و مما يفسد معارضة خصومنا في نفي تشاكل الأئمة و الأنبياء أن الرسل الذين تقدموا قبل عصر نبينا ص كان أوصياؤهم أنبياء فكل وصي قام بوصية حجة تقدمه من وقت وفاة آدم عليه السلام إلى عصر نبينا ص كان نبيا و ذلك مثل وصي آدم كان شيث ابنه و هو هبة الله في علم آل محمد ص و كان نبيا و مثل وصي نوح عليه السلام كان سام ابنه و كان نبيا و مثل إبراهيم عليه السلام كان وصيه إسماعيل ابنه و كان نبيا و مثل موسى عليه السلام كان وصيه يوشع بن نون و كان نبيا و مثل عيسى عليه السلام كان وصيه شمعون الصفا و كان نبيا و مثل داود عليه السلام كان وصيه سليمان عليه السلام ابنه و كان نبيا و أوصياء نبينا عليه السلام لم يكونوا أنبياء لأن الله عز و جل جعل محمدا خاتما لهذه الأمم كرامة له و تفضيلا فقد تشاكلت الأئمة و الأنبياء بالوصية كما تشاكلوا فيما قدمنا ذكره من تشاكلهم فالنبي وصي و الإمام وصي و الوصي إمام و النبي إمام و النبي حجة و الإمام حجة فليس في الأشكال أشبه من تشاكل الأئمة و الأنبياء. و كذلك أخبرنا رسول الله ص بتشاكل أفعال الأوصياء فيمن تقدم و تأخر من قصة يوشع بن نون وصي موسى عليه السلام مع صفراء بنت شعيب زوجة موسى و قصة أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام وصي رسول الله ص مع عائشة بنت أبي بكر
و إيجاب غسل الأنبياء أوصياءهم بعد وفاتهم. حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ الدَّقَّاقُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمْزَةُ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْجُنَيْدِ الرَّازِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّزَّاقِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ مِينَا مَوْلَى عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِلنَّبِيِّ عليه السلام يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَنْ يُغَسِّلُكَ إِذَا مِتَّ قَالَ يَغْسِلُ كُلَّ نَبِيٍّ وَصِيُّهُ قُلْتُ فَمَنْ وَصِيُّكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ قُلْتُ كَمْ يَعِيشُ بَعْدَكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ثَلَاثِينَ سَنَةً فَإِنَّ يُوشَعَ بْنَ نُونٍ وَصِيَّ مُوسَى عَاشَ بَعْدَ مُوسَى ثَلَاثِينَ سَنَةً وَ خَرَجَتْ عَلَيْهِ صَفْرَاءُ بِنْتُ شُعَيْبٍ زَوْجَةُ مُوسَى عليه السلام فَقَالَتْ أَنَا أَحَقُّ مِنْكَ بِالْأَمْرِ فَقَاتَلَهَا فَقَتَلَ مُقَاتِلِيهَا وَ أَسَرَهَا فَأَحْسَنَ أَسْرَهَا وَ إِنَّ ابْنَةَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ سَتَخْرُجُ عَلَى عَلِيٍّ فِي كَذَا وَ كَذَا أَلْفاً مِنْ أُمَّتِي فَتُقَاتِلُهُ فَيَقْتُلُ مُقَاتِلِيهَا وَ يَأْسِرُهَا فَيُحْسِنُ أَسْرَهَا وَ فِيهَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَ وَ قَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَ لا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولى يَعْنِي صَفْرَاءَ بِنْتَ شُعَيْبٍ.
