The Mahdi
Page 6
Twelve Imams
It is narrated in Sahih Muslim that the Holy Prophet (s) said, “The religion will continue to be established until the determined hour [of Judgment Day] or you are led by twelve successors, all of whom are from Quraysh.”[121] The meaning of “successors” here does not mean anyone who will accede to power by force and arms, but true successors. Moreover, this narration indicated that these twelve successors will remain until the Day of Judgement. So who does this apply to?
Ibn Katheer also wrote in his exegesis after relaying this narration, “Apparently, this includes the Mahdi who was promised in the narrations that mention him and tell us that his name is the same as the Holy Prophet’s (s).” This is further proof that will add the accumulating probabilities for the existence of Imam Mahdi (a).
The Old and New Testaments
Glad tidings of the Mahdi (a) came even before the birth of Islam, as he is mentioned in the Old and New Testaments. He was mentioned in books of scholars of world religions, such as Al-Maseeh Al-Dajjal by Dr. Saeed Ayoub, Al-Baraheen Al-Sabatiyya by Al-Qadi Al-Sabati, and Anees Al-Islam by Sheikh Muhammad Fakhrulislam – the latter two being reverts from Christianity. These glad tidings came in the Book of Isiah and the Book of Revelation. They also came in the Gospel of John under the Greek name Periclytos, which can be translated to “the praised one” or “Muhammad.”
So these glad tidings of Imam Mahdi (a) came before the birth of Islam. Al-Qadi Al-Sabati, a convert from Christianity and a Hanafi Muslim, wrote,
This description does not apply to any theory except for that of the Imamiyya [i.e. Twelver Shia Muslims], in regards to the existence of Muhammad ibn Al-Hassan [(a)] as the twelfth [Imam].
So this again is additional corroborative evidence.
Third Century AH
If we return to the historical records of the time of birth of Imam Mahdi (a) in 255 AH, his occultation in 260 AH, and up to the end of the minor occultation in 329 AH, we will find that the Imam (a) had four different Ambassadors during that period – Othman ibn Saeed, Muhammad ibn Othman, Al-Hussain ibn Rooh, and Ali ibn Muhammad Al-Samri. If we review the writings of notable scholars of that period of all Muslim denominations, we find that none of them denied his birth or occultation. If the birth of Imam Mahdi (a) was a fabrication, then that would have been an opportune time to disparage and deride the Shia as believers in an apparent myth. But no one said that at the time. No scholar of the time denied that Imam Mahdi (a) was born and had gone into occultation.
As for Shia scholars of the time – like Al-Kulayni, Ali ibn Babaweih Al-Qummi, and Ibn Qawlaweih – we see that they recorded that sightings of the Imam (a) were so numerous that they reached the threshold of Tawator. During the sixty nine years of the minor occultation, he had written and signed a number of letters, all of which bore the same handwriting. During that time, there were four different Ambassadors – the first two being a father and a son, while the third and fourth were unlinked to the first two or to each other. If the Imam (a) was not in fact present, how could these four individuals fabricate letters in the same exact handwriting over a period of sixty nine years?
During that period, our scholars received these letters and accepted them without hesitation. We do not have any record of our early scholars scrutinizing the narrations of these signed letters. Were the narrators that passed along these letters so obviously untrustworthy that there was no need to address them? Or were they so trustworthy that there was no need to address their strength? Or was there something particular to these letters and the indications surrounding them that gave credence to the fact that they were actually written and signed by the Awaited Imam (a)? If we go back and review the chains of narrators for these signed letters, we would find that some narrators were not specifically mentioned by our scholars as trustworthy or weak – like Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yaqoub. Thus the first two possibilities cannot be the case. Therefore the third possibility – that the actual letters contained evidence of Imam Mahdi’s (a) authorship – must be the case.
This is more evidence to corroborate the Imam’s (a) existence.
Textual Evidence
It is strange to see some who claim to be Shia say that there is no reliable textual evidence of Imam Mahdi’s (a) birth. In fact, there are numerous Sahih narrations that point to this fact in some of the most venerated books of Shia heritage, such as Al-Kafi and Man La Yahdaruh Al-Faqih.
