(417) Among those is what Abu Nasr Muhammad narrated to me, saying: My Master the reliable sheikh Abu al-Husayn Muhammad al-Jali—may God sanctify his soul—narrated to me from Lord al-Khasibi—may God brighten his face—from Ahmad ibn Yusuf from Ishaq ibn Muhammad from Abu Sukayna from Muhammad ibn Sinan—peace be upon him—from al-Mufaddal ibn Umar—peace be upon him—who said: I heard my Master al-Sadiq—exalted be his glory—saying: "God placed the Imamate after the Messengership in Amir Almuminin and in eleven persons of his progeny. He made them the Proof over the people of His sovereignty, the upholders of His command and prohibition, the mines of His secret and knowledge, and His inviters. He made for them eleven Risings1 corresponding to the number of the Imams—a Gate for every Imam. Whoever denies a Gate has denied an Imam, and God refuses to accept from the denier of the Gate any ransom or justice. The eleven Imams manifest, and the eleventh Gate vanishes with the occultation of the twelfth Imam." I asked: "O my Master, who is the eleventh Imam?" He replied: "My son al-Hasan [al-Askari], from my son Ali, from my son Muhammad, from my son Ali, from my son Musa. And his Gate is Muhammad ibn Nusayr ibn Bakr al-Numayri. His enviers shall increase in his time until envy separates them from him and they doubt him; those are quit of us and we are quit of them, and they are the losers."
It was stated previously in our explanation that the Meaning in the line of Prophecy is silent while the Name is speaking, calling to the Meaning and pointing to Him. In the line of the Imamate, the Meaning is speaking, calling to the recognition of Himself by His Essence, while the Name is silent—so know that.
We return to the sequence of the Gate in the Hashemite Cycle. The Gate was Salman with Lord Muhammad—exalted be his glory—who is the Magnificent Name and Honored House, alongside our Master Amir Almuminin, the Ancient God, the High, the Great, in His state of silence; {He is not asked about what He does, but they will be asked}.