The fourth one of His Excellency Hujjah (mGehr)’s deputy and messenger, was Shaykh Abi al Ḥasan Alī ibn Muḥammad Samurī.
After Shaykh Abu al Qāsim Huṣayn ibn Rouh (mGbhs) died, His Excellency Hujjah “Walī Asr (mGehr) appointed Shaykh Abi al Ḥasan Alī ibn Muḥammad Samurī as his successor. He used to answer the Shiites’ questions, and would perform Kirāmahs, and miracles of His Excellency Hujjah [with his permission].
The Shiites also presented their [share of] properties to him and he would send them to the honorable Imām.
When he was about to die, the Shiites gathered around and requested him to introduce some one on behalf of himself, and consider him as his successor. But he reacted, “God intends something which must be done [afterward]”! It means, it was high time for Major Occultation.
There is another narration by Shaykh Ṣadūq (mGbhs).It reads:
When Shaykh Abi al Ḥasan Alī ibn Muḥammad Samurī was about to die, the Shiites gathered around him and asked, “Who will be the deputy and successor after you?” But he reacted, “I have not been responsible to tell anyone any will in this matter!” [Again, it refers to Major Occultaion.]
Soon, some of my Shiites will exist who will claim to have seen me! Be aware, whoever pretended to visit me before violation of Sufyānī and hearing the Call of Gabriel [heavenly call], they will be liars and slanderers!
Moreover, the narrated mentioned:
I wrote what Shaykh Abu al Ḥasan Alī ibn Muḥammad Samurī told, and I left him. On the sixth day, as we visited him, we saw him at the time of his death of life! There, the people asked him, “Who will be your successor after you?!” He reacted, “God intends something which is to be ended!” He said it and died. Mat God bless his soul!
Also, they narrated from “Kamāl al Dīn” by Shaykh Ṣadūq, as follows:
The death of Alī ibn Muḥammad Samurī was in AH 329. Therefore, the Minor Occultation during which, the messengers, and special deputies of the Excellency Hujjah (mGehr) were responsible and appointed to serve as messengers and deputies, lasted around seventy four years.
Of the number above, about forty eight years belonged to when Uthmān ibn Saˈid Umrī and his son “Muḥammad ibn Uthmān” were the messengers. Twenty six years is the approximate number which belonged to when Shaykh Abu al Qāsim Huṣayn ibn Rouh and Shaykh Abu al Ḥasan Alī ibn Muḥammad Samurī were the messenger.
Yet after this period of time, receiving messages from the Imām and sending them to him stopped, and the Major Occultation began!
So, whoever claims to be the messenger or special deputy of the Imām, or if in addition, they claim to see the Imām, they will be liars and will accuse the Excellency Hujjah!
Mind that, the Excellency ordered the people to refer to the scholars, Faqīhs and Mujtahids1, in order to know about the source of the religion and laws of the religion “Sharia2”. They have been permanent deputies for people.
This case happened to Isḥāq ibn Yaʿqūb who was one of the great and the selected ones/good Shiˈa scholar, when he asked the Imām his questions in a letter. His letter was taken to the Excellency Sāhib al Amar (mGehr), by Muḥammad ibn Uthmān Saˈid Umri.
The Excellency answered Isḥāq’s questions, in His noble letter, as follows:
وَ اَمـّا الْحـَوادِثُ الْواقِعَةُ فَارْجِعُوا فِیھا اِلى رُواةِ حَديثِنا فَاِنَّھُمْ حُجَّتى عَلَیْكُمْ وَ اَنَا حُجَّةُ اللّهِ عَلَیْھِم
As for the [your] problems in politics, worship, economy, military, culture, society fields, refer to Muḥadithin and Faqīhs. They are my caliph and Hujjah/ proof for you, in Major Occultation time; as I am God’s Hujjah/ proof for them!
Moreover, according to another narration, Imām Bāqir stated:
اُنْظُرُوا اِلى مَنْ كانَ مِنْكُمْ قَدْ رَوى حَديثَنا وَ نَظَرَ فى حَلالِنا وَ حَرامِنا وَ عَرَفَ اَحْكامَنا فـَارْضـَوا بـِهِ حـَكـَمـا فَاِنِّى
قَدْ جَعَلْتُهُ عَلَیْكُمْ حاكِما فِاذا حَكَمَ بِحُكْمِنا فَلَمْ يُقْبَلْ مِنْه فَاِنَّما بِحُكْمِ اللّهِ اسْتَخَفَّ وَ عَلَیْنا رَدَّ وَ الرَآدُّ عَلَینا رادُّ
عَلَى اللّهِ وَ ھُوَ فى حَدِّ الشِّرْكِ بِاللّه
The ones who narrate our Aḥādīth for you, they give opinions about our [laws] whether Halal [lawful] or Taboo [unlawful], and has knowledge of our laws, must be considered as the Source; as I have considered them to have such position.
Now, if they rule based on our laws but the people don’t obey/ accept, these [people] have verily trivialized God’s laws and they turned back on us! And if someone turns back on us, it means that they turn back on God! And this is associating others with God.
And in another narration, it reads:
مُجارِى الاُمُورِ بِیَدِ الْعُلَماءِ بِاللّهِ الاُمَناءِ عَلى حَلالِهِ وَ حَرامِهِ
The control of the affairs and laws must be by the divine/ spiritual scholars; since, they are aware and trustworthy about what is Halal and taboos in God’s opinion!
1- It refers to the ones who strive for a higher position, usually in scholarship and learning.
2- It means, immutable intangible divine law.