For example, in a narration attributed to Imam Kadhim (a), he said,
Say in Sajdat Al-Shukr,[122] ‘O God, I witness to You and ask Your angels, prophets, messengers, and all creation to witness that You, O God, are my Lord, that Islam is my religion, that Muhammad (s) is my prophet, and that Ali, Al-Hassan, Al-Hussain, Ali ibn Al-Hussain, Muhammad ibn Ali, Jaafar ibn Muhammad, Moussa ibn Jaafar, Ali ibn Moussa, Muhammad ibn Ali, Ali ibn Muhammad, Al-Hassan ibn Ali, and the Hujja the son of Al-Hassan ibn Ali are my leaders. I vow allegiance to them and forswear their enemies.’[123]
Imam Mahdi (a) was mentioned by Imam Kadhim (a) and listed alongside the other Imams even before he was born.
Genealogists’ Concurrence
In regards to any historical issue, we must go back to the experts in the field and take their opinions into account – much like we would do with issues of medicine or engineering. If we are asking about the family history of the Hashimites, we need to go back to the genealogists who are experts in the field. There are at least seventeen non-Twelver genealogists that expressly testified to the birth of a child named Muhammad to Imam Hassan Al-Askari (a). This includes:
Sahl ibn Abdullah Al-Bukhari, a 4th century AH scholar, in his book Sir Al-Silsila Al-Alawiyya,[124]
Al-Sayyid Al-Amri, a 5th century AH scholar, in his book Al-Mujdi fi Ansaab Al-Talibiyyin,[125]
Al-Fakhr Al-Razi, a 7th century AH scholar, in his book Al-Shajara Al-Mubaraka fi Ansaab Al-Talibiyya,[126]
Al-Marouzi Al-Azwarqani, a 7th century AH scholar in his book Al-Fakhri fi Ansaab Al-Talibiyyin,
Ibn Inba, a 9th century AH scholar in his book Umdat Al-Talib fi Ansaab Aal Abi Talib,[127]
The Zaydi Genealogist Muhammad Al-Hussaini Al-Yamani Al-Sanaani, an 11th century AH scholar, in his book Rawdat Al-Albaab fi Maarifat Al-Ansaab,
Muhammad Ameen Al-Swaidi, a 13th century AH scholar, in his book Sabaek Al-Thahab fi Maarifat Qabael Al-Arab,[128] and
The contemporary genealogist Muhammad Weis Al-Haydari Al-Souri in his book Al-Durar Al-Bahiyya fi Ansaab Al-Haydaria wa Al-Ouaysiya.
Historians’ Agreement
A number of historians of all Muslim denominations have recorded his birth and occultation in their historical accounts. This includes:
Ibn Al-Atheer, a 7th century AH scholar, in his book Al-Kamil fi Al-Tareekh,[129]
Ibn Khalkaan, a 7th century AH scholar, in his book Wafiyyat Al-Aayan,[130]
Al-Thahabi, an 8th century AH scholar in three of his books,[131]
Ibn Al-Wardi, an 8th century AH scholar in his book Tareekh ibn Al-Wardi,[132] and
Ahmad ibn Hajr Al-Haytami, a 10th century AH scholar in his book Al-Sawaeq Al-Muhriqa.[133]
After looking at all this, any reasonable and objective individual that calculates the possibilities derived from the corroboration of all this evidence would rightfully conclude in certainty of the existence of the Twelfth Holy Imam (a).
The Promised Day
If we put aside the evidence and textual support that we put forward above, there still remains the intellectual proof in support of the promised day of salvation and justice.
The Philosophical Dimension
The mind often wonders, ‘what is the meaning of life?’ The Holy Quran answers, “He, who created death and life that He may test you [to see] which of you is best in conduct. And He is the Almighty, the All-forgiving.”[134] Life was created so that the community of man may strive to achieve excellence. It is through the triumph of justice over oppression and of virtue over vice that such excellence can be attained. If this is the
goal of humanity, then there must be a day when it will be achieved. Otherwise, creation would be meaningless. Howevwer, this cannot be the case, as God the All-wise is far above acting frivolously.
