The development of shiite political thought from shura to wilayat al-faqih
|
|  Yüklə 0.82 Mb.
|
SIGHTING HIM AT THE TIME OF THE DEATH OF HIS FATHER Of all the early historians, it was only Muhammad bin Ali Saduq who mentioned other stories like the story of Abu al-Adyan al-Basri who said: ‘I was serving Hassan Bin Ali, carrying his letters to the cities. One day I went to him during his illness that led to his death. He wrote some letters, and said: “ Go with it to the cities, for you will be away for fifteen days and you will go to Surr Man Raa on the 15th day. And you will hear the wailer in my house, and you find me where people are washed (after my death). I said to him: “O master if that happens, then who?” He replied: “Any one who demands from you the reply of my letters he will be the Qa’im after me.” I said to him: “ Tell me more!” He said: “Anyone who prays for me, he will be the Qa’im after me.” I said: “ Tell me more!” He said: “ Anyone who tells of what is in ‘al-Hamyan’(a kind of bag) he will be the Qa’im after me.” I left him, with the letters in my hands, to the cities, and received the replies to them, and then I proceeded to Surr Man Raa on the fifteenth day, as he said. Behold! I heard the wailer in his house, and he was at the washing place. And behold Ja’far bin Ali his brother, was at the door of the house and the Shiites were surrounding him, saying their condolences and congratulating him. I said to myself, if this will become the Imam, then the Imamate is invalidated, for I know him drinking ‘Nabidh’ (a kind of wine), and he gambles in al-Jawsaq and he plays with Tamborine. I went forward, gave my condolence (to him), congratulated (him) and then sat down. He did not ask me about anything. Aqid then came out and said: “O master your brother has been shrouded come and pray on him.” Ja’far bin Ali went in together with the Shiites around him, with Al-Samman (Uthman bin Sa’id al-Umari) at the forefront. When we entered the house behold, Hassan was on the carrier in his shroud. Ja’far then went forward to pray on him. As he was about to say the takbir (start the prayer), a child- of some brownish face, with some curls on his hair, and an opening in his incisors- came out pulling the dress of Ja’far and said “ Go back my uncle, I have more right of praying on my father.” Ja’far went back. His face showed sign of fury. The child went forward and prayed on him, and (Hassan) was buried near the grave of his father. He (the child) then said: “O Basri! Bring the replies of the letters that were with you.” I gave them to him. I said to myself: ‘ These are two evidences, al-Hamyan remains.’ Then I went to Ja’far who was sighing. And the gatekeeper said to him: “O master! Who was that child, so that we establish our evidence against him.” He replied “By Allah! I have never seen him before, and I do not know him.” We were sitting down when a group of people from Qum arrived, and asked of Hassan bin Ali. They were told of his death. They then said, “To whom should we give condolence?” Some pointed to Ja’far. They said salam to him, and gave their condolences and congratulated him. They then said: “ We have with us letters and wealth,will you tell us from whom were the letters.” He stood up dusting his clothes, and said: “You want us to know the Unseen?” He said: The servant came out and said: “ With you were the letters of so and so and so and so and the Hamyan has 1000 (one thousand) and ten dinars inside it. They then gave him the letters and the money. They said: “ The one who directed you to take that us, is the Imam.” (37) Saduq narrates this story in another way from Sinan al-Mausili.He stated that when Askari died, delegations from the mountains and from Qum came with money. They were not aware of the death of Hassan. They asked about his heir, and it was said to them: It is his brother Ja’far; he has gone for entertainment with some dancers in the dark. They wanted to go back but Abu Abbas Muhammad bin Ja’far al-Himyari al-Qummi said to them: “Stay with us till this man comes and we will test him on the veracity of his claim. They demanded from him to talk on the Unseen (al-Ghayb) as regards the details of the money and their owners. He denied having the knowledge of the Unseen. At the time they were leaving the city a servant came calling: “ O so and so, respond to your master”. They said, we went with him till we entered the house of our master Hassan bin Ali, behold his son, the Qa’im our leader, was sitting on a bed, like the brightness of the moon wearing a green dress. We said ‘Salam’ to him and he responded, and then he said: “The total amount of money was so and so. So and so carries such amount, and so and so carries such amount”. He kept on explaining till he described the whole amount. He also described our means of transportation, our clothes and the animals with us. We fell down prostrating to Allah the Most High, as a sigh of gratitude for what he has informed us, and we asked him what we wanted and he replied. We delivered the money to him. He ordered us not to bring money to Surr Man Raa after that, and that he will appoint a man in Baghdad for us, who will bring the money to him, and get his signatures. (38)
There was an historical account transmitted by a number of writers about a policeman called Rashiq, explaining an attempt by the Abbasid Al- Mu’tadid to arrest the Mahdi. And that he sent three policemen for that, who went to the house of Imam Hassan Askari in Samirra’; and that they saw the house turning to a sea of water, and they saw also a man standing and praying on a prayer-mat, and were certain of drowning if they attempt moving forward towards him, and their subsequent apology and return. (39) Majlisi and Sadr both reported another story similar to the above, on the preparations of Al-Mu’tadid for a wider war and raiding the house, and the hearing of the soldiers of recitation of (the Qur’an) from the canopy, and their gathering at the entrance so as to arrest the owner of sound, and his coming out before them. (40) B: THE TESTIMONY OF THE FOUR DEPUTIES Perhaps the most important historical evidence on the birth and existence of Imam Muhammad