Imam al-Ḥusayn and Imam al-Mahdi; Some selected narrations

Imam al-Ḥusayn and Imam al-Mahdi; Some selected narrations

«...فَلَئِنْ أَخَّرَتْنِى الدُّهُورُ وَ عاقَنی عَنْ نَصْرِک َالْمَقْدُورُ وَ لَمْ أَکُنْ لِمَنْ حارَبَک َمُحارِباً وَ لِمَنْ نَصَبَ لَک َالْعَداوَةَ مُناصِباً  فَلَاَ نْدُبَنَّک َصَباحاً وَ مَسآءً وَ لاَبْکِیَنَّ لَک َبَدَلَ الدُّمُوعِ دَماً ...»[1]
 

Addressing Imam al-Ḥusayn (p.b.u.h), Imam al- Mahdi (p.b.u.h) says, “. . . now, that I could not be with you on the day of ʽAshūrā to defend you and fight your enemies, I shall mourn you every morning and every evening, and I shall weep blood for you instead of tears . . .”

«قَالَ اَلْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ صَلَوَاتُ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ : فِي اَلتَّاسِعِ مِنْ وُلْدِي سُنَّةٌ مِنْ يُوسُفَ وَ سُنَّةٌ مِنْ مُوسَى بْنِ عِمْرَانَ وَ هُوَ قَائِمُنَا أَهْلَ اَلْبَيْتِ يُصْلِحُ اَللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى أَمْرَهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ.»[2]

Imam al-Ḥusayn (p.b.u.h) says, “The ninth of my descendants has a similarity with Prophet Joseph (Yūsuf) and a similarity with Prophet Moses, the son of ʽImrān. He is the Qā’im of us (’Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet). Allah, the Almighty, will improve his affairs in a single night.”

«قالَ الْحُسَيْنُ عليه السلام: لَوْلَمْ يَبْقَ مِنَ الدُّنْيا إلاّيَوْمٌ واحِدٌ لَطَوَّلَ اللّه ُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ ذلِكَ الْيَوْمَ حَتّى يَخْرُجَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ وُلْدى، فَيَمْلاَءُها عَدْلاً وَقِسْطاً كَما مُلِئَتْ جَوْراً وَظُلْماً، كَذلِكَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللّه ِ صلي الله عليه و آله يَقُول.»[3]

Imam al-Ḥusayn (p.b.u.h) says, “Even if there should not remain but a single day from the world, Allah, the exalted, will prolong that day so much that a man from my progeny will arise. He will fill the earth with justice and equity as it will be replete with injustice and oppression. So I heard the messenger of Allah said.”

«قَالَ اَلْحُسَيْنُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: مِنَّا اِثْنَى عَشَرَ مَهْدِيّاً، أَوَّلُهُمْ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ، وَ آخِرُهُمْ اَلتَّاسِعُ مِنْ وُلْدِي وَ هُوَ اَلْقَائِمُ بِالْحَقِّ؛ يُحْيِي اَللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِهِ اَلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا، …»[4]

Imam Ḥusayn (p.b.u.h) says, “There are twelve guides from us; first of them is the commander of faithful ʽAlī bin ’Abī Tālib and their last is the ninth from my sons and he is Imam Al-Qāim, the establisher of the truth who Allah will revive the earth after its death…”

«وَ فِي حَدِيثِ مُقَاتِلٍ عَنْ زَيْنِ اَلْعَابِدِينَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ : یا وَلَدِي يَا عَلِيُّ وَ اللَّهِ لَا يَسْكُنُ دَمِي حَتَّى يَبْعَثَ اللَّهُ الْمَهْدِيَّ فَيَقْتُلَ عَلَى دَمِي مِنَ الْمُنَافِقِينَ الْكَفَرَةِ الْفَسَقَةِ سَبْعِينَ أَلْفاً»[5]

On his way to Karbala, Imam Husain said to his Son: "O My Son Ali, by Allah, my blood will not be at rest until Allah sends the Mahdi (ع) who will kill a thousand of disbelieving sinful Hypocrites taking revenge for My blood"

«فقد روي عن أبي حمزة الثمالي، قال: سألت الباقر (عليه السلام): يا بن رسول الله، ألستم كلّكم قائمين بالحقِّ؟ قال: بلى، قلت: فلِمَ سُمّي القائم قائماً؟ قال: لمَّا قُتِلَ جدّي الحسين صلّى الله عليه ضجَّت الملائكة إلى الله (عزَّ وجلَّ) بالبكاء والنحيب، وقالوا: إلهنا وسيّدنا أتغفل عمَّن قتل صفوتك وابن صفوتك، وخيرتك من خلقك؟ فأوحى الله (عزَّ وجلَّ) إليهم: قرّوا ملائكتي، فوَعزَّتي وجلالي لأنتقمنَّ منهم ولو بعد حين. ثمّ كشف الله (عزَّ وجلَّ) عن الأئمَّة من ولد الحسين (عليه السلام) للملائكة فسرَّت الملائكة بذلك، فإذا أحدهم قائم يُصلّي، فقال الله (عزَّ وجلَّ): بذلك القائم أنتقم منهم.»[6]

It was narrated from Abu Hamza al-Thumali to have said: I asked Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him): O son of the Messenger of God, are you not all the Qaim (Uprisers) for the truth? He replied: Yes. I said: Then why is the Mahdi called al-Qa’im?"When my grandfather Al-Husain  was killed, the angels raised an uproar with tears and weeping. They said: “O our Allah and our Master, take your revenge from those who killed Your chosen one and the son of Your chosen one and Your greatest one among Your creatures." Thus Allah revealed to them: "Calm down My angels. Indeed I will take My revenge from them even if after a while. Then Allah uncovered the Imams from the descendants of Husain and the angels were gladdened for seeing them. One of them was standing (Qaim) in prayer. Allah told them: "By this one, I will take My revenge from them."

Imam al-Sādiq states,

«إنّا و آل ابى سفيان اهل بيتين تعادينا فى اللّه: قلنا صدق اللّه و قالوا كذب اللّه: قاتل ابو سفيان رسول اللّه صلى الله عليه و آله و سلم و قاتل معاوية على بن ابى طالب عليه السلام و قاتل يزيد بن معاوية الحسين بن على عليه السلام و السّفيانى يقاتل القائم‏»^[7]

“We and the dynasty of Abu Sufyān are two dynasties that don’t have agreement about Divine programs; we have confirmed the expressions of God and they have denied them. Abu Sufyān fought against the Prophet, and Muāwiyah against Ali bin Abī Tālib, and Yazīd against al-Husayn bin Ali, and Sufyānī will fight against the Upriser.”

«الْتَفَتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ فَقَالَ ألَا أُبَشِّرُكَ ألَا أُخْبِرُكَ يَا عَلِيُّ! فَقَالَ: بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! فَقَالَ: كَانَ جَبْرَئِيلُ عِنْدِي آنِفاً وَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَنَّ الْقَائِمَ الَّذِي يَخْرُجُ فِي آخِرِ الزَّمَانِ فَيَمْلَأُ الْأَرْضَ عَدْلًا كَمَا مُلِئَتْ ظُلْماً وَ جَوْراً مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِكَ مِنْ وُلْدِ الْحُسَيْن...»[8]

The Messenger of Allah turned towards Ali and said, “O Ali! Shall I not give you happy tidings?” And Imam Ali replied, “Yes, indeed. O the Messenger of Allah”. The Prophet said, “Gabriel was with me a moment ago and informed me that the Qā'im, who will rise up at the End of Times to fill the earth with equity as it is full of oppression and tyranny, is from your progeny and from the offspring of al-Husain. (Imam Ali’s son)”

«و مِنّا وَاللَّهِ الَّذي لا إلهَ إلّا هُوَ مَهدِيُّ هذِهِ الامَّةِ الَّذي يُصَلّي خَلفَهُ عيسَى بنُ مَريَمَ. ثُمَّ ضَرَبَ بِيَدِهِ عَلَى مَنكِبِ الحُسَينِ فَقالَ: مِن هذا، ثَلاثاً»^[9]

The Messenger of Allah addresses his daughter, lady Fātima (p.b.u.h) stating, “By Allah Who there is no God save He, from us is the Mahdi the one behind whom, Jesus, son of Mary, will pray. Then, the Prophet struck Imam Husayn (p.b.u.h) on his shoulder and said three times, (Mahdi is) from his progeny”.

«عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع قَالَ يَكُونُ تِسْعَةُ أَئِمَّةٍ بَعْدَ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ تَاسِعُهُمْ قَائِمُهُم‏»[10]

Abi Basir, from Imam al-Bāqir: "There will be nine Imams after al-Husain bin Ali. The ninth of them will be the Qaim.

«عَنْ زُرَارَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع يَقُولُ نَحْنُ اثْنَا عَشَرَ إِمَاماً مِنْهُمْ حَسَنٌ وَ حُسَيْنٌ ثُمَّ الْأَئِمَّةُ مِنْ وُلْدِ الْحُسَيْن‏»[11]

Zurarah said I heard: Imam al-Bāqi said, “We are twelve Imam's (as). From them is Hasan (as) and Husain (as), then the Imam's (as) from the descendants of Husain (as).”

«عن أبي جعفر محمد بن علي بن الحسين عن أبيه عن جده ع قال قال رسول الله ص لعلي بن أبي طالب ع يا علي أنا و أنت و ابناك الحسن و الحسين و تسعة من ولد الحسين أركان الدين و دعائم الإسلام من تبعنا نجا و من تخلف عنا فإلى النار»[12]

Imam al-Bāqi said: “Messenger of Allah said to Ali bin Abi Talib, "O Ali, I and You and your sons Al-Hasan (as) and Al-Husain (as) and nine from the sons of Al-Husain (as) are the pillars of religions and pillars of Islam. Who obeys Us will succeed and who leaves Us will be towards the fire.”

The Prophet Muhammad says:

«نَحنُ وُلدُ عَبدِ المُطَّلِبِ سَادَة الجَنَّة أنَا وَ حَمزَة وَ جعفَرٌ وَ عَلِیٌّ وَ الحَسَنُ وَ الحُسَینُ وَ المَهدِی»[13]

“We – the seven descendants of Abd al-Muttalib- are the masters of people of the Heaven; I and Hamzah and Ali and Ja'far and Hassan and Husayn and Mahdi.”
 

We read in a part of Āshūrā Ziyārah of Imam Hussein,

«وَ اَسئَلهُ اَن یبَلِّغَنِی المَقامَ المَحمُودَ لَکُم عِندَالله وَ اَن یرزُقَنِی طَلَبَ ثارِکُم مَعَ اِمامٍ هُدَی ظاهِرٍ ناطِقٍ بِالحَقّ مِنکُم»

"I ask Allah to bring me to a praiseworthy position of yours (the Household of the Prophet) in the presence of Allah. And grant me the request of taking revenge for the unjustly shed blood of you while we are the companions of an Imam from you (Imam Mahdi) who is guided, is appeared (people can see him), and speaks about the truth."

Imam Ḥusayn, in response to a man who wanted to know about Imam Mahdi, described him as follows,

«مِنْ بَنِی هَاشِمٍ مِنْ ذِرْوَةِ طَوْدِ الْعَرَبِ وَ بحْرِ مغِیضِهَا إِذَا وَرَدَتْ وَ مَخْفِرِ أَهْلِهَا إِذَا أُتِیَتْ وَ مَعْدِنِ صَفْوَتِهَا إِذَا اکْتَدَرَتْ لَا یَجْبُنُ إِذَا الْمَنَایَا هَکَعَتْ وَ لَا یَخُورُ إِذَا الْمَنُونُ اکتَنَعَتْ وَ لَا ینْکُلُ إِذَا الْکمَاةُ اصْطَرَعَتْ مُشَمِّرٌ مُغْلَوْلِبٌ ظَفِرٌ ضِرْغَامَةٌ حَصِدٌ مُخْدِشٌ ذِکْرٌ سَیْفٌ مِنْ سُیُوفِ اللَّهِ رَأْسٌ قثَمُ نشُؤَ رَأْسُهُ فِی بَاذِخِ السُّؤْدَدِ وَ عَارِزٌ [غَارِزٌ مَجْدَهُ فِی أَکْرَمِ الْمَحْتِدِ فَلَا یَصْرِفَنَّکَ عنْ بیْعَتِهِ صارِفٌ»^[14]

"He (Imam Mahdi) is from the offspring of Banī Hāshim from the highest of Arabs tribes in position and from an ocean towards which water flows from all sides.^[15] He is like a shelter for the refugees and the source of purity when other things are dark and naughty. When death shows itself in an ambush, there will be no horror in his heart, and when death reveals its face, he will not show any weakness and inability. He will not retreat on the battlefield where all the other brave men could not stay firm. He is ambitious, will have many followers, is like a lion in the thicket in bravery who can uproot the base of the oppressors. He will be a strong and powerful support (for others) and a sword from the swords of Allah. He is a master and full of goodness and is grown up in a family of glory and honor and the root of his glory and majesty is the most original (and strong) root. So, nothing should prevent you from swearing allegiance to him."

Imam Hussain describes Imam Mahdi by saying,

«فِي التَّاسِعِ مِنْ‏ وُلْدِي‏ سُنَّةٌ مِنْ‏ يُوسُفَ‏ وَ سُنَّةٌ مِنْ مُوسَى بْنِ عِمْرَانَ وَ هُوَ قَائِمُنَا أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ»^[16]

"In the ninth man of my generation, there is a sign of Prophet Joseph and a sign of Muses bin 'Imrān.^[17] Among us, the Household of the Prophet, he is the one who will rise."

In his speeches, Imam Hussain prepared the minds of his people for understanding the prolongation of the absence of Imam Mahdi and spoke of a serious divine test during that period. It is narrated from him to have said,

«لَهُ‏ غَيْبَةٌ يَرْتَدُّ فِيهَا قَوْمٌ وَ يَثْبُتُ عَلَى الدِّينِ فِيهَا آخَرُونَ فَيُؤْذَوْنَ وَ يُقَالُ لَهُمْ‏ مَتى‏ هذَا الْوَعْدُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صادِقِينَ‏ أَمَا إِنَّ الصَّابِرِينَ فِي غَيْبَتِهِ عَلَى الْأَذَى وَ التَّكْذِيبِ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ بِالسَّيْفِ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَسُولِ اللَّه‏.»^[18]

"For him (Imam Mahdi), it is an absence in which some groups of people turn away from the religion and other groups remain steadfast in it but suffer annoyance in this way. They are told, 'When will this promise come true if you are truthful?' Those who endure these harassments and denials are like the ones who hold their swords in jihad next to the Messenger of Allah."

Imam Hussain describes the state of the society and the relations between Muslims during the Major Occultation of Imam Mahdi by stating,

«لَا يَكُونُ الْأَمْرُ الَّذِي تَنْتَظِرُونَهُ حَتَّى‏ يَبْرَأَ بَعْضُكُمْ‏ مِنْ‏ بَعْضٍ‏ وَ يَتْفُلُ بَعْضُكُمْ فِي وُجُوهِ بَعْضٍ وَ يَشْهَدَ بَعْضُكُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ بِالْكُفْرِ وَ يَلْعَنَ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضاً»^[19]

"The matter you are waiting for (the issue of the appearance) will not take place unless a group of you show their disgust with the other group (due to confusion and chaos), and some of you spit on the faces of others, and some of you testify to the disbelief of the other group, and some of you curse the other."

«مَرَّ الْحُسَيْنُ‏ ع عَلَى حَلْقَةٍ مِنْ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ وَ هُمْ جُلُوسٌ فِي مَسْجِدِ الرَّسُولِ ص فَقَالَ أَمَا وَ اللَّهِ لَا تَذْهَبُ‏ الدُّنْيَا حَتَّى يَبْعَثَ اللَّهُ مِنِّي رَجُلًا يَقْتُلُ مِنْكُمْ أَلْفا...»^[20]

"Once Imam Hussain passed by a group of Umayyads sitting in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah. He told them, 'Be aware, I swear to Allah that the world will not come to an end until Allah raises from my progeny a man who will kill thousands of you…'"