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The Great Awaiting

The Great Awaiting

Muhammad Reza Hakimi

An article about the awaiting of Imam Al-Mahdi (aj)

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In The Name Of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Despite enticing propaganda launched to alleviate the problems of the world, the unrestfulness and convulsion of the present situation in the world remains horrendous and worrying.

Even with the efforts of the international organizations and the many lengthy and often tedious conferences held in this respect, yet many international issues such as; securing a stable peace, widespread disarmament, peaceful co- existence, prevention of the expanding nuclear arms race, the promotion of non- intervention in the internal affairs of other countries and the like remain unsolved.

The arrayal of troops and dangerous competition between and among world powers, the arms race and blind clashes in the four corners of the globe continue as ever.

Due to colonization and exploitive economy, the rift between the rich and poor countries is becoming greater every day.

The figures for criminal offences are drastically high and rising, posing the disciplinary organizations and the police immense problems. Lack of morality and ethics, unsound and shaky principles concerning ideologies or beliefs has generated all sorts of moral corruption and social indecencies.

These and many other complicated problems raises the question of what will the fate of human society be? Will it continue to remain as it is? And miserably end in Man’s pathetic destruction? Or will the ball of celestial fortune sooner or later turn to Man’s advantage?

A study of the laws of Creation and Genesis, as well as the law of evolution as an integral part of it, reveals that the present situation cannot last; and very soon the visage of the world will witness a transformation for good, giving way to security, peace and virtue.

Social Evolution

The great caravan of the world of creation advances toward perfection and all creatures be it plants, animals or human beings constantly change from simple to the more complex.

In the world of nature, simple elements on earth ‘evolve’ or turn into different fruits, flowers and vegetation. The minerals form the multi-useful and valuable mines; and edible food transforms into new and active body cells.

The human society too obeys this natural law and parallel to the world of nature follows the trend of evolution. Once, the human being lacked even the most fundamental means of living and dwelled in jungles, heart of caves and crevices of mountains; living barely on the meat of wild animals and plants of the wilderness.

But today, in the light of gradual trend of evolution, science lid technology has reached such amazing heights that would have probably been unimaginable for our ancestors.

Today, man has employed many of the natural resources to his advantage, living in beautiful mansions and sky-scrapers; roaming from the depth of oceans to the heart of universe; unveiling the amazing mysteries of nature and resolving a great many wonders and unknown phenomena of creation.

Nevertheless, despite all this material gain, not only has he not made any improvement in morality or virtue, but rather has retarded (regressed) terribly.

In other words, the advancement of the human being in the present age has been only one of materialistic, making no progress in morals. Moreover, the real perfection of man is attained only when it is ‘all-inclusive’, that is reflecting its effect in all aspects of life.

As the felicity of an individual depends on the balance between physical and mental forces on the one hand and his various desires on the other, and that the excessive activity of any of the natural desires such as; sexual instinct or egoism or even knowledge-seeking and the like, wilt inhibit the growth of other desires and imbalances the equation between forces.

Again, too, the real perfection of human society is reachable long as benefiting from various scientific, ethical, material, moral, economic, social and other aspects.

The unnecessary and excessive growth of any the aspects so as to undermine the others not only does not provide the worldly happiness of an but rather like a lethal tumor will render the existence of humanity inactive and sickly; finally driving it to the abyss of perdition and destruction.

Most of the present social shortcomings are the result of this very imbalance between different forces. The foundations of the present palace of industrial civilization are laid upon materialism and moral values have been ignored.

This point goes against the grain of social nature I man, opposing the sanctity of the Law of nature.

From these considerations, one must await the day when the world of humanity reaches such heights of morality that will leave no more room for oppression, wrongdoing, war and bloodshed.

The Future of the World from the Viewpoint of Qur’an

Incidentally, Islamic texts completely conform, with the proven social deliberations in this regard.

The holy Qur’an, in introducing some of its verses, has given hopeful tidings of a bright future for the world of humanity. The holy Qur’an has delineated the perspective of a totally new and promising future, in which, the ruler ship of the earth will be in the hands of the most righteous of God’s servants.

The present corruption will be eliminated from the face of the earth and humanity and virtuosity will replace wrong hood.

