Who is Imam al-Mahdi? Birth, Minor and Major Occultation

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Who is Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi?

Born	877, Samarra (Iraq)
Major occultation (Gaybet-i Kübra)	Early 10th century; according to the sources in Samarra or Egypt (Cairo)
Father	Imam Hasan al-Askari
Mother	Nergis Hatun
Spouse	None (unmarried)

The birth of Hüccet el-Kâim Muhammad al-Mahdi took place on a Friday night that was also the Night of Power (Kadir gecesi), as dawn was breaking, and – just like the birth of Moses (peace be upon him) – it was kept hidden. His mother was Nergis Hatun, also known by the names Saykal and Susan, the daughter of Yuşa, son of the Byzantine Emperor, who was descended from Şemun (Simon), a disciple of Jesus.

The story of his mother Nergis Hatun

While Nergis Hatun was still living in her father’s house, she saw the Prophet Muhammad in her dreams from time to time. In one of these dreams she saw the Prophet Muhammad and Jesus marrying her to Imam Hasan al-Askari, whom she had never yet seen. In another dream, at the invitation of Fatima al-Zahra (Fatima’tül Zöhre), she recited the declaration of faith (kelime-i şahadet) and became a Muslim. But she did not tell her family or those around her that she had become a Muslim; she kept it secret from them.

In yet another dream she was told to join secretly the servants of the army that was going to the frontier to fight the Muslims. Following the instructions given to her in the dream, she changed her clothes so that no one would recognise her, joined the army’s servants and travelled as far as the frontier. When the two armies met, the Muslims defeated the Christian army, took these people captive as well, and brought them to Baghdad. But no one knew that this girl came from the imperial family.

At that time Imam Ali al-Naqi called one of his trusted companions and gave him the following task: “Take this letter and this money and go to the slave market in Baghdad without losing any time. Among the captives at the market you will see a woman dressed in such-and-such a way, called Nergis Hatun. Give her this letter, which I have written in Greek, so that she may read it. After reading it she will give you a sign. Then pay whatever they ask, buy her, and bring her to us without showing her to anyone.” With these words he sent the envoy. The envoy carried out the task given to him to the letter and handed Nergis Hatun over to Imam Ali al-Naqi. The Imam told her, one by one, the dreams she had seen, and gave her the glad tidings that she would become the mother of Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi. The woman threw herself at the Imam’s feet and surrendered herself with her whole being.

Imam Ali al-Naqi then entrusted her to his sister Hâkime Hatun, one of the great ladies of the family of the Imamate, so that she might learn the customs and precepts of Islam and the Arabic language. After Hâkime Hatun had spent some time educating and training Nergis Hatun, she informed the Imam that Nergis Hatun was ready to marry. Imam Ali al-Naqi then, in a modest ceremony within the family, performed the marriage of Nergis Hatun to his son Imam Hasan al-Askari.

According to Islamic and foreign historians, wars had broken out at that time between the Islamic army and Eastern Rome – Byzantium, today’s Turkey – as well as Western Rome (Italy) and those who ruled it. According to Ibn al-Athir’s al-Kamil (İbni Esir’in Kamil’i) and other sources, there were wars between the Islamic forces and Eastern Rome in the years 240–244 and up to 253 after the Hijra, and many were taken captive on both sides.

The History of the Arabs and the Byzantines (El-Arap ve Rum tarihi), translated by Dr. Muhammed Abdul Hadi Şuayre, says: around the year 247 after the Hijra there were wars between the Muslims and the Byzantines. In these wars much booty fell into the hands of the Muslims. In 248, in the battle between Belkacur, the leader of the Muslims, and the Byzantines, many of the notables of the Byzantines and Romans were also taken captive. (Source: El Arap ve Rum tarihi, page 225.) This information confirms that Nergis Hatun was of imperial descent and came from the land of the Byzantines.

The hidden birth on the Night of Power

At the very beginning I briefly mentioned that the birth of Muhammad al-Mahdi was hidden. (“Biharu’l-Envar, vol. 51, pp. 6–11; Sheikh Tusi’s work al-Ghayba (Gaybet)”.) It relates the following, word for word, from the mouth of Hâkime Hatun, the aunt of Imam Hasan al-Askari.

