Perpetual Guidance - (Fee Saqut Part Deux)

[Qa'im]

This is part #2 in our series of articles written on the topic of Waqifism. You can check the first topic ("Will the Mahdi be imprisoned") here: http://www.shiachat.com/forum/index.php?/topic/235015180-the-4-sunan-will-the-mahdi-be-imprisoned/#entry2604519

 

 

Perpetual Guidance

Written by: Qa'im b. Mohamad

 

The belief that Allah’s guidance is present until the Day of Judgment is one of the most fundamental doctrines in Shiism. When He created Adam عليه السلام, He appointed him to be His vicegerent on Earth. A vicegerent would then be the channel by which one knows his Lord and his religion. While some truths are innate in our fitra, and other truths can be ascertained through reason, a vicegerent is necessary in the revelation, interpretation, and protection of religious dogma. Humans cannot come to fully understand theology, exegesis, and jurisprudence without the intervention of Allah’s representatives. The vicegerent in Islam is also a means by which Allah guides individuals and communities.

 

Good and bad actions are determined by tradition (naql) and by reason (`aql). Human beings are free agents, and due to our responsibilities in this life, we are accountable to our actions. If our free will was denied and our sins were predestined, then the punishment of our sins would be unjust. Likewise, if individuals and communities were left to their own devices without guidance and accountability, the mercy and justice of Allah would be absent. Those who yearn to live a good life would be equal to the devils, and that is impossible. Rather, by His mercy, grace, and justice, Allah’s guidance is unceasing until the Day of Judgment – those with taqwa of Allah are preferable to those who are apathetic to His commands. While there are times where misguidance is prevalent, Allah sees into the hearts of men and judges them by His multiple scales. Not all people are judged by the same standard, because our abilities differ. The test of those who are unable to find the truth is different from the test of those who have access to it. While the former scenario is often plausible, it cannot be a universal condition, because Allah does not leave the world without a hujja that is active in guiding us – whether that guidance is apparent or hidden.

 

The order of Imamate exists due to the kindness (lutf) of Allah. Allah’s aim is not to harm mankind inherently, because that is evil. Rather, He aims for the benefit of man. His mercy and His justice are linked, because if He were to take us by our actions alone, He would not have left a creature on the face of the Earth unpunished. Because of our physical and mental shortcomings, Allah acts upon His mercy. He does not punish all of the evil that we commit, as some of it may be due to forgetfulness or powerlessness. Lutf is incumbent upon Allah, because it brings a creature nearer to taqwa, which is what Allah wants from us. Allah wants it for us because He is a good God that balances His justice with His yearning for our benefit. By His lutf, He has raised among us a universal authority to be our political heads and the one who brings us closer to Allah and further away from corruption.

 

 

Allah says,

 

حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالْدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللّهِ بِهِ وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَالْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَالْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَالنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَا أَكَلَ السَّبُعُ إِلاَّ مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى النُّصُبِ وَأَن تَسْتَقْسِمُواْ بِالأَزْلاَمِ ذَلِكُمْ فِسْقٌ الْيَوْمَ يَئِسَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن دِينِكُمْ فَلاَ تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِ الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الإِسْلاَمَ دِينًا فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ فِي مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ مُتَجَانِفٍ لِّإِثْمٍ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

 

“This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favor unto you, and have chosen for you as religion al-Islam”. (5:5)

 

At the end of the mission of our beloved Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله, Allah revealed this verse to convey to the believers that our religion has been completed. The word for “perfected” here is akmaltu, which means that the religion has been finalized and it cannot further be perfected or completed. A full moon cannot be more than full – when full, it has reached its maximum potential. The word for “completed”, in reference to Allah’s favour, is atmamtu, which refers to a favour that is given, but can be given again. If I pay a sum, I can still increase that sum thereafter. While the religion of Allah was finalized in the last year of the Prophet’s life, Allah’s favour (ni`ma) does not leave the people. The perfection of our religion refers to the revelation of the Book and the Sunna, and in this, Allah’s favour to us is complete. However, he order of Imamate is a further ni`ma that Allah has left amongst us so that we can understand the Book and the Sunna. On the Farewell Pilgrimage, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله instructed us to hold tightly to the thaqalayn: these are the Qur’an and the Ahl al-Bayt. This would need to be possible in every generation, as the thaqalayn would affectively replace the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله in direct authority over humanity. For Allah to have chosen Islam to be the universal religion of humanity, from the time of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله till the Day of Judgment, it would need to be accessible on Earth. The religion cannot simply be absent: it must be a lifestyle that a wayfarer can find, understand, and practice. Islam consists of a theology and jurisprudence, and both would need to be available for Allah to have chosen it to be our religion. The Imam is a medium by which humanity can attain their religion. When he is accessible, it is obligatory for us to pledge allegiance to him and refer to him for our questions. When he is inaccessible, we must refer to his representatives, our books, and our scholars, who are the Imam’s direct viceroys (na’ib khass) and general viceroys (na’ib `aam). If the Earth were absent of believers and books, or even the Imam himself, then Allah’s favour to us would neither be completed nor in progress. It would be unjust for Him to select a religion for us that we cannot attain.

 

Allah says,

وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوْلآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ آيَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُنذِرٌ وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ

 

“Those who disbelieve say: If only some portent were sent down upon him from his Lord! You are only a warner, and for every community there is a guide”. (13:7)

 

This is one of the most elementary verses used to prove the cases for Imamate. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله was the one that was sent to the world as a warner, but there are communities and generations that would flourish after the death of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله. Thus, the hujja is not just someone who keeps the Earth afloat, and he is not just a figure that the believers would be raised with on the Day of Judgment, but rather, he is a guide (haad) to the communities that he is sent to. This argument was used by the Imams to prove the Imamate of `Ali b. Abi Talib and the Imamate of those that followed him:

 

علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن محمد بن أبي عمير، عن ابن اذينة، عن بريد العجلي، عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام في قول الله عز وجل: " إنما أنت منذر ولكل قوم هاد " فقال: رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله المنذر ولكل زمان منا هاد يهديهم إلى ما جاء به نبي الله صلى الله عليه وآله، ثم الهداة من بعده علي ثم الاوصياء واحد بعد واحد.  

`Ali b. Ibrahim from his father from Muhammad b. Abi `Umayr from ibn Udhayna from Burayd al-`Ijli from Abu Ja`far عليه السلام regarding the saying of Allah عز وجل: “You are only a warner, and for every nation is a guide” (13:7). So he said: The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله is the warner, and at all times there is a guide from us that will guide them (i.e. the nations) to what was brought by the Prophet of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله. From the guides after him is `Ali, then the deputies (awsiya’) one after the other. (al-Kafi, Volume 1, hadith 497)
 

For one to be a guide, his guidance must be present, as there are generations, nations, and communities that have risen and fallen over the last thousand years. While the guidance of the early Imams was apparent, the Shi`a did not believe that guidance would cease during the occultation of a respective Imam. Sometimes there are physical boundaries that may block us from the Imam’s teachings, and this was the case with some of the early Imams as well. Imam `Ali b. al-Husayn عليه السلام was imprisoned, and when he was freed, he and his successors lived their lives as quietists. They preached in taqiyya and entrusted their teachings only with their devoted Shi`a. Imam Musa al-Kadhim عليه السلام, too, was imprisoned twice in his lifetime; and thus the apparent guidance of the Imams was limited (or even halted) at times.

 

However, the Imams taught us that their guidance was also metaphysical matter. Allah channels His guidance through His vicegerent, and we are connected to Allah by him.

