Absence of Imam Zaman

The holy basement is a basement beside the holy shrine of Hazrat Hadi (peace be upon him) and Imam Asgari (peace be upon him) in Samara. It was custom in Iraq and especially in the warm cities that people dug a basement in underground in order to find refuge there in the warm days of the summer. ImaHadi (peace be upon him) and Imam Asgari (peace be upon them) dug a basement, in addition to their rooms, beside their house in order to find refuge there in the warm days of the summer.
From the point of view of the Shiite scientists, it is a holy place because three Imams lived there.
One of Ugly and ridiculous insults that some of the Wahhabi and Sunni scientists have attributed to the followers of AhleBeit (peace be upon them) is that they have said '' the Shias believe that Hazrat Mahdi (May God hasten his glad advent) has hidden in a basement in Samara, Halle, Baghdad and …he will emerge there.
Then he started ridiculing them and they have said ''the Shias along with their horses stand in the front of these basements every day, call Hazrat Mahdi and pray during this time and …
Shams Al-Din EbnKhalkan (died in 681 A.H.) has written about this matter
والشيعة يقولون إنه دخل السرداب في دار أبيه وامه تنظر إليه فلم يعد يخرج إليها وذلك في سنة خمس وستين ومائتين وعمره يومئذ تسع سنين.
The Shias believe that Hazat Mahdi entered the basement of his father and hid there when his mother was looking at him and he never came back the basement. This event happened in 265 A.H. and he was nine years old in that time.
IbnKholakan. Abu Al-Abbas Shams Al-Din Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr (died in 681 Hejira), Vafiyat Al-AyanAnbaAbnaAl-Zaman v 4, p 176,Researched by: Ehsan Abbas, Published by: Dar Al-Saghafe, Lebanon
EbnTeimie has written in book '' Menhaj Al-Sane''
ومن حماقتهم أيضا أنهم يجعلون للمنتظر عدة مشاهد ينتظرونه فيها كالسرادب الذي بسامرا الذي يزعمون أنه غاب فيه ومشاهد أخر وقد يقيمون هناك دابة إما بغلة وإما فرسا وإما غير ذلك ليركبها إذا خرج ويقيمون هناك إما في طرفي النهار وإما في أوقات أخر من ينادي عليه بالخروج يا مولانا أخرج يا مولانا أخرج ويشهرون السلاح ولا أحد هناك يقاتلهم وفيهم من يقول في أوقات الصلاة دائما لا يصلى خشية أن يخرج وهو في الصلاة فيشتغل بها عن خروجه وخدمته وهم في أماكن بعيدة عن مشهده كمدينة النبي(ص) إما في العشر الأواخر من شهر رمضان وإما في غير ذلك يتوجهون إلى المشرق وينادونه بأصوات عالية يطلبون خروجه.
One of mistakes of the Shias is that they have considered different places for waiting Hazrat Mahdi and they wait for him there such a basement that is in Samara. They fancy that he has hidden there and other places.
The Shias prepare some animals such as mule, horse and so forth so that Hazrat Mahdi can ride them when he leaves there.
They gather in these places in the morning, afternoon and other times and call out '' O' our master!O' our master! Come out. They prepare their arms even if there is no one to fight. Some of them do not pray in case Hazrat Mahdi leaves there, but they pray and this pray prevents them from standing and helping Hazrat Mahdi. They live in far cities such as Medina.
At the end of the Ramadan Month, they stand toward the east, call out loudly and request his leave.
IbnTeimiye Al-Harani Al-Hanbali, Abu Al-Abbas Ahmad Abd Al-Hakim (died in 728 Hejira),Menhaj Al-Sonat Al-Nabaviyat, v1 p 44-45, Researched by: D. Muhammad ReshadSalem,Published by: GhortabatInstitute,First Edition; 1406 Hejira.
Ebn Al-Ghayam Al-Juzie repeats the remark of his master blindly in thebook ''Al-Menar Al-Monif''
Rafezi people has chosen the fourth narration about Hazrat Mahdi and have said that Mahdi is the same M H M D Ben Al-Hasan and he is one of children of Hussein Ben Ali not one of children of Imam Hasan( peace be upon him). He has been present in all of eras , but he cannot be seen by human. He is same person that will inherit the stick entered the basement when he was a child. It is five hundred years that no one has seen and heard from him, but the Shias are waiting for him and they stand in the front of the door of the basement with their horses every day and they call out that he comes out of there and say '' O' our master! Leave there!O' our master! Leave there! Then they come back hopelessly and with uselessly. This is their habit and the habit of Hazrat Mahdi.
