Kitab al-Ghayba: The Book of Occultation

Chapter 5: Pretenders of being imams

1 - أخبرنا أحمد بن محمد بن سعيد بن عقدة قال: حدثنا حميد بن زياد، قال:

(1) Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Sa'eed bin Oqda narrated from Hameed bin Ziyad from Ja'far bin Issma’eel al-Minqari from al-Husayn bin Ahmad al-Muqri’ from Younus bin Dhabyan that Imam Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) had said when talking about the Qur’anic verse, “And on the day of resurrection you shall see those who lied against Allah; their faces shall be blackened. Is there not in hell an abode for the proud:”[^1]

“It talks about those, who pretend to be imams but they are not.”[^2]

2 - وأخبرنا أحمد بن محمد بن سعيد قال: حدثنا محمد بن المفضل بن إبراهيم

(2) Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Sa'eed narrated from Muhammad bin al-Mufadhdhal bin Ibraheem al-Ash’ari from Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Zurara from Marzban al-Qummi from Imran al-Ash’ari that Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (as) had said:

“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.”[^3]

3 - وحدثنا محمد بن يعقوب، عن الحسين بن محمد، عن معلي بن محمد، عن أبي

(3) Muhammad bin Ya'qoob narrated from al-Husayn bin Muhammad from Mu’alla bin Muhammad from Abu Dawood al-Mustaraqq from Ali bin Maymoon as-Sa’igh from Abu Ya’foor that Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) had said:

“There are three persons, whom Allah will not speak to on the Day of Resurrection nor will He purify and shall have a painful chastisement; one, who pretends the divine imamate while he is not an imam, one, who denies an imam appointed by Allah and the third one is he, who claims that these two ones are faithful Muslims.”[^4]

4 - وأخبرنا أحمد بن محمد بن سعيد قال: حدثنا أبو محمد القاسم بن محمد بن

(4) Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Sa'eed narrated from Abu Muhammad al-Qassim bin Muhammad bin al-Hasan bin Hazim from Obayss bin Hisham from Abdullah bin Jibilla form al-Hakam bin Aymen that Muhammad bin Tamam had said:

“I said to Imam Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as): “Someone has sent you his regards and requested you to intercede for him (on the Day of Resurrection).”

Imam as-Sadiq (as) said: “Is he from our followers?”

I said: “Yes, he is.”

He said: “His matter is more important than that.”

I said: “He has believed in Ali but he does not know any of the guardians after him.”

He said: “He is astray.”

I said: “He has believed in the imams but he has denied the last one of them.”

He said: “He is like that who believes in Jesus Christ and denies Muhammad or believes in Muhammad and denies Jesus Christ. We pray Allah to protect us from denying any of His authorities.”[^5]

Let one, who reads this tradition, be careful not to deny any one of the imams lest he will perish as if he has denied Muhammad or Jesus Christ (peace be upon them).

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

(5) Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Sa'eed bin Oqda narrated from Ali bin al-Hasan bin Fadhdhal from al-Abbas bin Aamir bin Rabah ath-Thaqafi from Abul-Mughra from Abu Salam from Sawra bin Kilab that Imam al-Baqir (as) had said when talking about the Qur’anic verse (And on the day of resurrection you shall see those who lied against Allah; their faces shall be blackened. Is there not in hell an abode for the proud:)

“It is he, who pretends that he is an imam but he is not.”

Sawra said: “Even if he is an Alawite and Fatimite?”[^6]

Imam al-Baqir said: “Yes, even if he is an Alawite and Fatimite.”[^7]

6 - وأخبرنا أحمد بن محمد بن سعيد قال: حدثنا القاسم بن محمد بن الحسن بن

(6) Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Sa'eed narrated from al-Qassim bin Muhammad bin al-Hasan bin Hazim from Obayss bin Hashim an-Nashiri from Abdullah bin Jibilla from Imran bin Fitr that Zayd ash-Shahham had said:

“I asked Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) if the Prophet (S) had known the imams (as). He said: “Prophet Noah (as) has known them. The evidence is the saying of Allah, “He has made plain to you of the religion what He enjoined upon Noah and that which We have revealed to you and that which We enjoined upon Abraham, Moses and Jesus.”[^8] He has made plain to you-O people of Shia-what He enjoined upon Noah.”[^9]

7 - أخبرنا أحمد بن محمد بن سعيد بن عقدة قال: حدثنا القاسم بن محمد بن

(7) Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Sa'eed bin Oqda narrated from al-Qassim bin Muhammad bin al-Hasan bin Hazim from Obayss bin Hisham[^10] from Abu Khalid al-Makfoof from some of his companions that Imam as-Sadiq (as) had said:

“He, who pretends this thing (being an imam) secretly, has to show the evidence openly.”

The narrator asked: “What evidence that is to be shown openly?”

