Reviewing the Application of the Title ‘Master of the Age’ (Sāhib al-Amr) to the Self-Proclaimed Yamani

Dar al‑Hidayah | In this section, we examine the narrations that the followers of the self‑proclaimed Yamani cite to prove the title Master of the Age (Sāhib al‑Amr) for their leader. These narrations form some of their primary documentation used to justify their claims regarding the application of the title Sāhib al‑Amr to Ahmad al‑Hassan (Ahmad Basri).

The Narration Cited by the Yamani Faction’s Followers

One of the narrations that the followers of Ahmad al‑Hassan use to argue for the application of the title Sāhib al‑Amr to their Imam is as follows:

ʿAlī ibn Mahzyar says: I wrote a letter to Abū al‑Ḥasan (Imam al‑Hādī, the Master of al‑ʿAskar, peace be upon him), asking him about the Relief (Faraj). He wrote back to me: “When your Master (Sāḥibukum) goes into occultation from the abode of the oppressors, then anticipate (tawaqqaʿū) the Relief (Faraj).” (Kamāl al‑Dīn wa Tamām al‑Niʿmah, Vol. 1, p. 380)

The Argumentation Method of the Yamani Faction’s Followers

The followers of Ahmad al‑Hassan argue regarding this narration that it states the anticipation of the Relief (Faraj) of the Master of the Age (Sāḥib al‑Amr) should begin after his occultation from the abode of the oppressors. They contrast this with Imam al‑Zamān’s (peace be upon him) Faraj, which they claim is said to be anticipated only after the apostasy of people, the hardening of hearts, and similar conditions.

Response to the Claim (Critique)

First Point: The Inaccurate Terminology

The narration in question does not use the term Sāḥib al‑Amr (Master of the Age); rather, the word used is Sāḥibukum (your Master). These two terms are not identical or necessarily synonymous in all contexts.

• The title Sāḥib al‑Amr is a well‑known, specific title reserved for Imam al‑Mahdi (ajjalallahu taʿāla farajahu al‑sharīf).
• Sāḥibukum is a more general term meaning “your Master” (i.e., your Imam/leader) and was used by the Imams to refer to the Imam of their time.

Second Point: Ambiguity of the Term ‘Relief’ (Faraj)

The purpose of the Relief (Faraj) that ʿAlī ibn Mahzyar inquired about is not definitively clear.

• It is possible that Faraj here refers to the relief of the Shiʿa from the difficulties and pressures they were facing at the time.
• Imam al‑Hādī (peace be upon him) may have informed ʿAlī ibn Mahzyar that this pressure would subside with the beginning of Imam al‑Zamān’s (peace be upon him) occultation.

Third Point: Consistency with the Occultation of Imam al‑Zamān

The narration states: Idhā ghāba sāḥibukum… fa‑tawaqqaʿū al‑faraj (“When your Master goes into occultation… then anticipate the Relief”).

• The word tawaqquʿ (to anticipate) clearly means Intizār (waiting/expectation).
• Therefore, the translation of the narration is: “When your Master goes into occultation from the abode of the oppressors, then wait/anticipate the Relief.”

This anticipation is not inconsistent with the long occultation (Ghaybah) of Imam al‑Zamān (peace be upon him). It is correct to be anticipating the Imam’s reappearance from the very first moments of the occultation until his advent, even if a long period passes.

➡️ It is not the case that we must only anticipate his Faraj when the earth is filled with injustice and oppression; rather, the anticipation starts at the moment of his absence.

Conclusion

The narration cited by the Yamani faction does not prove the title Sāḥib al‑Amr for Ahmad al‑Hassan. It uses the general term Sāḥibukum, not the specific title reserved for Imam al‑Mahdi. The meaning of Faraj is ambiguous, and the narration is fully consistent with the doctrine of the long occultation of Imam al‑Zamān.