 

محمد بن يحيى العطار، عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى، عن أبن أبي عمير، عن الحسن بن محبوب، عن داود الرقي، عن العبد الصالح عليه السلام قال: إن الحجة لا تقوم لله على خلقه إلا بامام حتى يعرف

Muhammad b. Yahya al-`Attar from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. `Isa from ibn Abi `Umayr from al-Hasan b. Mahbub from Dawud ar-Raqi from the Righteous Servant عليه السلام. He said: The proof is not established for Allah upon His creation but by an Imam so that He may be recognized. (al-Kafi, Volume 1, hadith 438)
 

Here, Imam Musa al-Kadhim عليه السلام confirms that the existence of an Imam is a means by which Allah is recognized. While the guidance of the earlier Imams was later written in books, this hadith establishes that even an Imam whose activities are minimal plays a necessary role in bringing the believers closer to Allah. At the time of Imam `Ali b. al-Husayn عليه السلام, there were no books of reference besides the Qur’an, and the scholars of pure Islam were few. Nonetheless, his status as a hujja is not questioned by anyone. Even in his condition in jail or in his silent devotion to Allah, he was the guide that was mentioned in 13:7 and he was the one by which the people of his era recognized Allah. Despite his quietism, the Shi`a began to flourish in his lifetime by the grace of Allah.

 

علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن محمد بن أبي عمير، عن منصور بن يونس وسعدان ابن مسلم، عن إسحاق بن عمار، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: سمعته يقول: إن الارض لا تخلو إلا وفيها إمام، كيما إن زاد المؤمنون شيئا ردهم، وإن نقصوا شيئا أتمه لهم.

`Ali b. Ibrahim from his father from Muhammad b. Abi `Umayr from Mansoor b. Yunus and Sa`dan b. Muslim from Is`haq b. `Ammar from Abu `Abdillah عليه السلام. He said: I heard him say: The Earth is not left but with an Imam therein, so that if the believers added something [to the religion] it is brought back, and if they reduced something it is completed for them. (al-Kafi, Volume 1, hadith 443)
 

This hadith is very straight forward: it says that the existence of an Imam is perpetual, and that his role is to cut innovation from the religion and to perfect the religion of the believers. Again, this must also apply at times when the Imam’s physical role is inactive in appearance. If we had only been acting upon the religion of the preceding Imams, then there would be no need for a current Imam. This hadith implies that the Imam is active whenever innovation is added or taqseer is applied, and this happens in every era. Mu’ayyad ad-Deen al-Shirazi, the Fatimi Isma`ili theologian, mocked the Shi`a for their belief in the Hidden Imam, saying that an apparent Caliph is necessary in enforcing the ahkam and facilitating the practice of the pillars of Islam. However, we have seen that the pillars of Islam were dissolved from their religion, and yet they remain a regular practice of millions of Imamis in the world. In every generation, the Shi`a have had scholars that have renewed and refined the religion. The absolute lack of renewal and refinement in a religious tradition is a proof against it, as Allah increases His guidance to one who believes.

 

على بن ابراهيم، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن يونس، عن ابن مسكان، عن ابى بصير ، عن أحدهما عليهما السلام قال: قال: إن الله لم يدع الارض بغير عالم ولو لا ذلك لم يعرف الحق من الباطل

`Ali b. Ibrahim from Muhammad b. `Isa from Yunus from ibn Muskan from Abu Baseer from one of the two عليهما السلام. He said: He said: Allah does not leave the Earth without an `alim; for if that were so, the truth would not be distinguishable from the falsehood. (al-Kafi, Volume 1, hadith 446)
 

We find that the existence of a hujja is not only part in parcel with the existence of humanity, but it is also vital to our ability to distinguish truth from falsehood. The Imam guides the believers to the path that is desired by Allah. If what the Waqifis had argued were true, and the seventh Imam عليه السلام went into occultation as the Qa’im of the Family of Muhammad, then no one would have recognized this fact for at least one thousand years. The world would have been plunged into a state where truth was indeed indistinguishable from falsehood. But with the existence of a hujja, this could not have happened, and this sahih narration guarantees that. There cannot be an Imam and utter misguidance – there must always be guidance, and the existence of a community of believers is a proof for that guidance.
 

The ahadith that establish the perpetual existence of a hujja and Allah’s guidance number are as sahih and as mutawatir as Shiism itself. Hundreds of traditions that support this theme come from both the earlier and the later Imams. Doubting that this teaching belongs to them would be a hopeless gesture.

 

 

The beliefs of the Waqifa

 

Because very little from the original Waqifi tradition exists, any revival of the movement would need to utilize Twelver works extensively. The `aqeeda of the Waqifa, besides the belief in seven Imams, is a mystery. The fiqh upheld by the Waqifa is also unknown. The tafsir of the Qur’an is absent. A historical narrative does not exist. A system of authentication ahadith was not invented. An eschatology is not understood. If these things had existed, and if Allah and His hujja wished to guide us to it, then the revival of the historical Waqifa would have been possible in every generation. However, we know that the Waqifa only existed as a realistic contender with the Imamiyya for one or two generations. By the time of Shaykh al-Mufid, few Waqifis existed – and we do not have much reason to believe otherwise – and by the time of Najashi, the last of the major Waqifi shaykhs were converting to the Imamiyya. From the pre-occultation narrators and transmitters of hadith in Twelver books, only a few over one hundred men exist. We do not have the books that they authored other than this Fii Nusrat al-Waqifa, a book of a mere thirty-nine traditions that is quoted along with a refutation to it in Tusi’s Ghayba.

A serious question must be asked: why would Allah preserve His universal religion in the books of the disbelievers?  The neo-Waqifa have accused scholars like Shaykh as-Saduq and Shaykh al-Kulayni of fabricating and altering chains and traditions in their books, and so if this were the case, why would they be the sole trusted mediums through which one can attain pure Islam?
 

Even if one were to only take the narrations of Waqifi transmitters when reconstructing the Waqifa, and assume that these were indeed their traditions, one would not be able to have a complete religion. The historical practice of the Waqifa cannot be revived because so little of the Waqifi `aqeeda, fiqh, tafsir, history, rijal, and eschatology survives. All of what does survive is transmitted by Imamis and collected in Imami books.
 

Unfortunately, one of the only means to understanding Waqifi theology is through the Imami heresographies, and from them, a picture is painted of a community that was divided and confused on their most central issue: the position of Imam Musa al-Kadhim عليه السلام. The Waqifa were not a monolith, and while differences of opinion are tolerated in virtually all religious denomenations, the ikhtilaf that existed within the Waqifa was on their most fundamental issue. All of them were in agreement that he was the Qa’im, but beyond this, there were differences of opinion as to whether he was alive, whether he was on Earth, and whether or not the Imams that had succeeded him were his representatives.

From al-Hasan b. Musa Nawbakhti’s Firaq:
 

            Some of them (i.e. the Waqifa) denied that he (i.e. al-Kadhim عليه السلام) was killed. They said that he had died and that Allah had lifted him up to His domain and that He would send him back when he rose. All of these were called the Waqifa, because they stopped at Musa b. Ja`far – as the imam al-Qa’im. They did not follow an imam after him, nor did they pass him and follow another. Those of them who claimed that he was alive, said that al-Rida عليه السلام and his successors were not imams; rather, they were [Musa’s] deputies – one after another – until the time of his return, and that people have to obey them and follow their orders… Another sect said, “We do not know whether he is dead or alive, because we have narrated many stories about his being al-Qa’im al-Mahdi. It is not permissible to retract them. We have also received true accounts about the death of his father, his grandfather, and his othe ancestors, peace be upon them. This is also something that we cannot dispute, because of its publicity and authenticity, so that it cannot be considered some sort of conspiracy – for death is our just fate and Allah, the Exalted, does whatever He wills. Therefore, we stopped and hesitated to choose between confirming his death or his being alive. Meanwhile, we continue to adhere to his Imamate. We will not move to another [imam] until we become certain about his affair and the veracity of this slef-appointed man, who claimed the Imamate,” meaning `Ali b. Musa al-Rida. “If his Imamate becomes authenticated, like his father’s Imamate, through essential signs and proofs that he is the Imam and that his father has died, and not through the stories of his associates, we will believe him and give him our loyalty.”
 

