Chapters

The Narrative Perspective

The Clear Message – Part 1 · Sheikh Nadhim Aloqaili

First: The Narrative Perspective

Numerous narrations have portrayed the character of Ahmed Alhasan. The Commander of the Faithful^P stated in a lengthy narration: "Indeed, the first

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of them is from [the city of] Basra, and the last of them is from the Replacements (of the Levant)..."¹⁰

Imam al-Sadiq^P named the companions of the Riser^P in a lengthy narration: "From [the city of] Basra: Abdul Rahman ibn al-Ataf ibn Saad, Ahmed, Malih, and Hamad ibn Jaber..."¹¹

The Commander of the Faithful^P said: "The Messenger of God^P on the night of his death said to Ali^P: ‘O Abu Al-Hassan, bring me a sheet and an inkwell.’ Then, the Messenger of God^P dictated his will until he reached this point, saying: 'O Ali, there will be twelve Imams after me and after them, twelve Mahdis. You, O Ali, are the first of the twelve Imams... Then, Al-Hassan^P shall hand it over to his son, Muhammad, the guardian from the family of Muhammad^P. These are the twelve Imams, then there will be twelve Mahdis after them. When his death approaches, he shall hand it over to his son, the first of the Mahdis, who has three names: a name like mine and my father's: Abdullah, Ahmed, and the third name is Al-Mahdi. He is the first of the believers."¹²

I believe that the Prophet's description of the first Mahdi after the Riser^P, a man named Ahmed, the first of the believers, confirms the previous narration, which states that the first believer is from Basra and is also the first supporter of Imam Al-Mahdi^P. Additionally, the Prophet's description confirms another narration mentioning that one of the first supporters of the Imam^P hails from Basra and has the name Ahmed. So, what reason is there to deny that Ahmed Alhasan is the first supporter and messenger of

¹⁰ Al-Kadhimi, Glad Tidings, 148; To explain the meaning of "The Replacements," here is an excerpt from the book The Journey of Moses at the Junction of the Two Seas by Sayyed Ahmed Alhasan: "Abu Jafar^P said: 'The Riser will be given allegiance between the Corner (Rukn) and the Station (Maqam) by three hundred and some individuals, the same number as the soldiers of Badr. Among them are the Noble Ones from Egypt, the Replacements from the Levant, and the Righteous Ones from Iraq. He will remain for as long as God wills.'” Do not assume that these names are random. The mention of the Righteous Ones from Iraq specifically indicates that their counterparts, the wicked ones, are also from Iraq. The Replacements from the Levant imply that those who are replaced are from the Levant as well, and people will wrongly assume that the ones replaced will be the first to support the Mahdi upon his appearance. Hence, the most important attribute of the true supporters (Ansar) of the Mahdi from the Levant is that they are Replacements. As for the Noble Ones from Egypt, they are noble because they are chosen from among a nation that opposes the ancestors of the Mahdi (the family of Muhammad^P) and will play a significant role in the blessed global revolution of the Mahdi.

¹¹ Al-Kadhimi, Glad Tidings, 181.

¹² Shaykh Muhammad Ibn al-Hasan al-Toosi, Ghaybah Al-Toosi [Occultation by al-Toosi] (Qom, Iran: Muasat Maarif Al-Islanya, 1990), 150; Al-Majlisi, Seas of Lights, 147.

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Imam Al-Mahdi^P, given that we know his name is Ahmed and he is from Basra?

Imam al-Sadiq^P said: "There will be twelve Mahdis from the descendants of Al-Hussain^P after the Riser."¹³

A narration from the book Bihar Al-Anwar [Seas of Lights] says: "I said to Imam Jafar al-Sadiq^P, 'O son of the Messenger of God, I heard from your father^P that he said: "There will be twelve Imams after the Riser."' Jafar replied, 'He said twelve Mahdis, not twelve Imams. They are individuals from our followers (Shia) who invite people to our allegiance and uphold our rights.'"¹⁴

If people reflect on these narrations with no blindness in their eyes or prejudice in their hearts, they will discover that Ahmed Alhasan's call aligns with narrations from the Prophet’s household^P. These narrations affirm that the first believer and supporter of Imam Al-Mahdi^P is named Ahmed, hails from Basra, is among the followers of Imam Al-Mahdi^P, and comes from his lineage.

Some might argue that the mention of Ahmed Alhasan’s name in the narrations does not prove the validity of his claim. However, I would counter that many Jews, Christians, and others believed in the message of our Prophet Muhammad^P because the Torah and the Gospel foretell of him. Some believed in him after asking a few questions. Some believed after simply hearing his words. Others believed upon merely seeing him; these were people of insight. Conversely, those with hardened hearts disbelieved in him despite witnessing his miracles and profound signs: “Indeed, it is not the eyes that are blind, but the hearts within the chests that grow blind.”¹⁵

Furthermore, numerous Jews and Christians believed in Imam Ali^P and the other Imams^P because they discovered them mentioned in their scriptures. Their sources mention these narratives, though we have omitted them here for brevity. Those interested in further readings can consult references such as Bihar Al-Anwar [Seas of Lights], Ilzam Al-Nasib [Holding to Account the Enemy of the Prophet’s Household], and Al-Kafi [The Sufficient Book], among others.

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