The adulthood of Islam: The time of Imam Al-Mahdi (a-s):
This will be the promised advent of Imam Al-Mahdi (a-s) and the return of the true Islam in its divine and pure essence, as it was in the days of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww), as the authority over the entire world to complete the Miraculous Mission taught in the Holy Qur’an of preparing mankind for the Day of Judgement and the Hereafter. For this is possible only through the Divine promise, of ALLAH (swt): “ALLAH has promised the righteously striving believers to appoint them as HIS deputies on earth, as HE had appointed those who lived before. HE will make the religion that HE has chosen for them to stand supreme. HE will replace their fear with peace and security. They will worship their LORD without fear and will not submit to anyone other than HIM and will associate nothing with HIS worship and obedience”. (The Holy Qur’an Surah al-Qasas, 28-5)
During this period those who will have survived and have supported the true Islam and its Al-Qa’im (a-s) will live in peace and tranquility, under the banner of the true Islam and its perfect teachings and laws, until the blowing of the horn and the last day will then arrive.
Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (a-s) said: “When Al-Qa’im appears, he will invite the people to a new mission as the Prophet (saww) has invited the people to a new mission. Islam has begun strange and it will return strange as it has begun. Blessed are the strangers!” (Al-Ghayba by: Shaykh Ibn Abu Zaynab An-Nu’mani, chap. 22 / Bihar ul-Anwar, vol.52 p.366, Mo’jam al-Imam al-Mahdi, vol.3 p.319.)
The Resurrection: Mankind will live Islam in its exact created habitat in the Paradise of the heavens:
This period will start after the Day of Judgement and all those who conducted themselves according to the Divine principles of Islam; whether they lived in the period of the pre-birth, birth, childhood, adolescence or adulthood will live in bliss and felicity in a place that we cannot even imagine and this for all of eternity. “Surely for the god-fearing awaits a place of security, gardens and vineyards and maidens with swelling breasts, like of age and a cup overflowing. Therein they shall hear no idle talk, no cry of lies for a recompense from thy lord, a gift, a reckoning”. (The Holy Qur’an 79 An-Naba-31 to 36). However, those who turned away from the truth, created corruption on earth, made life hard for the believers, indulged in sins and self centered idle pleasures, etc…Will have as an abode the fires of Hell. “Behold Gehenna (Hell) has become an ambush for the insolent a resort therein to tarry for ages tasting therein neither coolness nor any drink, save boiling water and pus for a suitable recompense. They indeed hoped not for a reckoning and they cried loud lies to OUR Signs and everything WE have numbered in a book. Taste! WE shall increase you not, save in chastisement”. (The Holy Qur’an 79 An-Naba-21 to 30).
Conclusion:
ALLAH (swt) created all existence in the most perfect way; man’s limited capacities to understand, make it absolutely impossible to comprehend all the depth and dimensions of HIS creation. However, through the Prophets (a-s) and their teachings up to the last and seal of the Prophets; Prophet Muhammad (saww) who shed the light upon many of the great mysteries of creation, life, existence, spirituality, morality, death, etc… through the revelation from ALLAH (swt) and then passed this Divinely guided knowledge to his pure and infallible Ahlul-Bayt (a-s), who by the power of ALLAH (swt) would have on earth an Imam until the Day of Resurrection. All of the Islamic teachings prove this point and lead man in that direction, science support this doctrine and theory completely. In fact, the natural progression of humanity is based on hope for relief and solace; therefore if ALLAH (swt) the Only Creator and Originator of all existence, created man in this way (full of hope and making efforts in the path of ALLAH Azz wa Jall), then without any doubt the advent of Imam Al-Mahdi (a-s) is the natural continuation for humanity and Islam.
B- Imam Al-Mahdi the deliverer of solace for all mankind.
Now that we understand the promise for relief from ALLAH (swt) and that it is a part of the Islamic dogma and it is the bases of the creation of mankind, we can now focus on why an Imam on earth is necessary and is the deliverer of the solace. Mankind, as we already spoke of, needs guides that are infallible and pure, in order to guide people to achieve their inner perfection of their hearts (soul) in order to obtain closeness and nearness to ALLAH (swt). But also mankind needs Infallible and pure leaders to give them hope in the Divine Promise of succour and to make them understand all the dimensions and details of the upcoming Advent. This, as we already mentioned, is the advent of Islam, in other words the return to the original teachings of Islam by the Command of ALLAH (swt) and advocated by his Prophet Muhammad (saww). Therefore a Divinely chosen Imam must be living on earth and among the population, either openly or hidden. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww) said: “The person who dies and has not known the Imam of his time has died the same as one who died during the Age of Ignorance”. (Musnad-i-Ahmad ibn Hanbal, vol2,p.83 and vol3,p.446 and vol. 4, p. 96./ Sahih-i-Bukhari, vol.5, p. 13 / Sahih-i-Muslim vol. 6, p. 21, no# 1849.)
Surely we can comprehend, that in something as great and complex as creation itself and the Divine Wisdom, Justice and Knowledge of the Creator of everything (ALLAH (swt)), mankind absolutely needs a divinely commanded guide, in order to teach and guide them to the proper way of living, so that in return man’s existence becomes on its own a worship of the One God; ALLAH Azz wa Jall. ALLAH (swt) says: “And I have not created the Jinn and man except to worship ME”. (The Holy Qur’an 51 Ad-Dariyat-56)
The importance of the living Imam on earth is vital for the continuation of mankind, he is the living link between material and spiritual life that brings the believers together and protects them from error, he is also their rope of safety to the Hereafter, after all we have discussed how Islam is the Divinely chosen religion for all mankind and its final place and destination is the Paradise of the heavens. So the role of the living Imam is crucial for the survival of the human race, for no one else can lead the masses to this Divine Destination. The Imam is the one who gives openly or secretly direction to mankind in order that they perfect their souls and become the constant worshippers in all the actions they do, in all the words they say and all the deeds they perform in order to attain closeness and nearness to the Almighty ALLAH (swt). Imam Ali (a-s) said: “The earth does never remain without a Hujjah; either apparent and known or afraid and unknown lest ALLAH (swt)’s proofs and signs will be invalid” (Mo’jam Ahadeeth al-Imam al-Mahdi, vol.3 p.67)
Our history proves without a doubt the fundamental and essential importance of the living Holy Imam (a-s), whether we are looking at the life of Imam Ali (a-s) and his vital mission of keeping the Message of the true Islam alive, or the tragedy at Karbala where Imam Hussayn (a-s) sacrificed his life and his faithful followers and family whom also stood with him in Martyrdom until the end, or any of the astonishing stories of any of the Holy Imams (a-s) we understand that they are all one in the same. Imam Muhammad Ibn Hasan Al-Hujjah Al-Qa’im Al-Mahdi Imam-e-Zaman is our current day living Imam; he is our safety rope of hope that by the Command of ALLAH (swt) pulls us away from the pool of: Disbelief, sins, corruption, injustice, spiritual pollution, perversion, materialism, etc… And when ALLAH (swt) will command his advent he will clean the entire planet of all evils, he will be the one who will put to defeat the Dajjal (impostor) and the forces of the Shaïton. And until the great advent and Imam Al-Mahdi’s (a-s) re-appearance to us, he is the source of trust and hope for all mankind. And we pray to ALLAH (swt) that HE may hurry his re-appearance.
Imam Ali Ibn Muhammad Al-Hadi (a-s) said: “When your Hujjah will disappear from abode of the oppressors, expect relief”. (Bihar Al-Anwar (Kitab al-Ghaibah) vol. 51, p.234 with English translation. Allama al-Majlisi (r-a). / Kifaya al-Athar.)
C- The true believers who help keep hope alive for mankind.
The influence of the believers of the true Islam:
As we already spoke of the current state of mankind, who the majority have lost touch with their inner selves, which is our essence and which is the spirit from ALLAH (swt) that was breathed into us on the day of our creation. ALLAH (swt) says: “So when I have made him and have breathed into him of MY Spirit, do ye fall down, prostrating yourselves to him”. (The Holy Qur’an 15 Al-Hijr 29). As we have already discussed the degradation of human society as a whole, one must ask, why mankind has not already self-destroyed itself altogether. The answer as we already have seen is the influence of the living Imam (a-s) upon the believers of the world. Again probably one asks how does the present day Imam have any kind of beneficial influence on the society, when he (a-s) is in Occultation and not seen by anyone? Imam Ja’far Ibn Muhammad As-Sadiq (a-s) said: “The benefit for people from the Imam, who is in occultation, is in the same way as they benefit from the sun behind the clouds”. (Yanabi al-Mawadda, Vol. 2, p. 317) Yes, Imam Al-Mahdi (a-s) influence is still present and living amongst his followers, those who never turned away from the true Islam.
