Draft:Waqifiyya

Waqifiyya, Waqifa, or Mammtura was a group of Shi'as who stopped at the Imamate of Imam Musa al-Kazim (a), refused to acknowledge the Imamate of Imam al-Rida (a), and believed that Imam al-Kazim (a) was the Promised Mahdi who was in occultation and would perform return. Additionally, a group of Shi'as who stopped at the Imamate of Imam al-Hasan al-Askari (a) and considered him the Promised Mahdi are also called Waqifa. Ali b. Isma'il al-Maythami was the first person to give them the name Mammtura.

Numerous reports and texts emphasize that the reason for this group's cessation at the Imamate of Musa b. Ja'far (a) was being tempted by the vast amounts of wealth and riches that had accumulated with them. Furthermore, doctrinal doubts that arose sometimes due to the introduction of newly emerged ideas and sometimes due to incorrect interpretations of certain doctrinal foundations and sources were effective in forming and paving the way for the Waqifiyya movement.

The first people to manifest this belief were Ali b. Abi Hamza al-Bata'ini, Ziyad b. Marwan al-Qandi, and Uthman b. Isa al-Rawwasi.

Conceptology

The title Waqifiyya is repeated many times in books of rijal, history, and in the biographies of individuals with such religious inclinations, or in the mention of Shi'a religions and Shi'a sects, and is applied to those who stopped at the Imamate of the Shi'a Imams during different periods, including some followers of the Saba'iyya, Kaysaniyya, and Nawusiyya. For example, al-Shaykh al-Saduq in the book Kamal al-din wa tamam al-ni'ma, while narrating the debate between Ibn Qiba al-Razi and Abi Zayd al-Alawi, used the titles "al-Waqifa 'ala Amir al-Mu'minin," "al-Waqifa 'ala Musa (a)," and "al-Waqifa 'ala Abi 'Abd Allah" (Imam al-Sadiq). And again in another part of the same book, he mentions "al-Waqifa 'ala al-Hasan b. 'Ali b. Muhammad" who believed that Imam al-Hasan al-Askari (a) had gone into occultation and that he was the very Mahdi al-Qa'im. Al-Nawbakhti, while referring to the existence of those who stopped—Waqifis—for each of the Imams, emphasizes that Waqifiyya, in an absolute sense, is the specific title for those who stopped at the Imamate of Imam Musa b. Ja'far (a). He says: "Every one of them—the Imams—who passed away had Waqifis who stopped at his Imamate, but this epithet is specific to the companions of Musa b. Ja'far (a)."

Types of Cessation (Waqf)

Contemporary researchers and writers mainly believe that cessation in Imamate was of two types:

1. Cessation in the general sense, meaning the stopping of a group of people at the Imamate of one of the Shi'a Imams.
2. Cessation in the specific sense, meaning stopping at the Imamate of Musa b. Ja'far (a).

Wahid al-Behbahani believes that although the title Waqifiyya is applied to those who stopped at the Imamate of all the Imams, whenever it is stated absolutely and without reference to a specific Imam, what is meant is those who stopped at the Imamate of Musa b. Ja'far (a).

Waqifi-ism

The first idea of cessation in Islam dates back to the time of the passing of the Messenger of Allah (s). When the Prophet (s) died, Umar b. al-Khattab, who was present over his body, shouted: "By God, Muhammad has not died, but has rather gone into occultation from among his people like Moses and will return soon," and he kept repeating this until people thought he had lost his mind. Umar also threatened to cut off the hands and feet and torture those who, believing the Prophet had died, intended to pledge allegiance to someone else. He repeated this topic with such intensity and fervor that according to reports, he started foaming at the mouth.

Cessation at Imam Ali (a)

The first person among Muslims to be called a Waqifi was Abd Allah b. Saba'. Abd Allah b. Saba', as al-Ash'ari says, had exaggerated and extremist thoughts, and Imam Ali (a) punished him and his followers. But when he was given the news of the martyrdom of Ali (a), he shouted: "You lie, O enemy of God! By God, even if you bring me his brain in a bowl and seventy just persons testify to his death, we will not accept your word, and we are certain that he has not died and has not been killed and will not die until he rules over the entire earth." Then he went to the door of Amir al-Mu'minin's (a) house with his companions and asked for permission to enter, and when the people of the house stated that he had passed away, he repeated the same words.

