslims but their differences and disputes. The followers of falsehood and disbelief can never overpower the helpers of the truth and Islam, unless disagreements and internal feuds are incited amongst them.

One of the issues used by these

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wicked and corrupt powers to split the Muslims and engage them in internal disputes—instead of external defense—is that of the Mahdī, may our souls be sacrificed for him(1). To achieve these goals in areas like Iran, the Indian subcontinent, and Africa, they dispatched foolish and power-hungry stooges, well known for their immorality, lack of sensibility and understanding, and vileness.

They were ignorant, or at least pretended to be so, regarding the contents of the traditions concerning his names, attributes, signs, symbols, effects, pure lineage, and noble ancestry which cannot be collectively found in any single individual, except the holy character of the twelfth Imam, Abū l-Qāsim al-Ḥujjat b. al-Ḥasan al-`Askarī b. Abū l-Ḥasan `Alī al-Hādī b. Abū Ja`far Muḥammad al-Jawād b. Abū l-Ḥasan `Alī al-Riḍā b. Abū l-Ḥasan Mūsā al-Kāẓim b. Abū `Abd-Allah Ja`far al-Ṣādiq b. Abū Ja`far Muḥammad al-Bāqir b. Abū l-Ḥasan `Alī Zain al-`Ābidīn b. Abū `Abd-Allah al-Ḥusayn, Sayyid al-Shuhadā, ibn Amīr al-Mu`minīn `Ali b. Abī Ṭālib, peace be on them all.

He will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with unfairness and injustice. He will conquer the whole world and will turn Islam into a global religion—to such an extent that there will remain no one on the face of earth who will worship other than Allah. There will not remain a village, but that in which the testimony of ‘there is no god but Allah and Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah’ will echo in it. When he reappears,

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Gabriel (Jibra’īl) will call out his and his father’s name from the heavens. This call will be heard by the inhabitants of the East and the West.

He has attributes and signs—which God willing, we shall soon mention. These signs do not fit anybody but him, whosoever he may be, let alone the poor creatures who were arrested, jailed and lived in imprisonment until they were crucified. Their plans remained incomplete, whilst they couldn’t manage their own affairs—let alone others’.

Despite such clear explanations, some negligent people thought up fancy basis’ for their false claims. Perhaps, they have not seen what has been mentioned in the Holy Quran and the traditions about the Mahdī, may peace be on him, regarding the fact that he is a special person, whose lineage, ancestry, and attributes have no equivalent. Here, we have collected and reproduced traditions from reliable and authentic Shia and Sunni sources, so that no room remains for any doubts or questions whatsoever. Indeed, this will lead to great benefits and advantages.

Mentioning these traditions in this order and detail has other purposes and benefits. There is no harm in mentioning a few of them here:

The Shia belief regarding the existence of the Mahdī, peace be on him, during the occultation and after his emergence in the end of times, is neither an obstacle to the unity of the Muslims, nor a barrier to setting aside the differences which are damaging their majesty and might. This pure belief originates from the glad

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tidings (in these narrations) and is not contradictory to the principles of Islam or the explicit and clear guidelines of the Holy Quran and correct Sunna.

Rather, it is a belief that stems from faith in the Holy Prophet, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, who is the source of these prophecies. Therefore, it is necessary that the Sunnis deal with this subject as they do with any other issue in which their scholars have differences amongst themselves and investigate the truth like they do for other problems.

Eliminating Repetition: After browsing through early and also recent books on this subject which were available to me, I found many duplicate narrations. Most of the traditions are not related to a particular concept and cannot be included in a specific chapter. Since there are a number of concepts and meanings found in one tradition, the same tradition has been mentioned under different titles.

This is why duplicate narrations can be found in the books of both sects on the one hand and the truncation of traditions on the other. I have refrained from doing this by simply pointing to the traditions in the other chapters and also by mentioning their locations and numbers at the end of every chapter.

Knowing that most topics are mutawātir: We have already mentioned in the first volume, some of the traditions concerning the twelve Imams, may peace be on them, because of their significance regarding our discussion. God willing, we will now proceed to narrate the

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traditions concerning the Mahdī, peace be on him, his attributes, and his conditions from both sects. Investigating the traditions on this subject is beyond the aim and scope (of this book) and is not possible except for those who are experts in the sciences of tradition and the great scholars.

We have restricted ourselves to mentioning only the narrations which are relevant to the facts regarding that particular topic. By doing this, we will have fulfilled the purpose for which this book has been compiled for. Whoever desires more details should refer to the writings of other scholars.

This was the preface of this book in the first edition (which was published) more than forty years ago. Thank God, in this new edition, we have succeeded in compiling a complete volume about the traditions of the twelve Imams, peace be on them, and made it the first volume. We then revised the old edition until it turned into an almost new book and we included it in the current edition as the second and the third volumes.

The three volumes have been separated into eleven main chapters and ninety-four sections. We also succeeded in adding discussions based on narrations which are related to the subject of Imam Mahdī, peace be on him, and placed them at the end of the third volume.

We ask Allah, the Exalted, to make us successful in accomplishing the tasks that are the cause of His satisfaction, and to protect us from prejudice and recklessness, and

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to guide us to the path of truth and justice, and to make our actions purely for Him, and to reserve them for “the Day when neither wealth nor children will benefit anybody except the one who comes to Allah with a purified heart.”(1)

as follows:

(1)

اَلَّذِیْنَ یُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِالْغَیْبِ وَ یُقِیْمُوْنَ الصَّلوهَ وَ مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ یُنْفِقُوْنَ

Those who believe in the unseen and establish prayers and give away from what We have bestowed upon them (1)

310. Kamāl al-dīn(2): Muḥammad b. Mūsā al-Mutawakkil, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-`Aṭṭār, from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. `Īsā, from Muḥammad b. `Abd al-`Azīz, from a group of our companions, from Dāwūd b. Kathīr al-Riqqī, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, regarding the saying of Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, “Those who believe in the unseen,” means those who acknowledge [or believe](3) that the uprising of the Qā’im is true.

(2)

وَ نُرِیْدُ اَنَّ نَمُنَّ عَلَی الَّذِیْنَ اسْتُضْعِفُوْا فِیْ الاَرْضِ وَ نَجْعَلَهُمْ اَئِمَّهً وَ نَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوَارِثِیْنَ

And We intend to bestow a favor upon those who have been weakened in the earth and make them the Imams and make them the heirs(4)

311. Nahj al-balāgha(5): Amīr al-Mu’minīn, peace be on him, said: “The world will be kind to us after its defiance just like an ill-mannered she-camel which is kind towards its young [but bites those who want to milk it].” Then Amīr al-Mu’minīn, peace be on him, recited the verse, “And We intend to bestow a favor upon those who have been weakened in the earth and make them the Imams and make them the heirs.” Ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd says in his commentary on Nahj al-balāgha: “Our companions believe that he has given a promise about an Imam who will rule the earth and dominate the

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nations.”

Al-Ḥaskānī mentions in Shawāhid al-tanzīl from `Abd-al-Raḥmān b. al-Ḥasan, from Muḥammad b. Ibrāhīm b. Salma, from Muḥammad b. `Abd-Allah b. Sulaimān, from Yaḥyā b. `Abd al-Ḥamīd al-Ḥammānī, from Sharīk, from `Uthmān, from ibn Ṣādiq, from Rabī`at b. Nājidh, from `Alī, peace be on him, who said: “The world will become kind to us like an ill-mannered she-camel towards her young.” He then recited: “And We intend to bestow a favor upon those who have been weakened . . .”

312. Tafsīr al-Furāt(1): Al-Ḥusayn b. Sa`īd, through a chain of narrators from Amīr al-Mu’minīn, peace be on him, who said:

Whoever wants to ask about our affairs and that of the people, then (he should know that) we and our followers were on the tradition (sunna) of Moses and his followers since the day Allah created the heavens and the earth, and surely our enemy and his followers were on the tradition of the Pharaoh (Fir`un) and his followers since the day Allah created the heavens and the earth. He [i.e. the one who wants to know] should recite the verses from the beginning of Sūrat al-Qaṣaṣ to Allah’s saying “they fear (yaḥdharūn).” I swear by Allah Who split the seed, created the soul, and sent the Book to Muḥammad—Allah's blessings be on him and his family—with truth and justice, these [people] will become kind to you like an ill-mannered she-camel becomes kind towards its young.

313. Shawāhid al-tanzīl(2): From Abū Bakr al-Ma`marī, from Abū Ja`far al-Qummī, from Muḥammad b. `Umar al-Ḥāfiẓ in

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Baghdad, from Muḥammad b. al-Ḥusayn, from Aḥmad b. `Uthm b. Ḥakīm, from Shurayḥ b. Maslama, from Ibrāhīm b. Yūsuf, from `Abd al-Jabbār, from al-A`mash al-Thaqafī, from Abū Ṣādiq, from Amīr al-Mu’minīn, peace be on him, who either said: “The verse ‘And We intend to bestow a favor upon those who have been weakened in the earth and make them the Imams and make them the heirs’ is about us” or “belongs to us.”

314. Tafsīr al-Furāt(1): From furāt b. Ibrāhīm al-Kūfī, through a chain of narrators from Abū l-Mughaira, from Amīr al-Mu’minīn, peace be on him, who said: “The verse ‘And We intend to bestow a favor upon those who have been weakened in the earth and make them the Imams and make them the heirs,’ was descended regarding us.”

315. Tafsīr al-Furāt(2): From `Alī b. Muḥammad b. `Alī al-Zuharī, through a chain of narrators from Thuwair b. Abī Fākhta, from Imam `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him, who asked him, “Do you recite the Quran?” He replied in the affirmative. The Imam, peace be on him, said, “Then recite Ṭā-Sīn-Mīm [Sūrat al-Qaṣaṣ], the Surah of Moses and the Pharaoh.” Thuwair says, “I recited four of its initial verses until I reached His saying, ‘and make them the Imams and make them the heirs.’ He, peace be on him, said: “That’s enough. By the One Who truly sent Muḥammad, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, as a giver of good news and warnings (bashīran wa nadhīrā), the righteous (al-abrār)

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from us Ahl al-Bait and their followers are like Moses, peace be on him, and his followers.”

316. Tafsīr al-Furāt(1): From `Alī b. Muḥammad b. `Umar al-Zuharī, through a chain of narrators from Zaid b. Salām al-Ju`fī who said:

I went to Abū-Ja`far [Imam Muḥammad al-Bāqir], peace be on him, and said, “May Allah improve your condition! Al-Khaithama al-Ju`fī has reported to me that he asked you concerning the verse ‘and make them the Imams and make them the heirs,’ and that you told him that you are the Imams and you are the heirs.” The Imam, peace be on him, replied, “By Allah, al-Khaithama has said the truth. I informed him exactly like this.”

317. Ghaybat al-Shaykh(2): From Muḥammad b. `Alī, from al-Ḥusayn b. Muḥammad al-Qiṭa`ī, from `Alī b. Ḥātim, from Muḥammad b. Marwān, from `Ubaid b. Yaḥyā al-Thaurī, from Muḥammad b. al-Ḥusayn, from his father, from his grandfather, from `Alī, peace be on him, who said regarding the saying of Allah, the Exalted ‘And We intend to bestow a favor upon those who have been weakened in the earth and make them the Imams and make them the heirs’: “They are the progeny of Muḥammad, Allah's blessings be on him and his family. Allah will send their Mahdī after their struggles so that he may give them honor and humiliate their enemies.”

318. Al-Anwār al-muḍī’a(3): From Muḥammad b. Aḥmad al-Ayādī, through a chain of narrators from Amīr al-Mu’minīn, peace be on him, who said, “We Ahl al-Bait are those who have been

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mentioned in (Allah’s) book as weakened in the earth and whom Allah will make the Imams. Allah will send their Mahdī so that he may give them honor and humiliate their enemies.”

319. Al-Anwār al-muḍī’a(1): It has been narrated that the verse “And We intend to bestow a favor upon those who have been weakened in the earth and make them the Imams and make them the heirs” was mentioned in the presence of Imam al-Ṣādiq, peace be on him. Tears started flowing from his eyes and he said: “By Allah, we are those who have been weakened.”

(3)

وَ لَقَدْ کَتَبْنَا فِیْ الزَّبُوْرِ مِنْ بَعْدِ الذِّکْرِ اَنَّ الْاَرْضَ یَرِثُهَا عِبَادِیَ الصَّالِحُوْنَ

And indeed We have written in the Psalms after the Remembrance, that the earth will be inherited by my righteous servants(2)

320. Mā nazala min al-Qurān fī Ahl al-Bait `alayhim al-salām(3): Aḥmad b. Muḥammad, from Aḥmad b. al-Ḥasan, from his father, from Ḥusayn b. Muḥammad b. `Abd-Allah b. al-Ḥasan, from his father, from (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, who said: “The saying of Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, ‘The earth will be inherited by My righteous servants’ refers to the companions of the Mahdī, peace be on him, in the end of times.”

321. Tafsīr al-tibyān(4): Imam al-Bāqir, peace be on him, said: “Surely, this is a promise to the believers that they will inherit the entire earth.”

The author of Majma` al-bayān says:

It has been narrated from (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, that “they are the companions of the

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Mahdī, peace be on him, in the end of times.” The proof for this can be found in the traditions narrated by the Shias and the Sunnis on the authority of the Holy Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said, “If only one day remains to the end of the world, Allah will prolong it until He sends a righteous person from my Ahl al-Bait. He will fill the earth with justice and fairness just as it will be filled with unfairness and injustice.” The renowned Sunni scholar, Abū Bakr Aḥmad b. al-Ḥusayn al-Bayhaqī has recorded numerous traditions concerning this concept in his book al-Ba`th wa l-nushūr. His grandson, Abū l-Ḥasan `Ubaid-Allah b. Muḥammad b. Aḥmad, narrated to us all these traditions in the year 518 AH . . . One of the things that Abū l-Ḥasan narrated to us was that he said, “Narrated to us Abū `Alī al-Rūdbārī, from Abū Bakr b. Dāsa, from Abū Dāwūd al-Sajistānī, from many different people, from the book al-Sunan, that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, said, ‘If only one day remains to the end of the world, Allah will prolong it until He sends a person from me or from my Ahl al-Bait.’ Some versions of the tradition also add, ‘His name will be my name. He will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with unfairness and oppression.’”

322. Tafsīr al-Qummī(1): (From Imam al-Bāqir, peace

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be on him) who said:

In the saying of Allah, “And indeed We have written in the Psalms after the Remembrance (al-dhikr),” Remembrance (al-dhikr) refers to all the [Holy] books and “The earth will be inherited by my righteous servants,”(1) refers to the Qā’im, peace be on him, and his companions; The Psalms consist of the story of fierce battles, praises, glorifications and supplications.

(4)

وَ اِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِلسَّاعَهِ

And surely he is a sign of the Hour(2)

323. Al-Ṣawā`iq al-muḥriqa(3): Ibn Ḥajar records in al-Ṣawā`iq in the chapter on the verses revealed about the Ahl al-Bait:

Regarding the twelfth verse, Allah’s saying: “And surely he is a sign of the hour,” Muqātil b. Sulaimān and other commentators who have followed him say, “Verily, this verse was revealed concerning the Mahdī.” We will soon mention traditions that clearly show he is from the progeny of the Messenger of Allah. This verse shows the prosperity of the descendants of Fāṭima and `Alī—may Allah be satisfied with them—and that surely Allah will bring forth from them many pure people and that He will make their descendants the keys of wisdom and the mines of mercy . . .”

It has been recorded in Is`āf al-rāghibīn: “Muqātil b. Sulaimān and the commentators who followed him have said the verse ‘And surely he is a sign of the hour,’ was revealed concerning the Mahdī.” According to Nūr al-abṣār, “Muqātil b. Sulaimān and the commentators who followed him have said regarding the above verse, ‘He is Mahdī. He will be in the

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end of times. The signs of the Hour and its establishment will occur after his reappearance.’”

(5)

هُوَ الَّذِیْ اَرْسَلَ رَسُوْلَه بِالْهُدی وَ دِیْنِ الحَقِّ لِیُظْهِرَه عَلَی الدِّیْنِ کُلِّه وَ لَوْ کَرِهَ الْمُشْرِکُوْنَ

It is He Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to make it superior over all religions, even though the polytheists detest it(1)

324. Tafsīr al-tibyān(2): Imam al-Bāqir, peace be on him, says:

This will occur when the Qā’im, peace be on him, emerges. According to Majma` al-bayān, Imam Al-Bāqir, peace be on him, says, “This will take place when the Mahdī from the progeny of Muḥammad, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, reappears. No one will remain but that he will testify to [the prophethood] of Muḥammad, Allah's blessings be on him and his family.”

325. Al-Bayān(3): Sa`īd b. Jubair says regarding the saying of Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, “to make it superior over all religions, even though the polytheists detest it” that “He is the Mahdī from the progeny of Fāṭima, peace be on her.”

326. Al-Kāfī(4): `Alī b. Muḥammad, from one of our companions, from ibn Maḥbūb, from Muḥammad b. al-Fuḍail, from Abū l-Ḥasan al-Māḍī [i.e. the tenth Imam] who when asked about the verse: “to make it superior over all religions,” had said, “He [Allah] will dominate it over all the religions at the time of the Qā’im’s rising. Allah says, ‘And Allah will complete His Light,’ [means] the mastership (wilāya) of the Qā’im. . .”

327. The Book of Faḍl

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b. Shādhān(1): Ṣafwān b. Yaḥyā, from Muḥammad b. Ḥumrān, from (Imam) Ja`far b. Muḥammad al-Ṣādiq, peace be on him, who said:

Surely the Qā’im from us will be aided by fear and made powerful with assistance. The earth will twist for him [distances will be shortened for him], all the treasures will be exposed for him, and through him, Allah, the Exalted, will dominate His religion over all religions even if the polytheists detest it. His government will encompass the East and West of the earth. No ruined thing shall remain on the earth but that he will revive it. The Spirit of Allah, Jesus the son of Mary, peace be on him, will descend and pray behind him.

Ibn Ḥumrān narrates that someone asked him, “O son of Allah’s Messenger! When will the Qā’im from you appear?” He, peace be on him, replied:

When the men will resemble women and the women will resemble men, men will suffice with men and women will suffice with women,(2) women will ride on saddles, false testimonies will be accepted while the true ones will be refuted, blood [murder] will be taken lightly, unlawful sex will be committed, loans will be given with interest and bribes will be taken, the evil shall govern the good, the Sufyānī will emerge from Syria and the Yamānī from Yemen.

The earth will sink at Baydā’ and a young man from the progeny of Muḥammad, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, will be killed between the Rukn and

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the Maqām [at Ka`ba]. His name will be Muḥammad b. Muḥammad and his epithet will be al-Nafs al-Zakiyya (the pure soul). A cry will come from the skies that “salvation is for `Alī and his followers.”

It is then that our Qā’im will reappear. When he emerges, he will lean his back on the Ka`ba and three hundred and thirteen men will gather near him. The first thing that he will say will be the verse, “The remnant of Allah is better for you, if you are believers.”(1)

Then, he will say, “I am the remnant of Allah, His Proof, and His Caliph upon you.” No Muslim will salute him but through these words, “Peace be upon you, O remnant of Allah on His earth.” When the ten thousand men assembly meets for the covenant, he will emerge from Mecca. Then, besides Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, nothing that is worshipped and no idol will remain on earth except that it will catch fire and burn. This will occur after a long occultation.

328. Tafsīr Furāt al-Kūfī(2): Narrated to us Ja`far b. Aḥmad, from Abū `Abd Allah (al-Ṣādiq), peace be on him, who said about the verse: “It is He Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to make it superior over all religions, even though the polytheists detest it” that “When the Qā’im reappears, there shall not remain a polytheist nor a disbeliever except that he will dislike the reappearance [of the Qā’im]. If [one

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of them hides] in a boulder, the boulder will call out, ‘O believer! Within me is an unbeliever. Break me and kill him.’”

329. Mashāriq anwār al-yaqīn(1): From Imam al-Ṣādiq, peace be on him, who said: “Surely, this affair will end in the one whom the horsemen will return to humbly from the horizons. He is the one who will make [Islam] prevail over all religions and he is the Mahdī.”

330. Majma` al-bayān(2): al-`Ayyāshī narrates through his chain from `Imrān b. Maitham, from `Ibāya that he heard Amīr al-Mu’minīn, peace be on him, say: “‘It is He Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to make it superior over all religions,’ Has this already occurred?” [Those present] replied, “Yes.” He, peace be on him, said, “No, by the One in Whose hand is my life. Not until there remains no village but that from which the testimony of there is no god but Allah will be called out every morning and evening.”

331. Tafsīr al-`Ayyāshī(3): From Samā`a, from Abū Abd-Allah (al-Ṣādiq), peace be on him, (under the verse), “It is He Who has sent . . . even though the polytheists detest it”:

When the Qā’im, peace be on him, reappears, there shall remain no one who associates others with the Great Allah and no disbelievers, except that they will dislike his reappearance.

332. Mafātīḥ al-ghayb (al-Tafsīr al-kabīr)(4): Under the interpretation of the saying of [Allah], the Exalted, “It is He Who has sent His Messenger . . .,”

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from al-Suddī: “This will occur when the Mahdī emerges.”

He also says in al-Sirāj al-munīr under the interpretation of the same verse: “Al-Suddī said, ‘This will occur when the Mahdī, peace be on him, emerges.’” It has also been narrated from al-Suddī in Tafsīr abū l-futūḥ(1) that “This will occur when the Mahdī, peace be on him, emerges.”

(6)

وَعَدَ اللهُ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا مِنکُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَیَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُم فِی الْأَرْضِ کَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِینَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَیُمَکِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِینَهُمُ الَّذِی ارْتَضَی لَهُمْ وَلَیُبَدِّلَنَّهُم مِّن بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْنًا یَعْبُدُونَنِی لاَ یُشْرِکُونَ بِی شَیْئًا وَمَن کَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذٰلِکَ فَأُوْلَئِکَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ

Allah has promised those of you who believe and do good deeds that He will most certainly make them rulers in the earth as He has made rulers those before them, and that He will most certainly establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them, and that He will most certainly, after their fear, give them security in exchange; They worship Me and don’t associate anyone with Me; and whoever is ungrateful after that, then those are the disobedient(2)

333. Shawāhid al-tanzīl(3): Furāt b. Ibrāhīm, from Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. Shīrawayh al-Qaṭṭān, from Ḥuraith b. Muḥammad, from Ibrāhīm b. Ḥakam b. Abān, from his father, from al-Suddī, from ibn `Abbās concerning the verse, “Allah has promised to those of you who believe . . .” He said: “It has been revealed about the family of Muḥammad, Allah's blessings be on him and his family.”

334. Shawāhid al-tanzīl(4): Furāt, from Aḥmad b. Mūsā, from Mukhawwal, from `Abd

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al-Raḥmān, from al-Qāsim b. `Uwf who said: “I heard `Abd-Allah b. Muḥammad say [concerning the verse], ‘Allah has promised to those of you who believe and do good deeds . . .’ that ‘It is for (about) us Ahl al-Bait.’”

335. Al-Durr al-manthūr(1): Aḥmad and ibn Mardawayh have both narrated and Bayhaqī has recorded in al-Dalā’il from Ubay b. Ka`b who said: “When the verse ‘Allah has promised to those of you who believe and do good deeds . . .’ was revealed to the Prophet, he said, ‘Give good news to this nation about loftiness, elevation, religion, help, and establishment on earth. Whoever amongst them performs the deeds of the hereafter for this world [i.e. to reach worldly aims], he will have no share in the hereafter.’”

336. Tafsīr al-Qummī(2): His saying: ‘Allah has promised to those of you who believe and do good deeds that He will most certainly make them rulers in the earth as He has made rulers those before them, and that He will most certainly establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them, and that He will most certainly, after their fear, give them security in exchange; They worship Me and don’t associate anyone with Me’ was descended concerning the Qā’im from the progeny of Muḥammad, peace be on him and his forefathers.

337. Al-Iḥtijāj(3): In a lengthy tradition from Amīr al-Mu’minīn, peace be on him, in which he mentions the shortcomings of some of the enemies of the Ahl al-Bait and those who

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had gained power and Allah’s delay in punishing them. He says:

All these [delays] were [put in place] so that the respite would come to an end which Allah, Blessed and High be He, gave to His enemy Satan; until the Book reaches its time and the word is fulfilled against the disbelievers and the true promise which Allah has explained in His Book approaches: ‘Allah has promised to those of you who believe and do good deeds that He will most certainly make them rulers in the earth as He has made rulers those before them.’ This will occur when nothing will remain from Islam except its name and from the Quran save its text.

The owner of the affair (ṣāḥib al-amr) will go in occultation because he will have an [obvious] excuse to do so as mischief will cover the hearts to such an extent that the closest of people to him will have the most enmity against him. It is then that Allah will assist him with an army that you cannot see and He will make the religion of His Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, prevail at his hands over all other religions, even if the polytheists dislike it.

338. Miṣbāḥ al-Shaykh(1): In the ziyāra of Imam Ḥusayn, peace be on him, which he has narrated from Abū (Imam) `Abd-Allah, peace be on him:

O Allah! multiply Your salutations, Your mercy, and Your blessings upon the progeny of Your Prophet—the progeny who were mistreated, terrified

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and belittled; the remnants of the clean, pure, and blessed tree. And O Allah! Elevate their word, make their arguments successful, free them from calamities, straits, the intense darkness of falsehood, and sorrows.

Make the hearts of their Shias and Your party steadfast upon their obedience, their mastership, their help, and their guardianship, and help them and bestow them with patience in the face of the tortures they receive in Your cause.

Make for them witnessed days and praised, fortunate times, in which their salvation will be near and which will be the cause of their establishment and them being assisted (by You), just as You have guaranteed for Your friends in Your revealed Book, for surely, You have said and Your word is the truth: ‘Allah has promised to those of you who believe and do good deeds that He will most certainly make them rulers in the earth as He has made rulers those before them, and that He will most certainly establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them, and that He will most certainly, after their fear, give them security in exchange; They worship Me and don’t associate anyone with Me.’

339. Majma` al-bayān(1): It has been narrated from the Ahl al-Bait, peace be on them, that this verse is about the Mahdī from the progeny of Muḥammad, Allah's blessings be on him and his family. Al-`Ayyāshī has narrated through his chain of narrators from Imam `Alī ibn al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him, that

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after reciting the verse, he, peace be on him, said:

By Allah! Those are the followers of us Ahl al-Bait. Allah will deal with them in this manner at the hands of a person from us and he is the Mahdī of this umma. He is the one about whom the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, said, “Even if there remains one day from this world, Allah will prolong that day until a person from my progeny rules. His name will be my name. He will fill the earth with justice and fairness just as it will be filled with unfairness and injustice.”

He narrates a similar tradition from (Imam) Abū Ja`far and (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on them, and then says: “Therefore, the term “those of you who believe and do good deeds” refers to the Holy Prophet and his Ahl al-Bait, may Allah’s blessings be upon them. The verse also gives them glad-tidings about their governance and power in the cities and the removal of fear from them at the time of the rising of their Mahdī, peace be on him.”

340. Majāzāt al-āthār al-nabawiyya(1): The Holy Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, saw Fatima, peace be on her, hungry with a torn gown, so he wept and said: “Does it not satisfy you, O Fatima, that there shall not remain on the face of earth any house or tent except that respect or disgrace shall enter it because of your

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father?”(1)

341. Majāzāt al-āthār al-nabawiyya(2): He, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, said: “This religion will certainly enter everywhere that night enters.”

I say: In this tradition as well as the previous one, there is no clear mention of the Mahdī, peace be on him, or that he will make such things happen. But, just like the Holy Quran, some narrations explain other narrations. Whoever ponders about what we have mentioned from the verses of the Holy Quran and the traditions— and traditions similar to these—will know that the aim of all of these traditions is one and that is, giving news about Islam’s domination over all other religions and the rule of the believers on earth during the government of the Divine Caliph, Imam Mahdī, peace be on him, whom Allah will help to conquer the entire globe.

342. Mā nazala min al-Qurān fī Ahl al-Bait `alayhim al-salām(3): Narrated to us `Alī b. `Abd-Allah, from Ibrāhīm b. Muḥammad al-Thaqafī, from al-Ḥasan b. al-Ḥusayn, from Sufyān b. Ibrāhīm, from `Amr b. Hāshim, from Isḥāq b. `Abd-Allah, from (Imam) `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him, concerning the saying of Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, “And by the Lord of the heavens and the earth, it is most surely the truth, just as you do speak.”(4) He, peace be on him, said:

“It is most surely the truth,” refers to the rising of the Qā’im, peace be on him. Concerning him, was revealed, “Allah has promised to those of you who believe

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and do good deeds that He will most certainly make them rulers in the earth as He has made rulers those before them, and that He will most certainly establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them, and that He will most certainly, after their fear, give them security in exchange.”

343. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(1): Narrated to us Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Sa`īd b. `Uqda, from Abū l-Ḥasan Aḥmad b. Yūsuf b. Ya`qūb al-Ju`fī, from his book, from Ismā`īl b. Mihrān, from al-Ḥasan b. `Alī b. Abī Ḥamza, from his father and Wuhaib, from Abū Baṣīr, from (Imam) Abū Abd-Allah, peace be on him, regarding the meaning of His saying, Mighty and Glorified be He: “Allah has promised to those of you who believe and do good deeds that He will most certainly make them rulers in the earth as He has made rulers those before them, and that He will most certainly establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them, and that He will most certainly, after their fear, give them security in exchange; They worship Me and don’t associate anyone with Me.” He, peace be on him, said: “It was revealed concerning the Qā’im, peace be on him, and his companions.”

(7)

الَّذِینَ إِن مَّکَّنَّاهُمْ فِی الْأَرْضِ أَقَامُوا الصَّلاَهَ وَآتَوُا الزَّکَاهَ وَأَمَرُوا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَنَهَوْا عَنِ الْمُنکَرِ وَلِلَّهِ عَاقِبَهُ الْأُمُورِ

Those, who if We give them power in the land, will keep up the prayers and pay the zakat and enjoin good and forbid evil, and the outcome

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of all affairs belongs to Allah(1)

344. Shawāhid al-tanzīl(2): Furāt (al-Kūfī), from Aḥmad b. al-Qāsim b. `Ubaid, from Ja`far b. Muḥammad al-Jammāl, from Yaḥyā b. Hāshim, from Abū Manṣūr, from Abū Khalīfa who said:

I and Abū `Ubaida al-Ḥadhdhā’ visited (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him. He asked his slave-girl to get a cushion for us. I said, “There is no need for it, we will sit.” He said, “O Abū Khalīfa! Don’t reject respect. For surely, none turns down respect except a donkey.” I asked him, “How can we recognize the owner of this affair (ṣāḥib al-amr)?” He replied, “The saying of Allah, the Exalted, ‘Those, who if We give them power in the land, will keep up the prayers and pay the zakat and enjoin good and forbid evil.’ When you see this man from us, then follow him, for surely, he is its owner.”

345. Shawāhid al-tanzīl(3): Furāt (al-Kūfī), from al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī b. Zuray` and Ismā`īl b. Abān, from Fuḍail b. al-Zubayr, from Zaid b. `Alī who said: “When the Qā’im from the progeny of Muḥammad, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, rises, he will say, ‘O people! We are the ones about whom Allah has promised you in His Book: “Those, who if We give them power in the land . . .”’”

346. Mā nazala min al-Qurān fī Ahl al-Bait `alayhim al-salām(4): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. al-Ḥusayn b. Ḥamīd, from Ja`far b. `Abd-Allah, from Kathīr b. `Ayyāsh, from Abū l-Jārūd, from (Imam) Abū Ja`far,

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peace be on him, concerning His saying, Mighty and Glorified be He: “Those, who if We give them power in the land, will keep up the prayers and pay the zakat and enjoin good and forbid evil, and the outcome of all affairs belongs to Allah.” He, peace be on him, said:

This (verse) is about the progeny of Muḥammad, the Mahdī, and his companions. Allah, the Exalted, will make them rule all the earth. Through them, Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, will destroy the innovations (al-bida`) and falsehood—the same way that the fools had caused the truth to die—until no sign of unfairness will be visible. They will enjoin good and forbid evil, and the outcome of all affairs belong to Allah.”

(8)

أُذِنَ لِلَّذِینَ یُقَاتَلُونَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ظُلِمُوا وَإِنَّ اللهَ عَلَی نَصْرِهِمْ لَقَدِیرٌ

Permission (to fight) is given to those upon whom war is made, because they are oppressed, and most surely Allah is well able to assist them(1)

347. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(2): Informed us `Alī ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Mas`ūdī, from Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-`Aṭṭār al-Qummī, from Muḥammad b. Ḥasan al-Rāzī, from Muḥammad b. `Alī al-Kūfī, from `Abd al-Raḥmān b. Abī Najrān, from al-Qāsim, from Abū Baṣīr, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, concerning the saying of Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He: “Permission (to fight) is given to those upon whom war is made because they are oppressed, and most surely Allah is well able to assist them.” He said: “It is about the Qā’im, peace be on him, and his companions.”

348.

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Mā nazala min al-Qurān fī Ahl al-Bait `alayhim al-salām(1): Narrated to us al-Ḥusayn b. Aḥmad al-Mālikī, from Muḥammad b. `Īsā, from Yūnus, from al-Muthannā al-Ḥannāṭ, from `Abd-Allah b. `Ajlān, from (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, concerning the saying of Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He: “Permission (to fight) is given to those upon whom war is made because they are oppressed, and most surely Allah is well able to assist them.” He said: “It is about the Qā’im, peace be on him, and his companions.”

(9)

أَیْنَ مَا تَکُونُواْ یَأْتِ بِکُمُ اللهُ جَمِیعًا

Wherever you are, Allah will bring you all together(2)

349. Majma` al-bayān(3): It has been narrated from the Ahl al-Bait, peace be on them, that this verse refers to the companions of the Mahdī, peace be on him, in the end of times. Imam al-Riḍā, peace be on him, says: “By Allah, when our Qā’im rises, Allah will gather towards him his Shias from all the lands.”

It has been narrated in Tafsīr al-`Ayyāshī from Abī Sumayna, from one of the slaves of (Imam) Abū l-Ḥasan, peace be on him, who said: “I asked (Imam) Abū l-Ḥasan, peace be on him, about His saying, the Exalted, ‘wherever you are, Allah will bring you all together.’ He, peace be on him, replied, ‘By Allah, when our Qā’im rises, Allah will gather (for him) our Shias from all the lands.’”

350. Tafsīr al-`Ayyāshī(4) : In a lengthy tradition from (Imam) Abū Ja`far al-Bāqir, peace be on him:

Then, the Qā’im, peace be on him,

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will stand between the Rukn and the Maqām (beside Ka`ba) and will perform prayers. He will complete them while his minister is beside him. He will then say, “O People! Verily, we seek the help of Allah against those who oppressed us and withheld our rights. Whoever disputes us concerning Allah, then we are closer to Allah. Whoever disputes us concerning Adam, then we are the closest people to Adam.

Whoever disputes us concerning Noah, then we are the closest people to Noah. Whoever disputes us concerning Abraham, then we are the closest people to Abraham. Whoever disputes us concerning Muḥammad, may God’s blessings be on him and his family, then we are the closest people to Muḥammad, may God’s blessings be upon him and his family. Whoever disputes us concerning the Prophets, then we are the closest people to the Prophets.

Whoever disputes us concerning the Book of Allah, then we are the closest people to the Book of Allah. Surely, we testify and so does every Muslim today, that we have been oppressed, driven away, and rebelled against. [We have been] removed from our houses, our wealth, and our families and we have been defeated. Beware! Surely, we seek the help of Allah today and so does every Muslim.” By Allah! A little more than Three Hundred and Ten people—which include fifty women—will gather at Mecca all of a sudden and unexpectedly, like the wind-driven, scattered clouds of autumn(1) while some of them are following the others. This

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is the [meaning of the] verse which Allah has stated: “Wherever you are, Allah will bring you all together, Allah has power over all things.”

351. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(1): Narrated to us Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Sa`īd, from Aḥmad b. Yūsuf, from Ismā`īl b. Mihrān, from al-Ḥasan b. `Alī, from his father and Wuhaib, from Abū Baṣīr, from Imam Abū `Abd-Allah (al-Ṣādiq), peace be on him, concerning His saying: “Therefore, hasten to [do] good deeds; wherever you are, Allah will bring you all together.” He, peace be on him, said: “It was revealed concerning the Qā’im and his companions. They will gather all of a sudden, without a previous appointment.”

(10)

وَفِی السَّمَاء رِزْقُکُمْ وَمَا تُوعَدُونَ. فَوَرَبِّ السَّمَاء وَالْأَرْضِ إِنَّهُ لَحَقٌّ مِّثْلَ مَا أَنَّکُمْ تَنطِقُونَ

And in the sky is your sustenance and what you are promised. And by the Lord of the sky and the earth! It is most surely the truth just as you are speaking(2)

352. Ghaybat al-Shaykh(3): Informed us al-Sharif Abū Muḥammad al-Muḥammadī, from Muḥammad b. `Alī b. Tammām, from al-Ḥusayn b. Muḥammad al-Qiṭa`ī, from `Alī b. Aḥmad b. Ḥātim al-Bazzāz, from Muḥammad b. Marwān, from al-Kalbī, from Abū Ṣāliḥ, from `Abd-Allah b. al-`Abbās, concerning the saying of Allah, the Exalted, “And in the sky is your sustenance and what you are promised. And by the Lord of the sky and the earth! It is most surely the truth just as you are speaking.” He said: “[It is about] the rising of the Qā’im.” It is similar to: “wherever you are, Allah

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will bring you all together” which he also said about: “They are the companions of the Qā’im, Allah will gather them together in one day.”

I say: Regarding this subject, there are numerous traditions concerning the interpretation of this verse. The author of Tafsīr al-burhān has recorded fourteen traditions from reliable and authentic books.

The traditions with the following numbers—which are interpretations for the verses of the Holy Quran—also establish the goals of this chapter: 905, 904, 903, 696, 695, 692, 596, 574, 994, 993, 992, 991, 962, 936, 907, 906, 1121, 1122, 1123, 1124, 1125, 1126, 1040, 1014, 1004, 1156, 1152, 1151, 1149, 1148, 1147, 1146, 1144, 1143, 1142, 1141, 1158, 1157, and 1175.

The verses are as follows:

“. . . and made complete to you His favors (both) apparent and hidden,”(1)no. 574

“And by the day when it shows it,”(2) no. 596

“Or, He who answers the distressed one when he calls upon Him and removes the hardship,”(3) no. 903–907

“And if We hold back from them the punishment until a certain time,”(4) no. 903, 1142, 1147, and 1149

“And if you were to see when they become terrified, but (then) there shall be no escape and they shall be seized from a near place,”(5) no. 903 and 1175

“The remnant of Allah is better for you if you are believers,”(6) No. 936 and 1105

“. . . and give good news to the patient ones; those, whom when a misfortune befalls them,”(7) no. 962

“If We want, We will send down upon them a sign from the

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heaven to which they would bend their necks in humility,”(1) no. 991, 992, 993, 1004, 1014, and 1040

“And listen on the day when the caller shall call from a near place. The day when they shall truly hear the loud voice,”(2) no. 994

“Say: ‘On the Day of victory, becoming faithful will not benefit those who disbelieved (before), nor will they be given respite,”(3) no. 1122

“. . . and to Him submits whoever is in the skies and the earth, willingly or unwillingly,”(4) no. 1123 and 1124

“The kingdom on that day shall rightly belong to the Beneficent,”(5) no. 1125

“And say: ‘truth has come and falsehood has perished, surely falsehood is bound to perish,”(6) no. 1126

“We have entrusted with it a people who are not disbelievers in it,”(7) no. 1146

“Then Allah will bring a people, He shall love them and they shall love Him, (they will be) humble before the believers, mighty against the unbelievers,”(8) no. 1146

“Know that Allah gives life to the earth after its death,”(9) no. 1156–1158

“On the day when some of the signs of your Lord shall come, becoming faithful shall not profit a soul, which did not believe before,”(10) no. 692

“And most certainly We will make them taste the nearer punishment before the greater punishment,”(11) no. 695

These are twenty-eight verses about him. Whoever wants to know all the verses in this regard must refer to books exclusively compiled on the subject like al-Baḥrānī’s al-Maḥajja fī mā nazala fī l-Qā’im al-Ḥujja.

and his reappearance in the end of times.

Comprises of 1092 traditions that will either be mentioned (located in this chapter) or referred to (located in other chapters)

*****

353. Musnad of Aḥmad:(1) Narrated to us `Abd-Allah, from his father, from Ḥajjāj and Abū Nu`aim, from Fiṭr, from al-Qāsim b. Abī Bazza, from Abū l-Ṭufail, from `Alī, may Allah be satisfied with him, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said: “If there remains from the world but one day, Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, will send a man who will fill it with justice just as it will be filled with injustice.”

[The narrator says,] Abū-Nu`aim mentioned: “A man from us.” I heard Murra narrating it from Ḥabīb, from Abū l-Ṭufail, from `Alī, may, Allah be satisfied with him, from the Prophet, Allah's blessings be on him [and his family].”

354. Sunan al-Tirmidhī (The Chapter on what has been narrated about the Mahdī):(2) Narrated to us `Ubaid b. Asbāṭ b. Muḥammad al-Qurashī, from his father, from Sufyān al-Thaurī, from `Āṣim b. Bahdala, from Zirr, from `Abd-Allah, that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, said: “The world will not perish until a person from my Ahl al-Bait will rule the Arabs. His name will be my name.” Abū `Īsā says: “It has also been narrated from `Alī, Abū Sa`īd, Umm Salma, and Abū Huraira and this tradition is good (ḥasan) and authentic (sahih).

355. Sunan al-Tirmidhī (The Chapter on what has been

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narrated about the Mahdī):(1) Narrated to us Abd al-Jabbār b. al-`alā’ b. Abd al-Jabbār al-`Aṭṭār, from Sufyān b. `Uyayna, from `Āṣim, from Zirr, from `Abd-Allah, from the Holy Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said: “A person from my Ahl al-Bait will rule. His name will be my name.”

356. Sunan al-Tirmidhī (The Chapter on what has been narrated about the Mahdī):(2) Through the aforementioned chain of narrators, `Āṣim and Abū Ṣāliḥ narrate from Abū Huraira that the Holy Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, said: “If there remains only one day from the world, Allah will certainly prolong that day until he rules.”

Abū-Īsā says: “This tradition is good (ḥasan) and correct (ṣaḥīḥ).

357. Musnad Aḥmad(3): Narrated to us `Abd-Allah, from his father, from Sufyān b. `Uyayna, from `Āṣim, from Zirr, from `Abd-Allah, from the Holy Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said: “The Hour will not be established until a person from my Ahl al-Bait rules. His name will be my name.”

[`Abd-Allah recounts] my father said: “He narrated this to us in his house in his room. I saw some of the sons of Ja`far b. Yaḥyā or Yaḥyā b. Khālid b. Yaḥyā asking him about it.”

358. Sunan al-Tirmidhī(4): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. Bashshār, from Muḥammad b. Ja`far, from Shu`ba, from Zaid al-`Amī, from Abū l-Ṣiddīq al-Nājī, from Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī who said:

We feared that misfortune would occur after our Prophet. So, we asked the Messenger of Allah, may

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Allah’s blessings be upon him [and his family], who replied, “Surely the Mahdī is from my umma. He will emerge and live five or seven or nine.(1)” Zaid al-Shāk said, “We asked, ‘What are these?’ He replied, ‘Years. A man will come to him and say, “O Mahdī! Give me, give me.” Then as much as he can carry will be put in his cloth.’”

[Al-Tirmidhī says]: “This tradition is good (ḥasan) and has been narrated from Abū Sa’īd, from the Holy Prophet, may Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family]. The name of Abu l-Ṣiddīq al-Nājī is Bakr b. `Amr. It has also been said Bakr b. Qays. Aḥmad has recorded it.”

359. Sunan Abī Dāwūd and ibn Māja(2): Narrated to us Aḥmad b. ‘Ibrāhīm from `Abd-Allah b. Ja`far al-Riqqī, from Abū l-Malīḥ al-Ḥasan b. `Umar, from Ziyād b. Bayān, from `Alī ibn Nufayl, from Sa`īd b. al-Musayyib, from Ummi Salma who recounts: “I heard the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], say: ‘The Mahdī is from my progeny from the descendants of Fātīma.’”

`Abd-Allah b. Ja`far says: “I heard Abū l-Malīḥ praise `Alī b. Nufayl and mention him as a truthful person.”

Ibn Māja has recorded this tradition through his chain of narrators from Abū l-Malīḥ, from Ziyād b. Bayān, from `Alī b. Nufayl, from Sa`īd b. al-Musayyib, who said: “We were with Ummi Salma when we spoke of Mahdī. She said, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings be on him [and his

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family], say: “Mahdī is from the children of Fātīma.”’”

I say: This is a correct (ṣaḥīḥ) tradition. Al-Suyūṭī and al-Ḥākim have clearly declared its correctness.

360. Sunan Abī Dāwūd(1): Narrated to us Sahl b. Tamām b. Bazī`, from `Imrān al-Qaṭṭān, from Qatāda, from Abū Naḍra, from Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī, from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings be upon him [and his family], who said: “The Mahdī is from me. (He has) a hairless forehead and an aquiline nose. He will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness. He will rule for seven years.”

Al-Ḥākim has narrated it through his chain of narrators with some differences and has said: “This tradition is correct (ṣaḥīḥ) according to the criteria of al-Muslim, but they [i.e. al-Bukhārī and al-Muslim] have not narrated it.”

361. Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī(2): Narrated to us ibn Bukair, from al-Laith, from Yūnus, from ibn Shihāb, from Nāfi’ the slave of Abū Qatāda al-Anṣārī, from Abū-Huraira, from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who asked: “What will be your condition when the son of Mary descends amongst you and your Imam is from yourselves?”

Muslim has also recorded this: “Narrated to me Ḥarmala b. Yaḥyā, from ibn Wahab, from Yūnus, from ibn Shihāb, from Nāfi` the slave of Abū-Qatāda al-Anṣārī, from Abū-Huraira, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who asked: “What will be your condition when the son of Mary descends amongst

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you and your Imam is from yourselves?”

362. Musnad Aḥmad(1): Narrated to us Faḍl b. Dukain, from Yāsīn al-`Ijlī, from Ibrāhīm b. Muḥammad b. al-Ḥanafiyya, from his father, from `Alī, peace be on him, who said that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, said: “The Mahdī is from us Ahl al-Bait. Allah will straighten out his [affair] in one night.”

Ibn Māja has recorded this tradition in his Sunan: “Narrated to us `Uthmān b. Abī Shaiba, from Abū Dāwūd al-Khuḍrī, from Yāsīn, from Ibrāhīm b. Muḥammad b. al-Ḥanafiyya, from his father, from `Alī, peace be on him, that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, said: “The Mahdī is from us Ahl al-Bait . . .”

363. Sunan ibn Māja(2): Narrated to us Hadiyyat b. `Abd al-Wahhāb, from Sa`d b. Abd al-Ḥamīd b. Ja`far, from `Alī b. Ziyād al-Yamāmī, from `Akramat b. `Ammār, from Isḥāq b. `Abd-Allah b. Abī Ṭalḥa, from Anas b. Mālik, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], who said: “We children of `Abd al-Muṭṭalib are the masters (sādāt) of the dwellers of Paradise: I, Ḥamza, `Alī, Ja`far, al-Ḥasan, al-Ḥusayn and al-Mahdī.”

364. al-Mu`jam al-kabīr(3): Narrated to us Yaḥyā b. `Abd al-Bāqī, from Yūsuf b. `Abd al-Raḥmān al-Marwazī, from Abū Taqī `Abd al-Ḥamīd b. Ibrāhīm al-Ḥimṣī, from Ma`dān b. Sulaim al-Ḥaḍramī, from `Abd al-Raḥmān b. Najīḥ, from Abū Zāhiriyya, from Jubair b. Nufair, from `Auf b. Mālik that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings

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be on him and his family, said: “O `Auf! What will be your condition when this umma breaks up into seventy-three sects, one will be in Paradise and all the others will be in Hell?” I asked, “When will this happen, O Messenger of Allah?”

He replied, “When the dishonorable will be many, the slave-girls will rule, children (al-ḥamlān) will sit on the pulpits, [the Holy Quran will be (recited) with music, mosques will be decorated, the pulpits will be raised](1), the wealth [belonging to the Prophet] (al-fay’) will be passed between [those that it doesn’t belong to], zakāt will be taken by force, trust (al-amāna) will be taken as booty, knowledge in religion will be learned with other than Allah in mind, man will obey his wife while leaving his mother and expelling his father, the last of this umma will curse its first ones, the sinners of a tribe will be their chiefs, the most degraded people of a nation will be their leaders, and people will be respected for the fear of their evil. When this happens, the people will take refuge in Syria [and the Mahdī] will protect them from their enemies.”

I asked, “Syria will be conquered?” He replied, “Yes, very quickly. After it is conquered, fitnas(2) will occur. Then, a dark, hazy fitna will arise and fitnas will come after fitnas until a person from my Ahl al-Bait emerges. He will be called the Mahdī. If you meet him, follow him and be one

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of the guided ones.”

365. Musnad Aḥmad(1): Narrated to us `Abd-Allah, from his father, from `Abd al-Ṣamad, from Ḥammād b. Salama, from Muṭarrif al-Mu`allā, from Abū l-Ṣiddīq, from Abū Sa`īd that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], said: “The earth will be filled with unfairness and injustice. Then, a man from my progeny will emerge and will rule for seven or nine [years](2). He will fill it with fairness and justice.”

After mentioning this tradition, al-Ḥākim says: “This tradition is correct (ṣaḥīḥ) according to the criteria of al-Muslim, but they [i.e. al-Bukhārī and al-Muslim] have not narrated it.”

366. Dhikr akhbāri Iṣbahān(3): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. Ja`far, from Aḥmad b. Ḥusayn al-Anṣārī, from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. al-Ḥusayn b. Ḥafṣ, from his grandfather al-Ḥusayn, from `Akramat b. Ibrāhīm, from Maṭar al-Warrāq, from Abū l-Ṣiddīq al-Nājī, from Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], said:

The Hour will not be established (lā taqūm al-sā’a) until a person from my Ahl al-Bait comes to power, [he will have a] reaping, and an aquiline [nose]. He will fill the earth with justice just as it will be filled earlier with unfairness. He will remain for seven years.”

