a complete book of a very significant subject for English readers.

I am dedicating the sawaab of translating this volume, to my venerable Uncle, Syed Kazim Husain Nisar Husain Rizvi, who departed for his heavenly abode recently on 26th June 2008, because it was he that developed my interest in books and the literary field; and it was he that taught me the basics of writing.

Wassalaam

Syed Athar Husain S. H. Rizvi

Al-Qalam Translators -and- Writers Bureau

Email: sayedathar@hotmail.com

Dated: Rajab al-Murajjab 1429 A.H./6th July 2008

the Hajj. At that time there was a terrible epidemic of plague in Mecca and innumerable Hajis and pilgrims succumbed to it. The author made a vow that if he reached his hometown safely he would write this book. Upon returning home he fulfilled his vow.

The late author has stated in his preface about his deep longing to see the Imam of the time which was fulfilled when he saw Imam Mahdi (a) in his dream who directed him to write this books and even suggested the title.

The present book is divided into eight parts like the eight gates of Paradise. It was first published by the efforts of his sons in 1369 A.H. in Isfahan. It was published in two volumes in 1398 A.H.

ones, Muhammad and his infallible progeny, Your proofs and trustees. Especially the one who is retained for taking revenge from Your enemies. Through whose reappearance is the deliverance of all Your Awliya. And permanent and multiple curses on his enemies who are also Your enemies.

The most important and the most obligatory matter from the point of view of intellect and law is that: You must fulfill the rights of one who has them upon you. And also that you must recompense one who has done a favor to you. And the one who is having the most rights upon us[1] and the one who has done the best and the most favors on us is the same who according to Almighty Allah is the one whose recognition is the completion of our faith, belief in whom is the perfection of our faith, awaiting whose reappearance is our best worship act, to see whom is the heartfelt desire of us all. That is the Master of the Age, the Standard bearer of justice and goodness, the eliminator of the signs of disbelief and rebellion; following whom is made incumbent upon us, whose name we are not supposed to pronounce[2]; the twelfth Infallible Imam and the last of the favorite successors and legatees of the Holy Prophet (s): the Imam al-Qaim (one who will rise) al-Muntazar (the awaited one) ar-Radi bin az-Zaki al-Hasan al-Askari, may Allah hasten his reappearance and may He ease his program of reappearance and uprising and let us not be separated from him

in the world and the hereafter:

From the author:

May I be sacrificed on the one in whose separation I am distressed.

He was the sun and I am a moth in his love.

In his hand would be the God-given standard of victory and help.

That unique gem of ours is unseen to the eyes of the people.

He shall revive the religion of his grandfather and destroy falsehood.

That ruler of our time will judge like Prophet Dawood.

He shall completely eliminate the branches and roots of oppressors.

My soul be sacrificed on him, I am obsessive about him.

May Allah hasten the reappearance of His representative.

May He destroy the arrogance, rebellion and mischief of the oppressors.

Since we are incapable of fulfilling the rights of His Eminence, or to thank him as it befits, we should at least make efforts to fulfill them as much as is possible to do:

�If it is not possible to carry out the required obligation one must at least do as much as one can.�

The best worship act during the period of occultation of His Eminence is waiting for the reappearance and praying for his early reappearance; and to prepare for that which will earn his pleasure and make us close to him.

I have written about 80 odd secular and spiritual benefits of praying for the reappearance of His Eminence (a) in the book, Abwaab al-Jannaat Fee Adaab al-Jama-aa.

Reason for Writing this book

Then I began to think about writing a unique book which would contain those benefits, arranged in a distinctive manner. However the events of the time,

the unfavorable circumstances and one calamity after another prevented me from this pursuit. Till the time I saw in my dream one whom I can neither describe in my writing nor by speech, that is, my Master and my beloved; the Imam for whom I am waiting. I saw him telling me:

�Do write this book, and also write its Arabic version; and give it the title: Mikyal al Makarim Fee Fawaaid ad-Duaa Lil Qaaim.�

In this way I awoke from the dream eagerly and began to fulfill his command but I did not get continued Tawfeeq till the year 1330 A.H. when I traveled to Mecca. Because there was an epidemic of plague, I made a vow to the Almighty Allah that if He saved me from that peril and conveyed me to my hometown safely I will begin the compilation of this book.

The Almighty Allah answered my prayers and I reached home safely just as He has always showered His blessings and favors on me. Thus I began to work on the book in order to fulfill the vow because the Almighty Allah says:

�And fulfill the covenant of Allah when you have made a covenant.�[3]

He also says:

��and fulfill the promise; surely (every) promise shall be questioned about.�[4]

Now this book is like �a lofty garden, the fruits of which are near at hand: Wherein you shall not hear vain talk.� �Therein flow springs (of knowledge and recognition);� It has eight doors (Baab/chapters) so that it may be a reminder for you. And indeed, the hearing ears

will hear it. And I have made a seal for this book in which there is neither intoxication nor drunkenness. The sealing of it is (with) musk; and for that let the aspirers aspire. And it is for this reward that the workers must work.�[5]

the people recognized them and acted upon them, the other need is removed. And there are scholars and authentic books for explanation and teaching of rules and commands of religion, so the presence of the legatee and successor of the Prophet is not necessary!

We reply: This objection is improper from some aspects:

First: The Prophet stated the laws in general and he explained the rules of religion according of the general need of that time. And this matter is clear to anyone who refers to the traditions of the Holy Prophet (s). On the basis of this the need of the people was not fulfilled to that extent. Rather some of the religious problems are even not understood fully by the scholars leave alone the common people. Thus people are in need of the being of the Imam and the infallible leader so that they may refer to him and learn various things from him.

There is no doubt that the Holy Prophet (s) entrusted all the laws and sciences to his successor who was appointed by Allah as the guide of people after him. And every Imam entrusted them in turn to the Imam after him till the matter reached the Imam of our time (aj). In other words the Holy Imams explained to the people the divine laws they had received from the Holy Prophet (s) and they made them aware of the foundations and meanings of the holy religion.

It is said that if the one explaining the laws of religion is not infallible, the

people will not be able to rely on him completely and trust his words and the aim of selecting him will not be realized.

Second: Human beings due to their natural makeup and circumstances and as result of their carnality are always involved in a tussle and contradictions. This matter could be perceived through conscience and also is clearly visible. Therefore it is the demand of divine grace that for removal of conflicts and differences, He must appoint someone who is perfectly cognizant of the reality and facts so that people may refer to him in every age and take his help in their conflicts and problems. And as a result everyone will obtain their rights and divine justice shall be established among the people. One whom the Almighty Allah selected for removing differences and conflicts is that same Imam to whom the people are obliged to obey and to whom they must refer in their different matters and they must rely upon him.

If you have a doubt that: The Holy Imams (a) during their times never commanded except on the basis of apparent rules, and in other words they issued orders according to the same set of rules that religious scholars follow in the period of the occultation of the Imam. Then how can it be claimed that it is demand of divine grace to appoint the Imam so that he may act on the reality and facts?

I say: This practice was due to the obstacle from the side of the people themselves. Such that

the obstacle of the reappearance of the Imam was also from the people�s side. Thus in such circumstances no objection could be made against them and in no way could one imagine such a matter to be opposed to divine grace. That which proves this claim are traditional reports related from themselves and which explain clearly that if they are given absolute rulership and caliphate comes to them with authority over the world they would govern according to the system of Prophet Dawood and they would make the realities known to the people. Among the traditions narrated from Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) in Usool Kafi[6] is the following:

From Abu Ubaydah al-Hadhdha that His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) said: �O Abu Ubaydah, when the Qaim of the family of Muhammad rises he shall judge according to the law of Dawood and Sulaiman (a) and he will not ask for evidence and testimony.�

In the same book it is mentioned[7] from Aban who narrates that His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) said:

�The world shall not end till a man from our progeny reappears who will judge like the progeny of Dawood and who will not ask for evidence and testimony; he will restore the rights of every person.�

Also the same book mentions[8] from an authentic chain of narrators from Ammar Saabiti that he said:

I asked His Eminence, Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a): How will you rule if the kingdom reaches you? He replied: �By divine law and the judgment of Dawood. Thus whenever we have a case to

solve whose solution we do not have, Ruhul Qudus will inspire it to us.�

In the same way it is narrated from Jauid Hamadani from his chain of narrators that when he asked His Eminence, Imam Ali Ibne Husain (a): What shall be the basis of your judgment? He replied: �According to the judgment of the progeny of Dawood and when we are unable to solve a matter the Ruhul Qudus will bring it for us.�[9]

I say: This topic shall be further elaborated in the fourth part of this book under the letter H�a, if the Almighty Allah wills.

Third: If we suppose that all the religious scholars and intellectuals acted on all the rules even then it will not make us needless of the existence of the Imam because they are not immune to mistakes and forgetfulness so in every age we are in need of a person who is infallible and immune from mistakes and forgetfulness so that he may be a point of reference for the people and refuge for them. And that he may explain and tell them about the realities and facts of religious laws, and such a person is none but the Holy Imam.

If at this point someone says: What is the difference between �no Imam� and �an Imam who is out of the sight of the people�? We would say: first of all, since the obstacle for the reappearance of His Eminence is from the side of the people themselves it is not having contradiction against divine grace and it

does not prove that there is no need of His Eminence. Rather it is incumbent on the people that they must remove the obstacles to reappearance so that they may benefit from his holy presence and that they may gain from his various sciences and recognitions.

Secondly: The occultation of His Eminence is not there at all the times and from everyone. Rather a large number of senior believers had the chance to meet the Imam and had access to him. Their incidents are mentioned in books of senior scholars but quoting them right now is beyond the scope of this topic and since the incidents are narrated by a large number of people we can be certain of their authenticity.

Thirdly: The benefits of the blessed being of His Eminence are not restricted to explanation of the sciences, rather all the benefits and divine graces that reach the creatures are through the Barakat of his being as will be explained in Part Three of this book, if the Almighty Allah wills.

does not accept any deed of the people except through our identification and recognition.�[11]

We say: Perhaps the Imams are compared to the �beautiful names� because they are the proof and guidance of the people towards Allah and they are the signs of divine power and might just as the name is a means of identifying the person to whom it belongs; Allah knows best.

In a reliable report from Abdus Salih, His Eminence, Imam Moosa bin Ja�far (a) is reported to have said:

�Verily, the Proof is not established by Allah on His creatures except through an Imam who is recognized.�[12]

I say: His Eminence intends to highlight the necessity of establishment of proof by Allah and the recognition of Allah is not possible except through the existence of the Imam (a). Therefore it is incumbent on the people to recognize the Imam and his appointment is necessary for Allah.

In an authentic report is mentioned a sermon of His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) wherein he is describing the qualities of the Imams (a). In that sermon it is mentioned:

�Verily, Allah to Whom belong Might and Majesty, has unveiled His religion through the Imams of right guidance of the Ahlul Bayt of our Prophet (s), and has made clear through them the direction of His path. He has opened through them the innermost part of the springs of His knowledge. Thus, whoever among the community of Muhammad (s) has recognized the rights of his Imam which are obligatory, has found the taste of sweetness of his faith and

has known the superiority of the goodliness of his Islam, since Allah, the Blessed, the Sublime, has set up the Imam as a sign for His creatures and has made him a Proof for those who receive his provisions and those of his time. Allah has crowned him with dignity and has enveloped him with the Light of His Might. He makes a rope to stretch up to heaven, whose provisions are not cut off from him. Nothing can be obtained from what is with Allah except by means of him, nor does Allah accepts the good deeds of His creatures except through their recognition of him. Thus, he knows (with certainty) what reaches him of the ambiguities of darkness, the obscurities of the paths and the complications of the disturbances. Allah, the Blessed, the Sublime, has not ceased to select them for His creatures from the sons of al-Husain (a) after each Imam. He prefers them for this and chooses them, He approves them for His creatures and is well pleased with them. Whenever one Imam from them passes away, He sets up an Imam after him for His creatures, as an evident sign, a brilliant light, a custodian leader (Imam) and a knowledgeable Proof. They are Imams from Allah, who guide to the truth and by it act with justice (al-Araaf, 7:159,181). They are the Proofs of Allah, the callers to Him and His shepherds for His creatures through whose guidance the people practice the religion. Places of habitation are lit up by

their light, what they (people) have from old is revived through their blessing (increase, Barakah). Allah has made them life for the created beings, lamps for the darkness, keys for speech and pillars for Islam. Allah�s determining for them occurred in this way with certainty.

Thus, the Imam is the one who is selected and approved; the guide, the one entrusted (by Him); the upholder, the one in whom there is hope. Allah has preferred him in this way and has formed him in His sight, in the (world of) scattering when He scattered him, and in the (world of) fashioned things when He fashioned him. He was a Zill before the creation of any living thing, on the right side of His throne, being gifted with wisdom because of the hidden knowledge which was with Him. Allah has selected him (through) His knowledge, and has chosen him for His purity. The Imam is what remains of Adam, the best of the seed of Nuh, the preferred one from the progeny of Ibrahim, the descendant of Ismail and the elite of the relatives of Muhammad (s). He does not cease to be watched over in the sight of Allah; He protects him and guards him with His covering, being kept far from the net of Iblees and his hordes; the gathering darkness and the blowings of every evil-doer is repelled from him, and he is free from any physical defect. He is veiled from misfortunes, immune from slips and well-protected from indecencies, well-known for forbearance and

virtue from his youth. He is qualified by modesty, knowledge and excellence in his last days. The affairs of his father have been passed to him. He remains silent during the life-time of his father, then when the extent of his father�s life comes to an end, the decree of Allah concerning him (his father) becomes fulfilled by His Will; the Will of Allah comes to him by His Love, and the extent of his father�s life reaches its end, then he passes away, and the command of Allah reaches him after him (his father), and He entrusts His religion to him, and appoints him the proof over His creatures and His custodian over His inhabited lands, and confirms him with His Spirit, and gives him His knowledge, and makes him to know his decisive speech, and commits His secret to him, and appoints him to His great affairs, and makes him to know the excellence of the expression of His knowledge, and establishes him as a sign for His creatures, and appoints him as the Proof over the people of his time, the Light for the people of His religion, and the custodian over His creatures.

Allah approves him as an Imam for them, commits His secrets to him, makes him the safeguard for His knowledge, confines His Wisdom to him, makes him a shepherd of His religion, appoints him to His great affairs, and to light through him the tracks of His way, His ordinances, and His restrictions. When the ignorant are confused and

the disputers (in matters of religion) confused, he sets up in justice the brilliant light and the beneficial healing through the clear truth and a lucid explanation of everything which requires it by the trodden path along which his truthful fathers (a) passed. There is no-one who ignores the right of this man of knowledge except a wicked person, no-one denies him but the misled and the misleader, and no-one bars from him except the insolent towards Allah, to Whom belong Majesty and Supremacy.�[13]

Some commentators have stated that �those of his time�: in the sentence:

And has made him a Proof for those who receive his provisions and those of his time.

Denotes the people or the provisions. And perhaps it implies the intellects because the provision of Marefat is that same intellect and these two additions that is the provision and �those of his time� by the use of pronoun of the Almighty Allah by attaching it to Laam (L) in �Le Khalqihi� has restricted its connotation. That is the Almighty Allah appointed the Imam as a proof and everything must refer to the Imam in its praise, glorification, worship and humility.

There is another possibility also that �those of his time� implies the ages and physicalities and the word �those� denotes the individualities and spiritualities. As for the possibility that �those who receive his provisions� denotes the people who love him, it is a very remote possibility because it would mean that we have relied on the words preceding that.

I say: The correct thing is that

there is no individuality except for the Almighty Allah and the above statement is not a solid proof in its favor, rather it a proof against it which was proved in its place and there is no need to explain the matter further. And as for that the retroactive be taken as the interpretation and explanation of that which is mentioned before, it is not remote even though there is a rule for it that the retroactive can be taken on some other meaning.

In a traditional report just like authentic, it is related from His Eminence, Imam Muhammad Baqir (a) or Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) that he said:

�No one can be a believer until he knows Allah, His Messenger (s) and all the Imams (including) the Imam of his time, and refers (everything) to him and submits to him.� Then he said: �How can someone know the last one when he is ignorant of the first?�[14]

In an authentic tradition it is narrated from Zurarah that he asked His Eminence, Imam Muhammad Baqir (a):

�Let me know whether knowledge about the Imam from among you (Ahlul Bayt) is obligatory on all people.� He said: �Verily, Allah, to Whom belong Might and Majesty, has sent Muhammad (s) to all mankind as His Messenger, and to all His creatures on His earth as Allah�s Proof. So it is obligatory on one who believes in Allah, in Muhammad (s) the Messenger of Allah, and who follows and affirms him, that he knows the Imam from among us; and how can

it be obligatory on one who does not believe in Allah and His Messenger, who has never followed him and affirmed him, and has never known the right of both (i.e., Allah and His Messenger) to know the Imam, while he does not believe in Allah and His Messenger, and know the right of both of them?�[15]

I say: It implies that the obligatoriness of Marefat and recognition of Allah and the Prophet is more important and the obligatoriness of recognizing the Imam is not that it negates the obligatoriness of the Imam for one who does not recognize Allah and the Prophet. In other words, anyone who in the first stage is obliged to recognize Allah and the Prophet in the second stage he has to create recognition and Marefat of the Imam and leader that the Almighty Allah has appointed for him.

deceived. It passes that night with that flock in their resting-place. And when the shepherd herds the flock, that sheep refuses to recognize the flock and the shepherd. It runs in bewilderment seeking its shepherd and its flock. Then it sees another flock of sheep with its shepherd. Again the sheep turns towards it and is deceived by the second flock. The shepherd shouts: �Join your shepherd and your flock. You are lost from, and bewildered over your shepherd and your flock.� So the sheep runs away in fear, bewilderment and loss, having no shepherd to guide it to a pasture or back to its own place. Being like this, a wolf takes advantage of its being lost, and eats it.

Thus is it, by Allah, O� Muhammad! He who wakes up in this community without having an Imam (appointed) from Allah, to Whom belong Might and Majesty, who is manifest (Zaahir) and just, wakes up astray and lost.

If such a person dies in this condition, he dies the death of unbelief and hypocrisy. Know, O� Muhammad! Unjust Imams and their followers have been expelled from the religion of Allah. They are misguided and they misguide. So the actions which they perform are as ashes whereon the wind blows strong upon a tempestuous day. They have no power over what they have earned - that is the far error (Ibrahim, 14:18).�[16]

I say: Note the Imam�s words:

�O� Muhammad! He who wakes up in this community without having an Imam (appointed) from Allah, to Whom belong Might and

Majesty, who is manifest (Zaahir) and just��

If the text of the tradition is supposed to have the word �Taahir� instead of �Zaahir� it would imply the infallibility of the Imam. That is one who will attach himself to an Imam who is infallible�If it is �Zahir�, that is the existence of the Imam is clear for the people from the manifest proofs and clear signs even though the Imam may be hidden from short-sighted eyes.[17]

According to a chain of narrators that is like authentic or from certain aspects is authentic, it is recorded from Imam Muhammad Baqir (a) that he said:

�Verily, he who knows Allah, to Whom belong Might and Majesty, and worships Him is the person who knows Allah and recognizes His Imam from among us, the Ahlul Bayt: and he who does not know Allah, to Whom belong Might and Majesty, and does not recognize the Imam from among us, the Ahlul Bayt, knows and worships other than Allah. By Allah, all such as this is misguidance.�

In an authentic report it is stated that Imam Muhammad Baqir (a) said:

�The apex of the thing, the height of it, the key to it, the gate to everything and the good pleasure of ar-Rahman, the Blessed, the Sublime, is obedience to the Imam after knowing him.� Then he said: �Allah, the Blessed, the Sublime, says: Whosoever obeys the Messenger, thereby obeys Allah; and whosoever turns his back � We have not sent thee to be a watcher over them.�[18]

�And if a person stands for prayer in

the nights, fasts during the days, gives away all his property in Sadaqah and goes for the Hajj every year of his life but does not have recognition of the Wali of Allah so that he may follow him and perform all his deeds under his guidance, he is not eligible to receive any rewards from Allah and he is not from the believers.�[19]

Also in an authentic report from Isa bin as-Sirri Abul Yasa it is said that he heard Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) say:

�No one can reduce the recognition of the pillars of Islam and if one deranges them, his religion will become corrupted and his deeds will not be accepted in the court of Allah. And one who recognizes them and acts according to them, his religion is accepted by Allah and he will not be punished for knowing other matters. They asked: Please enumerate them. The Imam said: The testimony of �There is no god except Allah� and to believe that Muhammad (s) is the Prophet and Messenger of Allah and to confess that His Eminence has been sent by Allah, and the share of Zakat in wealth and Wilayat that the Almighty Allah has commanded is the Wilayat of Aale Muhammad (a).�

The narrator asked: Is there in Wilayat something less than other that its minimum should be understood? He replied: �Yes, Allah, the Mighty and the High says:

�O you who believe! obey Allah and obey the Apostle and those in authority from among you��[20]

The Holy Prophet (s) said:

�One who dies without

recognizing the Imam of his time, dies the death of ignorance.�

�And this Imam was the Prophet and Ali while others said it was Muawiyah; after that it was Hasan and then, Husain while others said, Yazid bin Muawiyah!! No! No! They were not equal. At that moment he fell silent and after that he said: Shall I say more? Hakam Awaar a person present there said: Why not, may I be sacrificed on you? He replied: After that it was Ali bin al-Husain, then Abu Ja�far Muhammad bin Ali (a). And the Shias before the period of the Imamate of His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) were not knowing the rules of their Hajj till His Eminence opened the door of knowledge and explained to them the rules of Hajj and lawful and unlawful because the people were in need of Ahle Bayt (a) after they had been needful of others and in this way it will pass and the earth shall not be without the Imam and one who dies without recognizing the Imam of his time is like one who dies in the age of ignorance. And it is the most needful matter for you when your soul reaches here � and he pointed to his throat � and the world is cut off from you, he will say: I was in a good condition and I has had a righteous religion.�[21]

I say: In narrator�s question (is there in Wilayat something lesser than something?) there are two possibilities:

1. It is that there is

a determined limit for Wilayat and the least of it is not the permissible limit that the questioner may take, as the Imam (a) has replied to him mentioning two matters: First is the Marefat of Imam and second is his obedience and he proved it by quoting the holy verse of obedience and tradition of the Holy Prophet (s) about the Marefat of Imam (a) and this aspect is supported by the authentic tradition mentioned previously.

2. It is that the aim of explaining was the proof from Quran or Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (s) that proves the obligatoriness of Wilayat of Aale Muhammad (a) so that it be an evidence for the opponents, because when His Eminence said that the Wilayat that the Almighty Allah has commanded is the Wilayat of Aale Muhammad (a) the narrator asked: Is there in it something, that is an evidence that would be reliable for the opponents and which they cannot reject or deny? After that he mentioned two proofs, one from the Holy Quran and another from the Sunnah which the opponents cannot refute.

Explanation: The point of evidence in the verse and the tradition quoted by the Holy Imam (a) is: One who possesses the least insight if he makes his intellect a judge he will confess that Allah, the Mighty and the High has not ordered His believer servants to follow a person who is a transgressor, a sinner or a tyrant. Rather He has ordered them to follow a person who is pious and

infallible. In the same way the Holy Prophet (s) did not say that one who dies without recognizing a person who committed various sins like Muawiyah and Yazid and others like them, would die the death of ignorance. Rather it is obligatory to refer to one without whom it is not possible to understand the religious laws and that which supports this possibility is the last portion of the tradition that he said:

�And others said it is Yazid bin Muawiyah and Husain bin Ali. No! No! They were not equal.�

The authentic report of Muhammad Ibne Muslim quoted above (6th tradition) also supports this point.

10. In an authentic tradition from Harith bin al-Mughaira it is mentioned that he said: I asked His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a):

Did the Holy Prophet (s) say:

�One who dies without recognizing the Imam of his time dies the death of ignorance?�

He replied: �Yes.�

I asked: �What ignorance is it, absolute ignorance or the ignorance of one who does not recognize his Imam?�

He replied: �Ignorance of disbelief, deviation and hypocrisy.�[22]

I say: A large number of traditions are recorded on this subject.

11. It is mentioned in Kamaluddin that: The Seventh Imam, Abul Hasan Moosa bin Ja�far Kazim (a) said:

�One who doubts in any of the four things is a disbeliever in all the affairs the Almighty Allah has sent; one of them is the recognition of the Imam in every period of time, with regard to his identity and characteristics.�[23]

12. In the same way this book also narrates from Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) from

his respected forefathers that the Holy Prophet (s) said:

�Whoever denies the Qaim from my progeny during his occultation, dies the death of ignorance.�[24]

The same book also contains a tradition related from His Eminence, Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) who quotes that the Holy Prophet (s) said:

�Whoever denied the Qaim from my progeny has in fact denied me.�[25]

13. It is mentioned in Ghaibat Nomani from the author�s chain of narrators that Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) said:

�One who passes a night without recognizing the Imam of his time, dies the death of ignorance.�[26]

Numerous other traditional reports narrated from the Purified Imams (a) have been recorded stressing the above point. However, what recognition and identification actually means? If Allah wills, in the first of the eight chapters it shall be explained that two things are incumbent in recognition; one is knowing the identity of the Imam by his name and genealogy and secondly knowing his characteristics and special qualities that make him superior to other people.

Note: The latter Mujtahids have stated: An authentic report is one whose narrator at every stage is a just Imam. However, the former scholars maintained that an authentic report is one about which one is satisfied that it has come from the Infallible. In this chapter I have taken �Sahih� in the former sense and when I have stated that a particular report is �like authentic� it is on basis of some aspects implied to the second sense.

in the world and the hereafter, and may He gather us together with the Khalaf-e-Muntazar (the awaited successor) of the family of infallibility and purity as there is no way to prove the Imamate except Nass (text of appointment) and miracle just as it is proved that infallibility is among the proven conditions of the Imam. Such that if the Imam is not infallible, the aim of his appointment will not be served and in religious terminology it would be �against purpose�.

Infallibility is a personal condition and a grade hidden from common view and no one is aware of it except the Almighty Allah and one whose knowledge Allah has inspired it with. In this connection it is necessary for the Almighty Allah to introduce the infallible Imam in one of the following two ways:

1. Through the Holy Prophet (s) or the preceding Imam.

2. or through a miracle performed by him. And when the Imam has been appointed for the people it is incumbent on them to refer to him and rest assured that:

�And it behoves not a believing man and a believing woman that they should have any choice in their matter when Allah and His Apostle have decided a matter; and whoever disobeys Allah and His Apostle, he surely strays off a manifest straying.� (Surah Ahzab 33:36)

What we have stated above is supported by a Mutawatir (widely related) tradition from the aspect of its meaning.

1. It is a tradition that the great trustworthy Shaykh Ahmad bin Abi Talib Tabarsi has mentioned in Ihtijaaj.

Though very lengthy, this traditional report is having many benefits and important matters. In this tradition is proved the Imamate of our Master (aj) through Nass and miracle so that the Ummah may not appoint an Imam for itself. Thus we quote the full text of the tradition and pray to Allah that He include us among those who accept it. Shaykh Tabarsi (a.r.) has stated: In the debate of His Eminence, Hujjat Qaim Muntazar Sahib az-Zaman, peace be upon him and his ancestors, Saad bin Abdullah Qummi Ashari has said:

�I became involved in a debate with a Nasibi (Ahle Bayt hater) who was the strongest among Nasibi debaters. One day during the debate he told me: Death be on you and all your co-religionists. You Rafidis lay curse on the Emigrants and Helpers and deny their love for the Holy Prophet while the Siddiq was the most exalted persons among the companions and he had precedence in accepting Islam. Don�t you know that the Messenger of Allah took him along to the cave on the night of migration due to the risk to his life, just as he was concerned for his own safety. Because he knew that he would be his caliph and successor. Therefore he wanted to protect his life like he was concerned about his own security. So that the religion may not be destroyed after him. In those very circumstances he made Ali sleep on his bed as he knew that even if he were killed there would be no

problem for Islam in the future because there were people among the companions who could have taken his place, therefore he did not accord much importance to his (Ali) getting killed.�

Saad says: I replied to it but the replies were not so effective. So he said: �You Rafidis say that the first and the second caliphs were hypocrites and you support it by what happened on the Lailatul Uqbah.� Then he said: �Come let us see if they accepted Islam willingly and happily or it was under duress and pressure?�

Here I did not give any reply, because if I said it was under duress it would not be correct as Islam at that time was not dominant and if I said they accepted willingly it would negate their hypocrisy. I returned from this debate with a heavy heart, took a paper and wrote down forty odd questions that were difficult for me and said to myself that I must hand it over to the representative of Maula Abu Muhammad Hasan bin Ali Askari (a) (that is Ahmad bin Ishaq who resided in Qom). But when I went to him I learnt that he had left on a journey. I departed in his pursuit and when I reached him I told him all that had happened. Ahmad bin Ishaq said to me: Come let us go together to Surre man Raa (Samarrah) and ask our master, Hasan bin Ali (a) about this. So I accompanied him to Surre man Raa till we reached the house of

our master and asked for permission to enter, which was given and we went inside. Ahmad bin Ishaq had a leather bag that he had concealed inside his Tiberian cloak. The bag contained one hundred and sixty purses containing gold and silver coins. Each purse was sealed with the seal of the sender. When our eyes fell on the elegant face of His Eminence, Abu Muhammad al-Hasan bin Ali (a) we saw that his face was like a full moon and a child was sitting in his lap. He was very beautiful, like a Jupiter star having nice locks of hair. In front of the Imam was placed a golden pomegranate decorated with jewels and precious stones; it was presented by an affluent gentleman from Basra. The Imam was holding a pen and writing something on paper. Whenever the child caught his hand he tossed the pomegranate and the little one chased it and brought it back. In the meanwhile he wrote whatever he wanted. So Ahmad bin Ishaq opened the cloak and the leather bag before Imam Hadi (a) [a title of Imam Hasan Askari (a)]. His Eminence threw a glance at the child and said: Remove the seals from the gifts of your Shias and friends. It was asked: O my master, is it lawful that a pure hand should extend towards impure gifts and filthy monies?�

His Eminence asked Ahmad bin Ishaq to take out the contents of the bag so the lawful and the unlawful can be separated. He did as he

was told. The child said: �This is from so-and-so of so-and-so locality of Qom, containing 62 dinars from sale proceeds of a house, and inheritance from his father 45 dinars and from the money of six dresses 40 dinars and the rent of three shops amounting to three dinars.� Our master said: �You are right, my son. Now tell us what is unlawful in it?� The child said: �There is a dinar in this purse which was minted in Rayy in so-and-so year. Half of its inscription is worn out; its three corners are cropped, such that its weight is reduced by 1.5 Daniq. This same amount is unlawful in it because the sender of this purse in so-and-so year, so-and-so month gave to a weaver who was his neighbor a mound and a quarter of old cotton for spinning. That cotton was stolen from the weaver who informed him about it but he didn�t accept his version and in its place took a mound and a half of softer cotton. Then he ordered a garment be made for him from this material. Thus that money and the cropped amount is from that money.� Ahmad bin Ishaq untied the purse and removed from it the said dinar and the cropped pieces from it. Then he took out another purse. The child said: �This is from so-and-so of so-and-so locality of Qom, containing 50 dinars. It does not befit us to touch it at all.� Ahmad bin Ishaq asked: �Why?� He replied: �It is the sale

proceed of wheat that the sender had paid to his farmers but while giving he measured some with a correct measure and some with a tampered measure.�

Imam Hasan Askari (a) said: �You are right my son.� Then he said: �O Ibne Ishaq, take that purse and return it to the sender and tell him to give the money to its actual owner, that is those farmers, as we are not in need of this money.� At that moment he said: �Give me the garment sent by the old lady.� Ahmad bin Ishaq said: �I have forgotten it.� He went out to look for it. At that moment my master, His Eminence, Abu Muhammad Hadi (a) looked at me and asked: �What a surprise that you came here?� I said: �Ahmad bin Ishaq encouraged me to come and meet you.� He asked: �What happened to those questions that you wanted to ask?� I said: �They are yet unanswered, my master.� He said: �Ask whatever you want from my dearest son.� And he gestured to the child. I asked: �O our master and master�s son, it is narrated to us that the Holy Prophet (s) had given Amirul Momineen (a) the right to divorce his wives. Therefore on the day of Jamal he sent message to Ayesha that she had wreaked havoc with Islam and Muslims (and taken wrong advantage of her position). That she has in an ignorant way condemned her children to perdition. �Thus if you do not refrain from your act I will divorce

you.� Tell me, my master, that what is the meaning of divorce here? That the Messenger of Allah (s) left it at the discretion of Amirul Momineen (a)?�

He replied: �The Almighty Allah, hallowed be His name, gave an exalted status to the wives of the Prophet and gave them the honor of being the mothers of the faithful. Thus the Messenger of Allah (s) told Amirul Momineen (a): O Abal Hasan, this status is valid for them till they remain in the obedience of the Almighty Allah. So whoever of them disobeys Allah and after that me, comes out in armed confrontation against you, remove her from my wifehood and take away her status of motherhood of faithful.�

Then I asked: �What is open obscenity? That if the wife commits, the husband is entitled to expel her from his house even during her menses?�

He replied: �It is Musahiqa and not fornication. Because if she commits fornication they will apply the penalty on her and if one wants to marry her there is no problem in it. And the penalty that is given is no obstacle for it. But if she commits Musahiqa, it is obligatory that she must be stoned and being stoned is a disgrace, as for whomsoever Allah has ordered stoning, He has disgraced that person. Therefore no one is permitted to marry her.�

Then I asked: �O son of the Prophet, Tell me about the statement of the Almighty Allah to His Prophet Moosa (a) that:

�Therefore put off your shoes; surely you are in

the sacred valley, Tuwa.�

Scholars of the two sects are of the view that the shoes of Moosa (a) were made of skin of dead animal?�

He replied: �Whoever says this has made a false allegation against His Eminence, Moosa and considers him ignorant in his prophethood because it implies one of the two possibilities and each of them is a mistake; either prayer was allowed in it or not. If it was allowed it would also be allowed to hide them in that place as it is pure. If his prayer was not allowed, then His Eminence, Moosa (a) failed to discriminate between lawful and unlawful, that wearing what one can pray and with what not, and this is infidelity.�

I said: �So, my master, tell me the exegesis of this verse.� He replied: �His Eminence, was in the sacred valley when he said: �O my Lord, I have made my love sincere to You and washed my heart of everything other than You. But Moosa was very much attached to his family. So the Almighty Allah told him:

�Therefore put off your shoes��

to teach him the names of Panjetan (the holy five) the Almighty Allah sent Jibraeel to him and he taught him their names. Thus whenever Zakariya mentioned (remembered) the names of Muhammad, Ali, Fatima or Hasan (a) his sorrow and grief used to go away, but whenever he thought of Husain (a) a terrible grief used to beset him and he was very much astonished why it was so. Thus one day he prayed to the Almighty:

O my God, how is it so that when I remember the four names I obtain peace, but when I think of Husain, tears flow from my eyes and I begin to wail?

Allah, the Mighty and the High informed him about the tragedy of Imam Husain (a) and told him that in Kaaf Ha Ya Ain Saad: Kaaf is for Kerbala, Ha stands for Halakat (getting killed) of �Itrat� (progeny) the Holy Prophet (s), Ya implies Yazid who would oppress Husain (a), Ain denotes �Atash� (thirst) of Husain (a) and Saad indicates �Sabr� (patience).

Thus when Zakariya heard this he did not leave the Masjid for three days and did not allow anyone to meet him and continued to weep and wail. He lamented on Husain (a) and prayed to Allah: My God, will they make the best of Your creature sit in mourning for his son? O Lord, would this tremendous tragedy befall him? My God, would they make Ali and Fatima put on the dress of mourning? Would they make the shock of this calamity reach their abode?

Then he said: Bestow me a son so that I can be pleased in my old age and that his love affects my heart. After that make me sit in his mourning as You would make Muhammad, Your beloved sit. So the Almighty Allah gave him Yahya and later his martyrdom made him aggrieved. And the period of Yahya�s pregnancy was six months like in the case of Husain (a).�

Then I asked: �O my master, why is it so that people cannot select the Imam for themselves?�

He replied: �Righteous or a corrupt Imam?�

I said: �Righteous.�

He said: �Is there a possibility that they may choose a transgressor while they are not aware what goes on in his mind, whether is righteous or corrupt?�

�Yes,� I said.

He said: �That is the reason that I shall explain to you with logical argument.�

I said: �Please do.�

He said: �Let us consider the prophets that the Almighty Allah has appointed, on whom He revealed heavenly scriptures and supported them with revelation and infallibility. They were the leaders of nations, like Moosa and Isa. Inspite of having knowledge and sharp insight were they not prone to select hypocrites considering them believers?�

�No,� said I.

The Imam said: �Then how did it happen that His Eminence, Moosa Kalimullah, inspite of having that same knowledge and receiving revelations he chose seventy persons from the senior ones of the community and those who were in the forefront of his army; about whose sincerity he was sure and about whom he had no doubt, in fact he had selected

hypocrites. Allah, the Mighty and the High says:

�And Moosa chose out of his people seventy men for Our appointment��[27]

As we have seen that when someone who is appointed by the Almighty Allah (like Moosa and Isa) when he could select the corrupt instead of the righteous we realize that selection is not lawful except for one who is aware of hidden secrets and the concealed thoughts. And we understand that the selection of the Emigrants and Helpers was worthless, after the prophets intending to select good people ended up choosing corrupt men. Then he said: O Saad, your opponents claim that the Holy Prophet (s) took with him the selected one of this Ummah to the cave as he was afraid for his safety in the same way as he was worried about his personal security because he knew that he would be the caliph of the Ummah after him. While the necessity of hiding in the cave only arose because he took him along. As for Ali (a) he made him sleep on his bed as he knew that the vacuum created by the death of Abu Bakr will not be as that due to the death of Ali because there were others who could fill that vacuum. You can reply by asking him that are you not having the belief that the Holy Prophet (s) said: After me the caliphate shall be for thirty years. And they apply it to the tenures of the four persons, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali (a).

The opponent will have to agree. Tell him if this is correct, why did he take only one caliph, Abu Bakr, to the cave, leaving the other three. This shows that the Prophet considered them unimportant since it was necessary that he acts with them all like he did with Abu Bakr. Since he did not do it, he considered their rights unimportant and he discriminated between them in his kindness to them while it was necessary for him to have the same concern for all of them.

As for your opponent�s question that: Did those two accept Islam willingly or unwillingly?

Why don�t you say: It was due to greed. Because they used to sit in the company of Jews and they were knowing about the proclamation and victory of Muhammad (s) on the Arabs. The Jews had told them all about the prophecies in the Old Testament and ancient scriptures. They had said that his domination over the Arabs would resemble that of Nebuchadnezzar in Bani Israel except that he would be claiming to be a prophet while in fact he would not be one. Thus when the proclamation of the Messenger of Allah (s) was made they helped him on the testimony of �There is no god except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah� with the greedy intention that when circumstances are good and his affairs are in order, they would also be able to get his deputyship and authority. But when they despaired of getting rulership from His Eminence they joined

other people having same view on the night of Uqbah to frighten the camel of Prophet (s) so that it may throw him down, killing him. They covered their faces like others but the Almighty Allah kept His Prophet safe from their plot and they could not harm him in any way. Those two were just like Talha and Zubair who came and pledged allegiance to Ali (a) coveting governorship of a province. But when they despaired, they broke the pledge and rose up in rebellion against His Eminence till they met the fate of those who break the pledge of allegiance.�

When the conversation reached this point, our master, Imam Hasan bin Ali (a) arose to pray. Qaim (a) also arose with him and I returned from their company and came out looking for Ahmad bin Ishaq. I saw him coming to me weeping. I asked: �Why were you delayed? And why are you crying?� He replied: �I don�t have the garment that my master has asked for.� I said: �Don�t be upset, go and tell the Imam about it.� So he went inside and returned smiling and reciting Durood on Muhammad and Aale Muhammad. I asked: �What happened?� He replied: �I saw the garment concealed under the feet of my master.� So we praised Allah the Almighty. After that day we visited the house of our master a few times more but did not see that child with His Eminence again. When it was time to say farewell I, Ahmad bin Ishaq and some

of our co-religionists came to His Eminence. Ahmad bin Ishaq stood up and said: �O son of Allah�s Messenger, departure is soon and our grief is intense. I pray to Allah to convey our Durood on your grandfather Muhammad Mustafa, your father, Murtuza, your mother, Sayydatunnisa and the two chiefs of the youths of Paradise, your uncle and your father and the Purified Imams after them from your forefathers. And also we convey our Durood and Salawaat on you and your son. And we pray that may your station be exalted and may your enemies be disgraced. And may not Allah make this our last audience with you.� When Ahmad bin Ishaq reached this point His Eminence was moved to such an extent that tears flowed from his eyes. Then he said:

�O Ahmad bin Ishaq, in your supplication, do not ask for invalid thing as in this journey you will meet the Lord.� When Ahmad bin Ishaq heard this he fell down unconscious. On regaining consciousness he said: �I implore you by the sanctity of your grandfather, grant me a piece of cloth that I can take as my shroud.�

Our master, put his hand under his seat and removed thirteen dirhams and said: �Take this and don�t spend anything else on yourself and you will not be deprived of what you desire. Indeed Allah does not waste the reward of the doers of good.�

Saad continues: �On the return journey when three farsangs remained from Halwan, Ahmad bin Ishaq developed fever and became seriously ill and

was on the verge of death. When we arrived at Halwan and lodged at one of the caravanserai, Ahmad bin Ishaq summoned one of his townsmen who lived in that place, and after that he said to us: �Tonight, you all leave me alone.� Each of us retired to our bedrooms, and near dawn a thought came to my mind. When I opened my eyes I saw Kafoor, servant of my master, Abu Muhammad (a) who said to me: �May Allah increase your reward in this calamity and may He compensate you for this tragedy. We have finished the funeral bath and shrouding of your friend. You may please get up for his burial, because his status in the view of your master is more exalted than that of you all.� After that he went out of my sight and we participated in the funeral of Ahmad bin Ishaq, weeping and wailing. We fulfilled his rights and completed his last rituals, may Allah have mercy on him.�[28]

2. There is a traditional report quoted by the Thiqatul Islam Kulaini in Kafi that Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) said:

�I heard Abu Abdillah (a) say: �Do you think that the appointer among us (Imams) can make anyone he wants his successor? No, by Allah, it is rather a covenant from Allah and His Messenger (s) for one man after another, until it comes down to the one who is entrusted with it.�[29]

As you have understood this matter it must be said that the Imamate of our Maula and Sayyid,

Hujjat Ibnul Hasan al-Askari, the Master of the Time (aj) is proved in two ways, through Nass (Islamic texts) and Miracle by the medium of Mutawatir traditions some of which we would mention in the coming section so that this book is not lacking in proof.

have always borne witness thus. And I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and I have always testified to it. And I bear witness that you are the legatee of the Messenger (s), and one who establishes his proof and evidence (pointing towards Amirul Momineen (a) he said, �I have always testified this.� Then indicating towards Imam Hasan (a) he said, �I bear witness that you are the legatee of Amirul Momineen (a) and one who shall establish his proof and evidence. That is you and the one who proves the prophethood of the Messenger of Allah (s).

And I bear witness that Husain bin Ali (a) is the legatee of his brother and he is the one to establish the proof after him. And I bear witness that Ali bin al-Husain (a) after the Imamate of Husain (a) is the proof of Allah. Then Muhammad bin Ali, after him Ja�far bin Muhammad, then Moosa bin Ja�far, then Ali bin Moosa, then Muhammad bin Ali, then Ali bin Muhammad, then Hasan Ibne Ali. After that I bear witness that that person is the Divine Proof who is the son of Hasan bin Ali whose name and patronymic (Kunniyat) will not be revealed till the time he fills the earth with justice and equity like it would have been fraught with injustice and oppression. And peace be on you, O Amirul Momineen (a)!�

After that he arose and departed from there. His Eminence told Imam Hasan (a), �O Aba Muhammad, go after him and see

where he goes.� Imam Hasan (a) went out and returned after a moment and said, �He placed one foot outside the Masjid and after that I don�t know where he disappeared.� Amirul Momineen (a) said, �O Aba Muhammad, you know who it was?� Imam Hasan (a) replied �Allah, His Messenger and Amirul Momineen (a) know better.� He said, �He was Khizr.�[30]

2. There is a tradition quoted by Shaykh Sadooq, the great scholar, Abu Ja�far Mohammad bin Ali bin Husain bin Moosa bin Babawahy Qummi in the book, Ikmaluddin Wa Itmamin Niama through a chain that is like authentic due to some reasons. This tradition is narrated by Yunus bin Abdur Rahman that he says, �I was in the presence of the seventh Imam, Moosa bin Ja�far (a) when I asked:

�O son of Allah�s Messenger! Are you the Qaim bil Haqq? He replied, �I am Qaim bil Haqq, but the Qaim who shall purify the earth from the enemies of Allah Almighty and who shall fill it with justice in the same way as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression, is my fifth descendent who will have a prolonged occultation because his life shall be in danger. During this period (of occultation) some people will deviate from the truth but some would remain steadfast on it.� Then he said, �Blessed are those of our Shias who during the occultation of our Qaim remain attached to our Wilayat (guardianship) and who are steadfast in devotion for us, who have declared immunity from our enemies. They

are from us and we are from them. And indeed they have preferred us for Imamate and we have also selected them as our followers (Shia). Congratulations to them and blessed be they (Shias). By Allah, on the Day of Judgment they shall be in our grades.�[31]

3. It is mentioned in al-Kharaij that Muhammad bin Muslim said:

�I was honored to be in the assembly of Imam Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) when Mualla bin Khunais entered weeping and wailing. His Eminence asked, �What has caused you to lament?� He replied, �There are some people outside who imagine that you have no superiority over us and that you and them are equal.� His Eminence, Sadiq (a) remained quiet for sometime, then he ordered for a tray of dates. Then he picked up a date and split it into two. He ate the fruit and buried the seed in the ground. It grew up into a tree slowly and bore raw date fruits. His Eminence took them and ate them. At that moment a writing appeared on its skin. The Imam gave it to Mualla and said: Read it. On it was written: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. There is no god except Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Ali al-Murtuza, al-Hasan, al-Husain, Ali bin al- Husain�one name after the other till that of Imam Hasan Askari (a) and his son (Mahdi).�[32]

4. Shaykh Sadooq has narrated from the companions of Ibne Sult that he said: I asked Imam Ali Reza (a):

�Are you the

Sahibul Amr (Master of the Affairs)? He replied: I am also Sahibul Amr but not the Sahibul Amr who will fill the earth with justice as it would have been fraught with tyranny and oppression. And how can I be that person? While you can see that I am physically weak. Whereas the Qaim is the one who at the time of his reappearance will be senior in age but have the appearance of the youth. His body shall be so strong that if he catches hold of the biggest tree of the earth he shall be able to uproot it and if he shouts between the mountains, their stones will roll down. The staff of Prophet Moosa and the seal ring of Prophet Sulaiman (a) are with him. He is my fourth descendent. The Almighty Allah will keep him in occultation as long as Divine wisdom dictates. Then He will reveal him so that he may fill the earth with justice and equity just as it would fraught with injustice and oppression.�[33]

5. Shaykh Sadooq has also narrated an authentic tradition from Abu Hashim Dawood bin al-Qasim Ja�fari that he said: I heard His Eminence, Abul Hasan of Askar (Imam Hadi) (a) that he said:

�The successor after me is my son, al-Hasan but what will you do with the successor of my successor?� Al-Ja�fari said, �May Allah make me your sacrifice! Why?� The Imam said, �Because you will not see his physical body and it is not permissible for you to reveal his name.� Al-Ja�fari

said, �How shall we mention him?� Al-Hadi said, �Say �The proof [al-Hujja] from the family of Muhammad.�[34]

6. In the same way Shaykh Sadooq has quoted a correct report from Uthman bin Saeed Amri (q.s.) that he said:

�I was in the presence of Abu Muhammad Hasan bin Ali (Imam Askari) (a). When he was asked about the traditional report that is narrated from his forefathers that: The earth will not remain devoid of Divine Proof over the creatures till the Day of Judgment. And whoever dies without recognizing the Imam of his time dies the death of ignorance. He said, �Yes it is correct and the truth is as clear as the day. He was asked, �O son of Allah�s Messenger, who is the Imam and Divine Proof after you?� He replied. �My son Muhammad, who is the Imam and Divine Proof after me. Whoever dies without recognizing him will die the death of Ignorance and know that he shall have such a prolonged occultation that ignorant people will be confused in that time and they shall be involved in destruction and one who fixes a time of his reappearance is a liar. Then he shall reappear. As if I can see the white standards waving over his head in Najaf Kufa.�[35]

I say: The noted scholar, Shaykh Ali bin Muhammad bin Ali al-Khazzaz Qummi (r.a.) has narrated 170 traditions from Shia and Sunni sources in his book Kifayatul Athar fil Nassi Alal Aaimmatil Ithna Ashar, all of which prove the Imamate of His Eminence, Qaim al-Muntazar

(a). We shall also be quoting some of these traditions under various headings in the following pages.

but I did not mention that 20 dirhams were from my side. Thus Muhammad bin Ja�far received acknowledgment from the Holy Hidden Imam (a) that he sent to me in turn. It was written on the receipt: �Received 500 dirhams of which 20 were your own.�

I say: The same tradition is mentioned with slight variation in Kafi from Ali bin Muhammad from Muhammad bin Ali bin Shazan Nishapuri.[38]

4. In the same way it is mentioned in an authentic narration from Muhammad bin Haroon that he said:

�Five hundred dinars were payable upon me from the Imam�s share. One night when I was in Baghdad and the night was also stormy and dark, I was worried how I should make the payment of Imam�s money. I thought that I was having some shops that I had purchased in 530 Dinars. I should give them to the Holy Imam (a) in lieu of 500 Dinars. (so that the Imam�s share is paid). I did not mention this to anyone neither did I write to the Imam. But a person arrived from the Imam to take possession of the shops.�[39]

5. A tradition is related from Ali bin Muhammad as-Saymoori that he said:

�I wrote a letter to Qaim (aj) requesting him for a burial shroud. The reply came: You do not require the burial shroud at present. It will be needed when you are eighty or eighty-one years of age.� Thus he died only at the age predicted by His Eminence and a month prior to his death, the Imam

had sent the burial shroud for him.�

The above report is mentioned in Ikmaluddin.[40]

I say: And among the clear miracles of His Eminence is the fulfillment of the requests of the people when they write it (Areeza) and throw it in a well or running water and this phenomenon is witnessed all the time and it is proven effective, which we shall discuss in more detail in the last portion of the book.

Dear readers, if you like you can read about the miracles of His Eminence in books compiled on the topic. Like Ikmaluddin of Shaykh Sadooq, Kharaij of Shaykh Saeed bin Hibtallah, Biharul Anwar of the perfect scholar, the late Muhammad Baqir Majlisi and An-Najmus Thaqib of Mirza Husain Noori.

Thanks be to the Almighty Allah for their contribution in this regard and may Allah reward them greatly.

If I say more on this topic I would not be able to achieve the main purpose. Therefore this much is enough for those who can understand.

it so that the facts become clear? Because he was the path leading to the Imam of the time. All agreed to this proposal and they wrote a letter to Abu Ja�far explaining the matter. Thus the reply to this inquiry was received from the Imam of the Age (aj) as follows:

�The Almighty Allah has created the bodies Himself and distributed the sustenance because He neither has a body nor does he incarnates into a body. There is nothing like Him and He is all- hearing and all-seeing. As for the Imams, they requested the Almighty Allah and He created and He gave sustenance to fulfill their request and due to the respect of their rights.�[42]

The conclusion of this reason is that Imam Zamana (a) and his honorable forefathers are the mediums through whom the divine favors reach the creatures. The same point is mentioned in Dua Nudbah:

�Where is the medium through whom heavenly benefits reach the people of the earth?�

The second reason is that the aim of the creation of all that Allah, the Mighty and the High has created are His Eminence and his purified forefathers; that is, they are the main aim of creation and all that is present was created for their sake.

That which supports this matter is a traditional report from Amirul Momineen Ali (a) that he said:

�We are the creations of our Lord, and the creatures after that were created by us.�

Many traditions prove this point some of which are as follows:

Shaykh Sadooq has quoted an authentic tradition from

His Eminence, Ali bin Moosa ar-Reza (a) from his father, Moosa bin Ja�far from his father, Ja�far bin Muhammad from his father Muhammad bin Ali from his father Ali bin al-Husain from his father, Husain bin Ali from his father Ali bin Abi Talib that the Holy Prophet (s) said:

�The Almighty Allah has not created any creature better than me and there is no one more respectable near Him than me.�

Ali (a) says that he asked, �O Allah�s Messenger, are you better or Jibraeel?� He (the Prophet) replied, �O Ali, the Almighty Allah has given superiority to the Messenger Prophets over His proximate angels and He gave me superiority over all the Messengers and Prophets. And O Ali, after me you and after you the Imams are having superiority over them because the angels of God are our servants and servants of our friends. O Ali, the bearers of the Arsh and the angels around it praise and glorify their Lord and they pray for the forgiveness of those who believe in your Wilayat (mastership). O Ali, if we hadn�t been there, the Almighty Allah would neither have created His Eminence, Adam (a) nor Her Eminence, Hawwa (a) neither Paradise nor Hell, neither the earth and the sky. And why shouldn�t we be superior to the angels? We have preceded them in praising and glorifying our Lord. It is so because the first creations of Allah were souls and He made us speaking with His unity and magnification. Then He created the angels. When they

saw us with an effulgence (Noor), they considered our affair to be of a great importance. I said: �Glory be to Allah�, so that the angels may understand that we are creatures and servants of God. And that the Almighty Allah is more exalted and purified of our qualities. So by our glorification the angels learnt how to glorify Allah and they understood that God is purified and clean of qualities (of the creatures). And when they noticed our greatness and majesty, we said: �There is no god except Allah�, so that the angels may understand that there is no one worthy of deification except Allah and that we are the servants of God, we are not partners in His divinity. Thus they (also) reiterated: �There is no god except Allah.� When the angels realized our greatness we said: �Allah is the Greatest�, so that they may understand that God is much greater that which can be imagined and all the greatness, power and strength is reserved only for God. After that when they saw that Allah has bestowed us with honor and power, we said: �There is no power and strength except by Allah, the High and the great�, so that the angels may understand that there is no power and might except for Allah. Thus the angels also repeated: �There is no power and strength except by Allah.� When they witnessed the bounties that Allah has bestowed on us and that our obedience is made incumbent on all creatures by Him, we said:

�Al Hamdulillaah� (Praise be to Allah) so that the angels may know that it is the right of Allah upon us to thank Him for His bounties. So the angels also said: �Al Hamdulillaah�. In other words, the angels received guidance through our Barakat, and understood the unity, glorification, praise and magnification of God. After that Allah created Adam (a) and entrusted our effulgence to his loins and due to our respect and honor ordered the angels to prostrate before him. Their prostration was due to their servitude of God and their respect and honor to His Eminence, Adam (a) was due to His obedience. Because we were in his lions, then why we shouldn�t be superior to the angels, as all of them prostrated before His Eminence, Adam (a).

And when I was taken to the heavens, His Eminence, Jibraeel (a) recited the Azan and Iqamah twice and told me, �O Muhammad go ahead and lead the Prayers�, I said: �O Jibraeel, should I take precedence over you?� �Yes�, he replied, �because God had given superiority to all prophets over the angels and endowed you with a special excellence�. Thus, I stood in the front and prayed with him. But I do not say this due to pride. After that I reached upto the veil of effulgence and His Eminence, Jibraeel (a) said, �Muhammad (s), now you go ahead,� and he himself remained there. I said, �You are leaving me at this juncture?� He replied, �O Muhammad (s) this is the limit that Allah has

fixed for me, if I take a step forward my wings will burn down.� Thus I was put into the ocean of effulgence and I began to swim in the seas of divine lights. Till I reached at that place in the cosmos upto which Allah desired. Then a voice came to me, �O Muhammad.� I said: �Here I am My Lord, You are the bestower of honor and dignity.� �Muhammad, you are My servant, My messenger among My creatures, You are My Proof upon My servants. I have created Paradise for everyone who obeys you and prepared the fire of Hell for all those who oppose you. I have made favors and honor incumbent upon Me for your successors, and made divine rewards incumbent for their Shias.� I said, �My Lord, please introduce my successors to me.� He said, �Your successors are those whose names are inscribed on the empyrean of My throne.� So I looked and I was before my Lord. I saw twelve lights on the empyrean of the throne. In each light I saw a green line. The names of each of my successors was written in it. The first name was that of Ali Ibne Abi Talib and the last was Mahdi. I asked, �O my Lord, are they my successors after me?� The reply was, �Yes, O Muhammad, after you, they are My friends, legatees, the chosen ones and My proof on My servants. They are your successors and Caliphs and the best of Creations after you. By My

majesty and glory, I shall reveal My religion through them and I shall exalt My words through them and through the last of them, I shall purify the earth from My enemies. And I shall make him the absolute master of the whole world. I shall make the wind subservient to his command and I shall make the hard cloud proof for him so that he may ride upon it to go wherever he likes in the sky and the earth and I shall assist him with My armies. And I shall strengthen him with My angels. So that My call is raised and all the creatures gather upon My Oneness. Thus his rulership would endure and continue and from My friends, I shall make one after the other the leaders of My faith till Qiyamat. And Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds and blessings be upon our prophet, Muhammad and his purified and chaste progeny.��[43]

without an Imam except when Allah, the All-high, becomes angered towards the earth or (His) slaves.� He said: �No, it (the earth) cannot remain (thus), otherwise, it would become a mire.�[44]

2. In another traditional report it has come from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a):

�If the earth remains without an Imam, it will become a mire.�[45]

3. Shaykh Sadooq has narrated in his book, Ikmaluddin through strong chain of narrators like correct or correct upon correct chain from Abu Hamza Thumali from His Eminence, Ja�far bin Muhammad Sadiq from his father from his forefathers (a) that:

The Messenger of Allah (s) said, �Jibraeel (a) has reported to me from the Lord of the Might, may His Majesty be exalted, that He said, �Whoever knows (believes) that there is no god but Me alone, Muhammad (s) is My servant and My messenger, Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a) is My caliph and that surely the Imams from his progeny are My proofs, I will make him enter Paradise on account of My mercy, save him from My hell due to My forgiveness and allow him to reside in My neighborhood. I will make My honor obligatory on him, complete My bounties on him and make him from My special and pure (servants). If he calls Me, I will answer him, if he invokes Me, I will accept his invocation and if he asks Me, I will grant him. If he is silent, I will initiate the talk with him and if he errs, I will have mercy on him.