bin Hassan Askari is the testimony of the four special deputies who claimed representing him, in the period of the minor occultation, from 260 A.H to 329 A.H. As these four deputies were claiming seeing, meeting and submitting money to him, as well as receiving his letters and getting his signatures from him for those who believe in him. The first generations of the representatives or ambassadors or deputies were men from the companions of the two Imams Ali bin Muhammad Hadi and Hassan bin Ali Askari (peace be upon them). Their leader was Uthman bin Sa’id al-Umari who was the deputy of the two Imams in the collection of funds from the Shiites and bringing it to them during their lifetimes. Sheikh Tusi described him as “ the Sheikh relied upon, and of the emissaries praised by the Imams.” (41) It was said that he had the confidence of the two Askari Imams. He was not only their deputy in the collection of funds, but he was playing an even more important role of taking the letters of the (two) Imams to the Shiite community. He was enjoying a lot of respect among them. Sheikh Tusi reported in ‘al-Ghaybah’, a narration from Ahmad bin Ishaq al-Qummi who said: “ I went to Abu Hassan Ali bin Muhammad one day and said to him: “ O Master! I used to be absent and then present and I may not be chanced whenever I am present, to see you, so whose statement are we to accept, and whose instructions are we to obey?” He said to me: “ This is Abu Amr the trusted and the reliable whatever he told you, is from me, and whatever he gave to you, it is from me.” When Abu Hassan Passed away, I one day went to Abu Muhammad Hassan Askari, I told him similar to what I said to his father. He replied, “This is Abu Amr, the reliable the honest, the reliable of the past (Imam) and my reliable (man) in my life and my death . Whatever He told you is from me, and whatever he gave to you, it is from me. “(42) This narration discloses that al- Umari was not only the deputy in collecting funds, but was also playing other roles greater than that in taking the messages of the two Imams Hadi and Askari to the Shiites, and was enjoying a lot of respect with the people. Tusi also reports from Ahmad bin Ali bin Nuh Abu Abbas al-Sirafi who said: “Abu Nasr Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Ahmad, known as Ibn Barniyyah al-Katib told them that: Some nobles from the Hadith scholars of Imamate Shiites told him that: Abu Muhammad Abbas bin Ahmad al-Sa’igh said: “ Hussain bin Ahmad al-Khusaibi, said: Muhammad bin Ismail and Ali bin Abdullah al-Husnayan told me that: “We went to Abu Muhammad Hassan at ‘Surr Man Ra’a, and with him were a group of his devoted companions and supporters. Badr, his servant came and said: “ O Master, there were some people at the gate, they are strangers and travelers.” He said to them: “ These are our supporters in Yemen ( as part of a long tradition cited) till he ended with the statement of Hassan to Badr: “ Go and bring us Uthman bin Sa’id al-Umari.” After a little while Uthman arrived. Abu Muhammad said to him: “ Go O Uthman you are the deputy, the reliable and trusted on the funds of Allah, and collect from those people from Yemen, what fund they have carried with them (he cited the remaining part of the tradition) till he said, then all of us said: “O master! By Allah, Uthman is among the best of your supporters and we have learnt more of his position in your service. He is your deputy and reliable man on the wealth of Allah,” He said: “Yes do testify that Uthman bin Sa’id al-Umari is my deputy. His son Muhammad is the deputy of my son, your Mahdi.” (43) It should be noticed that this report, in addition to his reliability and deputyship it also confirms the reliability and deputyship of his son. Tusi reports from Abu Muhammad Harun bin Musa, who said: Jafar bin Muhammad bin Malik al-Fazari narrated from a group of Shiites, among them were: Ali bin Bilal, Ahmad bin Hilal, Muhammad bin Mu’awiyah bin Hakim and Hassan bin Ayyub bin Nuh (in a long and famous tradition) that they all said: “We gathered at the place of Abu Muhammad Hassan bin Ali, asking him about the Hujjah after him; There were forty people with him. Uthman bin Sa’id al-Umari stood up and said to him. “O son of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) I want to ask you on a matter which you know better than me.” He said to him: “Sit down O Uthman.” He stood angrily in order to go out. He said: “No one of you should go out.” None of us went out, till after one hour. He (the Imam) shouted to Uthman. He stood up. He then said: “Should I tell you what brought you? You came in order to ask me of the Hujjah after me.”They replied:”Yes,” Behold a child like a piece of the moon resembling, more than anyone else, Abu Muhammad, came in. He then said: “This is your Imam after me and my successor on you, the affair will be with him.” (44) Tusi says- from the grandson of Al-Umari, Hibat al-Lah: that when Hassan bin Ali died, Uthman bin Sa’id attended his washing,and supervised over his funeral like the shroud, putting perfume on him and the burial as instructed and dictated by the circumstances….. The (documents containing) signatures of the Sahib al-Amr (Mahdi) were coming from Uthman bin Sa’id, and his son Abu Jafar, to his supporters and the sincere companions of his father on all commands and prohibitions, as well as the answers to what the Shiites used to asked when there was any need to ask, and in the same handwriting as the time of Hassan. So the Shiites never ceased relying and reposing confidence in both of them, till the death of Uthman bin Sa’id. (45) In this manner Al-Umari became a special deputy of Imam Mahdi, after he claimed his existence and birth and his representing him. Ahmad bin Ishaq once asked him and he said to him: “ You are now one whose statements and truthfullness cannot be doubted. I ask you by Allah, and by the truth of the two Imams who relied on you, have you seen the son of Abu Muhammad who is the Sahib al-Zaman? He wept then he said: “On condition that you will not tell that to anyone, so long I am alive.” He said: “Yes.” He then said: “I have seen him, and his neck was like this ( he