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Earth is never void of Allah’s Authority
The trustworthy of Islam, Kolainy has related it by his documents from ibn Tay‘yar:
سَمِعْتُ أبَا عَبداللهِ عليه السّلام يقُولُ: لَوْ لَمْ يَبْقَ فِى الارضِ إلّا اثنانِ لَكانَ احدُهُما الحُجَّة. [119]
‘I heard the Holiness Imam Sādiq, Upon Him be Peace, say: “If there are no more than two persons in the earth, one of them will be the proof of Allah.”’
And by the means of two different documents, one from Hamzat bin Tay‘yar and another one from Muhammad bin Isa quoting the Holiness Imam Sādiq, Upon Him be Peace, stating:
لَوْ بَقِىَ اثْنانِ لَكانَ احَدهُما الحُجَّة عَلى صَاحِبَه. [120]
‘Even if there remained two persons [in the earth], one of them would be the proof [of Allah] upon the other.’
And by means of his documents he relates Karram saying that:
قالَ أبُو عَبدِ اللهِ عليه السّلام: لَوْ كَانَ النّاسُ رَجُلَيْنِ لَكانَ أَحَدهُمَا الإمامَ. إنَّ آخِرَ مَن يَمُوتُ الإمامُ لِئَلّا يَحْتَجَ أَحَدٌ على اللهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أنَّهُ تَرَكَهُ بِغَيْرِ حُجَّة لِلّهِ عَلَيْه. [121]
[The Holiness Imam Sādiq, Upon Him be Peace,] stated: “If there would remain only two people [in the earth] one of them would be Imam to the next; and from two persons, the one living longer will be the Imam, it is because no one should live without the proof of Allah and no one should claim in front of Allah that he was left on his own.”
And Yunus bin Ya‘qūb has quoting the Holiness Imam Sādiq, Upon Him be Peace, saying:
سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ: لَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِى الارضِ الّا اثْنانِ لَكانَ أَحَدُهُما الحُجَّة. [122]
‘[I heard him say]: “If there would remain only two people [in the earth] one of them would be the proof.”’
The third point is that the Messenger of Allah states: لَا تَخْلُو الارضُ مِنهُمْ “Never is the earth void of them (the Imams).”
There attached a narrative to this sentence. By means of his documents Hussein bin Abi al-A‘la, quotes Muhammad bin Ya‘qūb Kolainy saying:
قُلْتُ لابى عَبدِ اللهِ عليه السّلام: تَكُونُ الارضُ لَيْسَ فِيها إمامٌ؟ قالَ: لَا قلتُ: يَكونُ إمامانِ؟ قالَ: لا، الّا وَ أَحَدُهُما صامِت. [123]
I was honoured to say to the Holiness Imam Ja‘far Sādiq, Upon Him be Peace, ‘Is it possible not to be an Imam in the earth?’
He stated: “Ne, never!”
I said: ‘Is it possible to be two Imams in the earth?’
He stated: “Never, unless one of them to keep silence and trust all the authorities to the next.”
And he quotes Ishaq bin Am‘mar relating:
عَن أبِىعَبداللهِ عليه السّلام قالَ: سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ: إنَّ الارضَ لَا تَخْلُو إلّا وَ فيها إمامٌ كَيما إن زادَ المؤمنُونَ شَيئاً رَدَّهُمْ وَ إنْ نَقَصُوا شَيئاً أئِمَّة لَهُمْ. [124]
‘[I heard] from the Holiness Imam Sādiq, Upon Him be Peace, saying: “The earth will never remain void of the Imam, for the reason that if one over-speeds his limits, he bring him back to the tracks, and if a people is negligent in his duty or refuses to do what is ought to be carried out, he shows them the way.”’
And again by his own documents he quotes Abdullah bin Soleiman Aameri relating the Holiness Imam Sādiq, Upon Him be Peace, stating:
مَا زَالَتِ الارضُ إلّا وَ لِلهِ فيهَا الحُجَّة، يُعَرَّفُ الحَلَالَ وَ الحَرَامَ وَ يَدْعُو النَّاسَ إلى سَبِيلِ اللهِ.[125]
‘[Since the genesis started,] not an instance has passed without Allah’s proof in the earth to direct the people to the permissible and avoid them to go after the unacceptable – and to invite the people to the path of Allah.’
In another occasion, by means of his documents from ibn Moskan, he quotes one of those two stated:
قَالَ: إنَّ اللهَ لَمْ يَدَعِ الارضَ بِغَيْرِ عالِمٍ، وَ لَوْ لَا ذَلِكَ لَمْ يُعرَفِ الحَقُّ وَ البَاطِلُ.
He said: ‘Either the Holiness Imam Muhammad Bāqir, or Imam Sādiq, Upon Them be Peace, stated: “Allah will never leave the earth without a learned guide; if it was not so, the right and wrong would not be recognized.’
And by means of other documents from Ali bin Abi Hamza he relates the Holiness Imam Sādiq, Upon Him be Peace, stating:
قَالَ: إنَّ اللهَ اجَلُّ وَ أعظَمُ مِن ان يَتْرُكَ الارضَ بِغَيْرِ إمامٍ عادِل. [126]
‘Allah is Greater and the most Exalted than that to leave the earth without a just Imam.’
The fourth point is that the Messenger of Allah sates وَ لَوْ خَلَتْ لانَساخَتْ بِأهْلِه. ‘If the earth is void of the Imam, it will gulp down all the people on it.’
