Al-Quds Day and the Culture of Awaiting
By Ḥujjat al-Islam Mullāi
There is significant connection between the Quds Day rally and the culture of Awaiting (Intiẓār) and Mahdism. The first point to understand is that Quds Day is not just about Palestine or defending the Palestinian people. If we examine this great event closely, Quds Day is, in fact, the day of the Islamic Ummah (Nation). It is a day when Muslims raise their voices against global Zionism because Quds Day represents an ongoing struggle between truth and falsehood.
Those who commemorate Quds Day seek to declare that they stand on the side of truth in this battle. On the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, they gather to proclaim their support for truth and to stand against oppressors. They take a stand against arrogance and injustice, refusing to remain indifferent to tyranny—an extremely significant stance.
There is a verse in the Holy Qur’an that strongly relates to the Quds Day march. Allah states in Surah At-Tawbah (9:120):
لَا يُصِيبُهُمْ ظَمَأٌ وَلَا نَصَبٌ وَلَا مَخْمَصَةٌ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَا يَطَئُونَ مَوْطِئًا يَغِيظُ الْكُفَّارَ وَلَا يَنَالُونَ مِنْ عَدُوٍّ نَيْلًا إِلَّا كُتِبَ لَهُمْ بِهِ عَمَلٌ صَالِحٌ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
"They suffer neither thirst, nor fatigue, nor hunger in the cause of Allah, nor do they take any step that enrages the disbelievers, nor inflict any loss upon an enemy, but it is written to their credit as a righteous deed. Surely, Allah does not waste the reward of those who do good."
Pay close attention to this verse. Allah states that whenever believers take a step that enrages the disbelievers, it is recorded as a righteous deed. This is a remarkable statement. Does the Quds Day rally not anger the oppressors and tyrants of the world? Of course, it does! It terrifies them, it enrages them, and they fear its implications. And Allah counts this as a righteous deed. This is the first important point to understand about Quds Day.
The Connection Between Quds Day and the Culture of Awaiting
There are crucial points regarding the link between Quds Day and the culture of awaiting the Mahdi. As previously mentioned, Quds Day is about an ongoing struggle between truth and falsehood. If we look at the teachings of Mahdism and awaiting, we see that justice-seeking and opposition to oppression are two central pillars of the moral and social philosophy of those awaiting the Imam. Don’t we find in our hadiths that the most prominent characteristic of Imam Mahdi’s government is justice, the eradication of oppression, and the establishment of fairness?
Naturally, for anyone who wants to be among the true َwaiters of the Imam, one of the key ethical principles is striving for justice and actively opposing oppression. Not only should we avoid injustice, but we should also fight against it. However, we must also be mindful of what true justice and oppression mean, and even more importantly, how to recognize their manifestations. Otherwise, as seen in the time of Imam Ali (peace be upon him), some people might falsely claim to support justice while actually opposing the true embodiment of justice. This highlights the necessity of correctly identifying truth and falsehood.
Since we live in the era of the Imam’s occultation (Ghaybah), one may ask: how can we distinguish justice from oppression? Where should we turn for guidance? Imam Mahdi himself provides the answer:
أَمَّا الْحَوادِثُ الْواقِعَةُ فَارْجِعوُا فِيها إِلى رُواةِ حَديِثِنا، فَإِنَّهُمْ حُجَّتي عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَنَا حُجَّةُ اللّهِ عَلَيْهِمْ
"As for the events that occur, refer to the narrators of our hadiths (scholars), for they are my proof upon you, and I am the proof of Allah upon them."
This well-known hadith explains that during times of uncertainty—when we do not know what is right, what is just, or whom to support—we must refer to religious scholars and the jurists (Faqihs) of Islam. In an Islamic government, the highest authority among them is the guardian jurist (Wali al-Faqih). Historically, this role was held by Imam Khomeini, and today, it is held by the Supreme Leader. When we refer to these scholars, they guide us to understand the greatest injustices in the world today. One of the clearest examples of oppression today is the suffering of the Palestinian people.
May Allah grant us the ability to truly comprehend the teachings of awaiting and to actively apply them. One way to do so is by participating in the Quds Day rally with the right understanding and perspective.
