 of consensus (Ijma ), and any belief outside the bounds of consensus (Ijma ) is definitely void.
Also of the proofs of the Imamate of Ibne Hasan (a.s.) and his occultation is the widespread and well known traditions and sayings from his forefathers, peace be on them, uttered long before these times. These traditions state that the Master of the Age will have an occultation and they describe the qualities of his occultation and the disputes and events that will take place in its duration. They state that he will have two occultations, one of which will be longer than the other, and that in the first one communication will be open with him and in the second his news will not be coming. The later events unfolded as predicted by the traditions.
Had they not been correct, and had his Imamate not been valid, they had not corresponded with events which happened later, because that cannot happen but through God’s delivery through the tongue of His Messenger.
This path of reasoning is also a measure on the basis of which scholars have previously argued. We will mention just a few of the narrations that carry this meaning, to indicate the veracity of our claim, because complete incorporation of all the narration with this regard will be long and they are present in the books of hadith and can be found there.
If it should be said that all of these narrations are singularly narrated traditions, which cannot be conclusive in a subject as this, as it requires certainty.
We will reply that our argument is based on the portion of these narrations, which predict an event before its happening and then that event happens as predicted. This is the proof of the Imamate of Ibne Hasan, because the knowledge of an event before it happens cannot be known but through Almighty God. Even if there were not but one tradition and its content corresponded to events later on, that is sufficient.
That is why the predictions of the Quran about future events are the proofs of the truthfulness of the Messenger (a.s.) and that Quran is from God, the Almighty, inasmuch as it is heard from a single narrator. But it does prove this single narrator’s truth on the basis of this argument.
Besides, narrations in this regard are mutawatir, narrated in inordinate numbers both by the same words and recounting the same concepts. As for the inordinate number of traditions carrying the same wordings, the Shia have narrated each such narration by mutawatir measures.
And this concept has been narrated in inordinate numbers through different words, because the great number of narrations, their different occasions, and their distinct chains, and the remote narrators thereof, prove their veracity. Because not all of them can be false. That is why on many occasions the miracles of the Prophet (s.a.) other than the Quran, and many other themes in the Shariah are proved through Tawatur, though the wordings may be singularly narrated. This is an accepted measure before our adversaries in this question. Therefore, they should not abandon and forget it when we come to discuss Imamate.
It is not worthy that close-mindedness leads one to reject self-evident things. This measure is accepted in praising or denouncing men. Therefore, they have argued for the generosity of Hatim and bravery of Amr and other things in the same way, though every instance of Hatim’s generosity and Amr’s stance in the battles is a singularly narrated incident. This is abundantly clear.
Of the proofs of the Imamate of Ibne Hasan, in addition to what has been mentioned so far, is that there is no dispute between the Ummah that a Mahdi will rise in this Ummah who will fill the earth with justice and equity as it shall be filled with oppression and inequity.
When we have established that the Mahdi is from the progeny of Husain and have invalidated any claimant for this position other than Ibne Hasan (a.s.) it is proved that he is the one intended by these narrations.
The fact that he is from the progeny of Imam Husain (a.s.) is proved by the narrations we mentioned, which describe that the Imams are twelve and mention their details. And because everyone who believes in the number we have mentioned, he believes that the Mahdi is from the progeny of Husain (a.s.).
If it is said: Is it not that these traditions have been the subject of dispute by various groups? The Sabaiyya have said that he is Amirul Momineen (a.s.) and he has not died. Some have said that he is Ja’far Ibne Muhammad who has not died. Some have said that he is Hasan Ibne Ali Askari (a.s.) and he has not died. Some have said that the Mahdi is his brother, Muhammad Ibne Ali, who is alive and has not died. What is your proof that would invalidate these assertions?
We will say: We have invalidated all of these assertions by proving that the individuals they believe to be alive are dead, and by proving that the Imams are Twelve, and by the rational arguments concluding the Imamate of Ibne Hasan through the miracles that prove his Imamate and through the narratives of his birth and his miracles that prove his Imamate.
The assertion that Amirul Momineen (a.s.) is alive is of an obdurate person, for the knowledge of his death and martyrdom is more famed than the story of the death of anyone else.
To doubt his death encourages doubting the death of the Prophet and all of his companions. Furthermore, his final will and the prediction of the Prophet (s.a.) that you will be killed and that your beard will be dyed with your blood also invalidates this assertion. These are facts that do not require us to bring narrations to prove them.
As for the death of Muhammad Ibne Ali Ibne Hanafiyyah and the invalidation of those who claim his Imamate, we talked about it previously in this book. Also, when we prove that the Mahdi is from the progeny of Husain (a.s.) the belief of the adversary of his Imamate is invalidated.
As for the Nawusiyya, who express uncertainty after Ja’far Ibne Muhammad (a.s.), we explained the invalidity of their belief, as we know that Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) passed away and that his son Musa Ibne Ja’far rightly succeeded him and that the Imamate of the Twelve Imams is a proven fact. The fact that he expressly confided a final will underscores our point.
As for the Waqifa who pause at the Imamate of Musa Ibne Ja’far (a.s.) saying that he is the Mahdi, we have invalidated their belief by proving that Imam Musa Kazim (a.s.) passed away and that his death was a well-known historical reality and that his son, Imam Reza (a.s.) was the Imam after him, and this much is sufficient for the reasonable people.
As for the Muhammmadiyya, who said that Muhammad Ibne Ali Askari is the Imam and that he is alive and has not died, their assertion is invalid on the basis of our proofs of the Imamate of his brother, Hasan Ibne Ali the father of the Qaim (a.s.). Furthermore, Muhammad died in the lifetime of his father and his death was apparent and visible like the death of his father and grandfather. To dispute that would amount to disputing a self-evident reality.
As for those who believe that Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) has not died and he is alive and he is the Mahdi, their assertion is invalid, because we know he died just as we know his forefathers before him died. And the path of knowing their death is the same and the proofs are the same. Besides, the followers of these ideas have perished and no longer exist, and had they been righteous in their beliefs, they would not have perished.
As for the belief that Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) will come back to life after his demise and he will establish the Divinely ordained government, arguing on the basis of the tradition from Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.), “He is been named Qaim, because he will rise after his demise.” Their belief is wrong, because it is proved that he has passed away, and the assertion that he will come back to life requires proof. If it is possible for them to say that, it is possible for the Waqifa to say that Musa Ibne Ja’far will come back to life after his death. Additionally, it follows that the era will be devoid of an Imam after the demise of Hasan until he comes back to life, which has been rationally proven to be invalid. The traditions, which assert that should the earth remain without an Imam for an hour it would perish, invalidate this belief.
The saying of Amirul Momineen (a.s.), “O Allah, you do not leave the earth without a Hujjah, either apparent and famed or hidden and unknown,” prove this.
Even if we accept the reliability of the tradition, “he will rise after his demise,” it could mean that he will rise after his name will die and after he will be hiding and will not be known, which is possible in the language. Our proof that the Imams are Twelve also disproves this claim. Besides, the followers of this cre