In other words, mixed in the masses of the secular population (the Dialectical Materialists as they call themselves), who follow their desires no matter how perverted and immoral they may be, are those whose hearts are pure and souls are full of the great blessing of ALLAH (swt); faith, and who are ready to sacrifice all in order to assist Imam Al-Mahdi (a-s) in his Mission of the re-birth of the true Islam, as commanded by ALLAH (swt) in the Holy Qur’an, propagate and spread by Prophet Muhammad (saww) and all of the 12 Holy Imams (a-s). It is by the influence of the moral conduct and the compassionate behaviour of these true believers of Islam that protect society from falling into total self annihilation and obliteration. The good behaviour of the true believers somehow influences just enough the majority of the population, making them hold back from completely falling apart and into total chaos and anarchy. (Much like Imam Ali’s (a-s) influence and essence kept Islam alive and how the sacrifice of Imam Hussayn (a-s) saved Islam from destruction). In other words, by the Infinite Power of ALLAH (swt), HIS (swt) teachings to us through the Holy Qur’an, the Prophet Muhammad (saww), his Ahlul-Bayt (a-s) and of course the expectation of the true believers for relief through Imam Al-Mahdi (a-s). This positive and good ethical influence is what is moving man ever-forward and preventing pandemonium and self-destruction. Imam Zayn al-Abideen said: “To hope for deliverance and release in itself functions as the most profound form of deliverance”. (Ibid. p. 122)
Desperation is a major sin:
“…and despair not of ALLAH’s Mercy; surely none despairs of ALLAH’s Mercy except the unbelieving people” (the Holy Qur’an 12 Yussef-87)
Desperation is perhaps one of the biggest enemies to the human being, desperation enters in the inner soul of man by negative influences and grows to take over his being and it attacks his spirit and intellect, transforming man into a hopeless creature without any moral virtue and human dignity. Once more despair not only destroys man’s life in this transient world but also all chances of bliss and happiness in the Hereafter. History shows us that when a culture or a society would suddenly plunge into despair, its destruction would be inevitable. Life would no longer have an objective for the inhabitants of that particular society, its population would have no moral virtue to influence it, therefore the populace of that society would be lead only by its base desires and perverted imaginations, all would try to rule over the other without any kind of humanity or respect, inner civil wars would break out daily or maybe even hourly, until none of its inhabitants would be left alive. ALLAH (swt) speaks of this in the Holy Qur’an when HE (swt) says: “And when We wish to destroy a town, We send Our commandment to the people of it who lead easy lives, but they transgress therein; thus the word proves true against it, so We destroy it with utter destruction”. (The Holy Qur’an 17 Al-Isra’-16)
This shows the importance of the influence (no matter how small) of true believers with a good moral conduct and human virtue, waiting for the solace to come from the awaited Imam Al-Mahdi (a-s) from occultation as promised to them from ALLAH (swt). Just as the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww) came to mankind in order to teach them manners and to prepare them for the Mission, in order to obtain eternal happiness and felicity, he saved the Arabs from tribal wars leading to nowhere but destruction and he saved the rest of the human race from the sure death of the despot tyrants who ruled over them. Imam Ali (a-s) kept the Message of the true Islam alive against all obstacles including the majority’s ignorance. And how, Imam Hussayn (a-s) was martyred in order to defend the Holy Qur’an and the true Islam in the straight path of ALLAH (swt). As well as all of the Holy Imams who provided their followers with hope, and they, who in return provided optimism to the general populations. It is truly this reason and basis that mankind is still allowed by the Mercifulness and the Generosity of ALLAH Azz wa Jall to walk this earth without being completely destroyed.
Today we must rally behind our present day Imam; Imam Muhammad Al-Mahdi (a-s) (may ALLAH (swt) hasten his re-emergence) just as the companions and followers of Imam Hussayn (a-s) backed him under all conditions, when we remember the tragedy of Karbala and the unequalled bravery and loyalty of those who were martyred with Imam Hussayn (a-s), we must keep in mind that we, in this very moment, also have responsibilities towards our Imam (a-s) and we must not just dream of taking those responsibilities in hand, but we must absolutely take action and bear in mind at all times our position as true believers in today’s society. We must not only be the followers of Imam Al-Mahdi in theory, but in action as well. (In the article: “Imam AL-MAHDI (a-s) OCCULTATION AND OUR DUTIES. Part two.” Coming soon we will investigate and explore these exact points.
ALLAH (swt) says: “Believers, if you help ALLAH’s cause, HE will help you and will make you stand firmly”. (The Holy Qur’an 47 Muhammad-7)
Who is Imam Muhammad Al-Qa’im Al-Mahdi (a-s) (May ALLAH (swt) hasten his return)? Insha’ALLAH, this question will be answered, along with a deep research into the past, present and future life of our present day Imam (a-s) (May ALLAH (swt) hasten his return) in the 2nd part of this article: “The advent of IMAM AL-MAHDI (a-s), the natural course for humanity, HIS LIFE AND HIS LINEAGE PART 2”. (Coming soon). Until then, I thank-you all for your patience and support, may ALLAH (swt) bless you all.
