Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

The meaning and concept of Occultation (ghaibah)

One of the discussions highly misunderstood and in which most people falter on account of ignorance is the meaning and concept of occultation.

In the traditions, the concept of Hazrat Mahdi’s (a.t.f.s.) occultation is likened to that of Hazrat Yusuf (a.s.). Now let us analyze the mode of the latter’s occultation. The brothers of Hazrat Yusuf (a.s.) took him and threw him in a well. As you know, Hazrat Yusuf (a.s.) finally landed up at Egypt. His father Hazrat Yaqub (a.s.) knew that Hazrat Yusuf (a.s.) is alive but was unaware of his whereabouts. Importantly, the brothers of Hazrat Yusuf (a.s.) came to him, conversed with him but failed to recognize him while he recognized them. Narrating this situation, the Holy Quran states,

« و جاء إخوهْ يوسف فدخلوا عليهِ فَعرفهْم ‎ْ و هم لَهْ منكرون ».

“And the brothers of Yusuf (a.s.) came to him. He recognized them but they failed to recognize him. [34] ”

Traditions of the infallible declare the occultation of Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) to be like that of Hazrat Yusuf (a.s.) i.e. Allah has put a veil between him and the people in a way that « يرونهْ و لا يعرِفوْنهْ ».

“…they see him but do not recognize him.[35] ”

In other words, just as the brothers of Hazrat Yusuf (a.s.) could not recognize him, Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) lives among the people, they see him but cannot recognize him. We see a number of people from morning to evening on the streets but don’t know them. Or, do we recollect now as to how many people we saw yesterday on the roads?

Therefore, Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) is not like Jinn, angel, fairy, etc. nor does he walk through a wall (like the invisible man). Incidentally, he does not always live a life with miracles nor does he claim to always walk through closed doors and walls nor does he claim to dominate minds in a way that they be unable to see him or recognize him.

From the above, we can state that the occultation of Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) is not like that of Allah the Almighty because He is without place but Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) does occupy space by residing in a place.

Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) resides on this very earth of God, walks, eats, sleeps, rests and perhaps, like all other humans, is also subject to illnesses and sickness. Of course, those who have seen him earlier and recognized him, if they see him, possible might recognize him. Thus, generally, Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) does not go to such people. Those who do not recognize him, perhaps they may see him a number of times but fail to notice him. Hence, the concept of occultation is that Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) is without an address. We don’t know where and how he resides.

Now, as we don’t know where and how he resides, does it mean that our ignorance is the cause of his non-existence? We approach Hazrat Yaqub (a.s.) and ask him, ‘O Yaqub! Is your son alive or not?’ He (a.s.) will reply in the affirmative. ‘Will you see him in the future?’ Again, his response is positive. We question him again, ‘Where is he now?’ He will say ‘I don’t know.’ ‘What does he eat?’ ‘I don’t know.’ ‘What does he do?’ ‘I don’t know.’ Certainly, he does not know despite being a prophet the whereabouts of his son Yusuf (a.s.). For, Allah the Almighty has not granted him this knowledge.

Similarly, if we ask the brothers of Hazrat Yusuf (a.s.) concerning the whereabouts of their brother, they will reply in the negative and perhaps, might even go to the extent of saying that probably their brother is not alive. Therefore, they lied in the very presence of Hazrat Yusuf (a.s.) and hence he did not come forward to introduce himself initially[36] . There was a gap of only 20-30 years between the brothers but they could not identify him. This is the very concept of occultation[37] . Hence, at the time of reappearance, a number of people, on seeing Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.), will vouch to have seen him earlier.

From another aspect, it cannot be said that he does not have any address at all because he does have a general address. For instance, it is said to us that Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) participates in the Haj rituals every year and during this season, he is present there as the chief of the pilgrims. He does make annual trips to Mena and Arafaat.

This is one address. Any other address? Yes, he has been seen at Karbala too and at the shrines of other Imams (a.s.), his holy ancestors. Religious scholars (ulama ) of the past have also seen him at Masjid-e-Jamkaran (near Qum). But does he always sit in Masjid-e-Jamkaran that people should come there and see him? Certainly not. Similarly, there are also possibilities of meeting him at Masjid-e-Kufa, the shrine of Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) at Najaf, Masjid-e-Sahlah (in Kufa), the Cellar (at Saamarra) and other such places, but not always.

