His Grandson would go into occul-tation ("Ghayba").

His Grandson would go into occul-tation ("Ghayba"). Safwan Bin Yahya asked Imam Reza (A.S.) regarding his successor. The Imam named his son Muhammad Taqi (A.S.). Safwan expresses his suprise saying, "But he is just a child, only three years old." The Imam replied that this should not really matter for hadn't Prophet Issa (A.S.) given testimony of his mission when he was less than three years old? Muammar Bin Khalad heard Imam Reza (A.S.) say that his successor was his son Muhammad (A.S.).

The Imam then added, "We are the 'Ahlul Bayf. Our young inherit our old, like one feather (on a wing) is followed by another." Al-Kahyrani says that he heard somebody ask Imam Reza (A.S.) about Muhammad who at that time was very young. The man expresses his suprise. Imam Reza (A.S.) replied, that Allah had sent Prophet Issa as Prophet and Messenger and the latter assumed his mission when he was younger in age than Imam Muhammad Taqi (A.S.). Previous…