29 May MEETINGS WITH IMAM MAHDI (ATFS) INCIDENT TWO: CITIES OF THE SONS OF HAZRAT
MEETINGS WITH IMAM MAHDI (ATFS) INCIDENT TWO: CITIES OF THE SONS OF HAZRAT
Noble, righteous, Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ali bin Hasan bin Abdur Rahman Alawi Husaini, at the end of the book of Taazi has narrated from great scholar, Hujjatul Islam, Saeed
bin Ahmad bin Razi from Shaykh Muqri Khatiruddin Hamza bin Musayyab bin Jarith, who narrated in my house in Zafariya in Baghdad on the 18th of Ramazan 544 A.H. that: Narrated to me my teacher, Alim bin AbilQamarUsmaan bin Abdul Baqi bin Ahmad Damishqi 17th Jamadi II in 542 A.H. that he said: Informed me the great scholar, Kamaaluddin Ahmad bin Muhammad bin YahyaAnbari in his house in holy city of Baghdad on Thursday the 10th of the month of Ramazan during the year 542 A.H. that:
I was in the company of the minister Aunuddin Yahya bin Hubaira in the month of Ramazan, during the past year and we were at the head of the table and some people were also present
with him. After the breaking of fast, most of the people present there sought permission to leave and went away and some close friends remained. That night a powerful man sat beside the
minister, whom I did not recognize and till the end I had not spoken with him.
The minister accorded him great respect and paid attention to what he was saying; after some time the close circle also dispersed and returned to their respective homes. The
companions informed the minister that there were heavy rains and the roads were closed. The minister retained the people and they continued talking on various topics till the conversation
turned to religion.
The minister began to exaggerate in condemnation of the Shia religion; he mentioned the deficiencies of this faith and said: Thank God, they are in minority and they are degraded.
At that moment, the person whom the minister had accorded exceeding respect, said: May God give you a long life, if you permit me I will narrate an incident regarding the Shia, which I
have personally witnessed; but if you don’t allow, I will remain silent.
The minister considered this for some time and then gave him the permission.
First of all he decided to prove that majority is not the proof of the rightfulness of Sunni faith and minority is not the evidence of the falsity of Shia religion.
Then he said: I grew up in Bahiya, which is a very big city and it is made up of 1200 localities in that area and the intellect is amazed at the population of that place and no one knows their
actual number, except the Almighty Allah. And all those people are Christians and there are numerous large islands near Bahiya and all people there are Christians and on this island are the
deserts, which end at Abyssinia and Nubia a large number of people are settled over there and all of them are Christians and they are absolutely heedless of Islam.
In the same way, the residents of Abyssinia, Nauba and Berber are in excess and all of them are Christians and the Muslims in comparison to them are as the folks of Paradise in comparison to the inmates of Hell.
After making this statement he decided to prove to the minister that majority is the greatest proof of rightfulness of religion as Shia are more in number than the people of other communities.
So he said that twenty-one years ago I left Bahiya to accompany my father on a business trip and in greed undertook a dangerous sea journey so that the Almighty Allah will take our ship to a land which is full of trees and streams. There we saw a huge city with numerous large edifices. We were absolutely astounded and asked the pilot about the name of those islands.
He replied: Like you, I also have no knowledge of it as I have never visited this area before.
When we reached the first town, we disembarked from the boat and entered the place. We saw that the people there were extremely handsome and the atmosphere was very nice and the natives were absolutely pure and clean.
Couplets:
Such a thing is not found in the whole world.
Houses, which are beautiful and attractive
Stretching wide and inhabited and verdant
Having every kind of goodness logically possible.
When we inquired from them the name of the city and about the ruler of that place, they said: This place is known as Mubaraka and the ruler is names as Tahir.
We also made inquiries regarding the seat of government and the location of the royal palace.
They said: It is in the town named Zahira and the distance from there by sea was only ten days; but twenty-five days by land.
I asked: Where are the officials of the ruler, who may inspect our goods, collect the taxes and complete the formalities?
They replied: The ruler of this place is not having any officials and agents and the traders themselves deliver the taxes to him and they took us to his place.
When we reached there, we saw a handsome man with a gentle demeanor possessing awe and determination; he was having an aura of honor and was dressed in woolen garments. He
had a pen and ink pot before him. There was an open register, in which he was writing. Astonished at all this we greeted him. He responded saying welcome and accorded respect to us.
