The Promised Mahdi (part One)

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Chapter Three: Prohibition of pronouncing the name of Imam Zamana (a.s.)

1- Ghaibat Nomani: It is narrated from Abdul Wahid bin Abdullah from Muhammad bin Ja’far from Ibne Abil Khattab from Muhammad bin Sinan from Muhammad bin Yahya Khathami from Zaris from Abu Khalid Kabuli that he said:

When Imam Zainul Abideen (a.s.) passed away, I came to Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.). “May I be your ransom,” said I, “you have known my dedication to your father and my affinity towards him, and my reclusion from the people.” “You spoke the truth, Abu Khalid,” he said. “What do you want?”

“May I be your ransom,” I said, “Your father has described the ‘Master of this Affair’ to me with specific qualities that should I see him on a trail, I would hold his hand.” He said: “Abu Khalid, what do you want then?” “I want you to tell me his name, so I may recognize him by his name.” “You have inquired from me, by Allah, Abu Khalid, about a question of great caution.” He said: “You have asked me of a subject that if I were to talk to anyone about it, I would speak to you. You have asked me of a subject that should the children of Fatima recognize him, they will crave to cut him piece by piece.”

2- Ghaibat Nomani: It is narrated from Saad from Muhammad bin Ahmad Alawi from Abu Hashim Ja’fari that he said:

I heard Imam Ali Naqi (a.s.) say, “My successor after me is my son, Hasan. What will your condition be regarding his successor?”

I asked, “Why so, may I be your ransom?” He said: “Because you will not see his person, nor is it permissible for you to mention him by his name.” “So how are we to mention him?” I asked. “Say the Hujjah from Ahle Bayt (a.s.), blessings of Allah and His greetings be unto him.”

Shaykh Saduq narrates an identical narrative on the authority of Ibne Walid from Saad.

Ghaibat Tusi narrates the same from Saad.Kifayatul Athar narrates the same through another chain from Saad.

The author says: In some traditions mentioned before, his holy name has been explicitly mentioned. Shaykh Saduq says: This tradition has come like this, mentioning the name of the Qaim (a.s.); however, my belief is that forbiddance of mentioning his holy name is binding.

3- Tauhid: Daqqaq and Warraq have narrated from Muhammad bin Harun Sufi from Rauyani from Abdul Azeem Hasani from Imam Naqi (a.s.) that he said about Qaim (a.s.):

“It is not permissible to mention him by his name until he rises and fills the earth with equity and justice as it will be full of oppression and corruption.”

4- Ikmaaluddin: Ibne Idris has narrated from his father from Ayyub bin Nuh from Muhammad bin Sinan from Safwan bin Mahran that Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) said:

“The Mahdi is from my sons, the fifth from the sons of the seventh. His person will disappear from you and it is not permissible for you to mention him by his name.”

Another tradition is mentioned inIkmaaluddin on the authority of Ibne Abi Yafur from Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.).

5- Ikmaaluddin: It is narrated from Hamadani from Ali from his father from Muhammad bin Ziyad Azdi from Musa bin Ja’far (a.s.) that he said when the Qaim (a.s.) was mentioned:

“His birth will be hidden from the people and it will not be permissible for them to mention him by name until Allah, the Exalted, manifests him, and He fills the earth through him with equity and justice as it will be full of inequity and oppression.”

The author says: These instructions explicitly refute the assertion that such forbiddance is specific for the time of the Minor Occultation, an argument based on hunches and illusions.

6- Ikmaaluddin: It is narrated from Sinani from Asadi from Sahl from Abdul Azeem Hasani from Imam Muhammad Taqi (a.s.) that he said:

“Qaim is the one whose birth will be hidden from the people, his person will disappear from them, and it will be forbidden for them to mention him by his name. He has the same name and patronymic as the Messenger of Allah.”

7- Ikmaaluddin: Shaykh Saduq has narrated from his father, Ali bin Babawayh and his teacher, Ibne Walid Qummi both narrate from Himyari, saying:

“I was with Ahmad Ibne Ishaq in the presence of Amari. I said to Amari, “I ask you about a subject, as Allah, the Exalted, has said in the story of Ibrahim,Do you believe not? He said: Yes, but in order to satisfy my heart. Have you seen my Patron?” He said: “Yes, and he has a neck like this,”

pointing with both of his hands to his own neck. “And the name?” I asked. “I warn you not to seek that, because the Ahle Sunnat believes that this progeny has been cut off,” he said.

8- Al-Kafi: It is narrated from Ali bin Muhammad from Abu Abdullah Salihi that:

Our scholars urged me after the demise of Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) that I should ask about the name and the place. The answer came to me, “If you should guide them to the name, they will divulge it, and if they should know the place, they would guide others to it.”

9- Ikmaaluddin: It is narrated from Muzaffar Alawi from Ibne Ayyashi from Adam bin Muhammad Balkhi from Ali bin Husain Daqqaq and Ibrahim bin Muhammad together from Ali Ibne Asim Kufi that he says:

The following has come in the epistles of the Imam of the Time (a.s.): “Accursed, accursed, is the person who mentions me by my name among people.”

10- Ikmaaluddin: Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Ishaq says: I heard Abi Ali Muhammad bin Hamam say: I heard Muhammad bin Uthman Amari, may Allah sanctify his soul, say:

“An epistle came in a handwriting, which I recognize: Whoever mentions me by name in a group of people, on him is the curse of Allah. “

11- Ikmaaluddin: Shaykh Saduq has narrated from his father from Saad from Ibne Yazid from Ibne Mahbub from Ibne Raab from Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) that he said:

“The Master of this Affair is a man that no one will mention him by his name, except an infidel.”

12- Ikmaaluddin: Shaykh Saduq has narrated from his father and Ibne Walid from Saad from Ja’far bin Muhammad bin Malik from Ibne Fuddal from Rayyan bin Sult that he said:

I asked Imam Reza (a.s.) about the Qaim (a.s.). The Imam said: “His body is not seen and he is not mentioned by his name.”

13- Ikmaaluddin: Shaykh Saduq has narrated from his father and Ibne Walid from Saad from Yaqtini from Ismail bin Aban from Amr bin Shimr from Jabir that Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) said:

“Umar asked Amirul Momineen (a.s.) about the Mahdi (a.s.), saying, ‘O Ibne Abi Talib, tell me about the Mahdi. What is his name?’ Amirul Momineen (a.s.) said: ‘As for his name, my beloved (the Prophet) has bound me not to speak to anyone of his name until Allah, the Exalted, raises him. It is of the things that Allah, the Exalted, has entrusted its knowledge to his Messenger.’”

InGhaibat of Shaykh Tusi it is mentioned that Saad narrates the same report.