Follower Network --Imam Al-Mahdi--

The philosophy of occultation

The Philosophy of Occultation

In the discussion on prophecy and the imamate it was indicated that as a result of the law of general guidance which governs all of creation, man is of necessity endowed with the power of receiving revelation through prophecy, which directs him toward the perfection of the human norm and the well-being of the human species. Obviously, if this perfection and happiness were not possible for man, whose life possesses a social aspect, the very fact that he is endowed with his power would be meaningless and futile. But there is no futility in creation.

In other words, ever since he has inhabited the earth, man has had the wish to lead a social life filled with happiness in its true sense and has striven toward this end. If such a wish were not to have an objective existence it would never have been imprinted upon man's inner nature, in the same way that if there were not food there would have been no hunger. Or if there were to be no water there would be no thirst and if there were to be no reproduction there would have been no sexual attraction between the sexes.

Therefore, by reason of inner necessity and determination, the future will see a day when human society will be replete with justice and when all will live in peace and tranquillity, when human beings will be fully possessed of virtue and perfection. The establishment of such a condition will occur through human hands but with Divine succor. And the leader of such a society, who will be the savior of man, is called in the language of the hadith, the Mahdi.

In the different religions that govern the world such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism and Islam there are references to a person who will come as the savior of mankind. These religions have usually given happy tidings of his coming, although there are naturally certain differences in detail that can be discerned when these teachings are compared carefully. The hadith of the Holy Prophet upon which all Muslims agree, "The Mahdi is of my progeny," refers to this same truth.

There are numerous hadiths cited in Sunni and Shi'ite sources from the Holy Prophet and the Imams concerning the appearance of the Mahdi, such as that he is of the progeny of the Prophet and that his appearance will enable human society to reach true perfection and the full realization of spiritual life. In addition, there are numerous other traditions concerning the fact that the Mahdi is the son of the eleventh Imam, Hasan al-'Askari. They agree that after being born and undergoing a long occultation the Mahdi will appear again, filling with justice the world that has been corrupted by injustice and iniquity.

As an example, Ali ibn Musa al-Rida (the eighth Imam) has said, in the course of a hadith, "The Imam after me is my son, Muhammad, and after him his son Ali, and after Ali his son, Hasan, and after Hasan his son Hujjat al-Qa'im, who is awaited during his occultation and obeyed during his manifestation. If there remain from the life of the world but a single day, Allah will extend that day until he becomes manifest, and fill the world with justice in the same way that it had been filled with iniquity. But when? As for news of the 'hour,' verily my father told me, having heard it from his father who heard it from his father who heard it from his ancestors who heard it from Ali, that it was asked of the Holy Prophet, 'Oh Prophet of God, when will the "support" (qa'im) who is from thy family appear?' He said, 'His case is like that of the Hour (of the Resurrection). "He alone will manifest it at its proper time. It is heavy in the heavens and the earth. It cometh not to you save unawares" (Quran, VII, 187).'"

Saqr ibn Abi Dulaf said, "I heard from Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Ali al-Rida [the ninth Imam] who said, 'The Imam after me is my son Ali; his command is my command; his word is my word; to command is the command of his father ; to obey him is to obey his father.' After these words the Imam remained silent. I said to him, 'Oh son of the Prophet, who will be the Imam after Hasan?' The Imam cried hard, then said, 'Verily after Hasan his son is the awaited Imam who is "al-qa'im bi'l-haqq" (He who is supported by the Truth).'"

Musa ibn Ja'far Baghdadi said, "I hear from the Imam Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn Ali [the eleventh Imam] who said, 'I see that after me differences will appear among you concerning the Imam after me. Whoso accepts the Imams after the Prophet of God but denies my son is like the person who accepts all the prophets but denies the prophethood of Muhammad, the Prophet of God, upon whom be peace and blessing. And whoso denies [Muhammad] the Prophet of God is like one who has denied all the prophets of God, for to obey the last of us is like obeying the first and to deny the last of us is like denying the first. But beware! Verily for my son there is an occultation during which all people will fall into doubt except those whom Allah protects."

