Muhammad al-Mahdi (Peace be Upon him) [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Name: Muhammad.

Title: al-Mahdi, al-Qa'im, al-Hujjah, al-Gha'ib, Sahibu'z-Zaman, Sahibu 'l-Amr.

Agnomen: Abu'l-Qasim.

Father's name: al-Hasan al-'Askari.

Mother's name: Nargis.

Birth: In Samarra', on Friday, 15th Sha'ban 255 AH.
He is still living and will appear
before the end of the world. Minor Occultation: 8th Rabi 'u 'I-awwal 260 AH.
Major Occultation: 10th Shawwal 329 AH.
There Existed a good deal of
harmony and uniformity between the aspects pertaining to the births of Prophet
Muhammad, the last Apostle of Allah and Imam al-Mahdi, the last Apostolic
Imam. Just as the coming of the Holy Prophet was prophesied well in advance by
the preceding prophets, similarly the impending news of the gracious birth of
Imam al-Mahdi was foretold by the Holy Prophet. Innumerable traditions in this
context, quoted right from the Holy Prophet, 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 record the
traditions bearing evidence of the coming of this Holy Imam. The promised
Mahdi, who is usually mentioned by his title of Imamu'l-'Asr (the Imam of the
Period) and Sahibu 'z-Zaman (the Lord of the Age), is the son of the Eleventh
Imam. His name is the same as that of the Holy Prophet. He was born in
Samarra' in 255/869 and until 260/874 when his father was martyred, lived
under his father's care and tutelage. He was hidden from public view and only
a few of the elite among the Shi'ah were able to meet him. After the martyrdom
of his father he became Imam and by Divine Command went into occultation
(ghaybah). Thereafter, he appeared only to his deputies (na'ib) and even then
only in exceptional circumstances.
The Imam chose as a special deputy
for a time 'Uthman ibn Sa'id al-'Amri, one of the companions of his father and
grandfather who was his confident and trusted friend. Through his deputy the
Imam would answer the demands and questions of the Shi'ah. After 'Uthman ibn
Sa'id, his son Mutammad ibn 'Uthman al-'Amri was appointed the deputy of the
Imam. After the death of Muhammad ibn 'Uthman, Abu'l-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Ruh
an-Nawbakhti was the special deputy, and after his death 'Ali ibn Muhammad
as-Samuri was chosen for this task. A few days before the death of 'Al; ibn
Muhammad as-Samuri in 329/939 an order was issued by the Imam stating that in
six days 'Ali ibn Muhammad as-Samuri would die. Henceforth the special
deputation of the Imam would come to an end and the major occultation
(ghaybatu 'l-kubrd ) would begin and would continue until the day God grants
permission to the Imam to manifest himself.
The occultation of the Twelfth Imam
is, therefore, divided into two parts: the first, the minor occultation
(ghaybatu's-sughra) which began in 260/872 and ended in 329/939, lasting about
seventy years; the second, the major occultation which commenced in 329/939
and will continue as long as God wills it. In a hadith upon whose authenticity
everyone agrees, the Holy Prophet has said, "If there were to remain in the
life of the world but one day, God would prolong that day until He sends in it
a man from my community and my household. His name will be the same as my
name. He will fill the earth with equity and justice as it was filled with
oppression and tyranny." On the Appearance of the Mahdi: In the discussion on
prophecy and the Imamate it was indicated that as a result of the law of
general guidance which governs all of creation, man is of necessity endowed
with the power of receiving revelation through prophecy, which directs him
toward the perfection of the human norm and the well-being of the human
species.
Obviously, if this perfection and
happiness were not possible for man, whose life possesses a social aspect, the
very fact that he is endowed with this power would be meaningless and futile.
But there is no futility in creation. In other words, ever since he has
inhabited the earth, man has had the wish to lead a social life filled with
happiness in its true sense and has striven toward this end. If such a wish
were not to have an objective existence it would never have been imprinted
upon man's inner nature, in the same way that if there were no food there
would have been no hunger. Or, if there were to be no water there would be no
thirst and if there were to be no reproduction there would have been no sexual
attraction between the sexes. Therefore, by reason of inner necessity and
determination, the future will see a day when human society will be replete
with justice and when all will live in peace and tranquillity, when human
beings will be fully possessed of virtue and perfection. The establishment of
such a condition will occur through human hands but with Divine succour. And
the leader of such a society, who will be the saviour of man, is called in the
language of the hadith, the Mahdi .
In the different religions that
govern the world such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity,
Zoroastrian-ism and Islam there are references to a person who will come as
the saviour of mankind. These religions have usually given happy tidings of
his coming, although there are naturally certain differences in detail that
can be discerned when these teachings are compared carefully. The hadith of
the Holy Prophet upon which all Muslims agree, "The Mahdi is of my progeny,"
refers to this same truth. There are numerous hadiths cited in Sunni and
