Imam Mahdi (AS) is the last and the twelfth Imam of the Shiite Muslims. He was born in 255 H (874 AC) and the Shiite Muslims believe that their last Imam has been alive for approximately 1150 years. According to Shiite narrations, Imam Mahdi (AS) is currently in occultation and hidden from the public.
In this regard, Imam Kazim (AS) says:
After that, the narrator of this hadith asks the Imam: “Is there going to be a hidden Imam?” Imam Kazim (AS) replied:
Yes! He will be hidden from the eyes of the people but the hearts of the faithful will not forget him. (1)
Despite Imam Mahdi (AS) being in occultation, we have responsibilities and duties to fulfill during this period. His hidden state doesn’t imply that Shiite Muslims have nothing to do for their faith and religion.
In fact, the best way to maintain a strong connection with our Imam is by following his orders. The Shiite Imams have told us about the responsibilities we have during this special time and some of them are mentioned below:
During the occultation of the Imam, it is a time when people may lose faith in him. In this regard, Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
With Mahdi (AS), there will be a little number of Arabs.
Then the Imam was told “But there are so many Arabs now that have faith in this religion!” Imam Sadiq (AS) replied:
People will inevitably be tested and they will be differentiated from one another and many will fail this test. (2)
The Holy Prophet (PBUH & HP) once prayed:
O Allah! Show me my brothers, Show me my brothers.
The people around him asked “O Messenger of Allah! Aren’t we your brothers?”
He responded:
No! you are my companions. But my real brothers are those who live in the last times of this world. They believe in me while they haven’t seen me … keeping faith in those times, will be more difficult than cutting the thorns of a plant on a dark night or holding a burning wood in one’s hands. They are the lights in the darkness and Allah will save them from every catastrophic test of seduction. (3)
As you see, being a faithful person is easy during the occultation. Therefore, one of our responsibilities is to keep our belief in Islam during these times.
Harith ibn Muqhairah (one of the followers of Imam Sadiq (AS)) says “Once I told Imam Sadiq (AS): ‘We are being told that the leader of this religion will be hidden one day. So, in those times, what should we do?’”
Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
Keep your very faith that you have now and do as you have been ordered before him, until the time that everything will be clear for you [the arrival of Imam Mahdi (AS)].(4)
Understanding the message of our Imams and having knowledge about their attributes and role in this world is crucial in the Shiite view. This is one of the most significant duties of Shias during the occultation. In this regard Imam Sadiq (AS) advises one of his pupils named Fozail:
O Fozail! Get to know your Imam because if you know him, it will be the same for youwhether his arrival is soon or delayed and anyone who knows their Imam and then dies before his arrival is like one of his soldiers. (5)
Praying
In the Islamic point of view, praying is one of the most effective ways to have our wishes fulfilled. We should call upon Allah when we need Him and ask him to solve our problems, trusting that He will answer our prayers. The holy Prophet (PBUH & HP) said:
Call upon Allah while being certain that He will answer. (6)
Living without a guide in this world is the most significant problem we have. Without our Imams, we Shias have no savor and our problems seem never-ending. In this regard, Imam Sadiq (AS) says:
The problems of the Earth will not be finished except by an Imam. (7)
Therefore, one of the most important prayers we should make is for the return of Imam Mahdi (AS). The Shiite Imams have persuaded their followers to pray for the arrival of Imam Mahdi (AS).
Imam Sadiq (AS) told one of his pupils named Humran about the attributes of the occultation time and advised him:
When you saw … that the world is highly favorable for the unfaithful people and the flag of the righteous people is hidden, be cautious and ask Allah to save you. (8)
Imam Sadiq (AS) also said:
You Shias will face doubts in the future and [during those times] you won’t see a right flag or a guiding Imam and no one will be saved in those times except for the ones who pray like a drowning person.
Then the narrator of the hadith asks the Imam: “How can I pray like a drowning person?”
