The Issue of Disappearance (of the twelfth Imam عليه السلام from Public Sight
Al-Kāfi|Volume 1|Book 4|Chapter 80
Al-Kāfi
Book 4, Chapter 80
The Issue of Disappearance (of the twelfth Imam عليه السلام from Public Sight
8ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ حَنَانِ بْنِ سَدِيرٍ عَنْ مَعْرُوفِ بْنِ خَرَّبُوذَ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ كَنُجُومِ السَّمَاءِ كُلَّمَا غَابَ نَجْمٌ طَلَعَ نَجْمٌ حَتَّى إِذَا أَشَرْتُمْ بِأَصَابِعِكُمْ وَمِلْتُمْ بِأَعْنَاقِكُمْ غَيَّبَ الله عَنْكُمْ نَجْمَكُمْ فَاسْتَوَتْ بَنُو عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ فَلَمْ يُعْرَفْ أَيٌّ مِنْ أَيٍّ فَإِذَا طَلَعَ نَجْمُكُمْ فَاحْمَدُوا رَبَّكُمْ.
8. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hannan ibn Sadir from Ma‘ruf ibn Kharrabudh from abu Ja’far عليه السلام who has said the following. “We are only like the stars in the heavens. Whenever one star disappears (from sight) another one comes in view until you will point out with your fingers and make a gesture with your necks. Allah will cause your star to disappear from your sight. The descendants of ‘Abd al-Muttalib will all look similar as such that one would not know which is whiCh When your star will reappear then you must give thanks to Allah.”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (4/45)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī, vol. 1, p. 40