Yazid (he was one of the representatives of Imam az-Zaman (a.
Yazid (he was one of the representatives of Imam az-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) in Baghdad and among the foremost assistants of ‘Uthman b. Sa’eed (r.a.)). Then I collected some money and reached Saamarrah. There I received a letter stating, “It is not proper to doubt about us or about those who are helpers in our affairs. Whatever you have brought with you, deposit it in the custody of Hajiz b. Yazid’.[^6] There are many such incidents in the books of traditions.
Nevertheless, such doubts and confusions led to the disintegration of Shiaism into many sects. Al-Ma’sudi in ‘Muroojuz Zahab’ mentions about twenty such sects. Sa’d Qummi in ‘Al Maqaalaat wal Feraq’ has mentioned 15 such sects. While Nawbakhti in ‘Firaq ‘ush-Shia’ and Sheikh Mufid (a.r.) in ‘Fusool-ul-Mukhtaar’ have named fourteen sects each. Shahrastani in ‘Al Milal wa al-Nahal’ has mentioned eleven sects.
It is famous among the scholars that after the demise of Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.), the Imamites (Shias) were divided into fourteen sects and according to the contemporary ulema these 14 sects from the aspect of beliefs, form 5 sects. Currently, only the Imamiyyah sect (believers in the Imamat of Imam Mahdi (a.s.)), among all others, has survived. Reminder We observe that despite the foresight and anticipation of the Shias of that time, they were afflicted with doubt and skepticism.
Imam az-Zaman (a.t.f.s.), who never forgets his Shias has himself declared: “We are neither negligent of your affairs nor are we forgetful of your remembrance. If it was not so, calamities would have surrounded you and enemies would have crushed you.” Surely, if it wasn’t for the link between the noble and extraordinary Shias and Imam az-Zaman (a.t.f.s.), the entire foundation of Shiaism would have been decimated.
The Shias were saved from disintegration and deviation. Of course, this was possible only with the guidance of Imam az-Zaman (a.s.).