Four interviews about the ninth of Rabī´ al-Awwal
- By Mojtabā Kalbāsī
Allah, the Almighty, in the holy Quran, in different occasions talks highly about the time and the place of some important events like what is related to the prophets and their delegation of Prophecy. For instance, He swears by the fig and olive and the mount of Sīnā and the secured city to indicate the significant status of the prophets,
وَ التِّينِ وَ الزَّيْتُونِ (1) وَ طُورِ سينينَ (2) وَ هذَا الْبَلَدِ الْأَمينِ (3)
“(I swear) by the fig and the olive; and the mount of Sīnā; and this city (Mecca) that is made secure”. (Quran, 95:1 till 3)
According to some commentators, the words fig and olive refer to two cities, Damascus and Jerusalem, where many Prophets came from. The mount of Sīnā is also a famous mountain located in the land of Sīnā where the Prophet Moses used to go there to worship God. The secured city also refers to Mecca, the hometown of the Prophet Muhammad.
In another surah, God swears by the city of Mecca and adds that this land is important since it is the residing place of the Prophet Mohammad.
لا أُقْسِمُ بِهذَا الْبَلَدِ (1) وَ أَنْتَ حِلٌّ بِهذَا الْبَلَدِ (2)
“No! I swear by this city (Mecca); and you (O the Prophet!) are an inhabitant of this city)”. (Quran, 90:1 and 2)
The abovementioned verses indicate that Allah’s Messengers, due to their divine mission, should be respected by people. Naturally, every place and every time related to them is respectable. Consequently, the ninth of Rabī´ al-’Awwal is worthy to be considered as a divine day because that is the official beginning of the Imamate of the 12th Imam who will arise at the end of time to accomplish the Prophets’ divine mission. In fact, the commemoration of this day is equal to respecting all the Prophets and their holy goals.
- By Ali Moslehī
To exalt the name of great individuals and to remember them and their way of living is a kind of showing respect to them. This is why God has mentioned the name of some Prophets and great people in the holy Quran. In some of these verses God both mentions the name of these great people and also refers to some of their special traits:
وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّهُ كَانَ صِدِّيقًا نبیا.
“And mention in the Book [the story of] Abraham. Indeed, he was a man of truth and a prophet”. (Quran, 19:41)
وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ مُوسَى إِنَّهُ كَانَ مُخْلَصًا و کانَ رسوُلاً نبیّا.
“And mention in the Book, Moses. Indeed, he was chosen, and he was a messenger and a prophet”. (Quran, 19:51)
وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ إِنَّهُ كَانَ صَادِقَ الْوَعْدِ.
“And mention in the Book, Ishmael. Indeed, he was true to his promise, and he was a messenger and a prophet”. (Quran, 19:54)
وَاذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَا دَاوُودَ ذَا الْأَيْدِ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ.
“And remember Our servant, David, the possessor of strength; indeed, he was one who repeatedly turned back [to Allah]”. (Quran, 38:17)
وَاذْكُرْ عِبَادَنَا إبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْحَقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ أُوْلِي الْأَيْدِي وَالْأَبْصَارِ.
“And remember Our servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - those of strength and [religious] vision”. (Quran, 38:45)
وَاذْكُرْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَالْيَسَعَ وَذَا الْكِفْلِ وَكُلٌّ مِّنْ الْأَخْيَارِ.
“And remember Ishmael, Elisha and Dhul-Kifl, and all are among the chosen ones”. (Quran, 38:48)
وَاذْكُرْ أَخَا عَادٍ إِذْ أَنذَرَ قَوْمَهُ بِالْأَحْقَافِ.
“And mention, [O Muhammad], the brother of 'Āad, when he warned his people in the [region of] al-Ahqāf -…” (Quran, 46:21)
وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ مَرْيَمَ إِذِ انتَبَذَتْ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا مَكَانًا شَرْقِيًّا
“And mention, [O Muhammad], in the book the story of Mary when she withdrew from her family to a place toward the East.” (Quran, 19:54)
These verses in addition to some extra ones, tell us that we should commemorate the sacred people and praise them and celebrate the days related to them. Therefore, we should glorify the ninth of Rabī´ al-’Awwal which is the official beginning of the Imamate of Imam al-Mahdi who is the real inheritor of the Prophets in their knowledge, piety, asceticism, justice, worship, and other human perfections.
- By Mahdi Yūsofīyān
We congratulate all Moslems on the ninth of Rabi’ al-Awwal that Coincides with the initiation of the Imamate of Imam al-Mahdi.
