Introduction

Discussion on occultation of Imam Mahdi(a.s)

First Principle: Necessity of Imamate

Second Principle: Infallibility of Imam

Third Principle: Truth will never leave the Islamic Ummah

Invalidity of Kaisaniyya creed

Refutation of Nawusiyya belief

Refutation of Waqifiya belief

Traditional reports about the martyrdom of Imam Kadhim

Clear declaration of Imam Kadhim about the Imamate of Imam Ridha

Evidence of the Imamate of Imam Musa Kadhim (a.s) and refutation of Waqifiya

Factors of appearance of Waqifi sect

Traditional reports in condemnation of Waqifites

Some miracles of Imam Ali Ibn Musa Ridha

Objections of the opponents with regard to the birth of Imam Mahdi (a.s)

Refutation of all sects, which believed in Imamate of someone other than Master of the Age (a.s)

Philosophy and wisdom of Occultation

What is the difference between a hidden Imam and an Imam who does not exist or one that exists in the heavens?

Application of Divine Penalties during the Occultation of Imam Mahdi (a.s)

Discerning truth during occultation of the Imam

Statement of Sayyid Murtadha (r.a)

Reason of occultation of the Imam from his followers

Concealed Birth of the Imam of the Time (a.s) was not an extraordinary event

Stories of people with long lifespans from Arabs and non-Arabs are famous and chronicled in books and history.

Reports of Ahle Sunnat that Imams are twelve in number

Shia traditional reports on the topic that Imams are twelve in number

Traditions of the Holy Imams on the occultation of Imam Mahdi

Traditional reports that confirm the uprising of Imam Mahdi

Mahdi is from the progeny of Ali and Fatima (a.s)

Mahdi is from the progeny of Imam Husain (a.s)

Refutation of Kaisaniya belief and account of the demise of Muhammad bin Hanfiyyah

Refutation of those who stopped at the Imamate of Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s) and said that he is the Promised Mahdi

Imamate of Imam Hasan Askari (a.s)

Evidence of the Birth of the Master of the Age

Reports of those who saw the Imam of the Time (a.s)

Miracles of the Master of the time during his Occultation

Epistles issued from Imam Mahdi (a.s)

Causes of delay in reappearance of the Master of the Affair

Test of Shia during the period of occultation of the Imam

Reports of the Emissaries of Imam (a.s) during the period of occultation

Approved Emissaries

Emissaries condemned by the Imam

Special Emissaries of the Imam during the Occultation

Questions of Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Ja’far Himyari

Excellence of Husain bin Rauh continued

Abul Hasan Ali bin Muhammad Saymoori

False claimants of deputyship of Imam who are also clearly condemned by the Imams

Appointees of the four special deputies of the Imam

Long lifespan of the Imam (a.s)

Time of reappearance of the Imam (a.s)

Signs preceding the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (a.s)

Some Qualities, practices and manners of the Master of the Age (a.s)

65- فروى الثقات أن أول من أظهر هذا الاعتقاد علي بن أبي حمزة البطائني وزياد بن مروان القندي وعثمان بن عيسى الرواسي طمعوا في الدنيا ومالوا إلى حطامها واستمالوا قوما فبذلوا لهم شيئا مما اختانوه من الأموال نحو حمزة بن بزيع وابن المكاري وكرام الخثعمي وأمثالهم.

H 65 - It is narrated from trustworthy persons that the first to express this belief was Ali bin Hamza Bataini (and Ziyad bin Marwan Qandi and Uthman bin Isa Rawasi) who were greedy for money and also attracted the attention of some people. Those persons also entrusted them with their wealth and they like, Hamza bin Bazi, Ibn Makari, Kiram Khathami etc. misappropriated public funds.

66- فروى محمد بن يعقوب عن محمد بن يحيى العطار عن محمد بن أحمد عن محمد بن جمهور عن أحمد بن الفضل عن يونس بن عبد الرحمن قال: مات أبو إبراهيم عليه السلام وليس من قوامه أحد إلا وعنده المال الكثير،وكان ذلك سبب وقفهم وجحدهم موته طمعا في الأموال. كان عند زياد بن مروان القندي سبعون ألف دينار وعند علي بن أبي حمزة ثلاثون ألف دينار.فلما رأيت ذلك وتبينت الحق وعرفت من أمر أبي الحسن الرضا عليه السلام ما علمت، تكلمت ودعوت الناس إليه،فبعثا إلي وقالا: ما يدعوك إلى هذا؟إن كنت تريد المال فنحن نغنيك! وضمنا لي عشرة آلاف دينار وقالا لي: كف. فأبيت وقلت لهما: إنا روينا عن الصادقين عليه السلام أنهم قالوا: إذا ظهرت البدع فعلى العالم أن يظهر علمه فإن لم يفعل سلب نور الإيمان، وما كنت لأدع الجهاد وأمر الله على كل حال،فناصباني وأضمرا لي العداوة.