means, it is the best in beauty and perfection)”. He said: “ What of the name?” He replied, “You have prohibited from that.” (46) Uthman bin Sa’id al-Umari died two years after the death of Imam Askari, and his son, Muhammad succeeded him as the emissary between Imam Mahdi and the Shiites. Kulayni and Tusi have reported the (documents with) signatures from the Imam with his endorsement and recommendation, and also on his, appointment as the special deputy. (47) Abdullah bin Ja’far Al-Himyari al-Qummi, the leader of the Shiites in Qum, says that: “ The Mahdi has sent to Al-Umari, the junior a signed (document) in which he said: “Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return, in submission to His command and acceptance of His decree. Your father has lived a happy life and died a praiseworthy man. May Allah have mercy on him, and join him with his friends and beloved ones. He has been unceasingly striving to serve them, which brought him closer to Allah. May Allah forgive and have mercy on him. Of his perfect happiness and success, Allah has bestowed on him a son like you, who will succeed him after him, and be in his place in his affairs, who will seek mercy for him. I say: All praise be to Allah, may He help, strengthen and empower you and grant you success. He is your friend, protector, and sufficient.” (48) Al- Himyari said: “ When Abu Amr (Uthman bin Sa’id) Passed away, letters in the same handwriting as we were used to, came to us, (instructing) that we place Abu Ja’far in his place. (49) Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Mahziyar al-Ahwazi said that the following came to him after the death of Abu Amr: “ The son, may Allah protect him, he never ceased being trusted by us in the life of the father, may Allah be pleased with him, he will be with us as his father, doing what he did. The son will perform and carry out our orders. May Allah be with him. Listen to him and explain this our conduct.” (50) Tusi has reported from Ishaq bin Yaqub that he said: ‘I asked Muhammad bin Uthman al-Umari to pass my letter, in which I asked about some issues not clear to me (to the Mahdi). He signed it with the same handwriting of our master, the owner of the house’: “Muhammad bin Uthman al-Umari, (may Allah be pleased with him) and his father before him. He is my trusted one and his letter is my letter. “ (51) Whenever Al-Umari was asked: Have you seen the Mahdi. He used to answer: “Yes, the last time I saw him was at the Haram in Makkah, and he was saying: “ O Allah fulfill what you have promised me.” And I saw him holding to the curtains of the Ka’bah in the Mustajar, and he was saying: “O Allah, avenge for me against my enemies.” By Allah, the owner of this affair attends the occasion (of Hajj) every year, and he will see people and identify them.” (52) Tusi says that: “The signatures issued from Al-Umari throughout his life were in the same handwriting as the time of his father. The Shiites do not know anything other than this in this matter.” (53) Al-Umari, the junior continued on the same post for about fifty (50) years, when he died in the beginning of the fourth century of Hijrah (305 A.H), he gave his will to Hussain bin Ruh al-Nubakhti, who was one of his ten deputies in Baghdad. Nubakhti, who died in the year 325 A.H., gave his will to the fourth deputy, Ali bin Muhammad Al-Samri (Al-Saimiri) as his successor after him, and as a deputy of Imam Mahdi, the Occult. (54) Besides these four deputies, about twenty four (24) other people of the companions of the two Imams Hadi and Askari or their followers claimed being deputies, like Hassan Al-Shari’I, Muhammad bin Nasir Al-Namiri, Abu Hashim Dawud bin Qasim, Al-Jafari, Ahmad bin Hilal Al-Ibrata’i, Muhammad bin Ali bin Bilal, Ishaq Al-Ahmar, Hajiz bin Yazid, Muhammad bin Salih Al-Hamdani, Muhammad bin Ja’far bin Aun Al-Asadi Al-Razi, Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Mahziyar, Hussain bin Mansour Al-Hallaj, Ja’far bin Suhail Al-Saiqil, Muhammad bin Ghalib Al-Isfahani, Ahmad bin Ishaq Ash’ari Al-Qummi, Qasim bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Hamdani, Muhammad bin Salih Al-Qummi, Qasim bin Al-Ala and his son Hassan, Muhammad bin Ali Al-Shalmaghani bin Abi Al-Azaqir and finally Abu Dalf al-Katib. Many of these people claimed a special relationship between them and the two Imams Hadi and Askari, and hence with Imam Mahdi. As many of them also claimed the ability to produce miracles, and the possessing of the knowledge of the Unseen (Ghayb) and they present secret letters claiming that they came with them from the Occult Imam, and they collect funds and other legal rights from the people. The Imamate Shiites who believed in the existence of the twelfth Imam have differed among themselves on the truth of the claims of these deputies, and the validity of such claims. Some of them accepted and believed in the claims of the four early deputies. Another group like the Nusayriyyah believed the claims of Shari’i and Namiri. Some others believed in the claims of other groups. Anyhow, some regarded the existence of the four deputies and others as a historical testimony to the existence of a son for Imam Hassan Askari, being the Imam Mahdi, in addition to those historical narrations that discussed his birth, and his being seen during the life of his father and the meeting with him after that. Syed Muhammad Baqir Sadr says in his book ‘Bahth hawl al-Mahdi,’ “It is not rational that all these just, trusted and reliable deputies will lie in their claim of being deputies or in the existence of Imam Mahdi, after the consensus of the Shiites on their truthfulness, piety and God- fearing. Some of the earlier scholars of Hadith, like Nu’mani Muhammad bin Abi Zaynab considered the existence of these four special deputies, in the period of the minor Occultation and their absence in the period of the major Occultation, which extends from that time to the day of the Appearance, and the conformity of the two periods with the reports on the existence of the two Occultations the minor and the major,for Imam Mahdi, as evidence on the existence of Muhammad bin Hassan Askari, and the validity of his Occultation.
A- THE LETTERS OF MAHDI Saduq Tusi, Ibn Shahra’ashub, Tabrisi have mentioned a number of letters which they claimed to have been sent by Imam Muhammad bin Hassan Askari, to a number of his deputies in the period of the minor Occultation. Among these was what Tusi reported in ‘Al-Ghaybah’ from Ahmad bin Ishaq Ash’ari al-Qummi, who says that he has written to Ibn Hassan a letter on the claim of Ja’far bin Ali Hadi, for the people of Qum to follow him after the death of his brother. He said in it: ‘ The Sahib al-Zaman has written a letter to him, containing his blaming and suspecting of Ja’far of ignorance of religion and of disobedience, drinking wine and disobedience to Allah, and of possessing no any evidence, and the call to test him and confirming the impermissibility of the Imamate going to two brothers after Hassan and Hussain’. (55) As Tusi also reports a second narration from Ibn Abi Ghanim Al-Qazwini that he, and a group of Shiites differed on the existence of the successor (Imam Askari) and they quarreled among themselves. They then wrote on that a letter and sent it to Al-Nahiyah, and informed him of their querrel on that. The response to their letter came in the handwriting of (the Mahdi) and it contained words of pity and sadness on them, and a call to submission and the not attempting to uncover the secrecy of the Occultation. (56) There was a third letter reported by Saduq in ‘Ikmal al-Din’ from Ishaq bin Yaqub who said: “ I asked Muhammad bin Uthman al-Umari to take a letter for me in which I have enquired on some issues that have confused me (to the Mahdi). The response came in the handwriting of our master ‘Sahib al-Dar’ (the Mahdi) and in it was the following words: “ As for the events that took place, refer to our reporters of traditions regarding them. They are my evidence upon you and I am the evidence of Allah on them.” It contains the recommendation (of the Mahdi) and his confidence in Al-Umari, as well as the legalization of Khums during the occultation, and prohibition on asking the causes and reasons for the Occultation. (57) Saduq transmitted another letter in ‘Ikmal al-Din’, from Imam Mahdi to the first deputy: Uthman bin Sa’id Al-Umari and his son, Muhammad-the second deputy. He mentioned in it the stories of the conflict between Shiites on the successor, and the saying of some of them that none exist except Ja’far bin Ali. He demands (in it) from the Shiites not to look for anything concealed to them, so as not to commit sin, and not to uncover what Allah has concealed lest they regret it, and to stick only to a general mention, indirect statements, without explanation and disclosure. (58) Ibn shahra’ashub in ‘Al-Manaqib’ and Tabrisi in ‘Al-Ihtijaj’ have further mentioned that: Mufid has brought out or published copies of the letters said to have been sent by Imam Mahdi to him, through a village Arab, and in the handwriting of another man. The Mahdi was calling Mufid in them-the righteous brother, the guided- master and the helping savior, the one inspired by the truth and its evidence, the good servant, helper of the truth who calls to it, with the word of truth. (59) These are the most important stories reported on the sightings of Imam Muhammad bin Hassan Askari, at the time of his birth, in the lifetime of his father, and at the time of his death and just before that. There were other stories reported on sighting him in the Grand Mosque (Makkah) in ‘Tawaf” or in a valley of the villages of Taif, or in Madinah or here or there, and these were of less importance and weaker as regards their transmission. Perhaps the story of Hakimah and Abu Al-Adyan al-Basri are the two most well known stories reported on the birth and the existence of the twelfth Imam.
1. Ikmal Al-Din P. 417 2. Ithbat al-Wasiyyah, p. 195 3. Ikmal al-Din, p. 431 4. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 51, p. 432 5. Nubakhti: Firaq al-Shiah, p. 103, Ash’ari: Al-Maqalat wa al-Firaq, p. 114 6. Al-Fusul al-Mukhtarah,p. 114 7. ibid. p. 258 8. ibid. p. 432 9. ibid. p. 143 10. Al-Ghaybah, p. 141 11. Saduq: Ikmal al-Din, p. 424 12. ibid. p. 428 13. ibid. p. 426 14. ibid. p. 430 15. Tusi: Al-Ghaybah, p. 141 16. ibid.,p.142 17. ibid. p. 143 18. ibid. p. 145 19. ibid. 20. Mas’udi: Ithbat al-Wasiyyah,p.196,Khusaibi: Al-Hidayah al-Kubra 21. Mas’udi: op. cit. p. 197 22. ibid, p. 197 23. ibid 24. ibid. p. 434 25. ibid. p. 384 26. ibid.p. 435 27. p. 151 28. ibid, p. 392 29. Ikmal al-Din, p. 432 30. Al-Kafi, vol. 1 p. 329, Ikmal al-Din,p, 435 and Al-Ghaybah, p. 140 31. Ikmal al-Din. P. 435, al-Ghaybah p. 217 32. Ikmal al-Din. P. 436 33. ibid. pp. 454-456 34. ibid. p. 384 35. ibid. pp. 148-149 36. ibid. p. 165 37. Saduq: Ikmal al-Din. Pp. 475-476 38. ibid. pp. 476-479 39. Tusi: Al-Ghaybah p. 149, Al-Rawandi: Al-Kharayij wa al-Jarayih , p.67, Al-Majlisi: Bihar al-Anwar, vol.13, p.118,Sadr. Muhammad: Al-Ghaybah al-Sughra,p. 577 40. Sadr: Al-Ghaybah Al-Sughra p. 560, Al-Majlisi: Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 13, p. 118 41. Al-Ghaybah. Pp. 209 and 214 42. ibid. p. 215 43. ibid. pp. 215-216 44. ibid. p. 217 45. ibid. p. 216 46. ibid. p. 215 47. ibid. p. 218 48. ibid. p. 230 49. ibid. 50. ibid 51. ibid. 52. ibid. p. 222 53. ibid. p. 221 54. Saduq: Ikmal al-Din, p. 503 55. Tusi: Al-Ghaybah, pp. 174-176 56. ibid. p. 172-174 57. Saduq: Ikmal al-Din, p. 483 Tusi, Al-Ghaybah, pp. 186-188 58. Saduq: Ikmal al-Din p. 510 59. Refer also to Al-Nuri al-Tabrisi: Khatimah al-Mustadrak, vol. 3, p. 518, Al-Jaza’iri: Al-Anwar al-Nu’maniyyah vol. 2 p. 21, Ibn Bitriq al-Hilli: Risalah Nahj al-Ulum, Al-Tankabani: Qasas al-Ulama’, p. 399