Attention and Care of Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) Toward the Shias

Some of the speakers, in order to make their speeches successful, swear that Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) is present in their congregations. What is the proof of their claim? One should not make such claims with such ease and without any qualms. Yes, they must indeed talk about his attention and care (but not to make such claims). For, being present in one place is one thing and being attentive and caring is completely another thing. For example, I am sitting right here but can see the farthest end of this room and am also aware about it. If I open this window, my view will become more extensive and if I use binoculars, then my vision will certainly improve by leaps and bounds and I can even relate to you the details. Although I am not present there, but with the help of some unusual tools, my attention is focussed on it. Of course, one vision I have is that of the eyes.

Allah the Almighty has opened one of the windows of the unseen for His messengers (a.s.) and the infallible Imams (a.s.) that whenever they intend to refer to it, they can do so. But very often it happens that man does not want to know many things and as he does not have any intention of knowing a particular thing, his ignorance is not a defect in him. Rather, we can term it as voluntary ignorance. For example, if you ask me that how much change does you have. I will reply that I don’t know. Will this be called as ignorance? No because it is enough for me that I put my hand in my pocket, bring out the change, count it and let you know.

Thus, if a Prophet (a.s.) or an Imam (a.s.) says for a question that I don’t know or if they question others about something, it is because they don’t always use their knowledge of the unseen and this is certainly not their shortcoming. Only if he intends to know something but fails to do so, then it can be called as an imperfection. And if you question him that being in touch with the Almighty, how are you unaware about this matter, he will retort that He has not permitted here (to know).

The difference between Allah and His messengers (a.s.) and Imams (a.s.) is that everything is present with Allah. His knowledge is not made out of ignorance but is absolute. But the knowledge of His messengers (a.s.) and that of the Imams (a.s.) is with their intention and Allah’s permission. If He does not permit, they cannot know the answer of a particular question.

Thus, it is possible that sometimes we are under the direct vigil of Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) and many a time, only our deeds are presented to him and he browses through them. For, it is available in traditions that the actions of the Shias are furnished before Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.). Even in this scroll of deeds, he can either cast a cursory glance or go through the details of a person’s conduct. In the letter that he wrote to Shaykh Mufeed (a.r.), Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) declared,

« فإنّا يْحيطُ عِلمْنا بِأنبائِكُم و لا يُعزْبْ عنّا شيءٌ مِن أخبارِكُم ».

“Then surely our knowledge encompasses your news and none of your information is hidden from us. [38] ”

The word ‘your news’ encompasses the particulars and details of everybody’s actions as well as the general condition of the Shiite society. Hence, sometimes he becomes attentive toward the particulars of an individual's life and informs about its profound aspects. Thus, the knowledge of the unseen does not mean to have encompassing knowledge about everything at all times. Also, it does not imply that as Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) is aware of us, then definitely he is present over here.

The conclusion of our discussion is that occultation means not being in a specific or known place like the occultation of Hazrat Yusuf (a.s.) or the distancing of Hazrat Yunus (a.s.) from his people. There are quite a few books in which an entire chapter is devoted to the likeness of Imam-e-Zaman’s (a.t.f.s.) occultation to that of the Prophets (a.s.). For instance, Hazrat Moosa (a.s.) was in hiding from his nation for forty days. Did he go to the skies? No, he went to the mountains. The Messenger of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) went in occultation. Where did he go? The people of Mecca were unaware. He went towards Medina, but neither the Medinites knew about his exact whereabouts in the vast desert and the cave in which he was not hiding nor were the Meccans aware about his precise location.

Many of the Prophets (a.s.) and Imams (a.s.) had such an occultation and when we say that Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) is in hiding, it is in this very meaning. Anybody, who goes to perform the Haj, is more hopeful that perhaps the man sitting next to him in Mena is Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) or that he may see him in Arafaat. Especially, as the duration of stay in Arafaat is much shorter than that in Mena, (from noon to sunset), one is almost sure that during this brief period, Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) will certainly come and he may get the opportunity to visit him. This feeling or emotion is not found in any other venue except Arafaat, where one is sure that Allah’s proof is bound to be present there at that time.

The spirituality observed in Mena and the almost surety of the acceptance of the believers’ prayers in it is due to the supplications of Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) there. This topic should be discussed in detail in the special discussion related to“seeing Imam-e-Zaman” (a.t.f.s.) so that in such instances, we know how we should behave in such contacts wth Imam (a.t.f.s.).

The life of Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.)

During Occultation

After the concept of occultation, let us proceed to talk about the life of Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) during occultation. Here, the question that immediately comes to mind is, ‘Is Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) married or not?’ Often this question comes in the guise of a doubt. That is, if he is married, then it is obvious that he must be having a wife/wives and children, leading to the exposure of his secret life and people recognizing him. For, his wife would say that my husband is so and so, his children would say, ‘our father is Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.)’, and hence, nothing would remain a secret. Therefore, his marriage contradicts his occultation.

So, if we believe that Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) has family and children, such questions are bound to arise. But if we say that he has not married at all, it will give rise to another objection i.e. Is Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) not a Muslim? For, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) has said,

« النّكاحْ سْنّتي فمن رُغِبُ عن سنّتي فَلَيسُ مِنّي ».

“Nikaah is from tradition (sunnah). Thus, whoever is disinclined from my tradition is not from me.”

How come even after more than a thousand year of living on this earth, he is not yet married?!

If he is married, then this doubt and if he is not married, then that doubt! Thus, when we see objections raised from both probabilities, the only conclusion that can be drawn is that Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) does not exist at all!

To answer the above queries, first and foremost let us analyze the quoted tradition of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.). The term used in it is‘whoever is disinclined from my tradition…’ Sometimes a personis disinclined in doing a particular work. On other occasions, he is not disinclined in that deed but the conditions are inappropriate for it and the premises or foundation of that work is not provided for. Or, perhaps, he has got a more important and difficult work at hand that needs to be performed. Thus, in such cases, if a person cannot execute a task, then it will not be called as disinclination. So, if Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) has not married, he has not disobeyed the instructions of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.).

Another important point is that marriage itself or its absence is not a part of our core belief. That is, marriage of Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) is not among the essentialities of our faith. These are particulars that are not generally covered a priori in the traditions. Rather, this is a query that is to be put to Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) himself that did he get married after attaining maturity? Therefore, this is not something that Imam Hadi (a.s.) or Imam Askari (a.s.) or Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.s.) have stated in their sermons or traditions that our son Mahdi will get married.

Generally, the previous infallible Imams (a.s.) have not discussed the personal details. These are related to Imam-e-Zaman’s (a.t.f.s.) personal life and should be asked from him only. Even those who had the opportunity to meet Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) during occultation had more important matters to be sought and discussed than raise queries over this issue. Fundamentally too, such trifle questions are not asked. Often we are acquainted with a person for a number of years but don’t deem it necessary to question him as to how many children you have or which family does your wife belong to?

For the seventy-four years of minor occultation(ghaibat-e-sughra) , one does not see any information or news about Imam-e-Zaman’s (a.t.f.s.) marriage, family and children, and no clue in this regard can be seen from the four special deputies either. When the main issue itself is inconsequential, then to discuss whether he’s married or unmarried does not make sense at all. Even if we assume that Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) has married in the major occultation, then does it mean that a wife should know all the intimate details of her husband’s life? For, to act upon the tradition on the Prophet’s (s.a.w.a.) tradition concerning marriage, it is not necessary that she should be aware of all the particulars of his life.

Moreover, is it necessary that from every marriage, there should be children? Well, maybe Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) has married a woman who cannot bear children. And even if she begot children, is it obligatory that they continue to live? It’s quite possible that they were stillborn or died some time after their birth. Let’s assume that the children survived, grew and turned into men but were unable to recognize their father with all the particulars…Is it essential, in all cases, that the children know their father completely in and out? Or, does knowing mean that it should be announced publicly?

Thus, it’s not right to think that had he been married, certainly he would have had children who would know him and also let these facts be known to the people around them. No, none of these assumptions that we have discussed above will affect our belief in Imamat in any way.

In traditions and supplications concerning Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.), one can see some talk about his children and his progeny. For instance, in Doa-e-Nudbah, it is said,“O Allah! Bless Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad” . This sentence is not about the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) but about the last Muhammad (al-Mahdi) because it is followed by the sentence. “..And bless Muhammad, his ancestor, your Messenger, the Master, the Great. ” Hence, here the first supplication is for Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) and the second one is for the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.).

