Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

The Universal Reformer of Mankind : Who Would AppearAs An Elegant Young Man

The most remarkable thing about this episode is that according to the faith of the Shias ofAhle Bayt, from the time of his birthupto his Minor occultation and from that time throughout his Major occultation, and even after the golden period of his reappearance he had been and would be an eyewitness of all the happenings in this world. Years after years and centuries after centuries the world is making an estimation of his birth, his childhood, his outstanding companions who are absolutely exceptional in every aspect. Islam has also mentioned a great deal about this young miraculous child.

Two centuries before his birth, there was a general declaration by the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) and Imams that the ninth descendant of Imam Husain (a.s ) would have a concealed birth resembling that of Prophet Musa (a.s ).

None but very few selected people would know about his birth and this information would be restricted only among the Shia community. He would have two occultations. One shall be a Minor occultation and the other Major. That is a short and a prolonged disappearance. When mankind would fall into despondence and everywhere there shall be hopelessness, hunger and poverty and every kind of calamity, injustice and oppression, the Almighty Allah would cause his reappearance in the form of a forty-year-old youth though he would have lived for hundreds of years. He would be having a well-built and strong physique. He would be much above the creatures from the aspect of knowledge, intelligence and physical prowess.

Ten thousand exceptional companions of his would provide help and assistance to the afflicted people of the world. The Imam would unearth the hidden treasures of the earth. He would make the barren earth full of vegetation. He would correct all the evils and through his beneficial programs remove the widespread laziness, sloth and weakness from the people of the world and make the weak-willed and indolent people full of zest and a new life. Thatis he would enliven the earth once more. Universal justice shall be established and the brotherhood of mankind shall be given the greatest prominence. His government would have innumerable programs of uplifting the conditions of the people of the world. There would be no government and no religion in the world except the rulership of the Progeny of Muhammad and the religion of Islam.

Since traditions had clearly mentioned that the ninth descendant of Imam Husain (a.s ) would destroy all oppression in the world, the Bani Abbas Caliph summoned Imams Ali Naqi and Hasan Askari (a.s ) so that he could keep a close surveillance on them since they were the tenth and the eleventh Imams of the Shias.Mutawakkil also wanted to assure that Imam Hasan Askari (a.s ) does not marry since he was supposed to father a male child who would be the expected Mahdi.

In spite of all the restrictions and surveillance thatMutawakkil had arranged for this purpose, Imam Mahdi (a.s ) was born in 255 A.H. in an utmost concealed manner. Imam Askari (a.s ) lived for another five years

after his birth and after that he was martyred by poison. During these five years, the most selected people of the community who were trustworthy, reliable and pious had the honor of seeing Imam Mahdi (a.s ). These people posed religious questions in order to become certain of his high station.

This is the twelfth Imam through whom the Almighty desired to reform this material world so that weak and suppressed people could live peacefully in it and universal justice and equity is established. The people could move about freely and they learn to live a life of righteousness.Also that they may benefit from God-given bounties depending upon their eligibility and disposition. The Imam may also eradicate every type of injustice and oppression, force and compulsion, illness, griefs, difficulties, supervision, opposition, racial and color discrimination and the mankind can see how man can lead a free life.

When his respected father passed away from this temporalworld he was only five years old. In this period of five years, none but some of the most trusted and reliable persons knew that Imam Askari (a.s ) had a son. The male and female spies appointed by the caliph continued to assure the caliph that the Imam was issueless. That is the reason that Ja'far, the Imam’s brother, who was an evildoer and an agent of the caliph, stepped forward to recite the funeral prayer. At that moment an extremely beautiful and elegant child came out from behind the curtain and came to Ja'far, the liar and pulled him aside saying, “Uncle! I would recite the funeral prayer of my respected father.”

The young lad recited the funeral prayers then passed through the gathering and left the room. All those present there came to know that the eleventh Imam had not passed away childless. When the caliph was informed about this, he sent his soldiers who searched every room, every nook and corner of the house to find the boy and arrest him. So that he may be put to death and the world can be rid of the twelfth Imam. The search party inspected the whole house but the Imam was not to be found anywhere. He went into the cellar of his house and from there he disappeared to reappear when Allah, the Almighty wills; and that he may fill the earth with justice and equity like it would have been full of injustice and oppression.