Hâkime Hatun: “As always, I went to visit my nephew. While I was praying in his house, I asked God to grant him a son. Then, wanting to go home, I asked Nergis Hatun to bring me my shoes and the clothes I wear outdoors. When the Imam heard this, he said: ‘Aunt, stay with us tonight, for tonight a child will come into the world who is precious in the sight of God the Exalted, through whom God will revive the earth after its death.’”

Thereupon I said: “Very well, but who is his mother? I see no sign of pregnancy in Nergis!” The Imam said: “His mother is none other than Nergis.”

I stood up and examined Nergis Hatun thoroughly, but I could see no sign of pregnancy in her. I went to the Imam and told him so. The Imam smiled and said: “When dawn breaks, you will see that she has a child.”

She is like the mother of Moses, who spoke with God (Musa Kelâmullah). Her pregnancy, too, could not be seen, and no one knew of it until the birth. For when Pharaoh was searching for Moses, he had the bellies of pregnant women cut open so that such a child would not be born. The child who will come into the world tonight is also like Moses (peace be upon him). It was he who overthrew the power of the Pharaohs. A day will come when this child, too, will overthrow the regimes that rule through oppression and immorality.

Hâkime Hatun: “I watched over Nergis Hatun until dawn. She slept calmly and motionless beside me. As day was breaking, she suddenly started up in fright. At once I took her in my arms and recited the prayer of the Greatest Name (İsm-i Azam). At that moment the Imam called from the next room: ‘Recite the Sura of Power (Kadir Suresi) to her!’ I asked why the Sura of Power. The Imam said: ‘Tonight is Friday night and the Night of Power.’

Kadir Suresi (Sura al-Qadr, “Power”):
Gerçekten biz Kuran’ı Kadir gecesi indirdik.
Truly, We sent down the Qur’an on the Night of Power.
Kadir gecesi nedir bilir misin?
Do you know what the Night of Power is?
Kadir gecesinin ibadeti bin aydan hayırlıdır.
Worship on the Night of Power is better than a thousand months.
Melekler ve kutsal Ruhlar, Rablerinin izniyle hayırlı işler için yeryüzüne indikleri gecedir.
It is the night on which the angels and the holy spirits descend to earth, by their Lord’s leave, for good works.
Tanyeri ağarıncaya kadar, esenlik içinde olan gece işte bu gecedir.
This is the night that is filled with peace until the break of dawn.

“As the Imam had commanded, I kept on reciting the Sura of Power. When the baby began to recite along with me, I became quite frightened. When at last he greeted me, I was very much afraid. The Imam said: ‘Aunt, do not be astonished at the work of God the Exalted. God makes us Imams speak with wisdom while we are still small, and when we grow up He makes us His proof (hüccet) on earth.’

The Imam had not yet finished speaking when Nergis Hatun vanished from my sight. It was as if a curtain had been drawn between her and me; I could not see her. Crying out, I ran to the Imam and said: ‘Nergis has disappeared!’ The Imam said: ‘Aunt, go back, you will find her in her place.’ I went back, and when I entered the room where Nergis Hatun was, I could not believe what had happened.

Fallen to his knees, inside a divine sphere of light, amid lights so bright that they somewhat hindered my sight, the child rose from prostration (secde), lifted his index finger and prayed: ‘I bear witness that there is no god but God, the One and Only, and I further bear witness that my forefather Muhammad is the Messenger of God and my father is the Commander of the Faithful (Emirü’l-Müminin).’ O God, clothe my heart in the garment of hope. Make my task easy. Make my steps firm. Through me, fill the earth with justice and equality.”

Why was he hidden?

Until he departed this world, Imam Hasan al-Askari kept Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi hidden. He showed him only to the companions he trusted most and to his close relatives. A life in concealment is certainly not chosen willingly. The hostility towards the Ehl-i Beyt (Ahl al-Bayt, the family of the Prophet) that began after Imam Ali marked the era of the Umayyads and the Abbasids – above all the time of the sixth Imam, Jafar al-Sadiq, and afterwards, when the caliphs behaved with hostility towards the Imams of the Ehl-i Beyt.

