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.

We will say: The case is not as suggested. A number of the companions of Abu Muhammad Hasan Ibn ‘Ali (‘a) 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 Shi’a and were well known, as we have narrated, and carried religious guidance to the Shi’a 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) 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 Sa’id Samman, his son Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibn Uthman Ibn Sa’id, and others that we will mention in detail soon.

They were wise, trustworthy, extremely reliable and intelligent and men of great noble characters. They were respected by the rulers of the time for their nobility and majesty and honoured 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.

After the companions of his father, communication was intact with him through the emissaries between him and his Shi’a, 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.

Narrations from his holy forefathers (‘a) had preceded him that the Qa’im (aj) 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.

Some Examples: Occultation Of Khizr (‘A)

Khizr (‘a) is alive since before our time, since the time of Musa (‘a) 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 Qur’an1 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.

Occultation Of Musa (‘A)

There is the story of the hiding of Musa, the son of Imran from his homeland and his flight from Fira’wn and his people, as mentioned by Qur’an.2 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.

Occultation Of Yusuf (‘A)

There is the story of Yusuf, the son of Yaqub, to which a Surah of the Qur’an 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.

Occultation Of Yunus (‘A)

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 Qur’an and agreed upon by all.3

Occultation Of People Of The Cave

Likewise, is the story of the “people of the cave" narrated by the Qur’an how their story unfolded and how they hid from their people and fled to save their religion. If the Qur’an 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.4

Occultation Of The Owner Of The Donkey

There is the story of the “owner of the donkey,”5 whose6 story is narrated by the Qur’an 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.

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 Qur’an 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.

• 1. Refer to Surah al-Kahf, 18:60-82.
• 2. Refer to Surah al-Qasas, 28:21 onwards.
• 3. Refer to Surah as-Saffat 37:139 and 37:148; Surah Qalam, 68:48 and 68:50.
• 4. Refer to Surah al-Kahf 18:9 and 18:26.
• 5. Refer to Surah al-Baqarah 2:259.
• 6. In Ihtijaj Tabarsi it is narrated from Hisham Ibn Hakam from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) that he was Prophet Irmiya (‘a). In Tafsir Ayyashi, it is narrated from Abu Basir from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a). Vol. 1, Pg. 140; in Tafsir al-Qummi same is narrated from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a), Vol. 1, Pg. 90. With attention to numerous traditional reports, it can be concluded that the ‘owner of the donkey’ was Prophet Irmiya (‘a).