He said: “To permit what Allah has permitted, to prohibit what Allah has prohibited and to be truthful apparently and internally.”[^11]

8 - وأخبرنا عبد الواحد بن عبد الله بن يونس الموصلي قال: حدثني محمد بن

(8) Abdul Wahid bin Abdullah bin Younus al-Moossili narrated from Muhammad bin Ja'far al-Qarashi ar-Razzaz al-Kufi from Muhammad bin al-Husayn bin Abul Khattab from Muhammad bin Sinan from Abu Salam from Sawra bin Kulayb that Imam Abu Ja'far al-Baqir had said when talking about the verse (And on the day of resurrection you shall see those who lied against Allah; their faces shall be blackened. Is there not in hell an abode for the proud):

It is he, who pretends that he is an imam but he is not.”

The narrator asked: “Even if he is an Alawite and Fatimite?”

Imam al-Baqir (as) said: “Yes, even if he is an Alawite and Fatimite.”

The narrator asked: “Even if he is one of Ali bin Abu Talib’s sons?”[^12]

Imam al-Baqir said: “Yes, even if he is one of Ali bin Abu Talib’s sons.”[^13]

The same tradition had been narrated by Muhammad bin Ya'qoob from Muhammad bin Yahya from Ahmad bin Muhammad from Muhammad bin Sinan from Abu Salam from Sawra bin Kulayb from Imam Abu Ja'far al-Baqir (as).

9 - وأخبرنا عبد الواحد بن عبد الله قال: حدثنا أحمد بن محمد بن رباح

(9) Abdul Wahid bin Abdullah narrated from Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Rabah az-Zuhri from Muhammad bin al-Abbas bin Eessa al-Husayni from al-Hasan bin Ali bin Abu Hamza from his father from Malik bin A’yun al-Juhani that Imam Abu Ja'far al-Baqir (as) had said:

“Every banner that is raised before the banner of al-Qa’im will be of an oppressive arrogant.”[^14]

10 - وأخبرنا عبد الواحد، عن ابن رباح قال: حدثنا أحمد بن علي الحميري،

(10) Abdul Wahid narrated from ibn Rabah from Ahmad bin Ali al-Himyari from al-Hasan bin Ayyoob from Abdul-Kareem bin Amr al-Khath’ami from Abban from al-Fadhl that Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (as) had said:

“He, who pretends our position (the imamate), is an unbeliever-or he said: a polytheist.”[^15]

11 - وأخبرنا علي بن الحسين، قال: حدثنا محمد بن يحيى العطار بقم، قال:

(11) Ali bin al-Husayn narrated from Muhammad bin Yahya al-Attar from Muhammad bin Hassaan ar-Razi from Muhammad bin Ali al-Kufi from Ali bin al-Husayn from ibn Miskan from Malik bin A’yun al-Juhani that Imam Abu Ja'far al-Baqir (as) had said:

“Every banner that is raised before the appearance of al-Qa’im will be of an oppressive arrogant.”[^16]

12 - وأخبرنا علي بن أحمد البندنيجي، عن عبيد الله بن موسى العلوي، عن

(12) Ali bin Ahmad al-Bandaneeji narrated from Obaydillah bin Musa al-Alawi from Ali bin Ibraheem bin Hisham from his father from Abdullah bin al-Mugheera from Abdullah bin Miskan that Malik bin A’yun al-Juhani had said: “I heard Abu Ja'far al-Baqir (as) saying:

Every banner that is raised-or comes out-before the appearance of al-Qa’im (as) will be of an oppressive arrogant.”[^17]

13 - وأخبرنا علي بن أحمد، عن عبيد الله بن موسى، عن أحمد بن محمد بن

(13) Ali bin Ahmad narrated from Obaydillah bin Musa from Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Khalid from Ali bin al-Hakam from Abban bin Uthman from al-Fudhayl bin Yasar that Abu Abdullah Ja'far bin Muhammad as-Sadiq (as) had said:

“Whoever invites people to follow him and there is someone better than him among people, is a deviate and heretic and whoever pretends that he is an imam inspired by Allah, is an unbeliever.”[^18]

After all, what about those, who have pretended to be imams whereas, in fact, they are not, who have denied one of the inspired imams and who have claimed that they, who have done so, are still faithful Muslims? Have they not been among those, whom Allah will never speak to, will never look on and will prepare the painful torment for on the Day of Resurrection? Have they not been among the unbelievers and the polytheists?

[^1]: Qur'an, 39:60.

[^2]: Biharul Anwar, vol.25 p.113.

[^3]: Biharul Anwar, vol.25 p.113.

[^4]: Biharul Anwar, vol.25 p.113.

[^5]: Biharul Anwar, vol.23 p.97.

[^6]: Alawite and Fatimite: a descendant of Ali and Fatima (as).

[^7]: Biharul Anwar, vol.25 p.112.

[^8]: Qur'an, 42:13

[^9]: Biharul Anwar, vol.26 p.291.

[^10]: May be Hashim!

[^11]: Biharul Anwar, vol.68 p.164.

[^12]: He repeated the (same meaning) question that he might have meant by “Alawite” one of the Shia or the followers of Ali (as).

[^13]: Biharul Anwar, vol.25 p.113.

[^14]: Biharul Anwar, vol.25 p.114.

[^15]: Biharul Anwar, vol.25 p.114.

[^16]: Biharul Anwar, vol.25 p.114.

[^17]: Biharul Anwar, vol.25 p.114.

[^18]: Biharul Anwar, vol.25 p.115.