Every year, Muslims around the world commemorate the tragedy of Karbala. They attend mourning meetings and processions in which the story of Karbala is retold, lamentations are held and special poetic readers using dramatic techniques and symbolism recite eulogies to mark the events of the day of Ashura. All these commemorative meetings not only serve to convey the events and message of Karbala but also provide opportunities for us to learn about Islam in general.
We commemorate Ashura to symbolise and express our grief and emotions towards the martyrdom of Imam al-Hussain (AS), to keep Imam al-Hussain’s (AS) cause alive in our hearts and to be committed to his cause. Also, we want to extract lessons from the tragedy of Karbala and apply them to our daily lives. We want to pay our condolences to the Holy Prophet (SAW) and the Ahlul Bayt. You might then ask why we don’t commemorate the death of the Holy Prophet (SAW) who has a much higher rank than Imam al-Hussain (AS). The answer to this is that although we do commemorate and mourn the death of the Holy Prophet (SAW), it is the way and circumstance in which Imam al-Hussain (AS) was martyred which makes all the difference, the fact that he was martyred for refusing a government headed by the wretched Yazid, who drank, gambled and indulged in many corrupt practices, the fact that those who savagely slaughtered Imam al-Hussain (AS) called themselves Muslims is what makes us mourn and lament his martyrdom the way we do.
Imagine this, it is afternoon on the day of Ashura. Imam al-Hussain (AS) is standing on the blood-drenched soil of Karbala in the heat of the scorching sun waiting to meet his beloved. His head is wounded and blood is streaming slowly down his holy face soaking his blessed beard. He looks around, searching for members of his family and his companions, only to find them brutally slaughtered and slain like sacrificial lambs, lying there on the ground soaked in blood. He hears the innocent crying and wailing of the children and the women. Tears flow down his holy face. He takes a piece of cloth to wipe the blood from his face, whereupon an archer from the army of Yazid (may Allah’s curse be upon him) shoots a triple-headed arrow, which lodges into Imam al-Hussain’s (AS) heart. He pulls out the arrow causing blood to gush out. The Holy Imam is thirsty, he cries: “O God, I am thirsty”, in the meantime another man approaches and shoots an arrow which thrusts into Imam al-Hussain’s (AS) throat quenching his thirst. Hilal bin Nafi’ was reported as saying: “By God I never saw a person getting killed with his own blood all over his body in a better state than al-Hussain. I was so overwhelmed by the radiance of his face that I refrained from contemplating killing him”. Even when the accursed Shimr approached Imam al-Hussain (AS) to severe his blessed head, he said: “When I approached Hussain ibn Ali and my eyes fell on him, the light of his face so gripped me that I forgot my intention to kill him”. It is reported that when Imam al-Hussain was killed, the sky rained down blood.[1] It has been recorded that Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (AS) has said:
“…For no one the heavens wept for forty days save Yahya and Hussain…” [2]
Show me such a spectacle of human greatness in an event other than Karbala and I will commemorate its memory instead of Karbala! How can someone hear all this and not cry and mourn, even those who are not Muslims shed tears when they hear this tragedy. Even the heavens wept for Imam al-Hussain (AS).[3] Let me ask you a question, if a Muslim cries over the passing away of their own relatives, then how can they not cry over the grandson of the Messenger of Allah (SAW)?
Furthermore, crying for Imam al-Hussain (AS) is considered seeking nearness to Allah (SWT) for the tragedy of Karbala is bound to the great sacrifice which Imam al-Hussain (AS) endured for the sake of Allah (SWT) and for Islam. It is only when your heart is soft and absorbable that you feel the sense of closeness to Allah (SWT). The Holy Qur’an praises crying and those who cry for a legitimate cause. The Holy Qur’an describes many of the Prophets and their followers when they cried, "When the verses of the Most Gracious were recited unto them, they fell down prostrating and weeping" [4]
Furthermore we cry over the martyrdom of Imam al-Hussain (AS) for the Holy Prophet (SAW) wept for Imam al-Hussain (AS) as recorded in many traditions (ahadith):
Ahmed and Ibn al-Dhahhak narrated from Ali (AS): “I entered on the prophet (SAW) and his eyes were flooded, I said: Oh! Prophet of Allah, anyone made you angry? Why are your eyes flooded? He said: Gabriel just left me telling me that al-Hussain will be killed by the river Euphrates. He (the Prophet) said: So he (Gabriel) said: Do you want me to let you smell his dirt (from his burial pot)? I said: Yes! He reached with his hand and grabbed and handful of dirt and gave it to me. So I could not help it and my eyes were flooded.” [5]
Ummul Fadhl the daughter of al-Harith said that she entered on the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and she said: “Oh! Messenger of Allah, I saw a strange dream last night. He said: And what is it? She said: It was difficult. He said: And what is it? She said: I saw, as if, a piece of your body was severed and was put in my lap! The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: You saw well - Fatima will give birth, God willing, a boy so he will be in your lap. Then Fatima gave birth to al-Hussain and he was in my lap - just as the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said. So I entered one day on the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and put him in his lap, but I noticed that the eyes of the Messenger of Allah (SAW) pouring tears! So I said: Oh! Prophet of Allah, my parents are your ransom, what is with you? He said: Gabriel (AS) came to me and informed me that my nation (ummah) will kill this son of mine.” [6]
Umm Salamah has said: "al-Hussain entered on the Prophet (SAW), while I was sitting at the door, so I saw in the hand of the Prophet (SAW) something he turned over while (Hussain) sleeping on his stomach. I said: Oh messenger of Allah, I looked and saw you turning something over in your hand when the kid was sleeping on your stomach and your tears were pouring? He said: Gabriel came to me with the sand upon which he (Hussain) will be killed. And he informed me that my nation (umma) will kill him." [7]
Ibn Saad, Ali bin Muhammad, Yahya bin Zakariya, a man heard it from 'Amir al-Sha'bi say: "When Ali (as) passed by Karbalaa in his march to Siffien and lined up with Nainawa - a village on the Euphrates - he stopped and called one of them men: Tell aba 'Abdullah (al-Hussain ) what this land is called? He said: Karbala. Then he cried until the earth was wet from his tears. He then said: I entered on the messenger of Allah (s) and he was crying. So I said: What makes you cry? He said: Gabriel was with me, just now, and informed me: that my son al-Hussain will be killed at the banks of Furat in a location called Karbala. Then Gabriel grabbed a handful of dirt and let me smell it. So I could not help it, my eyes overflowed." [8] From this tradition (hadith) we can see that Imam al-Ali (AS) also wept for Imam al-Hussain (AS). There are more traditions showing that the Holy Prophet (SAW) wept for Imam al-Hussain (AS). [9] Umm Salamah, the wife of the Holy Prophet (SAW) also wept for Imam al-Hussain (AS).[10] Even the Jinns mourned Imam al-Hussain (AS)'s death, it has been reported that after Imam al-Hussain (AS)'s martyrdom, Umm Salamah said: "I heard the Jinns mourning for al-Hussain.” [11]
Yet unfortunately there are some Muslims who have claimed that mourning and lamenting the death of Imam al-Hussain (AS) is impermissible and a wrong practice. Ask yourselves this question - if this is so, then why did the Holy Prophet (SAW) mourn the death of Imam al-Hussain (AS)? Some Muslims have even gone to the extent of criticizing the Muslims who commemorate Ashura [12] whilst others have even claimed that this practice is polytheism (shirk) and an innovation (bid'ah). Maybe there are some Muslims who hate to see the remembrance of the Ahlul Bayt.