Imam Sadiq (AS) replied:
You should say:
“یا اللّه یا رحمن یا رحیم یا مقلب القلوب ثبت قلوبنا علی دینک”
O Allah! O Rahman! O Rahim! O Controller of the hearts! Make my heart keep its faith in your religion. (9)
Imam Mahdi (AS) himself wrote to one of his followers:
Pray so much to Allah for my arrival because it resolves all your problems (10)
In addition to this fact that praying makes his arrival more likely to happen sooner, praying is also the best way to relate to Imam Mahdi (AS) and this way, we can make a good connection to him. In return, Imam Mahdi (AS) sees that you are always thinking about him and praying for his arrival. It is obvious that Imam Mahdi (AS) loves the ones who do not forget him and pray for him more than others. Due to this fact, Imam Mahdi (AS) will pray for us in return and clearly, the praying of an Imam surely will be answered by Allah.
Don’t forget that it is so important for praying for the arrival Imam Mahdi (AS) to be in a group. You should get together with your family, friends or even the other people to pray for Imam Mahdi (AS).
Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
If four people gather and pray, they won’t leave each other until Allah answers their supplication (11)
He also said:
When something would bother my father (Imam Baqir), he would gather all the women and kids in the house and he would pray and they would say “Amen.” (12)
As you see, praying together as a group holds great important for it to be answered by Allah. Imagine the impact if all the Shiite Muslims united in praying for the arrival of Imam Mahdi (AS) pure hearts. It is obvious that his occultation wouldn’t have prolonged for so long. So, one of our important responsibilities toward Imam Mahdi (AS) is to encourage others to pray for his arrival and we’d better pray in group.
There are many other responsibilities we have during the occultation. The most important thing is to follow the orders of the previous Imams and fulfill all of our religious obligations so that Allah would save us from this dangerous time.
Resources
- Kamal ad-Din, Sheikh Saduq, vol.2, pg.369
- Al-Ghaybah, Sheikh an-No’mani, pg.204
- Basa’ir ad-Darajat, As-Saffar al-Qommi, pg.84
- Al-Ghaybah, Sheikh an-No’mani, pg.159
- Al-Ghaybah, Sheikh an-No’mani, pg.329
- Bihar al-Anvar, Allamah al-Majlesi, vol.90, pg.321
- Al-Kafi, Sheikh Koleini, vol.2, pg.21
- Al-Kafi, Sheikh Koleini, vol.8, pg.42
- Kamal ad-Din, Sheikh Saduq, vol.2, pg.352
- Al-Ih’tijaj, Sheikh at-Tabrasi, vol.2, pg.284
- Al-Kafi, Sheikh Koleini, vol.2, pg.487
- Al-Kafi, Sheikh Koleini, vol.2, pg.487
In this article, you can read some narrations about the day of Ghadir.
Chapter One: The place of Eid Ghadir in the religion
I went to Imam Sadiq (AS) and said: Do Muslims have Eid other than Eid al-Adha, Eid al-Fitr, and Friday?
Imam (AS) said: Yes, the day when the Messenger of God (PBUH&HP) appointed the Commanders of the Faithful (to the caliphate and guardianship.
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) said:
Ghadir Day is the highest Eid of my nation and it is the day that Allah Almighty commanded. On that day, I will appoint my brother Ali ibn Abi Talib as the flag bearer (and commander) of my ummah, so that the people after him will be guided by him, and that is the day when Allah completed the religion and completed the blessings on my ummah, and He liked Islam as a religion for them.
Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
The day of Ghadir is the great feast of Allah, God did not send a prophet, unless he took this day as Eid and recognized its greatness, and the name of this day in heaven is the day of the covenant and on earth, the day of the firm covenant and public presence.
Imam Sadiq (AS) was asked: do believers have any other Eid besides Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha and Friday? And he answered:
Yes, they have a bigger Eid and that is the day when the Commander of the Faithful (AS) was raised in Ghadir, and the Messenger of God placed the issue of guardianship on the shoulders of men and women.
Ammar bin Hariz says:
On the eighteenth day of the month of DhulHija, I arrived at the service of Imam Sadiq (AS) and found him fasting. The Imam said to me: Today is a great day, Allah has given it greatness and on that day he completed the religion of the believers and completed the blessings on them and renewed the previous covenant.
