A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn 'Isa from Ali ibn al- Hakam from Zayd ibn abu al-Hassan from al-Hakam ibn abu Nu'aym' who has said the
following.
"I went to see abu Ja'far (a.s.) when he was in the city of al-Madina and I said to him, "I decided to make a vow and a covenant, while I was between the corner of the Ka'ba and the place
where Abraham had prayed, that when I would meet you I would not leave al-Madina until I would know with certainty that you are Al-Qa'im (the one who will rise with Divine Authority). The Imam
(a.s.) did not say anything.
I then stayed in the city of al-Madina for thirty days. One day he came face to face on a road. He said, "O al-Hakam, are you still here?" I said, "Yes, I am still here. I had explained to
you about my vow and commitment and you did not command me anything or prohibited from anything nor did you answer me with anything." The Imam (a.s.) then said, "Early tomorrow come to my
house."
Next morning I went to see him and he said to me, "Ask what you need." I said, "I have a commitment of vow, of fasting and paying charity. I had decided to fulfill it, while I was between
the corner of the Ka'ba and the station of Abraham. Its object was that when I would meet you I would not leave until I would know with certainty that you are Al-Qa'im (the one who will rise with
Divine Authority) or not.
If you would be him I would then maintain relations with you, otherwise, I would go in the land to find how to make a living." The Imam (a.s.) said, "O Hakam, we all are Al-Qa'im (the one
who will rise with Divine Authority) for the commands of Allah."
I then said, "Are you al-Mahdi?" He said, "We all guide to Allah." I said, "Are you the owner of the sword?" He said, "We all are owners of the sword the heir of the sword." I said, "Are
the one who would do away with enemies of Allah, through whom honor will come to the friends of Allah and with whom the religion of Allah would stand supreme?" The Imam (a.s.) said, "O Hakam how
could I be him. I have already become forty five years old while the master of this task would be much younger than me and much light for saddle of the horse."
2
Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Ash'ari has narrated from Mu'alla ibn Muhammad from alWashsha' from Ahmad ibn 'A'idh from abu Khadija from abu 'Abdallah who has said the following.
"He said, when he was asked about Al-Qa'im, "We all Al-Qa'im ((the one who will rise with Divine Authority) with the command of Allah one after the other until the time when the owner of
the sword will rise. When the owner of the sword will rise he will rise with the command other than what it was."
3
Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan ibn Shammun from 'Abdallah ibn 'Abd al-Rahman from 'Abdallah ibn al-Qasim al-Batal from 'Abdallah ibn Sinan who
has said the following.
"I asked abu 'Abdallah (a.s.) about the meaning of , 'On the day when We will call every nation with her Imam (leader) . . ." (17:71) The Imam (a.s.) said, "It refers to the Imam who is
with them and he is al-Qa'im of the people of that time."
