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There is no hadith about how Imam al-Zaman (a) will die or be martyred. Some scholars appeal to the well-known view that all the Imams (a) are martyred (based on a hadith according to which, "all of us will either be killed or poisoned", and thus, argue that Imam al-Zaman (a) will be martyred at the end of his government. According to the [[Imamiyya]], after the demise of Imam al-Zaman (a), there will be a [[Raj'a]] (return of the dead). [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] will be the first person who will return to this world. He will say the [[Funeral Prayer]] for Imam al-Mahdi (a), and [[ghusl al-mayyit|wash]] and [[Kafn|enshroud]] his corpse.
There is no hadith about how Imam al-Zaman (a) will die or be martyred. Some scholars appeal to the well-known view that all the Imams (a) are martyred (based on a hadith according to which, "all of us will either be killed or poisoned", and thus, argue that Imam al-Zaman (a) will be martyred at the end of his government. According to the [[Imamiyya]], after the demise of Imam al-Zaman (a), there will be a [[Raj'a]] (return of the dead). [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] will be the first person who will return to this world. He will say the [[Funeral Prayer]] for Imam al-Mahdi (a), and [[ghusl al-mayyit|wash]] and [[Kafn|enshroud]] his corpse.
==Place of Residence==
===Place of Birth and Residence before the Occultation===
Since his birth until the beginning of the [[Minor Occultation]], Imam al-Mahdi (a) lived in his place of birth, [[Samarra]]. In this period, he lived and worshipped in the cellar (sardab). According to some reports, he was frequently seen in this place during his father's life. Some researchers believe that he attended the [[hajj]] rituals together with his father in the last years of his life, and then he hid in [[Medina]]. This view is not consonant with Shiite historical sources.
===Place of Residence in the Period of Occultation===
According to some hadiths, the place of Imam al-Zaman's (aj) residence during the [[Occultation]] is unknown. However, some other hadiths point to places such as [[Mount Dhi Tuwa]], [[Mount Radwi]], and [[Tayba]] ([[Medina]]) as places in which Imam al-Zaman (a) lives during the Occultation. Since his [[Four Deputies]] had contacts with him during the [[Minor Occultation]], it can be said that in at least some parts of the Minor Occultation, the Imam (a) lived in [[Iraq]].
Ibn Qayyim al-Jawzi and Ibn Khaldun have attributed to the Shi'as the belief that Imam al-Zaman (a) lives in the cellar during his Occultation and will reappear from there. However, such a belief cannot be found in Shiite books. They do sanctify the cellar because Imam al-Zaman (a) lived and worshipped there during his father's life.
===Place of Reappearance, Uprising, Government, and Life (after Reappearance)===
There is no precise information about the place of the [[Reappearance]] of Imam al-Zaman (a). According to a hadith, he will reappear in Dhi Tuwa area. And then he and 313 of his companions will go to [[Mecca]], he will lean towards the [[Black Stone]], and will shake his flag. According to this hadith as well as some others, Imam al-Zaman (a) will begin his uprising from [[Masjid al-Haram]] and his companions will pledge their allegiance to him between the [[Rukn]] and [[Maqam]]. According to some hadiths, Tihamah is where Imam al-Zaman (a) will begin his uprising. "Tihamah" also refers to Mecca (which is part of it).
According to some other hadiths, the center of Imam al-Zaman's (a) government will be [[Kufa]], the center of his judiciary will be the [[Mosque of Kufa]], and the [[Mosque of Sahla]] will be the place where he will reside and distribute the [[Treasury|Bayt al-Mal]].


==Imamate==
==Imamate==

Revision as of 21:01, 15 May 2017

Muhammad b. al-Hasan
12th Shi'a Imam
al-Mahdi
Bornc. (869-08-02)2 August 869 CE
(Sha'ban 15, 255 AH)
BirthplaceSamarra, Iraq
Beginning of ImamateRabi' I 8, 260/ January 5, 874- present
Fatheral-Hasan b. 'Ali al-'Askari (a)
MotherNarjis
Other TitlesAl-Qa'im (rising one),

Wali al-'Asr (guardian of the age),

Imam al-Zaman (Imam of the time)
The Twelve Imams
'Ali, al-Hasan, al-Husayn, al-Sajjad, al-Baqir, al-Sadiq, al-Kazim, al-Rida, al-Taqi, al-Hadi, al-'Askari, al-Mahdi

Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-'Askarī (Arabic: محمد بن الحسن العسکری) (born in 255/869), also known as Imam al-Mahdi (a) ( إمام المهدی), is the twelfth Imam in Twelver Shi'ism. He is the promised savior, who will rise one day and fill the earth with peace and justice. Imam al-Mahdi (a) has been in occultation from the early years of his life. Shi'as regard him as the Imam of the present age. Among his well-known titles are Imam al-Zaman (the Imam of the time) and Wali l-'Asr (the guardian of the age).

