Shaykh as-Saduq in Kamal ad-Din,1 Shaykh At-Tusi in his Ghaibah2 and Shaykh Tabarsi in Ihtijaj3 have narrated that an epistle arrived from Imam Az-Zaman (‘aj) to Abu al-Hasan Saymoori as follows:

“O Ali Ibn Muhammad Saymoori, may Allah enhance the reward of your brothers for you, as you shall die within six days. Tie up your affairs together and do not appoint any successor to carry out your duties after your final transfer.

The full occultation has begun and there shall be no appearance, but after Divine permission, high His name is, and that shall be after lengthy times, and the hardening of the hearts, and the earth’s repletion with inequity.

Individuals who will claim they have seen me will come to my Shi’a. Behold, whoever claims seeing me before the rise of Sufyani and the call (from the sky), is a liar and a slanderer. And there is no power except through Allah, the High, the Great.”

Also, in some other reports this point is hinted at and the reply of this report is from some aspects:

First reply: This report is weak and also, a solitary report, that except for conjecture nothing can be concluded from it; thus, it cannot be disputed with in presence of those clear absolute incidents although all of them do not prove with absolute certainty; on the contrary some comprise of such miraculous acts, which are not possible from anyone except Imam Az-Zaman (‘aj).

Then how is it possible to ignore them due to the presence of a weak report as the one, who has quoted it Shaykh At-Tusi, has not acted on it in his book as will be mentioned in his statement on this juncture. Then how is it possible for the scholars of the ancient times till the present to accept this incident and to record it in their books and to argue through it and they paid no attention. Each of them taking it from another whom they trusted.

Second reply: It is that perhaps this report implies refutation of one, who claims of having met the Imam in the capacity of his deputyship and in conveying the reports of the Imam to his Shi’a as the special deputies of the Imam were able to do during the Minor occultation; and this is the reply of Allamah al-Majlisi in Bihar Al-Anwar.4

Third reply: It is that which is learnt from the story of the Green Island, when Zainuddin Ali Ibn Fadhil asked Sayyid Shamsuddin: O my chief, we narrate a tradition from our teachers from the Master of the Affair that he said: “One, who says during the Major Occultation that he has met me; he has indeed lied.” In spite of this how can someone claim to have met the Imam? He replied: You are right. His Eminence issued this statement during that time due to excess of the enemies of his Ahl Al-Bayt (‘a) and other tyrants from the Bani Abbas Caliphs.

So much so that Shi’a during that time refrained each other from mentioning the circumstances of the Imam till a long time passed and the enemies despaired from him and our land is far away from those tyrants and their injustice and by the blessings of the Imam the enemies cannot reach us…and so on.

This reason mentioned by the Sayyid applies to most of the lands inhabited by the followers of the Imam.

Fourth reply: It is what Allamah Tabataba’i Bahr al-’Uloom (r.a.) has said in the book of Rijal,5 in the biography of Shaykh Al-Mufid, after the famous epistles, which were mentioned previously, that it is difficult due to their occurrence during the Major Occultation and the ignorance of that person who sent these epistles and his claim of having seen the Imam, which are contradictory after the Minor Occultation. It is possible to remove this difficulty by obtaining knowledge and reasoning of contexts and the epistle being composed of reports about mischief, discords and great battles and news of the unseen, which no one can be aware of, except the Almighty Allah and His Awliya, as He makes them aware of it and the meeting, which is prohibited is that one knows that he is the Imam at the time of meeting him and it is not known whether the one who brought the epistle, claimed this. End of statement.

It often happens that some very pious scholars are able to gain knowledge of Imam’s statements, which do not contradict seeing the Imam during occultation. So, it is not possible from the clarification to attribute that statement to Imam (‘a) after he will express that statement in form of consensus between expression of truth and prohibiting from publicizing such secret in every condition and perhaps, he implies the future.6

Fifth reply: There is a point, which this Allamah has stated in Rijal after the previous statement: And sometimes it is negation of meeting of the special confidants, although it proves the apparent meaning of the reports due to logical reasoning and evidence of some writings. End of statement.

Perhaps writings imply the same previous incident or the report that Hazini has narrated in his book through his own chains of narrators from Amir Al-Mu’minin (‘a) that he said: The Master of the Affair, the al-Mahdi will reappear and he will not be having allegiance of anyone on his neck. He will go into occultation till the time of his reappearance.

The narrator asked: O Amir Al-Mu’minin (‘a), would he not be seen before his reappearance?

He replied: Rather, he will be seen at the time of his birth and his proofs and evidences will be seen and the eyes of those, who have cognition will see him through His blessings, so that the thankful ones may become perfect and give glad tidings to those who have doubts about him.

Or it implies the report the like of which is mentioned by Shaykh Kulaini, an-Nu’mani and Shaykh At-Tusi through reliable chains of narrators from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) that he said: “The man of this matter must disappear and he is to be in isolation during his disappearance There in no loneliness among the thirty.7

That is due to the company of thirty confidants and followers, the Imam will not be lonely during his occultation as the scholars have understood from this statement.

Some say that the Imam (‘a) will continue to be aged thirty years and one, who is of this age is never lonely and this meaning is apparently unlikely and the Imam is having thirty special friends in his company. If one of them passes away, another one takes his place as they will not be having the same life span as the Imam has.

Thus, in every period of time, it is necessary that there should be thirty persons from the special confidants of the Imam.

Also, Shaykh At-Tusi8, Shaykh as-Saduq9 and Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibn Jarir Tabari10 have narrated through reliable chains of narrators the incident of Ali Ibn Ibrahim Ibn Mahziyar and the account of his travel from Ahwaz to Kufa and from there to Medina and then to Mecca; and his search for Imam Az-Zaman (‘aj) and when he was performing the Tawaf, he was approached by a young man, who took him to a pasture near Taif, which was in fact a part of Paradise; and there he had the honour of meeting the Holy Imam (‘a).

According to the report of Tabari, when he reached the youth, who was a special confidant of Imam (‘a), he asked: What do you want O Abu al-Hasan?

He replied: The Imam, who is concealed from the world.

He said: The Imam is not concealed from you, but your improper acts have concealed him…and so on.

There is hint in this statement that if someone does not commit any improper act and purifies his words and actions from the filth of disobedience and what is opposed to the character of his companions, there is no barrier for him to meet the Imam. Scholars, experts of traditions and scholasticism have explained that it is possible to meet the Imam during the period of major occultation.

In Tanzih al-Anbiya11, Sayyid Murtaza has replied to the objection that when the Imam goes into occultation in such a way that no one has any access to him and no one can get any benefit from him, then what is the difference whether he is in existence or not?

He said: The first reply is that we have no certainty that no one has any access to the Imam and that no one meets him and it is a matter, which is not known and there is no way to be certain of this… and so on.

Also, in reply to what he said that when the reason of the concealment of the Imam is fear of tyrants and his dissimulation from opponents, then this reason is not applicable for his Shi’a and devotees. So, it is obligatory for him to appear to them. He said that we Also, say that it is not impossible for the Imam to appear to some of his followers; from those whom he does not fear and this is something, which cannot be discontinued and it is nothing, except that everyone is aware of his condition and there is no way one can know about the condition of others.12

In the book of Muqna, which is a brief treatise on the occultation of Imam Az-Zaman (‘aj), the author has mentioned a statement similar in meaning. In Al-Ghaibah13, Shaykh At-Tusi has said in reply the above question after some words:

The appropriate answer to this question, which we mentioned on behalf of the opponent, is to say that first, we don’t believe in his occultation from all his followers. Rather, it is possible that he appears to most of them.

Everyone can only know his own condition. If the Imam appears to him, his excuse not to comply with religious duties ends; and if he does not appear to him, he discerns that the non-appearance is because of himself - though he may not know specifically why; otherwise, binding him with religious duties would be wrong…and so on.

Previously we mentioned the statement of Shaykh Muntajibuddeen in the incident number thirty-four, thirty-five and fifty-four and his counting three persons from the scholars among those who saw the Imam and who were his deputies.

We Also, mentioned from the Allamah in incident number fifty-seven, like Sayyid Raziuddin Ali Ibn Tawus in some places in the book of Kashf al-Muhajja14, as an allusion and clarification who claimed this station and at one place he said: Know that, O my son, Muhammad, the Almighty Allah will inspire that which He wants from you and will be pleased at it from you. That is the occultation of our master, Imam al-Mahdi (‘aj) so that the opponents are confused and it is a proof of the Imamate of His Eminence and the Imamate of his holy forefathers (may Allah bless them all). Peace be on their grandfather, Muhammad and all of them.

Because, when you become familiar with the books of Shi’a and non-Shi’a, like the book of Ghaibah of Ibn Babawayh and the book of Occultation of Shaykh an-Nu’mani and like the book of Shifa wa Jila and like the book of Hafiz Abu Noaim regarding the reports about Imam al-Mahdi (‘aj), and his distinctive qualities and the factuality of his reappearance and its proofs and the books, which we mentioned in Tara’if, you find in them more than the birth of His Eminence, as he would go into a long occultation till some of those who believed in his Imamate would turn back from it. So, if he does not go into occultation, it would be ridiculed in his forefathers and himself.

