جعفر بن محمد بن مالك

I was with Abul Hasan Askari [Imam Hadi (a.s)] in his house, when Abu Ja’far passed from there. I asked: Is he our master? He replied: No, your master is Hasan.

Amirul Momineen (a.s) mentioned the Qaim (a.s) and said: “He will go into hiding, so the ignorant will say that Allah does not have any need of Aale Muhammad (a.s).”

I heard Amirul Momineen (a.s) say: “How would you be when you are left without an Imam of guidance or a visible standard, when some of you turn away from the other with disdain?”

“It is not a questioner asked….it is a flowing that flowed and it is a fire that will flame in ath-Thawiyya and then it will move to the tribe of Asad and then to the tribe of Thaqeef. It will burn the enemies of Muhammad’s progeny. This will be before the appearance of al-Qa’im (as).”

“I heard Imam ar-Redha (as) saying: “Before this matter (the appearance of al-Mahdi) there will be (bayooh).” I did not know the meaning of (bayooh). When I went to offer the hajj, I heard a nomad saying: “This is a (bayooh) day.” I asked him: “What does (bayooh) mean?” He said: “It means very hot.”

“Before the appearance of al-Qa’im, there will be the risings of as-Sufyani, al-Marwani, al-Yamani and Shu’ayb bin Salih. Then how does this one (Muhammad bin Ibraheem bin Issma’eel known as ibn Tabataba) claim such a thing (to be al-Qa’im)?”

“Before the year of the cry (from the Heaven), there will be a sign in the month of Rajab.” He was asked: “What is it?” He said: “A face will appear on the moon and a protruding hand.”

“One day I accompanied Abul Hasan Musa bin Ja’far al-Kadhim (as) from Mecca to medina. He said to me: “O Ali, if the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth revolt against the Abbasids, the earth will be watered with their bloods (without defeating the Abbasids) until as-Sufyani rises.” I said to him: “O my master, is his rising inevitable?” He said: “Yes, it is.” He pondered for a while then he raised his head and said: “The rule of the Abbasids is based on cunning and deceit. It will go until it will be said that nothing of it has remained and then it will return as if nothing has happened.”

“When as-Sufyani rises, he will send an army to fight us (the Hashemites) and an army to fight you (the Shia). If that takes place, hurry to us by any means!”

“The rising of as-Sufyani is inevitable. He will rise in Rajab.” A man asked: “O Abu Abdullah, when he rises, what shall we do?” He said: “When he rises, you are to keep to us (Ahlul Bayt).”

“Once I was with Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) when an old man came to him and said: “My sons became undutiful to me and my brothers turned away from me.” Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) said: “Do you not know that the truth has a government and the untruth also has a government? Each of them is low in the state of the other. Whoever enjoys the ease of the untruth will be punished in the state of the truth.”

I heard His Eminence, Abu Abdullah Sadiq (a.s) say: “When the Qaim (a.s) arises, the earth would light up with the luminescence of its Lord and the people would become needless of sunlight. In his rule, all will have such long lifespans that each person will beget a thousand sons. Daughters will not be born to them. He will build a mosque on the outskirts of Kufa, which will have a thousand doors and the houses of Kufa will be connected to the river of Kerbala. So wide would habitation spread that if a person travels on a mule to pray the Friday Prayer, he will not be able to reach in time.”

The Messenger of Allah (s) said: Whoever is blessed by Allah with the recognition of my Ahl al-Bayt and their wilaya, Allah will gather all goodness for him.

