Hazrat Imam Mehdi Ajtfs is the only Imam who is still alive and will show up again before the Day of judgment. Imam Mahdi Ghaibat consists of two parts, the first one is called ghaibat e sughra was started in 8th Rabi ‘u ‘I-awwal, year 260 AH. The Ghaibat e Kubra started from 10th Shawwal 329 AH and still, this period is going on …. This is called a central eclipse.
Here in this brief article, we will try to reveal every aspect of Hazrat Imam Mehdi ajtfs, the birth, life with his father, Ghaibat e Sughra, Ghaibat e Kubra, His period of Imamat, How He is providing guidance.
A lot of things about the births of The Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the last Apostle of Allah, and Hazrat Imam Mahdi ajtfs, the last Apostolic Imam, were the same and fit together well. Just as the Holy prophets(PBUH) before the Holy Prophet (PBUH) told people long before. He came that He would come, and the Holy Prophet (PBUH) told people that news of the birth of Hazrat Imam Mahdi ajtfs would come soon.
Innumerable traditions in this context, quoted right from the Holy Prophet (PBUH), from the glowing contents of many books of Masanid, Sihah, and Akhbar, and of Shi’ite scholars (‘ulama’) existed Many Sunni scholars have accumulated these traditions in complete volumes also, e.g. al-Bayan fi akhbar Sihibi’z-Zaman by al-Hafiz Muhammad ibn Yusuf ash-Shafi’i and Dhikriyyatu’l- Mahdi by al-Hafiz Abu Nu’aym al-Isfahani as well as as-Sahih of Abu Dawud and as-Sunan of Ibn Majah.
All of the above books describe the stories that show that this Holy Imam Mahdi ajtfs will come. The expected Imam Mahdi ajtfs is the son of the Eleventh Imam and is the last Imam. He is often called Imam al-Asr (the Imam of the Period) or Hazrat Sahibu ‘z-Zaman (the Lord of the Age). He has the same name as the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Imam Mahdi was born in Samarra in 255/869, and His father raised and taught Him until His father was killed in 260/874.
He was kept from the public, and only the most important Shia people were able to meet Him. After His father was killed, He hold the status of Holy Imam and was told by God to go into hiding (ghaybah). After that, He only showed up to His deputies (naeibeen), and even then, only in rare cases.
The Imam Mehdi ajtfs picked ‘Usman ibn Saeed al-‘Amri, a close friend and companion of His father and grandfather, to be His special deputy for a while. The Shia would ask and get answers from the Imam ajtfs through His deputy. After ‘Usman ibn Saeed, Muhammad ibn ‘Usman al-Amri, the son of Usman ibn Saeed, became the Imam’s deputy. After Muhammad ibn ‘Usman died, Abul-Qasim al-Hussain ibn Ruh an-Nawbakhti took over as special deputy.
When he died, ‘Ali ibn Muhammad as-Samuri took over. A few days before ‘Ali ibn Muhammad as-Samuri died in 329/939, the Imam ajtfs gave an order that said ‘Ali ibn Muhammad as-Samuri would die in six days. From then on, the Imam’s ajtfs special assignment would stop, and the major occultation (Ghaibat e Kubra) would begin. This would last until Allah gave the Imam ajtfs permission to show Himself.
Ghaibat of Imam Mehdi ajtfs
So, the 12th Imam’s occultation is split into two parts: the minor occultation (Ghaibat e sughra), which started in 260/872 and ended in 329/939, after about 70 years; and the major occultation (Ghaibat e Kubra), which began in 329/939 and will last as long as Allah wills it. In a hadees that everyone agrees is true, the Holy Prophet (PBUH)said,
“If there were only one day left in the life of the world, God would extend it until He sent in it a man from my community and my family. His name will be the same as mine. He will fill the earth with equity and justice as it was filled with oppression and tyranny.”
Need of Imam for the world
Obviously, if beauty and happiness were not possible for man, whose life has a social side, it would be pointless and useless for Him to have this power. But making things is not a waste of time. In other words, ever since man has been on earth, he has wanted to live a social life that is truly happy and has worked towards that goal.
