Shia Conception Of Imam Mahdi

ACCORDING TO SHIA BELIEF, THE ALMIGHTLY ALLAH AFTER THE DEMISE OF RASUL-ALLAH (SAW) ESTABLISHED THE INSTITUTION OF IMAMATE FOR THE GUIDANCE OF HIS CREATURES AND APPOINTED 12 IMAMS TILL QIYAMAH ; THE WORLD WILL END WITH THE 12TH IMAM AND QIYAMAH WILL COME. THESE IMAMS RE CONFERRED WITH RANK AND STATUS HIGHER TO ALL THE PROPHETS EXCEPT RASUL-ALLAH (SAW). THE OBEDIENCE OF 12 IMAMS IS A CONDITION FOR SALVATION IN THE WORLD HEREAFTER.

THE 12TH IMAM, MUHAMMAD BIN AL-HASAN (IMAM GHAIB MAHDI) WHO ACCORDING TO SHIA TRADITION WAS BORN ABOUT 1150 YEARS FROM NOW IN 255 OR 256 H DISAPPEARED MIRACOUSLY AT THE AGE OF 4 OR 5 YEARS IN (SARRA MAN RAA) A CAVE NEAR BAQHDAD IN IRAQ AND IS STILL ALIVE. THE SHIAS ALSO ENTERTAIN THIS BELIEF THAT FOR YEARS AFTER HIS DISAPPEARANCE IN THE CAVE, A LINE OF COMMUNICATION WAS ESTABLISHED WITH THEM THROUGH TRUSTED LIEUTENANTS AND LETTERS AND APPEALS OF THE SHIAS WERE SENT TO HIM FOR DISPOSAL AND REPLIES IN THIS REGARD WERE ALSO RECEIVED FROM HIM. THIS SHORT SPAN OF TIME EXTENDING OVER A FEW YEARS IS CALLED IN SHIA TERMINOLOGY. AFTERWARDS THE POINT OF CONTACT WITH THE IMAM THROUGH MESSENGERS ENDED AND THERE WAS NO POSSIBILITY FOR ANYONE TO ESTABLISH A CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION WITH HIM. THIS IS NOW WELL OVER 1150 YEARS. THE SHIAS ENTERTAIN THIS BELIEF THAT HE (IMAM MAHDI) WILL COME OUT FROM HIS CAVE ANYTIME WHICH IS DEEMED APPROPRIATE. WHEN SUCH A TIME WILL COME FOR HIS RE-APPEARANCE THAT WOULD BE CALLED IN SHIA TERMINOLOGY.

ACCORDING TO KHOMENI WHO IS THE ARCHITECT AND FOUNDER OF SO-CALLED "ISLAMIC REVOLUTION" IN IRAN, "FUQQHA I.E. SHIA MUJTAHIDEEN AFTER THE, MASOOM IMAMS AND DURING THE WAITING PERIOD (OF IMAM MAHDI ) ARE WASI (TRUSTEES) OF RASUL-ALLAH (SAW) AND THEY ARE CHARGED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ALL THOSE AFFAIRS WHICH WAS ENTRUSTED TO THE IMAMS."p.75

UNLIKE OTHER LEADERS OF REVOLUTION AND HEADS OF GOVERNMENT THE POSITION OF KHOMENI IS ALTOGETHER DIFFERENT : RATHER ON THE BASIS OF SHIA BELIEF IN IMAMATE AND ACCORDING TO THE PRINCIPLES OF"------ ------ HE IS THE ACTING IMAM GHAIB DURING THE AWAITING PEROD OF IMAM MAHDI AND WASI IS BINDING ON THE PEOPLE IN THE SAME WAY AS THAT OF IMAM AND NABI AND ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS/DIRECTIONS ISSUED BY HIM ARE ON ACCOUNT OF THIS POSITION.

