Q. 33
If one argues that the reasons for this belief are not political and ideological in nature, then why it is that once we have seen the establishment of the wilayat-e-faqih in Iran, this faith in Al-Mahdi (as) has become continuously weaker? 201
The best answer to this and the last questions is to let the facts speak for themselves.
The first group of facts:
Here we examine how neutral political observers have analyzed the relationship between the concept of Al-Mahdi (as) and Ayatullah Khomeini's movement. Some of them claim exactly the opposite point of view. One of them writes:
Shi'ah Islam in its world-view arguably has especially salient symbolic words, exemplary tales and other resources as competitors to state power and propaganda. According to the Shi'ah theory of political legitimacy and the concept of Imamah (the doctrine of socio-political leadership), Ali (The Prophet Muhammad's (saws) cousin and son-in-law) and the descendants of his marriage with Fatima are the true guardians of the Islamic faith and the Muslims rightful spiritual and political leaders. After the Prophet's death Ali and his descendants were denied leadership as his true substitutes. Thus the Shi'ah came to view their Muslim rulers as usurpers, lacking legitimacy and unworthy of their allegiance. As long as the Imams lived among the Shi'ah they guided their attitude toward the ruling authorities.
One of the symbolic stories is that of Imam Hossayn's (the third Imam) willing martyrdom in the just cause of resisting the usurper caliph, Yazid, and another concerned the Hidden Imam (The Twelfth Imam), a supreme leader who disappeared in the ninth century A. D. It is important to note that for centuries the Shi'ah had believed that this Al-Mahdi (as) would return when the world
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201. Al-Khateeb Al-baghdady, Tareekh Baghdad, Vol.1 pp.4-5
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was overflowing with injustice and tyranny. During the Pahlavi monarchy the Shi'ah adopted a passive attitude towards the ruling authorities. They refrained from open opposition but denied them legitimacy and allegiance. In spiritual matters they sought guidance from the ulama, their religious leaders. Therefore the ulama, in a sense, came to represent the Imam and thus became the guardians of the Shi'ah heritage. Their status was consistent with the notion that hose fit to govern are those who understand the religious laws, and in the absence of the Imam those people are the ulama. A more recent interpretation of the belief, argued that Al-Mahdi (as) would reappear when Muslims had not only returned to Islam but created a just society thoroughout the world. This approach gave rise to a new view of Khomeini's role; that of a continuing central focus for the revolutionary leadership. It resonated with the popular messianic yearning for the return of the Hidden Imam, who long ago disappeared from human sight awaiting the coming of a perfect Islamic community as the telos of history.202
The second group of facts:
We must read some of the late Ayatullah Khomeini's statements about Al-Mahdi (as), so that everyone will be clear about what he actually has said. These statements were made after his assumption to power in 1979:
* Imam-e-Zaman [lit, leader of the age, a title of the Twelfth Infallible Imam] is watching over us, over the clergy to see what they do now that Islam is entrusted in their hands and all excuses are cut off.
* We who expect his (Twelfth Infallible Imam) blissful advent are obligated to institute the rule of the law of Divine justice in this country of the Walli-e-Asr (Guardian of the Era, another title of the Twelfth Infallible Imam).
