The Mahdi

by Sayyid Muneer Al-Khabbaz

  Each Imam is given a title that denotes the most important role that he would play – as known by God before the time of creation. Each of our Imams (a) played a different role during his lifetime based on his particular circumstances. Accordingly, each Imam (a) was given an honorific title that best suited his role during those circumstances.

  For example, Imam Hussain (a) played an important role during a time when the Muslim nation was overtaken by deviance and lethargy. There needed to be a movement that would wake the nation from its slumber and remind it of its purpose and potential. Thus, Imam Hussain (a) needed to undertake that movement during the time of Yazid. His movement eventually led to his tragic martyrdom along with his closest kin and companions. Because his circumstances compelled him to play this role, he was given the title of ‘al-Shaheed’ – the Martyr.

  During the time of Imam Sadiq (a), many schools of thought began to appear, each claiming that they have the true understanding of the faith. There were individuals who claimed scholarship in jurisprudence and began to issue rulings. There were different philosophies beginning to spread in regards to theology. These schools of thought were not based on divine knowledge, but on reason, deduction, and opinion. They were liable to make mistakes – and many in fact did. The only school of thought not liable to err was that of our Imam (a). For his role in spreading the true teachings of our faith he was given the honorific title ‘al-Sadiq’ – the Truthful.

  Imam Sadiq (a) would declare to his students,

  My speech is the speech of my father [Imam Baqir (a)]. The speech of my father is the speech of my grandfather [Imam Sajjad (a)]. The speech of my grandfather is the speech of Hussain (a). The speech of Hussain (a) is the speech of Hassan (a). The speech of Hassan (a) is the speech of the Commander of the Faithful (a). The speech of the Commander of the Faithful (a) is the speech of the Messenger of God (s). The speech of the Messenger of God (s) is the word of God.[415]

  In other words, the school of thought of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (a) is not based on deduction and reasoning, and therefore it could be liable to error. Rather, it is based on knowledge inherited through the generations directly from the Holy Prophet (s), who had been entrusted with this knowledge by God.

  So why was our Twelfth Imam (a) given the name ‘al-Mahdi’ – the Guided one?

  Although all of his forefathers were engaged in guidance, his role is to bring guidance to the entire world. It is narrated that Imam Baqir (a) said, “The Mahdi (a) is called the Guided One because he Guides to a hidden matter.”[416] There is something that people do not know and to which they will be guided at his reemergence – namely, the interpretation of the Holy Quran and the stature of the Household of the Prophet (s).

  Evident Truth

  In one narration, Imam Sadiq (a) described to a close companion the era of the occultation. The Imam (a) described the length of that period and the many deviant paths that will rise during that time. When the companion heard all this, he began to cry. The Imam (a) asked him “Why do you cry?” The companion answered that he could not hold his tears when he heard about the spread of turmoil and deviance.

  Upon hearing this, the Imam (a) pointed to a window through which sunlight entered the room. He asked “Is this [sun] apparent?” The companion replied in the affirmative. The Imam (a) then declared “Our matter is more evident than this sun.”[417]

  At the reemergence of our Twelfth Imam (a), the truth will be as clear as the sun. Through this evident truth, the Imam (a) will fill the earth with justice and equity after it was filled with injustice and inequity.

  Intellect and Patience

  In the Name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

  God has promised those of you who have faith and do righteous deeds that He will surely make them successors in the earth, just as He made those who were before them successors, and He will surely establish for them their religion which He has approved for them, and that He will surely change their state to security after their fear, while they worship Me, not ascribing any partners to Me.[418]

  This verse promises the believers that they will be made ‘successors’ to the earth and that their religion will be established across the land. This promise has yet to be fulfilled. However, God’s promise must surely be fulfilled. So when is the promised day? It is none other than the day of our Awaited Imam (a). Per Imam Sadiq (a) “[This verse] was revealed with respect to Al-Qa’im (a) and his companions.”[419]

  There are a number of other similar verses in the Holy Quran, each with an explanation in the blessed traditions. For example, God says,

  They say, ‘When will this victory be, if you are truthful?’ Say, ‘On the day of victory their [newly found] faith will not avail the faithless, nor will they be granted any respite.’ So turn away from them, and wait. They too are waiting.[420]

  It is reported that Imam Sadiq (a) said with respect to this verse “The day of victory is the day in which the land will be open before Al-Qa’im (a).”[421]

  In another verse God says,

  Do they not consider that the angels may come to them, or your Lord may come, or some of your Lord’s signs may come? The day when some of your Lord’s signs do come, faith shall not benefit any soul that had not believed beforehand and had not earned some goodness in its faith. Say, ‘Wait! We too are waiting!’[422]

  According to a narration of Imam Sadiq (a), he said “The signs are the Imams and the awaited sign is Al-Qa’im (a).”[423]

  An Intellectual Victory

  Many may think that the era of the reemergence of Imam Mahdi (a) is an era of military triumph. God promises that the religion of Islam will be established on every corner of the earth and made to prevail over all other religions. Many people jump to the conclusion that this is a promise of military victory and that the religion will be spread by force. However, this explanation is incompatible with our understanding of this promised day.