This subject has been mentioned of in the Qur’an, as inheritance which stems from the natural relation between two creatures. The government of the righteous and the deserving has been mentioned in the holy Qur’an as their ‘natural right’; saying:

وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ مِنْ بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحُونَ

“And certainty we wrote in the Book after the reminder that (as for) the land, my righteous servants shall inherit it.”(21: 105) 1

God, the Almighty has emphasized in this verse that the issue of ruler ship of righteous people has been mentioned in successive Divine Books. This indicates the importance of the mater and ascertains that the said command [edict] is an irrevocable and permanent one, vital to the establishment of human society. Without its implementation, the human society will fall short of its Appointed perfection.

Elsewhere it is again emphasized:

وَنُرِيدُ أَنْ نَمُنَّ عَلَى الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَنَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَنَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوَارِثِينَ

“And We desired to bestow a favor upon those who were deemed weak in the land, and to make them the Imams, and to make them the heirs,” (28: 5) 2

It is interesting to note those Islamic traditions and narrations too confirm this point clearly and definitely.

The age of all-embracing perfection and prosperity promised in the Divine Religion is mentioned as the epoch of the advent of God’s light and Justice administered by the Master of the Age; his eminence-Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his appearance). The true followers and aides of the promised one, too, are introduced as the last inheritors on earth.

Imam Baqir (PBUH) in an interpretation of the previous verse said:

(ﻥﺎﻣﺰﻟﺍ ﺮﺧﺁ ﰲ ﻱﺪﻬﳌﺍ ﺏﺎﺤﺻﺃ ﻢﻫ)

“That is, the inheritors of earth, are the aide of Imam Mahdi in the final phase of the earth.”3

These verses which are samples of some one hundred and thirty verses of the holy Qur’an clearly indicate that this idea runs a deep root in the holy Qur’an and this is why the holy prophet [Muhammad] put a great emphasis on it so much so that he says:

“If there remains not more than a day from the life of the earth, God Almighty will set the day so long, until a person, from my progeny who carries the same name at me, appear and fill the world with Justice.”4

Suitable Social Ground

Here, the question posed is that when will this promise be fulfilled? And when will the liberating global revolution of Imam Mahdi (PBUH) happen?

To answer this question, one must make point of the situations and conditions of the world reformist revolutions, which lead to victory. Undoubtedly, the victory of any revolution or social reform is achieved when the mental condition of society is prepared.

Any new movement so long as it lacks the suitable grounds within the heart and mind of the society is bound to fail.

From this stance, the leaders of revolutions resemble the physicians who burst the pusful abscess exactly when the patient is ready to bear the pain in order to get cured.

Social pressures or pains, too, when exceeds the point of tolerance or puts the society in grave danger, prepare the body of society for the application of the lancet in to the filth of the society, for, the public is then ready for the revolutionary reforms to improve conditions.

Thus, the global revolution of the Promised Mahdi (PBOH) occurs when the world is replete with oppression and injustice and the earth dwellers desperate from mundane and useless reforms.

It may be that the many narration relating the spread of equity and Justice by the Savior, Imam Mahdi,

ﺹ ٦ﺝ ﺩﻭﺍﺩ ﻦﺑﺍ ﻦﻨﺳ ﺮﺼﺘﳐ

(ﹰﺎﻤﻠﻇ ﻭ ﹰﺍﺭﻮﺟ ﺖﺌﻠﻣ ﺎﻤﻛ ﹰﻻﺪﻋﻭ ﹰﺎﻄﺴﻗ ﺽﺭﻷﺍ ﻼﳝ)

When the world be replete with injustice and oppression-is a testification of this idea; because it is held that as long as one has not experience the bitter taste of injustice, one will not percept nor appreciate the pleasure and blessing of Jus- tice and therefore will not welcome it.

As a result, the Appearing of the Savior and the establishment of Divine Government is delayed until the mentality of man is ready for such a condition. The human society in the evolutionary development finds the readiness for the acceptance of social Justice, in the true sense of the word; and the one, united global government.

It is in this circumstance that the bearer of the flag of global revolution will emerge from the Unseen and transforms the visage of the world in a sweeping and swift revolution, striking the eternal blow at the root of all evil.

Revolution in the light of Scientific and Ideological Movement

After the advent (Appearing) of the bearer of Divine Command –Imam Mahdi- and the establishment of the government of Justice and equity, the level of people’s thoughts and awareness will be raised tremendously, benefiting from a developed mental and scientific knowledge from the blessing of his being.

