Chapter 5
Who Was
the Imam after Hasan `Askari?
On Friday evening the group met at Engineer
Madani's house. The session formally began with the question raised
by Dr. Jalali.
Dr. Jalali:
I have heard that Imam Hasan 'Askari had no son at all!
Mr. Hoshyar:
There are several methods to prove that Imam Hasan 'Askari did
have a son:
(a) In numerous traditions reported on the
authority of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) and
the Imams it is related that Hasan b. 'Ali b. Muhammad 'Askari
will have a son who will return to launch a universal reform movement
after a long absence and will fill the earth with justice and
equity. This matter has been related in various forms in the traditions.
If you recall, we have mentioned a list of hadith-reports
in the previous discussion in which it is affirmed that the Mahdi
will be the ninth descendant of Imam Husayn; that the Mahdi will
be the sixth descendant of Imam Sadiq; that he will be the fifth
descendant of Imam Kazim; the fourth descendant of Imam Rida;
the third decendant of Imam Muhammad Taqi; and so on.
(b) In several traditions it is related that
the Mahdi will be the son of Imam Hasan 'Askari (peace be upon
him). For example, Saqr b. Abi Dalf relates that he heard from
Imam 'Ali Naqi who said:
The Imam following me is my son Hasan. After
Hasan his son is the Qa'im who will fill the earth with justice
and equity just as it is filled with injustice and tyranny.[1]
(c) In a number of hadith-reports Imam
Hasan 'Askari has informed that the Qa'im and the Mahdi will be
his son and that the house of the Imam and the Prophet is protected
from falsehood and error. The following is the tradition related
by Muhammad b. 'Uthman, the second deputy of the twelfth Imam
during the Short Occultation (ghaybat-i sughra), who received
it from his father, the first deputy:
I was in presence of Imam Hasan 'Askari when
someone asked him regarding the hadith that was related
from his forefathers, namely: "The earth will never be void
of the hujjat (God's proof), and any one who dies without
acknowledging the Imam of the Age dies the death of ignorance."
The Imam responded: "Yes, indeed the matter is as clear and
real as daylight." The person went on to ask: "Who is
the hujjat and the Imam after you?" He said: "After
me the hujjat and the Imam will be my son Muhammad. Any
one who dies without acknowledging him will die a death of ignorance.
Be aware that my son will go into occultation. The people, because
of that, will experience confusion. Those who are unfaithful will
perish, whereas those who fix the time of his appearance will
be uttering falsehood. When the period of his occultation comes
to an end he will launch a revolution. I see the white flags waving
over his head in Najaf."[2]
(d) Imam Hasan 'Askari informed a number of
his close companions about the birth of his son. The following
are some of those traditions:
(1) Fadl b. Shadhan, who died after the birth
of the twelfth Imam and before the death of Imam Hasan 'Askari,
wrote in his book on Ghayba, relating from Muhammad b.
'Ali b. Hamza, who said: "I heard Imam Hasan 'Askari saying:
'The Proof of God and my successor was born circumcised on the
15th night of Sha'ban, year 255 (870 CE), in the early hour of
dawn.'"[3]
(2) Another close associate of the Imams, Ahmad
b. Ishaq heard Imam Hasan 'Askari say: "Thank God that He
did not take me away from this world without showing me my successor.
He (my son) is closest to the Prophet in his features and character.
God will keep him for a while in occultation and then He will
cause him to emerge so that he will fill the earth with justice
and equity."[4]
(3) Ahmad b. Hasan b. Ishaq Qummi related:
When the righteous successor [of Imam Hasan 'Askari] was born,
a letter came from the Imam 'Askari through Ahmad b. Ishaq. The
Imam had written: "A son has been born to me. Keep this matter
secret, because I will not divulge it except to my close associates
and relatives."[5]
(4) Again Ahmad b. Ishaq relates that one day
he was with Imam Hasan 'Askari when the latter asked him: "Ahmad,
what do you say about the matter in which people have fallen in
doubt?" He said: "When your letter announcing the birth
of your son arrived, for all of us, that is, men, women, children,
old and young, truth became manifest and we believed in what you
conveyed to us." The Imam said: "Don't you know that
the earth cannot be without God's proof in it?"[6]
(5) Abu Ja'far Muhammad b. 'Uthman 'Amri, the
second deputy of the twelfth Imam, has related that when the Imam
of the Age was born Imam Hasan 'Askari asked for Abu 'Amr, 'Uthman,
his father and the first deputy of the twelfth Imam. When he came
the Imam told him: "Buy a thousand pounds of bread and a
thousand pounds of meat and distribute it among the Hashimites.
Also, arrange for some sheep to be sacrificed for my newly born
son's head-shaving ceremony ('aqiqa)."[7]
All these traditions provide the necessary
evidence that there was a son born to Imam Hasan 'Askari (peace
be upon him).
