هلال

And among them Ahmad bin Hilal Abartai:

And among them Ahmad Ibn Hilal Karkhi:

“The imamate will be entrusted to one, who is so young and obscure.” The infallible imams (as) have confirmed that al-Qa’im (as) will be entrusted with the imamate while he is too young yet and that his mention is so obscure to the most of people. None of the other imams has been entrusted with the imamate when he is as young as al-Mahdi (aj). When they mention that he is the obscurest one among them, they refer to his disappearance and that his news will be unknown by people. The traditions about this concern are too many, true and current. Doubting this matter must be away from the minds of the believers, whom Allah has guided and lit their hearts.

H 313 - Muhammad bin Yaqub Kulaini said: An epistle was issued from Imam Mahdi (a.s) to Amari, which is quite lengthy and we have shortened it. It is mentioned in that epistle as follows: “We are aloof from Ibn Hilal, to whom Almighty Allah may never have mercy on and we are aloof from all those who don’t express their disdain about him. Thus inform Ishaqi and his townspeople and all those from you who have asked about him or who ask about the following matter, which I am informing you of.”

“If three names (of the infallible imams); Muhammad, Ali and al-Hasan succeed, then the fourth will be al-Qa’im.”

“I said to one of them-Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) or Abu Ja’far al-Baqir (as): “Can this matter (imamate) be entrusted to one, who is not adult yet?” He said: “It will be so.” I said: “How does he (the young imam) act?” He said: “Allah grants him with knowledge and wisdom and does not make him follow his fancies.”

“It means: if you lose your imam, then who will bring you another imam?” The same was narrated by Muhammad bin Ya’qoob al-Kulayni from Ali bin Muhammad from Sahl bin Ziyad al-Aadami from Musa bin al-Qassim bin Mo’awiya al-Bajali from Ali bin Ja’far from his brother Musa bin Ja’far al-Kadhim (as).

I was with Shafi Asbahi when he said: I heard Abdullah bin Umar say: I heard the Messenger of Allah (s) say: After me, there would be twelve Caliphs.

“Surely Allah chose the prophets from the people and chose the messengers from the prophets and chose me from the messengers and chose Ali (a.s) from me. He granted him (Ali) superiority over all the successors. From Ali (a.s) He chose Hasan (a.s) and Husain (a.s) and from Husain (a.s), He chose the successors from his descendants. The ninth of them is their Qaim (a.t.f.s.) and he is their apparent and their concealed.”

I said to Abu Ja’far Muhammad bin Ali al-Jawad (as): Who is the successor after you?” He said: “My son Ali and Ali’s two sons.” He pondered for a while and then raised his head and said: “Confusion will occur then.” I said: “If that occurs, where will we go then?” He kept silent and then said: “Nowhere!” He repeated it three times. I repeated my question. He said: “To Medina.” I said: “Which Medina?” He said: “This Medina. Is there another one than ours?” The same was narrated by Ali bin Ahmad from Obaydillah bin Musa from Ahmad bin al-Husayn from Ahmad bin Hilal from Umayya bin Ali al-Qayssi.

“I said to Abul Hasan (Imam Ali) (as): May I die for you! My father died while still believing in this matter (the imamate) and I became so old. Shall I die and you do not tell me of anything?” He said: “O Abu Iss’haq, you hasten (to hasten the will of Allah).” I said: “Yes, by Allah, I hasten. Why do I not hasten where I became so old as you see?” He said: “O Abu Iss’haq, by Allah that does not occur until you are tried and clarified until none of you remains save the least. (And he shrank his hand.)”

I said to him, ‘Your Shi‘a (followers) in Iraq are many. By Allah, there is no one like you in your family. Why do you not rise (for leadership)?” The narrator has said that he said, “O ‘Abdallah ibn ‘Ata’, you have began to open your ears to silliness. Yes, by Allah, I am not your companion (the one who will rise with Divine Authority).” The narrator has said that I said to him, “Who then is our companion (the one who will rise with Divine Authority)?” The Imam (a.s.) then said, “Find out whose time and place of birth is unknown to people, such person will be your companion (the one who will rise with Divine Authority). There is no one among us towards whom people point out their fingers so much and tongues will mention him so much, but that has died in frustration or due sorrow for being neglected.”

