The promised Mahdi, who is usually mentioned by his title of Imamu'l-`Asr (the Imam of the Period) and Sahibu'z-Zaman (the Lord of the Age), is the son of the Eleventh Imam. His name is the same as that of the Holy Prophet. He was born in Samarra' in 255/869 and until 260/874 when his father was martyred, lived under his father's care and tutelage. He was hidden from public view and only a few of the elite among the Shi'ah were able to meet him.چکیده:
The promised Mahdi, who is usually mentioned by his title of Imamu'l-`Asr (the Imam of the Period) and Sahibu'z-Zaman (the Lord of the Age), is the son of the Eleventh Imam. His name is the same as that of the Holy Prophet. He was born in Samarra' in 255/869 and until 260/874 when his father was martyred, lived under his father's care and tutelage. He was hidden from public view and only a few of the elite among the Shi'ah were able to meet him.
After the martyrdom of his father he became Imam and by Divine Command went into occultation (ghaybah). Thereafter, he appeared only to his deputies (na'ib) and even then only in exceptional circumstances.
The Imam chose as a special deputy for a time `Uthman ibn Said al-`Amri, one of the companions of his father and grandfather who was his confident and trusted friend. Through his deputy the Imam would answer the demands and questions of the Shi'ah. After `Uthman ibn Said, his son Muhammad ibn `Uthman al`Amri was appointed the deputy of the Imam. After the death of Muhammad ibn `Uthman, Abu'l-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Ruh an-Nawbakhti was the special deputy, and after his death Ali ibn Muhammad as-Samuri was chosen for this task.
A few days before the death of Ali ibn Muhammad as-Samuri in 329/939 an order was issued by the Imam stating that in six days `Ali ibn Muhammad as-Samuri would die. Henceforth the special deputation of the Imam would come to an end and the major occultation (ghaybatu'1-kubra) would begin and would continue until the day God grants permission to the Imam to manifest himself.
The occultation of the Twelfth Imam is, therefore, divided into two parts: the first, the minor occultation (ghaybatu's-sughra) which began in 260/872 and ended in 329/939, lasting about seventy years; the second, the major occultation which commenced in 329/939 and will continue as long as God wills it.
There are some reasons mentioned in in some hadiths for the occultation of Imam Mahdi but the real reason behind his occultation has not been revealed to us. According to Islamic narrations, the reason behind this matter will remain a secret until the Imam reappears. What we do know is that Allah’s actions are all logical.
It has also been narrated from Imam Sadiq (AS) that: “The logic behind (the occultation) will not be revealed except after his appearance, just as the logic behind Khizr’s actions like making a hole in the ship, killing the child and rebuilding the wall were not revealed to Moses only after they were departing.”[1]
In a hadith upon whose authenticity everyone agrees, the Holy Prophet has said, "If there were to remain in the life of the world but one day, God would prolong that day until He sends in it a man from my community and my household. His name will be the same as my name. He will fill the earth with equity and justice as it was filled with oppression and tyranny."
Notes:
[1] Kamal al-Din va Tamam al-Nemah. V 2. P 482.
إِنَّ لِصَاحِبِ هَذَا الْأَمْرِ غَيْبَةً لَا بُدَّ مِنْهَا يَرْتَابُ فِيهَا كُلُّ مُبْطِلٍ فَقُلْتُ وَ لِمَ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ قَالَ لِأَمْرٍ لَمْ يُؤْذَنْ لَنَا فِي كَشْفِهِ لَكُمْ قُلْتُ فَمَا وَجْهُ الْحِكْمَةِ فِي غَيْبَتِهِ قَالَ وَجْهُ الْحِكْمَةِ فِي غَيْبَتِهِ وَجْهُ الْحِكْمَةِ فِي غَيْبَاتِ مَنْ تَقَدَّمَهُ مِنْ حُجَجِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى ذِكْرُهُ إِنَّ وَجْهَ الْحِكْمَةِ فِي ذَلِكَ لَا يَنْكَشِفُ إِلَّا بَعْدَ ظُهُورِهِ كَمَا لَمْ يَنْكَشِفْ وَجْهُ الْحِكْمَةِ فِيمَا أَتَاهُ الْخَضِرُ ع مِنْ خَرْقِ السَّفِينَةِ وَ قَتْلِ الْغُلَامِ وَ إِقَامَةِ الْجِدَارِ لِمُوسَى ع إِلَى وَقْتِ افْتِرَاقِهِمَا يَا ابْنَ الْفَضْلِ إِنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ أَمْرٌ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَ سِرٌّ مِنْ سِرِّ اللَّهِ وَ غَيْبٌ مِنْ غَيْبِ اللَّهِ وَ مَتَى عَلِمْنَا أَنَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ حَكِيمٌ صَدَّقْنَا بِأَنَّ أَفْعَالَهُ كُلَّهَا حِكْمَةٌ وَ إِنْ كَانَ وَجْهُهَا غَيْرَ مُنْكَشِفٍ
[2] Al-Taj. V 5. P 343.
لو لم یبق من الدنیا الایوم لطول الله ذلك الیوم حتى یبعث رجلا منى او من اهل بیتى یواطئ اسمه اسمى و اسم ابیه اسم ابى یملأ الارض قسطا و عدلا كما ملئت ظلما و جورا