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)

وكان أبو القاسم رحمه الله من أعقل الناس عند المخالف والموافق ويستعمل التقية.

In the view of Sunni and Shia scholars, Abul Qasim Husain bin Rauh was the most intelligent personage of his time, although he acted on dissimulation (Taqayyah).

347- فروى أبو نصر هبة الله بن محمد قال:حدثني أبو عبد الله بن غالب حمو أبي الحسن بن أبي الطيب قال: ما رأيت من هو أعقل من الشيخ أبي القاسم الحسين بن روح ولعهدي به يوما في دار ابن يسار وكان له محل عند السيد والمقتدر عظيم وكانت العامة أيضا تعظمه وكان أبو القاسم يحضر تقية وخوفا. وعهدي به وقد تناظر اثنان فزعم واحد أن أبا بكر أفضل الناس بعد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم ثم عمر ثم علي وقال الآخر بل علي أفضل من عمر،فزاد الكلام بينهما.فقال أبو القاسم رضي الله عنه الذي اجتمعت الصحابة عليه هو تقديم الصديق ثم بعده الفاروق ثم بعده عثمان ذو النورين ثم علي الوصي. وأصحاب الحديث على ذلك وهو الصحيح عندنـا. فبقي من حضر المجلس متعجبا من هذا القول وكان العامة الحضور يرفعونه على رءوسهم وكثر الدعاء له والطعن على من يرميه بالرفض. فوقع علي الضحك فلم أزل أتصبر وأمنع نفسي وأدس كمي في فمي فخشيت أن أفتضح، فوثبت عن المجلس ونظر إلي ففطن بي، فلما حصلت في منزلي فإذا بالباب يطرق،فخرجت مبادرا فإذا بأبي القاسم الحسين بن روح رضي الله عنه راكبا بغلته قد وافاني من المجلس قبل مضيه إلى داره. فقال لي: يا أبا عبد الله، أيدك الله، لم ضحكت فأردت أن تهتف بي كأن الذي قلته عندك ليس بحق. فقلت: كذاك هو عندي. فقال لي: اتق الله أيها الشيخ، فإني لا أجعلك في حل،تستعظم هذا القول مني.فقلت: يا سيدي، رجل يرى بأنه صاحب الإمام ووكيله يقول ذلك القول لا يتعجب منه ولا يضحك من قوله هذا؟!فقال لي: وحياتك لئن عدت لأهجرنك. وودعني وانصرف.

H 347 - Abu Nasr Hibatullah Ibn Muhammad says: Both Abu Abdullah Ibn Ghalib and Abul Hasan Ibn Abi Tayyib said: I did not see anyone wiser than Shaykh Abul Qasim Husain Ibn Rauh. I saw him one day in the house of Ibn Yasar. He had a great position before the Sayyid and the caliph. The Ahle Sunnat people also revered him. Abul Qasim attended that place due to dissimulation (Taqayyah) and fear. I remember him. Two men were arguing; one was claiming that Abu Bakr was the best of the people after the Messenger of Allah (a.s) and then Umar and then Ali; while the other contended that Ali was better than Umar. Their debate took long. So Abul Qasim said: “What the companions are unanimous upon is that the Siddiq comes first, then after him the Faruq, and then after him Uthman, owner of the two lights, and then Ali, the Successor. Narrators of traditions uphold this. This is the correct belief before us. Everyone there was perplexed by these words. Members of Ahle Sunnat group were raising him over their heads from gaiety and were praying for him and cursing those who were “accusing him to be a Rafidi.” Laughter was all the while overwhelming me. I tried to withhold it and control myself from laughing by putting my sleeve into my mouth, but then I feared that they will discern who I am, so I left. The Shaykh looked at me and noticed that. When I arrived at my house, there was a knock on the door. I came out and saw Abul Qasim Ibn Ruh on his mule. He had come to me on his way home. He said: “Abdullah, may Allah do you favors, why were you laughing and almost cheering me; as if what I said was not true before you.” I said: “It is true before me.” He said: “Fear God, Shaykh. I will not forgive you if you consider this word of mine great.” I said: “My master, someone who is a companion of the Imam and his representative, if he says a word as such, is it not awkward and laughable?” He said: “By your life, if you say this again, I will desert you.” He bid me farewell and left.

