Trials (fitna) during Ghaybah

Hadith 1:

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ صَالِحٍ رَفَعَهُ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع قَالَ: قَالَ إِنَّ حَدِيثَكُمْ هَذَا لَتَشْمَئِزُّ مِنْهُ قُلُوبُ الرِّجَالِ فَمَنْ أَقَرَّ بِهِ فَزِيدُوهُ وَ مَنْ أَنْكَرَهُ فَذَرُوهُ إِنَّهُ لَا بُدَّ مِنْ أَنْ يَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ يَسْقُطُ فِيهَا- كُلُّ بِطَانَةٍ وَ وَلِيجَةٍ حَتَّى يَسْقُطَ فِيهَا مَنْ يَشُقُّ الشَّعْرَ بِشَعْرَتَيْنِ حَتَّى لَا يَبْقَى إِلَّا نَحْنُ وَ شِيعَتُنَا

Narrated that Abu Jafar Imam Baqir (عليه السلام) said,

"Your narrating of these Ahadith* (i.e. about Imam Mahdi ع?) causes the hearts of the men to be constricted/annoyed/repulsed with it. So whoever agrees with it, so increase it for him and whoever denies it, leave him. Surely, there must be a trial in which every insider & close friend will fall out, such that even those who are able to split a hair into two (i.e. those having keen observation/sight) will also fall out, until no one remains except We and Our Shia remain."

[Source: al-Kafi, Vol. 1, Pg. 370]

Allamah Majlisi commenting on this hadith says:

والمراد بالحديث غرائب أحوالهم وأسرارهم وشؤونهم ، ومنها أمر الغيبة وامتدادها ، ووقوع البداء فيها ، بل القدح في الخلفاء الغاصبين وإثبات كفرهم وارتداد أكثر الصحابة ، فإنها كانت مما لا تقبله قلوب أكثر الناس في ذلك الزمان ، والظاهر أن المراد بالفتنة الغيبة وامتدادها

"The 'narrating of Ahadith' here refers to the amazing aspects in the Imams situations, their secrets, and their affairs. This includes the matter of occultation (Ghaybah) and its extension, and the occurrence of change (bada) in it. Also includes the criticism of the usurping caliphs and the affirmation of their disbelief (kufr), as well as the turning back from Islam of the majority of the companions. Since this was something that most people's hearts could not accept at that time. And apparently what is meant by the trial is the occultation and its extension."

[Source: Mir'at al-Uqool, Vol. 4, Pg. 185]


Hadith 2:

وَ أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى الْعَلَوِيُّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ الْأَشْعَرِيِّ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ عُمَرَ الْيَمَانِيِّ عَنْ رَجُلٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع أَنَّهُ قَالَ: لَتُمَحَّصُنَّ يَا شِيعَةَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ تَمْحِيصَ الْكُحْلِ فِي الْعَيْنِ‌[2] وَ إِنَّ صَاحِبَ الْعَيْنِ يَدْرِي مَتَى يَقَعَ الْكُحْلُ فِي عَيْنِهِ وَ لَا يَعْلَمُ مَتَى يَخْرُجُ‌ مِنْهَا وَ كَذَلِكَ يُصْبِحُ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى شَرِيعَةٍ مِنْ أَمْرِنَا وَ يُمْسِي وَ قَدْ خَرَجَ مِنْهَا وَ يُمْسِي عَلَى شَرِيعَةٍ مِنْ أَمْرِنَا وَ يُصْبِحُ وَ قَدْ خَرَجَ مِنْهَا

Narrated that Abu Jafar Imam Baqir (عليه السلام) said,

"O Shia of Aal-e-Muhammad, you will be tested (closely examined) like the kohl in the eye. The person knows when the kohl is put into his eye, but he does not know when it will come out of his eyes. Similarly, a man would be upon Our matter (i.e. Wilayah) in the morning and while its evening he would be out of it (i.e. he would have left Wilayah). And would be upon Our matter in the evening and by the morning would be out of it."

