External Existence of the Book "Isbat al-Raj‘a" by Fazl ibn Shazan Neyshabouri with Emphasis on Quoting the Narrations of His book in Later Works

Among the works related to the Mahdism of Fazl ibn Shazan, in addition to references to some of them in fehrest books (catalogues including all books), we have also received narrations in works after him. Examining the narrations in works such as al-Irshad by Sheikh Mofid, al-Ghaybah by Sheikh Tusi, Sorur Ahl al-Iman by Sayyid Nili, Kefayat al-Mohtadi by Mirlohi and al-Mohtazar by Ibn Helli, from a total of five books about Imam Mahdi (AS) viz Isbat al-Raja, al-Raja, Hazw al-Nal be al-Nal and al-Ghaem wa al-Malahem, only Isbat al-Raja found historical identity and its authenticity and validity were proved. Concerning the book of al-Ghaem, we have found brief information only with the reference of Ibn al-Helli in the book of al-Mohtazar, and there is no trace of the other three books i.e. al-Raja, Hazw al-Nal be al-Nal and al-Malahem. His books al-Ghaybah le al-Hojjah and al-Hojjah men Ibta al-Ghaem are also not original, but some later scholars, such as Mohaddeth Nouri, have attributed them to Fazl. Among the books that have quoted the narrations of Fazl, some, such as Elam al-Wara by Tabarsi and al-Arbain by Khatunabadi, have also quoted the narrations of Isbat al-Raja through the two main sources of his narrations (i.e. al-Ghaybah and Kefayat al-Mohtadi) without mentioning the intermediary source. Examining the narrations related to the Mahdism of Fazl ibn Shazan in the works of predecessors, we show that from among the five books attributed to him in fehrest books only Isbat al-Raja has an external existence.