Ashqayaan(Abu Bakr and Umar) will be hanged

بسم الله الواحد القهار

One of the controversial issues that has been narrated in the Shia narrations is the fact that when Imam Al-Mahdi(عليه السلام) reappears, among the first things he does after arriving in Madina, is to take out the corpses of Abu Bakr and Umar out of their graves, fresh and un-decayed. Then he will make them to confess for their crimes against the Family of the Messenger of Allah(صلی الله و عليه وآله وسلم), after that he(عليه السلام)  will hang them from a dry tree and as a final test for their lovers, Allah will make that tree to put forth leaves and turn green. Upon which those who have a disease in their hearts will doubt and be inclined towards them even more than before. By doing this Allah wants to clean the Earth from their lovers, so Imam(عليه السلام) will separate them from the rest of the people and will kill those lovers of Abu Bakr and Umar and burn the corpses of Abu Bakr and Umar and then Allah will send a wind to disperse their ashes.

The core reason behind this in these narrations is the fact that Abu Bakr and Umar attacked the house of Fatimah(سلام الله عليها) which led to miscarriage of her son, Mohsin or Al-Muhassin(عليه السلام) as a result of which she was killed too. And as mentioned the other reason is to distinguish between righteous believers and those who have a disease in their hearts.

However some laymen of the Shia have tried to cast doubt on this issue, by just picking one or two narrations and analysis of some of their weak narrators, and then concluding that these narrations are fabricated. In this article I want to use a more scholarly method of putting forward all of those narrations that I found in this regard and see if this is an established fact in our narrations or just a fabricated tale.

First of all it is essential to mention that Raj‘ah is an accepted belief among Shia, about which there is no doubt. Raj’ah refers in particular in the context of End Times to a period of time, in which human beings of the previews generations will return to the world again. The verses of Qur’an and our authentic narrations show that it will not be for all people, but only for certain people of the past from among pure believers and pure disbelievers/hypocrites. Taking this into consideration the first names that come to mind about pure disbelievers are Abu Bakr and Umar, since they are the ones who are responsible for the usurpation of the divine authority from Ahlulbayt(عليه السلام)  and oppressing them and killing them and misleading the entire Ummah. Given this fact there remains no doubt that Abu Bakr and Umar should be among the first ones who will be returned, even if we had no other specific narrations about it. But since we have many narrations naming them specifically among the first ones who will be returned, there remains no excuse to dismiss and reject those narrations. Even if those narrations individually might not have completely authentic chains.

But before showing those narrations, let us see some of the authentic narrations that explain the Raj’ah and who will be returned in it. 

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Sayyed Hashim Al-Bahrani:

Ali Ibn Ibraheem: narrated my father from Mohammad Ibn Abi Umayr from Al-Mufaddal that Imam Ja’far Sadiq (عليه السلام) said regarding the words of the Almighty Allah:

وَيَوْمَ نَحْشُرُ مِن كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ فَوْجًا

“And on the day when We will gather from every nation a party…”[27:83]

Every believer who had been slain will be revived and sent to the world again and then die after completing his tenure on the earth. Also Rajat will be for only those who are pure believers and pure infidels.

Imam Ja’far Sadiq (عليه السلام) said: A man asked Ammar bin Yasir, “O Aba Yaqzaan, there is a verse in the book of Allah that has destroyed my heart and has put me into doubt. Ammar said: “Which verse is that?” That man said: “It is when the Almighty Allah says:

وَإِذَا وَقَعَ الْقَوْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَخْرَجْنَا لَهُمْ دَابَّةً مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ تُكَلِّمُهُمْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ كَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا لَا يُوقِنُونَ

“And when the word shall come to pass against them, We shall bring forth for them a creature from the earth(Daabbatul Ardh)  that shall talk to them, because people did not believe in Our communications.” [27:82]

“What Daabba is it?” Ammar said: “I swear by Allah, I will not sit, eat or drink anything till I show it to you.”

Then taking that man with him he went to Amirul Momineen (عليه السلام). His Eminence was partaking dates and butter. He said to Ammar: “Come forward, O Aba Yaqzaan!” Ammar sat down and began to share in the eatables. That man was surprised and when Ammar arose, he exclaimed: Glory be to God!

O Aba Yaqzaan! You had vowed that you would not eat, drink or sleep till you showed me that (Daabbatul Ardh)! Ammar said: “If you ponder upon it, you would understand that I have already shown him to you.”

Source: Tafsir Al-Burhan, Vol. 6 Pg. 37

Sheikh Hurr Al-Ameli:

Ali Ibn Ibraheem narrates in his Tafsir from his father from Ibn Abi Umayr from Al-Mufaddal from Abi Abdullah(عليه السلام) who said regarding the words of the Almighty Allah:

وَيَوْمَ نَحْشُرُ مِن كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ فَوْجًا

“And on the day when We will gather from every nation a party…”[27:83]

He(عليه السلام) said: Every believer who had been slain will be revived and sent to the world again and then die after completing his tenure on the Earth. Also Raj’at will be for only those who are pure believers and pure infidels.

