Mahdism Doctrine for Unity of Ummah..
In an era of globalization, there is an urgent need to send the message of harmony across different faiths. As for Islam, it is the religion of tolerance, harmony and peaceful coexistence, as the basic article of its belief is faith in God, His Messengers and His Books are, not to confined any particular faith but in all the Messengers from Adam down the history bringing into fold all the Divine figures and scriptures of all the times and religions of this universe. This and other guiding principles like this may be derived from Islam such as equality, social and family relationships and issues related with inheritance, etc.In the backdrop of the contemporary state of things, it has become imperative to introduce the real and true spirit of Islam to the world. This will not only dispel the darkness of mistrust and suspicion about Islam, but a new image of Islam, as a religion of peace will also be awakened to study it afresh in the light of the modern global imperatives.
Islam today is at the crossroads, its image in the contemporary world is not positive. Muslims rightfully struggle for self-determination, justice and democracy in their own land is being devastating onslaughts by the monarchal and dictatorial rulers with the help of villainy interests gag them. The descanted of the people ends in senseless violence. It is the time to revive and protect the democratic traditions, including the rule of law, the values that we have chosen for ourselves which have survived even in the face of repression and conquests, the fundamental rights guaranteed to us and liberties that were realized after years of struggle our resolve to adhere to these values and liberties will be tested in the crucible of terrorism. The Palestinians land, which is upsurge because of the Holocaust – in which millions of Jews were killed at Hitler’s concentration camps for which no Palestinians or any Muslim could be held responsible, to be restored to the people of the land.
It is not for the first time that the Nimrod\'s pyre of terrorism has been inflamed for Islam. It has been done so even in the past, and every time it calmed down into the garden of peace and this time too it will be put out. The sad part of it is that a handful of misled, indiscrete and reckless hands of so-called Muslims also have joined those who have inflamed this Nimrod-pyre to set Islam at fire. These fanatics call other religions, and faiths to be wrong. Actually, it is another face of fascism, which it plays its part sometimes in the form of an imperial terror indulging in capturing other nations and shedding killing people and plunder their hearths and homes. Sometimes it comes in the form of a reformer seeking to dislodge other cultures to establish dominance of his own way of life, and sometimes in the form of a thinker and theorist captivate the masses by conditioning their thoughts.
According to the belief of the Muslims no age -mina’llāh : Divinely ordained and appointed$ūs$can remain without an Imām, Mans exclusively by God. Hence, Imām al-Mahdi is called the Divinely enlisted guide of the last age. al-Mahdī :
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Rightly Guided One. The last saviour of the Divine and Justice on earth. He has a large number of other ib-aż-Żamān (the Lord%āh%%titles, all indicative of specific qualifications – S ib-al-Amr ( the Lord of Command), Al-Qā’im (He who will arise)%āh$of the Age), S and the Baqīyyātu’llāh (the Remnant of God) etc. The doctrine of the Ghayāba (Occultation) and Rij’ā (Return)maintains that Twelfth Imām Abu’l Qāsim ammad, al-Mahdī has not died but has been concealed by God, that is what he$Muh is called Imāmu’l-Ghayāb (Hidden Imām).
The principle of Mahdawiyyat (Mahdism) is commonly believed by all sects of Islam, but the Imāmiyya community azar%cherishes special faith in the existence and coming of the Imām al-Munt (the Imām who is eagerly awaited). There is no great difference between the Shi‘as and Sunnis with regard to the Imām al-Mahdī. Both believe that before the Qiyāmah (final Catastrophe), a Divine Government will be established on earth based on perfect justice under the premiership of Imām al-Mahdī.
Shi‘as and uhūr (appearance) or Qiyām (arising) is%Sunnis both believe in Imam Mahdī. his Z awaiting the time decreed by God. Apart from Shi‘as, the most eminent Sunni riqa and as-Suyūtī,$awa’qu’l-Muh$-S$ajar, al-Makkī in as$scholars like Ibn H Jalālu’d-Dīn in his Tafsīr Durru’l-Manthur fī’l-Tafsīr bi’l Māthūr and others in their respective Commentaries have specifically mentioned the verses of the holy Qur’an in respect of Imām Mahdī
The best known Traditions in both Shi‘i and Sunni sources, state that Imām Mahdī’s reign of righteousness will fill the earth with justice after it has been filled with injustice and tyranny. Tradition adds : “ Imām Mahdī will rule with justice. Every thing due shall be returned to its owners. The roads will be safe …. He will judge among the people ammad….At that time men will not find any%with the judgment of David and of Muh poor-houses where to give their alms or to be generous because riches will encompass all.”
