يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ
تَنْصُرُوا اللَّهَ يَنْصُرْكُمْ وَ يُثَبِّتْ أَقْدامَكُم
“O
you who believe ! if you help (the cause of) Allah, He will help you and make
firm your feet.” (Surah Mohammed 47 : 7)
As
we glance through the pages of history, we realize that the tortures of the
Bani Abbas caliphs only went on increasing. And as they realized that the
advent promised Mahdi is near, they became more cautious over keeping an eye on
Imams (a). The tyrant ruler Mutawakkil (la) forced Imam Hadi (a) to migrate
from Madina to Samarra so that he can be kept under house arrest. The same fate
followed Imam Hasan Askari (a) as well who was under house arrest in Samarra.
However, despite being very vigilant about the activities of Imam Askari (a),
history has recorded more than 100 companions of Imam.
For the lovers of Imam Zamana (a.t.f.s.) the pleasure of visiting the
house of Imam Zamana (a.t.f.s.) in Samarra is indeed incomparable to any other pleasure. Visiting
the blessed graves of Imam Askariain (a.s.) is very close to their hearts despite all the danger
associated to this visit. And this has been the case always. We see in history that during the lifetime of Imam Hasan Askari (a.s) the companions of imam Hasan
Askari ( a.s ) use to disguise themselves as cloth sellers or oil merchants etc
and risk their lives for the love of the beloved imam and for the sheer desire to
visit the imam (a.s.)
In
this article we shall mention and discuss a few of them.
1.
Abu
Ali Ahmad bin Ishaaq bin Abdullah bin Sa’d bin Malik bin al-Ahwas al-Ash’ari
al-Qummi
His role as a scholar
He
was the deputy of the people of Qum. He narrated traditions from Imam Mohammad
Taqi (a) and Imam Ali Naqi (a). He was from the close companions of Imam Hasan
Askari (a). He had written some books such as ‘Ilal as-Sawm: causes of fasting’
and ‘Masa’ilar-Rijal: questions of men’ which he had collected from Imam Reza
(a). Sheikh at-Toosi said he was one from those who had met Imam Mahdi (a)
(Ref: RijalToosi)
Gifts for him
Muhammad
bin Ahmed bin as-Salt al-Qummi wrote a letter to Imam (a.s.) and mentioned in
it the story of Ahmed bin Isaaq al-Qummi and his companionship. He mentioned
that he wanted to perform the hajj and needed one thousand dinars. He said in
the letter, ‘If my master sees that he orders to lend him this amount and get
it back from him in his country when he comes back, I shall do (give him the
money).’ The imam (a) replied, ‘It is a gift from us to him and when he comes
back, he will get another gift from us (Ref: RijalKashi) This story showed his
faith and the respect of the Imam (a) towards him.
Abu Ali Ahmed ibne Ishaq once requested Imam Askari ( a.s ) to
give him a specimen of his handwriting so that whenever he receives a letter
from him (a.s.), he could verify its authenticity. Imam (a.s.) told him that
beware that the writing varies due to the coarseness and thickness of pen and should not confuse him. Imam
(a.s.) then started to write a sample letter. Abu Ali started thinking in his
heart that how nice it would have been if Imam (a.s.) would give him his pen so
that he could seek blessing from it and benefit from the pen of Imam (a.s.).
Imam (a.s.) after finishing the letter engaged in discussion with Abu
Ali, upon seeking farewell Imam (a.s.) told Abu Ali to take the pen with
him. (Shagirdaane Maktabe Aimmah (a.s.) by Mohammed Ali Aalami)
How nice a gift this great companion received from Imam ( a.s
), from the Imam (a.s.) who knew what was in his heart. May Allah give us
this taufeeq that we also intend to seek and received such tabarruk from Imam
Zamana (a.t.f.s.) which can be used for protecting the shias of Ahle Bait ( a.s
).
He visited Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.)
Abdullah
bin Ja’far al-Himyari said, ‘Once, Sheikh Abu Amr (may Allah have mercy on him)
and I met Ahmad bin Isaaq, who made a sign to me to ask Abu Amr about the
Successor (Imam Mahdi). I said to him, ‘O Abu Amr, I want to ask you about
something that I have no doubt about.’ He said, ‘Ask about what you want!’ I
said to him, ‘Did you see the Successor after Abu Muhammad (a)?’ He said, ‘By
Allah, yes.’ (Ref: Al-Kafi, chp of Hujjat)
He
is one of the honorable persons to meet Imam Mahdi (a) on more than one
accession (Ref: NajmusSaqib)
The final
journey
Once while returning from Samarra Abu Ali seeked farewell from
Imam (a.s.) and requested that he wants to meet Imam (a.s.) again. Imam (a.s.)
propheciesed that he would pass to the next world on his way back home at the
bridge of dhiaab. Indeed this is a great reward that Hazrat informs his
servants the place and time of death. Not just this but Imam (a.s.) himself by
tayyul arz reached Halwan at the bridge of Dhiaab and gave ghusl and kafan to
Abu Ali. Abu Ali is buried close to the bridge above the river of Dhiaab on the
way to Baakhtaran at Baghdad. (Shagirdaane Maktabe Aimmah (a.s.) by Mohammed
Ali Aalami)
2.
