The danger of apostasy of the awaiting people of the Promised Mahdi (PBUH)
The birth of Imam Jawad (PBUH), the
ninth Imam of Shias, is one of the most blessed and propitious events in
Shia’s history, because before this event, according to the divine
wisdom of god, Imam Reza (PBUH) had to wait a longer time for his child.
That’s why some of Ahl-al-Bayt’s enemies laid their hope on this issue
and considered Imamate as a finished matter and on the other hand, the
Shias were worried and were waiting for their next Imam.
But the birth of Imam Jawad (PBUH) made Ahl-Al-Bayt’s enemies hopeless and their friends happy.
The notable point is that one of the
reasons of the prolongation of Imam Jawad’s birth (PBUH) is probably
laid on this point that God had begun preparing Shias to wait for the
infallible Imam since Imam Jawad’s period (PBUH). It means that waiting
for meeting Imam happened in the process of Imam Reza’s (PBUH)
childbearing, and after him, the next Imams prepared Shias for the days
of absence of Imam of each era and waiting for his reappearance through
planned programs.
Therefore, during his short but blessed
life, Imam Jawad (PBUH) has always brought up the issue of the
reappearance of the last savior who is the third child of him, and has
tried to explain Imam Mahdi’s (PBUH) character and the way of his
reappearance.
Shaykh Saduq, in his book Kamal ul-Din
quotes from a person named Saqre-ibn-Dolaf and says: “I heard from Imam
Jawad (PBUH) mentioning the names of the Imams after him and he became
silent when he mentioned the name of Imam Hassan Askari (PBUH).
I asked Imam: who is the Imam after him?
Imam Jawad (PBUH) cried his eyes out.
And then said: after him, it is his
child who is the standing one based on the right (not void) and he is
the one who has been looking for”… (1)
In another narration, Imam Jawad (PBUH)
was asked: who is Imam after Imam Hassan Askari (PBUH)? He said: indeed,
it will be his child who shall be standing and waiting based on the
right. He was asked again: O, you the son of messenger of God (PBUH),
why do you call him by this name? He said: because he arises when his
name disappears and most of those who believe in his Imamate will
apostatize.
Then he asked: why is he called the awaiting person?
He answered: because his proof is his absence for a long time during which the pure people shall wait for his coming. (2)
‘Abd al-‘Azim al-Hasani told Imam Jawad
(PBUH): I hope you shall be the uprising one from the family of Mohammad
(PBUH), the one who fills the earth with justice as it was filled with
oppression. Imam said: O’ Abu-al-Qasim, all Imams are here for uprising
by the order of God and to guide the people toward the religion of God,
but the one uprising by whom God will purify the earth from the
unbelievers and fill it with justice, is the one whose birth is hidden
from people, and will be out of people’s sight and they are forbidden to
call his name. His name and nickname is the same with the messenger of
God. He is the one, for whom the earth will be twined, and every
difficulty will be easy for him and three hundreds and thirteen
companions will come to him from far places which are similar to the
companions of Badr in number, and he is Imam Mahdi (PBUH). Then he said:
in Surah Al-Baqarah/148, God says: “and wherever you are, God will
bring you all together. He has power over all things.” So, when this
number of pure people are gathered for him, then God will reveal His
reign, and when the number of his companions reached the full number of
ten thousand people, then he will raise by the order of God, and he will
kill God’s enemies until the God is satisfied. ‘Abd al-‘Azim said, I
asked Imam: O’ my lord! How will he know the God is satisfied? Imam
said: his heart will be inspired by the mercy of God. And when he
enters Medina, he will take out Al-lāt and Al-ʻUzzā and burn them. (3)
In another narration, it is narrated
that ‘Abd al-‘Azim al-Hasani says: “I wanted to ask Imam Jawad (PBUH)
about the standing Imam; is he Mahdi (PBUH) or another one?
Before I ask such question, Imam Jawad
(PBUH) answered it, he said: during his absence, waiting for him is
obligatory”. Following this narration, the below sentence has been
quoted by Imam Jawad (PBUH):
And the Almighty God settles his affairs
in one night, as he settled Moses’, he went to bring fire for his
family, (4) he returned while he had been chosen as the prophet. Then
Imam said: the best deed our Shias can do is waiting for his coming. (5)
We wish God will count us as the companions of Imam Mahdi (PBUH) during his absence and reappearance. (If God is willing)
References
1- Ikamal al-Din: It is narrated from
ibn Obdus from ibn Qutayba from Hamdan ibn Sulaiman from Soqre ibn Dolaf
who said: I heard from Imam Jawad (PBUH) that said: The Imam after me
is my son Ali. His command is my command, his statement is my statement
and following him is the same as following me, and the Imam after him is
Hassan, his son. His command, statement and order is his father’s
command, statement and order. Then Imam became silent. I said: O’ the
son of messenger of God! Who is the Imam after Hassan? The Imam shed
tears and said: after Hassan, it is his child who is the one who shall
raise by right and is the one who has been looking for. I said why he is
called the standing one? He said: because he arises when his name is
forgotten and most of the people who believe in his Imamate apostatize. I
said: why is he called the one who has been looking for? He said:
because he will be absent for a long time, those who love him will await
for his reappearance, those who doubt him will deny it and those who
oppose him will mock it! There are many people who determine the time of
reappearance many times, those who are in hurry for his reappearance
will perish and those who yield to his right are blessed, Bihar
al-Anwar, vol.51, p.30
2- Al-Ghayba
3- Kamal al-Din, vol. 2, Mekyal al Makarem, vol.1
4-Referring to the Surah Ta-Ha, the
verses after the verse 10: when he saw a fire, he said to his family:
‘stay here, for I can see a fire. Perhaps I can bring you a lighted
torch or find at the fire guidance.
5- Ikamal al-Din: Al-Daqaq quotes from
Mohammad-Ibn-Harron Al-Raviani and he quotes from ‘Abd al-‘Azim
al-Hasani that says: … (Bihar al-Anwar, vol.51)
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