The Prophet (S) said: “al-Mahdi is from us, the Ahl al-Bayt, and Allah will on an appointed night give the order that the obstacles for his re-appearance are instantly removed.”1

Imam as-Sadiq (A) said: ”Near the 'Throne of God' (Arsh) there is a house called 'the House of Praise' (Bayt al-Hamd). When Imam al-Asr was born they lit a candle in that house which will continue to shine upon everything and everyone until the day he will rise and come forth with the sword in his hand."2

Near The Re-Appearance

One of the people of knowledge (ahl al-ilm) said, “I have an insight in the knowledge of letters. I have used from a verse (ayah) that the re-appearance is close and that master will come after the year of 1402 A.H (1983 A.D).”

He even said from which verse he has drawn this conclusion. He also said, “In my dreams I saw Sahib az-Zaman (AJ) say, ‘In this war – the imposed war of Iraq upon Iran – more bloodshed will be but don’t grieve, I will come myself and sort it out.”

It seems like among all groups and schools the Shi’a are those who are mostly afflicted with trials and hardships.

Re-Appearance In A Few Steps

Signs (certain as well as possible ones) have been mentioned for the re-appearance of that master; but it is not improbable if they would announce that he will come tomorrow (without all of the signs having taken place).

The reason for this is that the will of Allah can be changed concerning the possible signs (so they don't occur) while the certain signs might occur at the same time along with the re-appearance of the Imam (AJ).

The Re-Appearance Is Close

Until now we have given glad tidings to the youths that they will experience the re-appearance of Baqiyyat Allah al-Adham (AJ); but now we give glad tidings to the elders as well that they will live to see the re-appearance!3

Hardening Of Hearts A Sign Of The Re-Appearance

Considering that the sorrow and joy of a believer transmits to other believers, how come we are unaffected by all these calamities and difficulties? Either we don’t have faith or they! Or that our hearts have hardened!

In narrations it has come that the re-appearance of Qa’im Ale Muhammad (AJ) will happen “after the hardening of hearts.”45

The Time For Re-Appearance?

Dreams per see are not proof, but along with the Quran and strong proofs one can trust in them.

A person in the world of dreams saw the Prophet (S) sitting in a gathering (majlis) surrounded by a group of laymen and clerics.

One of them, who was a cleric, asked, “When is the re-appearance of your son al-Mahdi (AJ)?”

His eminence answered, “When your mosques will become like the mosques of Syria (Shaam).”

The cleric asked, “How are the mosques of Syria?”

He answered, “Their doors are made of gold!”6

From The Signs Of Re-Appearance

One of the signs of the end of time and the rise of al-Mahdi (AJ) is that the heart of people will harden and become like stones!

Anyhow they have completed the proof (itmaam al-hujjah) upon us so that if we know and act upon our obligations in this time, we must throw our hats up in the sky out of joy!

And in issues where "innocent until the opposite is proven" is applied; such as accusations pertaining murder, taking possession of peoples' property, honour, Islam and (performing) the obligations of the religion, we must act with precaution (ihtiyaat) (i.e. and not judge or accuse someone headlong).

Fixing The Time Of The Re-Appearance

In the footnote of the noble verse “Alif Lam Mim Sad” (33:1), in Sayyid Hashem Bahrani's (RA) "Tafseer al-Burhan" as well as in "Ghayat al-Meram”7 a problematic narration is narrated regarding the time and signs of the re-appearance through the counting of letters, which must be analysed through an intellectual viewpoint. At the end of the note it is written, “So understand this and hide it from all but those have an understanding for it.”

If this narration (considering chain of narrators) is authentic one can derive that the tradition which says, "those who appoint a time for the re-appearance are liars", doesn't apply in its absolute sense (in other words there can be certain situations and conditions where such an appointment doesn't need to be rejected).

This narration relates the month, year, place and time of the re-appearance. This servant has not seen any similar narration where there the year, month, day and time of the re-appearance has been counted and given.

It also tells the narrator about an estimated time from the fall of Bani Abbas to the time of the re-appearance, which demands great efforts if one wants to deduce a desirable conclusion from it. It says that at such and such a year the reign of Bani Umayyah will come to an end.

The narrator says: "I realized the truth in these words..."

If someone strains himself to interpret this narration he can even derive the year, month, day and time. But it demands accuracy, reflection and logical conclusions.

According to the calculations which I have gained I give the probability that it is expected to be between year 1414, 1415 or 1416 in the moon calendar. It could also be that these years mark the start of the preparations of the re-appearance. Similarly to the narration which stated the year of the end of Bani Umayyah's reign; the stated year in reality marked the beginning of the fall while the actual end was 30 years later.

It has been narrated that one of the scholars, which has passed away many years ago, has said: "The re-appearance of the Imam is two 14 next to each other (1414)!"

Preparing For The Re-Appearance

Sufiyani is among the certain conditions for the re-appearance and a couple of hours after the appearance of Sufiyani, Imam will come.

Now if they announced that both Sufiyani and Imam have appeared, what will we do? How prepared are we?

There was a scholar in Najaf who had a disciple who was very knowledgeable in the science of arithmancy (jafr). He gave reported events which happened just as he had said. For example, in those days it was a custom that the kings gave titles to the scholars (Ulema). To one of the scholars, who secretly had given an amount of lump sugar to the sultan as a gift so as to be given a title, he said in a private meeting, “The efforts with the sugar bits were useless!” while no one was aware of this event! And exactly that happened and that person did not receive any title.

