وإذا لم يكن قد فاتهم اللطف جاز استتاره عنهم وإن سلم أنه يحصل ما هو لطف لهم ومع ذلك يقال لم لا يظهر لهم قلنا ذلك غير واجب على كل حال فسقط السؤال من أصله. على أن لطفهم بمكانه حاصل من وجه آخر وهو أن لمكانه يثقون بوصول جميع الشرع إليهم ولولاه لما وثقوا بذلك وجوزوا أن يخفى عليهم كثير من الشرع وينقطع دونهم وإذا علموا وجوده في الجملة أمنوا جميع ذلك فكان اللطف بمكانه حاصلا من هذا الوجه أيضا. وقد ذكرنا فيما تقدم أن ستر ولادة صاحب الزمان عليه السلام ليس بخارق للعادات إذ جرى أمثال ذلك فيما تقدم من أخبار الملوك،وقد ذكره العلماء من الفرس ومن روى أخبار الدولتين. من ذلك ما هو مشهور كقصة كيخسرو وما كان من ستر أمه حملها وإخفاء ولادتها وأمه بنت ولد أفراسياب ملك الترك وكان جده كيقاوس أراد قتل ولده فسترته أمه إلى أن ولدته وكان من قصته ما هو مشهور في كتب التواريخ ذكره الطبري.

We previously mentioned that the concealed birth of the Master of the Age is not extraordinary, as the likes of it have occurred in narrated stories of kings. Scholars of Persia and other biographers of rulers have mentioned similar accounts, such as the well-known story of Kaikhisrau; whose mother was the daughter of Afrasyab, king of the Turks, and concealed his conception and birth, and whose grandfather, Kaikawas, the king of Persia, desired to kill him. So his mother hid him and his story is famous in history. Tabari has mentioned it in his Tarikh.

وقد نطق القرآن بقصة إبراهيم عليه السلام وأن أمه ولدته خفيا وغيبته في المغارة حتى بلغ وكان من أمره ما كان. وما كان من قصة موسى عليه السلام فإن أمه ألقته في البحر خوفا عليه وإشفاقا من فرعون عليه وذلك مشهور نطق به القرآن. ومثل ذلك قصة صاحب الزمان عليه السلام سواء، فكيف يقال إن هذا خارج عن العادات؟ ومن الناس من يكون له ولد من جارية يستتر بها من زوجته برهة من الزمان حتى إذا حضرته الوفاة أقر به.

The Quran has spoken of Ibrahim and that his mother gave birth to him in secrecy and how she hid him in a cave until he grew up and then his story unraveled. It mentions the story of Musa (a.s) that his mother left him in the river fearing for his life from Firon. This famous, and the Quran has mentioned it. The story of the Master of the Age is similar to these. So how can it be said that it is against the ordinary? Some people have children from concubines that they hide from their wives, until they are at their deathbed and then they confess.

وفي الناس من يستر أمر ولده خوفا من أهله أن يقتلوه طمعا في ميراثه.قد جرت العادات بذلك فلا ينبغي أن يتعجب من مثله في صاحب الزمان عليه السلام. وقد شاهدنا من هذا الجنس كثيرا وسمعنا منه غير قليل فلا نطول بذكره لأنه معلوم بالعادات. وكم وجدنا من ثبت نسبه بعد موت أبيه بدهر طويل ولم يكن أحد يعرفه إذا شهد بنسبة رجلان مسلمان ويكون الأب أشهدهما على نفسه سترا عن أهله وخوفا من زوجته وأهله فوصى به فشهدا بعد موته أو شهدا بعقده على امرأة عقدا صحيحا فجاءت بولد يمكن أن يكون منه فوجب بحكم الشرع إلحاقه به. والخبر بولادة ابن الحسن عليه السلام وارد من جهات أكثر مما يثبت به الأنساب في الشرع. ونحن نذكر طرفا من ذلك فيما بعد إن شاء الله تعالى.[b]

Some people hide their progeny due to their family, fearing that they will kill them in greed for inheritance. These events are not uncommon and they happen often. Therefore, one must not evince wonder in the like of it in the Master of the Age. We have witnessed many events like this and have heard much about them, therefore, we will not prolong the discourse with more examples, because it is clear in the practices of the society. There are many people we have found whose lineage was clarified a long time after their fathers’ death. No one knew such a person’s lineage until two Muslims testify that his father had confided in them in secrecy due to his fear from his wife and his family; so they testify afterwards that they can be related to a particular man or woman.

