Chapter 20 : IMAM AL-MAHDI

The birth of a Imam or Leader from the progeny of Prophet Muhammad (pbh), who would bring justice to the world had been foretold by the Prophet (pbh) himself and all preceding Imams and recorded in the books of Hadith or tradition such as as-Sahih of Abu Dawood, as-Sunan of Ibn Majah and al-Kafi of Ash-Shaykh al-Kulayni. While the Sunni Muslims believe that the Mahdi is yet to be born, the Shi’ah Muslims maintain that he is Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, son of the 11th Imam. (Sunni sources about the Mahdi: Abu Dawood, Sahih Vol. 5/ 207, Vol. 2; Ibn Majah, Sahih Vol. 2, Ibn Hajar, al-Sawa’iq al-Muharriqah; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad Vol. 3, Yanabi’al-Mawadda Vol. 2)

Al-Mahdi, meaning The Guided One and also known as Al-Qa’im, The One Who Will Rise was born of a Byzantine woman named Nargis, in Samarra’, Iraq, on the night of the 15th Sha’ban 255 AH / 869 CE and was brought up in secret under his father, the Eleventh Imam, Hasan al-Askari’s tutelage. It was well known even before his birth that this 12th Imam would be in ghayba or Occultation which consist of two parts: a) Ghaybat-i Sughra or Minor Occultation which is shorter of the two and begins at his birth continuing until the end of the period of direct representation or Sifara between him and the Muslims; b) Ghaybatu'l-Kubra or Major Occultation from the end of the Imam’s representatives or Sufara till the Imam’s reappearance at the end of time.

When his father died in 260 AH, Imam Muhammad Al-Mahdi was just five years old and had been seen by only very close

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associates of his father. As the 12th Imam, Imam Mahdi then maintained contact with his followers during the Ghaybat-i Sughra, which extended until the year 329 H / 940 CE only through a succession of four deputies or na’ib and lived an invisible existence as far as the public was concerned. The first of the deputies was ‘Uthman Sa’id al-‘Amri, one of the companions of his father and grandfather. After ‘Uthman, his son Muhammad was appointed the deputy followed by Abu ‘l-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Ruh an-Nawbakhti and finally ‘Ali ibn Muhammad as-Samuri. Through these deputies, the Imam would answer the demands and questions of the people.

In 329 AH / 939 CE, predicting the death of the deputy ‘Ali ibn Muhammad as-Samuri within six days, Imam Mahdi issued an order through ‘Ali ibn Muhammad himself that henceforth the special deputation of the Imam would end with the demise and Ghaybatu ‘l-kubra would begin. True enough, as-Samuri died six days later and the Muslims continue to await until this Modern Era, the re-appearance of Imam Mahdi as they await the re-appearance of Jesus the son of Mary subsequently.

According to a hadith in Bihar al-Anwar Vol. 52, the sixth Imam was narrated to have said that "..The subject of occultation is among the divine secrets and a concealed matter whose knowledge is only with God. Since we regard God to be wise we must also affirm that His acts are based on that perfect wisdom, even when the detailed understanding is not accessible to us."

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