Kitab al-Ghayba: The Book of Occultation

Chapter 15: The distresses before the appearance of al-Qa'im

1 - أخبرنا أحمد بن محمد بن سعيد بن عقدة قال: حدثنا علي بن الحسن

(1) Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Sa'eed narrated from Ali bin al-Husayn at-Taymali from al-Abbas bin Aamir bin Rabah ath-Thaqafi from Musa bin Bakr from Basheer an-Nabbal, Ali bin Ahmad al-Bandaneeji narrated from Obaydillah bin Musa al-Alawi from Ayyoob bin Noah from Safwan bin Yahya that Basheer an-Nabbal had said:

When I came to Medina I went to the house of Abu Ja'far al-Baqir (as). I found that his mule was saddled at the door. I sat in front of the house. He came out. I greeted him. He got down of his mule and came towards me.

He asked me: “Where are you from?”

I said: “I am from Iraq.”

He said: “Which part of Iraq?”

I said: “From Kufa.”

He said: “Who has accompanied you in your way?”

I said: “Some people of al-Muhadditha.”

He said: “What is al-Muhadditha?”

I said: “Al-Murji’a (the Murjites).”[^1]

He said: “Woe unto these Murjites! To whom will they resort tomorrow when our Qa’im appears?”

I said: “They say: If that occurs, we and you will be the same before justice.”

He said: “Whoever repents, Allah accepts his repentance, whoever conceals hypocrisy, Allah damns him and whoever announces something of hypocrisy, his blood is to be shed.”

Then he said: “By Allah, he (al-Qa'im) will slaughter them as a butcher slaughtering a sheep.” He pointed to his throat with his hand.

I said: “They say: If he appears and controls the affairs, he will not shed even a drop of blood.”

He said: “It is not as they say. I swear by Him, in Whose hand my soul is! It will be so terrible until we and you wipe blood and sweat together.”[^2]

(2) The same was narrated by Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Sa'eed from Muhammad bin Salim bin Abdurrahman al-Azdi from Uthman bin Sa'eed at-Taweel from Ahmad bin Sulayman from Musa bin Bakr al-Wasiti from Basheer an-Nabbal.[^3]

3 - أخبرنا علي بن أحمد البندنيجي، عن عبيد الله بن موسى العلوى العباسي،

(3) Ali bin Ahmad al-Bandaneeji narrated from Obaydillah bin Musa al-Alawi from al-Hasan bin Mo’awiya from al-Hasan bin Mahboob from Eessa bin Sulayman that al-Mufadhdhal bin Umar had said: I heard Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) mentioning al-Qa'im (as).

I said: “I hope that his matter (rising) will be so easy.”

He said: “It will be not so until you wipe blood and sweat together.”[^4]

4 - أخبرنا عبد الواحد بن عبد الله يونس قال: حدثنا محمد بن جعفر القرشي،

(4) Abdul Wahid bin Abdullah bin Younus narrated from Muhammad bin Ja'far al-Qarashi from Muhammad bin al-Husayn bin Abul Khattab from Muhammad bin Sinan from Younus bin Ribat that Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) had said:

“The followers of the truth have always been in distress, but their distress lasts for a short time and their good end will last forever.”

The same was narrated by Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Sa'eed from some of his companions from Ali bin Iss’haq al-Kindi from Muhammad bin Sinan from Younus bin Ribat.[^5]

5 - أخبرنا علي بن الحسين قال: حدثنا محمد بن يحيى العطار بقم قال: حدثنا

(5) Ali bin al-Husayn narrated from Muhammad bin Yahya al-Attar from Muhammad bin Hassaan ar-Razi from Muhammad bin Ali al-Kufi that Ma’mar bin Khallad had said:

Once al-Qa'im was mentioned before Abul Hasan ar-Redha (as); he said: “Today you are at ease more than that day (when al-Qa'im will appear).”

They said: “How is that?”

He said: “When our Qa'im (as) appears, there will be nothing save blood, sweat and sleeping on the saddles. His cloths are not but rough and his food is not but coarse.”[^6]

6 - أخبرنا سلامة بن محمد قال: أخبرنا أحمد بن علي بن داود القمي، قال:

(6) Salama bin Muhammad narrated from Ahmad bin Ali bin Dawood al-Qummi from Muhammad bin al-Hasan as-Saffar from Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Eessa from some of his companions that Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) had said:

“Prophet Noah (as) asked Allah to torment his nation. Allah revealed to him to plant a stone of a date. If it grew and he ate from its fruit, Allah would torment his (Noah’s) people and perish them. Prophet Noah (as) planted the stone and told his companions of that. The palm grew and fruited. He ate from its fruit and made his companions eat from it. His companions said to him: “O prophet of Allah, what about the promise that you have promised us of?” Prophet Noah (as) prayed Allah to carry out the promise that He had made. Allah revealed to him to plant another stone and when it grew and fruited, Allah would torment them.

Noah (as) told his companions about that. They divided into three groups. One group apostatized, the other dissembled and the third one still kept to Noah (as). Prophet Noah (as) planted a stone again. It grew and fruited. He ate from its fruit and fed his companions. They said: “O prophet of Allah, what about the promise that you have made?” He prayed Allah. Allah revealed to him to plant a third stone and if it grew, fruited and he ate from its fruit, then Allah would perish his people. Noah (as) told his companions of that. The two groups (the hypocrites and the believers) divided into three groups; one apostatized, one dissembled and the third still kept to Noah (as).

Prophet Noah (as) did that ten times and his companions divided every time into three groups. In the tenth time some of his sincere companions came to him and said: “O prophet of Allah, whether you do what you have promised or you do not do, you are truthful. You are a prophet sent by Allah and we never doubt you whatever you do to us.” In this way Allah perished the people of Noah (as) except the loyal companions, who kept to Noah (as). Noah and his sincere followers rode on the Ark and so Allah saved them after they had been tried, sifted and cleared.[^7]

7 - حدثنا عبد الواحد بن عبد الله بن يونس قال: حدثنا أبو سليمان أحمد بن

(7) Abdul Wahid bin Abdullah bin Younus narrated from Abu Sulayman Ahmad bin Hawtha al-Bahili from Ibraheem bin Iss’haq an-Nahawandi from Abdullah bin Hammad al-Ansari that al-Mufadhdhal bin Umar had said:

Once I was with Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) during the circumambulation (around the Kaaba). He looked at me and said: “O Mufadhdhal, you seem distressed and easy! What is the matter?”

I said: “May I die for you! I think of the Abbasids and their prevailing rule and tyranny. If it (the rule) is in your hands, then we will be with you!”

He said: “O Mufadhdhal, if it is so, it will be politics in the night, achieving people’s affairs in the day, eating coarse food and wearing rough cloths like Amirul Mo'mineen (as); otherwise it will be (going to) Hell. It has gone away from us. We eat and drink. Have you ever seen an oppression that Allah has made as a blessing like this?!”[^8]

8 - أخبرنا أبو سليمان قال: حدثنا إبراهيم بن إسحاق، قال: حدثنا عبد الله

(8) Abu Sulayman narrated from Ibraheem bin Iss’haq from Abdullah bin Hammad that Amr bin Shimr had said:

Once I was with Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) in his house. The house was crowded of people. They began to ask about different things. Whatever he was asked about something, he gave the sufficient answer. I began to cry. He asked: “O Amr, why are you crying?”

I said: “May I die for you! How do I not cry? Is there any other one like you in this umma? You are imprisoned here, the door is closed and the curtain is lowered before you!”

He said: “O Amr, do not cry! We eat good foods and wear soft cloths. If what you say occurs, we will eat coarse foods and wear rough cloths like Amirul Mo'mineen Ali bin Abu Talib (as); otherwise putting on ties in Hell.”[^9]

[^1]: one of the earliest Islamic sects to believe in the postponement of judgment on committers of serious sins, recognizing God alone as being able to decide whether or not a Muslim had lost his faith.

[^2]: Ithbat al-Hudat, vol.3 p.543, Biharul Anwar, vol.52 p.356, Mo’jam Ahadeeth al-Imam al-Mahdi, vol.3 p.305.

[^3]: Biharul Anwar, vol.52 p.358 and refer to the previous references.

[^4]: Ithbat al-Hudat, vol.3 p.543, Biharul Anwar, vol.52 p.358, Mo’jam Ahadeeth al-Imam al-Mahdi, vol.4 p.36.

[^5]: Ithbat al-Hudat, vol.3 p.543, Biharul Anwar, vol.52 p.358.

[^6]: Ithbat al-Hudat, vol.3 p.543, Biharul Anwar, vol.52 p.358, Muntakhab al-Athar p.307, Mo’jam Ahadeeth al-Imam al-Mahdi, vol.4 p.164.

[^7]: Biharul Anwar, vol.11 p.339.

[^8]: Biharul Anwar, vol.52 p.358.

[^9]: Biharul Anwar, vol.52 p.360