فهذا الشكل قد ثبت بين الأئمة و الأنبياء بالاسم و الصفة و النعت و الفعل و كل ما كان جائزا في الأنبياء فهو جائز يجري في الأئمة حذو النعل بالنعل و القذة بالقذة و لو جاز أن تجحد إمامة صاحب زماننا هذا لغيبته بعد وجود من تقدمه من الأئمة عليه السلام لوجب أن تدفع نبوة موسى بن عمران عليه السلام لغيبته إذ لم يكن كل الأنبياء كذلك فلما لم تسقط نبوة موسى لغيبته و صحت نبوته مع الغيبة كما صحت نبوة الأنبياء الذين لم تقع بهم الغيبة فكذلك صحت إمامة صاحب زماننا هذا مع غيبته كما صحت إمامة من تقدمه من الأئمة الذين لم تقع بهم الغيبة. و كما جاز أن يكون موسى عليه السلام في حجر فرعون يربيه و هو لا يعرفه و يقتل أولاد بني إسرائيل في طلبه فكذلك جائز أن يكون صاحب زماننا موجودا بشخصه بين الناس يدخل مجالسهم و يطأ بسطهم و يمشي في أسواقهم و هم لا يعرفونه إلى أن يَبْلُغَ الْكِتابُ أَجَلَهُ. فَقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنِ الصَّادِقِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عليه السلام أَنَّهُ قَالَ: فِي الْقَائِمِ سُنَّةٌ مِنْ مُوسَى وَ سُنَّةٌ مِنْ يُوسُفَ وَ سُنَّةٌ مِنْ عِيسَى وَ سُنَّةٌ مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ ص فَأَمَّا سُنَّةُ مُوسَى فَخَائِفٌ يَتَرَقَّبُ وَ أَمَّا سُنَّةُ يُوسُفَ فَإِنَّ إِخْوَتَهُ كَانُوا يُبَايِعُونَهُ وَ يُخَاطِبُونَهُ وَ لَا يَعْرِفُونَهُ وَ أَمَّا سُنَّةُ عِيسَى فَالسِّيَاحَةُ وَ أَمَّا سُنَّةُ مُحَمَّدٍ ص فَالسَّيْفُ.
Among the things that invalidate the argument of our opponents in denying the resemblance between the Imāms and the prophets is that the messengers who came before the time of our Prophet ﷺ—their successors (awṣiyāʾ) were prophets. Every successor who fulfilled the testament (waṣiyyah) of a preceding ḥujjah, from the death of Ādam (ʿa) until the era of our Prophet ﷺ, was a prophet. For example, the successor of Ādam was his son Shīth, who is "the gift of Allah" according to the knowledge of the Family of Muḥammad ﷺ, and he was a prophet. Likewise, the successor of Nūḥ (ʿa) was his son Sām, and he was a prophet. The successor of Ibrāhīm (ʿa) was his son Ismāʿīl, and he was a prophet. The successor of Mūsā (ʿa) was Yūshaʿ b. Nūn, and he was a prophet. The successor of ʿĪsā (ʿa) was Shamʿūn al-Ṣafā, and he was a prophet. The successor of Dāwūd (ʿa) was his son Sulaymān (ʿa), and he was a prophet. As for the successors of our Prophet ﷺ, they were not prophets because Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, made Muḥammad the Seal of these nations, as a mark of honor and distinction for him. Thus, the Imāms and the prophets are similar in succession (waṣiyyah), just as they are similar in the other aspects of resemblance previously mentioned. The prophet is a successor (waṣī), and the Imām is a successor. The successor is an Imām, and the prophet is an Imām. The prophet is a ḥujjah, and the Imām is a ḥujjah. Among all forms of resemblance, none is more similar than the resemblance between the Imāms and the prophets. Likewise, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ informed us of the resemblance in the actions of the successors, both those who came early and those who came later—such as the story of Yūshaʿ b. Nūn, the successor of Mūsā (ʿa), with Ṣaffūrāʾ, daughter of Shuʿayb and wife of Mūsā; and the story of Amīr al-Muʾminīn (ʿa), the successor of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, with ʿĀʾishah bint Abī Bakr.