THE CHAIN OF IMAMATE ACCORDING TO SHIAS HAS ENDED WITH THE PERSON OF IMAM GHAIB (HIDDEN) BUT BECAUSE OF THEIR BELIEF THAT THE PRESENCE OF A DIVINELY COMMISSIONED IMAM IS A NECESSARY REQUISITE FOR THE GUIDANCE OF HUMAN BEINGS IN THIS WORLD WHICH SHOULD BE A PRECEDENT FOR THE PEOPLE AND THIS ACCORDING TO SHIAS IS INCUMENT UPON ALLAH. AS SUCH IMAM GHAIB WILL LIVE UPTO QIYAMAH AND WILL APPEAR ANYTIME FROM HIS CAVE BEFORE QIYAMAH. HE WILL BRING WITH HIM THE ORIGINAL COPY OF THE QUR'AN COMPILED BY HADHRAT ALI (WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM THE PRESENT VERSION) ALONGWITH SUCH OTHER MATERIAL FOR THE GUIDANCE OF MANKIND AND TREASURES OF KNOWLEDGE LIKE AL-JAFFAR AND AL-JAMIAH WHICH WERE BEQUEATED TO HIM FROM THE EARLIER IMAMS.

THE SHIA IMAMS OCCUPY SUCH AN EXALTD RANK THAT THERE IS HUSTLE AND BUSTLE IN THE WORLD BECAUSE OF THEM. IF FOR A MOMENT, THIS WORLD IS BEREFT OF AN IMAM, THE EARTH WILL SINK AND THE WHOLE UNIVERSE BECOME A NON-ENTITY. THE IMAMS HELD MIRACLOUS POWERS. THE ANGELS CAME TO THEM IN THE SAME WAY THEY CAME TO THE EARLIER PROPHETS. THEY ASCENDED TO HEAVEN AND HAD A VISION OF THE MOST HIGH (MIRAI). REVELATIONS CAME TO THEM FORM ALLAH. THESE IMAMS WERE ALL IN ALL AND POSSESSED ALL THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROPHETS. THEY HAD THE REVEALED BOOKS LIKE TORAH, ZUBOOR AND INJIL ETC IN THEIR ORIGINAL FORM AND THEY RECITED THESE IN THOSE LANGUAGES IN WHICH THESE WERE REVEALED. THEY WERE GIFTED WITH SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE OBTAINED DIRECTLY FROM ALMIGHTY ALLAH OR THROUGH OTHER SOURCES. THEY HAD THE RIGHT AND POWER TO MAKE A THING LAWFUL OR UNLAWFUL AS THEY PLEASED. EVERY ONE OF THESE IMAMS KNEW ABOUT THE TIMING OF THEIR DEATH AND DEATH WAS ALSO IN THEIR CONTROL!

THIS IS IN A NUTSHULL THE POSITION OF SHIAS IN REGARD TO THEIR IMAMS AND OFFICE OF IMAMATE AS DESCRIBED IN THEIR OWN AUTHENTIC BOOKS. OUR AIM IS ONLY TO ENLIGHTEN THE UNWEARY SUNNI MULSIMS WHO UNDER THE SPELL OF IRANIAN PROPAGANDA MACHINERY ARE LED TO BELIEVE THAT THE SHIA-SUNNI DIFFERENCES ARE ONLY MINOR TECHNICAL POINTS AND FIQHI MASSAILS. ALTHOUGH THE SHIA CLAIM TO BE FOLLOWING THE QUR'AN, THE FACT IS THAT THE SHARI'AH OF THEIR IMAMS AND NOT THE SHARI'AH OF THE QUR'AN IS THE RELIGION OF THE SHIAS.

THE SHIA RELIGION REVOLVES AROUND IMAMATE. ACCORDING TO ALLAMA BAQIR MAJLISI, CHIEF OF MUHADITHIN, THE HIDDEN IMAM (WHO HAS DISAPPEARED SINCE 23RD RAMDHAN 259 H) AFTER CENTURIES WILL MAKE HIS APPEARANCE WHEN THE NUMBER OF SINCERE SHIA FOLLOWERS TO PROTECT HIS LIFE WILL SWELL TO 313. HE RELATES FROM IMAM MUHAMMAD BAQIR : AT THE ADVENT OF IMAM MAHDI (THE LAST SHIA HIDDEN IMAM) ALLAH WILL HELP HIM THROUGH ANGLES. THE FIRST TO SWEAR ALLEGIANCE AT HIS HANDS WOULD BE MUHAMMAD-UR-RASUL-ALLAH AND THEN ALI." (HAQ AL-YAQEEN, p. 347).