Those Who
Saw the Imam of the Age When He Was Small
Dr. Jalali:
How can it be possible that a person could have a son and no one
in the world would know about him? Moreover, how can it be so
that five years would pass and he would remain unknown? Did not
Imam 'Askari live in Samarra? Was not he visited by anyone? Could
one believe the only report on the presence of the infant son
of the Imam coming from Abu 'Amr 'Uthman b. Sa'id?
Mr. Hoshyar:
Although it was clear from the very beginning that, under the
circumstances which prevailed in Samarra under the 'Abbasids,
the birth of Imam 'Askari's son would be kept secret, there were
those trustworthy associates and relatives who had seen the child
and had testified to his presence. Let us examine some reports
to that effect:
(1) Among those who were present at the birth
of the twelfth Imam and who reported the event in great detail
was Hakima Khatun, the daughter of Imam Muhammad Taqi and the
aunt of Imam Hasan 'Askari. The story in brief is recounted by
her as follows:
One day I was visiting Imam 'Askari's house.
At night, which happened to be the fifteenth night of Sha'ban
(255 AH/29th July, 870), when I wanted to return to my home, the
Imam said: "Aunt, stay with us tonight, because God's friend
and my successor will be born this night." I asked: "Which
one of your slave-girls is expecting?" He said: "Sawsan."
Hence, I started looking at her to see if there were any signs
of pregnancy in her. I could not see any. After breaking the fast
and finishing prayers, I slept in the same room as Sawsan. After
a while I woke up from my sleep and began to think about what
Imam 'Askari had predicted. Then I started performing the midnight
prayers. Sawsan also woke up and prepared to perform her prayers.
It was getting close to the dawn. But there was no sign of child-birth
in her. I was beginning to doubt what the Imam had predicted when
he said from his room: "Aunt dear, do not doubt. The time
for my son's birth is approaching."
All of a sudden Sawsan's condition started
changing. I asked her if everything was alright. She said that
she was feeling some discomfort. I began to prepare things that
were needed for delivery and took charge of the situation. Within
a short while God's friend was born, all clean and pure. Just
then Imam 'Askari said: "O Aunt, bring my son to me."
When I took him to the Imam he held him close to himself and stroked
his tongue over the infant's eyes. The eyes of the infant opened
immediately. Then he stroked his mouth and ears with his tongue,
and his head with his hand. At that time the infant began to recite
verses from the Qur'an. Then he gave the infant back to me and
asked me to take him back to his mother. I brought him to his
mother and went home.
On the third day, I came back to Imam 'Askari's
house and straight away I went to Sawsan's room to see the child.
But I did not see him. I went to the Imam's room. but hesitated
to ask about the infant. The Imam at once informed me: "O
aunt, my son is in concealment in God's protection. When I depart
from this world and when you see my followers in dispute about
my successor, tell those trustworthy among them what you have
witnessed in connection with his birth. However, make sure that
the event is guarded in secrecy because my son will be in occultation."[8]
(2) The two maids at Imam 'Askari's residence
have related that when the Imam of the Age was born he sat on
his legs and raised his finger toward the sky [bearing witness
to the Unity of God]. Then he sneezed and said: "Praise be
to God, the Lord of the universe."[9]
(3) Abu Ghanim, the servant at Imam 'Askari's
house, relates that a son was born to Imam Hasan 'Askari, whom
he named Muhammad. "On the third day he showed him to his
companions and said: 'This son of mine will be your master and
Imam after me. He is the Qa'im who is being awaited by everyone.
When the earth is filled with injustice and tyranny, he will rise,
and fill it with justice and equity.'"[10]
(4) Abu 'Ali Khayzarani relates from the slave
girl he had presented to Imam 'Askari that she was present at
the time when the twelfth Imam was born. His mother's name was
Sayqal.[11]
(5) Hasan b. Husayn 'Alawi said: "I personally
went to see Imam Hasan 'Askari in Samarra to congratulate him
on the occasion of his son's birth." A similar tradition
has been related by 'Abd Allah b. 'Abbas 'Alawi.[12]
(6) Hasan b. Mundhir reports that one day Hamza
b. Abu al-Fath came to see him and informed him: "Last night
God granted Imam 'Askari a son. However, he has asked us to keep
the matter secret. I asked him his name. He said it is Muhammad."[13]
(7) Ahmad b. Ishaq relates that one day he
came to see Imam Hasan 'Askari with the intention of asking about
his successor. The Imam began the conversation. He said:
O Ahmad b. Ishaq, from the time God created
Adam until the Day of Resurrection, God has not and will not leave
the earth without His proof. It is because of the existence of
this person that calamity is removed from earth and rain falls
on it, through which the earth brings forth blessings.