Therefore, Waqifi individuals and communities upheld the following irreconcilable beliefs:

• Imam Musa al-Kadhim عليه السلام died and was (or will be) resurrected and lifted to Allah’s domain.
• He did not die, but rather, he went into occultation.
• Uncertainty and tawaqquf on whether or not the Imam was alive.
• The Imams after him were awsiya’ that would represent him until his uprising.
• The Imams after him were liars whose Imamates could not be established.

As we can see, some of these positions have not only contradicted the earlier narrations, but they contradict each other. Because Allah interferes in our affairs and guides us out of His mercy and lutf, it would be unreasonable to believe that that one community who had His truth in the last fourteen hundred years would not be able to agree upon something so fundamental. The recognition of a divine authority is what sets the Shi`a apart from other sects, yet this issue is put into question in the Waqifi creed.

Those who believed that al-Kadhim عليه السلام had died without leaving a successor behind have gone against the very sahih and very mutawatir notion that Allah does not leave the Earth without a hujja. Those who believed that al-Kadhim عليه السلام was lifted – much like `Isa b. Maryam عليه السلام – have also denied the existence of Allah’s hujja on Earth, which is a very well-established doctrine in Shiism. Those who believed that ar-Rida عليه السلام was the wasi of al-Kadhim عليه السلام while still maintaining the Qa’imiyya of al-Kadhim عليه السلام have also fallen into fallacies – so much so that the neo-Waqifis have not considered taking this position despite the explicit evidence for it found in Fii Nusrat al-Waqifa. There is absolutely no indication that Imam ar-Rida عليه السلام supported the Waqifi claims, and on the contrary, he and the succeeding Imams had repeatedly gone against the Waqifa and converted many of them back to the Imamiyya.
 

The only position left is the idea that Musa al-Kadhim عليه السلام was the Mahdi in occultation somewhere on Earth – a belief that many Waqifis would have opposed. Even if it were upheld by the neo-Waqifa, it removes the Imam’s position as a guide to humanity, which is the reason why the institution of Imamate exists to begin with. If al-Kadhim عليه السلام were the Qa’im, then not only did he fail in guiding all of humanity in the last millennium, but he also did not guide his few followers into any collective certainty on these fundamental issues.

 

Guidance during the occultation

 

Although the occultation is a time of confusion and dismay, it is also a time where the guidance of Allah remains perpetual. Many will have incorrect beliefs regarding their Imam and be confused about the religion, and the neo-Waqifis have presented a few traditions to support this view.

 

ابن المغيرة بإسناده، عن السكوني، عن الصادق، عن آبائه عليهم السلام قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: [إن] الاسلام بدا غريبا وسيعود غريبا كما بدا، فطوبى للغرباء .

Ibn al-Mughira by his isnad from as-Sakuni from as-Sadiq from his fathers عليهم السلام. He said: The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله said: Islam began as a stranger and will return to being a stranger as it had begun, so blessed are the strangers.
 

In this narration, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله foretells the misguidance that would come after him. Just as Islam began with few followers in Mecca, whose beliefs were strange to those surrounding them, the Umma would soon return to this state. And indeed, there were many points in Shi`i history where the believers were few and misguidance was prevelant. After the death of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله, the narrations indicate that only three believers were left amongst the companions: Salman al-Farisi, Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, and Miqdad b. al-Aswad. The rest of the pious companions came back the Islam soon thereafter. Likewise, after the tragedy in Karbala’, the number of `Ali b. al-Husayn’s عليه السلام companions were only five. In the end times, it is expected that the number of believers would, again, be few.

 

عبد الواحد بن عبد الله، عن أحمد بن محمد بن رباح، عن أحمد بن علي الحميري عن [الحسن بن أيوب، عن عبد الكريم الخثعمي عن أحمد بن] (4) الحسن بن أبان، عن عبد الله بن عطا، عن شيخ من الفقهاء يعني أبا عبد الله عليه السلام قال: سألته عن سيرة المهدي كيف سيرته ؟ قال: يصنع ما صنع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله يهدم ما كان قبله، كما هدم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله أمر الجاهلية ويستأنف الاسلام جديدا.

`Abd al-Wahid b. `Abdullah from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Rabah from Ahmad b. `Ali al-Himyari from [al-Hasan b. Ayyub from `Abd al-Karim al-Khath`ami from Ahmad b.] al-Hasan b. Aban from `Abdullah b. `Ata from a shaykh of the fuqaha – meaning Abu `Abdillah عليه السلام. He said: I asked him about the conduct of the Mahdi, how will his conduct be? He said: He will act as the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله acted, destroying what is before him as the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله destroyed the affair of Jahiliyya, recommencing Islam anew.

 

When the Qa’im arrives, he will bring with him an amr that will be different from the one that will exist at that time. This new command (or affair) will be the abandonment of taqiyya and the open teaching the religion of his predecessors. Because misguidance would be prevelant, just as it was at certain parts of early Islamic history, the Mahdi’s ministry would be a recommencing of Islam. The Mahdi is a figure that is much like the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله – he will rise amidst ignorance and injustice, and he will replace that with guidance and justice by force.

 

أحمد بن إدريس، عن علي بن محمد بن قتيبة، عن الفضل بن شاذان، عن أحمد بن محمد بن أبي نصر قال: قال أبو الحسن عليه السلام: أما والله لا يكون الذي تمدون إليه أعينكم حتى تميزوا أو تمحصوا، حتى لا يبقى منكم إلا الاندر، ثم تلا (أم حسبتم أن تتركوا ولما يعلم الله الذين جاهدوا منكم) ويعلم الصابرين

 

Ahmad b. Idris from `Ali b. Muhammad b. Qutayba from al-Fadl b. Shadhan from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Abi Nasr.
 

He said: Abu’l Hasan عليه السلام said: By Allah, what your eyes are set upon will not occur until you become distinguished or refine, until none of you remain except the most select. He then recited, “Do you think that you will be left [as you are] while Allah has not yet made evident those among you who strive…” (9:16) and He knows the patient ones. (Tusi’s Ghayba)

 

This hadith further establishes that the Shi`at `Ali would dwindle in number, but not disappear. The masses of partisans would gradually become a smaller community of dedicated believers. This narration does not support the view that the believers would disappear for a thousand years and return. Rather, it discusses the refining of the Shi`a, so much so that only the most distinguished remain. Part of this process – in my opinion – was the extinction of rival groups, such as the Fat`hiyya, the Nawusiyya, the Kaysaniyya, the Jarudiyya, the Mubarakiyya, the Bazighiyya, the Dhammiyya, the Ghurabiyya, the Ya’furiyya, the Hafithiyya, and yes, the Waqifiyya too. The other side to this dwindling would be the misguidance of shaytan during the ghayba, which would seep into the Shi`a, causing them to stop practicing and apostatize. Despite this, this hadith and others like it indicate that there would indeed be a pious and believing community, albeit small. Although the modern Twelver community grows in number, we see today that the true believers are becoming rarer to find, and it will continue to be this way until the Day of Judgment. The companions that would rise with the Qa’im would the best of the believers, each of them receiving the reward of fifty of the Prophet’s companions.