following is the Treatise of Ali ibn al-Hussein (MGB) to some of his companions:“Know that God the Honorable the Exalted has rights incumbent upon you and that these encompass you in every motion through which you move, every rest which you take, every way-station in which you reside, every limb which you employ, and every instrument which you use.And the greatest of God’s rights incumbent upon you is what He has made incumbent upon you for Himself from His rights: that which is the root of all rights. Then there are those that God the Honorable the Exalted has made incumbent upon you in yourself, from your head to your foot, according to the diversity of your organs. Then the Honorable the Exalted God has established for your tongue a right incumbent upon you, and for your hearing a right incumbent upon you, and for your sight a right incumbent upon you, and for your hands a right incumbent upon you, and for your legs a right incumbent upon you, and for your stomach a right incumbent upon you, and for your private parts a right incumbent upon you. These are the seven organs through which deeds take place.Then the Honorable the Exalted has established for your deeds rights incumbent upon you. Then He established for your ritual prayer a right incumbent upon you, and for your fasting a right incumbent upon you, and for your charity a right incumbent upon you, and for your offering a rightincumbent upon you, and for your deeds a right incumbent upon you. Then the rights extend out from you to others who have rights incumbent upon you.And the most incumbent of them incumbent upon you are the rights toward your leaders, then the rights toward your subjects - those whom you teach and those whom you own. And then the rights toward your relations of kin. And from these rights other rights branch out.The rights of your leaders are threefold: The one most incumbent upon you is the right of him who trains you through authority, then the right of him who trains you through knowledge - as the uneducated is subject to the learned.And then there is the right of those who are your subjects through property, such as wives and those owned by the right hand . And the rights of your relations of kin hold according to the degree of closeness of the relationship. Then the most incumbent one upon you is the right of your mother, then the right of your father, then the right of your child, then the right of your brother, then the next nearest, and then the next nearest, and the most worthy, and then the next most worthy.Then there is the right of your master who favors you , then the right of the slave, the servant whose favors reach you , then the right of him who treats you kindly, then the right of your caller to prayer, then the right of your prayer leader, then the right of your sitting companion, then the right of your neighbor, then the right of your companion, then the right of your partner, then the right of your property, then the right of the debtor who must pay you back, then the right of the one who has given you a loan who demands his debt to be paid back, then the right of your associate, then the right of your adversary who has a claim against you, then the right of your adversary against whom you have a claim, then the right of him who seeks your advice, then the right of him whose advice you seek, then the right of him who seeks your counsel, then the right of him whose counsel you seek, then the right of him who is older than you are, then the right of him who is younger than you are, then the right of him who begs from you, then the right of him from whom you beg, then the right of him who wrongs you either verbally or physically, then the right of him who does something to make you happy either verbally or physically whether intentionally or unintentionally, then the right of the people of your creed, then the right of those under the protection of Islam, then the rights which are incumbent upon you according to the vicissitudes of life and the availability of means. Therefore blessed be the one whom God helps fulfill the rights that He has made incumbent upon him and whom He grants success therein and guides him.Then the greatest right of God incumbent upon you is that you worship Him without associating anything with Him. When you do that with sincerity, He has made it binding upon Himself to give you sufficiency in the affairs of this world and the next.And the right of yourself incumbent upon you is that you employ it in obeying the Honorable the Exalted God. And the right of the tongue is that you consider it too noble for obscenity, accustom it to good, do not use it except in situations of needs and benefits, use it to be kind to the people and talk to them nicely. And the right of hearing is to keep it pure by not listening to gossip and not listening to what is not allowed to be heard. And the right of your sight is that you lower it before everything which is unlawful to you and that you abandon using it except in situations in which you can take heed.And the right of your hand is that you do not stretch it towards that which is unlawful to you. And the right of your legs is that you do not walk with them toward that which is unlawful to you. Then use them to stop on the way and look out so that they do not slip and you fall into the Fire. And the right of your stomach is that you do not make it into a container for that which is unlawful, and that you do not overeat. And the right of your private parts is that you should protect them from adultery and guard them from being looked upon.Then the right of your ritual prayer is that you should know that it is an arrival at the threshold of the Honorable the Exalted God and that through it you are standing before the Honorable the Exalted God. And when you realize that, then you will stand in the station of him who is lowly, vile, beseeching, trembling, hopeful, fearful, and abased. And you will magnify Him who is before you with stillness and humbleness, and accept Him wholeheartedly, and consider His bounds and His rights. And the right of pilgrimage is that you should know that it is an arrival at the threshold of your Lord and a flight to Him from your sins; and through it your repentance is accepted and you perform an obligation made incumbent upon you by God.And the right of fasting is that You should know it is a veil, which God has set up over your tongue, your hearing and your sight, your private parts and your stomach, to protect you from the Fire . Should you break your fast you have pierced the veil which God has placed upon you. And the right of charity is that you should know that it is a storing away with your Lord the Honorable the Exalted, and a deposit for which you will have no need for witnesses. Then once you know this, you will be more confident ofit, if you donate it in secret than if you donate it in public. You should know that your charity would fend off calamities and ailments from you in this world, and fend off the Fire from you in the Hereafter. And the right of the offering is that through it you purify your will toward God