Narrated to us Abul Hasan Ali bin Musa bin Ahmad bin Ibrahim bin Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Musa bin Ja’far bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Husain bin Ali Ibne Abi Talib (a.s.): I found in the book of my father (r.a.): Narrated to us Muhammad bin Ahmad Tawal from his father from Hasan bin Ali Tabari from Abi Ja’far Muhammad bin Hasan bin Ali bin Ibrahim bin Mahziyar that he heard his father say: I heard my grandfather Ali bin Ibrahim bin Mahziyar say:
“One night I dreamt that someone is telling me: O Ali bin Ibrahim, go for Hajj and there you shall meet the Master of the Age (a.s.). I was very happy at this dream and after performing the Morning Prayer went out to inquire about the people who were going for Hajj. I came to know that a caravan was just about to set out for Hajj. I hurriedly prepared for the journey and set out with the first group of people. After traveling for sometime we reached Kufa. I alighted from my beast and entrusting my luggage to a reliable person and set out in search for the children of Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.). I asked each and everyone but no one had any knowledge about it. At last we departed for Medina but when we reached there I was so tired that I did even feel capable of dismounting. But I got down at last and keeping my belongings with a reliable person set out in search of information about the progeny of Abu Muhammad. I continued my search without success till a group set out for Mecca and I accompanied them. On reaching Mecca, again I put aside my belongings and set out in search of the progeny of Abu Muhammad but again met failure. One night I was sitting in despair when I thought to myself that I should go and perform the Tawaf of Kaaba and pray to the Almighty Allah regarding my desire. He would surely give me the recognition of my hope. When I set out, I was facing the direction of the Kaaba. At that moment I saw an elegant young man. He was wearing a pleasing fragrance and covered with a sheet and trying for another sheet. He put one sheet over his shoulder and shook it. He looked at me and said: Where are you from? I said that I was from Ahwaz. He asked: Do you know Ibne Khaseeb? I said: May Allah have mercy on him. He has passed away. He said: May Allah’s mercy be on him. He fasted during the days and prayed during the nights. He recited the Quran and had love and regard for us. After that he asked: Do you know Ibrahim bin Mahziyar? I said I was him. He said: Welcome, O Abul Hasan, do you know the two sons of the Imam? I said: Yes. He asked: Who are they? I replied: They are Muhammad and Musa. He said: Where is the sign that Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) had given you? I said: It is with me. He said: Show it to me. I took out the ring on which the names of Muhammad and Ali were engraved. On seeing the ring he began to weep and said: Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on you. You are a just Imam, the son of an Imam and the father of Imam. May Allah admit you to the Paradise of Firdaus with your holy forefathers.
Then he said: O Abul Hasan go back to your quarters and be ready to depart with me after three of the six parts of the night have passed. I returned to my quarters and remained in deep thought for a long time. When it was time to go I prepared my mount and reached the designated place at the appointed time. I found the young man waiting for me there. He said: Welcome, O Abul Hasan, congratulations, you have gained the permission to meet the Imam. Both of us mounted and crossing the Arafat and Mina neared the foothills of Taif. The youth told me to alight there. We got down and recited the Midnight Prayer. Then the youth told me to pray the Morning Prayer also but in brief. So I prayed the Morning Prayer in brief. The young man applied dust to his face, mounted his beast and also told me to mount. I mounted and both of us set out again. When we reached the desert he asked me if I could see anything. I said: Yes, my chief, I can see a green area. He asked: Can you see something on it? I said: I can see a tent of hair pitched on a sand dune. And that light is coming out from this tent. He asked me: Can you see anything else? I said: I can see such and such thing. He said: O Ibne Mahziyar may Allah purify your soul, and cool your eyes, we have reached our destination. Dismount! When I dismounted he said: Ibne Mahziyar, leave the reins of your beast. I said: How can I leave it just like that? There is no one here to take care of it. He said: This is a sanctuary and no one apart from the saints of Allah can enter this place. So I left the beast alone and we moved to the tent. When we reached there he said: Wait here. Let me get permission for you. He went inside and came back almost immediately and said: Congratulations, you have got the permission. I entered and saw the Imam of the Age (a.s.) seated on a leather rug. I saluted him and he replied. I saw that his face was luminous as the moon and there was no sort of wrinkle in it. Neither was his face too long nor too broad or flat. He was of a tall stature. He had a very holy appearance. The color of his skin was fair. He had a broad forehead and his eyebrows were joined with each other. His cheeks were soft and eyes large. His nose was raised. On his right cheek was a mole. When I saw him for the first time I was completely amazed at his personality. The Imam said to me: O Mahziyar, how are your brothers in Iraq? I said: Master they are following wrong views about you and the progeny of the satan is dominating them. Imam (a.s.) said:
قَاتَلَهُمُ اللّهُ أَنَّى يُؤْفَكُونَ
May Allah destroy them; how they are turned away![1]
I can see that a community will come which will slay them in their city. The divine command shall apprehend them at any time of the day. I said: O son of Allah’s Messenger, when will this happen? He replied: It would be when between you and the route of the Kaaba a people will come who are such that Allah and His messenger are immune from them. Redness will be visible in the skies for three days continuously. A pillar will be seen in this, like a pillar of silver from which light would emanate. Then Saruwi will rise from Armenia and Azerbaijan who try to reach the black mountains at the rear of Rayy. These mountains are facing the red mountains and just next to the Taliqan district. After that there will be a fierce battle between him and Maruzi, in which children will grow old and the old will become weak. There will be terrible bloodshed between them. At that time you must await the reappearance of the Master of the Age who will first head for Zaura. From there he would move to Mahan and from there to Wasit in Iraq. He will stay for around a year. From there he will march forward and reach Kufa, from there to Najaf and from there to Haira and Gharra. At this place there will be a fierce battle between the two groups. As result of which both the armies will be destroyed. Those who survive this battle will be cut into pieces by the Almighty Allah. Then he recited the following verse:
أَتَاهَا أَمْرُنَا لَيْلاً أَوْ نَهَارًا فَجَعَلْنَاهَا حَصِيدًا كَأَن لَّمْ تَغْنَ بِالأَمْسِ
Our command comes to it, by night or by day, so We render it as reaped seed- produce, as though it had not been in existence yesterday.[2]
I said: O son of Allah’s Messenger, what does ‘Amr’ denote? He replied: We are the Amr of Allah and His army. Then I asked: Sir, has that time arrived? He recited the following verse:
اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ
The hour drew nigh and the moon did rend asunder.[3]
[1] Surah Taubah 9:30
[2] Surah Yunus 10:24
[3] Surah Qamar 54:1