Will the Emergence of the Qaem Be Hidden and Quiet?

Dar al-Hedayah | Followers of Ahmad al-Basri, by fragmenting narrations and interpreting them according to personal opinion, claim that the affair of the Qa’im’s emergence (zuhur) happens in secret, quietly, without fanfare, covertly, and non-publicly. They then say the Qa’im is the same Ahmad al-Basri, who is currently quietly calling people. This article critiques the interpretation and personal opinion (ta’wil) of this movement.

 The Claim of the Qa’im’s Secret Call

Ahmad al-Basri’s followers, to prove their claim, rely on the phrase “وَ خُرُوجُهُ كَخُرُوجِ رَسُولِ اَللَّهِ” (“and his emergence is like the emergence of the Messenger of Allah”). They then say: “The Prophet also had a secret call for three years at the beginning of his mission, then siege, etc. Therefore, the Qa’im also initially has a secret and oppressed call.”

 Response to the Claim

First Point: This claim by Ahmad al-Basri’s followers is a denial of hundreds of explicit narrations about the greatness, awe, and majesty of the affair of the Qa’im’s (aj) emergence.

Second Point: The followers, as always, have committed treachery in narrating and have fragmented this narration. The complete text of the narration is as follows:

Narrated to us by Ali bin Ahmad from Ubaidullah bin Musa al-Alawi from Ali bin al-Hasan from Ali bin Hassan from Abd al-Rahman bin Kathir from Abu Abdullah (as) regarding the words of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: “The command of Allah has come, so do not be impatient for it.” (Surah al-Nahl, 16:1). He (as) said: “It is our affair, the command of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. Do not be impatient for it until Allah supports him with three armies: the angels, the believers, and dread (al-ru’b). And his emergence is like the emergence of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). And that is His, the Mighty and Majestic, saying: ‘Just as your Lord brought you out of your home in truth, and indeed, a party among the believers were averse.’ (Surah al-Anfal, 8:5)”

Al-Ghaybah (by al-Nu’mani), Vol. 1, P. 243

We see that contrary to the followers’ claim, the narration precisely refers to a tremendous affair for which angels (the heavenly army), believers (the earthly army), and dread (al-ru’b, the unseen army and creational interventions) are the soldiers of this awe-inspiring force. Even the explicit mention of the word “dread” (ru’b) is very illuminating. This dread is what causes the world to tremble from the awe of this heavenly and earthly army.

Furthermore, the Imam (as) refers to the verse about the Prophet’s Battle of Badr: “Just as your Lord brought you out of your home in truth, and indeed, a party among the believers were averse.” (Surah al-Anfal, 8:5). This verse in Surah al-Anfal is about the Battle of Badr, the Prophet’s exit from Medina to seize the polytheists’ caravan, the beginning of the Battle of Badr, the greatness of this battle, and the immense, unparalleled victory of the Islamic army at Badr—a war unmatched in Islam for its importance and glory.

In many narrations, the emergence of the Qa’im (as) is compared to the Battle of Badr. The companions of the Qa’im are 313, the same number as the companions at Badr. It was at that time that verses like “When you asked for help from your Lord, and He answered you, ‘I will reinforce you with a thousand angels in succession.'” (Surah al-Anfal, 8:9) and “Yes, if you remain patient and conscious of Allah and they come upon you [attacking] in rage, your Lord will reinforce you with five thousand angels having marks [of distinction].” (Surah Al ‘Imran, 3:125) were revealed.

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) went out while saying: “Soon the polytheists will be defeated and flee.” Allah helped him with five thousand mounted angels, made their number appear vast in the eyes of the polytheists, and made the number of polytheists appear small to the Muslims. This war was full of divine aids and miracles, and it was the most magnificent war that manifested the power and grandeur of the Islamic army across all lands.

 The Sect’s Erroneous Belief

Therefore, we see that the narration relied upon by this sect is not about the beginning of the prophethood and the Prophet’s secret call in Mecca. Rather, it is precisely about the resounding emergence of the Prophet’s army in the Battle of Badr, the great conquest of Badr, the divine miracles of Badr, the aid of the angelic army at Badr, the display of the ultimate awe, power, and dread of the Islamic army to the world through the Battle of Badr, and so on. Even the analogy to the Battle of Badr applies to the number of the Qa’im’s and the Prophet’s companions, both having 313 companions. Hence, the awe-inspiring and triumphant emergence of the Qa’im is compared to the Battle of Badr.

From Abu Ja’far (as), he said: “The angels had white, flowing turbans on the Day of Badr.”

Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 80, P. 198

From Duray’s bin Abd al-Malik from Abu Ja’far (as), he said: “Verily, the angels who supported Muhammad (pbuh) on the Day of Badr are on earth; they have not ascended yet, nor will they ascend until they support the companion of this affair (Sahib Hadha al-Amr), and they are five thousand.”

Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 19, P. 284

These narrations are a sample of many other explicit narrations that indicate the greatness and awe of the Qa’im’s emergence. Therefore, the belief and claim of the faction of the claimant Yamani in this regard are false and unacceptable.