the Honorable the Exalted. You should not make the offering for the eyes of His creatures. If this is so, you will neither expose yourself to God’s Mercy, nor benefit from the saving of your spirit on the Day on which you shall meet Him.Then the right of the possessor of authority is that you should know that God has established you as a trial for him. God is testing him through the authority the Honorable the Exalted God has given him over you. And you should not quarrel with him while he has complete dominance over you, for thereby you cause your own destruction and his, too. Should you do so, you will deserve to be considered to be his assistant acting against yourself and as his partner in what he does to you.And the right of the one who trains you through knowledge is glorifying him; respecting his meetings; listening well to him; being responsive to him; not raising your voice over his voice; not answering anyone who asks him before he answers; not talking while you are in his meeting; not gossiping about anyone in his presence; defending him if someone gossips about him near you; covering up his faults and publicize his outstanding traits; not associating with his enemies; and not being an enemy of his friends. Should you do so, God’s angels would witness on your behalf that you went to him and acquired his knowledge, and God would exalt his name amongst the people.And the right of him who trains you through property is that you should be subordinate to him and not disobey him - unless obeying him would displease God - for there can be no obedience to a creature when there is disobedience to God.”Then the right of your subjects through authority is that you should know that they have been made subjects through their weakness and your strength. Hence it is incumbent upon you to act with justice toward them and to be like a compassionate father towards them. You should forgive them because of their ignorance, not hurry to punish them, and thank God for the power over them which He has given to you.And the right of your subjects through knowledge is that you should know that the Honorable the Exalted God established you over them through what He has granted you of knowledge, and what He has granted authority over His Treasures of Wisdom. If you do well in teaching the people, not treatingthem roughly or annoying them, then God will increase His bounty toward you. However, if you withhold your knowledge from people or treat them roughly when they seek knowledge from you, then it will be God’s right to deprive you of the knowledge and its splendor, and make you belittled in the people’s eyes.And the right of your subject through matrimonial contract is that you should know that the Honorable the Exalted God has made her a repose, and a companion for you. Then you should know that this is God’s blessing for you. Then you should honor her and treat her gently. Yet your right over her is more incumbent. You must treat her with compassion, since she is your prisoner whom you feed and clothe. If she is ignorant, you should pardon her.And the right of your subject through being your slave is that you should know that he is a creature of your Lord and is made of the same flesh and blood. And you only own him, but you are very inferior to God and you have not created him. And you have not created any of his organs, nor do you provide his daily sustenance; rather it is the Honorable the Exalted God who gives you sufficiency for that. Then He subjugated him to you, entrusted him to you, and provisionally consigned him to you. So protect him there , and treat him well just as well as God has treated you. And if you dislike him, you ought to let him go and replace him, but do not torment God’s creature. And there is no power but in God.Then the right of your mother is that you should know that she carried you where no one carries anyone, and she fed you with the fruit of her heart that which no one feeds anyone, and she protected you with all her organs. She did not care if she went hungry as long as you ate, if she was thirsty as long as you drank, if she was naked as long as you were clothed, if she was in the sun as long as you were in the shade, if she was deprived of sleeping as long as you were resting. She protected you from the heat and the cold of this world. Then you should thank her for all that. You will not be able to show her gratitude unless through God’s help and His granting you success.And the right of your father is that you should know that he is your root. And without him, you would not be. Whenever you see anything in yourself which pleases you, you should know that your father is the root of its blessing upon you. So praise God and thank Him in recognition of that. And there is no power but in God.And the right of your child is that you should know that he is from you and he will be ascribed to you in this world due to both his good deeds and hisevil deeds. And you are responsible for what has been entrusted to you in teaching him good conduct, and guiding him toward his Lord - the Honorable the Exalted - and helping him to obey Him. Then regarding his affairs, act like one who knows that he would be rewarded for treating him with kindness and punished for maltreating him.And the right of your brother is that you should know that he is your hand, your support, and your power. Take him not as a weapon with which to disobey God, nor as a means with which to oppress God’s creatures. And do not neglect to help him against his enemy, and give him good counsel. If he obeys God, it is fine. Else God should be more preferable and more honorable to you than he is. And there is no power but in God.Then the right of your master who has favored you is that you should know that he has spent his property for you and has brought you out of the abasement of slavery and its desolation, and has brought you into the honor of freedom and its sociability. And he has freed you from the captivity of his own possession, has released the bonds of his slavery from you, has given you ownership of yourself, and has given you the freedom to worship your Lord. Then you should know that he is the closest creature to you in your life and after your death. It is incumbent upon you to assist him and he is more meritorious than yourself to receive your assistance and support regarding what he needs. And there is no power but in God.And the right of the slave whom you have favored is that you should know that the Honorable the Exalted God has made your freeing him a means of access to Him and a veil against the Fire. Your immediate reward is to inherit from him - if he doesn’t have any relatives - as a compensation for the property you have spent for him, and your ultimate reward is the Garden.And the right of him who treats you kindly is that you should thank him and acknowledge his kindness; spread the good word around about him; and sincerely pray for him between you and the Honorable the Exalted God the Praised One. Then if you do that, you have thanked him both in private and in public. Then if you are able to practically