By: Mohammad H. Yusofi Gharavi
I. Sheik Koleini and the Reasons of the Occultation
Sheik Koleini wrote the great book of Al-Kafi about forty years after the occultation. Eight chapters of this book are on Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance) two of which are about his occultation. He has mentioned some of the reasons for the Imam’s occultation in the first of these two chapters:
- Trial
The second tradition in the second chapter about occultation, which is from Imam Kadhem (P.B.), says: Imam Zaman’s (may God hasten his reappearance) occultation will be in a manner that the believer will lose his faith. This is how the Almighty tests his creation. 1
The fifth tradition of this chapter is from Imam Sadiq (P.B.). He says: “Before the rise of the Upriser there will be an occultation. The Almighty favors the examination of the Shiites, and in this examination, the people of falsehood will become doubtful.” 2
There are other traditions in a separate chapter on trial and examination. One of these traditions from Imam Sadiq (P.B.) says: “Oh Mansur. This event will occur only after there is no hope and by God I swear it won’t occur until you are (the good) distinguished, afflicted, the naught achieve their naughtiness and the fortunate reach their fortune.” 3 - Fearing the Imam’s Life
There are four traditions in the this chapter narrated through Zorarh from Imam Sadiq (P.B.) that he say: “The reason for the occultation of His Eminence The Upriser (may God hasten his reappearnce) is the fear for his life.” 4 - Being under No One’s Allegiance
In the 27th tradition of this chapter there is a narration that Imam Sadiq (P.B.) had said: “The Upriser (may God hasten his reappearance) will rise not having any treaties, agreements or allegiance to abide by.”
II. Sheik No’mani and the First Book on the Occultation
Abu Abdillah Mohammad Ibn Ibrahim Al-No’mani, was Kolaini’s student. He thought all of what Kolaini had narrated about the occultation was not sufficient for clearing all obscurities, doubts, and disputes about His Eminences occultation. This is why he gathered a book consisting of twenty-five chapters, which includes all the traditions from all of the Imams (P.B.) regarding the occultation of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance). He has specified a chapter of this book to the issue of the cause and philosophy of the occultation, but other than that he points out to some of them in other chapters as well.
- Trial
In the seventh chapter of his book, No’mani states that the reason for Imam Mahdi’s (may God hasten his reappearance) occultation is for the trial of the followers of the Ahlul-Bait to distinguish the truthful from the false ones. The perfection of the religion is in the hands of this Imam and he will separate the sincere ones from the non-sincere. Other than the traditions that were narrated in Al-Kafi, No’mani has narrated a tradition from Imam Sadiq (P.B.), which he has narrated from Imam Ali (P.B.) that says: “God will send a man of my children to seek our revenge. He will have an occultation that will cause the astray to become known.” 5 - Being under No One’s Allegiance
No’mani has narrated a tradition from Imam Baqir (P.B.), other than the ones narrated in Al-Kafi, that says: “The Upriser (may God hasten his reappearance) will have two occultations and when he rises he will not be under the allegiance of anyone.” 6 - Fear for the Imam’s Life
No’mani narrates the tradition of Imam Sadiq (P.B.) by Zorarah through the four trend of narration that is mentioned in Al-Kafi, and other then that, he also narrates a tradition from Imam Sadiq (P.B.) by Mufazhal through three trends of narration, which the Imam (P.B.) mentions the fear for the Imam’s life as being the cause of his occultation.
III. Sheik Saduq and the Second Book on the Occultation
Sheik Saduq was born around 307H.Q. In the year 352H.Q. he went on a trip to Mashhad to visit Imam Riza’s (P.B.) holy shrine. On the way back, he had a discussion with some of the scholars in Neishabur and there he realized that there were some obscurities about the occultation of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance). Sheik Najmo-Din Qommi, one of the scholars in Bokhara, asked him to write a book on the occultation that answers all of these obscurities. Upon his return he wrote the book Kamalo-Din wa Tamamo-Ni’ma fi Ithbat-il-Ghaibah wa Kashf-il-Hairah. In this book, he first presents the questions and obscurities and then answers them.
- Saduq and the Fear for The Imam’s Life
Saduq says just as the divine Hujjahs from the time of Adam (P.B.) up till the last prophet have been of two types, present and occulted, the divine predecessors are also of the same two types. For example, when Ibarhim (P.B.) was still in his mother’s womb, the presence of a Hujjah was not possible because Nimrod was killing all the male infants in order to prevent the rise of Ibrahim (P.B.). So God kept him in occultation until the time was right for him to come out and introduce himself.
From Ibrahim’s (P.B.) to Moses’ (P.B.) there were many predecessors, present and occulted. At Moses’ (P.B.) time, the same situation occurred. The Pharaoh was killing all the male infants of the Israelites, so Moses (P.B.) was put in hiding. From the time of Moses (P.B.) up to Jesus’ (P.B.) time and from then up to the time of the Prophet of Islam (P.B.) predecessors came; present or hidden according to the conditions of their time.