Al-Nawbakhti mentions the same points with a bit of brevity. According to the author of Maqalat al-Islamiyyin, the Saba'iyya imagined that Ali (a) had not died and would return before the uprising to fill the earth with justice and equity. In fact, they believed in a type of Raj'a.

Cessation at Imam al-Baqir (a)

A number of Shi'as, after the death of Imam al-Baqir (a), stopped at the Imamate of the fifth Imam believing that he was the very awaited Qa'im, and they cited narrations in this regard. As al-Shahrastani has written, they stopped at the Imamate of al-Baqir (a) and believed in his return.

Cessation at Imam al-Sadiq (a)

A group of Shi'as stopped at the Imamate of Imam al-Sadiq (a). They believed he was alive and had not died and would not die until he appears, and that he is the Promised Mahdi. This sect is the one that became known as the Nawusiyya; because their head was a person named Nawus from the people of Basra. al-Shaykh al-Mufid gives more explanation about their beliefs and refers to the narrations they cited and considers them invalid.

Cessation at Imam al-Hasan al-Askari (a)

Regarding the Imams after Musa b. Ja'far (a), Waqifi-ism has also been reported; including regarding Imam al-Hasan al-Askari (a), where a number believed in his occultation, and al-Shaykh al-Saduq says: "The ones who stopped at al-Hasan b. Ali b. Muhammad claimed that an occultation had occurred for him, because they believed in the occultation but did not know its instance and subject, and believed that he was the very Mahdi al-Qa'im." Al-Nawbakhti says: "His companions—Imam al-Askari (a)—split into 14 sects after him; one sect said: al-Hasan b. Ali has not died and is alive, but has rather gone into occultation and he is the Qa'im who does not die, because he has no child and the earth is never empty of the presence of an Imam and Proof of God. They said many of the statements of the Waqifiyya of Musa b. Ja'far, and when they were asked what the difference between you and the Waqifiyya is, they said they were mistaken in stopping at Musa b. Ja'far, because he had a child at the time of his death to whom he made a will: 'meaning Imam al-Rida (a)...'." Other groups of the Waqifiyya of Imam al-Askari believed in his return.

Cessation at the Children of the Imams (a)

In addition to those who stopped at the Imams (a), other sects stopped at the Imamate of one of the children of the Imams. The first group of these Waqifis were the Kaysaniyya who believed in the Imamate of Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya and his Mahdism and Qa'im-ship. A group of them, after the passing of Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya, stopped at his Imamate and believed that he had gone into occultation and would soon revolt. A group of these same Kaysaniyya who were followers of a person named Ibn Karb became known as the Karbiyya.

Another group of those who believed in the Imamate of Muhammad al-Hanafiyya accepted the Imamate of his son Abu Hashim and after his death split into different groups, one of which stopped at the Imamate of Abu Hashim and believed in his Mahdism, Qa'im-ship, and return. Another sect of Kaysaniyya stopped at the Imamate and Mahdism of Abd Allah b. Mu'awiya—b. Abd Allah b. Ja'far. They said he is alive and residing in a mountain in Isfahan, and that he is the Mahdi who will fill the earth with justice and equity.

Among the most important stopping sects was a group of the Zaydiyya who stopped at the Imamate of Muhammad b. Abd Allah b. al-Hasan, known as al-Nafs al-Zakiyya, and considered him the living and occult Imam. In addition to these, a group of Shi'as also turned to this belief after the death of Imam al-Baqir (a); among them were the companions of Mughira b. Sa'id who believed in the Imamate of Muhammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyya, and when he was killed, they stopped at his Imamate.

The Isma'iliyya, the sect that believed in the Imamate of Isma'il son of Imam al-Sadiq (a), split into two groups; one group accepted the Imamate of Muhammad son of Isma'il, but another group stopped at the Imamate of Isma'il and believed in his Mahdism. They believed Isma'il had not died, but that his father Imam al-Sadiq (a) had hidden him from the eyes of the people so that no harm would reach him. And that he will remain alive until the day he takes control of the entire earth. This group is the Pure Isma'iliyya (al-Isma'iliyya al-Khalisa). However, from the followers of Muhammad b. Isma'il, a group also believed in his Mahdism and stopped at his Imamate.