Because this is the overarching purpose of creation, God has given mankind the means to usher in this triumph of justice and virtue – “Certainly We sent Our apostles with manifest proofs, and We sent down with them the Book and the Balance, so that mankind may maintain justice.”[135] God has given us honored prophets, holy scriptures, and Immaculate Leaders as means of guidance as we strive towards that goal. One day, by God’s grace, we will achieve that goal and fulfill God’s promise that “Certainly We wrote in the Psalms after the Torah: Indeed Our righteous servants shall inherit the earth.”[136] This is enough intellectual proof that the promised day of justice will dawn upon the earth.
The Social Dimension
History has its trajectory. It does not progress randomly, but based on social and historical patterns. This includes the survival of the fittest, that economic injustice begets social and economic ruin, and that fear and hunger drive revolution. If we return to history, we find that Prophet Noah (a) led a revolution against fear and hunger, as his followers were predominantly the oppressed and the destitute. The same was true for Prophet Jethro (a). In fact, we see that a similar pattern is recurrent for most prophets and reformers. This is not a purely religious phenomenon – Albert Einstein, Bertrand Russel, and George Bernard Shaw all reached a similar conclusion.[137]
There must be a global revolution against fear and hunger. In other words, the nations of the world will realize that the current economic and civic structures are unable to provide the necessary economic and personal security. When the world comes to that realization, there will be an global revolution that will set the stage for the Awaited Mahdi (a).
This is an intellectual issue arising out of an understanding of the nature of society and its tendency to revolt against fear and anger. This is the same type of revolution that was supported by our Holy Prophet (s), the Commander of the Faithful Ali (a), and Imam Hussain (a).
Imam Hussain (a) did not revolt for the sake of power or status. He led a revolution in order to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil. His revolution was against the oppressors who used fear and hunger to reign over the population. The Umayyad clan had used the nation’s wealth for their selfish purposes and pleasures. As such, Imam Hussain (a) rose in revolt against this tyranny.
Who is Waiting?
In the Name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
They say, ‘Why has not some sign been sent down to him from his Lord?’ Say, ‘[The knowledge of] the Unseen belongs only to God. So wait. I too am waiting along with you.’[138]
The verse speaks of a stance between the Holy Prophet (s) and the disbelievers. The disbelievers asked the Holy Prophet (s) for a miracle other than the Holy Quran. They said that the Holy Quran was not enough of a miracle for them to believe. They would say, “Why has not some sign been sent down to him from his Lord?”
In response, the Holy Prophet (s) told them that there is another miracle that supports his message. The Holy Quran tells Prophet Muhammad (s) to say, “[The knowledge of] the Unseen belongs only to God.” In other words, there is another miracle that is still in the realm of the Unseen. “[The knowledge of] the Unseen belongs only to God. So wait. I too am waiting along with you.” They must wait before the miracle becomes apparent to them.
So what is this second miracle that matches the Holy Quran? The Holy Quran is a miracle that provides unequivocal support of Prophet Muhammad’s (s) message. What is this second miracle that provides similar unequivocal support?
A narration attributed to Imam Sadiq (a) specified the nature of this second miracle. He said in reference to the cited verse, “The miracle is the Unseen. The Unseen is the Hujja.”[139] For Islam to one day emerge as the sole religion on earth would clearly be miraculous. Therefore, just as the Holy Quran was a miracle supporting the message of Prophet Muhammad (s), the same will be true of the emergence of our Twelfth Holy Imam (a) – who will fill the earth with justice and equity after it is filled with oppression and transgression.
When is the Appearance?
First, we must ask an important question. Do circumstances and historical events play a role in determining when our beloved Imam (a) will emerge out of occultation? Or is it a set date that will not be affected by human actions?
First View
There are some who say that the appearance of the Twelfth Imam (a) is like the Day of Judgment – it has a set time and will not occur a moment sooner or later. The proponents of this view use a number of texts to support their view. The first is a verse in reference to Moses (a), who was told to remind his people of three set hours – “Certainly We sent Moses with Our signs: ‘Bring your people out from darkness into light and remind them of God’s [holy] days.’”[140] In reference to this verse, Imam Sadiq (a) is reported to have said, “God’s [holy] days are three: the day of [emergence of the Awaited Imam (a) from occultation], the day of death, and the Day of Judgment.”[141] Thus, these three days have a set and definite time.