367. Al-Mustadrak `alā al-Ṣaḥīḥain(4): Al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī b. Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-Tamīmī, from Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan b. Ibrāhīm b. Ḥaidar al-Ḥimyarī at Kūfa, from al-Qāsim b. Khalīfa, from Abū Yaḥyā `Abd al-Ḥamīd b. `Abd al-Raḥmān al-Ḥammānī, from Amr b. `Ubaid-Allah al-`Adwī, from Mu`āwiyat b.

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Qurra, from Abū l-Ṣiddīq al-Nājī, from Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī who informed that the Prophet of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], said:

In the end of times, a severe disaster shall descend on my umma from their rulers; a disaster with unprecedented severity, to the extent that they will be under pressure in the vast expanse of the earth and it will be filled with injustice and unfairness. A believer will not find a place to take refuge from oppression. Then, Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, will send a man from my progeny who will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it was filled with unfairness and injustice. The inhabitants of the skies and the residents of the earth will be satisfied with him.

The earth will not have stored anything from its seeds but that it will make it grow. The sky will not have accumulated anything of its rain-drops but that Allah will pour it on to them. He will live amongst them for seven, eight, or nine years. The living shall long for the dead [i.e. wish the dead were alive] for what Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, will do with the people of earth from His goodness.”

Al-Ḥākim says: This tradition has a correct chain of narrators (ṣaḥīḥ al-asnād), but they [i.e. Bukhārī and Muslim] have not recorded it.

368. Musnad Aḥmad(1): Narrated to us `Abd-Allah, from his father, from `Abd al-Razzāq, from Ja`far, from

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al-Mu`allā b. Ziyād, from al-`Alā’ b. Bashīr, from Abū l-Ṣiddīq al-Nājī, from Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī, who informed that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], said: “I give you glad-tidings about the Mahdī who will be sent to my umma when the people will be in disputes and disasters. He will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness. The inhabitants of the skies and the residents of the earth will be satisfied with him. He will distribute wealth correctly (ṣaḥāḥā).”

A person asked him: “What do you mean by correctly (ṣaḥāḥā)?” He replied: “He will distribute it equally amongst the people. Allah will fill the hearts of the umma of Muḥammad with needlessness and his justice will encompass them. He orders an announcer to call out, ‘Does anybody need wealth?’ No one from the people will respond except one man. He [i.e. the Mahdī] will ask him to go to the treasurer and say, ‘Mahdī orders you to give me wealth.’ He will respond, ‘Hold [your hands].’ After he takes [what has been given to him] to his house he will regret what he has done. He will say [to himself]: ‘Was I the greediest in the umma of Muḥammad or did I lack what they possessed?’ Thus, he will return what was given to him but they will not accept it. It will be said to him, ‘We don’t take back what we

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have given.’ This will continue for seven, eight, or nine years. Then, there will be no good in life after him.”

I say: He has narrated similar to this through another chain.

369. Firdaus al-akhbār(1): From `Abd-Allah b. `Abbās, from the Holy Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], who said: “Mahdī is the peacock of the inhabitants of Paradise.”

370. Musnad Aḥmad(2): Narrated to us `Abd-Allah, from his father, from Abū l-Naḍr, from Abū Mu`āwiya Shaibān, from Maṭar b. Ṭahmān, from Abū l-Ṣiddīq al-Nājī, from Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], said:

The Hour will not be established until a person from my Ahl al-Bait rules. He will have a wide [forehead] and an aquiline [nose]. He will fill the earth with justice just as it will have been filled before him with unfairness. He will remain for seven years.

371. Al-Mustadrak(3): Narrated to us both al-Shaykh Abū Bakr b. Isḥāq `Alī b. Hamshādh al-`Adl and Abū Bakr Muḥammad b. Aḥmad b. Bālawayh, from Bishr b. Mūsā al-Asadī, from Haudhat b. Khalīfa, from `Auf b. Abī Jamīla, from al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī al-Dārimī, from Muḥammad b. Isḥāq al-Imam, from Muḥammad b. Bashshār, from ibn `Adī, from `Auf, from Abū l-Ṣiddīq al-Nājī, from Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], who said: “The Hour will not be established until the earth is filled with unfairness, injustice, and enmity. Then, a person from my

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Ahl al-Bait will emerge who will fill it with fairness and justice just as it will have been filled with unfairness and enmity.”

He [i.e. the author of al-Mustadrak] has said: “This tradition is authentic (ṣaḥīḥ) based on the criteria set by Bukhārī and Muslim, but they have not recorded it . . .”

From al-Musnad: “Narrated to us `Abd-Allah, from his father, from Muḥammad b. Ja`far, from `Auf, from Abū l-Ṣiddīq al-Nājī, from Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], who said:

The Hour will not be established until the earth is filled with unfairness and enmity. Then, a man will emerge from my progeny—or from my Ahl al-Bait—who will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with unfairness and enmity.

372. Sharḥ al-akhbār(1): From Abū Baṣīr, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah Ja`far b. Muḥammad, peace be on him, who said: “Verily, Islam began with loneliness (gharībā) and will soon become lonely just as it had begun, and salvation is for the lonely ones.” [This tradition is famous and has been narrated from the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family. Numerous Shias and Sunnis have narrated it. (Imam) Ja`far b. Muḥammad al-Ṣādiq, peace be on him, has narrated it from him but I have not mentioned the chain of narrators which reach him.](2) Abū Baṣīr says: “I said to him, ‘Elaborate this for me, may I be sacrificed for you, O son of Allah’s

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Messenger!’ He, peace be on him, replied: “The caller (al-dā`ī) from us will renew the call just as the Messenger of Allah [may Allah’s blessings be upon him and his family] had made [a new] call.”

The same applies to the Mahdī. He will give a renewed invitation to Allah when the [Islamic] customs are changed, innovations are increased, the imams of deviation will dominate, the imams of guidance—those whose obedience Allah has made obligatory upon the people—will seldom be mentioned.

Those whom He has appointed for calling towards Him and to point to Him through His signs. They will be forgotten and their news will be cut off [from the people] because the leaders of oppression will dominate the [Ahl al-Bait]. When Allah fulfills his promise to the Imams about the reappearance of their Mahdī, there will be a need [for the Mahdī] to give the [people] a renewed call just as the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, had called them in the very beginning [of his messengership].(1)

373. Ṣifat al-Mahdī(2): From Ḥudhayfa, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said: “(May Allah have mercy) on this umma because of the oppressive rulers! It is amazing that they will kill and frighten those who obey them except those who excessively demonstrate their obedience for them! The God-fearing believers will pretend with their tongues to be their friends but will flee from them with their hearts. When Allah, Mighty

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and Glorified be He, intends to return Islam to its might, He will destroy every tyrant; and He has the power to do what He wills and to reform the umma after its corruption.” Then, he said, “O Ḥudhayfa! If there not remains but one day from the world, Allah will prolong that day until a person from my Ahl al-Bait rules. He will lead bloody battles and Islam will be victorious. He (Allah) does not violate His promise and He is quick in calculating.”

374. Ṣifat al-Mahdī wa kitāb al-`awālī(1): Through his chain of narrators from Abī-Salmat b. `Abd al-Raḥmān b. `Auf, from his father, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said: “Allah will certainly raise from my progeny a man whose front teeth are slightly apart from each other and who has a wide forehead. He will fill the earth with justice and bestow wealth generously.”

375. Sunan ibn Māja(2): Narrated to us Uthmān b. Abī Shaiba, from Mu`āwiya b. Hishām, from `Alī ibn Ṣāliḥ, from Yazīd b. Ziyād, from Ibrāhīm, from `Alqama, from `Abd-Allah who said: “We were with the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], when some youths from Banī-Hāshim entered. When the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], saw them, his eyes became full of tears and his color changed. I said to him, ‘We are seeing on your face something that we dislike.’ He replied, ‘Surely, Allah has

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chosen for us Ahl al-Bait the Hereafter instead of this world. After me, my Ahl al-Bait will most certainly witness calamities, expulsions, and banishments, until a group of people come from the East who will carry black flags. They will ask for goodness but it won’t be given to them. They will fight and be victorious and then they will be given what they had asked for. They will not accept it until they hand it over to a man from my Ahl al-Bait (who) will fill the earth with fairness just as they [i.e. the people] will have filled it with injustice. Whoever encounters them must go to them even if he has to crawl on ice.’”

376. Al-Fitan(1): Narrated to us al-Walīd, from `Alī ibn Ḥaushab, from Makḥūl, from `Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, who said:

I asked the Messenger of Allah, “Is the Mahdī from us Imams of guidance or from others?” He replied, “He is from us. The religion will be sealed by us just as it began through us. By us, they will be freed from the deviations of mischief just as they were freed from the deviations of polytheism. Through us, Allah will unite their hearts in religion after the enmity of mischief, just as Allah united their hearts and their religion after the enmity of polytheism.”

377. Sunan ibn Māja(2): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā, from Abū Dāwūd, and from Muḥammad b. `Abd al-Malik al-Wāsiṭī, from Yazīd b. Hārūn, and

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narrated to us `Alī ibn al-Mundhir, from Isḥāq b. Manṣūr, all of them from Qays, from Abū Ḥaṣīn, from Abū Ṣāliḥ, from Abū Huraira, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him [and his family], who said: “If there remains only one day from the world, Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, will elongate it until a man from my Ahl al-Bait rules. He will conquer the mountain of Daylam and Constantinople (Istanbul).”

I say: In the marginal commentary of al-Sindī, his saying, “until a man will rule . . .” has been interpreted about the promised Mahdī.

378. `Iqd al-durar(1): From Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī, may Allah be satisfied with him, from the Holy Prophet, Allah's blessings be on him [and his family], who said: “The Mahdī is from us Ahl al-Bait. [He is] a man from my umma who has a high nose. He will fill the earth with justice just as it will be filled with injustice.”

Ḥāfiẓ Abū Nu`aim has also mentioned it in Ṣifat al-Mahdī.

379. Musnad Aḥmad(2): Narrated to us `Abd-Allah, from his father, from `Abd al-Ṣamad, from Abān, from Sa`īd b. Zaid, from Abū Naḍra, from Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī, from the Holy Prophet, Allah's blessings be on him [and his family], who said: “After me, there will be a caliph who will distribute wealth generously and will not even count it [to see how much he is giving].”

380. Al-Bayān(3): Abū Ṭāhir Ismā’īl b. Ẓafar b. Aḥmad al-Nāblusī, from Abū l-Makārim Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. `Abd-Allah b.

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al-Mu`addil, from Abū `Alī al-Ḥasan b. Aḥmad b. al-Ḥasan al-Ḥaddād, from al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū Nu`aim Aḥmad b. `Abd-Allah, from Sa`d b. Muḥammad b. Isḥāq, from Muḥammad b. Yūsuf al-Turkī, from Kathīr b. Yaḥyā, from Abū `Awāna, from al-A`mash, from `Aṭiyya, from Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī, from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said: “After the passing of some time and the appearance of fitnas, a man will [come] who will be called the Mahdī. What he grants will be pleasant.”

[He said:] This tradition has been recorded by Abū Nu`aim al-Ḥāfiẓ like we have narrated it.

381. Mawaddat al-qurbā(1): Ibn `Abbās, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, who said: “Surely, Allah granted victory to this religion through `Alī. When he is killed, religion will become corrupted and no one can reform it but the Mahdī.”

382. Mawaddat al-qurbā(2): `Alī, [peace be on him], from the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, who said: “The world will not be destroyed until a man from my umma rises who is from the progeny of al-Ḥusayn; he will fill the earth with justice just as it will be filled with unfairness.”

383. Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim(3): Narrated to us Zuhair b. Ḥarb, from `Abd al-Ṣamad b. `Abd al-Wārith, from his father, from Dāwūd, from Abū Naḍra, from Abū Sa`īd and Jābir b. `Abd-Allah, both of them from the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, who

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said: “In the end of times, there will be a caliph who will divide wealth but will not count it.”

And narrated the same tradition to us, Abū Bakr b. Abū Shaiba, from Abū Mu`āwiya, from Dāwūd b. Abū Hind, from Abū Naḍra, from Abū Sa`īd, from the Messenger of Allah.

384. al-Fitan(1): Narrated to us Abū Mu`āwiya, from Dāwūd, from Abū Naḍra, from Abū Sa`īd, may Allah be satisfied with him, from the Holy Prophet, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, who said: “In the end of times, there will emerge a caliph who will grant wealth without counting it.”

385. Al-`Arf al-wardī(2): Ibn Abū Shaiba has recorded from Abū Sa`īd that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, said: “A person will emerge from my Ahl al-Bait after the passing of time and the appearance of fitnas; his grants will be abundant.”

386. Al-Musnad(3): Narrated to us `Abd-Allah, from his father, from `Affān, from Ḥammād b. Salma, from `Alī b. Zaid, from Abū Naḍra, from Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, who said: “Verily, Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, will send in this umma a caliph who will give away wealth generously and will not count it.”

387. Al-Musnad(4): Narrated to us `Abd-Allah, from his father, from Khalaf b. al-Walīd, from `Abbād b. `Abbād, from Mujālid, from Abū l-Waddāk who said to Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī, “By Allah! No ruler rules over us but

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that he is more evil than the previous one, and not a year arrives but that it is more evil than the preceding year.” He replied, “If I had not heard something from the Messenger of Allah I too would have said like what you say. I heard the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, say, ‘From your rulers there will be a ruler who will give away wealth abundantly but will not count it. A person will come to him and ask him (for money). He will say, “Take.” The person will spread his dress and he will fill it.’ The Messenger of Allah spread a thick blanket which was covering him to show the act of the person [who asked], then he gathered all its sides. He said, ‘He will take it and then depart.’”

388. Al-Musnad(1): [In a tradition from Abū Naḍra, from Jābir that] the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, said: “There will be a caliph in the last of my nation. He will give away wealth abundantly but will not count it.”

389. Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim(2): Narrated to us Naṣr b. `Alī al-Jahḍamī, from Bishr (i.e. ibn al-Mufaḍḍal) and narrated to us `Alī ibn Ḥajar al-Sa`dī, from Ismā’īl (i.e. b. `Ulayya), both of them from Sa`īd b. Yazīd, from Abū Naḍra, from Abū Sa`īd, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, who said: “From your caliphs there is a caliph who

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will give away wealth abundantly but will not count it.”

390. Ṣifat al-Mahdī(1): From Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, who said: “Most certainly, the earth will be filled with enmity; then, a person from my Ahl al-Bait will emerge who will fill it with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with unfairness and enmity [injustice and unfairness].”

391. Musnad Abī Ya`lā(2): Narrated to us Sulaimān b. `Abd al-Jabbār Abū Ayyūb Sahl b. `Āmir, from Fuḍail b. Marzūq, from `Aṭiyya, from Abū Sa`īd, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, who said: “In the end of times, after the advance of ages and passing of time, there will be an Imam who will be the most generous of the people. A man will come to him and [the Imam] will put [wealth] in his dress. He will be concerned as to who will accept the charity of this wealth which is between him and his family as all the people will be flushed with goodness’s (and riches).”

392. Tārīkh ibn `asākir(3): He has recorded through his chain of narrators, from ibn `Abbās that the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, said: “How can a nation be destroyed when I am at its beginning, Jesus is at its end, and the Mahdī is in its middle?”

393. `Iqd al-durar(4): From Anas b. Mālik, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be

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on him and his family, who said: “A nation will never be destroyed which I am at its beginning, its Mahdī is in the middle, and Christ—the son of Mary—is at its end.”

394. `Iqd al-durar(1): From Abū Ja`far Muḥammad b. `Alī, from his father, from his grandfather, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him [and his family], who said:

I give glad-tidings to you all! I give glad-tidings to you all! My nation is like rain. It is not clear whether its beginning is good or its end? Or like an orchard from which groups [of people] eat [fruit] for one year. Perhaps the last group [that eats from it] is the most widest and deepest(2) and is better than all the others. How can a nation perish when I am at its beginning, the Mahdī is in its middle, and Christ is at its end? [Beware!], between all these will be crooked leaders; they are not from me and I am not from them.

395. Faḍā’il al-ṣaḥāba lil-Sam`ānī(3): From Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī who said:

Fāṭima came to her father, Allah's blessings be on him [and his family], during his illness and said while crying, “O my father! I fear neglect/destruction (al-ḍay`a) after you!” He replied, “O Fāṭima! Verily Allah examined the earth thoroughly, then chose your father and sent him as a Messenger. He examined the earth a second time and chose your husband. He then ordered me to marry you to him and so, I married you to

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him. He was the greatest amongst Muslims in forbearance (ḥilm), the best of them in knowledge, and the first in [accepting] Islam.

Surely, Allah has granted seven characteristics to us Ahl al-Bait which He has not given to anyone from those [before us] and no one from those who will come [after us] will acquire them. Our Prophet is the best of prophets and he is your father; our successor (waṣiyyunā) is the best of successors and he is your husband; our martyr is the best of martyrs and he is your father’s uncle, Ḥamza; from us is the one who has two wings with which he will fly in paradise wherever he wishes, and he is Ja`far [al-Ṭayyār]; from us are the two grandsons of this nation and they are your two sons; and from us is the Mahdī of this nation.”

Abū Hārūn al-`Abdī says:

I met Wahb b. Munabba during the Hajj season and mentioned this tradition to him. He said, “When the tribe of Moses was tested and took the calf as god, a bitter situation was created for Moses. Allah said, ‘O Moses! The nations of all the Prophets before you were tested, and a great fitna will befall upon the nation of Aḥmad to an extent that some will curse others. Then, Allah will make right their affairs through a man from the progeny of Aḥmad, and he is the Mahdī.’”

396. Al-Istī`āb(1): [Jābir al-Ṣadafī] narrates from the Prophet, Allah's blessings be on him [and his family],

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who said: “After me, there will be caliphs. After the caliphs there will be rulers. After the rulers there will be kings. After the kings there will be tyrants and after the tyrants, a man will emerge from my Ahl al-Bait who will fill the earth with justice.”

This tradition has been narrated by ibn Lahī`a, from `Abd al-Raḥmān b. Qays b. Jābir al-Ṣadafī, from his father, from his grandfather, from the Prophet, Allah's blessings be on him and his family.

397. Al-Bayān fī akhbār Ṣāḥib al-Zamān(1): Ḥāfiẓ Abū l-Ḥasan Muḥammad b. Abū Ja`far al-Qurtubī and others in Damascus, and al-Muftī Ṣaqr b. Yaḥyā b. Ṣaqr al-Shāfi`ī and others in (the city) of Ḥalab, all of them from Abū l-Faraj Yaḥyā b. Maḥmūd al-Thaqafī and Abū `Alī al-Ḥasan b. Aḥmad b. al-Ḥasan, from al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū Nu`aim Aḥmad b. `Abd-Allah, from Muḥammad b. Zakariyyā al-Ghalābī, from `Abbās b. Bakkār, from `Abd-Allah, from al-A`mash, from Zirr b. Ḥubaish, from Ḥudhayfa that the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him [and his family], said:

If there remains only one day from the world, Allah will definitely send in it a person whose name is my name and whose morals are my morals. He will be called Abū `Abd-Allah. The people will pledge allegiance to him between the Rukn and the Maqām. Through him, Allah will bring back the religion and He will grant him victories. [Then,] no one will remain on the face of earth but that he will acknowledge that there is no god

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but Allah.

Salmān, may Allah be satisfied with him, stood up and asked: “O Messenger of Allah! From which one of your sons will he be?” He answered: “He will be from the descendants of this son of mine,” then patted (Imam) al-Ḥusayn’s back.

398. Al-Sunan al-wārida fī l-fitan(1): Narrated to us Ḥamzat b. `Alī, from `Abd-Allah b. Muḥammad, from Abū Khalīfa, from Musaddad, from ibn Shihāb, from `Aṣim, from Abū Ṣāliḥ, from Abū Huraira that the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him [and his family], said: “If there only remains one night from the world, Allah will make a person from my Ahl al-Bait rule in it.”

399. Firdaus al-akhbār(2): From Jābir b. `Abd-Allah that the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, said: “The Paradise yearns for four people from my family. Allah loves [these four] and has ordered me to love them: `Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, al-Ḥasan, al-Ḥusayn, and the Mahdī—behind whom Jesus, the son of Maryam, will pray.”

400. Al-Mu`jam al-kabīr(3): Narrated to us al-Ḥasan b. `Alī al-Ma`marī, from `Abd al-Ghaffār b. `Abd-Allah al-Mauṣilī, from `Alī b. Mus-hir, from Abū Isḥāq al-Shaibānī, from `Āṣim b. Abū l-Najūd, from Zirr b. Ḥubaish, from ibn Mas`ūd who recounts that the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him [and his family], said: “The days and the nights will not go away until a person from my Ahl al-Bait rules; his name will be my name.”

In another tradition, the following sentence has been added: “He will fill

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the earth with justice just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness.”

401. Al-Mu`jam al-kabīr(1): Narrated to us Ma`ādh b. al-Muthannā, from Musaddad, from Abū Shihāb Muḥammad b. Ibrāhīm al-Kinānī, from `Aṣim b. Bahdala, from Zirr, from `Abd-Allah that the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him [and his family], said: “If there remains from the world but only one night, a person from the Ahl al-Bait of the Prophet, Allah's blessings be on him [and his family], will rule in it.”

402. Al-Mu`jam al-kabīr(2): Narrated to us Aḥmad b. Muḥammad al-Jammāl al-Iṣfahānī, from Ibrāhīm b. `Āmir b. Ibrāhīm, from his father, from Ya`qūb al-Qummī, from Sa`d b. al-Ḥusayn, from Abū Bakr b. `Ayyāsh, from `Aṣim b. Abī l-Najūd, from Zirr b. Ḥubaish, from `Abd-Allah b. Mas`ūd, from the Holy Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], who said: “The affairs of this nation—in the ends of its time—will be in the hands of a man from my Ahl al-Bait. His name will be my name.”

403. Al-`Arf al-wardī(3): Abū Nu`aim and al-Ḥākim have both narrated from Abū Sa`īd that the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him [and his family], said:

The Mahdī will emerge in my nation. Allah will send him as a helper (ghiāsā) for the people. The nation will be blessed, livestock will feed, the earth will bring out its vegetation, and he will give away wealth correctly (ṣiḥāhā)(4).

404. Al-Fitan(5): Al-Walīd narrates from Abū Rāfi` Ismā’īl b. Rāfi`, from someone who narrated to him

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from Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī, from the Holy Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], who said:

His nation will take refuge in him (i.e. the Mahdī) like the bees which take refuge in their king. He will fill the earth with justice just as it will it be filled with injustice. [This will continue] until the people return to their initial state, that is, they will not wake up a sleeping person and will not shed blood.

405. Kanz al-`ummāl(1): “The Mahdī will emerge in the ends of my nation. Allah will send rain for him and the earth will bring out its vegetation. He will give away wealth correctly, livestock will increase, and the nation will be glorified. He will live for seven or eight years [as has been narrated by ibn Mas`ūd].

406. Dhikr akhbār Iṣbahān(2): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. al-Faḍl b. Qadīd, from al-Ḥasan b. Yūsuf b. Sa`īd al-Miṣrī, from Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā b. Maṭar al-Makhramī, from Dāwūd b. al-Muḥabbar, from Abū l-Muḥabbar b. Qaḥdham, from his father Qaḥdham b. Sulaimān, from Mu`āwiya b. Qurra, from his father that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], said: “Most certainly, this earth will be filled with injustice and unfairness. When it is filled with injustice and unfairness, Allah will send a person from me whose name will be my name. He will fill it with fairness and justice just as it was filled with injustice and unfairness.”

407. Al-Rauḍa min al-Kāfī(3): Al-Ḥusayn b. Muḥammad

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al-Ash`arī, from Mu`allā b. Muḥammad, from al-Washshā, from Abū Baṣīr, from Aḥmad b. `Umar who narrates:

A person came to (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, and said, “Surely you are the Ahl al-Bait of mercy. Allah, Blessed and High be He, has distinguished you with this [characteristic].” He, peace be on him, replied, “We are so, and all praise is for Allah. We don’t make anyone go astray nor do we bring anyone out of guidance. Surely, the world will not end until Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, sends a person from us Ahl al-Bait who will act in accordance with the Book of Allah. He will not see any evil in you but that he will denounce it.”

408. Al-Mu`jam al-ausaṭ(1): From Ṭalḥat b. `Abd-Allah, from the Holy Prophet, Allah's blessings be on him [and his family] who said: “And soon, a fitna will occur. The unrest will not cease in one place except that it will start in another until an announcer from the sky will call out: ‘Surely, your leader is so and so.’”

I say: The ambiguity of this tradition because of it not explicitly stating the name of the Mahdī does not harm our purpose, because numerous traditions we quoted earlier and those that will be cited in the future explain this tradition and remove its ambiguity.

The author of Ibrāz al-wahm al-maknūn writes:

I have found a support for his tradition (i.e. the tradition of Ṭalḥa). Ibn Abī Shaiba states, “Narrated to us al-Ḥasan b. Mūsā,

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from Ḥammād b. Salma, from Abū Muḥammad, from `Aṣim b. `Amr al-Bajalī that Abū Umāma said, ‘The name of a person will surely be called out from the sky. It cannot be denied with any argument and no degraded person can prevent it.’”

(He then mentions another narration) as support, from `Alī, peace be on him, which, God willing, we will mention in the future).

409. Al-Fitan by Nu`aim b. Ḥammād(1): Narrated to us `Abd-Allah b. Marwān, from al-`Alā b. `Utba, from al-Ḥasan that “The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], mentioned the hardships that will be encountered by his Ahl al-Bait [which will continue] until Allah raises a black flag from the East. Whoever helps it, Allah will help him, and whoever deserts it, Allah will desert him, until they come to a person whose name is my name. He will take over their affairs and Allah will assist and help him.”

410. Al-Fitan(2): Narrated to us `Abd al-Razzāq, from Mu`ammar, from Qatāda that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], said: “Soon, he will bring out the treasures, will distribute wealth, and will fully establish Islam.”

411. Kanz al-`ummāl(3): From Sa`d al-Iskāf, from al-Aṣbagh b. Nubāta, who narrates: “`Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, delivered a lengthy sermon. He praised Allah and extolled Him then said:

Know that verily I and the good ones from my progeny and my Ahl al-Bait are the most knowledgeable of the people in childhood and

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the most forbearing of them in old age. With us is the flag of truth. Whoever goes ahead of it will be degraded, whoever stays behind will be destroyed, and whoever stays with it will have reached it. Surely we are the people of mercy and through us the doors of wisdom are opened. Our judgment is based on Allah’s Judgment and our knowledge is based on Allah’s Knowledge and to the sayings of an honest person we have listened.

If you follow us, you will be saved and if you turn away, Allah will punish you at our hands. By us, Allah has opened the noose of disgrace from your necks. By us—and not by you—Allah will end (binā yukhtam lā bikum). Through us the one who lags behind will reach and to us the one who has gone ahead will return . . . (He continued in another part,) by Allah! I was taught the interpretation of the messages, the fulfillment of the promises, and the completion of the words. Certainly, from those who succeed me from my Ahl al-Bait, there will be a person who will invite to Allah with strength and will judge with the laws of Allah. This will be after a hard and disgraceful era in which the hardships will be severe and hopes will be lost . . . (After mentioning some of the bloody battles, he continued,) know that surely from us is the one who will rise; his lineage will be

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pure and his companions will be leaders.

When the enemies of Allah are to be destroyed, he will be called out three times with his name and the name of his father in the month of Ramaḍān. This will be after turmoil, killings, miseries, lunacies, and the rise of calamities. I know that to whom the earth will extract its deposits and hand over its treasures.

If I wanted, I could have struck [the earth] with my foot and said, “Bring out from here helmets and armor” . . . Indeed, Allah will appoint a Caliph who will remain firm in guidance and will not accept bribes in his judgments. When he calls, he will be [heard] far and distant. [His calls] will be lethal for the hypocrites and will bring relief for the believers. Know that these will surely happen despite those who dislike them [happening]. All praise is for Allah the Lord of the worlds and His blessings be upon our master Muḥammad, the seal of the Prophets.

412. Al-Bayān wa l-tabyīn(1): From Abū ‘Ubaida Mu`ammar b. al-Muthannā, from Ja`far b. Muḥammad, peace be on him, from his forefathers, peace be on them, from Amīr al-Mu’minīn `Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, who said:

Know that the good ones (al-abrār) from my progeny and the pure ones from my descendants, are the most forbearing of the people in childhood and the most knowledgeable of them in old age. Know that we Ahl al-Bait have learned knowledge from Allah’s

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knowledge. Our judgment is from Allah’s judgment and we have listened to the sayings of an honest person.

If you follow us, you will be guided with our insight but if you don’t do so, Allah will destroy you at our hands. We hold the flag of truth. Whoever follows it will reach [salvation] and whoever lags behind will perish. Know that through us every believer is protected from bad fate (binā taraddu dabaratu kullu mu’min), through us the noose of disgrace is removed from your neck, and through us gains are made. Allah will commence through us—not through you—and He will end by us, not by you.”

Ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd says in his commentary: “His saying, ‘He will end by us, not by you,’ points towards the Mahdī who will appear in the end of times. Most narrators have the view that he will be from the progeny of Fāṭima, peace be on her. Our fellow Mu`tazilī companions do not deny this. They have clearly mentioned him in their books and their teachers have testified about him.”

413. Īḍāḥ al-ishkāl(1): From Abū l-Za`rā’ who narrates that `Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, used to say:

Verily I and the pure ones from my descendants and the good ones from my progeny are the most forbearing of people in childhood and the most knowledgeable of them in old age. By us Allah will invalidate falsehood; by us Allah will break the teeth of the rabid wolves; by us Allah will free

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you from disgrace and remove the noose of your necks. By us Allah will begin and He will end.

414. Sharḥ nahj al-balāgha by ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd(1): The Chief of Justice (qāḍī al-quḍat), may Allah the Exalted have mercy on him, has narrated from Ismā’īl b. `Abbād—may Allah have mercy on him—through his chain of narrators which end at `Alī, peace be on him, that he mentioned the Mahdī and said: “He is from the progeny of al-Ḥusayn.” He then described his appearance: “A man with a wide forehead, aquiline nose, sturdy belly, long thighs, shining teeth, and on his left thigh is a mole.”

Ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd writes: “`Abd-Allah b. Qutayba has mentioned this exact tradition in Gharīb al-ḥadīth.”

415. Al-Fitan(2): Narrated to us al-Walīd and Rushdain, from ibn Lahī`a, from Isrā’īl b. `Abbād, from Maimūn al-Qaddāḥ, from Abū l-Ṭufail, may Allah be satisfied with him, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family. One of the two narrated from `Alī, peace be on him, from the Holy Prophet; Ibn Lahī`a narrated from Abū Zur`a, from `Umar b. `Alī, from `Alī, peace be on him, from the Holy Prophet who said: “Religion will end through us just as it commenced with us and through us they will be freed from polytheism.”

One of the two narrated [it like this]: “. . . from deviation. And through us Allah will unite their hearts after the enmity of polytheism.”

Another narrated [it like this]: “. . . deviation and mischief

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. . .”

416. Al-Fitan(1): Narrated to us al-Walīd, from Abū Lahī`a and informed us `Ayyāsh b. `Abbās, from ibn Zarīr, from `Alī, peace be on him, from the Holy Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], who said: “He is a man from my Ahl al-Bait.”

He has recorded it through another chain of narrators: Narrated to us ibn Wahb, from ibn Lahī`a, from al-Ḥarth b. Yazīd, from ibn Zarīr al-Ghāfiqī who heard `Alī, peace be on him, say: “He is from the progeny of the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family].”

417. Al-Fitan(2): Narrated to us Abū Hārūn, from `Amr b. Qays al-Mulā’ī, from al-Minhāl b. `Amr, from Zirr b. Ḥubaish, from `Alī, peace be on him, who said: “The Mahdī is a man from us from the descendants of Fāṭima, may Allah be satisfied with her.”

418. Al-Fitan(3): Narrated to us more than one person from ibn `Ayyāsh, from Sālim who said:

Najda wrote [a letter] to ibn `Abbās asking him about the Mahdī. He replied, “Surely, Allah the Exalted, has guided this umma through the first of this house and will free them through the last of them. During his [rule], goats which have horns and also those who don’t will not fight with each other.”

419. Ṣaḥīḥ ibn Ḥibbān(4): From Umm Salma who recounts that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], said about the Mahdī: “He will distribute among the Muslims their booty and will treat them in accordance with

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the customs (sunna) of their Prophet, Allah's blessings be on him [and his family]. He will fully establish Islam (yulqī al-islām bi jirānih ilā al-arḍ) throughout the earth. He will live for seven years.”

420. Kanz al-`ummāl(1): (In a lengthy tradition from `Alī, peace be on him, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family):

O `Alī! Allah has commenced [Islam] by us and He will end it by us. By us He will destroy the idols and whoever worships them. By us He will crush every oppressor and every hypocrite to an extent that we will kill for rightness like the people who killed for falseness. O `Alī, this nation is like an orchard that a group of people will eat from for a year and another group will eat from it in another year. Perhaps, the last group [is like a tree] who has the firmest root, the most beautiful branch, and the sweetest fruit. They are the best and the most just and will possess the longest kingdom.”

421. Murūj al-dhahab(2): It has been narrated that Amīr al-Mu’minīn `Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, said:

When Allah willed to destine creation and create the creatures and make the things [that He] made, He manifested the creatures in forms like dust particles, and this was before the spreading of the earth and the raising of the sky; while He was in the exclusivity of His Kingdom and Uniqueness of His Omnipotence (jabarūtih).

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Thereafter, He made ready a light from His Light so it shone and took a part from His Brightness and it radiated. Then, He put the Light in the middle of these hidden forms, and the form of our Prophet Muḥammad, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, approached it.

So, Allah the Almighty said, “You are the chosen one, the selected. With you is entrusted My light and the treasures of My guidance. Because of you, I level the desert, let the water flow, and raise the sky. [Because of you], I reward and punish and [created] the Heaven and Hell. I will appoint your Ahl al-Bait for guidance. I will bestow upon them from My unseen knowledge so that the most complex of issues will not be difficult for them and the hidden things will not make them incapable. I will appoint them as My proof upon My creation and as those who draw the attention [of the people] towards My Power and My Oneness.”

Then, Allah made them testify to [His] Lordship (al-rubūbiyya) and purely acknowledge [His] Oneness (al-waḥdāniyya). After this pledge, He blended the insight of his creations with the fact that he had selected Muḥammad and his family. He showed them that guidance is with him, the light belongs to him, and that leadership (al-imāma) is in his family . . . Then, His Throne (`arsh) became afloat on water, after which He spread the earth on the surface of water, and from the

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water, He extracted a smoke and made it the sky. Then, He summoned them both (i.e. the earth and the sky) towards His obedience and they submitted by responding [to His call].

Then, Allah made the angels with lights that He created and souls that he invented. Then, he accompanied with His Oneness (tauḥīd) the prophethood of Muḥammad, Allah's blessings be on him [and his family], whom became popular in the skies before he was sent to earth. When Allah created Adam, He clarified his excellence for the angels and showed them why He had distinguished him on account of His prior knowledge, when He had taught him by informing him alone of the names of things. Thus, Allah appointed Adam as a prayer-niche (miḥrāb), a Ka`ba, a door (bāb), and a Qibla to whom the righteous (al-abrār) and the spiritual lights (al-rūḥānīīn al-anwār) prostrated.

Then, He made Adam aware of what He had put in him for safekeeping and manifested for him what He had kept in him as trust. And this was after He had named him as a leader (imām) in the presence of the angels . . . He called the people, overtly and covertly, and invited them, secretly as well as openly. He, peace be on him, drew the attention of the people to the covenant which He had ordered the particles to, prior to creation.

Whoever agreed with him and took from the lamp of Light that was offered to them, was guided to His

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secret and His clear affair became apparent for him. But, whoever was deceived by negligence, became eligible for [divine] wrath. Thereafter, the Light was transferred inside us and shone in our Imāms. Thus, we are the Lights of the sky and the Lights of the earth. Salvation is achieved through us and from us [comes out] the hidden knowledge. All affairs are destined to us. The proofs (al-ḥujaj) will end at our Mahdī who is the seal of the Imams and the one who will save the umma. [He is] the peak of illumination and the source of all affairs. We are the most superior of the creatures, the noblest of the monotheists, and the proofs of the Lord of the worlds. So, let him enjoy the bounties, he who fastens to our mastership (wilaya) and holds on to our rope.

This is what has been narrated from Abū `Abd-Allah Ja`far b. Muḥammad, from his father Muḥammad b. `Alī, from his father `Alī ibn al-Ḥusayn, from his father al-Ḥusayn, from Amīr al-Mu’minīn `Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, [peace be on them].

422. Nahj al-balāgha(1): Amīr al-Mu’minīn, peace be on him, said in a sermon narrated by al-Sharīf al-Raḍī—may Allah be satisfied with him—on the authority of Nauf al-Bikālī who stated: “Amīr al-Mu’minīn `Alī, peace be on him, addressed to us this sermon at Kūfa while standing on a stone which Ja`da b. Hubayra al-Makhzūmī had placed for him. He was wearing a woolen cloak, his sword-belt was made of date-tree leaves, the

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sandals on his feet too were made of date-tree leaves, and His forehead was calloused [because of excess prostration].

Then, he, peace be on him, said(1): ‘. . . he will be wearing the armor of wisdom—which he will have secured with all its conditions—such as full attention towards it, its (complete) knowledge, and exclusive devotion to it. For him, it is like a thing which he had lost and which he was then seeking, or a need which he was trying to fulfill. If Islam is in trouble, he will feel forlorn like a traveler and like a [tired] camel beating the end of its tail and with its neck flattened on the ground. He is the last of Allah’s Proofs and one of the vicegerents of His Prophets.’”

Ibn Abī al-Ḥadīd says in his commentary on Nahj al-balāgha:

Every sect has interpreted this speech in accordance with their own beliefs. The Imāmī Shias believe that it refers to the awaited Mahdī they believe in . . . In my view, it is not improbable that the one intended by this sermon is the Qā’im from the progeny of Muḥammad, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, in the end of times.

423. Yanābī` al-mawadda(2): From Amīr al-Mu’minīn `Alī, peace be on him, in a poem—that is not from his collection of poems:

Allah has a pearl, a brave Imam

Who will disgrace the polytheist warriors with his sword

He will manifest this religion in every region

And will defeat the polytheists

He will purify the

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earth from all corruption

And will disgrace every tyrant

He will spread justice in the East and the West

And will firmly establish Allah’s religion entrenched

. . .

I am not saying these out of pride

The chosen one from the Banī-Hāshim [i.e. the Prophet] has informed me.

424. Al-Dīwān(1):

O Ḥusayn! When you are a stranger in a city

Act in accordance with its etiquette

As if I am seeing myself and my progeny

And Karbala and its battleground

Our beards will be dyed with our bloods

Like a bride decorated with cosmetics

As if I am seeing it—but not with the eyes

And I have been given the keys to its doors

Calamities that don’t want to be dispelled

So be prepared for them [before they befall you]

May Allah satisfy our Qā’im who [will suddenly emerge before] Judgment Day

Whilst the people are busy with their normal lives

He will Avenge my blood, O Ḥusayn

And your [blood], so be patient during the difficulties, O Ḥusayn

425. Al-Dīwān(2):

O my son! When the enemies mobilize their troops

Await the Mahdī’s kingdom, his rise, and his justice

The time that the kings from the Banī-Hāshim will be humiliated

And they will pledge allegiance to he who engages in revelry

He will be like a child with no opinion of his own

A fool who possess’ no wisdom

It is then that the rightful Qā’im from amongst you [Ahl al-Bait] will rise

He will bring the truth and will act rightfully

He is the namesake of Allah’s Prophet; may my soul be sacrificed for him

Help him, O my son, and hasten in assisting him

426. Al-Durr al-munaẓẓam(3): It has been

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narrated from Amīr al-Mu’minīn `Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, that: “The bearer of the flag of Muḥammad and the [owner] of the government of Aḥmad will emerge. He will rise with the sword and destruction. [He will be] truthful in speech and will reform the earth and bring to life the customs and the duties.”

427. Al-Muṣannaf(1): Narrated to us Abū Mu`āwiya, from al-A`mash, from Ibrāhīm al-Taymī, from al-Ḥārith b. Suwayd, from `Alī, peace be on him, who said:

Islam will be degraded to the extent that even ‘Allah Allah’(2) will not be uttered. When this happens, the leader of the religion (ya`sūb al-dīn) will come out with his followers. Then, a group will be dispatched that will gather around him like the clouds in autumn. By Allah! I certainly know the name of their chief and the resting-places of their horsemen.

428. `Iqd al-durar(3): From Abū Wā’il who mentions that `Alī looked at al-Ḥusayn, peace be on them, and said:

This son of mine is a master (sayyid) just as the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], has named him. Soon, a person from his loin will emerge whose name will be the same as that of your Prophet. He will come when the people will be in a state of negligence, truth will be dead, and injustice will be evident. The inhabitants of the sky and its dwellers will rejoice at his reappearance. He will have a wide forehead, an aquiline nose, sturdy

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belly, and long thighs. There is a mole on his left thigh and his front teeth are slightly apart from each other. He will fill the earth with justice, just as it will be filled with unfairness and injustice.

429. Al-Malāḥim wa l-fitan(1): He has narrated a lengthy tradition which is a debate between ibn `Abbās and Mu`āwiya, in which ibn `Abbās has refuted Mu`āwiya in the following manner:

As for what you said that “No one can possess both Caliphate and Prophethood [at the same time],” then what about the saying of Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, “Indeed, We have given the family of Ibrāhīm the Book and Wisdom, and We have given them a Great Kingdom.”(2) The Book refers to Prophethood and Wisdom refers to sunna and Kingdom refers to Caliphate. We are the family of Ibrāhīm. The Command of Allah concerning them and us is one and the sunna is implemented amongst us and them.

As for your saying, “Your proof is ambiguous,” then I swear by Allah, it is brighter than the sun and more brilliant than the moon and you certainly know that yourself but you are a wretched person. We killed your brother, your grand-father, your paternal uncle, and your maternal uncle. So, don’t cry over decayed bones and souls being wasted in hell fire. Don’t be angry because of the blood that became legible for shedding because of polytheism and which has been degraded by Islam.

As for your saying, “We think that the government of

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the Mahdī belongs to us,” then know that the word ‘think’ is used to refer to ‘doubt’ in the book of Allah. Allah, Purified and High be He, says: “Those who disbelieve think that they will never be resurrected. Say: Yes! By my Lord, you will most certainly be resurrected . . .”(1)

Everyone testifies that we have a King who will be appointed by Allah even if nothing remains from the world but one day. Surely, we have a Mahdī that if nothing remains but a single day, Allah will send him [to fulfill] His commands. He will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness . . . (to the end of the tradition).

The tradition also speaks about the details of the descent of Jesus, peace be on him, and his praying behind Imam Mahdī, peace be on him.

430. Al-Malāḥim wa l-fitan(2): In the twenty-eighth chapter in which he has discusses the book of Muḥammad b. Jarīr al-Ṭabarī called `Uyūn akhbār banī hāshim. He mentions ibn `Abbās’ debate with Mu`āwiya about the Mahdī in which ibn `Abbas says to Mu`āwiya

There is not a single clan from [the tribe] of Quraish who can boast about an affair except that there are other [clans] who [also] have a claim in that affair, except for Banī-Hāshim. For, they can take pride in Prophethood in which no one else was their partner nor was anyone equal with them in [their virtues].

This merit cannot

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be taken away from them. I swear that Allah, Blessed and High be He, did not appoint Muḥammad from the Quraish but because the Quraish were the best of creatures, and He did not appoint him from the Banī-Hāshim but because the Banī-Hāshim were the best amongst the Quraish, and He did not appoint him, from the progeny of `Abd al-Muṭṭalib but that they were the best of Banī-Hāshim.

We do not take pride over you except in what you take pride over the Arabs. This is the umma which is subject to Divine Mercy. To it belongs its Prophet and its Mahdī. The Mahdī is at its end because the affairs [of Islam] commenced with us and will end with us. Your kingdom is short and our kingdom will be long. Your kingdom is prior to our kingdom but there will be no kingdom after ours. We are the [pious] and the end is only for the pious.

431. Al-Sunan al-wārida fī l-fitan(1): Narrated to us `Abd al-Raḥmān b. Uthmān, from Qāsim, from ibn Abū Khaithama, from Muslim b. Ibrāhīm, from al-Qāsim b. al-Faḍl, from ibn `Umair al-Muhjarī, from Abū l-Ṣiddīq who said:

Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī was sitting on the pulpit of the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], and crying and longing for him. I asked, “What has made you cry?” He replied, “I remembered the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], and his sitting on this pulpit while he was saying,

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‘Surely, from my Ahl al-Bait is the one with an aquiline [nose] and a wide [forehead]. He will come when the earth will be filled with unfairness and injustice, and he will fill it with fairness and justice. He will live for this period.’ And he indicated seven or nine with his fingers.

432. Al-Iḥtijāj(1): In a lengthy tradition which he has narrated through his chains of narrators from Saif b. `Umaira and Ṣāliḥ b. `Uqba, both from Qays b. Sam`ān, from Alqamat b. Muḥammad al-Ḥaḍramī, from (Imam) Abū Ja`far Muḥammad b. `Alī, peace be on him, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, in his lengthy sermon at the Ghadīr of Khumm:

O People! The Light of Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, is inside me, then in it will be in `Alī followed by his progeny until the Qā’im, the Mahdī, who will take back the rights of Allah and every right which belongs to us.

He then said many things about the Mastership (wilāya) of `Alī and the Imams after him, peace be on them, then continued:

O People! Verily, I am a Prophet and `Alī is my heir (waṣī). Know that the seal of the Imams, the Qā’im, the Mahdī, is from us. Know that surely he is the one who will dominate the religion. Know that surely he is the one who will take revenge from the oppressors. Know that surely he is the one who will conquer the forts and destroy them.

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Know that surely he is the one who will kill all polytheist tribes. Know that surely he is the one who will avenge the blood of all the friends of Allah (auliyā Allāh).

Know that surely he is the one who will help the religion of Allah. Know that surely he is the one who will take water from a deep ocean. Know that surely he is the one who will mark every person of merit with his merit and every person of ignorance with his ignorance. Know that surely he is the chosen and selected one by Allah. Know that surely he is the inheritor of all sciences and has full knowledge about them. Know that surely he informs about his Lord, Mighty and Majestic be He, and mentions the affair of His belief. Know that surely he is guided and firm.

Know that surely [the affairs] have been handed over to him. Know that surely he is the one about whom glad tidings have been given to those before him. Know that surely he is the surviving proof (ḥujja) and there is no proof (ḥujja) after him. There is no truth but that it is beside him and there is no light but that it is with him. Know that no one can overpower him and gain victory over him.

433. Al-Burhān fī `alāmāt Mahdī ākhir al-zamān(1): From Muḥammad b. al-Ḥanafiyya, may Allah be satisfied with him, who said:

We were with `Alī, peace be on him, when a person asked

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him about the Mahdī. He replied, “It is far! It is far!” Then, he showed nine with his fingers and said, “This will happen in the end of times [in a time] that if it is said to a person, ‘Allah, Allah,’ [that person] will be killed. Then, Allah will gather a group for him like the gathering of clouds in autumn. He will unite their hearts and they will not fear anybody nor will they rejoice for anybody joining them. Their number will be equal to the warriors [of the battle] of Badr. The prior ones will not overtake them and the later ones will not reach them. Their number will be equal to the soldiers of Ṭālūt—those who crossed the river with him.”

434. `Iqd al-durar(1): From Sālim al-Ashall, from (Imam) Abū Ja`far Muḥammad b. `Alī al-Bāqir, peace be on him, who said:

Moses, peace be on him, looked in the first Exodus at what would be granted to the Qā’im from the family of Muḥammad, Allah's blessings be on him [and his family], and pleaded, “O Lord! Make me the Qā’im from the family of Muḥammad.” It was said to him, “This [position] belongs to the seed of Aḥmad.” Then he looked in the second Exodus and saw the same things, and made the same request and got the same reply. Again, in the third Exodus, he saw the same things, made the same request and got the same reply.

435. Musnad Abī Ya`lā(2): Narrated to us Abū Bakr b.

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Abū l-Naṣr, from Abū l-Naḍr, from al-Murjā b. Rajā’ al-Yashkurī, from `Īsā b. Hilāl, from Bushair b. Nuhaik, from Abū Huraira who said: “Narrated to me my friend, Abū l-Qāsim, Allah's blessings be on him [and his family], that ‘the Hour will not be established until a person from my Ahl al-Bait rises against them. He will attack them until they return to the truth.’” I (i.e. Nuhaik) asked, “How many will they be?” He (i.e. Abū Huraira) replied, “five and two.” I enquired, “And what is five and two?” He replied, “I don’t know.”

436. Kanz al-`ummāl(1): From `Adī b. Ḥātim, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], who said: “Indeed, the Hour will not be established until the white castle which is in Madā’in will be conquered, and the Hour will not be established until a woman in a howdah travels safely from Ḥijāz to Iraq without fearing anything. And the Hour will not be established until an Imam rules over the people who will give away wealth freely.”

437. Musnad Abī Ya`lā(2): Narrated to us Sulaimān b. `Abd al-Jabbār Abū Ayyūb, from Sahl b. `Āmir, from Fuḍail b. Marzūq, from `Aṭiyya, from Abū Sa`īd, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], who said: “In the end of times—after the advance of ages and passing of time—there will be an Imam who will be the most generous of the people. A man will come to him and [the

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Imam] will put [the wealth] in his dress. He will be concerned as to who will accept the charity of this wealth—which is between him and his family—as all the people will be flushed with welfare.”

438. Al-Fitan(1): Narrated to us ibn Wahb, from ibn Lahī`a, from al-Ḥarth b. Yazīd, from `Abd-Allah b. Zarīr al-Ghāfiqī, from `Alī, may Allah be satisfied with him, who said: “Trials are of four kinds: The trial of prosperity, the trial of distress, the trial of so and so . . . then, a person from the progeny of the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], will emerge. Allah will reform their affairs at his hands.”