Cessation at the Imamate of Others

The phenomenon of stopping also existed among non-Shi'a sects, including a group of companions of Abu Muslim al-Khurasani who believed in his Imamate and claimed he had not died and was alive. Among the followers of the Abbasids there was also a group named the Rawandiyya who had beliefs similar to the mentioned group and gradually claimed Prophethood and divinity for Abu Muslim, and al-Mansur, the Abbasid caliph, killed a number of them.

Waqifiyya After the Martyrdom of Imam al-Kazim (a)

After the martyrdom of Musa b. Ja'far (a), the seventh Imam of the Shi'as, considering the specific conditions and situation prevailing during this period, the Shi'as and his companions split into two groups regarding the issue of Imamate and his succession:

1. One group, which included the vast majority of the Shi'as, accepted the Imamate of his son, Ali b. Musa al-Rida (a), based on the Imam's (a) will and sufficient proofs and evidence, and confirmed him as the eighth Imam. This category, which also included the prominent companions of Imam al-Kazim (a), became known as the Qat'iyya.
2. But another group of the seventh Imam's (a) companions, for some reasons, refused to acknowledge the Imamate of Ali b. Musa al-Rida (a) or anyone else and stopped at the Imamate of Musa b. Ja'far (a). They stated that Musa b. Ja'far (a) is the last Imam and has not designated anyone for the Imamate, or at least we are not aware of it. This group, which is divisible into several branches due to the proposal of different beliefs, was named the Waqifiyya—Waqifa. Although this title has been applied to other sects with beliefs similar to theirs, it seems that considering the expansion of their work and its continuation for nearly a century, as the absolute Waqifiyya—whenever mentioned without a specific qualification—it has been specific to this sect—namely the Waqifiyya of Musa b. Ja'far (a).

Other Names for the Waqifiyya

The Waqifis are also known by the name Mammtura. This title was originally derived from the genitive construction *Kilab Mammtura*—rain-soaked dogs—which indicates the impurity and baseness of the leaders of this group. The reason for their being called by this epithet is that in a debate between the leaders of the Waqifiyya and some Shi'a elders such as Ali b. Isma'il al-Maythami and Yunus b. Abd al-Rahman, when the discussion between them escalated and the Waqifis refused to accept the proofs and arguments of the Shi'a scholars, Ali b. Isma'il al-Maythami (or Yunus b. Abd al-Rahman) addressed them saying: "In my view, you are baser than rain-soaked dogs (Kilab Mammtura)." Therefore, among the Qat'iyya Shi'as, this group became famous as the Mammtura, but the title Waqifiyya prevailed over it and their fame by this name became greater.

Credibility of Narrations

According to al-Shaykh al-Tusi in the book al-Udda fī uṣūl al-fiqh, if a narrator was from Shi'a sects such as the Fathiyya, Nawusiyya, and Waqifa and was reliable in trust, provided there is no narration contrary to his and the Imamiyya have not acted contrary to it, his narrations must be acted upon. For this very reason, the Imamiyya act upon the narrations of Abd Allah b. Bukayr and others from the Fathiyya and the narrations of Sama'a b. Mehran, Ali b. Abi Hamza, Uthman b. Isa al-Rawwasi, and others from the Waqifa, as well as the narrations of the Banu Faddal and others.

