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Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri ( ar, أَبُو ٱلْحَسَن عَلِيّ ٱبْن مُحَمَّد ٱلسَّمَّرِيّ, ') was the last of the
Four Deputies The Four Deputies ( ar, ٱلنُّوَّاب ٱلْأَرْبَعَة, ') were the four individuals who are believed by the Twelvers to have successively represented their twelfth Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, during his Minor Occultation (874–941 ...
, who are believed by the
Twelvers Twelver Shīʿīsm ( ar, ٱثْنَا عَشَرِيَّة; '), also known as Imāmīyyah ( ar, إِمَامِيَّة), is the largest branch of Shīʿa Islam, comprising about 85 percent of all Shīʿa Muslims. The term ''Twelver'' refers t ...
to have successively represented their Hidden Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, during his
Minor Occultation The Minor Occultation ( ar, ٱلْغَيْبَة ٱلصُّغْرَىٰ, '), also known as the First Occultation ( ar, ٱلْغَيْبَة ٱلْأُولَىٰ, '), refers in Twelver Shia Islam to a period of nearly seventy years (874–941 CE, ...
(874–941 CE). Al-Samarri in this role succeeded
Abu al-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Ruh al-Nawbakhti Abu al-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Ruh Nawbakhti ( ar, أَبُو ٱلْقَاسِم ٱلْحُسَيْن ٱبْن رُوح ٱلنَّوْبَخْتِيّ, ') was the third of the Four Deputies, who are believed by the Twelvers to have successively repr ...
in 937. Al-Samarri is said to have received a letter from Muhammad al-Mahdi shortly before his death in 941 CE. The letter predicted the death of al-Samarri in six days and announced the beginning of the complete occultation, later called the
Major Occultation In Twelver Shia Islam, the Major Occultation ( ar, ٱلْغَيْبَة ٱلْكُبْرَىٰ, ', 329 AH-present, 941 CE-present) is the second occultation of the Hidden Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, which is expected to continue until his rise ...
, which continues to this day. The letter, ascribed to Muhammad al-Mahdi, added that the complete occultation would continue until God granted him permission to manifest himself again in a time when the earth would be filled with tyranny.  


Historical background

Until their deaths, the tenth and eleventh Shia Imams (
Ali al-Hadi ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Hādī ( ar, عَلِيّ ٱبْن مُحَمَّد ٱلْهَادِي; 828 – 868 CE) was a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the tenth of the Twelve Imams, succeeding his father, Muhammad al-Jawad. He ...
and Hasan al-Askari, respectively) were held in the garrison town of Samarra under close surveillance (or house arrest) by the Abbasids, who are often responsible in Shia sources for poisoning the two Imams. The two Imams witnessed the deterioration of the Abbasid caliphate, as the imperial authority rapidly transitioned into the hands of the Turks, particularly after al-Mutawakkil. Contemporary to the tenth Imam, the Abbasid al-Mutawakkil violently prosecuted the Shia, partly due to a renewed
Zaydi Zaydism (''h'') is a unique branch of Shia Islam that emerged in the eighth century following Zayd ibn Ali‘s unsuccessful rebellion against the Umayyad Caliphate. In contrast to other Shia Muslims of Twelver Shi'ism and Isma'ilism, Zaydis, ...
opposition. The restrictive policies of al-Mutawakkil towards the tenth Imam were later adopted by his son,
al-Mu'tamid Abu’l-ʿAbbās Aḥmad ibn Jaʿfar ( ar, أبو العباس أحمد بن جعفر; – 14 October 892), better known by his regnal name Al-Muʿtamid ʿalā ’llāh (, "Dependent on God"), was the Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate from 870 t ...
, who is reported to have kept the eleventh Imam under house arrest without any visitors. Instead, al-Askari is known to have primarily communicated with his followers through a network of representatives. Among them was Uthman ibn Sa'id (), who is said to have disguised himself as a seller of cooking fat to avoid the Abbasid agents, hence his nickname al-Samman. Tabatabai suggests that these restrictions were placed on al-Askari because the caliphate had come to know about traditions among the Shia elite, predicting that the eleventh Imam would father the eschatological
Mahdi The Mahdi ( ar, ٱلْمَهْدِيّ, al-Mahdī, lit=the Guided) is a messianic figure in Islamic eschatology who is believed to appear at the end of times to rid the world of evil and injustice. He is said to be a descendant of Muhammad w ...
. Immediately after the death of al-Askari in 260 (874), Uthman ibn Sa'id claimed that the eleventh Imam had a young son, named Muhammad, who had entered a state of
occultation An occultation is an event that occurs when one object is hidden from the observer by another object that passes between them. The term is often used in astronomy, but can also refer to any situation in which an object in the foreground blocks ...
() due to the Abbasid threat to his life. As the special agent of al-Askari, Uthman also claimed that he had been appointed to represent the son of the eleventh Imam. Twelver sources detail that Muhammad al-Mahdi made his only public appearance to lead the funeral prayer for his father instead of his uncle, Ja'far. Thus began a period of about seventy years, later termed the
Minor Occultation The Minor Occultation ( ar, ٱلْغَيْبَة ٱلصُّغْرَىٰ, '), also known as the First Occultation ( ar, ٱلْغَيْبَة ٱلْأُولَىٰ, '), refers in Twelver Shia Islam to a period of nearly seventy years (874–941 CE, ...
(, 260-329 AH, 874–940 CE), during which it is believed that four successive agents acted as intermediaries between the Hidden Imam and his followers. These four agents are collectively known as the
Four Deputies The Four Deputies ( ar, ٱلنُّوَّاب ٱلْأَرْبَعَة, ') were the four individuals who are believed by the Twelvers to have successively represented their twelfth Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, during his Minor Occultation (874–941 ...
(). An agent () was also variously called deputy (), emissary (), and gate (). Uthman was later succeeded by his son,
Abu Ja'far Muhammad Abu Ja'far Muhammad ( fa, ابو جعفر محمد), was the ruler of the Bavand dynasty from an unknown date until his capture and defeat by the Kakuyids in 1027. Background In 1006, the Bavand dynasty was put to an end by the Ziyarid ruler Qab ...
, who was followed in 917 CE by the third agent, Ibn Ruh al-Nawbakhti, who served until his death in 937 CE.