It is obligatory on the successor of a prophet to give the latter funeral bath (ghusl) after his demise. It is narrated from Ali bin Ahmad al-Daqaqi from Hamza bin Qasim from Abul Hasan Ali bin al-Junaid Raazi from Abu Awana from Hasan bin Ali from Abdur Razzaq from his father from Abdur Rahman bin Auf’s slave, Maina from Abdullah bin Masud that he said: “I asked the Holy Prophet, “O Messenger of Allah! Who will perform your ghusl after your demise?” he replied, “Ali ibn Abi Talib”. He asked, “How long will he live after you?” he said: “he will live for thirty years after me. The successor of Prophet Musa lived for thirty years after him and he was opposed by the wife of Musa in the matter of performing ghusl. She claimed that she was more rightful of this and fought with Yusha. He also fought with her followers and defeated them. She was taken as captive but was treated very nicely. Similarly, Abu Bakr’s daughter will also betray Ali at so and so occasion. One thousand people of my Ummah will join her and fight against Ali. Ali will defeat her followers and hold her as captive and treat her well. The Almighty Allah says regarding this: «Settle in your homes, and do not display yourselves as women did in the days of pre-Islamic ignorance» (33:33) The indication here is to Safra binte Shuaib.
Thus the similarity between holy Imams and the prophets as regards name, attributes and deeds is proved. Hence all the characteristics of the prophets can be present in holy Imams. If we do not accept the Imamate of Imam Zaman because there was no such occultation of other Imams then it would be necessary to reject the prophethood of Prophet Musa because such conditions were not present during the time of any other prophet. Hence if the prophethood of Prophet Musa is correct like other prophets in spite of his occultation then the Imamate of Imam Zaman is also correct in spite of his occultation, which was not present in Imams before him. If it is correct that Prophet Musa grew up near Firon and he could not recognize him and went on killing the newborn children of Bani Israel then it is also correct that Imam Zaman is present among the people, he participates in their gatherings, goes to their markets but people do not recognize him till the Almighty Allah wishes. It is narrated from Imam Ja’far bin Muhammad al-Sadiq: Qaim possesses a practice of Musa, a practice of Yusuf, a practice of Isa and a practice of Prophet Muhammad. The practice of Musa is that he is fearful; practice of Yusuf is that his brothers paid allegiance to him and talked to him without recognizing him. The practice of Isa is in his policies and the practice of Holy Prophet is in his armed uprising.
Commentary #2
و مما يفسد معارضة خصومنا في نفي تشاكل الأئمة و الأنبياء أن الرسل الذين تقدموا قبل عصر نبينا ص كان أوصياؤهم أنبياء فكل وصي قام بوصية حجة تقدمه من وقت وفاة آدم عليه السلام إلى عصر نبينا ص كان نبيا و ذلك مثل وصي آدم كان شيث ابنه و هو هبة الله في علم آل محمد ص و كان نبيا و مثل وصي نوح عليه السلام كان سام ابنه و كان نبيا و مثل إبراهيم عليه السلام كان وصيه إسماعيل ابنه و كان نبيا و مثل موسى عليه السلام كان وصيه يوشع بن نون و كان نبيا و مثل عيسى عليه السلام كان وصيه شمعون الصفا و كان نبيا و مثل داود عليه السلام كان وصيه سليمان عليه السلام ابنه و كان نبيا و