Glimpses

of Al-Mahdi (a.s.)

The Peace
of Allah, His Messengers, Imams and the believers be upon you.

O the one who bestows honour upon the believers.

O the one
who degrades the enemies of Allah and the Prophet.

O the Proof
of Allah on Earth.

O Abu Saleh
Al Mahdi (May Allah hasten your reappearance).

This is another humble request to you, even though you are in occultation.
We are restless due to your separation, and much remains to be said. Just
know that countless things remain unsaid, countless couplets remain unsung
and an unspecified number of martial songs remain unfinished. The words
surge out in the form of tears. The eyes have become an imploring tongue.
The field of human history is wide open before us, and those who are in
anticipation of your reappearance continue to be busy in Jihad (Holy war)
holding the sword in one hand and pen in the other. Is it possible that
we see your successful come-back before this request is complete?

Curious eyes
gaze at the door of the morning in anticipating a glimpse of your luminous
face.

Do not prolong
the already prolonged separation of 1200 years for your awaiters.

Firm determination
and resolute intentions, with pure body and soul.

With the
name of Allah on the tongue and the name of His "Wali" in the
heart They are dressed up in Ehraam heading hastily for the promised rendezvous
All prepared to heed to the call.....

The
auspicious days of celebrating the birth of our Master of the Age have
renewed our desire to know more about him. Carrying his love, we begin
to traverse the valley of His greatness. We carry his remembrance and
his name in this world of knowledge and light and prepare ourselves for
the journey.

You
are a migrant in this spiritual migration. The provisions of your journey
are sincerity, the helper is Allah and the guide is the Wali of Allah.

The
journey is within yourself. What is the result of this journey and migration?

It
is self accounting. Regarding those duties which have been made compulsory
for us by Imam-e-Zamana (May our lives be sacrificed for him) and we have
made a covenant to fulfill those duties.

Those
duties towards which we are totally inattentive. The utter negligence
on our part has made Hazrat sad. Hazrat complains to Allah for the acts
of his people.

This
is the time to spread the name and fill the whole world with the remembrance
of Hazrat (a.s.) to invite the people towards his intellectual revolution
to create the conditions favourable for his reappearance so that he (a.s.)
may fill the earth with the sweet scent of his reappearance and the buds
of, belief may bloom in the garden of his universal kingdom. Justice and
knowledge may become widespread. These are some of the results that become
manifest on the blessed occasion of the birth of Hazrat Baqiyatullah (May
our lives be sacrificed for him) Insha Allah.

We
now begin our discussion with the words of Hazrat (a.t.f.s.), so that
the words which emanate from the soul shall become embedded in our soul.
We may thus become aware that the holy personality is with us. It is this
personality which helps us in this age of difficulties and turmoil, and
it is this being which guards and cares for us.

"In
the Name of Allah the Beneficent, the Merciful

May
Allah protect us from the mischief. And may Allah bestow us with the soul
of certainty and save us from a dreadful end.

A
group from amongst you has created doubts regarding religion. We have
received reports of the doubts that they harboured regarding their "Master
of affairs."

I
became aggrieved, not for my sake but for you. Because Allah is with us
and we are not in need of anyone but Him. And the truth is with us. Hence,
I am not worried if anyone forgoes our obedience and leadership...

O
people! Why are you involved in doubts and uncertainties. And why, in
a condition of bewilderment and astonishment you have made it a doubtful
problem? Don't you know that the Almighty has said:

"O
those who believe, obey Allah and obey his Prophet and those who have
been given authority from among you."

Don't
you know that according to the "hadiths" and narrations your
past and the future Imams (a.s.) will have to face various calamities?

Have
you not seen that from the time of Adam (a.s.) up to that of Imam Hasan
al Askari (a.s.) Allah has always provided for you a refuge. Allah has
also established clear signs for you to recognise them, so that you can
obtain guidance through their medium. And that too in a way that whenever
one of these signs were to disappear from your sight it would soon be
replaced by another. And whenever a star sets, another star would begin
to shine.

Do
you think that after the death of Imam Hasan al Askari (a.s.) Allah had
forsaken this religion and discontinued the medium that connected Him
and His creatures?

No!
It had not been so. It will not be till the day of Qiyamat and till the
day of the reappearance of the Proof of Allah. Though the disbelievers
are averse to it.