ādiq’s prophecies are so close to several%-S%Imām Ja‘far as modern phenomena and scientific inventions that some of the contemporary Shi‘i scholars, like Ibrāhīn al-Mūsawī aż-Żanjānī, foresee the appearance of Imām Mahdī in the near future. For instance, the prophecies referring to television and aeroplane :
ādiq) saying -%-S%“ I heard Abū ‘Abdu’llāh (Imām Ja‘far as The believer, in the time of the Qā’im, while in the east, will be able to see his brother in the west and he who is in the west will be able to see his brother in the east.”
The detailed prophecies in a lengthy Tradition of Imām ādiq also describes the moral degrading at the time of the coming%-S%Ja‘far as of Imām Mahdī as depicted above in the prophecies of the Prophet and Imām ‘Ali, but some aspect of ‘permissive society’ and its secularization :
“When you see that the truth has died and people of truth have disappeared,and you see that the injustice prevails through the land ; and the Qur’an has become despised and things are introduced into it that are not init and it is turned towards man’s desires; and you see the people of error having mastery over the people of truth;and you see evil in the open and doers of evil are not prevented nor do thy excuse themselves; and you seemoral depravity openly manifest and
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men being content with men and women satisfied by women; and you see the believer silent, his words not being accepted; and you see the sinfullying and he is not refuted not does his deceit renound upon him; and you see the lowlydesprising the great; and you see the wombs cut open; and you see he who boatsof moral depravity is laughed at and is not spurned; and you see young men being handed over like women and women co-habiting with women and their numbers increasing ; and you see men spending their wealth on things other than pious deeds and no-one opposes or hinders them; and you see one person molesting his neighbour an
no-one prevents it… and you see women occupying places in the assemblies just as men do and usury is carried out openly and adultery is praised.”
The reader will now appreciate that the main factor at the root of the general hostil attitude towards Islam among the followers of other faiths, is lack of knowledge and right understanding of Islam. Mahdism doctrine has the mission of the unity, prosperity and peace. Qur’an has warned against discrimination and separation between the people and has repeatedly laid emphasis on their unity and warm-heartedness. The insistence on unity and amiability is not limited to Muslims only. Its first step is to maintain peace and unity with Ahlu’l-Kitāb (the people of the revealed Books). Some have restricted it to Jews and Christians, but others have included Zoroastrians, Hindus and all the claimants of the Divine Book :
“ Say; O’ People of the Book! come to a Word Common between us and you.” (Qur’an : 3/63)
In the second step a general unity and geniality with the whole mankind based on the Qur’anic logic that the entire mankind hail from the same origin because :
“O mankind! fear your Guardian Lord, who created you from a single person.” (Qur’an : 4/1, 6/98, 7/189, 39/6)
Qur’an has made it rather clear that those who creat divisions have nothing to do with Islam, vide the verse :
“As for those who divide their religion and break up into sects, thou hast no part in them in the least.” (Qur’an : 6/159)
Qur’an instructs to be away from those who create divisions :
“And hold fast all together, by the Rope, which God (Stretche, out for you) and be not divided among yourselves.” (Qur’an : 3/ 103)
Then in another place Qur’an orders to proceed on straight path and keep away from all those paths, which create divisions :
“Verily this is my Way leading straight : follow it. Follow not (other) paths, they will scatter you about from His path.” (Qur’an : 6/153)
To save from these scattering, the holy Prophet Muhammad had provided adīthu’th -Thaqalayn : “ I leave behind'the directive principle underlying the H me, amidst you, two things of immense gravity, the Qur’an and my Ahlu’l-Bayt …”
Because of the fact the ‘Ulama (sing. ‘Ālim) : learned persons, scholars, erudites – the religious class being the general representative of ib-al-Amr ( the Lord of Command)%āh$ib-aż-Żamān (the Lord of the Age), S%āh%%S would exercise his authority and influence on which theoretical basis concept of Wilāyatu’l-Faqīh. The institutional structure and functions of culture relate to religious belief and its development of the institution of that the door of Ijtihād remain open for interpretation. They regard it as, a symbol of
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scientific pursuit, so that the theological thought may not become static or stagnant, and all new issues may be addressed timely and consistently, which provides the access to the universal culture through the Islamic thought. The idea of Wilāyatu’l-Faqīh is not an innovation of Imām Khomeini. In the Shi’ism Imāmat and Wilāyat is not in the sense of denying the spiritual and universal authority of the Twelfth Imām Mahdī Ākhiru’ż-Żamān. Marja’at-Taqlīd has taken the same argument to its logical extension and stated that only the government by a Faqīh (expert in Islamic jurisprudence) is permissible and developed the concept of Wilāyatu’l-Faqīh, that government belongs by right to those who are learned in jurisprudence and competent.
Surely, Mahdism doctrine deserve all the commendation for its ethical and spiritual commitment, humane philosophy , the highest degree of purity in means and objective, which has been like a light-house for peace and prosperity of the people in general and Muslim Ummah in particular. It has been a flicker of hope lit in its humane mission and sense of service and its magnanimity is a lesson for all.