“When Imam Ali (as) met with the people of Basra (in the battle of al-Jamal-the camel), he raised the banner of the Prophet (S) and their (people of Basra’s) legs began to shake. They were so until before the sunset when they said: “O ibn Abu Talib, safeguard!” Then Imam Ali (as) said to his army: “Do not kill the captives. Do not finish off the wounded. Do not follow after the fleers. Whoever lays down his arms is to be safe and whoever closes his door (stays at home) is to be safe.” When the battle of Siffeen broke out, Imam Ali’s companions insisted on him to raise the banner of the Prophet (S) but he refused. They sent to him his two sons al-Hasan and al-Husayn (as) and his close companion Ammar bin Yassir as mediators. He said to al-Hasan: “O my son, the people have a term that they must reach. No one is to raise this banner after me except al-Qa’im (as).”

H 374 - Abu Ali Ibn Himam said: Ahmad Ibn Hilal was from the companions of Imam Hasan Askari (a.s). The Shia were unanimous on the deputization of Abu Ja’far Muhammad Uthman on the account of clear instructions of Hasan (a.s) during his lifetime. And when Hasan (a.s) passed away, the Shia said to Ibn Hilal, “The community is with him. Will you not accept the leadership of Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibn Uthman and refer to him, when the Imam, whose obedience is obligatory, has clearly assigned him as his representative?” He said, “I have not heard the Imam mention him as his representative. I do not deny the deputization of his father [meaning, Uthman Ibn Saeed], though. However, if I were certain that Abu Ja’far were the representative of the Master of the Age, I would not defy him.” They said: “If you have not heard, others have.” He said: “You follow what you have heard.” He did not profess the authority of Abu Ja’far, so the Shia beseeched damnation for him and manifested their disdain for him. Then the holy letter came through Abul Qasim Ibn Ruh with oath of damnation for him and denounced him amongst others who were dammed.

the Prophet (S) had said: “Allah the Almighty has chosen a thing from every thing. He has chosen Mecca from the earth, the mosque from Mecca and the place, in which the Kaaba is, from the mosque. He has chosen the females from among the cattle and the ewe from among the sheep. He has chosen Friday from among the days, Ramadan from among the months and the Night of Predestination from among the nights. He has chosen the Hashimites from among the peoples, has chosen me and Ali from among the Hashimites, has chosen al-Hasan and al-Husayn from me and Ali and then He completed the twelve imams from the progeny of al-Husayn. The ninth of them (of al-Husayn’s progeny) is the hidden and the apparent and the best of them. He is the expected imam.” The same was narrated by Muhammad bin Hammam and Muhammad bin al-Hasan bin Muhammad bin Jumhoor from al-Hasan bin Muhammad bin Jumhoor from Ahmad bin Hilal from Muhammad bin Abu Omayr from Sa’eed bin Ghazwan from Imam Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as).

“It will be necessary for the young boy to diappear from the public sight.” I then asked, “Why it will be necessary?” He said, “Because he will have fear- he then pointed towards his midsection. He will be the one whose reappearance will be intensely expected. It will be he in whose being born people will have doubts. Certain people will say, “His mother has just conceived him.” Others will say, “His father died but left no surviving son.” Certain others will say, “He was born two years before the death of his father.” Zurara has said, “I said to him, ‘What do you command me if will attain that time?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “Pray to Allah in the following words. “O Lord, make me know You for if you would not make me know You I will not know You. O Lord, make me know Your prophet, for if You would not make me know your Messenger I will never know him. O Lord, make me know the one who possesses Your authority over the creatures for if You will not make me know him I will stray away from my religion.” Ahmad ibn Hilal has said, “I had heard this hadith fifty six years ago.”

