Hossein ibn Rouh al-Nawbakhti: The Third Special Deputy of Imam Mahdi (AS)
- 2 months ago
Before his death , Muhammad ibn Uthman introduced Hossein ibn Rouh al-Nawbakhti, one of his trusted assistants and representatives, as the next special deputy. He told the Shia elders and followers that he was entrusted with the mission from Imam Mahdi to make this announcement. Muhammad ibn Uthman, who had been informed by Imam Mahdi about his approaching death, would refer the Shias to deliver their Islamic dues to Hossein ibn Rouh as much as two years prior to his death. His intention was to familiarize the Shias with the Imam’s next special deputy.
The role of Hossein ibn Rouh as the Imam’s special deputy lasted for about 21 years, until his death. He was socially popular among the Muslims of various theological backgrounds. Despite his social status, due to the conspiracies against him, he was imprisoned by the Abbasids for about five years . As the special deputy, Hossein ibn Rouh took control of the network organization of the representatives, and managed it from Baghdad. He tried his best to guide the Shias, and strictly confronted any deviation in the Shias’ beliefs. During one incident, when Hossein ibn Rouh was in the Abbasid prison, one of his representatives deviated and spread false beliefs among the Shias. While in prison, Hossein ibn Rouh informed the Shia elders and his other representatives about these false beliefs and asked them to distance themselves from the corrupt representative. He also informed them about a letter from Imam Mahdi, in which the Imam had falsified and denounced the beliefs of that representative. Hossein ibn Rouh’s efforts as the special deputy of Imam Mahdi proved to be effective in guiding the Shias.
As the special deputy, Hossein ibn Rouh was a point of contact between the Imam and the Shias. The Shias would seek guidance and make their requests from the Imam in writing. Once, one of the Shia scholars of Qom gave a letter to Hossein ibn Rouh to pass to the Imam. In this letter, he asked for the Imam’s prayer to be blessed with a child, as he did not have any children. The Imam responded in a letter that he had prayed to God for him, and soon he would be blessed with two sons. As a result of the Imam’s prayer, God blessed the scholar with two sons, whom he named Muhammad and Hossein, and both of them became Shia scholars. Muhammad became a noble scholar, known by the name “Shaykh al-Saduq” or “Ibn Babuwayh”. He authored notable books, such as ‘Man La Yahzuruhu al-Faqih’, which is among the top four books of the Shia Hadith collection, and ‘Oyoun Akhbar al-Reza’, a comprehensive book about the life of Imam Reza (AS). He was always proud of coming to this world as a result of his Imam’s prayer.
The role of Hossein ibn Rouh as the Imam’s special deputy lasted for about 21 years, until his death. He was socially popular among the Muslims of various theological backgrounds. Despite his social status, due to the conspiracies against him, he was imprisoned by the Abbasids for about five years . As the special deputy, Hossein ibn Rouh took control of the network organization of the representatives, and managed it from Baghdad. He tried his best to guide the Shias, and strictly confronted any deviation in the Shias’ beliefs. During one incident, when Hossein ibn Rouh was in the Abbasid prison, one of his representatives deviated and spread false beliefs among the Shias. While in prison, Hossein ibn Rouh informed the Shia elders and his other representatives about these false beliefs and asked them to distance themselves from the corrupt representative. He also informed them about a letter from Imam Mahdi, in which the Imam had falsified and denounced the beliefs of that representative. Hossein ibn Rouh’s efforts as the special deputy of Imam Mahdi proved to be effective in guiding the Shias.
As the special deputy, Hossein ibn Rouh was a point of contact between the Imam and the Shias. The Shias would seek guidance and make their requests from the Imam in writing. Once, one of the Shia scholars of Qom gave a letter to Hossein ibn Rouh to pass to the Imam. In this letter, he asked for the Imam’s prayer to be blessed with a child, as he did not have any children. The Imam responded in a letter that he had prayed to God for him, and soon he would be blessed with two sons. As a result of the Imam’s prayer, God blessed the scholar with two sons, whom he named Muhammad and Hossein, and both of them became Shia scholars. Muhammad became a noble scholar, known by the name “Shaykh al-Saduq” or “Ibn Babuwayh”. He authored notable books, such as ‘Man La Yahzuruhu al-Faqih’, which is among the top four books of the Shia Hadith collection, and ‘Oyoun Akhbar al-Reza’, a comprehensive book about the life of Imam Reza (AS). He was always proud of coming to this world as a result of his Imam’s prayer.