recompense him, do recompense him.And the right of your caller to prayer is that you should know that he is reminding you of your Lord - the Honorable the Exalted - calling you to your good fortune, and helping you to accomplish what God has made obligatory upon you. So thank him for that just as you thank one who does good to you.And the right of your leader in your ritual prayer is that you should know that he has taken on the role of a mediator between you and the Honorable the Exalted God; he speaks for you, but you do not speak for him; he supplicates for you, but you do not supplicate for him. And he has spared you the anxiety of standing before the Honorable the Exalted God. Should he perform the prayer imperfectly, he is held responsible for that. However, should he perform it perfectly, you are considered to be his partner. There is no superiority in this for him over you, or for his prayer over yours. Therefore, thank him for this.And the right of your sitting companion is that you should treat him gently, warmly welcome him, be fair while talking with him, and not leave him without his permission. If he is the first one to come and sit with you, he can leave you when he wishes to. You should forget his mistakes and remember his good qualities, and you should tell nothing about him but good.And the right of your neighbor is that you should be a guardian for him when he is absent, and you should honor him when he is present, and you should assist him when he is oppressed. You should not seek out any of his faults. However, if you should discover any of his faults unintentionally, you should keep them as a secret. If you know that he would accept your advice, you should advise him in private. Do not forsake him at times of hardship, pardon his deviation, overlook his mistakes, forgive him his sins, and associate with him in an honorable manner. There is no power but in God.And the right of the companion is that you should act as his companion with nobility and fairness and honor him as he honors you. Be like mercy upon him, and not as a chastisement. And there is no power but in God.And the right of the partner is that you should take care of his affairs in his absence. And you should treat him equally when he is present. And you should not make any decisions on your own without considering his opinion. And you should not act according to your own opinion before discussing it with him. You should safeguard his property, and not cheat him in this regard, whether there is honor or disdain in it. Indeed it has been transmitted to us: “The Blessed the Sublime God’s hand is with partners as long as they do not cheat.” And there is no power but in God.And the right of him to whom you owe a debt is that, if you have the means, you pay him back. And if you are in straitened circumstances, you satisfy him with good words and send him away with gentleness.And the right of the associate is that you should not fool him, trick him or deceive him. You should fear the Blessed the Sublime God regarding his affairs.And the right of the adversary who has a claim against you is that if his claim against you is true you give witness to it against yourself. You do not wrong him and you give him his full due. If what he claims against you is false, you act with kindness toward him and you show nothing in his affair other than kindness. You do not displease your Lord in his affair. And there is no power but in God.And the right of the adversary against whom you have a claim is that if your claim against him is true, you maintain polite moderation in speaking to him and you do not deny him his right. If your claim is false, you fear the Honorable the Exalted God, repent to Him, and abandon your claim.And the right of him who seeks your advice is that you should exert all efforts to advise him if you can provide him with good advice. However, if you do not have any good advice for him, you should refer him to someone else whom you know and trust his advice yourself.And the right of him whose advice you seek is that you should not accuse him when he gives you advice that doesn’t confirm your own opinion. And if it was appropriate for you, you should thank the Honorable the Exalted God for it.And the right of him who seeks your counsel is that you should give him your counsel. You should choose having mercy and kindness as your course of action.And the right of your counselor is that you should be whole-heartedly attentive to him, and listen to him. If what he presents to you is right, you should praise the Honorable the Exalted God for it. However, if what he presents to you doesn’t agree with you, you should be kind to him and make no accusations against him. And you should know that if he is wrong, you should not hold him responsible in this regard. However, if he deserves to be accused, you should not trust him under any circumstances. And there is no power but in God.And the right of him who is older than you are is that you should respect him because of his age, and honor his submission to God if he is one of the noble ones in Islam. You should recognize his seniority and stop confrontinghim in disputes and should not surpass him or walk ahead of him. And you should not treat him foolishly. If he should treat you foolishly, you should put up with him and honor him to respect his being an older Muslim.And the right of him who is younger than you are is to be friendly with him, train and educate him, pardon him, cover up his faults, and be patient with him and help him.And the right of him who begs from you is that you give to him in the measure of his need.And the right of him from whom you beg is that you should accept from him whatever he grants you with gratitude and acknowledge his nobility. And you should accept his excuse if he withholds and think well of him.And the right of him by which the Sublime God makes you happy is that you first praise the Honorable the Exalted God, then thank that person.And the right of him who wrongs you is that you pardon him. However, if you know that your pardon will harm him, you should defend yourself. The Blessed the Sublime God says, “But indeed if any do help and defend themselves after a wrong (done) to them, against such there is no cause of blame.”And the right of the people of your creed is that you should whole-heartedly provide safety for them; gently show them mercy; treat their wrongdoers with patience; treat them with friendliness; seek their welfare; and thank those of them who do good to you and to themselves. And keep harm away from them. You should love for them what you love for yourself and dislike for them what you dislike for yourself. Their old men stand in the place of your father, their youth in the place of your brothers, their old women in the place of your mother, and their young ones in the place of your children.And the right of those under the protection of Islam is that you should accept from them what the Honorable the Exalted God has accepted from them, do not oppress them and fulfill what God has established for them under His Protection and Covenant.

