Question 382 - The Enlightening Answer Across the Ether, Vol 4

Supporters Response:

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send His prayers upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, the Imams and the Mahdis, and grant them abundant peace. Noble sister, none informs you about the jurists of the end times like one with expertise, and they are Muhammad and the family of Muhammad (a). Many narrations describing their condition have been transmitted, and I will mention some of them to you. Before that, however, you must know that the principle that represented a distinguishing mark of the Shia of the Ahl al-Bayt was their belief in the divine appointment of the ruler. That is, their belief that the people do not appoint the ruler; rather, Allah Most High appoints him. You can now see how the Shia jurists have cast this principle behind their backs, appeased the Americans, and entered with them into the game of democracy, which means that the people choose the ruler. Allah willing, you know that contravening Allah's religion and law-especially concerning Imamate and the appointment of the ruler-is not among the matters that may be contravened on the pretext that circumstances require it. Imam al-Husayn (a) exposed his holy self and the lives of his household and companions-the finest of people-to death for this principle. He did not accept that Yazid-may Allah curse him-be a ruler and insisted that the ruler is only one whom Allah appointed. The narrations: From Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman and Jabir al-Ansari, from the Messenger of Allah (s), who said: ‘Woe, woe to my nation from the greater consultation and the lesser consultation.’ He was asked about the two, and said: ‘As for the greater, it will be convened in my city after my death to usurp the caliphate of my brother and the right of my daughter. As for the lesser consultation, it will be convened during the major occultation in al-Zawra to change my Sunnah and alter my rulings’ (^[178]). The lesser consultation means the elections that took place in Iraq, for al-Zawra is one of the names of Baghdad. From the Messenger of Allah (s), in the narration of the Ascension, who said: ‘I said: My God, when will that be?’-meaning the relief-‘He (a) revealed to me: That will be when knowledge is lifted, ignorance appears, reciters become many, deeds become few, killing becomes common, guiding jurists become few, and treacherous jurists of misguidance become many’ (^[179]). From the Messenger of Allah (s): ‘A time will come upon my nation when nothing of the Quran remains except its script and nothing of Islam except its name. They will call themselves by it while being the people farthest from it. Their mosques will be flourishing, yet devoid of guidance. The jurists of that time will be the worst jurists beneath the shade of the sky. From them tribulation came forth, and to them it will return’ (^[180]). In Bisharat al-Islam, p. 246: ‘… His enemies will be the emulators of the jurists, the people of ijtihad, because they will see him rule contrary to what their Imams maintained.’ From Abu Jafar (a): ‘When the Qa'im (a) rises, he will proceed to Kufa. Ten-and-several thousand souls called the Batriyyah will emerge from it and say to him: Go back where you came from; we have no need of the children of Fatimah.’ Al-Kurani comments upon this narration by saying: ‘It appears that these Batriyyah are Shia’ (^[181]). From the Messenger of Allah (s), in the narration of the Ascension: ‘I said: My God, when will that be?’-meaning the relief-‘He (a) revealed to me: That will be when knowledge is lifted, ignorance appears, reciters become many, deeds become few, killing becomes common, guiding jurists become few, and treacherous jurists of misguidance become many’ (^[182]). These are some of the narrations about the jurists of the end times; there are many more in the books of narration and the Supporters' books. If you were to consult the books of the Supporter brothers, you would find many proofs that the call of Sayyed Ahmed Alhasan (a) is a true call. Perhaps you know that our age is the age of the Appearance, as many signs indicate, and that in this age the Yamani-the chief preparer for the Imam-must appear. We recognize the Yamani through matters mentioned by the Ahl al-Bayt (a). Abu Abdullah (a) was asked: ‘By what is the Imam recognized?’ He said: ‘By the manifest will and by merit. No one can impugn the Imam regarding mouth, belly, or private part, saying: He is a liar, he consumes people's wealth, or the like’ (^[183]). Ahmed ibn Abi Nasr said: ‘I said to Abu al-Hasan al-Rida (a): When the Imam dies, by what is the one after him recognized? He said: The Imam has signs. Among them are that he is the eldest of his father's sons and that merit and the will are found in him …’ (^[184]). Abd al-Ala said: ‘I said to Abu Abdullah (a): What proof is imposed upon one who leaps upon this matter and claims it? He said: He is questioned about the lawful and the unlawful. He said: Then he turned toward me and said: Three elements of the proof have never come together in anyone unless he was the possessor of this matter: that he be the person most entitled to the one who preceded him, that he possess the weapon, and that he be the possessor of the manifest will …’ (^[185]). From Ahmed ibn Umar, from al-Rida (a), who said: ‘I asked him about the indication of the possessor of the matter. He said: The indication is seniority, merit, and the will …’ (^[186]). Abu Basir said: ‘I said to Abu al-Hasan (a): May I be your ransom, by what is the Imam recognized? He said: By certain traits. As for the first, something from his father must have preceded concerning him, pointing to him so that it would be a proof against them …’ (^[187]). From al-Harith ibn al-Mughirah al-Nadri, who said: ‘We said to Abu Abdullah (a): By what is the possessor of this matter recognized? He said: By serenity, dignity, knowledge, and the will’ (^[188]). Sayyed Ahmed Alhasan argued by means of the will of the Messenger of Allah (s), which mentioned him, and so forth. The Scientific Committee Supporters of Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah establish him upon the earth) Mr. Razzaq al-Ansari Blessed Shaban 1430 AH