the return of al-mahdi
TRANSCRIPT
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1 TheReturnofalMahdi
Preface
Thisis
the
translation
of
Mukhtasaru
Ithbati
'r
Raj'ah
(Abridged
Ithbatu
'r
Raj'ah).
The
original
book
of
which
this
is
an
abridgement
was
by
Abu
Muhammad
alFadlibnShadhanibnalKhalilalAzdianNishapuri.(A)TheAuthor:
AlFadl ibnShadhanwasahighlyrespectedjurisprudent(faqih)andtheologian(mutakallim)ofthethirdcenturyofhijrah.He lived inNishapur(Khurasan).
AshShaykhatTusi(d.460*)writesabouthim:"Afaqihandmutakallimofsublimehonour;hehaswrittenmanybooksandworks."Whilelistingthirtytwoofhis
works,ShaykhatTusihasalsomentionedIthbatu'rRaj'ah.1
AshShaykh
an
Najashi
(d,
450)
writes
under
his
name:
"His
father
was
of
the
companions
of
Yunus
[ibn
'Abdu
'r
Rahman],
and
[al
Fadl
ibn
Shadhan]
narrated
a hadith fromAbu Ja'far athThani [i.e. ImamMuhammad atTaqi], and it is said thathe alsonarrated from arRida (peace be upon them).2Hewas thiqah(trustworthy);oneofourcompanionswhowere[countedas]faqihandmutakallim;heenjoysagreatrespectinthissect[i.e.intheShi'ahs];he,inhishonourand
distinction, istoowellknowntoneedanydescription.AlKanji3hassaidthathehadwrittenonehundredandeightybooks.Then listingfortyeightofhisbooks
whichhehad inhispossession,hementions threebooksabout the twelfth Imam (A.S.): Ithbatu 'rRaj'ah,arRaj'ahhadithandKitabalQa'im (peacebeupon
him)."4
*
Unless
otherwise
specified,
all
dates
in
this
preface
refer
to
the
hijrah
lunar
calendar.
1 AtTusi,alFihrist(Qumed.)p.124,entryno.552.2 ItisundoubtedlytruethatIbnShadhannarratedfromImamarRidaasmaybeseeninasSaduq'sbooks,'UyunuAkhbari'rRidaand'Ilalu'shShara'i'andinseveralchaptersofhisManla
Yahduruhu'lFaqih.3 Abu'1QasimYahyaibnZakariyaalKanjihadmetImamHasanal'Askari(a.s.);atTaPakbaritookahadithfromhimin318A.H.;althattimehisagehadexceeded120years.SeeRijalan
Najashi,vol.,2(Beirut,1988)p.168,fnno.4 RijalanNajashi,vol.2,p.168,no.838.
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7 TheReturnofalMahdi
Malikah:Granddaughter
of
the
Byzantine
Emperor:
In
the
ninth
hadith,
the
Eleventh
Imam
(peace
be
on
him)
says
that
the
mother
of
the
twelfth
Imam
is
the
granddaughterofCeaser,theByzantineEmperor;andinthellthhadith,hernameisgivenasMalikah.Iwillwrite,inshaAllah,onthesetwoaMdithlateron,giving
thebiographicaldetailsoftheImam'smother(peacebeuponher).
(F)TheReturn(arRaj'ah):
Thebook'snamemeans"ProofoftheReturn".ItmayrefertothereappearanceofImamalMahdi(peacebeuponhim)afterhisOccultation;andmajorityof
theahadithinitpointtothismeaning.Also,Raj'ahintheShi'aterminologyreferstothepartialresurrection,whensomeselectedpersonswillberesurrectedafter
there
appearance
of
Imam
al
Mahdi;
and
two
aMdith
(no.
7&
17)
briefly
mention
that
resurrection.15
25thMuharram,1417 SayyidSaeedAkhtarRizvi12thJune,1996 Toronto
15 TofurtherunderstandthisphenomenonofRaj'ah inthesenseofpartialresurrection,seemyarticle,TheBeliefinRaj'at,whichwaspublishedinTheLight(DaresSalaam)in1991,and
reprintedwithsomeamendmentsinTheRightPath(Toronto)in1994.
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MukhtasaruIthbatirRajah 8
Noteonthesymbol()
Forthesakeofclarity,wehaveusedthesymbol()
insteadofwriting"...whosaidthattransmittedtous..."
betweenthenamesoftwonarratorsintheisnad.
So,forexample,insteadofwriting
"MuhammadbinIsma'il
whosaid
that
transmitted
to
us
Hammad
bin
'Isa,"
wehavewritten:
"MuhammadbinIsma'il()Hammadbin'Isa."
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9 TheReturnofalMahdi
Thisisashortselectionfromthebook,Ithbatu'rRaj'ah,oftheShaykhofthesectandreliableauthorityofthegroup,AbuMuhammadalFadlibnShadhan
ibnalKhalilanNishapuri,mayAllahcoverhimwithHisforgivenessandgivehimspacious(place)inHisgardens;andmayAllahgiveustheopportunitytocollectall
thatisinthis(book)andgetenlightenmentfromitsbrilliantjewelsandpricelesspearls;surelyHeisNigh,Answeringtheprayers.
