Misplaced Pages

#457542

195-536: Hasan al-Askari , the eleventh Imam, died in 260 AH (873–874 CE), possibly poisoned by the Abbasids . Immediately after his death, his main representative, Uthman ibn Sa'id , claimed that the eleventh Imam had an infant son named Muhammad, who was kept hidden from the public out of fear of Abbasid persecution. Uthman also claimed to represent Muhammad, who had entered a state of occultation. Other local representatives of al-Askari largely supported these assertions, while

390-414: A Shia from the wider mass of Muslims: "There are five signs of a believer: fifty-one cycles of prayer [every day], the pilgrimage to Husayn's tomb forty days after the anniversary of his death, the wearing of a ring on the right hand, the placing of the forehead on the earth in prostration, and the audible recitation of the basmala ( lit.   ' in the name of God ' ) [during daily prayers]." In

585-474: A captured granddaughter of the Byzantine emperor and a pious woman who was told in a dream about her future union with Hasan, though these accounts have been described as hagiographic. Some other accounts describe Narjis as Nubian . After the death of al-Hadi in 868, the majority of his followers acknowledged his son, Hasan al-Askari, as their next Imam. Shia sources report that al-Hadi designated Hasan as

780-535: A comprehensive collection of Shia hadiths by the prominent Twelver scholar al-Kulayni ( d.  941 ). The Islamicist Wilferd Madelung suggests that the letter is authentic, while Wardrop views the reverential and conciliatory tone of the letter as an indication that the caliph was cautious not to provoke an Alid rebellion in Medina, even though there is no evidence that al-Hadi actually intended to revolt. The Muslim academic Jassim M. Hussain suggests that al-Hadi

975-519: A descendant of the early caliph Umar ( r.  634–644 ), named as Abd Allah ibn Umar al-Bazyar. The caliph also dismissed officials suspected of Shia sympathies, including the governor of Saymara and Sirawan in the province of Jibal . As the governor of the holy cities in the Hejaz, al-Mutawakkil appointed Umar ibn Faraj, who prevented Alids from answering religious inquiries or accepting gifts, thus pushing them into poverty. The caliph also created

1170-618: A distant relative of al-Hadi, the question was about the significance of fasting on the birthdate of the Islamic prophet, the day he received his divine message, the day on which the earth was flattened, and the day of the Ghadir Khumm . In this vein, Ali al-Hadi showed a companion a vision of heaven, according to al-Irshad . On one occasion, Bihar describes that the soldiers tasked with killing al-Hadi did not dare to harm him because of "his awe-inspiring presence," seeing around him

1365-548: A few years later. Some instead followed Ja'far , another son of al-Hadi, who became known as Ja'far al-Kadhab ( lit.   ' Ja'far, the liar ' ) in the Twelver sources. After the death of Ja'far, however, this branch was eventually absorbed within the mainstream Twelver Shia. The tombs of al-Hadi and his successor al-Askari are located in the al-Askari shrine in Samarra, modern-day Iraq . A sacred site for Shia pilgrims,

1560-587: A garrison town not far from Baghdad which was the capital of the Abbasids at the time. As a great-grandson of Ali al-Rida , the eighth of the Twelve Imams , Hasan was also known by his contemporaries as Ibn al-Rida ( lit.  'son of al-Rida'). Most Shia sources state that Hasan ibn Ali was born in Rabi' al-Awwal 230 AH (November 844), though other given dates range from 845 to 847. The Shia currently celebrate 8 Rabi' al-Thani as his birthday. Hasan

1755-490: A house arrest of al-Hadi under Sa'id al-Hajib, who was allegedly ordered to kill the Imam. In his report, a visitor finds al-Hadi seated next to an open grave in his house but is reassured by him that he would not be harmed because al-Mutawakkil would die shortly. Ithbat reports that the prayer of al-Hadi in the palace was once interrupted by a member of the court who accused him of hypocrisy. In an official banquet to which he

1950-421: A hundred raised swords. In the presence of al-Mutawakkil, al-Hadi debunked the claim of a woman who pretended to be Zaynab , daughter of Ali ibn Abi Talib. He reputedly did so by descending into the caliph's den of lions to prove that they do not harm true descendants of Ali ibn Abi Talib. This the woman refused to imitate. It is also said that al-Hadi brought to life a picture of a lion on a carpet, which then ate

2145-540: A hundred years except the Twelver Shia. Some of them held that the imamate ceased with al-Askari and the Waqifiyya maintained that he would later emerge as the eschatological Mahdi . Others concluded that Muhammad ibn al-Hadi , a deceased brother of al-Askari, must have been the true Imam. Yet others accepted the imamate of Ja'far ibn al-Hadi , another brother of al-Askari, who had earlier unsuccessfully claimed

SECTION 10

#1732766283458

2340-426: A hundred years except the group that went on to become the Twelver Shia. When al-Askari died without leaving an obvious heir, the traditions and predictions attributed to earlier Imams were largely the basis for the existence of the son of al-Askari as the twelfth Imam; see Twelver doctrine of occultation . As for the details of his birth, Twelver sources report that the son of al-Askari was born around 255 (868). He

2535-414: A juggler who had attempted to humiliate the Imam with his tricks by order of al-Mutawakkil. Another tradition states that he turned a handful of sand into gold for the poor. When he set out for Samarra, despite clear skies, al-Hadi prepared for heavy rain which indeed materialized within a few hours to the amazement of his escort. When asked about it, however, al-Hadi rejected any miraculous interpretation of

2730-536: A large number of students from Iraq, Persia , and Egypt , where the House of Muhammad traditionally found the most support. An account by Ibrahim ibn Mahziyar al-Ahwazi describes a visit to Ali al-Hadi in 228 AH (842-3) to deliver some goods, accompanied by his brother Ali. The two brothers were both trusted associates of al-Jawad. According to the Islamicist Shona F. Wardrop, this may be an indication of

2925-598: A network of representatives, notably Uthman ibn Sa'id . Tabatabai and Sachedina write that al-Askari was not allowed any social contact with the general Shia population. Tabatabai also suggests that these restrictions were placed on al-Askari because the caliphate had come to know about the traditions, circulating among the Shia elite, which predicted that the eleventh Imam would father the eschatological Mahdi . Small groups of ghulat ( lit.   ' exaggerators ' ), mostly formed earlier, continued their activities in

3120-525: A new army, known as Shakiriyya , which recruited from anti-Alid areas, such as Syria , al-Jazira ( Upper Mesopotamia ), the Jibal, the Hejaz, and from the Abna , a pro-Abbasid ethnic group. He implemented these policies with the help of his officials, particularly Ahmad ibn al-Khasib al-Jarjara'i ( d.  879 ) and al-Fath ibn Khaqan ( d.  861 ). It was during the caliphate of al-Mutawakkil that

3315-412: A prisoner in this period. In particular, he could rarely meet with ordinary Shias, as suggested by the scarcity of such reports in the early sources. For instance, Bihar describes a group of eager visitors for al-Hadi, who nevertheless had no idea what their imam looked like. The reports about this period depict a persecuted al-Hadi, who suffered frequent attempts by al-Mutawakkil and others at

3510-460: A report in Bihar al-anwar , a seventeenth-century collection of Shia hadiths by the prominent Twelver scholar Mohammad-Baqer Majlesi ( d.  1698 ). Ithbat reports that Umar ibn al-Faraj al-Rukhaji, an Abbasid official known for his hostility to Shias, visited Medina soon after the death of al-Jawad and placed Ali under the care of a non-Shia tutor, named Abu Abd-Allah al-Junaydi. This

3705-457: A servant in the court of al-Wathiq, named Khayran al-Khadim, whom Ali al-Hadi inquires about the caliph's health. Khayran tells him that al-Wathiq is dying, adding that the general view is that he would be succeeded by his son. Ali, however, correctly predicts the accession of the caliph's brother Ja'far al-Mutawakkil ( r.  847–861 ). Partly due to renewed Zaydite Shia opposition, al-Mutawakkil persecuted Mu'tazilites and Shias, to

3900-513: A servant of al-Jawad. At any rate, Abu al-Khayrani then wrote to a few notable Imamite figures with the news of this designation, with instructions to open the letters if he died. The oral designation was also overheard by Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, a reputable Imamite from Qom , who happened to be there to inquire about the health of al-Jawad. When al-Jawad died, Ahmad met with Muhammad ibn al-Faraj al-Rukhaji and ten other unnamed Imamite figures and listened to Abu al-Khayrani. Of these, Muhammad

4095-445: A state of occultation for the fear of persecution. This is said to have happened in the family home in Samarra, where currently a mosque stands, under which there is a cellar ( sardab ) that hides a well (Bi'r al-Ghayba, lit.   ' well of the occultation ' ), into which al-Mahdi is said to have disappeared. Immediately after the death of al-Askari, his main representative ( wakil ), Uthman al-Amri , claimed to be

SECTION 20

#1732766283458

4290-604: A tip by al-Batha'i, an Alid supporter of the caliph. The search did not turn any evidence of subversive activities and the money seized was later returned to al-Hadi. After the search, a relieved al-Mutawakkil invited al-Hadi to drink wine with him late at night. The latter refused and instead recited some poetry, the moral theme of which moved the caliph to tears. Accounts of futile searches appear also in Muruj by al-Mas'udi and in Wafayat al-a'yan by Ibn Khallikan. Shortly before

4485-622: A transition in Twelver arguments from a traditionist to a rationalist approach in order to vindicate the occultation of al-Mahdi. Abu Sahl Isma'il ibn Ali al-Nawbakhti ( d.  923 ), for instance, argued that the absence of an Imam does not invalidate his religion or law, as with the absence of a prophet. Concerns about inauthentic hadiths, voiced by Tusi ( d.  995 ) and others, might have given another impetus to this transition. Starting with ibn Babawayh ( d.  991 ) and his student al-Shaykh al-Mufid ( d.  1022 ), Shia scholars began to employ theological arguments modeled on