Shi'ite sources from the Holy Prophet and the Imams concerning the appearance
of the Mahdi, such as that he is of the progeny of the Prophet and that his
appearance will enable human society to reach true perfection and the full
realization of spiritual life. In addition, there are numerous other
traditions concerning the fact that the Mahdi is the son of the Eleventh Imam,
Hasan al-'Askari.
They agree that after being born
and undergoing a long occultation the Mahdi will appear again, filling with
justice the world that has been corrupted by injustice and iniquity. As an
example, 'Ali ibn Musa ar-Rida (the Eighth Imam) said, in the course of a
hadith, "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 Hujjatu'l- Qa'im, who
is awaited during his occultation and obeyed during his manifestation. If
there remain from the life of the world but a single day, Allah will extend
that day until he becomes manifest, and fill the world with justice in the
same way that it had been filled with iniquity. But when? As for news of the
'hour,' verily my father told me, having heard it from his father who heard it
from his father who heard it from his ancestors who heard it from 'Ali, that
it was asked of the Holy Prophet, 'Oh Prophet of God, when will the "support"
(al-Qa'im) who is from thy family appear? ' He said, 'His case is like that of
the Hour (of the Resurrection).
He alone will manifest it at its
proper time. It is heavy in the heavens and the earth. It cometh not to you
save unawares (7:187)
Saqr ibn Abi Dulaf said, "I heard
from Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn 'Ali ar-Rida (the Ninth Imam) who 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. The Imam after him is his son, Hasan. His command is
the command of his father; his word is the word of his father; to obey him is
to obey his father.' After these words the Imam remained silent.' I said to
him, 'Oh son of the Prophet, who will be the Imam after Hasan?' The Imam cried
hard, then said, 'Verily after Hasan his son is the awaited Imam who is
"al-Qa'im bi'l-haqq" (He who is supported by the Truth)."
Musa ibn Ja'far Baghdadi said, "I
heard from Imam Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn 'Ali (the Eleventh Imam) who said, I
see that after me differences will appear among you concerning the Imam after
me. Whose accepts the Imams after the Prophet of God but denies my son is like
the person who accepts all the prophets but denies the prophethood of
Muhammad, the Prophet of God, upon whom be peace and blessing. And whose
denies (Muhammad) the Prophet of God is like one who has denied all the
prophets of God, for to obey the last of us is like obeying the first and to
deny the last of us is like denying the first. But beware! Verily, for my son
there is an occultation during which all people will fall into doubt except
those whom Allah protects."
The opponents of Shi'ism protest
that according to the beliefs of this school the Hidden Imam 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 occurrences not its impossibility. Of course, such a long lifetime
or a life of a longer period is unlikely. But those who study the hadiths of
the Holy Prophet and the Imams 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 which 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 makind 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 most
strange for they accept the miracles of the prophets of God according to their
own sacred scriptures.
The opponents of Shi'ism also
protest that, although Shi'ism considers the Imam necessary in order to
expound the injunctions and verities of religion and to guide the people, the
occultation of the Imam is the negation of this very purpose, for an Imam in
occultation who cannot be reached by mankind cannot be in any way beneficial
or effective. The opponents say that if God wills to bring forth an Imam to
reform mankind, He is able to create him at the necessary moment and does not
need to create him thousands of years earlier.
In answer it must be said that such
people have not really understood the meaning of the Imam, for in the
discussion on the Imamate it became clear that the duty of the Imam is not
only the formal explanation of the religious sciences and exoteric guidance of
the people. In the same way that he has the duty of guiding men outwardly, the
Imam also bears the function of walayah and the esoteric guidance of men. It
is he who directs man's spiritual life and orients the inner aspect of human
action toward God. Clearly, his physical presence or absence has no effect in
this matter. The Imam watches over men inwardly and is in communion with the
soul and spirit of men even if he be hidden from their physical eyes. I{is
existence is always necessary even if the time has not as yet arrived for his
outward appearance and the universal reconstruction that he is to bring
about.
al-Imam al-Hujjah, peace be Upon
him, said:
Rest assured that no one has a
special relation- ship with Allah. Whoever denies me is not my (follower). The
appearance of the Relief (al-faraj) depends solely upon Allah; therefore,
those who propose a certain time for it are liars. As to the benefit of my
existence in Occultation, it is like the benefit of the sun behind clouds
where the eyes do not see. Indeed, my existence is an amnesty for the people
of the earth.-Pray much to Allah to hasten the Relief, for therein also lies
the release from your sufferings.
(A Brief History of The Fourteen
Infallibles, p. 159-166)

