Special deputies of Imam Mahdi during the Minor Occultation

The special deputies were a few chosen and highly-privileged people among the Shiˈas, who had permission to meet the Imam when needed. They used to present the Shiˈas’ problems to the Imam and convey back the His Excellency’s answers and recommendations back to the people. These four chosen people are called The Special Representatives, The Special Deputies, and The Doors of Imam Mahdi (pbuh). They are called Special because the infallible Imam appointed certain individuals as his deputies. The first special deputy of Imam Mahdi’s was introduced to the people by the previous Imam (Imam ḤasanˈAskarī, pbuh) but the next deputies were chosen and introduced by Imam Mahdi (pbuh) himself consecutively. The special deputies were among the most pious, clever, and wise people of their time. In addition to all these desirable characteristics, they had enough experience and high managerial indicators to lead the Shiˈa community. The names of these four special deputies in chronological order were as follows:

1. ˈUthmān bin Saˈīd al-ˈAmrī (d. 267 A.H. / 880 A.D.)
2. Muhammad bin ˈUthmān bin Saˈīd al-ˈAmrī (d. 305 A.H. / 917 A.D.)
3. Abu al-Qāsim al-Ḥusayn bin Rūh al-Nawbakhtī (d. 326 A.H. / 938 A.D.)
4. Abu al-Ḥasan Ali bin Muhammad al-Samurī (d. 329 A.H. / 941 A.D.)

‘Uthmān bin Sa‘īd al-‘Amrī (d. 266 A.H. /880 A.D.)

Biography

‘Uthmān b. Sa‘īd was the first of Four Special Deputies of Imam Mahdi at the era of Minor occultation. Though there is no certain document of his birthday and birthplace, according to some historic evidence, he must have been born between the years of 195 to 200 A.H., whose age is estimated at 266 A.H. (the year of his death), between sixty-six and seventy-one. His cognomens are Abū ‘Amr (because of his ancestral links) and Abu Muhammad (literally meaning: the father of Muhammad, because of his only son Muhammad, the second special representative).^[1]

 Also, he was called by some titles such as: ‘Amrī (because of his ancestor who was called ‘Amr); Asadī (because he was from Asad tribe)^[2]; ‘Askarī (the word ‘Askar, in Arabic, means garrison; that is because he lived in Samarra, a town in Iraq where a big garrison had been built therein.); Sammān that in Arabic refers to a person who transacts oil.^[3] It is interesting to know that since he was appointed by Imam ‘Askarī (the eleventh Imam) to collect the money (Khums, Zakāh, and religious alms) from Shias, sometimes, fearing of the Abbasid caliphs, he would conceal all money and put in his oil barrels and in this way, he could safely deliver everything to Imam ‘Askarī.^[4]

The deputyship of three last infallible Imams

Uthmān b. Sa‘īd was the dependable deputy and agent of both, Imam Hādī (the tenth Imam) and his son, Imam Askarī. Then, he was chosen by Imam ‘Askrī as the deputy of his son, Imam Mahdi, at the presence of forty individuals of Shia.^[5] Even, it has been said that Uthmān b. Sa‘īd, at the tender age of 11, had been the servant or porter of Imam Jawād (the ninth Imam).^[6] The renowned Shiite scholar, Sheikh al-Tūsī records in his illustrious book, al-Ghaybah that Imam Hādī and Imam ‘Askari have spoken highly of ‘Uthmān b. Sa‘īd and he was their most trusted companion. He commenced serving Imam Hadī and, after the Imam’s martyrdom, he was one of the closest companions of Imam‘Askari as his representative.

Before his martyrdom, Imam ‘Askari has appointed ‘Uthmān b. Sa‘īd as the first special deputy of Imam Mahdi, in the presence of forty Shias. Then, in the last illness of the life of Imam Hassan al-‘Askarī, Uthman b. Sa‘īd took care of the Imam, and also after the Imam’s martyrdom, he was commissioned by the Imam himself to perform the funeral major ablution of the Imam and to enshroud and bury him.^[7] While mentioning about Imam Mahdi, Sheikh Tūsī says, “He (‘Uthman b. Sa‘id) was an oil trader famous as Abu 'Amr. He was an esteemed and reliable companion in the eyes of Imam, and was also the Imam’s special deputy.” The statement of the Shaikh makes it clear that ‘Uthmān b. Sa‘īd was the deputy of three Imams.

The reason for social acceptability of being the deputy of Imam Mahdi

After the martyrdom of Imam ‘Askari, ‘Uthman b. Sa‘id moved from Samarra to Bagdad and stayed there till his death and ran the office of deputyship there. This migration was done by the order of Imam Mahdi due to the hardships caused by the government officials of Abbasid caliphs in Samarra and the presence of many enemies there. Although Samarra was the capital, due to the presence of Abbasid dynasties who were always opposed to the Imams, ‘Uthman b. Sa‘id had to lead the organization of advocacy out of their sight. However, he went to Baghdad and organized the Shias’ affairs in the city of Karkh.

Like his routine in the time of two previous Imams, Imam Hādī and Imam ‘Askari, ‘Uthman b. Sa‘id delivered the letters and religious taxes of the Shias for the 12^th Imam. His occupation of the leadership of the organization during the time of the tenth and the eleventh Imams encouraged the agents and Shiite figures to accept his claim and follow his instructions, without asking him to show a miracle or proof.^[8] He as the Imam’s "right hand", enjoyed his entire confidence and was entrusted with the execution of all his commissions when he was watched carefully and suspiciously by the tyrant government of the day so that he even avoided speaking with the individual members of the community. For this reason, Imam Hādī presented ‘Uthmān b. Sa‘id to those who found it difficult to consult him directly saying,

«...هَذَا أَبُو عَمْرٍو الثِّقَةُ الْأَمِينُ مَا قَالَهُ لَكُمْ فَعَنِّي يَقُولُهُ وَ مَا أَدَّاهُ إِلَيْكُمْ فَعَنِّي يُؤَدِّيه‏.»^[9]

‘…This man Abū Amr (‘Uthmān b. Sa‘īd) is a reliable and trustworthy person. Whatever he relates to you is from my side and whatever he gives to you is from me.’”

Also, after the martyrdom of the tenth Imam, ‘Uthmān b. Sa‘id continued to hold this position of trust under the eleventh Imam who appointed him using the same words as had his father saying,

«هَذَا أَبُو عَمْرٍو الثِّقَةُ الْأَمِينُ ثِقَةُ الْمَاضِي وَ ثِقَتِي فِي الْحَيَاةِ وَ الْمَمَاتِ فَمَا قَالَهُ‏ لَكُمْ‏ فَعَنِّي يَقُولُهُ وَ مَا أَدَّى إِلَيْكُمْ فَعَنِّي يُؤَدِّيه‏.»^[10]

“This man, Abu ‘Amr, is a reliable and trustworthy person. He was dependable for the previous Imam and is dependable and reliable for me in my lifetime and even after my death. Whatever he conveys to you is from my side and everything he gives to you is from me.”

Furthermore, during the last ten years of the time of Imam Hādī, the leadership of an underground organization as the network of agents (al-Wukalā) was in ‘Uthman’s hands. He organized its internal affairs and systematized the relations between the center of the organization and its branches in the remote provinces in the sense that all the revenue sent by the adherents to the Imam through his agents was given in the end to ‘Uthmān b. Sa‘īd who in turn handed it over to the Imam. It clearly shows the level of Imam’s trust and confidence in him. Moreover, it underlines another important fact that he performed some critical duties i.e. to convey Imam’s messages and commands to Shias. The duty of Shias was to accept this communication and to implement it.

For instance, when, after the demise of Imam ῾Askarī, Ja῾far, the brother of Imam ῾Askarī, falsely claimed to be the next Imam, Ahmad bin Ishāq the companions of Imam Hassan al-῾Askarī informed ‘Uthmān b. Sa‘īd about it and asked him to clarify the truth or falsity of Ja῾far’s claim. ‘Uthmān b. Sa‘īd sent the letter to Imam Mahdi. In the reply letter, the Imam rejected the Imamate of Ja῾far and called him a corruptor and a prayer breaker.^[11]

His demise

As it is mentioned, ‘Uthmān b. Sa‘īd went to Baghdad from Samarra by the order of Imam Mahdi. The reason was that the government’s vigilance. Samarra was the capital of the Abbasid government. At that time Mu‘tamid, the Abbasid caliph was appointed as ruler in there. Till the end of his rule, Samarra remained the capital and then, the capital was shifted to Baghdad. Till that time Baghdad was the Shiite center. The migration to Baghdad and settling in the district of Karkh where the Shias lived helped ‘Uthmān bin Sa‘īd to keep in touch with the Shias residing in different places. In this way, his activities spread to different areas and were not restricted only to Baghdad. If he was in Samarra or if Baghdad was the capital of Abbasids, then this would have been very difficult. However, the duration of his deputyship and the exact date of his demise has not got wide coverage in books of history and traditions, but most of the historians believe that he was the representative of Imam Mahdi for six or seven years. Allāmah Bahr al-‘Ulūm has recorded that ‘Uthmān bin Sa‘īd deputyship expired by his death before 267 A.H.

