Imam Muhammed Mahdi (as~atf)'s character insight with detail

Imam Muhammed Mahdi (as~atf)'s character insight with detail...

The Last and the only saviour for mankind...

Imam Mahdi (as~atf) and the Quran - A brief lecture by Dr. Sayed Hammad Naqvi

Ayatullah Sayyed Sadrul-Ddin Sadr

The Father of Sayed Musa Sadr

The Awaited Saviour

Translator's Introduction

Author's Introduction
Chapter 1

The Beginning of the Belief in the Mahdi

The Mahdi from among the Descendants of the Prophet
The Sunni hadith on the Subject of the Mahdi
The Objection Raised by One of the Authors
Ibn Khaldun and the Traditions about the Mahdi
Other Opinions from Ibn Khaldun
The Existence of the Mahdi is Certain
People Awaited the Appearance of the Mahdi
The Discussion among the Companions and the Subsequent Generations
The Jurists of Medina and the Mahdi Traditions
The Poetry of Di'bil and the Mahdi

Chapter 2

The Pseudo-Mahdis

Manipulation of the Beliefs of the People
Fabrication of the Traditions
The Family of the Prophet and the Eleven Imams' Predictions about the Mahdi
Are these Traditions about the Mahdi Authentic?

Chapter 3

Mahdiism, the Jews, and the Iranians

The Reasons for the Emergence of Belief in the Mahdiism
Does it Really Need Explication?
The Legend of 'Abd Allah b. Saba
The Messianic Leader, Mahdi, in Other Religions
The Qur'an and Mahdiism
The General Prophethood and the Imamate
What System Can Make Human Beings Prosperous?
The Other-worldly Prosperity
The Path of Perfection
The Infallibility of the Prophets
Rational Proof in Support of the Imamate
Textual Proof for the Necessity of the Imamate

Chapter 4

The Unseen World and the Imam of the Age

Will the Imam Be Born at the End of the Time?
Descriptions Identifying the Mahdi
Mahdi Is Among the Descendants of Husayn b. 'Ali
What If the Mahdi Was Well-known?
The Traditions from the ahl al-bayt Are Proofs for All Muslims
`Ali b. Abi Talib, the Paragon of the Prophetic Knowledge
The Book of 'Ali b. Abi Talib
The Heirs to the Prophet's Knowledge

Chapter 5

Who Was the Imam after Hasan 'Askari?

Those Who Saw the Imam of the Age When He Was Small
Why Was the Twelfth Imam Not Mentioned in the Will of Imam Hasan 'Askari?
Why Did Others Not Know about the Twelfth Imam's Birth?
The Mother of the Twelfth Imam
The Sunni 'Ulama' and the Birth of the Mahdi

Chapter 6

Can a Five Year Old Boy Become an Imam?

The Gifted Children
Rising of the People when Naming the Qa'im
When Did the Story about the Occultation Begin?
The Books on the Subject of the Occultation before the Birth of the Twelfth Imam
The Short and Complete Occultation
The Short Occultation and the Contacts with the Shi'a
Were these Letters from the Imam in His Own Handwriting?
The Number of Deputies
'Uthman b. Sa'id, the First Deputy
Muhammad b. 'Uthman, the Second Deputy
Husayn b. Ruh, the Third Deputy
'Ali b. Muhammad Samarri, the Fourth Deputy

Chapter 7

Why Did Not the Occultation Become Complete from the Beginning?

Is There Any Time Limit to the Complete Occultation?
The Philosophy of Occultation
What Danger Faced the Imam If He Were Visibly Present?
Why Is the Mahdi Afraid of Being Killed?
Does Not God Have the Power to Protect the Imam?
Is It Not Likely That the Unjust Rulers Would Have Submitted to Him?
He Should Remain Silent So That He Would Be Safe
He Could Have Negotiated a Treaty of Non-interference with the Rulers
Why Did He Not Appoint Special Deputies During the Complete Occultation?
What Is the Benefit of Having the Imam in Occultation?
The Twelfth Imam Endeavors to Defend Islam during the Occultation

Chapter 8

The Sunni Books on the Characteristics of the Mahdi

The Occultation of the 'Alawid Leaders
Violations of Free Expression under the Caliphs
The Implications of the Situation
How Long Will the Hidden Imam Live?