AbuSult Harwi asked Imam Reza (a.s ), “What would be the signs of yourQaem at the time of his reappearance?” Imam replied, “His sign is that he would be senior in age but in the view of people he would appear to be a man of forty years or even less. Another sign is that, eventhrough the passage of time he will not age till the time he passes away. He would always remain in the same condition of youth.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s ) says, “OurQaem would appear in the form of an elegant youth while the people would say in surprise: We were expecting him to be anaged gentlemen .”

Reyan ibnSult asked Imam Reza (a.s ), “Are you the master of affair?” The Imam replied, “I am not the master of the affair, who would fill the earth with justice and equity like it would be filled with injustice and oppression. You see that there is weakness and senility in my body. That is why I cannot be the master of affair. Master of affair is the one who at the

time of his reappearance would be senior in age but his appearance would that of a youth and his body shall be strong.”

If hewants he could catch hold of a huge tree and uproot it, it would not be impossible for him.Thus when he stands between two mountains and raises a cry the huge boulders of the mountains would fragment into pebbles and begin falling to the earth. He is my fourth descendant. As long as Allah wills he would remain in concealment and when hereappears he would fill the earth with justice and equity like it would be filled with injustice and inequity.”

Amirul Momineen (a.s ) says, “In the last days of calamity and ignorance of the people, God will appoint a person and will support him and protect his followers through angels. He will help him through miraculous signs and give him victory over all the people of the world, so that whether they like it or not they will convert to the true religion. He will fill the earth with justice and equity, and brilliance and rationality. The distances between places will shrink for him in such a way that no unbeliever will remain except that (the appointed one) will bring (to him) faith, and no sinful person would remain except that he will become pious. Even the beasts would live freely. The fertility of the earth would increase. Every part of the earth would be covered with vegetation. Bounties would descend from the sky and the earth would expose its hidden treasures. He would rule the earth from the east to the west for forty years. Those would be fortunate who are born during his divine rule and listen to the words spoken by him.”[ 133]

FatimaMasuma : The Pious DaughterOf The Seventh Imam

Among the children of Imam Musa Kazim (a.s ) no one was more respected and honored after Imam Reza (a.s ) than this young lady. She is remembered by the name of FatimaMasuma . Ahmed ibn Musa, known as Shah Chirag and Hamzah ibn Musa are the two sons of Imam Musa Kazim (a.s ) who are buried besides Abdul AzeemHasani . However, in respect and excellence FatimaMasuma precedes them.

Obviously, this position of excellence is on the basis of knowledge, intellect, purity and piety, otherwise being the Imam’s child or Imam’s sibling is no criterion for excellence and even if one tries to obtain greatness and respect on such a basis, it is not possible.

Today Iran has the unsurpassed honor of hosting the eighth Imam and after that giving a welcome to his sister and later according her a place for burial when she passed away from this world. The magnificent dome of her mausoleum is a living testimony to the devotion of this people for the meritorious lady of the family of the Prophet. From the time this lady stepped on the land of Qom, it hasbecame famous for its regard forAhle Bayt and it became an important center of pilgrimage for the faithful.

Even before the arrival of Imam Reza (a.s ), many Shia people of Kufa had migrated to Qom and made it their home. From that time this city always remained an important center of Shias. Many great jurists and scholars have come from this city. During the time our Imams stayed at this place, these resident scholars and jurists went all the way to provide them with every sort of facility and assistance. They also served the cause of the propagation of faith through their wealth, sincerity and labor.

That is why Imam Sadiq (a.s ) has said that if there had not been the scholars and intellectuals of Qom, the religion of Islam would have become extinct and people would have forgotten the traditions ofAhle Bayt.

Thewell known religious scholars of Qom include, Zakaria Ibn Adam,Reyan ibnSult ,Shazan ibnJibraeel , Ahmed IbnIshaq Qummi, Saad ibn AbdullahAshari , Muhammad ibn HasanSaffar , Muhammad ibn Walid, Ali Ibn Babawayh and his illustrious son Muhammad Ibn Babawayh (ShaykhSadooq ) and Hasan Ibn Babawayh, Ali Ibn Ibrahim Qummi, IbnQuluwahy Qummi and other thousands of luminaries. In otherwords it can be said that the city of Qom has a great role in providing many important scholars of Shia religion.

During theAbbaside Caliphate, Qom was so well known for its fervor regardingAhle Bayt (a.s ) that its governor was always appointed from among its own people. Qom was considered the base of Shias inIran.Thus it is written about Qom that special instructions were made regarding its governance and in order to assure that there is no civil unrest and other problems the Shia law was applied in all the aspects of its administration. Because it was known that people could not bear the rule of a non-Shia.

As we have mentioned before, since the time of the burial of FatimaMasuma in Qom, the importance and significance of this town is beyond description. Rather, it can be said that her mausoleum is a candle around

which the scholars and intellectuals have gathered since ages. In otherwords there is such a great conglomeration of religious students and other sincere followers ofAhle Bayt for her Ziarat that it would not be wrong to say that it is like a Ka’ba for Shias.

The ladyMasuma commands special status after Imam Reza (a.s ) among the children of the seventh Imam. Traditions before her birth and after her passing away inform us about the elevated position and the personality of this lady.

Imam Reza (a.s ) came to Iran on the behest of caliph Mamun in the year 200 A.H. and he stayed inMerv . In the year 201 A.H., that is after one year, FatimaMasuma left Medina and came to Iran.

The great scholar Hasan ibn Muhammad Qummi writes in his History of Qom (378 A.H.) that when FatimaMasuma arrived inSawwa she inquired about the distance to Qom from there. The people informed her that it was 10farsakhs . She told her attendant to take her to Qom.

When news reached Qom thatMasuma was coming there the people of Qom rushed out to welcome her. The senior-most citizen of Qom, Musa ibnKhazraj took hold of the reins of her camel and led it inside the city of Qom and in thisway he took the honorable lady and lodged her in his own house.

TheMasuma stayed at his place for seventeen days and passed away there. She was buried inBablan , which was also a property of Musa ibnKhazraj . From that time onwards it is a center of pilgrimage for the Shias. For the Iranian country the city of Qom is a matter of pride or rather a testimony of its honorable position.

There is a religious college, “Satt ” at the place where the house of Musa ibnKhazraj stood where theMasuma had stayed. It is one of the oldest religious college of Qom. This area is known as the Maidan Mir-i -Qom. On one side is a mosque called Masjid-e-Behmeen . In Arabic “Satt ” stands for “lady”. This mosque and religious collegeis named after ladyMasuma Qom. The Mihrab (prayer niche) of theMasuma is also situated in this building, where travelers and visitors pray. It is a matter of pity that the date of birth ofMasuma is not recorded and neither is the date she passed away in 201 A.H.

However in any case, history certainly proves that hardships and atrocities meted out by theAbbaside rulers and the unfavorable times were responsible for the fact that none of the daughters of Imam Musa Kazim (a.s ) married. This is so because all the youths of the families ofAhle Bayt lived anonymously during theAbbaside rule. And probably there was no young man among the Shias who could be considered eligible to marry a girl of the nobleAhle Bayt family of infallibility and purity. Or probably the noble ladies themselves exercised caution due to the prevailing circumstances.

Because in 179 A.H. under the orders of Harun Rashid, Imam Musa Kazim (a.s ) was summoned to Baghdad and imprisoned, and there he spent four years in confinement and at last bid farewell to the transient world in 183 A.H. and departed for the everlasting abode, while the ladyMasuma passed away in 201 A.H., hence at the time of her death she must have been at the most twenty-two years old.

Thus as we have already stated above, the city of Qom which became the place of repose for LadyMasuma Qom acquired the status of a holy city for the Shia people and from that time onwards Sayyid families migrated there and made it their home as long as they lived and later they were also buried there.Therefore their holy tombs in the vicinity of Qom and the surrounding areas are centers for visitation of the Shias of the world.

Apart from this, the long history of Qom informs us that it was the center of great religious scholars and intellectuals and it is the place selected by numerous rulers, kings and royal ladies as the place of their burial.

In the words of a poet: The daughter of MusaIbn Ja'far is that brilliant moon due to which the people of Iran rest in safety and peace.

Put your forehead on its threshold.

See, indeed, the life of the universe rests here.

Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr : A Young Man Who WasAn Expert Of Warfare And An Epitome Of Sincerity

This is an account of a young man who stands out prominently among the devotees ofAmirul Momineen (a.s ) and who spent his life like a bud just blooming. He is Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr who was born in the tenth year of Hijri. His mother was Asma. Previously Asma was the wife of Ja’far at-Tayyar . After he wasmartyred she married Abu Bakr, and Muhammad was born of this union. After the death of Abu Bakr, Asma marriedAmirul Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.s ), the brother of Ja’far at-Tayyar . Another son was born to her through Ali (a.s ), named Yahya.

Muhammad was a little boy when he entered the house ofAmirul Momineen (a.s ) with his mother. He was brought up in the purified atmosphere of this house with Imam Hasan and Imam Husain (a.s ). It is here that he reached the age of maturity. He was a courageous and a strong young man who had perfect faith inAmirul Momineen (a.s ), even though his biological father, Abu Bakr and the two caliphs after him had opposed Ali (a.s ). Muhammad was also opposed to and detested the rule of the first three caliphs.

Amirul Momineen (a.s ) was also very much fond of this lad, as he was brought up in his lap. It is the statement of Ali (a.s ) that: Muhammad is my son, born from the loins of Abu Bakr. He also said, “Muhammad is the son of my wife. That is, he is my son and I am his father.”

Muhammad participated in the battles of Jamal andSiffin . He was the son of the paternal aunt of Abdullah Ibn Abbas and thehalf brother of the sons of Ja’far at-Tayyar , and also thehalf brother of Yahya the son ofAmirul Momineen (a.s ) through Asma.

Muhammad had a son named Qasim Ibn MuhammadIbn Abi Bakr. Yahya was the greatest scholar and jurist of Medina and a student of Imam Sajjad (a.s ). Both Shias and Sunnis confessed to the knowledge and intellect of Yahya.

Qasim had a daughter nameUmme Farwa . She was married to Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s ) and she became the mother of Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s ), the sixth Imam of the Shias. During his caliphate,Amirul Momineen Ali (a.s ) appointed Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr as the governor of Egypt and issued him the following instructions:

Treat them (the Egyptians) with respect. Be kind and considerate with them. Meet them cheerfully. Be fair, just and impartial in your dealings so that even the influential persons may not dare take undue advantage of your leniency and the commoners and the poor may not be disappointed in your justice and fair dealings.

O creature of Allah! Remember that the Almighty Lord is going to take an account of each one of your sins, major or minor and whether committed openly or secretly. If He punishes you for your sins, it will not be an act of tyranny and if He forgives you it will be because of His Great Mercy and Forgiveness.

O creature of Allah! Remember that pious persons passed away from this world after having led a respectable and fruitful life and they are going to be well-rewarded in the next world (when compared with the worldly-minded people they had equal opportunities of gathering fruits of this world and utilized them to the best of their abilities and at the same time kept away from all wicked and vicious ways of life). They did not jeopardize their salvation like worldly-minded persons. They led a more contented, more respectable and happier life than those who lived wickedly. They enjoyed the fruits of their labors and they had more gratifying, sober and healthy experience of the pleasures of life than the rich and the wealthy. They regaled themselves with the joys, the facilities and the bliss of this world as much as the tyrant and vicious people desired to enjoy. Yet while leaving this world they carried with them all that would be of use to them in the next world. While living in this world they enjoyed the happiness of relinquishing its evil ways.

They made themselves sure that in the life to come they will be recipients of His Grace and Blessings, their requests will not be turned down and the favors destined for them in Paradise will not be lessened or reduced.