The trustworthy of Islam Kolainy, bu hos documents from Ali bin Rashid has quoted the Holiness Abu al-Hassan, (the Holiness Ali bin Musa bin Ja‘far, Upon Him be Peace, stating:
كه قَالَ: قُلْتُ لابى عَبْدِ اللهِ عليه السّلام: أ تَبقَى الارضُ بغَيْرِ إمامٍ؟ قالَ: لَوْ بَقِيتِ الارضُ بِغَيرِ إمامٍ لَسَاخَت. [127]
He says, I asked the Holiness: ‘Will the earth remain forever without an Imam [in it]?’ He stated: “If the earth is without an Imam it will plunge.”
And by his documents from Muhammad bin Sazil he quotes of the Holiness Imam Reza, Upon Him be Peace, that has stated:
قالَ: قُلْتُ لَهُ: أ تَبقَى الارضُ بِغَيْرِ إمامٍ؟ قالَ: لَا. قُلْتُ: إنّا نُروى عَنْ ابِّى عَبدالله عليه السّلام أَنَّها لا تَبقَى بِغَيرِ إمامٍ إلّا أنْ يَسْخَطَ اللهُ تَعالى على أهْلِ الارضِ أوْ عَلَى العِبادِ. فَقالَ: لَا. لَا تَبقَى إذاً لَسَاخَت. [128]
He said: ‘I had was honoured to ask the Holiness Imam Reza, Upon Him be Peace: ‘Will the earth remain without an Imam?’
He sated: “No,” then, I was honoured to say: ‘They have related it to us from the Holiness Imam Sādiq, Upon Him be Peace, that he has stated: “The earth will remain no longer without the Imam or the anger of Allah will come to it.” The Holiness said: ‘It will never remain even for a short while in that case, it will swallow all people on it.’
I had the honour to ask the Holiness Imam Reza, Upon Him be Peace, whether the earth would remain without an Imam. He stated: “No”, then, I said: ‘They have related of the Holiness Imam Sādiq, Upon Him be Peace, that has stated: “The earth will remain no longer after the Imam unless the wrath of Allah will settle on it.” The Holiness stated: ‘It will never remain even for a short while, in that case, it will swallow all people on it.’
And by means of other documents he quotes of Abu Harasa who is quoting the Holiness Imam Muhammad Bāqir, Upon Him be Peace, who has stated:
قَالَ: لَو أنَّ الإمامَ رُفِعَ مِنَ الارض ساعَة لَماجَتْ بِأهْلِها كَما يَمُوجُ البَحْرُ بِأهْلِه [129]
‘If only for an hour the Imam is taken away from the surface of the earth, the earth will turn into a wavy sea and sank all ships and drown all the sailors on it – it will swallow all the creatures within. He has also, by his documents, quotes Mo‘alla bin Muhammad quoting Wash‘shah that:
سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الحَسنِ الرِّضا عليه السّلام: هَلْ تَبْقَى الارْضُ بِغيِرِ إمامٍ؟ قالَ: لَا. قُلْتُ: إنَّا نُروى أنَّها لا تَبقَى إلّا أن يَسْخَطَ اللهُ عَزّ وَ جَلَّ عَلى العِباد؟ قالَ: لا تَبقى إذاً لساخَت.[130]
[Wash‘shah] says: ‘I asked the Holiness Imam Reza, Upon Him be Peace, whether the earth would remain without an Imam,’ he answered: “No.” I said: ‘We had been said that the earth would not remain after an Imam or the wrath of Allah would fall upon it.’ He stated: “If the earth is without an Imam, it will swallow all the people upon it.”
The fifth point is that the Messenger of Stated:
وَ أَنَّكَ لَا تُخْلِى الارضَ مِن حُجَّة لَكَ على خَلْقِكَ ظَاهِرٍ لَيْسَ بِالمُطاعِ أوْ خَائِفٍ مَغْمُورٍ...
Untill he says:
أُولَئِكَ الاقَلُّونَ عَدَداً الاعظَمُونَ قَدْراً عِندَ اللهِ.
And [O my Creator!] For your slaves, You will never keep the earth empty of Your Proof – whether he be a manifest proof but people do not follow him, or an absent one people are worried of,…and he goes on saying:
‘How few are these proofs and how exalted are they in the presence of Allah!’
The statement of the Commander of the believers, upon him be peace, about the specialties of the Divine Authorities
When they are leaving the graveyard, in the continuation of his speech, the Commander of the believers says to Komail:
اللهُمَّ بَلَى لَا تَخْلُوا الارضُ مِن قَائِمٍ لِلّهِ بِحُجَّة إمّا ظَاهِراً مَشْهُوراً أوْ خَائِفاً مَغْمُوراً لِئلَا تَبْطُلَ حُجَجُ اللهِ وَ بَيِّنَاتِهِ، وَ كَمْ ذَا؟ وَ أَيْنَ أُولَئِكَ؟ أُولَئِكَ وَ اللهِ الاقَلُّونَ عَدَداً وَ الاعْظَمُونَ قَدْراً. يَحْفَظُ اللهُ بِهِمْ حُجَجَهُ وَ بَيِّنَاتِهِ حَتَّى يُودِعُوها نُظَرائَهُمْ وَ يَزْرَعُوها فِى قُلوبِ أشْبَاهِهِمْ. هَجَمَ بِهِمُ العِلْمُ عَلَى حَقِيقَة البَصِيرَة، وَ بَاشَرُوا رُوحَ اليَقِينِ، وَ اسْتَلانُوا مَا اسْتَوْعَرَهُ المُتْرِفُونَ، وَ انِسُوا بِمَا اسْتَوْحَشَ مِنْهُ الجَاهِلُونَ، وَ صَحِبُوا الدُّنيَا بِأبدانٍ أَرْوَاحُهَا مُعَلَّقَة بِالمَحَلِّ الاعْلَى. اولَئِكَ خُلَفَاءُ اللهِ فِى أَرْضِهِ وَ الدُّعَاة إلَى دِينِهِ. آه آه شَوْقاً إلى رُؤيَتِهِمْ إنصَرِفْ إذَا شِئتَ.[131]
After explaining four groups of the mean and worldly learned men to Komail, the Commander of the believers, Upon Him be Peace, reveals his secret that he desire is to find a man to teach him his own ocean of knowledge lying in his chest but he cannot find one. Thus, he says: ‘The world has become empty of knowledge!’ After a little pausing, he continues: ‘Yes, the point is that the earth will never be empty of the proof of Allah: whether that proof is present and living among the people or he is absent and anxious. Allah always keeps His proof to remain in the earth to secure the reasons for the Unity and let not the evinces of Allah to be looked over, and this way, to convey the Divine Evidence Proofs to the people. But [who knows] who those proofs are; and where they are living! By Allah, their numbers are few but their status and positions to Allah are great. Allah has secured His signs and verses by the Holy Souls of them so that to deliver them to their following ones so that by means of them, to plant the seed of Unity in the desirous hearts. Oceans of fact and right knowledge have been showered upon them, they have attained the certainty souls and the uppermost beliefs, and all are feeling it. In the state of the piety and their carelessness to the worldly life, they are aware of the ignorant living in luxury and pleasure. [The proofs of Allah] are living in this world just with their own bodies while their pure souls have taken place in the Holy and Lofty positions by their Lord. O Komail, these are, in the earth, the real Divine Caliphs and the Proofs of Allah upon all being. These are the real Inviters towards Allah and the Leaders of His religion. Ah! How anxious I am meeting them! (Now, my words with you have ended,) you can go if you wanted to!’
And Kolaini has narrated of Abu Isaac, who is of the reliable companions of the Commander of the believers, Upon Him be Peace, that:
قالَ أميرُالمؤمنين عليه السّلام: اللهُمَّ إنَّكَ لا تُخلَى ارْضَكَ مِن حُجَّة لَكَ عَلى خَلفِك.[132]
‘The Holiness Commander of the believers said: ‘O my Creator! You will never let the earth be empty of the Proofs of yours upon your slaves.’
And by means of his documents, quoting Abu Hamza Thomali, he quotes the Holiness Imam Muhammad Bāqir, Upon Him be Peace, relating that:
قَالَ: وَ اللهِ مَا تَرَكَ اللهُ أرْضاً مُنذُ قَبَضَ آدَمَ عليه السّلام إلّا وَ فِيهَا إمامٌ يُهْتَدى بِهِ إلَى اللهِ وَ هُوَ حُجَّتُهُ عَلى عِبادِهِ وَ لَا تَبقَى الارضُ بِغَيْرِ إمامٍ حُجَّة لِلّهِ عَلى عِبادِهِ.[133]
He said: By Allah, since Allah took Adam to Him, the earth has never been empty of the Imam to guide the people to Allah, and to be His proof to His slaves; and never the earth will be without the Imam and proofs upon the obedient worshippers.’
And there are four narratives with different documents from the Holiness Imam Sādiq, and the Holiness Musa bin Ja‘far, as well from the Holiness Imam Reza, Upon Them be Peace, they have said that the proofs of Allah to His worshippers will not come to an end without an Imam.[134]
The Late Sayyid Ali Khan, in the “Commentary of Sahifa”, has said about the narratives that by the scholars of the Sunnite have been related concerning the necessity of the Imam. He has said:
مَن ماتَ وَ لَمْ يَعْرِفُ إمامَ زَمانِهِ ماتَ مَيتَة جَاهلِيَّة.
‘He who dies without knowing the Imam of the Time of his own, he dies as the death of the ignorant.’
And Hakim has considered it to be correct and written one similar to it, and he has quoted ibn Omar saying that the Messenger of Allah has stated:
مَن مَاتَ وَ لَيْسَ عَلَيهِ إمامٌ ماتَ مَيتَة جَاهِلِيَّة.
‘He who dies without having an Imam, he dies as the death of the ignorant.’
Ibn Madoweiia has extracted the saying of Ali, Upon Him be Peace, that:
قالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ وَ سَلَّمَ فِى قَوْلِ اللهِ تَعَالَى «يَوْمَ نَدْعُوا كُلَّ أُنَاسٍ بإمامِهِمْ» قالَ: يُدْعَى كُلُّ قَوْمٍ بِإمامِ زَمانِهِمْ وَ كِتابِ رَبِّهِمْ وَ سُنَّة نَبِيِّهِمْ.
He said: ‘The Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, quoted the statement of Allah, the Exalted, stating: “On the Day when We call all souls with their own Imams,” he added: “Every nation will be called with the Imam of its era, along with the Book of Allah and the traditions of their prophets.’
And ibn Asakar has extracted of Khalid bin Saf‘fan and related it:
إنَّهُ قالَ: لَمْ تَخْلُ الارضُ مِن قائِمِ لِلّهِ بِحُجَّتِهِ فِى عِبادِهِ-
‘He says: ‘The earth will not be empty of the fixed proof of Allah upon His obedient worshippers.’
Pointing to the Advent of the Holiness, the Existing Dynasty of Muhammad, Bless be to him and his Descendants
The sixth point is that, in this narrative, the Messenger of Allah has pointed to the Manifestation the Existing Progeny of Muhammad, the Holiness Hoj‘jat bin al-Hassan al-Askati, may Allah, the Exalted, hasten his noble advent; he has stated:
وَ لَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مِنَ الدُّنيا إلّا يَوْمٌ وَاحِدٌ لَطَوَّلَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ ذَلِكَ اليَوْمَ حَتَّى يَخْرُجُ قَائِمُنا فَيَمْلأ الارْضَ قِسْطاً وَ عَدْلًا كَما مُلِئَت ظُلْماً وَ جَوْراً.
‘Even if there remain not more that a day of the life of this world, Allah, Glory to Him, will extend that day until our Existing rises and brings peace, serenity and justice to the earth – so will he take away the oppression and injustice.’
This affair is not only the affairs of the Shiite but it is one of the principle basis in Islam, and according to the text of this narrative, there have been related great many narratives from the great scholars of the Sunnite who, by means of their documents, quoting the Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, concerning the Appearance of the Holiness Mahdi, may our souls be made sacrificed to him; by the will of Allah, we will mention in details all of them in the future.’
Of the other narratives in the second group from the eighth level is the commentary of the verse: «إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُنذِرٌ وَ لِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَاد», it is such a narrative that Sheikh Sadough has related it by means of his documents from Musa bin Moslim quoting Masada. Masada says: ‘I was in the presence of the Holiness Imam Sādiq, Upon Him be Peace, when a crookbacked old man, with the walking stick in his hand, stepped in and first greeted the Holiness. The Imam answered his greeting and the old man said: ‘O son of the Messenger of Allah, let me kiss your hand’. The Holiness took his hand out and let the old man kiss it, he did so and, in the mean time, cried.
The Holiness asked him why he was crying. The old man said: ‘Now, it is almost a hundred years that I am waiting to see your Existing One, I always think he will appear this month, or at least this year, I have come to the end of life, my skin has shrunk and my bones decayed, I am too weak to live any more and the death is at the gate of my house. So far, among you, the Household of the Messenger, I have not been in peace, because I always see you that immigrating from one town to the next and fleeing away from your homes because of your enemies. On the other hand, your enemies are living in ease and comfort, they are so delighted that if they are flying in the sky; so by seeing theses situations how can I stop crying!’
By listening to what the old man say, tears flew down from the eyes’ of the Holiness and stated: “O Sheikh, if Allah desires keeping you alive and you meet the Existing Imam how great potion you will have! And with this anxiety of yours, if you die before the Appearance of the Existing One, in the Hereafter, you will get the greatest and most lofty position! You should know that we are the greatest reference of Muhammad, for Muhammad, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, said:
فَقَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ وَ سَلَّمَ: إنِّى مُخَلِّفٌ فِيكُمُ الثَقَّلَيْنِ فَتَمَسَّكُوا بِهِمِا لَنْ تَضِلُوا: كِتَابَ اللهِ وَ عِتْرَتِى أَهْلَ بَيْتِى.
So stated the Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants: “I am leaving with you two very great and costly things as the Caliphs, if you take refuge in them and cling at them you will never get lost: those are the Book of Allah and my Household.”
The old man said: ‘Now that I have heard this word, I do not fear of my death any more.’
Then, the Holiness stated: “O Sheikh, know that the Existing One among us, the Household, will be from the loin of the Holiness imam Hassan Askari, and Hassan will be from the loin of Ali, Ali from the loin of Muhammad, and Muhammad from the loin of Ali, and is from the line of Musa,” and while pointing to his son Musa bin Ja‘far, who was sitting there, he stated: “Musa has been from my loin; all of us, the twelve Imams are immaculate and innocent.”
The Sheikh asked: ‘Does any of you have priority over the others?’
The Holiness stated: “No, all of us are at the same priorities, but some of us are more knowledgeable than the others.”
ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا شَيْخُ وَ اللهِ لَوْ لَمْ يَبْقَ مِنَ الدُّنيا إلّا يَوْمٌ وَاحِدٌ لَطَوَّلَ اللهُ ذَلِكَ اليَوْمَ حَتَّى يَخْرُجُ قَائِمُنَا أهْلَ الْبَيْتِ إلّاّ أنَّ الشِّيعَة يَقَعُونَ فِى فِتْنَة وَ حَيْرَة فِى غَيْبَتِهِ. هُناكَ يُثَبِتُ اللهُ عَلَى هَذا المُخْلَصِينَ. اللهُمَّ أعِنْهُمْ عَلى ذَلِكَ. [135]
Then, the Holiness stated: “O Sheikh! By Allah, ‘Even if there remains not more that a day of the life of this world, Allah, Glory to Him, will extend that day until our Existing rises. And know that our followers will go through hardship and witness strange events during this long time. However, Allah will protect our sincere followers to confess his Imamate.
O my Creator! Protect and support our followers to be patient in his absent!”
And Sheikh Sadough, by means of his documents, quotes Abdul Ghaf‘far bin Ghasim Abu Maryam quoting Abu Horeira relating that:
قالَ: دَخَلْتُ عَلى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى الله عليهِ وَ آلِهِ وَ سَلَّمَ وَ قَدْ نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الاية «إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُنْذِرٌ وَ لِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ». فَقَرَأها عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ، قَال أنَا المُنْذِرُ، أ تُعْرِفُونَ الهَادِى؟ قُلْنَا: لَا، يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ. قَالَ: هُوَ خاصِفٌ النَّعْل، فَطُوِّلَتِ الاعْناقُ إذْ خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا عَلِىٌّ عليه السّلام مِن بَعْضِ الحُجَرِ وَ بِيَدِهِ نَعْلُ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ وَ سَلَّمَ ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ إلَيْنَا: الا إنَّهُ المُبَلِّغُ عَنِّى وَ الإمَامُ بَعْدى وَ زَوْجُ ابْنَتى وَ أبُو سِبْطىَّ فَفَخراً. نَحْنُ أَهْلُ بَيْتٍ أذْهَبَ اللهُ عَنَّا الرِّجْسَ وَ طَهِّرْنَا تَطْهِيراً مِنَ الدَّنَسِ، فَقَاتَلَ بَعْدِى عَلى التَّأْوِيلِ كَما قَاتَلْتُ عَلى التَّنْزِيلِ، هُوَ الايّامُ أبُو الائِمَة الزُّهْدِ. فَقيلَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ كَمِ الائِمَة بَعْدَكَ؟ قَالَ: اثنا عَشَرَ، عَدَدَ نُقَباءَ بَنِى اسرائِيلَ، وَ مِنّا مَهْدِىُّ هَذِهِ الامَّة يَمْلَا اللهُ الارضَ قِسْطاً وَ عَدْلًا كما مُلِئَت جَوْراً وَ ظُلْماً، لَا تَخْلُوا الارضُ مِنْهُم إلّا سَاخَتْ بِأَهْلِهَا. [136]
[Abu Horeira] says: ‘When the verse «إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُنْذِرٌ وَ لِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ» was revealed I was honoured to be in the presence of the Generous Messenger of Allah. The Messenger of Allah recited this verse to us and then stated: “I am the Warner and the inviter to Allah, but do you know any Leader?”
We said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, we know no one.’
He stated: “The Leader and the Guide is one who is now putting patches on the shoes.” At that moment almost all of the companions raised their heads, looked around to see the man who was patching on the shoe, and right then, they saw Ali bin Abī Tālib, Upon Him be Peace, entered the room while carrying the sandals of the Messenger in his hand. Then, the Messenger of Allah turned to us stating: “O people, know that it is Ali who is going to reach my voice to the worlds, and he will announce my Messenger-hood to the people. He is the Imam after me, and he is the husband of my daughter and the father of my two sons – so how grateful and proud is He! We are the Household that Allah has purified us and taken any impurities from us away, and He has lifted us to the highest position of cleanliness. After me, Ali bin Abī Tālib will fight to bring stability at the commentary of the Qur’an as I did fight for its revelation.
His is the Imam, and the father of the Imams who were reluctant to the means and luxuries of the world.”
He was asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah, how many are the Imams after you?’
The Holiness stated: “They are twelve, as the burrows for the children of Israel count – and the Mahdi of this nation is from us. Allah will sent peace and justice to the land after it is full of oppression and injustice. The earth will never be empty of the Imam for, in that case, it will swallow in all the people on it.”
After relating all the narratives concerning the verse «إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُنْذِرٌ وَ لِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ» ‘Al‘lāma Majlisi, for clarifying the narratives, has said: Sayyid bin Tawous, may Allah be pleased with, has written in the book “Sa‘d as-So‘owd”: concerning this verse, Shaikh Muhammad bin Abbas bin Marwan has related it in fifty different ways that that meaning of the ‘Guide’, in this verse, is Ali bin Abī Tālib. Then, after Majlisi explaining a bit about the verse says: The third probability is that the word ‘Warner’ in this verse might be the Messenger of Allah and the term ‘Guide’ is Ali. Ibn Abbas says that the Messenger of Allah rested his hand on his chest and said: أَنَا الْمُنذِرُ and then pointed to Ali saying:
أَنْتَ الهادى، يا عَلِىُّ بِكَ يَهْتَدِى المُهْتَدُونَ بَعْدِى.
Of course, it is obvious this blessed verse means [the guides will continue] one after another, and the word will not be empty of the guiding Imam and the Leaders of the nation, and the Commander of the believers, Upon Him be Peace, is the first Caliph after the Messenger of Allah, but not anyone else.
It leads man to some important points: first of all the comparison between the Messenger of Allah is the ‘Warner’ and that Ali is the ‘Guide’. No wise man doubts about the style of this sentence that, after the Messenger of Allah, Ali bin Abī Tālib is the deputy of him and it is he who carries out all his duties. Another important point in that this verse points out that the Messenger of Allah is only as a ‘Warner’, while the guidance and the Leadership, which are more important than the warning has been given to Ali, Upon Him be Peace.
The second is the statement of the Messenger of Allah who said: أَنتَ الهادى, which is restricted – that is, if the predicate is defined, (it has the definite article), then, it is absolutely restricted. Moreover, the statement of the Commander of the believers, Upon Him be Peace, who stated: أَنَا الهادى إلى مَا جَاءَ بِه. and according to the Messenger of Allah’s statement: وَ الهَادِى عَلِىُّ it is benefitted that the statement is restricted – it is because if the subject [and predicate] are defined, the sentence is restricted.
The third is the presentation of the style of the sentence that the Messenger of Allah has stated: بِكَ يَهْتَدِى المُهْتَدُونَ which is also restricted. And by various explanations concerning the forgoing , it becomes clear that the position of the Imamate and the Successorship, after the messenger of Allah, is the very ‘Guidance’ which is specified to the Holiness Commander of the believers. And it is well understood that the narrative of أَصْحَابِى كَالنُّجُومِ بِأيَّهِمُ اقْتَدَيْتُمِ اهْتَدَيْتُمْ ‘My companions are like stars, you will be guided if you follow anyone of the.’ It is the slander of the Sunnite, and on top, the scholars of the Sunnite against the Messenger of Allah that his narrative is fake! Among them is the narrator “SHAFA” who has confessed that the commentators of this narrative are very weak and insignificant; and the other cynical is Ibn Hazm Zein ad-Din Iraqi – we will, by Will of Allah, explain it in details in the future.[137]
Al‘lāma Mir Hamid Hussein Hindi, may Allah be pleased with, in the second part of volume twelve of his books “Afaqat al-Anwar” has discussed enough concerning the narrative أَصْحَابِى كَالنُّجُومِ and has clearly proved that the narrative is authentic.[138]
Anyhow, in this part of the book, our main discussion was about the verse:
إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُنذِرٌ and to prove that the purpose of the verse has been the Commander of the believers, Upon Him be Peace, and we relied on the narratives concerning this verse. Of course there are great many different narratives that the Messenger of Allah has stated concerning the Imamate of the Holiness. They are recorded by the Shiite and the Sunnite and are outnumbered – we have already explained some of them and are going to discuss on some others in the future.
The poet of the Household, Sayyid Ismail Hemyari says:
هُما أخْوَانِ ذَا هَادٍ إلَى ذا وَ ذَا فينا لُامَّتِهِ نَذيرُ
فَأحْمَدُ مُنذُرٌ وَ أخُوهُ هَادٍ دَليلٌ لا يُضِلُّ وَ لا يَحيرُ
كَسابِقِ حَلبَة وَ لَهُ مَظَلُّ امامَ الخَيْلِ حَيْثُ يَرَى البَصيرُ. [139]
[Allusion to the Messenger of Allah and Ali bin Abī Tālib]
They are two brothers: one is guiding man to the Best,
The next warning the nation against wicked and pest,
Ahmah, (the generous Messenger), is an Adviser;
And his brother is the Guide and honest Organizer.
He is the Leader who never leads to loss and oddness,
He is a wise cavalier, alighted in his destiny in peace.
Moreover Hemyari says:
يَا أحْمَدُ الخَيْرُ الَّذى إنَّما كانَ عَلَينا رَحْمَة تُنشَرُ
حَمزَة وَ الطَّيارُ فى جَنَّة فَحَيْثُ مَا شاءَ دَعا جَعْفَرُ
مِنْهُم وَ هادينَا الَّذى نَحْنُ مِن بَعْدِ عَمانا فيهِ نَسْتَبْصِرُ
لَمّا دَجا الدّينُ وَرَقَ الهُدى وَ جَارَ أهلُ الارضِ وَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا
ذَاكَ عَلِىُّ بْنُ أَبِى طالِبٍ ذَاكَ الَّذى دَانَتْ لَهُ خَيْبَرُ.[140]
‘O Ahmad, you are, for us, the kernel of benevolent,
To us, are you the most assured blessing, by God sent,
So far as we know, Ja‘far and Hamzah are in paradise;
Wherever Ja‘far finds it desirous, he resides.
From the same root and origin is our Leader and Guide,
By seeing his Guardianship our blind eyes find Light.
We found the straight path, by him, in the darkness,
The oppressed people in earth embraced his guidance –
He is Ali bin Abī Tālib, the brave the most courageous of All
Who, at Kheibar, were humiliated when rising against him!’
And Hemyari says:
مَن كَانَ فِى الدِّين نُوراً يِسْتَضاءُ بِهِ وَ كانَ مِنْ جَهولِهَا بِالعِلْمِ شافيها
كانَ النَّبِىُ بِوحْىِ اللهِ مُنْذِرَها وَ كانَ ذَا بَعْدَهُ لا شَكَّ هَادِيهَا.[141]
‘It is he who bestows light to people in the religion,
Who cures people, gives them knowledge, and then,
Messenger, by the inspiration of Allah, is a Warner
Without doubt, Ali is, after him, the Guide and Leader.’
The poems of ibn Abi al-Hadid Mo‘tazeli on the virtuous of the Commander of the believers, upon him be peace
Ibn Abi al-Hadid Mo‘tazeli, in the seventh elegy out of the eight-elegies has composed of the superb and strange conditions and status of the Commander of the believers, Upon Him be Peace:
الصَّبْرُ إلّا فى فِراقِكَ يُحْمَلُ وَ الصَّعْبُ إلّا عَن مَلالِكَ يُسْهَلُ
يَا ظَالِماً حَكَّمْتُهُ فِى مُهْجَتى حَتَّامَ فى شَرْعِ الهَوى لا تَعْدِلُ
انفَقْتُ عُمرى فِى هَواكَ تَكَرُّماً وَ تَضِنُّ بِالنَّزرِ القَليلِ وَ تَبْخَلُ
إن تَرْمِ قَلْبِى تَصْمِ نَفْسَكَ إنَّهُ لَكَ مَوْطِنٌ تَأوى إلَيْهِ وَ مَنزِلُ
أ تَظُنُّ أنِّى بِالإسَائَة مُقْلِعٌ كَيْفَ الدَّواءُ وَ قَد أُصِيبَ المَقْتَلَ
اعْرِضُ وَ صُدَّ وَ جُر فَحُبُّكَ ثَابتٌ بِتَنْقُلِ الاحْوَالِ لَا يَتَنَقَّلُ
وَ اللهِ لَا اسْلُوكَ حَتَّى أنطَوى تَحْتَ التُّرابِ يَحْتَوينِى الجَنْدَلُ
مَن لى بأهْيَفَ قَدْ أقامَ قِيامَتى خَدُّ لَهُ قانٍ وَ طَرْفٌ أَكْحَلُ
Until he says:
وَ لاهْتِكَنَّ عَلى الهَوى سِتَر الحَيا إنَّ الفَضِيحَة فِى المَحَبَّة أجْمَلُ
يَصْفَرُّ وَجْهِى حينَ أنْظُرُ وَجْهَهُ خَوفاً فَيُدرِكُهُ الحَياءُ وَ يَخْجَلُ
Until he says:
لَا تُنْكِرُوا فَيْضَ الدُّمُوعِ فَإنَّهَا نَفسى يُصَعِدُّهَا الغَرامُ المَشْعَلُ
هِىَ مُهْجَتى تَحَلَّلُ بِالبُكاء أسَفاً وَ طَوْراً بِالزَّفيرِ تَحَلَّلُ
Until he says:
يَا رَاكِباً تَهْوى بِهِ شَدَنِيَّة حَرْفٌ كَما تَهْوى حَصاة مِنْ عَلُ
هَوْجَاءُ تَقْطَعُ جَوزَ تَيَّارِ الفَلا حَتَّى تَبوصَ عَلى يَدَيْها الارْجُلُ
عُجْ بِالغَرِىِّ عَلى ضَريحٍ حَوْلَهُ نادٍ لامْلاكِ السَّماءِ وَ مَحْفِلُ
فَمُسَبِّحٌ وَ مُقَدِّسٌ وَ مُمَجِّدٌ وَ مُعَظِّمٌ وَ مُكَبِّرٌ وَ مُهَلِّلُ
