The First Imam
& Father of Imams
Amir al-mu'minln Ali (upon whom be peace) was the son of Abu
Talib, the Shaykh of the Banu Hashim. Abu Talib was the uncle and guardian of the Holy
Prophet (sawas) and the person who had brought the Prophet (sawas) to his house and raised
him like his own son. After the Prophet (sawas) was chosen for his prophetic mission, Abu
Talib continued to support him and repelled from him the evil that came from the infidels
among the Arabs and especially the Quraysh.
According to well-known traditional accounts Ali was born ten years before the
commencement of the prophetic mission of the Prophet (sawas). When six years old, as a
result of famine in and around Mecca, he was requested by the Prophet (sawas) to leave his
father's house and come to the house of his cousin, the Prophet (sawas). There he was
placed directly under the guardianship and custody of the Holy Prophet (sawas).
A few years later, when the Prophet (sawas) was endowed with the Divine gift of
prophecy and for the first time received the Divine revelation in the cave of Hira', as he
left the cave to return to town and his own house he met Ali on the way. He told him what
had happened and Ali accepted the new faith. Again in a gathering when the Holy Prophet
(sawas) had brought his relatives together and invited them to accept his religion, he
said the first person to accept his call would be his vicegerent and inheritor and deputy.
The only person to rise from his place and accept the faith was Ali and the Prophet
(sawas) accepted his declaration of faith. Therefore Ali was the first man in Islam to
accept the faith and is the first among the followers of the Prophet (sawas) to have never
worshipped other than the One God.
Ali was always in the company of the Prophet (sawas) until the Prophet (sawas) migrated
from Mecca to Medina. On the night of the migration to Medina (hijrah) when the infidels
had surrounded the house of the Prophet (sawas) and were determined to invade the house at
the end of the night and cut him to pieces while he was in bed, Ali slept in place of the
Prophet (sawas) while the Prophet (sawas) left the house and set out for Medina. After the
departure of the Prophet (sawas), according to his wish Ali gave back to the people the
trusts and charges that they had left with the Prophet (sawas). Then he went to Medina
with his mother, the daughter of the Prophet (sawas), and two other women.
In Medina also Ali was constantly in the company of the Prophet (sawas) in private and
in public. The Prophet (sawas) gave Fatimah, his beloved daughter from Khadijah, to Ali as
his wife and when the Prophet (sawas) was creating bonds of brotherhood among his
companions he selected Ali as his brother.
Ali was present in all the wars in which the Prophet (sawas) participated, except the
battle of Tabuk when he was ordered to stay in Medina in place of the Prophet (sawas). He
did not retreat in any battle nor did he turn his face away from any enemy. He never
disobeyed the Prophet (sawas), so that the Prophet (sawas) said, "Ali is never
separated from the Truth nor the Truth from Ali."
On the day of the death of the Prophet (sawas), Ali was thirty-three years old.
Although he was foremost in religious virtues and the most outstanding among the
companions of the Prophet (sawas), he was pushed aside from the caliphate on the claim
that he was too young and that he had many enemies among the people because of the blood
of the polytheists he had spilled in the wars fought alongside the Prophet (sawas).
Therefore Ali was almost completely cut off from public affairs. He retreated to his house
where he began to train competent individuals in the Divine sciences and in this way he
passed the twenty-five years of the caliphate of the first three caliphs who succeeded the
Prophet (sawas). When the third caliph was killed, people gave their allegiance to him and
he was chosen as caliph.
During his caliphate of nearly four years and nine months, Ali followed the way of the
Prophet (sawas) and gave his caliphate the form of a spiritual movement and renewal and
began many different types of reforms. Naturally, these reforms were against the interests
of certain parties that sought their own benefit. As a result, a group of the companions
(foremost among whom were Talhah and Zubayr, who also gained the support of A'ishah, and
especially Mu'awiyah) made a pretext of the death of the third caliph to raise their heads
in opposition and began to revolt and rebel against Ali.
In order to quell the civil strife and sedition, Ali fought a war near Basra, known as
the "Battle of the Camel," against Talhah and Zubayr in which Ummul Mu'mineen
A'ishah, was also involved. He fought another war against Mu'awiyah on the border of
Iraq and Syria which lasted for a year and a half and is famous as the "Battle of
Siffin." He also fought against the Khawarij at Nahrawan, in a battle known as the
"Battle of Nahrawan." Therefore, most of the days of Ali's caliphate were spent
in overcoming internal opposition. Finally, in the morning of the 19th of Ramadan in the
year 40 A.H., while praying in the mosque of Kufa, he was wounded by one of the Khawarij
and died as a martyr during the night of the 21st of Ramadan.
According to the testimony of friend and foe alike, Ali had no shortcomings from the
point of view of human perfection. And in the Islamic virtues he was a perfect example of
the upbringing and training given by the Prophet (sawas). The discussions that have taken
place concerning his personality and the books written on this subject by Shi'ites, Sunnis
and members of other religions, as well as the simply curious outside any distinct
religious bodies, are hardly equalled in the case of any other personality in history.
In science and knowledge Ali was the most learned of the companions of the Prophet
(sawas), and of Muslims in general. In his learned discourses he was the first in Islam to
open the door for logical demonstration and proof and to discuss the "divine
sciences" or metaphysics (ma'arif-i ilahlyah). He spoke concerning the esoteric
aspect of the Quran and devised Arabic grammar in order to preserve the Quran's form of
expression. He was the most eloquent Arab in speech (as has been mentioned in the first
part of this book).
The courage of Ali was proverbial. In all the wars in which he participated during the
lifetime of the Prophet (sawas), and also afterward, he never displayed fear or anxiety.
Although in many battles such as those of Uhud, Hunayn, Khaybar and Khandaq the aides to
the Prophet (sawas) and the Muslim army trembled in fear or dispersed and fled, he never
turned his back to the enemy. Never did a warrior or soldier engage Ali in battle and come
out of it alive. Yet, with full chivalry he would never slay a weak enemy nor pursue those
who fled. He would not engage in surprise attacks or in turning streams of water upon the
enemy. It has been definitively established historically that in the Battle of Khaybar in
the attack against the fort he reached the ring of the door and with sudden motion tore
off the door and cast it away. Also on the day when Mecca was conquered the Prophet
(sawas) ordered the idols to be broken. The idol "Hubal" was the largest idol in
Mecca, a giant stone statue placed on the top of the Ka'bah. Following the command of the
Prophet (sawas), Ali placed his feet on the Prophet (sawas)'s shoulders, climbed to the
top of the Ka'bah, pulled "Hubal" from its place and cast it down.
