Imam Hassan Askari (peace be upon him) said:
“There are two qualities that nothing is superior to: one is faith in God, and the other is benefiting the brothers (in faith).”[1]
One of the most important responsibilities that Imam Hassan Askari (peace be upon him) took very seriously was the issue of introducing the Imam after him to the Shi’a and the topic of his occultation. During that time, the Abbasid caliphs sought to prevent the birth of Imam al-Zamana (may Allah hasten his reappearance), whose appearance had been foretold by the Prophets and Imams (peace be upon them) for many years. They were trying to kill him, which led Imam Hassan Askari (peace be upon him) to keep his son hidden from the eyes of the government’s agents to protect him.
On the other hand, since after Imam Askari (peace be upon him) the Minor Occultation and then the Major Occultation of the Imam would take place, and the general Shi’a would be deprived of seeing their Imam, it was necessary to introduce Imam al-Zamana (may Allah hasten his reappearance) to the special Shi’a and clarify the matter of his occultation. In this regard, various narrations exist, and one of them is as follows:
Ahmad ibn Isaaq, a trusted companion of Imam Hassan Askari (peace be upon him), narrated that: “I went to see him and intended to ask him about his successor. But the Imam (peace be upon him) spoke first without any introduction and said:
‘O Ahmad ibn Isaaq! Since Allah created Adam, He has never left the earth without a proof of God over His creation, and He will never leave it empty until the Day of Judgment…’
I said: ‘O son of the Messenger of Allah! So, who is the Imam and Caliph after you?’
The Imam (peace be upon him) immediately stood up and entered the house. Then he came out carrying a boy of about three years old, whose face was shining like the full moon. He then said:
‘O Ahmad! If it were not for your dignity with Allah the Almighty and His awliya, I would not have shown you this child. He is the namesake and the kunya of the Messenger of Allah. He is the one who will fill the earth with justice and equity after it has been filled with oppression and injustice…’
By Allah, he will undergo a long occultation, and the people will not be saved from destruction and deviation except for those who remain firm in their belief in his Imamate and are granted success in praying for the hastening of his reappearance.’
Ahmad ibn Isaaq said: ‘I asked, ‘Will there be a miracle or a sign that will give me certainty?’ (As soon as I said this) the child spoke and said:
‘I am the remaining proof of Allah on earth, the avenger of the enemies of Allah, and after seeing me, do not search for another sign!’…”
(From the book An Analytical Study of the Life of Imam Hassan Askari by Baqir Sharif Qureshi)
Footnotes:
[1] (Al-Tahaf al-‘Uqool, page 489)