Imam Baqir (PBUH) has said:

(ﻢﻬﻣﻼﺣﺍ ﻪﺑ ﺖﻤﻠﻛ ﻭ ﻢﳍﻮﻘﻋ ﺎ ﻊﻤﺠﻓ ﺩﺎﺒﻌﻟﺍ ﺱﺅﺭ ﻲﻠﻋ ﻩﺪﻳ ﻪﻠﻟﺍ ﻊﺿﻭ ﺎﻨﻤﺋﺎﻗ ﻡﺎﻗ ﺍﺫﺍ)

“When our Savior rises, he will put his hand on the heads of His servants and unifies their scattered thoughts, directing them to the utmost perfection.”5

At the time of Imam Mahdi’s rulership, the range of activities, keenness of sight and hearing will be amazingly expanded so much so that the sixth Imam, Hazrat Ja‘far Sadiq has said:

“When the promised Mahdi rises, Allah bestows such immense and supernatural powers to the Shi’ies of the world that there will be no need for a courier between them. They will communicate (converse) with him from very far distances and see him without his physical presence.”6

One other manifestation in the extraordinary leap and advancement of science and technology in the domain of Imam Mahdi’s government is that the person in the east can easily see the person who is physically in the west and vice versa.7

The Imam-Leader of the Time-in all grace, mounts the most swift mount called in the narration as ‘The Cloud’.

At the onset of the freedom-giving movement of Imam Mahdi (May Allah hasten his appearance), an Unseen announcer at the top of the world, informs the good news of his global revolution and everybody with different languages comprehend the message.

Ethical and Economic Evolution

In the government of Imam Mahdi, not only an amazing transformation in the field of Science and technology takes place, but as went before, the world of mankind will enjoy the peaks of ethical and moral elevations. Science; technology and piety will complement each other and a most comprehensive evolution in all aspects of life will be reached.

Moreover, in the light of such circumstance, the Kingdom of Oppression, Evilness and Paganism will be completely rooted out.

The banner of Unity and Monotheism will be raised in everywhere and the world will benefit from justice and fellowship. Under the leadership and teachings of the Promised Savior Imam Mahdi-security and welfare will rule, and the earth will become the center of love and peace. There will remain nothing of war or enmity but a name.

Enmities, jealousies, rivalries and feuds leave hearts for good and public security and welfare established.

“In his government, All is divided between people and he will act according to the Sunnah [Method] of the holy Prophet (PBUH), establishing the Religion of Allah - Al- Islam - on earth completely.”8

And:

“He will execute justice among people and at times of judgement distinguishes between right and wrong.”9

Imam Sajjad (PBUH) has said:

“In the government of the Savior --- being of Muhammad’s descent (PBUH) - very illness or plague or organic disease will leave the Muslim community and Allah will turn their hearts iron-strong. Each Muslim will enjoy a most amazing power and thus take possession of the earth.

In the government of his eminence, every place will be fresh and flourishing. The earth will make evident its gems, and beneficial rainfalls, water the plants. The world will be so pleasant that people on journey will find every place flourishing and full of lowers. No place will be left arid.

And finally, freedom and security will rule in a manner that no one offends the other.” Until that day!

- 1. Anbiya [The Prophets]; V.105; Pg.’s 494-495, Islamic European Cultural Center, 1984.

- 2. Qasas [The Narrative] V.5, P. 576, Ibid.

- 3. Majma’al-Bayan; vol. 7, Pg. 66. ۷ ﺝ:ﻥﺎﻴﺒﻟﺍ ﻊﻤﳎ, ۶۶ ﺹ

- 4. Sonan Hafiz Termidi, & Hafiz Abi-Dawoud.

- 5. Bihar-Al-Anwar; vol. 52, P. 336. (۳۳۶ ﺹ ۵۲ ﺝ ﺭﺍﻮﻧﻻﺍﺭﺎﲝ)

- 6. Ruwzat-ul-Kafi; p. 241.

- 7. Bihar-Al-Anwar; vol. 52 P. 336.

- 8. At-Taj-Al-Jame’, vol. 5, P. 342.

- 9. Al-Futuhat-Al-Makkiyah; vol.3, P. 106.

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Authors(s):

- Muhammad Rida Hakimi [1]

Publisher(s):

- Naba Organization [5]

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