I say: the likes of this narration are too many, that some of them are mentioned before, and it is clear that this refers to the Raj’ah of them(عليهم السلام) at the first place, which are also mentioned in many other explicit narrations.

Source: Iqaadh Min Al-Hajma Bil Burhan Alar Raj’ah, Pg. 343

Allamah Al-Majlisi:

It is narrated in Basahir Al-Darajaat of Sa’d Ibn Abdullah through a Sahih (authentic) chain from Abi Abdullah(عليه السلام) that he said:

“The first for whom the grave will split open and who would come back to the world in Raj'at, will be Al-Husain Ibn Ali (عليه السلام) and Raj'at will not be for all people, it is only for particular people, only pure believers and absolute polytheists will have Raj'at.”

Source: Mir’atul Uqool, Vol. 3 Pg. 201

In my research I came across several narrations through at least five Imams of the Ahlulbayt(عليم السلام). I will begin with the narrations through Amiral-Muminin and then Imam Al-Baqir, Imam Al-Sadiq, Imam Al-Jawaad and finally Imam Al-Mahdi himself(عليهم السلام). The following chart shows the chains of the narrators of these narrations. As you can see these narrations have been narrated through five Imams of Ahlulbayt(عليهم السلام) with more than twelve different chains, which involves a total of more than 50 narrators until they were recorded in our famous hadith-collections.

Amiral-Muminin(عليه السلام):

At-Tabari Al-Imami:

And from him from his father from Abu Ali Mohammad Ibn Humam from Ahmad Ibn Ali Al-Qasiri from Mohammad Ibn Husain Ibn Abil Khattab from Al-Hasan Ibn Maboub from Malik Ibn Atiyya from Abi Hamza As-Thumali from Abi Is’haq Al-Sabi’i or someone else from Al-Harith Al-A’war from Abil Tufayl Amer Ibn Wathila who said:  I met Amiral-Muminin(عليه السلام) in one of the passages of Madina, he was walking alone, I saluted him and followed him until we reached the house of the Second(i.e. Umar), he asked for permission to enter, Umar gave him permission, so he entered and I entered with him, he saluted the Second(i.e. Umar) and in that time Umar was Caliph, then he(عليه السلام) sat, when he settled on the ground, he said to Umar: “who has taught you this ignorance? O arrogant! By Allah if you become a beggar and wear disheveled cloths, it would be better for you than this position which you possess, and better than your climbing the pulpits, by Allah, it is as if I am seeing you asking for forgiveness as your companion(Abu Bakr) asked me for forgiveness.“ Umar said: my companion has not asked you for forgiveness. He(عليه السلام) said: „surely you know that your friend asked me for forgiveness and you will do the same. By Allah, it is as if I am seeing you and your friend while you are taken out of your graves, fresh and un-decayed, then hanged in Baidaa.“ Then Umar said: what is this fortune-telling?! Quraish has never failed to recognize you group of Bani Abdul Muttalib as liars. By Allah, I have tasted its sweetness and I am obeyed, then he said: and you know that I won’t ask for forgiveness. Then he said: who will do that to us what you said? Imam(عليه السلام) said: a manly of my progeny, from a group for whom Allah has taken covenant. Umar said: O Abal Hasan I know that what you say is not but truth, so I ask you by Allah to tell me whether the Messenger of Allah(صلی الله و عليه وآله وسلم) really named me and my friend?  Imam(عليه السلام) said to him: “by Allah, the Messenger of Allah(صلی الله و عليه وآله وسلم) named you and your friend.” Umar then said: by Allah, if I knew that you came here for this, I would have not given you the permission to enter. Then Imam(عليه السلام) stood up and went out. Then he told me: “O Abal Tufayl, keep this a secret.” Abil Tufayl then said: By Allah, no one knows about what happened between those two, until the Second(i.e. Umar) was killed and Amiral-Muminin(عليه السلام) was killed.

Source: Dalael Al-Imamamah, Pg. 253-254

Sayyed Hashim Al-Bahrani:

Narrated Al-Daylami Al-Hasan Ibn Abil Hasan, may Allah have mercy on him, and Al-Khusaybi through his chain from Ahmad Ibn Al-Khatib from Abil Muttalib Ja’far Ibn Mohammad Ibn Al-Fudhayl from Mohammad Ibn Sinan Al-Zahiri from Abdullah Ibn Abdul-Rahman Al-Asam from Mudlij from Harun Ibn Sa’eed (from Abil Tufayl) who said: I heard Amiral-Muminin(عليه السلام) saying to Umar Ibn Al-Khattab: who has taught you this ignorance? O arrogant! By Allah, if you had paid attention to what the Messenger of Allah(صلی الله و عليه وآله وسلم) ordered you, or if you was clever in your religion, you would have chosen the poverty and worn disheveled cloths, and would have not liked people to stand in front of you in obedience, and you would have not oppressed the progeny of the Prophet(صلی الله و عليه وآله وسلم) in indecent manner. It is as if I am seeing you killed in this world by a slave, owner of a long life, you will oppress him with tyranny and he will kill you successfully. by Allah, he will enter into Paradise for that in spite of your desire about him. By Allah, if you had tried to listen to the Messenger of Allah(صلی الله و عليه وآله وسلم) and obeyed him, you would have not put your sword on your neck and you would have not preached over the pulpits. It is as if I am seeing you when you are called and you will answer and your name will be called out but you refrain, as if I am seeing you that your secrets are revealed and your friend has been hanged, who made you in charge and you succeeded him. Then Umar said to him: O Abal Hasan, are you not ashamed of yourself with this fortune-telling? Then Amiral-Muminin(عليه السلام) said to him: I haven’t told you other than what I heard from the Messenger of Allah(صلی الله و عليه وآله وسلم) and I haven’t spoken except what I know. He said: so when will this be O Amiral-Muminin(عليه السلام) ? he (عليه السلام) said: when your corpses are brought out from beside the Messenger of Allah(صلی الله و عليه وآله وسلم), out of your graves in which you were not buried, because you were brought to the well of Fire. So in order for the people of doubt to be tested, you both will be has from then branchesan of a dry tree, then that tree will suddenly put forth new leaves and will become fresh and green, so that will be a sign for those who love you and were happy with your actions, in order for Allah to distinguish between the filthy and righteous people. It is as if I am looking at you while people are asking their God to save them from what happened to you. Umar asked: who will do that O Abal Hasan? He(عليه السلام) said: a group of people who have differentiated between the swords and their sheaths and Allah has been pleased to help his religion with, and shall not fear the censure of any censurer for the sake of Allah. It is as if I am looking at you while you are brought out of your graves, fresh and un-decayed, then you will be hanged from a tree and that will be a test for those who love you, then a fire will be brought that was brought for Ibraheem, Yahya, Jurjis, Danial and every truthful and believer and a firewood will be brought that you blazed on my door to burn Fatimah(سلام الله عليها) , daughter of the Messenger of Allah(صلی الله و عليه وآله وسلم) and my two sons, Al-Hasan and Al-Husain and my two daughters, Zaynab and Umm Kulthum(عليهم السلام), to burn them with that fire. Then Allah will suddenly send a wind towards you to blow your ashes away to the place where Allah Almighty says about: “and they shall be seized upon from a near place” [34:51]. which means from below their feet. He said: O Abal Hasan, you are separating us from the Messenger of Allah(صلی الله و عليه وآله وسلم) ? He(عليه السلام) said: yes. He said: O Abal Hasan, have you really heard this? Is it true? Abal Tufayl said: Amiral-Muminin(عليه السلام) swore that he has heard it from the Prophet (صلی الله و عليه وآله وسلم). Then Umar cried and said: I seek refuge with Allah from what you said, do you have a sign for it? He(عليه السلام) said: yes, terrible killings, death of children, awful pest, there will not survive from the people in that time except one third of them and a caller will call from the sky the name of a man from my progeny and numerous signs will appear, to an extent that the alive wish to die because of what they see, so whoever dies, has been freed from that situation. For those who are good in the eyes of Allah, he will let them to survive, until a man of my progeny fills the Earth with justice and equality, as it is filled with oppression and tyranny. Allah will bring back for him the remaining of the people of Musa and Yahya, the people of the cave and He will support him with angels and Jinn and our devoted Shia and will make the sky to rain, to let the Earth to grow plants. Umar said to him: you do not swear except for truth, so neither you nor your progeny will taste the sweetness of Caliphate. Amiral-Muminin(عليه السلام)  said to him: you will not stop enmity towards me and my progeny. When the death of Umar was near, he sent someone to call Amiral-Muminin(عليه السلام) and said to him: O Abal Hasan, you should know that these companions of mine forgave me in what I was in charge over them, I ask you too to forgive me. Amiral-Muminin(عليه السلام) said: do you think that if I forgive you, those who passed away will forgive you too? The Messenger of Allah(صلی الله و عليه وآله وسلم) and his daughter(سلام الله عليها)?, then he left the house saying:  

وَأَسَرُّواْ النَّدَامَةَ لَمَّا رَأَوُاْ الْعَذَابَ 

“and they will manifest regret when they see the chastisement.” [10:54]

Source: Madinatul Ma’aajiz, Vol. 1, Pg. 366-367

Imam Al-Baqir(عليه السلام):

At-Tabari Al-Imami:

