1 . أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ السَّلَامِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْقَيُّومِ، قَالَ: دَخَلْتُ عَلَى الْمَنْصُورِ الْهَاشِمِيِّ الْخُرَاسَانِيِّ وَهُوَ فِي مَسْجِدٍ، فَسَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ: أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ! إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْمَهْدِيَّ وَلِيًّا، فَاتَّخِذُوهُ وَلِيًّا، وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوا مِنْ دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ، قَلِيلًا مَا تَذَكَّرُونَ! فَقَامَ رَجُلٌ أَحْوَلُ مِنْ بَيْنِ النَّاسِ فَقَالَ: وَهَلْ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ الْمَهْدِيَّ؟! قَالَ: نَعَمْ، وَإِنَّهُ لَيَأْكُلُ الطَّعَامَ وَيَمْشِي فِي الْأَسْوَاقِ! قَالَ الرَّجُلُ: وَهَلْ رَأَيْتَهُ أَنْتَ بِعَيْنَيْكَ؟! فَسَكَتَ الْمَنْصُورُ وَلَمْ يُجِبْهُ حَتَّى سَأَلَهُ الرَّجُلُ ثَلَاثًا، فَقَالَ: مَا كُنْتُ لِأَدْعُوَكُمْ إِلَى مَنْ لَمْ أَرَهُ! قَالَ الرَّجُلُ: فَلِمَ لَا يَخْرُجُ إِلَيْنَا لِنَتَّبِعَهُ؟! قَالَ: يَخَافُ! قَالَ الرَّجُلُ: مِمَّ؟! قَالَ: مِنَ الْقَتْلِ -وَأَشَارَ إِلَى حَلْقِهِ! قَالَ الرَّجُلُ: فَمَا لَكَ لَمْ تَخَفْ كَمَا خَافَ صَاحِبُكَ، فَخَرَجْتَ إِلَيْنَا؟! قَالَ: لِأَنِّي لَا أُبَالِي بِالْقَتْلِ إِنْ قُتِلْتُ وَهُوَ حَيٌّ، وَلَكِنَّهُ لَا خَيْرَ فِي الْحَيَاةِ بَعْدَهُ! قَالَ الرَّجُلُ: فَتَعَالَ نَقْتُلُكَ الْآنَ إِنْ لَمْ تُبَالِ بِالْقَتْلِ! فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ رِجَالٌ مِنْ أَنْصَارِ الْمَنْصُورِ كَانُوا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ لِيَأْخُذُوهُ، فَأَشَارَ إِلَيْهِمُ الْمَنْصُورُ أَنِ اجْلِسُوا فَجَلَسُوا، ثُمَّ قَالَ لِلرَّجُلِ: بِأَيِّ ذَنْبٍ تُرِيدُ أَنْ تَقْتُلَنِي أَيُّهَا الرَّجُلُ؟! قَالَ: لِكِذْبِكَ! قَالَ الْمَنْصُورُ: وَمَا كِذْبِي؟! قَالَ: قَوْلُكَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَ الْمَهْدِيَّ وَهُوَ يَأْكُلُ الطَّعَامَ وَيَمْشِي فِي الْأَسْوَاقِ! قَالَ الْمَنْصُورُ: أَهَذَا كِذْبٌ؟! قَالَ: نَعَمْ، وَقَوْلُكَ أَنَّكَ رَأَيْتَهُ بِعَيْنَيْكَ فَتَدْعُو إِلَيْهِ! قَالَ الْمَنْصُورُ: أَهَذَا كِذْبٌ؟! قَالَ: نَعَمْ، وَقَوْلُكَ أَنَّهُ لَا يَخْرُجُ إِلَيْنَا لِخَوْفِهِ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ! قَالَ الْمَنْصُورُ: أَهَذَا كِذْبٌ؟! قَالَ: نَعَمْ! فَقَالَ الْمَنْصُورُ: اجْلِسْ أَيُّهَا الرَّجُلُ! فَإِنَّكَ كَذَّبْتَ ثَلَاثًا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِوَاحِدٍ مِنْهَا عِلْمًا، فَوَاللَّهِ لَنْ تُفْلِحَ بَعْدَ هَذَا أَبَدًا! قَالَ عَبْدُ السَّلَامِ: فَبَلَغَنَا أَنَّ الرَّجُلَ ذَهَبَ مَالُهُ وَوَلَدُهُ، وَأَصَابَهُ دَاءٌ لَا دَوَاءَ لَهُ، حَتَّى تَرَكَ الصَّلَاةَ ثُمَّ قَتَلَ نَفْسَهُ!