Ali was also without equal in religious asceticism and the worship of God. In answer to
some who had complained of Ali's anger toward them, the Prophet (sawas) said, "Do not
reproach Ali for he is in a state of Divine ecstasy and bewilderment.
" Abu Darda'', one of the companions, one day saw the body of Ali in one of the
palm plantations of Medina laying on the ground as stiff as wood. He went to Ali's house
to inform his noble wife, the daughter of the Prophet (sawas), and to express his
condolences. The daughter of the Prophet (sawas) said, "My cousin (Ali) has not died.
Rather, in fear of God he has fainted. This condition overcomes him often." There are
many stories told of Ali's kindness to the lowly, compassion for the needy and the poor,
and generosity and munificence toward those in misery and poverty. Ali spent all that he
earned to help the poor and the needy, and himself lived in the strictest and simplest
manner. Ali loved agriculture and spent much of his time digging wells, planting trees and
cultivating fields. But all the fields that he cultivated or wells that he built he gave
in endowment (waqf) to the poor. His endowments, known as the "alms of Ali," had
the noteworthy income of twenty-four thousand gold dinars toward the end of his life.
Hasan
ibn Ali al-Mujtaba
The Second Imam
Imam Hasan Mujtaba--upon whom be peace--was the second Imam. He and his brother Imam
Husayn were the two sons of Amir al-mu'minin Ali and Hadrat Fatimah,
the daughter of the Prophet (sawas). Many times the Prophet (sawas) had said, "Hasan
and Husayn are my children." Because of these same words Ali would say to his other
children, "You are my children and Hasan and Husayn are the children of the Prophet
(sawas)."
Imam Hasan was born in the year 3 A.H. in Medina and shared in the life of the Prophet
(sawas) for somewhat over seven years, growing up during that time under his loving care.
After the death of the Prophet (sawas) which was no more than three, or according to some,
six months earlier than the death of Hadrat Fatimah, Hasan was placed directly under the
care of his noble father. After the death of his father, through Divine Command and
according to the will of his father, Imam Hasan became Imam; he also occupied the outward
function of caliph for about six months, during which time he administered the affairs of
the Muslims. During that time Mu'awiyah, who was a bitter enemy of Ali and his family and
had fought for years with the ambition of capturing the caliphate, first on the pretext of
avenging the death of the third caliph and finally with an open claim to the caliphate,
marched his army into Iraq, the seat of Imam Hasan's caliphate. War ensued during which
Mu'awiyah gradually subverted the generals and commanders of Imam Hasan's army with large
sums of money and deceiving promises until the army rebelled against Imam Hasan. Finally,
the Imam was forced to make peace and to yield the caliphate to Mu'awiyah, provided it
would again return to Imam Hasan, after Mu'awiyah's death and the Imam's household and
partisans would be protected in every way.
In this way Mu'awiyah captured the Islamic caliphate and entered Iraq. In a public
speech he officially made null and void all the peace conditions and in every way possible
placed the severest pressure upon the members of the Household of the Prophet (sawas) and
the Shi'ah. During all the ten years of his Imamate, Imam Hasan lived in conditions of
extreme hardship and under persecution, with no security even in his own house. In the
year 50 A.H. he was poisoned and martyred by one of his own household who, as has been
accounted by historians, had been motivated by Mu'awiyah.
In human perfection Imam Hasan was reminiscent of his father and a perfect example of
his noble grandfather. In fact, as long as the Prophet (sawas) was alive, he and his
brother were always in the company of the Prophet (sawas) who even sometimes would carry
them on his shoulders. Both Sunni and Shi'ite sources have transmitted this saying of the
Holy Prophet (sawas) concerning Hasan and Husayn: "These two children of mine are
Imams whether they stand up or sit down" (allusion to whether they occupy the
external function of caliphate or not). Also there are many traditions of the Holy Prophet
(sawas) and Ali concerning the fact that Imam Hasan would gain the function of Imamate
after his noble father.
Hussein
ibn Ali al-Shaheed
The Third Imam
Imam Husayn (Sayyid al-Shuhada', "the lord
among martyrs"), the second child of Ali and Fatimah,
was born in the year 4 A.H. and after the martyrdom of his brother, Imam Hasan Mujtaba,
became Imam through Divine Command and his brother's will.
Imam Husayn was Imam for a period of ten years, all but the last six
months coinciding with the caliphate of Mu'awiyah. Imam Husayn lived under the most
difficult outward conditions of suppression and persecution. This was due to the fact
that, first of all, religious laws and regulations had lost much of their weight and
credit, and the edicts of the Umayyad government had gained complete authority and power.
Secondly, Mu'awiyah and his aides made use of every possible means to put aside and move
out of the way the Household of the Prophet (sawas) and the Shi'ah, and thus obliterate
the name of Ali and his family. And above all, Mu'awiyah wanted to strengthen the basis of
the caliphate of his son, Yazid, who because of his lack of principles and scruples was
opposed by a large group of Muslims. Therefore, in order to quell all opposition,
Mu'awiyah had undertaken newer and more severe measures. By force and necessity Imam
Husayn had to endure these days and to tolerate every kind of mental and spiritual agony
and affliction from Mu'awiyah and his aides,until in the middle of the year 60 A.H.
Mu'awiyah died and his son Yazid took his place.
Paying allegiance (bay'ah) was an old Arab practice which was carried out
in important matters such as that of kingship and governorship. Those who were ruled, and
especially the well known among them, would give their hand in alleging, agreement and
obedience to their king or prince and in this way would show their support for his
actions. Disagreement after allegiance was considered as disgrace and dishonour for a
people and it was like breaking an agreement after having signed it officially, it was
considered as a definite crime. Following the example of the Holy Prophet (sawas), people
believed that allegiance, when given by free will and not through force, carried authority
and weight.
Mu'awiyah had asked the well-known among the people to give their
allegiance to Yazid, but had not imposed this request upon Imam Husayn. He had especially
told Yazid in his last will that if Husayn refused to pay allegiance he should pass over
it in silence and overlook the matter, for he had understood correctly the disastrous
consequences which would follow if the issue were to be pressed. But because of his egoism
and recklessness, Yazid neglected his father's advice and immediately after the death of
his father ordered the governor of Medina either to force a pledge of allegiance from Imam
Husayn or send his head to Damascus.
After the governor of Medina informed Imam Husayn of this demand, the
Imam, in order to think over the question, asked for a delay and overnight started with
his family toward Mecca. He sought refuge in the sanctuary of God which in Islam is the
official place of refuge and security. This event occurred toward the end of the month of
Rajab and the beginning of Sha'ban of 60 A.H. For nearly four months Imam Husayn stayed in
Mecca in refuge. This news spread throughout the Islamic world. On the one hand many
people who were tired of the iniquities of Mu'awiyah's rule and were even more
dissatisfied when Yazid became caliph, corresponded with Imam Husayn and expressed their
sympathy for him. On the other hand a flood of letters began to flow, especially from Iraq
and particularly the city of Kufa, inviting the Imam to go to Iraq and accept the
leadership of the populace there with the aim of beginning an uprising to overcome
injustice and iniquity. Naturally such a situation was dangerous for Yazid.
The stay of Imam Husayn in Mecca continued until the season for pilgrimage
when Muslims from all over the world poured in groups into Mecca in order to perform the
rites of the hajj. The Imam discovered that some of the followers of Yazid had entered
Mecca as pilgrims (hajjis) with the mission to kill the Imam during the rites of hajj with
the arms they carried under their special pilgrimage dress (ihram). The Imam shortened the
pilgrimage rites and decided to leave. Amidst the vast crowd of people he stood up and in
a short speech announced that he was setting out for Iraq. In this short speech he also
declared that he would be martyred and asked Muslims to help him in attaining the goal he
had in view and to offer their lives in the path of God. The next day he set out with his
family and a group of his companions for Iraq.
Imam Husayn was determined not to give his
allegiance to Yazid and knew full well that he would be killed. He was aware that his
death was inevitable in the face of the awesome military power of the Umayyads, supported
as it was by corruption in certain sectors, spiritual decline, and lack of will power
among the people, especially in Iraq. Some of the outstanding people of Mecca stood in the
way of Imam Husayn and warned him of the danger of the move he was making. But he answered
that he refused to pay allegiance and give his approval to a government of injustice and
tyranny. He added that he knew that wherever he turned or went he would be killed. He
would leave Mecca in order to preserve the respect for the house of God and not allow this
respect to be destroyed by having his blood spilled there. While on the way to Kufa and
still a few days' journey away from the city, he received news that the followers of Yazid
in Kufa had put to death the representative of the Imam in that city and also one of the
Imam's determined supporters who was a well-known man in Kufa. Their feet had been tied
and they had been dragged through the streets. The city and its surroundings were placed
under strict observation and countless soldiers of the enemy were awaiting him, There was
no way open to him but to march ahead and to face death. It was-here that the Imam
expressed his definitive determination to go ahead and be martyred; and
so he continued on his journey.
Approximately seventy kilometres from Kufa, in a desert named Kerbala, the
Imam and his entourage were surrounded by the army of Yazid. For eight days they stayed in
this spot during which the circle narrowed and the number of the enemy's army increased.
Finally the Imam, with his household and a small numbers of companions were encircled by
an army of thirty thousand soldiers. During these days the Imam fortified his position and
made a final selection of his companions. At night he called his companions and during a
short speech stated that there was nothing ahead but death and martyrdom. He added that
since the enemy was concerned only with his person he would free them from all obligations
so that anyone who wished could escape in the darkness of the night and save his life.
Then he ordered the lights to be turned out and most of his companions, who had joined him
for their own advantage, dispersed. Only a handful of those who loved the truth--about
forty of his close aides--and some of the Banu Hashim remained.
Once again the Imam assembled those who were left and put them to a test.
He addressed his companions and Hashimite relatives, saying again that the enemy was
concerned only with his person. Each could benefit from the darkness of the night and
escape the danger. But this time the faithful companions of the Imam answered each in his
own way that they would not deviate for a moment from the path of truth of which the Imam
was the leader and would never leave him alone. They said they would defend his household
to the last drop of their blood and as long as they could carry a sword.
On the ninth day of the month the last challenge to choose between
"allegiance or war" was made by the enemy to the Imam. The Imam asked for a
delay in order to worship overnight and became determined to enter battle on the next day.
On the tenth day of Muharram of the year 61/680 the Imam lined up before
the enemy with his small band of followers, less than ninety persons consisting of forty
of his companions, thirty some members of the army of the enemy that j joined him during
the night and day of war, and his Hashimite family of children, brothers, nephews, nieces
and cousins. That day they fought from morning until their final breath, the Imam, the
young Hashimites and the companions were all martyred. Among those killed were two
children of Imam Hasan, who were only thirteen and eleven years old; and a five-year-old
child and a suckling baby of Imam Husayn.
The army of the enemy, after ending the war, plundered the haram of the
Imam and burned his tents. They decapitated the bodies of the martyrs, denuded them and
threw them to the ground without burial. Then they moved the members of the haram, all of
whom were helpless women and girls, along with the heads of the martyrs, to Kufa. Among
the prisoners there were three male members: a twenty-two year old son of Imam Husayn who
was very ill and unable to move, namely Ali ibn Husayn, the fourth Imam; his four year old
son, Muhammad ibn Ali, who became the fifth Imam; and finally Hasan Muthanna, the son of
the second Imam who was also the son-in-law of Imam Husayn and who, having been wounded
during the war, lay among the dead. They found him near death and through the intercession
of one of the generals did not cut off his head. Rather, they took him with the prisoners
to Kufa and from there to Damascus before Yazid. The event of Kerbala, the capture of the
women and children of the Household of the Prophet (sawas), their being taken as prisoners
from town to town and the speeches made by the daughter of Ali; Zaynab, and the fourth
Imam who were among the prisoners, disgraced the Umayyads. Such abuse of the Household of
the Prophet (sawas) annulled the propaganda which Mu'awiyah had carried out for years. The
matter reached such proportions that Yazid in public disowned and condemned the actions of
his agents.