If such a wish didn’t exist in the real world, it would never have become a part of man’s nature, just like hunger wouldn’t exist if there wasn’t any food. Or, if there were no water, there would be no thirst, and if there were no reproduction, there would be no physical desire between the sexes.
So, because of inner need and desire, there will be a day in the future when human society is full of justice and everyone lives in peace and quiet, when people have all the virtue and beauty they can have. People will work to bring about this kind of situation, but God will also help. In the words of the hadees, the leader of such a society, who will save people, is called the Mahdi ajtfs.
Every religion has the concept of a savior (Imam Mehdi)
In the world’s major faiths, like Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and Islam, there are references to a person who will come to save everyone. Most of the time, these faiths have told the good news about His coming, but there are some differences in the details that can be seen if you look at them closely.
All Muslims agree on the story of the Holy Prophet(PBUH), which says, “The Mahdi is one of my children.” This also points to the same truth. Sunni and Shi’ite sources quote many hadees from the Holy Prophet(PBUH) and the Imams about the coming of the Imam Mahdi ajtfs. For example, the Mahdi is said to be one of the Prophet’s children, and His coming will help human society reach true perfection and the full realization of spiritual life.
There are also a lot of other stories about how the Imam Mahdi ajtfs is the son of the Eleventh Imam Hasan Askari (AS). They all agree that the Hazrat Mahdi ajtfs will come back after being born and hiding for a long time. He will bring justice to a world that has been ruined by injustice and evil. As an example, Hazrat Ali ibn Musa ar-Raza (AS), the Eighth Imam, said in a hadees, “The Imam after me is my son Muhammad and after him his son Ali, and after Ali his son Hasan, and after Hasan his son Hujjatul-Qaim, who is awaited during his occultation and obeyed during his manifestation.”
He is the only one who will show it to you at the right time. It is heavy in the sky and the earth, and it will catch you by surprise (7:187).
Saqr ibn Abi Dulaf said, “I heard from Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Ali ar-Raza (the Ninth Imam) that he said, The Imam after me is my son ‘Ali; his command is my command; his word is my word; to obey Him is to obey me. Hasan, His son, will be the Imam after him. His orders are the same as His father’s, and obeying Him is the same as obeying His father.
The Imam was quiet after he said this. I asked him, “Oh son of the Prophet, who will be the Imam after Hasan? The Imam cried hard and then said, “After Hasan, his son is the long-awaited Imam ajtfs, who is “al-Qaim bil-haqq” (He who is backed by the Truth).”
Musa ibn Jafar Baghdadi said,
“I heard from the Eleventh Imam, Abu Muhammad al Hasan ibn Ali, that he said, “I see that after me, you will have different ideas about who will be the next Imam. Whoever accepts the Imams after the Prophet of God but doesn’t accept my son is the same as someone who accepts all the prophets but doesn’t accept Muhammad, the Prophet of God, as a prophet.
And whoever denies (Muhammad), the Prophet of God, is the same as someone who denies all of God’s prophets, because obeying the last of us is the same as obeying the first, and denying the last of us is the same as denying the first. But beware! “There is an occultation coming for my son, during which everyone will doubt everything except those whom Allah guards.”
The opponents of Shi’ism protest that according to the beliefs of this school, the Hidden Imam Mahdi should by now be nearly twelve centuries old, whereas, this is impossible for any human being. In answer, it must be said that the protest is based only on the unlikelihood of such an occurrence, not its impossibility. Of course, such a long lifetime or a life of a longer period is unlikely.
But those who study the hadees of the Holy Prophet(PBUH) and the Imam Mahdi will see that they refer to this life as one possessing miraculous qualities. Miracles are certainly not impossible nor can they be negated through scientific arguments.
It can never be proved that the causes and agents that are functioning in the world are solely those that we see and know and that other causes that we do not know or whose effects and actions we have not seen nor understood do not exist.
It is in this way possible that in one or several members of mankind, there can be operating certain causes and agents which bestow upon them a very long life of a thousand or several thousand years. Medicine has not even lost hope of discovering a way to achieve very long life spans. In any case, such protests from “Peoples of the Book” such as Jews, Christians, and Muslims are the strangest for they accept the miracles of the prophets of God according to their own sacred scriptures.
Shi’ism’s opponents also say that, even though Shi’ism believes the Imam Mahdi is needed to explain the rules and truths of religion and lead the people, the occultation of the Imam Mahdi as defeats this purpose, since an Imam Mahdi as who is in occultation and can’t be reached by people can’t be helpful or effective. They say that if God wants to send an Imam Mahdi as to reform people, He can do so at the right time.
People who think this way haven’t really understood what it means to be an Imam Mahdi as. During the discussion of the Imamate, it became clear that the Imam Mahdi’s job isn’t just to explain the formal religious sciences and lead people in the outside world. He also has the job of wilayah, or esoteric guidance, which means He leads people’s spiritual lives and shows them the way inside.
Al-Imam al-Hujjah, peace be Upon him, said:
Rest assured that no one has a special relationship with Allah. Whoever denies me is not my follower. The Relief (al-faraj) depends only on Allah, so those who say when it will happen are lying.
(A Brief History of The Fourteen Infallibles, pp. 159-166)
Hazrat Mahdi (AJTFS) is the 12th Imam.
The Imam, the just Guide, Hazrat Mahdi (A.S.) was born halfway through the month of Sha’ban in the year 255 A.H. in the city of Samarra, and in 260 A.H., when His great father died, He reached the exalted position of the Imamat. His name (Muhammad) and his agnomen (Abul-Qasim) are the same as the Prophet’s.
His father, the 11th Shi’a Imam, was Hazrat Imam Hasan al-Askari (A.S.), and his mother, the great lady Hazrat Narjis Khatoon (SA). For various reasons, the twelfth Imam Mahdi, from the first day of His life, did not appear publicly, and for about seventy years’ people were in communication with Him through the intermediary of His special representatives, in order of succession: ‘Usman ibn Saeed, Muhammad ibn ‘Usman, Hussain ibn Ruh, and ‘Ali ibn Muhammad as-Samarri.
This period of seventy years is known as the minor occultation (al-ghaybat as-sughra), and at the end of that period, the major occultation (al-ghaybat al-kubra) began. During the major occultation till the time of Mahdi’s reappearance, no one has been his special representative, and there will be no one in the future, and the people have the duty to refer to the fuqaha, those excelling in the knowledge of the shari’ah, and the narration of hadees who are specialized in the matters of the religion.
Belief in Hazrat Imam Mahdi and Reform of the Whole World.
Shi’ite Muslims aren’t the only ones who believe in the return of the expected Mahdi (A.S.), the universal reformer. Other Islamic groups, as well as non-Muslim groups like Jews and Christians, and some of the most intelligent people in the world also believe in the coming of a great spiritual reformer. …
Because the bad people will die, but those who wait on the Lord will own the land. …But the weak will own the land and be happy with their good fortune. …The Lord knows how long the perfect will live, and their legacy will last forever. Those who are blessed by the Lord will own the land, but those who are cursed by Him will die. “The goodwill own the land and live there in peace for all time.”
The Qur’an and faith in al-Mahdi
In the Quran, there is a promise of a time when the worshippers of truth, the good people of the world, will take over the world’s power and government, and the glorious din of Islam will be heard all over the world.
Other verses have been revealed that lead to Hazrat Mahdi (A.S.).
“For We have written in the Psalms, after the Remembrance, ‘The earth will be the property of My upright people.’” (XXI:105)
“Allah has promised those of you who believe and do good things that He will make you the next rulers of the land, just like He did for those who came before you, and that He will establish their religion for them and give them security in exchange for their fear: They will serve Me and not do anything else with Me. “ (XXIV:55)
“It is He who has sent His Messenger with the religion of truth so that he can raise it above all other religions, even if the people who don’t believe don’t like it. (LXI:9)
“Yet We wanted to be kind to those who were poor in the land and make them leaders and give them the land.” (XXII:5)
The above ayats make it clear that in the end, the world will be taken over by Allah’s faithful servants, who will then lead the people of the world. Then Islam will win over all other faiths.