Translation of the saying:
Abd al-Salam ibn Abd al-Qayyum informed us, he said: I came to Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani while he was in a mosque, then I heard him say: “O people! Indeed, Allah has appointed the Mahdi as your guardian, so take him as guardian, and do not take guardians other than him, little you heed to advice!” At this time, a squint-eyed man stood up from among the people and said: “Has Allah created the Mahdi?!” He said: “Yes, and indeed, he eats and walks in the markets!” The man said: “Have you seen him with your own eyes?!” Then Mansoor fell silent and did not answer him until the man repeated his question three times, so he said: “I do not invite you toward someone I have not seen!” The man said: “Then why does he not come out toward us so that we may follow him?!” He said: “He is afraid!” The man said: “Of what?!” He said: “Of being killed” -and he pointed at his throat! The man said: “Then why were you not afraid like your friend and came out toward us?!” He said: “Because I am not afraid of being killed if I am killed while he is alive, but there is no good in being alive after him!” The man said: “Then come and let us kill you if you are not afraid of being killed!” Then some of Mansoor’s helpers who were in the mosque stood up toward the man to catch him, but Mansoor beckoned them to sit down, so they sat down. Then he said to the man: “For what sin do you want to kill me, O man?!” He said: “Because of your lie!” Mansoor said: “What is my lie?!” He said: “Your word that Allah has created the Mahdi and he eats and walks in the markets!” Mansoor said: “Is this a lie?!” He said: “Yes, and your word that you have seen him with your own eyes, so you invite toward him!” Mansoor said: “Is this a lie?!” He said: “Yes, and your word that he does not come out toward us because he is afraid of being killed!” Mansoor said: “Is this a lie?!” He said: “Yes!” Then Mansoor said: “Sit down, O man! Because you denied three things, none of which you have knowledge about. So I swear to Allah, you will not gain salvation after this!” Abd al-Salam said: “Then we were informed that the man lost all his belongings and children and suffered a disease which had no cure until he abandoned prayer and then committed suicide!”
Explanation of the saying:
His Eminence’s saying explicitly indicates that he is upon clear proof of the existence of the Mahdi 
at present, although he is hidden from people, in the sense of being unknown to them due to being afraid of them for his life, and this is rationally and religiously possible, but rather very likely considering the domination of oppression and cruelty over the world, so there is no reason to deny it, and whoever denies it without knowledge is a fool who has no intellect, in addition to the fact that he despairs of Allah’s mercy, and one who has no intellect and despairs of Allah’s mercy will never gain salvation, just as the squint-eyed man did not gain salvation after he denied what he had no knowledge about. It is clear that the ignorant one has no proof against the knowledgeable one, and Mansoor 
is knowledgeable about the existence of the Mahdi and he has not relied solely on telling about seeing him, although he is trustworthy in that due to his dignity and piety, but rather he has established rational and religious proof for his existence, which we have explained in Q&A 6, so refer to it.
2 . أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الطَّالَقَانِيُّ، قَالَ: كُنْتُ بِبَابِ الْمَنْصُورِ أَنْتَظِرُهُ، فَسَمِعْتُهُ يُكَلِّمُ رِجَالًا فِي الْبَيْتِ فَيَقُولُ لَهُمْ: إِنَّ الْمَهْدِيَّ يَخْشَى أَنْ لَا يُطَاعَ، وَلَوْ أَنَّهُ ثَبَتَتْ لَهُ قَدَمَاهُ لَأَقَامَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَالْحَقَّ كُلَّهُ! أَمَا وَاللَّهِ لَا خَيْرَ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَخَلِيفَتِهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ، وَأَمَّا مَا سِوَاهُمَا فَلَا! قَالَ: فَخَطَرَ بِبَالِي كَيْفَ يَتَجَرَّأُ أَنْ يَقُولَ هَذَا وَالْمَهْدِيُّ غَائِبٌ؟! فَمَا لَبِثَ أَنْ خَرَجَ إِلَيَّ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَقَالَ: يَا أَحْمَدُ! كَانَ الْمَهْدِيُّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِالنَّاسِ مُنْذُ غَابَ عَنْهُمْ! كَانَ الْمَهْدِيُّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِالنَّاسِ مُنْذُ غَابَ عَنْهُمْ! كَانَ الْمَهْدِيُّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِالنَّاسِ مُنْذُ غَابَ عَنْهُمْ! -ثَلَاثًا.
