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)

ذكر أمر أبي الحسن علي بن محمد السمري بعد الشيخ أبي القاسم الحسين بن روح رضي الله عنه وانقطاع الأعلام به وهم الأبواب:

After Shaykh Abul Qasim Husain bin Rauh, Abul Hasan Ali bin Muhammad Saymoori succeeded to the post of the deputyship of Imam Mahdi (a.s) and with his death ended the special deputyship of Imam (a.s). Only these four were channels of contact with the Imam of the Time (a.s).

362- أخبرني جماعة عن أبي جعفر محمد بن علي بن الحسين بن بابويه قال: حدثنا محمد بن إبراهيم بن إسحاق عن الحسن بن علي بن زكريا بمدينة السلام قال: حدثنا أبو عبد الله محمد بن خليلان قال: حدثني أبي عن جده عتاب من ولد عتاب بن أسيد قال: ولد الخلف المهدي عليه السلام يوم الجمعة، وأمه ريحانة، ويقال لها نرجس، ويقال لها صقيل، ويقال لها سوسن، إلا أنه قيل بسبب الحمل صقيل.

H 362 - A group of scholars narrated to me on the authority of Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Khalilan, who narrates on the authority of his great grandfather, saying: The successor - Mahdi (a.s) was born on Friday. His mother is Raihana and she is called Narjis, Saiqal and Susan. She was called Saiqal (shining), because of the luminous pregnancy.

وكان مولده لثمان خلون من شعبان سنة ست وخمسين ومائتين ووكيله عثمان بن سعيد. فلما مات عثمـان بن سعيد أوصى إلى أبي جعفر محمد بن عثمـان رحـمه الله، وأوصى أبو جـعفر إلى أبي القاسم الحسين بن روح رضي الله عنه،وأوصى أبو القاسم إلى أبي الحسن علي بن محمد السمري رضي الله عنه.فلما حضرت السمري الوفاة سئل أن يوصي،فقال:لله أمر هو بالغه. فالغيبة التامة هي التي وقعت بعد مضي السمري رضي الله عنه.

He was born eight days before Shaban of the year two hundred and fifty six. His representative was Uthman Ibn Saeed; and when he died, Uthman Ibn Saeed appointed Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibn Uthman; and Abu Ja’far appointed Abul Qasim Husain Ibn Rauh; and Abul Qasim appointed Abul Hasan Ali Ibn Muhammad Saymoori. And when it was the time of final departure of Saymoori, he was asked to appoint a successor. He said: “To Allah belongs the Order and He is its Sustainer.” The full occultation is the one that began after the demise of Saymoori.

363- وأخبرني محمد بن محمد بن النعمان والحسين بن عبيد الله عن أبي عبد الله محمد بن أحمد الصفواني قال: أوصى الشيخ أبو القاسم رضي الله عنه إلى أبي الحسن علي بن محمد السمري رضي الله عنه فقام بما كان إلى أبي القاسم. فلما حضرته الوفاة حضرت الشيعة عنده وسألته عن الموكل بعده ولمن يقوم مقامه،فلم يظهر شيئا من ذلك وذكر أنه لم يؤمر بأن يوصي إلى أحد بعده في هذا الشأن.

H 363 - Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Noman Husain Ibn Ubaidullah narrated to me from Abu Abdullah Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Safwani, saying, Shaykh Abul Qasim confided his final testimony to Abul Hasan Ali Ibn Muhammad Saymoori and appointed him at his duty. So he undertook Abul Qasim’s task. When his time came, the Shia gathered before him and asked him about the representative after him and that who was going to carry his duties after his demise. He did not express anything in that regard and mentioned that he has not been ordered to appoint anyone after him for this position.

364- وأخبرني جماعة عن أبي جعفر محمد بن علي بن الحسين بن موسى بن بابويه قال: حدثنا أبو الحسن صالح بن شعيب الطالقاني رحمه الله في ذي القعدة سنة تسع وثلاثين وثلاثمائة قال: حدثنا أبو عبد الله أحمد بن إبراهيم بن مخلد قال: حضرت بغداد عند المشايخ رحمهم الله فقال الشيخ أبو الحسن علي بن محمد السمري قدس سره ابتداء منه: رحم الله علي بن الحسين بن بابويه القمي. قال: فكتب المشايخ تاريخ ذلك اليوم فورد الخبر أنه توفي في ذلك اليوم. ومضى أبو الحسن السمري رضي الله عنه بعد ذلك في النصف من شعبان سنة تسع وعشرين وثلاثمائة.

H 364 - A group of scholars narrated to me from Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibn Ali Ibn Husain Ibn Musa Ibn Babawayh from Abul Hasan Salih Ibn Shuaib Taliqani (a.s) that he narrated in the Dhul Qada of the year three hundred and thirty nine that: Narrated to us Abu Abdullah Ahmad Ibn Ibrahim Ibn Mukhallad that: I was present in Baghdad in the companionship of scholars of narration, may Allah bless them. Shaykh Abul Hasan Ali Ibn Muhammad Saymoori, may Allah sanctify his soul, said without being questioned with this respect, “May Allah have mercy on Ali Ibn Husain Ibn Babawayh Qummi.” The scholars noted the date of that day. Later, the news came that Ibn Babawayh had passed away on that very day. Abul Hasan Saymoori died after that in the mid-Shaban of the year three hundred and twenty nine.

