The Issue of Disappearance (of the twelfth Imam (a.s.) from Public Sight

“Once we were in the presence of abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) and he said to us, “The in charge of this task (Leadership with Divine Authority) will disappear from public sight. At that time following one’s religion would like wiping the thorns of cactus plant with one’s bare. The Imam (a.s.) made certain hand gestures. Who among you is ready to hold in his hands a branch of cactus? He then remained quite for a little while and then said, “The in charge of this task (Leadership with Divine Authority) will disappear from public sight. A servant (of Allah) must maintain piety before Him and hold fast to His religion,”

“When the fifth descendant of the seventh (Imam) will disappear from the public sight at that time for the sake of Allah, for the sake of Allah protect your religion so no one can strip off of it. My son, it is necessary that the in charge of this task (Leadership with Divine Authority) must disappear from the public sight. Even those who believe in it would turn away from their belief. It will certainly be a trial from Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, to test His creature. Had your fathers and ancestors know any other religion more correct than this they would certainly have followed it.” I then asked, “My master, who is the fifth from the descendants of the seven?” He said, “My son, you intelligence falls shorter to reach it and your understanding remain narrower to accommodate it but if you would live you will soon comprehend its being.”

"I heard Abu 'Abdullah (a.s) say as follows: "Beware of allusion! By Allah, your Imam will be in occultation for a period of time. And you shall indeed be tested until it will be said that he has died, been killed, or lost in an unknown valley. The eyes of the believers will shed many tears for him. Surely, you will be turned upside down just as ships face the rough seas and choppy waters. None will be saved except those from whom Allah has taken a covenant, instilled faith in their hearts, and supported them with a spirit from Him. Twelve ambiguous standards will be raised, none of which will be distinguished from each other." He said: So I began to cry, and then I asked him, "What will we do then?" He looked at the sunlight shining through the skylight and said to me, "O Abu Abdullah (al-Mufaddal), do you see this sun?" I said, "Yes, I do." He said, "By Allah, our matter is clearer than this sun."

he heard abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) say the following. “In the (case) of the person in charge of this task (Leadership with Divine Authority, the twelfth Imam (a.s.)) there is a similarity to Yusuf (Joseph) (a.s.).” I then said, “Are you, O Imam, speaking of his life time or his disappearance.” The narrator has said that the Imam (a.s.) then said, “ What then is it that certain swine-like people of this nation refuse to acknowledge? The brothers of Yusuf were grand children of the prophets. They did business with Yusus, conducted traded with him and spoke to him. They were his brothers and he was their brother but they could not recognize him until he said, I am Yusu and this is my brother.” Why should then (certain people of) this condemned nation refuse to accept if Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Gracious, in a certain time would do to the possessor of His authority what He did to Yusuf? Yusuf was the in charge of Egypt and there was a distance of twenty eight days of journey between him and his father. If he wanted to inform him (his father) he could have done so. Jacob and his sons journeyed after they heard the good new for nine days from their Bedouin home to Egypt. Why then this nation would refuse to accept if Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Gracious, would do to the person who possess His authority what He did to Yusuf? That he would walk in their market place and step on their furnishings until Allah will grant him permission to reappear in public as He did to Yusuf as they said, “Are you really Yusuf?” He said, “Yes, Yusuf I am .”

“The young boy will disappear from the public sight before his rise (with divine power)” The narrator has said, “I then asked, “Why (would that has to take place)?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “He will be afraid.” He pointed out with his hand to his midsection. Then he said, “O zurara, “He is the one whose reappearance is expected. He is the one whose coming to this world through birth will be doubted. Certain people will say, “his father died without leaving any son behind.” Certain others will say, “Just before the dead of his father his mother conceived him.” Still others will say, “He was born two years before the death of his father.” He is the one whose reappearance is expected. The fact is that Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, loves to try and test the Shi‘a (his followers). It in such a condition that people of falsehood will raise doubts, O Zurara).” The narrator has said, “I then said, May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, if will be alive at the time of his rise with divine power what should I do?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “O Zurara, if you will live up to such time then say the following prayer. “O Lord make me know You for if you would not make me know You I will not know Your prophet. O Lord, make me know Your Messenger, for if You would not make me know your Messenger I will not know the one who possesses Your authority over the creatures. O Lord make me know the one who possesses Your authority over the creatures for if You will not make me know him I will stray away from my religion.” Then he said, “O Zurara, it is necessary that a young boy must be murdered in the city of Madina.” I then said, “May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, would he not be killed in the hands of the army of al-Sufyani?” He said, “No, but the army of the tribe of so and so will kill him. They will come to inter Madina, thus, they take hold of the young boy and kill him. When they will murder him in transgression, animosity and injustice they will not then be given respite. At such time good news will be expected, if Allah would so will.”

“I heard abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) say as herein below. “People will miss their Imam (a.s.). He will attain Hajj and see them but they will not see him.”

