The role of people in realizing the Advent of Imam Mahdi should not be underestimated.
After the demise of the Prophet, his real successor was no one but Imam Ali only. Unfortunately, people did not accept that but finally, after 25 years, they realized their mistake and insisted on asking the Imam to accept the status of the caliphate.
The Imam who was exposed to this profound demand offered a lecture and stated,
«أَما وَ الَّذِي فَلَقَ الْحَبَّةَ وَ بَرَأَ النَّسَمَةَ، لَوْ لا حُضُورُ الْحَاضِرِ وَ قِيامُ الْحُجَّةِ بِوُجُودِ النَّاصِرِ، وَ ما أَخَذَ اللَّهُ عَلَى الْعُلَماءِ أَلَّا يُقارُّوا عَلَى كِظَّةِ ظالِمٍ، وَ لا سَغَبِ مَظْلُومٍ، لأَلْقَيْتُ حَبْلَهَا عَلَى غَارِبِهَا، وَ لَسَقَيْتُ آخِرَهَا بِكَأْسِ أَوَّلِها، وَ لأَلْفَيْتُمْ دُنْيَاكُمْ هَذِهِ أَزْهَدَ عِنْدِي مِنْ عَفْطَةِ عَنْزٍ».[1]
"Behold, by Him who split the grain (to grow) and created living beings, if people had not come to me and supporters had not exhausted the argument and if there had been no pledge of Allah with the learned to the effect that they should not acquiesce in the gluttony of the oppressor and the hunger of the oppressed I would have cast the rope of Caliphate on its own shoulders (and would abandon it), and would have given the last one the same treatment as to the first one. (As I waited during these 25 years, I continued to wait.) Then you would have seen that in my view this world of yours is no better than the sneezing of a goat."
Based on what the Imam offered, it is a divine tradition that the Imam is not allowed to act and role until people announce their readiness. The important point is that Imam Mahdi who is the last Imam acts the same as the Commander of the Faithful who was the first Imam did. It means that the permission for him to appear will not be given until the announcement of real readiness of his followers be achieved.
This readiness would not be accomplished up until people realize that,
- The advent of the Imam is the only imaginable way for making a thorough refinement in the world.
- The Imam is infallible and people should fully trust him in any aspect.
- People need to have real insight in recognizing the right and the wrong in important cases especially when the real face of the truth is hidden.
- People must adhere to their covenant with the Imam and be steadfast in helping him as much as they can.
By practicing these cases, we can claim that we have taken a step forward in hastening the advent of the Imam of the Age.
Editor in Chief: Sayyed ‘Abd-al-Mahdi Tavakol