4680-487: Is a prophetic hadith, reported by Shia and Sunni authorities, including the canonical Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal . One version of this hadith reads, "If the earth had only one day of existence left to it, God would prolong that day until a man of my posterity, whose name will be my name, and his surname my surname, manifests himself; he will fill the earth, filled till then with violence and oppression, with harmony and justice." Another prophetic hadith, in circulation long before

4875-463: Is also a tradition attributed to Muhammad al-Baqir ( d.  732 ), the fifth of the Twelve Imams, to the effect that none of them would escape an unjust death after attaining fame, except their last, whose birth would be concealed from the public. A similar tradition is ascribed to al-Rida, the eighth of the Twelve Imams, this time in response to a follower who had expressed his hope to see

5070-529: Is also credited in Twelver sources with predicting the death of al-Mutawakkil, who had either imprisoned or humiliated al-Hadi. The variations of this account appear in the Twelver sources Bihar , al-Khara'ij , Ithbat , and Uyun al-mu'jizat . His precognition is also highlighted in another account, appearing in Bihar for instance, according to which al-Hadi already knew the religious question of his visitors. Narrated by Ishaq ibn Abd-Allah al-Alawi,

5265-534: Is argued, have attained their end of time. For instance, publishers close to the Lebanese Shia militant organization Hezbollah have published the accounts of some Hezbollah fighters who believed they were directly assisted by al-Mahdi in critical moments on the battlefields of the 2006 Lebanon War . The Twelver doctrine of occultation crystallized in the first half of the fourth (tenth) century. In its simplest form, this doctrine states that Muhammad al-Mahdi,

5460-417: Is believed that al-Mahdi occasionally appears to the pious in person or more commonly in dreams and visions. The accounts of these encounters are popular among the Shia. The Shia literature about the doctrine of occultation is extensive, based both on rational and textual arguments. One such instance is a famous hadith attributed to the prophet by both Shia and Sunni authorities. This hadith states that, "If

5655-401: Is commonly known by the title al-Askari ( lit.   ' military ' ) on account of his almost life-long detention in the garrison town of Samarra, after moving there with his father as a child. Imamite sources report that al-Hadi designated Hasan as his successor a month before his death in 868. This appointment came after the death of his eldest son Muhammad , whom some expected to be

5850-664: Is considered reliable and unexaggerated by most Shias. In connection to these reports, the Islamicist Matthew Pierce draws parallels with the Hebrew Psalms , Christian gospels , and the Quran , particularly the Quranic verse 3:46 about Jesus , "He will speak to people in the cradle." Ali al-Hadi emerged from isolation with the accession of the less hostile caliph al-Wathiq in 842, who had earlier led

6045-685: Is considered the founder of the Nusayris , a now-extinct Ghali sect of Shia. The Ghulat ( lit.   ' exaggerators ' ) believed in the divinity of the Shia Imams. Those who accepted the imamate of Ja'far, the youngest son of al-Hadi, are known as Ja'farites. Its members arrived at this claim in different ways. One faction turned to Ja'far after the death of his brother Hasan al-Askari in 874, who did not leave an obvious heir. Another subgroup of Ja'farites believed that al-Askari himself had designated Ja'far as his successor. Notable among them

Muhammad al-Mahdi - Misplaced Pages Continue

6240-475: Is humankind's readiness for the intellectual and spiritual message of the Hidden Imam. Without these conditions, he argues that al-Mahdi might be killed similar to his predecessors. Similarly, when asked about the reason for the occultation, Muhammad al-Baqir is reported to have answered, "To prevent his being killed." Shia traditions add two more reasons for the occultation, namely, test for the followers of

6435-416: Is known by many titles, including al-Mahdi ( lit.   ' the rightly guided ' ), al-Qa'im ( lit.   ' he who will rise ' ), al-Montazar ( lit.   ' the awaited ' ), Saheb al-Zaman ( lit.   ' lord of the age ' ), al-Gha'ib ( lit.   ' the hidden ' ), al-Hojja/Hojjat Allah ( lit.   ' the proof [of God] ' ), Sahib al-Amr ( lit.   ' lord of

6630-549: Is named variously in different sources as Yahya ibn Harthama, Yahya ibn Hubayra, or Attab ibn Abi Attab. The account of al-Mas'udi adds that this escort searched the residence of al-Hadi in Medina, without finding any evidence of subversion. He also calmed the public disorder by ensuring the locals that al-Hadi would not be harmed. A similar report is given by the Sunni historian Ibn Khallikan ( d.  1282 ). When al-Hadi approached Baghdad, people gathered to see him and he

6825-415: Is often to invoke the intervention of God through prayer, for he viewed the "invocation of oppressed against the oppressor" more powerful than "cavalry, weapons, or spirits," in a tradition attributed to him in Bihar . To showcase what she describes as the detachment of al-Hadi from "the trivial anxieties of al-dunya [the material world]," Wardrop mentions the account of an occasion when his house

7020-522: Is regarded as the eleventh of the Twelve Imams , succeeding his father, Ali al-Hadi . Hasan Al-Askari was born in Medina in 844 and brought with his father to the garrison town of Samarra in 848, where the Abbasid caliphs held them under close surveillance until their deaths, even though neither were politically active. After the death of al-Hadi in 868, the majority of his following acknowledged his son, al-Askari, as their next Imam. Al-Askari's contact with

7215-490: Is reported that the communications with the Hidden Imam resumed after a lapse of about twenty-five years. This period, later termed the Minor Occultation ( al-ghaybat al-sughra ), ended after about seventy years with the death of the fourth agent, Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri ( d.  940-41 ), who is said to have received a letter from al-Mahdi shortly before his death. The letter predicted

7410-460: Is reported to have kept the eleventh Imam under house arrest without any visitors. Instead, al-Askari is known to have mainly communicated with his followers through a network of representatives. Among them was Uthman ibn Sa'id al-Asadi , who is said to have disguised himself as a seller of cooking fat to avoid the Abbasid agents, hence his nickname al-Samman. Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai suggests that these restrictions were placed on al-Askari because

7605-462: The Ghulat , or exaggerators. Extremists or exaggerators would focus & indulge in different concepts resulting in themes that would be integrated into Twelver Shiism. Hodgson states “nor is there anything more extreme in expecting a man to return whom others regard as dead – assome of the early Ghulat did – than in the expectation of the so-called moderate Sh’ia that a man will return whom others doubt

7800-558: The Minor Occultation , ended after about seventy years with the death of the fourth agent, Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri ( d.  940–941 ). He is said to have received the final letter of Muhammad al-Mahdi shortly before his death. The letter predicted the death of Abu al-Hasan in six days and announced the beginning of the complete occultation, later called the Major Occultation , which continues to this day. The letter, ascribed to Muhammad al-Mahdi, added that

7995-403: The Quran is attributed to al-Askari. Al-Askari died without leaving an obvious heir, which created widespread confusion and fragmented the Shia community into several sects, all of which disappeared within a few decades except the Twelver Shia. The Twelvers hold that al-Askari had a son, commonly known as Muhammad al-Mahdi ( lit.   ' the rightly guided ' ), who was kept hidden from

Muhammad al-Mahdi - Misplaced Pages Continue

8190-407: The Quran to vindicate the imamate of al-Mahdi. In this period, possibly after 295 (908), Shia traditionists also settled the number of Imams with the help of a Sunni hadith , in circulation long before the occultation, which stated that the prophet would be followed by twelve successors. The Hidden Imam was thus also the last Imam. The Major Occultation, a term coined later, began with the death of

8385-609: The Russo-Iranian war of 1804–1813, the eminent clerics of Najaf and Isfahan issued a declaration of jihad against the Russians to support the Qajarite Abbas Mirza , who was conducting the campaign. Later on, however, jurists often had to compete with the Shia monarchs for religious authority. In sum, the politically quiescent approach of the Twelver jurists over time gave way to eventually questioning

8580-599: The Sawad . These were replaced by new representatives, including Hasan ibn Rashid and Ayyub ibn Nuh . The policies of al-Mutawakkil also pushed many Alids in the Hejaz and Egypt into destitution. The caliph is said to have punished those who traded with the Alids, thus isolating them financially. The village of Fadak , which had previously been returned to the Alids by al-Ma'mun, was now confiscated by al-Mutawakkil and awarded to

8775-543: The Twelve Imams . More generally, in Twelver collections of hadith, the reappearance of al-Mahdi is the most frequently cited subject in predictions made by the prophet, his daughter, Fatimah , and the Twelve Imams. Al-Mahdi is viewed by the Twelvers as a hidden saint in view of verses 18:65–66 of the Quran and the two types of saints in those verses, namely, outwardly manifest, such as Moses, and hidden, like Khidr . As with

8970-559: The Waqifites to argue that Musa al-Kazim , the seventh Imam, had not died but was in occultation. Even earlier, the now-extinct Kaysanites denied the death of Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya and awaited his return. The political situation of the Shia in Iraq improved after the rise of the Buyid dynasty in the fourth (tenth) century. Perhaps it was the relative safety of the Shia that prompted

9165-466: The Abbasid caliphate, as the imperial authority rapidly transitioned into the hands of the Turks, particularly after al-Mutawakkil (March 822 – 11 December 861 CE). Contemporary to the tenth Imam, Caliph al-Mutawakkil violently prosecuted the Shia, partly due to the renewed Zaydi opposition. The restrictive policies of al-Mutawakkil towards the tenth Imam were later adopted by his son, al-Mu'tamid , who

9360-634: The Abbasid capital Baghdad in 835, leaving Ali behind in Medina. Muhammad al-Jawad died in Baghdad in the same year, at the age of about twenty-five. During this short window, Shia sources accuse al-Mu'tasim of multiple attempts to discredit al-Jawad and finally murdering him by poison, while Sunni sources are silent about the cause of his death. Ali al-Hadi was about seven years old when his father died. Among others, multiple Shia accounts in Ithbat and Dala'il al-im'ama show Ali supernaturally alert