If he flees from Me, I will call him and if he returns unto Me, I will accept him. If he knocks on My door, I will open it. But one who does not witness that there is no god but Me alone; or bears testimony for the same but does not bear witness that Muhammad is My servant and My messenger; or testifies for the above two but does not acknowledge that Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a) is My caliph; or witnesses for all the above but refuses to confess that the Imams (a) from his progeny are My proofs, then indeed He has denied My bounties, belittled My greatness and disbelieved in My signs and My books. If he desires Me, I will veil Myself from him and if he asks Me, I will deprive him. When he calls Me, I will not hear his call and when he invokes Me, I will not accept his invocation. If he expects from Me, I will disappoint him. This is my retribution for him and I am not unjust unto My servants.�� At this juncture, Jabir Ibn Abdullah Ansari stood up and asked, �O Messenger of Allah (s)! Who are the Imams from the progeny of Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a)?� He (s) informed:

�Hasan and Husain, the two leaders of the youth of Paradise. Then, the chief of the worshippers in his time, Ali Ibn Husain, then Baqir, Muhammad Ibn Ali; soon you will reach unto him, O Jabir, so when you meet him, convey

my salutations to him. He will be followed by Sadiq, Ja�far Ibn Muhammad, then Kazim, Moosa Ibn Ja�far, then Reza, Ali Ibn Moosa, then Taqi, Muhammad Ibn Ali, then Naqi, Ali Ibn Muhammad, then Zaki, Hasan Ibn Ali, then his son, the one who will rise with the truth, the Mahdi of this Ummah. He will fill the earth with justice and equity, as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression. These, O Jabir, are my caliphs, my successors, my descendants and my progeny. Whoever obeys them has obeyed me and whoever disobeys them has defied me. Whoever denies them or denies even one of them, then indeed he has denied me. Through them, Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, will prevent the skies from falling on the earth, of course, with His permission. Due to them, Allah protects the earth from swallowing up its inhabitants.�[46]

In Ghaibat Nomani it is narrated from Imam Sadiq (a) from Amirul Momineen Ali (a) that he said:

�Then Allah will bring a virtuous congregation, who will fill it with equity and justice, as it will be full of oppression and injustice.�[47]

There are numerous traditional reports regarding this point.

call you by the right of Allah, by the right of the Messenger of Allah and by my right as I have the right of relationship to the Prophet over you.�[50]

a proof for the people for His knowledge, faith and obedience). And a treasure (of His knowledge, recognition and mercy) in His heavens and the earth.

The trees fructify and fruits grow by our Barakat and the streams flow and the rain descends and plants grow from the earth. And through our worship is Allah worshipped. And if we had not been there, the Almighty Allah would not have been worshipped.�[51]

In Kharaij it is narrated from His Eminence, Sadiq (a) that he said:

�O Dawood, if we had not been there, neither the streams would have issued forth nor the fruits have grown, nor the trees would have become green.�[52]

In Kafi there is a famous tradition of His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Imam Muhammad Baqir (a) that he said:

The Messenger of Allah (s) said: �The Almighty Allah created Adam (a) and left the earth for him. Thus whatever from it is was for Adam it is for the Messenger of Allah. And whatever is for the Messenger of Allah it is for the Imams of the Progeny of Muhammad.�[53]

In another tradition it has come that, �The earth and whatever is in it belongs to Allah, the Almighty, His Messenger and us. Thus whoever gets anything from it, must practice piety and pay the share of Almighty Allah, (Khums, Zakat and religious tax) and must do good towards his brothers in faith and if he doesn�t do it he has dissociated from Allah, His Messenger and us (family of the Prophet).�[54]

Darus Salam has quoted Basairud Darajaat from Abu Hamza

that:

The fourth Imam, Ali bin al-Husain (a) said to Abu Hamza:

�O Abu Hamza, do not sleep before the rising of the Sun, as it is not good for you. Indeed, at that time the Almighty Allah distributes the sustenance of the people and He distributes it through our hands.�

Abu Abdillah (a), �When the Qaim rises, he will call people to Islam anew and will guide them to an order that is worn out and the masses have led astray from it. The Qaim has been named the Mahdi because he will lead to an order that is led astray from and he is named al-Qaim for his rise with the Truth.�[58]

In Bihar it is quoted from Amali of Shaykh Tusi from the Holy Prophet (s) that he said:

�I am a tree, Fatima is the branch, Ali is the graft and Hasan and Husain are the fruits and their friends from this nation of mine are the leaves of this tree.�[59]

Indeed, there are a large number of traditions regarding this matter and they are mentioned in Kafi, Burhan and other books but we have refrained from quoting more of them to avoid undue prolongation of our discussion and to save our readers from undue hardships. As we all know an indication is sufficient for the wise. And how beautifully the poet says:

�And how tall is that tree that grew in the Paradise.

Such that no other tree is like that in Paradise.

Muhammad Mustafa is its root and Fatima its branch.

Then is its graft, that is the Chief and master of men, Ali.

And those two Hashemites, the grandsons of the Prophet, the fruits of that tree.

And the Shias are its leaves that are attached around the fruits. This is the statement of the Messenger of Allah that the traditionists have related through authentic chains of narrators

in the corpus of hadith.

Through their (Ahle Bayt�s) love I am hopeful of salvation on the Day of Judgment. And success with the group that is the best of groups.�

after him Muhammad has a greater claim on the believers than they have on themselves. Then after him Ja�far has a greater claim on the believers than they have on themselves. Then after him Moosa has a greater claim on the believers than they have on themselves. Then after him Ali has a greater claim on the believers than they have on themselves. Then after him Muhammad has a greater claim on the believers than they have on themselves. Then after him Ali has a greater claim on the believers than they have on themselves. Then after him Hasan has a greater claim on the believers than they have on themselves. And Hujjat Ibnul Hasan has a greater claim on the believers than they have on themselves. They are the righteous Imams and they are with the truth and the truth is with them.�[61]

A somewhat similar thing is said in Kafi and Kamaluddin.

It is narrated from His Eminence, Abul Hasan ar-Reza (a) that he said:

�People are our slaves in obedience.�[62]

the seal of the successors and his repected forefathers, indeed Allah is the hearer of supplications.

position with Allah Almighty. Ibne Abi Ya�fur asked: May I be sacrificed on you, what are those traits? The Imam said: A believer should like for his believer brother only that which he likes for the nearest of his kin and he should dislike for the believers the same which he dislikes for his closest relatives and he should express pure love. Hearing this Ibne Abi Ya�fur began to weep and asked: How is that? He replied: If these three traits are present in you he shall reveal his secret and shall be pleased and shall be pleased with the happiness of one that is happy. And he shall be sorrowful with the grief of one who is sorrowful. If he does not have anything to make him happy with, he shall pray to God for him. Then His Eminence said: These three traits are for you people and another three are for us. The first is that you must recognize our excellence, secondly you must follow our footsteps, thirdly you must await for our rule (kingdom) which shall be at the end of the world. The one in whom these three traits are present shall be proximate to the realm of the Almighty. Those who belong to ranks lower than him shall obtain light from effulgence of those who are in the position of proximity with the Almighty. When those in the lower ranks see him they shall not like their present comfort and pleasure in comparison to those who are above them in

ranks. Ibne Abi Ya�fur asked: Why would it not be possible to see the group of people who are having divine proximity? Imam replied: They shall be covered with divine effulgence. Have you not heard that tradition of the Messenger of Allah (s) that there is a creation of Almighty Allah to the right of the Arsh whose faces shall be whiter than snow and more brilliant than the sun. An inquirer will ask: Who are they? He will be told: Having regard for the majesty of Allah they used to have regard for each other.�

to protect you and not to forget you. But write it down for your partners.� Ali (a) asked: �Who are my partners?� He replied, �Imams from your progeny due to whom the Almighty Allah sends down rain on my Ummah, for the sake of whom He fulfills their prayers, and due to whom He removes calamities from them and due to whom mercy descends from the heavens. He is the first of them � indicating towards Imam Hasan � then he pointed towards Imam Husain (a) and said: The Imam�s shall be from your progeny.�

I say: This tradition, with attention to all its points clearly proves what we have stated.

shall expel them from it in a humiliating way.�[66]

as well as at home. I have seen very few people who could equal him in morals, manners and excellence of character.

He relates: �In one of the journeys I was returning to Najaf Ashraf from the Ziarat of His Eminence, Abi Abdullah (a) through the route of River Euphrates. I had boarded a small boat that ran between Kerbala and Tuwairij. At Tuwairij the route diverged to Hilla and Najaf. The passengers, all of whom were the people of Hilla were busy in games, joking and shameful behavior, except for one person who though he also belonged to their group but they occasionally ridiculed his religion and criticized him. I was very astonished at this till we reached a place where the water was too less and the boatman was compelled to make us disembark. As we walked along the banks, by chance I happened to be walking with the same person. I asked him why he remained aloof from his fellow travelers and what was the reason they criticized his religion. He said that they were from Ahle Sunnat and relatives of his. �My father was also from them but my mother was from the people of faith (Shia). I was also initially in their faith, but through the favor of Hazrat Hujjat (aj) became a Shia.�

I asked him the motive of converting to Shiaism and how that had occurred. He said:

�My name is Yaqut and my profession is selling oil besides the Hilla bridge. One year I went out of Hilla to purchase

oil from the dwellers of the desert (Bedouins) in the surrounding areas. I traveled some distance and purchased the oil and on the return journey got the company of some people of Hilla. We halted at one place at night and I went to sleep. But when I awoke in the morning I saw that they had all gone away leaving me alone without any water or any other rations in a desert that was infested with wild animals. The nearest habitation was at least a few farsakhs (one farsakh = 6.24 kms). I got up and began my lonely journey, but after sometime I lost the way and was completely confused. In addition to this, I was extremely thirsty and the fear of wild beasts overwhelmed me. I remained there and in that condition prayed to the caliphs and Mashayakhs, imploring them to help me and through their intercession begged Allah to save me. But there was no response. Then I remembered my mother saying that we have a living Imam whose patronymic (Kunniyat) is Aba Salih who responds to the call of those who have lost their way and who helps those who help the oppressed and the weak. I made a vow to Allah that if he saved me I shall adopt the faith of my mother. Then I called out to him and sought his refuge. I saw a man wearing a green turban like grass by the riverside, and he began to walk with me. He ordered me to adopt

the religion of my mother and then he said the words (that the writer of the book forgot). And he said: Very soon you will reach a habitation where all the inhabitants are Shias. I said: My master, will you not come to that place with me? He said: No, as a thousand people around the country are calling me for help, I want to go and help them. After that he disappeared from the view. After traveling for sometime I reached that village. Such was a distance to that place that my previous fellow travelers reached that station only the next day. I returned to Hilla from there and went to meet the chief jurisprudent, Sayyid Mahdi Qazwini (May Allah illuminate his resting place). I narrated my story to him, learnt the rules and regulations of religion from him and asked what I should do in order to see His Eminence again. He said: Go for the Ziarat of Imam Husain (a) for forty Friday eves. I began to go for the Ziarat of the Chief of the martyrs every Friday eve. Once it so happened that only one Friday eve remained from forty. I set out from Hilla on Thursday for Kerbala, but when I reached the gates of the city I saw that the tyrannical officials were asking for the permit, and they were very strict about it. Neither did I have the permit not the money to purchase it. A few times I tried to smuggle myself by mingling in a

group of people, but I did not succeed. At that time I saw His Eminence, the Master of the Affair (aj) that he entered wearing a dress of Iranian students and white turban on the head. Outside the city I sought his refuge and pleaded for his help. He came out and took me with himself into the city. But I did not see him again and remained regretful and sad at his separation.�[68]

get the support of Allah and His help, and he will be backed with divine angels. Then he would fill up the earth with equity and justice as it would have been fraught with injustice and tyranny.�[72]

Also in the same book of Bihar it has come in a detailed saying of His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he stated:

�After that he shall return to Kufa. At that time he will send three hundred of his companions to various areas of the world and he will pass his hand over their shoulders and chests. So they shall never have any difficulty in deciding any matter. Then in every nook and corner of the world will be this testimonial statement: There is no god except Allah. The One without partner and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (s).�[73]

There are many traditions regarding this but we have just provided a few examples.

and the husband of your daughter. I named him also after My name. Thus I am the Ali Aala and he is Ali. And I created Fatima, Hasan and Husain from your Noor (light/effulgence). At that time I presented their Wilayat (Mastership) to the angels so that whoever may accept it, will gain proximity to My court. O Muhammad, if a servant of Mine worships so much that he becomes tired and his body becomes as brittle as musk but he is a denier in their Wilayat, and he comes to Me, I will not accommodate him in My Paradise and not shade him under My Arsh. O Muhammad, would you like to see them? I said: �Yes, my Lord!� The Almighty Allah said: �Raise your head.� So I raised my head and saw the lights of Ali, Fatima, Hasan, Husain, Ali bin al-Husain, Muhammad bin Ali, Ja�far bin Muhammad, Moosa bin Ja�far, Ali bin Moosa, Muhammad bin Ali, Ali bin Muhammad, Hasan bin Ali and Muhammad bin al-Hasan al-Qaim. And among them one shone like a brilliant star. I asked: �O Lord, who is that?� He replied, �They are the Imams, and he is the Qaim, who will make My lawful, lawful and My unlawful, unlawful. And through him I shall take revenge from My enemies. And he is the source of comfort for My friends. He is the one who will bestow your Shias and followers, respite from the infidels. And he will bring out Lat and Uzza fresh and burn them up.

Indeed the trial and test of the people by him will be much more difficult than the mischief of the Calf and Samari.��[74]

In the same way it is narrated in Bihar quoting from Ilalush Sharai through his own chain of reporters, from Abdur Rahim Qaisari from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Imam Baqir (a) that he said:

�When the Qaim rises, Humaira will be brought to him (after being raised from the dead), so that he may punish her with lashes to avenge for Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad (s).� I asked why he would punish her with lashes?

He replied, �Due to the false allegation she made against Ibrahim�s mother.� I asked: How is it that the Almighty Allah postponed this matter of (punishment by lashing) till the time of Hazrat Qaim? He said: The Almighty Allah, blessed be He, sent Muhammad (s) as a mercy, but He has created Qaim (a) for punishing and taking revenge.�[75]

In the same book of Biharul Anwar it is quoted from Mazaar Kabeer from the author�s own chain of reporters from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah (a) that he said:

�When our Qaim arises, he will take revenge for Allah, His Messenger and all of us, the family of the Prophet.�[76]

Again in the same book it is copied from the Irshad al-Qulub of Dailami that Imam Sadiq (a) said:

�He will cut off the hand of Bani Shaiba and hang it on the Kaaba and he will write on it: They are the thieves of the Kaaba.�[77]

And in Ihtijaaj it is mentioned that the

Holy Prophet (s) said in his sermon of Ghadeer as follows:

�Know that: The seal of the Imams from us will be Mahdi (may Allah bless him). Know that, he is the one who will be victorious over all religions, he is the one to take revenge from the tyrants, he is the victor and the destroyer of castles, he is the one who will exterminate all the tribes of the polytheists, he is the one that will avenge the blood of all the saints of truth, he is the one who will drink from the deep sea, he is the one who will designate everyone on the basis of merit and superiority he is the selected one and the chosen one of God, he is the inheritor and encompasser over all sciences, he is the one who will give news of the Lord, the Mighty and the Sublime, and the realities of the faith are for him. He will inform, he is the one who will be the owner of guidance and prevention in theory and practice. The affairs of religion are delegated to him and left to his discretion, the prophets preceding him and the Imams prior to him have been given the glad tidings about him. He is the remaining proof and after him there is no Divine Proof. There is no truth except with him and there is no light except near him. None shall be victorious and helped over him. He is the Wali of God on the earth and the

Divine ruler upon the creatures and the trustee of the Lord over the apparent and hidden.�

In another part of the same sermon it says:

�O people! The special effulgence of Allah, the Mighty and the Sublime, is present in my being. After that it shone in the being of Ali and after that in his progeny till Qaim-e-Mahdi who will take over the right of Almighty Allah and all the rights that are for us.�[78]

In Tafseer Qummi regarding the verse:

�So grant the unbelievers a respite: let them alone for a while.�[79]

It is mentioned that: It is regarding the time of the uprising of the Qaim. Thus he will take revenge for us from the tyrants and oppressors from Quraish and Bani Umayyah and all the other people.�[80]

from Imam Sadiq (a) that he said:

�Two capital punishments are lawful in Islam. But so far no one has issued a verdict according to this rule. However when our Qaim reappears, he will establish the Divine Law and will not ask for evidence from anyone in these two matters. One is regarding the married adulterer and the Imam will order him to be stoned to death. Secondly he will order the beheading of the one who refuses to pay Zakat.�[82]

I say: The penalty for adultery (by married man or woman), subject to conditions mentioned in Islamic law, is stoning. This penalty is especially associated to the Imam of the time due to the factual knowledge of His Eminence. And unlike in the case of the tenure of other Imams no one would be able to escape punishment under doubt.

the caliph on the earth.�[84]

Allah be upon him. There are such a large number of traditions regarding this, that they exceed the level of Tawatur (narrated widely). From the same aspect is the Epistle (Tawqee) related in the book of Ihtijaaj which says:

�As for receiving benefits from me during the occultation, it is like receiving benefit from the Sun which is hidden behind the cloud (and thus cannot be seen).�[88]

said:

�I asked, �O, Messenger of Allah (s), is the Mahdi from us the Household of Muhammad or from the others?� He said, �Rather, he is ours. Allah will complete the religion through him, as He opened it through us. Through us they are rescued from mischief, as they were rescued from polytheism. Through us Allah will bring their hearts together as brothers after the hostility of mischief, as He brought them together as brothers in their religion after the hostility of polytheism.�[90]

The above tradition has been narrated through Ahle Sunnat channels and by the grace of Allah we believe in its authenticity.

Abdillah Imam Sadiq (a) who said to me: �O Zaid, renew your worship and ask for forgiveness.� I asked, �May I be sacrificed on you, are you informing me about my death?� He replied: �O Zaid, Whatever information we have about you is good and you are from our Shias.� He said: I asked, �What does it imply for me?� He replied, �You are from our Shias and the Siraat, Mizan and accounting of our Shias is upon us and indeed we are more kind you than you yourselves are.�[92]

30000 Dinars and 50000 Dirhams in cash and 12000 garments to Muhammad bin Ali. During this a believing lady, named Shatita brought an original dirham and a piece of woolen cloth she had knitted by hand which cost 4 dirhams and gave these things saying: The Almighty Allah is not ashamed of the truth (that is even if the share of the Imam is less, it must be conveyed to him). At that moment that gathering brought a sheaf of paper containing 70 pages and a question was written on each sheet and the rest of it left blank so that the reply may be written below it. Both the pages were placed face to face and tied at three places with a string and a seal was put at the knots. They said: Take the folder and give it to the Imam in the evening and collect it from him the next morning. Then break the seals and see if the questions mentioned therein are replied or not. If the replies have been included without breaking the seals he is that same Imam and eligible for these monies. If not, bring us back the cash and goods. Muhammad bin Ali reached the holy city of Medina and first happened to go to Abdullah Aftah and tested him and found that he did not have the capability for the position of Imamate. He came out of his house uttering: �O Lord, guide me to the right path.�

He was standing in that confused state when a

child came and said: Come to the one you are looking for. And he took him to the house of His Eminence, Moosa bin Ja�far (a). His Eminence glanced at him and said: O Abu Ja�far, why did you lose hope and why did you wander like Jews and Christians in bewilderment? Did not Abu Hamza at the masjid of my great grandfather guide you to me, the Divine Proof and His Wali? I gave the replies to the questions in the file yesterday. Bring it to me and also get me the dirham of Shatita that is in the purse. And the weight of her dirham would be one dirham and four Daniq. Bring it to me. There will be 400 dirhams in that purse that is from Aan-e-Waazoori and the piece of her cloth is tied together with the garments of two Balkhi brothers. He (the narrator) says: The words spoken by His Eminence left me astounded. I went out and brought back whatever he had commanded and presented it to him respectfully. He picked up the dirham and cloth piece of Shatita and addressed me:

�And Allah does not forbear from the truth.�

O Abu Ja�far convey my Salaam to Shatita and give this purse to her. That purse contained 40 dirhams. Then he said: �I am also gifting her a piece of my burial shroud. The cotton of this shroud is from our village Saida in the area of Fatima (a) and my sister, Halima, the daughter of His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Ja�far

bin Muhammad Sadiq (a) has spun it. Tell Shatita that after receiving from Abu Ja�far the money and the piece of shroud she will not remain alive for more than nineteen days. �So spend 16 dirhams on yourself and keep 24 dirhams for your funeral expenses and Sadaqah. And I shall recite the funeral prayer on your bier.� O Abu Ja�far, when you see me (at that time) keep this matter secret as it is better for the safety of your life. Then he said: Take these things back to their owners and break the seal on the file and see if the replies were given before you brought the sheaf?�

He says: �I looked at the seals and saw that they were intact. I broke one of the seals from the middle and saw the writing of the Aalim (a) and noted what he had said regarding a man who said that he had made a vow to Almighty Allah that he will free each slave who is in his charge since old, and he has many slaves; does he have to free all of them? The reply in his blessed handwriting was as follows: He must free every slave who has been under his authority for at least six months. The following verse proves the correctness of this matter:

�And (as for) the moon, We have ordained for it stages till it becomes again as an old dry palm branch.�[96]

And the new is one who has not been with him for more than six months.�

I

removed the second seal and saw the following writing: What does the Imam say about one who said: I will give a huge amount in Sadaqah. How much Sadaqah does he have to pay? The reply to this in the Imam�s writing was: One who has made such a vow, if he is having sheep, he must give eighty four sheep in Sadaqah and if he has camels he must give eighty four camels and if he has money he must give eighty four dirhams. The evidence of this is the following verse:

�Certainly Allah helped you in many battlefields.�[97]

Since the number of battles fought till the time of the revelation of this verse were 84. Then I broke the third seal and read the question and reply: The Imam (a) had answered the query about the penalty for a person who digs up a grave, beheads the corpse and steals the shroud cloth. The reply in the handwriting of His Eminence was as follows: The hands of the thief shall be cut off due to the theft he had committed. And he must be fined 100 dinars for beheading the corpse because we consider a corpse equal to the fetus that has not yet received the soul and the Diyah of �Nutfa� is 20 dinars�till the end of the verdict. When Abu Ja�far Muhammad bin Ali Nishapuri returned to Khorasan he saw that those, whose monies His Eminence had rejected, had started following the Fathiya religion. However, Shatita still followed the true faith. He conveyed

the Salaam of His Eminence, Kazim (a) to her and gave her the purse and piece of shroud cloth. Then as the Imam had forecasted she remained alive for 19 days and when she passed away, Imam (a) arrived on a camel. At the conclusion of the rituals he mounted his camel and headed towards the desert saying: �Relate the matter to your companions and convey my salaams to them. And tell them that I and the Imams like me inevitably come to attend their funerals wherever they may go in the earth. So (always) keep the fear of Allah (piety) in yourselves.�[98]

guide by the rules that they have been abandoned. And he is named Qaim because he will arise with the truth.�[100]

In the book, Ghaibat Nomani it is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Imam Baqir (a) that he said:

�His Eminence, Qaim (aj) will arise with a new code of religion, a new book and fresh verdicts that shall be severe upon the Arabs.�[101]

And in reply to a query regarding the method and style of His Eminence, Mahdi (aj), His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Imam Sadiq (a) said:

�His Eminence, Qaim will complete the same program that the Holy Prophet (s) had adopted. He will destroy the previous foundations just as the Holy Messenger (s) destroyed the system of Jahiliya (age of ignorance) and began Islam anew.�[102]

In another report similar to this narrated from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) it has come and from the same Hazrat [Imam Baqir (a)] that he said:

�Indeed when our Qaim arises, he will call the people to a new religious concept just as the Holy Prophet (s) had done and initiated Islam in a strange way. And it will return in a strange way just as it had begun. Blessed are the strangers.�[103]

It is related from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he said:

�Islam began in a queer way and again just like that it will return to its original condition, thus blessed be the strange ones.� Abu Baseer asked, �Please explain this to me, that will the Almighty Allah reform your condition?� The Imam replied, �The caller from us

will call anew, just as the Messenger of Allah (s) had begun his call.�[104]

The same Holy Imam (a) is reported to have said:

�As if I can see Qaim (a) upon the pulpit wearing his cloak. He takes out from his cloak a sealed proclamation. Then he breaks the seal and reads out the proclamation. The people become horrified and scatter away from him like goats and sheep and except for his close confidants none remains with him. Then he says something, hearing which those who had run away from him are compelled to return. And I know what he would say.�[105]

by heart. Because this compilation is different.�

In Kafi it is reported from Salim bin Abi Salma that he said:

�I heard a man read out a portion of Quran to His Eminence, Abi Abdullah Sadiq (a) in way that was absolutely different from the manner it is recited. So His Eminence, Abu Abdullah (a) told him not to recite it like that. He urged him to read it in the usual way that people generally read till the reappearance of the Qaim (aj). Thus when His Eminence, Qaim reappears he will recite the Book of Allah according to its rules and he will bring out a copy of Quran inscribed by Ali (a). Then he said: �When Ali (a) completed writing it and became free after its compilation he took it out to the people saying: �This is the Book of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime as Allah revealed it upon His Eminence, Muhammad. Indeed, I have compiled it from two tablets.� The people said: �We have a compiled copy with us and we do not need this (your) copy.� He said: �By Allah, after this day, you will not see it ever. It was only incumbent on me to inform you after I have compiled it, so that you may read it.�[110]

It is mentioned in Ihtijaaj that:

�When the Messenger of Allah (s) passed away, Ali (a) collected the Quran and took it to the Muhajireen and Ansar (Emigrants and Helpers), because the Holy Prophet (s) had willed him about it: Thus when Abu Bakr opened

it; on the first page he had opened, the disgrace of the community was obvious. Umar was shocked and he said: �O Ali, take it back as we have no need of it.� So His Eminence, Ali (a) took it and went away. Then they summoned Zaid bin Thabit who was a Qari (reciter) of Quran and Umar said to him: �Ali brought the Quran he has written but it contained disgrace of the Muhajireen and Ansar. In our opinion we should compile the Quran omitting the criticism of the Muhajireen and Ansar.� Zaid agreed to it but said: �If I were to compile the Quran as per your directions and later on Ali publicizes his version, would your labors not be wasted?�

Umar said: �There is no other option except to kill him and rid ourselves.� So they hatched a plot to kill His Eminence at the hands of Khalid bin Walid but the plot failed. And when Umar became the caliph, he ordered Ali (a) to bring his Quran so that they may alter it between them. He told His Eminence: �O Abal Hasan! The Quran that you brought to Abu Bakr was very good. Now bring it again to us so that we may have a consensus upon it.�

Ali (a) said: �Alas, that is not possible! At that time I had brought it to you to exhaust the argument on you. So that on the Day of Judgment you cannot complain that you were ignorant of it. And you cannot blame me for

not showing it to you. Indeed, the Quran that is with me cannot reach the possession of anyone except the pure ones and the successors from my descendants.�

Umar said: �Is there a fixed time of the publication of this Quran?� Imam replied, �Rather it is at the time of the reappearance of the Qaim from our Progeny. He will bring it out. And he will make the people follow it, thus he will apply Sunnah on it.��[111]

I say: It is possible that the secret of naming His Eminence, Qaim (aj) as Quran-e-Azeem (The Great Quran) is the same that he will command by the Quran and urge people to read it and act according to it, and that he is the expression of the Quran and the one who will make it popular. In Tafseer al-Burhan it is narrated from Hissan Amiri that he said:

I asked His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) regarding the verse:

�And certainly We have given you seven of the oft-repeated (verses) and the grand Quran.�[112]

He replied: It was not revealed like this. It is as follows:

And certainly We have given you the seven oft-repeated (verses) and the grand Quran.[113]

We are those and the Quran-e-Azeem is the son of the son.�

It is related by Qasim bin Al-Urwah that His Eminence said regarding the verse:

And certainly We have given you seven from the oft-repeated (verses) and the grand Quran.

That is: �Seven Imams and Qaim (a).�[114]

I say: Perhaps the meaning of seven Imams is according to their seven names and the tradition of Fatima

(a) is also to be kept in mind and the Quran-e-Azeem is the son of son who would be His Eminence, Qaim (a). Because it is related in Biharul Anwar that Ali (a) said:

�There are two names for him; one of it is secret and the other publicized. The name that shall remain confidential is Ahmad and the name that shall be publicized is Muhammad.�[115]

Supporting this matter is a tradition that the writer of Biharul Anwar has quoted from Yunus bin Abdur Rahman on the authority of someone who had heard him narrate:

I asked His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) regarding the verse:

�And certainly We have given you seven of the oft-repeated (verses) and the grand Quran.�

He replied: �The apparent allusion is the Surah Hamd and the hidden denotes the son of son and the seventh of them is Qaim (a).�[116]

On the basis of this � the second possibility � the turning of �Quran-e-Azeem� upon �Saba is from the aspect that it be especially remembered by His Eminence, Qaim (a), due to an important matter that is remembered from that honored personality. And for the meaning of �Mathani� it is possible that it may be denoting all the verses of the Quran. This possibility is further supported by the following verse:

�Allah has revealed the best announcement, a book conformable in its various parts��[117]

Also the first possibility that he said:

�As-Sab-a�l Mathaani.�

In a tradition of Imam Sadiq (a) that previously we narrated from Ghaibat Nomani in which he said:

�As if I can see the Shias of Ali

holding in their hands the �Mathaani���

It supports this meaning and the interpretation from Quran to Mathani is due to the repetition of its revelation that once it was revealed as a whole on the Shab-e-Qadr on the Baitul Ma�moor and after that from there it was revealed on the Holy Prophet (s) gradually in stages in a period of twenty-three years.[118] Perhaps with this view it would specifically denote Suratul Fatihatul Kitab (Hamd) � as narrated from Amirul Momineen (a) � and the interpretation of that as Mathaani is due to its repetition in every prayer compulsorily or due to the repetition of its revelation. And that they have compared Imam-e-Zamana (a) to �Mathaani� or due to the fact that they, in relation to the Prophet are sons of sons in the second degree of sonship due to his relationship with the Prophet according to the human world and the aspect of creation of human beings. And that Her Eminence, Fatima (a) is in the first category or from the aspect of the fact that they are of second category with respect to the Quran. Just as the Hadith Thaqlayn proves this meaning. This hadith is Mutawatir through the Shia and Sunni sources. However from the Sunni sources it is narrated from Abu Saeed Khudri that he said: The Messenger of Allah (s) said:

�O people, I leave behind among you two weighty things, one of them is greater than the other. The Book of Allah, the Mighty and the Sublime; and it is the rope

stretched from the heavens to the earth and my progeny, my family and these two will not separate from each other till they return to me at the side of the Hauz (Pool of Kauthar).�[119]

The third possibility is that since with relation to the Holy Prophet (s) in the rank they are after him, the word �Mathaani� denotes them. From the aspects of divine sciences and intellectual levels they are of the second rank as the Messenger of Allah (s) has said:

�I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gateway.�[120]

Amirul Momineen Ali (a) has also said: �The Messenger of Allah (s) opened a thousand doors of knowledge to me and each door opened a thousand doors.�[121]

These are the matters that came in my view in solving the doubts and in researching this topic and the Almighty Allah is cognizant of the real facts. Though there are some other aspects also that are remote possibilities and have not been discussed here as it would unnecessarily prolong the discussion. Those who wish to study in more detail may refer to Miraatul Anwaar wa Mishkaatul Asraar of Shaykh Abul Hasan Shareef.

my forefathers and descendants but denies Mahdi from my descendants is like one who accepts the prophethood of all the prophets but denies the prophethood of His Eminence, Muhammad (s).�

Abdullah bin Abi Ya�fur says:

I asked: �Who is the Mahdi from your descendants?� He replied: �The fifth descendant of the seventh Imam, whose person will remain hidden from your view and uttering his name is unlawful for you.�[122]

There are a large number of traditions on this topic, some of which we shall narrate in the eighth part, if Allah, the Almighty wills.

2. Revenger of the blood of Husain (a) and the martyrs of Kerbala

It is mentioned in Majmaul Bahrayn that:

�Revenger is one who under no circumstance rests till he does not avenge the blood shed from his side.�

We read in Ziarat Aashura:

�I beg Allah, Who honored you above others, to be generous towards me on account of you, and give me the opportunity to be with the victorious Imam, the descendant of Muhammad (s) at the time of the final and decisive war to take revenge for you.�

In Bihar quoting from Ghaibat Nomani from Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) under the description of the qualities of Imam Qaim (aj) he said:

�His mission is nothing but the complete extermination (of those who will oppose him). He will not leave anyone (from the enemies of truth.�[123]

Ayyashi has mentioned in the exegesis of the verse:

�And whoever is slain unjustly, We have indeed given to his heir authority, so let him not exceed the just limits in slaying; surely he is

aided.�[124]

The report of Salaam bin al-Mustanir from His Eminence, Baqir (a) that he said:

�It was Husain bin Ali (a) that was martyred unjustly and we are his successors. When the Qaim from us rises he will set out to revenge the blood of Husain (a). Then he will unleash such killings that it will be alleged that he is doing Israaf (excess) in killing.�[125]

His Eminence also said:

�The one killed is Husain (a) and his Wali is Qaim (a). And the Israaf in that killing is: He would kill other than his killer. (that is Mansoor) because he will not leave the world till by the medium of a man from the progeny of the Messenger of Allah (s) he gets help and victory such that he would fill the earth with justice and equity just as it would have been fraught with injustice and oppression.�

In another traditional report in Kafi from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) with reference to the same verse it is mentioned:

�It was revealed about Husain (a). If people are killed due to him it is not Israaf (excess).�[126]

In the book Ilalush Sharai it is narrated from His Eminence, Baqir (a) that he said:

�When my grandfather, Husain (a) was martyred, the angels raised up their lamentations of protest in the court of Allah, the Mighty and the Sublime, and they said: �O God, owner of discretion! Will you ignore the one who has killed Your chosen one, son of Your chosen one and the best of creations?�

The Almighty Allah revealed to

them: �O My angels, rest assured. By My Mighty and Glory, I will indeed take revenge from them � even if it be after sometime.� After that Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, removed the veil from the faces of the Imams from the progeny of Husain (a). The angels became glad and noticed that one of them was standing up in prayers. Allah said: �I will take revenge from them from this Qaim (the standing one).�[127]

In Kafi it is narrated from His Eminence, Abi Abdullah Sadiq (a) that he said:

�When Husain (a) was martyred, the heavens and the earth and all that is in it lamented and said: �Lord, permit us to destroy all the creatures and to renew the earth again as they have considered Your sanctity lawful (to defile) and have slain Your chosen one.� So the Almighty Allah revealed to them, �O angels, O My heavens and O My earth! Rest assured!� Then He removed a curtain behind which were visible, Muhammad and the twelve successors. He held the hand of the Qaim from among them and said: O My angels and O My heavens and O My earth, I will help them. He repeated it thrice.�[128]

In Ghayat al-Maraam the great traditionist, Sayyid Hashim Bahrani has quoted a tradition from the Ahle Sunnat channels in the narration of Me�raaj (ascension) as follows:

�The Almighty Allah said: O Muhammad! would you like to see them? I said: Yes! The Lord said: Turn towards the right of the Arsh. When I turned in that direction,

I immediately saw Ali, Fatima, Hasan, Husain, Ali bin al-Husain, Muhammad bin Ali, Ja�far bin Muhammad, Moosa bin Ja�far, Ali bin Moosa, Muhammad bin Ali, Ali bin Muhammad, Hasan bin Ali and Mahdi (a) surrounded by effulgence, reciting the prayers in standing position. And he, that is Mahdi (a) was among them like a brilliant star. The Almighty Allah said: These are the Divine Proofs and he is the revenger of your progeny. By My honor, he is the necessary proof for My friends and the revenger from My enemies.�[129]

In Biharul Anwar the qualities of His Eminence, Qaim (a) are described by His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) in the following tradition:

�There will be some men whose hearts will be as strong as iron and who will not have an iota of doubt and regarding their faith in Allah they shall be as solid as rocks. They shall be so valiant that if they were to attack mountains, they could move them from their place. And to whichever area they turn they shall destroy it and for seeking blessings and to create courage in the hearts they will keep kissing the saddle of Imam Qaim (a). They shall be right upto the expectations of the Imam.

They shall be men that do not sleep at night. They shall be busy all night in prayers. The sound of them reciting the Quran will seem like humming of the bees. They shall spend the night standing and in the morning mount their horses. In the night they will

be like monks and ascetics and in the day they shall be like ferocious lions. They shall be more obedient to their Imam than a slave girl is to her master. Their heart (from the aspect of faith) will be like lanterns in which the flame is lighted. They shall be fearful of Allah. They shall invite towards martyrdom. They shall be eager to be killed in the way of God. Their slogan shall be: Yaa Tharatal Husain! That is: �Revenge of the blood of Husain!� When they march, their awe shall precede them for a distance of one months travel (far away). It is through them that Allah will help the true Imam.�[130]

It is narrated from His Eminence that he said:

�When the Qaim (a) rises up, he will slay the grandsons (descendants) of the killers of Husain (a).�[131]

A tradition of His Eminence, Reza (a) has explained the logic behind this and it says that they would be killed due to their satisfaction at the deeds of their ancestors and because they used to boast and feel proud of it. And it is well-known that one who is satisfied at something, it is just as if he has committed it.

In the book, Al Muhajja Feema Nazala Lil Qaaimil Hujjah it is mentioned that Imam Sadiq (a) said regarding the verse:

�And one who is killed unjustly�[132]

This verse is revealed about Husain (a). If his Wali (successor) kills the people of the earth it will not be Israaf (extravagance). And his Wali is Qaim (a).�[133]

our master, the master of the time, may Allah bless him, is the most elegant and handsome person in the world because he is most closely resembling the Holy Prophet (s). As mentioned in the Kitabul Hujja of Sayyid Bahrani and others also quoting from Ammar that he said:

�The Holy Prophet (s) said: O Ammar, Allah, the High and the Mighty made a covenant to me that nine Imams will emerge from the loins of Husain and the ninth of them will disappear from the public and he it is about whom Allah, the Mighty and the Sublime says:

�Say: Have you considered if your water should go down, who is it then that will bring you flowing water?�[134]

There will be a prolonged occultation for him, such that a group will give up faith in him and others will remain steadfast. Thus when it is the last age of time, he will reappear and fill up the earth with equity and justice just as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression. And he will make war for the interpretation of Quran just as I fought for its revelation and he will have the same name as mine and he will be most closely resembling me.�[135]

In Kamaluddin it is narrated from the Messenger of Allah (s) that he said:

�Mahdi is from my progeny, his name is same as mine and his patronymic is (also) same as mine. He most closely resembles me by way of manners and appearance. He will have occultation and astonishment; such that

people will go astray in it. Then he will appear like a shooting star. He will fill the earth with justice and equity as it would have been teeming with tyranny and oppression.�[136]

Also in the same book there is a tradition of Imam Sadiq (a) from his forefathers from the Messenger of Allah (s) that he said:

�Mahdi is from my descendants. His name is my name and his patronymic (Kunniyat) is my patronymic. He most closely resembles me in appearance and behavior than all the people. There will be occultation and confusion for him. So much so that people will deviate from their religion. Then a time will come when he would appear like a shooting star and he would fill up the earth with equity and justice just as it would be brimming with injustice and oppression.�[137]

Also in the same book through the chains of narrators going upto the Messenger of Allah (s) it is narrated in a tradition of Ibne Abbas that:

�From the offspring of Husain (a), He has designated Imams who will stand by my affair and will protect my will. The ninth of them will be the Qaim (a) of my Ahle Bait (a). He will be the Mahdi (aj) of this nation and the most similar to me in traits, words and deeds.�[138]

Now since you are aware that His Eminence is most closely resembling the Messenger of Allah (s), you must know that indeed, it has been proved from textual proofs of the traditions that the Messenger of Allah (s)

was the most elegant and handsome person of all humanity. Note the following traditional report from Thiqatul Islam Kulaini in Kafi quoting from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Imam Baqir (a) that he said:

�The complexion of the Holy Prophet (s) was fair with a reddish hue. His eyes were big and black. His brows were joined. His fingers were heavy, as if gilded with molten gold. The bones of his shoulders were broad and strong. When he used to turn towards anyone at the right or the left, he used to turn his whole body (due to his firm physique). Hairs covered his chest from the top until the navel. He had a body like clean silver and above his shoulders his neck used to appear like an oriental silver flask. He had a long nose, such that when he drank water, it touched the surface. And when he walked he walked with the head bowed down as if descending a slope. None was seen like him in appearance before or after him.�[139]

In Biharul Anwar it is quoted from Shaykh Tusi�s Ghaibah that Amirul Momineen (a) said from the pulpit:

�A man shall come from my progeny in the latter days; he will be fair complexioned with a touch of red, of a broad abdomen, with legs of ample width, and high shoulders. On his back are two signs, one of the color of his skin and another like the sign of the Messenger (a).�[140]

Through Ahle Sunnat sources it is narrated that the Holy Prophet (s) said:

�Mahdi

is the Peacock of the folks of Paradise.�[141]

And it is also quoted from His Eminence, the Messenger of Allah (s) that he said:

�The Mahdi is a man from my progeny, his complexion is Arabic and his physique is Israeli. On his right cheek is a mole, like a glittering star.��[142]

Also from His Eminence, the Holy Prophet (s) it is related that he said:

�The Mahdi from us will have a broad forehead and a thin (pointed?) nose.�[143]

In the book of Tabsiratul Wali Feeman Raa-al Qaim al-Mahdi (a) of Abu Naeem Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Ansari it is narrated that:

�Some of the Mufawwiza and Muqassira (followers of predestination) sent Kamil bin Ibrahim Madani to His Eminence, Abu Muhammad Imam Hasan Askari (a) in Samarrah in order to debate with His Eminence. Kamil says: I was doubtful about myself entering Paradise except by following his faith. When I came to my leader, His Eminence, Abu Muhammad, I saw that he was wearing soft white clothes. I said to myself: The Wali and proof of Allah is wearing soft (expensive) clothes while he commands us to be equitable with our brothers-in-faith and to be helpful to them. He had prohibited us to wear such clothes. The Imam suddenly smiled and pulled up his sleeve. I saw that he was wearing coarse black woolen garment inside. And he said: It is for Allah and this is for you (the people). I became ashamed and sat down besides a door on which hung a curtain. Then a breeze blew a corner of

the curtain and I saw behind it a young boy of such a handsome countenance as if he were a piece of the moon. He was around four years of age. He called me: �O Kamil bin Ibrahim.� My body began to tremble and was inspired to reply at once: �Labbaik (Here I am) O my chief.� He said: �You came to confirm from the Wali and Hujjat of God that one cannot enter Paradise except having his Marefat like you and who says your statements? I said: Yes, by Allah! He said: On the basis of this every few will enter Paradise. By Allah, the group that enters Paradise is the one that says �Haqiyah.� I asked: O my chief, who are they?

He said, �A community that apparently claims to be attached and devoted to Amirul Momineen (a) and swears by his right but they do not recognize his rights and excellence.�

Then after remaining quiet for a few moments he said: �As if you had come to ask regarding the letters (beliefs) of Mufawweza. They have lied. Rather our hearts are the abodes of Allah�s hidden wisdom. Thus we desire whatever He desires: And we don�t desire except what Allah desires.

At that time the curtain returned to its previous condition and I was not able to raise it again. After that His Eminence, Abu Muhammad (a) glanced at me and smiling said: O Kamil bin Ibrahim, where are you sitting? While the Mahdi and the Divine Proof after me has informed about that which

was in your mind and about which you had come to ask. Then I got up and went out and after that I never saw him again.�[144]

In the incident of Muhammad bin Ubaidullah Qummi recorded in Bihar from Ghaibat Shaykh Tusi it says:

�I have not seen anyone as handsome and of such proportionate built.�[145]

Traditional reports about this matter are very numerous and perhaps we may be quoting them in other portions of this book. And how beautifully it is said:

A moon that has reached perfection in its beauty

Like an elegantly shaped reed

His face shines like a brilliant moon on a full moon night

And the sun has gone down in the redness of its cheeks

He became the owner of all elegance and beauty as if

All the beauty and elegance of the people is from him only.

And as for the comparison of His Eminence with a shooting star: Probably it is so because he will reappear all of a sudden as mentioned in some traditions on this topic or may be the simile is due to the fact that His Eminence is said to be like a brilliant star (comet). Supporting this possibility is a tradition that shall appear in the chapter of the �Noor� of His Eminence. Thirdly it is possible that the comparison may be due to the fact that he will repel and drive away satans in the same way as the shooting star drives them away. The Almighty Allah says:

�Except him who snatches off but once, then there follows him a brightly shining

flame.�[146]

have done so for the Holy Prophet (s). This will have to happen, his teeth will be smeared in blood and his forehead will be injured. No, by the One in whose hands is my life, the matter will reach such a stage that we and you would wipe blood and sweat from our faces, and so saying he passed his hand over his forehead.�[151]

I say: The word �Alaq� that appears in the text of the hadith, meaning �blood� and their wiping off sweat and blood is a metaphor for toils and laborious efforts or it could be denoting the wounds that people would have to suffer in the course of the mission � as mentioned by Majlisi (r.a.) � and in Kamaluddin it is narrated from Isa bin al-Khashshaab that he said:

I asked from Husain bin Ali (a): �Are you the master of this affair? He replied: �No, the master of the affair is that same �Tareed� and �Shareed�[152] who is the motor and revenger for his father, who is having the patronymic of his uncle and who would carry his sword on his shoulders for eight months.�

I say: As for the statement that he will be having the patronymic of his uncle, it points out the fact that one of the Kunniyat of His Eminence is Abu Ja�far, as mentioned in another traditional report from Hasan bin al-Mundhir:

�One day Hamza bin Abil Fath came to me and said: Greetings, last night a child was born to His Eminence, Abu Muhammad. And he ordered

that we should keep it confidential. He instructed that 300 goats be slaughtered for his Aqiqa ceremony.� I asked: What is his name? He replied: He is named M-H-M-D and his Kunniyat is Abu Ja�far.�[153]

Also it is reported from Muhammad bin Muslim that he said:

�I came to His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Muhammad bin Ali Baqir (a) in order to ask him about the Qaim of Aale Muhammad. His Eminence himself initiated the matter and said: O Muhammad bin Muslim, in the Qaim of Ahle Bayt of Muhammad (s) are present similarities to five prophets: Yunus bin Mata, Yusuf bin Yaqoob, Moosa, Isa and Muhammad � peace be on them all.

Similarity to Yunus bin Mata: Return from occultation as a young man though being advanced in age. Similarity to Yusuf bin Yaqoob: Occultation from the special people and general public and remaining concealed from the brothers and the becoming difficult of the matter on his father, Yaqoob inspite of less distance between him and his father, his family and his followers.

Similarity to Moosa: Always being in fear and the prolongation of occultation. Hidden birth and the exhaustion of his followers after him from the excessive torments and tribulations that they suffered till the Almighty Allah permitted him to appear and helped and assisted him against his enemies.

Similarity to Isa: Controversy regarding him; such that a group says: He is not yet born. And a group says: He is dead. And some people allege: He is killed and is no more.

As for his similarity with his grandfather,

Muhammad Mustafa (s): Taking up armed struggle and exterminating enemies of Allah and the Prophet; the tyrants and the oppressors. He shall be helped with the sword and awe and no flag shall be hoisted over him. Of the signs of his reappearance are: The advent of the Sufyani from Shaam (Syria), the advent of Yamani, the call from the sky in the month of Ramadan and a caller who will announce from the sky his name and his father�s name.�[154]

the cross shall be broken and the swine shall be killed and it is this point that is highlighted in the saying of the Almighty:

��that He might cause it to prevail over all religions, though the polytheists may be averse.�([157])([158])

Ali bin Ibrahim has written in the exegesis of this verse in his Tafseer that:

�This verse is revealed concerning the Qaim of the Progeny of Muhammad.�

In the book of al-Muhajja it is quoted from Ayyashi�s Tafseer that His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) said regarding the verse:

��and to Him submits whoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly��[159]

�When Qaim (aj) reappears, no part of the earth shall remain but upon it will be announced the testimony: There is no god except Allah. And Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.�[160]

There are very many traditional reports that emphasize this point, some of them we quoted in the foregone pages and some we shall present in the coming discussions, if Allah wills.

of the verse:

�Wherever you are, Allah will bring you all together.�[163]

And they are companions of Qaim (a).�

It is narrated that His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) said:

�This verse was revealed about the companions of Qaim (a) who would go missing.�

�Wherever you are, Allah will bring you all together.�

�They shall disappear from their beds and arrive in Mecca in the morning. And some of them will ride on a cloud, while they would be recognized with their names, the names of their fathers and their lineage.�

Mufaddal asked: �May I be sacrificed on you, which of them has greater faith?� He replied: �Those who sit on the cloud that day.�[164]

It is quoted from His Eminence, Abul Hasan Moosa bin Ja�far (a) that he said:

�By Allah, when our Qaim arises, the Almighty Allah will gather all our Shias from all cities and countries towards him.�[165]

And how beautifully it is versified:

Indeed, O son of the best of the people, you have given a generous gift. Such that you gathered all your devotees at your covering. Thus always through your favors grant refuge and shelter, because you are beyond the praise that is sung for you.

In Biharul Anwar it is reported from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he said:

�Then 30000 angels and 313 angels will descend on him.� Aban bin Taghlib asked, �Would all of them be angels?� He (the Imam) replied, �Yes, they would be the same who accompanied Prophet Nuh (a) in the Ark, who were with Prophet Ibrahim (a) when he was thrown into the

fire, who were with Prophet Moosa (a) when he split the sea for Bani Israel, who were with Prophet Isa (a) when he was raised upto the heavens. And there shall be another four thousand angels who were with the Holy Prophet (s) and 313 angels would be the same ones who participated in the Battle of Badr. 4000 would be those who had come down to fight on the side of His Eminence, Imam Husain (a) against his enemies, whom Imam Husain (a) did not allow to fight, so they still remain on his grave and weep and lament for his martyrdom; and they shall continue to do so till Qiyamat. The name of their leader is Mansoor. They welcome whoever comes to visit the tomb of Imam (a) and when the visitors return, these angels accompany them for some distance. When one of them falls ill they go to visit him, if one of them dies, they recite his funeral prayer and after his death they pray for his forgiveness also. And all of them are waiting in the same land for the time of the reappearance of Imam Qaim (a).�[166]

In the Hadith of Mufaddal from Imam Sadiq (a) it is reported that he said:

�O Mufaddal, he will reappear alone and come upto the Holy Kaaba alone. He will enter the Kaaba alone. He will remain alone there for the night. When it is late into the night and all the people go to sleep, His Eminence, Jibraeel and Mikaeel will descend with

rows of angels and Jibraeel will step forward and say: O chief and leader! Your prayer has been accepted, now the kingdom shall be yours. The Imam will pass his hand over his face and say:

O Chief, your word is accepted and your command is lawful.

Then he will stand between the Rukn and Maqaam and call out loudly: O my deputies! My special helpers, whom the Almighty Allah had kept alive on the earth, since before my reappearance to help me. Come to me at once! Thus these people will hear him from the east and the west wherever they might be, whether busy in worship or sleeping on their beds. His voice will reach to everyone of them and in an instant they would all reach Mecca and join him between Rukn and Maqaam. Then the Almighty Allah will command the �Noor� and a pillar of light will be established from the earth to the heavens through which all the believers of the earth receive light. The light of this effulgence will even enter their homes by which the believers shall be extremely happy.�

(after some text, Mufaddal continues):

I said: O my master! Would the Qaim stay in Mecca itself?

He replied: �No, O Mufaddal, he would appoint a representative from his Ahle Bayt and leave. And as soon as he leaves, the people of Mecca will rush upon his appointee and slay him. Upon getting this news he will come back to find the people of Mecca standing before him repentive and saying: O Mahdi

of the Progeny of Muhammad! We repent, we repent. The Imam will give them good counsel, warn them of divine punishment and again appoint a representative among them. Then he will depart from there. Again as soon as he departs again these people will attack his deputy and slay him. Now the Imam, from his helpers, will send Jinns and deputies over there and order them to go there saying, �Leave those who bring faith; and apart from this do not leave a single man alive. If the mercy of your Lord hadn�t encompassed everything, and I am that mercy, I would have also accompanied you there. Those people have not left any excuse between Allah and me and between them.� Thus, I swear by Allah, those jinn helpers would come to Mecca and not leave even one in a hundred, rather one in a thousand persons alive.�

Mufaddal asked, �My master, please tell us where would be the blessed residence (Baitush Sharaf) and the headquarters of the believers?�

Imam Sadiq (a) said, �Their capital would be Kufa. Their policies will be issued from the Jame Mosque. Their treasury would be at Masjid Sahla and from there the booties shall be distributed.

Mufaddal asked, �O Master, would all the believers at that time reside in Kufa only?�

The Imam replied, �Yes, by Allah, every believer would be living there or in the surrounding areas. There the price of a horse will reach upto 2000 dirhams and most people would desire that even if a span of Saba land is

available for a span of gold they would purchase it. And Saba is a province of Hamadan.�[167]

I say: Perhaps, the statement that no believer shall remain except that he would be residing there or in the surrounding areas may imply that they all would be present there as visitors or would be converging there to meet or see the Holy Imam and they won�t be shifting there permanently. And supporting this possibility is the sentence after this that says: �Most people will desire�� as it is also possible that the words denote:

�They shall be inclined or attracted to it.� The same is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) in Biharul Anwar and other books. And the tradition that supports the first interpretation is quoted in Biharul Anwar from Ghaibah of Shaykh Tusi that His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) said:

�When the Qaim (a) arrives in Kufa, not a believer would remain but that he would be present there or would travel to that place.�[168]

And of all the evidences that the believers will gather around our master, the master of the time, may Allah bless him and hasten his blessed reappearance, is a tradition that Shaykh Sadooq has included in Kamaluddin quoting from His Eminence, Abul Hasan, Imam Ali bin Muhammad Hadi Askari (a) that he was asked regarding the statement of the Holy Prophet (s): �Do not make enemies of the days as they will be (in retaliation) inimical to you.� The Imam said: �It implies �our� days. Due to us, as we

have raised up the skies and the earth; thus Sabt (Saturday) is the name of the Messenger of Allah (s); Ahada (Sunday) is the name of Amirul Momineen, Ithnain (Monday) are Imams Hasan and Husain, Thalatha (Tuesday) is Ali bin Husain, Muhammad bin Ali, al-Baqir and Ja�far bin Muhammad Sadiq; Arba-a (Wednesday) is Moosa bin Ja�far, Ali bin Moosa and Muhammad bin Ali; Khamees (Thursday) is my son, Hasan and Friday, is the son of my son. And it is through him that the party of truth will gather and it is him that would fill the earth with justice and truth just as it would have been fraught with injustice and oppression. Thus this is the meaning of �days� and that you must not be inimical to the days in this world or they would be inimical to you in the Hereafter.�[169]

Miratul Uqool:

The pronoun �his hands� either refers to Allah or to the Qaim (a) and on the basis of this, both of them denote the metaphor of mercy, affection and power or victory and on the basis of the latter the possibility is about literal implication and not of a metaphor and thus the sentence: Thus their intellects are gathered�is having two aspects:

First: That His Eminence will gather their intellects on the confession of truth and they will not have any other difference.