H 66 - Muhammad bin Yaqub had narrated from Muhammad bin Yahya Attar from Muhammad bin Ahmad from Muhammad bin Jamhur from Ahmad bin Fadhl from Yunus bin Abdur Rahman that he said: [When] Abu Ibrahim [Imam Kadhim (a.s)] passed away there was a large amount of cash lying with the representatives of Imam (a.s) and this was the reason that they declared that he was not dead [they became Waqifi] and due to greed for wealth they denied that the Imam was martyred. Only Ziyad bin Marwan Qandi was in possession of seventy thousand dinars and Ali bin Hamza had thirty thousand dinars. When I saw these circumstances and the truth became clear for me, I recognized the Imamate of Abul Hasan Ridha (a.s) and learnt that which should be learnt, therefore I spoke up and called people to the Imamate of Imam Ridha (a.s). After that they sent two persons as messengers and they said: Why have you done this? If you desire wealth, we would make you needless and they promised to give ten thousand dinars saying: Refrain from these acts. I refused it and said: We have traditional reports from Imam Sadiq (a.s) and Imam Baqir (a.s) that they said: When innovations appear in religion, the scholar must express his knowledge and if he does not confront innovation, the effulgence of faith will go away from him.

67- وروى محمد بن الحسن بن الوليد عن الصفار وسعد بن عبد الله الأشعري جميعا عن يعقوب بن يزيد الأنباري عن بعض أصحابه قال: مضى أبو إبراهيم عليه السلام وعند زياد القندي سبعون ألف دينار وعند عثمان بن عيسى الرواسي ثلاثون ألف دينار وخمس جوار ومسكنه بمصر، فبعث إليهم أبو الحسن الرضا عليه السلام أن احملوا ما قبلكم من المال وما كان اجتمع لأبي عندكم من أثاث وجوار فإني وارثه وقائم مقامه وقد اقتسمنا ميراثه ولا عذر لكم في حبس ما قد اجتمع لي ولوارثه قبلكم،وكلام يشبه هذا. فأما ابن أبي حمزة فإنه أنكره ولم يعترف بما عنده،وكذلك زياد القندي. وأما عثمان بن عيسى فإنه كتب إليه أن أباك عليه السلام لم يمت، وهو حي قائم، ومن ذكر أنه مات فهو مبطل،وأعمل على أنه قد مضى كما تقول فلم يأمرني بدفع شي‏ء إليك، وأما الجواري فقد أعتقهن وتزوجت بهن.

H 67 - Muhammad bin Hasan Walid has narrated from Saffar and Saad bin Abdullah Ashari, all together from Yaqub bin Yazid Ambari from some scholars, who said: When Abu Ibrahim (a.s) passed away, Ziyad Qandi was having seventy thousand dinars with him and Uthman bin Isa Rawasi had thirty thousand dinars and five slave girls and he lived in Egypt. Imam Ali Ridha (a.s) sent a message to them: That which is deposited with you from the wealth of my father and that which you hold from cash and slave girls and other things, send it all to me as I am his successor and I will distribute the inheritance of the Imam. [It is a hint that I know what amount you are having]. You don’t any more have any excuse for keeping that which is deposited with you and from his inheritance; and he issued such commands. But Ibn Abi Hamza originally denied and did not admit having that, which was in his possession. Same was the case of Ziyad Qandi. But Uthman bin Isa wrote to Imam Ridha (a.s): Your father (a.s) is alive and established; and one who believes in his death is having false beliefs. If you say since he is dead, I should act on it [and accept his death], he did not instruct me to hand over anything to you [this was with regard to cash] and as for the slave girls, I have emancipated them and taken them as wives.

