The Four Deputies

The Four Sufara ʾ of the Twelfth Imam or four ambassadors or four intermediaries or four delegates of the Twelfth Imam are collective terms for a group of people from the Islam of the Twelver Shia ( Twelvers ), whose belief in the Mahdi, the expected savior and at the same time hidden Twelfth Imam, the key aspect of eschatology forms.

The here with Ambassador (Arabic: Sufara ʾ, singular: SAFIR ) reproduced notion of Twelver Shia is in direct connection with the Imam Mahdi and his occultation ( ghayba ), more precisely: the Little seclusion (al- ghayba aṣ - SUGRA ) in the period from 874-941.

These four ambassadors he had kept in touch with his supporters during his little concealment, this served successively as an intermediary between him and his remaining followers. You sent him questions and secretly brought his answers.

After the death of the fourth Ambassador (941) Imam Mahdi, the Twelfth Imam, withdrew into the Great seclusion (al- al - Kubra ghayba ), which continues today.

Four of the Twelfth Imam Sufara ʾ

The four ambassadors were:

• Abu Amr ibn Said ibn Amr Uman al - Amri al - Asadi
• Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Uthman al - Amri († 917)
• Abu al -Qasim al -Husayn ibn Ruh to - Nawbahti († 938 )
• Abu al -Husayn ibn Ali Muhammad as- Samarri († 941)