أوصياء نبينا عليه السلام لم يكونوا أنبياء لأن الله عز و جل جعل محمدا خاتما لهذه الأمم كرامة له و تفضيلا فقد تشاكلت الأئمة و الأنبياء بالوصية كما تشاكلوا فيما قدمنا ذكره من تشاكلهم فالنبي وصي و الإمام وصي و الوصي إمام و النبي إمام و النبي حجة و الإمام حجة فليس في الأشكال أشبه من تشاكل الأئمة و الأنبياء. و كذلك أخبرنا رسول الله ص بتشاكل أفعال الأوصياء فيمن تقدم و تأخر من قصة يوشع بن نون وصي موسى عليه السلام مع صفراء بنت شعيب زوجة موسى و قصة أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام وصي رسول الله ص مع عائشة بنت أبي بكر
و إيجاب غسل الأنبياء أوصياءهم بعد وفاتهم. حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ الدَّقَّاقُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمْزَةُ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْجُنَيْدِ الرَّازِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّزَّاقِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ مِينَا مَوْلَى عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِلنَّبِيِّ عليه السلام يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَنْ يُغَسِّلُكَ إِذَا مِتَّ قَالَ يَغْسِلُ كُلَّ نَبِيٍّ وَصِيُّهُ قُلْتُ فَمَنْ وَصِيُّكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ قُلْتُ كَمْ يَعِيشُ بَعْدَكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ثَلَاثِينَ سَنَةً فَإِنَّ يُوشَعَ بْنَ نُونٍ وَصِيَّ مُوسَى عَاشَ بَعْدَ مُوسَى ثَلَاثِينَ سَنَةً وَ خَرَجَتْ عَلَيْهِ صَفْرَاءُ بِنْتُ شُعَيْبٍ زَوْجَةُ مُوسَى عليه السلام فَقَالَتْ أَنَا أَحَقُّ مِنْكَ بِالْأَمْرِ فَقَاتَلَهَا فَقَتَلَ مُقَاتِلِيهَا وَ أَسَرَهَا فَأَحْسَنَ أَسْرَهَا وَ إِنَّ ابْنَةَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ سَتَخْرُجُ عَلَى عَلِيٍّ فِي كَذَا وَ كَذَا أَلْفاً مِنْ أُمَّتِي فَتُقَاتِلُهُ فَيَقْتُلُ مُقَاتِلِيهَا وَ يَأْسِرُهَا فَيُحْسِنُ أَسْرَهَا وَ فِيهَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَ وَ قَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَ لا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولى يَعْنِي صَفْرَاءَ بِنْتَ شُعَيْبٍ.
فهذا الشكل قد ثبت بين الأئمة و الأنبياء بالاسم و الصفة و النعت و الفعل و كل ما كان جائزا في الأنبياء فهو جائز يجري في الأئمة حذو النعل بالنعل و القذة بالقذة و لو جاز أن تجحد إمامة صاحب زماننا هذا لغيبته بعد وجود من تقدمه من الأئمة عليه السلام لوجب أن تدفع نبوة موسى بن عمران عليه السلام لغيبته إذ لم يكن كل الأنبياء كذلك فلما لم تسقط نبوة موسى لغيبته و صحت نبوته مع الغيبة كما صحت نبوة الأنبياء الذين لم تقع بهم الغيبة فكذلك صحت إمامة صاحب زماننا هذا مع غيبته كما صحت إمامة من تقدمه من الأئمة الذين لم تقع بهم الغيبة. و كما جاز أن يكون موسى عليه السلام في حجر فرعون يربيه و هو لا يعرفه و يقتل أولاد بني إسرائيل في طلبه فكذلك جائز أن يكون صاحب زماننا موجودا بشخصه بين الناس يدخل مجالسهم و يطأ بسطهم و يمشي في أسواقهم و هم لا يعرفونه إلى أن يَبْلُغَ الْكِتابُ أَجَلَهُ. فَقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنِ الصَّادِقِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عليه السلام أَنَّهُ قَالَ: فِي الْقَائِمِ سُنَّةٌ مِنْ مُوسَى وَ سُنَّةٌ مِنْ يُوسُفَ وَ سُنَّةٌ مِنْ عِيسَى وَ سُنَّةٌ مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ ص فَأَمَّا سُنَّةُ مُوسَى فَخَائِفٌ يَتَرَقَّبُ وَ أَمَّا سُنَّةُ يُوسُفَ فَإِنَّ إِخْوَتَهُ كَانُوا يُبَايِعُونَهُ وَ يُخَاطِبُونَهُ وَ لَا يَعْرِفُونَهُ وَ أَمَّا سُنَّةُ عِيسَى فَالسِّيَاحَةُ وَ أَمَّا سُنَّةُ مُحَمَّدٍ ص فَالسَّيْفُ.