The event of Kerbala was a major factor in the overthrow of Umayyad rule
although its effect was delayed. It also strengthened the roots of The Followers of Ahlu
Bayt. Among its immediate results were the revolts and rebellions combined with bloody
wars which continued for twelve years. Among those who were instrumental in the death of
the Imam not one was able to escape revenge and punishment. Anyone who studies closely the
history of the life of Imam Husayn and Yazid and the conditions that prevailed at that
time, and analyses this chapter of Islamic history, will have no doubt that in those
circumstances there was no choice before Imam Husayn but to be killed. Swearing allegiance
to Yazid would have meant publicly showing contempt for Islam, something which was not
possible for the Imam, for Yazid not only showed no respect for Islam and its injunctions
but also made a public demonstration of impudently, treading under foot its basis and its
laws. Those before him, even if they opposed religious injunctions, always did so in the
guise of religion, and at least formally respected religion. They took pride in being
companions of the Holy Prophet (sawas) and the other religious figures in whom people
believed. From this it can be concluded that the claim of some interpreters of these
events is false when they say that the two brothers, Hasan and Husayn, had two different
tastes and that one chose the way of peace and the other the way of war, so that one
brother made peace with Mu'awiyah although he had an army of forty thousand while the
other went to war against Yazid with an army of forty. For we see that this same Imam
Husayn, who refused to pay allegiance to Yazid for one day, lived for ten years under the
rule of Mu'awiyah, in the same manner as his brother who also had endured for ten years
under Mu'awiyah, without opposing him.
It must be said in truth that if Imam Hasan or Imam Husayn had fought
Mu'awiyah they would have been killed without there being the least benefit for Islam.
Their deaths would have had no effect before the righteous appearing policy of Mu'awiyah,
a competent politician who emphasised his being a companion of the Holy Prophet (sawas),
the "scribe of the revelation," and "uncle of the faithful" and who
used every stratagem possible to preserve a religious guise for his rule. Moreover, with
his ability to set the stage to accomplish his desires he could have had them killed by
their own people and then assumed a state of mourning and sought to revenge their blood,
just as he sought to give the impression that he was avenging the killing of the third
caliph.
Ali ibn
Husayn al-Zayn al-'Abedin
The Fourth Imam
Imam Sajjad (Ali ibn Husayn entitled Zayn al-'abedin and Sajjad) was the son of the third
Imam and his wife, the queen among women, the daughter of Yazdigird the king of Persia. He
was the only son of Imam Husayn to survive, for his other three brothers Ali Akbar, aged
twenty-five, five year old Ja'far and Ali Asghar (or 'Abdallah) who was a suckling baby
were martyred during the event of Kerbala.
The Imam had also accompanied his father on the journey that terminated
fatally in Kerbala, but because of severe illness and the inability to carry arms or
participate in fighting he was prevented from taking part in the holy war and being
martyred. So he was sent with the womenfolk to Damascus. After spending a period in
imprisonment he was sent with honour to Medina because Yazid wanted to conciliate public
opinion. But for a second time, by the order of the Umayyad caliph, 'Abd al-Malik, he was
chained and sent from Medina to Damascus and then again returned to Medina.
The fourth Imam, upon returning to Medina, retired from public life
completely, closed the door of his house to strangers and spent his time in worship. He
was in contact only with the elite among the Shi'ites such as Abu Hamzah Thumali, Abu
Khalid Kabuli and the like. The elite disseminated among the Shi'ah the religious sciences
they learned from the Imam. In this way The Followers of Ahlu Bayt spread considerably and
showed its effects during the Imamate of the fifth Imam. Among the works of the fourth
Imam is a book called Sahifa
al-Sajjadiyah. It consists of fifty-seven prayers concerning the most sublime Divine
sciences and is known as "The Psalm of the Household of the Prophet (sawas)."
The fourth Imam died (according to some Shi'ite traditions poisoned by
Walid ibn 'Abd al-Malik through the instigation of the Umayyad caliph Hisham) in 95/712
after thirty-five years of Imamate.
Muhammad ibn Ali
al-Baqir
The Fifth Imam
Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Baqir (the word Baqir meaning he who cuts and dissects, a title
given to him by the Prophet (sawas)) was the son of the fourth Imam and was born in
67/675. He was present at the event of Kerbala when he was four years old. After his
father, through Divine Command and the decree of those who went before him, he became
Imam.
In the year 114/732 he died, according to some Shi'ite traditions poisoned by Ibrahim
ibn Walid ibn 'Abdallah, the nephew of Hisham, the Umayyad caliph. During the Imamate of
the fifth Imam, as a result of the injustice of the Umayyads, revolts and wars broke out
in some corner of the Islamic world every day. Moreover, there were disputes within the
Umayyad family itself which kept the caliphate busy and to a certain extent left the
members of the Household of the Prophet (sawas) alone. From the other side, the tragedy of
Kerbala and the oppression suffered by the Household of the Prophet (sawas) of which the
fourth Imam was the most noteworthy embodiment had attracted many Muslims to the Imams.
These factors combined to make it possible for people and especially the Shi'ites to go in
great numbers to Medina and to come into the presence of the fifth Imam.
Possibilities for disseminating truths about Islam and the sciences of the Household of
the Prophet (sawas), which had never existed for the Imams before him, were presented to
the fifth Imam. The proof of this fact is the innumerable traditions recounted from the
fifth Imam and the large number of illustrious men of science and Shi'ite scholars who
were trained by him in different Islamic sciences. These names are listed in books of
biographies of famous man in time.
Ja'far
ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq
The Sixth Imam
Imam Ja'far ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq, the son of the fifth Imam, was born in 83/702. He died
in 148/785 according to Shi'ite tradition, poisoned and martyred through the intrigue of
the Abbasid caliph Mansur. After the death of his father he became Imam by Divine Command
and decree of those who came before him.
During the Imamate of the sixth Imam greater possibilities and a more favourable
climate existed for him to propagate religious teachings. This came about as a result of
revolts in Islamic lands, especially the uprising of the Muswaddah to overthrow the
Umayyad caliphate, and the bloody wars which finally led to the fall and extinction of the
Umayyads. The greater opportunities for Shi'ite teachings were also a result of the
favourable ground the fifth Imam had prepared during the twenty years of his Imamate
through the propagation of the true teachings of Islam and the sciences of the Household
of the Prophet (sawas).
The Imam took advantage of the occasion to propagate the religious sciences until the
very end of his Imamate, which was contemporary with the end of the Umayad, and beginning
of the Abbasid caliphates. He instructed many scholars in different fields of the
intellectual and transmitted sciences, such as Zararah, Muhammad ibn Muslim, Mu'min Taqi,
Hisham ibn Hakam, Aban ibn Taghlib, Hisham ibn Salim, Hurayz, Hisham Kalbi Nassabah, and
Jabir ibn Hayyan, the alchemist. Even some important Sunni scholars such as Sufyan Thawri,
Abu Hanifah, the founder of the Hanafi school of law, Qadi. l Sukuni, Qadi Abu'l-Bakhtari,
and others, had the honour of being his students. It is said that his classes and sessions
of instruction produced four thousand scholars of hadith and other sciences. The number of
traditions preserved from the fifth and sixth Imams is more than all the hadith that have
been recorded from the Prophet (sawas) and the other ten Imams combined.
