About the Occultation
Al-Imāma wa’l-Tabṣira min al-Ḥayra|Volume 1|Book 3|Chapter 10
سعد بن عبداللّه وعبداللّه بن جعفر الحميري جميعاً، عن ابراهيم بن هاشم، عن محمد بن خالد، عن محمد بن سنان، عن المفضّل بن عمر، عن أبي عبداللّه عليه السلام، قال: أقرب ما يكون العباد من الله عزّ وجل وأرضى ما يكون عنهم اذا افتقدوا حجّة الله عزّ وجل، فلم يظهر لهم، ولم يعلموا بمكانه، وهم في ذلك يعلمون أنّه لم تبطل حجج الله عنهم وبيّناته، فعندها فتوقّعوا الفرج صباحاً ومساءاً، وانّ أشدّ ما يكون غضب الله تعالى على أعدائه اذا افتقدوا حجّة الله فلم يظهر لهم وقد علم أنّ أولياءه لايرتابون، ولو علم أنّهم يرتابون لما غيّب حجّته طرفة عين، ولا يكون ذلك إلّا على رأس شرار الناس.
Saʿd b. ʿAbd Allāh and ʿAbd Allāh b. Jaʿfar al-Ḥimyarī together, from Ibrāhīm b. Hāshim, from Muḥammad b. Khālid, from Muḥammad b. Sinān, from al-Mufaḍḍal b. ʿUmar, from Abī ʿAbd Allāh عليه السلام, who said: “Never are the servants closer to Allāh عز وجل, nor is He more pleased by them, than when the Divine authority of Allāh عز وجل has become unaccounted for to them, so he does not appear to them and they do not know of his whereabouts, but they know that it does not refute Allāh’s proofs and clear signs to them.[1] So, on account of that, they continue to expect the Deliverance, be it morning or evening. And never is Allāh’s تعالى wrath upon His enemies severer than when the Divine authority of Allāh has become unaccounted for to them, whereupon he does not appear to them, while He knows that His allies would not fall prey to misgivings. For had He known that they would fall prey to misgivings, He would not have occulted His Divine authority for so much as the blink of an eye, and that is not to be except when the evilest of people are in charge (of worldly affairs).”[2]