Kitāb al-Ghayba

12 - وأخبرنا علي بن أحمد، قال: أخبرنا عبيد الله بن موسى العلوي، عن علي بن إسماعيل الأشعري، عن حماد بن عيسى، عن إبراهيم بن عمر اليماني، عن رجل، عن أبي جعفر أنه قال: لتمحصُنّ يا شيعة آل محمد تمحيصَ الكُحل في العين، وإنّ صاحب العين يدري متى يقع الكحل في عينه ولا يعلم متى يخرج منها، وكذلك يصبح الرجل على شريعةٍ من أمرنا ويمسي وقد خرج منها، ويمسي على شريعة من أمرنا ويصبح وقد خرج منها.

(12) Ali bin Ahmad narrated from Obaydillah bin Musa al-Alawi from Ali bin Issma’eel al-Ash’ari from Hammad bin Eessa from Ibraheem bin Umar al-Yamani from someone that Abu Ja’far al-Baqir (as) had said: “O Shia of Muhammad’s progeny, you are going to be tested like the kohl in the eye. One knows when the kohl is put into his eye but he does not know when it gets out of it. Just in the same way that one believes in our matter in the morning and recants it in the evening or he believes in it in the evening and when morning comes he recants it.”

13 - وأخبرنا علي بن أحمد قال: أخبرنا عبيد الله بن موسى، عن رجل، عن العباس بن عامر، عن الربيع بن محمد المسلي من بني مسلية عن مهزم بن أبي بردة الأسدي وغيره، عن أبي عبد الله أنه قال: والله لتُكسرنّ تكسّر الزجاج، وإن الزجاج ليُعاد فيعود كما كان، والله لتكسرنّ تكسّر الفخار، فإن الفخار ليتكسر فلا يعود كما كان، ووالله لتغربلُنّ ووالله لتميّزنّ وواللهِ لتمحصنّ حتى لا يبقى منكم إلاّ الأقلّ، وصعر كفه.

(13) Ali bin Ahmad narrated from Obaydillah bin Musa from someone from al-Abbas bin Aamir from ar-Rabee’ bin Muhammad al-Musli from Muhzim bin Abu Burda al-Asadi and others that Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) had said: “By Allah, you are going to be broken like glass but glass is remade and it returns as before. By Allah, you are going to be broken like the breaking of pottery but pottery is never remade as before. By Allah you are going to be sifted, to be clarified and to be purified until none of you remain save the least. (He shrank his hand.)” O people of Shia, pay much attention to these traditions narrated from Amirul Mo’mineen (as) and the infallible imams (as) after him. Ponder on them too much. They warn strongly of turning away from their Sharia by saying: “one believes in our matter in the morning and recants it in the evening or he believes in it in the evening and when morning comes he recants it.” It is a clear evidence showing neglecting the system of the imamate with all its concerns that lead to the straight path. Then Amirul Mo’mineen (as) gives an example when saying: “By Allah, you are going to be broken like glass but glass is remade and it returns as before. By Allah, you are going to be broken like the breaking of pottery but pottery is never remade as before.” Those, who believe in the doctrine of the infallible imams and then recant it and then they repent and return to the true belief when the mercy of Allah declares to them the purity of what they deny and the darkness of what they enter into, are like broken glass that it can be remade as before but those, who recant the true belief and remain in their confusion without repenting until death, are like broken pottery that cannot be remade as before because there is no repent after death.

14 - أخبرنا علي بن أحمد قال: حدثنا عبيد الله بن موسى، قال: حدثنا محمد بن موسى، عن أحمد بن أبي أحمد، عن إبراهيم بن هلال قال: قلت لأبي الحسن: جعلت فداك، مات أبي على هذا الأمر، وقد بلغت من السنين ما قد ترى أموت ولا تخبرني بشيء. فقال: يا أبا إسحاق، أنت تعجل؟ فقلت: إي والله أعجل وما ليَ لا أعجل وقد كبر سني وبلغت أنا من السن ما قد ترى. فقال: أما والله يا أبا إسحاق، ما يكون ذلك حتى تميزوا وتمحصوا، وحتى لا يبقى منكم إلاّ الأقلّ، ثم صعر كفه.

(14) Ali bin Ahmad narrated from Obaydillah bin Musa from Muhammad bin Musa from Ahmad bin Abu Ahmad that Ibraheem bin Hilal had said: “I said to Abul Hasan (Imam Ali) (as): May I die for you! My father died while still believing in this matter (the imamate) and I became so old. Shall I die and you do not tell me of anything?” He said: “O Abu Iss’haq, you hasten (to hasten the will of Allah).” I said: “Yes, by Allah, I hasten. Why do I not hasten where I became so old as you see?” He said: “O Abu Iss’haq, by Allah that does not occur until you are tried and clarified until none of you remains save the least. (And he shrank his hand.)”