68- وروى أحمد بن محمد بن سعيد بن عقدة عن محمد بن أحمد بن نصر التيمي قال: سمعت حرب بن الحسن الطحان يحدث يحيى بن الحسن العلوي أن يحيى بن المساور قال: حضرت جماعة من الشيعة وكان فيهم علي بن أبي حمزة فسمعته يقول: دخل علي بن يقطين على أبي الحسن موسى عليه السلام فسأله عن أشياء فأجابه، ثم قال أبو الحسن عليه السلام: يا علي،صاحبك يقتلني. فبكى علي بن يقطين وقال: يا سيدي وأنا معه؟قال: لا يا علي. لا تكون معه ولا تشهد قتلي. قال علي: فمن لنا بعدك يا سيدي؟فقال: علي ابني هذا؛هو خير من أخلف بعدي. هو مني بمنزلة أبي هو لشيعتي، عنده علم ما محتاجون إليه، سيد في الدنيا وسيد في الآخرة وإنه لمن المقربين. فقال يحيى بن الحسن لحرب: فما حمل علي بن أبي حمزة على أن برئ منه وحسده؟ قال: سألت يحيى بن المساور عن ذلك، فقال: حمله ما كان عنده من ماله الذي اقتطعه ليشقيه الله في الدنيا والآخرة...

H 68 - Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Saeed bin Uqbah has narrated from Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Nasr Teemi that he said:I heard Harb bin Hasan Tahan that Yahya bin Hasan Alawi has narrated a tradition that Yahya bin Masawar said: I was present in a gathering of Shia people and Ali bin Hamza was among them. I heard him say: Ali bin Yaqtin came to Abul Hasan Musa (a.s) and posed some queries to him. The Imam gave replies to him. After that Abul Hasan (a.s) said: O Ali, your companion would kill me. Ali bin Yaqtin began to weep and said: Master, am I also with him? Imam (a.s) replied: You are not with him and you will not see me being killed. Ali said: Master, who is the Imam after you? He replied: My son, Ali is the best of those who would survive me. His position to me is like my position with my father; and he is having all the knowledge that Shia are in need of. [He is knowledgeable about every matter]. He is the chief and leader in the world and the hereafter and is from the proximate ones of the court of Almighty Allah. Yahya bin Hasan Harb said: Thus what caused Ali bin Abi Hamza to keep away from Imam Ali Ridha (a.s) and to be jealous of him? Harb replied: I asked the same thing from Yahya bin Masawar and he said: He refused to hand over to Imam Ali Ridha (a.s) that which he was having from the wealth of Imam Musa Kadhim (a.s) and that is why Almighty Allah deemed him unfortunate in the world as well as the hereafter.

69- وروى علي بن حبشي بن قوني عن الحسين بن أحمد بن الحسن بن علي بن فضال قال: كنت أرى عند عمي علي بن الحسن بن فضال شيخا من أهل بغداد وكان يهازل عمي. فقال له يوما: ليس في الدنيا شر منكم يا معشر الشيعة- أو قال الرافضة - .فقال له عمي: ولم؟ لعنك الله.قال: أنا زوج بنت أحمد بن أبي بشر السراج،قال لي لما حضرته الوفاة: إنه كان عندي عشرة آلاف دينار وديعة لموسى بن جعفر عليه السلام فدفعت ابنه عنها بعد موته وشهدت أنه لم يمت! فالله الله،خلصوني من النار وسلموها إلى الرضا.فو الله ما أخرجنا حبه ولقد تركناه يصلى بها في نار جهنم.

H 69 - Ali bin Habashi bin Qauni has narrated from Husain bin Ahmad bin Hasan bin Ali bin Faddal that he said: I was with my uncle, Ali bin Hasan bin Faddal, when I saw an old man from Baghdad joking with my uncle. One day that old man said: In the whole world, no group of Shia is worse than you. My Uncle asked: Why, may Allah curse you? He replied: I was the son-in-law of Ahmad bin Shubbar Siraj. In his last moments, he said: I have ten thousand dinars in my possession, which originally belonged to Imam Musa Kadhim (a.s), but when he passed away, I refused to hand them over to Imam Ali Ridha (a.s) and claimed that he was not dead. I put you under oath to save me from Hell fire and hand over the money to Imam Ridha (a.s). But by Allah, we did not return even one dirham from that and left him to burn in the Fire of Hell.

Kitāb al-Ghayba

Book 1, Chapter 12