Chapter 9

The Research about Longevity

Is There Any Fixed Term for Human Age?
The Reasons for Longevity
Senility and Its Causes
The Long Life of the Twelfth Imam
The Article by Justin Glace
Research into the Matter of Longevity
Further Research on Longevity
New Research on Longevity
A Summary of a Russian Study on the Subject of Old Age
A Little Known Theory about the Cause of Death
Those Who Lived a Long Life in History

Chapter 10

The Residence of the Twelfth Imam

The Story about the Countries that Belong to the Sons of the Imam
Jazira Khadra' (The Evergreen Island)
When Will He Appear?
The Signs of His Appearance
The Story of Sufyani
The Story of Dajjal

Chapter 11

The Minds of the People Prepare for the Advent of the Mahdi

The Final Victory of the Downtrodden (mustad'afin)
Why Does the Mahdi Not Appear?
Another Reason for the Delay in the Appearance of the Mahdi

Chapter 12

How Will the Imam Know That the Time for the Appearance (Zuhur) Has Come?

The Preparation for the Emergence Will Take Place Overnight
Awaiting Deliverance through the Appearance of the Imam
Investigation into the Traditions against the Rise (qiyam)
Governance within Religion
The Obligation to Command the Good and Forbid the Evil
Concluding Remarks
The Prophet as the Leader of the Muslims
Islamic Governance after the Prophet
`Ali b. Abi Talib, the Designated Caliph of the Prophet of God
Islamic Governance during the Period of Occultation
The Obligations of Muslims during the Occultation

Chapter 13

Further Investigation in the Hadith-Reports

First Group of Traditions
Second Group of Traditions
Third Group of Traditions
Fourth Group of Traditions
Conclusions of the Discussion

Chapter 14

The Signs of the Appearance (Zuhur) of the Mahdi

The Destiny of the Unbelievers
The Destiny of Jews and Christians
Will the Majority of the Peoples on the Earth Be Killed?
The Teachings of Islam Will Be Proclaimed to the World from Qumm
"Your Enemies Will Destroy Each Other"
War Is Inevitable
The Mahdi's Defense
The World under the Mahdi
The Victory of the Prophets
The Mahdi and the New Constitution
The Conduct of the Mahdi
The Freshness of the Explanations Offered by the Mahdi
The Mahdi and Abrogation of the Ordinances
Is It Not Possible that the Mahdi Has Already Appeared?
Sayyid 'Ali Muhammad Shirazi, "the Bab"
Sayyid 'Ali Muhammad's Acknowledgement of the Hidden Imam's Existence
Sayyid 'Ali Muhammad and the Traditions about Fixing of the Time
What Do the Sayyid's Followers Say?
The Bayan and Messianic Claim
False Claims and the Existence of a Followership

If Sahib Al-Zaman Were To Come (Right Now)…

[Ayatullah al-Uzma Shaykh Nasir Makarim Shirazi]
PART 1

Speaking about our living Imam is both enlightening and one which spiritually trains and educates all of us. The late 'Allamah Majlisi has narrated a tradition in relation to Imam al-Mahdi (as) which states:
“When al-Qaim makes his advent, he will judge with justice and during the time of his advent, all forms oftyranny will be removed and thepaths (towards him) will be made safe. The Earth will bring forth Herblessings and the rights of each and every person will be given to them and no person who follows any other religion (din) will remain except that they will accept al-Islam and will come towards true faith.” [Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 52, pg. 338]

In this tradition, there are seven tasks which have been mentioned that the Imam will accomplish:

1 and 2: The government of justice and the removal of all forms of tyranny: The opposite of justice is oppression - not tyranny - whereas equality is the opposite of tyranny (according to the 'Arabic definition and the Islamic understanding of these words and their meanings).

3. The paths will be made safe: The paths towards the Imam will be made safe and secure.

4. Natural Blessings: The Earth will bring forth her blessings, now whether these are the blessings that come about through farming, blessing of the minerals from the Earth or other types of powers and energies that are presently hidden from us - these may all be correct.

5. Responsibilities will be returned to their rightful holder: The rights and responsibilities will be given back to those who have lost them, and this is completely opposite to our present day and age in which a great number of jobs and occupations are in the hands of those who have no knowledge of them, because the issue of who they know has taken precedence over what they know.

6. The Ruling of al-Islam: No other religion will remain on the Earth except for Islam and thus all other religions will fuse into one Religion and that will be al-Islam.

7. Sincere attraction to al-Islam: This part of the tradition has two meanings to it. It is possible that it refers to the point that everyone will become followers of the teachings of the Ahlul Bait, or it could mean that in addition to people showing an outward form of true faith, they will also have the inner belief to make them true believers.

