Hadith 5151- حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ حَاتِمٍ النَّوْفَلِيُّ الْمَعْرُوفُ بِالْكِرْمَانِيِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عِيسَى الْوَشَّاءُ الْبَغْدَادِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ طَاهِرٍ الْقُمِّيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَحْرِ بْنِ سَهْلٍ الشَّيْبَانِيُ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ مَنْصُورٍ الْجَوَاشِنِيِ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْبُدَيْلِيُّ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا أَبِي عَنْ سَدِيرٍ الصَّيْرَفِيِّ قَالَ: دَخَلْتُ أَنَا وَ الْمُفَضَّلُ بْنُ عُمَرَ وَ أَبُو بَصِيرٍ وَ أَبَانُ بْنُ تَغْلِبَ عَلَى مَوْلَانَا أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الصَّادِقِ ع فَرَأَيْنَاهُ جَالِساً عَلَى التُّرَابِ وَ عَلَيْهِ مِسْحٌ خَيْبَرِيٌ مُطَوَّقٌ بِلَا جَيْبٍ مُقَصَّرُ الْكُمَّيْنِ وَ هُوَ يَبْكِي بُكَاءَ الْوَالِهِ الثَّكْلَى ذَاتِ الْكَبِدِ الْحَرَّى قَدْ نَالَ الْحُزْنُ مِنْ وَجْنَتَيْهِ وَ شَاعَ التَّغْيِيرُ فِي عَارِضَيْهِ وَ أَبْلَى الدُّمُوعُ مَحْجِرَيْهِ وَ هُوَ يَقُولُ سَيِّدِي غَيْبَتُكَ نَفَتْ رُقَادِي وَ ضَيَّقَتْ عَلَيَّ مِهَادِي وَ ابْتَزَّتْ مِنِّي رَاحَةَ فُؤَادِي سَيِّدِي غَيْبَتُكَ أَوْصَلَتْ مُصَابِي بِفَجَائِعِ الْأَبَدِ وَ فَقْدُ الْوَاحِدِ بَعْدَ الْوَاحِدِ يُفْنِي الْجَمْعَ وَ الْعَدَدَ فَمَا أُحِسُّ بِدَمْعَةٍ تَرْقَى مِنْ عَيْنِي وَ أَنِينٍ يَفْتُرُ مِنْ صَدْرِي عَنْ دَوَارِجِ الرَّزَايَا وَ سَوَالِفِ الْبَلَايَا إِلَّا مُثِّلَ بِعَيْنِي عَنْ غَوَابِرِ أَعْظَمِهَا وَ أَفْضَعِهَا وَ بَوَاقِي أَشَدِّهَا وَ أَنْكَرِهَا وَ نَوَائِبَ مَخْلُوطَةٍ بِغَضَبِكَ وَ نَوَازِلَ مَعْجُونَةٍ بِسَخَطِكَ قَالَ سَدِيرٌ فَاسْتَطَارَتْ عُقُولُنَا وَلَهاً وَ تَصَدَّعَتْ قُلُوبُنَا جَزَعاً مِنْ ذَلِكَ الْخَطْبِ الْهَائِلِ وَ الْحَادِثِ الْغَائِلِ وَ ظَنَنَّا أَنَّهُ سَمَتَ لِمَكْرُوهَةٍ قَارِعَةٍ أَوْ حَلَّتْ بِهِ مِنَ الدَّهْرِ بَائِقَةٌ فَقُلْنَا لَا أَبْكَى اللَّهُ يَا ابْنَ خَيْرِ الْوَرَى عَيْنَيْكَ مِنْ أَيَّةِ حَادِثَةٍ تَسْتَنْزِفُ دَمْعَتَكَ وَ تَسْتَمْطِرُ عَبْرَتَكَ وَ أَيَّةُ حَالَةٍ حَتَمَتْ عَلَيْكَ هَذَا الْمَأْتَمَ قَالَ فَزَفَرَ الصَّادِقُ ع زَفْرَةً انْتَفَخَ مِنْهَا جَوْفُهُ وَ اشْتَدَّ عَنْهَا خَوْفُهُ وَ قَالَ وَيْلَكُمْ نَظَرْتُ فِي كِتَابِ الْجَفْرِ صَبِيحَةَ هَذَا الْيَوْمِ وَ هُوَ الْكِتَابُ الْمُشْتَمِلُ عَلَى عِلْمِ الْمَنَايَا وَ الْبَلَايَا وَ الرَّزَايَا وَ عِلْمِ مَا كَانَ وَ مَا يَكُونُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ الَّذِي خَصَّ اللَّهُ بِهِ مُحَمَّداً وَ الْأَئِمَّةَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ ع وَ تَأَمَّلْتُ مِنْهُ مَوْلِدَ قَائِمِنَا وَ غِيبَتَهُ وَ إِبْطَاءَهُ وَ طُولَ عُمُرِهِ وَ بَلْوَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي ذَلِكَ الزَّمَانِ وَ تَوَلُّدَ الشُّكُوكِ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مِنْ طُولِ غَيْبَتِهِ وَ ارْتِدَادَ أَكْثَرِهِمْ عَنْ دِينِهِمْ- وَ خَلْعَهُمْ رِبْقَةَ الْإِسْلَامِ مِنْ أَعْنَاقِهِمُ الَّتِي قَالَ اللَّهُ تَقَدَّسَ ذِكْرُهُ وَ كُلَّ إِنسانٍ أَلْزَمْناهُ طائِرَهُ فِي عُنُقِهِ يَعْنِي الْوَلَايَةَ فَأَخَذَتْنِي الرِّقَّةُ وَ اسْتَوْلَتْ عَلَيَّ الْأَحْزَانُ فَقُلْنَا يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ كَرِّمْنَا وَ فَضِّلْنَا بِإِشْرَاكِكَ إِيَّانَا فِي بَعْضِ مَا أَنْتَ تَعْلَمُهُ مِنْ عِلْمِ ذَلِكَ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى أَدَارَ لِلْقَائِمِ مِنَّا ثَلَاثَةً أَدَارَهَا فِي ثَلَاثَةٍ مِنَ الرُّسُلِ ع قَدَّرَ مَوْلِدَهُ تَقْدِيرَ مَوْلِدِ مُوسَى ع وَ قَدَّرَ غَيْبَتَهُ تَقْدِيرَ غَيْبَةِ عِيسَى ع وَ قَدَّرَ إِبْطَاءَهُ تَقْدِيرَ إِبْطَاءِ نُوحٍ ع وَ جَعَلَ لَهُ مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ عُمُرَ الْعَبْدِ الصَّالِحِ أَعْنِي الْخَضِرَ ع دَلِيلًا عَلَى عُمُرِهِ فَقُلْنَا لَهُ اكْشِفْ لَنَا يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ عَنْ وُجُوهِ هَذِهِ الْمَعَانِي قَالَ ع أَمَّا مَوْلِدُ مُوسَى ع فَإِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ لَمَّا وَقَفَ عَلَى أَنَّ زَوَالَ مُلْكِهِ عَلَى يَدِهِ أَمَرَ بِإِحْضَارِ الْكَهَنَةِ فَدَلُّوهُ عَلَى نَسَبِهِ وَ أَنَّهُ يَكُونُ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَ لَمْ يَزَلْ يَأْمُرُ أَصْحَابَهُ بِشَقِّ بُطُونِ الْحَوَامِلِ مِنْ نِسَاءِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ حَتَّى قَتَلَ فِي طَلَبِهِ نَيِّفاً وَ عِشْرِينَ أَلْفَ مَوْلُودٍ وَ تَعَذَّرَ عَلَيْهِ الْوُصُولُ إِلَى قَتْلِ مُوسَى ع بِحِفْظِ اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى إِيَّاهُ وَ كَذَلِكَ بَنُو أُمَيَّةَ وَ بَنُو الْعَبَّاسِ لَمَّا وَقَفُوا عَلَى أَنَّ زَوَالَ مُلْكِهِمْ وَ مُلْكِ الْأُمَرَاءِ وَ الْجَبَابِرَةِ مِنْهُمْ عَلَى يَدِ الْقَائِمِ مِنَّا نَاصَبُونَا الْعَدَاوَةَ وَ وَضَعُوا سُيُوفَهُمْ فِي قَتْلِ آلِ الرَّسُولِ ص وَ إِبَادَةِ نَسْلِهِ طَمَعاً مِنْهُمْ فِي الْوُصُولِ إِلَى قَتْلِ الْقَائِمِ وَ يَأْبَى اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَنْ يَكْشِفَ أَمْرَهُ لِوَاحِدٍ مِنَ الظَّلَمَةِ إِلَّا أَنْ يُتِمَّ نُورَهُ ... وَ لَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ وَ أَمَّا غَيْبَةُ عِيسَى