1 . أَخْبَرَنَا وَلِيدُ بْنُ مَحْمُودٍ، قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ عَنْ رَجُلٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ يُنْكِرُ الْمَهْدِيَّ وَيَقُولُ إِنَّهُ مِنَ الْخُرَافَاتِ! قَالَ: أَفَيُنْكِرُهُ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ؟! كَالْمُسْتَبْعِدِ لِذَلِكَ! قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ، قَالَ: سَوْفَ يَتَبَيَّنُ لَهُ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ، قُلْتُ: أَفَلَمْ يَكْفُرْ بِذَلِكَ؟! قَالَ: لَا، وَلَكِنْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا مُبِينًا، ثُمَّ قَالَ: لَا يَكْفُرُونَ حَتَّى يَجْحَدُوا آيَةً مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ.

Translation of the saying:

Walid ibn Mahmoud informed us, he said: I asked Mansoor about a man from Muslims who denies the Mahdi and says that he is from superstitions! He said: “Does a man from Muslims deny him?! Like one who considers it unlikely!” I said: “Yes.” He said: “Soon it will become clear to him that he is the truth.” I said: “Has he not become a disbeliever by this denial?!” He said: “No, but he has clearly gone far astray.” Then he said: “They do not become disbelievers unless they deny a verse of the Quran.”

2 . أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الشِّيرَازِيُّ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِلْمَنْصُورِ: رِوَايَةٌ يَرْوُونَهَا عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ آبَائِهِ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: مَنْ أَنْكَرَ الْقَائِمَ مِنْ وُلْدِي يَعْنِي الْمَهْدِيَّ فَقَدْ أَنْكَرَنِي، فَقَالَ: هُوَ كَذَلِكَ إِذَا أَنْكَرَهُ بَعْدَ أَنْ سَمِعَ النِّدَاءَ بِاسْمِهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: إِذَا سَمِعْتُمُ النِّدَاءَ بِاسْمِهِ فَقَدْ رَدِفَ لَكُمْ بَعْضُ الِّذِي تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ.

Translation of the saying:

Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Shirazi informed us, he said: I said to Mansoor: “There is a narration they quote from Ja‘far ibn Muhammad, from his father, from his fathers, from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, that has said: ‘Whoever denies the Qa’im from my children, i.e., the Mahdi, has denied me.’” So he said: “It is so when he denies him after hearing the call to his name.” Then he said: “When you hear the call to his name, some of what you seek to hasten will continuously come to you.”

3 . أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الطَّالَقَانِيُّ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِلْمَنْصُورِ: لَقَدْ حَيَّرَتْنِي آيَةٌ فِي الْقُرْآنِ! قَالَ: وَمَا هِيَ؟ قُلْتُ: قَوْلُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿فَمِنْكُمْ كَافِرٌ وَمِنْكُمْ مُؤْمِنٌ[1]، فَأَيْنَ الضَّالُّ الَّذِي لَيْسَ بِكَافِرٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنٍ؟! قَالَ: يَا أَحْمَدُ! إِنَّ النَّاسَ كَانُوا أُمَّتَيْنِ مَا دَامَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: أُمَّةً كَافِرَةً وَأُمَّةً مُؤْمِنَةً، فَلَمَّا تُوُفِّيَ أَصْبَحُوا ثَلَاثَ أُمَمٍ: أُمَّةً كَافِرَةً وَأُمَّةً ضَالَّةً وَأُمَّةً مُؤْمِنَةً، وَلَا يَزَالُونَ كَذَلِكَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَهُمُ الْمَهْدِيُّ، فَإِذَا أَتَاهُمُ الْمَهْدِيُّ أَصْبَحُوا أُمَّتَيْنِ كَمَا كَانُوا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: أُمَّةً كَافِرَةً وَأُمَّةً مُؤْمِنَةً، قُلْتُ: لِمَ ذَلِكَ؟ قَالَ: لِأَنَّهُ يَأْتِيهِمْ بِآيَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ كَمَا أَتَاهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَمَنْ صَدَّقَهُ فَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ وَمَنْ كَذَّبَهُ فَهُوَ كَافِرٌ، قُلْتُ: جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ، فَرَّجْتَ عَنِّي فَرَّجَ اللَّهُ عَنْكَ!