Notes:
1. Nadra al-Azdiya, a woman who was contemporary with Imam al –Hussain (AS), is said to have reported: “When al-Hussain b. 'Ali was killed, the sky rained down blood, so that next morning we found our wells and water jugs filled with it.” This hadith is narrated by Ibn Hajar.
2. The Holy Qur'an, Aqa Mirza Mahdi Puya, p. 681, pub. Peermohammed Trust (Pakistan). This hadith is recorded under the tafsir of the verse (19:12-15). Aqa Mahdi Puya says that what is meant by “the heavens wept” (in the hadith of Imam as-Sadiq) is that the sun became extraordinarily red.
3. al-Suyuti reports in his commentary on the verse (19:13) describing Allah's compassion towards the ancient martyr John son of Zachariah that “The heavens did not weep for the death of anyone except John son of Zachariah and al-Hussain b. Ali. Its redness [at sunset] is the sign of its weeping”.
4. The Holy Qur'an, (19:58); also refer to (17:109).
5. Thakhaer al-Uqba, Muhibbuldeen al-Tabari, p. 148.
6. al-Mustadrak al-Sahih, al-Hafidh al-Hakim al-Nisapouri, v. 3, p. 176, (al-Hakim said: “This is an authentic hadith (Sahih) on the conditions of Bukhari and Muslim but they did not print it”); Dalael al-Nubouwa, al-Hafidh al-Bayhaqi under the subject of al-Hussain (AS); Cf. Ibn al-A'tham IV, (Hyderabad, 1971), p. 211-2, the author narrates this hadith using a different chain of narration.
7. al-Musannaf, al-Hafidh abu Bakr bin abi Shaibah, v. 12.
8. al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Ibn Saad; al-Musannaf, Ibn Abi Shaibeh, v. 12 (with "Patience aba 'Abdullah, patience aba 'Abdullah"); al-Moejam al-Kabeer, al-Tabarani, v. 1; Tareekh al-Shamm, Ibn 'Asakir.
9. al-Musnad, Ahmad bin Hanbal, v. 2, p. 60-61; al-Taba'qat al-Kubra, Ibn Saad; al-Moejam al-Kabeer, al-Hafidh al-Tabarani (on subject of al-Hussain); A'lam al-Nubuwwah, al-Mawardi al-Shafi 'I; Kanz al-Ummal, al-Muttaqi al-Hindi.
10. al-Khasa'is, al-Suyuti al-Shafi'I, 2:125; al-Manaqib, al-Magazili, p. 313; al-Musnad, Ahmad bin Hanbal, 6:294; Tarikh al-Islam, al-Dimishqi, 3:11; al-Bidayah wal-Nihayah, 6:230; al-'Aqd al-Farid, ibn 'Abd Rabbah, 2:219; Kanz al-Ummal, al-Muttaqi al-Hindi; Cf. Ibn al-A'tham IV, 212-4; Sahih al- Tirmidhi; Mishkat al-Masabih, an-Nawawi, English Version, Tradition # 6157.
11. Tarikh al-Kabir, al-Bukhari (author of the famous Sahih), v. 4, Part 1, p. 26; Fadha'il al-Sahaba, Amhmad Ibn Hanbal, v. 2, p. 776, tradition # 1373; Tabarani, v. 3, p.130-1; Tahdhib, v. 7, p.404.
12. Kitab al-Lata'if, Ibn Rajab.
" Hasan AS dan Husayn AS adalah makhluk yang terbaik di dunia selepasku dan selepas bapa mereka (Ali AS) dan ibu mereka (Fatimah AH) adalah wanita yang terbaik di kalangan semua wanita."[Bihar Anwar, Jilid 43, hlm. 19 dan 20]
Tuesday, May 19
Saturday, May 2
What Are The Europe's Intelligent Say Between Iran's Politics and Al-Mahdi
Iran’s President and the Politics of the Twelfth Imam
by: John von Heyking (November 2005)
Observers of Iran have been puzzling over Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s actions lately. A populist, but not terribly popular, president, he raised the ire of the West and some of his domestic rivals when he recently proclaimed Israel should be "wiped off the map." Iran’s nuclear ambitions are well-known. However, Western observers have paid less attention to the political and religious ideology behind some of Ahmadinejad’s actions, which he has expressed in recent speeches (and here) that have had messianic overtones and are deeply troublesome.