The opponents of Shi'ism protest that according to the beliefs of this school the Hidden Imam should by now be nearly twelve centuries old, whereas this is impossible for any human being. In answer it must be said that the protest is based only on the unlikelihood of such an occurrence, not its impossibility. Of course such a long lifetime or a life of a longer period is unlikely. But those who study the hadiths of the Holy Prophet and the Imams will see that they refer to this life as one possessing miraculous qualities. Miracles are certainly not impossible nor can they be negated through scientific arguments. It can never be proved that the causes and agents that are functioning in the world are solely those that we see and know and that other causes which we do not know or whose effects and actions we have not seen nor understood do not exist. It is in this way possible that in one or several members of mankind there can be operating certain causes and agents which bestow upon them a very long life of a thousand or several thousand years. Medicine has not even lost hope of discovering a way to achieve very long life spans. In any case such protests from "peoples of the Book" such as Jews, Christians and Muslims are most strange for they accept the miracles of the prophets of God according to their own sacred scriptures.

The opponents of Shi'ism also protest that, although Shi'ism considers the Imam necessary in order to expound the injunctions and verities of religion and to guide the people, the occultation of the Imam is the negation of this very purpose, for an Imam in occultation who cannot be reached by mankind cannot be in any way beneficial or effective. The opponents say that if God wills to bring forth an Imam to reform mankind He is able to create him at the necessary moment and does not need to create him thousands of years earlier. In answer it must be said that such people have not really understood the meaning of the Imam, for in the discussion on the imamate it became clear that the duty of the Imam is not only the formal explanation of the religious sciences and exoteric guidance of the people. In the same way that he has the duty of guiding men outwardly, the Imam also bears the function of walayat and the esoteric guidance of men. It is he who directs man's spiritual life and orients the inner aspect of human action toward God. Clearly, his physical presence or absence has no effect in this matter. The Imam watches over men inwardly and is in communion with the soul and spirit of men even if he be hidden from their physical eyes. His existence is always necessary even if the time has not yet arrived for his outward appearance and the universal reconstruction that he is to bring about

The Shi'as during the Imam's occultation

So now, what is a duty of a Shiite? What responsibilities does he have? Truly, are we reckoned among the real followers of His Eminence (Imam al Mahdi )?

If we study the lives of the devout Shiites (followers) of the Holy Imams before the Twelfth Imam and consider their sacrifices without the slightest hesitation, we shall at once awake from our neglectful slumber and realize our weakness and guilt.

Were not Salman al-Farisi, Abu Dhar al-Ghifari, Ammar bin Yasir and Malik al-Ashtar the followers of the contemporary Imam Ali, Ameer al-Momineen (a.s), and are we too the followers of the Imam of our Age?

Was not Maytham at-Tammar, who did not cease to praise Ali, the Lord of the faithful, a follower of His Eminence Ali, and are we too, who are passing with the Imam of our Age through a strange period, the followers of His Eminence?

Were not the martyrs of Karbala, who with love strove in the way of defending the Imam of their time, Hosayn (a.s.), and were martyred, the followers of His Eminence and are we too, who refuse to give our wealth, lives and other means in the way of the Imam of our time, His Eminence's followers?

Is a person like Hisham bin Hakam, who in his extraordinary and valuable debates crushed and defamed the opponents of the Divine Leadership (Imamate) in such a way that he was called the "assistant of the Imam" by Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.), a Shiite? And are we too, who are sluggish in fulfilling our foremost duty to recognize the Imam of our time, Shi'ites?

From what we read of the glad tidings in the Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet and the infallible Imams, the Imam of the Age (Imam-e-Zaman) has special responsibilities which other Imams did not have. Imam-e-Zaman will establish a Universal Government. He will fill the earth with righteousness and justice. He will exploit the earth's treasures and natural resources. He will improve and develop the land, and in this way people's awareness and understanding will improve.[Montakhabol Aathar, Lotfillah Saafi Golpaygani sec.vii].

Therefore, do not the followers of His Eminence have a very particular duty? Should not the Shiites endeavor to obtain the competence and merit of being His Eminence's special companions when he reappears by Divine Command?

Therefore, let us see what our duties are and how we should observe them. Undoubtedly, our first duty is to become acquainted with him. Recognizing

Imam-e-Zaman is so important and essential that in the

Holy Prophet's traditions we read:

من مات و ليس له إمام فميتته ميتة جاهلية.

