¶ Door Number Thirty-Seven
¶ The Story of the Forty Men
¶ “The Qaim shall not rise until twelve men all gather upon the saying that they saw him, but they are belied.”
One of the signs of the appearance of Imam Mahdi (PBUH & His Family) was the death of king Abdullah of Hijaz. For many years, Shia scholars had said in their books and in their speeches on television and in the mosques that the death of king Abdullah of Hijaz was one of the closest signs that happen right before the appearance of Imam Mahdi (PBUH & His Family). They all said that the Ahlul-Bayt (From Them is Peace) prophesied it clearly in their words. Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) said:
“There shall rule Hijaz a man whose name is the name of an animal, if you look at him from afar you will think that he is cross-eyed but if you come close to him his eyes seem normal, he will be succeeded by a brother named Abdullah, woe to our Shia from him (he repeated this thrice), give me glad tidings of his death and I shall give you glad tidings of the appearance of the Hujjah (Imam Mahdi)”
(Figure 1). Imam Al-Sadiq (From Him is Peace) said:
“Whoever guarantees for me the death of Abdullah, I shall guarantee for him the Qaim.”
Figure 1: King Abdullah of Hijaz “Saudi Arabia”
The description in the narration matched exactly king Abdullah ibn Abdul Azeez who was known to be extremely anti-Shia, hence
“Woe to our Shia from him”,
and he succeeded his brother, king Fahd, whose name is the name of an animal. Fahd means cheetah. King Fahd also appeared from afar to be cross-eyed but up close he did not appear to be (Figure 2). No prophecy of the end times fit anyone better than this prophecy fit king Abdullah. I remember even when I was visiting Lebanon, Hezbollah was doing a major propaganda campaign on the streets, and there were people of theirs on the streets of Beirut passing out pamphlets, claiming that the death of king Abdullah ibn Abdul Azeez was a sign of the emergence of the Mahdi (PBUH & His Family) and that Hassan Nasrallah was the Yamani.
Figure 2: King Fahd of Hijaz “Saudi Arabia”
On the night of the 23rd of January 2015, news outlets announced to the world that king Abdullah of Hijaz had passed away. The Shia world celebrated, and believers took it as a sign that Imam Mahdi (PBUH & His Family) would soon appear. On the same day of the death of king Abdullah, a video appeared on the internet giving glad tidings of the appearance of Imam Mahdi (PBUH & His Family). Random Facebook accounts began publishing a particular news, and that was that Imam Mahdi (PBUH & His Family) had appeared. The people carrying the glad tidings began to encourage the people to do as the narration had stated. The narration stated that Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) said to give him glad tidings of the death of king Abdullah, and he would give you glad tidings of the appearance of the Mahdi (PBUH & His Family). They said now that king Abdullah died, it is upon you to ask God, to ask Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) if we are truthful. Ask Him through istikharah or for a sign or whatever way you like. They said the promise of the Prophet (PBUH & His Family) was a proof of their truthfulness, for no one claimed that Imam Mahdi (PBUH & His Family) had appeared upon the death of king Abdullah except them, therefore, they are truthful.
¶ The Story of the Meeting
These individuals claimed that they had been with Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace) over a period of a year and a half and that they were taken by him to go meet Imam Mahdi (PBUH & His Family). They claimed and testified that they did, in fact, see and meet Imam Mahdi (PBUH & His Family). They claimed to be the twelve men mentioned in the narration by Imam Al-Sadiq (From Him is Peace) who said:
“The Riser/Qaim shall not rise until twelve men all gather upon the saying that they saw him, but they are belied.”
