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
Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan al-Mahdī ( ar, محمد بن الحسن المهدي) is believed by the Twelver Shia to be the last of the Twelve Imams and the eschatological Mahdi, who will emerge in the end of time to establish peace and justic ...
, 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).
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
Hasan ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ( ar, الحَسَن بْن عَلِيّ بْن مُحَمَّدُ, translit=al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad; ), better known as Hasan al-Askari ( ar, الحَسَن ٱلْعَسْكَرِيّ , translit=al-Ḥa ...
, respectively) were held under close surveillance in the garrison town of
Samarra
Samarra ( ar, سَامَرَّاء, ') is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Saladin Governorate, north of Baghdad. The city of Samarra was founded by Abbasid Caliph Al-Mutasim for his Turkish professional army ...
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
Abū al-Faḍl Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad al-Muʿtaṣim bi-ʾllāh ( ar, جعفر بن محمد المعتصم بالله; March 822 – 11 December 861), better known by his regnal name Al-Mutawakkil ʿalā Allāh (, "He who relies on God") was t ...
.
Contemporary to the tenth Imam, the Abbasid
al-Mutawakkil
Abū al-Faḍl Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad al-Muʿtaṣim bi-ʾllāh ( ar, جعفر بن محمد المعتصم بالله; March 822 – 11 December 861), better known by his regnal name Al-Mutawakkil ʿalā Allāh (, "He who relies on God") was t ...
violently prosecuted the Shia, partly due to the 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 mainly 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 Messianism, messianic figure in Islamic eschatology who is believed to appear at the Eschatology, end of times to rid the world of evil and injustice. He is said to be a de ...
.
Minor Occultation (874–941 CE)
Immediately after the death of al-Askari in 260 (874),
Uthman al-Amri () 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. According to a Shia tradition attributed to the sixth Imam,
Ja'far al-Sadiq
Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī al-Ṣādiq ( ar, جعفر بن محمد الصادق; 702 – 765 CE), commonly known as Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq (), was an 8th-century Shia Muslim scholar, jurist, and theologian.. He was the founder of th ...
, this threat was specific to Muhammad al-Mahdi, who was expected to rise, unlike his predecessors who often practiced religious dissimulation (
) and were politically quiescent.
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. It is also said that the occultation took place in the family home in
Samarra
Samarra ( ar, سَامَرَّاء, ') is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Saladin Governorate, north of Baghdad. The city of Samarra was founded by Abbasid Caliph Al-Mutasim for his Turkish professional army ...
, where currently a mosque stands, under which there is a cellar () that hides a well (Bi'r al-Ghayba, ). Into this well, al-Mahdi is said to have disappeared.
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 who represented the Hidden Imam. An agent () was variously called deputy (), emissary (), and gate ().
Uthman al-Amri and his son Muhammad (874–917 CE)
Abu Muhammad Uthman ibn Sa'id al-Asadi was a close associate of the tenth Imam, Ali al-Hadi. It is reported that he was eleven when he first served as an agent for this Imam. After the death of al-Hadi in 254 (868), his successor, al-Askari, appointed Uthman as a representative in 256 (869-70). It also seems certain that Uthman became the closest associate of the eleventh Imam. Both al-Hadi and al-Askari are said to have praised Uthman as highly trustworthy. As a representative of the two Imams, Uthman disguised himself as a seller of cooking fat to avoid the Abbasid agents, hence his nickname al-Samman. It is reported that he collected religious donations, hid them in the containers of cooking fat, and delivered them to al-Askari.
After the death of al-Askari in 260 (874), Uthman performed the funeral rites of the eleventh Imam, an honor for which he must have received the permission of al-Askari beforehand. It was during the funeral than Muhammad al-Mahdi is said to have made his only public appearance. As the closest associate of al-Askari, the local representatives and the Shia community largely recognized Uthman's claim to be the agent of the Hidden Imam. However, there were possibly doubts among the Shia about Uthman's authority to collect and distribute the religious donations. In his new capacity as the caretaker of the office of imamate, Uthman also received petitions and made available their responses, sometimes in writing. The date of his death is not certain, but it is believed that he did not survive al-Askari for long. Klemm holds that Uthman died in 880 CE.
