Question 235 - The Enlightening Answer Across the Ether, Vol 3

Ahmed al-Hasan Response:

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, the Imams and the Mahdis, and grant them abundant peace. Answer to Question 1: The Return concerns humankind and the jinn; it does not concern nations but individuals. Those who are pure in faith return, and those who are pure in disbelief return. That is, those who are tested again in the Return are the imams of justice and the elect among their followers, and the imams of disbelief and the elect among their followers. I have explained the matter of the Return and its reason in detail in more than one place, so refer to them (^[56]). There are many verses that point to the return of certain individuals from the nations. This is one of them: ‘Indeed, the One who imposed the Quran upon you will return you to a place of return. Say, “My Lord knows best who came with guidance and who is in clear error”’ (^[57]). This concerns the Return of the Messenger of Allah Muhammad and the family of Muhammad (a), for they are the people of the Quran. The Exalted said: ‘On the day We gather from every nation a group of those who denied Our signs, and they will be marshaled’ (^[58]). This verse concerns the return of the imams of disbelief and the elect among their followers. Answer to Question 2: Abu Hamzah al-Thumali narrated from Abu al-Rabi, who said: ‘I performed the pilgrimage with Abu Jafar (a) in the year in which Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik performed it. With him was Nafi, the client of Umar ibn al-Khattab. Nafi looked at Abu Jafar (a) at the corner of the House while the people had gathered around him. He said, “O Commander of the Believers, who is this man around whom the people have crowded?” He said, “This is Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Husayn (a).” He said, “I will go to him and ask him questions that none can answer except a prophet or a successor of a prophet.” He said, “Then go to him; perhaps you will embarrass him.” Nafi came until he leaned upon the people and looked down upon Abu Jafar. He said, “O Muhammad ibn Ali, I have read the Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms, and the Criterion, and I have learned their lawful and unlawful. I have come to ask you questions that none can answer except a prophet, a successor of a prophet, or a son of a prophet.” Abu Jafar (a) raised his head and said, “Ask whatever occurs to you.” … He said, “Tell me about the words of Allah, Glorious is He: ‘On the day the earth is changed into another earth, and the heavens as well.’ Into what earth will it be changed?” Abu Jafar (a) said, “A white loaf which they will eat until Allah completes the reckoning of the creatures.” He said, “They will be too occupied to eat.” Abu Jafar (a) said, “Are they more occupied then or when they are in the Fire?” Nafi said, “Rather, when they are in the Fire.” He said, “Yet Allah said: ‘The companions of the Fire will call to the companions of the Garden, “Pour upon us some water or some of what Allah has provided you”’ (^[59]). How occupied can they be when they call for food and are fed zaqqum, and call for drink and are given boiling water to drink?” He said, “You have spoken truthfully, O son of the Messenger of Allah”’ (^[60]). Answer to Question 3: Infallibility is an inward matter, so the proof of it is the proof of divine succession, namely the law for recognizing the Proof. I have explained it in detail in more than one book and place, including Illuminations (^[61]). Ahmed Alhasan