The Issue of Imam Mahdi (A.S.)
By: Ayatullah Shaheed Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Hakim
Like Imam al-Husayn’s uprising and martyrdom the issue of Imam Mahdi (‘a) has great relevance to the building of the virtuous community. The relevance is doctrinal, ethical, educational, and spiritual. Of course, to display the details of all of the pertinent items requires a lengthy dissertation42 because this issue represents an entire interpretation of history that corresponds with the Qur’anic idea entailing that the earth shall be eventually inherited by the righteous servants of Allah: Verily, We have written in the Scripture, after the Reminder: My righteous servants will inherit the earth. (21:105)
Allah has promised such of you as believe and do good work that He will surely make them succeed the present rulers in the earth even as He caused those who were before them to succeed others. Also, that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has approved for them and will give them in exchange safety after their fear. They serve Me. They ascribe nothing as partner unto Me. Those who disbelieve henceforth, they are the miscreants. (24:55)
The moral and spiritual aspect contributes to understanding the Holy Imams’ (‘a) reason for building the virtuous community on the basis of expecting the advent of Imam Mahdi (‘a).
According to the followers of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) Imam Mahdi (‘a) represents a living embodiment of the aforementioned historical fact (of the inheritance of the earth by the virtuous servants of Almighty Allah) not only at the level of the unpredicted future but also at the level of the experienced present. (In Iran, Iraq and Lebanon) this belief has begun to embody the actual existence and life of Imam Mahdi (‘a). These followers and partisans believe in the existence and birth of Imam Mahdi (‘a) and the fact that he is witnessing all the harsh conditions through which Muslims are passing. He is observing and interacting in all human and social experiments and will execute the government of ultimate Divine justice in the future of human progress.
A faithful believer who suffers distress, doubt or confusion in the credibility of facts and norms of history which the Holy Qur’an talks about, such as the final win of the righteous over the wicked and the final victory of right over wrong must read the following verse of the Holy Qur’an: Say: The truth has come and falsehood has vanished. Surely, falsehood is a vanishing thing. (17:81)
Most surely, We help Our messengers and those who believe in this world's life and on the day when the witnesses shall testify. (40:51)
He it is Who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, that He might cause it to prevail over all religions, though the polytheists may be averse. (9:33)
Another Divine norm is the custom of replacement in human communities: O you who believe, whoever from among you turns back from his religion, then Allah will bring a people. He shall love them and they shall love Him, lowly before the believers, and mighty against the unbelievers. They shall strive hard in Allah's way and shall not fear the censure of any censurer. This is Allah's Favor bestowed on whom He pleases. Allah is the Ample-Giver, Knowing. (5:54)
If you turn back, He will bring in your place another people. Then, they will not be like you. (47:38)
Another Qur’anic norm is the relationship between piety and the descent of boons and blessings: If the people of the towns had believed and guarded (against evil), We would certainly have opened up for them blessings from the heaven and the earth, but they rejected so We overtook them for what they had earned. (7:96)
Another norm is the progress of human nature towards perfection and belief in Almighty Allah: Then, set your face upright for religion in the right state—the nature made by Allah in which He has made men. There is no altering of Allah's creation. That is the right religion, but most people do not know. (30:30)
Another norm is the fact that man represents Almighty Allah on earth and man’s preference over angels as a result of this representation: When your Lord said to the angels, “I am going to place in the earth a viceroy.” They said, “What! Will You place in it such as shall make mischief in it and shed blood and we celebrate Your praise and extol Your holiness?” He said, “Surely, I know what you do not know.” (2:30)
All these norms and facts may bring about an important question in the mind of the faithful individual when he sees pain, ordeals, and corruption prevail in the entire earth and notice that right is not practiced and wrong is rampant. However, when he contemplates the existence of Imam Mahdi (‘a) who will achieve all his hopes and put into practice the credibility of all these norms and facts, things becomes very clear and evident for him.