 

Falsehood and confusion would reign during the ghayba, and the return of the Mahdi would put an end to this perplexity. The ahadith discuss what the confused people will argue regarding the Hidden Imam:

1. The Mahdi has yet to be born. Imam al-Kadhim عليه السلام said, “The people will say, ‘the Patron of this affair has not yet been born’.” (Kamal ad-Deen)
2. The Mahdi has died.
3. The Mahdi has gone into hiding.

The neo-Waqifa have argued that Imam Musa عليه السلام fits some of these conditions better than the twelfth Imam, because the world is in agreement that al-Kadhim عليه السلام had died. However, the world is also in agreement that all of his predecessors have died. The universal assumption that one is dead is not indicative to his being the Qa’im, because the billions of people who have died, been washed, been prayed upon, and been buried have met this criteria.
 

To say, however, that this point is unique to al-Kadhim عليه السلام is incorrect. After the Twelfth Imam had entered the major occultation, many believed that he had actually died. But with books like Nu`mani’s Ghayba, it became clear that the Imam was not dead, but rather, he had entered a new phase in his occultation.

Still, an argument is made in light of the following tradition and those like it:

 

حدثنا محمد بن موسى بن المتوكل رضي الله عنه قال : حدثنا علي بن إبراهيم عن أبيه إبراهيم بن هاشم ، عن عبد الله بن حماد الأنصاري ، ومحمد بن سنان جميعا ، عن أبي الجارود زياد بن المنذر ، عن أبي جعفر محمد بن علي الباقر عليهما السلام قال : قال لي : يا أبا الجارود إذا دارت الفلك ، وقال الناس : مات القائم أو هلك ، بأي واد سلك ، وقال الطالب : أنى يكون ذلك وقد بليت عظامه فعند ذلك فارجوه ، فإذا سمعتم به فأتوه ولو حبوا على الثلج

 

Muhammad b. Musa b. al-Mutawakkil رضي الله عنه narrated. He said: `Ali b. Ibrahim narrated from his father Ibrahim b. Hashim from `Abdullah b. Hamad al-Ansari and Muhammad b. Sinan together from Abu’l Jarud Ziyad b. al-Mundhir from Abu Ja`far Muhammad b. `Ali al-Baqir عليهما السلام. He said:
 

He said to me: O Abu’l Jarud, if the heavens were to turn, and the people say “the Qa’im has died, or was destroyed; [nay] which valley has he travelled to?” and the demander says, “is he this one, while his bones have decayed?”, at that point will be his appearance. If you hear of it, join him, even if you must crawl on ice. (Kamal ad-Deen)

 

The part in question is where one asks, upon the arrival of the Mahdi, “is he this one, while his bones have decayed?” This means that some will be surprised to see that the man عليه السلام is not dead. While we believe that the seventh Imam was killed, other candidates for Qa’imiyya fit this criteria too: the Nawusiyya said that Imam Ja`far as-Sadiq عليه السلام had not died and that he was the Qa’im in occultation, and other sects made similar claims. If as-Sadiq عليه السلام were to appear, we too would be surprised and this prophecy would seem to fit him. However, the reason why these two Imams cannot fulfill this prophecy is because the notion that the Qa’im had died would not be the sole belief upheld by the masses. As this narration and other traditions indicate, prior to the Qa’im’s uprising, there would be people that believe that he is indeed alive and hidden.
 

While those who do not recognize the occultation of the Twelfth Imam عليه السلام have simply denied his existence – as opposed to upholding a belief in his death – we do not know what the people will believe at the time of the Qa’im’s appearance. New reasons may be found in the future, prior to the rise of the Qa’im, that would cause people to believe that the Twelfth Imam عليه السلام had died. Just as people believed this in the past, the belief can plausibly return in the future. It is yet another prophecy that we await to be fulfilled.

We can be certain that al-Kadhim عليه السلام was not the Qa’im through several narrations on this topic. Even in the state of occultation, Allah does not allow misguidance to consume all people. Rather, the ahadith indicate that there would be a community of believers during occultations of the past and the future who would be upon a correct religion.

 

حدثنا أبي، ومحمد بن الحسن رضي الله عنهما قالا: حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله، وعبد الله بن جعفر الحميري، ومحمد بن يحيى العطار، وأحمد بن إدريس جميعا، عن محمد ابن الحسين بن أبي الخطاب، وأحمد بن محمد بن عيسى، وأحمد بن محمد بن خالد البرقي وإبراهيم بن هاشم جميعا، عن الحسن بن علي بن فضال، عن ثعلبة بن ميمون، عن مالك الجهني، وحدثنا محمد بن الحسن بن أحمد بن الوليد رضي الله عنه قال: حدثنا محمد بن الحسن الصفار، وسعد بن عبد الله، عن عبد الله بن محمد الطيالسي، عن منذر بن – محمد بن قابوس، عن النصر بن أبي السري، عن أبي داود سليمان بن سفيان المسترق، عن ثعلبة بن ميمون، عن مالك الجهني، عن الحارث بن المغيرة النصري، عن الأصبغ ابن نباتة قال: أتيت أمير المؤمنين علي بن أبي طالب عليه السلام فوجدته متفكرا ينكت في الأرض، فقلت: يا أمير المؤمنين مالي أراك متفكرا تنكت في الأرض أرغبت فيها؟ فقال: لا والله ما رغبت فيها ولا في الدنيا يوما قط ولكن فكرت في مولود يكون من ظهري الحادي عشر من ولدي، هو المهدي يملأها عدلا كما ملئت جورا وظلما، تكون له حيرة وغيبة، يضل فيها أقوام ويهتدي فيها آخرون، فقلت: يا أمير المؤمنين وإن هذا لكائن؟ فقال: نعم كما أنه مخلوق وأنى لك بالعلم بهذا الامر يا أصبغ أولئك خيار هذه الأمة مع إبرار هذه العترة، قلت: وما يكون بعد ذلك؟ قال: ثم يفعل الله ما يشاء فإن له إرادات وغايات ونهايات.

 

 

My father and Muhammad b. al-Hasan رضي الله عنهما narrated. They said: Sa`d b. `Abdillah, `Abdillah b. Ja`far al-Himyari, Muhammad b. Yahya al-`Attar, and Ahmad b. Idris together narrated from Muhammad b. al-Husayn b. Abu’l Khattab from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. `Isa, Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Khalid al-Barqi, and Ibrahim b. Hashim together from al-Hasan b. `Ali b. Faddal from Tha`laba b. Maymun from Maalik al-Juhni. And Muhammad b. al-Hasan b. Ahmad b. al-Walid رضي الله عنه narrated. He said: Muhamad b. al-Hasan as-Saffar and Sa`d b. `Abdillah narrated from `Abdillah b. Muhammad al-Tayalasi from Mundhir b. Muhammad b. Qabus from an-Nasr b. Abi as-Sari from Abu Dawud Sulayman b. Sufyan al-Mustariq from Tha`laba b. Maymun from Maalik al-Juhni from al-Harith b. al-Mughira an-Nasri from al-Asbagh b. Nubata.