Translation of the saying:
Ahmad ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Talaqani informed us, he said: I was at Mansoor’s door waiting for him. Then I heard him talk to some men in the house and say: “Indeed, the Mahdi is afraid of not being obeyed, and if his feet become firm for him, he will indeed establish the Book of Allah and the truth perfectly! Behold, I swear to Allah, there is no good but in the Book of Allah and His Caliph on Earth. As for anything other than the two, then no!” (Ahmad) said: “Then it crossed my mind, how does he dare to say this while the Mahdi is absent?!” Then it did not take long before he came out of the house to me and said: “O Ahmad! The Mahdi has been the most deserving of (ruling over) people since he has hidden from them! The Mahdi has been the most deserving of (ruling over) people since he has hidden from them! The Mahdi has been the most deserving of (ruling over) people since he has hidden from them!” -Three times.
3 . أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ حَبِيبٍ الطَّبَرِيُّ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ يَقُولُ: الْمَهْدِيُّ سَبِيلٌ مَنْ سَلَكَ غَيْرَهُ هَلَكَ، وَذَلِكَ مِنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَأَنَّ هَذَا صِرَاطِي مُسْتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ ۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمْ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ ۚ ذَلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُمْ بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ﴾[1].
Translation of the saying:
Abdullah ibn Habib al-Tabari informed us, he said: I heard Mansoor say: “The Mahdi is a path that whoever steps in other than it perishes, and this is the words of Allah Almighty that said: “And indeed, this is My path that is straight. So follow it, and do not follow other paths, for they scatter you away from His path. This is what He enjoins upon you so that you may become pious.”
4 . أَخْبَرَنَا ذَاكِرُ بْنُ مَعْرُوفٍ الْخُرَاسَانِيُّ، قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿لَا تَجْعَلْ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ فَتَقْعُدَ مَذْمُومًا مَخْذُولًا﴾[2]، قَالَ: لَا تَجْعَلْ مَعَ الْمَهْدِيِّ إِمَامًا آخَرَ فَتَقْعُدَ مَذْمُومًا مَخْذُولًا! فَرَءَانِي أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ: هَذَا مِنْ تَأْوِيلِهِ، قُلْتُ: وَمَا تَأْوِيلُهُ؟ قَالَ: مِصْدَاقُهُ.
Translation of the saying:
Zakir ibn Ma‘roof al-Khorasani informed us, he said: I asked Mansoor about the words of Allah Almighty that has said: “Do not set up another god with Allah or you will sit condemned, forsaken.” He said: “Do not set up another imam with the Mahdi or you will sit condemned, forsaken!” Then, when he saw me looking at him (in surprise), he said: “This is from its true interpretation!” I said: “What is (the intended meaning of) its true interpretation?” He said: “Its example.”
Explanation of the saying:
This is because taking any imam other than the Imam whom Allah has appointed for people conflicts with Allah’s Oneness in sovereignty and returns to polytheism. This is an extremely important point that has been explained in detail in the invaluable book Return to Islam[3].
5 . أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْهَرَوِيُّ، قَالَ: كُنْتُ عِنْدَ الْمَنْصُورِ أَقْرَأُ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ، فَلَمَّا بَلَغْتُ قَوْلَهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ﴾[4]، قَالَ: أَتَعْلَمُ مَنْ يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ؟ قُلْتُ: اللَّهُ وَوَلِيُّهُ أَعْلَمُ، قَالَ: مَنْ نَصَبَ دُونَ الْمَهْدِيِّ شَيْئًا فَهُوَ يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ! قُلْتُ: أَمَا أَنْتَ مَهْدِيٌّ، جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ؟! قَالَ: أَنَا مَهْدِيٌّ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَخَلِيفَتِهِ، وَلَكِنَّ الْمَهْدِيَّ مَهْدِيُّ آلِ الْبَيْتِ.
Translation of the saying:
Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Harawi informed us, he said: In the presence of Mansoor, I was reciting the Book of Allah until I reached His words that says: “And among people is he who worships Allah on a verge,” he said: Do you know who worships Allah on a verge? I said: Allah and His guardian know better, he said: One who appoints something other than Mahdi, he worships Allah on a verge! I said: Are you not a Mahdi (meaning one who is guided), may I be sacrificed for you?! He said: I am a Mahdi toward Allah and His Caliph, but Mahdi is Mahdi of the Ahl al-Bayt.
6 . أَخْبَرَنَا وَلِيدُ بْنُ مَحْمُودٍ السِّجِسْتَانِيُّ، قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ أُولَئِكَ لَهُمُ الْأَمْنُ وَهُمْ مُهْتَدُونَ﴾[5]، قَالَ: الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِوِلَايَةِ الْمَهْدِيِّ وَلَمْ يَخْلِطُوهَا بِوِلَايَةِ فُلَانٍ وَفُلَانٍ.
Translation of the saying:
Walid ibn Mahmoud al-Sajistani informed us, he said: I asked Mansoor about the words of Allah Almighty that says: “Those who believed and did not obscure their belief with oppression, there shall be security for them, and they are the guided,” he said: those who believed in the guardianship of Mahdi and did not mix it with the guardianship of such and such.
7 . أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْبَلْخِيُّ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ الْعَالِمَ يَقُولُ: مَنْ أَشْرَكَ مَعَ إِمَامٍ إِمَامَتُهُ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ مَنْ لَيْسَتْ إِمَامَتُهُ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ، فَكَأَنَّمَا خَرَّ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَتَخْطَفُهُ الطَّيْرُ أَوْ تَهْوِي بِهِ الرِّيحُ فِي مَكَانٍ سَحِيقٍ! قُلْتُ: جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ، إِنَّهُمْ يَتَشَبَّثُونَ بِالْغَيْبَةِ! قَالَ: وَهَلْ يَتَشَبَّثُ بِهَا إِلَّا كُلُّ سَارِقٍ؟! مَا لَهُمْ -قَطَعَ اللَّهُ أَيْدِيَهُمْ- يُكْرِهُونَهُ عَلَيْهَا ثُمَّ يَتَشَبَّثُونَ بِهَا! لَا وَاللَّهِ بَلْ أَشْرَكُوا! لَا وَاللَّهِ بَلْ أَشْرَكُوا!
Translation of the saying:
Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Balkhi informed us, he said: I heard the scholar say: Whoever associates an Imam who is not appointed by Allah with an Imam who is appointed By Allah, it is as if he has fallen from the sky and a bird has snatched him or the wind has blown him away to a far-off place! I said: may I be sacrificed for you, they use his absence as a pretext! He said: Is it not that every thief uses it as a pretext?! What is wrong with them, may Allah cut their hands off, that they force him to it themselves, and then use it as a pretext?! No, I swear to Allah, rather they became polytheists! No, I swear to Allah, rather they became polytheists!
Explanation of the saying:
By “every thief uses it as a pretext”, His Eminence means that every thief, in the absence of the owner, tries to steal his belongings, and this is a similarity between the action of this group in the absence of Mahdi and the action of a thief in the absence of the owner.
8 . أَخْبَرَنَا هَاشِمُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ الْخُجَنْدِيُّ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ يَقُولُ: أُمِرَ النَّاسُ بِمَعْرِفَةِ الْمَهْدِيِّ وَالرَّدِّ إِلَيْهِ وَالتَّسْلِيمِ لَهُ، فَإِنْ صَلُّوا وَصَامُوا وَجَعَلُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ أَنْ لَا يَرُدُّوا إِلَى الْمَهْدِيِّ كَمَا أُمِرُوا، كَانُوا بِذَلِكَ مُشْرِكِينَ! ثُمَّ سَكَتَ حَتَّى قُمْتُ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ، فَنَادَانِي: يَا هَاشِمُ! لَقَدْ حَقَّ الْقَوْلُ أَنَّهُ مَنْ سَمِعَ مَقَالَتِي هَذِهِ فَلَمْ يُجِبْهَا أَكَبَّهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى مِنْخَرَيْهِ فِي النَّارِ، كَائِنًا مَنْ كَانَ!
Translation of the saying:
Hashim ibn Ubayd al-Khojandi informed us, he said: I heard Mansoor say: people have been commanded to know Mahdi and refer to him and submit to him, so if they perform the prayer and fast, but do not set the basis on referring to Mahdi, they become polytheists by this! Then he fell silent until I stood up to leave, then he called to me: O Hashim! Indeed, this saying is true that whoever hears these words of mine but does not respond to it, Allah will throw him into fire with his nose, whoever he is!