365- وأخبرنا جماعة عن أبي جعفر محمد بن علي بن الحسين بن بابويه قال: حدثني أبو محمد الحسن بن أحمد المكتب قال: كنت بمدينة السلام في السنة التي توفي فيها الشيخ أبو الحسن علي بن محمد السمري قدس سره فحضرته قبل وفاته بأيام فأخرج إلى الناس توقيعا نسخته: بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم. يا علي بن محمد السمري، أعظم الله أجر إخوانك فيك،فإنك ميت ما بينك وبين ستة أيام. فاجمع أمرك ولا توص إلى أحد فيقوم مقامك بعد وفاتك،فقد وقعت الغيبة التامة فلا ظهور إلا بعد إذن الله تعالى ذكره وذلك بعد طول الأمد وقسوة القلوب وامتلاء الأرض جورا. وسيأتي شيعتي من يدعي المشاهدة؛ألا فمن ادعى المشاهدة قبل خروج السفياني والصيحة فهو كذاب مفتر. ولا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله العلي العظيم.  قال: فنسخنا هذا التوقيع وخرجنا من عنده، فلما كان اليوم السادس عدنا إليه وهو يجود بنفسه،فقيل له: من وصيك من بعدك؟ فقال: لله أمر هو بالغه، وقضى. فهذا آخر كلام سمع منه رضي الله عنه وأرضاه.

H 365 - It is narrated from a group of scholars from Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibn Ali Ibn Husain Ibn Babawayh that Abu Muhammad Hasan Ibn Ahmad Mukattib said: I was in Baghdad in the year in which Shaykh Abul Hasan Ali Ibn Muhammad Saymoori passed away. I went to him a few days before his demise. He brought a holy letter to the people that read as follows: “In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate. O Ali Ibn Muhammad Saymoori, may Allah enhance the reward of your brothers for you, as you shall die within six days. Tie up your affairs together and do not appoint any successor to carry out your duties after your final transfer. The full occultation has begun and there shall be no appearance, but after permission of Allah, high His name is, and that shall be after a long time, hardening of the hearts and the earth being replete with inequity. Individuals from my Shia will claim to have seen me. Behold, whoever claims seeing me before the rise of Sufyani and the call, is a liar and a slanderer. And there is no power except by Allah, the High, the Great.” We transcribed copies of the holy letter and left him. When it was the sixth day, we returned to him as he was breathing his last. He was asked, “Who is your successor after you?” He said: “To Allah belongs the Order and He is its Sustainer.” He died. These were the last words heard from him. May Allah be pleased with him and may He please him.

366- وأخبرني جماعة عن أبي عبد الله الحسين بن علي بن بابويه القمي قال:حدثني جماعة من أهل قم منهم علي بن بابويه قال:حدثني جماعة من أهل قم منهم علي بن أحمد بن عمران الصفار وقريبه علوية الصفار والحسين بن أحمد بن إدريس رحمهم الله قالوا: حضرنا بغداد في السنة التي توفي فيها أبي علي بن الحسين بن موسى بن بابويه وكان أبو الحسن علي بن محمد السمري قدس سره يسألنا كل قريب عن خبر علي بن الحسين رحمه الله،فنقول: قد ورد الكتاب باستقلاله. حتى كان اليوم الذي قبض فيه فسألنا عنه فذكرنا له مثل ذلك،فقال لنا: آجركم الله في علي بن الحسين،فقد قبض في هذه الساعة. قالوا: فأثبتنا تاريخ الساعة واليوم والشهر،فلما كان بعد سبعة عشر يوما أو ثمانية عشر يوما ورد الخبر أنه قبض في تلك الساعة التي ذكرها الشيخ أبو الحسن قدس سره.

H 366 - It is narrated from a group of our scholars from Abu Abdullah Husain Ibn Ali Ibn Babawayh from a group of scholars of Qom, amongst them, Ali Ibn Babawayh, narrated: A group of scholars of Qom, amongst them Ali Ibn Ahmad Ibn Imran Saffar and his relative, the lady of Saffar and Husain Ibn Ahmad Ibn Idris, said: We were present in Baghdad during the year in which Ali Ibn Husain Ibn Musa Ibn Babawayh passed away. Abul Hasan Ali Ibn Muhammad Saymoori, may Allah sanctify his soul, would often ask us of the news of Ali Ibn Husain (a.s). We would answer him that letters are coming that he is well. This continued until came the day on which Ibn Husain died. He asked us about Ibn Husain and we gave him a similar answer. He said: “May Allah reward you in the event of the demise of Ali Ibn Husain. He just died at this hour.” We recorded the hour, day and the month. After seventeen or eighteen days, news came that he had died in the very hour, which Shaykh Abul Hasan had mentioned him.

367- وأخبرني الحسين بن إبراهيم عن أبي العباس بن نوح عن أبي نصر هبة الله بن محمد الكاتب أن قبر أبي الحسن السمري رضي الله عنه في الشارع المعروف بشارع الخلنجي من ربع باب المحول قريب من شاطئ نهر أبي عتاب. وذكر أنه مات رضي الله عنه في سنة تسع وعشرين وثلاثمائة.

H 367 - Husain Ibn Ibrahim narrated to me from Abul Abbas Ibn Nuh from Abu Nasr Hibatullah Ibn Muhammad Katib that the grave of Abul Hasan Saymoori is in the street known as Khalanji on the quarter of the gate of Muhawwal, near the banks of the stream of Abu Attab. He mentioned that he died in the year three hundred and twenty nine.

Kitāb al-Ghayba

Book 1, Chapter 46