After the death of ‘Uthmān bin Sa‘īd, his son (Muhammad b. ‘Uthmān) performed the funeral proceeding and buried him in Bagdad inside Maydān street (Sūq al-Maydān) in al-Darb mosque.^[12] In this regard, Sheikh Tūsī says, “I saw his tomb where Abū Nasr Hibat-Allah b. Mahmūd mentioned. A building that included the Mihrāb of a mosque (niche of prayers where the Imam of the prayer stands) has been constructed on it. We went there and paid a visit to his grave easily. From 408 A.H., when I came to Baghdad, to 430 A.H., it was in this condition. However, Abū Mansūr Muhammad b. Faraj destroyed the building, made the grave exposed, and put a box on it. Then, there was a roof over the grave, and everybody could enter the structure and visit it. All people in the neighborhood who were all Sunni tried to be blessed by visiting his grave, saying, ‘He was a righteous man.’ Sometimes, they say, ‘He was a descendant of Imam Husayn’s wet nurse,” but they do not know the truth. The grave has been in the same condition up to now; that is, 447 A.H.”^[13] This shows that the extent to which his deputyship was concealed that even after a passage of two hundred years, it was difficult for the people to recognize him. Nowadays, his tomb is located in the district of Rassāfah in the east of Baghdad; the area that is known as "Shūrjah Market".

After the demise of ‘Uthmān bin Sa‘īd, Imam Mahdi wrote a condolence letter to his son, Muhammad as following:

«إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَ إِنَّا إِلَيْهِ راجِعُونَ تَسْلِيماً لِأَمْرِهِ وَ رِضًى بِقَضَائِهِ عَاشَ أَبُوكَ سَعِيداً وَ مَاتَ حَمِيداً فَرَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَ أَلْحَقَهُ بِأَوْلِيَائِهِ وَ مَوَالِيهِ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ مُجْتَهِداً فِي أَمْرِهِمْ سَاعِياً فِيمَا يُقَرِّبُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ إِلَيْهِمْ نَضَّرَ اللَّهُ وَجْهَهُ وَ أَقَالَهُ عَثْرَتَه.»‏^[14]

“Surely we are from Allah and we will return to Him. We submit ourselves to His command and are satisfied with what He determines for us. Your father devoted his entire life to goodness and died while he was praiseworthy. May Allah have mercy on him and include him with his friends and the Imams. He continuously endeavored and struggled in the affairs of his Imams in a way that made him closer to Allah the Exalted, the Glorified, and closer to his Imams. May Allah make His face contented and happy and forgive him for his mistakes.”

Miraculous deeds of ‘Uthmān bin Sa‘īd

Great divine men, due to self-purification and refinement of their souls, achieve some marks of honor which they show to some people in order to guide them or deliver an ultimatum to them. Miraculous deeds and veracious evidence were told to Shias in some cases by Imam Mahdi directly and in other cases by the deputies of his majesty, so that the Shias, in addition to believing in the existence of Imam Mahdi would trust in deputyship of the four deputies of the Imam. This is why we see some miraculous deeds and veracious evidence that took place in the time of ‘Uthmān bin Sa‘īd since in this era the Shias were yet astonished and even did not know that Imam Mahdi exists. Here, some of the miraculous deeds are mentioned:

1. Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Mahzīyār said, “After the demise of Imam Hasan al-῾Askari I doubted about his successor. My father was Imam Hasan’s agent and a considerable amount of money was with him. So, he asked me to accompany him to deliver it to Imam Hasan’s successor. We set out together, but in the middle of the journey, my father got sick. He made his will and said to me: 'be wary of Allah and deliver the money to its owner. Whoever tells you the signs of this fund, hand it over to him.' Then he passed away. I stayed in Iraq for some days and after a while, I received a letter from ‘Uthmān bin Sa‘īd. Surprisingly, all the signs about that wealth of which nobody was aware except me and my father were mentioned in that letter.”

Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Mahzīyār, based on this miraculous deed, believed in the Imamate of Imam Mahdi as well as the deputyship of ‘Uthmān bin Sa‘īd.^[15]

2. Muhammad bin Ali al-Aswad said, “At the beginning of Minor occultation, an old lady gave me a piece of cloth to deliver it to Imam Mahdi. I took that along with lots of other cloths. When I arrived in Baghdad, I went to ‘Uthmān bin Sa‘īd. He said, 'hand all of these properties over to Muhammad bin Abbas al-Qumī.' I gave all of them except for the old lady’s cloth. Then, ‘Uthmān bin Sa‘īd sent me a message from the Imam saying, 'Deliver the old lady’s cloth to him, as well.”^[16]
3. Muhammad bin Ali bin Shāzān stated, “Some money was handed to me to deliver to Imam Mahdi, which was 20 dirhams less than 500 dirhams. I added 20 dirhams to it and sent it along with a letter to ‘Uthmān bin Sa‘īd. I mentioned nothing about the money in my letter. However, he wrote to me in reply, 'I received 500 dirhams, 20 dirhams of which was yours.”^[17]

Scientific works of ‘Uthmān bin Sa‘īd

There is no book or writing attributed to ‘Uthmān bin Sa‘īd, according to researches and investigations. It raises the question that why the four deputies have no writings, but some others like Kulaynī have books!? To answer this question, some points should be considered:

1. Deputyship for special people does not mean that they should be the best in all cases; rather they should have some necessary merits for undertaking the responsibility of their deputyship, such as trustworthiness and reliability. Therefore, some other people might be better than Imam’s deputy in some fields such as knowledge and writing. As a result, descriptions, which Imams gave about their deputies, are usually about their honesty and reliance. For example:

Abu Sahl al-Nubakhtī, one of the great theologians of Baghdad and a great and learned member of the Nubakht clan had written and compiled lots of books. Once he was asked, “Why Husayn bin Rūh (the third special deputy of Imam Mahdi) was honored by deputyship, and you with this state of knowledge and merits do not receive that post?” He answered, “They [the Imams] are wiser and fully aware of everything; and whoever they choose [would be more suitable and meritorious]. Now, I am a person who has contact and argument with Islam’s enemies. If I were His majesty’s deputy and were aware of his place (as Husayn b. Rūh is aware of his place) while got stock in hardship arguing with opponents of the Imam; I might not have controlled myself and would have revealed the Imam’s place. While, Abu al Qāsim (Husayn b. Rūh) is so self-controlled that if the Imam were hidden under his clothes and people tortured him to death, he would not take away his clothes and would not show the Imam to the enemies.”^[18]

2. As it was mentioned, ‘Uthmān bin Sa‘īd used to sell oil to make a living, and at the same time, he had the great and important duty of deputyship of the Imam of the Age, which was a time-consuming task. Apparently, this task occupied all his time and he did not have enough time to write a book.

Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān b. Sa´īd al-´Amrī
Preface

Islamic sources contain many Hadiths reported from the Prophet and the Imams on the happening of the Occultation and its relating issues especially dividing it into two parts: Minor occultation and Major occultation.^[19] During the period of Minor occultation, people were in contact with the 12^th Imam through his appointed deputies who were few special and selected people among the Shias and had the permission to meet Imam Mahdi whenever the need arose. They called Special because the infallible Imam appointed them as his deputies. To explain it, the first one of Imam Mahdi’s special representative was introduced to people by the previous Imam (Imam ‘Askarī) and then the next deputy was introduced to people by the order of Imam Mahdi and through the previous deputy, etc.

In the following, we take a look at the biography and the significant role of Imam Mahdi’s second special representative, Abū Ja‘far Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān b. Sa´īd al-´Amrī (d. 305 A.H / 917 A.D). He was the second special deputy of Imam Mahdi. His father’s name is ‘Uthmān and his grandfather’s name is Sa῾īd. Because of his father, ʿAmrī is added to his name and he is known as Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān b. Sa´īd al-´Amrī. His cognomen is Abū Ja‘far, and his titles are ‘Amrī, ‘Askarī, Asadī, and Sammān.

Proofs of his deputyship

Like his father, Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān was among the trustworthy companions of the 11^th Imam. He was a genius of his time, with great piety, God-wariness, and moral virtues.  In this regard, Imam Hassan al-´Askarī declares to one of his close companions, Ahmad bin Ishāq al-Qummī, when he asked the Imam about the representative to whom should refer after the demise of the Imam,

«الْعَمْرِيُّ وَ ابْنُهُ ثِقَتَانِ فَمَا أَدَّيَا إِلَيْکَ عَنِّي فَعَنِّي يُؤَدِّيَانِ وَ مَا قَالا لَکَ فَعَنِّي يَقُولانِ فَاسْمَعْ لَهُمَا وَ أَطِعْهُمَا فَإِنَّهُمَا الثِّقَتَانِ الْمَأْمُونَانِ».^[20]

“´Amrī (‘Uthmān bin Sa´īd) and his son (Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān) are both reliable and trustworthy. Whatever they both convey to you from me they indeed convey it from me; and whatever they tell you is also from me; so, listen to them and obey what they say for they are reliable and trustworthy.”

In another situation, when a group of Shia from Yemen visited Imam 'Askari, he called 'Uthmān b. Sa'īd (father of Muhammad bin 'Uthman) and mentioned his deputyship and said,

«...اِشْهَدُوا عَلَيَّ أَنَّ عُثْمَانَ بْنَ سَعِيدٍ اَلْعَمْرِيَّ وَكِيلِي وَ أَنَّ اِبْنَهُ مُحَمَّداً وَكِيلُ اِبْنِي مَهْدِيِّكُمْ».^[21]

“…Witness that 'Uthmān b. Sa'īd (first deputy) is my deputy and his son Muhammad bin 'Uthmān is the deputy of my son, Mahdi.”