 

He said: I came to Amir al-Mu’mineen `Ali b. Abi Talib عليه السلام and I saw him contemplating and drawing lines in the earth. So I said to him: O Amir al-Mu’mineen, why do I see you contemplating and drawing lines in the earth? Is it out of desire for the earth? He said: No, by Allah, I have never desired anything in it, nor in the world for even one day. Rather, I was thinking about one who will be born from my offspring – the eleventh from my sons. He is the Mahdi, who will fill the Earth with equity as it will have been fraught with injustice and oppression. There will be a perplexity and occultation related to him, through which some communities will go astray and others will be guided. So I said to him: O Amir al-Mu’mineen, is this to happen? He said: Yes, it is as though he were created already, and I have knowledge of this affair for you (?). O Asbagh, those are the best of this Umma with the pious of this progeny. I said to him: And what will happen after that? He said: Allah will do what He wishes, for He has wills, objectives, and outcomes. (Kamal ad-Deen)

 

This hadith is widely narrated by many important individuals, and it can correctly be traced up to Shi`i giants like ibn Faddal and Tha`laba b. Maymun. Here, Imam `Ali عليه السلام says, “some communities will go astray and others will be guided” during the occultation. This point further supports the doctrine that the guidance of Allah is perpetual, even during the ghayba, as it speaks of communities being guided and becoming believers, rather than there being utter misguidance. This further supports the Twelver position, which is that the believers are few, but not zero.

 

حدثنا أبي رحمه الله قال : حدثنا محمد بن يحيى العطار ، عن يعقوب ابن يزيد ، عن محمد بن أبي عمير ، عن سعد بن أبي خلف ، عن يعقوب بن شعيب ، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال : كان بين عيسى وبين محمد عليهما السلام خمسمائة عام منها مائتان وخمسون عاما ليس فيها نبي ولا عالم ظاهر ، قلت : فما كانوا ؟ قال : كانوا متمسكين بدين عيسى عليه السلام ، قلت : فما كانوا ؟ قال : كانوا مؤمنين ، ثم قال عليه السلام : ولا يكون الارض إلا وفيها عالم.

 

My father رحمه الله narrated. He said: Muhammad b. Yahya al-`Attar narrated from Ya`qub b. Yazid from Muhammad b. Abi `Umayr from Sa`d b. Abu Khalaf from Ya`qub b. Shu`ayb from Abu `Abdillah عليه السلام.

 

He said: Between `Isa and Muhammad عليهما السلام there was [a period of] five hundred years, from them were two hundred and fifty years in which there was no apparent prophet or scholar (`alim). I said: So how were they? He said: They were grasping the religion of `Isa عليه السلام. I said: So how were they? He said: They were believers. Then, he عليه السلام said: And the Earth does not remain except with a scholar (`alim) therein. (Kamal ad-Deen)

 

Here, the Imam عليه السلام speaks of an earlier occultation, sometime in between `Isa b. Maryam عليه السلام and the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله. Despite there being no apparent `alim, it describes a community of believers that had held onto the true religion of `Isa عليه السلام. The Imam then ends the narrative with the mutawatir notion that Allah never leaves the world without an `alim. This implies that, whether the Imam is visible or not, he will continue his mission of guidance. That guidance translates into the existence of believers, which the Waqifa have lacked for over a millennium.

 

ابن الوليد عن الصفار عن سعد والحميري معا عن ابن أبي الخطاب عن ابن أسباط عن ابن عميرة عن زيد الشحام عن أبي عبد الله (ع) قال إن صالحا (ع) غاب عن قومه زمانا وكان يوم غاب عنهم كهلا مبدح البطن حسن الجسم وافر اللحية خميص البطن خفيف العارضين مجتمعا ربعة من الرجال فلما رجع إلى قومه لم يعرفوه بصورته فرجع إليهم وهم على ثلاث طبقات—طبقة جاحدة لا ترجع أبدا وأخرى شاكة فيه وأخرى على يقين فبدأ (ع) حيث رجع بطبقة الشكاك. فقال لهم أنا صالح فكذبوه وشتموه وزجروه وقالوا برئ الله منك إن صالحاً كان في غير صورتك قال فأتى الجحاد فلم يسمعوا منه القول ونفروا منه أشد النفور ثم انطلق إلى الطبقة الثالثة وهم أهل اليقين. فقال لهم: أنا صالح فقالوا: أخبرنا خبرا لا نشك فيك معه أنك صالح فانا لانمتري أن الله تبارك وتعالى الخالق ينقل ويحول في أي الصور شاء وقد اخبرنا وتدارسنا فيما بيننا بعلامات القائم إذا جاء، وإنما صح عندنا إذا أتى الخبر من السماء. فقال لهم صالح: أنا صالح الذي أتيتكم بالناقة فقالوا صدقت وهي التي نتدارس فما علاماتها فقال: لها شرب ولكم شرب يوم معلوم قالوا: آمنا بالله وبما جئتنا به فعند ذلك.

قال الله تبارك وتعالى: إن صالحا مرسل من ربه، قال أهل اليقين: إنا بما ارسل به مؤمنون. وقال الذين استكبروا وهم الشكاك والجحاد إنا بالذي آمنتم به كافرون. قلت: هل كان فيهم ذلك اليوم عالم؟ قال: الله تعالى أعدل من أن يترك الأرض بغير عالم يدل على الله تبارك وتعالى ولقد مكث القوم بعد خروج صالح سبعة أيام على فترة لا يعرفون إماما غير أنهم على ما في أيديهم من دين الله(عز و جل) كلمتهم واحدة، فلما ظهر صالح (ع) اجتمعوا عليه، وإنما مثل (علي و) القائم مثل صالح (ع).

 

Ibn al-Walid from as-Saffar from Sa`d and al-Himyari together from ibn Abu’l Khattab from ibn Asbat from ibn `Umayra from Zayd ash-Shahham from Abu `Abdillah عليه السلام.

 

He said: Salih عليه السلام disappeared from his community for a long period, and the day he disappeared from them he was an elderly man of an exceptional interior, a handsome physique, a dense beard, a delicate abdomen, and small cheeks. Altogether, he was of an average build amongst men. When he returned to his people, they did not recognize him with the appearance he had. When he returned, they were of three groups: One group rejected him, saying, “Do not ever come back”. One group had doubted him. And the last group was upon certainty (yaqeen). When he عليه السلام returned, he began with the doubting group and said to them: I am Salih. They belied, cursed, and snubbed him; and said to him: Allah is disassociated from you! Salih was in a figure other than yours. He (i.e. the Imam) said: He then went to the rejecters, but they did not listen to his word and they dispersed from him in a very cruel manner. Then he went to the third group, who were the people of certainty (Ahl al-Yaqeen). So he said to them: I am Salih. So they said: Inform us of something so that we may not doubt that you are Salih, for we do not doubt that Allah تبارك وتعالى is the Creator, and He transfers and transforms His servants into any figure He wills; Salih had informed us and taught us when he was amongst us the signs of the coming of the Qa’im; that a word is true when it comes before us from the heavens. So Salih said to them: I am the Salih that brought you the calf. They said: You have spoken the truth; this is what we have been studying. So, what are its signs? He said: There is a drink for it (i.e. the calf) and a drink for you on a specified day. They said: We have believed in Allah and in what you have brought to us.
 