Moreover, the issue of Imam Mahdi (‘a), which is a central concern in the building of the virtuous community, entails the following moral facts:
Like Imam al-Husayn’s uprising and martyrdom the issue of Imam Mahdi (‘a) has great relevance to the building of the virtuous community. The relevance is doctrinal, ethical, educational, and spiritual. Of course, to display the details of all of the pertinent items requires a lengthy dissertation42 because this issue represents an entire interpretation of history that corresponds with the Qur’anic idea entailing that the earth shall be eventually inherited by the righteous servants of Allah: Verily, We have written in the Scripture, after the Reminder: My righteous servants will inherit the earth. (21:105)
Allah has promised such of you as believe and do good work that He will surely make them succeed the present rulers in the earth even as He caused those who were before them to succeed others. Also, that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has approved for them and will give them in exchange safety after their fear. They serve Me. They ascribe nothing as partner unto Me. Those who disbelieve henceforth, they are the miscreants. (24:55)
The moral and spiritual aspect contributes to understanding the Holy Imams’ (‘a) reason for building the virtuous community on the basis of expecting the advent of Imam Mahdi (‘a).
According to the followers of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) Imam Mahdi (‘a) represents a living embodiment of the aforementioned historical fact (of the inheritance of the earth by the virtuous servants of Almighty Allah) not only at the level of the unpredicted future but also at the level of the experienced present. (In Iran, Iraq and Lebanon) this belief has begun to embody the actual existence and life of Imam Mahdi (‘a). These followers and partisans believe in the existence and birth of Imam Mahdi (‘a) and the fact that he is witnessing all the harsh conditions through which Muslims are passing. He is observing and interacting in all human and social experiments and will execute the government of ultimate Divine justice in the future of human progress.
A faithful believer who suffers distress, doubt or confusion in the credibility of facts and norms of history which the Holy Qur’an talks about, such as the final win of the righteous over the wicked and the final victory of right over wrong must read the following verse of the Holy Qur’an: Say: The truth has come and falsehood has vanished. Surely, falsehood is a vanishing thing. (17:81)
Most surely, We help Our messengers and those who believe in this world's life and on the day when the witnesses shall testify. (40:51)
He it is Who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, that He might cause it to prevail over all religions, though the polytheists may be averse. (9:33)
Another Divine norm is the custom of replacement in human communities: O you who believe, whoever from among you turns back from his religion, then Allah will bring a people. He shall love them and they shall love Him, lowly before the believers, and mighty against the unbelievers. They shall strive hard in Allah's way and shall not fear the censure of any censurer. This is Allah's Favor bestowed on whom He pleases. Allah is the Ample-Giver, Knowing. (5:54)
If you turn back, He will bring in your place another people. Then, they will not be like you. (47:38)
Another Qur’anic norm is the relationship between piety and the descent of boons and blessings: If the people of the towns had believed and guarded (against evil), We would certainly have opened up for them blessings from the heaven and the earth, but they rejected so We overtook them for what they had earned. (7:96)
Another norm is the progress of human nature towards perfection and belief in Almighty Allah: Then, set your face upright for religion in the right state—the nature made by Allah in which He has made men. There is no altering of Allah's creation. That is the right religion, but most people do not know. (30:30)
Another norm is the fact that man represents Almighty Allah on earth and man’s preference over angels as a result of this representation: When your Lord said to the angels, “I am going to place in the earth a viceroy.” They said, “What! Will You place in it such as shall make mischief in it and shed blood and we celebrate Your praise and extol Your holiness?” He said, “Surely, I know what you do not know.” (2:30)
All these norms and facts may bring about an important question in the mind of the faithful individual when he sees pain, ordeals, and corruption prevail in the entire earth and notice that right is not practiced and wrong is rampant. However, when he contemplates the existence of Imam Mahdi (‘a) who will achieve all his hopes and put into practice the credibility of all these norms and facts, things becomes very clear and evident for him.
