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)

ومما يدل أيضا على إمامة ابن الحسن عليه السلام زائدا على ما مضى أنه لا خلاف بين الأمة أنه سيخرج في هذه الأمة مهدي يملأ الأرض قسطاً وعدلاً كما ملئت ظلماً وجوراً ،وإذا بينا أن ذلك المهدي من ولد الحسين عليه السلام وأفسدنا قول كل من يدعي ذلك من ولد الحسين سوى ابن الحسن عليه السلام ثبت أن المراد به هو عليه السلام.

Of the proofs of the Imamate of Ibn Hasan, in addition to what has been mentioned so far, is that there is no dispute between the Ummah that a Mahdi will rise in this Ummah, who would fill the earth with justice and equity as it shall be fraught with oppression and inequity. When we have established that the Mahdi is from the progeny of Husain and have invalidated any claimant for this position other than Ibn Hasan (a.s), it is proved that he is the one intended by these narrations.

130- روى إبراهيـم بن سلمة عن أحمـد بن مالك الفزاري عن حيـدر بن محمد الفزاري عن عباد بن يعقوب عن نصر بن مزاحم عن محمد بن مروان عن الكلبي عن أبي صالح عن ابن عباس في قوله تعالى: ﴿وفِي السَّماءِ رِزْقُكُمْ وما تُوعَدُونَ﴾، قال: هو خروج المهدي عليه السلام.

H 130 - The following verses of Quran prove that the rise of Imam Mahdi (a.s) is definite in this Ummah: It is narrated from Ibrahim bin Salma from Ahmad bin Malik Fuzari from Haider bin Muhammad Fuzari from Abbad bin Yaqub from Nasr bin Muzahim from Muhammad bin Marwan from Kulaini from Abi Salih from Ibn Abbas with regard to the verse: “And in the heaven is your sustenance and what you are threatened with…” (51:22-23) He said “It implies the rise of the Qaim of Aale Muhammad (a.s).”

H 131 - From the same chain of narrators, it is narrated from Ibn Abbas about the following verse: “Know that Allah gives life to the earth after its death; indeed, We have made the communications clear to you that you may understand.” (57:17) “It means that the earth will be enlivened through the Qaim of Aale Muhammad (a.s) after its death, that is, after the inequity of its rulers. We explained to you the signs, through the Qaim of Aale Muhammad (a.s), so that perhaps you may understand.” 131- وبهذا الإسناد عن ابن عباس في قوله: ﴿اعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُحْيِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِها﴾: يعني يصلح الأرض بقائم آل محمد من بعد موتها. يعني من بعد جور أهل مملكتها ﴿قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ الْآياتِ﴾ بقائم آل محمد ﴿لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ﴾.

133- محمد بن إسحاق المقري عن علي بن العباس المقانعي عن بكار بن أحمد عن الحسن بن الحسين عن سفيان الجريري عن عمرو بن هاشم الطائي عن إسحاق بن عبد الله بن علي بن الحسين في هذه الآية: ﴿فَوَ رَبِّ السَّماءِ والْأَرْضِ إِنَّهُ لَحَقٌّ مِثْلَ ما أَنَّكُمْ تَنْطِقُونَ﴾. قال: قيام القائم من آل محمد. قال: وفيه نزلت ﴿وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ ولَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضى لَهُمْ ولَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْناً يَعْبُدُونَنِي لا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئاً﴾. قال: نزلت في المهدي عليه السلام.

H 133 - Muhammad bin Ishaq Muqri narrated from Ali bin Abbas Maqanai from Bukkar bin Ahmad from Hasan bin Husain Sufyan Jariri from Amr bin Hashim Tai that Ishaq bin Abdullah Ibn Ali Ibn Husain said with regard to the verse: “And by the Lord of the heavens and the earth! it is most surely the truth, just as you do speak.” (51:22-23) “This is the verse of the Qaim from Aale Muhammad (a.s) and the following verse is about him: Allah has promised to those of you who believe and do good that He will most certainly make them rulers in the earth as He made rulers those before them, and that He will most certainly establish for them their religion, which He has chosen for them, and that He will most certainly, after their fear, give them security in exchange; they shall serve Me, not associating aught with Me…” (24:55)

134- وأخبرنا الحسين بن عبيد الله عن أبي جعفر محمد بن سفيان البزوفري عن أحمد بن إدريس عن علي بن محمد بن قتيبة النيشابوري عن الفضل بن شاذان النيشابوري عن الحسن بن علي بن فضال عن المثنى الحناط عن الحسن بن زياد الصيقل قال: سمعت أبا عبد الله جعفر بن محمد عليهما السلام يقول: إن القائم لا يقوم حتى ينادي مناد من السماء تسمع الفتاة في خدرها ويسمع أهل المشرق والمغرب. وفيه نزلت هذه الآية: ﴿إِنْ نَشَأْ نُنَزِّلْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ السَّماءِ آيَةً فَظَلَّتْ أَعْناقُهُمْ لَها خاضِعِينَ﴾.