Imam Reza (AS) said:
My father quoted his father (Imam Sadiq (AS)) as saying:
Ghadir Day is more famous in the sky than on earth.
Ali (AS) said:
Today (Eid Ghadir) is a very great day.
On this day, the opening has come and the status (of those who deserved it) has risen, and the proofs of Allah have been clarified, and the position of purity has been clearly spoken, and today is the day of the completion of religion and the day of the covenant.
Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
I swear by God, if the people knew the true virtue of "Ghadir Day", the angels would shake hands with them ten times a day, and the gifts of God to the one who knew that day cannot be counted.
Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
... The day of Ghadir among the days of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha and Friday is like the moon among the stars.
Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
When the Day of Judgment comes, the four days will hasten to Allah as the bride will hasten to her chamber. Those days are: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha and Friday and Ghadir.
Chapter 2: The merits and demerits of Ghadir
The Prophet (PBUH&HP) (on the day of Ghadir) said:
O Muslims! Let those present inform the absentees: I recommend the one who believes in me and acknowledges me to the guardianship of Ali, beware that the guardianship of Ali is my guardianship and my guardianship is the guardianship of my God. This was a covenant from my Lord which He commanded me to deliver to you.
Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
Eid Ghadir is the day when the Prophet (PBUH&HP) raised Ali (AS) as the flag bearer for the people and revealed his virtue on this day and introduced his successor, then he fasted that day in gratitude to the Almighty Allah and that day is the day of fasting, worship, feeding, and visiting religious brothers. That day is the day of gaining the pleasure of the merciful Allah and rubbing the dust of the devil's nose.
Ali (AS) (in the sermon of Eid Ghadir) said:
When you reach each other, shake hands with each other and give gifts to each other on this day; whoever was there and heard these words, let him go to the poor, let the rich go to the poor, and let the strong go to the weak, prophet (PBUH&HP) commanded me so.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said:
... How will it be for someone who is responsible for the living expenses of a number of believing men and women (on the Day of Ghadir), if I guarantee him/her to Allah that he will be safe from disbelief and poverty.
Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
Eid Ghadir is a day of worship, prayer, thanksgiving, and praise to Allah, and it is a day of joy and happiness for the sake of our family, may God bless them, and I would like you to fast that day.
It was narrated from Imam Sadiq (AS) that he said:
One dirham to brothers with faith and knowledge on the day of Eid Ghadir is equal to one thousand dirhams, so give alms to your brothers on this day and make every believing man and woman happy.
Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
Ghadir is the day of Eid and joy and happiness and the day of fasting is as a thanksgiving for divine blessings.
Ali (AS) said:
Return home after the gathering (on the day of Ghadir), may Allah have mercy on you. Develop for your family, do good to your brothers, thank Allah for the blessing He has given you, unite so Allah will unite you, do good so Allah will establish your friendship, give each other Allah's blessing and congratulations, as Allah has congratulated you on this day by rewarding you many times over other Eids, such rewards will not be except on the day of Eid Ghadir.
I said to Imam Sadiq (AS): Do Muslims have any other Eid besides those two?
He said: Yes, the greatest and best Eid.
I said: What day is it?
He said: The day when Amir al-Mu'minin was appointed as the flag bearer of the people.
I said: on that day, what should we do?
He said: Fast and send greetings to Muhammad and his family and seek acquittal from the oppressors because the prophets instructed the successors to observe Eid on the day when the successor is chosen.
Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
On the day of Eid-ul-Ghadir, remember Allah with fasting and worship and remembrance of the Prophet and his family, because the Messenger of Allah instructed the Commanders of the Faithful to observe Eid on that day, just as the prophets instructed their successors to observe that day as Eid. They did the same.
Resources
- The Holy Quran.
- Amali Sheikh Sadough, Islamic Library.
- QurbalAsnad Abdullah Ja'far al-Humairi, Al-Bayt.
- Mesbah Al-Muttahid, Sheikh Tusi, Shiite Fiqh Foundation.
- Wasael Shiah, Sheikh Har Ameli, Islamic Library.
- Safinat al-Bahar, Sheikh Abbas Qomi, Aswa.