9555-505: The Abbasid threat to his life. As the special representative of al-Askari, Uthman also claimed that he had been appointed to represent the son of the eleventh Imam. A Shia tradition attributed to the sixth Imam, Ja'far al-Sadiq , states that this threat was specific to Muhammad al-Mahdi, who was expected to rise, unlike his predecessors who practiced religious dissimulation ( taqiya ) and were politically quiescent. Twelver sources detail that al-Mahdi made his only public appearance to lead

9750-563: The Alid martyrs in his biographical Maqatil al-Talibiyyin . Among modern authors, Tabatabai holds that al-Hadi was poisoned at the instigation of al-Mu'tazz, while Hussain links the murder of al-Hadi to the Abbasids discovering his connections to the ongoing Shia revolts. In contrast, Momen says that the "real power" was in the hands of the Turkish generals by the time al-Hadi died and that

9945-470: The Alids and allowed them to visit the tomb of Husayn. Still, under al-Musta'in, his governor of Egypt arrested the Alid leader Ibn Abi Hudra, and deported him and his supporters to Iraq in 862, according to the Sunni historian Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Kindi ( d.  961 ). Also in Egypt, a follower of al-Hadi by the name of Muhammad ibn Hajar was killed and the estate of another follower, Saif ibn al-Layth,

SECTION 50

#1732766283458

10140-606: The Bab ( lit.   ' gate ' ) to the hidden al-Mahdi. This was likely not a radical change for the Shia. Indeed, the tenth and eleventh Imams were also effectively in occultation for the majority of the Shia, as both Imams were held nearly isolated and under close surveillance by the Abbasid caliphs in Samarra. Uthman received petitions and made available their responses, sometimes in writing. According to Daftary, these responses were in Uthman's handwriting, whereas Hussain holds that

10335-432: The Hidden Imam left a considerable gap in the Shia community. This leadership vacuum was eventually filled by Twelver jurists ( fuqaha ), who remain the sole leaders of the Shia community during the Major Occultation . Often cited to support this transition is a letter received by Ishaq ibn Ya'qub in response to his religious inquiries of the second agent. The letter, said to be written by al-Mahdi, stipulated that As for

10530-408: The Imam and their faith, and avoiding the burden of commitment ( bay'a ) to unjust rulers of the time. It is also held that the true reason for the occultation will be only known when the Imam reappears as in the story of Musa and Khidr, where the motivation of Khidr for his actions was not immediately revealed to Musa. In response to Sunni criticism and even ridicule, Shia scholars have argued that

10725-579: The Imam could not be childless, as they argued. Among them, the now-extinct Muhammadites contended that Muhammad ibn Ali al-Hadi must have been the rightful eleventh Imam, even though he had predeceased his father. For them, Muhammad was the Mahdi, the messianic figure in Islam to (re)appear at the end of times to eradicate injustice and evil. Probably related to this group was Ibn Nusayr , who considered Ali al-Hadi to be divine and claimed to be his prophet. He

10920-464: The Imam had an infant son, named Muhammad, who was kept hidden from the public out of fear of Abbasid persecution. As the closest associate of al-Askari, this assertion by Uthman was largely supported by other representatives of al-Askari. Those who accepted the imamate of this Muhammad later formed the Twelvers. Some others held that the imamate ceased with al-Askari and the Waqifites maintained that

11115-447: The Imam in power because "people have paid allegiance to" al-Rida and "coins have been struck" in his name. The funeral prayer is said to have been led by al-Muwaffaq ( d.  891 ), a brother of the caliph. A large number of mourners, however, forced the family to bring the body of al-Hadi back to the house, where he was then buried. The house was later expanded to a major shrine by various Shia and Sunni patrons. More recently,

11310-476: The Imam's share of Khums (a type of Islamic alms) on activities that furthered the cause of Shia, as opposed to his predecessors, such as al-Shaykh al-Mufid ( d.  1022 ), who often asked the faithful to save these donations for the rise of al-Mahdi. Considering that jurists were not directly appointed by the Hidden Imam, it was debated whether their authority should extend to functions with political implications, such as declaring holy war ( jihad ). It

11505-460: The Imams' discretionary authority as religious and temporal Shia leaders, which in this case countered the redirection of Zakat (another Islamic alms) "to sustain the oppressors [the caliphs] and to secure their affluent lifestyle," according to the Shia jurist Hussein-Ali Montazeri ( d.  2009 ). One example is the response of al-Hadi to a letter from his new agent Hasan ibn Rashid, in which

11700-630: The Islamic alms distributed among the descendants of the prophet, who were forbidden from receiving general alms in the prophet's lifetime. In his lifetime, a main source of assistance for the poor in his clan, the Banu Hashim , was the income of agricultural lands in Fadak . Historically, Abu Bakr , the first Rashidun caliph, discontinued the prophet's policies and, in particular, reappropriated Fadak as public property, forcing Banu Hashim to rely on general alms, possibly to undermine their claims to

11895-572: The Kufan rebel leader Yahya ibn Umar ( d.  864 ) was praised by Abu Hashim al-Ja'fari, an agent of al-Hadi. Later under al-Mu'tazz, the Abbasids discovered connections between some rebels in Tabaristan and Rayy and certain Imamite figures close to al-Hadi, who were thus arrested in Baghdad and deported to Samarra. These included Muhammad ibn Ali al-Attar, Abu Hashim al-Ja'fari, and apparently

SECTION 60

#1732766283458

12090-458: The Mu'tazilite kalam . Of these, the principle of al-lutf ( lit.   ' kindness ' ) is an example which, at a high level, necessitates that a prophet or an Imam should exist at any time to guide towards God, as the manifestation of His utmost kindness towards His subjects. Other Twelver arguments aim to establish that the Hidden Imam benefits the humankind even in occultation, "just as

12285-507: The Shia Mohammad-Baqer Majlesi ( d.  1699 ), especially because it contradicts the Twelver belief that the earth cannot be void of Imam at any time, as the hujjat Allah ( lit.   ' proof of God ' ) on the earth. Majlesi also suggests that death might be meant figuratively in this hadith, referring to the forgotten memory of al-Qa'im after his long occultation. Abdulaziz Sachedina notes that

12480-465: The Shia accounts of his occasional encounters with the pious are numerous and popular. Hasan ibn Ali is known by the titles al-Samet ( lit.   ' the quiet ' ), al-Hadi ( lit.   ' the guide ' ), and al-Zaki ( lit.   ' the pure ' ), though his most common title is al-Askari ( lit.   ' military ' )، on the account of his almost life-long detention in Samarra ,

12675-510: The Shia community fragmented into several sects over al-Askari's succession. All these sects, however, are said to have disappeared after a few decades except the Twelvers, who accept the son of al-Askari as the twelfth and final Imam in occultation. Uthman was followed by three more agents, collectively known as the Four Deputies , who were regarded by the Twelver community as representatives of Muhammad al-Mahdi. This period, later termed

12870-407: The Shia community had to be convinced that Ali was directly appointed by his father. A small group initially followed Musa as their imam but soon returned to Ali al-Hadi after Musa dissociated himself from them. Bernheimer considers the imamate of al-Hadi as a turning point for Shia: the direct leadership of the Shia community by the Imams effectively ended by al-Hadi's summons to Samarra, where he

13065-399: The Shia community lacked a notable figure to replace the fourth agent after his death. The authority of the four agents on behalf of the Hidden Imam was challenged by some Shia figures, more so during the term of the third agent, al-Nawbakhti. For instance, Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Ali al-Shalmaghani turned against al-Nawbakhti and claimed to be the rightful agent of al-Mahdi, before denouncing

13260-467: The Shia population was restricted by the caliphs and instead he communicated with his followers through a network of representatives. He died in Samarra in 873–874 at the age of about twenty-eight and was buried in the family home next to his father, which later developed into al-Askari shrine , a major center for Shia pilgrimage. Shia sources commonly hold the Abbasids responsible for the death of al-Askari and his father. A well-known early Shia commentary of

13455-408: The Shia that had already predicted the two periods of occultation. These hadiths were previously cited, for instance, by the Waqifites in reference to the two arrests of Musa al-Kazim , the seventh Imam. Nevertheless, the prolonged absence of the Hidden Imam seems to have created widespread doubts among his followers. As both the spiritual and political head of the Shia community, the occultation of

13650-429: The absence of the Hidden Imam continued, however, the Twelver jurists evolved from mere transmitters ( ruwat ) of hadith to mujtahidun in order to resolve new religious questions that arose over time. Their authority also increased with time to address the need to explicate religious teachings for the community. For instance, as early as the seventh (thirteenth) century, Muhaqqiq al-Hilli ( d.  1277 ) spent

13845-491: The accession of Hasan. He was, however, unknown to many Imamites, as suggested by Ithbat , and the representatives of al-Hadi must have played an important role in consolidating the imamate of Hasan. Still, some considered al-Hadi to be the last Imam and Hasan is said to have written to Imamite figures across the Abbasid empire to dispel their doubts about his imamate. When Hasan al-Askari died without an obvious heir in 874, some of his followers rejected his imamate, because

14040-420: The account of Khidr in the Quran, it is held that the Hidden Imam benefits the Islamic community ( umma ) during the occultation, as the sun behind clouds still gives light and warmth. Muhammad al-Baqir , the fifth Imam, is said to have related verse 21:105 of the Quran to the rise of al-Mahdi: "And verily We have written in the scripture ( Zabur ), after the reminder, [that] My righteous slaves will inherit

