Answering the Sevener Waqifisim

** Sevener Waqifism refers to the sect which believed there are in total only 7 Imam's (as) and the 7th Imam Al-Musa Kazim (as) is the Qaim.

~ Narration on the Imam's (as) being twelve from the Sevener Waqifis narrators ~

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى وَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ أَبِي طَالِبٍ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ بْنِ مِهْرَانَ قَالَ كُنْتُ أَنَا وَ أَبُو بَصِيرٍ وَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِمْرَانَ مَوْلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع فِي مَنْزِلِهِ بِمَكَّةَ فَقَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِمْرَانَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُول‏ نَحْنُ اثْنَا عَشَرَ مُحَدَّثاً فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو بَصِيرٍ سَمِعْتَ مِنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَحَلَّفَهُ مَرَّةً أَوْ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَهُ فَقَالَ أَبُو بَصِيرٍ لَكِنِّي سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع‏

Muhammad ibn Yahya and Ahmad ibn Muhammad have narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Abu Talib from Uthman ibn Isa from Samaa ibn Mihran who has said the following:

"Once I, Abu Basir and Muhammad ibn Imran, the slave of Abu Jafar (as) were in his house in Makka. Muhammad ibn Imran said, "I have heard Abu Abd Allah (as) say, 'We, twelve of us, are Muhaddath (the ones to whom angels speak)."

Abu Basir then said, "Did you hear Abu Abd Allah (as) say so? He made him to swear one or twice that he has heard so. Abu Basir then said, "However, I have heard it from Abu Jafar (as)."

[Source: Al-Kafi, Vol. 1, Pg. 534-535]

Below is another very clear narration with the waqifi narrator Ali bin Sama'at, but this does not talk about the twelve Imam's (as) directly. It mentions creation of 14 lights which includes Prophet Muhammad (saww) and Fatema Zehra (sa), Imam Ali (as), Imam Hasan bin Ali (as), Imam Husain bin Ali (as) and then the other Imam's (as) in the progeny of Imam Husain (as). So this would lead to count of 12 Imam's (as) to complete the count of 14.

حدثنا الحسين بن أحمد بن إدريس رضي الله عنه قال: حدثنا أبي، عن محمد ابن الحسين بن يزيد الزيات، عن الحسن بن موسى الخشاب، عن ابن سماعة، عن على بن الحسن بن رباط، عن أبيه، عن المفضل بن عمر قال: قال الصادق جعفر ابن محمد عليهما السلام إن الله تبارك وتعالى خلق أربعة عشر نورا قبل خلق الخلق بأربعة عشر فقيل له: يا ابن رسول الله ومن الاربعة عشر؟ فقال: محمدو على وفاطمة والحسن والحسين والائمة من ولد الحسين، آخر هم القائم الذي يقوم بعد غيبته فيقتل الدجال ويطهر الارض من كل جور وظلم

Narrated to us Husain bin Ahmad bin Idrees that: Narrated to us my father from Muhammad bin Husain bin Yazid Zayyat from Hasan bin Musa Khashshab from Ibne Samaat from Ali Ibne Hasan Ribat from his father from Mufaddal bin Umar that he said:

As-Sadiq Jafar bin Muhammad (a.s.) said: "Allah, Blessed and the High, created fourteen lights 14000 years before the creation of the universe, thus they were our souls. It was asked: O, son of Allah’s Messenger, who are these fourteen lights? He replied: Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Hasan, Husain, and Imams from the descendants of Husain and the last of them is Qaim who will rise up after occultation. Then he would kill the Dajjal and purify the earth from every type of injustice and oppression."

