Characteristics of the Awaiters of Imam Mahdi

Imam Zain ul-Abideen 'alayhi as-salam says 'These are the people that Allah has given them so much of intellect and understanding and knowledge that 'sarat bihi al-ghaybatu indahum bi manzalat il-mushaahadah.' For them, seeing Imam and not seeing Imam is the same. 'Wa ja'alahum fi dhalika az-zaman bi manzilati al-mujahideena bayna yaday Rasuli Allah, salla Allahu alayhi wa alihi wa sallam, bi 's-saif.' They are considered by Allah like Mujahideen in the time of the Prophet who were defending Islam in its time of loneliness, when Muslims were very few and they had all Quraysh and tribes of Arabs against them. In that time of Islam being very weak, they defended the truth, they defended the message of God.

Allah treats these people even if they are not involved in any fight or battle, just they are fulfilling the requirements of believing in Imamah. Allah rewards them like those Mujahideen. Maybe this person is a doctor, is an engineer, maybe teacher, maybe a housewife, a driver, a cook, whatever but Allah considers them as those who did jihad in front of the Prophet, salla Allahu alayhi wa alihi wa sallam. [Allahuma salli 'ala Muhammad wa ali Muhammad].

Why? Because they have such understanding and such deep sense of responsibility. They are ready to do what is needed. You know, compare them to the Shi'a in the time of Amir ul-Mu'minin 'alayhi as-salam, how much Amir ul-Mu'minin suffered from those Shi'a. We are not talking about non-Shi'a, that's clear. But even some Shi'a were not listening to Amir ul-Mu'minin 'alayhi as-salam. You know how much Amir ul-Mu'minin suffered, how much he felt lonely.

Those who were in the time of Imam Hasan 'alayhi as-salam, how Imam Hasan was really alone. But now we have Shi'a in the time of ghayba that Amir ul-Mu'minin or Imam Hasan are not talking to them. Imagine someone like Amir ul-Mu'minin talking to them and they were not listening. But in this time, there is no such conversation, no such meeting, no such blessing. They read books, they listen to Ulema, but they are more prepared than those people who were listening to Amir ul-Mu'minin and watching Amir ul-Mu'minin's face to face. How much understanding, how much commitment is here.

Then Imam Zain ul-Abideen says: 'Ulayka al-mukhlisoona haqqah.' These are people who are really mukhlis. Who is mukhlis? Mukhlis is the one who not only does his actions or her actions with sincerity, but more, mukhlis is someone who has tried to purify his heart. Nothing other than Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala is in his or her heart.

A person narrates this beautiful hadith from Imam Imam Al-Sadiq 'alayhi as-salam, about the ayah " Yawma la yanfa'u malun wa la banoon " (26:88), "illaa man ata Allaha biqalbin saleem" (26:89). Imam Al-Sadiq according to this hadith said 'Al-qalb us-saleem, alladhee yalqa Rabbahu wa laysa fiha ahadun siwa' qalbi as-saleem, a healthy, pure heart is the one that meets his Lord without anyone else being there. He's fully dedicated to Allah Subhaa wa Ta'ala. Imam Husayn 'alayhi as-salam says in Du'a Arafah: 'Ilahi ata alladhee azalta al-ghyar an quluba ahhibbaaik, hatta lam yuhibbu siwaak.' You remove anyone other than Yourself from the heart of your lovers. They don't love anyone other than You. Yes, through You, under You, they love others.

If you want to love more, if you want to expand your love, dedicate your heart to God and then you can love under God, all creation. But next to God, or instead of God, your heart becomes very closed, then you can only love in a selfish way. You can love only yourself or maximum, your family and children.

If you want to expand your heart and love more, give your heart to Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala. And when Allah comes to your heart, expands your heart, and then you can love everyone. So mukhlis is not only who says his prayer with pure intention or the fast, pure intention, does charity pure intention, mukhlis is the one who has purified his heart, his mind, his very existence.

'Ulayka al-mukhlisoona haqqah, wa ad-Du'atu ila deeni Allahi sihran wa jahrah'. These are the people who call towards Allah's path secretly, privately or publicly, means all the time. Whether they speak or they are silent, people are inspired by them. They don't need to talk too much. Even if you just are in the presence, you are motivated, you are inspired. You want to become a better person, you want to become a better Muslim. So, these are the people that can be counted as muntadhir, as people who are waiting actively for Imam Imam Mahdi ajj'alallahu ta'ala farajahu shareef.

So, if we Shi'a, in this time want to be able to be counted as true muntadhir for Imam Mahdi ajj'alallahu ta'ala farajahu shareef, we need to improve our knowledge. We need to improve our understanding and that is through thinking. We need to improve our ability to make proper decisions. Decisions which are not driven by our comfort or selfish interest. Decisions which are driven and inspired by purity of the heart and intention. Decisions which are for the common good, not for personal good. And one of the things that can help us in all these matters, if we have a good sense of community.

In community, you can gain all these things in a much more fruitful and productive way. This is not something that we can do it on our own. Community is where you get energy from each other. If I forget, you remind me and if I remember, you add to my determination. There is a beautiful hadith that says about a good friend, that a good friend is that 'An-nasiyyah dhakaru wa in dhakara a'aana.' If I forget, he or she reminds me. If I remember, he or she would help me. Sisters who have good sisters, brothers who have good brothers as their friends and then when we all as a community have this relation, we help each other.

"Inna al-insana lafee khusr " (103:2), "illa alladheena amanoo wa 'amilu as-salihati wa tawasaw bi 'l-haqqi wa tawasaw bi 's-sabr" (103:3). Question, isn't Iman and 'Amal as-Salih enough? The answer is yes. Iman and 'Amal as-Salih should be enough. So why didn't say "tawasaw bi 'l-haqqi wa tawasaw bi 's-sabr" (103:3)? My understanding is the only way you can make sure that you keep and grow your Iman and Amal as-Salih is when you are enjoining each other.

"tawasaw bi 'l-haqqi wa tawasaw bi 's-sabr" (103:3), is not something added to Iman and 'Amal as-Salih, is not something extra, it's something to make sure that you have Iman and 'Amal as-Salih and keep it and grow it.

In this challenging time of Akhiru az-Zaman, how without helping each other and enjoining each other to observe the truth and patience, we can survive? It is very difficult to survive. Maybe 5% can survive, maybe 10% can survive, but we cannot 100% survive unless we are together as a community.