Thus, occultation become the definite proof for the Holy Imams (‘a) and for Imam Az-Zaman (‘aj) on his opponents in the proof of his Imamate and the correctness of his occultation in such a way that the Imam is present to the extent of certainty, except that he has gone into occultation in such a way that people have no access to him due to his occultation from His Eminence, following him and following the Lord of the worlds.

At one place, he says: If I perceived approval of his Tawfiq for exposing the secrets for you, I explain to you from the report of al-Mahdi (‘aj) something so that it may not be unclear for you and that you become needless of it through rational proofs and traditional reports.

Indeed, His Eminence is alive and present to the level of certainty and is excused from revealing his affair, till the command of the Almighty Allah permits him; as occurred in case of many prophets and successors.

So, know that in a way of certainty of this belief and religion indeed your father knew His Eminence and more clearly than the rays of the sun in the sky.

He states elsewhere after his advice to his son regarding the method beseeching His Eminence: Mention to him that your father has made bequest about him and made you by the permission of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime as His servant and that I make you attached to His Eminence.

Indeed, the reply of His Eminence will come to you and from the things I have mentioned to you, O my son, Muhammad may Allah fill up your intellect and heart with testimony of the people of truth and cognition of the truth that the path of the recognizers of the Almighty Allah for you the reply of our master, al-Mahdi (‘aj) is as per his power and mercy.

After that is the sentence which Muhammad Ibn Yaqub Kulaini has narrated in Kitab Rasa’il from a person, who said: I wrote to Abu al-Hasan (‘a) that a person desires to speak in confidence with his Imam, which he likes to state to his Lord.

He replied: If you have a need, move your lips. Indeed, you will be replied.15

After that is the sentence, which Saeed Ibn Hibtullah Rawandi has narrated in his book of Khara’ij16 that he said: Ali Ibn Muhammad (‘a) said to me: When you want to inquire about a religious problem, write it down and put that paper under your prayer mat and leave it for an hour. Then take it out and see it.

He said: I did that and I got the reply to what I had asked.

Indeed, I have condensed this remark for you and opened the way to the Imam for one, who intends access to Allah, the Mighty and Sublime and His bestowals and favours on him.

The venerable Shaykh, Asadullah Shustari Kadhmayni writes in his book of Kashf al-Qana, under the types of consensus other than the general consensus:

Third is what is received from one of the emissaries of the hidden Imam (‘aj) knowledge through the statement of the Imam is from the aspect of narrating a like of it for him and at the end or as a result of epistle or correspondence or hearing it directly from His Eminence, verbally on an aspect, which should not be opposed to the prohibition of seeing him during the period of occultation or that knowledge is obtained from bearers of his secrets.

And it should not be impossible to explain it to one, who is informed of it and has openly attributed that statement to Imam (‘a) and has depended on divulging his own claim without consensus from the evidence of Shari’ah from the aspect of their not being present at this moment; thus, it is allowed for him if he is not commanded to keep it confidential or is commanded to express it; not in a way that it is exposed that he has divulged that statement as protest in form of consensus from the aspect of being apprehensive that the statement would be lost and compiling and reconciling the similar matters for expression of truth to the extent of possibility and like prohibition from divulging a statement like it from other than those deserving of it from contemporaries and there is no doubt that this consensus is a definite proof from the aspect of his knowledge according to the statement of Imam (‘a) and as for others; it is from the aspect of exposing his consensus from the statement of Imam (‘a).

The aim of what is mentioned here is that he expounded the statement of the Imam in way that it was not proved and there is no defect in it. After getting the objective on which was suspended the evidence of consensus and correctness of this reason and there are evidences which prove its possibility.

From them many of them are Ziyarahs and well-known rituals and worship acts, which have gained popularity among the Imamiyah and are not apparently having proof and not that they are in their books and not from the books of their predecessors, who are familiar with the writings of the Holy Imams (‘a) and their secrets and it is not commanded that he should testify that his implication is the absolute traditional reports or supposed aspects, which seem to be good that it should be claimed through their expression, arrangement and attention to compile them as is evident in one of their statements.

Yes, we do not gain anything by including the reports of some of them and among them is what the father of Allamah and Ibn Tawus has narrated from the great Sayyid and worshipper, Raziuddin Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Aawi till the end of what was mentioned in 21st incident.

Among them is the well-known incident of the Green Island, which is mentioned in Bihar Al-Anwar and exegesis of the Holy Imams (‘a) and others. And among them is that which Ali Ibn Tawus heard in the holy cellar.