Second: The intellects of all of them shall be brought together. That is their mental prowess and the animal desires will he reined by the power of reason. And they shall accompany him in such a way that after that there will be no disunity due to scattering of intellects. Some have explained in this way; but in my view the first probability is stronger and the pronouns �by it� refers to �yad� (hand) and the pronoun of �behi� is related to �waza-a� (he placed) or it refers to Qaim (a) �ahlaam� the plural of �hilm� (forbearance) is in the meaning of intellect.

I say: It is absolutely clear that the pronoun in �his hand� refers to Qaim (a) and the proof for this meaning is the saying of Imam Sadiq (a) in another hadith quoted in Kafi that:

�This affair (Imamate) shall reach to one who will be talked of. So when providence and the leave of Allah is accorded for him, he would reappear. Then people would ask, �What has happened?� Then the

Almighty Allah will place his hands on his followers.�

and arguing with him.�[175]

In another tradition it is narrated from the same Imam that he said:

�They would interpret the Book of Allah against His Eminence and on the basis of its sources make war upon His Eminence.�[176]

The same Imam has also stated:

�There are thirteen cities and tribes against whom the Qaim (a) will make war and they would also fight against His Eminence. The people of Mecca, the people of Medina, the Syrians, the Umayyads, the Basrans, the Damascenes, the Kurds, the Bedouins, the Zubba, the Ghina, the Bahili, the Azds and the people of Rayy.�[177]

In Kamaluddin it is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he said:

�The master of this affair has a similarity to Moosa, to Isa, to Yusuf and Muhammad (s).�

As for the similarity to Moosa: It is being fearful and watchful.

And as for Isa, it is that it would be said about him what was said about Isa.

And as for Yusuf it is the prison and the occultation.

And as for Muhammad (s) it is rising with the sword and he will follow the style of His Eminence and expound his traditions. At that time he would carry his sword in his right hand for eight months and continuously go on eliminating his enemies till the Almighty Allah is satisfied.�

Abu Baseer says that he asked, �How do we know that the Almighty Allah is satisfied?�

He replied, �The Almighty Allah will instill mercy into his heart.�[178]

In the tradition of Mufaddal from His Eminence, Sadiq (a) it is narrated that he said:

�Hasani

is that elegant youth who will emerge from Dailam and with an eloquent power of speech that he has, he shall plead: �O Progeny of Muhammad! Please harken to call of the distressed ones.� And this call will be issued from the Zari (perhaps the reference is to the Kaaba). Then divine treasures hidden in Taliqaan will harken to his call. These will not be treasures of gold and silver, but they will be strong men mounted on crimson horses and carrying weapons and slaying the oppressors they will reach Kufa, by this time most of the areas will be cleaned up and it will be a place of refuge for them.

Then the news of the reappearance of Mahdi (a) will reach Sayyid Hasani and his companions. His companions shall ask: O son of the Prophet, who is this gentleman that has entered our boundaries? He will reply: �Come on, lets go and see who it is�, while by Allah, Sayyid Hasani would know that it is Mahdi, and he shall say that, only so that they may recognize the companions of His Eminence. Then Hasani shall come out till he would reach to the Mahdi (a). Then he shall say: If you are the Mahdi of Aale Muhammad, where is the staff of your grandfather, the Prophet, his finger ring, his dress and coat of armor (Fazil)? Where is (Sahaab) his turban, Yarbu (his horse), Ghazba (his camel), Duldul his horse, Yafoor his donkey and the original horse of the Messenger of Allah (s),

Buraq and the Mushaf (scroll) of Amirul Momineen (a)?

Then His Eminence will show him all these things. He would take up the staff of the Prophet and hit it upon a hard stone, it would instantly produce sparks. His aim by this is to show the greatness and excellence of Mahdi (a) to his companions so that they pledge allegiance to him.

Then Sayyid Hasani would remark, �God is the Greatest (Allaahu Akbar), O son of the Prophet, give me your hand so that I may pledge allegiance to you. Mahdi (a) will stretch out his hand. Sayyid Hasani and his companions will pay allegiance to him. But 40000 persons having the scroll, who will be known as Zaidiyyah, will not pay allegiance, saying: This is great magic.

The armies shall confront each other. Mahdi (a) will come out towards the deviated group and dispense good counsel to them, inviting them towards himself, but they would persist in their infidelity and rebellion. His Eminence will order that they all be killed and they shall be put to the sword.

Then Mahdi (a) will say to his companions: Do not take their Qurans, leave it as it will cause them despair just as they have changed and tampered it and they have not acted according to it.�[179]

There are numerous reports concerning this matter, some of which shall be quoted in the topic of the elimination of the infidels, if Allah, the Almighty wills.

al-Amari that he said:

�The master of this affair shall perform the Hajj rituals every year. Thus he shall see the people and recognize them and they shall (also) see him but will not recognize him.�[180]

I say: Among the traditions that prove the recommended nature of praying for Hajj pilgrims is a tradition quoted from His Eminence, Sadiq (a) in Faqih that he said:

�When it is the time for the overnight halt at Arafat the Almighty Allah sends two angels to search the faces of the people. So when they do not find anyone having habituated himself to Hajj, one of them tells the other: In what condition is such and such person? The other angel replies: Allah knows better. Then he says: O God! If poverty prevents him from coming, make him self sufficient. And if he is having debts, please liquidate them for him. If some illness has prevented this person from attending, give him cure. And if he has departed from the world, forgive and have mercy on him.�[181]

This hadith proves that it is recommended to pray for one who has habituated himself to perform the Hajj regularly every year as is very much clear. And this matter shall be further elaborated in the topic of the similarity of His Eminence to His Eminence, Khizr, if Allah, the Almighty wills.

Almighty Allah will reform the earth for the Qaim of Aale Muhammad (s), that is after the injustice and oppression of the inhabitants of the earth.

�And truly We showed him Our signs�

For the Qaim of Aale Muhammad.

��they may understand��[183]

His Eminence, Abu Ibrahim, Moosa bin Ja�far (a) is reported to have said regarding the verse:

��gives life to the earth after its death��

�Not through rain, rather the Almighty Allah will raise a man, then the earth shall be revived due to the establishment and revival of justice and the application of a single penal law in it will be more beneficial than forty days of rain.�[184]

In Jawahir it is reported from Sudair that he said:

His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) said:

�The enforcement of one act of the penal law on the earth is more purifying than forty days of rain.�[185]

In Al-Muhajja it is narrated from Halabi that His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq was asked about the explanation of the verse:

�Know that Allah gives life to the earth after its death��

He replied: �It means through justice after injustice and oppression.�[186]

one who is obedient to Allah will be our friend and follower. And whoever disobeys Allah, is our enemy. Our Wilayat cannot be achieved except by good deeds and keeping away from sins.�

There are numerous traditions on this topic. Indeed, just as the obedience of God becomes a cause of love in the same way His disobedience is the factor for its decline, as explained by His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) in Kafi:

Amirul Momineen (a) said: �There is no person except that there are forty shields over him till he commits 40 deadly sins. Thus when he commits forty major sins the shields are removed from over him. Then the Almighty Allah reveals to the angels to shade that person by their wings. So the angels begin to cover him with their wings. Then he does not leave a single sinful act but that he commits it. So much so that he even begins to boast about his sins to people and talks openly about them. So the angels say: O our Lord, this servant of Yours has not omitted a single act of sin and we are very much ashamed of what he has done. So the Almighty Allah reveals upon the angels to remove their wings from him. When this happens this person begins to have enmity towards us, Ahle Bayt.�[188]

to your Masjid � that is the Masjid of Mecca. The people of Mecca will recognize that they are not the natives of Mecca. All of them shall be carrying swords engraved with a Kalima (word) from which will issue a thousand Kalimas (words). Then the Almighty Allah shall send a breeze that calls out in every valley, �This is Mahdi, who shall judge like Prophet Dawood and Sulaiman and he shall not need any testimony.�[189]

The same book has quoted the saying of Abu Abdillah Ja�far as-Sadiq (a) that he said:

�When the Qaim (a) reappears, there will be a sign for every person by which he would recognize whether he is righteous or evil-doer. And in it is the sign for those who possess reason and it is the right path.�[190]

In Bihar it is quoted from the Ghaibat of Sayyid Ali bin Abdul Hamid from his chain of authorities from Abu Baseer from Imam Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he said:

�Imam Qaim (a) will judge a case according to the verdict of His Eminence, Adam (a) and some of his companions will oppose him. So he would summon them and strike off their necks. Then he would judge the second case according to Prophet Dawood (a). Some people will oppose it and they shall also be put to death. Then he will judge the third case according to the judgment of Prophet Ibrahim (a) and again some will oppose and they shall also be eliminated. After that he will decide the fourth case according to

the law of Prophet Muhammad (s) and now there will not be anyone who opposes him.�[191]

he will in the same way pick 500 people of non-Quraishite origin and also have them executed. He will repeat this procedure six times. The narrator says: I asked: Will their number be such at that time?�

He replied: Yes, by himself and his followers.[194]

It is quoted from His Eminence, Imam Sadiq (a) that he said:

�When the Qaim (a) rises up he will demolish the Masjidul Haraam upto its original construction and restore the Maqaam-e-Ibrahim to its prior location. And he will cut off the hand of Bani Shaybah and hang it upon the Kaaba and on it write: These are the thieves of the Kaaba.�[195]

I say: We have already discussed this matter in the forgone pages and if Allah, the High wills, we shall again elaborate upon it in the topic of the elimination of the infidels and the destruction of the foundations of infidelity and polytheism.

dwellers of the heavens and its inhabitants will rejoice his rise. He is a man of broad forehead and a high nose.�[197]

It is narrated through Sunni authorities that the Messenger of Allah (s) is reported to have said:

�Even if a single day remains from the tenure of the world, the Almighty Allah shall raise a person whose name is same as mine and whose manners and appearance are like mine.�

We can also refer to those traditions that have been mentioned by us in the topic of elegance of His Eminence.

Khulq (Manners): According to the dictionary meaning it refers to habits and disposition. On the basis of this it could be said that His Eminence would resemble the Holy Prophet (s) in general behavior and good qualities and habits, especially in interpersonal relationships. This is further supported by the quotation of the author of Kashful Ghumma, Muhammad bin Yusuf Shami in Kifayatut Talib in which, after this tradition, he says:

�The statement of the Messenger of Allah (s) that his manners and habits are like mine, is the best metaphor of the revenge of Mahdi (a) from the disbelievers just as the Holy Prophet (s) had been such that the Almighty Allah has said:

�And most surely you conform (yourself) to sublime morality.�[198]

He further adds: The humble and worthless servant of Allah, Ali bin Isa (may Allah have mercy on him) says:

That the statement is the best metaphor, is an occasion of surprise. It is not known how the word �Khulq� is construed to be only concerned with

taking revenge from the infidels while it is well known that the manners of the Holy Prophet (s) included all the general aspects of behavior, that is kindness, knowledge, forbearance and courage�from the mannerisms that are mentioned at the beginning of this book, it is more surprising that he has brought the evidence of the verse for his own opinion.[199]

I asked: �If I am able to live till that period, what action I should perform?�

He replied: �O Zurarah if you live till that time you must recite the following supplication:

�O Allah introduce Yourself to me. For if You don�t introduce Yourself to me I will not recognize Your Prophet. O Allah introduce Your Messenger to me for if You don�t introduce Your Messenger to me I will not recognize Your Proof. O Allah introduce Your proof to me for if You don�t introduce Your proof to me I will deviate in my religion.��[201]

I say: In another tradition this supplication is as follows:

�O Allah, introduce Yourself to me; for if You do not introduce Yourself to me I shall not recognize You. O Allah, introduce Your Prophet to me; for if You do not introduce Your Prophet to me I will not recognize him. O Allah, introduce Your Proof to me; for if You do not introduce Your Proof to me I shall deviate in my religion.�[202]

In Kafi, in a sermon, Amirul Momineen (a) is reported to have said:

�And You O Lord, do not leave Your earth without Proof over the creatures whether he be apparent and not obeyed or fearful and unknown, so that Your Proof is not invalidated and Your friends are not led astray from guidance.�[203]

In Part Two it has already passed that Imam Moosa bin Ja�far (a) said:

�He is my fifth descendant. He shall have an occultation which shall be prolonged due the risk to his life.�

In Kamaluddin it is narrated

from the author�s own chain of authorities from His Eminence, the Chief of those who prostrate, the fourth Imam (a) that he said:

�In His Eminence, Qaim (a) are present similarities to seven prophets. The practice of our father, Adam, the practice of Ibrahim, the practice of Moosa, the practice of Isa, the practice of Ayyub and the practice of Muhammad (s). As for the practice of Adam and Nuh (a) it is a long life. As for the similarity with Prophet Ibrahim (a) it is a concealed birth and being away from the people. And from Moosa it is the fear and occultation. And from Isa is that he will have discord regarding him. With Ayyub (a) he shares the occurrence of triumph after difficulties. And from Muhammad (s) he will share the aspect of advent and armed uprising.�[204]

In the same book it is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he said:

�In the Master of this affair are present, practices (Sunnah) of four prophets: Moosa, Isa, Yusuf and Muhammad (s). From Moosa is being fearful for his life and his occultation, from Yusuf is the imprisonment, from Isa it is that it would be said: He is dead, while it would not be so. And as for the similarity with Muhammad (s) it will be his advent and rising up with the sword.�[205]

Again the same book, Kamaluddin quotes a statement of His Eminence, Sadiq (a) from his father (a) that he said:

�When Qaim (a) rises up he would say:

�So I fled from

you when I feared you, then my Lord granted me wisdom and made me of the apostles��([206])([207])

And also in this book we have the author�s own chain of narrators reporting from Zurarah that he heard: His Eminence, Sadiq, Ja�far bin Muhammad (a) say:

�For Qaim (a) before his uprising there will be an occultation.� I asked: �May I be your ransom, why is it so?� He replied: �He shall fear (for his life),� so saying the Imam gestured towards his belly and neck.[208]

In al-Muhajja it is narrated from Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) that he said under the exegesis of the verse:

�Allah has promised to those of you who believe and do good that He will most certainly make them rulers in the earth as He 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 shall serve Me, not associating aught with Me.�[209]

�That is the Qaim and his companions.�[210]

Eminence said:

�The Hour shall not be established till the one who will rise up with the truth from among us does not appear. And that is the time when Allah, the Mighty and Sublime will give the permission. Thus whosoever follows him will get salvation and whosoever denies him will be destroyed. Thus for the sake of Allah, for the sake of Allah, O people, go to him even if on ice and snow. Because he is the Caliph of Allah.�[212]

Another traditional report supporting this, is quoted in Biharul Anwar on the authority of Kashful Ghumma quoting Sunni narrators from the Messenger of Allah (s) that he said:

�Mahdi will reappear having a cloud that shall be shading him; upon which a caller would be calling: This Mahdi is the Caliph of Allah. Follow him.�[213]

Another tradition of the Holy Prophet (s) is also narrated from Sunni chain of narrators that says:

�My Ummah will enjoy a leisure in the time of the Mahdi (a) the like of which they have never enjoyed. The heavens will shower over them bountifully and the earth will not leave any vegetation but to bring it forth.�[214]

and sciences and recognition of truth that all the Imams (a) have displayed; some of them during their own times for reform. However His Eminence, Qaim (a) will display all of them, thus all the excellences�will become apparent by his reappearance.

O Allah, hasten the reappearance of Your Wali and ease his advent and make us from his companions and Shias

Supporting this matter is a tradition that Shaykh Sadooq has narrated from his respected father (a):

Imam al-Sadiq (a) narrates from his forefathers that the Messenger of Allah (s) said, �Surely Allah, Mighty and Glorified be He, chose Friday from the days, the month of Ramadan from the months, the Night of Power (���� �����) from the nights, chose me from all the Prophets and chose Ali (a) from me. He granted him (Ali) superiority over all the successors. From Ali (a) He chose Hasan (a) and Husain (a) and from Husain (a), He chose the successors from his descendants. They (descendants) will dispel the distortion of the exaggerators (�����) from the Quran, the plagiarism of the liars and the interpretation of the deviated ones. The ninth of them is their Qaim (aj) and he is their apparent and their concealed.�[216]

In Kafi it is mentioned under the tradition of a monk who became a Muslim at the hands of our master, His Eminence, Kazim (a):

Thus the monk asked: I have been informed about eight letters[217] that are revealed and four of them have become apparent and the remaining four still remain in the space. For whom are

these four letters that remain in the space are revealed? And who would interpret them?

The Imam replied:

�He is our Qaim. Thus the Almighty Allah will reveal them upon him, and he will interpret them. And upon him shall be revealed things that are not revealed upon the truthful ones, the messengers and the guided ones.�[218]

Matter pertaining to this topic shall again be presented under the discussion of �exposition of sciences�, if Allah wills.

the Holy Prophet (s) that he said in his sermon delivered in Masjid Kheef:

�There are three things that the heart of every Muslim is not dishonest about them:

1. Sincerity of deeds for Allah

2. Well-wishing for Imams and leaders of the Muslims

3. Following their congregation, because their call is widespread for all those who are in its pursuit.�[220]

I say: It means the call (supplication) of the Imams (a).

In Kafi also from his chain of reporters it is narrated from a man of Quraish from the people of Mecca that:

Sufyan Thawri said to him, �Take me to Ja�far bin Muhammad (a).� He says that I went with him to the Imam but when we reached there, he was mounted on his beast. Sufyan said: �O Aba Abdillah please repeat for us the sermon that the Messenger of Allah (s) delivered at Masjid Kheef.� He replied: �Leave it for the time being. I am going out for some work and I will narrate it after I return, as I am already mounted.� He said: �I ask you for the sake of your relationship with the Messenger of Allah, tell us about it.� So His Eminence dismounted and Sufyan said: �Please call for pen and paper for me so that I may note it down from you directly.� So His Eminence called for ink and paper and said: �Write: Bismillaahir Rah�maanir Rah�eem. Sermon of the Holy Prophet (s) in Masjid Kheef: Allah likes one who listens to my words and places them in his heart and conveys them to

those who have not heard it. O people it is necessary for those who are present to convey it to those who are absent. How often it is that one who reports a point of law while he himself is not capable to think and reflect on it. And many a times it is so that he narrates points of knowledge and jurisprudence to one who is wiser and more intelligent than him. There are three things in which the heart of a Muslim is not dishonest: 1. Sincerity of deeds for Allah. 2. Well-wishing for Imams and leaders of the Muslims. 3. Following their congregation, because their call is widespread for all those who are in its pursuit. The believers are equal and their blood is same. They are united against others. The smallest of them makes effort to fulfill their pledge.� Sufyan wrote down this tradition and then repeated it to His Eminence. After that His Eminence, Sadiq (a) mounted and went away. I and Sufyan also came away. On the way he said to me: �Just wait, let me look at the tradition again and think upon it.� I said: �By Allah, by quoting this tradition, Abu Abdillah has made something obligatory on you, from which you can never be free.� �What duty?� he asked. I said: �As mentioned in this tradition there are three things in which a Muslim is not dishonest: The first is sincerity in deeds for Allah; we have understood it but the second one about well-wishing for

Imams and leaders of the Muslims; who are these Imams that it is necessary for us to wish well for them? Is it Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan, Yazid bin Muawiyah and Marwan bin Hakam? Those whose testimony is not valid for us and prayer behind whom is not correct? And the third point: Following their congregation, what congregation is it? Is it the Murjiah sect who say that even one who does not pray and fast and does not perform ghusl or one who demolishes the Kaaba and beds with his mother, he is equal in faith to Jibraeel and Mikaeel? Or is it the sect of Qadariyya which says that what Allah wants does not happen and that which Satan wishes happens? Or is it about the Hururiya sect that abuses Ali Ibne Abi Talib and calls him a disbeliever? Or the Hellish sect that says faith is only the recognition of Allah and nothing besides that?� Sufyan said: �What a strange thing you said. Now tell me what the Shias say?� I said: �They say that Ali Ibne Abi Talib (a) is an Imam, loving whom sincerely is obligatory and it is necessary to remain in the congregation of Ahle Bayt.� Hearing this, he took the paper from me and tore it up and told not to inform anyone about it.�[221]

Another tradition that supports the fact that the Imam of every age prays for his Shias is one quoted in Biharul Anwar on the authority of Manaqib Ibne Shahr Aashob. It is narrated

by Moosa bin Sayyar who says:

�I was with His Eminence, Reza (a). When we had reached the gate of the city of Tus I heard the sound of wailing. I looked around for the source and suddenly decried a bier being carried out. When I looked, I saw that our master (His Eminence, Reza (a) suddenly alighting from his mount and heading towards the bier. Then he took it upon his shoulders and came towards us in such a way that he did not separate from the bier just as the kid of a goat does not leave its mother. Then he turned towards us and said: O Moosa bin Sayyar, one who follows the bier of one of our Shias is absolved of all his sins, as if he is like a newborn child and there is no sin upon him. And when I saw the bier of that man being placed besides the grave I noticed my master moving the people back. Then he placed his hand on the chest of the corpse and say: O so and so, son of so and so, good news of Paradise to you, as after this moment there is no fear for you. I said to Imam Reza: May I be sacrificed on you, do you know this person? Because this is a place you have never visited before. He replied: O Moosa bin Sayyar, you don�t know that the deeds of our Shias are presented to us, Imams, every morning and evening. Then for each

of their shortcomings we beg the Almighty Allah to forgive them and for each of their good deeds we pray the Almighty to reward them.�[222]

One more tradition that lends support to this fact is narrated from Amirul Momineen (a) when he addressed Zumila or Dumila. It is as follows:

�O Zumila there is no believer that falls ill but that we are also afflicted with his illness. And none is aggrieved but that we are also aggrieved for him. And none supplicates but that we say Amen for him. And none remains quiet but that we pray for him.�

The complete tradition will, Insha Allah be quoted in Part Five. And if you pay attention to the blessed epistles (Tawqees) of Imam Mahdi (a) quoted in Ihtijaaj you would be further convinced about it. And Allah guides the mankind to salvation. That which proves this matter is a tradition that Muhammad Ibn al-Hasan as-Saffar has recorded in Basairud Darajaat through his own chain of authorities from Abu Rabi Shami that he said:

I told His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a): �A tradition has reached me from Amr bin Ishaq.� He said: �Relate it.� I said: �He came to Amirul Momineen Ali (a) and His Eminence saw paleness in his face.� He asked: �Why is your face so pale?� So he explained his illness. His Eminence told him: �We become happy due to your happiness and are aggrieved due to your grief. We become ill due to your illness and we pray for you. And when you supplicate we

say: Amen.� Amr said to Amirul Momineen (a): �I am aware of what you said, but how is it that we supplicate and you say: Amen?� His Eminence replied: �It same for us whether we are present or at a distance.� Imam Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) said: �Amr has reported truth.�[223]

and ask: �Towards what are you inviting?� The Qaim will inform him about it. Then Jibraeel will say: �I am the first to pay allegiance to you, give me your hand.� Thus he would clasp his hand while 300 odd person will be present with the Imam. Then they would all also pay allegiance to His Eminence. He would remain in Mecca till the number of his followers increase to 10000, then he would march to Medina.�[226]

In a long traditional report it is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he said:

�Then he will go and call the people to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet (s) and the Wilayat (mastership) of Ali Ibne Abi Talib (a) and towards aloofness from the enemies.�[227]

It is narrated from the same Imam that he said:

�When our Qaim rises up he will invite the people to a new faith just as the Messenger of Allah (s) had done so. And Islam began strange and it would return to strangeness. Then blessed be the strange ones.�[228]

It is reported from Abu Baseer that he quoted His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) thus:

�Islam began strange and in the end would return to the same condition. Then blessed be the strange ones.� Abu Baseer asked: May Allah bless you, please explain this to me. He replied: �An inviter from among us will initiate a new call just as the Messenger of Allah (s) had invited.�[229]

Letter �A�. In addition to this a tradition recorded in Kharaij also supports this. Alaan has narrated from Zareef from Nasr the servant that he said:

�I came to the Master of the Time when he was in the cradle. Then he said to me: Bring red sandalwood for me. I brought it. Then he asked: Do you know who I am? I replied: Yes, you are my master and the son of my master. He said: �I did not ask about it.� I said: �Please explain it to me.� He said: �I am the seal of the legatees and only through me are the calamities warded off from my Shias.�[230]

Shaykh Sadooq has also related this tradition in Kamaluddin[231] with a slight difference. And in Ghayat al-Maraam it is quoted from Musnad of Ahmad Hanbal through his chain of authorities from Ali (a) that he said:

The Messenger of Allah (s) said: �The stars are the means of security for the inmates of the sky; such that if the stars are destroyed they shall also be destroyed, and my Ahle Bayt are the means of security for the people of the earth. Thus if my Ahle Bayt go away the people of the earth shall also perish.�[232]

In the same book a tradition is mentioned on the authority of Hamuwaini, a prominent Sunni scholar from his own chain of narrators that the Messenger of Allah (s) said:

�Stars are the means of security for the folks of the sky and my family is the means of security for the

folks of my community.�[233]

In Kifayatul Athar through the author�s own chain of narrators it is related from Abu Saeed Khudri that he said:

�I heard the Messenger of Allah (s) say: My Ahle Bayt are means of security for the people of the earth just as the stars are security for the folks of the heavens. It was asked: �O Messenger of Allah (s), so the Imams after you will be from your family?� �Yes,� he replied, �There shall be twelve Imams after me, nine of them shall be from the progeny of Husain, they shall be trustworthy and infallible. From us is the Mahdi of this community. Know that, they are my Ahle Bayt and my Progeny, they are my flesh and blood. What will happen to the people who hurt me with regard to them as the Almighty Allah will not allow my intercession to reach them?��[234]

In that same book, His Eminence, Husain bin Ali (a) is reported to have quoted the Messenger of Allah (s) that he said:

�The first thing that the Almighty Allah created was His veil, then He wrote on its hem: There is no god except Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and Ali is his successor. Then He created the Arsh and on its edges He inscribed: There is no god except Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and Ali is his successor. Then He created the Tablet (Lauh) and wrote on its perimeter: There is no god except Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and

Ali is his successor. Thus whoever claims to love the Prophet but does not love the successor, is a liar. And whoever thinks that he recognizes the Prophet but does not recognize the successor, has resorted to disbelief. Then he said: Know that, my Ahle Bayt are means of security for you, so love them. Remain attached to my love and theirs so that you may never go astray. It was said: Who are the Ahle Bayt, O Messenger of Allah (s)?�

He replied: �Ali, my two (Sibts) grandsons and nine persons from the descendants of Husain (a) are the righteous, trustworthy and infallible Imams. Know that, they are my Ahle Bayt and my Itrah; they are my flesh and blood.�[235]

In Ghayat al-Maraam it is narrated from Jabir Jofi through his chain of reporters that:

I asked His Eminence, Muhammad bin Baqir (a): �What it is that is in need of the Prophet and the Imams?�

He replied: �They are needed for the survival of the universe in a good condition itself. And that Allah, the Mighty and the Sublime keeps away divine wrath from the people if the Prophet or Imam is among them. The Almighty Allah says:

�But Allah was not going to chastise them while you were among them.�[236]

The Holy Prophet (s) has said that they are means of security for the folks of the heavens and my Ahle Bayt are security for the inhabitants of the earth. Thus if the stars die, the folks of the heavens have to face unfavorable circumstances and if my

Ahle Bayt go away from among you the inhabitants of the earth will have to suffer calamities.�[237]

In Ikmaluddin and Amali, it is reported from the compiler�s own chains of narrators from the chief of the worshippers, Imam Sajjad (a) that he said:

�We are the Imams of the Muslims and the Divine Proofs over the worlds; we are the leaders and masters of the believers and the chiefs and guides of the righteous of the world. We are the masters of the people of faith. And we are the security for the inhabitants of the earth just as the stars are means of security for the inmates of the heavens. We are those through whom the Almighty Allah holds the sky aloft so that it does not crash upon the earth except by His permission. And through us He guards the earth so that it does not shake up its inhabitants except by His permission. And through us He sents down the rain and through us He spreads the bounties and brings out the treasures of the earth. And if our proof is not present on the earth it would swallow its inhabitants. Then he said: Since the day the Almighty Allah created Adam, the earth is not devoid of the divine proof, whether apparent and known or hidden and concealed. And it will not be devoid of divine proof till the Day of Judgment, otherwise the Almighty Allah will not be worshipped.�

Sulaiman bin Mehran says:

I asked Imam Sadiq (a): �How do the people derive benefit

from the Imam who is hidden?� He replied: �Just as they benefit from the sun that is hidden behind the cloud.�[238]

I say: The reason why His Eminence is being compared to the sun shall be discussed under the topic of the benefits of this Holy Personality, Insha Allah Taala.

It is reported from the Chief of the worshippers, Imam Sajjad (a) that he said:

�When the Qaim arises, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime will remove calamities and illnesses from our Shias and He shall make their hearts as solid as iron.�[239]

The complete text of this traditional report shall be presented under the letter �Q�, if the Almighty Allah wills.

you I shall send rain to My creatures and ward off calamities from them. If you hadn�t been there I would have sent My chastisement upon them.�[240]

and each of them are humiliated and disgraced during the rule of other.�[242]

In Biharul Anwar it is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he said regarding the verse:

�Their eyes cast down; disgrace shall overtake them; that is the day which they were threatened with.�[243]

�That is: the day of the advent of the Qaim.�[244]

In Tafseer of Ali Ibne Ibrahim Qummi it is reported from His Eminence, Abi Abdullah Sadiq (a) that he said regarding the verse:

�And whoever turns away from My reminder, his shall be a straitened life.�[245]

�This condition, by Allah is for the Nasibis (enemies of Ahle Bayt).� Muawiyah bin Ammar said: May I be sacrificed on you, I have witnessed them leading a long life of prosperity and comfort till their death. His Eminence said:

�By Allah, there is a terrible condition for them during the Raja�t (return to life during the time of reappearance of Imam Mahdi) such that they will eat waste matter.�[246]

will be no disbeliever or a polytheist but he will dislike his rise. Even if there will be a disbeliever or a polytheist inside a rock, the rock will call out, �O, believer, there is a disbeliever or a polytheist inside me, so kill him.� So Allah brings the disbeliever to him, and he kills him.�[248]

Also in Biharul Anwar, Amirul Momineen (a) has described the qualities of His Eminence, as follows:

�During his government the beasts shall make peace and the earth shall throw up its treasures and sky shall rain down its blessings.�[249]

In the same book it is narrated from the Holy Prophet (s) that he said:

�The Mahdi is a man from my progeny. His color is an Arabic color and his body is an Israelite body. There is a mole on his right cheek, like a glittering star. He will fill the earth with equity and justice as it will be full of oppression. The dwellers of the heavens and the earth and birds of the sky will be happy in his rule.�[250]

In another tradition it is narrated from His Eminence that he said:

�The Mahdi will rise while there will be a cloud over his head from which a caller will be calling. This is the Mahdi, the Vicegerent of Allah; follow him.�[251]

In the same book it is quoted from Saad as-Saud from the scroll of Prophet Idrees (a) that:

��and in that time I shall bestow security to the world. Thus nothing will receive harm from anything. And no living thing shall fear any

other creature. At that time the quadrupeds shall be among the humans and they shall not harm each other. I shall take away the sting of every stinging creature and make their venom ineffective. And I will send the blessings from the heavens and the earth and the earth will become green with its vegetation and all types of fruits will grow and put forth different kinds of perfumes and I will put mercy and love among the people.�[252]

It is narrated from Amirul Momineen Ali (a) that he said:

�When our Qaim reappears, the sky will send down rain and the earth will expose its treasures. Malice and hatred shall disappear from the hearts of the people; beasts and animals will live in amity. So much so that a lady will travel to Iraq and Syria walking only on greenery and grass and wearing her ornaments and no beast will frighten her.�

Traditions supporting the above have already been quoted under the letter �A�.

Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) when a person said to His Eminence:

�May Allah bless you, as you know, Ali Ibne Abi Talib (a) used to wear coarse woolen clothes and use very cheap garments etc�while you have put on a new dress.� The Imam said: �Ali Ibne Abi Talib (a) wore such clothes at that time so that it may not seem extravagant and hence people would have rejected it. But if such clothes are worn today it would seem odd. Thus the best garments of every age are those that are the garments of that time except that when our (Ahle Bayt�s) Qaim arises he will take to wearing the dress of Ali (a) and he shall display his manners and behavior.�[253]

I say: Probably Amirul Momineen Ali (a) meant the same thing in his statement to Abu Abdullah Jadali when he said: �Shall I not inform you about the nose and eye of Mahdi?� He replied: �Please do.� Then His Eminence thumped his breast and said: �I am, because the nose implies the leader or the master of the affair and eye signifies something/someone who is similar to it.� Thus His Eminence is the nose of Mahdi, that is his leader in his actions and his eyes is his own supposition in piety, worship, manners, valor and all the good qualities and excellences of His Eminence. And this usage is common and well-known in idiom and general conversation. For example when something is having most of its qualities same as another thing it is

said that it is the �Ain� of it. And as for the usage of the word �nose� in Arabic language to denote chief or predecessor we can present the example of the following line of Arabic poetry:

A nation that is the �nose� and others are its followers.

And Allah knows best.

In the same book it is narrated from Mualla bin Khunais that he said:

�One day I mentioned to His Eminence, Abu Abdullah Sadiq (a): I recalled the progeny of so and so (that is Bani Abbas) and the bounties they possessed and said to myself: If the kingdom had reached you, we would also have shared in your wealth and had a prosperous life. The Imam said: Alas, O Mualla, by Allah, if we had the reins of the government in our hands, we would have prayed during the nights and in the day cared for the welfare of the people. We would have worn coarse clothes, ate low quality food. Except regarding this have you seen that Allah, the Mighty and the High has made the usurpation of rights a bounty?�[254]

In Biharul Anwar it is quoted from Shaykh Tusi through his own chains of narrators from Abu Baseer that His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) said:

�Why are you impatient for the advent of Qaim (a)? By Allah, there will be no garments except the coarse ones and no food except barley with bran. His advent is not except with the sword and death under the shade of the sword.�[255]

In the same book it is narrated

from His Eminence, Reza (a) that he said:

�Today you are more comfortable than you would be at that time.� The narrator asked: �How?� The Imam replied: �If the Qaim rises there would be nothing except blood, sweat and toil. People mounted on horses will rush in all directions. The dress of the Qaim will be coarse and his food shall be hard.�[256]

3. Ziarat of His Eminence at the tomb of Abi Abdullah al-Husain and other Infallibles (a)

That which proves this point is the matter quoted in Biharul Anwar under the account of Green Island:

Sayyid Shamsuddin said in reply to the narrator who had asked: Does the Imam (aj) performs the Hajj?

He said: �The world is a step for the believer, what can be said about the one that except for whose existence and that of his forefathers this world has not been created? Yes, he performs the Hajj every year and he visits his forefathers in Medina, Iraq and Tus.�[257]

As for praying for those who visit the graves of the Masoomeen (a) it is obviously expected from all those who have faith in the religion of Islam. The tradition of Muawiyah bin Wahab from Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) also supports this point. It was that the Holy Imam (a) recited a long supplication for the pilgrims of the tomb of Husain (a) and he begged the Almighty Allah to bestow them a great reward. He also beseeched the Almighty to make them righteous. Then he remarked:

�O Muawiyah, those who pray in the heavens for the

pilgrim of Imam Husain (a) are more than those who pray for them on the earth.�[258]

The full text of the above tradition shall be presented in Part Eight, if Allah wills.

of His Eminence

From that which has been mentioned in the topic of the good manners of His Eminence and that which shall come in the �calls� explains the matter. And also in Biharul Anwar quoting from Shaykh Nomani from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) it is mentioned:

�As if I could see that this religion of yours is in its terminal stage and no one is able to restore it to you except a man from Ahle Bayt who will pray for your forgiveness twice every year and give you two salaries (incomes) every month. In his time, wisdom would be bestowed upon you in such a measure that ladies sitting at home will dispense justice on the basis of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (s).�[262]

In another tradition it is narrated from His Eminence:

�All the apparent and hidden wealth of the world will be brought together for him and the people would be told: Come and take this, for which you had broken off relations and shed innocent blood and for obtaining which you had committed unlawful acts.

Then His Eminence would give them so much as none before that has done.�[263]

A tradition of the Holy Prophet (s) has been recorded through Sunni channels that he said:

�A person will come to the Mahdi and say: Give me. The skirt of this man will be filled with so much money that he would not be able to lift it.�[264]

In another tradition from their channels it is mentioned that:

�Such wealth will be

accumulated at that time that when a person will come and say: O Mahdi, give me. The Mahdi will say: Take it.�[265]

In Ghayat al-Maraam it is narrated through their channels that the Messenger of Allah (s) is quoted by Abu Saeed Khudri to have said:

�Monies and wealth will be piled up at that time. Whoever will come and request him for funds will be given as much as he could carry.�[266]

In another hadith from Abu Huraira it is mentioned that:

The Messenger of Allah (s) said: �In the last period of time there shall be a caliph who would distribute incalculable wealth.�[267]

I say: Matters pertaining to this subject shall be discussed in the topic of the munificence of His Eminence, if Allah the High wills. And how nicely it is said:

�Good morals in your hands have achieved a status, thus all your wealth is lawful for the people, and if one day generosity locks up and closes its door, then you are the key to those locks.�

Someone else says:

He is the sea that bestows from all its sides. And its waves are goodness and well-being for the shores.

His hands are in the habit of giving, even if he were to keep the fist closed, his fingers will not obey him.

If indeed there is nothing in his hand except his soul, he will give that also, so the one who is asking should fear Allah.

The writer of this book, may Allah forgive him, has composed the following couplets on the same lines:

Indeed the one who created the

perfect morals

In the being of Adam for the Imam-e-Qaim.

for our Maula, Hazrat Hujjat (a) � even though all of them (a) are intercessors on the Day of Judgment � their intercession will not be for anyone who is a denier in our master, the master of the time, (thus for them there shall neither be any intercessor nor any helper),[269] even though they may believe in the Imamate of all the Imams (a). It is from this aspect that in Kamaluddin it is narrated from Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) that he said:

�Whosoever believes in the Imamate of my forefathers and descendants but denies the Mahdi from my descendants is just like one who has faith in all the prophets but denies Muhammad (s).�[270]

There are other narrations also on this topic that we could have quoted but for the intelligent people this much would be sufficient.

3. Shahadat (Testimony) of His Eminence for us

In Kafi under the exegesis of the verse:

�How will it be, then, when We bring from every people a witness and bring you as a witness against these?�[271]

Abu Abdillah (a) said concerning the above words: �It was sent down especially for the community of Muhammad (s). In every generation of them there will be an Imam from amongst us, who is a witness over them, and Muhammad (s) is a witness over us.�[272]

It is also narrated from His Eminence, that he said:

�And we are witness over mankind. So, on the Day of Resurrection, we shall confirm the truth of those who confirm the truth of us, and, on the Day of Resurrection,

we shall attribute untruth to those who attribute untruth to us.�[273]

�I asked Abu Ja�far (a) about the words of Allah, to Whom belong Might and Majesty:

�Thus we appointed you a midmost people�[274]

He said: �We are the mid-most people and we are the witness of Allah, the Blessed, the Sublime, over His creatures, and His Proofs on His earth.��[275]

It is mentioned from Amirul Momineen Ali (a) that he said:

�Verily, Allah, the Blessed, the Sublime, has purified us, made us immaculate and made us witness over His creatures, and His Proofs on His earth. He has linked us with the Quran and linked the Quran with us. We shall never part from it, nor shall it part from us.�[276]

4. Sharaafat � Nobility of His Eminence

It is mentioned in Bihar, quoting from Nomani through his own chain of authorities that Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) was asked:

Has the Qaim taken birth? The Imam replied: �No, but if I live till his time I shall serve him all my life.�[277]

I say: Dear intelligent reader, pay close attention to these statements and take heed of these teachings, it should not be, God forbid, that instead of serving the Holy Imam (a) all our life we may cause hurt to him like a sword due to our bad character and acerbic words.

Isa and the patience of Ayyub.�[278]

We have already mentioned sayings connected to this matter under the topic of calamities of His Eminence. Moreover, how beautifully it is said:

�The grief that I suffer is such that Yaqoob did not have to experience even a little bit of it, and all the calamities of Ayyub are but a part of the troubles that afflict me.�

It is so because all the types of calamities will come together for His Eminence and they would be prolonged thus causing the intensification of the tribulation and sufferings. Think over it and the reality of the matter will become clear to you. Thus it is necessary that you pray for His Eminence with all sincerity and invoke the Almighty for his reappearance.

I, my master am on this day your guest and refugee.�

In Part Three we have previously given some matter pertaining to this subject. Sayyid bin Tawus says in Jamaal al-Usbu�:

I reach you wherever I travel.

In whichever city I may be, I am always your guest.

Here I would like to quote a narrational report that in my view is not inappropriate to our subject matter.

In the book of Darus Salaam it is quoted from Tabarsi�s Mishkaat that:

A man asked His Eminence, Abul Hasan (Imam Hadi) Askari (a): How is it that Abu Dalf is having 4001 villages? He replied: One night a believer became his guest and he also presented to him a big tray full of dates numbering 4001. Thus the Almighty Allah rewarded him with a village for each date.

that he said:

�By Allah, indeed I and these two sons of mine will be martyred, and indeed the Almighty Allah will raise up a man from my descendants in the last period of time in order to revenge our blood, he will disappear from the sight of the people to keep away from the people of deviation and the misguided souls till the ignorant people will say: Providence is not needful of the Progeny of Muhammad (a).�[281]

I say: In letter �A� matter pertaining to this topic has already been presented to some extent and in the coming pages some more points will be provided, if Allah, the High wills.

reappearance of the Qaim, as help and victory is for him alone.�[284]

In the discussion about the knowledge of His Eminence we shall present additional matter that supports this point.

3. Z�ulm � Injustice of the Enemies upon His Eminence

Ali bin Ibrahim has reported from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) through his own chain of narrators in his Tafseer that the Imam said regarding the verse:

�And whoever defends himself after his being oppressed.�[285]

�It means that the Qaim and his companions; because it is them, against whom there is no way and when the Qaim arises he would take revenge from the Bani Umayyah, the deniers and the haters of himself and his companions.�[286]

In the book of al-Muhajja the same report is quoted from Muhammad bin al-Abbas from his own chain of reporters from a channel other than that of His Eminence. And in the Tafseer of Ali bin Ibrahim it is narrated from Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) that he said regarding the verse:

�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��[287]

The Ahle Sunnat say: This verse is revealed for the Holy Prophet (s) when the infidels of Quraish expelled him from Mecca, while actually it is for Qaim (a) that when he would reappear he would take revenge for the blood of Husain (a), and it is His statement that we are heirs eligible for blood money.�[288]

The late Sayyid Bahrani has also narrated from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir

(a) that he said:

�This verse is regarding the Qaim and his companions.�[289]

In the books of al-Muhajja and Biharul Anwar it is narrated from His Eminence, Baqir (a) that he said:

�When Qaim (a) reappears he will rest his back on the Sacred House (Holy Kaaba) and while he would be taking refuge in it. He would call out till he says: And I put you under oath for the sake of the rights of Allah, the rights of His Messenger and the rights of the relatives and kinsfolk of the Messenger of Allah (s) that you help me and to keep away from me anyone who does injustice to me because I am fearful, we have been oppressed and we have been rendered homeless from our town and children and��[290]

The complete text of the above narration shall be presented to the readers under the topic of the calls of His Eminence, if Allah the Almighty wills.

In Biharul Anwar it is quoted on the authority of His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he said:

�Qaim (a) will move forward and accompanied by his companions and people, reach Najaf. At that time the army of Sufyani will come out against His Eminence from Kufa. That day would be Wednesday. Then he would demand them to heed his call and fulfill his rights and he would announce that he is oppressed and he would say: Whoever has an argument against me with regard to Allah, I am the person most proximate to Allah.�[291]

In Kamaluddin through the author�s own chain

of narrators it is mentioned that Imam Husain (a) said:

�The Qaim of this Ummah is my ninth descendant and he is the one who would have an occultation and he is the one whose inheritance shall be distributed even though he would be alive.�[292]

In that same book under the report of Abu Khalid Kabuli it is narrated from His Eminence, Ali Ibne Husain (a) that he said:

�As if I can see Ja�far Kazzab helping the tyrant of the time in searching for the Wali of Allah. He will try to spy on him and not knowing about the birth of Imam Qaim, he will become the executor of his father�s estate and will desire that were he to gain upper hand on the Qaim he will eliminate him; and will be greedy for his inheritance, till he will usurp it wrongfully.�[293]

It is narrated from Rashiq in the Ghaibat of Shaykh Tusi that:

Motazid summoned us (three persons) and commanded that we should take two horses each and ride on one and lead the other empty and to reach Samarrah lightly and as quickly as possible. And he gave us specific instructions to reach a particular area and house and he said: When you reach that house you would see a black servant. After that enter the house and whomsoever you find there, bring me his severed head. Thus we reached Samarrah and made way to the house Motazid had specified. On the doorstep was a black servant spinning threads. We asked him who was present in

the house.

He replied: The owner. And by Allah, he did not stop us in any way. We entered the house as we had been ordered. The house was absolutely clean and there was a curtain in the front; so beautiful as we had never seen before. As if it was just made at that moment. There was no one in the house and we pulled the curtain aside. We saw a huge room having a river of water and at the end of which was a mat which seemed to be floating on the water. Upon the mat stood the most handsome man engrossed in prayers. He neither paid attention to us nor the means we had. At that moment Ahmad bin Abdullah, a person among us stepped into the water in order to enter the room. He began to sink in the water. He struggled with all his might to prevent himself from drowning till we stretched out our hands and pulled him out of the water. He fell down unconscious for sometime. The second time another member of our group repeated this. He also tried to step in the water to enter the room and he also fell down in the same condition. I was shocked and awed. Then I addressed the owner of the house: I seek forgiveness for you in the court of Allah, by Allah I don�t know what the matter is and to whom we have come and indeed I beg Allah for forgiveness.

However he did not give any

response to what I had said and he did not come out of his condition. Due to this a terrible awe struck us and we came out of there. Motazid was waiting for us and he had instructed the sentry that as soon as we came we should be taken to him immediately. We reached him in the middle of the night. He asked us about what had passed. We related to him everything in detail. He cried: Woe be unto you, did anyone see you before me? And did anyone else hear this from you? We said: No. He said: I am not the grandson of my grandfather � and he took a great oath � if I ever hear it I shall cut off your heads. Till he lived we also did not dare to relate this matter to anyone.[294]

4. Appearance of the perfections of the Imams and their manners and morals by the instance of the reappearance of His Eminence

In letter �Kh� under the topic of the completion of knowledge by His Eminence we had mentioned a tradition from the Holy Prophet (s) in the description of His Eminence, Qaim (a) that he is the apparent and the hidden of them (Imams). And it means � and Allah knows best � that: His Eminence is the one who will expose the hidden and apparent sciences that the Almighty Allah had bestowed to the Holy Prophet and the Holy Imam (a) and he is the expression of all their perfections and manners. That

which supports this point is a tradition quoted in Biharul Anwar in brief:

Amirul Momineen (a) was seated in the Masjid and some of his companions were in his company. They said to His Eminence: O Amirul Momineen, recite a sermon for us. He told them: My words are difficult and they shall be considered difficult. Except for the wise no one would be able to understand them.

The companions insisted on him that he must address them. So His Eminence told them: Get up. And he entered the house and said: �I am that one having greatness and then I subdued. I am the one who enlivens and causes to die, I am the first and the last and the apparent and the hidden.�

The companions became angry and they said: This is heresy! And they got up from there. Ali (a) commanded the door, �O door, close upon them!� The door shut automatically. Then His Eminence � may Allah bless him and peace be upon him � said: �Did I not say that my words are difficult and that they shall be found hard (to understand) and except for the wise none shall be able to understand them? Come here so that I may explain to you my statement. When I said I got superiority over you it was when I got this sword and I defeated you so that you may bring faith in Allah and His Messenger. When I said I bring to life and cause to die, I meant that I am the

one who enlivens that Sunnah (of Prophet) and I cause the innovations to die. When I said I am the first it implied that I was the first to bring faith in God and become a Muslim. And when I said that I am the last I meant that I was the last one to put a cloth over the Prophet and bury him. When I said I am the apparent and the hidden, it means that I am in possession of the hidden and apparent sciences.�[295]

If you pay attention to what we have mentioned in this part, the matter will become clear to you and you will know that His Eminence, Qaim (aj) is the expression of all the qualities of the Holy Imam (a).

as-Sadiq (a) from his grandfather Husain bin Ali (a) that he said:

A man came to Amirul Momineen (a) and said, �O Amirul Momineen (a), inform us about your Mahdi.� Amirul Momineen (a) said, �When generations come and perish, and believers become few, and the followers of righteousness and supporters of the religion go, then he shall be.�

He said, �O Amirul Momineen (a), from which tribe is he going to be?� Amirul Momineen (a) said, �From Bani Hashim, the best of the Arabs. He is an ocean who will water a world of oases and will not run short, who is oppressed by his kinsfolk, and an abode of purity when all will degenerate. He will not fear when deaths charge, and will not turn away (recede) when the faithful surround him, and will not hesitate when warriors struggle. He will be prepared, far-reaching, a victorious lion, a reaper, an injurer, a warrior, a sword from the swords of Allah, generous, and adventurous. His head will be high in dignity, his nobility firmly rooted in the most distinguished character. No discouraging leader � who will be moving towards mischief, who if speaks, is the worst speaker and if remains silent, possesses evil � should mislead you from following him.� Then he talked about the Mahdi and said, �He is the best refuge, the most knowledgeable, and the kindest of you all. O Allah, make the pledge of allegiance to him the occasion of exit from affliction, and unite the dispersion of the Ummah through him. When

it is permissible for you, do it, but do not turn away from him if you find your way to him. Ah,� said Amirul Momineen (a), pointing with his hand to his chest, expressing his anxiety to see to see the Mahdi.�[297]

by that fire. And that is Mahdi (a).[301]

I say: Traditions supporting the above shall come under the topic of �Q�.

of Allah will descend and pray behind him. And the earth shall be illuminated by his effulgence and kingdom and power will stretch to the east and the west of the earth.�

It is narrated from the Chief of the Martyrs (a) that he said:

�Even if only a day remains from the tenure of the world, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, would prolong it so much so as to allow a man from my progeny to appear. Then he would fill up the earth with justice and equity just as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression.� The narrator says: I heard the Holy Prophet (s) say the same thing.[302]

I say: Traditions recorded on this particular topic reach to the level of Mutawatir (widely narrated). Some of them would be quoted in the coming pages if Allah, the High wills. And that which becomes clear for us from contemplation and research on the use of this terminology is that �justice� is the general form of �equitability�. Because �equitability� is used in the fulfillment of rights of others. Like in the giving of testimony, judgment, criterion and weight etc. However justice is used in place of equitability as well as in other instances. While on the other hand equitability is not used in a way other than with regard to the rights of others. While justice is concerned with the person himself and is also for others. On the basis of this justice is on the whole connected to the rights while equitability is related to

the rights of other people. This is more clearly explained by the verses of the Holy Quran that mention both justice and equitability. And oppression is the opposite of equitability and injustice is the opposite of justice. Injustice denotes the trespass of rights but oppression implies the trespass of the rights of other people.

Traditions recorded on this matter prove that the rulers, kings and judges in the last period of time will oppress the people and in terminology they would be oppressors, they would also be committing injustice upon themselves. Thus when His Eminence, Qaim (a) reappears, he would remove oppression and he would establish a government of justice among the people. He would root out the oppressors till the time justice shall be established in all the world. No one would oppress anyone else.

Therefore His Eminence, Sadiq (a) is recorded in Biharul Anwar on the authority of Ghaibah Nomani to have said:

�By Allah, his justice will enter their houses just as the heat and cold enters.�[303]

Some traditional reports that explain the justice of His Eminence will be presented in the coming pages.

wills, in the letter �F�.

In the Tafseer of the verse: H�aa Meem A�in Seen Qaaf[309] it is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he said:

�H�aa Meem is to be �H�atmi� that is certain; A�in is for A�dhaab, that is punishment; Seen is for Sunoon, that is draughts and famines like in the times of Prophet Yusuf (a); Qaaf is for Qazaf, that is shots/missiles that will occur in the last period of time.�[310]

It should not remain hidden that: Prosperity and comfort of the situation after severity, and fruits received after toil and labor, are more pleasant than otherwise. From this aspect at the beginning of the tradition His Eminence has mentioned that:

�At the time of the conflicts and appearance of mischief��

It is also possible that the bestowals of His Eminence (aj) would be very pleasant and it is not related to request. Just as it is the habit of some people that when they give something they give in a very less quantity and they would behave as if they have done a great favor. Or it could also be from the aspect that His Eminence is the most munificent person and the best of them in nobility and greatness and there is no doubt that the bestowal of the noble one is more pleasant than of the others. Or it could be due to the fact that His Eminence shall bestow everything in excess as mentioned in a tradition related through Sunni channels that the Holy Prophet (s) said:

�In the last

period of time there shall be a caliph who would dispense wealth in huge quantities.�[311]

In another tradition it is narrated from His Eminence that he said:

�In that time wealth and income shall be in exceeding quantity. A man would say: O Mahdi give me. Mahdi will say: Take it.�[312]

These two traditions mentioned in Ghayat al-Maraam have previously been quoted in the topic of the generosity of His Eminence and appropriate matter will be further given in the discussion about the nobility of His Eminence, if Allah wills.

Anwar[316] from Imam Kazim (a) and after that is the following:

�My father be sacrificed on one who spends the night keeping awake and in vigil, and performs genuflections and prostrations (prayers).�

The complete tradition will be quoted in Part Six. On the basis of this to associate this tradition to His Eminence, Sadiq (a) as the writer of An-Najmus Thaqib has done is a mistake and also probably he had seen another tradition from His Eminence on the same topic.

live in the time of Qaim of my Ahle Bayt. Those who would believe in him during his occultation and before his advent, who would love his friends and remain aloof from his enemies. Such people would be my closest ones and my friends on the Day of Judgment.�[319]

It is narrated from Amirul Momineen Ali (a) that he said to his son, Husain (a):

�Your ninth descendant, O Husain is the same one who would rise with the truth (Qaim bil Haqq) and the one who would expound the religion and spread justice.� Husain asked: O Amirul Momineen, would this actually come to pass? He replied: Yes, by the one who sent Muhammad with prophethood, and chose him over all the people; but it would be after occultation and confusion during which period none shall remain steadfast and firm in his faith except the sincere ones, who have the soul of certainty. They are the ones from whom Allah, the Mighty and Sublime has taken oath on our Wilayat and has guarded faith in their hearts and supported them through the Holy Spirit.�[320]

It is related from Asbagh bin Nubatah that he said:

�I went to Amirul Momineen Ali Ibne Abi Talib (a) to find him engrossed in thoughts tapping with his fingers on the ground. I asked: O Amirul Momineen, are you vying for the caliphate? He replied: No, by Allah, neither I have any desire for it nor for any worldly matter at anytime. But I am thinking about the child who is the eleventh descendant

in my progeny. He is the same Mahdi who would fill the earth with justice, just as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression. There is confusion and occultation for him during which communities would go astray and other communities would be guided. Then I said: O Amirul Momineen, would this really come to pass? He replied: Yes! Just as he has been created.�[321]

It is narrated from His Eminence that he said:

�For our Qaim there is an occultation, which shall be prolonged. As if I can see the Shias resembling quadrupeds searching for pasture but being unable to find it. Know that, whosoever from them remains firm on his religion and whose heart is not hardened due to the prolonging of the occultation, then he shall be with us in our rank on the Day of Judgment. Then he said: When our Qaim arises, he would not have the allegiance of anyone upon his neck, therefore his birth shall be secret and he himself shall be in occultation.�[322]

It is also narrated from His Eminence that when His Eminence, Qaim (a) was mentioned in his presence he said:

�Indeed he shall go into occultation till the ignorant will say: For the Almighty Allah there is no need of Aale Muhammad.�[323]

It is narrated from His Eminence, Hasan bin Ali (a) that he said:

�There is none among us who did not have the allegiance of the tyrant ruler of his time around his neck, except for Qaim, behind whom the Spirit of Allah, Isa bin Maryam will pray.

Indeed, Allah, the Mighty and the Sublime has kept his birth secret and his person unseen. When he reappears, he would not have the allegiance of anyone upon his neck. He is the ninth descendant of my brother, Husain. He is the son of the best of the maidservants. The Almighty Allah will prolong his age during the occultation, then He would through His power, make him appear as a youthful man of less than forty years of age so that it may be known that the Almighty Allah is powerful over everything.�[324]

It is narrated from His Eminence, al-Husain bin Ali (a) that he said:

�The Mahdi of this nation is my ninth descendant. He would have an occultation and he is the one whose inheritance shall be divided while he is alive.�[325]

It is narrated from His Eminence, Ali bin al-Husain (a) that he said:

�There are two occultations for our Qaim, one of which shall be longer than the other. As for the first one, it would be for six days,[326] or six months or six years. And as for the second one it would be so long that most of those who have faith in this matter will turn back from their belief. Then they would not remain firm on this matter except those who have very strong faith and correct recognition, and in their hearts there is no discomfort from our decisions and those that submit to us, Ahle Bayt (a).�[327]

Regarding the verse:

�But nay! I swear by the stars. That run their course (and)

hide themselves.�[328]

It is related from Imam Baqir (a) that he said:

�That is a child in the last period of time. He is the Mahdi from this progeny. And for him there shall be a confusion and occultation in which a group shall deviate and a group shall be guided.�[329]

In a tradition related from Ibne Abi Ya�fur it is mentioned from Imam Sadiq (a) that he said:

�Whosoever believes in the Imamate of my forefathers and descendants but denies the Mahdi from my descendants is just like one who has faith in all the prophets but denies Muhammad (s).� The narrator asked: �My master, from which of you has Mahdi descended?� He replied: �He is the fifth descendant of the seventh Imam himself. He would disappear from you and it is not lawful for you to pronounce his name.�[330]

Also from Imam Sadiq (a) it is narrated that he said:

�The most proximate servants of Allah and those with whom Allah is pleased are those who when the proof of Allah disappears from sight and they don�t know about his location, yet they continue to have faith that the Proof of Allah can never be invalid and day and night they continue to wait for him. And the wrath of Allah is on those of His enemies who when the proof of Allah disappears from sight, they fall into doubts and denial. He (Allah) knew that His special servants will never fall into doubts and if it were not so He would not have taken away His Proof from

their sight even for a moment. And in this doubts and suspicions will reign supreme over the hearts of evil ones and such persons only become the leaders of mischief-mongers.�[331]

It is reported from His Eminence that he said:

�Occultation will happen for my sixth descendant and he is the twelfth of the Imams of guidance after the Holy Prophet (s), the first of whom is Ali Ibne Abi Talib and the last is the one who would rise with the truth (Qaim bil Haqq), the Remnant of Allah (Baqiyatullah) on the earth and the Master of the Age. By Allah, even if he remains in occultation as long as Nuh lived among his people, He will not end the world till he reappears. And he would fill up the earth with justice and equity just as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression.�[332]

It is narrated from Ali bin Ja�far from his brother, Moosa bin Ja�far (a) that he said:

�When the fifth descendant of the seventh Imam goes into occultation, for the sake of Allah protect your religion. None of you must let go of your religion. O son, occultation is necessary for the master of this affair. So much so that even those who say that it is a test from Allah, they would also turn away from him. And if in the knowledge of your forefathers there had been some other religion more correct and better than this, they would have followed that only.� I asked: �Master, tell us who is the fifth descendant

of the seventh Imam?� He replied: �Son, your intellects are small, he cannot be accommodated in it. Your understanding is so restricted that you cannot bear it, but if you live till that time you will indeed find him.�[333]

It is related by Husain bin Khalid that he said:

Ali bin Moosa ar-Reza al-Murtuza (a) said:

�One who does not have piety does not have religion and whosoever does not have dissimulation (Taqayyah) does not have faith and indeed the most honored among you near Allah is the one most pious of you. His Eminence was asked: Till when does he have to observe Taqayyah? He replied: Till the day of the appointed hour and on that day is the reappearance of our (Ahle Bayt�s) Qaim. Thus whosoever abandons Taqayyah before his reappearance is not from us. It was asked: O son of Allah�s Messenger, from which of Ahle Bayt is the Qaim? He replied: He is my fourth descendant, the son of the best of the maidservants. The Almighty Allah would, through him, purify the earth from every kind of oppression and remove every type of injustice from it. He is the one in whose birth the people would doubt and he is the one who would have an occultation before his reappearance. And when he arises, the earth shall be lit up with his effulgence. He would establish the scales of justice among the people so that no one may oppress the others. He is the one for whom the earth would warp itself and he

would not throw a shadow. And he is the one by whose name the caller would call out from the sky inviting people to the Imam which all the people of the earth would be able to hear.

one for whom the earth would wrap itself and every hardship would become easy for him. His companions numbering same as the fighters of Badr would gather around him from far off places of the earth. And that is the meaning of the verse:

�Wherever you are, Allah will bring you all together; surely Allah has power over all things.�[335]

Thus when this number gathers around him, the Almighty Allah would reveal his matter. And when the number of his helpers reach 2000, he would, by the permission of Allah set out in pursuit of the enemies of Allah in order to please the Almighty.� Abdul Azeem says: I asked His Eminence: �My master, how would he know that the Almighty Allah is pleased with him?� He replied: �Allah would instill mercy into his heart. Thus when he enters Medina, he would bring out the Laat and Uzza and burn them up.�[336]

It is related from Ali bin Mahziyar that he said:

I wrote a letter to His Eminence, Abul Hasan of Askar, Imam Hadi (a) asking him about the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (a). In reply he wrote: �When your Imam disappears from the land of the oppressors you must await for the reappearance.�[337]

It is narrated from Ahmad bin Ishaq bin al-Ashari that he said:

I went to Imam Hasan Askari (a) and wanted to inquire about his successor. His Eminence, preceded me in the matter and said as follows:

�O Ahmad bin Ishaq! The Almighty Allah has not left the earth without a Divine Proof since the creation of

Adam (a) and would not leave it without a Divine Proof till the hour shall be established (Day of Judgment). Through the Divine Proof, calamities are repelled from the inhabitants of the Earth, rain falls and the bounties of the earth come out.�

After hearing these words Ahmad asked His Eminence: �Who is the Imam and Caliph after you?� Imam Hasan Askari arose from his seat and hurried inside his house and returned after a short while, in such a way that upon his neck on his shoulders sat a boy, whose face seemed to be like the full moon and it seemed that he was three years old. After that, His Eminence, Imam Hasan Askari (a) said:

�O Ahmad! If you were not having a special and exalted position before Allah and the Proof of Allah, I would not have shown this son of mine to you. His name and patronymic is the same as that of the Messenger of Allah (s). He would fill the earth with justice and equity, as it would be fraught with injustice and oppressions. O Ahmad! In this community his example is like that of Khizr and Dhulqarnain. By Allah! He will have an occultation and none shall be safe from destruction but one whom Allah has kept steadfast in the belief of his Imam and given the divine opportunity (Tawfeeq) to pray for his reappearance.�

Ahmad immediately asked, �Is there any sign or symbol so that it may satisfy my heart?�

Just then the boy, who looked like a full moon,

began to speak and he said:

�I am the remnant of Allah on His earth and the revenge- taker from His enemies and do not demand proof after what is before you��

After hearing these words of the Proof of Allah, Ahmad went out of the house of Imam Hasan Askari (a) in such a condition that his complete being was surrounded by joy. When again he came to Imam Hasan Askari (a) the next day he said: �O son of Allah�s Messenger! I was very much pleased with the favor you bestowed me that day. Thus what is the continuing practice of Khizr and Dhulqarnain?�

His Eminence, Imam Hasan Askari (a) said in reply, �Prolonged occultation.�

Ahmad at once said, �O son of Allah�s Messenger, would the occultation of the Promised Imam (a) be also prolonged?�

His Eminence, Imam (a) replied, �By my Lord! Yes, so much so, that even those who had accepted him, would turn away from their belief and none shall remain except one from whom Allah has taken the covenant of our guardianship and in whose hearts is rooted our love and those who support it with their hearts.

O Ahmad! This is the command of Allah and one of the divine secrets and one of the Unseen matters of Allah. So remember what I am telling you and keep it confidential and be of the thankful ones so that you may reside in the position of Illiyeen with us.�[338]

It is narrated from Abu Muhammad al-Hasan bin Muhammad al-Maktab that he said:

In the year Shaykh Abul

Hasan Ali bin Muhammad as-Saymoori (q.s.) passed away I was in the City of Islam (Baghdad). Thus a few days before his demise I went to him and saw that he was showing a Tawqee to the people which read as follows:

�In the Name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful

O Ali bin Muhammad as-Saymoori, may Allah give good rewards to your brethren concerning you (i.e. on your death), for indeed you shall die after six days. So prepare your affairs, and do not appoint anyone to take your place after your death. For the second occultation has now occurred, and there can be no appearance until, after a long time when Allah gives His permission, hearts become hardened and the world is full of injustice. And someone shall come to my partisans (Shia) claiming that he has seen me; but beware of anyone claiming to have seen me before the rise of al-Sufyani and the outcry from the sky, for he shall be a slanderous liar.

And there is no strength and might except for Allah, the High and the Mighty.�

He says: �We took a copy of the Tawqee and left him and on the sixth day we again went to him to find him in throes of death. So we asked him: Who is your successor? He said in reply:

For Allah is the affair, He would attain it.

And he passed away, may Allah be pleased with him and those were the last words that I heard from him.�[339]

I say: These were some of the traditional

reports of the Holy Imams (a) regarding the occultation of the hidden Imam (aj) through the chain of narrators which will come at the end of the book that are quoted from Shaykh Sadooq (Kamaluddin). Some matter has been mentioned in the foregone pages and some would come in the following.

Here is it necessary to mention a few points:

Point One: Causes of the occultation of His Eminence, they are of two types: The first are those that have not been told to us. And they shall be revealed to us after the reappearance. Shaykh Sadooq has through his own chain of narrators related from Abdullah bin al-Fadl al-Hashimi that he said:

I heard Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) say: �Certainly, there is a long occultation for the master of this affair which cannot be avoided, as during the period of occultation every falsehood seeking person shall fall into doubt.�

I asked: Why, may I be sacrificed on you? He replied: For the reason we have not been permitted to reveal.

I said: Then what is the wisdom behind his occultation? He replied: The same wisdom that was behind the occultation of divine proofs before him. Indeed the wisdom behind the occultation of His Eminence will not be known except after his reappearance just as the wisdom behind the actions of Khizr (a) of making a hole in the boat, killing the boy and repairing the wall were not clear to Prophet Moosa till the time of the parting of their ways.

O son of Fadl, this matter (of occultation) is

a matter of Allah the Almighty and is one of the divine secrets from the unseen of God. And since we know that the Almighty Allah is All-Wise, we testify that all His actions and words are based on wisdom even though their causes may not be clear for us.�[340]

In the Tawqee of Hazrat Hujjat quoted in Ihtijaaj it is mentioned:

�And as for the reason for my occultation, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime says:

�O you who believe! do not put questions about things which if declared to you may trouble you.�[341]

None of my forefathers were free from having the allegiance of the tyrant ruler of his time around their necks, but when I reappear I shall not be having the allegiance of any tyrant around my neck.�[342]

the basis of this, if the uprising does not take place, the enemies would eliminate His Eminence like they had martyred his holy forefathers in the most cruel and oppressive manner.

2. It is that none of the tyrant rulers would have his allegiance on the neck of His Eminence, as this reason has been stated before in the Tawqee and it is also mentioned in the tradition of Imam Hasan Mujtaba (a).

3. Test and trial of the people

�And that He may purge those who believe and deprive the unbelievers of blessings.�[343]

It is just as mentioned in the traditions of Imam Moosa bin Ja�far and Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) quoted in the heading of the fear of His Eminence.

It is related from Imam Reza (a) that he said:

�By Allah, what you await is not going to happen till you are tested and the believer and the unbeliever are separated, till there does not remain among you but the best and the very best.�

It is narrated from Nomani though his own chain of reporters that Imam Sadiq (a) said:

During the tenure of Amirul Momineen Ali (a) the Euphrates was in floods, so His Eminence mounted along with two sons, Hasan and Husain. When they passed by the Thaqif area the bystanders said: Ali (a) has come to make the water recede. Amirul Momineen (a) said: �By Allah, I and these two sons of mine shall be martyred and the Almighty Allah would definitely send a man from my progeny in the last period of time to take

revenge for us. And indeed he shall disappear from their view so that the deviant ones become known, so much so that a foolish person would say: the Almighty Allah has no need for Aale Muhammad.�[344]

4. The Practices of the divine prophets would be seen in His Eminence, as mentioned in the tradition of Sudair from Imam Sadiq (a) that: �There is an occultation for our Qaim, which shall be prolonged.� I asked: �Why, O son of Allah�s Messenger?� He replied: �Because the Almighty Allah wants that the practices of His prophets in their occultation should also occur on him. And O Sudair, his occultation must come to an end. The Almighty Allah says:

�That you shall most certainly enter one state after another.�[345]

It means: The Sunnats of those who have gone before you.�[346]

5. The promises of the Almighty Allah shall not be invalid. That is believers would be born in the progeny of disbelievers. As mentioned in the books of Ilalush Sharai and Kamaluddin from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) quoted by Ibne Abi Umair from someone who remembered him that he said:

I asked the sixth Imam: �Why did Amirul Momineen Ali (a) not fight against his opponents in the very beginning?� Imam (a) replied: �It was due to the verse of the Book of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime:

��had they been widely separated one from another, We would surely have punished those who disbelieved from among them with a painful punishment.�

I again asked: �What is the meaning of �Tazayyul�?� He replied: �Believers who

are kept as trusts in the loins of the disbelievers and in the same way is Qaim (a) who would not reappear till the trusts of the Almighty Allah do not come out of the loins of the disbelievers. When they come out he would be victorious over the enemies of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime and he would kill them.�[347]

6. Our bad deeds, unlawful acts and sins that we commit prevent the reappearance of His Eminence by way of our punishment as Amirul Momineen Ali (a) says:

�And know that the earth does not remain devoid of the divine proof but the Almighty Allah due to the oppression, injustice and excess of the people on themselves, He would make them blind from seeing him.�[348]

In the Tawqee of Hazrat Hujjat (aj) to Shaykh Mufeed it is mentioned:

�If our Shias, may Allah help them in His obedience, has been loyal to the pledge taken from them, the bounty of our meeting them would not have been delayed. And the honor of meeting us would have perfected their recognition earlier. Thus the only things that keep us hidden from them are those same matters that reach us about them that do not please us and which we don�t expect from them.�[349]

Point Two: We should know that there are two occultations for His Eminence: One is the shorter or minor and the other is the longer or major. The period of the minor occultation extends from the time of the passing away of Imam Hasan Askari (a) upto the

demise of as-Saymoori. Since His Eminence, Imam Hasan Askari (a) was martyred on the 8th of Rabi I in the year 260 A.H. and the demise of Saymoori occurred on the 15th Shaban 328 A.H. the total duration of the minor occultation comes to 68 years. However if we consider the beginning of occultation from the time of the birth of His Eminence, the period of minor occultation comes to 72 years because the Imam was born on the 15th Shaban 255 as mentioned in Kafi.

In the same book through the author�s own chain of narrators it is mentioned that:

When Zubairi was killed, an epistle was issued from His Eminence, Abu Muhammad [Imam Askari (a)] that this is the recompense of one who attributed falsehood to the Almighty Allah regarding the holy saints. He thought that he would kill me so that this progeny could be cut off. What an estimation of God�s power he had? And a son is born to His Eminence in the year 256 and his name is M-H-M-D.[350]

I say: This and the previous tradition could be reconciled by saying that the adverb is related to �he came out�. That is the Tawqee of 256 has come out or one should be based on solar calendar and the other on lunar, just as Allamah Majlisi has mentioned these two possibilities in Biharul Anwar.[351]

Point Three: No time limit is fixed for the Major occultation which began at the time of the demise of Saymoori. Rather the command of reappearance and the advent

of the Holy Imam (a) is reserved with the Almighty Allah alone. There are a large number of traditional reports that lend support to this matter. Among the traditions quoted in Biharul Anwar from the Ghaibat of Shaykh Tusi is the following:

It is narrated that His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) was asked whether a time was stipulated for the advent of Imam Mahdi (a)? He replied:

�They have lied, they have lied, they have lied, who fix the time of reappearance.�[352]

It is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Imam Sadiq (a) that he said:

�One who fixes (predicts) the time of the reappearance, has lied. Neither have we fixed a time for it in the past nor would we do so the in the future.�[353]

In the book, al-Muhajja it is narrated from Mufaddal Ibne Umar that he said:

I asked Imam Sadiq (a): �Is there a time fixed for the reappearance of the Awaited Mahdi so that the people know about it?� He replied: �God forbid! That we fix (predict) a time for it.� I asked: �My master, what is the reason for it?� He replied: �Because it is the Hour regarding which the Almighty Allah says:

�They ask you about the hour, when will be its taking place? Say: The knowledge of it is only with my Lord; none but He shall manifest it at its time��[354]

In an authentic report of Muhammad bin Muslim it is related from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he said:

�Do not fear and be awed by anyone of the people

who stipulates a time for you because we have never informed anyone of a particular time.�[355]

In the tradition of Muhammad bin Hanafiyyah it is there that once he asked Amirul Momineen (a): �Is there a time fixed for it (the government of Mahdi)?�

He replied: �Because the knowledge of Allah is dominant over the knowledge of the people. The Almighty Allah promised Moosa a fixed time of thirty nights, then He added another ten nights to it. Neither Moosa nor Bani Israel knew about those additional days and when the period of ten nights expired, Bani Israel said that Moosa had deceived them, therefore they worshipped the calf. However poverty and neediness increased among the people. And they did not accept each other and they denied. At that time they were in anticipation of divine command day and night.�[356]

In a correct report from Abu Hamza Thumali it is narrated that he said:

I said to His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a): �Ali (a) said: There will be trouble for seventy years and after the hardships there is peace. But seventy years have passed and we do not see peace?� Imam Baqir (a) said: �O Thabit, the Almighty Allah had fixed this period to be of seventy years but since Husain (a) was martyred the fury of the Almighty Allah increased towards the people of the earth and He delayed it to 140 years. We told you about it and you divulged it to others removing the veil over the secrecy. The Almighty Allah also delayed it further

and He did not fix any other time for us because:

The narrator says: Then the Holy Prophet (s) addressed us and speaking in a raised voice he said: Beware, when the seventh descendant of my fifth descendant goes into occultation. Ali (a) asked: O Messenger of Allah, what will be the situation during occultation? He replied: He would remain patient till the Almighty Allah permits him to reappear. Thus he would reappear from a village called Kar-a�h having my turban over his head and wearing my coat of mail. He would be having the Zulfiqar with him and a caller would be announcing: This is Mahdi, the Caliph of God; follow him.�[361]

It is reported from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he said:

�Indeed the master of this affair would have two occultations��[362]

In another tradition it is narrated from His Eminence that he said:

�There are two occultations for Qaim (a) in one of which it would be said about him that he is dead, in which wilderness has he gone?�[363]

It is mentioned from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he told Hazim bin Habib:

�O Hazim, for the master of this affair there will be two occultations and he would reappear in the second of the two. And if someone comes to you and says that he has touched his grave, do not testify for him (accept him).�[364]

In another tradition His Eminence said:

�There are two occultations for Qaim (a); one is short and the other long. In the first of them no one would know his whereabouts except his special followers in religion.�[365]

Point Five: It

is that during the period of occultation His Eminence sees the people and the people also see him but they do not recognize him. Thus it is quoted in Biharul Anwar from Nomani through his own chain of reporters from Sudair Sairafee that he said:

I heard His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) say: �In the master of this affair there is a similarity to Prophet Yusuf.� I asked: �It seems as if you are informing us about occultation and bewilderment?� He replied: �These accursed people resembling pigs, why do they deny this statement? Brothers of Yusuf were wise and intelligent persons, they came to Yusuf, talked with him, had a deal with him, and he was their brother, inspite of that until he introduced himself they did not recognize him. And when he said I am Yusuf, they recognized him. On the basis of this why does the confused Ummah deny that Allah, the Mighty and Sublime from time to time conceals His proof from them. Yusuf had the rulership of Egypt and the distance between him and his father was not more than of 18 days� travel, if the Almighty Allah wanted He could have made his location known to his father. Then how could this Ummah deny that the Almighty Allah can do with His proof what He did with Yusuf? While your oppressed master whose rights have been usurped, he comes and goes among them and he walks in their Bazaars and treads on their carpets and they cannot recognize him? Till

the time that the Almighty Allah permits him to introduce himself as He allowed Yusuf. And when his brothers asked: Are you Yusuf? He replied: Yes, I am that same Yusuf.�[366]

It is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he said:

�The people will not find their Imam, then he would be present in the Hajj season with them and he would see them but they would not see him.�[367]

Point Six: It is that the occultation of His Eminence is not in contradiction to divine grace, which is making the Imam known. But it is with regard to the sinners who themselves are responsible for his occultation. As we have seen in the sixth cause � and as for the righteous there are two aspects:

1. It is that the Almighty Allah has bestowed them with so much intelligence and understanding that occultation for them is just like presence. As explained by Imam Zainul Abideen (a) in his saying to Abu Khalid Kabuli. We would mention this hadith in Part Eight, if Allah wills.

In the tradition of Muhammad bin Noman it is narrated from Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) that he said:

�And indeed, the Almighty Allah knows that his true devotees would never fall into doubt and if He knew that they would fall into doubt He would not have concealed His Proof from them even for a second.�[368]

We have already quoted the above among traditions regarding the occultation of His Eminence.

In the hadith of Mufaddal it is narrated from His Eminence that he said:

�By Allah,

our matter is more illuminated and clear than this Sun.�[369]

We shall mention it in Part Eight.

2. It is said that some righteous people are not prevented from seeing His Eminence. Just as it is indicated in the words of His Eminence himself in his epistle quoted by us in the sixth reason of occultation, as also the incident of Ali bin Mahziyar in which it is mentioned:

Then he said: �O Abal Hasan, what do you want?� I replied: �An Imam who is hidden and veiled from the world.� He said: �He is not hidden and veiled from you, but your bad deeds have concealed him from you.�[370]

This tradition is mentioned in Tabsiratul Waali and other books. If you want to study in further detail you may refer to these books. It shall be very beneficial for the widening your understanding and improving the condition. In addition to this, the best proof of this possibility is that it is an established fact that some righteous people in the past have been honored by the audience of His Eminence, may Allah bless him; relating whose accounts in detail is beyond the scope of this discussion. Perhaps the Almighty Allah would give us the Tawfeeq to provide an exclusive section on this topic at the end of this book. But if you want to study this subject in detail you may refer to the books of An-Najmus Thaqib and Jannatul Maawa, both complied by the pious scholar, Haajj Mirza Husain Noori Tabarsi, may Allah be merciful on him.

Sayyid

Murtuza, Alamul Huda, may Allah be pleased with him, says in the book, Al-Ghaibah:

If it is asked what is the difference between the fact that [the Imam (a)] exists, but he remains in occultation; and no one can meet him and no person gets any benefit from him and on the other hand he does not at all exist and according to terminology he is non-existent. And whether it is not allowable that he should remain in non-existence till the time Providence knows that it is the time for his coming into existence? Because just as you consider it lawful for him to be kept hidden till He knows the obedience and submission of the people for him and at that time He brings him out?

In reply it would be said: Firstly: We do not consider it lawful and possible as many of his devotees, followers and those who believe in his Imamate have had the honor of meeting him and they have benefited from him and those also who were not from his Shias and friends when they also visited him they also derived the same benefits. Because from the aspect that they had belief in the existence of His Eminence and they considered his obedience incumbent and necessary upon themselves therefore they compulsorily feared committing sins and those acts disliked by him, and they are fearful that he would punish and chastise them and make them pay for all such things and therefore they committed the least sins.

For example the great pious scholar,

Sayyid Ali bin Tawus (q.s.) says to his son in the book, Kashful Muhajja:

��the path to your Imam (a) is open for anyone whom Allah the Almighty considers deserving of the grace of His Eminence and for whomsoever Allah completes the favor upon him.�[371]

In other words were we to bring the statements of righteous scholars regarding this topic it would indeed prolong the book and subject the readers to unnecessary trouble.

If they doubt that: In the event that it is proved that meeting His Eminence is possible and it has actually happened then what about the epistle written to Saymoori, which has also been quoted in the foregone pages? How can one accept that it is possible to meet His Eminence when the epistle is clearly saying that those who claim to have met the Holy Imam (a) are liars?

I say: Our scholars have mentioned the reasons regarding that epistle, the most acceptable and likely explanation is mentioned by Allamah Majlisi in Biharul Anwar after quoting that epistle: Perhaps it is because someone may claim deputyship with meeting him in person as the ambassadors bring traditional reports from His Eminence to his Shias that contradict traditions we mentioned before and those which we will quote in future, and Allah knows best.[372]

servants of Allah, assist him.

Matter brought in our discussion regarding the seclusion and self imposed isolation of His Eminence from the people also proves the first implication of the remoteness and that which is mentioned in the tradition of Imam Jawad (a) in which he said: �When this number, that is three hundred and sixty sincere persons gather for him, the Almighty Allah will reveal his affair�� proves the second connotation of �remoteness�.

Thus O intelligent man, be patient and see that how years and centuries passed and this required number has not gathered for His Eminence, which is the strongest proof of his remoteness.

The second argument on this matter is a tradition quoted in Biharul Anwar from Ghaibat Shaykh Tusi that: Nafs Zakiyya (the pure soul) is a young man from the Progeny of Muhammad (s), his name is Muhammad bin al-Hasan who would be killed without any crime and sin and when they slay him they shall neither have any excuse in the heavens nor would they have any friend in the earth.

At that time the Almighty Allah will send the Qaim of Aale Muhammad with a group that in the view of the people would be softer than antimony. When they come out the people will weep at their condition as they would think that they would very soon be eliminated at the hands of the enemies. However the Almighty Allah will conquer the easts and the wests of the earth for them. Know that they are the true believers. Know that the

best of the Jihads shall be in the last period of time.�[373]

I say: The comparison of the companions of His Eminence to antimony is due to their paucity and that which proves this is that he said: ��they would think that very soon they would be eliminated at the hands of the enemies.� Also supporting this point is a tradition quoted in Biharul Anwar from Amirul Momineen (a) that he said:

�The companions of Mahdi (a) shall be young people and there will be no aged persons among them except that they shall be as few as the quantity of antimony in the eyes or like salt in food � as salt is that ingredient of food used in least quantity.�

That which proves both the types of remoteness is the statement of Amirul Momineen (a) in a tradition narrated in Kamaluddin that he said:

�The master of this affair is that same wandering, homeless and lonely one.�[374]

In the same book it is narrated from Dawood bin Kathir Riqqi that he said:

I asked His Eminence, Abul Hasan Moosa bin Ja�far (a) about the master of this affair. He replied: �He would be that same wandering, lonely, remote and hidden from his family who would be the revenger for his father.�[375]

more points in the topic of the slaying of the infidels.

In the book, al-Muhajja it is narrated from Zurarah that he said:

His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) said regarding the following verses of Quran:

��and fight the polytheists all together as they fight you all together��

��and religion should be only for Allah��[376]

�The interpretation of these verses has not actualized till date. And when our Qaim arises those who are present in his time would understand the interpretation that has been done of these verses. And the religion of Muhammad (s) shall reach to every nook and corner of the earth. So much so that not a trace of polytheism shall remain on the earth just as the Almighty Allah has stated.�[377]

black and dark. On the third day the Almighty Allah will separate the truth and falsehood from each other and the walker of the earth will emerge. And the Romans till the youths of the cave will come forward. So the Almighty Allah will bring them out of their cave along with their dog. One of them is named Maleekha and one is named Hamlaha and they shall be the two Muslim witnesses for Qaim (a).�[379]

It is mentioned in Ghaibat Nomani quoting from Aban bin Taghlib that he said:

I heard His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Ja�far bin Muhammad (a) say: �The world would not end till a caller calls out from the sky: O people of truth, come together. Then they shall remain in an area. Then he will call out again: O people of falsehood, come together. So they would come together and remain in another area.�

I asked politely: �Would they be able to leave one group and enter another?� He said, �No, by Allah, and it is the saying of the Almighty Allah that:

�On no account will Allah leave the believers in the condition which you are in until He separates the evil from the good.�[380]

I say: Truth and falsehood shall be separated in another way also. It is that His Eminence knows them by their faces. At that time he would eliminate his enemies. Appropriate points shall be mentioned in the topic of the slaying of the infidels, if Allah the Almighty wills.

in the blessed Tawqee (epistle) quoted in the book of Ihtijaaj:

�And pray more for Faraj (the reappearance) because in it lies Faraj (the success) of you all.�[381]

Apparently the indication is to �Faraj�; that is your Faraj will be as a result of the Faraj and reappearance of His Eminence, may Allah bless him and may Allah hasten his Faraj.

Also in the Ziarat of Friday we recite:

�And today is Friday, which is your day, the day of your reappearance and the Faraj of the believers through your hands and the slaying of the infidels through your sword is awaited on this day.�

Also in the book of Kamaluddin, through the author�s own chains of reporters it is stated from Ibrahim Karkhi that he said:

�I had gone to His Eminence, Abi Abdullah Sadiq (a) and while I was sitting in his company that Abul Hasan Moosa bin Ja�far (a) who was a young boy at that time arrived. I stood up by way of respect and kissed him, then returned to my seat. His Eminence, Sadiq (a) said to me: O Ibrahim, he is your master after me, however a group will achieve salvation through belief in him and other groups will be destroyed. Thus the Almighty Allah would curse his killer and increase His chastisement upon him two-fold. Indeed, the Almighty Allah will bring out from his loins the best of the people of his time whose name shall be the same as the name of our great grandfather. He shall be the inheritor of the knowledge,

commands and merits of the Prophet. He shall be the mine of Imamate and the repository of wisdom. He shall eliminate the tyrants of Bani so and so. People would be jealous of his excellence but Allah would complete His affair even though the polytheists may be averse. From his loins the Almighty Allah would bring out the completion of twelve Imams, Imam Mahdi. He would endow him especially with His blessings and make lawful for him the sacred position. One who awaits the twelfth Imam is like one who fights on the side of the Holy Prophet (s) and defends him.�

Ibrahim says that a supporter of Bani Umayyah entered and the Imam stopped his discourse. After that I attended the Holy Imam (a) eleven times to listen to the rest of the discourse but no opportunity arose for this. After a long time when I went to Imam (a) he was sitting. He said, �O Ibrahim, he (Imam Qaim) will reappear after a long period of distress, calamities, fear and sorrow for the Shias. Thus Tooba (congratulations) for those who live in his time. O Ibrahim, this much is sufficient for you.�

Ibrahim says that no statement had ever caused such happiness to me and brightened my eyes before.[382]

It is narrated from His Eminence, Amirul Momineen Ali (a) that he said regarding the conditions of the believers during the rule of tyranny:

�Till the time that none of you will be able to find a place to put your foot, so much so that you will

become of less worth in the view of the people than a dead animal in the view of its owner and you shall be in this way when (all of a sudden you will receive the help of Allah and victory). And that is the interpretation of the saying of the Almighty in His book:

�Until when the apostles despaired and the people became sure that they were indeed told a lie, Our help came to them.�[383]

In Biharul Anwar it is quoted from Ghaibat of Shaykh Tusi that Wahab bin Munabbah reported from Ibne Abbas a lengthy tradition in which he said:

��O Wahab, then the Mahdi will rise.� I asked, �Is he from your progeny?� He said, �No, by Allah, he is not from my progeny. He is from the progeny of Ali (a). Bliss be for the one who reaches his time. Through him Allah will relieve the Ummah�s stress, until he makes the earth full of equity and justice��[384]

In the supplication of Imam Sadiq (a) of 21st Ramadan for His Eminence quoted in Iqbalul A�maal it is mentioned:

�And that You give permission for the reappearance of one through whose Faraj Your friends and chosen ones would also get Faraj.�[385]

If Allah wills, we shall again refer to this supplication.

and the west of the earth.�[386]

In the ninth volume of Biharul Anwar is quoted from the Amali of Shaykh Tusi the saying of the Holy Prophet (s) that he said to Jabir:

��thus the Almighty Allah ended prophethood with me and Ali was born. Thus He ended the legateeship with him. After that the seeds from both me and Ali joined together and from us were born, Jahar and Jaheer, Hasnain. Then the Almighty Allah through these two, ended the grandsonship of prophethood and made my progeny to proceed through them and also the one who would conquer the cities � or he said �countries� � of the infidels and fill up the earth with justice and equity just as it would fraught with injustice and oppression.�[387]

I say: Jahar and Jaheer means handsome and elegant as the experts of language have stated. In the 16th volume of Biharul Anwar it is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he said:

�The Qaim will rule for 309 years equal to the number of years the folks of the cave (As-haab-e-Kahaf) remained in their cave. He would fill up the earth with justice and equity just as it would fraught with injustice and oppression. After that the Almighty Allah will conquer the east and the west of the earth for him and kill the people till no religion remains, except that of Muhammad (s). He (the Qaim) will deal in the manner of Sulaiman bin Dawood. He would call out to the Sun and the Moon and

they would respond to him and the earth shall be illuminated by his effulgence and divine revelation would descend for him and he would act according to divine commands and revelation.�[388]

In the book of Ghayat al-Maraam and other books, it is narrated through Sunni channels that the Holy Prophet (s) said:

�Mahdi is from my progeny. In appearance he is like a forty year old. His face shall be shinning as a brilliant star. Upon his right cheek would be a black mole. He would be donning two cloaks of cotton. He would resemble a man of Bani Israel. He would bring out the treasures and conquer the countries of the polytheists.�[389]

Also it is narrated from His Eminence that he said:

�Qiyamat shall not be established till a person from my family rules. He would conquer Constantinople and Mount Dailam. And even if a day remains from the tenure of the earth, the Almighty Allah will prolong that day so much as to enable him to be victorious.�[390]

In Biharul Anwar it is narrated from Imam Sadiq (a) that he said:

�When Qaim (a) rises up, he will appoint a person in every province of the earth and tell him: If you ever be in a position when you cannot understand or you do not know that what judgment you should deliver, glance at the palm of your hand and act upon what is mentioned there. And he would dispatch an army to Constantinople. When it reaches the gulf they would write something with their feet and walk on

the surface of the water. The people of Constantinople will say: They are the companions of one who walks on water, then what would be his own excellence? At that moment they would open up the gates of the city for them. They would enter the city and order whatever they desire.�[391]

and his companions would put them to the sword.�[395]

It is reported by Ayyashi through his own chain of narrators from Ibne Bukair that he said:

I asked His Eminence, Abul Hasan (a) regarding the verse:

��and to Him submits whoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly��[396]

He said, �It is revealed about the Qaim (a) He would present Islam to the Christians, Jews, Sabeans, the atheists, the apostates and infidels living in all the areas of the earth. To whomsoever that accepts, he will order to perform the ritual prayer and pay Zakat and to do whatever is incumbent on a Muslim. And he would strike off the necks of all those who do not become Muslims. So much so that not a single non-monotheist will remain in all the world. I asked with respect, �May I be sacrificed on you, there are so many people on the surface of the earth, how is it possible for Qaim (a) to make all of them Muslims or eliminate them?� He replied, �When the Almighty Allah desires something, He makes the less more and the more into less.�[397]

It is narrated from Abu Baseer that he said:

I asked His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) regarding the interpretation of the verse:

�He it is Who sent His Apostle with guidance and the religion of truth, that He might cause it to prevail over all religions, though the polytheists may be averse.�[398]

He said, �By Allah, its realization has not come yet.� I asked, �May I be your ransom, when will

it be realized?� He said, �When the Qaim rises, God willing. When the Qaim rises, there will be no disbeliever or a polytheist but he will dislike his rise. Even if there will be a disbeliever or a polytheist inside a rock, the rock will call out, �O, believer, there is a disbeliever or a polytheist inside me, so kill him.� So Allah brings the disbeliever to him, and he kills him.�[399]

It is narrated from Mufaddal bin Umar that he said:

I asked His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) regarding the interpretation of the verse:

�And most certainly We will make them taste of the nearer chastisement before the greater chastisement that haply they may turn.�[400]

He said: �The least chastisement is the chastisement of Saqar and the Greatest chastisement is the armed uprising of Mahdi (a).�[401]

In Kashful Bayan it is mentioned from Imam Sadiq (a) regarding the same verse that he said:

�The least chastisement is famine and draught and the Greatest chastisement is the armed advent of Mahdi (a) in the last period of time.�

In Biharul Anwar it is quoted from Al-Ikhtisas that Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) said:

�When the Qaim arises, he would come to the plains of Kufa and tap the ground with his foot and gesture with his hand. Then he would say, �Dig this place.� They would dig at that spot and take out 12000 coats of mail, 12000 swords and 12000 helmets. At that time he would summon 12000 (followers or servants) retainers and non-Arabs and arm them with these items. Then he

would say, �Eliminate whoever does not have faith in which you believe.�[402]

In Ghaibat Nomani it is narrated through the author�s own chains of narrators that His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) said:

�If people knew what all Qaim (a) would do at the time he appears, most of them would wish they never see him. Among his main activities would be the elimination of infidels. Indeed, His Eminence will not begin except with Quraish. Then except for the sword in its sheath, nothing will change. So much so, that people would begin to say: This man is not from the Progeny of Muhammad (a). Had he been from them he would certainly have been merciful.�[403]

In Irshad of Dailami it is narrated from Imam Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he said:

�When Qaim (a) arises he would head towards Kufa. After that tens of thousands of persons called Batariya who would have concealed weapons would come out and tell the Imam: Go back from whatever you have come for, as we have no need of Bani Fatima. Then His Eminence would fight and eliminate all of them. Then he would enter Kufa and slay every hypocrite and doubter and destroy their forts and eliminate all their fighters in order to obtain the satisfaction of Allah.�[404]

I say: There are numerous reports about this but we refrained from quoting them for the sake of brevity.

about the saying of Allah that He has given respite to the Satan till the known hour as mentioned in the following verse:

�He said: So surely you are of the respited ones, Till the period of the time made known.�[405]

What is that hour Allah is talking about? He said: �The known hour is the time of the advent of the Qaim of Aale Muhammad. When the Almighty Allah makes him reappear in the Masjid of Kufa, Iblees will come on his knees saying: �O woe be on these days.� At that time the Imam will catch him by his forelocks and put him to death. That time is the day of the known hour when his time would be up.�[406]

I say: Allamah Bahrani has quoted this report from Imam Sadiq (a) in Burhan[407] and there is another report of the same meaning. There is no contradiction between this report and another quoted in Biharul Anwar and Burhan that the Messenger of Allah (s) will slay the Satan. It is so because the verb in the first report is based on the subject (That is a passive subject, which in the terminology of Arabic syntax scholars is known as �subject whose object is not named�.) And the word �day� in this traditional report refers to the age of reappearance and not the �day� of common parlance, as is very clear for the educated people.

traditional report quoted in Biharul Anwar from Khisaal through the author�s own chain of narrators from His Eminence, the chief of those who prostrate, Imam Ali Ibne Husain (a) that he said:

�When our Qaim arises, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime would remove the troubles of our Shias and make their hearts like iron ingots and each of them would become as strong as forty men and they shall become the rulers and leaders of the earth.�[408]

In Basair there is a tradition from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he said:

�When our affair comes to pass and our Mahdi arrives, every man among our Shias would become stronger than a lion and sharper than the spear. He would kick our enemies with his feet and beat them up with his hands. It is that time of the descent of divine mercy and Faraj upon the servants.�[409]

In Kamaluddin it is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he said:

When Prophet Lut (a) told his people:

�He said: Ah! that I had power to suppress you, rather I shall have recourse to a strong support.�[410]

He did not mean to say anything except that he was wishing for the power of Qaim (a) and �a strong support� are his companions, each of whom would have the strength of forty men and their hearts would be more solid than a mountain of iron, such that if they wanted they could move a mountain of iron from its place. And they shall not lay down arms till Allah, the

Mighty and Sublime is satisfied.� [411]

In Biharul Anwar it is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he said:

�When it comes to pass, each of your men would become as strong as forty men and their hearts would become like iron ingots, such that having such firm hearts if they were to attack a mountain they would be able to split it.�[412]

In Rauda Kafi it is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he said:

�When our Qaim arises, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime would increase the hearing and sight of our Shias, so much so that there would be no correspondence between them and Qaim. His Eminence would speak and they would hear as if he were in front of them.�[413]

In another tradition from His Eminence it is narrated that he said:

�In the time of the Qaim, a believer who is in the east would be able to see his brother who is in the west and in the same way one who is in the west would be able to see his brother in the east.�[414]

has come in a lengthy tradition from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he said:

�After that he would proceed to Kufa and set up his residence over there. He would not leave a single Muslim slave but that he would purchase him and set him free and he would repay the debts of every debtor. He would also free everyone from any liability they might be having upon their necks. If any slave has been killed he would have his heirs paid his blood money. If any free man has been killed he would repay his debts and would give much monetary help to his family members. Till the earth would be full of justice and equity as it would have been fraught with injustice and oppression. After that he and the people of his house (Ahle Bayt) would settle down in Rahia, which is a pure and clean place; it is also the place of residence of Prophet Nuh (a).�[416]

In Biharul Anwar it is narrated from Imam Sadiq (a) that he said:

�The first thing that Mahdi (a) would do is that he would have it announced all over the world: If from among our Shias anyone owes anything to anyone he must inform us so that it may be repaid. Thus even if a piece of garlic or a grain of mustard is owed by a Shia it would be repaid. All the debts shall be repaid even if they constitute huge amounts of gold and silver or some other wealth.�[417]

prove this fact have already been mentioned above and under the topic of �the call of His Eminence� more points shall be given. Here we shall be content only by narrating two anecdotes:

First anecdote: It is concerned with this humble slave of Allah, Muhammad Taqi Musawi Isfahani, the author of this book and it is as follows:

�Three years before the compilation of this book I had accumulated many debts. So in one of the nights of the month of Ramadan I prayed to His Eminence and his respected father (a) and mentioned my problems and after sunrise when I returned from the Masjid and went to sleep I heard His Eminence saying to me in my dream: You must observe patience for sometime, so that I may receive some money from my special friends and send it to you. I awoke from the sleep in a happy mood and thanked the Almighty and after some days a brother in faith came to me, whom I knew to be righteous and pious and felt very comfortable in his company, and he delivered a sum of money to me saying: This is from the Imam�s share. Thus I became extremely overjoyed and said to myself:

��this is the significance of my vision of old; my Lord has indeed made it to be true.�[418]

O brothers in faith, I request you that you mention your needs to His Eminence even though nothing is concealed from him, as mentioned in Kafi quoting from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he

said:

�The Imam can hear even when he is in the womb and when he is born, it is written between his shoulders:

�And the word of your Lord has been accomplished truly and justly; there is none who can change His words, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing.�[419]

�And when the office of Imamate is entrusted to him the Almighty Allah makes for him a pillar of light through which he can see what the people of every city are doing.�[420]

In the book, Jannatul Maawa quoting from Kashful Muhajja from Shaykh Kulaini it is mentioned that: In the book of Rasail from a person whose name he mentioned, it has come that:

I wrote to His Eminence, Abul Hasan (a): A person is inclined to mention his special needs and secrets to his Imam just as he likes to mention them to his Lord?

Imam (a) wrote in reply: If you have a need, move your lips (in speech) and you shall get the reply of all of them.�[421]

I say: There are a large number of traditions on this matter and whosoever likes may refer to books of traditions.

Second anecdote: In Jannatul Maawa the great respected scholar, Mirza Husain Noori, may Allah increase his effulgence, has mentioned the following anecdote:

In the month of Jumadi I of the year 1299, a man named Aqa Muhammad Mahdi came to Kazmain. He was a resident of Port Maloomeen a port of Maajeen and the countries of Burma which till that time was a colony of the British. From there to Calcutta,

the capital of India is a distance of six days� travel by steamship. His father was a resident of Shiraz but he was born and bred in the port mentioned above. Three years before the date mentioned, he fell sick with a very serious ailment. Such that after recovering from it he had become dumb and deaf. In order to seek cure he came for the Ziarat of the Imams (a) of Iraq and he came to Kazmain to his family who were well known traders and he stayed there for 20 days till the water in the river came up and a streamer became ready to set out for Samarrah. His relatives brought him to the boat and entrusted him to the travelers who were people of Baghdad and Kerbala and requested them to take care of him and help him. They also wrote to some caretakers of Samarrah to help him in his stay.

Thus when he had the honor to reach that blessed place it was afternoon of Friday the 10th of Jumadi II of the year mentioned. He entered the illuminated cellar (Sardab) while some holy men and reliable persons were present there. He wanted to obtain proximity of the sacred place with all humility and seek mediation. He wrote about his condition on the surface of the wall and requested the people to pray for him. Himself also he remained a long time in prayers and seeking mediation. His prayer had not yet concluded when the Almighty Allah bestowed him cure

by the miracle of Hazrat Hujjat (a) and he came out of that place with an eloquent tongue.

On Saturday they brought him to the lecture of His Eminence, Chief of the Jurists and the senior-most scholar, the leader of Shias and the crown of Shariah, Aqa Mirza Muhammad Hasan Shirazi and he recited the Surah Hamd by way of benediction in the honorable company. That day all the places were immersed in joy and celebration and in the evenings of Sunday and Monday, scholars and nobles celebrated and made illuminations in the purified courtyard of the two Askari Imams (a). They versified the incident and broadcasted poems all over the country.

Among those who had been with this person on the boat and seen in him both in the ailing condition as well as after the cure and composed poems about his miraculous recovery is the poet of the family of Infallibility, the great intellectual, Haaj Mulla Abbas Zanoozi Baghdadi who in his lengthy panegyric has written as follows:

Translation of the Qasida couplets:

1. That year happened that incident seeing which all visitors to the place were pleased.

2. I saw a young man from China there. Whose name was same as that of the Imam of guidance (Mahdi).

3. Whenever this youth wanted to say something he used to only gesture and only in this way he conveyed his feelings.

4. The illness had tied up his tongue and tears were flowing from his eyes.

5. The youth came to the Sardab of one in whom all the people repose

their hopes.

6. He wants to do the Ziarat without the tongue but heart could not control it.

7. He began to write about his condition on the surface of the wall that he wanted to be cured.

8. I request to all those who read it to pray and recite Ziarat for me.

9. Perhaps my tongue may regain its prior condition and I may be able to pray and recite Ziarat myself.

10. Suddenly he saw a man approaching him and some pious persons also saw him.

11. Carrying the best of the books, he came out from that same place of occultation.

12. The youth gestured him to pray about that which he has written and that gentleman also prayed.

13. After that he requested a Sayyid who was seated there to pray for this young man.

14. That Sayyid arose from his place and taking the hand of the youth he took him to the place of the disappearance of the Imam of the time (aj).

15. And with the Suffa[422] which is the light of the eyes.

16. And he lighted another lamp and brought it near the mouth of the young man to see if his tongue has started moving.

17. Thus the youth began to pray and seek forgiveness while his eyes were immersed in tears.

18. At that moment he decided to perform the ritual prayer while his heart was satisfied of being cured.

19. Yes! The Almighty Allah had opened up his tongue and he performed the prayer with all its conditions.

in the topic of Letter �H�aa� and in Biharul Anwar it is quoted from Dawaat Rawandi from Hasan bin Tareef that he said:

I wrote to His Eminence, Abu Muhammad Imam Hasan Askari (a) asking about the Qaim that when he rises up, on what basis would he judge among the people? I also wanted to ask His Eminence about the cure of Nubian fever but I forgot to mention it. The reply arrived as follows: �You asked about the Imam, when he reappears he would judge among the people on the basis of his own knowledge, like Prophet Dawood (a) he will not ask for proof.�[423]

In the same book quoting from the book of Ghaibah of Sayyid Abdul Hameed through the author�s own chain of reporters it is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he said:

�The Qaim will begin his mission from Antioch and he would take out the Torah from a cave in which the Staff of Prophet Moosa (a) and the seal ring of Prophet Sulaiman (a) are also present. He said: And the most fortunate with regard to him are the people of Kufa.

And he said: The Qaim is named Mahdi because he guides to all the hidden matters. So much so that he would send his own man to kill such and such person and people would not even know for what crime he is killed. One would be afraid to even speak in ones home and think that the wall might testify against him.� [424]

I say: I

had mentioned some couplets at the beginning of this book that speak about this same matter:

My life be sacrificed be on one who enlivens the Shariat of his grandfather and issues such judgments as have never been issued before.

There are many traditional reports on this subject. Although this report indicates that His Eminence will reappear from Antioch but in other traditional reports that are mentioned in Biharul Anwar and other books quoting the Messenger of Allah (s) it is said that he would reappear from a village called �Kuraa� and in some traditions the place of the advent of His Eminence is given as Mecca and in some other reports, Medina. The sum total of all these apparently contradictory reports � and it is also confirmed by some traditions of the Purified Imam (a) � is that: there are numerous reappearances of His Eminence.

with words and deeds and one who practically removes their distress.�

I say: This tradition has also been narrated from another channel that we shall mention in Part Five, Insha Allah.

it not in contradiction with the fact that His Eminence, Qaim (a) is the son of Imam Hasan Askari (a)?

In reply to this doubt, Muhammad bin Talha Shafei � a prominent Sunni scholar has said:

1. This is an addition from one of the narrators of the tradition who is habitual of this. That which proves this is the fact that Abu Dawood and Tirmidhi who have quoted this tradition, have not included these additional words in their respective collections.

2. Even if we suppose that these words have not been added there is probability that the word �Abni� (my son) has been mistakenly altered to �Abi� (my father) as there are many such examples of unintentional alterations.

3. Even if we suppose that the words are exactly as spoken by the Holy Prophet (s) it could be explained that perhaps the Prophet mentioned Kunniyat as name and instead of grandfather he said father. In this way the word �his father� would imply Imam Husain whose Kunniyat was Abu Abdillah and these two similarities are acceptable and not uncommon in language and common parlance.

I say: We do not depend on this tradition to prove that Hazrat Hujjat Ibnul Hasan (a) is the same promised Qaim. We rely on numerous and Mutawatir traditions that clearly state this point. Some of which have been mentioned before and we have only quoted the above tradition along with the explanation of the famous scholar so that if someone may come across this tradition he should not fall into any doubt. He should

know that it is the habit of some narrators to make additions from their own side. Especially with regard to this report, the scholars have pointed out that one of its narrators is habitual of making additions.

Even they are certain of the fact that the Qaim is that same Hujjat Ibnul Hasan al-Askari (a). So much so that this scholar considered it necessary upon himself to interpret it even assuming its correctness. And praise be to Allah Who takes His light to completion.

Here I would like to present the tradition of the becoming aware of and the guidance of Sayyid Himyari as in this report the name of His Eminence, Hujjat Ibnul Hasan al-Askari is mentioned clearly and it is mentioned therein that:

�His Eminence will fill up the earth with justice and equity.�

Shaykh Sadooq (r.a.) has narrated through his own chain of narrators in the book, Kamaluddin from Sayyid Himyari that he said:

�In the beginning I used to harbor extremist beliefs and had faith in the occultation of Muhammad bin Ali Ibne Hanafiyyah and a long period of time passed in this way in deviation and misguidance. After that the Almighty Allah favored me through the medium of Ja�far bin Muhammad Sadiq (a), saved me from the fire of Hell and guided me to the Right Path. Thus I asked the Holy Imam (a) one day: I found in you those signs and qualities by which it was proved for me and all the people of your time that you are the Proof of Allah

and that only you are that Imam whose obedience Allah has made compulsory and made following you incumbent on all. O son of Allah�s Messenger, traditions have been recorded from your purified ancestors about occultation, stating that it is certain to happen, so please tell us with whom it would occur. He replied: Indeed this occultation shall happen with my sixth descendant and the twelfth of the guiding Imams after the Messenger of Allah (s), the first of whom is Amirul Momineen Ali (a) and the last is Qaim bin Haqq (one who will rise with the truth). He shall be the remnant of Allah on His earth and the Master of the Age. By Allah, even if his occultation becomes as long as that of the age of Nuh (a) he will not depart from the world without reappearing and filling up the earth with justice and equity in the same way as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression. The Sayyid says: When I heard this from my master, Ja�far bin Muhammad as-Sadiq (a), I repented to Allah in his presence and composed the panegyric which began as follows:

1. When I saw that the people have become deviated in the matter of religion, I became a Ja�fari with other ja�faris in the name of Allah.

2. I called with the name of Allah and only Allah is the Greatest. And I became certain that He is the forgiving and condoning.

3. And I adopted the religion of Allah instead of that which I had

made my religion. And from which the master of all men Ja�far had restrained me.

4. So I said: Just suppose I remained a Jew for a time. Or that my faith was the faith of those who are Christians.

5. And I am of those who repent to the Beneficent. And I certainly accepted Islam and Allah is the Greatest.

6. I shall not have extremist beliefs till I live nor would I turn back to that which I used to hide and show.

7. Neither am I of the confession that Muhammad is in Razwa even though the ignorant may criticize me and commit excess in it.

8. But he (Muhammad bin Hanafiyyah) is from those who have passed away upon the best conditions and with those who are pure and chaste.

9. In the company of the purified and the chaste ones and those who are pure descendants of Mustafa.

He also composed the following panegyric:

1. O rider who marches valiantly towards Medina, who is crossing the deserts like a lion.

2. When Allah guides you and you meet Ja�far, then you says to this friend of Allah and the son of the cultured one:

3. O son of the trustworthy one of Allah and the trustworthy one of Allah, I seek forgiveness to the Beneficent Lord and I am turning back

4. Towards you in the matter in which I had exaggerated. I shall fight like a holy warrior with everyone who is uncultured.

5. My exaggerated statement regarding the son of Khawla was not based on my enmity towards the pure

and chaste progeny.

6. But we have received the tradition from the successor of Muhammad and whatever he has said is not based on falsehood.

7. That the master of the affair shall remain in concealment; hiding like someone who is afraid and fearful.

8. The properties of this absent and hidden one shall be distributed in such a way as if he is dead and buried in the earth.

9. He shall remain in this way for sometime and then he would reappear like the shooting star that appears on the horizon.

10. With the help and assistance of Allah he would set out from the House of his Lord. And with leadership and command bestowed by Him.

11. He shall move towards his enemies along with his standard. Then he would slay them in a way that uncontrollable and furious horses kill.

12. When it was reported that the son of Khawla has disappeared, we turned our saying towards him and did not say anything false.

13. And we said that he is that same Mahdi and Qaim that due to whose justice and equity every draught-stricken one will get the happiness of life.

14. Thus if you denied it, your statement is right. Whatever you have been commanded is sure to happen and there is no bias in it.

15. And I make my lord as a witness that your word is proof on all whether they be obedient or sinners.

16. That the master of the affair and the Qaim for my heart is anxious and yearning

17. For him there is such

an occultation that it is necessary for him to go into occultation. And Allah has bestowed His mercy upon this hidden one.

18. He will wait for more time and then reappear according to his schedule. Then rule upon those in the east and the west.

19. I am having faith in him whether he be seen or concealed. Even if I am ridiculed for this I shall not worry about it.

In Biharul Anwar it is quoted from Manaqib from Dawood Riqqi that he said:

�News reached Sayyid Himyari that he was mentioned in the presence of Imam Sadiq (a) and His Eminence said, �Sayyid is a disbeliever.� Sayyid Himyari went to His Eminence and asked very politely, �O my master, inspite of the deep love I have for you and the enmity that I have towards your enemies am I still a disbeliever?� Imam replied, �What is the use when you deny the Hujjat of the age and the time?� Then he took his hand and led him to a room in which there was a grave. Then His Eminence recited two rakats prayer. After that he hit his hand upon the grave, which split open and a man emerged from it shaking away dust from his head and beard. Imam Sadiq (a) asked him, �Who are you?� He replied, �I am Muhammad bin Ali, named as Ibne Hanafiyyah. Imam further asked, �Who am I?� �Ja�far bin Muhammad, Hujjat of the age and the time.�

Sayyid Himyari came out from the presence of His Eminence reciting the following

couplet:

�I became a Ja�fari in the name of Allah and have joined the group of Ja�faris.�[425]

Also it is narrated from Ibad bin Saheeb that he said:

�I was in the presence of Ja�far bin Muhammad Sadiq (a) when the news of the death of Sayyid Himyari was conveyed to His Eminence. He prayed for him and invoked divine mercy in his favor. A person asked the Imam politely, �O son of Allah�s Messenger! Inspite of the fact that he imbibed wine and believed in return (Raja�t)?� Imam replied, �My father narrated from my grandfather a tradition that the followers of the progeny of Muhammad do not die except having repented and he had repented. Saying that he raised his prayer mat took out a note of the Sayyid in which he had repented and requested for Dua.�[426]

Sabra said:

�Amirul Momineen Ali Ibne Abi Talib (a) delivered us a sermon; he praised Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, invoked blessings on the Holy Prophet and his progeny (a). Then he said thrice:

�Ask me, O people, before you lose me.�

Sa�sa bin Sauhan arose and asked with respect, �O Amirul Momineen, when will Dajjal appear?� Imam (a) said, �Sit down as the Almighty Allah has heard you and He knows your intention. By Allah, one who is asked is not more knowledgeable than the questioner. But there are some signs and aspects for it, which come one after another, like one step falls after another. If you want I can inform you about it.� �Yes, please do, O Amirul Momineen (a),� said the narrator.

