Ali bin Ibrahim bin Mahziyar Al-Ahwazi was one of the fortunate Shiahs who has the opportunity to meet Imam Mahdi (as). His meeting was not a chance meeting rather he was specially invited for the same. Ali Ibne Mahziyar travelled for Hajj 20 times just so that he would get the opportunity to meet Imam Mahdi (as). His meeting with the Imam (as) happened on the 21st journey for Hajj.
Ali bin Mahziyar narrates, one year on my way to Hajj, I went to Medina and stayed a few days. I was asking and looking for Imam Mahdi (as). However, I did not hear anything about him nor did I see any sign of him. I was extremely saddened and was worried that I might not attain my goal of meeting him (as).
I went to Makkah and performed the rituals of Hajj and stayed an extra week in Makkah looking for the Imam (as). One day when I was next to the Kabah, I saw the door of the Kaabah open and I saw a handsome man wearing a garment on his shoulders and another garment around his waist. The man had one side of his garment raised to his opposite shoulder. When I looked at him, my heart felt very comfortable and I started moving toward him.
When I reached him he asked me, “Where are you from?” “Iraq,” I replied.
“Which part of Iraq?” the man asked. “Ahwaz,” I replied.
“Did you know a man named Khaseeb/Hudhain?” the man asked. “Yes,” I replied.
The man said, “May Allah’s Mercy be on him (his soul). His nights were long (with prayers) and filled with tears and great results.”
Then the man asked me, “Do you know where (the son of) Mahziyar is?”
“I am him,” I replied.
The man said, “May Allah enliven you with Salaam, O Abal Hasan!”
Then he shook my hand, hugged me, and asked, “O Abal Hasan! What did you do with the sign that (Imam) Abu Mohammad, (Hasan bin Ali Al-Askari (as)) – may Allah beautify his face – gave you?”
“I have it with me,” I replied.
Then I put my hand in my pocket and took out a ring which had “Mohammed and Ali” engraved on it and showed it to the man. When he saw the ring, he started crying so much that the garment that was on his shoulder became wet.
Then he said (referring to Imam Hasan Al-Askari (as)), “O Aba Mohammed! May Allah’s mercy be upon you. You are the beauty of this nation. Allah honoured you with the Imamate and placed the crown of knowledge and understanding on your head. And (soon) we shall join you.”
Then he shook my hand, hugged me again, and said, “What are you looking for, O Abal Hasan?”
“The Imam who is hidden from the world,” I replied.
The man said, “He is not hidden from you people but your evil deeds have created a shield between him and you. Go back to the place of your stay and be prepared for meeting the Imam. Meet me between Safa and Marwa when the sun goes down and the sky is filled with the shining stars.”
My soul was relieved and I became certain that Allah had blessed me. I was (eagerly) waiting until it was time. I rode my donkey until I saw the man (from far).
He said to me, “Come toward me, O Abal Hasan!” When I reached him, he greeted me with Salaam.
He said, “Follow me, O brother!” We kept moving from deserts to mountains until we reached Taef.
Then the man said to me, “O Abal Hasan! Let us stop to pray the remainder of the night prayers.”
I followed behind him as he performed two units of prayer, and then another unit, and then Fajr prayers.
I asked him about the first two units and he said, “They are from the night prayers and also the Watr (the one unit) is from the night prayers, and Qunoot is permissible in all of these prayers.”
Then he said, “O brother! Let us move now.”
We started moving from deserts to mountains until we reached a large valley (that smelled) like camphor. In the middle of this valley, there was a house (tent) made of (camel) hair which was shining with light.
The man said to me, “Look! Do you see anything?”
“I see a house made of hair,” I replied.
“Your hope and your success are in this valley,” the man said.
Then I followed him until we reached the middle of the valley. The man came down from his mule and left it alone. Then I descended from my donkey.
The man said to me, “Leave it here.” “What if she gets lost?” I asked.
“No one but believers enter this valley and no one but believers leave it,” the man replied. Then he went ahead of me and entered the tent.
Shortly thereafter, he came out and said, “Rejoice, for you have been given permission to enter.” 5o I entered and I saw light emanating from every corner of the house. I saluted the lmam (as).
The Imam (as) said, “O Abal Hasan! We have been expecting you day and night. What took you so long to come to us?”
“O my master! I could not find anyone who would guide me to you,” I replied.
Imam (as) said, “You did not find anyone who would guide you?!”
Then he scratched the ground with his finger and said, “No, but you people have (focused) on increasing your wealth, you (people) have oppressed the believers who are weak, and you have dissociated yourselves from your families. So what excuse do you people have now?”
“I repent, I repent, I seek forgiveness, I seek forgiveness,” I said.
Imam- said, “O son of Mahziyar! If it was not for you people seeking forgiveness for one another, everyone would be destroyed except the specific group of Shia whose words and actions match each other.”
Then the lmam (as) extended his hand (toward me) and said, O son of Mahziyar! Let me give you some news!
When the boy will sit down, the man from the west will start moving. The Omani will rise and people will pay allegiance to Sufyani. Allah will give me permission to rise from between Safa and Marwa with three hundred and thirteen men. Then I will go to Kufa and destroy the mosque in it. I will rebuild it the way it originally was built and I will destroy the buildings of the oppressors around it.
Then I will lead the people and will go for Hajj. Thereafter, I will travel to Medina and destroy the room (where the two are buried). I will exhume their corpses which still look fresh. I will order them to be moved toward Baqee and then I will crucify their bodies on two pieces of wood (dead trees) which will become fruitful. (Many) will be allured by this, and this will be a greater sedition than the first sedition (incident of Saqifah)
Then the caller will call from the heavens, “O sky, eradicate them! O earth, swallow them!”
On that day, no one will be left on earth except believers whose hearts are pure in believing.
Then I asked, “O my master! What will happen after that?”
Imam (as) replied, “The returning, the returning, the coming back!”
Then he recited this verse, “Then We gave back to you the turn to prevail against them, We aided you with wealth and children and made you a numerous host” (Dalael Al Imamah page 539)