How beautifully it has been said
''Woe you and your mindless heads; you have considered the third person apart from Seemorgh and ogre.
Shamd Al-Din Zahabi insults the Shias in book '' Al-Abr Fi Akhbar Men Ghabr after he clarifies the birth of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his glad advent)
وتلقبه بصاحب الزمان وهو خاتمة الاثنى عشر وضلال الرافضة ما عليه مزيد فإنهم يزعمون أنه دخل السرداب الذي بسامرا فاختفى وإلى الآن.
They have called him '' SAheb Al-Zaman'' and he is the last Imam among twelve Imams. They are ignorant because they fancy that he is in a basement in Samara and he has hidden there until now.
IbnKhaledun has written in in the introduction of his book
منهم يزعمون أن الثاني عشر من أئمتهم وهو محمد بن الحسن العسكري ويلقبونه المهدي دخل في سرداب بدارهم في الحلة وتغيب حين اعتقل مع أمه وغاب هنالك وهو يخرج آخر الزمان فيملأ الأرض عدلا يشيرون بذلك إلى الحديث الواقع في كتاب الترمذي في المهدي وهم إلى الآن ينتظرونه ويسمونه المنتظر لذلك ويقفون في كل ليلة بعد صلاة المغرب بباب هذا السرداب وقد قدموا مركبا فيهتفون باسمه ويدعونه للخروج حتى تشتبك النجوم ثم ينفضون ويرجئون الأمر إلى الليلة الآتية وهم على ذلك لهذا العهد.
Some Shias fancy that their twelfth Imam that is M H M D Ben Al-HasanAsgari and has been given to him the title '' Mahdi'' has enter a basement in Hale and has hidden there when he and his mother were imprisoned. He will leave there at the end of the world and will establish justice in the world. Using this sentence, they refer to the Hadith thatTermezi has narrated about Mahdi.
The Shias have been waiting for him so far and they have called him a person that others wait for. Hence they stand in the front of the basement every night, bring a horse call him with his name and they want him to leave there until the stars appear and they all of them disperse. On the next night, they do it again and they have been doing it until now.
Ahmad Ben Ali Ghashghalandi, the same as Ibn Khaledun, claims that this basement has been located in Hale
Zobeidi Hanafi claims that this basement has been located in Rei. People go to the basement along with their horses after their prayer every Friday and call their Imam;
والسِّردابية: قَوْمٌ من غُلَاةِ الرَّافِضَة يَنْتَظِرُونَ خُرُوجَ المَهْدِيّ من السِّردَابِ الذي بِالرّي، فيُحْضِرُون لِذَلك فَرَساً مُسْرَجاً مُلْجَماً في كُلِّ يوم جُمُعَة بعد الصَّلَاةِ قَائِلِين: يا إِمَام، باسْم اللّهِ، ثَلَاثَ مَرَّات.
Sardabie is a tribe from Ghalat Rafeze and they wait for their Imam from the basement that has been located in Rei. They stand in the front of the door with their horse after prayer every Friday and they say three times '' O' Imam! Leave there with the name of God''.
Muhammad Ibn Abd Al-Vahab has written in the thesis '' Ala Rad Rafeze''
قيل أن سبب جمعهم بين الظهرين والمغربين طول الدهر مع اختيار التأخير فيهما هو: أنهم ينتظرون القائم المختفي في السرداب ليقتدوا به فيؤخرون الظهر إلى العصر إلى قريب غروب الشمس فإذا يئسوا من الإمام واصفرت الشمس وصارت بين قرني الشيطان نقروا عند ذلك كنقر الديك فصلوا الصلاتين من غير خشوع ولا طمأنينة فرادى من غير جماعة ورجعوا خائبين خاسرين نسأل الله العفو والعافية وقد صاروا بذلك وبوقوفهم بالجبل على ذلك السرداب وصياحهم بأن يخرج إليهم ضحكة لأولى الألباب.