[Source: Kamal Al-Deen, Chapter. 33, Hadees. 7]

Commentary:

- The first narration above is having a good chain even in the eyes of the sevener Waqifis. Both Uthman ibn Isa and Samaa ibn Mihran are known Waqifis. Uthman ibn Isa is known as the chief of the sevener Waqifis.
- This narration proves that both the fifth Imam Muhammad Baqir (as) and sixth Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) had said that the Imam's (as) are twelve in number and this was well known to the Waqifis also.
- Since there are 2 Waqifi narrations in this narration, The Waqifis could object on this narration saying that since the Waqifis believed only in seven Imam's (as), why would they narrate such a narration which proves that there are twelve Imam's (as), Hence the sevener waqifis claim that this narration is fabricated/altered.
- Interesting to note here is that this specific narration is from the fifth Imam Muhammad Baqir (as) and we don't see the explicit presence of the Sevener Waqifis untill after the death of the seventh Imam Musa Al-Kazim (as). Hence this clearly shows that the fact of the Imam's (as) being twelve in number was known even to Waqifis.

The below narration clarifies as to why the Waqifis inspite of knowing this fact insisted on the seventh Imam Musa Al-Kazim (as) being the Qaim.

حَدَّثَنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الحَسَن بْنِ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ الوَلِيدِ رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى العَطَّارُ، عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ الحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جُمهُورٍ، عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ الفَضْلِ، عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمنِ قالَ: لَمّا ماتَ أَبُو الحَسَنِ‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ وَلَيْسَ مِن قُوَّامِهِ أَحَدٌ إِلاّ وَعنْدَهُ المالُ الكَثِيرُ، فَكانَ ذلِكَ سَبَبَ وَقفِهِم وَجُحُودِهِم لِمَوتِهِ، وَكانَ عِنْدَ زِيادٍ القَنْدِيِّ سَبْعُونَ أَلْفَ دِينارٍ وَعِنْدَ عَلِىِّ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ ثَلاثُونَ أَلْفَ دِينارٍ.

فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُ ذلِكَ وَتَبَيَّنَ ليَ الحَقُّ وَعَرَفتُ مِن أَمْرِ أَبي الحَسَنِ‏الرِّضا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ ما عَرَفتُ تَكَلَّمتُ وَدَعَوْتَ النَّاسَ إِلَيْهِ، قالَ: فَبَعَثا إِلَىَّ وَقالا لي‏: ما يَدْعُوكَ إِلى‏ هذا؟ إِن كُنْتَ تُرِيدُ المالَ فَنَحنُ نُغنِيكَ وَضَمِنا لي‏ عَشَرَةَ أَلْفَ دِينارٍ وَقالا لي‏: كُفَّ فَأَبَيتُ، فَقُلْتُ لَهُما: إِنّا رُوِّينا عَنِ الصَّادِقَينِ‏عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلاَمُ أَنَّهُمْ قالُوا: إِذا ظَهَرَتِ البِدَعُ فَعَلَى العالِمِ أَن يُظْهِرَ عِلمَهُ، فَإِن لَم يَفعَل سُلِبَ نُورُ الإِيمانِ، وَما كُنْتُ لأَدَعَ الجِهادَ فِي أَمْرِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَلَى كُلِّ حالٍ، فَناصَبانِي وَأَظمَرا العَداوَةَ

Muhammad ibn Al-Hassan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Waleed - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Attar quoted, from Ahmad ibn Al-Hussein ibn Saeed, from Muhammad ibn Jomhoor, from Ahmad ibn Al-Fadhl, from Yunus ibn Abdurrahman:

"A lot of wealth was collected and was in the possession of each of the representatives of Abul Hassan (s) [7^th Imam (as)] when He(s) passed away. This was a reason they denied his death, and considered the Imamate to be terminated with him (s).

Ziyad al-Qandi had seventy-thousand Dinars, and Ali ibn Abi Hamzeh had thirty-thousand Dinars.

When I noted this and the truth became clear to me, and I recognized that Abil Hassan Al-Reza (s) is in charge of affairs, I expressed what I knew and invited the people to (follow) Al-Reza (s). Those two people sent for me and asked, ‘Why are you doing this? We will make you needless if you are after money.’ They offered me ten-thousand Dinars and asked me to stop. But I replied,

'Those two Imams (s) were narrated to have said, ‘Whenever innovations became known, it is incumbent upon the knowledgeable ones to express what they know. Else they will be deprived of the light of faith.' I am not one who would stop my struggling in the way of God.' Thus those two (Ziyad al-Qandi and Ali ibn Abi Hamzeh) became my enemies.”