  For example, God says in the Holy Quran “It is He who has sent His Apostle with the guidance and the religion of truth that He may make it prevail over all religions, though the polytheists should be averse.”[424] Some conclude that this is a reference to an armed struggle since the religion will be made to prevail despite the aversion of some. In other words, they will not be convinced of the faith but will be compelled to accept it. The common conclusion is that the verse is referring to a military triumph.

  This, however, is incompatible with the religion of Islam. No sound conclusion is pushed by brute force unless the idea itself is weak and unable to prove its own validity. But since Islam is the religion of truth, it does not need to rely on force in order to spread. Islam is the complete religion – “Today I have perfected your religion for you, and I have completed My blessing upon you, and I have approved Islam as your religion.”[425] It is the religion of mankind’s innate nature – “So set your heart as a person of pure faith on this religion, the original nature endowed by God according to which He originated mankind.”[426] There is no need for Islam to be spread by force, since it is the complete religion and coincides with mankind’s innate nature.

  The Incompatibility of Faith and Compulsion

  Religion in general cannot be spread by the sword.

  First, faith and conviction are not things that can be forced upon an individual. It is a matter very personal to each individual. Its place is within the heart and the mind, and thus cannot be imposed by force. Rituals like prayer and Hajj only give an appearance of faith. True faith is a conviction of the heart and runs much deeper than the appearance of devotion.

  Hearts and minds cannot be controlled by brute force. They are the only truly free place on earth. An individual’s thoughts, emotions, and convictions cannot be controlled. That is why the commander of the faithful is reported to have said,

  If I were to strike a believers face with this sword of mine so that he may hate me, he would not. If I were to grant the world and all its riches to a hypocrite so that he may love me, he would not.[427
]

  It is impossible to control the heart of an individual. Therefore, it is impossible to spread conviction in the faith through force.

  When the Commander of the Faithful (a) was martyred, Muawiya began dealing with the followers of Imam Ali (a) one by one. He murdered some, bought off others, and ensured that the rest would live a life of constant hunger and terror. Historians say that Muawiya attempted to buy off Al-Aswad Al-Du’ali, a companion of Imam Ali (a). Muawiya’s first gift was a jar of honey mixed with saffron – a delicacy of the time. Al-Aswad’s young daughter walked in and took a bite of the sweet mix. Her father quickly informed her,

  My daughter, spit it out for it is surely poison. This is a confection that Muawiya has sent to us to tempt us away from the Commander of the Faithful (a) and deter us from the love of the Household [of the Prophet (s)].

  The girl quickly spit the honey out and said, “May God curse him! He wishes to tempt us away from the Purified Master (a) by a dish of honeyed saffron! Woe to whoever sent this and whoever eats it!”[428]

  Second, God says, “There is no compulsion in religion: rectitude has become distinct from error.”[429] In other words, there is no need for compulsion because the truth has been made clear. A strong and truthful ideal does not need to be supported by force, but will rather win people over due to its righteous nature. A creed that is supported by reason and proof does not need to be forced onto the people. They will come to accept it out of their own conviction once they come to see the full picture. That is the meaning of the verse, “To God belongs the conclusive argument.”[430]

  Third, an attempt to enforce religion would actually cause a counter reaction. Scholars say that a wise individual would never do anything that would contradict his goal or objective. That would go against the idea of wisdom. God is the All-wise. He gave us religion so that we can reach a level of belief and conviction in the faith, and so that we can react with it and act based on its teachings. However, imposition of a religion by force goes against the purpose of having mankind follow it out of faith and conviction.

  God says, “Indeed the prayer restrains from indecent and wrongful conduct.”[431] He also says, “O you who have faith! Prescribed for you is fasting as it was prescribed for those who were before you, so that you may be Godwary.”[432] Godwariness will only come through prayer and fasting if these actions are undertaken out of conviction. An individual who is forced to pray or fast will not attain the same result.

  So imposition of religion by force contradicts its purpose and objective. If mankind is meant to act according to the faith’s teachings out of personal conviction and volition, it cannot be imposed by force. That would contradict the purpose.

  The imposition of certain rules onto society is not necessarily wrong. For example, if someone wanted to live within society but did not want to live a primitive life – refusing to send his children to school or seeking medical treatment for a highly contagious disease – rational society would have no problem imposing rules, regulations, and fines on such an individual. In fact, no government would be viable if its rules and regulations were not backed by the force of law. Thus, there is nothing inherently wrong about the imposition of moral or religious rules through the force of law. However, because religion is intended to be a matter of conviction, it cannot be imposed by force.

  Those Averse to the Religion

  Furthermore, the blessed verses do not indicate that the religion of Islam will be imposed by force. God says, “It is He who has sent His Apostle with the guidance and the religion of truth that He may make it prevail over all religions, though the polytheists should be averse.”[433] The fact that there is a faction that is averse to the religion of truth does not mean that the faith will be forcefully imposed on them.

  Scholars say that there are two forces internal to each individual; the power of the intellect and the power of the heart. The role of the intellect is to take in and process information. The role of the heart is to believe or disbelieve, doubt, love, hate, and to be joyous or sad. When the intellect and the heart are in agreement, true piety is reached, but they do not necessarily always align.

  For example, would any of us be able to spend a night alone in a dark room with a dead corpse? Our intellects tell us that a corpse is devoid of life and unable to do us any harm, but our hearts will not allow us to rest easy. Even the bravest and most rational individual will not be able to continue with the task simply because the power of our hearts does not follow the power of our reason and intellect.

  In the case of religion, the heart may sometimes be in agreement with the intellect and sometimes in disagreement. Arguments and proofs may deliver certainty to an individual’s intellect, but his heart may disagree and choose another path. That is why the Quran asserts “They impugned [God’s signs], wrongfully and out of arrogance, though they were convinced within themselves [of their veracity].”[434] What is meant by ‘selves’ here are the intellects, as they realized the truth of God’s signs but their hearts could not come to believe. Mankind may sometimes come to believe that an idea is true although in their hearts they may be averse to it. That is the meaning of the verse “It is He who has sent His Apostle with the guidance and the religion of truth that He may make it prevail over all religions, though the polytheists should be averse.”[435]

  The verses of the Holy Quran do not indicate that the religion of Islam will prevail by force. Rather, it will prevail through its intellectual strength. Still, there will be some individuals who will see the clear proof in support of God’s true religion, but will nonetheless remain averse to it.

  The Imam and the Opposition

  Some may also ask, ‘How will the Imam (a) deal with opposition to his state? Will any opposition have the freedom to speak out against the Imam (a) and his ideals? Will the freedom of speech and the press be guaranteed?’

  This question can be answered in two points.

  Opposition is Unfathomable

  It is unimaginable that there would be a rational opposition to the Imam (a). Why?

  Muslim scholars submit that injustice is not an innate and natural tendency of mankind. Rather, it is an occasional and unnatural phenomenon. Mankind is by innate nature virtuous and just. Each individual recognizes justice as a virtue and wants to be treated fairly and equitably. And by their nature people will treat others justly because they would like to be treated in the same way.

  It is narrated that one of our Imams (a) said to his companions, “Indeed, only one who fears loss will be hasty. Surely, only the weak need to act unjustly.”[436] A person who fears that he might lose an opportunity will be hasty and will make rash mistakes. And only a weak individual will act unjustly. A person who is strong in his morals and firm in his principles will act justly and will find no need to cheat or mistreat others. Thus, injustice often arises out of an inferiority complex.

  If a person lives in a state where all his rights are protected and the means of an honorable and comfortable life are guaranteed will never find the need to act unjustly. He will not think of opposing the state. If a person is living an honorable and comfortable life, what need does he have to act unjustly or to revolt against the state?

  The government of Imam Mahdi (a) will usher justice and prosperity for the entire world. So what need is there for opposition or revolution? The Holy Prophet (s) said that the Imam (a) will “fill the earth with justice and equity.”[437] Justice and equity means that all society will be protected and treated fairly. Each individual will be protected and treated fairly. The general philosophy and culture will be that of justice and equity.

  When Imam Mahdi (a) fills the earth with justice and equity, he will usher in an age of a general understanding, philosophy, and culture of justice and equity. Through that, every individual will act justly and treat everyone else fairly.

  Opposition to such a state is unfathomable. No rational individual will oppose justice and equity.

  Enmity and Aggression

  Even i
f we assume, for argument’s sake, that there will be a rational and excused opposition to the Imam (a), then his treatment of this opposition will be the same as how the Holy Prophet (s) and the Commander of the Faithful (a) treated the opposition during their lifetimes. A narration attributed to Imam Sadiq (a) said, “He [the Awaited Imam (a)] would be amongst people as his grandfather [the Prophet (s)].”[438] During the time of the Holy Prophet (s), intellectual freedoms were not restricted. The Holy Prophet (s) took care that no opposition could turn into a full-fledged sedition.

  There are a number of noble goals behind the treatment that the Holy Prophet (s) afforded to his opposition. Unity of the Muslim nation, for example, is one noble goal espoused by the Holy Quran – “Do not dispute, or you will lose heart and your power will be gone.”[439] Another is the preservation of the innate nature of mankind which fosters a spirit of collaboration and bonhomie – “Cooperate in piety and Godwariness.”[440] Every opposition which bears only enmity and aggression in the face of these noble goals should be dealt with. Differences in viewpoint and opinion, on the other hand, are allowed.

  This was part of what the Commander of the Faithful (a) spoke about in his letter to Malik Al-Ashtar. The Imam (a) taught Malik how a Muslim government should be at all times. Imam Mahdi’s (a) state, of course, will not act any differently than how Imam Ali (a) taught his companions to be. And amongst the greatest points of that letter was the Imam’s (a) instructions on how a governor should deal with citizens, whether they share his religion or not.