In a region known for bombastic (pardon the pun) politicians, it’s unclear how to understand the direction Iran is moving. This is due in part to its closed decision-making process. Writing recently in the New York Review of Books, Timothy Garton Ash draws several comparisons between Iran and the former Communist bloc. Interpreting the intentions of the Iranian leadership resembles Kremlinology with its "reading the tea leaves" methodology of trying to interpret events with the slimmest of evidence. Understanding Iran is further complicated by the fact that it lacks a unitary structure, or sovereign, that makes decisions. Iran in fact has two governments: its formal democratic government run by Ahmadinejad and a religious-ideological command structure headed by the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Mediating these two power structures is the Expediency Council, headed by former president Hashemi Rafsanjani, (whom Ahmadinejad defeated in the recent presidential election) who has also recently been in the news accusing Ahmadinejad of destroying the Iranian Revolution. Power is extremely decentralized in Iran, with a myriad of patrons and cronies vying for control over its institutions, leading Ash to conclude: "No wonder Iranian political scientists reach for terms like ’polyarchy,’ ’elective oligarchy,’ ’semi-democracy,’ or ’neopatrimonialism.’" Ahmadinejad’s bellicose speeches must be understood in light of his ambitions amidst the faultlines of Iranian domestic politics, but they may have ominous implications for the rest of us.
In a speech on November 16th, Ahmadinejad spoke of his belief in the return of the Twelfth Imam. One of the differences between Sunni and Shi’ite Islam is that the latter, who dominate Iran and form the majority in Iraq, believe that Allah shielded or hid Muhammad al-Mahdi as the Twelfth Imam until the end of time. Shi’ites expect the Twelfth Imam, which Jews and Christians would recognize as a messianic figure, to return to save the world when it had descended into chaos. Shi’ite orthodoxy has it that humans are powerless to encourage the Twelfth Imam to return. However, in Iran a group called the Hojjatieh believe that humans can stir up chaos to encourage him to return. Ayatollah Khomeini banned the group in the early 1980s because they rejected one of the primary commitments of the Iranian revolution: the concept of Vilayat-i Faqih (Guardianship of the Jurist). In other words, they opposed the notion of an Islamic republic because it would hinder the Twelfth Imam’s return on account of it being too just and peaceful. Today, in addition to the possibility of Ahmadinejad himself being a member (or a former member), the group has connections to Qom ultraconservative cleric Mesbah Yazdi whom Iranians frequently refer to as the "crazed one" and the "crocodile." Four of the twenty-one new cabinet ministers are purportedly Hojjatieh members. Some reports state that cabinet ministers must sign a formal pledge of support for the Twelfth Imam.
The possibility of Ahmadinejad belonging to this group does not make a lot of sense, at least if one wishes to regard him as a pragmatic politician. Why would the president of the Islamic republic object to the existence of that Islamic republic? Moreover, his recent references to the Twelfth Imam have been to promote Iran as a "powerful, developed and model Islamic society. Today, we should define our economic, cultural and political policies based on the policy of Imam Mahdi’s return. We should avoid copying the West’s policies and systems." Most Iranians would have interpreted this statement as typical Iranian nationalist and Islamist rhetoric aimed against the West and as a reference to his policy of using oil money to improve the plight of the poor. However, helping the poor is central to Islamic social teaching and he need not have referred to the "Imam Mahdi’s return" to say this.
In terms of pragmatic politics, Ahmadinejad’s actions make some a degree of sense because he is using radicalism to secure power in a fraying society whose economy is in trouble. Despots historically use this strategy to secure their power. While a populist, he is hardly popular. He was elected president because he was perceived as the least insider of the insiders who competed for the office. Iranians rejected former president Hashemi Rafsanjani for being too much part of the establishment. Ash reports: "’A stick would have won against Rafsanjani,’ an Iranian politician told me." Rafsanjani, for his part, has come out with withering attacks (at least for Iran) against Ahmadinejad’s nuclear anti-Israel speeches and for betraying the Iranian revolution. The conflict between Ahmadinejad and Rafsanjani reflects a struggle over political power but also an ideological struggle over the direction of the Iranian revolution. If Ahmadinejad’s enemies are to be believed, he wishes to undermine the Iranian revolution. However, as Ash observes, double-talk is a way of life in Iran and in societies in the decadent stages of their revolution, and so readers should be skeptical of everyone’s claims. Even Rafsanjani, the supposed "moderate" (at least in comparison to Ahmadinejad), supports uranium reprocessing for the country’s nuclear program.
Yet, Ahmadinejad’s speeches and actions cannot be understood exclusively in terms of a despotic figure who radicalizes politics for the sake of power. He has chosen to radicalize Iranian politics in a particular way, and one that issues a direct challenge to the underpinnings of the regime. This returns us to Ahmadinejad’s references to the return of the Twelfth Imam. The Hojjatieh’s belief in humans’ power to effect his return, which, to repeat, are unorthodox for Shi’ites, should be of grave concern for everyone. This belief should remind Westerners of a long tradition in the West of millenarians dating back to medieval times, and including even Marxian notions of "immiseration of the proletariat," who believed their religious and ideological activism would inaugurate a new age for humanity. Medieval millenarians, famously documented by Norman Cohn in his The Pursuit of the Millennium: Revolutionary Millenarians and Mystical Anarchists of the Middle Ages, stirred up political chaos in the apocalyptic hope that it would effect the return of Christ. More recent expressions of this "metastatic faith" (to borrow a term from political philosopher Eric Voegelin) include the poison gas attack on the Tokyo subways by members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult and of course the 9/11 attacks that were part of al-Qaeda’s "divine" politics intended to destroy the "dar al-Harb" and pave the way for a worldwide Islamist empire. Political scientist Barry Cooper has documented the apocalyptic core of their "Salafist" violence. Groups like these believe their religious and ideological violence is "altruistic" because it purports to "cleanse" the world of the impure and infidel.
According to Shi’ite teaching, the Twelfth Imam will not require an introduction upon his return. His identity will be self-evident to all, or at least to those capable of recognizing him. One view states that he will rule through a deputy, or perhaps the deputy will precede the Imam’s return. Perhaps the deputy’s identity should also be evident to all who can see.
While Ahmadinejad has not drawn an explicit connection between his desire to see Israel wiped off the map and an activist belief in the Twelfth Imam’s return, the dots are there to be connected once one understands the tyrannical "logic" behind someone who, perhaps viewing himself as a self-proclaimed deputy for the Twelfth Imam, might wish to effect Mahdi’s return. The deputy would promote Iran’s nuclear capabilities for they are key to effecting chaos in the world. The deputy would also purge diplomats, dozens of deputy ministers and heads of government banks and businesses, and challenge the Iranian ruling clerical establishment. All these moves push the regime toward a "coup d’état" (according to one Iranian source) or at least a constitutional crisis. But a constitutional crisis would be a mere stepping stone for a president for whom the Twelfth Imam does not require an Islamic republic to return.
