Final letter of Muhammad al-Mahdi to al-Samarri

The final letter of Muhammad al-Mahdi, known as the Hidden Imam in Twelver Shi'ism, to his agent, Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri, predicted his imminent death and announced the beginning of the Major Occultation (941–present). In Twelver belief, the Major Occultation concludes with the rise of al-Mahdi in the end of time to establish peace and justice on earth. This letter belongs to the Tawqīʿāt (Arabic: تَوْقِيعات, lit. 'signed letters'), a collection of signed letters and pronouncements attributed to the Hidden Imam.