The lesson
- Imam al-Askari asked his aunt Hakima to stay the night of 15 Sha'ban, for that night God would bring forth His Proof on earth. She witnessed the birth, and in her account the newborn bore witness that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is His Messenger, then sent blessings on Amir al-Mu'minin and each Imam down to his father (Kamal al-Din of al-Shaykh al-Saduq).
- The Abbasids knew from the narrations that the twelfth Imam would be al-Mahdi, and watched Imam al-Askari's house; al-Mu'tamid had midwives search the houses of the sayyids, above all his (Muntakhab al-Athar). So the birth was kept hidden. Imam al-Sajjad said that the Qa'im carries a tradition of Abraham: a hidden birth and seclusion from the people (Kamal al-Din).
- During his father's life a few trusted Shia saw him; al-Mufid names Muhammad ibn Isma'il ibn Musa ibn Ja'far, Hakima, Abu Ali ibn Mutahhar, Amr al-Ahwazi and Abu Nasr Tarif (al-Irshad). Imam al-Askari showed him to Muhammad ibn Uthman al-Amri and some forty others and said: This is your Imam after me and my successor among you; obey him and do not dispute about your religion (Muntakhab al-Athar; al-Ghayba of al-Tusi).
Questions
Why was the birth of the twelfth Imam kept hidden?
What did Imam al-Askari say when he showed his son to Muhammad ibn Uthman al-Amri and some forty others?
Questions are written by AI from the lesson’s facts, and each answer was checked against its fact.