Muhammad bin Uthmān was trusted as a religious authority for the people during the time of the Imamate of Imam 'Askarī so that, people came to him to ask their questions. This situation continued after the martyrdom of that Imam ad during the period of his father’s deputyship. He was one of the active members of the network of agents during his father’s lifetime. When his father (the first special deputy) passed away in 266 A.H/ 880 A.D, Muhammad was given the responsibility for Shias’ affairs through a condolatory letter from Imam Mahdi on the demise of his father. Its contents were as follows:

«إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَ إِنَّا إِلَيْهِ راجِعُونَ تَسْلِيماً لِأَمْرِهِ وَ رِضًى بِقَضَائِهِ عَاشَ أَبُوكَ سَعِيداً وَ مَاتَ حَمِيداً... رُزِئْتَ وَ رُزِئْنَا وَ أَوْحَشَكَ فِرَاقُهُ وَ أَوْحَشَنَا فَسَرَّهُ اللَّهُ فِي مُنْقَلَبِهِ وَ كَانَ مِنْ كَمَالِ سَعَادَتِهِ أَنْ رَزَقَهُ اللَّهُ وَلَداً مِثْلَكَ يَخْلُفُهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَ يَقُومُ مَقَامَهُ بِأَمْرِهِ وَ يَتَرَحَّمُ عَلَيْهِ وَ أَقُولُ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ فَإِنَّ الْأَنْفُسَ طَيِّبَةٌ بِمَكَانِكَ وَ مَا جَعَلَهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِيكَ وَ عِنْدَكَ أَعَانَكَ اللَّهُ وَ قَوَّاكَ وَ عَضَدَكَ وَ وَفَّقَكَ وَ كَانَ لَكَ وَلِيّاً وَ حَافِظاً وَ رَاعِياً».^[22]

“We have come from Allah and unto Him shall we return (the Quran). We accept His orders and are satisfied with His commands. Your father passed a decent life and faced a decent death… You are grief-stricken, so are we; his death has affected us as much as it has affected you. May God make him happier in that life! It was due to his sincerity and decency that he was honored with a son like you who has become his heir and successor. May God send mercies upon him! I praise the Almighty since the hearts of our followers (the Shias) are at ease with you and with what God has entrusted to you. May God help you, strengthen your power and might, support you in your affairs, give you more fortune in what you do and be your guardian, protector, and assistant.”

In the opinion of Twelver Shi'a, these unerring signs clearly show that Muhammad bin Uthmān was appointed and introduced as the representative of Imam Mahdi by both Imam 'Askarī and Imam Mahdi. Beyond that, he gave people some letters from Imam Mahdi. These letters were in the uniform handwriting and with the same characteristics as the previous ones. Thus, the agents or nonspecific representatives could find out about his truthfulness and connection with Imam Mahdi. Also, sometimes he prepared the ground for some agents to visit the Imam, and the Imam always told them, “Muhammad bin 'Uthmān is my deputy.”^[23]

In short, the reasons for his deputyship include the following:

1. As mentioned before, in a letter, Imam Hasan al-‘Askarī introduced him and his father as reliable people and trusted by himself.

2. In addition to considering Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān reliable, Imam al-‘Askarī referred to his being representative of his son, Imam Mahdi, “Bear witness that ‘Uthman b. Sa‘id ‘Amrī is my representative, and his son, Muhammad is representative of my son, Mahdi.”

3. He gave people some letters from Imam Mahdi. These letters were in the uniform handwriting and with the same characteristics as the previous ones. Thus, the agents or representatives could find out about his truthfulness and connection with Imam Mahdi.

4. Sometimes he prepared the ground for some agents or representatives’ visiting with Imam Mahdi, and the Imam always told them, “Muhammad bin ῾Uthmān is my deputy.”

Opinions of scholars

We have already gauged the great state of the second special deputy of Imam Mahdi in the beginning through the sayings of the Imams. Hereunder, are the opinions of some great Shiite scholars:

Shaykh al-Tusī writes in his book of Rijāl, “Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān bin Sa´īd al-´Amrī, his agnomen is Abu Ja῾far and that of his father is Abū Amr. Both of them were the representatives of Imam Mahdi and had an esteemed position among the Twelver Shia.”^[24]

A similar narration is recorded by ῾Allāmah Hillī in his book on Rijāl.^[25]

Also, Māmqānī mentioned the great position and high status of Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān is renowned and does not need any explanation and proof.

While studying the conditions of the life of his father it becomes evident that he during the life of his father itself had received the testimonial of being the representative of Imam Mahdi after his father.^[26]

Also, Ayatullah al-῾Uzmā Sayyid Abū l-Qāsim al-Khūyī writes,

«وَ الرِّوَایَاتُ فِی جَلَالَتِه وَ عَظَمَةِ مَقَامِهِ مُتَظافِرَهٌ».^[27]

“The traditions that have been narrated regarding the majesty and greatness of his position are numerous.”

Some extraordinary acts of Imam Mahdi’s second deputy

Some scholars of Rijāl have also called Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān as a compiler and author. Hence a famous saying is narrated as follows, Ibn-e Nūh quotes from Abū Nasr, the nephew of Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān, that the second special deputy had written many books, one of which was on jurisprudence in which he has collected all the traditions from Imam Hassan al-῾Askari, Imam Mahdi, and from his father ‘Uthman bin Sa῾īd who in turn has narrated from the tenth and the eleventh Imam. Among these books is a woman titled as al-Ashribah Umm-e Kulthūm, the daughter of Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān, who narrates, “This book as per the will of Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān had reached to the third deputy Hussain bin Rūh. Abū Nasr who says, “I assume that after Hussain bin Rūh it must have been passed on to the fourth deputy Abū al-Hassan Ali bin Muhammad Samurī.”^[28]

The late Ayatullah al-῾Uzmā Khūyī writes after this narration that the abovementioned narration proves two things: Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān is an author of books; and he has narrated traditions from both Imam Hassan al-'Askarī and Imam Mahdi. More than this, some famous sayings of Imam Mahdi such as the supplications of Samāt and Iftitāh and Ziyārat Āl-e Yāsīn are Narrated through him.^[29]

Like other deputies, his other works included paying people’s problems, answering their legal issues, and delivering people’s letters to the 12^th Imam and getting his responses to them.

Among his other services was struggling against and defeating the false pretenders to the deputyship. Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān was the special deputy of Imam Mahdi for about forty years, and false claims to deputyship were rampant at that time. During this period some selfish and opportunistic people tried to take advantage of this and claimed to be the deputy of Imam Mahdi.

We mention below the names of some of those imposters who advanced such claims during the deputyship of Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān:

1. Abū Muhammad Hassan Sharī῾ī. [He is the first person who falsely claimed the deputyship from Imam Mahdi and a curse was issued on him in a letter from the Imam. The Shiites also cursed him and hated him. Eventually, his work turned to infidelity and atheism].^[30]

2. Muhammad bin Nasīr Numayrī. [It is narrated that Imam 'Askarā sent a letter to his companion 'Ubaidiī and in that letter, he announced his disgust with Muhammad bin Nasīr and saying: "You and all our lovers, stay away from him and I curse him and may Allah curse him!].^[31]

3. Ahmad bin Hilāl Abartāʾī.

4. Muhammad bin Ali bin Bilāl.

5. Abū Bakr Muhammad bin Ahmad bin ‘Uthmān.

6. Ishāq bin Ahmar.

7. Bāqatānī.

8. Hussain bin Mansūr al-Hallāj.^[32]

It is noteworthy that all of them rivaled Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān and refuted his deputyship. Their beliefs were distorted and their faith was weak. They were declared as fanatical and wretched during the period of the tenth Imam (Imam Hādī) and Imam Hasan al-Askarī itself. By this, we can easily gauge the extent of their jealousy towards Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān and the problems they posed in his work. But he dealt with them all with the help of Imam and fulfilled all his duties.
In fact, during Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān’s period, the false claimants wanted to deceive the people and desired to usurp the obligatory religious tax (Khums and Zakāt) from them. They nearly injured the Imam's second deputy. It was a difficult trial for the people in that era to recognize the true deputy of Imam Mahdi. Under such circumstances to win the confidence of the people and overcome the enemies was a gigantic task.

Despite the problems of Abū Ja'far due to the existence of false deputies, he continued the hidden activities of the organization of agents and expanded its roles among the Twelver Shia. At the same time, he followed up the works of the first representative and tried to prove the existence of the hidden Imam for trusted ones among the Shias.

He disseminated this opinion among the Twelver Shia that occultation of Imam Mahdi has been done by the order of Allah; and hadiths of previous Imams supported it and that he –Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān– was the true representative of the Imam. Moreover, he tried to follow up the responsibilities of the first representative without being harassed by the Abbasid government. Therefore, he reinforced the belief made among Abbasids supported by the first representative that Imam al-'Askarī passed away without a successor.^[33] He was hopeful that this way, the government would be convinced that there would be no uprisings because Twelver Shia had no twelfth Imam to gather around him to be guided and by this conception, they would give up any measure against Shi'a.

In fact, during Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān’s period, some selfish and opportunistic people tried to take advantage of this and claimed to be the deputy of Imam Mahdi. They wanted to deceive people and desired to usurp the religious payments (like Khums and Zakāt) from them.

The period of Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān’s deputyship was quite lengthy and as we have already mentioned that in this period, he served as a sanctuary for the Shias. He solved numerous issues related to jurisprudence, society, and belief. During his deputyship, all that has been received by him from Imam Mahdi in the form of Tawqīʿ (Signed letters from the side of the Imam) is present in different books under different topics.^[34] The plan of the second deputy about the existence of the hidden Imam can be seen in some narrations.

Once, a person from Hamdān asked Abū Ja'far about the successor of Imam al-'Askarī. He answered, "Imam al-'Askarī passed away and left among you a successor whose neck is like this." And then he showed the size of a neck of an adolescent to indicate that the son of the eleventh Imam was of such an age.^[35]

Another time later, Abu Ja'far told him,

«وَ اَللَّهِ إِنَّ صَاحِبَ هَذَا اَلْأَمْرِ يَحْضُرُ اَلْمَوْسِمَ كُلَّ سَنَةٍ فَيَرَى اَلنَّاسَ وَ يَعْرِفُهُمْ وَ يَرَوْنَهُ وَ لاَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ».^[36]

“I swear by Allah, Sāhib al-ʾAmr (the master of the thing) comes to Mecca every year to perform the rituals of Hajj. He sees people and recognizes them, but they do not recognize him (even if they see him.)”

He added that he had seen Imam Mahdi in Ka'ba while the Imam had grasped the cloth of the Ka'ba and was reciting this request,

«اَللَّهُمَّ اِنْتَقِمْ بِي مِنْ أَعْدَائِكَ».^[37]

“O Allah! Take revenge by me from Your enemies”.

He also witnessed Imam Mahdi in Masjid al-Harām (The Sacred Mosque) near the Ka’ba praying,

« اَللَّهُمَّ أَنْجِزْ لِي مَا وَعَدْتَنِي».^[38]

“O Allah! Fulfill the promise that You have made unto me.”

Although Abū Ja'far proved the existence of the Twelfth Imam for the Shias, he warned them not to insist on discovering his name, since government officials were convinced that Imam al-'Askarī had passed away without a successor; and if they found the name and place of the last Imam, they would search for him and the life of him and his deputies would be endangered. Other reports suggest that the second representative of the Imam gave the same order to other agents.

According to another narration, Abū Ali Muhammad bin Hammām says,

« وَ كَتَبْتُ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ ظُهُورِ اَلْفَرَجِ فَخَرَجَ فِي اَلتَّوْقِيعِ كَذَبَ اَلْوَقَّاتُونَ»^[39]

 “I sent a letter to Imam Mahdi through the second deputy enquiring about the time of his appearance. He informed, Those who fix the time of my appearance are liars.”

Duration of representation

Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān was the special deputy of Imam al-Mahdi for 40 years since 265 A.H. / 878 A.D. till 305 A.H. / 917 A.D. Following is the list of Abbasid caliphs who ruled during the deputyship of Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān:

1. Mu‘tamid Billah (256 A.H. - 279 A.H.)

2. Mu‘tazid Billah (279 A.H. - 289 A.H.)

3. Muktafī Billah (289 A.H. - 295 A.H.)

4. Muqtadir Billah (295 A.H. - 320 A.H.).

His demise

As per the available records, the second special deputy of Imam Mahdi (Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān) died in Jamādi al- ͗ūlā (305 A. H./ 917 A.D.). He had himself informed about his demise two months in advance. Abul Hassan Ali bin Ahmad al-Dallāl al-Qummī narrates,

“One day I was with Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān and saw a slate in front of him on which he was making some sketches and writing the verses of the Holy Quran. And in the margins of that tablet, he was writing the names of the Imams. I asked him about it. He replied, “This is for my grave and I will be laid on this”.

In another tradition, Abū al-Hasan Ali b. Ahmad says that Muhammad bin ‘Uthmān caught my hand and took me near his grave. After looking at it he said,

‘On such and such date of such and such month of such and such year, I will die and be laid in this grave and this tablet will be with me.’ I remembered his words and waited for that time. Just after a few days he became sick and finally expired on the same day, month, and year which he had prophesied to me and was buried in the same grave which he had shown.’

A similar tradition has also been narrated by Muhammad bin Ali bin ͗Aswadī al-Qummī.^[40]

His grave is situated in East Baghdad in a clean, posh, and populated area in a mosque, famous as Khallānī. Since that time Shias visit his shrine and recite his supplication (Ziyārat):

«اَشَهَدُ اَنَّكَ بَابُ الْمَوْلى …جِئتُكَ عَارِفًا بِالْحَقّ الَّذِىْ اَنْتَ عَلَيْهِ وَ اَنَّكَ ما خُنْتَ فِى التّاديَةِ وَ السِّفَارةِ- اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ بَابٍ ما اَوْسَعَهُ».^[41]

“I bear witness that you are the door of mercy of my master (Imam Mahdi).... I have come to you after recognizing your right on which you remained firmly established and I know that you have not breached the trust reposed in your deputyship or in conveying the news. Peace be upon you from a door that is the most expansive door of mercy!”

Abu al-Qāsim Husayn bin Rūh al-Nawbakhtī (d. 326 A.H. / 938 A.D.)

Husayn bin Rūh, the third special deputy of Imam Mahdi, was a leading individual from the family of Nawbakht. Though his exact date of birth is not recorded in history, there are several reports indicating that he was a native of the traditional Shiite city of Qum so, he was fluent in Persian dialect of the people of Ābeh (near the city of Sāweh), one of the suburbs of Qum, and this suggests that he belonged to the branch of Banū Nawbakht who were resident in Qum. However, he had immigrated to Baghdad during the time of the first special deputy of Imam Mahdi. Then he joined the service of the second special deputy and became his agent. Despite his youth, al-Nawbakhtī was distinguished by his shrewdness, particularly in his relations with the opponents since he had to observe precautionary concealment of his faith and opinion. Perhaps it was for this quality that enabled him to rise quickly in the ranks of the organization. His service as being the agent of the second special deputy helped him in contacting high Shia officials of the 'Abbasid administration, particularly his relatives Banū Nawbakht and also Banū Furāt.

In his book al-Ghaybah, Shaikh al-Tūsī has narrated many traditions regarding Husayn bin Rūh, highlighting the various aspects of his life. The cause and reason of his fame and recognition were attributed to his religious position. He is counted amongst the four special deputies of Imam Mahdi during the period of Minor Occultation. He was a worthy personality, a pious, intelligent, and a knowledgeable man; and a close friend of Muhammad bin 'Uthmān (the second deputy of Imam Mahdi). Muhammad bin. 'Uthman, at the command of Imam Mahdi introduced him as his successor in the last days of his life. Also, Ibn-e Shahr Āshūb has included him amongst the close companions of Imam Hassan al-'Askarī,^[42] but it is difficult to accept such a report because the eleventh Imam was martyred in 260 A.H. / 874 A.D and al‑Nawbakhtī died in 326 A.H. / 937A.D.

His appointment as the third special deputy

Husayn bin Rūh would work as an agent for the second deputy and in the last few years of Muhammad bin 'Uthmān’s deputyship, he was appointed by him as the head of the network of the agents and he acted as an intermediary between Muhammad bin 'Uthmān and other agents. He was in possession of high social status among the Shias in Baghdad. Also because of his tribe, al-Nawbakht, which was a well-known and impressive tribe, he held sway over high-ranking government officials. In addition, due to his being cautious to not act contrary to the regime, that did not accept the Imamate of the Household of the Prophet, the government was not sensitive to him. This adapting strategy helped him to establish an influential presence in the court of the 'Abbāsid rulers (the present government at that time) before being chosen as the third deputy of the Imam. It, of course, indicates the great degree of influence that Husayn bin Rūh exerted in the court. We can also realize that he was the beneficiary of Imam’s special care and attention while he had not yet become a special deputy.

However, more than three years before his death, Muhammad bin 'Uthmān had started directing some of the Shias to Husayn bin Rūh, who were bringing religious taxes and other forms of finances to the Imam. In this manner, he was preparing the ground for the appointment of Husayn bin Rūh as the third special deputy.

However, Muhammad bin 'Uthmān took particular care in choosing Husayn bin Rūh as his successor. He endorsed his successorship at times in the assemblies of sincere Shias and at other times, in front of his representatives. The reason for adopting such an approach was because Husayn bin Rūh was one of the most reliable and trustworthy men at that time and it was highly probable that he would be chosen as the next special deputy by the Imam. However, there had not been yet a clear statement from the Imam about his assignment. Muhammad bin 'Uthmān felt Husayn bin Rūh should become more famous since neither the representatives of Baghdad nor the special and common Shias, expected the deputyship of Imam to fall on the shoulders of a relatively unknown and unfamiliar man like him. It has been narrated that before his demise, Muhammad bin 'Uthmān gathered the leaders and chiefs of the Shias and announced,

«هَذَا أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ رَوْحِ بْنِ أَبِي بَحْرٍ النَّوْبَخْتِيُّ الْقَائِمُ مَقَامِيُّ وَ السَّفِيرُ بَيْنَكُمْ وَ بَيْنَ صَاحِبِ الْأَمْرِ وَ الْوَكِيلُ لَهُ وَ الثِّقَةُ الْأَمِينُ فَارْجِعُوا إِلَيْهِ فِي أُمُورِكُمْ وَ عَوِّلُوا عَلَيْهِ فِي مُهِمَّاتِكُمْ فَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَ قَدْ بَلَّغْتُ»^[43]

“After my demise, this man, ‎Husayn bin Rūh al-Nawbakhtī, will be my successor and is an intermediate between you and the Imam. He is the Imam’s agent and is trustworthy and reliable. Therefore, turn towards him and rely on him regarding your important affairs. I have been ordered to appoint him in my place and I did so.”

The reasons behind this unexpected selection

A critical aspect of the lives of the special deputies of Imam Mahdi is that they were special Shias who exceptionally performed their administrative duties. Although they were in close contact with the Imam and knew the place of his residence, they ensured that it remained a secret from the prying eyes of others around them. This trait is even commendable when we consider that the period of Minor Occultation was not a period of one or two years, rather a long era spanning more than seven decades. Over this lengthened duration, keeping constant touch and contact with the Imam, and at the same time, regularly communicating the problems of the people to the hidden Imam, and seeking a solution from him underlines their maximum efficiency.

They had to deal with constant requests and pressures from the people for being allowed to meet Imam Mahdi and they had to all along be careful never to disclose the Imam’s location to the people. It is clear that if we try to conceal something, while the people are aware that we are trying to hide something from them, and we are also aware that people are trying to discover the hidden thing, then it is indeed a difficult task to conceal that hidden object from the inquisitive eyes of the people. It may be possible to divert their attention and delay the matter for a few days, but certainly not for some decades. These points will help us appreciate how well the Imam must have trained the deputies and how loyal and clever they were.

However, there was no doubt whatsoever in the minds of the special Shias that in the case of any eventuality, Jaˈfar bin Muttayal (one of the closest friends and agents of the second special deputy) would succeed Muhammad bin 'Uthmān (the second special deputy). This assumption was due to the close friendship of Muhammad bin 'Uthmān with him. However, when Muhammad bin 'Uthmān through an order from the Imam appointed ‎Husayn bin Rūh as his successor, everyone submitted to him and accepted him; and their conduct towards him was like their conduct towards the second deputy.

Another reason for his deputyship is some letters sent to him by Imam Mahdi on various topics, including legal issues and answers to the Shias’ questions, as well as letters in which the Imam condemned some of those who went astray, such as al-Shalmaghānī.

The next reason is that at the beginning of his deputyship, the servant of Muhammad bin 'Uthmān took some belongings of the second deputy such as his cane, key, and casket to ‎Husayn bin Rūh and told him, “Abu Jaˈfar (Muhammad bin Uthmān) told me to deliver these to you after his burial. This casket contains the signets and seals of the holy Imams”.

In addition, he was the wisest among the Shias and Sunnis. Also, he had placated the enemies and also pleased his friends. In the last tawqī’ (Letters from the side of the Imam) received by Sheikh Tūsī through the third deputy, the Imam asserted,

«... وَ كَانَ اَبُوْ الْقَاسِمِ رحمة اللهِ عليه مِنْ اَعْقَلِ النَّاسِ عِنْدَ الْمُخَالِف وَ الْمَوَافِقِ»^[44]

“Abu al-Qāsim (Husayn bin Rūh) was believed by both the Shia and Sunnis as the wisest.”

On the other hand, Husayn bin Rūh was living in a time when the society was full of hatred and malice towards the family of the Messenger of Allah. Therefore, he was compelled to secure his life. So that he may continue to fulfill the great duty and heavy responsibility of the deputyship of the hidden Imam. Thus he used to act in Taqiyyah (religious precautionary concealment). Historians state that one of his sentries cursed Muawiyah, therefore Husayn bin Ruh terminated his services and though many people interceded that he be reinstalled he was not taken back by him ever!^[45]

The reason behind the appointment of Husayn bin Rūh as the deputy of Imam Mahdi is seen by paying attention to some of his special traits. He was appointed as the deputy largely due to his faith, intelligence, patience, generosity, and sincerity. These qualities are believed to be very useful in that suffocating political environment when Shias were under the pressure from the 'Abbasid rulers and should act in a way not to be assumed that they were moving against the regime. It requires a great level of intellectuality that could be found in ‎Husayn bin Rūh.

It seems most likely that Husayn bin Rūh had personal qualifications which made him a suitable case for being a special representative of the hidden Imam. Supporting this point, we have a report attributed to Abū Sahl al­-Nawbakhtī. The latter was asked by some Shias as to why he had not been promoted to this state instead of bin Rūh. He answered,

"They (the Imams) know the best about whom they have selected for this office. I am a person who meets opponents and argues with them. If I had known what Abu al‑Qāsim (bin Rūh) knows about the Imam, perhaps in the course of my arguments, having found myself under the attack of enemies to give them well­-founded reasons for the existence of the concealed Imam, I would have revealed his whereabouts. But if he (Husayn bin Rūh) had the Imam underneath his garments, and if his flesh was being cut into pieces to make him reveal his whereabouts, he would not yield or reveal the Imam’s presence to his foes."^[46]

His social and political activities  

After the demise of the second special deputy, his successor Husayn bin Rūh went to the headquarters of the organization (Dār al­-Niyāba). From the very beginning, he proved his ability to lead the organization successfully. His shrewdness enabled him to avoid the consequences of participation in the sectarian discussions which took place at the palace of bin Yasār, one of the high officials of al­-Muqtadir, the Abbasid caliph. He used to attend those discussions only as a listener.

There is evidence that the ten agents of the second special deputy continued their activities under him as the third deputy. Through his ten agents in Baghdad, he directed the activities of other agents and their underground political cells in the other provinces such as Kūfah, Basrah, Mūsil, Mecca, Medina, Egypt, Balkh, etc. In Iran, Muhammad bin Jaˈfar al‑Asadī al‑Rāzī, the agent of the city of Reyy, had been instructed by the second deputy to supervise the activities of the agents of the other Iranian provinces. He continued this supervision during the time of bin Rūh.^[47]

These reports indicate that the position of bin Rūh as the special deputy of the Twelfth Imam became well­ known amongst the Shias, in contrast to that of the first and the second deputies, whose office had been kept secret. For this reason, some ordinary Shias were encouraged to ignore the agents of their areas and contact the third deputy directly.

Also, he was highly esteemed by the 'Abbasid court during the time of the caliph of al‑Muqtadir. This can be attributed to the influence of Husayn bin Rūh’s family in the 'Abbasid administration, an influence which had begun during the time of the caliph, al‑Mansūr, and lasted until the time of al‑Muqtadir. Husayn bin Rūh himself participated in the 'Abbasid administration so that his house became the place for the meetings of administrators, nobles, and deposed viziers.

Most likely he exercised his influence upon the Shias, who were working in the Abbasid government, encouraging them to employ their brothers in faith in the 'Abbasid administration and offer financial help to the needy among the Shias in general. Certain references indicate that these instructions were put into action by Ali bin Muhammad bin Furāt. According to Ibn-e Khallikān, he used to support five thousand people financially.^[48] In fact, the agents’ participation in the 'Abbasid regime enabled them to study the economic and political situation of the government and facilitated communications through their administrative positions.

Despite bin Rūh’s great influence he seems to have been put in a critical situation by the militant activities of the other Shias, particularly the Qarāmatis. These were used by his rivals as a pretext to cause his arrest. This reveals that some officials may have falsely accused him of corresponding with the Qarāmatis in order to facilitate his arrest. In any case, he spent five years in jail until the caliph, al‑Muqtadir, released him in 317 A.H. / 929 A.D. However, he recovered his previous respect and reputation, renewed his direct supervision over the Twelver Shia’s activities, and many of his relatives had managed to maintain high offices in the 'Abbasid administration, so his influence increased in a way that many influential officials and deposed viziers sought his acquaintance to pave the way for their advancement in the 'Abbasid administration.

The third special deputy and al‑Shalmaghānī

At the same time that Husayn bin Rūh was wielding his powerful influence in official circles, he was faced with the serious deviation of his main deputy, al‑Shalmaghānī, who began to make claims outside Islamic beliefs.

It has been noted that after the promotion of Husayn bin Rūh to the deputyship, he appointed al‑Shalmaghānī to direct the activities of the Shias in Baghdad. Al‑Shalmaghānī continued directing the Shias’ activities in Baghdad and Kūfah for many years. He was well‑known for his impatient political ambitions, and he realized that it was highly probable to lose his influence in the near future. Therefore, he decided to ignore the Twelfth Imam’s instructions and started searching for other groups to achieve his political ambitions.

After discovering al‑Shalmaghāni’s heretical ideas, Ibn-e Rūh discharged him from his office and caused the news of his heresy to become widespread, first among the people of Banū Nawbakht and then among others. Afterwards, he ordered the agents to sever their relations with him. His announcement reveals that a considerable body of the agents in Baghdad and the ordinary believers had been influenced by al‑Shalmaghānī. After his ex-communication, he began propagating the idea that he and not Husayn bin Rūh was the rightful representative of the Twelfth Imam. Through this claim and a series of other nonsensical ones like the belief in the incarnation of Allah in the bodies of the Prophets and the Imams, al‑Shalmaghānī tried to monopolize the economic and political positions of the organization.

It has already been noted that Husayn bin Rūh was imprisoned in 312 A.H / 924 A.D. Al‑Shalmaghānī seized this opportunity to expand his activities among the Shias, who had not yet received any more answer from the Imam himself concerning the claims of al‑Shalmaghānī. Therefore, the Imam sent via Husayn bin Rūh this pronouncement concerning his attitude towards the claims of al‑Shalmaghānī:

«... مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ الْمَعْرُوفَ بِالشَّلْمَغَانِيِّ عَجَّلَ اللَّهُ لَهُ النِّقِمَةَ وَ لَا أَمْهَلَهُ قَدِ ارْتَدَّ عَنِ الْإِسْلَامِ وَ فَارَقَهُ وَ أَلْحَدَ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ وَ ادَّعَى مَا كَفَرَ مَعَهُ بِالْخَالِقِ جَلَّ وَ تَعَالَى وَ افْتَرَى كَذِباً وَ زُوراً وَ قَالَ بُهْتَاناً وَ إِثْماً عَظِيماً كَذَبَ الْعَادِلُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَ ضَلُّوا ضَلالًا بَعِيداً وَ خَسِرُوا خُسْراناً مُبِيناً وَ إِنَّا بَرِئْنَا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَ إِلَى رَسُولِهِ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَ سَلَامُهُ وَ رَحْمَتُهُ وَ بَرَكَاتُهُ مِنْهُ وَ لَعَنَّاهُ عَلَيْهِ لَعَائِنُ اللَّهِ تَتْرَى فِي الظَّاهِرِ مِنَّا وَ الْبَاطِنِ وَ السِّرِّ وَ الْجَهْرِ وَ فِي كُلِّ وَقْتٍ وَ عَلَى كُلِّ حَالٍ وَ عَلَى كُلِّ مَنْ شَايَعَهُ وَ بَلَغَهُ هَذَا الْقَوْلُ مِنَّا فَأَقَامَ عَلَى تَوَلَّاهُ بَعْدَهُ.

أَعْلِمْهُمْ تَوَلَّاكَ اللَّهُ أَنَّنَا فِي التَّوَقِّي وَ الْمُحَاذَرَةِ مِنْهُ عَلَى مِثْلِ مَا كُنَّا عَلَيْهِ مِمَّنْ تَقَدَّمَهُ مِنْ نُظَرَائِهِ مِنَ السَّرِيعِيِّ وَ النُّمَيْرِيِّ وَ الْهِلَالِيِّ وَ الْبِلَالِيِّ وَ غَيْرِهِمْ وَ عَادَةُ اللَّهِ جَلَّ ثَنَاؤُهُ مَعَ ذَلِكَ قَبْلَهُ وَ بَعْدَهُ عِنْدَنَا جَمِيلَةٌ وَ بِهِ نَثِقُ وَ إِيَّاهُ نَسْتَعِينُ وَ هُوَ حَسْبُنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمُورِنَا وَ نِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ‏».^[49]

"... Muhammad bin 'Ali, known as al‑Shalmaghānī, is one of those upon whom Allah has hastened His revenge and to whom He has granted no respite. He has deviated from Islam and separated himself from it. He has become an apostate from the religion of Allah, making claims which indicate the denial of Allah, the Most Glorious and High, fabricating lies and falsehoods, and pronouncing untruths and great trans­gressions. Those who associate another with Allah are in far error and clearly suffer a great and manifest loss. For indeed we (the Household of the Prophet) declare ourselves free (of any relationship with al‑Shalmaghānī) before Allah the Exalted and His Messenger may the blessings of Allah, His peace, His mercy, and His benediction be upon him according to His benevolence; while we curse him (al‑Shalmaghānī), may the curses of Allah be showered successively (upon him) externally and internally, secretly and publicly, at every time and in every circumstance. And (may the curse of Allah be) upon those who agree with him and follow him, and also upon those who, having heard our announcement, continue to pay allegiance to him.

So, inform them (the Shia agents) that we shall guard and take precautions against him, as was the case with those who preceded him and held similar views, like al‑Shariˈī, al-Numayrī, al‑Hilālī, al‑Bilālī, and so forth. For the traditions of Allah are conformable to us before this event and after it. In Him, we place our trust, and only from Him, we seek assistance. He is sufficient for us in all our affairs and is the best of Guardians."

One example of his debates with the opponents

A person from among the opponents had a debate with Husayn bin Rūh that shows his intellectual level and his powerful knowledge. The opponent said to him, “I wish to pose some questions to you.” He replied, “You may ask.” He asked, “Please tell me if Husayn (the third Imam of Shia) is the agent (Walī) of Allah?” He replied at once, "Yes." He asked, "Is it possible for Allah to give power to His enemy over this friend?"

Husayn bin Rūh said, “Pay attention to what I am saying and remember it. You should know that the Almighty Allah does not speak to the people directly. But He sends some prophets of His to them. If He had sent non-humans as prophets, they would not have gathered near him, they would have shunned him. That's why the prophets were from the people (human). They used to eat like humans and walked in the streets and bazaars. People used to say to him, 'You are like us and we are like you. We do not accept that you are a prophet but that you present some miracle. If you show a miracle, we would know that you have a special distinction from Allah, which we do not have. Thus, the miracles of the prophets are the greatest proof of the veracity of their claims…. The wisdom of the Almighty was such that the prophets, though they possessed the miracles, sometimes achieved victories, and sometimes suffered defeat. If they had always been victorious and had never suffered defeat and calamities the people would have mistaken them for being god and considered them all-powerful…”

This reply and debate shows the powerful rational capability and knowledge of Husayn bin Rūh. Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Ishāq who was present in the gathering says that the reply of Husayn bin Rūh was so astonishing that the next day I went to him to ask him whether it was his own reply or he had learned it from the Infallible Imam. Husayn bin Rūh told him, “Muhammad bin Ibrāhīm! I never say anything on my own even in the most difficult circumstances. Rather the source of all the things is from the favors I have received from the Proof of Allah (Imam Mahdi) and heard from him...”^[50]

Miracles and manifestations

Many miraculous incidents that took place by Husayn bin Rūh highlighting his connection with the Imam, and we point to two instances,

1. The great ˈAllāmah, Ali bin Husayn Qummī wrote a letter to Husayn bin Rūh and requested Imam Mahdi to pray that the Almighty Allah might give him a child from his present wife who would become a scholar of His religion, his wife was the daughter of his uncle. Ibn-e Rūh also conveyed his request to the Imam. The reply came that he would not have any children from this wife. But soon he would become a master of a girl through whom would be born two sons for him, deeply knowledgeable about religion and religious law. Not much time passed till the anticipation came true and Almighty Allah gave him three sons from this lady, Muhammad, Husayn, and Hasan. But only Muhammad and Husayn became the prominent scholars of Shia Islam. They were experts of religion and memorizers of the verses of Allah Almighty and their powerful memory astonished the people and people say that this distinction was due to the blessings of Imam Mahdi. However, Hasan was an ordinary man and was always engrossed in prayers, away from the company of people.
2. Husayn bin Ali bin Bābiwayh (brother of Shaikh Sadūq) narrates: “Some people from the city of Qum (in 311 A.H.), prepared to go for Hajj when the Qarāmatah attacked them. My father (Ali bin Bābiwayh) who was not with them and did not hear the news wrote a letter to Husayn bin Rūh to present it to Imam Mahdi and seek permission for Hajj that year. The Imam ordered him not to go for Hajj. My father wrote another letter saying that Hajj was obligatory and whether it is permissible to stay away from it? The Imam replied:

«إِنْ كَانَ لَا بُدَّ فَكُنْ فِي الْقَافِلَةِ الْأَخِيرَة»^[51]

"If you cannot avoid it, then travel with the last caravan."

Then, he adds, "As my father left for Hajj with the last caravan, he was saved while the people with the earlier caravan were killed."

His demise

He was appointed as the third deputy in the year 305 A.H / 917 A.D so he served as a special deputy of the twelfth Imam for 21 years. After this period, he fell ill and died in the year 326 A.H / 938 A.D and was buried in Baghdad with elaborate funeral arrangements. Now, his grave is situated in Baghdad in Nawbakht, near the door of the house of Ali bin Ahmad al-Nawbhaktī. However, this place is now known as Sūq al-Attārīn.

The fourth special deputy, Abu al-Hassan Ali bin Muhammad al-Samurī (d. 329 A.H. / 941 A.D.)
The Samurī tribe were among those Shia families that were highly respected for their services to Islam in general and the Shiite cause in particular. Mainly, they were among the companions of Imams from the time of Imam Ridā (the eighth Imam) till the martyrdom of the eleventh Imam. His family nobility caused him not to face much opposition for his appointment as the Imam's deputy. Many individuals from this family, like Hasan, the son of Ismail bin Sālih and Muhammad, the son of Ali bin Zīyād were owners of large estates. They had gifted the income from their estates to the eleventh Imam. Their illustrious position does not come as a surprise given that over the years, they were active supporters and helpers of the cause of the holy Imams.

Ali bin Muhammad al-Samurī had served under the Imam Hādī and Imam Hassan al-'Askarī. These two Imams were, moreover, in correspondence with him and had written some signed notes for him. He was undoubtedly among the most eminent figures of the Shi'a in Baghdad.

 The fourth deputy of Imam Mahdi attained this great position after the demise of the third deputy, Husayn bin Rūh al-Nawbakhtī. Imam Mahdi himself ordered the third deputy to appoint Ali bin Muhammad al-Samurī to this post.^[52] His appointment as the fourth deputy was uncontested. Due to his good previous record, reliability, and trustworthiness, he faced no problem in his being accepted as a deputy by the Shias and agents of the representation network. Representatives and elite Shias recognized him as the true deputy of Imam Mahdi, and they gave the religious taxes to him to be delivered to the Imam.

