محمد بن المفضل

“Nothing remains between us and the Arabs except slaughter. (He pointed with his hand at his mouth).”

“Islam has begun strange and it will return strange as it has begun. Blessed are the strangers!”

“The master of this matter (al-Qa’im) has a likeness to Prophet Joseph and his mother is a black bondmaid. Allah will make him succeed within a night.”

“O Jabir, al-Qa’im will not appear until the people of Sham will be afflicted with a sedition, from which they try their best to be free but they cannot, terrible killing will occur between Kufa and Heera and a call that will come from the Heaven.”

“There are three persons, whom Allah will not speak to on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He look upon nor will He purify and shall have a painful chastisement; one, who pretends that he is an imam but he is not, the other one is he, who claims that the real imam is not an imam and the third one is he, who claims that these two persons are faithful Muslims.”

‘I heard Abu Abdullah (AS) saying: ‘Fatima (sa) went to a pillar in the Masjid, and she was addressing the Holy Prophet (sw): ‘Events and differences have occurred after you! Had you witnessed them, they would not have increased so much. We have missed you like the missing of the earth of its downpour of rain. And your people are in disturbance, so witness them and do not be absent’.

“There has been an appointment for this matter (deliverance). It has been determined (by the Heaven) that it will occur in the year one hundred and forty (A.H.) but when you announced the matter, Allah has put it off.”

“The man of this matter has a likeness to Prophet Joseph (as). He is a son of a (black) bondmaid. Allah will make him succeed within a night.” The likeness to Prophet Joseph (as) concerns the disappearance.

“Death and killing will spread among people until they resort to the Kaaba. Then a caller (from the heaven) will call out when fighting and killing become so violent: (What are all these fights and killings for? Your man is so-and-so.”

“The staff of Prophet Moses (as) was a branch of a myrtle tree planted in Paradise. Gabriel brought it to him when he set out towards Madyan. The staff of Prophet Moses (as) and the coffin of Adam (as) are in the lake of Tabariya. They neither decay nor change until they will be taken out by al-Qa’im (as) when he will rise.”

“The rising of as-Sufyani is an inevitable matter. He will rise in the month of Rajab. It will take, since his rising until his end, fifteen months. He will fight for six months. When he conquers the five districts, he will rule for nine months no more no less.”

I said to Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) that Abu Ja’far al-Baqir (as) often said: “Al-Qa’im of Muhammad’s progeny will disappear twice; one will be longer than the other.” He said: “Yes, but that will not be until the army of the tribe of so and so disagrees, life becomes so difficult, as-Sufyani rises, distresses and calamities increase and death and killing spread among people until they resort to the sanctum of Allah (the Kaaba) and the sanctum of the Prophet (S) (the Prophet’s mosque).”

I heard Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) saying: “When our Qa’im appears, he will receive harms from the ignorant people more and bitterer than that the Prophet (S) had received from the ignorant people of the pre-Islamic age.” I said: “How is that?” He said: “The Prophet (S) came to people while they used to worship sculptured stone and wood whereas when al-Qa’im comes to people, they will protest against him by interpreting the Book of Allah according to their fancies. By Allah, he (al-Qa’im) will insert his justice into their houses like the entering of hot and cold.”

“Once Amirul Mo’mineen (as) was asked about (the meaning of) this Qur’anic verse, “The sects among them disagreed.” He said: “Expect deliverance when three signs appear.” He was asked: “What are they?” He said: “Disagreement among the people of Sham, the black banners coming from Khurasan and terror in the month of Ramadan.” He was asked: “What terror is in Ramadan?” He said: “Have you not heard the saying of Allah in the Qur’an, “If We please, We should send down upon them a sign from the heaven so that their necks should stoop to it?” It is a sign that will bring the girls out of their veils, awaken the sleepers and terrify the awake.”

