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Chapter 9: Incidents Of Persons Lost In The Wild Etc. And Saved By A Holy Personality, Regarding Whom It Is Not Confirmed That He Was Imam al-’Asr

As our well-known scholars - may Allah be pleased with them - have done the same thing and we have Also, followed them and it is apparent that they knew that the pleas of the grief-stricken and answering the call of the one in trouble and the occurrence of that clear miracle act cannot be through anyone other than Imam Az-Zaman (‘aj) himself.

As Fadhlullah Rawandi has written in the book of Ad-Dawat and in Bihar Al-Anwar, it is narrated from the book of Majmua Ad-Dawat of Talakbari and in Kalimah at-Tayyibah Qabas Misbah has narrated from Abu al-Wafa Shirazi that he said:

“I was a captive in the hands of Ibn Ilyas in Kerman. He had fettered me in chains, so that I should be aware that he had decided to impale me (after executing me). Thus, I made Imam Zayn al-’Abidin Ali Ibn Husayn (‘a) as my medium to approach Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, to save me.

I went to sleep and saw the Messenger of Allah (S) in dream saying: In any problem of the world, do not take the medium of me, my daughter and my sons (son), but you may take our mediation for the hereafter and whatever you want from the rewards of the Almighty Allah. However, my brother Abu al-Hasan would take revenge for you from whoever that oppresses you.

I respectfully said: O Messenger of Allah (S); but is it not a fact that injustice was done to Fatimah and he observed patience and was Also, patient on those who had oppressed her? Then how could he take revenge from one, who is unjust to me?

He replied: It was the covenant I had made with him and it was my order, so he had to obey it as her right will be restored; but at present he takes up the cause of those of his followers, who are oppressed. So, woe be on one, who opposes his word.

Seeking the mediation of the Holy Imams (‘a) for the needs of the world and the hereafter

As for Ali Ibn Husayn, he is for saving from the clutches of rulers, kings and rebellious satans.

As for Muhammad Ibn Ali and Ja’far Ibn Muhammad, he is for the Hereafter.

As for Musa Ibn Ja’far; pray to him for health and well-being.

As for Ali Ibn Musa, pray through him for safety in journeys by the sea or land.

As for Muhammad Ibn Ali, ask Almighty Allah for sustenance through his mediation.

As for Ali Ibn Muhammad, he is for the recommended acts and doing good to the believing brothers.

As for Hasan Ibn Ali, he is for the Hereafter.

As for Hazrat Hujjat, when the sword reaches your throat - at this point His Eminence (S) pointed to this throat - pray fervently to him and take refuge with him as he comes to help one, who calls him and he is a refuge for those who seek his refuge.

Thus, I said: O my master, O my Master of the Time, I take refuge with you. Suddenly I saw a person come down from the sky mounted on a horse1 holding an iron (or bright) weapon. I pleaded: Master, protect me from one, who is torturing me.

He said: I prayed to Allah that I may be allowed to defend you and Allah, the Mighty and Sublime accepted my prayer.

In the morning, Ibn Ilyas summoned me and removed the chains. He gave me a robe and asked: “Through whose mediation did you pray?” I replied: “I sought the refuge of one, who is the refuge-giver for the oppressed.”

Supplication For Seeking The Mediation Of Imam Az-Zaman (‘A) During Afflictions

The author says: In Bihar2, a lengthy supplication is quoted from Majmuad Daawaat for seeking the mediation of each of the Holy Imams (‘a) for this purpose in the same manner and in Qabas al-Misbah, also, a short supplication is mentioned from the same channel and the second Du’a Tawassul is as follows:

للهم إني أسألك بحق وليك وحجتك صاحب الزمان إلا أعنتني به على جميع أموري وكفيتني به مؤذ كل موذ، وطاغ، وباغ، وأعنتني به فقد بلغ مجهودي وكفيتني كل عدو، وهم، وغم ودين وولدي وجميع أهلي، وإخواني، ومن يعنيني أمره، وخاصتي آمين رب العالمين

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. O Allah, I implore You in the name of Your intimate servant and Argument (against Your creatures), the Patron of the Age, peace be upon him, to help me in all of my affairs, save me against the evil of all the harmful, the tyrannical and the oppressors, save me, in his name, for I have exerted all my efforts, protect me, in his name, against all enemies, all grief, sorrows and debts, on behalf of me, my sons, all my people, my friends, all those to whom I concern, and those to whom I pay special attention. Respond to me, O Lord of the worlds.3

Its apparent implication is the Messenger of Allah (S) and not restricting mediation with Imam al-’Asr (‘aj) in that place that he should fall into the clutches of the enemy who are determined to eliminate him; on the contrary it is an allusion to reaching the limits of severity and cutting off all hopes and there not remaining any scope for patient; whether it be due to worldly or religious sorrows; whether it is due to evil of a human or a jinn as is concluded from this supplication.