"He who dies without recognizing the Imam of his age is like one who had died during the jahiliyya (the pagan era before the advent of Islam).[Ilzam an-Naasib fi Ithbaat al-Hojja al-Ghaaib, by as-Shaykh Ali al-Yazdi al-Hairi, p.5]. To die during the jahiliyya means a death devoid of Islam and faith. And it is obvious that one who dies without recognizing the Imam of his age is counted in the group of the faithless. In another tradition, Imam Mohammed al-Baqir (a.s.) is quoted as having said on the same subject:

من مات و ليس له إمام فميتته ميتة جاهلية ولا يعذر الناس حتى يعرفواإمامهم.

"One who dies without having (accepted) the Imam, it is as if he died in the jahiliyya, and people are not exempted from recognizing their Imam. "[Montakhabol Athar, sec.x, chp.5].

Therefore, we must endeavor to recognize His Eminence (Imam-e-Zaman) for the sake of Islam and our faith, and so that we may be reckoned among those who have gained salvation and among the faithful. Another duty of the Shiites during the major occultation, which the Holy Imam have alluded to, is the question of being ready for the Savior. Hence, the first step for salvation is to recognize the Imam of the age; and the second step is to be prepared for the establishment of just Government by His Eminence.

One who is waiting (muntazir) and preparing himself for the appearance of the Imam must have the characters and merits of the companions of Imam al-Mahdi (a.s.), and should sacrifice his life and wealth in his way. For this reason, Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) said:

المنتظر لأمرنا كالمتشحط بدمه في سبيل الله.

"One who waits for our commands is like a person who sacrifices his own blood in the way of Allah".[Kamaloddeen, by ash-Shaykh as-Sadooq, p.336].

Yes, he who is really ready for Imamol-Asr (the Imam of the period) becomes like a martyr in the way of Allah. In another tradition, the same Imam told some of his followers about the person who is really waiting for Imam-e-Zaman, saying:

من مات منكم و هو منتظر لهذا الأمر كمن هو قائم في فسطاطه قال ثم مكث هنيئة ثم قال-بل كمن قارع معه بسيفه- ثم قال - لا والله إلا كمن استشهد مع رسول الله

"One who dies while expecting the Government of al-Qaaim is like one who is in the presence of al-Qaaim (Imam al-Mahdi (a.s.)). After a pause he added: "But he is like one who has been struck with a sword while accompanying him. Then he insisted further by adding: "Nay, by Allah! He is like one who has been martyred in the presence of the Messenger of Allah".[Bihaar al-Anwaar by Allama al-Majlisi, vol.iii, p.126].

Are we reckoned among those who are expecting His Eminence? Are we at least waiting for the Divine Promise of the Authority of Allah (Waliyyollah) in the same way as we wait for the return of our loved ones from a journey? In another tradition, Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) narrated the virtues of the companions of Imam al-Mahdi (a.s.) saying:

"مَن سره أن يكون من اصحاب القائم فلينتظر و ليعمل بالورع و محاسن الأخلاق و هو منتظر فإن مات و قام القائم بعده كان له من الأجر من أدركه فجدوا وانتظروا هنيئاً لكم أيتها العصابة المرحومة".

"If one takes pleasure in being among the companions of al-Qaaim, then he must wait for him and must act with good behavior and modestly. If he dies before the appearance of al-Qaaim, then he will be rewarded like one who has followed him. Then act diligently, and await, that this effort and awaiting will give you delight, O you who have found salvation."[ al-Ghayba, by Mohammed bin Ibraheem bin Jafar an-Numani, p.106].

So, one who is awaiting and has not ceased from good and worthy deeds should earnestly endeavor to be in an excellent and worthy position in such a way that Allah may shower His blessings on him.

So, we should pray to Allah that He may include us among those who are waiting for the Imam of the age, and that our acts and conduct may also symbolize the truth of our claim. Firstly, we should acquaint ourselves with His Eminence, the Imam, and then we should guide others, his opponents and enemies. We should gain the virtues of the companions of Imam al-Mahdi (a.s.), and should always be in the expectation of his appearance. Henceforth, we will be able to sacrifice our worthless souls and thus to make them worthy. Shiites must have a devout link with His Eminence during the occultation. Their hearts and souls should be filled with love and affection for him. Their thoughts should be devoted to his service and their desire should be to meet him. Their prayers should be to ask for the blessing of Allah to be showered on His Eminence, and their supplication should be for salvation. Their existence should be one welded and fused unit, and their life should blaze with love for him.

Sources:

Shi'a -By Allamah Seyyid Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai.

An Inquiry concerning al-Mahdi (a.s) - By Ayatullah Shaheed Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr.