The development of shiite political thought from shura to wilayat al-faqih

REFERENCES

2-     ibid. p. 260, Al- Iyashi: Al-Tafsir, vol. 1, p. 66

3-     ibid, p. 312

4-     ibid, pp. 239-240

5-     ibid, p. 44

6-     ibid. Vol. 2, p. 390

7-     ibid. Vol. 2, p. 327

8-     Sadiq: Ikmal al- Din, p. 378, al-Khazzaz: Kifayat al- Athar, p. 277

9-     ibid. p. 116

10- Ikmal al- Din, p. 19

11- ibid. P.113

12- ibid. P. 109

13- ibid. p. 110

14- ibid. PP. 67-68

15- Vol. 1, pp. 525-534

16- PP. 88-90

17- P. 201

18- Al- Ghaybah, p. 77

19- Ikmal al- Din, p 66

20- Al- Ghaybah, p. 88 and 100

21- P. 280

22- P. 281

23- P. 279

24- P. 342

25- P. 342

26- P. 379

27- P. 372

28- P. 383

29- Ikmal al-Din. P 305, Al- Kafi of Kulayni: vol. 1, p. 527

30- Ikmal al-Din, p. 220

            The historical evidence admits that what is apparent as regards the life of Imam Askari, and his life history, demise and his having a son. It asserts: The political circumstances were such that could not allow Hassan Askari to declare the existence of a son for him, and the fear from the Abbasid authorities who believed earlier that he was the Mahdi, that will overthrow their rule, all these force the Imam to keep secret the issue of the birth of his son (the Awaited Mahdi). The evidence further mentions the details of the birth of Muhammad bin Hassan Askari and the circumstances surrounding it; so also the stories of those who witnessed it and met the Mahdi in the different stages of his life, during the life of his father and after him.

THE MOTHER OF THE MAHDI

            Reports have not agreed on the name of the mother of Mahdi. While Sheikh al- Aqdam Ibn Abi al- Thalj al- Baghdadi in ‘ Tarikh al-A’imah’, and Masudi in ‘Ithbat al- Wasiyyah’ and Tusi in ‘ Al- Ghaybah’, and Majlisi in ‘ Bihar al- Anwar’ declare that her name was ‘ Narjis’. Muhammad bin Ali Saduq in ‘Ikmal al-Din’ says that her name was ‘ Malikah’, the daughter of Yashu’, bin Qaysar, the king of Rome at that time. And that she saw Imam Hassan Askari in her dream and she loved him and married him. She fled from her father who wanted to give her hand in marriage to his nephew. She was captured, and Imam Hadi sent a coppersmith to buy her from the slave market in Baghdad. (1)

Mas’udi on the other hand says: She was a slave girl born in the house of one of the sisters of Abu Hassan Ali bin Muhammad. She brought her up in her house. When she grew up and her structure was complete, Abu Muhammad came to her and admired her and then sought from her uncle to seek the permission of her father that she would go to him, and she did. (2)

            Saduq said in another narration that: The name of the mother of the Mahdi was Saqil and that she died during the life of Hassan Askari. (3)

            There were several other names mentioned by Majlisi like ‘ Susan’ and ‘ Rayhanah’ and ‘ Khamt’. It was transmitted from Al- Shahid al- Awwal in ‘al- Durus’ that she was a free woman and that her name was  ‘Maryam bint Zayd al- Alawiyyah’. (4)

THE DATE OF HIS BIRTH

            The reports are not in agreement on the date of the birth of Imam Muhammad bin Hassan Askari. Some of the early Shiites accepted the claim of the slave girl ‘Narjis’ of being pregnant, after the death of Imam Askari. They said she gave birth to the Mahdi after eight month of the claim. (5)

            Sheikh Mufid said in ‘ Risalah Maulid al- A’imah’ that he was born on the 8^th of Dhu al- Qi’dah, 207 or 208 A.H. He also added: “At the time of the death of his father, he was two years and four month of age”. He says in ‘Al- Fusul al-Mukhtarah’: He was born in the middle of Sha’ban, 255 A.H (6). He says in another narration: He was born in the year 252 A.H and his age at the time of the death of his father was eight years. (7)

            Sheikh Saduq, however, said in ‘Ikmal al- Din’: His birth was on 8^th Sha’ban 256 A. H. (8)

            Sheikh Tusi on his part says in ‘Al- Ghaybah’ that: He was born in the middle of Ramadan. (9) without specifying the year. In another report he agrees with Sheikh Mufid that he was born in the middle of Sha’ban 255 A. H. (10)

            It was normal for these reports to contradict each other in specifying the date of the birth of a person said to have been delivered in a secret manner, and whose affairs remained hidden.