وأما إنكار جعفر بن علي عم صاحب الزمان عليه السلام شهادة الإمامية بولد لأخيه الحسن بن علي ولد في حياته ودفعه بذلك وجوده بعده وأخذه تركته وحوزه ميراثه وما كان منه في حمل سلطان الوقت على حبس جواري الحسن عليه السلام واستبدالهن بالاستبراء لهن من الحمل ليتأكد نفيه لولد أخيه وإباحته دماء شيعتهم بدعواهم خلفا له بعده كان أحق بمقامه فليس بشبهة يعتمد على مثلها أحد من المحصلين لاتفاق الكل على أن جعفرا لم يكن له عصمة كعصمة الأنبياء فيمتنع عليه لذلك إنكار حق ودعوى باطل؛ بل الخطأ جائز عليه والغلط غير ممتنع منه.

As for the acts of Ja’far Ibn Ali, the uncle of the Master of the Age, his rejection of the testimony of the Imamiyah that his brother, Hasan Ibn Ali had a son born in his lifetime, his rejection of his existence after his brother, his usurpation of his brother’s inheritance, his behest to the rulers of the time to imprison the concubines of Hasan in order to force them to negate pregnancy to underscore his rejection that his brother had a son, and his declaration that any Shia, who claimed that Hasan left behind a successor was worthy to be killed, these cannot confuse a learned man, because everyone agrees that Ja’far was not infallible like prophets, that had he been so, it would have been impossible for him to reject the truth and uphold the wrong. Rather, he was fallible and able to make mistakes.

وقد نطق القرآن بما كان من ولد يعقوب عليه السلام مع أخيهم يوسف عليه السلام وطرحهم إياه في الجب وبيعهم إياه بالثمن البخس وهم أولاد الأنبياء وفي الناس من يقول كانوا أنبياء. فإذا جاز منهم مثل ذلك مع عظم الخطإ فيه فلم لا يجوز مثله من جعفر بن علي مع ابن أخيه وأن يفعل معه من الجحد طمعا في الدنيا ونيلها وهل يمنع من ذلك أحد إلا مكابر معاند.

The Quran has spoken of the wrongs of the sons of Yaqub to their brother Yusuf and how they threw him into the well and sold him at a very insignificant price. And they were sons of the prophet, and some believe they were prophets. If they can perpetrate such a grave error against their brother, how Ja’far Ibn Ali cannot utter denials about his nephew in greed of worldly pleasures? Who can consider this impossible, but an obdurate opponent?

فإن قيل: كيف يجوز أن يكون للحسن بن علي عليه السلام ولد مع إسناده وصيته في مرضه الذي توفي فيه إلى والدته المسماة بحديث المكناة بأم الحسن بوقوفه وصدقاته وأسند النظر إليها في ذلك ولو كان له ولد لذكره في الوصية؟

If it is said: How Hasan Ibn Ali had a son while during his terminal illness, he addressed his final will regarding his trusts and monies to his mother, named Haditha and with patronymic of Umme Hasan, and entrusted his affairs to her? If he had a son, he would have mentioned him in his final will.

قيل: إنما فعل ذلك قصدا إلى تمام ما كان غرضه في إخفاء ولادته وستر حاله عن سلطان الوقت ولو ذكر ولده أو أسند وصيته إليه لناقض غرضه خاصة وهو احتاج إلى الإشهاد عليها وجوه الدولة وأسباب السلطان وشهود القضاة ليتحرس بذلك وقوفه ويتحفظ صدقاته ويتم به السترعلى ولده بإهمال ذكره وحراسة مهجته بترك التنبيه على وجوده. ومن ظن أن ذلك دليل على بطلان دعوى الإمامية في وجود ولد للحسن عليه السلام كان بعيدا من معرفة العادات. وقد فعل نظير ذلك الصـادق جعفـر بن محمد عليه السلام حين أسند وصيته إلى خمسة نفر أولهم المنصور إذ كان سلطان الوقت ولم يفرد ابنه موسى عليه السلام بها إبقاء عليه وأشهد معه الربيع وقاضي الوقت وجاريته أم ولده حميدة البربرية وختمهم بذكر ابنه موسى بن جعفر عليه السلام لستر أمره وحراسة نفسه ولم يذكر مع ولده موسى أحدا من أولاده الباقين لعلمه كان فيهم من يدعي مقامه من بعده ويتعلق بإدخاله في وصيته،ولو لم يكن موسى عليه السلام ظاهرا مشهورا في أولاده معروف المكان منه وصحة نسبه واشتهار فضله وعلمه وكان مستورا لما ذكره في وصيته ولاقتصر على ذكر غيره كما فعل الحسن بن علي والد صاحب الزمان عليه السلام.

We will say: He did that in order to advance the purpose he had in hiding his birth and concealing him from the rulers of the time. Had he mentioned his son and addressed his final will to him, he would have breached his sole purpose. He needed the government officials, yeomen of the king and witnesses of the judges to refer to her in order to safeguard his trusts and monies and also to maintain secrecy of existence of his son and to protect his life by not mentioning him. Anyone who thinks that this is the proof of the falsity of the Imamiyah belief, he is not familiar with practices in the world. Imam Sadiq Ja’far Ibn Muhammad did the same when he addressed his final will to five people, the first of whom was the ruler of that time, Mansur. He did not exclusively address his son Musa (a.s) in order to protect him. He addressed Rabi, the judge of the time, and his concubine Hamida Barbariyya, and he mentioned his son Musa Ibn Ja’far (a.s) last in order to hide his position and protect his life. He did not mention along with his son Musa (a.s) any other of his sons. Perhaps it was to exclude the possibility of someone claiming the position of Imamate after him on the basis of his inclusion among addressees of the final will. And had not been Musa (a.s) prominent and well known amongst his sons, and his position and relationship to him famous, and his scholarship and erudition well established, and had he been unknown, Imam Sadiq (a.s) would not have mentioned him in his final will and would have sufficed on the others, as did Hasan Ibn Ali, the father of the Master of the Age.

فإن قيل: قولكم أنه منذ ولد صاحب الزمان عليه السلام إلى وقتنا هذا مع طول المدة لا يعرف أحد مكانه ولا يعلم مستقره ولا يأتي بخبره من يوثق بقوله خارج عن العادة،لأن كل من اتفق له الاستتار عن ظالم لخوف منه على نفسه أو لغير ذلك من الأغراض يكون مدة استتاره قريبة ولا يبلغ عشرين سنة ولا يخفى أيضا على الكل في مدة استتارة مكانه ولا بد من أن يعرف فيه بعض أوليائه وأهل مكانه أو يخبر بلقائه وقولكم بخلاف ذلك.

If it is said: Your assertion that since the birth of the Master of the Age until this day, which is a long period of time, no one knows his location and residence, nor does anyone reliable brings any news about him. This is extraordinary, because everyone else who underwent hiding from an oppressor due to fear of his life or other reasons, he does not go into a very lengthy hiding and it does not take more than twenty years. Likewise, he does not hide from everyone the place of his hiding and some of his trusted followers and his family does know his location and brings news of his meeting. Your belief is very different from that.

