Idrees (a) is the
grandfather of Akhnukh, the father of Nuh (a). The Almighty Allah exalted Idrees
to a high degree; it is said that he was raised to the fourth or the sixth
heaven.
In Majmaul Bayan it is narrated from Mujahid
that he said: "Idrees was taken up to the sky like Isa (a) was taken,
while he was alive and not dead." And others have said: "His soul was
captured between the fourth and the fifth heaven." This point is narrated
from Imam Baqir (a):[1] The Almighty Allah also took up Qaim to a high position in the sky.
The Almighty Allah carried Idrees on the wings
of an angel and enabled him to fly in space, as mentioned by Ali bin Ibrahim
Qummi from his father from Muhammad bin Abi Umair from one who had said it for
him, that His Eminence, Abu Abdillah Sadiq (a) said:
"Allah, the Mighty and the High became
angry at one of the angels and cut off his wings and threw him on an
island.Then a long period of time, extent of which is known to Allah alone,passed,
and when the Almighty Allah appointed Idrees as a Prophet, that angel came to him
and said: O Prophet of Allah! Please pray that the Almighty Allah becomes
pleased with me (forgives me) and restores my wings. Idrees replied: All right!
So he prayed. The Almighty Allah restored the wings of that angel and forgave
him. At that time the angel said to Idrees: 'Do you have a wish?' 'Yes,' replied
he, 'I would like you to take me upto the heavens so that I can see the angel
of death as I have no life without his remembrance.' Thus the angel took him on
his wings and soared to the sky till they reached the fourth heaven. Suddenly
Idrees saw the Angel of death shaking his head in surprise. Idrees said Salaam to
the Angel of death and asked him: 'Why are you shaking your head?' He replied: 'When
the Almighty Allah commanded me to capture your soul between the fourth and the
fifth heaven, I asked Him; O Lord, how would that be possible? While the
thickness of the fourth heaven is a journey of 500 years. And from the fourth
heaven till the third heaven there is a distance of 500 years' travel and the thickness
of the third heaven also is 500 years. Every heaven and what is between it is there
in the same way, how would this be possible?' Then he captured his soul between
the fourth and the fifth heaven.And it is about this that the Almighty Allah
said:
"And We raised
him high in Heaven."
And that is why he was named as Idrees as he
had obtained lessons (Dars) from many books."[2] And it is said that he is alive in the
Paradise and this statement is narrated from Ibne Abbas.
The angel, Ruhul
Qudus also took Qaim (a) on his wings to the sky. This is mentioned in the
traditional report regarding the birth of His Eminence, Qaim, recorded from
Hakima in the book of Kamaluddin:
"Then Imam Hasan Askari (a) took his son
while pigeons were flying over his head. His Eminence called out to one of the
pigeons: 'Take him and keep him safe and bring him back to me every forty days.'
That pigeon took him and flew up to the sky; the other pigeons also followed
him. At that time I heard His Eminence, Abu Muhammad (Imam Askari) say: 'I have
entrusted you to the one whom the mother of Moosa entrusted her son.' Narjis
wept. His Eminence told her: 'Take it easy, no one will nurse him, except you
and he will be returned to you very soon as Moosa was returned to his mother.
And it is about this that the Almighty Allah said:
"So We gave him back to his mother that
her eye might be refreshed, and that she might not grieve..."[3]
Hakima said: I asked respectfully: 'What bird
was that?' He replied: 'It is Ruhul Qudus who is responsible for the Imams. He
guards and protects them and trains them in knowledge…'[4]
Idrees disappeared
from among the people when they wanted to kill him - as mentioned in a tradition
from Imam Muhammad Baqir (a).
Qaim (a) also disappeared in the same way when
the enemies wanted to kill him.
The occultation of
Idrees was so prolonged that his followers had to undergo severe hardships and
difficulties. In the same way it is mentioned in Biharul Anwar from the Holy
Prophet (s) that he said:
"This will continue, so much so, that
people will be born in mischief and inequity and they will not know anything
but mischief and inequity, so much so that the earth will be full of corruption.
No one will be able to say, Allah. Then Allah, the Exalted will send a man from
Me and my family. He will fill the earth with justice as those who have been
before him will have filled it with injustice."[5] And it is narrated from Amirul
Momineen (a) that he said:
"Indeed the
earth would be full of injustice and oppression. So much so that no one
would utter the
name of Allah except secretly. Then the Almighty Allah would bring a righteous
people so that they may fill it with justice and equity just as it would
fraught with injustice and oppression."
When the
occultation of Idrees became prolonged, people joined in repentance and turned
to Allah. The Almighty Allah, in turn, made him reappear and removed the
distress and hardships of the people.
Qaim is also like that; such that if people
were to unite in repenting for their sins and have a firm determination to help
and support the Imam, the Almighty Allah would make him reappear.
When Idrees reappeared,
the tyrant king and the people submitted to him. The Qaim would also be in the
same way. That when he reappears, the tyrannical rulers and kings and all the
people of the world would surrender to His Eminence and bow down before him. If
you desire to study the circumstances of Idrees in more detail you may refer to
comprehensive works like the books of Kamaluddin, Biharul Anwar and Hayat
al-Qulub :)
1. Majma
al-Bayan, Vol. 6, Pg. 519
2.
Tafseer al-Qummi, Vol. 2, Pg. 51
3.
Surah Qasas 28:13
4. Kamaluddin,
Vol. 2, Pg. 428
5.
Biharul Anwar; Vol. 51, Pg. 68
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