            All of Saduq, Tusi, Mas’udi and Khusaibi reported the story of the delivery of Imam Mahdi depending on one report attributed to ‘Hakimah’ the aunt of Imam Askari. She said in that report.

            “Abu Muhammad Hassan bin Ali has sent to me saying: “O Aunty take your iftar (Breaking the fast) for this evening with me, as it is the might of mid-Sha’ban and Allah the Exalted will make manifest His evidence this night.” I said, I said to him: “Who will be his mother ?” He said to me:  “From Narjis.” I then said to him “ May I be ransom for you, there are no signs on her.” He then said: “ It will be just as I said to you.”

            She said: I then came to him. When I greeted ( him) and sat down, she came removing my Khuff and  said to me: “O my mistress and the mistress of my family, good evening”. I said to her, “You are rather, my mistress and the mistress of my family”.  She said: She denied my statement and said: “ What is this, O Aunty?” I then said to her: “O my daughter, Allah will bestow you in this night a son and a leader (Master) in this world and in the hereafter.”

            She said she became shy. After I have finished my ‘Isha (Night) prayer, I broke my fast and then lied down and slept. In the late part of the night I woke up for prayer… when I finished my prayer, she was still sleeping with no any sign on her.  I sat down observing. Then I  lied down. I then woke up again and she was still asleep. Then she woke up and prayed and then slept.

            Hakimah then added: I then went out trying to confirm the appearance of the twilight of dawn. I saw the first twilight like the tail of a wolf, and she was still sleeping. I doubted (the affair). Then Abu Muhammad (peace be upon him) shouted from his seat saying: “Don’t be in a haste O Aunty, the affair is nigh”.

            She said: While I was in that state I became aware immediately, and rose up to her, I said: “May Allah’s name be with you”.  Then I said to her: “Do you feel anything?’ She said: “ yes O Aunty. I then said to her: Put yourself together and hold your heart, it is as I told you.”

            She then said: She took hold of me for some time; I then felt my master’s presence. I remove the dress Alas, He was prostrating coming to the world in prostrating position. I then put him close to myself, and I found him clean and cleansing. Then Abu Muhammad shouted to me, “Bring to me my son, O Aunty!” I brought him to him, and he placed his hand under his buttocks and his back, and put his feet on his chest, and then put his tongue in his mouth. He also passed his hand over his eyes, his ears and his joints. Then he said: “Speak, my son!” He said: “I testify that there is no god except Allah alone with no associate, and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”, he then praised Ali, Amir al-Muminin, and the Imams till he reached his father then he stopped. Then Abu Muhammad said: “O Aunty take him to his mother, so that he will say salam to her, and then bring him back to me”. I took him to her and he said Salam to her, and she responded. I then brought him to the seat (of the Imam). He (the Imam) then said: O Aunty, you come to us on the seventh day.”

            Hakimah said: “The following day I came to say salam to Abu Muhammad, and I removed the curtain to look closely to my master but I did not see him. I then said: “ May I be your ransom, what happen to my master?” He said: “ O aunty we have given him to the custody of the one to whom the mother of Musa gave the custody (of her son)”.

            Hakimah said: “ On the seventh day I came, greeted (the people) and then sat down. He then said: “Bring me my son”.  I then brought my master to him, in a piece of cloth. He did with him as did the first time, and he put his tongue in his mouth, as if he was providing him nourishment of milk or honey. Then he said: “ Speak my son!” He said: “I testify that there is no god except Allah and then said salat (blessings) on Muhammad (peace be upon him), and on Amir al- Muminin and the pious Imams till he stops on (the name) of his father. Then he recited the following verse: “ In the name of Allah, the Most gracious, the Most Merciful. And we wished to do a favor to those who were weak (and oppressed) in the land, and to make them rulers and to make them the inheritors. And to establish them in the land and we let Pharaoh and Haman and their hosts receive from them that which they feared.” (11)