At that juncture Ahmad asked the Imam about
his successor. The Imam went in the private quarters of his house
and returned carrying a three year old boy whose face was shining
like the fourteenth night moon and said:
O Ahmad, if you had not been close to the Imams
and highly respected by them I would not have shown my son to
you. Know that this boy's name and patronymic are the same as
the Prophet's name and patronymic. He is the one who will fill
the earth with justice and equity.[14]
(8) Mu'awiya b. Hakim, Muhammad b. Ayyub and
Muhammad b. 'Uthman 'Amri related the following account:
We were forty people who had come together
in Imam Hasan 'Askari's house. The Imam presented his son to us
and said: "This is your Imam and my successor. After me you
must obey him. Do not get into a dispute on this matter, otherwise
you will be destroyed. However, you must remember that after this
you will not be able to see him."[15]
(9) Ja'far b. Muhammad b. Malik was among the
group of the prominent members of the Shi'a that included 'Ali
b. Bilal, Ahmad b. Hilal, Muhammad b. Mu'awiya b. Hakim and Hasan
b. Ayyub. He relates the following occasion:
We were all gathered at the Imam 'Askari's
house to find out about his successor. We were some forty people
there. At that time 'Uthman b. 'Amr stood up and asked: "O
son of the Prophet, we have come to ask you about something of
which you have better knowledge." The Imam said: "Please
be seated." He then left the room asking everyone to remain
there. He returned after an hour, having brought with him a small
boy whose face was shining like the moon. He then announced: "This
is your Imam. Obey him. And also know that you will no more see
him after today." [16]
(10) Abu Harun reports that he saw the twelfth
Imam when his face was shining like the full moon.[17]
(11) Ya'qub relates that one day he went to
visit Imam 'Askari. On the right side of the Imam he saw a room
with a curtain hanging on its entrance. He asked the Imam as to
who was the Master of the Age. The Imam said: "Raise the
curtain!." When he raised the curtain, a boy appeared and
came and sat on the Imam's lap. At that time, the Imam told Ya'qub:
"This is your Imam."[18]
(12) 'Amr Ahwazi reported that Imam 'Askari
showed him his son and told him that he was the Imam after him.[19]
(13) A Persian servant related the following:
I was standing at Imam Hasan 'Askari's door
when I saw a maid leaving the house with something covered in
her hands. The Imam said to her: "Reveal that which you have
in your hands." The maid uncovered a beautiful boy. The Imam
told me: "This is your Imam." After that one time I
never saw that boy again.[20]
(14) Abu Nasr, the servant, and Abu 'Ali Mutahhar
relate that they saw the son of Imam Hasan 'Askari.[21]
(15) Kamil b. Ibrahim relates that he saw the
twelfth Imam in the house of Imam Hasan 'Askari. He was four years
old and his face was as beautiful as the full moon. The Imam answered
his questions before he asked him.[22]
(16) Sa'd b. 'Abd Allah recounts: "I saw
the Master of the Age as his face was bright like the full moon.
He was sitting on his father's lap and responded to the questions
I asked."[23]
(17) Hamza b. Nusayr, Imam 'Ali Naqi's slave
relates from his father: When the twelfth Imam was born the family
members in the household of Imam Hasan 'Askari were congratulating
each other. When the Imam had grown a little older I was asked
to buy daily meat with some bone and it was said that the meat
was for "our younger master."[24]
(18) Ibrahim b. Muhammad relates:
Once because of fear of the governor I decided
to escape from Samarra. I came to Imam Hasan 'Askari's house in
order to bid him farewell. I saw a beautiful child next to him.
I asked him: "O son of the Prophet, who is this child?"
The Imam replied: "He is my son and successor."[25]
This was the list of the trustworthy associates,
relatives, and servants of Imam Hasan 'Askari who had seen his
son in his childhood and who had testified to his existence. When
one puts this testimony along side the information given by the
Prophet and the Imams, then certainty about the existence of the
son of Imam Hasan 'Askari is attained.
Why Was
the Twelfth Imam Not Mentioned in the Will of Imam Hasan 'Askari?
Engineer Madani:
It is said that in his last days when Imam Hasan 'Askari was ill
he appointed his mother as the executer of his will so that she
could manage his affairs after his death. This matter was officially
approved by the court. In this will there was no mention of his
son. Moreover, his estate was divided between his mother and his
brother.[26] Had he had a son then he would
have certainly mentioned him in his last will so that he would
not be deprived of his share of inheritance.
Mr. Hoshyar:
Imam Hasan 'Askari intentionally kept his son's name off his last
will so that he would remain immune from all the danger that could
come to him from the ruler of the time. In fact, he was so careful
in this matter and was so fearful about his son's birth being
uncovered that at times, out of necessity, he would employ precautionary
dissimulation in the matter of his son with his close associates
to obscure the situation for them.
