«عن امِّ سلمَة، قَالَتْ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ يَقُولُ: اَلْمَهْدِيُّ مِنْ عِتْرَتِي مِنْ وُلْدِ فَاطِمَةَ».
- "It is narrated from Umm-e Salamah to have said, 'I heard from the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad) to have said, 'Mahdi is of my lineage, from Fāṭima's sons.'"
(Biḥār al-Anwār, vol. 51, p. 75, Ḥadith 30; Sunan, by Abī Dāwūd, vol. 4, p. 1832, Hadith 4284; Sunan, by Ibn Mājih, Kitāb al-Fitan, Section Khurūj al-Mahdi, Hadīth 4086.)
Imam al-Ṣādiq says:
«... إِنَّ مِنَّا إِمَاماً مُسْتَتِراً فَإِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ ذِكْرُهُ إِظْهَارَ أَمْرِهِ نَكَتَ فِي قَلْبِهِ نَكْتَةً فَظَهَرَ فَقَامَ بِأَمْرِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَل»
- “…Indeed, there will be from us a hidden Imam. When Allah the Exalted the Glorified decides to reveal him, let him has a particular feeling in his heart and this is the time when he will become appeared and raise up with the command of Allah the Exalted the Glorified.”
(Al-Ghaybah, written by Nuˈmānī, p. 187, Ḥadith no. 40)
Imam al-Sajjād says:
«يَقُومُ الْقَائِمُ وَ لَيْسَ فِي عُنُقِهِ بَيْعَةٌ لِأَحَد»
- “When our Upriser rises up he will not be forces to give the pledge to anyone.”
(Al-Ghaybah, written by al-Nuˈmānī, p. 191, Hadith no. 45)
Imam al-Ṣādiq says:
«لَا تَذْهَبُ الدُّنْيَا حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ رَجُلٌ مِنِّي يَحْكُمُ بِحُكُومَةِ آلِ دَاوُدَ»
- “This world will not come to an end till a man from my progeny comes out and will establish a government similar to that of the progeny of the prophet David.”
(Al-Kāfī, written by Sheikh al-Kulaynī, vol. 1, p. 397, Hadith no. 2)
Imam Ali says:
«أَفْضَلُ الْعِبَادَةِ انْتِظَارُ الْفَرَج»
- “To (remain patient and) wait for the Relief is the best kind of worship.”
(Kamāl al-Dīn wa Tamām al-Ni'mah, vol. 1, p. 287)
The Prophet Muhammad says:
"لَا يَذْهَبُ الدُّنْيَا حَتَّى يَلِيَ أُمَّتِي رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِي يُقَالُ لَهُ الْمَهْدِيُّ"
- “The world will not come to an end until a man from my family (Ahl al-Bayt), who will be called al-Mahdi, emerges to rule upon my nation.”
(Biḥār al-Anwār, vol. 51, p. 75, Hadith no. 28)
Imam al-Bāqir says:
"إِذَا قَامَ قَائِمُنَا وَضَعَ اللَّهُ يَدَهُ عَلَى رُءُوسِ الْعِبَادِ فَجَمَعَ بِهَا عُقُولَهُم"
- “Whenever our Upriser (Imam al-Mahdi) arises, God will put His hand on the heads of His servants and hereby, people’s wisdom will be put together by the Imam.”
(’Usūl al-Kāfī, vol. 1, p. 25, Hadith no. 1)
Imam Ali says:
"وَ لَوْ قَدْ قَامَ قَائِمُنَا ... لَذَهَبَتِ الشَّحْنَاءُ مِنْ قُلُوبِ الْعِبَادِ"
- “When our Upriser (Imam Mahdi) arises, the animosity will go away from the hearts of people.”
(al-Khisāl, by sheikh al-Ṣadūq, vol. 2, p. 626)
The Prophet Muhammad says:
"قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلی الله علی و آله و سلم: لَا تَذْهَبُ الدُّنْيَا حَتَّى يَقُومَ بِأَمْرِ أُمَّتِي رَجُلٌ مِنْ وُلْدِ الْحُسَيْنِ علیه السلام يَمْلَأُهَا عَدْلًا كَمَا مُلِئَتْ ظُلْماً وَ جَوْراً"
- “The world will not come to an end until a man from the descendants of Hussein takes charge of the affairs of the world and fills it with justice and equity as it is filled with injustice and tyranny.”