14235-633: The age of about forty and during the caliphate of al-Mu'tazz. Other reported dates fall in Jumada al-Thani and Rajab 254 AH (June–July 868). In particular, 3 Rajab is annually commemorated by Shias for this occasion. Most Shia authors record that he was poisoned by the Abbasids. The exceptions are al-Mufid, who is silent about the cause of death of al-Hadi, the Shia-leaning historian al-Ya'qubi ( d.  897-8 ), who writes that he died mysteriously, and al-Isfahani, who does not list al-Hadi among

14430-541: The arrested agents died under torture while others were imprisoned. Among the trusted agents of al-Hadi were Ali ibn Mahziar Ahwazi , Uthman ibn Sa'id al-Asadi , Ahmad ibn Ishaq al-Ash'ari , Ali ibn Bil'al , Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Hamadani , Ali ibn Ja'far , Ayyub ibn Nuh , Hasan ibn Rashid , and Muhammad ibn al-Faraj al-Rukhaji . Because of the underground nature of this network, there were also probably some who falsely claimed to represent al-Hadi. In particular, Faris ibn Hatim ibn Mahawayh al-Qazvini

14625-473: The assassination of al-Mutawakkil in 861, through the short reign of al-Muntasir ( r.  861–862 ), followed by four years of al-Musta'in ( r.  862–866 ), and until his death in 868 during the caliphate of al-Mu'tazz ( r.  866–869 ). In particular, al-Muntasir and al-Musta'in somewhat relaxed the anti-Alid policies of al-Mutawakkil, and al-Hadi thus lived more freely in those years. For instance, al-Muntasir apparently returned Fadak to

14820-442: The caliph intended to closely monitor al-Askari from within his residence. After the death of al-Askari, there are reports that his residence was searched and the women were examined for pregnancy, possibly in the hope of finding his heir. A female servant of al-Askari was held for a while, perhaps due to false rumors of her pregnancy designed to distract the Abbasids in their search. Al-Askari left his estate to his mother, Hadith, to

15015-563: The caliph. When al-Hadi learned about the allegations, he too wrote to al-Mutawakkil and defended himself. The caliph responded respectfully but also requested that he with his family relocate to the new Abbasid capital of Samarra, a garrison town where the Turkish guards were stationed, north of Baghdad. This letter also announced the dismissal of Abd Allah from his post in Medina, and is recorded in Kitab al-Irshad and Kitab al-Kafi ,

15210-570: The caliphate and cut their privileges as the prophet's kins. This policy was partially reversed by his successor, Umar , and then by the Umayyad Umar II , though later caliphs again appended Fadak to the state treasury. At the age of about twenty-eight, al-Askari died on 1 or 8 Rabi' al-Awwal 260 AH (25 December 873 or 1 January 874) after a week-long illness. The Shia currently commemorate 8 Rabi' al-Awwal for this occasion. Shia sources commonly attribute his death to poisoning at

15405-443: The caliphate had come to know about traditions among the Shia elite, predicting that the eleventh Imam would father the eschatological Mahdi . Hasan al-Askari died in 260 (873–874) without an obvious heir. The death of the eleventh Imam divided his followers into several sects and created widespread confusion ( hayra ), particularly in Iraq. Immediately after the death of al-Askari, his main agent, Uthman ibn Sa'id , claimed that

15600-440: The cause ' ), Sahib al-Haqq ( lit.   ' lord of the truth ' ), Baqiyat Allah ( lit.   ' the remnant of God ' ). The title al-Qa'im signifies the rise against tyranny, though a wahid ( lit.   ' alone ' ) hadith from the sixth Shia Imam, Ja'far al-Sadiq , connects this title to the rise of al-Qa'im after his death. As a wahid hadith, this report is not viewed as reliable by experts, writes

15795-424: The complete occultation would continue until God granted him permission to manifest himself again in a time when the earth would be filled with tyranny. The Twelver theory of occultation crystallized in the first half of the fourth century AH (tenth century CE) based on rational and textual arguments. This theory, for instance, sets forth that the life of Muhammad al-Mahdi has been miraculously prolonged, arguing that

15990-564: The complex was rebuilt in 1868–9 at the request of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar ( r.  1848–1896 ), ruler of Persia and a Twelver, and the golden dome was added in 1905. In addition to al-Hadi, the shrine also houses the tombs of his son, Hasan al-Askari , and his sister, Hakima Khatun . As an important destination for Shia pilgrimage, the shrine was bombed in February 2006 and badly damaged. Another attack on 13 June 2007 destroyed

16185-407: The concept of occultation as a lie. Another instance was a disciple of al-Askari, named al-Karkhi, who was later condemned in a rescript, said to be written by al-Mahdi. Some miracles are also ascribed to the four agents, perceived by the faithful to be the result of their initiation by the Hidden Imam. At the time, the occultation of al-Mahdi was likely not a radical change for his followers. Indeed,

16380-401: The context of Shia responsibilities in the absence of Imams, a hadith ascribed to al-Askari is given by Mavani. The hadith states that, "It is obligatory for the populace to follow the jurist who refrains from committing wrong, mentions his faith, opposes carnal desire, and obeys Allah’s command." Haider quotes a hadith, attributed to al-Askari, about the specific characteristics that distinguish

16575-504: The context of intercession ( shafa'a ), al-Askari is reported to have said that only a small fraction of God's mercy ( rahma ) has been dispersed among His creation in this world. All of God's mercy will be diffused on the Day of Judgement by means of which true Muslims will successfully intercede on behalf of their communities. Ali al-Hadi ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Hādī ( Arabic : عَلي إبن مُحَمَّد الهادي ‎; 828 – 868 CE )

16770-454: The correct account is given by al-Mufid , who writes that Narjis was a slave girl born and raised in the house of Hakima Khatun , daughter of Muhammad al-Jawad (the ninth Imam) and paternal aunt of al-Askari. The death of al-Askari in 260 (873–874) followed a brief illness, during which the Abbasid al-Mu'tamid sent his doctors and servants to attend the Imam. Considering that al-Askari did not have an obvious heir, it has been suggested that

16965-482: The court to belittle and dishonor him. More seriously, there is some evidence that al-Mutawakkil at least once attempted to kill al-Hadi during this period. Tabatabai and the Muslim academic Abdulaziz Sachedina go further, writing that the caliph on multiple occasions was intent on killing al-Hadi and had his house searched. Sachedina believes that fear of public unrest prevented al-Mutawakkil from killing al-Hadi, who

17160-460: The crowd to laughter. Bihar reports that al-Mutawakkil temporarily forbade his staff from serving al-Hadi, advised by a relative nicknamed Harisa, who warned the caliph that this was boosting the political image of al-Hadi among people. This Twelver report has a miraculous ending with the caliph abandoning his policy after an unexpected breeze blew the curtains open for al-Hadi instead of the guards. Ali al-Hadi continued to live in Samarra after

17355-420: The death of Abu al-Hasan in six days and announced the beginning of the complete ( tamma ) occultation, later called the Major Occultation ( al-ghaybat al-kubra ). The letter, ascribed to al-Mahdi, added that the complete occultation would continue until God granted him permission to manifest himself again in a time when the earth would be filled with tyranny. The letter emphasized that anyone claiming to be

17550-467: The death of al-Jawad in 835, most of his followers acknowledged his son Ali as the next Imam. As with his father, Ali al-Hadi was still a minor when he succeeded to the imamate at the age of about seven. Thanks to the precedent of al-Jawad, however, the imamate of Ali was widely accepted without much demur, even though in both cases the inner circle of their predecessors must have played a visible role in consolidating their imamate. The only account about

17745-423: The deputy of the Imam henceforth had to be considered an imposter. This and similar letters to the four agents and other Shia figures are said to have had the same handwriting, suggesting that they were written by the Hidden Imam. The number of these agents was not limited to four in early Shia sources. Sachedina suggests that the later stress of the Twelver literature on the Four Deputies ( al-nuwwab al-arba' )

17940-433: The direct leadership of the Shia community by the Imams. A theological treatise on free will and some other short texts are ascribed to al-Hadi. Some miracles are also attributed to al-Hadi in Twelver sources, which often emphasize his precognition about various incidents. After his death, the majority of his followers accepted the imamate of his son Hasan al-Askari , who was also detained in Samarra until his unexplained death

18135-530: The donations of Shias. Sachedina views this freedom of movement as an indication that al-Hadi did not pose a serious threat, while Wardrop suggests that the passive spiritual excellence of the Shia Imams was probably considered a more serious threat than an armed rebellion which could be easily crushed. That al-Hadi remained in contact with his followers is also the opinion of the Islamicists Farhad Daftary , Sachedina, and Hussain, but

18330-500: The earth cannot be void of the Imam as the highest proof of God. In the absence of the Hidden Imam, the leadership vacuum in the Twelver community was gradually filled by faqīh "jurists". It is popularly held that the Hidden Imam occasionally appears to the pious. The accounts of these encounters are numerous and widespread among the Twelvers. Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Askari, the eschatological savior in Twelver Islam,

18525-446: The earth had only one day of existence left to it, God would prolong that day until a man of my posterity, whose name will be my name, and his surname my surname, manifests himself; he will fill the earth, filled till then with violence and oppression, with harmony and justice." A well-known early Shia commentary of the Quran is attributed to al-Askari, which is believed to be authentic by some Shia authorities, notably, al-Mufid . In

18720-549: The earth." As another instance, Shaykh Tusi ( d.  1067 ) connects verses 28:5–6 to the rule of al-Mahdi in the end of time. In particular, verse 28:5 reads, "And We desired to show favor unto those who were oppressed in the earth, and to make them Imams and to make them the inheritors." While the Abbasid threat might have initially forced al-Mahdi into occultation, his absence continues in Twelver belief until initial conditions are met for his reappearance to establish justice and peace on earth. One such condition, Sobhani writes,

