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August, 1876.]
THE TWELVE EMÅMS.
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this man to be liberated that he is to request him ites (Faith of the twelve Emams), the Cå heb to transport him again in one night from Syria a l-ze må n, i.e. lord of the period,' entered a to Kufah, thence to Madinah, thence to Makkah, house in Sâmerah, and, though his mother and thence to Syria." The narrator was greatly waited for him long, he never came out again. distressed at this reply, and when he again went This happened A.H.265 or 266 (A.D. 878 or to pay a visit to the imprisoned Emâm, in order 879), and he is believed to be up to this time to inform him of the answer, he perceived that still alive in his concealment. He was only a boy his watchmen and soldiers were in great con- of ten or eleven years of age when he disapfusion and fear, and on being asked for the cause peared. The Muhammadans in general believe they replied, "The man who had been confined that the re-appearance of the Mohdi, the for being a prophet has disappeared. It is not director, and the Çâ he b-a l-z e man, the lord, known whether the earth has swallowed him, or of the world, will be one of the signs of the whether birds have taken him up into the sky." approach of the end of the world and of the
There is no doubt that this Emâm was pat resurrection, and the Emâmites in particular to death; about this, however, the author of the state that the absence of the Mohdi from the Rouzit-al-Qafa says nothing, and merely states world is divided into two periods--namely, the that he was snatched away in Baghdad at the Chybat kapry or short absence, and the Gl’ybat end of the month Dilşa'dah A.H. 220 (began ontily or long absence. The former comprises the the 27th October A.D. 835), at the age of 25 years. time from his birth until the termination of the · X. A'li Ben Muḥammad Ben A'ly ambassadorship, and the latter the period from Ben Mûsa Al-reza. His kunyat was Ab- the termination of the ambassadorship until the ulhasan, and his lakab Kadi, but he is time decreed by the Eternal Will for his final chiefly known by the name of A's kari; they reappearance begins. It is asserted that duralso call him Zaki and Taķi. He was born ing the period of the short absence his ambasat Madinah in the month Zilhejjah A.H. 212sadors succeeded each other through many ge(began Feb. 21, A.D. 827). He was sent to nerations, and conveyed to him the needs and Sermenrâi, now called Sâmerah, by the Khalif demands of all human beings, and also brought Motawakkel, where he spent his whole life as a back his answers to them, and that the last of prisoner, though he was allowed his own house. these ambassadors to mankind was a man named He perished during the khalifate of Muntaçer, A'li Ben Muhammad, who died A.H. 327 at the age of 41 years, at the end of Jomada (A.D. 938). Six days before his demise this II. A.H. 254 (towards the end of June A.D. 868). A'li produced a document which he said had
XI. Hasan Ben A'li Ben Muham- been written by the Emâm Muhammad Ebn mad Ben Ali Ben Masa Al-rexa. His Alhasan Ala'skari, and which contained also kunyat is Abu Muḥammad, and his lakab the following words :-“O A'li, son of MuhamZaki and Khalic; he was, like his father, mad! May God magnify the reward of your known also by the name of A'skari. He was brothers in you; for you will die after six days. born in Madinah during the month Rabi' II. Terminate all your affairs, and delegate your A.H. 232 (December A.D. 846). He is said to office to no one after your death." He died at have worked numberless miracles, and, as in the the specified period, after which all communicacase of Muhammad Baqer, the phrase "he was tions with the Emâm ceased. The Emâmites snatched away" is used in the Rourat-al-Cafa, keep records of numerous miracles performed instead of saying that he was killed, at the age by Muhammad Ben Hasan Ben A'li during the of 28 years, A. H. 260 (A.D. 873).
period of the short absence; they believe him XII. Muhammad Ben Hasan Ben to be the Mohdi (director) of the last times, and A'li. His kunyat is Abu-alķâ sem, and the that after his appearance Jesus will descend Emâmites call him Hajjat, Kâiim, Mohdi, from heaven; but all sects of Muhammadans Moutazir, and å heb al-ze man. He have collected traditions abont the Mohdi. was born at Sâmerah in the middle of Sha'ban of the twelve Emâms not one died a natural A.H. 255 (30th July 868), and was consequently death. Eleven were killed or poisoned, and the five years old at his father's death. Accord- fate of the twelfth being unknown, he is supposed ing to the traditions of the Athna-a'sher-Emâm- to have miraculonsly disappeared from the world.