One of the companions of Imam Hasan 'Askari
by the name of Ibrahim b. Idris relates that the Imam sent him
a sheep with a message that he should sacrifice it for the latter's
having performed the ceremony of shaving off his son's birth hair
('aqiqa), and share the meat with his family. Ibrahim carried
out the Imam's order. But when he came to see him the Imam said:
"Our child has died." However, once again he sent Ibrahim
two sheep with a letter in which the Imam instructed Ibrahim:
In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
Sacrifice these sheep for your master's ceremony of 'aqiqa
and eat the meat with your family.
Ibrahim carried out the order. But when he
came to see the Imam the latter did not mention anything about
it. [27]
Imam Sadiq had also taken similar precautions
in his last will. He had appointed five persons as executors of
his will, including the 'Abbasid caliph Mansur, Muhammad b. Sulayman,
the governor of Madina, his two sons, 'Abd Allah and Musa, and
his wife Hamida, Musa's mother.[28] By doing
so he saved the life of his son Musa from imminent danger, because
he knew that if his Imamate and legateship became known to the
caliph, Mansur would have tried to get rid of his son. As a matter
of fact events did happen exactly as Imam Sadiq had thought, because
the caliph ordered that if the legatee of the Imam Sadiq was a
specific person, then he should be killed.
Why Did
Others Not Know about the Twelfth Imam's Birth?
Dr. Fahimi:
The custom is that when a child is born to anyone, then relatives,
neighbors, and friends come to know about it. This is true in
the case of a person who is well respected. As such no one disputes
the existence of a child for that person. How can one believe
that the people would have no information about a son born to
Imam Hasan 'Askari in spite of the respect that he held among
them and that they would have doubts about that and dispute with
each other about it?
Mr. Hoshyar:
You are correct that normally the situation is exactly the way
you have described. However, Imam Hasan 'Askari from the very
beginning had decided that he would not divulge any information
about the birth of a son to him. Rather, such a decision was made
when the Prophet was alive and when other Imams were faced with
a situation where secrecy about the birth was among the signs
of the last Imam. Thus we have a report which says that Imam Zayn
al-'Abidin predicted that: "The birth of our Qa'im will be
concealed from the people and that will cause the people to say
that he is not born at all, so that when he takes the command
no one's allegiance will be on his neck."[29]
In another tradition 'Abd Allah b. 'Ata relates:
I said to Imam Baqir: "Your followers
in Iraq are numerous. By God, no one in your family has the status
that you have. Why don't you rise?" The Imam said: "O
'Abd Allah, you have allowed nonsensical talk to enter your mind.
By God, I am not the promised commander of the affairs."
I asked: "Then who is the commander of the affairs?"
He said: "Look out for someone whose birth will be concealed
from the people. He will be your commander." [30]
Dr. Fahimi:
Why did Imam Hasan 'Askari conceal the birth of his son from the
people so that they would fall into doubt and perplexity and would
be led astray in the matter of Imamate?
Mr. Hoshyar:
As I have said earlier, the story of the promised Mahdi was widespread
among Muslims from the very early days of Islam. The traditions
and the hadith-reports about the subject that were related
by the Prophet and the further confirmation of these reports by
the Imams had circulated among the people. The rulers of the time
were also well aware of these hadith-reports which announced
that the promised Mahdi will be among the descendants of Fatima
and Husayn. Moreover, these traditions announced the destruction
of unjust governments by the Mahdi, who will establish the rule
of justice and equity all over the world. Consequently, they were
in fear of the birth and emergence of the promised Mahdi and were
determined to rid themselves of the danger of the revolution of
the Mahdi. It was for this reason that the homes of the family
members of the Prophet, that is, the Hashimites, and more particularly
Imam Hasan 'Askari's home, were under constant surveillance and
under the watchful eyes of secret agents of the 'Abbasid state.
Mu'tamid, the 'Abbasid caliph, had assigned
a number of midwives to conduct espionage missions in the Hashimite
families to collect information about pregnancies and child births.
When the caliph got the news about Imam Hasan 'Askari's illness,
he instructed his agents to keep a constant watch over the house
of the Imam. When he heard that the Imam had died, he ordered
a search of the Imam's house to find the whereabouts of his son.
In addition, he sent some of these midwives to examine the slave
girls of the Imam to determine if they were pregnant. If a woman
was found pregnant she was detained and imprisoned.
The midwives suspected one of the women to
be pregnant and reported her to the caliph. The caliph ordered
her to be confined to one of the rooms and commissioned Tahrir,
his servant, to watch over her. He did not set her free until
he was sure that she did not carry the Imam's child. He did not
stop with the household of Imam Hasan 'Askari. Rather, as soon
as the funeral was over he ordered all the houses to be searched
and kept under watch.[31]
Now you can appreciate that Imam Hasan 'Askari,
living under those dangerous circumstances, could not do anything
other than conceal his son's birth from the people so that he
would remain immune from their evil designs. The Prophet and his
rightful successors, the Imams, used to predict these conditions
and inform the people of the twelfth Imam's birth in secret.