He inquired from where we were coming.
We explained our circumstances to him.
He asked: Have all the people embraced Islam and are they all bestowed with the Taufeeq of the religion of Muhammad?
We said: Some of our friends are steadfast on the religion of Prophet Moosa and Isa (a.s.) and have not accepted Islam.
He said: Some of the friends were ardent followers of the religion of Moosa and Isa and they had not condemned the laws of Islam.
He said: The Zimmis have accepted their Jizya and gone and the Muslims are waiting so that we may investigate their religion and learn about their faith.
Thus, my father accepted his and mine Jizya and that of three other persons who were Christians and the Jews who were nine persons, gave the Jizya. After that in order to discover the conditions of Muslims, said to them: Explain your faith. When they explained their faith they revealed their faith and said Your faith has not passed the test of authenticity.
They said: Indeed, you are Khwarij, you were not in the pale of Islam, you acted like the Khawarij.
On the basis of exaggeration he said: Your property is lawful on the believers.
Then he said: One, who does not believe in the chosen Messenger, his successor Ali Murtada and all the Imams till our Chief, the Master of the Age is not a Muslim. He is from the Khawarij and is an opponent.
When the Muslims heard this statement with regard to the corrupt belief they expected their belongings to be lost and they were extremely worried about it and for years they spent years
wandering the desert and hunger and homelessness. At last the governor of the principality came to their help and decided to write about their condition to the king. He sent that group to Zahira so that perhaps they may get relief over there.
Their leader accept the request and ordered them to move to Zahira and he recited the following verse:
لِّيَهْلِكَ مَنْ هَلَكَ عَن بَيِّنَةٍ
“That he who would perish might perish by clear proof.”
When I saw the Muslims in that condition I did not like to see them in such hardships of going and returning. I came to the sailor and said: I have had the company of this group since such a long time, so it is not correct to desert them in such a peril. I request for a boat on rent for the sake of this group to go to Zahira and I will help and assist them.
The sailor swore that he has never seen the Zahirasea and has never traveled there. We despaired from him and requested the people of that place give us a boat on hire. By chance the
Muslims were aware of the location of Zahira and for twelve days and nights we traveled in those seas. When it was the morning of the thirteenth the sailor called out: God is the greatest. That the night of hardship was over and the morning of ease was visible. We were able to make out the minarettes and walls of Zahira.
So we joyfully set out with speed. At midday we reached such a city that no eye had ever seen it and no ear had heard the like of it.
ادْخُلُوهَا بِسَلَامٍ آمِنِينَ
“Enter them in peace, secure.”
وَسَارِعُوا إِلَىٰ مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ
“And a Garden, the extensiveness of which is (as) the heavens and the earth. ”
Its spaciousness was metaphorical, its breeze, sorrowful and soul exhilarating and its atmosphere was pleasing, its delicious water was pristine and life giving like the water of life.
A single verse
The eye of the sky has not seen and neither has the ear of the angel heard it. A city more beautiful and a more pleasant settlement.
This city was floating on the sea and its foundations stood on white-mountains like white silver, which enclosed it from the lands and the seas. In the centre of the city flowed streams, which
were extremely pure; and between the buildings were markets on the shore and other edifices.
The beginning of most of the streams upto their end was one and a half farsakh and in food and taste it was like Kausar and Tasnim and under that mountain there were many orchards and
gardens; there was greenery and countless trees and nice fruits. And amidst the orchards and gardens roamed wolves and sheep in absolute amity. If a person takes an Animal by the side of a
farm, it does not even nibble at a single leaf from the plants. And wild animals live in the city without causing any harm to anyone.
So, when I passed from that place I reached the blessed city of Zahira. I saw a great city in expanse like the gardens of Paradise. They consisted of a large number of markets unlimited
pleasures and every kind of luxury was available there and the creatures of the land and the sea were frequenting it.
The native people of that place were the best creatures on the earth from the aspect of honesty, integrity and truthfulness. When someone purchased sold commodities in market the seller
said: O man, weigh it yourself. That man will take whatever he has paid for and all their transactions were like this only.
There was no vain discourse among them and they completely avoided vices like backbiting, bloodshed, lying and theft. At the time of prayer, when the Muezzin recited the Azaan,
all the males and females attended the prayers and after the prayers and post-prayer litanies they returned to their homes.