The Twelfth Imam Hazrat Mahdi
(A.S.)

The Imam, the just Guide, Hazrat
Mahdi (A.S.) was born half-way through the month of Sha'ban in the year 255
A.H. in the town of Samarra, and in 260 A.H., when his great father died, he
reached the exalted position of the Imamate. His name (Muhammad) and his
agnomen (Abu'l-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 Nargis. For various reasons, the twelfth Imam, 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: 'Uthman ibn Sa'id, Muhammad ibn
'Uthman, Husayn 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 his 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 knowledge
of the shari'ah, and the narration of hadith who are specialised in the
matters of the religion.

Belief in Hazrat Mahdi, and Universal
Reform.

The belief in the reappearance of
the expected Mahdi (A.S.)the universal reformer is not confined to the Shi'ite
Muslims. Other Islamic groups and even non-Islamic groups like the Jews and
the Christians and some of the great world intellectual figures believe in the
appearance of a great spiritual reformer. In Psalm 37 is written: "...Trust in
the Lord and do good; so you will dwell in the land, and enjoy security.
...For the wicked shall be cut off: but those who wait for the Lord shall
possess the land. ...But the weak shall possess the land, and delight
themselves in abundant prosperity. ...The Lord knows the days of the flawless,
and their heritage will abide forever. ...For those blessed by the Lord, shall
possess the land, but those cursed by Him shall be cut off. ...The righteous
shall possess the land, and dwell upon it at peace for ever..."

The Qur'an and belief in al-Mahdi

In the Qur'an a time is promised
when the worshippers of Truth, the world's people of righteousness, will take
over the power and government of the world, and the glorious din of Islam will
reign all over the earth. Other ayahs have been revealed which exegetically
point to Hazrat Mahdi (A.S.).
"For We have written in the
Psalms, after the Remembrance, 'The earth shall be the inheritance of My
righteous servants." (XXI; 105)
"Allah has promised those of you
who believe and do righteous deeds that He will surely make you successors in
the land, even as He made those who were before them successors, and that He
will surely establish their religion for them, and will give them in exchange,
after their fear, security: They shall serve Me, not associating with Me
anything. " (XXIV:55)
"It is He Who has sent His
Messenger with the religion of truth, that he may lift it above every
religion, though the unbelievers be averse. (LXI:9)
"Yet We desired to be gracious
to those that were abased in the land, and to make them leaders, and to make
them the inheritors. " (XXII:5)
The above ayahs clearly show that
in the end the world will fall to the hands of Allah's worthy and righteous
servants and that they will become the leaders of the people of the world.
Then Islam will be victorious over all religions.

Belief in al-Mahdi and the Sunni
authorities

In this subject, the scholars in
the Sunni school have related many hadiths from the Prophet of Islam, through
narrators whom they themselves trust. From among them are such hadiths as tell
that the Imams are twelve persons and that are all from the Quraysh.
Al-Mahdi(A.S.), the promised one, is from the family of the Prophet and is a
descendent of Hazrat 'Ali and Hazrat Fatimah Zahra (A.S.), and in many of
these hadiths it is mentioned that he is from the line of Imam Husayn (A.S.).
They have mentioned and recorded hundreds of hadiths about the Mahdi 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 of the Age (225 A.H.) or shortly after his birth. Let us
also mention: - Masabih as-Sunnah of al-Baghawi (d. 516 A.H.) Jami' al-Usul of
ibn al-Athir (d. 606 A H.) Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyyah of Muhyi'd-din ibn 'Arabi
(d.638 A.H.) Tadhkirat al-Khawass of Sibt ibn al-Jawzi (d. 654 A.H.) Fara'd
as-Simtayn of al-Hamawi (d. 716 A.H.) as-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah of Ibn Hajar
al-Haytami (d. 973 A.H.) Yanabi'al-Mawaddah of Shaykh Sulayman al-Qunduzi
(d.1293 A.H.) Some of the Sunni scholars have written books especially about
the Imam of the Age:
1. 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 at hand more than three
thousand hadiths from the Prophet (S.A.) and from the pure Imams about the
Imam of the Age. From them it is clear that the Imam of the Age is the ninth
son of Husayn ibn 'Ali (A.S.), his father is Hazrat Imam Hasan 'Askari (A.S.),
his mother Nargis Khatun. His name is the same as that of the Prophet of the
end of time, his title is al-Mahdi. It was to happen that he would be born
during his father's lifetime in Samarra, that his father would die when he was
young, that he would live even to this day, and as long as God wished it. Then
he will reappear and the world will be filled with justice at a time when
there is injustice everywhere and that is why he is now hidden from the sight
of men. And when he comes with his back towards the Ka'bah's edifice, he will
lean against the wall and cry out and call for his followers, who will number
313 persons. Hazrat 'Isa (A.S.) will come from the heaven down to the earth,
and will pray in a prayer led by al-Mahdi. The Imam of the Age will cause the
commands of Islam to reach all over the world, and the earth will be like
paradise.
There are very many hadiths related
by the Shi'a and Sunni scholars on many aspects connected with this great
Imam, and these are mentioned in books like Bihar al-Anwar and Muntakhab
al-Athar. First we shall indicate here some of these hadiths which the author
of Muntakhab al-Athar wrote down in his book and then we shall give the text
of some of them. The total amount of hadiths
1. A hadith in which it is related
that the Imams are twelve, the first being 'Ali, the last being al-Mahdi
(A.S.) (No. of hadith: 58)

2. A
hadith which give news of the appearance of al-Mahdi(A.S.). (No. of hadith:
657)

3. A hadith which identify him as descendent of
the Prophet (S.A.). (No. of hadith: 389)

4. A hadith
which say that his name and agnomen are the same as the Prophet's. (No. of
hadith: 48)

5. A hadith which say al-Mahdi is a
descendent of Amir al-Muminin(A.S.). (No. of hadith: 214)

6. A hadith which say he is a descendent of Hazrat Fatimah (A.S.) (No.
of hadith: 192)

7. A hadith which say he is a
descendent of Hazrat Husayn (A.S.) (No. of hadith: 185)

8. A hadith which say he is the ninth descendent of Imam Husayn (A.S.)
(No. of hadith: 148)

9. A hadith which say he is a
descendent of Imam Zayn al-'Abidin (A.S.) (No. of hadith: 185)

10. A hadith which say he is a descendent of Imam Baqir
(A.S.) (No. of hadith: 103)

11. A hadith which say he
is a descendent of Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (AS.) (No. of hadith: 103)