قلنا: ليس الأمر على ما قلتم، لأن الإمامية تقول إن جماعة من أصحاب أبي محمد الحسن بن علي عليه السلام قد شاهدوا وجوده في حياته وكانوا أصحابه وخاصته بعد وفاته والوسائط بينه وبين شيعته معروفون، ربما ذكرناهم فيما بعد، ينقلون إلى شيعته معالم الدين ويخرجون إليهم أجوبته في مسائلهم فيه ويقبضون منهم حقوقه وهم جماعة كان الحسن بن علي عليهما السلام عد لهم في حياته واختصهم أمناء له في وقته وجعل إليهم النظر في أملاكه والقيام بأموره بأسمائهم وأنسابهم وأعيانهم،كأبي عمرو عثمان بن سعيد السمان وابنه أبي جعفر محمد بن عثمان بن سعيد وغيرهم ممن سنذكر أخبارهم فيما بعد إن شاء الله تعالى. وكانوا أهل عقل وأمانة وثقة ظاهرة ودراية وفهم وتحصيل ونباهة،وكانوا معظمين عند سلطان الوقت لعظم أقدارهم وجلالة محلهم مكرمين لظاهر أمانتهم واشتهار عدالتهم حتى أنه كان يدفع عنهم ما يضيفه إليهم خصومهم. وهذا يسقط قولهم أن صاحبكم لم يره أحد ودعواهم خلافه.

We will say: The case is not as suggested. A number of the companions of Abu Muhammad Hasan Ibn Ali (a.s) saw him during the lifetime of his father and they were his companions and close devotees after his father’s demise. They were middlemen between him and his Shia and were well known, as we have narrated, and carried religious guidance to the Shia and brought his answers to their questions and received their religious dues from them for him. They were persons, who were declared righteous by Hasan Ibn Ali (a.s) in his lifetime and he had appointed them his trustees and had designated them with overseeing his properties and his affairs, mentioning them by their names and names of their fathers such as Abu Amr Uthman Ibn Saeed Samman, his son Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibn Uthman Ibn Saeed, and others that we will mention in detail soon. They were wise, trustworthy, extremely reliable and intelligent and men of great, noble character. They were respected by the rulers of the time for their nobility and majesty, and honored for their trustworthiness and famed lofty characters. They were so trustworthy that they would return even their enemies’ trusts. This invalidates the assertion that no one has seen our master.

فأما بعد انقراض أصحاب أبيه فقد كان مدة من الزمان أخباره واصلة من جهة السفراء الذين بينه وبين شيعته ويوثق بقولهم ويرجع إليهم لدينهم وأمانتهم وما اختصوا به من الدين والنزاهة وربما ذكرنا طرفا من أخبارهم فيما بعد.

After the companions of his father, communication was intact with him through the emissaries between him and his Shia, whose words were trusted and whose piety and trustworthiness made them reliable. We may bring some of their narratives in this regard in the future.

وقد سبق الخبر عن آبائه عليه السلام بأن القائم عليه السلام له غيبتان؛أخراهما أطول من الأولى. فالأولى يعرف فيها خبره،والأخرى لا يعرف فيها خبره. فجاء ذلك موافقا لهذه الأخبار فكان ذلك دليلا ينضاف إلى ما ذكرناه وسنوضح عن هذه الطريقة فيما بعد إن شاء الله تعالى. فأما خروج ذلك عن العادات، فليس الأمر على ما قالوه،ولو صح لجاز أن ينقض الله تعالى العادة في ستر شخص ويخفى أمره لضرب من المصلحة وحسن التدبير لما يعرض من المانع من ظهوره.

Narrations from his holy forefathers (a.s) had preceded him that the Qaim (a.s) will have two occultations, one of which is longer than the other; and that in the first, communication with him will be established and in the second, it will not be. The events unfolded as predicted by these narrations, enhancing the strength of our arguments. We will explain this reasoning in the future, God willing. This is not an event so out of the ordinary, as they have suggested. Even if it were so, it is reasonable that Allah may violate the ordinary in the case of hiding a specific person and to conceal him, because it is expedient and wise.

وهذا الخضرعليه السلام موجود قبل زماننا من عهد موسى عليه السلام عند أكثر الأمة وإلى وقتنا هذا باتفاق أهل السير؛ لا يعرف مستقره ولا يعرف أحد له أصحابا إلا ما جاء به القرآن من قصته مع موسى عليه السلام. وما يذكره بعض الناس أنه يظهر أحيانا ولا يعرف ويظن من يراه أنه بعض الزهاد فإذا فارق مكانه توهمه المسمى بالخضر ولم يكن عرفه بعينه في الحال ولا ظنه فيها بل اعتقد أنه بعض أهل الزمان.

