The Qa’im and the Yamani: Are They the Same Person?

[Daralhidaye.ir]| The followers of Ahmad Isma’il, by citing some narrations, try to make their claims appear documented and legitimate. In this article, the claim of Ahmad al-Basri’s Qa’im-hood and the narration that his followers use to argue for the Yamani being the Qa’im will be addressed.

The Qa’im-hood of the Yamani

One of the narrations that the followers of Ahmad al-Basri put forth to prove the Qa’im-hood of Ahmad is as follows:

FROM ABU HAMZA AL-THUMALI, HE SAID: I SAID TO ABU ‘ABD ALLAH (ALAYHIS SALAM): INDEED, ABU JA’FAR (ALAYHIS SALAM) USED TO SAY: THE EMERGENCE OF THE SUFYANI IS FROM THE DEFINITIVE MATTERS, AND THE CALL IS FROM THE DEFINITIVE MATTERS, AND THE RISING OF THE SUN FROM THE WEST IS FROM THE DEFINITIVE MATTERS, AND OTHER THINGS HE USED TO MENTION AS BEING FROM THE DEFINITIVE MATTERS. SO ABU ‘ABD ALLAH (ALAYHIS SALAM) SAID: AND THE DISPUTE OF BANI FULAN IS FROM THE DEFINITIVE MATTERS, AND THE KILLING OF THE PURE SOUL IS FROM THE DEFINITIVE MATTERS, AND THE EMERGENCE OF THE QA’IM IS FROM THE DEFINITIVE MATTERS…

Abu Hamza al-Thumali said: I submitted to Imam al-Sadiq (alayhis salam) that Imam al-Baqir (alayhis salam) used to say: The emergence of the Sufyani, the heavenly call, and the rising of the sun from the west are among the definitive (hatm) matters, and he would mention other affairs that were also from the definitive matters. Imam al-Sadiq (alayhis salam) said: And the dispute of the sons of so-and-so amongst themselves, and the killing of the Pure Soul, and the emergence of the Qa’im (alayhis salam) are also from the definitive matters.

— Al-Ghayba (li-Tusi), Vol. 1, p. 435

The Aspect of Argumentation with This Narration

The followers of Ahmad al-Basri say: “What is understood from this narration is that the intended meaning of the word ‘Qa’im’ in it is not the person of Imam Hujjat ibn al-Hasan al-Askari (alayhis salam). This is because the narrations are stating the signs before the appearance of Imam Mahdi (alayhis salam), and they have mentioned the Qa’im and counted him among the signs of the appearance of Imam Mahdi (alayhis salam). Therefore, the intended meaning of Qa’im will not be Hujjat ibn al-Hasan al-Askari (alayhis salam). In reality, the meaning of Qa’im in these narrations is another person, and if it were not so, the Qa’im himself would be from the signs of the appearance of the Qa’im, and no sane person would accept that.”

Examination of the Yamani Narration

First Matter

The narration is not in the context of stating the definitive signs of the appearance of the Imam of the Time (alayhis salam); rather, it is in the context of stating events that will definitively occur in the end times, such as the emergence of the Qa’im (alayhis salam), the Sufyani, and so on. The proof for what we have said is the question of Abu Hamza al-Thumali. His question is as such: “Is the emergence of the Sufyani definitive?” He does not say: “Is the emergence of the Sufyani from the definitive signs of the appearance?” Thus, the subject of the question in this narration is not the definitive signs of the appearance; rather, the subject of the question is matters whose occurrence is definitive.

Second Matter

It is self-evident that the Yamani is one of the definitive signs before the Qa’im (alayhis salam):

ABU HASHIM DAWUD IBN AL-QASIM AL-JA’FARI SAID: WE WERE WITH ABU JA’FAR MUHAMMAD IBN ‘ALI AL-RIDA (ALAYHIS SALAM) AND THE MENTION OF THE SUFYANI AROSE AND WHAT HAS COME IN THE NARRATION THAT HIS AFFAIR IS FROM THE DEFINITIVE MATTERS. I SAID TO ABU JA’FAR (ALAYHIS SALAM): CAN BADA’ (CHANGE IN THE DIVINE DECREE) OCCUR FOR ALLAH IN THE DEFINITIVE MATTERS? HE SAID: YES. WE SAID TO HIM: THEN WE FEAR THAT BADA’ MAY OCCUR FOR ALLAH CONCERNING THE QA’IM. HE SAID: VERILY, THE QA’IM IS FROM THE PROMISE (AL-MI’AD), AND ALLAH DOES NOT BREAK THE PROMISE.

Abu Hashim Dawud ibn al-Qasim al-Ja’fari said: “We were in the presence of Imam al-Jawad (alayhis salam) and the topic of the Sufyani came up and what is mentioned in the narrations that his affair is from the definitive matters. I submitted to His Holiness: Can bada’ (change) occur for God in definitive matters? He said: Yes. We submitted to His Holiness: Then in that case, we fear that bada’ may occur for God regarding the Qa’im as well. He said: Verily, the Qa’im is of the promises, and God does not act contrary to His promise.”

— Al-Ghayba (li-Nu’mani), p. 302

In this narration, Imam al-Jawad (alayhis salam) states [by implication from other hadith] that the definitive signs before the Qa’im are five matters, one of which is the Yamani. Therefore, the followers of Ahmad al-Basri cannot claim that the one who is from the definitive signs of the Qa’im is also the Qa’im himself, because a thing cannot be a sign of itself.

Another important point that the followers of Ahmad al-Basri apparently do not pay attention to is that if, in the narration they use for their argument, they consider the “Qa’im” himself to be someone other than the Imam of the Time (alayhis salam), the narration we just cited negates it. This is because the latter narration states that the definitive signs, including the Yamani, are subject to bada’, but the Qa’im is not subject to bada’.