* The day that, God willing, the General Reformer appears do not think a miracle will take place and the world will he reformed overnight, rather, the despots and oppressors will be suppressed and isolated by hard efforts and sacrifices.203
Ayatullah Khomeini never changed his opinion concerning the Imam during his life. In his famous final testament, posthumously published, we can read under the title "The Imams and their Legacy" the following phrase:
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202. Skocpol, Theda. Soical Revolutions in the Modern World, p.251, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1996
203. Imam Khomeiny, Short Sayings of the Late Ayat. Khomeiny, pp.32-34, The Infallibles, B,N.A.I., Tehran
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we are proud that our infallible Imams, right from Ali Ibn Abi Talib to the Awaited Savior of Humanity -the Mahdi- the Master of the Age, peace and blessing be upon them, all are our chosen Imams. We are proud that books of prayers and meditations introducing the higher planes of the Qur'an are also from our Imams. The Prayer of Arafat by Imam Hossayn and Sahifa e Sajjadiyya, the crowning jewel from Ahl ul-Bayt and Sahifa-e-Fatimiyya -a book inspired by Allah to Janabe Fatima- all belong to us.204
He described his movement as a starting point for the return of Al-Mahdi (as):
The revolution of Iranian people is the starting point for the grand revolution of the Islamic world under the banner of His Holiness the Hojjat (lit. proof, title of the Twelfth Al-Mahdi (as)).205
The third group of facts:
We will read now what Iranian society has to say about their relationship to Al-Mahdi (as). In the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was accepted by 98% of the Iranian society under a referendum, the Iranian Muslims have agreed to give the Iranian leadership (the late Ayatullah Khomeini or whoever success him) the right to assume Al-Mahdi's (as) duties solely under the Occultation of the Twelfth Imam. If this belief is getting weaker, the leader himself will possess no power at all. But this contradicts the present political facts inside Iran. Article 5 of the Iranian constitution explicitly states:
During the Occultation of Hazrat Wali-e-Asr (The Mahdi, may Allah hasten his reappearance) the leadership of the nation in the Islamic Republic of Iran shall be the responsibility of a faqih (jurisprudent) who is just, virtuous, has contemporary knowledge, is courageous and an efficient administrator. He shall assume such responsibility in accordance with the provision of article (107).206
The fourth group of facts:
According to the statistics there are thousands of mosques, schools, libraries, bookshops, hospitals, streets, boroughs, counties, cities,
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204. Selected sayings of Ayat. Khomeiny, was published posthumously by The World Federation, p.41
205. Imam Khomeiny, Short Sayings of the Late Ayat. Khomeiny, p.33, The Infallibles, B,N.A.I., Tehran
206. The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran (with all amendment up to 1989). 12. publ. The Consultive Assembly, International Dep.
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conferences, meetings, books, theses, and so on that have been named after Al-Mahdi (as) since the revolution. Clearly, then, people are not drifting from faith in the Imam.
Q.34
If Al-Mahdi (as) is already prepared for his great task, then why must we wait? Do not all the upheavals and tragedies in the world necessitate his immediate re-appearance?
I would like first to quote Baruch de Spinoza who said something which may help to shed some light in resolving the problems of this question:
Peace is not a status of non-war, but rather a virtue, a faculty, a disposition for welfare, trust and justice.207
He has actually analyzed that peace is not a simple and independent phenomenon or an easy task. The great revolution of Al-Mahdi (as) requires many preceding events. The Russian revolution was predicted upon several factors, such as the outbreak of the First World War and the decline of the Czarist regime. More incidental factors were also played apart, such as Lenin being able to make a safe journey from Finland into Russia.
It has been the unalterable practice, decreed by Allah (swt), that the actual implementation of a Divine revolution is linked with those objective circumstances that create the right climate and general atmosphere for its success. This is why, before the coming of Prophet Muhammad (saws), there were several hundred years in which there was no prophet on the Earth.
No doubt Allah is All-powerful. He can miraculously remove in advance all difficulties and obstacles impeding a Divine Mission. But He does not do so, because the tests, trials and tribulations through which man gains perfection require that a Divine revolution should come about in a natural and normal manner, even though Allah may intervene in arranging certain details not
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207. www. ordtak.no/Baruch de Spinoza
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related to the creation of the necessary circumstances for the success of that mission. Rather, we see that Allah (swt) gives His Divine Help to His friends at critical junctures of their mission, once their mission has already begun. The fire set alight by Nimrud did not harm to Abraham (as). The hand of the Jewish man who had drawn his sword to kill Muhammad (saws)d was paralyzed and a strong wind hit the camp of the infidels who had besieged Madinah during the Battle of the Trench. In all of these cases help was rendered at a critical juncture, but only after the right atmosphere for the desired change had already been created in a natural manner.
On this basis, when we study the position of Al-Mahdi (as), we find that the revolutionary task which has been entrusted to him is, like any other process of social change, linked with certain circumstances which will provide the right climate for its success. The great task for which Al-Mahdi (as) has prepared himself is not of a limited nature, nor is it confined to any particular region. His mission is to revolutionize the world order in its entirety, and to rescue mankind from the darkness of vice, and to usher in an era of light and guidance. For such a gigantic revolution the mere existence of a task and a leader is not enough, otherwise it would have been accomplished during the period of the Holy Prophet (saws) himself.
The most important factor leading up to this revolution is man's despair in his own ideologies and cultural experiments. It is only then that a man of culture will feel that he is in need of help and turns to the unknown. From the material angle the modern conditions of life may be regarded as more suitable for the fulfilment of a mission on a world level than the conditions which prevailed at the time of Occultation. For now the distances have been shortened, the chances of contact between various people of the world have been improved and better facilities for a central organization to enlighten mankind on the basis of the new message have become available.