15 - وأخبرنا علي بن أحمد قال: حدثنا عبيد الله بن موسى، قال: حدثنا محمد بن الحسين، عن صفوان بن يحيى قال: قال أبو الحسن الرضا: والله لا يكون ما تمدّون إليه أعينكم حتى تمحصوا وتميزوا، وحتى لا يبقى منكم إلاّ الأندر فالأندر.

(15) Ali bin Ahmad narrated from Obaydillah bin Musa from Muhammad bin al-Husayn from Safwan bin Yahya that Abul Hasan ar-Redha (as) had said: “By Allah, That, which you look forward to, will not be until you are tested and clarified and until none of you remains save the least and the least.”

16 - وأخبرنا أحمد بن محمد بن سعيد قال: حدثنا أبو عبد الله جعفر بن عبد الله المحمدي من كتابه في سنة ثمان وستين ومائتين، قال: حدثنا محمد بن منصور الصيقل، عن أبيه، قال: دخلت على أبي جعفر الباقر وعنده جماعة فبينا نحن نتحدث وهو على بعض أصحابه مقبل إذ التفت إلينا وقال: في أيّ شيء أنتم؟ هيهات هيهاتَ! لا يكون الذي تمدّون إليه أعناقَكم حتى تمحصوا. هيهات! ولا يكون الذي تمدّون إليه أعناقَكم حتى تميزوا، ولا يكون الذي تمدون إليه أعناقكم حتى تغربلوا، ولا يكون الذي تمدون إليه أعناقكم إلاّ بعد إياسٍ، ولا يكون الذي تمدّون إليه أعناقكم حتى يشقى مَن شقيَ ويسعد من سعد.

(16) Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Sa’eed narrated from Abu Abdullah Ja’far bin Abdullah al-Muhammadi from Muhammad bin Mansoor as-Sayqal that his father had said: “Once I came to Abu Ja’far al-Baqir (as) and there were some people with him. While we were talking with each other, he turned to us and said: “What are you talking about? How far! How far! That, which you look forward to, will not be until you are tested. How far! That, which you look forward to, will not be until you are clarified. How far! That, which you look forward to, will not be until you are sifted. That, which you look forward to, will not be except after despair. That, which you look forward to, will not be until he, who is to be wretched, becomes wretched and he, who is to be happy, becomes happy.” The same was narrated by Muhammad bin Ya’qoob from Muhammad bin al-Hasan and Ali bin Muhammad from Sahl bin Ziyad from Muhammad bin Sinan from Muhammad bin Mansoor as-Sayqal from his father but with a little difference.

17 - أخبرنا أبو سليمان أحمد بن هوذة بن أبي هراسة الباهلي قال: حدثنا إبراهيم بن إسحاق النهاوندي، قال: حدثنا عبد الله بن حماد الأنصاري، عن صباح المزني، عن الحارث بن حصيرة، عن الأصبغ بن نباتة، عن أمير المؤمنين أنه قال: كونوا كالنّحل في الطير، ليس شيءٌ من الطير إلاّ وهو يستضعفها، ولو علِِمت الطير ما في أجوافها من البركة لم تفعل بها ذلك. خالطوا الناسَ بألسنتكم وأبدانكم وزايلوهم بقلوبكم وأعمالكم، فوَالذي نفسي بيده ما ترَون ما تحبّون حتى يتفلَ بعضُكم في وجوه بعض وحتى يسمّي بعضكم بعضاً كذابين، وحتى لا يبقى منكم (أو قال من شيعتي) إلاّ كالكحل في العين، والملح في الطعام وسأضرب لكم مثلاً، وهو مثل رجل كان له طعام فنقّاه وطيّبه، ثم أدخله بيتاً وتركه فيه ما شاء الله، ثم عاد إليه فإذا هو قد أصابه السوس، فأخرجه ونقّاه وطيّبه، ثم أعاده إلى البيت فتركه ما شاء الله، ثم عاد إليه فإذا هو قد أصابته طائفة من السوس فأخرجه ونقاه وطيبه وأعاده، ولم يزل كذلك حتى بقيت منه رزمة كرزمة الأندر لا يضره السوس شيئاً، وكذلك أنتم تميزون حتى لا يبقى منكم إلاّ عصابة لا تضرّها الفتنة شيئاً.