“I asked Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as): “When will the deliverance of your Shia be?” He said: “If the Abbasids disagree, their rule will become weak…until the end of the previous tradition. Then he added…until he (al-Qa’im) stops at the outskirt of Mecca. He will take the sword out of its sheath, put on the armor, spread the banner and the garment, put on the turban, hold the stick with his hand and will ask Allah permission to appear. He will inform some of his guardians of that. He will go to inform al-Hasani. Immediately al-Hasani will rise but the people of Mecca will kill him and send his head to Sham. Then al-Qa’im will appear. People will pay homage to him and follow him. The ruler of Sham then will send an army to Medina but the will of Allah will make them perish before reaching Medina. Then all of Ali’s progeny in Medina will flee to Mecca and join al-Qa’im. Al-Qa’im will move towards Iraq and send an army towards Medina ordering its people to go back to it.”

I have heard one of the trusted companions of Imam Ali (as) saying that Imam Ali (as) has said in a long speech he made in Kufa: “O Allah, it must be that You have authorities on Your earth one after the other over Your people to guide them to Your religion and to teach them Your knowledge lest the followers of Your guardians separate. They (the authorities) are either apparent without being obeyed or afraid, hidden and awaiting. If their persons are absent from people during their truce in the state of untruth, their knowledge will never be absent from them (from people). Their principles are fixed in the hearts of the believers, who act according to these principles. They become pleasant with what the liars become unpleasant and with what those, who are indifferent to the obligations of Allah, deny. Speech that is measured without any price; but is there any one hearing it with his mind, perceiving it, believing in it and following it as an ideal to succeed with it? And who is he? Therefore knowledge is lost because there is no one to bear it, to preserve it and to teach it as it is heard from the ulama.” Then he said after a long speech: “O Allah, I know well that knowledge is not lost totally nor its means disappear because You do not leave the earth without an authority over Your people; either apparent and obeyed or afraid, absent and disobeyed lest Your proofs will be vain and Your faithfuls will go astray after You have guided them.” The same was narrated by Muhammad bin Ya’qoob al-Kulayni from Ali bin Muhammad from Sahl bin Ziyad from Muhammad bin Yahya and others from Ahmad bin Muhammad from Ali bin Ibraheem from his father from al-Hasan bin Mahboob from Hisham bin Salim from Abu Hamza ath-Thimali from Abu Iss’haq as-Subay’iy from one of Imam Ali’s trusted companions.

I have heard Abu Ja’far Muhammad bin Ali al-Baqir (as) saying: “Whoever tries his best in worshipping Allah without following an imam inspired by Allah, his worshipping will not be accepted (by Allah) and he is astray and confused besides that Allah hates his deeds. His example is like a sheep that has lost the shepherd or the flock. It goes and comes astray. It becomes confused at day and when night comes, it sees a flock with a shepherd. It is deceived to spend the night with them in their fold. When morning comes and the shepherd drives his flock, it denies the shepherd and the flock and goes confusedly looking for its flock and shepherd. Then it sees another flock with a shepherd. It is deceived to join them. The shepherd cries: “O you lost sheep, go to join your shepherd and flock. You are astray and confused. You have lost your shepherd and flock.” Then it hastens confusedly without a shepherd guiding it to its pasture or to its fold. While it is so, a wolf seizes the opportunity and eats it. O bin Muslim, by Allah it is the same with you. Whoever of this umma becomes without an imam, definitely will be confused, astray and deviant. If he remains so, he will die as an unbeliever and polytheist. O Muhammad bin Muslim, know that the real imams and their followers are on the true religion of Allah and the imams of injustice and oppression are away from the religion of Allah and away from the truth. They go astray and lead people astray. Their actions are (like ashes on which the wind blows hard on a stormy day; they shall not have power over any thing out of what they have earned; this is the great error).” The same was narrated by Ali bin Ahmad from Obaydillah bin Musa from Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Qalanisi from Issma’eel bin Mihran from Ahmad bin Muhammad from Abdullah bin Bukayr and Jameel bin Darraj from Muhammad bin Muslim from Imam Abu Ja’far as-Sadiq (as).

