Imam Mahd¢, the Twelfth Imam and the World’s Great Reformer

The End of a Dark Night

When we look at the deplorable state of the present situation where crime, murder, bloodshed, wars, and international conflicts prevail, we are faced with the following question: will this situation continue to exist? Are these murders and crimes going to destroy mankind altogether?

Is there a small window of hope for man’s salvation there are two answers to these questions.

According to pessimists and materialists, the horizon is dark and time is replete with hazards. For those who believe in the Divine religions, especially the Muslims, and the Sh¢`ah in particular, there is an optimistic view to this dilemma; that is there is a morning of hope that follows behind this dark and gloomy night.

According to this latter view, these dark clouds, and morbid storms and destructive floods will ultimately vanish and a clear sky, a shining sun and a calm environment will prevail.

This view holds that these horrifying whirlpools will be removed and the shores of safety will become visible in the distant horizon.

They maintain that the world awaits a great reformer who will change the world for better through a revolution. This reformer is called by different names by the followers of different religions. In the words of an Arab poet:

“We make use of different names,

But your beauty is just one thing.

And all our statements refer to your beauty.”

Innate disposition and the Appearance of the Great Reformer

Inner inspiration, whose reflections are at times greater than our natural wisdom, are our guides not only in the issue of knowing God but also in all religious thinking.

The signs for such inspirations are the following:

First: General love for universal justice. This is because all people of the world, despite their differences, all love, justice and peace.

We all work for peace, justice, and endeavor to implement them.

There is no better reason than this for the innate orientation to this Great Reformer’s appearance. This is because the general nature of wants and desires in general lead us to believe that those wants and desires are natural and innate.

Any genuine and innate love leads us to believe that there is an outside attraction for it.

How could God create such a thirst for love inside our brains and souls without there being a source that natures it in the outside world?

That is why we claim that man’s innate desire for justice proclaims that one day everywhere in the world there will be peace and justice and the very bases of cruelty and injustice will be extinguished, and humanity will live peacefully as a unified nation under one single banner.

Second: The universal anticipation of all religions is for a great world reformer. In almost all the religions of the world one can find this phenomenon. The belief that a great savior will come to alleviate man’s deep-seated worries and griefs does not belong only to Muslims. Indeed, records and documents illustrate the fact that this idea has been in existence since antiquity among all nations and religions both in the east and the west and since Islam is a more complete religion, it places more emphasis on this issue.

In one of the books of the Zoroastrians, called the Zand after mentioning the permanent struggle between Izad (God) and Ahriman (Shaitan), it is written: then “the great victory will be for And those who believe in Izad and those who believe in Ahriman will be defeated. The world will achieve genuine prosperity and man will settle on the throne of magnanimity”

In the Zoroastrian book Jamasb Nameh, we shall read: “A man will rise from the land of the Arabs… a man with a large head, a large body, and large legs, of the religion of his ancestors, with large armies and will spread justice over the earth.”

In one of the books of the Hindus, called the Vashn Jok, we read: “Finally the world will return to someone who is in love with God and is one of his special servants.”

In another book of the Hindus, called the Bask, we will read: “At the end of the world, there will be a just king who will be the leader of all angels and men alike; he will be right and will acquire whatever is hidden in the earth or in the seas. He will be aware of what goes on both in the heavens and on the earth. There will never be anyone greater than him.”

In the Psalms of David, which is one of the books of the Old Testament, we read: “The wicked shall vanish, but those relying on God shall inherit the earth.” Further on we read: “the honest ones and well-wishers shall inherit the earth and shall live therein for ever.” Similar statements, too, are recorded in the other books of the Old Testament. In the Gospel of Matthew chapter 24, we read “As the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, so it is with the son of man…”

And in the twelfth chapter of Luke, we read: “Be well-prepared and ready, keep your lights burning; act like those who are awaiting the arrival of their master, and who will open the door as soon as he bangs on the door.”

In the book called, “The Signs of His Appearance” well read: “The belief in the arrival of a great reformer can be seen in the ancient books of the Chinese, the Indians, Scandinavians, the ancient Egyptians, the natives of Mexico and the like.”