Imam Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Mahdi (a): Difference between revisions

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 [[Imam al-Husayn (a)|Husayn]]'s progeny. And then with His power, he will reappear as a young man looking younger than 40 years."

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 [[ghusl al-mayyit|wash]] and [[Kafn|enshroud]] his corpse.

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.

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.

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]].

According to different hadiths, [[the Prophet (s)]] has characterized Imam al-Mahdi (a) as being the most similar person to him. Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari (a) also said that Mahdi's look and moral character are the most similar to the Prophet's (s). According to a hadith from [[Imam 'Ali (a)]]: "when al-Mahdi (a) begins his uprising, his age will (seem to) be between 30 to 40".

[[Imam al-Hasan al-Mujtaba (a)]] characterized him as a young person of at most 40 years old with an endless power. [[Imam al-Sadiq (a)]] describes him as a perfect middle-aged (mu'tadil) young man. In a comment on this hadith, [['Allama Majlisi]] said: "mu'tadil" in this hadith means a person in his middle ages or late young ages. In response to [[Abu Salt al-Hirawi]]'s question about the signs of the Reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (a), [[Imam al-Rida (a)]] said: "the sign is that he is very old but he looks young. An observer thinks that he is 40 years old or even younger".

In the book, ''[[Mikyal al-makarim]]'', Imam al-Mahdi (a) is characterized as being handsome, his face shining like the moon. In different hadiths, the details of Imam al-Mahdi's (a) face are mentioned. According to a hadith from the Prophet (s): "Mahdi is from me; he has a broad forehead and a long nose". According to another hadith, the Prophet (a) has characterized Imam al-Mahdi (a) as having an Arabian complexion and an Israelite body, with a mole on his right cheek which shines like a star.

[[Imam al-Baqir (a)]] has quoted his father and ancestor as saying that Imam 'Ali (a) once said on his [[minbar]]: "from my progeny in [[Akhir al-Zaman]], a man will appear whose face is reddish white, whose chest is broad, with strong shoulders and two moles on his back, one with the color of his skin, and the other like that of the Prophet (s)".

# Another way is to consult hadiths which provide independent characterizations of the moral characteristics of Imam al-Mahdi (a). In general, according to Shiite and Sunni hadiths about the moral characteristics of Imam al-Mahdi (a), he is the most modest person towards God and the wisest and the most knowledgeable person.

According to a hadith from [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]], "Mahdi can be known with his solemnity and his knowledge of [[halal]] and [[haram (fiqh)|haram]], as well as people's needing him and him not needing anyone".

[[Imam al-Sadiq (a)]] has characterized him as an extremely ascetic person whose clothes are rough and his food is oat bread. He is hard on the agents of his government, generous to people, and kind to the poor.

[[Imam al-Rida (a)]] describes Imam al-Mahdi's (a) character as follows: "he deserves people more than they deserve themselves and is more passionate for people than their parents. He is more modest than other people towards God, and more hard-working in acting upon his own orders, avoiding his own prohibitions more than others". Also, Imam al-Rida (a) has characterized him as the wisest, the most knowledgeable, the most pious, the most patient, the most generous, and the greatest worshipper who talks with angels.