What the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم Informed Regarding the Occurrence of the Occultation

Narrated to us Muhammad bin Musa bin Mutawakkil رضي الله عنه: Narrated to us Muhammad bin Abi Abdullah Kufi: Narrated to us Muhammad bin Ismail Barmaki from Ali bin Uthman from Muhammad bin Furat from Thabit bin Dinar from Saeed bin Jubair from ibn Abbas that he said: The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said: “Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام is the Imam of my Ummah and my caliph on it after me. And from his progeny is the awaited Mahdi who will fill the earth with justice and equity as it would be fraught with injustice and tyranny. By the One who has sent me with truth, as the giver of glad tidings and a warner, those who will be steadfast in faith upon him during his occultation will be more precious than red sulphur. Jabir ibn Abdullah Ansari stood up and asked: O Messenger of Allah, is there occultation for the Qaim from your progeny? He replied: Yes, by my Lord, through him will Allah exalt those who believe and destroy those who disbelieve. O Jabir, it is one of the celestial matters and one of the secrets of Allah which is concealed from the people. Thus one who doubts in it, he in fact doubts in the matter of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime.”