The Twelfth Imam

The Imam, the just Guide, Hazrat Mahdi (atfs) was born half-way through the month of Sha'ban in the year 255 A.H. in the town of Samarra, and in 260 A.H., when his great father died, he reached the exalted position of the Imamat. His name (Muhammad) and his agnomen (Abul-Qasim) are the same as the holy Prophet’s (s.a.). His father, the 11th Shi’a Imam, was Imam, Hasan al-'Askari (a.s.), and his mother, was the great lady Nargis - may the peace of Allah be with her.

For various reasons, the twelfth Imam, from the first day of his life, did not appear publicly, and for about seventy years people were in com- munication with him through the intermediary of his special representatives, in order of succession: 'Uthman Ibn Sa'id, Muhammad Ibn 'Uthman, Husayn Ibn Ruh, and 'Ali Ibn Muhammad al-Samarri. This period of seventy years is known as the minor occultation (al- Ghaybat al-Sughra’), and at the end of that period the major occultation (al- Ghaybat al-Kubra’) began.

During the major occultation and till the time of his re-appearance, no one has been his special representative, and there will be no one in the future, and the people have the duty to refer Fuqaha, those excelling in knowledge of the Shari'ah, and the narration of Hadith who are specialised in the matters of the religion.

Belief in Imam Mahdi (atfs) and Universal Reform

The belief in the re-appearance of the expected Mahdi (atfs) the universal reformer is not confined to the Shi’ite Muslims. Other Islamic groups and even non-Islamic groups like the Jews and the Christians and some of the great world intellectual figures believe in the appearance of a great spiritual reformer. In Psalm 37 is written:

“...Trust in the Lord and do good; so you will dwell in the land, and enjoy security.

…For the wicked shall be cut off: but those who wait for the Lord shall possess the Land.

…But the weak shall possess the land, and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

...The Lord knows the days of the flawless, and their heritage will abide forever.

....For those blessed by the Lord, shall possess the land, but those cursed by Him shall be cut off.

...The righteous shall possess the land, and dwell upon it forever...”

The Holy Qur’an and belief in al-Mahdi (atfs)

In the Qur’an a time is promised when the worshippers of Truth, the world's people of righteousness, will take over the power and government of the world, and the glorious Deen of islam will reign all over the earth. Other ayahs have been revealed which with exegetical point to Imam Mahdi (atfs).

“For We have written it in the psalms, after the Rememberance, ‘The earth shall be the inheritance of My righteous servants.’” (S.21,V.105).

“Allah has promised those of you who believe and do righteous deeds that He will surely make you successors in the land, even as He made those who were before them successors, and that He will surely established their religion for them, and will give them in exchange, after their fear, security: “They shall serve Me, not associating with me anything.” (S.24, V.55)

“It is He Who has sent His Messenger with the religion of truth, that He may lift it above every religions, though the unbelievers be averse.” (S.61,V.9)

“Yet We desired to be gracious to those that were abased in the land, and to make them leaders, and to make them the inheritors.”(S.28,V.5)

The above ayahs clearly show that in the end the world will fall to the hands of Allah's worthy and righteous servants and that they will become the leaders of the people of the world. Then Islam will be victorias over all religions.

Belief in al-Mahdi (atfs) and the Sunni Authorities

In this subject, the scholars in the Sunni school have related many Hadith from the Prophet of Islam (s.a.), through narrators who they themselves trust. From among them are such Hadith as tell that the Imams are twelve persons and that they are all from the Quraysh.

Al-Mahdi (atfs), the promised one, is from the family of the Prophet (s.a.) and is a descendant of Hazrat 'Ali and Hazrat Fatimah Zahra (s.a.), and in many of these hadiths, it is mentioned that he is from the line of Imam Husayn (a.s.). They have mentioned and recorded hundreds of hadiths about Mahdi (atfs) in more than seventy books by their own valued and dependable authorities of which we shall mention a few examples.

