Introduction

Preserving the secret of the Prophet’s Family

Keeping to the “Rope” Of Allah

The Imamate and the Will

Twelve imams determined by Allah

Pretenders of being imams

The traditions narrated by the Sunni

Doubting any of the twelve imams

Allah does not leave the world with no authority (Hujjah)

Al-Hujjah must appear

Disappearance of the expected Imam

Being patient in waiting for deliverance

Disagreement among the Shia during the disappearance

Al-Qa’im’s aspects and deeds

The signs preceding the appearance

The distresses before the appearance of al-Qa’im

Forbidding timing and naming al-Qa’im

The distresses al-Qa’im meets from people

The rising of as-Sufyani

The Prophet’s banner

The army of anger

The Shia when al-Qa’im appears

Islam began strange and returns strange

The age of al-Qa’im

Issma’eel, the son of Imam as-Sadiq

Knowing one’s imam

1 - أخبرنا علي بن أحمد، عن عبيد الله بن موسى، قال: حدثني محمد بن الحسين بن أبي الخطاب، عن محمد بن سنان، عن أبي الجارود، عن أبي جعفر الباقر أنه سمعه يقول: الأمر في أصغرنا سناً وأخملنا ذكراً.

(1) Ali bin Ahmad narrated from Obaydillah bin Musa from Muhammad bin al-Husayn (from) ibn Abul Khattab from Muhammad bin Sinan from Abul Jarood that Abu Ja’far al-Baqir (as) had said: “This matter (deliverance) will be carried out by the youngest and obscurest one of us.” The same was narrated by Ali bin al-Husayn from Muhammad bin Yahya al-Attar from Muhammad bin Hassaan ar-Razi from Muhammad bin Ali as-Sayrafi from Muhammad bin Sinan from Abul Jarood from Abu Ja’far al-Baqir (as).

2 - حدثنا محمد بن همام قال: حدثنا أحمد بن مابنداذ، قال: حدثنا أحمد بن هلال، عن أبي مالك الحضرمي، عن أبي السفاتج، عن أبي بصير، قال: قلت لهما (لأبي عبد الله أو لأبي جعفر ): أيكون أن يفضي هذا الأمر إلى من لم يبلغ؟ قال: سيكون ذلك. قلت: فما يصنع؟ قال: يورثه علماً وكتباً ولا يكله إلى نفسه.

(2) Muhammad bin Hammam narrated from Ahmad bin Mabindath from Ahmad bin Hilal from Abu Malik al-Hadhrami from Abu as-Safatij that Abu Baseer had said: “I said to one of them-Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) or Abu Ja’far al-Baqir (as): “Can this matter (imamate) be entrusted to one, who is not adult yet?” He said: “It will be so.” I said: “How does he (the young imam) act?” He said: “Allah grants him with knowledge and wisdom and does not make him follow his fancies.”

3 - حدثنا عبد الواحد بن عبد الله بن يونس قال: حدثنا محمد بن جعفر القرشي قال: حدثنا محمد بن الحسين بن أبي الخطاب، عن محمد بن سنان، عن أبي الجارود قال: قال لي أبو جعفر: لا يكون هذا الأمر إلاّ في أخملنا ذكراً وأحدثنا سناً.

(3) Abdul Wahid bin Abdullah bin Younus narrated from Muhammad bin Ja’far al-Qarashi from Muhammad bin al-Husayn bin Abul Khattab from Muhammad bin Sinan from Abul Jarood that Abu Ja’far al-Baqir (as) had said: “This matter (deliverance) is not carried out except by the obscurest and youngest one of us.”

4 - أخبرنا محمد بن همام قال: حدثنا أحمد بن مابنداذ، قال: حدثنا أحمد بن هلال، عن إسحاق بن صباح، عن أبي الحسن الرضا أنه قال: إن هذا سيفضي إلى من يكون له الحمل.

(4) Muhammad bin Hammam narrated from Ahmad bin Mabindath from Ahmad bin Hilal from Iss’haq bin Sabah that Imam Abul Hasan ar-Redha (as) had said: “The imamate will be entrusted to one, who is so young and obscure.” The infallible imams (as) have confirmed that al-Qa’im (as) will be entrusted with the imamate while he is too young yet and that his mention is so obscure to the most of people. None of the other imams has been entrusted with the imamate when he is as young as al-Mahdi (aj). When they mention that he is the obscurest one among them, they refer to his disappearance and that his news will be unknown by people. The traditions about this concern are too many, true and current. Doubting this matter must be away from the minds of the believers, whom Allah has guided and lit their hearts.

Kitāb al-Ghayba

Book 2, Chapter 23