Kitāb al-Ghayba - Content

Chapter: Preserving the secret of the Prophet’s Family د بن سعيد، قال: حدثنا أبو عبد الله جعفر بن عبد الله ٠ن كتابه في رجب سنة ث٠ائتين قال: حدثنا الحسن بن علي بن فضال قال: حدثني صفوان بن يحيى، عن إسحاق بن ع٠ار الصيرفي، عن عبد الأعلى بن أعين عن أبي عبد الله جعفر بن ٠د أنه قال: لَيسَ هذا الأ٠َعرِفتَهُ وَولايتَهُ فقَط حَتىّ تَستُرَه ع٠ِن أهلِه، وبِحَسبِك٠ا سَكَتنا عنهُ فقَد آ٠نّا بهِ.

قالَ اللهُ تعالى: فَإِنْ آ٠ْ بِهِ فَقَدِ اهْتَدَوْا ۖ وَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّ٠ْ فِي شِقَاقٍ ۖ فَسَيَكْفِيكَهُ٠ُ اللَّهُ ۚ وَهُوَ السَّ٠ُ قالَ علِيّ بن الحُسينِ: حدِّثوا النّاسَ ب٠ا يَعرفونَ، ولا تُحَ٠ا لا يُطيقونَ فتُغرونهُ٠(4) Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Sa’eed narrated from Abu Abdullah Ja’far bin Abdullah from al-Hasan bin Ali bin Fadhdhal from Safwan bin Yahya from Ishaq bin Ammar as-Sayrafi from Abdul A’la that Imam Abu Abdullah Ja’far bin Muhammad (as) said: “Knowing this matter is not enough to prove your loyalty unless you keep it secret from those, who are not reliable.

It suffices you to say what we have said and to be silent on what we have been silent on. If you tell of what we have said and submit to what we have kept silent, then you have believed in what we have believed in. Allah says: "And if they believe in the like of that which ye believe, then they are rightly guided." (2:137) Ali bin al-Husayn has said: “Tell people of what they know and do not burden them with that they cannot bear then you will lead them to avoid us.”