AhlulBayt News Agency: The issue of Mahdi may be one of the necessities of
Islam because of all the Quranic verses and widely transmitted traditions that
exist about this issue and differences in their opinions and sects, the Islamic
nation is unanimous on this issue.
The Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance)
in The Holy Quran
Most of what has been said in the Holy Quran about Imam Mahdi (may God hasten
his reappearance) is in the form of interpretation; as the Holy Prophet (peace
be upon him and his household) has said, “There is not a verse in the
Quran that doesn’t have an open (meaning) and a hidden (one).”1
Fundamentally speaking, the key to the everlastingness of the Holy Quran is the
hidden meanings of verses. One example is this verse
﴾And We desired to bestow a favor upon those who
were deemed weak in the land...﴿2 (Qasas: 5)
which has been revealed about the Pharaoh and Moses (peace be upon him), but
according to traditions, the oppressed3 has been interpreted as Imam
Ali (P.B.) and his progeny. The verse:
﴾And certainly We wrote in the Book after the
reminder that (as for) the land, My righteous servants shall inherit it.﴿4 (Anbia’: 105) also points
out this fact. In the book The Psalms of David (verses 9-25), which is the same
as “Zabur,” this divine promise has been given to all nations. In other verses,
like verse 55 of chapter Nur:
﴾Allah has promised to those of you who believe
and do good that He will most certainly make them rulers in the earth﴿ 5 and verse 61 of chapter Zukhruf,
which is about the return of Jesus (peace be upon him) to earth and him
following Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance), there are evidences as
well.
Other than emphasizing on the principle issue of the Mahdi, the traditions have
presented characteristics that can only be consistent with the Shiite belief in
the twelve Imams (peace be upon him) the twelfth one being the Mahdi. A summery
of these traditions is that the just Imams after the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
them) will be twelve starting with Ali (peace be upon him) and continuing with
eleven of his children through Fatima (peace be upon her). When the people have
seen eleven of the Imam, then the twelfth will be the Mahdi and he will be
under occultation until the time of his coming. It has been said in traditions
from the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) that “the earth will never be
without a Hujjah” and also “with us God begun (the creation)
and will finish (it) with us.” In a tradition that Abu Na’im Isfihani
narrates through a series of people from Imam Ali (peace be upon him) and he
narrates from the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), it says that the Mahdi is
from us and God will finish his religion with him as he started it with us. If
we put all of the traditions together, the result will be that the Promised
Mahdi had been born before the demise of his father and will live until he
rises.
The author, upon occasion, mentions some of the sayings of the great mystic,
Muhyi-Din Arabi, about the Imam’s birth and status as being the seal of the
Mohammadian (peace be upon him) guardianship. Not only does Ibn Arabi believe
Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance) to be the Lord’s Hujjah on earth,
but he also considers him to be at the same level as the prophets and that he
is infallible in supplication.
At the end of the article, he introduces two obscurities, which he answers. One
about the Imam’s prolonged life and the other about his Imamah (leadership) in
spite of being a five year old day. From a medical viewpoint and also according
to the Holy Quran the possibility of having extended life spans is very much
acceptable. The Holy Quran has mentioned Noah, Jonah and Jesus to have had
extended life spans for sure. Of course, it is possible that the saints and men
of God who are living under God’s favor live extended lives by the power of God
as well. About the Imamah (leadership) of the twelfth Imam (may God hasten his
reappearance) at a young age, there seems to be no problem, since the Holy
Quran has mentioned that some of the great prophets have reached their
prophethood at a young age, namely Jesus and John.
In the end, we must add this point that in the Shiite culture, Imam Mahdi (may
God hasten his reappearance) is a present Imam and a living role model. He is
taken into account in all aspects of life. Most important of all, he is
considered the medium for the flow of the Lord’s blessings; therefore, the
continuation of the existence of the creation depends on his existence.
* By: Mohammad Hadi Ma’rifat
1- Ibn Athir, Nihayah, Vol. 1, P. 136 (similar to this)
2- And intend We to bestow (Our) favour upon those who were considered week in
the land … and to make them Imams (guids in faith) and to make them the heirs.
3- The oppressed.
4- And indeed We did write in the Psalms after the Reminder (Tauraith given to
Moses), that the earth, shall inherit it My righteous servants.
5- God has promised unto those of you who believe and do good deeds that He
will certainly appoint them successors...
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