One of the issues that the believers in Imam Mahdi would like to understand during the time of his Major Occultation, is to take cognizance of the tasks that are assigned to them during this period. It is totally clear that a loyal expectant awaiting the Imam and looking forward to the great universal peacemaker must also show his or her expectation and readiness in beliefs, thoughts, and actions. It is not enough to make just an assertion of being a real expectant without acting in accordance with it. When one awaits someone, all his behavior indicates that he is waiting. For instance, if a person is waiting for a dear guest, he cleans the house, makes the living room tidy, and wears his formal clothes. Such a person can claim to be waiting for a respected guest truly. But someone who has neither arranged the house nor prepared the living room, does not dressed neatly, no one believes him at all if he claims to be awaiting a guest. Hence, for the first step of being a good Muntazir, it seems to be required to briefly enumerate a few of the duties of those who await Imam Mahdi and prepared for his advent:
1- Obtaining a proper cognizance of the Imam of the Age:
According to the Hadith of “the Death of Ignorance”[1] the prophet Muhammad warned people of any time saying,
«مَنْ ماتَ وَ لَمْ یعْرِفْ إمامَ زَمانِهِ مَاتَ مِیتَةً جَاهِلِیة»[2]؛
“Whoever dies while he does not recognize the Imam of his time, his death is like the death of those who had died at the Age of Ignorance”.
Based on this narration and some other similar Hadiths[3], we have to realize who this Imam is. People have to know him since it is so important that if people do not recognize him, they would die like an ignorant man who died before the advent of Islam.
Confirming this vital factor, it is quoted from Imam Husayn (the third Imam of Shia) to have said,
«...أَيُّهَا اَلنَّاسُ إِنَّ اَللَّهَ جَلَّ ذِكْرُهُ مَا خَلَقَ اَلْعِبَادَ إِلاَّ لِيَعْرِفُوهُ فَإِذَا عَرَفُوهُ عَبَدُوهُ فَإِذَا عَبَدُوهُ اِسْتَغْنَوْا بِعِبَادَتِهِ عَنْ عِبَادَةِ مَنْ سِوَاهُ. فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ يَابْنَ رَسُولِ اَللَّهِ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَ أُمِّي فَمَا مَعْرِفَةُ اَللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: مَعْرِفَةُ أَهْلِ كُلِّ زَمَانٍ إِمَامَهُمُ اَلَّذِي يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِمْ طَاعَتُهُ»[4]
“…O people! Allah the Exalted did not create servants unless they know Him and if they know Him, they worship Him, and then through worshiping Him, they become needless of worshiping others. A man asked the Imam, ‘O the Son of the Prophet! May my parents be at your ransom, what is the knowledge about Allah’? The Imam replied: ‘It is the knowledge of the people of any time about their Imam, the Imam whose obedience is obligatory on them.”
Paying attention to the contents of several supplications recommended to be read in the time of Imam Mahdi’s disappearance, we can find the importance of gaining knowledge about Imam Mahdi. It is said in one of these famous supplicatory prayers,
«اللَّهُمَ عَرِّفْنِي نَفْسَكَ فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ لَمْ تُعَرِّفْنِي نَفْسَكَ لَمْ أَعْرِفْ نَبِيَّكَ اللَّهُمَّ عَرِّفْنِي رَسُولَكَ فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ لَمْ تُعَرِّفْنِي رَسُولَكَ لَمْ أَعْرِفْ حُجَّتَكَ اللَّهُمَّ عَرِّفْنِي حُجَّتَكَ فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ لَمْ تُعَرِّفْنِي حُجَّتَكَ ضَلَلْتُ عَنْ دِينِي»[5]
‘O Allah! Endow Your recognition to me because if I do not recognize You then I will never be able to recognize Your Apostle (the prophet Muhammad).
O Allah! Endow the recognition of Your Apostle on me because if You do not confer the recognition of Your Apostle then I will never be able to recognize Your (Divine) Proof (Imam Mahdi).
O Allah! Endow the recognition of Your (Divine) Proof upon me because if You do not bestow the recognition of Your (Divine) Proof I may deviate from my religion.’"
2- Taking Recourse to the Guardianship of Ahl al-Bayt
There are two kinds of guardianship for Ahl al-Bayt: Creational and Legislative.
Creational guardianship means that by the permission and the will of Allah, the Infallible Imams have discretionary power and have an influence on the world and its items. The prophets' miracles and the extraordinary acts of some spiritually great people are some kinds of that.