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It is true, as pointed out in the question, that the military power and war equipment that the Awaited Leader would have to face have grown enormously, but material power is of no consequence when man is determined to fight against injustice. Many a lofty civilization in history has collapsed at the first touch of an invader, because it had already become dilapidated and lacked the power of resistance.
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Q. 35
Which method is Al-Mahdi (as) likely to adopt in order to achieve the final victory of justice?
A definite answer to this question depends not only on the knowledge of the timing and the stage at which Al-Mahdi (as) will reappear but also on the possibility of imaginating what particular circumstances will be prevailing at that time. It is only in the light of these circumstances that a picture of his possible strategy can be drawn. So long as we do not know at what stage Al-Mahdi (as) will reappear and what will be the prevailing circumstances at that time, it is not possible to make any prediction along scientific lines. Any presumptions made in this connection will be based mostly on fiction and not on facts. Anyhow, there is one basic presumption, which can be accepted in the light of the traditions and the historical experience of the great changes. The Awaited Savior will appear when the stage for his appearance is set, neither earlier nor later. This stage will come when there is a general decline in man's moral life, when oppression and tyranny will be rampant and when mankind has fallen into the abyss of crime and immorality.
In addition, conditions prevailing in the world will create the necessary psychological atmosphere for the reception of a savior. Mankind will be exhausted with the state of affairs and naturally look toward a savior for liberation. There will be a great upheaval, a great conflagration that would seem to spell the end of this world. In the darkness that will then prevail, there will dawn a new sun in
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208. As-Sadr, Sayyid Muhammad Baqir, The Awaited Saviour, pp.56-57, London: Al-Khoi foundation, 1996
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the form of Al-Mahdi (as), spreading light and luster. Having liberated mankind from its misery and curse, Al-Mahdi (as) will then bring a transformation of life in which justice, peace, virtue and righteousness will abound.
There are some ahadeeth which indicate that, before the coming of Al-Mahdi (as), there will be a righteous government that will last until he reappears. Many Shi'ah scholars have used these narrations to justify their contemporary rulers. But in any case, we see from the Qur'an and ahadeeth that the rising of Al-Mahdi (as) will be the last in the series of struggles between good and the evil, which has continued from the very inception of the world. It will be Al-Mahdi (as) who will give a concrete shape to the aspirations of all the prophets, the saints and fighters in the way of Allah (swt).
209
One is very much in favor of the belief that Imam Al-Mahdi (as) is likely to adopt a balanced method that shall allow him to both mobilize the already existing decent powers to bring into being his plan, as well as to let them act due to their nature so as to achieve the highest level of perfection. He may also encourage and promote others to work actively so long as they function in dynamic harmony with his movement. There is no reason to rule out this possibility as long as we understand that he is a man of the highest perfection. As the African proverb says:
When a palm-branch reaches its height, it gives way for a fresh one to grow.
Q. 36
How will it be theoretically and practically possible to establish a universal state under Al-Mahdi (as)?
To examine the possibility, we must first analyze it from the theoretically point of view, and then from the practical point of view.
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209. As-Sadr, Sayyid Muhammad Baqir, The Awaited Saviour, pp.57-58, London: Al-Khoi foundation, 1996
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The theoretical point of View
No reasonable person would claim that this international event will happen suddenly, without any preparation. History is comprised of events that occur on the basis of historical laws.
The Qur'an shows that no historical event has happened on an accidental basis. Therefore it would not be out of place here and refer briefly to the subject of historical changes. In nature there is nothing really accidental, and no phenomenon can come into existence without a cause. Relatively speaking though, there are incidents. If, one morning, you leave your house and run into a friend whom you had not seen for years and who is passing by your house at that particular moment, such a meeting would be considered accidental. This is because there exists no natural law that leaving one's house must necessarily be followed by such a meeting or else such a meeting would have taken place everyday. However, it is also true that such a meeting is an essential consequence of this particular departure at a particular moment in specific circumstances. When we see that no binding and invariable sequence exists between a cause and its effect we call the resulting event an accident. Accidental occurences are not governed by any universal or general rule, nor do they come within the purview of any scientific law. A scientific law is concerned only with an invariable sequence between specific conditions and a specific phenomenon.