Among them is the statement, which was taught to Muhammad Ibn Ali Alawi Husayni till the end of what was mentioned in 23rd incident and others.

Perhaps this matter is the principle on many of the statements, whose author is unknown. Thus, it so happens that one is informed about the statement of Imam (‘a) when he saw that statement opposed to that which was fixed on that Imamiyah and is not possible to express it in a way that it came and he fears that the truth would be wasted and gone. He deems that statement as a statement of Imamiyah and sometimes it so happens that he himself depends on it and gives verdict on it, without clarification of proof from the aspect of there not being an apparent evidence to prove it.

Perhaps that which is mentioned Also, becomes the evidence for some of our scholars from the possibility of these kinds of statements and to strengthen them as per the possibility of that statement being the statement of Imam (‘a), which he delivered among the scholars so that they may not unite on a mistake and there is no way to mention it in this condition, except in the above-mentioned way. End of statement.17

There are some disputes in these statements, but this is not the place to mention them and it is not harmful to the actual objective regarding the possibility of seeing the Imam during the Major Occultation for some well-known scholars as was concluded from those words and other statements, which would unduly prolong the discussion.

The sixth reply is that which is concealed from the people, is the place of residence of the Imam. So, there is no way one can know about it and no one can find that place and no one has any information about it; even the most trusted persons and the children of His Eminence. So it is not in contradiction of meeting and seeing the Imam in places some of which were mentioned and the appearance of His Eminence before those, who were in distress or stranded in the wild etc. So, it would be mentioned that helping the stranded and the distressed, who took refuge with the Imam; that which supports this statement is what is narrated in Al-Kafi from Ishaq Ibn Ammar that he said: Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) said: There are two occultation for the Qa’im, one of them shorter and in the other none will have any information about the location of Imam (‘a), except his most trusted associates.18

Shaykh At-Tusi19 and Shaykh an-Nu’mani20 have narrated in their respective books through reliable authentic chains of narrators from Mufazzal Ibn Umar that he said: There are two occultations for the master of this affair; one of them being longer than the other, till it would be said: He has died; and some will say: He is killed. Thus, only a few companions of the Imam would remain steadfast on his Imamate and no one would know about his whereabouts and his circumstances, except some servants, who would perform his errands.

Shaykh an-Nu’mani has narrated from Ishaq Ibn Ammar that he said: I heard Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) say: Al-Qa’im disappears twice; one is a short disappearance and the other is long. In the first disappearance some of his close Shi’a knows his location and in the other one no one knows his location, except the guardians of his religion.21

And we should know that this report of Ishaq is the same one narrated in Al-Kafi; and in some version, it is mentioned as we quoted and, in some versions, it is in accordance of Al-Kafi; and in all versions of the report is the reply to the actual aim which the other reports of Al-Kafi prove that during the Major Occultation only some special confidants of the Imam would be having information about the location of the Imam. Therefore, it supports the fifth reply.

Also, according to some versions of an-Nu’mani’s book would imply that the special confidants at that time were not aware of the place of residence of His Eminence. So it cannot negate the possibility of seeing and meeting the Imam at other places. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

• 1. Kamal ad-Din wa Tamam an-Na’mah, p. 516.
• 2. Ghaibah, p. 395.
• 3. Al-Ihtijaj, vol. 2, p. 297.
• 4. Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 52, p. 151.
• 5. Al-Fawa’id ar-Rijaliyya (Rijal Sayyid Bahr al-’Uloom), vol. 3, pp. 320-321.
• 6. Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 53, p. 320.
• 7. Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 340; Al-Ghaibah, Shaykh an-Nu’mani, p. 188; Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 52, p. 157.
• 8. Al-Ghaibah, Shaykh At-Tusi, pp. 263-264.
• 9. Kamal ad-Din wa Tamam an-Na’mah, vol. 2, p. 465.
• 10. Dala’il al-Imamah, pp. 539-540.
• 11. Tanzih al-Anbiya, p. 235.
• 12. Tanzih al-Anbiya, p. 237.
• 13. Al-Ghaibah, p. 99-100.
• 14. Kashf al-Muhajja li Samarat al-Muhajja, pp. 53-54.
• 15. Kashf al-Muhajja li Samarat al-Muhajja, pp. 153-154.
• 16. Khara’ij wa al-Jaraih, vol. 1, p. 419.
• 17. Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 53, pp. 321-322.
• 18. Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 340.
• 19. Al-Ghaibah, Shaykh At-Tusi, p. 162.
• 20. Al-Ghaibah, Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim an-Nu’mani, p. 171.
• 21. Al-Ghaibah, Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim an-Nu’mani, p. 170.