Monthly Archive: August 2025

Author: Syed Ali Akbar Qureshi

It should not be forgotten that many of the great men of the time saw the Imam of the Age (a.s.) during the five years of his father’s life and during the 69 years of his minor occultation. Therefore, we see that the writers of his life and history have each compiled a chapter under the title “Chapter on the Path of the Twelfth Imam (a.s.)”. Such as Thiqa al-Islam al-Kulaini, who died in 328 or 329 AH, who said in al-Kafi: Vol. 1, p. 329: “Chapter on the Naming of the Path of the Twelfth Imam (a.s.)” and also the late Saduq, who died in 381 AH, who dedicated chapter 44 to this subject in Kamal al-Din, Vol. 2, p. 433, and named it “Chapter on the Mention of the Witness of the Rising (a.s.) and the Path and the Word” and narrated twenty-six cases in it. And also the late Sheikh Mufid, who died in 413 AH, who said in al-Irshad: p. 329: “Chapter on the Opinion of the Twelfth Imam (a.s.)” and then He has narrated narrations, and also the late Sheikh of the Ta’ifah who died in 460 AH, who said in the book of occultation: page 152: “The news of some of the opinions of the master of the time (AS)…” and other great scholars. Similarly, many people came to the service of the Imam during the period of the great occultation and recognized him, and some later came to know that he was the unseen Mahdi (AS); there is more information in this regard than can be mentioned in this book. The late Muhaddith Noori, the author of Mustadrak, wrote a book on this subject called “Jannat al-Mawi fi dhikr min faz balqaa al-Hujjah (AS) au mujadahtah fi ghaybah al-kubra” in which he says 59  He narrated a story about those who met the Imam of the Time (peace be upon him) during the period of the Great Occultation. This book is narrated in Volume 53 of Bihar al-Anwar, a new edition, as a continuation. It should be noted that in these stories it is mentioned that some of the visitors saw and knew the Imam, such as the late Bahr al-Ulum and others, while in the Tawqi’ of Ali ibn Muhammad Samri it is mentioned that the Imam (peace be upon him) wrote to him: “Whoever claims to have seen him before the departure of al-Sufyani and the call, he is a liar and a forger.” The late Nuri, at the end of Jannat al-Mawi, responded to this issue in several ways, including quoting the words of Allama Majlisi who, in Bihar, Volume 52, Page 151, after quoting the Tawqi’ of Mubarak, said: Perhaps this statement is related to someone who claims to have seen him and says: I am the representative of the Imam in conveying his messages to the Shiites, like the four representatives, so as not to contradict the narrations that have passed and will come. The author says: The possibility of the deceased is close to certainty. However, the author brings here a few stories from what the late Kulayni, Mufid, Saduq, Sheikh Tusi, Majlisi, Nouri and their likes have narrated, may God have mercy on them. The purpose of mentioning these stories is to know that the absence of the Imam is a simple and ordinary matter, and he is among us in an absent and unknown manner, and between us and our God, he is a mediator of grace, may God’s prayers be upon him and his pure ancestors. In these stories, it is mentioned that some of the visitors saw and recognized the Imam, such as the late Bahr al-Ulum and others, while in the taqiq of Ali ibn Muhammad Samri it is mentioned that the Imam The Prophet (peace be upon him) wrote to him: “Whoever claims to have seen the Prophet before the departure of Sufyani and the sound of the call is a liar and a forger.” The late Nouri, at the end of Jannah al-Mawi, gave a number of answers to this question, including the words of Allama Majlisi, who in Bihar, vol. 52, p. 151, after quoting the blessed signature, said: Perhaps this statement refers to someone who claims to have seen the Prophet and says: I am the representative of that Imam in conveying his messages to the Shiites, like the four representatives, so as not to contradict the narrations that have passed and will come. The author says: The possibility of the deceased is close to certainty. However, the author brings here a few stories from what the late Kulayni, Mufid, Saduq, Sheikh Tusi, Majlisi, Nouri and their likes have narrated, may God have mercy on them. The purpose of mentioning these stories is to know that the absence of the Holy Prophet is a simple and ordinary matter, and he is among us in an absent and unknown manner, and between us and our God, he is a mediator of grace, may God’s prayers be upon him and upon his pure ancestors.