They narrated the following story of their meeting:
In the Name of Allah, The Abundantly Merciful, The Intensely Merciful. All praises belong to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. O Allah, send Your prayers upon Mohammed and the Family of Mohammed, the Imams and the Mahdis. Peace, Mercy, and Blessings of Allah be upon you, believing Ansar of Allah in the Easts of the Earth and its Wests. I, and I seek refuge from the word “I”, am your servant Aba Gibra’eel (Aba Gabriel), one of the twelve men who have been honored to meet the Hujjah of Allah (Imam Mohammed ibn Al-Hassan Al-Askari (PBUH)). I will mention to you the story of the meeting, and I will make sure not to mention some of the details because of the sensitivity of the matter. May Allah grant you success to all that which is good. We are forty-two men, and with Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (PBUH) we become forty-three men. Among us is he who believed in this blessed Call before hearing about it, and among us is he who believed in it since the first day he heard about it, and among us is he who believed not so long ago. The Sayyed, the Father Ahmed Al-Hassan (PBUH) has gathered us from several countries, among which are Arab, Islamic, Western, and Asian countries, until we were gathered about one year and a half ago in one place. And Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (PBUH) was with us and among us. We had a place where all of us would gather at a certain time every day until after Fajr prayer each of us would go to their job which the Father Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (PBUH) had assigned them to and charged them with, until that blessed and promised day came and we heard about the destruction of the criminal Abdullah, the king of Hijaz. As usual, we gathered in that blessed place which is fortified by Allah, the Almighty. The Father (PBUH) had been absent from us before this night for a few nights, and we were missing him very much. One hour before Fajr prayer, the courageous lion of Allah came forth to us with his glory which seizes the hearts and eyes, he and two of his companions from your pure brothers who are used to accompanying Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (PBUH) everywhere and wherever he goes. And he (PBUH) entered upon us while he was smiling, and said: “Peace be upon you and the Mercy of Allah and His Blessings”. So everyone responded to the greetings with yearning and longing. So he (PBUH) said: “How are you, my sons, inshaAllah you are all well.” So, the brothers said: “All praises belong to Allah, my Father, we are well, and all praises belong to Allah.” So he (PBUH) said: “Did the news of the destruction of the tyrant Abdullah, may Allah curse him, reach you?” So they said: “Yes, Master, may Allah curse him.” So he (PBUH) said: “This is the day of Allah. This is the promise of Allah, the Almighty for His righteous sincere servants.” Then he (PBUH) said: “What will you do if you see Imam Mahdi Mohammed ibn Al-Hassan Al-Askari, may my soul be ransomed for him?” So they said: “By Allah, by Allah, if he goes from here and takes refuge at any mountain, we will go with him.” So the Father (PBUH) said: “By Allah, you have spoken the truth, for Allah did not create Ansar (supporters) on the face of the earth like you, neither before you nor after you.” Then he said: “Now I want you to point to the best of you and to choose ten to meet Imam Mahdi Mohammed son of Al-Hassan Al-Askari (PBUH).” Here everyone was keen to choose their brothers, and it didn’t cross the mind of any of them to choose himself or to think that he is better than his brother. So everyone was telling everyone “I choose you.” And the Father (PBUH) was looking at them and smiling. Then he said: “Send prayers upon Mohammed and the Family of Mohammed, the Imams and the Mahdis.” So everyone sent prayers upon Mohammed and the Family of Mohammed. Then the Father (PBUH) said again: “I swear by Allah, the High, the Great that Allah never created Ansar like you, you are the best Ansar on the face of the earth. There never came Ansar like you, nor will there ever come Ansar like you, with this sincerity, loyalty, and faith in Allah the Almighty.” Then he praised Allah and thanked Him. Then he went silent for a few seconds, and then said: “You must choose ten.” So he (PBUH) said: “Form ten groups, each group has four believers, and let every group composed of four choose one believer to represent them.” So the believers did as the Father (PBUH) requested. Each group chose a person. So the total number of the chosen ones were ten believers. So the Father (PBUH) said: “It’s time for Fajr prayer,” so he pointed to one of the brothers and told him, “Rise and make the Athan.” So he made the Athan and we prayed in congregation and were led by the Sayyed, the Father (PBUH). So we went forth twelve men and with us was the Sayyed, the Father (PBUH) and we were filled with longing and yearning and excitement and a heart which was beating so fast like the speed of lightning and a body which was shaking like a tree on a stormy winter day, because of the greatness of the matter. So we arrived at the place which Imam Al-Mahdi Mohammed ibn Al-Hassan Al-Askari (PBUH) was at. So we met him (PBUH) and after the greetings and after a long conversation which lasted more than two and a half hours, he (PBUH) directed us and informed us of unseen matters which will take place, and events worldwide, with the most accurate of details. And he (PBUH) informed us of what will happen in the world and in accurate details, and amongst the countries mentioned were Iraq, Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Japan, Italy, the greater devil America, may Allah curse it, North Korea, South Korea, Qatar, Jordan, and in the most accurate details, even with mentioning the day and the hour. And we would like to take this opportunity to challenge the Samiri and the Calf, may Allah curse them, the individuals running the alleged office which is falsely and by fraud attributed to Imam Mahdi (PBUH) while he is innocent of them, and the cursed person behind the page, and the cursed person behind the voice. We challenge them to bring forth one unseen matter (one future event) and to give us all the details while mentioning the day on which it will take place. And we will do the same; we will give you one matter of the unseen which no one has ever heard of, and no one will hear of, and no one has ever talked about. You will hear it for the first time from us, and it will take place, God-willing, and we will give you the most accurate details while mentioning the day, the hour, and the minute. So, if you are truthful like you claim, then accept our challenge to you. Otherwise, you are liars, hypocrites, immoral, corrupt, and disbelievers, and at that time nothing will remain as a cure except for the sword to you, and at that time, I swear by Allah, the High, the Great, we will not have mercy upon you, and we will crush and destroy your nests, the nests of misguidance, disbelief, and slandering against the Ahlul-Bayt (PBUT), and at that time no regret nor repentance will benefit you.