Some may argue that historical developments are nothing more than a series of accidental occurences, not governed by any universal or general rule. To support his view, he may argue that a society is a mere collection of individuals. Every one of them has personal traits and an individual character. Personal whims and individual motives produce a set of incidents, which lead to a series of accidental occurences, and it is these happenings which constitute historical development.
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Others would argue, however, that a society has its own personality, independent of the individuals that make it, and it acts as demanded by its own nature. The personality of the society is not identical with that of the individuals. It comes into being through the combination of individuals and their cultural actions and reactions. Only if we view societies as possessing their own individual personality and direction can we begin to discuss a philosophy of history. If it is assumed that history has no personality then we can only study the life of the individuals, and not the collective life of nations and peoples.
210 In that case the scope of taking lessons and drawing morals would become limited to the individual's life.
The expectation of solace is a question, which is philosophical and social as well as religious and Islamic. As mentioned earlier, it has a Qur'anic basis. It would be better to throw light on the Qur'anic view regarding society and the ever-changing course of its life i.e history.
It is undeniable that the Holy Qur'an looks at history as a lesson, a precept, a source of knowledge and a subject of worth contemplation and deep thinking. Now the big question is whether the Qur'an looks at history from and individual angle or a collective one. Whether it puts forth only the life of individuals for the purpose of persuading others to emulate the example of the good and to abstain from the ways of the wicked, or it has an eye only on the collective life, or at least on the collective life too. In the latter case, is it possible to infer from the Qur'an that society, as distinct from individuals, has a personality, a life and even consciousness and feelings? Similarly, is it possible to deduce that groups and nations are governed by definite rules which are equally applicable to all of them?
The Holy Qur'an looks at history as a source of knowledge and a subject worth contemplation and deep thinking. The Qur'an, while relating the stories of the past for the purpose of reflection and
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210. Mutaharri, Murtada, Qiyam wa inqilab, pp.65-67.
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instruction, puts forth the life of the past nations as admonishing material for the benefit of other people:
That nation is gone. They have reaped what they sowed, and the same applies to you. You are not responsible for their deeds. You are responsible for your deeds only (Qur'an 2:134-141).
Every nation can only live for an appointed time. When its term ends, it will not remain (alive) even for a single hour, nor will they die before the appointed time (Qur'an 7:34 and 16:61).
The Qur'an emphatically refutes the idea that destiny can it any way be affected by the blind forces of fate. It clearly states that the destiny of nations is subject to and governed only by the firm and consistent laws of nature. Allah (swt) says:
Are they waiting for the punishment which has been the lot of the earlier people. You will not find any change in Allah's way (of dealing with such people) (Qur'an 35:43).
Attention is drawn to a point which is of vital importance. The Qur'an argues that people, by looking at their own deeds and behavior, can find out for themselves whether a good or a bad destiny awaits them. The forces which determine the destiny are just a sequence of reaction set in motion by their own deeds. Particular acts are always and invariably followed by particular reactions. Although Divine Will ordains the course of history, the role of man as a free agent is not eliminated. There are many passages in the Qur'an, which refer to this subject, such as:
Surely Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change themselves (Qur'an 13:11).211
Based on that, we believe that each society has its own nature, character and a living, growing and developing mentality. Therefore a logical question will arise: How should we interpret this evolution?
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211. Ibid: pp.65-67
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We have already seen how the Holy Qur'an lays stress on the genuineness of a society's personality and its evolutionary progress. We also know that there have been, and still are, other schools of thought holding a similar view. No we must find out -from the viewpoint of the Holy Qur'an and of other schools of thought- how history develops. What are the responsibilities of man in this respect and what part is he supposed to play? What form should "The Great Expectation" assume is another closely related subject which we shall explore at the same time.
Historical evolution can be interpreted in two ways. One method is the materialistic or dialectic, and the other is human or natural. The exponents of dialectical materialism base their doctrine on four points.
First, they maintain that all things are constantly moving and progressing whereas, as they assert, according to so-called "metaphysical" thinking, things are static and motionless. This is actually quite a baseless argument. The upholders of metaphysical thinking do not believe that things are static. The term "unchangeability" is used by such thinkers in a relative sense, but they nonetheless believe that all physical things are subject to change. It is only metaphysical things which may be described as static. Unfortunately the supporters of dialectical materialism, being the adherents of the maxim that the end justifies the means, concentrate their attention on achieving their intellectual objectives while ignoring the actual statements of their opponents. The principle of motion is not a distinctive feature of dialectical thinking.