In addition to the rational, traditional and historical evidences on the existence of Muhammad bin Hassan Askari, the supporters of this theory cite a fourth evidence, the ‘miracles’, which they claim the four deputies’ have performed, as well as the knowledge of the Unseen, which they possessed. We have demonstrated many such ‘Miracles’ while discussing the historical narrations on the birth of the son of Hassan and his existence in the last chapter. We will now mention the extraordinary performances presented by the four deputies, namely: Uthman bin Sa’id al-Umari, Muhammad bin Uthman, Hussain bin Ruh al-Nubakhti and Ali bin Muhammad al-Samri, the representatives of Imam Mahdi in the period of the minor Occultation, which extended around 70 years from 260 A. H to 329 A.H, the date of the death of the fourth deputy. Sheikh Mufid has stated in ‘Al-Irshad’ the story of Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Mahziyar, who doubted the existence of Imam Mahdi after the death of Imam Askari, and who said that, his father bequeathed a big amount of money for him, and directed him to fear Allah in that wealth and to submit it to the successor (Khalifah) of Imam Askari. But he said to himself: I will take this money to Baghdad, rent a house they’re on the coast and I will not tell anyone anything. If something becomes clear to me after that like the days of Abu Muhammad I will give it, otherwise I will spend it on my enjoyments and desires. He went to Baghdad and entered a house on the coast and remained there for some days. He was in that when behold a letter with a messenger came to him, and in it thus: “O Muhammad! With you is such and such amount…” till the whole story was narrated to him all that was with him, and something of which he has no knowledge of. He therefore gave the amount to the messenger. After some days, an announcement came to him, being appointed as a deputy in place of his father. (1) Kulayni, Mufid and Tusi all mentioned many examples of miracles of the deputies and their knowledge of the Unseen, as evidence of their link with Imam Mahdi, and on the existence of Mahdi and his connection with the heavens. Of these was the raising of Imam Mahdi of a camel and what is on it, to the sky. Of these was the prevention of the Mahdi of a man from circumcising his son, and the death of the child immediately he was circumcised. He also prevented a man from traveling on land and sea and instructed him to stay in Kufah, and the appearance of pirates and highway robbers on the caravans at that time. Of these was the story of Al-Umari discovering the place of a trust forgotten by the messenger in his belongings, despite that the messenger did not take anything to remind him or a book on the issue. Other miracles include: - His telling Al-Umari, the date of his death, the day, the month and the year. - The mention of strange responses from Al-Umari, and his telling a man of the details of his secret disagreement with his wife. - The power and ability of the third deputy-Hassan bin Ruh Nubakhti to read a white letter and knowing its contents and responding to it immediately. - In forming Ali bin Babawaih Saduq of the birth of two righteous children for him in future. - Nubakhti informing a number of people of solving their problems in future in specific terms and in details, and the death of some people at the time specified before. - The knowledge of Nubakhti of foreign languages and speaking them miraculously, without learning them. - The fourth deputy Al-Samri, informed his companions, while he was in Baghdad, of the death of Ali bin Hussain bin Babawaih in Qum in the same day. - He also informed the Shiites of his death after six days. - Qasim bin Al-Ala informed of his imminent death after 40 days, and the return of his sight to him after losing it for a long time, and his telling of the long life of his son, unlike his earlier brothers. - The knowledge of the deputies as regards the source of the wealth that cones to them. - The telling of Muhammad bin Ziyad Al-Saimiri of his death in a particular time. (2) Tusi pointed to the evidence of miracles, and considered it an evidence on the Imamate of the son of Hassan; and the establishment of his Occultation and his very existence, because they are reports that contain narrations related to the Unseen, and of foretelling something before it happens, in a miraculous manner. (Arguing on the basis that) no one knows that except the one informed by Allah, from the tongue of His Prophet (peace be upon him), and it reaches him from the one whose truthfulness has been ascertained by evidence. This is because miracles do not appear on the hands of liars. If this is established, it points to the existence of the one to whom that is attributed. (3)
1.Mufid: Al-Irshad, p. 351 2. Kulayni: Al-Kafi, vol. 1p, 519, Mufid: Al-Irshad pp. 352- 355, Tusi: Al-Ghaybah, p. 179,222, 184, 188, 193-195-243 3.Tusi: Al-Ghaybah, p. 199 CHAPTER FIVE: THE EVIDENCE OF CONSENSUS (IJMA’)
After the philosophical (rational), the traditional (transmitted), the historical and the miraculous evidences, there is also the evidence of consensus (Ijma) pointed to by some of those who believe in the theory of the existence of Muhammad bin Hassan Askari and his birth. The first person to point to this evidence of consensus was Sa’ad bin Abdullah Ash’ari al-Qummi in ‘Al-Maqalat wa al-Firaq’, p. 106. Sheikh Saduq has reported from Nubakhti that: the entire Shiites have agreed (have reached a consensus), that Imam Hassan Askari has left behind an issue who was the Imam. He said that: “Anyone who believed the Imamate of eleven Imams from the forefathers of the Qa’im, it is incumbent on him to accept the Imamate of the twelfth, on the basis of the texts from his fore-fathers which contain his name and lineage and the consensus of the entire Shiites on the belief in his Imamate. He is the Qa’im who will appear after a very long Occultation. He will fill the earth with justice and equity. (Ikmal al-Din, p. 44 and 93) This is what comes to the mind first these days, when many people argue that the issue of the existence of Imam Mahdi Muhammad bin Hassan Askari, is one of the issues of consensus of opinion in the ranks of the Twelver-Imam Shiites to say the least.
