The practical Point of View
The idea that Al-Mahdi's (as) revolution is an event entirely separate from the period leading up to it has no logical basis. One should not conceive of his revolution as a quantum, passing from one point to another without passing through any of the routes connecting them.
212
To create an efficient examples of our idea, we may quote a few proverbs from various nations. Let us start with an African proverb that says:
It is little by little that a bird builds its nest.
A Japanese proverbs says:
A single arrow is easily broken, but not ten in a bundle.
____________
212. Ibid: pp.74-80
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Although Al-Mahdi (as) is a single person, he will revolt so as to fulfill the expectations of millions of souls around the globe, provided that they all -each and everyone- have started building their own peaceful nest. This idea -that he will accomplish all that which other prophets have struggled for, and that he will fulfill all the people's dreams- is mentioned in many narrations.
We believe that Al-Mahdi's (as) existence as a perfect leader is necessary for this movement, but at the same time one must understand that we as Muslims are expecting the accomplishment of his project in accordance with historical laws. Therefore he will follow a wise plan that will amalgamate all the different ethnic groups and the various cultures in working side by side for the best of humanity. In a Chinese proverb we read:
As long as you don't accept that others are different, then you are far from being a wise man.
Only after the establishment of an institutionalized and methodical program by his followers, will it be possible for him to create the promised peaceful global society. Other Western thinkers expressed something parallel to these ideas. Betrand Russell, the Western thinker and philosopher said:
There is only one way to prevent war, and that is by setting up a single world government which could solely control all the great and important weapons. In my opinion if such a world government is set up, its establishment will be met with agreement and satisfaction in some parts, and must be effected by conquest in other regions. I do not suppose that the human race possesses such an ability and statementship to submit to the establishment of a world government willingly and wholeheartedly. That is why I think that the use of force and pressure is necessary at the outset for its establishment and preservation.
Thus, a great obstacle in the way is the lack of adequate force to stand against the factors which start war and create other disorders. Today the great powers of the world are in the hands of a group of profiteers who sacrifice human needs for their own ends. In order to combat this elite, it is necessary to have a well-informed and
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virtuous leader who will rise with immense power against these forces of oppression. It is impossible for him to create such large-scale social changes alone, and he must be supported by individuals who will prepare for this international movement.
The Dialogue of Civilization and the Peaceful Future
We believe that if the human society is looking for peace, it must act and speak and comprehend according to this goal. A Hungarian proverb says:
If you want peace, don't say anything against it.
It must be mentioned that dialogue is one of the most beneficial methods, that can be exercised by different parties in order to create and achieve a mutual understanding.
After the Soviet Union's collapse many strategic thinkers wanted to replace its position with Islam and Muslims. They presented a theory of "clash of civilization"
213 presuming that the world's conditions still belong to the era of war. I doubt very much that this kind of thinking can contribute or will be helpful in creating a peaceful future. Only a strategic plan that contributes to mutual respect can only save the world from another destructive world war.
We see that, in the beginning of the Twentieth century, some reformists yearned to establish a single universal state under the banner of internationalism. They believed that national borders were the primary cause of war. Such troublesome frontiers, it was argued, should be completely demolished in order to provide a happy peaceful life for the inhabitants of the globe.
The barbaric massacres of the First World War led to the emergence of the League of Nations, in which 26 countries were allied members. The intent of this organization was to avoid war and solve international disputes through talks and sessions. Being an imperfect organization, the League of Nations could not prevent
____________
213. A brainchild of Samuel Huntington.
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the world from becoming embroiled in the Second World War. In the course of the engagements of the Second World War, the idea of establishing an international organization was developed further.