Translation of the saying:

Ahmad ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Talaqani informed us, he said: I said to Mansoor: “A verse in the Quran has bewildered me!” He said: “What is it?” I said: “The words of Allah Almighty: ‘Some of you are disbelievers and some of you are believers.’ Then where are the misguided who are neither disbelievers nor believers?!” He said: “O Ahmad! People were two groups as long as the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, was among them: a disbelieving group and a believing group. When he passed away, they became three groups: a disbelieving group, a misguided group, and a believing group, and they will remain so until the Mahdi comes to them. So when the Mahdi comes to them, they will become two groups as they were with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family: a disbelieving group and a believing group.” I said: “For what?” He said: “Because he will come to them with a sign from Allah as the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, came to them (with a sign from Allah). So whoever believes in him will be a believer and whoever denies him will be a disbeliever.” I said: “May I be sacrificed for you, you relieved me. May Allah relieve you!”

Explanation of the saying:

It is understood from these invaluable words of wisdom that whoever denies the Mahdi before his advent is not a disbeliever; because he has not denied a sign from Allah but a report that has reached him from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, while believing that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, has not said it, although he is in manifest error because it has been widely transmitted from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, but whoever denies the Mahdi after his advent, he is a disbeliever; because when the Mahdi appears, clear signs will appear with him, such as a call from the heaven to his name, and there is no doubt that whoever denies a clear sign, he is a disbeliever; as Allah Almighty has said: ﴿وَمَا يَجْحَدُ بِآيَاتِنَا إِلَّا الْكَافِرُونَ[2]; “And no one denies Our signs except for disbelievers.” Also, it is understood that people in the time of the Mahdi will return to the state they were in the time of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, and they were two groups at that time: a group that knew Allah’s Caliph on the earth and acknowledged the obligation of obeying him, so they were believers, and a group that did not know Allah’s Caliph on the earth, nor did they acknowledge the obligation of obeying him, so they were disbelievers. There was no Muslim at that time who did not know Allah’s Caliph on the earth or acknowledge the obligation of obeying him so that he would be considered misguided without being considered a disbeliever. This was a new state that appeared after the passing of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, when people differed regarding the Caliphate, and many of them deviated from Allah’s Caliph on the earth, despite their being Muslims, and it is not hidden that the intended meaning of “faith” here is the correct belief, regardless of the manner of deeds; because in the time of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, there were Muslims who committed fornication, theft, and drinking alcohol and were not considered believers in terms of action. However, they accepted the guardianship of Allah and His Messenger, so Allah had them join the believers due to the correctness of their belief; as it has been narrated that a man from the Ansar persisted in drinking, so he was repeatedly brought to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, and each time he punished him. When this became frequent, a man from the people said: “May Allah curse him! How often he drinks, and how often he is punished!” So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, said: «لَا تَلْعَنْهُ، فَإِنَّهُ يُحِبُّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ»[3]; “Do not curse him, for he loves Allah and His Messenger,” and it has been narrated that a man asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, about the Hour (i.e., the Day of Judgment). So he said to him: «مَا أَعْدَدْتَ لَهَا؟»; “What have you prepared for it?” The man said: “I have not prepared many deeds, neither prayer nor fasting, except that I love Allah and His Messenger.” So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, said to him: «أَنْتَ مَعَ مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ»; “You will be with people whom you love,” or he said: «الْمَرْءُ مَعَ مَنْ أَحَبَّ»[4]; “The human being will be with people whom he loves,” and it has been narrated that there was a man who had intense love for the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family. When he did not see him for several days, he asked about him. So they said: “O Messenger of Allah! He passed away. He was trustworthy and truthful with us, except that he had a peculiar flaw.” He said: «وَمَا هِيَ؟»; “What was it?” They said: “He used to follow women.” So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, said: «رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ كَانَ يُحِبُّنِي حُبًّا لَوْ كَانَ نَخَّاسًا لَغَفَرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ»[5]; “May Allah have mercy on him. By Allah, he loved me so much that even if he were a slave trader, Allah would have forgiven him!” These all serve as evidence that whoever knows Allah’s Caliph on the earth and sincerely considers guardianship to be for him is counted among the believers, even if he is a sinner in his deeds. Therefore, if the sinners among Muslims are not misguided in terms of belief, they will join the believers, even though they do not belong with them, and it has been narrated that they are granted the opportunity for repentance before their death; as Abu al-Faraj al-Asbahani has narrated with his chain of narrators from Abbad ibn Suhayb that he said: «كُنْتُ عِنْدَ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، فَأَتَاهُ نَعْيُ السَّيِّدِ -يَعْنِي الْحِمْيَرِيَّ-، فَدَعَا لَهُ وَتَرَحَّمَ عَلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ: يَابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ، تَدْعُو لَهُ وَهُوَ يَشْرَبُ الْخَمْرَ وَيُؤْمِنُ بِالرَّجْعَةِ؟! فَقَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ جَدِّي، أَنَّ مُحِبِّي آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ لَا يَمُوتُونَ إِلَّا تَائِبِينَ وَقَدْ تَابَ، وَرَفَعَ مُصَلًّى كَانَتْ تَحْتَهُ، فَأَخْرَجَ كِتَابًا مِنَ السَّيِّدِ يُعَرِّفُهُ فِيهِ أَنَّهُ قَدْ تَابَ وَيَسْأَلُهُ الدُّعَاءَ لَهُ»[6]; “I was with Ja‘far ibn Muhammad when news of the death of Sayyid al-Himyari reached him. So he prayed for him and asked Allah to have mercy on him. A man then said: ‘O son of the Messenger of Allah! You pray for him while he used to drink alcohol and believed in raj‘ah?!’ So he said: ‘My father narrated to me from my grandfather that those who (sincerely) love the family of Muhammad do not die except in a state of repentance, and he too repented.’ He then lifted the prayer mat he was sitting on and took out a letter from al-Himyari in which he informed him of his repentance and asked him to pray for him,” and Allah knows best. Also, it is not unlikely that the intended meaning of “people” here is the majority of them; because in the time of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, the majority of people were either disbelievers or believers, although there was a small group among them that were neither disbelievers nor believers; such as the sinners among the Sahabah and the Bedouins who said, “We believed,” while faith had not yet entered their hearts. So when the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, passed away, the majority of people became either disbelievers, misguided, or believers, and the believers became the minority after being the majority, and they will remain so until the Mahdi comes to them. So when he comes to them, the majority of people will once again become either disbelievers or believers, and the believers will become the majority after being the minority, and no misguided Muslim will remain among them, although there may be sinners among them.