18915-462: The eleventh Imam would later reemerge as the eschatological Mahdi . Others concluded that Muhammad ibn Ali al-Hadi , a deceased brother of al-Askari, must have been the true Imam. Yet others accepted the imamate of Ja'far al-Zaki , another brother of al-Askari. Some believed that the twelfth Imam would be born in the end of time to a descendant of al-Askari, and some left the Shia community. All these sects, however, are said to have disappeared within

19110-410: The encounters of the prominent religious scholars ( ulama ) with the Hidden Imam. The descriptions of these contacts often show the concern of the Hidden Imam for the well-being of his followers and how such encounters may prompt the believer's "spiritual resurrection," an interpretation put forward by late mystic sources. As the Hidden Imam can only be seen in the end of time, those who see him, it

19305-428: The enemies of al-Mahdi, the rise of Yamani, who would later support al-Mahdi, the divine cry ( sayha , neda ) which calls upon men to join al-Mahdi, often followed shortly by another supernatural cry from the earth that invites men to join the enemies of al-Mahdi, the swallowing up ( kasf ) of an army dispatched by Sufyani in a desert, and the assassination by Meccans of the messenger of al-Mahdi, referred to as

19500-515: The events which may occur [in future when you may need guidance in religious matters] refer to the transmitters ( ruwat ) of our sayings (hadith) who are my hujja ( lit.   ' proof ' ) to you and I am the hujja of God to you all [or "to them" in another version]. A few similar hadiths are attributed to the tenth and eleventh Imams. The traditions also specify that these jurists must be just and knowledgeable in Islamic law . As

19695-413: The exclusion of his brother, Ja'far ibn Ali al-Hadi , who had earlier unsuccessfully laid a claim to the imamate after the death of their father, al-Hadi. Ja'far repeated his claims to the imamate after the death of al-Askari, which this time found a following in the form of the now-extinct Ja'fariyya and Fathiyya sects. He also contested al-Askari's will and raised the case with the authorities. Al-Askari

19890-419: The first half of the fourth (tenth) century. In its simplest form, this doctrine states that Muhammad al-Mahdi, the twelfth Imam, did not die but has been concealed by God from the mankind and his life has been miraculously prolonged until the day he manifests himself again by God's permission to fill the earth with justice. This occultation continues until the life of Imam is not threatened by enemies, and until

20085-487: The forces of righteousness against the forces of evil in an apocalyptic war that would ultimately establish peace and justice on earth, according to the Twelvers. He is also viewed by the Twelvers as the restorer of true Islam. In his mission, al-Mahdi will be assisted by Jesus , who will kill the Dajjal or "antichrist" in some Islamic accounts. Al-Mahdi would also be accompanied by 313 loyal followers, their number identical to

20280-412: The former describes Khums as a levy on possessions and produce, and on traders and craftsmen, after they had provided for themselves. This last part is clarified in a letter from al-Hadi to another agent, named Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Hamadani, which explains that Khums is levied after providing for the land and for dependents, and after the kharaj (land tax) for the ruler. Donaldson quotes one of

20475-511: The four Babs (gates). During the Major Occultation, which began in 329 (941) and continues to this day, there is no direct communication, though the Hidden Imam still remains responsible in Twelver belief for the inward spiritual guidance of humankind (whereas his outward role begins with his reappearance). The Twelver literature about the doctrine of occultation is extensive, based on rational and textual arguments. One such instance

20670-470: The fourth agent in 329 (940–941), who did not designate a successor. In this period, which continues today, there is no agent of the Hidden Imam on earth. There is some evidence that the death of the fourth agent also dissolved the underground network of representatives responsible primarily for the collection and distribution of the religious dues. The office of deputyship was thus formally closed. Despite some uncertainty, there were likely early traditions among

20865-488: The function of guiding and organizing the Shia community, following the same principle of political quietism to which the Shia Imams adhered. Their efforts seem to have been divided into four geographic areas; the first one included Baghdad, Mada'in, the Sawad, and Kufa, the second area included Basra and Ahwaz , the third included Qom and Hamadan , and the fourth included the Hejaz, Yemen, and Egypt. Each of these four areas

21060-503: The funeral prayer for al-Jawad. The Shia community was relatively free in this period, and the early historian Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani ( d.  967 ) reports that stipends were given to the Alids , that is, the descendants of Ali ibn Abi Talib ( d.  661 ), the first Shia Imam. An Alid himself, Ali al-Hadi was also less restricted in this period. He engaged in teaching in Medina after reaching adulthood, possibly attracting

21255-411: The funeral prayer for his father instead of his uncle, Ja'far al-Zaki . It is also said that the occultation took place in the family home in Samarra, where currently a mosque stands, under which there is a cellar ( sardab ) that hides a well (Bi'r al-Ghayba, lit.   ' well of the occultation ' ). Into this well, al-Mahdi is said to have disappeared. In his new capacity as the caretaker of

21450-406: The governor of Medina, Abd Allah ibn Muhammad , wrote to the caliph and warned him about the subversive activities of al-Hadi, claiming that he had concealed arms and books for his followers. Alternatively, Ithbat attributes the affair to Burahya al-Abbasi, the leader of prayers in Medina, who may have advised the caliph to remove al-Hadi from the city because he was allegedly agitating against

21645-431: The handwriting and style did not change even after Uthman's death, suggesting that the responses were written by al-Mahdi. This consistency, according to Hussain, partially explains the consensus of his followers on when the Major Occultation began. Uthman later introduced his son, Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Uthman , as the next representative of al-Mahdi. In turn, he nominated Abu al-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Ruh al-Nawbakhti as

21840-504: The humankind is ready to receive his guidance. During the Minor Occultation, he remained in contact with his followers through the four Babs (gates). During the Major Occultation, which started in 329 (941) and continues to this day, there is no direct communication, though the Imam still remains responsible in Shia belief for the spiritual guidance of humankind, as the sun behind a cloud still gives light and warmth. It also

22035-408: The image of al-Hadi in Shia sources is that of a "pacifist, persecuted Imam," who always remains unmoved by his enemies' attempts to "humiliate and attack him." In these reports, she adds, al-Hadi maintains a detached and dignified pose in threatening situations, thus impressing upon others the certitude of his belief in the protection of God. In such situations, the response of al-Hadi in Shia sources

22230-399: The imamate for himself after the death of their father, al-Hadi. Some believed that the twelfth Imam would be born in the end of times to a descendant of al-Askari. The group that went on to become the Twelvers largely held that al-Askari had a son, named Abu al-Qasim Muhammad, same name as the prophet. Born around 255 (868), he is also known as Muhammad al-Mahdi ( lit.   '

22425-520: The imamate of Ali, the report concludes. More evidence is found in the will attributed to al-Jawad in Kitab al-Kafi , which stipulates that his son Ali would inherit from him and be responsible for his younger brother, Musa , and his sisters. For the Muslim jurist and academic Hossein Modarressi , the account of his succession suggests that the seniority of Ali over his brother was not sufficient and

22620-559: The imamate of Ali, who was still a child at the time. Drawing parallels with the story of young Jesus in the Quran , Twelver sources attribute an exceptional innate knowledge to Ali which qualified him for the imamate despite his young age. As with most of his predecessors, Ali al-Hadi kept aloof from politics until he was summoned around 848 from Medina to the capital Samarra by the Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakkil ( r.  847–861 ), known for his hostility towards Shias . There al-Hadi

22815-405: The imamate of Ja'far instead of al-Askari. This was apparently an act of defiance to Hasan al-Askari, who had sided with his father al-Hadi when he excommunicated Faris for embezzling religious funds and openly inciting against him. In any case, Ja'far soon died and some then turned to his descendants for leadership. The Ja'farites were nevertheless extinct by 373 AH (983-4), as some converted to

23010-465: The incident, saying that he had simply recognized the signs of a brewing storm as a native, as reported in al-Muruj by al-Mas'udi. Ali al-Hadi was survived by two sons, namely, Ja'far and his older brother Hasan . The latter was born in Medina to an umm walad , whose name is variously given in different sources as Hudayth, Susan, or Salil. After al-Hadi, the majority of his followers acknowledged as their next imam his adult son Hasan, who

23205-489: The instigation of al-Mu'tamid. During the week of his illness, many notable Alid and Abbasid figures visited him on his deathbed and the caliph also sent his doctors and servants to attend the Imam. However, considering that al-Askari did not have an obvious heir, Tabatabai maintains that the caliph intended to closely monitor the Imam and later continued to search for his offspring after his death. Hussain, Amir-Moezzi , and Sachedina present similar accounts. Al-Askari

23400-497: The last author believes that al-Hadi sent and received his messages with secrecy, under the watchful eyes of the caliph. For Wardrop, a certain cycle of honor and suspicion was probably inevitable at the court of al-Mutawakkil. Still, in the case of al-Hadi as a Shia Imam with an active following, the image offered by Twelver sources is heavily tilted towards suspicion and persecution. Wardrop also notes that most reports about al-Hadi are attributed to this period, perhaps because al-Hadi

23595-496: The last monarch of Iran. While some traditions, dating back to before 260 (874), might have predicted a second occultation, the sources from the beginning of Major Occultation indicate that the prolonged absence of the Hidden Imam may have led many of the Twelvers to abandon their belief in him. His absence also provided a basis for renewed criticisms at the time, voiced by the Mu'tazilites and Ash'arites . These pressures likely expedited

23790-500: The latter called for his death, and he was indeed assassinated during the imamate of Hasan al-Askari. In Twelver Shia, al-Hadi is considered knowledgeable in the languages of the Persians , Slavs , Indians, and Nabataeans . Similarly, al-Tabarsi writes that al-Hadi was articulate in seventy-three languages, probably in reference to the hadith, attributed to Muhammad, that his community would be split to seventy-three groups. This

23985-478: The latter was held under close surveillance by the Abbasid caliphs until his death in 254 (868), some twenty years later. When Hasan was about twenty-two, an agent of his father is said to have providentially bought a Byzantine concubine, named Narjis (Narcissus), who was given to Hasan in marriage, and later bore him his only son. Other sources give her name variously as Sayqal, Sawsan, and Rayhana. The detailed accounts of Majlesi and Tusi describe Narjis as

24180-476: The legitimacy of Shia monarchs and even attempts to restrict their power through a constitution. This evolution culminated with the concept of wilayat al-faqih ( lit.   ' guardianship of the jurist ' ) by Ruhollah Khomeini , the religious leader of the Iranian Revolution in 1979, who called upon religious scholars to assume an active role after the toppling of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi ,

24375-531: The letter stated, would continue until God grants permission to al-Mahdi to manifest himself again in a time when the earth would be filled with tyranny. It has been noted that the number of these agents was not limited to four in early Shia sources, and Momen suggests that the former network of the representatives ( wukala ) likely continued to operate during the Lesser Occultation. The Twelver doctrine of occultation ( ghayba ) crystallized in

24570-628: The lifetime of al-Askari. They often conferred divinity on the Shia Imams and included the Namiriya, who followed Mohammad ibn Nosayr Namiri in Kufa , and the Eshaqiya, the adherents of Eshaq ibn Moḥammad Nakha'i Basri in Basra , Baghdad , and Mada'in . After the death of his father in 868, al-Askari was imprisoned by al-Mu'tazz in Baghdad, and he was kept in prison through the short reign of al-Muhtadi,

24765-472: The longevity of the Hidden Imam, born around 868 CE, is not unreasonable given the long lives of Khidr , Jesus , and the Dajjal (another eschatological figure), as well as secular reports about long-lived men. Along these lines, Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai emphasizes the miraculous qualities of al-Mahdi, adding that his long life, while unlikely, is not impossible. Historians suggest that these views stem from

24960-451: The mainstream Twelver Shia and some emigrated to Egypt or elsewhere and joined Sufi orders. A theological treatise on free will and various short texts are attributed to al-Hadi and quoted in Tuhaf al-uqul , a Twelver collection of hadiths. According to Mavani, most Shia hadiths about Khums are also attributed to al-Hadi and his predecessor, al-Jawad. Some regard Khums as an example of

25155-620: The murder of al-Hadi would have had no political benefit for the caliph. The manner of his death is also given differently by the sources. In addition to al-Hadi, Shia sources hold the Abbasids responsible for the deaths of multiple Shia Imams. The silence of Sunni sources here is attributed by Shia authors to the atmosphere of fear and intimidation under the Abbasids. In particular, the Twelver traditionist Ibn Shahrashub ( d.  1192 ) said that he wrote his Manaqib ale Abi Talib "to bring forth what they [the Sunnis] have suppressed." There

25350-652: The next Imam a few months before his death. After al-Hadi, his another son, Ja'far, unsuccessfully claimed the imamate for himself. Madelung adds that some had expected another son of al-Hadi, Abu Ja'far Moḥammad , to be the next Imam but he predeceased his father in Samarra. The imamate of al-Askari began in 868 and lasted only about six years, overlapping with the caliphates of the Abbasid al-Mu'tazz , al-Muhtadi , and al-Mu'tamid . During these years, though not politically active, al-Askari mostly lived under house arrest in Samarra, subject to constant surveillance. He therefore communicated with his followers mostly through

25545-408: The next Imam. After the death of al-Hadi, his other son Ja'far unsuccessfully claimed the imamate for himself, and he is thus referred to as Ja'far al-Kadhab ( lit.   ' Ja'far, the liar ' ) in the Imamite sources. Some apparently considered Ja'far particularly unfit for the position because of his poor reputation. The death of Muhammad and the poor reputation of Ja'far thus facilitated

25740-400: The next caliph. The persecution of the Shia continued under al-Mu'tamid, a son of al-Mutawakkil . It is believed that most of al-Askari's prison experiences happened during the caliphate of al-Mu'tamid, who is represented in Shia sources as his main oppressor. Al-Askari is said to have criticized the caliph for restricting the administration of Khums ( lit.   ' one-fifth ' ),

25935-421: The next representative of al-Mahdi. Abu Ja'far, who served for some forty years, has been credited with the unification of the mainstream Shia behind the son of al-Askari as the twelfth Imam in concealment. In turn, as his replacement, Abu Ja'far nominated Abu al-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Ruh al-Nawbakhti ( d.  937-38 ), who is said to have been a well-respected figure in the Abbasid court. Under Abu al-Qasim, it

26130-419: The next representative. After about seventy years, this period of Minor Occultation ( al-ghaybat al-sughra ) ended with the death of the fourth representative, Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri , who is said to have received a letter from al-Mahdi in 329 (941). The letter predicted the death of Abu al-Hasan in six days and announced the beginning of the Major Occultation ( al-ghaybat al-kubra ) which,

26325-408: The notable exception of al-Mufid ( d.  1022 ). His image in Twelver sources is that of a pacifist, persecuted Imam who endured numerous attempts by members of the Abbasid court to humiliate and dishonor him. These sources also allege more serious incidents of house search, temporary imprisonment, and even murder plots against al-Hadi. The restricted life of al-Hadi in Samarra marks the end of

26520-681: The number of Muslim warriors in the Battle of Badr . He is expected to reemerge as a young man in possession of the relics of the past prophets, e.g., the staff and arc of Moses. The time of his reappearance is unknown, however, and Shia hadiths expressly forbid haste ( este'jal ) and setting time ( tawqit ) for his return. Numerous Shia hadiths predict that the reappearance of al-Mahdi would be heralded by some signs, of which some are inevitable, and others are conditional, i.e., might change by divine decision. Alternatively, some of these signs are general, and some are specific. The foremost general sign of

26715-477: The occultation to continue beyond six years or beyond the fortieth birthday of al-Mahdi, and this might have contributed to an atmosphere of doubt and uncertainty among the Shia. According to Hossein Modarressi , these doubts gradually disappeared from the Shia community, possibly due to the efforts of the Shia traditionists during the period of transition to the Major Occultation. These traditionists heavily relied on prophetic traditions and specific interpretations of

26910-470: The occultation, predicted that Muhammad was to be followed by twelve successors ( khalifa s), during whose reign the Islamic community would be united, as reported in Sahih Muslim and other canonical Sunni sources. It is argued that these twelve successors cannot include the (often immoral) Umayyad or Abbasid caliphs and, in any case, their number exceeded twelve. These twelve, he thus concludes, are

27105-427: The office of imamate, Uthman received petitions and made available their responses, sometimes in writing. As the closest associate of al-Askari, most of al-Askari's local representatives continued to support Uthman. However, there might have been doubts among the Shia about his authority to collect and manage the religious funds. Uthman later introduced his son, Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Uthman ( d.  916–917 ), as

27300-446: The older Hasan. More specifically, they believed that Muhammad entrusted his testament to his servant Nafis, who passed it on to Ja'far. The latter thus claimed he was the successor to Muhammad. Nafis himself was killed. Similarly, some followers of Faris ibn Hatim claimed that he was succeeded by his son Muhammad, who appointed his brother Ja'far as the next Imam before his death during the lifetime of al-Hadi. They accordingly accepted

27495-447: The overthrow of al-Mutawakkil in 861, a temporary imprisonment of al-Hadi is reported in I'lam by the Twelver historian al-Tabarsi ( d.  1153 ) and in Bihar , under the custody of one Ali ibn Karkar. The caliph may have ordered his close advisor Ibn Khaqan to poison the imprisoned al-Hadi. Also dated 861, the biographical al-Khara'ij by the Twelver scholar Qutb al-Din al-Rawandi ( d.  1178 ) similarly reports

27690-455: The people benefit from the sun while it is covered by clouds." While the ordinary Twelvers were likely content with the traditions about occultation, the theologist approach to vindicating the Hidden Imam was intended to address the criticisms of the non-Twelver theologians. The two approaches were blended together by Shaykh Tusi in his substantial monograph Kitab al-Ghayba ( lit.   ' book of occultation ' ). The Twelvers believe that

27885-433: The point that even Sunni sources have noted his hostility towards Shias. The caliph may have imposed the penalty of death by flagellation on anyone who defamed the companions or the wives of the prophet, some of whom are viewed negatively in Shia. He also openly cursed Ali ibn Abi Talib and ordered a clown to ridicule Ali in his banquets, writes the Twelver scholar Muhammad H. Tabatabai ( d.  1981 ). By his orders,

28080-444: The primordial Nūr "Light" of the prophethood has continued to shine through the ages in the character of the Imams. Thus the Hidden Imam is not viewed as inaccessible in the state of occultation. Indeed, it is popularly held that al-Mahdi occasionally appears to the pious in person or, more commonly, in dreams and visions. The accounts of these encounters are numerous and widespread in the Twelver community. Among these accounts are also

28275-443: The proof ' ) from the House of Muhammad . Mavani quotes another hadith, ascribed to al-Hadi and transmitted by al-Tabarsi, as follows. After the occultation of your Qa'im, a group of the religious scholars ( ulama ) will call people to believe in his [al-Qa'im’s] imamate and defend his religion by using proofs sent by Allah, so that they might save the weak-minded faithful from either the deceptions of Satan and his followers or

28470-518: The proof of God ( hujja ) and both spoke with the authority of an adult while still a child. Al-Mahdi is said to have been born to Narjis , a slave-girl whose name is given by various sources as Sawsan, Rayhana, Sayqal, and Maryam. The first three are names of flowers and were likely given to her by her owner in keeping with the practice of the day. Her origin is recorded as the Byzantine Empire or Nubia , and some accounts state that she

28665-452: The prophetic traditions related on the authority of al-Hadi, through Ali ibn Abi Talib, which defines faith ( iman ) as contained in the hearts of men, confirmed by their deeds ( a'mal ), whereas surrender ( islam ) is what the tongue expresses which only validates the union. A hadith attributed to al-Hadi in al-Kafi predicts the occultation of his grandson, the twelfth Imam, and refers to him as al-hujja ( lit.   '