The United Nations organization was then founded by the victors of World War II, the objectives of that organization were explained in its special charter: The great thinkers and statesmen of the world hoped that the UN would become an international parliament and the center of the world state in the future. A group of thinkers in their declaration at the Tokyo congress in 1963, believed that for establishing a just global government one has to focus on the following bodies:
* World Parliament
* High Executive Council
* World Army
* International Supreme Court
Recently the idea of the dialogue of civilization was introduced to the International society by a famous Muslim thinker and politician Muhammed Khatami. While emphasizing the characteristics of Islamic thought, we have seen that the UN General Assembly ratified and named the year 2001 as the year for the "Dialogue of Civilization". The approval of this resolution in the largest international organization is -without exaggeration- the first step towards creating a reciprocal understanding in international relationships. The representatives of countries in the UN who unanimously accepted the Twenty-first century as the century for "dialogue between civilization" have definitely realized a global need for an opportunity to remove the curtains of ambiguity, the main cause of cultural division amongst nations. It is indeed the most vital step towards mutual consideration without which global peace would be impracticable. If this project materializes, it will create a world of tranquility, and replace war and bloodshed with peace and brotherhood for mankind. All these
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imply the bringing about of the Divine Project into existence: the Divine Project of the Messenger of God.
Inspired by this marvelous idea let us read one of the African proverbs, which may shed light on our subject. A Ganda proverb from Uganda says:
"Abayita ababiri, bejjukanya,"214
Meaning: Two who travel together, remind each other.
In this proverb the need for the travelers to remind each other has been emphasized. This case applies to human beings, as they are -in a way- travelers on earth, therefore they need to remind each other.
Q. 37
How is it possible for an individual, however great he might be, to play such a decisive role in the world's future, when it is known that no individual can, by himself, make history?
To restructure the question one may implement a Nigerian proverb that states:
A man cannot sit down alone to plan for prosperity.
Thus it contradicts commonsense if one claims that he alone will be the designer and the executer of global prosperity.
This question is based on a particular viewpoint about history, which explains historical development on the basis where man is only a secondary factor, whereas the main factor consists of the forces which work around him. In this model, man is at best an intelligent interpreter of the interplay of these forces.
It is evident that history has two poles, one of them being man and the other the material forces around him. Just as material forces influence man, such as the conditions of production,
____________
214. Jonathan Musere, African proverb and Proverbial Names, Los Angeles, CA: Ariko Publications, 1999, ISBN 0-9645969-2-X. The proverbial names are: "Bayita" ("they travel through"); and "Bejjukanya" ("they remind each other"). There are some places in Uganda named Nkokonjeru and Abayita-Ababiri. This is the first book that comprehensively illustrate the relationship between African proverb and proverbial names. Though many African personal names are of proverbial origin, the issue has not been adequately researched. Close to 700 Ganda (Uganda) proverbs are heavily explored and referenced. The literature in this book is of the Baganda people of Uganda who from the largest ethnic group in the nation. They have an impressive array of oral and written literature and their language, Luganda. is the most widely spoken local language in Uganda. A mix of such issues as metaphor, wisdom, sarcasm, happiness, misery, humor, past and present modes of human interaction, friendship, enmity, religion and war is communicated in African proverbial language Proverbs and idioms are some of the most efficient windows into African culture. Personal names associated with proverbs serve as milestone reminders of significant happenings in the life or family of the person named.
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similarly man also influences the material forces around him. There is no justification for supposing that action always begins with matter and ends at man. The opposite can also be true. In history, man and matter have always been interacting. If the interacting force of man is Divine then his role in life will also assume the Divine hue, and then it is the Divine Force that directs the course of history.
This has been proven by the history of the mission of the prophets, and especially by the life of history of the last Divine Messenger. Muhammed (saws) who assumed control of the course of history and created a culture which could not have been created by the external circumstances around him. That which was accomplished by the greatest of the prophets can also be accomplished at the hands of the Awaited Savior of his family -the Leader whose appearance has been predicted by the Holy Prophet (saws) and about whose great role mankind has already been informed.
Q. 38
What is our duty during the Occultation of the Imam, as it seems that we have no other choice but to wait passively for the decline and fall of man that will occur before his advent?
The English novelist Aldous Huxley (1894-963) writes: Christ like in may behaviour, Like every good believer, I imitate the Savior.
215 emphasizing that Christians do imitate the Savior. Muslims also follow the through examples of Islam's Prophet Muhammed (saws), and their Savior Al-Mahdi (as). There are similarities between Muslims and Christians, and therefore somebody may claim if we -as believers- cannot make a big difference or a significant change, then there is nothing to be gained by being religious, or to speak about awaiting the hope of Divine Justice.