When I saw this incomparable place, I was astounded at its design and set up. I had been ordered to meet the Sultan. They brought me to a decorated garden constructed in the middle of a
dome of gold and around it flowed a large stream and the sultan was seated at that place on the seat of judgment and all the people stood in his service with utmost respect.
At that moment, the Muezzin recited the Azaan and Iqamat and during that period the expansive orchard filled with the people of that city.
The Sultan led the prayer and the people followed him in the congregational prayer and in acts and words they were at the pinnacle of humility. After the prayer, the majestic king glanced
at us and said: Are you not the ones who have just arrived and entered our city?
I said: Yes, O son of the Master of the Age!
We had heard that the people of that town addressed him by this title. The king welcomed us and asked about the purpose of our visit. He said: Are you traders or guests?
We said: We are traders; and guests of the generosity of the ruler.
He inquired about our faith and said: Who all from you are such that they have girded themselves to serve Islam, who have followed the commands and prohibitions of faith and who are lost in the desert of deviation and have not reached the wide expanse of faith and divine recognition?
We were presented with the reality of each and informed about the secrets of each of them.
Then he said: There are numerous sects of Muslims; which sect do you belong to?
There was a person among us famous as Miqri and his name was Ruzbahan bin Ahmad Ahwazi and he was of the Shafei dispensation. He initiated the dialogue and introduced his faith.
He said: In that community, who all are such that they have the same faith as you?
He replied: All of us have consensus in believing Shafei to be the Imam and the leader, except Hassan bin Ghayt, who is a Maliki.
Sultan asked: O Shafei, do you not believe in consensus; would you act on conjecture?
He replied: Yes, O son of Saahebul Amr.
The Sultan wanted to convey him from the storm of the wretchedness of opposition and save him with the bank of guidance saying: O Shafei, have you read the verse of Mubahila and do you remember it?
He said: Yes, O son of the Master of Affair. He asked: What is it?
He replied:
فَمَنْ حَاجَّكَ فِيهِ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا نَدْعُ أَبْنَاءَنَا وَأَبْنَاءَكُمْ وَنِسَاءَنَا وَنِسَاءَكُمْ وَأَنفُسَنَا وَأَنفُسَكُمْ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَل لَّعْنَتَ اللَّـهِ عَلَى الْكَاذِبِينَ
“Then say: Come let us call our sons and your sons and our women and your women and our
near people and your near people, then let us be earnest in prayer, and pray for the curse of Allahon the liars.”
He said: I adjure you by Allah, tell me who are implied as the sons, women and selves?
Ruzbahan fell silent.
The king said: I adjure you by Allah, was there anyone else under the Kisa other than the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), Ali Murtada, Fatima, chief of the ladies, Hasan Mujtaba and Husain,
the martyr of Kerbala?
Ruzbahan replied: No, O son of Saahebul Amr.
He said: This verse was revealed only in their honor and this excellence is only from them and not for others.
Then he said: O Shafei, I adjure you that one, whom the Almighty Allah has purified from the impurity of sin and obedience, his purity is proved according to the declaration of the
Book of the Almighty Allah. Can the people of deviation point out defect in its perfection?
He replied: Yes, O son of Saahebul Amr.
He said: By Allah, Allah implies the folks of the blanket, from whom He has kept away all impurities so that their infallibility is not smeared by the dirt of divine disobedience and that they are infallible from smaller and greater sins.
Thus, by eloquence the tradition implied such points that made the eyes weep and filled the hearts with faith. Shafei stood up and said: May forgive us, O son of Saahebul Amr. Please
mention your exalted lineage and guide this man wandering in the vale of misguidance.
The king said in the language of facts: I am Tahir bin Mahdi bin Hasan bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Moosa bin Ja’far bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Husain bin Ali regarding whomAllah revealed:
وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَاهُ فِي إِمَامٍ مُّبِينٍ
“And We have recorded everything in a clear writing.”
By Allah, the implication of the Lord of the worlds from the complete word of ‘ImamalMubeen’ is His Eminence AmeerulMomineen (a.s.), the Imam of the pious and the chief of the
successors; leader of those, who possess an illuminated countenance, Ali IbneAbiTalib (a.s.); who is the immediate Caliph of the Prophet and no one else other than him deserved this position.
The verse of:
ذُرِّيَّةً بَعْضُهَا مِن بَعْضٍ
“Offspring, one of the other.”