Initially, the twelve men did not reveal who they were. They kept it as a secret for security reasons, and they never testified publicly. At the time of the publication of this letter, which was around July of 2015, the only thing that the believers knew was that the twelve included some of the Mahdis (PBUT). The people knew that the following were from the twelve:
- Aba Michael whose incarnation was Michael (PBUH)
- Aba Ridha whose incarnation was Moses (PBUH)
- Aba Gibra’eel whose incarnation was Gabriel (PBUH)
- Aba Al-Naseh whose incarnation was Habib ibn Mudhahir (PBUH)
- Aba Ja’far whose incarnation was Abraham (PBUH)
¶ Lost Memories
In July of 2017, exactly two years after the publishing of the story of the meeting, I was approached by a certain individual about the matter of the forty. He brought up a discussion with me about the story of the meeting and asked me if it was a physical meeting or not. He had also said that he and some of the believers had discussed the possibility of them being from the forty men. I discussed the matter with my Father (From Him is Peace).
I asked Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace), “My Father, I have come to hear that Adam (PBUH) said that the forty did not meet with Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace) in their bodies and they do not even remember that they met you because you erased their memories. I heard that even some of the forty don’t know that they are from the forty until you remind them that they were. [The person appointed responsible for the media at the time] and [the person appointed as the leader of the Friday prayers at the time] think that they could be from the forty men, but they don’t remember yet. I had called Adam (PBUH) and he said that yes, he said that about the forty men.”
The Imam (From Him is Peace) said, “Tell [that individual], Ahmed Al-Hassan sends his greetings and says to you never open up this topic again until God reveals it. Never, ever, ever think that you are one of the forty or else you will regret it.”
I said, “He had told me that he and [the other individual] spoke, and they saw that Ja’far Al-Tayyar’s rank [that individual’s incarnation before he lost his soul] was higher than Maytham Al-Tammar’s, Maytham Al-Tammar is from the forty so how could Ja’far not be?”
The Imam (From Him is Peace) said, “Tell him, neither you, nor [the other individual], nor anyone amongst you is from the forty. Who decided that? Who said that Ja’far is better than Maytham?”
I said, “He said according to the narrations, Ja’far holds the Prophets to account and judges them, he and Hamza, etc.”
The Imam (From Him is Peace) said, “I seek refuge with God. Tell him, do not speak about that which you have no knowledge about or else you shall be from the losers. Tell him, you are a good believer, and a good man, so don’t bring yourself into mazes that you shall not know how to go out of.”
I said, “He is indeed a good man.”
The Imam (From Him is Peace) said, “If there was a need to reveal this matter to the people, we would not have delayed. This matter and other matters do not increase nor decrease (in identifying the truth or in one’s relationship with God).”
That was the end of the conversation and the Imam (From Him is Peace) did not discuss the matter further with me, nor did I bring it up with him for a while. The Imam (From Him is Peace) had taught me that no matter what I hear on this path, to always wait before reacting. He had previously given me advice when people were attacking me, and I always kept it close to my mind and heart.
The Imam (From Him is Peace) said, “My beloved son, I want you to understand something, don’t think about anything I have not said and do not judge it even if it were true or false. Never say except what I say, and you shall be from the winners, and you will be safe from the punishment of God and be patient. Verily, you are a Mahdi from twelve Mahdis, you must understand that this thing and other than it are easy matters in comparison to what you shall see and hear from the people. Did I not tell you from the beginning? Did you not know that in the end there shall only remain on this matter (during a certain phase of this Call) twelve or thirteen men? You know that.”
