Is the title “Sahib al-Amr” also applied to the Yemeni?

Dar al‑Hidayah | The followers of Ahmad al‑Basri argue with narrations which, according to their belief, attribute the title Owner of the Affair (Sāḥib al‑Amr) to someone other than Imam al‑Zamān (peace be upon him). In this writing, we will critique their claims.

Table of Contents

• The Reference of the Followers
  • Method of Reasoning by the Followers of Ahmad based on the Narration
• Response
  • First
  • Second
  • Third
  • Fourth

The Reference of the Followers

Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Saʿīd narrated to us, saying:

“Muhammad ibn al‑Mufaddal, Saʿdan ibn Isḥāq ibn Saʿīd, Ahmad ibn al‑Ḥusayn, and Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn al‑Ḥasan al‑Qatwānī all narrated from Ḥasan ibn Maḥbūb from Hishām ibn Sālim al‑Jawāliqī from Yazīd al‑Kunāsī, who said: ‘I heard Abū Jaʿfar al‑Bāqir (AS) say: The Owner of this Affair has a resemblance to Yusuf, the son of a black maid. Allah will arrange his affairs in one night.’”

Yazīd al‑Kunāsī said:

“I heard Imam Bāqir (AS) say: The Owner of the Affair resembles Yusuf, the son of a black woman. Allah will fix his affairs in one night.” (Source: al‑Ghaybah, al‑Nuʿmānī, Vol. 1, p. 163)

Method of Reasoning by the Followers of Ahmad

Nazim Aqili states:

“The mother of Imam al‑Zamān is Lady Narjis, and she is the granddaughter of Shimon, the successor of Prophet Jesus (AS). Therefore, she is not of a black complexion; hence, the narration does not refer to Imam al‑Zamān but rather to another man from the family of Muhammad (Ahmad al‑Basri).” (Source: Wahdat Shakhṣiyyat al‑Mahdi al‑Awwal wa al‑Qāʾim wa al‑Yamānī, p. 8)

Response

First: False Premise

Nazim Aqili’s premise is false. He argues that since the mother of Imam al‑Zamān (AS) is Roman, he should be fair‑skinned. However, there is no necessary connection between being Roman and having light skin. It is entirely possible that a Roman man marries a woman with a dark complexion, or that a king with multiple wives and concubines has a dark‑skinned child.

Second: The Mention of Skin Color

The mention of the skin color of the mothers of the Imams (AS) contradicts their conduct and the general practice of Muslims. Such a statement contradicts the modesty and dignity of a Muslim, let alone that of the infallible Imams.

Therefore, we must accept that either the word “black” in this narration is extraneous, or it has a specific purpose and was narrated as taqiyyah (dissimulation). Imam Bāqir (AS) knew that in the future, the house of Imam Ḥasan al‑ʿAskarī (AS) would be under surveillance by the enemies, and to protect Imam al‑Zamān (AS) and his noble mother, he used this term to prevent harm.

Third: Other Narrations Confirm the Identity

Based on other narrations, we are certain that the narration the followers of Ahmad al‑Basri use as evidence is referring to Imam al‑Zamān (AS) and not someone else.

In other narrations, the term al‑Qāʾim (the one who will rise) and Sāḥib al‑Amr (the Master of the Affair), who has the tradition of Prophet Yusuf and whose affairs will be corrected in one night, specifically refers to Imam al‑Zamān (AS).

Imam Ḥusayn (AS) said:

“In the ninth of my descendants, there will be a tradition from Yusuf and a tradition from Musa ibn Imran. He is our Qa’im, and Allah will arrange his affairs in one night.” (Source: Kamāl al‑Dīn wa Tamām al‑Niʿma, Vol. 1, p. 316)

Fourth: Inapplicability to Ahmad al‑Basri

Ahmad al‑Basri himself admits that the issue of concubines is no longer applicable in the present time. Therefore, this narration cannot be applied to Ahmad al‑Basri. (Source: Sharāʾiʿ al‑Islām, Vol. 3, p. 29)

(Source: Sharāʾiʿ al‑Islām, Vol. 3, p. 29)

Conclusion

The narration cited by Ahmad al‑Basri’s followers does not prove the title Owner of the Affair (Sāḥib al‑Amr) for their leader.

• The premise about skin color is flawed.
• The narration may have been expressed in taqiyyah for protection.
• Other narrations explicitly confirm that the Qa’im and Sāḥib al‑Amr are none other than Imam al‑Zamān (AS).
• Ahmad al‑Basri’s own admissions invalidate the application of this narration to him.

Thus, the claim is baseless and contradicts authentic Shia doctrine.