It is narrated that occultation is for one whose birth is secret and who disappeared from the sight of people so that when he reappears, there would be no one who has allegiance from him. He is the very person whose property was distributed among his heirs even though he was alive. I have narrated this tradition in this book along with its chain of narrators in an appropriate place. The reason behind narrating this tradition was to prove that Imam Hasan bin Ali عليه السلام was already martyred. Therefore all the claims of occultation of Muhammad bin Hanafiyyah, Imam Ja’far bin Muhammad al-Sadiq, Imam Musa bin Ja’far and Imam Hasan bin Ali al-Askari عليه السلام are incorrect. When they were martyred, it was known that occultation is for one about whom the Holy Prophet and the eleven Imams have predicted to be Hujjat (proof), the son of Imam Hasan bin Ali bin Muhammad al-Askari عليه السلام. I have narrated the tradition in this matter along with the chain of narrators in the chapters discussing the predictions about Imam.
The people questioning us about the Qaim fall under two categories namely, those who follow our eleven Imams and those who don’t. If a person believes in eleven Imams then it is necessary for him to have faith in the twelfth Imam as well because the statements of his father who was an Imam are present about the Imamate of his son along with his name and lineage. All his Shias believe that he is an Imam and Qaim and he shall reappear after a long occultation and fill the earth with justice as it would have been filled with injustice. If the questioner is not a believer in eleven Imams then it is not necessary for us to reply him. Instead we will have to prove to him the Imamate of eleven Imams before Imam Qaim. It is like a Jew asking us why do you offer four rakat for Zuhr, Asr and Isha prayer, two rakat for Fajr prayer and three rakat for Maghrib prayer? It would not be necessary for us to reply him. It is necessary that we tell him, “You deny the prophet who brought orders of these prayers. Let us make the matter of prophethood clear first. Salaat would not be clear to you unless you accept prophethood. Otherwise it is not necessary for you to ask. If prophethood is proved, you will automatically consider Salaat as an obligation along with the specified number of rakats because the authenticity of the person who brought those orders is proved and his Ummah agrees with it whether you know the reason behind it or not. The same is the case with a disbeliever who asks about the Qaim.
[chapter:Why did the occultation occur for him and not for those who preceded him?]
أن الغيبة ما بالها وقعت فيه عليه السلام دون من تقدمه
Commentary #2
و كل من سألنا من المخالفين عن القائم عليه السلام لم يخل من أن يكون قائلا بإمامة الأئمة الأحد عشر من آبائه عليه السلام أو غير قائل بإمامتهم فإن كان قائلا بإمامتهم لزمه القول بإمامة الإمام الثاني عشر لنصوص آبائه الأئمة عليه السلام عليه باسمه و نسبه و إجماع شيعتهم على القول بإمامته و أنه القائم الذي يظهر بعد غيبة طويلة فيملأ الأرض قسطا و عدلا كما ملئت جورا و ظلما و إن لم يكن السائل من القائلين بالأئمة الأحد عشر عليه السلام لم يكن له علينا جواب في القائم الثاني عشر من الأئمة عليه السلام و كان الكلام بيننا و بينه في إثبات إمامة آبائه الأئمة الأحد عشر عليه السلام و هكذا لو سألنا يهودي فقال لنا لم صارت الظهر أربعا و العصر أربعا و العتمة أربعا و الغداة ركعتين و المغرب ثلاثا لم يكن له علينا في ذلك جواب بل لنا أن نقول له إنك منكر لنبوة النبي الذي أتى بهذه الصلوات و عدد ركعاتها فكلمنا في نبوته و إثباتها فإن بطلت بطلت هذه الصلوات و سقط السؤال عنها و إن ثبتت نبوته ص لزمك الإقرار بفرض هذه الصلوات على عدد ركعاتها لصحة مجيئها عنه و اجتماع أمته عليها عرفت علتها أم لم تعرفها و هكذا الجواب لمن سأل عن القائم عليه السلام حذو النعل بالنعل.
The people questioning us about the Qaim fall under two categories namely, those who follow our eleven Imams and those who don’t. If a person believes in eleven Imams then it is necessary for him to have faith in the twelfth Imam as well because the statements of his father who was an Imam are present about the Imamate of his son along with his name and lineage. All his Shias believe that he is an Imam and Qaim and he shall reappear after a long occultation and fill the earth with justice as it would have been filled with injustice. If the questioner is not a believer in eleven Imams then it is not necessary for us to reply him. Instead we will have to prove to him the Imamate of eleven Imams before Imam Qaim. It is like a Jew asking us why do you offer four rakat for Zuhr, Asr and Isha prayer, two rakat for Fajr prayer and three rakat for Maghrib prayer? It would not be necessary for us to reply him. It is necessary that we tell him, “You deny the prophet who brought orders of these prayers. Let us make the matter of prophethood clear first. Salaat would not be clear to you unless you accept prophethood. Otherwise it is not necessary for you to ask. If prophethood is proved, you will automatically consider Salaat as an obligation along with the specified number of rakats because the authenticity of the person who brought those orders is proved and his Ummah agrees with it whether you know the reason behind it or not. The same is the case with a disbeliever who asks about the Qaim. [chapter:Why did the occultation occur for him and not for those who preceded him?] أن الغيبة ما بالها وقعت فيه عليه السلام دون من تقدمه