[Source: Uyun Al-Akbar Al-Reza, Vol. 1, Chapter. 10, Hadees. 2]

To further strengthen our claim that Imam's (as) being 12 was known to the Waqifis below is another narration with a Waqifi narrator.

بُو عَلِيٍّ الْأَشْعَرِيُّ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مُوسَى الْخَشَّابِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ رِبَاطٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أُذَيْنَةَ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع يَقُولُ الِاثْنَا عَشَرَ الْإِمَامَ مِنْ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كُلُّهُمْ مُحَدَّثٌ مِنْ وُلْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص وَ وُلْدِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ع فَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص وَ عَلِيٌّ ع هُمَا الْوَالِدَان‏

Abi Ali Al-Ashari, from Al-Hasan bin Ubaid Allah, from Al-Hasan bin Mooosa Al-Khashaab, from Ali bin Sama'at, from Ali bin Al-Husain bin Ribat, from Ibn Uzainah, from Zurarah who said I heard Aba Jafar (as) saying:

"There will be twelve Imams from the family of Muhammad (s.a) and they all will be (Muhaddasun), persons to whom angles speak. They will be of the descendants of the Messenger of Allah and Ali ibn abu Talib (as). The Messenger of Allah (saww) and Ali (as) are the two fathers."

[Source: Al-Kafi, Vol. 1, Pg. 533]

Ali bin Sama'at is a known Waqifi. We have another similar narration again from another Waqifi Al-Hasan bin Muhammad bin Sama'at.

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْخَشَّابِ عَنِ ابْنِ سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ رِبَاطٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أُذَيْنَةَ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع يَقُولُ الِاثْنَا عَشَرَ الْإِمَامَ مِنْ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ ع كُلُّهُمْ مُحَدَّثٌ مِنْ وُلْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص وَ مِنْ وُلْدِ عَلِيٍّ وَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَ عَلِيٌّ ع هُمَا الْوَالِدَانِ فَقَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ رَاشِدٍ كَانَ أَخَا عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ لِأُمِّهِ وَ أَنْكَرَ ذَلِكَ فَصَرَّرَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع وَ قَالَ أَمَا إِنَّ ابْنَ أُمِّكَ كَانَ أَحَدَهُم‏

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Abd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Khashshab from ibn Sama'a from Ali ibn al-Hassan ibn Ribat from ibn Udhayna from Zurara who has said the following.

"I heard Abu Jafar (as) say, ‘The twelve Imams all from the family of Muhammad (as) are the ones to whom (the angles) speak. They all are from the descendants of the Messenger of Allah and the descendants of Ali (as). The Messenger of Allah and Ali (as) are their ancestors."

Ali ibn Rashid has said that Ali ibn al-Husayn (as) had a brother from his (foster mother’s / not his real mother the Persian princes) side who did not believe in the Hadith and insisted. The Imam (as) said to him loudly, "The son of your mother is one of them."

Note: This narration is also from the 5th Imam Muhammad Baqir (as) which indicates that the it was well known even to the Waqifis that the Imam's (as) would be twelve well before Imam Musa Kazim (as).

There could be an objection on these narrations that, if twelve Imam's (as) are descendants of Prophet Muhammad (saww) then how come Imam Ali (as) is also part of it?? This is in-fact explained in the last part of the narration itself where in its clearly stated that both Prophet Muhammad (saww) and Imam Ali (as) are the two fathers. And as per another narration Prophet Muhammad (saww) is also a father of Imam Ali (as) in this very sense. Read the narration here.

~ Did Imam Musa Kazim (as) claim to be the Qaim??? ~

Intresetingly we dont find any narration in which the 7th Imam Musa Al-Kazim (as) claimed to be the Qaim. But we do have the following narrations in which Imam Musa Kazim (as) clearly says that the Qaim will be the 5th from his descendants.

