With
the Name of Allah, the Kind, the Merciful
“O’ Master of the Age, grant us succor!”
Allah has called all of His creation to
obedience to Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his return), since obedience to him
is obedience to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), and obedience
to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) is obedience to Allah, and
Allah has created the entire universe to obey and worship Him.
وَمَا
خَلَقْتُ
الْجِنُّ
وَالإِنْسُ
إِلاَّ
لِيَعْبُدُونِ
“And I have not created the Jinn and mankind
except to worship Me.” [1]
In order to “obey the Mahdi (peace be
upon them)” one must carry his guardianship and love in the heart; and to
attain his love, one must recognize him.
Without recognizing the Mahdi (may
Allah hasten his return), his love cannot take hold in the heart. And without
loving him, obeying and following him do not come about. And without following
him, devoutness is not possible. And without devoutness, perplexity and
misguidedness and wandering in the darkness will result; it is as we have been
taught in the form of supplications:
اّللَّهُمَّ
عَرِّقْنِي
حُجَّتَكَ
فَإِنَّكَ
إِنْ لَمْ
تُعَرِّفْنِي
حُجَّتَكَ ضَلَلْتُ
عَنْ دِيْنِي
“O’ Allah, make me recognize Your authority, for if You don’t make me recognize
him, I shall go astray in my religion.”[2]
And they have said:
مَنْ
أَنْكَرَ الْمَهْدِي
فَقَدَ
كَفَرَ
“One who denies the
Mahdi (peace be upon him) has become a disbeliever.”
And also:
مَنْ
مَاتَ وَلَمْ
يَعْرِفْ
إِمَامَ
زَمَانِهِ
مَاتَ
مِيْتَةً
جَاهِلِيَّةٍ
“One who dies without recognizing the Imam of his time dies
the death of the Age of Ignorance.”
It is on this basis that the religion
of Islam does not take form except within the limits of “Shiaism”—which is the
true conformity to religion.
And obedience to the religious commands
has no meaning except on the basis of “Imamah”—which is the Divine
leadership.
And belief in “Imamah” and
leadership in the era after the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) does
not take shape except with accepting the principle of the “Mahdi”—which is the
universal dissemination of the guidance.
“Shiaism” is nothing other than the
reality of the pure Muhammadan Islam.
“Imamah” is nothing other than
the continuity of the mission of the Noble Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him
and his family).
And “Mahdism” is nothing other than the
life and vitality of “Imamah” in the era of the concealment and the
worldwide rule of Divine unity and justice in the era of the reappearance.
It is this very way of thinking that
has compelled the enemies of Islam to make all kinds of plots and conspiracies
to obliterate Shiaism, Imamah, and belief in the Mahdi.
Always, the Shi‘a have been put under
pressure in order for the non-believers and hypocrites to be able to pursue
their activities.
In order to strengthen the Islam of the
caliphs and justify the expediency-based rulings of the apparently Muslim
rulers, objections have been raised regarding the issue of Imamah.
And in order to crush the combatants
and make reformers despair, the very principal of the Mahdi has been subject to
denial.
In spite of all this, it is only the
“authenticity of Shiaism,” the “majesty of the Imamah,” and the
“integrity of Mahdism” that guaranteed the preservation of the true prophetic
traditions, the becoming reality of the Qur’anic guidance, and the progress of
the revolutionary and ideal teachings of the Divine leaders.
The book in front of you is one of the
valuable works of the eminent teacher and well-known researcher, Ayatullah
al-‘Uzma Safi Gulpaygani. It has been written in the form of questions and
answers—which is one of the most influential ways of research and writing—about
the three main topics of “Shiaism,” “Imamah,” and “Mahdism.” It has
answered the existing objections according to what is necessary and possible in
the limits of this brief book.
Allah is the provider of tawfiq
Research Unit of the Holy Masjid of Jamkaran,
Sha’ban, 1419
Notes: