The Doctrine of Mahdi and Pluralism

Literally, pluralism means “many” and “multiple” and, technically, it refers to the difference in viewpoints and plurality of the readings of a school. The term pluralism is not only used in religion but it is also used in other disciplines such as ethics, law and politics. In this paper, we will try to examine briefly the idea of religious pluralism and its relation with the doctrine of al-Mahdi in Islam.
The history and origin of the idea of religious pluralism
Unacceptable conduct of the medieval church along with her failure in engaging with productive and respectful dialogue with the scientists and philosophers paved the way for development of religious pluralism. Of course, the foundation of this theory is deeply connected with political and religious liberalism as well. The term “liberalism” was used for the first time by a political ideology at the end of the nineteenth century in Europe.
The movement in theology founded by Friedrich Schleiermacher was identified as liberal Protestantism at the same time. However, there are those liberal protestants who are not politically liberal and also political liberals who are not concerned with religious liberalism. The mentality among political and religious liberals in ethical, social and political terms is more often than not the reflection of the same basic beliefs and perspectives especially in terms of the relationship between religion and politics. [i]
Religious liberalism appeared along with political liberalism. In fact, it was a reaction against political liberalism. At first, political liberalism which was a reaction against wars and homicide emerged. A group of political thinkers revolted against prejudice and founded political liberalism based on tolerance, forbearance and respect for individual freedoms and rights. Afterwards, religious liberalism appeared to politically justify political liberalism. A group of Christian theologians, including Schleiermacher, defended this viewpoint theologically and philosophically.
Thus, the historical record of religious liberalism is traced back to the nineteenth century, starting with Schleiermacher and rooted in political liberalism. Therefore, some of the features of religious liberalism or liberal Protestantism resulted from the acceptance of modern and nontraditional interpretations of the Bible and recognition of religious experience and personal feeling as the basis and essence of religion.
Thus, Protestantism is the source of political liberalism which itself is the source of religious liberalism; therefore, religious pluralism is the result of religious liberalism.
Religious Pluralism
There are various interpretations of religious pluralism, the most important being:
1. The true religion is only one but this one absolute truth is not received by one divine prophet. It has been revealed to all prophets in one form or another. In other words, the religions of Islam, Christianity and Judaism represent different aspects of a single truth. The difference between the aspects is not that they are right or wrong; rather, they differ in point of view. Therefore, all divine religions are the same in legitimacy and each can lead to human happiness.
2. There are many and various truths. This interpretation recognizes all religions and human schools of thought, but considers the truth of one religion different from that of other religions. In other words, it does not believe in a single ‘Right Path’ but in multiple ‘Right Paths’. Thus, it regards all human religions and schools as genuine and parallel paths to human felicity and salvation.
As Christian theologian and philosopher John Hick argues, pluralism implies that it is possible to have “the conversion of human beings from egoistic to truth (of God)-oriented attitude in different ways within all world religious traditions. In other words, there are various and plural ways for happiness and salvation.” [ii]
Of course, the theory of religious pluralism stands against religious ‘exclusiveness’ which holds that there is only one true religion. Of course, exclusivism may leave some room for happiness of followers of some other religions. For example, from a Christian point of view, Christianity is the only true religion, but since followers of other religions have been looking for the divine will and submitted to it, they are actually harmonious with the spirit and message of Christianity, despite the fact that they have not known Christianity or knowingly repudiated it. Karl Rahner, an advocate of this theory, has called such people “the unknown Christians.” [iii]
The principle of salvation and felicity
Another interpretation of pluralism is to regard religion as a path to salvation and eternal happiness. In other words, all divine laws in all ages lead to salvation. Believing in God, following divine laws, and implementing their precepts are sufficient to reach salvation.
To understand this subject we must first be aware that the idea of religious pluralism in Christianity is the result of special Christian beliefs about salvation and felicity. This means that man can benefit from the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and find salvation solely through Christianity.
According to the traditional teachings of Christianity, salvation is available only through faith in Jesus Christ. Even the great prophets must wait in Limbo for Jesus Christ to take measures and bring them salvation. A group of Christian thinkers who opposed this idea tried to find a way for the salvation of non-Christians. They claimed that faith can lead to salvation.
Despite their religious affiliation, those who are faithful have potentially accepted Christianity. They proposed that there ought to be a faith of the common heritage for all the great religious traditions of the world. Regardless of the differences in view among Christian groups concerning pluralism, there is a common presupposition.
An appropriate faith is the prerequisite for salvation. This view is also supported by Hick and Rahner. To open the gate of paradise more, Rahner has extended the meaning of appropriate faith to include those who live like Christians and might have converted to Christianity had they been subject to Christian teachings. However, Hick has taken it a step further to emphasize the compatibility of the surface differences of world religions. [iv] The principle of salvation and felicity in Christianity is a response to the question of who would be worthy of it and who would be deprived of this privilege.
Christian scholars, including Hick, respond to this question in different ways: 1) exclusiveness, 2) inclusiveness, and 3) religious pluralism.
The exclusivists believe that truth and felicity exist in only one religion and there is only one inclination to one religion through which one may reach felicity. That is, through the belief in the death of Jesus as a sacrifice, forgiving people’s sins and participating in the sacrifice is the only factor of felicity.
The adherents of inclusiveness believe that although Christianity is the only way of salvation, all could step in this path provided that they adhere to the rules of the religion and sincerely follow it. Christians who are good doers and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ are also regarded as worthy of salvation. In proving this, several justifications are given.
For example, one justification is that other religions are not absolutely void and have somehow benefited from the truth and eternal happiness. However, there is only one main road; other roads are close to the main one and their followers are subject to salvation.
But religious pluralism states all religions can be a source of felicity and salvation. In other words, truth and felicity may be with all religions and all their followers might benefit it. All religions are different aspects of one truth; therefore, they are different ways to a single truth. Followers of other religions are not subject to punishment.
Therefore, religious pluralism, in response to the principle of salvation, went beyond and introduced the genuineness of non-Christian religions. The adherents of this attitude severely criticized the claim of the genuineness of a particular religion in order to open the gate of Heaven to followers of non-Christian religions. They believed that all religions are true and it guides their followers to the final truth. Thus, currently in the West the issue of religious pluralism is beyond the principle of felicity.
Therefore, it is essential to elaborate on the Islamic idea about the two issues of “the principle of salvation” and “the genuineness of all religions” and with a look into the religion, study the two issues under the one title of “Islam and the genuineness of religions.” Islamic sources will be used to elucidate the Islamic idea in this regard. Then the relationship between this issue and the doctrine of Mahdi will be analyzed.
Islam and the genuineness of religions
According to Islam, the issue of salvation and felicity is different from the genuineness. The concept of salvation and felicity in Islam is wider in its scope than the concept of genuineness. According to Islam, salvation and eternal happiness is possible for the following: followers of Islam since the time of the Prophet (S) until the end of the world, followers of every divine religion before a new religion came from God and those who essentially had no access to true religion, such as those who could not find out or understand it and those who have not yet reached puberty. The Holy Qur’an exempts such groups from obligations and, therefore, they are not subject to punishment. [v]
It should be mentioned that every religion at every period was intended to save its followers. However, they did not work parallel to each other; otherwise, there would be no difference between Islam and other religions. The Qur’an invites Jews and Christians to Islam. It also criticizes those who refute the Qur’an and the Prophet of Islam. [vi]
Therefore, the belief that all religions are true or that each of them carries a part of the truth and thus is a source of salvation for its followers even at the present age is not acknowledged by Islam. Islam does not recognize all religions as true. It condemns the exclusive claim of the Jews and the Christians as mentioned in various verses in the Holy Qur'an: “The Jews said that only the Jews would enter Paradise and the Christians said only the Christians. This is only a void wish of theirs; say to them bring evidence if you are truthful.” [vii]
Nevertheless, Islam is exclusive in terms of genuineness but its exclusiveness is different from that of Judaism and Christianity, because the exclusive attitude of Islam in terms of genuineness implies that after Muhammad (S) was called to prophethood, whoever received his message and could understand the content then he or she had to accept the invitation to Islam. The Holy Qur’an, in The Cattle: 19, quotes the Prophet of Islam: “God is witness between me and you, and this Qur’an has been revealed to me that I may warn you thereby, and whomsoever it may reach”
Other divine laws such as that of Abraham, that of Moses and that of Jesus Christ have been valid at their own time. It should be noted that Islam is sometimes applied to all divine religions and laws so the religion that each messenger brought from God was Islam. It is also used to refer to the special religion and law of the Prophet Muhammad (S). The former is called “the eneral Islam” and the latter is called “the particular Islam.” [viii]
Therefore, the truth of all divine religions is one which is revealed to all prophets who possessed a law. What has been revealed to them is the assertion of God's Unity and submission to the Absolute One. Thus, it is erroneous to think that the truth of religions has been completely out of the reach of the prophets and that the religions have not been completely revealed to them.
Neither is it true that when there is a difference among the divine religions it is due to difference of opinion amongst the prophets and the variety of the aspects of the truth. However, the reason to such differences is the difference in mental growth of humanity as well as varying cultural and social conditions Additionally, the difference among the followers of early divine laws and the distortions they were subject to are among the other causes for renewing the divine laws. [ix]
The plurality which exists in religions and divine laws and sources is not relative but ambiguous, the ambiguity of external facts and the ambiguity of human sciences; because the divine laws, depending on the needs of people of different periods, are revealed as various facts in many laws, while common at the same time. Such is the case of prescribing different kinds of medicine for a patient at different stages.
A doctor prescribes a particular medicine at each stage. Each medicine in turn has its special effect. It is not the case that some medicine is useful and some other is useless. Therefore, the differences among the divine laws are related to ambiguity in external reality. The same exists in the human sciences since understanding is actually the result of different degrees of understanding of realities, knowledge becomes ambiguous and the differences of opinion among interpreters in interpreting a text are of the same kind. [x]
According to the Holy Qur’an, all the monotheistic religions are actually one religion and all prophets invite people to Islam. We read in the Qur’an: The same religion has He established for you as that which He enjoined on Noah - which We have sent by inspiration to thee - and that which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: Namely, that ye should remain steadfast in religion, and make no divisions therein. [xi]
The truth of Islam in this sense is submitting wholeheartedly to the divine commands. Imam Ali (A) defines Islam in this way: “Islam is submission which is certitude which is acknowledgement which is admission which is fulfilment which is to act.” [xii]
Thus, the general Islam which is submission to what appears in the form of Abraham's law at the time of Abraham, Moses's law at the time of Moses, Jesus's law at the time of Jesus and it appears in the form of Muhammad's law at the age of the seal of the prophecy.
The meaning of Islam at the time of each of the above-mentioned prophets is that the prophet of the time and also earlier prophets should be obeyed. People should have faith in the prophet of the time as well as the prophets before him. Otherwise, he or she would not have obeyed the divine commands. At the present time when Muhammad's law is to be followed since it is the crystallization of the general Islam, every sane person should follow and respond to him when hearing his message.
Ibn ‘Arabi, the well-known mystic, also believes in the superiority of Islam over other religions. He insists on exclusiveness, too, since he regards earlier religions as stars compared to the sun of Islam. He explicitly speaks of the expiration of the previous laws. [xiii] In other sources he describes Islam as “the soul of religions,” “the trueth of all truths” and “the greater and the clearer truth” where he is explicit in the idea of the superiority of Islam over other religions. [xiv]
The superiority of Islam implies that the existence of a law as the true law in every period in human history is an undeniable fact. The true law at our time is Islam. The soul and essence of all divine laws is the same monotheism in terms of belief and action. The common basis of the invitation of all divine prophets has been monotheism i.e. worship of the absolute One and submission to His will.
Some of the commands and prohibitions are common among religions while others are related to cultural and social conditions that change over time. Therefore, the religions contain common as well as individual points but with the advent of Islam as the most complete form of divine revelation and laws, all previous laws are no longer feasible.
The Holy Qur’an is the only one not distorted, since God has promised to guard it from corruption. [xv] As a matter of fact, this book is not limited to a particular time and place; on the contrary, it should be followed until the Day of Resurrection and throughout the world. With the advent of Islam, the divine religion has reached a state of perfection. [xvi] Thus that would be the last prophet appointed by God. [xvii]
Therefore, the principle of exclusiveness from the perspective of genuineness has a particular interpretation in Islam: it is the submission before the commands of the Almighty God. The fact that some of the “People of the Book” have been severely criticized in the Holy Qur’an is because they insisted on their way and path and did not submit to the command of God, despite the fact that they possessed certitude about God's commands and their responsibility towards them.
Although they knew that the Prophet's sayings are true and knew him as well as they knew their own children and could find in him the signs given by the Old and New Testament (2:146), they did not submit to the truth; on the contrary, they tried to hide it. However, the Holy Qur’an and the law of Muhammad were meant to guide the People of the Book too. It is only through this new revelation that they could find guidance into the straight path. In this regard, the Holy Qur’an explicitly states: O People of the Book! Certainly Our Apostle has come to you, clarifying for you much of what you used to hide of the Book, and excusing many [an offense of yours]. Certainly there has come to you a light from God, and a manifest Book. With it God guides those who follow [the course of] His pleasure to the ways of peace, and brings them out from darkness into light by His will, and guides them to a straight path. (5:15 & 16)
Doctrine of Mahdi and belief in genuineness and eternality of Islam
As mentioned earlier, "religion" is one essence in all periods and is not described as plural. In other words, religion is beyond expiration and is not subject to addition or deduction. Since it is one, in Arabic dīn (religion) is used only in the singular form and not plural (adyān). Religion does not admit plurality and its truth is the admission to the one God who is worthy of worship. Thus the Holy Qur’an states: The Religion before Allah is Islam (submission to His Will). (3:19)
Islam is the only acceptable religion: If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah), never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter He will be in the ranks of those who have lost (All spiritual good). (3:85)
Of course, this divine command is not restricted to the time of the Prophet; it is in effect in other ages as well. We read in the Holy Qur’an about the Prophet Abraham: “Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian but he had submitted to the religion of Islam; he had not committed polytheism.” (3:67)
The meaning of this verse is nothing but the belief in plurality and variety of divine laws or religions since religion is the belief in the oneness of God and the unquestionable submission to Him which is the common aspect of all religions advertised and promoted by all prophets.
Therefore, the mission of Imam Mahdi (A) is nothing but the promotion of Islam, the one religion promoted by all divine prophets and its developed and comprehensive form under the title of "religion of Islam" as a perfect set of teachings and beliefs. Among the heavenly laws, Islam is not revealed for a particular time or place but it would include all nations and all periods:
We did not send you except as a bearer of good news and warner to all mankind, but most people do not know. (34:28)
We did not send you but as a mercy to all the nations. (21:107)
Islam came when human beings had reached a level of understanding that could receive and protect the final message of God. Thus, the religion of Islam is not limited to a particular age, group or race. It belongs to human nature and all human beings may draw on its guidance.
According to Shi‘ite and Sunni traditions, Imam Mahdi (A) will command on the basis of the Qur’an while his religion will be the religion of Islam and will take measures towards establishing justice and equity all over the world. He will surmount all obstacles on the way of this great mission and bravely introduce the original teachings of Islam. He will eliminate the divisions and will unite all human communities on the basis of the great religion of Islam. Imam Riḍā (A) praying to God said: “Oh God! Through him (Imam Mahdi) turn the Ummah's dispersion to continuity and division to unity; annihilate oppression and establish justice.” [xviii]
Therefore, the plan of the promised Mahdi (A) for the world is to implement divine rules; he will call people to no religion but Islam. Logically, it goes without saying that it is not possible in any other way since the essence of religion is the same for all nations and races for the following reasons: firstly, no religion except Islam will be accepted by God; secondly, the truth of man who is created by God is an unchangeable one; thirdly, God is responsible for the development of this truth; fourthly, God will never be subject to ignorance, negligence and mistake but He is eternally aware of all truths.
Therefore, God does not have two religions and does not issue two sets of commands at the same time. This fact is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an. [xix] It is the manifestations of religion that are perfected. It is not true to say that religion had been defective and then it was perfected. In other words, the truth of religion is one; sometimes its lower stages are revealed; other times its final stages is revealed: “This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as the best religion” (5:3)
The conditions of an era change only the subsidiary rules of religion, and not the principles of religion.
On the other hand, one might say since human being is a combination of soul and body, his soul depends on the metaphysical world which is stable throughout the ages and not affected by the passage of time. Thus, the causes and elements of its development should be looked for in metaphysics.
However, his body is rooted in nature and place and therefore his material needs may change. Therefore, the laws which are related to the changing dimension of man are themselves diverse and changing. The principles of religion and the general guidelines of ethics, laws and jurisprudence, prescribed for the unchageable of human beings are fixed themselves because man is of a stable nature. But the laws which depend on the conditions and ways of human life are varying. [xx]
The renaissance of Islam and its inclusiveness
The Shi‘a believe that Islam will be revived with the appearance of Imam Mahdi (A). He will also revive the Sunnah and conduct of the Prophet Muhammad (S). There are several verses in the Qur’an related to the advent of Imam Mahdi (A). For example, the Qur’an says: It is He who has sent His Apostle with the guidance and the religion of truth, that He may make it prevail over all religions, though the polytheists should be averse. (9:33)
To illustrate this, here are some traditions interpreting the above-mentioned verse. For example, Abu Basir, a companion of Imam Sadiq (A) says that he asked the Imam about this verse and Imam replied: “I swear by God that the interpretation of the verse has not been realized yet”. I asked: “when will it be realized, my master?” Imam replied: “When the will of God is fulfilled and Imam Mahdi (A) appears. When he appears, the infidels will be worried about his appearance….” [xxi] It is also narrated that Imam Baqir (A): The Imam will be victorious because of the fear in the hearts of the enemy. He is supported by God; the earth will be trodden for him; the treasures of earth will be uncovered to him; while his sovereignty will cover the East and the West of the world. God will make His religion overcome all schools of the world though the infidels will be unhappy and opposing. He will rebuild the ruins of the earth while Jesus Christ will stand behind him for prayer. [xxii]
It has been narrated from Imam Sadiq (A) who stated: My father (Imam Baqir) was asked about the verse and he responded in this way: the verse is not to be interpreted yet; when Imam Mahdi (A) uprises those who are alive then will realize the interpretation of the verse. Then the religion of Muhammad will change as if from night to a true day. There will be no trace of polytheism then as stated by God in the verse. [xxiii]
Here, it is likely to mention a few points about the Shi‘ite belief in the sovereignty of Islam throughout the world by the last Imam, the realization of the divine ideals and a world government founded on justice, peace, coexistence of all human races and nations together with kindness in the light of the Holy Qur’an. Imam Mahdi, the only a son of the Prophet of Islam will materialize the promise of God.
According to Islamic hadiths, the successors of the Prophet Muhammad (S) are twelve in number and all descend from the Quraysh tribe. [xxiv]
This can be found in major Sunni collections of hadith like Sahih of Muslim, Sunan of Tirmidhi, Sunan of Abi Davoud and Musnad of Ahmad. The same can be found in major Shi‘a collections of hadith like Al-kāfi. In an authentic hadith, Kulayni reports that Imam Baqir (A) said: “God has sent the Prophet Muhammad (S) for the human being and the jinn and assigned twelve Imams.” [xxv]
In the same book there is antother hadith from Imam Baqir (A) stating: “We are twelve Imams including Hasan and Husayn and then Imams who descend from Imam Husayn (A)”. [xxvi]
Again according to Sunni and Shi‘ite sources, the Imams descend from the family of Muhammad, the first one being Imam Ali (AS). For instance, Ibn Abbas narrates from the Messenger of God who has said: Whoever likes to lead a life like mine, have a death like mine and find his destination in the paradise they should follow Ali (A), be a company of Imam Ali's followers and follow the Imams after me who descend from my household. [xxvii]
The Prophet said: “Mahdi (A) is a member of our household; the same behind whom Jesus Christ, son of Mary, stands for prayer.” [xxviii] The Prophet (S) also said: “Mahdi is a descendent of my household and a son of Fatima; he will struggle on the basis of my way and method as my struggle was based on revelation.” [xxix] In another tradition the Prophet said: “He will uprise with the religion of Islam at the end of the world, as I moved with Islam at the beginning of Islam”. [xxx]
It is clear then, according to these traditions, Imam Mahdi (AS) is a descendant of the prophet of Islam, that there will be a government of Islam at the end of the world and that there will be no other religion whatsoever. It can be understood from hadiths that the government of the Ahl al-Bayt will be the last government to implement justice and righteousness in the world. [xxxi]
Imam Mahdi (A) will attempt to form a united Islamic ummah of the world and establish justice, peace and permanent coexistence among all nations and groups of any race, colour and culture. In this regard, Imam Sadiq states: “God will elevate Islam after its trivialization through Imam Mahdi (A) and He will revive it after a period of isolation.” [xxxii]
In the supplications about Imam Mahdi (A), we find that God is asked to hasten the appearance of Imam Mahdi (A) and thus the fulfilment of the divine promise so that in the light of such a government Islam and Muslims find again their greatness and elevation while the infidels and the hypocrites meet humiliation and trivialization. For instance, we find in the prayer of “Iftitāh”: Oh God! We ask you earnestly to establish an honourable government by which you honour Islam and Muslims and humiliate hypocrisy and the hypocrites; in that government make us of those who call for your obedience and guide into your path; blessed with such a government grant us gifts of grace in this world and in the hereafter.
According to the hadith of “Thaqalayn”, the infallible Imams, especially Imam Mahdi (A), will never get separated from the Holy Qur’an. Thus, he will put an end to the isolation of the Holy Qur’an. This tradition is widely transmitted and has been registered in the famous Sunni and Shiite resources. [xxxiii] Twenty three companions of the Prophet have narrated it directly from the Prophet. Therefore, there cannot be any doubt about the authenticity of the tradition.
The infallible Imams are the true interpreters of revelation; they say nothing that contradicts the Holy Qur’an. Imam Ali (A) asserts: He (Mahdi) takes the opinion from the Qur’an when others impose their own ideas on it; he shows them the way of justice and revives the Book and the Sunnah which have been isolated and abandoned. [xxxiv]
Thus, since Imam Mahdi (A), like his forefathers, is the true interpreter of the Holy Qur’an and familiar with the secrets of the revelation and has access to the secret and the truth of the Qur’an, he will identify the inauthentic interpretations narrated after the demise of the Holy Prophet up until the age of appearance. He will clarify the true meaning of the Qur’anic verses to the people. He will also struggle to implement the Holy Qur’an on earth accompanied by Jesus Christ, son of Mary.
Thus, there will be a renaissance and a revival of the bright commands of Islam.
Reason dictates that we choose the more complete religion and prefer the more comprehensive and better divine law. Islam is the manifestation and the summary of the evolutionary development of past divine laws revealed to the great divine prophets by God at different ages and according to the conditions and intellectual and cultural capabilities of human communities.
There exists ample evidence in the Holy Qur’an and the hadiths which imply that at the end, the righteous people will rule throughout the world. Any kind of polytheism will be eliminated from the entire world. Such a universal event will be realized by a descendent of the prophet of Islam.
Thus, the doctrine of Mahdi and the belief in a one-world government is outstanding evidence which alludes to the fact that pluralism is baseless. It is because all will be called to one single religion. A single religion will govern the entire world. Jesus Christ, the son of Mary, will accompany and followthe Imam (A) and will invite his followers to accompany him (A) in this significant divine event.
These are good enough reasons that religion is limited to “the religion of Islam” and thus the idea of religious pluralism is rejected. Therefore, Imam Mahdi (A) will lead humanity towards a just law, permanent peace and justice as well as ethical and spiritual virtues.
Mohammad Hussein Mokhtari
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Awaiting for a Savior in other Religions