Narration: 1

علي بن محمد، عن الحسن بن عيسى بن محمد بن علي بن جعفر، عن أبيه عن جده، عن علي بن جعفر، عن أخيه موسى بن جعفر عليه السلام قال: إذا فقد الخامس من ولد السابع فالله الله في أديانكم لا يزيلكم عنها أحد، يا بني إنه لا بد لصاحب هذا الامر من غيبة حتى يرجع عن هذا الامر من كان يقول به، إنما هو محنة من الله عزوجل امتحن بها خلقه، لو علم آباؤكم وأجدادكم دينا أصح من هذا لاتبعوه قال: فقلت: يا سيدي من الخامس من ولد السابع؟ فقال: يا بني ! عقولكم تصغر عن هذا، وأحلامكم تضيق عن حمله، ولكن إن تعيشوا فسوف تدركونه

Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from al-Hassan ibn Isa ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Ja'far from his father from his grandfather from Ali ibn Ja'far from his brother, Musa ibn Jafar (as) who has said the following.

"When the fifth descendant of the seventh (Imam) will disappear from the public sight at that time for the sake of Allah, for the sake of Allah protect your religion so no one can strip you off of it. My son, it is necessary that the in-charge of this task (Leadership with Divine Authority) must disappear from the public sight. Even those who believe in it would turn away from their belief. It will certainly be a trial from Allah, the Most Majestic, and the Most Gracious, to test His creature. Had your fathers and ancestors known any other religion more correct than this they would certainly have followed it."

I then asked, "My master, who is the fifth from the descendants of the seven?" He said, "My son, your intelligence falls shorter to reach it and your understanding remains narrower to accommodate it but if you would live you will soon comprehend its being."

[Source: Al-Kafi, Vol. 1, Pg. 336]

The above narrations has come with the following chain also:

سعد بن عبدالله ، عن أبي محمد الحسن بن عيسى العلوي قال : حدثني أبي عيسى بن محمد ، عن أبيه محمد بن علي بن جعفر ، عن أبيه علي بن جعفر ، عن أخيه موسى بن جعفر عليهما السلام

Narration: 2

حدثنا أحمد بن زياد بن جعفر الهمداني رضي الله عنه قال: حدثنا على ابن إبراهيم بن هاشم، عن أبيه، عن أبي أحمد بن زياد الازدي قال: سألت سيدي موسى بن جعفر عليهما السلام عن قول الله عزوجل: " وأسبغ عليكم نعمه ظاهرة وباطنة " فقال عليه السلام: النعمة الظاهرة الامام الظاهر، والباطنة الامام الغائب، فقلت له: و يكون في الائمة من يغيب؟ قال: نعم يغيب عن أبصار الناس شخصه، ولايغيب عن قلوب المؤمنين ذكره، وهو الثاني عشر منا، يسهل الله له كل عسير، ويذلل له كل صعب، ويظهر له كنوزالارض، ويقرب له كله بعيد، ويبير به كل جبار عنيد ويهلك على يده كل شيطان مريد، ذلك ابن سيدة الاماء الذى تخفى على الناس ولادته، ولا يحل لهم تسميته حتى يظهره الله عزوجل فيملا الارض قسطا وعدلا كما مئلت جورا وظلما

Narrated to us Ahmad bin Ziyad bin Ja’far Hamadani (r.a.): Narrated to us Ali bin Ibrahim bin Hashim from his father from Abi Ahmad Muhammad bin Ziyad Azadi that:

I asked my master Musa Ibne Jafar (a.s) regarding the verse, "And made complete to you His favors outwardly and …inwardly." [31:20]

He replied, "The apparent bounty is the Imam who is seen and the hidden bounty is the Imam who is in occultation."

The narrator says: I asked: "Is there any among the Imams that shall go into occultation?” He replied: “Yes, his person would be unseen by the people but his remembrance would remain hidden in the hearts of the believers. And he is the twelfth one of us. For him the Almighty Allah would make every difficult thing easy and tame every disobedient one. He would open up the treasures of the earth for him and make every remoteness a proximity for him. He would destroy every disobedient sinner and eliminate every transgressing Satan at his hands. He is the son of the best of the maids. His birth would be concealed from the people and it won’t be lawful for them to mention his name. Till the time Allah, the Mighty and Sublime would make him appear. Then he will fill the earth with justice and equity, as it would be filled with injustice and oppression."

