Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Alhassanain (p) Network for Islamic Heritage and Thought

Moment by Moment: Expecting the Advent of al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.)

Author:Vahid Majd

www.alhassanain.org/english

Table of Contents

Introduction 3

Part I: Expecting the Signs vs. Expecting al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.) 5

1- The possibility of Canceling the Signs of the Reappearance 6

2- The Badaa and its Significance 8

3- The Sudden Nature of the Advent of al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.) 11

4- Continual Expectation Due to the Unpredictability of the Time of Reappearance 13

5- The Significance and the Purpose of Specifying the Signs 15

6- Will there be any confusion in identifying al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.)? 17

7- Is lack of the occurrence of signs a reason for the delay in relief? 21

Part II: How can we become a person expecting al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.)? 24

8- True Recognition of the Imam (P.B.U.H.) 25

9- Learning and Acting upon the Words of the Imam (P.B.U.H.) 26

10- Educating Others about the Religion 28

11- Purifying Our Love for the Imam (P.B.U.H.) 29

12- Keeping Alive the Remembrance of the Imam (P.B.U.H.) 31

13- Awaiting the Relief 32

14- Imploring Allah for a Hasty Relief of the Imam (P.B.U.H.) 35

15- Avoiding a Hasty Action 38

Conclusion 40

Notes 42

Introduction

During their missions, all the prophets and apostles have emphasized the fact that a savior will arrive at the end of time who will implement the government of justice over the globe. This news has been heard since human beings appeared on earth.

Allah has indicated this promise in all the early scriptures and commanded humans throughout ages to expect the manifestation of the kingdom of Allah on earth. The holy Quran also gives glad tidings of the day for which all the believers of the world are enthusiastically awaiting, and confirms that the righteous and virtuous servants of Allah shall finally inherit the earth:

The earth is Allah's. He gives it as a heritage towhom He wills, and the end is for the watchful. (7:128)

The Most Glorious also says:

And indeedWe wrote in the Psalm (Zabur ) after the reminder that My righteous servants shall inherit the earth. (21:105)

Allah confirms that He will revive the earth and will give it a true life after it had become dead as a result of corruption by mankind:

Know that Allah shall give life to the earth after its death! (57:17) Allah has guaranteed to manifest the kingdom for the righteous believers on earth in the following verse of the Quran:

Allah has promised to those of you who believe and do good that He will most certainly make them rulers on earth as He made rulers before them, that He will most certainly establish for them their religion that He has chosen for them, and that He will most certainly, after their fear, give them security in exchange. They worshipMe and they do not associate anything with Me. (24:55)

In a number of verses in the Quran, Allah has emphasized that what He has promised will certainly take place. For instance:

Dr.Vahid Majd

Verily that which you are promised is true. (51:5)

And Allah shall never break His promise. (22:47)

Surely, Allah shall never fail to keep the promised event. (3:9)

Glory to our Lord! Truly the promise of our Lord is a fulfilled one! (17:108)

Besides the indications in the Quran and the early scriptures, the testimonies of the last Apostle of Allah (P.B.U.H. & H.F.) that have been narrated by all Islamic schools in numerous traditions leave no doubt that this promise will be fulfilled by the hand of a man from his progeny. The Sunnis have narrated:

The Apostle of Allah (P.B.U.H. & H.F) said, "Even if only one day has remained for the duration of the world's existence, Allah shall prolong that day to send a person from myAhl al-Bait whose name is the same as my name… He shall fill out the earth with peace and justice just as it was filled with injustice and tyranny."1

The above tradition proves that although Allah may postpone this divine promise even up to the last days of the world's existence, nevertheless it will certainly take place.

Hence, all the true believers should expect its happening through the hands of the promised savior from the family of Muhammad (P.B.U.H. & H.F.), whose most famous titles are al-Mahdi (the guided), al-Qa'im (the one who shall stand up), al-Muntadhar (the awaited).