Some scientists have said that the Shias pray their noon and evening prayers in groups during the history, although they can pray separately, because they wait for hidden Hazrat Mahdi in the basement in order toconform him.Hence, they delay their noon prayer until their evening prayer and around evening and when they get disappointed of his coming and the sun darkens gradually, they produce the voice of a rooster. Then they pray both of prayers separately and without relaxation and modesty and they come back hopelessly.
We seek forgiveness and health from such behaviors and the standing of the Shias in the front of a mountain toward this basement and their high voices that want their Imam to leave there. These have made the wise people laugh.
Muhammad IbnAbd Al-Vahab (died in 1206 Hejira), Resalat Fi Al-Rad Ala Al-Rafeza,v1 p 33, Researched by: Al-DoktorNaserIbn Sad Al-Rashid , Published by: Matabe Riyadh, Riyadh , First Edition
Ehsan Elahi Zahir has written in the book '' Faragh Moaser''
وفي اثناء مرابتتهم لا يصلون خشيتأ أن يخرج وهم في الصلاة.
When they guard in the front of the basement, they do not pray in case Hazrat Mahdi leaves there, but they pray.
FaraghMoaser v 1 p 208.
Abdullah Al-Ghamisi, one of contemporary Wahhabi dignitaries, has said about this matter
. وإن أغبى الأغبياء، وأجمد الجامدين هم الذين غيبوا إمامهم في السرداب، وغيبوا معه قرآنهم ومصحفهم، ومن يذهبون كل ليلة بخيولهم وحميرهم إلى ذلك السرداب الذي غيبوا فيه إمامهم ينتظرونه وينادونه ليخرج إليهم، ولا يزال عندهم ذلك منذ أكثر من ألف عام.
The most stupid persons among the most stupid persons are persons whose Imam along with the Quran has hidden in the basement. Theyalong with their horses and donkeys come to this basement that their Imam has hidden and they wait for him and call out that their Imam leaves there. They have been doing this for a thousand years.
MostafaHalami in the book '' Nezam Al-Khalafe'' (page 267) and Muhammad Ali Al-Jandi in the book '' Nazarie Al-Emame'' (page 38) have repeated this story.
Criticism and analysis:
Although these worthless remarks are representative of ignorance and lack of awareness of the announcer from the beliefs of the Shias, we will narrate the answer of the Shiite scientists briefly.
All of the Shias and even persons living in a far point of the world confirm that they did not have such belief and they have not had so far and such matter can be found in none of their books. If these scientists, apparently as the Sunni dignitaries, had found a document for their lie, they would have definitely announced anywhere. However, they have not found any documents that prove that the Shias have such belief.
These nonsense remarks demonstrate that the opponents of Ahle Beit (peace be upon them) have no means except lie and insult in order to the Shiite religion and they have no reasons to prove the reality and legitimacy of their religion.
It is sorry that the Sunni scientists express such remarks without research and investigation and have disrespected to these writings in spite of the fact that such matters can be found in none of the Shiite books.
It is difficult to believe that these Sunni scientists that have titles such as Sheikh Al-Eslam, Imam Al-Mohadesin, Imam Al-Jarh and Al-TadilAalme and …have been aware of the falsity of this insult and they have said these remarks without any awareness because the Shias were in all of the cities all overthe world during the history and the Shiite books were available for them to use.
Aren't these scientists representative of this verse of the Quran?
ها أَنْتُمْ هؤُلاءِ حاجَجْتُمْ فيما لَكُمْ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلِمَ تُحَاجُّونَ فيما لَيْسَ لَكُمْ بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لا تَعْلَمُون
Ah! Ye are those who fell to disputing (Even) in matters of which ye had some knowledge! But why dispute ye in matters of which ye have no knowledge? It is Allah Who knows, and ye who know not! Aal-i-Emraan Surah/ verse 66 !
We are sure that God will interrogate them against these insults in the doomsday;
إِذْ تَلَقَّوْنَهُ بِأَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَتَقُولُونَ بِأَفْواهِكُمْ ما لَيْسَ لَكُمْ بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَتَحْسَبُونَهُ هَيِّناً وَهُوَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ عَظيم‏.
Behold, ye received it on your tongues, and said out of your mouths things of which ye had no knowledge; and ye thought it to be a light matter, while it was most serious in the sight of Allah. An-Noor/ verse 15