Kitāb al-Ghayba

Twelve imams determined by Allah

9 - وبهذا الإسناد عن عبد الرزاق بن همام قال: حدثنا معمر بن راشد، عن أبان بن أبى عياش، عن سليم بن قيس الهلالي قال: لما أقبلنا من صفين مع أمير المؤمنين نزل قريباً من دَير نصرانيٍّ إذ خرج علينا شيخ من الدير جميل الوجهِ حسَنُ الهيئة والسمت معه كتاب، حتى أتى أميرَ المؤمنين فسلّم عليه ثم قال: إني من نسل حواريّ عيسى بن مريم وكان أفضلَ حواريّ عيسى - الإثني عشر - وأحبَّهم إليه وآثرَهم عنده، وأنّ عيسى أوصى إليه ودفع إليه كتبه وعلَّمَه حكمتَه، فلم يزل أهلُ هذا البيت على دينه متمسّكين بملّته لم يكفروا ولم يرتدّوا ولم يغيِّروا. وتلك الكتبُ عندي إملاءَ عيسى بن مريم وخطّ أبينا بيَده، فيها كلُّ شيء يفعل الناس من بعده، واسم ملك ملك من بعده منهم، وأنّ الله تبارك وتعالى يبعث رجلاً من العرب من ولد إسماعيل بن إبراهيمَ خليلِ الله من أرضٍ يقال لها: تهامة، مِن قرية يقال لها: مكّة، يقال له: أحمد، له اثنا عشر اسماً، وذَكَر مبعثَه ومولدَه ومهاجرتَه ومَن يقاتله ومن ينصُره ومن يعاديه، وما يعيش، وما تَلقى أمّتُه بعده إلى أن ينْزلَ عيسى بنُ مريم من السماءِ. وفي ذلك الكتب ثلاثة عشر رجلاً من ولد إسماعيل بن إبراهيم خليل الله مِن خيرِ خلق الله ومِن أحبّ خلق الله إليه، واللهُ وليٌّ لمن والاهم وعدو لمَن عاداهم، من أطاعهم اهتدى ومَن عصاهم ضلَّ، طاعتُهم لله طاعةٌ ومعصيتُهم لله معصية، مكتوبةٌ أسماؤهم وأنسابهم ونعوتهم وكَم يعيش كلُّ رجلٍ منهم واحد بعد واحد وكم رجل منهم يستتر بدينه ويكتُمه من قومه، ومَن الذي يظهرُ منهم وينقاد له الناسُ حتىّ ينْزلَ عيسى بن مريم على آخرِهم فيُصلّي عيسى خلفه ويقول: إنّكم لأئمَّةٌ لا ينبغى لأحدٍ أن يتقدَّمَكم، فيتقدّمُ فيُصلي بالناس وعيسى خلفه في الصف. أولُهم وخيرُهم وأفضلهم - وله مثلُ أجورِهم وأجورِ مَن أطاعهم واهتدى بهم - رسول الله: اسمه محمّد وعبدُ الله ويۤس والفتّاح والخاتم والحاشر والعاقب والماحي والقائد ونبيُّ الله وصفيُّ الله وحبيب الله، وأنّه يُذكر إذا ذكر، مِن أكرمِ خلقِ الله على الله وأحبّهم إلى الله، لم يخلقِ الله ملَكاً مكرّماً ولا نبيّاً مرسَلاً مِن آدم فمن سِواه خيراً عند الله ولا أحبَّ إلى الله منه، يُقعده يوم القيامة على عرشه، ويشفّعُه في كلّ مَن يشفع فيه. باسمه جرى القلمُ في اللوح المحفوظ: محمّدٌ رسولُ الله، وبِصاحب اللّواء يوم الحشر الأكبرِ أخيه ووصيه ووزيره وخليفته في أمّته. ومن أحب خلق الله إلى الله بعده عليّ ابن عمّه لأمّه وأبيه، ووليّ كل مؤمن بعده، ثم أحد عشر رجلاً من ولد محمّد وولده، أوّلُهم يسمّى باسم ابنَي هارون؛ شبر وشبير، وتسعة من ولد أصغرِهما واحد بعد واحد، آخرهم الذي يصلّي عيسى بنُ مريم خلفه… وذكر باقي الحديث بطوله.

(9) The same previous series of narrators from Abdurrazak bin Hammam from Ma’mar bin Rashid from Abban bin Abu Ayyash that Sulaym bin Qayss al-Hilali had said: “When we were coming back with Amirul Mo’mineen (as) from (the battle of) Siffeen, we stopped for a time to rest near a monastery. A handsome and neat old man came out of the monastery. He had a book in his hand. He came to Amirul Mo’mineen, greeted him and said: “I am from the progeny of one of the disciples of Jesus Christ (as). He was the best of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ and the most beloved one to him. Jesus Christ (as) had entrusted him with his wills, given him his books and taught him his knowledge and wisdom. The progeny of this disciple had been still keeping to the faith of Jesus Christ. They had never disbelieved or apostatized from his religion. The books are still with me. They had been written by the hand of our forefather according to the dictation of Jesus Christ (as) himself. Every thing that would happen after him had been mentioned in these books and the names of all the kings, who would rule after him, one after the other. It had been mentioned that Allah the Almighty would send a man from among the Arabs as a prophet. He would be from the progeny of Ishmael the son of Abraham. He would be from a land called Tehama and a village called Mecca. His name would be Ahmad. He would have twelve names. His advent, birth, emigration, who would fight him, who would support him, who would be his enemies, how long he would live and what his umma would face after him until Jesus Christ (as) would descend from the Heaven had been mentioned in these books. The names of thirteen men of the progeny of Ishmael the son of Abraham had been mentioned in the book and that they were the best of all of the peoples and the most beloved ones to Allah. Allah would be the guardian of whoever believed in them and would be the enemy of whoever opposed them. Whoever obeyed them would be guided and whoever disobeyed them would go astray. Obeying them would mean obeying Allah and disobeying them would mean disobeying Allah. Everything about them had been mentioned such as their names, lineage, aspects, how long each one of them would live, how many ones of them would conceal their faith before their people and which one of them would appear and then all the peoples would submit to him until Jesus Christ (as) would descend from the Heaven and then he (Jesus Christ) would offer prayers behind him and would say: “You are the imams and no one is to precede you.” Then he would advance to lead the people in offering the prayer and Jesus Christ (as) would stand behind him in the first row. The first of them and the best of them is the messenger of Allah. His names are Muhammad, Abdullah, Yasseen, al-Fattah (the conqueror), al-Khatam (the last), al-Hashir (the resurrector), al-Aaqib (the successor), al-Mahi (the eraser), al-Qa’id (the leader), the prophet of Allah, the best friend of Allah and the beloved of Allah. He is the most honored of all the people before Allah and the most beloved to Him. Allah has never created an honored angel or a prophet since Adam better than him near Allah or more beloved to Allah than him. Allah will seat him on His Throne on the Day of Resurrection and will accept his intercession for everyone he intercedes for. With his name; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, the Pen writes on the Divine Tablet and with the keeper of the banner on the Day of the Great Resurrection, his guardian, vizier and successor for his umma. The most beloved one to Allah after him, Ali; his cousin and the guardian of every believer after him and then eleven men of Muhammad and Ali’s progeny, the first two of them are named as the names of the two sons of Aaron; Shubbar and Shubayr, and nine of the progeny of the youngest of them one after the other, behind the last of whom Jesus Christ will offer the prayers.” Then he mentioned the rest of the tradition.

Kitāb al-Ghayba

Book 2, Chapter #4