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13- Awaiting the Relief

We need to keep hope for divine relief, await the reappearance of al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.) at any moment, and truly believe that Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.) is the only solution for our tragedies in the world. According to the traditions, this is the most virtuous struggle (Jihad) of the believers.

A person faithfully living in expectation of Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.) works constantly at improving his spiritual state by acting upon the instructions ofAhl al-Bait (P.B.U.T.), working hard in obedience, and observing piety. In this manner, he persistently and increasingly makes himself more eligible to receive al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.). The followingMutawatir Hadith is narrated with all these three wordings:

The Apostle of Allah (P.B.U.H. & H.F.) said, "The best worship/deed/Jihad of my community is awaiting the relief."74 It is also narrated that:

Imam Musa al-Kadhim (P.B.U.H.) said, "... and the most superior worship after the recognition is waiting for the relief."75 Moreover, AbuBasir narrated:

? Imam al-Sadiq (P.B.U.H.) narrated from his father from his ancestors from the Leader of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) who said, "The taker of our command shall be with us tomorrow in the divine sacred courtyard (i.e., our place in Paradise). He who awaits our command/kingdom is like the one who is rolling on his blood in the path of Allah."76

Being patient and remaining in a state of expectation are not easy tasks, and are much more difficult than making haste, because they require holding back and controlling one's desire. This is the greater Jihad and the best deed and worship. If one continues to be in such state, Allah has guaranteed deliverance for him.Abd al-Hamid al-Wasiti narrated:

I said to Imam al-Baqir (P.B.U.H.), "We leave our marketplace while we wait for this kingdom." The Imam (P.B.U.H.) replied, "O 'Abd al-Hamid , do you think Allah will not make an opening for him who controls himself for His sake? By Allah!

Allah shall certainly make an outlet for him. May Allah have mercy on him who holds back his soul for our sake? May Allah have mercy on him who revives our matter?" I asked, "What if I die before I receive al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.)?"

The Imam (P.B.U.H.) replied, "Anyone of you who says, 'Had I met theQa'im of the family of Muhammad (P.B.U.H. & H.F.) I would have helped him', he is like the one who is striking (the enemies) with his sword at the side of al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.). Nay! He is like the one who has been martyred beside him."77

AhmadIbn MuhammadIbn Abi Nasr narrated:

Imam al-Ridha (P.B.U.H.) said, "How praiseworthy are patience and awaiting the relief! Have you not heard the saying of the righteous servant (mentioned in the Quran), 'and watch for I too am watching with you,' (11:93) and, 'You await and I too amawaiting' (7:71)?

Thus, be patient, for relief will come after (people's) despair. Certainly, those who were before you were more patient than you... What is the matter with you that you do not possess your souls and do not have patience until Allah, the Glorious, brings what you want? Verily this command/kingdom does not come in the way that people want.

It is the command/kingdom of Allah, the Glorious, and His decree and (it will happen with) patience. Certainly only he who fears to lose would hasten."78

In addition, AbuBasir narrated:

Imam al-Sadiq (P.B.U.H.) said, "Do you want me to inform you about the things without which Allah shall not accept any act from His servants?" AbuBasir said, "Yes".

The Imam (P.B.U.H.) continued, "To bear witness that there is no god but He, Muhammad (P.B.U.H. & H.F.) is His servant and His Apostle, to acknowledge what Allah commanded, to believe in our exclusive guardianship, to disassociate from our enemies, to submit to the Imams, to have piety (against sins) and hard effort (in obedience) with peace of heart, and to await al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.).

Certainly, we will have a government that Allah shall bring it when He wills. Whoever is delighted to be of the companions of al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.) should wait, and should act with piety and good morals while he waits? If he dies before the advent of al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.), he will have the reward of him who has received al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.). Thus, try hard (in obedience) and wait. May you taste its sweetness, O the group that is robed in (Allah's) mercy?"79

The above tradition proves that awaiting the relief should be accompanied with hard effort in fulfilling one's duties. Those truly living in expectation of al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.) act upon what theAhl al-Bait (P.B.U.T.) have commanded and avoid what they have prohibited them even if these commandments and prohibitions have conflict with their personal wish, ideas, and desires.

In this manner, they demonstrate that they are the true followers of al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.) and are ready to take his command when he commands them. In another interesting tradition, Abu Khalid al-Kabuli narrated:

Imam AliIbn al-Husain (P.B.U.H.) said, "The disappearance of the twelfthWali of Allah among the executors of the Apostle of Allah (P.B.U.H. & H.F.) shall be prolonged. O Abu Khalid! Certainly, those of people of the time of his disappearance who adhere to his leadership and wait for his manifestation are more superior to people of every era. This is because Allah has granted them so much of understanding, comprehension, and recognition that have turned the disappearance for them into the status of attendance. Allah has given them the status of warriors of the Apostle of Allah (P.B.U.H. & H.F.) by sword.

They are the real devotees, our trueShia , and the callers to the path of Allah inwardly and outwardly." He (P.B.U.H.) then continued, "Waiting for the relief is of the greatest relief."80

The very act of waiting for divine relief is one of the greatest manifestations of relief in our personal life, even before the time of the manifestation of universal relief. This is the state in which Allah expects to see His servants at all times. The condition of waiting should be viewed as a major goal of life in this world, not a secondary or circumstantial issue.

Allah wants His servants to come to the understanding that they put all their hope in Him and constantly expect relief only through His hand. Therefore, this state is, by itself, a great relief, and guarantees salvation. Growing this way of thinking in the societies along with hard effort in fulfilling the instructed duties will also pave the way for the universal relief.

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

Ahl al-Bait (P.B.U.T.) have emphasized that during the time of occultation we should make much supplication to Allah that He hasten the relief. In one of his correspondence with his followers through his second special deputy (at the end of the lesser occultation), Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.) wrote:

"As for the manifestation of relief, it depends on Allah and those who specify time for it are liars... Increase yourDu'aa for hastening the Relief (al-Faraj ), for this is indeed your relief..."81

There are two meanings for the last sentence quoted above. The first is that the relief of Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.) will also result in relief from our sufferings, and it is Allah's decree that turning to Him and praying for the reappearance of the Imam (P.B.U.H.) be the only possible solution to our universal problems.

The other meaning is that the very act of praying for the relief of Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.) will be recompensed with personal relief from our problems even before the advent of Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.) (i.e., before the time for general and universal relief).

There is a famous supplication from Imam al-Sadiq (P.B.U.H.), known as "The Supplication of the Covenant (Du'aa al-'Ahd )", which is to be recited in every morning. The Imam (P.B.U.H.) said that the one who recites and calls upon Allah by this covenant for forty mornings, will be of the soldiers of al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.),

and if he dies before his reappearance, Allah will resurrect him from his grave during his advent, and will also give him the reward of 1000 good deeds and removes 1000 of his sins for each word of this supplication. The last sentences of this precious supplication are as follows:

O Allah! Show me the rightly guided face (of Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.)), the praiseworthy brightness (of his face), and enlighten my vision by looking at him.

Hasten his reappearance, make his arrival smooth, widen and clear his path, and make me tread on his way. Implement his kingdom and strengthen his back.

O Allah! Give life to Your cities by him and revive Your servants through him, for surely You have said-and Your wordis :truth -'Corruption prevailed on the land and the sea because of what men's hand have earned.' (30:41) Thus, O Allah, manifest for us Your friend and the son of Your Prophet's daughter, whose name is the same as that of Your Apostle, so that he does not prevail anything from falsehood except that he tears it to pieces, establishes the truth, and makes it real.

O Allah! Appoint him as a refuge forYour oppressed servants and a helper for the one who does not find any helper for himself except You.

Make him the one who renews what has been suspended and abolished of the laws ofYour book, and the one who re-erects the knowledge of Your religion and the customs of Your Prophet, Allah's blessings be upon him and his family.

O Allah! Make him among those whomYou have protected from the evils of the aggressors.

O Allah! Give delight to Your Prophet (?) Muhammad, Allah's blessings be upon him ?and his family, by making him visible and (give delight to) the one who follows him on his call, and have mercy on our poverty after his (disappearance). O Allah! Remove this sorrow (of occultation) from this nation by his presence, and hasten for us his reappearance. Certainly, they [i.e., the disbelievers] consider it far-fetched while we consider it near. By Your mercy O the most merciful! Then you say, "Hasten! Hasten! O my82 master, O the master of the era!"

Thus, during the period of disappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.), the most important supplication of the believers to Allah is to ask for his reappearance and the manifestation of his kingdom over the earth by which all problems of humanity will be resolved.

The sentence, "the disbelievers consider it far- fetched while we consider it near" shows that the believers expect this kingdom in a very near future and only the disbelievers consider this expectation unrealistic.

Moreover, sentences such as "O Allah! Hasten his reappearance, make his arrival smooth, widen and clear his path" in this supplication shows that Allah may change the decreed situation, lessen the hardship of his mission, and bring near his arrival. By asking Allah to hasten his reappearance from the bottom of our heart, Allah may makeBadaa and advance his mission, just as He advanced the mission of Prophet Musa (P.B.U.H.). In a very inspiring and thought-provokingHadith ,Fadhl Ibn Abi Qurra narrated:

Imam al-Sadiq (P.B.U.H.) said, "When the period of the suffering of the children of Israel was prolonged, they wailed and cried to Allah for 40 mornings. Thereupon, Allah revealed to Moses (P.B.U.H.) and Aaron (P.B.U.H.) to rescue them from the (hands of) Pharaoh.

This way, He reduced the period of their hardship by 170 years." Then, the Imam (P.B.U.H.) continued, "This is your case as well, and if you do the same Allah shall certainly relieve us. However, if you avoid it, this matter (i.e., the calamity before al-Faraj ) shall surely continue up to its last stage."83 Suffering is a hint to the believers that they should implore Allah with humility. Allah says in the Quran:

Before youWe sent towards many nations, and We afflicted them with suffering and adversity, that they might beseech (Us) in humility. (6:42) If the majority of people on earth sincerely seek relief (al-Faraj ) from Allah and drop their hope from all the fallible leaders, Allah may decide to sanction the early reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.) without need for the occurrence of many of the foretold signs.

Notice that we say, "Allah may decide," which means this is not an urgent reaction to people's action, but rather it is a matter of choice for Allah as is the case for all other actions of Allah. He does what He will.

In fact, the traditions ofAhl al-Bait (P.B.U.T.) imply that to the time that people look for other global solutions for their problems, and have hope in other leaders for implementing justice, Allah may delay the reappearance of al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.).Hisham Ibn Salim narrated:

Imam al-Sadiq (P.B.U.H.) said, "This kingdom shall not appear until every claiming class or group among people rule over people so that no one would remain to say, 'Had we ruled we would have implemented justice'. Thereafter, al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.) shall rise for (establishing) the truth and justice."84

In this manner, those who claim to be able to implement the government of justice will have chance to rule and will subsequently demonstrate their scandalous failure in practice. When people become desperate and hopeless from any other alternatives, they will sincerely seek relief (al-Faraj ) from Allah, and it is at that time that they will be ready to receive Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.).

Hence, the sooner people come to realize this fact; the earlier will be their relief. This, however, still depends upon Allah's decision, and He may commence the mission of al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.) sooner than the time of full global awareness if He wills. Due to His grace, Allah may initiate mercy without people being worthy of it. In one of his supplications, Imam al-Sajjad (P.B.U.H.) prayed to Allah:

"O the initiator of the bounties before becoming worthy of it." 85 The grace of Allah does not have any necessary requirement, and Allah may initially bestow it to people if He wills. However, due to His justice, Allah never initiates wrath unless people deserve it by their misconduct. This custom of Allah is also stated in a number of verses in the Quran. For instance:

(Their manner) is like the manner of the People of Pharaoh and of those before them. They rejected the Signs of Allah, and Allah caught them for their sins; for Allah is strong and strict in punishment.

That is because Allah will never change the bounty that He hath bestowed on a people until they change that which is in their souls (from obedience to disobedience), and (that is) because Allah is He Who hears and knows (all things). (8:52-53)

Finally, more than thinking of our own relief, we should have sympathy for the loneliness of Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.) who is forgotten by people in this period, and we should increase our prayer to Allah to relieve him from the prison of occultation, which was the result of our misconducts.

15- Avoiding a Hasty Action

The traditions differentiate between hastening (Isti'jal ) and praying to Allah to hasten the universal government. The former is prohibited while the latter is commanded.In addition, in a number of verses in the Quran, Allah, the glorious, advices against al-Isti'jal . For instance:

Man is a creature of haste. I shall soon show youMy signs. So hasten not! (21:37)

In the following tradition, Imam al-Sadiq (P.B.U.H.) quotes anther verse of the Quran in this regard.Abd al-Rahman Ibn Kathir narrated:

On the commentary of verse, "The command of Allah came. Therefore, do not hasten it," (16:1) Imam al-Sadiq (P.B.U.H.) said, "It is our command/kingdom (that shall arrive).

Allah has commanded that you do not hasten it until Allah supports him (i.e., al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.)) by three: The groups of angles, the believers, and fright. His emergence shall be like the emergence of the Apostle of Allah (P.B.U.H. & H.F.), and this is in His saying, the Glorious, 'Just as your Lord ordered you out of your house in truth.' (8:5)"86

Moreover, AbdurrahmanIbn Kathir narrated:

I was with Imam al-Sadiq (P.B.U.H.) whenMihzam al-Asadi came to him and asked him, "May I be sacrificed for you! When will be the time of this kingdom for which you wait? It has become too long."

He (P.B.U.H.) said, "OMihzam ! Verily those who appoint time are liars, those who hasten (al-Musta'jilun ) shall perish, and those who are submissive (to Allah's orders and decrees) shall be saved."87

IbrahimIbn Mihzam narrated from his father who said:

We mentioned such and such kings in the presence of Imam al-Sadiq (P.B.U.H.). He (P.B.U.H.) said, "Indeed, people have perished due to their haste (Isti'jal ) for this kingdom. Verily, Allah does not hasten in reaction to the hasty action of the servants. For this kingdom there is a final end that will reach it."88

In another sermon inNahj al-Balagha , Imam Ali (P.B.U.H.) said:

"Be steady on earth, be patient in afflictions, do not move your hands and swords after the liking of your tongues, and do not make haste (Isti'jal ) in what Allah has not expedited for you.

Thus, any one of you who dies in his bed while he recognizes the rights of Allah and the rights of His Apostle (P.B.U.H. & H.F.) and hisAhl al-Bait (P.B.U.T.) has died a martyr.

His reward is on Allah, and he deserves the reward of what good acts he has intended to do, since his intention has taken the place of drawing his sword. Certainly, for everything there is a period and an appointed time."89

Without any doubt, hurrying a matter that pertains to Allah at a time that Allah did not consider proper will not achieve the divinely intended goals. Hurrying requires the violation of Allah's commandments, and a person who hurries has to commit and justify many unlawful acts to reach his aims at an improper time.

Moreover, the achievement of a hasty action lacks stability and does not last long, though it may result in many long-term negative side effects that delay the relief.

Any seeming achievement and temporal success in a hasty process would only serve to misguide people from the divine goals and would misdirect people toward other alternatives. On the other hand, any apparent failure in a hasty plan may bring despair, may destroy the state of waiting and expectation as well as hope for relief, all of which are against Allah's command. Reflecting on the fate of those who hastened throughout the history, and contemplating the reverse outcomes of their deeds are, indeed, good lessons for the believers. In a very famous and recommended supplication, which has been narrated from the first special deputy of Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.), both types of action (hastening vs. praying that Allah may hasten) has been mentioned with clear distinction:

... O Allah! Make me firm on the obedience of the master ofYour command whom You have concealed from Your creation and waits for Your command.

You know-without being taught-the time that is right for the kingdom ofYour master and for giving him permission to manifest his command and to disclose his secret.

Thus, grant me patience on it so that I do not like to hasten what You have postponed, nor to delay what You have hastened, nor to disclose what You have concealed, nor to discuss what You have kept secret, nor to argue with You in Your planning, and (so that) I do not say why the master of the affairs does not appear while the earth has been filled out with tyranny, and until I relinquish all my affairs to You.

O Allah! I askYou to show me the master of the affairs while has appeared and manifested his command... O Allah!

Hasten his relief ..."90 ...

Although a believer longs for the kingdom of justice of Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.) and earnestly beseeches Allah to hasten the relief of the Imam (P.B.U.H.), he is satisfied with Allah's decree if He decides to postpone the time of reappearance.