…was revealed for us and we were specially endowed with these lofty ranks.
Then he said: O Shafei, we are the progeny of the Messenger and we are those invested with authority.
When Ruzbahan heard these guiding statements of the prince of the worlds, due to the effulgence of divine recognition and faith, he fainted. And when he regained consciousness, he brought faith due to the good sense bestowed by God and he said: Praise be to Allah, who blessed us with Islam and faith and transferred us from the darkness of blind emulation to the pleasing and illuminated atmosphere of faith.
After that the leader of religion and the circle of faith asked us to be taken to the guest house and to entertain us there. We were given the best facilities and we stayed in this way for eight days. All the people of that place during those days visited us and brought us gifts and presents.
Couplet:
All the people of that city were like angels.
Pleasing and well-mannered like the folks of Paradise.
After eight days, His Eminence invited us to dinner. He served us excellent food and gifted a lot of expensive garments.
The length and breadth of that city was a journey of two months and a fast rider could not cover it in lesser period of time. The residents mentioned that beyond this city was another city named as Raiqa and it was ruled by Qasim bin Saahebul Amr and its length and breadth was equal to this city and the people in ways and manners were also like the people of this town. They also possessed all the positive traits like kindness and generosity. Beyond that city was another town like this place; it is called as Safiya and its ruler is Ibrahim bin Saahebul Amr (a.s.).
Beyond that is a city having all the good religious and worldly qualities, known as Talum and its ruler is Abdur Rahman bin Saahebul Amr (a.s.) and around that city there are large estates, whose length is two months of travel and it ends at the city of Anatis and its ruler is Hashim bin Saahebul Amr (a.s.) and the distance of length and breadth is four months of travel and around that are numerous estates and innumerable farms along with numerous streams, green trees and fine fruits as mentioned in the verse:
جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ
“Gardens in which rivers flow.”
Verse:
The trustworthy spirit calls out from the sky all the time. This is the Garden of Adn; so enter it forever.
Anyone, who is made to enter this pleasing area never likes to leave it ever.
Thus, he said to the minister: The length and breadth of this kingdom is one year of travel and its population is unlimited, all of them being believers and Shia; believing in Allah, the Prophet
and the twelve Imams and being aloof from their enemies .And all of them establish the prayer with sincerity and pay the Zakat and convey it to be spend in the venues advised by the Shariah. They also fulfill the duties of enjoining good and or forbidding evil.
Their rulers are the sons of SahibuzZamaan; whose main aim was promotion of faith and in numbers they exceed the majority population and they said this metropolis and cities and majority of the population are related to Imam Zamana (a.s.) and those who exceed the limits in service to Imam regard themselves as slaves of the Imam.
Since the people thought that, that year the chosen effulgence of the Almighty Allah would pay a visit to Zahira they waited to render their services to His Eminence. At last we left
that divine kingdom and set out for our hometown. As for Ruzbahan and Hissan – they stayed behind to see Imam Zamana (a.s.) and did not accompany us on the return journey.
When this strange story ended, the vizier, Aunuddin arose and went inside his special chamber and called us inside one by one and made us swear never to talk about this to anyone, saying: Do not divulge this secret and keep this confidential as the enemies will eliminate you. So we came out of there and did not say a word about it to anyone as long as he was alive. Whenever
we met each other we inquired: Have you observed Ramazan? He replied: Yes, you must keep it a secret and not to divulge the secret of the Master of the Age, peace be on him and his purified
fathers and his children.
The author says: Scholars have narrated this incident; some in the way it is mentioned above and some in concise form and some refer only to some parts of it. Thus, the prominent Sayyid, Ali bin Taaoos at the end of JamaalulUsboo’ says that I have the report with continuous chain that Mahdi (a.s.) is having some sons, who are governors of the cities situated in the sea and they are having utmost greatness and the qualities of the righteous.
The honorable, ShaykhZainuddin Ali bin YunusAmiliBayazi a scholar of the ninth century, in part fifteen in Chapter Eleven of the book of SirateMustaqeem , which is a very fine Imamiyah book by KamaaluddinAnbari. In that book he has narrated this story in brief.
The great Sayyid Ali bin Abdul Hamid Neeli, author of the 8th century and writer of SultaanulMufarraj An AhalulEimaan has narrated it from Hafiz Hujjatul Islam Razi Baghdadi from Qatrutdeen Hamza bin Haaris in Baghdad till the end as mentioned previously.