12. A hadith which say he is a descendent of Imam Musa Kazim
(A.S.) (No. of hadith: 101)

13. A hadith which say he
is a descendent of Imam Rida (A.S.) (No. of hadith: 95)

14. A hadith which say he is a descendent of Imam Jawad (A.S.) (No. of
hadith: 90)

15. A hadith which say he is a descendent
of Imam Hadi (A.S.) (No. of hadith: 90)

16. A hadith
which say he is a descendent of Imam Hasan al-'Askari (A.S.) (No. of hadith:
146)

17. A hadith which say that the name of his
father is Hasan(A.S.) (No. of hadith: 147)

18. A
hadith which say that he will fill the world with justice (No. of hadith:
123)

19. A hadith which say his occultation will be
prolonged (No. of hadith: 91)

20. A hadith which
relate the extent of al-Mahdi's life (No. of hadith: 318)

21. A hadith which say that Islam will rule over
the world through him (No. of hadith: 47)

22.
A hadith which say he will be the twelfth and the last Imam. (No. of hadith:
136)

When looking at the above mentioned
and other hadiths, it should be kept in mind that the hadiths mentioning
al-Mahdi (A.S.) have been narrated most frequently, and that there are few
subjects in Islam which have been mentioned in hadiths so often. Thus, in this
light, anyone who believes in Islam and its Prophet (S.A.) must necessarily
declare his belief in the existence of the promised al-Mahdi who is now in
occultation. Now we shall relate some of these hadiths.

1. The author of Yanabi'
al-Mawaddah relates that the Prophet (S.A.) said: "A1-Mahdi is a descendent of
mine. He will be in concealment, and when he manifests himself, the earth will
become filled with justice, just as it was previously filled with
injustice."

2. In this book it is
also related that Salman al-Farsi said: "I went to the Prophet, when Husayn
ibn 'Ali was sitting in his lap and the Prophet 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. Your 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
Qa'im."

3. 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 descendent the Qa'im, who will fill the earth
with justice, when it was previously filled with injustice.

4. Hudhayfah said that the Prophet (S.A.) said: "If no more than one
day is left of the world, Allah will make that day so long that a man,
descendent of mine, whose name is my name, will appear." Salman asked: "O
Prophet of Allah, which descendent will he be?" The Prophet put his hand on
Husayn and said that he would be one of his descendents.

5. Mas'adah relates from Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (A.S.) that he said:
"The Qa'im will be born of Hasan (the 11th Imam, Hazrat Imam Hasan
al-'Askari), and Hasan will be son of 'Ali (the tenth Imam, Hazrat Imam 'Ali
al-Naqi), and 'Ali will be son of Muhammad (the ninth Imam, Hazrat Imam
Muhammad at-Taqi), and Muhammad will be born of 'Ali (the eighth Imam, Hazrat
'Ali ibn Musa ar-Rida) and 'Ali will be son of this child (he pointed to
Hazrat Musa ibn Ja'far, the seventh Imam). We are twelve Imams, all pure and
of a noble birth. I swear by Allah, if there remains of the world no more than
one day, Allah will make that day so long that the Qa'im of us, the Husehold
of the Prophet (S.A.), will appear."

The Opinion of Sociologists

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 in 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 in 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
(A.S.)

The Length of al-Mahdi's Life

We believe that the lengthening of
a man's life is not an impossibility, because it is explicitly said in the
Qur'an that:

"We sent Nuh to his
people, as he tarried among them a thousand years, all but fifty. " (XXIX;
14) What is more, research undertaken
in the biological sciences has corroborated the possibility of lengthening the
human life-span. Even great scientists are of the opinion that food and drugs
may be prepared which can prolong man's life. The late Ayatullah Sadr (A
learned scholar of Qom (1882-1953), father of the well-known Imam Musa-Sadr of
the Lebanon.) in his book "al-Mahdi", quoted from a scientific article written
in 1959 which stands as a witness to what we have said above. Here we shall
give a summary of it. "Authoritative scientists say that all the basic tissues
of the animal body can live forever, and it is possible for man to live for a
thousand years, provided that it doesn't happen that the thread of his life is
severed.
These scientists do not speak on
the basis of guesswork or surmise, for they have arrived at their conclusion
through scientific experiment. "A professor at Johns Hopkins University has
said that it has been proved that the basic members of the human body have the
potentiality for eternal life. Apparently the first person to carry out these
experiments on parts of an animal's body was Dr. Jack Lubb, and after him Dr.
Warren Lewis, who, together with his wife, proved that parts of bird foetuses
could be kept alive in buffer solutions. These experiments were systematically
continued until Dr. Alexis Karel, as a result of further experimental work,
established that parts of animals subjected to experiments did not degenerate,
and even that they lived longer than the animal from which they had been
taken. In January 1912 he started his experiments and by dint of
self-sacrifice and removing the numerous difficulties, he discovered the
following facts: "
1. Unless complications such as
lack of nutrition or attack by microbes intervened, living cells would
continue living forever. 2. These cells which continued to live, also grew and
multiplied. 3. The growth and division of these could be controlled by the
nutrition given to them. 4. The passing of time did not affect them and did
not make them age or lose strength. Not even the smallest effect of ageing was
seen. Each year they grew and multiplied exactly as in previous years. So why
does man die? Why is his span of life rarely more than a hundred years? The
parts of the human or animal body are numerous and various, and there is also
a perfect relationship and unity between them; so that the life of some of
them depends on the life of others, and the failure or death of parts of human
or animal bodies is the consequence of the death of the other parts. Sudden
deaths which are the result of infection are for this reason, and it also
provides the reason for the average limit of man's life being around seventy
to eighty years.
Of course, what experiments have
shown is that the cause of death is not the arrival at seventy or eighty years
of age, but that the fundamental causes are diseases and accidents which may
attack one of the body's organs and put it out of work; then the death of this
part causes a break in its relation to other parts and the death of all the
organs ensues. "Thus if science could eliminate these accidents or obstruct
their harmful effects, there would be no impediment to the prolongation of
life." So if we know that a greatly extended life is not an impossibility,
there is no hindrance to prevent God, the All-powerful, from keeping a man
safe and sound for thousands of years, because the regulations of a man's life
is in the hands of God. He can bring a new harmony into existence which has
precedence over the usual order of things, just as He did in the case of all
the miracles.
The miracles of the prophets, the
cooling of the fire for Ibrahim al-Khalil, the turning into a serpent of
Hazrat Musa's staff, the bringing to life of the dead through Hazrat 'Isa, and
so forth, are all against the usual flow of things, but God brought another
order into existence by His own power and a miracle occurred; all Muslims,
Jews and Christians, believe in miracles. Similarly for the length of the life
of the Imam of the Age there remains no place for any kind of objection,
because if someone says that such a length of life is impossible, his claim
cannot be at all accepted after the stipulation of the Qur'an concerning the
length of Hazrat Nuh's life, and also after the latest revelations of biology.
If it is said that it is possible, but against the normal natural order of
things, it can be retorted that the length of life of the Imam of the Age is
against the natural order just as the miracles of the prophets, and is carried
out according to the will of God. Someone who believes in the power of God and
the occurrance of the miracles of the prophets cannot have the slightest
objection to the length of the Imam's life.