____________
215. Antic Hay (1923) ch.4
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This assumption is open to discussion. It is based on an incorrect interpretation of what is right and what is wrong, and on the belief that if someone does not treat others with injustice one will become a victim oneself. Both ideas are incorrect. Being passive in front of an enemy who is aggressive and attacking others' rights, and offering him the other cheek is neither justified nor practical. This doctrine makes life impossible creating an unbalanced society and a chaotic environment.
Vegetius, the fifth-century Roman military writer, writes in his Epitoma Reil Militaris: "si vis pacem para bellum", "if you want peace, prepare for war." This has always been the reason for arms build-ups,
216 but it can also be used to prove that peace cannot exist so long as one tolerates injustice, or if one is vulnerable. A Persian proverb states: "Being merciful towards the leopard with sharp teeth is an unjust action towards the sheep and goats."
Thus we can partly agree with the French novelist Marguerite Yourcenar (1903-1987) as she put it in her own way in "Qui n'a pas son minataure?"
Between the role of a savior and that of butcher's accomplice, all I see left for you is the unsavory role of victim.217
For a Muslim who wants to be on the right path, he should neither commit any unjust action nor be a victim himself. In this way, he would be imitating his ideal person and the World's Savior. The Qur'an has encapsulated this superb advice for the Muslim society in the following short verse:
Do not commit injustice, and do not yourself be victim.218
Today, Shi'ism seems to be a school of thought that encourages political-Islamic revival, as in Lebanon, Iraq, Arabia, Pakistan, and elsewhere, or even revolution, as in Iran. At various times, however, Shi'ah thought seems to have supported the status quo. Like nearly every religion, sect, or even political doctrine unfortunately this belief in Al-Mahdi has been used to create
____________
216. NIL Desperandum, Eugene Ehrlich, 208, BCA
217. Qui n'a pas son minataure?, pt.3, 1963
218. Qur'an 2:279
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quietism among Shi'ah communities. And as one outstanding Islamicist has said: "Any religion can be made to mean anything."
219
I believe that this belief could also be misinterpreted so as to create a prison for Muslim minds as well as obstacles for their activities. It could be very much misused to become the imprisonment of mankind by his impropriate idea in the wrong time, which will result in his failure correspondingly, as Ludwig Wittgenstein has said in his own words:
A man will be imprisoned ina room with a door that's unlocked and opens inwards: as long as it does not occur to him to pull rather than push.220
While we think about Al-Mahdi (as) as a Savior who is waiting for the Muslims to take the first steps and make initiatives towards getting their rights, as he would contribute and help them, one can wrongly interpret it in a way so as to paralyze the Muslims awakening and political struggle for their justified goals. A London student writes:
Someone might say, I will just sit and wait, not moving a muscle for the sake of Islam. If you look at any hadith narrated from the Prophet, it always has a deeper meaning to it, one can not understand them through their literal meaning alone, every word has a lesson for us to learn, and waiting needs anticipation and expectation and so on. We know that everything we want in life comes through hard work and striving. Sitting and waiting in the literal sense is wrong, even if the majority of people do that. We must have initiative, endeavor, strive, work hard and fight back in order to safeguard our belief and way of life.221
If a teenager can understand his duties during the period of Occultation, we can see there is little excuse for the Islamic scholar to shirk his responsibilities while the Imam is absent.
We believe -as it has been explicitly stated in "The Faith of Shi'ah Islam", by the late Ayatullah M. Ridha Al-Muzaffar- that the expectation of the Savior and Reformer, Al-Mahdi (as), does not mean that Muslims should sit idle and abandon their religious
____________
219. Ed.: Hooghund, Eric and Nikki R. Keddi, The Iranian Revolution of the Islamic Republic, p.113, Syracuse: Syracuse University Press
220. Wittgenstein, Ludwig Josef Johann (1889-1951), was born in Wien, on 26 April, 1889, died in Cambridge on 29 April, 1951. He is an Austrian-British philosopher, who is one of the most influential thinkers in the 20th century. He is especially known for his linguistics philosophy.
