Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Alhassanain (p) Network for Islamic Heritage and Thought

THE LIFE OF IMAM AL-MAHDI Peace Be Upon Him

By: Allama Baqir Sharif al-Qarashi

Translated by: Sayyid Athar Husain S.H. Rizvi

Publisher: Ansariyan Publications - Qum

First Edition 1427 -2006 - 1385

ISBN: 964-438-806-2

ALL RIGHTS RECORDED AND RESERVED FOR THE PUBLISHER

www.alhassanain.org/english

Table of Contents

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 8

Dedication 9

Translator’s Foreword 10

Foreword 11

Manifestation of the Light 18

The name of Imam Mahdi's Mother 18

In Praise of Imam Mahdi's Mother 19

Performance of rituals connected with the new birth 20

Public Feast 21

Shias informed of the birth of the Imam of the time 21

Felicitations for the birth of the Imam of the time 21

Manifestation of the Light of the Imam of the Time (a.s) 23

Performance of rituals connected with the new birth 24

Public Feast 24

Shias informed of the birth of the Imam of the time 24

Felicitations for the birth of the Imam of the time 25

Name of the Imam of the Time 26

Titles of Imam Mahdi (a.s) 26

Agnomen of the Imam of the time 26

Year of Birth of the Imam of the Time 26

The Blessed Night 27

Recommendation of Supplication on the Night of the Imam’s Birth 28

Acquainting the Shias with Imam of the time 30

Characteristics and Qualities of the Imam of the time 31

Resemblance of Imam of the time with the Prophet 31

Concocted Traditions 33

Prominent Characteristics and Merits of the Imam of the Time 35

Encompassing knowledge of the Imam of the time 35

Piety of the Imam of the time 36

Patience of Imam of the Time 36

Worship of the Imam of the time 37

Supplications of the Imam of the time in the Qunut of Ritual Prayers 37

Another Supplication of the Imam of the time 41

Valor of the Imam of the time 44

Steadfastness of the Imam of the time in rightfulness 44

Generosity of the Imam of the time 44

Some Brilliant Legacies of the Imam of the Time 46

Supplications of the Imam of the time 46

1. Supplication of the Imam of the time for the Muslims 46

2. Supplication of the Imam of the time for Believers 48

3. Supplication of the Imam of the time for fulfillment of needs 49

4. Supplication of the Imam of the time for cure 51

5. Ziyarat and Supplication 52

6. Supplication of the Imam of the time for Early reappearance 59

7. Supplication of the Imam of the time for his Shias 63

8. Supplication of the Imam of the time for the Prophet of Islam and the Imams of Guidance (a.s) 64

9. Supplication of the Imam of the time for release from imprisonment 71

Ziyarat of Imam Husain (a.s), a medium of His Eminence, Baqiyyat allah (a.s) 73

Letters of the Imam of the Time (a.s) 79

1. Letter of the Imam of the time to Ahmad bin Ishaq 79

2. Letter of the Imam of the time to Al-Amri and his son 81

3. Letter of the Imam of the time to some of his Shias 82

4. Letter of the Imam of the time to Muhammad Asadi 83

5. Replies of the Imam of the time to the Questions of Ishaq 84

6. Letters of the Imams of the time to Shaykh Mufeed 86

Second letter of the Imam of the time for Shaykh Mufeed 88

Examples of Jurisprudence of the Imam of the Time 90

1. Queries of Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Ja’far 90

Prayer of Ja’far at-Tayyar 91

2. Others Queries of Muhammad bin Abdullah 92

3. Other Queries 95

Other Queries of Muhammad 97

The Minor and the Major Occultation 102

The Imam of the time under the shade of his respected father 102

Imam Hasan Askari (a.s) goes towards the Eternal Abode 102

Clarification of Imam Hasan Askari (a.s) on the Imamate of the Awaited Imam (a.s) 103