348- قال أبو نصر هبة الله بن محمد: حدثني أبو الحسن بن كبرياء النوبختي قال: بلغ الشيخ أبا القاسم رضي الله عنه أن بوابا كان له على الباب الأول قد لعن معاوية وشتمه، فأمر بطرده وصرفه عن خدمته، فبقي مدة طويله يسأل في أمره فلا والله ما رده إلى خدمته،وأخذه بعض الأهل فشغله معه كل ذلك للتقية.

H 348 - Abu Nasr Hibatullah Ibn Muhammad said: Abul Hasan Ibn Kibriya Naubakhti narrated to us that: Shaykh Abul Qasim discovered that his doorman had cursed Muawiyah. He ordered that he should be removed from his post. For a long time, the doorman was asking him to reinstate him, but by Allah, he did not. Someone from the houses took him and gave him employment. All of this was due to dissimulation (Taqayyah).

349- قال أبو نصر هبة الله: وحدثني أبو أحمد درانويه الأبرص الذي كانت داره في درب القراطيس قال:قال لي: إني كنت أنا وإخوتي ندخل إلى أبي القاسم الحسين بن روح رضي الله عنه نعامله (قال) وكانوا باعة ونحن مثلا عشرة تسعة نلعنه وواحد يشكك، فنخرج من عنده بعد ما دخلنا إليه تسعة نتقرب إلى الله بمحبته وواحد واقف لأنه كان يجارينا من فضل الصحابة ما رويناه وما لم نروه،فنكتبه لحسنه عنه رضي الله عنه.

H 349 - Abu Nasr Hibatullah said: Abu Ahmad Ibn Daranawayh Abras, whose house was at the gate of stationers said: I and my brothers used to visit Abul Qasim Husain Ibn Rauh and transact with him. He was very polite and had great manners. When we visited him, we would be nine or ten people, nine of us against him and perhaps one of us unsure about him. When we would leave him, nine of us would be seeking proximity to God through his love, while one of us may be unsure about him. That was because he would discuss the qualities of the companions according to our narrations and narrations we did not have, which we would write down, because he was a very nice person.

350- وأخبرني الحسين بن إبراهيم عن أبي العباس أحمد بن علي بن نوح عن أبي نصر هبة الله بن محمد الكاتب ابن بنت أم كلثوم بنت أبي جعفر العمري رضي الله عنه أن قبر أبي القاسم الحسين بن روح في النوبختية في الدرب الذي كانت فيه دار علي بن أحمد النوبختي النافذ إلى التل وإلى الدرب الآخر وإلى قنطرة الشوك رضي الله عنه.

H 350 - Husain Ibn Ibrahim narrated to me from Abul Abbas Ahmad Ibn Ali Ibn Nuh on the authority of Nasr Ibn Hibatullah Ibn Muhammad Katib Ibn binte Umme Kulthum, daughter of Abu Ja’far Amari that the tomb of Abul Qasim Husain Ibn Rauh was in Naubakhti area near which is a gate where the house of Ali Ibn Ahmad Naubakhti stood, which led to another gate and towards the bridge of Shawk. May Allah be pleased with him.

قال: وقال لي أبو نصر: مات أبو القاسم الحسين بن روح رضي الله عنه في شعبان سنة ست وعشرين وثلاثمائة.وقد رويت عنه أخبارا كثيرة:

Abu Nasr said to me that Abul Qasim Husain Ibn Rauh died in Shaban of the year three hundred and twenty six. I have narrated an inordinate number of traditions from him.

351- منها ما أخبرني به الحسين بن عبيد الله عن أبي عبد الله الحسين بن علي بن سفيان البزوفري رحمه الله قال: حدثني الشيخ أبو القاسم الحسين بن روح رضي الله عنه قال: اختلف أصحابنا في التفويض وغيره، فمضيت إلى أبي طاهر بن بلال في أيام استقامته فعرفته الخلاف، فقال: أخرني. فأخرته أياما فعدت إليه فأخرج إلي حديثا بإسناده إلى أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: إذا أراد الله أمراً عرضه على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم ثم أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام وسائر الأئمة واحدا بعد واحد إلى أن ينتهي إلى صاحب الزمان عليه السلام، ثم يخرج إلى الدنيا. وإذ أراد الملائكة أن يرفعوا إلى الله عز وجل عملا عرض على صاحب الزمان عليه السلام ثم يخرج على واحد بعد واحد إلى أن يعرض على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم،ثم يعرض على الله عز وجل. فما نزل من الله فعلى أيديهم وما عرج إلى الله فعلى أيديهم،وما استغنوا عن الله عز وجل طرفة عين.