وَ الثِمْ ثَراهُ المِسْكَ طيباً وَ اسْتَلِمْ عَيدانَهُ قُبُلًا فَهُنَّ المَنْدَلُ
وَ انْظُر الَى الدَّعَواتِ تَصْعَدُ عِندَهُ وَ جُنُودِ وَحىِ اللهِ كَيْفَ تَنَزَّلُ
وَ النُّورُ يَلْمَعُ وَ النَّواظِرُ شُخَّصُ وَ اللُّسْنُ خُرْسٌ وَ البَصائِرُ ذُهَّلُ
وَغْضُض وَ غُضَّ فَثَمَّ سِرُّ أعْجَمُ دَقَّتْ مَعانِيهِ وَ أمرٌ مُشْكِلُ
وَ قُلِ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا مَوْلَى الوَرى نَصّابِهِ نَطَقَ الكِتَابُ المُنْزَلُ
وَ خِلافَة مَا إن لَها لَوْ لَمْ تَكُنْ مَنصُوصَة عَنْ جيدِ مَجْدِكَ مَعْدِلُ
Until he says:
عَجَباً لِهَدىِ الارضِ يُضْمِرُ تُربُهَا اطْوَادَ مَجْدِكَ كَيفَ لَا تَنَزَلْزَلُ
عَجَباً لاملاكِ السَّماءِ يَفُوتُهَا نَظَراً لِوَجْهِكَ كَيْفَ لَا تَتَهيَّلُ
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبَأُ العَظِيمُ فَمُهْتَدٍ فى حُبِّهِ وَ غُواة قَوْمٍ جُهَّلُ
يَا أَيُّهَا النّارُ الَّتى شَبَّ السَّنا مِنها لِمُوسى و الظَّلامُ مَجَلَّلُ
يَا فُلْكَ نُوحٍ حَيْثُ كُلُّ بَسيِطَة بَحْرٌ يَمُورُ وَ كُلُّ بَحْرٍ جَدوَلُ
يَا وَارِثَ التَّوراة وَ الإنجِيلِ وَ القُرآنِ وَ الحِكَمِ الَّتى لا تُعْقَلُ
لَوْلاكَ مَا خُلِقَ الزَّمانُ وَ لا دَجى غِبَّ ابْتِلاجِ الفَجْرِ لَيْلٌ ألَيْلُ
Until he says:
إن كانَ دينُ مُحمَّدٍ فِيهِ الهُدى حَقّاً فَحُبُّكَ بَابُهُ وَ المَدْخَلُ
Until he says:
صَلَّى عَليكَ اللهُ مِن مُتَسَرْبِلٍ فَمُصاً بِهِنَّ سِواكَ لَا يَتَسَرْبَلُ
وَ جَزَاكَ خَيْراً عَن نَبِيِّكَ إنَّهُ الفاكَ نَاصِرَهُ الَّذى لا يَخْذُلُ
سَمعاً أميرَا لمؤمِنىَ قَصائِداً يَعْنُو لَها بُشرٌ وَ يَخْضَعُ جَرولُ
الدُّرُّ مِنْ ألفاظِها لَكِنَّهُ دُرٌّ لَهُ ابْنُ الْحَديدِ يُفَصِّل
هَى دوُنَ مَدْجِ الله فِيكَ وَ فَوْقَ مَا مُدِحَ الوَرَى وَ عَلَاكَ مِنْهَا أَكْمَل.[142]
In this elegy, in Abi al-Hadid, like a love-story composer, who has fallen in love with his beloved, who is in fusion and burning in desire in her absence, but finds her impartial to the affairs, even utters not a dial word, has made this elegy for his beloved Commander of the believers, Upon Him be Peace, with complain and trying to reveal his burning desires:
‘Patience is bearable unless in your separation,
Hardships are easy but devoid of your vexation
O unjust! How unfaithful you are to my broken heart,
You cease not your unjust, but walk on the right path!
I spent my whole life perchance to see your features,
Alas! You kept me waiting in such jealousy of yours.
If you killed my scared heart with thy loving arrow,
Do it, but you kill thyself, for my heart is your burrow.
Shall I leave you through your unjust, you believe
What is the use of this for whom has falling in thy love?
Turn away from me, be unjust to me, but know that,
You cannot take away, your love carved within my heart.
By God, I’ve found no peace
and remedy for my grieve,
Unless I die away, buried in earth and battered in grave.
Who is that to lead me to that decent, dignified, upright,
The assured kind beloved with his endless favour and just.’
Then, he continues:
‘No doubt, I shall tear apart the veil between him and I’
Shutting on top of my voice, and disgracing him and I.
I get decomposed in fear when I cast glance at his face,
Then he feels sorrowful, ashamed by seeing my pale face.’
And he goes On:
‘Do not blame me, calling me crazy, for the running tears,
on face, they are the burning desires, from within me, raise.
The souls of mine are these tears who vary in times,
Once they are the tears of ‘Alas’, and the next time whine.’
Next, he says:
‘O you that on the lean camel, but fast, are riding in desert,
Alike wave in the sea passing by me the afflicted, and hurt;
When you reach the sweet-smelling dust of Najaf, dismount the thin animal
Enter the Holy Shrine, gives kisses to that fragrant smelling grave and walls.