There are many verses that mention Jews in the Quran. Quran recounts the story of the Children of Israel (Bani-Israel) who were children of Prophet Jacob (also known as Israel) and were waiting for a savior for many years. Prophet Moses (PBUH) was sent to them and rescued them from Pharaoh.
“[Remember] when We delivered you from Pharaoh’s clan who inflicted a terrible torment on you… And when We parted the sea with you, and We delivered you and drowned Pharaoh’s clan as you looked on” (2: 49 -50).
Allah mentions this blessing as a great gift for Jews in the Quran (Bani-Israel) and warns them not to forget God’s blessings:
“O Children of Israel! We delivered you from your enemy, and We appointed with you a tryst on the right side of the Mount … but do not overstep the bounds therein, so My anger should descend on you…” (20: 80- 1).
Now, let’s see what happens to them after they pass the sea by Moses’ miracle.
The Israelites crossing of the Red Sea, Second Half of the 19th cen. Found in the collection of the State Museum of History, Architecture and Art, Rybinsk.
“He (God) said, ‘O Moses, I have chosen you over the people with My messages and My speech. So take what I give you, and be among the grateful.” (7: 142) In this appointment, Moses was given the book which was “advice concerning all things and an elaboration of all things” (7: 145).
Moses had told his people that he would be going for a task for thirty days, but he came back after forty days. Ten days’ delay weakened Children of Israel’s (Bani-Israel) faith, and in Moses’ absence, they started to worship a calf made from their jewels. [1]
“The people of Moses took up in his absence a calf [cast] from their ornaments; a body that gave out a lowing sound.” (7: 148) However, when Moses returned and guided them again and they “realized they had gone astray, they said, ‘Should our Lord have no mercy on us, and forgive us, we will be surely among the losers’” (7: 149).
One of the most important points that have repeatedly been narrated about the Jews in Quran is the complaints that they used to make. In different orders that were given to them by Moses, Jews in the Quran kept questioning and complaining in different situations, some of which are as follows:
Asking to see God
After spending forty nights in seclusion and dedicated worship, Moses was given the Tablets in which there were guidance and mercy for the believers. One might expect that Prophet Moses’ companions were ecstatic to witness the unique historical moments of the revelation of the Torah. However, instead, they said, “O Moses, we will not believe [that] you [received the Tablets] unless we see Allah visibly” (2:55).
Naturally, Moses tried to convince the Children of Israel about the impossibility of seeing God visually. However, they insisted on that irrational demand and consequently, they were seized by a thunderbolt [2].
After the Israelites left the sea and started to march towards the promised land, Allah out of His mercy protected them from the blistering heat of the sun by sending clouds to move over their head, provided water for them from the miraculous stone, and sent the Mann and Salwa for them as food.
However, they complained to Moses that they no longer could put up with one kind of food. They asked him to call upon his Lord to make the barren land of Sinai produce edible vegetables such as green herbs, cucumbers, garlic, lentils, and onions.
Moses asked them which one would be better, to live free with honor and have one type of food or to live as slaves at the price of enjoying food variety?
“And when you said, ‘O Moses, ‘We will not put up with one kind of food. So invoke your Lord for us, so that He may bring forth for us of that which the earth grows—its greens and cucumbers, its garlic, lentils, and onions.’ He said, ‘Do you seek to replace what is superior with that which is inferior? Go down to any town, and you will indeed get what you ask for!’ So they were struck with abasement and poverty, and they earned Allah’s wrath. That, because they would deny the signs of Allah and kill the prophets unjustly. That, because they would disobey and commit transgressions” (2: 62).
After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, the Children of Israel eventually defeated the Amalekites under the leadership of Joshua and entered Jericho.
To thank this victory, Allah directed the Children of Israel to implore for divine forgiveness by entering with humbleness and by saying the word “hittatun.” The word “hittatun” was a plea for divine forgiveness. In return, Allah promised to accept their prayers out of His mercy and increase the rewards of the righteous. However, most of them refused to utter the word “hittatun” properly and instead changed it to “hintattun” which meant give us wheat. They were so materialized in their mindset that they were ready to exchange the mercy of God with a handful of wheat grains [i].