Statements of Different Waqifi Tribes

Believers in Return (Raj'a)

With the martyrdom of Musa b. Ja'far (a), apart from the Qat'iyya Shi'as who were certain of his passing and acknowledged the Imamate of Ali b. Musa al-Rida (a), a group of Waqifis also accepted the passing of the seventh Imam (a) but since they believed he was the very Revolter of the Ahl al-Bayt (Qa'im Al Muhammad); therefore they stated that he will have a return in which he will revolt against oppression and tyranny. This group itself is divided into two categories:

1. A group believed that the seventh Imam (a) had been martyred and passed away but that he is the Mahdi Qa'im of the Ummah and when the time of his revolt arrives he will return and fill the earth, which has been filled with injustice and tyranny, with justice and equity. They argued using this statement attributed to Imam al-Sadiq (a) who had said regarding him: He has a resemblance to Jesus son of Mary and will be killed by the Banu Abbas.
2. But another group of these Waqifis denied his martyrdom and believed that he died naturally and God took him to the heavens and will bring him down to earth at the time of his revolt. Thus, they differed with the first group in the quality of his passing and return.

Believers in Occultation

Another group of Waqifis, from the very beginning and the time of Musa b. Ja'far's (a) martyrdom, denied the issue of his passing and stated that he had not passed away and was alive. This group also fell into disagreement among themselves regarding the manner of occultation and the issue of the Shi'a Imamate.

1. One group said Musa b. Ja'far (a) is alive, has not died, and will not die until he brings all the East and West of the earth under his control and makes justice and equity reign over them, and that he is the very Mahdi and Qa'im Al Muhammad. They imagined that the Imam secretly, in a way that no one saw him, exited the prison and then went into occultation from the eyes of the people and hid, but the sultan and courtiers claimed he had passed away and put the people in an illusion. In this regard, they cited a narration from Imam al-Sadiq (a) who had said: He is the Mahdi Qa'im of the Ummah and even if his severed head were thrown down from the top of a mountain, one should not believe it because he is the Revolter of the Ahl al-Bayt.
2. Another group from this same category who denied the seventh Imam's (a) passing believed that he was not even imprisoned but rather went into occultation during those days and is currently alive and he is the Promised Mahdi and Qa'im Al Muhammad. According to them, Musa b. Ja'far (a) at the time of his occultation placed one of his companions named Muhammad b. Bashir as his successor in his affairs and made him his executor (wasi) and gave him his ring and taught Muhammad b. Bashir whatever the people would need and entrusted the affairs to him. Muhammad b. Bashir also, in his place at the time of his death, introduced his son Sami' b. Muhammad and he was the leader of the people and then whoever Sami' introduced would be the leader and this situation will continue until Musa b. Ja'far (a) appears and revolts. This group, who were followers of the beliefs of Muhammad b. Bashir, are also known by the name Bashiriyya.

La Adriyyun

The third group offered more moderate views; they stated that given the many reports about Musa b. Ja'far (a) being the Mahdi and Qa'im and that we cannot deny them on one hand, and on the other hand the reports that have arrived regarding the passing of his father and ancestors, namely the previous Imams, all of which confirm the truth of the news of Musa b. Ja'far's (a) passing and these we also cannot deny, therefore we do not know whether he has passed away or is alive and we cannot emphasize either one and we cannot go beyond his Imamate either, so we stop at this matter until it becomes clear to us at the time of his revolt. It seems that this group approached the issue more realistically. However, it should be noted that their citation of the narration regarding the Qa'im-ship of the seventh Imam (a) is in conflict with a wide range of authentic and mutawatir narrations regarding Mahdism, therefore invalidating their argument. This group, because they expressed ignorance in this matter and said: "We do not know" (la nadri), became known as the sect of "La Adriyyun."

Believers in Occultation After Return

The fourth group expressed a different opinion from the rest; while they accepted that the seventh Imam (a) had passed away, they also believed in his occultation. According to them, Musa b. Ja'far (a), who is the very Mahdi Qa'im, has passed away but the Imamate is not the lot or share of anyone else until the time he performs return and then he will appear and revolt. They imagined that after his passing he returned—came back to the world—but resides in a hidden place (occultation) and his companions meet him and see him and he gives them the necessary commands. They also cited narrations in this regard stating that he was named Qa'im because he revolts after his death.

al-Baghdadi in al-Farq bayn al-firaq, while referring to the doctrinal foundation of the Waqifa, namely the being alive of Musa b. Ja'far (a) and his Mahdism, calls them the Musawiyya. Thus, the Waqifis, by publishing these statements and opinions, covered up their motivations for Waqifi-ism such that the Waqifiyya movement lasted for about a century and, of course, many of the mentioned opinions and statements were proposed and offered during this period among the leaders and supporters of the Waqifiyya as reasons and arguments for the truth of their religion.