The Imam (a) said, �Know that those signs are as follows:

When people would forget the prayers, trusts will be betrayed. Lying would be considered lawful. Usury will become common. Bribes would be rampant. Tall buildings would be constructed. Religion will be sold in exchange of worldly gains. Fools will be in power. Advice will be sought from women. Relationships will be broken off. Carnal desires will be widely followed. Bloodshed will be considered a minor matter. Forbearance will be looked upon as weakness and oppression will be considered a matter of pride. Kings and rulers will be sinners and transgressors. Ministers shall be liars. The general public shall be dishonest. The reciters of Quran will be transgressors. False testimony will be acceptable. Sins would be committed openly. Laying false allegations will be a

common thing. Sinfulness and rebellion will be rife. The Quran will be looked down upon. Mosques will be decorated. Minarets will be elevated. Evil people would be accorded honor. Rows, instead of displaying unity would present a scenario of strife. Hearts of the people will be distant from each other. Oaths and promises will be readily broken. That which has been promised will come near. Greed for wealth will impel people to take women as partners in business. Voices of the singers will rise up high and they shall find much audience. The lowly people shall become the leaders of the community. Male and female singers shall be procured on payment. The people of this age will curse the people of the past. Women will ride (horses). Women will resemble men and men will resemble women. Witnesses will testify without being asked to do so and other people without recognizing the truth, and in other than religion they will give deep thought and give testimony. World would be given precedence over the hereafter. Apparently they would be like wolves but their hearts will be more rotten than carrion. They shall be stinking and more bitter than aloe. At that time all would say, �Hurry up, hurry up.� At that time the Baitul Maqdas will be the best place to live in. And a time will come upon the people that everyone will wish to reside in the Baitul Maqdas.�

Asbagh bin Nubatah stood up and said: O Maula! Who would be the Dajjal? He replied, �The

name of Dajjal is Saeed bin Saeed. Thus one who supports him is unfortunate. And they are fortunate who deny him. He shall emerge from Yahoodiya village of Isfahan. He shall be blind in the right eye. The left would be on the forehead like a bloody piece, which would be glinting like the morning star. Between his two eyes would be inscribed: �Kafir� (disbeliever) which would be readable to the literate as well as the illiterate. He shall jump into the seas. The Sun will follow him. A mountain of smoke will precede him and a white mountain will follow him, which in times of famine will be mistaken to be a mountain of food (bread). He shall be mounted on a white ass. One step of that ass will be of one mile. Whichever spring or well he reaches, will dry up forever. He will call out aloud which shall be audible to all in the east and the west from the Jinns, humans and satans. He would tell his friends: I am the one who created then shaped. And I estimated and guided. I am your High Lord.

That enemy of Allah will be a liar. He shall be a one-eyed man having human needs, who walks about while your Lord is neither one-eyed nor in need of food. He neither walks nor is there decline for him. He is above all things.

Know that the majority of his followers will be persons of illegitimate birth and they shall be wearing green caps. The

Almighty Allah will have him eliminated on a Friday after three hours have passed in the evening on the Uqbah Afeeq at the hands of one behind whom Prophet Isa (a) would pray. Know that! After this will come to pass the Great event.�

Thus we asked: �O Amirul Momineen (a), what would that be?� He replied, �Daabbatul Arz will emerge from Mt. Safa. He shall be having the seal ring of Prophet Sulaiman (a). When that ring would be touched on the face of a believer, it would brand him to be a true believer. And when it is touched on the face of an infidel it would clearly mark that he is really a disbeliever. So much so that the believer will say to the infidel, �Hell is ordained for you, O infidel.� And the disbeliever will say to the believer, �Tooba is ordained for you, O believer. Alas! If I were also successful and delighted with you this day.�

Thus when the Daabba raises his head he would, by the permission of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime be able to see whatever is present between the east and the west. And it would be at a time when the Sun will rise from the west. At that time the time for repentance would be over and no repentance would be accepted from anyone. Neither would any deed rise up to the heavens as mentioned:�its faith shall not profit a soul which did not believe before, or earn good through its faith��

Then Amirul Momineen (a)

said: �Do not ask me about the conditions following this. This is a covenant that I have made with my dearest one that I would not inform about this to anyone except my descendants.�

Nizaal bin Sabra says that I asked Sa�sa bin Sauhan what Amirul Momineen (a) meant by this? He replied, �O Ibne Sabra, he is the same behind whom Prophet Isa (a) would pray. He shall be the twelfth descendant and he would be the ninth descendant of Husain bin Ali (a). He would be the one for whom the Sun would rise from the west and he shall reappear between the Rukn and Maqaam. Then he would purify the earth and establish the scales of justice. Then no one would be able to oppress another.

Thus the dearest one of Amirul Momineen (a), the Messenger of Allah (s) had taken an oath from the latter that he must not inform anyone about the events after this except his purified descendants, Allah�s blessings be on them all.�[428]

I say: There is no doubt that praying for the one who would eliminate this tyrannical murderer; helping and supporting him is a praiseworthy deed, as proved by logic and Islamic texts.

As for this report even though it is weak, the points mentioned therein are also found in other traditions narrated from the Purified Imams (a).

1. It is that His Eminence said:

By Allah, one who is asked is not more knowledgeable than the questioner.

It proves that it is one of those happenings about which there is possibility of

changes, postponement or advancement. And no time is fixed for it, just as no time is fixed for the reappearance of our master in occultation (a) as mentioned in the discussion of Ghaibat under the letter ghain (Gh).

2. Dajjal would be a magician and it is due to this that people would think that the Sun is following him. That which supports this is the saying of His Eminence:

�People would think that it is food (bread)� and that he said, �the ground below his feet would roll up.�

It is due to the huge size of his donkey! And it is a metaphor for speed.

3. The appearance of Daabbatul Arz will occur in the period of the advent of Mahdi (a). A large number of traditions have been recorded according to whom it (Daabbatul Arz) implies Amirul Momineen (a). One of such traditional reports is recorded in Biharul Anwar from the author�s own chain of narrators from Abu Abdullah Jadali that he said:

�I came to Ali Ibne Abi Talib (a) who said to me: Shall I not inform you about three things before someone comes to (meet) you or me? �Why not?� said I. He said, �I am the servant of Allah and I am Daabbatul Arz. I am the truth and justice of the earth and the brother of its Prophet. Shall I inform you about the nose and eye of Mahdi? �Yes,� I said. His Eminence kept his hand on his breast and said, �I am.�[429]

The writer of this book, Muhammad Taqi Isfahani �

may Allah forgive him � says: The meaning of His Eminence that �Shall I inform you about the nose and eye of Mahdi�� may be referred under the discussion of Letter �Z�.

As for Abu Abdullah Jadali � his name is Ubaid bin Abd. And the respected and reliable Sayyid, Sayyid Mustafa has explained in his book Naqd ar-Rijaal that he was one of the closest friends and confidants of Amirul Momineen (a).

In another report it is narrated that he said:

�I came to Ali (a) and he said to me: Let me tell you about seven matters before anyone comes (to meet me).� �Please tell me, may I be sacrificed on you,� said I. He said, �Do you know the nose of Mahdi and his eye?� He says: I said, �Is it you, O Amirul Momineen (a)?� He (a) replied, �Those two concealed misguidance and in the last period of time Daabba will expose their disgrace.� He said: I said, �By Allah, O Amirul Momineen (a) I think that it those same two, so and so.� Then he (a) said, �It is Daabba; and justice and truthfulness, and what is the time of the coming out of the Dabba? I swear by Allah, all those who are unjust to him would be destroyed.�

In Biharul Anwar quoting from Maani al-Akhbaar through the author�s own chain of narrators from Abaaya al-Asadi it is narrated that he said:

Amirul Momineen (a) was indisposed and I was present at his bedside when he told me, �I shall establish a pulpit in

Misr, and I shall destroy Damascus and I shall expel from Arabia the Christians and the Jews more than anyone else has done, and I shall take forward the Arabs to these safeguards.�

I said, �O Amirul Momineen (a), as if you are saying that you would be raised from the dead?�

He replied, �It is not so, O Abaaya, as you think; a man from me (my descendants) would perform these tasks.�

Sadooq says:

Amirul Momineen (a) has observed Taqayyah from Abaaya al-Asadi.

And also in Biharul Anwar it is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he said:

A man asked Ammar bin Yasir, �O Aba Yaqzaan, there is a verse in the book of Allah that has destroyed my heart and has put me into doubt. Ammar said, �Which verse is that?� That man said, �It is when the Almighty Allah says:

�And when the word shall come to pass against them, We shall bring forth for them a creature from the earth that shall talk to them, because people did not believe in Our communications.�[430]

had vowed that you would not eat, drink or sleep till you showed me that (Daabbatul Arz)! Ammar said, �If you ponder upon it you would understand that I have showed him to you.�[431]

Also it is narrated from His Eminence that he said:

The Messenger of Allah (s) came to Amirul Momineen (a) while the latter was asleep in the mosque; he had gathered sand and rested his head on it. The Holy Prophet (s) shook his leg and said, �O Daabbatullaah! Get up!� A companion who witnessed this asked, �O Messenger of Allah (s)! Shall we address each other with this name?� He replied, �No, by Allah it is restricted only for him (Ali) and he is the Daabba that Allah has mentioned in His book��[432]

These many traditions are sufficient for the present discussion.

4. It is what His Eminence said in between the prior tradition:

�After that, repentance will not be accepted��

It proves that Hazrat Hujjat will accept the repentance and faith of those who have been disbelievers and rebellious before the appearance of Daabbatul Arz but when the Daabba has come out, repentance shall be taken away:

�On the day of judgment the faith of those who (now) disbelieve will not profit them��

And it is in reports like this that have come together in this chapter, in some of these verses it is mentioned that the Imam of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for on him) would accept the repentance.

As mentioned in the discussion about the elimination of the disbelievers and their conclusion is

that His Eminence would present Islam to them; those who agree to obey would be saved and those who do not accept it, would be eliminated. And some other traditional reports prove that His Eminence would not accept Islam from those who were not Muslims before that and he would not accept the repentance of anyone. As Shaykh Sadooq (r.a.) in the book, Kamaluddin has narrated from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) regarding the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime:

�On the day when some of the signs of your Lord shall come, its faith shall not profit a soul which did not believe before, or earn good through its faith.�[433]

�Signs are the Imams Mushtarta[434] and the ayat is Qaim (a). After that day the faith of no one will profit him if before His Eminence rises up with the sword he had no faith � even though his ancestors had faith.�[435]

And in the tradition narrated in Biharul Anwar describing His Eminence from Imam Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) it is mentioned as follows:

�He will not apologize to anyone and in the way of Allah no one�s criticism will restrain him��[436]

And other traditional reports that are apparently conflicting and from this aspect the gist of the matter is as follows that His Eminence will accept repentance and faith from the opponents before the coming out of the Daabba but he will not accept after that.

If it is said: with reference to the report that has come in Tafseer Burhan regarding the verse:

�On the day when

some of the signs of your Lord shall come��[437]

It says that it is a remote possibility; the report is as follows: narrated from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he said:

�There is always a divine proof present on the earth, who knows what is lawful and what is prohibited and who invites the people to the path of God. And the Divine Proof will not leave the earth except forty days before the Day of Judgment. Thus when the Divine Proof is taken up, the door of repentance will be closed.

��its faith shall not profit a soul which did not believe before��

�the Divine Proof is taken up.�[438]

In reply we say: Indeed during the period of the reappearance of Imam (a) people will not be immune to sins. The implication of the report is that if mature persons commit sins and before that appointed hour repent for them, their repentance will be accepted but when the Divine Proof is raised up, the doors of repentance will also close; on the basis of this there is no contradiction between this report and that cause.

And there may be other reasons also between reports that are collected that perhaps may be the best reason; and it is that His Eminence, Mahdi (a) will accept the repentance of those about whose faith he is certain that it is sincere and real. But he would not accept it from those who are apparently believers and who merely claim to have faith and the other action is the past action. We

have already mentioned points in support of this before, that His Eminence will judge on the basis of his own intuition and it is peculiar to him. This is the logical explanation that this humble servant has come across. And the respected scholar Nimatullah Jazaeri (r.a.) has mentioned as follows in the book, Al-Anwaarun No�maaniya:

�I have given a lot of thought to these reports and I wanted to make sense of all of them together till finally the Almighty Allah gave me the Tawfeeq and I came across a tradition that reconciles the apparently conflicting traditions and the gist of that tradition is that: When His Eminence, Mahdi (a) arises, the Almighty Allah would raise from the grave some who have died on confirmed infidelity as the discussion on this will come � and His Eminence will not accept the repentance of these people as they had died previously and have already seen the divine punishment with their own eyes and now they helplessly want to embrace faith because repentance in such condition would be like that of Firon when he was about to drown and he said: I repent and the Almighty Allah replied:

��and indeed you disobeyed before��[439]

And He did not accept his repentance. Or it is like someone whose soul has come upto the throat and he has seen his place in Hell-fire; now if he repents his repentance will not be accepted; and as for those who are alive during the period of reappearance and who have not died before, they will

either have to accept faith or be eliminated.�[440]

I say: This matter is right in itself but the coming group of traditions does not accept this because they describe the condition of those who are alive � as it is obvious for those who think upon it � apparently the late Sayyid (q.s.) when he came across this tradition, he reconciled them according to its Qareena (method). In any case, the possibility applicable here is either the first or the second that we have mentioned.

5. It is what His Eminence said in the tradition about Dajjal: His right eye has metamorphosed�and informs us of the reason of his being named as (Christ); effaced coins whose minted designs are rubbed out is also one of these; and the land of Mastah is called as Mash-haa.

Another reason is known from the statement of the compiler of Qamoos that: Because he was sinister and of ill omen they named him as Masih. Under the meaning of Tamseeh he says: It is that the Almighty Allah either creates a thing to be blessed or cursed, opposites of each other. And Jesus Christ is named such due to his blessings and there are five explanations of this statement that I have mentioned in the gloss that I have written on Mashaariqul Anwaar.

6. The author of Qamoos has said regarding the meaning of Dajal as follows: Dujail on the weight of Zubair: Oil etc which is massaged to camels. And it is from this aspect that he is named as Dajjal since

he would cover all the earth. Or could be in the meaning of Dijl, that is lying, cheating, burning, copulating and traveling all over the world. Or Dijl is taken from Tadjeelan which implies concealing and polishing � due to deceit and falsehood � or from Dajjal in the meaning of gold or gold water as the treasures will follow him. Or Dajjal is for the handle of the sword or Dajla for the numerous friends. Or Dajjal is one the weight of Sahhaab in the meaning of dung � since he will defile the earth � from Dajlun Naas as people will follow him.[441]

7. Sayyid Jazaeri says in the book Al-Anwaarun No�maaniya: And as for Dajjal; from the tradition of Shaykh Sadooq you know that he will appear from Isfahan and it has come in numerous traditions that he will appear from Sistan, and the conclusion of all these traditions together is that he will have multiple advents, just as he has different conditions, may curse of Allah, the angels and all the people be on him.[442]

8. Shaykh Ameenuddin Fadl bin al-Hasan Tabarsi says in his Tafseer Majmaul Bayan in a Mursal tradition (having incomplete chain of narrators) from the Holy Prophet (s) that he said:

�Those who recite Surah Kahf for eight days will remain safe from all kinds of mischief, and if Dajjal appears in those eight days, the Almighty Allah would make them immune to the mischief of Dajjal.�[443]

In the same book, in another tradition of His Eminence, it is reported that

he said:

�One who recites ten verses of Surah Kahf from memory will not be harmed by the mischief of Dajjal and one who recites the whole chapter would enter Paradise.�[444]

In another report it is quoted from His Eminence that he said:

�Shall I not tell you about the chapter of Quran during the revelation of which 70000 angels followed it, such that their greatness had filled the space between the heavens and the earth? Why? He replied, �It is the Surah Ashaab al-Kahf. One who recites it on Friday will be forgiven by Allah till next Friday with an addition of three days and a light will be bestowed on him, which will reach upto the sky and he would remain safe from the mischief of Dajjal.�[445]

In another traditional report it is narrated from His Eminence that he said:

�One who learns by heart the first ten verses of Surah Kahf and then he comes across Dajjal, he (Dajjal) will not be able to cause him any harm. And there would be a light on the Day of Qiyamat for one who learns by heart the last part of Surah Kahf.�[446]

for him. Now that you have noted this point, I say: Our master, His Eminence, the Master of the Age, may Allah hasten his reappearance, encompasses all the frontiers of perfections. And he has achieved the highest stages of elegance and awe. Inspite of all this, he is involved in problems from the deviated people and is forced to stay away from his family, people and native country. And this matter is absolutely clear for those who have insight. As for the greatness of the calamity of His Eminence, it is according to his own greatness and for his perfections, no words can describe them and imagination cannot reach them. Perhaps by studying this book you may understand some aspects of this and may quench your thirst at the source spring. Here we also add the point that you must know that His Eminence is a collection of the perfections of the Holy Prophet (s) and the Imams and their expression.

In a tradition that the noted Shaykh Muhammad bin al-Hurr Amili has mentioned in the book, Athbaat al-Hudaat bin Nusoos wal Mo�jizaat from the book, Athbaat ar-Rajaa of Fadl bin Shazan from authentic chain of narrators we read as follows:

It is narrated from Imam Sadiq (a) that he said:

�There is no miracle from the miracles of the Prophets and legatees, but that the Almighty Allah, Blessed and the High will show a like of it at the hands of Qaim (a) so that He may exhaust the argument on the enemies.�[447]

And how beautifully it is

said that:

That which all the good people have together, you alone have all of it.

Also the great scholar, Allamah Majlisi has narrated a tradition in Biharul Anwar from Mufaddal bin Umar from Imam Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he said:

�And at that time our master, Qaim (a) leaning his back on the House of Allah will say: O people, whoever wants to see Adam and Sheeth, should know that I am Adam and Sheeth. And whoever wants to see Nuh and his son, Saam, should know that I am that same Nuh and Saam. And whoever wants to see Ibrahim and Ismail, should know that I am that same Ibrahim and Ismail. And whoever wants to see Moosa and Yusha, should know that I am that same Moosa and Yusha. And whoever wants to see Isa and Shamoun, should know that I am that same Isa and Shamoun. And whoever wants to see Muhammad (s) and Amirul Momineen, should know that I am that same Muhammad and Amirul Momineen. And whoever wants to see Hasan and Husain, should know that I am that same Hasan and Husain. And whoever wants to see the Imams from the progeny of Husain, should know that I am those same purified Imams. Accept my call and gather near me as I would inform you about all that has been said and all that has not been said.�[448]

I say: This tradition proves that all the qualities of the great Prophets and the morals and manners of the Purified Imams (a)

have come together in the being of the Imam of the time � may our souls be sacrificed on him � and they emanate from His Eminence, and also a tradition that we have previously quoted from the Holy Prophet (s) that the ninth of them would be their Qaim and he is their apparent and hidden, proves this point.

In the same way Shaykh Sadooq has narrated through his own chain of narrators from Abu Baseer that he said:

I heard His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) say: �Matters related to occultation that occurred from the prophets would also occur in exactly the same way for our Qaim who is from us, Ahle Bayt.� Abu Baseer says: I asked respectfully: �O son of Allah�s Messenger, Who from among you Ahle Bayt, is the Qaim?� He replied, �O Abu Baseer, he is the fifth descendant of my son, Moosa. He is the son of the best of the slave girls. He shall have an occultation regarding which the followers of falsehood would doubt. After that Allah, the Mighty and Sublime would make him reappear and conquer the east and the west of the earth at his hands and send down from the heaven, the Spirit of Allah, Prophet Isa bin Maryam (a) who will recite Prayers behind him��[449]

Now that our discussion has reached this point, it would be better to present the matter in three sections:

the Quran:

�I am going to place in the earth a vicegerent.�[450]

And the Almighty Allah would also make Hazrat Hujjat as the inheritor of the earth and will appoint him as His caliph on His earth, as narrated from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he said with reference to the exegesis of the verse:

�Allah has promised to those of you who believe and do good that He will most certainly make them rulers in the earth.�[451]

�He is the Qaim and his companions; and at the time of his reappearance he would pass his hands over his face and say: Praise be to Allah, One Who fulfilled His promise and made us inherit the earth��[452]

In the Hadith of Mufaddal it is mentioned that:

�He will come out with a cloud shading him from above and on which a caller would be announcing: This is Mahdi, the caliph of Allah; follow him.�

Weeping of Adam (a): It is narrated from the Holy Prophet (s) that he said:

�Adam wept so much at the separation of Paradise that his tears flowed on both his cheeks like floods.�[453]

This same type of tradition is also narrated from Imam Sadiq (a):[454]

His Eminence, Qaim (a) also, like Adam would weep much as he says in the Ziarat Nahiya addressing his ancestor, Husain (a):

�I lament for you day and night and instead of tears I weep blood.�

Regarding Adam (a) the verse was revealed that:

�And He taught Adam all the names��[455]

As for the Qaim; whatever the Almighty Allah taught to Adam, He taught the same and

many other things to the Qaim (a). Adam was taught 25 letters from the Isme Aazam � as mentioned in tradition � and the Holy Prophet (s) was taught 72 letters; all the matters that the Almighty Allah gave to His Prophet, He gave them all to the successors of His Eminence also till the matter reached to His Eminence, Qaim (a), may Allah hasten his reappearance.

In an authentic report, Thiqatul Islam Kulaini has narrated from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he said:

�Verily, the knowledge that was brought down with Adam (a) was not taken back, and no man of knowledge has ever died, whose knowledge has become extinguished; Knowledge is inherited. The earth never remains devoid of a man of knowledge.�[456]

Adam enlivened the earth with worship of Allah, after the Jinns had killed it with their infidelity and rebellion.

Qaim (a) would also enliven the earth with the religion of Allah, justice and establishing His code of law after its death due to the disbelief and transgression of the people.

In Biharul Anwar, it is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) regarding the verse:

��gives life to the earth after its death��[457]

that he said:

�Allah, the Mighty and Sublime would enliven the earth after its death through Qaim (a). Its death denotes infidelity of its people as an infidel is in fact a dead man.�[458]

In Wasailush Shia it is mentioned regarding the verse:

��gives life to the earth after its death��

That His Eminence, Ibrahim Moosa bin Ja�far (a) said:

�He would enliven it through rain, rather

the Almighty Allah would send a man to revive justice, and the earth will be revived through the revival of justice, and indeed if a single divine ordinance is established on the earth it is better than forty days of rain.�[459]

In the same book it is narrated from the Holy Prophet (s) that he said:

�One hour of a just Imam is better than seventy years of worship and carrying out of one divine ordinance on the earth is more beneficial than forty days of rain.�[460]

With all these facts when and how much can we compare Adam and Qaim (a) while the fact is that Adam was created for Qaim.

Indeed the one who created the perfect morals

In the being of Adam for the Imam-e-Qaim.

the tyrant of the time in searching for the Wali of Allah. He will try to spy on him and not knowing about the birth of Imam Qaim, he will become the executor of his father�s estate and will desire that were he to gain upper hand on the Qaim he will eliminate him; and will be greedy for his inheritance, till he will usurp it wrongfully.�[462]

towards the sky and sneezed, he said:

�Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds and may Allah bless Muhammad and the Progeny of Muhammad.

The oppressors thought that the Divine Proof is invalid and destroyed. If we had been permitted to speak freely about him all the doubts would be removed.��[464]

This tradition is quoted by the chief of Hadith scholars, Shaykh Sadooq in Kamaluddin.

them, while they were unjust.�

The Qaim is also observing patience since the beginning of his Imamate till now, and I don�t know till when he would be patient. Those who opposed Nuh (a) were destroyed.

All those who oppose Qaim would also be destroyed. � as mentioned in tradition - .[468]

The Almighty Allah delayed the success of Nuh and his followers to such an extent that a majority of his followers deserted him.

The Almighty Allah would also delay the reappearance of Qaim to such an extent that the majority of his followers would desert him � as mentioned in a tradition of Imam Hasan Askari (a)-.

Idrees gave the glad tidings of the advent of Nuh.[469]

The Almighty Allah gave glad tidings about the reappearance of Qaim to the angels. The Holy Prophet (s) and the Holy Imams (a), and rather the past prophets gave glad tidings of his reappearance � that if we mention their statements it would prolong the book unnecessarily.

The call (voice) of Nuh reached to the east and the west of the earth and it was one of the miracles of His Eminence � thus it is mentioned in the book, Zubdatil Tasaaneef that:

�Qaim (a) also would stand between the Rukn and Maqaam and call out and say: O my deputies and representatives, and my special assistants, and those whom the Almighty Allah had treasured on the earth for my help before the reappearance, come to me with fervor and devotion. The voice of His Eminence would reach them whether they are in the

prayer niche (praying) or on their beds (sleeping); all would hear the call at once. And all of them would reach between Rukn and Maqaam in a fraction of a moment.�

This matter is mentioned in the tradition of Mufaddal quoted from Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a).[470]

pleased with me (forgives me) and restores my wings. Idrees replied: All right! So he prayed. The Almighty Allah restored the wings of that angel and forgave him. At that time the angel said to Idrees: �Do you have a wish?� �Yes,� replied he, �I would like you to take me upto the heavens so that I can see the angel of death as I have no life without his remembrance. Thus the angel took him on his wings and soared to the sky till they reached the fourth heaven. Suddenly Idrees saw the Angel of death shaking his head in surprise. Idrees said Salaam to the Angel of death and asked him: �Why are you shaking your head?� He replied: �When the Almighty Allah commanded me to capture your soul between the fourth and the fifth heaven, I asked Him; O Lord, how would that be possible? While the thickness of the fourth heaven is a journey of 500 years. And from the fourth heaven till the third heaven there is a distance of 500 years� travel and the thickness of the third heaven also is 500 years. Every heaven and what is between it is there in the same way, how would this be possible?� Then he captured his soul between the fourth and the fifth heaven. And it is about this that the Almighty Allah said:

�And We raised him high in Heaven.�

And that is why he was named as Idrees as he had obtained lessons (Dars) from many books.�[472]

And it is said

that he is alive in the Paradise and this statement is narrated from Ibne Abbas.

The angel, Ruhul Qudus also took Qaim (a) on his wings to the sky. This is mentioned in the traditional report regarding the birth of His Eminence, Qaim, recorded from Hakima in the book of Kamaluddin:

�Then Imam Hasan Askari (a) took his son while pigeons were flying over his head. His Eminence called out to one of the pigeons: �Take him and keep him safe and bring him back to me every forty days.� That pigeon took him and flew up to the sky; the other pigeons also followed him. At that time I heard His Eminence, Abu Muhammad (Imam Askari) say: �I have entrusted you to the one whom the mother of Moosa entrusted her son.� Narjis wept. His Eminence told her: �Take it easy, no one will nurse him, except you and he will be returned to you very soon as Moosa was returned to his mother. And it is about this that the Almighty Allah said:

�So We gave him back to his mother that her eye might be refreshed, and that she might not grieve��[473]

Hakima said: I asked respectfully: �What bird was that?� He replied: �It is Ruhul Qudus who is responsible for the Imams. He guards and protects them and trains them in knowledge���[474]

Idrees disappeared from among the people when they wanted to kill him � as mentioned in a tradition from Imam Muhammad Baqir (a).

Qaim (a) also disappeared in the same way when the enemies wanted

to kill him, as mentioned in the discussion on the cruelty of the enemies upon His Eminence under the Letter [Z].

The occultation of Idrees was so prolonged that his followers had to undergo severe hardships and difficulties. In the same way it is mentioned in Biharul Anwar from the Holy Prophet (s) that he said:

�This will continue, so much so, that people will be born in mischief and inequity and they will not know anything but mischief and inequity, so much so that the earth will be full of corruption. No one will be able to say, Allah. Then Allah, the Exalted will send a man from Me and my family. He will fill the earth with justice as those who have been before him will have filled it with injustice.�[475]

And it is narrated from Amirul Momineen (a) that he said:

�Indeed the earth would be full of injustice and oppression. So much so that no one would utter the name of Allah except secretly. Then the Almighty Allah would bring a righteous people so that they may fill it with justice and equity just as it would fraught with injustice and oppression.�

We have already mentioned the appropriate points under Letter �F�.

When the occultation of Idrees became prolonged, people joined in repentance and turned to Allah. The Almighty Allah, in turn, made him reappear and removed the distress and hardships of the people.

Qaim is also like that; such that if people were to unite in repenting for their sins and have a firm determination to help

and support the Imam, the Almighty Allah would make him reappear. We shall write more on this matter in the eighth section, Insha Allah.

When Idrees reappeared, the tyrant king and the people submitted to him.

The Qaim would also be in the same way. That when he reappears, the tyrannical rulers and kings and all the people of the world would surrender to His Eminence and bow down before him. If you desire to study the circumstances of Idrees in more detail you may refer to comprehensive works like the books of Kamaluddin, Biharul Anwar and Hayat al-Qulub. Were we to dwell further on this discussion it would lead us away from our main topic of study. Hence we suffice by this much so that the Almighty Allah may gather us together with His saints on the Judgment Day.

and advent of Hud till the period became prolonged and the hearts of most of them hardened. Then Allah, the Mighty and the High sent His Prophet, Hud when they had become despaired and calamities and hardships had surrounded them fully and the enemies were destroyed by a wind sans benefit, a wind that the Almighty Allah has described as follows in the Holy Quran:

�It did not leave aught on which it blew, but it made it like ashes.�[476]

After that occultation occurred for him till the advent of Salih (a).�[477]

The advent of Qaim along with his distinctive qualities were also prophesied by his honorable forefathers and they mentioned his occultation and reappearance as parts of them have been mentioned above.

Allah, the Mighty and Sublime destroyed the infidels through Hud (a) and He sent Aqeem on them as the Almighty Allah says:

�When We sent upon them the destructive wind. It did not leave aught on which it blew, but it made it like ashes.�[478]

Qaim is also having the same situation that Allah, the Mighty and the High would also destroy some disbelievers through a black windstorm � as mentioned in the lengthy tradition quoted by Mufaddal and it would be further mentioned under the topic of the call of His Eminence, Insha Allah.

occultation from his community for a period of time: The day he disappeared from them he was of middle age, wide belly, elegant body, thick beard, fair complexioned and medium height. When he returned to his people, they did not recognize him from his face. And he found them divided into three groups: A group had denied him and they were not prepared to retract their denial. Another group was of those who had doubts about him. The third group was firm in its faith. So he addressed the group of doubters and said: �I am Salih.� They denied and chided him and snubbed him saying: �May Allah become aloof from you, Salih was indeed having a different appearance.� The Imam says: Then Salih went to the deniers and they paid no heed to his words and expressed a deep hatred for him. After that he went to the third group which was a group of faithful believers and told them that he was Salih. They said: �Please tell us something through which we may not have any doubt about you. We have no doubt that Allah, the Mighty and the High, Who is the Creator can change the appearance of anyone He wants. We had been informed about it and we have researched and studied the signs and portents regarding the reappearance of the Qaim. And it would be correct when he brings the news from the heavens. Salih said: I am that same Salih who brought the she-camel by miracle. They said: You

are right. It is the same point we argued on. But tell us what its sign was? Salih said: An alternate day was reserved for this she-camel to drink from the stream and alternate for you. We have brought faith on Allah and also believed on whatever you have brought. At that time Allah, the Mighty and the High said:

�Do you know that Salih is sent by his Lord?�[479]

And the believers and people of faith said:

�Surely we are believers in what he has been sent with.�[480]

And the arrogant ones � those who doubted him � said:

�Surely we are deniers of what you believe in.�[481]

The narrator asked:

Was there among them a scholar and who knew Salih? Imam replied: The Almighty Allah is more equitable that He should leave the earth without a scholar that guides the people to Allah. This community passed seven days in this manner after the reappearance and advent of Salih as they had no recognition of a leader or Imam for themselves. But in spite of this they has something from divine religion and they had remained firm on that. Their beliefs were same. And when Salih reappeared they gathered around him. And there is no doubt that the simile of Qaim (a) is like that of Salih.�[482]

Yes, Qaim (a) would also be like Salih. Whatever occurred on Salih would in the same way, letter to letter, exactly happen for him also. In spite of the fact that he would reappear in the form of a young man of less than forty

years while he is of advanced age.

The people would also be divided into three groups: People of firm belief, the doubters and the deniers. He would invite the deniers and they would deny him and he would eliminate them, and the people of faith would ask him for signs and he would show them and they would pledge allegiance to him. And there is a tradition on this. Some of it we have mentioned before and some would follow in the coming pages � if the Almighty Allah wills.

�My master, he is forty days old and I see him like this.� He said, �My aunt, don�t you know that we the congregation of legatees grow in a day as much as others grow in a week, and grow in a week as much as others grow in a year?�[484]

Ibrahim (a) separated himself from the people. Allah, the Mighty and Sublime has quoted him as:

�And I will withdraw from you and what you call on besides Allah��[485]

Qaim (a) has also detached himself from the people as discussed in the chapter of Letter [�Ain].

Ibrahim has two occultations.

Qaim is also having two occultations.

When Ibrahim (a) was thrown into the fire (of Nimrod), Jibraeel brought a garment of Paradise for him.

The Qaim also � when he reappears � would also be wearing the same garment. It is reported by Mufaddal in Kamaluddin that he quoted Imam Sadiq (a) to have said:

�Do you know what the garment of Yusuf was? �No,� replied I. He said, �When fire was lit for (burning) Ibrahim (a) Jibraeel brought a garment of Paradise for him and dressed him in it. That garment protected him from heat and cold and when his death approached, he made it into an arm band and tied it to Ishaq; Ishaq in turn tied it to Yaqoob and when Yusuf was born Yaqoob tied it on him. And it was tied to his arm till those circumstances befell him. Thus when Yusuf removed it from the arm band in Egypt, Yaqoob perceived its fragrance and it is

about the same thing that Allah quotes him saying:

�Most surely I perceive the fragrance of Yusuf, unless you pronounce me to be weak in judgment.�[486]

It is the same garment that had come down from Paradise.�

I said: May I be sacrificed on you, whom did this garment reach after him? He replied, �To the one deserving of it. And the garment is with our Qaim, when he would reappear. Then he said: All knowledge or things inherited by every prophet have reached to Muhammad (s).�[487]

I say: This tradition is not contradicting the one quoted by the notable scholar, Allamah Majlisi in his book, Biharul Anwar from Nomani. The tradition is as follows: from his own chain of narrators, from Yaqoob bin Shuaib from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he said:

�Shall I show you the garment, wearing which the Qaim would reappear?� �Yes,� said I (the narrator). So His Eminence asked for a garment and opened it and out of it came a canvas garment. And he spread it. I saw that the left sleeve was smeared with blood. Then he said, �It is the same garment that the Holy Prophet (s) wore when his teeth were injured. And His Eminence, Qaim would put on the same garment and reappear.� I kissed that blood and put it on my face. After that His Eminence folded it and took it away.[488]

There is a possibility that he may be wearing both these garments at some time; perhaps he would be having the garment of Ibrahim (a) with

him, tied to his arm or one like that. Because in the first tradition it is not clearly mentioned that His Eminence would be dressed up in it.

And Allah knows best.

Ibrahim (a): He constructed the Holy Kaaba and fixed the Black Stone in its place. Allah, the Mighty and Sublime says:

�And when Ibrahim and Ismail raised the foundations of the House: Our Lord! accept from us; surely Thou art the Hearing, the Knowing��[489]

In Tafseer Burhan and other books it is reported from Uqbah bin Basheer from either Imam Muhammad Baqir (a) or Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) that he said:

�Allah, the Mighty and Sublime commanded Ibrahim (a) to build the Kaaba and to raise its foundations so that it becomes a place of worship for people. So Ibrahim and Ismail every day constructed equal to one �Saaq� (leg) till they reached the place of the Black Stone. His Eminence, Baqir (a) said: Here Mt. Abu Qubais called out to them that it was holding something as trust for them. At that time it gave the Back Stone to Ibrahim and His Eminence fixed it in its proper place.�[490]

Qaim (a) also is having something like that. It is mentioned in Biharul Anwar that His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) said:

�When Qaim (a) reappears, he would raze the Masjidul Haraam till he reaches its foundations and he would return the place of Ibrahim to its original location��[491]

In Kharaij it is narrated from Abul Qasim Ja�far bin Muhammad Quluwahy that he said:

In the year 337 I had the honor

of performing the Hajj and enroute to it reached Baghdad. That year by the destruction of Qaramtians, they had returned Hajar al-Aswad to its prior place. Most of my efforts were aimed to find someone who would fix that stone in its original spot. Because I had learnt from books that except for the Divine Proof of the time no one can fix it in its original spot. As was seen during the time of Hajjaj when Imam Zainul Abideen (a) placed it in its original spot. But I fell severely ill and began to fear for myself, and in that condition I was not able to continue my journey. Then I learnt that Ibne Hisham was traveling to Mecca. Therefore I wrote a letter, sealed it and entrusted it to him. In that letter I had asked about the span of my life, that whether I was destined to die during this illness or not. And I told Ibne Hisham: My endeavor is that this letter should reach into the hands of one who fixes the Hajar al-Aswad. And for this job I have summoned you.

Ibne Hisham says: When I reached Mecca and came to the place where Hajar al-Aswad was supposed to be fixed, I gave an amount of cash to the caretakers of the Haram to allow me to remain there at that fixed time. I took up a location from where I could see who fixes that stone. I told the guards to remain with me so that they may take

me away from the crowd. I saw that everyone was trying to fix the stone but none was able to do so and it used to fall down. Then a young man of wheat complexion and an elegant appearance approached; he took the stone and placed it in the proper spot. It became so well fixed that I imagined it must not have been so even in the beginning. Clamor arose from the people due to that and that young man headed towards the exit. I rose from where I was sitting and went after him. I pushed people to right and left and they thought I had gone insane. People were making way for him and I did not let him get out of my sight till he separated from the people. I was walking very fast and he moved calmly and with composure. When he reached a place where none could see him except me, he turned to me and said: Give me that which you are carrying. I presented the letter to him. Without looking at it he said: Tell him that there is no danger for him in this illness and the death from which he is helpless would come after thirty years. Tears filled up my eyes and I could not even move. He left me in my condition and went away.

Abul Qasim says: This incident was related to me by Ibne Hisham.

The narrator adds: Thirty years after that mysterious incident Abul Qasim fell ill. So he gathered his affairs,

wrote down his will and he made exceptional efforts in this regard. They asked him: What fear is that? We expect that the Almighty Allah would again give you good health. He replied: This is the year about which I was warned. He passed away in that illness. May Allah have mercy on him.[492]

The Almighty Allah saved Ibrahim (a) from the fire. Allah, the Mighty and Sublime says in His book:

�We said: O fire! be a comfort and peace to Ibrahim��[493]

Qaim (a) would also have a similar situation. As mentioned in some books it is reported by Muhammad bin Zaid Kufi from Imam Sadiq (a) that he said:

�When Qaim (a) reappears a man from Isfahan would approach him and ask him to show the miracle of His Eminence, Ibrahim, the Friend of Allah. So the Imam would order the preparation of a huge fire and he would recite the following verse:

�Therefore glory be to Him in Whose hand is the kingdom of all things, and to Him you shall be brought back.�[494]

After that he would enter the fire and then he would come out of it safe and sound. That accursed man who had demanded this miracle would deny it and say: This is sorcery. Then His Eminence would command the fire and it would catch hold of that man and burn him up. And he would say: This is the punishment of one who denies the Master of the time and the Proof of the Beneficent.

Ibrahim (a) would call the people towards the Almighty

Allah. The Holy Quran says:

�And proclaim among men the Pilgrimage��[495]

It is mentioned in Tafseer Burhan that His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) said:

�Ibrahim called out among the people for Hajj and said: O people, I am Ibrahim, the Friend of Allah; the Almighty Allah commands you to perform the Hajj of this House, so you all perform the Hajj. One who goes for Hajj � till the day of Qiyamat � has obeyed Ibrahim.�[496]

Qaim (a) would also invite the people to Allah, as mentioned under the chapter of Letter �D� and more points shall be presented in the coming pages.

and after the water was procured, Saiqal, the mother of Imam-e-Zamana (aj) brought it to His Eminence.

His Eminence took hold of the vessel but his hands shook so much that the bowl clattered against his teeth. The Imam let go of the vessel and said to Aqeed: �Go inside the house where you will find a boy in prostration. Bring him to me.�

Abu Sahl says: Aqeed said: When I went inside to bring that boy I saw that the boy was in a prostration and he had raised his index finger to the sky. I saluted him. He shortened his Prayer. I said respectfully: �The master has called you.� At that moment his mother arrived and taking his hand brought him to his father.

Abu Sahl says: When the boy came to His Eminence, he saluted him. I saw that his face was glowing like a pearl, he had short hair and wide teeth. When the eyes of Imam Hasan Askari (a) fell upon him he wept and said: �O master of my family, give me this water so that I may proceed to my Lord.� The young master complied and taking up the bowl of mastic water brought it to the lips of his father so that he may drink it. Then Imam Hasan Askari (a) said: �Prepare me for the ritual prayer.� That child kept a towel before the Imam and made ablution for him by washing his face and hands in turn. Then he did Masah of his head and both feet. The

Imam said: �O my son, I give you glad tidings that you are the Master of the Time and the Proof of Allah on the face of the earth. You are my son and successor. You are born from me and you are M-H-M-D the son of Hasan son of Ali son of Muhammad son of Ali son of Moosa son of Ja�far son of Muhammad son of Ali son of Husain son of Ali Ibne Abi Talib (a) and you are from the progeny of the Holy Prophet (s) and the last of the Purified Imams (a). And the Messenger of Allah (s) gave glad tidings about you and informed about your name and patronymic. This was told me by my father from his purified forefathers � blessings of Allah be on Ahle Bayt. Indeed our Lord alone is worthy of praise and glorification.�

Imam Hasan bin Ali Askari (a) spoke these sentences and passed away at that very moment.[498]

I say: His Eminence passed away due to the effect of poison on the 8th of Rabi I, year 260 A.H. and at that time his age was barely 28 years, may Allah bless him.

Ismail (a) � the spring of Zam Zam burst forth for him.

For Qaim (a) also a spring of water would burst forth from a hard stone � as would be explained in the discussion of resemblance to Prophet Moosa (a) � and water also had sprung many times for that respected personality, as mentioned in Biharul Anwar quoting from the book of

Tanbiyatul Khaatir that Sayyid Ajal Ali son of Ibrahim Areezi Alawi Husaini reports from Ali son of Ali son of Numa that he said:

Hasan bin Ali bin Hamza Aqsasi related this incident in the house of Shareef Ali bin Ja�far bin Ali Madaini Alawi that there was a short-stature Shaykh in Kufa who was well known for his piety, he liked sight-seeing, was an ardent worshipper and preferred seclusion. And he was always in pursuit of historical information and traditional reports.

One day it so happened that I was in the gathering of my father when this gentleman arrived and began to converse with my father and the latter was listening to him intently.

The senior gentleman said: One night I was in Masjid Jofa, which is an ancient Masjid on the outskirts of Kufa. Half the night had passed and I was engrossed in secluded prayers when suddenly three persons entered the Masjid. When they reached the center of the courtyard, one of them squatted and began to move the soil to the right and the left. A spring of water appeared and water gushed out of it.

He performed the ritual ablution with this water and gestured to the other two persons and they also performed the ablution. Then he stood in the front and the other two stood behind him to pray. I also went and stood at the back and recited the prayers with them.

Since I was astonished at the erupting of the spring, when the prayer was concluded I asked the man to

my right: Who is that gentleman? He told me: He is the Master of the Affair, son of Imam Hasan Askari (a). So I went forward and kissed the blessed hands of His Eminence and asked very respectfully: O son of Allah�s Messenger (s), what is your opinion about Shareef Umar, son of Hamza? Is he on the right religion? He replied: No, but it is possible he may come to the right path. However it is sure that he would not die without seeing me.

The narrator says: We wrote down this interesting tradition, and some time passed after this incident till Shareef Umar bin Hamza expired and it was not heard that he had seen Imam-e-Zamana (a). One day I met that old gentleman at a place and reminded him about that incident and asked: Did you not say that Shareef would see Imam-e-Zamana (a) before his death? The aged gentleman replied: How do you know that he did not meet His Eminence? After that, one day I met Shareef Abul Manaqib son of Shareef Umar son of Hamza and discussed about his father with him.

Shareef Abul Manaqib said: One night I was with my father when he was in his terminal illness. It was the last part of the night. The physical strength of my father was sapped and his voice had become feeble. All the doors of the house were shut when suddenly a man came to us and I was overwhelmed by his awe. We were so astonished that we didn�t

even ask him how he managed to enter the house when all the doors were closed and what the purpose of his visit was. That gentleman sat besides my father spoke softly to him and my father wept. Then he arose and went away. And when he went out of our sight my father shook terribly and asked me to make him sit up. I helped him to sit up. He opened his eyes and asked: Where is that gentleman who was sitting near me? I replied that he had left. He said: Go after him. I went after him but could not find him again as all the doors were closed. I returned to my father and related the matter to him. Then I asked him who that gentleman was. He said: He is the Master of the Affair (a). After that his illness intensified again and he became unconscious.[499]

I say: In the chapter of Letter [Z] we have discussed the relevant points, which may be referred.

Ismail (a) used to graze sheep.

Qaim (a) also would have the same program. In the tradition of Mufaddal it is narrated from Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) that he said:

�And by Allah, O Mufaddal, as if I can see him entering Mecca wearing the dress of the Holy Prophet (s) and donning a yellow turban and shoes of Prophet, holding the staff of His Eminence, driving some emaciated goats; and he would walk in this manner till he reaches the Holy Kaaba. At that time there would be no

one who could recognize him, he shall appear as a young man.�[500]

Ismail (a) was submissive to the command of the Almighty. He said:

�He said: O my father! do what you are commanded; if Allah please, you will find me of the patient ones.�[501]

Qaim (a) is also submissive to Divine orders.

bestow him a son who may become his support as a son is a very good support. Then he recited the following couplets to illustrate his point:

Whoever has an arm will take back his usurped rights

Indeed, disgraced is one who does not have an arm.

I asked His Eminence: Do you have a son?

He replied: Yes, by Allah, I would have a son who would fill up the earth with justice and equity; however, presently I am not having a son. Then he continued his recitation of couplets:

Perhaps that day arrives when you will see my son besides me like a lion cub.

Thus indeed, before the Teem give birth to many children for a long period of time he was alone among the people.[503]

and they had come down for this baby and they shall be his helpers when he reappears.�[505]

In the discussion of the strength of believers�we have already mentioned the relevant points.

Also the resemblance of His Eminence, Qaim with Lut is that Lut (a) went out from the city of transgressors; His Eminence, Qaim (a) also in the same way left the countries of transgressing people.

Thus on that single night He would gather the companions of His Eminence from far off lands.

Shaykh Sadooq has narrated in Kamaluddin from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he said:

�In the Master of this affair there is a resemblance to Yusuf (a) and it is that Allah, the Mighty and Sublime would improve and reform his affairs overnight.�[510]

It is narrated from the Holy Prophet (s) that he said:

�Mahdi is from us, Ahle Bayt. The Almighty Allah would improve and reform his affairs overnight.�[511]

Yusuf (a) was distressed by being imprisoned and he said as follows:

�He said: My Lord! the prison house is dearer to me than that to which they invite me��[512]

In the same way Qaim (a) has also the same situation as mentioned in the tradition of His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a):

�In the Master of this affair there is a resemblance to Moosa, a resemblance to Isa, a resemblance to Yusuf and a resemblance to Muhammad (s)� � till he said � �and as for the resemblance to Yusuf, it is the prison and occultation��[513]

I say: O ardent follower of the family of infallibility, take lesson from these statements and imagine the distress and hardship of your Maula; that the world, in spite of its vastness and the earth in spite of its extent is a prison for him in such a way that he is not secure from the oppression and opposition of the enemies. We pray to the Almighty Allah to hasten his reappearance and ease his advent.

Yusuf (a) remained

in the prison for some years.

Qaim (a); if only we could know how long he would have to remain in the prison of occultation and when he would come out of it!

Yusuf (a) had gone into occultation from the general public as well as his near and dear ones and he remained hidden from his brothers and his disappearance was very tough upon his father, Yaqoob, in spite of the fact that there was not much distance between him and his followers, as mentioned in traditions.

Qaim (a) also � as mentioned in other traditions � is like that. In Kamaluddin it is narrated from His Eminence, Imam Baqir (a) in the discussion of the resemblance to some prophets as follows:

�And as for his resemblance to Yusuf bin Yaqoob (a), it is occultation from his near and near ones as well as from the general populace and being hidden from his brothers; and the concealment of his affair from his father, Prophet Yaqoob (a). in spite of the fact that the distance between His Eminence and his father, family and followers��[514]

I say: There are a large number of reports that prove that His Eminence is with us and is aware of our affairs. Some of these traditional reports would be mentioned in this book, if Allah the Almighty wills.

quoted from Manaqib from Dawood Riqqi that he said:

�Two of my brothers decided to travel for performing Ziarat. One of them was overwhelmed by thirst so much that he fell down from his mount and the other one also fell on his hands. But he got up from his place and recited the prayer and sought the help of Almighty Allah, the Holy Prophet (s), Amirul Momineen (a) and the Imams (a). He uttered their names one by one till he came to the name of Ja�far bin Muhammad (a), and he began to beseech and call out for His Eminence. Suddenly he decried a man standing besides him and asking: �What�s the problem?� He related his circumstances to that gentleman. That person gave him a piece of wood and said: �Keep it between his (fellow traveler�s) lips.� He complied with this and once he saw him open his eyes and sit up without feeling any thirst. They continued their journey and performed the Ziarat of the holy tomb.

And when they returned towards Kufa the one who had supplicated, traveled to Medina and went to Imam Sadiq (a). His Eminence asked: �Sit down, how is your brother? Where is that (piece of) wood?� I politely replied: �O master, when my brother fell down in that condition I was extremely distraught and when the Almighty Allah returned his soul, due to being overjoyed I forgot the (piece of) wood.� His Eminence, Sadiq (a) said: �When you were depressed by the condition of your brother, my brother,

Khizr came to me. I sent you the piece of Tooba tree wood with him.� After that His Eminence turned to his servant and said: �Go and bring that container.� The servant went and brought it. His Eminence opened it and that same piece of wood came out. He showed it to that person who recognized it. Then the Imam returned it to its place.�[515]

Qaim (a) is also such that the Almighty Allah gave him a long lifespan. Rather some traditions inform us that the wisdom behind the prolongation of Khizr�s life is that it should be a proof for the longevity of Qaim (a). Shaykh Sadooq (q.s.) has mentioned a lengthy tradition in his book, Kamaluddin that we shall bring in Part Eighth, Insha Allah. In that report Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) says:

�And as for the Righteous Servant, Khizr (a); the Almighty Allah bestowed him with a long lifespan not due to the fact that He had made him a Prophet, or because a book was revealed to him, nor that he brought a new Shariat nullifying the previous one, nor that He made him an Imam and required the people to follow him, nor because his obedience was compulsory. Rather it was because it was there in the knowledge of Allah, the Blessed and the High, that during occultation the age of Qaim (a) would be prolonged to an extent that people would not believe it, and they would deny a long age, He prolonged the age of the Righteous Servant, Khizr (a)

without any justification, except that it should be a basis for proving the age of Qaim (a) so that the arguments and proofs of the opponents may be invalidated and that people may not have any argument against the Almighty Allah.�[516]

Also in the book of Kamaluddin it is narrated from Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) that he said:

�Khizr (a) drank from the nectar of life. Thus he is alive and will not die till the bugle is blown. Indeed he comes to us and he greets us by Salaam. His voice is audible but he could not be seen. And he is present wherever his name is mentioned. Thus whomsoever of you mentions him, must say Salaam to him. Every year he is present in the ceremonies of Hajj. He performs all the rituals and he camps at Arafat; says Amen to the prayers of believers. And the Almighty Allah changes the loneliness of our Qaim (a) during his occultation into his companionship and removes his solitude through him (Khizr).�[517]

The name of His Eminence, Khizr is �Baliya� and other names are also mentioned. The reason of his being named thus is that � as Shaykh Sadooq mentioned � he never sits on dry wood except that it turns green and it is also said that whenever he prays, his surroundings turn green.[518] And it is said that once he was on a white land and he moved once and became green.

The Arabic word �Khzr� is pronounced in three ways: �Khazr�, �Khizr� and �Khazir.�

It is mentioned in

An-Najmus Thaqib that to whichever land Qaim (a) comes, it would become green and vegetated and water would flow from it. And when he departs from there, the water would recede and the land will return to its prior condition.[519]

I say: This report has other testimonies also but we refrain from presenting them as it would prolong the discussion to no profit.

The Almighty Allah has bestowed His Eminence, Khizr (a) with the power to assume any form as Ali bin Ibrahim, in his Tafseer, has related from Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a).[520]

The Almighty Allah has bestowed the same power to Qaim (a). There are numerous traditions and incidents that illustrate this point, some of which we have presented in this book.

Khizr (a) has the ability to know the unseen as he said in his conversation with Prophet Moosa (a):

�He said: Surely you cannot have patience with me: And how can you have patience in that of which you have not got a comprehensive knowledge?�[521]

Qaim (a) also has the ability to know the unseen as mentioned in the discussion about the knowledge and wisdom of His Eminence.

Khizr (a) did not reveal the wisdom behind his actions till after he revealed himself.

Qaim (a) is also such that the cause of his occultation will not be revealed till after the reappearance, as we discussed about it in the topic of Ghaibat (occultation) in the chapter of Letter �Gh�.

Khizr (a) participates in the Hajj ceremonies every year and performs all the rituals.

Qaim (a) also participates in the Hajj ceremonies every

year and performs all the rituals.

This was already mentioned in the discussion about the Hajj of His Eminence. Here we would like to relate a very interesting incident as it is having many benefits.

differences and dispersion in cohesive groups; and through which are calculated the number of sand particles in the desert, the weight of the mountains and the measure of water in the oceans. Bless Muhammad and the Progeny of Muhammad and widen and ease all my affairs for me.�

Then the handsome youth stood up and we also followed by way of respect. He began to perform the circumambulation (Tawaf). As a result of his awe we forgot to ask him who he was. The next day at the same time he completed the Tawaf and came to us and sat down among us in the same way. Then he glanced to the right and left and asked: �Do you what supplication Amirul Momineen used to recite after the obligatory prayers?� We asked: �What did he recite?� He said: �He used to recite as follows:

O Allah it is towards You that voices are raised. Supplications are addressed to You alone. Before You only are cheeks placed in submission. Humility and lowliness is shown to You. Your command is honored in all the matters. O the best of those who are beseeched and One Who is better than all those who bestow. O the true one, O the forgiving one. O one who never breaks His promise. O one who also commands to ask from Him and also promises the fulfillment of supplications. O one who has said: �Call upon Me, I will answer you.� O one who said: �And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then

surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me, that they may walk in the right way.� O one who said: Say: �O my servants! Who have acted extravagantly against their own souls, do not despair of the mercy of Allah; surely Allah forgives the faults altogether; surely He is the Forgiving the Merciful.�

Then he looked to the right and the left and asked: �Do you know what Amirul Momineen used to recite in the prostration of thankfulness (Sajdah Shukr)? �Please tell us what he used to say,� we replied. He said: �He used to say:

The weeping of those who weep does not increase anything except Your generosity and kindness. O one who has the treasures of the heavens and the earth. O one whose mercy is widespread. My sins cannot restrain Your favors from reaching me for which I pray to You. Regarding my affairs, do what befits You. You are powerful over every type of punishment and You have complete right upon all of them. I have no argument to support my case in Your court and neither have I an opportunity to present excuse. I present my sins to You and I confess of having committed them so that You may forgive them and You are the best of those who know. I dissociate myself of all the sins that I have committed and all the mistakes I made and all the evils deeds

I have performed. O my Lord, forgive me and have mercy on me and overlook all that You know, for You are the most powerful and kind.�

After that the young man arose and began to circle the Kaaba. We all also rose up to pay respect. The next day he again came to us at the same time and like the previous day we welcomed and greeted him. He sat down in our company and glanced at the right and left. Then he said: �Ali bin al-Husain, Chief of those who prostrate (Sayyid us-Saajideen) used to recite this at this place in prostration (so saying he pointed to the Black Stone):

�Your slave is at Your threshold, Your destitute is at Your door, You are asked for those things over which none except You have power.�[522]

Then he looked to the right and the left and glanced at Muhammad bin al-Qasim Alawi from among us and said: �O Muhammad bin al-Qasim, you are, Insha Allah on the right path.�

Then he arose and entered the circling of the Kaaba. There was none among us that had not learnt by heart the supplications he had recited, but we forgot to ask him about himself everyday.

Mahmoodi asked us: �Do you know this man?� �No,� we replied. He said: �By Allah, he is the Master of your time.� We asked: �How do you know, O Abu Ali?� He said: �I prayed to my Lord for seven years to let me have the glimpse of the Master of the Age.�

Then he said:

�Seven years ago that same gentleman was reciting the supplication of Isha in Arafat. I asked him: �Who are you?� He replied: �I am a human being.� I asked: �From which race of human beings?� He said: �From the Arabs.�

Then I asked: �From which Arab clan?� He said: �From the most noble and high clan.� I asked: �Which is that?� He replied: �Banu Hashim.� I asked: �From which branch of Banu Hashim?� He said: �That which is the highest in giving counsel and worthy of praise in its loftiness.� I asked: �From which of these persons?� He said: �From those who split the heads, fed the poor and prayed in the dead of the night when the people slept.�

I said to myself that he was an Alawite and I was inclined to the Alawites. Then he disappeared. I don�t know whether he went to the sky or into the earth. I asked those who were around him whether they knew that Alawite gentleman. �Yes,� they replied, �He comes with us every year on foot to perform the Hajj.� I told them that I didn�t see his footprints. Then I went towards Muzdalifah in a condition of grief and sorrow. That same night I saw the Holy Prophet (s) in dream. He said: �O Mahmoodi, you have seen what you desired.� I said: �My master, who was he?� He replied: �The one you saw during Isha was the Master of the Time.�

Thus when we heard this from him we became angry at him, why he did

not inform us about it. He said that during the conversation he had forgotten about it.�[523]

I say: There are minor differences in the wordings of the tradition mentioned by Shaykh Sadooq in Kamaluddin and that quoted by Allamah Majlisi in Biharul Anwar from Ghaibat of Shaykh Tusi. But it makes no difference to the general meaning and thus we have brought them together by the grace of Allah.

