He (Shalmaghani) said...

He (Shalmaghani) said: "It is not right between me and Allah to say anything in the affair of Husayn ibn Ruh other than the truth. Although his crime towards me is a big one, yet this man was appointed by Imam az-Zaman for the task. The Shi'ites should not turn away from him." Abu'l-Hasan 'Ali ibn Muhammad Simmari: This honourable figure was the last special deputy ( Na'ibu 'l-khass ) of the Holy Imam az-Zaman . His death, coincided with the 15th of Sha'ban 329 A.H.

Husayn ibn Ruh introduced him as the deputy of the Imam. The last letter of Imam az-Zaman (the Lord of the Age) to the four special deputies was addressed to this honourable man.

In this order the Imam announced the death of 'Ali ibn Muhammad and the end of the deputation: "In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful You are going to die in six days, may Allah grant patience to your brothers in faith on your departure So, be prepared, but appoint no one in your place, because from the day of your death the period of my major occultation ( ghaybatu 'l-kubra ) will begin.

Henceforth-, no one will see me, unless and until Allah makes me appear My reappearance will take place after a very long time when people will have grown tired of waiting and those who are weak in their faith will say: 'What! Is he still alive?' When men will become cruel and inconsiderate, and the world will be full of injustice and violence. Very soon some men will claim to have seen me. Beware!

Anyone who makes such a claim before the coming out of Sufyani and the sound from heaven announcing my reappearance, is a liar and an imposter. There is no might nor strength except in Allah, the Magnificent." As can be seen from this, it is the last order, in which the door of special deputation is closed by the death of Ali ibn Muhammad; hence, anyone who claims to be a mediator, or claims that the Imam can be seen, is a liar.

In the period of the major occultation no - one has made the claim that he has been in the presence of the Holy Imam az-Zaman . The people would not accept the deputation of the four special deputies unless they had been shown the miracles of the Sahibu 'l-Amr to verify their truthfulness and accuracy, although they acknowledged them as reliable and trustworthy and had not the smallest doubt in their piety, faith and knowledge.