The sole reason for this was the great devotion and respect that society showed the Imams. Their influence on society grew day by day, and the people’s attachment to the Imams kept increasing. Faced with this, the Abbasid caliphs saw their own power in danger. Above all, the Mahdi mentioned in the hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad – who would be of the Prophet’s lineage, descend from Imam Hasan al-Askari and bring justice and equality to the world – had become a nightmare for the caliphs.

Because of this suspicion and fear, Imam Hasan al-Askari was kept under strict surveillance in Samarra. If we look closely, we see that Imam Ali al-Naqi arranged the marriage of his son Hasan al-Askari in a concealed manner.

For it was known that Imam al-Mahdi would descend from Hasan al-Askari. Presumably for this reason, Caliph al-Mu‘tamid (Mütemed) had decided to abolish the Imamate that issued from the Prophet’s house and Ali’s lineage. He openly ordered his men: “Take care! If you see signs of pregnancy in Hasan al-Askari’s wife, or if he has a son, kill him at once!”

Yes, the Abbasid caliph’s decision was absolutely firm. He wanted the Imamate to disappear after Imam Hasan al-Askari. He would kill the child whatever the cost. In this way he would be rid of the rivalry of the sons of Ali for ever. But not everything happened as he wished. The Abbasid caliph’s spies were certainly as cunning and powerful as the devil. They believed they would accomplish this task. But there was one thing they did not know: “divine providence”. God Almighty (Cenab-ı Hak) would protect the twelfth Imam and would also create the means to do so. Thus God’s divine providence was fulfilled.

God Almighty had willed that the Mahdi should come into the world and remain alive, and so it was. All the measures of the Abbasid caliph came to nothing – and so it came to pass.

When Imam Hasan al-Askari died, his son al-Mahdi was five years old. At his father’s funeral prayer and burial he was present, and everyone saw him. After that, no one but the four deputies (naib) was able to see him.

The late Hâce Nasiruddin Tusi explains this event as follows: “The cause of al-Mahdi’s occultation (gaybet) is neither God nor the Imam himself. The cause of the occultation is the people and the adversaries. It stems from fear gaining the upper hand and from the people’s loyalty to the Imams not being complete.”

Of course this event came about through divine wisdom. We cannot know the whole of its mystery. But the real secret of the occultation (concealment) may also be this: it is evident that during the Imamate of Imam Hasan al-Askari many of the people who appeared to be Muslims, who invoked blessings (salavat) upon the Prophet Muhammad and said “we are Muslims”, turned their backs on the Imams in order to curry favour with the governments and caliphs of the time.

Likewise, the fact that many people did not see the truth, and were disrespectful, hypocritical and disobedient towards the Imams and failed to support them, became fully evident in the times of the tenth and eleventh Imams. There was no longer the slightest doubt that these people, who had strayed from the path, would not submit to the rule of a just Islamic order. In such a situation, the occultation (concealment) was inevitable. Had Imam al-Mahdi moved freely within society, it could have ended in disaster.

The minor and the major occultation (Gaybet-i Suğra and Gaybet-i Kübra)

The minor occultation (Gaybet-i Suğra) and the four deputies

During the minor occultation (Gaybet-i Suğra) the people’s contact with Imam al-Mahdi was not completely cut off. Through the “special deputies” (Özel Naipler) they could convey their questions to the Imam and receive answers. Only they could not meet the Imam himself face to face, and even if they saw him, they did not recognise him.

In that period the Imam also met, apart from the four deputies, close friends whom he trusted. In this concealment the Imam was taught at the highest level in the madrasas of the “Dârul Hikme” (House of Wisdom) until the year 905 CE. During that time, through the deputies whose names I give below, he solved the problems of the friends of the Ehl-i Beyt, answered their questions and, even if only indirectly, did not break off contact.

During the period of concealment, for 22 years in Iraq and Medina, he was not physically recognised by the people. He sent messages to the people only through the four deputies. This span of time is called “Gaybet-i Suğra”, the minor occultation.