            Hakimah says in another report mentioned by Saduq: Narjis was not having any signs of pregnancy on her, and she was not aware of that. When Hakimah said to her that she will give birth that same night, she was surprised and then said: “ My mistress I don’t see anything of that.” (12) Till at the end part of the night, at the time of the break of dawn, she rose frightened and then said: “ The affair has appeared to me, has my master told you?” The report said that: Hakimah came reciting the Qur'an on Narjis, and the child from the womb responded reciting as she was reciting and he said salam to her, which increased her fear. The report however, said that Narjis was concealed from the sight of Hakimah, as if a veil was put between her and Narjis. This increased her astonishment. She cried and took refuge with Abu Muhammad, who then said to her: “Go back, O Aunty, and you will find her in her place”.

            Hakimah said: I then returned.. It was not long that the veil was removed, and she appeared before me. She was covered with signs of light, which my eyes cannot withstand, and the child before her was on his face in prostrating position. (13)

            This report also adds another issue i.e. the flying of a number of birds over the head of the child, and that Hassan talked to one of them saying: “Take him and protect him, and bring him to us after every forty days”. This made the bird to take him and fly away with him, leaving his mother weeping due to the separation.

            Hakimah said: I said: “Which bird is that?”  He replied: “ This is the Holy Spirit attached to the Imams, helping them attaining success, and guiding and educating them. After forty days the child was brought back and he has started walking on his feet, as if he was two years of age, which made her to inquire surprisingly. Her brother Hassan said: “The children of the Prophets (peace be upon them), and the inheritors of the will, if they are Imams, they grow up differently from the way others grow up. A child among us, if he lives for one month it will be as if he has lived for one year. A child among us can speak in his mother’s womb, and can recite the Qur'an and worship his Lord, the Most High. At the time of suckling, the angels used to give him feeding. They descended in the morning and in the evening on him.

            The report from Hakimah continues, with her stating that she never cease seeing that child, every forty days, till the time he became an adult and few days before the passing away of Abu Muhammad, but she did not recognize him. She said to her nephew: “ Who is this that you commanded me to sit before him?” He said to her: “This is the son of Narjis, and he is my successor after me. After little time I will go, listen to him and obey him.

            Hakimah further said: “ After few days, Abu Muhammad passed away and the people became divided as you saw. By Allah I used to see him morning and evening, and he used to inform me of what you are asking, and I then tell you of that. By Allah I intend to ask him of something, and he will tell me of it before I ask him. And an affair may come to my mind, and a reply to that will come to me from him at that moment, without me asking him…” (14)

                  Tusi reports in his Al-Ghaybah the story of the delivery of the Mahdi, but he never mentions the story of the birds, the Holy Spirit or the taking of the child (Mahdi). He rather says that: ‘Hakimah bade farewell to Abu Muhammad and went away to her house after the birth of the Mahdi. At the time she longed for him the Mahdi after three days, she returned and searched for him in his room, but could not find any traces of him, and did not hear any mention of him, she did not like inquiring. She then went to Abu Muhammad and he talked to her first, saying: “ He is O Aunty in the canopy of Allah, He has concealed him till the time He wished. When Allah will take me away and I am dead and you saw my followers divided, tell the reliable among them. Let him be covered for you, and concealed for them. Because the friend of Allah will be taken away by Him from His creation, and veil him from His servants. No one will see him, till the time when Jibril (peace be upon him) will present to him his horse, ‘that Allah might accomplish a matter already ordained.’ “ (15)

            Tusi adds in another report a statement of Hassan to his aunt: “ We have given him to the custody of the one to whom the mother of Musa has given the custody (of her child)”. What was requested from her was to come on the seventh day, when the Mahdi will return and Hakimah will be able to see him. (16)

            He says in a third report: That Hakimah went back after three (3) days, and she saw the Mahdi in the cradle and a green piece of cloth was on his body. He was sleeping on the back of his head (facing the heavens), uncovered and untied. He opened his eyes and started laughing to her, and calling her with his finger. He then disappeared after that. (17)