• Al-Musnad ofAhmad bin Hanbal (d. 241A.H.)
• Sahih of al-Bukhari (d. 256A.H.)
• Sahih of al-Muslim Ibn Hajjaj Nishapouri (d. 261A.H.)
• Sunan ofAbi Dawud Sajistani (d. 275A.H.)
• Sahih of Muhammad Ibn 'Isa al-Tirmidhi (d. 279A.H.)

The authors of the above books - each one of them are among the most authoritative books of the Sunni, died either before the birth of the Imam of the Age (255A.H.) or shortly after his birth.

Let us also mention:-

• Musabih al-Sunnah of al-Baghawi (d. 516A.H.)
• Jami' al-‘Usul of IbnAthir (d. 606A.H.)
• Al-Futahat al-Makkiyyah of Muhyiddin Ibn al-'Arabi (d. 638A H.)
• Tadhkira al-Khawas of Sibt Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 654A.H.)
• Fara'id al-Simtayn of al-Hamawi (d.716A.H.)
• As-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah of Ibn Hajar al-Haythami (d. 973A.H.)
• Yanabi' al-Mawaddah of Shaykh Sulayman al-Qunduzi (d.1293).

Some of the Sunni scholars have written books especially about the

Imam of the Age:-

1. Al-Bayan fi Akhbar Sahib al-Zaman of al-Ganji al-Shafi’i.
2. ‘Iqd al-Durar fi Akhbar al-Imam al-Muntazar of Shaykh Jamaluddin Yusuf al-Damishqi.
3. Mahdi ofAl ar- Rasul of 'Ali Ibn Sultan Muhammad al-Harawi al-Hanafi
4. Kitab al-Mahdi ofAbu Dawud.
5. 'Alamat al-Mahdi of Jalaluddin al-Suyuti
6. Manaqib al-Mahdi of HafizAbu Na'im al-Isfahani
7. Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar of Ibn Hajar
8. Al-Burhan fi 'Alamat al-MahdiAkhir al-Zaman of Mulla 'Ali al-Muttaqi
9. Arba’un Hadith fi al-Mahdi ofAbul 'Ala' al-Hamadani.

The Hidden Reformer

We have at hand these three hundred hadith from the Prophet (s.a.) and from the five Imams (a.s.) about the Imam of the Age. From them it is clear that the Imam of the Age is the ninth son of Husayn Ibn Ali. His father is Imam Hasan al-'Askari (a.s.), his mother Nargis Khatun. His name is the same as that of the Prophet (s.a.) of the end of time; his first name is al-Mahdi (atfs). It was to happen that he would be born during his father's lifetime; in Samarra, Iraq, that his father would die when he was young, that would live even to this day, and as long as God wished it. Then he will reappear and the world will be filled with justice at a time when there is injustice everywhere and that why is he now hidden from the sight of men.

And when he comes: may his appearance be honoured: with his back towards the Ka'baa's edifice, he will lean against the wall and cry out and call for his followers, who will number 313 persons. 'Isa (a.s.) will come from the heaven down to the earth, and will pray in a prayer led by al- Mahdi (atfs). The Imam of the Age will cause the commands of Islam to reach all over the world, and the earth will be like heaven.

There are very many Hadith related by the Shi’a and Sunni scholars on many aspects connected with this great Imam (atfs), and these are mentioned in books like Bihar al-Anwar and Muntakhab al-Athar.

First we shall indicate here some of these Hadith, which the authors of Muntakhab al-Athar wroye down in his book and than we shall give the text of some of them.

Subject                                                                              No. of Hadith

1.  AHadith in which it is related that the Imams are twelve,
the first being ‘Ali and the last being al-Mahdi (a.s.)	58
2.  AHadith, which gives news of the appearance of al-Mahdi
(atfs).	657
3.  AHadith, which identifies him as being of the Prophet (s.a.).	389
4.  AHadith, which says that his name and agnomen are the
same as the Prophet’s (s.a.).	48
5.  AHadith which says al-Mahdi (atfs) is a descendant of
Amir al-Mu'mineen.	214

6.A Hadith, which says he is a descendant of Hazrat Fatimah (a.s.)	196
7.  AHadith, which says he is a descendant of Hazrat Husayn (a.s.)	175
8.  AHadith, which says he is the ninth descendant of Imam
Husayn (a.s.)	148
9.  AHadith, which says he is a descendant of Imam Zayn al-
'Abidin (a.s.)	175
10.AHadith, which says he is a descendant of Imam al-Baqir (a.s.)	103
11.A Hadith, which says he is a descendant of Imam Ja'far
al-Sadiq (a.s.)	103
12.AHadith, which says he is a descendant of Imam Musa
al-Kazim (a.s.)	101
13.AHadith, which says he is a descendant of Imam al-Rida (a.s.)	95
14.AHadith, which says he is a descendant of Imam al-Jawad (a.s.)	90
15.AHadith, which says he is a descendant of ImamAli al-Hadi (a.s.)	90
16.AHadith, which says he is a descendant of Imam Hasan
al-'Askari (a.s.)	146
17.AHadith, which says that the name of his father is Hasan	147
18.AHadith, which says that he will fill the world with justice	123
19.AHadith which says his occultation will be prolonged	91
20.AHadith, which relates extent of al-Mahdi’s life	318
21.AHadith, which says that Islam will rule over the world
through him.	47
22.AHadith, which says he will be the twelfth and the last Imam.	136

When looking at the above mentioned and other hadith, it should be kept in mind that the hadith mentioning al-Mahdi (atfs) have been narrated most frequently, and that there are few subjects in Islam which have been mentioned in Hadith so often. Thus, in this light, anyone who believes in Islam and the Holy Prophet (s.a.) must necessarily declare his belief in the existence of the promised Mahdi who is now in occultation.

Now we shall relates some of these hadiths.

1. The author of Yanabi' al-Muwaddah relates that the Prophet (s.a.) said: “al- Mahdi is a descendant of mine. He will be in concealment, and when he manifests himself, the earth will become filled with justice, just as it was previously filled with injustice.”

2. In this book it is also reported that Salman al-Farisi said: “I went to the Prophet (s.a.), when Husayn Ibn 'Ali (a.s.) was sitting in his lap and the Prophet (s.a.) was kissing his eyes and mouth, and he said: ‘You are a noble one, the son of a noble one, and the brother of a noble one; You are the Imam, the son of the Imam, and the brother of the Imam. You are the Proof, son of the Proof and the brother of the Proof; You will be the father of nine Proofs of whom the ninth will be the Qa’im.”

3. Ibn Abi Dalaf says: “I heard from Hazrat Ali Ibn Muhammad (the 10th Imam) that he said: “The Imam after me will be Hasan, my son, and after him his descendant the Qa'im, who will fill the earth with justice, when it was previously filled with injustice.”

4. Hudhayfah said that the Prophet (s.a.) said: “If no more than one day is left of the world, God will make that day so long that a man, descendant of mine, whose name is my name, will appear.” Salman asked: “O Prophet of Allah, which descendant will he be?” The Prophet placed his hand on Husayn and said that he will be one of his descendants.

5. Mas'adah relates from Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) who said: “The Qa’im will be born of Hasan (the eleventh, Imam Hasan al-'Askari). And Hasan will be the son of Ali (the tenth, Imam Ali al-Naqi). Ali will be the son of Muhammad (the ninth, Imam Muhammad al-Taqi). The Muhammad will be born to Ali (the eighth, Imam Ali Ibn Musa al-Rida). Ali will be the son of this child (he pointed to Imam Musa Ibn Ja'far, the seventh Imam). We are twelve Imams, all-pure and noble birth. I swear by Allah, if there remains of the world no more than one day, Allah will make that day so long that the Qa'im of us, the Household of the Prophet (s.a.), will appear.”