THIS IS THE SHORT HISTORY OF IMAMATE WHICH STARTING FROM THEIR FIRST IMAM HAHDRAT ALI ENDS WITH IMAM GHAIB, HADHRAT MAHDI IN SUCH A GRANDEUR THAT IN THE END RASUL-ALLAH HIMSELF WOULD SWEAR ALLEGIANCE AT THE HAND OF THE 12TH IMAM OF THE SHIAS. HOW "REASONABLE" IS THIS DOCTRINE OF IMAMATE BEFORE WHICH PROPHETHOOD EVEN THE FINALITY OF PROPHETHOOD PALES INTO INSIGNIFICANCE!

ADDING INSULT TO THE INJURY, KHOMENI WHILE DELIVERING A MESSAGE ON THE BIRHTDAY OF THE 12TH IMAM, HADHRAT MAHDI, BROAD-CAST OVER TEHRAN RADIO ON 30TH JUNE 1980, SAID : "THE IMAM ZAMAN (IMAM OF THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE) WILL BEAR THE MESSAGE OF SOCIAL JUSTICE FOR TRANSFORMING THE ENTIRE WORLD, A TASK THAT EVEN THE HOLY PROPHET MUHMMAD WAS NOT WHOLLY IS THE GREATEST FOR THE MUSLIMS, THE CELEBERATIONS FOR THE IMAM ZAMAN IS THE GREATEST FOR ALL HUMANITY. I CANOT CALL HIM LEADER BECAUSE HE WAS MORE THAN THIS, I CANNOT CALL HIM FIRST BECAUSE THERE IS NO SECOND," KHOMENI DECLARED.

WHICH IS ONE OF THE AUTHENTIC BOOK OF SHIA RELIGION RECORDS A SAYING OF THEIR 9TH IMAM MUHAMMAD BIN ALI BIN MUSA WHO SAID THE FOLLOWING ABOUT IMAM MAHDI:

"ONE OF HIS SPECIAL QUALITIES IS THAT HIS BIRTH WILL REMAIN A SECRET ; THE PEOPLE WILL NOT KNOW ABOUT IT. HIS PERSONALITY WILL REMAIN OBSCURE FROM THE PEOPLE. FROM THE ENDS OF THE WORLD PEOPLE TO THE EXTENT OF THE NUMBER OF FIGHTERS IN BADR I.E. 313 WILL ASSEMBLE ROUND HIM -- -- -- -- WHEN 313 SINCERE SHIA FOLLOWERS WILL BE GETHERED, ALMIGHTY ALLAH WILL IN-EARTH HIS AFFAIRS I.E. IMAM MAHDI WILL COME OUT OF HIS CAVE AND EMBARK ON HIS MISSION." (p. 230)

THE POINT TO PONDER FOR THE SHIAS IS THAT SO FAR 1150 YEARS HAVE ELAPSED SINCE THE DISAPPEARANCE OF IMAM GHAIB IN 260 H AND EVEN NOW THE NUMBER OF SINCERE SHIA FOLLOWERS WHO COULD STAND BY WITH IMAM MAHDI HAVE NOT REACHED 313 OTHERWISE HE WOULD HAVE MADE HIS APPEARANCE IN THIS WORLD. WE DO NOT KNOW HOW KHOMENI AND OTHER SHIA HIGH PRIESTS SOLVE THIS ENGIMA OR EXPLAIN THIS MYSTERY.

THE ISLAMIC CONCEPTION OF IMAM MAHDI IS THAT HE WILL APPEAR TOWARDS THE END OF THIS WORLD BEFORE THE DESCENT OF JESUS WHEN THE UMMAH WILL BE PASSING THROUGH A PERIOD OF GREAT TRIAL AND TRIBULATIONS NEAR THE APPROACH OF QIYAMAH (LAST HOUR). AS LEADER OF THE MUSLIMS, IMAM MAHDI WOULD ESTABLISH AND CONSOLIDATE THE GOLDEN ERA OF ISLAM. THAT WOULD BE THE ERA OF PEACE, TRANQUILTIY AND PLENTY.