¶ The Companions of the Cave
The Companions of the Cave is a story mentioned in the Holy Qur’an and a Chapter, Surah Al-Kahf (The Cave) is named after it, thus it is a very important story. It is also a story which is mentioned in Christian traditions, called the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus. It tells the story of seven youths who believed in God and in Jesus (PBUH) at a time when Christianity was outlawed in the land and an evil cruel emperor ruled, Gaius Messius Quintus Traianus Decius. They decided to withdraw from society, and they took refuge in a cave, where deep sleep overtook them and when they woke up and exited out of the cave, they found themselves hundreds of years in the future, in another time, where Christianity was the official religion of the state and the state was ruled by the just believer, King Theodosius II.
This story was mentioned in the narrations of the Ahlul-Bayt (From Them is Peace) as having a connection with the Riser/Qaim (From Him is Peace) and his companions (PBUT). Imam Ali (From Him is Peace) said:
“Our position to you is like that of the Cave to the Companions of the Cave.”
Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace) is the fortified Cave whom the believers rushed to. The story of the Cave is closely connected to the story of the forty men.
What I understood from later conversations with Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace) concerning the story of the forty men is as follows: The forty men were believers from all over the world who loved Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace) and truly believed in him. The Cave is a metaphor for the Imam (From Him is Peace). The believers upon approaching the Cave, or the Imam (From Him is Peace), meaning upon drawing nearer to him spiritually, would receive a kunya. This would come in the form of “Aba” and then a title, for example, Aba Al-Sadiq or Aba Al-Nasih. Upon entering the Cave, the believer has established a certain degree of dissolving the self, and an opening in the veil of the Imam is opened for the believers, such as the opening that happened in the veil of God for Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) in the Night Journey (Isra and Mi’raj).
The believers were taken, and they met with Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace) every night for a year and a half prior to 2015. Every morning, before returning home, their memories would be erased and they would resume life as normal, going to their jobs, school, families, etc. At night, the process would repeat again. The meetings were physical ones and were not dreams, but at the same time, no one would notice the absence of the forty from their homes. So just as the Companions of the Cave went to sleep in the cave for what seemed to be a moment and woke up and found themselves hundreds of years in the future, as such was the case for the forty. They would go to sleep but wake up somewhere with Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace) and with each other, from all corners of the globe.
One day I said to Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace), “I had heard that the meeting took place in another world, the world of truth or something like that and that it wasn’t a physical material meeting on Earth?”
The Imam (From Him is Peace) said, “The meeting was an earthly physical meeting, and it was not in another world at all.”
During that year and a half period, the believers who met with Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace) went through much training and were tested in their faith. The tests were so intense that if the forty maintained the memories, they would not be able to function normally in their lives from what they saw and experienced. In one of those tests, Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace) took the believers to the top of a mountain.
One day I said to the Imam (From Him is Peace), “On the topic of remembering, did you, when you were meeting with the forty men, say to one of them when standing on the top of a mountain to jump and then he jumped and died, and you brought him back to life?”
The Imam (From Him is Peace) said, “Did someone tell you about this?”
I said, “Moses (PBUH) was speaking to me one day and he asked me: ‘What has the Father (PBUH & His Family) tested you with?’ And after that I responded by saying ‘things’ and I refrained from responding. He said, ‘The Imam has tested the Ansar with matters that make the mind confused’ and then he spoke about an incident of jumping off a mountain but did not go into details. One night about a year later though, it was as if I remembered the scene and you had taken the believers to a mountain top and then you asked them to jump and one went forth and jumped and when he did, he fell and died, and you brought him back to life. It was flashes of memories appearing in front of me. Then afterwards I remembered that you said to me one day when we were talking, ‘If I took you to a mountain and told you to jump, would you be afraid?’ ”
The Imam (From Him is Peace) said, “Yes, now I shall respond to you. Yes, that test happened.”
I said, “Who is the person who jumped? Was I there?”
The Imam (From Him is Peace) refrained from answering.
I was aware as well from my conversations with the Imam (From Him is Peace) that those who were from the forty who reached the Cave were no longer in a test because they were tested already, meaning the chains and apparent acts of worship and rules and laws fell from them, and they had become freed servants. It also meant they reached a stage where they were firm in faith.
