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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Your Questions Answered (volume 7) Q. 20: Nafs Zzakiyah and Al-qa'im In Kitab-al-Irshad (the book of guidance) by Sheikh Al-Mufid on page 541 concerning the re-appearence of the 12th Imam, I quote: "A pure soul (nafs zakiyya) will be killed in the outskirts of Kufa with 70 righteous men"; again on page 545: "there is no longer than 15 nights between the appearance of the one who will rise (al-qaim) PBUH and killing of the pure soul (al-nafs al-zakiyya)." I would like to hear the significance of both these statements as well as any other information on al-nafs al-zakiyya in connection with the re- appearance of Al-Qaim (PBUH).

A: I think you are perplexed because Muhammad, a grandson of Hasan Muthanna and Fatima Kubra, was killed fighting near Medina against the forces of Mansur, the 2nd Abbasid king, and that Muhammad was called Nafs Zakiyya (pure soul) because of his piety. But it was merely a coincidence. The said prophecy does not refer to that "Nafs Zakiyyah"; and the same prophecy was being repeated even by later Imams. Q.

21: LAYLATUL-QADR AND IMAM-E-ZAMAN Can you please explain in detail from Qur'an & hadith, the relationship between Shab-e- Qadr & Imam Zamana (a.s.). A: According to Sura Qadr, the Spirit and the angels descend in the Night of Destiny with all affairs, and this continues upto the dawn-break. Obviously when the Spirit and the angels come down with the final decisions about all affairs, there must be someone on this earth to receive them and their messages.

That personality who receives the decisions concerning every amr (affairs) is Sahebul-Amr (as.). Also, as we do not know which is the Night of Destiny, but have a firm belief that it is one of the Ramadhan nights, likewise we do not know who is the Sahebul-Amr (a.s.), but have a firm belief that he is one of the inhabitants of this earth. Q.

22: HOMES OF 313 SUPPORTERS OF IMAM MAHDI (A.S.): You must have come across the tradition narrated by Asbagh Ibn Nubatah from Hazrat 'AH (a.s.), in which the places of origin of the 313 supporters of Imam Al-Mahdi (a.s.) are mentioned - with names of some of them. It is given in the book 'Al-Mahdi (a.s.)' of Sayyid Sadruddin Sadr. Could you please comment on its authenticity? A: I do not have the book mentioned by you.

But I have seen ahadith like that in several places, all contradictory to each other.