In The Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
The 12th Imam
Part I
Imam al Mahdi, peace be on him, the Imam after Abu Muhammad (al-Hasan al Askari), peace be on him, is his son who is named with the name of the Apostle of God may God bless him and his family, and given his kunya. His father did not leave a son who was publicly acknowledged or secretly, except him. He was left behind away from view (gha'ib) and secretly. He was born on the night of 15th of Sha'ban in the year 255 AH. His mother was a slave-wife (umm walad) called Narjis. At the time of the death of his father, he was five years old.
God endowed him with wisdom and the distinction of speech. He made him a sign to the worlds. He endowed him with wisdom as He had endowed John the Baptist while still a boy. He made him an Imam while still in the state of apparent childhood just as He made Jesus, son of Mary, a prophet in the cradle. The nomination of him had been given earlier to the community of Islam by the Prophet of guidance, peace be on him, then by the Commander of the faithful, Ali b. Abi Talib, peace be on him, and the Imams, consecutively one after another, down to his own father, al-Hasan (al-Askari), peace be on him, had nominated him. His father had nominated him in front of the trusted and close members of his Shi'a. Information about his occultation (ghayba) was established before his existence. (Information) about his state was widespread before his occultation (ghayba). He is the leader with the sword (sahib al-sayf) from the Imams of guidance, peace be on them, the one who will undertake the achievement of truth (al-qa'im bi-al-haqq), the one who is awaited (al-muntazar) to (bring about) the state of faith.
Before his appearance (qiyam), he will have two occultations. One of them will be longer than the other as is reported in the traditions. The shortest of them was from the time of his birth to the end of the period of direct representation (sifara) between him and his Shi'a, and the end of the representatives (sufara') through death. As for the longer (occultation), it will be after the first and at the end of it he will arise with the sword (yaqum bi-al-sayf). God, the Mighty and High, has said:
"We want to favour those who were weak on earth. We give them Imams and We give them heirs. We give them power on earth. We show Pharoah and Haman and their soldiers but they will not be warned." (XXVIII 5-6).
He, exalted be His name, said:
We have written in the Psalms after the message (to Moses): My righteous worshippers will inherit the earth (XXI 105).
The Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family, said: "The days and nights will never end until God sends a man from my House, whose name will be the same as mine. He will fill (the earth) with justice and fairness as it was filled with oppression and tyranny." He, may God bless him and his family, said: "If only a single day remained for the world, God would lengthen that day so that He could send on it a man from my descendants, whose name is the same as mine. He will fill the world with justice and fairness as it was filled with oppression and tyranny."
His birth
At dawn, on the 15th Sha'ban 255 A.H., the rays of the illuminating world shone with a powerful shaft of light into a human form which became the source of existence for the universe. Yes, finally, the Divine Promise was fulfilled and Imam al-Mahdi, peace be on him, was born in spite of the efforts of those who denied him. It is one of history's miracles that the Umayyids, 'Abbasides and other opponents of this Holy Imam attempted to extinguish this divine light but met with complete failure.
The cruel and tyrannical caliphs of the Bani 'Abbas had heard that the Twelfth Imam of the Shi'ites would establish a just Government and would rule over the east and west of the world, and would destroy the foundations of injustice. Therefore, to counter this event, they tortured and shed the blood of the Shi'ites as much as they could. The conditions of the martyred Shi'ites can be referred in the books on this subject.
In the year 235 A.H, Mutawakkil, the 'Abbasid caliph, ordered the Tenth Imam Muhammad al-Hadi, peace be on him, and his family to be shifted from Medina to Samarra', his seat of government, so that he could keep a close watch on the Imam of the Shi'ites. Similarly, Mu'tamid, the 'Abbasid caliph, the Pharaoh of the time, was afraid of the son of Imam Hasan al-'Askari , peace be on him. He formed a group of detectives and midwives who had the mission of frequently searching through the houses of the 'Alawiyyin, and especially the house of Imam Hasan al-'Askari, peace be on him, so that if a newly-born child were found, he could be killed immediately.
The search to find and kill Imam al-Mahdi, peace be on him, was intensified when Imam Hasan al-'Askari, peace be on him, left this world for the eternal one. This is because everyone knew that on that day the command of Divine Leadership (Imamate) was to be entrusted to the Twelth Imam, and the universe would come under his authority.
Shaykh Saduq, the eminent scholar of the Shi'ite world, writes in Kamalu'd din: "When the holy body of Imam Hasan al-'Askari, peace be on him, was buried and the people went away, the caliph and his comrades started their efforts to search for his growing son and inspected the houses carefully."
Shaykh Mufid, a distinguished Shi'ite scholar, also wrote in Irshad: "When Imam Hasan al-'Askari, peace be on him, passed away, the caliph of that time, pursued his son because the Shi'ite Imamiyyah's belief was famous and was spread about that the Shi'ites were awaiting His Eminence."