Causes and Factors of the Emergence of the Waqifiyya

Shi'a jurists and scholars have counted various causes and factors for how the Waqifiyya emerged; including material and spiritual factors. Some of these analyses are:

Material Factors

al-Shaykh al-Tusi considered the cause of cessation at the Imamate of Musa b. Ja'far (a) to be being tempted by the vast amounts of wealth and riches that had accumulated with them. As al-Shaykh al-Tusi wrote in al-Ghayba, the first ones to stop at the Imamate of the seventh Imam of the Shi'as were Ali b. Abi Hamza al-Bata'ini, Ziyad b. Marwan al-Qandi, and Uthman b. Isa al-Rawwasi who "coveted the worldly property and set their hearts upon its crumbs."

These individuals, whom al-Shaykh al-Tusi considered the founders of the Waqifiyya, were among the deputies of the seventh Imam (a) to whom the Shi'as would deliver their financial obligations so that they would reach the Imam (a), but with the Imam's (a) passing, they kept these properties with themselves and refused to deliver them to the successor of Imam al-Kazim (a).

According to Yunus b. Abd al-Rahman, after the death of Imam al-Kazim (a), all his deputies had large amounts of property in their possession, and for this reason, they stopped at the Imamate of the seventh Imam and refrained from accepting the Imamate of Imam al-Rida (a). According to historical reports, Ziyad b. Marwan al-Qandi had eighty thousand dinars, and Ali b. Abi Hamza al-Bata'ini thirty thousand dinars of the people's financial obligations with them. These two were among the deputies of the seventh Imam in Iraq. Uthman b. Isa al-Rawwasi was the Imam's deputy in Egypt, and according to Ahmad b. Hammad, vast amounts of property were with him. These were properties that had accumulated with them during the long period of the seventh Imam's imprisonment and the lack of access for the deputies to him, and they had not been able to deliver them to the Imam (a). After the death of Imam Musa al-Kazim, attachment to the mentioned properties caused the Imam's deputies to deny his passing and claim that he was alive so that they could keep the properties for themselves in this way. al-Kashshi, in the biography of Mansur b. Yunus, another one of the Imam's (a) deputies, says: "Mansur b. Yunus Bazurj denied the designation (*nass*) on the Imamate of al-Rida (a) due to the properties that were with him." According to al-Najashi, Yunus b. Abd al-Rahman was also among those who were offered that if he became a Waqifi, large amounts of property would be given to him; however, he refused to accept this offer.

Doctrinal Doubts

Doctrinal doubts that arose sometimes due to the introduction of newly emerged ideas and sometimes due to incorrect interpretations of certain doctrinal foundations and sources were effective in forming and paving the way for the Waqifiyya movement. Among the most important of these doubts, the following can be pointed to:

Issue of the Imam's Age

• The issue of the Imam's age, especially after Imam al-Rida (a), caused the emergence of doubts among the Shi'as, because specifically in this period, Imams reached Imamate at young ages and sometimes at the age of childhood, and this matter caused doubts and hesitations regarding their Imamate. This matter became very problematic especially after the death of Imam al-Rida (a) and was one of the factors of the approach of a group of Shi'as toward Waqifiyya thought. What intensified this problem further was that a large number of the companions of Imam al-Rida (a) were elders and white-bearded men who had also met the time of the seventh Imam and sometimes the era of Imam al-Sadiq (a), and now accepting the Imamate of Imam al-Rida's (a) son who was seven years old seemed difficult for them. Some of the great companions of the eighth Imam (a) fell into doubt and hesitation in the issue of the Imamate of Imam al-Jawad (a). In any case, this issue caused the approach of a number of Shi'as, after the death of the eighth Imam (a), to the Waqifiyya. Pointing to the young age of Imam al-Jawad (a), they rejected his Imamate and then denied the Imamate of Imam al-Rida (a) citing that he had no mature successor and son, and returned to the Waqifiyya belief and stopped at the Imamate of Musa b. Ja'far (a). They argued that it is not permissible for an immature child to be an Imam and stated that if it is permissible for God to command obedience to an immature Imam, then it is permissible for an immature child to also be obligated and just as it is not rational for an immature child to be obligated, it is not permissible for an immature child to become an Imam, and an Imam must be a mature individual.