ع فَإِنَّ الْيَهُودَ وَ النَّصَارَى اتَّفَقَتْ عَلَى أَنَّهُ قُتِلَ فَكَذَّبَهُمُ اللَّهُ جَلَّ ذِكْرُهُ بِقَوْلِهِ وَ ما قَتَلُوهُ وَ ما صَلَبُوهُ وَ لكِنْ شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ كَذَلِكَ غَيْبَةُ الْقَائِمِ فَإِنَّ الْأُمَّةَ سَتُنْكِرُهَا لِطُولِهَا فَمِنْ قَائِلٍ يَهْذِي بِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يُولَدْ وَ قَائِلٍ يَقُولُ إِنَّهُ يَتَعَدَّى إِلَى ثَلَاثَةَ عَشَرَ وَ صَاعِداً وَ قَائِلٍ يَعْصِي اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِقَوْلِهِ إِنَّ رُوحَ الْقَائِمِ يَنْطِقُ فِي هَيْكَلِ غَيْرِهِ وَ أَمَّا إِبْطَاءُ نُوحٍ ع فَإِنَّهُ لَمَّا اسْتُنْزِلَتِ الْعُقُوبَةُ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ بَعَثَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ الرُّوحَ الْأَمِينَ ع بِسَبْعِ نَوَيَاتٍ فَقَالَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى يَقُولُ لَكَ إِنَّ هَؤُلَاءِ خَلَائِقِي وَ عِبَادِي وَ لَسْتُ أُبِيدُهُمْ بِصَاعِقَةٍ مِنْ صَوَاعِقِي إِلَّا بَعْدَ تَأْكِيدِ الدَّعْوَةِ وَ إِلْزَامِ الْحُجَّةِ فَعَاوِدِ اجْتِهَادَكَ فِي الدَّعْوَةِ لِقَوْمِكَ فَإِنِّي مُثِيبُكَ عَلَيْهِ وَ اغْرِسْ هَذِهِ النَّوَى فَإِنَّ لَكَ فِي نَبَاتِهَا وَ بُلُوغِهَا وَ إِدْرَاكِهَا إِذَا أَثْمَرَتِ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْخَلَاصَ فَبَشِّرْ بِذَلِكَ مَنْ تَبِعَكَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَلَمَّا نَبَتَتِ الْأَشْجَارُ وَ تَأَزَّرَتْ وَ تَسَوَّقَتْ وَ تَغَصَّنَتْ وَ أَثْمَرَتْ وَ زَهَا التَّمْرُ عَلَيْهَا بَعْدَ زَمَانٍ طَوِيلٍ اسْتَنْجَزَ مِنَ اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى الْعِدَةَ فَأَمَرَهُ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى أَنْ يَغْرِسَ مِنْ نَوَى تِلْكَ الْأَشْجَارِ وَ يُعَاوِدَ الصَّبْرَ وَ الِاجْتِهَادَ وَ يُؤَكِّدَ الْحُجَّةَ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ فَأَخْبَرَ بِذَلِكَ الطَّوَائِفَ الَّتِي آمَنَتْ بِهِ فَارْتَدَّ مِنْهُمْ ثَلَاثُمِائَةِ رَجُلٍ وَ قَالُوا لَوْ كَانَ مَا يَدَّعِيهِ نُوحٌ حَقّاً لَمَا وَقَعَ فِي وَعْدِ رَبِّهِ خُلْفٌ ثُمَّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى لَمْ يَزَلْ يَأْمُرُهُ عِنْدَ كُلِّ مَرَّةٍ بِأَنْ يَغْرِسَهَا مَرَّةً بَعْدَ أُخْرَى إِلَى أَنْ غَرَسَهَا سَبْعَ مَرَّاتٍ فَمَا زَالَتْ تِلْكَ الطَّوَائِفُ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ تَرْتَدُّ مِنْهُ طَائِفَةٌ بَعْدَ طَائِفَةٍ إِلَى أَنْ عَادَ إِلَى نَيِّفٍ وَ سَبْعِينَ رَجُلًا فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ إِلَيْهِ وَ قَالَ يَا نُوحُ الْآنَ أَسْفَرَ الصُّبْحُ عَنِ اللَّيْلِ لِعَيْنِكَ حِينَ صَرَّحَ الْحَقُّ عَنْ مَحْضِهِ وَ صَفَا الْأَمْرُ وَ الْإِيمَانُ مِنَ الْكَدَرِ بِارْتِدَادِ كُلِّ مَنْ كَانَتْ طِينَتُهُ خَبِيثَةً فَلَوْ أَنِّي أَهْلَكْتُ الْكُفَّارَ وَ أَبْقَيْتُ مَنْ قَدِ ارْتَدَّ مِنَ الطَّوَائِفِ الَّتِي كَانَتْ آمَنَتْ بِكَ لَمَا كُنْتُ صَدَّقْتُ وَعْدِيَ السَّابِقَ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ أَخْلَصُوا التَّوْحِيدَ مِنْ قَوْمِكَ وَ اعْتَصَمُوا بِحَبْلِ نُبُوَّتِكَ بِأَنْ أَسْتَخْلِفَهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَ أُمَكِّنَ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمْ وَ أُبَدِّلَ خَوْفَهُمْ بِالْأَمْنِ لِكَيْ تَخْلُصَ الْعِبَادَةُ لِي بِذَهَابِ الشَّكِ مِنْ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَ كَيْفَ يَكُونُ الِاسْتِخْلَافُ وَ التَّمْكِينُ وَ بَدَلُ الْخَوْفِ بِالْأَمْنِ مِنِّي لَهُمْ مَعَ مَا كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ مِنْ ضَعْفِ يَقِينِ الَّذِينَ ارْتَدُّوا وَ خُبْثِ طينهم [طِينَتِهِمْ] وَ سُوءِ سَرَائِرِهِمُ الَّتِي كَانَتْ نَتَائِجَ النِّفَاقِ وَ سُنُوحَ الضَّلَالَةِ فَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ تَسَنَّمُوا مِنِّي الْمُلْكَ الَّذِي أُوتِي الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَقْتَ الِاسْتِخْلَافِ إِذَا أَهْلَكْتُ أَعْدَاءَهُمْ لَنَشَقُوا رَوَائِحَ صِفَاتِهِ وَ لَاسْتَحْكَمَتْ سَرَائِرُ نِفَاقِهِمْ [وَ] تَأَبَّدَتْ حِبَالُ ضَلَالَةِ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَ لَكَاشَفُوا إِخْوَانَهُمْ بِالْعَدَاوَةِ وَ حَارَبُوهُمْ عَلَى طَلَبِ الرِّئَاسَةِ وَ التَّفَرُّدِ بِالْأَمْرِ وَ النَّهْيِ وَ كَيْفَ يَكُونُ التَّمْكِينُ فِي الدِّينِ وَ انْتِشَارُ الْأَمْرِ فِي الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَعَ إِثَارَةِ الْفِتَنِ وَ إِيقَاعِ الْحُرُوبِ كَلَّا وَ اصْنَعِ الْفُلْكَ بِأَعْيُنِنا وَ وَحْيِنا قَالَ الصَّادِقُ ع وَ كَذَلِكَ الْقَائِمُ فَإِنَّهُ تَمْتَدُّ أَيَّامُ غَيْبَتِهِ لِيُصَرِّحَ الْحَقُّ عَنْ مَحْضِهِ وَ يَصْفُوَ الْإِيمَانُ مِنَ الْكَدَرِ بِارْتِدَادِ كُلِّ مَنْ كَانَتْ طِينَتُهُ خَبِيثَةً مِنَ الشِّيعَةِ الَّذِينَ يُخْشَى عَلَيْهِمُ النِّفَاقُ إِذَا أَحَسُّوا بِالاسْتِخْلَافِ وَ التَّمْكِينِ وَ الْأَمْنِ الْمُنْتَشِرِ فِي عَهْدِ الْقَائِمِ ع قَالَ الْمُفَضَّلُ فَقُلْتُ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ هَذِهِ النَّوَاصِبَ تَزْعُمُ أَنَّ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ نَزَلَتْ فِي أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَ عُمَرَ وَ عُثْمَانَ وَ عَلِيٍّ ع فَقَالَ لَا يَهْدِي اللَّهُ قُلُوبَ النَّاصِبَةِ مَتَى كَانَ الدِّينُ الَّذِي ارْتَضَاهُ اللَّهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ مُتَمَكِّناً بِانْتِشَارِ الْأَمْنِ فِي الْأُمَّةِ وَ ذَهَابِ الْخَوْفِ مِنْ قُلُوبِهَا وَ ارْتِفَاعِ الشَّكِّ مِنْ صُدُورِهَا فِي عَهْدِ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ وَ فِي عَهْدِ عَلِيٍّ ع مَعَ ارْتِدَادِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَ الْفِتَنِ الَّتِي تَثُورُ فِي أَيَّامِهِمْ وَ الْحُرُوبِ الَّتِي كَانَتْ تَنْشَبُ بَيْنَ الْكُفَّارِ وَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ تَلَا الصَّادِقُ ع حَتَّى إِذَا اسْتَيْأَسَ الرُّسُلُ وَ ظَنُّوا أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ كُذِبُوا جاءَهُمْ نَصْرُنا وَ أَمَّا الْعَبْدُ الصَّالِحُ أَعْنِي الْخَضِرَ ع فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى مَا طَوَّلَ عُمُرَهُ لِنُبُوَّةٍ قَدَّرَهَا لَهُ وَ لَا لِكِتَابٍ يُنَزِّلُهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ لَا لِشَرِيعَةٍ يَنْسَخُ بِهَا شَرِيعَةَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَهُ مِنَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَ لَا لِإِمَامَةٍ يُلْزِمُ عِبَادَهُ الِاقْتِدَاءَ بِهَا وَ لَا لِطَاعَةٍ يَفْرِضُهَا لَهُ بَلَى إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى لَمَّا كَانَ فِي سَابِقِ عِلْمِهِ أَنْ يُقَدِّرَ مِنْ عُمُرِ الْقَائِمِ ع فِي أَيَّامِ غَيْبَتِهِ مَا يُقَدِّرُ وَ عَلِمَ مَا يَكُونُ مِنْ إِنْكَارِ عِبَادِهِ بِمِقْدَارِ ذَلِكَ الْعُمُرِ فِي الطُّولِ طَوَّلَ عُمُرَ الْعَبْدِ الصَّالِحِ فِي غَيْرِ سَبَبٍ يُوجِبُ ذَلِكَ إِلَّا لِعِلَّةِ الِاسْتِدْلَالِ بِهِ عَلَى عُمُرِ الْقَائِمِ ع وَ لِيَقْطَعَ بِذَلِكَ حُجَّةَ الْمُعَانِدِينَ لِئَلَّا يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى اللَّهِ حُجَّةٌ.
51 - Narrated to us Muhammad bin Ali bin Hatim Naufali alias Kermani: Narrated to us Abul Abbas Ahmad bin Isa Washsha Baghdadi: Narrated to us Ahmad bin Tahir [Qummi]: Narrated to us Muhammad bin Najr bin Sahl Shaibani: Informed us Ali bin Harith from Saeed bin Mansur Jaushini: Informed us Ahmad bin Ali Budaili: Informed us my father from Sadeer Sairafi that he said:
“I, Mufaddal bin Umar, Abu Baseer and Aban bin Taghlib came to our master Abi Abdullah as-Sadiq (a.s.) and saw him sitting on the floor and covered with Khaibari sheet made of hair, his neck was open and his sleeves folded up. He was crying like the mother having only one son laments at his death. The signs of sorrow were apparent from his face and its effects were spread on his cheeks.