The second principle is that of the correlation and interaction of things. This, too, cannot be considered to be a pioneering characteristic of dialectical thinking. The supporters of this doctrine allege that the rival theory of metaphysical thinking does not believe in this principle, but again, this is not the case.
The third principle is that of contradiction. Again, we must ask whether or not the upholders of "metaphysical" thinking totally deny the existence of contradiction in nature. On this point the
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supporters of dialecticism have raised an unnecessary uproar. They base their arguments on the existence of the principle known in logic and philosophy as the law of non-contradiction. They assert, that as the supporters of metaphysical thinking believe in this principle, they must naturally deny the existence of all sorts of contradiction. But the dialecticians conveniently forget that this logical principle is not even remotely connected with the existence of contradictions, in the sense of conflict between the various elements of nature or the elements of the society or history. Due to their beliefs that all parts of nature are in a state of mutual harmony and compatibility, the dialecticians go a step further and assert that the supporters of the metaphysical thinking call upon the various elements of the society to be at peace and on this basis they urge the persecuted not to resist oppressors and to adopt a policy of appeasement and surrender. We again emphasize that all of this is a distortion of the truth. According to the supporters of metaphysical thinking, contradiction in the sense of divergence and the mutual competition of the various elements of nature exists and is necessary for the continuity of Allah's (swt) blessings.
The fourth principle of mutation in nature and of revolution in history is also not a basic characteristic of dialectical thinking. It was never mentioned as a dialectic principles by Hegel, the father of the modern dialectic method of reasoning, nor by Karl Marx. It was recognized as a biological principle of evolution in the Nineteenth century and was later introduced into dialectics by Friedrich Engels. Today it is an accepted principle of biology and is not the exclusive monopoly of any particular school of thought.
The distinctive feature and real basis of this school is two fold. One is the doctrine that ideas, not only external realities have a dialectical nature, meaning that ideas are subject to the above-mentioned four principles. In this respect no other school of thought shares the views of this school. The other distinctive features of this school is that contradiction is interpreted to mean that everything nurtures its antithesis within itself, and is subsequently transformed into it. This antithesis itself passes
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through the same process. This doctrine claims to apply to nature and history both of which, as they put it, pass through contradictions. According to this school evolution means the combination of two opposites, one of which is transformed into the other.
The doctrine of contradiction in the sense of conflict between different parts of nature and their occasional combination is quite old. The new claim of dialectical materialism is that besides the contradiction and conflict between varying parts of nature, contradiction also exists within each part of itself. This contradiction takes the form of a battle between the new progressive factors and the old decadent ones, culminating in the final triumph of the progressive ones. These two features are the corner stone of the dialectical way of thinking.
It is entirely wrong to consider every school upholding the principles of motion and contradiction to be dialectical. Those who have come across the principles of motion, change the contradiction in Islamic teachings have drawn the conclusion that Islamic thinking is also dialectic. This is incorrect. The fact is that according to the dialectical thinking all truths are transient and relative, whereas Islam believes in a series of permanent and eternal truths.
Further, to believe that nature and history move in a triangular from (thesis, antithesis and synthesis) and pass through contradictions ia an essential characteristic of the dialectical way of thinking. Islamic teachings do not approve of this belief.
The supporters of dialectic materialism have created this misconception. They, in discourses which are never free from an element of propaganda, give all non-dialectic thinking the name of metaphysical thinking according to which, as they allege, all parts of nature are motionless, unrelated to each other and free from all sorts of contradiction. They accuse the Aristotelian logic of being based on these very principles. They assert this view with such force that those who have little direct knowledge are often misled.
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Those who are impressed by such statements, if lacking in the knowledge of Islam, easily come to the conclusion that the principle of immobility, lack of interrelation, and absence of contradiction must form the basis of Islamic thinking. They base their arguments on the premises that Islam, being a religious creed, has a metaphysical. Some then conclude that, insofar as metaphysical thinking is based upon these aforementioned three principles, belief in them must be a part of the Islamic way of thinking.
Another group, which is somewhat acquainted with Islamic teachings, presumes that Islamic thinking, not being metaphysical, must be dialectic. As this group recognizes no third alternative, it naturally comes to this conclusion. All this misunderstanding and confusion is the result of under reliance on what the supporters of dialectical materialism attribute to others. We would argue for a moderate path. Evolutionary stages of history are linked with each other by a natural and logical bond. Each stage has its own place and cannot be moved forwards or backwards.