[Source: al-Ghaybah by al-No’mani, Pg. 206]


Hadith 3:

العلامة الأردبيلي في حديقة الشيعة : نقلاً عن السيد المرتضى ابن الداعي الحسيني الرازي ، بإسناده عن الشيخ المفيد ، عن أحمد بن محمد بن الحسن بن الوليد ، عن أبيه محمد بن الحسن ، عن سعد بن عبدالله ، عن محمد بن عبدالله ، عن محمد بن عبد الجبار ، عن الإِمام الحسن العسكري ( عليه السلام ) ، أنه قال لأبي هاشم الجعفري :

يا أَبَا هَاشِمٍ سَيأْتِى زَمَانٌ عَلَى النَّاسِ وُجُوهُهُمْ ضَاحِكَةٌ مُسْتَبْشِرَةٌ وَ قُلُوبُهُمْ مُظْلِمَةٌ مُتَكَدِّرَةٌ السُّنَّةُ فِيهِمْ بِدْعَةٌ وَ الْبِدْعَةُ فِيهِمْ سُنَّةٌ الْمُؤْمِنُ بَينَهُمْ مُحَقَّرٌ وَ الْفَاسِقُ بَينَهُمْ مُوَقَّرٌ أُمَرَاؤُهُمْ جَاهِلُونَ جَائِرُونَ وَ عُلَمَاؤُهُمْ فِى أَبْوَابِ الظَّلَمَةِ [سَائِرُونَ] أَغْنِياؤُهُمْ يسْرِقُونَ زَادَ الْفُقَرَاءِ وَأَصَاغِرُهُمْ يتَقَدَّمُونَ عَلَى الْكُبَرَاءِ وَ كُلُّ جَاهِلٍ عِنْدَهُمْ خَبِيرٌ وَ كُلُّ مُحِيلٍ عِنْدَهُمْ فَقِيرٌ لَا يمَيزُونَ بَينَ الْمُخْلِصِ وَ الْمُرْتَابِ لَا يعْرِفُونَ الضَّأْنِ مِنَ الذِّئَابِ عُلَمَاؤُهُمْ شِرَارُ خَلْقِ اللَّهِ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْأَرْضِ؛ لِأَنَّهُمْ يمِيلُونَ إِلَى الْفَلْسَفَةِ وَ التَّصَوُّفِ، وَ ايمُ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعُدُولِ وَالتَّحَرُّفِ يبَالِغُونَ فِى حُبِّ مُخَالِفِينَا وَ يضِلُّونَ شِيعَتَنَا وَ مُوَالِينَا، إِنْ نَالُوا مَنْصَبا لَمْ يشْبَعُوا عَنِ الرِّشَاءِ، وَإِنْ خُذِلُوا عَبَدُوا اللَّهَ عَلَى الرِّياءِ. أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ قُطَّاعُ طَرِيقِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَ الدُّعَاةُ إِلَى نِحْلَةِ الْمُلْحِدِينَ. فَمَنْ أَدْرَكَهُمْ فَلْيحْذَرْهُمْ وَ لْيصُنْ دِينَهُ وَ إِيمَانَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ يا أَبَا هَاشِمٍ: هَذَا مَا حَدَّثَنِى أَبِى عَنْ آبَائِهِ جَعْفَرِبْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ (ع) وَ هُوَ مِنْ أَسْرَارِنَا، فَاكْتُمْهُ إِلَّا عَنْ أَهْلِه

Narrated that Imam Hasan al-Askari (عليه السلام) said to Abu Hashim al-Jafari:

"O Abu Hashim, there will come a time upon people when their faces will be smiling and happy, but their hearts will be dark and disturbed. 

The Sunnah (Prophet's way) will be considered an innovation (bid'ah) among them, and the innovation (bid'ah) will be considered as the Sunnah. 

The believer among them will be despised, and the sinner will be respected. 

Their rulers will be ignorant and unjust, and their scholars will wander in the gates of darkness. 

Their rich will steal the provisions of the poor, and their young ones will precede the elders. 

And every ignorant person will be considered knowledgeable/expert among them, and every cheater person will be considered poor. 

They will not distinguish between the sincere and the doubtful, nor will they know the sheep from the wolves. 

Their scholars are the worst of Allah's creation on the face of the earth, for they will incline towards philosophy and Sufism. By Allah, they are indeed among the people of deviation and corruption. They exaggerate in loving those who oppose us and misguide our Shia and followers. If they attain a position, they will not be satisfied with bribery, and if they are abandoned, they will worship Allah hypocritically. Alas, they are indeed the robbers of the path of the believers and the callers to the sect of the atheists. Whoever encounters them, let him beware of them and protect his religion and faith. "

Then the Imam said, "O Abu Hashim, this is what my father narrated to me from his forefathers, Jafar ibn Muhammad (عليه السلام), and it is one of our secrets. Keep it confidential except from those worthy of it"

[Source: Mustadrak al-Wasail, Vol.11, Pg.380]