Uthman was 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 ...
. As with his father, Abu Ja'far was first a representative of al-Askari.
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 et ...
in his ''Rijal'' reports that the eleventh Imam had appointed Abu Ja'far and his father as agents of his son, Muhammad, in the presence of a group of
Yemeni
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
followers. Abu Ja'far, who served for some forty years in this role, has been credited with the unification of the mainstream Shia behind the son of al-Askari as the twelfth Imam in concealment. In this task, Abu Ja'far was assisted by
Abu Sahl al-Nawbakhti
Abu or ABU may refer to:
Places
* Abu (volcano), a volcano on the island of Honshū in Japan
* Abu, Yamaguchi, a town in Japan
* Ahmadu Bello University, a university located in Zaria, Nigeria
* Atlantic Baptist University, a Christian university ...
(), a renowned Twelver theologian of this period, whose ties with the Abbasid court helped spread the Twelver beliefs. Among other books about Islamic jurisprudence,
Abu Ja'far wrote ''Kitab al-Ashriba'' (). He died in 304 or 305 (917 or 918).
Sometime after 279 (879), the office of deputyship relocated to
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
from Samarra, following the footsteps of the Abbasid court. Especially during the caliphates of
al-Muqtadir
Abu’l-Faḍl Jaʿfar ibn Ahmad al-Muʿtaḍid ( ar, أبو الفضل جعفر بن أحمد المعتضد) (895 – 31 October 932 AD), better known by his regnal name Al-Muqtadir bi-llāh ( ar, المقتدر بالله, "Mighty in God"), wa ...
and
al-Radi
Abu'l-Abbas Ahmad (Muhammad) ibn Ja'far al-Muqtadir ( ar, أبو العباس أحمد (محمد) بن جعفر المقتدر, Abū al-ʿAbbās Aḥmad (Muḥammad) ibn al-Muqtadir; December 909 – 23 December 940), usually simply known by his r ...
, the Twelver leadership in Baghdad could also rely on the support and protection of some powerful Twelver families who were in the service of the Abbasids, such as the Ibn al-Furat and Banu Nawbakht families.
Ibn Ruh al-Nawbakhti (917-937 CE)
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 repre ...
was a close associate of the second agent, Abu Ja'far. He was also a highly respected figure in the Abbasid court because of his close ties with Abu Sahl al-Nawbakhti, the leader of the influential Nawbakhti family. It also appears that Ibn Ruh was admired among the Twelvers for his scrupulous adherence to religious dissimulation (
). Abu Ja'far designated Ibn Ruh as his successor in the presence of some notable Twelvers in 917 CE. There, Abu Ja'far also added that this appointment was commanded by the Hidden Imam. Tusi in his writes that the appointment of Ibn Ruh was immediately confirmed with a note from the Hidden Imam, which, according to
Sachedina, may suggest that some were dissatisfied with his appointment. With this note, the communications with the Hidden Imam resumed after a lapse of about twenty-five years.
Ibn Ruh's term overlapped with the caliphates of
al-Muqtader (),
al-Qahir
Abu Mansur Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Mu'tadid ( ar, أبو المنصور محمد بن أحمد المعتضد, Abū al-Manṣūr Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad al-Muʿtaḍid), usually known simply by his regnal title Al-Qahir bi'llah ( ar, القاهر ...
(),
al-Radi
Abu'l-Abbas Ahmad (Muhammad) ibn Ja'far al-Muqtadir ( ar, أبو العباس أحمد (محمد) بن جعفر المقتدر, Abū al-ʿAbbās Aḥmad (Muḥammad) ibn al-Muqtadir; December 909 – 23 December 940), usually simply known by his r ...
