What is the Benefit of Having the 12th Imam in Occultation? [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

What is the Benefit of Having the 12th
Imam in Occultation?

Bismihi Ta'ala

Question: If the Imam is the leader of the people he should be present among
them. What is the benefit of having an Imam who lives an invisible life? What
is the use of having an Imam who lives in the state of occultation for
centuries without fulfilling any of the functions that he normally undertakes:
such as,

* propagating religion, * solving the problems of society, * responding to the
attacks of his opponents, * commanding the good and forbidding the evil, *
helping the poor and redressing the wrongs committed against the downtrodden, *
upholding the ordinances of God by instituting proper penalties, * and
explaining the lawful and the unlawful to the people, and so on. Answer: The
people are surely deprived of some of the benefits that you have enumerated
during the occultation. However, the benefits of the Imam's presence are not
limited to these. In fact, there are other benefits that are available during
the occultation. The following two are among those many other benefits that you
have not enumerated:

First: Imam is a Link Between the Material and the Spiritual World

In accord with all that we have said previously and the proofs that were
derived from the writings of Muslim scholars, including the hadith-reports
that spoke about the necessity of the Imamate, the existence of the Imam as a
perfect and unique embodiment of humanity serves as a link between the material
and the spiritual world. If the Imam is absent the human species will be
extinct. If there is no Imam then God cannot be known or worshipped perfectly.
Without the Imam the link between the material and the spiritual become
severed. The heart of the Imam is like the source of electricity that
distributes light to numerous lamps. The illumination and energization
of the hidden universe first mirrors on the heart of the Imam and then from
there it reflects on the hearts of humankind. The Imam is the heart of the
created universe and the leader and guide of humankind. It is evident that his
presence and absence have an impact upon these actualities.

Wilayat and The Imamate

After all these, can one ask what benefit accrues from the invisible existence
of the Imam? I think that you are raising this objection on behalf of someone
else who does not have a real understanding of the meaning of wilayat and the Imamate and who does not see the Imam as
more than a legal expert and an administrator of justice, whereas the
responsibilities of the wilayat and the Imamate are
much more than these external functions.

In a long tradition reported from Imam Sadiq it is
related that Imam Sajjad said:

We are the leaders of the Muslims, God's proofs for His creatures, masters of
the believers, guides for the god-fearing, and those invested with
discretionary authority over the affairs of Muslims. We are the security for
the dwellers of the earth, just as the stars are the security of the

dwellers of the heavens. It is because of us that the heavens descend on the
earth whenever God permits. It is because of us that the rain descends and
blessings of earth come out of it. If we had not been on earth its dwellers
would have been consumed in it.

He then went on to say:

From the day God created Adam until today He has not left the earth without a
competent authority (proof=hujjat). But this
authority is sometimes manifest and well known; at other times he is in
occultation and in concealment. The earth will not be void of such an authority
until the Day of Judgement. If there is no Imam, God
will not be worshipped.

Sulayman, the narrator, asked Imam Sadiq:

"How can people benefit from the existence of an Imam who is in
occultation?"

The Imam said:

"In the same way as they benefit from the sun behind the clouds."

In this and other traditions of this kind the existence of the twelfth Imam and
the benefit derived from him are compared to the benefit derived from the sun
hidden behind the clouds. To elaborate on this imagery, let us remind ourselves
of the way natural science that explains the phenomenon. It is established in
natural science and in astronomy that the sun is the centre

of our solar system. The laws of gravity protect the earth from falling into an
abyss, and permit the earth to revolve around the sun, generating the distinction
between day and night and different seasons according to its position in
relation to the sun. The thermal energy produced by the sun is

the source of life on earth and its light illuminates the otherwise dark earth.
This benefit accrues to the earth regardless of the fact of whether the sun is
shining directly or from behind the clouds. In other words, all its functions
(illumination, providing energy, growth, etc.) are intact even

when it shines from behind the clouds. In fact, whether it is from behind the
dark clouds or at night when we think the sun is not present, we are still
recipients of the sun's thermal energy and all other benefits that are critical
for our survival on earth.

The existence of the Imam is like the sun behind the clouds that benefits the
dwellers of the earth. He is the heart of humankind and its existential guide.
In order for his benefits to reach humanity it does not matter whether he is
manifest or in concealment. Let us recall our previous

discussions about the necessity of the Prophethood
and Imamate and review all their aspects so that we can appreciate the true
meaning of wilayat.

This review will help us to understand the most important benefit of having an
Imam from the progeny of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny),
whether manifest or in concealment. As we ponder this matter, we are actually
enjoying the blessings of this Imam's invisible existence.