Extraordinary angels of the day of Ashura, alongside the Qaaim [af]

Ibn Qulawayh Al Qummi, Kaamil al-Ziyarat

Abaan Ibn Taghlib narrates from Abu Abdillah (Imam Sadiq [as]) who said,
It is as if I can see the Qaaim [af] in Najaf (next to) Kufah wearing an armour of the Messenger of Allah [saw].

He will shake the armour (first) and then it will wrap itself around him, after which he will cover it with a robe made of brocade.

He will be riding a pitch-black horse which has a raceme (a simple flower cluster having the flowers on short stalks along a stem) on its forehead. He will jump with the horse in such a way that people in every country will see him as if he is with them in their (own) country.
Then he will unfold the flag of the Messenger of Allah [saw]. The flag pole is from the pillars of the Throne while the rest of the flag is from Allah's victory! If he points this flag to anything, Allah will destroy it. When he shakes the flag, the heart of every believer will become like a strong piece of iron and each believer will be given the strength of forty men.

Every believer who has died will feel the happiness (of the rising of the Qaaim [af]) in his grave. They (the dead believers) will start visiting one another in their graves and will give glad tidings to one another about the rising of the Qaaim [af].

Then thirteen thousand three hundred and thirteen angels will join the Qaaim [af].
I (Abaan Ibn Taghlib) asked, 'This many angels will join him?'

Imam [as] replied:
'Yes. (These are) the angels who were with Nuh in the ark [Quran 11:36-48], with Ibrahim when he was cast in the fire [Quran 21:51-70], with Musa when he split the sea for the Bani Israel[Quran 26:52-66], and who were with Isa when Allah ascended him to Himself [Quran 4:157-159].

Among these angels are also the four thousand '(fully equipped) distinguished angels' [Quran 3:125] and the one thousand 'angels who came in an unbroken succession' [Quran 8:9] who were with the Prophet [saw], the three hundred and thirteen angels who fought in the battle of Badr and the four thousand angels who descended to fight along with Husein [as] but who were not permitted to fight.
Four thousand angels descended on the day of Ashura to fight along with Husein [as] but they were not permitted to fight. Therefore they ascended back to the heavens to seek permission from Allah. However, by the time they came back, Husein [as] had been killed. Therefore they remain next to his grave, dishevelled and covered with dust, and they cry over him (and will continue to do so) until the day of Judgement. Their chief is an angel named Mansur.

These angels receive everyone who comes to the Ziyarah of Husein [as] and they accompanythem when they bid farewell to Husein [as]. They visit them if they become ill, establish prayerson them in their funerals when they die, and seek forgiveness for them after their death.
All of these angels are on earth waiting for the rising of the Qaa'im [af]'

Allamah Amini in Al Ghadeer narrates,
'It was narrated that when Da'abal read his poems before Imam Ridha (as) and mentioned the Hujjah (may our souls be sacrificed for him) by his saying:
If not because of he whom I hope for his coming today and tomorrow;
My soul could have cut off due to sadness;
There is no doubt in the coming out of the Imam;
He shall rise by the name of Allah and His blessings.
Imam Ridha (as) would lay his hand on his head and respectfully stand up to pray for his quick relief and reappearance.

It was narrated from our master Imam Al Ridha (as) in his seating in Khurasan, when he stood up when the word 'Al Qaaim' was mentioned resting his head on his honourable head, saying,
O Allah, may You hasten his relief and make his coming very easy' and he also mentioned some of the significance of his government.

Muhadith Nuri mentioned in his book 'Annajmu Thaqib': this type of dignity when this name is mentioned is usual between the shiah all over the world especially within the Arabs, non Arabs, Turkish, Indians, and others, even among our Sunni brothers. [Ilzamu Nnasib 1:271]

Imam Sadiq (as) was once asked the reason for standing up when the word 'Al Qaaim' (the nickname of the Imam) is mentioned and he said,
'...because he shall have a long occultation and due to his much kindness to his wellwishers, he looks at whoever remembered him with his nickname, as the symbol of his government and lost for his loneliness. It is among respect to him by standing up in humbleness before him and seeking from Allah (swt) the quick relief and appearance of the Imam.' [Ilzamu Nnasib]

Sayed Murtada Mujtahidi Sistani
Sahifah al-Mahdiya

In one of my journeys to Makka al-Mukarrama for hajj, I and a noble companion happen to visit the late martyr Ayatullah Muhammad Baqir al-Hakim.
I can still visualize those moments. He had a sparkling face that had so much to narrate. We sought some advise from him, and the great scholar informed us of a brilliant interpretation of the tradition: ‘Min tamaam al-Hajj liqaa al-Imam’ [The completion of hajj is in meeting the Imam].
One of the possible interpretations of the tradition is that the pilgrims who come to perform hajj must know the proper way of undertaking the ritual in its different dimensions.
Therefore they should approach the leader (Imam) who has a good understanding of the same.
And the leader(s) of the contemporary era [who represent the Imam of the time] are the Muslim scholars, who should be approached [and their advise sought].
I felt enlightened. Indeed in order for one to derive utmost benefit from hajj, he should go to the different places of the ‘ulama in Makka, who are well-grounded in the laws and secrets of hajj.
By Sh. Muhammad Khalfan

An important lesson from Sheikh Hassan Ali Isfahani

The Sheikh had engaged himself right from his youth with his worships and Islamic devotion, and endured a lot of inconveniences in order to attain some spiritual ranks. He wrote up a compilation that comprised of mysteries and which he did not expose or divulge to the general public.

My late father Muazzam (may Allah raise his position) told me about this write-up of Sheikh:
'Verily Sheikh Hassan Ali Isfahani towards the end of his life has given this book to late Ayatullah Sayyid Ali Ridawi.'

Our reason for reporting this issue was the important point mentioned by Sheikh Hassan Ali Isfahani at the end of his book, which is incumbent for those who wanted to pass through the spiritual stages to benefit from it, as follows:

'I wish all I would have done in my readings, litanies and so on, for the purpose of reaching spiritual ranks, should have been done for the purpose of nearness to my master, the leader of the time (may Allah hasten his reappearance).'

Take note of the speech of this religious and divine man who was well known among the Sunni and Shiah, how he has shown his regret for all the good jobs he has put forward hoping to have done that for the purpose of nearness to the Imam of the time.

There is no doubt that Sheikh Hassan Ali Isfahani was possessing spiritual strength and it is hard to get these type of states; with all this he is still having the notion that all he has done throughout his life was just for the nearness to the chief of this world of existence.
The great example for anyone (in any field he belongs to) is to copy from the experience of the great men of that field and to benefit from their struggles throughout their life and from what they have achieved most specially to focus on the last period of their life.

Be very careful of this point: to benefit from the important experience of the great men increases the spiritual value in ones life.

Try in your deeds what Sheikh Hassan Ali Isfahani has experienced which he has written in his book.
Offer your prayers, supplications and other aspect of your worship in nearness to Allah (swt) so that you can be closer to his caretaker, our master, the Imam of the time (aj) and cast off little ambition. This is a reality which will benefit you a great deal.

Sahifah al-Mahdiya
Sayed Murtada Mujtahidi Sistani

Sheikh Zainul Abidin Mazandarani, a student of the author of (the book) Jawahir and (also of) Sheikh Ansari, lived in the city of Kerbala. In connection with his generosity and alms-giving, it has been recorded that he would borrow as much money as he could and then distribute it amongst the needy, and his debts would then be repaid by those coming to Kerbala from India.

One day a destitute arrived at his door and asked for alms. Not having any money with him, the Sheikh picked up his copper jar, handed it to him and said: "Take this and sell it."

A couple of days later when his family members realized that the jar was missing, they created an uproar, shouting: "A thief has taken away our jar."When the Sheikh, who was in his library, heard the outcry, he said to them:"Do not accuse the thieves for I am the one who has taken the jar."

Once, on one of his trips to Samarrah, he fell seriously ill. Mirza Shirazi paid him a visit and began comforting him, whereupon the Sheikh said to him: "I am not at all fearful of death; my uneasiness is due to the fact that according to our beliefs, when we die, our souls are taken in the presence of the Imam-e-Asr (12th Imam ajf). If, at that time, the Imam were to question me: "O' Zainul 'Abidin! With the credibility and esteem that we had bestowed upon you, you could have borrowed a greater amount of money for helping the needy than what you used to; why then did you not do so? … What shall I answer him?'"

It is reported that Mirza Shirazi was greatly affected by these words; returning home, he brought out all the religious taxes that lay in his house and distributed them amongst the needy.
(Reference : Anecdotes for Reflection, Volume 3, pg72)

"Then as for him who gives away and guards (against evil), and accepts the best, We will facilitate for him the easy end." (Surah Lail, verse 5-7)

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) says:

"Nothing shall ensure the welfare (and interests) of your religion except generosity and good disposition." (Jami al-Saadaat , vol. 1, pg. 308)

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