Towards the end of his life the Imam was subjected to severe restrictions by the
Abbasid caliph Mansur, who ordered such torture and merciless killing of many of the
descendants of the Prophet (sawas) who were Shi'ite that his actions even surpassed the
cruelty and heedlessness of the Umayyads. On his order they were arrested in groups, some
thrown into deep and dark prisons and tortured until they died, while others were beheaded
or buried alive or placed at the base of or between walls of buildings, and walls were
constructed over them.
Hisham, the Umayyad caliph, had ordered the sixth Imam to be arrested and brought to
Damascus. Later, the Imam was arrested by Saffah., the Abbasid caliph, and brought to
Iraq. Finally, Mansur had him arrested again and brought to Samarrah where he had the Imam
kept under supervision, was in every way harsh and discourteous to him, and several times
thought of killing him. Eventually the Imam was allowed-to return to Medina where he spent
the rest of his life in hid-ing, until he was poisoned and martyred through the intrigue
of Mansur.
Upon hearing the news of the imam's martyrdom, Mansur wrote to the governor of Medina
instructing him to go to the house of the Imam on the pretext of expressing his
condolences to the family, to ask for the Imam's will and testament and read it. Whoever
was chosen by the Imam as his inheritor and successor should be beheaded on the spot. Of
course the aim of Mansur was to put an end to the whole question of the Imamate and to
Shi'ite aspirations. When the governor of Medina following orders, read the last will and
testament. He learnt that the Imam had chosen four people rather than one to administer
his last will and testament: the caliph himself, the governor of Medina, 'Abdallah Aftah.,
the Imam's older son and Musa, his younger son. In this way the plot of Mansur failed.
Musa ibn
Ja'far Kazim
The Seventh Imam
Imam Musa ibn Ja'far Kazim, the son of the sixth Imam, was born in 128/744 and was
poisoned and martyred in prison in 183/799. He became Imam after the death of his father,
through Divine Command and the decree of his forefathers.
The seventh Imam was a contemporary of the Abbasid caliphs, Mansur, Hadi, Mahdi and
Harun. He lived in very difficult times and in hiding, until finally Harun went on the
Hajj. In Medina, he had the Imam arrested while praying in the Mosque of the Prophet
(sawas). He was chained and imprisoned, then taken from Medina to Basra and from Basra to
Baghdad where for years he was transferred from one prison to another. Finally he died in
Baghdad in the Sindi ibn Shahak prison through poisoning and was buried in the cemetery of
the Quraysh which is now located in the city of Kazimayn.
Ali ibn
Musa al-Ridha
The Eight Imam
Imam Rida (Ali ibn Musa) was the son of the seventh Imam and according to well known
accounts was born in 148/765 and died in 203/817.
The eighth Imam reached the Imamate, after the death of his father, through Divine
Command and the decree of his forefathers. The period of his Imamate coincided with the
caliphate of Harun and then his sons Amin and Ma'mun. After the death of his father,
Ma'mun fell into conflict with his brother Amin which led to bloody wars and finally the
assassination of Amin, after which Ma'mun became caliph. Until that day the policy of the
Abbasid caliphate toward the Shi'ites had been increasingly harsh and cruel.
Every once in a while one of the supporters of Ali ('alawis) would revolt, causing
bloody wars and rebellions which were of great difficulty and consequence for the
caliphate. The Shi'ite Imams would not co-operate with those who carried out these
rebellions and would not interfere with their affairs. The Shi'ites of that day, who
comprised a considerable population, continued to consider the Imams as their religious
leaders to whom obedience was obligatory and believed in them as the real caliphs of the
Holy Prophet (sawas). They considered the caliphate to be far from the sacred authority of
their Imams, for the caliphate had come to seem more like the courts of the Persian kings
and Roman emperors and was being run by a group of people more interested in worldly rule
than in the strict application of religious principles.
. The continuation of such a situation was dangerous for the structure of the caliphate
and was a serious threat to it. Ma'mun thought of finding a new solution for these
difficulties which the seventy-year old policy of his Abbasid predecessors had not been
able to solve. To accomplish this end he chose the eighth Imam as his successor, hoping in
this way to overcome two difficulties; first of all to prevent the descendants of the
Prophet (sawas) from rebelling against the government since they would be involved in the
government themselves; and secondly, to cause the people to lose their spiritual belief
and inner attachment to the Imams. This would be accomplished by having the Imams become
engrossed in worldly matters and the politics of the caliphate itself, which had always
been considered by the Shi'ites to be evil and impure. In this way their religious
organisation would crumble and they would no longer present any dangers to the caliphate.
Obviously, after accomplishing these ends, the removal of the Imam would present no
difficulties to the Abbasids.
In order to have this decision put into effect, Ma'mun asked the Imam to come to Marw
from Medina. Once he had arrived there, Ma'mun offered him first the caliphate and then
the succession to the caliphate. The Imam made his apologies and turned down the proposal,
but he was finally induced to accept the successorship, with the condition that he would
not interfere in governmental affairs or in the appointment or dismissal of government
agents. This event occurred in 200/814.
Soon Ma'mun realised that he had committed an error, for there was a rapid spread of
The Followers of Ahlu Bayt. Increasing growth in the peoples attachment to the Imam, even
from the army and government agents. Ma'mun sought to find a remedy for this difficulty
and eventually had the Imam poisoned and martyred. The Imam was buried in the city of Tus
in Iran, which is now called Mashhad.
Ma'mun displayed great interest in having works on the intelectual sciences translated
into Arabic. He organised gatherings in which scholars of different religions and sects
assembled and carried out scientific and scholarly debates. The eighth Imam also
participated in these assemblies and joined in the discussions with scholars of other
religions. Many of these debates are recorded in the collections of Shi'ite hadiths.
Muhammad
ibn Ali Taqi
The Ninth Imam
Imam Muhammad (ibn Ali) Taqi (sometimes called Jawad and Ibn al-Rida) was the son of the
eighth Imam. He was born in 196/809 in Medina and according to Shi'ite traditions was
martyred in 220/835, poisoned by his wife, the daughter of Ma'mun, at the instigation of
the Abbasid caliph Mu'tasim. He was buried next to his grandfather, the seventh Imam, in
Kazimayn. He became Imam after the death of his father through Divine Command and by the
decree of his forefathers.