Assassination of Imam Hasan Askari (a.s) 105

Vigilance of the Abbaside rule 106

Towards Paradise 106

The Last rites of Imam Hasan Askari (a.s) 106

Elaborate arrangements of the Funeral Procession of Imam Hasan Askari (a.s) 107

Burial Place of Imam Hasan Askari 107

Raid on the house of Imam Hasan Askari (a.s) 107

Delegation from Qom 107

Ja’far and the Abbaside Caliph 109

The Minor Occultation 110

Period of Minor Occultation 110

Place and situation of Minor Occultation 110

Lies And Allegations 110

2. Existence of cellar in Samarrah 111

(A) Suwaidi 111

(B) Ibne Taiymiyah 111

(C) Ibne Hajar 112

(D) Qaseemi 112

Investigation in this matter 112

(A) Muhaddith Noori 113

(B) Allamah Sadruddin 113

(C) Muhaqqiq Arbili 113

(D) Muhaqqiq Amini 113

The Great Emissaries of the Imam of the Time (a.s) 114

1. Uthman bin Saeed Amri 114

Uthman bin Saeed's services to the Imam (a.s) 114

Trustworthiness and reliability of Uthman bin Saeed 114

Deputyship of Uthman bin Saeed from His Eminence, the Awaited Imam (a.s) 115

Death of Uthman bin Saeed 115

Condolence of the Awaited Imam (a.s) 115

2. Muhammad bin Uthman 116

Justice and Trustworthiness of Muhammad bin Uthman 116

Writings of Muhammad bin Uthman 116

Deputyship of Muhammad bin Uthman from Imam Mahdi 117

Death of Muhammad bin Uthman 117

3. Husain bin Ruh 117

Debate of Husain bin Ruh with the opponents 117

Steadfastness of Husain bin Ruh 118

Dissimulation of Husain bin Ruh 119

Husain bin Ruh with Ali Qummi 119

Death of Husain bin Ruh 119

4. Ali bin Muhammad Samari 119

Guardianship of the Scholar (Wilayat-e-Faqih) 121

Responsibilities of the Religious Jurisprudent 122

The Major Occultation 123

Dajjals 123

1. Ahmad bin Hilal 123

Imam’s censure of Karkhi 123

2. Hasan Sharii 123

3. Husain bin Mansur 124

Another fraud of Husain bin Mansur 124

4. Muhammad bin Ali 125

Claimants of Mahdaviyat 125

1. Mahdi Sudani 125

Beginning of his Mission 126

Control on Sudan 127

Death of Mahdi Sudani 128

2. Mahdi Tahama 128

3. Mahdi of Senegal 128

4. Mahdi of Soos 128

5. Mahdi of Somalia 128

A Study of the Occultation of Imam Mahdi 129

Causes of the occultation of Imam Mahdi (a.s) 129

1. Fear of tyrannical Abbaside regime 129

Letter of Khwarizmi to the people of Nishapur 130

Doubt of Khanizi 144

2. Test and Trial 145

3. Secrets of the Occultation of the Imam of the Time 145

4. Not paying allegiance to the oppressors by the Imam of the time (a.s) 145

Some Queries 147

1. What is the benefit derived from the occultation of the Imam of the Age (a.s)? 147

2. Longevity of the Imam of the Age 149

3. Why such a long age? 150

4. Why does the Imam of the Age not reappear? 150

5. How would the Imam of the time reform the world? 151

Those Who Prophesied the Reappearance of the Imam of the Time (a.s) 152

1. The Holy Prophet (a.s) 152

2. His Eminence, Amirul Momineen (a.s) 155

3. His Eminence, Imam Hasan Mujtaba (a.s) 156

4. His Eminence, Imam Husain (a.s) 157

5. His Eminence, Imam Zainul Abideen (a.s) 158

6. His Eminence, Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s) 158

7. His Eminence, Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s) 159

8 - His Eminence, Imam Musa Kazim (a.s) 160

9. His Eminence, Ali bin Musa (a.s) 160

10. His Eminence, Imam Muhammad Jawwad 161

11. His Eminence, Ali al-Hadi (a.s) 162

12. His Eminence, Imam Hasan Askari (a.s) 163

The Reappearance of the Great Reformer of the World - A Fundamental Religious Belief 165

