Conclusion: Conflating Geography and History

Zaidiyyah say: People are indeed confused and doubtful in the genealogy of this child because a majority of them deny that Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) left a son.

1 Surah Maryam 19:30-31

The reply of this would be: Bani Israel people doubted in the prophethood of Prophet Isa (a.s.) and made allegation against Lady Maryam that: “O Maryam!

You have done a bad thing.” So Prophet Isa (a.s.) spoke up in defense of his mother and said: Surely I am a servant of Allah; He has given me the Book and made me a prophet. Hence the sensible people realized that neither Allah, the Mighty and Sublime appoints for conveying and fulfillment of prophethood a person whose genealogy is unknown nor one who is not having nobility. Such is the matter about the Imam; that when he shall reappear, he would be having with him irrefutable signs and clear evidences which will show that it is that same personality. He is different from people and that he is the successor and representative of Hasan bin Ali (a.s.). Some people say ask what the proof is that Hasan bin Ali (a.s.) has died? They will be told: Traditional reports recorded about his passing away are clearer, more famous and more in number than the reports about the demise of Abul Hasan Musa bin Ja’far (a.s.) because Abul Hasan (Imam Kazim a.s.) passed away at the hands of the enemies while Abu Muhammad al-Hasan bin Ali (a.s.) breathed his last in his home and on his bed and regarding this those events occurred that are mentioned in traditions that I have presented in this book along with their chains of narrators.

Now if they raise the objection and ask: Does the dispute of inheritance between the mother of Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) and Ja’far not make you suspect that the Imam did not leave a son? Because such matters indicate that the deceased had not left any heir and when the inheritance had been divided among other people what else can we conclude?

The reply to this would be: The above circumstances are very common and the reason is that sometimes the hidden wisdom of the Almighty Allah with regard to His prophets and messenger is according to convention and sometime He acts against it. Thus his case can never be compared with ordinary circumstances, just as we don’t find the case of Prophet Isa (a.s.) to be normal.

He might say: If it is correct to imagine that he left an heir, why is not acceptable to imagine about every person that dies heirless that he might have left a son?

The reply shall be: We do not doubt in the fact that there is a successor and heir of Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) and that he is from the sons of Hasan and Husain as proved by the testimonies of the Imam’s close confidants that he was the Imam’s son. And in addition to this there are many people among the Shias also that state this. Because the testimony that must be necessarily accepted is that which is given to prove something and not the testimony that disproves something even though the number of those who negate it are more than those who prove it. And we have seen a similarity to the above with the story of Prophet Musa (a.s.). Because when the Almighty Allah decided to rescue Bani Israel from slavery and to once again revive His religion at their hands, He revealed to the mother of Musa (a.s.):

ِﻚْﻴَﻟِإ ُﻩوﱡداَر ﺎﱠﻧِإ ﻲِﻧَﺰْﺤَﺗ َﻻَو ﻲِﻓﺎَﺨَﺗ َﻻَو ﱢﻢَﻴْﻟا ﻲِﻓ ِﻪﻴِﻘْﻟَﺄَﻓ ِﻪْﻴَﻠَﻋ ِﺖْﻔِﺧ اَذِﺈَﻓ َﻦِﻣ ُﻩﻮُﻠِﻋﺎَﺟَو

َﻦﻴِﻠَﺳْﺮُﻤْﻟا

Then when you fear for him, cast him into the river and do not fear nor grieve; surely We will bring him back to you and make him one of the apostles.¹

Now if at that time his father, Imran had died, the circumstances of his inheritance would have been as they were in the case of the inheritance of Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.). Moreover there is not even an indication that Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) did not leave a son.

Since the facts remained concealed from our opponents they said: At that time Musa (a.s.) was not the Divine Proof while according to you the Imam was the Divine Proof at that time. And we have compared the birth and occultation of the Imam with those of Prophet Musa (a.s.), while the occultation of Yusuf (a.s.) is most strange. His father was having no knowledge about him while the distance between them was not one that could not have been traversed. But it was nothing except the destiny that the Almighty Allah fixed for His creatures that the father should remain in dark about his son. While the case of his brothers was that they meet him, and Yusuf (a.s.) recognizes them but they do not recognize him.

And we have also compared the Imam’s life with that of the People of the Cave, because they remained alive in their cave for 309 years. Now if someone were to say: Though such things have indeed occurred, we don’t have any evidence of the veracity of your claims.

He would be told that through these examples we have taken out our views from the limits of impossibility and brought it under the scope of possibility and we have provided evidences for the veracity of our claims and the fact is that the Book of Allah never separates from the Prophet’s Progeny, which may explain the lawful and the unlawful and the clear and the ambiguous mentioned in it. In addition to this the traditions of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) that we have mentioned in this book prove the veracity of the above claim of ours.

If they ask: How is possible to contact him when neither we know where he lives nor is anyone capable to bring him to us? He shall be told: We maintain contact with him by admitting that he is present and that his Imamate is rightful.

Along with this we maintain attachment with those who are noble, righteous, learned and truthful; who believe in his Imamate and prove the correctness of his birth and guardianship (Wilayat). That is those from among the Shias who testify perfectly the statements that have come down from the Prophet and the Imams regarding his name and genealogy. And it is also that they are scholars of Quran

1 Surah Qasas 28:7

and traditions, they have divine recognition of the Oneness of the Almighty Allah. They negate the doubtful traditions narrated by traditionists, consider analogy unlawful and accept all the authentic traditions that have come from the Prophet and the Holy Imams (a.s.).

If it is said: If it is correct to presume that having attachment with people who have the above qualities could be construed to having attachment with the unseen Imam, why is it not allowed to claim that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) left the world leaving no successor? And that his followers should have been content with logical, Quranic proofs and proof of the Sunnah? The reply to this would be: We don’t have the right to interfere in the selection of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime. On the other hand it is obligatory on us to follow their commands and evidences show that obedience of the previous eleven Imams was obligatory. If they sit down and remain silent we shall also be obliged to remain quiet. And it is obligatory to rise up when they arise. And we have to listen to them when they speak. Thus all the time at every moment it is obligatory on us to do only that towards which the evidences guide us.