O creature of Allah! Fear the inevitable and unavoidable death, which is so near to everybody. Be prepared to meet it. Verily, it will come as the most important and the greatest event of your life; it will either carry unmixed blessings and rewards for you or it will bring in its wake punishments, sufferings, and eternal damnation. There will be no chance of its lessening or redemption or any change for the better. It is for you to decide whether to proceed towards perpetual peace and blessings - Paradise, or towards eternal damnation - the Hell. Remember that life is actually driving you towards death, which will meet you if you are ready to face it and which will follow you like a shadow if you try to run away from it.

Death is with you as if it has been twisted and tied around your head in between your hair and life is being rolled away from behind you with each exhalation of your breath, never to be unrolled.

Be afraid of the fire - the Hell, whose depth is fathomless whose intensity is enormous and where new kinds of punishments are constantly being introduced. The Hell is an abode where there is no place for His Mercy and Blessings. Prayers of those who are thrown there will neither be heard nor accepted and there will not be any lessening in their sufferings and sorrows.

If it is possible for you to be sincerely afraid of Allah as well as have sincere faith in His Justice, Mercy and Love of His creatures, then try to hold these two beliefs firmly because a man entertains and cherishes the love, reverence and veneration of Allah in proportion to His fear and awe that develops in his mind.

Verily, among men is he who fully believes in His Justice and is afraid of it, as well as likes it and expects the best rewards from Allah.

O Muhammad, son of Abu Bakr! Remember that I have entrusted you with the command of the most important section of my army, which is Egyptian. Do not allow your whims and passions to overrun your judgment. Keep on guarding and defending your religion and the State given under your trust. Take care that not for a single moment in your life, you incur the

Wrath of Allah, to gain the pleasure of any person. Remember that the Pleasure of Allah can substitute the pleasure of everybody else and it will be the most beneficial substitute for you but His Pleasure cannot be substituted by anything. Offer your prayers on time, do not rush through them, and never delay in offering them. Remember that piety and nobleness of all your activities are subject to sincerity and punctuality of your prayers.

Remember that a true Imam and leader cannot be equal to the one who leads humanity towards wickedness and vice and eventually towards Hell nor can there be an equality between a follower of the Prophet and his sworn enemy.

Remember the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) said that so far as his followers are concerned he was not afraid of encroachments upon any true Muslim by a heathen because Allah will protect every true Muslim from evil deeds on account of the sincerity of his faith and He will expose and avert the evils introduced by heathens, but the Prophet felt anxious about the activities of hypocrites among Muslims, activities of those outwardly wise and learned people who loudly proclaimed greatness and virtues of their good deeds but who secretly indulged in vices and sins.[134]

When Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr arrived in Egypt, the conditions were very unfavorable. The people of Egypt were supporters of the first three caliphs and considered Muhammad among the killers of Uthman. Therefore, from day one they were ready to oppose him. Muhammad also detected this and thus he began to exercise caution regarding his own safety. On the other hand,Muawiyah , the ruler of Sham did not sit idle. He wanted Egypt to break away from the dominion ofAmirul Momineen (a.s ), and that Muhammad should be killed.So he began to dispatch mercenaries to Egypt to foment unrest among the people.

WhenAmirul Momineen (a.s ) came to knowthis he sent MalikAshtar to Egypt to take over the reins of the government so that it does not pass out of his control, and that a new calamity may not befall Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr. However, when MalikAshtar landed on the coast of Mediterranean and camped at a place called Al-Areesh , an agent ofMuawiyah managed to administer poison to him mixed in honey and he was martyred there, even before he could reach Egypt. Before the reinforcements accompanying MalikAshtar could reach Egypt to support Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr,Muawiyah sent an army there to attack the forces of Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr. A fifth column accompanied this battalion and it surrounded the forces of Muhammad from all sides. Since the enemies had internal support also, Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr was attacked with greater intensity. Gradually the enemies got the upper hand and Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr fought valiantly till he was seriously wounded and martyred in the most merciless manner. In this wayMuawiyah managed to gain control over Egypt.

