Kitāb al-Ghayba

3 - وبه عن أبي الجارود، عن عبد الله الشاعر - يعنى ابن عقبة - قال: سمعت علياً يقول: كأني بكم تجولون جولان الإبل تبتغون مرعي، ولا تجدونها يا معشر الشيعة.

(3) Abul Jarood narrated that Abdullah (bin Aqaba) al-Sha’ir (the poet) had said: I heard Ali (as) saying: “O people of Shia, as if I see you wandering about like the camels looking for a pasture but without finding any.”

4 - وبه عن ابن سنان، عن يحيى بن المثنى العطار، عن عبد الله بن بكير؛ ورواه الحكم عن أبي جعفر أنه قال: كيف بكم إذا صعدتم فلم تجدوا أحداً، ورجعتم فلم تجدوا أحداً!

(4) Bin Sinan narrated from Yahya bin al-Muthanna al-Attar, also it was narrated by al-Hakam that Abu Ja’far al-Baqir (as) had said: “How about you if you go and you do not find anyone (to resort to) and you come back and you do not find anyone?”

5 - حدثنا عبد الواحد بن عبد الله قال: حدثنا محمد بن جعفر القرشي، قال: حدثني محمد بن الحسين بن أبي الخطاب قال: حدثني محمد بن سنان، عن أبي الجارود، عن أبي جعفر أنه سمعه يقول: لا تزالون تنتظرون حتى تكونوا كالمعز المهولة التي لا يبالي الجازر أين يضع يدَه منها، ليس لكم شرف تشرفونه، ولا سند تسندون إليه أموركم.

(5) Abdul Wahid bin Abdullah narrated from Muhammad bin Ja’far al-Qarashi from Muhammad bin al-Husayn bin Abul Khattab from Muhammad bin Sinan that Abul Jarood had heard Abu Ja’far al-Baqir (as) saying: “You still wait until you become like frightened goats that the butcher does not care on which of he puts his hand. You will be of no honor and no supporter, to whom you refer your affairs.” Have these traditions referred save to the disappearance of the imam of deliverance, who is the honor, with which the Shia are honored, and to the disappearance of the means (the deputies) between him and his Shia? Are the deputies not the supporters, whom the Shia refer their affairs to during the disappearance of their imam (as) to be delivered to the imam? By losing the imam and the means between them and their imam, the Shia become like the goats subjected to the test to be tried that which of them is to perish and which of them is to be saved. These are what I have in my mind of traditions concerning the disappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (aj), whereas there are so much many other traditions talking about the subject.

1 - حدثنا أحمد بن محمد بن سعيد بن عقدة الكوفي قال: حدثنا أحمد بن يوسف بن يعقوب الجعفي أبو الحسن، قال: حدثنا إسماعيل بن مهران قال: حدثنا الحسن بن علي بن أبي حمزة، عن أبيه ووهيب بن حفص، عن أبي بصير، عن أبي عبد الله قال: إنه قال لي أبي: لا بدّ لنارٍ من آذربيجان، لا يقوم لها شيء، وإذا كان ذلك فكونوا أحلاسَ بيوتكم وألبدوا ما ألبدنا، فإذا تحرك متحركُنا فاسعوا إليه ولو حبواً، والله لكأني أنظر إليه بين الركن والمقام يبايع الناس على كتاب جديد، على العرب شديد. وقال: ويلٌ لطغاة العرب من شرّ قد اقترب.

(1) Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Sa’eed bin Oqda al-Kufi narrated from Ahmad bin Yousuf bin Ya’qoob al-Ju’fi Abul Hasan from Issma’eel bin Mihran from al-Hasan bin Ali bin Abu Hamza from his father and Wuhayb bin Hafs from Abu Baseer that Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) had said: My father (as) has said to me: There must be a fire (war) from Azerbaijan that leaves nothing. If it occurs, then you are to stay at homes and remain as we have remained. If our revolter (al-Qa’im) rises, you are to hasten to join him even crawling. By Allah, as if I see him between the temple (of Abraham) and the corner (of the Kaaba) being paid homage on a new covenant. He will be severe with the Arabs. Woe unto the arrogants of the Arabs from an evil that is about to come.”