Western observers need to be able to understand the ideological and religious overtones of the current situation in Iran. Ahmadinejad’s peculiar references to the Twelfth Imam are no mere eccentricity to be taken lightly. Nor do they seem to be the rhetorical ploy of a politician manipulating the excitable masses (as some have interpreted Saddam Hussein’s embrace of Islamism in the later part of his rule). Minimally, Ahmadinejad’s speeches and actions portend a constitutional crisis for the Iranian regime. Maximally, there are times when one should take bombastic statements not as double-talk, but for what they are.
John von Heyking is an associate professor of political science at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada.
by: John von Heyking (November 2005)
Observers of Iran have been puzzling over Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s actions lately. A populist, but not terribly popular, president, he raised the ire of the West and some of his domestic rivals when he recently proclaimed Israel should be "wiped off the map." Iran’s nuclear ambitions are well-known. However, Western observers have paid less attention to the political and religious ideology behind some of Ahmadinejad’s actions, which he has expressed in recent speeches (and here) that have had messianic overtones and are deeply troublesome.
In a region known for bombastic (pardon the pun) politicians, it’s unclear how to understand the direction Iran is moving. This is due in part to its closed decision-making process. Writing recently in the New York Review of Books, Timothy Garton Ash draws several comparisons between Iran and the former Communist bloc. Interpreting the intentions of the Iranian leadership resembles Kremlinology with its "reading the tea leaves" methodology of trying to interpret events with the slimmest of evidence. Understanding Iran is further complicated by the fact that it lacks a unitary structure, or sovereign, that makes decisions. Iran in fact has two governments: its formal democratic government run by Ahmadinejad and a religious-ideological command structure headed by the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Mediating these two power structures is the Expediency Council, headed by former president Hashemi Rafsanjani, (whom Ahmadinejad defeated in the recent presidential election) who has also recently been in the news accusing Ahmadinejad of destroying the Iranian Revolution. Power is extremely decentralized in Iran, with a myriad of patrons and cronies vying for control over its institutions, leading Ash to conclude: "No wonder Iranian political scientists reach for terms like ’polyarchy,’ ’elective oligarchy,’ ’semi-democracy,’ or ’neopatrimonialism.’" Ahmadinejad’s bellicose speeches must be understood in light of his ambitions amidst the faultlines of Iranian domestic politics, but they may have ominous implications for the rest of us.
In a speech on November 16th, Ahmadinejad spoke of his belief in the return of the Twelfth Imam. One of the differences between Sunni and Shi’ite Islam is that the latter, who dominate Iran and form the majority in Iraq, believe that Allah shielded or hid Muhammad al-Mahdi as the Twelfth Imam until the end of time. Shi’ites expect the Twelfth Imam, which Jews and Christians would recognize as a messianic figure, to return to save the world when it had descended into chaos. Shi’ite orthodoxy has it that humans are powerless to encourage the Twelfth Imam to return. However, in Iran a group called the Hojjatieh believe that humans can stir up chaos to encourage him to return. Ayatollah Khomeini banned the group in the early 1980s because they rejected one of the primary commitments of the Iranian revolution: the concept of Vilayat-i Faqih (Guardianship of the Jurist). In other words, they opposed the notion of an Islamic republic because it would hinder the Twelfth Imam’s return on account of it being too just and peaceful. Today, in addition to the possibility of Ahmadinejad himself being a member (or a former member), the group has connections to Qom ultraconservative cleric Mesbah Yazdi whom Iranians frequently refer to as the "crazed one" and the "crocodile." Four of the twenty-one new cabinet ministers are purportedly Hojjatieh members. Some reports state that cabinet ministers must sign a formal pledge of support for the Twelfth Imam.
The possibility of Ahmadinejad belonging to this group does not make a lot of sense, at least if one wishes to regard him as a pragmatic politician. Why would the president of the Islamic republic object to the existence of that Islamic republic? Moreover, his recent references to the Twelfth Imam have been to promote Iran as a "powerful, developed and model Islamic society. Today, we should define our economic, cultural and political policies based on the policy of Imam Mahdi’s return. We should avoid copying the West’s policies and systems." Most Iranians would have interpreted this statement as typical Iranian nationalist and Islamist rhetoric aimed against the West and as a reference to his policy of using oil money to improve the plight of the poor. However, helping the poor is central to Islamic social teaching and he need not have referred to the "Imam Mahdi’s return" to say this.
In terms of pragmatic politics, Ahmadinejad’s actions make some a degree of sense because he is using radicalism to secure power in a fraying society whose economy is in trouble. Despots historically use this strategy to secure their power. While a populist, he is hardly popular. He was elected president because he was perceived as the least insider of the insiders who competed for the office. Iranians rejected former president Hashemi Rafsanjani for being too much part of the establishment. Ash reports: "’A stick would have won against Rafsanjani,’ an Iranian politician told me." Rafsanjani, for his part, has come out with withering attacks (at least for Iran) against Ahmadinejad’s nuclear anti-Israel speeches and for betraying the Iranian revolution. The conflict between Ahmadinejad and Rafsanjani reflects a struggle over political power but also an ideological struggle over the direction of the Iranian revolution. If Ahmadinejad’s enemies are to be believed, he wishes to undermine the Iranian revolution. However, as Ash observes, double-talk is a way of life in Iran and in societies in the decadent stages of their revolution, and so readers should be skeptical of everyone’s claims. Even Rafsanjani, the supposed "moderate" (at least in comparison to Ahmadinejad), supports uranium reprocessing for the country’s nuclear program.