Launching God's Government

As for other benefits enumerated by you, of which
people are deprived, actually, both from the direction of God and from the
existence of the Imam, there is no obstacle to these benefits reaching the
people. The problem is with the people themselves. If these obstructions could
be removed and if the people worked towards creating the just order and toward
preparing to

launch God's government by spreading the right information and strengthening
the character of the people to receive the Imam's leadership, then the Imam
would appear to lead humanity towards the creation of the divine order on
earth.

It is possible that someone might say: Under the circumstances when the overall
situation is not favourable to the appearance of the
Imam, why should we put ourselves in the dangerous situation of trying to
prepare for his return? In response to this it must be pointed out that a
Muslim's actions in this connection should not be motivated by the personal
gain of some

individuals; rather, it should become the goal of each and every person to endeavour for the social reforms affecting all people.
Seriousness of purpose in improving the conditions of the people and in
removing causes of injustice and tyranny in society are regarded as the most
meritorious act of worship in Islam.

The Lofty Goals of Islam

Again, it is possible that someone might say: The endeavours
of one or a few individuals trying to change the conditions in society may come
to nothing. Hence, one should not even try to do anything. Moreover, in
principle, it might be asked what wrong have I done to be deprived of meeting my
Imam? In response to this one can point out the benefit that accrues to an
individual

and to the society in general when we endeavour to
raise the standard of thinking and moral awareness among people, informing them
about the lofty goals of Islam and bringing them closer to the goals of the
Imam (peace be upon him).

By doing so we have actually fulfilled our obligation as a
follower of the Imam. In return, we have attained the highest reward of
having furthered the realization of an ideal society, even if merely by a step.
Any rational person can attest to this benefit of striving to further the
divine purposes

for human society. It is for this reason that there are numerous traditions
that speak about the merits of awaiting deliverance through the appearance of
the twelfth Imam, and which regard this awaiting as a form of serving God.

Second: Imam is a source of Hope and Peace for the Believers

Faith in the Hidden Imam and awaiting deliverance through his return is a
source of hope and peace for the hearts of the believers. Such a hope is one of
the major causes of the success and advancement of the Islamic ideal. Any group
of people that becomes bogged down by pessimism and despair also suffers from
self-imposed negativism that leads to the defeat of the

purpose.

There is no doubt that the social and political turmoil in many parts of the
world, the decline of moral and ethical vision, the deprivation and poverty
suffered by the downtrodden, the spread of tools of various forms of
imperialistic intervention in the affairs of the weaker societies, the arms

race among the powerful countries --all these -- have led sensitive and
conscientious thinkers around the globe to become concerned and even, to a
certain extent, pessimistic about the ability of human society to deliver
itself from its self-cultivated gradual destruction.

The Door of Hope

The only door that has remained open for humanity is the door of hope in the
darkness of despair. That hope lies in the divine
intervention in human affairs by the sending of a divinely guided leader, the Mahdi, to establish a godly society founded upon the
divinely ordained laws. Indeed, it is this hope that gives solace to the
disturbed hearts of those who have suffered

injustices. It is the hope of seeing that government based on the
acknowledgement of the Unity of God which has safeguarded the faith of the
people, and has made them firm in their commitments to God. It is faith in the
ultimate victory of truth that has made these people seek an active role

in working towards social reforms and other related matters. Seeking the help
of God under these circumstances helps human beings to avoid becoming hopeless
in the face of continued atrocities and wrongs committed against the innocent.
The Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) laid
the foundation of this positive attitude by introducing the universal program
of

reform under the divinely guided leadership that will undertake to unite human
resources in creating the ethical order proclaimed in the Qur'an.

Imam Zayn al-'Abidin has
conveyed this positive aspect of the hope of deliverance in the tradition in
which he says:

"To hope for deliverance and release in itself functions as the most
profound form of deliverance."

Faith in the Promised Mahdi

To conclude our discussion at this point, faith in the promised Mahdi has made it possible for the Shi'a
community:

* To hope and work for the ideal.

* It has eliminated the negative spirit of pessimism, engendering in it the
positive spirit of confidence in the human ability to work for its betterment.

* The belief has, furthermore, required the followers of the twelfth Imam to
fight against the forces of disbelief, materialism, corruption, and injustice,

* To work for the government of God,

* The perfection of the human intellect,

* The establishment of true peace through justice on earth,

* And to further human knowledge and technology.

It is for this reason that the hope for deliverance during the occultation has
been regarded as the best form of divine worship and martyrdom in the path of
truth in the numerous traditions reported from the ahl
al-bayt.