The Way of the Victory of that Great Peacemaker
Does he Rise with Sword
We know the important condition of victory over the enemy is predominance of the forces; these forces don’t include only military forces; but predominance of spiritual power and faith, firmness of economical and social bases are entirely included in this predominance and have essential roles.
And if a society has failed and remained captive then there is no reason other than negligence about efforts in providing the factors of victory or miscalculation of forces.
By considering the above essential principle, some questions are introduced about the rise of the great universal peacemaker:
1) Does the leader of this great movement use traditional weapons of previous ages (non-firearms) for establishment of global peace and victory of the army of the adherents of peace and justice over the predators, oppressors and tyrants? In this case, how is it possible to justify this method of fighting for others and how such weapons can make us win the battle against the advanced and frightening armaments of our time that is like a plaything before them?
Or fight against the armaments more advanced from today’s armaments that industrial countries have?
How will it be given to him and his followers?
2) Furthermore, we read in Islamic narratives:
“He rises with sword” and it shows that the first possibility, which is using traditional weapons, is closer to the truth and in this case the same problem remains unsolved:
How is it possible to disable modern armaments and return to the age of non-firearms?
Will today’s world be possibly destroyed completely in a nuclear war - as some scientists have predicted - in the way that there is no way other than returning to the past and then he rises?
Is this possibility acceptable?
3) Again another question arises that essentially and totally, in the age of dominance of light over darkness and justice over injustice, will modern mechanical age, with this much of facilities, which have provided for humanity, be destroyed and humans return to some centuries ago?
Is this restitution and return believable?
Or contrariwise, not only it remains, but it is completed very fast, a revolution without the negative aspects of mechanical life and its dangers? And in other words, mechanical life will be both “developed” and “purified”!
For finding the answers of these questions, it is possible to get help from both hadith resources and rational reasons, because it is related and connected to both of them.
Wisdom says:
Returning to the past is neither possible nor logical, and it is against the nature of creation and evolution in human life; therefore, there is no reason
for human society to stop developing by mutation toward truth and justice, or to retreat; return and looking behind is not compatible with this development and mutation.
Therefore, the rise of a great peacemaker for establishment of justice and freedom in the entire world never causes the industrial and mechanical movement, in its positive form, to stop or to be removed.
Current industries have solved many problems of human lives and, as we said in previous discussion, they are even one of the bases of the universal united government, closeness and attachment of the world in communication and social relations and it is not possible without industrial evolution.
But, there is no doubt that his industrial mutation and technological evolution should necessarily pass trough a precise filter in order for its unhealthy and harmful aspects to be removed, and finally extensively be used for the benefits of humans and peace and justice; a government, which demands truth and justice, will surely perform this act.
But about the weapons, it should be said that:
For establishment of such government, autocratic governments should be removed from the world; and for removing them, at least in present conditions, a “super-weapon” is needed; as weapon which is maybe not even assumable for us today.
Is this weapon something like a “mysterious and unknown ray” which has a power beyond all present weapons and can disable all of them and neutralize the plan of superpowers for utilizing that?
Or is it a mysterious mental effect and disabling their thinking systems even from faraway that they cannot think about using present destructive weapons?
Or is it something life a feeling fear and extraordinary terror that prevents any kind of decision about this matter?
Or something else …
We don’t know. And we cannot specify the kind of this weapon neither for being material or mental nor other aspects; we can only say that it will be a super-weapon.
And we also know that this weapon is not a king of weapon, which destroys innocents and sinner together and places the fundamentals of future justice on today’s oppression and injustice.
This was rational analysis.
But, in Hadith Resources
There are interesting expressions in hadith resources that imply clear answers for above questions, including:
1- It is quoted from Imam Sadiq (as):
انّ قائمنا ادا قام اشرقت الارض بنور ربّها و استغنی العباد من ضوءالشّمس
(When our al-Qa’im rises, the earth will be shined by the light of his God and servants of God won’t need sunlight anymore!)1
It is understood from this expression that the matter of light and energy will be solved in the way that people take the benefits of powerful sources of light, which can replace sunlight.
Should we consider this matter a miracle again while daily life program, continuously, should by based upon natural traditions not upon miracles; that miracles are exceptional matters and for the cases of exception and necessity and for proving the truthfulness of the invitation of prophet of Imam.
And anyhow, normal life of people was not based upon miracles in the age of no prophet; therefore, evolution of sciences and industries will reach a point that people will find an extraordinary source of light with the leadership of that great leader, which can even replace sunlight.
And in these conditions, is it possible for weapons of humans for providing peace and freedom and justice to be from the kind of the weapons of the past centuries and essentially, is there any comparison between these two?
