‘Allamah al-Majlisi documents again...

‘Allamah al-Majlisi documents again: علل الشرائع: أبي، عن الحميري، عن السندي بن محمد، عن العلا، عن محمد عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال: لا تبقى الأرض بغير إمام ظاهر أو باطن ‘Ilal al-Sharai’ : my father – al-Himyari – al-Sindi b.

Muhammad – al-‘Ala – Muhammad – Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him: The earth never exists without an Imam, whether visible OR INVISIBLE .[^4] The chain of this hadith is mu’tabar (reliable) , according to Ayatullah al-Muhsini.[^5] Al-Haj Muhammad Zakariya also says about it: إسناده صحيح Its chain is sahih .[^6] Al-Majlisi equally copies this report: إكمال الدين: أبي، عن محمد العطار، عن ابن يزيد، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن سعد ابن أبي خلف، عن يعقوب بن شعيب، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: كان بين عيسى وبين محمد صلى الله عليه وآله خمسمائة عام منها مائتان وخمسون عاما ليس فيها نبي ولا عالم ظاهر، قلت:فما كانوا؟ قال: كانوا مستمسكين بدين عيسى عليه السلام، قلت: فما كانوا؟ قال: مؤمنين.

ثم قال عليه السلام: ولا تكون الأرض إلا وفيها عالم Ikmal al-Din : my father – Muhammad al-‘Aṭṭar – Ibn Yazid – Ibn Abi ‘Umayr – Sa’d b. Abi Khalaf – Ya’qub b. Shu’ayb – Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him: There were five hundred years between ‘Isa and Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family. For two hundred and fifty years from that period, there was no prophet, and there was no visible scholar ”. I asked, “So, what were they (i.e.

the people of that period)?” He replied, “They followed the religion of ‘Isa, peace be upon him.” I asked, “So, what were they?” He said, “Believers.” Then, he, peace be upon him, said, “ And the earth never exists except that there is a scholar on it .”[^7] The hadith has a mu’tabar (reliable) chain , according to Ayatullah al-Muhsini.[^8] The word “scholar” here, of course, refers only to the Imam, in the light of other authentic ahadith on the matter. ‘Allamah al-Tabaṭabai (d.

1412 H) confirms this too, saying immediately after quoting the riwayah : أقول: المراد بالعالم الامام الذي هو الحجة I say: The one intended as the scholar is the Imam, the one who is the Hujjah .[^9] So, what happens when the Imam is not visible? What are the people supposed to do in order to attain guidance? Some Imams never appear – such as those during the fatrah (i.e. the 500 years between ‘Isa and Muhammad). However, our own Imam will eventually reappear to the world.

Meanwhile, before he does that, what exactly are we supposed to be doing in order not to lose his way?