***
AlFadlibnShadhan,mayAllahprovideresttohisnoblespiritandbestowonhimHisexaltedbenevolence,said:
1. NarratedtousMuhammadibnIsma'ilibnBazi'(mayAllahbepleasedwithhim)()Hammadibn'Isa()Ibrahimibn'UmaralYamani()AbanibnAbi
'Ayyash()SulaymibnQaysalHilaliwhosaid:
IsaidtoAmiru '1Mu'minin(peacebeonhim):"IhaveheardfromSalmanandalMiqdadandAbuDharrthingsconcerningtheexegesisoftheQur'anand
ahadithoftheProphet(blessingsandpeacefromAllahbeonhimandhisprogeny),differentfromwhatthepeoplehave;thenIheardfromyouverificationofwhat
Ihadheardfromthem(i.e.fromSalman,a!MiqdadandAbuDharr).IhavealsoseenwiththepeoplemanythingsrelatedtotheexegesisoftheQur'anandahadith
ofthe
Prophet
(blessings
and
peace
from
Allah
be
on
him
and
his
progeny)
which
you
oppose
and
say
that
all
that
is
untrue.
So,
do
you
think
that
the
people
intentionallytellliesagainstAllahandHisMessenger,andinterprettheQur'anaccordingtotheirownviews?"
Sulaymsaid:Then'Ali(peacebeonhim)said:
"Youhaveasked,sounderstandthereply.Certainly,whatthepeoplehaveis(acollectionof)rightandwrong,trueandfalse,repealingandrepealed,general
andparticular, firm and ambiguous, exact and surmised.Evenduring thedaysof theMessengerofAllah (blessings andpeace fromAllahbeonhim andhis
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MukhtasaruIthbatirRajah 14
revenge fromenemiesofAllah,whowilldisappear ina longoccultationand thenwillappearand fill theearthwithequityandjusticeas itwillbe filledwith
injusticeand
oppression."
***
5 NarratedtousFadalah ibnAyyub(mayAllahbepleasedwithhim)()Abanibn'Uthman()MuhammadibnMuslim()AbuJa'far[MuhammadalBaqir]
(peacebeonhim)whosaid'
TheMessengerofAllah(blessingsofAllahbeonhimandhisprogeny)saidto'AliibnAbiTalib(peacebeonhim):"Ihavemoreauthorityonthebelieversthan
theirown
selves;
then
you,
O
'Ali!
have
more
authority
on
the
believers
than
their
own
selves;
then
al
Hasan
has
more
authority
on
the
believers
than
their
own
selves;thenalHusaynhasmoreauthorityonthebelieversthantheirownselves;thenMuhammad ibn 'Alihasmoreauthorityonthebelieversthantheirown
selves;thenJa'faribnMuhammadhasmoreauthorityonthebelieversthantheirownselves;thenMusaibnJa'farhasmoreauthorityonthebelieversthantheir
ownselves;then'AliibnMusahasmoreauthorityonthebelieversthantheirownselves;thenMuhammadibn'Alihasmoreauthorityonthebelieversthantheir
ownselves;then 'Ali ibnMuhammadhasmoreauthorityonthebelieversthantheirownselves;thenalHasan ibn 'Alihasmoreauthorityonthebelieversthan
theirownselves;then[is]alHujjatibnalHasanwithwhomthecaliphateandsuccessorshipwillcometoend;andhewillremainhiddenforalongperiodoftime,
thenwillreappearandfilltheearthwithjusticeandequityasitwouldbefullofoppressionandinjustice."
***
6 NarratedtousMuhammadibnAbi'Umayr(mayAllahbepleasedwithhim)()GhiyathibnIbrahim()Abu'Abdillah[Ja'farasSadiq](peacebeonhim)who
said:
Amiru '1Mu'minin(peacebeonhim)wasaskedaboutthemeaningofthesayingoftheMessengerofAllah(mayAllahblesshimandhisprogeny),"Ileave
amongyoutwoweighty(precious)things,theBookofAllahandmyprogeny,"astowhoaretheprogeny.Hesaid:
"I,al
Hasan,
al
Husayn
and
nine
Imams
from
the
children
of
al
Husayn;
ninth
of
them
is
their
al
Mahdi;
they
will
not
separate
from
the
Book
of
Allah,
the
Mighty,theGreat,norwill itseparatefromthem,untiltheycometotheMessengerofAllah(blessingsandpeacefromAllahbeonhimandhisprogeny)athis
Hawd(Kawthar)."
***
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MukhtasaruIthbatirRajah 22
20A
similar
hadith
has
been
narrated
(to
us)
by
Muhammad
ibn
Isma'il
ibn
Bazi'
()
Muhammad
ibn
Muslim
ath
Thaqafi
()
Abu
Ja'far
[Muhammad
al
Baqir]
(peacebe
onhim).