Legislative guardianship means to guard and superintend the community and the believers. Each of the Infallible Imams, in his era, is a guardian and custodian of the society and guides people legislatively.
One of the important duties of the expectant people (those who wait for the Imam to come) during the time of occultation is to hold firmly to the rope of the guardianship of Ahl al-Bayt. It means that they should act in accordance to the Sunnah (the tradition) of the Prophet which was bestowed to his Household after the demise of the Prophet.
It is narrated from Imam Kāzhim (the seventh Imam of the Shia) to have said,
«طُوبَی لِشیعَتِنَا المُتَمَسِّکینَ بِحَبلِنا فی غَیبَة قائِمِنا»[6]
"Blessed are our Shias who resort to the rope of our guardianship during the occultation of our Upriser."
In addition, Imam Sādiq (the sixth Imam) states,
«يَأْتِي عَلَى اَلنَّاسِ زَمَانٌ يَغِيبُ عَنْهُمْ إِمَامُهُمْ...»[7]
"There will come a time wherein the Imam absents from his followers."
Then Zurārah asked, "What will people do in that time?" The Imam replied:
«يَتَمَسَّكُونَ بِالْأَمْرِ اَلَّذِي هُمْ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ»[8]
"Resort to the thing [the guardianship] which they believe in, until [the matter] becomes clarified for them."
3- Waiting for the Faraj (the appearance of Imam Mahdi) uninterruptedly
In the occultation era, one of the important duties of people is to wait for a relief that will be received by the appearance of the Imam.
The prophet Muhammad says,
«أفضَلُ أعمالِ اُمَّتي إنتظارُ الفَرَجِ»:[9]
"The most perfect deed of my nation is to wait for the Faraj (appearance of the twelfth Imam)."
Hadiths about waiting for the Faraj of Imam of the Age deal extensively with these matters: Being patient in this waiting period and hoping to receive the rewards of the patients. Here we point to some of these examples:
A: Imam Sādiq quotes from the prophet Muhammad to have said to his companions,
«سَيَأْتِي قَوْمٌ مِنْ بَعْدِكُمْ اَلرَّجُلُ اَلْوَاحِدُ مِنْهُمْ لَهُ أَجْرُ خَمْسِينَ مِنْكُمْ. قَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ نَحْنُ كُنَّا مَعَكَ بِبَدْرٍ وَ أُحُدٍ وَ حُنَيْنٍ وَ نَزَلَ فِينَا اَلْقُرْآنُ! فَقَالَ: إِنَّكُمْ لَوْ تَحَمَّلُوا لِمَا حُمِّلُوا لَمْ تَصْبِرُوا صَبْرَهُمْ»:[10]
"After you, a nation will come in which one person of them will be rewarded as much as 50 people of you. They [the Prophet's companions] said: O the prophet of Allah! We accompanied you in wars of Badr, Uhud, and Hunayn. Also, some verses of the Quran have been revealed about us! The Prophet answered: 'If you face the painful events that they will face, verily you do not tolerate them.'"
B: Imam Ridā (the eighth Imam) said,
«ما اَحْسَنَ الصَّبْرَ وَ اِنْتِظارَ الْفَرَجِ»[11]
"How good are patience and waiting for the Faraj."
C: Imam Husayn says,
«...لَهُ غَيْبَةٌ يَرْتَدُّ فِيهَا أَقْوَامٌ وَ يَثْبُتُ فِيهَا عَلَى اَلدِّينِ آخَرُونَ فَيُؤْذَوْنَ وَ يُقَالُ لَهُمْ مَتى هذَا اَلْوَعْدُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صادِقِينَ أَمَا إِنَّ اَلصَّابِرَ فِي غَيْبَتِهِ عَلَى اَلْأَذَى وَ اَلتَّكْذِيبِ بِمَنْزِلَةِ اَلْمُجَاهِدِ بِالسَّيْفِ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَسُولِ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ»[12]
"…He [Imam Mahdi] will absent for a while. In that time, some groups of people abandon their religion and some others persevere with it and they will be offended. They will be questioned: 'When will this promise (the appearance of the Imam) be fulfilled if you are truthful?' Undoubtedly, in the time of occultation, the one who tolerates the nuisance and whose belief is denied (by the opponents) is like a Muslim who fights with a sword in the presence of the prophet Mohammad."