This day enjoys a very special level of importance and should be considered both specially and extensively. This is the day when the Imamate of the last divine leader who will implement the glorious goals of the prophets in this world has started.
God the Exalted, sent some divine leaders based on the needs of mankind to help them reach salvation both in this world and in the Day of Judgment as he says in the Quran about the Prophet who is one of the examples of these divine leaders,
هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ
“He (is) the One Who sent among the unlettered a Messenger from themselves reciting to them His Verses, and purifying them and teaching them the Book and the wisdom although they were before surely in an error clear” (Quran 62:2)
On the other hand, Satan as has sworn to mobilize all of this power to deceive people and to lead them to obey their carnal desires. This is what God says in the Quran,
قالَ فَبِعِزَّتِكَ لَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعين
“He, [Satan] said, [to God]‘Then by your exalted place! I will surely mislead them all.’”(Quran 38:82)
Satan also was successful in his mission as the Quran says,
وَ لَقَدْ أَضَلَّ مِنْكُمْ جِبِلاًّ كَثيراً أَ فَلَمْ تَكُونُوا تَعْقِلُون
“And indeed, he led astray from you a multitude great. Then did not you use reason?”(Quran 36:62)
The worst part of it is that some people who lost the right path were drowned in their darkness so much that they became even lower than the rank of animals as God says,
أُولئِكَ كَالْأَنْعامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ أُولئِكَ هُمُ الْغافِلُون
“Those (are) like cattle, nay they (are) even more astray. Those - they (are) the ignorant.”(Quran 7:179)
The ninth of Rabi’ al-Awwal (January the first) is the anniversary of the Imamate of a man who will put an end to Satan and to his Satanic whispers. This point is also alluded to in the Quran,
قالَ رَبِّ فَأَنْظِرْنِي إِلى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ قالَ فَإِنَّكَ مِنَ الْمُنْظَرِينَ إِلى يَوْمِ الْوَقْتِ الْمَعْلُوم
“He [Satan] said, ‘O my Lord! Then give me time till (the) Day they are raised. [to still deceive people]’. He [God] said, ‘Then indeed you, (are) of the ones given respite. Till the Day (of) the time well-known.’” (Quran 15:36 till 38.)
It is written in Islamic narrations that the “Day (of) the time well-known” is a day when Imam al-Mahdi appears that Satan will have no more time to continue with his misguidance. When the Imam arises Satan will be killed by him and the Imam will pave the way for people to be good servants of Allah.
The Imam will build the road for leading people toward salvation, will implement justice and will oppose the oppressors and will clean the world from impurity and corruption as God says in the Quran,
وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَ عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ وَ لَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضى لَهُمْ وَ لَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْناً يَعْبُدُونَني لا يُشْرِكُونَ بي شَيْئاً
“Allah (has) promised those who believe among you and do righteous deeds, surely He will grant them succession in the earth, as He gave succession to those who (were) before them, and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has approved for them, and surely He will change for them after their fear, security (for) they worship Me, not they associate with Me anything.”(Quran 24:55)
Imam al-Mahdi is the one who will help people become so blissful that God will open to them all sorts of blessings as he says,
وَ لَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرى آمَنُوا وَ اتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنا عَلَيْهِمْ بَرَكاتٍ مِنَ السَّماءِ وَ الْأَرْض
“And if [that] people (of) the cities (had) believed and feared Allah surely We (would have) opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth” (Quran 7:96)
We respect the ninth of Rabī´ al-’Awwal as the greatest celebration for the Imams’ followers because this day is a day that the imamate of this promising divine leader has started.
- By Mohammad Rīḍā Nasūrī
Peace be upon al-Mahdi who is like the spring season for mankind and like days full of greenness.
The ninth of Rabī´ al-’Awwal is like a day similar to the day of Ghadir (when Imam Ali was introduced by the Prophet as his successor) and is a great Islamic Eve since this day is the commencement of Imam al-Mahdi’s Imamate. In this day we have to renew our allegiance to the Imam and should respect this day and try to pay more attention to the Imam and try to really wait for his appearance. We are responsible to glorify this day since it helps the belief of Mahdism gain root in people’s heart and make people realize that they should wait for the Imam’s advent and do not forget him. This will attract the satisfaction of the Imam and will make the opponents hopeless since they will see the greatness of the Imam’s followers.
With no doubt, this day brings about a special kind of happiness to the believers that makes it indeed worthy to be celebrated.
Source: The Final Hope, Issue no. 1, January 2015