“I came from Wassit to perform the hajj. I visited Abu Ja’far Muhammad bin Ali (al-Baqir) (as). He asked me about the people and the markets there. I said: the people have looked forward to you. If you rise, a great number of people will follow you.” He said: “O bin Atta’, you have spread your ears to the fools. By Allah, I am not your man. None of us, who is pointed at with fingers or towards whom eyebrows are stretched, unless he is killed or he dies because of anger until Allah will send one, whose birth will be vague.” I said: “And who is he, whose birth will be vague?” He said: “See who that people do not know whether he is born or not. That will be your man.”

Imam ar-Redha (as) said: “O Hasan, There will be a dark sedition, in which close friends and near relatives will perish. That will occur when the Shia miss the fourth descendant of mine. The people of the earth and the inhabitants of the Heaven will be sad for missing him. Many faithful men and faithful women will be regretful, confused and sorrowful because of missing him.” He pondered for a while and then he raised his head and said: “He is the namesake of my grandfather (Prophet Muhammad). He looks like me and looks like Prophet Moses (as). Upon him there are rays of light emitting from the light of the Divine holiness. As if I see that people despair of him so much but they will be called with a call heard by the all whether far or near they are. He will be as mercy upon the believers and as torment upon the unbelievers.” I said: “May my father and mother die for you! What will that call be?” He said: “There will be three sayings in the month of Rajab; the first is “Now surely the curse of Allah is on the unjust,” the second is “The threatened Hour is nigh, O believers!” and the third is that people will see a protruding hand with the disk of the sun calling: “Allah has sent so-and-so to destroy the unjust”. Then deliverance comes to the believers and Allah relieves their hearts and takes distresses away from them.”

We gathered before Abu Muhammad Hasan Ibn Ali (a.s) to ask him about the Hujjah (Imam) after him. There were forty men in the gathering. Uthman bin Saeed bin Amr Amari rose and said: “O son of Allah’s Messenger, I want to ask you about a great subject, which you know better than me.” “Sit down, O Uthman.” Uthman rose to leave. The Imam said: “No one leaves.” None of us left. It was an hour that Imam called Uthman. Uthman rose on his feet. The Imam said: “Shall I inform you why you have come?” They said: “Yes, O son of Allah’s Messenger.” He said: “You came to ask me about the Divine Proof (Hujjah) after me.” They said: “Yes.” Suddenly, there came a boy, as he were a piece of the moon and more similar to Imam Hasan Askari (a.s) than all the people. The Imam said: ‘This is your Imam after me and my caliph over you. Obey him and do not disperse after me, lest you will perish in your religion. Behold, you will not see him after this day until ages pass. So, accept from Uthman what he says and obey his order and accept his word, because he is the caliph of your Imam and the affairs are in his hands.”

I heard Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) saying: “The master of this matter has a likeness to Prophet Joseph (as).” I said: “As if you want to tell us about a disappearance or confusion!” He said: “Why do this damned people, who are like the pigs, deny this matter (the disappearance of imam al-Mahdi)? The brothers of Prophet Joseph (as) were skilled, intelligent and sons of prophets. When they came to him, they talked and dealt with him and although they were his brothers they could not know him until he himself told them that he was their brother Joseph. Then why do this umma deny that Allah may want to hide His authority from people for a certain time? Prophet Joseph (as) was the king of Egypt and there was between him and his father a distance of eighteen days-travel. If he wanted to inform his father of his place, he could do that. By Allah, Jacob (as) and his sons, after having heard the news of Joseph, traveled from their village to Egypt within nine days. So why do this umma deny that Allah may do for his authority (al-Mahdi) as He has done for Prophet Joseph (as)? Perhaps the master of this matter (al-Qa’im), who has been wronged and whose right has been denied, goes and comes among people frequently, walks in their markets and sits on their mats but they do not know him until the will of Allah permits him to introduce himself to them as Allah has permitted Prophet Joseph (as) to introduce himself to his brothers by saying: (They said: Are you indeed Yousuf? He said: I am Yousuf). The same was narrated by Muhammad bin Ya’qoob al-Kulayni from Ali bin Ibraheem bin Hashim from Muhammad bin al-Husayn from ibn Abu Najran from Fudhala bin Ayyoob from Sadeer as-Sayrafi from Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as).