The question discusses the successors of the Imam after the Awaited Imam (may Allah hasten his reappearance) and whether there will be a Mahdawi state with the presence of all Imams.
[AR_ID:623]
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1 Answer
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Regarding the first question about "the successors of the Imam after him," there are several interpretations of this phrase:
First Interpretation: It refers to the Imams (peace be upon them) in general, not specifically to the Awaited Imam (may Allah hasten his reappearance). This prayer is for the Imam of the time, and it encompasses all Imams of guidance (peace be upon them). Therefore, there is no issue in praying for the Imam and the Imams from his lineage, as most of the Imams of the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) came from his descendants. The wording of the prayer applies to every Imam of guidance, and there is nothing in the prayer that specifically pertains to the Awaited Imam alone.
Sheikh Hassan bin Suleiman al-Hilli (may Allah sanctify his soul) stated: "This prayer is to be recited for every Imam in his time, and our master, the Imam of the time, son of Al-Hasan (peace be upon him), is one of them. Thus, this prayer applies to him: O Allah, send blessings upon the successors of his covenant and the Imams after him..." (Mukhtasar al-Basair: 459).
Sheikh Al-Hurr Al-Amili (may Allah sanctify his soul) also mentioned: "It is not far-fetched that Al-Ridha (peace be upon him) commanded the prayer for the Imam of the time in general and for the Imams from his children. These titles and descriptions can be applied to Al-Ridha (peace be upon him) and each of his children, and while there may be some distance, it does not reach the level of impossibility, but it is a valid interpretation to reconcile different narrations." (Al-Fawaid Al-Tusi: 118).
Second Interpretation: The phrase "from his children" is incorrect and cannot be relied upon. Therefore, it refers to the Imams after him, who are the Imams of the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them). This aligns with the belief in their return (raj'ah). This prayer was narrated by Sayyid Ibn Tawus (may Allah sanctify his soul) in another version that does not include the phrase: "and the Imams from his children or after him." Sayyid Ibn Tawus mentioned an interpretation of the Imam's statement in some prayers: "and the Imams from his children," and then stated:
"I found this prayer narrated in a version that suffices for this interpretation, and I mention it because it is more detailed, as narrated by the noble and esteemed Abu Al-Hussain Zayd bin Ja'far Al-Alawi Al-Muhammadi..." (Jamal Al-Usbu: 310-313).
If the narration is reported without this phrase, then the variation in versions weakens reliance on the version that mentions the Imams from his children or after him, as it may be a transcription error by the copyists.
Even if we assume that the prayer is specifically for the Awaited Imam (may Allah hasten his reappearance), the version in the lithographic edition of the book (Jamal Al-Usbu) states: "O Allah, send blessings upon the successors of his covenant and the Imams after him," without mentioning "and the Imams from his children." What is mentioned in the lithographic edition is correct, as evidenced by Sayyid Ibn Tawus's statement after this narration: "This prayer includes his statement: 'O Allah, send blessings upon the successors of his covenant and the Imams after him.'" (Jamal Al-Usbu, lithographic edition: 511).
Additionally, Sheikh Al-Majlisi (may Allah sanctify his soul) transmitted this prayer in (Bihar Al-Anwar 95/332) from the book (Jamal Al-Usbu), mentioning: "O Allah, send blessings upon the successors of his covenant and the Imams after him."
It was narrated with the wording "and the Imams after him" by Sheikh Al-Tusi (may Allah sanctify his soul) in (Misbah Al-Mutahajjid: 293), and Al-Kaf'ami in his two books: (Al-Misbah 2/642) and (Al-Balad Al-Amin: 123).
From what we have stated, it becomes clear that the version of (Jamal Al-Usbu) that contains the phrase "and the Imams from his children" is incorrect and cannot be relied upon. The intended meaning of the Imams after him refers to the eleven Imams who preceded him (peace be upon them), who will return to this world after him and govern it one after another, as indicated by numerous narrations.
Third Interpretation: Among the children of the Awaited Imam (may Allah hasten his reappearance) are Imams:
If we take the wording literally and assume that this prayer indicates that there will be Imams from his children after the Awaited Imam (peace be upon him), we must interpret the prayer in a way that does not contradict the well-established narrations indicating that there are twelve Imams, neither increasing nor decreasing. The term "Imams" in the prayer and similar contexts could refer to esteemed scholars who are distinguished from others in knowledge, piety, and righteousness, without being infallible and divinely appointed like the twelve.
As for your second question regarding the "Mahdawi state with the presence of the Imams (peace be upon them)," the conclusion from many narrations is that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), and Al-Hussain (peace be upon him) will return to this world, as will the other Imams and Prophets (peace be upon them). It has been reported:
From Ali bin Al-Hussain (peace be upon him) regarding the verse: "Indeed, He who has made the Qur'an obligatory upon you will surely bring you back to your place of return," he said: "Your Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), and the Imams (peace be upon them) will return to you." (Tafsir Al-Qummi 2: 147).
And from Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him), he used to say: "The first to emerge from the earth and return to this world will be Al-Hussain bin Ali (peace be upon him), and the return is not general; it is specific to those who are purely believers or purely disbelievers." (Bihar Al-Anwar 53: 39).
It appears that all the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) will return, as evidenced by the aforementioned verses and narrations. Some narrations suggest that they will not return in the same order as they did in this world, but Al-Hussain (peace be upon him) will be the first to return, followed by the Commander of the Faithful. The order of the return of the others is not mentioned in the narrations. Al-Imam Al-Hussain (peace be upon him) will return during the time of Al-Qaim before his death and will remain silent, while the ruling will be with the speaking Imam, who is Al-Mahdi (peace be upon him). When Al-Mahdi (peace be upon him) passes away, Al-Hussain (peace be upon him) will wash him, shroud him, and bury him, taking over the affairs thereafter, as mentioned in some narrations.
May you be successful in all good.