Among the things that invalidate the argument of our opponents in denying the resemblance between the Imāms and the prophets is that the messengers who came before the time of our Prophet ﷺ—their successors (awṣiyāʾ) were prophets. Every successor who fulfilled the testament (waṣiyyah) of a preceding ḥujjah, from the death of Ādam (ʿa) until the era of our Prophet ﷺ, was a prophet. For example, the successor of Ādam was his son Shīth, who is "the gift of Allah" according to the knowledge of the Family of Muḥammad ﷺ, and he was a prophet. Likewise, the successor of Nūḥ (ʿa) was his son Sām, and he was a prophet. The successor of Ibrāhīm (ʿa) was his son Ismāʿīl, and he was a prophet. The successor of Mūsā (ʿa) was Yūshaʿ b. Nūn, and he was a prophet. The successor of ʿĪsā (ʿa) was Shamʿūn al-Ṣafā, and he was a prophet. The successor of Dāwūd (ʿa) was his son Sulaymān (ʿa), and he was a prophet. As for the successors of our Prophet ﷺ, they were not prophets because Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, made Muḥammad the Seal of these nations, as a mark of honor and distinction for him. Thus, the Imāms and the prophets are similar in succession (waṣiyyah), just as they are similar in the other aspects of resemblance previously mentioned. The prophet is a successor (waṣī), and the Imām is a successor. The successor is an Imām, and the prophet is an Imām. The prophet is a ḥujjah, and the Imām is a ḥujjah. Among all forms of resemblance, none is more similar than the resemblance between the Imāms and the prophets. Likewise, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ informed us of the resemblance in the actions of the successors, both those who came early and those who came later—such as the story of Yūshaʿ b. Nūn, the successor of Mūsā (ʿa), with Ṣaffūrāʾ, daughter of Shuʿayb and wife of Mūsā; and the story of Amīr al-Muʾminīn (ʿa), the successor of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, with ʿĀʾishah bint Abī Bakr.
It is obligatory on the successor of a prophet to give the latter funeral bath (ghusl) after his demise. It is narrated from Ali bin Ahmad al-Daqaqi from Hamza bin Qasim from Abul Hasan Ali bin al-Junaid Raazi from Abu Awana from Hasan bin Ali from Abdur Razzaq from his father from Abdur Rahman bin Auf’s slave, Maina from Abdullah bin Masud that he said: “I asked the Holy Prophet, “O Messenger of Allah! Who will perform your ghusl after your demise?” he replied, “Ali ibn Abi Talib”. He asked, “How long will he live after you?” he said: “he will live for thirty years after me. The successor of Prophet Musa lived for thirty years after him and he was opposed by the wife of Musa in the matter of performing ghusl. She claimed that she was more rightful of this and fought with Yusha. He also fought with her followers and defeated them. She was taken as captive but was treated very nicely. Similarly, Abu Bakr’s daughter will also betray Ali at so and so occasion. One thousand people of my Ummah will join her and fight against Ali. Ali will defeat her followers and hold her as captive and treat her well. The Almighty Allah says regarding this: «Settle in your homes, and do not display yourselves as women did in the days of pre-Islamic ignorance» (33:33) The indication here is to Safra binte Shuaib.
Thus the similarity between holy Imams and the prophets as regards name, attributes and deeds is proved. Hence all the characteristics of the prophets can be present in holy Imams. If we do not accept the Imamate of Imam Zaman because there was no such occultation of other Imams then it would be necessary to reject the prophethood of Prophet Musa because such conditions were not present during the time of any other prophet. Hence if the prophethood of Prophet Musa is correct like other prophets in spite of his occultation then the Imamate of Imam Zaman is also correct in spite of his occultation, which was not present in Imams before him. If it is correct that Prophet Musa grew up near Firon and he could not recognize him and went on killing the newborn children of Bani Israel then it is also correct that Imam Zaman is present among the people, he participates in their gatherings, goes to their markets but people do not recognize him till the Almighty Allah wishes. It is narrated from Imam Ja’far bin Muhammad al-Sadiq: Qaim possesses a practice of Musa, a practice of Yusuf, a practice of Isa and a practice of Prophet Muhammad. The practice of Musa is that he is fearful; practice of Yusuf is that his brothers paid allegiance to him and talked to him without recognizing him. The practice of Isa is in his policies and the practice of Holy Prophet is in his armed uprising.