He replied...

He replied: No, by Allah, neither I have any desire for it nor for any worldly matter at anytime. But I am thinking about the child who is the eleventh descendant in my progeny. He is the same Mahdi who would fill the earth with justice, just as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression. There is confusion and occultation for him during which communities would go astray and other communities would be guided. Then I said: O Amirul Momineen, would this really come to pass? He replied: Yes!

Just as he has been created.”[^5] It is narrated from His Eminence that he said: “For our Qaim there is an occultation, which shall be prolonged. As if I can see the Shias resembling quadrupeds searching for pasture but being unable to find it. Know that, whosoever from them remains firm on his religion and whose heart is not hardened due to the prolonging of the occultation, then he shall be with us in our rank on the Day of Judgment.

Then he said: When our Qaim arises, he would not have the allegiance of anyone upon his neck, therefore his birth shall be secret and he himself shall be in occultation.”[^6] It is also narrated from His Eminence that when His Eminence, Qaim (aj) was mentioned in his presence he said: “Indeed he shall go into occultation till the ignorant will say: For the Almighty Allah there is no need of Aale Muhammad.”[^7] It is narrated from His Eminence, Hasan bin Ali (as) that he said: “There is none among us who did not have the allegiance of the tyrant ruler of his time around his neck, except for Qaim, behind whom the Spirit of Allah, Isa bin Maryam will pray.

Indeed, Allah, the Mighty and the Sublime has kept his birth secret and his person unseen. When he reappears, he would not have the allegiance of anyone upon his neck. He is the ninth descendant of my brother, Husain. He is the son of the best of the maidservants.

The Almighty Allah will prolong his age during the occultation, then He would through His power, make him appear as a youthful man of less than forty years of age so that it may be known that the Almighty Allah is powerful over everything.”[^8] It is narrated from His Eminence, al-Husain bin Ali (as) that he said: “The Mahdi of this nation is my ninth descendant.

He would have an occultation and he is the one whose inheritance shall be divided while he is alive.”[^9] It is narrated from His Eminence, Ali bin al-Husain (as) that he said: “There are two occultations for our Qaim, one of which shall be longer than the other.