The list of the Names of those who saw the Twelfth Imam (a.s.)

اجْتَمَعْتُ أَنَا وَ الشَّيْخُ أَبُو عَمْرٍو رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عِنْدَ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ فَغَمَزَنِي أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ أَنْ أَسْأَلَهُ عَنِ الْخَلَفِ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا أَبَا عَمْرٍو إِنِّي أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ عَنْ شَيْ‌ءٍ وَ مَا أَنَا بِشَاكٍّ فِيمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ‌ أَسْأَلَكَ عَنْهُ فَإِنَّ اعْتِقَادِي وَ دِينِي أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ لَا تَخْلُو مِنْ حُجَّةٍ إِلَّا إِذَا كَانَ قَبْلَ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ بِأَرْ

“I and shaykh abu ‘Amr, may Allah grant him blessings met each other before Ahmad ibn Ishaq. Ahmad ibn Ishaq made an eye gesture to me to ask him about the succeeding Imam. I said to him, “O abu ‘Amr, I like to ask you a question about a matter, although, I do not any doubts in the question I am about to ask. It is my

رَأَيْتُهُ بَيْنَ الْمَسْجِدَيْنِ وَ هُوَ غُلَامٌ ع.

“I saw him (the twelfth Imam (a.s.)) between the two mosque while he was a boy.”

أَنَّهَا رَأَتْهُ لَيْلَةَ مَوْلِدِهِ وَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ.

“Musa ibn Muhammad ibn al-Qasim ibn Hamzah ibn Musa ibn Ja‘far narrated to me that Hakima, the daughter of Muhammad ibn Ali (a.s.) and the paternal aunt of his (the twelfth’s) father, said to me that she had seen him on the night of his birth and afterwards.”

قُلْتُ لِلْعَمْرِيِّ قَدْ مَضَى أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ ع فَقَالَ قَدْ مَضَى وَ لَكِنْ قَدْ خَلَّفَ فِيكُمْ مَنْ رَقَبَتُهُ مِثْلُ هَذَا وَ أَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ.

“I asked al-‘Amri, “Has abu Muhammad (a.s.) passed away?” He said, “Yes, he has passed away but has left behind among you a person (the succeeding Imam) whose neck is like this. He made a sign with his hand (meaning thereby good health and beauty).”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَلِيِّ بْنَ مُطَهَّرٍ يَذْكُرُ أَنَّهُ قَدْ رَآهُ وَ وَصَفَ لَهُ قَدَّهُ.

“I heard abu Ali ibn Mutahhar saying that has seen him (the twelfth Imam) and would describe his (Imam’s) figure.”

أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ‌ كُنْتُ وَاقِفَةً مَعَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَلَى الصَّفَا فَجَاءَ ع حَتَّى وَقَفَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَ قَبَضَ عَلَى كِتَابِ مَنَاسِكِهِ وَ حَدَّثَهُ بِأَشْيَاءَ.

“I was standing with Ibrahim on al-Safa’ that he (the twelfth Imam) came and stood higher than Ibrahim, took his Hajj guide book and spoke to him about a number of things.”

أَنَّهُ رَآهُ عِنْدَ الْحَجَرِ الْأَسْوَدِ وَ النَّاسُ يَتَجَاذَبُونَ عَلَيْهِ وَ هُوَ يَقُولُ مَا بِهَذَا أُمِرُوا.

“I saw him (the twelfth Imam) near the Black Stone while people were clinging over it. The Imam (a.s.) would say, “They are not commanded in this condition ( to kiss the Black Stone.”

رَأَيْتُهُ ع بَعْدَ مُضِيِّ أَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ حِينَ أَيْفَعَ وَ قَبَّلْتُ يَدَيْهِ وَ رَأْسَهُ.

“I saw him (the twelfth Imam) after the death of abu Muhammad (a.s.) when he had reached adolescence. I kissed his hand and head.”

جَرَى حَدِيثُ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ فَذَمَّهُ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ فَلَيْسَ غَيْرُهُ فَهَلْ رَأَيْتَهُ فَقَالَ لَمْ أَرَهُ وَ لَكِنْ رَآهُ غَيْرِي قُلْتُ وَ مَنْ رَآهُ قَالَ قَدْ رَآهُ جَعْفَرٌ مَرَّتَيْنِ وَ لَهُ حَدِيثٌ.