MohaqqiqArdbeli, in his book of Hadiqatus Shia has said that there is a very strange story and in the book of Arbaeen, which is written by a great author: Muhammad bin Ali Alawi Husaini, through the chains which reach upto Ahmad bin Muhammad bin YahyaAnbari that he said: In 543 A.H. during the month of Ramazan…till the end.
SayyidNe’matullahJazairi has narrated it in AnwarunNomaniya from the book of the scholar, Raza Ali bin FathullahKashani that he said: Narrated the noble righteous gentleman…and so on.
This humble servant is having a copy of Arbaeen from some scholar, whose initial pages are missing and there the Arabic text is given along with the Persian translation, which we have presented here. Despite so many narrators it is strange that it was missed by AllamahMajlisi that he has not mentioned it in BehaarulAnwaar.
Two objections and their refutation
There are two objections in this incident; one of them being lack of information and the second is weakness of faith.
First Objection
Family and children of His Eminence Hujjat (a.s.) are unknown
As is mentioned in this incident and there being unseen in the reports and not being mentioned by the scholars; therefore some have denied the actual existence of the Imam.
Its reply is not concealed on the critic with insight and in numerous reports, it is hinted that not reaching abstract and lack of information about it does not become the proof that how will
the Imam leave this great Sunnah of his forefathers inspite of so much prohibition for not leaving it and the most eligible person in the world regarding this is the Imam of every age and so far no
one has regarded leaving them to be among the qualities of His Eminence and we shall content ourselves with the mention of only twelve reports.
One: ShaykhNomani, student of Thiqatul Islam Kulaini in the book of Ghaibat and ShaykhToosi in the book of Ghaibat ; have both narrated through authentic chains of narrators from Mufazzal bin Umar that he said: I heard Abu Abdullah (a.s.) say: Indeed, there are two occultations for the master of this affair; one of them being longer than the other till some people will say that he is dead and some will say that he is killed. Some others will say that he has gone away till such an extent that his Imamate was not proved even to some of his companions, except a few; and no one is aware of his location from his issues or anyone else, except whom he has allowed.
Two: ShaykhToosi and some other scholars have narrated through numerous chains of narrators from Yaqub bin Yusuf ZarrabIsfahani that during the year 281 A.H. he went for Hajj
and in Mecca he stayed at the SooqulLail, in a house, which wasfamous as the house of Khadija. There was an old lady in that house who was a medium between the prominent Shia and Imam
Zamana (a.s.). It is a long story at the end of which it is mentioned that the Imam sent a scroll for him in which was written Salawat on the Prophet and all the Imams and on ImamZamana (a.s.). And he advised him to read that supplication whenever he wanted to recite salutation on the Imam. It is a
lengthy supplication and in it is mentioned in it: O Allah, bestow him in his self, his progeny, his followers, his subjects, his confidants, his common ones, his enemies and all the people of
the world whatever is near to his view…and so on.
And its end is as follows:
O Allah, bless Muhammad, the Chosen, Ali, who pleased (Allah) better than others, Fatima, the bright and beautiful, Hasan, the agreeing, Husain, the refined, and all the rest of the closely connected appointed guardians, the favorite confidants, the signs leading unto guidance, lighthouse of piety and wisdom, the trustworthy and safe handles, the strong rope, the right path. Bless Your dearest intimate friend, the authority You promised to protect, and (bless) the Imams, their children, spread their creed, build up their cause, let their thoughts and deeds reach far and wide, to the four corners of the world, in the matter of religion, in the worldly affairs and at the time of Final Judgment, verily You are able to do all things.”
Three: In the special Ziyarat, which is to be recited on Friday, which SayyidRaziuddin Ali bin Taaoos has narrated in JamaalulUsboo’ , it is mentioned:
“May Allah bless you and your purified progeny.”
And in another place it is mentioned: May Allah bless you and your purified progeny on this Friday…”
And at the end of it, he says: May Allah bless you and your purified progeny…”
Four: At the end of the book of Mazaar in BehaarulAnwaar, from the book of Majmu-udDawaat, Harun bin MoosaTalakabari has narrated a lengthy Salawat for the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) and each of the Imams (a.s.) and after reciting salutation of HazratHujjat (a.s.), he said: Peace and salutations on the authorities during the period of Hujjat (a.s.) and the leaders from his sons and supplication on them .