People who believe in Hazrat Imam Mahdi and the Sunni
Scholars from the Sunni school have told many ahadees from the Holy Prophet (PBUH) of Islam about this topic. These hadees were told by people the Sunni scholars trust. There are ahadees that say the Imams are twelve who are all from the Quraysh tribe. Hazrat Imam Mahdi(A.S.), the promised one, is from the family of the Holy Prophet (PBUH)and is a descendent of Hazrat Ali (AS) and Hazrat Fatimah Zahra (A.S.), and in many of these ahadees it is mentioned that:
He is from the line of Hazrat Imam Hussain (A.S.). They have mentioned and recorded hundreds of ahadees about the Hazrat Imam Mahdi ajtfs in more than seventy books by their valued and dependable authorities of which we shall mention a few examples.
Al-Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 241 A.H.) Sahih of al-Bukhari (d. 256 A.H.) Sahih of Muslim ibn Hajjaj Nishabouri (d. 261 A.H.) Sunan of Abu Dawud Sajistani (d. 275 A.H.) Sahih of Muhammad ibn ‘Isa at-Tirmidhi (d. 279 A.H.)
The authors of the above books – each one of them among the most authoritative books of the Sunnis – died either before the birth of the Imam Mahdi of the Age (225 A.H.) or shortly after his birth. Masabih as-Sunnah of al-Baghawi (died 516 A.H.), Jami’ al-Usul of ibn al-Athir (died 606 A.H.), Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyyah of Muhyi’d-din ibn ‘Arabi (died 638 A.H.), Tadhkirat al-Khawass of Sibt i
- Al-Bayan fi Akhbar Sahib az-Zaman of Al-Ganji ash-Shafi’i 2. ‘Iqd ad-Durar fi Akhbar al-Imam al-Muntazar of Shaykh Jamalu’d-din Yusuf al-Dimashqi 3. Mahdi Al ar-Rasul of ‘Ali ibn Sultan Muhammad al-Harawi al-Hanafi 4. Kitab al-Mahdi of Abu Dawud 5. ‘Alamat al-Mahdi of Jalalu’d-din as-Suyuti 6. Manaqib al-Mahdi of Hafiz Abu Nu’aim al-lsfahani 7. Al -Qawl al -Mukhtasar fi ‘Alamat al -Mahdi 8. al-Muntazar of Ibn Hajar 8. Al-Burhan fi ‘Alamat Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman of Mulla ‘Ali al-Muttaqi 9. Arba’un Hadith fi al-Mahdi of Abu’l-A’ la’al-Hamadani
The Hidden Reformer
We have more than 3,000 hadiths about the Imam Mahdi as of the Age from the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the Holy Imams (AS). From them, it’s clear that the Imam of the Age Hazrat Imam Mehdi ajtfs is the ninth son of Hazrat Imam Hussain ibn Ali (A.S.), that His father is Hazrat Imam Hasan Askari (A.S.), and that His mother is Hazrat Narjis Khatun (SA). His name is the same as that of the Holy Prophet(PBUH) of the End of Time, and His title is Al-Mahdi.
It was meant to be that He would be born in Samarra while His father was still alive, that His father would die when He was young, and that He would still be alive today and for as long as God wanted. Then He will come back, and the world will be full of justice. This will happen at a time when there is unfairness everywhere, which is why He is hiding from people right now.
And when He comes with His back to the building of the Ka’bah, He will lean against the wall, shout and call for his 313 followers. Hazrat Isa (A.S.) will come from heaven to earth and pray in a prayer led by Hazrat Imam Mahdi ajtfs. The Imam Mahdi of the Age will make sure that Islam’s rules are followed everywhere, and the world will be like heaven.
Shi’a and Sunni’s experts have told many ahadees about many things linked to this great Imam Mahdi as. These are written in books like Bihar al-Anwar and Muntakhab al-Athar. First, we’ll list some of these ahadees that the author of Muntakhab al-Athar wrote down in his book, and then we’ll give the text of some of them. The number of ahadees as a whole
A hadith that says there are twelve Imams, starting with ‘Ali and ending with al-Mahdi (A.S.) (No. of hadith: 58)
A story that tells what will happen when Imam Mahdi (A.S.) comes back. (Hadith number: 657)
He is a descendant of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), according to a report. (Hadith number: 389)
A report says that His name and agnomen are the same as the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH). (Hadith number: 48)
A report that says Amir al-Mumeneen (A.S.) is al-Mahdi’s ancestor. (Hadith number: 214)
A hadith that says He is a descendant of Hazrat Fatimah (A.S.) (No. of hadith: 192)
He is a descendant of Hazrat Imam Hussain (A.S.), according to a hadees (No. of hadith: 185)
A hadees (No. of hadees: 148) says that He is the ninth descendant of Hazrat Imam Husssain (A.S.).
A hadees says that He is a descendant of Hazrat Imam Zain al-Abidin (A.S.) (No. of hadith: 185)
A hadees (No. of hadith: 103) says that He is a descendant of Hazrat Imam Baqir (A.S.).
A hadees says that He is a descendant of Hazrat Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (AS) (No. of hadees: 103)
A hadees that says He is a descendant of Hazrat Imam Musa Kazim (A.S.) (No. of hadees: 101)
A hadees that says He is related to Hazrat Imam Raza (A.S.) (Hadees number: 95)
A hadees that says He is a descendant of Imam Jawad (A.S.) (No. of hadees: 90)
A hadees that says He is a descendant of Hazrat Imam Hadi (A.S.) (No. of hadees: 90)
A hadees (No. of hadees: 146) says that He is a descendant of Hazrat Imam Hasan al Askari (A.S.).
A hadees that says His father’s name is Hasan (A.S.) (Hadees number: 147)
A hadees that says He will bring fairness to the whole world (No. of hadees: 123
A hadees that says His hiding out will last longer (Hadees No. 91)
A hadees that says how long al-Mahdi lived (Hadees number: 318)
A hadees that says Islam will rule the world through Him (Hadees No. 47).
A report says that He will be the last Imam and the twelfth. (Hadees number: 136)
When looking at the above ahadees and other hadees, it is important to remember that the hadees about Hazrat Imam Mahdi (A.S.) have been told the most often and that there are few topics in Islam that have been told about so often in hadees. So, in this way, anyone who believes in Islam and its Holy Prophet (PBUH.) must also say that he believes in the promised Imam Mahdi ajtfs, who is now hiding. We will now talk about a few of these hadees.
- The author of Yanabi’ al-Mawaddah says that the Holy Prophet (PBUH.) said, “Mahdi is my descendant. He will be hidden, but when He comes out, the earth will be full of justice, just as it was full of wrong before.”
- .In this book, it is also related that Hazrat Salman Farsi (AS) said:
“I went to the Holy Prophet (PBUH) when Hussain ibn Ali (AS) was sitting in His lap and the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was kissing His eyes and mouth, and He said: ‘You are a noble one, the son of a noble one, and the brother of a noble one; you are the Imam, the son of the Imam, and the brother of the Imam. You are the Proof, son of the Proof, and the brother of the Proof; you will be the father of nine Proofs of whom the ninth will be the Qaim (ajtfs).
- Ibn Abi Dalaf says,
“I heard from Hazrat ‘Ali ibn Muhammad (the 10th Imam) that he said, The Imam after me will be Hasan, my son, and after Him His heir the Imam Mahdi, who will fill the earth with justice, when it was filled with injustice before.
- Hudhayfah said that the Prophet (S.A.) said,
“If the world only has one day left, Allah will make that day so long that a descendant of mine whose name is my name will appear.” Salman asked, “O Prophet of Allah, which descendant will He be?””The Holy Prophet (PBUH) put His hand on Hussain and said that he would be one of His descendants.
- Mas’adah says that Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (A.S.) said,
“The Qaim will be born of Hasan (the 11th Imam, Hazrat Imam Hasan al Askari), and Hasan will be the son of Ali (the 10th Imam, Hazrat Imam Ali al-Naqi), and Ali will be the son of Muhammad ( We are twelve Imams, and we were all born clean and good. I swear by Allah that if the world ends tomorrow, that day will be so long that the Qaim of us, the Household of the Prophet (PBUH), will come.”
What do sociologists think?
The world’s foremost intellectuals are of the opinion that the wars, massacres, murders, prostitution, and all the evils of this age which are daily on the increase are because there is no equilibrium between man’s material and spiritual requirements.
The man of today has turned his back on moral virtues and spiritual riches, although he has conquered the sea, the desert, and space, and has taken himself to the moon. It is obvious that by relying upon force and power he cannot establish order and justice in the world, and that only with technology and the material sciences the happiness of humanity will not be secured.
Man has no other resort than to strengthen his social relations on the basis of faith and virtue, and to save himself from the vortex of dangers with the guidance of a great world reformer, to establish a rule based on justice together with peace, security, and sincerity. In this state of affairs, human society is moving quickly towards preparation for the rising up of the Imam of the Age Hazrat Imam Mahdi (AJTFS.)
How long did Hazrat Mahdi ajtfs lived?
We don’t think it’s impossible for a man’s life to be longer because the Qur’an says, “It is not impossible for a man’s life to be longer.”
“We sent Nuh to his people, and he stayed with them for almost a thousand years. ” (XXIX; 14)
Also, research in the biological sciences has shown that it is possible to make people live longer. Even great scientists believe that food and drugs can be made to make people live longer.
Scientific Proves
These scientists don’t just make assumptions or guesses when they talk, because they’ve done experiments to find out what they think. “A professor at Johns Hopkins University said that it has been proven that the basic parts of the human body have the potential for eternal life.
It seems that Dr. Jack Lubb was the first person to do these experiments on parts of an animal’s body. After him, Dr. Warren Lewis and his wife proved that parts of bird fetuses could be kept alive in buffer solutions. These experiments were done in a systematic way until Dr. Alexis Karel, a graduate student, did his own experiments.
- Unless something went wrong, like the cell not getting enough food or being attacked by germs, it would keep living forever.
- These cells that kept living also grew and made more of themselves.
- The food they were given could control how fast they grew and how many of them they made.
- Time didn’t change them, and they didn’t get older or weaker as it went on.
- There was not even the slightest sign of getting older. They grew and had more babies every year, just like they had in the years before. So why does a man die?
- Why does he rarely live longer than 100 years?
- There are many different parts to a human or animal body, and they all work together perfectly. The life of some of these parts depends on the life of others, and the failure or death of one part of a human or animal body is caused by the death of another part.
- This is why infections can cause sudden deaths, and it’s also why the normal human life span is between 70 and 80 years.
Experiments have shown, of course, that death isn’t caused by reaching 70 or 80 years old. Instead, it’s caused by diseases and accidents that attack one of the body’s organs and stop it from working. When this part dies, it stops communicating with the other parts, which leads to the death of all the organs.
“Therefore, if science could get rid of these accidents or stop their bad effects, there would be no problem with extending life.” So, if we know that a very long life is not impossible, there is nothing to stop God, who is all-powerful, from keeping a man safe and healthy for thousands of years, because God is in charge of a man’s life. He can make a new balance that is more important than the normal way things work, just like He did with all the wonders.
All of the prophets’ miracles, like cooling the fire for Ibrahim al-Khalil, turning Hazrat Musa’s staff into a snake, bringing the dead back to life through Hazrat ‘Isa, and so on, go against the way things usually work. However, God changed the way things work by His own power, and a miracle happened.
All Muslims, Jews, and Christians believe in miracles. In the same way, there is no way to argue about how long the Imam Mahid as of Age will live, because if someone says that such a long life is impossible, that person’s claim can’t be taken seriously after what the Qur’an says about how long Hazrat Nuh lived and after what biology has learned in recent years.
If someone says that it is possible, but against the natural order of things, you can say that the Imam Mahdi as of the Age’s long life is also against the natural order, just like the wonders of the prophets, and is done by God’s will. If you believe in God’s power and that the prophets performed miracles, you can’t have the smallest problem with how long the Imam lives.
How the Imam of the Age Appears?
People sometimes got hints from the Holy Prophet of Islam (PBUH.) about the occultation of the twelfth Imam Mahdi, and the Holy Imams (A.S.) also brought this up. Even before he was born, people knew that the Imam of the Age would stay hidden for a long time. Those who believed that the Imam Mahdi would be born also believed that He would stay hidden for a long time.
Let’s look at some of the things that many ahadees on this subject have told us.
- The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said, “The Qaim of my descendants will be hidden because of a promise I made with Him. At that time, people will say that Allah doesn’t need Muhammad’s family, and some will question His birth. So, anyone who knows the time should act according to His religion and not let Shaytan in by wavering, or he will be kicked out of my people and my religion.” Amir al-Mumeneen said, “Our Qaim has an occultation that will be of great love…
- “Beware! Everyone who is firm in his religion and doesn’t become hard-hearted because of how long this man has been hidden (and turned away from his religion) will be in the same position as me on the Day of Resurrection.” He then said, “Our Qaim, when He rises, is not responsible for anyone’s loyalty to Him. This is why His birth will be secret and He will be hidden.
Muhammad ibn Muslim said that he heard Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (A.S.) say,
“If you hear about the occultation of your Imam, don’t deny it.” 4. At-Tabarsi wrote: “The hadees of the occultation were recorded by the Shi’ite narrators in books which were composed in the time of Imam Baqir and Imam Sadiq (A.S.). Of all these reliable narrators one was Hasan ibn Mahbub. About a hundred years before the time of the occultation, he wrote a book called “al-Mashyakhah,” and mentioned the hadees about the occultation in it.
“Abu Basir said, “I told Imam Sadiq (A.S.) that Hazrat Abu Ja’far had said, ‘The Qa’im of the family of Muhammad will have two occultations, one long and one short.’ He said, ‘Yes, Abu Basir, one of those occultations will be longer than the other.'” Al-Sayyid al-Himyari told Shaykh Saduq, “I had a distorted view of Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah and thought he was hiding until Allah showed me the truth through Imam Sadiq and saved me from the Fire.”
I was shown the right way, and after Ja’far ibn Muhammad’s Imamate was proven to me through evidence and demonstration, I asked him, “O son of the Prophet of Allah, tell me some hadiths from your forefathers about occultation and its truth. If you don’t mind, I’d like you to tell me who the occultation is for.” He said, “The occultation will happen for my descendent in the sixth generation.
Why does the Imam Mahdi ajtfs hide?
Previously, we explained that Imam Mahdi (A.S.) and the successor of the Prophet (PBUH.) were needed for a number of reasons, such as settling disputes, explaining the laws of Allah, and giving spiritual, inner guidance. We also explained that Allah, the Merciful, chose Amir al-Mumeneen (A.S.) and His eleven descendants, one after the other, to be Imams after the Prophet of Islam.
It is clear that the tasks of the Imam of the Age are the same as those of the Imams who came before him in every way. If nothing stood in the way, he would have to show himself clearly so that people could enjoy all the benefits of his presence. So why did they hide him from the start?
If you want to believe in Allah’s rule, you don’t have to look for the theory or reasons behind his occultation. We don’t have to know the basic reason for it, just like we don’t have to know the logic behind many other things.
It’s enough that we know from the many hadiths and true Proofs that God, the All-Mighty, sent his own Proof but kept him hidden behind the curtain of occultation for different reasons. Some hadiths also say that the main and most important reason for the occultation will become clear after al-Mahdi comes back.
“Abdullah al-Fadl al-Hashimi says, “I heard from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (A.S.) that he said, “The occultation will be necessary for the Lord of Power so that the people of vanity will doubt him.” I asked, “Why?” He said, “For a reason I am not allowed to say.” I asked, “What will his rule be?”
He replied, “The same rule as in the occultations of the previous proofs. It won’t be revealed until after he appears, just as the rule of Khizr’s works wasn’t known until Musa and Khizr decided to go their separate ways in the story of Khizr in the Qur’an.” For instance:
- One of the benefits of the Imam Mahdi ajtfs going into hiding is that it gives people a chance to be tested. On one side is a group of people without faith, whose true feelings become clear.
- On the other side is a group of people whose faith has taken root in their hearts: their hope of deliverance, their patience in hard times, their faith in the unseen becoming more perfect, their worthiness becoming clear, and spiritual rewards falling to them in different amounts.
- Musa ibn Ja’far (AS) said, “When my fifth descendent becomes hidden, stick to your religion so no one can turn you away from it. There will be an occultation for the Lord of that Age when a group of believers in him will stop believing. This occultation is a test that Allah will use to test his slaves.”
- A way to keep the Imam from being killed: If we look at the Islamic leaders and how they dealt with the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphs, it’s clear that if the twelfth Imam showed up, they would definitely kill or poison him as they did with his forefathers.