221. ICAS student newsletter, Vol.2, Issue 3
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obligations. Rather, it is incumbent upon them to obey Divine laws and endeavor to uphold the truth, wage holy war (jihad) for the sake of God, preach Islamic principles, perform noble deeds and restrain others from doing forbidden acts. Hence, every Muslim should always consider himself responsible and should follow Divine laws. He should make proper efforts to propagate the religion to the people and should not, as far as possible, forsake doing good deeds and restraining others from evil. As the Holy Prophet (saws) said: "All of you are guides to one another and responsible for reforming one another."
222
When the Shi'ah believe in Al-Mahdi (as) and are awaiting his reappearance, they follow a hope which impels them to struggle and bring his reappearance into being. Expectation of solace and the cherishing of a hope for the future can be divided into two kinds. One is constructive and dynamic, and is an act of virtue. The other is destructive and paralyzing, and is a sin that is on a par with other forms of licentiousness. These two kinds of expectation are the direct result of two divergent notions of the appearance concerning the promised Al-Mahdi (as).
It is not suitable for any Muslim to forsake his well-defined duties and to wait for the Savior, because by merely having a belief in the savior, a man is not released from his negligence, indifference, and apathy towards Islam. Otherwise he will be like a sheep without a shepherd.
223
During the period of the Occultation, it is our duty to expect the Awaited Imam. We must device systems of social development based on the Holy Qur'an and present them to the world. We must prove the excellence and efficacy of Divine laws to the people and attract their attention to the Divine system. We must fight superstitions and false beliefs and pave the way for the establishment of the Islamic world government in the light of the teaching of the Holy Qur'an and traditions of the Holy Prophet (saws). We must chalk out a program for solving the world's problems and put it at the disposal of world reformers. We must enlighten the thoughts of the people of the world and at the same
____________
222. Muzaffar, Muhammed Ridha, The Faith of Shi'a Islam. p.74, Islamic Seminary Publications, 1985
223. Ibid.
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time, prepare ourselves to receive the Awaited Imam and the emergence of a just world government.
224
There are many duties that are advised for a Muslim in this period, and these duties have particularly been narrated in both Shi'ah and Sunni sources:
* To establish firm belief in his reappearance
225, despair of which is prohibited.
226
* To expect his reappearance at any time.
227
* To be patient by practicing the true religion.
228
* To save the pure religion and Shari'ah from distortion.
229
* To stay wise while presenting the message of Allah (taqiah).
230
* To learn Shari'ah and Islamic jurisprudence, and follow the Divine Knowledge.
231
* To follow the advice and rules off the Qur'an and (Ahl ul-Bayt) Household of the Prophet (as).
232
* To keep firm allegiance to the Imam, and know his attributes.
233
* To ask Allah (swt) to know the Imam and his followers.
234
* To forsake and stand against the leaders of Hell.
235
* To keep one's distance from the impostors and false claimants.
236
* To pray to Allah (swt), and work hard for Al-Mahdi's (as) imminent reappearance.
237
* During the long period of the Occultation, one's heart must not be hardened.
238
Summary
In this chapter we have first explained the rational meaning of Occultation and tried to shed some light on it from a historical angle, whilst refuting any kind of mythological interpretation of
____________
224. As-Sadr, Sayyid Muhammed Baqir, The Awaited Saviour, pp.57-58, London: Al-Khoi foundation, 1996
225. Here are many references of both Shi'ah and Sunni sources:
Ar-raud ul-anif, Abu Al-qassim As-souhayli, Vol.2, 431.
I'qdu dourer, Al-Maqdessi, 157.
Al-qawli Moukhtasar, Ibn Hajar, 2.
Al-Hawi lil fatawa. As-sutti, Vol.2, p.83.
Faraid al-simtain, Aj-juni As-shafe'i, Vol.2, p.334.