28860-409: The public out of the fear of Abbasid persecution. Al-Mahdi succeeded to the imamate after the death of his father and entered a state of occultation. His life is said to be miraculously prolonged until the day he manifests himself again by God's permission to fill the earth with justice. Though in occultation, the Imam still remains responsible in Twelver belief for the spiritual guidance of humankind and

29055-406: The pure soul ( al-nafs al-zakiya ). Hasan al-Askari Hasan ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ( Arabic : الحَسَن بْن عَلِيّ بْن مُحَمَّدُ , romanized :  al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad ; c.  846–874 ), better known as Hasan al-Askari ( Arabic : الحَسَن ٱلْعَسْكَرِيّ , romanized :  al-Ḥasan al-ʿAskarī ), was a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad . He

29250-402: The rightly guided ' ). Out of the fear of Abbasid persecution, Muhammad was kept hidden from the public and his existence was only known to a few trusted associates of the eleventh Imam. After the death of his father, Muhammad is said to have made his only public appearance to lead the funeral prayers for his father instead of his uncle, Ja'far. He was not seen publicly afterwards and entered

29445-481: The second agent to issue a rescript to the effect that al-Mahdi remained in occultation to avoid the burden of commitment ( bay'a ) to unjust rulers of the time who were the usurpers of the Imam's right in the Shia view. Ibn Babawayh ( d.  991 ) suggested that the situation remains unknown until the reappearance of Muhammad al-Mahdi but also added that the large population of the Shia did not necessarily guarantee his safety. Nevertheless, many did not expect

29640-437: The second coming of al-Mahdi is the prevalence of evil on earth in the form of tyranny, injustice, and religious and moral degradation. In particular, at the time, Islam would be devoid of its soul and practiced only outwardly. Only a fraction of the Shia, those who truly practice their Imams' teachings, will remain on the righteous path in the end of time. Among the special signs are the rise of Sufyani , who would later command

29835-421: The shrine has been targeted by Sunni militants as recently as 2007. Ali ibn Muhammad, the tenth Imam in Twelve Imams , was known by the titles al-Hadi (Arabic: الهادي , lit.   'the guide') and al-Naqi (Arabic: النقي , lit.   'the distinguished'). He was also known as al-Mutawakkil (Arabic: المتوكل على الله , lit.   'he who relies on God'), but this title

30030-467: The shrine of Ali's son, Husayn ( d.  680 ), was demolished in Karbala , water was turned upon the tomb, and the ground was plowed and cultivated to remove any trace of the tomb, so as to stop Shia pilgrimages to the site, which he also outlawed. The campaign of arrests and torture by al-Mutawakkil in 846 led to the deaths of some associates of Ali al-Hadi in Baghdad, al-Mada'in , Kufa , and

30225-411: The succession of Ali al-Hadi is given by multiple sources, including al-Kafi , al-Irshad , and Bihar . By this account, the designation ( nass ) was orally delivered to one Abu al-Khayrani by al-Jawad, who thus appointed his son Ali as his successor. Wardrop identifies this person as Ahmad ibn Hammad al-Marwazi, who was close to al-Jawad, while elsewhere he is named as Khayran al-Khadim,

30420-666: The tenth and eleventh Imams were already effectively in occultation for the majority of the Shia , as both Imams were held nearly isolated in Samarra by the Abbasid caliphs. It also appears that the idea of occultation was a well-established concept for the Shia and the related traditions were already in circulation among them. These traditions forecasted the occultation and rise of a future Imam, referred to as al-Qa'im ( lit.   ' he who will rise ' ) and less frequently as al-Mahdi. These traditions were appropriated by various Shia sects in different periods. For instance, they were used by

30615-460: The third'), so as to distinguish him from his predecessors, namely, Musa al-Kazim ( d.  799 ) and Ali al-Rida ( d.  818 ), the seventh and the eighth of the Twelve Imams, respectively. Ali al-Hadi was born on 16 Dhu al-Hijja 212 AH (7 March 828 CE ) in Sorayya, a village near Medina founded by his great-grandfather, Musa al-Kazim. There are also other given dates in

30810-419: The titles al-Qa'im and Sahib al-Amr have more of a political emphasis than the eschatological title al-Mahdi . The title al-Hujja, on the other hand, highlights the religious function of the savior. Indeed, every Shia Imam is viewed as hujjat Allah , the (highest) proof of God, through whom the inner meanings of the Quran become accessible after the death of the prophet. This title is more pronounced for

31005-417: The twelfth Imam, did not die but has been concealed by God from humanity. His life has been miraculously prolonged until the day he manifests himself again by God's permission to fill the earth with justice. This occultation continues until the safety of the Imam can be guaranteed, and until humankind is ready to receive his guidance. During the Minor Occultation, he remained in contact with his followers through

31200-407: The twelfth Imam, however, possibly because of a related hadith from the tenth Imam, Ali al-Hadi. Until their deaths, the tenth and eleventh Shia Imams ( Ali al-Hadi and Hasan al-Askari , respectively) were held under close surveillance in the garrison town of Samarra by the Abbasids, who are often responsible in Shia sources for poisoning the two Imams. The two Imams witnessed the deterioration of

31395-402: The two minarets of the shrine. Iraqi authorities hold the Sunni extremist group al-Qaeda responsible for both attacks. After accounting for the bias of his Twelver sources, the historian Dwight M. Donaldson ( d.  1976 ) writes that al-Hadi comes across to him as a "good-tempered, quiet man," who endured for years the "hatred" of al-Mutawakkil with dignity and patience. For Wardrop,

31590-524: The two sons of al-Hadi, namely, Hasan and Ja'far. More such links to al-Hadi are listed by the Sunni historian al-Tabari ( d.  923 ). Hussain suggests that all this paved the way for the murder of al-Hadi by the Abbasids during the caliphate of al-Mu'tazz. It is also the view of Sachedina that the restrictions on al-Hadi were renewed under al-Mu'tazz, who is accused by Shia sources of murdering al-Hadi. According to both al-Tabari and al-Kulayni, al-Hadi died on 26 Jumada al-Thani 254 AH (21 June 868) at

31785-431: The very moment his father died. Dala'il al-im'ama is another early collective biography of Shia Imams, often attributed to the Twelver author Ibn Jarir ibn Rustam al-Tabari. After the death of his father, the young Ali was likely placed by the Abbasids under hostile care. In these years, even Muhammad ibn Faraj, a trusted associate of the previous Shia Imams, was probably unable to directly contact Ali, as implied by

31980-478: The window of Dhu al-Hijja 212 AH (March 828) to Dhu al-Hijja 214 AH (February 830), though these alternatives might be less reliable. It is also 15 Dhu al-Hijja that is annually celebrated by Shias for this occasion. Ali al-Hadi was the son of Muhammad al-Jawad ( d.  835 ), the ninth of the Twelve Imams, and his mother was Samana (or Susan), a freed slave ( umm walad ) of Maghrebi origin. The historian Teresa Bernheimer considers it possible that Ali

32175-425: The young Ali beginning to renew links with the loyal followers of his father, al-Jawad. In the next five years, Ali al-Hadi successfully established contact with representatives from several regions. An account in Ithbat from this period might show the political awareness of the young Ali, even though it has been given a miraculous aspect in some other sources. This account is dated 232 AH (846-7) and narrated by

32370-552: Was a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the tenth Imam in Twelver Shia , succeeding his father, Muhammad al-Jawad ( d.  835 ). Born in Medina in 828, Ali is known with the titles al-Hādī (Arabic: الهادي , lit.   'the guide') and al-Naqī (Arabic: النقي , lit.   'the distinguished'). After the death of his father in 835, most followers of al-Jawad readily accepted

32565-412: Was a representative of al-Jawad, who came to the forefront after his death. Indeed, the meeting took place at Muhammad's house and it was him who invited Abu al-Khayrani to join them. At the meeting, the claim of Abu al-Khayrani was reluctantly corroborated by Ahmad, who said he preferred the honor to have gone to an Arab rather than a non-Arab ( ajam ). After some contemplation, the group accepted

32760-400: Was apparently childless, and Hadith was thus regarded as the sole inheritor in Shia law. The caliph, however, ruled the inheritance to be divided between Hadith and Ja'far. Immediately after the death of al-Askari in 260 (873–874), Uthman ibn Sa'id al-Asadi ( d.  880 ) claimed that al-Askari had a young son, named Muhammad, who had entered a state of occultation ( ghayba ) due to

32955-400: Was born in Medina , though Donaldson has cast doubt on this, as he is uncertain between Medina and Samarra. His father was the tenth Shia Imam, Ali al-Hadi , and his mother was a freed slave ( umm walad ), whose name is variously given as Hudayth, Susan, or Salil in different sources. At the age of about two, Hasan was brought to Samarra with his father in 233 or 234 AH (847–849), where

33150-421: Was bought providentially by an agent of al-Hadi, who recognized by clairvoyance in her the future mother of al-Mahdi. In the same vein, the detailed accounts of Mohammad-Baqer Majlesi and Shaykh Tusi describe Narjis as a captured granddaughter of the Byzantine emperor and a pious woman who learned about her future union with al-Askari in a dream, though these accounts have been described as hagiographic. Possibly

33345-457: Was buried in the family home, next to his father, Ali al-Hadi . The house was later expanded to a major shrine by various Shia and Sunni patrons. More recently, Naser al-Din Shah Qajar ordered to rebuild the complex in 1868-9 and the golden dome was added in 1905. The shrine also houses the tomb of his aunt, Hakima Khatun . As an important destination for Shia pilgrimage, the shrine was bombed in February 2006 and badly damaged. Another attack