2 - حدثنا أحمد بن محمد بن سعيد، عن بعض رجاله، عن علي بن عمارة الكناني، قال: حدثنا محمد بن سنان، عن أبي الجارود، عن أبي جعفر قال: قلت له: أو صني، فقال: أوصيكَ بتقوى الله، وأن تلزمَ بيتك وتقعد في دهماء هؤلاء الناس، وإيّاك والخوارج منّا فإنهم ليسوا على شيء ولا إلى شيء، واعلم أن لبني أميّة مُلكاً لا يستطيع الناس أن تردعَه، وأن لأهل الحق دولةً إذا جاءت ولاّها الله لمن يشاء منا أهل البيت، فمَن أدركها منكم كان عندنا في السنام الأعلى، وإنْ قبضه الله قبل ذلك خار له، واعلم أنه لا تقوم عصابة تدفع ضيماً أو تُعزّ ديناً إلاّ صرعتهم المنيّة والبلية حتى تقوم عصابة شهدوا بدراً مع رسول الله لا يواري قتيلهم ولا يرفع صريعهم ولا يُداوى جريحهم. قلت: مَن هم؟ قال: الملائكة.

(2) Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Sa’eed narrated from some of his companions from Ali bin Imara al-Kinani from Muhammad bin Sinan that Abul Jarood had said: I said to Abu Ja’far al-Baqir (as): Please, advise me!” He said: “I advise you to fear Allah, to stay at home and to be away from these masses of people. Beware of the Kharijites because they are not on the straight path nor will they get to a pleasant end. Know that the Umayyads have a strong rule that people can not stand against. Know that the faithful people will have a state. If that happens, Allah will entrust one of us with it. If anyone of you lives until that time, he will be with us in the highest position (of Paradise) and if he dies before that, Allah will choose to him as He wills. Know that no group rising to resist oppression or to defend faith unless death is the end until a group, that has fought with the Prophet (S) in the battle of Badr and whose killed ones are not buried, whose felled ones are not lifted and whose wounded ones are not cured, rises.” I asked: “Who are they?” He said: “The angels.”

3 - وأخبرنا أحمد بن محمد بن سعيد قال: حدثني علي بن الحسن التيملي قال: حدثنا الحسن ومحمد ابنا علي بن يوسف، عن أبيهما، عن أحمد بن علي الحلبي، عن صالح بن أبي الأسود، عن أبي الجارود قال: سمعت أبا جعفر يقول: ليس منّا أهل البيت أحد يدفع ضيماً ولا يدعو إلى حق إلاّ صرعته البليةُ حتى تقوم عصابة شهدت بدراً، لا يُوارى قتيلها ولا يُداوى جريحها. قلت: مَن عنيَ أبو جعفر بذلك؟ قال: الملائكة.

(3) Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Sa’eed narrated from Ali bin al-Hasan at-Taymali from al-Hasan and Muhammad the sons of Ali bin Yousuf from their father from Ahmad bin Ali al-Halabi from Salih bin Abul Aswad that Abul Jarood had said: I heard Abu Ja’far al-Baqir (as) saying: “None of us, Ahlul Bayt, resisting an oppression or inviting for a truth, unless death is his end until a group, that has fought in the battle of Badr and whose killed ones are not buried and whose wounded ones are not cured, rises.” I said: “Whom do you mean?” He said: “The angels.”

4 - حدثنا محمد بن همام ومحمد بن الحسن بن محمد بن جمهور جميعاً، عن الحسن بن محمد بن جمهور، عن أبيه، عن سماعة بن مهران، عن أبي الجارود، عن القاسم بن الوليد الهمداني، عن الحارث الأعور الهمداني قال: قال أمير المؤمنين على المنبر: إذا هلك الخاطب وزاغ صاحب العصر وبقيت قلوب تتقلب فمِن مخصب ومجدب، هلك المتمنّون واضمحل المضمحلّون، وبقي المؤمنون، وقليل ما يكونون ثلاثمائة أو يزيدون، تُجاهد معهم عصابةٌ جاهدت مع رسول الله يوم بدر، لم تُقتل ولم تمُت.