So as the duty of the distressed and helpless is not to seek the refuge from His Eminence, it would be the divine function of the Holy Imam (‘a) to come to the rescue of those in distress. And if due to excess of distress the distressed one is not pacified from seeking the refuge of His Eminence in the language of the discussion and effective supplication would suffice to make one worthy to seek refuge from His Eminence, request in the language of the present and capacity of having the position of Tawalla and admission of Wilayat and Imamate and relying only on the Almighty Allah and spread of divine favours in that divine existence in the darkness of occultation.

So, it is concluded that the lost ones in the previous incidents, especially those during journeys of divine obedience, since they were in Hajj and Ziyarah, and none saved them, except the Refuge of the time.

Meaning Of Ghaus As A Special Title Of Imam al-’Asr (‘A)

Another evidence of this is that Ghaus is among the titles of His Eminence as mentioned in reliable Ziyarahs and its meaning is giver of refuge and the true meaning of this title is that this is not an abstract name and it will not be realized till its owner does not have the power of hearing it. That anyone anywhere in any language on the occasion of seeking refuge hears it.

On the contrary, one, who has the knowledge, which encompass the lost people that through seeking of refuge and mediation, he should become aware of it as is mentioned in his statement that he wrote to Shaykh Al-Mufid and clarified; and having of the capacity if he regards it as good in the present condition or saves him and wards off the calamity and this position is not having preference, except for one, who is having the position of Imamate and who has reached the post of Wilayat.

Also, supporting it is the statement, which among the urban Arabs and the rural gypsies is publicized for that holy being as Abu Salih and in their seeking of mediations and pleas, do not call His Eminence, except through this name and the well-known poets have repeatedly mentioned this title in panegyrics and pleas have mentioned this same agnomen.

What is derived from Ahl al-Sunna reports is not found by us, except the report, which Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Khalid Barqi has narrated in the book of Mahaasin from Abu Baseer from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) that he said:

Whenever you are lost, then call: O Aba Salih! Guide us to the (right) path, may Allah have mercy on you.

Ubaid Ibn Husayn Zarandi, the narrator of the report from Ali Ibn Hamza said: When this calamity struck us, we commanded one of our companions, to go away and call out. So he went away and called out. Then he came back to us and informed us that he heard a faint voice, which said: The way is to the right or he said: left.

So we found the way as was mentioned.4

The doubt whether it is ‘O Salih’ or it is ‘O Aba Salih’ and there is Also, doubt, whether it was to the right or the left; is from the narrator who is uncertain as Sayyid Ali Ibn Tawus mentioned in the book of Aman al-Aqtar5, after narrating the report from Mahaasin, he has clarified and Shaykh Barqi has mentioned in this book from his father, Muhammad Ibn Khalid Barqi that he was on a journey in the company of some people and they lost the way.

He said: So, we did this and the way was indicated to a companion of mine; that is he went aside and recited that supplication. He heard a faint voice saying: It is to the right. So, he informed me and did not inform those people.

They said: Take a right turn.

So, we set out in the right direction6. And perhaps they understood that Salih or Aba Salih is the name or Kuniyyat of Imam al-’Asr (‘aj).

As was mentioned in Chapter Two some regard the first of it to be a name of the Imam and consider the second to be the agnomen of the Imam; and it is known from incident 69 that this matter was established among the Shi’a that when one was lost one called the Imam with this name and due to weakness of certainty of the narrator or the people in the gathering he has not mentioned the implication and the names of the Prophet and Amir Al-Mu’minin (‘a) according to the levels of the heavens and the earth, and the throne and Paradise and the tablet and the pen and all the lofty places and the lower levels of Hell and the layers of the earth and other worlds and species of creatures above as well as below are different and numerous and are mentioned and written at every place; and he will be known and called by all the people as such.

Thus, many of them are recorded in their places and it is allowed that all the Imams (‘a) are having all these excellences or some of them share it. It is concluded that showing the way in wilderness and assisting the lost persons the title of ‘Aba Salih’ is the same as Ghause Aazam, Wali al-’Asr, Sahib az-Zaman (‘a).