There are many traditions narrated by all Islamic schools where the Apostle of Allah (P.B.U.H. & H.F.) has portrayed the events just prior to the reappearance of al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.). TheShi'ite traditions, narrated from the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.F.) and the Imams ofAhl al-Bait (P.B.U.T.), provide much more details for these events. On the other hand, there are many traditions conveying that the advent of Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.) will be very sudden and unpredictable, and that Allah may cancel or change the signs before his reappearance and may let the Imam (P.B.U.H.) reappear at any moment.

In the first part of this work, we will discuss the significance, purpose, and predictability of the signs, and the way they should affect our expectation for the arrival of Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.).

We will examine the possibility of canceling the foretold signs in the light of the verses of the Quran and the traditions. We will also investigate why the Imam (P.B.U.H.) has not yet started his mission, for what reasons Allah has delayed his advent, and how our behavior has contributed to this delay.

In the second part, we will enumerate some of the divine commandments that if we follow, Allah may expedite the reappearance of the Imam (P.B.U.H.) and lessen the hardships that we are going to face prior to and during his advent.

They are the duties of everyone who is expecting al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.), as instructed byAhl al-Bait (P.B.U.T.). In this light, we will show the significance of continual expectation of receiving al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.), will present the notion of waiting for the relief (Intidhar al-Faraj ), and the way it should affect our life.

Part I: Expecting the Signs vs.Expecting al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.)

1. The signs before reappearance of al-Mahdi (PBUH)

A number of narrations in theShi'ite collections of traditions inform us of some signs that will take place before the reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (PBUH). Some of these signs describe the hard condition of people in the world before his reappearance. For instance, AbuHamza al-Thumali and AbuBasir have both narrated:

Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (PBUH) said, "TheQa'im shall not rise until after a great fear from people, the earthquake, afflictions, trials, and the plague have been inflicted upon people, the war between Arabs, great disagreement among people,

breakups in their religion, change in their situation so that the wishers wish death every morning and night due to the enormity of what is observed, and the eating of people by people.

The emergence of al-Qa'im (PBUH) shall be at the time of despair and hopelessness of people for finding any (other) opening or relief."2 On the other hand, some signs are about the miraculous events that will happen just prior to the reappearance of al-Qa'im (PBUH).

For instance, there will be a lunar eclipse at the end of the month ofRamadhan . The eclipse at the end of the month is a supernatural phenomenon that has never happened before.Badr Ibn Khalil al-Azdi narrated:

I was sitting with Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (PBUH) when he (PBUH) said, "There shall be two signs before the rising of al-Qa'im (PBUH) that have not occurred since Adam (PBUH) descended on earth. The sun shall be eclipsed in the middle of the month ofRamadhan and the moon (shall be eclipsed) in the end of that month."

A man in the presence said, "O Son of the Apostle of Allah (PBUH& H.F.)! The sun shall be eclipsed in the end of the month and the moon in the middle." The Imam replied, "I know what you say. But these are the signs that have never happened since Adam (PBUH) descended."3

In many verses of the Quran, Allah reminds us that He has power over all things and is able to do what He wills. The Quran reports many miraculous events that happened in past as evidence for the truthfulness of His prophets (PBUT).

For instance, The Quran states that the moon was split into two parts as a sign for the truthfulness of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH& H.F.), 4 fire became cool and peaceful for Prophet Abraham (PBUH)5 , etc.

All the physical rules have been created by Allah and He may change it as He wills. When a miraculous event takes place, people truly realize that this is a sign from Allah, not from people.

Through the miracles, Allah reminds His creation of His absolute power and confirms His message. The impossibility of the natural occurrence of two eclipses in the specified order implies the possibility of its miraculous occurrence, its unpredictability by astronomical data, and consequently, the unpredictability of the time of the reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (PBUH).

1- The possibility ofCanceling the Signs of the Reappearance

The foretold future events before the reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.) were the information that Allah willed their occurrence and were in effect at the time that the Imams (P.B.U.T.) spoke about them.

In other words, with their vision of the knowledge of what will happen in future, the Imams (P.B.U.T.) foretold some of the signs that Allah had willed and intended at that time. However, Allah has not promised the occurrence of the planned signs,

and thus all such signs are subject to change due to Allah's new decision. In the language of religion, the origination of a new plan by Allah is called al-Badaa . We will briefly discuss the phenomenon of al-Badaa and its significance in the next section.