Imam al-Mahdi (a) became the Imam after the demise of his father Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari (a) in the year 260/874, when he was five. From that time until the year 329/940, he was in contact with his followers through his Four Deputies. After that, his Major Occultation started, in which period the direct guidance and leadership of the Shi'a community rests with religious scholars.

There are many hadiths transmitted from the Imams (a) about Imam al-Mahdi (a), his life, his Occultation, and his government, and many collections of such hadiths have been written. In addition to hadith collections, many works have been published about Imam al-Mahdi (a).

Every year, on Sha'ban 15, Shi'as celebrate the Imam's birth, marking one of the greatest Shi'i festivals.

The possibility of meeting the Imam (a) during his Major Occultation, when and how he reappears, and the incidents related to his reappearance are some of the popular discussions among Shi'as.

Lineage and Birth

In Shi'a hadiths, the Twelfth Imam (a) is referred to by names such as Muhammad, Ahmad, and 'Abd Allah. However, among the Shi'as he is most famously referred to as al-Mahdi which is one of his titles.

According to a number of hadiths, he is the Prophet (s)'s namesake. In some hadiths and written Shiite sources, such as al-Kafi and Kamal al-din, his name is written with separate letters as "م ح م د" (M Ḥ M D). This is in accordance with hadiths forbidding any mention of Imam al-Mahdi's (a) name.

Prohibition of Mentioning his Name

There are many hadiths in Shiite sources according to which it is forbidden to mention the Twelfth Imam's (a) real name. There are two well-known theories about these hadiths: the first view, which is propounded by scholars such as al-Sayyid al-Murtada, al-Fadil al-Miqdad, al-Muhaqqiq al-Hilli, and others, restricts the ban to the period in which the Shi'as had to practice Taqiyya (dissimulation). However, Mir Damad and al-Muhaddith al-Nuri take the ban to be in force before the Reappearance.

Kunyas and Titles

In different sources, supplications, and ziyaras, the Twelfth Imam of the Shi'as is characterized with different kunyas and titles, the best-known of which are: al-Mahdi (المَهدی, guided), Ṣāḥib al-Zamān (صاحب الزمان, the owner of the time), Muntaẓar (مُنتَظَر, expected), Baqīyyat Allāh (بَقیّة الله, what remains with Allah), Muntaqim (مُنتَقِم, avenger), Maw'ūd (مَوعود, promised), Khātam al-Awṣīyā' (خاتَم الأوصیاء, the last successor), Ghā'ib (غائب, hidden), Ma'mūl (مأمول, hoped), and Muḍṭarr (مُضطرّ, distressed). Another well-known title of Imam al-Zaman (a) is "Qa'im" (قائم, upriser or standing) upon the hearing of which the Shi'as stand up and put their hands on their heads, as practiced by Imam al-Rida (a).

The names and titles of the Twelfth Shiite Imam (a) are mentioned in Sunni sources as well. In these source, "al-Mahdi" is the mostly mentioned title. The title "Qa'im" is rarely found in Sunni sources.

Imam al-Zaman's (a) Mother

Imam al-Zaman's (a) mother is referred to in different ways: Narjis, Susan, Saqil or Sayqal, Haditha, Hakima, Malika, Rayhana, and Khamt. In general, there are four accounts of her life and characteristics. According to a hadith cited by al-Shaykh al-Saduq in his Kamal al-din wa tamam al-ni'ma, Imam al-Zaman's (a) mother was a Roman princess. And in other hadiths, her life story is not mentioned and it is only said that she was trained and raised in the house of Hakima, the daughter of Imam al-Jawad (a). According to a third group of hadiths (cited by al-Mas'udi in his Ithbat al-wasiyya), Imam al-Zaman's (a) mother was not only raised in the house of Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari (a)'s paternal aunt, but was also born there. The last group of hadiths has a fundamental difference with these three groups. According to these hadiths, Imam al-Zaman's (a) mother was a black bondwoman. The first three groups of hadiths can be considered as complementary, but the last one cannot be reconciled with them. However, some scholars have tried to reconcile the last group of hadiths with others by taking it to be concerned with Imam al-Zaman's (a) nurse.