2) It is quoted in another hadith from Abu Basir from Imam Sadiq (as) that:
انّه اذا تناهت الامور الی صاحب هذا الامر رفع الله تبارک و تعالی لَه کلَّ منخفض من الأرض، و خفّض له کلّ مرتفع حتّی تکون الدّنیا عنده بمنزلة راحته، فایّکم لو کانت فی راحته شعرة لم یبصرها
(When the main owner of guardianship (Mahdi(as)) takes the responsibilities of matters, almighty God will rise up any deep place of the earth for him and lowers any high place in the way that the world will become like the palm of the hand for him! Which one of you doesn’t see a hair if it is in your palm of the hand!)2
Today, they transfer pictures to different parts of the world by installing transmitters on top of the mountains and even satellites are being used for covering more expanded regions for broadcasting images, in order for all those who have receivers to use them.
But, against his issue is not possible, at least by now; it means that it is possible to transmit the pictures from one point to different points of the world but it is not possible to transmit the pictures from all points of the world to one points, except by installing equipped transmitters in every city, even every house, desert, mountain and every part of the world in order to be informed from all parts of the world and such thing is not possible with current equipments.
But, it is understood from above hadith that in the age of the rise of Mahdi (as) a powerful and equipped system of picture transmission will be made which maybe it is not even assumable for us today, in the way that the entire world becomes like the palm of the hand; neither high obstacles nor deep places prevent the creatures on the earth to be seen!
It is certain that universal united government and peace and security and justice in multilateral and fast and serious form won’t be possible without such information dominance over the entire earth; and God will give him and his government this tool.
Again, I insist that these matters, which are related with daily life of the people, don’t seem to be based upon miracles, but they should be performed
through normal tools and naturally based upon the advancement of science and industries.
It is also clear that this advanced information unit cannot be in an apparently backward society, but other parts of the life should also advance in the same direction, in all aspects and matters and even kinds of weapons.
3) It is quoted from Imam Baqir (as) that he said:
ذخر لصاحبکم الصّعب!
قلت: و ما الصّعب؟ قال: ما کان من سحاب فیه رعد و صاعقة او برق، فصاحبکم یرکبه، أما انّه سیرکب السّحاب و یرقی فی الأسباب؛ اسباب السّماوات السّبع و الارضین!
(That indomitable equipment is reserved for your guardian and friend (Mahdi (as)).3
The narrator of hadith says: I asked what is the purpose of indomitable equipment?
Imam (as) said:
It is a cloud which has the roar of thunder and the speed of lightening; he will ride this equipment; beware that he will soon ride the clouds and ascends to seven heavens and earths).
Certainly, the purpose of cloud is not this ordinary cloud; because ordinary clouds are the equipments for space travels; they are moving in the space close to the earth and have little distance with the surface of the earth and cannot rise upper than that; and, it is pointed to a very fast equipment with a power light thunder and lightening; and opens the sky with its extraordinary power when moving, and continues moving and can move everywhere in the sky.
And accordingly, it is a super modern equipment that with don’t have its example in current equipments; only, it maybe similar to UFOs and hyper speed space equipments about which we here stories today and we don’t know that how much are these stories real and scientific; but anyway, it is not a UFO.
Anyhow, it can totally be understood from above hadith that the matter of industrial backwardness won’t happen, but contrarily, it is talked about extraordinary advancement that completion should be achieved in all aspects parallel to that.
4) Another wonderful hadith, which is quoted by Jabir from Imam Baqir (as), says:
انّما سمّی المهدی لانّه یهدی الی امر خفی؛ حتّی انه یبعث الی رجل لا یعلم النّاس له ذنب فیقتله حتّی ان احدهم یتکلّم فی بیته فیخاف ان یشهد علیه الجدار
(He is named Mahdi (guided one) because he is guided to hidden matters, until he sends for a person whom people consider him to be innocent and kills him (because he is informed about his final sin, like murder, that causes Qisas!), until some of people fear the testification of the walls when they talk in their homes (and inform the government of Mahdi about their violations and conspiracies)!4
This hadith also confirms that during the time of his government, while good and righteous people live completely free, criminals are strictly under control in the way that maybe their voices will be recorded from their homes by advanced equipments and it is possible to know that what have they said in their homes, when it is necessary!
Maybe, this expression was not acceptable except to be a miracle one-hundred years ago; but today that we see in many countries vehicle movements in road is being control by radar without the presence of police officer, or we hear that scientists were capable of reviving the voices of Egyptian potters of two-thousand years ago from the waves remained on the surface of the vases in some of the museums of Egypt, or we hear that there are equipments which can take photos of a thief from the waves that have remained in the place from where he has recently escaped by thermal waves (infrared waves) and recognize him through this method, is not so much amazing.
