He wrote a book entitled al­ Ghayba which represents the Waqifite point of view...

He wrote a book entitled al­ Ghayba which represents the Waqifite point of view, although the information he gave was used by such later scholars as Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. Nuh (d. before 423/1031) and al-Tusi to support the Imamite view[^2]. Al-Ta'i al-Tatari, 'Ali b. al-Hasan, was a companion of the seventh Imam, al-Kazim (d. 183/799), whom he named as the hidden Imam.

In defence of his view he wrote Kitab al - Ghayba , which became the framework for the works of later Waqifite authors like Ibn Suma’a (d. 263/877) on this issue[^3]. Al-Hasan b. Muhammad b. Suma’a, composed a book on al - Ghayba , following the footsteps of his Waqifite teacher al-Ta'i al­ Tatari[^4]. However, those Imamites who lived during the period from 260-329/874-940-1 such as al-Hasan al-Saffar (d. 292/904) and al­ Kulayni (d.

329/940), used his information to support their claim that the hidden Imam was not the seventh Imam but the Twelfth Imam[^5]. The Zaydites Abu Said ‘Abbad b. Ya’qub al-Rawajini al- ‘Asfari (d. 250/864) was one of the leading scholars of the Shi’ite sect al - Zaydiyya al­Jarudiyya. He compiled a book of traditions entitled Kitab Abu Said al - Asfari. The importance of this work is that its author cites a tradition referring to the occultation at least ten years before its occurrence.

He also mentions other traditions which point to the fact that the number of the Imams would end with the Twelfth Imam and that he would be al-Qa’im. However, in contrast to the Imamites he does not mention the names of the twelve Imams. Al-’Asfari's work along with the works of Sulaym b. Qays (d. 80­90/699-707) and al-Hasan b. Mahbub al-Sarrad (d. 244/838) were used extensively by such Imamites as al-Kulayni (d. 329/941), al­ Nu'mani (d. 360/970) and al-Saduq (d.

380/991) to prove the existence of the Twelfth Imam and his subsequent occultation. The Imamites ‘Ali b. Mahzayar al-Ahwazi was a close associate of the ninth Imam, al-Jawad. He was appointed by the latter as his representative in al-Ahwaz and continued to remain in office throughout the reign of the tenth Imam, al-Hadi. He wrote two books, called Kitab al - Malahim and Kitab al-Qa’im , both dealing with the occultation of the Imam and his subsequent rising with the sword[^6].

Then between the years 260/874 and 329/940 his two sons Ibrahim and Muhammad became the authorised representatives of the Twelfth Imam in al-Ahwaz.