At that time the age of Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr was only twenty-eight years. Someone from Syria came toAmirul Momineen (a.s ) and said that he had never seen the Syrians in such a joyous and a festive mood.Amirul Momineen (a.s ) said, “Our grief is much more than their gaiety.”

After that he wrote a letter to Abdullah Ibn Abbas the maternal cousin of Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr and the governor of Basra appointed by Ali (a.s ). Therein he mentioned about the martyrdom of Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr and the annexation of Egypt byMuawiyah :

Ibn Abbas! Muhammad, (may his soul rest in peace), died as a martyr and Egypt has fallen in the hands of the enemies. I beseech the Reward of Allah for the sorrow I feel and the grief I suffer on account of the martyrdom of this young man who was like a son to me. He loved me. He was faithful to me. So far as the defense of the Islamic State isconcerned he was like a sharp sword and an impregnable fort.

Long before this deplorable event I had issued orders to the Heads of various provinces and to the people of Kufa to reach him or send help to him when he calls for it. I had repeated these orders. Some went to his help but half-heartedly, others started submitting excuses, while some sent false reports of important engagements and did not co-operate with him.

I feel disgusted and pray to Allah to relieve me of the society of such faithless and worthless people.

I swear by Allah that had I no desire of dying as a martyr, and had I not been ready for my death awaiting night and day, I would not have liked to live amongst them even for a day and I would not have come out with them to fight against the enemies of Allah and Islam.[135]

The Imam was very aggrieved upon the martyrdom of this young man who was unsurpassed in courage and bravery on the battlefield and was also a humble worshipper of the Almighty and well versed with the teachings of Islam. That is why Abdullah Ibn Abbas arrived from Basra to Kufa to pay condolence toAmirul Momineen (a.s ). Ayesha who was the sister of Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr continued to curseMuawiyah Ibn Abu Sufyan and his commanderMuawiyah ibn Khadijah.[136]

Hisham IbnHikam : The Youthful MissionaryOf Shia Islam

When there is discussion about young people who possessed exceptional capabilities and who were having unsurpassed merits and excellence it would not be fair to ignore Hisham IbnHikam , the youthful missionary of Imamate. He was among the best students of Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s ) and the incidents connected with him are very interesting and thought provoking.

Hisham, the best student of Imam Sadiq (a.s ) had a debate with Amr Ibn Ubaid, theMutazali scholar of Sunni faith. The debate is very interesting and clear.

Hisham was a great scholar of jurisprudence, a traditionalist, a scholastic theologian and an eloquent speaker. He was an expert in religious debates and his forceful and convincing arguments silenced even the most proficient opponents. Hisham was the most outstanding among the four thousand students of Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s ). He possessed such intellect, understanding, knowledge and wit that his fame had spread far and wide.

His debates and discussions with the great scholars ofAhle Sunnat are found in books to illustrate points of fundamental beliefs and juristic matters.

Hisham was born in Kufa, a center of Shias and he was brought up inWast near Baghdad. He traveled to Baghdad on business.

He is the first person who discussed in rational terms the principles of Islamic faith and belief and especially the matter of Imamate. He also penned books on this topic leaving precious material for the coming generations. He has explained and proved his premises in such a beautiful manner with the help of logical and textual proofs that the Shias of Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s ) in particular and all the Muslim scholars in general have benefited to a great degree by his argumentative methods.

He was such a meritorious knowledgeable personality that he never fell short in discussion about divine recognition. No one ever was able to defeat Hisham in any religious debate. Rather he used to single-handedly defeat a large group of opponents.

Every year Hisham used to travel for Hajj pilgrimage and after that arrived in Medina to be in the presence of Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s ). After that he continued to benefit from the company of Imam Musa Kazim (a.s ). He had the advantage of gaining knowledge from these two Imams. He had his difficult scientific problems solved through them and also asked them questions regarding other sciences and arts. Then he committed to memory whatever replies he received. In this way he used to return to his native place with a great wealth of knowledge.