(). He was often in favor with their s. However, following the 306 (918) downfall of the Banu al-Furat, the influential Twelver family in the Abbasid court, Ibn Ruh was temporarily forced into hiding and later imprisoned in 312 (924-25) by
al-Muqtadir
Abu’l-Faḍl Jaʿfar ibn Ahmad al-Muʿtaḍid ( ar, أبو الفضل جعفر بن أحمد المعتضد) (895 – 31 October 932 AD), better known by his regnal name Al-Muqtadir bi-llāh ( ar, المقتدر بالله, "Mighty in God"), wa ...
for financial reasons. It was likely around this time that an associate of Ibn Ruh, named Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Ali al-Shalmaghani, turned against him and claimed to be the rightful agent of the Hidden Imam, before denouncing the concept of occultation as a lie. He was soon denounced by the Twelvers and Ibn Ruh's authority was further strengthened after receiving another note attributed to the Hidden Imam. Another controversial figure was a disciple of al-Askari, named al-Karkhi, who was later condemned in a rescript, said to be written by al-Mahdi. Ibn Ruh died in 326 (937), and was buried in Baghdad.
Abu al-Husayn al-Samarri (937-941 CE)
Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri
Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri ( ar, أَبُو ٱلْحَسَن عَلِيّ ٱبْن مُحَمَّد ٱلسَّمَّرِيّ, ') was the last of the Four Deputies, who are believed by the Twelvers to have successively represented the ...
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. He is said to have received a
letter from al-Mahdi shortly before his death in 329 (941). 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 in ...
(). 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. 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. Sachedina is of the view that the Shia community lacked a notable figure to replace the fourth agent after his death.
Duties
During the Minor Occultation, the agents were, in effect, the leaders of the Shia community, looking after their religious and financial affairs. The Twelvers held them responsible for collecting and distributing religious taxes, delivering religious questions to the Hidden Imam, and making his responses known in public. Some miracles are also attributed to these agents, e.g., foreknowledge of events to come, which were perceived by the faithful to be the result of their initiation by the Hidden Imam.
Other agents
The number of these agents was not limited to four in early Shia sources. For instance,
al-Kulayni
Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn Yaʿqūb ibn Iṣḥāq al Kulaynī ar Rāzī ( Persian: ar, أَبُو جَعْفَر مُحَمَّد ٱبْن يَعْقُوب إِسْحَاق ٱلْكُلَيْنِيّ ٱلرَّازِيّ; c. 250 AH/864 CE ...
() in his ''Kafi fi Elm al-Din'' refers to written decrees from the Hidden Imam to some pious men, including the first two agents. This author also speaks of other trusted men of the Hidden Imam in different cities in addition to the four agents. The notion of four successive agents appears first in the works of
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, ...
() and Tusi (). Klemm suggests that the idea of a sole agent representing the Hidden Imam became popular when the third agent was in office, then applied posthumously to the first two agents.
Sachedina holds that this later stress of the Twelver literature on the four deputies () was likely due to their prominence in
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
, the Shia center of the time. Similarly,
Momen reckons that al-Askari's network of representatives () likely continued to operate during the Minor Occultation of al-Mahdi.
See also
*
Imamate in Twelver doctrine
Imāmah ( ar, إِمَامَة) means "leadership" and is a concept in Twelver theology. The Twelve Imams are the spiritual and political successors to Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, in the Twelver branch of Shia Islam. According to Twelver ...
*
Ahl al-Bayt
Ahl al-Bayt ( ar, أَهْل ٱلْبَيْت, ) refers to the family of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, but the term has also been extended in Sunni Islam to apply to all descendants of the Banu Hashim (Muhammad's clan) and even to all Muslims. ...
*
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, ...
*
Occultation (Islam)
Occultation ( ar, غَيْبَة, ') in Shia Islam refers to the eschatological belief that Mahdi, a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, has already been born and subsequently concealed, but will reemerge to establish justice and peace ...
or
**
(al-Nu'mani), a work on the occultation by the 10th-century Shia scholar
Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Nu'mani
**
(al-Tusi), a work on the occultation by the 11th-century Shia scholar
al-Shaykh al-Tusi
*
Wikalah
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Four Deputies
9th-century Islam
10th-century Islam
Hujjat Allah al-Mahdi
Mahdism