H 134 - It is narrated from Husain bin Ubaidullah from Abu Ja’far Muhammad bin Sufyan Bazufari from Ahmad bin Idris from Ali bin Muhammad Ibn Qutaibah Nishapuri from Fadhl bin Shazan Nishapuri from Hasan bin Ali Ibn Faddal from Muthanna Hannat from Hasan bin Ziyad Saiqal that he said: I heard Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s) say: “Without any doubt, Imam Qaim (a.s) will not reappear till there is a call from the sky, which the ladies in veils and people of each corner of the world hear. It is about this point that the following verse is revealed: “If We please, We should send down upon them a sign from the heaven, so that their necks should stoop to it.” (26:4)

135- وأخبرني جماعة عن أبي محمد هارون بن موسى التلعكبري عن أبي علي الرازي عن ابن أبي دارم عن علي بن العباس السندي المقانعي عن محمد بن هاشم القيسي عن سهل بن تمام البصري عن عمران القطان عن قتادة عن أبي نضرة عن جابر بن عبد الله الأنصاري قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: المهدي يخرج في آخر الزمان.

H 135 - Informed me a group of scholars from Abu Muhammad Harun bin Musa Talakbari from Abu Ali Razi from Ibn Abi Daram from Ali bin Abbas Sandi Maqanai from Muhammad bin Hashim Qaisi from Sahal bin Tamam Basri from Imran Qattan from Qatada from Abu Nazara from Jabir bin Abdullah Ansari that he said: The Messenger of Allah (s) said: Mahdi would stage an uprising in the last period of time.

136- محمد بن إسحاق المقري عن المقانعي عن بكار بن أحمد عن الحسن بن الحسين عن المعلى بن زياد عن العلاء بن بشير المرادي عن أبي الصديق الناجي عن أبي سعيد الخدري قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: أبشركم بالمهدي؛يبعث في أمتي على اختلاف من الناس وزلزال. يملأ الأرض عدلاً وقسطاً كما ملئت جوراً وظلماً. يرضى عنه ساكن السماء وساكن الأرض.

H 136 - Muhammad bin Ishaq Muqri has narrated from Maqanai from Bakkar bin Ahmad from Hasan bin Husain from Mualla bin Ziyad from Alaa bin Bashir Muradi from Abu Siddiq Naji from Abu Saeed Khudri that he said: The Messenger of Allah (s) said: I give glad tidings to you; Mahdi will rise up when people would be involved in discord and bewilderment. He would fill the earth with justice and equity just as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression in such a way that the inhabitants of the earth and the heavens would be pleased with him.

137- عنه عن المقانعي عن بكار بن أحمد عن الحسن بن الحسين عن تليد عن أبي الجحاف عن خالد بن عبد الملك عن مطر الوراق عن الناجي، يعني أبا الصديق،عن أبي سعيد قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: أبشروا بالمهدي -قال ثلاثا- يخرج على حين اختلاف من الناس وزلزال شديد. يملأ الأرض قسطاً وعدلاً كما ملئت ظلماً وجوراً.يملأ قلوب عباده عبادة ويسعهم عدله.

H 137 - It is narrated from Maqanai from Bakkar bin Ahmad from Hasan bin Husain from Talid from Abu Jahaf [from Khalid bin Abdul Malik from Matar Warraq from Naji, that is Abu Siddiq from Abu Saeed Khudri] that he said: The Messenger of Allah (s) said: ‘Glad tidings to you, by the presence of Mahdi,’ and he repeated this statement thrice. ‘When he stages an uprising, people would be involved in discord and instability. He would fill the earth with justice and equity just as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression; and he would make people inclined to worship and his justice would encompass them.

138- محمد بن إسحاق المقري عن علي بن العباس المقانعي عن بكار بن أحمد عن الحسن بن الحسين عن سفيان الجريري عن عبد المؤمن عن الحارث بن حصيرة عن عمارة بن جوين العبدي عن أبي سعيد الخدري قال:سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم يقول على المنبر: إن المهدي من عترتي من أهل بيتي. يخرج في آخر الزمان. ينزل له من السماء قطرها وتخرج له الأرض بذرها، فيملأ الأرض عدلاً وقسطاً كما ملأها القوم ظلماً وجوراً.

H 138 - It is narrated from Muhammad bin Ishaq Muqri from Ali bin Abbas Maqanai from Bakkar bin Ahmad from Hasan bin Husain from Sufyan Jariri from Abdullah Momin from Harith bin Hasira from Ammara bin Juin Abdi from Abu Saeed Khudri that he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (s) say from the pulpit: Mahdi is from my descendants and Ahle Bayt (a.s). He would stage an uprising in the last period of time. The sky will send down rain for him and the earth would put forth its vegetation for him. He would fill the earth with justice and equity just as others would have fraught it with injustice and oppression.