“Once Ja‘far ibn Ali was mentioned and he reproached him. I said to him, “Well, there is no one (in his family) besides him. Have you seen him?” He said, “I have not seen him (the twelfth Imam) but other people have seen him.” I then asked, “Who has seen him?” He said, “Ja‘far has seen him twice and he has quite a stor

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّهَا مِنْ أَحَبِّ الْبِقَاعِ لَوْ لَا الطَّرْدُ:" أَوْ كَلَامٌ هَذَا نَحْوُهُ".

“He narrated to me from a person who had seen him (The Imam (a.s) in the words below. ‘He (the twelfth Imam) came out the house ten days before his father would leave this world and said, “O Lord, You know that this is the most lovely place to me, had there been no expulsion.” Or that he spoke a similar expression.”

شَاهَدْتُ سِيمَاءَ[3] آنِفاً بِسُرَّ مَنْ رَأَى وَ قَدْ كَسَرَ بَابَ الدَّارِ فَخَرَجَ عَلَيْهِ وَ بِيَدِهِ طَبَرْزِينٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ- مَا تَصْنَعُ فِي دَارِي فَقَالَ سِيمَاءُ إِنَّ جَعْفَراً زَعَمَ أَنَّ أَبَاكَ مَضَى وَ لَا وَلَدَ لَهُ فَإِنْ كَانَتْ دَارَكَ فَقَدِ انْصَرَفْتُ عَنْكَ فَخَرَجَ عَنِ الدَّارِ قَالَ- عَلِيُّ بْنُ قَيْسٍ فَخَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا خَادِمٌ مِنْ خَدَمِ الدَّارِ فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ هَذَا الْخَبَرِ فَ

“I saw Sima’(a man) soon after the death of abu Muhammad (a.s) in Surra man ra’a (a city in Iraq) who had just broken the door (of the tenth Imam (a.s.). He (the twelfth Imam) came out to him with an ax in his hand and said, “What are you doing to my house?” Sima said, “Ja‘far thinks that your father has passed away wi

أَرَانِيهِ أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ ع وَ قَالَ هَذَا صَاحِبُكُمْ.

“Abu Muhammad (a.s.) showed him (the twelfth Imam (a.s.) to me and said, “This will be your master (Leader with Divine Authority).”

أَنَّهُ رَآهُ.

who has said that he saw him (the twelfth Imam (a.s.) .

أَنَّهُمَا حَدَّثَاهُ فِي سَنَةِ تِسْعٍ وَ سَبْعِينَ وَ مِائَتَيْنِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْعَبْدِيِّ عَنْ ضَوْءِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْعِجْلِيِّ عَنْ رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ فَارِسَ سَمَّاهُ‌ أَنَّ أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ أَرَاهُ إِيَّاهُ.

Abu Muhammad (al-Askari (a.s.)) showed him (the twelfth Imam (a.s.) to him.

كُنْتُ حَاجّاً مَعَ رَفِيقٍ لِي فَوَافَيْنَا إِلَى الْمَوْقِفِ فَإِذَا شَابٌّ قَاعِدٌ عَلَيْهِ إِزَارٌ وَ رِدَاءٌ وَ فِي رِجْلَيْهِ نَعْلٌ صَفْرَاءُ قَوَّمْتُ الْإِزَارَ وَ الرِّدَاءَ بِمِائَةٍ وَ خَمْسِينَ دِينَاراً وَ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَثَرُ السَّفَرِ فَدَنَا مِنَّا سَائِلٌ فَرَدَدْنَاهُ فَدَنَا مِنَ الشَّابِّ فَسَأَلَهُ فَحَمَلَ شَيْئاً مِنَ الْأَرْضِ وَ نَاوَلَهُ فَدَعَا لَهُ السَّائِلُ وَ اجْتَهَدَ فِي الدُّعَاءِ

“I and a friend of mine were in Makka to perform Hajj. When we arrived in ‘Arafat (a famous place) we found a young man sitting on the ground. He had a piece of clothe on him for the lower part of the body called ’Izar and another piece for the upper part of the body called Rida’ wearing on his feet a yellow footwear.