The traditions state that among all the signs, there are some that are definite, which means it is very unlikely that Allah changes His will on their occurrence. Therefore, they are most likely to take place before the advent of Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.).Umar Ibn Hanzala narrated:

Imam al-Sadiq (P.B.U.H.) said, "There are five definite signs before the rising of al-Qa'im , which are: (the rising of) al-Yamani and al-Sufyani , the (heavenly) cry/call (by Gabriel which will be heard all over the world), the murder ofNafs al-Zakiyya , and the sink (of theSufyani army) into (the land of) al-Baydaa (located between Mecca and Medina)."6

Even for some of the definite signs, Allah reserves al-Badaa , and may change those of the definite wills that are not categorized as HisSunan or His promises.

For instance, Allah informed us through His Apostle (P.B.U.H. & H.F.) that before the reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.), al-Sufyani would certainly rise.

This is a definite will, but it is not necessarily categorized as a promise. It is an insisted future event meaning that it is extremely unlikely that Allah cancels His permission for the occurrence of this event, though it may still be possible.

According to the following tradition, Allah may makeBadaa even in such insisted news.Dawud Ibn al-Qasim narrated:

We were with Imam al-Jawad (P.B.U.H.) when the issue ofSufyani was brought up and the traditions which state that his advent is of the definite matters.

I asked Imam al-Jawad (P.B.U.H.), "Does Allah makeBadaa in the definite matters?" He (P.B.U.H.) replied, "Yes." I said, "Then, we have a fear that Allah makesBadaa in (the reappearance of) al-Qa'im ." The Imam replied, "al-Qa'im is of the promises, and Allah does not break His promises (referring to verses 3:9 and 13:31)."7

In other words, Allah will not fail in any of His promises including the annihilation of injustice and the establishment of the government of justice on earth by Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.).

This was Allah's testimony in the verses of the Quran that were quoted previously. However, Allah may makeBadaa on the time of reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.) and may advance or postpone his mission. Moreover, He may cancel the occurrence of some of the definite signs that were supposed to take place before the Imam's (P.B.U.H.) advent, as explained by the above tradition. The question that may arise here is that what the significance of canceling a sign by Allah is.

To answer this question, let us first discuss the notion of al-Badaa in more detail. This is one of the complex issues that have confused minds of many people, and consequently the opponents of the school ofAhl al-Bait (P.B.U.T.) have taken the advantage of this confusion to ridicule and attack their faith.

2- TheBadaa and its Significance

There are many pieces of evidence in the Quran and the traditions expressing that Allah may change what He has already willed and He may initiate a new will. However, as we discussed earlier, there is an exception for HisSunan and His promises that He has chosen not to change at all.

The will of Allah is the creation of Allah. Thus, this change only occurs in the created information and does not imply any change in His Eternal Knowledge (i.e., His Essence). In other words, the novelty occurs in Allah's action, and not in Allah's Essence. Allah eternally knew what He would change later.

By al-Badaa , only the created information that has been visible (al-Shahada ) for the vice-regents of Allah becomes invisible (al-Ghaib ) and vice versa. The visible information is about what Allah has willed to happen in the past and in the future (Ilm Ma Kanwa MaYakun ), and the invisible information is about all other infinite possibilities that Allah has not willed to happen (Ilm Ma LamYakon ).

Numerous verses in the Quran prove that Allah's hands are open to originate or change anything in His creation. For instance:

And the Jews said, "The hand of Allah is tied up." Be their hands tied up and be they accursed for what they uttered. Nay, His hands are outstretched. (5:64)

Allah erases whatever He wills and establishes (likewise), and with Him is the Mother-Book. (13:39)

Your Lord creates whatever He wills, and He chooses. No choice has they (in creation or in leadership as per traditions). Glory to Allah! And far is He above the partners they ascribe! (28:68)

If Heso wills , He removes you and brings in a new Creation, nor is that (at all) difficult for Allah. (14:19-20; 35:16-17)

Every day He brings in a (new) matter/situation. (55:29)

He increases in the creation what He wills, for Allah has power over all things. (35:1)

Nor is an individual's lifeprolonged , nor does anything decrease from his life span, except that it is (made appear) in a book. Verily, all this is easy for Allah. (35:11)

In a very long discourse narrated from Imam Ali (P.B.U.H.), he has stated the following regarding al-Badaa :

Imam Ali (P.B.U.H.) said, "As for he who denies al-Badaa , (it would suffice that) Allah said in His Book, 'So turn away from them, and you are not blameworthy'(51:54) (by which) Allah, the exalted, intended their destruction on earth at that time.