Thus a group of Shi'as years after the death of Imam Musa b. Ja'far (a) stopped at his Imamate. Of course, the doubt of the Imam's age was also proposed among his companions before the death of Imam al-Rida (a), and the Imam answered their questions in this regard. Nonetheless, this did not prevent individuals from leaning toward the Waqifiyya.

Issue of the Imam's Washing (Ghusl)

One of the certain reasons for some Waqifis was the narrations stating that only another Infallible Imam washes an Infallible Imam after his death. Therefore, since Musa b. Ja'far (a) was in prison for years and at the time of his death Imam al-Rida (a) was not present to wash his body, then Ali b. Musa (a) cannot be an Infallible Imam and the successor of Musa b. Ja'far (a). Narrations with this content "Indeed, the Imam is not washed except by an Imam" have been mentioned multiple times in narrational sources. al-Shaykh al-Saduq has brought some of these reports in the book ʿUyūn akhbār al-Riḍā narrating from the eighth Imam and then regarding the invalidity of the Waqifiyya belief and argument says:

"I brought these reports in this book for the purpose of rejecting the belief of the Waqifiyya of Musa b. Ja'far (a) who imagine he is alive and deny Imam al-Rida (a) and the Imams after him. The truth of the death of Musa b. Ja'far is sufficient to invalidate their belief. They have words regarding these narrations and say Imam al-Sadiq (a) said an Imam is not washed except by an Imam, and if Ali b. Musa al-Rida (a) was an Imam, he should have washed the body of Musa b. Ja'far. Of course, in the fact that someone else washed the body of Musa b. Ja'far there is no proof or argument for them, because Imam al-Sadiq (a) prohibited that anyone except the next Imam wash the body of an Imam and if another person intervened in the washing of the deceased Imam, the Imamate of the next Imam is not invalidated and he (a) did not say: There is no Imam except one who has washed the body of the previous Imam, so their argument using these reports is invalid. In addition, in some reports it is narrated that Ali b. Musa washed the body of his father Musa b. Ja'far in a way that remained hidden from those present."

al-Shaykh al-Saduq proposes another possibility stating that the narrations mentioned in this regard narrated from Imam al-Sadiq (a) were issued from him solely regarding the death of Isma'il his son and to show that he was not in the rank of Imamate.

al-Shaykh al-Mufid also has a statement in this regard in which he points out that the narrations that arrived in this regard relate to normal and natural conditions, not in a state of necessity and emergency; such as the difficult and hard position the Abbasids had imposed upon the seventh Imam (a) and the impossibility of the presence of Imam al-Rida (a) at the side of his father and the washing of his body. In recent years, research has been conducted on the meaning of the narrations regarding the Imam's ghusl, and the Waqifiyya doubt and their interpretation of these hadiths have been rejected in detail.

Issue of Imam al-Rida's (a) Child

Among the necessary beliefs of the Shi'as is that the Imamate is transferred by divine designation from an Imam to the next Imam who is one of his children. This last qualification was due to the fact that Imamate was not permissible in two brothers—except for Imam al-Hasan (a) and Imam al-Husayn (a). The problem that arose during the time of Imam al-Rida (a) was that he did not have a child for a long time; this matter had become a pretext in the hands of the Waqifis, who doubted the Imamate of Imam al-Rida (a) and would protest to him how he claims Imamate while he has no successor. One of the leaders of the Waqifiyya named Ibn Qiyama al-Wasiti wrote in a letter addressed to Imam al-Rida (a): "How are you an Imam while you have no child?" The Imam wrote in his answer: "How do you know that I have no child? God will not end the night and day—a metaphor for the end of the world—until He grants me a son who will distinguish between truth and falsehood." This same Ibn Qiyama says that when Abu Ja'far—Imam al-Jawad (a)—was born, he went to Imam al-Rida (a) and the Imam told him: "God granted me a child who shall inherit from me and from the family of David."