139- عنه عن علي بن العباس المقانعي عن بكار بن أحمد عن مصبح عن قيس عن أبي حصين عن أبي صالح عن أبي هريرة قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: لو لم يبق من الدنيا إلا يوم واحد لطول الله ذلك اليوم حتى يخرج رجلاً من أهل بيتي يملأ الأرض عدلاًكما ملئت ظلماً وجوراً.

H 139 - It is narrated from Ali bin Abbas Maqanai Bakkar bin Ahmad from Misbah from Qays from Abu Husain from Abu Salih from Abu Huraira that he said: The Messenger of Allah (s) said: If a single day remains from the tenure of the world, Allah, the Mighty and the High would prolong that day to such an extent that a man from my progeny will appear; he would fill the earth with justice and equity, just as it would have been fraught with injustice and oppression.

140- عنه عن علي عن بكار عن علي بن قادم عن فطر عن عاصم عن زر بن حبيش عن عبدالله بن مسعود قـال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: لو لم يبق من الدنيا إلا يوم لطول الله تعالى ذلك اليوم حتى يبعث رجلاً مني يواطئ اسمه اسمي واسم أبيه اسم أبي يملأ الأرض عدلاً كما ملئت ظلماً.

H 140 - It is narrated from Ali from Bakkar from Ali bin Qadim from Fatar from Asim from Zarr bin Jaish from Abdullah bin Masud that he said: The Messenger of Allah (s) said: If a single day remains from the tenure of the world, Allah, the Mighty and the High would prolong that day to such an extent that a man from my progeny will appear and form a kingdom; his name is same as my name and the name of his father is the name of my father. He would fill the earth with justice and equity, just as it would have been filled with injustice and oppression.

141- وعنه عن المقانعي عن جعفر بن محمد الزهري عن إسحاق بن منصور عن قيس بن الربيع وغيره عن عاصم عن زر عن عبد الله بن مسعود قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: لا تذهب الدنيا حتى يلي أمتي رجل من أهل بيتي يقال له المهدي.

H 141 - It is narrated from Maqanai from Ja’far bin Muhammad Zuhri from Ishaq bin Mansur from Qays bin Rabi from Asim from Zarr from Abdullah bin Masud that he said: The Messenger of Allah (s) said: The world would not end till a person from my Ahle Bayt (a.s), who is named as Mahdi, does not become the ruler and leader of my Ummah.

142- محمد بن علي عن عثمان بن أحمد السماك عن إبراهيم بن عبد الله الهاشمي عن الحسن بن الفضل البوصرائي عن سعد بن عبد الحميد الأنصاري عن عبد الله بن زياد اليمامي عن عكرمة بن عمار عن إسحاق بن عبد الله بن أبي طلحة عن أنس بن مالك قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: نحن بنو عبد المطلب سادة أهل الجنة: أنا وعلي وحمزة وجعفر والحسن والحسين والمهدي.

H 142 - It is narrated from Muhammad bin Ali from Uthman bin Ahmad Sammak from Ibrahim bin Abdullah Hashmi from Hasan bin Fadhl Busrai from Saad Ibn Abdul Hamid Ansari from Abdullah bin Ziyad Yamami from Akrama bin Ammar from Ishaq bin Abdullah bin Abi Talha from Anas bin Malik that he said: The Messenger of Allah (s) said: “We, the children of Abdul Muttalib are the chiefs of Paradise dwellers; that is I, Ali, Hamza (chief of the martyrs), Ja’far with two wings, Hasan, Husain, and the Mahdi.”

143- عنه عن الحسين بن محمد القطعي عن علي بن حاتم عن محمد بن مروان عن عبيد بن يحيى الثوري عن محمد بن الحسين عن أبيه عن جده عن علي عليه السلام في قوله تعالى: ﴿ونُرِيدُ أَنْ نَمُنَّ عَلَى الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ ونَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً ونَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوارِثِينَ﴾ قال: هم آل محمد، يبعث الله مهديهم بعد جهدهم فيعزهم ويذل عدوهم.

H 143 - It is narrated from Muhammad bin Ali from Husain bin Muhammad Qati from Ali bin Hatim from Muhammad bin Marwan from Ubaid bin Yahya Thawri from Muhammad bin Husain from his father from his grandfather from Amirul Momineen (a.s) that he said with regard to the following verse: “And We desired to bestow a favor upon those who were deemed weak in the land, and to make them the Imams, and to make them the heirs…” (28:5) “They are Aale Muhammad (a.s). Allah will raise their Mahdi after their distress, so he will honor them and will disgrace their enemy.”

. والأخبار في هذا المعنى أكثر من أن تحصى لا نطول بذكرها الكتاب.

There are a large number of traditions on this topic, but we have quoted only some of them in order to keep the discussion brief.

Kitāb al-Ghayba

Book 1, Chapter 28