[Then] Allah تبارك وتعالى said: Verily, Salih is a messenger from his Lord. The people of certainty (Ahl al-Yaqeen) said: We believe in what he has been sent with. And those who were arrogant, who were the doubters and the rejecters, said: We are disbelievers in that which you have believed. So I (i.e. the narrator) said: Was there in that period (yawm) a scholar (`alim) amongst them? He said: Allah تبارك وتعالى is more just than to leave the Earth without a scholar (`alim) who would guide to Allah تبارك وتعالى. The community remained seven days after the exit of Salih, a period in which they did not know any Imam, except the religion of Allah عز و جل they had in their hands, and their word was one. When Salih عليه السلام appeared, they united around him. Verily, the example of [`Ali and] the Qa’im is like Salih’s عليه السلام. (Kamal ad-Deen)

 

This hadith makes the overt comparison between the Qa’im and the prophet Salih عليه السلام. During his occultation, the community was still under the divine authority of Salih even though he had been hidden from them. Yet, the believers grasped the religion of Salih. Upon his return, the Imam عليه السلام describes that the nation was in three camps: a group of rejectors, a group of doubters, and a group of believers. This is also the case with the occultation and return of the Twelfth Imam عليه السلام – there are believers, doubters, and rejectors in our era, and those who believe are grasping the religion of the Ahl al-Bayt عليه السلام. This parallel to Salih عليه السلام cannot be applied to the Waqifa, because there have been no means to grasp their religion, nor has there been a community that was upon any yaqeen. Even the historical Waqifa and the neo-Waqifa have no certainty in al-Kadhim عليه السلام being alive.

 

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ زِيَادِ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ الْهَمَدَانِيُّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ هَاشِمٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي أَحْمَدَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ الْأَزْدِيِّ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ سَيِّدِي مُوسَى بْنَ جَعْفَرٍ ع عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَ‏ وَ أَسْبَغَ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعَمَهُ ظاهِرَةً وَ باطِنَةً فَقَالَ ع النِّعْمَةُ الظَّاهِرَةُ الْإِمَامُ الظَّاهِرُ وَ الْبَاطِنَةُ الْإِمَامُ الْغَائِبُ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ وَ يَكُونُ فِي الْأَئِمَّةِ مَنْ يَغِيبُ قَالَ نَعَمْ يَغِيبُ عَنْ أَبْصَارِ النَّاسِ شَخْصُهُ وَ لَا يَغِيبُ عَن‏ قُلُوبِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ذِكْرُهُ وَ هُوَ الثَّانِي عَشَرَ مِنَّا يُسَهِّلُ اللَّهُ لَهُ كُلَّ عَسِيرٍ وَ يُذَلِّلُ لَهُ كُلَّ صَعْبٍ وَ يُظْهِرُ لَهُ كُنُوزَ الْأَرْضِ وَ يُقَرِّبُ لَهُ كُلَّ بَعِيدٍ وَ يُبِيرُ بِهِ كُلَّ جَبَّارٍ عَنِيدٍ وَ يُهْلِكُ عَلَى يَدِهِ كُلَّ شَيْطَانٍ مَرِيدٍ ذَلِكَ ابْنُ سَيِّدَةِ الْإِمَاءِ الَّذِي تَخْفَى عَلَى النَّاسِ وِلَادَتُهُ وَ لَا يَحِلُّ لَهُمْ تَسْمِيَتُهُ حَتَّى يُظْهِرَهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَيَمْلَأَ الْأَرْضَ قِسْطاً وَ عَدْلًا كَمَا مُلِئَتْ جَوْراً وَ ظُلْما

 

Ahmad b. Ziyad b. Ja`far al-Hamadani رضي الله عنه narrated. He said: `Ali b. Ibrahim b. Hashim narrated from his father from Abu Ahmad Muhammad b. Ziyad al-Azidi.

He said: I asked my master Musa b. Ja`far عليه السلام about the saying of Allah عز و جل, “…and He lavished upon you His favours, both apparent (thahir) and hidden (batin)…” (31:20). He عليه السلام said: The apparent favour is an apparent Imam, and the hidden favour is an occulted Imam. So I said to him: And will there be any [imam] who is occulted from amongst the Imams? He said: Yes, his person will be occulted from the people’s sight, but his remembrance will not be occulted from the believers’ hearts. And he is the twelfth from us. Allah eases all difficulties for him, helps him overcome all adversities, makes apparent to him the treasures of the Earth, brings close to him all that is remote, eradicates the immensely arrogant through him, and with his hand destroys every disciple of Satan. He is the child of the master of slave women; he is whose birth will be concealed from the people, and whose name is not permissible to be named until Allah عز و جل makes him apparent and fills the Earth with equity and justice as it would have been fraught with injustice and oppression. (Kamal ad-Deen)

 

Here, not only does the Righteous Servant عليه السلام say that the Twelfth Imam عليه السلام would be hidden, but he also says that the Imam’s remembrance would remain in the hearts of believers. If al-Kadhim عليه السلام were the Mahdi, then the hearts of the believers would have been able to ascertain him amidst his ghayba for the past millennium. On the other hand, the son of al-`Askari عليه السلام did indeed go into ghayba and his remembrance has been perpetual in a community of believers, just as this hadith prophesies.

The narratiosn on this topic are many, and it is clear that the religion of Allah and a community of believers would remain during the period of occultation.

 

Conclusions
 

Through many verses, ahadith, and rational arguments, it is well established within Shiism that Allah’s guidance in the world is perpetual. Even during times of trial, such as the occultation of the Hidden Imam عليه السلام, the affect of the hujja is present and the religion of Allah is available. The believers follow that which is in their hands and they await the revolution of the Qa’im عليه السلام. This article only addresses a few points, and a further examination of this theme is necessary. However, let the sources we did present today speak on behalf of Allah’s justice and mercy.

Edited July 4, 2013 by Qa'im

[Qa'im]

Edit: I seem to have posted an older version of my conclusions. Here is the correct version:

 

Conclusions:

 

Through many verses, ahadith, and rational arguments, it is well established within Shiism that Allah’s guidance in the world is perpetual. Even during times of trial, such as the occultation of the Hidden Imam عليه السلام, the effect of the hujja is present and the religion of Allah is available. The neo-Waqifa uphold that the Qur’an has been changed, that much of the tradition has been lost, that whatever survives has been tainted by Imamis, that there may not be a living Imam, and that a living Imam is incapable of guiding the believers during his occultation. If this were true, then truth itself would be absent from the Earth, and no pure medium between Allah and humanity would exist. And Allah is above all of that. The believers follow that which is in their hands and they await the revolution of the Qa’im عليه السلام. This article only addresses a few points, and a further examination of this topic is necessary. However, let the sources we have presented speak on behalf of Allah’s justice and mercy.

[Ethics]

MashAllah, may Allah reward you! Please make PDF files. And just a suggestion, rename your articles or add like refutation to waqfi or something like it, so its easier search results on the web.

[Abdul Qaim]

Edit: I seem to have posted an older version of my conclusions. Here is the correct version:

 

Conclusions:

 

Through many verses, ahadith, and rational arguments, it is well established within Shiism that Allah’s guidance in the world is perpetual. Even during times of trial, such as the occultation of the Hidden Imam عليه السلام, the effect of the hujja is present and the religion of Allah is available. The neo-Waqifa uphold that the Qur’an has been changed, that much of the tradition has been lost, that whatever survives has been tainted by Imamis, that there may not be a living Imam, and that a living Imam is incapable of guiding the believers during his occultation. If this were true, then truth itself would be absent from the Earth, and no pure medium between Allah and humanity would exist. And Allah is above all of that. The believers follow that which is in their hands and they await the revolution of the Qa’im عليه السلام. This article only addresses a few points, and a further examination of this topic is necessary. However, let the sources we have presented speak on behalf of Allah’s justice and mercy.

 

I don't want to put words in their mouths, but I'm not quite sure that what you have asserted is what they actually believe. At least not from my conversations with them, anyway.

[The Green Knight]

 

And hold fast to the rope of Allah, all of you together, and do not be divided; and remember Allah's favour on you, that when there was enmity between you, He created affection between your hearts, so due to His grace you became like brothers to each other; and you were on the edge of a pit of fire (hell), so He saved you from it; this is how Allah explains His verses to you, so that you may be guided.

