He will inherit my knowledge...

He will inherit my knowledge, repay my debts, fulfill my promises, and will be my successor after me. If it was not for him, the pure believer would not be recognized after me. His war is my war and my war is Allah’s war. His peace is my peace and my peace is Allah’s peace. Know that he is the father of my two grandsons and the Imams after me. Allah, the Exalted, will bring out from his loin the rightly guided Imams.

From them is the Mahdī of this nation.” I said, “May my father and my mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah! Who is this Mahdī?” He replied, “O `Ammār! Know that surely Allah, Blessed and High be He, has promised me that nine Imams will emerge from the loin of al-Ḥusayn. The ninth of his descendants will become concealed from the people.

This is [the meaning of] the saying of Allah, Mighty and Majestic be He, ‘Say: Have you considered if your water sinks in the ground, who is it then that will bring you flowing water?’[^4] He will have a lengthy occultation in which some people will stop believing in him while others will remain steadfast about him. Then, he will emerge in the end of times and will fill the world with fairness and justice.

He will fight in accordance with the interpretation [of the Holy Quran] like I fought in accordance with its revelation. His name will be my name and he is the most similar of people to me . . .” Muqtaḍab al-athar[^5]: Narrated to us Abū `Alī Aḥmad b. Ziyād al-Hamdānī, from `Alī b. Ibrāhīm b. Hāshim, from his father, from `Abd al-Salām b. Ṣāliḥ al-Harawī, from Wakī` b. al-Jarrāḥ and al-Rabī` b. Sa`d, from `Abd al-Raḥmān b. Salīṭ, from Ḥusayn b.

`Alī, peace be on him, who said: From us are twelve Mahdīs (guided ones). The first one is Amīr al-Mu’minīn `Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, peace be on him, and the last one is my ninth descendant. He is the one who will rise with the truth. Through him, Allah will give life to the earth after its death. Through him, Allah will dominate religion [i.e. Islam] over all religions even if the polytheists detest it.

He will have an occultation in which some people will apostate and others will remain steadfast in religion. They [i.e. the steadfast] will be harassed and will be asked [tauntingly], “If you are truthful, [then tell us] when will this promise happen?”[^6] He who is patient during his occultation—with all the tortures and denials—is like those who fight with their swords before [i.e.