At the time of the death of his father he was in Medina. Ma'mun called him to Baghdad
which was then the capital of the caliphate and outwardly showed him much kindness. He
even gave the Imam his daughter in marriage and kept him in Baghdad. In reality he wanted
to keep a close watch upon the Imam from both outside and within his own household. The
Imam spent some time in Baghdad and then with the consent of Ma'mum set out for Medina
where he remained until Ma'mun's death.
When Mu'tasim became the caliph he called the Imam back to Baghdad and, as we have
seen, through the Imam's wife had him poisoned and killed.
Ali ibn
Muhammad Naqi
The Tenth Imam
Imam Ali ibn Muhammad Naqi (sometimes referred to by the title of Hadi), was the son of
the ninth Imam. He was born in 212/ 827 in Medina and according to Shi'ite accounts was
martyred through poisoning by Mu'tazz the Abbasid caliph, in 254/868.
The tenth Imam was a contemporary of seven of the Abbasid caliphs: Ma'mun, Mu'tasim,
Wathiq, Mutawakkil, Muntasir, Musta'm and Mu'tazz. It was during the rule of Mu'tasim in
220/835 that his noble father died through poisoning in Baghdad. At that time Ali ibn
Muhammad Naqi was in Medina. There he became the Imam through Divine Command and the
decree of the Imams before him. He stayed in Medina teaching religious sciences until the
time of Mutawakkil. In 243/857, as a result of certain false charges, Mutawakkil ordered
one of his government officials to invite the Imam from Medina to Samarrah which was then
the capital. He himself wrote the Imam a letter full of kindness and courtesy asking him
to come to the capital where they could meet.
Upon arrival in Samarrah the Imam was also shown certain outward courtesy and respect.
Yet at the same time Mutawakkil tried by all possible means to trouble and dishonour him.
Many times he called the Imam to his presence with the aim of killing or disgracing him
and had his house searched.
In his enmity toward the Household of the Prophet (sawas) Mutawakkil had no equal among
the Abbasid caliphs. He was especially opposed to Ali, whom he cursed openly. He even
ordered a clown to ridicule Ali at voluptuous banquets. In the year 237/850 he ordered the
mausoleum of Imam Husayn in Kerbala and many of the houses around it to be torn down to
the ground. Then water was turned upon the tomb of the Imam. He ordered the ground of the
tomb to be ploughed and cultivated so that any trace of the tomb would be forgotten.
During the life of Mutawakkil the condition of life of the descendants of Ali in the
Hijaz had reached such a pitiful state that their womenfolk had no veils with which to
cover themselves. Many of them had only one old veil which they wore at the time of the
daily prayers. Pressures of a similar kind were put on the descendants of Ali who lived in
Egypt. The tenth Imam accepted in patience the tortures and afflictions of the Abbasid
caliph Mutawakkil until the caliph died and was followed by Muntasir, Musta'in and finally
Mu'tazz, whose intrigue led to the Imam being poisoned and martyred.
Hasan
ibn Ali 'Askari
The Eleventh Imam
Imam Hasan ibn Ali 'Askari, the son of the tenth Imam, was born in 232/845 and according
to some Shi'ite sources was poioned and killed in 260/872 through the instigation of the
Abbasid caliph Mu'tamid. The eleventh Imam gained the Imamate, after the death of his
noble father, through Divine Command and through the decree of the previous Imams.
During the seven years of his Imamate, due to untold restrictions placed upon him by
the caliphate, he lived in hiding and dissimulation (taqiyah). He did not have any social
contact with even the common people among the Shi'ite population. Only the elite of the
Shi'ah were able to see him. Even so, he spent most of his time in prison.
There was extreme repression at that time because the Shi'ite population had reached a
considerable level in both numbers and power. Everyone knew that the Shi'ah believed in
the Imamate, and the identity of the Shi'ite Imams was also known. Therefore, the
caliphate kept the Imams under its close supervision more than ever before. It tried
through every possible means and through secret plans to remove and destroy them. Also,
the caliphate had come to know that the elite among the Shi'ah believed that the eleventh
Imam, according to traditions cited by him as well as his forefathers, would have a son
who was the promised Mahdi. The coming of the Mahdi had been foretold in authenticated
hadiths of the Prophet (sawas) in both Sunni and Shi'ite sources. For this reason the
eleventh Imam, more than other Imams, was kept under close watch by the caliphate. The
caliph of the time had decided definitely to put an end to the Imamate in The Followers of
Ahlu Bayt through every possible means and to close the door to the Imamate once and for
all.
Therefore, as soon as the news of the illness of the eleventh Imam reached Mu'tamid. he
sent a Physician and a few of his trusted agents and judges to the house of the Imam to be
with him and observe his condition and the situation within his house at all times. After
the death of the Imam, they had the house investigated and all his female slaves examined
by the midwife. For two years the secret agents of the caliph searched for the successor
of the Imam until they lost all hope.
The eleventh Imam was buried in his house in Samarrah next to his noble father. Here it
should be remembered that during their lifetimes the Imams trained many hundreds of
scholars of religion and hadith, and it is these scholars who have transmitted to us
information about the Imams. In order not to prolong the matter, the list of their names
and works and their biographies have not been included here.
Muhammad
ibn Hasan al-Mahdi
The Twelfth Imam
The promised Mahdi, who is usually mentioned by his title of Imam-i 'Asr (the Imam of the
"Period") and Sahib al-Zaman (the Lord of the Age), is the son of the eleventh
Imam. His name is the same as that of the Holy Prophet (sawas). He was born in Samarrah in
256/868 and until 260/872 when his father was martyred, lived under his father's care and
tutelage. He was hidden from public view and only a few of the elite among the Shi'ah were
able to meet him. After the martyrdom of his father he became Imam and by Divine Command
went into occultation (ghaybat). Thereafter he appeared only to his deputies (na'ib) and
even then only in exceptional circumstances.
The Imam chose as a special deputy for a time Uthman ibn Sa'id 'Umari, one of the
companions of his father and grandfather who was his confidant and trusted friend. Through
his deputy the Imam would answer the demands and questions of the Shi'ah. After Uthman ibn
Sa'id, his son Muhammad ibn Uthman Umari was appointed the deputy of the Imam. After the
death of Muhammad ibn Uthman, Abu'l Qasim Husayn ibn Ruh Nawbakhti was the special deputy,
and after his death Ali ibn Muhammad Simmari was chosen for this task.