However, such stories are not unknown in historical
annals. As you know, when Pharaoh came to know that a child would
be born among the Israelites who would put an end to his kingdom,
he attempted to forestall the danger and so sent his spies around
to keep a watch over all pregnant women and to kill all the boys
and imprison all the girls that were born. With all these criminal
acts he did not reach his aim, and God caused the birth of Moses
to remain concealed so that the divine aim could be fulfilled.
As for Imam Hasan 'Askari, in spite of that
dangerous situation, he revealed his son to a number of his trusted
companions and followers so that they would continue to receive
the guidance. Nevertheless, he asked them to keep the matter secret
from the enemies and requested that they not even mention his
name.
The Mother
of the Twelfth Imam
Dr. Jalali:
What is the name of the mother of the Master of the Age?
Mr. Hoshyar:
His mother was introduced in the sources with various names. Among
them are: Narjis, Sayqal, Rayhana, Sawsan, Khumt, Hukayma, and
Maryam. If you keep the two following points in mind you will
understand the source of this confusion:
(a) Imam Hasan 'Askari had several slave girls
with different names. On two occasions Hakima Khatun has mentioned
these slave girls. At one time she came to visit Imam Hasan 'Askari
and saw him seated in the courtyard of his house, surrounded by
his slave girls. She asked him: "Which one of these girls
is going to be the mother of your successor?" The Imam replied:
"It is Sawsan."[32]
In another report Hakima relates the event
of the birth of the twelfth Imam, cited earlier, in which Imam
Hasan 'Askari requests her to spend the night of 15th Sha'ban
(255 AH/870 CE) in his house because a child was going to be born.
At that point Hakima asked him: "Which of your maidens is
the mother of the child?" The Imam said: "It is Narjis."
Hakima said: "Yes, I too like her the most among your slave
girls."[33]
From these two and other similar reports it
appears that Imam Hasan 'Askari had several slave girls.
(b) As stated earlier Imam Hasan 'Askari's
child was born in an extremely dangerous situation because the
'Abbasid caliphs and even some members of the Hashimite clan had
been aware of the approaching time for the birth of the Mahdi,
who was to end unjust and tyrannical rule and establish justice
and equity. Hence, the agents of the 'Abbasids were guarding the
homes of the Hashimites in general, and the Imam in particular,
day and night. The secret agents of the caliph were involved in
searching for the newborn in these homes to deliver him to the
caliph.
Having noted these two things, it must be pointed
out that it was certainly decreed by God that in such a threatening
environment and in such a home of importance a son had to be born
to Imam Hasan 'Askari who should remain protected from all sorts
of dangers. It was for this reason that all necessary precautions
had to be taken. Hence, to begin with, according to the related
accounts, there were no signs of pregnancy in his mother. Moreover,
Imam Hasan 'Askari did not reveal her real name. In addition,
at the time of the delivery only Hakima Khatun, and probably some
slave girls were present. This is despite the fact that usually
in such circumstances assistance is sought from a midwife and
other experienced women. In fact, nobody knew whether Imam Hasan
'Askari was married or not and, if he was married, no one knew
the identity of his wife.
On the fifteenth night of Sha'ban when it was
completely dark, at night, the child was born under fear and veiled
circumstances. This too happened in a home where there were several
slave girls of whom none had any visible signs of pregnancy. At
the time of delivery, with the exception of Hakima, there was
no one present and no one dared to reveal the situation.
For a long while the matter was kept a secret
and only later the close, trusted companions of Imam Hasan 'Askari
began to inquire and were told about it. Some among the followers
believed that God had favored Imam Hasan 'Askari with a son, whereas
others denied it. Since all the slave girls lacked visible signs
of pregnancy, the story about the dispute over the identity of
the child's mother was naturally bound to occur. Some knew the
mother to be Sawsan, some Narjis, some Sayqal, and so on. Nobody,
except a select few, knew the true state of affairs. But they
were not allowed to divulge that information. Even Hakima, who
was the witness and was present during the birth of the twelfth
Imam, for the sake of protecting the identity of his mother, sometimes
used to mention her name variantly as Narjis, Sayqal or Sawsan,
and at other time, as a precautionary measure she would ascribe
the child to Imam Hasan 'Askari's mother.
In the year 262 AH/877 CE Ahmad b. Ibrahim
came to see Hakima Khatun, the daughter of Imam Jawad. He spoke
to her from behind the curtain and asked her about her beliefs.