While his request is in conformity with what Allah instructed him to ask, he submits to what Allah chooses for him according to His wisdom, relinquishes all the affairs to Him, and does not become disappointed from Allah's mercy if the period of the occultation is prolonged.

Conclusion

In this work, we have shown that the existence of al-Badaa plays a central role in our way of expecting al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.). Due to the possibility ofBadaa , the signs foretold are subject to change, the Imam (P.B.U.H.) may reappear at any moment, and our good actions and supplications for the early arrival of the Imam (P.B.U.H.) may be answered.

Having faith in al-Badaa by Allah, everyone will keep himself ready all the time to receive the Imam (P.B.U.H.).

According to the traditions, awaiting al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.) at any moment is the best deed and the most significant act after the recognition of the Imam (P.B.U.H.) and his rights.

Moreover,Ahl al-Bait (P.B.U.T.) have urged us to pray to Allah to make the advent of al-Qa'im (P.B.U.H.) smooth and to lessen the hardships prior and during his mission. Such instructions are meaningful only when alteration of the characteristics and the time of the aforementioned signs and events are possible.

The signs were not given for the purpose of predicting the time of reappearance, or for encouraging people to search the scientific data to estimate the time of the occurrence of the sign itself. In fact, all the mentioned signs before his arrival may happen miraculously in an unpredictable manner. They remind people only after they occur miraculously.

Once a sign occurs, the believers will realize that it was among the signs foretold, and thus, their faith will be strengthened and their confidence in the coming relief will increase. Moreover, before their occurrence, these prophecies should urge the believers to turn to Allah and supplicate to Him with the hope that He may alleviate or cancel the decreed difficult situations and accommodate an easy and early relief.

Thus, such warnings are, ipso facto constructive if people properly react to them by turning to Allah before the actual manifestation of the signs, instead of trying to predict the time of the occurrence of the signs and waiting for them to happen.

According to the traditions, once Allah allows Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.) to reappear, all people around the world, believers and disbelievers likewise, will become aware of him immediately without any ambiguity or doubt. He will be supported by Allah and thus will not need any hidden agenda asapposed to the impostors during the time occultation.

As we discussed, the opposition against Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.) is not due to people's failure in identifying him; rather it is due to their disbelief in the original laws of the religion, their overlooking of the transmitted traditions, and their following man-made ideas and opinions in the domain of religion.

If the Imam (P.B.U.H.) has not yet started his mission, it is not because certain signs did not take place, but because people have deserted the teachings ofAhl al-Bait (P.B.U.T.) andhave hope in other alternative solutions for their problems. Allah has assigned for people a leader who is ready to relieve them, but they have turned away from him and abandoned him.

The only solution for an early relief is that people of the world come to the understanding that they should turn toAhl al-Bait (P.B.U.T.) and their instructions, which are available to us in the form ofHadith , so that Allah may waive the remaining time of occultation (al-Ghaiba ). In the second part of this work, we enumerated some of the instructions ofAhl al-Bait (P.B.U.T.) that would help an early relief.

Acting upon these commandments, inter alia, prepares us, makes us worthy of receiving Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.), and paves the way for the implementation of the kingdom of justice over the earth, by leave of Allah.

As discussed, the best and the most important act for the believers after recognition of the Imam (P.B.U.H.)is to wait for divine relief. This is the mostvrituous struggle (Jihad) and is considered one of the requirements of faith according to the traditions.

The very act of waiting for divine relief is one of the greatest manifestations of relief in our personal lives even before the time of the manifestation of universal relief.

The condition of continuous waiting should be viewed as a major goal in the life of this world, not a secondary or circumstantial issue. Allah wants His servants to realize that they should put all their hope in Him, implore Him for the relief, and constantly expect the relief only through His hand (i.e., the Imam (P.B.U.H.)).

A person faithfully living in expectation of Imam al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H.) works constantly at improving his spiritual state by acting upon the instructions ofAhl al-Bait (P.B.U.T.). Maintaining this state guarantees salvation and growing this behavior in the societies will eventually make people worthy of the universal relief.

… O Allah! Make me of his helpers, ? assistants , adherents, and followers.

Show me what the family of the Muhammad wish and what their enemies are afraid.

Amen, O the Lord of truth, O the possessor of majesty and bounty, O the most merciful!91