H 351 - Narrated to me Husain bin Ubaidullah from Abu Abdullah Husain bin Ali bin Sufyan Bazufari that he said: Narrated to me Shaykh Abul Qasim Husain bin Rauh that: Our scholars had differences especially with regard to the matter of predestination etc. Before Abu Tahir Bilal became deviated, I went to him once and conveyed to him information about the differences. He said: Give me sometime. I gave him sometimes and after that I visited him again. He showed me a tradition from Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s) that the Imam had said: Whenever Allah, the Mighty and the High decides a matter, it is transferred to the Messenger of Allah (s) and after him it is transferred to Amirul Momineen (a.s) and after him to every Imam one after another till it reaches upto the Master of the age (a.s) and after that it is revealed to the world. And when angels want to take an issue to the presence of Almighty Allah; first they entrust it to the Master of the Age (a.s) and then it is presented to each in succession till it reaches the Messenger of Allah (s) who presents it to Almighty Allah. On the basis of this all that is issued from Almighty Allah is issued through the Holy Imams (a.s) and all the deeds that go upto Almighty Allah go up through the Holy Imams (a.s) and the Messenger of Allah (s) and his Ahle Bayt (a.s) are not at all even for the blink of an eye needless of Allah, the Mighty and the High. [On the contrary, they are mediums of divine grace for the people by the permission of Allah].

352- وأخبرني جماعة عن أبي عبد الله محمد بن أحمد الصفواني قال: حدثني الشيخ الحسين بن روح رضي الله عنه أن يحيى بن خالد سم موسى بن جعفر عليه السلام في إحدى وعشرين رطبة وبها مات، وأن النبي والأئمة عليهم السلام ما ماتوا إلا بالسيف أو السم. وقد ذكر عن الرضا عليه السلام أنه سم، وكذلك ولده وولد ولده.

H 352 - Narrated to me a group of scholars from Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ahmad Sufwani that he said: Narrated to me Shaykh Husain bin Rauh: Yahya bin Khalid administered twenty poisoned dates to Musa Ibn Ja’far (a.s) and this led to the martyrdom of the Imam. The Messenger of Allah (s) and the Holy Imams (a.s) did not pass away from the world, except through martyrdom by sword or poison; and it is narrated from Imam Ridha (a.s) that he was poisoned; as well as his son and his grandson.

353- وسأله بعض المتكلمين، وهو المعروف بترك الهروي،فقال له: كم بنات رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم؟ فقال: أربع. قال: فأيهن أفضل؟ فقال: فاطمة. فقال: ولم صارت أفضل وكانت أصغرهن سنا وأقلهن صحبة لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم؟ قال: لخصلتين خصها الله بهما تطولا عليها وتشريفا وإكراما لها؛ إحداهما أنها ورثت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم ولم يرث غيرها من ولده، والأخرى أن الله تعالى أبقى نسل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم منها ولم يبقه من غيرها. ولم يخصصها بذلك إلا لفضل إخلاص عرفه من نيتها. قال الهروي: فما رأيت أحدا تكلم وأجاب في هذا الباب بأحسن ولا أوجز من جوابه.

H 353 - A theologian famous as Turk Harawi [Budail bin Ahmad] asked Husain bin Rauh: How many daughters did the Messenger of Allah (s) have? Husain bin Rauh said: Four. The inquirer asked: Which of them is most superior? He replied: Fatima (s). He asked: How is she the most superior, whereas she was the youngest and she lived for the least time with the Holy Prophet (s)? Husain bin Rauh said: Because of two qualities, which Almighty Allah bestowed to her, because of His grace on her and in order to make her status clear to all: One is that Fatima is the sole inheritor of the Messenger of Allah (s) and no son of the Prophet shared this, (as all expired during lifetime of Prophet). Secondly Allah, the Mighty and the High placed the progeny of the Messenger of Allah (s) only in her being and the survival of the generations of the Prophet was through her and not through anyone else. And Almighty Allah gave these two excellence to her exclusively due to her precedence in sincerity and because He knew about her pure intention and conscience. Harawi says: I have not seen anyone giving a better or more brief and more useful reply to this question.

