We believe that he is from Prophet Muhammad’s descendant (p.b.u.h) and from Imam Husain’s sons (p.b.u.h). his name is “Mahdi”, he was born in 255 A.H, and he is alive right now, watching us, guiding us, Shia knows him as Imam and the leader. And Imam is the compassionate father and the close friend, and he never forgets his followers.
Humans were always hopping the best life, full of justice and without oppression. Most of religions all over the world, especially Islam, Christianity and Judaism believe in savior, someone to rescue the world from the oppression, someone to bring justice and fairness and fight against evil and darkness, someone who has a divine link.
But in Shia Islam, moreover, we believe that the greatest government will be established, when the savior comes, by the righteous servants, as Allah the Almighty informs in the Holy Qur’an:
"And we desired to show favor to those who were abased in the land, and to make them imams, and to make them the heirs."[1]
"Surely My righteous servants shall inherit the earth."[2]
We believe that he is from Prophet Muhammad’s descendant (p.b.u.h) and from Imam Husain’s sons (p.b.u.h). his name is “Mahdi”, he was born in 255 A.H, and he is alive right now, watching us, guiding us, Shia knows him as as Imam and the leader. And Imam is the compassionate father and the close friend, and he never forgets his followers.
It would be good enough about the necessity of “Mahdawiya” to know that the holy prophet said:
“One who dies without knowing the Imam of his time, dies the death of ignorance (i.e. unbelief).”[3]
There are lots of traditions about Imam Mahdi (p.b.u.h), telling us that there are two kind of “occultation” (Qayba) and the second one is too long, like the one from Imam Sadiq (p.b.u.h):
“for our Qaem occultation, that takes long time.”[4]
Also its possible to find some reasons of occultation, like:
Examining the people and to protect Imam mahdi (p.b.u.h) from terror.
Finally according to Amir al-momenin s(p.b.u.h) word, the most important duty for the followers, these days, is to wait for reappearance and not to change from our religion:
”The best act of my nation is to await the reappearance.”[5]
”O Allah! O Beneficent! O Merciful! O Changer of hearts! Keep my heart steadfast on Your religion.”[6]
Note:
[1] quran (28:5) “وَ نُرِيدُ أَن نَّمُنَّ عَلىَ الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُواْ فىِ الْأَرْضِ وَ نجَْعَلَهُمْ أَئمَّةً وَ نجَْعَلَهُمُ الْوَارِثِين”
[2] quran (21:105) “أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِىَ الصَّلِحُون”
[3] kamal al-din, v.2, p.409 “من مات و لم یعرف امام زمانه مات میتۀ جاهلیۀ”
[4] Bihar, v.52, p.90 “إِنَّ لِلْقَائِمِ مِنَّا غَيْبَةً يَطُولُ أَمَدُهَا”
[5] kefayat al- asar, p.281 “أَفْضَلُ أَعْمَالِ شِيعَتِنَا انْتِظَارُ الْفَرَج”
[6] kamal al-din, v.2, p.352 “یا الله یا رحمان یا رحیم یا مقلب القلوب ثبت قلبی علی دینک”