Dawud
bin al-Qassim
He
was known as Abu Hashim al-Ja’fari. He was one of the eminent Muslims and one
of the famous scholars in religion. His lineage belonged to the eternal martyr
in Islam Ja’far bin Abu Talib at-Ţayyar. He was the son of al-Qassim bin Isaaq
bin Abdullah bin Ja’farand there was no lineage more than this noble lineage at
all.
Abu
Hashim was very loyal to the infallible imams (a). He met Imam Reza, Imam
Jawad, Imam Hadi and Imam Hasan Askari (a). He devoted himself to them. He
composed good poetry on praising them.Abu Hashim had a high position near the
imams whom he was contemporary with. Once, Imam al-Hadi (a) said to him, ‘O Abu
Hashim, which blessing of Allah you want to be grateful for? Allah has endowed
you with faith that saves your body from Fire, endowed you with soundness that
helps you in obedience, and endowed you with satisfaction that keeps you away
from degradation.
All
classes of the society highly regarded Abu Hashim. Biographers said about him,
‘He was preferred by rulers. He was pious, devoted, ascetic, knowledgeable, and
active. No one of the Talibites at his time was like him in his high lineage.
He died in Jumadi al-Ula in 261 AH a year after the death of Imam Hasan Askari
(a)
Abu Hashim's sheer love for Imam Hadi (a.s ) made him complain
once to Imam (a.s.) that he and his horse had become old and there was not
enough pasture on the way to samarra for his old horse to feed upon hence he
was not able to frequent to Samarra to visit Imam ( a.s ). In return Imam ( a.s
) prayed for him and his horse after which his horse became so strong that Abu
Hashim would leave baghdad at morning and would recite zohar prayers at Samarra
and would reach back baghdad by evening after meeting Imam ( a.s ).
(Shagirdaane Maktabe Aimmah (a.s.) by Mohammed Ali Aalami)
There
is a lot, we can ask too from our Imam of the time with regards to our strength
in working for Imam (a.s.)
3.
Abdul
Azeem ibn Abdillah al-Hassani
He
belonged to the pure progeny of Imam Hasan Mujtaba (a). He was the son of
Abdullah bin Ali bin al-Hasan bin Zayd bin Imam Hasan (a). Sheikh at-Toosi
mentioned him as one of Imam al-Askari's companions. (Ref: RijalToosi)
An-Najashi mentioned that Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Khalid al-Barqi said, ‘Abdul
Azeem came to Rey escaping from the ruler. He lived in a vault in a house of
one of the Shia in Sikkat al-Mawali. He worshipped Allah in that vault; fasting
the day and spending the night in praying and supplicating. He went out in
disguise to visit the tomb that was opposite to his tomb (later on). He said
that it was a tomb of one of the sons of Imam Musa bin Ja’far (a). He remained
living in that vault and his news moved from one to another of the Shia until
most of them knew him. Once, a man from the Shia saw in sleep that the
Messenger of Allah (s) said to him, ‘A man from my progeny shall be carried
from Sikkat al-Mawali and buried near the apple tree in the garden of Abdul
Jabbar bin Abdul Wahab’ and he pointed to the place. The man went to buy the
tree and its place from its owner. The owner asked him, ‘What for do you want
to buy the tree and its place?’ The man told him about his dream, and then the
owner of the tree remembered that he also had seen such a dream and entailed
the place of the tree and all the garden on the Sharif and the Shia to be
buried in. Abdul Azeem became ill and then died. When he was to be washed, a
piece of paper was found in his pocket written in it his noble lineage.
