Imam Al-Mahdi: The Awaited Hope for Humanity

AhlulBayt Islamic Mission

The belief in the Mahdi is not only an essential doctrine deep-rooted in Islamic faith but rather it is an embodiment of human nature regardless of one’s religious affiliations. For it is the universal desire of humans as a whole to try to achieve or at least witness the realisation of the ultimate objective of their existence, through which they will achieve perfection and social happiness in their entirety. Therefore by reason of inner necessity and inspiration, humans will see a day when society will be replete with justice.

 It is when true Justice will be established through human hands but with Divine succour resulting in the prevalence of truth over falsehood and all its offshoots.

And say: Truth hath come and falsehood hath vanished away. Lo! falsehood is ever bound to vanish. [Holy Quran: Chapter 17, Verse 81]

Having identified that the need for the Mahdi is a subject of inner necessity that is instilled into the hearts of human beings, it is essential to outline the duties of the human race as a whole in trying to achieve a purgatory state of social felicity in the outward absence of the Mahdi that would lay a foundation for his imminent reappearance.

This goal and its realisation however, prompts one to question the fundamental motive behind the concealment of the Mahdi despite when social and political factors are welcoming to his presence and his precepts.

To this we say: Indeed, this is exactly where the problem lies! The principle reason for the delay in the reappearance of the Mahdi is that his followers are not ready to acknowledge the perfect leader and the perfect ideology, rather more correctly they have not prepared themselves for his coming and the system that is to be established by him. This is clearly mentioned by the Imam himself in one of his narrations:

‘If our Shi’a (followers), may Allah help and succeed them to His obedience, were united in wholeheartedly honouring the promise and obligation that is upon them, there would have been no delay in meeting us (i.e. in our reappearance), and bliss and felicity for them would have hastened by seeing us with full knowledge and certainty of testifying to our (leadership)’ - [Bihar Al-Anwaar, Ch. 53, Pg. 177]

Therefore, each and every one of us has to be very cognisant of their acts in relation to the part we play during the occultation of the Mahdi. This period has been like none other before nor is the test set upon the Muslim Ummah and humanity at large like any before. With lack of direct contact with the divine leader of the time and the many injustices that have overwhelmed today’s society resulting in moral demise and social injustice, the resort of the believers is in seeking the help of Allah (SWT) and beseeching Him to hasten in the reappearance of the Mahdi and his promised victory.

Strong faith in the promised triumph in the midst of injustice and darkness is a means of separating the true believers from the rest. A brief look into history shows endless of these so-called followers who eventually betrayed their leaders and thus put eternal shame and disgrace on themselves. A perfect example being the story of the inhabitants of Kufah at the time of the great ancestor of the Mahdi, Husayn son of Ali, for whom he weeps blood each day until the day of his reappearance.

Certainly those fortunate and blessed individuals who will take part in this grand culmination of servitude, which will result in the prevalence of Truth over all forms of falsehood will be those whose conviction in the Mahdi and the promised day is resolute. The believers will be constantly tested by those whose aim is staunchly fixed in denying the Mahdi, by using arguments such as his age, for the Mahdi’s age is now more than 1170 years.

Many find it difficult to believe that a human can live for a period of this length, however, the impossibility in this objection is relative and its relation is to some person, place and time. What is an impossibility to one person, time or place may be very possible to another, as we well know.

Moreover, it should be said that living for such a length of time is neither a scientific nor a logical impossibility. Today scientists have succeeded in prolonging the life of certain animals, hundreds of times beyond their normal life spans by artificially creating conditions that delay the degeneration of their tissues and cells. The failure of this being effectively carried out on humans is merely due to the increased difficulties involved, however it is in no way an impossibility, from a scientific point of view, to achieve this in the future.

Yet it is through the light of faith that one can truly appreciate the magnanimity of the person of the Mahdi and his blessed and most extraordinary role. The two personalities who will lead the ship of humanity toward the shore of safety and success, both share this characteristic of long age -- Imam Al-Mahdi and Prophet Jesus, the two leaders of the promised revolution, are both alive according to the Islamic viewpoint.

These two leaders have been and are witness to the various modes of thought and systems that human beings have introduced and adapted, failingly seeking to bring about the innate desire of peace and harmony. They are aware of the inner intricacies and failures of these systems and the keys to the secrets of the quest of human struggle lie only in their hands.

The Mahdi was born on the fifteenth of Sha’ban in the year two hundred and fifty five after Hijrah. His birth was kept secret since the authorities of the time were actively seeking to execute him should he be found alive. The circumstances of his birth were therefore very similar to those of Prophet Moses who was also being searched for by the authorities of his time.

The Pharaoh of the time was well aware of the prophecy that a child would grow up to prevail over him and his evil rule and would replace this with the belief in the true One God whose Power, Might and Wisdom is Absolute. A belief which directs humanity towards perfect Unity and removes the shackles of inequity and imbalance from all spheres of life.

To be continued ...

Other Links:

The Badaa and its significance (Part 1)

The Badaa and its significance (Part 2)

The sudden nature of the advent of al-Qaim (A.S)