Mu'tadid, one of the tyrant 'Abbasid caliphs who ruled from 279 to 289 A.H., decided all at once to destroy the entire family of al 'Askari when he heard that more than twenty years had passed since the birth of the son of Imam Hasan al-'Askari, peace be on him, and that he was still living in spite of the attempts of the preceding caliph to kill him. One of Mu'tadid's officers said: "Mu'tadid has ordered me and two other persons, each of us to mount a horse and to proceed to Samarra' in full speed without even stopping for prayer. He gave us the address of (Imam) al-'Askari and instructed us to enter his house without his permission and to bring him the head of whoever we find there." As a matter of fact, they were unaware that the same power which had protected the Imam from the former caliphs would give him protection from his evil, because:
Allah disdains (nothing) save that He shall perfect His light, however much the disbelievers are averse (IX 32).
Indeed what an immature thought and foolish act it was! If the Divine Will bears on some matter, can a person revolt against it and combat it ? Is it possible that definite Divine Promises may not be compiled with? Or is it possible that the reins of oppressive imposters who fight against the Divine decree will not cut? Is it not more amazing that Peerless, Almighty Allah has shown His power many times before, so that after that all men should know that if He wishes to give His chosen servant government and sovereignty and to destroy infidelity and irreligiousness through him, then there is no one who can disrupt His rule? Fortunately, this sensational story is mentioned in the Holy Qur'an.
Pharaoh, the great emperor of Egypt, who had great power and pride, claimed the divinity for himself. He determined to Kill all the youths and boy children of Bani Isra'il as a result of what he had heard about a son being born who would destroy his empire and divinity. He shed the blood of innocents, and banished many persons to unknown regions; but see how Almighty Allah restored His Prophet and how the Divine Will worked to protect the life of Musa, peace be on him, and destroy Pharaoh:
And We revealed to the mother of Musa, saying, "Give him suck; and if you fear for him, launch him on the river; and fear not, nor grieve; for We will return him to you and make him one of the Messengers." And took him up Pharaoh's people, that he might be to them an enemy and a (cause of their) grief, (for) verily Pharaoh and Haman and their hosts were sinners ... So We did restore him to his mother that her age might be refreshed and that she might not grieve, and that she might know that the promise of Allah is (always) true, but most of them know not. (XXVIII 7-13)
Yes, Allah will protect His Proof (Hujjah) and will fulfil His promises and glad tidings because His decision is based on its execution, although most people do not know it. Would Allah wish to save the life of Prophet Musa, peace be on him, who was only a messenger to a certain nation and tribe, and yield the Imam of the Age (Imam e Zaman) into the hands of Mu'tamid and Mu'tadid ?
Would Allah protect the life of Musa, peace be on him, while he was in the middle of the roaring waves of a river, and give no security to the Imam of the Age who was in the house of his father, Imam Hasan al-'Askari, peace be on him, ? Would the Sustaining Allah of the Prophet Ibrahim, peace be on him, protect Ibrahim, peace be on him, in the middle of the flaming fire, but allow the Last Pearl of the Prophet's progeny to be a victim of the lust and anger of the 'Abbasid caliphs?
At dawn, on the middle day of Sha'ban in the year 255 A.H., Imam Hasan al Askari, peace be on him, beheld the heavenly, shinning face of his son who was to fulfil all Divine promises and glad tidings. Not more than three days had passed after his birth when the Eleventh Imam took the holy child to his companions and told them: "After me this will be your master of authority and my successor, and he is the 'Support ' (al-Qa'im) for whose appearance all people will wait; when the earth is full of injustice and tyranny, he will fill it with peace and justice."
Read carefully these words of Shaykh Mufid,
Imam Hasan al-'Askari, peace be on him, prepared a true Government for his fruitful son. He kept secret the birth of his son and other related matters, because His Eminence was living in a difficult time when the caliphs were intensively searching for his son and were keeping a close eye on the affairs of Imam al-'Askari. This is because the Shi'ite Imamiyyah belief about the Imam al Mahdi, peace be on him, had become so current they were waiting for His Eminence. Hence, Imam Hasan al-'Askari, peace be on him, did not show his, and, therefore, the enemies could not recognize Imam al-Mahdi, peace be on him, after the demise of His Eminence (father).
Although the affairs of Imam al-Mahdi, peace be on him, were unknown to his enemies and opponents, the sincere Shi'ites gathered the news of this important event. Some of them were informed by Imam al-'Askari , peace be on him, through a letter. One of the sincere Shi'ites, Ahmad ibn Is'haq, received a letter from the Imam written in his own hand writing, saying: "A son is born to me. Therefore, keep secret the news of it from people and inform only his near relatives and particular friends." Some of the Shi'ites used to pay private visits to Imam al-'Askari , peace be on him, who would take them into the presence of the Twelfth Imam al-Mahdi, peace be on him, who would guide them. Abu 'Umari and Ahwazi reported: "Abu Muhammad (Imam Hasan al-'Askari) showed me his son (the Twelfth Imam) and told me, 'This is your Master (Sahib)." Some other Shi'ites used to visit Imam al-'Askari, peace be on him, in a group, and if the Imam trusted in them that they would faithfully keep their visit secret, he would show them his beloved son.
Yes, in this manner was the Imam of the Age (Imam e Zaman) born and kept hidden from the reach of strangers. On some occasions only were virtuous Shi'ites allowed to see him, until the year 260 A.H, when the Eleventh Imam expired, and by Divine decree the office of Divine Leadership (Imamate) was vested in the Master of the Authority (Sahibu'l-Amr).
*****