Then, Allah rectified for them by His mercy, and madeBadaa regarding their destruction, and revealed to His Apostle, 'And reminds, for reminding benefits the believers.'(51:55) A similar case is His saying, 'But Allah was not to punish them while you were among them; nor was He to punish them while they ask for forgiveness.'(8:33) Then Allah madeBadaa (by revealing),

'But what plea have they that Allah should not punish them when they keep out (men) from the Sacred Mosque?' (8:34) Similarly, it is His saying, 'If there are twenty tolerant among you, they will overcome two hundred, and if there are a hundred (like them) among you, they will overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve.' (8:65)

He then madeBadaa and said, 'Now, Allah lightened your (burden) for He knew that there is a weakness in you. Thus, if there are a hundred tolerant among you, they will overcome two hundred, and if there are a thousand (like them) among you, they will overcome two thousands by leave of Allah. And Allah is with those who are patient.'(8:66) This way, Allah carried out the matter in the abrogating (Nasikh ) and the abrogated (Mansukh ). This shows the reformation of what was originated. Furthermore, it is His saying, 'Allah wipes off whatever He wills and records (likewise), and with Him is the Mother-Book.'(13:39) Hence, does He wipe off (anything) except that which existed (i.e.,its will was existent)? And, does He record (anything) except that which did not exist (i.e.,its will was non-existent)? There are many examples like these in the Quran..."8 In another verse of the Quran, Allah states:

Why had not there been a township (among thoseWe decreed to destroy) whose people would accept faith so that their faith should have profited them, except for the People of Jonah (Yunus )? When they believed,We removed from them the chastisement of ignominy in the life of this world, and permitted them to enjoy (their life) for a while. (10:98)

The above verse points to a glaring example of al-Badaa that took place for the People of ProphetYunus (P.B.U.H.) whose calamity was kept off and prevented.

Due to their rejection of Allah's commandments and their disbelief, they became subjected to the severe wrath of the Almighty. At the time that the punishment was about to manifest, ProphetYunus (P.B.U.H.) distanced himself from them and went far away. Upon his leaving, people came to their senses and suddenly changed their behavior and became mindful of Allah.

They pleaded for mercy to the Almighty Allah from the depth of their hearts. Subsequently, Allah decided to avert the calamity that was about to be inflicted upon them all.

Another example for Allah's change of decision is when we pray to Him. If Allah chooses to respond to our prayer, He initiates real change in the outside world and may re-plan our future. Allah states in the Quran:

Call onMe so that I answer you. (40:60)

My Lord would have not concerned Himself with you if it were not for your call (upon Him). (25:77)

There are sayings from the Imams (P.B.U.T.) indicating that Allah may cancel a decisive and confirmed decree (Qadhaa al-Mubram ) regarding a worldly punishment that is about to take place, merely due to the supplication (Du'aa ) of His servant. For instance, it is narrated:

Imam Musa al-Kadhim (P.B.U.H.) said, "I advise you to make supplication (Du'aa ). Certainly supplication and request from Allah, the mighty and the majestic, drive away an affliction that was planned, was passed, and all that was remaining was its execution (Imdhaa ).

When Allah is called upon and is implored, He averts the affliction in an amazing way."9

As we have seen, there are many pieces of evidence in the Quran that clearly disprove the doctrine which states "the pen has dried up having written down all future events". In contrast, the followers ofAhl al-Bait (P.B.U.T.) do not emulate the Jews who considered that Allah had concluded the matter.

We believe Allah's hands are open to do as He wills. Nevertheless, Allah does not act without purpose. The changes in decree have educational purposes for people including the prophets and the Imams, peacebe upon them all.

Although people may usually be unaware of the details of all such changes in the world, by realizing the general concept of al-Badaa , one will truly understand that everything is in the hands of Allah and He is able to do all things at any time, and that it is never too late for Him to do anything He wills. It demonstrates the absolute freedom of Allah, the Glorious, in all His actions and that He is never restricted by His own creations, including His previous will.

Moreover, it removes the sense of compulsion and irrevocable predestination, giving sinners hope that Allah may totally revise their past and future. It encourages them to strive hard, supplicate to Allah, and act upon good deeds with the hope that Allah may fix their deeds and may change their fate.Zurara Ibn A'ayun andHisham Ibn Salim narrated:

Imam al-Sadiq (P.B.U.H.) said, "Allah was not worshipped to the extent that He was worshipped due to al-Badaa . Allah was not glorified as much as He was glorified due to al-Badaa ."10

3- The Sudden Nature of the Advent of al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.)

TheShia and the Sunnitraditionists have narrated many traditions, which state that the advent of Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.) will be rectified by Allah within just one night. In other words, the time of the Imam's reappearance is very unpredictable and depends on Allah's sudden choice of action, and his advent will take place miraculously.

The Sunnis have narrated from MuhammadIbn Hanafiyya (RA) and Imam Ali (P.B.U.H.) that the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.F.) said:

"al-Mahdi is of usAhl al-Bait (P.B.U.T.). Allah shall rectify his matter within a night."11

In some other traditions, the Imams (P.B.U.T.) stated that the time of the reappearance of al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.) is like the time of the Hour (of resurrection), which is completely unpredictable and is known only to Allah. The time of resurrection has not yet been decreed and Allah shall enforce it suddenly once He wills.Di'bil narrated:

Imam AliIbn Musa al-Ridha (P.B.U.H.) said, "As for news of the time (of reappearance), indeed my father told me having heard it from his father who heard it from his ancestors who heard it from Ali (P.B.U.H.) that it was asked from the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.F.), 'O the Apostle of Allah! When will al-Qa'im from your offspring appear?'

He said,'His similitude is the similitude of the Hour (of resurrection). 'None but He shall manifest it at its time. It is heavy for the heavens and the earth. It will not come to you except suddenly.' (7:187)"

Allah states in the Quran:

They ask you about the Hour - when will be its appointed time? Say,The knowledge thereof is with my Lord (alone). None but He shall manifest it at its time.

It is heavy for the heavens and the earth. It will not come to you unless suddenly. They ask you as if thou were eager in search thereof. Say,The knowledge thereof is with Allah (alone), but most men know not. (7:187)

In fact, the traditions state that some of theQuranic terms and verses that apparently refer to the day of resurrection alternatively refer to the day of the rising of al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.) as well. These terms include, "the hour (al-Saa'a )"12 , "the hereafter (al-Akhira )"13 , "the days of Allah (Ayyam Allah)"14 , "the day of the religion (Yawm al-Din)"15 , "the day of emergence (Yawm al-Khuruj )"16 , etc. One of the most important common specifications of both events is their sudden, unexpected, and miraculous manifestation.

Once Allah makesBadaa and creates His decree on the sudden advent of Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.), the first one who will become aware of it is the Imam (P.B.U.H.) himself through divine inspiration. Allah states in the Quran:

Then, when it is knocked inNaqur , that day will be a tough day, far from easy for the disbelievers.(74:8) Mufadhdhal Ibn Umar narrated:

On the commentary of verse, "Then, when it is knocked inNaqur ,"(74:8) Imam al-Sadiq (P.B.U.H.) said, "Certainly, of us will be an Imam who will be victorious and will be hidden. Once Allah, the Glorious, wills to manifest his affair, He shall impact his heart with a hint, and thereupon, he will emerge and will rise by the authority of Allah, the Glorious."17 Moreover, AbuJarud narrated:

I said to Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (P.B.U.H.), "May I be sacrificed for you, inform me about the holder of this matter." The Imam (P.B.U.H.) replied, "He turns from the most fearful person to the most confident overnight, and his program will be revealed to him in a matter of one night and one day."

I asked, "Is this revealed to him?" The Imam (P.B.U.H.) replied, "OAba Jarud , this is not the revelation of the prophet hood. Rather, it will be a revelation similar to the one that He gave toMaryam , the daughter ofImran , to the mother of Moses, and to the honeybee. O AbuJarud , theQa'im of the family of Muhammad (P.B.U.H. & H.F.) is more honorable thanMaryam , the mother of Moses, and the honeybee!"18 The fear of the Imam (P.B.U.H.) is mainly due to the dangers and calamities that threaten those who love him.

The sudden change of the state of Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.) from the state of fear to the state of security, which is also pointed out in verse, "He will most certainly, after their fear, give them security in exchange," (24:55) shows that even the Imam (P.B.U.H.) does not know the time of his reappearance until Allah initiatesBadaa , makes it a knowable reality, and permits his reappearance to save the servants of Allah.

Thus, like his followers, the Imam (P.B.U.H.) himself is one in expectation. Of the titles that have been mentioned in the traditions for Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.)are : "the expected (al-Muntadhar )" and "the expectant (al-Muntadhir )".

All the above pieces of evidence, among others, prove that the time of the reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.) is of pending matters (Mawquf ) and that his coming is very unpredictable and sudden. This event will be one of the greatest manifestations of Allah's power,

which will take place at the time that most people would consider it unfeasible. Allah will suddenly makeBadaa and will fully accommodate the Imam's advent within one night. Although the reappearance of al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.) is in Allah's will, the time of his reappearance has not yet been decreed.

4- Continual Expectation Due to the Unpredictability of the Time of Reappearance

TheShia traditionists narrated:

Imam al-Sadiq (P.B.U.H.) said to his companions, "Be more hopeful on the things that you consider far-fetched than that which you presume very likely. Verily, MusaIbn Imran (P.B.U.H.) went to bring fire (to provide heat and light) for his family and when he came back to them he was an apostle, and this way, Allah rectified the matter of His servant and His Prophet, Musa (P.B.U.H.), within a night.

In the same way, Allah shall treat al-Qa'im , the twelfth of the Imams (P.B.U.T.). He shall rectify his matter in one night and shall take him from complication and concealment to the light of relief and reappearance."19

There are many otherShi'i transmitted traditions, which convey the similarity of the sudden advents of some ancient prophets (P.B.U.T.) with that of Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.).20

The following tradition also shows that we should expect the reappearance of al-Qa'im at every moment and make ourselves ready for his arrival because his coming is very unpredictable. It is narrated:

ImamJa'far Ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq (P.B.U.H.) said, "Anticipate the rule of your master in every day and night of your (lifetime), for indeed Allah (says about Himself) 'Every day He brings in a (new) situation.' (55:29)"21

The notion of continual awaiting and hoping to see the golden days of the universe at any moment has many positive benefits in our lives. It constantly reminds us the absolute power of Allah. The faithful servants, who believe Allah has power to do all things, should not consider any goodness far-fetched from Him. Moreover, so long as we expect the Imam (P.B.U.H.), we are hopeful for a better future and will not be disappointed by the difficulties and the problems of our present life no matter how severe they are. In addition, when we realize that Allah may advance the advent of al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.) to a very near future, we do our best to prepare our spiritual state to receive him. In Part II of this work, some divine prescriptions that make us prepared for receiving al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.) will be presented.

As we have seen, the existence of al-Badaa plays a central role in our way of expectation of al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.). Due to the possibility ofBadaa , the signs foretold are subject to change. According to the traditions, waiting for the Imam (P.B.U.H.) at any moment is the best deed and the most significant act.

If the signs were unchangeable or could not be advanced, there would be no point to wait all the time and in every moment. Having faith in alteration of the characteristics and the time of the events by Allah, everyone would keep himself ready every morning, every evening, and all the time in between to receive the Imam (P.B.U.H.).

A person who has no faith in the alteration of signs and thinks of the reappearance of the Imam (P.B.U.H.) in terms of the sighting of all the signs is actually waiting primarily for those signs and then for the Imam (P.B.U.H.).

Such an individual may deny Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.) if he were to reappear without some of the signs being fulfilled. In contrast, the traditions give prime importance to the promise of the reappearance of the Imam (P.B.U.H.) and consider the appearance of the signs as a less important issue. AbuUbaida al-Hadhaa narrated:

I asked Imam al-Baqir (P.B.U.H.) about this matter (i.e., the reappearance of al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.)). He (P.B.U.H.) replied, "Because you expect that it comes to you in a (certain) way, do not deny it (if it happens in another way)."22

It is now clear that we should wait for the reappearance of Imam (P.B.U.H.) and not for the signs, and further, should not consider the Imam's reappearance before witnessing all the foretold signs impossible. It is only in this situation that imploring Allah to hasten the reappearance of Imam (P.B.U.H.) is meaningful. Allah is free to shower His blessings any time He wants.

He has created a leader for this task long ago and has kept him on call in concealment. He can order the reappearance of the Imam (P.B.U.H.) even before the sighting of the signs, can change, or miraculously expedite the occurrence of the signs for his early reappearance. Indeed, much more than any of His followers, the Imam (P.B.U.H.) himself is eagerly waiting for receiving Allah's permission at any moment.

5- The Significance and the Purpose of Specifying the Signs

Specifying the signs before the time of reappearance has its own advantages and benefits both before and after the occurrence of the signs. As we mentioned, some of the foretold events are related to the hardship of people before the reappearance of the Imam (P.B.U.H.) and warn people about the situations that they may face if disappearance is prolonged.

These prophecies urge the believers to turn to Allah and supplicate to Him with the hope that He may alleviate or cancel such hard situations and accommodate an easy and early relief. Thus, such warnings are, by themselves, constructive if people react to them by turning to Allah before the actual manifestation of the signs.

On the other hand, if a sign does finally occur, it strengthens one's faith in the reappearance of Imam (P.B.U.H.) and increases his anticipation. Once a sign occurs, a believer realizes that it was among the signs foretold, and thus, his faith and confidence will increase, and he trusts that the time of reappearance is closer than ever.

Thus, the foretold events should not be ignored or considered as insignificant before and after their occurrence.

Nevertheless, the signs were not given for the purpose of predicting the time of reappearance or for urging people to search the scientific data to estimate the time of the occurrence of the sign itself. Rather, they serve as reminders for people only after they occur miraculously. The signs were described in order to keep us alert, aware, and mindful of Allah, but not to enable us to make any kind of prediction.

Keeping in mind the issue of al-Badaa , all the mentioned signs before his arrival, even if they finally occur, they may happen miraculously in an unpredictable manner.

As we have seen in a tradition quoted earlier, some of the signs such as an eclipse of the moon at the end of the month can only happen miraculously. Even for some other signs that can occur naturally and can be predicted by the available physical information; they may still occur supernaturally and thus their predicted schedules may be proven wrong.

The most interesting observation is that, one of the mentioned signs at the end of the time is the rising of the sun from the west23 , which shows that Allah will miraculously change the direction of the heavenly bodies, and thus, all astronomical data will change according to the new movements.

This means that all timely predictions based on the available astronomical data may be proven false due to this single miracle of Allah. Moreover, this makes possible many other events that are considered physical impossibility including the double eclipse mentioned earlier. Similar to the advent of the Imam (P.B.U.H.), the signs before his advent are Allah's miracles, all of which remind us the power of Allah and His sovereignty. Their miraculous nature assures that they are signs from Allah, not from people.

Hence, instead of worrying about the time of the occurrence of the unpredictable signs before the reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.), one should care about keeping faith in the Imam (P.B.U.H.) and following his customs. Only in that way, will one be safe from the afflictions of the end of time no matter how the signs finally appear.

If some signs appear he will gain more hope and energy that the appointed time is fast approaching, and if he did not observe the signs, he will still remain hopeful to receive the Imam (P.B.U.H.) because he believes that Allah is never restricted by His creation including His previous will and has power to do all things at any moment.