A few days before the death of Ali ibn Muhammad Simmari in 329/939 an order was issued
by the Imam stating that in six days Ali ibn Muhammad Simmari would die. Henceforth the
special deputation of the Imam would come to an end and the major occultation (ghaybat-i
kubra) would begin and would continue until the day God grants permission to the Imam to
manifest himself. The occultation of the twelfth Imam is, therefore, divided into two
parts: the first, the minor occultation (ghaybat-i-sughra) which began in 260/872 and
ended in 329/939, lasting about seventy years; the second, the major occultation which
commenced in 329/939 and will continue as long as God wills it. In a hadith upon whose
authenticity everyone agrees, the Holy Prophet (sawas) has said, "If there were to
remain in the life of the world but one day, Allah would prolong that day until He sends
in it a man from my community and my household. His name will be the same as my name. He
will fill the earth with-equity and justice as it was filled with oppression and
tyranny.''
On the Appearance of the Mahdi
In the discussion on prophecy and the Imamate it was indicated that as a result of the law
of general guidance which governs all of creation, man is of necessity endowed with the
power of receiving revelation through prophecy, which directs him toward the perfection of
the human norm and the well-being of the human species. Obviously, if this perfection and
happiness were not possible for man, whose life possesses a social aspect, the very fact
that he is endowed with this power would be meaningless and futile. But there is no
futility in creation. In other words, ever since he has inhabited the earth, man has had
the wish to lead a social life filled with happiness in its true sense and has striven
toward this end. If such a wish were not to have an objective existence it would never
have been imprinted upon man's inner nature, in the same way that if there were no food
there would have been no hunger. Or if there were to be no water there would be no thirst
and if there were to be no reproduction there would have been no sexual attraction between
the sexes. Therefore, by reason of inner necessity and determination, the future will see
a day when human society will be replete with justice and when all will live in peace and
tranquillity, when human beings will be fully possessed of virtue and perfection. The
establishment of such a condition will occur through human hands but with Divine succour.
And the leader of such a society, who will be the saviour of man, is called in the
language of the hadith, the Mahdi.
In the different religions that govern the world such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism,
Christianity, Zoroastrianism and Islam there are references to a person who will come as
the saviour of mankind. These religions have usually given happy tidings of his coming,
although there are naturally certain differences in detail that can be discerned when
these teachings are compared carefully. The hadith of the Holy Prophet (sawas) upon which
all Muslims agree, "The Mahdi is of my progeny," refers to this same truth.
There are numerous hadiths cited in Sunni and Shi'ite sources from the Holy Prophet
(sawas) and the Imams concerning the appearance of the Mahdi, such as that he is of the
progeny of the Prophet (sawas) and that his appearance will enable human society to reach
true perfection and the full realisation of spiritual life. In addition, there are
numerous other traditions concerning the fact that the Mahdi is the son of the eleventh
Imam, Hasan al-'Askari. They agree that after being born and undergoing a long occultation
the Mahdi will appear again, filling with justice the world that has been corrupted by
injustice and iniquity.
As an example, Ali ibn Musa al-Rida (the eighth Imam) has said, in the course of a
hadith, "The Imam after me is my son, Muhammad, and after him his son Ali, and after
Ali his son, Hasan, and after Hasan his son H. Hujjat al-Qa'im, who is awaited during his
occultation and obeyed during his manifestation. If there remain from the life of the
world but a single day, Allah will extend that day until he becomes manifest, and fill the
world with justice in the same way that it had been filled with iniquity. But when? As for
news of the 'hour,' verily my father told me, having heard it from his father who heard it
from his father who heard it from his ancestors who heard it from Ali, that it was asked
of the Holy Prophet (sawas), 'Oh Prophet (sawas) of God, when will the "support"
(qa'im) who is from thy family appear?' He said, 'His case is like that of the Hour (of
the Resurrection). "He alone will manifest it at its proper time. It is heavy in the
heavens and the earth. It cometh not to you save unawares" (Quran, VII, 187).102
Saqr ibn Abi Dulaf said, "I heard from Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Ali al-Rida [the ninth
Imam] who said, 'The Imam after me is my son, Ali; his command is my command; his word is
my word; to obey him is to obey me. The Imam after him is his son, Hasan. His command is
the command of his father; his word is the word of his father; to obey him is to obey his
father.' After these words the Imam remained silent. I said to him, 'Oh son of the Prophet
(sawas), you will be the Imam after Hasan?' The Imam cried hard, then said, 'Verily after
Hasan his son is the awaited Imam who is "al-qa'im bi'l-haqq" (He who is
supported by the Truth).' "
Musa ibn Ja'far Baghdadi said, "I heard from the Imam Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn Ali
[the eleventh Imam] who said, 'I see that after me differences will appear among you
concerning the Imam after me. Whoso accepts the Imams after the Prophet (sawas) of God but
denies my son is like the person who accepts all the prophets but denies the prophethood
of Muhammad, the Prophet (sawas) of God, upon whom be peace and blessing. And whoso denies
[Muhammad] the Prophet (sawas) of God is like one who has denied all the prophets of God,
for to obey the last of us is like obeying the first and to deny the last of us is like
denying the first. But beware ! Verily for my son there is an occultation during which all
people will fall into doubt except those whom Allah protects.''
The opponents of The Followers of Ahlu Bayt protest that according to the beliefs of
this school the Hidden Imam should by now be nearly twelve centuries old, whereas this is
impossible for any human being. In answer it must be said that the protest is based only
on the unlikelihood of such an occurrence, not its impossibility. Of course such a long
lifetime or a life of a longer period is unlikely. But those who study the hadiths of the
Holy Prophet (sawas) and the Imams will see that they refer to this life as one possessing
miraculous qualities.
Miracles are certainly not impossible nor can they be negated through scientific
arguments. It can never be proved that the causes and agents that are functioning in the
world are solely those that we see and know and that other causes which we do not know or
whose effects and actions we have not seen nor understood do not exist. It is in this way
possible that in one or several members of mankind there can be operating certain causes
and agents which bestow upon them a very long life of a thousand or several thousand
years. Medicine has not even lost hope of discovering a way to achieve very long life
spans. In any case such protests from "peoples of the Book" such as Jews,
Christians and Muslims are most strange for they accept the miracles of the prophets of
God according to their own sacred scriptures.
