Hawzah News Agency- Considering the previous articles, the occultation of Imam Mahdi (PBUH) was necessary, since all the movements and actions of our great leaders were in line with strengthening the foundations of faith of the people and there was a fear that the occultation of the last divine proof would cause serious and irreparable damage to the religion of Islam, the period of occultation began and continued with a calculated process and precise planning.
Years before the birth of the twelfth Imam (PBUH) talk of his occultation and its necessity became a common occurrence, and the gatherings of the infallible Imams (PBUT) and their companions were recounted. Also, the way Imam Hadi and Imam Askari (PBUH) communicated with the Shiites took on a new and more limited form, and the followers of the Ahlul Bayt (PBUT) school gradually learned that in many material and spiritual needs, they did not have to go to the Imam's presence, but could instead perform their duties by referring to those who had been introduced by the Imams as representatives and trusted individuals. With the martyrdom of Imam Hassan Askari (PBUH) and the beginning of the occultation of Imam Hujjat ibn al-Hasan (PBUH), the relationship between the Imam and the Ummah was not completely severed. Rather, the people were in contact with their imam through the special representatives of the Imam of the Time. It was during this period that the Shiites became accustomed to traveling and communicating more widely with religious scholars and realized that even in the conditions of the Imam's occultation, the path to understanding religious duties was not closed to them. It was in this context that the major occultation of Imam Mahdi (PBUH) occurred and the connection that was common between the Imam and the Shiites in the past was severed.
Short-Term Occultation (Minor Occultation)
With the martyrdom of Imam Hassan Askari (PBUH) in the year 260 AH, the period of the Imamate of the Twelfth Imam (PBUH) began. From this time on, the short-term occultation of that Imam, known as the "Minor Occultation", began and continued until the year 329 AH - nearly 70 years.
The most important feature of the period of the Minor Occultation is that people were in contact with Imam Mahdi (PBUH) through special representatives, through whom they received his messages and got answers to their questions. Sometimes, through the Imam's representatives, they had the honor of reaching the presence of their Imam.
The special representatives of the Imam (PBUH), all of whom were Shiite scholars and the chosen ones of Imam Mahdi (PBUH), are four people, who, in order of the time of their representation, are:
1. Uthman ibn Saeed Amri; He assumed the role of the Imam's representative from the beginning of the occultation and passed away in the year 267 AH. He was also the representative of Imam Hadi and Imam Askari (PBUT).
2. Muhammad ibn Uthman Amri; He is the son of the first representative who attained the position of representative after the death of his father and passed away in the year 305 AH.
3. Husayn ibn Ruh Nawbakhti; He passed away in 326 AH after 21 years of office.
4. Ali ibn Muhammad Samori; He passed away in 329 AH, ending the period of the Minor Occultation.
The special representatives were all chosen by Imam Askari (PBUH) and Imam Mahdi (PBUH) and introduced to the people, but during the Minor Occultation, each of the representatives would introduce to the people the next deputy chosen by Imam Mahdi (PBUH) before his death.
The relationship with the four representatives and also the access of some Shiites to their Imam during the Minor Occultation had a great impact on proving the birth of the twelfth Imam and the last proof of God, and this important achievement was at a time when the enemies were trying to make the Shiites doubt the birth of a child for Imam Askari (PBUH). In addition, this period was a suitable background and foundation for the beginning of the Major Occultation.
Long Occultation (Major Occultation)
In the last days of the life of the fourth representatives, a letter from Imam Mahdi (PBUH) addressed to him stated:
«بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِیمِ یَا عَلِیَّ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ السَّمُرِیَّ أَعْظَمَ اللَّهُ أَجْرَ إِخْوَانِکَ فِیکَ فَإِنَّکَ مَیِّتٌ مَا بَیْنَکَ وَ بَیْنَ سِتَّةِ أَیَّامٍ فَاجْمَعْ أَمْرَکَ وَ لَا تُوصِ إِلَی أَحَدٍ فَیَقُومَ مَقَامَکَ بَعْدَ وَفَاتِکَ فَقَدْ وَقَعَتِ الْغَیْبَةُ التَّامَّةُ فَلَا ظُهُورَ إِلَّا بَعْدَ إِذْنِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَی ذِکْرُهُ وَ ذَلِکَ بَعْدَ طُولِ الْأَمَدِ وَ قَسْوَةِ الْقُلُوبِ وَ امْتِلَاءِ الْأَرْضِ جَوْراً... .»
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. O Ali ibn Muhammad Samri, may Allah grant your religious brothers a great reward in the calamity of your death; for you will go to the eternal home in six days. Therefore, take care of your affairs and do not make a will for anyone regarding your successor; for the period of major occultation has arrived, and from now on there will be no appearance [for me] except after the divine command, and after that there will be a long period when hardness and cruelty will overtake hearts and the earth will be filled with oppression and tyranny. (Al-Ghaybah, Sheikh Tusi, Vol. 1, p. 395)
Therefore, with the death of the last special representative of the twelfth Imam in 329 AH, the long period of occultation known as the "Major Occultation" began, and this period will continue until the day when, by God's will, the clouds of occultation will disperse and the world will benefit from the direct rays of the shining sun of the guardianship of the last Imam.
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Extracted from the book “Negine Afarinesh (The Jewel of Creation)”, with slight changes
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