***
21 Narratedtous'Abdu'rRahmanibnAbiNajran(mayAllahbepleasedwithhim)()'AbdullahibnSanan()Abu'Abdillah[Ja'farasSadiq](peacebeonhim)
whosaid:
"ThosewhowilldisappearfromtheirbedsarethreehundredandthirteenmenthenumberofthepeopleofBadrtheywillbeatMeccainthemorning;
andthisis(theinterpretationof)thewordsofAllah,theMighty,theGreat:'Whereveryouwillbe,Allahwillbringyoualltogether.'(alBaqarah2:148)andtheyare
thecompanionsofalQa'im(peacebeonhim)."
***
22 NarratedtousAhmad ibnMuhammad ibnAbiNasr(mayAllahbepleasedwithhim) () 'Asim ibnHumayd()Muhammad ibnMuslimwhosaid:Aman
askedAbu'Abdillah[Ja'farasSadiq](peacebeonhim):"WhenwillyourQa'imappear?"
Hesaid:"Whenmisguidancewillincrease,andguidancewilldecrease;oppressionandmischiefwillincrease, andrighteousnessandgoodnesswilldecrease;
menwillsatisfytheir lustwithmenandwomenwithwomen;the 'ulama'will inclinetowardstheworld,andmajorityofthepeopletopoems and poets; a
group ofheretic people will betransformedturningintomonkeysandpigs;theSufyaniwillbekilledandtheDajjalwillappear,doinghisutmostinmisleading
andmisguiding;atthattimethenameoftheQa'im(peacebeonhim)willbeannouncedontheeveoftwentythirdofthemonthofRamadan.Hewillriseonthe
dayof 'Ashura'. It isasthough Iam lookingathimstandingbetweentheRuknand theMaqam,and Jibra'il (peacebeonhim)willbeannouncingbeforehim:
'(Make)bay'ahforAllah;'andhisShi'aswillproceedtohim(todoso)."
*
*
*
NotebyashShaykhMuhammadibnalHasanalHurral'Amili:
ThisiswhatwefoundcopiedfromthebookIthbdtu'rRaj'ahofalFadlibnShadhaninthehandwritingofsomelearnedtraditionists;anditwascheckedwith
itsorignal.WrittenbyMuhammadalHurr.
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23 TheReturnofalMahdi
Noteby
Muhammad
Husayn
ibn
Zaynu
'l'Abidin
al
'Urmawi:
Thisistheendofwhatwasinthemanuscriptfromwhichthiscopyhasbeenmade;anditbelongedto[ShaykhHurral'Amili]theauthorofalWasa'il(may
Allah'smercybeonhim);andtheabovewordings,"This iswhatwefound....",was inhisownnobleandblessedhandwriting;andonthebackofthecopywas
writteninhisownhand:"ItsownerbygraceofAllahisthepovertystrickenMuhammadalHurr."
Icompleted(thiscopying)ontwentysecondDhu'1Qa'dah,intheonethousandthreehundredandfiftiethyearofthehijrahoftheProphet,inthemausoleum
of'Ali;andIamthehumbleMuhammadHusaynal'UrmawiibnZaynu'1'Abidin,mayAllahforgivebothofthem.
Noteby
the
humble
servant
of
Allah,
Sayyid
Saeed
Akhtar
Rizvi:
IstartedtranslationofthisbookletonThursday29Dhu'1Qa'dah1416A.M.correspondingto18th
April1996,andcompleteditonSunday,2nDhu'1Hijjah
1416correspondingto21stApril1996at11.00p.m.atDaresSalaam.
Appendix
(HadithNo.23)
AshShaykhAbuMuhammadalFadlibnShadhanibnKhalilsaid.
NarratedtousalHasan ibn 'Ali ibnFaddaland ibnAbiNajran,fromHammad ibn 'Isa,from 'Abdullah ibnMuskan,fromAban ibnTaghlib,fromSulaym ibn
Qaysal Hilali,fromSalmanalFarsi,thathesaid.
TheMessenger ofAllah (BlessingsofAllahbe onhim andhisprogeny) said: "Shouldnot I give you,0People! the goodnewsof alMahdi?" They said:
"Certainly."
Hesaid:"ThenknowthatAllah,theHigh,willraiseinmyummahajustrulerandvirtuousImam(who)willfilltheearthwithjusticeandequityasitwouldbe
fullofoppressionandinjustice;andheistheninthfromthechildrenofmysonalHusayn;hisnameismynameandhiskunyaismykunya.
"Truelytherewillbenogoodinthelifeafterhim;andhisrulewillcontinueuntilfortydaysbeforetheQiyamat(Resurrection)."
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MukhtasaruIthbatirRajah 24
Quotedfromlthbatu 'rRaj'ahofalFadlibnShadhan,byasSayyidMuhammadMirLawhiinhisKifayatu'lMuhtadifiMa'rifati'lMahdi(Tehran:Ministryof
IslamicGuidance,
1373
A.H.Solar
=1415
p.307)
18
***
18 Seehadithno.91, inKitabSulaym ibnQaysalHilali,published in threevolumeswithextensive introductionandappendixesbyashShaykhMuhammadBaqiralAnsariazZanjanial
Khu'i'ni,vol.2(Qum,1415A.H.)p.958;seealsovol.I,p.1173.