. The opponents of The Followers of Ahlu Bayt also protest that, they considers the
Imam necessary in order to expound the injunctions and verities of religion and to guide
the people, the occultation of the Imam is the negation of this very purpose, for an Imam
in occultation who cannot be reached by mankind cannot be in any way beneficial or
effective. The opponents say that if God wills to bring forth an Imam to reform mankind He
is able to create him at the necessary moment and does not need to create him thousands of
years earlier. In answer it must be said that such people have not really understood the
meaning of the Imam, for in the discussion on the Imamate it became clear that the duty of
the Imam is not only the formal explanation of the religious sciences and exoteric
guidance of the people. In the same way that he has the duty of guiding men outwardly, the
Imam also bears the function of walayat and the esoteric guidance of men. It is he who
directs man's spiritual life and orients the inner aspect of human action toward God:
Clearly, his physical presence or absence has no effect in this matter. The Imam watches
over men inwardly and is in communion with the soul and spirit of men even if he be hidden
from their physical eyes. His existence is always necessary even if the time has not as
yet arrived for his outward appearance and the universal reconstruction that he is to
bring about.
Ghaibat-us-Sughra
Ghaibat-us-Sughra means ‘the minor concealment.’ Its period was
about 70 years. It began in 260 A.H. when Imam al-Mahdi (a.s) first went into concealment,
and ended in 328 A.H.
During Ghaibut-us-Sughra, the Imam appointed some agents to represent him
and the people. The Imam had four agents. After the death of the fourth agent, the Imam
went into major concealment (Ghaibut-ul-Kubra). This was on the 10th Shawal 329 A.H.
The Signs Heralding the Reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (a.s)
Prophet Muhammed (s.a.w.) has said: "Even if the entire duration of
the world’s existence has already been exhausted and only one day is left before
Doomsday, Allah will expand that day to such length of time as to accommodate the kingdom
of a person from my Ahlul-Bayt who will be called by name. He will fill out the earth with
and justice as it will have been full of injustice and tyranny (by then)"
From this Hadith, it is clear to every Muslim that the twelfth Imam will
reappear when this world is full of sins and injustice.
There are many signs mentioned by the Masumeen (a.s) on the reappearance
of the 12th Imam. It is reported in Biharul Anwar that after the last pilgrimage the
Prophet made, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) stood near the Kaaba, and called his people to
listen to him. The Prophet said: “listen to me carefully so that you transmit these
words of mine to those who are absent today.” The Prophet began, “My people, a
time will come when kings and rulers will be tyrannical.” The Prophet also said that
the payment of Zakat will be stopped.
According to the Masumeen (a.s), Muslim countries will seek aid from non
Muslim countries. This is already evident in a number of Muslim countries. Another
prediction that is come true is that 60 impostors will claim to be Prophets. By their
attractiveness, their persuasion, and their personality, they will misguide the people. 58
false Prophets have already emerged since the days of the Prophet (s.a.w.). We have only
two more to witness.
It is reported in Qayamat-e-Sughra citing “Oqdatud-Durr” that
Hazrat Amir (A.S) has said that the Mahdi will not appear until one-third of the world
population will die by being killed and one-third will die as a result of epidemics.
The Last Signs Heralding the Appearance of Imam al-Mahdi (a.s)
There is a Hadith from Imam Muhammed Baqir (a.s) that for three or seven
consecutive days, one will see reddish yellow fire raging in the East.
Sufiani will emerge in Palestine, where he will start a revolt in the
month of Rajab. He will be an uncompassionate rebel and his rule will last for eight
consecutive months. He will conquer and rule Egypt for four consecutive months. Sufiani
will conquer Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Jordan, and Syria. Sufiani has been specifically
described by Aimma A.S. as an ugly, blistered, green-eyed, cross-eyed person who will be
an enemy of the friends of the Ahlul-Bait. Imam Ali (a.s) has said that Sufiani’s
hatred of the devotees of the Ahlul-Bait will be such that any person named Ali, Fatema,
Hassan, Hussein, Zainab, Ruquaiya will be arrested and beheaded straight away without
further investigations. Sufiani will rip the Mimber of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.). The holy
house of the Prophet which contains his grave will be pulled and used as a stable. Horses
will be tied in that Holy place.
Sufiani will then decide to attack Makka. His purpose would be to demolish
the Holy Kaaba and kill the entire population of Makka. Sufiani’s army will set out
via Baghdad but, as Allah would have it, when they get between Medina and Makka, in the
desert of Baida, suddenly one night they will hear a voice from the sky which will say,
“O Baida eat up the entire army of Sufiani.” It is said that the entire army
numbering 100,000 persons will be swallowed up by the earth, except for two. The two who
will be spared will suddenly encounter an angel. He will slap both of them turning their
faces right round, looking behind instead of front. And that will be the time when Imam
al-Mahdi (a.s) will already have reappeared in Makka. The Imam will establish his
authority in the Holy Mosque at Makka in the Haram. The angel will then order one of them
calling him Bashir. “O Bashir, go straight to Makka, into the Haram and inform the
Imam that Sufiani’s army has been swallowed up by the land. The other called Nazir
will be ordered to go to Sufiani and tell him that the Imam has already appeared. He
should proceed straight to Makka and declare allegiance to him.
Sufiani will prepare to attack the Imam but will not have enough courage.
The Imam will catch Sufiani in Jerusalem and will kill him.
Imam Ali (a.s) has said that nine definite signs will precede the
emergence of Hazrat Mahdi (a.s). These nine signs are:
Dajaal will emerge. A loud voice will be heard from the sky. Sufiani will
appear and wage a fierce war. The army of Sufiani will be swallowed by a sudden opening of
the land between Makka and Medina in the desert of Baida. A revered wise saint will be
murdered in Makka. (This saint is to be a Hashimite descent.) A Seyyid descendant of Imam
Hassan (a.s) will emerge with his army. The army of Seyyid-e-Hassan and an image of a man
will appear in the sky opposite the sun. There will be two eclipses in the holy month of
Ramadhan contrary to the normal order and calculation and the eclipse of the moon. On
three occasions a loud voice from the sky will be heard in the holy month of Ramadhan.
The Reappearance
Hazrat Isa (Jesus), Hazrat Khizr, Hazrat
Ilias, and Hazrat Idris (a.s) will give allegiance to the Imam when he
re-appears. Also
Jibrael will announce 313 companions of the Imam. These 313 companions will be people of
eminent piety, great knowledge and absolutely steadfast in their determination and faith
towards the Imam. Another 1000 people will be in the army of the Imam. These people will
fight battles and kill enemies like Dajal, who will appear from India. Dajal will have the
musical tunes with him. Then the Imam will lead the prayers, Hazrat Isa (a.s) will be
behind him.
Let us all pray to Almighty Allah for the reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi
(a.s).
Amin.
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