The Awaited Saviour

The awaited Mahdi, Muhammad ibn Hasan (Peace be on him) was born during the lifetime of his father. He is in occultation, but is alive and will continue to live so long as the world lasts, for an infallible Imam must exist at all times. It is an agreed opinion of the Ummah that there could be no time when there would not be a master, either known and manifest or hidden and concealed. Moreover, Allah's grace is obligatory at all times. The Imam is His grace and so his existence is also obligatory.

His long life is not a far-fetched idea, for during the past ages many other persons such as Prophet Shu'ayb, Noah, Luqman, Khizr and Isa (Jesus) (Peace be on them) and Iblis (the Devil) and Dajjal (the Imposter) lived three thousand years or more. Moreover long life is possible, and whatever is possible, is within the power of Allah.

Imam Mahdi (Peace be On him) is not expected to have concealed himself of his own accord, for he is infallible and he cannot refrain from doing what is obligatory. Nor can be ordered by Allah to conceal himself, for Allah being Just and Judicious would not order him to do a wrong thing. Obviously it is improper for an Imam to hide himself from the eyes and to deprive the people from being benefited by his instructions. Therefore his occultation is due to the abundance of the enemies and the infidels and the paucity of the supporters.

The Mahdi must reappear, for the Holy Prophet has said: "Even if only one hour of the world was left, Allah would lengthen that hour until a man of my progeny would appear. His name would be the same as my name and his patronymic (kunyah) would be the same as my partonymic. He would fill the earth with justice and fairplay as it would be filled with tyranny and oppression. It would be obligatory for everybody to follow him.

Certain benefits continue to accrue from the Imam even during his occultation in the same way as the sun is beneficial even when it is under the cloud or a lamp is beneficial even when it is behind a curtain.

The Return (Raj'ah)

During the time of the Mahdi (May Allah hasten his blessed advent) our Holy Prophet and our infallible Imams (Peace be on them) will return to this world along with a body of men belonging to the past and the subsequent nations, with a view to demonstrate their power and establish their rights. This is what has been expressly mentioned by a number of continuous reports and Qur'anic verses. Allah says: The day on which We will assemble a group from every people. ¹

Therefore it is obligatory to believe in the doctrine of 'Return' (raj'ah).

The Resurrection

Surely Allah will physically resurrect the dead as they were in this world in order to restore the rights to all those to whom they were due. The Resurrection of the dead is not inconceivable and the Prophets have informed us of it. The Holy Qur'an is full of the verses telling about Resurrection, and there is no possibility of interpreting them in some other way. Therefore it is obligatory to have belief in physical Resurrection

Faith in the Message of the Holy Prophet [s]

It is obligatory to have faith in all that has been conveyed by the Holy Prophet and the Imams including what they have said about the Prophethood of the past Prophets, about the revealed Books, the existence of the angels, the account of what is going to happen in the grave, its punishment and its reward, revivification, its horrors, reckoning, the 'balance', the path, speaking of the limbs and organs, the existence of the Paradise, the Hell and the Fountain (a reservoir of nectar in Paradise) from which Imam Ali, Amirul Mu'minin will give water to the thirsty to drink on the Day of Resurrection, intercession of the Holy Prophet and the Imams on behalf of those who loved them out of the perpetrators of grave and deadly sins. The infallible Imams and the Holy Prophet have told us about all these things.

Repentance

Repentance, means regretting about anything wrong committed in the past, ceasing to commit it immediately and taking a firm decision not to commit it in future. It is obligatory as so many verses of the Holy Qur'an and the traditions of the Holy Prophet clearly indicate. common sense also appeals that one must take steps to ward off any possible harm.

Enjoining Good & Forbidding Evil

Urging what is right and forbidding what is evil are obligatory provided there is a chance of their being effective and there is no fear of any harm.

Invocation

O Allah! We complain of the loss of our Prophet, the absence of our Guardian, the paucity of our number and the abundance of our enemies. Therefore, O Allah, hasten the reappearance of our Guardian, the master of the Time. (May peace be on him) O Compassionate! O Benefactor!

Footnote:

1. 1. Surah an-Naml, 27:83