Time of Birth

Some old sources did not talk about the birth date of Imam al-Mahdi (a), taking it to be a secret. However, many Shiite and some Sunni hadiths take the year of the Twelfth Shiite Imam (a) to be 255/869 or 256/870.

There is also a disagreement about the month in which the Imam (a) was born. The majority of scholars take it to be Sha'ban as is evidenced by many old Shiite sources. However, some Shiite and Sunni sources take it to Ramadan, and some Sunni sources take it to be Rabi' I or Rabi' II.

In historical sources, there are different accounts of the day on which the Twelfth Imam (a) was born, the best-known of which is Sha'ban 15th.

Place of Birth

Historians who talked about the issue agree that Imam al-Zaman (a) was born in the house of his father, Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari (a), in Samarra. The house is now part of the shrine of Imam al-Hadi (a) and Imam al-'Askari (a). Imam al-Hadi (a) and Imam al-'Askari (a) were summoned to Samarra, the center of the Abbasid Caliphate, years before the birth of Imam al-Zaman (a) and lived there until they were martyred.

Secret Birth

Abbasid caliphs knew from the hadiths by the Prophet (s) and the Imams (a) that the Twelfth Imam was al-Mahdi, and thus, they assigned some guards to monitor Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari (a) and his house. According to historians, al-Mu'tamid al-'Abbasi had ordered the midwives to drop by sadat's houses, especially the house of Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari (a), search inside the house, learn about his wife, and report him about it.

The birth of Imam al-Zaman (a) was hidden from people. The secrecy of his birth and its reasons are mentioned in some hadiths. According to a hadith from Imam al-Sajjad (a), "our Qa'im bears some traditions of the prophets. A tradition from Abraham (a) is the secrecy of his birth and his isolation from the people". And according to a hadith from Imam al-Sadiq (a), "the birth of Sahib al-Amr is hidden from the people until he reappears. This is in order for him not to have to pledge allegiance to anyone".

Sunni Accounts

Some Sunni scholars have reported the birth of Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari's (a) son, but they are silent about the son being the promised Mahdi: some examples are Ibn Athir (d. 630/1232) in his al-Kamil fi l-tarikh, Ibn Khallikan (d. 681/1282) in his Wafiyyat al-a'yan, and al-Dhahabi (d. 748/1347) in his al-'Ibar. Other Sunni scholars have, in addition to reporting his birth, pointed to his being the promised Mahdi as well, such as Ibn Talha al-Shafi'i (d. 652/1254) in his Matalib al-su'ul and Ibn Sabbagh al-Maliki (d. 855/1451) in his al-Fusul al-muhimma.

Shi'as' Awareness of the Birth

After Imam al-Zaman's (a) birth, some Shi'as who were close and reliable companions of Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari (a) saw Imam al-Zaman (a). Al-Shaykh al-Mufid mentions some Shi'as who saw Imam al-Zaman (a) during the life of Imam al-'Askari (a): Muhammad b. Isma'il b. Musa b. Ja'far (a), Hakima bt. al-Imam al-Jawad (a), Abu 'Ali b. Mutahhar, 'Amr al-Ahwazi, and Abu Nasr al-Turayf, the servant of Imam al-'Askari (a).

For example, according to a hadith, Muhammad b. 'Uthman al-'Amri and 40 other people were in Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari's (a) house. The Imam (a) showed his son to them and said: "this is your Imam after me and my successor among you. Obey him and do not dispute about your religion. Otherwise you will be disorganized and you will never see him again".

A similar hadith is cited by al-Shaykh al-Tusi. He also mentioned other people who saw Imam al-Mahdi (a) in the meeting: 'Ali b. Bilal, Ahmad b. Bilal, Muhammad b. Mu'awiya b. Hakim, and Hasan b. Ayyub b. Nuh.

Al-Shaykh al-Mufid also refers to other people, such as Abu 'Umar 'Uthman b. Sa'id al-Samman and his son, Abu Ja'far Muhammad b. 'Uthman, who saw Imam al-Zaman (a) during the life of his father. Imam al-Zaman (a) was also seen during the life of Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari (a) by people from Banu al-Rahba family from Nusaybin, Banu Sa'id, Banu Mahziyar from Ahvaz, Banu al-Rukuli from Kufa, Banu Nawbakht from Baghdad, and a group of people from Qazvin, Qom, and Jibal.


