Bottom of Form Birthday of Imam al-Mahdi   In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. And we desired to bestow a favor upon those who were deemed weak in the land, and to make them the Imams (Leaders of mankind), and to make them the heirs. (Quran, 28:5) At dawn, on the 15th Sha'ban 255 A.H., the rays of the illuminating world shone with a powerful shaft of …

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False Claimants and the True Mahdi   Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, a famous false claimant Even a cursory examination of people throughout history who have claimed to be the Mahdi will reveal that the conditions prior to his return and the appropriate actions, knowledge, and behavior of the real Imam have not been met. However, many people have been deceived, and more will be deceived by false claimants in the future. …

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Establishing a Relationship with Imam Mahdi Are we awaiting him actively, or passively? It is incumbent upon us to respect the scholars who guide people towards the Imam, and the Maraja Taqleed (Religious Authorities) who are his general representatives during his occultation. Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) relates the following concerning the status of scholars in Islam: “The scholar is like one who has a candle through which he …

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Doubts on Imam Mahdi 1) According to 43:19-22, claims about an issue of Ghaybah must be verified by asking if those who believe it had seen it with their own eyes, or had a Divine scripture in which it was mentioned. The belief in Imam al-Mahdī fulfills neither of these criteria and is thus not valid. 2) To say that Hadith mentions the existence of Imam al-Mahdī is problematic because; …

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Imam Mahdi in Hadiths   The Views of Muhyi-ad Din Ibn Arabi on the Infallibility of Imam Mahdi (AS): Ibn Arabi in his works "Futuhat Al-Makkiya" (The Meccan Revelations) says: "Mahdi (AS), during his time is the sign of Allah for the people of the world. His position is like that of the Prophets' (Peace Be Upon Them) which is sometimes also possible for others to share." In the Glorious …

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Imam Al-Mahdi (as) By Sayed Saleh Al-Qazwini وَيَقُولُونَ لَوْلآ اُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَةٌ مِن رَبِّهِ فَقُلْ إِنَّمَا الْغَيْبُ لِلَّهِ فَانتَظِرُوا إِنّي مَعَكُم مِنَ الْمُنْتَظِرِينَ  And they say: ‘Why is not a Sign sent down to him from his Lord?’ Say then: ‘Verily the Unseen is only for Allah (to know). Wait you then, verily I, also with you, will be of those who wait. [Surah Yunus 10; Verse 20] As the Prophet …

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Appearance of al-Qaim al-Mahdi The reappearance of Imam Mahdi in human society after the major occultation is not for the purpose of delivering any new message, nor any alteration in the system of human life, not already provided for or implied in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. His reappearance is as the chosen executor of the divine law. He reappears with the sole purpose of reducing all religions of the …

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  The Sunni Books on the Characteristics of the Mahdi (To be excerpted from the book “Al-Imam al-Mahdi, The Just Leader of Humanity”)   The session began on time at Dr. Fahimi's house. Dr. Fahimi welcomed the group and without wasting much time formulated his question with a brief introduction outlining the problem as he saw it. Dr. Fahimi: The personality of the Mahdi in the Shi'i traditions is prominent …

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Bottom of Form The Only Path to Salvation   Introduction Many theories of salvage have been introduced to free humanity from its current dark chaotic status. From a Quranic point of view, “reform” is considered the path to salvage and the secret to an everlasting community (Hud: 117). Of course, there are those who falsely claim reform, which are the hypocrites (Baqara: 11 & 12). In this article, after a …

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Bottom of Form The Sun Behind the Clouds One of the common narrations relayed to convey the role of Imam Mahdi (AS) during his occultation is the analogy of the ‘Sun behind the Clouds’. In this text, Allamah Majlisi sheds the light on this tradition and provides key points to explain the meaning and significance of the meaning behind this similitude. In what follows, is a sample of traditions, which …

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