Life

Not much is known about the early life of al-Samarri. His surname is derived from al-Sammar or al-Saymar, located near Basra, where the relatives of al­-Sammari used to live. His family was known for its service to the Shia community, and some of his relatives were (local) agents of the Hidden Imam, such as Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Ziyad, who was earlier a representative of the tenth and eleventh Imams. Al-Sammari was also a brother-in-law of the Abbasid Ja'far ibn Muhammad. According to Hussain, all these suggest that al-Samarri must have faced little resistance from the Shia community later when he succeeded Ibn Ruh as the fourth agent of the Hidden Imam.


Tenure as an agent of al-Mahdi

Al-Samarri succeeded Ibn Ruh as the fourth agent in 326 (937) and held the office for about three years. In contrast to the third agent, less is known about the other three agents, including al-Samarri. While the details of his activities are unknown, a report cited by
Ibn Babawayh Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Babawayh al-Qummi (Persian: ar, أَبُو جَعْفَر مُحَمَّد ٱبْن عَلِيّ ٱبْن بَابَوَيْه ٱلْقُمِيّ; –991), commonly referred to as Ibn Babawayh (Persian: ar, ...
() cites a report to the effect that the (local) agents recognized and cooperated with al-Samarri.


His death and the Major Occultation

Al-Samarri is said to have received a letter from al-Mahdi shortly before his death in 329 (941). The letter predicted the death of the fourth agent in six days and announced the beginning of the complete () occultation, later called the
Major Occultation In Twelver Shia Islam, the Major Occultation ( ar, ٱلْغَيْبَة ٱلْكُبْرَىٰ, ', 329 AH-present, 941 CE-present) is the second occultation of the Hidden Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, which is expected to continue until his rise ...
(). The letter, ascribed to al-Mahdi, added that the complete occultation would continue until God granted him permission to manifest himself again in a time when the earth would be filled with tyranny. The letter also emphasized that anyone claiming to be the deputy of the Imam henceforth had to be considered an imposter. Sachedina is of the view that the Shia community lacked a notable figure to replace the fourth agent after his death. This and similar letters to the four agents and other Shia figures are said to have had the same handwriting, suggesting that they were written by the Hidden Imam. Ibn Babawayh and
Tusi ''Tusi'', often translated as "headmen" or "chieftains", were hereditary tribal leaders recognized as imperial officials by the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties of China, and the Later Lê and Nguyễn dynasties of Vietnam. They ruled certain e ...
() both quote this final letter, parts of which are presented below:


See also

*
Uthman ibn Sa'id al-Asadi Uthman ibn Sa'id al-Asadi al-Amri ( ar, عُثْمَان ٱبْن سَعِيد ٱلْأَسَدِيّ عَمْرِوْيّ ') was the first of the Four Deputies, who are believed by the Twelvers to have successively represented their twelfth Imam ...
* Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Uthman *
Abu al-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Ruh al-Nawbakhti Abu al-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Ruh Nawbakhti ( ar, أَبُو ٱلْقَاسِم ٱلْحُسَيْن ٱبْن رُوح ٱلنَّوْبَخْتِيّ, ') was the third of the Four Deputies, who are believed by the Twelvers to have successively repr ...


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{cite encyclopedia , year=2013 , title=HASAN AL-‘ASKARI, ABU MUHAMMAD HASAN IBN ‘ALI (c. AD 845-74) , encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Islamic Civilization and Religion , publisher=Routledge , url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofis0000unse_h2t8/mode/ , editor-last=Netton , editor-first=Ian Richard , page=217 , isbn=9781135179670 , author-first=Edward D.A. , author-last=Hulmes Iraqi Shia Muslims Mahdism