The list of the Names of those who saw the Twelfth Imam (a.s.)

“I and shaykh abu ‘Amr, may Allah grant him blessings met each other before Ahmad ibn Ishaq. Ahmad ibn Ishaq made an eye gesture to me to ask him about the succeeding Imam. I said to him, “O abu ‘Amr, I like to ask you a question about a matter, although, I do not any doubts in the question I am about to ask. It is my belief and religion that the earth is not left without a Leadership with Divine Authority except if would be just before the coming of the Day of Judgment by forty days because in such a period Leadership with Divine Authority will take away. The door to repentance will be closed. No soul will benefit from the faith with which it has not achieved any good deeds. “. . the belief of any soul will be of no avail to it unless some good deeds have been done with it, or it has been formed before the coming of such a day. .” (6:158) Such people would be of the evil creatures of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, and it is these people on whom the Day of Judgment will be established. However, I wanted to strengthen my faith further just as Abrahm (a.s.) asked his Lord, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, to show him how would He will bring the dead to life again. He said, “When Abraham prayed, “Lord, show me how you bring the dead back to life,” the Lord said, “Do you not yet believe?” Abraham replied, “I believe but want more confidence for my heart.. .” (2:260) Abu Ali Ahmad ibn Ishaq has inarrated to me from abu al-Hassan (a.s.) who has said that he asked the Imam (a.s.), “With who should I deal and ask questions about my faith and religion and whose words should I accept (after you)?” The Imam (a.s.) said to him, “Al-‘Amri is trustworthy to me. Whatever he will deliver to you is from me. From me he delivers. Whatever he would say is from me, from me he saays it. Listen to him and obey him because he is reliable and trustworthy. Abu Ali has said to me that he asked abu Muhammad (a.s.) a similar question and he said to him, “Al-‘Amri and his son are trustworthy people. Whatever they would deliver to you is from me from they deliover. Whatevet they say to you from they say it. Listen to them and obey them because they are trustworthy and reliable people. These are the words of the Imams spoken about you. Abu ‘Amr fell down on his face in prostration and wept. Then he said, “Ask what you need to ask.” I said, “Did you see the succeeding Imam (Leader with Divine Authority) after abu Muhammad (a.s.) ?” He said, “Yes, by Allah , his neck was like that-making a gesture with his hand.” I then said, “Onne more question is left.” He said, “Say, whaever is is it.” I said, “What is his (succeding Imam) name?” He said, “It is unlawful for you to ask about it. I do not say this because abu left this world without a surviving son. His legacy is distributed and is taken away by one who has no right in it. He is (that prson). His family is despersed and no one has the courage to learn about them or recieve any thing from them. When the name is mentioned search for him will take place. Have fear of Allah and abstain from it.” Al-Kulayni, may Allah grant his soul blessings, has said, “:A shaykh from our people narrated this to me – his name I have forgotten- that abu’Amr asked Ahmad ibn Ishaq a similar question and received a similar answer.”

“I saw him (the twelfth Imam (a.s.)) between the two mosque while he was a boy.”

“Musa ibn Muhammad ibn al-Qasim ibn Hamzah ibn Musa ibn Ja‘far narrated to me that Hakima, the daughter of Muhammad ibn Ali (a.s.) and the paternal aunt of his (the twelfth’s) father, said to me that she had seen him on the night of his birth and afterwards.”

“I asked al-‘Amri, “Has abu Muhammad (a.s.) passed away?” He said, “Yes, he has passed away but has left behind among you a person (the succeeding Imam) whose neck is like this. He made a sign with his hand (meaning thereby good health and beauty).”

“I heard abu Ali ibn Mutahhar saying that has seen him (the twelfth Imam) and would describe his (Imam’s) figure.”

“I was standing with Ibrahim on al-Safa’ that he (the twelfth Imam) came and stood higher than Ibrahim, took his Hajj guide book and spoke to him about a number of things.”

“I saw him (the twelfth Imam) near the Black Stone while people were clinging over it. The Imam (a.s.) would say, “They are not commanded in this condition ( to kiss the Black Stone.”

“I saw him (the twelfth Imam) after the death of abu Muhammad (a.s.) when he had reached adolescence. I kissed his hand and head.”

“Once Ja‘far ibn Ali was mentioned and he reproached him. I said to him, “Well, there is no one (in his family) besides him. Have you seen him?” He said, “I have not seen him (the twelfth Imam) but other people have seen him.” I then asked, “Who has seen him?” He said, “Ja‘far has seen him twice and he has quite a story about it to tell.”

“He narrated to me from a person who had seen him (The Imam (a.s) in the words below. ‘He (the twelfth Imam) came out the house ten days before his father would leave this world and said, “O Lord, You know that this is the most lovely place to me, had there been no expulsion.” Or that he spoke a similar expression.”

“I saw Sima’(a man) soon after the death of abu Muhammad (a.s) in Surra man ra’a (a city in Iraq) who had just broken the door (of the tenth Imam (a.s.). He (the twelfth Imam) came out to him with an ax in his hand and said, “What are you doing to my house?” Sima said, “Ja‘far thinks that your father has passed away with leaving any son behind. If it is your house, I then get out.” He went out of the house. Ali ibn al-Qays has said, “A servant of the servants of the house came out to us and I asked about this new. He asked me, “Who has told you a such thing.?” I said, “A security man of rural area has told me.” He then said, “Almost nothing remains hidden from people.”

“Abu Muhammad (a.s.) showed him (the twelfth Imam (a.s.) to me and said, “This will be your master (Leader with Divine Authority).”

he saw him (the twelfth Imam (a.s.) .

14. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Muhammad and al-Hassan, two sons of Ali ibn Ibrahim narrated to him in the year two hundred seventy nine from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-‘Abdi from Daw’ ibn Ali al-‘Ijli from a man from the people of Fars whose name he mentioned that Abu Muhammad (al-Askari (a.s.)) showed him (the twelfth Imam (a.s.) to him.

“I and a friend of mine were in Makka to perform Hajj. When we arrived in ‘Arafat (a famous place) we found a young man sitting on the ground. He had a piece of clothe on him for the lower part of the body called ’Izar and another piece for the upper part of the body called Rida’ wearing on his feet a yellow footwear. I estimated the ’Izar and Rida’ for about a hundred and fifty Dinars. No sign of journey was visible on him. A beggar approached us and we turned him down. He then approached the young man and asked him for help. He picked up something from the ground and gave it to him. The beggar prayed for him. He assiduously prayed and prolonged it. The young man stood up and disappeared from our eyes. We went closer to the beggar and said, “Fie up on you! What did he gave you?” He showed us pebbles of gold with marks on them. We estimated them to value about twenty Mithqal (a certain unit of weight). I then said to my companion, “Our master was with us and we did not know.” We then went to searched him in the whole of station but we could not find him. We then asked every one around the area where we had seen him earlier, of the people of Makka and Madina and they said, “He is a ‘Alawi (descendent of Ali (a.s.) young man and he performs Hajj every year on foot.”