Day 1

The lesson

1. The son of Imam al-Hasan al-Askari and the twelfth Imam of the Shia: the promised saviour who, in Shia belief, is alive and hidden, and will rise to fill the earth with justice. He bears the Prophet's name and kunya, Muhammad and Abu l-Qasim; because narrations forbid speaking his name, al-Kafi and Kamal al-Din write it in separate letters, M-H-M-D. He is best known by his titles al-Mahdi and al-Qa'im (al-Najm al-Thaqib of al-Nuri).
2. His mother is named Narjis in the account of his birth, and also Rayhana, Sayqal and Susan (al-Ghayba of al-Tusi; Ithbat al-Wasiyya of al-Mas'udi). In one narration of Kamal al-Din she was a Byzantine princess; other narrations say only that she was raised in the house of Hakima, the daughter of Imam al-Jawad (Kamal al-Din of al-Shaykh al-Saduq).
3. Born in his father's house in Samarra, at dawn on 15 Sha'ban 255 AH (869): the date given by al-Kulayni, al-Mas'udi, al-Saduq, al-Mufid and al-Tusi among the Shia, and by Ibn Khallikan and Ibn al-Sabbagh al-Maliki among the Sunnis (al-Kafi; Kamal al-Din; al-Irshad). Some reports give 256 AH, or the month of Ramadan. The Shia celebrate his birth every 15 Sha'ban.

Questions

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