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Contents
Translator's
Introduction
Author's
Introduction
Chapter 1
The Beginning of
the Belief in the Mahdi
The Mahdi from among the Descendants of the Prophet
The Sunni
hadith on the Subject of the Mahdi
The Objection
Raised by One of the Authors
Ibn Khaldun
and the Traditions about the Mahdi
Other Opinions
from Ibn Khaldun
The Existence
of the Mahdi is Certain
People Awaited
the Appearance of the Mahdi
The Discussion
among the Companions and the Subsequent Generations
The Jurists
of Medina and the Mahdi Traditions
The Poetry
of Di'bil and the Mahdi
Chapter
2
The
Pseudo-Mahdis
Manipulation of the Beliefs of the People
Fabrication
of the Traditions
The Family
of the Prophet and the Eleven Imams' Predictions about the Mahdi
Are these
Traditions about the Mahdi Authentic?
Chapter
3
Mahdiism, the Jews,
and the Iranians
The Reasons for the Emergence of Belief in the Mahdiism
Does it Really
Need Explication?
The Legend
of 'Abd Allah b. Saba
The Messianic
Leader, Mahdi, in Other Religions
The Qur'an and
Mahdiism
The General
Prophethood and the Imamate
What System
Can Make Human Beings Prosperous?
The Other-worldly
Prosperity
The Path of
Perfection
The Infallibility
of the Prophets
Rational
Proof in Support of the Imamate
Textual
Proof for the Necessity of the Imamate
Chapter
4
The Unseen World
and the Imam of the Age
Will the Imam Be Born at the End of the Time?
Descriptions
Identifying the Mahdi
Mahdi Is Among
the Descendants of Husayn b. 'Ali
What If the
Mahdi Was Well-known?
The Traditions
from the ahl al-bayt Are Proofs for All Muslims
`Ali b. Abi
Talib, the Paragon of the Prophetic Knowledge
The Book of
'Ali b. Abi Talib
The Heirs to
the Prophet's Knowledge
Chapter
5
Who Was the Imam
after Hasan 'Askari?
Those Who Saw the Imam of the Age When He Was Small
Why Was the
Twelfth Imam Not Mentioned in the Will of Imam Hasan 'Askari?
Why Did Others
Not Know about the Twelfth Imam's Birth?
The Mother
of the Twelfth Imam
The Sunni 'Ulama'
and the Birth of the Mahdi
Chapter
6
Can a Five Year Old
Boy Become an Imam?
The Gifted Children
Rising of
the People when Naming the Qa'im
When Did the
Story about the Occultation Begin?
The Books on
the Subject of the Occultation before the Birth of the Twelfth Imam
The Short and
Complete Occultation
The Short
Occultation and the Contacts with the Shi'a
Were these
Letters from the Imam in His Own Handwriting?
The Number
of Deputies
'Uthman b. Sa'id,
the First Deputy
Muhammad
b. 'Uthman, the Second Deputy
Husayn b.
Ruh, the Third Deputy
'Ali b.
Muhammad Samarri, the Fourth Deputy
Chapter
7
Why Did Not the
Occultation Become Complete from the Beginning?
Is There Any Time Limit to the Complete Occultation?
The Philosophy
of Occultation
What Danger
Faced the Imam If He Were Visibly Present?
Why Is the
Mahdi Afraid of Being Killed?
Does Not God
Have the Power to Protect the Imam?
Is It Not
Likely That the Unjust Rulers Would Have Submitted to Him?
He Should
Remain Silent So That He Would Be Safe
He Could Have
Negotiated a Treaty of Non-interference with the Rulers
Why Did He Not
Appoint Special Deputies During the Complete Occultation?
What Is the
Benefit of Having the Imam in Occultation?
The Twelfth
Imam Endeavors to Defend Islam during the Occultation
Chapter
8
The Sunni Books on
the Characteristics of the Mahdi
The Occultation of the 'Alawid Leaders
Violations
of Free Expression under the Caliphs
The Implications
of the Situation
How Long Will
the Hidden Imam Live?
Chapter
9
The Research about
Longevity
Is There Any Fixed Term for Human Age?
The Reasons for Longevity
Senility and
Its Causes
The Long Life
of the Twelfth Imam
The Article
by Justin Glace
Research into
the Matter of Longevity
Further Research
on Longevity
New Research
on Longevity
A Summary
of a Russian Study on the Subject of Old Age
A Little
Known Theory about the Cause of Death
Those Who
Lived a Long Life in History
Chapter 10
The Residence of
the Twelfth Imam
The Story about the Countries that Belong to the Sons of the Imam
Jazira Khadra'
(The Evergreen Island)
When Will
He Appear?
The Signs
of His Appearance
The Story of
Sufyani
The Story
of Dajjal
Chapter 11
The Minds of the
People Prepare for the Advent of the Mahdi
The Final Victory of the Downtrodden (mustad'afin)
Why Does
the Mahdi Not Appear?
Another Reason
for the Delay in the Appearance of the Mahdi
Chapter 12
How Will the Imam
Know That the Time for the Appearance (Zuhur) Has Come?
The Preparation for the Emergence Will Take Place Overnight
Awaiting
Deliverance through the Appearance of the Imam
Investigation
into the Traditions against the Rise (qiyam)
Governance
within Religion
The Obligation
to Command the Good and Forbid the Evil
Concluding
Remarks
The Prophet
as the Leader of the Muslims
Islamic Governance
after the Prophet
`Ali b. Abi
Talib, the Designated Caliph of the Prophet of God
Islamic
Governance during the Period of Occultation
The Obligations
of Muslims during the Occultation
Chapter 13
Further Investigation
in the Hadith-Reports
First Group of Traditions
Second Group
of Traditions
Third Group
of Traditions
Fourth Group
of Traditions
Conclusions
of the Discussion
Chapter 14
The Signs of the
Appearance (Zuhur) of the Mahdi
The Destiny of the Unbelievers
The Destiny
of Jews and Christians
Will the Majority
of the Peoples on the Earth Be Killed?
The Teachings
of Islam Will Be Proclaimed to the World from Qumm
"Your Enemies
Will Destroy Each Other"
War Is
Inevitable
The Mahdi's
Defense
The World
under the Mahdi
The Victory
of the Prophets
The Mahdi
and the New Constitution
The Conduct
of the Mahdi
The Freshness
of the Explanations Offered by the Mahdi
The Mahdi
and Abrogation of the Ordinances
Is It Not
Possible that the Mahdi Has Already Appeared?
Sayyid
'Ali Muhammad Shirazi, "the Bab"
Sayyid
'Ali Muhammad's Acknowledgement of the Hidden Imam's Existence
Sayyid
'Ali Muhammad and the Traditions about Fixing of the Time
What Do
the Sayyid's Followers Say?
The
Bayan and Messianic Claim
False
Claims and the Existence of a Followership
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