And if some doubt that with attention to the statements of the confidants of the Messenger of Allah (S) like Salman and other special companions of Ali (‘a), like Mitham, Owais, Jabir Ju’fi and their like; and the excellence of some of them from the pious persons and scholars can be regarded as excellence of theirs; this is Also, possible as mentioned or that Salih is the name of a jinn, who roams the deserts to show way to the lost and to catch the fleeing Animal as narrated in Al-Khisal7 from Amir Al-Mu’minin (‘a) so, we reply with this possibility, Also, proves the objective. Whether the real objective may be to prove the existence of His Eminence; and his being present among the people and receiving of benefits from his existence and it is known that he saves his Shi’a, except those who are opposed to religion as most of them regard their life and property as lawful.

On the contrary, some Shafeis say: If one makes a bequest to give his property to the most ignorant of the people; it should be given to those who are waiting for al-Mahdi.

It should not be that such miracle should be revealed from him, except one, who is perfect in faith and is disciplined in acts and is cleansed in deeds and morals; then he would enter with attention to the previous chapter and has seen His Eminence or seen one, who has seen the Imam and this does not imply anything else.

Qualities Of The Awtad, Abdaal, Nujaba, Sulha And Qutb Of The Imam

Shaykh Ibrahim Kafami has mentioned in the gloss on Jannah al-Waqiya8 regarding Du’a Umm Dawood, till he said:

اللهم صل على الابدال والاوتاد السياح والعباد والمخلصين والزهاد واهل الجد والاجتهاد

O Allah, bless the Abdaal, Awtad, Sayyah and Ibaad, from the sincere and pious and the people of struggle and endurance…and so on.

It is said that: The world is never devoid of the pivot and the four pegs and forty Abdal and seventy Najeeb and 360 Salih. Thus, the pivot is al-Mahdi (‘aj) and the pegs are never less than four.

As the world is like a tent and al-Mahdi (‘aj) is like pillar and these four persons are the pegs of that tent and sometimes it so happens that the pegs are more than four and the Abdaal are more than forty and Nujaba more than seventy and Sulha more than 360.

It is apparent that Khizr and Ilyas are from the Awtad, thus, they are related to the circle of Qutb.

And as for the qualities of Awtad: Thus, they are a people, who are never heedless of their Lord ever for a blink of the eye and do not gather from the world anything, except their daily sustenance and do not commit any sins, but there is no condition for being secure from forgetfulness and mistakes.

As for Abdaal: They are lower than them in being protected from errors and sometimes they are prone to forgetfulness. But they make up for their weakness and never commit any sin intentionally.

As for the Nujaba: They are lower in status to the Abdaal.

As for the Sulha: They are persons of abstinence, who are imbued with the quality of justice and sometimes they commit a sin. But they make up for it through repentance.

The Almighty Allah said:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا إِذَا مَسَّهُمْ طَائِفٌ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ تَذَكَّرُوا فَإِذَا هُمْ مُبْصِرُونَ

“Surely those who guard (against evil), when a visitation from the Shaitan afflicts them they become mindful, then lo! they see” (7:201).

So, Shaykh Kafami said: The Almighty Allah has made us from the last category as we are not from the Awliya, but we obey Almighty Allah in being devoted to his beloveds and being to those who are devoted to them.

It is mentioned that when one of the four Awtad is no more, he is replaced from those forty Abdaal. And when one of those forty passes away, he is replaced by one of the seventy persons. And when one of the seventy is no more, he is replaced by one from the 360. And when one of the 360 is no more he is replaced by a person from general public. End of Shaykh’s statement.

So far we have not found any report with this sequence, this Shaykh was the leader of his time in being well informed and he was in possession of a large number of books of the ancient scholars, which are not found today.

Though, till it is not seen in a reliable place, it will not be included in such a noble book and in books of Sunni Sufis there is a writing resembling it; but there is no mention of Imam al-’Asr (‘aj) in it and nor their statements have any basis. And Allah knows best.

  • 1. The text of the report says Shahri and it is a Tartary horse. [Author]
  • 2. Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 99, pp. 251-252.
  • 3. Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 91, p. 35.
  • 4. Al-Mahasin, vol. 2, p. 362; and also, Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 60, p. 82; and also, a report of same matter from Imam Sajjad (‘a); Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 97, p. 112.
  • 5. Al-Amano min Aqtaril Ansar, p. 121.
  • 6. Al-Mahasin, vol. 2, p. 362; Also, Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 60, p. 72.
  • 7. Al-Khisal, p. 618.
  • 8. Jannat al-Waqiyah, pp. 534-535.