(4) Muhammad bin Hammam and Muhammad bin al-Hasan bin Muhammad bin Jumhoor narrated from al-Hasan bin Muhammad bin Jumhoor from his father from Suma’a bin Mihran from Abul Jarood from al-Qassim bin al-Waleed al-Hamadani from al-Harith al-A’war al-Hamadani that Amirul Mo’mineen (as) had said from above the minbar: “If al-Khattab is perished, the imam of the age disappears and the hearts begin to turn here and there; some fertile and some barren, then the ill-wishers will perish, the vanishers will vanish and the believers will remain and how few they will be; three hundred or a little more! A group that has fought with the Prophet (S) in the battle of Badr, that none of them has been killed or has died, will fight with them (with the imam and his followers).” Imam Ali (as) means that when the imam of the age (al-Mahdi) disappears from the sight of people, the Shia becomes confused and they disagree among themselves. Some of them still keep to the truth (fertile hearts) and others deviate from the truth (barren hearts). Then he says that the ill-wishers will be perished because they do not submit to Allah and they want Him to hasten His order. They see that the period become too long and so they perish before the coming of deliverance. Allah saves the patient and submissive believers and rewards them with what they deserve. They are the few true believers as Imam Ali has said that they are three hundred ones or a little more, whom Allah qualifies to support His guardian and to fight His enemy. They are the rulers, the viziers and the assistants of al-Qa’im (as) over the world after the war comes to an end and the world enjoys peace. Then Imam Ali (as) says that “A group that has fought with the Prophet (S) in the battle of Badr and that none of them has been killed or has died will fight with them.” He means that Allah will assist al-Qa’im (as) with the three hundred or more of the angels, who have assisted the Prophet (S) and his companions in the battle of Badr.

5 - أخبرنا أحمد بن محمد بن سعيد قال: حدثنا حميد بن زياد الكوفي، قال: حدثنا علي بن الصباح بن الضحاك، عن جعفر بن محمد بن سماعة، عن سيف التمار، عن أبي المرهف قال: قال أبو عبد الله: هلكت المحاضير. قال: قلت: وما المحاضير؟ قال: المستعجلون، ونجا المقربون، وثبت الحصن على أوتادها. كونوا أحلاس بيوتكم، فإن الغبرة على مَن أثارها، وإنهم لا يريدونكم بجائحة إلاّ أتاهم الله بشاغل إلاّ من تعرض لهم.

(5) Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Sa’eed narrated from Hameed bin Ziyad al-Kufi from Ali bin as-Sabah bin ad-Dhahhak from Ja’far bin Muhammad bin Suma’a from Sayf at-Tammar from Abul Murhaf that Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) had said: “The hasteners will perish and those nearest to Allah will be saved! Keep to your homes because seditions will be against those, who cause them! Whenever they wish you a distress, Allah afflicts them with what makes them busy away from you except those, who follow them.”

6 - حدثنا أحمد بن محمد بن سعيد قال: حدثني يحيى بن زكريا بن شيبان، قال: حدثنا يوسف بن كليب المسعودي، قال: حدثنا الحكم بن سليمان، عن محمد بن كثير، عن أبي بكر الحضرمي قال: دخلت أنا وأبان على أبي عبد الله وذلك حين ظهرت الرايات السود بخراسان، فقلنا: ما ترى؟ فقال: إجلسوا في بيوتكم، فإذا رأيتمونا قد اجتمعنا على رجل فانهدوا إلينا بالسلاح.

(6) Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Sa’eed narrated from Yahya bin Zakariyya bin Shayban from Yousuf bin Kulayb al-Mass’oodi from al-Hakam bin Sulayman from Muhammad bin Kuthayr that Abu Bakr al-Hadhrami had said: Once Abban and I came to Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) when the black banners (revolts) had been raised in Khurasan (Persia). We asked him: “What do you think about that?” He said: “Stay at home and when you see us agree unanimously upon a man, then hurry to us with your weapons.”

7 - وحدثنا محمد بن همام قال: حدثني جعفر بن محمد بن مالك الفزاري، قال: حدثني محمد بن أحمد، عن علي بن أسباط، عن بعض أصحابه، عن أبي عبد الله أنه قال: كفّوا ألسنتكم والزموا بيوتكم، فإنه لا يصيبكم أمرٌ تُخصّون به أبداً ويصيب العامةَ ولا تزال الزيدية وقاء لكم أبداً.

(8) Muhammad bin Hammam narrated from Ja’far bin Muhammad bin Malik al-Fazari from Muhammad bin Ahmad from Ali bin Asbat from some of his companions that Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) had said: “Keep silent and remain in your houses because no bad will afflict you especially, which will afflict the rest of people, and as long as the (revolutionary) Zaydites will be as a frontstead between you and the governments.”