Imam
Hasan al Askari (a.s.) departed from this world in a righteous way. But
like his forefathers he had left behind his will regarding his knowledge
and his legatee among us. And except for the blatant disbelievers and
tyrants no one disputes with us regarding this exalted position of Imamat.
And except for the infidel who has abandoned truth, no one claims for
himself this exalted position.

If
there had been no risk of subordination of Allah and betrayal of His secrets,
our right upon you would have become manifest in such a grand manner that
you would have been astonished and all your doubts would have disappeared.
But whatever Allah the Almighty has desired and whatever is written in
Lauh-e-Mahfooz (the protected tablet) has to be fulfilled.

Therefore,
you also must fear Allah and surrender yourselves to us. Leave all the
affairs to us so that every type of goodness may reach the people from
our existence. Do not insist upon being informed about all that has been
hidden from you and do not deviate from the straight path. Remain aligned
to the middle path.

Keep
your aim with our devotion on a path that is sure to lead towards us.
I have advised you regarding that which was necessary. And the Almighty
Allah is a witness upon me and upon you.

If we had no love towards you and if we had not cared
for your success and your salvation, and if we had not been caring towards
you, we would have discontinued communicating with you.

And
may Allah send his blessings upon the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.)"

(Beharul
Anwaar' Vol. 53, Pg. No. 178-180, from AI-Ihtijaj')

Let
us ponder upon these priceless words of Imam-e-Zamana (May our lives be
sacrificed for him) and ask ourselves a question:

Who
are those who have been addressed by Imam (a.s.) thus?

Does
this concern only a particular group of people in the city of Qum who
had written a question to Imam (a.s.) during the period of Minor Occultation?
Or Is it addressed to all the people living in the period of ghaibat?

Were
the problems of doubts, deviations and disputes confined to that period
only or they are relevant to. Every age also? Are we also not affected
by such maladies?

If
it is so then we and all those people who carry the load of the difficulties
of occultation on their shoulders, are also addressed by the exalted personality
in this message. Then why do not we unite under the leadership of Hazrat
and confess our belief in the society, in the dynamic and effective personality?

Come
let us see the profundity (depth) of Hazrat's message when he says,

"We
are cognizant of all your affairs and nothing is hidden from us. We are
also aware the mistakes that you commit from the time, when most of you
were inclined towards the evil deeds which your righteous ancestors had
shunned."

And
from the time they turned away from their covenant as if they had never
made it. We are not deficient ill your welfare and care and your remembrance
never leaves our heart. Had it been so, calamities would have descended
upon you, and your enemies would have crushed you.

Fear
Allah and help us and seek our guidance and help to extricate yourself
from the mischief that has enveloped you."

(Tawqee of Hazrat Vali AI-Asr (a.j.) addressed to Shaikh
Mufeed (R.A.) Beharul Anwaar Vol. 53, Pgs.175-177. Quote from AI Ihtijaj)

Is
it proper to cause grief to the pious heart of such an affectionate Imam
who never forgets his followers even for a moment, by our bad character
and actions?

And
break our covenant with him?

It
is incumbent upon those who wish for the attention and favours of Imam
(a.s.) to strengthen their covenant with him (a.s.) and to remain steadfast
and resolute on this covenant. They should protect this covenant from
the filth of their evil deeds and loose character. They should also take
heed of the sorrowful words of Imam (a.s.) when he says "If our Shias
(May Allah give them tawfeeq of His obedience) had been steadfast and
united upon this covenant, our meeting them would not have delayed. The
cause of our distance with them is that group, whose character is detestable
to us."

As
far as we are concerned, if there is any barrier between us and Hazrat
(a.s.) it is because of us. He (a.s.) is still in ghaibat due to our objectionable
character. The way is clear before us. Our duties are clearly defined.
The commands of Imam Zamana (a.s.) are present to guide and lead us.

It
is necessary for us to cleanse the impurities of our soul and to call
Hazrat (a.s.) with our complete existence. We should wait day and night
in right earnest for the successful revolution of Hazrat (a.s.). It is
the command of Hazrat (a.s.) himself.

"And
wait for the Faraj' morning and evening"

(Imam Sadiq (a.s.) Ghaibat-e-Nomani Pg.158)

"Hope
for the rule of your master day and night, because everyday there is a
new challenge for him and one engagement does not make him careless of
his other duties. "

(Imam Sadiq (a.s.) Mikyalul Makarim Vol.2 Pg.157)

Be
prepared for his help and assistance. If not possible, at least hope for
his reappearance every Friday. The following words should always be on your lips.