The Opinion of Sociologists

The world's foremost intellectuals are of the opinion that the wars, massacres, murders, prostitution, and all the evils of this age which are daily in the increase are because there is no equilibrium between man's material and spiritual requirements.

The man of today has turned his back on moral virtues and spiritual riches, although he has conquered the sea, the desert and space, and has taken himself to the moon.

It is obvious that by relying on force and power he cannot establish order and justice in the world, and that only with technology and the material sciences the happiness of humanity will not be secured. Man has no other resort than to strengthen his social relations on the basis of faith and virtue, and to save himself from the vortex of dangers with the guidance of a great world reformer, to establish a rule based on justice together with peace, security and sincerity. In this state of affairs, human society is moving quickly towards preparation for the rising up of the Imam of theAge (atfs).

The Length of al-Mahdi's Life

We believe that the lengthening of a man's life is not an impossibility, because it is explicitly said in the holy Qur'an that:

“We sent Nuh to his people, as he tarried among them a thousand years, all but fifty.” (S.29,V.14)

What is more, research undertaken in the biological sciences has corroborated the possibility of lengthening the human life span. Even great scientists are of the opinion that food and drugs may be prepared which can prolong man's life.

The late Ayatullah As-Sadr* in his book “al-Mahdi”, quoted from a scientific article written in 1959, which stands as a witness to the above. Here is a summary of it.

“Authoritative scientists say that all the basic tissues of the animal body can live forever, and it is possible for man to live for a thousand years, provided that it doesn't happen that the thread of his life is not severed. These scientists do not speak on the basis of guesswork or surmise, for they have arrived at their conclusion through scientific experiment.

“A professor at Johns Hopkins University has said that it has been proved that the basic members of the human body have the potentiality for eternal life. Apparently the first person to carry out these experiments on parts of an animal's body was Dr. Jack Lubb, and after him Dr. Warren Lewis, who, together with his wife, proved that parts of bird fetuses could be kept alive it buffer solutions. These experiments were systematically continued until Dr. Alexis Karel, as a result of further experimental work established that parts of animals subjected to experiments did not degenerate, and even that they lived longer than the animal from which they had been taken. In January 1912 he started his experiments and by dint of self-sacrifice and removing the numerous difficulties, he discovered the following facts:

1. Unless complications such as lack of nutrition or attack by microbes intervened, living cells would continue living forever.
2. These cells, which continued to live, also grew and multiplied.
3. The growth and division of these cells could be controlled by the nutrition given to them.
4. The passing of time did not affect them and did not make them age or lose strength. Not even the smallest effect of aging, was seen. Each year they grew and multiplied exactly as in previous years. So why does man die? Why is his span of life rarer more than a hundred years? The part of the human or animals body are numerous and various, and there is also a perfect relationship and unity between them; so that the life of some of them depends on the life of others, and the failure or death of parts of human or animal bodies is the consequence of the death of the other parts. Sudden deaths which are the result of infection, are for this reason, and it also provides the reason for the average limit of man's life being around seventy to eighty years. Of course, what experiments have shown is that the cause of death is not the arrival at seventy or eighty years of age, but that the fundamental causes are diseases and accidents which may attack one of the body's organs and put it out of work; then the death of this part causes a break in its relation to other parts and the death of other organs ensues.”

“Thus if science could eliminate accidents or obstruct their harmful effects, there would be no impediment to the prolongation of life.

So if we know that a greatly extended life is not an impossibility, there is no hindrance to prevent God, the All-powerful, from keeping a man safe and sound for thousands of years, because the regulations of a man's life is in the hands of God. He can bring a new harmony into existence which has precedence over the usual order of things, just as He did in the case of all the miracles. The miracles of the prophets, the cooling of the fire for Ibrahim al- Khalil (Abraham), the turning into a serpent of Prophet Musa's (Moses) staff, the bringing to life of the dead through Prophet 'Isa, (Jesus) and so forth, are all against the usual flow of things, but God brought another order into existence by His own power and a miracle occurred: All Muslims, Jews and Christians, believe in these miracles.

Similarly for the length of the life of the Imam of the Age - May Allah bless him: there remains no place for any kind of objection, because if someone says that such a length of life is impossible, his claim cannot be at all accepted after the stipulation of the Qur'an has spoken concerning the length of Prophet Nuh's life, and also after the latest revelations of biology. If it is said that it is possible, but against the normal natural order of things, it can be retorted that the length of life of the Imam of the Age (atfs) is against the natural order just as the miracles of the prophets, and is carried out according to the will of God. Someone who believes in the power of God and the occurrence of the miracles of the prophets cannot have the slightest objection to the length of the Imam's life.

The Occultation of the Imam of theAge (atfs)

The Prophet of Islam (s.a.) sometimes hinted to people concerning the occultation of the twelfth Imam, and the infallible Imams (a.s.) also reminded people of this matter, the news of the occultation of the Imam of the Age (atfs) was so well known even before his birth, that everyone who believed in the birth of the Imam also believed in his prolonged occultation. Let us look at some of the indications have come down to us from many hadith on this subject.

1. The Prophet (s.a.) said, “The Qa'im of my descendants will become hidden, as the result of a covenant between me and him, and then people will say that Allah has no need of the family of Muhammad (s.a.), and some will doubt his birth. So everyone who is aware of his time must act according to his religion, and must not let Shaytan enter him by faltering lest he be thrown out from my people and my religion.”

2. Amir al-Mu'mineen (a.s.) said, “Our Qa'im has an occultation which will be of great duration... Beware! Everyone who is firm in his religion, and does not become hard hearted from the lengthening of the occultation of this man (and turn away from his religion) will find himself in the same rank as me on the Day of Resurrection.”Then he said, “Our Qa'im, when he rises, has no responsibility for anyone's allegiance to him, and for this reason his birth will be secret and he will be hidden.”

3. Muhammad Ibn Muslim said that he heard from Imam Ja'far al- Sadiq (a.s.) saying, “If you hear of the occultation of your Imam, do not deny it.”

4. Al-Tabarsi has written this, “The Ahadith of the occultation were recorded by the Shi'ite narrators in books which were composed in the time of Imam al-Baqir and Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.). Of all these reliable narrators one was Hasan Ibn Mahbub. About a hundred years before the time of the occultation, he wrote a book called “al- Mashiykhah., and mentioned the hadith about the occultation in it. The following is one of them.

“Abu Basir has said, “I said in the presence of Imam al-Sadiq (a s.) that Hazrat abu- Ja'far had said, 'The Qa'im of the family of Muhammad (s.a.) will have two occultation; one prolonged, one short.' He said, “Yes, O abu- Basir, one of those occultation will be longer than the other.”

Therefore, the Prophet of Islam (s.a.) and the pure Imams (a.s.) reminded people that the occultation of the Imam of the Age (atfs) became public with the announcement of the existence of the Prophet himself, and that belief in the Imam's occultation went together with belief in the Prophet’s (s.a.) existence.

Shaykh Saduq has narrated from al-Sayyid al-Himyari, “I had some exaggerated idea about Muhammad Ibn al-Hanafiyyah, and believed that he was hidden, till Allah enlightened me through Imam al-Sadiq (a.s) and saved me from the Fire. I was guided to the true way, whereby after the Imamate of Ja'far  Ibn  Muhammad had been proved  to  me with  solid  evidence and demonstration, I said one day to him, “O son of the Prophet of Allah, tell me some hadith from your forefathers about occultation and the truth of it. If you please, I would appreciate if you tell me for whom the occultation is.” He replied, 'The occultation will occur for my descendant in the sixth generation, and he will be the twelfth Imam after the Prophet of Allah, the first one being 'Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.s.), and the last the Qa’im (atfs) of the Truth, the continuance ofAllah on earth and the Imam of theAge...”

Why is the Imam of theAge in Concealment?

In previous lessons it we have said that the existence of the Imam (atfs) and the successor of the Prophet (s.a.) was necessary for a number of reasons, such as settling differences, explaining the laws of Allah, and giving spiritual, inward guidance, and that Allah, the Merciful, appointed Amir al- Mu'minin ‘Ali Ibn Abu Talib (a.s.) and after him eleven people from his descendants, one after the other, as Imams after the Prophet of Islam (s.a.).

It is obvious that the duties of the Imam of the Age, in all the aspects of the Imamate, are the same as that of his predecessors. If there were no hindrance, it would be necessary that he be clearly manifested, so that people might prosper in all the benefits of his existence. So why was he  hidden from the very first ?

Basically, there is no need to look for the philosophy or reasons behind his occultation so as to believe in the rule of Allah, for there is no obligation on one to know the basic reason for it, just as we remain ignorant of the metaphysics behind many other things. It is sufficient that we know on the basis of the many Hadith and true proofs that God, the Almighty, sent his own Proof, but that, for various reasons, He kept him behind the curtain of occultation.

It can also be found out from some Hadith that the basic and fundamental reason for the occultation will become known after the appearance of al-Mahdi. 'Abdullah al-Fadl al-Hashimi says, “I heard Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a.s.) saying, “The occultation (of the 12th Imam) will be indispensable, for the lord of power, so that the people of vanity will fall into doubts about him.” I asked, “Why?” He said: “For a reason which I am not at liberty to declare.” I asked, “What will his role be?” He replied, “The same role as existed in the occultation of previous proofs. It will not be disclosed until after his appearance, just as the role of the works of Khidr was not known (meaning the drilling of a hole in the boat, the killing of the youth, the repairing of the wall in the story of Khidr in the Qur'an) until Musa and Khidr decided to part company.” O Fadl, the subject of the occultation is a command of Allah and as secret of His secrets, and since we acknowledge Allah, to be wise,we must accept that that all His acts are done with Knowledge and Wisdom, even if the reason for them is not known to us.”

Of course the benefits of al-Mahdi's occultation can be covered, and these have been indicated in some of the hadith.For example:-

1. A test for people is one of the benefits of the occultation of the Imam of the Age: on one side, a group without faith, whose inner feelings becomes evident; on the other side, those in the depths of whose hearts faith have taken root, their hope of deliverance, their patience in adversity, their faith in the unseen become more perfect, their worthiness become known, and degeers of spiritual reward falling to them.

Imam Musa Ibn Ja'far (a.s.)    said, “When my fifth descendant becomes hidden,persevere in your religion, so that no one may turn you away from it. There will be an occultation for the Imam of that Age, when a group of believers in him will relinquish their belief. This occultation is a test with whichAllah will test His slaves.”

2. A Protection for the Imam against being killed: From a study of the leaders of Islam, and their situation vis-a-viz the Umayyid and Abbasid Caliphs, we can clearly see that if the twelfth Imam manifested himself they would surely kill him like his forefathers or poison him. Because when they heard and knew that there would rise from the family of the Prophet(s.a.), and from the descendants of 'Ali and Fatimah - may allah bless them both- someone who would destroy the government of the oppressors, and that that person would be a child of Imam Hasan al- 'Askari (a.s.), the Abassids planned to kill him. ButAllah protected him and his enemies lost hope.

Zurarah relates from Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) that he said, “There will be an occultation prior to the appearance of the Qa'im (atfs).” Zurarah asked, “Why?” He said: “So that he may escape being killed, and that occultation will continue till the ground for his appearance and triumph over the rule of the oppressors is ready.”