33540-572: Was confiscated by the ruler, according to al-Kulayni. Elsewhere, some supporters of al-Hadi were arrested in Samarra, while his main agent in Kufa, Ayyub ibn Nuh, was prosecuted by the local judge ( qadi ). On the other hand, Hussain writes that Alid revolts broke out in 864–5 in Kufa, Tabaristan , Rayy , Qazvin , Egypt, and the Hejaz. He adds that the rebel leader in Mecca was an Imamite named Muhammad ibn Ma'ruf al-Hilali ( d.  864 ), while

33735-411: Was entrusted to an agent, who was also responsible for appointing local agents within his area. Imamite sources also describe some failed attempts by the Abbasids to intercept the agents, including feigned sympathy by Ibn Khaqan to infiltrate the network or last-minute aborted missions of the agents. Nevertheless, there were waves of crackdowns by al-Mutawakkil in 850 and by al-Mustai'n in 862. Some of

33930-581: Was ever born”. This view is supported by the absence of the occultation t raditions in early texts such as al-Qummi's Basa’ir al-Darajat and Kitab al-Mahasin by al-Barqi (d. 893). Muhammad bin Ali bin Babawayhi (d. 991) was the one who began to mention details regarding occultation being beyond the ordinary human. Shortly before the Last Judgment , when commanded by God, al-Mahdi will return to lead

34125-404: Was executed on 13 June 2007, which led to the destruction of the two minarets of the shrine. Authorities in Iraq hold al-Qaeda responsible for this attack. As the eleventh Shia Imam, al-Askari died in 873-874 without leaving an obvious heir, which created widespread confusion ( hayra ) and fragmented the Shia community into up to twenty sects. All these sects, however, disappeared within

34320-406: Was held under close surveillance until his death in 868 during the caliphate of the Abbasid al-Mu'tazz ( r.  866–869 ). Still, he managed to communicate with an underground network of representatives who organized the financial and religious affairs of the Shia community on his behalf. Most Shia sources hold the Abbasids responsible for his death at the age of about forty through poison, with

34515-518: Was held under constant surveillance by the Abbasid caliphs until his death. Still, similar to his predecessors, al-Hadi secretly communicated with an underground network of representatives ( wokala , sg. wakil ), who were responsible for the financial and religious affairs of the Imamite Shias, and particularly for the collection of religious dues, such as Khums ( lit.   ' one-fifth ' ). These agents gradually took over

34710-634: Was in the center of the city on the Abi Ahmad street. Having escorted al-Hadi to Samarra, Yahya conveyed to the caliph the recommendations of al-Tahiri and the Turkish commander Wasif , which apparently convinced the caliph to treat al-Hadi honorably. Still, there is a report that al-Hadi was temporarily placed under house arrest after his arrival in Samarra. Ali al-Hadi lived in Samarra under constant surveillance until his death, some twenty years later. Among modern authors, Edward D. A. Hulmes, Moojan Momen , Hamid Mavani, and Reza Aslan liken al-Hadi to

34905-552: Was initially a representative of al-Hadi and his intermediary with the Imamites living in the Jibal, which encompassed the central and western parts of modern-day Iran . Faris was involved in a dispute with Ali ibn Ja'far around 862 and was consequently banned by al-Hadi from receiving alms on his behalf. He continued to do so, however, without forwarding them to al-Hadi, who excommunicated Faris in 864 for embezzling religious dues. As Faris continued to openly incite against al-Hadi,

35100-676: Was instead born to Umm al-Fadl, a daughter of the Abbasid caliph al-Ma'mun ( r.  813–833 ), though this marriage is often considered without an issue. As for his birthplace, the Shia-leaning historian al-Mas'udi ( d.  956 ) differs from the prevalent view. Ithbat al-wassiya , a collective biography of the Shia Imams attributed to him, reports that Ali was first taken to Medina sometime after 830, when al-Jawad and his family left Iraq to perform Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca . Ali al-Hadi lived in Medina in this period. Probably summoned by al-Mu'tasim ( r.  833–842 ), his father al-Jawad and his wife Umm al-Fadl traveled to

35295-442: Was intended to isolate Ali from Shias, to the point that Ithbat reports that he was kept under house arrest. The account in Ithbat also describes how al-Junaydi was so impressed with the knowledge of the child that he eventually became a Shia. This exceptional innate knowledge of the young Ali is also claimed by the prominent Twelver theologian al-Mufid ( d.  1022 ) in his biographical Kitab al-Irshad , which

35490-460: Was invited, al-Hadi silenced a man who continued to loudly interrupt him by predicting his imminent death, reports Bihar . A report on the authority of Zurara, a member of the court, states that the caliph offered a reward to anyone who would embarrass al-Hadi. The offer was taken up by an Indian knowledgeable of various sleights of hand, the report continues, who arranged for the loaves of bread to move away when al-Hadi reached for them, bringing

35685-452: Was kept secret since the Abbasids sought to eliminate the son of al-Askari, whom persistent rumors described as a savior. Hussain writes that the infant must have been sent to Medina , where al-Askari's mother lived. The birth of al-Mahdi is often compared in Twelver sources to the birth of Moses in the Quran , who was miraculously saved from the pharaoh . As a child Imam, al-Mahdi is also often compared to Jesus , since both are viewed as

35880-517: Was likely Zayn al-Din al-Juba'i al'Amili ( d.  1558 ) who first suggested that a (qualified) jurist was the general deputy ( na'ib al-amm ) of the Hidden Imam whose authority encompassed all prerogatives of the Imam. The transition of Twelver jurists into their new role was facilitated by the formation of Shia states, particularly the Safavid and Qajar dynasties in Iran. For instance, during

36075-461: Was likely due to their prominence in Baghdad , the Shia center of the time. Similarly, Moojan Momen reckons that al-Askari's network of the representatives ( wukala ) likely continued to operate during the Minor Occultation of al-Mahdi. Indeed, ibn Babawayh ( d.  991 ) speaks of other trusted men of the Hidden Imam in different cities in addition to the four agents. Sachedina writes that

36270-421: Was more 'newsworthy' in Samarra, being close both to the center of power and to the large Shia population of Iraq. In her view, many of these reports might be exaggerated but they are likely based on truth and thus unwise to ignore. Wardrop also studies a few representative accounts about al-Hadi from this period: Kitab al-Kafi reports that al-Mutawakkil ordered to search the residence of al-Hadi at night on

36465-422: Was named Abu al-Qasim Muhammad, the same name and kunya as the Islamic prophet, though he is more commonly known as Muhammad al-Mahdi ( lit.   ' the rightly guided ' ). His birthdate is given differently, but most sources seem to agree on 15 Sha'ban , which is celebrated by the Shia for this occasion. The Twelver accounts describe that, except for a few trusted associates, the existence of al-Mahdi

36660-400: Was not unique to al-Hadi, however, and miracles of speech are attributed to all Shia Imams. One of the many such accounts about al-Hadi is narrated by Ibrahim ibn Mahziyar, who describes a meeting with a young al-Hadi in 228 AH (842-3) in the company of his brother Ali and their servant Masrur, whom the following day al-Hadi sent for and spoke to in his native language of Persian. Ali al-Hadi

36855-466: Was perhaps rarely used to avoid confusion with the Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakkil ( r.  847–861 ). In view of their restricted life in the garrison town of Samarra under Abbasid surveillance, Ali and his son Hasan share the title al-Askari (Arabic: عسكري , lit.   'military'). Ali al-Hadi is also cited in the Shia hadith literature as Abu al-Hasan al-Thalith (Arabic: أبوالحسن الثالث , lit.   'Abu al-Hasan,

37050-410: Was probably dated Jumada al-Thani 233 AH (January 848), but transmitted incorrectly as Jumada al-Thani 243 AH (October 857) by al-Mofid, the author of al-Irshad . Both Wardrop and Madelung consider the latter date unlikely, while the first date is also corroborated by Bihar , which states that al-Hadi spent twenty years of his life in Samarra. The escort who accompanied al-Hadi to Samarra

37245-409: Was received warmly by the governor, Ishaq ibn Ibrahim al-Tahiri , who welcomed him outside of the city. Later, when al-Hadi arrived in Samarra on 23 Ramadan 233 AH (1 May 848), the caliph did not immediately receive him but assigned a house for him, located in the al-Askar ( lit.   ' the army ' ) quarter of the city, which was mostly occupied by the army. More specifically, his residence

37440-410: Was recognized by this time as a pious and learned figure. In contrast, Madelung quotes al-Hadi as saying that he had not come to Samarra voluntarily but would never leave the city, as he liked its good water and air. His view is that al-Hadi was allowed to move freely within the city, and continued to send (written) instructions for his representatives across the Abbasid empire and receive through them

37635-411: Was searched at night for money and weapons, as given by the Twelver sources al-Kafi , al-Irshad , and I'lam . By this account, the soldiers who broke into his house found him praying and he then helped them in their search. After this futile search and similar episodes, al-Hadi again invokes the power of God in Shia sources rather than indulging in "verbal attack or enraged silence." After

37830-471: Was summoned to Samarra and held there because the investigations of caliph's officials, including Abd Allah, had linked the Shia Imam to the underground activities of the Imamites in Baghdad, al-Mada'in, and Kufa. The caliph thus decided to follow the policy of his predecessor, al-Ma'mun, who had attached the imams al-Rida and al-Jawad to his court in order to monitor and restrict them. The caliph's letter

38025-651: Was the Kufan theologian Ali ibn Tahi (or Talhi) al-Khazzaz. This Ali ranked among the Fathites , many of whom thus joined the Ja'farites. Yet another subgroup held that Ja'far was directly designated by his father al-Hadi as his successor. A different subgroup was the Nafisites , who believed that al-Hadi was to be succeeded by his eldest son Muhammad. Before his death in the lifetime of al-Hadi, they say, Muhammad designated his youngest brother Ja'far as his successor, skipping

#457542