439. Al-Sunan al-wārida fī l-fitan(2): Narrated to us `Abd al-Raḥmān, from Qāsim, from Aḥmad b. Zuhair, from `Ammār al-Duhnī, from Sālim b. Abū l-Ja`d who said: “When we went for Hajj, I went to see `Abd-Allah b. `Amr al-`Āṣ. He asked me, ‘Where are you from?’ I replied, ‘From Iraq.’ He said, ‘Then be from the people of Kūfa.’ I replied, ‘I am from them.’ To which he answered, ‘They will be the most helpful to the Mahdī.’”

440. Al-Sunan al-wārida fī l-fitan(3): Narrated to us `Abd-Allah b. Fuḍail, from `Abbāb b. Hārūn, from al-Faḍl b. `Ubaid-Allah, from Yaḥyā b. Zakariyyā b. Yaḥyāwayh al-Nīsābūrī, from Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā, from Muḥammad b. Salma, from Abū l-Wāṣil b. `Ubaid, from Jābir b. `Abd-Allah, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], who said:

A group from

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my umma will always fight for the truth until Jesus, son of Mary, descends at the time of dawn at Bait al-Maqdas. He will come to the Mahdī and will be told, “Come forward O Prophet of Allah and lead our prayers.” He will reply, “Verily, some from this umma are trustees for others due to their honorable position with Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He.”

441. Al-Fitan(1): Narrated to us `Abd-Allah b. Marwān, from al-`Alā’ b. `Utba, from al-Ḥasan that “the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], mentioned a hardship that will be afflicted on his Ahl al-Bait until Allah sends a black flag from the East. Whoever helps it, Allah will help him and whoever abandons it, Allah will abandon him, until a person comes whose name will be my name. Allah will make him in charge of their affairs and will assist him with His help.”

442. Al-Fitan(2): Narrated to us Sa`īd Abū Uthmān, from Jābir, from (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, that “Black Flags that will rise from Khurāsān and will descend at Kūfa. When the Mahdī appears at Mecca, they will go to him to pledge allegiance.”

443. Al-Fitan(3): Narrated to us al-Walīd and Rushdain, from ibn Lahī`a, from Abū Qubail, from Abū Rūmān, from `Alī, may Allah be satisfied with him, who said: “The Sufyānī and the Black Flags will confront each other. Amongst the Black Flags there will be a youth from Banī-Hāshim who has a mole on his

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left hand. Guiding them will be a man from Banī Tamīm named Shu`ayb b. Ṣāliḥ. There will be intense bloodshed between these two armies. The Black Flags will be victorious and the horsemen of Sufyānī will take to their heels. It is then that the people will desire for the Mahdī and will seek him.”

444. Al-Fitan(1): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. `Abd-Allah Abū `Abd-Allah al-Tayharti, from `Abd al-Raḥmān b. Ziyād b. An`um, from Muslim b. Yasār, from Sa`īd b. al-Musayyib, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], who said: “Black Flags belonging to the Banī `Abbās will emerge from the east. They will halt for a period that Allah wills. Then, smaller Black Flags will appear from the east who will fight against a man from the progeny of Abū Sufyān and his companions. They will advise [the people] to obey the Mahdī.”

445. Nahj al-balāgha(2):

Until Allah brings out for you one who will gather you together and unite you after your separation. Do not place expectations in one who does not come forward and do not lose hope in one who has turned back [from you], because it is possible that one of the two feet of the one who has turned back may have slipped while the other has remained firm and both [his feet] might return, until both are firm. Beware! The example of the family of Muḥammad, Allah’s blessings be on them, is like that of the stars in the sky.

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When one star sets another one rises. Allah has completed his obligations upon you and He has shown [or will show] you what you used to wish for.

446. Sharḥ nahj al-balāgha (by ibn Maitham)(1):

O People! Be aware of a knowledge that is definite. What the Qā’im will encounter from your ignorance is like what the Messenger [of Allah] also encountered from your ignorance. That is, because on that day the entire umma will be engulfed in a state of ignorance except those upon whom Allah has mercy.

Do not hurry lest your demise hastens towards you; and know that lenience is a blessing and in forbearance is survival and comfort. The Imam is more knowledgeable regarding what they deny/don’t know. I swear by my life! He will uproot the evil judges from amongst you, he will remove the diseased from you, he will dismiss the tyrant rulers, and he will purify the earth of every deceiver.

Certainly, he will act amongst you with justice and stand amongst you with the straight weighing scale. Those living from you will desire the return of their dead ones even for a very brief period. It is then that they will enjoy life and this will surely happen. For the sake of Allah have patience, control your tongues, and live [peacefully] because soon deprivation will reach you. If you exercise patience, act in a calculated manner, and live in harmony, he will certainly seek the blood-revenge of your killed ones, avenge the murdered ones,

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and get back your rights. I swear by Allah a true oath,

“Surely Allah is with those who restrain themselves and those who do good” (Quran Surah Nahl 16:128).

447. Al-Durr al-manthūr(1): He has recorded from ibn Mardawayh, from ibn `Abbās, that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], said: “The Companions of the Cave (aṣḥāb al-kahf) will assist the Mahdī.”

It has been mentioned in Tafsīr al-tha`labī, in the story about the companions of the cave—which has also been narrated from him in ‘Iqd al-durar, al-Burhān, al-`Umda, and al-Ṭarā’if—that: “They went to their sleeping places and will go to sleep until the end of times when the Mahdī, peace be on him, emerges.” He continues, “The Mahdī will salute them after which Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, will bring them back to life for him. Then, they will go to sleep again and will not wake up until the Day of Rising (al-Qiyāma).”

448. `Iqd al-durar(2): Saif b. `Umair narrates:

I was with Abū Ja`far al-Manṣūr [the Abbasid caliph] when he initiated the conversation: “O Saif b. `Umair! It is inevitable that a caller will call out from the sky the name of a person from the progeny of Abū Ṭālib.” I replied, “May I be given as ransom for you, O Amīr al-Mu’minīn! Are you narrating this?” He answered, “I swear by the One in whose hand is my life, Yes—for the listener who has ears.”

I said, “O Amīr al-Mu’minīn! I have never heard this

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tradition before.” He replied, “O Saif! This is the truth. And when this happens, we will be the ones who will be more worthy of responding to this call. The call will be to a person from the sons of our cousins.” I asked, “A person from the progeny of Fāṭima, peace be on her?” He answered, “Yes, O Saif! Had I not heard it from Abū Ja`far Muḥammad b. `Alī, peace be on him, I would not have accepted it even if all the people on earth had narrated it to me, but, he is Muḥammad b. `Alī, peace be on him.”

449. Al-Amālī(1): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan b. Aḥmad b. al-Walīd, from al-Ḥusayn b. al-Ḥasan b. Abān, from al-Ḥusayn b. Sa`īd, from Muḥammad b. al-Ḥusayn [al-Ḥasan] al-Kinānī, from his grandfather, from Imam Abū `Abd-Allah al-Ṣādiq, peace be on him, who said:

Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, sent to His Prophet— Allah’s blessings be on him and his family—a manuscript before his death and said, “O Muḥammad! This manuscript is your will to the noble (al-najīb) one from your family.” He asked, “And who is the noble one from my progeny, O Jabra’īl?” He replied, “`Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib.” There were golden seals on the manuscript and the Prophet handed it over to `Alī, peace be on him, and advised him to break one of the seals and act according to what was in it. `Alī, peace be on him, broke a seal and acted upon its instructions.

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Then he handed it over to his son al-Ḥasan, peace be on him, who broke a seal and acted upon its instructions. Then he handed it over to his son al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him, who broke a seal and found written in it that, “Go with a group of people towards martyrdom, for, there is no martyrdom for them except with you and sell yourself to Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He.” And he did, then handed it to `Alī ibn al-Ḥusayn, who broke a seal and found in it, “Maintain silence, be confined to your house, and worship your Lord until certainty [i.e. death] comes to you” and he did accordingly.

Then, he handed it over to Muḥammad b. `Alī, peace be on him, who broke a seal and found in it, “Narrate/speak to the people and give verdicts. Do not fear anyone except Allah because no one can harm you.” Then he handed these to me. I broke a seal and found, “Narrate/speak to the people and give verdicts. Spread the knowledge of your Ahl al-Bait and confirm your righteous forefathers. Do not fear anyone except Allah for you are in protection and safety.” I acted according [to the instructions]. Then, I will pass it on to Mūsā b. Ja`far who will hand it over to the one after him. This will continue until the rise of the Mahdī, peace be on him.

450. Al-Amālī(1): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. Mūsā b. al-Mutawakkil, from Muḥammad b. `Abd-Allah al-Kūfī,

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from Mūsā b. `Imrān al-Nakha`ī, from his uncle al-Ḥusayn b. Yazīd al-Naufalī, from `Alī ibn Sālim, from his father, from Abū Ḥamza al-Thumālī, from Sa`d al-Khaffāf, from al-Aṣbagh b. Nubāta, from `Abd-Allah b. `Abbās, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said:

When I was taken to the seventh heaven and from there to the Lote Tree of the Boundary (sidrat al-muntahā) and from sidrat al-muntahā to the veils of light (ḥujub al-nūr), my Lord, majestic be His Majesty, called out to me, “O Muḥammad! You are my servant and I am your Lord. So, be humble before Me and only worship Me. Rely on Me and trust Me for I am satisfied with you as a servant, beloved, messenger, and prophet and [I am satisfied] with your brother, `Alī, as a successor and a door (khalīfatan wa bābā). He is My proof (ḥujjatī) upon My servants and a leader (Imām) for My creation.

Through him, My friends will be known from My enemies and through him, Satan’s party will be distinguished from My party. Through him, My religion will be established, My limits will be protected, and My regulations implemented. Through you, him, and the Imams from his progeny, I will have mercy on My male and female servants. And by the Qā’im from amongst you I will give life to My earth with My Tasbīḥ, Tahlīl, Taqdīs, Takbīr, and Tamjīd. Through him, I will clean the earth from My enemies and make

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My friends inherit it. Through him, I will degrade the word of the disbelievers and elevate My word.

Through him, I will enliven My servants and My cities with My knowledge. For him, I will reveal the treasures and the reserves with My will. I will disclose only to him the secrets and the hidden things by My intention (bi Irādatī). I will help him with My angels so that they may assist him in implementing My order and proclaiming My religion. He is surely My [appointed] guardian and truly the guided one from My servants.”

451. Al-Amālī of al-Ṭūsī (1): A group informed us from Abū l-Mufaḍḍal, from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Yasār b. Abī l-`Ajūz al-Simsār, from Mujāhid b. Mūsā al-Khuttalī, from `Abbād b. `Abbād, from Mujālid b. Sa`īd, from Jabr [or Jubair] b. Nauf Abū l-Waddāk who said:

I said to Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī, “By Allah! No year comes upon us but that it is worse than the previous one, and no ruler but that he is worse than the previous,” to which Abū Sa`īd answered, “I heard the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, say what you are saying, but, I also heard the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, say, ‘This situation will not go away from you until amongst all the fitnas and injustices, someone is born who will not be recognized at that time. [This situation will continue] until The world becomes filled with injustice

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to the extent that no one will be able to utter: ‘Allah’.

Then, Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, will send a person from me and from my progeny. He will fill the earth with justice just as those before him will have filled it with unfairness. [Allah] will bring out its treasures(1), and he will give away wealth freely and will not even count [what he is giving]. This will continue until Islam is fully established.’”

452. Ghaybat al-Shaykh(2): Informed me a group from Abū Muḥammad Hārūn b. Mūsā al-Talla`ukbarī, from Abū `Alī al-Rāzī, from ibn Abū Dārim, from `Alī ibn al-`Abbās al-Sindī al-Muqāni`ī, from Muḥammad b. Hāshim al-Qaysī, from Sahl b. Tamām al-Baṣrī, from `Imrān al-Qattān, from Qatāda, from Abū Naḍra, from Jābir b. `Abd-Allah al-Anṣārī, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said: “The Mahdī will emerge in the end of times.”

453. Ghaybat al-Shaykh(3): From Muḥammad b. Isḥāq, from al-Muqāni`ī, from Bakkār b. Aḥmad, from al-Ḥasan b. al-Ḥusayn, from Talīd, from Abū l-Jaḥḥāf, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said: “I give you glad tidings about the Mahdī,” and he repeated this statement three times. Then he said, “He will emerge when there will be disagreements amongst the people and intense hardships. He will fill the earth with fairness and justice as it will be filled with unfairness and injustice. He will fill the hearts of Allah’s servants with worship and they will

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benefit from his justice.”

454. Ghaybat al-Shaykh(1): Through the aforementioned chain of narrators, from al-Ḥasan b. Ḥusayn, from Sufyān al-Jarīrī, from `Abd al-Mu’min, from al-Ḥārith b. Ḥaṣīra, from `Umāra b. Juwain al-`Abdī, from Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī who said:

I heard the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, say [while he was] on the pulpit, “Verily, the Mahdī is from my progeny from my Ahl al-Bait. He will emerge in the end of times. The sky will pour down its raindrops for him and the earth will bring out its seeds for him. He will fill the earth with justice and fairness just as the people will have filled it with unfairness and injustice.”

455. Ghaybat al-Shaykh(2): Muḥammad b. Isḥāq, from al-Muqāni`ī, from Ja`far b. Muḥammad al-Zuhrī, from Isḥāq b. Manṣūr, from Qays b. al-Rabī` and others, from `Āṣim, from Zirr, from `Abd-Allah b. Mas`ūd who recounts that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, said: “The world will not come to an end until a person from my Ahl al-Bait rules my nation. He will be called the Mahdī.”

456. Ghaybat al-Shaykh(3): Informed me a group from Abū Ja`far Muḥammad b. Sufyān al-Bazaufarī, from Aḥmad b. Idrīs, from `Alī ibn Muḥammad b. Qutayba al-Naishābūrī, from al-Faḍl b. Shādhān, from Naṣr b. Muzāḥim, from Abū Lahī`a, from Abū Qubail, from `Abd-Allah b. `Amr b. al-`Āṣ, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said in a lengthy narration: “It

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is then that the Mahdī will emerge. He is from the descendants of this [man]—and he pointed towards `Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him.

Through him, Allah will destroy falsehood (al-kadhib) and will conclude the era of hardship. Through him, the noose of disgrace will be removed from your necks.” Then, he declared, “I am the first of this nation, the Mahdī will be in the middle, and Jesus will be at the end. Between all this there will be a crooked old man.”

457. Al-Amālī by al-Ṣadūq(1): Ibn al-Mutawakkil, from `Alī, from his father, from ibn Abū `Umair, from someone who heard (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, say the following line [of poetry]:

For every nation is a government which they are on the lookout for,

And our government will appear in the end of times

458. Dalā’il al-imāma(2): Narrated to us Abū l-Mufaḍḍal Muḥammad b. `Abd-Allah, from Aḥmad b. Isḥāq b. al-Buhlūl al-Qāḍī, from his father, from Samura b. Ḥajar, from Ḥamza al-Naṣībī, from Zaid b. Rafī`, from Abū `Ubaida, from `Abd-Allah b. Mas`ūd who recounts:

I was with the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, when a group of youth from Banī-Hāshim passed by whose faces were [shining like] lamps. [On seeing them], the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, started weeping. I said, “What has made you cry, O Messenger of Allah?”

He replied, “We are an Ahl al-Bait for whom, Allah has chosen the Hereafter over the world. Soon, my

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Ahl al-Bait will be killed, driven away, and displaced from the cities. [This will continue] until Allah makes ready for us a flag which will come from the East and whoever fights it will be defeated. Then, a person from my Ahl al-Bait will emerge whose name will be like my name and whose character will be like my character. My umma will go to him like birds returning to their nests. Then, he will fill the earth with justice just as it will be filled with injustice.”

Similar traditions with various chains of narrators have also been reported on the authority of ibn Mas`ūd.

459. Dalā’il al-imāma(1): Informed us Abū Ṭāhir `Abd-Allah b. Aḥmad al-Khāzin, from Abū Bakr Muḥammad b. `Umar b. Muḥammad b. Muslim b. al-Barā’ al-Ji`ābī, from Abū l-Ḥasan `Abd-Allah b. Muḥammad b. al-`Abbās al-Rāzī al-Qummī, from his father, from (Imam) `Alī ibn Mūsā al-Riḍā, peace be on him, from his father (Imam) Mūsā b. Ja`far, peace be on him, from his father (Imam) Ja`far b. Muḥammad, peace be on him, from his father (Imam) Muḥammad b. `Alī, peace be on him, from his father (Imam) `Alī ibn al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him, from his father (Imam) al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him, from his brother (Imam) al-Ḥasan, peace be on him, from his father (Imam) `Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, who said: “The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, said to me, ‘The Hour will not be established until the true

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Qā’im rises.

This will occur when Allah, Mighty and Glorified be, permits him to do so. Whoever follows him will be saved and whoever doesn’t will perish. [Fear] Allah! [Fear] Allah! O servants of Allah! Go to him even if you have to crawl on ice because he is the Caliph of Allah (khalīfat Allah) and my successor (khalīfatī).”

460. Dalā’il al-imāma(1): Through his chain of narrators [i.e. Abū l-Ḥasan Muḥammad b. Hārūn b. Mūsā from his father], from Abū `Alī al-Nahāwandī, from Isḥāq, from Yaḥyā b. Sulaim, from Hishām b. Ḥasan, from al-Mu`allā b. Abū l-Mu`allā, from Abū l-Ṣiddīq al-Nājī, from Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said: “Rejoice at the good news of the Mahdī. Surely, he will come in the end of times amidst difficulties and hardships. Allah will make the earth prosperous for him with justice and fairness.”

461. Dalā’il al-imāma(2): From him [i.e. Muḥammad b. Hārūn b. Mūsā], from his father Abū Muḥammad Hārūn b. Mūsā, from Abū `Alī al-Ḥasan b. Muḥammad al-Nahāwandī, from Aḥmad b. Zuhair, from `Abd-Allah b. Dāhir al-Rāzī, from `Abd-Allah b. `Abd al-Quddūs, from al-A’mash, from `Āṣim b. Abū al-Najūd, from Zirr b. Ḥubaish, from `Abd-Allah b. Mas`ūd, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said: “The Hour will not be established until a person from my progeny rules. His name will be like my name. He will fill the earth with fairness and justice

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just as it will be filled with unfairness and injustice.”

462. Dalā’il al-imāma(1): Informed us Abū l-Ḥusayn Muḥammad b. Hārūn, from Abū Hārūn b. Mūsā, from Muḥammad b. Jarīr al-Ṭabarī, from `Īsā b. `Abd al-Raḥmān, from al-Ḥasan b. al-Ḥusayn al-`Uranī, from Yaḥyā b. Ya`lā al-Aslamī, `Alī ibn al-Qāsim al-Kindī, and Yaḥyā b. al-Musāwir, from `Alī ibn al-Musāwir, from `Alī ibn al-Ḥazawwar, from al-Aṣbagh b. al-Nubāta, (in a tradition from Imam `Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, which he said at the end): “And the Mahdī will be from us in the end of times. In all the nations, there will be no other awaited Mahdī other than him.”

463. Ghaybat al-Shaykh(2): Aḥmad b. Idrīs, from `Alī ibn al-Faḍl, from Aḥmad b. Uthmān, from Aḥmad b. Razzāq, from Yaḥyā b. al-`Alā al-Rāzī, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah (al-Ṣādiq), peace be on him, who said:

Allah, the Exalted, will bring forth in this nation a person who is from me and I am from him. Through him, Allah, the Exalted, will bring forth the blessings of the skies and the earth. The sky will pour its raindrops, the earth will bring out its seeds, and its beasts and wild animals will be protected. He will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with unfairness and injustice. He will kill to the extent that the ignorant will say, ‘Had he been from the seed of Muḥammad, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, he would have been merciful.’

464. Al-Kāfī(3): Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā,

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from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad, from Muḥammad b. Sinān, from Abān, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah (al-Ṣādiq), peace be on him, who said: “The world will not come to an end until a person from me appears. He will judge using the judgment of the family of [the prophet] David, peace be on him, and will not ask for any testimony. He will give everybody their rights.”

465. Al-Irshād(1): Abū l-Qāsim; Ja`far b. Muḥammad, from Muḥammad b. Ya`qūb, from `Alī ibn Ibrāhīm b. Hāshim, from his father; and `Alī ibn Muḥammad al-Qāsānī, all of them from Zakariyyā b. Yaḥyā b. al-Nu`mān al-Baṣrī who said: “I heard `Alī ibn Ja`far b. Muḥammad say to al-Ḥasan b. al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī ibn Ḥusayn, ‘Allah helped Abū l-Ḥasan al-Riḍā, peace be on him, when his brothers and uncles rebelled against him.” (He then mentions a lengthy tradition which ends with his saying:) ‘And I stood up and held Abū Ja`far Muḥammad b. `Alī al-Riḍā’s hand and said to him, “I testify that you are my Imam [when I stand] before Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He.”

On witnessing this, (Imam) al-Riḍā, peace be on him, wept and said, “O uncle! Didn’t you hear my father say, ‘The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, declared, “May my father be sacrificed for the son of the pure, the best lady from the city of Nūbiyya(2)! From his [i.e. Imam Riḍā’s] descendants will be the driven-away (al-ṭarīd), the wanderer (al-sharīd), whose father and grandfather have

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been killed but not avenged. He will go in occultation until it is said, ‘He has died or he has perished or which valley has he entered?’”’” I replied, “You are speaking the truth, may I be sacrificed for you!”’

466. Nafas al-mahmūm(1): From al-Kāmil by Shaykh al-Bahā’ī, from (Imam) `Alī ibn al-Ḥusayn Zain al-`Ābidīn, peace be on him, in his famous sermon delivered at Damascus:

Allah, the Exalted, bestowed upon us forbearance, knowledge, bravery, and generosity and [put our] love in the hearts of the believers. From us is the Messenger of Allah, his successor, the Master of the Martyrs, and Ja`far al-Ṭayyār (the flying one) in Paradise, the two grandsons of this umma [i.e. Ḥasan and Ḥusayn], and the Mahdī, who will kill the Dajjāl.

467. Maqātil al-ṭālibīn(2): (While mentioning the martyrdom of Zaid b. `Alī and its reason, he writes): Informed us `Alī ibn al-Ḥusayn, from al-Ḥasan b. `Alī al-Ādamī, from Abū Bakr al-Jabalī, from `Abd-Allah b. `Abd al-Raḥmān al-`Anbarī, from Mūsā b. Muḥammad, from al-Walīd b. Muḥammad al-Mūqirī who said:

I was with al-Zuhrī at al-Ruṣāfa when he heard the sound of people making fun. He said to me, “O Walīd! See what it is?” I peeped out a window of his house and said, “It is the head of Zaid b. `Alī!!” He sat up and said, “The people of this house who hurried have been killed.” I asked him, “Will they not rule?” He answered, “Narrated to me `Alī ibn al-Ḥusayn, from his father, from Fāṭima, that

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the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, informed her, ‘The Mahdī is from your descendants.’”

468. Al-Amālī (known as al-Amālī al-khamīsiyya)(1): In a tradition that he has recorded through his chain of narrators from `Alī, peace be on him:

By the One Who split the grain and created the wind! If only one day remains from the world, Allah will prolong that day until a man from me rules the earth. He will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness . . . I swear by the One Who split the grain and created the wind, if no one remains from them (i.e. the Banī Umayya) except one man, he will indeed rebel with evil against the religion of Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He.

469. Qurb al-isnād(2): Muḥammad b. `Īsā, from `Abd-Allah b. Maimūn al-Qaddāḥ, from Ja`far, from his father, from (Imam) `Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, who said:

From us are seven people whom Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, has created and has not created like them on earth. From us is the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, the master of the first and the last and the seal of the Prophets. His heir (waṣī) is the best of heirs, his grandsons are the best of grandsons—Ḥasan and Ḥusayn. The Master of the Martyrs (sayyid al-shuhadā), Ḥamza, is his uncle. [And the two others are] Ja`far, the

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one who turns [or flies] with the angels, and the Qā’im.

470. Kāmil al-ziyārāt(1): Through his previous chains of narrators, from Abū l-Qāsim Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. Qūlawayh, from a group of his teachers which include: his father, Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan, and `Alī ibn al-Ḥusayn, [all of them] from Sa`d b. `Abd-Allah b. Abū Khalaf, from Muḥammad b. `Īsā b. `Ubaid al-Yaqṭīnī, from Abū `Abd-Allah Zakariyyā al-Mu’min, from ibn Muskān, from Zaid—the slave of ibn Hubayra—from (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said:

Fasten to the waist-belt of this anza`(2), for surely, he is the greatest truthful person (al-ṣiddīq al-akbar) and the guide for those who follow him. Whoever precedes him has gone ahead of religion. Whoever deserts him, Allah will destroy him. Whoever holds fast to him has held fast to the rope of Allah. Whoever accepts his guardianship (wilaya) will be guided by Allah, and whoever rejects his guardianship (wilaya), will be misled by Allah.

From him are the two grandsons of this nation, who are my two sons al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn. From the descendants of al-Ḥusayn are the guiding Imams and the Qā’im, the Mahdī. Love them and accept their guardianship. Don’t take their enemy as an ally instead of them, in that case you will be worthy of the wrath of your Lord and a disgrace in this world, and indeed, whoever has forged a lie will be disappointed.

471. Mukhtaṣar baṣā’ir al-darajāt(3): Muḥammad

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b. al-Ḥusayn b. Abū l-Khaṭṭāb and Ya`qūb b. Yazīd, from Aḥmad b. al-Ḥusayn al-Maithamī, from Muḥammad b. al-Ḥusayn, from Abān b. Uthmān, from Mūsā al-Ḥannāṭ, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah (al-Ṣādiq), peace be on him, who said: “The Days of Allah (ayyām Allāh) are three: the day when the Qā’im rises, the Day of Returning (yaum al-karra) (1) and the Day of Judgment (qiyāma).”

472. Al-Mustarshid(2): Narrated to us Abū Ḥafṣ `Umar b. `Alī ibn Yaḥyā, from Qays b. Ḥafṣ, from Yūnus, from `Alī ibn Ḥazawwar, from Aṣbagh b. Nubāta, from `Alī, peace be on him, who said:

When Allah gathers the first and the last [i.e. all the people], the best of the people will be seven and all of them will be from the descendants of `Abd al-Muṭṭalib. Your Prophet will be called the best of the Prophets, [and he is] from the descendants of `Abd al-Muṭṭalib. The heir (waṣī) of your Prophet, is the master of the heirs (sayyid al-auṣiyā) [and he is] from the descendants of `Abd al-Muṭṭalib. Al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn, the two masters of the youth of paradise, are from the descendants of `Abd al-Muṭṭalib. Ḥamza, the Master of the Martyrs, is from the descendants of `Abd al-Muṭṭalib. Ja`far, who has two wings, is from the descendants of `Abd al-Muṭṭalib. And the Mahdī who will emerge in the end of times, is from the descendants of `Abd al-Muṭṭalib. This is a generosity from Allah, the like of which has not been granted to anyone from the first ones

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and the last ones.”

473. Sunan Abī Dāwūd(1): Hārūn narrates from `Amr b. Abī Qays, from Muṭarrif b. Ṭarīf, from al-Ḥasan, from Hilāl b. `Amr, from `Alī, may Allah be satisfied with him, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], who said: “A person from Mā Warā’ al-Nahr will emerge who will be called al-Ḥārith b. Ḥarrāth. His army will be led by a person called Manṣūr. He will strengthen the family of Muḥammad, just like the Quraish who strengthened the Messenger of Allah. It will be obligatory upon every believer to help him.”

474. Uyūn akhbār al-Riḍā(2): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. Aḥmad b. al-Ḥusayn b. Yūsuf al-Baghdadi, from al-Ḥusayn b. Aḥmad b. al-Faḍl—the Imam of the Jāmi` Mosque of Ahwāz—from Bakr b. Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Ibrāhīm al-Qaṣrī, the slave of al-Khalīl al-Maḥlamī, from al-Ḥasan b. `Alī ibn Muḥammad b. `Alī ibn Mūsā, from `Alī ibn Mūsā, from his father (Imam) Mūsā b. Ja`far b. Muḥammad who said: “The Qā’im will not be but an Imam, the son of an Imam, and a heir (waṣī), the son of a heir (waṣī).”

475. Al-Khiṣāl(3): Through his chain of narrators from `Alī, peace be on him, in the tradition mentioning seventy of his excellences in which none of the companions of the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, matched him, he said:

As for the fifty third [excellence], then surely Allah will not end the world until the Qā’im from us rises. He

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will kill those who hate us, he will not accept the non-Muslim tax (jizya), he will break the cross and the idols. War will end and he will invite [people to come and] take wealth and he will distribute it equally, and will deal justly with the people.

476. Sharḥ al-akhbār(1): From Mujāhid (without mentioning the chain of narrators): “. . . then the Qā’im from the family of Muḥammad will be sent to punish them. The people will regard him weak [but] Allah will grant him victory over the easts and the wests of the world. Be aware! They are the true believers. Be aware! The finest jihad is at the end of times.”

477. Sharḥ al-akhbār(2): From the narration of ibn Salām, through his chain of narrators from Amīr al-Mu’minīn (`Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib), peace be on him, who said:

Tests are of three kinds: The test during a good and enjoyable life, the test during hardships, and the test in which the people will be cleaned like the cleaning of the gold extracted from the mines. This will continue until a man emerges from us—the progeny of the Prophet, Allah's blessings be on him and his family—and then Allah will set right their affairs.

478. Sharḥ al-akhbār(3): `Abd-Allah b. Jabala, narrates through his chain of narrators from `Alī, peace be on him, that: “Islam will depart from the people like a camel which runs away from rain. Allah will not return it except by a person from us.”

479. Sharḥ al-akhbār(4): In

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another tradition from `Alī, peace be on him, who said: “As if I am seeing your religion fleeing from you. Nothing from it will remain with you until Allah returns it to you by a person from us.”

480. Sharḥ al-akhbār(1): From the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, whom mentioned the Mahdī and said: “Whoever sees him, should obey/follow him even if he has to crawl on ice—or fire—for surely he is Allah’s Caliph on earth.”

The traditions with the following numbers are either in harmony with the topic of this section, or result in it, or based on the interpretation of other narrations conform to it: 1–352, 481–715, 719–807, 864–870, 872, 876, 878, 881–912, 918, 928, 932, 933, 936, 941, 943, 951, 956­969, 971–973, 975–1029, 1039–1041, 1043, 1049, 1055, 1059–1062, 1083, 1086–1118, 1123–1169, 1173, 1175–1177, 1179–1186, 1195–1206, 1211–1223, 1228–1238, 1240, 1241, 1243, 1244, 1246–1249, 1251–1256, 1258–1261, 1266, 1267, 1270, 1271–1274, 1276, and 1277.

from ibn Lahī`a and informed me `Ayyāsh b. `Abbās from ibn Zarīr, from `Alī, may Allah be satisfied with him, from the Holy Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said: “He is a man from my Ahl al-Bait.”

And narrated to us ibn Wahb, from ibn Lahī`a, from al-Ḥarth b. Yazīd, from ibn Zarīr al-Ghāfiqī, from `Alī, peace be on him, who said: “He is from the progeny of the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings be upon him and his family.”

483. Jawāhir al-`iqdain(1): Aḥmad, ibn Māja, and others have narrated from `Alī, may Allah be satisfied with him, without a chains of narrators, that: “The Mahdī is from us. Religion will be sealed through us just as it by through us.”

484. Al-Mu`jam al-kabīr(2): Narrated to us al-Ḥusayn b. Isḥāq al-Tustarī, from Wāṣil b. `Abd al-A`lā, from Muḥammad b. Fuḍail, from Uthmān b. `Abd-Allah b. Shubrama, from `Āṣim b. Abī l-Najūd, from Zirr b. Ḥubaish, from `Abd-Allah b. Mas`ūd, may Allah be satisfied with him, who recounts that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], said: “A man from my Ahl al-Bait will emerge. His name will be my name and his character will be my character. He will fill [the earth] with justice and fairness just as it will be filled with unfairness and injustice.”

485. Ṣifat al-Mahdī(3): From `Abd-Allah b. `Umar, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], who said: “The Hour will not be established until

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a person from my Ahl al-Bait rules. His name will be my name. He will fill the earth with justice and fairness just as it will be filled with unfairness and injustice.”

486. Al-Fitan(1): Narrated to us al-Walīd, from Abū Rāfi`, from Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī, from the Holy Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], who said: “He is from my progeny.”

487. Al-Fitan(2): Narrated to us al-Qāsim b. Malak al-Muzanī, from Yāsīn b. Sayyār, from Ibrāhīm b. Muḥammad b. al-Ḥanafiyya, from his father, from `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, may Allah be satisfied with him, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], who said: “The Mahdī is from us Ahl al-Bait.”

488. Al-Fitan (by Abū Yaḥyā Zakariyyā b. Yaḥyā b. al-Ḥārith al-Bazzāz)(3): Narrated to us `Abd al-Quddūs al-`Aṭṭār, from `Amr b. `Āṣim, from `Imrān al-Qattān, from Qatāda, from Abū Naḍra, from Abū Sa`īd, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], who said: “The Mahdī is from us Ahl al-Bait.”

489. Al-Mu`jam al-ausaṭ(4): Narrated to us Aḥmad b. Yaḥyā b. Khalid b. Ḥibbān, from Muḥammad b. Sufyān al-Ḥaḍramī, from ibn Lahī`a, from Abī Zur`a `Amr b. Jābir, from `Umar b. `Alī, from his father `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, who said:

I asked the Prophet, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, “Is the Mahdī from us or other than us, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “He is from us. [Through us] Allah will seal just as

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He commenced through us. Through us they will be liberated from polytheism. Through us Allah will unite their hearts after clear enmity just as He united their hearts after the enmity of polytheism.” I asked, “Will they be believers or non-believers?” He replied, “[They will be] astray (maftūn) and non-believers.”

490. Al-Mu`jam al-ṣaghīr(1): Narrated to us Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. al-`Abbās al-Qantarī, from Ḥarb b. al-Ḥasan al-Ṭaḥḥān, from Ḥusayn b. al-Ḥasan al-Ashqar, from Qays b. al-Rabī`, from al-A’mash, from `Abāya i.e. ibn Raba`ī, from Abū Ayyūb al-Anṣārī, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], who said to Fāṭima, [peace be on her]:

Our Prophet is the best of Prophets and he is your father. Our martyr is the best of martyrs and he is your uncle. From us is the one who has two wings by which he flies in Paradise where he wishes, and he is your father’s cousin, Ja`far [al-Ṭayyār]. From us are the two grandsons of this nation, al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn, and they are your sons. And from us is the Mahdī.

I say: Ibn al-Maghāzilī has recorded the entire tradition with its chain of narrators—which ends at `Abāya—who narrates from Abū Ayyūb al-Anṣārī:

Once the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], became ill and Fāṭima, Allah’s blessings be on her, visited him while he was recovering from his illness. When she saw the affliction and weakness of the Messenger of Allah, she started gasping until her tears rolled down

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from her eyes.

He said to her, “O Fāṭima! Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, searched the earth thoroughly, then chose from it your father and sent him as a Prophet. He searched it a second time and chose your husband. Thereafter, He revealed [some matters] to me and I gave your hand in marriage to him and made him the executor of my will. Are you not aware, O Fāṭima, that because Allah holds you in such high esteem, He has married you to a person who is the greatest in forbearance, the foremost amongst them in Islam, and the most knowledgeable amongst them?”

On hearing this, Fāṭima became happy and rejoiced. Then, the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], said to her, “O Fāṭima! `Alī has eight obvious qualities: His belief in Allah and His Messenger, his wisdom, his marriage to Fāṭima, his sons al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn, his enjoinment of good and forbiddance from evil, his judgment by [using] the Book of Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He. O Fāṭima! We Ahl al-Bait have been given seven characteristics that have not been given to anybody from the first ones and the last ones [or he said: no one from the last ones except us].

Our Prophet is the most superior of the Prophets and he is your father. Our heir (waṣī) is the best of the heirs, and he is your husband. Our martyr is the best of martyrs and he is your

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father’s uncle. From us is the one who has two wings by which he flies in Paradise where he wishes and he is your cousin Ja`far [al-Ṭayyār]. From us are the two grandsons of this nation, al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn, and they are your sons. And I swear by the One in Whose hands is my life, from us is the Mahdī of this nation.”

The traditions with the following numbers are either in harmony with the topic of this section, or result in it, or based on the interpretation of other narrations conform to it: 65, 70, 72, 80, 81, 83, 91, 95, 113, 118, 120, 125, 126, 127, 129, 132, 134, 136, 143, 149, 153, 158, 159, 160, 167, 168, 169, 170, 173, 175, 176, 177, 178, 181, 183, 191, 193, 194, 196, 205–309, 317, 318, 321, 323, 324, 325, 327, 336, 339, 345, 346, 349, 350, 353–357, 359, 360, 362–367, 370, 371, 373–378, 382, 385, 390, 395, 396, 398, 400, 401, 402, 406, 407, 411, 414, 416, 417, 418, 434, 435, 438, 450, 451, 456, 458, 461, 463–470, 475, 478–480, 492, 494, 496–499, 500, 502-509, 516–572, 575, 578, 580, 581, 586, 588, 590, 591, 595, 597, 603, 608, 609, 610, 613, 624, 625, 641, 645, 653, 654, 670, 685, 726, 757, 771, 780, 786, 787, 789–807, 859, 902, 903, 904, 918, 928, 932, 939, 942, 956, 958, 960, 973, 974, 1105, 1113, 1116, 1130, 1139, 1140, 1158, 1159, 1160, 1162, 1164, 1165, 1168, 1169, 1175, 1178, 1179, 1180, 1184,

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1191, 1198, 1205, 1212, 1216–1219, 1223, 1230, 1235, 1237, 1240, 1243, 1246, 1251, 1252–1256, 1260, 1264, 1272, and 1274.

will act according to my customs (sunna). Allah will send down blessings for him from the sky. The earth will throw out its treasures for him and it [i.e. the earth] will be filled by him with justice just as it will have been filled with unfairness and injustice. He will rule over this nation for seven years and will dismount at Bait al-Maqdas.

495. Al-`Arf al-wardī(1): Nu`aim has also recorded from ibn Mas`ūd from the Holy Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said: “The Mahdī’s name is Muḥammad.”

496. `Iqd al-durar(2): From `Abd-Allah b. Mas`ūd, may Allah be satisfied with him, that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], said: “The Hour will not be established until a person from my Ahl al-Bait rules the earth. His name is like my name.”

This tradition has been recorded by al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū Bakr al-Bayhaqī.

497. Kamāl al-dīn(3): Narrated to us Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. Masrūr, may Allah be satisfied with him, from al-Ḥusayn b. Muḥammad b. `Āmir, from Muḥammad b. Abī `Umair, from Abū Jamīla al-Mufaḍḍal b. Ṣāliḥ, from Jābir b. Yazīd al-Ju`fī, from Jābir b. `Abd-Allah al-Anṣārī, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said:

The Mahdī is from my progeny. His name is my name and his epithet is my epithet. He is the most similar of people to me in creation and character. He will go in an occultation in which the nations will be deviated. Then,

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he will emerge like a shining meteor. He will fill it [i.e. the earth] with justice and fairness just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness.

498. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Narrated to us my father, Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan, and Muḥammad b. Mūsā al-Mutawakkil, may Allah be pleased with all of them, from all of the following: Sa`d b. `Abd-Allah, `Abd-Allah b. Ja`far, and Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-`Aṭṭār, from all of the following: Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. `Īsā, Ibrāhīm b. Hāshim, Aḥmad b. Abī `Abd-Allah al-Barqī, and Muḥammad b. al-Ḥusayn b. Abī l-Khaṭṭāb, from Abū `Alī al-Ḥasan b. Maḥbūb al-Sarrād, from Dāwūd b. al-Ḥaṣīn, from Abū Baṣīr, from (Imam) al-Ṣādiq, Ja`far b. Muḥammad, peace be on him, from his forefathers, peace be on them, that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, said:

The Mahdī is from my descendants. His name is my name and his epithet is my epithet. He is the most similar of people to me in creation and characteristics. He will have an occultation and a bewilderment. It will be [so severe] that the people will deviate from their religions. When this happens, he will emerge like a shining meteor and will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with unfairness and injustice.

499. Kamāl al-dīn(2): Narrated to us `Abd al-Wāḥid b. Muḥammad b. `Ubdūs al-Nīsābūrī al-`Aṭṭār, may Allah be satisfied with him, from `Alī b. Muḥammad b. Qutayba al- Nīsābūrī, from Ḥamdān b. Sulaimān, from

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Aḥmad b. `Abd-Allah b. Ja`far al-Hamdānī, from `Abd-Allah b. al-Faḍl al-Hāshimī, from Hishām b. Sālim, from al-Ṣādiq Ja`far b. Muḥammad, from his father, from his grandfather, peace be on them, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said:

The Qā’im is from my descendants. His name is my name, his epithet is my epithet, his features are my features, and his customs (sunna) are my customs. His will make the people establish my religion and my nation (yuqīmu al-nas `alā millatī wa sharī`atī) and he will call the people to the Book of my Lord, Mighty and Majestic be He. Whoever obeys him has indeed obeyed me and whoever disobeys him has indeed disobeyed me. Whoever denies him in his occultation, then indeed he has denied me and whoever refutes him, has indeed refuted me. Whoever acknowledges him has acknowledged me. I will complain to Allah against those who reject what I say about him, those who deny my word about his status and those who deviated my religion from his path,

“And soon those who act unjustly will know to what final place of returning they will go to” (Quran Surah Shuaraa 26:227).

The traditions with the following numbers also show the aforementioned concept: 245, 255, 265, 272, 279, 288, 289, 321, 339, 354, 355, 357, 397, 400, 402, 406, 409, 428, 441, 461, 484, 485, 506 (which says: “he has two names, one that is concealed and one that is apparent”), 525, 529

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(which says: “his epithet will be Abū `Abd-Allah”), 535, 544 (it comprises of what shows that one of his agnomens will be that of Imam Muḥammad al-Bāqir, peace be on him), 546 (which says: “he will have two names: Khalaf and Muḥammad”), 562, 563, 564, 569, 597, 653 (which says: “it is prohibited for them to say his name”), 693, 726, 784, 791, 792, 797, 799, 800 (which says: “his epithet will be Ja`far,” 804, 806, and 810 (which say: “no one is permitted to address him by his name or by his epithet”).

to the Israelites. He will fill the earth with justice just as it will be filled with injustice. The inhabitants of the earth and the sky and the birds in the air will be satisfied during his government. He will rule for twenty years.”

503. Al-`Awālī(1): From Abī Salmat b. `Abd al-Raḥmān b. `Auf, from his father, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said: “Certainly, Allah will raise a person from my progeny. His front teeth will be slightly apart and he will have a wide forehead. He will fill the earth with justice and will bestow wealth abundantly.”

504. Al-Fitan(2): Narrated to us al-Walīd, from Sa`īd, from Qatāda, from Abī Naḍra, from Abī l-Ṣiddīq, from Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], who said: “The Mahdī will have a wide forehead and a aquiline nose.”

And through another chain of narrator from Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī, from the Holy Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], who said: “The Mahdī will have an aquiline nose and a wide forehead.”

505. Musnad Abī Ya`lā(3): Narrated to us Qaṭan b. Bushair, from `Adī b. Abī `Umāra, from Maṭar al-Warrāq, from Abī l-Ṣiddīq, from Abū Sa`īd, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], who said:

Certainly, a man from my Ahl al-Bait will rise upon my umma. He will have an aquiline [nose] and a wide [forehead]. He will fill the earth

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with justice just as it will be filled with unfairness and injustice. He will rule for seven years.

506. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Narrated to us `Alī b. Aḥmad b. Mūsā, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Muḥammad b. Abī `Abd-Allah al-Kūfī, from Muḥammad b. Ismā’īl al-Barmakī, from Ismā’īl b. Mālik, from Muḥammad b. Sinān, from Abī l-Jārūd Ziyād b. al-Mundhir, from (Imam) Abū Ja`far al-Bāqir, from his father, from his grandfather, from Amīr al-Mu’minīn `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib—peace be on them all—who said while he was on the pulpit:

A man from my descendants will emerge in the end of times. His color will be white with a reddish complexion and he will have a wide stomach, sturdy thighs, and large shoulders. On his back are two moles: One the color of his skin and the other will be similar to the mole of the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family.

He will have two names: One name will be hidden and the other will be apparent. The one which will be hidden will be Aḥmad and the one that will be apparent will be Muḥammad. When he moves, you will see everything between the east and west being illuminated for him. He will place his hands on the heads of the people, then, no believer will remain but that his heart will be stronger than plates of steel. Allah, the Exalted, will give him the strength of forty men. There will not be a dead person

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[from the believers] in the grave but that happiness will enter his [heart] while he is in his grave, and the [dead] will be visiting each other in their graves and giving glad-tidings to each other about the rise of the Qā’im, may Allah’s blessings be upon him.

507. Al-Mustadrak(1): Narrated to us Abū l-`Abbās Muḥammad b. Ya`qūb, from Muḥammad b. Isḥāq al-Ṣan`ānī, from `Amr b. `Āṣim al-Kilābī, from `Imrān al-Qaṭṭān, from Qatāda, from Abī Naḍra, from Abū Sa`īd, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], who said: “The Mahdī is from us Ahl al-Bait. He will have an aquiline nose and a wide [forehead]. He will fill the earth with fairness and justice as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness. He will live for this many years,” and he showed seven with his fingers by showing the five fingers of his left hand and the thumb and the index finger of his right hand.

Al-Ḥākim says, “This tradition is correct (ṣaḥīḥ) according to the criteria set by Muslim but neither of them [i.e. al-Bukhārī and Muslim] have recorded it.

508. Dhikr akhbār Iṣbahān(2): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. Ja`far, from Aḥmad b. al-Ḥusayn al-Anṣārī, from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. al-Ḥusayn b. Ḥafṣ, from his grandfather al-Ḥusayn, from `Akramat b. Ibrāhīm, from Maṭar al-Warrāq, from Abī l-Ṣiddīq al-Nājī, from Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said:

The Hour will not be established until a man

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from my Ahl al-Bait rules. He will have a wide forehead and an aquiline nose. He will fill the earth with justice just as it would have been filled before him with unfairness. He will live for seven years.

509. Al-Fitan(1): Narrated to us ibn Wahb, from Isḥāq b. Yaḥyā, from Ṭalḥat al-Taymī, from Ṭāwūs, from `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, who said: “He will be a youth from the Quraish with a tanned (asmar) complexion and lean [in figure].”

The traditions with the following numbers also show the aforementioned concept: 360, 366, 374, 378, 414, 428, 431, 484, 518, 577, 691, 812-814, 835, 836, 1198, 1217 and 1246

sent me as a giver of good news! Surely those who will remain steadfast in believing in him during his occultation will be scarcer than red phosphorus (kibrīt al-aḥmar).

Jābir b. `Abd-Allah al-Anṣārī stood up and said, “O Messenger of Allah! Will the Qā’im from your descendants have an occultation?” He answered:

Yes, by my Lord! Through him Allah will certainly sift (layumaḥḥiṣu) the believers and destroy the disbelievers. O Jābir! Surely, this is an affair from the affair of Allah and a secret from the secret[s] of Allah. Its knowledge is concealed from His servants. Have no doubt about him because indeed, having doubt about the affairs of Allah is disbelief (kufr).

512. Dalā’il al-imāma(1): Narrated to us Abū l-Mufaḍḍal Muḥammad b. `Abd-Allah, from Muḥammad b. Hammām, from Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. Mālik al-Kūfī, from Sufyān b. al-Mahdī, from Abān, from Anas b. Mālik who said:

One day, the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, came to see us and saw `Alī. He placed his hand on `Alī’s shoulder and said, “O `Alī! If nothing remains from the world but one day, Allah will prolong that day until a person from your descendants rules. He will be called Mahdī and will guide towards Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He. The Arabs will be guided by him just like you guided the unbelievers and the polytheists from deviation.” Then, he said, “It is written on both his palms: ‘Pledge allegiance to him because indeed, allegiance is for Allah, Mighty

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and Majestic be He.’”

513. Ghaybat al-Shaykh(1): From Aḥmad b. Idrīs, from `Alī b. Muḥammad b. Qutayba, from al-Faḍl b. Shādhān, from Muṣabbiḥ, from Abū `Abd al-Raḥmān, from whom he had heard from, from Wahb b. Munabba, from ibn `Abbās (in a lengthy narration) in which he said, “O Wahb! Thereafter, the Mahdī will appear.” I asked, “[Is he] from your descendants?” He replied, “No, by Allah! He is not from my descendants but from the descendants of `Alī, peace be on him. Salvation is for the one who lives in his era. Through him, Allah will grant relief to this umma until he fills it with fairness and justice . . . (to the end of the narration).

514. Ma`ānī l-akhbār(2): Narrated to us Abū l-`Abbās Muḥammad b. Ibrāhīm b. Isḥāq al-Ṭāliqānī, may Allah have mercy on him, from `Abd al-Aziz b. Yaḥyā al-`Alawī in Basra, from al-Mughairat b. Muḥammad, from Rajā’ b. Salma, from `Amr b. Shimr, from Jābir al-Ju`fī, from (Imam) Abū Ja`far Muḥammad b. `Alī, peace be on him, who said:

Amīr al-Mu’minīn `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, delivered a sermon in Kūfa after returning from the Battle of Nahrawān because he had heard Mu`āwiya was abusing and cursing him and killing his companions. He

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stood up and said . . . (He then narrates the sermon in which `Alī, peace be on him, mentions the virtues bestowed by Allah upon his Prophet and himself . . . until he says) and from my descendants is the Mahdī of this nation.

515. Ghaybat al-Shaykh(1): Narrated to me a group from Abū Ja`far Muḥammad b. Sufyān al-Bazaufarī, from Aḥmad b. Idrīs, from `Alī b. Muḥammad b. Qutayba al-Naishābūrī, from al-Faḍl b. Shādhān, from Naṣr b. Muzāḥim, from Abū Lahī`a, from Abū Qubail, from `Abd-Allah b. `Amr b. al-`Āṣ, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said (in a lengthy tradition):

Then, the Mahdī will emerge who he is a man from his descendants. (Then the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, pointed towards `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib.) Through him, Allah will destroy falsehood and will conclude the era of hardships. Through him, Allah will remove the disgrace of slavery from your necks. I am the first of this nation, the Mahdī is its middle, and Jesus is its end and between these is a crooked old man.