Khizr (a.s) is alive since before our time, since the time of Musa (a.s) according to the majority of the Ummah until our time. It is a matter of consensus amongst historians that no one knows his place of residence and no one knows if he has any companions, except his story with Musa in the Quran and the various narratives that some people think they have seen him as a pious man and after separating from him realized that he was Khizr.

وقد كان من غيبة موسى بن عمران عليه السلام من وطنه وهربه من فرعون ورهطه ما نطق به القرآن ولم يظفر به أحد مدة من الزمان ولا عرفه بعينه حتى بعثه الله نبيا ودعا إليه فعرفه الولي والعدو.

There is the story of the hiding of Musa, the son of Imran from his homeland and his flight from Firon and his people, as mentioned by Quran. No one found him for a long time, neither did they recognize him, until God sent him as an apostle and he made the call to follow him and then the friend and the foe recognized him.

وقد كان من قصة يوسف بن يعقوب عليه السلام ما جاء به سورة في القرآن وتضمنت استتار خبره عن أبيه وهو نبي الله يأتيه الوحي صباحا ومساء وما يخفى عليه خبر ولده وعن ولده أيضا حتى أنهم كانوا يدخلون عليه ويعاملونه ولا يعرفونه وحتى مضت على ذلك السنون والأزمان ثم كشف الله أمره وظهر خبره وجمع بينه وبين أبيه وإخوته،وإن لم يكن ذلك في عادتنا اليوم ولا سمعنا بمثله.

There is the story of Yusuf, the son of Yaqub, to which a Surah of the Quran is dedicated and it recounts how he was hidden from his father, an apostle who received revelations day and night, yet the news of his son was hidden from him and his sons, who would meet him and transact with him, but do not recognize him. Years passed like that before Allah revealed his story and united him with his father and brothers. Such an event is extraordinary and we have not heard the like of it.

وكان من قصة يونس بن متى نبي الله عليه السلام مع قومه وفراره منهم حين تطاول خلافهم له واستخفـافهم بحقوقه وغيبته عنهم وعن كل أحد حتى لم يعلم أحد من الخلق مستقره وستره الله تعالى في جوف السمكة وأمسك عليه رمقه بضرب من المصلحة إلى أن انقضت تلك المدة ورده الله تعالى إلى قومه وجمع بينهم وبينه. وهذا أيضا خارج عن عادتنا وبعيد من تعارفنا،قد نطق به القرآن وأجمع عليه أهل الإسلام.

There is the story of Yunus, the son of Mata, the messenger of God, with his people and his flight from them when they disputed him for long and violating him did not concern them much. So he went into occultation from them and from everyone; so much so that no one knew where he was. God hid him in the abdomen of a fish and saved his life for expediency until that period passed and God returned him to his people and united them. This is also extraordinary and far from the ordinary events we hear, narrated by the Quran and agreed upon by all.

ومثل ما حكيناه أيضا قصة أصحاب الكهف وقد نطق بها القرآن وتضمن شرح حالهم واستتارهم عن قومهم فرارا بدينهم. ولو لا ما نطق القرآن به لكان مخالفونا يجحدونه دفعا لغيبة صاحب الزمان عليه السلام وإلحاقهم به،لكن أخبر الله تعالى أنهم بقوا ثلاثمائة سنة مثل ذلك مستترين خائفين ثم أحياهم الله تعالى فعادوا إلى قومهم وقصتهم مشهورة في ذلك.

Likewise is the story of the “people of the cave” narrated by the Quran how their story unfolded and how they hid from their people and fled to save their religion. If the Quran had not spoken about it, our opponents would have rejected this in order to facilitate their denial of the occultation of the Master of the Age. However, Allah informed us that they remained three hundred years like that in hiding, in fear, and then Allah brought them back to life and they returned to their people. Their story is well known.

وإذا كان ما ذكرناه معروفا كائنا كيف يمكن مع ذلك إنكار غيبة صاحب الزمان عليه السلام اللهم إلا أن يكون المخالف دهريا معطلا ينكر جميع ذلك ويحيله فلا نتكلم معه في الغيبة بل ننتقل معه إلى الكلام في أصل التوحيد وإن ذلك مقدور،  وإنما نكلم في ذلك من أقر بالإسلام وجوز كون ذلك مقدورا لله تعالى فبين لهم نظائره في العادات.

