ومذهبنا في غيبة الإمام في هذا الوقت لا يشبه مذهب الممطورة في موسى بن جعفر، لأن موسى مات ظاهراً، ورآه الناس ميتاً، ودُفن دفناً مكشوفاً، ومضى على موته أكثر من مائة وخمسين سنة، ولا يدّعي أحد أنه يراه أو يكاتبه أو يراسله. ودعواهم أنه حيٌّ فيه تكذيب للحواس التي شاهدته ميتاً، وقد قام بعده عدة أئمة فأتوا من العلوم مثل ما أتى به موسى عليه السلام.
وليس في دعوانا هذه - غيبة الإمام - تكذيب للحس، ولا محال، ولا دعوى تُنكرها العقول أو تخرج عن العادات. وله إلى هذا الوقت من شيعته الثقات المستورين من يدّعي أنه بابه والواسطة بينه وبين شيعته، يبلغهم أمره ونهيه. ولم تطل المدة في الغيبة إلى حد يخرج عن عادة من غاب. فالتصديق بالأخبار يوجب اعتقاد إمامة ابن الحسن عليه السلام كما شرحنا، وأنه غاب كما وردت به الأخبار عن الغيبة، وهي مشهورة متواترة، وكانت الشيعة تتوقعها وتترجّاها كما تترجّون اليوم قيام القائم عليه السلام بالحق وإظهار العدل. ونسأل الله عز وجل التوفيق والصبر الجميل برحمته.
Our belief regarding the occultation of the Imam in this time does not resemble the belief of the Mumṭūrah [1] regarding Musa b. Jaʿfar. For Musa died openly; people saw him dead, he was buried in full view, and over 150 years have passed since his death. No one claims to have seen him, written to him, or received letters from him. Their claim that he is alive contradicts the senses that witnessed his death. Moreover, several Imams succeeded him and brought knowledge equal to that which Musa 
had brought.
In our claim regarding the occultation of the Imam, there is no denial of the senses, no absurdity, and no assertion that contradicts reason or departs from custom. To this very day, there are trustworthy, concealed Shia who claim to be his agents and intermediaries, conveying his commands and prohibitions to his followers. The duration of the occultation has not become so long as to depart from the pattern of others who were hidden. Belief in the reports obliges us to accept the Imamate of the son of al-Hasan as we have explained, and that he went into occultation just as the reports about the occultation described—reports that are widespread and mutawātir. The Shia long expected and hoped for this, just as they now hope for the rise of the Qaʾim to establish justice. We ask Allah, the Mighty and Glorious, for success and beautiful patience by His mercy.
Footnote: (1) What is meant by “al-mamturah” is: the Wāqifah. As stated in al-Majmaʿ, it says therein: al-mamṭar, like minbar, is what one wears in the rain to protect oneself. Al-mamturah refers to dogs drenched in rain. Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan b. Mūsā al-Nūbakhtī said in his book Firaq al-Shīʿah that the Wāqifah nicknamed some of their opponents, which is those who believed in the Imamate of ʿAlī b. Mūsām, as “al-mamtūrah”. This name prevailed and became widespread for them. The reason for this was that ʿAlī b. Ismāʿīl al-Maythamī and Yūnus b. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān debated with some of them, and ʿAlī b. Ismāʿīl said to one of them after the discussion had become intense: “You are nothing but rain-soaked dogs.” He meant that they were more foul than corpses, for when dogs are hit by rain, they smell worse than dead bodies. That label stuck with them, and they are known by it to this day. So when a man is called mamṭūr, it is known that he is from those who stopped at Mūsā b. Jaʿfar specifically. For every Imam had a group who stopped at him, but this label belongs specifically to the companions of Mūsā .
Commentary #7
ومذهبنا في غيبة الإمام في هذا الوقت لا يشبه مذهب الممطورة في موسى بن جعفر، لأن موسى مات ظاهراً، ورآه الناس ميتاً، ودُفن دفناً مكشوفاً، ومضى على موته أكثر من مائة وخمسين سنة، ولا يدّعي أحد أنه يراه أو يكاتبه أو يراسله. ودعواهم أنه حيٌّ فيه تكذيب للحواس التي شاهدته ميتاً، وقد قام بعده عدة أئمة فأتوا من العلوم مثل ما أتى به موسى عليه السلام.
وليس في دعوانا هذه - غيبة الإمام - تكذيب للحس، ولا محال، ولا دعوى تُنكرها العقول أو تخرج عن العادات. وله إلى هذا الوقت من شيعته الثقات المستورين من يدّعي أنه بابه والواسطة بينه وبين شيعته، يبلغهم أمره ونهيه. ولم تطل المدة في الغيبة إلى حد يخرج عن عادة من غاب. فالتصديق بالأخبار يوجب اعتقاد إمامة ابن الحسن عليه السلام كما شرحنا، وأنه غاب كما وردت به الأخبار عن الغيبة، وهي مشهورة متواترة، وكانت الشيعة تتوقعها وتترجّاها كما تترجّون اليوم قيام القائم عليه السلام بالحق وإظهار العدل. ونسأل الله عز وجل التوفيق والصبر الجميل برحمته.
Our belief regarding the occultation of the Imam in this time does not resemble the belief of the Mumṭūrah [1] regarding Musa b. Jaʿfar. For Musa died openly; people saw him dead, he was buried in full view, and over 150 years have passed since his death. No one claims to have seen him, written to him, or received letters from him. Their claim that he is alive contradicts the senses that witnessed his death. Moreover, several Imams succeeded him and brought knowledge equal to that which Musa
had brought.
as we have explained, and that he went into occultation just as the reports about the occultation described—reports that are widespread and mutawātir. The Shia long expected and hoped for this, just as they now hope for the rise of the Qaʾim 
to establish justice. We ask Allah, the Mighty and Glorious, for success and beautiful patience by His mercy.
specifically. For every Imam had a group who stopped at him, but this label belongs specifically to the companions of Mūsā 
.
In our claim regarding the occultation of the Imam, there is no denial of the senses, no absurdity, and no assertion that contradicts reason or departs from custom. To this very day, there are trustworthy, concealed Shia who claim to be his agents and intermediaries, conveying his commands and prohibitions to his followers. The duration of the occultation has not become so long as to depart from the pattern of others who were hidden. Belief in the reports obliges us to accept the Imamate of the son of al-Hasan
Footnote: (1) What is meant by “al-mamturah” is: the Wāqifah. As stated in al-Majmaʿ, it says therein: al-mamṭar, like minbar, is what one wears in the rain to protect oneself. Al-mamturah refers to dogs drenched in rain. Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan b. Mūsā al-Nūbakhtī said in his book Firaq al-Shīʿah that the Wāqifah nicknamed some of their opponents, which is those who believed in the Imamate of ʿAlī b. Mūsām, as “al-mamtūrah”. This name prevailed and became widespread for them. The reason for this was that ʿAlī b. Ismāʿīl al-Maythamī and Yūnus b. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān debated with some of them, and ʿAlī b. Ismāʿīl said to one of them after the discussion had become intense: “You are nothing but rain-soaked dogs.” He meant that they were more foul than corpses, for when dogs are hit by rain, they smell worse than dead bodies. That label stuck with them, and they are known by it to this day. So when a man is called mamṭūr, it is known that he is from those who stopped at Mūsā b. Jaʿfar