In many religions there is an expectation for a savior to come and help the release from injustice. In Islam it is ‘Mahdawai’ which has a great international philosophy, because Islam is an international religion and Shia in its real meaning is an international factor.
In addition to the Muslims especially the Shia, followers of other religions like Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, and Hindus expect someone to come and bring peace and justice to the world. In the book “Dead” which is a divine book for Hindus, it is written: “In the end of the world, after corruption of the world, a leader will appear who is called Mansoor. He will master all the world, he will know everyone whether a believer or an unbeliever, and whatever he asks, God will offer him”. (Beshatrat Ahdin, p.245).
In addition, in the book “Yamaseb” by Zoroaster’s student it is written: “From Arabs ground , Hashim’s sons, a man with a big head, big body and big feet comes out, and continues his grandfather’s religion with a large army, goes to Iran and constructs the earth and fills the earth with justice”. (Beshatrat Ahdin, p.258).
And in the Old Testament the book of Genesis 18:20 “And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee; Behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and I will multiply him exceedingly, Twelve Princes shall he beget and I will make him a great nation”
And in David’s Mazamir (Zaboor) it is written: “ …and God will approve the pious men who will become owners of the earth and will settle in it for ever” (Mazmour 37, 10-37).
And in the Holy Qur’an it is mentioned:
“And certainly we wrote in the book after the reminder that (as for) the land, My righteous servants shall inherit the earth”. (Chap 21:105),
Expectation and waiting for Imam Mahdi(as) has a longer history than Islam. It does not only relate to a specific race, region, or religion.
Also in the Holy Qur’an it is said:
“Allah has promised to those of you who believe and do good that He will most certainly make them rulers in the earth as he made those before them rulers, and that he will most certainly establish for them their religion which he has chosen for them,
and that he will most certainly, after their fear, give them security in exchange; they shall serve me, not associating aught with me, and whoever is ungrateful after this, these it is who are the transgressors” (24:55)
and also in the Holy Qur’an:
“And we desired to bestow a favor upon those who were deemed week in the land, and to make them the Imams (Leaders), and to make them the heirs.” (28:5)
The above two verses are examples to prove that at last, persons with great merit will govern the world and lead the people. From the Holy Qur’an two items are derived:
1. The final objective of the prophets is two matters: Monotheism and Justice. The first is about the relationship between man and his lord, and the second is about interrelationship among people.
2. Justice is not a desire, a mere wish or a daydream, but a reality which the world moves towards it. It is God’s tradition that he will govern the world in full justice.
There will come a day in which no cruelty, no injustice, no hostility, no killing, no oppression, no lies, and no corruption will exist in the world. It means that after a period of corruption and ignorance finally the world will be filled with equity and justice. And the reason for not collapsing or destroying the world in future is the expectance of The Mahdi (as) in coming and making man to live a happy life. A period in which only peace, humanity and morality will govern the world.
The Prophet of Islam (SAW) calls that day, the day of light and human dignity.He said :
“ Hazrat Al Mahdi (as) will come in a situation that diversity and degradation among the people is so high that the world will be ruined. He will come and preserve humanity from damage and corruption. Then God will enrich peoples hearts with faith and love”
So Al Mahdi (as) is not a thought of mere sitting and waiting, not a future telling, but he is a true reality, a special personality who himself expects his appearance. He lives among the people, watches us and we watch for him, he is with our sufferings and desires, and he shares our happiness and our oppressions. His divine life is planned this way, not to make himself appear and wait with other people for the promised time.
Therefore, expectation for the factual savior of the world does not mean to sit silent. Especially in the case of obligations of the religion, i.e, “Jehad” – Holy War in order to set God’s laws we cannot deprive ourselves from the responsibilities , anyway the Muslim’s job is to distinguish the right path from the wrong, especially in calling the people to:
“Enjoining the good deeds and prohibiting the evil”.
Just as the Sun hidden behind the clouds provides us with light and warmth……..,
Imam Mahdi provides us with guidance even though he is in Ghaybat, (hiding)…..
Expectation does not deprive man from any of his responsibilities and does not delay any of his actions , as it is mentioned in the following narration:
“The best action is expectation for relief and appearance which is a very preferable virtue and is resulted from high and good faith”
Like wise it is mentioned in the narration’s that Jesus the Son of Mary (as) will also reappear after the advent of Al Mahdi (as), he will pray behind the Imam and assist him in his task.
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Final Victory of Islam is Very Near

Islam interprets history as a constant struggle between right and. wrong. This struggle goes on at various levels of society between the forces of right, virtuousness, love of Allah, faith, justice, equality, sacrifice, correct thinking, purity and truth on the one hand, and those of falsehood, egoism, materialism, pragmatism, tyranny, selfishness, injustice, faithlessness, discrimination, corrup­tion, infringement of others rights and wretchedness on the other.
The real source of the struggle between right and wrong exists within man himself. (vide Surah al-Shams 91:7) It is manifested sometimes in the form of the flames of selfishness, venality and licentiousness and sometimes in that of higher sentiments of God-seeking, righteousness and love of mankind.
The impact of these sentiments on society creates power waves which cause a strife sometimes culminating in corruption and wretchedness, and sometimes bringing about changes towards happiness and prosperity of the society. There is no doubt that changes for the better are brought about by Divine help, but the role of human effort and struggle cannot also be denied.
A Prophet is raised. He awakens the hearts potentially ready to accept the truth. Faith of a group of converts matures. They along with him fight against corruption and evil. They continue to make gradual progress and do not falter at any stage till at last the society undergoes a basic change.
Polytheism, myths, injustice and corruption collapse. Belief in Allah, truth and justice takes root. Before long again from within the same society selfishness, licentious­ness and aristocratic tendencies shoot forth.
Occasionally the same society, though still maintaining the traditional form, so deviates from the way introduced by the reformer that it begins to rot from within and once again returns to its pre-reform ways, of course, in a new garb of hypocrisy and new forms of injustice. and corruption.
Sometimes external factors with the aid of their internal agents effectively work for spreading corruption and disruption. These agents for their selfish ends readily co-operate with the external enemy.
This state of injustice, corruption, myth and fraud stimulates the sagacious and the downtrodden to launch a new movement. Thus a process of struggle between right and wrong continues.
Islam believes that all pomp, show and power of the evil have been transient over history. It regards all kinds of intrigues, frauds, hypocrisy and falsehood as froth of water. They have no roots and are bound to disappear finally. (Surah al-Ra\'ad, 13:17, Surah al-Isra, 17:81, Surah al-Anbiya, 21:18, Surah al-Shura, 42:24 and many other verses).
Truth always maintains its positive effect either in individual action or social movement even when it is threatened by falsehood and needs supporters to defend it.
Islam recognizes the need of human efforts, perseverance and faith in bringing about a social change, and regards weakness, lack of faith and licentiousness as the causes of the domination of falsehood.
Anyhow, it is this struggle which makes history. As for the future, it is bright. In the end right will be victorious and justice will prevail. Every form of wrong will be annihilated and oppression and tyranny will disappear finally.
Advent of the Mahdi
Complete and final supremacy of right, and universal victory of justice will materialize during the period of the appearance of Muhammad al Mahdi ? the twelfth imam. At that time an ideal Islamic society will be established under the aegis of an ideal government.
In the following pages we give a short perspective of the society and the system of that time drawn from hundreds of traditions describing the characteristics of that period. It must be remembered that this society will be a true Islamic society and its system will be in no way different from that prescribed by Islam.
We propose to divide this study under several headings:
At the threshold of appearance
The holy Prophet is reported to have said:
"He will rise at a time when chaos will be prevailing in the world. Various countries will be engaged in the night attacks on each other. Neither the elders will be having mercy on the younger, nor will the strong be showing kindness to the weak".
Imam Muhammad al Baqir (A.S.) has said:
"The Mahdi will rise at a time of great anxiety, when people will be deeply plunged into crises, disturbances, disasters and diseases, and when wild massacres, violent dissensions and religious discord will be the order of the day. At that time people will be feeling distressed and dejected, and will be at daggers drawn with each other. They will be wishing themselves dead day and night. He will appear at a moment of utter want of hope".
"He will rise to establish justice at a time when the world will be full of injustice and tyranny".
There is no doubt that he will rise at a time when the whole world will be plunged into injustice and corruption, and to fight against these evils he will have to make awful struggle. He will require faithful and self?sacrificing supporters, possessing all the qualities of a true champion.
Revolutionary leader and his supporters
The Holy Prophet(S.A.W.) is reported to have described the Imam of the Age in these words:
"He is an Imam who is pious, pure and delightful. He is an admirable leader, who is rightly guided and who enjoins justice. Allah acknowledges him and he acknowledges Allah".
Concerning the faith and perseverance of his companions, Imam Ja\'far al Sadiq (A.S.) said:
"Everyone of his companions will be so strong as if he had the strength of forty men. Their hearts will be as solid as a piece of steel. If they pass over a hill of iron, they would pierce it. They will not lay down their arms till they have pleased Allah".
From another report we learn that at that time there will be some people who will be faithful, virtuous, sincere, religious, pious, conscientious, tolerant, firm, constant, temperate and God-loving. They will be thankful to Allah who made them heirs to power and wealth in the earth and established their chosen faith therein. They will be worshipping none but Allah, offering their prayers on time and paying zakat when due. They will be exhorting to good and restraining from evil".
About the true followers of the Mahdi, Imam Ja'far al Sadiq (A.S.) is reported to have said:
"Fear has been removed from their hearts and put into that of their enemy. Everyone of them is more rushing than a spear-point and more daring than a lion".
Undergoing hardships for achieving success
It must be understood that success will not be gained easily. It will be achieved only after undergoing a lot of trouble and discomfort.
Mufazzal, one of the companions of Imam Ja'far al Sadiq (A.S.) says: "Once we were talking about the Mahdi in the presence of the Imam. I said that I hoped that he would succeed easily. The Imam said:
"No, it will not be so. Success will not be attained except through sweat and blood".
In other words success will be attained after making great efforts and undergoing heavy losses.
A companion of Imam Muhammad al Baqir (A.S.) says:
"I told the Imam that it was said that the Mahdi would have a smooth sailing and would not have to shed a single drop of blood". The Imam said: "No, it will not be so. If the things could run so smoothly, by Him in whose hands my life is, the Prophet of Islam would not have been wounded and his teeth would not have been broken in a battle. No, that's not possible. By Allah! there is no way out, but that you and we are submerged in our own sweat and blood".
This means that the leaders as well as their supporters have to make sacrifices before they are successful.
Imam Ja'far al Sadiq (A.S.) is also reported to have said:
"I see the Mahdi and his companions as if they are threatened by danger from all sides: their supplies have exhausted; their clothes have worn out; their foreheads bear the mark of prostration; during the day they are as courageous as a lion and during the night they are busy in the adoration of Allah; and their hearts are like solid pieces of iron".
Anyhow, all these sacrifices and hardships will have a happy end.
Imam Ja'far al Sadiq (A.S.) has said:
"It is true that the righteous always lead a hard life. But the end of their hardship is not far off".
Nevertheless the success of the Mahdi will be largely due to invisible Divine help. Many traditions bear witness to that.
As a result of these sacrifices and the Divine help real Islamic rule will be established. These are some of the reports which throw light on the doctrinal and social system which will follow.
Explaining the Qur'anic verse, It is Allah who sent His Messenger with guidance and true religion that He might make it victorious over all religions, howsoever the unbelievers might be averse, Imam al Sadiq (A.S.) said: "This verse will come true only during the time of the Mahdi, when the unbelievers will no longer exist".
At present Islam has been surrounded by some people with so many myths and doubts that it appears to be some different religion. This position will continue till the Mahdi rises.
Imam Ja'far al Sadiq (A.S.) has said:
"As soon as the Mahdi rises, he will introduce a new system as the Prophet had done in the beginning of Islam".
Imam Ja'far al Sadiq (A.S.) is also reported to have said:
"The Mahdi will do what the holy Prophet had done. He will smash the existing system in the same way as the holy Prophet had shattered the pre-Islamic pagan system, and replaced it by Islam".
The new system introduced by the Mahdi will be so queer to some of those who claim to be the champions of religion and to be having full knowledge of it, that they will pick up a row against him, but they will not be able to resist the divine world movement and will be annihilated.
At the end of a detailed talk, Imam Baqir (A.S.) said:
"On an occasion when the Mahdi will be busy narrating Divine commands and speaking about the practice of the holy Prophet and the Imams, an attack on him will be arranged from within the places of worship. The Imam will order his followers to arrest the insurgents and put them to death. This will be the last hostile action against the Mahdi".
When the evil-doers will have been crushed and the correct Islamic attitude popularised, the atmosphere will become conducive to intellectual growth and expansion of knowledge.
Imam Ali (A.S.) is reported to have said:
"I see a large number of tents pitched, and people under them being taught the Qur'an in the same order in which it was revealed".
In the course of a talk about that period Imam Muhammad al Baqir (A.S.) said:
"Knowledge will become so common that even women will give decisions on the basis of the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the holy Prophet".
Knowledge in various fields will expand. The total of the discoveries of the past will bear no comparison to the discoveries made during that period.
According to a report, Imam Ja'far al Sadiq (A.S.) explained the position allegorically. He said: "If the total of possible human knowledge is supposed to be seventy two letters, two letters will have been known up to that time and the remaining seventy will be discovered gradually during that period".
In respect of the intellectual and moral development of the people, Imam Muhammad al Baqir (A.S.) has said:
"When our Qaim will rise and the people will come under his protection, their intellectual faculties will bloom and their human qualities will be perfected and will bear fruit".
During that period the under-privileged masses will be the masters of the power and wealth of the world. Many reports say that the following verse relates to that period: "We willed to show favor to those who were persecuted in the land and make them rulers and heirs o f the land, and give them power and wealth of the earth ". (Surah al-Qasas, 28:5).
Thus the power and authority of the tyrants and the self-seekers will come to an end and justice will be restored everywhere under a new system.
"He will fill the earth with justice after it had been filled with injustice and tyranny".
"The Qaim will enjoin justice. During his time injustice will be done away with. Roads will be safe. Rights will be restored".
Complete Equality Will Be Enforced.
Imam Muhammad al Baqir (A.S.) said:
"Immediately on his appearance the Qaim will distribute wealth equally, and will restore the rights of the masses".
When the right job will be entrusted to the right man and all-round justice will prevail, naturally the whole world will prosper in every respect.
"Blessings will pour forth from the heaven on the earth. The land will put out its best produce. Trees will bear copious fruit. The atmosphere on the earth will be verdant and fragrant".
It is also evident that in such an atmosphere minerals and natural resources should be exploited to the maximum extent. Reports say: "Allah will reveal for him the treasures of the earth ".
At last all the natural forces will be controlled by the people and they will have all the means to use them to their own advantage. Gradually there will be so much wealth that no one will be left poor or needy.
"Double salaries will be paid to the workers. Equality will be observed among all the people. There will be no one eligible to receive zakat. Money will be offered to the people, but they will decline to accept it, because they will not be requiring it. All underground and above-ground natural resources will be at the disposal of the imam. Addressing the people he will say: "This is the wealth for which you were fighting, severing relations with your kith and kin and shedding the blood of each other". Then he will give them money in unprecedented quantities".
In such circumstances there will prevail complete peace and law and order.
"At that time complete peace will prevail all over the world. None will harm anyone. Fear and anxiety will not exist. Even the wild animals will be moving among the people, but will not be harming anyone. People will have love and sympathy for each other. They will equally distribute wealth among themselves. There will no longer exist any poor or needy. No group of people will seek to dominate another group. The elders will show kindness to the youngers and the youngers will respect the elders. All people will be conscientious in their actions and decisions".
Love, kindness, righteousness and brotherhood will prevail. There will be no question of deceiving or ill-treating anybody; complete sincerity and cordiality will exist.
"When the Qaim will rise, such genial sincerity and cordiality will come into being that one will take out whatever one requires from the pocket of another person and that person will not mind it at all".
Every kind of weakness, disease and disability will disappear.
"As regards those who will be living during the time of the Qaim, their sick will recover and their weak will gain strength".
"All the blind and the crippled will be cured and the sufferers will be relieved of their suffering".
"A world government characterised by justice and righteousness will be established. It will extend from the East to the West. All people will live under it in an atmosphere of peace, justice and prosperity".
"Cordial relations will exist among the believers all over the world. It will appear as if from one end of the world to the other they see each other, speak to each other and co-operate with each other".
These relations will be different from the present day relations and peace agreements, which are concluded only to safeguard the interests of the powers concerned and have no stability. All such agreements will be annulled with the appearance of the Qaim and will be replaced by an all-pervasive just system".
At that time there will be no question of hypocrisy, intrigue, mere show of courtesy or any under-hand method. Everybody will have to submit earnestly to the rightful government. All defaulters will be annihilated.
This government marked, with the final and complete restoration of justice and all-round development, will be the last stage of human history. The Divine Government will be established after the failure of all other systems to achieve the desired results. Though it will be of limited duration, it will be the last word in justice and righteous­ness. It will be the end of history.
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What is raj‘ah “return” and why do the Shias believe in it?

Reply: In Arabic, raj‘ah literally means “return” but it is used to mean “the return of a group of people after death and prior to the Day of Resurrection”. This truth is contradictory to neither reason nor the logic of revelation.
From the viewpoint of Islam and other divine creeds, the essence of man consists in his absolute soul, which is also described as the “self” {nafs}, and after the extinction of the body it continues to exist forever.
On the other hand, God, the Exalted, from the viewpoint of the Qur’an, is Omnipotent whose power nothing can hinder or limit.
This short introduction makes clear that raj‘ah, from the viewpoint of reason, is not impossible; for, we will find through reflection that the revival of this group of people is far easier than God’s first creation of them.
Therefore, the Lord Who created them in the first time is undoubtedly capable of reviving them.
According to the logic of revelation, there are examples of raj‘ah in the past nations.
In this regard, the Glorious Qur’an says:
وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَىٰ لَنْ نُؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ نَرَى اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْكُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ وَأَنْتُمْ تَنْظُرُونَ ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَاكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَوْتِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
“And when you said, ‘O Moses, we will not believe you until we see Allah visibly.’ Thereupon, a thunderbolt seized you as you looked on. Then We raised you up after your death so that you might give thanks.”[7][76]
Elsewhere, the Qur’an quotes ‘Isa al-Masih (Jesus the Messiah) (‘a) as saying:
اللهِ بِإِذْنِ الْمَوْتىٰ وَأُحْىِ
“And I revive the dead by Allah’s leave.”[8][77]
The Holy Qur’an not only endorses the possibility of raj‘ah but also affirms the occurrence and certainty of the revival of a group of people after their departing the world. In the two verses below, the Qur’an points to the return of a group of people after death and prior to the occurrence of the Day of Resurrection.
وَإِذَا وَقَعَ الْقَوْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَخْرَجْنَا لَهُمْ دَابَّةً مِنَ الْأَرْضِ تُكَلِّمُهُمْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ كَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا لَا يُوقِنُونَ وَيَوْمَ نَحْشُرُ مِنْ كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ فَوْجًا مِمَّنْ يُكَذِّبُ بِآيَاتِنَا فَهُمْ يُوزَعُونَ
“And when the word {of judgment} falls upon them, We shall bring them an Animal from the earth who shall speak to them that the people had no faith in Our signs. That day We shall resurrect from every nation a group of those who denied Our signs, and they shall be held in check.”[9][78]
In order to provide a good ground for proving the question of raj‘ah on the basis of these two verses, let us consider the following points:
1. The exegetes of the Qur’an {mufassirun} think that these two verses talk about the Day of Resurrection and the first one discusses one of the pre-Resurrection signs just as Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti narrates in his exegesis {tafsir}, Ad-Durr al-Manthur, on the authority of Ibn Abi Shaybah from Hudhayfah that khuruj ad-dabbah (in the first verse) is among the events which precede the Day of Resurrection.[10][79]
2. There is no doubt that on the Day of Resurrection, all human beings shall be mustered and not only a specific group from every community. Regarding the mustering of all human beings, the Qur’an states:
النَّاس لَّهُ مَّجْمُوعٌ يَوْمٌ ذَٰلِكَ
“That is a day on which all mankind will be gathered.”[11][80]
And in another place, it states:
وَيَوْمَ نُسَيِّرُ الْجِبَالَ وَتَرَى الْأَرْضَ بَارِزَةً وَحَشَرْنَاهُمْ فَلَمْ نُغَادِرْ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًا
“The day We shall set the mountains moving and you will see the earth in full view, We shall muster them, and We will not leave out anyone of them.”[12][81]
Therefore, on the Day of Resurrection all human beings shall be gathered, and not only a specific group.
3. The second of the aforementioned two verses points clearly to the mustering of a particular group from every community, and not all human beings, as is stated below:
وَيَوْمَ نَحْشُرُ مِن كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ فَوْجًا مِّمَّن يُكَذِّبُ بِآيَاتِنَا فَهُمْ يُوزَعُونَ
“That day We shall resurrect from every nation a group of those who denied Our signs, and they shall be held in check.”[13][82]
This statement points clearly to the fact that not all human beings will be mustered.
Conclusion: These three short preliminaries show clearly that the mustering of a particular group of human beings who denied the divine signs, as deduced from the second verse, is an event that shall happen prior to the Day of Resurrection. This is because on the Day of Resurrection the mustering includes the entire humanity and it is not limited to a particular group.
This clarification proves the idea of the return of a group of human beings after death and before the Resurrection, and this phenomenon is referred to as raj‘ah.
On this basis, the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet (S), who are equal to the Qur’an and who are interpreters of the divine revelation, elucidate this fact, and for the sake of brevity we quote only two of their sayings:
Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) says:
القيامة. يوم و الكرّة يوم و u القائم يوم ثلاثة الله أيّام
“The Days of Allah are three: the day of (uprising of) Hadrat al-Qa’im (Imam al-Mahdi) (‘a), the day of ‘return’ and the Day of Resurrection.”
He (‘a) also says:
بكرّتنا. يؤمن لم من منّا ليس
“He who does not believe in our ‘return’ does not belong to us.”
At this juncture, it is proper to highlight two important points:
1. The philosophy of raj‘ah
In analyzing the motives of raj‘ah, we encounter two sublime aims the first of which is to show the real beauty and splendor of Islam and the ignominy of kufr {disbelief}, and the second is to reward the faithful and beneficent human beings and chastise the unbelievers and oppressors.
2. The main difference between raj‘ah and tanasukh {transmigration}
It is necessary to point out that in the view of the Shi‘ah the issue of raj‘ah never entails believing in transmigration {tanasukh}, for the theory of transmigration is grounded on the denial of Resurrection and regards the world in perpetual cycle and every cycle is a repetition of the previous one.
According to this theory, the soul of every man returns after death to the world and unite another body. Thus, if the soul was good in the previous time (life), it will unite a body with which it will enjoy a good life, but if it was among the bad ones, it will unite a body with which it will face a difficult life. And this return represents its resurrection!
Conversely, because those who believe in raj‘ah abide by the Islamic law, they believe in the Day of Resurrection and think that it is impossible for the soul which has separated from the body to unite another body.[14][83]
Rather, they believe that a group of human beings shall return to this world before the Resurrection and after the wisdoms and profit of return are accomplished, they shall die again and be mustered with the rest of human beings on the Day of Resurrection. And after the separation of soul from the body, the soul will never transfer to another body.
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The Role of Women in the Uprising of Imam al-Mahdi (atfs)