226. S.M.T. Al-asfahni, Mekial Al-makarem fi fawaid idu'ah lil-qai'm, Vol.2, pp.157-162, Qum, Iran
227. As-Sadr, Sayyid Muhammed Baqir, The Awaited Saviour, pp.341-342, London: Al-Khoi foundation, 1996
228. Kamal Ad-Deen, Vol.2, p.358
229. There are many references to this duty:
Tareek al-boukhari, Vol.4, p.130
Heliat ul-awlia, Abu Na'eem, Vol.1, p.25
Rabiu' ul-abrar, Az-zamakhshari, Vol.1, p.768
Jam al-Jowami', Vol.1, 23
230. An-no'umani, Al-Ghaybah, p.186
231. The references for this duty:
Sahih Al-Boukhari, Vol.9, 167
Mussnad Ahmed, Vol.4, 101
Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol.2, 1305
Al-Mou'jam Al-Kabuer, At-tabarani, Vol.8, 278
Kanz Al-ou'mal, Al-Hindi, Vol.11, 125
Faydh ul-Qadeer, Vol.4, 101
232. The references for this duty:
Al-Mou'jam As-sagheer, A-tabarani, Vol.1, 264
Heliat ul-Awlia'a, Abu Na'im, Vol.5, 165-166.
Tareekh Baghdad, Al-Khateeb, Vol.3, 398
Amali as-Shajari, As-shajari, Vol.2, 275
Kanz Al-ou'mal, Al-Hindi, Vol.1, 216
233. The references for this duty:
Kamal Ad-Deen, Vol.1, p.286
Al-Ghaybah, At-tousy, p.275
Al-qara'ij, Al-qutub Ar-rawandi, Vol.3, 1148
Bihar Al-anwar, Vol.5, p.72
234. The references for this duty:
Jamal Al-ousbou', Ibn Tawus. p.315
Mekial Al-Mekarem, S.M.T. As-fehani. Vol.2, 84
Kamal Ad-Deen, Vol.2, p.512
235. The references for this dutY:
Sahih Muslim Vol.3, 1480
Sunan Abu Dawud, Vol.4, p.242
Sunan At-termedhi, Vol.4, p.529
Musnad Ahmed, Vol.6, p.295, 302, 321
Sunan Al-Bayheqi, Vol.8, pp.157-158
Al-Mou'jam Al-Kabeer At-tabarani Vol.1 39
Al-Moustadrak Al-hakim An-nisabouri, Vol.3, 356-357
Majma'h Az-zoua'id Al-Haythami, Vol.5, 227
Kanz Al-ou'mal Al-Hindi, Vol.6, pp.67-68
236. The references for this duty:
Mousnad Ahmed, Vol.5, p.389
Kashf al-astar, Al-Haythemi, Vol.7, p.325
Al-Ghaybahh, Al-toussy, p.266
Kamal Ad-deen, Vol.2, p.347
Al-Kafi, Vol.1, 338
Al-Ghaybah, Al-nou'mani, p.151
Ethbat il-wassiah, Al-Massoudi, p.224
Dala'il al-imamah, Al-tabri, p.291
237. The references for this duty:
Sunan At-termedhi, Vol.5, p.565
Al-Mou'am Al-Kabeer, At-tabarani, Vol.10, p.124
Al-Kamel, Ibn Ouday, Vol.2, p.154
Tareekh Baghdad, Al-Khateeb, Vol.2, p.140
Al-Mesabeeh, Al-Baghawi, Vol.2, p.140
Tafseer Al-a'iashi, Vol.2, p.154
Bihar al-anwar, Vol.52, pp.131-132
238. The references for this duty:
Al-Ghaybah, Al-nou'mani, pp.6 & 24
Al-Mahajah, Al-Bahrani, pp.219-220
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this belief. After this we have presented some of the arguments used by those who reject the idea of Al-Mahdi (as). We tried to answer their critique whilst presenting similar notions of a religious reformist as held by other religions. After that our attempt was to give a profound and professional reply to those trying to find an ulterior motive for the Shi'ah faith in Al-Mahdi (as), or those who try to refute it through guesswork or unfounded assumptions. We discussed also the possibility of establishing a global, just government from both a theoretical and practical point of view. We have finally tried to expound the advice given by the Imams to Muslims in general and to their followers in particular.
