Chapters
The Unseen Perspective
The Clear Message – Part 1 · Sheikh Nadhim Aloqaili
Second: The Unseen Perspective
Besides Ahmed Alhasan's name being mentioned in the narrations of the Prophet’s HouseholdP (Ahl al-Bayt), he is also bolstered by unseen aspects such as prophecies, truthful visions, and revelations involving the pure Imams.
God says: "Alif Lam Meem. That is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for God-fearing people who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them."16
Ahmed Alhasan foretold many unseen events that have occurred, and many believers have had visions while awake in which the pure Imams confirmed that the truth is with Ahmed Alhasan and that he is the messenger of Imam Al-MahdiP.
As for visions, dozens of believers have seen Imam Al-Mahdi or one of the pure Imams or Lady Fatima Al-ZahraP in their sleep affirming that Ahmed Alhasan is sent by Imam Al-Mahdi and the pure ImamsP and that people should support him.
Some might argue that visions are not proof or evidence of the validity of any claim. However, I contend that this assertion lacks basis, as it is contradicted by numerous stories involving Prophet MuhammadP or one of the ImamsP. Among these accounts:
Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari narrated:
Jandal ibn Junada ibn Jubayr, a Jew, came to the Messenger of GodP and said: “Last night, I saw Moses, son of Imran, in a dream. He said to me: ‘O Jandal, embrace Islam through the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad. Hold steadfastly to his successors after him.’ I embrace Islam! Thanks to God, I embraced Islam, and He guided me through you. Please, O Messenger of God, tell me about your successors after you so that I may adhere to them.” The Messenger of God
replied, “My successors are twelve.” Jandal said, "That number is what we find in the Torah….”17
Additionally, in the account of Khalid ibn Saeed ibn al-As al-Amawi's conversion, he converted to Islam after a vision of his father pulling him towards the fire of hell while Prophet MuhammadP was pulling him towards paradise. Khalid then approached the ProphetP, shared his vision, accepted Islam, and his faith grew stronger. He became one of the few who supported Imam AliP after the death of the ProphetP when most others had abandoned him.
There is also the well-known story of Narjis, the mother of Imam Al-MahdiP and the daughter of the Caesar of Rome. It recounts her vision of the Prophet MuhammadP asking Jesus son of MaryP for her hand in marriage to Hassan al-AskariP. In another vision, she also encountered Fatima Al-ZahraP and MaryP. FatimaP advised Narjis to embrace Islam and make the testimony of faith (there is no God but the One [true] God and MuhammadP is His Messenger)18, which she promptly did. After she embraced Islam, she began to see Hassan al-AskariP in her visions every night. One night, he instructed her to disguise herself in servant clothing and secretly join her father's army, which was going to fight the Muslims. The Muslims captured her, and subsequently, Imam Ali al-HadiP bought her and she married his son Imam Hassan al-AskariP.19
Another famous story is of Wahab the Christian, who was martyred with Imam Al-Hussain. His conversion was due to a vision he saw of JesusP commanding him to support Al-HussainP. He gave his life and family for Al-Hussain because of this vision.
Similarly, Sheikh al-Sadooq (may God have mercy on him), one of the greatest Shia scholars, saw Imam Mahdi in a vision instructing him to compile a book on the occultation. He believed in the vision and wrote the book Kamal Al-Din. Either the vision is valid, making Sheikh al-Sadooq’s actions correct, or the vision has no validity, implying that Sheikh al-Sadooq’s actions were foolish, which is unthinkable given his high status.
Sheikh al-Sadooq said:
One night, while thinking about what I would leave behind-my family, children, brothers, and blessings-I fell asleep. I saw in my vision that I was in Mecca, circumambulating the House of God. In the seventh round, as I reached the Black Stone, I touched and kissed it, saying: “I have fulfilled my trust and upheld my covenant. Bear witness to my fulfillment.” Then I saw our master, the Riser, the Master of the AgeP, standing at the door of the Kaaba. I approached him, my heart troubled and my mind preoccupied. He understood what was in my heart by looking at my face. I greeted him, and he returned the greeting. Then he said to me: "Why do you not write a book on the occultation so that you can be relieved of your worries?" I said to him: "O son of the Messenger of God, I have written some things about the occultation." He replied: "Not like this. I command you to write a book on the occultation now, and mention in it the occultations of the prophetsP." Then he left. I awoke, frightened, and began supplicating, weeping, lamenting, and appealing to God until dawn. When morning came, I began writing this book, complying with the command of God’s guardian and proof, seeking help from God, relying on Him, and seeking forgiveness for my shortcomings. My success is only by God; I rely upon Him, and I turn in repentance to Him.20
For the sake of brevity, we will not mention the many other similar stories that exist.
Most prophets and messengers received their prophethood through visions during sleep.21 Denying the validity of visions would undermine the integrity of many guardians who believed because of visions and sacrificed their lives, wealth, and children because of a vision they saw. Are we to suggest these individuals believed without evidence and were naive? Certainly not. Denying the validity of visions would also undermine the character of the Noble MessengerP and the Imams, as they never cautioned those who believed because of visions, nor did they clarify to them that visions are not valid evidence. How, then, do you reach these conclusions?
