Wakalat al-Khassah
Definition
Wakalat al-Khassah (وكالة الخاصة) refers to the designation of four successive individuals who served as special deputies (also known as “Na’ibs”) of the Hidden Imam in Twelver Shi’ism. This period is particularly significant during the Minor Occultation when these deputies intermediated between the believers and the Hidden (Twelfth) Imam.
Etymology and Translations
- Arabic: وكالة الخاصة (al-Wakālah al-Khāṣṣah)
- Turkish: Özel Vekâlet
- Etymology: The Arabic word “Wakalat” or “وكالة” means deputization or agency, and “al-Khassah” or “الخاصة” means special or particular, hence connoting special deputization.
Historical Context
The Minor Occultation (al-Ghaybah al-Sughra)
The period following the disappearance of the Twelfth Imam in 874 CE is known as the Minor Occultation. During this phase, the Hidden Imam communicated with his followers indirectly through these four appointed deputies. This phase concluded in 941 CE when the last deputy declared there would be no further special deputies until the Imam’s return.
- First Deputy: Abu Amr Uthman ibn Sa’id al-Asadi
- Second Deputy: Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Uthman ibn Sa’id
- Third Deputy: Abu al-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Ruh al-Nawbakhti
- Fourth Deputy: Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri
The Major Occultation (al-Ghaybah al-Kubra)
The Major Occultation began in 941 CE and continues up to the present day. No individual since then can claim specific deputy status, transitioning the responsibility of leadership to the scholarly body of ulema.
Subsequent Claims and Figures
- The Báb: In the 19th century, the founder of the Bábí movement, claimed a form of special deputization.
- Ayatollah Khomeini: In the 20th century, Ayatollah Khomeini asserted the concept of “Wilayat al-Faqih,” concentrating this general deputyship in himself and positioning himself as the de facto vicegerent of the Hidden Imam.
Recommended Books for Further Study
- “God’s Caliph: Religious Authority in the First Century of Islam” by Patricia Crone and Martin Hinds
- “The Twilight of a Great Civilization” by Henry Corbin
- “Islamic Messianism: The Idea of Mahdi in Twelver Shi’ism” by Abdulaziz Abdulhussein Sachedina
Key Takeaways
- Wakalat al-Khassah designates the four successive special deputies of the Hidden Imam in Twelver Shi’ism.
- The Minor Occultation ended with the declaration that there would be no more special deputies until the Hidden Imam’s return, initiating the Major Occultation.
- Leaders like Ayatollah Khomeini and figures in movements like the Bábí Faith have made significant historical impacts relating to the concept of deputization.
Conclusion
Understanding Wakalat al-Khassah provides valuable insights into Twelver Shi’ism’s unique doctrines about leadership and spiritual mediation during the periods of the minor and major occultations. This historical knowledge remains critical in shaping the present-day faith and principles of Shiite Islam.