Belief in Qa'im-ship

The belief in the appearance of Mahdi al-Qa'im who will uproot injustice and tyranny from the earth and establish equity and equality was among the basic beliefs of the Shi'as and documented by the many emphases and explicit statements of the Messenger of Allah (s) and the Imams (a). However, some narrations during specific periods of time were subject to interpretations that finally led to the creation of intellectual and doctrinal doubts; as many Shi'a sects, especially those who stopped in Imamate, cited some of these very narrations. The Waqifiyya of Musa b. Ja'far (a) were also from this group who, consciously or unconsciously, offered specific interpretations of these narrations and sometimes forged examples of them.

One of the basic causes in the progress of the Waqifiyya's work and the expansion of their claim was the existence of narrations that in some way agreed with their opinions or the Waqifiyya leaders interpreted them in a way to make their claims seem justified. The Waqifiyya leaders used some of these narrations in their arguments and even mentioned them in the books some of them wrote to prove their beliefs, among which in the book Nusrat al-Waqifa written by one of the Waqifiyya elders named al-Musawi, he narrates a narration from one of the companions of Imam al-Sadiq (a) that: "When Abu l-Hasan the son of Imam al-Sadiq (a) was born, I brought gifts to Imam al-Sadiq (a) and he said to me: By God, you gave them as a gift to the Qa'im Al Muhammad." As observed, in this narration it is specified that Musa b. Ja'far (a) is the Qa'im Al Muhammad.

al-Shaykh al-Tusi narrates another narration from them that a person came to Imam al-Baqir (a) and asked: Do you not narrate that Amir al-Mu'minin (a) used to say on the pulpit of Kufa that if only one day remains from the world God will lengthen it so much until He raises a man from my family who will fill the world with equity and justice just as it had been filled with injustice and tyranny? Imam al-Baqir (a) said: Yes. The man said: Is he you? The Imam said: No, but he is the namesake of the Cleaver of the Sea." This narration also specifies that Musa b. Ja'far—who is the namesake of Prophet Moses, the Cleaver of the Sea—is the Qa'im Al Muhammad.

Resorting to these narrations and the general Shi'a belief regarding Qa'im-ship, the Waqifiyya proceeded to promote their opinions and beliefs. They joined a large number of Shi'as with them and gradually gave their goals a doctrinal shape and color, and this very thing caused the endurance and continuation of this movement and their beliefs for about a century, and great thinkers emerged among them and wrote several books regarding their religion. Some of these narrations were fabricated by the Waqifiyya leaders, the forgery of which can be understood from their conflict with authentic narrations and the principles and foundations of Shi'ism, and Imam al-Rida (a) also dealt intensely with this category of narrations. Another category of these narrations had been subject to distortion consciously or unconsciously or other interpretations were made of them, and the Imam (a) in the face of these narrations proceeded to correct and refine them.

Waiting for the Appearance of the Mahdi (a)

Over many years, the Shi'as had endured much hardship and affliction from rulers and caliphs and, given the good tidings and promises of the Imams (a) regarding the appearance of the Promised Mahdi who uproots the carpet of injustice and tyranny, were constantly waiting for the appearance of this divine savior. However, sometimes this very waiting and desire derived from pure and sincere beliefs led to the emergence of categories and groups of Shi'as.

In this same regard, many narrations had also been narrated from the Imams (a) calling for waiting for the appearance and revolt of the Qa'im and urging the Shi'as toward this matter. However, in the midst of this, they would sometimes encounter problems in matching these narrations to their instance, and this is the very issue that occurred regarding the Waqifiyya. The difficult period of Imam Musa b. Ja'far's (a) Imamate, which was simultaneous with the caliphate of several strict Abbasid caliphs, had severely exhausted and pained the Shi'as, and they were in desire of an opening in affairs and the appearance of the Promised Mahdi. This situation, alongside the existence of many hadiths regarding the appearance of the Mahdi, had provided the ground for the activity of the Waqifiyya leaders; in fact, they made the most use of these circumstances.

