Who is He (a.t.f.s) waiting for?
The system of Imamat and Ummah (nation)
The question is that what was the reason and cause behind this occultation? To get apt
information and to understand the philosophy of occultation we have to search history .You
can see that Allah has established a system of human beings guidance through Prophets
and Imams (Leaders), it is a complete system with Imam (Leader) and Ummah (nation).
What it means is that Imamat (leadership) is not alone, there is no such concept of Imamat
(leadership) without Ummah (nation). It is a system of Imamat (Leadership) with Ummah
(nation) or followers. This Imamat
Ummah (Leadership Nation) is the name of the Islamic
system of religion and politics (also known as the system of Wilayah). At least in shiaism this
is the concept. Imamat is only one part of it , the system will remain incomplete, until and
unless the second part interconnects with it. And this second part as mentioned earlier is
called the Ummah (nation). An Imam s duty is to guide, and Ummah s duty is to take the
guidance. An Ummah (nation) is the most essential part to complete this system of Imamat.
With this system, Allah has accomplished the arrangements for man s guidance by sending
Imam s. The Imams performed their duty of guidance, but the second part of this system,
which is the Ummah that did not moved ahead to accept the guidance. To understand this
factor, we need to refer to history.
Ali (a.s)- The most severely oppressed Imam
After the Death of Prophet (s.w.s), let us first observe the life of his immediate successor, the
first Imam [Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s)] . Though he is an Imam, but he was waiting for his
Ummah, his followers. . Hazrat Ali (a.s) is a Leader without followers (Imam-Bi la Ummah).
Evidence to this is Nahj-ul-Balagha. These are his own words, his own complaint that he is a
Leader without nation. Allah bears witness, that even if the entire humanity weeps on this
person till the day of resurrection it would be a justified act. Ali (a.s) has left such proof
through his historical encounters. Ali (a.s) is the most oppressed Imam (Leader), some old
Scholars and Marajae (Jurists) have even narrated that Ali (a.s) is more oppressed person
than Imam Hussain (a.s)).
What is his oppression? , His oppression is this, that Ali (a.s) selected a Well to talk .He
explained his grief, his heart secrets to a well. If a person has to talk to a well to express his
grief, what could be the reason? Either the water of a well or its mud understands and
acknowledges his grief? No, but that is not the case, than why does he talks to a well?
Because he wants to tell the history that I am a Leader without followers, I am a speaker
without listeners. He is in fact a speaker without listeners. Who is saying this? Today a person
named Abu moyama a Christian, said that Nahj-ul-Balagha is not the sayings/word/speech of
Ali (a.s)), he denies it .Why he denies it? Because these are the sermons narrated by Ali (a.s)
1400 years before between the Arabs (the desert nomads), while these are the sermons that
are so difficult to understand even in today s developed scientific era when man's wisdom has
reached so high, so how is it possible for Arabs to understand it .We asked him than whose
sermons are these? He say s I don t know. He said Sayyed Razi must have written himself.
This shows that Ali (a.s) knowledge is so awesome and great and whereas his listeners are so
less in numbers that they even doubt whether they are Ali's sermons or not .Ali (a.s) is a
speaker without listeners. It has many aspects. Ali (a.s) is a commander without army. You
can examine it in War of Siffeen, that how he is a commander without an army. Ali (a.s) is
Ameer without subjects. He himself said this in Nahjul Balagha, It is a common logic that it
in this world the subjects are afraid of their Ruler, but in my time, I the Ruler is afraid of my
subjects. Because it is observed that always Rulers are ruthless and cruel traitors, but Ali (a.s)
is the one Ruler on him his subjects are doing cruelty and oppression.
Imam Hasan(a.s) The Loneliest Commander
Now come to his son. Hazrat Imam Mujtaba (a.s) he is also a Leader (Imam), but a lonely
Leader .He is alone in rows, alone in wars, alone at home, alone before his rule, alone during
his rule. How much is his loneliness, that even his wife poisoned him. You can imagine his
loneliness. He is even alone in home and betrayed by his own wife.
Imam Hussain(a.s) Witrul Mautoor
We read about the solidarity of Imam Hussain (a.s) in ziyarats (testimonies of pledge). We
read one sentence that is truly heart rendering Assalam-o-alaika aiyyohal witrul mautoor ,
What is it s meaning? It means the Most Loneliest one .We are sending salutations to the
person who is the loneliest. Hussain (a.s) is a lonely Leader.
Imam Sajjad s (a.s) Grievances
Than Imam Sajjad (a.s) who is the reminder of Karbala, he is the legacy of Karbala. The
event of Karbala is such an event that it is intolerable for us, who just listen to it, whereas,
Imam Sajjad (a.s) is the one who has seen every incident in front of his eyes .Not only the
incident of Karbala but also of Kufa and Sham. And still he passed his life like a soldier, like a
son of soldier, like a bearer of hardships, like a prisoner. After facing so many atrocities and
hardships, whom did he expressed his grief to? Look at his Sahifa e Sajjadia (the Psalms of
Imam Sajjad). Allah is the one whom Imam expressed his grief; he could not even express
his grief openly and hence selected the methods of supplications.
The Imam s with thousands of Students
We will find the same issue with each and every Imam (Leader). The era of Imam Baqir
(a.s) and Imam Sadiq (a.s) which is considered as a golden era. An Imam who is your
guardian, Hakim (Governor), and Wali, is so compelled that he has to take one book in his
hands to teach some students. Is there is no difference between Leaders and Teachers? We
consider this as a golden period, but in fact it is the saddest period. It is a surprising period,
when two governments of Banu Ummaiya and Banu Abbass were not in power, both were
weak because one is going and the other is coming. Meaning, thereby they both are going
weak and are involved in fighting with each other, and those who have the actual rights to
rule are teaching some students in Madina. Why? Is Leadership only to tell the laws of
Shariah? On one side we always claim that ruling is our right that has been snatched and
usurped from our Imams (a.s), and now when they have a chance to take it, because both
the governments are weak but they are not moving, why? Because both the Imams were
alone, though people came to them to solve their personal problems and get answers to
shariah questions, but the same so called followers were not ready to help them.
Once Imam Sadiq (a.s) passed from some place, a man saw him and he said Mashallah how
many people and students come to meet you or come to take your help, how many admirers
you have, then why don t you start an uprising. But Imam (a. s) said it's not worth, then
Imam (a.s) pointed to a flock of sheep and said that if people in this much quantity as the
number of sheep s were sincere enough to be called my followers, than I would be in a
position to start an uprising. One historian reported that when that person counted the
sheep s they were only thirty. A Leader, who has four thousand students with him, is saying
that if only thirty of them are with me I can take an active stance against the tyrants. These
are our lonely Imam s.
Imam Kazim (a.s) is the Leader whose father had four thousand students, and now his son s
(Imam Kazim s) body is lying on the bridge of Baghdad. And it was reported that Imam Kazim
(a.s) died in the prison. Everybody asked about Imam Kazim (a.s) and the enemies said that
we haven't killed him, his body is on the bridge, you can check his body, there are no signs of
any killing, the followers went and checked his body and then left. This is the oppression on
the Imam by his Ummah.
Imam Raza(a.s) Azadari before martyrdom
Imam Raza (a.s), we send salutations to him as Ghareeb-ul-Ghuraba, when he was leaving
Madina, he asked people to do his Azadari (mourning session), not for the sake of earning
reward, the Azadari for earning rewards can be done anytime after my Martyrdom or any
other time later, but Imam asked to do his Azadari before leaving Madina, Why? Because
Imam wants to tell that Madina is filled with Muslims who pretend to be true followers, true
admirers. , Imam wants these Muslims to listen to the cries of his daughters, so that they can
understand that there is some incident happening in Imam s home. They will come to ask me
what is the reason of this mourning? And I can tell them that from Khurasan, some hijackers
have come to arrest me. May be! Any one would stand for my rescue, may be they become
an Ummah after listening to these cries But the mourning went on and on in Imam s home
but no one came to ask him. Mamoon s soldiers took Imam to Khurasan.