Through this chain from Abi Abdullah Ja’far Ibn Mohammad from Mohammad Ibn Humran Al-Mada’ini from Ali Ibn Isbaat from Al-Hasan Ibn Bashir from Abil Jaroud from Abi Ja’far, he said: I asked him: when will your Qaem(عليه السلام) rise? He said: O Abal Jaroud you will not witness that time. I said: how about the people of his time? He said; you will not witness the people of his time too. Our Qaem(عليه السلام) rises to establish the truth after disappointment of the Shia, he will call people thrice, but no one will answer him. In the fourth day he will cling to the curtain of the Ka’ba and say: O Lord! Help me, so his call will not be void. Then Allah Almighty will say to the angels who helped the Messenger of Allah(صلی الله و عليه وآله وسلم) in the day of Badr, they have not taken away their saddles and have not put down their weapons, they will pledge allegiance to him, then 313 men will pledge allegiance to him. He will go to Madina, those people will go with him so that Allah Almighty might become satisfied. Then he will kill 1500 Qurashi, all of them are born from Zinah. Then he will enter in the mosque and demolish the wall and level it to the ground. Then he will take out Al-Zarq and Zariq(i.e. Abu Bakr and Umar), may Allah curse both, their corpses, fresh and un-decayed, he will talk to them and they will answer him. Then people of doubt will be confused and say that he talks with the dead, so he(عليه السلام) will kill 500 of those people of doubt in the middle of the mosque. Then he will burn the two with the same firewood that they had gathered to burn Ali, Fatimah, Al-Hasan and Al-Husain(عليهم السلام), that firewood is with us, we inherit it from each other. Then he will demolish the palace of Madina and will set out towards Kufa, then from that city 16000 people of Batriyya will confront him, armed with weapons, reciters of Qur’an, Fuqaha of religion, their foreheads have sign of prostration, their faces are yellow due to fasting, but their aim is hypocrisy, all of them will say: O son of Fatimah(سلام الله عليها) go back, we do not need you, so he will confront them with sword in the back of Kufa, on Monday from noon to evening he will kill them faster than slaughtering the camels. So no one from them will remain and from the companions of Imam(عليه السلام) no one will get harmed. Their blood is a sacrifice for Allah. Then he will enter Al-Kufa and with fight with its fighter so that Allah is pleased. He said: I didn’t understand the meaning, so I thought for a moment and then said: may I be your ransom, how does he know when Allah Almighty is pleased? He said: O Abal Jaroud, Allah revealed to the mother of Musa he is better than the mother of Musa and Allah revealed to the Ant, he is better than Ant, then I understood the meaning. Then he said to me: did you understand? I said: yes. then he said: Al-Qaem(عليه السلام) will rule for 309 years like the Companions of the Cave in their cave, he will fill the Earth with justice and equality, as it will be filled with tyranny and oppression and Allah will give him victory upon the East and the West, until there will not remain except the religion of Mohammad, he will rule with the rule of Sulayman Ibn Dawood, he will call upon the sun and the moon and they will answer him, he you cross the Earth very fast and Allah will reveal to him and he will act upon the commands of Allah.

Source: Dalael Al-Imamamah, Pg. 238-239

Imam Al-Sadiq(عليه السلام):

Sheikh Hasan Ibn Sulayman Al-Hilli:

Narrated to me the righteous brother Al-Rashid Mohammad Ibn Ibraheem Ibn Mohsin Al-Mattaar Abadi narrating from the handwriting of his father the righteous Ibraheem Ibn Mohsin the following narration and he showed me his handwriting and what he had copied from it, it says: Husain Ibn Hamadan from

Muhammad Ibn Ismail and Ali Ibn Abdullah Hasani from Abi Shuaib Muhammad Ibn Nusair from Umar Ibn Furat from Mufaddal Ibn Umar that he said:

Once I asked my master, Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.):

“Is any time fixed for the reappearance of the awaited Mahdi (a.s.) that can be declared?”

He said: “By Allah, there is no such fixed time that can be told to our Shia.”

….

He replied: After that he will proceed to Medina and camp there and the believers will experience a strange joy and the infidels will be sorrowful in a strange way.

Mufaddal said: My master, what will be the cause of that joy and sorrow?

Imam said: He will come to the grave of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and call out: O people, is this the grave of my grandfather? People would reply: O Mahdi of Aale Muhammad (a.s.), yes, this is the tomb of your grandfather. He would ask: Who are buried with him? They will say: Two of his companions.

Although he would be knowing them better than anyone else. Yet people would pay attention to what he is saying. He would ask: Who are they and how did only these two from all the people were buried with my grandfather?

Perhaps others are also buried here. People would say: O Mahdi of the progeny of Aale Muhammad (a.s.), no one other than these two are buried here, because they were caliphs and fathers-in-law of the Prophet. Imam Mahdi (a.s.) would repeat this question thrice and then order them to be taken out from their graves. When they remove the two corpses, they would come out fresh and un-decayed.

Then Imam Mahdi (a.s.) would ask: Does anyone of you recognize them?

People would reply: Yes, we recognize them through their qualities, they were companions of your grandfather. He would ask: Is there anyone among you having another opinion or having any doubt in it? People would say: No.

Then Imam Mahdi (a.s.) would delay their removal for three days and this news would spread among the people.

After that Mahdi will come to their graves and order his men: Open their graves and search for them. They would put their hands inside the grave and pull them out as fresh as they were three days ago. Then he will order them to be hanged from a dried up tree; but as soon as they are hang the corpses on it, it would become green and put forth leaves.

Seeing this their followers would remark: This is the true dignity which they possessed and we would also benefit by our devotion to them, anyone who has even a little devotion to them should come and witness this spectacle.

Meanwhile the caller of the Imam would call out: All those who are devoted to the two companions of the Prophet, should move to one side.