After presenting all the rational, traditional and historical evidences on the existence of Muhammad bin Hassan Askari, and his birth in the middle of the third (3rd) century of Hijrah, his occultation from sight and non-appearance; and taking up of the leadership of the Islam; and assuming the position of Imamate, constitute the greatest challenges for those who believe in his existence. And due to this, they had to explain the wisdom behind his occultation. They did present a number of theories in interpreting the perplexing phenomenon of the occultation, as follows: (1) The Theory of Unknown Wisdom Sheikh Saduq was inclined towards this theory in his ‘Ikmal al-Din’, and saw the necessity of finding wisdom in the occultation of the Imam, based on the signs of Allah’s wisdom in the previous evidences (Imams). He said that: ‘Our belief in the infallibility of Imam Mahdi will necessitate our acceptance of the existence of wisdom behind his occultation.’ (1) Sayyid Murtada ‘Alam al-Huda’ has denied the necessity of knowing the specific reason for the occultation, and that the general knowledge on that is enough, in addition to the belief in the infallibility of the Imam. He considered the knowledge of that similar to the knowledge of what comes in the ‘Mutashabihah’ (ambiguous) verses of the Great Quran. (2) Likewise, Sheikh Tusi stated the necessity of supposing a reason for the occultation of the Sahib al-Zaman and his hiding, and the belief in the existence of palatable wisdom in that, even if we do not know it in details. This is just as we suppose reasons and wisdom for Allah’s creation of animals and harmful beings, ugly forms and pain in children, even if we do not know the wisdom therein in details. He said: “ If we knew his Imamate through evidence, and knew his infallibility through another evidence and knew that he has gone into occultation, we take his occultation in the manner that is compatible with his infallibility. There is no difference between the two cases? (3) Sheikh Muhammad Hussain Kashif Ghita said in ‘Asl al-Shiah wa Usuluha’, “The objection on the wisdom (behind the occultation) is invalid, if the evidences are established on the necessity of the existence of the Imam in every period of time. The world is never devoid of evidence. His existence is benevolence and what he does is another benevolence.” He considered the position more meticulous and ambiguous than that. He also confessed his ignorance of the wisdom, and non-arrival at what is real good (Maslahah). (4)
There is another theory in interpreting the ‘occultation of the Imam’, that is the theory of distinction and differentiating the Shiites and sifting them, so as to know the truth of their faith in the Mahdi and their perseverance before trials. Saduq and Tusi have transmitted a number of reports in this regard, from both Imams Baqir and Sadiq (peace be upon them.). Some of these reports indicate the nonappearance of the ‘Sahib al-Amr’ till after the elimination of one third of (human) population, when only very few people remain, andafter that the Shiites would sifted like the sifting of wheat from darnel. (5) One of those reports states: “ There must be an occultation for the owner of this affair, till those claiming this affair rescind their position. It is a trial from Allah, through which He tests His creation, your minds cannot grasp this matter, and your ambitions fall short of that. If you live (long enough) you will perceive him.” (6) This resembles another of those reports which says: “The occultation of the Mahdi is like the delay of the punishment sought by Nuh (A.S) from the heavens, to the extent that groups of those who believed in him became apostates, one group after the other---similarly, the occultation of the Qa’im will be long, to the extent that the truth will be clear and will glare from any cloudiness, by the apostasy of all those Shiites that are not true to their faith, and were close to hypocrisy (Nifaq), when the Qa’im is well established and there is peace and tranquility (everywhere).” (7) It was only Saduq who entertained this view. All of Mufid, Murtada and Tusi have abandoned it, even though; they have reported some reports containing it. Tusi has interpreted those narrations on the trial of the Shiites during the occultation, that they mean the trial of the Shiites coincided with the occultation, not that the latter was the cause of the former. (8) 3.THE THEORY OF FEAR This is the strongest of these theories in interpreting the cause of the occultation. Kulayni has reported in ‘Al-Kafi’, and Saduq also in ‘Ikmal-al-Din’ a number of traditions from Imam Sadiq, pointing to the fact that the cause of the occultation was fear on the life (of the Imam) and insinuation (Taqiyyah). (9) Sheikh Mufid in ‘Al-Irshad’ said: “Hassan left behind his son the Awaited for the rule of truth. He did conceal his birth and kept his affairs a secret, due to the difficult circumstances of the time, and the serious search by the authorities of the time for the Mahdi, and their doing all that is possible in order to find him. That was also due to what the Shiite sect had spread regarding him, and their waiting for his appearance. So his son did not appear in his lifetime, and the general populace did not know him after his death.”