(Biḥār al-Anwār, vol. 51, p. 66)
Imam al-Ṣādiq says:
"... ُ كَذَلِكَ بَنُو أُمَيَّةَ وَ بَنُو الْعَبَّاسِ لَمَّا وَقَفُوا عَلَى أَنَّ زَوَالَ مُلْكِهِمْ وَ الْأُمَرَاءِ وَ الْجَبَابِرَةِ مِنْهُمْ عَلَى يَدِ الْقَائِمِ مِنَّا نَاصَبُونَا الْعَدَاوَةَ وَ وَضَعُوا سُيُوفَهُمْ فِي قَتْلِ آلِ بَيْتِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص وَ إِبَادَةِ نَسْلِهِ طَمَعاً مِنْهُمْ فِي الْوُصُولِ إِلَى قَتْلِ الْقَائِمِ ع وَ يَأْبَى اللَّهُ أَنْ يَكْشِفَ أَمْرَهُ لِوَاحِدٍ مِنَ الظَّلَمَةِ إِلَى أَنْ يُتِمَّ نُورَهُ... وَ لَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُشْرِكُون"
- “When Omayyad and Abbasid realized that, by our Upriser (Imam al-Mahdi), their kingdom and the governance of their oppressive rulers would come to an end they decided to show animosity against us, to kill the progeny of the Prophet, and to decimate his descendent in order to reach hand to our Upriser to kill him. But God the Great will not let those oppressors reach out to him and will make His light complete even if the disbelievers detest it.”
(Kamāl al-Dīn wa Tamām al-Ni`mah, vol. 2, p. 354, Hadith no. 51)
عُمَرَ بْنِ حَنْظَلَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ: "خَمْسُ عَلَامَاتٍ قَبْلَ قِيَامِ الْقَائِمِ الصَّيْحَةُ وَ السُّفْيَانِيُّ وَ الْخَسْفُ وَ قَتْلُ النَّفْسِ الزَّكِيَّةِ وَ الْيَمَانِي"
- “It is narrated from ‘Umar bin Ḥanẓalah saying that he heard from Imam al-Ṣādiq who have said that these five signs that will take place before the appearance of the Upriser (Imam al-Mahdi) are the call from the skies, the rise of the Sufyānī, the earth swallowing in Baydā’, the murder of the purified soul (al-Nafs al-Zakiyyah), and the rise of the Yamānī.”
(al-Kāfī, Vol. 8, P. 310, Hadith no. 438)
The Prophet Muhammad says:
"إِنَّ الْمَهْدِيَّ مِنْ عِتْرَتِي مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِي يَخْرُجُ فِي آخِرِ الزَّمَانِ تُنْزِلُ لَهُ السَّمَاءُ قَطْرَهَا وَ تُخْرِجُ لَهُ الْأَرْضُ بَذْرَهَا فَيَمْلَأُ الْأَرْضَ عَدْلًا وَ قِسْطاً كَمَا مَلَأَهَا الْقَوْمُ ظُلْماً وَ جَوْراً"
- “Al-Mahdi is from among my descendants, from my family, and will rise at the End of Time, while the heavens will pour rain and the earth will bring forth green grass for him. He will fill the earth with justice and equity as it is filled with tyranny and injustice.”
(Bihār al-anwār, vol. 51, P. 74)
"قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ يَكُونُ عِنْدَ انْقِطَاعٍ مِنَ الزَّمَانِ وَ ظُهُورٍ مِنَ الْفِتَنِ رَجُلٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ الْمَهْدِيُّ يَكُونُ عَطَاؤُهُ هَنِيئا"
- The Messenger of Allah said, “In latter days, when mischief is manifested, a man who is called al-Mahdi will come. His grants (of worldly and spiritual blessings) will be so very pleasant.”
(Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 51, p. 82)
"الْتَفَتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ فَقَالَ ألَا أُبَشِّرُكَ ألَا أُخْبِرُكَ يَا عَلِيُّ! فَقَالَ: بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! فَقَالَ: كَانَ جَبْرَئِيلُ عِنْدِي آنِفاً وَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَنَّ الْقَائِمَ الَّذِي يَخْرُجُ فِي آخِرِ الزَّمَانِ فَيَمْلَأُ الْأَرْضَ عَدْلًا كَمَا مُلِئَتْ ظُلْماً وَ جَوْراً مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِكَ مِنْ وُلْدِ الْحُسَيْن..."