Tears had moistened the hollows of his eyes and he was saying: My master, your occultation has taken away my night’s sleep, it has narrowed my bed for me, and has snatched away the solace from my heart. My master your occultation has turned my tragedies into the atrocities of eternity! The loss of one after the other perishes a crowd and a multitude. No more I feel the tear that drops from my eye, and the moon that faintly leaves my chest from the places of tragedies and past calamities except that it exemplifies before my eye the greatest and cruelest of catastrophes, the most dismal and disdainful mishaps, mixed with your wrath, and calamities coupled with your anger.”
Sudair says: Our hearts and minds were overwhelmed by that terrifying scene and mortifying view. We thought that it is the sign of a dreadful shattering or times have brought him a calamity. So we said, “May Allah, O son of the best of the creation, never bring tears into your eyes. For what incidents are your eyes pouring and your tears raining and what situation has led you to this mourning?”
Sudair says: As-Sadiq (a.s.) took a deep sigh that his chest expanded and his fright enhanced, and he said, O, you, I looked at the Book of al-Jafr this morning, and that is the book that encompasses the knowledge of deaths, trials and tribulations and the knowledge of all that has been and all that will be until the Day of Judgment, which Allah, glory to His name, has exclusively imparted to Muhammad and the Imams after him, peace unto him and them.
I viewed therein the birth of our Qaim and his disappearance and its protraction and the length of his lifespan and the trials of the believers through him and after him in that period and the generation of doubts in their hearts from the length of his disappearance and the apostasy of most of them from their religion and their removing the cord of Islam from their necks, about which Allah, glory to His name, has said, We have fastened to every man’s neck his fateful bird which is the Wilayah. So emotions overpowered me and griefs overwhelmed me.” We said, “O son of Allah’s Messenger, dignify us and bestow honor upon us by sharing some of what you know from the knowledge.”
He said, “Allah, the Mighty and Sublime has consigned three qualities in the Qaim of ours, which He had consigned to three of the apostles. He foreordained his birth like the birth of Musa (a.s.); his disappearance like the disappearance of Isa (a.s.); and his protraction like the protraction of Nuh (a.s.). Moreover, He made the lifespan of His virtuous servant, Khizr, a proof of his long life.”
I said, “Remove the curtains for us, O son of Allah’s Messenger, from the faces of these concepts.” He said: “As for the birth of Musa (a.s.). “When Firon learnt that his downfall and destruction was going to be at the hands of Musa (a.s.) he summoned the soothsayers and they predicted the downfall of his kingdom at the hands of a youth of Bani Israel.
So Firon issued orders that the bellies of pregnant ladies of the Bani Israel be slit open, till more than twenty thousand newborns were killed. But he was not able to get Musa because Allah, the Mighty and the High protected him. In the same way when the Bani Umayyah and the Bani Abbas came to know that the downfall and destruction of their kingdom and tyrant rulers was to be at the hands of our Qaim, they began to wreak their enmity on us and swords were drawn out to slay the progeny of the Messenger of Allah (S) and to destroy his descendants so that through it they may be able to eliminate Qaim (a.s.). But the Almighty Allah did not accept that His affair be divulged to anyone of the oppressors. But that His light may be perfected even though the polytheists may despise it.”
As for the disappearance of Isa (a.s.). The Jews and Christians formed unanimity that he has been killed; whereas Allah belied them in this verse: And they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to them so.
Likewise is the disappearance of the Qaim since one group denies it for its length – ranging from one misguided person who says, ‘He was never born’; to another who says, ‘He was born and he died’; to another who rejects faith by saying that our Eleventh was issueless; to another who deviates by saying, ‘This will increase to thirteen and upwards’, and another who sins against Allah, the Mighty and Sublime by saying, ‘The spirit of the Qaim speaks through the body of someone else’.