She introduced her Imams and mentioned Muhammad b. Hasan as her
last Imam. Ahmad said: "Were you yourself witness to the
matter (of his birth) or are you saying this on the basis of what
you have heard?" She replied saying that the matter was according
to what Imam Hasan 'Askari had written to his mother. So Ahmad
went on to inquire as to whom the Shi'a should follow in that
matter. Hakima said that they should follow Imam Hasan 'Askari's
mother. Ahmad objected saying: "In this will of testament
should we follow one woman?" Hakima responded that actually
Imam Hasan 'Askari was following his forefather, Imam 'Ali b.
Husayn in this matter. Imam Husayn had made his sister Zaynab
his legatee and the knowledge that was possessed by 'Ali b. Husyan
was ascribed to Zaynab. Imam Husyan had done that, added Hakima,
so that the matter about the Imamate of 'Ali b. Husayn would remain
secret. Then she said: "You are the people who know the traditions.
Have not you been informed that the inheritance belonging to the
ninth among the descendants of Husayn will be distributed while
he is alive?"[34]
As you can see, in this report Hakima has not
responded to the inquiry about the last Imam's birth directly.
In fact, she has attributed the story to Imam Hasan 'Askari's
mother. It is also likely that out of fear for revealing the true
state of affairs to the reporter she employed 'prudential concealment'
(taqiyya). Or, she simply wanted to present the report
in a manner that would generate bewilderment. However, the same
Hakima in another place relates the event that led to the marriage
of Imam Hasan 'Askari with Narjis Khatun and the birth of the
Mahdi, to which she was herself a witness, in great detail. She
ends this account with the following statement: "I now see
my master (i.e., the twelfth Imam) regularly and talk to him."[35]
In short, the differences of opinion regarding
the name of the last Imam's mother is not something unusual. On
the contrary they point to the most difficult and even frightful
situation at that time. Moreover, the number of the slave girls
that belonged to Imam Hasan 'Askari and the extreme precaution
that he took in keeping the matter secret would have necessarily
created confusion. It is not unlikely that the story about the
serious dispute that erupted between the Imam's mother and brother,
Ja`far, the Liar, could have been part of a state conspiracy masterminded
by the caliph in order to extort information about Imam Hasan
'Askari's son.
According to Shaykh Saduq in his Kamal al-din,
at the time when Imam Hasan 'Askari's mother got into the dispute
with Ja'far, his brother, over the inheritance and when the matter
was referred to the caliph, one of the slave girls belonging to
Imam Hasan 'Askari by the name of Sayqal claimed to be pregnant.
Sayqal was brought to the palace of the caliph, Mu'tamid, and
was kept under strict guard and under the watchful eyes of the
midwives and other women in the palace to determine the fate of
her pregnancy. At that very time, political turmoil as a consequence
of the insurrection led by Saffar, the death of 'Abd Allah b.
Yahya, and the revolution of the Zanj engulfed the caliphal state.
The 'Abbasids were forced to abandon Samarra. Hence, they became
occupied with their own troubles and gave up the surveillance
of Sayqal's pregnancy.[36]
There is also another reason for differences
in the name of the mother of the twelfth Imam. It is possible
to say that all those names were given to one and the same person.
That is to say that the twelfth Imam's mother had several names.
This explanation is not far fetched because it was customary among
Arabs to give several names to a person of importance.
The evidence for this is provided in Shaykh
Saduq's Kamal al-din. He himself has related from Ghiyath
that Imam Hasan 'Askari's successor was born on Friday, and his
mother was Rayhana, who was also known as Narjis, Sayqal, and
Sawsan. Since at the time of her pregnancy she had some kind of
brilliance over her face, she was known as Sayqal.[37]
To sum this discussion up, it is important
to remind ourselves that in spite of some ambiguity in identifying
the actual name of the twelfth Imam's mother, there is no doubt
that she existed. In other words, such an ambiguity does not detract
authenticity from her existence. As you have noticed all the Imams,
including Imam Hasan 'Askari, have informed about the existence
of a son for the latter. In addition, Hakima, the daughter of
Imam Jawad, was a highly trustworthy woman who reported in detail
the birth of the Imam. Moreover, a number of trustworthy companions
and servants of Imam Hasan 'Askari saw the son and testified to
his existence, regardless of his mother's name.
The Sunni
'Ulama' and the Birth of the Mahdi
Dr. Fahimi:
If Imam Hasan 'Askari had a son then the Sunni 'ulama'
and historians should have recorded that in their books.
