Some may also claim that since the emergence of the Imam (a) is inevitable, we cannot say that it is contingent on circumstances and antecedent events. However, just because something is inevitable does not mean that its timing cannot be, by God’s will, contingent on mankind’s choices. God knowns exactly when these events would take place and He chose to make them requisites and contingencies for certain events to take place. So, for example, the revelation of the Holy Quran to the Prophet Muhammad (s) was contingent on a number of human choices, such as his birth to two noble parents by their own choice. The same goes for the lifespan and death of each individual, as discussed above.
Circumstances Preceding the Emergence
The ideological and spiritual circumstances preceding the emergence are the most important in this regard.
Humanity will try all political and economic systems and realize that they all fail in meeting its necessities, leaving mankind to suffer in fear and hunger. At that point, the time will be ripe for the emergence of the Awaited Imam (a). There are a number of narrations that indicate this. Take, for example, the narration attributed to Imam Sadiq (a) where he says,
Our state is the final state. There will be no household that will lead a state except that it shall accede to it before us so that none can say, once they see our model, ‘if we were to rule, we would rule like them.’ And that is the word of God, ‘And the outcome will be in favor of the Godwary.’[151]
The emergence of the Imam (a) also requires a base that will support and defend him. This has not yet occurred. Once there is a base of supporters who are ready to devote themselves to his mission, another important condition for his emergence will be fulfilled. In one narration, Imam Sajjad (a) is reported to have said,
Surely, the people of the era of his [i.e. Imam Mahdi (a)] occultation who believe in his Immaculate Leadership and who wait his appearance are better than the people of any other era. That is because God, the Most Blessed and High, gave them the intellect, comprehension, and knowledge that allowed them to see occultation at the level of presence. He made them at that era at the status of those who struggled alongside the Messenger of God (s) with their swords. Those are the real devotees, our true Shia, and the callers unto God’s religion in public and in privacy.[152]
There is a group of select individuals whom God will prepare for his emergence and will make them the cornerstones of his state. This is another important condition that will precede the emergence of the Imam (a).
Why at the End of Time?
The state of Imam Mahdi (a) will come at the end of time, and it will be the last state for humanity. Here, let us raise a question; ‘Why did God not create this state at the beginning of time? Why did God not provide the means for our Holy Prophet (s) to establish this state?’
Our scholars say that God is wise and kind. He is kind towards all his creatures, especially towards mankind. And because mankind needs a just system, God has given us prophets and scriptures that would allow us to establish this just system. And if left to its own devices, mankind would not be able to establish this just state across cultures and ethnicities. The means of establishing this just state must be given to us by God, who is omniscient, omnipotent, and magnanimous.
Thus God, due to his wisdom and kindness, must have given us the just system that we require.
Our scholars have used this to prove the necessity of divine appointment of prophets and vicegerents, the revelation of scriptures, and the ultimate fulfillment of a truly just system. But if God’s kindness is proof that He will ensure the establishment of a just system on earth, why was it not established at the time of the Holy Prophet (s)? What is the wisdom of delaying this joyous day until the end of time?
In answering these questions, we need to understand three points.
Earthly Limits
Muslim philosophers say that material existence is a source of limitation, while transcendence is a source of excellence. Thus, something that exists as a physical object is limited, especially by the two major constraints of time and space.
Mankind cannot free itself from the limitations of time and space. A human being cannot experience firsthand the events that occur in a different geographic location than where he is in fact. You can’t be in two places at once. Similarly, an individual cannot experience the events of a different time period firsthand. Matter is constrained by time and space, and since mankind is made of matter it is also limited by these constraints. On the other hand, beings that are not made of matter, such as the angels, are not limited by these constraints.
With this in mind we ask, ‘What is the difference between the existence of our souls before the creation of our bodies and after the creation of our bodies?’
Our souls were existent in a higher realm before our bodies were created in this one. We were transcendent beings, not limited by time and space. We were thus able to see the dominion of God, and we would glorify Him for the sight of His dominion. God says in the Holy Book, “Thus did We show Abraham the dominions of the heavens and the earth, that he might be of those who possess certitude.”[153] Every soul lived in transcendence and witnessed God’s dominion before it was tied to a body. However, once the connection between body and soul is made, the soul becomes bound by time and space much like the body.
Cultural Accumulation
Because of our limitations, mankind needs to take generations and eras accumulating its knowledge and developing its culture. Take this example. A child at an early age cannot learn the complex materials taught at universities. Even if the child had an excellent memory and committed everything he was taught to heart, he would not be able to use and utilize this knowledge. In the same way, a medical student cannot learn seven years’ worth of material in one day. That is because the senses and the mind have their limitations.