354- وأخبرني أبو محمد المحمدي رضي الله عنه عن أبي الحسين محمد بن الفضل بن تمام رحمه الله قال:سمعت أبا جعفر بن محمد بن أحمد بن الزكوزكي رحمه الله وقد ذكرنا كتاب التكليف وكان عندنا أنه لا يكون إلا مع غال وذلك أنه أول ما كتبنا الحديث فسمعناه يقول: وأيش كان لابن أبي العزاقر في كتاب التكليف؟! إنما كان يصلح الباب ويدخله إلى الشيخ أبي القاسم الحسين بن روح رضي الله عنه فيعرضه عليه ويحككه،فإذا صح الباب خرج فنقله وأمرنا بنسخة.يعني أن الذي أمرهم به الحسين بن روح رضي الله عنه. قال أبو جعفر: فكتبته في الإدراج بخطي ببغداد. قال ابن تمام: فقلت له: تفضل يا سيدي فادفعه إلي حتى أكتبه من خطك. فقال لي: قد خرج عن يدي.فقال ابن تمام: فخرجت وأخذت من غيره فكتبت بعد ما سمعت هذه الحكاية.

354- Abu Muhammad Muhammadi narrated to me from Abu Husain Muhammad Ibn Fadhl Ibn Thammam, saying, I heard Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Zakkuzaki say the following as he mentioned to us Kitab Taklif, which we believed that only people who exaggerated about the position of the Imams carried. We heard him in the beginning, when we started writing a tradition that: “Everything that Ibn Abi Azaqir has in Kitab Taklif, would go to the emissary of the Imam, Shaykh Abul Qasim Husain Ibn Rauh who would show it to him and then narrate it. When it was authenticated, the emissary of the Imam, Shaykh Abul Qasim Husain Ibn Rauh ordered us to make copies of it. Abu Ja’far says: I wrote it into tablets with my hands. Ibn Thammam says, I said: My master, pass it to me, so I may copy it from your handwriting. He said: I have lost it. Ibn Tammam says: Then I found its copy somewhere else and wrote it down after I had heard this story.

355- وقال أبو الحسين بن تمام: حدثني عبد الله الكوفي خادم الشيخ الحسين بن روح رضي الله عنه قال: سئل الشيخ-يعني أبا القاسم رضي الله عنه-عن كتب ابن أبي العزاقر بعد ما ذم وخرجت فيه اللعنة،فقيل له: فكيف نعمل بكتبه وبيوتنا منها ملاء؟فقال: أقول فيها ما قاله أبو محمد الحسن بن علي عليهما السلاموقد سئل عن كتب بني فضال فقالوا: كيف نعمل بكتبهم وبيوتنا منها ملاء؟ فقال عليه السلام: خذوا بما رووا وذروا ما رأوا.

H 355 - Abu Husain Ibn Thammam says: Abdullah Kufi, the servant of Shaykh Husain Ibn Rauh said: The Shaykh was asked about the books of Ibn Abi Azaqir after he was denounced and the Imam had cursed him. He was asked, “How are we going to act according to his books? Our houses are full of them.” He said: “I will tell you the same thing, which Abu Muhammad Hasan Ibn Ali (a.s) said when he was asked about the books of Aale Fadhdhal. They asked, ‘How should we act on their books? Our houses are full of them.’ The Imam said: Take what they have narrated and discard what they have opined.”

356- وسأل أبو الحسن الأيادي رحمه الله أبا القاسم الحسين بن روح رضي الله عنه: لم كره المتعة بالبكر؟فقال:قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: الحياء من الإيمان.والشروط بينك وبينها فإذا حملتها على أن تنعم فقد خرجت عن الحياء وزال الإيمان. فقال له: فإن فعل فهو زان؟ قال: لا.

H 356 - Abul Hasan Ayadi asked Abul Qasim Husain Ibn Rauh, “Why is it abominable to have temporary marriage with a virgin?” He said: “The Prophet (s) said: ‘Modesty is part of faith.’ There are conditions between you and her and when you convince her to enjoy, she loses her modesty and faith goes away.” He asked, “If he does it, is he a fornicator?” “No,” replied the Shaykh.

357- وأخبرني الحسين بن عبيد الله عن أبي الحسن محمد بن أحمد بن داود القمي قال:حدثني سلامة بن محمد قال: أنفذ الشيخ الحسين بن روح رضي الله عنه كتاب التأديب إلى قم وكتب إلى جماعة الفقهاء بها وقال لهم: انظروا في هذا الكتاب وانظروا فيه شي‏ء يخالفكم.فكتبوا إليه أنه كله صحيح وما فيه شي‏ء يخالف إلا قوله في الصاع في الفطرة نصف صاع من طعام والطعام عندنا مثل الشعير من كل واحد صاع.

