The Imamat of Hazrat Mahdi (a.t.f.s.)
And the Minor Occultation
As stated in the previous chapter, Hazrat Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) was born on 15th Sha’baan. Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) requested those involved to keep this event as a secret. From the year 255 A.H., Hazrat Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) was being nourished and nurtured in the house of his father but in a way that the ordinary folks were unaware about it.
The Introduction of Hazrat Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) to the elite among the Shias
Numerous traditions have cited that some of the companions of the Imams (a.s.) were coming to Saamarra. They used to come with various types of questions, many of them concerning Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.). Like they asked Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) as to who would be the Imam after him.
To the tried and true, Imam (a.s.) gave clear and detailed explanations. Among those who referred was a person by the name Ahmed Ibn Ishaaq. Shaykh Sadooq (a.r.) in his book, “Kamaaluddin” has narrated his incident in the chapter of traditions narrated from Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) in the discussion concerning Hazrat Mahdi’s (a.t.f.s.) occultation.
Ahmed Ibn Ishaaq says, “I went to Abu Muhammad Hasan Ibn Ali (a.s.) to ask him about his successor and the Imam after him. Before I could pose my query, Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) said, ‘O Ahmed Ibn Ishaaq! Allah the Almighty has not left His earth without a proof since the creation of Adam (a.s.). Nor will it remain without His representative till the day of judgement.’ I said, ‘O son of Allah’s Messenger! Who is the Imam and successor after you?’ Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) stood up quickly and went into a room. Later, he emerged with a three year old boy in his arms whose face shone like a full moon. Then he said, ‘Had you not enjoyed such a status and rank in front of Allah the Almighty and His Proofs (a.s.), I would not have shown my son to you.”
Sometimes, in these five years, the companions of Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) attended to him and were narrating a few things to him. On these occasions, they were also inquiring from him about his successor, to which Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) was replying in general. One such person was Abu al-Adyaan, whose incident is reported as under:
“I was a servant of Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.), and carried his letters to different cities and environs. I had the honour to attend to his service in his last illness. He (a.s.) gave the letters to me and said, ‘Go to Madaaen. Your journey will last for fifteen days. On the fifteenth day, you will return to Saamarra. Here, wails and cries from my house will greet you. You will see me in the room where corpses are given the ritual bath.’
I asked, ‘Master! In such a case, who will be the Imam after you?’ Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) responded, ‘One who will ask you about the replies to my letters will be my successor.’ I requested, ‘Please provide me more details.’ Imam (a.s.) replied, ‘He will lead my funeral prayers.’ I pleaded again, ‘Please furnish more information.’ He (a.s.) retorted, ‘He will inform you about what is in the bag.’
The awe-inspiring personality of Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) prevented me from further inquiry about the bag. Anyway, I took the letters to Madaaen and procured the ripostes. On the 15th day, just as Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) had predicted, I entered Saamarra. Loud voices of wailing and crying echoed from the house of Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.). I saw Ja’far, the brother of Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.), standing on the door and receiving condolences and consolation from the local Shias.
I said to myself, ‘If this man is the Imam, then it will be clear that the position of Imamat has undergone change. For, I have seen him drink wine, gamble and play musical instruments.’ I went near him and offered my condolences. He did not ask me anything. Afterwards ‘Aqeed’ emerged from the house and said, ‘Master! Your brother has been shrouded. Come and lead his funeral prayers.’
Ja’far went ahead to lead the prayers. As he was about to announce theTakbeer,
a young boy with a wheatish complexion, curly hair, broad teeth, shining like a brilliant moon, came out of the house. He caught hold of Ja’far’s robe and threw him aside, saying, ‘Uncle! Move aside. I am more worthy of leading the funeral prayers of my father.’
Ja’far withdrew in a corner as his face went colourless. The child went ahead to recite the prayers on his father’s dead body and buried him next to his father’s (10th Imam’s) grave. Thereafter, he turned towards me and said, ‘O Basri! Give me the replies of the letters that are with you.’ I handed the letters to him and said to myself, ‘Two prophecies are already fulfilled. Now only the third one about the contents of the bag remains.’