Five: Sayyid bin Taaoos etc. have narrated a Ziyarat for the Imam and one of the sentences of the supplication after the prayer; the Ziyarat is as follows:
O Allah, bestow him in his self, his progeny, his followers, his subjects, his confidants, his common ones, his enemies and all the people of the world whatever is near to his view…and so on .
Six: The story of the Green Island, which will come after this.
Seven: Shaykh Ibrahim Kafami has narrated in his Misbaah that the wife of the Imam is a descendant of Abu Lahab.
Eight: The prominent Sayyid Ali bin Taaoos, in the book of rituals of the month of Ramazan, has narrated from IbneAbiQara, a supplication, which can recited at all times for the sake of protection of Imam Zamana (a.s.) and it will be mentioned in the ninth chapter, if Allah wills…and it is mentioned in that Dua: And appoint for him and his progeny from the inheriting Imams.
Nine: ShaykhToosi has narrated a report from Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) through authentic chains of narrators, in which it is mentioned that among the bequests of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) to AmeerulMomineen (a.s.) was that he said: And when the last moments of the Qaaem will approach, he will make a will to his son as follows… and so on .
Ten: ShaykhKafami has written in his Misbaah , that Yunus bin Abdur Rahman narrated from Imam Ali Reza (a.s.) that the Imam advised supplicating for the Saahebul Amr (a.s.)
through this supplication: AllaahummaAdfa’ an Waliyyika…till the end. And at the end of it, it is mentioned: O Allah bless the rulers of his age and the Imams after him…till the end as was
mentioned or something like that and in the margins, he said: First invoke blessings on him and then invoke blessings on them as they are scholars and noble persons and the scholar is the Imam of one, who follows him as mentioned in the statement: And the Imams from his progeny, in the supplication narrated from Imam Mahdi (a.s.).
Eleven: In Mazaar , Muhammad bin Mashhadi has narrated that Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) said to Abu Baseer: As I can see the arrival of Imam Qaaem at Masjid Sahla long with his family members…till the end.
Twelve: AllamahMajlisi has mentioned in BehaarulAnwaar about prayers under the rituals of the morning of Friday, from one of the ancient books, a lengthy prayer, which is to be recited after Morning Prayer and its statements invoking blessings for Imam Zamana (a.s.) are as follows:
اللَّهُمَّ كُنْ لِوَلِيِّكَ فِي خَلْقِكَ وَلِيّاً وَ حَافِظاً وَ قَائِداً وَ نَاصِراً حَتَّى تُسْكِنَهُ أَرْضَكَ طَوْعاً وَ تُمَتِّعَهُ مِنْهَا طَوْلًا وَ تَجْعَلَهُ وَ ذُرِّيَّتَهُ فِيهَا الْأَئِمَّةَ الْوَارِثِين
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. O Allah, be for Your Wali among Your creatures, a protector, a guard, a leader and helper, till he lives in Your earth in peace and enjoys it for a long time. And appoint him and his progeny the inheritor Imams…till the end .
No tradition opposed to these reports is seen, except a tradition which Fazl bin ShaazaanNishapuri has mentioned in his Ghaibat through correct chains of narrators from Hasan bin Ali Khazzaaz that he said: Ibne Abu Hamza came to the gathering of Imam Ali Reza (a.s.) and asked: Are you an Imam?
His Eminence said: Yes, I am an Imam.
He asked: I heard your grandfather, Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) say: There is no Imam except that he has a son.
Imam (a.s.) said: Have you forgotten it, O Shaykh, my grandfather did not say that there will no Imam except that he will have a son. But the Imam on whom will come out Imam Husain bin Ali IbneAbiTalib (a.s.) and do Rajat in his time, thus, indeed he will not have sons.
When IbneAbi Hamza heard this from the Imam, he said: You are right, may I be sacrificed on you from your grandfather I heard as you have stated .
Sayyid Muhammad Husaini, alias Mir Lauhim, a student of Mohaqqiq Mir Daamaad, in the book of KefaayatulMohtadi, after the mention of this report, has said: This is the least reliable report about the city of Shia and about the green island and the white sea, in which it is mentioned that Imam Mahdi (a.s.) is having a number of sons, by this authentic tradition in the book of RiyaazulMomineen, and whoever likes may refer it in that book .