There is the story of the “owner of the donkey,” whose story is narrated by the Quran and People of the Book believe that he was a prophet. God made him dead and then brought him back to life. His food and drink did not decay. That was very extraordinary.

وقد كان من أمر صاحب الحمار الذي نزل بقصته القرآن وأهل الكتاب يزعمون أنه كان نبيا فأماته الله تعالى مائة عام ثم بعثه وبقي طعامه وشرابه لم يتغير.وكان ذلك خارقا للعادة.  وأمثال ما قلناه كثيرة مما رواه أصحاب السير والتواريخ من ملوك الفرس وغيبتهم عن أصحابهم مدة لا يعرفون خبرهم ثم عودهم وظهورهم لضرب من التدبير،وإن لم ينطق به القرآن فهو مذكور في التواريخ. وكذلك جماعة من حكماء الروم والهند قد كانت لهم غيبات وأحوال خارجة عن العادات لا نذكرها لأن المخالف ربما جحدها على عادتهم جحد الأخبار وهو مذكور في التواريخ.

If all these events are well known, how can they reject the occultation of the Master of the Age? Except that the opponent may be an atheist, nihilist, negating all these as impossibilities, in which case we will not discuss with him the subject of occultation, but rather our discourse with him will change to the very existence of God and that this is within the bounds of God’s infinite power. Our discourse with regard to occultation is with someone who is a Muslim and confesses that this is within the realm of power of God and we are showing similar examples to him. Similar examples of this, narrated by historians and biographers are many such as in the stories of Persian kings and their hiding from their people for a period in which they do not know their whereabouts and they return to show their purpose from the enterprise. Though the Quran has not spoken of this, it is chronicled in history. Likewise, a number of rulers of Rome and India had hidings and extraordinary events, which we will not mention, because the opponents may reject them as is their habit in order to reject the traditions.

فإن قيل: ادعاؤكم طول عمر صاحبكم أمر خارق للعادات مع بقائه على قولكم كامل العقل تام القوة والشباب لأنه على قولكم له في هذا الوقت الذي هو سنة سبع وأربعين وأربعمائة مائة وإحدى وتسعون سنة،لأن مولده على قولكم سنة ست وخمسين ومائتين.

If it is said: Your claim of the long life of your Patron [Imam Mahdi (a.s)] is extraordinary, as according to you, he remains a man of complete intelligence, strength and youthful looks, because he is, according to you, at this time in 447 A.H., a hundred and ninety-seven years old, as his birth was in 256 A.H.

ولم تجر العادة بأن يبقى أحد من البشر هذه المدة، فكيف انتقضت العادة فيه ولا يجوز انتقاضها إلا على يد الأنبياء؟

Ordinarily, no man lives this long. How ordinary norms stand violated about him, whereas they are not violated, except in cases of prophets?

قلنا: الجواب عن ذلك من وجهين؛ أحدهما، أنا لا نسلم أن ذلك خارق لجميع العادات، بل العادات فيما تقدم قد جرت بمثلها وأكثر من ذلك،وقد ذكرنا بعضها كقصة الخضر عليه السلام وقصة أصحاب الكهف وغير ذلك. وقد أخبر الله تعالى عن نوح عليه السلام أنه لبث في قومه ألف سنة إلا خمسين عاما. وأصحاب السير يقولون إنه عاش أكثر من ذلك وإنما دعا قومه إلى الله تعالى هذه المدة المذكورة بعد أن مضت عليه ستون من عمره.

We will say: There are two answers for this: First reason: One is that we don’t accept that it is a violation of all ordinary norms. Rather, similar long lives, and lives longer than his, have been recorded, and we mentioned some of them such as the story of Khizr (a.s) and the narrative of “the people of the cave” and others. Allah has reported that Nuh (a.s) lived fifty short of one thousand years amongst his people. Historians say that he lived longer, and the said period was the duration of his propagation of faith after he was sixty years old.

Kitāb al-Ghayba

Chapter #23