At the time of Imam Askari (P.B.) the caliph of the time had put him under harsh conditions waiting for a son to be born of him to get rid of it. The philosophy of the hiding of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance) is the same as that of the hiding of the divine Hujjahs at other times: because of the fear for their lives from the tyrants and Pharaohs of the time. 7 - Saduq and Trial
Sheik Saduq narrates a tradition from Imam Sadiq (P.B.) by Sadir Kufi in which he has said: “Our Upriser (may God hasten his reappearance) will have a long occultation.” I said, “Oh son of the Prophet of God, why?” He said, “because God wants the traditions of the prophets in their occultations to come true in his as well.”
He narrates another tradition from Imam Sadiq (P.B.) as well: How will you be at the time when you are left without a leader or sign to guide you and some of you will be disavowing from one another? You are being tried in that situation and you will be distinguished from one another. 8
He also mentions other traditions in which the reason for the occultation mentioned in them is the separating of truth from falsehood, belief from insincerity and the good from the wicked and also for the hypocrites to be found. 9 - Saduq and the Imam Being under No One’s Allegiance
Like Kolaini and No’mani, Saduq has also pointed out traditions that have noted that the reason for the Imam’s (may God hasten his reappearance) occultation is that when he rises, no one’s allegiance will be on the Imam. 10 - The Concealment of the Rationale
The last tradition that Saduq narrates is from Imam Sadiq (P.B.) in which the Imam tells Ibn Fadhl Hashimi: “Oh Ibn Fadhl! This matter is a divine matter and it is of God’s concern, a veil of his veils and a secret of his secrets.” So, just as the reason for Khidhr’s (P.B.) actions was concealed from Moses (P.B.), the main reason for the occultation is also concealed.
IV. Sheik Mofid and the Reasons of Occultation
Sheik Mofid has written a chapter exclusively on the issue of Imam Mahdi’s (may God hasten his reappearance) Imamah in his book Al-Irshad (413H.Q.). Of course, he hasn’t mentioned the causes of occultation specifically, but he has referred the reader to Sheik No’mani’s book. 11
In his book of controversies, which its only ruminant is the chapter Fosul Mukhtarah, he has pointed to the philosophy of fear for the Imam’s (may God hasten his reappearnce) life. 12 In his book Al-Fosul Al-Asharah fil-Ghaibah, he has pointed out this reason as well. 13
V. Sayyed Mortadha and the Reasons of the Occultation
In his book Zhakhirah, Sayyed Mortadha has pointed to the fear for the Imam’s (may God hasten his reappearance) life as the reason of occultation. Of course, this has been narrated by Sheik Tusi in his book Talkhis-o-Shafi. 14
VI. Sheik Tusi and the Reasons of Occultation
Other then his book Talkhis-o-Shafi, Sheik Tusi has written a book exclusively on the occultation in the year 447H.Q. and in it he has pointed out some of the reasons.
- Comprehensive Philosophy
Sheik Tusi says if the Imamah (leadership) of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance) is known to us and we know that he is and infallible, then we can conclude that his occultation is for a reason even if we don’t know it in specific. 15 - Fear for the Imam’s Life
Sheik Tusi mentions more than 20 traditions conveying that the reason for His Eminence’s (may God hasten his reappearance) occultation is the fear for the Imam’s life. - Divine Trial
Sheik Tusi believes that the hardships that the followers of the Ahlol-Bait face in the time of the occultation are inevitable and they are not the reason for the Occultation. He believes what has been said in the traditions about a divine trial is not said as a reason for the occultation. The reason for the occultation is, as mentioned before, fear for the Imam’s life, but these matters will happen in any case. Also, in these traditions there is mention of the reward that they patient will receive. 16
- Kolaini, Osul Al-Kafi, P. 336, T. 2[↩]
- Same source, P 337, T. 5[↩]
- Same, P. 370, T. 3[↩]
- Same, P. 337, T. 5; 9; 18; 29[↩]
- Mohammad Ibn Ibrahim No’mani, Al-Ghaibah, P. 14[↩]
- Same, P. 113[↩]
- Sheik Saduq, Kamalo-Din wa Tamamo-Ni’mah fi Ithbat-il-Ghaibah wa Kashf-il-Hairah, Vol. 1, P. 20-22[↩]
- Same, Vol. 2, P. 348, T. 36[↩]
- Same, P. 347-356, T. 35; 50[↩]
- Same, P. 479[↩]
- Sheik Mofid, Al-Irshad, Vol. 2, P. 350[↩]
- Sheik Mofid, Al-Fosul Al-Mukhtarah, P. 110-118; 327-331[↩]
- Sheik Mofid, Risalat-ol-Fosul-ol-Ashrah fil-Ghaibah, 3-4, T. Al-Haidariyah[↩]
- Sheik Tusi, Talkhis-o-Shafi, Vol. 1, P. 104; 106-107; from Zhakhira, P. 419-420[↩]
- Sheik Tusi, Al-Ghaibah, P. 85[↩]
- Imam Reza (A.S.) Network[↩]