[IbnSohan]

http://alkafi.net/vb/showthread.php?t=289

 

It seems as well that this belief was present in the Sunni school but somehow today it is very very exclusive to Shia. Mohamad bin Abdul Wahab was called Mujadid, salafists believed that Allah sends a reviver to religion each century. I think this is a remnant of the original belief.

 

Ibn Hajar Alasqalani in his comment on Bukhari said that in the prayer of Jesus behind a man from this Ummah with this being something to happen in the End of Times is strengthening the saheeh sayings that earth is never devoid from Hujja. This makes me wonder what were the saheeh saying that Ibn Hajr was referring to.

[Qa'im]

I don't want to put words in their mouths, but I'm not quite sure that what you have asserted is what they actually believe. At least not from my conversations with them, anyway.

 

Then perhaps you can ask them the following questions:

 

1. Is our present-day Qur'an the original that was revealed?

2. Have the Waqifi books of `aqeeda, fiqh, tafsir, history and eschatology been lost?

3. Have the Imamis tainted their books, chains, and narrations?

4. Is there a possibility that the current Imam is dead, or not on Earth?

5. Have there been Waqifis in the last 1000 years, by which we can assume that the Imam was guiding humanity?

 

If the answers to my questions are as I have said, then has Allah left the truth in any accessible place in the world? If this 39-hadith book is all we've got, a book preserved by a liar and fabricator, along with a tainted Qur'an, then what does this say about Allah's justice?

[rotten_coconut]

Bro Abdul Qaim,

As far as I know, tahrif in al-Quran is what the founder of the neo-Waqifi believes though it's not clear to me to what extent in tahrif he believes in.

As for the Waqifi belief on al-Quran, I don't know and I don't think we can absolutely know about this due to the lack of information on Waqifi after the dormant (death?) of the sect about more than 1000 years ago.

[Abdul Qaim]

Bro Abdul Qaim,

As far as I know, tahrif in al-Quran is what the founder of the neo-Waqifi believes though it's not clear to me to what extent in tahrif he believes in.

As for the Waqifi belief on al-Quran, I don't know and I don't think we can absolutely know about this due to the lack of information on Waqifi after the dormant (death?) of the sect about more than 1000 years ago.

 

Actually, there's reason to believe that tahreef was a common belief among most Imamis. Only post ghayba do we actually find some of our shuyookh, beginning with Sadooq, rejecting the notion. To suggest it is a uniquely Waqifi aqeedah is problematic, as much as many post-Ghayba scholars may like to distance themselves or re-interpret our traditions. Besides which, even post Sadooq, many Shi'ah still upheld the belief in tahreef of the Qur'aan, and continue to do so.

Edited July 6, 2013 by Abdul Qaim

[Abdul Qaim]

Then perhaps you can ask them the following questions:

 

1. Is our present-day Qur'an the original that was revealed?

2. Have the Waqifi books of `aqeeda, fiqh, tafsir, history and eschatology been lost?

3. Have the Imamis tainted their books, chains, and narrations?

4. Is there a possibility that the current Imam is dead, or not on Earth?

5. Have there been Waqifis in the last 1000 years, by which we can assume that the Imam was guiding humanity?

 

If the answers to my questions are as I have said, then has Allah left the truth in any accessible place in the world? If this 39-hadith book is all we've got, a book preserved by a liar and fabricator, along with a tainted Qur'an, then what does this say about Allah's justice?

 

Akhee, why don't you ask them yourself? You had a chance to confront them in the FB group yet you kept completely silent. You may argue that, as opposed to the FB group, this is an open forum (though the member's of the FB group were free to invite whomever they wished), but the reality is that SC is hardly neutral ground for debate.

 

Although there are some of us who keep an open mind and are open to unconventional possibilities, most users here are not really interested in an impartial examination of the facts, and are simply looking for someone with a modicum of hadeeth knowledge to stand up and stick it to the neo-Waqifah. You can pretty much post whatever you wish and are guaranteed a throng of people here to cheer in ecstatic approval.

 

Now I'm not saying you haven't made some very good points, at least with your second article, anyway, because you have. But there's no real debate here because it's not neutral ground, and the most basic parameters for discussion haven't been agreed to. For example, 'Ali b. Abi Hamza is a known liar according to you, yet the bulk of his ahadeeth are still accepted, with the excuse that those riwayaat narrated from him prior to his apostasy are still valid. It's sort of like wanting to have your cake and eat it too, though understandable given the problematic nature of someone of 'Ali b. Abi Hamza's status - one of the ashaab al-'ijma - being the chief da'ee for the Waqifah. Given your position, it is not entirely difficult to dismiss his waqf traditions out of hand.

 

Anyway, you yourself know that many things discussed in the FB group are not going to be uttered openly by your opponents and what has been posted on the new *******.org is only a fraction of the information that Mac produced. You know he's not interested in giving the nawaasib even more ammunition against us, and he doesn't really care about actively proselytizing. It's frustrating for me personally, but I know his niyyah is sincere. He'd rather have people remain Twelvers than apostasize and leave Tashayyu' altogether.

[Qa'im]

Actually, we had originally discussed some issues on a Facebook group, though the brother left it within a few days and created his own. He also made some public posts on Facebook, but when we answered he never wanted to "debate". Some time later, I was invited to the Waqifi Facebook group that you are familiar with, but was deleted/blocked off of his MSN and Skype. I made one post in public on the topic - which barely scratched the surface - and he requested that I don't discuss it in public. All of these things basically discouraged me from debating every little thing that was said in the group. So instead, I waited about 6 months for the brother to give this topic some more thought.

 

Before I'm blamed for making this a public issue, I don't believe I'm the one who started making public articles. Especially on a popular former-Twelver site. The Waqifiyya was originally presented as a discussion, a possibility, but over the last two months it has clearly become a religious movement. The brother is making da`wa to his religion, both publicly and privately. And so naturally, one would have to answer it. I wanted the Waqifis to build their case before I gave any kind of in-depth response, so that I'd look at all of their evidences together and make a judgment.

 

As I've said before, there's been many communication barriers, and now that I've deactivated Facebook, I see no other better place fit for this discussion. Yes, it's a "Twelver" forum, but I'm not going to start a blog separately for this issue when I could just as easily discuss it here. neo-Waqifism is a topic that concerns these forums and so it's the best place to discuss it, and not just a private corner somewhere. If the brother were concerned with the imaan of his fellow Shi`a, then he would not have uploaded his articles to tashayyu. Since they have, do I have much of a choice?

 

If you do wish to discuss with me in private, you know how to reach me akhi.

 

 

 

For example, 'Ali b. Abi Hamza is a known liar according to you, yet the bulk of his ahadeeth are still accepted, with the excuse that those riwayaat narrated from him prior to his apostasy are still valid. It's sort of like wanting to have your cake and eat it too, though understandable given the problematic nature of someone of 'Ali b. Abi Hamza's status - one of the ashaab al-'ijma - being the chief da'ee for the Waqifah. Given your position, it is not entirely difficult to dismiss his waqf traditions out of hand.

 

Our argument was not a simplistic "he's weak!", but something much deeper. Namely: the comparison between the Qa'im and Yusuf (as) was traced reliably to Yazid al-Kunasi, Sadeer al-Sayrafi, Muhammad b. Muslim, and even Abu Baseer, with mutun that lacked the "imprisonment" dimension. The argument that the correct parallel to Yusuf was ghayba + confusion has more sihha and tawatur than a very convenient narration going through the founder of Waqifism. Most of the narrations of `Ali b. Abi Hamza in our books are ones that can be supported by other tawatur, which means that his narrations were (mostly) filtered for content that matches the Imami `aqeeda. The imprisonment hadith does not mention `Ali b. Abi Hamza in the chain, but through Fii Nusrat al-Waqifa we can establish with some certainty that he is the missing transmitter.