After the Demise of Imam al-'Askari (a)

When the caliph of the time, al-Mu'tamid al-'Abbasi, learned about Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari's (a) illness, he sent 5 of his reliable officers to the Imam's (a) house in order to monitor him. Also, al-Mu'tamid ordered his Grand Judge to commission 10 reliable people to monitor Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari (a).

In his will, Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari (a) gave all his property to his mother, Hudayth, although the Abbasids did not allow the whole property to be given to Hudayth. They gave half of the property to Ja'far b. 'Ali b. Muhammad, Imam al-Zaman's (a) uncle.

After Imam al-Hasan al-'Askaris (a) demise, the Abbasid caliph sent a group of agents to his house. They shut down the house and confiscated the Imams (a) property. They looked for the Imam's (a) son, examined the Imam's (a) wives and bondwomen for pregnancy, and arrested a heavy bondwoman who was suspected to be pregnant. She was monitored for 2 years and was released after that.

Long Life

Imam al-Zaman (a) was born in 255/869 about 12 centuries ago. This longevity is not comparable to that of ordinary people. Shiite theologians have provided different replies to questions about the extraordinary longevity of Imam al-Zaman (a), Shiite theologians.

Empirical Responses

Biologists take it possible for human beings to live long lives. Lutf Allah Safi Gulpayigani has cited many western scientists who have claimed that, biologically speaking, a human organism can live 800 to 1000 years.

Philosophical Responses

Possibility of Occurrence Miracle: Imam al-Zaman's (a) long life is a miracle and an extraordinary event.

With the Divine Will, a human person can have a long or permanent life.

The human soul is in control of the body. If the soul is so powerful that it can have wilaya on the body, in addition to the control, then it can keep the body alive for a longer time.

According to the Qur'an, the prophet 'Uzayr's food and drink stayed fresh after 100 years although the food and drink do not have souls. Thus, a fortiori a human person with a soul can have an extraordinarily long life.

According to historical accounts, there were people who lived longer lives than other people.

Scriptures

The Torah, the Gospel, and the Qur'an have pointed to people who had longer lives than ordinary people. According to the Qur'an, Noah's mission as a prophet lasted for 950 years. It also mentions people with long lives in earlier nations.

Hadiths

Some hadiths have also pointed to the long life of Imam al-Zaman (a). For example, there is a hadith from Imam al-Sajjad (a) according to which: "our Qa'im bears traditions from the prophets. His tradition from Adam and Noah is his long life." Imam al-Sadiq (a) has also assimilated Imam al-Zaman (a) to Ibrahim (a) who lived for 120 years, but was like a 30-year-old young man. According to a hadith from Imam al-Hasan (a), "God will give a long life to the ninth child from my brother Husayn's progeny. And then with His power, he will reappear as a young man looking younger than 40 years."

End of Life

After his uprising in Akhir al-Zaman, Imam al-Zaman (a) will rule the world. According to hadiths, the period of his reign is from 7 to 303 years. In most of the Sunni hadiths, the period is 7 years, and in Shiite hadiths, it is mostly over 10 years. According to some Shiite hadiths, his reign will be 7 years with each year being equal to 10 or 20 years. According to other hadiths, the length of the reign depends on the Divine Will, and so it is not known. The most popular view among the Shi'as is 19 years.

There is no hadith about how Imam al-Zaman (a) will die or be martyred. Some scholars appeal to the well-known view that all the Imams (a) are martyred (based on a hadith according to which, "all of us will either be killed or poisoned", and thus, argue that Imam al-Zaman (a) will be martyred at the end of his government. According to the Imamiyya, after the demise of Imam al-Zaman (a), there will be a Raj'a (return of the dead). Imam al-Husayn (a) will be the first person who will return to this world. He will say the Funeral Prayer for Imam al-Mahdi (a), and wash and enshroud his corpse.

Place of Residence

Place of Birth and Residence before the Occultation

Since his birth until the beginning of the Minor Occultation, Imam al-Mahdi (a) lived in his place of birth, Samarra. In this period, he lived and worshipped in the cellar (sardab). According to some reports, he was frequently seen in this place during his father's life. Some researchers believe that he attended the hajj rituals together with his father in the last years of his life, and then he hid in Medina. This view is not consonant with Shiite historical sources.