People would divide into two groups: a group friendly to them and a group inimical to them. Imam Mahdi (a.s.) would ask the group friendly to them to recant their loyalty. They would say: O Mahdi of the progeny of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.), since at that time we were not aware of your status and the position that the Almighty Allah has given you, we did not become aloof from them. Should we become aloof from them now inspite of seeing their bodies so fresh and how the leafless tree became green due to them?

By Allah we seek aloofness from you and those who have faith in you and from those who don’t bring faith on them, and those who have hanged them on the tree and dug them out of the grave and dealt with them in this manner.

Thus Mahdi (a.s.) will order the black wind to blow on them and they will fall dead like dry date palms.

Then Imam Mahdi (a.s.) would order them to be brought down and they would become alive by the command of Allah and all the people would be ordered to gather there. Then he would mention all the crimes in every period of time and attribute them to those two, beginning with the killing of Habil, son of Adam (a.s.), then stoking of the fire for Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.), throwing of Prophet Yusuf (a.s.) into the well, captivity of Prophet Yunus (a.s.) in the belly of the whale, killing of Prophet Yahya, persecution of Isa (a.s.), torture of Prophets Jirjees and Daniyal (a.s.), beating of Salman Farsi, arson of the house of Amirul Momineen, Lady Fatima, Hasan and Husain (a.s.), lashing the side of Lady Fatima (s.a.), miscarriage of Mohsin, poisoning of Imam Hasan (a.s.), killing of Imam Husain (a.s.) and his children, cousins and friends and taking prisoners of the descendants of the Prophet and shedding of the blood of Aale Muhammad (a.s.), and every blood that is shed unrightfully and every lady who is molested, and every fraud and evil act, and sin and oppression which is committed by human beings from the time of Adam (a.s.) till the occasion of the reappearance of Imam Qaim (a.s.), he would make the two of them responsible to all of them and they would also confess being responsible for them.

Then he would announce that however has suffered any injustice at their hand should take retaliation from them and they will do that. Then he would have them hanged from the tree again and then issue a command by which a fire would emerge from the ground and burn them along with the tree on which they are impaled. After that he would order the wind to blow their ashes to the seas.

Mufaddal asked: Master, is it the last chastisement they would suffer?

The Imam replied: No, no, O Mufaddal, by Allah, tomorrow on Judgment Day every believer and infidel would be present on the mass gathering and also the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.), Amirul Momineen (a.s.), Lady Fatima (s.a.), Imam Hasan and Imam Husain (a.s.), and the Holy Imams (a.s.) and all would take retaliation from those two. So much so that they would killed a thousand times everyday and every time revived by the command of Allah so that they may be punished again.”

Source: Mukhtasar Al-Basahir Al-Darajaat, Pg. 515-533

Allamah Al-Majlisi:

Narration of Mufaddal Ibn Umar  from Al-Sadiq(a.s) about the reappearance of Al-Qaem(a.s) and return of A’immah:

Ash-Sheikh Hasan Ibn Sulayman narrates in Muntakhab Al-Basahir through reliable chain and others from Mufaddal Ibn Umar  from Al-Sadiq(a.s) in a long narration about the reappearance of Al-Qaem(a.s) and its signs, in which Mufaddal asks: how and when will he(a.s) reappear? …

Source: Haqqul Yaqeen, Pg. 319

Sheikh As-Saduq narrates through a complete different chain in another context from Mufaddal Ibn Umar about this issue:

Sheikh As-Saduq:

2 - Narrated to us Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Ishaq (r.a.): Narrated to us Muhammad bin Hamam: Narrated to us Ahmad bin Mabundaz: Narrated to us Ahmad bin Hilal from Muhammad bin Abi Umair from Mufaddal Ibne Umar from as-Sadiq Ja’far bin Muhammad from his father from his ancestors (a.s.) from Amirul Momineen (a.s.) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) said:

“When I was taken to the heavens during the ascension (Me’raj) my Lord revealed to me: O Muhammad, I glanced at the earth and selected you from it, and made you the prophet and named you after My name as I am Mahmood and you are Muhammad. Again I glanced at the earth and chose Ali from it and made him your successor and caliph and the husband of your daughter. I named him also after My name. Thus I am the Ali Aala and he is Ali. And I created Fatima, Hasan and Husain from your Noor (light/effulgence). At that time I presented their Wilayat (Mastership) to the angels so that whoever may accept it, will gain proximity to My court. O Muhammad, if a servant of Mine worships so much that he becomes tired and his body becomes as brittle as musk but he is a denier in their Wilayat, and he comes to Me, I will not accommodate him in My Paradise and not shade him under My Arsh. O Muhammad, would you like to see them? I said: ‘Yes, my Lord!’ The Almighty Allah said: ‘Raise your head.’ So I raised my head and saw the lights of Ali, Fatima, Hasan, Husain, Ali bin al-Husain, Muhammad bin Ali, Ja’far bin Muhammad, Musa bin Ja’far, Ali bin Musa, Muhammad bin Ali, Ali bin Muhammad, Hasan bin Ali and Muhammad bin al-Hasan al-Qaim. And among them one shone like a brilliant star. I asked: ‘O Lord, who is that?’ He replied, ‘They are the Imams, and he is the Qaim, who will make My lawful, lawful and My unlawful, unlawful. And through him I shall take revenge from My enemies. And he is the source of comfort for My friends.