We were sitting when some residents of Qum arrived and asked about the condition of Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.). When they were informed about his demise, they inquired about the Imam after him.
People guided them towards Ja’far Ibn Ali. They saluted him and offered their condolences. They wanted to know from him about the money that they had brought along with themselves, to whom did it belong and how much? Ja’far stood up from his place, and while gathering his clothes, he said, ‘They expect me to know the unseen.’
Afterwards, a servant emerged from the house of Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) and announced, ‘The letters of so and so are in your possession. You also have a bag containing a thousand dinars. Of which, only ten dinars are pure. They gave the letters and money to this servant saying, ‘The one who has sent you must be an Imam.
’
The story of this man has also been recorded in books of traditions. It should be borne in mind, as stated earlier, these are the particulars of an individual and one should not expect to search for these in general books of history or even Islamic history. For, these are personal matters and if a few traditions are available in this regard, we simply accept them.
Anyway, we repeatedly emphasize that our basic belief vis-à-vis the existence of Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) is not related to these traditions. If someone refuses to accept these traditions as true and correct, we will reply, ‘Well, what is the basis of your rejection? For, the onus is on you to prove the falsity of these traditions. Even if we assume the above tradition to be false and unacceptable, yet the basic belief remains unharmed and unaffected on account of the numerous consecutive traditions narrated concerning the twelfth Imam (a.t.f.s.). Now, when the basic belief remains unharmed, and the discussion is from the aspect of belief itself, and moreover, there is no proof to refute a tradition or to establish its absence, we shall narrate traditions while maintaining our stand that this is just a narration and only a part of the general history.
Steps taken by the Caliph to Arrest Hazrat Mahdi (a.t.f.s.)
Due to the funeral prayers led by Hazrat Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) and the instigation of Ja’far, the government became very sensitive. The Caliph Mo’tamid used all possible steps to gain access to and arrest Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.). The commanders of the Caliph swooped on the house of Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.). They searched it in and out but to no avail. Instead, they began plundering the house. Perhaps, while they were busy pillaging, Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) took the opportunity and fled, to escape captivity.
After this episode, the Abbaside government became busy with its internal problems. The incidents of Yaqoob al-Laith, Saaheb al-Zanj, etc. took place, which occupied their attention to such an extent that they really could not bother about Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.). During the reign of Mo’tazid, another event occurred that is worth reading.
Mo’tazid dispatched three officers to Imam al-Askari’s (a.s.) house. The orders were clear- behead anybody you find among the males and get their heads to the court as souvenirs. Rasheeq Maarzaani, one of the three selected officers, narrates the incident thus:
As per the orders, we attacked the house…We saw a room so huge as if it was an ocean. At the end of the room, there was a straw mat spread on water. On the mat, a man with a handsome visage and awe-inspiring dignity sat performing namaz and did not pay any heed to our presence. Ahmed Ibn Abdullah (one of us) went ahead with the intention of entering the room but was drowned. He struggled to survive inside the water and waved at us vigorously so that we may extend our hands to pull him out, but to no avail. The second one among us also attempted to enter the room and met with the same fate. I was left standing alone, perplexed and confused. I pleaded with the owner of house,‘I seek pardon from Allah and from you. By Allah! I don’t know what’s happening and whom I have approached. I seek repentance from Allah.
’ He did not pay heed to my talks at all and was engrossed in his own work. I got scared and returned.
After the failure of this attempt, Mo’tazid sent more officers with the same orders. When they reached the house, they heard somebody reciting the Holy Quran in the cellar (sardaab
). They surrounded the cellar to prevent anybody from escaping. Thereafter, Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) emerged from the cellar right in front of all those present. Miraculously, with Allah’s permission, the commander could not see him and hence behaved as if nothing had happened. For others, the silence and non-objection of the commander was a tacit approval and consequently, they too did not protest or demur. It was too late when they realised as to what had actually occurred
.
The Cellar (Sardaab)
This is an issue about which there are a lot of misconceptions. A few Sunni biased scholars in order to denounce the Shias have also misused these misinterpretations. Therefore, it is essential that we throw more light on this issue.