Yet, Ahmadinejad’s speeches and actions cannot be understood exclusively in terms of a despotic figure who radicalizes politics for the sake of power. He has chosen to radicalize Iranian politics in a particular way, and one that issues a direct challenge to the underpinnings of the regime. This returns us to Ahmadinejad’s references to the return of the Twelfth Imam. The Hojjatieh’s belief in humans’ power to effect his return, which, to repeat, are unorthodox for Shi’ites, should be of grave concern for everyone. This belief should remind Westerners of a long tradition in the West of millenarians dating back to medieval times, and including even Marxian notions of "immiseration of the proletariat," who believed their religious and ideological activism would inaugurate a new age for humanity. Medieval millenarians, famously documented by Norman Cohn in his The Pursuit of the Millennium: Revolutionary Millenarians and Mystical Anarchists of the Middle Ages, stirred up political chaos in the apocalyptic hope that it would effect the return of Christ. More recent expressions of this "metastatic faith" (to borrow a term from political philosopher Eric Voegelin) include the poison gas attack on the Tokyo subways by members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult and of course the 9/11 attacks that were part of al-Qaeda’s "divine" politics intended to destroy the "dar al-Harb" and pave the way for a worldwide Islamist empire. Political scientist Barry Cooper has documented the apocalyptic core of their "Salafist" violence. Groups like these believe their religious and ideological violence is "altruistic" because it purports to "cleanse" the world of the impure and infidel.
According to Shi’ite teaching, the Twelfth Imam will not require an introduction upon his return. His identity will be self-evident to all, or at least to those capable of recognizing him. One view states that he will rule through a deputy, or perhaps the deputy will precede the Imam’s return. Perhaps the deputy’s identity should also be evident to all who can see.
While Ahmadinejad has not drawn an explicit connection between his desire to see Israel wiped off the map and an activist belief in the Twelfth Imam’s return, the dots are there to be connected once one understands the tyrannical "logic" behind someone who, perhaps viewing himself as a self-proclaimed deputy for the Twelfth Imam, might wish to effect Mahdi’s return. The deputy would promote Iran’s nuclear capabilities for they are key to effecting chaos in the world. The deputy would also purge diplomats, dozens of deputy ministers and heads of government banks and businesses, and challenge the Iranian ruling clerical establishment. All these moves push the regime toward a "coup d’état" (according to one Iranian source) or at least a constitutional crisis. But a constitutional crisis would be a mere stepping stone for a president for whom the Twelfth Imam does not require an Islamic republic to return.
Western observers need to be able to understand the ideological and religious overtones of the current situation in Iran. Ahmadinejad’s peculiar references to the Twelfth Imam are no mere eccentricity to be taken lightly. Nor do they seem to be the rhetorical ploy of a politician manipulating the excitable masses (as some have interpreted Saddam Hussein’s embrace of Islamism in the later part of his rule). Minimally, Ahmadinejad’s speeches and actions portend a constitutional crisis for the Iranian regime. Maximally, there are times when one should take bombastic statements not as double-talk, but for what they are.
John von Heyking is an associate professor of political science at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada.
Signs of the Mahdi
1. Before his coming will come the red death and the white death. The red death is the sword and white death is plague. (see also Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse)
2. Several figures will appear: the one-eyed Dajjal, the Sufyani and the Yamani. Another figure, the Pure Soul (an-Nafs az-Zakiyya), will be assassinated.
3. The sun will rise from the West and a star will appear in the East giving out as much light as the moon.
4. The Arabs will throw off the reins and take possession of their land, throwing out the authority of the foreigners.
5. A caller will call out from heaven.
6. There will be a great conflict in the land of Syria until it is destroyed.
7. Death and fear will afflict the people of Baghdad and Iraq. A fire will appear in the sky and a redness will cover them.
8. According to Imam Jaffar Sadiq after the second coming of Imam Mehdi his face shall appear in the moon.
9. Imam Mehdi and Dajjal both shall raise the dead. Making it very difficult for Believers to ascertain who is the real Mehdi. Dajjal's raising of the dead shall be a trick as he will order a Jin to enter a soulless dead body and move and speak from within that dead boy. If someone recites Quran especially Ayat-ul-kursi that body shall fall dead again.
IMAM MAHDI’S BIOGRAPHY
Imam Mahdi is the eleventh Imam’s son. He was called after The Holy Prophet (SW) and was born in 256 or 255 AH (anno Hijra) in Samera. He was dependent upon his father (till 260 A.H.). Imam Mahdi was unseen from the eyes of common people and nobody could see him except special group of Shi’ites could not deserve his meeting.
After the martyrdom of his father (Imam Hassan-e Askari [Pbuh]) he was appointed as the next Imam. Then he was hidden by God’s command and he was just observable by the special deputies of his own.
Beneath the blue dome is the cellar (sardab) where Imam al-Mahdi [a] is said to have disappeared
THE SPECIAL DEPUTIES
Imam appointed Othman Ibn-e Sa’eed Omary as his deputy for a while. He was from his paternal tribe and was the reliable person to him. Imam through him answered the shi’ites questions.
After Othman Ibn-e Sa’eed, his son Mohammad Ibn-e Othman Omary was appointed as Imam’s deputy.
When he passed away, Abul Qasim Hossein Ibn-e Ruh Nobakhti was Imam’s special deputy, and after him, Ali Ibn_e Mohammad Samary was Imam’s deputy.
Some days before Samary’s death (Which occurred in 329 AH), Imam informed him that he would die during 6-day- time after which there would be no other chance for the other person to be Imam’s next deputy. Besides, It was mentioned that the Major occultation would occur and its period would last until the day on which God would permit it to be ended and Imam would manifest. According to above decree Imam Zaman (May God hasten his glad advent)’s occultation is divided into two parts:
The Minor Occultation, which started from 260 A.H and ended in 329 A.H and it lasted about seventy years.
The Major Occultation, which started from 329 A.H and will last as long as God desires.
One of the human’s psychological whishes and desires is hoping to have a brighter future filled with the happiness and success. To hope for a brighter and better future is not enough either. It has been created on the basis of a special aim and motivation and it is not exclusively restricted to the special nation or a tribe and it is a universal issue for which the people all around the world wish and seek. As a psychological principle, this matter exists among all the men and nations and can not be denied. The Islam religion has organized human’s innate instincts and it guides them to the special path so that they can go through the Divine perfection and will be immune from any deviation. Therefore; waiting and hoping for the better future is a constant reason for one’s perfection and it has been always advised by Islam. Islam religion advises all of the Muslims to follow the righteous guidance because the happiness and prosperity of mankind is only possible under the shadow of the Islamic government.