↑[1] . At-Taghabun/ 2
↑[2] . Al-Ankabut/ 47
↑[3] . Maghazi al-Waqidi, vol. 2, p. 665; Musannaf of Abd al-Razzaq, vol. 7, p. 380, vol. 9, p. 245; al-Tabaqat al-Kubra by ibn Sa‘d, vol. 3, p. 493; Sahih of al-Bukhari, vol. 8, p. 158; Musnad of al-Bazzar, vol. 1, p. 393; Musnad of Abi Ya‘la, vol. 1, p. 161; Ma‘rifah al-Sahabah by Abu Nu‘aym al-Asbahani, vol. 3, p. 1626; al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi, vol. 8, p. 542, vol. 9, p. 176; al-Isti‘ab Fi Ma‘rifah al-Ashab by ibn Abd al-Barr, vol. 4, p. 529
↑[4] . Al-Jami‘ by Ma‘mar ibn Rashid, vol. 11, p. 199; Ahadith Isma‘il ibn Ja‘far, p. 192; Musnad of Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, vol. 1, p. 8; Hadith Sufyan ibn Uyaynah (narrated by al-Marwazi), vol. 1, p. 45; Musnad of Abi Dawud al-Tayalisi, vol. 3, p. 594; Musnad of al-Humaydi, 2, p. 305; Musnad ibn al-Ja‘d, p. 463; Musannaf of ibn Abi Shaybah, vol. 7, p. 503; Musnad of Ahmad, vol. 20, p. 135, vol. 21, p. 254; al-Muntakhab Min Musnad of Abd ibn Humayd, vol. 2, p. 282; Sahih of al-Bukhari, vol. 8, p. 39; Sahih of Muslim, vol. 4, p. 2032; Sunan of al-Tirmidhi, vol. 4, p. 173; Musnad of al-Bazzar, vol. 5, p. 161, vol. 14, p. 107; Musnad of Abi Ya‘la, vol. 6, p. 313; Hadith Shu‘bah ibn al-Hajjaj by ibn al-Muzaffar, p. 54; Mu‘jam ibn al-Muqri’, p. 350; Sunan of al-Daraqutni, vol. 1, p. 240; al-Iman by ibn Mandah, vol. 1, p. 437
↑[5] . Al-Kafi by al-Kulayni, vol. 8, p. 78
↑[6] . Al-Aghani by Abu al-Faraj al-Asbahani, vol. 7, p. 201