(10) Mufid considered the circumstances surrounding the occultation of Imam Mahdi as more difficult that the circumstance of the earlier Imams of the ‘Ahl al- Bayt, who did not hide themselves from the people. They were protecting (themselves) through taqiyyah. The rulers of the time knew of the emergence of the Mahdi by means of the sword, and due to that they were eager in pursuing and eliminating him. The reason that prevented him from coming out (to the public) was the lack of supporters and helpers.” (11) Sayyid Murtada emphasized in his ‘Al- Shafi’ thus: “The cause of his occultation was the threat of the unjust rulers, and their not allowing him free hand to conduct himself in things he has under his control. When they stood before what he wants (to do), the responsibility of performing the functions and duties of the Imamate falls. And if he has fears on his life, it became necessary to go into hiding and occultation.” (12) Al-Karajiki says in ‘Kanz al-Fawaid’: “ The reason for the occultation of the Imam was the threat from the unjust rulers and their search (for him) to kill him, and his being informed (by Allah) that whenever he brings himself out, they will kill him, and that whenever they are able to get him, they will eliminate him. It is only when he will be established and is powerful that it becomes incumbent on him to perform his duties,that is when there is no hindrance and fear has been removed as regards his life and existence. Whenever such is not possible it is compulsory to practice taqiyyah and occultation due to this reasons is mandatory. This is because freeing oneself from harm is mandatory rationally and traditionally. (13) Tusi limited the causes of the occultation to fear. He said: “There is no cause to prevent his appearance except fear on his life, if not because of that, it would not be right for him to go into hiding. He bears hardship and harm, as the position of the Imams, as well as the Prophets, (peace be upon them) is higher due to the great hardships they bear for Allah’s sake. “ 14 However, why should Imam Muhammad bin Hassan fears his being killed, while Imam Hussain did sacrifice his life in Karbala? Sayyid Murtada, Sheikh Tusi and Al-Karajiki responded to that by saying: “No one among humans can stand the position of the Mahdi as he is the last of the Imams, and the welfare and good of all responsible and matured men rest squarely on him. “ (15) This response presupposes a number of assumptions: 1- Specifying the Mahdism of the twelfth Imam by the earlier Imams, and a pointer to him before (his appearance). 2- The existence of political crisis and the enmity and fear of the Abbasid authorities regarding the Mahdi, and the existence of greater fear on the part of the Imam, that existed during the years of the earlier Imams under the Umayyad and Abbasid rules. 3- The finality of Imamate in the twelfth Imam and limiting Imamate to him. 4- The prohibition of taqiyyah on the part of the Mahdi before his appearance.
Otherwise if we say that ‘ the earlier Imams did not specify the identity of the Mahdi previously, then there will not be any need for him to go into hiding from the time of his birth. If it is established that the relationship between the Ahl al-Bayt’ and the Abbasids during that time was normal and positive and that there was no pressure or political strains, and then there was no breed for the occultation. If we say that the twelfth Imam is one of the Imams not the last of them, as the Imamate Shiites believe in the beginning till the end of the third century. Then there will no any necessity for the occultation, because the earlier Imams were all possible targets for killers, but they did not go to occultat5ion. And if we say that the twelfth Imam is supposing permitted to use taqiyyah as the other Imams, it was with his ability to deny his identity and his Mahdism till the time he appears (as the Mahdi), and he would not need to go into hiding from the time of his birth. B: THE OCCULTATION, WHERE? Most of the reports that mention the Mahdi Muhammad bin Hassan Askari indicate that he was in the house of his father in ‘Surr Man Raa’ the then capital of the Abbasid rule, and that those who witnessed and saw him in the lifetime of his father, saw him in that house. Some of the narrations state that: ‘He went out to pray on the body of his father, who died and was buried in Samirra’i. And that he met after that with a delegation from Qum, which came searching for the new Imam. That he remained inside the house for many years, until the attack of Mu’tadid's forces in the canopy (Sardab). The Abbasid Caliph, Nasir bi Allah has built a tent on the place of the canopy (‘Sardab’), it still exists there to this day. The Shiites used to visit it from all places. It is called the tent (Qubbah) of Sardab of the occultation, beside the graves of Imams Hadi and Askari in the city of Samirra’i’, north of Baghdad. Sheikh Mufid cited in ‘Al-Irshad’ the story of a man called ‘Ali bin Hussain’ saying that: He visited Imam Hadi in his house in Samirra’i’ and that he stayed with him for three days. As he also mentions the story of Hassan bin Fadl, who says that he passed by the camp, i.e. Samirra’i, and Imam Hadi sent to him a bag with Dinars in it. (16) Mufid also transmitted from Hassan bin Abdul Hamid that he doubted the affair of one of the deputies of the Mahdi called Hajiz bin Yazid, and then he went to the camp. Out of it came to him what confirmed to him the truth of the deputy and put an end to his doubts. (17) C: WHAT IS THE TIME- FRAME OF THE OCCULTATION? The period of the occultation, at the inception of the doctrine ranges between days, months and years not more than 10, as indicated by many narrations mentioned by Kulayni in ‘Al-Kafi’ and Tusi in ‘Al-Ghaybah’. (18)