Outside Masjid Sahla (Kufa, Iraq). The 12th Imam [a] is said to frequent this mosque
IMAM MAHDI’S VIATICUM AND RETURN ACCORDING TO THE ISLAMIC NARRATIONS
There are some narrations about Imam Mahdi’s viaticum and return (from the Holy Prophet (SW) and the other innocent Imams).
The honorable Holy Prophet (SW) states: “The best deed of my followers is to wait for Imam’s advent which is God’s demand.”
Imam Sadiq (Pbuh) states: “ Who ever dies among you while waiting for Imam’s advent is like the one who has been with Imam in his camp.”
In some of the Islamic narrations, waiting has been accompanied with patience and resistance. This means that the ones, who are waiting for Imam, must be tolerant and resistant during the period of Major Occultation. By searching in these narrations one would realize that the term “ waiting “ does not mean that one must behave indifferently and obey the wrong-doers, but it rather is the motivation for effort, resistance against the deviations, cruelties and unfairness.
The Holy Prophet (SW)states: “ Waiting along with patience and resistance shall be considered as praying.”
Inside Maqam Sahib al-Zamaan [a]
THE WAITING FOR RELIEF AND TO STRIVE ALONG WITH THE FAIR VIRTUE AND TO AVOID FROM THE SIN
Some of the Islamic narrations are on waiting along with striving, good manner and fair virtue.
We realize (from the contents of these narrations) that those who are really waiting for Imam Mahdi (May God hasten his glad advent) must be the symbol of righteousness, virtuousness and Islamic manners. It goes without saying that the Imam Mahdi’s real followers always continue his way through their suitable deeds and behaviors. There are so many narrations in this regard.
Imam Sadiq (Pbuh) states: “He who chooses the believers’ way of life, should wait and seek to avoid sinful deeds and possess good manner. Then, if he dies (in this manner) and Imam comes, he will be rewarded like the one who has met Imam Mahdi (May God hasten his glad advent) in his lifetime. So, do your best and keep waiting for him. May it be enjoyable for you! The ones who have been blessed by the divine bestowal.”
One of the most outstanding attributes of the real believer is his belief in Imam Mahdi and is constantly waiting for him. Consequently; the one’s waiting who is not sure about Imam’s advent and denies it, will signify nothing. Certainly, campaigning against corruption and development of just systems the world over will be among Imam’s important aims.
Imam Sadiq (Pbuh) states: “ Good for the ones who wait for Imam Mahdi (May God Hasten his glad advent). The ones who are waiting for him at the time of his occultation. They will obey Imam and follow him when he appears. They are real believers”
.The ones who would wait for Imam Mahdi are considered as Martyr or Mojahid(a person who fight for God & religion).
We hope that someday our dear Imam (God hasten his glad advent) will appear and lighten the eyes of those believers who are waiting for him by his illuminating face. Amen.
Maqam Ghaibat, Samarra (Iraq). The cellar where Imam Al-Mahdi [a] was last seen before going into occultation
After the martyrdom of his father (Imam Hassan-e Askari [Pbuh]) he was appointed as the next Imam. Then he was hidden by God’s command and he was just observable by the special deputies of his own.
Beneath the blue dome is the cellar (sardab) where Imam al-Mahdi [a] is said to have disappeared
THE SPECIAL DEPUTIES
Imam appointed Othman Ibn-e Sa’eed Omary as his deputy for a while. He was from his paternal tribe and was the reliable person to him. Imam through him answered the shi’ites questions.
After Othman Ibn-e Sa’eed, his son Mohammad Ibn-e Othman Omary was appointed as Imam’s deputy.
When he passed away, Abul Qasim Hossein Ibn-e Ruh Nobakhti was Imam’s special deputy, and after him, Ali Ibn_e Mohammad Samary was Imam’s deputy.
Some days before Samary’s death (Which occurred in 329 AH), Imam informed him that he would die during 6-day- time after which there would be no other chance for the other person to be Imam’s next deputy. Besides, It was mentioned that the Major occultation would occur and its period would last until the day on which God would permit it to be ended and Imam would manifest. According to above decree Imam Zaman (May God hasten his glad advent)’s occultation is divided into two parts:
The Minor Occultation, which started from 260 A.H and ended in 329 A.H and it lasted about seventy years.
The Major Occultation, which started from 329 A.H and will last as long as God desires.
One of the human’s psychological whishes and desires is hoping to have a brighter future filled with the happiness and success. To hope for a brighter and better future is not enough either. It has been created on the basis of a special aim and motivation and it is not exclusively restricted to the special nation or a tribe and it is a universal issue for which the people all around the world wish and seek. As a psychological principle, this matter exists among all the men and nations and can not be denied. The Islam religion has organized human’s innate instincts and it guides them to the special path so that they can go through the Divine perfection and will be immune from any deviation. Therefore; waiting and hoping for the better future is a constant reason for one’s perfection and it has been always advised by Islam. Islam religion advises all of the Muslims to follow the righteous guidance because the happiness and prosperity of mankind is only possible under the shadow of the Islamic government.
Outside Masjid Sahla (Kufa, Iraq). The 12th Imam [a] is said to frequent this mosque
IMAM MAHDI’S VIATICUM AND RETURN ACCORDING TO THE ISLAMIC NARRATIONS
There are some narrations about Imam Mahdi’s viaticum and return (from the Holy Prophet (SW) and the other innocent Imams).
The honorable Holy Prophet (SW) states: “The best deed of my followers is to wait for Imam’s advent which is God’s demand.”
Imam Sadiq (Pbuh) states: “ Who ever dies among you while waiting for Imam’s advent is like the one who has been with Imam in his camp.”
In some of the Islamic narrations, waiting has been accompanied with patience and resistance. This means that the ones, who are waiting for Imam, must be tolerant and resistant during the period of Major Occultation. By searching in these narrations one would realize that the term “ waiting “ does not mean that one must behave indifferently and obey the wrong-doers, but it rather is the motivation for effort, resistance against the deviations, cruelties and unfairness.
The Holy Prophet (SW)states: “ Waiting along with patience and resistance shall be considered as praying.”
Inside Maqam Sahib al-Zamaan [a]
THE WAITING FOR RELIEF AND TO STRIVE ALONG WITH THE FAIR VIRTUE AND TO AVOID FROM THE SIN
Some of the Islamic narrations are on waiting along with striving, good manner and fair virtue.