- The Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) turned towards Ali and said, “O Ali! Shall I not give you happy tidings?” And Imam Ali replied, “Yes, indeed. O the Messenger of Allah”. The Prophet said, “Gabriel was with me a moment ago and informed me that the Qā'im, who will rise up at the End of Times to fill the earth with equity as it is full of oppression and tyranny, is from your progeny and from the offspring of al-Husain. (Imam Ali’s son.)”
(al-Ghaybah, by Nuˈmānī, p. 247.)
Imam Ali says:
عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ علیه السلام قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ: "أَمِنَّا آلَ مُحَمَّدٍ الْمَهْدِيُّ أَمْ مِنْ غَيْرِنَا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلی الله علیه و آله و سلم: لَا بَلْ مِنَّا يَخْتِمُ اللَّهُ بِهِ الدِّينَ كَمَا فَتَحَ بِنَا"
- “It is narrated from Ali bin Abī Tālib to have said I asked the Prophet, "Is Mahdi going to be among our own family or from some other?" The Messenger of God replied, "He will be among us. God will conclude His religion through him, just as He began it with us.”
(Bīhār al-Anwār, vol. 51, p. 84.)
The Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) says:
"أَبْشِرُوا بِالْمَهْدِيِّ (قَالَهَا ثَلَاثاً) يَخْرُجُ عَلَى حِينِ اخْتِلَافٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَ زِلْزَالٍ شَدِيدٍ يَمْلَأُ الْأَرْضَ قِسْطاً وَ عَدْلًا كَمَا مُلِئَتْ ظُلْماً وَ جَوْراً يَمْلَأُ قُلُوبَ عِبَادِهِ عِبَادَةً وَ يَسَعُهُمْ عَدْلُهُ"
- “The Prophet said three times, ‘Listen to the good news about al-Mahdi.’ He will rise at the time when people face with conflict and some severe forms of suffering. He will fill the earth with justice and equity as it is filled with injustice and tyranny. He will fill the hearts of his followers with devotion and will spread justice everywhere.”
(Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 51, p. 74)
Imam al-Bāqir states under the last verse of chapter Āl-e ῾Imrān, (the Quran, 3:200):
«اصْبِرُوا عَلَى أَدَاءِ الْفَرَائِضِ وَ صابِرُوا عَدُوَّكُمْ وَ رابِطُوا إِمَامَكُمُ الْمُنْتَظَر»
- “Have patience in performing the [religious] obligations, help each other against enemies, and always maintain your readiness to help the expected Imam”.
(Al-Ghaybah, by Nu῾mānī, P. 199.)
Imam Ḥasan al-῾Askarī says:
«وَاللهِ لَيَغيبَنَّ غَيبَةً لا يَنجوُ فيها مِنَ الهَلَكَةِ إلّا مَن ثَبَّتَهُ اللهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عَلَي القَولِ بِإِمامَتِهِ وَ وَفَّقَهُ فيها لِلدُّعاءِ بِتَعجيلِ فَرَجِهِ»
- “By Allah, he [Imam Mahdi] has a [prolonged] occultation in which no one will saved from falling astray, but the one who, by the help of Allah the Exalted the Glorified, has stayed steady on his belief in the Imamate of his and is made successful by Allah in praying for hastening to the appearance of the Imam.”
(Kamāl al-Dīn, vol. 2, P. 384.)
The Prophet Muhammad says:
«نَحنُ وُلدُ عَبدِ المُطَّلِبِ سَادَة الجَنَّة أنَا وَ حَمزَة وَ جعفَرٌ وَ عَلِیٌّ وَ الحَسَنُ وَ الحُسَینُ وَ المَهدِی»
- “We – the seven descendants of Abd al-Muttalib- are the masters of people of the Heaven; I and Hamzah and Ali and Ja'far and Hassan and Husayn and Mahdi.”
(Kitāb al-Ghaybah, by Sheikh al-Ṭūsī, p. 113; Biḥār al-Anwār, vol. 51, p. 65.)
The Prophet Muhammad, explaining Imam Mahdi’s spiritual level in Heaven, says:
«اَلْمَهْدِيُّ طَاوُوسُ اَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ عَلَيْهِ جَلَابِيبُ النُّور»
- “Mahdi is the peacock among the people of Heaven and is surrounded by halos of light.”
(Muntakhab al-Athar, p. 147; Yanābīa' al-Mawaddah, vol. 3, p. 164.)