3. The third benefit that can be gleaned from the Hadith is that by this means al-Mahdi will be saved from having allegiance made to him by the oppressors, Caliphs, and usurping rulers. When he appears no one will swear allegiance to him, so that he can freely expose the truth and establish a just and righteous rule.

The Purpose of the Hidden Imam (atfs)

We have said above God appointed the Imam of the Age (atfs) to be a guide amongst people; however, it is the people who are the obstacle to his appearance, and whenever they are ready for a single, divine world rule, , formed on true justice and observing rights, truth and realities, putting into practice all the laws of Islam without any dissimulation or fear, Mahdi (atfs) will openly declare himself. So, with regard to Allah, the Merciful, there is not the slightest lack of favour or mercy, for the fault lies with the people that the Imam is hidden and the appearance of his rule is delayed. Still, it must be remembered that the benefits of the existence of the Imam are not limited to outward guidance among people, for the pure existence of the Imam has other benefits, which are not necessarily evident among people.

The most important benefit of the Imam's existence is that he is the intermediary for Divine favour. For, on the basis of the evidence scholars have produced and also according to numerous Hadith which

speak about the Imamate, leadership, if there were no Imam (a.s) the relation between the world and its Creator would no longer exist, because all of the favors ofAllah come through the Imam to the rest of humanity. In many hadith it is said very clearly that the earth will not remain without an Imam.

The Imam is the heart of the world of existence, the leader, the preceptor of mankind, and for this reason his presence or his absence makes no difference. What is more, the spiritual guidance of the Imam towards worthy individuals will always be there, although they may not see him, especially as it is mentioned in Hadith that the Mahdi (atfs) comes and goes among the people in the meetings of the believers without anyone understanding. Thus the guarding of Islam and the protection of the worthy is well undertaken by the Imam, even during the time of his occultation. In reality the hidden Imam is like the sun behind a cloud from whose light and heat existent things may profit, although the ignorant and the blind may not see it.

Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) also said in answer to the question: “How can people benefit from a hidden Imam?”: He replied, “Just as they do from the sun when it is behind a cloud.”

We would now like you to look at this excerpt from the writings of Henri Corbin the famous French scholar, “I believe that the Shi’ah sect is the only religion which maintains eternally the link of Divine guidance between God and his creation, and continually keeps alive the union of Wilayat. The Jewish religion, finished prophethood, which is the relationship between God and the world of man, with Moses, and do not acknowledge the prophethood of Jesus or Muhammad. Thus they have served this link. The Christians, also, stopped with Jesus, and the Sunni Muslims stood still with Muhammad. With the seal of prophethood among the latter, they admit of no further link being maintained between the Creator and creation.

“Only the Shi'ah faith believes that the prophethood ended with Muhammad (s.a.), but that Wilayat, which is   link of guidance and progression, continues to live after him and forever.

“Indeed, only among the Shi’ah does this reality between the world of man and the Divinity remain forever.”

A Necessary Reminder

Belief in the Imam of the Age (atfs)means that the link between people and the unseen world is inseparable, and someone who believes this must always remember the Mahdi (atfs) and await the appearance of this hidden reformer.

Of course, waiting for the Imam of the Age (atfs) does not mean that all Muslims and Shi’ah should fold their arms and take no measures in the way of furthering the aims of Islam, only waiting for him to appear. For as the great Shi’ah scholars have been saying from the earliest times, all Muslims and Shi’ah have a duty to make every effort in the path to establishing and strengthening Islamic knowledge and laws in the face of injustice and evil, to struggle against this will all their possibilities; or, in other words, to strive till the preparation for a just rule and harmonised that all those with complaints have seen  justice; and if there is any oppression or cruelty reigning among people, to protest against it, and continue in this way. Every Muslim has  the duty to sacrifice himself in the way of Imam and Islam, and to always be prepared to welcome the promised (atfs), that is, to so order his life that it may not be a contradiction of the project of the Imam, so that he can take his place in the ranks behind him and fight against his enemies.