The Universal reformer in the view of the Christians 165

Return of the Christ for reformation of the People 165

1. Gospel of John 166

2. Gospel of St. Luke 166

3. Gospel of St. Matthew 166

Signs of reappearance of Christ (a.s) 166

The Great Reformer in the view of Jews 168

Description of the Advent of the Reformer of Jews 168

Signs of Reappearance of the Imam of the Time 169

The Vast Spread of Bounties after the Advent of the Savior of the Jews 170

Believers and Deniers of the Imam of the Time (a.s) 171

Those who believe the Imam is born and exists 171

1. Muhammad bin Talha Shafei 171

2. Ibne Arabi 172

3. Ibne Sabbagh Maliki 172

4. Ibne Athir 172

5. Shamsuddin 173

6. Abul Fida 173

7. Qirmani 173

8. Ibne Khallikan 173

9. Dhahabi 173

10. Sirajuddin Rufayi 173

11. Shaykh Shablanji 173

12. Sulaiman Ibne Khwaja 174

13. Abdul Wahhab Sherani 174

14. Khairuddin Zarkali 174

15. Baihaqi 174

16. Husain Kashifi 174

17. Shuqrani 175

18. Salahuddin Safadi 175

19. Muhammad Najjari 175

20. Sayyid Ahmad Zaini Dahlan 175

Books Written about His Eminence, Imam Mahdi (a.s) 176

Poets who believed in Imam Mahdi (a.s) 179

1. Kumayt 179

2. Dibil Khuzai 179

3. Sayyid Himyari 179

4. Wurd bin Zaid 179

5. Musab bin Wahab 180

6. Muhammad bin Ismail Saimari 180

7. Ali Khawafi 180

8. Qasim bin Yusuf 180

9. Ibne Rumi 181

10. Yahya bin Aqib 181

11. Fazl bin Ruzbahan 181

12. Abdur Rahman 181

13. Ibne Abil Hadid 181

14. Amir Basri 181

15. Abul Ma’ali 181

16. Bahauddin Amili 182

17. Sayyid Haider Hilli 182

18. Sayyid Ali Khan 182

19. Khalie-e 182

20. Abdul Ghani Aamili 182

21. Hasan Qaftan 183

22. Sayyid Abbas 183

23. Shaykh Muhammad Samawi 183

Deniers of Imam Mahdi (a.s) 184

1. Ibne Khaldun 184

2. Muhammad Amin Baghdadi 184

3. Ahmad Kasravi 185

4. Ahmad Amin 185

5. Shukri Afandi 186

Signs of the Reappearance of the Imam of the Time (a.s) 187

Certain Signs 187

Widespread Injustice and Oppression 187

The Signs of the Hour (Qiyamat) 189

First Tradition 190

Second Tradition 192

Advent of Dajjal (Anti-Christ) 198

Emphasis of traditions for the advent of Dajjal 198

Titles of Dajjal 199

Patronymics of Dajjal 199

Characteristics of Dajjal 199

Fabricated Traditions 199

Plight of the Believers under Dajjal 200

Followers of Dajjal 200

Faith of Jews on Dajjal 200

Signs of the advent of Dajjal 201

Treasures under Dajjal’s control 201

The End of Dajjal 201

Advent of Sufyani 202

Sufyani’s Lineage 202

Physical features of Sufyani 202

Sufyani’s Character 202

Tradition of His Eminence, Ali (a.s) regarding Sufyani 202

Duration of Sufyani’s Rule 204

Black Flags 204

Voice from the Sky 205

First Group of Traditions 205

Second Group of Traditions 206

Third Group of Traditions 207

Jesus shall pray behind Imam Mahdi (a.s) 207

Time and Venue of the Reappearance of His Eminence, the Master of the Age (a.s) 209

Time of Reappearance 209

Time of the call of the Angel 209

Widespread Power of the Imam of the Time (a.s) 209

System of the Imam’s Government 211

The Imam’s Companions 211

Characteristics of the Companions of Imam Mahdi 211

Number of the companions of Imam Mahdi (a.s) 212

Venue of Allegiance 213

Conditions imposed by the Imam of the time (a.s) for giving allegiance 213

The Standard-Bearer of Imam Mahdi (a.s) 214

Period of Imam Mahdi’s Government 214

Abundance of riches and blessings during the reign of His Eminence, Imam Mahdi (a.s) 214

Ziyarat of Imam al-Mahdi (a.s) 216

Supplication for Imam al-Mahdi (a.s) 228

Glossary of Islamic Terms 240

Notes 249

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ مِن بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ أَنَّ الأَرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحُونَ .

سورة الأنبياء/ 105

وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُم فِي الأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمْ الَّذِي ارْتَضَى لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْنًا يَعْبُدُونَنِي لاَ يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئًا وَمَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ الْفَاسِقُونَ .