- Because they heard and knew that someone would come from the family of the Prophet, from the descendants of ‘Ali and Fatimah (A.S.), and that this person would be a child of Hazrat Imam Hasan al-‘Askari (A.S.), the Abbasid planned to kill him. But Allah kept him safe, and his enemies gave up. Zurarah says that Imam Sadiq (AS) said,
- “There will be an occultation before the Qa’im appears.” Zurarah asked, “Why?” He said, “So that he won’t be killed, and that occultation will last until the ground is ready for his appearance and his victory over the rule of the oppressors.”
- The third thing we can learn from the hadiths is that this will keep the oppressors, Caliphs, and usurping masters from swearing loyalty to al-Mahdi. When he comes, no one will take an oath of loyalty to him, so he can freely tell the truth and set up a fair and just government.
Why the Hidden Imam is there?
We’ve already said that God chose the Imam of the Age to be a guide for people. However, it’s people who stand in the way of his coming, and al-Mahdi will show himself when people are ready for a single, divine world rule based on true justice that respects rights, truths, and realities and puts all of Islam’s laws into practice without fear or deception.
So, Allah, the Merciful, doesn’t have the smallest lack of favor or charity. Instead, it’s the people’s fault that the Imam is hidden and that his rule is delayed. Still, it’s important to remember that the benefits of the Imam’s existence aren’t limited to guiding people on the outside. The Imam’s pure existence has other benefits that aren’t always clear to people.
The most important thing about the Imam is that he is the link between God and people. For, based on the evidence that scholars have found and the many hadiths that talk about the Imamate, if there were no Imam (a.s.), there would be no connection between the world and its creator, since all of Allah’s blessings reach the rest of humanity through the Imam. Many hadiths say very clearly that the world will end if there is no Imam.
The Imam is the center of the world, the boss, and the teacher of all people. Because of this, it doesn’t matter if he is there or not. Also, the Imam’s spiritual advice will always be there for those who deserve it, even if they don’t see him. This is because hadiths say that the Mahdi comes and goes among the people at meetings of believers without anyone knowing.
So, the Imam does a good job of keeping Islam safe and protecting those who deserve it, even when he is in hiding. In fact, the secret Imam is like the sun behind a cloud. Existing things can benefit from its light and heat, but people who don’t know about it or are blind might not see it. In response to the question, Imam Sadiq (a.s.) also said, ”
How can people benefit from a hidden Imam?
“The same way they benefit from the sun when it is behind a cloud.” We would now like you to look at this excerpt that the Shi’a sect is the only religion that keeps the link of divine guidance between God and his creation going forever and keeps the union of wilayat going. So, they have given this link:
“The Christians also stopped with Jesus, and the Sunni Muslims stopped with Muhammad.” Since the latter group has the seal of prophethood, they say there is no longer a link between the Creator and the world. “Only the Shi’a believe that Muhammad was the last prophet, but that wilayat, which is this link of direction and development, will live on after him and forever. “In fact, only the Shi’a believe that this reality between the world of humans and the Divine will last forever.
A Reminder That’s Needed
Belief in the Imam of the Age means that the link between people and the unseen world is inseparable, and someone who believes this must always remember al-Mahdi and await the appearance of this hidden reformer.
Of course, waiting for the Imam of the Age does not mean that all Muslims and Shi’as should fold their arms and take no measures in the way of furthering the aims of Islam, only waiting for him to appear.
For as the great Shi’ite scholars have been saying from the earliest times, all Muslims and Shi’as have the duty to make every effort in the path of establishing and strengthening Islamic knowledge and laws in the face of injustice and evil, to struggle against this with all their possibilities; or, in other words, to strive till the preparation for a just rule has been made, till society has been so harmonized that all those with complaints have seen justice; and if there is any oppression or cruelty reigning among people, to protest against it, and continue in this way.
Every Muslim has the duty to sacrifice himself in the way of Imam and Islam and to always be prepared to welcome the promised al-Mahdi (A.S.), that is, to so order his life that it may not be a contradiction of the project of the Imam so that he can take his place in the ranks behind him and fight against his enemies.
