Kitāb al-Ghayba - Content

Chapter: Disappearance of the expected Imam قال: حدثنا جعفر بن ٠الك، قال: حدثنا عباد بن يعقوب، قال: حدثنا يحيى بن سال٠، عن أبي جعفر الباقر أنه قال: صاحب هذا الأ٠ر أصغرنا سناً وأخ٠تى يكون ذاك؟ قال: إذا سارت الركبان ببَيعة الغلا٠، فعند ذلك يرفع كل ذي صيصية لواء، فانتظروا الفرج.

(35) Muhammad bin Hammam narrated from Ja’far bin Muhammad bin Malik from Abbad bin Ya’qoob from Yahya bin Salim that Abu Ja’far al-Baqir (as) had said: “The man of this matter is the youngest and obscurest one of us.” Yahya asked him: “When will that (deliverance) be?” He said: “When delegations go to pay homage to a young boy and every fort (powerful chief) raises a flag (becomes independent) then you expect deliverance.” No one of the infallible imams has become imam while he is yet too young except this imam (al-Mahdi), whom Allah has granted the imamate and wisdom while he is yet a child as Jesus Christ and Yahya bin Zachariah, whom Allah has granted the Book, prophethood, knowledge and wisdom while yet children.

The evidence for that is the saying of Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) “He (al-Qa’im) has aspects of four prophets…). One of them is Jesus the son of Marry (as), who has been granted wisdom, knowledge and prophethood while yet a child.