[Source: Kamal Al-Deen, Chapter. 34, Hadees. 3]

The same narration has come with the following chain in Kifayatul Athar

حدثنا محمد بن عبد الله بن حمزة ، عن عمه الحسن بن حمزة ، عن علي بن ابراهيم بن هاشم ، عن صالح السندي عن يونس بن عبد الرحمن قال : دخلت على موسى بن جعفر عليهما السلام فقلت

Narration: 3

حدثنا أحمد بن زياد بن جعفر الهمداني رضي الله عنه قال: حدثنا علي ابن إبراهيم بن هاشم، عن أبيه، عن صالح بن السندي، عن يونس بن عبدالرحمن قال: دخلت على موسى بن جعفر عليهما السلام فقلت له: ياابن رسول الله أنت القائم بالحق؟ فقال: أنا القائم بالحق ولكن القائم الذي يطهر الارض من أعداء الله عزوجل ويملا ها عدلا كماملئت جورا وظلما هو الخامس من ولدي له غيبة يطول أمدها خوفا على نفسه، يرتد فيها أقوام ويثبت فيها آخرون ثم قال: طوبى لشيعتنا، المتمسكين بحبلنا في غيبة قائمنا، الثابتين على موالاتنا والبراء ة من أعدائنا، أولئك منا ونحن منهم، قد رضوا بنا أئمة، ورضينا بهم شيعة، فطوبى لهم، ثم طوبي لهم، وهم والله معنا في درجاتنا يوم القيامة

Narrated to us Ahmad bin Ziyad bin Ja’far Hamdani (r.a.): Narrated to us Ali bin Ibrahim bin Hashim from his father from Salih bin Sindi from Yunus bin Abdur Rahman that he said: I came to Musa bin Jafar (a.s.) and asked him:

"O Son of Allahs Messenger! Are you the Qaim bil Haqq? He replied, “I am Qaim bil Haqq, but the Qaim who shall purify the earth from the enemies of Allah Almighty and who shall fill it with justice in the same way as it would be filled with injustice and oppression, is my fifth descendent who will have a prolonged occultation (Ghaybah) because his life shall be in danger. During this period (of occultation) some people will deviate from the truth and some would remain steadfast on it."

Then he said, "Blessed are those of our Shias who during the occultation of our Qaim remain attached to our Wilayat (Mastership) and who are steadfast in Our love (Mawalaat) and steadfast in staying clear (Baraat) from our enemies. They are from Us and We are from them. And indeed they have accepted Us as Imams and we have also accepted them as Our followers (Shia). Blessed are they and blessed are they (Shias). By Allah, they will be with Us in our ranks on the Day of Judgment."

[Source: Kamal al-Deen, Chapter. 34, Hadees. 5]

Note: Yunus bin Abdur Rahman is the same narrator who opposed the sevener Waqifis and gave reason as to why the other companions of Imam Musa Kazim (as) became Waqifi. (Narration quoted above). So it becomes very clear that since Yunus bin Abdur Rahman had got it clarified from Imam Musa Kazim (as) himself that He was not the Qaim and hence he openly went against the sevener waqifis and invited others to the Imamat of Ali bin Musa (as).

~ Narrations which prove that Imam Musa Kazim (as) is not al-Qaim (as) ~

علي بن أحمد البندنيجي، عن عبيد الله بن موسى العلوي، عن الحسن بن معاوية، عن الحسن بن محبوب، عن خلاد بن الصفار، قال: " سئل أبو عبد الله (عليه السلام): هل ولد القائم. فقال: لا، ولو أدركته لخدمته أيام حياتي

Ali bin Ahmad al-Bandaneeji narrated from Obaydillah bin Musa al-Alawi from al-Hasan bin Mo’awiya from al-Hasan bin Mahboob that Khallad bin as-Saffar had said:

"Once Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) was asked: Is al-Qaim (as) born?" He said: "No, he is not. If I live until he is born, I shall serve him as long as I live."

[Source: Al-Gyahba - Numani, Chapter. 13, Hadees. 46]

Note: This narration from Imam Sadiq (as) indicates that the birth of al-Qaim (as) is still far off and for sure Imam Sadiq (as) would not have said this if His son Imam Musa Kazim (as) was the al-Qaim (as).