The traditions with the following numbers also show the aforementioned concept: 80, 81, 113, 118, 120, 126, 127, 129, 149, 153, 158, 159, 160, 168, 170, 173, 176, 178, 181, 191, 193, 196, 205-308, 323, 325, 359, 382, 397, 411, 417, 428, 450, 458, 463, 464, 467, 469, 472, 492, 497–499, 502, 506, 516-543, 546–548, 550–572, 588, 589, 597, 600, 608,

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612, 623–626, 641, 670, 685, 757, 761, 765, 770, 775, 786–807, 859, 918, 973, 1104, and 1230.

`Alī b. Muḥammad b. Qutayba, from al-Faḍl b. Shādhān, from Muḥammad b. Sinān, from `Ammār b. Marwān, from al-Munakhkhal b. Jamīl, from Jābir al-Ju`fī, from (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, who said: “The Mahdī is from the descendants of Fāṭima. He will have a tanned complexion.”

519. Al-Fitan(1): Narrated to us Abū Hārūn, from `Amr b. Qays al-Mulā’ī, from al-Minhāl b. `Amr, from Zirr b. Ḥubaish, who heard `Alī, peace be on him, say: “The Mahdī is a man from us, from the descendants of Fāṭima, may Allah be satisfied with her.”

520. Al-Amālī(2): Informed us a group from Abī l-Mufaḍḍal, from Muḥammad b. Fīrūz b. Ghiyāth al-Jallāb at the suburb Bāb al-Abwāb, from Muḥammad b. al-Faḍl b. al-Mukhtār al-Bānī—who is also known as Faḍlān Ṣāḥib al-Jār—from Abū l-Faḍl b. al-Mukhtār, from al-Ḥakam b. Ẓuhair al-Fazārī al-Kūfī, from Thābit b. Abī Ṣafiyya Abū Ḥamza, from Abū `Āmir al-Qāsim b. `Auf, from Abī l-Ṭufail `Āmir b. Wāthila, from Salmān al-Farsī, may Allah be satisfied with him, (in a lengthy tradition) from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said to Fāṭima:

Surely Allah, the Exalted, chose me from my family. He also chose `Alī, al-Ḥasan, al-Ḥusayn, and you. I am the master (sayyid) of the sons of Adam, `Alī is the master (sayyid) of the Arabs, you are the master of all the women, and al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn are the masters of the youths of Paradise. From the descendants of you two is the Mahdī. Allah,

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Mighty and Majestic be He, will fill the earth by him with justice just as it will be filled before him with injustice.

521. Tafsīr Furāt al-Kūfī(1): From Muḥammad b. al-Qāsim b. `Ubaid, from various narrators, from `Abd-Allah b. `Abbās, from Salmān al-Farsī, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family (in a lengthy tradition in which he mentioned the virtues of `Alī, peace be on him), where he said to Fāṭima, peace be on her: “The Mahdī—the one behind whom `Īsā—will pray, is from you and from him [i.e. `Alī].”

522. Al-Manāqib(2): `Abd al-Malik asked al-Zuhrī, “Do you know anything about him whose name will be called out from the sky?” Zuhrī answered, “(Imam) `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn informed me that he is the Mahdī from the descendants of Fāṭima.”

523. Al-Sīrat al-Ḥalabiyya(3): He said: “It has been narrated that the Mahdī is from the progeny of the Holy Prophet, Allah's blessings be on him [and his family], from the descendants of Fāṭima.”

524. Sharḥ al-akhbār(4): From the narration of Mikhnaf b. `Abd-Allah, through his chain of narrators from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], who said:

The Mahdī is from the generation of Fāṭima, the Master of the Women of the World. He will emerge and will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness, regardless of the days being prolonged or shortened. In his era, life will become pleasant. A caller will call

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out and will curse the Umayyads and their followers and send salutations on Muḥammad and will send blessings on `Alī and his followers. On that day, all the people will be safe.

525. Biḥār al-anwār(1): Citing al-Amālī, From al-Ḥaffār, from Uthmān b. Aḥmad, from Abū Qilāba, from Bishr b. `Umar, from Mālik b. Anas, from Zaid b. Aslam, from Ismā’īl b. Abān, from Abū Maryam, from Thuwair b. Abī Fākhta, from `Abd al-Raḥmān b. Abī Laylā, from his father who said:

On the day of [the Battle of] Khaibar, the Holy Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, gave the standard to `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, and Allah granted him victory. Then, he mentioned him being appointed on the day of Ghadīr and some of his virtues that were mentioned there . . . (until he said), the Holy Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, started crying.

He was asked, “What has made you cry, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “Jabra’īl, peace be on him, informed me that the people will oppress him, deprive him of his right, fight against him, kill his children, and oppress them after him. Jabra’īl, peace be on him, also informed me from his Lord, Mighty and Majestic be He, that this will continue until the Qā’im rises. [When he does], their word will become high, the nation will gather on their love, those having hatred towards them will be a minority, those who dislike them will

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be disgraced, and those who will praise them will be the majority.

This will happen only after the cities have changed, the people have been weakened, and there will be no hope for relief (faraj). It is then that the Qā’im will appear amongst them. His name is my name and his father’s name is like the name of my son. He is from the descendants of my daughter. Through them, Allah will manifest the truth and through their swords He will destroy falsehood. People will follow them either because they fear them or are inclined towards them.”

Then, the Holy Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, stopped crying and he continued, “O group of believers, know that there will be relief, because surely, Allah’s promise will not be violated and his decision cannot be countered, and He is the Most Wise and the Most Informed.

Verily, Allah’s victory is near. O Allah! They are my family. So, keep away from them all uncleanness and purify them a thorough purification. O Allah, guard them, protect them, take care of them, be there for them, assist them, help them, make them mighty, don’t degrade them, and make them my successors. You are Powerful over all things.”

The traditions with the following numbers also show the aforementioned concept: 80, 118, 120, 126, 127, 129, 158, 168, 170, 171, 173, 176, 178, 181, 191, 193, 196, 205–308, 323, 359, 382, 397, 414, 417, 428, 450, 463, 467, 470, 492,

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497–499, 526-543, 546–548, 550–572, 588, 589, 600, 608, 612, 624, 641, 670, 765, 770, 771, 786–807, 859, 918, 973, 1104, and 1230.

nor to anyone after us: I am the seal of the Prophets, the noblest of Prophets in front of Allah, the most beloved of the creatures to of Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, and I am your father. My heir (waṣī) is the best of heirs and the most beloved of them to Allah and he is your husband. Our martyr is the best of martyrs and the most beloved of them to Allah and he is Ḥamzat b. `Abd al-Muṭṭalib, the (paternal) uncle of your father and the (paternal) uncle of your husband.

From us is the one who has two green wings by which he flies where he wishes in Paradise along with the angels and he is the cousin of your father and the brother of your husband. From us are the two grandsons of this nation and they are your two sons—al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn—and they are the masters of the youths of Paradise. I swear by the One Who truly sent me, their father is better than both of them. O Fāṭima! I swear by the One Who sent me with truth, surely from these two is the Mahdī of this nation.

When the world becomes engulfed in chaos and turmoil, fitnas appear, the paths are cut-off, and people will loot each other. And when there will be no elder who will have mercy on the young and there will be no young who will respect the elders. Then, Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, will

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send from the two of them [i.e. al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn] a man who will conquer the forts of deviation and the shrouded hearts. He will rise with religion in the end of times just as I rose with it in the first era. He will fill the earth with justice just as it will be filled with injustice.

O Fāṭima, Don’t grieve and don’t cry, for surely, Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, is more merciful and kinder to you than me. This is because of your position to me and your [close] place to my heart. Allah has married you to your husband while he possesses the most noble lineage amongst [the members] of your family, is the most honorable of them in position, the most merciful of them with the people, the most just of them in being fair, and the most insightful of them in judgment. I asked my Lord, Mighty and Majestic be He, that you be the first to join me from my Ahl al-Bait [after my death].” `Alī, [peace be on him,] said, “When the Holy Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], passed away, Fāṭima, peace be on her, did not live after him for more than seventy-five days, and Allah, the Exalted, took her to him.”

528. Al-Amālī al-Shaykh(1): In a lengthy tradition through his chains of narrators from Imam `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him, which includes Jābir honoring Imam al-Ḥasan and Imam al-Ḥusayn, peace be on them .

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. . to where Jābir said:

One day, the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, was with us in the mosque and was surrounded by the people, when he said to me, “O Jābir! Call Ḥasan and Ḥusayn for me,” and he was extremely fond of both of them. I went and called them and carried them in my arms—in turns—until I we reached him. He asked me—and I could see the joy in his face on seeing me being so affectionate towards both of them and my respect for them—“Do you love them, O Jābir?” I replied, “And what would prevent me from that while I know their stature with you, may my father and my mother be sacrificed for you?”

He said, “Should I not inform you about their virtues?” I replied, “Yes! May my parents be sacrificed for you!” He said, “When Allah, the Exalted, intended to create me, He created me as a pure white liquid (nutfa) which He placed in the loin of my father Adam, peace be on him. This liquid was continuously transferred from one pure loin to another pure womb until [it reached] Noah and Abraham, peace be on them. This continued to `Abd al-Muṭṭalib, thus, nothing from the filth of ignorance (jāhiliyya) touched me.

Then, this liquid was split into two halves: One went to `Abd-Allah and the other to Abū Ṭālib. I was born to my father [`Abd-Allah] and Allah sealed prophethood through me. `Alī was born

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to Abū Ṭālib and waṣiyya(1) became terminated through him. These two halves—from me and `Alī—came together and resulted in the birth of al-Jahr and al-Jahīr (i.e. al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn) and through them,

He sealed the grandsons of prophethood. He placed my seed (al-dhurriya) in both of them and ordered me to conquer the city—or cities—of disbelief. From his seed—pointing to al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him—a person will emerge in the end of times. He will fill the earth with justice just as it will be filled with unfairness and injustice. These two are the pure and purified ones. They are the masters of the youths of Paradise. Salvation is for those who love them, their father, and their mother, and woe to those who fight them and have hatred towards them.”

The traditions with the following numbers also show the aforementioned concept: 94–160, 463, 464, 465, 543, 546–548, 550–571, 590, 608, 641, 770, and 786–807.

be satisfied with him, stood up and enquired, “O Messenger of Allah! From which one of your sons?” He answered, “He is from his descendants,” and patted al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him.”

In `Iqd al-durar(1), the same tradition has been recorded from Ḥudhayfa using another wording: “The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], said, ‘If there remains only one day from the world, Allah will certainly send in it a person whose name is my name and whose character is my character. His epithet will be Abū `Abd-Allah.’”

[He says]: Al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū Nu`aim has recorded it in Ṣifat al-Mahdī. He has narrated a more complete version from Abū l-Ḥasan al-Raba`ī al-Mālikī, from Ḥudhayfa, who said:

The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family] said, “If there remains only one day from the world, Allah will raise in it a person whose name is my name and whose character is my character. His epithet will be Abū `Abd-Allah. People will pledge allegiance to him between the Rukn and the Maqām. Allah will return religion through him and will grant him victories. There will remain no one on the face of earth but that he will declare, ‘There is no god but Allah.’” Salmān stood up and asked, “O Messenger of Allah! From which of your sons is he?” He replied, “From the descendants of this son of mine,” and he patted al-Ḥusayn.

530. Al-Bayān fī akhbār Ṣāḥib al-Zamān(2): Through his chains of narrators from al-Dāraqutnī, through

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his chain (sanad) from Sahl b. Sulaimān, from Abū Hārūn al-`Abdī who recounts:

I came to Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī and asked, “Were you present during the Battle of Badr?” He replied in the affirmative. I enquired again, “Can you narrate to me something that you heard from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, concerning `Alī, peace be on him, and his excellences?” He replied, “Yes, I will inform you. Surely the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, became ill and was recovering. Fāṭima, peace be on her, came to visit him and I was sitting on the right side of the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family.

When she saw how weak the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, had become, she started gasping until her tears rolled down her cheeks. The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, asked, ‘Why are you crying, O Fāṭima? Do you not know that Allah, the Exalted, searched the earth thoroughly and chose from it your father, whom He sent as a prophet? He searched it thoroughly a second time and chose your husband.

Then, He revealed to me and I married you to him and made him the executor of my will (waṣī). Did you not know that because of the respect that Allah, the Exalted, has for you, He married you to the most knowledgeable, the most

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patient, and the foremost from them in accepting Islam?’ [On hearing this] she smiled and rejoiced.

So, the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, decided to increase her joy greatly by informing her about what Allah had destined for Muḥammad and his family. He continued, ‘O Fāṭima! `Alī has eight virtues: Belief in Allah and His Messenger, his wisdom, his wife, his sons al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn, peace be on them, and his enjoinment of good and forbidding from evil.

O Fāṭima! We Ahl al-Bait have been granted six characteristics that have been granted to no one before us and no one after us. Our prophet is the best of prophets and he is your father; our heir (waṣī) is the best of heirs and he is your husband; our martyr is the best of martyrs and he is Ḥamza, your father’s uncle; from us are the two grandsons of this nation and they are your two sons; from us is the Mahdī of this nation—behind whom Jesus, peace be on him, will pray.’ Then, he patted al-Ḥusayn on the shoulder and said, ‘From him is the Mahdī of this nation.’”

I say: This is how al-Dāraqutnī, the author of al-Jarḥ wa l-ta`dīl has recorded it.

531. Al-Fitan(1): Narrated to us al-Walīd and Rushdain, from Abū Lahī`a, from Abū Qubail, from `Abd-Allah b. `Amr who said: “A person from the descendants of al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him, will emerge from the East. If mountains come in his way,

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he will destroy them and create paths through them.”

The traditions with the following numbers—directly and indirectly—show the aforementioned concept: 80, 113, 126, 127, 129, 167, 168, 170, 171, 173, 176, 178, 181, 191, 193, 196, 205–308, 382, 397, 414, 428, 465, 466, 526, 527, 528, 532–543, 546, 547, 548, 550–571, 588, 600, 608, 612, 641, 770, 786–807, 859, 918, 973, 1104, 1116, 1139, 1140, 1159, 1168, 1216, and 1230.

of this nation.

The traditions with the following numbers also show the aforementioned concept: 127, 129, 168, 170, 173, 181, 191, 193, 205–308, 533–541, 543, 545, 550, 551, 558, 560–571, 590, 786–807, 859, 902, and 973.

will be saved and whoever remains behind will be destroyed. O servants of Allah! Be aware O servants of Allah! Go to him even if [you have to trek over] ice, for he is Allah’s caliph.” We asked, “O Messenger of Allah! When will the Qā’im from you rise?” He replied, “When the world falls into chaos and confusion. He will be the ninth from the loin of al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him.”

535. Kifāyat al-athar(1): Muḥammad b. `Abd-Allah al-Shaibānī, from Muḥammad b. al-Ḥusayn b. Ḥafṣ al-Khath`amī al-Kūfī, from `Abbād b. Ya`qūb, from `Alī b. Hāshim, from Muḥammad b. `Abd-Allah, from Abū `Ubaidat b. Muḥammad b. `Ammār, from his father, from his grandfather `Ammār who recounts:

I was with the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, during one of the battles in which `Alī, peace be on him, had killed the standard-bearers and scattered them. He had killed `Amr b. `Abd-Allah al-Jumaḥī and Shaibat b. Nāfi`. I came to the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, and said to him, “O Messenger of Allah! `Alī has fought for Allah a worthy fight.”

He replied, “That is because he is from me and I am from him. He will inherit my knowledge, repay my debts, fulfill my promises, and will be my successor after me. If it was not for him, the pure believer would not be recognized after me. His war is my war and my war is Allah’s war. His peace

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is my peace and my peace is Allah’s peace. Know that he is the father of my two grandsons and the Imams after me. Allah, the Exalted, will bring out from his loin the rightly guided Imams. From them is the Mahdī of this nation.”

I said, “May my father and my mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah! Who is this Mahdī?” He replied, “O `Ammār! Know that surely Allah, Blessed and High be He, has promised me that nine Imams will emerge from the loin of al-Ḥusayn. The ninth of his descendants will become concealed from the people. This is [the meaning of] the saying of Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, ‘Say: Have you considered if your water sinks in the ground, who is it then that will bring you flowing water?’(1)

He will have a lengthy occultation in which some people will stop believing in him while others will remain steadfast about him. Then, he will emerge in the end of times and will fill the world with fairness and justice. He will fight in accordance with the interpretation [of the Holy Quran] like I fought in accordance with its revelation. His name will be my name and he is the most similar of people to me . . .”

536. Muqtaḍab al-athar(2): Narrated to us Abū `Alī Aḥmad b. Ziyād al-Hamdānī, from `Alī b. Ibrāhīm b. Hāshim, from his father, from `Abd al-Salām b. Ṣāliḥ al-Harawī, from Wakī` b. al-Jarrāḥ and al-Rabī` b. Sa`d,

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from `Abd al-Raḥmān b. Salīṭ, from Ḥusayn b. `Alī, peace be on him, who said:

From us are twelve Mahdīs (guided ones). The first one is Amīr al-Mu’minīn `Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, and the last one is my ninth descendant. He is the one who will rise with the truth. Through him, Allah will give life to the earth after its death. Through him, Allah will dominate religion [i.e. Islam] over all religions even if the polytheists detest it. He will have an occultation in which some people will apostate and others will remain steadfast in religion. They [i.e. the steadfast] will be harassed and will be asked [tauntingly], “If you are truthful, [then tell us] when will this promise happen?”(1) He who is patient during his occultation—with all the tortures and denials—is like those who fight with their swords before [i.e. alongside] the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family.”

537. Kashf al-astār(2): Abū Muḥammad al-Faḍl b. Shādhān al-Nīsābūrī—who passed away during the lifetime of (Imam) Abū Muḥammad al-`Askarī, peace be on him—has recorded in his book al-Ghayba: Narrated to us al-Ḥasan b. Maḥbūb, from `Alī b. Ri’āb, from Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, a lengthy tradition from Amīr al-Mu’minīn `Alī, at the end of which he said:

Then, there will be enmity between the Arab and non-Arab rulers because of their differences. It will be like this until the affair reaches a person from the descendants of Abū Sufyān . . .

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thereafter the king of the kings, the slayer of the unbelievers, the desired ruler, and the one during whose occultation intellects (uqūl) will be baffled, will appear. He is the ninth from your descendants, O Ḥusayn. He will emerge from between the two rukns [of Ka`ba] and he will be victorious over the humans and the Jinn . . . Salvation is for the believers who realize his time, reach his era, witness his days, and meet his followers.

538. Kamāl al-dīn(1): 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 `Alī b. Ma`bad, from al-Ḥusayn b. Khālid, from Imam `Alī b. Mūsā al-Riḍā, from (Imam) Mūsā b. Ja`far, from his father (Imam) Muḥammad b. `Alī, from his father (Imam) `Alī b. Ḥusayn, from his father (Imam) al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī, who said:

My father Amīr al-Mu’minīn `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib said to me, “O Ḥusayn! The ninth from your descendants is the one who will rise with the truth, manifest religion, and spread justice.” I asked him, “O Amīr al-Mu’minīn! Will this [really] happen?” He replied, “Yes, I swear by the One Who sent Muḥammad with prophethood and selected him from all the creatures; but [this will happen] only after an occultation and bewilderment in which no one will remain steadfast in his religion except the sincere ones—those who are inseparable from the spirit of certainty. They are the ones from whom Allah, Mighty and Majestic

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be He, has taken the covenant of our mastership (wilāya), has written faith in their hearts, and has assisted them with a Holy Spirit from Himself.”

539. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Narrated to us al-Muẓaffar b. Ja`far b. al-Muẓaffar al-`Alawī al-Samarqandī, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. Mas`ūd, from his father, from Jabra’īl b. Aḥmad, from Mūsā b. Ja`far al-Baghdādī, from al-Ḥasan b. Muḥammad al-Ṣairafī, from Ḥanān b. Sadīr, from his father Sadīr b. Ḥakīm, from his father, from Abū Sa`īd `Aqīṣā who said:

When (Imam) al-Ḥasan b. `Alī signed the peace treaty with Mu`āwiyat b. Abī Sufyān, people came to meet him and some of them criticized him [for signing] the treaty. He replied, “Woe to you! You do not know what I know [or what I have done]. By Allah, what I did was best for our followers—whether they be where the sun rises or it sets.

Don’t you know that I am your Imam whose obedience is obligatory upon you and that I am one of the [two] masters of the youths of Paradise—just as the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, has said about me?” They all replied in the affirmative. He then said, “Do you know that when [the Prophet] Khiḍr, peace be on him, drilled a hole in the boat, erected the wall, and killed a child, all these actions angered Moses because the wisdom behind these acts were hidden from him? These three acts were regarded by Allah,

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High be His Remembrance, as nothing but wise and right?

Do you not know that there is no one from us but that on his neck is the allegiance of the tyrants of his time, except the Qā’im behind whom Jesus, son of Mary, Allah’s Spirit, will pray? Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, has concealed him and his birth so that he will not have an allegiance on his neck when he emerges. He is the ninth descendant of my brother al-Ḥusayn, the son of the Master of the Women of the Universe. Allah will prolong his age during his occultation, then, He will manifest him with His power in the form of a young man of less than forty years of age. And this is because it should be known that Allah is Powerful over all things.”

540. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Narrated to us `Abd al-Wāḥid b. Muḥammad b. `Abdūs al-`Aṭṭār, from Abū `Amr al-Kashshī (or al-Laithī), from Muḥammad b. Mas`ūd, from `Alī b. Muḥammad b. Shujā`, from Muḥammad b. `Īsā, from Muḥammad b. Abī `Umair, from `Abd al-Raḥmān b. al-Ḥajjāj, from al-Ṣādiq Ja`far b. Muḥammad, from his father (Imam) Muḥammad b. `Alī, from his father (Imam) `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, from (Imam) al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī—peace be upon them— who said: “My ninth descendant will have a similarity with Yūsuf and a similarity with Moses, son of `Imrān, peace be on them both. He is the one who will rise from us Ahl al-Bait. Allah, Blessed and High be He, will

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set right his affairs in one night.”

541. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Narrated to us Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Isḥāq al-Mu`ādhī (or al-Mu`ārī), may Allah be satisfied with him, from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad al-Hamdānī al-Kūfī, from Aḥmad b. Mūsā b. al-furāt, from `Abd al-Wāḥid b. Muḥammad, from Sufyān, from `Abd-Allah b. al-Zubayr, from `Abd-Allah b. Sharīk, from a person, from Ḥamdān, from al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, who said: “The Qā’im of this nation is the ninth from my descendants who will have an occultation. He is the one whose inheritance will be divided while he is [still] alive.”

The traditions with the following numbers also show the aforementioned concept: 205–308, 543, 550, 551, 558–571, 608, 612, 641, 786–807, 859, 918, 973, 1104, and 1230.

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,

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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

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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

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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.

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,

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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

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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-waṣiyya(1): 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

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us are twelve muḥaddaths(1). 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.

al-Ṣādiq, peace be on him

Comprised of 112 traditions

547. Kamāl al-dīn(1): 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

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will rise with the truth. He is the remnant of Allah (baqiyyat Allah) on earth and the master of time (Ṣāḥib 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 followers(1)

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.

1216, and 1230.

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-dīn(1): 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.

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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-athar(1): 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

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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

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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-dīn(1): 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

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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.

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 (ḥujjat 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.’(1)”

555. Kamāl al-dīn(2): 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 (ṣāḥib) 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

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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-dīn(1): 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

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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.” (1)’”

The traditions with the following numbers also show the aforementioned concept: 242–308, 558–571, 608, 641, 786–807, 859, 973, and 1230

he is from the descendants of Imam Muḥammad b. `Alī, al-Riḍā, peace be on him

Comprised of 109 traditions

557. Kamāl al-dīn(1): 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

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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.

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.

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-dīn(1): 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

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will become doubtful except the ones whom Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, has protected.

562. Kamāl al-dīn(1): 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 (ḥujja) 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-mawadda(2): 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.

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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

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[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.’(1)

He has also said, ‘They are the party of Allah; surely the party of Allah are the victorious.’(2) Jandal said, “All praise is for Allah Who has made me successful in

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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-dīn(1): 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.

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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

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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)(1): 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-Kāfī(2): `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’ij(3): `Alī b. Ibrāhīm b. Hāshim, from his father, from `Īsā

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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.

`Abd-Allah al-Hārithī al-Hamdānī and al-Ḥarth b. Sharib, whom all informed us that “they were with Imam `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, and whenever his son, al-Ḥasan, peace be on him, entered, he would say, ‘Welcome, O Son of Allah’s Messenger!’ And whenever Imam al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him, entered, he would say, ‘May my father and my mother be sacrificed for you, O father of the son of the best of the maids!’

He was asked, ‘O Amīr al-Mu’minīn! Why do you address al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn in this manner? And who is the son of the best of the maids?’ He replied, ‘He is the one who will be absent, driven away, and the wanderer. He is Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan b. `Alī b. Muḥammad b. `Alī b. Mūsā b. Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. `Alī, the son of this Ḥusayn.’ He then placed his hand on (Imam) al-Ḥusayn’s head.’”

569. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Narrated to us `Alī b. Aḥmad b. Muḥammad al-Daqqāq, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Muḥammad b. Abū `Abd-Allah al-Kūfī, from Mūsā b. `Imrān al-Nakha`ī, from his (paternal) uncle al-Ḥusayn b. Yazīd al-Naufalī, from al-Mufaḍḍal b. `Umar who said:

I went to see my master (Imam) Ja`far b. Muḥammad, peace be on him, and asked, “Master! I wish you would inform us about your successor!” He replied, “O Mufaḍḍal! The Imam after me is my son Mūsā and the successor (al-khalaf)—who is wished for and awaited—is M-U-Ḥ-A-M-M-A-D the son of al-Ḥasan b. `Alī b. Muḥammad b. Muḥammad

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b. `Alī b. Mūsā, peace be on them.”

570. Al-Manāqib(1): (Imam) Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan al-`Askarī, peace be on him, wrote to Abū l-Ḥasan `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn b. Bābawayh al-Qummī:

I have fastened to the rope of Allah. In the Name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful and all Praise is for Allah the Lord of the worlds. The end belongs to the pious, the Paradise is for the monotheists, and the fire is for the atheists. There is no enmity except against the oppressors. There is no god except Allah, the Best of Creators. Blessings be on the best of His creatures, Muḥammad, and his pure progeny. (He said in another part,) Have patience and await the relief (al-faraj).

Our Shias will always be in a state of grief until my son reappears about whom the Holy Prophet has given glad-tidings about. He will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness. Be patient, O my Shaykh, O Abū l-Ḥasan `Alī, and order all my followers to have patience. Surely the earth is for Allah and He will make whomsoever He wishes from amongst His servants to inherit it and the end belongs to the pious. Peace be on you and on all our Shias, and the Mercy of Allah and His blessings and may Allah’s blessings be on Muḥammad and his family.

571. Ithbāt al-waṣiyya(2): Abū l-Ḥasan Muḥammad b. Ja`far al-Asadī from Aḥmad b. Ibrāhīm who said:

I went to see Khadīja, the

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daughter of Imam Muḥammad b. `Alī al-Riḍā, peace be on him, and the sister of Imam `Alī b. Muḥammad al-`Askarī, peace be on him, in the year 265 AH at Medina. I spoke to her from behind a curtain and asked her about her religion. She named her Imams then said, “The pure (al-zakī) successor the son of al-Ḥasan b. `Alī, my brother.”

I said, “May I be sacrificed for you! Have you actually seen him or is your belief based merely on narration?” She replied, “A narration from my nephew [the son of my brother, Abū Muḥammad] who wrote to his mother about him.” I asked again, “Where is the son?” She replied, “He is concealed.” I said, “In whom should the Shias seek refuge?” She answered, “In his grandmother, the mother of Abū Muḥammad.” I asked, “Whose example has he followed that he has made a woman the executor of his will!?”

She responded, “He has followed (Imam) al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī, peace be on him, who had apparently willed to his sister Zainab bint `Alī. Thus, in those times, whatever knowledge (Imam) `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn spoke of was attributed to his aunt, Zainab bint `Alī, peace be on her, in order to conceal (Imam) `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn and as a protection to ensure his survival.” She then said, “Surely you are a group who are companions of traditions, narrators, and reliable persons. Has it not been narrated to you that the inheritance of the ninth descendant of (Imam)

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al-Ḥusayn will be divided while he will still be alive and surviving . . .”

The traditions with the following numbers also show the aforementioned concept: 242–308, 558–567, 608, 641, 786–807, 859, 1166, and 123

al-Mu’minīn `Alī, peace be on him, delivered a sermon and mentioned some of the fierce battles [that will occur]. Then, he said:

This is the affair of Allah and it will occur in a joyful time. O Son of the Best of the Maids! Until when will you wait? I give you glad tidings about a help that is near from a Merciful Lord. May my father and mother be sacrificed because [of those] who are few in number! Their names are unknown on earth. Indeed, their appearance is drawing near. There will be a great marvel between [the months of] Jamādī and Rajab because of the gathering of the scattered ones, the harvesting of the crops, and the voices followed by voices. (Then, he said:) Indeed, the decision has already been made (sabaqa al-qaḍā’u sabaqa).

[On hearing the above] a person from Baṣra said to a person from Kūfa beside him, “I testify that he is a liar.” The one from Kūfa says, “By Allah, `Alī, peace be on him, had barely descended from the pulpit when the person from Basra became paralyzed and he died the same night.”

The author of Yanābī` al-mawadda says: “If we wanted to record his predictions about the hidden things whose truth the [people] have clearly witnessed, many volumes would be needed.”

574. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Aḥmad b. Ziyād b. Ja`far al-Hamdānī, may Allah be satisfied with him, from `Alī b. Ibrāhīm b. Hāshim, from his father, from Abū Aḥmad Muḥammad b. Ziyād al-Azdī who said:

I asked my

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master (Imam) Mūsā b. Ja`far, peace be on him, about the saying of Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, “and bestowed upon you His favors both apparent and hidden?”(1) He replied, “The apparent favor is the apparent Imam and the hidden favor means the hidden Imam.” I asked, “Amongst the Imams, will there be a hidden one?”

He replied, “Yes. His figure will be concealed from the eyes of the people but his memory will not be concealed from the hearts of the believers. He is the twelfth from us. For him, Allah will ease all strains, degrade all difficulties, reveal the treasures of earth, and bring close all the distant things. Through him, He will destroy all oppressive tyrants and annihilate every rebellious devil. He is the son of the Master of the Maids and his birth will be hidden from the people. It will not be permissible for them to say his name until Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, makes him appear. Then, he will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness.”

575. Kamāl al-dīn(2): Narrated to Aḥmad b. `Imrān, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Muḥammad b. `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 said:

(Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah (al-Ṣādiq), peace be on him, said, “Whatever occurred for the prophets, peace be on them, concerning their occultation’s,

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will also occur for the Qā’im from us, in the exact same manner.(1)” I asked, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! Who is the Qā’im from you Ahl al-Bait?” He answered, “O Abū Baṣīr! He is the fifth descendant of my son Mūsā; 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 make him conquer the Easts of the earth and its Wests. The Spirit of Allah, Jesus, son of Mary, peace be on him, will descend and pray behind him. The earth will shine with the light of its Lord. There will not remain a part of the earth in which anyone other than Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, is worshipped except that Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, will be worshipped in it. Religion—in its entirety—will be only for Allah even if the polytheists detest it.”

576. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(2): Informed us `Abd al-Wāḥid b. `Abd-Allah b. Yūnus, from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Rabāḥ al-Zuhrī, from Aḥmad b. `Alī al-Ḥimyarī, from al-Ḥakam—the brother of Mushma`il al-Asadī—from `Abd al-Raḥīm al-Qaṣīr who said:

I asked (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, “Does the saying of Amīr al-Mu’minīn `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, ‘May my father be sacrificed for the son of the Master of the Maids,’ refer to Fāṭima? He responded, “(No,) indeed, Fāṭima, peace be on her, was the best of

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the free women. Rather, it refers to the one whose stomach is wide and whose complexion is reddish. May Allah have mercy on so and so.”

577. Ghaybat al-Shaykh(1): Sa`d b. `Abd-Allah, from Muḥammad b. `Īsā b. `Ubaid, from Ismā’īl b. Abān, from `Amr b. Shimr, from Jābir al-Ju`fī, from (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, who said:

`Umar b. al-Khaṭṭāb asked Amīr al-Mu’minīn `Alī, peace be on him, “Inform me about the Mahdī, what is his name?” He replied, “As for his name, then certainly my beloved [i.e. the Messenger of Allah] took a covenant from me that I should not say his name until Allah sends him.” He asked again, “Inform me about his attributes.” He answered, “He is a medium-sized youth and handsome with beautiful hair. His hair flows over his shoulders and the light of his face covers the blackness of his hair and beard; may my father be sacrificed for the son of the Master of the Maids.”

The traditions with the following numbers also show the above concept: 539, 553, 554, 568, and 651.

his father, from his grandfather, from his father al-Ḥusayn, from al-Ḥasan, from Amīr al-Mu’minīn, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said to `Alī, peace be on him: “O `Alī! When the eleven Imams from your descendants are completed, the eleventh will be the Mahdī from my Ahl al-Bait.”

And through the same chain of narrators from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said: “When the four names, Muḥammad, `Alī, and al-Ḥasan come consecutively, then the fourth of them will be the Qā’im, the wished, the awaited.”

579. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. Ibrāhīm b. Isḥāq, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Abū `Alī Muḥammad b. Hammām, from Aḥmad b. Mābundād, from Aḥmad b. Hilāl, from Umayyat b. `Alī al-Qaysī, from Abū l-Haytham al-Tamīmī, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said: “When three names Muḥammad, `Alī, and al-Ḥasan come consecutively, the fourth of them will be their Qā’im.”(2)

has made compulsory and has made following them obligatory for His servants—after the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family.” He replied, “O Kabulī! Surely, those who possess authority (aulī l-amr) whom Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, has appointed as leaders for the people and made their obedience obligatory are: Amīr al-Mu’minīn `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, then my uncle al-Ḥasan, my father al-Ḥusayn, and then the affair reached us.”

Saying this, he became silent. I said, “O my master! It has been narrated to us from Amīr al-Mu’minīn, peace be on him, that the earth will not become empty of a proof from Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, upon His servants. So, who is the proof and Imam after you?” He said, “My son Muḥammad and his name in the earlier [Holy] Books is Bāqir. He will split knowledge, a thorough splitting. He is the Proof and the Imam after me. After Muḥammad, it will be his son Ja`far and he is known to the inhabitants of the sky as al-Ṣādiq.”

I asked, “O my master! Why is he only called as al-Ṣādiq (the Truthful) whilst all of you are truthful?” He answered, “Narrated to me my father, from his father, peace be on them, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said, ‘When my son, Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib is born, name him al-Ṣādiq because his fifth descendant—who

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will also have the name Ja`far—will falsely claim to be an Imam and will dare [to disobey] Allah and lie against Him. To Allah, he will be known as Ja`far the liar (al-Kadhdhāb), the one who forges lies against Allah and claims the position for which he was not eligible. He will oppose his father and will be jealous of his brother. He is the one who will desire to disclose Allah’s secret, Majestic be His Majesty, during the occultation of the Guardian [appointed] by Allah.’”

Saying this, (Imam) `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him, cried intensely and continued, “As if I am with Ja`far al-Kadhdhāb who will be assisting the tyrants of his time to find out about the Guardian [appointed] by Allah; the one who will be concealed in the protection of Allah and be in charge of his father’s dependents while [Ja`far] will be ignorant about his birth and seeks to kill him if he can get his hands on him, and will have greed for the inheritance of his brother which he will wish to seize unjustly.”

I asked, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! Will these really happen?” He answered, “Yes, by my Lord! All this is written in the manuscript we possess which mentions the afflictions that will be inflicted on us after the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family.” I said, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! Then what will happen?” He replied, “Then, the occultation of the twelfth

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Guardian [appointed] by Allah will be prolonged. He will be from the heirs of the Messenger of Allah after him. O Abū Khālid! The people who believe in his Imamate and await his reappearance during his occultation, are the best people of all times.

Because Allah, Blessed and High be He, has granted them such intellect (`aql), understanding (fahm), and recognition (ma`rifa) that occultation for them is the same as observation. He (Allah) has made them in that time like the holy warriors who fought with their swords before the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his family. They are truly the sincere ones, our real Shias, and the callers towards the religion of Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, secretly and openly.” He then said, “Awaiting the Relief is one of the best reliefs (intiẓār al-faraj min afḍal al-faraj).”

581. Kifāyat al-athar(1): Narrated to us `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn b. Muḥammad, from Hārūn b. Mūsā at Baghdad in the month of Safar, 381 AH, from Aḥmad [Muḥammad] [b. Makhzūm] b. Muḥammad al-Muqrī—the slave of Banī-Hāshim—in 324 AH, from Abū Muḥammad from both: (a) Abū Ḥafṣ `Umar [`Amr] b. al-Faḍl al-Ṭabarī, from Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-Farghānī, from `Abd-Allah b. Muḥammad b. `Amr al-Balwī, and (b) `Abd-Allah [`Ubaid Allah] b. al-Faḍl b. Hilāl al-Ṭā’ī in Egypt, from `Abd-Allah b. Muḥammad b. `Umar [`Amr] b. Maḥfūẓ al-Balwī; from Ibrāhīm b. `Abd-Allah b. al-`Alā, from Muḥammad b. Bukair who recounts:

I went to see Zaid b. `Alī, peace be on him, while

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Ṣāliḥ b. Bishr was with him. I said hello to him and he intended to go Iraq. I said, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! Narrate to me something which you have heard from your father.” He said, “Yes. My father narrated to me from his grandfather [or my father from his father from his grandfather] that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, said, ‘On whoever Allah has bestowed a favor, he should praise Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He. One whose sustenance is delayed should seek forgiveness [from Allah. One who is grieved by an affair] should say, “There is no power and strength except by Allah.”’”

I said, “Please tell me more, O Son of Allah’s Messenger!” He said, “Yes. My father narrated to me from his grandfather [or my father from his father from his grandfather] that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, said, ‘I will intercede for four people on the Day of Judgment: He who respects my seed (dhurriyyatī), fulfills their needs, strives for them in their affairs when they need it, and loves them with his heart and his tongue.’” I said, “Please tell me more from the merits that Allah has bestowed upon you O Son of Allah’s Messenger.”

He said, “My father has narrated from his [father, from his] grandfather that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, said, ‘Whoever loves us Ahl al-Bait for

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the sake of Allah will be gathered with us (ḥushira ma`anā) and we will take him to Paradise with us. O son of Bukair! He who fastens on to us will be with us in the highest of ranks.’ O son of Bukair! Verily, Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, chose Muḥammad, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, and selected us as his seed (dhurriyya). If it was not for us, Allah, the Exalted, would not have created the world and the hereafter. O son of Bukair! Through us Allah is recognized and through us Allah is worshipped. We are the path to Allah; from us is al-Muṣṭafā, [from us] is al-Murtaḍā, from us will be the Mahdī, the Qā’im of this nation.”

I enquired, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! Did the Messenger of Allah inform you when your Qā’im will rise?” He answered, “O son of Bukair! You will not meet him and surely this affair will continue on for another six heirs (waṣīs). Then, [Allah] will make our Qā’im appear and he will fill [the earth] with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness.” I asked, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! Aren’t you the master of this affair?” He replied, “I am from the progeny. I asked again and he answered the same. I asked, “Were the things that you said from yourself or from the Messenger of Allah?” He answered, “Had I known the unknown, I would

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have massed much good. These are a covenant that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, has taken from us.” Then, he recited the following poem

We are the chiefs of the Quraish

The foundation of truth is within us

We are the lights that

Existed before the existence of all creatures

From us is the chosen Muṣṭafā

And the Mahdī too is from us

Indeed, through us Allah is recognized

And we have stood with the Truth

Soon he will be thrown in the fire

He who turns away from us today

`Alī b. al-Ḥusayn says: “Muḥammad b. al-Ḥusayn al-Bazaufarī narrated this tradition to us in the shrine of our master, (Imam) al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī, peace be on him, from Muḥammad b. Ya`qūb al-Kulainī, from Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-`Aṭṭār, from Salmat b. al-Khaṭṭāb, from Muḥammad b. Khālid al-Ṭayālisī, from Saif b. `Umaira and Ṣāliḥ b. Uqba, all of them from `Alqamat b. Muḥammad al-Ḥaḍramī, from Ṣāliḥ [Ṣulḥ] who recounts: “I was with Zaid b. `Alī, peace be on him, when Muḥammad b. Bukair came to see him . . . (he then mentioned the previous narration).”

582. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Al-Muẓaffar b. Ja`far b. al-Muẓaffar al-`Alawī, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. Mas`ūd, from his father, from Abū l-Qāsim—who recorded it from the book of Aḥmad al-Dahhān—from al-Qāsim b. Ḥamza, from ibn Abī `Umair, from Abū Ismā’īl al-Sarrāj, from Khaithamat al-Ju`fī, from Abū Ayyūb al-Makhzūmī [Abū Labīd al-Makhzūmī] who said: “(Imam) Abū Ja`far Muḥammad b. `Alī al-Bāqir, peace be on him, mentioned

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the biography of the twelve rightly guided successors, Allah’s blessings be on them. When he reached the last one he said, ‘The twelfth is the one behind whom Jesus, son of Mary, peace be on him, will pray. [Follow] his customs and the Noble Quran.’” The traditions with the following numbers also show the above concept: 81, 113, 118, 153–165, 181, 196, 205–309, 553–541, 543–545, 547, 549–556, 574, 668, 1168, and 1230.

in him like the bees that take refuge in their leader. He will fill the earth with justice just as it will be filled with injustice; until the people return to their original state [and will become so peaceful] that no one will wake up someone who is asleep and no blood will be shed.”

585. Al-Fitan(1): Narrated to us ibn Wahb, from al-Ḥarth, from Minhāl b. `Amr b. Ziyād, from Abū Naḍra, from Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī, from the Holy Prophet, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his family, who said: “He will fill the earth with justice as it will be filled with unfairness and injustice before him. He will rule for seven years.”

586. Al-Musnad(2): Narrated to us `Abd-Allah, from his father, from Muḥammad b. Ja`far, from `Auf, from Abū l-Ṣiddīq al-Nājī, from Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, said: “The Hour will not be established until the earth is filled with unfairness and oppression. Then, a person from my progeny—or from my Ahl al-Bait—will emerge who will fill it with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with unfairness and oppression.”

587. Kanz al-`ummāl(3): From `Alī, peace be on him, who said:

The earth will be filled with unfairness and injustice to such an extent that fear and grief will enter every house. They will ask for two dirhams . . . but it will not be given to them. Wars will follow wars and wealth will follow wealth

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until Allah surrounds them in His land; then, he will fill the earth with justice and fairness.

588. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Narrated to us `Alī b. Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-Qazwīnī, from Muḥammad b. `Abd-Allah al-Ḥaḍramī, from Aḥmad b. Yaḥyā al-Aḥwal, from Khallād al-Muqri’, from Qays b. Abī Ḥaṣīn, from Yaḥyā b. Waththāb, from `Abd-Allah b. `Umar, from al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī, peace be on him, who said:

If there remains but one day from the [end of the] world, Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, will prolong it until a man from my progeny emerges. He will fill it with justice and fairness just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness. This is what I heard from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family.

589. Kamāl al-dīn(2): Narrated to us my father and Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Sa`d b. `Abd-Allah, `Abd-Allah b. Ja`far al-Ḥimyarī, Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-`Aṭṭār, and Aḥmad b. Idrīs, all of them, from Muḥammad b. al-Ḥusayn b. Abī al-Khaṭṭāb, Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. `Īsā, Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Khālid al-Barqī, and Ibrāhīm b. Hāshim, all of them, from al-Ḥasan b. `Alī b. Faḍḍāl, from Tha`labat b. Maimūn, from Mālik al-Juhanī; [and through another chain] narrated to us Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan b. Aḥmad b. al-Walīd, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-Ṣaffār, and Sa`d b. `Abd-Allah, from `Abd-Allah b. Muḥammad al-Ṭayālisī, from Mundhir b. Muḥammad b. Qābūs, from al-Naṣr b. Abī al-Sarī, from Abū Dāwūd Sulaimān

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b. Sufyān al-Mustariq, from Tha`labat b. Maimūn, from Mālik al-Juhanī, from Ḥārith b. al-Mughaira al-Naṣrī, from al-Aṣbagh b. Nubāta who said:

I went to Amīr al-Mu’minīn `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, and found him pondering over something and scratching the ground. I asked, “O Amīr al-Mu’minīn! Why am I seeing you pondering and scratching the ground; do you have any desire for it?” He answered, ‘No, by Allah! I never had any desire for it or for the world, even for a single day. But I was thinking about a child who will be from my loin (ẓahrī) and my eleventh descendant. He is the Mahdī who will fill [the earth] with justice just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness. He will have a bewilderment and an occultation in which, some will be deviated and others will be guided.”

I asked, “O Amīr al Mu’minīn! Will this really happen?” He replied, “Yes, just as he will be created. O Aṣbagh! Your knowledge about this affair will be very limited. They are the best of this nation along with the righteous ones of this progeny.” I said, “What will happen after that?” He replied, “Then, Allah will do what He pleases, for surely, He has intentions, aims, and endings.”

590. Kifāyat al-athar(1): Abū l-Mufaḍḍal informed us from Abū `Abd-Allah Ja`far b. Muḥammad al-`Alawī, from `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn [al-Ḥasan] b. `Alī b. `Umar, from his father (Imam) `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him, that he used to

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say: “Call for me my son al-Bāqir [i.e. Muḥammad]!” I asked him, “O father! Why have you named him al-Bāqir?” On hearing this, he smiled—and I hadn’t seen him smiling before this.

Then, he performed a long prostration for Allah, the Exalted. I heard him say in his prostration, “O Allah! All Praise is for you O my Master, for all the blessings that You have endowed upon us Ahl al-Bait.” He repeated this sentence a number of times then said, “O my son! The Imamate is in his descendants until our Qā’im, peace be on him, rises. Then, he will fill it with fairness and justice.

He is an Imam and the father of the Imams [following him]. [He is] a mine of forbearance and the place of knowledge—which he will split as it should be split. By Allah, he is certainly the most similar of the people to the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family.” I asked, “How many Imams will follow him?” He replied, “Seven; and from them is the Mahdī who will emerge with the religion in the end of times.”

591. Dalā’il al-imāma(1): Through his chain of narrators (meaning Abū l-Ḥusayn Muḥammad b. Hārūn b. Mūsā from his father) from Abū `Alī al-Nahāwandī from Abū l-Qāsim b. Abī Ḥayya from Isḥāq b. Abī Isrā’īl from Abū `Ubaida al-Ḥaddād from `Abd al-Wāḥid b. Wāṣil al-Sadūsī from `Auf from Abū l-Ṣiddīq al-Nājī from Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings

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be on him and his family, said: “The Hour will not be established until the earth is filled with unfairness and oppression. Then, a person from my progeny—or he said from my Ahl al-Bait—will emerge. He will fill it with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with unfairness and oppression.’”

592. Ghaybat of al-Shaykh(1): Through his chain of narrators [meaning Ibrāhīm b. Salma, from Aḥmad b. Mālik al-Fazārī, from Ḥaidar b. Muḥammad al-Fazārī, from `Abbād b. Ya`qūb, from Naṣr b. Muzāḥim, from Muḥammad b. Marwān, from al-Kalbī, from Abū Ṣāliḥ,] concerning the saying of Allah, the Exalted: “Know that Allah will give life to earth after its death,” from ibn `Abbās who said: “It means, he will reform the earth through the Qā’im from the family of Muḥammad. ‘After its death’ means after the injustice [committed by] its people. ‘Indeed, We have made clear the signs for you’ with the Qā’im from the family of Muḥammad ‘so that you may understand.’”(2)

593. Dalā’il al-imāma(3): Abū l-Ḥusayn Muḥammad b. Hārūn informed me from his father, from Abū `Alī al-Ḥasan b. Muḥammad al-Nahāwandī, from al-`Abbās b. Maṭar al-Hamdānī, from Ismā’īl b. `Alī al-Muqrī, from Muḥammad b. Sulaimān, from Abū Ja`far al-`Arajī, from Muḥammad b. Yazīd, from Sa`īd b. `Abāya, from Salmān al-Farsī who said: “Amīr al-Mu’minīn delivered a sermon in Medina. He had mentioned the fitna and its nearness, then, he spoke about the rising of the

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Qā’im from his descendant’s and that he would surely fill the earth with justice just as it would be filled with injustice . . . (to the end of the tradition in its entirety).”

594. Al-Kāfī(1): Aḥmad b. Idrīs, from Muḥammad b. Aḥmad, from Ja`far b. al-Qāsim, from Muḥammad b. al-Walīd al-Khazzāz, from al-Walīd b. `Uqba, from al-Ḥārith b. Ziyād, from Shu`ayb, from Abū Ḥamza who recounts:

I went to see (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah (al-Ṣādiq), peace be on him, and asked him, “Are you the master of this affair?” He replied, “No.” I asked again, “Is it your son?” He replied, “No.” I questioned again, “The son of your son?” He said, “No.” I asked, “The son of the son of your son?” He answered, “No.” I asked, “Then who is he?” He said, “He who will fill [the earth] with justice just as it will be filled with unfairness and injustice; during the concealment (fatra) of Imams, just as the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, was sent when there was an absence (fatra) of Messengers.

595. Farā’id al-simṭain(2): Narrated to us `Abd al-Wāḥid b. Muḥammad b. `Abdūs al-`Aṭṭār al-Nīsābūrī, [from `Alī b. Muḥammad b. Qutayba al-Nīsābūrī, from Ḥamdān b. Sulaimān al-Nīsābūrī], from Muḥammad b. Ismā’īl b. Bazī`, from Ṣāliḥ b. `Uqba, from his father, from (Imam) Abū Ja`far, Muḥammad b. `Alī al-Bāqir, from his father—the Master of the Worshippers—`Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, from his father—the Master of the Martyrs—al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, from his

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father—the Master of the Heirs—`Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, Allah be satisfied with them all, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said:

The Mahdī is from my descendants. He will have an occultation and bewilderment in which the nations will be deviated. [Then,] he will emerge with the treasures of the prophets, peace be on them, and will fill the earth with justice and fairness just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness.

596. Tafsīr Furāt al-Kūfī(1): Narrated to me `Alī b. Muḥammad b. `Umar al-Zuhrī, through his sources from (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, that

Al-Ḥārith al-A`war said to (Imam) al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! May I be sacrificed for you! Inform me about the saying of Allah in His Book, ‘By the Sun and its daylight’ (Quran 91:1)?” He replied, “Woe to you, O Ḥārith! This [verse] refers to Muḥammad, the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family.” I asked, “And His saying, ‘And the moon when it follows the sun’ (Quran 91:2)?” He said, “This refers to Amīr al-Mu’minīn `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, who follows Muḥammad, Allah's blessings be on him and his family.” I enquired, “‘And the day when it reveals it’ (Quran 91:3)?” He said, “That refers to the Qā’im from the family of Muḥammad, Allah's blessings be on him and his family. He will fill the earth with fairness and justice.”

597. Al-Nukat al-I`tiqādiyya(2):

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From the Prophet, Allah's blessings be on him and his family:

If nothing remains from the world but one hour, Allah will prolong that hour until a person from my progeny emerges. His name will be my name and his epithet will be my epithet. He will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness. It is obligatory for every creature to follow him.

598. Al-Muḥkam wa l-mutashābih(1): Concerning the saying of Allah, the Exalted, “Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth . . .”(2) citing Tafsīr al-Nu`mānī through his chain of narrators from (Imam) al-Ṣādiq, from Amīr al-Mu’minīn, peace be on them: “Niche refers to the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family; the lamp is the [first] heir (al-waṣī) and the [following] heirs; the glass is al-Fāṭima, peace be on her; and the blessed tree is the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, and the shining star is the awaited Qā’im who will fill the earth with justice.”

The traditions with following numbers also show the above concept: 72, 80, 91, 95, 149, 153, 160, 161, 165, 181, 194, 205, 216, 217, 219, 221, 225, 226, 227 (which says, “Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, will fill the earth through him with light after its darkness and with justice after its injustice and knowledge after its ignorance), 235, 241, 246, 247, 249, 253, 254, 257, 259, 263, 272, 275, 280,

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281, 291, 295, 321, 339, 346, 353, 360, 365, 366, 367, 370, 371 (which says, “unfairness, injustice, and oppression”), 374, 375, 378, 382, 390, 396, 400, 404, 406, 428, 429, 431, 451, 453, 454, 458, 460, 461, 463, 484, 485, 492 (which says, “he will fill the earth with justice just as it will be filled with injustice”), 494, 497, 498, 500, 502, 505, 507, 508,511, 513, 524, 527, 528, 532, 535, 541, 543, 544, 547, 548, 551, 555, 556, 557, 563, 564, 567, 570, 581, 612, 653, 670, 701, 726, 748, 764, 775, 791, 796, 806, 807, 810, 828, 859, 910, 950, 983 (which says, “He will fill the earth with truth and justice”), 1028, 1094, 1095, 1097, 1101, 1113, 1129, 1130, 1136, 1155–1160, 1195 (which says, “fairness and justice, light, and reasoning”), 1198, and 1204.

he made it a firm word in his future generations so that they may return” (Quran 43:28). From Thābit al-Thumālī, from Imam `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, from his father, from his grandfather Amīr al-Mu’minīn `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, may Allah be satisfied with him, who said:

This verse was revealed about us. Allah has put Imamate in the generation of al-Ḥusayn until the Day of Judgment. Our Qā’im will definitely have two occultations: one of them will be longer than the other and no one will remain steadfast in his Imamate except those who have strong certitude and correct recognition.

601. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(1): Narrated to us Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Sa`īd, from `Alī b. al-Ḥasan, from `Abd al-Raḥmān b. Abū Najrān, from `Alī b. Mahziyār, from Ḥammād b. `Īsā, from Ibrāhīm b. `Umar al-Yamānī who said: “I heard (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, say, ‘The master of this affair will surely have two occultations.’ I also heard him say, ‘The Qā’im will not rise while having anybody’s allegiance on his neck [i.e. The Qā’im will rise while he will not have pledged allegiance to anyone].’”

602. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(2): Informed us Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Sa`īd, from al-Qāsim b. Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan b. Ḥāzim, from his book, from `Ubais b. Hishām, from `Abd-Allah b. Jabala, from Ibrāhīm b. al-Mustanīr, from al-Mufaḍḍal b. `Umar al-Ju`fī, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah al-Ṣādiq, peace be on him, who said:

The master of this affair will surely have two occultations: one of them will be prolonged to such an

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extent that some of them will say, “He has died,” some will say, “He has been killed,” and some of them will say, “He has gone.” No one from his companions [i.e. followers] will remain [steadfast] in his affair except for very few. No one will know his whereabouts from his friends or anybody else except a servant who looks after his affairs.

603. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(1): Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Sa`īd b. `Uqda, from Muḥammad b. al-Mufaḍḍal b. Ibrāhīm b. Qays and Sa`dān [Sa`d] b. Isḥāq b. Sa`īd and Aḥmad b. al-Ḥusayn [al-Ḥasan] b. `Abd al-Malik and Muḥammad b. Aḥmad b. al-Ḥasan al-Qaṭawānī, all of them from al-Ḥasan b. Maḥbūb, from Ibrāhīm [b. Ziyād] al-Khāriqī, from Abū Baṣīr who said:

I said to (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, that (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, used to say, “The Qā’im from the family of Muḥammad will have two occultations and one of them will be longer than the other.” He said, “Yes, and this will not occur until the family of so and so clash with each other, war rages (taḍīq al-ḥalqa), the Sufyānī appears, calamities intensify, death and killings engulf the people, and they seek refuge in the Sanctum of Allah (ḥaram Allāh) and the Sanctum of His Messenger (ḥaram rasūlih), Allah’s blessings be on him and his family.”

604. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(2): `Abd al-Wāḥid b. `Abd-Allah, from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Rabāḥ, from Aḥmad b. `Alī al-Ḥimyarī, from al-Ḥasan b. Ayyūb, from `Abd al-Karīm b. `Amr, from al-`Alā b.

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Razīn, from Muḥammad b. Muslim al-Thaqafī, from (Imam) al-Bāqir Abū Ja`far, peace be upon him, who said: “The Qā’im will have two occultations. In one of them, [some will say] ‘he has perished’ and [others will say,] ‘No one knows where he is.’”

605. Al-Kāfī(1): Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā and Aḥmad b. Idrīs, from al-Ḥasan b. `Alī al-Kūfī, from `Alī b. Ḥassān, from `Abd al-Raḥmān b. Kathīr, from al-Mufaḍḍal b. `Umar who said:

I heard (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, say, “The master of this affair will have two occultations: in one of them, he will return to his family. As for the other, [some will say] ‘he has perished’ and [others will say,] ‘No one knows where he is.’” I asked, “What should we do when this happens?” He replied, “When somebody claims [to be him], ask him about matters that only someone like him can answer.”

606. Al-Kāfī(2): Al-Ḥusayn b. Muḥammad, from Ja`far b. Muḥammad from al-Qāsim b. Ismā’īl al-Anbārī, from Yaḥyā b. al-Muthannā, from `Abd-Allah b. Bukair, from `Ubaid b. Zurāra, from Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said: “The Qā’im will have two occultations. In one of them, he will be present during the Hajj season; he will see the people but they will not be able see him.”

607. `Iqd al-durar(3): From (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī, peace be on him, who said: “The master of this affair—meaning the Mahdī, peace be on him—will have two occultations. One of them will become so elongated that some

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will say, ‘he has died,’ others will say, ‘he has been killed,’ and others will say, ‘he has gone.’ No one will be aware of his whereabouts, not his friends nor anybody else, except the servants who look after his affairs.”

The following tradition also proves the above concept: 254.

being disdained and turned away. On the other hand, I see your enemies freely doing what they want. Why shouldn’t I cry?”

The eyes of Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, filled with tears and he said, “O old man! If Allah allows you to live until you see our Qā’im, you will be with us on the highest pinnacle. And if death comes to you, you will come on the Day of Judgment along with the weight (thiql) of Muḥammad, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his family, and we are his weight. For indeed, he has said, ‘I leave amongst you two weighty things (thiqls); so fasten to them and you will never be deviated: the Book of Allah and my progeny, my Ahl al-Bait.’”

The old man said, “After hearing this tradition, I will no longer be concerned.” He said, “O old man! Our Qā’im will be from the loin of al-Ḥasan; al-Ḥasan will be from the loin of `Alī; `Alī will be from the loin of Muḥammad; Muḥammad will be from the loin of `Alī; `Alī will be from the loin of this son of mine—he then pointed to (Imam) al-Mūsā, peace be on him—and he is from my loin. We are twelve and all of us are infallible (ma`ṣūmūn) and purified (muṭahharūn).”

The old man asked, “O my master! Are some of you nobler than the others?” He answered, “No. We are equal in nobility but some of us are more knowledgeable than the others.”

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Then he said, “O old man! If nothing remains from the world except one day, Allah will certainly prolong that day until the Qā’im from us Ahl al-Bait emerges. Know that our Shias will be inflicted with a fitna and bewilderment during his occultation. Then, [Allah] will make the sincere ones steadfast in his guidance. O Allah! Help them in [being steadfast].”

609. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Aḥmad b. Idrīs, from Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. Mālik al-Fazārī al-Kūfī, from Isḥāq b. Muḥammad al-Ṣairafī, from Abū Hāshim, from Furāt b. Aḥnaf, from Sa`d b. Ṭarīf, from al-Aṣbagh b. Nubāta, from Amīr al-Mu’minīn `Alī, peace be upon him, who mentioned the Qā’im, peace be on him, and said: “He will certainly have an occultation [that will continue] until the ignorant will say, ‘The family of Muḥammad are unimportant for Allah.’”

610. Kamāl al-dīn(2): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. Aḥmad al-Shaibānī, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Muḥammad b. Ja`far al-Kūfī, from Sahl b. Ziyād al-Ādamī, from `Abd al-`Aẓīm b. `Abd-Allah al-Ḥasanī, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Muḥammad b. `Alī b. Mūsā b. Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, from his father, from his forefathers, from Amīr al-Mu’minīn, peace be on them all, who said:

Our Qā’im will have an occultation whose duration will be prolonged. It is as if I am seeing the Shias during his occultation who are wandering like livestock in search of

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pasture but will not find it. Know that whoever remains steadfast from amongst them in his religion, and his heart does not harden—due to the prolonged occultation of his Imam—then he will be with me in my rank on the Day of Judgment. When our Qā’im rises, he will not have pledged allegiance to anybody. Because of this, his birth will be concealed and he will be hidden.

The exact same tradition has been narrated to us by `Alī b. Muḥammad b. Aḥmad b. Mūsā, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Muḥammad b. Ja`far al-Kūfī, from `Abd-Allah b. Mūsā al-Rūyānī, from `Abdul `Aẓīm b. `Abd-Allah al-Ḥasanī, from Muḥammad b. `Alī al-Riḍā, from his father, from his forefathers, from Amīr al-Mu’minīn, peace be on him.

611. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Narrated to us my father, may Allah be satisfied with him, from `Abd-Allah b. Ja`far al-Ḥimyarī, from Aḥmad b. Hilāl, from `Abd al-Raḥmān b. Abī Najrān, from Faḍālat b. Ayyūb, from Sadīr, in a tradition from Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said:

The brothers of Yūsuf were the grandsons and children of prophets, [yet,] they traded Yūsuf and sold him whilst they were his brothers and he was their brother. They did not recognize him until he said to them, “I am Yūsuf.” Then, why does this umma deny the fact that Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, might intend to conceal His Proof (ḥujja) at a specific time?

Indeed, Yūsuf, peace be on him, was the King of Egypt and the distance

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between him and his father was a journey of eighteen days. Had Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, intended to inform him of his place, He could have done so.

By Allah! On hearing the good news, Ya`qūb and his sons traveled the distance in nine days from the time they started the [journey] to Egypt. So, why does this umma deny that Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, might do with His Proof what He did with Yūsuf; he will walk in their markets and set foot on their carpets and they will not recognize him until Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, allows him to introduce himself, just as He allowed Yūsuf who said to them, ‘Do you know how you treated Yūsuf and his brother when you were ignorant? They said: Are you indeed Yūsuf? He said: I am Yūsuf and this is my brother . . .’(1)”

612. Kamāl al-dīn(2): Narrated to us `Abd al-Wāḥid b. Muḥammad b. `Abdūs al-`Aṭṭār, 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, from al-Sayyid b. Muḥammad al-Ḥimyarī in a long tradition in which he said:

I asked al-Ṣādiq Ja`far b. Muḥammad, peace be on him, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his family! Traditions from your forefathers have been narrated to us about the occultation and that it will truly occur. Inform me for whom will this occur?” He

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replied, “It will occur for my sixth descendant and he is the twelfth guided Imam 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, Allah’s remnant on the earth, and the master of the time. By Allah! If he remains in occultation equal to the time Noah remained in his nation, he will not depart the world until he appears and fills the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness.”

613. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Narrated to us Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-`Aṭṭār, may Allah be satisfied with him, from his father, from Ibrāhīm b. Hāshim, from Muḥammad b. Abī `Umair, from Ṣafwān b. Mihrān al-Jammāl, from al-Ṣādiq, Ja`far b. Muḥammad, peace be on him, who said: “By Allah, your Mahdī will become hidden from you to the extent that the ignorant from amongst you will say, ‘The family of Muḥammad are unimportant for Allah.’ Then, he will come like a shining meteor and will fill [earth] with justice and fairness just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness.”

614. Al-Kāfī(2): `Alī b. Muḥammad, from Ja`far b. Muḥammad, from Mūsā b. Ja`far al-Baghdādī, from Wahb b. Shādhān, from al-Ḥasan b. Abī l-Rabī`, from Muḥammad b. Isḥāq, from Umm Hānī who said:

I asked Abū Ja`far Muḥammad b. `Alī, peace be on him, about the saying

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of Allah, the Exalted: “I swear by [the planets] that disappear. Those that move in their orbits.”(1) He replied, “[It is about] an Imam who will disappear in the year 260 AH. Then, he will appear like a meteor glowing in the dark night. If you reach his time, your eyes will be soothed (qarrat `ainuk).”

615. Kamāl al-dīn(2): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. Mūsā b. al-Mutawakkil, may Allah be satisfied with him, from `Alī b. Ibrāhīm b. Hāshim, from Muḥammad b. `Īsā b. `Ubaid, from Ṣāliḥ b. Muḥammad, from Hānī al-Tammār who said: “(Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, said to me, ‘The master of this affair will certainly have an occultation. Thus, [Allah’s] servant[s] should fear Allah and fasten to his religion.”

616. Al-Kāfī(3): Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā, from Ja`far b. Muḥammad, from Isḥāq b. Muḥammad, from Yaḥyā b. al-Muthannā, from `Abd-Allah b. Bukair, from `Ubaid b. Zurāra, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said: “People will not find their Imam. He will be present during the Hajj season and he will see them but they will not see him.”

617. Al-Kāfī(4): Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā and al-Ḥasan b. Muḥammad have both narrated from Ja`far b. Muḥammad al-Kūfī, from al-Ḥasan b. Muḥammad al-Ṣairafī, from Ṣāliḥ b. Khālid, from Yamān al-Tammār who said:

We were sitting with (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, when he said to us, “The master of this affair will certainly have an occultation. The one who fastens to his religion during this period is like

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someone one who pulls the qatād (a plant full of extremely sharp thorns) in his closed fist like this.” Then, he showed with his hands and asked, “Who amongst you has grasped the thorns of the qatād tightly with his hands?” He then said nothing for a while said then continued, “The master of this affair will certainly have an occultation. Thus, [Allah’s] servant[s] should fear Allah and fasten to his religion.”

618. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Narrated to me my father and Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan, may Allah be satisfied with them, both from Sa`d b. `Abd-Allah and `Abd-Allah b. Ja`far al-Ḥimyarī and Aḥmad b. Idrīs, who all narrated from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. `Īsā and Muḥammad b. al-Ḥusayn b. Abī al-Khaṭṭāb and Muḥammad b. `Abd al-Jabbār and `Abd-Allah b. `Āmir b. Sa`d al-Ash`arī, from `Abd al-Raḥmān b. Abī Najrān, from Muḥammad b. al-Musāwir, from al-Mufaḍḍal b. `Umar al-Ju`fī, who said:

I heard (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, say, “Keep away from fame (tanwīh)(2)! By Allah, your Imam will disappear for many years and you will be sifted until it is said, ‘He has died or he has perished or no one knows where he is?’ The eyes of the believers will weep for him. You will overturn like ships which overturn in the waves of the ocean. No one will be saved except those whose covenant Allah has taken and has inscribed faith in their hearts and has assisted them by a Spirit from Himself. Indeed, twelve ambiguous flags will be

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raised, and you won’t know which belongs to who.”

I started crying [on hearing this] and he said to me, “Why are you crying, O Abū `Abd-Allah?” I replied, “Why shouldn’t I cry when you are saying that there will be twelve ambiguous flags and none will be distinguished from the other? What should we do [in these circumstances]?” [He] looked at the sunshine in the room and remarked, “O Abū `Abd-Allah! Do you see this sunshine?” I replied in the affirmative. He said, “By Allah, our affair is more apparent than this sunshine.”

619. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. `Alī b. Ḥātim al-Naufalī—known as al-Kirmānī—from Abū l-`Abbās Aḥmad b. `Īsā al-Washshā al-Baghdādī, from Aḥmad b. Ṭāhir [al-Qummī], from Muḥammad b. Bahr b. Sahl al-Shaibānī, from `Alī b. al-Ḥārith, from Sa`īd b. Manṣūr al-Jawāshinī, from Aḥmad b. `Alī al-Budailī, from his father, from Sadīr al-Ṣairafī who said:

I, al-Mufaḍḍal b. `Umar, Abū Baṣīr, and Abān b. Taghlib went to meet our master Abū `Abd-Allah al-Ṣādiq, peace be on him. We saw him sitting on the earth while he was wearing a Khaibarī cloak that was fastened to his neck that didn’t have a collar and had short sleeves. He was crying like someone whose child had died and whose heart was burning.

Grief was visible from his face, change was apparent in him, tears had filled his eyes, and he was saying, “My master! Your occultation has taken away my sleep, strained my resting place, and seized the comfort

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of my heart. My master! Your occultation has made my calamities reach proportions of eternal misfortune. The loss of one after the other has destroyed us all. I no longer feel the tears flowing from my eyes and the moaning sounds from my heart on account of past afflictions and bygone calamities. [All] I see is the great tragedy that is before me which is greater, more sorrowful, more severe, and inhospitable [than all tragedies]. [They are] harsh calamities that are mixed with your anger and afflictions that are mixed with your wrath.”

Our minds were terrified with perplexity and our hearts were cleft asunder with impatience about a great disaster and a terrible misfortune. We thought that a knocking calamity had struck him or a misfortune had afflicted him. We asked, “O Son of the best of creatures! May Allah not make your eyes weep! What has made your tears flow and your eyes rain teardrops? What tragedy has brought you this sorrow?”

(Imam) al-Ṣādiq, peace be on him, took [a deep] breath which filled his stomach and intensified his panic and then said, “Woe to you! This morning, I looked in the Book of Jafr which is comprised of the knowledge about [the times] of death, examinations, and afflictions and the knowledge about whatever existed/occurred and will exist/occur until the Day of Judgment, which Allah specifically gave to [the Prophet] Muḥammad and the Imams after him.

I pondered over the birth of the one from us who will disappear, his

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occultation, his delay, his longevity, the examination/calamities of the believers during this time, the doubts that will arise in their hearts due to his prolonged occultation, and them becoming apostates and taking off the rope of Islam from their necks—which Allah, Holy be His Remembrance, says, ‘And We have made every person’s deeds cling to his neck,’(1) which refers to [our] Mastership (al-wilāya). [On reading this,] I was filled with sympathy and overcome by grief.”

We said, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! Please honor us and do us a favor by sharing with us some of what you have learned from this knowledge.” He said, “Surely Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, will repeat for our Qā’im three things which He had done for three of His prophets. He made his birth like the birth of Moses, peace be on him; He made his occultation like the occultation of Jesus, peace be on him; and made His delay like the delay of Noah, peace be on him. Then, He made his age like that of the Righteous Servant— meaning al-Khiḍr, peace be on him—as a proof of his long life.”

We asked, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! Uncover for us the aspects of these meanings.” He said, “As for the birth of Moses, peace be on him, when the Pharaoh found out that the downfall of his kingdom was at [Moses’] hands, he asked for the fortune-tellers who guided him to the lineage [of Moses] and [told him] that he

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would be from the Israelites. Then, he ordered his followers to rip apart the stomachs of the pregnant women from the Israelites until he killed more than twenty-thousand babies. But he did not succeed in killing Moses, peace be on him, because he was under the protection of Allah, Blessed and High be He.

The same thing happened with the Umayyads and the Abbasids; when they found out that the destruction of their kingdoms and the [destruction] of the government of the oppressors and tyrants from them would be at the hands of our Qā’im, they established enmity against us and drew their swords to kill the family [or Ahl al-Bait] of the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, and to destroy his generation in the hope of killing the Qā’im. But Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, has refused to make evident His affair to any of the oppressors and He will make perfect His Light even if the polytheists detest it.

“As for the occultation of Jesus, peace be on him, the Jews and the Christians unanimously agreed that he had been killed. But Allah, Majestic be His Remembrance, falsified what they had said by His saying, ‘And they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to them so.’(1) The occultation of the Qā’im is also like this and the umma will deny it due to its elongation. One will speak nonsense that he has not been born yet;

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another will say he has passed the age of thirteen or more, and yet another will disobey Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, by saying, ‘Surely, the soul of the Qā’im speaks from the body of someone other than himself.’

“As for the delay of Noah, peace be on him, when he sought punishment on his people from the sky, Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, sent the Trusted Spirit (Rūḥ al-Amīn), peace be on him, with seven seeds. He said, ‘O Prophet of Allah, Allah, Blessed and High be He, says to you, “These are My creations and My servants. I will not destroy them with a thunderbolt from my thunderbolts except after emphasizing [My] call and establishing [My] proof. So, continue your struggles in preaching to your people and I will definitely reward you for it. Plant these seeds, for in their growth, maturity, and fruition is relief and salvation. Give glad-tidings by these to those believers who follow you.”’

When the trees grew, became [covered with leaves], grew stems and branches, and dates began to grow on them—and this was after a long period of time—Noah, peace be on him, asked Allah, Purified and High be He, to fulfill His promise. Allah, Blessed and High be He, ordered him to plant the seeds of these trees [that had fully grown] and to continue his patience and struggles and to emphasize His proofs upon his people. So he informed the groups who believed in him about this and [on

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hearing this], three hundred people became apostates, arguing, ‘If what Noah had claimed was true, His Lord wouldn’t have violated His Promise.’ Then, Allah, Blessed and High be He, continued to order him to sow the seeds [of the new full-grown plants] one after the other until he had sowed them seven times. And each time, a group from the believers became apostates until only a little more than seventy men remained from them.

So then, Allah, Blessed and High be He, revealed to him and said, ‘O Noah, dawn has pierced the night and the affair has become pure from filth by the apostasy of those who had wicked essence. Had I destroyed the unbelievers and allowed those groups from your nation who turned apostates—after having earlier believed in you—to survive, I would not have fulfilled My earlier promise to the believers from your tribe whose belief in monotheism was pure and who had fastened to the rope of your prophethood. [The promise I had made to them] that I would make them the successors on earth, establish for them their religion, and convert their fear into security, so they would purely worship Me with the removal of doubts from their hearts. How could I make them successors, establish [their religion], and convert their fear into security when I knew about the weak faith of those who had become apostates, the wickedness of their essence, the evilness of their hidden secrets and their deviation which was the consequence of

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hypocrisy?

Had they smelled the fragrance of My Kingdom which would be given to the believers when they become the successors [of my Kingdom] after I destroy their enemies, they would have taken away its serenity (lanaqishū rawā’iḥa ṣifātih), their secret hypocrisy would have become stronger, the ropes of their hearts deviation would have become eternal, they would have openly shown hostility towards their brothers, and would have fought against them to become the leaders and sole commanders and prohibiters. So, how can religion be powerful and the affairs be at the hands of the believers whilst there is unrest and war? It shall never be like this, “So, make the ark before Our eyes and [according to] Our revelation.”(1)’

“The same thing will occur for the Qā’im. His occultation will be prolonged until the truth becomes clear and faith becomes purified from darkness (al-kadir) by the apostasy of all those from the Shias who have wicked essence; those whom might become hypocrites when they sense the succesorship, power, and widespread security during the Qā’im’s reign.” I said, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! The enemies of the Ahl al-Bait (al-nawāṣib) think that this verse was revealed in favor of Abū Bakr, `Umar, `Uthmān, and `Alī, peace be on him.”

He answered, “May Allah not guide the hearts of these enemies! Has the religion which Allah and His Messenger were satisfied with which had power to spread security in the umma, dispel fear from their hearts, and remove skepticism from their chests,

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ever been present during the reign of any one of these [three Caliphs] or during the reign of `Alī, peace be on him, whilst so many Muslims became apostates, fitnas arose during their times, and wars took place between them and the infidels?” Then he recited the following verse, “Until the messengers despaired and thought that they were indeed told a lie, [then] Our help came to them”(1)

As for the Righteous Servant—meaning al-Khiḍr, peace be on him—then surely Allah, Blessed and High be He, did not prolong his life because of a prophethood that he had destined for him, nor for a Book that he wanted to send down unto him, nor for a religion that would abrogate the religion of the prophets that [lived] before him, nor because of an Imamate whose following He would make compulsory for His servants, nor for an obedience that He would make obligatory for him. Rather, Allah, Blessed and High be He, knew from His prior Knowledge that He would [prolong] the age of the Qā’im during his occultation and He also knew that His servants would deny [him] because of his age, therefore, He prolonged the age of the Righteous Servant without any obvious reason for this longevity except for the fact that it be used to prove the age of the Qā’im and to severe the arguments of those who opposed him so that the people will not have any argument against Allah.”

620. Kamāl al-dīn(2): Narrated to us Aḥmad b. Ziyād

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b. Ja`far al-Hamdānī, may Allah be satisfied with him, from `Alī b. Ibrāhīm b. Hāshim, from his father, from Muḥammad b. Khālid al-Barqī, from `Alī b. Ḥasan, from Dāwūd b. Kathīr al-Riqqī who said: “I asked Abū l-Ḥasan Mūsā b. Ja`far, peace be on him, about the Master of this affair. He replied, ‘He is the exiled, the lonely, the stranger, the one who will be absent from his family, and the one whose father has not been avenged.’”

621. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Narrated to me my father, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Sa`d b. `Abd-Allah, from Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. Mālik al-Fazārī, from `Alī b. al-Ḥasan b. Faḍḍāl who heard al-Rayyān b. al-Ṣalt say: “(Imam) Abū l-Ḥasan al-Riḍā, peace be on him, was asked about the Qā’im. He replied, ‘He will not be seen and he will not be called by his name.’”

622. Kamāl al-dīn(2): Narrated to us al-Muẓaffar b. Ja`far b. Muẓaffar al-`Alawī al-`Umarī al-Samarqandī, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. Mas`ūd, from his father Muḥammad b. Mas`ūd, from Ja`far b. Aḥmad, from al-Ḥasan b. `Alī b. Faḍḍāl, from Abū l-Ḥasan `Alī b. Mūsā al-Riḍā, peace be on him, who said:

Al-Khiḍr, peace be on him, drank from the water of life (mā’ al-ḥayāt) and he will live and not die until the Trumpet is blown (ḥattā yunfakh fī l-ṣūr). He comes to us and salutes us. We hear his voice but we don’t see him. He appears wherever he is mentioned and whoever

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from you mentions him should salute him. He is present during the [Hajj] season every year and performs all the [Hajj] rituals. He stands in `Arafa and says amen to the supplications of the believers. Through him, Allah will soothe our Qā’im’s solitude during his occultation and dispel his loneliness.

623. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(1): Narrated to us `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, from Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā, from Muḥammad b. Ḥasan al-Rāzī, from Muḥammad b. `Alī al-Kūfī, from `Īsā b. `Abd-Allah b. Muḥammad b. `Umar b. `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, from his father, from his grandfather, from his father Amīr al-Mu’minīn `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, who said: “The master of this affair is from my descendants. He is the one about whom it will be said, ‘He has died or perished. No one knows where he is.’”

624. Kamāl al-dīn(2): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. Mūsā b. al-Mutawakkil, may Allah be satisfied with him, from `Alī b. Ibrāhīm, from his father, from `Abd al-Salām b. Ṣāliḥ al-Harawī, from (Imam) Abū l-Ḥasan `Alī b. Mūsā al-Riḍā, from his father, from his forefathers, from `Alī, peace be on them all, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, who said:

By the One Who raised me with the truth as a giver of glad-tidings! Certainly, the Qā’im from my progeny will have an occultation because of a covenant between me and him. [His occultation will continue] until most of the people will say, “The family of Muḥammad are unimportant for

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Allah!” Others will doubt he was born. Whoever reaches his era should fasten to his religion and must leave no path for Satan to reach him by being skeptical [about the Qā’im]. [If Satan reaches him] he will put him aside from my nation and bring him out of my religion, for he previously brought out your parents from Paradise. Surely, Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, has made the devils the guardians of those who do not believe.

625. `Ilal al-sharā’i`(1): Narrated to us al-Muẓaffar b. Ja`far b. al-Muẓaffar al-`Alawī, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Ja`far b. Mas`ūd and Ḥaidar b. Muḥammad al-Samarqandī, both of them from Muḥammad b. Mas`ūd, from Jabra’īl b. Aḥmad, from Mūsā b. Ja`far al-Baghdādī, from al-Ḥasan b. Muḥammad al-Ṣairafī, from Ḥanān b. Sadīr, from his father who said:

(Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, said, “The Qā’im from us will have an occultation whose duration will be long.” I asked, “Why is it so, O Son of Allah’s Messenger?” He replied, “Surely, Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, has wanted naught except to carry out in him the customs of the prophets, peace be on them, during their occultations. O Sadīr! It is necessary that the periods their occultations are completed. Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, says, ‘You will most certainly embark one stage after another’(2) meaning tradition upon tradition of those before you.”

626. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(3): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. Hammām, from Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. Mālik, from Isḥāq b. Sinān,

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from `Ubaid b. Khārija, from `Alī b. Uthmān, from furāt b. Aḥnaf, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah Ja`far b. Muḥammad, from his forefathers, peace be upon them, who said:

The river Euphrates overflowed during the reign of Amīr al-Mu’minīn, peace be on him. He and his two sons—al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn, peace be on them—mounted and passed by [the neighborhood] of al-Thaqīf. The [locals] said, “`Alī has come to drive away the water.” `Alī, peace be on him, answered, “By Allah, I and these two sons of mine will be killed. Then, Allah will definitely raise a person form my progeny in the end of times who will demand our blood. He will go in occultation until the people of deviation are distinguished from the [rightly guided]. [This situation will continue until] the ignorant will say, ‘The family of Muḥammad are unimportant for Allah.’”

627. Ghaybat al-Shaykh(1): Abū Baṣīr narrated: “ (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, said, ‘The Qā’im has a similarity with [the Prophet] Yūsuf.’ I asked, ‘And what is it?’ He replied, ‘Bewilderment and occultation.’”

628. Kitāb tārīkh Qum(2): From Muḥammad b. Qutayba al-Hamdānī and al-Ḥasan b. `Alī al-Kashmārjānī [al-Kamshārjānī], from `Alī b. al-Nu`mān, from Abū l-Akrād `Alī b. Maimūn al-Ṣā’igh, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said:

Surely, Allah has used [the city of] Kūfa as an argument over all other cities and the faithful from its inhabitants over the inhabitants of other cities. [Similarly,] he has used Qum as an argument over all other cities and

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its inhabitants over the inhabitants of the East and the West from the Jinn and the humans. Allah has not left Qum and its inhabitants as weak. Rather, he has made them successful and assisted them.

The religion and its followers in Qum are lowly. Had it not been so, people would have hurried towards it [to inhabit it] and consequently, Qum would have been spoilt and its inhabitants would have become the people of falsehood, resulting in it not being an argument/proof over all other cities. If this happened, then the heavens and the earth would have become dislocated and they would not have been reprieved—even a moment.

Verily, calamities have been warded off from Qum and its people. Soon, there will come a time when the city of Qum and its inhabitants will be an argument over the creatures. This will occur during the occultation of our Qā’im, peace be upon him, until he reappears. Had it not been so, the earth would have swallowed its inhabitants.

Surely, the angels dispel the calamities from Qum and its inhabitants. No tyrant ever intends something bad for Qum but that the destroyer of tyrants [i.e. Allah] destroys him and keeps them away from it either by a disaster or a calamity or an enemy. The tyrants forget about Qum during their rein just as they forget [the remembrance of] Allah.

629. Al-Kāfī(1): `Alī b. Ibrāhīm, from his father, from ibn Abī `Umair, from Abū Ayyūb al-Khazzāz, from Muḥammad b. Muslim, from

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Abū `Abd-Allah (al-Ṣādiq), peace be on him, who said: “If you hear that the master of this affair is in occultation, don’t deny it.”

630. Al-Kāfī(1): A group of our companions, from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad, from al-Ḥasan b. `Alī al-Washshā, from `Alī b. Abī Ḥamza, from Abū Baṣīr, from Abū `Abd-Allah (al-Ṣādiq), peace be on him: “The master of this affair will definitely have an occultation and he will definitely have an isolation during his occultation. Ṭībba is a great dwelling and thirty people will not feel lonely.”

631. Ghaybat al-Shaykh(2): A group narrated to me from Abū Ja`far Muḥammad b. Sufyān al-Bazaufarī, from Aḥmad b. Idrīs, from `Alī b. Muḥammad b. Qutayba, from al-Faḍl b. Shādhān, from `Abd al-Raḥmān b. Abī Najrān, from Ṣafwān b. Yaḥyā, from Abū Ayyūb, from Abū Baṣīr, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said: “If the news of the occultation of your master reaches you, don’t deny it.”

The following traditions also prove the above concept: 205, 242, 244, 245, 254, 257, 261, 305–308, 317, 465, 497, 498, 499, 511, 535–539, 541, 547, 549–557, 559–564, 574, 575, 580, 589, 595, 599–607, 632–635, 637, 641, 643, 644, 645, 647, 649, 653, 669, 685, 686, 688–691, 806, 810, 1104, and 1105

b. `Abd-Allah b. Ja`far al-Madā’inī, from `Abd-Allah b. al-Faḍl al-Hāshimī who said:

I heard al-Ṣādiq Ja`far b. Muḥammad, peace be on him, say, “The master of this affair will definitely have an occultation in which every liar will become doubtful.” I asked, “Why, may I be sacrificed for you?” He replied, “Because of an affair that we have not been given permission to disclose to you.” I asked, “What is the rationale behind his occultation?” He answered, “The rationale behind his occultation is the same rationale behind the occultations of the Proofs of Allah, High be His Remembrance, who preceded him; Surely, the rationale will not be disclosed until he reappears, just as the rationale behind al-Khiḍr’s acts of drilling a hole in the ship, killing the boy, and erecting the wall were not disclosed to Moses, peace be on him, except at the time of their separation. O son of Faḍl! This affair is from the affairs of Allah, the Exalted, a secret from Allah’s secrets, and an unseen from Allah’s unseens. Once we know that He, Mighty and Majestic be He, is wise, then, we will acknowledge that all His actions are wisdom even if their reason is not disclosed [to us].’”

633. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Muḥammad b. Muḥammad b. `Iṣām al-Kulainī, from Muḥammad b. Ya`qūb al-Kulainī, from Isḥāq b. Ya`qūb, from the Master of Time (Ṣāḥib al-Zamān), Allah’s blessings be on him, in his last signed letter (al-tauqī`) which was in reply to a question asked from him by Muḥammad

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b. Uthmān b. al-`Amrī:

As for the reason behind the occultation, then surely Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, says, “O you who believe! Do not ask about things which if disclosed to you will upset you.”(1) Verily, all my forefathers had the allegiance of the tyrant of their time on their necks [i.e. were forced to pledge allegiance to them] but when I reappear, I will not have the allegiance of any oppressive king on my neck. As for benefiting from me during my occultation, then indeed, it will be like benefiting from the sun when the clouds conceal it from the eyes. I am security for the inhabitants of earth just as the stars are security for the inhabitants of the sky. So, don’t ask about things that you don’t need and don’t strain yourself in learning the knowledge of things that you will not be questioned about. Pray as much as you can for the hastening of the relief (al-faraj) because it is your relief. Peace be on you, O Isḥāq b. Ya`qūb, and [on] whoever follows guidance.

634. `Uyūn akhbār al-Riḍā(2): Muḥammad b. Ibrāhīm b. Isḥāq, from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad al-Hamdānī, from `Alī b. al-Ḥasan b. `Alī b. Faḍḍāl, from his father, from Abū l-Ḥasan `Alī b. Mūsā al-Riḍā, peace be on him, who said: “It is as if I am with the Shias who are [wandering] like livestock—during the occultation of my third descendant—in search of pasture, but will not find it.” I asked, “And why will

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it be so, O Son of Allah’s Messenger?” He answered, “Because, their Imam will be concealed from them.” “Why?” I asked again. He answered, “So that he will not have the allegiance of anyone on his neck when he rises with the sword.”

635. Ghaybat al-Shaykh(1): Al-Ḥusayn b. `Ubaid Allah, from Abū Ja`far Muḥammad b. Sufyān al-Bazaufarī, from Aḥmad b. Idrīs, from `Alī b. Muḥammad b. Qutayba, from al-Faḍl b. Shādhān al-Nīsābūrī, from al-Ḥasan b. Maḥbūb, from `Alī b. Ri`āb, who said: “Zurāra said, ‘The Qā’im will have an occultation before he appears.’ I asked, ‘Why?’ He replied, ‘He will fear for his life.’”

The following traditions also prove the above concept: 337, 626, 654, 656, and 669.

with the spirit of certainty. They regard as easy what the extremely wealthy regard as hard. They find peace in what the ignorant have fright of. They live in this world with bodies whose souls are hanging in the highest place. They are the Successors of Allah on His earth and the callers to His religion. Oh, oh, how I yearn to see them!(1)

637. Yanābī` al-mawadda(2): Citing Nahj al-balāgha:

From us is the Mahdī. He will move in the world while carrying a radiant lamp and will tread on the path of the virtuous, in order to unfasten knots, free slaves, divide the united and unite the divided. He will be in concealment from the people. The stalker will not find his footprints even though he pursues with his eyes.

Also in Nahj al-balāgha ([Egypt], vol. 2, p. 47, no. 146):

O people! This is the time for the occurrence of every promised event and the approach of things which you do not know. Whoever from among us will be during these days will move through them with a burning lamp and will tread on the footsteps of the virtuous, in order to unfasten knots, free slaves, divide the united and unite the divided. He will be in concealment from the people. The stalker will not find his footprints even though he pursues with his eyes. Then a group of people will be sharpened like the sharpening of swords by the blacksmith. Their sight will be brightened by revelation, the [delicacies of the

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Quran’s] commentary will be put in their ears and they will be given drinks of wisdom, morning and evening.(1)

638. Farā’id al-simṭain(2): Informed us Abū Ja`far, ibn Bābawayh, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Muḥammad b. Aḥmad al-Simnānī, from Aḥmad b. Yaḥyā b. Zakariyyā al-Qattān, from Bakr b. `Abd-Allah b. Ḥabīb, from Faḍl b. al-Ṣaqr al-`Abdī, from Mu`āwiya, from Sulaimān b. Mihrān al-A’mash, from al-Ṣādiq Ja`far b. Muḥammad, peace be on him, from his father Muḥammad b. `Alī, peace be on him, from his father `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him, who said:

We are the leaders of the Muslims, Allah’s Proofs upon the worlds, the masters (sādat) of the believers, the chiefs of those who will have shiny faces [on the Day of Judgment], and the masters (mawālī) of the faithful. We are security for the inhabitants of the earth just as the stars are security for the inhabitants of the sky. We are those due to whom the sky is withheld from falling on the earth except with His permission; due to us, the earth is withheld from shaking its inhabitants; due to us it rains and mercy is spread and the blessings of the earth come out.

If someone from us didn’t exist on earth, the earth would have swallowed its inhabitants. Ever since Allah created Adam, the earth has not been empty of Allah’s Proof—[who has been] either apparent and known or hidden and concealed—and it will not become empty until the Hour [i.e. Judgment Day]

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is established. Had it not been so, Allah would not have been worshipped.

Sulaimān says, “I asked (Imam) al-Ṣādiq, peace be on him, ‘How will the people benefit from a hidden and concealed proof?’ He answered, ‘Just like they benefit from the sun when the clouds cover it.(1)’”

639. Kamāl al-dīn(2): Narrated to me my father, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Sa`d b. `Abd-Allah, from Hārūn b. Muslim, from Sa`dān, from Mas`adat b. Ṣadaqa, from Abū `Abd-Allah [al-Ṣādiq], from his forefathers, from `Alī, peace be on them all, who said:

O Allah! There must exist on Your earth Your Proof upon Your creatures, who guides them to Your religion and teaches them [from] Your knowledge, so that Your argument is not negated and the followers of Your friends are not deviated after You guide them. [This proof must exist] regardless of him being apparent and not obeyed, or hidden and fearing [for his life]. Even though he is hidden from the people—while they are guided—his knowledge and his customs are firmly established in the hearts of the believers and they act upon them.

640. Kitāb Faḍl b. Shādhān(3): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. Abī `Umair and Ṣafwān b. Yaḥyā, from Jamīl b. Darrāj, from (Imam) al-Ṣādiq, from his father, from his forefathers, from Amīr al-Mu’minīn, peace be on them all, who said:

Islam and a just ruler are two brothers who are always together. One will not be corrected without the other. Islam is the foundation and the just ruler is the protector.

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What is without a foundation will be destroyed and what is without a protector will be spoiled. It is because of this that when our Qā’im departs from this world, nothing will remain this world.

The following traditions also prove the above point: 245 and 609

is long-life.’”

643. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(1): `Abd al-Wāḥid b. `Abd-Allah b. Yūnus, from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Rabāḥ al-Zuhrī, from Aḥmad b. `Alī al-Ḥimyarī, from al-Ḥasan b. Ayyūb, from `Abd al-Karīm b. `Amr, from Muḥammad b. al-Fuḍail, from Ḥammād b. `Abd al-Karīm al-Jallāb who said: “The Qā’im was mentioned in the presence of (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, and he said, ‘When he appears, people will say [astonishingly], ‘How is this possible while his bones had decomposed years ago!’”

644. Al-Kharā’ij(2): From Imam al-Ḥasan al-`Askarī, peace be on him, who said [the following] to Aḥmad b. Isḥāq who had come to ask him about his successor. When [the Imam] saw him, he himself began to answer before being asked:

His example is like that of Khiḍr and his example is like that of Dhū l-Qarnain. Khiḍr drank from the elixir of life and he will live and not die until the trumpet is blown (nufikha fī l-ṣūr). He is present during the [Hajj] season every year. He stands in `Arafa and says Amen to the prayers of the believers. Through him, Allah will dispel the loneliness of our Qā’im during his occultation and he will accompany [the Mahdi] during his solitude. He will continue to live in the world despite being concealed from the eyes.

I say: His similarity to Dhū l-Qarnain is about him reaching the East and the West and possibly other aspects like occultation and longevity.

The following traditions also prove the above point: 497, 498, 535–539, 547, 549, 551–557, 559,

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561, 562, 564, 574, 575, 580, 589, 599, 600, 602–605, 607–610, 612, 613, 618, 619, 623–626, 632, 645–650, 669, and 686. We can add to these all the traditions mentioned in chapters one and two—on account of the traditions that mention that surely the earth will not become empty of a Divine Proof and an Imam, and on account of definite rational arguments mentioned in dialectical books—because all of these indicate that the Imams and the Divine Proofs after the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, are limited to twelve. The first is `Alī the last is the Mahdī and the ninth from the progeny of al-Ḥusayn is the Qā’im and he is the son of Imam al-Ḥasan al-`Askarī, peace be on them all. Thus, the total number of such traditions will be 363 because all of these traditions indicate he has survived and has been alive from his birth until now. And Allah has the power to do what He pleases and He is the Wise, the Knowledgeable.

the intention of asking him about the Qā’im from the family of Muḥammad, Allah's blessings be on him and his family. He started the conversation [before I could ask my question]: “O Muḥammad b. Muslim! Surely in the Qā’im from the progeny of Muḥammad, there are customs [i.e. similarities] from five Messengers: Yūnus b. Mattā, Yūsuf b. Ya`qūb, Moses, Jesus, and Muḥammad, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family. As for the custom from Yūnus b. Mattā, it is his return after his occultation while he will [look] young despite his old age. As for the custom from Yūsuf b. Ya`qūb, it is his concealment from his close companions as well as the masses, his concealment from his brothers, and the difficult situation for his father Ya`qūb(1) despite the little distance between him and his father, family, and followers.

As for the custom from Moses, it is the continuation of his fear, the lengthening of his occultation, the concealment of his birth, and the hardships his followers will experience after him from the tortures and degradations—until Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, allows him to appear and gives him victory and assists him against his enemies. As for the custom from Jesus, peace be on him, it will be the differences people have concerning him, to the extent that a group will say, ‘He has not been born.’ Another group will say, ‘He has died,’ yet another will say, ‘He has been killed and crucified.’

As for the custom

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from his great grandfather, al-Mustafa Muḥammad, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, it is his emergence with the sword and the slaying the enemies of Allah, the enemies of His Messenger, the oppressors and the tyrants, and that he will be helped with the sword and awe. His flag will never return defeated. From the signs of his emergence are: the emergence of al-Sufyānī from Syria, the emergence of al-Yamānī [from Yemen], a loud cry from the sky in the month of Ramaḍān, and an announcer calling out his name and the name of his father from the sky.”

646. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Muḥammad b. Ibrāhīm b. Isḥāq al-Ṭāliqānī, from Aḥmad b. `Alī al-Anṣārī, from Abū l-Ṣalt al-Harawī who said:

I asked (Imam) al-Riḍā, peace be on him, “What are the signs of your Qā’im when he emerges?” He replied, “His sign is that he will be old in age [but] young in appearance. When someone looks at him he will guess his age to be forty years or less. And from his signs is that he will not become old with the passing of the days and nights until the arrival of his death.

647. `Iqd al-durar(2): From Imam Abū `Abd-Allah al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī, peace be on him: “[When] the Mahdī rises, the people will refute him because he will return to them as a healthy youth. One of the greatest tests is that their master will emerge for them as a youth while they had thought he would be a

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very old man.”

648. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(1): From Abū `Abd-Allah [al-Ṣādiq], peace be on him, in a tradition: “One of the greatest tests is that their master will emerge for them as a youth while they had considered him a very old person.”

649. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(2): Narrated to us `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn al-Mas`ūdī, from Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-`Aṭṭār, from Muḥammad b. Ḥassān al-Rāzī, from Muḥammad b. `Alī al-Kūfī, from al-Ḥasan b. Maḥbūb, from `Abd-Allah b. Jabala, from `Alī b. Abī Ḥamza, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said: “[When] the Mahdī rises the people will refute him because he will return to them as a healthy youth. No one will keep faith in him except those whose covenant Allah has taken in the first [world of] particles (al-dharr al-awwal).”

650. Ghaybat al-Shaykh(3): It has been narrated in a tradition that the Master of Time has a similarity with Jonah (Yūnus): “His return from his occultation while he is in the prime of his youth.”

Some of the traditions which we mentioned or will soon mention, interpret and clarify other traditions like the following two:

651. Ghaybat al-Shaykh(4): Sa`d b. `Abd-Allah, from Muḥammad b. `Īsā b. `Ubaid, from Ismā’īl b. Abān, from `Amr b. Shimr, from Jābir al-Ju`fī, from (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, who said:

Umar b. al-Khaṭṭāb asked Amīr al-Mu’minīn `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, “Inform me about the Mahdī, what is his name?” He replied, “As for his name, my beloved took a covenant from me that

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I will not reveal his name until Allah sends him.” He then asked, “Then inform me about his attributes.” He replied, “He will be a young man of medium figure with beautiful hair that will flow over his shoulders. The light of his face will make the blackness of his beard and hair shine. May my father be sacrificed for the son of the best maid.”

652. Is`āf al-rāghibīn(1): It has also been narrated about his characteristics that he is young, has applied kohl on his eyes, has arched eyebrows, an aquiline nose, a thick beard, and he will have a mole on his right cheek and another on his right hand.

The following traditions also prove the above concept: 539 and 555.

deniers and will fill it with justice and fairness, is the one whose birth will be concealed(1) from the people.

He will disappear from them and they will not be allowed to say his name. His name will be the same as the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, and also his epithet. He is the one for whom the earth’s distances will be shortened, every difficulty will be eased for, and for him will gather his companions—who are equal to the ones who participated in the Battle of Badr, three hundred and thirteen men—from distant places on earth. This is the [meaning of the] saying of Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He,

‘Wherever you may be, Allah will bring forth all of you. Surely, Allah has power over all things’ (Quran Surah Baqarah 2:148).

When this number of sincere people gathers for him, he will make his affair evident. When ten thousand men are complete, he will emerge with Allah’s permission. Then, he will continue slaying Allah’s enemies until Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, becomes satisfied.” I said to him, “My Master! How will he know that Allah has become satisfied?” He answered, “Mercy will be inspired in his heart . . . (to the end of the tradition).”

654. Kamāl al-dīn(2): Through the same chain of narrators— meaning `Alī b. Aḥmad al-Daqqāq and Muḥammad b. Aḥmad al-Shaibānī, may Allah be satisfied with them, from Muḥammad b. Abū `Abd-Allah al-Kūfī, from Mūsā b. `Imrān

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al-Nakha`ī, from his uncle al-Ḥusayn b. Yazīd, from Ḥamzat b. Ḥumrān, from his father Ḥumrān b. A`yun, from Sa`īd b. Jubair—from `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, the Master of the Worshippers, peace be on him, who said: “The birth of our Qā’im will be concealed from the people until they will say, ‘He hasn’t been born yet.’ [It is concealed] so that when he reappears, he will not have pledged allegiance to anybody.”

655. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Narrated to us Aḥmad b. Hārūn al-Fāmī and `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn b. Shādhawayh al-Mu’addib Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. Masrūr and Ja`far b. al-Ḥusayn, may Allah be satisfied with them, from Muḥammad b. `Abd-Allah b. Ja`far al-Ḥimyarī, from his father, from Ayyūb b. Nūḥ, from al-`Abbās b. `Āmir al-Qaṣabānī, from Ja`far b. `Alī b. al-Ḥasan b. `Alī b. `Abd-Allah b. al-Mughaira al-Kūfī, from his grandfather al-Ḥasan b. `Alī b. `Abd-Allah, from al-`Abbās b. `Āmir al-Qaṣabānī, from Mūsā b. Hilāl al-Ḍabbī, from `Abd-Allah b. `Aṭā who said:

I said to (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, “Your followers in Iraq are plenty. By Allah, there is no one in your Ahl al-Bait like you! So, why do you not rise [against the government]?” He replied, “O `Abd-Allah b. `Aṭā! You have you have filled your ears with nonsense. By Allah, I am not your Master (ṣāḥibukum).” I asked, “So, who is our Master?” He answered, “See [who is the one] whose birth is concealed from the people; he is your master.”

656. Kamāl al-dīn(2): `Abd al-Wāḥid b. Muḥammad al-`Aṭṭār, from

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Abū `Amr al-Laithī, from Muḥammad b. Mas`ūd, from Jabra’īl b. Aḥmad, from Muḥammad b. `Īsā, from Muḥammad b. Abī `Umair, from Sa`īd b. Ghazwān, from Abū Baṣīr, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said: “The birth of the Master of this affair will be concealed from these people so he will not have pledged allegiance with anyone when he reappears. Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, will set right his affairs in one [single] night.”

657. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(1): Al-Kulainī, from a number of our companions, from Sa`d b. `Abd-Allah, from Ayyūb b. Nūḥ who said:

I said to Abū l-Ḥasan al-Riḍā, peace be on him, “We hope that you are the master of this affair and that Allah will hand it to you by pardoning [the people] and not by using the sword; because they have pledged allegiance to you and the coins have been forged with your name inscribed on them.” He responded, “There is no one from us except that when letters are sent to him or is pointed at by fingers [i.e. he becomes famous] or is asked questions or wealth is taken to him, that he is either assassinated or will die in his bed until Allah sends a boy(2) from us for this affair. His birth and upbringing will be hidden but his parentage will not be concealed.”

658. Ithbāt al-Waṣiyya(3): From Sa`d b. `Abd-Allah, through his chain of narrators from (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him: “The Qā’im is the one whose birth

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will be concealed from the people.”

659. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(1): Narrated to us `Alī b. Aḥmad, from `Ubaid-Allah b. Mūsā al-`Alawī, from Muḥammad b. Aḥmad al-Qalānisī—in Mecca in the year 267 AH—from `Alī b. al-Ḥasan, from al-`Abbās b. `Āmir, from Mūsā b. Hilāl, from `Abd-Allah b. `Aṭā al-Makkī who said:

I started the Hajj pilgrimage from Wāsiṭ and I met (Imam) Abū Ja`far Muḥammad b. `Alī, peace be on him, who asked me about the people and the prices. I replied, “I left the people while they were yearning for you. If you rise, the people will indeed follow you.” He answered, “O son of `Aṭā! You have listened to [the speech] of foolish people. By Allah, I am not your master (ṣāḥibukum). None of us is pointed at with fingers or with eyebrows but that he will be killed or that he will die naturally.”

I asked, “What do you mean by he will die naturally?” He replied, “He will die in his deathbed but in a state of anger, until Allah raises the one whose birth is unknown.” I said, “And who is the one whose birth is unknown?” He answered, “See who is the one that the people are not sure whether he has been born or not. He is your master.”

The following traditions also prove the above concept: 539, 574, 610, 645, 686, and 688.

Yaḥyā, from Muḥammad b. Ḥassān al-Rāzī, from Muḥammad b. `Alī al-Kūfī, from Ibrāhīm b. Hishām, from Ḥammād b. `Īsā, from Ibrāhīm b. `Umar al-Yamānī, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said: “The Qā’im will rise and he will not have pledged allegiance with anybody.”

661. Al-Kāfī(1): Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā, from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad, from al-Ḥusayn b. Sa`īd, from ibn Abī `Umair, from Hishām b. Sālim, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah al-Ṣādiq, peace be upon him, who said: “The Qā’im will rise while he will not have pledged an oath, promise, or allegiance to anybody.”

662. Ithbāt al-Waṣiyya(2): al-Ḥimyarī from Muḥammad b. al-Ḥusayn, from Muḥammad b. Sinān, from Abū l-Jārūd, from Uthmān b. Nashīṭ, from Amīr al-Mu’minīn, peace be on him, who said: “The Master of this affair will not have pledged an oath, promise, or pact to anybody.”

663. Kamāl al-dīn(3): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. Mūsā al- Mutawakkil, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-`Aṭṭār, from Muḥammad b. `Īsā b. `Ubaid, from Muḥammad b. Abī `Umair, from Sa`īd b. Ghazwān, from Abū Baṣīr, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said: “The birth of the master of this affair will be concealed from [these] people so that he will not have pledged allegiance with anyone when he emerges.”

664. Kamāl al-dīn(4): Narrated to us my father and Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan, may Allah have mercy on both of them, from Sa`d b. `Abd-Allah, from Muḥammad b. `Ubaid and Muḥammad b. al-Ḥusayn b. Abū l-Khaṭṭāb, from Muḥammad

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b. Abī `Umair, from Jamīl b. Ṣāliḥ, from Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said: “The Qā’im will be sent while he will not have pledged allegiance to anyone.”

665. Kamāl al-dīn(1): My father, may Allah have mercy on him, narrated to me from Sa`d b. `Abd-Allah, from Ya`qūb b. Yazīd and al-Ḥasan b. Ẓarīf, both from Muḥammad b. Abī `Umair, from Hishām b. Sālim, from Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said: “The Qā’im will rise while he will not have pledged allegiance to anybody.”

The following traditions also establish the aforementioned concept: 539, 601, 610, 634, 654, and 656.

b. Muḥammad b. Mas`ūd, from his father, from `Alī b. Muḥammad, from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad, from al-Ḥasan b. Maḥbūb, from Ibrāhīm al-Karkhī who said:

I—or someone—asked (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, “May Allah set right your affairs! Wasn’t `Alī, peace be on him, strong in the religion of Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He?” He replied, “Yes [he was].” I said, “Then how did the people defeat him and why didn’t he repel them? What stopped him from doing so?” He answered, “A verse from the Book of Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, prevented him from doing so.” I said, “And what was that verse?”

He replied, “The saying of Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, ‘Had they been separated, We would have surely punished those who disbelieved from amongst them with a painful punishment.’(1) Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, put in the loins of the disbelievers and hypocrites the deposits of the believers. `Alī, peace be on him, did not kill the fathers until the deposits came out [i.e. their faithful children were born]. When the deposits came out, he stood up against [the opponents] and fought against them. The same applies to the Qā’im from our Ahl al-Bait. He will not reappear until the deposits of Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, appear. When they all appear, he will stand up against [his opponents] and will kill them.”

The following traditions also prove the above concept: 283, 423, 432, 446, 450, 463, 529, 535, 537, 551,

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553, 554, 574, 645, 653, and 1195.

satisfied with him, from Muḥammad b. Ya`qūb al-Kulainī, from al-Qāsim b. al-`Alā, from Ismā’īl b. `Alī al-Qazwīnī, from `Alī b. Ismā’īl, from `Aṣim b. Ḥamīd al-Ḥannāṭ, from Muḥammad b. Muslim al-Thaqafī who said:

I heard Abū Ja`far Muḥammad b. `Alī al-Bāqir, peace be on him, say, “The Qā’im is from us. He will be helped with awe and assisted with victory. The earth’s [distances] will be shortened for him, treasures will be manifested for him, and his kingdom will extend to the East and the West. Through him, Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, will make his religion victorious over all other religions even if the polytheists detest it. Then, there will not remain a ruin on earth but that he will repair it. The Spirit of Allah, Jesus, son of Mary, peace be on him, will descend and pray behind him.”

I asked, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! When will your Qā’im emerge?” He replied, “When men will make themselves look like women and women will make themselves look like men. Men will fulfill [their sexual desires] using men and women using women. Women will mount on saddles, false testimonies will be accepted, the testimonies of the just will be rejected, bloodshed, adultery, and loans with interest will be regarded as normal, the wicked will be respected for fear of their tongue, al-Sufyānī will emerge from Syria, al-Yamānī will come from Yemen, the desert will sink in the earth at al-Baidā’, a youth from the family of Muḥammad, Allah’s blessings

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be on him and his family, who will be called Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan—al-Nafs al-Zakiyya (the Pure Soul)—will be killed between the Rukn and the Maqām (at Ka`ba). A cry will be heard from the sky that ‘the truth is with him and with his followers.’ It is then that our Qā’im will appear. When he appears, he will lean his back towards the Ka`ba and 313 men will gather around him. The first thing that he will say will be this verse, ‘The remnant of Allah is better for you if you are believers.’(1)

Then, he will say, ‘I am the Remnant of Allah on His earth; His Caliph and His Proof upon you.’ No Muslim will salute him except by these words, ‘Peace be on you, O Remnant of Allah (baqiyyat Allāh) on His earth.’ When the `iqd—meaning ten thousand men—gather around him, he will rise. Then, there will not remain anything being worshipped on earth other than Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He—from the idols or any other thing—except that it will catch fire and be destroyed. This will occur after a long occultation so that Allah [tests] and recognizes those who obey Him regarding the unseen and believe in Him.”

670. Kamāl al-dīn(2): Abū Ṭālib al-Muẓaffar b. Ja`far b. al-Muẓaffar al-`Alawī al-Samarqandī, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. Mas`ūd, from his father, from Muḥammad b. Naṣīr, from Muḥammad b. `Īsā, [from Ḥammād b. `Īsā], from `Amr b. Shimr, from Jābir b. Yazīd al-Ju`fī,

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from Jābir b. `Abd-Allah al-Anṣārī who heard the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, say:

Dhū l-Qarnain was a righteous servant whom Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, appointed as a proof upon His servants. He called his people towards Allah and ordered them to fear Him but they struck his temple. Consequently, he went into occultation for some time until they said, “He has died, or perished, or to which land has he gone?”

After some time, he reappeared and returned to his people but they struck his other temple. Amongst you is the one who will follow his custom. Surely, Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, gave power to Dhū l-Qarnain on earth and gave him a means for everything and he conquered the East and the West. Allah, Blessed and High be He, will implement this custom in the Qā’im from my descendants. He will conquer the East and the West of the earth.

There will neither remain a waterhole nor a spot from the land or the mountains that Dhū l-Qarnain tread on but that the Qā’im will set foot on it. Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, will bring out for him the treasures of the earth and its mines and He will help him with awe. Through him, He will fill the earth with justice and fairness just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness.

671. Tafsīr al-`Ayyāshī(1): From Rifā`at b. Mūsā who heard (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be

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on him, say about the verse “And to Him submits whatever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly(1)”: “When the Qā’im, peace be on him, rises, there will not remain a land but that the testimony, ‘There is no god but Allah and that surely Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah,’ will be called out in it.”

672. Tafsīr al-`Ayyāshī(2): From Zurāra, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said:

My father was asked about the sayings of Allah, “And fight against all the polytheists just as they all fight against you”(3) and “Until there remains no fitna and religion becomes exclusively for Allah.”(4) He replied, “The interpretation of this verse has not occurred yet. When our Qā’im rises, those who will have reached his time will see the occurrence of the interpretation of this verse. The religion of Muḥammad, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, will reach wherever that night reaches [i.e. everywhere]. There will remain no polytheism [or polytheist] on the face of earth just as Allah has stated.”

673. Yanābī` al-mawadda(5): From Zain al-`Ābidīn and from al-Bāqir, [peace be on them]: “When the Qā’im, peace be on him, rises, Allah will make Islam victorious over all religions.”

674. Yanābī` al-mawadda(6): From Abū Baṣīr, from Ja`far al-Ṣādiq, may Allah be satisfied with him: “When the Qā’im rises, the believers will rejoice because of the victory from Allah.”

675. Tafsīr `Alī b. Ibrāhīm al-Qummī(7): Regarding the interpretation of the verse, “Or He who answers the distressed one

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when he calls Him and removes the badness, and He will make you the successors on earth,”(1) narrated to me my father, from al-Ḥasan b. `Alī b. Faḍḍāl, from Ṣāliḥ b. `Uqba, from Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said: “This verse was revealed concerning the Qā’im from the family of Muḥammad, peace be on them. By Allah, he is the distressed one. When he prays beside the Maqām [of Ibrāhīm] two units of prayers (rak`atain) and invokes Allah, He will answer him and will remove the badness and make him the successor on earth.”

676. Mā nazala min al-Quran fī Ahl al-Bait `alayhim al-salām(2): Through his chains of narrators [from Ḥumaid b. Ziyād, from al-Ḥasan b. Muḥammad b. Samā`a, from Ibrāhīm b. `Abd al-Ḥamīd], from `Abd al-Ḥamīd, from Muḥammad b. Muslim, from (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, concerning the saying of Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, “Or He who answers the distressed one when he calls,”(3) he, peace be on him, said: “This verse was descended about the Qā’im, peace be on him. When he emerges, he will wear a turban and will pray beside the Maqām [of Ibrāhīm]. He will plead to his Lord, then, none of his flags will return [defeated].”

677. Mā nazala min al-Quran fī Ahl al-Bait `alayhim al-salām(4): Narrated to us Yūsuf b. Ya`qūb, from Muḥammad b. Abī Bakr al-Muqrī, from Nu`aim b. Sulaimān, from Laith, from Mujāhid, from ibn `Abbās, concerning the saying of Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, “So

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that He makes it victorious over all religions even if the polytheists detest it,”(1) he said:

This will not happen until there remains no follower of Judaism, Christianity, or any other religion except Islam; until the sheep[s], the wolf[s], the cow[s], the lion[s], the men, and the snake[s] are all safe and secure; until the rat does not nibble at the sack; until jizya is imposed; the cross is broken; and the pig is killed. [This] is the saying of Allah, the Exalted, “So that He makes it victorious over all religions even if the polytheists detest it.” All this will happen when the Qā’im, peace be on him, rises.

678. Kamāl al-dīn(2): Through this chain of narrators [meaning `Alī b. Ḥātim, from Ḥumaid b. Ziyād, from al-Ḥasan b. `Alī b. Samā`a], from Aḥmad b. al-Ḥasan al-Maithamī, from al-Ḥasan b. Maḥbūb, from Mu’min al-Ṭāq, from Salām b. al-Mustanīr, from Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, concerning the saying of Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He,

“Know that Allah will give life to the earth after its death” (Quran Surah Hadid 57:17)

He said, “Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, will give life to it through the Qā’im, peace be on him, after it has died. Its death means the disbelief (kufr) of its inhabitants and a disbeliever (kāfir) is [regarded as] a dead person.”

679. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(3): Narrated to us Abū Sulaimān Aḥmad b. Haudha, from Ibrāhīm b. Isḥāq al-Nahāwandī, from `Abd-Allah b. Ḥammād al-Anṣārī, from `Alī b. Abī Ḥamza, who said:

(Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah,

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peace be on him, said, “When the Qā’im, Allah’s blessings be on him, rises, the angels [present during the Battle of] Badr—which are five thousand—will descend. One-third will be on white horses, one-third on black and white horses, and one-third on al-ḥuw horses.” I asked, “What is al-ḥuw?” He answered, “Red.”

680. `Uyūn akhbār al-Riḍā(1): In a tradition recorded by him from Muḥammad b. `Alī Mājīlawayh, may Allah be satisfied with him, from `Alī b. Ibrāhīm b. Hāshim, from his father, from al-Rayyān b. Shabīb, from al-Riḍā, peace be on him, who said [in a part of it]:

O son of Shabīb! If you [want to] cry for anything, then cry for al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him. Because he was slaughtered like sheep are slaughtered and with him were killed eighteen of his family members whose kind could not be found anywhere on earth. The seven skies and the earths cried for his death. Four thousand angels descended on the earth to help him but they were not given permission. They remain by his grave—disarrayed and dusty—until the Qā’im, peace be on him, rises. Then, they will assist him and their slogan will be, ‘[Let us] avenge the blood of al-Ḥusayn,’ (yā lathārāt al-ḥussain).

681. `Uyūn al-mu`jizāt(2): It has been narrated from one of the knowledgeable [Imams] from the Ahl al-Bait, peace be on them, that

Allah, the Exalted, sent down four thousand angels to [assist] al-Ḥusayn. These were the same angels that had descended on the Messenger of

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Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, on the day of (the Battle of) Badr. He was asked to choose between being victorious against his enemies and meeting his grandfather. He chose meeting his grandfather. So, Allah, the Exalted, ordered the angels to stand by his grave while they are disarrayed and dusty, awaiting the rising of the Qā’im from his descendants—the Master of the Time, peace be on him. The following traditions also prove the above concept: 161, 205, 243, 324–332, 337–339, 342, 343, 346, 373, 419, 423, 432, 435, 525, 529, 536, 538, 548, 553, 719, 807, 936, 1105, 1138, 1177, 1195, and 1199.

turn their views to the direction of the Quran while the people will have turned the Quran to their views. [Before this enjoiner of good, matters will deteriorate] until war will rage among you with full force, showing forth its teeth, with udders full of sweet milk but with sour tip.

Beware! It will be tomorrow and the morrow will come soon with things which you do not know. The man in power, not from this crowd, will take to task all those who were formerly appointed for their ill deeds and the earth will pour forth its internal treasures and fling before him easily her keys. He will show you the just way of behavior and revive the Quran and the sunna which have become lifeless [among people].

The topic of this section has been mentioned in numerous narrations. This is because returning the people to the Book [of Allah] and the Sunna is one of the greatest feats of the Mahdī, peace be on him, and one of his main tasks. One can rarely find a tradition that doesn’t directly or indirectly establish this fact.

Thus, only the person who fulfills this promises can be the Mahdī. He will not rise except to establish the Truth and he will not make the people rise but to return them to the Book of Allah and the Sunna of His Prophet. The world will not be filled with justice and fairness except through him. Allah’s affairs will not be manifested and

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Islam will not defeat the other religions except by the return of the people to Allah’s Book and the Sunna of His Prophet. Reformative actions will not be accomplished but through him and he will not appear, rise, and emerge except for the establishment of the sharia and for the implementation of the laws of Allah and His religion.

the people of the world with it but that his family and children lost him [in this world] and he lost Paradise in the hereafter.” I said, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! Are not all of you the risers with the truth?” He answered, “When my grandfather al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him, was martyred, the angels cried and wailed and said, ‘Our God! Are you going to pardon the one who has killed Your chosen one and the son of Your chosen one and the best one from Your creation?’

So Allah revealed to them, ‘Calm down, O My angels! [I swear] by My Might and My Majesty, I will certainly take revenge on them even after some time passes.’ Then, the Imams from the descendants of al-Ḥusayn were revealed for them. The angels rejoiced because of this and saw one of them standing (qā’iman) and praying. Allah, Glorified be He, said, ‘I will take revenge on them through [the one] that is standing (al-Qā’im).’”

684. Al-Amālī(1): Informed us Muḥammad b. Muḥammad, from Abū l-Ḥasan Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan b. al-Walīd, from his father, from Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-Ṣaffār, from Muḥammad b. `Ubaid, from `Alī b. Asbāṭ, from Saif b. `Umaira, from Muḥammad b. Ḥumrān, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said:

When the events about Imam al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him, occurred, the angels cried to Allah, the Exalted, “O Lord! [You stand aside] and they do this with al-Ḥusayn, Your chosen one and the son of

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Your Prophet?” So Allah showed them the figure of the Qā’im, peace be on him, and said, “Through him I will take revenge on those who oppressed him.”

685. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(1): Muḥammad b. Hammām, from Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. Mālik, from Isḥāq b. Sinān, from `Ubaid b. Khārija, from `Alī b. `Uthmān, from furāt b. Aḥnaf, from Abū `Abd-Allah Ja`far b. Muḥammad, from his forefathers, peace be on them, who said:

The (river) Euphrates overflowed during the reign of Amīr al-Mu’minīn, peace be on him. He and his two sons—al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn, peace be on them—mounted and passed by a village. The [villagers] said, “`Alī has come to drive away the water.” `Alī, peace be on him, answered, “By Allah, I and these two sons of mine will be martyred. Then, Allah will send a person from my descendants in the end of times who will avenge our blood (yuṭālibu dimā’anā). He will go in occultation so that the people of deviation will be separated [from the real believers]. [It will continue for so long] until an ignorant will say, ‘The family of Muḥammad are unimportant for Allah.’”

The following traditions also establish the above concept: 109, 255, 258, 266, 270, 293, 305, 424, 432, and 515.

b. `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, peace be on them, from Muḥammad b. Hammām, from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. al-Naufalī, from Aḥmad b. Hilāl, from `Uthmān b. `Īsā al-Kilābī, from Khālid b. Najīḥ [Najḥ], from Ḥamzat b. Ḥumrān, from his father, from Sa`īd b. Jubair, from the Master of the Worshippers, `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, who said:

In the Qā’im are customs from seven Prophets: A custom from our father Adam, a custom from Noah, a custom from Abraham, a custom from Moses, a custom from Jesus, a custom from Ayyūb (Job), and a custom from Muḥammad, Allah’s blessings be on them all. As for the [custom] from Adam and Noah, it is longevity. As for Abraham, it is concealed birth and solitude. As for Moses, it is fear and occultation. As for Jesus, it is the disagreement amongst the people about him. As for Ayyūb (Job), it is relief after calamity, and as for Muḥammad, it is emergence with the sword.

687. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(1): Informed us Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Sa`īd, from Muḥammad b. al-Mufaḍḍal and Sa`dān b. Isḥāq b. Sa`īd, Aḥmad b. al-Ḥusayn and Muḥammad b. Aḥmad b. al-Ḥasan al-Qaṭawānī, all of them from al-Ḥasan b. Maḥbūb, from Hishām b. Sālim al-Jawālīqī, from Yazīd al-Kunāsī, from Abū Ja`far al-Bāqir, peace be on him, who said: “The Master of this affair will have a similarity with Yūsuf. He will be the son of a dark-skinned slave-maid and Allah will set

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right his affairs in one night.”

688. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Narrated to us my father [and Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan], may Allah be satisfied with him, from Sa`d b. `Abd-Allah, from al-Mu`allā b. Muḥammad al-Baṣrī, from Muḥammad b. Jumhūr and others, from [Muḥammad] b. Abī `Umair, from `Abd-Allah b. Sinān who said:

I heard (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, say, “In the Qā’im, there is a custom from Moses, son of `Imrān, peace be on him.” I asked, “What is the custom from Moses, son of `Imrān?” He replied, “His concealed birth and his occultation from his people.” I asked, “How long was Moses, son of `Imrān, occulted from his nation and his family?” He replied, “Twenty-eight years.”

689. Kamāl al-dīn(2): Narrated to us al-Muẓaffar b. Ja`far b. al-Muẓaffar al-`Alawī, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. Mas`ūd, from his father Muḥammad b. Mas`ūd al-`Ayyāshī, from `Alī b. Muḥammad b. Shujā`, from Muḥammad b. `Īsā, from Yūnus, from `Alī b. Abī Ḥamza, from Abū Baṣīr, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said:

In the Master of this affair are customs from the prophets; a custom from Moses, son of `Imrān, a custom from Jesus, a custom from Yūsuf, and a custom from Muḥammad, Allah’s blessings be on them. As for the custom from Moses, son of `Imrān, he will be fearful and watchful. As for the custom from Jesus, it will be said about him what was said about Jesus. As for the custom from Yūsuf, it

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is the screen that Allah will put between him and the people as a covering; they will see him but will not recognize him. As for the custom from Muḥammad, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, he will guide with his guidance and will follow his ways.

690. Al-Imāma wa l-tabṣira(1): `Abd-Allah b. Ja`far al-Ḥimyarī, from Muḥammad b. `Īsā, from Sulaimān b. Dāwūd, from Abū Baṣīr, from Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, who said:

In the master of this affair, there are four customs from four Prophets: a custom from Moses, a custom from Jesus, a custom from Yūsuf, and a custom from Muḥammad, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family. As for the custom from Moses, he will be fearful and watchful. As for the custom from Yūsuf, it is imprisonment. As for the custom from Jesus, it will be said, “He has died,” but he would be alive. As for the custom from Muḥammad, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, it is the sword.

691. Ithbāt al-waṣiyya(2): Al-Ḥimyarī, from Muḥammad b. `Īsā, from Sulaimān b. Dāwūd, from Abū Naṣr [or Abū Baṣīr], from (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, who said:

In the Master of this affair, there are four customs from four Prophets: A custom from Moses [which is] his occultation; a custom from Jesus concerning his fear and his watchfulness regarding the Jews and them saying that he has died, whilst he hadn’t died, [and them saying] he has been killed, whilst he

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hadn’t been killed; a custom from Yūsuf concerning his handsomeness and his generosity; and a custom from Muḥammad, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, is the sword with which he will emerge.

The following traditions also establish the above concept: 69, 249, 286, 540, 553, 557, 564, 575, 620, 626, 628, 632, 641, 642, 644, 645, and 650.

peace be on him, “Name for me the Righteous from the righteous ones [and] I mean the Qā’im, peace be on him.” He replied, “His name is my name.” I asked, “Will he follow the customs of Muḥammad, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family?” He answered, “No, no, o Zurāra! He will not follow his customs.” I asked, “May I be sacrificed for you! Why?” He replied, “The Messenger of Allah adopted the path of gentleness in his nation and was very friendly towards the people. But the Qā’im will adopt the path of killing. He is ordered to adopt the path of killing in the book which is with him. He will not seek repentance from anyone. Woe to he who opposes him!”(1)

694. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(2): Informed us Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Sa`īd b. `Uqda, from `Alī b. al-Ḥasan, from Muḥammad b. Khālid, from Tha`labat b. Maimūn, from al-Ḥasan b. Hārūn who said:

I was sitting with (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, when Mu`allā b. Khunais asked him, “When the Qā’im appears, will his approach differ from that of `Alī?” He replied, “Yes. Because `Alī, peace be on him, adopted the path of kindness and restraint; because he knew that his followers would be dominated after him. But when the Qā’im rises, he will adopt the approach of sword and captivity; because he will know that his followers will never be dominated [by anyone] after him.”

695. Tafsīr al-Qurtubī(3): Concerning the saying of Allah, the Exalted: “And most

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certainly We will make them taste the lower chastisement before the greater chastisement,”(1) he has narrated from Ja`far b. Muḥammad, [peace be on him], that “it [i.e. the greater chastisement] refers to the emergence of the Mahdī with the sword and the lower chastisement refers to high prices.”

In Tafsīr al-Ālūsī these words have been used: “From Ja`far b. Muḥammad, may Allah be satisfied with him: ‘It refers to the emergence of the Mahdī with the sword.’”

696. Al-Kāfī(2): Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā, from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. `Īsā, from ibn Maḥbūb, from Hishām b. Sālim, from Abū Khālid al-Kabulī, from (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, who mentions that they saw in the Book of `Alī:

“The land belongs to Allah; He will [give it as] inheritance to whoever He wishes from His servants, and the end belongs the pious (al-muttaqīn)” (Quran 7:128), I and my Ahl al-Bait are those whom Allah will give them the earth as inheritance and we are the pious (al-muttaqūn). All the earth belongs to us.

Whoever from the Muslims enlivens a piece of land and inhabits it, should pay its tax to the Imam from my Ahl al-Bait and what he eats from it [remains] for him. If he abandons it or spoils it and another person from the Muslims takes it, inhabits it, and gives life to it, then the latter has more right over it than the former who has abandoned it.

The latter should pay its tax to the Imam from my Ahl

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al-Bait and whatever he eats from it [remains] for him. [This will apply] until the Qā’im from my Ahl al-Bait appears with the sword. He will take over all the [lands], deprive [their inhabitants] of them, and [force the inhabitants] out of [the lands] just as the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, took over [the lands] and deprived [their inhabitants] of them. [The only exception] will be the possessions of our Shias (shī`atunā). He will leave them with what they possess and will leave the earth in their hands.

The following traditions also prove the above concept: 423, 426, 572, 713, and 715.

b. al-Ḥarrāth; in the vanguard [of his army] will be a person called Manṣūr. He will organize or prepare for the family of Muḥammad just as the Quraish prepared for the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family]. It is compulsory for every believer to assist him—or he said—to respond to his [call].

Tradition no. 720 also establishes the above concept.

Aḥmad b. al-Ḥasan b. Abān, from `Abd-Allah b. `Aṭā’ al-Makkī, who asked a Shaykh from the scholars, meaning, (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, “What will be the approach of the Mahdī (sīratuh)?” He replied, “He will act like the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family. He will destroy all that was before him just as the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, destroyed the affairs of ignorance (amr al-jāhiliyya). He will re-establish Islam from the beginning.”(1)

703. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(2): Informed us Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Sa`īd, from `Alī b. al-Ḥasan, from his father, from Rifā`at b. Mūsā, from `Abd-Allah b. `Aṭā’ who said:

I asked (Imam) Abū Ja`far al-Bāqir, peace be on him, “When the Qā’im rises, what will be his approach towards the people?” He replied, “Like the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, he will destroy what was before [him]; and he will re-establish Islam from the beginning.”

704. Qurb al-isnād(3): Hārūn b. Muslim, from Mas`adat b. Ziyād, from Ja`far, from his father who said: “The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family . . . said, ‘When our Qā’im rises fiefdom will vanish and no fiefs will remain.’”

705. Al-Kāfī(4): `Alī b. Ibrāhīm, from his father, from ibn Abī `Umair, from Manṣūr, from Faḍl al-A`war, from Abū `Ubaida al-Ḥadhdhā’, in a hadith from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah Ja`far b. Muḥammad al-Ṣādiq, peace be on him, who said: “O Abū `Ubaida! When

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the Qā’im from the family of Muḥammad, peace be on them, rises, he will judge like [the Prophets] David and Solomon. That is, he will not ask for evidence.”(1)

706. Al-Kāfī(2): Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā, from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad, from Muḥammad b. Sinān, from Abān, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said: “The world will not come to an end until a person from me emerges. He will judge like the judgments of the family of David. He will not ask for evidence and will give everyone their rights.”

707. Al-Kāfī(3): Isḥāq narrates from al-Ḥasan b. Ẓarīf that

Two issues were making me restless and I intended to write about them to (Imam) Abū Muḥammad, peace be on him. I wrote to him and asked him how the Qā’im, peace be on him, would judge and where he would seat for judging between the people. I also intended to ask him for a [medicine] for Quartan fever(4) but I forgot to do so.

He replied like this: “You asked about the Qā’im, then [know] that when he rises, he will judge amongst the people by his knowledge—like how David used to judge, without asking for evidence. You also intended to ask about Quartan fever but forgot. Write on a piece of paper [the following verse] and hang it on the person who has this fever and he will soon be cured with Allah’s permission, if Allah pleases, ‘O fire, be cold and safe on Ibrāhīm.’” We hung it on him as

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(Imam) Abū Muḥammad, peace be on him, had ordered and he was healed.

708. Al-Tahdhīb(1): Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-Ṣaffār, from Muḥammad b. al-Ḥusayn ibn Abī al-Khaṭṭāb, from Ja`far b. Bashīr and Muḥammad b. `Abd-Allah b. Hilāl, from al-`Alā’ b. Razīn al-Qallā, from Muḥammad b. Muslim who said:

I asked (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, “When the Qā’im—may Allah hasten his relief—rises, what will be his approach towards the people?” He replied, “He will adopt the approach of the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, until Islam becomes victorious.” I enquired, “What was the approach of the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family?” He replied, “He extinguished what prevailed during the time of ignorance (al-jāhiliyya) and dealt with the people with justice. The same applies to the Qā’im. He will remove the un-Islamic laws that will prevail [during the occultation, because of a lack of a true Islamic government] and will deal with the people justly.”

709. Al-Tahdhīb(2): Muḥammad b. Ismā’īl b. Bazī`, from Ḥamzat b. Zaid, from `Alī b. Suwayd, from (Imam) Abū l-Ḥasan Mūsā, peace be on him, who said:

When our Qā’im rises, he will call out, “O horsemen! Tread on the middle of the road. O pedestrians! walk on the two sides of the road.” Then, if any rider goes to the roadside and hurts a pedestrian, he will have to compensate [the pedestrian, i.e. pay diya to him], but if a pedestrian walks in the middle of the

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road and is hurt, then he will not be compensated.

710. Al-Tahdhīb(1): From him [meaning Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-Ṣaffār], from Ya`qūb, from al-Ḥasan b. `Alī b. Faḍḍāl, from Shu`ayb al-Aqarqūfū, from Abū Ḥamza al-Thumālī, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said:

The earth will not survive unless if there is a learned person from us who can distinguish the truth from falsehood within it. The purpose of dissimulation (al-taqiyya) is to safeguard the blood [of the Shias]. When dissimulation (al-taqiyya) reaches the [threshold of] bloodshed, then [at that time] it should be put aside. By Allah! If you are called to help us you will say, “We will not do so because we are dissimulating.” Dissimulation is indeed dearer to you than you fathers and mothers. When the Qā’im, peace be on him, rises, he will not be in need to ask you about this. Indeed, he will carry out Allah’s punishments (ḥadd) on most of the hypocrites from amongst you.

711. Al-Tahdhīb(2): From him [meaning al-Ḥusayn b. Sa`īd], from al-Naḍr b. Suwayd, from `Abd-Allah b. Sinān, from his father who said:

I asked (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, “I have a piece of land that was taken as tax [from someone else and given to me by the government] and I don’t have a good feeling towards it. Should I abandon it?” He was silent for a while, then said, “When our Qā’im rises, you will be granted much more land than that.” He continued, “When our Qā’im

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rises, the people will have better than their current properties.”

712. Al-Khiṣāl(1): My father, Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan, and Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-`Aṭṭār, may Allah be satisfied with them, from Sa`d b. `Abd-Allah, from Muḥammad b. al-Ḥusayn b. Abī l-Khaṭṭāb, from Mūsā b. Sa`dān, from `Abd-Allah b. al-Qāsim al-Ḥaḍramī, from Mālik b. `Aṭiyya, from Abān b. Taghlib, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said:

Soon, three hundred and thirteen men will come to this Mosque of yours—meaning Mecca. The people of Mecca will know that these people are not from them. With them will be swords and on each sword will be scribed a word which will open up a thousand words. They will send the wind and it will call out in every valley, “This is the Mahdī. He will judge like the judgments of the family of David; he will not ask for evidence.”

The following traditions also establish the above concept: 344, 345, 346, 368, 383, 403, 405, 419, 425, 426, 432, 466, 481, 484, 535, 583, 682, 689, 692–695, 713–718, 719, 726, 732, 1115, and 1199.

Arabs, and the Quraish except the sword and he will receive nothing from them but the sword. Why are they hastening for his emergence? By Allah, his clothes will not be but coarse; his food will not be but crude barley [bread]. [Life] will be accompanied by the sword and death is beneath the shadow of the sword.

714. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(1): Informed us `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, from Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-`Aṭṭār at Qum, from Muḥammad b. Ḥasan al-Rāzī, from Muḥammad b. `Alī al-Kūfī, from Mu`ammar b. Khallād who said:

The Qā’im was mentioned in of the presence of (Imam) Abū l-Ḥasan al-Riḍā, peace be on him. He said, “Today, you are more in comfort than you think you will be on that day.” They asked, “How?” He answered, “When the Qā’im, peace be on him, emerges, there will not be anything but blood, sweat, and sleeping on the saddles. The clothes of the Qā’im will not be but rough and his food will be nothing but coarse.”

715. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(2): `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, through his chain of narrators from Muḥammad b. `Alī al-Kūfī, from al-Ḥasan b. Maḥbūb, from `Alī b. Abī Ḥamza, from Abū Baṣīr, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah (al-Ṣādiq), peace be on him, who said: “Why are you in such a hurry for the appearance of the Qā’im? By Allah! His clothes are not but rough and his food is not but coarse. [Life] will be accompanied by the sword and death is beneath the shadow of the sword.”

716. Al-Kāfī(3): `Alī b.

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Ibrāhīm, from his father, from ibn Abī `Umair, from Ḥammād b. `Uthmān, from al-Mu`allā b. Khunais who said:

One day, I said to (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah al-Ṣādiq, peace be on him, “May I be sacrificed for you! You mentioned the family of so and so (ālu fulan) and the luxury that they enjoy! Had you been in power, we would have lived with you [in luxury].” He remarked, “Never, O Mu`allā! By Allah, had this been the case [i.e. had we come to power], it would mean nothing except administration by night, traveling by the day, wearing rough clothes, and eating coarse food. [Now] these [hard tasks] have been removed [due to the Umayyads and Abbasids who have withheld our rights] and have you ever seen the withholding of a right that results in a blessing except this?”

717. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(1): Narrated to us `Abd al-Wāḥid b. `Abd-Allah b. Yūnus, from Abū Sulaimān Aḥmad b. Haudha al-Bāhilī, from Ibrāhīm b. Isḥāq al-Nahāwandī, from `Abd-Allah b. Ḥammād al-Anṣārī, from al-Mufaḍḍal b. `Umar who said:

I was with (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, performing the circumambulation (al-ṭawāf). He looked at me and asked, “O Mufaḍḍal! Why do I see you grieved and distressed?” I said to him, “May I be sacrificed for you! I see the Abbasids and the power, authority, and clout that they enjoy. Had this been for you, we would have enjoyed it with you.”

He answered, “O Mufaḍḍal! Had this been the case [i.e. had we been in power],

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it wouldn’t be but administration by the night, traveling by the day, eating coarse food, and wearing rough clothes similar [to the lifestyle] of Amīr al-Mu’minīn, peace be on him; otherwise, [our abode] would be the fire. Since [power and kingdom] have been removed from us, we can eat and drink [as we like]. Have you seen an oppression that Allah has turned into a blessing like this?’”

718. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(1): Abū Sulaimān, from Ibrāhīm b. Isḥāq, from `Abd-Allah b. Ḥammād, from `Amr b. Shimr who said:

I was with (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, in his house—which was filled with people. People would come forward and ask him questions; and he would not be questioned about a thing except that he answered it. I started crying from one corner of the house and he said to me, “Why are you crying, O `Amr?” I replied, “May I be sacrificed for you! And why shouldn’t I cry? Is there anyone in this nation like you? And yet, the door has been shut on you and a veil drawn over you!” He replied, “O `Amr! Don’t cry. We eat delicious [food] and wear soft clothes. Had the case been what you say [i.e. had we been in power], it wouldn’t have been but eating coarse food and wearing rough clothes like Amīr al-Mu’minīn `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him. [If we practiced anything other than this], the remedy would be chains in the hellfire.”

his complete justice and the spread of justice and security during his government

Comprised of seventeen traditions

719. Al-Irshād(1): Narrated `Alī b. `Uqba, from his father that

When the Qā’im, peace be on him, rises, he will judge justly and during his reign injustice will be eliminated. The roads will become safe, the earth will bring out its blessings, the right of each individual will be returned to him, and the followers of no religion will remain except that they will express [their belief in] Islam and acknowledge [the truth of this] faith. Have you not heard Allah, the Purified, say,

“And to Him submit those in the skies and the earth—willingly or unwillingly—and to Him they will be returned.”(2)

He will judge amongst the people like the judgment of the family of David and the judgment of Muḥammad, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family. It is then that the earth will reveal its treasures and expose its blessings. No one from you will find a needy person on that day to give him charity or be beneficent to him, because all the believers will have become wealthy. Our government is the last of governments and there will not remain a group except that they will have ruled before us so that they will not say when they see our approach [in governance], “If we had the opportunity to rule, we too would have ruled in this manner.” And this is [the meaning of] the saying of Allah, the Exalted,

“And the

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Hereafter belongs to the pious (lil-muttaqīn).”(1)

720. Al-Maḥajja(2): (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, said:

By Allah, they will fight until [those being fought] will acknowledge the Oneness of Allah and will associate nothing with Him and until an old and frail lady comes out from the East intending to go to the West and no one will prevent her. Allah will bring out of the earth its seedlings and will send down from the skies its raindrops. The people will put their taxes on their necks [i.e. backs] and take them to the Mahdī, peace be on him . . . (to the end of the tradition).

721. Al-Fitan(3): Narrated to us Mu`tamir b. Sulaimān [Mu`ammar b. Sulaimān], from Ja`far b. Sayyār al-Shāmī who said: “The Mahdī, peace be on him, will return the usurped rights to their rightful owners. Even if a thing [unjustly taken] is beneath the molar tooth of a man, he will remove it and return it [to its rightful owner].”

The following traditions also support the above concept: 367, 368, 455, 505, 538, 554, 584, 726, 1204, 1210, 1213, 1214, 1217, 1246, and many other traditions.

the permissible (ḥalāl) and the prohibited (ḥarām) and the people will need him but he will not need anyone.”

723. Kamāl al-dīn(1): `Alī b. Aḥmad b. Mūsā, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Muḥammad b. Abī `Abd-Allah al-Kūfī, from Muḥammad b. Ismā`īl al-Barmakī, from Ismā`īl b. Mālik, from Muḥammad b. Sinān, from `Amr b. Shimr, from Jābir, from (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, who said:

The knowledge of the Book of Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, and the sunna of His Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, will grow in the heart of our Mahdī like the finest things that a crop can grow. Whoever amongst you survives to see him must say when he sees him, “Peace be on you, O People of the House of Mercy and prophethood and the source of knowledge and the position of Messenger-ship.”

724. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(2): `Alī b. Aḥmad, from `Ubaid-Allah b. Mūsā al-`Alawī, from Abū Muḥammad Mūsā b. Hārūn b. `Īsā al-Ma`badī, from `Abd-Allah b. Muslimat b. Qa`nab, from Sulaimān b. Bilāl, from (Imam) Ja`far b. Muḥammad, peace be on him, from his father, from his grandfather, from (Imam) al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī, peace be on them all, who said:

A man came to Amīr al-Mu’minīn, peace be on him, and said, “O Amīr al-Mu’minīn! Inform us about your Mahdī?” He replied, “When the things that must pass away, pass away; the believers become rare, and the troublemakers perish, it is then, it is then.” The man asked, “Which [tribe]

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does this man belong to?”

He replied, “He is a Hashemite, the most exalted of the Arabs, a sea to which all waters pour into, a sanctuary for those who seek refuge, and the pure source when others become murky. He doesn’t cower when death attacks, doesn’t weaken when death shows its face, and doesn’t recede in the clashes in which the heroes fall. He is a skilled winner, a defeater, a lion, reaper [of the enemies], and fearless. He is a sword from the swords of Allah. He is a chief who possesses all goodness, is from a great glorious family, and whose glory originates from the best of roots. Let none of those who hasten towards mischief, speak the evilest of words, and hide their corruptions inside them when keeping silent, prevent you from pledging allegiance to him.”

He then returned to describing the attributes of the Mahdī, peace be on him, and said, “He is the most generous in giving refuge, the most knowledgeable, and the kindest of you to his kin. O Allah! Make his advent an end to sorrows and unite the umma by him. If Allah chooses goodness for you, be determined and do not deviate from [the Mahdī] if you have success in reaching him and don not turn away from him if you are guided to him.” Then, [Amīr al-Mu’minīn, peace be on him] sighed and pointed at his chest with his hand and expressed his eagerness to see him.

725. Sunan al-Dānī(1): Ibn

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Shaudhab said: “He is called the Mahdī (the guided one) because he will guide to a mountain from the mountains of Syria and will bring out of it the Scrolls of the Torah (asfār al-turāt) and argue by them against the Jews; consequently, a group of Jews will accept Islam at his hands.”

The following traditions endorse the above concept: 726 and 1182.

disobeyed Allah. He has been named Mahdī (the guided one) because he will guide to a concealed affair. He will bring out the Torah and all the other Books of Allah from a cave in Antioch(1).

Then, he will judge amongst the followers of the Torah using the Torah, amongst the followers of the Bible using the Bible, amongst the followers of the Psalms using the Psalms, and amongst the followers of the Quran with the Quran. All the wealth of the world will be gathered for him—whether it be inside the earth or on it.

He will say to the people, ‘Come and take this [wealth], for which, you broke off with your relatives, shed blood, and committed what Allah had prohibited.’ He will give things that no one before him had ever given. The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, said, ‘He is a man from me; his name is like my name. Allah will protect my [religion] by him and he will act according to my sunna. He will fill the earth with fairness, justice, and light after it will be filled with unfairness, injustice, and evil.’”

727. Al-Muṣannaf(2): Informed us `Abd al-Razzāq, from Mu`ammar, from Sa`īd al-Jarīrī, from Abū Naḍra, from Jābir b. `Abd-Allah who said: “An Imam will rule over the people who will not count the dirhams but will just give them away.”

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728. Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim(1): Narrated to me Zuhair b. Ḥarb and `Alī b. Ḥajar, from Ismā`īl b. Ibrāhīm, from al-Jarīrī, from Abū Naḍra who said:

We were with Jābir b. `Abd-Allah when he said, “Soon, no money will reach the people of Iraq— even a small amount.” I asked, “Why will [they be in such a state?]” He replied, “The non-Arabs will deprive them of this.” Again, he said, “Soon, no money will reach the people of Syria—even a small amount.” I asked, “Why will [they be in such a state?]” He replied, “The Romans.” He was a silent for a while and then said, “The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, said, ‘In the end of my nation (ākhir ummatī), there will be a caliph who will give away wealth abundantly but will not even count it.’”

He says I asked Abū Naḍra and Abū l-`Alā: “Do you think (the caliph) is `Umar b. `Abd al-`Azīz?” Both of them replied in the negative.

And ibn al-Muthannā narrated to us, from `Abd al-Wahhāb, from Sa`īd—meaning al-Jarīrī—similar to the above narration through the same chain of narrators.

729. Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim(2): Narrated to us Naṣr b. `Alī al-Jahḍamī, from Bishr b. al-Mufaḍḍal and `Alī b. Ḥujr al-Sa`dī, from Ismā’īl b. `Ulayya, both of them from Sa`īd

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b. Yazīd, from Abū Naḍra, from Abū Sa`īd that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, said: “Amongst your caliphs is a caliph who will distribute wealth munificently without even counting it.”

730. Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim(1): Narrated to me Zuhair b. Ḥarb, from `Abd al-Ṣamad b. `Abd al-Wārith, from his father, from Dāwūd, from Abū Naḍra, from Abū Sa`īd and Jābir b. `Abd-Allah, both from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], who said: “In the end of times there will be a caliph who will distribute wealth but will not count it.”

And narrated to us Abū Bakr b. Abī Shaiba, from Abū Mu`āwiya, from Dāwūd b. Abī Hind, from Abū Naḍra, from Abū Sa`īd, from the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], likewise.

731. Sunan al-Tirmidhī(2): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. Bashshār, from Muḥammad b. Ja`far, from Shu`ba, from Zaid al-`Ammī, from Abū l-Ṣiddīq al-Nājī, from Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī who said:

We feared a tragedy [would occur] after our Prophet. So we asked the Prophet of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], about it. He said, “In my nation is the Mahdī. He will emerge and live for five, seven, or nine (the uncertainty [in the numbers] is from Zaid, one of the narrators).” We asked, “What are these [numbers]?” He answered, “Years.” He then continued, “A person will come to him and say, ‘O Mahdī! Give me, give me!’ He will put so much [wealth] in

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his dress that he will not be able to carry it.”

Abū `Īsā says: “This is a good (ḥasan) tradition. It has also been narrated through other chains of narrators from Abū Sa`īd, from the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family]. The name of Abū l-Ṣiddīq al-Nājī is Bakr b. `Amr. Some have also said it is Bakr b. Qays.”

732. Al-Fitan(1): Narrated to us Fuḍail b. `Ayyāḍ and ibn `Uyayna, both from Laith, from Ṭāwūs who said: “The sign of the Mahdī is that he will be strict with the government agents, generous regarding wealth, and merciful to the poor.”

733. Al-Fitan(2): Narrated to us `Abd al-Razzāq, from Mu`ammar, from Qatāda that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], said: “He—meaning the Mahdī—will bring out the treasures, distribute wealth, and will correctly establish Islam.”

734. Al-Fitan(3): Narrated to us ibn `Uyayna, from Ibrāhīm b. Maisara, from Ṭāwūs who said: “I wish I don’t die until I reach the time of the Mahdī. He will increase the good-doers’ goodness and will forgive the sinners.”

(It has also been mentioned in it,) narrated to us Ḥumaid al-Rawāsī, from Muḥammad b. Muslim, from Ibrāhīm b. Maisara, from Ṭāwūs who said: “When the Mahdī comes, he will increase the good-doers’ goodness and will forgive the sinners’ wrongdoings. He will give away wealth, be strict with the government agents, and be merciful towards the poor.”

735. Al-Fitan(4): Narrated to us Yaḥyā, from Saif b. Wāṣil, from Abū Yūnus, from Abū Ru’ba who

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said: “As if [I am seeing] the Mahdī feeding the needy with his own hands.”

The following traditions also establish the above concept: 160, 358, 379, 380, 383–389, 436, 437, 453, 503, 583, 699, 700, and 701.

al-Mufīd(1): Informed me Abū l-Qāsim Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. Qūlawayh, may Allah have mercy on him, from his father, from Sa`d b. `Abd-Allah, from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. `Īsā, from ibn Abī `Umair, from `Abd-Allah b. Muskān, from Bashīr al-Kunāsī, from Abū Khālid al-Kabulī, from (Imam) `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him, who said:

O Abū Khālid! Soon, a fitna will arrive which is like the darkness of night. No one will be saved except those from whom Allah has taken his covenant. They are the lamps of guidance and the sources of knowledge. Allah will save them from every dark fitna. As if I am standing with your master on top of your [city], Najaf, behind Kūfa along with about three hundred and ten men; Jabra’īl (Gabriel) is on his right and Mīkā’īl (Michael) is on his left and Isrāfīl is in front of him. He has with him the banner of the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, which he has spread. He will not approach any group with this banner but that Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, will destroy them.

738. Al-Ghayba by Faḍl b. Shādhān(2): Narrated to us Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Abī Naṣr, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Ḥammād b. `Īsā, from `Abd-Allah b. Abī Ya`fūr, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah Ja`far b. Muḥammad, peace be on him, who said: “There won’t remain a miracle from the miracles of the Prophets and their heirs but that Allah, Blessed and

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High be He, will manifest its like at the hands of our Qā’im to complete the proof against the enemies [of Allah].”

739. Al-Kāfī(1): Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā, from Salmat b. al-Khaṭṭāb, from `Abd-Allah b. Muḥammad, from Manī` b. al-Ḥajjāj al-Baṣrī, from Mujāshi`, from Mu`allā, from Muḥammad b. al-Faiḍ, from (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, who said:

The staff of Moses belonged to Adam, peace be on him, then it was transferred to [the Prophet] Shu`ayb who gave it to Moses son of Amram (`Imrān). Now, it is with us and I recently looked at it. Its [color] is green like its form when it was plucked from the tree and it speaks when spoken to. It has been prepared for our Qā’im, peace be on him.

He will do with it what Moses did. It will frighten [the enemies], will devour their deceptions, and will do what it is ordered. Whenever it comes forward to devour their deceptions, it will open its jaws: One jaw will be on the ground and the other overhead. The distance between [these two] will be [the length] of forty arms (dhirā`). It will eat their deceptions with its tongue.”

740. Al-Kāfī(2): Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā, from Muḥammad b. al-Ḥusayn, from Mūsā b. Sa`dān, from `Abd-Allah b. al-Qāsim, from Abū Sa`īd al-Khurāsānī, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, from (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, who said:

When the Qā’im rises at Mecca and intends to go towards Kūfa, his announcer will call out, “No

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one should carry with him food or drink.” He will carry with him the stone of Moses, son of Amram (`Imrān) which can hardly be carried by a camel. They will not stop at any place except that a spring will flow from [the stone]. Whoever is hungry will be satiated and whoever is thirsty will be quenched. It will be their provision until they stop at Najaf [located] at the back of Kūfa.

741. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Through this chain of narrators (meaning ibn al-Walīd from al-Ṣaffār, from Ya`qūb, from ibn Abī Umair, from Abān b. `Uthmān), from Abān b. Taghlib, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said:

It is as if I am seeing the Qā’im, peace be on him, in the outskirts of Najaf. When he reaches Kūfa, he will mount a dark piebald horse which has a white stripe between his eyes. The horse will shake him [or he will move the horse] and there will not remain a city but that its inhabitants will think that he is with them in their city. When he spreads the banner of the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, thirteen thousand and thirteen angels will descend upon him who were all awaiting the Qā’im, peace be on him.

They are the same [angels] who were with Noah, peace be on him, in the Ark, with Abraham, the friend (khalīl) of Allah, peace be on him, when he was thrown in the fire, and

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with Jesus, peace be on him, when he was taken up [to the sky]. [These angels will be joined by] four thousand marked angels—who will follow one-another in rows—and the three hundred and thirteen angels from the Battle of Badr and the four thousand angels who had descended to fight alongside al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī, peace be on him, but were not given permission and they ascended to seek permission [from Allah] but when they descended, al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him, had already been martyred. They are in a disheveled state and dusty and will cry beside al-Ḥusayn’s grave, peace be on him, until the Day of Judgment. Between the grave of Imam al-Ḥusayn and the sky is the pathway of the angels.

742. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Through the same chain of narrators from Abān b. Taghlib, from Abū Ḥamza al-Thumālī who said:

(Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, said, “It is as if I am looking at the Qā’im, peace be on him, who has appeared at Najaf. When he appears at Najaf, he will spread the banner of the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, whose pole is [made] from the pillar of the Throne of Allah, the Exalted. The rest of it [is made from] the Assistance of Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He. He will not desire to approach with it anyone except that Allah, the Exalted, will destroy him.” I asked, “Is it already with him or will it be brought for him?”

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He replied, “It will be brought for him and Gabriel (Jabra’īl), peace be on him, is the one who will bring it for him.”

743. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(1): Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Sa`īd b. `Uqda, from Muḥammad b. al-Mufaḍḍal b. Ibrāhīm, Sa`dān b. Isḥāq b. Sa`īd, Aḥmad b. al-Ḥusayn b. `Abd al-Malik, and Muḥammad b. Aḥmad b. al-Ḥasan al-Qaṭawānī, all of them from al-Ḥasan b. Maḥbūb, from `Abd-Allah b. Sinān, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said:

The staff of Moses is a stick from a myrtle (al-ās) [tree] grown in Paradise. Gabriel (Jabra’īl), peace be on him, brought it for him when he wanted to go to [the city of] Midian (Madyan). This [staff] and the casket of Adam are in the lake of Tiberias (Ṭabariyya)(2) and will never decay nor change until the Qā’im, peace be on him, brings them both out when he rises.

744. Kāmil al-ziyārāt(3): Narrated to me al-Ḥusayn b. Muḥammad b. `Āmir, from Aḥmad b. Isḥāq b. Sa`d, from Sa`dān b. Muslim, from `Umar b. Abān, from Abān b. Taghlib, who said:

(Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, said: “It is as if I am with the Qā’im at Najaf [near] Kūfa while he is wearing the armor of the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family. He will shake [the armor] and it will fit [on his body]. Then, he will cover it with a howdah made of brocade and will mount a dark-colored horse between whose eyes there will

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be a white stripe. The horse will shake in such a way that there will not remain the inhabitants of a city but that they will think that he is with them in their city. He will spread the banner of the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, whose pole is from the pillars of the Throne (al-`Arsh), and the rest of it is [made from] Allah’s Assistance.

He will not desire to approach with it against anyone except that Allah, the Exalted, will destroy him. When he waves it, there will not remain a believer but that his heart will become like a slab of iron. Each believer will be given the strength of forty men. There will not remain a [deceased] believer but that this [event] will make him joyful in his grave. They will visit each other in their graves and will give glad-tidings to each other about the rise of the Qā’im. Then, thirteen thousand three hundred and thirteen angels will descend upon him.”

I asked, “Are they all angels?” He answered, “Yes. They are the angels who were with Noah in the Ark, those who were with Abraham when he was thrown in the fire, those who were with Moses when he split the sea for the Israelites, and those who were with Jesus when Allah took him up towards Himself. [These will be joined by] four thousand marked angels who were with the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be on him

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and his family, with another one thousand—who follow one another row after row—and the three hundred and thirteen angels of [the Battle of] Badr. [These will be accompanied by] the four thousand angels who had come down to fight alongside (Imam) al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him, but were not granted permission to fight.

They are at his grave in a disheveled state and dusty, crying for him until the Day of Judgment. The chief of these angels is an angel called Manṣūr. No pilgrim (zā’ir) will visit his grave except that they will welcome him, no one [from the pilgrims] departs but that they will bid him farewell; or becomes ill but that they will visit him; or dies but that they will pray on his body and seek forgiveness for him after his death. All of them are on earth, awaiting the rise of the Qā’im until the time of his appearance, Allah’s blessings be on him.”

745. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(1): `Abd al-Wāḥid b. `Abd-Allah b. Yūnus, from Muḥammad b. Ja`far al-Qurashī, from Muḥammad b. al-Ḥusayn b. Abī l-Khaṭṭāb, from Muḥammad b. Sinān, from Ḥammād b. Abī Ṭalḥa, from Abū Ḥamza al-Thumālī who said:

(Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, said to me, “O Thābit(2)! It is as if I am with the Qā’im from my Ahl al-Bait while he is looking at Najaf—and he pointed with his hand towards Kūfa. When he looks at Najaf, he will spread the banner of the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him

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and his family. When he spreads it, the angels from [the Battle of] Badr will descend on him.”

I asked, “What is the banner of the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family?” He replied, “Its pole is from the pillar of the Throne of Allah and His Mercy. The rest of it is [made from] the Assistance of Allah. He will not desire to approach anyone with it but that Allah will make him perish.” I asked, “Is this flag concealed with you until the Qā’im, peace be on him, rises or will it be brought for him?” He replied, “It will be brought for him.” I asked, “Who will bring it for him?” He answered, “Gabriel, peace be on him.”

746. Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī(1): Muḥammad b. Hammām, from Aḥmad b. Mābundādh, from Aḥmad b. Hilāl, from Muḥammad b. Abī `Umair, from Abū l-Maghrā’, from Abū Baṣīr, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said:

When Amīr al-Mu’minīn, peace be on him, faced the people of Baṣra [during the Battle of Jamal], he spread the banner—the banner of the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family—due to which their feet started trembling. The sun had hardly become yellow [i.e. was beginning to set] when they said, “We surrender, O son of Abū Ṭālib!”

At this juncture, he declared, “Don’t kill the captives, don’t finish off the wounded, and don’t pursue the fleeing ones. Whoever puts down his weapon is safe and whoever

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shuts the door [of his house] is safe.” When the day of [the Battle of] Ṣiffīn came, [his soldiers] asked him to spread the banner but he refused. They tried to persuade him [to do this] through (Imams) al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn, peace be on them, and `Ammār b. Yāsir, may Allah be satisfied with him. So he said to al-Ḥasan, “O my son! For this group is a time which they will reach (muddatan yablughūnahā); no one after me will spread this banner except the Qā’im, Allah’s blessings be on him.”

747. Al-Fitan(1): Narrated to us Yaḥyā b. al-Yamān, from Qays, from `Abd-Allah b. Sharīk who said: “With the Mahdī is the banner of the messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, which is the victory-bringer (al-mighlaba).”

I say : There were narrations from Ka`b al-Aḥbār which were suitable for this section, but we didn’t mention them because we didn’t need them. The following traditions also establish the above concept: 373, 555, and 1213.

was filled with unfairness and injustice.”

749. Ghaybat al-Shaykh(1): Al-Ḥusayn b. `Ubaid-Allah informed us, from Abū Ja`far Muḥammad b. Sufyān al-Bazaufarī, from Aḥmad b. Idrīs, from `Alī b. Muḥammad b. Qutayba, from al-Faḍl b. Shādhān al-Nīsābūrī, from ibn Abī Najrān, from Muḥammad b. Manṣūr, from his father who said:

We—a group of people—were talking in the presence of (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah (al-Ṣādiq), peace be on him. He turned towards us and said, “What are you discussing? Alas! Alas! By Allah, whatever you are longing for will not occur until you are screened out. By Allah, whatever you are longing for will not happen until you are separated. By Allah, Whatever you are longing for will not take place until you are sifted. [By Allah,] whatever you are longing for will not happen except after despair. By Allah, whatever you are longing for will not happen until [those destined to become] wretched, become wretched, and [those destined to become] felicitous, become felicitous.”

750. Dalā’il al-imāma(2): Abū `Alī al-Nahāwandī, from al-Qāshānī, from Muḥammad b. Sulaimān, from `Alī b. Saif, from his father, from al-Mufaḍḍal b. `Umar, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said:

A person came to Amīr al-Mu’minīn `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, and complained to him about the length of the government of injustice (dawlat al-jur). Amīr al-Mu’minīn, peace be on him, said to him, “By Allah, what you wish for [will not occur] until the people of falsehood perish, the ignorant disappear, and the pious (muttaqūn) become

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safe. Once this happens, you [will be deprived] to an extent that you will not be able to set foot on the ground and you will be regarded as worthless as a dead body . . . You will be in this condition when the help and victory of Allah will come. This is the saying of Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, in His Book, ‘Until when the apostles despaired and they thought that they were indeed told a lie, Our help came to them’ (Quran 12:110).”

751. Nahj al-balāgha(1): Regarding the vicissitudes of time (the mischiefs that are to occur and the absence of lawful ways of livehood):

May my father and my mother be sacrificed for those whose names are well-known in the sky and not known on the earth. Beware! You should expect such things as adversity in your affairs, the breaking of relations, and the rising up of inferior people to befall you. This will happen when the blow of a sword will be easier for a believer than to secure one dirham lawfully.

This will happen when the reward of the beggar is more than that of the giver. This will be when you are intoxicated, not by drinking, but with wealth and plenty, when you are swearing [oaths] without compulsion and are speaking lies without compulsion. This will be when troubles hurt you as the saddle hurts the hump of the camel. How long will these tribulations be and how distant the hope [for deliverance

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from them]?

752. Ghaybat al-Shaykh(1): Aḥmad b. Idrīs, from `Alī b. Muḥammad b. Qutayba, from al-Faḍl b. Shādhān, from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Abī Naṣr, from (Imam) Abū l-Ḥasan, peace be on him, who said: “By Allah! What you desire will not happen until you are separated and sifted; until no one remains from you except few.” Then, he recited, ‘Or do you think that you will be left [as you are] while Allah has not yet made known those of you who have struggled hard and those who have patience.’(2)”

753. Ghaybat al-Shaykh: From Jābir al-Ju`fī who said:

I asked (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, “When will your relief (faraj) occur?” He answered, “It is far! It is far! Our relief will not occur until you are screened out, then you are screened out [again], and then you are screened out [again]—and he repeated it three times—until Allah, the Exalted, removes the impure (al-kidir) and keeps the pure.”(3)

754. Ghaybat al-Shaykh(4): From him (meaning Muḥammad b. `Abd-Allah b. Ja`far al-Ḥimyarī), from his father, from Ayyūb b. Nūḥ, from al-`Abbās b. `Āmir, from al-Rabī` b. Muḥammad al-Muslī, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said:

By Allah, you will be broken like the breaking of glass; glass can be restored and it takes its original form. By Allah, you will be broken like the breaking of earthenware and earthenware cannot be restored to its original form. [By Allah, you will be separated]. By Allah, you will be sifted. By Allah,

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you will be screened out like darnel is screened out from wheat.

755. Al-Kāfī(1): Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā and al-Ḥasan b. Muḥammad [al-Ḥasan b. `Alī], from Ja`far b. Muḥammad, from al-Ḥasan b. Muḥammad al-Ṣairafī, from Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. al-Ṣaiqal, from his father, from Manṣūr, from (Imam) Abū `Abd-Allah, peace be on him, who said:

O Manṣūr! Surely, this affair will not come to you except after despair. By Allah, [it will not come to you] until you are sifted. By Allah, [it will not come to you] until you are separated. By Allah, [it will not come to you] until [those destined to become] wretched, become wretched, and [those destined to become] felicitous, become felicitous.

The traditions with the following numbers also prove the above concept:

113, 245, 254, 286, 327, 337, 342, 407, 411, 427, 433, 456, 511, 527, 534, 538, 617, 618, 619, 641, 669, 908, 911, 912, 971, 1015, 1017, 1018, 1019, 1022, 1023, 1024, 1130, and 1195.

on him and his family, who said: “From us is the one behind whom, Jesus, son of Mary, will pray.”

[The author of al-Bayān says] al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū Nu`aim has recorded it in his book Manāqib al-Mahdī `alayhi al-salām.

757. Ghāyat al-ma’mūl(1):

The Mahdī will turn his face [towards] Jesus, son of Mary— who will have descended. It will be is as if water is dripping from [Jesus’] hair. The Mahdī will say to him, “Come forward and lead the prayers for the people.” He will reply, “The prayers have been established for you.” So, [Jesus] will pray behind a person from my descendants and he is the Mahdī.

758. Al-Fitan(2): From more than one person, from Ḥammād b. Salma, from `Alī b. Zaid, from a person, from `Abd-Allah b. `Amr: “The Mahdī is the one that Jesus, son of Mary, will descend in his presence and will pray behind him—peace be on them.”

759. Al-Fitan(3): Narrated to us Abū Usāma, from Hishām, from Muḥammad who said: “The Mahdī is from this nation. He is the one who will lead the prayers for Jesus, son of Mary—peace be on them.”

760. Al-Muṣannaf(4): Narrated to us Abū Usāma, from Hishām, from ibn Sīrīn that “The Mahdī is from this nation. He is the one who will lead the prayers for Jesus son of Mary.”

761. Al-Fitan by Abū Ṣāliḥ al-Salīlī(5): Narrated to us al-Ḥasan b. `Alī, from Sufyān b. Sa`īd al-Thaurī, from Manṣūr b. al-Mu`tamir, from Raba`ī b. Khirāsh, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him

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and his family, who mentioned a long tradition about the unrests (fitan) that will occur and said: “Triumphant is that nation from whom I am the first and Jesus is at its end. [Jesus] will pray behind a person from my descendants . . . (to the end of the narration).”

762. Al-Durr al-manthūr(1): Ibn Abī Shaiba, Aḥmad, al-Ṭabarānī, and al-Ḥākim have recorded the (following) tradition and have regarded it as authentic (Ṣaḥīḥ): From `Uthmān b. Abī l-`Āṣ, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], who said:

. . . Jesus will descend at the time of the morning prayers (ṣalāt al-fajr). The commander of the people will say to him, “Come forward, O Spirit of Allah, and lead the prayers for us.” He will reply, “Surely, you from the people of this nation, some of you are commanders of others. You come forward and lead the prayers for us.”

Thus, [the Mahdī] will go forward and will lead the prayers. When he finishes, Jesus will take his spear towards the Antichrist (al-Dajjāl). When he sees him, he will melt like the melting of lead. Then, he will pierce between his breasts with his spear and will kill him and then he will defeat his followers. On that day, nothing will give cover to [the Antichrist’s followers]—to such an extent that the stone will call out, “O believer! Here is a disbeliever, kill him.” And the tree will call out, “O believer! Here is a disbeliever,

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kill him.”

763. Sunan ibn Māja(1): Narrated to us `Ali ibn Muḥammad, from `Abd al-Raḥmān al-Muḥāribī, from Ismā’īl b. Rāfi` Abī Rāfi`, from Abī Zur`a al-Shaibānī Yaḥyā b. Abī `Amr, from Abū Umāma al-Bāhilī who said:

The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him [and his family], gave a sermon to us and most of his sermon was about the Antichrist (al-Dajjāl) and he cautioned us about him . . . He continued the narration until he said, “And their Imam will be a righteous man. When their Imam goes forward to lead the morning prayers, Jesus, son of Mary, will descend in the morning. Then, the Imam will withdraw a bit—walking backwards—so that Jesus would come forward to lead the prayers for the people. On [seeing] this, Jesus will place his hand [on the Imam’s back] between his shoulders and say to him, ‘Go ahead and pray! The prayers have been established for you.’ So, their Imam will lead the prayers for them . . .”

764. `Uyūn al-mu`jizāt(2): From the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family . . . who informed about the emergence of the Mahdī who is the seal of the Imams, who will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with unfairness and injustice. That Jesus will descend upon him at the time of his emergence and reappearance and will pray behind him. [The author of `Uyūn al-mu`jizāt says,] “This is a report on which the

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Shias, scholars, non-scholars, the Sunnis, the elite, the masses, the old, and the children are all unanimous and agree to due to its fame.”

765. `Uyūn al-mu`jizāt(1): From Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, who said: “I swear by the One in Whose Hands is my life! The Mahdī of this umma—behind whom Jesus will pray—is from us; then, he patted the shoulder of Imam al-Ḥusayn with his hand and exclaimed, ‘From him, from him.’”

766. Al-Tafḍīl(2): Some of the Shias and also some of the Sunni traditionists (muḥaddithīn) have recorded that

When the Mahdī appears, Allah, the Exalted, will send down Jesus upon him and they will come together. When the time of the compulsory prayers comes, the Mahdī will say to Jesus, “Come forward, O Spirit of Allah” suggesting that he should lead the prayers. The Christ will reply, “No one is allowed to precede you Ahl al-Bait.” So the Mahdī will go forward and the Christ will pray behind him, peace be on them both.

767. Ḥāshiyatu fatḥ al-mubīn(3): One narration mentions that he will descend after the Mahdī has commenced the prayers. He will go back a bit so that Jesus may lead the prayers. Jesus will place his hand between his shoulders and say to him, “You go ahead.” Before narrating this tradition [the author of the book] says, “His descent will occur at the time of the morning prayers.”

768. Anwār al-tanzīl(4): It has been narrated that

Jesus will descend

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at a mountain pass in the Holy Land called Afīq. In his hand will be a lance by which he will kill the Antichrist (al-Dajjāl). Then, he will come to Bait al-Maqdas while the people are busy with the morning prayers. The Imam will withdraw but Jesus will stand back and will pray behind him in accordance with the sharia of Muḥammad, blessings and peace be on him.

`Alī b. Burhān al-Dīn al-Ḥalabī al-Shāfi`ī writes in al-Sīrat al-Ḥalabiyya, “[Jesus’] descent will be at the time of the morning prayers. He will pray behind the Mahdī after the Mahdī says to him, ‘Come forward, O Spirit of Allah!’ and he will answer, ‘You go ahead, for indeed, the prayers have been established for you.’”

Similar to the above has been recorded in Rūḥ al-bayān under the saying of Allah, the Exalted, “And surely, it is a knowledge of the Hour” (Quran 43:61). Similar to it has also been mentioned in Tafsīr al-kashshāf.

It has been recorded in Tafsīr rūḥ al-ma`ānī that “It is famous that his descent will take place at Damascus while the people are busy with the morning prayers. On his arrival, the Imam—and he is the Mahdī—will withdraw a bit but Jesus will want him to lead the prayers and will pray behind him saying, ‘It has been established for you.’”

Al-Suyūṭī—while refuting the claim of those who deny that Jesus will pray behind the Mahdī, peace be on him, because a Prophet’s position is so great that he cannot pray behind

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a non-Prophet—writes in al-I`lām bi ḥukmi `Īsā `alayhi al-salām, “This is extremely amazing! The praying of Jesus behind the Mahdī is proved beyond doubt in a number of authentic traditions based on the news of the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him [and his family], who is the truthful and the verified whose prophecies no one can refute . . . ” He then proceeds to mention some of these traditions and then says, “I am not surprised by their denial [because they are claiming something] they do not know, rather, I am amazed at them for writing these claims in pieces of paper which will remain forever after they have passed away.”

769. Tafsīr al-Qummī(1): My father narrated to me, from al-Qāsim b. Muḥammad, from Sulaimān b. Dāwūd al-Minqarī, from Abū Ḥamza, from Shahr b. Ḥaushab who said:

Al-Ḥajjāj said to me, “A verse from the Book of Allah has exhausted me.” I asked, “O Emir! Which verse is it?” He replied, “‘And there is no one from the people of the Book (ahl al-kitāb) but that he will most certainly believes in him before his death’ (Quran 4:159). By Allah, I summon the Jews and the Christians and [order] their heads to be chopped off. Then, I carefully observe them with my own eyes but I do not see them moving their lips until they die.”

I said, “May Allah redeem the Emir! The verse is not as you have interpreted it.” He said, “Then how is it?”

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I answered, “Jesus will descend to the world before the Day of Judgment. Then, no one will remain from the nation of the Jews and Christians except that he will believe in him before his death and [Jesus] will pray behind the Mahdī.” He said, “Woe to you! Where have you got this from? What is your source?” I answered, “Muḥammad b. `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī b. `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, informed me.” He exclaimed, “By Allah, You have brought this narration from a pure source.”

770. `Uyūn akhbār al-Riḍā(1): Tamīm b. `Abd-Allah b. Tamīm al-Qurashī, may Allah be satisfied with him, from his father, from Aḥmad b. `Alī al-Anṣārī, from al-Ḥasan b. al-Jahm who said:

One day, I went to al-Ma’mūn’s court and (Imam) `Alī b. Mūsā al-Riḍā, peace be on him, was with him. The jurists and dialecticians from various sects had gathered there and one of them asked [the Imam], “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! How can a person’s claim of Imamate be verified?” He replied, “By divine text (al-naṣṣ) and reasons . . . (and the narration continues until he said,) Whoever claims divinity for the Prophets, or claims prophethood for the Imams, or claims Imamate for others other than the Imams, then we dissociate ourselves from such a people in this world and the hereafter.”

At that point, al-Ma’mūn said, “O Abū l-Ḥasan! What is your opinion about the Return (al-raj`a)?” (Imam) al-Riḍā, peace be on him, answered, “Verily, it is the

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truth. It occurred in the previous nations and the Quran has talked about it. The Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, has said, ‘Whatever has occurred in the previous nations will occur in this nation in the exact same manner.’” Then, he continued, “When the Mahdī from my descendants emerges, Jesus, son Mary, peace be on him, will descend and will pray behind him.”

771. Al-Burhān fī tafsīr al-Quran(1): From ibn Bābawayh, through his chain of narrators from Mu`ammar, from Imam Abū `Abd-Allah (al-Ṣādiq), peace be on him, in a long tradition from the Holy Prophet, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, who said: “From my progeny is the Mahdī. When he emerges, Jesus, son of Mary, will descend to help him and will ask him to lead [the prayers] and will pray behind him.”

The traditions which encompass this concept are too many to be listed here and the chapter will become too long if they are all mentioned. The following traditions also prove the above concept: 118, 153, 219, 284, 327, 361, 399, 429, 530, 539, 553, 582, 668, 669, 910, 1066, 1071, 1081, 1083, and 1105.

from ibn Lahī`a al-Kūfī, from Abū Zur`a, from ibn Zarīr, from `Ammār b. Yāsir who said: “When al-Sufyānī reaches Kūfa and kills the helpers of the family Muḥammad, the Mahdī will emerge and his flag-bearer will be Shu`ayb b. Ṣāliḥ.”

773. Al-Fitan(1): Narrated to us al-Walīd and Rushdain, from ibn Lahī`a, from Ka`b b. `Alqama, from Sufyān al-Kalbī who said: “The standard-bearer of Mahdī will be a male—very young in age—with a scarcely grown yellow beard (al-Walīd did not mention yellow). If he fights against the mountains, he will shake them (al-Walīd said ‘he will break them down’) until ‘Īliyā descends.”

774. Al-Fitan(2): Narrated to us Yaḥyā b. al-Yamān, from Sufyān al-Thaurī, from Abī Isḥāq, from Nauf al-Bikālī who said: “It is written on Mahdī’s flag: Allegiance is only for Allah (al-bay`atu li-llāh).”

775. Al-Bayān fī akhbāri Ṣāḥib al-Zamān(3): Al-Ṭabarānī has recorded in al-Ausaṭ from ibn `Umar who said:

The Prophet, Allah's blessings be on him [and his family], held `Alī’s hand, [peace be on him], and said, “From his descendants will emerge a youth who will fill the earth with fairness and justice. When you see this, then it is necessary for you to look out for the Tamīmī youth. Surely, he will come from the East and he is the standard-bearer of the Mahdī.

776. Kamāl al-dīn(4): It has been narrated that on the standard of the Mahdī is written: “Highness is only for Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He (al-raf`atu li-llāh `azza wa jal).”

777. Biḥār al-anwār(5): From al-Sayyid `Alī b. `Abd al-Ḥamīd,

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through his chain of narrators to the Book of al-Faḍl b. Shādhān who said: “It has been narrated that on the standard of the Mahdī is written, ‘Listen and obey.’”

778. Al-`Arf al-wardī(1): He (meaning al-Nu`aim) has also recorded from ibn Sīrīn that, “On the flag of the Mahdī is written, ‘Allegiance (al-bay`a) is only for Allah.’”

779. Al-Fitan(2): Rushdain narrated to us, from ibn Lahī`a, from `Abd al-Raḥmān b. Sālim, from his father, from Abū Rūmān and Abū Thābit, from `Alī, may Allah be satisfied with him, that the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him [and his family], said: “A person from my Ahl al-Bait will emerge with nine flags— meaning from Mecca.”

780. Al-Fitan(3): Yaḥyā al-Yamān narrated to us, from Qays, from `Abd-Allah b. Sharīk who said: “With the Mahdī is the victorious flag of the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family. I wish I could meet him even if my ears, nose, and lips were chopped off.”

will meet. Amongst them will be a youth from the Banī-Hāshim and on his left palm will be a mole. His commander will be a person from Banī Tamīm called Shu`ayb b. Ṣāliḥ, at the gateway if Iṣṭakhr. There will be a terrible bloodshed between these two armies. The black flags will be victorious while the cavalry of Sufyānī will take to their heels. It is then that the people will desire for the Mahdī and will seek him.

782. Al-Fitan(1): Narrated to us Sa`īd b. `Uthmān, from Jābir, from (Imam) Abū Ja`far who said:

The black flags from Khurāsān [in Iran] will reach Kūfa. When the Mahdī appears at Mecca, they will be sent to pledge allegiance to the Mahdī.

783. Al-Fitan(2): Narrated to us al-Walīd b. Muslim, from Abū `Abd-Allah, from `Abd al-Karīm (meaning Umayya), from Muḥammad b. al-Ḥanafiyya who said:

Black flags will emerge [in support of] the Abbasids. Then, from Khurāsān, other black flags will appear; their hoods will be black and their dresses will be white. A person called Shu`ayb b. Ṣāliḥ or Ṣāliḥ b. Shu`ayb, from [Banī] Tamīm, will be their commander. They will destroy al-Sufyānī’s Army until they reach Bait al-Maqdas. They will prepare for the Mahdī his government and Three hundred people from Syria will come to his aid. The time between his emergence and the handing over of the affairs to the Mahdī will be seventy-two months.

784. Al-Fitan(3): `Abd-Allah b. Marwān narrated to us, from al-`Alā b. `Utba, from al-Ḥasan that “the Messenger of Allah,

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Allah's blessings be on him [and his family], mentioned a calamity that his Ahl al-Bait would encounter [which would continue] until Allah will send a black flag from the East. Whoever helps it, Allah will help him and whoever deserts it, Allah will desert him; until a man comes whose name is my name and He will rule them. Allah will support and assist him.”

785. Al-Fitan(1): Muḥammad b. `Abd-Allah b. `Abd-Allah al-Taihartī narrated to us, from `Abd al-Raḥmān b. Ziyād b. An`um, from Muslim b. Yasār, from Sa`īd b. al-Musayyib, from the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him [and his family], who said: “Black flags [in support] of the Abbasids will emerge from the East. They will halt until Allah wishes. Then, smaller black flags will emerge from the east who will fight a person from the progeny of Abū Sufyān and his followers. They will call out [to the people] to obey the Mahdī.”

“Indeed, the Guardian appointed by Allah (walī Allah), His Proof upon His servants, and my successor after me, has been born circumcised [from birth], at the dawn of Sha`bān 15, 255 AH. The first who washed (ghusl) him was Riḍwān—the caretaker of Paradise—while a group of archangels accompanied him. [They washed him] with the water of Kauthar and Salsabīl.

Then, my aunt, Ḥakīma bt. Muḥammad b. `Alī al-Riḍā, peace be on them washed him.” Muḥammad b. `Alī b. Ḥamza, may Allah be satisfied with him, enquired about his mother. He replied, “His mother is Malīka who is sometimes called Sūsan and sometimes Rayḥāna. Her other names are Ṣaiqal, and Narjis.”

787. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan b. al-Walīd, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-`Aṭṭār, from Abū `Abd-Allah al-Ḥusayn b. Rizq-Allah, from Mūsā b. Muḥammad b. al-Qāsim b. Ḥamzat b. Mūsā b. Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, peace be on them, from Ḥakīma, daughter of (Imam) Muḥammad b. `Alī b. Mūsā b. Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, peace be on them, who said:

(Imam) Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan b. `Alī, peace be on him, called for me and said, “O Aunt! Break your fast this evening with us because it is the evening of the 15th of Sha`bān and Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, will reveal His proof (ḥujja) tonight and he will be His proof on earth.” I asked, “Who is his mother?”

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He replied, “Narjis.” I exclaimed, “May Allah sacrifice me for you! But there is no sign [of pregnancy] in her!” He replied, “It will [occur] like I am informing you.”

[So] I went [to their house], said hello and sat down. [Narjis] came to take off my shoes and said to me, “How are you my master [and the master of my family]?” I replied, “No! You are my master and the master of my family.” She denied what I said and replied, “O aunt! What are you saying?” I said to her, “O my daughter! Surely, Allah, the Exalted, will soon grant you in this very night a son (who will be) a master in this world and the hereafter.” On hearing this, she expressed shyness. When I finished my `Ishā’ prayers, I broke my fast, went to bed and slept. In the depth of the night, I got up for the night prayers.

When I finished my night prayers, I saw Narjis fast asleep while there were no signs [of pregnancy] in her. I sat and performed the rituals/supplications (ta`qībāt) recommended after the prayers and then lied down. Then I got up again fearfully and she was still asleep. Then, she got up, prayed and went to sleep.

I went out to check if it was dawn yet [i.e. whether the time of prayers had arrived or not]. At the first break of dawn (al-fajr al-awwal), she was still fast asleep. At this juncture, I became slightly skeptical. Immediately, [Imam]

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Abū Muḥammad [al-`Askarī], peace be on him, cried out from where he was, “O Aunt! Don’t be in such a rush! Indeed the affair is near!” I sat down and began reciting the suras of Sajda and Yāsīn. While I was busy [reciting them], she woke up startled. I leapt towards her and said, “I seek Allah’s protection for you! Do you feel anything?” She replied, “Yes, O Aunt!” I said to her, “Be calm and hold your heart. This is what I had told you.”

Then suddenly I felt a weakness in myself and she felt a weakness in herself. I came to with the sound of my master [the Mahdī] and removed the cloth from over him. He was in a state of prostration and was touching the earth with the places [which touch the ground during] prostration. I embraced him and he was absolutely clean and immaculate. (Imam) Abū Muḥammad, peace be on him, called out to me, “O Aunt! Bring my son to me,” and I did. He placed his hands beneath his lower-back and back and put his feet on his chest. Then, he put his tongue in his mouth and caressed his eyes, ears, and joints.

He then said, “Speak, O my son!” He replied, “I testify that there is no god but Allah, He is One and has no partner. I testify that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family.” He then sent blessings on Amīr al-Mu’minīn

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and the Imams, peace be on them, until he reached his father. He then stopped and didn’t continue.

(Imam) Abū Muḥammad, peace be on him, called out, “O Aunt! Take him to his mother so that he greets her and then bring him back to me.” I took him to her and he greeted her, then, I took him back [to his father] and put him on the ground. He said, “O Aunt! Come back to us on the seventh day.”

In the morning, I went to greet (Imam) Abū Muḥammad, peace be on him. When I removed the curtain to see my master, I did not find him there. I said, “May I be sacrificed for you! What happened to my master?” He replied, “We have entrusted him to whom the mother of Moses entrusted her son, peace be on him.”

On the seventh day, I went [to them], greeted them, and sat down. He said, “Bring me my son.” I brought my master, peace be on him, while he was wrapped in a cloth. He did [with his son] what he had done earlier. Then, he put his tongue in his mouth as if he was feeding him milk or honey. He then said, “Speak, O my son!” He declared, “I testify that there is no god but Allah,” and he saluted and blessed Muḥammad, `Alī, Amīr al-Mu’minīn, and the infallible Imams, Allah’s blessings be on them all, and he paused [after] his father’s name. Then he recited,

“In

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the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. And We intend to oblige those who have been rendered weak on earth and make them Imams and make them the inheritors. And to grant them power in the land, and show the Pharaoh and Haman and their armies what they feared.” (1)

Mūsā (the narrator of this tradition), says, “I asked `Uqba, the servant, about this and he replied, ‘Ḥakīma has said the truth.’”

788. Kamāl al-dīn(2): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. `Alī Mājīlawayh and Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-`Aṭṭār, may Allah be satisfied with them, from Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-`Aṭṭār, from al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī al-Nīsābūrī, from Ibrāhīm b. Muḥammad b. `Abd-Allah b. Mūsā b. Ja`far, peace be on them, from al-Sayyārī, from Nasīm and Māriya who both said:

When the Master of the Time came out of his mother’s womb, he bent on his knees, raised both index fingers towards the sky, then sneezed and said, “All Praise is for Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Blessings of Allah be on Muḥammad and his family. The oppressors thought that Allah’s Proof has been destroyed. Had we been permitted to speak, all doubts would have been dispelled.

789. Kamāl al-dīn(3): Muḥammad b. `Alī Mājīlawayh, Muḥammad b. Mūsā b. al-Mutawakkil, and Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-`Aṭṭār, may Allah be satisfied with them, narrated to us from Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-`Aṭṭār, from Isḥāq b. Riyāḥ al-Baṣrī, from Abū Ja`far al-`Amrī who said:

When the Master, peace be on him, was born, (Imam) Abū Muḥammad, peace

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be on him, said, “Send someone to Abū `Amr.” Someone was sent to him and when he came, [the Imam] said to him, “Buy ten thousand pounds (raṭl(1)) of bread and ten thousand pounds of meat and distribute it—I think he said among the Banī-Hāshim—and slaughter such and such number of sheep as his `aqīqa(2).”

790. Kamāl al-dīn(3): Muḥammad b. Muḥammad b. `Iṣām, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Muḥammad b. Ya`qūb al-Kulainī, from `Alī b. Muḥammad who said: “The Master was born on Sha`bān 15, 255 AH.”

791. Al-Ghayba by Faḍl b. Shādhān(4): Aḥmad b. Isḥāq b. `Abd-Allah al-Ash`arī, from (Imam) Abū Muḥammad b. `Alī al-`Askarī, peace be on him, who said:

All praise is for the One who did not take me from this world until He showed me the successor after me, who is the most similar of people to the Messenger of Allah in creation and morals. Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, will protect him in his occultation. Then, He will reveal him, and he will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness.

792. Kamāl al-dīn(5): Muḥammad b. Muḥammad b. `Iṣām, may Allah be satisfied with him, narrated to us from Muḥammad b. Ya`qūb al-Kulainī, from `Allān al-Rāzī who said: “Some of our companions informed me that when the spouse of (Imam) Abū Muḥammad, peace be on him, became pregnant, he said to her, ‘You will soon give birth to a boy; his name will be Muḥammad and

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he is the Qā’im after me.’”

793. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Muḥammad b. Ibrāhīm b. Isḥāq al-Ṭāliqānī, may Allah be satisfied with him, narrated to us from al-Ḥasan b. `Alī b. Zakariyyā at Madīnat al-Salām, from Abū `Abd-Allah Muḥammad b. Khalīlān, from his father, from his father, from his grandfather, from Ghiyāth b. Usaid who said:

I witnessed Muḥammad b. `Uthmān al-`Amrī, may Allah sanctify his soul, say, “When the successor, al-Mahdī, was born, a light radiated from his head to the outskirts of the sky. Then, he went down in prostration for his Lord, Exalted be His remembrance, then he raised his head while he was saying, ‘Allah testifies that there is no god but He and so do the angels and the possessors of knowledge who stand with justice. There is no god but He, the Invincible, the Wise. Verily, the religion [approved] by Allah is Islam.’(2)” [Muḥammad b. `Uthmān] said, “His birth occurred on a Friday.”

794. Kamāl al-dīn(3): Narrated to us `Alī b. `Abd-Allah al-Warrāq, from Sa`d b. `Abd-Allah, from Mūsā b. Ja`far b. Wahb al-Baghdādī that a signed letter (tauqī`) came from (Imam) Abū Muḥammad, peace be on him, that read: “They thought that by killing me, they would destroy this generation; indeed Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, has refuted their saying and all praise is for Allah.”

795. Tārīkh al-A’imma(4): From amongst the reasons that have been narrated from (Imam) al-Ḥasan b. `Alī al-`Askarī, peace be on him, at the time of the birth of M-U-Ḥ-A-M-M-A-D b. al-Ḥasan,

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is what has been narrated from him numerous times: “The oppressors thought they would kill me to eliminate this generation; how did they find the power of the All-Powerful?” And he named him the Hoped (al-Mu’ammal).

796. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. Mūsā al-Mutawakkil, may Allah be satisfied with him, from `Abd-Allah b. Ja`far al-Ḥimyarī, from Muḥammad b. Aḥmad al-`Alawī, from Abū Ghānim, the servant, who said:

A boy was born to (Imam) Abū Muḥammad, peace be on him, and he named him Muḥammad. On the third day, he showed him to his companions, saying, “He is your master after me and my successor upon you. He is the Qā’im who will be desperately awaited. When the earth becomes filled with injustice and unfairness, he will emerge and will fill it with fairness and justice.”

797. Kamāl al-dīn(2): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. `Alī Mājīlawayh, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-`Aṭṭār, from Abū `Alī al-Khayzarānī, from a slave girl whom he had gifted to (Imam) Abū Muḥammad, peace be on him, who had fled from Ja`far al-Kadhdhāb (the liar) when he had attacked the house and Abū `Alī (the narrator) had married her. Abū `Alī says:

She informed me that she had been present when the master was born and the name of the master’s mother is Ṣaqīl and Abū Muḥammad had informed her about the events that would befall his family. She had asked him to pray to Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, that

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He takes her life before him. She died while Abū Muḥammad, peace be on him, was still alive. There is a tablet on her grave which says, “This is the grave of the mother of Muḥammad.”

I also heard this slave-maid mention that when the master, peace be on him, was born, she saw a light radiate from him towards the outskirts of the sky. She also saw white birds descend from the sky, caress his head, face, and, body with their wings and then soar again. When they had informed Abū Muḥammad, peace be on him, about what they had witnessed, he had laughed and replied, “These were angels who had come to gain blessings from this newborn and they will be his helpers when he emerges.”

798. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan b. Aḥmad b. al-Walīd, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī, from `Abd-Allah b. al-`Abbās al-`Alawī, from Abū l-Faḍl al-Ḥasan b. al-Ḥusayn al-`Alawī, who said: “I went to (Imam) Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan b. `Alī, peace be on him, at Sāmarrā’ and congratulated him on the birth of his son, the Qā’im.”

799. Kamāl al-dīn(2): Muḥammad b. Mūsā b. al-Mutawakkil, may Allah be satisfied with him, narrated to us from `Abd-Allah b. Ja`far al-Ḥimyarī, from Muḥammad b. Ibrāhīm al-Kūfī that “(Imam) Abū Muḥammad, peace be on him, sent meat from a slaughtered sheep to some people whom he named for me and said, ‘This is from the `aqīqa(3) for my son Muḥammad, [Allah’s blessings and salutations

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be on him].’”

800. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Muḥammad b. `Alī Mājīlawayh, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-`Aṭṭār, from al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī al-Nīsābūrī, from al-Ḥasan b. al-Mundhir, from Ḥamzat b. Abī l-Fatḥ who said:

He came to me one day and said, “I have good news! A son was born to Abū Muḥammad, peace be on him, yesterday and he has ordered that this news be kept a secret. He also ordered that three hundred sheep be slaughtered as his aqīqa.” I asked him, “What’s his name?” He replied, “His name is Muḥammad and his epithet is Ja`far.”

801. Kamāl al-dīn(2): Abū l-`Abbās Aḥmad b. al-Ḥusayn b. `Abd-Allah b. Mihrān al-Ābī al-Azdī al-`Arūzī at Marv, from Aḥmad b. al-Ḥasan b. Isḥāq al-Qummī who said:

When the righteous successor, peace be on him, was born, my grandfather Aḥmad b. Isḥāq received a letter from (Imam) Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan b. `Alī, peace be on him, in his own handwriting—the [same handwriting with] which he had written all his other signed letters. It had been written in it, “A son of ours has been born. Let this fact be hidden with you and unknown to the general masses. For surely, we have not revealed this information about him to anyone except the closest of relatives because of their nearness and those who have accepted his Guardianship (wilāya). We wished to inform you so that Allah may make you joyful through him like He has made us rejoice through him. Wa al-salām.”

802. Kamāl al-dīn(3): Abū

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Ṭālib al-Muẓaffar b. Ja`far b. al-Muẓaffar b. Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. `Abd-Allah b. Muḥammad b. `Umar b. `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, from Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. Mas`ūd, from Abū l-Naḍr Muḥammad b. Mas`ūd, from Ādam b. Muḥammad al-Balkhī, from `Alī b. al-Ḥasan [al-Ḥusayn] al-Daqqāq, from Ibrāhīm b. Muḥammad al-`Alawī, from Nasīm the female servant of (Imam) Abū Muḥammad, peace be on him, who said:

I went to see the master of this affair, peace be on him, one night after his birth and sneezed in front of him. He said to me, “May Allah have mercy on you.” I became joyous at this remark. Then, he said to me, “Shall I give you good news about sneezing?” I replied in the affirmative. He said, “It delays death for three days.”

803. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Through the same chain of narrators (i.e. the chain mentioned in the eighth tradition of this chapter) from Muḥammad b. `Uthmān al-`Amrī, who said: “The master was born circumcised. I heard Ḥakīma say, ‘Parturition blood was not seen in his mother and this is the custom of the mothers of all the Imams, peace be on them.’”

804. Ghaybat al-Shaykh(2): Aḥmad b. `Alī al-Rāzī, from Muḥammad b. `Alī, from `Abd-Allah b. Muḥammad b. Khāqān al-Dihqān, from Abū Sulaimān Dāwūd b. Ghassān al-Baḥrānī who said:

I read out for Abū Sahl Ismā’īl b. `Alī al-Naubakhtī the birth of (Imam) Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan b. `Alī b. Muḥammad b. `Alī al-Riḍā b. Mūsā b. Ja`far al-Ṣādiq b. Muḥammad al-Bāqir b.

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`Alī b. al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, Allah’s blessings be on them all: “He was born in Sāmarrā’ in 256 AH. His mother was called Ṣaqīl and his epithet is Abū l-Qāsim—the same epithet as that of the Holy Prophet, Allah's blessings be on him and his family—who had said, ‘His name will be my name and his epithet will be my epithet. His title is Mahdī and he is the Proof, the Awaited, and the Master of the Time.’”

Ismā’īl b. `Alī said, “I visited Imam Abū Muḥammad al-`Askarī, peace be on him, during his illness in which he passed away. I was with him when he said to his servant `Aqīd—who was a black Nubian slave who had earlier served Imam `Alī b. Muḥammad and had brought up Imam al-Ḥasan al-`Askarī, peace be on him—, “O `Aqīd! Boil some mastic gum for me in water.” He boiled it for him and then Ṣaqīl—the mother of the successor Imam, peace be on him—brought it for him. As he held the bowl in his hands and intended to drink, his hand started trembling and the bowl hit the teeth of Imam al-Ḥasan. So, he put it down from his hands and said to `Aqīd, “Go inside the house. You will see a child in prostration. Bring him to me.”

Ismā’īl b. `Alī said, `Aqīd said, “I entered [the house] to search for [the child], and lo! I saw a child in prostration. He had raised his index fingers towards the

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sky. I greeted him, due to which he shortened his prayers. I said, ‘My master has ordered you to come to him.’ At that very moment, his mother Ṣaqīl(1) entered, held his hand, and took him to his father (Imam) al-Ḥasan, peace be on him.”

Abū Sahl continued, “When the child stood before his father, he greeted him and his color was like a pearl, his hair had short curls in them, and he had fissures between his teeth. When (Imam) al-Ḥasan, peace be on him, saw him, he started crying and said, ‘O master of his Ahl al-Bait! Give me water to drink because I am going to my Lord.’ The child took the bowl of boiled mastic gum in his hand.

He moved his lips and the child helped him drink. When he finished drinking, he said, ‘Prepare me for prayers.’ A scarf was spread in his room. The child helped him perform ablution, step by step and wiped (masaḥa) his head and feet.

Then, Abū Muḥammad, peace be on him, said to him, ‘Receive good news, O my son! You are the Master of the Time, you are the Mahdī, you are Allah’s Proof upon His earth, you are my son and my heir, and I am your father. You are Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan b. `Alī b. Muḥammad b. `Alī b. Mūsā b. Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn b. `Alī b. Abī Ṭālib. The Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family,

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is your ancestor and you are the last of the immaculate Imams.

The Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, has given glad-tidings about you and has named and mentioned your epithet in the [glad-tidings]. My father has taken a covenant from me on behalf of your pure forefathers. The blessings of Allah, our Lord be on the Ahl al-Bait. He is the Praiseworthy, the Majestic.’ Imam al-Ḥasan b. `Alī passed away at that moment; may Allah’s blessings be on them all.”

805. Ithbāt al-waṣiyya(1): Al-Ḥimyarī, from Aḥmad b. Isḥāq who said:

I went to see (Imam) Abū Muḥammad, peace be on him, who asked me, “O Aḥmad! How were you feeling when the people were in doubt and skepticism?” I answered, “O my master! When the letter reached us with the news of our master and his birth, no man, woman, or child who had attained understanding remained from us except that he spoke the truth.” He continued, “Don’t you know that the earth will not become empty of Allah’s Proof?”

Then, (Imam) Abū Muḥammad ordered that his mother perform the Hajj in the year 259 AH and informed her about what will happen to him in the year 260 AH. Then, he called for the Master of the Time (Ṣāḥib al-Zamān) and willed to him. He handed over the Great Name (al-Ism al-A`ẓam), the inheritances, and the weapon to him. (Imam) Abū Muḥammad’s mother and the master set off for Mecca and Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b.

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Muṭahhar Abū `Alī was in charge of fulfilling their needs. When they had gone some distance on the way to Mecca, some Bedouin tribes met them and informed them of the intense fear and scarcity of water. Consequently, most of the people returned except those who were in the [Holy] Region; they went ahead and were safe.”

806. Al-Ghayba by Faḍl b. Shādhān(1): Muḥammad b. `Abd al-Jabbār who said:

I said to my master (Imam) al-Ḥasan b. `Alī (al-`Askarī), peace be on him, “O son of Allah’s Messenger! May Allah sacrifice me for you! I would like to know who is the Imam and Proof of Allah upon His servants after you?” He, peace be on him, replied, “The Imam and the Proof of Allah after me is my son whose name and epithet is the same as that of the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family. He is the last of Allah’s proofs and the last of His caliphs.”

I asked, “From whom will he be born?” He replied, “From the daughter of the son of the Caesar, the Emperor of Rome. Know that he will soon be born and will be concealed from the people in a long occultation. Then, he will appear and will kill the Antichrist (al-Dajjāl) and will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with injustice and unfairness. No one is allowed to say his name or epithet before his reappearance, Allah’s blessings be on

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him.”(1)

807. Kamāl al-dīn(2): Muḥammad b. `Alī b. Ḥātim al-Naufalī, from Abū l-`Abbās Aḥmad b. `Īsā al-Washshā al-Baghdādī, from Aḥmad b. Ṭāhir al-Qummī, from Abū l-Ḥusayn Muḥammad b. Baḥr al-Shaibānī who said:

I entered Karbala in 286 AH and visited the grave of the lonely [grandson] of the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family. Then, I left for Baghdad with the intention of visiting the graves of the Quraish [meaning the place where Imams Kāẓim and Javād, peace be on them, were buried] at a time when it was blazing hot and hot winds were blowing.