(17) Abu Sulayman Ahmad bin Hawtha bin Abu Hurasa al-Bahili narrated from Ibraheem bin Iss’haq an-Nahawandi from Abdullah bin Hammad al-Ansari from Sabah al-Muzni from al-Harith bin Haseera from al-Asbugh bin Nabata that Amirul Mo’mineen (as) had said: “Be like the bees among the birds. All the birds deem them weak but if they know what blessing there is inside their (the bees’) interiors, they will not do that to them. Mix with people with your tongues and persons and be far away from them with your hearts and deeds. I swear by Him, in Whose hand my soul is, you will not meet what you like until a time comes that you spit at the face of each other, call each other as liars and until none of you remains except like the kohl in an eye and like the salt in food. I give you an example. It is like a man having some food (grains). He sifts and purifies it and then he keeps it in a store for some time. Then he comes back to find that his food has been worm-eaten. He takes it out, purifies it and puts it back into the store for some time. After a time he comes to find that his food has been worm-eaten again. He takes it out, purifies it and puts it back into the store. He does so again and again until nothing of his food remains except the least, which will never be harmed by the worms. So are you! You are going to be clarified until none of you remains save a very few ones, who will never be affected by seditions.” The same was narrated by Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Sa’eed from Ali bin al-Hasan at-Taymali from Muhammad and Ahmad the sons of al-Hasan from their father from Tha’laba bin Maymoon from Abu Kahmas and others from Amirul Mo’mineen (as). This tradition has been mentioned at the beginning of this book.

18 - حدثنا عبد الواحد بن عبد الله بن يونس قال: حدثنا أحمد بن محمد بن رباح الزهري الكوفي، قال: حدثنا محمد بن العباس بن عيسى الحسني، عن الحسن بن علي البطائني، عن أبيه، عن أبي بصير قال: قال أبو جعفر محمد بن علي الباقر: إنمّا مثل شيعتنا مثل أندر (يعني بيدراً فيه طعام) فأصابه آكلٌ فنقي ثم أصابه آكل فنقي حتى بقي منه ما لا يضرّه الآكل، وكذلك شيعتنا يميزون ويمحصون حتى تبقى منهم عصابة لا تضرّها الفتنة.

(18) Abdul Wahid bin Abdullah bin Younus narrated from Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Rabah az-Zuhri al-Kufi from Muhammad bin al-Abbas bin Eessa al-Hasani from al-Hasan bin Ali al-Bata’ini from his father from Abu Baseer that Abu Ja’far al-Baqir (as) had said: “Our Shia (followers) are like a threshing-floor having some grains. The grains are afflicted with worms. They are purified and then are afflicted with worms until very little remains that will never be harmed by the worms. So are our Shia. They are clarified and purified until a very few of them remain, who will never be affected by seditions.”

19 - حدثنا أحمد بن محمد بن سعيد بن عقدة قال: حدثنا جعفر بن عبد الله المحمدي، قال: حدثني شريف بن سابق التفليسي، عن الفضل بن أبي قرة التفليسي عن جعفر بن محمد، عن أبيه أنه قال: المؤمنون يُبتلون ثم يميّزهم الله عنده. إنّ الله لم يؤمِن المؤمنين من بلاء الدنيا ومرائرها ولكن أمنَهم فيها من العمى والشقاء في الآخرة. ثم قال: كان علي بن الحسين بن علي يضع قتلاه بعضَهم إلى بعض ثم يقول: قتلانا قتلى النبيّين.

(19) Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Sa’eed bin Oqda narrated from Ja’far bin Abdullah al-Muhammadi from Shareef bin Sabiq at-Tafleesi from al-Fadhl bin Abu Qurra at-Tafleesi from Ja’far bin Muhammad as-Sadiq (as) that his father Abu Ja’far al-Baqir (as) had said: 'The believers are tested and purified by Allah. Allah has not assured the believers from calamities and distresses of this life but He has assured them from being wretched in the afterlife.' Then he said: 'Ali bin Al-Husayn bin Ali used to lay his dead side by side and say: 'Our dead are the dead of the prophets.'

20 - حدثنا علي بن الحسين قال: حدثنا محمد بن يحيى العطار، قال: حدثنا محمد بن حسان الرازي، عن محمد بن علي الكوفي، عن الحسن بن محبوب، قال: حدثنا عبد الله بن جبلة، عن علي بن أبي حمزة، عن أبي عبد الله أنه قال: لو قد قام القائم لأنكَره الناس لأنّه يرجع إليهم شاباً موفقاً لا يثبت عليه إلاّ مؤمن قد أخذ الله ميثاقه في الذر الأول.