SOME AHADITH ON THE SUBJECT ARE GIVEN BELOW:

UMM SULAMA TOLD THAT SHE HEARD ALLAH'S MESSENGER SAY, "THE MAHDI WILL BE OF MY FAMILY, OF THE DESCENDANTS OF FATIMA." (ABU DAUD).

ABU SAID AL-KHUDRI REPORTED ALLAH'S MESSENGER AS SAYING, "THE MAHDI WILL BE OF MY STOCK AND WILL HAVE A BROAD FOREHEAD AND A PROMINENT NOSE. HE WILL FILL THE EARTH WITH EQUITY AND JUSTICE AS IT WAS FILLED WITH OPPRESSION AND TYRANNY, AND WILL RULE FOR SEVEN YEARS."" (ABU DAUD).

ABU SAID TOLD THAT ALLAH'S MESSENGER MENTIONED A TRIAL WHICH WOULD AFFLICT THIS PEOPLE SO THAT A MAN WOULD FIND NO PLACE OF REFUGE TO WHICH HE COULD GO FROM OPPRESSION, SAYING, "ALLAH WILL THEN SEND A MAN OF MY STOCK AND FAMILY BY WHOM HE WILL FILL THE EARTH WITH EQUITY AND JUSTICE AS IT HAD BEEN FILLED WITH OPPRESSION AND TYRANNY. THOSE WHO DWELL IN HEAVEN AND THOSE WHO DWELL ON EARTH WILL BE PLEASED WITH HIM. THE SKY WILL NOT CEASE TO GIVE ANY OF ITS RAIN, BUT WILL POUR IT FORTH COPIOUSLY ; AND THE EARTH WILL NOT CEASE TO PRODUCE ANY OF ITS PLANTS, BUT WILL IN THAT PERIOD OF SEVEN, EIGHT OR NINE YEARS." (AL-HAKIM)

OUR STADY HAS CONCLUSIVELY ESTABLISHED THAT THE DIFFERENCES IN BELIEF BETWEEN THE SHIAS AND AHLE-SUNNAH IN REGARDS TO IMAM MAHDI AS WELL AS OTHER FUNDAMENTALS OF DEEN ARE SO GLARING, SO SERIOUS AND SO WIDE THAT THE GAP BETWEEN THEM AND US CAN NEVER BE BRIDGED. WE ARE OPPOSITE POLES. THE GAP IS UNBRIDGEABLE. THERE IS NOTHING IN COMMON BETWEEN US. IS DEVOLVES UPON THE ULAMA OF THE AHLE-SUNNAH TO EXPOSE THE NEXIOUS AND ANTI-ISLAMIC BELIEFS AND TEACHINGS OF SHIAISM SO THAT MUSLIMS ARE NOT DELUDED INTO SUPPORTING THE POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES OF KHOMENI WHICH HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH ESTABLISHING THE RULE OF SHARI'AH OR PROMOTING MUSLIM UNITY AND ARE ONLY AIMED AT DENUDING THEIR IMAN (FAITH) OF THE LUSTRE AND NOOR WHICH AMANATES FROM FOLLOWING THE EXAMPLE OF RASUL-ALLAH (SAW). THE TRUTH OF SHIAISM MUST BE PLAINLY TOLD AND ITS PERNICIOUS TEACHINGS EXPOSED SO THAT THE SHI'I PROPAGANDA EMERGING FROM TEHRAN BE EFFECTIVELY COUNTERED IN THE INTEREST OF THE IMAN OF THE RANK AND FILE OF THE AHLE SUNNAH WAL JAMAT!

NOTES

1. THIS IS THE STATEMENT OF SHIITTES. IT HAS BEEN PROVED FROM RESEARCH AND HISTORICAL EVIDENCE THAT NO SON WAS BORN TO THE 11TH IMAM HASAN BIN ALI ASKARI. HIS REAL BROTHER JAFFAR BIN ALI HAS TESTIFIED IT. THAT'S WHY HE GOT THE PROPERTY OF HASAN BIN ALI ASKARI BY WAY OF INHERITENCE.

2. IT SEEMS VERY UNJUST THAT IMAM MAHDI HAS DISAPPEARED WITH THE ORIGINAL QUR'AN AND IS NOT RETURNING THE SAME WHILE HIS FOLLOWERS ARE GROPING IN THE DARK SINCE CENTURIES!