4. Doing self-refinement; individual and social reform
One of the important duties of the one who waits for the right government to be established is to be righteous and have a fine and praiseworthy manner. Imam Sādiq says accordingly,
«مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْقَائِمِ فَلْيَنْتَظِرْ وَ لْيَعْمَلْ بِالْوَرَعِ وَ مَحَاسِنِ الْأَخْلَاقِ وَ هُوَ مُنْتَظِرٌ»[13]
"The one who desires to be among Imam Mahdi's companions has to wait [for the Imam's appearance]; and behave piously and morally while he waits."
Furthermore, Imam Sādiq states,
«إِنَّ لِصَاحِبِ هَذَا اَلْأَمْرِ غَيْبَةً فَلْيَتَّقِ اَللَّهَ عَبْدٌ وَ لْيَتَمَسَّكْ بِدِينِهِ»[14]
"Surely, the Possessor of this Matter (Imam Mahdi) has an absence. So, a servant of Allah has to be pious and hold on to his religion firmly."
On the other hand, another significant duty of people in the occultation era is to have the spirit of rectifying society. Every person must feel responsible for every member of his community and try to reform and rectify people in order to make the community and people ready to accept the universal government of Imam Mahdi.
Reforming the society can be fulfilled through enjoining the right and prohibiting the wrong, and this deed is emphasized greatly in Islam.
About the duties of the Shias in the occultation era, Imam Bāqir (the fifth Imam) says,
«لِيُعِنْ قَوِيُّكُمْ ضَعِيفَكُمْ، وَ لْيَعْطِفْ غَنِيُّكُمْ عَلَى فَقِيرِكُمْ، وَ لْيَنْصَحِ الرَّجُلُ أَخَاهُ كَنَصِيحَتِهِ لِنَفْسِه»[15]
"Mighty people among you ought to help the weak; rich ones must show kindness to the poor. Everyone ought to be benevolent to his religious brother just as he is benevolent to himself."
Allah, the Almighty, also states in the Qur'an,
«كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَ تَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ...» [16]
"You are the best nation ever brought forth to men; you enjoin what is right and prohibit the wrong."
Clarifying this issue, Imam Sādiq says,
«...إِنَّ اَلْأَمْرَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَ اَلنَّهْيَ عَنِ اَلْمُنْكَرِ سَبِيلُ اَلْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَ مِنْهَاجُ اَلصُّلَحَاءِ فَرِيضَةٌ عَظِيمَةٌ بِهَا تُقَامُ اَلْفَرَائِضُ وَ تَأْمَنُ اَلْمَذَاهِبُ وَ تَحِلُّ اَلْمَكَاسِبُ وَ تُرَدُّ اَلْمَظَالِمُ وَ تُعْمَرُ اَلْأَرْضُ وَ يُنْتَصَفُ مِنَ اَلْأَعْدَاءِ وَ يَسْتَقِيمُ اَلْأَمْرُ»[17]
"…Undoubtedly, enjoining the right and prohibiting the wrong, are the path of the prophets and the method of the righteous, and among the momentous and obligatory duties. Through this duty, other obligatory duties are done, paths are made immune, incomes became legal and permissible, the right of the oppressed is taken from the oppressors, the earth is reclaimed, vengeance is taken from the enemies, and the affairs (of people) are organized."
Yes. If all Muslims consider themselves responsible for enjoining the right and prohibiting the wrong in Islamic society, preliminary steps to attain an ideal and desirable Mahdist society are taken.
5- Remembering Imam Mahdi
One of the important duties of the Shias and those who love the Imam is to always remember him and try not to forget him. The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali states,
«مَن أحَبَّ شيئاً لَهِجَ بِذِكره»[18]
"Whoever loves something is engaged in remembering it."
Imam Kāzhim states about Shias' heart to heart connection with Imam of the Age during his occultation,
« ... يَغِيبُ عَنْ أَبْصَارِ اَلنَّاسِ شَخْصُهُ وَ لاَ يَغِيبُ عَنْ قُلُوبِ اَلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ذِكْرُه»[19]
"…He is concealed out of sight, but the memory of him does not hide from the heart of the believers."