ShaykhToosi has mentioned this report in detail in the book of Ghaibat and it is clear from that the implication of the Imam was not son; and son who will be the Imam. That is Imam Zamana (a.s.) is the seal of the Imam and he does not have a son, who will be an Imam. Or at that time when Imam Husain (a.s.) will do Rajat, he will not have a son. Thus, it is not opposed to the above reports. And Allah knows best.
Second Objection
In fact explorers, sailors, Christians and others have from years despite having all the facilities, are busy in exploring the earth and gone to the length and breadth of it; they have many a times traveled to the North Pole and the east and west they have explored every nook and corner of the world, yet they have never come across such islands and cities. If this objection is from the deniers of the existence of a wise and powerful Creator; its reply will not be possible before proving the existence of the holy being of Almighty Allah; and if this improbability is from those who have accepted Islamic beliefs and who have admitted to the existence of an intelligent and powerful being, Who does what He wants and repeatedly did through the hands of the prophets, saints and what was outside the habit, He accomplished it without any mediation of anyone and human beings are incapable of producing the like of it; thus we say that the Almighty Allah said:
وَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْآنَ جَعَلْنَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ حِجَابًا مَّسْتُورًا
“And when you recite the Quran, We place between you and those who do not believe in the hereafter a hidden barrier;”
Shia and Sunni commentators have narrated that this verse was revealed for Abu Sufyan, Nazar bin Haaris, Abu Jahl, Umme Jamil, wife of Abu Lahab, from whom the Almighty Allah concealed His Messenger when he was reciting the Quran. They came near him and passed by him without seeing him.
In Kharaaej , QutubRawandi has narrated that His Eminence was praying in front of the Black Stone facing the Kaaba and BaitulMuqaddas. He remained invisible till he finished praying. It is also narrated that one day Abu Bakr was seated with the Prophet, when Umme Jamil the sister of Abu Sufyan came to torment him. Abu Bakr said to the Prophet: Go away from here.
His Eminence said: She will not see me.
Thus, she came and stood there and asked Abu Bakr: Have you seen Muhammad?
He replied: No. So she went away .
IbneShahrAshob and others have mentioned many incidents regarding this in the chapters of the miracles of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and the Holy Imams (a.s.) such that they
are from the widely narrated reports. According to such reports, when it is possible for a person to be seated among other reciting or praying and he remains invisible to others; then how it is
improbable that such a city should exist in the sea or on land and the Almighty Allah has concealed from everyone and if to cross it is not possible, except through the desert of bitumen and sea of
excellence they do not notice anything and maybe He changes the location of that place from time to time.
On the night of the cave, when Abu Bakr was at its utmost, and he was not satisfied in spite of the advices and glad tidings given to him by the Prophet, His Eminence kicked at the back ofthe cave and an opening became visible there through which the sea could be seen and there was a ship in that sea. He said: If the infidels enter the cave, I will go out from here and board the ship. Thus, he was finally relieved. Such miracles are so numerous that in some of them he displayed the sea and ships in the house or the city; on the contrary they also board the ship taking along some of his friends to tour those cities in this world.
ShaykhSaduq and some commentators of Shia and Sunni and historians have narrated the story of the Garden of Iram and the Palace of Shaddad, and that he was concealed from sight and will remain invisible, except for a person during the reign of Muawiyah no one has seen them, in spite of the fact that it is situated in the desert of Yemen. It is one of the special distinctions of the Imam that whenever he arrives at any place, which is arid and barren, immediately it will get flowing water and grass will appear. And when he moves from there, it would return to its former condition.
Therefore, we can conclude that the existence of the Imam himself as well as his long life and occultation are themselves extraordinary divine signs and they cannot be differentiated from
other divine signs, which have hidden wisdom behind them. We can only say that they are necessary components of the concealed divine kingdom of the Imam and our intellects are too deficient to
understand the aim behind it all. We should not therefore deny any of them.
Thus, regarding it to be improbable is nothing, but weakness of faith and one, who denies such things is not, but a foolish opponent as the Holy Quran says:
ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَانُ الْمُبِينُ
“That is a manifest loss.”
And the remaining points will be mentioned under incident thirty-seven, which is the incident of the Green Island.
Reference :Najmus Saqib Vol 1 chp 7 Pg 604
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[32]Surah Hajj 22:11
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