Chapter 3 :Messianism (Mahdawiyyah)
 

Original Source of Belief in Imamah and Faith in The Appearance of the Twelfth Imam (peace be upon him)

QUESTION:

From which Islamic sources has the position and esteem (i`tibar) of the Imamah and leadership and faith in the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his return) been understood? And what effect have events and the passage of time had on the completion of this principle?

ANSWER:

According to a verse of Qur’an, Imamah is a station that was granted to Ibrahim al-Khalil (peace be upon him) after that great test—trial by kalimat (words)[52]. According to traditions that are consecutively narrated (mutawatir) and which both Shi‘a and Sunnis have related, this station was also placed in the Ahl al-Bait of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and they have been singled out for this great Divine grant.

On this basis it has been established that in every era an individual from this family who possesses the necessary capabilities, including knowledge and infallibility, will be responsible for the station of Imamah and leadership.

Such an individual is the proof (hujjat) of Allah, equal of the Qur’an, guide of the people, and protector of the religion and Divine law. Imamah is a principle that has been established from the time of the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) until our time and will continue from our time until the end of the world. The point of its apparent perfection and complete flowering will be during the age of the gladdening reappearance of Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his return) and establishment of his united just world government, during which the world will be filled with equity, justice, goodness, and blessings through the blossoming of all human potentials and evolution of thoughts and becoming apparent of terrestrial and celestial blessings.

The agenda of forming a new world community which must end in spreading justice and the sovereignty of tawhid (Divine unity) is understood from the core of Islamic teachings. The Noble Qur’an in several chapters has announced this and hundreds of prophetic traditions have related the world’s adoption of Islam and the government of justice and establishment of complete security in the land after the reappearance of the promised Mahdi (may Allah hasten his return), who is from the descendents of ‘Ali and Fatimah (peace be upon her) and shares the name and agnomen (kunya) of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family).

Belief in the appearance of Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his return) with the mentioned qualities is something which has been mentioned in Islam’s primary texts. According to consecutively-narrated (mutawatir) traditions, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) has given news of this blessed event and requested his ‘ummat (community) to be in wait of that consequential day.

Though the issue of appearance is deduced from the general tidings pertaining to Islam’s becoming supreme in the world and truth overcoming falsehood, this does not mean that the issue of appearance is solely a concept deduced from the purport of traditions, since the text and very words of narrations point to it independently, and most of the faithful rely one these very texts that explicitly point to the appearance of Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his return) and its signs.

Once it is known that the foundation of the existence of this belief is the general tidings and texts of traditions, it can be said that historical conditions and events that occurred after the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) had no role in its coming into existence.

This is because the origin of this idea is the era of prophecy and the traditions related to it exceed one thousand traditions, which are narrated in books traditions, commentary, and many other books. Prominent Sunni scholars have also written independent books about it, and books written more than twelve centuries ago by the greatest experts and researches of Islamic sciences clearly indicate that the person of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) gave tidings about the issue of the appearance of the Promised Mahdi (may Allah hasten his return), and his companions, the followers (tabi`in) of the companions, and after them other generations of people have narrated them.

The Qur’an and Messianism (Mahdawiyyat)

QUESTION:

Which verse of the Noble Qur’an can be cited regarding the authority (wilayat) of the twelve Imams (peace be upon them) and the just government of Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his return) and the supremacy of Islam over the world?

ANSWER:

The verses from whose purport it is understood that the twelve Imams—may Allah elevate their word—have authority and Imamah are many in number.

Among them is the verse:

ÅöäøóãóÇ ÃóäúÊó ãõäúÐöÑñ æóáößõáøö Þóæúãò åóÇÏò


“You are but a warner, and every people has a guide.”[53]

And the verse:

áÇó íóäóÇáõ ÚóåúÏöí ÇáÙøóÇáöãöíäó


“My covenant reaches not the oppressors (and only that group of your descendants is worthy of this position who are pure and infallible).”[54]

and the verse:

ÃóÝóãóäú íóåúÏöí Åöáóì ÇáúÍóÞøö ÃóÍóÞøõ Ãóäú íóÊúÈóÚó


“Thus is one who guides to the truth worthier of being followed?”[55]

These verses indicate this point since from them one understands that society is not without an Imam, the infallibility of the holder of the station of Imamah, and his being more knowledgeable than others, and this issue is among the exclusive convictional principles of the Shi‘a. And from the verse:

íóÇ ÃóíøõåóÇ ÇáøóÐöíäó ÂãóäõæÇ ÃóØöíÚõæÇ Çááåó æóÃóØöíÚõæÇ ÇáÑøóÓõæáó æóÃõæáöí ÇáÃóãúÑö ãöäúßõãú


“O’ ye who have brought faith! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you (the trustees of the Prophet).”[56]

This doctrine of the Shi‘a—that the Imam and ruler must be infallible—is understood. This is because in this verse obedience to those in authority has been commanded in an absolute manner. Obedience to the Prophet, which is in all affairs, has been expressed together with obedience to those in authority in one word—the imperative verb ÃØíÚæÇ, “obey!”

It is obvious that someone whom the believers have been ordered to obey absolutely in such a way must be infallible and far removed from errors and mistakes, and as it is undisputed that from among the Islamic sects only the Shi‘a believe in the infallibility of the Imam.

In addition to this, commentaries and reliable traditions also indicate that the intent of the noble verse “Obey Allah…” and other verses is the twelve Imams (peace be upon them), and in these commentaries, the blessed names of these personages are also mentioned explicitly.

As for the supremacy of Islam in the world and its overcoming all religions, it is sufficient to pay attention to verses 32 and 33 of Surah at-Tawba, verse 28 of Surah al-Fath, verses 6 and 8 of Surah al-Saff, and numerous other verses. In them, the promise of appearance and true religion’s overcoming all religions has been given, a promise that will come to pass with the appearance of Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his return), and this is inviolable.

In regard to the appearance of Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his return) in particular, many verses have been elucidated to refer to it, which exceed one hundred verses in all. The book Al-Mahajja fi ma Nazala fi al-Qa’im al-Hujja (The Final Destination Regarding What Has Been Revealed About the Twelfth Imam) has collected all of them.

Among those verses is this verse:

æóÚóÏó Çááåõ ÇáøóÐöíäó ÂãóäõæÇ ãöäúßõãú æóÚóãöáõæÇ ÇáÕøóÇáöÍóÇÊö áöíóÓúÊóÎúáöÝóäøóåõãú Ýöí ÇáÃóÑúÖö ßóãóÇ ÇÓúÊóÎúáóÝó ÇáøóÐöíäó ãöäú ÞóÈúáöåöãú æóáöíõãóßøöäóäøó áóåóãõ Ïöíúäóåõãú ÇáøóÐöí ÇÑúÊóÖóì áóåõãú æóáöíõÈöÏøóáóäóåõã ãöäú ÈóÚúÏö ÎóæúÝöåöãú ÃóãúäÇðÇ íóÚúÈõÏõæäöäöí áÇó íõÔúÑößõæäó Èöí ÔóíúÆÇõ æóãóäú ßóÝóÑó ÈóÚúÏó Ðóáößó ÝóÃõæáóÆößó åõãõ ÇáÝóÇÓöÞõæäó


“Allah has promised those who have believed among you and do good deeds that He shall certainly make them rulers in the earth as He made rulers those before them and shall make firm for them their religion which He has chosen for them and shall change their fear into security; they will worship Me and associate none with Me, and whoever disbelieves after that, it is they who are the iniquitous.”[57]

and this verse:

æóäõÑöíÏõ Ãóäú äóãõäøó Úóáì ÇáøóÐöíäó ÇÓúÊõÖúÚöÝõæÇ Ýöí ÇáÃóÑúÖö æóäóÌúÚóáóåõãú ÃóÆöãøóÉð æóäóÌúÚóáóåõãõ ÇáúæóÇÑöËöíäó


“And we desire bestow a favor on those deemed weak in the land and make them leaders and make them inheritors.”[58]

and the verse:

æóáóÞóÏú ßóÊóÈúäóÇ Ýöí ÇáÒøóÈõæÑö ãöäú ÈóÚúÏö ÇáÐøößúÑö Ãóäøó ÇáÃóÑúÖó íóÑöËõåóÇ ÚöÈóÇÏöí ÇáÕøóÇáöÍõæäó


“And verily We have written in the Zabur (Psalms) after the Remembrance that my righteous servants will inherit the earth.”[59]