Allah willed. There is no strength and might except by Allah the High and the Mighty. In the name of Allah, as Allah willed. And may Allah bless Muhammad and his Purified and chaste progeny.

One who recites this three times every morning will remain safe from drowning, burning and theft and one who recites these words three times in the night will remain safe all night from drowning, burning and theft. And Khizr and Ilyas meet each other in the Hajj ceremonies every year; and when they part, they do so reciting these words. And it is the sign of my Shias and by these words my enemies separate from my friends during the advent of their Qaim.[524]

Qaim (a) also goes for the Hajj every year � as was mentioned in the topic of his resemblance to Khizr � and in the fifth section more relevant points would be discussed, if Allah, the High, wills.

Ilyas (a) fled from his people and disappeared from their sight when they wanted to kill him. Qaim (a) also fled from his community and has gone out of the sight of the people when they wanted to kill His Eminence.

Ilyas (a) was in occultation for seven years.

We don�t know what would be the duration of the occultation of Qaim (a).

Ilyas (a) resided in the mountain with great difficulty.[525]

According to the tradition of Ali Ibne Mahziyar quoted in Kamaluddin, Biharul Anwar and Tabsiratul Wali and other books, Qaim (a) said:

�My father, Abu Muhammad (a) enjoined me not remain in the neighborhood

of the people with whom the Almighty Allah is wrathful and whom He cursed. And for whom there is disgrace and humiliation in the world and the hereafter and there is a painful chastisement for them. And he ordered me not to live except in difficult mountains and from the countries except in lowlands, and the Almighty Allah is your master, he explained Taqayyah and told me to observe it, thus I am in Taqayyah till the time I am permitted to reappear.�

I (the narrator) asked: �O my master, when would that be?� He replied: �When there develops a distance and separation between you and the way of Kaaba. And the Sun and the Moon come together and the planets and stars surround them.�[526]

Ilyas (a) was such that the Almighty Allah, through his Dua revived Prophet Yunus (a) fourteen days after he died in his childhood as mentioned in traditions.[527]

Through the blessings of Qaim (a) also the Almighty Allah would enliven numerous dead people, years after their death. Among them would be: The People of the Cave, twenty-five persons from the community of Moosa � who judged with justice and equity � and Yusha bin Noon, the successor of His Eminence, Moosa, the Believer of the community of Firon, Salman Farsi, Abu Dujana Ansari and Malik Ashtar, as mentioned in the tradition of Imam Sadiq (a) in Biharul Anwar and other books.[528] And if Allah wills, we shall mention the relevant points in the chapter of Letter �N�. It would also be explained that Ilyas

(a) is also among the companions of His Eminence, Qaim (a).

The Almighty Allah took up Ilyas (a) to the heavens as mentioned in the tradition reported by Ibne Abbas: the Almighty Allah also took up Qaim (a) to the heavens as mentioned under the topic of resemblance of His Eminence with Idrees.

It is said that Ilyas (a) comes for the help of afflicted ones and he guides the ones distressed by losing their way in the deserts and wilderness and Khizr helps them in the islands of the oceans. These points are mentioned by Allamah Majlisi (r.a.) in Hayatul Qulub.

Qaim (a) also reaches to help those in distress and he guides those who have lost their way in the land as well as the sea � rather in the earth and the heavens � and he comes for helping the helpless and �that is Allah�s grace; He grants it to whom He pleases.�

Ilyas (a) was such that food came for him from the sky by the leave of the Almighty Allah. As mentioned in Tafseer Burhan and other books from Anas, he said: the Holy Prophet (s) heard a call from a mountain peak saying:

�O Allah, make me from the nation that is shown mercy and forgiven. The Holy Prophet (s) went there; suddenly he saw an old man three hundred Zaraa (1 Zaraa = 41 inches) in height. When he saw the Messenger of Allah (s) he embraced him and said: I eat once in a year and now is my mealtime. So food

descended from the sky and both of them ate from it. He was Ilyas (a).�[529]

Food descended from the sky for Qaim (a) also. Here we would be content to just mention one incident that Allamah Majlisi and other writers have mentioned from Abu Muhammad Isa bin Mahdi Jauhari:

�I set out for Hajj in the year 268 A.H. and I also intended to visit Medina because we had received the correct report that the Master of the Time has reappeared. I had traveled some distance from the Fayd Fort that I fell ill[530] and wished I could obtain fish and dates from somewhere. I reached Medina in the same condition and met my brothers in faith. They also gave me the good news of the reappearance of the Master of the Time that he has reappeared in Sabar. Thus I set out towards Sabar. When I reached the valley, I saw some emaciated goats. Then I entered the boundaries of the fort, halted there and began to wait to see what happens; till it was time for prayers. I performed the Maghrib and Isha prayers and began to supplicate. Suddenly I saw the servant, Badr, calling me: �O Isa bin Mahdi Jauhari, come in.� I said: �God is the Greatest� and �There is no God except Allah�. And I praised and glorified the Almighty. And when I reached the courtyard of the fort I saw that dinner was laid out. The servant took me to the banquet and seated me there. He told me: �Your master

orders you to eat about which you had doubts when you fell ill after leaving Fayd.� I said: Only this proof is enough for me. Thus how can I eat while I do not see my master? Then His Eminence called out: �O Isa, eat your food, you will see me also.� So I sat down on the dinner spread (Sufra). I saw that there were hot fried fishes, some dates and milk was also served. I thought to myself that since I was ill I should abstain from fish, dates and milk. A voice called out: �O Isa, you have doubts about us. Do you think you know more than me what is beneficial for you and what is harmful?� I began to weep and prayed to Allah for forgiveness. Then I ate from all the dishes which were extremely delicious. I had never eaten anything more delicious. Thus I ate more than my normal appetite and restrained my hand as I felt ashamed to eat more. A voice came: �O Isa, do not feel shy. These are victuals of Paradise, no mortal has a hand in their preparation.� Then I ate more and more but felt that I was not getting satiated. So I said: �Maula, I have had enough.� Now His Eminence called me to himself and said: �Come near me.� I thought to myself: �Shall I meet my master without even washing up after dinner?� The voice asked: �O Isa, look at your hands, is there anything sticking to them?� I

glanced at my hands and smelt them, but found them clean and smelling of musk and camphor. So I went into the presence of His Eminence and glanced at him. Such effulgence emanated from his face that I was absolutely stunned. His Eminence said: �O Isa, if the deniers had not asked: �Where is he? When would he reappear? When was he born? Who has seen him? What did you receive from him? What message did he convey? What miracle he showed?, you would never have seen me. And by Allah, people had seen same kinds of miracles performed by Amirul Momineen (a), but in spite of that they preferred themselves over His Eminence. They deceived and plotted against him. At last they martyred him. And in the same way they misbehaved with my other purified forefathers also. They did not consider them truthful, they did not testify about them. And they labeled their miracles to be acts of magic; they alleged that they had Jinns under their control. O Isa, tell my friends whatever you have seen and conceal it from my enemies.� I said: �Please pray that the Almighty Allah keeps me steadfast.� He said: �If you hadn�t been steadfast you wouldn�t have even seen me. Okay, now you go back. Isa says: I left the place thanking God profusely.��[531]

no prophet after our Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (s), however His Eminence, would also invite to the Almighty Allah, to piety and devoutness.

Dhulqarnain was a Divine Proof on the people.[532]

Qaim (a) is also a Divine Proof on all the people of the world.

The Almighty Allah took Dhulqarnain on the sky of the world and the whole world was unveiled for him. He saw all the earth � including the mountains and the deserts � from the east to the west; and the Almighty Allah bestowed him the knowledge of everything so that by this he may recognize truth and falsehood. And on his two horns He appointed a chunk of cloud having darkness, lightning and thunder so that he is obeyed. After that he was sent to the earth and it was revealed to him that he must travel to the eastern and the western-most points of the earth.[533] This is mentioned by Allamah Majlisi in the fifth volume of Biharul Anwar in a lengthy tradition related from Amirul Momineen (a).

Qaim (a) took him higher than the first sky then returned him to the earth as we have previously explained.

Dhulqarnain was in occultation, away from the sight of his people and had a very long occultation.

Qaim (a) is also having a very long occultation and in the tradition of Imam Hasan Askari (a) related by Ahmad bin Ishaq, it is mentioned that Ahmad asked:

�What is the resemblance to Dhulqarnain and Khizr?� He replied, �A long occultation, O Ahmad��

The full text of the above tradition has already

passed in the chapter of Letter �Gh�.

Dhulqarnain, on the basis of what is mentioned in the Holy Quran, reached upto the eastern and the western limits of the earth.

Qaim (a) would also be such; as mentioned in the report of Jabir Ibne Abdullah Ansari in Kamaluddin through the author�s own chain of narrators that he said:

I heard the Messenger of Allah (s) say: �Dhulqarnain was a righteous servant of Allah whom the Almighty Allah appointed as a Divine Proof on the people. So he called his people to God and piety. They hit on his horn and he disappeared from them for a long time till they began to debate about him saying: He has died or he has gone into which wilderness? After that he reappeared and came back to his community, but once again they happened to strike at his horn. And there is among you (Muslims) someone who is on his practice and manner. And indeed Allah, the Mighty and Sublime settled Dhulqarnain in the earth and bestowed him with a cause of everything. He reached up to the eastern and the western limits of the earth. The Almighty Allah would repeat his Sunnah in the Qaim of my progeny till he conquers the east and the west of the earth. Till there does not remain any wet and dry place, mountain and highland, that Dhulqarnain had crossed. And the Almighty Allah would expose for him the treasures and mines and He would help him by giving him awe and through him

He would fill the earth with justice and equity in the same way as it would be full of injustice and oppression.�[534]

Dhulqarnain had jurisdiction and control over the whole world.

Qaim (a) would also have jurisdiction and control over the whole world.

Dhulqarnain was not a Prophet but he was a recipient of Divine revelation as mentioned in the traditions.

Qaim (a) in the same way is not a Prophet; but as mentioned in the traditions, divine revelation would descend on him. Dhulqarnain rode on a cloud.

Qaim (a) would also sit on a cloud. That which proves this matter is a tradition that Saffar and Allamah Majlisi have quoted in Basair and Biharul Anwar respectively through their own chains of narrators from Abdur Raheem from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he said:

�Dhulqarnain was given a choice between two clouds and he chose the tame one and the hard cloud is saved for your master. The narrator says: I asked: Which is the hard one? He replied: That which is having lightning and thunder. Your master would ride on that cloud, once he will ride the cloud and reach to the �Sevens� the seven heavens and the seven earths, five for building and two for demolishing.�[535]

In Basairud Darajaat a tradition similar to this is narrated through the author�s own chain of reporters from Surah from Imam Muhammad Baqir (a).[536]

Through the chains of those two (Basair and Ikhtisas) from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) it is narrated that he said:

�The Almighty Allah gave Dhulqarnain the choice of

two, hard and tame clouds and he chose the tame one and it is one in which there is no lightning and thunder. And if he had chosen the hard one it would not have become available for him because the Almighty Allah has stored it for Qaim (a).�[537]

to his people:

�What remains with Allah is better for you if you are believers��[541]

Qaim (a) would also be like that, as mentioned in Kamaluddin by His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) when he said:

�When Qaim (a) reappears he would lean on the Kaaba and three hundred and thirteen men would reach him, and the first words that he would speak up are:

�What remains with Allah is better for you if you are believers��

Then he would say: I am the remnant of Allah on the earth and the vicegerent of God and His Divine Proof upon you. Then no Muslim would salute him except by the words:

�Peace be on you, O the remnant of Allah on His earth.�

And when the number of his supporters reaches one Iqd, that is 10000 men, he would set out. Then no deity except Allah, the Mighty and Sublime would remain on the earth. Idols, statutes and such other things would be destroyed, and fire would rise up among them; and this would come to pass after a prolonged occultation till the Almighty Allah knows who brings faith during the occultation and who obeys.�[542]

Shuaib (a) came out of the fire that came out of a cloud hovering on his deniers and burned them as Allah, the Mighty and Sublime says:

�But they called him a liar, so the punishment of the day of covering overtook them; surely it was the punishment of a grievous day.�[543]

Qaim (a) would also burn up all the idols and false deities during the period of his reappearance

as mentioned in traditions quoted before.

My messages and with My words, therefore take hold of what I give to you and be of the grateful ones.�[546]

Qaim (a) is also like this. The Almighty Allah spoke to him when they took him up in the sky. Thus it is narrated in Biharul Anwar from Imam Hasan Askari (a) that he said:

�When the Almighty Allah bestowed me with the Mahdi of this community he sent two angels who took him to the curtain of the Arsh (throne) till they conveyed him into the presence of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime. The Almighty Allah said to him: Welcome to you, O My servant for your support of My religion, revealing of the affair and leadership of the people. I have sworn that I would take by you and give by you and by you I would forgive and by you I would punish.�[547]

Moosa (a) went into occultation from his people as well as others, due to the fear of his enemies. Allah, the Mighty and Sublime says:

�So he went forth therefrom, fearing, awaiting��[548]

Qaim (a) has also gone into occultation as a result of the danger of the enemies from his people and others.

When Moosa (a) went into occultation from his people they fell into hardships, calamities and misery and they were disgraced much. So much so that their enemies slew their sons and spared their women (to enslave them).

In the same way during the occultation of Qaim (a) his Shias and followers would have to undergo untold hardships and calamities during his occultation

and they would also become downtrodden. So that the Almighty Allah may purify those who bring faith and eliminate the disbelievers.[549]

In Kamaluddin it is quoted from His Eminence, Baqir (a) that he said in the discussion about the resemblance of Qaim (a) to some Prophets as follows:

�And as for the resemblance to Moosa (a), it is constant fear and prolonged occultation and concealed birth and the hardships and trials of his followers after him as a result of the disgrace that they would have to bear at the hands of their enemies. Till the time Allah, the Mighty and Sublime permits His Eminence to reappear and helps and supports him against his enemies.�[550]

It is mentioned in Biharul Anwar from Shaykh Nomani through his own chain of reporters that Amirul Momineen (a) said:

�The Shia community will continuously be the like of goats that a grabber does not know which one of them should he put his hand on. They will neither have any dignity to be dignified with, nor a source of support to refer to.�[551]

In the same book it is quoted from Amali of the Shaykh that Amirul Momineen (a) said:

�The earth would be fraught with injustice and oppression, so much that one would not utter the name of Allah except secretly. Then Allah, the Mighty and Sublime will bring a virtuous congregation, who will fill it with equity and justice, as it will be full of oppression and injustice.�[552]

In the same book, in the signs of the period of occultation in a lengthy tradition,

it is narrated from Imam Sadiq (a) that he said:

��and the believer would be seen as sorrowful, disgraced and humiliated. And see that the believer, except in his heart, is not capable of denying falsehood, and see that our Shias would be associated with falsehood. And their testimony would not be accepted. And see that the rulers would humiliate the believer for the sake of a disbeliever.�[553]

It is mentioned by Amirul Momineen (a) regarding the conditions of the Shias in that period:

�And by Allah it would not be as you wish, till the mischief mongers are destroyed and the ignorant ones are broken off from each other and the observers of piety are secure.[554] They are very few. Till the time that there would not remain for any of you a place to stand. And till the time that you would be considered of lesser value than a cadaver by its owner.�[555]

In another tradition it is mentioned that during that time the believer would wish for death all the time.[556] And there are many traditions that state this matter. However, the worst of the conditions would be witnessed during the advent of Sufyani as mentioned in Biharul Anwar quoting from Ghaibat of Shaykh Tusi, through the author�s own chain of narrators through Umar bin Aban Kalbi from His Eminence, Sadiq (a) that he said:

�As if I can see the Sufyani or a representative of Sufyani camped outside Kufa and his statements are being announced to the people: Anyone who brings a severed head of a

Shia of Ali (a) would be rewarded a thousand Dirhams. Then neighbor would attack his neighbor and say: �he is from them�, and he would cut off his head and collect a thousand Dirhams. And indeed the rulership and kingdom at that time would not be in the control of anyone except the illegitimate born. As if I can see the veiled one. I asked: �Who is the veiled one?� He replied: �He is a man from you who would be talking just like you. He would be veiled and he would identify each of you so that you may be captured, he is not but a bastard.�[557]

Whenever a son was born to them he would have a dress upon himself according to his size like the skin of his body. Tabarsi has mentioned this in Majmaul Bayan.[560]

The Shias of Qaim (a) would also be such during the period of his reappearance, as mentioned in Al-Muhajja from Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) that he said:

�When our Qaim arises the earth would be illuminated by the light of its Lord and the people would become needless of the light of the Sun. Nights and days would be same. People would have a lifespan of a thousand years during that period, and every year a son would be born to them. And no daughter would be born to them. They would be born wearing a dress which will grow with them and it would change its color as per their wish.�[561]

The Bani Israel was waiting for the reappearance of Moosa (a) as they had been informed that he would make them successful.

The Shias of Qaim (a) are also in anticipation of his reappearance because they have been told that their success and victory is at the hands of His Eminence. We have discussed this in the chapter of Letter �F� to prove this fact. May Allah make us among the helpers, defenders, Shias and awaiters of His Eminence. The writer says:

O Allah, please hasten the reappearance of our Imam

And this supplication is for the benefit of all humanity.

Regarding Moosa (a) the Almighty Allah says:

�And certainly We gave the book to Moosa, but it was gone

against��[562]

Tabarsi says in Majmaul Bayan:

It implies that the people disputed about it. That is they disputed the veracity of the book that was revealed on him.[563]

The Qaim (a) is also in the same way, such that the Quran Amirul Momineen (a) had compiled would be in the possession of Qaim (a) and there would be dispute regarding it.

That which proves this is a tradition quoted in Raudat Kafi from Imam Muhammad Baqir (a) that he said regarding the verse:

�And certainly We gave the book to Moosa, but it was gone against��[564]

They disputed about it like this Ummah disputed about the book. And there would be dispute also regarding the book that is in the possession of the Qaim. So much so, that the majority of the people would reject it. They would be brought and he would eliminate them.[565]

It is mentioned in Biharul Anwar from Shaykh Tusi through his own chain of narrators that His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) said:

�The companions of Moosa (a) were tested by the stream and it is that which the Almighty Allah has said:

�Surely Allah will try you with a river��[566]

The companions of Qaim (a) would also be tested in the same way.[567]

The Almighty Allah bestowed Moosa (a) with a staff and made it a miracle for him.

The Qaim (a) is also having that same staff as mentioned in Kamaluddin from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he said:

�The staff of Moosa (a) actually was one that Adam had. Then it reached to Shuaib and at that time

it reached Moosa (a). That staff is in our possession and even now when I see it, it is as green and fresh as it was when it was broken from the tree. If it is spoken to, it talks. It has come for our Qaim. He would perform all the tasks through it that Moosa (a) had performed. It does whatever it is ordered. And wherever it is cast, it snaps up with its tongue the deception of the enemies.�[568]

Allamah Majlisi has quoted the same narration in the thirteenth volume of Biharul Anwar from the book of Basairud Darajaat. And it is mentioned therein that:

�It is kept for our Qaim (a). He would perform all the tasks through it that Moosa (a) had performed. And it would do whatever it is appointed to. When it moves forward it devours all the deceptions. Its two lips would be so huge that when it opens its mouth, one lip touches the floor and the other touches the ceiling. There is a distance of forty hands between the two lips. It would devour anything that comes before it.�[569]

A tradition similar to this is mentioned by Thiqatul Islam, Kulaini in Kafi.[570]

In the book, Tadhkiratul Aaimma attributed to Allamah Majlisi � as its authorship has yet to be determined � it is narrated from Muhammad bin Zaid Kufi that Imam Sadiq (a) said:

�A Persian man would come to His Eminence, Qaim (a) and ask him to show the miracle of Moosa (a). So His Eminence would cast the staff

and it would assume the shape of a python. That man would say: This is magic. The staff, due to the fact that it resembles that of Moosa (a) would devour that man.�

tree that Moosa (a) wanted, used to appear and fructify at that same time. It is said that the staff of Moosa (a) was a stick of almond. Whenever he felt hungry he used to put it on the ground and it used to bear fruits and he used to eat almonds from it. When he used to fight with the enemies a serpent used to appear from each of the two branches of the staff with which he used to fight. Moosa (a) used to cast it on difficult mountainous terrains and also through woods and forests he made his way clear through it. Whenever he wanted to cross a river without a boat he used to cast the staff upon it, it used to open up a wide path for him on which he walked.

And His Eminence � may Allah bless him � sometimes used to drink milk from one of its branches and honey from the other. When he became tired he used to sit on it so that whenever he wanted he could reach it without hands and legs. And it also used to show the way and fight with the enemies. When Moosa (a) wanted to smell fragrance, a pleasant odor used to emanate from the staff till it perfumed his clothes. If he were on a route infested with robbers that terrorize the people, the staff used to speak to him saying: Change your route in that direction. With the help of this staff Moosa (a) used to break

the leaves of the tress for his sheep. With it he used to deflect from himself wild beasts, serpents and crawling creatures. When he used to go on a journey he used to fix it on the beast and hang on it rations, water and clothes...�[571]

It is not necessary to quote the full text of the above, and this much that we have quoted shows that this staff, during this time is related to our lord and master, His Eminence, Mahdi (a) as indicated by the traditions.

In the thirteenth volume of Biharul Anwar it is narrated from Nomani through his own chain of narrators from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he said:

�The Staff of Moosa (a) was a myrtle stick from the tree of Paradise which Jibraeel (a) brought to him when he wanted to move to Madayn; and that Staff with the coffer of Adam is in the hatch of Tiberia; it neither decays not changes, till the time Qaim (a) brings it out during his reappearance.�[572]

Moosa (a) fled from Egypt in fear, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime quotes him thus:

�So I fled from you when I feared you��[573]

Qaim (a) has gone away from the towns due to the fear of mischiefs and he lives in wilderness devoid of water and greenery; despite that he comes to the people and walks among them and becomes aware of their conditions while they do not recognize him � as we have explained before.

During the time of his reappearance also he would go away from

Medina due to the risk of the mischief of Sufyani. That which proves this matter is a tradition recorded in Biharul Anwar and other books from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he said regarding the Sufyani (may Allah curse him):

�Sufyani would send a battalion to Medina. Then Mahdi (a) would leave Medina and flee to Mecca. The commander of Sufyani�s army would learn that Mahdi (a) is heading to Mecca. He would dispatch a force in his pursuit but it would not be able to apprehend him. Till finally, in a condition of fear and apprehension, resembling that of Moosa bin Imran, he would enter Mecca and the commander of Sufyani�s army would arrive at the Baida desert. A caller from the sky would address that desert:

O Baida, swallow the people.

Thus the ground of that desert would swallow them and only three persons from them would survive, whose faces the Almighty Allah would turn to their backs; and they would be from the Kalb tribe. The following verse is revealed about them:

�O you who have been given the Book! believe that which We have revealed, verifying what you have, before We alter faces then turn them on their backs��[574]

Moosa (a) was such that the Almighty Allah made the earth swallow up Qaroon, his enemy, as Allah the Mighty and Sublime says:

�Thus We made the earth to swallow up him and his abode��[575]

Qaim (a) also, as mentioned before, would be having such circumstances that the Almighty Allah would cause the earth to swallow up

his enemies, that is the army of Sufyani.

When Moosa (a) used to raise up his hand it used to gleam in such a way that its whiteness astonished the onlookers.

Qaim (a) would be casting such an effulgence that in his presence, people would become needless of the Sun and the Moon. If Allah the Mighty wills we would explain this in detail in the discussion of the Noor (effulgence) of His Eminence.[576]

Twelve springs of water gushed out of the stone for Moosa (a).

Similar would be the situation of Qaim (a) as mentioned in Biharul Anwar quoting from Nomani through his own chain of narrators that His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) said:

�When Qaim (a) reappears he would do so with the flag of the Messenger of Allah (s), the ring of Prophet Sulaiman (a) and the staff and stone of Moosa (a). Then he would command an announcer to say that none of his men must carry with themselves rations and fodder for their beasts. His men would comment: It seems he wants to starve us and our animals. But when they halt at the first station, he would strike at the stone and out of it will gush forth food, water and fodder. So they would all eat and drink from it and also feed their animals. In this manner they would cross each stage of the journey till they arrive at the rear of Kufa.�[577]

It is mentioned in Kamaluddin that Imam Muhammad Baqir (a) said:

�When Qaim (a) sets out from Mecca, a caller

of His Eminence would announce: �None of you must carry any food and water.� His Eminence would be having with himself the stone of Moosa bin Imran that weighs a camel load. Thus he does not halt at any stage but that streams burst forth from that stone and anyone that feels hunger eats from it and any that felt thirsty drinks from it. The beasts of burden also get their feed from that till they reach Najaf at the rear of Kufa.�[578]

I say: Thiqatul Islam, Kulaini (r.a.) has mentioned a tradition like the above in Usool Kafi with slight difference in wording on the authority of Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) through his forefathers.[579]

It is also mentioned in Kharaij on the authority of Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) through his forefathers that:

�When Qaim (a) camps in Mecca and intends to move to Kufa, an announcer would say: None of you may carry any food or water on the journey. And His Eminence would carry with himself the stone of Moosa bin Imran from which had gushed out twelve streams. Then he did not halt at any stage but that he fixed it and streams burst forth from that stone and anyone that felt hunger ate from it and any that felt thirsty drank from it. Thus it would be their only source of food and water till they reach Najaf which is before Kufa. When they arrive there, water and milk would continuously flow out of it. Anyone that feels hunger satiates himself from it and

any that feels thirsty drinks from it.�[580]

Moosa (a) survived the attempts of Firon to apprehend him even though the latter slew innumerable souls; and what Allah willed, happened.

A hundred thousand infants were beheaded

Before Kalimullah (one with whom Allah spoke) was born.

In the case of Qaim (a) also, the Firons of that time put to death innumerable descendants of the Holy Prophet (s) in order to eliminate His Eminence (Qaim) as mentioned in a lengthy tradition from Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) in Kamaluddin regarding resemblance of His Eminence to Moosa (a):

�When Firon learnt that his downfall and destruction was going to be at the hands of Moosa (a) he summoned the soothsayers and they predicted the downfall of his kingdom at the hands of a youth of Bani Israel. So Firon issued orders that the bellies of pregnant ladies of the Bani Israel be slit open, till more than twenty thousand newborns were killed. But he was not able to get Moosa because Allah, the Mighty and the High protected him. In the same way when the Bani Umayyah and the Bani Abbas came to know that the downfall and destruction of their kingdom and tyrant rulers was to be at the hands of our Qaim, they began to wreak their enmity on us and swords were drawn out to slay the progeny of the Messenger of Allah (s) and to destroy his descendants so that through it they may be able to eliminate Qaim (a). But the Almighty Allah did not accept that His affair

be divulged to anyone of the oppressors. But that His light may be perfected even though the polytheists may despise it.�[581]

This is a part of a lengthy tradition that would be quoted in full in Part Eight.

The Almighty Allah reformed the affairs of Moosa (a) overnight.

Qaim (a) is also such that the Almighty Allah would also reform his affairs overnight as mentioned in the tradition of Kamaluddin reporting from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) who describing the qualities of His Eminence, Qaim (a) says:

�Indeed the Almighty Allah would reform his affairs overnight in the same manner as He reformed the affairs of His Kaleem (Moosa a.s.) when he went to get fire for his wife but he returned graced with prophethood and messengership.�[582]

If Allah wills, this tradition would be quoted in full in the Part Eight.

In the case of Moosa (a) the Almighty Allah delayed his advent in order to test the people of his community till those who worshipped the calf were distinguished from those who worshipped Allah, the Mighty and Sublime.

In the case of Qaim (a) also, the Almighty Allah has delayed his reappearance with this same intent as we have already mentioned before.

saw a house at the door of which was a tree and two garments were upon it. So Moosa said to Haroon: Remove your clothes, enter this house, put on these two garments and go to sleep on the bed. Haroon did as he was told. Thus when he rested on the wooden bed, the Almighty Allah captured his soul and the house and the bed were taken away, and Moosa returned to Bani Israel and informed them that the Almighty Allah has taken away the soul of Haroon and taken him up to himself. They said: You are lying, you have murdered him. So Moosa complained to Allah. The Almighty Allah ordered the angels to take him on the wooden platform between the earth and the sky so that the Bani Israel may see him and understand that he was dead.�[583]

A narration somewhat similar to this is mentioned by the author of Kaamil.

The Almighty Allah also took Qaim (a) up in the sky after his birth and brought him back to the earth � as we have already explained in the topic of the resemblance to Moosa (a).

Haroon (a) was able to hear the voice of Moosa (a) from a long distance just as Moosa (a) could hear the voice of Haroon from a great distance. The author of the book, Badaa az-Zahoor has mentioned this point.

About Qaim (a) also it is mentioned by His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) in Rauda Kafi that:

�When our Qaim rises up, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime would

sharpen the sight and hearing of Shias to such an extent that there would be no correspondence between them. He would speak and they shall hear and they would see him while he would be where he was.�[584]

call the Sun and the Moon.

And he would hear their reply

And there is nothing surprising in it.

As the excellence of Yusha in comparison to Hazrat Hujjat

Is like that of a needle besides the sea

Thus how nice is this honor and perfection

How nice is this majesty and honor

How nice is this excellence and greatness

And this respect and importance.

when they came to know that the plague had arrived all of them left the town and went away far away from there in terror of death and roamed about in different towns till Allah wanted.

A town fell on their way which had fallen into ruins, and the plague had killed all the people. When they reached this town and settled down, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime said to them: Die, all of you. They all died at the same time and became dust, such that it was clear to the onlookers that they had died during a journey. Therefore the passers-by and the travelers halted there. So they brought their dust together. Then Hizqil,[587] a Prophet of Bani Israel passed through there. When he saw those bones he wept and said: If You will, just as You killed them together, you can bring them back to life together also. So that they may construct Your cities and towns and that they may give birth to children who may, with Your other creatures, worship You. The Almighty Allah revealed to him: Do you like this? �Yes,� he replied, �Please make them alive.�

His Eminence said: Then Allah, the Mighty and Sublime revealed: You say this and that. And when he said what Allah had commanded him to say � Imam Sadiq (a) said: It was Isme Aazam (Great Name) � and Hizqil uttered those words, he saw the bones flying to each other and they became alive once more. They looked at each other said: Glory

be to Allah, Allah is the greatest. There is no god except Allah. At that moment Hizqil said: I testify that the Almighty Allah is powerful over everything.�[588]

Qaim (a) is also such that the Almighty Allah would enliven for him the believers, the hypocrites and the infidels. Traditional reports that prove this matter are too numerous, rather they are Mutawatir. Among them is one mentioned in Rauda Kafi from Abu Baseer that he said:

�I asked His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) regarding the statement of Allah Almighty:

�And they swear by Allah with the most energetic of their oaths: Allah will not raise up him who dies. Yea! it is a promise binding on Him, quite true, but most people do not know��[589]

That what it implies? He said: O Abu Baseer what do they say about it? I replied: The polytheists think and they swore to the Messenger of Allah (s) that the Almighty Allah does not bring the dead back to life. His Eminence said: Death be on one who says like that. Ask them whether the polytheists swore by Allah or by Laat and Uzza? Abu Baseer says: I said: May I be sacrificed on you, then tell me about it. He said: O Abu Baseer when our Qaim arises, the Almighty Allah would raise up a group from our Shias for him and He would make them alive in such a way that the handles of their swords would be on their shoulders (ready to strike). When this news reaches a community from

our Shias who have not died, they will say to one another: Such and such and so and so have risen from their graves and they are with Qaim (a). This statement would reach a group of our enemies. They will say: O group of Shias, how untrue you are! This is your rule and kingdom, and you are lying? No, by Allah, about whom you say have not become alive and they will not do so till the Judgment Day, thus the Almighty Allah narrates their statement:

�And they swear by Allah with the most energetic of their oaths: Allah will not raise up him who dies.�[590]

In the same book it is narrated from Hasan bin Shazan from a person who said:

I wrote a letter of complaint to His Eminence, Abul Hasan, Imam Reza (a) as in that city there was a group of Ottomans who troubled me very much. The reply of His Eminence to that letter was as follows: Allah, the Mighty and the High has taken covenant from our friends to observe patience in the rule of tyrants. So be patient by the order of your Lord. As when the lord of the creatures rises up they would say: O woe to us! Who has raised us up from our sleeping-place? This is what the Beneficent God promised and the apostles told the truth.�[591]

In Biharul Anwar it is narrated from Abdul Kareem Khatami that he said:

I asked His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a): �How long would Qaim (a) rule?� He said: He

replied: �Seven years, the days and the nights would be prolonged so much that a year would be as long as ten years of yours. Thus his rule would be equal to seventy years according to your standards. And when the time comes for his end in the month of Jumadi II ten days before Rajab there would be such heavy rainfall as the people had not seen before. Then the Almighty Allah by that would expose the flesh and bodies of the believers in their graves. And as if I could see them coming from Jehna, shaking off dust from their hair.�[592]

In the same book there is a lengthy tradition quoted from Khasais from Amirul Momineen (a) in which he said:

��O surprise! And how should I not be astonished about the people whom Allah would enliven, group by group, reciting: �Here I am� and harkening to the call of the Divine caller they would reach the lanes of Kufa��[593]

It is narrated from His Eminence that he said regarding the verse:

�Often will those who disbelieve wish that they had been Muslims.�[594]

When my Shias and I emerge from our graves and Uthman bin Affan and his followers emerge, and Quraish and we eliminate the Bani Umayyah at that time those who disbelieve would wish that they were Muslims.�[595]

In Tafseer Ali bin Ibrahim it is mentioned regarding the verse:

�So grant the unbelievers a respite: let them alone for a while.�[596]

That: We have given respite till the rise of the Qaim. Then he would take revenge on my

behalf from the tyrants, the rebels of Quraish and Bani Umayyah and other people.[597]

I say: Further matter on this topic would be given in the Chapter of Letter �N�, Insha Allah.

(a) was such that pebbles spoke to him and called out to him: �O Dawood, pick me up and kill Jaloot through me.�

Qaim (a) would also be such that his standard and the sword would call out to him: �O Wali of Allah, rise up and eliminate the enemies of God.�

Shaykh Sadooq has quoted this full tradition in Kamaluddin wa Tamaamun Nima and it is also mentioned in a traditional report that: �During the reappearance of His Eminence a stone, below which a disbeliever would hide, would call out to the believer: O believer, below me there is a disbeliever, eliminate him. Then the believer would come and eliminate that infidel.�

Dawood (a) killed Jaloot.

Qaim (a) would finish off Dajjal, who is worse than Jaloot.

Dawood (a) judged among the people through divine inspiration.

Qaim (a) would also judge among the people according to the practice of Dawood (a) and he would not ask for proof and witnesses and he would not be in need of the same, as we have already explained in the chapter of Letter [H�a] under the heading of justice of His Eminence.

A writing arrived from the heavens for Dawood (a) which had a golden seal on it. On this were inscribed thirteen religious problems and Allah revealed to Dawood (a):

�Put these questions to your son, if he can furnish replies, he would be your vicegerent after you. Thus Dawood (a) summoned seventy priests and rabbis and showed it to them. He also showed it to Sulaiman in their presence and asked: O my

son, tell me what is the nearest thing? And which is the furthest? What is the most companionable and what is the loneliest? What is the most beautiful and what is the ugliest? What is most abundant and what is most scarce? What two would remain forever? And which two are different? Which are the most inimical and hateful? And what is it on which when one sits his end becomes good. And what is it that whenever man sits on it his end becomes bad?

Sulaiman replied: The nearest is the Hereafter and the furthest is that which goes away from the hands from the worldly matters. The most companionable is the physical body as the talking soul is present in it. And the loneliest is the body without soul. The best thing is faith after disbelief. The worst is disbelief after faith. Certainty is most scarce and doubt is most abundant. The two that shall endure forever are the heavens and the earth. The two contradictory ones are the night and day. The two that hate each other are death and life. That which whenever man rides, his end becomes good, is forbearance in anger. And that which makes his end bad is harshness in anger. [The narrator says:] When the seal was broken all the replies were found to be correct. Then the priests and rabbis asked: What is it that if it is righteous everything of man becomes righteous and if it transgresses everything of man transgresses? Sulaiman replied: The heart. Thus

he got aproval for his caliphate.�

Qaim (a) is also having the heavenly scroll with a golden seal as mentioned in the tradition of Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) in Kamaluddin:

�As if I can see Qaim (a) on the pulpit of Kufa surrounded by his 313 men equal to the people of Badr. They are the standard bearers and they are the divine rulers on His (Allah�s) earth over His creatures. Till he would bring out from his cloak a parchment sealed with a golden seal. A covenant from the Messenger of Allah (s). Then they would go away and disperse from him like tongueless sheep and none would remain with him except the deputy and eleven chiefs � as had remained with Moosa bin Imran (a) � then they would wander in the earth but will not be able to find a way except him. Then they would come back to him.�[602]

This tradition has been narrated with slight difference on the authority of Biharul Anwar before.[603]

a room and seal that room with your seal. The next day whoever�s staff puts forth leaves and fructifies, he would be the caliph. Thus Dawood (a) told them about this and they replied: We agree to this.�[604]

The Almighty Allah appointed Qaim (a) as the caliph when he was a child of around five years and during the lifetime of his father he replied to the questions of Saad bin Abdullah Qummi as related in the foregone pages.

Sulaiman (a) said:

�O Lord, give me such a kingdom that none after me should have such dominion.�[605]

From the view of condition and quality, all the rulers of the world have based their dominance on oppression and corruption, but Sulaiman desired that his kingdom should not be like that, and also the dominion and kingdom of the kings and rulers of the earth is limited only on human beings, however the power of Sulaiman extended even upon the Jinns and birds. Allah, the Mighty and Sublime says:

�And his hosts of the jinn and the men and the birds were gathered to him, and they were formed into groups.�[606]

The Almighty Allah would bestow such a kingdom to Qaim (a) � in quality and quantity � as He has not bestowed to anyone before or would give to anyone after him. As for quantity, His Eminence would have power on the east and the west of the earth as mentioned in traditions. As for quality, it is so because it is justice and only justice. Because his kingdom includes all the

folks of the heavens and the earths, as explained above.

Sulaiman (a) was such that the Almighty Allah gave him control over the wind. Allah, the Mighty and Sublime says:

�Then We made the wind subservient to him; it made his command to run gently wherever he desired.�[607]

The Almighty Allah has also appointed the wind in service of Qaim (a) as mentioned in the tradition of Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) in Kamaluddin:

�Then the Almighty Allah shall send a breeze that shall call out in every valley, �This is Mahdi, who shall judge like Prophet Dawood and Sulaiman and he would not ask for proof.��[608]

Sulaiman (a) disappeared from his people for a period of time as the chief of the traditionists, Shaykh Sadooq has narrated in a tradition of his book, Kamaluddin.

The occultation of Qaim (a) is longer than that of Sulaiman (a).

The Sun rose again for Sulaiman (a) after setting.

Qaim (a) is such that he would call out to the Sun and the Moon and they would respond to him.

Sulaiman (a) was the dignity (Hashmat) of Allah. Qaim (a) also is the dignity of Allah.

such that during his occultation, the believers would have to face untold hardships and problems.

Ghaibat of Shaykh Tusi that we present below. Shaykh Tusi through his own chain of narrators has reported from Abu Surah that: He met Hazrat Hujjat (a) during his return from the Ziarat of Kerbala in Arafah days. Abu Surah says:

�That night while we was on our way, suddenly we reached the graves of Masjid Sahla. He said: This is my destination. Then he said: You go to Ibne Raazi Ali bin Yahya and tell him to give you that particular thing, having such and such distinguishing mark�has reached�and it is hidden with�I asked: Who are you? He replied: I am Muhammad bin al-Hasan. Then we continued on the way till we reached to Nawaawees. He sat down and dug with his hands till all of a sudden water erupted. He performed the ritual ablution and recited thirteen units of prayer.

Thus I went to Ibne Raazi and knocked at his door. �Who is it?� he asked. �Abu Surah,� said I. I heard him say to himself: What do I have to do with Abu Surah? When he came out, I related the incident to him. He shook my hands, kissed my face and rubbed the palms of my hands on his face. Then he took me inside and brought out a purse from under the bed. Abu Surah recognized the truth and after this incident became a Shia, because previously he was Zaidiyyah.�[613]

Allah, the Mighty and Sublime brought the dead back to life for the sake of Ayyub (a) as Allah, the Mighty and Sublime

says:

�And We gave him his family and the like of them with them: a mercy from Us and a reminder to the worshippers.�[614]

Qaim (a) is also such that the Almighty Allah would enliven the dead for him as mentioned in our discussion before. And more points shall be provided in the chapter of Resemblance of His Eminence to Isa, if Allah, the High wills.

has also wept on His Eminence all his life and all the time as mentioned in Ziarat Nahiya:

�I lament for you day and night. I weep for you tears of blood.�[617]

by some traditions. Of them is a report mentioned in Kamaluddin quoting Hakima, daughter of Imam Muhammad bin Ali Jawad (a) that he said:

Hazrat Hujjat (just) after his birth spoke up and said:

�I witness that that there is no god except Allah. The One, there is no partner for Him. And that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah may Allah bless him and his progeny.�

Then he recited benedictions upon Amirul Momineen and Imams (a) one by one till he reached to the name of his father. At that time he closed his lips till on the seventh day he spoke on monotheism and recited benedictions on Muhammad and Imams (a). Then he recited the following verse:

�In the Name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful. And We desired to bestow a favor upon those who were deemed weak in the land, and to make them the Imams, and to make them the heirs��[620]

And in the same book it is mentioned in another report that:

When His Eminence was born he fell into prostration and while kneeling down he raised up his two index fingers and said:

�I witness that that there is no god except Allah and that my grandfather, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; may Allah bless him and his progeny. And my father is Amirul Momineen (a).�

Then he named all the Imams one by one till he reached his own name. At this point he said: �O Allah, fulfill my promise and make my affair to reach its conclusion. Make my paths smooth and fill

up the earth with justice and equity through me.�[621]

In the same way, in that same source, it is reported from two maid servants, Naseem and Mariya that:

�As soon as the Master of the Time (a) was born, he knelt down and raised his two index fingers to the sky; then he sneezed and said:

�Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds and may Allah bless Muhammad and his progeny.��

�The oppressors thought that the Divine Proof is invalid and destroyed. If we had been permitted to speak freely about him, all the doubts would be removed.�[622]

Also in the same source it is narrated from the maidservant Naseem that:

�A night after the birth of the Master of the Time (a) I came to him. I sneezed and he said to me:

�May Allah have mercy on you.��

Naseem says: �I became very pleased at this.� His Eminence said: �Shall I not give you glad tidings about your sneeze?� I asked: �What is it?� He said: �You are secure from death for three days.�[623]

Isa (a) was such that the Almighty Allah bestowed him wisdom and chose him for prophethood while he was yet a child.

Qaim (a) is also such that the Almighty Allah bestowed him wisdom and chose him for Imamate while he was yet a child as we have discussed in the foregone chapters.

Allah, the Mighty and the High raised up Isa (a) to Himself.

Allah, the Mighty and the High also raised up Qaim (a) to Himself � as has been stated many times.

People had different opinions regarding

Isa (a).

Qaim (a) is also such that people have different opinions regarding him.

In Part Eight it would be mentioned, if Allah wills, that Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) said regarding the similarity of Hazrat Hujjat to Isa (a) that:

The Jews and Christians unanimously say that Isa (a) has died. But Allah, the Mighty and Sublime has refuted them saying:

�And they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to them so.�[624]

The occultation of Qaim (a) is also such, that the last of this community would deny him due to its length. Some who are not guided would say: Actually he is not born yet. And others would say: He was born and is (now) dead. And they disbelieve who would say: The eleventh one from us was issueless and some transgressing ones would attribute Imamate to thirteen or more persons. And others have disobeyed Allah, the Mighty and Sublime who would say: The soul of Qaim (a) has entered another body and he speaks through the tongue of His Eminence.

Isa (a) by the permission of the Almighty Allah used to bring the dead back to life. The Almighty Allah has quoted him directly in the Holy Quran:

�And (I) bring the dead to life with Allah�s permission.�[625]

And addressing him says:

�And when you brought forth the dead by My permission.�[626]

Here I would like to quote a very interesting narration having important morals and our many past scholars have mentioned it. Shaykh Bahai is one who has recorded it in his book, Arbaeen on the

authority of Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) that he said:

�Isa (a) passed by a village whose people, quadrupeds and birds had perished at one and a single time. He said: It is nothing but divine chastisement that killed them. If they had died separately they would buried each other. The disciples said: O spirit and word of the Almighty Allah, invoke the Lord to bring them back to life so that they may tell us what their actions were so that we may keep away from such deeds. Thus Isa (a) supplicated to his Lord. At that moment a voice was heard from the sky: Call out to them. In the evening Isa (a) went on an elevated place and said: O people of this village.

One of them replied:

Labbaik (Here I am) O Spirit of Allah and His Word.

went to sleep in comfort but awoke in the Haawiya. Isa (a) asked: What is Haawiya? He said: Sijjeen. Isa (a) asked: What is Sijjeen? He replied: A mountain of red fire which will keep us till the Judgment Day. What did you say and what were you told? He said: We said: Send us back to the earth so that we may practice piety in it. We were told: You lie. Isa (a) asked: Woe be on you, how is it that except for you, none else speaks to me? He said: O Spirit of Allah, they are caught up in reins of fire and the rude and severe angels have closed their mouths. I was among them but I was not like them, but when the chastisement came down, it included me with them. I hang from a hair-like wire at the edge of Hell. I don�t know whether I would fall from it or obtain salvation. After this conversation Isa (a) told his disciples: O friends of Allah, having dry bread with salt is better and sleeping on a bed of nails with the well being of the world and the hereafter is very nice.�

Qaim (a) would also revive the dead by the permission of the Almighty Allah and many traditions prove this, some of which we have quoted in the topic of resemblance to Hizqil and also in other discussions of this book. In some books it is related from Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) that he said:

�When Qaim (a) reappears a

person from Azerbaijan would come to him holding a decayed bone and say: If you are the Divine Proof order this bone to speak up. Thus by the order of His Eminence that bone will begin to speak and say: I am in chastisement since a thousand years and hopeful that through your prayers the Almighty Allah would release me from the punishment. Then that man would say: This is magic. At that moment by the command of His Eminence he would hung atop the house and for seven days and he would cry: This is the punishment of one who compares the miracle of the Imam to magic. After that he would die.�

Isa (a) said:

�With Allah�s permission and I inform you of what you should eat and what you should store in your houses��[627]

Qaim (a) is informed about all our actions and circumstances. That which proves this are the numerous traditional reports recorded about the Knowledge of the Infallible Imams (a) but here we shall present only a few of them by way of examples:

1. There is a tradition in the book of Kharaij related from Abu Baseer that he said:

I went to the Masjid with His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a). People were coming and going. His Eminence said to me: �Ask the people if they can see me?� I asked every person that entered: �Have you seen Abu Ja�far?� He said: �No.� While His Eminence was standing over there. Till there came Abu Haroon Makfoof (blind). His Eminence said: �Ask him also.�

I asked him: �Have you not seen Abu Ja�far (a)?� He replied: �Is it not he that stands?� I asked: �How did you know?� He said: �How could I not know it when he is a brilliant effulgence?�[628]

2. The same Abu Baseer says:

I heard His Eminence, Imam Baqir (a) ask a man from Africa: �How is Abu Raashid?� That man replied politely: �I found him alive and in good health. I will convey your greetings to him.� Imam said: �May Allah have mercy on him.� The man asked: �Is he dead?� �Yes,� said the Imam. �When?� �Two days after you left.� �By Allah, he was neither sick nor had any disease.� I asked: �Who was that man?� Imam said: �He was a man from our followers and Shias.� Then he said: �If you think that we don�t have the seeing eye and the hearing ear for you, you think wrongly. By Allah, nothing from your affairs is concealed from us. You should always consider us to be present and make a habit of performing good deeds and be from the devout, so that you are identified with that. This is our request to our children and Shias.�[629]

3. And it is also mentioned in Kharaij from Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) that:

Someone came to him and asked: �What is the description of an Imam?� He replied: �His description is great, if you come to him you must pay respect and honor him. And that which he conveys to you (divine recognition) you must bring faith in it.

And it is incumbent on him to guide you. And there is a quality in him that when you come to him no one has the capacity to look at him fully due to his awe and majesty. Because the Messenger of Allah (s) was also like that. The Imam is also like that.� They asked: �Are you acquainted with your Shias?� He said: �Yes, I see all of them.� They asked: �Are we your Shias?� He replied: �Yes, all of you?� �Please tell us about their characteristics.� He said: �I will tell your name and the name of your tribe.� They said: �Please do.� Thus the Imam mentioned the names of each, and their respective tribes. They said: �You are right.� He said: �And I will inform you of what you asked me regarding the verse:

�Like a good tree, whose root is firm and whose branches are in heaven.�[630]

They said: �You are right.� He said: �I can give as much knowledge as I like to our Shias.� Then he said: �You will be satisfied by this much.� They said: �We would have been satisfied with lesser.�[631]

4. In Kamaluddin it is mentioned from Hasan bin Wajna Naseebi that he said:

�I was in my fifty-fourth Hajj and in supplicating in prostration under the drain-pipe of the Kaaba after Isha prayer. I was lamenting and beseeching when all of a sudden somebody shook me and said: �O Hasan bin Wajna, get up.� He said: I got up and saw a slavemaid of pale complexion and thin stature.

I thought she was more than forty years of age. She began to walk before me. And without asking any questions I began to follow her till she reached the house of Her Eminence, Khadija. There was a room in that house with an open door in the center of the wall. The slavemaid went above. I heard a voice calling out: O Hasan, come up. So I went up and stood at the door of the room when His Eminence, the Master of the Time (a) said: �O Hasan, you thought that you were hidden from me? By Allah, I had been with you every time you came for Hajj.� Then he described my circumstances. I fell down unconscious on the face. Then I felt a hand touching me; I got up. He said to me: �Stay in Medina at the house of Ja�far bin Muhammad (a) and do not worry about food, water and clothes.� Then he gave me a paper on which were written Dua Faraj and recitations of benedictions on His Eminence. And he said: �Recite this supplication and send benedictions upon me in this manner. And do not show this paper to anyone except deserving ones among our Shias. As Allah, the Mighty and Sublime will give you Tawfeeq.�

I said: �O my master, Would I never see you after this?� He replied: �O Hasan, whenever Allah wills, (you will see me).�

Hasan says: After concluding my Hajj I went to Medina and stayed at the house of Ja�far bin Muhammad (a).

I always went to the Masjid and except for three things I did not return to the house. For making ablution, rest and sleep, and at mealtimes. When I entered my room at the time of breaking the fast, I found a bowl one-fourth filled with water and upon it was kept a loaf of bread and food that I felt like having that day. I consumed it till satiation. Winter clothes arrived in winter and summer clothes in summer. During the day I used to enter the water for bathing and sprinkle the water in the house also. I used to take the empty cup and fill it with food and whatever exceeded my needs I gave it away to the poor so that those with me may not come to know of my circumstances.�[632]

from others that one does not like.

Upon the pains caused by lowly people maintain yourself in a forbearing manner. And try to gain their love since forbearance cannot come to you till you do not become forbearing.

And if you contemplate on the distress and severe troubles that Maula Hazrat Hujjat (a) has borne at the hands of his people, the forbearance and magnanimity of His Eminence would become clear to you, in such a way that no one has displayed such a quality in such conditions.

As for Imam Husain (a): Resemblance of Qaim (a) to him would be discussed in a separate section, if Allah wills.

As for His Eminence, Ali bin al-Husain (a): His most outstanding quality was his worship, such that he was given the titles of �ornament of the worshippers�, �chief of those who prostrate� and �one having callous skin corns�, it was so because the eyes of His Eminence had become sunken and the forehead, knees and hands had developed corns and thick skin as a result of continuous and prolonged prayers as mentioned in the report of His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) from Fatima binte Ali bin Abi Talib (a) that she asked a maidservant of Imam Sajjad (a) about the conditions of His Eminence and she said:

�Shall I reply in brief or in detail?� She said: �In brief.� She said: �I never took food to him during the day and never made his bed at night.�[633]

A large number of traditional reports have come regarding the excess, severity, effort and

preparations of His Eminence�s prayers. And our master, Hazrat Hujjat (a), may Allah hasten his reappearance, has an exemplar in his great grandfather, the chief of the worshippers (a) as mentioned by His Eminence, Abul Hasan Moosa bin Ja�far (a) � may our souls be sacrificed on him � when he said:

�On that wheat complexioned face there is also present a yellowness of wakefulness of the night. May my father be sacrificed on one who would spend the nights in bowing, prostration and counting the stars (keeping awake)��[634]

We shall narrate the complete text of this traditional report in Part Eight, Insha Allah.

As for His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Muhammad bin Ali al-Baqir (a): His most outstanding quality was his resemblance to the Messenger of Allah (s). Therefore when Jabir Ansari met and saw him he exclaimed:

�By the Lord of the Kaaba, it is a facsimile of the Prophet� � as mentioned in some traditions narrated through him - .[635]

This is inspite the fact that, Jabir had, before Imam Muhammad Baqir (a) also seen Hasan, Husain and Ali Ibnul Husain but he did not say this about them. Our master, His Eminence, Master of the Time (a) is also most closely resembling the Prophet. Rather his resemblance to the Prophet is greater and more perfect, which is proved by numerous traditions recorded through Shia as well as Sunni channels from the Messenger of Allah (s) that His Eminence said regarding the qualities of Qaim (a):

�And in looks and speech most resembling me among all the people.�

We have

quoted some of these traditions in the chapter of Letter �J�.

As for His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a): The most outstanding quality of his was expounding of sciences and explaining of Islamic laws to the people in such a free manner as was not available for the other Imams. A tradition scholar says:

�Four thousand reliable scholars related traditions on the authority of His Eminence.�[636]

I say: In spite of this, all the sciences that His Eminence possessed were not taught to the people and they are kept in abeyance till the reappearance of Qaim (a) and His Eminence would explain all the laws because the previous Imams and Prophets did not find the people deserving and capable of being told about them. Often Amirul Momineen (a) pointed to his breast and said:

�There is unbounded knowledge here, if only I could find those who could carry it��

We shall prove this in detail in the chapter of expounding of sciences, Insha Allah.

As for Abu Ibrahim, Moosa bin Ja�far (a): He was forced to observe dissimulation and was under the threat of enemies � more than his ancestors were ever under such restrictions. This matter is clear for anyone who has studied the biography of His Eminence in detail. Our master, Qaim (a) is also having such a condition � as indicated in the chapter of Letter �Kh�.

As for His Eminence, Abul Hasan Ali bin Moosa ar-Reza (a): The Almighty Allah bestowed him heir-apparency and visible status; a thing that was not given on the same level to his

purified ancestors. Dissimulation and threats were removed during his tenure to a great extent. Qaim (a) would also be such that the Almighty Allah would change his fear into security and bestow him power in the lands, give him such power as was not available for his predecessors. The domination of His Eminence over all the world is like the power of the day over the dark night.[637]

Ali bin Ibrahim through an authentic chain of narrators from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) relates regarding the verse:

�And the day when it shines in brightness.�[638]

�It is the day of our Qaim of Ahle Bayt, that when he would reappear he would be victorious over the rule of tyrants��[639]

As for His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Muhammad bin Ali Taqi (a): When His Eminence occupied the position of Imamate he had not yet reached the age of maturity and he was not even eight years old. Hazrat Hujjat (a) is also like that; that he also received the post of Imamate in childhood � as explained earlier.

As for His Eminence, Abul Hasan Ali bin Muhammad Hadi (a): He was the master of such an awe that none else had ever possessed such awe and majesty; such that even his enemies used to humiliate themselves before him and grant him exceeding honor which was never done to anyone else. This was due to the effect of the awe of His Eminence and not due to affection and regard for him. Qaim (a) is also such; he is also having such

awe, especially for the enemies as we have indicated in the chapter of his resemblance to Dhulqarnain.