Shah
Abdul Azeemwas a knowledgeable jurisprudent. Abu Hammadar-Razi said, ‘Once, I
went to Ali bin Muhammad an-Naqi (a) in Surra Man Ra’a. I asked him about some
questions of halal and haram and he answered me. When I wanted to leave him, he
said to me, ‘O Hammad, if something of your religion is dubious to you, ask
Abdul Azeem bin Abdullah al-Hasani about it and give him my best regards (Ref:
Mu'jamRijal al-Hadith, Vol. 10 Pg. 53)
It
is mentioned in KaamiluzZiyaraat, Pg. 354 (English) that a man went to Imam
Hadi (a) and he asked me, “Where are you coming from?” I replied, “I went to
the Ziyarat of Imam Husain (a.s.).” Imam (a) said, “If you had gone to the
Ziyarat of the grave of Abdul Azeem who is buried near you, you would have been
like one has gone to the Ziyarat of Imam Husain (a).
4.
Ali
bin Ja’far al-Humani al-Barmaki
Al-Barqi
mentioned him as one of Imam Mohammed Taqi (a) and Imam Hasan Askari's
companions (RijalBarki) Sheikh at-Toosi said, ‘He was a good, benevolent man
from the agents of Abul Hasan and Abu Muhammad (a) (Ref: Al-Ghaybah)
Abu
Ja’far al-Umari said, ‘Once, Abu Tahir bin Bilal went to perform the hajj and
he saw Ali bin Ja’far spend too much money. When he went back, he wrote to Imam
Askari (a) about that and Imam replied to him: ‘We have ordered to give him one
hundred thousand dinars and then another one hundred thousand dinars but he
refused to take them so that we would keep them for people. He went to Abul
Hasan (a) and he ordered to give him thirty thousand dinars.
Al-Kashshi
mentioned that Yousuf bin as-Sakht said, ‘Ali bin Ja’far was one of the
deputies of Imam al-Hadi (a). One day, he was betrayed near Mutawakkil (la) who
threw him in prison. He remained in prison for a long time and he could not
bear longer. Therefore, he asked an agent of the Abbasid government to
intercede for him to be set free and he would give him three thousand dinars
for that. The agent went to Ubaydillah, who had a good position near Mutawakkil
(la), and asked him to intercede with Mutawakkil(la) for Ali bin Ja’far.
Ubaydillah responded to him and interceded with Mutawakkil (la) to set Ali bin
Ja’far free, but Mutawakkil (la) refused and said to him, ‘If I doubted you, I
would say you are a Rafidhi (Shia). This is a deputy of Abul Hasan al-Hadi and
I have determined to kill him.’
Ubaydillah
regretted his intercession and told his friend (the agent) that Mutawakkil (la)
had determined to kill Ali bin Ja’far and there was no chance for setting him
free. Ali bin Ja’far became so distressed and wrote a letter to Imam al-Hadi
(a) saying to him, ‘O my master, please do something for me! I fear I may lose
my faith.’ Imam al-Hadi (a) replied to him, ‘Since the matter has reached this
point with you, I will pray Allah for you.’
Mutawakkil
(la) became seriously ill and his fever increased. Therefore, he ordered his
men to set free all prisoners and gave a special order to set Ali bin Ja’far
free. Mutawakkil (la) ordered Ubaydillah to set Ali free and to beg him to
forgive him for what he had done to him. Ali was set free and went to live in
Mecca as Imam al-Hadi (a) had ordered him. (Ref: RijalKashi)
Al-Kashi
mentioned in the biography of Faris bin Hatim al-Qazwini that there was a
dispute between Ali bin Ja’far and Faris, and that Ibrahim bin Muhammad wrote
to Imam Hadi (a) telling him about that and asking him to show him which of
them he should follow. Imam Hadi (a) replied to him saying, “It should not be
asked about one like this man and he should never be doubted. The position of
Ali bin Ja’far is so great to us. May Allah please us with him. He is far above
to be compared with others. Go to Ali bin Ja’far to satisfy your needs, and
fear Faris and do not let him interfere in your affairs. Let you and those who
follow you from the people of your country do that. I have been informed of
what he (Faris) misrepresented to people. Do not pay attention to him
Inshallah(Ref: RijalKashi)
This
letter shows that this man was so faithful that the imam (a.s.) had appointed
him as an authority for the Shia.
Other
notable companions that we have not discussed in detail are
5. Abu
Isaaq Ibrahim bin Mahziyar al-Ahwazi
6. Muhammad
bin al-Hasan as-Saffar (Author of BasaerudDarajaat)
7. Abu
AmrUsman bin Sa’eed al-Amriaz-Zayyat (1st special representative of
Imam Mahdi (atfs))
8. Abu
Ja’far Muhammad bin Usman al-Amri(2ndspecial representative of Imam
Mahdi (atfs))
May
Allah give us the Taufeeq of being among the servants, if not companions of
Imam Mahdi (a)
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