                  He says in a fourth report that: Hakimah found written on the arm of the Mahdi at the time of his birth “ The truth has come and falsehood has vanished, surely falsehood is ever bound to vanish”, as she also saw that he was circumcised, and a sort of veil was put between her and the father of the Mahdi on the one hand, and the Mahdi himself, and she could not see anyone. She then said: “Where is my master?” Hassan replied her: “The one with more right (on him) than you and us has taken him”.  When she retuned after forty days she found the Mahdi walking on his feet in the house. She has never seen a face as beautiful as his, nor speech as eloquent as his. When she was amazed by all that and said. “ I saw of his affair what I saw while he was only forty days old.” Abu Muhammad smiled and said: “O my aunt don’t you know that we the Imams grow in a day like the growth of all others in one year. “ She stood up and went away, and she never saw him after that. (18)

            Tusi reports from the two housemaids of Imam Askari (Nasim and Mariyah) that they said: “ When Sahib al-Zaman (Mahdi) appeared from the womb of his mother he feel down on his knees, raising his second finger to the leavens, and then he sneezed and said.

            Mas’udi as well as Khusaibi added another aspect to the story of the birth of the Mahdi saying: “ The Mahdi was born from the thigh of his mother” And they reported from Imam Askari, his statement to his aunt Hakimah: “ The Imams were not carried in the wombs, but were carried in the sides.” (20)

            Mas’udi agreed with Saduq and Tusi in that Hakimah slept at those moments, while sitting down as she was overpowered by sleep, and was awaken only by the cry of the child from Narjis, and the voice of his father calling her: “ O my aunt bring my son!” He also said: The Mahdi went into hiding on that day, and returned after one week. Hakimah saw him then, for the second time and then he went into hiding, and she did not see him again, till after forty (40) days when she saw him walking (on his feet). (21)

            Mas’udi however disagreed with Saduq who mentioned in his report that: “ The Imam grows in a month like the growth of others in one year.” He also disagreed with Tusi who said that, “The Imam develops in one day like the development of others in one year”. Mas’udi did not value much those to whom (such reports) were attributed. He reports the statement of Askari to Hakimah, “Didn’t you know, O Aunty that we, the inheritors of the will, grow in a day like the growth of others in a week? And we develop in one week like the development of others in one year?”(22)

            Finally Mas’udi also reports from Abu Muhammad Askari, who said: “When the Sahib (Mahdi) was born Allah sent two angels which took him to the canopy of al-Arsh (The Throne), till he stood before Allah and He said to him. “Welcome, for your sake I will give, forgive and punish.” (23)

THE SECRECY OF THE DELIVERY

Despite the fact that the above report of Hakimah has indicated that the birth remained a conceal secret, and that Imam Hassan requested her to mention it when divisions appear, and only to the (reliable) leaders, Saduq mentions in ‘Ikmal al-Din’ that Imam Hassan Askari has informed the leading figure of the Shiites in Qum, Ahmad bin Ishaq, and that he wrote to him. ‘That a child has been delivered for me let him be a secret for you and concealed for the rest of the people. For we would not tell anyone about him, except very close relations, and those who will give their loyalty to him. I had loved to inform you so that you will be pleased with that, as we are pleased. Salam’. (24)

                  In another report Saduq says that: Ahmad bin Ishaq went to Imam Askari one day and asked him about the Imam and Caliph after him. He got up hastily and entered the house and then came out with a child of 3 years of age on his shoulder, and then said to him: “ O Ahmad, if not because of your position (virtue) with Allah, the Most High and with Allah’s evidences (Imams), I would not have presented this my son to you.” (25)

            Al-Fadl bin Shadhan says in ‘Kashf al-Haq’ that Hassan said: “The friend of Allah and His evidence on His creation and my successor (caliph) after me, was born in the night of the middle of Sha’aban, and the first to wash him was Ridwan, the custodian of paradise, then Hakimah.”

Saduq says that: “ Of those who knew of the news of the birth was Abu al-Fadl Hassan bin Hussain Al-Alawi, who used to say that he went to Abu Muhammad at ‘Surr Man Ra’a’ and congratulated him on the birth of his child. Abu Harun was with them also and he said that he saw Sahib al-Zaman and removed his dress and he found him circumcised. (26)

            Tusi emphasized these two reports in ‘Al-Ghaybah’.(27)Sheikh Mufid says that Hassan Askari used to present him (the Mahdi) to some individuals when they visited him like Amr al-Ahwazi. (27)In another narration: Imam Askari sent money to some Shiites and instructed them to slaughter the Aqiqah for his son. (29)