One day I said to the Imam (From Him is Peace), “Every time Adam (PBUH) comes to see me, he repeats the same thing, he says, perhaps we were of the forty with the Father (PBUH & His Family) on the night of the death of king Abdullah. He says this to me a lot.”
The Imam (From Him is Peace) said, “Adam is a trickster.”
I laughed and said, “What is with that?”
The Imam (From Him is Peace) said, “He is tricking you. He thinks that you know something and are hiding it from him.”
I said, “He keeps saying that you said only twelve or thirteen will remain and that is not including me and him, for me and him are out of the test.”
The Imam (From Him is Peace) said, “Yes, he has told the truth.”
I said, “And he said that the ones who are out of the test are from the forty?”
The Imam (From Him is Peace) said, “Yes, he has told the truth.”
¶ Unbelievable Truths
Just because a story seems strange, suspicious, without evidence or unbelievable, that does not mean that it did not happen. In fact, that is what faith is. Belief in the unbelievable. When the Night Journey of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) took place, and he claimed that his ceiling opened up and he rode on a winged creature from Mecca to Jerusalem and back in a single night, it was a very unbelievable story, for he claimed to have also met with God and all the Prophets and Messengers (PBUT). The people around the Prophet (PBUH & His Family) had major doubts and some of them started to say the Prophet has gone mad. Others said: “Who shall believe this?” One of the companions of the Prophet (PBUH & His Family), Abu Bakr, was narrated as stating:
“If he has actually said this, he is telling the truth.”
Upon seeing their surprise, he said:
“What is so surprising? I believe him when he says something even more incomprehensible. He says he receives revelations from God, and I believe him.”
He was given for this the title Al-Siddiq (the one who confirms belief). Regardless of his final outcome, Abu Bakr had an honorable stance in that moment.
Indeed, he spoke the truth in that moment, for how could a person believe on one hand that the Messenger (PBUH & His Family) spoke with angels, spoke with God, saw heaven and hell, and knew all the details of all things, but at the same time belie him if he said he traveled from Mecca to Jerusalem and back in one night? Rather, once we find the Messenger of our time, and decide that he is a true Messenger from God, we must believe him in anything and all the things he says. That is faith and that is what we were taught by the Ahlul-Bayt (From Them is Peace) to do. One of the companions said to Imam Al-Sadiq (From Him is Peace):
“May I be your ransom, verily a man will come to us from you and will narrate to us from you great matters and our chests will become heavy by that until we belie him.” So Imam Al-Sadiq (PBUH) said: “Does he not narrate it from me?” The man said: “Yes.” So Imam Al-Sadiq (PBUH) said: “Is he saying that the night is day and the day is night?” The man said: “No.” Imam Al-Sadiq (PBUH) said: “Return it to us, for verily if you belie it, you will belie us.”
The Prophet (PBUH & His Family) said to Abu Dharr:
“O Abu Dharr, if we said to you that Imam Ali drinks alcohol, what would you say?” Abu Dharr said: “Ali does not drink alcohol,” and then the Prophet (PBUH & His Family) said: “God bless you, O Abu Dharr, sit down.” Then the Prophet (PBUH & His Family) said: “Salman, what would you say if I told you that Imam Ali drinks alcohol?” Salman said: “I would say that alcohol was permissible because Ali is with the truth and the truth is with Ali. ”
¶ The Apostasy of One of the Twelve
One of the greatest betrayals to strike this religion was when one of the twelve apostatized. It was a great shock to the believers, and it happened suddenly. After having been the first one to believe and call people to this Call, that individual decided to disbelieve and began telling people that the religion was false, and he had been deceived. People were shocked because they had thought that the twelve could never apostatize. Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) said:
“The successors after me are twelve in number, the number of the tribes of Israel and from them were the twelve disciples, for God said: “And if the disciples said, O Jesus...” Hisham ibn Zaid said: “I asked the Prophet, ‘Who are your disciples, O Messenger of Allah?’ And he said: ‘The Imams after me, twelve Imams from the loins of Ali and Fatimah and they are my disciples and the Ansar of my religion, upon them are greetings and peace from Allah.’ ”
And we have a sunnah in Jesus (PBUH) and his twelve, and they were the custodians of his secrets and his disciples and supporters of his faith, when one of them, a close companion named Judas Iscariot chose to apostatize and call Jesus (PBUH) false, the others ran away and another denied he ever knew Jesus (PBUH).
“Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus.”
When I heard the news of the betrayal I went to Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace) and said, “He is saying that there is no story of the forty nor meeting and everything is false and is a lie and that he and his companion were able to deceive you and discover that you are not an Imam.”
The Imam (From Him is Peace) said, “He is lying son, he is lying to you. Tell him to bring forth his evidence. Did you ever think that one day you would curse him?”
I said, “Never, and it never crossed my mind. I thought he was of the forty and would go to the eternal gardens and he was one of the pillars of the Earth that could never fall.”
The Imam (From Him is Peace) said, “I was always trying to bring this idea to your mind, that you would see wonders in this Call.”
I said, “He is lying and saying there are not even any forty nor meeting and it is all a lie and no one remembers anything.”
The Imam (From Him is Peace) said, “Then you should say to him, you are a partner then, if this whole story was an invention by Adam (PBUH) then you are his partner.”
For those who wonder, “How could the main story of the meeting with Imam Mahdi on the night of the death of king Abdullah be based on individuals who do not remember?”, we state a couple of points:
- Firstly: There are individuals in this story who have full memory of the events that took place, there are others who have partial memory of the events, while there are others who have no memory at all.
- Secondly: The story of the meeting of the forty men with Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace) started in the exact same way as the story of the meeting of Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace) with Imam Mahdi (PBUH & His Family). Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace) narrates that he saw Imam Mahdi (PBUH & His Family) in a vision asking to meet him at a certain mausoleum, so when he woke up he went and he found Imam Mahdi (PBUH & His Family) there.
- Lastly and most importantly: Our belief in the appearance of Imam Mahdi (PBUH & His Family) and in this whole religion is not based on a narration of forty men, or twelve men or any story of any men. It is based on a belief in a divinely appointed ruler, a Caliph of God, who has proven his truthfulness with the exact same proofs that every Prophet and Messenger from the beginning of time has put forth. The Holy Will that is a safety from misguidance, the Call to the Supremacy of God, and Divine Knowledge that is unmatched by any other human being. The story of the meeting is only a narration of events that took place, but it does not increase nor decrease, give or take away anything from the solid base that this religion is firmly standing on.
For any true believer, the story and testimony of the twelve men is not that significant. What is important is not the testimony of the disciples but what the divinely appointed Messenger came with. Did he fulfill the criteria? Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace) came claiming the Will of the Holy Messenger of God. He showed his knowledge. He was the only one on the planet saying God is the only One who can appoint a ruler.
My Father sent me to the people as he was sent, as a test. He told me to claim the Will, which I did. He made me demonstrate knowledge and in this Book I have. He made me today the only one publicly claiming that only God can appoint the ruler. In addition to that, I have thousands of people who testify they have had true dreams about me, who made istikharas about me and God told them I was the truth and I have witnesses who testify to miracles they have seen from me. That is all that matters at the end of the day. The Prophethood of Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) was determined to be true by those criteria and not by his story of the Night Ascension or other than that. We believe the stories after recognizing the man, and that man is all of religion, and that religion is kept safe by holding on to the companion of the Will.
¶ Belief in the Unseen
Belief in the unseen is a core part of faith. The Prophets and Messengers (PBUT) were tested with Gabriel (PBUH) who would bring them messages from God. They had to believe in the messages brought by the inspiration, or Gabriel (PBUH) and believe that they were really communications from God. The believers had to believe in the testimony of the Messengers (PBUT). Today, God in Creation, Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) also tests the Mahdis (PBUT) and the close believers with belief in the unseen. Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace), who is the whole of inspiration in this day and age, would test the believer’s faith in the unseen by veiled communications. Initially, Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace) communicated with the forty in written form, words on a paper, or words on a screen, or black on white. The Mahdis, and close Prophets and Messengers (PBUT) who incarnated in this time were limited in their communications initially with the Imam (From Him is Peace) and did not see him. Their faith in Imam Mahdi (PBUH & His Family) through Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace) is greater than the faith of the companions of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family). That’s why Imam Al-Sadiq (From Him is Peace) said that the verse,
“ ‘A guide for those mindful of Allah. Those who believe in the unseen’ is concerning those who admit that the Rise of the Riser is true.”