(20) Ali bin al-Husayn narrated from Muhammad bin Yahya al-Attar from Muhammad bin Hassaan ar-Razi from Muhammad bin Ali al-Kufi from al-Hasan bin Mahboob from Abdullah bin Jibilla from Ali bin Abu Hamza that Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) had said: “When al-Qa’im (as) rises, people will deny him because he comes as a young man. No one will still keep to him save the true believers, whom Allah has covenanted since the first Creation.” During the disappearance of al-Qa’im (as), people separate, disagree with each other, become desperate and their faith becomes weak for they find that the period of the disappearance of the imam has become too long. Therefore when Imam al-Mahdi (aj) reappears as a young man, they deny him. The infallible Imams (as) have declared that when saying: “They (people) separate into different sects, walk in various ways of seditions and are deceived by the mirage of the infatuates’ speech. So when he (al-Qa’im) appears to them after these many years, which definitely make one too old, too weak and with curved back, as a young man, those, whose hearts are full of diseases, will deny him but the true believers, whom Allah has favored with His kindness, will still believe in him and keep to him.” They, who believe in all that the infallible imams (as) have said and wait for the expected imam faithfully and with no a bit of doubt or confusion and who are not deceived by the fabrications of the Satan and his followers, definitely will win in the afterlife.

1 - حدثنا علي بن أحمد قال: حدثني عبيد الله بن موسى العلوي، عن أبي محمد موسى بن هارون بن عيسى المعبدي قال: حدثنا عبد الله بن مسلمة بن قعنب قال حدثنا سليمان بن بلال قال: حدثنا جعفر بن محمد ، عن أبيه، عن جده عن الحسين بن علي قال: جاء رجل إلى أمير المؤمنين ، فقال له: يا أمير المؤمنين نبّئنا بمهديكم هذا؟ فقال: إذا درج الدارجون وقلّ المؤمنين وذهب المجلبون فهناك هناك. فقال: يا أمير المؤمنين ممّن الرجل؟ فقال: من بني هاشم، مِن ذروة طود العرب وبحر مغيضها إذا وردت، ومخفر أهلها إذا اتيت، ومعدن صفوتها إذا اكتدرت، لا يجبُن إذا المنايا هكعت، ولا يخور إذا المنون اكتنعت، ولا ينكل إذا الكماة اصطرعت، مشمّر مغلولب ظفر ضرغامة حصد مخدش ذكر، سيفٌ من سيوف الله، رأس، قثم، نشؤ رأسه في باذخ السؤدد وعارز مجده في أكرم المحتد. فلا يصرفنّك عن بيعته صارف عارض ينوص إلى الفتنة كل مناص؛ إن قال فشرّ قائل، وإن سكت فذو دعاير. ثم رجع إلى صفة المهدى فقال: أوسعُكم كهفاً، وأكثرُكم علماً، وأوصلُكم رحماً. اللهم فاجعل بعثه خروجاً من الغمة، واجمع به شمل الأمة. فإنْ خارَ الله لك فاعزم ولا تنثنِ عنه إن وفّقتَ له، ولا تجوزنّ عنه إنْ هُديتَ إليه، هاه - وأومأ بيده إلى صدره - شوقا إلى رؤيته.

(1) Ali bin Ahmad narrated from Obaydillah bin Musa al-Alawi from Abu Muhammad Musa bin Haroon bin Eessa al-Ma’badi from Abdullah bin Maslama bin Qu’nub from Sulayman bin Bilal from Ja’far bin Muhammad as-Sadiq (as) from his father (as) from his grandfather (as) that al-Husayn bin Ali (as) had said: “Once a man came to Amirul Mo’mineen (as) and said to him: “O Amirul Mo’mineen (as), would you tell us about your Mahdi?” Amirul Mo’mineen (as) said: “If most of you pass away, the believers become rare and the clamorers perish, then he will appear!” The man said: “Where from is the man (al-Mahdi)?” Imam Ali (as) said: “He is from the Hashemites; the top of the mountain of the Arabs (the best of the Arabs), the sea, to which everyone comes ladling, the safe resort and the pure spring when others become turbid. He is from the people, who do not cower when death hastens, do not weaken when the end approaches and do not recede when the heroes clash. He is always a winner like a lion. He will do away with the oppressors and the arrogants. He is a sword of Allah’s. He arises from loftiness. His glory emits from a great glorious family. Let none of those, who hasten towards seditions and who when saying, the evilest of sayers and when keeping silent, fishing in the troubled water, prevents you from paying homage to him.” Then he talked again about the aspects of al-Mahdi (aj) by saying: “He is the most generous, the most aware and the kindest of you to his kin. O Allah, make his advent as deliverance from distresses and make the umma unite by him! O you man, if Allah chooses (that) to you, be determined and do not deviate from him (al-Mahdi) when you are guided to him.” He sighed and pointed at his chest with his hand showing his eagerness to see him.”