His Eminence, Abu Muhammad Hasan al-Askari (a) also possessed this quality as stated in the tradition of the twelfth volume of Biharul Anwar. The late Allamah Majlisi has through his own chain of narrators mentioned that:

The Abbasids, Salih bin Ali and group of persons deviated from the faith of Ahle Bayt (a) came to Salih bin Waseef when Imam Hasan Askari (a) was in detention under him and said: �Be harsh on His Eminence and do not allow him any type of comfort or facility.� He replied: �What can I do with him? I have appointed for him the worst kinds of persons possible, but he is having exceptional greatness in his worship and prayers.� Then he scolded those two deviated fellows and said: �Woe be on you, what do you think about this gentleman?� They said: �What can we say about one who spends his days fasting and nights, praying; he neither speaks nor does anything except pray. Whenever he glances at us we tremble due to his awe and such awe pervades our hearts that we become helpless?� When the Abbasids heard this, they went back disgraced and dejected.[640]

And in the topic of his resemblance to Imam Husain (a) we shall discuss the relevant points, Insha Allah. Indeed there were many subtle points and aspects in this but we have refrained from mentioning all of them to avoid undue prolonging of the discussion.

Allah is He that gives

Tawfeeq for that which is right.

of your cousins.� He replied:

�No, by Allah! I will never give them my hand like a man who has been humiliated; nor will I flee like a slave.� Then he said: �O servants of God, I take refuge in my Lord and your Lord if you intend to harass and stone me. I take refuge in my Lord and your Lord from every haughty man who does not believe in the Day of Reckoning.�

(And His Eminence also said:) �A respectable death is better than a life of degradation.�

In the discussion of the cause of the occultation on Hazrat Hujjat (a) also we have stated some points that prove this matter.

5. Both of them (Imam Husain and Imam Qaim a.s.) were taken up to the heavens by the angels with the permission of the Almighty Allah as mentioned in the topic of resemblance of His Eminence, Qaim (a) to Prophet Idrees.

6. The nostalgia that �if only we had been present on the day of Aashura�. The intention to help and support His Eminence is having the same reward as that of being martyred with Imam Husain (a). To have an ambition to be in the company of Qaim (a) during his reappearance, to have the intention of helping him, to fight Jihad against his enemies by his side is also having the reward of martyrdom. Traditions have been recorded on both these points and we shall quote them in Part Eight, if Allah, the High wills.

7. Imam Husain (a) left Medina in apprehension and arrived in

Mecca and again he left for Kufa. Hazrat Hujjat (a) would also be having similar circumstances as mentioned in an authentic tradition of Imam Abu Ja�far Baqir (a):

�Sufyani would send a battalion to Medina. Then Mahdi (a) would leave Medina and flee to Mecca. The commander of Sufyani�s army would learn that Mahdi (a) is heading to Mecca. He would dispatch a force in his pursuit but it would not be able to apprehend him. Till finally, in a condition of fear and apprehension resembling that of Moosa bin Imran he would enter Mecca. The commander of Sufyani�s army would arrive at the Baida desert. A caller from the sky would address that desert:

O Baida, swallow the people.

Thus the ground of that desert would swallow them and only three persons from them would survive, whose faces the Almighty Allah would turn to their backs; and they would be from the Kalb tribe.�[641]

8. The calamities that befell both of them were the most severe. As for the hardships of Imam Husain (a) it is mentioned in the conversation between Adam and Jibraeel that he said:

�O Adam, this son of yours would be involved in such a hardship that calamities would seem small before it.�[642]

As for Qaim (a) his hardship has prolonged and his calamity has intensified.

Imam Husain (a) at the time of setting out from Mecca to Kufa asked for help and said:

�Then whoever desires to lay down his life for us and strive in the way of Allah should come out with us, for I

shall be leaving tomorrow morning, Allah willing.�[643]

When Imam Qaim, Hujjat Ibnul Hasan al-Askari (aj) reappears in Mecca he would ask for help as mentioned in a lengthy authentic tradition of the fifth Imam, Imam Muhammad Baqir (a):

��on that day Qaim (a) is in Mecca, resting his back to the wall of the Holy Kaaba he takes refuge by it. He calls out: O people, I ask the help of the Almighty Allah. One who wants to respond to me should know that I am from the family of the Holy Prophet (s) and I am the nearest in relation to the Messenger of Allah (s). Anyone who argues with me with regard to Adam should know that I am the nearest one to Adam. And one who with argues me with regard to Nuh should know that I am the nearest one to Nuh. And one who argues with me with regard to Ibrahim should know that I am the nearest one to Ibrahim. And one who argues with me with regard to Muhammad (s) should know that I am the nearest one to Muhammad (s). And one who argues with me with regard to the prophets should know that I am the nearest one to the prophets. Has the Almighty Allah not said in His Clear Book? That:

�Surely Allah chose Adam and Nuh and the descendants of Ibrahim and the descendants of Imran above the nations. Offspring, one of the other; and Allah is Hearing, Knowing.�[644]

Thus I am the remnant of Adam, the treasure

of Nuh, the chosen one of Ibrahim and the Purified one of Muhammad (s).

One who argues with me with regard to the Book of Allah should know that I am the nearest one to the Book of Allah. One who argues with me with regard to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (s) should know that I am the nearest one to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (s). To those who are present and hear my words today, I implore them under oath to convey it to those who are absent. I beseech you for the sake of Allah, the sake of the Messenger of Allah (s) and my own sake for my relationship to the Messenger of Allah (s) that you help me and prevent those who want to oppress us as we have been terrorized and oppressed. And we have indeed been compelled to abandon our homes and our children. We have been deprived of our rights and meted out injustice and the evil people attributed falsehood to us. For the sake of Allah, for the sake of Allah do not disgrace us; for our sake help us as Allah would help you��[645]

I say: If you open the ear of your heart and widen your breast with the light of your Lord you would be able to hear the call of the Imam of the time in this period also that he is asking for help from the people of faith. Is there anyone who has responded to the call

of His Eminence? Is there any helper? Is there any supporter? Providing help is the requirement of every age. Helping His Eminence is like helping Allah. It is like helping the Messenger of Allah, it is like helping the saints of Allah, it is helping Islam and faith, it is helping the poor and oppressed people of the world, it is helping the channel of bounties and the affectionate father�and other aims that are realized by helping His Eminence.

Among the ways of helping His Eminence are spending in his way, printing of books about His Eminence and spending on the descendants and Shias of the Imams (a). And also helping the helpers of His Eminence monetarily, or using ones influence, supporting verbally etc. are in a sense all methods of helping His Eminence.

�O my master, will you not let me mention my need and sing your praise?� Imam Hasan (a) recited the following couplets:

1. We are people whose bestowal is having freshness so that people and hopeful ones may get enjoyment from them.

2. We give before we are asked. So that the dignity of the petitioner is not reduced.

3. If the sea comes to know our remaining generosity, it will feel ashamed of its raging waves.

Traditions that prove the perfection of this quality in His Eminence, Qaim (a) are in large number, whether it be traditions that are general or which are especially about him. Among them it is that in every period of time the Imam is the most munificent and charitable person of the world. And it is that the manners and behavior of Imam Qaim (a) are same as the manners and behavior of the Holy Prophet (s). And it is also a fact that His Eminence has made Khums on the things that are in possession of the opponents � from the war booty etc. � lawful for the believers � in the event when they purchase them from the opponents. So that their offspring and wealth is purified and it is mentioned in Biharul Anwar from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he said:

�When His Eminence, Qaim (a) reappears and enters Kufa, the Almighty Allah would send seventy thousand Siddiqeen (who have testified him) and they shall join the ranks of his companions and helpers. He would pay stipends to his

followers twice a year and pay such high salaries twice every month that there would not remain anyone in need of taking Zakat. Those who are liable to pay Zakat would search for eligible Shias to give their Zakat to; they would go to each of their houses and call out but the people would come out and say that they are not in need of charity.�

(Allamah Majlisi says: The tradition continues and further on the Imam says:) �And all the wealth of the world, whether it be on the surface of it or below its surface, would come together to collect with Qaim (a). He would say to the people: Come to that for which you used to break off relations, shed unlawful blood and commit sinful acts. Then he would give them so much money as none had ever paid before.�[646]

I say: We have mentioned the relevant points in the discussion of the charity of His Eminence.

such and such day at such and such time illness would strike you and the cause of your illness is such and such, and you will die in so and so month on such and such day at such and such hour.� Saad says: I mentioned this statement to Imam Muhammad Baqir (a). He said it was right. I said: �May I be sacrificed on you, why do you not give us such information so that we may be ready for the journey of the Hereafter?� He replied: �Ali Ibnul Husain (a) has closed this door till the time our Qaim (a) arises.�[647]

In Biharul Anwar it is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he said:

�Knowledge consists of twenty-seven letters � all that the prophets brought is two letters and people have not received till date more than two letters. And when our Qaim arises he would bring another twenty-five letters and spread them among the people and add them to the two letters and spread the knowledge of twenty-seven letters.�[648]

In that same book is related in a lengthy tradition from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) with reference to the qualities of Imam Qaim (a) and the practice of His Eminence during the period of his reappearance that he said:

��then he would return to Kufa and send those three hundred and thirteen persons to all the parts of the world. He would (also) stroke their shoulders and chests, (by which) they would not face any difficulty in any judgment and every part

of the earth would echo with the call of:

�There is no god except Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.�

And that is the implication of the words of the Almighty Allah:

�And to Him submits whoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and to Him shall they be returned.�[649]

And the master of this affair is not such that he would agree to accept Jizyah like the Holy Prophet (s). And that is the meaning of the statement of the Almighty Allah:

�And fight with them until there is no more persecution and religion should be only for Allah.�[650]

In another tradition from His Eminence it is mentioned that he said:

�And in his time, wisdom would be bestowed to you; so much so that a woman would dispense justice from her home on the basis of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (s).�[651]

In another report from His Eminence it is stated that he remarked:

�When Qaim (a) arises, he would appoint a person in each country of the world and say to him: Your guidance is present in the palm of your hand. So whenever you are faced with a decision you find difficult, you should glance at your palm and act accordingly��[652]

In Kharaij there is a tradition from the Chief of the Martyrs (a) that he said:

�Then the Almighty Allah would bestow a miracle to our Shias, such that nothing would be hidden from them. So much so, that a man from them would like to know what his

family knows. He would inform them of what they know.�[653]

In Biharul Anwar, in a lengthy tradition from Amirul Momineen (a) it is mentioned that he said:

��and knowledge would be located in the hearts of the believers. Thus no one would be needful of the knowledge that his brother has and the interpretation of this verse:

�Allah will render them both free from want out of His ampleness.�[654]

Would be realized on that day and the earth would expose its treasures for them and the Qaim (a) would say:

�Eat and drink pleasantly for what you did beforehand in the days gone by.�[655]

me, my daughter and my sons (son), but you may take our mediation for the hereafter and whatever you want from the rewards of the Almighty Allah. However my brother Abul Hasan would take revenge for you from whoever that oppresses you.

I respectfully said: O Messenger of Allah (s), is it not a fact that injustice was done to Fatima and she observed patience and was also patient on those who had oppressed her? Then how could he (Ali) take revenge from one who is unjust to me?

He replied: It was the covenant I had made with him and it was my order, so he had to obey it as her right will be restored but at present he takes up the cause of those of his followers who are oppressed. And as for Ali bin al-Husain, he is for saving from the clutches of rulers, kings and rebellious satans. As for Muhammad bin Ali and Ja�far bin Muhammad, for the Hereafter. And as for Moosa bin Ja�far; pray to him for health and well being. As for Ali bin Moosa, pray through him for safety in journeys by the sea or land. And as for Muhammad bin Ali ask the Almighty Allah for sustenance through his mediation. And as for Ali bin Muhammad, he is for the recommended acts and doing good to the believing brothers. And as for Hasan bin Ali, he is of the Hereafter and as for Hazrat Hujjat, when the sword reaches your throat � at this point His Eminence

(s) pointed to this throat � pray fervently to him and take refuge with him as he comes to help one who calls him and he is a refuge for those who seek his refuge.

Thus I said: O my master, O my Master of the Time, I take refuge with you. Suddenly I saw a person come down from the sky mounted on a horse holding an iron (or bright) weapon. I pleaded: O my master, Protect me from one who is torturing me. He said: I prayed to Allah that I may be allowed to defend you and Allah, the Mighty and Sublime accepted my prayer.

In the morning Ibne Ilyas summoned me and removed the chains. He gave me a robe and said: Through whose mediation did you pray? I replied: I sought the refuge of one who is the refuge-giver, so that he may beseech the Almighty on my behalf:

And praise be to Allah the Lord of the worlds.�[656]

Second Incident: In the thirteenth volume of Biharul Anwar, Allamah Majlisi has quoted his father, the honorable scholar, Maulana Muhammad Taqi well known as Majlisi, that he said:

In our time was a noble and righteous personality by the name of Amir Ishaq Astarabadi. He had completed 40 Hajjs on foot. It was famous among the people that the earth used to fold up for him. One year he came to Isfahan. I went to him to ask him about the fame he had earned. He told me: �The cause of that honor is that one

year when I was on my way to the Holy House of Allah, along with other pilgrims, and when we were at a distance of seven or nine stages from Mecca, I was, for some reason, left behind the caravan and soon they went out of my sight. I lost my way and overcome with thirst, I was about to die when I prayed:

O the righteous one, O Aba Salih guide us to the path, may Allah have mercy on you.

Suddenly an apparition became visible at the end of the desert, before I could make it out, it had already reached me. I saw a handsome youth wearing clean clothes of green hue and having a noble demeanor riding a camel and carrying a water in a container. I saluted him and he replied to my Salaam and asked: Are you thirsty? �Yes,� I replied. He gave me the vessel and I drank the water. Then he asked: Would you like to join your caravan? �Yes,� said I. He made me mount behind him and moved to Mecca. I had the habit of reciting the Hirz-e-Yamaani everyday. At that time also I began to recite it, at some points he used to say: �Recite like this.�

Not much time passed that he said to me: �Do you recognize this place?� I looked and saw that I was at Abtah. He said: �Alight.� I alighted, but when I turned back he had disappeared. At that moment I realized that he was Qaim (a). I became regretful and

sad at his separation and was affected that I had not recognized him. Thus when seven days had passed, my caravan reached Mecca and found me there � while they had lost hopes of my survival � therefore I became famous for having the land folded for me.�

Majlisi says in Biharul Anwar: My father said: I recited the Hirz-e-Yamaani in his presence and got it corrected and he gave the permit also.

And praise be to Allah.[657]

Another Incident: The practical scholar, Mirza Husain Noori, in the book, Jannatul Maawa quotes Kunooz an-Najaah of the prominent Shaykh Ameenul Islam Fadl bin al-Hasan Tabarsi that he said:

It is the supplication that His Eminence, the Master of the Time � may Allah the King and the Bestower bless him � has taught to Abul Hasan Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Abi Laith � (r.a.). Abul Hasan fled to the Quraish Cemetery in Baghdad for fear of being killed and he was saved by the bounty of this supplication. Abul Hasan says: His Eminence (a) taught me to recite as follows:

�O Allah, terrible was the calamity, and its evil consequences are visible, the covering has been removed, (all) hopes have been cut off, the (plentiful) earth has shrunk, the heavenly blessings have been withheld. Thou alone can help, we refer our grief and sorrow to Thee, we have full faith in Thee, in the time of distress, as well as in good fortune. O Allah send blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad, whom we must obey as per

Thy command, through which we become aware of their rank and status, and let there be joy after sorrow for us, for their sake, right away, in the twinkle of an eye, more rapidly than that. O Muhammad! O Ali! O Ali! O Muhammad! Help me, because both of you help and protect. Give me enough, because both of you provide sufficiently. O our Master! O master of the time! Help! Help! Help! Reach me! Reach me! Reach me! At once, in this hour. Be quick, be quick, be quick, O the Most Merciful, for the sake of Muhammad and his pure children.�

The narrator says: When His Eminence said �O master of the time� he pointed towards himself.

I say: If you desire to learn other aspects of this you may refer to the book of An-Najmus Thaqib. May the Almighty Allah give the best of rewards to its author.

Holy Prophet (s). He would have two names, one is confidential and the other, popular. His secret name is Ahmad and his known name is Muhammad. When he hoists and waves his flag, he would illuminate the east and the west. He would stroke the heads of the people. Thus there would not remain any believer but that his heart would become as a strong as a mountain of steel and Allah, the Mighty and the High would give each of them the strength of forty men. And no corpse would remain but that the celebration of his reappearance would reach its grave as the believers in the grave also would see him in their graves and they would greet each other upon the reappearance of Qaim (a).�[658]

I say: Grave implies the spiritual state of the believers in the Purgatory (Barzakh). That which proves this matter is a tradition quoted by some elders.

Also in Kamaluddin it is narrated that in the standard of Mahdi (a) is the pledge of allegiance to Allah, the Mighty and Sublime.[659]

In the same book it is narrated from Amirul Momineen (a) that he said:

�There is a flag for us; and one who goes ahead of it, is a transgressor and one who lags behind it, is destroyed and one who follows it, would achieve the aim.�[660]

It is reported from Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) that he said:

�As if I could see Qaim (a) that he has reached to the rear of Najaf. When he reaches to the back of Najaf he

would mount a dark colored pie-bald horse having a white streak between its eyes. Then he would fly on it. Thus there will not remain any city that would not think that Qaim (a) is with them in that town. And when he unfurls the flag of the Messenger of Allah (s) 13013 angels would descend to him from the sky as they all would be in anticipation of the orders of Qaim (a)��[661]

It is narrated from Abu Hamza that he said:

His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) told me: �As if I can see Qaim (a) appearing in Kufa at the back of Najaf. When he arrives at Najaf he would unfurl the standard of the Messenger of Allah (s). Its pole would be a pillar of the Arsh and those who accompany it would be helpers of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime. He would not bring it down for anyone but that the Almighty Allah would destroy that person.�

The narrator says: I asked in a polite manner: �Is that flag with him or it would be brought for him?� He said: �It would be brought for him by Jibraeel (a).�[662]

In the same book it is narrated from the Holy Prophet (s) in a lengthy tradition that he said:

�He would be having a standard which would unfurl itself automatically when the time is ripe for his reappearance. And the Almighty Allah would give it the power to speak and it would say: O Wali of Allah, march forward and eliminate the enemies of Allah. And

he would have two flags and two emblems. And he is having a sheathed sword, which at the time of reappearance would come out its sheath automatically and Allah, the Mighty and Sublime would bestow the power of speech to it and it would call out to His Eminence: O Wali of Allah, march forward as it is not right for you to avoid the enemies of Allah.�[663]

In Biharul Anwar it is narrated from Abu Baseer that he said:

His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) said: �When Amirul Momineen (a) confronted the Basrans, he unfurled his standard, that is the standard of the Holy Prophet (s), therefore they were routed and the sun had not yet set when they called out: O son of Abu Talib, you have destroyed us (or we bring faith).[664] At that time His Eminence ordered that the prisoners not be killed, the wounded must not be attacked, the runaways must not be pursued and whosoever drops his weapons would be secure and whosoever shuts the door, his house (and one who remains there) is safe.�

In the battle of Siffeen (the companions of His Eminence) requested him to wave that flag once more but the Imam did not agree to it. They petitioned him through the mediation of Hasan, Husain (a) and Ammar Yasir (r.a.). His Eminence said to Husain (a): �My son, a time period is appointed for these people and they would reach it, and it is a flag that none would wave after me, except Qaim (a).�[665]

Another tradition from

His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) about the description of this flag says:

�By Allah, that flag is not made of cotton, silk or muslin.� The narrator says: I asked: �Then of what material is it?� Imam replied: �Made of the leaves of the tree of Paradise. The Holy Prophet (s) unfurled it on the day of the battle of Badr. After that he folded it up and gave it to Ali (a). It always remained with Ali (a) till he unfurled it in Basra (in the battle of Jamal). When Amirul Momineen (a) unfurled it, the Almighty Allah granted victory to him. After that he rolled it up again. And that flag is with us. No one would open it till Qaim (a) reappears. When he arises no one would remain either in the east or west but that he would see it. Its awe would travel a month�s distance before as well as after it and to right as well as left.�

Then he said: �He would rise up to take revenge for his forefathers. Infuriated and aggrieved for the fury of the Almighty Allah on the people. He would be wearing the dress the Holy Prophet (s) had used on the day of the battle of Uhud. Upon his head would be the turban called Sahaab and he would also be equipped with the armor of the Prophet. Zulfiqar, the sword of the Messenger of Allah (s) shall be in his hand. At that moment he would extract the sword and go on fighting

for eight months��[666]

I say: This tradition proves that His Eminence is having more than one flag. Other reports also support this point but in this brief discussion we shall refrain from quoting them.

ask him the interpretation of the verse:

�O you who believe! be patient and excel in patience and remain steadfast, and be careful of (your duty to) Allah, that you may be successful.�[668]

His Eminence, Ali bin al-Husain (a) became angry and said: �I wish that one who sent you with this had approached me directly.� Then he said: �This verse was revealed for my father and us, and the perseverance that we have been ordered for has not yet occurred, it would be for some of our descendants��

3. It is mentioned in Burhan from Ayyashi in a Mursal tradition (having incomplete chain of narrators) from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) regarding this verse that he said:

�It was revealed for us and until now the time of steadfastness that is commanded, has not arrived, and it would be in our descendants.�[669]

I say: It is obvious that in the above mentioned traditions the implied Marabit is none but our master, His Eminence, the Master of the Age, the Imam of the time (a), on the basis of his statement in the Tawqee and as also explained in the chapter of Letter �L�. And here it is clear that this matter is a special act of worship of His Eminence just as performing the Hajj of the House of Allah is a special quality of His Eminence as mentioned in the chapter of Letter �H�a�. In addition to this, the length of his patience and his constant lamenting for his great ancestor, the Chief of the Martyrs (a)

are among his distinguishing qualities which were not present in his predecessors. In the Ziarat, famous as Ziarat Nahiya His Eminence says:

�Since I have been pushed behind by the passage of time and being prevented from helping you by fate and I could not fight those who had fought you. And (since) I had not been able to face your enemies I will continue to weep morning and evening��[670]

This Ziarat is mentioned in the part of Mazaar Kabeer in Biharul Anwar of Allamah Majlisi.

2. Miracles of His Eminence

The special concern and effort of His Eminence in religious propagation and guiding the people is the basis for his showing of miracles. To pray for one who is concerned with spreading divine customs and struggling to reform the people, is a praiseworthy act according to logic and religious texts. That is why angels pray for the seekers of knowledge in addition to the fact that guidance of the people is the most beneficial matter for them and it is a favor upon them. Thus it is necessary that prayers should be recited for one who guides the people to the right path.

And as for the miracles of His Eminence: The great traditionist Shaykh Hurr Aamili (q.s.) in his book, Athbaat al-Huda quoting from the book of Fadl bin Shazan through his own chain of narrators from Abdullah bin Abi Ya�fur has said:

Imam Abu Abdullah Ja�far bin Muhammad, peace be upon both of them and their forefathers said: �There is no miracle of the Prophets and their legatees

but that Allah, the Mighty and the High would display the like of it at the hands of our Qaim for exhausting the proof on the enemies.�[671]

Details about the miracles that would be shown by His Eminence could be studied in comprehensive books like Biharul Anwar etc.

3. Mehnat (Hardships) of His Eminence

In the book of Ghaibat Nomani through the author�s own chain of narrators it is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he said:

�When the Qaim arises he would have to face more problems from ignorant people than the Holy Prophet (s) had to face in his time. Fuzail says: I asked: How would that be? He replied: The Messenger of Allah (s) was such that when he approached the people, they threw stones, clods and pieces of wood at him; however when our Qaim arises, during his debates with the people all his opponents would be arguing on the basis of the Book of Allah and its interpretation��[672]

There is another traditional report about this which cannot be quoted here for the sake of brevity.

These are the hardships during the reappearance of His Eminence, and as for the hardships experienced during the period of his occultation, they are not concealed on anyone.

4. Masaib (Calamities) of His Eminence

There are numerous calamities upon His Eminence, like his great ancestors and elders had to face, especially the hardships of His Eminence, the Chief of the Martyrs, would all be there for His Eminence also, as he is the one who would take revenge from him

as mentioned in the interpretation of Quran.

It is a recommended act to pray for those who are afflicted with calamities as mentioned in reports and traditions quoted from the Purified Imams (a).

5. Mohabbat Mutaqaabil (Reciprocal Love) of His Eminence and the believers

Love of His Eminence for the believers and the love of the believers for His Eminence is the most important aim of praying for His Eminence and for beseeching the Almighty Allah for his early reappearance.

As for the love of His Eminence with regard to his believers, there are various groups of traditions that prove this matter. Some of them are as follows:

1. Traditions that prove that: Imam (a) is a loving and affectionate father for the believers, rather he is the most affectionate father.

2. Reports that prove that: Shias are like the leaves of the tree of Imamate.

3. Traditions that prove that: The Imam (a) is sad at the sorrow of the Shias, is moved by their hardships and is pained by their illness.

4. Reports that prove that: Imam (a) prays for the Shias and their well being.

5. Reports that prove that: Imam (a) has made things like the war booty etc. lawful for his Shias during the period of his occultation.

6. Reports that prove that: Imam (a) harkens to the call of help of his friends, also there are numerous instances that prove this matter and we have related quite of few of such instances in this book.

7. That which proves: Imam (a) is present at the funeral of the believers.

8. Traditions

that indicate that Imams (a) weep at the calamities of their friends and at the time of their death etc. as it must now be clear for those who have investigated the matter thoroughly.

And indeed the love of the believers towards His Eminence is incumbent and is a part of faith and religion and the acceptance of good deeds depends upon that. Rather there is a special effect of the love for His Eminence, which we shall explain in Part Eight of this book, if Allah wills. So, O devout followers and devotees of His Eminence, pray for your beloved and beseech the Almighty Allah that He may grant you the glimpse of His Wali.

report of the Purified Imams (a) has been recorded with the same meaning that shall be mentioned at the end of the book, in a section on sources and references, Insha Allah Taala.

Second kind: Scientific benefits and divine bestowals that are especially granted to the believers like: Becoming clear of the time of Daily Prayers and things like that, as mentioned in Wasail through the author�s own chain of narrators from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he said:

�There is no cloudy day on which the time of Zawaal (decline of the sun) is unknown to the people, but that Imam (a) will call the Sun and it will come out. So that people of every populated place become ready for Prayer and not let it lapse.�[674]

Second Type: Benefits of the Occultation of His Eminence; these are also of two kinds:

First kind: They are restricted for the believers and they are many in number. Among them is that: There is much reward related to the anticipation of the reappearance of His Eminence and it shall be explained in Part Eight, if Allah wills. And also that which is among the rewards related to their patience and forbearance during the period of occultation; it shall also be explained in Part Eight, if Allah wills. Also the doubling of the rewards for good deeds during that time as mentioned in Usool Kafi and other books quoting Ammar Saabaati that he said:

�I asked Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him: �Which is better, worship [�ibadah] in secret with

a hidden Imam from among you [in the time] of government by an illegal ruler, or worship in the time of the manifestation of the Truth [al-Haqq] and its government with the manifest Imam from among you?� He said: �O Ammar, the giving of alms, which is a form of worship in secret is better, by Allah, than giving openly; similarly, by Allah, your worship in secret with your hidden Imam in the time of government of an illegal ruler, and your fear of your enemy in the time of government of an illegal ruler and in a state of truce with your enemy, is better than that you should worship Allah, may remembrance of Him be made Mighty and Majestic, in the time of the manifestation of the Truth with the Imam of Truth which is manifest in the time of the government of Truth. Worship while you fear in the time of government of an illegal ruler is not the same as worship and security in the time of the government of Truth. Know that, for whoever of you now prays a prescribed prayers at its hour in congregation with the others, thereby concealing himself from his enemy, and completes it correctly, Allah will register the rewards for having completed fifty prescribed prayers in congregation; and that for whoever of you prays a prescribed prayers at its hour by himself, thereby concealing himself from his enemy, and completes it correctly, Allah to Whom belong Might and Majesty, will register thereby the reward for

having completed twenty-five prescribed prayers recited alone; and that for whoever of you prays a supererogatory prayers at its hour and completes it correctly, Allah will register thereby the reward for having completed ten supererogatory prayers; and that for whoever of you performs a good deed, Allah to Whom belong Mighty and Majesty, will register thereby the reward for having performed twenty good deeds; and Allah, to Whom belong Might and Majesty, will handsomely double the reward of the good deeds of the believer among you when he does good deeds and practices Taqayyah with regard to his religion, his Imam and himself, and keeps his tongue in check; for Allah, to Whom belong Might and Majesty is Generous.�

�I said: �May I be made your ransom, by Allah, you have encouraged me to [do good] deeds, and spurred me on to them, but I should like to know how we shall be better in [our] deeds at this time than the companions of the manifest Imam from among you in [the time of] the government of Truth, since we are [both] of a single religion?� He said: �Indeed, you outstrip them in involvement in the religion of Allah, to Whom belong Might and Majesty, and in prayers, fasting, hajj and in every good deed and knowledge, and in worshipping Allah, may remembrance of Him be made Mighty and Majestic, secretly from your enemy, while [at the same time] concealing [the truth] about your Imam, being obedient to him and being patient with him, awaiting the

government of the Truth, apprehensive about your Imam and yourselves before oppressive kings. You see the rights of your Imam and your own rights in the hands of the oppressors: they take them away from you and force you to work hard on the land and struggle to make a livelihood, and [you must also] be patient about your religion, your worship, obedience to your Imam and fear of your enemy. For this, Allah, to whom belong Might and Majesty, will double [the reward for your] actions for you, may it be pleasing to you.�

�I said: �May I be your ransom, what do you think? That we should be companions of al-Qaim and [see] the Truth manifest itself, or that today, in your Imamate, obedient to you, we are better in [our] deeds than the contemporaries of the government of Truth and Justice?� He said: �Good gracious! [subhan Allah!], do you not wish that Allah the blessed, the sublime, should make the Truth and Justice appear in the lands? That Allah should cause [people�s] speech to harmonize, and that Allah should unite the diverse hearts [of people]? That they should not rebel against Allah, to whom belong Might and Majesty, in His land? That His restriction should apply among His creatures, and that Allah should return the rights to His people so that it may become manifest, so that nothing of the Truth might be concealed through fear of any one of [His] creatures? By Allah, O Ammar, indeed no one among you will die

in the condition you are in, but he will be more perfect before Allah than many of the martyrs of Badr and Uhud. May you rejoice!��[675]

There are more rewards and greater recompense for some deeds restricted to the time of His Eminence (a) and if Allah wills we shall discuss in it Part Eight of this book.

Second kind: It is restricted to the disbelievers and hypocrites, and it is that they have got respite and their punishment has been postponed: as mentioned in the Tafseer of Ali bin Ibrahim al-Qummi (r.a.) in the interpretation of the verse:

�So (O Muhammad) grant the unbelievers a respite.�[676]

�During the period of the proclamation of Qaim, he will take revenge on my behalf from the oppressors and rebels of Quraish, Bani Umayyah and all the people.�[677]

Third Type: Benefits during the period of his reappearance; they are of two kinds:

First: They are in the share of all the creatures and beings like the spread of effulgence, and the advent of his justice, and the security of country roads, appearance of bounties of the earth, accord between wild beasts and quadrupeds, absence of harm caused by any stinging creature to anyone, and exceeding bounties and other unlimited benefits�as mentioned in Biharul Anwar in the description of His Eminence, Qaim (a) by Amirul Momineen (a) when he said:

�And the sky would send rain, the trees would put forth fruits and the earth will put out vegetation and it will decorate for its people, and the beasts shall be safe, so much so that

they would roam about the earth like domestic animals��[678]

Second: It is restricted to the believers and it is of two kinds:

First: It is for their life, and it is benefiting and profiting from the honor of the presence of His Eminence and gaining from the effulgence of and receiving from his knowledge; removal of hardships, calamities and illnesses from their bodies. As mentioned in Biharul Anwar and other books from Imam Sadiq (a) when he said:

�When our Qaim (a) reappears, the Almighty Allah would remove hardships from every believer and restore their strength.�[679]

The increase in their physical strength has already been explained in the chapter of Letter �Q�, and increase in their lifespan as also their witnessing how His Eminence would take revenge from his enemies, and other countless benefits�

Second: For their dead: Among them is that the gaiety of the success of the reappearance of His Eminence would enter their graves as mentioned in al-Muhajjja from Imam Sadiq (a) under the explanation of the following verse:

�And on that day the believers shall rejoice with the help of Allah.�[680]

That he said: �In their graves due to the reappearance of Qaim (a).�[681]

In Letter �L� we already brought some points that go on to prove this matter, and among the benefits of the period of reappearance is that the deceased believers shall be brought back to life as mentioned in Biharul Anwar quoting from Imam Sadiq (a) that he said:

�When the time comes for his reappearance in the month of Jumadi II and ten days of Rajab,

there would be such heavy rainfall as people have not seen before. Through it, the Almighty Allah would expose the flesh and bodies of the believers in their graves. As if I could see them coming from Jahina shaking off dust from their hair.�[682]

In Letter �K� also, appropriate discussions were mentioned and in Part Five more such points would be discussed, that all those who pray for the reappearance of His Eminence would be brought back to life so that they may have the honor to serve in the ranks of the Imam, if Allah the Mighty wills.

as follows:

First: Meaning of Noor (Effulgence).

Second: Luminosity is the sign of nobility and perfection of one who possesses it.

Third: About the concept that the being of His Eminence (aj) is Noor.

Fourth: Regarding the illuminations of the Noor of His Eminence in his occultation and appearance.

his visibility and appearance.

Neither is this Noor of the essence nor of form, rather the one that is making apparent is all essence and form; by this explanation the implication of Noor is on Allah, the Mighty and the High as mentioned in the verse:

�Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth.�[683]

There is no need to consider it a metaphor or simile etc, and in the same way is a Dua narrated in Muhajjud Dawaat from the Holy Prophet (s):

In the name of Allah, the light, In the name of Allah, the light, the light, In the name of Allah, the light over light�[684]

Another type of Noor occurs under the topic of Jauhar (essence) whose highest implication is to the holy being of the Prophet and our beloved, His Eminence, Muhammad bin Abdullah (s) as the Almighty Allah has made him in likeness of His own Noor and the holy existence of Imam (a) is also of this same type as shall be explained ahead � and among the types of the Noor Jauhar is the scholar, and other types that are having different grades�

Another type of Noor is included in the topic of Arz (form), like: The Noor of lightning, the lamp and similar things. It is worth noting that application of Noor on them is true, and by this explanation it becomes clear that there is no contradiction between the traditional reports in the exegesis of the verse of Noor, because each of them is talking of one implication of that

Noor, and if we did not fear the lengthening of discussion, we would have presented full research into this subject.

saw shinning roots and branches on it. So they asked: O our Lord and God, what effulgence is it? Allah, the Mighty and Sublime revealed to them: This is an effulgence of My Noor, its root is Prophethood and the branches are Imamate, prophethood is for Muhammad (s), My servant and my Prophet and Imamate is for Ali, My Proof and My Wali and if the two were not there I would not have created the creations.�[687]

In the same book it is narrated from the Holy Prophet (s) that he said:

�The Almighty Allah created me, Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain before the creation of Adam. When neither the sky was constructed nor the earth spread. There was neither darkness nor light, neither the Sun nor Moon, neither Paradise nor Hell.� Abbas asked: �Thus how was the beginning of your creation, O Messenger of Allah (s)?� He (the Prophet) replied: �O my uncle, when the Almighty Allah intended to create us, He created a Noor from a word. Then with another word He created a soul. Then he joined the soul to the Noor; at that time He created me, Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain. And we glorified His praise at the time when there was no glorification and we hallowed Him when there was no hallowing.

When the Almighty Allah intended to create the creatures, He split my Noor and with it created the Arsh (throne), the Arsh is made from my Noor and my Noor is superior to the Arsh. Then He split the Noor

of my brother, Ali, and from it created the angels. Thus angels are from the Noor of Ali and the Noor of Ali is from the Noor of Allah and Ali is superior to the angels. Then He split the Noor of my daughter and from it created the heavens and the earth. Thus the heavens and the earth are from the Noor of my daughter, Fatima. And the Noor of Fatima is from the Noor of Allah and my daughter, Fatima is superior to the heavens and the earth.

Then He split the Noor of my son, Hasan and from it created the Sun and the Moon. Thus the Sun and the Moon are from the Noor of my son, Hasan. And the Noor of Hasan is from the Noor of Allah and Hasan is superior to the Sun and the Moon. After that He split the Noor of my son, Husain and He created from the Noor of my son, Husain, Paradise and Hoorul Ein. And the Noor of my son, Husain is from the Noor of Allah. And my son, Husain is superior to Paradise and Hoorul Ein.�[688]

There are also traditional reports that prove the luminosity of the Noor of Her Eminence, Fatima Zahra (s.a.) on the sky for the angels after the Almighty Allah appointed darkness upon them. And in the world at the time of the Prayers the Noor from the Mihraab (Prayer Niche) of His Eminence throws light for the angels of the sky.

Both these traditions are recorded in the

tenth volume of Biharul Anwar but for the sake of conciseness we have refrained from quoting them here.

Also among such traditions are those that prove that there shall be different grades for different believers depending on the level of their faith. This tradition is recorded in the third volume of Biharul Anwar quoted from Abu Zar Ghiffari who has reported from the Holy Prophet (s) that he said:

�The flag of the Master of the Believers and the leader of the bright-faced ones would arrive at the cistern of Kauthar. So I would step forward and take his hand. At that moment his face and the faces of his companions would brighten up. They would be asked: How did you behave with the Two Weighty Things after me? They would reply: We followed the Greater Weighty Thing and testified to it; and we supported and helped the Lesser Weighty Thing and we fought in its service. Then I would say: Drink till your thirst is quenched, and they would drink to the full; such that after that they would never feel thirsty. The face of their Imam would be bright like the Sun, their faces would be luminous like the full Moon and some would resemble the brightest stars of the sky.�[689]

that Noor is something that shows up on its own, and it also makes other things visible, and there is no doubt that Imam (a) according to the perfections and guidance that he possesses, is the most evident and obvious creature, therefore His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) � in a tradition that we have quoted in the first part of this book � said to Muhammad bin Muslim as follows:

��A Muslim who begins his day without having a just Imam appointed by Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, would be deviated and misguided��

On the basis of this, the reappearance of Imam (a) is by the virtue of his excellences and proofs.

Indeed it is sometimes possible that the person of the Imam may be hidden from a group of people and it is possible that he may become visible to them but he, even in the occultation is at the pinnacle of visibility and appearance. Just as Imam Sadiq (a) said to Mufaddal bin Umar � when he wept on hearing from His Eminence that doubts would increase and the flags of suspicion would be hoisted during the period of occultation � His Eminence told him:

Do you see this Sun? �Yes,� he replied. He said: �By Allah, our matter (Imamate) is more illuminated than this Sun.�

The complete text of the tradition containing the above statements would be mentioned in Part Eight, if the Almighty Allah wills, in the section about weeping for the occultation of His Eminence during the period of his occultation.

In Kamaluddin it is

narrated from Amirul Momineen (a) that he said from the pulpit of Kufa Masjid:

�O Allah, it is necessary that Your earth does not remain devoid of Your Proof on Your creatures, who may guide the people to Your religion and who teaches Your religion, so that Your argument is not rendered invalid and those who follow Your saints may not be misguided after having received guidance, whether this Proof be seen and not be obeyed or be hidden and the enemies are lying in ambush for him and himself he is hidden from the view of the people while his knowledge will not be hidden from the people and his laws are firm in the hearts of the believers and they act upon them.�[690]

As for the realization of possibilities by the being of Imam (a): We have already discussed the relevant points in this part itself as also in Part Three of this book, so we shall not be repeating them here. As mentioned therein, the exposition of sciences did not take place except through the beings of Imams (a) as explained in the chapter of Letter �K�. There are also clear traditions about this, some of which we quote hereunder:

1. Shaykh Kulaini (q.s.) has quoted in Usool Kafi from Abu Khalid Kabuli that he said:

�I asked Abu Ja�far (a) concerning the words of Allah, to Whom belong Might and Majesty:

�Therefore believe in Allah and His Messenger and in the Light which we have sent down��[691]

He said: �O Abu Khalid! The Light, by Allah, is

the Light of the Imams from the Household of Muhammad (s) till the Day of Resurrection. They, by Allah, are the Lights which Allah has sent down, and they, by Allah, are the Lights of Allah in the heavens and on the earth.�[692]

2. In the same way, the trustworthy one of Islam, Kulaini, in the same book has written that:

His Eminence, Abi Abdillah (a) said, concerning the words of Allah, the Sublime:

��and follow the Light that has been sent down with him, - they are the prosperous�[693]

The Light in this matter is Ali, Amir al-Momineen and the Imams (a).�[694]

3. And also His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) has said regarding the verse:

�He will appoint for you a light whereby you shall walk.[695]

It means an Imam who is to be followed.�[696]

4. Also His Eminence, Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) has remarked with reference to the verse:

��And to whomsoever Allah assigns no light�[697]

It is an Imam from the children of Fatima (a).�[698]

There are other traditions also that could be referred in their sources.

Point Two: Regarding the fact that the being of His Eminence, the Remnant of Allah (Baqiyatullah) � may we be sacrificed on him � itself is especially �Noor�.

That which proves this, in addition to that which shall be discussed in Part Four are some traditional reports, of which a few are quoted below:

1. In Ziarat Jamia it is mentioned with regard to the qualities of His Eminence that:

�The brilliant Noor through which very soon the earth shall be illuminated��

2. In another Ziarat we read:

�And His (Allah�s)

Noor in the heavens and the earth.�[699]

3. In the Ziarat of His Eminence on Friday it is said:

�Peace be on you, O Noor of the Almighty Allah through whom are guided the seekers of guidance��[700]

4. And in the Supplication of 15th Shaban regarding the qualities of His Eminence, the Master of the Age (a), we read as follows:

�Your Noor is luminous and your rays are radiant��

Muta-alliq: It is in the meaning of brilliance, especially related to the appearance of his Noor and the radiance of his noble being.

Or it implies that: It has beautified, as he is embellished with a particular effulgence and an extraordinary grace.

Or it might be that: He is prepared for confrontation, as His Eminence would take revenge on behalf of the righteous and good people � as mentioned in numerous traditions.

5. There is a tradition that Sayyid Ibne Tawus has recorded in Falaah as-Saalileen and Allamah Majlisi has quoted in Biharul Anwar that Ibaad bin Muhammad Madaini says:

I went to meet His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) in Medina while he had just concluded the Zuhr (noon) prayer and spreading his hands to the heavens he was saying:

�O One Who hears all the voices��

Till the end of the supplication that we shall be quoting Part Seven of this book, if the Almighty Allah wills.

The narrator says: I asked very humbly: �May I be sacrificed on you, did you not pray for yourself?� He said: �I prayed for the effulgence of Aale Muhammad and the foremost of them and the one who

would take revenge by the command of the Almighty Allah from His enemies.� I asked: �When would his reappearance occur, may Allah make me your sacrifice?� �Always the creation and the command will be for Him only.� I asked: �Are there signs preceding his reappearance?� He said: �Yes, there are different signs.� I asked: �Such as?� He replied: �The appearance of a walking creature from the east, flags from the west, and mischiefs that shall continuously befall the people of Zauraa (Tehran or Baghdad), and the advent of a descendant my cousin, Zaid in Yemen and the plunder of the Kaaba covering and what Allah likes, does.�[701]

6. And in Tafseer Burhan and other books it is narrated from Jabir bin Abdullah Ansari that he said:

�I entered the Kufa Masjid to find Amirul Momineen (a) writing something with his finger and smiling at the same time. I asked most politely: O Amirul Momineen (a), what is the reason behind your smile? He replied: I am astonished at the one who reads this verse but is not cognizant about its meaning in the way it deserves to be. I asked: Which verse, O Amirul Momineen (a)? He said:

�Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth; a likeness of His light is as a niche��

The �niche� is Muhammad (s).

�in which is a lamp,�

I am the lamp.

�the lamp is in a glass,�

The glass is Hasan and Husain.

�(and) the glass is as it were a brightly shining star,�

It is Ali bin al-Husain.

�lit from a blessed�

It is Muhammad bin

Ali.

�olive-tree,�

It is Ja�far bin Muhammad.

�neither eastern�

It is Moosa bin Ja�far.

�nor western,�

It is Ali bin Moosa.

�the oil whereof almost gives light�

It is Muhammad bin Ali.

�though fire touch it not�

It is Ali bin Muhammad.

�- light upon light..�

It is Hasan bin Ali.

�Allah guides to His light whom He pleases,�

Qaim, Mahdi (a).

�and Allah sets forth parables for men, and Allah is Cognizant of all things.�[702]

The main points in this are: Just as the being of His Eminence is Noor and he is from Noor and he guides to Noor and his followers are in Noor, the date of his birth is itself Noor � as we have previously said: The date of his birth is 15 Shaban 256 A.H. and it is the sum total of the numeric equivalent of its letters. May Allah make us among his Shias and those who see him.

of ascension as mentioned in a lengthy tradition of the Holy Prophet (s) in Ghayat al-Maraam narrated through Sunni channels regarding the description of the ascension that he said:

��O Muhammad, would you like to see them (your successors)? I said: Yes, my Lord. He said: Glance to the right side of the Arsh. When I glanced there, I saw Ali, Fatima, Hasan, Husain, Ali bin al-Husain, Muhammad bin Ali, Ja�far bin Muhammad, Moosa bin Ja�far, Ali bin Moosa, Muhammad bin Ali, Ali bin Muhammad, Hasan bin Ali and Mahdi; they were in form of luminosities, performing prayers and he � that is Mahdi � was like a brilliant star among them��[703]

In the same book it is mentioned through Shia sources from the Holy Prophet (s) that he said in the narrative about Me�raaj (ascension) that:

��O Muhammad, would you like to see them? I said: Yes. He (Allah) said: Step forward. I arose and stepped forward. Suddenly I saw Ali Ibne Abi Talib, Hasan bin Ali, Husain bin Ali, Ali bin al-Husain, Muhammad bin Ali, Ja�far bin Muhammad, Moosa bin Ja�far, Ali bin Moosa, Muhammad bin Ali, Ali bin Muhammad, Hasan bin Ali and Hujjat Qaim; and he � Mahdi � was like a brilliant star among them��[704]

If Allah, the High wills we would see the complete text of the above narration in Part Eight.

I say: The effulgence of Maula Hujjat Ibnul Hasan (aj) on the basis of these two traditions, has a special distinction. Firstly: Among the lights it is like a brilliant star, perhaps

due to the fact that the reappearance of His Eminence in this world itself is more complete and perfect than that of all the other Infallibles (a); his domination and decisive victory of religion and grandeur and glory of the people of faith would be effected through His Eminence as would be further explained in the coming pages, if Allah the High wills.

Secondly: The fact that the effulgence of His Eminence was placed in the centre of the lights was due to five possible reasons.

First: It is the proof and indication of nobility and exalted position, as seen in practice of great people; rather this method is seen in all classes: whenever a goldsmith wants to make a piece of jewellery studded with numerous precious stones, he places the most valuable and the most expensive gem in the center, this is seen in the work of all professionals.

In Tafseer Majmaul Bayan it is quoted from Kitabul Ain that:

�The center of every object is its best and most equitable place.�[705]

Indeed in the description of our Holy Prophet (s) it is mentioned that he used to sit at the center of his companions. In Makarimul Akhlaq it is narrated from Abu Zar that he said:

�The Messenger of Allah (s) used to sit in the center of his companions in such a way that when a stranger arrived he could not make out who the Prophet was till he asked about it��[706]

That which further supports this matter is that Allah, the Mighty and the High placed the Baitul

Ma�moor, which is the most superior place of the heavens, at the center and also that He placed Kaaba at the centre of the earth, the heart of man � which is the most important organ in the centre of the body, the pupil of the eye at the center of the eyeball, the Sun � which is the greatest and brightest body of the solar system � at the center of the system and finally, the Firdaus garden, which is situated in the centre of Paradise.

In Riyadh as-Salikeen, written by the spiritual scholar, Sayyid Alikhaan Madani it is mentioned that:

There are a hundred levels in Paradise and the distance between each level is equal to the distance between the earth and the sky. And the highest level is that of Firdaus as the Arsh is placed upon it and it is the center-most place of Paradise and the streams of Paradise have their sources therein, thus if you pray, beseech the Almighty Allah to grant you Firdaus.

In Biharul Anwar it is narrated from Amirul Momineen (a) that he said:

�And as for the residence of Muhammad in Paradise, it is in the Adn Paradise[707] and it is situated in the center of Paradise and it is the most proximate location to the Arsh of the Almighty Allah, the Merciful, exalted be His majesty (and he went on to say that) And whose who shall live with him in that Paradise would be the twelve Imams.�[708]

That which further supports this is: The Almighty Allah has commanded

the people to guard and be regular in the �Wusta� (middle) prayer, from the view that first He has exhorted them to be constant in all the Prayers. Also in the Holy Quran it says:

�And thus We have made you a medium (just) nation��[709]

In the same way Allah, the Mighty and the High has bestowed a special excellence to the middle of the month, therefore the fasts of Baiz days (three days of the middle of the month) are especially emphasized and recommended.

In the famous tradition of the Holy Prophet (s) it is mentioned that he said:

�The best of the affairs are their most moderate.�

There are numerous testifications to this�

Second: It is an indication of the perfection of reappearance and spread of the effulgence of His Eminence, in the same way as when the Sun reaches to the center of the sky its light will be visible to all the spectators in all the cities and its radiance will reach to the maximum limit as is very much clear.

Third: Anything that is placed at the center of something is one that attracts the most attention, and as the attention of the Purified Imams (a) was continuously directed to the Hidden Imam � it was so because Allah, the Mighty and the High has promised his reappearance and decided that their revenge shall be taken at the hands of His Eminence � Allah, the Mighty and Sublime therefore placed his effulgence in their center.

Four: Perhaps the indication is towards that the perfections and sciences of the

Infallible Imams and the past Prophets (a) would be concluded in His Eminence � as we explained in the chapter of Letter �K� � just as the different writings that are around a circle end at its middle, which the astronomers call the center.

Five: It implies that the Maula, the Master of the Time (a) � according to the time sequence � would be coming at the middle in the line of Imams, as the belief in the Raja�t (Return) of the Imams is a cardinal principle of Shia faith; and the Quran and Sunnah prove its validity.

the horizon and I also saw white birds descending from the sky, they rubbed their feathers on his head, face and all the parts of his body, then they flew away. And when I reported this to His Eminence, Abi Muhammad (a), he smiled and said: They were angels and they had come down for this baby and they shall be his helpers when he reappears.�[711]

In another traditional report it is narrated by Hakima that:

�I suddenly saw her (Narjis) that the effect of the light was on her so much that it held my gaze.�[712]

This point is mentioned in Kamaluddin, Biharul Anwar and other books.

Second type: Brilliance of the effulgence of His Eminence both during his reappearance and his occultation is having two aspects:

1. Illuminations without any intermediary for some of the believers who were honored by seeing him in person. Among such reports is one mentioned in Kamaluddin from Muhammad bin al-Hasan Karkhi that he said:

�Abu Haroon � a person who belongs our school of thought � said: I saw His Eminence, the Master of the Age, while his face shone like a full moon��[713]

The great traditionist, Muhammad bin al-Hasan Hurr Amili in his book Asbaat al-Huda Bi Nusoos wal Mojizaat quoting from Asbaat ar-Rajaa of the prominent Shaykh Fadl bin Shazan that he said:

Ibrahim bin Muhammad bin Faris Nishapuri said: When Amr bin Auf decided to kill me, a terrible fear struck me. I bid farewell to my family and wanted to flee. I went to the house of His Eminence, Abu Muhammad

[Imam Hasan Askari (a)]. When I reached his place I saw a youth sitting by his side; his face shone like a full moon. I was astonished by his effulgence and light and I had almost forgotten my circumstances and conditions when he said to me: O Ibrahim, do not flee as the Almighty Allah would remove his mischief from you. I was highly astonished at this and I asked Imam Abu Muhammad: O son of the Prophet, my master, who is this person, that informed about my inner reality? He replied: He is my son and successor��[714]

Among those who witnessed the brilliance of the effulgence of His Eminence, is Ahmad bin Ishaq Qummi whose traditional report we have quoted in the chapter of the Letter �Ain� in the fourth part.

2. Illuminations of the effulgence of His Eminence are through a medium: You should know that all the brilliance of the Noor in the night and day, of the Moon, the Sun and other heavenly bodies are illuminations of His Eminence and the benefits of his blessed being during the period of his occultation as well as his reappearance. This can be explained under few points:

First: It is that the Sun, the Moon and other heavenly bodies were created from the Noor of His Eminence (a) � as proved by traditional reports on this subject � and it is having no contradiction with traditional reports that state that the Sun and the Moon were created through the Noor of Imam Hasan (a), because it is

also mentioned in traditions that the Noor, the souls and the essence of the family of inerrancy are one. That is they are created from one and the same root. On the basis of this, it is correct to say that: The Moon is created from the Noor of the Holy Prophet (s) or the Noor of Amirul Momineen or the Noor of His Eminence, Qaim or other Imams (a). A similar thing is mentioned by the spiritual scholar, Shaykh Ja�far Shushtari (q.s.) in the book, Khasais al-Husain (a). Under that discussion he proves that the Noor of Imam Husain (a) is among the first creations by saying that:

It is so because his Noor is from the Noor of the Holy Prophet (s) and the Messenger of Allah (s) has said:

�The first thing that Allah created was my Noor.�

Second: Traditional reports that prove that all the creatures have been created basically for the sake of the being of His Eminence and his noble forefathers. Thus they are the final cause of creation of the created world. On the basis of this the existence of the Sun and its Noor and brilliance is through Hazrat Hujjat and the infallible ancestors of His Eminence.

Third: Traditional reports that prove that the survival of the world and whatever is there in it � like the Sun and Moon etc. � is as a result of the existence of His Eminence, Qaim (a). On the basis of this, the brilliance of the effulgence of the Sun and the Moon is

from the effects of the Noor of His Eminence in his occultation as well as presence. It is a statement that has been proved in Part Three of this book.

Third type: It is that the illuminations of the Noor of His Eminence during the period of his occultation in particular. These are again of two types: the apparent and the hidden:

Hidden illuminations: It is in the heart of the believers as they behold the existence of the Imam with the realities of faith, which is visible in front of their eyes in all the times and in every place. I have composed some couplets that state this matter:

I have made a house for your master in my heart. I reside in it since I was in ultimate love from the time I was born.

By the one who if he wants he will not create the seed: If he disappears from my sight he is not absent from my heart.

It is this eagerness that embodies your thought for me; as if I speak softly near you, even though you may not be near me.

O our friends, if you be hidden from the view � you will not be hidden and unseen from my heart and memory.

There are numerous traditional reports that prove this matter and we have presented some of them in Part Three. Among other such traditional reports is the following:

The Thiqatul Islam, Kulaini in Usool Kafi has narrated from Abu Khalid Kabuli from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he said:

�By Allah, O

Abu Khalid, the Noor of the Imam in the hearts of the believers is more brilliant than the Sun during the day. And it illuminates the hearts of the believers. Allah, the Mighty and Sublime prevents their Noor from the hearts of whosoever He likes, leaving them in darkness. By Allah, O Abu Khalid, there is no man that cultivates love and affinity for us but that the Almighty Allah purifies his heart. Thus if he submits to us, the Almighty Allah saves him from a severe accounting and secures him from the terrible horror of the Judgment Day.�[715]

will benefit with his light and gain from his mastership in his occultation like the people derive benefit from the sun when the clouds hide it. O Jabir! This is from the hidden secrets of Allah and the treasures of His knowledge, so hide it except from the ones worthy of it.�[716]

Apparent illumination: The apparent illumination of the effulgence of His Eminence is for some selected pious personages and this matter is restricted to some very special, righteous and sincere people about whom we shall narrate in three anecdotes:

First Incident: Biharul Anwar quotes Sayyid Ali bin Abdul Hameed, a person of faith, in the book of Sultan al-Mufarraj, that he said:

The incident most famous and well known in all the areas is about Abu Rahjeh Hamaami in Hilla, and it is narrated by a group of scholars and eminent people of that town. Among those eminent personalities is also the pious, senior and virtuous Shaykh Shamsuddin Muhammad bin Qaroon. He says that there was a ruler in Hilla called �Marjaan, the younger�. Some people reported to him that Abu Rajeh abuses the companions of the Prophet. So got Rajeh arrested and ordered him to be beaten. They beat him so severely that each part of his body was injured and they hit at his mouth so much that his teeth were broken. Then they pierced his tongue with a thick iron needle. Then they pierced his nose and put a rope through it. After that he was given over to the ruler�s men to take

him around the lanes of Hilla in this manner and ordered that he should be thrashed from every side. It happened in this way and the poor man fell down exhausted; people thought that he was dead. They informed the king and he ordered his execution. Those present in the court wanted to know what purpose would be served by his execution. Since he was an old man this much punishment was enough for him. He was already dead, so he should be left now, and he would die his natural death. Why should the king take the responsibility of his death? When people petitioned much he ordered his release. Since he was seriously injured his relatives carried him home like a corpse. Everyone was sure that he would not survive that night as no sign of life remained in his body. However when people came to see him the next day they found him in perfect health and physically fit, engrossed in ritual prayers. His teeth, that had been broken, were back in his mouth in a perfect condition. The wounds of his body and face had healed so completely as if he never had any injuries in the first place. They were shocked at his sight and asked him how that came to be. He said: I was looking at death with my own eyes. Since my tongue could not move, I was unable to utter any supplication so I prayed to Allah in my mind and beseeched my master. When the greater

part of the night had passed, I saw that the complete house was lit by a luminosity and my master. His Eminence, the Master of the Time was stroking my face and saying: Now get up and go to your family. You are perfectly all right now. Thus when I got up in the morning I was absolutely healthy as you can all see. Shamsuddin Muhammad bin Qaroon says: By Allah, Abu Rajeh was a frail and thin man, having sallow complexion; he was very ugly and had a small beard. I used to visit the same public bath he frequented and I always saw him in the above condition. But that morning when I went to see him with other people I saw him physically strong, his limbs powerful and his height had also increased. The beard was also bigger than before and the complexion had a pinkish hue. It seemed as if he were a young man of twenty years. And he remained in that way till his end��[717]

Second Incident: In the same way it is mentioned in Biharul Anwar from the same source that the author said: A reliable gentleman has narrated this incident, although this report is famous among the people of Najaf al-Ashraf. The incident is as follows:

The house in which I reside, in this year 789 A.H., once belonged to a virtuous and pious man named Husain Mudallil and Sabaat Mudallil is named after him. And this Sabaat (a roof between two houses) is adjacent to the walls of

the Holy mausoleum of Najaf. This person also had a family. He became affected by such terrible paralysis that he could not even stand up. The members of his family used to assist him in fulfilling his necessary needs. He remained affected by this malady for a long time as a result of which his family had to face penury and began to depend on charity. In 720 A.H. when a fourth part of the night had passed, he awoke his family members. They saw that the house and the ceiling were illuminated with such a bright light that it dazzled the eyes. They asked him what the matter was. He said: The Imam of the Time (a) had come and he told me: O Husain, stand up. I said: My master, I am unable to stand up as you can see. He took my hand and made me stand up and all the signs of paralysis disappeared. Now I am perfectly healthy and cured. The Imam (a) also said: This canopy is my route to visit my grandfather Amirul Momineen (a) so you must close it every night. I said:

We hear and obey Allah and you, our master!

