Kitāb al-Ghayba 1, record 143 of the digital edition

Translation

(9) Abdul Wahid bin Abdullah bin Younus narrated from Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Rabah az-Zuhri from Ahmad bin Ali al-Himyari from al-Hasan bin Ayyoob from Abdul-Kareem bin Amr al-Khath’ami from Muhammad bin Issam that al-Mufadhdhal bin Umar had said: Once I was with Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) in his meeting and there were others. He said to us: “Beware of allusion!” He meant with the name of al-Qa’im. I noticed that he had intended other than me. He said to me: “O Abu Abdullah, beware of allusion! By Allah, he (al-Qa’im) will be hidden (by the will of Allah) for a period of time and he will be ignored until it will be said that he has died or perished or (it is unknown that) which valley he has followed. The believers will weep bitterly for him. There will be turning-over as a ship among the waves of the sea until no one will be saved except those, who has promised Allah sincerely, whom Allah has assisted with a mercy of Him and in whose hearts Allah has fixed faith. Twelve suspicious banners will be raised, none of which will be distinguished from the other.” (Al-Mufadhdhal said) I began to cry. He said to me: “What for are you crying?” I said: “May I die for you! How do I not cry whereas you say that twelve suspicious banners will be raised that none of them will be distinguished from the other?” He looked at an aperture in the house, from which the sun shined into the place of his meeting, and said: “Is this the sun that is shining?” I said: “Yes, it is.” He said: “By Allah, our matter (the imamate of al-Mahdi) is brighter than the sun.”

Translation: Abdullah al-Shahin — published with the edition, reproduced verbatim.