The answer of previous question becomes clear from what have been mentioned above that in the age of universal revolution of Mahdi (as) not only the matter of backwardness is introduced but technology and industries will be advanced unexampled but only in the way of the benefits of humans and establishing the goal of truth-demanding persons, liberals and those who are thirsty of truth and justice.
Meaning of Sword
Only, this question remains that what is the meaning of these many expressions about the “rise by sword” about Mahdi (as)? Even we wait for the day in which we stand in the rows of these Mujahids with bare sword “شاهراً سیفه” in invocations, which teach the preparedness for participating in this great freedom-giving jihad.
But, the truth is that the “sword” has always been a metaphor referring to power and military force and it is still the same as “pen” refers to science and culture.
There is no doubt that even in traditional battlefields in the past, there were other weapons except the sword, like arrow, harpoon and dagger, but it is always said if you don’t obey the matter then “sword will force you” or it is said that “I will take my right by the power of the sword”.
Or it is famous from the past that “the country is rules by two things, pen and sword” and all of these are symbolic and its meaning is relying on force and military power.
There are many proverbs available today which talk about this issue:
“That person has hanged the sword in front!” which means, he is showing his power explicitly.
“The sword will judge between us!” in refers that the problem won’t be solved except by fighting.
“We won’t put the swords in sheaths until we reach our goal!” refers that we continue the fight until the end.
“That person has put his sword in the sheath!” it means that he has quit fighting.
“He is two-bladed sword!” it means that he fight in two directions.
In all of these expressions the sword is a metaphor about power and fighting; we also read in Islamic narratives:
“الجنّة تحت ضلال السّیوف”
(Paradise is under the shadow of swords).
“السّیوف مقالید الجنّة”
(Swords are the keys to paradise!)
All of these point to jihad and devotion and using the power; and there are many of these symbolic expressions about “sword” and “pen” in different languages.
It is cleared here that the purpose of the rise of Mahdi(as) with sword is relying of power, in order not to be assumed that this great divine peacemaker appears in the form of a teacher, preacher or a consultant of social issues and his prophecy is not only advising the people.
But, he is a forethoughtful leader who firstly uses logic, and when the expression of truth has no benefit, as it is the same about many of the oppressors and tyrants, he will use his sword; it means that he will use force and defeat the oppressors, or in case of necessity, removes their polluted existence from the way, and undoubtedly, there is no way other than this for correcting a group of people, because it has been said that:
النّاس لایقیمهم الّا السّیف
(People won’t be corrected except by sword!)
And in other words, his duty is not only enlightenment and showing the way but his more important duty - adding to them - is execution of divine laws and establishment of evolutional revolution of Islam and taking to the destination and achieving the goal.
Although this matter has been cleared from above discussion, but it is necessary to affirm that against the thoughts of some narrow-minded ones who assume that when he rises, he will use force and weapons suddenly and based on that false legend “He bloodsheds continuously until blood reaches his stirrup!”, at first he starts intellectual leadership and enlightenment in all aspects.
According to clear religious expression he gives “ultimatum” in the way that anyone, who has even a small preparedness for logically accepting the religion of truth, becomes enlightened and only those remains that are not correctible except by force.
From clear evidence about this issue - regardless of the fact that its reason is inside itself - is that we know his method is the method of Prophet (S); Prophet (S) was inviting people hidden and apparent in Mecca for thirteen years and those who were ready for truth gathered around him; but powerful oppressors who were mostly the leaders of ignorant people rose against him and inevitably he went to Medina and stood against them by establishing the Islamic government and providing power, and opened his way toward a public invitation.
Although, many poisonings have been performed about the invitation of Islam that it is the religion of sword but the best evidence which is in hand
today against them and fortunately, they couldn’t hide or destroy that is Qur’an.
If the feature of Islam was a feature relying on force and violence then this much reasoning and arguments were not available in Qur’an for proving the truths; this much of different reasoning were not introduced about the issue of monotheism and resurrection, two essential principles of Islam; it wouldn’t invite this much of thinkers and wise persons for judgment; wouldn’t talk this much about science and knowledge; a violent military system doesn’t understand reasoning.
And even clears its position with logical reasons as an inevitable necessity when using force.
Anyway, he will act like Prophet (S) in this method; moreover, the level of public thoughts is higher in his age and using logic is more necessary as it is necessary to use force and violence against the expanding violence of turbulent oppressors.
Certainly, his revolution will be a bloody revolution in some parts, and dirty bloods of the body of human society will be shed by his blade and there is no way other than this for making fundamental corrections in any corrupted society; but the meaning of this expression is not that he will bloodshed uncounted and kills with no reason; he is exactly like a physician who takes blood from the patient very carefully!
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Author: Ayatullah Makarim Shirazi