Yunus IbnYaqub who was another prominent student of Imam Sadiq (a.s ) says, “It was the Hajj season and Hisham met Imam Sadiq (a.s ) in Mina. At that time Hisham was just entering into youth and his facial hair was just appearing. When he reached the company of Imam Sadiq (a.s ) there were many senior people present whose life had passed in acquisition of

knowledge, likeHumran ibnUyoon ,Qays ibnMasir and Abu Ja'farAhwal (Momin al-Taq ) etc.”

At that time Imam Sadiq (a.s ) instructed Hisham, who was very young in age, to sit at a place of prominence thus according him precedence over all other people in the gathering, and in order to assure that no one should feel ill about it, he said, “Gentlemen! This is a young man who helps me with his words, deeds and heart.” Then he said, “O Hisham! Narrate to us the debate you had with Amr Ibn Ubaid and inform us what you told him.”

Hisham said, “May I be sacrificed for you. I consider your position and status so elevated that I cannot dare to speak in your presence. My tongue stammers to say anything before you.” The Imam said, “O Hisham! Do as I say and take this matter to conclusion.”Thus Hisham did as commanded by the Imam and began to narrate as follows:

I received information that Amr Ibn Ubaid had daily sittings with his students in the Basra Mosque, and there he spoke about the subject of Imamate and debated and discussed about it. They used to take the Shia belief of Imamate as their target practice. I did not like this at all and I planned a journey to Basra.

When I reachedBasra it was a Friday. I went to the mosque where Amr Ibn Ubaid held his classes. I saw that a multitude of students had surrounded Amr who was wearing a black silk dress and had a cloth like a cloak put over his shoulders. All the students were posing questions to him one after the other and he was replying them. I reached near him and requested those present there to allow me some space to sit and I sat down close to him. Then I addressed Amr Ibn Ubaid and said: “O Intellectual gentleman! Please permit me to ask you something.” He replied, “You may!”

Hisham: Do you have eyes?

Amr: Young man! What kind of a question is that? Ask something proper.

Hisham: I will ask these kinds of questions only.

Amr: All right! Ask and I will answer, though your question is foolish.

Hisham: Do you have eyes?

Amr: Yes.

Hisham: Of what use are these?

Amr: They see colors and shapes.

Hisham: Have you a nose?

Amr: Yes.

Hisham: What is it used for?

Amr: To smell.

Hisham: Have you a mouth?

Amr: Yes.

Hisham: What do you use it for?

Amr: To taste food.

Hisham: Have you mind and intellect?

Amr: Yes.

Hisham: Of what use is it?

Amr: Everything that I sense through my organs (eyes, nose, mouth, etc.), I recognize with my mind and intellect.

Hisham: Don't your organs make you independent of your intellect?

Amr: No.

Hisham: Why, when all your organs are intact?

Amr: When the organs face a doubt, they refer to the intellect to remove the doubt and confirm the truth.

Hisham: This means that God has given us intellect to remove the doubts of our senses and to inform them of the truth.

Amr: Yes, of course.

Hisham:So we are dependent on the intellect in all circumstances.

Amr: Yes.

Hisham: God has not left our organs and senses without an Imam who can clarify their doubts, but the same God has left His creatures amidst their doubts and did not ordain any Imam for them who could remove their doubts and confirm the truth?

Amr remained silent for some time, then asked, “Are you Hisham?”

“No,” said Hisham.

“Do you frequent his company?”

“No.”

“Then what is your native place?”

“I am a native of Kufa”

“Then it is confirmed that you are Hisham IbnHikam .”

Then he seated Hisham in his place and as long as Hisham remained there, he refused to answer the questions of all the people gathered around him. After sometime Hisham returned.

After Hisham had related this incident to Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s ), the Imam smiled and asked, “Who taught you this argument?”

Hisham replied, “The words automatically came on my tongue, O son of Allah’s Messenger!”

