Summary Article: Al-Nafs Al-Zakia (The Pure Self)
Sayed Masoud Pour Sayed Aghai
Translated by: Mujtaba Al-Helu
The murder of Al-Nafs Al-Zakia (the Pure Self) is considered one of the inevitable signs of the holy Debut of Imam Al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H), to which numerous narrations have referred.
The narrations have named this character variously, like Al-Nafs Al-Zakia (the Pure Self), Al-Nafs Al-Haram (the Sacred Self), and Al-Dam Al-Haram (the Sacred Blood). One cannot decisively specify his name, but what is for-granted is that he is from Quraish.
Some of the narrations clarify that the place of his martyrdom is in Mecca, between Al-Rukn (the Corner of Kaba) and Al-Maqam (Abraham’s Station). Regarding the time of his martyrdom, it is close to the holy Debut, to the extent that some narrations mention that this event precedes the holy Debut by fifteen nights.
There has been a confusion between the above character and Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Al-Hasan bin Ali bin Abi Talib (P.B.U.H), murdered by Mansour Al-Dawaniqy, the Abbasside caliph. There has been debates among scholars concerning these two characters. Some claim that they are, in fact, one person, but according to narrations, it seems that they are two different characters.
Accordingly, we must wait for future events to determine the real essence of this character.