The Occultation of the Imam of the
Age

The Prophet of Islam (S.A.)
sometimes hinted to people concerning the occultation of the twelfth Imam, and
the pure Imams (A.S.) also reminded people of this matter. The news of the
occultation of the Imam of the Age was so well known even before his birth,
that everyone who believed in the birth of the Imam also believed in his
prolonged occultation. Let us look at some of the indications that have come
down to us from many hadiths on this subject. 1. The Prophet said: "The Qa'im
of my descendents will become hidden, as the result of a covenant between me
and him, and then people will say that Allah has no need of the family of
Muhammad, and some will doubt his birth. So everyone who is aware of his time
must act according to his religion, and must not let Shaytan enter him by
faltering lest he be thrown out from my people and my religion." 2. Amir
al-Mu'minin said: "Our Qa'im has an occultation which will be of great
devotion...
Beware! Everyone who is firm in his
religion, and does not become hard-hearted from the lengthening of the
occultation of this man (and turn away from his religion) will find himself in
the same rank as me on the Day of Resurrection." Then he said: "Our Qa'im,
when he rises, has no responsibility for anyone's allegiance to him, and for
this reason his birth will be secret and he will be hidden." 3. Muhammad ibn
Muslim said that he heard from Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (A.S.) that he said: "If
you hear of the occultation of your Imam, do not deny it." 4. At-Tabarsi
wrote: "The hadiths 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 hadiths about the occultation in it.
The following is one of them. "Abu
Basir said: "I said in the presence of Imam Sadiq (A.S.) that Hazrat Abu
Ja'far had said: 'The Qa'im of the family of Muhammad will have two
occultation; one prolonged, one short.' He said: 'Yes, O Abu Basir, one of
those occultation will be longer than the other." Therefore, the Prophet of
Islam (S.A.) and the pure Imams (A.S.) reminded people that the occultation of
the Imam of the Age (A.S.) went together with the announcement of the
existence of the Prophet himself, and that belief in the Imam's occultation
went together with belief in the Prophet's existence. Shaykh Saduq narrated
from Al-Sayyid al-Himyari: "I had some exaggerated idea about Muhammad ibn
al-Hanafiyyah, and believed that he was hidden, till Allah enlightened me
through Imam Sadiq and saved me from the Fire.
I was guided to the true way,
whereby after the Imamate of Ja'far ibn Muhammad had been proved to me by
evidence and demonstration, I said one day to him: 'O son of the Prophet of
Allah, tell me some hadiths from your forefathers about occultation and the
truth of it. If you please, I would that you tell me for whom the occultation
is.' He replied: 'The occultation will occur for my descendent in the sixth
generation, and he will be the twelfth Imam after the Prophet of Allah, the
first one being 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, and the last the Qa'im of the Truth, the
one who remains with Allah on earth, and the Lord of the Age..."'

Why is the Imam of the Age in
Concealment?

In previous lessons we have said
that the existence of the Imam (A.S.) and the successor of the Prophet (S.A.)
was necessary for a number of reasons, such as settling differences,
explaining the laws of Allah, and giving spiritual, inward guidance, and that
Allah, the Merciful, appointed Amir al-Mu'minin (A.S.) and after him eleven
descendents, one after the other, as Imams after the Prophet of Islam. It is
obvious that the duties of the Imam of the Age, in all the aspects of the
Imamate, are the same as that of his predecessors. If there were no hindrance,
it would be necessary that he be clearly manifested, so that people might
prosper from all the benefits of his existence. So why was he hidden from the
very first?
Basically, there is no need to look
for the philosophy or reasons behind his occultation so as to believe in the
rule of Allah, for there is no obligation on us to know the basic reason for
it, just as we remain ignorant of the metaphysics behind many other things. It
is sufficient that we know on the basis of the many hadiths and true Proofs
that God, the All-Mighty, sent his own Proof, but that, for various reasons,
He kept him hidden behind the curtain of occultation. It can also be found
from some hadiths that the basic and fundamental reason for the occultation
will become known after the appearance of al-Mahdi. 'Abdullah al-Fadl
al-Hashimi says: "I heard from Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (A.S.) that he said: 'The
occultation will be indispensible for the Lord of Power, so that the people of
vanity will fall into doubt about him.' I asked: 'Why?' He said: 'For a reason
which I am not at liberty to declare.' I asked: 'What will his rule
be?'
He replied: 'The same rule as
existed in the occultations of previous Proofs. It will not be disclosed
until-after his appearance, just as the rule of the works of Khidr was not
known (meaning the drilling of a hole in the boat, the killing of the youth,
the repairing of the wall in the story of Khidr in the Qur'an) until Musa and
Khidr decided to part company. O Fadl, the subject of the occultation is a
command of Allah and a secret of His secrets, and since we acknowledge Allah
to be Wise, we must accept that all his acts are done with Knowledge and
Wisdom, even if the reason for them is not known to us."' Of course the
benefits of al-Mahdi's occultation can be discovered, and these have been
indicated in some of the hadiths. For example:
1. A test for people is one of the
benefits of the occultation of the Imam of the Age: on one side, a group
without faith, whose inner feelings become evident; on the other side, those
in the depths of whose hearts faith have taken root, their hope of
deliverance, their patience in adversity, their faith in the unseen becoming
more perfect, their worthiness becoming known, and degrees of spiritual reward
falling to them. Musa ibn Ja'far (AS.) said: "When my fifth descendent becomes
hidden, persevere in your religion, so that no one may turn you away from it.
There will be an occultation for the Lord of that Age, when a group of
believers in him will relinquish their belief. This occultation is a test by
which Allah will test his slaves."
2. A Protection for the Imam
against being killed: From a study of the leaders of Islam, and their
situation vis-a-vis the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphs, we can clearly see that
if the twelfth Imam manifested himself they would surely kill him or poison
him like his forefathers. Because when they heard and knew that there would
arise from the family of the Prophet, from the descendents of 'Ali and Fatimah
(A.S.) someone who would destroy the government of the oppressors, and that
that person would be child of Hazrat Imam Hasan al-'Askari (A.S.), the
Abassids planned to kill him. But Allah protected him and his enemies lost
hope. Zurarah relates from Imam Sadiq (AS.) that he said: "There will be an
occultation prior to the appearance of the Qa'im." Zurarah asked: "Why?" He
said: "So that he may escape being killed, and that occultation will continue
till the ground for his appearance and triumph over the rule of the oppressors
is ready."
3. The third benefit that can be
gleaned from the hadiths is that by this means al-Mahdi will be saved from
having allegiance made to him by the oppressors, Caliphs, and usurping rulers.
When he appears no one will swear allegiance to him, so that he can freely
expose the truth and establish a just and righteous rule.