Moreover, the issue of Imam Mahdi (‘a), which is a central concern in the building of the virtuous community, entails the following moral facts:
Clarity in Carrying out Religious Duties
An individual who believes in the existence of Imam Mahdi (‘a) and in his expected advent can clearly feel divine duty and religious commandments when he intends to perform any religious activity. He can also feel that all his deeds, service, struggle and sacrifices are being carried out under the blessed standard and the special care of Imam Mahdi (‘a).
This clarity in carrying out the religious duties grants a huge moral impetus to proceed and work—an impetus that is similar to the moral one obtained by those who fought under the standards of the prophets and messengers and achieved great triumphs and made sweeping changes in human society.
With the increase of man’s feelings of the approaching divine reality, looming divine care, and getting closer to the actual power as represented by Almighty Allah, man’s feelings of achieving victory and carrying out duty grow manifold. Of course, to feel the care of the Holy Imam (‘a) and to associate oneself with him in motion and activity make one feel a nearness to Almighty Allah and His care as well as desire to comply with His commands.
An individual who believes in the existence of Imam Mahdi (‘a) and in his expected advent can clearly feel divine duty and religious commandments when he intends to perform any religious activity. He can also feel that all his deeds, service, struggle and sacrifices are being carried out under the blessed standard and the special care of Imam Mahdi (‘a).
This clarity in carrying out the religious duties grants a huge moral impetus to proceed and work—an impetus that is similar to the moral one obtained by those who fought under the standards of the prophets and messengers and achieved great triumphs and made sweeping changes in human society.
With the increase of man’s feelings of the approaching divine reality, looming divine care, and getting closer to the actual power as represented by Almighty Allah, man’s feelings of achieving victory and carrying out duty grow manifold. Of course, to feel the care of the Holy Imam (‘a) and to associate oneself with him in motion and activity make one feel a nearness to Almighty Allah and His care as well as desire to comply with His commands.
Maintenance of Divine Values
The belief in the advent of Imam Mahdi (‘a) maintains one’s principles, values and divine ideals. It also encourages ceaseless endeavor to achieve human perfection away from the worldly concepts of gain and loss, material profit or the attainment of authority, power, and domination.
All these principles, values, and ideals are inspired from the concept of Imam Mahdi (‘a) and from the objectives he is divinely ordained to achieve; namely, the establishment of the ultimate Divine justice on earth.
Generally, any progression that is intended for Almighty Allah and the Divine message which are ascribed to the Unseen World, and to Imam Mahdi (‘a)—who is ascribed to the perceived world—can derive all these significances from him, because he plays the greatest role in the history of humanity, which shall be eventually realized.
Perception of these concepts will be steadier and more profound for those who believe in the advent of the Promised Imam (‘a) than for others; therefore, they can preserve a high spirit, which moves on the strength of gallant human values and ideals in tandem with their own progression.
The belief in the advent of Imam Mahdi (‘a) maintains one’s principles, values and divine ideals. It also encourages ceaseless endeavor to achieve human perfection away from the worldly concepts of gain and loss, material profit or the attainment of authority, power, and domination.
All these principles, values, and ideals are inspired from the concept of Imam Mahdi (‘a) and from the objectives he is divinely ordained to achieve; namely, the establishment of the ultimate Divine justice on earth.
Generally, any progression that is intended for Almighty Allah and the Divine message which are ascribed to the Unseen World, and to Imam Mahdi (‘a)—who is ascribed to the perceived world—can derive all these significances from him, because he plays the greatest role in the history of humanity, which shall be eventually realized.
Perception of these concepts will be steadier and more profound for those who believe in the advent of the Promised Imam (‘a) than for others; therefore, they can preserve a high spirit, which moves on the strength of gallant human values and ideals in tandem with their own progression.
Perseverance and Steadfastness
Those who believe in Imam Mahdi (‘a) attain spirits of perseverance and steadfastness from him. They can attain perfection through these two features and act as models bearing suffering and trials. Through his blessed existence, Imam Mahdi (‘a) represents the great and most excellent example of perseverance and steadfastness, because he can see, incur, feel, and interact with all the pain and ordeals during his lifetime. Nevertheless, he perseveres, exposes himself to Almighty Allah’s trial for the sake of achieving great goals and waits for the appropriate opportunity to undertake his stately role.
On the other hand, the long duration of his occultation, despite his actual existence gives him the chance of being subjectively perfect because of experiencing such ordeals and tribulations. His progression will be perfect so that he will undertake his mission, which is unique in the history of humanity, completely and competently. Besides, the political, social, ideological, and mental conditions of humanity, which are other outcomes of such experience and suffering, will make it necessary to establish such a Divine government.
Such perfection will eventually give great impetus and high moral spirits of perseverance and steadfastness to those who believe in the advent of Imam Mahdi (‘a) and help them move towards human perfection.
Those who believe in Imam Mahdi (‘a) attain spirits of perseverance and steadfastness from him. They can attain perfection through these two features and act as models bearing suffering and trials. Through his blessed existence, Imam Mahdi (‘a) represents the great and most excellent example of perseverance and steadfastness, because he can see, incur, feel, and interact with all the pain and ordeals during his lifetime. Nevertheless, he perseveres, exposes himself to Almighty Allah’s trial for the sake of achieving great goals and waits for the appropriate opportunity to undertake his stately role.
On the other hand, the long duration of his occultation, despite his actual existence gives him the chance of being subjectively perfect because of experiencing such ordeals and tribulations. His progression will be perfect so that he will undertake his mission, which is unique in the history of humanity, completely and competently. Besides, the political, social, ideological, and mental conditions of humanity, which are other outcomes of such experience and suffering, will make it necessary to establish such a Divine government.
Such perfection will eventually give great impetus and high moral spirits of perseverance and steadfastness to those who believe in the advent of Imam Mahdi (‘a) and help them move towards human perfection.
Contribution to Justice
The belief in the advent of Imam Mahdi (‘a) makes one feel that all deeds and activities contribute to his historical role and pave the way for the establishment of his government of ultimate justice.
It is unreasonable to weigh up the role, deeds and activities of a faithful individual on the balance of the goals he achieved in his relatively short span of life, or on the balance of what he could achieve and what reformations could be achieved in one’s society. It is unfair to renounce all these deeds and activities because they seem to have been worthless in influence and in achieving goals. An individual who believes in the advent of Imam Mahdi (‘a) feels that he is undertaking his private role in the sequence of events, goals and deeds that, altogether, end up with the establishment of the virtuous human society in the future.
Naturally, such feelings raise the moral spirit of man vis-à-vis his activities, deeds and sacrifices. They make his goal so great that it covers all such activities, deeds, efforts, and sacrifices no matter how major and difficult, or how minor and limited his efforts might be.
The belief in the advent of Imam Mahdi (‘a) makes one feel that all deeds and activities contribute to his historical role and pave the way for the establishment of his government of ultimate justice.
It is unreasonable to weigh up the role, deeds and activities of a faithful individual on the balance of the goals he achieved in his relatively short span of life, or on the balance of what he could achieve and what reformations could be achieved in one’s society. It is unfair to renounce all these deeds and activities because they seem to have been worthless in influence and in achieving goals. An individual who believes in the advent of Imam Mahdi (‘a) feels that he is undertaking his private role in the sequence of events, goals and deeds that, altogether, end up with the establishment of the virtuous human society in the future.
Naturally, such feelings raise the moral spirit of man vis-à-vis his activities, deeds and sacrifices. They make his goal so great that it covers all such activities, deeds, efforts, and sacrifices no matter how major and difficult, or how minor and limited his efforts might be.
Great Hope
The belief in the advent of Imam Mahdi (‘a) furnishes its believer with a great, incessant, and inextinguishable hope in the achievement of victory regardless of the time that it takes. It also grants the feeling that the round must reach its finish and that looking forward to a better future must be incessantly continuous.
Hope is undoubtedly one of the greatest motivations that supplies people with the capacity to go on with steadfastness, perseverance and sacrifice.
A soldier who believes that his progress will be completed by other soldiers who will achieve victory after him is ready to give himself up and make greater sacrifices than a soldier who believes that when he falls in the battlefield, his progress will stop and he will lose the battle.
Similarly, a soldier who is engaged in a battle while he believes that there are other battles to enter in order to obtain victory does not stop when he loses the first round; rather, he continues to move forward. Such feelings cannot be found except with those who believe in the idea of Imam Mahdi’s promised advent, because he shall lead the battle persistently until he reaches the end. This belief makes hope so lively and ablaze that it pushes man towards motion and activity under all circumstances.
The belief in the advent of Imam Mahdi (‘a) furnishes its believer with a great, incessant, and inextinguishable hope in the achievement of victory regardless of the time that it takes. It also grants the feeling that the round must reach its finish and that looking forward to a better future must be incessantly continuous.
Hope is undoubtedly one of the greatest motivations that supplies people with the capacity to go on with steadfastness, perseverance and sacrifice.
A soldier who believes that his progress will be completed by other soldiers who will achieve victory after him is ready to give himself up and make greater sacrifices than a soldier who believes that when he falls in the battlefield, his progress will stop and he will lose the battle.
Similarly, a soldier who is engaged in a battle while he believes that there are other battles to enter in order to obtain victory does not stop when he loses the first round; rather, he continues to move forward. Such feelings cannot be found except with those who believe in the idea of Imam Mahdi’s promised advent, because he shall lead the battle persistently until he reaches the end. This belief makes hope so lively and ablaze that it pushes man towards motion and activity under all circumstances.
Revenge for the Oppressed
Those who believe in Imam Mahdi (‘a) as the Divinely commissioned reformer who will establish a government of ultimate Divine justice and give each one his due, feel that they will eventually be able to avenge the torment which the faithful believers were exposed to and punish the criminals who committed such crimes and offenses against humanity.
Apart from the individual’s role in this process of vengeance, which is related to the idea of the Return (raj‘ah)1 and its political and social purports, revenge will be imposed upon those who imitated their criminal ancestors. It is logically proven that the past and the present criminals form one trend of the same thought, behavior, goals, and fate; therefore, to take revenge upon the last of them is to take it upon the former generations, also.
The idea of taking revenge and retaliating—which stands for making reprisals for the values and principles of right and justice—is a sound Islamic idea to which the Holy Qur’an has referred on more than one occasion, such as the following: Fight them; Allah will punish them with your hands and bring them to disgrace, and assist you against them and heal the hearts of a believing people. (9:14)
Traditions have also spoken about this idea when they described Imam al-Husayn (‘a) as the Vengeance of Allah2 and that Imam Mahdi (‘a) will avenge his murder and raise the slogan of “Revenge for Husayn.”3 A formula of ziyarah of Imam al-Husayn (‘a) comprises the following statement: (Please) bind our revenge with his revenge.4
This feeling symbolizes a great spiritual power in the inner selves. Almighty Allah has conferred upon man such a feeling and man inclines to it naturally in his lifetime because it represents one of the motives of man’s progress.
Islam has taken much interest in this motive and feeling lest it may swerve and change into a meager expression of one of man’s instincts and miss its target—human perfection. However, Islam has subordinated the feelings of taking revenge, retaliating, and giving vent to one’s anger to certain values and principles to save them from becoming mere expressions of certain psychological feelings and sensual tendencies. It is clear that the question of revenge and retaliation in the issue of Imam Mahdi (‘a) does not involve taking revenge from certain persons; rather it is punishing the corrupted reality of man which inevitably brings about justice, right, and goodness.
Notes:
1- The Return (or raj’ah) is an idea mentioned in the traditions reported from the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a), entailing that the virtuous and the righteous, as well as the unbelievers and hypocrites shall be returned to this world after their death so as to witness the victory of right over wrong and the wronged persons shall defeat the wrongdoers. More light shall be shed on this idea in one of the coming books of this series.