His title 

There is a difference of opinion in the title of the fourth deputy from the aspects of pronunciation and writing. He is called Samarī, Saymurī, or Samurī. However, the latter one is more acceptable in many Shia sources though some believe that Saymur which is one of the villages in Basra where his relatives lived makes the second pronunciation preferable.

The short period of his deputyship

The details of al-Samurī’s date of birth and his life history are few and far between in books of history. By the order of the twelfth Imam, Husayn bin Rūh appointed al-Samurī in his place so that he could manage his affairs. The period of his deputyship lasted for approximately three years from 326 A.H. (938 A.D.) to 329 A.H. His age coincided with the reign of two Abbasid caliphs.

This short period is remembered as one in which the oppressions and tyrannies of the ruling Abbasid government were at their peak. Consequently, like his predecessors, socially he was not very active and deliberately limited his interaction with his representatives. Due to both his short period of deputyship and the special political situation, he could not take considerable measures. However, despite these restrictions, he maintained his contact with the Shias. He continued to enjoy the same respect and position amongst the Shias as the preceding three special deputies. It was for this reason that the Shias continued to send their religious financial taxes to him through his representatives.^[53]

The details of his date of birth and life history are few and far in books of history. Nonetheless, the relatively short span of his appointment as special deputy of Imam Mahdi has been reported with regular frequency in books.

To be in contact with the eleventh Imam

Ali bin Muhammad al-Samurī was regarded amongst the companions of Imam Hasan al-Askari. Imam al-Askarī also corresponded with him through letters. For example, he says that on one occasion, Imam al-Askarī wrote to him, ‘A dispute will soon arise which will trouble you such that you may lose your hands and feet. Remain alert of this corruption and safeguard yourself from it.’ After three days, Hashimites (Banī HāShim) were involved in an incident due to which they were engulfed with hardships and sufferings. I wrote to the Imam enquiring whether this was the same incident which he had referred to in his letter. He replied, ‘No, there is yet another incident. You protect yourself completely from it.’ After a few days, we were informed of the murder of the Abbasid caliph, Mu'tazz.”^[54] This letter shows that he was in contact with Imam Hasan al-Askari.

News of the unseen

Like his predecessors, many incidents of nobility are reported about the fourth special deputy of Imam Mahdi. These incidents served a dual purpose; firstly, they established a strong relationship between him and Imam Mahdi, and secondly, the Shias who witnessed these noble actions never harbored any doubt about his designation as the special deputy of the Imam.

Shaikh al-Tūsī, based on reports from his teachers, narrates an incident from Husayn bin Ali bin Bābwayh Qummi - brother of Shaikh al-Sadūq. He reports, ‘Some members of Qum which included 'Imrān Saffār, Alawiyyah Saffār, and Husayn bin Ahmad bin Idrīs (may Allah have mercy upon them) reported to me that in the year in which my father Ali bin Husain bin Mūsā bin Bābwayh (the father of Shaikh al-Sadūq) passed away, they were present in Baghdad.

They report that Ali bin Muhammad al-Samurī asked each one of us about the health of Ali bin Bābwayh and we replied to him that we have received a letter from him that he is fine. Till the time of his death, he kept inquiring about Ali bin Bābwayh and we kept replying that he was well. One day, he asked us the same question and we replied that we had not received the reply to our letter from him. To this, he said, ‘May Allah grant you patience on his demise!’ We noted the day, month, and time of his statement. After about seventeen or eighteen days, we received the news of the death of bin Bābwayh and it was on the same day and time when he had paid condolence to us.^[55]

The last letter to the last deputy

When his death approached, many Shias came to see him and asked him about his successor. In reply to this question, he placed the last Tawqī' (a Signed letter from Imam Mahdi) before the people. 

This letter that was issued by Imam Mahdi six days before the demise of al-Samurī can be found with minor variations in the books of traditions. This Tawqī' was issued during the Minor Occultation bore tremendous historical import. Not only did this letter declare the conclusion of the era of special deputies and herald the onset of Major Occultation, but it also carried a profound and deep-rooted message. This important letter is as follows,

«بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيم. يَا عَلِيَّ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ السَّمُرِيَّ أَعْظَمَ اللَّهُ أَجْرَ إِخْوَانِكَ فِيكَ فَإِنَّكَ مَيِّتٌ مَا بَيْنَكَ وَ بَيْنَ سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ فَاجْمَعْ أَمْرَكَ وَ لَا تُوصِ إِلَى أَحَدٍ فَيَقُومَ مَقَامَكَ بَعْدَ وَفَاتِكَ فَقَدْ وَقَعَتِ الْغَيْبَةُ التَّامَّةُ فَلَا ظُهُورَ إِلَّا بَعْدَ إِذْنِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى ذِكْرُهُ وَ ذَلِكَ بَعْدَ طُولِ الْأَمَدِ وَ قَسْوَةِ الْقُلُوبِ وَ امْتِلَاءِ الْأَرْضِ جَوْراً وَ سَيَأْتِي إِلَى شِيعَتِي مَنْ يَدَّعِي الْمُشَاهَدَةَ أَلَا فَمَنِ ادَّعَى الْمُشَاهَدَةَ قَبْلَ خُرُوجِ السُّفْيَانِيِّ وَ الصَّيْحَةِ فَهُوَ كَذَّابٌ مُفْتَرٍ وَ لَا حَوْلَ وَ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيم».^[56]

"In the name of Allah, the Beneficent the Merciful. O Ali bin Muhammad al-Samurī! May Allah increase the reward of your brothers concerning you (i.e. your demise)! Death will come to you within the next six days. So you complete your works and do not nominate any person after yourself. The sequence of special deputies will come to an end and the Major Occultation will commence with your demise. Now, the reappearance will occur only with the permission of Allah the Exalted, after a prolonged period and after the hearts of people are hardened and the world is full of oppression. And such a period will emerge on my Shias when people will claim that they have seen me. Be alert that whoever makes such a claim before the advent of Sufyānī and the Call from skies, is a liar and an impostor. There is no strength and power save that of Allah’s, the High the Great." 

Sheikh Tabarsī narrates that some of these people noted down the contents of the letter and left. They returned on the sixth day and found Ali bin Muhammad al-Samurī in a state of illness, grappling with death pangs. They enquired once again,

«... فَقِيلَ لَهُ مَنْ وَصِيُّكَ مِنْ بَعْدِكَ فَقَالَ لِلَّهِ‏ أَمْرٌ هُوَ بَالِغُهُ».^[57]

 “… Who is your successor?” He replied, ‘This affair only belongs to Allah and just He should fulfill it. (Meaning that I have no successor.)” These were the last words of his life.

Some points about the last Tawqī'

A meaningful investigation of the above Tawqī' indicates that Imam Mahdi has drawn the attention of Ali bin Muhammad Samurī towards various important aspects. Apart from this, this letter is also a conclusive proof of the existence of the Imam for those who deny it and ridicule the Shias for it.

Some of these aspects are noted here:

1. The prophecy made by the Imam about the demise of Samurī within six days. The accuracy of the prophecy proved that the letter was issued from none other than Imam Mahdi.

2. Imam Mahdi ordered him not to appoint any person as his successor. With this decree, the Imam sealed the only door for all to meet him directly. The decree was a pointer to the fact that in the future (during the Major Occultation), none would be able to meet the Imam in normal situations. It also implies that there would be no designated special deputy during the Major Occultation, thus the Imam falsified the allegation of everyone who claims to have that position. Moreover, even if someone claims to meet or to be able to meet the Imam would be a liar and an impostor.

3. The Tawqī’ marked the commencement of the Major Occultation.

4. Imam Mahdi will not reappear but with the permission of Allah.

An Objection

It seems that there is a contradiction in this Tawqī'. On one hand, we see that if a person claims to meet Imam Mahdi, he is a liar. However, on the other hand, there are numerous incidents and events reported in books where not only scholars but also ordinary people have met the Imam and have reported such meetings. In this regard, Allāmah Majlisī has replied to the above objection in his book, Bīhār al-Anwār as follows,

1. Since there have been several incidents of people having met the Imam, it is clear that the scholars believe that the Tawqī' does not reject the possibility of meeting and seeing the Imam. It only rejects the appointment of a special deputy after Ali bin Muhammad al-Samurī as a medium between the Imam and the people. 

2. Anyone who makes such a preposterous claim that can get a meeting with the Imam at will in the Major Occultation is a pretender and deserves to be snubbed. So, meeting the Imam is not rejected outright in this Tawqī'. It is just that in the Major Occultation, meeting the Imam voluntarily is not possible. Rather the Imam will meet whosoever he wants.

His demise

The fourth special deputy passed away on the 15th of Sha'bān, 329 A.H. (941 A.D.). His demise was accurately prophesied by Imam Mahdi in his Tawqī' wherein he informed him of his death within six days.

Sheikh Abbās Qummī says, “The illustrious Shaikh Ali bin Muhammad Samurī was the successor to Husayn bin Rūh and shouldered the responsibilities of deputyship for 3 years. He passed away in the year 329 A.H., marking the onset of the Major Occultation. His grave is in Baghdad near the tomb of Sheikh Kulaynī.”^[58] For centuries, lovers of Imam Mahdi have been visiting his grave and seek closeness to the Imam by this. 