In studying the hadiths on the role of women before and after the advent of Hadrat al-Mahdi (‘atfs), we find that a few important points need to be made. Although some hadiths say that most of the followers of Dajjal (Anti-Christ) would consist of the Jews and women,[13][183] there would be also faithful and chaste women, who had experienced hardships in preserving their faith, and would have been profoundly affected by the state of affairs prior to the advent (zuhur).
Some women would possess firmness of stance and jihad-like spirits, and wherever they go, they would expose the inhuman essence of the Dajjal as part of their propaganda war against him.
Some hadiths say that during the uprising of al-Mahdi (‘atfs) four-hundred women will accompany him and most of them will be engaged in activities concerned with health and medical treatment. Of course, there is disagreement in the hadiths concerning the number of women who will be accompanying al-Mahdi (‘atfs) during his uprising.
Some hadiths mention thirteen women who will be with Hadrat al-Mahdi (‘atfs) during his advent, who perhaps would be among his earlier forces. Other hadiths have mentioned seven thousand eight hundred as the number of women who will assist him (‘atfs), and they are the women who will accompany him (‘atfs) after the uprising and help him (‘atfs) in many activities.
In the book, Fitan, Ibn Hammad said: “The number of the faithful at the coming of Dajjal will be twelve thousand men and seven thousand seven or eight hundred women.”[14][184]
The Messenger of Allah (S) said: “‘Isa ibn Maryam (Jesus the son of Mary) will descend from heaven in the midst of eight hundred men and four hundred women who would be the best inhabitants on the surface of the earth and the most righteous of the people of the past.”[15][185]
Imam al-Baqir (‘a) said: “By God, three thousand or so will come and there will be also fifty women from among them.”[16][186]
Mufaddal ibn ‘Umar said: Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) said: “Thirteen women will accompany Hadrat Qa’im.” I asked: “What will they be doing and what role will they play?” He (‘a) replied: “They will treat the wounded and attend to the sick just like what the (female) companions of the Messenger of Allah (S) were doing.” I asked: “Will you mention the names of the thirteen women?” He (‘a) said: “They are Qanwa the daughter of Rashid, Umm Ayman, Hababah Walabiyyah, Sumayyah the mother of ‘Ammar ibn Yasir, Zubaydah, Umm Khalid Ahmasiyyah, Umm Sa‘id Hanafiyyah, Siyanah Mashatah, and Umm Khalid Jahaniyyah.”[17][187]
In the book, Muntakhab al-Basa’ir, two women with the name of Watirah and Ahbashiyyah have been mentioned and they have been considered as among the companions and supporters of Hadrat al-Mahdi (‘atfs).[18][188] Some hadiths have only mentioned the existence of women among those who will accompany him (‘a) and have not mentioned their number.
The Historical Background of the Women Involved in the Advent
In the hadiths Mufaddal ibn ‘Umar has clearly mentioned the number of women who will accompany Hadrat al-Qa’im (‘a) at thirteen but among this number only nine have been introduced by name and description. Imam as-Sadiq’s (‘a) emphasis on the names was meant for us to study their biographies and salient features, and after research we obtained some points that give a convincing indication to a possible reason behind Imam as-Sadiq’s (‘a) emphasis on mentioning their names.
Each of these individuals has her own special features, but all of them have shown their own merits in the struggle against the enemies of God. Some, such as Siyanah, the mother of martyrs, have also attained martyrdom in a heartrending manner. Others such as Sumayyah had endured the most difficult tortures in the path of defending their Islamic convictions, and remained steadfast till the last breaths in defending their faith.
Another group such as Umm Khalid had deprived themselves of the favor of having healthy physical bodies and became disabled for the sake of preserving Islam. Another group such as Zubaydah had never exchanged Islam for the glitters of the world and material fortune.
On the contrary, they utilized those facilities in the way of faith and helped patronize the Hajj, which is one of the important manifestations of Islam and pillars of the religion. Yet another group had the honor of being wet nurses of the leaders of the Islamic ummah and rearing outstanding children while they themselves possessed lofty spiritual stations proverbial to all and sundry. Some of them had been from the family of martyrs and they themselves had carried their half-dead bodies and talked with them.
Yes, they have blazing hearts, who by demonstrating those acts of bravery, have proved that they could take part in shouldering the heavy burden of the global Islamic government.
Now, we will embark on introducing a number of them:
1. Siyanah
It is stated in the book, Khasa’is Fatimiyyah: “In the government of al-Mahdi (‘atfs) thirteen women will be revived and return to the world to treat the wounded. One of them is Siyanah who had been the wife of Hizqayl (Ezekiel) and hairdresser of the daughter of Pharaoh. Her husband, Hizqayl (Ezekiel), was the cousin and treasurer of Pharaoh. It has been said that Hizqayl is a believer from the family of Pharaoh and believed in Musa (Moses), the prophet of his time.[19][189]
The Prophet (S) said: “During the night of ascension (mi‘raj) on the way between Makkah al-Mu‘azzamah (Holy Mecca) and Masjid al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem) I suddenly smelled something pleasant, which I had never smelled before. I asked Jibra’il (Archangel Gabriel): “What is this pleasant smell?” He answered: “O Messenger of Allah (S)! It is that of the wife of Hizqayl; she believed in Hadrat Musa ibn ‘Imran (Prophet Moses, the son of Amran) and used to hide her faith.
She used to work as a hairdresser in the harem of Pharaoh. One day, she was busy dressing the hair of Pharaoh’s daughter when the comb suddenly fell from her hand and she inadvertently said, “Bismillah” (in the name of Allah). Pharaoh’s daughter asked her: “Do you worship my father?”
She answered: “No, but I do worship the One Who has created your father and will take him away. Pharaoh’s daughter hurriedly went to her father and said: “The woman who dresses hair in our palace has faith in Musa (Moses). The Pharaoh summoned and asked her: “Do you not recognize my divinity?” Siyanah answered: “I will never turn away from the Real Lord and I will never worship you.” The Pharaoh ordered a cupreous furnace be set ablaze and as the furnace became red-hot, he ordered all her children thrown into the fire in her presence.
At the moment when they wanted to take her sucking baby in her arms and throw him into the fire, Siyanah was moved and became inclined to disavow her religion when suddenly, by the decree of God, the child spoke and said to its mother: “O mother! Be patient for you are on the right path.” The soldiers of Pharaoh threw Siyanah and her sucking child into the fire and burned them alive. Their ashes were poured into this very ground and until the Day of Resurrection this ground will have this pleasant scent…”[20][190]
She is among the women who will be revived and returned to the world and render service under the command of Hadrat al-Mahdi (‘atfs).
2. Umm Ayman
Her name is Burkah. She was a bondwoman of the Prophet (S) who took her as an inheritance from his honorable father, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abdil-Mutallib, and she took the responsibility of attending to the Messenger of Allah (S).[21][191]
The Prophet (S) used to address her as mother and say: “She is among the surviving members of my family.” She had a son from her first husband, ‘Ubayd Khazarji, whose name was Ayman. Ayman was among the migrants (muhajirin) (from Mecca to Medina) and the strugglers (mujahidin), and he attained martyrdom in the Battle of Hunayn.
Umm Ayman is the person who, when intense thirst overpowered her on the way to Medina from Mecca (during the migration) and was about to die, a bucket of water was sent down to her from heaven. When she drank from it, she never became thirsty again.[22][192]
She cried profusely during the death of the Prophet (S). When they asked her for the reason behind her profuse crying, she said in reply: “By God! I knew that he (S) will pass away, but I’m weeping because of the termination of revelation.”[23][193]
In relation to the issue of Fadak, Fatimah az-Zahra (‘a) introduced her as a witness and testifier, and she finally passed away during the Caliphate of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan.
3. Zubaydah
She is the wife of Harun ar-Rashid[24][194] and had been one of the Shi‘ah. When Harun was informed of her faith, he swore to divorce her. She was famous for doing good deeds. At the time when a goatskin of water cost one gold dinar in Mecca, she gratuitously gave water to the pilgrims and perhaps to the people of Mecca as well.
By constructing tunnels across the mountains, she brought water to Masjid al-Haram from a place 10 miles away. Zubaydah had a hundred bondswomen all of whom were memorizers (huffaz) of the Qur’an. Each of them was obliged to read one-tenth of the Qur’an so much so that from her place of residence the loud voice of Qur’an recital, like the buzz of bees, could be heard.[25][195]
4. Sumayyah the Mother of ‘Ammar ibn Yasir
She was the seventh person to embrace Islam and on account of this, she was subjected to the most horrible tortures. When the Prophet (S) saw ‘Ammar and his parents on the hot ground being tortured in the scorching heat of Mecca, he said to them: “O family of Yasir! Be patient; you have to know that your meeting place is heaven.”
Finally, Sumayyah attained martyrdom from the spear of the bloodthirsty chief, Abu Jahl, and she became the first woman martyr in Islam.[26][196]
5. Umm Khalid
When the governor of Iraq, Yusuf ibn ‘Umar, martyred Zayd ibn ‘Ali in the city of Kufah, he also cut off the hand of Umm Khalid for the “crime” of being a Shi‘ah and supporting Zayd’s uprising.
Abu Basir said: “We were in the company of Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) when Umm Khalid came with her amputated hand. He (‘a) said: ‘O Abu Basir! Do you want to listen to the speech of Umm Khalid?’
He answered: ‘Yes, I would be pleased to listen to her.’ Umm Khalid went up to the Imam (‘a) and started delivering a speech. I knew her for having perfect eloquence and fluency. He also spoke to her about the issue of wilayah and the disavowal of enemies…”[27][197]
6. Hababah Walibiyyah
Shaykh at-Tusi regarded her as among the companions of Imam al-Hasan (‘a) while Ibn Dawud considered her as among the companions of Imam al-Hasan, Imam al-Husayn, Imam as-Sajjad, and Imam al-Baqir (‘a). Others have regarded her as among the companions of the first eight Imams, i.e. up to Imam ar-Rida (‘a).
It has also been said that Imam ar-Rida (‘a) buried her in his own personal shirt. She was more than 240 years old at the time of death. She returned to her youth twice. The first time was through the miracle (mu‘jizah) of Imam as-Sajjad (‘a) and the second time was through the miracle of the eighth Imam (‘a). It was she on whose stone the first eight Infallible Imams inscribed their seal one after the other.[28][198]
Hababah Walibiyyah said: “…I said to the Commander of the Faithful (‘a): ‘May God shower His mercy on you! What is the proof of your Imamate (imamah)?’ He (‘a) said in reply: ‘Bring that small stone to me.’ I brought it to him (‘a). ‘Ali (‘a) sealed it with his ring such that the seal was inscribed on the small stone, and then he said to me: ‘O Hababah! Anyone who claims the Imamate and has succeeded in inscribing his seal on this stone the way I did is an Imam, obedience to whom is obligatory. The Imam is he who knows whatever he wishes.’
I continued my usual occupation till the Commander of the Faithful (‘a) departed from this world. Then, I went to see Imam al-Hasan (‘a) who succeeded ‘Ali (‘a) when the people were asking him questions. When he (‘a) saw me, he said: ‘O Habbabah Walibiyyah!’ I said: ‘Yes, O my leader!’ He (‘a) said: ‘Take out that thing with you.’ I brought it out and gave the small stone to him (‘a). He, like ‘Ali (‘a), inscribed a seal with his ring on the spot where the previous inscribed seal was.
After some time, I went to Imam al-Husayn (‘a) who was then in the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah (S). He (‘a) asked to me to come to him. He welcomed me and said: ‘The proof for the thing you want exists. Do you want to see the sign of Imamate?’ I replied: ‘Yes, O my chief!’ He (‘a) said: ‘Take out that thing with you.’ I gave the small stone to him. He (‘a) stroke his ring against it and his seal was inscribed therein.
After Imam al-Husayn (‘a), I went to Imam as-Sajjad (‘a) and I had become so old by then that I was trembling all over; I was one hundred and thirteen years old. He (‘a) was then in the state of bowing (ruku‘) and prostration (sujud), and did not pay attention to me. I lost hope in obtaining the proof of his Imamate. He (‘a) pointed to me with his forefinger and through this I became young again. I said: ‘O my chief! To what extent has passed from the world and to what extent remains?’
He replied: ‘As to what has passed, yes, but as to what has remained, no; that is, we have knowledge of the past but the future is part of the unseen (ghaybah) which is known to no one except God, and it is not expedient for us to say anything about it.’ Then he (‘a) said to me: ‘Take out that thing you have.’ I gave the stone to him (‘a) and he put his seal on it.
As time passed by, I went to Imam al-Baqir (‘a) and he also put a seal on that stone. After him I went to Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) and he also inscribed a seal. After the passage of many years, I went to Imam al-Kazim (‘a) and he also inscribed his seal on it. After him I went to visit Imam ar-Rida (‘a) and he also inscribed his seal on it.” Thereafter, Hababah remained alive for nine months.[29][199]
7. Qanwa’ the Daughter of Rashid Hijri
Although nothing has been mentioned in both Sunni and Shi‘ah books concerning the personality of this lady, the events related to the manner of the captivity and martyrdom of her esteemed father at the hands of Ibn Ziyad, which she narrated, clearly shows the degree of her firmness and steadfastness in faith, her attachment to Islam and Shi‘ism, and her love for the Commander of the Faithful (‘a).
Abu Hayyan Bajali said: “I asked Qanwa’, the daughter of Rashid Hijri: ‘What hadiths and narrations have you heard from your father?’ She said: ‘My father reported from the Commander of the Faithful (‘a) that he (‘a) said: ‘O Rashid! To what extent will be your patience when the adopted son of the Bani ‘Umayyah (Ibn Ziyad) summons you and amputates your two hands, two feet and tongue?’ He asked: ‘Will my destination be heaven…?’ He (‘a) replied: ‘O Rashid! You will be in my company both in this world and in the hereafter.’”
Qanwa’ said: “By God! After a little while Ibn Ziyad summoned my father and asked him to denounce ‘Ali (‘a), but my father never did it. Ibn Ziyad asked: ‘How has ‘Ali described the manner in which you will be killed?’ My father answered: ‘My friend ‘Ali has informed me that you will ask me to denounce him but I will refuse. Then you will amputate my two hands, two feet and tongue.’ Ibn Ziyad said: ‘By God! I will do something with respect to you that is contrary to ‘Ali’s prediction.’
Then he ordered that my father’s two hands and two feet be amputated but that his tongue be spared. I carried my father on my shoulder and along the way I asked him: ‘O father! Do you feel pain and agony?’ He said: ‘No. I am only annoyed at the amount of pressure that the crowd would exert on me.’ As I took my father and brought him to the palace of Ibn Ziyad, the people gathered around him. My father took advantage of the opportunity and said: ‘Bring pen, ink and paper so that I could narrate events to you. When Ibn Ziyad was informed of it, he ordered that his tongue be cut off and my father attained martyrdom that very night.”
Imam reza network

Belief in the Return (Raj’ah) with respect to Belief in the Mahdi (may Allah hasten his return)

QUESTION: According to many traditions, at the end of time a number of the deceased Imams (peace be upon them) as well as others will return to this world. Is belief in the concealment of the twelfth Imam (may Allah hasten his return) and his reappearance in accordance with belief in the return (raj’ah)? In other words, does the belief in concealment and reappearance include the return and all other events that will occur before the Day of Judgment, or is it an independent belief separate from the return?
ANSWER: Belief in the appearance of the Mahdi and Savior from the Ahl al-Bait and progeny of Fatimah (peace be upon her) is a widespread and collective belief of the Muslims and is not exclusive to the Shi‘a. Though the Shi‘a also specify his identity in terms of lineage and characteristics, the belief itself is universal, and its tidings have been given in previous religions in the Tawrat and Zabur as well. And according to the principles of the Twelver Shi‘a school, without belief in it, one’s faith is incomplete, and the acceptance of one’s actions is dependent on accepting it. One who dies without believing in this issue or who does not recognize the twelfth Imam (may our souls be his ransom) as the Imam has died the death of ignorance according to the judgment of the prophetic tradition
مَنْ مَاتَ وَلَمْ يَعْرِفْ إِمَامِ زَمَانِهِ مَاتَ مِيْتَةً جَاهِلِيَّةٍ
.
"Whoever dies without recognizing the Imam of his time dies the death of the Age of Ignorance."[102]
This belief, in terms of influence and importance, is at this level.
Belief in the return as well, though it is rooted in the Qur’an and traditions, is not such that the issue of concealment and reappearance not be explainable without it.
Thus, the principle of Imamah and the issue of the Mahdi has been discussed in books even without mention of the issue of the return.
Still, it must be mentioned that the issue of raj’ah and the return of the deceased itself is an Islamic issue and its occurrence in previous times is confirmed on the basis of numerous verses of the Qur’an. When this is the case, since it has had a parallel in the past, the possibility of its reoccurrence at the end of time cannot be denied.
When the return of the deceased has occurred in past ummah (communities), according to well-known tradition famous among the Ahl al-Sunnat, they must consider it possible in this ummah as well:
لِتَسْلُكْنَ سُبُلَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلِكُمْ حَذُوا النَعْلَ بِالنَعْلَ وَالقَذْةَ بِالْقَذْةِ حَتَّى لَوْ أَنْ أَحَدُهُمْ دَخَلَ حَجْرَ ضَبَّ لَدَخَلْتُمُوهُ
.
"Verily you will follow the path of those before you…"[103]
Thus, the denial of its possibility in this ummah by non-Shias is incorrect according to the meaning of this tradition.
In the end, while overlooking the verses that mention the occurrence of raj’ah in previous ummahs, for the sake of blessings and grace we mention one verse that bears witness to its occurrence in this Nation:
وَيَوْمَ نَحْشُرُ مِنْ كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ فَوْجاً مِمَّنْ يُكَذِّبُ بِآيَاتِنَا فَهُمْ يُوْزَعُونَ
"And (remember) the day when We shall gather from every community a group of those who gave the lie to Our signs, so they will meet one another."[104]
This verse indicates a day when from every ummat a group of people will be gathered who gave the lie to the Divine signs, which naturally is a day other than the Day of Judgment.
Notes:
[102] Bihar al-Anwar, Volume 8, Pgae 368
[103] Bihar al-Anwar, Volume 21, Page 257
[104] Surah Naml (27), Verse 83
Imam reza network

How can we believe in the existence of Al-Mehdi?

In this article, you read the answers of the below questions:
1. How was this long life granted to Al-Mehdi?
2. Why all this desire to prolong Imam Mahdi's life?
3. How can we believe in the existence of Al-Mehdi?


How was this long life granted to Al-Mehdi?
In other words, is it possible for a man to live for many centuries, as is the case with the Expected Leader, for the change of the world, whose age must be actually one thousand one hundred and forty years, or fourteen times the average age of an ordinary person who would pass through the phases of life from childhood to old age normally.

The word possibility here has one of the three following meanings, namely: Practical possibility, scientific possibility and philosophical or logical possibility.

I mean by practical possibility that a task is feasible in a manner that enables me, you or a third person to perform it, such as a journey across the ocean, reaching the depth of the sea or going to the moon, all of which are practically possible since they have actually been performed by people in one way or another.

By scientific possibility I mean that there are some tasks that neither I nor you nor a third per-son can practically perform with the means that are accessible to present civilisation. However there is nothing in the alterable trends of science which can indicate a justification for the rejection of the possibility of these tasks and their occurrence conforming to certain special circumstances and means. For example, there is nothing in science that could deny the possibility of travelling to Venus, because all its existing trends indicate the possibility of such a task, although that is still not possible for me or you since the difference between going to the moon and travelling to Venus is only one of degree. The latter representing a stage of overcoming some relative difficulties stemming from the fact that the distance is longer. From this we deduce that it is scientifically possible to travel to Venus even if it is still not feasible from a practical angle.

Contrary to that is the idea of travelling to the sun in distant space since it is scientifically impossible, meaning that science would never entertain the possibility of this task, for one can-not assume scientifically or empirically the possibility of inventing that preventive armour that could protect the body against the heat of the sun which is like an enormous kiln constantly burning with a degree impossible to imagine.

By logical or philosophical possibility I mean that there is nothing in the intellect, conforming to what it knows of previous laws - (preceding the experiment) that could justify the rejection of a task nor decide that it could not occur.

Say, for example, the grouping of three oranges into two equal parts, this is logically impossible, since the intellect knows - before carrying out such an experiment - that three is an odd number, thus it is impossible to divide it into two equal parts, first it would turn into an even number, which would be a contradiction, which is impossible in logic.

But if a man were to be exposed to fire, or if he were to go to the sun without burning, that would not be impossible from a logical point of view, since there is no contradiction in the assumption that heat does not penetrate into a body of Lower temperature from one of higher temperature. That would only run contrary to the experiment which proved that heat actually penetrates into a body of lower temperature from one of higher temperature until both bodies get an equal temperature.

Therefore, we come to realise that logical possibility has a wider scope than scientific possibility and that the latter is wider than practical possibility.

There is no doubt about the logical possibility of the prolongation of human life for some thousands of years, because that is not impossible from an abstract intellectual point of view, also there is no contradiction in an assumption of this sort, since life as it is understood does not fathom sudden death and no one can dispute this fact.

Also, there is no doubt or controversy that this prolonged life is not possible from the practical aspect, as is the case in going down to the depths of the ocean or ascending to the moon. That is because science with what it owns of mod-em means and instruments, that were made avail-able by concomitant human experiments, cannot prolong human life for hundreds of years, this is why we find that even those among people who are more eager about life and more able to utilise scientific possibilities can only live to the extent of what is usual.

As far as scientific possibility is concerned, there is nothing in science, nowadays which could justify the denial of that fact from a theoretical point of view. This inquiry is in reality related to the nature of the physiological interpretation of the phenomenon of old-age and decrepitude among people. Does this phenomenon indicate a natural law that compels the tissues of the human body and its cells to harden gradually and become less efficient in the performance of their task once they have reached the summit of theft growth, until they die at a particular moment, even if we were to isolate them from the influence of some external failure? Or is this hardening of the bodily tissues and cells and the lack of efficiency in the performance of their physiological tasks a result of their struggle against certain external factors, such as microbes or poison that penetrate the body from an excess in food or from the heavy work that the person might perform or any other factor.

Now this is the question that science has to find an answer to, yet many answers present them-selves on a scientific level in this respect.

If we are to consider the scientific point of view that tends to interpret old-age and the weakness that goes with it, as a result of reactions against some external factors, it means that it is theoretically possible, once we have isolated the tissues that compose the body from these influences, to prolong life to the extent of surpassing the phenomenon of old-age and even overcoming it.

On the other hand, if we consider the other point of view which sees old-age as a natural process with regards to the living tissues and cells, it will mean that they hear within themselves the seed of their own ultimate death, once the phase of old-age has been completed.

I say: If we take this point of view into consideration it should not mean that there is no flexibility in this natural law, rather the assumption of its existence shows that it is in fact flexible, since we find in our everyday life, in addition to what has been found by scientists through the experiments that they carry out in their laboratories, that old-age as a physiological phenomenon has no fixed time, since a man can be very old and yet possess tender limbs, with no trace of old-age appearing on him as has been mentioned by some doctors. Moreover some scientists take advantage of this flexibility and prolong the life of some animals by a hundred times their natural age, by creating certain circumstances and factors that delay the process of old-age.

Thus it has been proved scientifically that this process can be postponed, by creating specific circumstances and factors, even if this experiment has not been carried out by science on a particular complicated creature such as the human being, owing to the difference in the difficulty of carrying it out on the human being and other organisms.

This means that, from a theoretical point of view, science, with all its alterable orientations, has never had any objection to the prolongation of human life, whether old-age has been interpreted as the product of a struggle and close con-tact with some external influences, or as a result of a natural process of the cells and tissues that leads them towards their death.

Thus we deduce that the prolongation of human life and its survival over many centuries is possible logically as well as scientifically but it is still impossible from a practical angle, and that nevertheless scientific progress has a long way to go before realising this possibility.

In light of what has been discussed we shall deal with the age of al-Mehdi (peace be upon him) and what has been surrounding it of wonder and surprise.

Thus we notice that since the possibility of this prolonged life has been confirmed both logically and scientifically, science is in the process of gradually transforming the theoretical possibility into a practical one. There is no room left for wonder except the remoteness of the probability that al-Mehdi might have preceded science in this transformation, before that the latter could have, in its evolutionary course, reached the standard of actual capacity for such a transformation, which would make him equal to that person who had pre-ceded science in discovering the cure for cancer.

The question now is How could Islam - which determined the age of the Expected Leader - have preceded science in the field of this transformation?

The answer is that this is not the only field in which Islam preceded science. Has the Islamic shari‘ah (revealed law) as a whole not come before science and the evolution of human thought by many centuries? Did it not promulgate certain symbols that submitted plans to be put into practice, which man could achieve only after hundreds of years of his independent activity? Did it not formulate certain regulations perfect in wisdom, the secrets of which were realised by man only after a certain length of time? Did the Divine message not reveal mysteries about the universe, that could never have occurred to people’s minds, which science came later to confirm and support?

So, if we are convinced by these facts why then should we regard as too much that the sender of this message - the Exalted - anticipates science in determining the age of al-Mehdi?

Here I mentioned only those aspects of precedence that we can notice in a direct manner, we can also include the aspects of precedence mentioned in the Divine message, for example, when it informs us about the night journey which the Prophet undertook from al-Haram Mosque to al-Aqsa Mosque. If we are to understand this journey within the frame of natural laws, we will find that it shows that these laws were utilised in a way that science could achieve only after hundreds of years.

Therefore, the same Divine knowledge which enabled the Messenger (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his progeny) to undertake this fast motion before science could achieve it, has also enabled his designated successors to have a prolonged life before science could realise such a project.

Certainly, this prolonged age that Allah, the Exalted, has bestowed on the Expected Saviour may seem rather strange, if it is considered within the limits of the everyday in people’s lives and what has been achieved by the experiments of scientists. But is the decisive and transformative role which has been prepared for this Saviour not strange within the limits of the ordinary in people’s lives and what they have experienced of historical evolution? Has he not been entrusted with the task of changing the world and rebuilding its civilisation on the basis of justice and truth? Why should we disapprove if the preparation of this great role is characterised by strange and unusual aspects, such as the prolongation of the Expected Leader’s age?

For this remoteness of those aspects and their unusual aspects, however great they are, cannot surpass the remoteness of the great role that has to be achieved on the appointed day? Therefore, if we approve the validity of that unique role from a historical angle in spite of the fact that there has never been in the history of humanity a role similar to it, why should not we also approve that pro-longed age which is still unique in our ordinary life?

I wonder if it is a coincidence that only two individuals should carry out the task of emptying human civilisation of its corrupt elements and re-building it, which means that they must have been of an excessive age many times superior to our the applicability of a natural law under a certain circumstances, in order to preserve the life of a particular individual whose role is to cherish Divine message.

Yet this is not the only miracle of its kind, nor is it remote from a Muslim’s faith, which derives from the Qur’an and the Sunnah. More over the process of old-age is no more rigid than is the process of the passage of heat from a body of’ higher temperature to another of lower temperature until both of them become equal. This had occurred in the case of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) when the only way to preserve his life was by hindering that process, when it was said to the fire in which he was thrown:

We said, "O fire be cool on Ibrahim and keep him safe." (Qur'an, 21:69)

So, he emerged from it safe and unharmed. There are also other cases where natural laws were hindered to protect some of the prophets or Proofs of Allah on earth. When the sea was split for Musa (Moses), when the Romans were misled in thinking they had caught ‘Isa (Jesus) or when Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his progeny) left his house while it was surrounded by the troops of Quraysh who were waiting for hours to attack him but Allah, the Exalted, hid him from their eyes while he was walking in their midst. All of these cases show a hindrance of the laws of nature to protect an individual, whom the Divine wisdom wished to preserve. Therefore, why not include here the process of old age and decrepitude?

From this we can deduce a general notion, which is that whenever the preservation of the Prophet’s life (the Proof of Allah on earth) depends on the hindrance of a natural law, and the prolongation of his life comes to be necessary for the performance of his task, Divine care then intervenes by delaying the process so that the task of that individual can be accomplished., On the other hand, once the Divine mission of that individual has been fulfilled he either dies naturally or as a martyr depending on what is determined by natural laws.

Thus we find ourselves confronted with the present question in connection with this general notion: How can the process be obstructed? How can the necessary correlation that exists between natural phenomena, be sundered? Does it not contradict science, which discovered the existence of that natural law or process and defined that necessary correlation on experimental and deductive bases?

The answer is that science has already solved the problem by giving up the idea of necessity as far as natural laws are concerned. To clarify this we can say that science discovers natural laws through systematic observations and experiments. For example, when the occurrence of a natural phenomenon is followed another one, we deduce from this a natural law which is: that whenever the first phenomenon comes into existence it is automatically followed by another phenomenon.

However, science does not propose a necessary correlation between the two phenomena stemming from their nature, since necessity is an invisible condition that experimentation and the instruments of scientific and inductive inquiry cannot demonstrate. Therefore, the logic of mod-em science emphasises that natural law as it is defined by science does not indicate a necessary correlation, but an uninterrupted connection, between two phenomena. But when the miracle occurs and separates one from the other, it does not mean that their correlation was sundered.

The truth of the matter is that the miracle, in its religious sense, has become, in the light of modern scientific logic, more understandable than before, under the classical view of causal correlation. This old view assumed that every two phenomena, in which one is followed automatically by the other, must have a necessary correlation, which means that it is impossible to separate one from the other. However, this correlation has been transformed thanks to modern scientific logic into a law of correlation or of consecutive succession between two phenomena without the hypothesis of invisible necessity.

Thereby the miracle becomes an exceptional condition with regard to this connective succession without running against a necessity or leading to impossibility.

So, in the light of the logical foundation of induction we agree with the modern point of view which says that induction does not demonstrate the existence of a necessary correlation between two phenomena. We find that it shows that there is a common interpretation for the consecutive connection between the two - Since this common interpretation can be formed on the basis of the assumption of subjective necessity, it can also be formed on the assumption of a wisdom that made the Creator of the universe to continuously combine some particular phenomena with others. The same wisdom sometimes calls for exception; thus a miracle occurs.

Why all this desire to prolong Imam Mahdi's life?

Now we should deal with the second question which is: Why should Allah, the Exalted, show all, this desire for this person in particular? Why should the natural laws be hindered just to pro-long his life? Why should the leadership of the appointed day not be left to a person born in the future, who will appear then and assume his expected role?

In other words: What is the use of this long absence and what is the motive behind it? Indeed many people ask these questions, yet at the same time none of them is prepared to accept the Divine answer for them. However we believe that the twelve Imams form a unique group of individuals, none of whom could be substituted. But these people require a social interpretation of the situation, in the light of tangible realities, for the great operation of change and the understandable requirements for the appointed day.

On these bases, we will temporarily disregard the characteristics that we believe should be fulfilled in the infallible Imams and ask the following questions:

As far as the expected operation of change, of the appointed day, is concerned and as far as it is understandable in the light of the norms and the experiences of life, can we consider the prolonged age of its preserved leader as one of the factors for its success? And of his ability to lead it in a better way?

We can give an affirmative answer to this question because of many reasons among which are the following:

First, that the great operation of change requires from its leader a unique psychological attitude, filled with a sense of success and a sense of the insignificance of the mighty existence which he has been prepared to struggle against and transform into a new civilised world.

Thus the more the leader’s heart is filled with the triviality of the civilisation he is fighting, and the clearer is his sense that it is no more than a speck of dust on the long path of human civilisation, the more he is ready from a psychological angle, to oppose, resist and persevere in his efforts against it until victory is achieved.

It is clear, therefore, that the scope required from this psychological attitude ought to be proportionate to the size of change to be brought about and what needs to be rooted out of civilisation and existence. So, whenever the opposition is to a mightier existence and a loftier and deeply rooted civilisation, the greater is the thrust required from this psychological attitude.

Since the message of the appointed day is to change, in a comprehensive way, a world filled with injustice and tyranny, it is therefore natural that it is looking for an individual whose psycho-logical attitude is superior to that whole world; a person whose age exceeds those who were born in that world and who were brought up in the shade of its civilisation which he is to destroy and replace with one based on justice and truth. For whoever is brought up in a deeply-rooted civilisation, that dominates the world with its values and modes of thinking, would be overwhelmed by it, since he would have been born while it had been in existence, and opened his eyes just to see its different aspects, and would have been brought up under its power and influence.

Unlike that is a person who has deeply penetrated history, who has come to life long before that civilisation which completes the cycle of the story of humanity before the appointed day saw the light - He sees it as little seeds, hardly visible, then gradually growing and taking roots within human societies, waiting for the right moment to blossom and appear.