After that the man arose and by way of thanksgiving for this divine mercy and kindness he went to visit the mausoleum of His Eminence, Amirul Momineen (a). And that canopy, till this day is a place where people pray during times of need and all those who make petitions at this spot achieve success by the

blessings of the holy footsteps of the Qaim (a).�[718]

Third Incident: The great divine scholar, Haaj Mirza Husain Noori has written in Jannatul Maawa thus:

Some righteous associates � among whom is: The real Sayyid and intellectual, the avowed scholar, practically devout, jurisprudent and expert, Sayyid Muhammad son of the exceptional scholar, Sayyid Ahmad son of Sayyid Haider Kazmi, may Allah the High help him, who was among the outstanding students of the great teacher, Muhaqqiq Ansari, the refuge of students, pilgrims and those who lived in the neighborhood of Kazmain and his family was famous in Iraq for its nobility, purity, knowledge and merits and had become famous as the House of Sayyid Haider. He has narrated to me � in writing and verbally � the incident related by him is as follows:

Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Haider Hasani Husaini says: When I resided in Najaf al-Ashraf for my religious studies � that is in the period around 1275 A.H. � I heard that some intellectuals and other reliable persons who sold mules and other things to them had informed them that he had been honored by meeting Maula Sahib az-Zaman, may Allah bless him and his purified forefathers. I investigated in order to recognize this man and found him to be righteous and trustworthy. I wanted to find him alone so that I could ask him about his meeting with Hazrat Hujjat, may our souls be sacrificed on him.

I began to show friendship towards him, greeted him often and made many purchases from him till there

developed a type of friendship between the two of us. All this was a preface so that I may hear the incident under discussion. Finally one day I went to Masjid Sahla for worship, prayers and supplications on a Wednesday. When I reached the Masjid I saw the above mentioned person there. I found an opportunity and asked him to stay the night with me. He accepted, when I concluded the rituals of Masjid Sahla, according to the practice prevalent at that time when there was no arrangement for lodging at Masjid Sahla I headed for the Great Masjid of Kufa. When we reached there and also finished performing the rituals particular to the Masjid, I asked him about his story and requested him to relate the incident in detail for me. He related to me as follows:

I had always heard from people having divine recognition and who were honest that one who spends forty consecutive nights in Masjid Sahla with the intention of meeting the Imam would receive that honor and it has been effective many a times. I also developed a desire for it and made an intention that I would perform this act every Wednesday and that hot, cold and rain would not restrain me from this program. I continued it for almost a year and after completing the rituals of Masjid Sahla I used to go and stay at Masjid Kufa.

hot and the atmosphere very dark. Dark clouds had veiled the sky and a drizzle was falling. Feeling assured that according to the usual practice, people would come, I set out; but when I reached the Masjid, the Sun had set and the surroundings were dark and lightning and thunder burst forth from the sky. I was very frightened because in the first place there was no one there besides me, not even the caretaker of the Masjid who used to come every Wednesday. Though I was terribly scared I thought to myself that I should at least perform the Maghrib prayer and complete the special rituals and then go to Masjid Kufa as soon as possible. I egged myself to be brave and arose to perform the Maghrib Prayer. After that I began to recite the special devotions, which by this time, I knew by heart. While I was engrossed in the prayer at the place known as the place of the Master of the Time which was in front of the place of my prayer � I perceived a perfect light there and heard someone reciting the ritual prayer. I was glad and absolutely comfortable because I thought that there was someone from the pilgrims who was worshipping at that blessed place, whom I had not seen when I arrived. So under this impression I continued to recite my devotions according to the original program.

Then I went toward that sacred place. When I entered I saw a great effulgence but did not see

any lamp casting such light. Thinking that I might have missed it, I beheld a majestic Sayyid with an aura of awe dressed in the manners of religious scholars standing in prayer. My heart became comfortable by his presence, whom I thought to be a foreign pilgrim, but after some reflection I concluded that he was a resident of Najaf al-Ashraf.

I became engrossed in reciting the Ziarat of Hazrat Hujjat (a) and then prayed the Ziarat Prayer. When I concluded, I decided to speak to him about going to Masjid Kufa together. But his awe and majesty struck me so, that I looked outside, but I saw the darkness punctuated with lightning and heard the thunder. That gentleman turned to me with a smiling and kind face and said: �Do you want to go Masjid Kufa?� I said: �Yes, my master, it is usual for us, residents of Najaf that when we finish the rituals of this Masjid we go to Masjid Kufa and spend the night there as there are people, servants and water there.�

He arose and said: �Come, let us go to Masjid Kufa together.� I went out with him while I was pleased with him and his good company. We walked in illuminated and pleasant atmosphere on dry ground and I completely forgot the rain and darkness that was present before, till we reached the Masjid and His Eminence � may I be sacrificed on him � was with me and I was in such a happy mood and absolute security in

his company that neither I saw darkness nor rain.

I knocked at the outer gate of the Masjid which was locked. �Who is it?� asked the attendant. I said: �Please open up.� He said: �From where have you some in such darkness and rain?� I replied: �From Masjid Sahla.� When the attendant opened the door I turned towards that respected Sayyid but he was gone and all of a sudden there was same darkness, and rain fell on me. I began to call out: �O our master, my lord, come, the door has opened.� And I went out to search for him and continued to call out aloud but there was no one there at all. Feeling uncomfortable by the slightly cold air and rain I entered the Masjid and at that time I came out of my unawareness as I had waken up from a dream. I scolded myself that though I had witnessed such a miracle I had not realized it. The great light that I had seen at that blessed place was not by any lamp. Even twenty lamps could not produce that much light. Now I remembered that the noble Sayyid had addressed me by name inspite of the fact that I didn�t know him and I had not seen him before. And I also recalled that when I had glanced out of that place, the atmosphere outside was dark and rain was falling and there was also severe lightning and thunder. But when I came out in his company it was

so bright that I could see where I put my steps and the ground was also dry and the air pleasant, till I reached the Masjid gate. And since he left me, I again saw the terrible weather and rain and many other strange matters that made me certain that he was Hazrat Hujjat, the Master of the Time, who, by the grace of Allah had fulfilled my desire to meet him, for which I had unerringly performed the prescribed rituals without being impeded by hot or cold. Thus I thanked the Lord for this grace in excess:

�And praise be to Allah.�[719]

Fourth type: Illuminations of the effulgence of His Eminence during the time of his reappearance. This type is also of two kinds: Hidden and apparent. And that which proves the first kind had already been discussed in the third type and that which proves the second type is a tradition that the honorable Shaykh, Ali bin Ibrahim Qummi (q.s.) has narrated from Mufaddal bin Umar that His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) said regarding the verse:

�And the earth shall beam with the light of its Lord.�[720]

�Lord of the earth means, the Imam of the earth.�

I asked: What should happen when he reappears? He replied: �On the basis of this the people would become needless of the light of the Sun and the light of the Moon and they would be content with the Noor of the Imam.�[721]

Also the respected Sayyid Hashim Bahrani in his book, al-Muhajja has narrated from Mufaddal that he said:

I heard

Imam Sadiq (a) say: �When the Qaim arises, the earth would be illuminated by the light of its Lord and the people would become needless of the light of the Sun. And the night and the day would be the same and man would have a lifespan of a thousand years during that period. Every year he would be blessed by a son, and daughters would not be born. There would be a garment upon the newborn child that would grow with him and it would assume any color that he may like.�[722]

In the same way the prominent and accomplished scholar, Allamah Majlisi (r.a.) has also narrated from Mufaddal in Biharul Anwar that he said:

I heard His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) say: �When the Qaim (a) arises, the earth would light up with the luminescence of its Lord and the people would become needless of sunlight and darkness shall be dispelled.�[723]

In the same book it is narrated from the Holy Prophet (s) that he said:

�Even if a single day remains from the tenure of this world, the Almighty Allah would prolong that day to such an extent that my descendant, Mahdi would reappear on that day. Then, the Spirit of Allah, Isa bin Maryam would descend and recite prayers under his lead, and the earth would be illuminated by the light of its Lord and his kingdom would reach to the east and the west (cover all the world).�[724]

As for the illuminations of His Eminence in the Hereafter: a tradition that the Thiqatul Islam,

Muhammad bin Yaqoob Kulaini has mentioned in Usool Kafi, proves it. The traditional report is as follows:

It is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he said regarding the verse:

�Their light running before them, and on their right hands��

On the Day of Resurrection the Imams of the believers move before the believers and on their right hands, till they have set them down in the abodes of the people of Paradise.�[725]

Sayyid Bahrani has also mentioned in his Tafseer Burhan from Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) that he said:

�Their light running before them, and on their right hands�[726]

The Noor of the Imams of the believers would move ahead to the right side of the believers till it takes them to their abodes in Paradise.�[727]

the Holy Prophet (s) and his Ahle Bayt.�[729]

It is also narrated from His Eminence that he said regarding the verse:

�Then on that day you shall most certainly be questioned about the boons.�

�We are those bounties.�[730]

A similar traditional report is recorded from Amirul Momineen (a).

It is narrated by Abu Khalid Kabuli that he said:

I came to His Eminence, Muhammad bin Ali (a) and food was brought for me, which was so tasty that I had never tasted anything more delicious. He (the Imam) asked me: �O Abu Khalid, how did you find our food?� I replied: �May I be sacrificed on you, what delicious food it was. But I was reminded of the verse of the Book of Allah.� He became annoyed and asked, �Which verse?� I said:

�Then on that day you shall most certainly be questioned about the boons.�

He said: �By Allah, you will never be asked about this food.� Then he put on such a wide smile that his teeth showed and he asked, �Do you know what that bounty is?� �No,� said I. He said: �We are the bounties.�[731]

There are a large number of traditional reports on this topic that are quoted in Burhan and other books.

If it is said: In some traditions, �bounty� is interpreted as security, health, dates and cool water. Then how can we reconcile them with the above tradition?

I say: There is no contradiction between these traditions because the Imams have spoken of a particular bounty in each tradition, this does not mean that it is limited to that

particular thing. That which proves this matter is a traditional report recorded in Burhan from Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) when he said:

�We are from the bounties.�

Indeed the existence of the Imam is among the greatest of the divine bounties because it is root of all the apparent and hidden bounties. It is on the basis of this, it is said that on the Judgment Day people would be asked about the bounties.[732]

As for tasty food and cool water etc., Allah, the Mighty and the High would not ask His servants about them � since it is mentioned in some traditions � in other words all the people would be questioned about the Holy Prophet (s) and the Holy Imam (a). One who has thanked Allah for this great bounty and had been among the followers and devotees of the Infallibles (a) would be from the successful ones and he would then not be asked about other bounties.

But if he is from the opponents and disbelievers he would be interrogated about every bounty � small and big � he would be taken to a complete accounting which is sometime referred to as the �Soo-al-hisaab� (evil accounting).

By this explanation we can reconcile the traditional reports which are apparently contradictory as some traditions state that the Almighty Allah is more dignified than that He should ask His servants about food and water that He bestowed them. But in other traditional reports it is mentioned that the lawful things of the world would be asked about.

The explanation of this

matter is that the accounting will be there for sure and the Holy Quran proves this, but the people are of various kinds:

1. Some would be exempted from the whole accounting, and this has no contradiction with the verses of Quran that are talking about the accounting since the verses are absolute and they could be specific and restricted. It is thus quoted from Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) in Tafseer Qummi that he said:

�The Imam of its time would take the account of every community. The Imams would recognize their friends and their enemies by their faces and this is mentioned in the words of Allah:

�And on the most elevated places there shall be men.�[733]

They are the Imams.

�Who know all by their marks.�[734]

They would give the scroll of deeds of their friends in their right hands and they would enter Paradise without accounting; and they would give the scroll of their enemies in their left hands and they would head towards Hell without any accounting.�[735]

In the same book it is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he said regarding the verse:

�For those who do good is good (reward) and more (than this).�[736]

�Husna is Paradise and Ziyadah is the world. Whatever Allah gives them in the world He will not take account from them in the hereafter.�[737]

A similar tradition is mentioned in Biharul Anwar quoting Amirul Momineen (a).

It is the group of the same believers who did not spend the divine bounties in the path of His displeasure and anger. That which proves

this is the word �Ahsanoo� in the holy verse. They have paid thanks for the bounty of Imam and they fulfilled the rights and duties of Wilayat (mastership).

2. The second group is of those who would have to face the accounting but the Almighty Allah would pardon them and forgive their sins. He would take his accounting in such a way that no creature would know about it. Or the Imam of their time would take their accounts in this manner. This is a group of believers, who had recognized the great bounty of Wilayat but they wasted other divine bounties or some of them in way of Allah�s anger and displeasure. The Almighty Allah would take their accounts but in the end forgive them.

That which supports this is a tradition quoted in Biharul Anwar from Amali of Shaykh Sadooq through his own chain of narrators from Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) that he said:

�When it would be the Judgment Day they would look upon two believers who are both eligible for Paradise. One of them was poor and the other rich in the world. The poor man would say: O my Lord, what am I worth? I did not possess any such position that I could have dealt with justice or injustice. You also did not give me any wealth that You can ask me about the fulfillment of its rights. My livelihood was just enough for my survival as You know it and You had decreed it.

So the Almighty Allah would say: My servant

is right, release him so that he may proceed to Paradise.

man doesn�t have a single guilt. Then the Almighty Allah would order him to be taken to Paradise. This is the exegesis of this verse and it is especially about the sinners from among our Shias.�[740]

In the same book it is narrated from Uyun Ahkbar ar-Reza through the author�s own chain of narrators that Ibrahim bin Abbas Suli has reported thus:

One day I was in the service of Ali bin Moosa ar-Reza (a) when he said to me: �There is no real bounty in the world.�

A Faqih present there said: Allah, the Mighty and Sublime says:

�Then on that day you shall most certainly be questioned about the boons.�

Is this bounty of the world not cold water?

His Eminence, Reza (a) said with his voice raised:

�You have interpreted in this way and you explained the meaning of �bounty� in different ways. Some have said: It is cold water, other claimed: It is good food, yet others stated: it is good sleep and certainly, my father has narrated from his father, Abu Abdillah (a) that these statements of yours regarding the verse:

�Then on that day you shall most certainly be questioned about the boons.�

Were mentioned to him. He became angry and said: Allah, the Mighty and Sublime would question His servants about what He has bestowed and given them as bounty and He will not remind about His favors. Reminding about favors is considered a bad quality in the people, how can be attributed to the Creator something that is not acceptable from His servants? However, the �bounty�

is love and Wilayat for us Ahle Bayt. After Tauheed and Nubuwwat the Almighty Allah would ask about that because if he has fulfilled their rights properly He would give him the bounty of Paradise which is eternal. And indeed, my father has narrated from his father from Muhammad bin Ali from his father Ali bin al-Husain from his father Husain bin Ali from his father that he said: the Messenger of Allah (s) said: O Ali, the first thing that every man will be asked after death is about the testimony of �There is no god, except Allah.� And that �Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah� and that you are the Wali (master) of the believers since the Almighty Allah has appointed that Wilayat for you and I appointed it for you. Thus all those who confess to it and have faith in it would achieve the �bounty� that is going to remain forever.�[741]

In Tafseer Burhan Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) has been reported to have said:

�The Almighty Allah, the Blessed and the High, whenever He wants to take the account of the believer, He gives him the scroll his deeds in his right hand and begins to take his account saying: My servant, you did this and that and in this way and that way? He will say: Yes, my Lord, I have done all these things. Then the Almighty Allah says: I have forgiven you and have changed your sins into good deeds��[742]

3. The third group is of those who would be questioned

about everything they have been given as a bounty from the Imam � big or small � so much so that they would also be questioned about dates, cold water and things like that as Amirul Momineen (a) is reported to have said in another tradition:

- and they shall not be forgiven. They would be those who would not have thanked the Almighty for the great bounty, that is the Wilayat of the Imam and his being is. The Almighty Allah says in Surah Raad:

�For those who respond to their Lord is good; and (as for) those who do not respond to Him, had they all that is in the earth and the like thereof with it they would certainly offer it for a ransom. (As for) those, an evil reckoning shall be theirs and their abode is hell, and evil is the resting-place.�[743]

In Biharul Anwar it is narrated from Ayyashi through his own chain of narrators that Imam Sadiq (a) said regarding the verse:

�And fear the evil reckoning.�

�That is the long time during which the sins he has committed would be accounted for but the good deeds that he has done would not be taken into account.�[744]

I say: It is because of their denial of the great divine bounty due to which good deeds are accepted.

4. The fourth group would be of those about whom His Eminence, the Chief of those Who Prostrate (Sayyid-us-Saajideen) (a) has said in the sermon of Friday as follows:

�And know that scales would not be set for the polytheists

and the scroll would not be unfurled for them. Rather some groups would be herded towards Hell��[745]

Anyone who studies and investigates into traditional reports would accept this research.

Here we discussed a matter in detail which though it was beyond the scope of our discussion, it is that thankfulness must be observed for the bounties of His Eminence.

Though the bounties of His Eminence � may Allah bless him � during the period of his reappearance have a special significance, as traditions have been recorded on this matter. Among them is that: In Biharul Anwar it is narrated from the Holy Prophet (s) that he said:

�My Ummah will enjoy a leisure in the time of the Mahdi (a) the like of which they have never enjoyed. The heavens will shower over them bountifully and the earth will not leave any vegetation but bring it forth.�[746]

Also in that book under the tradition of Mufaddal bin Umar it is narrated from Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) that he said:

��Then Mahdi will return to Kufa and the sky would rain golden locusts � just as the Almighty Allah rained them on Ayyub in Bani Israel - and on his companions treasures of the earth from gold and jewels and � he would distribute��[747]

stressed observance of these two Islamic duties. In Kafi it is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) in a lengthy tradition that he said:

�Enjoining good and forbidding evil is the path of the prophets and the style of the reformers. It is an important duty and through it, obligatory duties are established and tendencies remain safe and the earnings become lawful, and injustices are repelled and the earth is inhabited and revenge is taken from the enemies in an equitable manner. And the affair of religion is made firm. So you must deny by your hearts and speak it with your tongue and hit at the faces of sinners and do not fear the criticism of anyone in the way of Allah.�[748]

In Layali al-Akhbaar it is recorded from the Holy Prophet (s) that he said:

�As long as people practice enjoining good and forbidding evil and cooperate in good deeds they shall always remain in happiness and prosperity. Thus if they do not practice this deed, bounties would be taken away from them and they would dominate each other and help would remain for them neither in the earth nor in the heavens.�

It is narrated from His Eminence that he said:

�If people do not enjoin good and do not forbid evil and do not have the leadership of the righteous ones of my Ahle Bayt, the Almighty Allah would make the evil and the wicked of them rule over them. At that time when the devout ones of them supplicate, their supplications would not

be accepted.�

There are exceeding number of traditions on this topic and in the discussion of the similarities of His Eminence with His Eminence, the Chief of the Martyrs, we have seen how the Imam had struggled and strived to enjoin good and forbid evil. And how his efforts had been such that no one else has struggled so much. Since the Imam of the Age (a) is appointed by the Almighty Allah to remove all the evil from the world. In a way that no one else will remain who can be given refuge for his own evil deeds.

In the book of al-Muhajja under the exegesis of the verse:

�Those who, should We establish them in the land, will keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate and enjoin good and forbid evil; and Allah�s is the end of affairs.�[749]

It is narrated from Imam Muhammad Baqir (a) that he said:

�It is for Aale Muhammad, Mahdi and his companions. Allah, the Mighty and the High would give the control of the whole world to them and reveal the religion. And Allah, the Mighty and the High would destroy the innovations and falsehood through him and his companions in the same way as the Sufyanis have killed the truth. Till there would not remain any trace of oppression and they will enjoin good and forbid evil and the end of matters is in the hands of Allah.�

Now that you know this matter, I say: It is possible to give two reasons that it is recommended, rather compulsorily for every

Muslim to pray for one who enjoins good and forbids evil:

First: It is that reason and religious law order to pray for the well being of and to support those who enjoin good and forbid evil because they are the helpers of religion of Allah and the defenders of its limits; as enjoining good and forbidding evil is itself a favor on the Muslims and an act of kindness towards them. And this meaning is absolutely clear.

Second: It is that the first stage of forbidding evil is denial by conscience. And this matter though hidden and internal, has numerous important effects and is very much valuable that are seen through the organs and limbs. That which proves this is a tradition mentioned in Kafi through a trustworthy chain of narrators almost of authentic quality reporting from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he said:

Amirul Momineen (a) said: �The Holy Prophet (s) ordered us to face the sinners with a frown and an angry face.�[750]

In that same book through a single narrator it is mentioned that His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) said:

�Allah, the Mighty and Sublime sent two angels to a town to turn it upside down. When they reached there, they saw a man calling Allah and paying obeisance to Him. One angel said to another: Do you not see this worshipper? He replied: Why? Do what the Almighty Allah has ordered. He said: No, I will not do anything till I once again take fresh orders from my Lord. So he returned

to Allah, the Mighty and the High and said in a polite manner: O my Lord, I had gone to that town. I saw such and such servant of Yours calling You and paying obeisance in Your court. The Almighty Allah said: Go and do what I had commanded you as this person was such that he never made his face contorted in anger for Me.�[751]

And numerous other reports�that which is implied by this is that if the believer sees an evil which he is not having the power to forbid and prevent, he must at least oppose it by his heart and he must pray to the Almighty Allah to send a person who is capable of preventing that evil. In the same way, it is necessary for him to pray for one who forbids evil. And this condition is natural for the believing men and believing women and it is present in their nature. And since we know that the one to remove all evils and one who will destroy all ills and disputes is that same Qaim Mahdi (aj), it is incumbent on us that we beg the Almighty Allah to hasten his reappearance and help and assist him for removing the various evils and prohibited things.

early reappearance, as in it lies your success.�[752]

Explanation regarding this would be presented in Part Five, if Allah, the High wills.

The point that the call of His Eminence � blessings of Allah and peace be on him � is a cause for praying for him, is not in need of elaboration, because it is a natural thing that anyone considering it with justice would agree that when a righteous and a noble person has been oppressed and deprived of his rights and he is calling for help, is it not the right thing to heed his call and go out to help him? Yes, by Allah, especially if one is from the people of love and Wilayat (Shia). And in Part Three we shall mention the discussion relevant to this topic.

As for the proof based on religious law, there are numerous traditional reports. Among them is the one mentioned in Usool Kafi from Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) that the Holy Prophet (s) said:

�One who begins his day without being concerned for the affairs of the Muslims is not from them. And one who hears a man calling: �O Muslims� and he does not heed his call, is not a Muslim.�[753]

I say: Do you not hear the call of your Master and leader? Do you heed his call? Do you fulfill his needs? That he, through his circumstances and by statements, calls for your help. Then, O people who have understanding, help him. And since the discussion has reached this stage, it would not be out

of place to quote some of the calls of His Eminence before and after his reappearance. And we would also mention the other calls that are related to His Eminence:

1. In Biharul Anwar it is quoted from Nomani through his own chain of narrators from Abu Baseer from Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) that he said:

�Qaim (a) would not reappear till an announcement in his name is not made from the sky on Friday eve, the 23rd of the month of Ramadan. I asked: What would that announcement be? He replied: His name will be announced with that of his father�s that so an so, son of so and so is the Qaim Aale Muhammad (a). Listen to him and obey him. Then there would not remain any living thing but that it would hear that call. The announcement would be so loud that sleeping people would wake up and come out in their courtyards. Rather the veiled ladies would also be brought out. And hearing this, Qaim (a) will rise up. And this announcement would be made by Jibraeel.�[754]

In Kamaluddin it is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he said:

�A caller will call out from the sky that so and so son of so and so is Imam. And he would call out his name. While Iblees, may Allah curse him, would call out from the earth, in the same way as he had called the Holy Prophet (s) on the night of Uqbah.�[755]

2. In the same book it is narrated from

Abu Hamza Thumali that he said:

I asked His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a): Abu Ja�far (Imam Baqir a.s.) says: The advent of Sufyani is inevitable. He replied:

�Yes, and the conflict of Bani Abbas, the killing of the Pure Soul (Nafs-e-Zakiyya), the advent of Qaim (a) are among the inevitable occurrences. I asked: How would the call be? He said: On the first day the caller will call out from the sky: Indeed, the truth is with Ali and his Shias. After that Iblees, may Allah curse him, will call at the end of the day that: Indeed, the truth is with Uthman and his followers. Thus at that time those who are inclined to falsehood will fall into doubt.�[756]

3. In Biharul Anwar it is quoted from Ayyashi from Ajlan Abu Salih that he said:

I heard His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) say: �The days and the nights will not end till the caller announces from the sky: O people of truth come away, O people of falsehood come away. Thus the former would separate from the latter and the latter would separate from the former.� The narrator says: I asked: �May Allah bless you, after this announcement would they again mix together?� He replied: �No, the Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran:

�On no account will Allah leave the believers in the condition which you are in until He separates the evil from the good.�[757]

4. Aso in that book in a lengthy tradition from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) it is mentioned that he

said:

�Thus Qaim (a) would stand between the Rukn and Maqaam and perform the prayer and his deputy would also be with him. After that he would say: O people, we ask Allah to help us against those who oppress us and take away our rights. One who argues about Allah should know that I am the most deserving person with regard to the Almighty Allah. Anyone who argues with me with regard to Adam should know that I am the nearest one to Adam. And one who argues with me with regard to Nuh should know that I am the nearest one to Nuh. And one who argues with me with regard to Ibrahim should know that I am the nearest one to Ibrahim. And one who argues me with regard to Muhammad (s) should know that I am the nearest one to Muhammad (s). And one who argues with me with regard to the prophets should know that I am the nearest one to the prophets. One who talks with me with regard to the Book of Allah should know that I am the nearest one to the Book of Allah. We and every Muslim would give sacrifice today as we have been oppressed and we have been made homeless, and injustice has been done to us and we have been forced to leave our homes, our property and families. Today we beseech the Almighty to help us and all the Muslims. By Allah three hundred and odd persons, among whom would be fifty

women, would come and gather at Mecca without fail, like autumnal clouds and this is what the Almighty Allah has said:

�Wherever you are, Allah will bring you all together; surely Allah has power over all things.�[758]

At that time a man from the family of the Holy Prophet (s) would say: This is the town whose people are oppressors. Then he would leave Mecca with those who accompany him numbering three hundred and odd persons would pledge allegiance to him between the Rukn and Maqaam after seeing the pledge of the Holy Prophet (s) and the flag and the weapon of His Eminence. And it is at the time when his deputy would be accompanying him. After that the announcer will call out from the sky under his name and command in Mecca till all the people of the world would hear (his name).�[759]

5. In Ghaibat Nomani it is mentioned from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he said:

�If you see a great fire burning in the east for three days or seven days, then wait for the victory of Muhammad�s progeny, if Allah wills, Allah is Mighty, Wise.�

Then he said: �The cry will not occur except in the month of Ramadan because Ramadan is the month of Allah and the cry is the cry of Jibraeel to the people.�

Then he added: �A call will come from the heaven with the name of Qaim (a). It will be heard by everyone in the east and the everyone in the west. The cry will make every

sleeper awake, every stander sit and every sitter stand because of fright. Allah will have mercy upon whoever submits to the cry and obeys the caller because the first cry will be the cry of Jibraeel.�

Then he said: �The cry will be in the month of Ramadan, on Friday eve, which will be the 23rd of the month. Do never doubt that. Listen and obey. At the end of the day there will be the voice of Iblees, the cursed, calling out: �So and so (Uthman) is killed unjustly� just to make people doubt and become confused. On that day many people would doubt and become confused��[760]

6. In the same book it is narrated from Abdullah bin Sinan that he said:

I was in the presence of His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) when I heard a man from Hamadan say: These Sunnis criticize us and tell us: You claim that a caller from heaven will call out the name of the man of deliverance.

his neck will stoop when a call is heard from the heaven announcing that: �The right is with Ali Ibne Abi Talib and his followers.� The next day Iblees will rise in the space until he disappears from the people of the earth and calls out: �The right is with Uthman bin Affan and his followers. He has been killed unjustly, so you are to avenge his blood.�

Allah will confirm the believers, who believe in the first call and then those, whose hearts are full of diseases, will doubt and become confused. By Allah, the disease of the heart is enmity towards us. Then they will turn away from us and begin to criticize us. They will say that the first call is a piece of magic of the people of this house (Ahle Bayt).

Then His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) recited this Quranic verse:

�And if they see a miracle they turn aside and say: Transient magic.�[762]

7. In the same book it is narrated from Zurarah that he said:

I heard His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) say: �A caller will call out from the heaven that so-and-so is the Emir and that Ali and his followers are the victorious ones.�[763]

8. It is also mentioned that Abu Baseer reports Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) saying:

�It will be announced in the name of His Eminence, Qaim (a) that: O so-and-so son of so-and-so, rise up.�[764]

9. The voice of His Eminence himself: We have explained about it in his resemblance to his forefather, His Eminence, Abu Abdillah al-Husain (a).

10.

In Ghaibat Nomani in the report of Huzaifa bin Mansoor it is narrated that His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) said:

�The Almighty Allah has a banquet at a place called Qirqisiya where a caller from the heaven calls out: O birds of the sky and beasts of the earth, come to eat and be satiated of the flesh of the tyrants.�[765]

11. Again in a lengthy tradition it is reported that His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) said:

�The commander of Sufyani�s army will stop in the desert. A caller from the heaven will call out: O desert, destroy these people. The desert will sink with the army and none of them will escape death except three persons from the Kalb tribe, whose faces Allah will turn towards their backs��[766]

12. In Biharul Anwar, in a lengthy tradition from Amirul Momineen (a) it is narrated that he said:

�And in the month of Ramadan from the east at dawn a caller will call out: O people of guidance come together. And after sunset a caller will say: O people of falsehood, come together.�[767]

13. In Kamaluddin it is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he said:

�The first one to pledge allegiance to Qaim (a) is Jibraeel who would come down in the form of a white bird and give him oath of allegiance. Then keeping one foot on the Holy Kaaba and another on the Holy Qods, issue such a loud call that when the creatures hear it, they would cry:

�Allah�s commandment has come, therefore do not

desire to hasten it.�[768]

14. In Biharul Anwar it is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he said:

�As if I can see Qaim (a) on the day of Aashura, on Saturday standing between the Rukn and Maqaam and Jibraeel is announcing before him: Allegiance is for Allah. Then he would fill the earth with justice and equity like it would have been fraught with injustice and oppression.�[769]

15. In Ghaibat Nomani it is narrated by Ubaid bin Zurarah that His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) said:

�The name of Qaim (a) will be called out (from the heaven). It will be said to him while he is behind the place of Ibrahim: Your name has been called out. What are you waiting for? Then his hand will be taken to pay oath of allegiance.�

Zurarah said: Praise be to Allah! We often heard that Qaim (a) would be paid allegiance unwillingly and we did not know the reason behind that. Though we knew this unwillingness is not a sin.[770]

16. In the same book it is narrated from Abdullah bin Sinan that he said:

I heard His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) say:

�Death and killing will spread among the people until they resort to the Kaaba. Then a caller (from the heaven) will call out when fighting and killing become so violent: What are all these fights and killing for? Your man is so-and-so.�[771]

17. In Biharul Anwar it is narrated from the Messenger of Allah (s) that he said:

�Mahdi will reappear having a cloud that shall be shading

him; upon which a caller would be calling: This Mahdi is the Caliph of Allah. Follow him.�[772]

In another report it is reported as follows:

�There is a white cloud over his head which would be shading him from the Sun. A call will be made in such a clear voice that all the Jinns and human beings in the east and the west of the earth would hear it. It will say: He is Mahdi from Aale Muhammad, he would fill the earth with justice and equity like it would have been fraught with injustice and oppression.�[773]

18. In Ghaibat Nomani it is reported by Hasan bin Mahboob that His Eminence, Reza (a) said:

�As if I can see him pleasing the hearts of the people. A call will be made, such that all those who are near as well as far would hear it. And that call would be a mercy for the believers and a punishment for the disbelievers. I asked: May my parents be sacrificed on you, what is that? He replied: Three calls would be made in the month of Rajab, first would be:

Verily, the curse of Allah is on the oppressors.

Second:

The near event draws nigh, O group of believers.

Third: They would see a body clearly before the Sun and it would be calling: The Almighty Allah has sent so-and-so to overthrow the tyrants.

At that time the deliverance of the believers would take place and the Almighty Allah would bestow cure to their breasts and remove the knots from their hearts.�[774]

19. Call of the

sword and flag of His Eminence: In a lengthy tradition in Kamaluddin it is quoted from the ninth Imam, from his forefathers from the Messenger of Allah (s) that he said:

He would be having a standard which would unfurl itself automatically when the time is ripe for his reappearance. The Almighty Allah would give it power of speech and it would say: O Wali of Allah, march forward and eliminate the enemies of Allah. And he would have two flags and two emblems. And he is having a sheathed sword, which at the time of reappearance would come out of its sheath automatically and Allah, the Mighty and Sublime would bestow power of speech to it and it would call out to His Eminence: O Wali of Allah, march forward as it is not right for you to avoid the enemies of Allah. So he would march forward and eliminate the enemies of Allah.�[775]

hand and do Musafeha (handshake) with him, salute him and say: Arise, I have brought a steed for you called Buraq. So His Eminence would mount it and reach mount Razva. At that time His Eminence, Muhammad and His Eminence, Ali (a) would arrive and write for him a long proclamation that may be read out to the people. Then he would come out to Mecca where people would be gathered. Imam Sajjad (a) said: Then a man would come forward to His Eminence and call out: O people this is one you were in anticipation of, He is calling to the same thing that the Holy Prophet (s) was calling for. Then they would arise from their place. Then His Eminence would himself arise and say: O people, I am so-and-so son of so-and-so. I am the son of Prophet of Allah. I am calling you to that to which the Prophet of Allah called.

Then some people would get up to kill him, and three hundred or three hundred and odd persons would get up and prevent them from this. Fifty persons from Kufa and the rest from other people would not recognize each other and would have gathered there without prior decision.�[776]

21. Call of the announcer of His Eminence saying: �Pay attention, no one should carry any rations with him�, which we have already discussed in the resemblance to His Eminence, Moosa (a).

22. In Biharul Anwar it is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he said:

�When Qaim (a) arises there

would not remain any place where the following statement does not echo: There is no god except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.�[777]

23. In Ghaibat of Shaykh Nomani it is narrated from Aban bin Taghlib that he said:

I was with His Eminence, Ja�far bin Muhammad (a) in a masjid in Mecca when His Eminence took my hand and said: �O Aban, the Almighty Allah would bring three hundred and thirteen persons in this Masjid of yours. The people of Mecca know that neither their (those men�s) fathers nor grandfathers have been created yet. They will come with their swords on their shoulders. On each sword the name of its owner, his father�s name, his aspect and lineage are written. Then a caller will call out� �This is Mahdi. He judges with the judgments of Prophet Dawood and Prophet Sulaiman. He does not ask for evidence.�[778]

24. In the same book it is narrated from His Eminence that: �And the Almighty Allah would make a wind to blow from every wilderness that would say:

This is Mahdi, who judges according to the judgment of Dawood and does not ask for evidence.�[779]

A tradition with almost similar meaning is mentioned in Kamaluddin.

25. In the same book is a tradition from Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) a part of which was mentioned in the discussion about the flag of His Eminence:

�The first thing on his agenda would be that he would cut off the hand of Bani Shaiba and hang it upon the Kaaba and the announcer of His Eminence

would call out: This was a thief of the property of Allah.�[780]

26. In Biharul Anwar it is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he said:

�The first thing on the agenda of justice that Qaim (a) would perform is that: the announcer of His Eminence would call out: Those who are performing the recommended Hajj may please leave the Black Stone and circumambulation for those who are performing obligatory Hajj.�[781]

27. In the tradition of Mufaddal it is mentioned:

�Then he will stand between Rukn and Maqaam and call out loudly: O my deputies! My special helpers, whom the Almighty Allah had kept alive on the earth since before my reappearance to help me. Come to me at once! Thus these people will hear him from the east and the west, wherever they might be, whether busy in worship or sleeping on their beds. His voice will reach to everyone of them and in an instant they would all reach Mecca and join him between Rukn and Maqaam. Then the Almighty Allah will command the �Noor� and a pillar of light will be established from the earth to the heavens through which all the believers of the earth receive light. The light of this effulgence will even enter their homes by which the believers shall be extremely happy. While they would not be aware of the reappearance of the Qaim of us, Ahle Bayt (a). Thus they would be in the service of His Eminence the next morning and they would be three hundred and

thirteen persons, equal to the number of companions of the Holy Prophet (s) on the day of the battle of Badr.�[782]

28. It is mentioned in the same book that:

�The announcer of Mahdi would call out that whoever loves the two companions of the Messenger of Allah (s) should move to one side. So the people will divide into two groups, a group that loves them and a group that is aloof from them. Then Mahdi would present aloofness of the two to his followers. They would say: O Mahdi of the progeny of the Messenger of Allah (s), since at that time we were not aware of your status and the position that the Almighty Allah has given you we did not become aloof from them. Should we become aloof from them now inspite of seeing their bodies so fresh and how the leafless tree became green due to them? By Allah we seek aloofness from you and those who have faith in you and from those who don�t bring faith on them, and those who have hung them on the tree and dug them out of the grave and done this with them. Thus Mahdi (a) will order the black wind to blow on them and they will fall dead like dry date palms��[783]

29. It is also mentioned in that book that Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) said:

�The first thing on the agenda of Mahdi (a) is that he would have it announced openly in all the world: Pay attention, if from among our Shias

anyone owes anything to anyone he must inform us so that it may be repaid. Thus even if a piece of garlic or a grain of mustard is owed by a Shia it would be repaid. All the debts shall be repaid even if they constitute huge amounts of gold and silver or some other wealth.�[784]

30. It is mentioned in Biharul Anwar in a tradition narrated through Ahle Sunnat channels that the Holy Prophet (s) said:

��till that time that His Eminence would order that a caller announce, �Who is there who has a need for wealth?� And no one rises from the people except one who says, �I�. The caller says, �Go to the treasurer and tell him that the Mahdi orders you to give me riches.� He says to the treasurer, throw, while he is collecting the riches in the tail of his shirt. Remorse overwhelms him and he says, �I have been the greediest soul from the Ummah of Muhammad and have failed the contentment that dominates them.� He returns the riches but they are not taken back from him. It is said to him, �We do not take back something we have given away.��[785]

establishing peace in the lands and guiding the people to truth. In addition to this is the point mentioned in the Ziarat of His Eminence:

Peace be on you O giver of good advice.

The same point is also mentioned in the supplication recited after the Ziarat quoted from His Eminence. And in one of the blessed epistles of His Eminence, it is mentioned as follows:

�So fear Allah and submit to us, and leave the matter to us as the return is towards us, just as it is mentioned (that the matter of religion) also began with us, and do not try to unveil that which is concealed from you; and don�t incline to the right and deviate from the left, and make us your aim with love based on a clear practice, as we advise you; and the Almighty Allah is a witness upon me and you.�[786]

This statement is sufficient for the betterment of the condition of the world and the hereafter.

are superior and righteous would be the Awliya of the Almighty Allah and that which proves this is the following verse of Quran:

�Now surely the friends of Allah- they shall have no fear nor shall they grieve. Those who believe and guarded (against evil)��[787]

It is so because:

�Those who believe and guarded (against evil)��

In traditions: The Thiqatul Islam, Kulaini through his own chain of narrators, has narrated from Mufaddal bin Umar that he said: Abu Abdillah Imam Sadiq (a) said: �When it is the Judgment Day, a caller would call out: Where are those who have prevented our Awliya? So a group of people would stand up who have no flesh on their faces. At that moment it would be announced: These are the ones who harassed the believers and had been inimical to them and they had been arrogant in their religion. Then it would be ordered that they be taken to Hell.�[788]

In the same book it is mentioned in a report of Aban bin Taghlib from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a) that he said:

When the Holy Prophet (s) was taken up during Me�raaj he asked: �O Lord, what is the position of a believer with You? The Almighty Allah said: O Muhammad (s), one who disgraces one of My Awliya has openly made war on Me. And I am the most swift in helping My Awliya.�[789]

Also in the same book through the author�s own chain of narrators from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) it is mentioned that he said:

The Messenger of Allah

(s) said: �The Almighty Allah took me on Me�raaj and revealed to me from behind the veil what He revealed and said to me: O Muhammad, one who disgraces a devotee of Mine has made war on Me. And one who makes war on Me, I make war on him. I asked: O my Lord, who is this Wali of Yours? He replied: It is the one who has made a covenant of Wilayat for you, for your successor and your progeny.�[790]

As you have understood this, we say: There is no doubt in the necessity of love and devotion to the Awliya of Allah and the necessity of hatred and enmity to the enemies of Allah. Rather it is a fundamental requirement of our faith. Reason and religious texts also prove this.

As for reason: Perhaps there is no reason to discuss this.

As for religion: There are widely related texts (Mutawatir) about it but we shall be content by quoting only some of them, for good augury:

1. In Kafi through an authentic chain of narrators it is mentioned from His Eminence, Abu Ja�far the Second, Imam Jawad (a) from his father from his grandfather that Amirul Momineen (a) said:

The Messenger of Allah (s) said: �The Almighty Allah created Islam, appointed for it a field, a light, a fort and a help.�

�The breadth of the field of Islam is Quran, its light is wisdom and its fort is good deeds and charitable acts. And as for its helpers and supporters it is me, my family and our

Shias. So have love for my family and their Shias because when I was taken up to the sky of the world in Me�raaj, Jibraeel introduced to me the folks of the heavens, the Almighty Allah has entrusted to the hearts of the angels love for my family and their Shias and it is a trust with them till Judgment Day. Then he brought me to the inhabitants of the earth and introduced the people of the world to me. So Allah, the Mighty and Sublime kept in the hearts of the believers of my Ummah love for me, my family and their Shias. On the basis of this, the believers of my Ummah guard our trust till Judgment Day. Know that if someone from my Ummah worships Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, all his life, but meets Him having hatred of my family and his Shias, the Almighty Allah has not expanded his heart but with hypocrisy.�[791]

2. In the same way it is mentioned in Kafi through his own chain of narrators from Yaqoob bin Zahak from one of our companions that Siraj, a servant of His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) said:

�Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) was in Hira when he sent me and a group of his followers�till he said: Thus we returned. Mention was made of some people. I said: May I be sacrificed on you, we seek aloofness from them as they are not having the same beliefs as us. He said: They have Wilayat and love for us but they

do not have the same beliefs as you, so you want to be aloof from them? I replied: Yes. He said: So there are some things that you are also not aware of, thus would it be better for us to be aloof from you? I said: May I be sacrificed on you, no. He said: In the same way, there are some matters that are with Allah and not with us, so should not Allah be aloof of us? I said: No, by Allah, may I be sacrificed on you. He said: So have love for them and do not be aloof from them, some of the Muslims have one, some two, some three portions of faith��[792]

This is a lengthy tradition and it is mentioned in the chapter of levels of faith in Usool Kafi.

3. In the chapter of �Love for Allah� in the above book, it is narrated from His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) that he said:

�Among the most solid grasps of faith is that: One should love for Allah, be angry for Allah, give for Allah and prohibit for Allah.�[793]

4. And also in the same chapter, it is narrated from His Eminence, the Messenger of Allah (s) that he said:

�Which is the most firm handle of faith? The companions said: Allah and His Messenger know better. And some said: Prayer, some said, Zakat, some said fasting and others said Hajj and Umrah, while yet others said Jihad. At that moment the Holy Prophet (s) said: There is an excellence in everything

that you have mentioned but it is not what I asked. The firmest handle of faith is love in the path of Allah, hatred in the path of Allah, devotion to the friends of Allah and aloofness from the enemies of Allah.�

5. It is also related from His Eminence, Sadiq (a) that he said:

�One who does not love for the sake of religion and does not become angry for the sake of religion, does not have religion.�[794]

mates and your kinsfolk and property which you have acquired, and the slackness of trade which you fear and dwellings which you like, are dearer to you than Allah and His Apostle and striving in His way, then wait till Allah brings about His command��[795]

And also there is a tradition in Darus Salam and other books quoted from Ilalush Sharai that the Messenger of Allah (s) said:

�No man has believed till he does not love me more than he loves himself, and he does not love my progeny more than he loves his own progeny and family members, and till he does not love my family more than his own family, and till he does not love my being more than his own being.�[796]

The point is that: It is obvious that love is a matter connected to the conscience and it is a mental condition. However it is having apparent signs and effects, through which one could know the intensity of ones love to ones object of love. Among the visible signs of love are: If it is away from your sight you make it a point to pray for it. If it is in trouble you must feel sad for it. But don�t you realize that if you have a handsome son who is your sole heir and if he is gone on a journey and you don�t know his whereabouts, there is not a moment in day or night when you are not worried about him; and you pray for him continuously. And

you request the believers and good people to pray for him. Is all this not because of intense love and attachment? On the basis of this, anyone who claims to love his master, does a day pass when you forget him? Thus pray more for him in his occultation and consider this an opportunity.

Topic Two: It is that our love demands that we must struggle and make more efforts in praying for His Eminence.

Praying for the object of love is from human nature and this matter is absolutely clear, however here we follow another view that: It is necessary that prayers for His Eminence should be given precedence to praying for everything else. Explanation of this matter requires a preface that we present as follows:

There are three things that motivate and cause love: Pleasure, profit and goodness. The most important and perfect is the third one.[797] Rather we could say that: The first and second causes also return to the third.

Goodness implies that the thing should be a cause of goodness. As when a man knows that the existence of a particular thing is having some goodness, he is naturally inclined to love it even though the goodness of that thing may not reach him. And as much is the goodness of that thing, as much is love and attachment of man towards it, though it would be according to the level of recognition of the goodness of its existence. Now that you have understood the preamble to this, you should know that all the

motivations of love have gathered in the love for the existence of our master, Hazrat Hujjat (aj).[798]

As for pleasure: Which pleasure is sweeter and loftier for the believers than seeing the blessed elegance of His Eminence and being honored by meeting him? As its apparent and hidden pleasures are so great that it is not possible for you to estimate it because even Amirul Momineen (a) had expressed the desire for it as mentioned in a tradition from Ghaibat Nomani.

And as for profit: As you learnt in Part Five of the book, all the benefits and bounties reach the creatures through the being of His Eminence. In addition to this, are the special benefits and effects special to the reappearance of His Eminence and how aptly it is said:

You possess sum total of all the virtues that all others have.

And as for the goodness of his being: Our intellects are small and our thoughts are lowly to understand them as we are not given knowledge except a little. However everyone understands according to ones understanding and every believer, as per his share. One who has more knowledge of the goodness of the being of His Eminence, it is more important in his view to pray for His Eminence. Because arranging prayers and making efforts for it, is among the sources of perfect love and friendship and the perfection of love is obtained from the perfection of recognition and it is one of the causes of intensity of preparation of the Holy Imams (a) in reciting

supplications for His Eminence and praying to the Almighty Allah for the hastening of his reappearance. Some other causes would be explained in more details in the beginning part of Part Seven.

The conclusion is that: Our love, devotion and Wilayat towards His Eminence necessitates our preparations and efforts to pray for his reappearance as it is more important than praying for ourselves and that which is related to us, Insha Allah Taala.

Topic Three: Wilayat of His Eminence on us: Wilayat here pronounced as Wilayat is in the meaning of authority, power and domination. And Wilayat of His Eminence on us is in this manner as mentioned in the verse:

�The Prophet has a greater claim on the faithful than they have on themselves.�

As can be seen in a tradition mentioned in Part Three in the right of the master upon his slave.

Now when we have got certainty and belief that His Eminence is having precedence over us in all that is connected to us, we consider it necessary upon us that in all the things that are objects of our affection, we should consider His Eminence to be more preferable and having more precedence.

Perhaps the same point is mentioned in the following statement of Ziarat Jamia:

You are having precedence before my needs and desires and intentions in all my circumstances and affairs.

Thus Wilayat of His Eminence necessitates that we, in all matters, should prefer His Eminence, and the tradition of the Prophet also proves this. And the most important matter of supplication is that it is

the key of every goodness and the well being of every pious person. Thus it deserves that we must give precedence to His Eminence over ourselves and everything related to us in praying for deliverance and success. We have explained this matter supported by detailed arguments and extensive proofs.

bowl of my patience is brimming in your separation as the sorrowful, the homeless, the mourners and the troubled ones have abandoned me.

6. O my soul and life, and O my constant comfort, heed my call because my heart is about to melt with distress.

7. In whichever abode I looked I didn�t find refuge except in your abode.

8. From the day were created in the world good deeds, justice and charity, they found no place except with you.

9. Give me refuge by your favor which has blessed all the land and the seas.

10. If you had not been there the earth would have sunk into itself and the heart of the dust would have become the repose of the dead.

11. And if you had not been there all the mountains would have scattered - and if you had not been there the pillars of the sky would have been shaken.

12. If you had not been there not a seed would have grown from the earth and not one tree would have borne any fruit.

13. And the Sun and the stars would not have given any light, and no spring would have burst forth and no lightning would have flashed.

14. And if you had not been there our enemies would have debased us and we would have had to put on the garment of disgrace.

15. None except you can provide succor � and whoever seeks deliverance from someone other than you is stupid.

16. O my beloved, my sorrow and distress have prolonged � and hasten for

help before I am finished.

17. You are much higher than the praises I sing about you � you are better than all that is said in your praise.

after having conquered the east and the west, would come to the Kufa Masjid and he would raze down a Masjid that Yazid bin Muawiyah, the cursed one had built after he had slain Husain bin Ali (a) and also one who makes a Masjid that is not for Allah is accursed, accursed.�[799]

3. In the tradition of Ali Ibne Mahziyar Ahwazi quoted in the book of Al-Muhajja of Sayyid Bahrani it is reported that our Master of the Time (a) said:

�O Ibne Mahziyar, if your seeking forgiveness for each other had not been there, except for the special Shias, whose actions match their claims, all the people on the face of the earth would have perished. Then he said: O Ibne Mahziyar, extend your hand � did you not receive the news, that when the young ones sit, the western moves, the Yamani arrives, allegiance is given to Sufyani, the Almighty Allah would allow me to arise? Then I would come out with three hundred and thirteen persons between the Safa and Marwa. At that time I would go to Kufa and raze down the Masjid and rebuild it again on its original foundation. I would also demolish all the constructions around it that were carried out by tyrants. And I will perform the Hajj of Islam with the people and I will go to Yathrib (Medina) Then I will demolish the Hujra and all that is in it, that is I would take out those two afresh, and I will order that they be

hung at Baqi from two dry branches. Then those two dry branches would put forth vegetation (when they are hung from it). At that time people would be subject to a trial greater than the first evil as a caller will call out from the sky: Swallow them up, O earth, and take them. Then none would remain on the face of the earth except the believer who has made his heart sincere for faith. I asked: O my master, what will happen after that? He replied: The return, the return, Raja�t, Raja�t. Then he recited the following verse of Quran:

�Then We gave you back the turn to prevail against them, and aided you with wealth and children and made you a numerous band.�[800]

4. In Biharul Anwar in the report of Abu Baseer, it is reported that Imam Ja�far Sadiq (a) said:

�When Qaim (a) arises he would demolish the Masjid al-Haraam till it assumes its original form and he would return the Maqaam to its prior location.�[801]

5. In another tradition it is narrated that His Eminence said:

�Qaim (a) would demolish the Masjid al-Haraam till it returns to its ancient form and he would also return the Prophet�s Masjid (Masjidun Nabawi) to its original construction and he would return the Holy Kaaba to its location and raise it on its own foundations.�[802]

6. And in the same book it is quoted from the Ghaibat of Shaykh Tusi through his own chain of narrators that Amirul Momineen (a) said in his speech regarding the Kufa Masjid that it

was made from mud, bricks and clay. Then he said: �When Qaim (a) reaches Kufa Masjid, its walls would be made of solid bricks and mortar, he would look at it and say: Woe be on the one who demolished you, woe be on the one who facilitated your razing, and woe be on the one who constructed you with solid bricks and changed the Qibla of Nuh. And fortunate are those who would witness razing in the company of the Qaim of us, Ahle Bayt. They are the best of the peoples.�[803]

7. In the same book in the tradition of Abu Baseer it is mentioned in brief as follows:

�When the Qaim arises he would enter Kufa. Then he would order the razing of four mosques upto their foundations and they will make them like the canopies of Moosa (a) and demolish the additions and additional floors till they return to the form that they were in at the time of the Holy Prophet (s). He will widen the main highways to be 60 hands wide. Any masjid that comes on the way would be demolished. He will shut down all openings, balconies and structures jutting out towards the main road. The Almighty Allah would command the heavens to reduce their rotation during the tenure of his rule, thus a day of that time would be equal to ten days of your period, one month equal to ten months of yours, and one year equal to ten years of your time.

Not much time would pass

that ten thousand rebels[804] would come out of Rameela ad-Daskara and their slogan would be: O Uthman, O Uthman. His Eminence would summon one of his men and attach his sword to his waist. He would go and slay the whole crowd single-handed and not one of them would be spared. After that His Eminence would turn to Kabul Shah; it is a city that no one has ever conquered but he would conquer it. After that he would return to Kufa and reside there after eliminating seventy Arab tribes��[805]

3. Hidayat (Guiding) the People

Guidance of the people to the right path and proper ethics is of the greatest rights that impels us to pray for His Eminence. Because it is of the most important matters in the revival and progress of the people as explained in detail in the first volume of Biharul Anwar in a tradition of His Eminence, Abu Ja�far Baqir (a).[806]

In the same book quoting from Awaali al-Layali directly from the Holy Prophet (s) it is said:

�One who teaches one problem to a person, has made him his slave.� The people asked: �O Messenger of Allah (s) would he sell him?� He replied: �No, but he would command and restrain him.�[807]

I say: From what we discussed in the topic of the Noor of His Eminence you must have learnt that the guidance of all the people is a reflection of the effulgence of His Eminence, the Master of the Time. In addition to this, he has taught different types of legal matters

to the people as mentioned in Biharul Anwar, Ihtijaaj, Kamaluddin and the epistles of the Imam (a). On the basis of this, praying for His Eminence is way of repaying his kindness.

4. Hijran (Migrants) of His Eminence

It is the worst kind of punishment and cruelty on the followers of the Imam, therefore a great divine reward is promised for observing patience during the period of his occultation. A tradition recorded on this matter shall be presented in Part Eight. Though there is no doubt that to take an initiative and make arrangements to pray for the removal of punishment and discomfort is a natural tendency of intelligent beings. And in some traditions it is mentioned that: The heart of the believer melts at whatever he witnesses during the period of occultation.

A friend has versified this matter as follows:

My flesh and blood became water due to separation, and my pain intensified in eagerness for you.

How much distress and sorrow I swallow with tears and blood, how long should I remain patient, I wish I had been annihilated.

Some couplets that are most fascinating from those addressed to His Eminence are those that mention the pain of separation:

My heart has melted in your separation, O my beloved, O son of the purified Ones look at me.

If you have disappeared as result of our sins, we repent for our deeds or it is due to the fear of enemies, then what about your friends?

Oppression on the friends has increased, please rise up. O the revenger of all by the