| Author: Farah Esbati | Date: 2015-02-10 |
We shiites believe that his excellency Mahdi has two kind of occultation: Minor occultation and Major occultation. In the minor occultation, his honor was in contact with people by four elected deputies and after the death of fourth deputy, the major occultation has been started. These four elected deputies are as follows:
1- Uthman ibn Sa'id al-Asadi
2- Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Uthman
3- Abul Qasim Husayn ibn Ruh al-Nawbakhti
4- Abul Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri
The deputyship of these people was general and absolute. Of course in that time, in special cases and in various cities, there were other people who undertook the deputyship of Imam that some believe this deputyship was without intermediating of elected deputies. Among these people Ahmad ibn Hamzah ibn al-Yasa', Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Mahziar, Muhammad ibn Salih and Abu Muhammad Wajinayi can be named.
His excellency Mahdi, by a letter to Ali ibn Muhammad, notified about the beginning of major occultation this way:
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate the Merciful
O Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri! May Allah increase the reward of your brothers concerning you (i.e. your demise)! Death will come to you within the next six days. So complete your works and do not nominate any person after you. The sequence of special deputies will come to an end and the Major Occultation will commence with your demise.
Now the reappearance will occur only with the permission of Allah, after a prolonged period and after the hearts of people are hardened. And such a period will emerge on my Shias when people will claim that they have seen me. Whoever makes such a claim before the advent of Sufyani and the heavenly voice, is a liar, an impostor. There is no strength and power same that of Allah, the High, the Great.
Al-Ghaybah, Shaykh Tusi, p. 395
What is the opinion of Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani about this case?
Also, what is the opinion of his honor about Minor advent and Major advent in which we shiites believe?
| Answer to question: 2 | Date: 2015-02-10 |
Your intended propositions are predicative propositions which whenever have been narrated in mutawatir forms, are certain and believable and whenever they have not been narrated in mutawatir forms, are not certain and believable, althouth they have become famous among late generations; Since Wahid narrations benefit the conjecture and conjecture has no credit in Islam; As God has explicitly said: ﴿إِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا﴾[1]; “Indeed, assumption avails not against the truth”; Like the letter attributed to Mahdi peace be upon him to Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri which has been narrated by only an unworthy and unknown narrator named “Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn Ahmad al-Maktab” and naturally lacks credit, or the claim about being two minor and major advents for Mahdi peace be upon him which is not known how it is found and on what foundation it is based.
What is certain and believing in it, is necessary and beneficial to you, is that Mahdi peace be upon him is absent at the moment and his absence is due to your failure in quest, support and obedience to him and whenever this failure is resolved by sufficient change in your belief and deed, his absence will be resolved as well and this is an instance for God's word that has said: ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ﴾[2]; “Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves”; As it is necessary and beneficial for you to know Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani does not claim to have deputyship on behalf of Mahdi, rather he is just preparing the grounds for the advent of his excellency based on the book of God and certain Sunnah of His prophet, and this is not considered a claim from him, rather it is an objective reality on earth which is detected by sense; Given that his invitation toward Mahdi peace be upon him, in an order which requests the advent of his excellency, is visible and hearable and with the given description, to acknowledge it there is no need to anything other than paying attention to it.
God bestow you and other Muslims the success for supporting Mahdi peace be upon him, instead of supporting others; Because supporting others is a hardship in which there is no blessing to obtain, but supporting Mahdi peace be upon him is a hardship in which there are the benefits of this world and the Hereafter, but where can be found a wise man who seeks the benefits of this world and the Hereafter?!