1. Deputy: Ebu Amr Osman Bin Said el-Amri.
2. Deputy: Ebu Cafer Muhammed bin Osman bin Said el-Amri.
3. Deputy: Ebul Kasım Hüseyin bin Ruh Nevbahti.
4. Deputy: Ebu’l Hasan Ali bin Muhammed Semeri.

The major occultation (Gaybet-i Kübra) and Egypt

After Imam al-Mahdi went to Egypt in 905 CE, even the fourth deputy could no longer meet him, and after that no news at all was received from him. This span of time is called “Gaybet-i Kübra”, the period of the major occultation.

Immediately after the events of Karbala, the accursed Yazid had exiled Mother Zeynep (Zeynep Ana) to Egypt. Mother Zeynep’s arrival in Egypt, in Cairo, after the tragedy of Karbala, and the Egyptian people’s learning at first hand of the cruelty inflicted on the Prophet’s descendants, had a great impact.

After that, Abdullah El Mestur, son of Imam Jafar, went to Egypt; his son was Ahmet El Taki. Hüseyin es Zeki, son of Ali al-Naqi – and also Abdullah el Mestur, son of İsmail, son of Imam Jafar, who ran an entirely concealed system and later went to Egypt – ensured that the faith of the Ehl-i Beyt continued and spread in Egypt by means of a concealed system.

According to some sources, after Muhammad al-Mahdi had completed his higher studies at the madrasas of the Dârul Hikme in Medina, he was invited by his relatives in Egypt. Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi accepted the invitation. According to the sources given by many historians, in 905 CE he went to Egypt under the identity of a merchant. With his departure from Medina and Iraq he had no contact whatsoever with the communities there. The period after that date was called “Gaybet-i Kübra”, that is, the era of the major occultation.

Historians write that Imam al-Mahdi made a great contribution to the founding of the Fatimid state, established in Egypt in 909 CE. Some historians, however, maintain that the founder of the Fatimids was not Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi but Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi (Übeydullah el-Mehdi). Some historians give the death of Muhammad al-Mahdi as 940 CE, others as 951. They also say that he was buried in Cairo, Egypt, beside Mother Zeynep.

The letter written to the fourth deputy

Some sources give a date of death but cannot give the place where he died. The text of the letter that the fourth deputy, Ali bin Muhammad, received from Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi and showed to his other friends is as follows:

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim (In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful).
“O Ali bin Muhammad es-Semeri! Know that you will die six days from now. Prepare yourself accordingly! After your death we will not appoint anyone in your place. For a complete disappearance has begun, and there will be no reappearance (zuhur) unless God Almighty commands it. That will happen only after a long time, when gloom has settled on the hearts and the earth is filled with tyranny and torment. Among my followers there will be those who claim to have seen me. Whoever makes such a claim before the emergence of the Süryani and before the cry is heard is a liar and a slanderer. Power and might belong to God Almighty alone.”

According to this message of the fourth deputy concerning Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi, then, no date of death can be given and no place of death can be shown. In my opinion, to clarify this matter one would have to go to Cairo and study the Epistles of the Brethren of Purity (İHVÂNUSSAFA Risaleleri) together with a scholar who knows Arabic and Persian. Only then could we speak with somewhat more certainty. As things stand, we ourselves do not know how accurately the sources we have used were written.

Author’s note

Dear readers: in the first and second editions of my book ERKÂNNAME, published in 2002, there were only the dates of birth and death of the Twelve Imams. Many of the readers of my book suggested that it would be more useful for our children who read it if I wrote not only the Imams’ dates of birth and death but also under which Umayyad and Abbasid caliphs they lived and by whom they were martyred. Taking this to heart, I have tried to describe the lives of the Twelve Imams as briefly and concisely as possible. My whole hope is this: if I can render a useful service, how happy I shall be.

Source: Seyit Derviş Tur, Erkânname – Aleviliğin İslam Yorumu ve Alevi Erkânları (The Alevi Interpretation of Islam and Alevi Rites), expanded 3rd edition (ISBN 975-6791-52-7).

Translated from the Turkish original by Seyit Derviş Tur.