A mysterious murder happened among the Jews in the Quran. The murderer accused an innocent man and because the murdered person was his uncle he made a huge fitna over it.
The Israelites kept guessing who might be the killer. In a short time, the guessing became rumors, rumors became accusations, and those accusations led to serious dispute and hostility.
The elders came to Prophet Moses and asked him to resolve the case. Moses implored for God’s help. Honouring his request, Allah instructed him to ask the Children of Israel to slaughter a cow and strike a part of its body (the tongue) with the corpse of the murdered man. In this way, Allah would reveal the murderer’s identity.
“And when Moses said to his people, ‘Allah commands you to slaughter a cow,’ they said, ‘Are you mocking us?’ He said, ‘I seek Allah’s protection lest I should be one of the ignorant!’” (2: 67)
However, the Israelites started to ask ludicrous questions about the qualities of the cow they were supposed to slaughter to the extent that in the end, they barely found one cow with the exact attributes.
They kept making so many complaints, and most of them forgot their hard days and the blessings that God had sent down to them, as a result of which their hearts hardened “so they (their hearts) are like stones, or even harder...” (2: 74).
Therefore, many years after Prophet Moses had passed away, Jews started to use religion as a tool to gain power by deceiving ignorant people under the mask of religion. They did it using many ways, most importantly by distorting the words of God: “a part of them would hear the word of Allah and then they would distort it after they had understood it, and they knew [what they were doing]?” (2: 75)
They also started writing new books in the name of God’s book, in which they brought into the religion of Moses what they wished: “So woe to them who write the Book with their hands and then say, ‘This is from Allah,’ that they may sell it for a paltry gain. So woe to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for what they earn!” (2: 79)
The huge amount of blessings and miracles that God gave exclusively to Bani-Israel made them believe that they are the higher race. Jews in the Quran were told in their book that the last prophet would be born in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, some of them migrated to that land to wait for him.
“Those who follow the Apostle, the untaught prophet, whose mention they find written with them in the Torah and the Evangel… they are the felicitous” (7: 157).
But when they saw that the last prophet was an Arab, they denied him. This racism existed among them from a long time ago and is remaining. They consider themselves as the superior race, “And they say, ‘The Fire shall not touch us except for a number of days.’ Say, ‘Have you taken a promise from Allah? If so, Allah will never break His promise. Do you ascribe to Allah what you do not know?’” (2: 80) “And they say, ‘No one will enter paradise except one who is a Jew or Christian.’ Those are their [false] hopes! Say, ‘Produce your evidence, should you be truthful’” (2: 111).
As they denied the last prophet out of ignorance and racist beliefs, God invited them to a challenge: “Say, ‘If the abode of the Hereafter was exclusively for you with Allah, and not for other people, then long for death, should you be truthful’” (2: 94).
Although the huge amount of racism among some of the Jews in the Quran is mentioned and is also observable these days worldwide, Allah excludes the real followers of Prophet Moses (PBUH) and emphasizes that “Among the people of Moses is a nation who guide [the people] by the truth and do justice thereby” (7: 159).
God would like the real Jews in the Quran who were not amongst the distorters of the book to know that their honest belief in God, His prophet, and the hereafter is accepted: “As for those who hold fast to the Book and maintain the prayer—indeed, We do not waste the reward of those who bring about reform” (7: 170).
In the next part of the article, we will see what happened to the religion of Moses (PBUH) that these days we face huge crimes and massacres in the name of Judaism. Is that Judaism or are a group of people, using the name of Judaism, trying to gain power using people’s purity and faithfulness?
Notes:
[i] “And when We said, ‘Enter this town, and eat thereof freely whatever you wish, and enter while prostrating at the gate, and say, ‘‘Relieve [us of the burden of our sins],’’ so that We may forgive your iniquities and We will soon enhance the virtuous.’ But the wrongdoers changed the saying to other than what they were told. So We sent down on those who were wrongdoers a plague from the sky because of the transgressions they used to commit” (2: 58 -9).
References:
- The Quran, Taha (20), 83-87
- The Quran, Al-Baqarah (2), 55