By Allah...

By Allah, he will hide in an occultation, during which no one shall be saved except one whom Allah fixes on the belief in his imamate and supplicating Allah to hasten his deliverance.’ I said, ‘Is there any sign so that I may be sure?’ The young boy said, ‘I am the representative of Allah in His earth and the avenger on His enemies. Do not look for a sign after a proof!’ I left delightedly.

On the following day, I came back to him and said, ‘O son of the messenger of Allah, my delight was so great for what you favored me with.

Would you please tell me what norm with al-Khidr and Thul Qarnayn was?’ He said, ‘Long occultation.’ I said, ‘O son of the messenger of Allah, shall his (Imam al-Mahdi’s) occultation last long?’ Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) said, ‘Yes, by my Lord, until many of those, who believe in this matter (occultation and reappearance), shall apostatize, and no one shall remain (believing) except those whom Allah has taken from them a covenant on our guardianship, fixed faith in their hearts, and supported them with a mercy from Him.

O Ahmad, this is a command from Allah, a secret from the secrets of Allah, and an unseen matter from the unseen (matters) of Allah.

Take what I told you, and be from the grateful; you shall be with us in Illiyin.[^2]”[^3] Muhammad bin Uthman al-Umari narrated that his father said, “Once, I was with Abu Muhammad al-Hasan bin Ali (al-Askari) when he was asked about the tradition transmitted from his father that the earth would not be empty from an authority from Allah over His people until the Day of Resurrection, and that whoever died without knowing the imam of his age would die as an unbeliever.

He said, ‘This is true as day is true.’ Someone asked him, ‘O son of the messenger of Allah, then, who shall be the authority and imam after you?’ He said, ‘My son Muhammad is the imam and the authority after me. Whoever dies without knowing (acknowledging) him shall dies as an unbeliever. He will be in an occultation where the ignorant will be confused, deniers will perish, and daters[^4] will tell lies.

Then, he will reappear, and as if I see white flags fluttering over his head at the hill of Kufa.’”[^5] Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.) said, ‘Praise be to Allah Who did not take me out of this life until He made me see the successor after me. He is the most similar in shape and morals to the messenger of Allah (a.s.).