Feel free, and give kisses after kisses on the pleasant-smelling aloes- wood
Forming a nice frame, on top of the grave: kiss, touch it as much you would.
Ask the Almighty to brighten your sight to observe how,
The angels descend, whirling the doom and rising high.
See how the calls are responded, and, how in your wonder
You become dumb-found, bewildered: but ponder –
You too bring down your voice, lower your head for that:
There is a meaningful mystery in this palace – don’t chat!
Say: peace be upon you, o the Master of the entire world!
Who are the manifest tongue of the Book, Caliph of Lord!
How abject and poor is the land with its unpleasant manner,
Taking you within: you the strongest valor, the Islam Banner.’
He still continues:
How odd of the mean earth is that, with it s ugly comportment
By taking you away from us, hiding you within, shatters not!
It is surprising to see the countless angels in the high sky
Who are banned to see you, but are not scattered or died.
O you the great account, by you many are guided to the fact
Though great numbers are in loss, and falling off the tracks.
O you the Holy Flame, Moses becomes illuminated by you ,
At that Night, the darkness changes into Light, and glows.
O you as the Ark of Noah! When the land changed into the Sea
So huge sea that the seas looked like streams in front of that Sea.
O you the inheritor of the Old Testament and the Bible
The Glorious Qur’an, the mysteries, wisdoms as well.
If you were not, the world would not come to being
There would be no dark after light, or light after dark.’
Moreover he continues:
‘If there exists and guidance in Muhammad’s faith,
It is of course, by your kindness – the entrance gate.’
And finally he says:
‘May Allah bestow you mercy and His endless honours,
For your putting on the nobility clothes, but not the others.
May He give you pleasant reward through he Messenger
Who secured his chastity and was proud everywhere;
These elegies, O the Commander of the faithful, are yours
They are hard to be made by those alike JAWAL, BOSHR!
There are pearls in every line running to beautify it
The pearls that by ibn Abi al-Hadid have been set.
These elegies are in praise of you: lower than the Exalted
Allah, but too much higher than any man, who is created!’
Moreover, ibn Fariz, the most famous Egyptian learned says:
ذَهَبَ العُمْرُ ضِياعاً وَ انْقَضَى باطلًا إذْ لَمْ افْزُ مِنكُم بِشَىءٍ
غَيْرَ مَا اوليتُ مِنْ عَقُد وَ لا عِترَةِ المَبْعُوِث مِن آلِ قُصَى. [143]
At the state of the whispered prayer to Allah, he has composed this quatrains as a complain, but, in the mean time, in his praise:
‘My life passed in vain, wastefully, away from You,
For I did not get what on earth I was expecting in You!
Except the benefit that I received through my pledge,
To Muhammad, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, and his progeny.
O Allah! Assign us as the friends of Muhammad and his pure progeny, Upon Them be Peace, and so do compensated the offspring of us, and cast mercy upon us, O You the most Merciful of the Merciful!
This is the tiniest presentation of us to the “Gate of knowledge, the Landmark of the human race, the purpose of guidance, the Commander of the faithful, Ali bin Abī Tālib, Upon Him be Peace, that its writing came to an end in the month of Ramadan 1395th A.H. – I was succeeded to preach it for the people gathering in the mosque, and, by the Aid of Allah, the Almighty, to put it on the paper at the same time.
The aim of life is the remainder trace from us
For there is not eternality for the world at last
Unless, through charity, and the mercifulness
prays for us, the dervishes, by his faithfulness
‘O You the Mighty!
يا أيُّهَا العَزيزُ مَسَّنا وَ أَهْلَنَا الضُّرُّ وَ جِئنَا بِبِضاعَةٍ مُزْجاةٍ فَأوفِ لَنَا الكَيْلَ وَ تَصَدَّقْ عَلَيْنَا إنَّ اللهَ يَجْزِي المُتَصَدِّقِينَ .
و أنا العبد الراجي السيّد محمّد حسين الحُسيني الطِّهراني
Misfortune has afflicted us and our family, and we have come with meager merchandise; fill up the load for us and act charitably towards us. Surely Allah rewards the charitable.
The Expectant Slave of His:
As-Sayyid Mohammad Hussein al-Husseini Tehrani
References
[119] "کافی اصول ", volume 1, the book of argument, page 179.
[120] Same source.
[121] "کافی اصول ", volume 1, the book of argument, page 180.
[122] Same source.
[123] Same book, page 178.
[124] Same source.
[125] "کافی اصول ", volume 1, page 178.
[126] Same source.
[127] "کافی اصول ", volume 1, page 179.
[128] Same source.
[129] Same source.
[130] Same source.
[131] "نهج البلاغة ", part two, page 173.
[132] "کافی اصول ", volume 1, page 178.
[133] Same book, page 179.
[134] "کافی اصول ", volume 1, page 177.
[135] "تفسير برهان ", volume 1, page 517.
[136] "غاية المرام", page 236, the twelfth narrative.
[137] "بحار الانوار ", volume 9, pages 76-77.
[138] "عبقات الانوار", volume twelfth, the second part of the first, section and third, publication in Isfahan, the Institute of the book publication - manuscript in Isfahan.
[139] "مناقب ابن شهرآشوب", volume 1, page 568, and "the poetic works", of Hemyari, page 200.
[140] "The Poetic Works of Hemyari" page 206. And he has brought the lines three and four in ' مناقب" ابن شهرآشوب ", volume 1, page 569; and instead of the term " منهم", he has used " على".
[141] "مناقب ابن شهرآشوب", volume 1, page 568.
[142] This elegy of ibn Abi-all-Hadid has been published along with his other elegies, under the title of " قصائد سبع علويّات ", and has been published by: " مُعلّقات سبع ".
[143] The poetic works of ibn Fariz, page 25, concerning "سائق الاظعان يطوى البيد طى".