The Imam said, “Hisham, this method is present in the scrolls of Ibrahim and Musa.”[ 137]

Rabi-ur -Raay : The Young TeacherOf Aged Students

Rabi-ur -Raay was one of the knowledgeable jurists of Medina. Many people who had seen the times of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s .) used to benefit from his knowledge. Among them some were poets of high caliber and when they recited their compositions the audience were left enchanted. Such an accomplished young man used to impart lessons in religion from the Prophet’s Mosque. He was surrounded by students that became luminaries in the world of Islamic sciences. One of his students was Malik Ibn Anas, a renowned Sunni scholar and the founder of the Maliki School of jurisprudence.

The respected father of Rabi departed to Khorasan with the army of BanuUmayyah and stayed there for a very long time. The name of Rabi’s father was Abdul RahmanFarokh . When he departed from Medina, his wife was pregnant and she gave birth to a male child after some days. The mother named her child as “Rabi”. Since the mother of Rabi was an accomplished lady herself, in the absence of her husband she brought up her son with utmost care and labor. She provided him with the best religious instruction and gave him the most excellent training. Under the care and training of his mother the child gradually scaled the stages of perfection. By the time he reached his youth he became a famed intellectual of Medina.

WhenFarokh was leaving for Khorasan he had deposited three thousand Dinars with his wife for safekeeping so that she may return them to him on his return.Farokh stayed in Khorasan for a long period of twenty-seven years and one day he returned to Medina on a horseback holding a spear in his hand. He opened the door of his house and entered therein unannounced. At that time Rabi was staying with his mother and whenFarokh entered he was sitting with his mother.

SeeingFarokh he said, “O enemy of Allah! What has happened to you that you enter the house of other people like this?” Rabi moved forward so thatFarokh may not step further.Farokh said, “Actually you are the enemy of Allah who is ready to associate with my lawful wife.” The matter reached to physical altercation between the two and the neighbors gathered to watch the spectacle.

The news reached Malik Ibn Anas and he arrived with other intellectuals to see what the matter was. The people could not believe that a personality like Rabi could be involved in such a dispute.

Rabi was infuriated and he said, “I will not rest till I hand this man to the Qazi (Judge) and having him punished.”Farokh also reiterated, “By Allah! I will not rest till I take you before the authorities, because you are sitting in my house with my wife.” During this argumentFarokh’s wife realized that it was her husband who had changed so much after all these years. She at once said, “O People! This is my husband and Rabiis his son.” When the father recognized the son, both of them embraced each other and tears of love flowed between them.

After some timeFarokh entered his quarters and sat down with relief. Then he asked his wife where she had kept those three thousand Dinars. He

gave her another four thousand and told her to keep them in safe custody with the previous amount.

Farokh’s wife said, “The amount you gave me previously has been deposited by me at a safe place. Now I also accept this amount which you have brought after so many years.”

Sometime later Rabi came of his house and arrived in the mosque of Medina to conduct his classes. At that time his students included Malik Ibn Anas, Hasan ibn Zaid, Ibn AliLahbi Masahiq and other notable scholars of the time.

When Rabi had left the house,Farokh’s wife told her husband, “Please go out to the Prophet’s mosque forsometime and then come back and take a rest.” WhenFarokh entered the Prophet’s mosque, he saw a huge gathering of students receiving instructions from an elegant young man wearing a cap. Seeing his father, Rabi bowed down his head andFarokh did not recognize him. He stood between the students and watched the scene. Then he asked a student sitting near him who that great teacher was. He replied, “Rabi Ibn Abdul RahmanFarokh .”

There was no limit to the joy ofFarokh . He said, “What a great position Allah has bestowed to my son!”

After that he returned home happily and related the whole episode to his wife. The wife said, “Very good! Now tell me whether you value this more or those Dinars you had left with me?”

Farokh said, “By Allah! I value my son more.”

The wife said, “Then you should know that I have spent the money you left on your son so that he could be provided with the best education through which he has reached this position.”

Farokh said, “By Allah! You have utilized my money in the best way and you have not wasted it.”[ 138]

Faces of the youth : Who LivedFrom The Time Of The Minor Occultation Of Imam Mahdi (A.S) Till The Fourteenth Century Of Hijrah

The scope of this book is not so vast as to include all the luminaries that lived during this period.Therefore we have selected some of the most noteworthy personalities and written about them in brief.