Place of Residence in the Period of Occultation

According to some hadiths, the place of Imam al-Zaman's (aj) residence during the Occultation is unknown. However, some other hadiths point to places such as Mount Dhi Tuwa, Mount Radwi, and Tayba (Medina) as places in which Imam al-Zaman (a) lives during the Occultation. Since his Four Deputies had contacts with him during the Minor Occultation, it can be said that in at least some parts of the Minor Occultation, the Imam (a) lived in Iraq.

Ibn Qayyim al-Jawzi and Ibn Khaldun have attributed to the Shi'as the belief that Imam al-Zaman (a) lives in the cellar during his Occultation and will reappear from there. However, such a belief cannot be found in Shiite books. They do sanctify the cellar because Imam al-Zaman (a) lived and worshipped there during his father's life.

Place of Reappearance, Uprising, Government, and Life (after Reappearance)

There is no precise information about the place of the Reappearance of Imam al-Zaman (a). According to a hadith, he will reappear in Dhi Tuwa area. And then he and 313 of his companions will go to Mecca, he will lean towards the Black Stone, and will shake his flag. According to this hadith as well as some others, Imam al-Zaman (a) will begin his uprising from Masjid al-Haram and his companions will pledge their allegiance to him between the Rukn and Maqam. According to some hadiths, Tihamah is where Imam al-Zaman (a) will begin his uprising. "Tihamah" also refers to Mecca (which is part of it).

According to some other hadiths, the center of Imam al-Zaman's (a) government will be Kufa, the center of his judiciary will be the Mosque of Kufa, and the Mosque of Sahla will be the place where he will reside and distribute the Bayt al-Mal.

Imamate

According to Shi'i hadiths, the beginning of the imamate of Imam al-Mahdi (a) was when he was five. God bestowed upon him the qualifications needed for imamate at that young age, just as Yahya (a) was given wisdom in his childhood, and Jesus (a) was chosen as a prophet when he was an infant.

Hadiths from the Prophet (s) and Imams (a) mention the imamate of Imam al-Mahdi (a). His father, Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari (a), specifically showed him to his trusted Shi'a and announced his imamate.

Believing in a savior is not exclusive to the Shi'a or Muslims. Many religions and sects also maintain similar beliefs. The difference between Twelver Shi'ism and the other religious traditions is the belief in a specific person, who was born in 255/869 and is still alive, as the awaited savior.

Narration from the Prophet (s)

Shi'a Sources

Among the hadiths of the Prophet (s) pointing to the imamate of the twelfth Imam, recorded in Shi'i sources, is the hadith in which the Prophet (s) says to Imam al-Husayn (a), "You are the master, the son of the master; you are the Imam son of the Imam; you are the Proof son of a Proof; you are the father of nine Proofs from your progeny, the ninth of whom is the Riser (al-Qa'im)."

Sunni Sources

"Mahdi is from my family, from the descendants of Fatima.'"

"Mahdi is from us, Ahl al-Bayt."

"If only one day remains before the world ends, God will raise a man from my family who will fill the earth with justice, while it has become full of injustice and oppression."

In a hadith recorded in al-Khwarazmi's Maqtal, the Prophet (s) declares the names of the Twelve Imams one by one and mentions Imam al-Mahdi (a) as the last Imam.

Narrations from the Imams (a)

Among the hadiths of the Imams (a), a hadith attributed to Imam 'Ali (a) states, "Know that by God, my two sons [[[al-Hasan (a)]] and al-Husayn (a)] and I will be murdered, and God will surely raise at the end of the time a man from my descendants who will revenge for us. He will be hidden from people so that the misguided should be known, [and his occultation will be prolonged] until the ignorant will say, 'God does not need the family of Muhammad [s]'."

A hadith from Imam al-Baqir (a) states, "After al-Husayn b. 'Ali (a), there will be nine imams, the ninth of whom is the Riser."

Occultation

Several hadiths predicted the birth and occultation of Imam al-Mahdi (a), before his birth. Many hadiths also speak about his rule. According to these hadiths, he is the Imam who will rise by God's command and establish a universal rule. Before his uprising, he has two periods of occultation, one of which is longer than the other. The Minor Occultation started from the birth of the Imam until 329/940, when the last "special deputy" of the Imam (a) passed away. After that, the Major Occultation started, which will end when he will rise against the injustice and oppression that fills the world.

Further Reading

See Also

References