An Analysis of the Documents of the Narration of Asbagh Ibn Nabata in the Books of Al-Kafi, Kamal al-Din and Al-Hedayat al-Kubra

In their analysis on the conflict of hadiths, the Imami narrators have specified rules by which they either combine the evidence or prefer one over the other. Preferences include the credibility of the document and the accuracy of the narrators, as well as the multiplicity of documents. One of these reports, which has been used in different periods of the hadith and theological history of the Shia, is a narrated account of Asbagh Ibn Nabata's meeting with Imam Ali (A.S) and the statement of the existence of Imam Mahdi (A.S) and the occurrence of his absence. The fame of this narration is due to the existence of two ups and downs: "the one who appears to be the eleventh of my children"2 and "how long is the confusion, six days, or six months or six years"3. These two parts of the narration have led to perceptions contrary to the definite teachings of the Imams, such as the number of Imams to be twelve individuals and the specific time for the minor Occultation and the indefinite duration for the major Occultation. The commentators of hadith in the last two centuries have tried to explain it and offer a solution to the apparent conflict between these two parts with the definite teachings of the Imams. Contemporary writers have also tried to respond to the views of deviant movements such as Ahmad Ismail Basri. Considering the difference between the document of the narration in the book of Al-Hidaya Al-Kubra (this document is different from other documents from the beginning to its connection to Asbagh Ibn Nabata), the multiplicity of documents of Sheikh Saduq to this report and the distinction of his text with the text of Koleini, we will examine the three documents contained in the earlier source (Kafi), the well-documented source (Kamal al-Din) and a different source (Al-Hidaya al-Kubra). The author thinks that according to the rules of understanding the narration, paying attention to the copied transcript, the family of the hadith and the understanding of the narration by the earlier scholars, the above report is justifiable and does not contradict the Imami beliefs. On the other hand, according to various evidences, including numerous documents and the attention of the narrators to the text in Kamal al-Din's book and the text being free from any ambiguity, Sheikh Saduq's quotation is preferable and acceptable to other quotations. This research has dealt with the subject with the method of integrated research and descriptive-analytical data processing.