Conclusion

For 69 years between 260 A.H. till 329 A.H., four selected people acted as the medium between Imam Mahdi and his followers. This duration is called the Minor Occultation. Some people deem this duration to be 74years because they calculate it from the birth of the Imam in 255 A.H., certainly, the Imam did not shoulder the responsibility of Imamate in the lifetime of Imam al-Askarī. Therefore, there was no need for him to be in contact with the people directly since his respected father was executing it. Hence, the question of the commencement of Minor Occultation does not arise right from the birth of Imam Mahdi.

 The special deputies of Imam Mahdi lived fruitfully in a time when the Shi'a suffered extreme hardship. Above all, the absence of the Infallible Imam occurred for the first time. On the other hand, the followers of the deviant schools of thought took advantage of the absence of an Imam; they leveled false and unfair accusations against the Shias, questioned their beliefs, and considered them misled. However, it was the special deputies who under the guidance of Imam Mahdi overcame the difficulties, saved the Shias from confusion and disunity, and kept them in the clear path of the truth. They were among the most pious, clever, and shrewd people of their time; and due to earning Allah’s satisfaction, they rose to the high rank of deputyship.

Some peculiarities about Special Deputyship

1- The names of the special deputies were not mentioned in the Tawqī's. This was done to prevent the Abbasid caliphs from knowing their names. Also, because this relationship was based on sheer trust and reliability, there arose no particular need to mention the names.

2- All Tawqī's received during the time of the four special deputies had only one handwriting and people were able to recognize it. This similarity in writing proved that all these letters were from the Imam and people followed them diligently.

3- 'Alawids were kept away from deputyship and others were purposefully granted this status because the 'Alawids were marked in the society and were under strict surveillance and scrutiny of the Government.

4- These deputies were rarely engaged in social work because by struggling for social works one’s identity doesn’t remain secret. And they did not intend to reveal themselves. If they participated in social work, they would be marked and become known as the special representatives, while their aim was only to pose as businessmen. This is the cause for the rare information about their lives. Even historians have hardly mentioned anything about them. It is also possible that some historians have documented their biographies but these documents have been destroyed by the enemies of the Shia.

5- They performed only those tasks which were ordered unto them by Imam Mahdi.

6- They were informed of the hidden knowledge only with the permission of the Imam. 

7- Everybody didn't need to have had direct contact with the special representatives, they made their close friends and intimates as the medium between themselves and the masses. 

The special deputies' activities

The activities of special deputies can be studied in some ways^[59]:

1- Secret activities

The important point to notice at this period is that not only Imam Mahdi was hidden from sights, his representatives were also unknown and carried out their responsibilities without attracting attention. Moreover, keeping away from revolutionary and reformist activities helped the Shia to face the least threats and better manage the situation.

The result of this decision was that the Shia preserved their presence in the center of the Abbasid caliphate and the extremist Sunni people who were influential in Baghdad as an official minority. At this time, the Shia center in Baghdad, through their supervision over the Shia of other places, managed to organize their religious affairs. 

2- Infiltrating in Caliphate

Special policies taken by the Shia and especially by deputies in that period and the support of the infallible Imams made some great Shi'a able to enter the Abbasid caliphate and even take responsibility for ministries.^[60] Due to the influence of the Nawbakhti  and bin Furāt family who were responsible for ministries of Muqtadir al-'Abbasī the Shia were greatly supported. Husayn bin Rūh al-Nawbakhti was influential in 'Abbasid government and respected by them at the beginning of his deputyship. 

3- Fighting with Ghulāt (Exaggerators)

In biographies of most Imams, one of the most important points of their cultural and political activities was to fight with inside branching of the Shia, the most important one of which was the issue of Ghulāt. Lately, Ghulāt's influences grew with the help of some of the children of Imams such as Ja'far bin 'Ali al-Hadi known as Kadhdhāb (the liar), and also some other Shi'a political figures.

4- Removing doubts about Imam Mahdi 

One of the important actions of the special deputies was that they removed doubts about the existence of Imam Mahdi. These efforts were mostly made by the first and second deputies and then until the end of the Minor Occultation, there were some discussions about that. 

5- Managing agents (Wikālat network)

The policy of appointing agents to supervise different regions and making the connection between Shia and Imams was usual since the time of Imam al-Kazim (the seventh Imam of Shia). After the beginning of the Occultation, the direct connection between the agents and the Imam was cut, and instead, the connection was made through the special deputies the Imam had appointed. There is a report which implies that upon the submission of properties and taxes people gave to agents, they used to receive receipts, but no receipt was demanded from the special deputies.

6- Preserving the concealment of Imam Mahdi 

From historical reports and narrations, it can be understood that the Imam stayed mostly in Iraq, Mecca, and Medina and lived in a way that the special deputies could meet him; as even sometimes some companions also could meet him.

Regarding all this, trying decisively to protect the concealment of the Imam was one of the paramount duties of the special deputies. When Husayn bin Rūh al-Nawbakhtī was appointed as the third deputy of Imam Mahdi, Abu Sahl Ismā'īl bin 'Ali al-Nawbakhti, a very distinguished Shia, lived in Baghdad. Once a person asked Abu Sahl about the reason behind the appointment of Husayn bin Rūh and not him. Abu Sahl answered, "The one who has appointed Husayn bin Rūh is wiser than us since my duty is to hold debates with the enemies of Ahl al-Bait. If I knew Imam's place as Abu l-Qāsim [Husayn] knows, maybe in the middle of an argument I would disclose it to the enemy; while, if Abu l-Qāsim has hidden the Imam under his cloak, he would never uncover him even if he is sliced to pieces."^[61]

7- Answering jurisprudential and ideological questions

The four deputies mentioned religious questions of the Shia to Imam Mahdi and after they received the answers, delivered them to people. These activities were not limited to religious issues; and the deputies participated in debates and discussions to solve scientific and ideological problems as well. The letter of Ishāq bin Ya'qūb^[62] and also the letter of Muhammad bin Ja'far al-Asadī^[63] which contained important religious issues and issues in jurisprudence; and also, the participation of Husayn bin Rūh in scientific and ideological debates shows the activities of the deputies in these cases. 

To send peace to the grave of the Four Special Deputies of Imam Mahdi

When someone visits the shrine of any of the four special deputies, firstly send peace to the Messenger of Allah, then to Imam Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, then to Lady Khadijah, Fatima al-Zahra, Imam Hassan and the following Imams, and then recite this salutation,

«السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا فُلَانُ بْنَ فُلَانٍ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ بَابُ الْمَوْلَى أَدَّيْتَ عَنْهُ وَ أَدَّيْتَ إِلَيْهِ مَا خَالَفْتَهُ وَ لَا خَالَفْتَ عَلَيْهِ فَقُمْتَ خَالِصاً وَ انْصَرَفْتَ سَابِقاً جِئْتُكَ عَارِفاً بِالْحَقِّ الَّذِي أَنْتَ عَلَيْهِ وَ أَنَّكَ مَا خُنْتَ فِي التَّأْدِيَةِ وَ السَّفَارَةِ وَ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ بَابٍ مَا أَوْسَعَهُ وَ مِنْ سَفِيرٍ مَا آمَنَكَ وَ مِنْ ثِقَةٍ مَا أَمْكَنَكَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ اخْتَصَّكَ بِنُورِهِ حَتَّى عَايَنْتَ الشَّخْصَ فَأَدَّيْتَ عَنْهُ وَ أَدَّيْتَ إِلَيْهِ».^[64]

“Peace be upon you, O (here one should recite the name of that special deputy and his father whom his grave is visited)! I bear witness that you are the door to our Master (Imam Mahdi). Certainly, you fulfilled the trust presented to you by the Imam and returned the trust to him. You did not oppose him and did not act contrary to what he willed. You sincerely did what you should do and fulfilled your job in the best way. I came to you while I am fully aware of the fact that is with you (your deputyship) and I know that you did not breach the trust reposed in your deputyship or in conveying the news. Peace be upon you from a door that is the most expansive door of mercy! What a trustable deputy and how trustworthy you were. I bear testimony that Allah chose you for His light; therefore, you could see the Imam. You received your tasks from him and returned the trust to him.”

Then again salute the Messenger of Allah and all the Imams one by one and then add, 

«جِئْتُكَ مُخْلِصاً بِتَوْحِيدِ اللَّهِ وَ مُوَالَاةِ أَوْلِيَائِكَ وَ الْبَرَاءَةِ مِنْ أَعْدَائِهِمْ وَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ خَالَفُوكَ يَا حُجَّةَ الْمَوْلَى وَ بِكَ إِلَيْهِمْ تَوَجُّهِي وَ بِهِمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَوَسُّلِي».^[65]

“I came to you while I sincerity believe in the oneness of Allah and that I love those who are your Masters (the Prophet and the Imams) and detest those who are their enemies and those who opposed you. O the proof from my Master! With you, I seek closeness to my Masters and I take recourse to them to get closer to Allah.”

Then one should pray and ask his requests from Allah and it is hoped that his prayer is listened.

Note: This Ziyārah can also be recited from a distance. Therefore, those who cannot afford to visit the grave can recite this supplication wherever they are.

Source: The Final Hope (July 2020- 2021), no. 2-6.