In other supplications too, we find sentences like“O Allah! Grant him concerning himself, his progeny, his followers…and the leaders from his sons. [39] ” Therefore, in invocations and supplications one can find references to the children of Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.). Well, now let us see as to which century did these children belong to? Are they present in our times today? We don’t know. Let’s assume that in the fifth century, he bore children who grew and died. Or, in the eighth century again, he had some more offspring. Yes, it is not essential that if we believe that Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) had children during the period of occultation, then they should be living in this era too.

Concerning the abode of Imam-e-Zaman’s (a.t.f.s.) children, it is possible that they are in an island. For, we have traditions, which need not be necessarily subscribed to but there’s no reason to reject them either. Somebody relates that we were traveling in a ship when it was wrecked. We prayed to Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) when suddenly we saw a few people who saved us. Thereafter, they took us to a lush, green island, which was called too as Greenland. We noticed that the inhabitants of this island were very good looking and beautiful. It was a fantastic place from all aspects. They informed us that this place belongs to Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.). We were treated and entertained for one complete week and after bringing us to the shore, they made us board another ship, after which we could never find that place[40] .

Now, is this incident true or false? Perhaps, it may be either of the two. For, we cannot say with certainty that it is false. If we locate the narrator of this incident and find him to be a truthful and reliable person, then on what grounds can we refute his narration?

Of course, some people object that had there existed such a place, then certainly the geography experts would have found it by now and named it. We reply that this objection is not sustainable because all islands on the globe have not been discovered yet nor have all the villages on earth. A few days ago, a newspaper in Khorasan (a province in Iran) did not write that a hamlet in Khorasan was discovered that did not have any contact with Mashhad (its nearest city) for three hundred years nor did any government official ever pay a visit to them.

Anyway, this is not an essential part of our creed that if we don’t believe in it we will turn apostates. Nor do we have the right to reject a narration as being a lie or a superstition. So, there are some matters relating to the life of Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) that we are not aware of and it is not necessary to know them either. Like we don’t know as to what he eats or wears. The clothes that are attributed to him are not necessarily a turban, cloak, and sandals. In other words, it is not obligatory for Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) to wear a blackammamah , a cloak, a pair of yellow sandals, etc.

People have seen Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) in the dress of the Ulama, in Arabic robe and in tribal Iraqi attire as well. The great scholar, late Shaykh Hashim Qazveeni (r.a.) of Mashhad used to say that don’t be surprised if you happen to see Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) in modern Western outfit. Hence, it’s wrong to think that certainly and surely Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) will have only one sort of a dress and that of a religious scholar and it is not at all obligatory or essential for us to have such a belief.

Of course, it should be known that although Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) changes his dress but his appearance is constant and unchangeable. Thus, if we meet an old man or an infant or a blind or lame person, we can say with cent percent surety that this is not Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.). For, he is young in looks and his appearance does not change. Even in traditions one can find that the passage of time does not affect him, notwithstanding the fact that his age keeps increasing.

Vis-à-vis his residence too, it is possible that Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) keeps changing his dwelling. That is, he spends some time in the mountains, some in the villages and yet some other time in the deserts. Sometimes, he is in Iraq, sometimes in Iran and sometimes in some other country. Hence, it is not essential to believe that Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) always lives in Mecca. In the letter to Shaykh Mufeed (a.r.), he wrote,“Due to reasons, I have left my previous abode and have begun to live in far-off mountains. Soon, I will forsake them too and come to the deserts and then to inhabited towns and villages.”

Anyway, these particulars of his life are in no way connected to the essentialities of faith. As mentioned in traditions, Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) lives a very normal life. That is, he sleeps, eats, and drinks. We also find in the narration of the infallible that the food of Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) is not very delicious, fatty or made up of large portions. His dress too is not very soft and expensive[41] . This is because he has used this opportunity of longevity for excessive worship of Allah and attainment of perfection, a subject that shall be discussed exclusively at a later gathering, God willing. Then, we shall see that if Ameerul Momineen Ali (a.s.) has worshipped his Lord in such glorious style and manner in a brief life span of 63 years, how his son al-Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) must be extolling his Lord in his thousand plus years- ranging from his namaz, recitation of Quran, fasting, nightly prayer vigils, etc. If such worship and reverence are factors in human perfection (which they certainly are) then these thousand plus years of divine examination and test, must have certainly made Imam-e-Zaman (a.t.f.s.) Allah’s most perfect creature, a topic in itself that shall be discussed at its appropriate place.