He is the one who will bestow your Shias and followers, respite from the infidels. And he will bring out Laat and Uzza(i.e. Abu Bakr and Umar) fresh and burn them up. Indeed the trial and test of the people by him will be much more difficult than the mischief of the Calf and Samari.’”

Source: Kamaluddin, Pg. 240-241

Allamah Al-Majlisi:

200- It is narrated through his chains(i.e. Ali Ibn Abdul-Hamid in his book of Al-Ghayba) from Bashir Nubbal from Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) that he asked:

“Do you know from where Imam Qaim (a.s.) would begin his mission?

I (the narrator) said: No, O son of Allah’s Messenger.

He said: First of all he would remove bodies of the two(i.e. Abu Bakr and Umar) fresh from their graves and burn them up. Then he would blow their ashes to the wind. After that he would demolish the Masjid. Then he said: The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) said: An awning like that of Prophet Musa (a.s.).

Then he said: There was a mud platform in the Masjid of the Prophet on one side of which was a trunk of a dried up date tree.”

201- It is narrated through his chains from Ishaq bin Ammar from Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) that he said:

 “When the Qaim comes forward to demolish the surrounding walls of the room which contains the grave of the Prophet, the Almighty Allah would send a severe storm and lightning and thunder. All would say that it is because of it. Thus even his supporters would withdraw and he would be left all alone.

So he would pick up the pickaxe and start the demolition and would be the first to strike the pickaxe. Gradually his men will return. That day whoever does the most work would become eligible for the most rewards. Thus the surrounding walls would be razed. Then he will dig out the two(i.e. Abu Bakr and Umar) fresh, he will curse them and disassociate himself from them and hang them and then bring them down and burn them up and scatter their ashes in the winds.”

Source: Bihaar Al-Anwaar, Vol. 52 Pg. 386

Imam Al-Jawaad(عليه السلام):

At-Tabari Al-Imami:

Narrated to me Abul Hassan Mohammad Ibn Harun Ibn Musa from his father from Abu Ja'far Mohammad Ibn Al-Walid from Mohammad Ibn Abi Abdullah Al-Barqi from Zakariyya Ibn Adam who said: I was in the presence of Imam Al-Ridha (عليه السلام) that Abi Ja'far Imam Al-Jawad (عليه السلام) came and he was younger than four years old, he hit his hand on the ground and raised his head towards the sky, thinking, then Al-Ridha (عليه السلام) said to him: "May I be your ransom, why you thought for so long?" He (عليه السلام) replied: "I was thinking about what was done to my mother Fatimah (عليها السلام). By Allah! I will take both of them out (i.e. Aboo Bakr and Umar) and I will burn them and then I will disperse them and will leave their ashes to the wind." Imam Al-Ridha (عليه السلام) called him to himself and kissed his forehead and said: "May my father and mother be your ransom" and then said: "You are the one for it" i.e. being the next Imam.

Source: Dalael Al-Imamamah, Pg. 207 

This same narration has been narrated by Al-Masoudi, the famous scholar who was contemporary to Sheikh Al-Kulayni, in his book Ithbatul Wasiyya. Ali Ibn Al-Husain Al-Masoudi passed away about a hundred years before At-Tabari the author of Dalael Al-Imamah, and he does not mention his chain up to Zakariyya Ibn Adam, which tells us that this narration has been famous among scholars back then and it is another supportive evidence for the above chain of At-Tabari.

Al-Masoudi:

It has been narrated that he(i.e. Imam Al-Jawaad عليه السلام) used to talk while he was still in a minor age, and it has been narrated from Zakariyya Ibn Adam who said: I was in the presence of Imam Al-Ridha (عليه السلام) that Abi Ja'far (عليه السلام) came and he was about four years old, he hit his hand on the ground and raised his head towards the sky, thinking for quite a while, then Al-Ridha (عليه السلام) said to him: "May I be your ransom, why you thought for so long?" He (عليه السلام) replied: "I was thinking about what was done to my mother Fatimah (عليها السلام). By Allah! I will take both of them out (i.e. Abu Bakr and Umar) and I will burn them and then I will disperse them and will leave their ashes to the wind." Imam Al-Ridha (عليه السلام) called him to himself and kissed his forehead and said: "May my father and mother be your ransom" and then said: "You are the one for it" i.e. deserves Imamate.