H 357 - Husain Ibn Ubaidullah narrates on the authority of Salama Ibn Muhammad that: Shaykh Husain Ibn Rauh sent the book of Kitabul Tadib to Qom and wrote to a group of jurists about it and asked them to examine the book and see whether there was anything disagreeable in it. They wrote to him, “All of it is correct and there is nothing in it to be differed with, except the assertion with respect to the amount of fitra to be half of a saa (a cubic measure) of food and food before us is the like of barley from every one saa.”

358- قال ابن نوح: وسمعت جماعة من أصحابنا بمصر يذكرون أن أبا سهل النوبختي سئل فقيل له: كيف صار هذا الأمر إلى الشيخ أبي القاسم الحسين بن روح دونك؟ فقال: هم أعلم وما اختاروه، ولكن أنا رجل ألقي الخصوم وأناظرهم ولو علمت بمكانه كما علم أبو القاسم وضغطتني الحجة على مكانه لعلي كنت أدل على مكانه، وأبو القاسم فلو كانت الحجة تحت ذيله وقرض بالمقاريض ما كشف الذيل عنه أو كما قال.

H 358 - Ibn Nuh says: I heard a group of our scholars at Egypt mention that Abu Sahl Naubakhti was asked how this position reached Shaykh Abul Qasim Husain Ibn Rauh and not him. He said: “They are more knowledgeable about who they have chosen. I am a man who meets the adversaries and have debates with them. If I should know his place, as knew Abul Qasim, and was pressed in my debates for proofs, perhaps I would lead up to his place. As for Abul Qasim, even if the Divine Proof (Hujjah) were to be under his cloak, and he were cut by scissors, he would not remove his cloak.” Or he said something like this.

359- وذكر محمد بن علي بن أبي العزاقر الشلمغاني في أول كتاب الغيبة الذي صنفه: وأما ما بيني وبين الرجل المذكور زاد الله في توفيقه فلا مدخل لي في ذلك إلا لمن أدخلته فيه لأن الجناية علي فإني وليها.

H 359 - Muhammad Ibn Ali Ibn Abul Azaqir Shalmaghani mentioned in the beginning of Kitab Ghaibat, which he wrote, “As for the dispute between me and this man, may Allah increase his success, no one can interfere in it, except one whom I involve, because I am the victim and it is my right.”

360- وقال في فصل آخر: ومن عظمت منته عليه تضاعفت الحجة عليه ولزمه الصدق فيما ساءه وسره وليس ينبغي فيما بيني وبين الله إلا الصدق عن أمره مع عظم جنايته وهذا الرجل منصوب لأمر من الأمور لا يسع العصابة العدول عنه فيه وحكم الإسلام مع ذلك جار عليه كجريه على غيره من المؤمنين وذكره.

H 360 - In another section, he says, “Someone upon whom the favors of God are great, many proofs bind him and he must speak the truth in what hurts and what pleases him. It is not permissible for me, between me and Allah, but to speak the truth about this man. This man is appointed to a duty from which the public are not allowed to turn away. The command of Islam applies to him like it was applied to other believers.”

361- وذكر أبو محمد هارون بن موسى قال: قال لي أبو علي بن الجنيد: قال لي أبو جعفر محمد بن علي الشلمغاني: ما دخلنا مع أبي القاسم الحسين بن روح رضي الله عنه في هذا الأمر إلا ونحن نعلم فيما دخلنا فيه. لقد كنا نتهارش على هذا الأمر كما تتهارش الكلاب على الجيف. قال أبو محمد: فلم تلتفت الشيعة إلى هذا القول وأقامت على لعنه والبراءة منه.

H 361 - Abu Muhammad Harun Ibn Musa says: Abu Ali Junaid said to me, Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibn Ali Shalmaghani said, “I did enter into this contest against Abul Qasim Husain Ibn Rauh, but I knew what I was entering into. We were fighting each other for this position like dogs fight each other over a corpse.” Abu Muhammad said: “The Shia did not pay attention to these words and were unanimous in praying for his chastisement and despising him.”

Kitāb al-Ghayba

Book 1, Chapter 45