The Purpose of the Hidden Imam.

We have said above that God
appointed the Imam of the Age to be a guide amongst people; however it is the
people who are the obstacle to his appearance, and whenever they are ready for
a single, divine world rule, formed on true justice observing rights, truths
and realities, putting into practice all the laws of Islam without any
dissimulation or fear, al-Mahdi will openly declare himself. So, with regard
to Allah, the Merciful, there is not the slightest lack of favour or mercy,
for the fault lies with the people that the Imam is hidden and the appearance
of his rule is delayed. Still, it must be remembered that the benefits of the
existence of the Imam are not limited to outward guidance among people, for
the pure existence of the Imam has other benefits which are not necessarily
evident among people.
The most important benefit of the
Imam's existence is that he is the intermediary for Divine Favor. For, one the
basis of the evidence scholars have produced and also according to numerous
hadiths which speak about the Imamate, if there were no Imam (a.s), the
relation between the world and its creator would no longer exist, because all
of the fovours of Allah come through the Imam to the rest of humanity. In many
hadiths it is said very clearly that the earth will not remain without an
Imam. The Imam is the heart of the world of existence, the leader, the
preceptor of mankind, and for this reason his presence or his absence makes no
difference. what is more, the spiritual guidance of the Imam towards worthy
individuals will always be there, although they may not see him, especially as
it is mentioned in hadiths that the Mahdi comes and goes in among the people
in the meetings of the believers without anyone understanding. Thus the
guarding of Islam and the protection of the worthy is well undertaken by the
Imam, even during the time of his occultation. In reality the hidden Imam is
like the sun behind a cloud from whose light and heat existent things may
profit, although the ignorant and the blind may not see it. Imam Sadiq (a.s)
also said in answer to the question: "
How can people benefit from a
hidden Imam?": " Just as they do from the sun when it is behind a cloud." We
would now like you to look at this excerpt from the that the shi'a sect is the
only religion which maintains eternally the link of Divine guidance between
God and his creation , and continually keeps alive the union of walayat, The
Jewish religion, finished prophethood, which is the relationship between god
and the world of man, with Moses, and do not acknowledge the prophethood of
Jesus or Muhammad. Thus they have served this link , The Christians, also ,
stopped with Jesus, and the Sunni Muslims stood still with Muhammad. With the
seal of prophethood among the latter, they admit of no further link being
maintained between the Creator and creation. "Only the Shi'a faith believes
that the prophethood ended with Muhammad, but that wilayat, which is this link
of guidance and progression, continues to live after him and forever. "Indeed,
only among the Shi'a does this reality between the world of man and the
Divinity remain forever."

A Necessary Reminder

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 harmonised 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.
(Roots of Religion, p. 217-235)