Mr. Hoshyar:
Yes, indeed there is a group of them who also have related the
event of the birth of [Ibn] Imam Hasan 'Askari and have accepted
and recorded his and his father's history in their books. Thus,
for instance:
(1) Muhammad b. Talha Shafi'i writes: "Abu
al-Qasim Muhammad b. Hasan was born in the year 258 AH/873 CE
in Samarra. His father's name was Hasan Khalis. Among the titles
[of this last Imam] are: Hujjat, Khalaf Salih (the righteous offspring)
and Muntazar (the awaited one)." Following this statement
he has related several traditions on the subject of the Mahdi,
with the concluding statement: "These hadith-reports
confirm the existence of Imam Hasan 'Askari's son, who is in concealment
and will appear later."[38]
(2) Muhammad b. Yusuf, following his entry
on the death of Imam Hasan 'Askari, writes: "He did not have
any child beside Muhammad. It is said that he is the same as the
Awaited Imam (imam muntazar)."[39]
(3) Ibn Sabbagh Maliki writes: "Section
Twelve on the Life of Abu al-Qasim Muhammad, Hujjat, Khalaf Salih,
the son of Abu Muhammad Hasan Khalis: He is the twelfth Imam of
the Shi'a." Then he has recorded the history of the Imam
and has related the traditions about the Mahdi.[40]
(4) Yusuf b. Qazughli, after writing his account
of the life of Imam Hasan 'Askari, writes: [119] "His son's
name is Muhammad, and his patronymic is Abu 'Abd Allah and Abu
al-Qasim. He is the Proof of God's existence, the Master of the
Age, the Qa'im, and the Muntazar. The Imamate has come to an end
with him." Then he reports traditions about the Mahdi.[41]
(5) Shablanji in the book entitled Nur al-absar,
writes: "Muhammad is the son of Hasan 'Askari. His mother
was a slave girl by the name of Narjis or Sayqal or Sawsan. His
patronymic is Abu al-Qasim. The Twelver Shi'ites know him as:
Hujjat, Mahdi, Khalaf Salih, Qa'im, Muntazar, and Master of the
Age."[42]
(6) Ibn Hajar, in his al-Sawa'iq al-muharriqa,
following the biography of Imam Hasan 'Askari writes: "He
has not left a son besides Abu al-Qasim, who is known as Muhammad
and Hujjat. That boy was five years old when his father died."[43]
(7) Muhammad Amin Baghdadi in the book entitled:
Saba'ik al-dhahab writes: "Muhammad, who is also known
as Mahdi, was five years old at the time of his father's death."[44]
(8) Ibn Khallikan relates in his biographical
dictionary Wafayat al-a'yan: "Abu al-Qasim Muhammad
b. al-Hasan al-'Askari is the twelfth Imam of the Imamiyya, that
is the Twelver Shi'ites. The Shi'ites believe that he is the one
who is the awaited Qa'im and the Mahdi."[45]
(9) In Rawdat al-safa Mir Khwand writes:
"Muhammad was the son of Hasan. His patronymic is Abu al-Qasim.
The Imamiyya acknowledge that he is the Hujjat, the Qa'im, and
the Mahdi." [46]
(10) Sha'rani writes in his al-Yawaqit wa
al-jawahir: "Mahdi is the son of Imam Hasan 'Askari.
He was born on the fifteenth night of Sha'ban, 255 AH. He is alive
and will remain so until he will emerge with Jesus. Now it is
957 AH. He is, thus, 703 years old."[47]
(11) Sha'rani, quoting Ibn 'Arabi's Futuhat
makiyya, section 366, writes: "When the earth will be
filled with tyranny and injustice the Mahdi will rise and will
fill the earth with justice and equity. He will be among the descendants
of the Prophet and from the line of Fatima. His grandfather will
be Husayn, and his father will be Imam Hasan 'Askari, the son
of Imam 'Ali Naqi, the son of Imam Muhammad Taqi, the son of Imam
'Ali Rida, the son of Imam Musa Kazim, the son of Imam Ja'far
Sadiq, the son of Imam Muhammad Baqir, the son of Imam Zayn al-'Abidin,
the son of Imam Husayn b. 'Ali b. Abi Talib."[48]
(12) Khwaja Parsa in his book Fasl al-khitab
writes: "Muhammad, the son of Hasan 'Askari, was born on
fifteenth night of Sha'ban, 255 AH/870 CE. His mother's name was
Narjis. His father died when he was five years of age. From that
time until now he is in occultation. He is the awaited Imam of
the Shi'a. His existence is well established among his companions,
trusted associates and family. God will prolong his age as He
has done in the case of Elijah and Eliash."[49]
(13) Abu al-Falah Hanbali in his Shadharat
al-dhahab and Dhahabi in al-'Ibar fi khabar min ghabar
write: "Muhammad is the son of Hasan 'Askari, the son of
'Ali Hadi, the son of Jawad, the son of 'Ali Rida, the son of
Musa Kazim, the son of Ja'far Sadiq, 'Alawi, Husayni. His patronymic
is Abu al-Qasim and the Shi'a know him as Khalaf Salih, Hujjat,
Mahdi, Muntazar, and the Master of the Age (Sahib al-zaman)."[50]
(14) Muhammad b. 'Ali Hamawi writes: "Abu
al-Qasim Muhammad Muntazar was born in the year 259 AH/874 CE
in Samarra."[51]
In short, besides all these above mentioned
Sunni scholars there are numerous others who have recorded the
birth of Imam Hasan 'Askari's son.[52]
*******
At this time it was quite late in the night.
