تويت
Does Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance) have descendants and children?
✍ Author: Sayyid Diaa Al-Khabbaz
❖ Article:
Establishing a person’s lineage in Twelver Shi‘i Islamic jurisprudence depends on recognized principles acknowledged by jurists. This can be done through three methods:
First method: (Acknowledgment by the father). Such an acknowledgment establishes lineage, and legal rulings follow from it, such as inheritance and marital prohibitions.
Second method: (Widespread recognition that leads to certainty), meaning there is a common understanding among people that this individual belongs to a certain person or tribe.
Third method: The testimony of (two just male witnesses), who testify that a person is the son of another and belongs to a specific tribe. This testimony is considered sufficient to establish lineage, as stated by jurists.
We can apply these three principles to anyone who claims prophethood or lineage from Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance), such as the claim made by Ahmad Ismail Katta‘ (for example). There is no father acknowledging this claimant as the son of the Imam, so this path is completely closed.
As for widespread recognition, it actually proves the opposite of the claim. The claimant is known in his city (Basra) to belong to a specific family and tribe, and the people of Basra are aware of this.
Regarding the third method—testimony of two just witnesses—it is only accepted under certain conditions, including that the claimed lineage must be logically and legally possible. For example, the age difference between the claimant and the alleged father must reasonably allow for such a relationship.
We say that, based on narrations, we can deny the existence of descendants for the Imam (may Allah hasten his reappearance) during the period of occultation. Therefore, anyone who claims to be from his descendants is lying.
There is a narration in which al-Hasan al-Washsha’ says: Ali ibn Abi Hamza entered upon Imam al-Ridha (peace be upon him) and asked:
“Are you an Imam?”
He replied: “Yes.”
He said: “I heard from your grandfather Ja‘far ibn Muhammad (peace be upon him) that he said: ‘No Imam exists except that he has offspring’”—implying Imam al-Ridha (peace be upon him), who at that time had no children.
The Imam responded: “Have you forgotten, or are you pretending to forget? That is not what Ja‘far ibn Muhammad said. Rather, he said: ‘No Imam exists except that he has offspring—except the Imam against whom al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali (peace be upon them) will rise, for he will have no offspring.’”
This refers to Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance), in connection with the return of Imam al-Husayn (peace be upon him) after the blessed reappearance.
Someone might argue that there are texts stating that after Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance), there will be Imams from among his descendants. How can these be reconciled with other narrations that deny this?
Scholars respond that such narrations are not معتبر (reliable), as they have unknown chains of transmission. Examples include narrations such as: “Peace be upon the guardians of his covenant and the Imams from his descendants,” or the narration of Ya‘qub ibn Yusuf al-Tarrad, which says: “O Allah, send blessings upon Your guardian, the guardians of his covenant, and the Imams from his descendants.” Another example is a narration attributed to a woman said to have been a servant in the house of Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him), who claimed to meet Imam al-Mahdi and نقلت عنه this supplication.
Therefore, Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance) has no offspring, and anyone who claims to be from his descendants is a liar and fabricator. This is the clear implication of the narrations.
#Sahib_al-Zaman #The_Promised_One #Al-Qa’im #Al-Mahdi #Al-Hujjah #The_Awaited #Aba_Salih #Imam_al-Mahdi
#Specialized_Center_for_Studies_on_Imam_al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance)
مركز الدراسات التخصصية في الامام المهدي عليه السلام
#المقالات_المهدوية 
عنوان المقالة: هل للإمام المهدي (عجّل الله فرجه) ذريّة وأولاد؟
الكاتب: السيد ضياء الخبازترجمة
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