Also, we say to Imam Mahdi in the supplication of Nudbah,
«عَزِیزٌ عَلَیَّ أَنْ أَرَی الْخَلْقَ وَ لا تُرَی وَ لا أَسْمَعُ لَکَ حَسِیساً وَ لا نَجْوَی ... هَلْ مِنْ مُعِینٍ فَأُطِیلَ مَعَهُ الْعَوِیلَ وَ الْبُکَاءَ، هَلْ مِنْ جَزُوعٍ فَأُسَاعِدَ جَزَعَهُ إِذَا خَلا، هَلْ قَذِیَتْ عَیْنٌ فَسَاعَدَتْهَا عَیْنِی عَلَی الْقَذَی، هَلْ إِلَیْکَ یَابْنَ أَحْمَدَ سَبِیلٌ فَتُلْقَی، هَلْ یَتَّصِلُ یَوْمُنَا مِنْکَ بِعِدَة فَنَحْظَی؟»[20]
"It is very hard for me that I can see all the creatures (and people) but I can neither see you nor can I hear any whisper from you ... Is there any helper to accompany me on protracting lament and bewail? Is there a wailer and I assist him in wailing when he is alone? Are there any thorn in one's eyes then I help those eyes to have a long weep? O' the Ahmad's son! Is there any way to meet you? Does our time attach to your time in future then we can meet you and get pleasure from this visiting?"
In the same way, the Imam of the Age also does not neglect his Shias. It means that if we connect ourselves with the Imam and remember him, we will surely receive the Imam's favor and kindness as this issue is referred to in the letter written by the Imam to Sheikh al-Mufīd,
«إنّا غَيْرُ مُهْمِلينَ لِمُراعاتِكُمْ، وَ لا ناسينَ لِذِكْرِكُمْ، وَ لَوْلا ذلِك لَنَزَلَ بِكُمْ الْلَّأواءُ وَاصْطَلمكُمْ الْأعْداءُ فـَاتـَّقـُوااللّه جَلَّ جـَلالُهُ.»[21]
"Surely, we do not neglect your conditions nor are we forgetful of your remembrance. If it was not the case, troubles would descend on you and enemies would exterminate you. Thus, be wary of God the Exalted the Glorified."
6. Expressing affection to Imam Mahdi
When people love someone, their beloved one's memory is always present in their minds. This causes their life to have similarities with their beloved ones. If their beloved one is a transcendent person, this relation between the lover and the beloved would set the ground for their spiritual progress and growth, and if their beloved one is a mean and wicked one, this relationship would lead to their degradation and falling.
Because of this, we are highly recommended to love the Prophet and his Household. Due to the importance of this affection, Allah regards the affection towards the descendants of the Prophet as the reward for the mission of the Prophet and states,
«قُلْ لَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلَّا الْمَوَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبَى»[22]
"Say, ‘I do not ask you any reward for it (my mission) except the love of [my] relatives.’”
Moreover, the holy Prophet states,
«لا يُؤْمِنُ عَبْدٌ حَتَّى أَكُونَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ وَ تَكُونَ عِتْرَتِي إِلَيْهِ أَعَزَّ مِنْ عِتْرَتِهِ وَ يَكُونَ أَهْلِي أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أَهْلِهِ وَ تَكُونَ ذَاتِي أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ ذَاتِهِ»[23]
“A servant [of Allah] does not have [a real] faith unless he loves me better than himself and loves my family and household better than his, and loves me more than himself.”
Imam Hassan Askarī (the 11th Imam) stated addressing Imam Mahdi,
«وَ اعْلَمْ أَنَّ قُلُوبَ أَهْلِ الطَّاعَةِ وَ الْإِخْلَاصِ نُزَّعٌ إِلَيْكَ مِثْلَ الطَّيْرِ إِذَا أَمَّتْ أَوْكَارَهَا»[24]
"And know that the hearts of the people of servitude and devotion are flying towards you, as a bird is flying towards its nest.”
This does not mean that this love and affection are one-sided, rather the infallible Imams have expressed love and affection towards the real Shias and share in their happiness and grief.
Imam Ridā (the eighth Imam) described an Imam by saying,
«الْإِمَامُ الْأَمِينُ الرَّفِيقُ وَ الْوَلَدُ الشَّفِيقُ وَ الْأَخُ الشَّقِيقُ وَ كَالْأُمِّ الْبَرَّةِ بِالْوَلَدِ الصَّغِيرِ»[25]
“An Imam is (like) a trustworthy friend and a compassionate child (to his parents) and a sympathetic brother and is like a mother in relation to her young child.”