Anyhow in one of the lessons he waited until after class and all other students had gone and then told his master, “With the science of arithmancy I can recount the time of the re-appearance of Imam! But if I do you all will rise, run out and cry out Oh! Oh! Because you can not bear it!”8

The Knowledge Of Imam Regarding The Time Of Re-Appearance

In a narration it has come that Imam as-Sadiq (A) says, “Our followers (Shi’a) are more patient then us…as we are patient upon what we know while they show patience to what they don’t know.”

It’s amazing what patience the Occulted One (AJ) has! Considering that he is aware all that we know and know not, and is conscious of all our affairs, difficulties and problems.

That master himself is waiting for the appointed day! And he himself knows when he will arise!

What is said regarding that he does not know the time of re-appearance is not correct!9

The Time Of Re-Appearance

They asked from a noble man from Kermanshah (Iran) regarding the time of Imam al-Zaman’s (AJ) re-appearance. He replied, “God is the Guide and the Generous One. After the earth has been filled with oppression and tyranny…”

We can not fix what limit of oppression and injustice is meant with “the earth has been filled with oppression and tyranny”! But what is apparent is that when the oppression is widespread the time is up and that master will come, because it was not said “oppression was filled and stayed that way!” but rather “filled”. And this decree, that is “the earth has been filled with oppression and tyranny”, has been realized in these times, in a way that there is no inch on the earth which is empty of oppression and injustice.

But we can not set the limit of how much is meant with “filled”; hence all the distinctions of the re-appearance have not been realized and all the signs has not been fulfilled. Thus, we understand that the limit meant with “filled” has not yet been reached.

What tribulations we Muslims have brought upon ourselves, even when the Prophet (S) was alive! In that time when the Prophet (S) asked for a pen and paper to write his will our elders said, “this man is hallucinating!”10

The Year Of Re-Appearance!

A person said, “I saw the second caliph in my dreams and asked him, ‘in what year will al-Mahdi (AJ) re-appear?’”

What a question! On to what a person!!

He answered, “This matter has been mentioned in Surah Anbiyah!”

That person says, “We searched through the relevant verses to see whether such a thing can be found. We didn’t find anything but in the verse ‘Nay, it shall come on them all of a sudden' (21:40)."

We counted the word "sudden" (baghtatan) with the science of counting letters (Abjadiyyah). The result was 1408 A.H which already has passed according to the moon calendar.

And if the word, that is "ba, ghayn, ta, ha" (the Arabic letters in the word) is counted with another system of counting letters (Zobor and Bayyenat), the result is either just above 1460 or 1470! Even though their difference with the first year (1407) isn't that big we won't even remember the Imam if it will take until 1460 or 1470! We don't have so much endurance!

(It is obvious when it comes to narrated sayings like this that the occurrence of probabilities must be kept in mind, as his eminence (Ayatollah Behjat (HA)) has pointed out on a couple of times - among other under the chapter "Fixing the time of the re-appearance" earlier in this book).

Do You Know

Is it possible that our master is unaware of us? Or that he will abandon us in our condition?! If the students (of religion) act upon their obligations they should not be worried, the master himself will be careful of them. It is not so that he will turn away his sight from us.

Traditions On The Era Of Re-Appearance

All our narrations as well as the sayings of our scholars (Ulema) will remain until the re-appearance and even during the days of the re-appearance. As that which occurs afterwards explains and is a confirmation to what was said before, not a contradiction to it (in other words what Imam az-Zaman (AJ) says and does at the time of re-appearance is a explanation to and a confirmation of the previous Imams' (A) words and he doesn't contradict them).

Hence this matter will remain during the re-appearance and be of use.11

The Method Of Victory

In the time of Wali al-Asr’s (AJ) re-appearance it is not certain if everyone will have faith in him out of sincerity, as a great portion will believe in him our of fear for his sword.

He will kill a large number in such a way that a group will say, “What! Does the son of the Prophet also kill so many people and spill so much blod?!”12

• 1. M’ajam Ahadith al-Imam al-Mahdi (AJ)”, Vol. 1, p. 380.
• 2. “M’ajam Ahadith al-Imam al-Mahdi (AJ)”, Vol. 3, p. 402.
• 3. ”Hadithe Vesal”, p. 123.
• 4. ”Bihar al-Anwar”, Vol. 51, p. 360.
• 5. ”Dar Mahzare Ayatollah al-Udhma Behjat”, Vol. 1, p. 211.
• 6. During a lesson in Kharij al-Fiqh (Wednesday 28-3-1383 (2004)).
• 7. ”Bihar al-Anwar”, Vol. 52, p. 106.
• 8. During a lesson in Kharij al-Fiqh (Sunday 6-7-1382 (2003)).
• 9. ”Dar Mahzare Ayatollah al-Udhma Behjat”, Vol. 1, p. 210.
• 10. ”Dar Mahzare Ayatollah al-Udhma Behjat”, Vol. 2, p. 154-155.
• 11. During a lesson in Kharij al-Fiqh (8-11-1382 (2003)).
• 12. During a lesson in Kharij al-Fiqh (Sunday 25-2-1384 / 6 Rabi ath-Thani 1426 (2005)).