Imam al-Kāzhim states about Shias' heart to heart connection with Imam Mahdi during his occultation:
« ... يَغِيبُ عَنْ أَبْصَارِ اَلنَّاسِ شَخْصُهُ وَ لاَ يَغِيبُ عَنْ قُلُوبِ اَلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ذِكْرُه»
- "…He is concealed out of sight, but the memory of him does not hide from the heart of the believers."
(Kamāl al-Dīn, vol. 2, p. 368.)
About the duties of the Shiˈas in the occultation era, Imam Bāqir (the fifth Imam) says:
«لِيُعِنْ قَوِيُّكُمْ ضَعِيفَكُمْ، وَ لْيَعْطِفْ غَنِيُّكُمْ عَلَى فَقِيرِكُمْ، وَ لْيَنْصَحِ الرَّجُلُ أَخَاهُ كَنَصِيحَتِهِ لِنَفْسِه»
- "Mighty people among you ought to help the weak; rich ones must show kindness to the poor. Everyone ought to be benevolent to his religious brother just as he is benevolent to himself."
(Biḥār al-Anwār, vol. 52, p. 123.)
Imam al-Ṣādiq states:
«إِنَّ لِصَاحِبِ هَذَا اَلْأَمْرِ غَيْبَةً فَلْيَتَّقِ اَللَّهَ عَبْدٌ وَ لْيَتَمَسَّكْ بِدِينِهِ»
- "Surely, the Possessor of this Matter (Imam Mahdi) has an absence. So, a servant of Allah has to be pious and hold on to his religion firmly."
(Al-Kāfī, vol. 2, p. 132.)
Imam al-Ṣādiq says,
«مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْقَائِمِ فَلْيَنْتَظِرْ وَ لْيَعْمَلْ بِالْوَرَعِ وَ مَحَاسِنِ الْأَخْلَاقِ وَ هُوَ مُنْتَظِرٌ»
- "The one who desires to be among Imam Mahdi's companions has to wait [for the Imam's appearance]; and behave piously and morally while he waits."
(Kamāl al-Dīn, vol. 1, p. 437.)
Imam al-Ḥusayn says:
«...لَهُ غَيْبَةٌ يَرْتَدُّ فِيهَا أَقْوَامٌ وَ يَثْبُتُ فِيهَا عَلَى اَلدِّينِ آخَرُونَ فَيُؤْذَوْنَ وَ يُقَالُ لَهُمْ مَتى هذَا اَلْوَعْدُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صادِقِينَ أَمَا إِنَّ اَلصَّابِرَ فِي غَيْبَتِهِ عَلَى اَلْأَذَى وَ اَلتَّكْذِيبِ بِمَنْزِلَةِ اَلْمُجَاهِدِ بِالسَّيْفِ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَسُولِ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ»
- "…He [Imam Mahdi] will absent for a while. In that time, some groups of people abandon their religion and some others persevere with it and they will be offended. They will be questioned: 'When will this promise (the appearance of the Imam) be fulfilled if you are truthful?' Undoubtedly, in the time of occultation, the one who tolerates the nuisance and whose belief is denied (by the opponents) is like a Muslim who fights with a sword in the presence of the prophet Mohammad."
(Kamāl al-Dīn wa Tamām al-Ni'mah, vol. 1, p. 437.)
Imam al- Riḍā says:
«ما اَحْسَنَ الصَّبْرَ وَ اِنْتِظارَ الْفَرَجِ»
- "How good are patience and waiting for the Faraj."
(Biḥār al-Anwār, vol. 52, p. 129.)
Imam Sādiq quotes from the prophet Muhammad to have said to his companions:
«سَيَأْتِي قَوْمٌ مِنْ بَعْدِكُمْ اَلرَّجُلُ اَلْوَاحِدُ مِنْهُمْ لَهُ أَجْرُ خَمْسِينَ مِنْكُمْ. قَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ نَحْنُ كُنَّا مَعَكَ بِبَدْرٍ وَ أُحُدٍ وَ حُنَيْنٍ وَ نَزَلَ فِينَا اَلْقُرْآنُ! فَقَالَ: إِنَّكُمْ لَوْ تَحَمَّلُوا لِمَا حُمِّلُوا لَمْ تَصْبِرُوا صَبْرَهُمْ»
- "After you, a nation will come in which one person of them will be rewarded as much as 50 people of you. They [the Prophet's companions] said: O the prophet of Allah! We accompanied you in wars of Badr, Uhud, and Hunayn. Also, some verses of the Quran have been revealed about us! The Prophet answered: 'If you face the painful events that they will face, verily you do not tolerate them.'"