Moreover, in another narration, Imam Mahdi has expressed his affection to the Shias and has declared that he would be very sad and sorry for their slips,
«...إِنَّهُ أُنْهِيَ إِلَيَ ارْتِيَابُ جَمَاعَةٍ مِنْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَ مَا دَخَلَهُمْ مِنَ الشَّكِّ وَ الْحَيْرَةِ فِي وُلَاةِ أُمُورِهِمْ فَغَمَّنَا ذَلِكَ لَكُمْ لَا لَنَا وَ سَاءَنَا فِيكُمْ لَا فِينَا...» [26]
“…I became aware of a hesitation that a group of you [the Shias] have in religion and doubts and uncertainty with respect to their Religious Guardian of Affairs, so we became sad for you, not for ourselves and we felt sorry for you not for ourselves...”
7. Considering Imam Mahdi`s sublime state and keeping his dignity
One of the important duties of the Shias is to consider the Imam’s eminent state and respect him. Imam Mahdi is the last one in the rank of the infallible Imams. The Imams possess the highest spiritual level after the rank of the prophethood. Their level is much higher than ordinary people.
Imam Ali states,
«لا يُقَاسُ بِآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ (صلی الله علیه وآله) مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ أَحَدٌ وَ لَا يُسَوَّى بِهِمْ مَنْ جَرَتْ نِعْمَتُهُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَبَداً، هُمْ أَسَاسُ الدِّينِ وَ عِمَادُ الْيَقِينِ»[27]
"Nobody of this community (the Ummah of the Prophet) can be compared with the descendants of Muhammad. Someone to whom the blessings of Muhammad`s descendants have been given, should not be considered equal to them. They are the basis of the religion and pillars of certainty.”
Also, there are numerous narrations mentioning the magnitude of Imam Mahdi’s state. The Holy Prophet, explaining Imam Mahdi’s spiritual level in Heaven, says,
«اَلْمَهْدِيُّ طَاوُوسُ اَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ عَلَيْهِ جَلَابِيبُ النُّور»[28]
“Mahdi is the peacock among the people of Heaven and is surrounded by halos of light.”
Moreover, the Prophet states,
«نَحنُ وُلدُ عَبدِ المُطَّلِبِ سَادَة الجَنَّة أنَا وَ حَمزَة وَ جعفَرٌ وَ عَلِیٌّ وَ الحَسَنُ وَ الحُسَینُ وَ المَهدِی»[29]
“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.”
8. Praying for the advent of the Imam of the Age
When a believer prays, he cuts off his hope from everyone other than Allah and stretches his or her needy arms toward the Needless Allah, and just asks Him to untangle his difficulties. Thus, one of the duties of those who wait for the appearance of the Imam is to pray and to sincerely ask Allah to hasten the advent of him. Even the Imam of the Age, himself, has recommended the Shias to pray for his advent. For instance, he has expressed at the end of his letter to Ishāq b. Ya῾qūb,
«أكثِروا الدُّعاءَ بِتَعجيلِ الفَرَجِ فَإِنَّ ذلِكَ فَرَجُكُم»[30]
“Pray for the hastening of the advent too much, indeed, therein lies your relief.”
According to the Infallible Imams' narrations, these prayers are one of the factors for reaching salvation in the period of the Major Occultation.
Imam Hassan al-῾Askarī says in this regard,
«وَاللهِ لَيَغيبَنَّ غَيبَةً لا يَنجوُ فيها مِنَ الهَلَكَةِ إلّا مَن ثَبَّتَهُ اللهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عَلَي القَولِ بِإِمامَتِهِ وَ وَفَّقَهُ فيها لِلدُّعاءِ بِتَعجيلِ فَرَجِهِ»[31]
“By Allah, he [Imam Mahdi] has a [prolonged] occultation in which no one will be saved from falling astray, but the one who, by the help of Allah the Exalted the Glorified, has stayed steady on his belief in the Imamate of his and is made successful by Allah in praying for hastening to the appearance of the Imam.”
Moreover, there are lots of recommendations about the time and the way of praying expressed by the religious leaders; for example, it is mentioned in Minhāj al-῾Ārifīn: “It is recommended that individual says after performing the Morning Prayer, one hundred times,
«اللهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّد وَ عَجِّل فَرَجَهُم»[32]
“O Allah! Send peace to Muhammad and his descendants, and hasten their relief.”
Also, there are some prayers dedicated specifically to the Imam of the Age; the most famous of which are: Nudbah[33] and ῾Ahd[34] supplications.
Prayer is a beautiful portrayal of the way we devote ourselves to the Imam of our time during the period of his occultation. Though the Imam is not in our physical company, we have an opportunity to connect with him on a spiritual level and demonstrating our commitment to him by reciting the powerful words of the supplications.
