The Twelfth Imam
The Twelfth Imam
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Article ID: 26
Article Date: 2023-05-02
Writer: PARSA PANAHI
The concept of Mahdism in Islamic teachings envisions a future for humanity in which justice, spirituality, and God-consciousness are fully realized. The Mahdian society is not merely an ordinary Islamic community; rather, it is a society founded upon the pure Muhammadan Islam and in continuation of the path of the Prophet Muhammad(Peace be upon him) and the infallible Imams (peace be upon them).
The Mahdian society can be examined on two levels: the era of occultation (expectation) and the era of appearance. In both stages, the elements of "justice" and "global self-awareness" serve as the focal points of transformation.
The Mahdian society can be considered a comprehensive concept encompassing the characteristics of these two significant eras:
• Society during the era of expectation: a society in which Imam Mahdi is in occultation, and the believers are responsible for preparing the grounds for his appearance through faith and righteous deeds.
• Society during the era of appearance: a society in which Imam Mahdi openly establishes a global governance of justice.
The famous analogy, "The hidden Imam is like the sun behind the cloud" (Kamal al-Din, Vol. 2, p. 351), illustrates that even during the occultation, society can benefit from the guidance of the Imam, as the sun still shines and illuminates the path for travelers even when behind a cloud.
This situation is similar to the condition of Muslims after the passing of the Prophet. The Quran explicitly warns in verse 144 of Surah Al-Imran:
"Muhammad is no more than a messenger; messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you turn back on your heels? And whoever turns back on his heels will never harm Allah in any way. And Allah will reward the grateful."
This verse was revealed after the Battle of Uhud, when rumors circulated that the Prophet had been killed. Some weak-hearted Muslims wavered and thought that everything was over without the Prophet. God, through this verse, warned that the Prophet is the messenger of God, but the religion is not dependent on the person. Even if he passes away, the essence of truth and righteousness remains.
Divine religion is not tied to the individual Prophet or Imam, but rather an eternal and enduring reality. True believers maintain their faith in times of hardship and even in the absence or occultation of their leader. This verse represents a divine test: is our faith dependent on the visible presence of the leader, or is it connected to the divine truth?
Just as the absence of the Prophet should not cause Muslims to retreat, the occultation of Imam Mahdi should not lead to doubt, uncertainty, or abandonment of expectation. The waiting society must remain steadfast in faith and righteous action even without the Imam's apparent presence.
The principle of "Divine Justice" forms the foundation of the Mahdian society. God promises:
"And We wish to bestow favor upon those who were oppressed in the land and make them leaders and make them inheritors." (Qasas: 5)
This verse refers to the Children of Israel, who were severely oppressed during the time of Pharaoh. God promised to rescue them and make them heirs to the land and governance of the Pharaohs. However, the meaning of the verse goes beyond a historical incident, representing a significant divine principle: ultimately, God's will ensures that the oppressed inherit the earth.
God has promised that the course of history will not permanently favor oppressors. Though tyrants may have temporary power, in the end, the righteous oppressed will gain leadership and governance. "Imam" here means the leader of society, and "heir" refers to those who inherit authority and governance.
Naturally, this verse aligns perfectly with the events of the End Times. Imam al-Baqir and Imam al-Sadiq stated that this verse pertains to the Qa’im from the family of Muhammad , who will establish authority on Earth and make the religion of truth universal.
This verse is one of the most important Quranic promises of a global governance of justice. Believers and the oppressed should not despair under hardships. These trials are a precursor to God’s promise. From a realistic perspective, the world cannot reach its conclusion without the realization of ultimate justice. The justice of the Creator is evident in every particle of existence, and only superficial, human-centered thinking can deny it. How could absolute justice, meaning God, conclude the world without the manifestation of His justice everywhere? This justice will be realized through the uprising of Imam Mahdi . According to traditions, "He will fill the earth with justice after it has been full of oppression and tyranny" (Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 51, p. 75).
During the occultation, the world will be full of oppression, corruption, and injustice. According to traditions, this global injustice prepares humanity to accept the governance of Mahdi’s justice.
Features of the society of expectation:
• The absence of the Imam’s apparent presence.
• Dominance of oppressors and conflicts for power.
• Existence of a minority of believers and justice-seekers.
Imam Sadiq said:
"Whoever rejoices and wishes to be among the companions of our Qa’im, should be patient in expectation and act justly." (Ghaybat al-Nu’mani, p. 200)
A true companion of Imam Mahdi is not necessarily someone alive at the time of his appearance; anyone can be among the Imam’s followers through "active expectation." The key condition is active, not passive, waiting. This means maintaining justice in personal and social life. Acting justly here does not only mean fair judgment but includes behavior with family, society, business, people’s rights, and even justice in worship and relationship with God. This tradition conveys a significant message:
true expectation is preparing the grounds for the Imam’s appearance through just action.
True expectation is not merely a mental state; it is an active practice where believers demonstrate readiness through piety, pursuit of justice, and social reform.
With the appearance of Imam Mahdi , the stage of the ultimate realization of the Mahdian society begins. Features of this society include:
• Complete justice in all domains (political, economic, social, and cultural).
• Expansion of genuine spiritual and personal freedom.
• Realization of unity in religious understanding and collective self-awareness among humans.
• Global peace and public satisfaction.
Imam al-Baqir said:
"When our Qa’im rises, he will place his hand upon the heads of the servants; thereby he gathers their intellects and perfects their ethics." (Al-Kafi, Vol. 1, p. 25)
1. The phrase "place his hand upon the heads of the servants" signifies spiritual guidance and divine confirmation, not necessarily physical touch. It indicates the Imam’s spiritual power to transform hearts and minds.
2. “The phrase ‘He gathers their intellects’ refers to the resolution of one of humanity’s major problems: the dispersion of thoughts and the misunderstanding of truth.. When Imam Mahdi appears, people’s intellects will be harmonized and perfected. Misconceptions, superstitions, and incorrect thinking will vanish.
3. The phrase "perfects their ethics" points to one of the main objectives of religion and the divine scriptures. A major goal of the Mahdian uprising is the moral development of humanity. Human virtues such as honesty, fairness, forgiveness, love, justice, and God-consciousness will reach their zenith. The Prophet said: "I have been sent to perfect noble character."
Hojjat al-Islam Ranjbar in his valuable commentary "The Scent of Flowers" (paraphrased) said:
Religion is like a blessed and wholesome fruit, like an apple, seemingly simple on the outside but full of wisdom within.
The peel represents outward rituals such as prayer, fasting, and hijab, which protect the essence and facilitate growth.
The core, the flesh of the fruit, represents ethics, a subtle and sweet substance that quenches spiritual thirst and perfects the soul.
If one offers a peeled apple to a guest, one refers to the flesh, not the peel. On the other hand If the apple is left too long without peel, even the flesh becomes inedible. Likewise, in God’s view, the real value of religion is measured by the core of ethics; Outward rituals and practices without ethics are empty, and neglecting these rituals weakens ethics, which is the true essence and foundation of faith.Hence, the complete religion is one that appears righteous outwardly and is morally virtuous inwardly. Ethics is the sacred core that connects the human soul to God’s light. This tradition promises that during the era of appearance, not only will social justice prevail, but humans will also be internally transformed; both intellect and ethics will reach their peak, eradicating the roots of intellectual and moral corruption.
The most important characteristic of the Mahdian society is the realization of "global self-awareness," meaning humanity reaches a shared understanding of truth and monotheism, leading to the realization of justice and genuine freedom.
• During the era of expectation, this awareness exists in a minority of the awaiting believers.
• During the era of appearance, this awareness becomes universal and global.
In other words, the Quran serves as a manifesto of the Mahdian society in both eras, but during the era of appearance, its comprehension is realized uniformly and globally.
A "manifesto" is a program, guide, or document of guidance; here, it refers to the Quran as a guide for ethical, intellectual, and social life. During the era of expectation, the Quran remains a guide, meaning the awaiting society should refer to it and understand and implement its principles of faith and justice. However, comprehension and interpretation of the Quran are not uniform; individuals have diverse understandings, and the number of followers is limited. In other words, the Quran guides, but understanding is scattered and personal.
When Imam Mahdi appears, understanding the Quran becomes uniform and global. All humans, individually and collectively, will comprehend the Quran correctly, and society will be guided accordingly. Thus, the Quran guides both in expectation and in appearance, but in the era of appearance, understanding and practice are fully integrated and harmonized.
Simply put, during the era of expectation, the Quran guides, but people understand it differently.
In the era of appearance, with the Imam’s guidance, everyone understands the Quran correctly, and social and ethical life becomes harmonized.
The Quran explicitly states: "There is no compulsion in religion" and "Do not kill anyone whom God has forbidden, except by right." Islam emphasizes justice, ethics, and the sanctity of human life, prohibiting violence against the innocent.
However, violent groups such as ISIS, through superficial and distorted interpretations of certain verses on jihad and warfare, carried out violent and terrorist acts. They mistakenly believed that killing people and destruction was implementing God’s religion, while the Quran’s meaning of jihad and rightful defense encompasses ethics and justice, not oppression or killing the innocent. This misinterpretation demonstrates that during the era of expectation, even with the Quran, human understanding may be incorrect, limited, or contrary to the truth of religion. Only in the era of Imam Mahdi’s appearance will Quranic understanding be uniform, global, and correct, guiding all people, individually and collectively, according to its true teachings.
The Mahdian society transcends a mere political or social ideal; it is a vital necessity and a divine promise heralding the realization of ultimate justice. Its central feature is "global self-awareness," which exists during both the era of expectation and the era of appearance, but reaches perfection during the latter.
Through this awareness, complete justice, true freedom, human satisfaction, and divine spirituality are established worldwide, bringing human history to its ultimate peak.