On the Resurrection Day I shall reason with the people with the following seven things: establishment of prayers; payment of the alms-tax; enjoining to do good; admonishing against evil; just treatment of the people; fair division of the wealth; and being careful to carry out the decreed chastisements.”

I asked Ja’far ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq (MGB), ‘What is meant by Abraham was tried by God in the following words of the Honorable the Exalted God, And remember that Abraham was tried by his Lord with certain commands,… ’”The Imam (MGB) replied, ‘This refers to the sayings which God heard from Adam and accepted Adam’s (MGB) repentance. Adam beseeched to God by Muhammad (MGB), Ali (MGB), Fatimah (MGB), Hassan (MGB) and Hussein (MGB) to accept his (MGB) repentance and God accepted it as He is the One who accepts repentance and is the Merciful.’I asked the Imam (MGB), ‘O (grand)son of the Prophet of God! What is God’s intention in saying, ‘…He fulfilled…’ The Imam (MGB) replied, ‘This implies that God completed the names of the Imams up until the twelfth Imam nine of whom are from the progeny of Al-Hussein (MGB).’I asked the Imam (MGB), ‘O (grand)son of the Prophet of God! Please inform me about the meaning of the following words of the Honorable the Exalted God, ‘And he left it as a Word to endure among those who came after him,…’The Imam (MGB) said, ‘This implies that God established Divine Leadership in the progeny of Al-Hussein (MGB) up until the Resurrection Day.’I asked the Imam (MGB), ‘O (grand)son of the Prophet of God! Please tell me why was the Divine Leadership established in the progeny of Al-Hussein (MGB), but not in the progeny of Al-Hassan (MGB) who was the older son even though both of them were the grandsons of God’s Prophet (MGB) and were both considered to be the Masters of the Youth in Paradise?’The Imam (MGB) said, ‘Moses (MGB) and Aaron (MGB) were both appointed Prophets and were also brothers. God established the Prophethood in the progeny of Aaron (MGB), but not the progeny of Moses (MGB). No one can question why God did that. Divine Leadership is also a form of Caliphate from the Honorable the Exalted God. No one can say why God placed it in the progeny of Al-Hussein (MGB), but not in the progeny of Al-Hassan (MGB). Indeed God is Wise in what He does. He cannot be questioned regarding what He does, while the people will be questioned regarding what they do.’There is another interpretation of the following sayings of the Blessed the Sublime God, ‘And remember that Abraham was tried by his Lord with certain commands, which he fulfilled…’ What was said above is the main interpretation. There are two forms of trials. One is befitting for the Sublime God, but the other one is not. What is not befitting for God is to say that God tries something to find out the results which He knows not. That is to discover through practical experimentation. This is inapplicable to God since He is the All-Knower of everything that is hidden. What can be said about God is for Him to try a servant, so that he may persevere at times of hardship and become worthy of a rank. It also serves as a means of teaching for others, so that they may look at him and follow him. And they may know that the Honorable the Exalted God would not grant the position of Divine Leadership unless out of His Wisdom and would only bestow it upon one who deserves that rank. His worthiness of that rank shall be discovered later. This was one interpretation of God’s words. Another interpretation of these words could be in reference to certitude as the Honorable the Exalted God says, ‘So also did We show Abraham the power and the laws of the heavens and the Earth, that he might (with understanding) have certitude.’And another interpretation of these words could be in reference to God’s recognition - to know that God is Pure, One, and without any similitude as Abraham looked at the stars and the sun and discovered that they are all created since they set. Then God taught him that the decrees of the astrologers is wrong as the Honorable the Exalted God says, “Then did he cast a glance at the Stars. And he said, "I am indeed sick (at heart)!” God expressed his one glance since the first glance is not considered wrong. Rather, it is the second glance that would constitute an error as the Prophet (MGB) told Ali (MGB), ‘O Ali (MGB)! The first glance is yours, but the second glance opposes you.’And another interpretation could be bravery that is clear by what happened to the idols as the Honorable the Exalted God says, “Behold! he said to his father and his people, ‘What are these images, to which ye are (so assiduously) devoted?’ They said, ‘We found our fathers worshipping them.’ He said, ‘Indeed ye have been in manifest error ye and your fathers.’ They said, ‘Have you brought us the Truth, or are you one of those who jest?’ He said, ‘Nay, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the Earth, He Who created them (from nothing): and I am a witness to this (Truth). And by God, I have a plan for your idols after ye go away and turn your backs’...So he broke them into pieces, (all) but the biggest of them, that they might turn (and address themselves) to it.”Standing single-handed against a lot of the enemies of the Honorable the Exalted God by Abraham is a sign of his utmost bravery.Then it refers to his forbearance which is implied in what the Honorable the Exalted God says, ‘For Abraham was, without doubt, forbearing (of faults), compassionate, and given to look to God.’Then it refers to his generosity which can be seen from the stories regarding the noble guests of Abraham (as we can see from the following, ‘Has the story reached thee, of the honored guests of Abraham?)’Then it refers to his isolation from the members of his family and clan as we can conclude from the following, ‘And I will turn away from you (all) and from those whom ye invoke besides God: I will call on my Lord: perhaps, by my prayer to my Lord, I shall be not unblest.’ And enjoining to do good and admonishing against evil as we understand from the following words of the Honorable the Exalted God, “…‘O my father! why worship that which heareth not and seeth not, and can profit thee nothing? O my father! to me hath come knowledge which hath not reached thee: so follow me: I will guide thee to a way that is even and straight. O my father! serve not Satan: for Satan is a rebel against (God) Most Gracious. O my father! I fear lest a Penalty afflict thee from (God) Most Gracious, so that thou become to Satan a friend.”And responding to wickedness with goodness as we read in his response to his father after the father said, “(The father) replied, ‘Art thou shrinking from my gods, O Abraham? If thou forbear not, I will indeed stone thee. Now get away from me for a good long while!’" Abraham (MGB) replied, ‘…I will pray to my Lord for thy forgiveness: for He is to me Most Gracious….’And it also refers to his reliance as we read, ‘Who created me, and it is He Who guides me; Who gives me food and drink; And when I am ill, it is He Who cures me; Who will cause me to die, and then to life (again); And who, I hope, will forgive me my faults on the Day of Judgment.’Then it also refers to wisdom and requesting to be of the righteous ones as we read, ‘O my Lord! Bestow wisdom on me, and join me with the righteous;’ This refers to the righteous ones who only judge based on the Honorable the Exalted God’s decrees and not their own personal opinion or innovations. This was so that the Proofs of God that will come later on testify to his sincerity as we understand from his words, ‘Grant me honorable mention on the tongue of truth among the latest (generations);’Here he was referring to this noble nation. God accepted his prayer and established a representative for him and the rest of the Prophets and granted him an ‘honorable mention on the tongue of truth among the latest (generations);’ which refers to Ali ibn Abi Talib (MGB) as the Honorable the Exalted God says, ‘And We granted them lofty honor on the tongue of truth.’Then it refers to a trial in his life when he was put in a catapult and thrown into the fire. Then it refers to a trial in his son when he was ordered to offer his son Ishmael. Then it refers to his trial through his family when the Honorable the Exalted God freed his wife from the hands of Azarat al-Qabti mentioned in history. Then it refers to his patience with the bad-temperedness of (his wife) Sarah. Then it refers to him underestimating his own degree of obedience as we read, ‘And let me not be in disgrace on the Day when (men) will be raised up;’Then it refers to his true faith as the Honorable the Exalted God says, ‘Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian; but he was true in Faith, and bowed his will to God’s (Which is Islam), and he joined not gods with God.’Then it refers to the complete obedience in his words as we read, "Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are (all) for God - the Cherisher of the Worlds: No partner hath He: this am I commanded, and I am the first of those who bow to His will.” All the conditions of obedience are integrated into his words, ‘my life and my death, are (all) for God - the Cherisher of the Worlds.’ He has not missed the least bit and has not covered up any minute points.Then it refers to the fact that God fulfilled his supplications when he said, ‘My Lord! Show me how Thou givest life to the dead…’ This could have two different meanings. One could think that he was asking God to show him how the Honorable the Exalted God gives life to the dead. It is not wrong for one who doesn’t know something to ask about it. It would not imply that his belief in monotheism is questionable. Then the Honorable the Exalted God asked him, ‘Dost thou not then believe? He said, ’Yea!...’ This is required of anyone to answer if asked ‘Dost thou not then believe?’ as Abraham (MGB) did. This is as the Honorable the Exalted God asked all the spirits from the progeny of Adam (MGB) ‘Am I not your Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?’ They said, ‘Yea!…’ The first one to answer in the positive was Muhammad (MGB) being a pioneer in that. He (MGB) became the Master of those of the earlier times and those of the later times. He (MGB) became the noblest of the Prophets and the Messengers. Whoever doesn’t mention this response of Abraham (MGB) has indeed turned away from the religion of Abraham as the Honorable the Exalted God says, ‘And who turns away from the religion of Abraham but such as debase their souls with folly? …’Then the Honorable the Exalted God appointed Abraham (MGB) in this world and he (MGB) shall be from the good ones in the Hereafter as the Honorable the Exalted God says in the rest of that same verse, ‘…Him Wechose and rendered pure in this world: And he will be in the Hereafter in the ranks of the Righteous.’ The Righteous ones are the Prophets and the Imams - may God bless them all - who received orders from the Honorable the Exalted God as to what is good and what is evil. They all asked God for improvements. They all avoided personal opinions and innovations in His Religion as God says, “Behold! his Lord said to him: ‘Bow (thy will to Me):’ He said, ‘I bow (my will) to the Lord and Cherisher of the Universe.’” Then all the other Prophets followed him as the Honorable the Exalted God says, “And this was the legacy that Abraham left to his sons, and so did Jacob; "Oh my sons! God hath chosen the Faith for you; then die not except in the Faith of Islam.” Also the Honorable the Exalted God tells His Prophet, “So We have taught thee the inspired (Message), "Follow the ways of Abraham the True in Faith, and he joined not gods with God." And as the Honorable the Exalted God says, “…it is the cult of your father Abraham. It is He Who has named you Muslims, both before”The conditions for Divine Leadership have been obtained from the necessities of this world and the Hereafter.And in what Abraham (MGB) said, “…from my offspring!” ‘from’ implies a form of distinction, since some of his progeny did not deserve to be a Divine Leader, and some did. They were Muslims and unbelievers. It was impossible for Abraham (MGB) to pray for those who were either Muslims or unbelievers to be Divine Leaders. Therefore, it must be concluded that Abraham (MGB) took into consideration the Muslims and even the especial Muslims who were sincere believers which had abandoned unbelief. Then he (MGB) took into consideration a smaller group of them who were just ones who had abandoned major sins. Then he (MGB) took into consideration a smaller group of them who were Immaculate and never even thought of committing any sins. If there were any more conditions they would also be included in the conditions for Divine Leadership.The Honorable the Exalted God has mentioned Jesus (MGB) to be of the progeny of Abraham (MGB) even though Jesus (MGB) was in the line of Abraham (MGB) through Abraham’s great grand-daughter (i.e. Mary (MGB)). As God has considered those born in the line of a great grand-daughter to be of Abraham’s progeny, and Abraham (MGB) had prayed for Divine Leadership to continue through his progeny, it is incumbent upon Muhammad (MGB) to follow Abraham (MGB). Muhammad established the line of Immaculate Divine Leadership in his progeny through his daughter, since the Honorable the Exalted God had ordered him to follow Abraham (MGB) as we read, “So We have taught thee the inspired (Message), Follow the ways of Abraham the True in Faith, and he joined not gods with God.”Had Muhammad (MGB) not followed this order, he would have been considered to be amongst those who had turned away from the religion of Abraham as we read, “And who turns away from the religion of Abraham but such as debase their souls with folly?”The Prophet Muhammad (MGB) was more majestic than that. Therefore, we read as the Honorable the Exalted God says, “Without doubt, among men, the nearest of kin to Abraham, are those who follow him, as are also this Apostle and those who believe: …”And the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (MGB) is the father of the progeny of God’s Prophet (MGB) who were entrusted with Divine Leadership and were Immaculate as the Honorable the Exalted God says, “But My Promise is not within the reach of evildoers.” That refers to those who worshipped an idol or associated partners with God even for a twinkling of an eye, and even if they submitted to Islam afterwards. It is not right to place something in the improper place and the worst form of unbelief is associating partners with God as the Honorable the Exalted God says, “… for false worship is indeed the highest wrongdoing.” That is why one who commits a sin - be it minor or major - doesn’t deserve to be a Divine Leader even though he may repent afterwards. One who is to be punished by a religious decree cannot be the one to issue the rule for others to be punished by the same decree. Ordering to punish those who have violated religious rules is one of the duties of a Divine Leader. Therefore, a Divine Leader must be Immaculate. That would not be known except through what the Honorable the Exalted God reveals to us by the tongue of the Prophet (MGB). Being Immaculate is not like being black or white which could be seen from one’s outward appearance. Rather, it is a hidden characteristic which can only be recognized through what is expressed by the All-Knowing the Honorable the Exalted God.”

I heard Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) saying: “Al-Qa’im (as) will disappear before his rising.” I asked: “Why?” He said: “He fears (people) although he is the expected one. O Zurara, his birth is suspected. Some say that his father has died without leaving offspring, some say that he has disappeared and others say that he has born some years before his father’s death. He is the expected imam but Allah will try the hearts of the Shia and then might those have doubted, who follow falsehood.” I said: “May I die for you! If I live until that time, what shall I do then?” He said: “O Zurarra, when you live until then, pray with this prayer: (O Allah, let me know You because if You do not let me know You, I can never know Your prophet. O Allah, let me know Your prophet because if You do not let me know Your prophet, I can never know Your authority. O Allah, let me know Your authority because if You do not let me know Your authority, I shall deviate from my religion.” Then he said: “O Zurara, a young boy will be killed in Medina then.” I said: “Is he not the one, who will be killed by the army of as-Sufyani?” He said: “No, but he will be killed by the army of bani so and so. This army will enter into Medina and people will not know why the army has come. Then the young boy will be taken and killed unjustly and offensively. When the boy is killed, Allah will not respite them and then the deliverance will be expected soon.” The same was narrated by Muhammad bin Ya’qoob al-Kulayni from Ali bin Ibraheem bin Hashim from al-Hasan bin Musa al-Khashshab from Abdullah bin Musa from Abdullah bin Bukayr from Zurara from Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as). Also it was narrated by Muhammad bin Ya’qoob from al-Husayn bin Ahmad from Ahmad bin Hilal from Uthman bin Eessa from Khalid bin Nujayh from Zurara from Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as).

“The man of this matter is the homeless, fugitive man, who loses his father, who is surnamed with his uncle’s name, who is separated from his family and whose name is like a prophet’s name.”

“The man of this matter is the youngest and obscurest one of us.” Yahya asked him: “When will that (deliverance) be?” He said: “When delegations go to pay homage to a young boy and every fort (powerful chief) raises a flag (becomes independent) then you expect deliverance.” No one of the infallible imams has become imam while he is yet too young except this imam (al-Mahdi), whom Allah has granted the imamate and wisdom while he is yet a child as Jesus Christ and Yahya bin Zachariah, whom Allah has granted the Book, prophethood, knowledge and wisdom while yet children. The evidence for that is the saying of Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) “He (al-Qa’im) has aspects of four prophets…). One of them is Jesus the son of Marry (as), who has been granted wisdom, knowledge and prophethood while yet a child.

“Ali has come to drive water back!” Imam Ali (as) said: “By Allah, I and both of my sons will be killed but Allah will send a man from among my descendants at the end of the time revenging our bloods. He will disappear (for a long time) so that the deviate people are to be tried until the ignorant will say: Allah has nothing to do with Muhammad’s progeny.”