٨ - حدثنا أحمد بن هوذة الباهلي أبو سليمان، قال: حدثنا إبراهيم بن إسحاق النهاوندي، قال: حدثنا عبد الله بن حماد الأنصاري، عن أبان بن تغلب، عن أبي عبد الله أنه قال: يا أبان، يصيب العلم سبطةٌ، يأرز العلم بين المسجدين كما تأرز الحية في جحرها. قلت: فما السبطة؟ قال: دون الفترة، فبينَما هم كذلك إذ طلع لهم نجمُهم. فقلت: جُعلت فداك، فكيف نصنع وكيف يكون ما بين ذلك؟ فقال لي: ما أنتم عليه حتى يأتيكم الله بصاحبها. لَا تَجْعَلُوا دُعَاءَ الرَّسُولِ بَيْنَكُمْ كَدُعَاءِ بَعْضِكُمْ بَعْضًا ۚ قَدْ يَعْلَمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ يَتَسَلَّلُونَ مِنْكُمْ لِوَاذًا ۚ فَلْيَحْذَرِ الَّذِينَ يُخَالِفُونَ عَنْ أَمْرِهِ أَنْ تُصِيبَهُمْ فِتْنَةٌ أَوْ يُصِيبَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ ۖ فَإِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَاحْذَرُوا ۚ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ فَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا عَلَىٰ رَسُولِنَا الْبَلَاغُ الْمُبِينُ
(8) Ahmad bin Hawtha al-Bahili narrated from Ibraheem bin Iss’haq an-Nahawandi from Abdullah bin Hammad al-Ansari from Abban bin Taghlub that Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq  had said: “O Abban, a period of time will come to people, at which knowledge will be bound between the two mosques as a snake bound in its hole. As they are in such a condition, their star will shine to them.” Abban said: “May I die for you! What will we do and what will happen then?” He said: “Keep to what you have kept to until Allah brings the master (of the matter).” These traditions confirm the truth of the disappearance (of Imam al-Mahdi) and of the limitation of knowledge, which refers to the authority. Throughout these traditions, the infallible imams have ordered the Shia to keep on what they have believed in and to wait for that they have been promised of. They are excused when not seeing their authority and imam during the period of the disappearance. The ignorant, who are not aware of what the infallible imams have said through their traditions about the disappearance of al-Qa’im , ask to be led to the person and the place of al-Qa’im . They ask to see him with their eyes and they deny his disappearance because they are far away from knowledge and jurisprudence. They deny the sayings of the infallible imams whereas they have been ordered to obey Allah, His messenger and His guardians and have been warned of disobeying them. Allah has said: “…Therefore let those beware who go against his order lest a trial afflict them or there befall them a painful chastisement.” “O you who believe! obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority from among you.” “And obey Allah and obey the messenger and be cautious; but if you turn back, then know that only a clear deliverance of the message is (incumbent) on Our messenger.” In the fourth tradition it was said “…that you do not find an imam of guidance nor any banner”. This referred to what had really happened and confirmed the matter of the deputies, who had been between the imam and his Shia but their job stopped after some time. The deputy between the imam, during his disappearance, and the Shia was like the banner. When people were afflicted with the ordeal, the banners disappeared and would not reappear until the expected imam would reappear. Also the confusion that the infallible imams had told of occurred. The second disappearance of al-Qa’im  also took place. It will be discussed in a next chapter.