More articles soon, inshaAllah.

Edited July 6, 2013 by Qa'im

[rotten_coconut]

Bro Abdul Qaim,

What I have said was the founder of *neo*-Waqifi (a.k.a. MacIsaac) believed in tahrif in some extent while I don't know what the belief of the (dormant) Waqifi sect itself on tahrif since the information on them was scarce.

Yes, Mac has mentioned that Banu Nawbakht believed in tahrif (in the extent that something was added or reduced from al-Qur'an). Even if this is true, it doesn't automatically mean that the *Waqifi* (not *neo-Waqifi*) believed the tahrif at this extent too since the lack of information on them & there are actually different levels of tahrif. For example, I believe in some extent of tahrif (tahrif in tafsir, in the order of surah, in qiraah), but not other extent (order of ayat in a surah, added or deleted words, ayah, or surah).

So, in terms of tahrif, the question to be asked is not whether the Shi'i believed it or not since some extent of tahrif definitely happened (i.e. in tafsir, order of surah), but at what extent a Shi'i believes it happened. For example, Shaykh Saduq didn't believe in tahrif in the extent of something was added or deleted from al-Quran, but we don't know his view about tahrif in qiraah. Probably he would have no problem to accept it since we have the ahadith saying Imam Mahdi (as) will bring the true qiraah at his zuhur.

Bro Qa'im,

While I (and some members) also expect your contribution in the Facebook group, I can understand your concern and thank you that you (and also bro Dar'ul_Islam) are willing to spend your time to create these series here in ShiaChat. I (and I believe also almost all of ShiaChat members) surely hope you continue your great work.

However, to ward off unconstructive posts or insults, I think the proper forum for this would be the Thinker's Discourse since it's moderated so at least there will be some kind of assurance that the posts are the relevant ones to the topic. Who knows, if the series are moved to the Thinker's Discourse, perhaps the neo-Waqifi are more willing to join since they would feel safer.

Btw, you closed your FB account? Why bro?

Edited July 6, 2013 by rotten_coconut

[Al-Hussayni]

May Allah reward you brother. Well Done. But I think you should carry on posting it here:

 

http://www.shiachat.com/forum/index.php?/topic/235011971-sevener-musawi-waqifism/

Edited July 6, 2013 by Labbayk

[Abdul Qaim]

@ Qa'im: I'll contact you soon, in sha Allah ...

@ Rotten Coconut: Sorry, I misunderstood. I still stand by what I said, however. Whilst it can't be conclusively proven either way, I personally believe that tahreef of the Qur'aan was the commonly accept by the Imamiyyah in the pre-Ghaybah (al-kubra) period.

[Islamic Salvation]

'Ali b. Abi Hamza is a known liar according to you, yet the bulk of his ahadeeth are still accepted, with the excuse that those riwayaat narrated from him prior to his apostasy are still valid. It's sort of like wanting to have your cake and eat it too, though understandable given the problematic nature of someone of 'Ali b. Abi Hamza's status - one of the ashaab al-'ijma - being the chief da'ee for the Waqifah. Given your position, it is not entirely difficult to dismiss his waqf traditions out of hand.

 

 

Akhi, Ali bin Abi Hamza is not part of the Ashab al-Ijma!

 

Secondly, the Allamah, Shahid II, Shaykh al-Hasan, Shaykh Muhammad, al-Khoei, al-Muhsini, al-Radhy line of Rijalism (which is a dominant trend) would reject Ali bin Abi Hamza outright, without differentiating.

Edited July 6, 2013 by Islamic Salvation

[Abdul Qaim]

Akhi, Ali bin Abi Hamza is not part of the Ashab al-Ijma!

 

Secondly, the Allamah, Shahid II, Shaykh al-Hasan, Shaykh Muhammad, al-Khoei, al-Muhsini, al-Radhy line of Rijalism (which is a dominant trend) would reject Ali bin Abi Hamza outright, without differentiating.

 

Sorry -  I got him mixed up with Zurara b. A'yan . I've been reading a thesis that examines an alleged dispute of his with as-Sadiq (as) and I have him on the brain. That said, he was arguably al-Kazhim's (as) chief wakeel, and that in itself is not insignificant .

 

I know that the strict rijaalists would reject ibn Abi Hamza, akhee, it's just that, rightly or wrongly, I still don't consider them to necessarily represent mainstream rijaalism (yes, I'm sure you will argue with me).

Edited July 6, 2013 by Abdul Qaim

[WilayaBlood]

Aslamalaykum,

 

Brilliant work brother, keep posting on shia chat so everyone can benefit inshaaAllah.
 

 

If the brother were concerned with the imaan of his fellow Shi`a, then he would not have uploaded his articles to tashayyu. Since they have, do I have much of a choice?

 

 

Couldn't have said it better.

[IbnSohan]

Sorry -  I got him mixed up with Zurara b. A'yan . I've been reading a thesis that examines an alleged dispute of his with as-Sadiq (as) and I have him on the brain. That said, he was arguably al-Kazhim's (as) chief wakeel, and that in itself is not insignificant .

 

I know that the strict rijaalists would reject ibn Abi Hamza, akhee, it's just that, rightly or wrongly, I still don't consider them to necessarily represent mainstream rijaalism (yes, I'm sure you will argue with me).

Ali b Isma'il b Ja'far was close to Iman kadhim, Imam was trusting him that some of the books(letters) that Imam sent to his Shia were written by the hand writing of Ali. This same person was the man who snitched on Imam kadhim and what for? Money! He snitched on his own uncle.

 

Albata'ini was wakil for Imam Ja'afar and Musa (not sure about chief) , he was the guide of Abu Basir the blind and he wrote a number of books depending on hadiths he learnt from Abu Basir.

 

How would the case of Ali b Ismail and Abu Hamzah Albata'ini differ?

[Abdul Qaim]

Ali b Isma'il b Ja'far was close to Iman kadhim, Imam was trusting him that some of the books(letters) that Imam sent to his Shia were written by the hand writing of Ali. This same person was the man who snitched on Imam kadhim and what for? Money! He snitched on his own uncle.

 

Albata'ini was wakil for Imam Ja'afar and Musa (not sure about chief) , he was the guide of Abu Basir the blind and he wrote a number of books depending on hadiths he learnt from Abu Basir.

 

How would the case of Ali b Ismail and Abu Hamzah Albata'ini differ?

 

 

There is at least one hadeeth that I have read that alleges that it was Muhammad b. Isma'il, and not his brother, 'Ali, who informed on his uncle, Musa (as). That would make some sense as it would have removed the primary Husaynid claimant for the Imamate which was coveted by Isma'il's progeny.

Edited July 11, 2013 by Abdul Qaim

[IbnSohan]

There is at least one hadeeth that I have read that alleges that it was Muhammad b. Isma'il, and not his brother, 'Ali, who informed on his uncle, Musa (as). That would make some sense as it would have removed the primary Husaynid claimant for the Imamate which was coveted by Isma'il's progeny.

The narrations differs on the name of the informer. There are three names suggested : Muhamad b Ja'afar , Ali b Isma'il or his brother Muhamad b Ismail.

Either of them, the treachery is scandalous. The hadiths suggested that the informer was close to Imam Musa or at least was up to date with his movements.

[Rasul]

Salam,

 

Part 3?