(Al-Kāfī, vol. 8, p. 37; Mikyāl al-Makārim, vol. 2, p. 290.)
The Prophet Muhammad says:
«أفضَلُ أعمالِ اُمَّتي إنتظارُ الفَرَجِ»
- "The most perfect deed of my nation is to wait for the Faraj (appearance of the twelfth Imam)."
(Kamāl al-Dīn, vol. 2, p. 644; Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 75, p. 208.)
Imam al-Ṣādiq says:
«يَأْتِي عَلَى اَلنَّاسِ زَمَانٌ يَغِيبُ عَنْهُمْ إِمَامُهُمْ...»
- "There will come a time wherein the Imam absents from his followers."
(Kamāl al-Dīn, vol. 2, p. 351.)
Imam al-Kāzhim says:
«طُوبَی لِشیعَتِنَا المُتَمَسِّکینَ بِحَبلِنا فی غَیبَة قائِمِنا»
- "Blessed are our Shias who resort to the rope of our guardianship during the occultation of our Upriser."
(Kamāl al-Dīn, vol. 2, p. 351.)
Imam al-Ḥusayn says:
«...أَيُّهَا اَلنَّاسُ إِنَّ اَللَّهَ جَلَّ ذِكْرُهُ مَا خَلَقَ اَلْعِبَادَ إِلاَّ لِيَعْرِفُوهُ فَإِذَا عَرَفُوهُ عَبَدُوهُ فَإِذَا عَبَدُوهُ اِسْتَغْنَوْا بِعِبَادَتِهِ عَنْ عِبَادَةِ مَنْ سِوَاهُ. فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ يَابْنَ رَسُولِ اَللَّهِ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَ أُمِّي فَمَا مَعْرِفَةُ اَللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: مَعْرِفَةُ أَهْلِ كُلِّ زَمَانٍ إِمَامَهُمُ اَلَّذِي يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِمْ طَاعَتُهُ»
- “…O people! Allah the Exalted did not create servants unless they know Him and if they know Him, they worship Him, and then through worshiping Him, they become needless of worshiping others. A man asked the Imam, ‘O the Son of the Prophet! May my parents be at your ransom, what is the knowledge about Allah’? The Imam replied: ‘It is the knowledge of the people of any time about their Imam, the Imam whose obedience is obligatory on them.”
(Biḥār al-Anwār, vol. 5, p. 312.)
The prophet Muhammad warned people of any time saying:
«مَنْ ماتَ وَ لَمْ یعْرِفْ إمامَ زَمانِهِ مَاتَ مِیتَةً جَاهِلِیة»؛
- “Whoever dies while he does not recognize the Imam of his time, his death is like the death of those who had died at the Age of Ignorance”.
(Kamāl al-Dīn wa Tamām al-Ni`mah, vol. 2, p. 409.)
«مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ الْأَزْدِيِّ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ سَيِّدِي مُوسَى بْنَ جَعْفَرٍ علیه السلام عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ أَسْبَغَ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعَمَهُ ظاهِرَةً وَ باطِنَةً فَقَالَ: «النِّعْمَةُ الظَّاهِرَةُ الْإِمَامُ الظَّاهِرُ وَ الْبَاطِنَةُ الْإِمَامُ الْغَائِبُ» فَقُلْتُ لَهُ وَ يَكُونُ فِي الْأَئِمَّةِ مَنْ يَغِيبُ قَالَ: «نَعَمْ يَغِيبُ عَنْ أَبْصَارِ النَّاسِ شَخْصُهُ وَ لَا يَغِيبُ عَنْ قُلُوبِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ذِكْرُهُ وَ هُوَ الثَّانِي عَشَرَ مِنَّا»
- Muhammad bin Zīyād al-Azdī says that he asked Imam al-Kāzim (the seventh Imam of Shia) about the meaning of "and He has showered upon you His blessings, the outward and the inward" and the Imam replied, the “outward blessing” points to the manifest Imam and the “Inward blessing” refers to the hidden Imam.” Then the man asked, “Will there be an Imam who would go into hiding?” Imam answered, “Yes, his body will hide from people's vision, but people's hearts will not forget him and he is the twelfth Imam of us (the Household of the Prophet).”
(Kamāl al-Dīn wa Tamām al-Ni‘mah, vol. 2, chapter 34, hadith 6.)
Compiled by Hamid Saadat