In their doctrinal books, scholars of the Imamiyyah Shi’ah have dealt with this topic in detail. (See, for instance, the Faith of the Imamiyyah Shi’ah, by Shaykh al-Mu¨affar, Chapter: Our Doctrine concerning the Return (Raj‘ah)).
2- In the famous Ziyarah of Warith, the following statement is mentioned: “Peace be upon you, O Allah’s revenge and the son of His revenge…” See Mafatih al-Jinan.
3- (ya litharat al-husayn): Refer to Shaykh al-Saduq, ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha 2:268-269, Shaykh al-Saduq, al-Amali, pp. 192-193, H. 202; ‘Allamah al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar 44:286, H. 23 (as quoted from the earlier reference books).
4- Shaykh al-Mufid, al-Mazar, pp. 410-411.
Those who believe in Imam Mahdi (‘a) as the Divinely commissioned reformer who will establish a government of ultimate Divine justice and give each one his due, feel that they will eventually be able to avenge the torment which the faithful believers were exposed to and punish the criminals who committed such crimes and offenses against humanity.
Apart from the individual’s role in this process of vengeance, which is related to the idea of the Return (raj‘ah)1 and its political and social purports, revenge will be imposed upon those who imitated their criminal ancestors. It is logically proven that the past and the present criminals form one trend of the same thought, behavior, goals, and fate; therefore, to take revenge upon the last of them is to take it upon the former generations, also.
The idea of taking revenge and retaliating—which stands for making reprisals for the values and principles of right and justice—is a sound Islamic idea to which the Holy Qur’an has referred on more than one occasion, such as the following: Fight them; Allah will punish them with your hands and bring them to disgrace, and assist you against them and heal the hearts of a believing people. (9:14)
Traditions have also spoken about this idea when they described Imam al-Husayn (‘a) as the Vengeance of Allah2 and that Imam Mahdi (‘a) will avenge his murder and raise the slogan of “Revenge for Husayn.”3 A formula of ziyarah of Imam al-Husayn (‘a) comprises the following statement: (Please) bind our revenge with his revenge.4
This feeling symbolizes a great spiritual power in the inner selves. Almighty Allah has conferred upon man such a feeling and man inclines to it naturally in his lifetime because it represents one of the motives of man’s progress.
Islam has taken much interest in this motive and feeling lest it may swerve and change into a meager expression of one of man’s instincts and miss its target—human perfection. However, Islam has subordinated the feelings of taking revenge, retaliating, and giving vent to one’s anger to certain values and principles to save them from becoming mere expressions of certain psychological feelings and sensual tendencies. It is clear that the question of revenge and retaliation in the issue of Imam Mahdi (‘a) does not involve taking revenge from certain persons; rather it is punishing the corrupted reality of man which inevitably brings about justice, right, and goodness.
Notes:
1- The Return (or raj’ah) is an idea mentioned in the traditions reported from the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a), entailing that the virtuous and the righteous, as well as the unbelievers and hypocrites shall be returned to this world after their death so as to witness the victory of right over wrong and the wronged persons shall defeat the wrongdoers. More light shall be shed on this idea in one of the coming books of this series.
In their doctrinal books, scholars of the Imamiyyah Shi’ah have dealt with this topic in detail. (See, for instance, the Faith of the Imamiyyah Shi’ah, by Shaykh al-Mu¨affar, Chapter: Our Doctrine concerning the Return (Raj‘ah)).
2- In the famous Ziyarah of Warith, the following statement is mentioned: “Peace be upon you, O Allah’s revenge and the son of His revenge…” See Mafatih al-Jinan.
3- (ya litharat al-husayn): Refer to Shaykh al-Saduq, ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha 2:268-269, Shaykh al-Saduq, al-Amali, pp. 192-193, H. 202; ‘Allamah al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar 44:286, H. 23 (as quoted from the earlier reference books).
4- Shaykh al-Mufid, al-Mazar, pp. 410-411.
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