We realize (from the contents of these narrations) that those who are really waiting for Imam Mahdi (May God hasten his glad advent) must be the symbol of righteousness, virtuousness and Islamic manners. It goes without saying that the Imam Mahdi’s real followers always continue his way through their suitable deeds and behaviors. There are so many narrations in this regard.
Imam Sadiq (Pbuh) states: “He who chooses the believers’ way of life, should wait and seek to avoid sinful deeds and possess good manner. Then, if he dies (in this manner) and Imam comes, he will be rewarded like the one who has met Imam Mahdi (May God hasten his glad advent) in his lifetime. So, do your best and keep waiting for him. May it be enjoyable for you! The ones who have been blessed by the divine bestowal.”
One of the most outstanding attributes of the real believer is his belief in Imam Mahdi and is constantly waiting for him. Consequently; the one’s waiting who is not sure about Imam’s advent and denies it, will signify nothing. Certainly, campaigning against corruption and development of just systems the world over will be among Imam’s important aims.
Imam Sadiq (Pbuh) states: “ Good for the ones who wait for Imam Mahdi (May God Hasten his glad advent). The ones who are waiting for him at the time of his occultation. They will obey Imam and follow him when he appears. They are real believers”
.The ones who would wait for Imam Mahdi are considered as Martyr or Mojahid(a person who fight for God & religion).
We hope that someday our dear Imam (God hasten his glad advent) will appear and lighten the eyes of those believers who are waiting for him by his illuminating face. Amen.
Maqam Ghaibat, Samarra (Iraq). The cellar where Imam Al-Mahdi [a] was last seen before going into occultation
Who Is al-Mahdi?
According to Twelver Shī‘as Muhammad al-Māhdī (الإمام محمد بن الحسن المهدى) also known as Hujjat ibn al-Hasan (15th Sha‘bān 255 AH - unknown date[1] ; approximately July 29, 869 - unknown date) is the final Imām of the Twelve Imams and the Māhdī, the ultimate savior of humankind. Other Shī‘ah schools, along with Sunnīs, do not consider ibn-al-Hasan as the Māhdī. Twelver Shī‘as believe that al-Māhdī was born in 869 and has been hidden by God (referred to as the Occultation) to later emerge with Jesus in order to fulfill their mission of bringing peace and justice to the world.
Birth and early life according to Twelver Shi'a
Twelver Shi'as believe that Mahdi was born in 869 AD as Abu'l Qasim Muhammad ibn Hasan ibn ‘Alī. His mother, Her Greatness Narjis (Melika), was a Byzantine princess who pretended to be a slave so that she might travel from her kingdom to Arabia. [4] [5] His father, Hasan al-Askari, is believed to have been the eleventh and penultimate Shi'a Imam. Shi'as believe that his birth was kept a secret due to the persecution that the Shi'a were facing during this time at the hands of Al-Mu'tamid, the Abbasid Caliph.[6][7]
To support Imam Mahdi's claim, Twelver Shi'as quote the following Hadith: "I and `Ali are the fathers of this nation; whoever knows us very well also knows Allah, and whoever denies us also denies Allah, the Unique, the Mighty. And from `Ali's descendants are my grandsons al-Hasan and al-Husayn, who are the masters of the youths of Paradise, and from al-Husayn's descendants shall be nine: whoever obeys them obeys me, and whoever disobeys them also disobeys me; the ninth among them is their Qa'im and Mahdi." [8] (These Hadiths recognized as authentic only by some Sunnis)
The eleventh Shi'a Imam Hasan al-Askari died on 1 January 874 AD (8th Rabi' al-awwal, 260 AH)[6] and since that day, his son Mahdi is believed by Shi'as to be the Imam, appointed by God, to lead the believers of the era. The most popular account of al-Mahdi in Shi'a literature is taken from his father's funeral. It is reported that as the funeral prayer was about to begin, al-Mahdi's uncle, Jafar ibn Ali approached to lead the prayers. However, al-Mahdi approached and commanded, "Move aside, uncle; only an Imam can lead the funeral prayer of an Imam." Jafar moved aside, and the five-year-old child led the funeral prayer for his father. It is reported that it was at this very moment that al-Mahdi disappeared and went into ghaybat, or occultation.[citation needed]
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Significance of the Twelfth Imam
Some hadith indicate significance to the twelfth generation of descendants of the prophet Muhammad.
A hadith from the Shi'a text (Kitab Al-Kafi) containing a conversation between the first Shia Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib and a man named al-Asbagh ibn Nubata, as well as a Hadith in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim in which Muhammad speaks of Twelve Successors. (see Hadith of the Twelve Successors)
From Sahih Bukhari:
Narrated Jabir bin Samura: I heard Muhammad saying, "Islam will continue to be strong to twelve Muslim rulers (who will rule all the Islamic world)." He then said a sentence which I did not hear. My father said, "All of them (those rulers) will be from Quraish." [9]
In a hadith widely regarded as authentic, Muhammad said,
Even if the entire duration of the world's existence has already been exhausted and only one day is left before the Day of Judgment, God will expand that day to such a length of time, as to accommodate the kingdom of a person out of Ahl al-Bayt who will be called by my name and my father's name. He will then fill the Earth with peace and justice as it will have been filled with injustice and tyranny before then.[10]
Period
The period of occultation (ghaybat) is believed to consist of two parts:
Ghaybat al-Sughra or Minor Occultation (874-941) is the shorter of the two periods, during which deputies of the Imam maintained communication to the rest of the world.
Ghaybat al-Kubra or Major Occultation began 941 and is believed to continue until a time decided by God, when the Mahdi will reappear to bring absolute justice to the world.
Minor Occultation
During the Minor Occultation (Ghaybat al-Sughra), it is believed that al-Mahdi maintained contact with his followers via deputies (Arab. an-nuwāb al-arbaʕa). They represented him and acted as agents between him and his followers.
Whenever the believers faced a problem, they would write their concerns and send them to his deputy. The deputy would ascertain his verdict, endorse it with his seal and signature and return it to the relevant parties. The deputies also collected zakat and khums on his behalf. For the Shia, the idea of consulting a hidden Imam was not something new because the two prior Shia Imams had, on occasion, met with their followers from behind a curtain.