They also rely on the narration attributed to Imam Ali (a), in which he relays that the Holy Prophet (s) said, “The Mahdi (a) is one of us, the [Holy] Household (a). God will reform his matter in a [single] night.” In a similar narration, the Holy Prophet (s) says, “God will reform him in a [single] night.”[142] The narration is also relayed in Musnad Ahmad.[143]
It is strange to find some who use this narration to claim that the Mahdi would be a wretched man who God would reform in a single night – as if the role of being a divinely appointed Imam does not require the individual to be of an Immaculate nature. A narration attributed to Imam Sadiq (a) explains the true meaning of prophetic tradition. The Imam (a) said,
Be more aspiring to what you have not wished for than for what you have wished for. Moses (a), the son of Amram, set out to bring a firebrand for his family, but returned to them a messenger and prophet.
God, the Most Blessed and High, reformed the matter of his servant in a [single] night. And so God, the Most Blessed and High, will do unto Al-Qa’im, the Twelfth of the Imams (a). He will reform for him his matter in a [single] night as he reformed the matter of his prophet Moses (a). He will deliver him from distress and occultation to the light of relief and emergence.[144]
That is, God will assemble the Imam’s (a) companions and supporters in Mecca in a single night that will be a Friday eve. In one narration, “Our Al-Qa’im (a) will emerge on a Friday.”[145] This is in regards to the initial stage of the emergence which will be on Friday in the Grand Mosque of Mecca between the cornerstone of the Kaaba and the Shrine of Abraham (a). However, our narrations also tell us that the Imam (a) will announce his emergence on the 10th of Muharram which will be on a Saturday.[146]
In another narration, Imam Sadiq (a) is reported to have said, “Al-Qa’im (a) will not emerge except in an odd year.”[147]
It may be deduced from these narrations that the Awaited Imam (a) will emerge on a set date that cannot be changed and that is not affected by circumstances and historical events.
Second View
The second view is that circumstances do play a role in determining the day that the Twelfth Imam (a) will emerge out of occultation. Although the narrations do indicate that he will emerge on a specific day, they also describe a number of circumstances that will precede his emergence. The proponents of this view posit that the date of emergence may be advanced or delayed in accordance with the will of God and the actions and decisions of mankind.
It is much like death, which many people believe is a predetermined date that cannot be changed. In reality, an individual’s lifespan is also made contingent, by God’s will, on choices and circumstances. For example, a person may advance his own death by suicide, or may delay his death by righteous deeds. That is why Imam Kadhim (a) is reported to have said,
An individual ma
y honor his family while his death is three years away, and God will make it thirty year away. An individual may sever his family ties while his death is thirty years away, and God will make it three year away.[148]
Death is contingent on circumstances and choices. The same is true with the emergence of the Awaited Imam (a) – it is contingent on certain circumstances and human choices, and may be advanced or delayed as a result. This view can be supported by two sets of evidence.
First, the narration attributed to Imam Sadiq (a) in which he says,
Surely, God, the Most Blessed and High, has appointed the time of this matter in the 70th [year after Hijra]. When Hussain (a) was killed, God’s wrath intensified and he delayed it until the 140th [year after Hijra]. We told you of this and you spread the word and lifted the veil of secrecy. Since then God has not given us a date and ‘God effaces and confirms whatever He wishes and with Him is the Mother Book.’[149]
The time of his emergence is contingent on a number of circumstances and antecedent events.
Second, many supplications have concurred in their prayers for the hastening of the emergence. For example, in one supplication we read, “O God, hasten his emergence, support him with victory, aid his supporters, and desert his deserters.”[150] If the Awaited Imam’s (a) emergence is set for a specific time that cannot be advanced, then what would be the meaning of praying for the hastening of his emergence?
These supplications are proof that the time of emergence is subject to change. If a number of specific circumstances and requisites were met, the Imam (a) would emerge from his occultation. That is why we pray with these supplications, as the prayers of the believers could be a cause for advancing the time of his emergence.