“As for the protraction of Nuh: When he prayed for the descent of punishment against his people from the heavens, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime sent Jibraeel, the trusted spirit with seven kernels and said, O Apostle of Allah, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime says to you, ‘They are My creation My servants. I will not destroy them with a lightning bolt until the call has been stressed upon and the proof has become binding.
Retain your hard labor in making the call to your people, for I will reward you for that. Plant these kernels, because your relief and liberation will be at its plantation, outgrowth and fruition when it reaches fruition. Give this glad tiding to your believing followers.’ When the trees grew and thrived and their trunks and branches developed and spread out and their fruits grew big, he asked Allah, the Mighty and Sublime for the fulfillment of the promise. Allah, the Mighty and Sublime ordered him to plant the seeds of those trees and retain patience and hard work and make the call to his people.
He informed the community that believed in him; three hundred men of them turned away from him and said, ‘If what Nuh is claiming were true, the promise of his Lord would not have been violated.’ Then Allah, the Mighty and Sublime continued to order him every time to plant the seeds until they had been planted seven times. The community of believers continued to lose groups until there were left only seventy and some odd men. At that time, did Allah, the Mighty and Sublime sent a message to him and said, ‘O Nuh, now the dawn on your eyes has broken the night as the truth has manifested with clarity and the order of belief has become pure from impurity by the apostasy of everyone who had wicked disposition.
If I had destroyed the disbelievers and kept those who have apostatized from among the believers in you, I had not fulfilled My early promise to the believers from your people who were sincere in their belief in Me and had adhered to the rope of your prophethood that I would make them heirs in earth and empower for them their religion and replace their fear with security, so that worship be pure for Me by the departure of doubts from their hearts. How could I provide heirship and empowerment and replacement of fear with security while I know the weakness of certainty of the people who apostatized and their wicked dispositions and their evil insides, which were the outcomes of hypocrisy and the initiation of misguidance.
If they had procured from Me the kingdom that will be given to the believers at the time of heirship when I will have killed their enemies, they would have sniffed the smells of its attractions, and it would have strengthened the inner secrets of their hypocrisy, and eternalized the strings of misguidance and their hearts, and they would have faced their brothers with enmity and would have battled them in pursuit of chiefdom and the distinction of commanding and forbidding. And how can the religion’s empowerment and the Command’s spread among the believers coexist with rise of mischief and occurrence of wars? Never.
Build the Ark under Our eyes and as We reveal.’” As-Sadiq (a.s.) said, “Likewise is the Qaim (a.s.). The days of his occultation will be lengthy so truth may become clear and belief may become pure from impurity by the apostasy of everyone from the Shia with a wicked disposition, who are feared they are hypocrites when they expect heirship and empowerment and a vast security in the reign of the Qaim (a.s.).” Al-Mufaddal says, I asked, “O son of Allah’s Messenger, the Ahlul Bayt-haters (Nawasib) believe this verse has been revealed about Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali.”
He said, “May Allah not guide the hearts of the Nawasib. When was the religion which Allah and His Messenger empowered through spread of security in the Ummah and the departure of fear from their hearts and doubts from breasts during the reign of anyone of them? And in the reign of Ali (a.s.) especially with the apostasy of Muslims and mischiefs which were occurring in their days and the wars that were breaking out between the disbelievers and between themselves.” Then as-Sadiq (a.s.) recited this verse: Until when the apostles despaired and the people became sure that they were indeed told a lie, Our help came to them.
“And as for the Righteous Servant, Khizr (a.s.); the Almighty Allah bestowed him with a long lifespan not due to the fact that He had made him a Prophet, or because a book was revealed to him, nor that he brought a new Shariat nullifying the previous one, nor that He made him an Imam and required the people to follow him, nor because his obedience was compulsory.
Rather it was because it was there in the knowledge of Allah, the Blessed and the High, that during occultation the age of Qaim (a.s.) would be prolonged to an extent that people would not believe it, and they would deny a long age, He prolonged the age of the Righteous Servant, Khizr (a.s.) without any justification, except that it be a basis for proving the age of Qaim (a.s.) so that the arguments and proofs of the opponents may be invalidated and that people may not have any argument against the Almighty Allah.”
Informed Regarding the Occurrence of the Occultation