These limitations mean that an individual cannot learn a new concept without a base of knowledge that accumulates over time. Thus, a freshman in college will not be able to excel at a doctorate’s course because he lacks the requisite proficiency that would accumulate through years spent in an educational institution. Some people may learn at a different pace than others, but that does not contradict the fact that everyone needs a solid foundation of knowledge accumulated through the years. Thus, because of mankind’s limitation, there must be a process of accumulation that occurs through years, generations, and eras of human experience.
Human Needs
So we go back to the original question. ‘Why did God not provide the means for our Holy Prophet (s) to establish state that will envelop the entire world in justice and mercy?’ We can even go a step further and ask, ‘Why did it take thousands of years of human history before Prophet Muhammad (s), the Seal of the Prophets, was born and given his message?’
The answer lies in humanity’s limitations and its need for generations of accumulated knowledge and developed insight. If the message of the Prophet Muhammad (s) was delivered at the time of Adam (a), humanity at that early stage would not have been able to understand and adopt its teachings. It would have been a failed message. The message of Islam required mankind to develop to a stage that allowed it to be receptive of the divine revelation.
Much like God delayed the message of the Prophet Muhammad (s) for thousands of years, the same wisdom applies to the appearance of Imam Mahdi (a). The system that Imam Mahdi (a) will establish requires humanity to be at a highly developed level of knowledge and culture. Since mankind has yet to reach the level of sophistication that would allow it to accept Imam Mahdi (a) and the state he will establish, God has delayed the appearance until mankind develops adequately. If this system and state was established at the time of the Holy Prophet (s) or even today, mankind would reject it and would not be able to benefit from it.
We need only look to Imam Ali (a) to see a perfect example of this concept. “O Kumail! There is much knowledge here!” the Imam (a) would say as he points to his chest. “If only I come by those who can carry it.”[154] He w
ould complain that there is no one that truly understands him, as he was far beyond his own time. He would stand at the river and say, “If I wished I would have created for you light and fire out of water.”[155] He would say this long before people understood the concept of electricity and hydropower.
We see that the Holy Quran ran into the same issue. People would read its verses but would not understand that they were statements of fact yet to be discovered and scientifically proven. For example, the Holy Quran says, “You see the mountains, which you assume to be stationary, while they drift like passing clouds.”[156] No one at the time could comprehend the concept, but now we can easily point to plate tectonics or other phenomena as proof. The Holy Quran says, “We have built the heaven with might, and indeed it is We who are its expanders.”[157] It is only recently that mankind has made the empirical observations that support the fact that the universe is expanding.
Even when we come to psychology, we find that the Holy Quran and the noble traditions have given us key insights that were not fully developed through the scientific tradition until recently. For example, the understanding of the unconscious mind has only been recently developed by psychologists. On the other hand, the Holy Quran mentioned it explicitly in the verse, “[God] indeed knows the secret and what is still more hidden.”[158] Imam Ali (a) further expounded on the idea when he said, “Whenever a person conceals a thing in his heart, it manifests itself through unintentional words from his tongue and in the expressions of his face.”[159]The Holy Quran, the Prophet Muhammad (s), and the Holy Household (a) understood and expounded on some of the most novel discoveries and theories of modern science.
It could be said that the state of Imam Mahdi (a) was delayed until the end of times because mankind needs time to reach a level of sophistication that would allow it to accept the state of justice and mercy. Mankind has yet to reach this level. If this promised day were to come at a time when people have not yet reached the requisite level of sophistication, they would reject it and not benefit from it. The limitations and needs of mankind are the cause for the delay in the promised day of peace, justice, and mercy.
What is Our Role?
We have seen that the appearance of Imam Mahdi (a) is contingent on a number of factors and circumstances. Can we as individuals and as a community play a role in bringing about the required circumstances? Can we play a role in hastening his blessed appearance? Can our actions advance the cause of setting the groundwork for his emergence? What is our role during the time of his occultation?
We are told by our Holy Prophet (s) and Immaculate Imams (a) that our role is to “wait.” The Holy Prophet (s) said, “The best deed for my nation is to await relief from God.”[160] What does it meant to “wait”? There are two major theories in this regard.
Dormant Waiting
Some Shia have suggested that we must be dormant while we wait for our Twelfth Holy Imam (a). They said that we should forgo any reform and the earth must continue to fester with oppression and transgression so that the stage could be set for the Imam’s (a) ultimate revolution. Because our narrations tell us that the Imam (a) will reappear at a time when the earth is full of oppression and transgression, some have suggested that attempting to stop oppression would delay the Imam’s (a) emergence.
This theory is not without its support. For example, they have relied on narrations such as the one in which Imam Sadiq (a) said, “Every banner raised before the appearance of Al-Qa’im (a), its leader is a leviathan worshipped beside God.”[161] In another narration, Imam Sadiq (a) said,
Doomed are the… hasty…. [Remain] in your homes, for the dust will settle on whoever riles it. They will never target you with a ploy except that God will [foil their ploys] with a distraction, [but will not do so for] anyone who set out against them.[162]
Proactive Waiting
The Holy Prophet (s) said, “The best deed for my nation is to await relief from God.”[163] Waiting has three different purposes in this context: theological, administrative, and ethical.
Theological Purpose. Waiting for the Imam (a) means that you believe that God can give such a long life to an individual and preserve him for a day when he could achieve a grand mission. This belief is in itself a great deed for which the individual will be greatly rewarded. At the end of time, people will lose this faith. As Imam Sadiq (a) said in one narration,
By God, your Imam will disappear for years during your age, so that you will be tested. And you will be thrashed just as the waves of the sea thrash against sailing ships. None will be saved except those who God has taken an oath from [and they have fulfilled that oath].[164]
So believing in the occultation is of great value, as more and more people at the end of times will not believe in it.
Administrative Purpose. We want to set the groundwork for the Imam’s (a) appearance. But we cannot be hasty or put a specific time frame on the appearance. There are many narrations that condemn the Waqqatun – i.e. the people who put a specific date on the appearance of the Imam (a). “The Waqqatun are liars. We are a Household that does not give a specific time [for this matter]. God has determined to disprove the times given by the Waqqatun.” There is strong condemnation for anyone who would set a specific time for the appearance because if the oppressors would know what its actual time is, they would work to undermine it. Accordingly, waiting has an administrative purpose, which is to deny the oppressors the opportunity to undermine and work against the appearance.
Ethical Purpose. Waiting allows for the earth to be adequately prepared through the process of enjoining good and forbidding evil. There is much textual evidence in support of this. God says, “There has to be a nation among you summoning to the good, bidding what is right, and forbidding what is wrong.”[165] This is not intended for any one era or another. Rather, it is applicable at all times and in all eras. It has been reported in some narrations that the Holy Prophet (s) condemned the people of the end of time because they became deviant and did not enjoin good and forbid evil. People at that time would even enjoin evil and forbid good.[166] If waiting meant that we should not enjoin good and forbid evil, then the Holy Prophet (s) would not have condemned the people of the end of time for shirking on this obligation.
The narrations used by those who hold the first view do not simply refer to any and every banner raised during the time of the occultation. Rather, the context tells us that they refer only to the banners that do not uphold religious teachings in regards to life and property and who would be, as the narration phrases it, “a leviathan worshipped beside God.” As for a person who calls unto the path of the Prophet Muhammad (s) and his Holy Household (a) – that is a banner of guidance that is not condemned in the meaning of these traditions. It is narrated that Imam Sadiq (a) said,
If someone comes to you on our behalf, take care to known for what purpose you are setting out. And do no not say, ‘Zayd had set out’ [as an excuse]. Surely, Zayd was a scholar and was most honest. He did not call you to himself, but towards seeking the pleasure of the Family of Muhammad (s)….[167]
This is evidence that the condemned banners are the ones that call towards themselves and do not enjoin good and forbid evil.
In addition, narrations have indicated that the people of the time of occultation who enjoin good and forbid evil are given a higher status than the people of any other time.[168] That is why our role lies in enjoining good and forbidding evil. Each one of us can do this in accordance to his status and circumstances. You cannot say, ‘That is the job of scholars and preachers.’ Rather, every individual is responsible to enjoin good and forbid evil. As God says, “Go on working: God will see your conduct, and His Apostle and the faithful [as well].”[169] In another verse, He says,
O you who have faith! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel will be people and stones, over which are [assigned] severe and mighty angels, who do not disobey whatever God commands them and carry out what they are commanded.[170]
Our role i
s to call unto the faith with sincerity. Everyone who works sincerely and for the pleasure of God, he is said to be waiting for his Imam (a) and setting the groundwork for his appearance. It is narrated that Imam Sajjad (a) said, “Awaiting relief is [itself] a great relief.”[171]
Let everyone enjoin good and forbid evil – each according to his capacity. This is the call of the prophets and the vicegerents. This was the call of Imam Hussain (a), who wrote when he set out towards Iraq,
I have not set out due to discontent, nor out of arrogance. I did not rise as a corruptor, nor as an oppressor. Rather, I wish to call for reform in the nation of my grandfather. I wish to call for what is good, and to forbid what is evil.[172]
The Role of Women
In the Name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
And if We defer their punishment until a certain Umma, they will surely say, ‘What holds it back?’ Look! On the day it overtakes them it shall not be turned away from them, and they will be besieged by what they used to deride.[173]
The blessed verse indicates that there is a punishment promised to the deviant among the nation of the Holy Prophet (s). However, that punishment did not befall the Muslim nation during the life time of Prophet Muhammad (s) because of the decree that God made, “But God will not punish them while you are in their midst.”[174] The punishment was delayed until a specific promised date. But what is this date set for the punishment of the deviant? Scholars of exegesis have debated the exact meaning of this day of punishment, though they agree that it is a worldly punishment and not a promise for the hereafter.
The Mahdi Page 7