On my way—when I reached the shrine of al-Kāẓim, peace be on him—I inhaled the fresh air of his grave that was filled with mercy and surrounded with the gardens of forgiveness. I threw myself on it with tears flowing down unceasingly and non-stop sighs and moaning. My tears had concealed the vision of my eyes. When the flow of tears ceased and I stopped crying, I opened my eyes and saw an old man with a bent back and hunched shoulders who had callus on his forehead and palms.

He was saying to another person accompanying him at the grave, “O my nephew! Indeed, your uncle has been honored on account of the deep unseens (ghawāmiḍ al-ghuyūb) and privileged knowledge granted to him by the two masters. Such [knowledge] has not been given to anyone except Salmān.

Your uncles time is nearly up and his life is coming to an end

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but he has not found anyone from amongst the followers of wilāya [i.e. the Shias] to whom he could pass on his secrets.” I thought to myself, “Trouble and hardships have always afflicted you because you have always been in pursuit of knowledge.

Now your ears are being pounded by words from this old man that indicate immense knowledge [and you can seek knowledge from him without any affliction].” So I said, “O Shaykh! Who are these two masters?” He replied, “The Two stars concealed by soil in the land of Sāmarrā’.” I said, “I swear by the mastership and the revered position of these two masters of Imamate and inheritance, that I desire their knowledge and seek what they have left behind. I will try with utmost faith to conceal their secrets.”

He said, “If you are true in your speech, then come forth with what you have from what has been narrated from them.” When he examined the books and read through the narrations he said, “You speak the truth. I am Bishr b. Sulaimān al-Nakhkhās and a descendant of Abū Ayyūb al-Anṣārī. I am one of the servants of (Imams) Abū l-Ḥasan and Abū Muḥammad (al-`Askarī) and their neighbor in Sāmarrā.”

I said, “Please honor your brother by narrating some of the things that you have witnessed from them.” He said, “Our master Abū l-Ḥasan `Alī b. Muḥammad al-`Askarī, peace be on him, granted me deep knowledge about the [trade] of slaves and consequently, I never bought

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or sold any except with his permission.

Because of this, I kept away from ambiguous cases until my knowledge about it was complete. Thus, I excelled in differentiating between the permissible (ḥalāl) and the prohibited (ḥarām). One night, I was in my house at Sāmarrā’ and a part of the night had passed, when someone knocked on the door. I quickly ran [to the door] and saw Kāfūr, the servant, who had come as a messenger of our master, Abū l-Ḥasan `Alī b. Muḥammad, peace be on him, to invite me to [his house].

I put on my clothes and went to him. When I entered, I saw him speaking with his son Abū Muḥammad and his sister Ḥakīma from behind the curtain. When I sat down, he said, ‘O Bishr! Verily, you are from the descendants of the Anṣār. You possess [i.e. you have accepted our] guardianship (wilāya) and you inherit it one generation after another.

You are the reliable [people] for us Ahl al-Bait. Verily, I am going to increase your excellence and honor such that you will overtake the best of the Shias concerning [our] guardianship through a secret which I will tell you; and I will send you to purchase a slave-girl.’ Then, he wrote a letter in Roman handwriting and language and imprinted its seal with his ring. He brought out a yellow purse which contained two hundred and twenty dinars and said, ‘Take this and go to Baghdad.

Stand on the passageway of the Euphrates

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on so and so day after sunrise. When the boats of the captives are beside you and the slave-maids emerge from them, they will be encircled by groups of buyers representing the Abbasid leaders and by small groups of Iraqi youths. When you see this, keep a watch on a slave-trader by the name of `Umar b. Yazīd al-Nakhkhās (1) all day long from a distance. [He will] bring forth a slave-girl possessing such and such characteristics who is wearing two clothes made of pure silk and does not allow anyone to unveil or touch her.

Whoever attempts to see her will have to do so from behind a thin veil. The slave-trader will strike her and she will cry out and say something in Roman. Know that she is saying, “Woe for the ripping of my veil!” One of the buyers will say, “Give her to me for three hundred dinars because her chastity has increased my desire for her.”

She will say to him in Arabic, “Even if you appear in the dress of Solomon and sit on the throne of his kingdom, I will never be inclined towards you. Do not waste your money on me.” The slave-trader will plead, “What is the solution? I have no choice but to sell you.” The slave-girl will say “Why are you rushing? It is necessary that I select a buyer whose trustworthiness and religiousness appeases my heart.”

After this, go to `Umar b. Yazīd al-Nakhkhās and say to him,

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“I have a sealed letter with me written in the Roman language and handwriting of a noble man. He has described in it his munificence, loyalty, nobility, and generosity. Hand it over to her so that she may consider the moral qualities of its author. If she is inclined towards him and is satisfied with him, then I am his representative to purchase her from you.”’”

Bishr b. Sulaimān al-Nakhkhās continued, “I did everything as defined to me by my master (Imam) Abū l-Ḥasan, peace be on him, regarding the matter of the slave-girl. When she saw the letter, she started crying uncontrollably and said to `Umar b. Yazīd al-Nakhkhās, ‘Sell me to the writer of this letter.’ She then swore a solemn oath that if she was not sold to the writer of the letter, she would kill herself. Then, I started bargaining about her price until the amount reached the exact number of dinars given to me by my master, peace be on him, in the yellow purse.

He took the money from me and handed over the slave-girl who was very joyous and cheerful. I took her to the room I was staying in, in Baghdad. She was restless until she took out the letter of her master, peace be on him, from her pocket and started kissing it and placing it on her cheeks. She covered her eyes with it and rubbed it on her body.

I asked her out of amazement, ‘You are kissing a letter while

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you don’t even know its author?’ She said, ‘O weak and helpless regarding the stature of the descendants of the Prophets! Listen to me carefully and pay attention with your heart! I am Malīka, the daughter of Yashū`ā b. Caesar, the Emperor of Rome. My mother was from the descendants of the disciples (of Jesus) and related to his heir Simon (Sham`ūn). I will inform you of the strangest of things. My grandfather Caesar intended to marry me to his nephew when I was only thirteen years old.

So, he gathered in his palace three hundred men from the descendants of the disciples (al-ḥawāriyūn), priests (al-qissīsīn), and monks (al-ruhbān) along with seven hundred important people. Moreover, four thousand others from the commanders of the armed forces, military leaders, and tribal chiefs had also been invited.

He had placed a throne studded with precious stones on top of forty pillars in the guest room. When his nephew stood on top of it and was encircled with crosses and the bishops came forward with honor and the Bibles were opened, the crosses fell to the ground and the pillars crumbled and collapsed on the floor. The one who had mounted the throne fell down unconscious.

When the bishops saw this, the color of their faces changed and their shoulders started trembling. The archbishop said to my grandfather, “O Emperor! Please excuse us from this [task due to which] bad omens have become manifest because these are the signs of the demise

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of Christianity and the imperial religion.” My grandfather too considered it as a bad omen. He ordered the bishops, “Put up the pillars and raise the crosses.

Bring the brother of this unlucky ill-omened [prince] to be married to this girl [instead], so that he might convert his bad-omen to welfare.” When everything was prepared, the same thing happened again. The congregation broke up and my grandfather became very sad and went inside the palace and the curtains were brought down. That night, I dreamt that Jesus, Simon (Sham`ūn), and some of the disciples had gathered in my grandfather’s palace.

A pulpit was erected—which scraped the sky with elevation—in the royal palace in the same place where my grandfather had installed his throne. Soon after, Muḥammad, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, joined them accompanied by a young man and some of his descendants. Jesus came forward and embraced him.

Then [the Holy Prophet, Allah's blessings be on him and his family] said, “O Spirit of Allah! I have come here to ask your heir Simon, for the hand of her daughter Malīka, in marriage for my son here.” He then pointed to Abū Muḥammad, the author of this letter. Jesus looked at Simon and said, “Great honor has come to you, bond with the messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family.” He responded, “I accept.” Then, Muḥammad, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, ascended the pulpit, delivered a sermon, and married

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me

[to Abū Muḥammad] while Jesus, the descendants of Muḥammad, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, and the disciples were witnessing this marriage. When I woke up from sleep, I feared narrating this dream to my father and grandfather lest they kill me. So I kept it a secret in my heart and did not reveal it to anyone.

The love for Abū Muḥammad had filled my heart to such an extent that I could not eat or drink anything. As a result, I became very weak; my body became frail and I became severely ill. No Roman city remained except that its doctors had been summoned by my grandfather to come and treat me. When despair overtook him, he said, “O apple of my eye! Is there anything you desire so that I can fulfill it in this world?”

I replied, “O grandfather! I see all the doors of relief locked on me. If punishment is removed from the Muslim captives in your prison, there are chains removed, and you oblige them by releasing them, I hope that Christ and his mother may grant me health and cure me.” When my grandfather did as I requested, I started putting on a little weight and ate a little food, which delighted my grandfather and he again honored the Muslim prisoners and showed munificence towards them.

After four nights, I dreamt that the Master of the Women [i.e. Fatima, peace be on her] had come to see me accompanied with Mary

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daughter of `Imrān and a thousand Heavenly maids. Mary said to me, “This is the Master of All Women, the mother of your husband, Abū Muḥammad, peace be on him.” On hearing this, I held her, started crying and complained to her that Abū Muḥammad was not coming to see me. The Master of all Women, peace be on her, replied, “My son Abū Muḥammad will not visit you whilst you associate others with Allah and are a Christian. My sister, Mary, too testifies before Allah, the Exalted, that she dislikes your religion.

If you desire the satisfaction of Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, the satisfaction of Christ and Maryam, and desire that Abū Muḥammad visits you, then say, ‘I testify that there is no God but Allah and I testify that Muḥammad—who is my father—is the Messenger of Allah.’ When I uttered these words, the Master of All Women hugged me to her chest and assured me by saying, “Now wait for Abū Muḥammad to visit you because I will send him to you.”

I woke up and cried out, “Oh, how much I desire to see Abū Muḥammad!” The following night, Abū Muḥammad, peace be on him, came in my dream. I exclaimed, “O my beloved! You left me after you made my heart a prisoner of your love!” He replied, “Nothing kept me away from you except your polytheism. Since you accepted Islam, I will visit you every night until Allah brings us together evidently [i.e.

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while awake].” Until now, his visits to me have not ceased.’”

Al-Bishr continued, “I asked her, ‘How did you become a prisoner?’ She replied, ‘One night, Abū Muḥammad informed me that my grandfather would dispatch on so and so day, an army to fight against the Muslims and he will join them himself. [He told me] to join them disguised as a servant with the slave-maids who will accompany them and to take such and such path and I did accordingly.

The Muslim informers spotted us and thus, my situation is as you are seeing and witnessing. No one has found out that I am a Roman princess until now except you, and that too because I have informed you. An old man—in whose share I was given—asked me name and I hid my [real] name and said, “Narjis.” He said, “That is a name given to the slave-maids.”’”

Bishr continued, “I said, ‘Amazing! You are a Roman but are fluent in Arabic?’ She replied, ‘My grandfather loved me immensely. He desired to teach me lofty etiquette and hence he appointed a woman who was an interpreter to come to me. She would come in the morning and in the evening and would teach me Arabic. As a result, I learnt Arabic and became fluent in it.’”

Bishr said, “When I brought her to Sāmarrā’ and came to my master Abū l-Ḥasan al-`Askarī, peace be on him, he asked her, ‘How did Allah, the Almighty, show you the might of Islam, the humiliation

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of Christianity, and the excellence of the Ahl al-Bait of Muḥammad, Allah's blessings be on him and his family?’ She replied, ‘O son of Allah’s Messenger! How can I describe for you what you know better than me?’ He said, ‘I intend to dignify you. Which do you prefer: Ten thousand dirhams or good news for you about eternal honor?’ She replied, ‘I desire good news.’

He, peace be on him, said, ‘I give you glad-tidings about a son who will rule the East and the West of the world and will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it will be filled with unfairness and injustice.’ She asked, ‘From Who?’ He, peace be on him, replied, ‘From the one whom the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, asked your hand in marriage for, in such and such night, in such and such city, and in such and such Roman year?’ She replied, ‘[You mean] from Jesus and his successor.’

He said, ‘To whom did Jesus and his successor marry you to?’ She replied, ‘To your son, Abū Muḥammad.’ He said, ‘Can you recognize him?’ She responded, ‘Ever since I became a Muslim through his mother, the master of all women, he has been coming to me in my dreams every night.’

Then (Imam) Abū l-Ḥasan said, ‘O Kāfūr! Summon to me my sister Ḥakīma.’ When she came, he, peace be on him, said to her, ‘This is her.’ On hearing

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this, she hugged her for a long time and was very overjoyed. Our master advised her, ‘O daughter of the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family! Take her to your house and teach her the obligatory acts and the customs [of Islam]; for, she is the wife of Abū Muḥammad and the mother of the Qā’im, peace be on them.’”

The following traditions—directly and indirectly—show the above concept: 1–309, 543–545, 547, 549–558, 560–571, 574, 575, 580, 581, 589, 590, 608, 612, 614, 808–862, 864, 866–870, 873, 878, and 881–899 .

These are in addition to the fact that the mutawātir and correct traditions that confine the Caliphs to the twelve Imams—our masters, peace be on them—and also the authentic and reliable traditions which state that the earth can never be empty of a Divine Proof, can only be true if our master, the Master of the Time, has been born.

Abū Muḥammad, I saw him wearing a soft white dress. I thought, ‘Allah’s friend and His Proof wears soft dresses while he orders us to be charitable to the brothers and restrains us from wearing such dresses.’ He said smilingly, ‘O Kāmil!’ Then he pulled up his sleeve and lo! He was wearing a rough black woolen dress [under the white one]. Then he said, ‘This is for Allah and that is for you.’ I greeted him and sat down before a doorway which was covered with a curtain.

A strong breeze came and uncovered one side of the doorway. [There,] I saw young boy that looked like he was a part of the moon and barely four years old or thereabout. [The boy] said to me, ‘O Kāmil b. Ibrāhīm!’ I shivered at this address and was inspired to reply, ‘Yes, O my master!’ He said, ‘You have come to Allah’s friend, His Proof, and His Gateway to ask him [if it is true] that no one will enter Paradise except those who know what you know and say what you say?’ I replied, ‘Yes, by Allah!’ He continued, ‘If this is the case, then many few will enter it. By Allah! A group called al-Ḥaqqiyya will enter it.’

I asked, ‘O my master! Who are they?’ He replied, ‘A group who on account of their love for `Alī, testify to his rights, but do not know his rights and his excellences.’ He, Allah’s blessings be on him,

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was silent for a while and then continued, ‘You have also come to ask about the Mufawwiḍa. They have lied. Rather, our hearts are the containers of Allah’s Will. When He wills [to do something] then so do we. Allah says,

“And you don’t will anything except what Allah wills” (Quran Surah Takwir 81:29).’

Then, the curtain went back to where it was and I couldn’t raise it. (Imam) Abū Muḥammad looked at me with a smile and said, ‘O Kāmil! Why are you still sitting here now that the Proof after me has informed you of what you desired?’ I got up and left and didn’t see him again.”

Abū Na`īm said, “I met Kāmil and asked him about this tradition, and he narrated it for me.”

Al-Shaykh (al-Ṭūsī) says, “Aḥmad b. `Alī al-Rāzī has narrated this tradition from Muḥammad b. `Alī, from `Alī b. `Abd-Allah b. `Ā’idh al-Rāzī, from al-Ḥasan b. Wajnā’ al-Naṣībī who said, “I heard Abū Nu`aim Muḥammad b. Aḥmad al-Anṣārī . . . (and he mentions the same things).”

809. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. `Alī b. Muḥammad b. Ḥātim al-Naufalī—known as al-Kirmānī—from Abū l-`Abbās Aḥmad b. `Īsā al-Washshā’ al-Baghdādī, from Aḥmad b. Ṭāhir al-Qummī, from Muḥammad b. Baḥr b. Sahl al-Shaibānī, from Aḥmad b. Masrūr, from Sa`d b. `Abd-Allah al-Qummī who said:

I was very fond of collecting books comprised of subtle and complex sciences. I tried hard to uncover the realities in them that seemed correct to me and I memorized their ambiguous and obscure

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sections. I kept to myself the problematic and deviant [concepts] that I found in them. I firmly believed in the Shi) religion and I kept away from peace and security by quarreling and arguing [with the opponents] and having enmity against them and saying bad things to them.

I would expose the shortcomings of the opponents and I would mention the faults of their Imams and I used to uncover [the defects] of their leaders. This continued until I was afflicted with an enemy who would put forward very strong arguments, showed the greatest enmity, argued the most, asked the most outrageous questions, and was the most steadfast in falsehood.

One day when I was arguing with him, he said, “O Sa`d! Woe on you and your companions! You heretics insult the Muhājirīn and the Anṣār by slanderous remarks. You deny the guardianship and Imamate of [Abū Bakr and `Umar] which was authorized by the Messenger of Allah. This truthful [i.e. Abū Bakr] is superior to all the companions due to his precedence in belief.

Don’t you know that the Messenger of Allah took [Abū Bakr] along with himself to the cave because he knew that he would be the Caliph after him and that he would be the leader in interpreting [the Quran] and that the reins of the umma would be in his hands? He would be relied on to mend the differences, compensate the defeats, close the cracks [in the nation], establish the laws, and dispatch the

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armies to conquer the lands of the polytheists.

Just as [the Prophet] worried for his own prophethood he also worried for [Abū Bakr’s] caliphate. A fugitive who is fleeing from evil and goes into hiding does not intend to ask someone else for help. Thus, when the Messenger [of Allah] went to the cave—while he did not expect anyone to help him—it is clear that his intention was to take Abū Bakr to the cave like we explained. On the other hand, he ordered `Alī to sleep in his bed, because he did not care much about him and did not bother about him and because he knew that even if `Alī was killed, there would be others who could replace him.”

(Sa`d continued), I answered a number of his questions but he refuted all of them. He then said, “O Sa`d! I have another argument that will cripple you heretics. You believe that the Truthful [i.e. Abū Bakr], who was pure from doubt and skepticism, and Fārūq [i.e. `Umar], who was the protector of Islam, were both hypocrites. You cite the incident of the Night of `Aqaba(1) to prove your point. Alright, tell me, did Abū Bakr and `Umar accept Islam willingly or out of coercion?” I talked my way out of this question because I feared being tied down by it.

If I said that they had willingly accepted Islam, then he would say that hypocrisy can only occur and grow in the heart, only when the winds of subjugation

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and defeat start blowing [i.e. someone becomes a hypocrite if they are forced to accept Islam], and when extreme and burdensome difficulties force someone to utter what he does not believe in his heart.

As Allah, the Exalted, says,

“But when they saw Our might, they said, ‘We believe in Allah alone and we deny what we used to associate with Him.’ But their faith had no benefit for them once they had seen Our might.”(1)

And if I had said that they believed out of coercion, then he would have answered that there were no swords there to frighten them into [accepting Islam].

I managed to wriggle out of this situation but I was swelling with rage and my heart was crumbling with grief. I had written in a scroll more than forty such difficult questions—for which I could find no answer to. I intended to ask these questions from Aḥmad b. Isḥāq—the most learned person of our city—who was also one of the companions of Imam Abū Muḥammad, peace be on him. He had left on a journey to visit our master at Sāmarrā and I went after him.

After I caught up with him and we greeted each other he asked me, “You have come to meet me [here!]. Is everything ok?” I replied, “The love of seeing you and the habit of asking questions [have caused me to come here].” He answered, “Then we both have the same problem. The urge to meet our master Abū Muḥammad, peace

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be on him, has displaced me. I intend to ask him some problematic questions about interpretations (ta’wīl) and some difficulties about revelations (tanzīl). So, don’t miss the blessed opportunity of being a companion [in this journey]. [If you come], you will stand on the shores of a sea whose marvels will not end and its wonders will not finish. That [sea] is our Imam.”

We reached Sāmarrā’ and were soon at the door of our masters [residence]. We sought permission to enter, which was granted. Aḥmad b. Isḥāq was carrying a leather sack on his shoulder which he had hidden under a Ṭabarian cloak. It contained 160 purses filled with dirhams and dinars. Every bag had its owners seal on it. I can only compare our masters face—whose light had covered us— with the full moon.

A child was sitting on his right lap, who resembled [the planet] Jupiter in creation and features. His front hair was exactly parted from the middle and curled to the sides just like a line with two curves on each side. In front of our master, there was a golden pomegranate, which was shining with its amazing shape and rare precious stones studded in it. One of the chiefs of Basra had gifted it to him.

He had a pen in his hand and whenever he wanted to write something on a white paper, the child would hold his fingers [and prevent him]. Our master would roll the pomegranate in front of him to keep

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the child busy with it so that he could write what he wanted. We saluted him and he replied with utmost kindness and beckoned us to seat.

When he finished writing, Aḥmad brought out the leather sack from under his cloak and placed it in front of him. (Imam) al-Hādī looked at the child and said, “O My Son! Break the seals of the gifts of your followers and friends.” The child responded, “O my master! Is it permissible that I extend a pure hand towards impure gifts and unclean wealth whose ḥarām and ḥalāl are mixed together?” Then, my master said, “O ibn Isḥāq! Bring out what is in the leather sack so that he may separate the ḥalāl from the ḥarām.” When ibn Isḥāq removed the first purse, the child remarked, “This belongs to so and so who lives in such and such district of Qum.

It contains sixty-two dinars. Forty-five of those are from the money of a small room which its owner inherited from his father and sold. Fourteen dinars are from the money of nine clothes and three are from the rental money of shops.” Our master said, “My son! You have spoken the truth. Now, tell this man which ones are ḥarām and which ones are ḥalāl.” The child continued, “Find the dinar which was minted in [the city of] Riyy. Its date is so and so and the inscriptions on one side have been partly erased.

Also the gold piece from [the city of]

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Āmul which weighs a quarter of a dinar. They are ḥarām because their owner had given 1.25 mans(1) of wool to his neighbor to weave for him. A thief stole the wool from the weaver and the weaver informed their owner but the owner didn’t believe the weaver and instead, took 1.5 mans of softer wool from him and made a cloth out of them and sold it. This dinar and the piece of gold were paid for it.” When the purse was opened, there was a letter in it which had the name of the person who was described and the number of dinars written on it—exactly as mentioned by the child. The aforementioned dinar and piece of gold were also in it.

Ibn Isḥāq removed another purse. The child said, “This belongs to so and so person who lives in such and such place of Qum. It has fifty dinars and it is not permissible for us to touch them.” [Ibn Isḥāq] said, “Why not?!” He replied, “Because it is from the revenue of wheat belonging to a landlord who has cheated on the peasant [who has planted them].

When they were dividing the shares, he filled the containers completely for himself but left some of it empty when separating [the wheat] for the peasant.” Our master remarked, “My Son, you have spoken the truth.” Then, he said, “O Aḥmad b. Isḥāq! Take back all these purses and return them to their owners or will that they be returned

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to them because we do not need them. Give us the cloth from the old woman.” Aḥmad b. Isḥāq said, “I left that cloth behind in my bag and I had completely forgotten about it.”

When Aḥmad b. Isḥāq went to fetch the cloth, our master Abū Muḥammad looked at me and said, “O Sa`d! Why have you come here?” I replied, “Aḥmad b. Isḥāq had encouraged me to meet [you], our master.” He said, “What about those questions that you wanted to ask him?” I replied, “Their status hasn’t changed yet.”

He remarked, “Ask them from the apple of my eye” and pointed towards the child. The child said, “Ask whatever you want.” I said, “O my master and the son of my master! It has been narrated to us from you [i.e. your forefathers] that the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, had given Amīr al-Mu’minīn, peace be on him, the right to divorce his [i.e. the Prophet’s] wives.

Therefore, on the day of the Battle of Jamal, he sent a messenger to `Ā’isha and said to her, ‘You have caused riots amongst the Muslims by your mischievous acts. You have brought your children [i.e. the Muslims] to the ponds of death by your ignorance. If you retreat I will leave you alone but if you don’t, I will divorce you.’ How can this be whilst the death of the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, had already caused

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his women’s divorce [from him]?”

He questioned, “What is the meaning of divorce?” I replied, “Clearing the path [to remarry].” He said, “If the Messenger of Allah’s death, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, was their divorce and the path was cleared for his wives, then why weren’t they allowed to remarry?” I said, “Because Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, had prohibited them from marrying anybody else.” He said, “‘Why should it be so whilst [the Prophet’s] death had cleared their path [for remarriage]?”

I said, “O Master! Explain for me the meaning of the divorce that the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, had transferred its right to Amīr al-Mu’minīn, peace be on him.” He replied, “Allah, Holy be His Name, raised the status of the Prophet’s wives, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, and designated them as the mothers [of the believers]. The Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, said to `Alī, ‘O Abū l-Ḥasan! They will have this honor as long as they obey Allah. After my death, if any of them disobeys Allah by rebelling against you, then divorce her and strip her of the honor of being a mother of the believers.’”

I said, “Please inform me about the ‘evident indecency’ (faḥishatun mubayyina) that if a woman commits during the period of her `idda(1), the husband has the right to expel her from his house?” He replied, “‘Evident indecency’ refers to

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lesbianism, not adultery.

For, if a woman commits adultery and is punished for it [in accordance with Islamic law], then any man who desires to marry her should not refrain from doing so on the grounds that she has been punished. But if a woman commits lesbianism, her punishment is stoning to death. Being stoned to death is absolute disgrace and whosoever Allah has ordered to be stoned, He has truly disgraced him/her. And whoever Allah has disgraced, He has distanced him/her and whoever Allah has distanced, no one has the right to go near him/her.”

I said, “Please inform me about what Allah ordered His Prophet Moses, peace be on him, (when He said), ‘So, remove your shoes [for] you are in the holy valley of Ṭuwā.’(1) The scholars of both sects believe that [his shoes] were made from the skin of a dead animal(2).” He replied, “Whoever believes this has slandered Moses and has thought him to be ignorant regarding his own prophethood. [If it is as they say], then it was either permissible for Moses to pray in those shoes or it wasn’t.

If it was permissible, then he would also have been allowed to wear them in that valley. Even if that valley was holy and pure, it couldn’t have been holier and purer than the prayers. [On the other hand], if prayers were not allowed in those shoes, then it can be concluded that Moses was not aware about what is permissible and what is prohibited;

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and that he did not know what things are permissible to wear in prayers and what things are prohibited. Having this opinion [about Moses] is equal to disbelief (kufr).”

I pleaded, “O my master! Please inform me about its interpretation!” He said, “Moses invoked his Lord in the holy valley and said, ‘O Master! My love is purely for You and I have cleansed my heart of all other [affections].’ He [said this whilst he] loved his family very much. Then, Allah, the Exalted, said to him, ‘Remove your shoes,’ meaning, ‘Remove the love of your family from your heart if your love is exclusively for Me and the love of others is washed from your heart.’”

I said, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! What is the interpretation of ‘Kāf-Hā-Yā-`Ayn-Ṣād’(1)?” He said, “These letters refer to the unseen news (anbā’ al-ghayb) which Allah informed His servant, Zachariah. He then narrated them to Muḥammad, Allah's blessings be on him and his family. This is the story: Once, Zachariah asked Allah, his Lord, to teach him the names of the five [holy people]. So Gabriel descended and taught them to him.

Whenever Zachariah uttered the names of Muḥammad, `Alī, Fāṭima, and Ḥasan, his worries would disappear, but when he mentioned the name of al-Ḥusayn, he would choke on tears and would nearly perish. One day, he enquired, ‘O Lord! Why is it that when I mention [the first] four, I become calm, but when I mention al-Ḥusayn, my tears flow and I sob.’ So Allah,

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the Exalted, told him his story and said, ‘“Kāf-Hā-Yā-`Ayn-Ṣād.” Kāf refers to Karbala, Hā refers to hālāk al-`itra (the perishing of the progeny), Yā refers to Yazīd, the one who oppressed al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him, `Ayn refers to `Atashuh (his thirst), Ṣād refers to ṣabruh (his patience).’

When Zachariah heard this, he did not emerge from his prayer-place for three days and did not allow anyone to meet him. He kept crying and wailing and would say, ‘O Lord! Will You make the best of your creatures mourn his son? O Lord! Will you inflict on him such hardships? O Lord! Will you make `Alī and Fāṭima wear the robe of this tragedy? O Lord! Will you allow such a great catastrophe to befall them?’

Afterwards he would say, ‘O Allah! Grant me a son who will be the apple of my eye when I grow old and make him my inheritor and my heir. Make him for me what al-Ḥusayn [was to his grandfather]. Make me extremely attached to him and then afflict me with his grief just as You will afflict your beloved Muḥammad with the sorrow of his son.’ Thus, Allah granted him John and afflicted him with his sorrow. John was born in the sixth month of pregnancy as was the case for al-Ḥusayn, peace be on him. [John’s] story is very long.”

I asked, “Why were the people not given the right to select their own Imam?” He replied, “A righteous [Imam] or a corrupt

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one?” I answered, “Righteous.” He asked, “Is it possible that a corrupt leader is selected [by the people instead of a righteous one] since no one really knows if another person is really righteous in his heart or corrupt?” I answered, “Yes, it is.” He continued, “This is the reason. I will use another argument that will be acceptable to your intellect.

Consider the Messengers who Allah, the Exalted, chose and sent down for them [divine] texts and assisted by revelation and infallibility. Those who were prominent amongst their people and had the ability to make a better choice than them. [Prophets] like Moses and Jesus, peace be on them. Is it possible—even with their high intellects and great knowledge—that they [wrongly] choose a hypocrite who they think is a true believer?” I said, “No.”

He continued, “But Moses who was the one with whom Allah spoke (Kalīm Allah), who had high intellect and great knowledge, and who revelations descended upon, selected seventy learned people and military commanders from his people for the appointment [he had with] his Lord—in whose faith and sincerity he had no doubts.

But nevertheless, he had selected the hypocrites. Allah, the Almighty says, ‘And Moses chose from his people, seventy men for Our appointment(1)—to where He says—we will never believe in you until we evidently see our Lord.’(2) We observe that even someone who Allah has selected as a Prophet, selects the corrupt instead of the righteous whilst he thinks that he [has selected] the righteous and

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not the corrupt.

Thus, the right of choosing [an Imam] only belongs to the One who knows what is concealed in the chests, resides in the thoughts, and is aware of the secrets. Therefore, once we see that a Prophet selects corrupt people whilst he intends to select righteous ones, then the selection made by the Muhājirīn and Anṣār has no value.

Then our master said, “O Sa`d! When your enemy said, ‘The Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, took along the chosen one from this nation with him to the cave because he knew that he would be the caliph after him, the leader in interpreting [the Quran], the holder of the reins of the nation, the one who would be relied on to mend the differences, compensate the defeats, close the cracks [in the nation], establish the laws, and dispatch the armies to conquer the lands of the polytheists; and Just as [the Prophet] was worried about [his] prophethood he was also worried for [Abū Bakr’s] caliphate.

A fugitive who is fleeing from evil and goes into hiding does not intend to ask someone else for help. On the other hand, he ordered `Alī to sleep in his bed because he did not care much about him and did not bother about him and because he knew that even if `Alī was killed, there would be others who could replace him,’ you should have refuted him by saying, ‘Didn’t the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings

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be on him and his family, say that the caliphate will last for thirty years after me?

And according to your beliefs, these [thirty years] are equal to the years of the caliphate of the four Rightly-Guided caliphs (i.e. Abū Bakr, `Umar, `Uthmān, and `Alī, peace be on him).’ Then he wouldn’t have had any choice but to agree. Then you would have told him, ‘What’s your opinion about this: Just as the Messenger of Allah knew that after him Abū Bakr would be the caliph, he also knew that the caliphs after him would be `Umar, `Uthmān, and then `Alī?’ Again, he would have had no choice but to agree.

Then you would have told him, ‘Thus, it should have been obligatory for the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, to take all of them with him to the cave and worry about all of them just as he worried for Abū Bakr. He shouldn’t have reduced their stature by leaving them back and only taking Abū Bakr with him.’

“When your enemy asked you about the Truthful [i.e. Abū Bakr] and Fārūq [i.e. `Umar] and whether they had accepted Islam willingly or through coercion, why didn’t you give the answer, ‘They accepted Islam because of greed.’ These two used to sit with the Jews and [the Jews] used to inform them about the things written in the Torah and the other ancient Divine Scriptures. They had told them the story of Muḥammad and his

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fate—Allah's blessings be on him and his family.

The Jews had mentioned that Muḥammad would dominate the Arabs just like Nebuchadnezzar (Bukht al-Naṣr) who had overpowered the Israelites. He would undoubtedly gain victory over the Arabs just like Nebuchadnezzar who gained victory over the Israelites. The only difference is that [Nebuchadnezzar] was a liar in his claim that he was a Prophet.

Consequently, [Abū Bakr and `Umar] both came to the Holy Prophet and assisted him regarding the testimony of “there is no God but Allah” and pledged allegiance with him while they had the greed that when his government was established, he would appoint them as the governor of a province.

When they lost hope [in attaining this goal]—they and a few other hypocrites like them—covered their faces and went up the mountain pass (al-`aqaba) to kill him. But Allah, the Exalted, repelled their foul actions and they retreated with rage without achieving any of their goals. Ṭalḥa and Zubayr also pledged allegiance to `Alī while they too had greed in becoming governors. But once their hopes diminished, they broke their allegiance and rebelled against him. Therefore, Allah, the Exalted, knocked them down the same way that He had knocked down other allegiance-breakers like them.’”

At this point, our master, al-Ḥasan b. `Alī al-Hādī stood up along with the child to perform the prayers. I left and went in search of Aḥmad b. Isḥāq. He came to me crying. I asked him, “What has delayed you and what has made you cry?”

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He replied, “I have lost the cloth that my master had asked for.” I said to him, “It is not your fault. Go and tell our master.” So he hurriedly went inside and emerged after a while smiling and invoking blessings on Muḥammad and his family. I asked him, “What happened?” He replied, “The cloth was spread under our master’s feet and he was praying on it.”

We thanked Allah, the Exalted, for this event. We visited our master for a number of days but did not see his son. When the time arrived to bid farewell, I and Aḥmad b. Isḥāq went to him accompanied by two elderly men from our city. Aḥmad b. Isḥāq stood in front of him and said, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! The time to bid you farewell has come and this has saddened us to no end. We ask Allah, the Exalted, to send His blessings upon al-Muṣṭafā, your grandfather; al-Murtaḍā, your father; the Master of all Women, your mother; the Masters of the youths of Paradise, your uncle and your father; and the immaculate Imams after them, who are your fathers.

We [also ask Allah] to send his blessings on you and your son. We hope that Allah elevates your status and disgraces your enemy and does not make this our last meeting with you.” When he said these words our master became saddened to such an extent that he started crying and tears rolled from his eyes. He said, “O son if

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Isḥāq! Do not over-distress yourself by your invocations because you are going to meet Allah in this very journey.” On hearing this, Aḥmad b. Isḥāq fainted. When he regained consciousness, he pleaded, “I ask you by Allah and by the sanctity of your ancestors that you give me a worn out dress [worn by you] so that I use it as a burial-shroud.

Our master put his hand under the carpet and brought out thirteen dirhams and said, “Take these and don’t spend more than this amount for yourself. What you have asked for will not be neglected. Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, does not waste the rewards of the good doers.”

After we left our master, we were approximately three kilometers short of Ḥulwān when Aḥmad b. Isḥāq caught such a high fever that he lost all hope of life. On reaching Ḥulwān, we stopped at an inn and Aḥmad b. Isḥāq summoned one of his fellow townsmen who dwelled there. He then said, “Go and leave me alone tonight.” Thus, we all left him and went to our sleeping quarters.

When the night passed and it was near dawn, I started worrying. I opened my eyes and I saw Kāfūr, our master Abū Muḥammad’s servant, saying, “May Allah grant you goodness for this mourning and recompense your calamity through his beloved [successor]. We have finished bathing and shrouding your companion.

Get up and bury him. He was one of the most honorable in the eyes of your master.” He then

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disappeared from before us. Wailing and crying, we reached his body, paid tribute to him, and buried him. May Allah have mercy on him.”

810. Faḍl b. Shādhān’s al-Ghayba(1): Narrated to us Ibrāhīm b. Muḥammad b. Fāris al-Nīsābūrī:

When the governor, `Amr b. `Auf—who was a very staunch enemy of the Ahl al-Bait and was fond of killing their followers—decided to kill me, I was informed about it and I was extremely frightened. I bid farewell to my family and friends and went to Abū Muḥammad’s house, peace be on him, to bid him goodbye as well because I intended to flee [the city]. When I went to him, I saw a boy sitting next to him whose face was shining like the full moon. I was amazed by his light and brightness and nearly forgot my fears and fleeing.

He said to me, “O Ibrāhīm! Don’t flee. Surely, Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, will soon relieve you of his evil.” This statement increased my astonishment about him. I said to (Imam) Abū Muḥammad, peace be on him, “O Master! May Allah sacrifice me for you! Who is this child who informed me about what is in my heart?” He replied, “He is my son and my successor after me. He is the one who will have a long occultation and will reappear after the earth has been filled with injustice and unfairness.

Then, he will fill it with justice and fairness.” I asked him about his name. He said, “His

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name and epithet is the same as that of the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family. No one is allowed to say his name or his epithet until Allah reveals his government and authority. O Ibrāhīm! Hide whatever you have seen and heard from us today—except from those who are worthy [of being informed].”

I invoked blessings on both of them and their forefathers and emerged while I was awaiting for Allah’s Grace to come to my assistance and was confident about what I heard from the Master, peace be on him. Later, my uncle `Alī b. Fāris gave me the good news that al-Mu`tamid had sent his brother Abū Aḥmad to kill `Amr b. `Auf and Abū Aḥmad had got hold of him on that day and had chopped him into pieces. And all Praise is for Allah the Lord of the worlds.

The traditions with the following numbers also show the above concept: 787, 788, 793, 797, 802, 804, and 814.

him, when he showed us [his son] and said, “This is your Imam after me and my caliph upon you. Obey him and do not scatter after me regarding your religion otherwise you will perish. Know that you will not see him after this day.” After we left, barely a few days had gone by when Abū Muḥammad, peace be on him, passed away.

812. Al-Ṭūsī’s Ghayba(1): From (Hibat-Allah b. Muḥammad, from a person that Aḥmad b. `Alī b. Nūḥ Abū l-`Abbās al-Sairāfī has narrated) and Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. Mālik al-Fazārī al-Bazzāz, from a group of Shias which include: `Alī b. Bilāl, Aḥmad b. Hilāl, Muḥammad b. Mu`āwiyat b. Ḥakīm, and al-Ḥasan b. Ayyūb b. Nūḥ (who narrated a long tradition) and all said:

We were forty people who had gathered around Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan b. `Alī, peace be on him, and were asking him about the Proof after him. `Uthmān b. Sa`īd al-Amrī stood up and pleaded, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! I intend to ask you about an affair which you have more knowledge about than me.” He replied, “Sit down, O `Uthmān!” Then, enraged, he stood up to go out and ordered, “No one shall leave.” None of us left until some time had passed.

He then called `Uthmān—who stood up on his feet—and said, “Shall I inform you about the reason you came here?” They replied, “Yes, O Son of Allah’s Messenger.” He said, “You have come to ask me about the Divine Proof after me.” They

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replied in the affirmative. Suddenly a boy [appeared] who was like a part of the moon and of all the people, he resembled Imam Abū Muḥammad the most.

He said, “This is your Imam after me and my caliph upon you. Obey him and don’t scatter after me lest you perish in your religion. Beware! You will not see him after this day until he completes his age. Accept from `Uthmān what he will say, obey his orders, and accept his saying, because he is the successor of your Imam and the affair is in his hands . . .”

813. Kamāl al-dīn(1): `Alī b. al-Ḥasan b. al-Faraj al-Mu’adhdhin, may Allah be satisfied with him, narrated to us from Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī, from Abū Hārūn—who is a man from our companions—who said: “I saw the Master of the Time and his face was shining like the full moon . . . (to the end of the tradition)”

814. Kamāl al-dīn(2): Abū Ṭālib al-Muẓaffar b. Ja`far b. al-Muẓaffar al-`Alawī al-Samarqandī, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. Mas`ūd, from his father Muḥammad b. Mas`ūd al-`Ayyāshī, from Ādam b. Muḥammad al-Balkhī, from `Alī b. al-Ḥasan [al-Ḥusayn] b. Hārūn al-Daqqāq, from Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. `Abd-Allah b. al-Qāsim b. Ibrāhīm b. al-Ashtar, from Ya`qūb b. Manqūsh [Manfūs], who said:

I went to see Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan b. `Alī, peace be on him, while he was sitting on a bench in the house. On his right was a room with a drawn

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curtain. I asked him, “O my master! Who is the master of this affair?” He replied, “Raise the curtain.” When I raised the curtain, a boy emerged who was about five hand-spans tall and about ten or eight years old.

He had a wide forehead, white face, glittering eyes, and small hands and he had bent his knees. There was a mole on his right cheek and he had a forelock. He went and sat on Abū Muḥammad’s thigh, peace be on him, who said to me, “This is your Master.” He then leapt up and [the Imam] said to him, “Go inside until the appointed time.” He entered the room while I was [still] looking at him. [The Imam, peace be on him] said, “O Ya`qūb! See who is inside the room.” I went inside the room but found no one there!

815. Al-Kāfī(1): `Alī b. Muḥammad, from Ja`far b. Muḥammad al-Kūfī, from Ja`far b. Muḥammad al-Makfūf, from `Amr al-Ahwāzī who said: “Abū Muḥammad, peace be on him, showed me his son and said, ‘This is your master after me.’”

816. Al-Kāfī(2): `Alī b. Muḥammad, from al-Ḥusayn and Muḥammad—the sons of `Alī b. Ibrāhīm—from Muḥammad b. `Alī b. `Abd-al-Raḥmān al-`Abdī, a slave of Qays, from Ḍau’ b. `Alī al-`Ijlī, from a Persian man who he named, who said:

I went to Sāmarrā’ and stayed beside the door of Imam Abū Muḥammad’s house and he called me inside. I entered and greeted him and he asked, “What has brought you [here]?” I replied,

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“The desire to serve you.” He ordered me to be the doorkeeper. So I stayed in the house along with the servants and also [had the duty of] buying their needs from the market and when there were men in the house I would enter without permission.

One day, I went to him while he was in the men’s quarters and I heard some movement in the room. He suddenly called out to me, “Stay in your place and don’t move.” I didn’t dare to enter or go out. A slave-maid came out and with her was a covered thing. He then called out to me and said, “Come in,” and I went in. He called out to the slave-maid and she returned to him. He then said to her, “Uncover what you have with you.”

She removed the veil [which was covering] a white handsome boy. He uncovered his stomach and there was hair from his chest to his navel but it was green, not black. He said, “This is your master.” He then ordered her [to take him away] and she took him away. After this, I did not see him until Abū Muḥammad passed away.

817. Al-Kāfī(1): `Alī b. Muḥammad, from Muḥammad b. Ismā’īl b. Mūsā b. Ja`far—who was a very old man from the descendants of the Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, in Iraq—who said: “I saw him between the two mosques, while he, peace be on him, was a young

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boy.”

818. Al-Kāfī(1): Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā, from al-Ḥusayn b. Rizq-Allah Abū `Abd-Allah, from Mūsā b. Muḥammad b. al-Qāsim b. Ḥamzat b. Mūsā b. Ja`far, from Ḥakīma—(Imam) Muḥammad b. `Alī’s daughter and the aunt of [the Mahdī’s] father—who said she had seen him in the night of his birth and also after that.

819. Al-Kāfī(2): Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā, from al-Ḥasan b. `Alī al-Nīsābūrī, from Ibrāhīm b. Muḥammad b. `Abd-Allah b. Mūsā b. Ja`far, from Abū Naṣr Ẓarīf—the servant—[who said] he had seen him, peace be on him.

820. Al-Kāfī(3): `Alī b. Muḥammad from Fatḥ—the slave of al-Rāzī [al-Zurārī]—who said: “I heard Abū `Alī b. Muṭahhar mention that he had seen him and had described his height.”

The traditions with the following numbers also prove the above concept: 786–788, 796–797, 802, 804, and 808–810.

Fulfill for me what You have promised me.”’”

822. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Muḥammad b. Mūsā b. al-Mutawakkil, may Allah be satisfied with him, from `Abd-Allah b. Ja`far al-Ḥimyarī, who said: “I heard Muḥammad b. `Uthmān al-`Amrī, may Allah be satisfied with him, say, ‘I saw him—Allah’s blessings be on him—while he was holding the curtains of the Ka`ba beside the Mustajār(2) and saying, “O Allah! Take revenge for me from my enemies.”’”

823. Al-Kāfī(3): He has recorded from `Alī b. Muḥammad and other Shias of Qum, from Muḥammad b. Muḥammad al-`Āmirī, from Abū Sa`īd Ghānim al-Hindī, a long tradition in which Abū Sa`īd mentions how he accepted Islam. In the end, he has mentioned the good fortune he had of meeting the Imam, peace be on him, the miracles that he saw from him, and that he gave him a purse [of money] for his expenses. As we mentioned, this tradition is quite long. Whoever wishes can read it from either al-Kāfī or Kamāl al-dīn.

824. Kamāl al-dīn(4): Through the same chain (of narrators) from Ibrāhīm b. Muḥammad al-`Alawī, from Ṭarīf Abū Naṣr who said:

I went to the Master of the Time, peace be on him, who said to me, “Get me a red sandal.” I brought it for him and he said to me, “Do you know who I am?” I replied in the affirmative. He asked, “Who am I?” I answered, “You are my master and the son of my master.” He said, “I did not ask you about this.” I said,

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“May I be sacrificed for you! Explain for me.” He elaborated, “I am the last of the successors. Through me, Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, repels the calamities from my family and my followers (ahlī wa shī`atī).”

825. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Narrated to me Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan, may Allah be satisfied with him, from `Abd-Allah b. Ja`far al-Ḥimyarī who said:

I said to Muḥammad b. `Uthmān al-`Amrī, may Allah be satisfied with him, “I want to ask you a question like the one Abraham asked his Lord—Mighty is his Majesty—when he said, ‘“O Lord! Show me how You give life to the dead.” He asked, “Do you not believe?” He replied, “Yes [I do believe] but [I am asking] for the assurance of my heart.”’(2) So, tell me about the Master of this affair; have you see him?” He replied, “Yes, and his neck is like this,” then pointed to his own neck.

826. Kamāl al-dīn(3): Al-Muẓaffar b. Ja`far b. al-Muẓaffar al-`Alawī al-`Amrī, may Allah be satisfied with him, narrated to us from Ja`far b. Muḥammad b. Mas`ūd, from his father, from Ja`far b. Ma`rūf, from Abū `Abd-Allah al-Balkhī, from Muḥammad b. Ṣāliḥ b. `Alī b. Muḥammad b. Qanbar al-Kabīr—the slave of (Imam) al-Riḍā, peace be on him—who said:

After Abū Muḥammad al-`Askarī, peace be on him, died, the Master of the Time suddenly emerged from out of no-where upon Ja`far al-Kadhdhāb [the liar] who was arguing about [Abū Muḥammad’s] inheritance. He said to him, “O Ja`far! Why do you seek [what is] my

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right?” Ja`far was confused and stunned. Then, the Imam disappeared from his sight. Ja`far searched for him amongst the people but did not find him. When [his] grandmother—the mother of (Imam) al-Ḥasan died—she had ordered to be buried in the house but Ja`far had argued with them and had said, “This is my house. She cannot be buried here.” Again, [the Imam] had emerged upon him and had said, “O Ja`far! Is this your house?!” Then he disappeared and after this, Ja`far never saw him again.

827. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Muḥammad b. Ibrāhīm b. Isḥāq al-Ṭāliqānī, may Allah be satisfied with him, narrated to us from `Alī b. Aḥmad al-Kūfī—known as Abū l-Qāsim al-Khadījī—from Sulaimān b. Ibrāhīm al-Riqqī, from Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan b. Wajnā al-Naṣībī who said:

During my fifty-fourth Hajj, after one-third of the night had passed, I was in prostration beneath the drainpipe (al-Mīzāb) [of Ka`ba]. I was crying and wailing in supplication when somebody shook me and said, “Stand up, O Ḥasan b. Wajnā!” I stood up and saw a yellow skinny slave-woman who was less than forty years old. I went along with her without asking any questions until we reached Khadīja’s residence, peace be on her. There was a house there whose entrance was in the middle of the wall and had a wooden staircase. The slave-girl went up then I heard, “O Ḥasan! Come up.” I went up and stood at the door.

The Master of the Time said to me, “O Ḥasan! Do you think that

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I was unaware of you? By Allah! I was with you every moment of your Hajj.” Then, he recounted everything that I had done. I [fainted] and fell on my face. I felt a hand touching me and stood up.

Then, he said to me, “O Ḥasan! Stay at Ja`far b. Muḥammad’s house, peace be on him, and don’t worry about your food, drink, and clothing.” Then, he gave me a book in which the prayer called al-Faraj (du`ā al-faraj) and salutations upon him were written. He said to me, “Say this prayer and send salutations upon me as mentioned over here. Don’t disclose this book to anyone except my rightful friends. Allah, Majestic is His Might, will grant you success.” I asked, “Master! Will I see you after this?” He replied, “O Ḥasan! If Allah wills.”

I finished my Hajj and stayed in Ja`far b. Muḥammad’s house, peace be on him. I would go out of the house and only return to it to do one of three things: To renew my ablutions, to sleep, or to eat food. Whenever I entered the house to eat, I would find there a square bowl filled with water; on top it there would be a loaf of bread and on top of that whatever I had desired [to eat] during the day. I would eat it and it would be enough for me.

During the winter there would be winter-clothing and during summer, summer-clothing. During the day, I would bring the

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water in and sprinkle some of it in the house and I would leave the jug empty. Sometimes, food would be brought for me that I didn’t need and I would give it in charity at night so that those who stayed with me would not find out about my affair.”

828. Kamāl al-dīn(1): Narrated to us Muḥammad b. Ibrāhīm b. Isḥāq al-Ṭāliqānī, may Allah be satisfied with him, from Abū l-Qāsim `Alī b. Aḥmad al-Khadījī al-Kūfī, from al-Azdī who said:

I was performing ṭawāf(2) and had finished six rounds and had just intended to start the seventh round when I saw that on the right side of the Ka`ba a circle [of people had gathered]. There was a very handsome youth there, who had a fragrant smell. He was very majestic and with all his majesty he would come close to the people and speak with them.