In response to those who say that Satan can impersonate the infallible in visions, I say to them: It would be better for you to follow a religion other than that of MuhammadP, as this stubborn assertion blatantly contradicts the teachings of the Prophet’s householdP.
Imam al-RidhaP said: “My father narrated to me, from my grandfather, who narrated from his father, that the Messenger of GodP said: ‘Whoever sees me in a vision has truly seen me because Satan cannot impersonate me, nor can he impersonate any of my successors or their followers. A true vision is one of seventy parts of prophecy.”22
The Messenger of GodP said: "Whoever sees me in a vision has truly seen me, for Satan cannot impersonate me, whether in sleep or wakefulness, nor can he impersonate any of my successors until the Day of Judgement."23
Imam al-SadiqP said: If a servant is disobedient to God and God desires goodness for him, He will show him a vision that frightens him and steers him away from that disobedience. A true vision is one part of seventy parts of prophecy.”24
The Messenger of GodP said: “There is no prophecy after me except for the glad tidings." When asked, "O Messenger of God, what are the glad tidings?" he replied, "True visions.”25
Abu JafarP said: “A man asked the Messenger of GodP about the verse: ‘For them are good tidings in the life of this world’26 and he said: ‘It is a good vision that a believer sees that gives him glad tidings in this world.’”27
There are dozens of other hadiths that confirm that Satan cannot impersonate the ProphetP or any of the infallibles or their followers in a vision.28
“Whoever is blind in this life will be blind in the Hereafter and even further astray from the path.”29
In addition, many of those who believed in the divine call of Ahmed Alhasan sought guidance through the Quran (istikhara),30 and the outcomes affirmed the validity of this call. Yet, those with blinded hearts and fragile faith may object to seeking guidance in this way, claiming it does not constitute proof of the claimant's validity. To those people, I say:
First: The divine call of Ahmed Alhasan involves the unseen, and it can only be conclusively proven through the unseen. Seeking divine guidance through the prayer for it (istikhara) is an unseen matter beyond human control, as evidenced by Martyr Sayyed Muhammad Muhammad Sadiq al-Sadr's book, Ma Wara’ Al-Fiqh [Beyond Jurisprudence]. He said, in essence: “A faithful person cannot deceive his faithful brother when asked for advice on a specific matter, so how can God, the Abundantly and Intensely Merciful, deceive those who seek His counsel?”31 We recommend reviewing Sayyed al-Sadr’s discussion on the prayer of divine guidance as it is truly insightful and a rebuttal to those who do not believe in the unseen.
Second: The Prophet’s household has directed people to seek God's guidance in times of confusion in many supplications, such as the supplication of Jawshan Al-Kabir [The Greater Armor]:32
● Section 1: “O my guide in my perplexity, O my wealth in my poverty, O my refuge in my distress, O my rescuer in my fear.” ● Section 14: “O guide of the perplexed, O helper of the needy, O savior of those who cry for help.” ● Section 30: “O guide of those who seek guidance, O savior of those who cry for help, O helper of those who seek assistance, O deliverer of those who seek deliverance.” ● Section 43: “O to whom the perplexed turn for refuge.” ● Section 59: “O guide of those who have no guide.”
● Section 60: “O guide of those who seek guidance.” ● Section 87: “O guide of the misguided… O refuge of the distressed.”
Believers, be cautious of those who obstruct your path and cast doubt on the divine means of guidance bestowed by God, such as the divine guidance prayer and truthful visions, as well as other means of guidance, which are as numerous as the breaths of creation.
Third: the teachings of the Prophet’s householdP have encouraged people to seek divine guidance when facing confusion and uncertainty regarding the correct path.
In Imam Ali’sP Will to his son Al-HassanP, he says: “Be sincere in your supplications to your Lord, for He alone grants and withholds. Frequently seek divine guidance (istikhara)....”33
The Messenger of GodP said:
If you want to seek guidance from the Book of God, recite the Quran Chapter “Sincerity”34 three times, send blessings upon Muhammad and his family three times, and then say: “O God, I have sought guidance from Your Book and relied on You, so show me from Your Book the concealed blessings hidden in Your unseen realm.” Then open the Quran without counting the pages or lines.35
Many other hadiths urge people to turn to God and seek His guidance.
It is narrated that Safwan ibn Yahya al-Jammal confirmed the Imamate of Ali ibn Musa al-RidhaP through seeking divine guidance (istikhara). He was one of the esteemed companions of Imam Musa al-KadhimP. In his book Al-Ghayba [The Occultation], Sheikh al-Toosi narrates that Ali ibn Muadh said: “I asked Safwan ibn Yahya, 'How did you become certain of the Imamate of Ali (meaning Ali ibn Musa al-RidhaP)?' He said: 'I prayed, supplicated to God, sought guidance, and then became certain of it.'"36
The above narrations are just some of the many that demonstrate the validity of divine guidance (istikhara). Those who claim it has no validity offer no evidence, so how can they refute the evidence of divine guidance without presenting any proof? How, then, do you make such judgments? Anyone who confines divine guidance to a specific context without evidence imposes an unjustifiable limitation, and their claims should be dismissed.