Other reports on the other hand were saying that: ‘It will be as long as about 30 to 40 years’. (19) Some other narrations transmitted by Nu'mani in ‘Al-Ghaybah’, pointed to limiting the period of the occultation more to the tender age of Imam Mahdi at the time of his appearance. Nu’mani interpreted such reports with his young age, at the time the Imamate was bestowed on him. (20) Tusi had reported another tradition from Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) that: “The owner of this affair (the Mahdi) is not more than 40 years old”. (21) Other reports indicate that his age may be more than 120 years. (22) Tusi has reported in ‘Al-Ghaybah’ from Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) that he said: “Do you deny that Allah will extend the life of the owner of the Affair (the Mahdi) as he extended the life of Nuh (A.S)?” He responded to those who find flaws in the length of the period of occultation, and it’s crossing what is normal, that the issue is not as they stated. Even if it is so, it is possible that Allah will do something extraordinary for some kind of good (Maslahah). (23) Saduq and Tusi cited the occultations of Musa bin Imran, Yusuf bin Ya’qub, Yunus bin Matta, people of the cave, the owner of the Donkey, Nuh, Salman, the Persian, Dajjal, Luqman bin Ad, Rabi bin Daba’ and Ya’rib bin Qahtan, who were said to have left their people for specific periods of time. D: WAY OF CONFIRMING THE IDENTITY OF THE MAHDI Anyhow, the long occultation has led to and is still leading to an objective problem, namely: The way of recognizing and confirming the identity of the Mahdi after his appearance. This problem was discussed in the beginning, especially during the minor Occultation, but it imposed itself with the passage of time….It became the center of discussion between the supporters of the existence of the Mahdi and those who rejected that at that time. Sheikh Saduq confronted the opponents on this issue, and he said in response to the Mu’tazilites and those who reject (the idea of Mahdi), those who were finding fault on this point: “ It is possible through the transmission of that of the one, whose report serves as an evidence even if from among his close friends. It is also possible that a miracle may appear to confirm that. The second response is the one we depend on, and we use it against our opponents, even though the first one is also valid”. (24) Both Mufid and Tusi have pointed to this issue: ‘The problem of recognizing the Mahdi and confirming his identity at the time of his appearance, by mentioning a big number of miracles and strange universal signs, that appear from the Mahdi, as signs of his time. Sayyid Murtada has treated the problem, while discussing the possibility of a temporary appearance during the period of the occultation. He set as conditions, the appearance of signs to confirm his truth. (25) E: THE SIGNS OF THE APPEARANCE Kulayni in ‘Al-Kafi’, Saduq in ‘Ikmal al-Din’, and ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Rida’, Mufid in ‘Al-Irshad’, Tusi in ‘Al-Ghaybah’ and Al-Iyashi in his Tafsir, all mention a group of narrations linking the appearance and occurrence of some universal signs, related to halting the movement of stars and planets, changing their rule and things similar to that; or like the sun becoming dull from midday to late afternoon; or the appearances of the chest and the face of a man in the sun disc; or like the occurrence of solar or lunar eclipses in an abinormal manner; or like the solar eclipse in the middle of the month of Ramadan, and the lunar eclipse at the end of it; or like the speaking of the banner and the sword to Imam Mahdi and , his call that it is not permissible to sit down after that time. He will go out and kill the enemies of Allah wherever he finds them. He will establish the laws of Allah and judge by His injunctions. In addition to the story of the sun rising from the west, and the appearance of a star from the east, its light will be similar to that of the moon…. the disobedience of servants to their masters and killing them ….the deformation of people of innovations to monkeys and pigs…the servants taking over the lands of their masters…. in addition to a call from the heavens to be heard by all people of the earth, people of each language in their own language, the rising of the dead from their graves till they return to the world, and their recognizing each other and exchange of visits, in addition to all these, Mufid mentions that: ‘Jibril will descend on the Qa’im (Mahdi) to pay his allegiance at the time of his appearance’. Tusi says that: ‘The companions of the Qa’im will be carried to the place of the Mahdi in a miraculous manner in a twinkling of an eye! Mufid mentions some universal signs that will occur at the time of the appearance, like the prolongation of the day ten- folds, to become 240 hours! This is what Tusi interprets as regard a similar tradition where he says: “When the Qa’im appears, Allah will command the stars and the planets to slacken its movement, to the extent that the day in his days will be like ten days of your time, and a month will be like 10 months, and a year like 10 years of your time”. Kulayni reports a tradition from Imam Baqir (peace be upon him),in which he foretold that the Shiites would use things like (telephone, television) in speaking to the Qa’im, and viewing him from a distance, and from all regions. That will be at the time of his appearance. Some narrations state that at the time of the appearance of the Qa’im, the earth will be brighten by the light of its Lord, and men will not be in need of sunlight, and darkness will be eliminated. A man will live long in his domain and he will have one thousand (1000) male children, without a single female! Finally, the narrations on the appearance of the Mahdi discuss the period of his rule. One of such narrations says that: “He will rule for seven years, which will be like seventy (70) years of our time”. Another report says that the Qa’im will rule for three hundred and nine (309) years, like the period of time spent by the people of the cave in their cave. A third report says he will rule for nineteen (19) years only. (26)
SECTION TWO: |