Now at the end of this chapter I would like to invite the reader to read this poem with the title "Savior, Sprinkle Many Nations" by Arthur Cleveland Coxe, (1851). Coxe began writing these words on Good Friday, 1850, but did not finish them until the next year, at Magdalen College, Oxford, England. They were first published in Verses for 1851, In Commemoration of the Third Jubilee of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, by Ernest Hawkins. He wrote:
Savior, sprinkle many nations
Savior, sprinke many nations;
Fruitful let Thy sorrows be;
By They pains and consolations
Draw the Gentiles unto thee!
Savior, lo! the isles are waiting
Stretched the hand and strained the sight,
For Thy Spirit, new creating,
Love's pure flame, and wisdom's light.239
____________
239. http://tch.simplenet.com/htm/s/sprinkle.htm
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Chapter Four
Appearance - The Victory
Allah has promised those of you who believe and do good that He will most certainly make them rulers on the earth as He made rulers out of those who came before them, and that He will most certainly establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them, and that he will most certainly, after their fear, give them security in exchange they shall serve Me, not associating ought with Me (Qur'an 17:55).
Human belief in a better future has many features. In our time this may differ in its manifestations, but will nevertheless share a similar foundation. Even those who use different prophecies to promote their own interests are in one way or another looking to have an ideal society based on their own norms and ideologies.
Islam have never encouraged its followers to believe or even pay attention to any form of prediction, especially of the astrological variety. The promise of God (swt) should not be confused with the ramblings of someone such as Nostradamus. Though God (swt) has promised man a peaceful future, there are many groups which attempt to give a dark and obscure picture of the future of mankind. Most of these groups make use of Nostradamus' quatrains (four-line verses).
Analyzing Astrological Aspects
Michel Nostradamus was a Sixteenth century French Physician and astrologer. His modern followers see him as a prophet. His prophecies have a material quality for those who study them: they are muddled and obscure before the predicted event, but become crystal clear after the event has occurred. Nostradamus wrote quatrains in Centuries, i. e. groups of 100 years. Skeptics consider the prophecies of Nostradamus to be mainly gibberish. For example:
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"L'an mil neuf cens nonante neuf mois Du ciel viendra grand Roy deffraieur Resusciter le grand Roy d' Angolmois. Avant apres Mars regner par bon heur."
"The year 1999 seven months,
From the sky will come the great King of Terror.
To resuscitate the great King of the Mongols.
Before and after Mars reigns by good luck. (X-72)"
The homepage of the Skeptic Dictionary had an explanation about this quatrain, which was written before that data:
If something falls from the sky in July, 1999, you can bet Nostradamus will be credited for predicting it, even if nobody can figure out who this mongol King might be. In fact, if anything interesting happens in the sky in June, July, or August, it will be close enough for the true believer to consider it to be Nostradamus' gift of prediction.
There are two reactions towards these quatrains:
The skeptical group: This group believes that these predictions were so muddled and obscure that they could either make it fit any interpretation, or be dismissed as nothing. Skeptics, such as James Randi, usually cast doubt upon the interpretation of Nostradamus' quatrains.
The primordial group: This group believes unconditionally in these quatrains. They decode every word and every sentence as they like, so that the original text complies with their ideas and wishes. An example of this group is -among other believers- Erika Cheetham, who believes that Nostradamus foresaw the invention of bombs, rockets, submarines, and airplanes. He's also credited with predicting the Great Fire of London (1666) and the rise of Adolph Hitler and many other wonders. They believe he predicted the invention of the space shuttle when he says:
"D 'humain troupeau neuf seront mis a'part,
De iugement & conseil separez:
Leur sort sera diuise' en depart,
Kappa, Thita, Lambda mors bannis esgarez."
"From the human flock nine will be sent away,
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separated from judgement and counsel:
Their fate will be sealed on departure
Kappa, Thita, Lambda the banished dead err."
Thiokol is the man who made the defective O-ring that is blamed for the disaster. The name has a 'k', 'th' and an 'l'. This seems in contrast to the first group who believes that there were seven who died, not nine, and the rest is vague enough to fit many different scenarios.
240 One should ignore these sorts of silly prophecies, and instead focus on those that come from a truly Divine sources.
____________
240. The skeptics Dictionary, Robert Todd Carroll. http://wheel.den.davis.ca.us
