The narration of the last Tawqee has often been used by the opponents of the call even though it has been refuted long ago by Ansar Al-Mahdi (p). It is the narration by the 12th Imam (p) to his fourth deputy, Ali Ibn Muhammad al-Samarri, about the beginning of major occultation and the statement that any claim before the appearance of Al-Sufyani will be a lie:
“In the name of Allah, the all-Merciful, the especially-Merciful. O Ali Ibn Muhammad al-Samarri! May Allah increase the reward of your brothers concerning you (i.e. your demise)! Death will come to you within the next six days. So you complete your works and do not nominate any person after you. The sequence of special deputies will come to an end and the Major Occultation will commence with your demise. Now the reappearance will occur only with the permission of Allah, after a prolonged period and after the hearts of people are hardened. And such a period will emerge on my Shias when people will claim that they have met with me. Whoever makes such a claim before the advent of the Sufyani and the call from the sky is a liar, an impostor. And there is no strength nor power except from Allah, the High, the Great.”
Al Ghaybah by Shaikh at-Tusi, p. 593
Response
- It’s Sanad (chain of narrators) is not credible according to the Shias. Refer to Al-Majlisi in Bihar Al-Anwar, Volume 35 Page 318, and Al-Kathimi in Bisharat Al-Islam Page 146. They say that the narration of the Al-Samarri is “Khabar Wahid Mursal“. Khabar Al-Wahid is one which is narrated by people whose number does not reach that of the Mutawatir case, meaning their number is few, and therefore there is a possibility of doubt and falsehood. Mursal literally means ‘hurried’. Mursal is a hadith where the narrator narrated it without mentioning the chain of narrators.
- According to their own rules, even if it had Sahih Sanad (credible chain of narrators), it would not benefit the belief (Aqeeda) without being supported by that which would deliver certitude regarding its issuing. All of the scholars agree that when it comes to belief, doubt is not enough. Belief must be attained by certitude (Yaqeen) and knowledge ( Ilm). Khabar Al-Wahid, at the most, could provide doubt, but not knowledge (Ilm), as they declare.
- Its content (Matn) is allegorical, and a lot of the scholars have understood it with different understandings.
- It is not indicative of the matter being enclosed for everyone. Musawara deals with matters that indicate totality or partiality. A matter is deemed partial if the totality is not evident. For example, using ‘whoever’ in this hadith indicates partiality. If it was, ‘Everyone who claim…. shall be a slanderous liar’, it would have been a case of totality. Anything else, whether, ‘some’, ‘few’, ‘any’, ‘whoever’, etc., are considered as indicative towards partiality, and don’t include everyone.
- This narration is refuted by many narrations and events. For example, the narration of the Yamani, the narration of green island, and many other narrations about a special servant of 12th Imam (p) before his emergence. Some example of such narrations are:
The narration of Green Island
O Master, indeed Our scholars have narrated some traditions about the Companion of the Matter (PBUH), that he said when he was commanded to enter into the Major Occultation, “Whoever claims to have seen me during my Major Occultation is a liar.” In spite of that so many have seen him, even from among you?’ So, he said, ‘You have told the truth, but he (p) said that during that time because there was a large number of enemies from his family as well as from others from the tyrants of Bani Al-Abbas, so much so that the Shia used to prevent one another from speaking about or mentioning the Imam. As for the current time period, a lot of time has passed and the enemy has despaired. Our territories are out of their control and we are safe from their oppression and through the blessing of the Imam (p) none of the enemies can reach us.’
Al-Meerza Al-Noori in ‘Al-Najam Al-Thaqab, V.2, P. 172
Al-Sayeed Noor Allah Al-Tastary in ‘Mujalis Al-Mu’mineen, V. 1, P. 78
Al-Sheikh Ali Al-Hairi in ‘Al-Zam Al-Nasib, V. 2, P. 85
Al-Maqads Al-aradabeely in ‘Hadeqa Al-Shia, P. 728.
The narration of Yamani
Imam Al-Baqer pbuh said: “There is no banner more guided than the banner of the Yamani. It is the banner of guidance because he calls to your possessor. If the Yamani emerges he will forbid the selling of weapons to people and every Muslim. If the Yamani emerges go to him for his banner is the banner of guidance. It is forbidden for any Muslim to turn away from him. Whoever does that is from the people of hell because he calls to the truth and straight path.”
Gaibat Al Numani p.264
The narration of special representative before the rise
Imam Qaim (p) will go into occultation in some of these passes, and he pointed out with his hand to the direction of Zeetawa. Then he said: “When two days remain from his rising, one of his special servants would come to his particular companions and ask: ‘How many of you are there?’ He would reply: ‘We are forty people.’ Then he will ask: ‘What will you do if you see your Companion (p)’ They will reply: ‘By Allah, if he goes from here and takes refuge at any mountain, we would also be with him.’ Then he will come to them
Ghaibah Al-Namani, page 187
and say: ‘Point to ten of your leaders or the best of you,’ then they point to them for him, so he takes
them and brings them to their Companion (p), and he shall promise them the coming night.”
The narration of successor of 12th Imam during the major occultation
Imam Al-Sadiq pbuh said: The companion of the affair has two occultations. One of them will be long until some of them will say: He was killed and some of them will say: He left until nothing is left from his affair from his companions except a small part of them. And no one will know about his location from his children or other than that except the Mawla who will succeed his affair.
Gaibat AlToosi page 162
- This narration is also refuted by numerous reports of classical scholars either meeting the 12th Imam (p) or receiving letters or instructions from him. For example, Sheikh Al-Mufeed.
In summary, the narration of Al-Samarri can not be used at all as evidence against the call of Al-Yamani.