Source: Ithbatul Wasiyyah, Pg. 218 

Sheikh As-Saduq:

2 - Narrated to us Muhammad bin Ahmad Shaibani (r.a.): Narrated to us Muhammad bin Abi Abdullah Kufi from Sahl bin Ziyad Adami from Abdul Azeem bin Abdullah Hasani that he said:

“I said to His Eminence, Muhammad Ibn Ali Ibn Musa: We hope that you would be the Qaim of the Progeny of the House of Muhammad (s.a.w.s.), who would fill the earth with justice and equity just as it would fraught with injustice and oppression. He replied: O Abal Qasim, none of us Imams are but Qaim by the command of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, and we are the guides towards the religion of Allah. But the Qaim through whom the Almighty Allah would purify the earth from the infidels and apostates and who would fill up the earth with justice and equity is the one whose birth shall remain concealed for the people and whose person would remain unseen by the people and pronouncing whose name would be unlawful. His name and agnomen shall be the same as that of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) and he is the one for whom the earth would wrap itself and every hardship would become easy for him. His companions numbering same as the fighters of Badr would gather around him from far off places of the earth. And that is the meaning of the verse:

أَيْنَ مَا تَكُونُواْ يَ أْتِ بِكُمُ اللّهُ جَمِيعًا إِنَّ اللّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

“Wherever you are, Allah will bring you all together; surely Allah has

power over all things.”[2:148]

Thus when this number gathers around him, the Almighty Allah would reveal his matter. And when the number of his helpers reach 2000, he would, by the permission of Allah set out in pursuit of the enemies of Allah in order to please the Almighty.” Abdul Azeem says: I asked His Eminence: “My master, how would he know that the Almighty Allah is pleased with him?” He replied: “Allah would instill mercy into his heart. Thus when he enters Medina, he would bring out the Laat and Uzza(i.e. Abu Bakr and Umar) and burn them up.”

Source: Kamaluddin, Pg. 351-352

Imam Al-Mahdi(عليه السلام):

Allamah Al-Majlisi:

131- Muntakhabul Basair: It is narrated in Sultanul Mufarraj An Eiman by Sayyid Jalil Bahauddin Ali bin Abdul Karim Hasani from Ali bin Mahziyar directly that:

Once he was asleep when he saw that a person was telling him to go for Hajj that year and that he would be granted the honor of meeting the Master of the Age and in this regard he narrated a lengthy tradition and which he said:

“O Mahziyar, when peace will be destroyed and the Maghribi will start moving, the Abbaside will set out and allegiance will be paid to Sufyani, the Wali of Allah will get the permission to reappear and I will rise up with 313 companions from Safa and Marwah. Then I will come to Kufa and raze the Masjid and rebuild it anew on its original foundation and destroy all the constructions around it that tyrants had undertaken.

And taking those people with me, I will fulfill the rites of Hajjatul Islam.

From there I will go to Yathrib and demolish the chambers and take out the two corpses, which will be fresh, and order them to be hanged on the tree opposite Baqi. As soon as they are hanged on that tree it will put forth herbage and people will become more devoted to them. Just then a caller will call: O sky, leave them and O earth swallow them. Then there will remain no one on Earth on that day except for the pure believers, whose hearts are purified with Imaan.

I said: “My master, what will happen next?”

He replied: “Returning, Returning, Raj’at, Raj’at.”

Then he recited the following verse:

ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَا لَكُمُ الْكَرَّةَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَمْدَدْنَاكُم بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ أَكْثَرَ نَفِيرًا

“Then We gave you back the turn to prevail against them, and aided

you with wealth and children and made you a numerous band.” [17:6]

I say: I have seen this narration in that original book too.

Source: Bihaar Al-Anwaar, Vol. 53 Pg. 104-105

At-Tabari Al-Imami:

Narrated Abu Abdullah Mohammad Ibn Sahl Al-Jaludi from Abul Khayr Ahmad Ibn Mohammad Ibn Ja’far Al-Tahi Al-Kufi in the mosque of Abi Ibraheem Musa Ibn Ja’far from Mohammad Ibn Al-Hasan Ibn Yahya Al-Harithi from Ali Ibn Ibraheem Ibn Mahziyaar Al-Ahwazi who said: I set out a year for pilgrimage, then I entered into Madina and resided there for some days, searching and asking about Sahib Al-Zaman(عليه السلام), but I couldn’t get any information about him and I couldn’t see him. I became very upset and I was afraid that I might not be able to go to pilgrimage due to the exhaustion in searching for Sahib Al-Zaman(عليه السلام), so I set out and performed my pilgrimage and I resided there some weeks, all the time searching for him. Until I busy was thinking that suddenly the door of Ka’ba opened for me, then I saw a thin, dark man, He was wearing a pleasing fragrance and covered with a sheet and trying for another sheet. He put one sheet over his shoulder and shook it. I felt relief and went towards him, he looked at me and said: Where are you from?  I said: from Iraq. He asked: where from Iraq? I said: from Ahwaz. He asked: do you know Al-Hudhayni? I said: yes. He said: may Allah have mercy on him, he used to pray at nights and fast during the days and his tears wear flowing. Then he said: Ibn Mahziyaar? I said: that is me. He said: Allah bless you Abal Hasan, then he shook hand with me and hugged me and said: O Abal Hasan, Where is the sign that Imam Hasan Askari (عليه السلام) had given you? I said: it is with me. I took out the ring on which the names of Muhammad and Ali were engraved. When he read it, he wept so much that the sheet in his hand became wet, he then said: Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on you. You were the ornament of the Ummah, Allah glorified you with Imamate and crowned you with the crown of knowledge and wisdom, verily we are returning to you, then he shook my hand and hugged me and then said: what do you want O Abal Hasan? I said: I want the hidden Imam from the world. He said: he is not hidden from you, rather your evil actions has estranged him from you. Then he said: go back to your quarters and be ready to depart with me to meet him(عليه السلام) when the star Jawza inclines and the stars of the sky appear. I will be waiting for you between Rukn and Maqaam. I was pleased, because I was sure that Allah has bestowed me this meeting. I was restlessly waiting for the time to come, I returned to my quarters, waiting, until it was the time, then the man called me O Abal Hasan. So I set out and met him and he saluted me with Salaam and said: let’s go brother, we set out crossing the valleys and hills, until we neared the foothills of Taif. Then he said: O Abal Hasan, let’s pray the rest of the midnight prayers. We got down and recited the two Rak’ats of Fajr. I asked: what was then the first two Rak’ats, he said: they were for the midnight prayers with Watr and Qunut and we prayed all the prayers. Then he said: let’s go brother. we set out crossing the valleys and hills, until we neared a wide valley with the fragrance of camphor, I couldn’t see well, then I saw a hair pitched house that light is coming out from it. He asked me: Can you see anything? I said: I can see a hair pitched house. He said: we have reached our destination. And went down the valley, I followed him, until we reached the middle of the valley, he dismounted and left it there, I got down too, he said: leave the reins of your beast. I said: How can I leave it just like that? He said: This is a sanctuary and no one apart from the believers can enter this place and no one but a believer can leave it. He went ahead of me and went inside and came back almost immediately and said:Congratulations, you have got the permission. I entered the room from the corner of which a light was shining, I saluted him by Imamate, he replied and said: we were waiting for you day and night, what estranged you from us? I said: O my master! I could not find anyone who can lead me to you. Imam(عليه السلام) said: "didn't you find anyone to guide you to us?" then he drew something on the ground and said: "Nay, but it is because you are busy surplusing your wealth and being harsh towards the weak believers and breaking ties with your relatives, what other excuse do you have? I said: Repentance! Repentance! Sorry! Sorry! then Imam(عليه السلام) said: "O son of Mahziyaar, if it was not for the supplications of some of you for some others among you, all of you would have been destroyed, except for some of Shia whose words and actions are in harmony."

Then he said: “O son of Mahziyaar”, stretching his hand, “don’t you want me to give you the signs? When the child sits and Al-Maghribi moves and Al-Umani sets out and allegiance will be paid to Sufyani, the Wali of Allah will get the permission to reappear and I will rise up with 313 companions from Safa and Marwah. Then I will come to Kufa and raze the Masjid and rebuild it anew on its original foundation and destroy all the constructions around it that tyrants had undertaken.

And taking those people with me, I will perform Hajj that is Hajj of Islam.

From there I will go to Yathrib(i.e. Madina) and demolish the chambers and take out the two corpses(of Abi Bakr and Umar), which will be fresh, and order them to be hanged on the tree opposite Baqi. As soon as they are hanged on that tree it will put forth

herbage and people will fall into Fitna and test and become more devoted to them. Just then a caller will call from the sky: O sky, leave them and O earth swallow them. Then there will remain no one on Earth on that day except for the pure believers, whose hearts are purified with Imaan.

I said: “My master, what will happen next?”

He replied: “Returning, Returning, Raj’at, Raj’at.”

Then he recited the following verse:

ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَا لَكُمُ الْكَرَّةَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَمْدَدْنَاكُم بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ أَكْثَرَ نَفِيرًا

“Then We gave you back the turn to prevail against them, and aided

you with wealth and children and made you a numerous band.” [17:6]

Source: Dalael Al-Imamamah, Pg. 291-292

Sheikh Noori At-Tabarsi:

And it has been narrated also by Sheikh Al-Tusi and Sheikh Al-Saduq and Abu Ja’far Mohammad Ibn Jarir At-Tabari through reliable chains the story of meeting of Ali Ibn Ibraheem Ibn Mahziyaar and his journey from Ahwaz to Kufa and from there to Mecca. And his searching for Imam of the time(عليه السلام) and finally his meeting in Tawaf with a young man who takes him near Taef to a house covered with hair and in it he meets the Imam(عليه السلام).

Source: Al-Najm Al-Thaqib, Vol. 2 Pg. 408

However some people have tried to cast doubt on the reliability of the story of Ali Ibn Ibraheem Ibn Mahziyaar that Sheikh Saafi Al-Gulpaygaani answers their objections in detail in his book: Majmu’atur Rasahil, Vol. 2 Pg. 190-204 and he proves the reliability of this story.

For those who want to read further: http://ar.lib.eshia.ir/15239/2/190

As you can see these narrations exceed the criteria of Mustafidh, because Mustafidh is fullfilled with only three chains. These narrations exceed four times of that many. This is only the narrations that are mentioned in the famous hadith collections, if we collect all the Shawahid and supportive narrations in other books and in Tafasir and Ziyaraat, we can claim Ma'nawi Tawatur for this event.


May Allah make us from the helpers of the Imam of our time(عليه السلام) during his Occultation and after his Reappearance.

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