            Anyhow the Shiites historians have transmitted a number of stories on sighting the twelfth Imam Muhammad bin Hassan Askari during the lifetime of his father, and at the time of his death. For Kulayni, Saduq and Tusi have reported that a man from the people of Persia who was serving in the house of Imam Askari told that, he one day saw a housemaid carrying a white child, and the statement of the Imam to him, that: “ This is your companion (Imam).” And that he never saw him after that. (30)

            Saduq and Tusi also transmitted from a group of the companions of Imam Askari, among them was Uthman bin Said al-Umari that he presented to them his son and said to them: “ This is your Imam after me and my successor (caliph) on you. Obey him and be not divided after me in your religion, lest you perish. However, you will not see him after this day.” They said: We came out from him, and after few days, Abu Muhammad (Askari) passed away. (31)

            Likewise Saduq reported in ‘Ikmal al- Din’ stories of a man called Yaqub bin Manqush that one day he went to Imam Askari and asked him: “ Who is the owner of this affair?” He lifted the curtain of the house, and a child of five years of age came out and sat on the thigh of Abu Muhammad. He said to Yaqub “ This is your companion.”  Then he said to the child: “ O my son, enter till the appointed time.” He went inside the house and hid himself.

            It was reported from Nasim, the housemaid of Imam Askari that she went to the ‘Owner of the affair’ (Mahdi) one night after his birth, she sneezed in front of him and he replied her saying: “Yarhamuki Allah (May Allah have mercy on you).”

            It was narrated of another servant called Tarif Abu Nasr that he went to the Sahib al-Zaman, and he requested from him to bring him red sandals, and then added: “I am the last of the inheritors of the will and through me Allah will repulse calamity on my family and followers.”

            It was reported from a Syrian man called Abdullah that he went to the garden of Banu Amir, and he saw a young man sitting on a prayer rug, putting the side of his dress in his mouth. He asked: “Who was that?” And it was said to him: “(MHMD) son of Hassan”. (32)

            Saduq has reported a long narration from Sa’ad bin Abdullah al-Qummi: That he went together with Ahmad bin Ishaq to Imam Askari and he saw a child on his thigh, holding and playing with golden pomegranate. Hassan was holding a pen. Whenever he wants to write with it, the child used to hold his hand, and put the pomegranate in front of him. So he gives it back to him, so as not to prevent him from writing what he wanted. Ahmad bin Ishaq  had with him a bag, in it were some gifts from the Shiites and the servants to the Imam, so he placed it before him. He said to the child: “ Unseal it.” He refused and said: “ Is it permissible for me to take with my pure hands, impure gifts and wealth, its pure has been mixed with the impure?” Ahmad bin Ishaq took the bag to separate the two. The child explained the story of the wealth and gifts one by one…(33)

            In another narration reported also by Saduq from Ahmad bin Ishaq, he says that he asked the Imam on the successor (caliph) after him, and that he brought his son and presented him to him. But he was not satisfied, therefore he asked him: “ O my master is there any sign that will satisfy my heart?” The child spoke in a very eloquent Arabic and said: “I am the Baqiyyah of Allah on His earth, the one to avenge his enemies. Don’t look for a sign after the eye (what you have seen).” Imam Askari then said, “This is one of the secrets of Allah. Take what I gave you, conceal his (story) and be of the thankful”. (34)

            Tusi reports in his ‘Al-Ghaybah’ from Kamil bin Ibrahim al- Madani that he went to Imam Askari to ask him on some issues. As he was sitting in the house, the wind took the lowered curtain of the door, and behold there was a young man as bright as the moon. He said to him: “ O Kamil bin Ibrahim you have come to the friend of Allah, His evidence and His door, asking him such and such? He replied: “ Yes, by Allah!” Then the curtain rolled back to its position. He could not remove it and did not see him after that”.  (35)

            It was reported also from Isma’il bin Ali Nubakhti that he went to Imam Askari one hour before his death. He demanded from his servant ‘Aqid’ to go inside the house and bring out the child. Abu Muhammad said to him “ Have glad tidings my son, for you are the ‘Sahib al-Zaman’, the Mahdi, the evidence of Allah on His earth. You are my son the inheritor of my will, I gave birth to you. You are Muhammad bin Hassan. You are the seal of the pure Imams. The Prophet (peace be upon him) has foretold about you, and has nicknamed you so. My father has given this covenant to me from your pure fore- fathers. (36)