It should be known that the cellar was the residence of three Imams (a.s.) viz. Imam Hadi (a.s.), Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) and Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) himself. Incidentally, this house was the personal residence of Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.). For, it is unanimously accepted by the historians that none of the Imams (a.s.) had an underground residence in Saamarra. Even for the house of Ameerul Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a.s.), we cannot state its precise location with certainty, either in Madina or Kufa. Some say it’s inBaab-e-Jibraeel
but its very general place. But for the cellar of Samarra, it was believed in the long duration of one thousand four hundred years, that it was the abode of Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.t.f.s.). Due to this reason alone, the cellar at Saamarra is a holy place for us.
It is an established fact that Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) did not sink in the cellar’s wall nor did its earth swallow him. He did not disappear like the Jinn from the human eyes nor did he fly to the skies in the form of angels. Just as the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) had become invisible for the Meccan polytheists at the time of emigration, similarly Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) emerged from the cellar but the Caliph’s men were unable to see him (of course with Allah’s permission).
From the time of Imam Hadi (a.s.) and Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.), a person was appointed in Baghdad who acted as the representative of the two Imams (a.s.). Later, on the command of Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) and Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.), he also became the special deputy of the latter in Baghdad. The general Shias were unaware and uninformed of the exact location of Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.). The special representative was a narrator of traditions and a majestic scholar, at the same time being an ordinary businessman involved in selling oils.
Of course being a narrator of traditions is an important position from the aspect of knowledge and relation of traditions. But this special deputy did not possess the customary appearance of a religious scholar. He was a businessman selling oils that answered by the name of “Usman Ibn Saeed Amri” and knew the exact residence of Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.). Quite often, Hazrat Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) was either in his house, some other close companions, or his proximate relatives. In reality, Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) became invisible from the eyes of the people in this very meaning.
In the compound of Imam-e-Zaman’s (a.t.f.s.) house, there was a well from which he drew water. Apart from its function of providing water, the aforementioned well does not have any significance in our traditions. Thus, those who visit Saamarra, take the mud of this well (astabarruk
), throw a letter in it, or think that an Arab is still sitting on the edge of the well with his sword hidden inside his robe, so that whenever Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) emerges, he would kill him. All these are talks of stupidity, emanating from the foolishness of a Sunni. Worse is the one who believes that the Arab is still sitting over there waiting to kill Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) or that he is living inside the well or that he was swallowed by the wall of the cellar.
We don’t believe in the Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) who is living inside the well or is swallowed by the cellar’s wall. But we respect the cellar only and only because it was the place of worship for three Imams (a.s.) and because in the length of one thousand four hundred years, Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) has visited it a number of times and was his personal residence for a considerable period of time. Thus, even today when a person visits the cellar, he feels that he is the guest of Hazrat Mahdi (a.t.f.s.). Finally, if the Shias revere the cellar, it is because of theowner of the house
and not because of the story of the well or any other such absurdity.
Commencement of the Minor Occultation (Ghaibat-e-Sughra)
The minor occultation commenced from the year 260 A.H. Why the minor occultation? Perhaps because its duration is shorter or maybe because there was a link between Imam (a.s.) and the people. During this era, Usman Ibn Saeed Amri (r.a.) took many people to the service of Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) and brought the replies of numerous letters from Imam (a.s.) to them. Therefore, those Shias, who were inclined to get some information from Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) and desired to forward their queries to him, almost had a direct contact with him (a.t.f.s.). That is, they got their religious queries answered through minimum links and on numerous occasions through Imam’s letters and signatures.
In this period, it was prohibited to utter the name of Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.). Why? Because it created some problems and difficulties for the Shias and hence, they remembered him by the title of “Saahebuz Zamaan”.
Thus, for the Shias, it was forbidden to take the name of Imam (a.s.), which was the same as the name of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.). Quite a few jurists considered this edict to be applicable till date. The reason they cite is that when something is declared to be illegal, it continues to be so, till the promulgator who has issued the legislation, lifts the restriction. And in this case, its illegality has not yet been removed.