The meeting was adjourned and it was decided that the following
session would be held at Dr. Jalali's residence.
Notes:
- Ithbat al-hudat,
Vol. 6, p. 275.
- Bihar al-anwar,
Vol. 51, p. 160.
- Muntakhab al-athar,
p. 320.
- Ibid.
- Ithbat al-hudat,
Vol. 6, p. 432.
- Muntakhab al-athar,
p. 345.
- Ithbat al-hudat,
Vol. 6, p. 430.
- Tusi, Ghayba,
pp. 141-42.
- Ithbat al-hudat,
Vol. 7, p. 292; Ithbat al-wasiyya, p. 197.
- Ithbat al-hudat,
Vol. 6, p. 431.
- Kamal al-din,
p. 105.
- Ithbat al-hudat,
Vol. 6, p. 433 and Vol. 7, p. 20.
- Ithbat al-hudat,
Vol. 6, p. 432.
- Bihar al-anwar,
Vol. 52, p. 23.
- Ibid., Vol. 52, p. 25.
- Ithbat al-hudat,
Vol. 6, p. 311,
- Ibid., Vol. 7, p. 20.
- Ibid., Vol. 6, p. 425.
- Ibid., Vol. 7, p. 16.
- Yanabi' al-mawadda,
Bab 82, p. 461.
- Ithbat al-hudat,
Vol. 7, p. 344; Ithbat al-wasiyya, p. 198; Yanabi' al-mawadda,
Bab 82, p. 461.
- Ithbat al-hudat,
Vol. 7, p. 323; Yanabi' al-mawadda, p. 461.
- Bihar al-anwar,
Vol. 52, p. 78 and 86.
- Ithbat al-hudat,
Vol. 7, p. 18; Ithbat al-wasiyya, p. 197.
- Ithbat al-hudat,
Vol. 7, p. 356. For detailed information on the birth of the twelfth
Imam see: Sayyid Hashim Bahrani, Tabsirat al-wali fiman ra'a
al-qa'im al-mahdi and Bihar al-anwar, Vol. 51, Bab
1; and Vol. 52, Bab 17 and 19.
- Usul al-kafi,
Bab mawlid Abi Muhammad al-Hasan b. 'Ali.
- Bihar al-anwar,
Vol. 51, p. 22.
- Usul al-kafi,
Bab al-ishara wa al-nass 'ala abi al-Hasan Musa.
- Bihar al-anwar,
Vol. 51, p. 135.
- Bihar al-anwar,
Vol. 51. p. 34.
- Usul al-kafi,
Bab mawlid abi Muhammad al-Hasan b. 'Ali. See also all other sources
that mention the adverse conditions under which these women suffered
in the hands of the 'Abbasid caliph and his fear of the existence
of a son for Imam Hasan 'Askari.
- Bihar al-anwar,
Vol. 51, p. 17.
- Ibid., p. 25.
- Kamal al-din,
Vol. 2, p. 178.
- Kamal al-din,
Vol. 2, pp. 99-103.
- Kamal al-din,
Vol. 2, p. 149.
- Kamal al-din,
Vol. 2, p. 106.
- Matalib al-su'al
(1287 AH edition), p. 89.
- Kifayat al-talib,
p. 312.
- Fusul al-muhimma
(Second edition), p. 273 and 286.
- Tadhkirat khawass al-umma,
p. 363.
- Nur al-absar
(Cairo edition), p. 342.
- al-Sawa'iq al-muharriqa,
p. 206.
- Saba'ik al-dhahab,
p. 78.
- Wafayat al-a'yan
(1284 AH edition), Vol. 2, p. 24.
- Rawdat al-safa,
Vol. 3, p. 143.
- al-Yawaqit wa al-jawahir
(1351 AH edition), Vol. 2, p. 143.
- Ibid., p. 143.
- As cited in Yanabi'
al-mawadda, Vo. 2, p. 126.
- Shadharat al-dhahab
(Beirut edition), Vol. 2, p. 141; al-'Ibar fi khabar min ghabar
(Kuwait edition), Vol. 2, p. 31.
- Ta'rikh mansuri,
microfilm copy of the Moscow manuscript, folio number 114.
- See the references compiled
in the volume Kashf al-astar,
by Husayn b. Muhammad Taqi Nuri and Kifayat al-muwahhidin
by TTabarsi, especially volume 2.