Of course, it is clear that a real prayer is not done by just reciting the words by tongue, but rather the purpose of a prayer is to attain a deep attention by the heart to the meaning and the concept of a supplication, and notice that the matter of religion, piety, and true belief in the Imam and his occultation is a difficult task in this period which is undertaken by people of certainty and steadfastness.
9. Being in the state of permanent readiness
True permanent readiness is the most important duty in the period of Occultation. There are lots of Hadiths about it in Islamic narrative books.
Imam Bāqir states under the last verse of chapter Āli ῾Imrān,
«اصْبِرُوا عَلَى أَدَاءِ الْفَرَائِضِ وَ صابِرُوا عَدُوَّكُمْ وَ رابِطُوا إِمَامَكُمُ الْمُنْتَظَر»[35]
“Have patience in performing the [religious] obligations, help each other against enemies, and always maintain your readiness to help the expected Imam”.
Unlike the concept of some people who think that the Arabic word “Rābitū” means trying to making relationship and to meet the Imam, this word means maintaining readiness for the appearance of the Imam.
Now, in the end, it should be reminded that according to Islamic narrations, many subject matters have been expressed about the duties of the Shias in the period of occultation; even in some books, like Mikyāl al-Makārim, eighty duties have been enumerated for those who wait for Imam Mahdi’s advent.[36]
Source: The Final Hope April 2020, Issue no. 1
[1] A period of time before the advent of Islam is called “the Age of Ignorance” since people in that era were deprived of moralities and ethical values and used to behave inhumanely.
[2] Kamāl al-Dīn wa Tamām al-Ni`mah, vol. 2, p. 409.
[3] See Sahīh, by Muslim, vol. 6, p. 22, the book of al-Emārah; Sahīh, by Bukhārī, vol. 8, p. 87, the book of al-Fitan; Musnad, by Ahmad, vol. 1, p. 416; Al-Mustadrak ‘Ala al-Sahīhayn, vol. 1, p. 77; Rabī’ al-Abrār, vol. 4, p. 221; Musnad, by Ahmad, vol. 3, p. 446; Al-Masāil al-Khamsūn, p. 374, issue no. 47; Kanz al-‘Ummāl, vol. 6, p. 65.
[4] Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 5, p. 312.
[5] Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 8, p. 368 & vol. 32, p. 321.
[7] Kamāl al-Dīn, vol. 2, p. 351.
[8] Kamāl al-Dīn, vol. 2, p. 350.
[9] Kamāl al-Dīn, vol. 2, p. 644; Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 75, p. 208.
[10] Al-Kāfī, vol. 8, p. 37; Mikyāl al-Makārim, vol. 2, p. 290.
[11] Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 52, p. 129.
[12] Kamāl al-Dīn wa Tamām al-Ni'mah, vol. 1, p. 437.
[13] Kamāl al-Dīn, vol. 1, p. 437.
[14] Al-Kāfī, vol. 2, p. 132.
[15] Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 52, p. 123.
[16] The Quran, 3:110.
[17] Al-Kāfī, vol. 5, p. 56; Al-Tahdhīb, vol. 6, p. 180; Tuḥaf al-'Uqūl, p. 227.
[18] Ghurar al-Hikam, vol. 1, p. 231.
[19] Kamāl al-Dīn, vol. 2, p. 368.
[20] Refer to Mafātīh al-Jinān.
[21] Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 53, p. 175.
[22] The Quran, 42:23.
[23] Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 27, p. 75; Al-Amālī, p. 86.
[24] Kamāl al-Dīn vol. 2, p. 348.
[25] Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 25, p. 123.
[26] Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 53, p. 178; Al-Ihtijāj, p. 466.
[27] Nahj al-Balāgha, Ceremony 2.
[28] Muntakhab al-Athar, p. 147; Yanābīa' al-Mawaddah, vol. 3, p. 164.
[29] Kitāb al-Ghaybah, by Sheikh al-Tūsī, p. 113; Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 51, p. 65.
[30] Kamāl al-Dīn, vol. 2, P. 361.
[31] Kamāl al-Dīn, vol. 2, P. 384.
[32] Minhāj al-῾Ārifīn, P. 108.
[33] Al-Mazār al-kabīr, P. 573; Misbāh al-Zāyir, P. 446.
[34] Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 53, p. 95.
[35] Al-Ghaybah, by Nu῾mānī, P. 199.
[36] Mikyāl al-Makārim, vol. 2, P. 104.