Some other jurists are of the view that this restriction was confined to the era of the minor occultation, when Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) was subject to danger. But presently, it has been revised and they don’t regard uttering the name of Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) in this time asharaam
(forbidden). This restriction was applicable only in olden times when even in the books his name was written asM-H-M-D
.
The Special Deputies of Hazrat Mahdi (a.t.f.s.)
Usman Ibn Saeed was the special deputy for duration of two and a half years. After his demise, as per the advice of Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.), his son Muhammad Ibn Usman was raised to the state of deputyship. A reliable narrator of Imamite traditions, he remained in this coveted position for a period of thirty-five years and executed his responsibilities.
After him, an Iranian from the renowned family of Nawbakht, Husain Ibn Rauh Nawbakhti, became the special deputy and continued to be so for duration of twenty years.
Ali Ibn Muhammad Samori or Seymouri, an inhabitant of Saamarra, followed Husain Ibn Ruh on the advice of Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) and the recommendation of Husain Ibn Ruh.
The era of special deputyship of these four lasted till the year 329 A.H. Of course, apart from these four special deputies, Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) did have deputies and representatives in far-flung Islamic cities and towns but these formed the core of representation. These representatives were either appointed by Husain Ibn Ruh and his ilk or some times by Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) directly but ultimately, had to act through any of these four special representatives.
From among this second line of deputies, there was one in Qum who abused his position after being in it for some time. Although he was a directly appointed representative of Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.), yet this appointment did not render him an infallible. Finally, he misused his status and attributed lies and falsity to Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.). He put the people’s wealth and property to personal use. Consequently, Husain Ibn Ruh received a signed letter from Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) cursing this deputy. His name was “Muhammad Ibn Ali Shalmaghani”, who was based in Qum and was conferred with special deputyship. Apart from him, there were a couple of other people who were rejected by Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) after being appointed as deputies.
In the preface of the book “Kalemah al-Imam al-Mahdi”
, a brief history of the deputies has been jotted and a list of fifteen people has been mentioned, who were appointed by Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) directly. Of course, these fifteen did not bear the same position as the four special representatives and hence, in common understanding, it is famous that the special deputies were only four in number.
Six days prior to his death, the fourth special deputy, Ali Ibn Muhammad Seymouri (a.r.) received a signed letter (tawqee) from Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.), reminding him of a few things. This letter is quite well known and has been recorded in quite a few books with explanations.
«بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم. يا علي بن محمد السُّمري, أعظم الله أجر إخوانك فيك فانّك ميت ما بينك و بين أيام, فاجمع أمرك و لا توص إلي أحد فيقوم مقامك بعد وفاتك, فقد وقعت الغيبه التّامه فلا ظهور إلا بعد إذن الله تعالي ذكره. و ذلك بعد طول الأمد و قسوه القلوب و امتلاء الأرض جورا. و سيأتي من شيعتي من يدعي المشاهده. ألا فمن ادعي المشاهده قبل خروج السفياني و الصيحه فهو كذّاب مفتر. و لا حول و لا قوه إلّا بالله العلي العظيم »
“O Ali Ibn Muhammad Seymouri! May Allah increase the reward of your brothers concerning you? You will die after six days. Now, you don’t appoint anybody as your successor for special deputyship because the door of representation now stands closed and the major occultation shall begin. The reappearance will not occur except by the order and permission of Allah. This reappearance will take place only after the earth becomes replete with injustice, oppression, and the hardening of hearts. Beware! Soon there will be a number of my Shias who will claim to meet me. Anybody who makes such a claim before the emergence of Sufyani and the heavenly shriek is a liar and a deceiver. There is no power and strength except that of Allah.
”
In this letter, mention has been made of the prolongation of the major occultation, the shutting of the door of representation, and the fact that anybody claiming to meet Imam (a.s.) at will, is a liar and a cheat. Six days after the receipt of this letter, Ali Ibn Muhammad (a.r.) completed his pending tasks, made his will and expired.
This was the brief history of the minor occultation till the commencement of the major one, which began when Imam-e-Zaman’s (a.t.f.s.) age was seventy-four.
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Author: Allamah Sayyid Sa'eed Akhtar Rizvi
