The fact is that great love and affection towards Imam Mahdi is not given to a man up until an intensive need for the Imam of the Age becomes created in his heart.
The truth is that if we have cognizance about the real stance of our Imam, Imam Mahdi in the world and in our life, we cannot suffice ourselves with a little interest in him.
The second truth is that, whoever wants to have a cordial and emotional connection with the Imam, gradually, he will feel more and more passion for him.
Basically, and naturally, we need someone to love with all of our hearts to warm our lives by this love. This very intense love cannot belong to anyone but to the Imam of the Age. When we believe that the Imam is the caliph of Allah on the earth, it means that as we love Allah more than anyone and anything else, we have to love the Imam like this. Consequently, if our affection for Imam Mahdi is not strong enough, it shows that we have a problem in our hearts.
The first step in feeling that love and affection for the Imam is that our actions and thoughts must be in congruence with him. No doubt that if our spirit, mind, and actions do not be in line with our Imam how can we expect to have a permanent love towards him in our hearts. The mentioned congruity is the first and most important factor for reaching to Imam Mahdi. If two things want to be connected and correlated with each other, the only way is that there should exist a congruity and compatibility between each one to another.
Since Imam Mahdi is the divinely chosen servant of Allah and an infallible Imam; therefore, the first way of making a congruity with the Imam depends on trying to observe the utmost level of piety. It means that all of the obligatory duties must be done precisely by the lover of the Imam. For example, not lonely one must say the prayers at the beginning of their times, but also during his prayers all of his thoughts and concentration must be on what he says and on its meaning. He also must preserve his careful attention to Allah while he prays. On the other hand, one must try to refrain from all kinds of forbidden acts completely. In addition, he should not think about sins even in his heart. By doing so, gradually it becomes a habit for him.
Furthermore, man in order to reinforce this love and affection towards Imam Mahdi, his knowledge and cognition about the Imam must be increased. This goal can be gained by reading the competent books written by skilful scholars about this subject; especially by reading the narrations related to Imam Mahdi (such as the section of narrations related to the chapter al-Hujjat in Usūl al-Kāfī). This knowledge will become like a bridge that makes one closer to his Imam.
Certainly, if one feels a real need for Imam Mahdi, or in other words, when one understands his own inner and spiritual deficiencies and considers that the correction of his spiritual problems is in the hand of Imam Mahdi who is a perfect human and the deputy of Allah on the earth, he will become attached to the Imam and the love of the Imam will become created in his heart.
That is how the love and affection for Allah and His chosen people are allowed to inter in man’s heart (because if the heart is infected, that love and affection will find no way to get into the heart). At this moment, man who has fallen in love with Allah and his deputy gradually feels a deeper love in his heart and will become so tender-hearted that would shed tears just by a little talking and resorting to Allah, feels a strong willing on praying and worshipping Allah. He becomes eager to performing midnight prayers and supplications and to seeking forgiveness from Allah at twilight. He hates sin with all of his senses. He sheds tears when he appeals to the Imam of the Age and over time, he becomes closer to Imam Mahdi. Such a person will also love the friend of the Imam’s friends; he seeks to guide those who have gone astray and turn people’s attention to the Imam. He always tries to make the Imam loveable to people and to create the Imam’s passion and love in the hearts of others. In this way, man will attract more attention from the Imam and the mutual love gains power and his love towards the Imam will intensify.