Then he witnesses it, as it starts to grow and advance, sometimes relapsing, sometimes meeting with success, then when it begins to prosper and become gigantic, gradually dominating the destinies of the world, such a man who has lived through all these stages with sagacity and caution, watching this giant (against which he has to struggle) under that long historical perspective which he has lived in reality, and not just read about in books of history, such an individual would consider it as a definite destiny, unlike Jean Jacques Rousseau’s consideration of the monarchy in France, when he was terrified at the mere imagining of France without a king, in spite of the fact that he was one of the heralds, both intellectually and philosophically, of the evolution of the political situation that existed in those times.

That was because Rousseau lived in the shade and under the influence of the monarchy.

On the other hand this individual who has thoroughly penetrated history, would have the dignity and strength of history and a powerful sense that all that surrounds him of civilisation and existence was born at a certain time in history, when the way was paved for its existence, that it would disappear to the extent that nothing of it would remain as when there was nothing of it before it came into existence in the distant or near past, that the historical life spans of any civilisation, however long they may be, are only limited days in the long era of history.

Have you not read the chapter of the cave in the Qur'an (Surah-al-Kahf ) Have you not read of those youths who believed in their Lord, whom Allah increased in guidance, who opposed a ruling pagan existence that was ruthless and did not hesitate to suppress every single seed of at-tawhid (Unity of Allah), so that it might not rise above the level of idolatry. So these youths became depressed to the point of despair, once the windows of hope had been closed before their eyes; so they sought refuge in the cave, where they begged Allah for a solution to their problem after having exhausted all the possibilities. For they could not tolerate the fact that falsehood was ruling, transgressing and subjugating the truth and suppressing anyone whose heart showed an inclination towards the truth.

Do you know what Allah did to them? He made them sleep for three hundred and nine years in that cave and caused them to rise up from their long sleep and sent them to the outside world, after that the existence which had bewildered them with its power and transgression had collapsed and became a chapter in history that could frighten no one nor activate anything. They were brought out so that they could see all this with their own eyes and learn

that falsehood is insignificant.

Indeed if this clear vision had been true in the case of the people of the cave, with all that it bore of psychological loftiness and thrust out of that unique event which prolonged their age by three hundred years, then the same event could occur in the case of al-Mahdi, the Expected Leader, whose extended age would make him see the giant as a dwarf, the tall tree as a seed and the hurricane as a breeze.

Add to this that the experience that is granted by the concomitants of those consecutive civilisations and the direct confrontation with all their movements and changes, has a great influence on the intellectual preparation and the deepening of experience of the Expected Leader, since it puts him face to face with the many various practices of others, with all they contain of weakness and strength, and the different aspects of their errors and accuracy and this enables him to classify the social symptoms with a complete awareness of their causes and their historical circumstances.

Moreover the preserved operation of changer which is the task of the Expected Leader, is founded on a particular message1 namely the message of Islam. Therefore, it is natural that in this case, the required leadership should be more proximate with the original sources of Islam, that his personality be fully shaped in an independent way, free from the influence of that civilisation which is subject to his struggle on the appointed day, unlike that individual who would have been born and brought up in its atmosphere, whose intellect and feelings would have blossomed within its frame. Quite often such a person cannot free him-self from the effects and residues of that civilisation, even if he were to lead a movement of change against it.

Thus, in order that the preserved leader be not influenced by the civilisation he has been prepared to transform, it is necessary that his personality should be fully shaped during a previous stage of civilisation, as near as possible to the universal spirit, and in terms of the principles of that civilised condition, which the appointed day is aiming at realising under his leadership.

How can we believe in the existence of Al-Mehdi?

Now we have reached the fourth question (the third question we publish in here) which is: Supposing that the hypothesis of the Expected Leader and all that it comprehends of prolonged life, early leadership and a silent absence, is possible, that would not be enough proof for his existence, thus, how can we indeed believe in the existence of al-Mahdi? Would some narratives related in books on the Great Messenger (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his progeny) be enough for perfect conviction in the existence of the Twelfth Imam, in spite of what this supposition bears of peculiarity and deviation from the norms? Or rather, how can we prove that al-Mahdi had a true historical existence and that he is not only an assumption, for which psychological circumstances have been combined to confirm his existence in many people’s minds?

The answer is: That the idea of al-Mahdi, as the Expected Leader, who will change the world for the best, has been already mentioned in several OF the narratives (ahadith) related from the Great Messenger in general, and the Imams of Ahlul-Bayt in particular. Moreover, it has been reconfirmed, with a degree beyond doubt, in many texts. I could count up to four hundred narratives of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) which reach-ed us through our brothers, the Sunnis, (e.g., the book al-Mahdi written by my uncle as-Sayyid Sadru’d-Din as-Sadr, may Allah bless his noble soul), as well as a great number of reports about al-Imam al-Mahdi through both the Shi’ites and the Sunnis - nearly more than six thousand narratives, [Selection of traditions concerning the Twelfth Imam] by ash-Shaykh Lutfullah Safi), which is very high statistical number, not found in many of the self-evident Islamic issues.

As regards the materialisation of this idea in the Twelfth Imam (peace be upon him) we do possess enough justifications to be convinced that he is the one. They can be summed up into two groups of evidence; the first Islamic, and the other scientific,

By the Islamic evidence we confirm the existence of the Expected Leader.

By the scientific evidence, we can prove that al-Mahdi is not just a myth or a supposition but a reality which has been confirmed by historical experience. The Islamic evidence appears in the hundreds of narratives related from Allah's Messenger (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his progeny) and the Imams of Ahlul-bayt (peace be upon them), which prove that al-Mahdi will be appointed as Imam, that he is from the descendants of the Prophet and Fatimah and the ninth descendants from al-Husayn, that the caliphs (Prophet’s successors) are twelve.

All of these narratives limited that universal idea by personifying it in al-Mahdi, the Twelfth Imam of Ahlul-Bayt. Moreover they reached a great number and diffusion, although the Imams took a great precaution and care, fearing their exposure on a general level, in order to protect the righteous descendants against assassination or an unpredicted assault on his life.

However, the numerical abundance of these narratives is not the only reason for their validity, for in addition to this, there are certain virtues and coherence to be taken into account for proving their validity.

The Prophet’s narratives (ahadith) about the fact that the Imams. caliphs, depending on the style of the narrative in its different ways -are twelve. Some writers counted up to more than two hundred and seventy narratives taken from the most well-known books of Sunni and Shi’ah traditions such as al-Bukhari al-Muslim, at-Tirmidhi Abi Dawud and the collection of Ahmad ibn Han-bal and the Rectification of the Judge on the Two Saths (al- Hikim, Mustadrak ‘ala s-sahihayn). We should bear in mind here that al-Bukhiri who had compiled these narratives, was a contemporary to both al-Imam al-Hadi and al-Imam al-’Askari which means quite a lot, since it proves that the narratives were recorded from the Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his progeny) before that the realisation of their contents and the idea of the Twelfth Imam had materialised.

This means, therefore, that there is no room left for doubt, that the recording of the narratives was not influenced by the fact of the Twelfth Imam or that it might have been a reflection of it, because the false narratives (ahadith) that are related from the Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his progeny) are either a reflection or a justification for a fact occurring later in time. Now, they did not precede in their appearance and recording in the books, that fact which they came to reflect, therefore, as long as we possess the material evidence, which is that the mentioned narrative had already preceded the historical sequence of the twelve Imams, and that it had been recorded in the books of ahadith (books of traditions) before that the event took place, we can be sure that this narrative is not a reflection of an event but an expression to a truth from Allah, uttered by the one who did not speak out of fancy (the Holy Prophet) when he said: "Surely the caliphs after me are twelve". So, the event of the twelve Imams was fulfilled, starting with al- Imam, Ali and ending in al-Mahdi, this way being the only rational interpretation to that noble narrative of the Prophet.

As far as the scientific evidence is concerned it is formed out an experience, lived by a community of people, lasting nearly seventy years, which we call the period of the minor occultation (ghaybah as-sughra) To elucidate this point, we will pave the way by giving a brief description.

This minor occultation marks the first phase in the Imamate of the Expected Leader (peace be upon him). From the time that had been predestined, from the time he assumed the role, he remained hidden from the outside world, distant from all the events that were taking place although being at the same time proximate to them in his mind and heart.

We should bear in mind that had this occultation occurred suddenly, the result would have been a great shock among the popular masses, who believed in the Imamate since they were used to contacting their Imam in every period, to consulting him for solutions to their various problems. Thus, had he suddenly vanished, his supporters would have felt cut off from spiritual and intellectual leadership. Such an event would have created an enormous gap which would have thoroughly shaken the whole structure and under-mined its unity. Therefore, it proved necessary that the way should be paved to this occultation, so that these bases might get used to it and gradually adapt themselves to the new situation.

So the plan was this minor occultation, during which al-Imam al-Mahdi vanished from the universal scene, while keeping in touch with his popu-lar bases and supporters through his delegates or representatives and the most reliable among his companions, who acted as a link between the Imam and those who believed in his line.

The position of representative of the Imam was held in those times, by four personalities, whom the popular bases agreed as to their fear of Allah, piety and integrity. They were:

1) ‘Uthman ibn Sa'id al-’Amri;

2) Muhammad ibn ‘Uthman ibn Said al-’Amri;

3) Abu'l-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Rfih; and

4) Abul-Hasan ‘All ibn Muhammad as-Samuri.

These four individuals assumed the role of representative of the Imam (al- Mahdi) according to the above classification. So whenever one of them died, the other succeeded him, after being designated by al-Imam al-Mahdi (peace be upon him).

The representative of the Imam used to get in touch with the Shi’ ahs and submit their questions and problems to the Imam and return to them with his answers. Sometimes orally and very often in a written form. So these masses who lacked the vision of their Imam, found some comfort and consolation in these indirect communications.

Moreover they could notice that the signatures and the letters were all written in the same way, during the time of the four representatives that lasted nearly seventy years. The last representative, as-Samuri, declared that the period of the minor occultation, which was characterised by the designated delegates, was over; that the period of the major occultation, in which there would be no designated individuals to mediate between the Imam and the Shi’ites, had began. This transition meant that the minor occultation had already accomplished its mission and achieved its goal, since it immunised the Shi’ites against the great shock and the feeling of the profound gap caused by the Imam's occultation. In that way, it enabled them to adapt themselves to the situation and gradually prepared them to accept the idea of general representation on behalf of the Imam. By this token the latter changed from a representation by a designated individual to a more general line manifested in the just Mujtahid (a legalist who arrives at an independent judgement), who has a keen insight into the religious and worldly issues of the Muslims, in view of the transition from the minor to the major occultation.

Now you can have an idea about the situation, in the light of what has been discussed up to now, so you can clearly realise that al-Mahdi is a reality that a community of people has lived and which has been expressed for seventy years, by the representatives and the mediators of the Imam, whom no one could suspect of cheating nor of playing on words.

For can you imagine - by your Lord - that a lie could survive for nearly seventy years, which four individuals would successively assume and agree upon and continue to interact with others on its basis as if it were a reality that they lived; that nothing would escape their control, which would cause a doubt in people’s minds; that there would be no particular relation between the four through which they could gain the trust of everyone and their belief in the truth of the matter, which they pretend to live and feel?

An old proverb said, "The rope of lies is short"; also logic in life confirms the fact that it is impossible that a lie could survive in this way and for all time through these relations and still wins everyone’s confidence.

Thus, the phenomenon of the minor occultation can be considered as a scientific experiment which has confirmed the factual objectivity of the Imams existence, his birth, life and occultation, on account of which he has been hidden from the world and has not revealed himself to anyone ever since.

Ref: Imam al-Mehdi, Resaleh team
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