Imam Al-Baqir (From Him is Peace) said:
“The Prophet of Allah (PBUH & His Family) one day was sitting with a group of his companions when he said: ‘O God, make me meet my brothers’ twice. So those around him of his companions said: ‘Are we not your brothers, O Prophet of Allah?’ So, he said: ‘No, rather you are my companions, and my brothers are a people who come in the end times who believed and did not see me. God made me know them by their names and the names of their forefathers before they ever came out of the loins of their fathers and wombs of their mothers. One of them remains stronger in their faith no matter the great difficulty.’ ”
Who are those persons? Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) said to Imam Ali (From Him is Peace) about them:
“O Ali, the most wonderous people in faith and the greatest of them in certitude are a people who come in the end times who did not catch the Prophet and the Hujjah (Proof of God) was veiled from them, so they believed in black on white.”
So clearly, we see from the narrations that belief in the unseen plays an important role in the time of the Qaim and the Rise. Prophet Mohammed’s (PBUH & His Family) prayers are always accepted by God, and he prayed to meet his brothers in the end times. This means the Prophet (PBUH & His Family) would incarnate in the end times as Imam Mahdi (PBUH & His Family). He prayed to see his brothers, and he knew their names. It is illogical that all 1.9 billion Muslims on the planet at the time of his return are his brothers, but rather he is speaking about a specific group of people. Who are the brothers of a Prophet but the Prophets (PBUT) themselves? So, Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family) was supplicating to God to incarnate in the end times alongside all of the returned Prophets and Messengers. They would have extremely high faith and certitude. Why? Because this time around, they would not be tested by Gabriel and the voice or inspiration in their hearts, but rather by a man who would communicate with them through writing. The narration says this man is a Hujjah (A Proof) who is veiled from them, yet they believe in him. This man is Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace). And yes, after they passed their test, and their faith was complete they meet and met with him physically in this world. Once Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace) sent forth publicly his vicegerent in the flesh, Aba Al-Sadiq, all communications from Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace) and Imam Mahdi (PBUH & His Family) would only come through him and only him.
The Imam (From Him is Peace) said to me,
“Whoever does not come to me from my door, you, is not of my Ansar. You are my door, and I am the door of my Father, Imam Mahdi Mohammed ibn Al-Hassan (PBUH).”
¶ Sources
- 250 Signs until the Appearance of Imam Mahdi, Muhammad Ali Tabatabai, Sign No. 88, p. 136
- Ghaybat Al-Tusi, Al-Shaikh Al-Tusi, Vol. 1, p. 467
- Istikharah in this context means seeking counsel from God, asking Him to show and guide one to the truth.
- Kitab Al-Ghayba (Book of Occultation), Al-Numani, Vol. 1, p. 283
- Athan in Arabic means the call to prayer.
- This is in reference to the fake Facebook page and fake voice falsely attributed to Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace) by the so-called office of Najaf, as explained in Door 35 of this Book.
- Seven Sleepers of Ephesus, Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, Adrian Fortescue
- Mizan Al-Hikmah (Scale of Wisdom), Mohammed Al-Reyshahri, Vol. 4, p. 2821
- A kunya in Arabic means a name which is honorably given to a person.
- Masalik Al-Absar fi Mamalik Al Amsar, Ibn Fadl Allah Al-Imari, Vol. 23, p. 360
- Bihar Al-Anwar, Al-Allamah Al-Majlisi, Vol. 2, p. 187
- This individual was the incarnation of Moses (PBUH). When he fell and apostatized, the soul of Moses (PBUH) left him, and it is present in another body today. Moses (PBUH) is the Third Mahdi.
- Manaqib Al Abi Talib, Ibn Shahr Ashob, Vol. 1, p. 258
- Sunnah in Arabic means “tradition” or “way”. In this context it means, similar way or outcome of events.
- The Holy Bible, Book of Luke, Chapter 22, Verses 3-4
- “Those who believe in the unseen, and establish worship, and spend of that which We have bestowed upon them.” - The Holy Qur’an, Chapter 2 (Al-Baqarah), Verse 3
- Bihar Al-Anwar, Al-Allamah Al-Majlisi, Vol. 51, p. 52
- Bihar Al-Anwar, Al-Allamah Al-Majlisi, Vol. 52, p. 124
- Bihar Al-Anwar, Al-Allamah Al-Majlisi, Vol. 52, p. 125