Shia Tradition hold that four deputies acted in succession to one another:
Uthman ibn Sa’id al-Asadi
Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Uthman
Abul Qasim Husayn ibn Ruh al-Nawbakhti
Abul Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri
In 941 (329 AH), the 4th deputy announced an order by al-Mahdi, that the deputy would soon die and that the deputyship would end and the period of the Major Occultation would begin.
The 4th deputy died six days later and the Shi'a Muslims continue to await the reappearance of the Mahdi. In the same year, many notable Shi'a scholars such as Ali ibn Babwayh Qummi and Muhammad ibn Yaqub Kulayni, the learned compiler of al-Kafi also died.
Major Occultation
The name of Imam as it appears in Masjid Nabawi
According to the last letter of al-Mahdi to Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri "from the day of your death [the last deputy] the period of my major occultation (al ghaybatul kubra) will begin. Hence forth, no one will see me, unless and until Allah makes me appear."[citation needed] Another view is that the Hidden Imam is on earth "among the body of the Shia" but "incognito." "Numerous stories" exist of the Hidden Imam "manifesting himself to prominent members of the ulama."[11]
Reappearance
Twelver Shi'as cite various references from the Qur'an and reports, or Hadith, from Imam Mahdi and the twelve Shi'a Imams with regard to the reappearance of al-Mahdi who would, in accordance with God's command, bring justice and peace to the world by establishing Islam throughout the world.
Mahdi is reported to have said:
Shi'as believe that Imam al-Mahdi will reappear when the world has fallen into chaos and civil war emerges between the human race for no reason. At this time, it is believed, half of the true believers will ride from Yemen carrying white flags to Mecca, while the other half will ride from Karbala, in Iraq, carrying black flags to Mecca. At this time, Imam al-Mahdi will come wielding God's Sword, the Blade of Evil's Bane, Zulfiqar (Arabic: ذو الفقار, ðū l-fiqār), the Double-Bladed Sword.
Shi'as believe that Jesus will also come with the Imam Mahdi to destroy tyranny and falsehood, and to bring justice and peace to the world. [12]
The 12th Imam is known by many titles and nicknames in Shia Islam, including:
Al-Mahdi
Al-Muntazar (the Awaited one)
Al-Qaim (the Hidden one)
Sahab uz-Zaman (the Master of the Age)
Imam-e-Zaman (the Leader of the Age, or alternatively, in Persian, the Leader of the Earth)
Wali al-'Asr (the Guardian of the Era or alternatively, the Guardian in the Twilight [of man])
Imam al-Hujjah (the Leader of Proof [of Allah's justice])
Sunni view
The majority of Sunni Muslims do not consider the son of Hasan al-Askari to be the Mahdi nor to be in occultation. However, they still believe that he will be from the Prophet's family, more specifically from Ali and Fatima's descendants. Sunnis believe that the Mahdi has not yet been born, and therefore his exact identity is only known to Allah. Aside from the Mahdi's precise, genealogy, Sunnis accept many of the same hadiths Shias accept about the predictions regarding the Mahdi's emergence, his acts, and his universal Khilafat. Sunnis also have a few more Mahdi hadiths which are not present in Shia collections, such as the following:
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri(RA) narrated that the Prophet(SAW) said:
Our Mahdi will have a broad forehead and a pointed (prominent) nose. He will fill the earth with justice as it is filled with injustice and tyranny. He will rule for seven years. (Abu Dawud, Sahih, Vol. 2, p. 208; Fusul al-muhimma, p. 275)
Shia books do not explicitly mention the Mahdi having a pointy nose.
Other Sunni hadith regarding the Mahdi are virtually identical to their counterparts in Shia books:
Umm Salamah said:
I heard the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon Him) say: ‘The Mahdi is of my lineage and family…’
(Sunan Abu Dawud, 11/373; Sunan Ibn Maajah, 2/1368).
Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri said:
The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon Him) said: "He is one of us…"
— Reported by Abi Na’eem in Akhbaar al-Mahdi, see al-Jaami’ al-Sagheer, 5/219, hadith 5796.
In the light of traditions and interpretations, the personality of the Promised Mahdi would be as such:
It is said "predictions and lore concerning the Mahdi abound"[9] Among them are that the promised Mahdi would be a Caliph of God and that to make a covenant with him is obligatory. He would belong to the House of Muhammad and would be in the line of Imam Hussein. His name would be Muhammad and his family name would be Abul Qasim, his father's name would be ‘Abdu’llah [rather than Hasan], and he would appear in Mecca. He would protect the Muslims from destruction and would restore the religion to its original position.
Sunnis also believe that Jesus will return alongside the Mahdi, with the only difference being that they disagree with the Shia regarding exactly who the Mahdi is.
Scholarly observations
Some scholars, including Bernard Lewis[13] also point out, that the idea of an Imam in occultation was not new in 873 but that it was a recurring factor in Shia history.
Later, Fatimid Caliph al-Hakim, the grandson of the Imam Nizar, and Taiyab abi al-Qasim were believed by their followers to have gone into occultation as well.
[1] A Brief History of The Fourteen Infallibles. Qum: Ansariyan Publications. 2004. pp. 159.
[2] al-Qurashi, Baqir Shareef (2006). The Life of Imam al-Mahdi. Qum: Ansariyan Publications. pp. 40.
[3] A Brief History of The Fourteen Infallibles. Qum: Ansariyan Publications. 2004. pp. 160.
[4] The Expected Mahdi
[5] Online Islamic Courses
[6] a b The Imams
[7]Mahdi and the manner of his occultation
[8]Ikmal of AlSaduq
[9]Sahih Bukhari 89.329
[10]Sahih Tirmidhi, V2, P86, V9, P74–75.
[11]Momen, Moojan, An Introduction to Shi'i Islam, Yale University Press, 1985, p.199
[12]Sahih Muslim, bab nuzul 'isa, Vol. 2; Sahih Bukhari, kitab bad' al-khalq wa nuzul 'isa, Vol. 4
[13] The Assassins: A Radical Sect in Islam, Bernard Lewis, pp. 23, 35, 49.
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