سورة النور/55

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

And certainly We wrote in the Book after the reminder that as for the land, My righteous servants shall inherit it. (21/105)

Allah has promised to those of you who believe and do good that He will most certainly make them rulers in the earth as He made rulers those before them, and that He will most certainly establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them, and that He will most certainly, after their fear, give them security in exchange; they shall serve Me, not associating aught with Me; and whoever is ungrateful after this, these it is who are the transgressors. (24/55)

Dedication

To the designer of the human civilization that is established on the Unity of Almighty Allah…

To the redeemer of human volition and thought…

To the Seal of the Prophets and the Master of all beings; the Holy Prophet Muhammad - peace be upon him and his Household…

I dedicate this survey on the Seal of his Successors, the Reviver of his Faith, and the resuscitator of his Mission: Imam al-Mahdi, peace be upon him who shall fill the earth with justice and righteousness after it will be filled with injustice and prejudice. I thus hope for acceptance so that I will keep it as reservoir for the day on which I shall meet Almighty Allah.

O my Master! The whole world is looking forward to receiving your delightful advent so that you shall raise the standard of justice, very high and fluttering; and you shall spread security and luxury over the peoples of the world and the inhabitants of this globe; and you shall save human beings from the dooms of the oppressors and the persecutions of the terrorists; and you shall fold the frivolous political regimes that have violated all the sanctities of Almighty Allah, abused all human rights, transmuted the earth into hell, and exhausted the fortunes of the peoples on making destructive weapons that are destroying “the crops and the cattle” while millions of people are starving!

O My Master! O the hope of the weak and the tortured on this earth! To you are the eyes of these people turning and for you are they desiring so that you shall save them from their bitter actualities, establish social justice in their lands, and distribute the riches of Almighty Allah among them fairly in order that hunger and deprivation will no longer snap at the body of anyone under your authority; rather everybody will live as exactly as Almighty Allah wants for them to live with comfort and opulence; neither attacked by humility nor fearing any meekness, nor anticipating any partiality.

O My Master! Ethics have collapsed, virtues have been eliminated, human race have fallen down to a baseless, lowly level as honesty has disappeared, fabrication has prevailed, hypocrisy has become common, social relations have vanished, and man has no longer played his role that Almighty Allah wanted for him - to act as His representative on this earth by following the right and seeking the justice.

Consequently, humanity is aspiring after your arrival and hoping for your government so as to save them from this horrible collapse that is preparing for the revival of the jungle law.

O My Master! The laws of Islam have been frozen, its commandments have been impeded, and nothing of it has remained except the name. Here it is crying for your aid so that you may reinforce its marks and bring back its signs so that the world will flourish with the justice of Islam, the fearful will be secured, and the enfeebled will be delighted by its laws.

Translator’s Foreword

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds and benedictions upon the Messenger of Allah and his Purified Progeny.

By the Grace of the Almighty, the English translation of “Life of the last successor, Imam Mahdi (a.s)” is complete.

The esteemed author, Baqir Sharif Qarashi, has to his credit detailed biographies of the Holy Imams (a.s) and he covers almost all aspects of the respective Imam in the particular book.

This book is the biography of the Twelfth Imam, Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (a.s), also referred to as the Qaim of Aale Muhammad, the Awaited Imam and the Last of the Successors.

The book also covers major objections that the opponents of Shias aim against belief in Imam Mahdi (a.s), which the respected author, Baqir Sharif Qarashi has refuted in a convincing way.

I have translated the Arabic term, ‘Hazrat’ as ‘his or her eminence’ and also used the same titles and honorifics that the original author has employed, though English readers may find this a little unusual, especially when the same personality is referred to by different appellations in a single sentence. For example the same Twelfth Imam is called as the Qaim, the Awaited Imam, the Promised Mahdi and the Imam of the Time, the Remnant of Allah…etc.

Since the English equivalents of Islamic terminology do not convey the exact meaning, I have sometimes used the original Arabic terms with the English meaning in parentheses. However those who are not conversant with Arabic words may refer to the “Glossary of Islamic Terms” at the end of the book.

Wassalaam

Sayed Athar Husain S.H.Rizvi

Al-Qalam Translators & Writers Bureau,

Vasai, (India)

Email: sayedathar@hotmail.com