“We attended the prayer (for the dead) when Abu Bakr died. While we were sitting around Umar, who had been paid homage to be the caliph, a young Jew from the Jews of Medina, whose father was the jurisprudent of the Jews in Medina and the Jews claimed that he was one of Aaron’s descendants, came to Umar. He greeted him and said: “O Amirul Mo’mineen, who is the most aware of your Book and the Sunna of your prophet among you?” Umar said: “It is this one. (He pointed to Ali bin Abu Talib.) This is the most aware of our Book and our Prophet’s Sunna.” The young Jew said (to Ali): “Would you answer my questions?” Imam Ali (as) said: “Yes, I would. Ask me as you like.” The young boy said: “I ask you about three things and three things and one thing.” Imam Ali (as) said: “Why do you not say: I ask you about seven things?” The young boy said: “No, but I ask you about the first three and if you give the right answers then I will ask you about the other three and if you give the right answers then I will ask you about the last one. If you fail to answer the first three ones, I will keep silent and not ask you about anything.” Imam Ali (as) said: “If I give you the right answer, will you know that my answer is right or not?” He said: “Yes, I will.” Imam Ali (as) said: “I adjure you before Allah that if I give you right answers, you are to be a Muslim and to give up Judaism.” He said: “I agree. I promise you to be a Muslim and to give up Judaism.” Imam Ali (as) said: “Then ask me as you like.” The young Jew said: “Would you tell me about the first stone that has been put on the surface of the earth, the first tree that has grown on the earth and the first fountain that has flowed on the earth?” Imam Ali (as) said: “O Jew, as for the first stone that has been put on the surface of the earth, the Jews has claimed that it is the rock, which is in Jerusalem, but they have told a false thing. It is the Black Stone that Adam (as) has brought from Paradise and put in the corner (of the Kaaba). The believers kiss it to renew the covenant of being loyal to Allah. As for the first tree, the Jews have claimed that it is the olive tree but they have told a lie. It is the date-palm, which Adam (as) has brought with him from Paradise. And as for the first fountain, the Jews have claimed that it is the one under the rock (in Jerusalem) but they have told a lie. It is the fountain of life, in which a dead is dipped to be alive again. It is the fountain of Moses (as), beside which he has left the salted fish and when water touched it, it revived and slipped into the sea and then Moses (as) and his servant followed it when they met with al-Khidhr (as).” The young Jew said: “I swear that you have said the truth. This is a book that I have inherited from my ancestors. It has been dictated by Moses (as) and written by Aaron (as). It has these seven things. By Allah, if you give right answers to the rest of the seven questions, I will give up my religion and believe in yours.” Imam Ali (as) said: “Ask!” The Jew said: “Would you tell me how many imams of guidance, who will not be harmed by the disappointment of the plotters, this umma will have after its prophet? In which position Muhammad will be in Paradise? How many ones will be with Muhammad in his position?” Imam Ali (as) said: “This umma has twelve imams. All of them are guided and guiding imams and they will never be harmed by the disappointment of the plotters. The position of Muhammad (as) is in the best position of the Garden of Eden, the most honored and the closest to Allah. As for those, who will be with Muhammad in his position, they are twelve imams.” The Jew said: “I swear that you have said the truth. If you answer the last one as you have done with these six, by Allah I will be a Muslim before you and give up Judaism.” Imam Ali (as) said: “Ask!” He said: “Would you tell me how long the successor of Muhammad will live after Muhammad? Will he die or be killed?” Imam Ali (as) said: “He will live for thirty years and then this will be dyed (of blood) from this. (He grasped his beard and made a sign with his head.)” The young Jew said: “I witness that there is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah and you are the caliph of the umma after the Prophet (S). Whoever precedes you, will be oppressive.” Then he left.