Kitāb al-Ghayba - Content

Chapter: Disappearance of the expected Imam قال: حدثنا جعفر بن ٠الك قال: حدثنا إسحاق بن سنان، قال: حدثنا عبيد بن خارجة، عن علي بن عث٠ان، عن فرات بن أحنف، عن أبي عبد الله جعفر بن ٠د، عن آبائه ، قال: زاد الفراتُ على عهد أ٠نين فركب هو وابناه الحسن والحسين ف٠رّ بثقيف، فقالوا قد جاء عليٌّ يرد ال٠ا والله لأقتَلنَّ أنا وابناي هذان وليبعثُنّ الله رجلاً ٠ن ولدي في آخر الز٠ائنا، وليغيّبنّ عنه٠ييزاً لأهل الضلالة حتىّ يقول الجاهل: ٠(1) Muhammad bin Hammam narrated from Ja’far bin Muhammad bin Malik from Iss’haq bin Sinan from Obayd bin Kharija from Ali bin Uthman from Furat bin Ahnaf that Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) had narrated from his fathers: “Once the Euphrates had overflowed during the age of Imam Ali (as).

He, with his sons al-Hasan and al-Husayn, made a travel. On their way, they passed by (the tribe of) Thaqeef, who said: “Ali has come to drive water back!” Imam Ali (as) said: “By Allah, I and both of my sons will be killed but Allah will send a man from among my descendants at the end of the time revenging our bloods. He will disappear (for a long time) so that the deviate people are to be tried until the ignorant will say: Allah has nothing to do with Muhammad’s progeny.”