“Once I went to see Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) and found him thinking and he drawing lines on the ground. I then said, “O Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) I can see you thinking and drawing lines on the ground. Have you become interested in it (worldly things) ?” He said, no, by Allah, I have not become interested in it and the whole world not even for a day but I thought about a baby from my descendants, the eleventh generation. He will be al-Mahdi who will fill the earth with justice and fairness after its being filled with suffering and injustice. He will disappear from the public sight and in confusing conditions. Certain people will deviate and others find the path of guidance.” I then asked, “O Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), how long will be the duration of confusion and the disappearance?” He said, “Six days or six months or six years.” I then said, “Will this really come to pass?” He said, “Yes, just his creation will be necessary (so also will be his disappearance). However, O Asbagh, this is not your concern. Those people will of the best in this nation with the best virtuous ones of this family (Ahl al-Bayt).” I then said, “What then will happen afterwards?” He said, “Allah will do whatever He will so decide. He possesses, Bada’s, (seemingly change of plan) wills, goals and ends.”

“We are only like the stars in the heavens. Whenever one star disappears (from sight) another one comes in view until you will point out with your fingers and make a gesture with your necks. Allah will cause your star to disappear from your sight. The descendants of ‘Abd al-Muttalib will all look similar as such that one would not know which is whiCh When your star will reappear then you must give thanks to Allah.”

“I heard abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) say as herein below. “The person who will rise to Divine power on earth will disappear from the public sight before he will do so.” I then asked, “Why, will happen so?” He said, “He will be afraid.” He then pointed to his midsection meaning thereby being murderd.”

I heard abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) say, “‘If an occultation reaches you all regarding the Master of this command, then do not reject it.”

“Once I was in the presence of abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) and there other people also were present so I thought the Imam (a.s.) meant people other thanme when he said, “By Allah, the in chrage of this task (Leadership with Divine Authority) will disappear from your sight and this (case) will become so obscure that people will say, “He is dead, destroyed or no one knows in which valley has he traveled. You will be shaken just as the ship is shaken in the rough seas and choppy water. No one will remain safe except those in whose hear He has written faith and has supported with an spirit from Him. You will raise twelve identical flags so much so that one would not know which is whiCh” The narrator has said, “I then wept.” The Imam (a.s.) asked, “what has caused you to weep, O abu ‘Abdallah ?” I then said, “May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, “How can I stop weeping when you say, “Twelve identical flags. . “ The narrator has said that the place of gathering sun light had come in through a whole. The Imam (a.s.) said, “Is this (sun light on the spot) clear?” I said, “Yes, it is clear.” The Imam (a.s.) said, “ our case is clear even more than this.”

“Al-Qa’im (Imam al-Mahdi) will have two occultations. In one of them he will attend the seasons (of Hajj). He will see the people but they will not see him.”

“Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) once spoke the words herein below from the pulpit in Kufa and I memorized them. “O Lord it is certain that You must have a person with Your Authority on Yaour earth. Such persons would come one after the other whith Your authority over the creatures who would guide people in your religion and teach them your knowledge so that your friends would not scatter. They can be in the public sight but disobeyed or out of public sight whose reappearance would be expected. Even though their persons will be hidden form the people in peace time but their knowledge that has spread before will not be hidden from the people. Their discipline will firmly be established in the hearts of people and they will act up on them.” In another part of this sermon he has (a.s.) said, “Who would it be to have such discipline?” For this reason knowledge becomes obscure when it does not find any one to bear, protect and narrate it to others just as they have heard it from the scholars and speak truthfully from them in it. O Lord, I know that all the knowledge will not become obscure and all of its sources will not banish. You will not leave your earth without a person with Your authority over Your. He may either live in public sight but is not obeyed and followed or is afraid and hidden from public sight so that Your authority is not invalidated and Your friends are not mislead after You have granted them guidance. In fact, where are they and how many are they? They are very few in number but of very great honor and respect before Allah.”

about the words of Allah, the Most Majestic and Gracious: “Say, “Have you not thought that if your water was to dry up, who would bring you water from the spring?” (67:30). He said, “When your Imam would disappear from among you, then who will bring you a new Imam?”

“When an Occultation reaches you all from your Companion, do not reject it.”

“It is necessary for the person in charge of this task (Leadership with Divine Authority) to disappear from the public sight and in his disappearance form public sight he must remain away from public. How good is Tayba, the city of Madina, for dwelling and living with thirty people is not frightening isolation.”

“How would it be with you when an large scale attack would take place between the two mosques. Thereafter, knowledge will become obscure as the snake goes in to its hiding place. The Shi‘a will hold differences and one group will call the group liars and one group will spit onto the faces of the aother.” I then said, “May I be sacrificed for you, there will be nothing good from that!” He (a.s.) said to me, “All goodness will be there.” He said it three times.

“ Al-Qa’im (the one who will rise with Divine Authority) will disappear before he will rise with divine power. He will suffer fear. The Imam (a.s.) pointed to his midsection, meaning thereby being murdered.”

“Abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) has said, Al-Qa’im ((the one who will rise with Divine Authority) will have two disappearances. One of them will be for a short time and the other for a longer time. No one would know his place during the shorter disappearance except the special persons from his Shi‘a. During his longer disappearance no one will see him except very special persons from his friends.”

“I heard abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) say, “The in charge of this task (Leadership with Divine Authority) will disappear from the public sight twice. From one them he will return to his family but in the other one it will be said that he is dead or no one knows in which of the valleys has he traveled.” I then asked, “What shall we do in such conditions?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “If any one would claim to have such authority you then should ask him about several things in which he must answer like him (Leader with Divine Authority).”

“ Once I went to see abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) and said to him, “Are you the in charge of this task ((to rise with divine power)?” he said, “No, I am not he.” I then asked, “Is he your son?” He said, “No, my son will be he either.” I then asked, “Will the son of your son be he?” He said, “No, my grandson will not be he.” I then asked will your great grandson be he?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “No, my great grandson will not be he also.” I the asked, “Who then be he?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “He will be the one who will fill the earth with justice after its being filled with injustice and cruelty. (He will come) at a time when the Imams will be absent just as the Messenger of Allah was raised (to preach) when for a long time there had come no messengers.”

“I asked abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Ali (a.s.) about the meaning of the words of Allah. “I do not (need to) swear by the orbiting (81:15) stars which are visible during the night (81:16) and sit during the day,. “. (81:17)” She has said that then he said, “It refers to the Imam who will disappear in the year two hundred sixty then he will rise like a shooting star that shines during the dark night. If you would attain such time it will brighten your eyes with happiness.”

“Once I met abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Ali (a.s.) and asked him about he meaning of “I do not (need to) swear by the orbiting (81:15) stars which are visible during the night (81:16) and sit during the day,. “. (81:17)” The Imam (a.s.) said, “Al-Khunnas, refers to the imam who will disappear in his time when the knowledge about him will be cut off from people in the year two hundred sixty. Then he will reappear like a shooting star in the dark night. If you will attain such time it will light up your eyes with delight.”

“When your knowledge that is with you will banish then expect glad news to emerge beneath your feet.”

“I said to abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.), ’I hope that you will be incharge of this task (Leadership with Divine Authority). Allah will drive it to your control with the sword now that the pledge of allegiance is offered to you and currency coins are printed in your name.” The Imam (a.s.) said, “There has been no one from us with whom letters had been exchanged, being pointed out with the gesture of fingers, questions asked and properties delivered to him but that he was murdered or died in his bed. (It will be as such) until Allah will raise for this task (Leadership with Divine Authority) a young boy from us whose birth place and upbringing would be unknown (to people) but not his ancestors.”

I said to him, ‘Your Shi‘a (followers) in Iraq are many. By Allah, there is no one like you in your family. Why do you not rise (for leadership)?” The narrator has said that he said, “O ‘Abdallah ibn ‘Ata’, you have began to open your ears to silliness. Yes, by Allah, I am not your companion (the one who will rise with Divine Authority).” The narrator has said that I said to him, “Who then is our companion (the one who will rise with Divine Authority)?” The Imam (a.s.) then said, “Find out whose time and place of birth is unknown to people, such person will be your companion (the one who will rise with Divine Authority). There is no one among us towards whom people point out their fingers so much and tongues will mention him so much, but that has died in frustration or due sorrow for being neglected.”

“Al-Qa’im (the one who will rise with Divine Authority) will rise and he will not be obliged to any one under any covenant, agreement or oath of allegiance.”

“love those whom you love and hate those whom you hate until Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, will grant him permission to reappear.”

“It will be necessary for the young boy to diappear from the public sight.” I then asked, “Why it will be necessary?” He said, “Because he will have fear- he then pointed towards his midsection. He will be the one whose reappearance will be intensely expected. It will be he in whose being born people will have doubts. Certain people will say, “His mother has just conceived him.” Others will say, “His father died but left no surviving son.” Certain others will say, “He was born two years before the death of his father.” Zurara has said, “I said to him, ‘What do you command me if will attain that time?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “Pray to Allah in the following words. “O Lord, make me know You for if you would not make me know You I will not know You. O Lord, make me know Your prophet, for if You would not make me know your Messenger I will never know him. O Lord, make me know the one who possesses Your authority over the creatures for if You will not make me know him I will stray away from my religion.” Ahmad ibn Hilal has said, “I had heard this hadith fifty six years ago.”

about the words of Allah. “When the trumpet is sounded,” (74:8) From us there will be a triumphant Imam. behind the cover. When will want to grant him permission to (rise with Divine Authority and power He will place a dot in his heart. He will then reappear in public sight and will rise (with divine power) by the command Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High.”

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.) wrote to me, ‘when Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, is angry with His creatures He keeps us away from their neighborhood.”