Thus, under the influence of these factors and motivations, the Waqifiyya took shape and expanded and, given the hard and difficult position of the Shi'as and the Imams (a) which continued until the late third century AH, i.e., the period of Minor Occultation, we witness debates between the leaders of the Waqifiyya and the Shi'a scholars, where both categories now believed in the occultation of the Mahdi (a) but differed in its instance.

Compilation of Books Regarding the Mahdi (a) by the Waqifiyya

Several books were written by the Waqifiyya leaders to prove their opinions and statements, and although none of them have survived, they are named in old sources; among them, al-Shaykh al-Tusi has named the book Nusrat al-Waqifa written by one of the Waqifiyya leaders named Ali b. Ahmad al-Musawi al-Alawi. But the point that is more noteworthy is their compilation of books on the subject of the occultation of the Mahdi. In fact, to prove their claim regarding the Mahdism and occultation of Musa b. Ja'far (a), the Waqifiyya leaders first had to prove these subjects fundamentally and in principle, and then discuss its instance—which according to their claim was the seventh Imam (a). Therefore, some of the prominent figures of this group compiled books on occultation, the time of compilation of most of which reached before the occultation of the twelfth Imam (a). In these books, they mainly proceeded to mention the narrations narrated from the Messenger of Allah (s) and the Imams (a) regarding the Mahdi and Qa'im Al Muhammad (a) and then matched them with the seventh Imam (a) and introduced him as that very Mahdi and Promised Qa'im.

Among the most important of these books is the book al-Ghayba written by Hasan b. Muhammad b. Sama'a al-Kufi. Ibn Sama'a was one of the most famous Waqifiyya leaders who had good compositions and was also distinguished in jurisprudence; he died in the year 263 AH. He had written numerous books, among which is the book al-Ghayba on the subject of occultation. al-Najashi has narrated reports regarding his obstinacy with the Shi'as and the Imams after Musa b. Ja'far (a). Of the same kind was Ali b. Hasan al-Tatari who had severe prejudice in his own religion and harbored harsh enmity with the Imami Shi'as. He wrote many books in support of the Waqifiyya; the number of his books, which are mostly on the subject of jurisprudence, has been considered more than thirty books, among which is also a book named al-Ghayba.

These compilations show that the Waqifiyya leaders had started extensive activity for propagating their religion; nonetheless, this split movement did not continue further, and after the Minor Occultation of the twelfth Imam, no active presence of this group is observed. However, the great attention of great Imami scholars such as al-Shaykh al-Saduq, al-Shaykh al-Mufid, and al-Shaykh al-Tusi to critiquing and rejecting the statements and opinions of the Waqifiyya—which, in comparison to their treatment of the statements of other Shi'a sects, has occupied a significant portion—indicates the importance and sensitivity of this current in the history of Shi'ism.

Bibliography

• Barresī-yi tārīkhī-yi zamīnah-hā-yi iʿtiqādī-yi paydāyish-i Wāqifiyya (Historical examination of the doctrinal backgrounds of the emergence of the Waqifiyya) written by Abd al-Karim Hasanpour. This work, using the method of document research, while examining the religious beliefs and doctrinal teachings of the Shi'a society of the era of the Waqifiyya's emergence, seeks to prove this claim that the Waqifiyya thought contemporary to Imam al-Rida (a) is a continuation and an evolved version of the initial deviation that took shape on the sidelines of the two Shi'a principles of "Imamate" and "Mahdism" and had a contingent appearance at different stages.
• Wāqifa wa ḥadīth-i Imāmiyya (bā taʾkīd bar mafāhīm-i imāmat, ghaybat, rajʿat) (Waqifa and Imami hadith (with emphasis on the concepts of Imamate, occultation, return)) written by Saeeda Sadat Mousavinia, Roshan Ayandeh Cultural and Artistic Institute, Qom 1402 AH.
• Man khwāb dīda-am (I have dreamed) written by Fatemeh Elyasi, International Printing and Publishing Company, Tehran 1400 Sh. This book has a fictional look at the current of deviation of a group of Shi'as during the era of "Imam al-Kazim (a)" who became known as the Waqifiyya and refused to pledge allegiance to "Imam al-Rida (a)".