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 In Friday morning, as a weekly custom
Ahamd got out of his house and went to
the public library, which was near to
his house. When he arrived there, he saw
mr.Jamil who was in charge of the
library was giving water to the flowers
in the garden of the library. "Hello
mr.Jamil" Ahmad said. Jamil replied:
Hello Ahmad, what a nice weather, isn’t
it?
Ahmad: Beautiful flowers. Jamil said: I
expected your coming today.
Ahmad: mr.Jamil, you know that today is
Friday and it is my holiday in the week,
and I can do my habits in this day.
Jamil: But you came early this time.
Ahmad: I have finished my homework.
Jamil: well, I've finished giving water
to the flowers. Come with me inside the
library to see what is the new story,
which you are going to choose this time.
Ahmad: No, I'm sorry mr.Jamil, I don’t
like reading stories right now.
Jamil: Why not?
Ahmad: This time, I would like to read
some books about imam al-Mahdi(p.b)
Jamil: What a sudden change It is.
Ahmad: My father asked me to get a
little more information about imam
al-Mahdi(p.b), and I need your
assistance in this subject.
Jamil: Nice project, I'm ready for help.
Ahmad: It is a big favour from you
mr.Jamil
Jamil: Well, come with me to this side
of the library and look at the shelves.
Ahmad: What do they contain?
Jamil: There are all the books which you
need about imam al-Mahdi(p.b).
 Ahmad: There are a great number of them!
How didn’t I pay attention to these
books?
Jamil: Look at this group of books.
These are ancient. These were written
about one thousand years ago, like this
book (Ekmal al-Din Wa Etmam al-Nimah)
and it is one of the most important
books about imam al-Mahdi(p.b). it was
written by Sheikh al-Sadooq and this is
the Gaibah book which was written by
Sheikh al-Toosi which is about the
occultation of imam al-Mahdi(p.b), and
this is (al-Najm al-Thaqeb) book. It is
one of the most wonderful books about
the hidden imam, and these shelves
contain the specialist studies center of
imam al-Mahdi's publications.
Ahmad: what? A special foundation about
imam al-Mahdi?
Jamil: Yes my dear, this foundation
publishes everything about imam al-Mahdi(p.b).
Ahmad: Great project!
Jamil: Now, I can't stay here anymore,
because there are some readers in the
library. I can let you choose the books
that you want to read, and they are
under your control. Ill comeback later,
good luck.
Ahmad: Thank you.
Jamil: not at all, you have not to lose
any chance.
 Ahmad: Well, from where should I start?
Probably I can find something in this
shelf…oh my God! I couldn’t imagine that
I can find this large number of books.
I'm going to take this group, they are
enough for now. I have to find an easy
seat for researching.
Jamil: What's up? What's the matter with
you Ahmad? Two hours were gone and I see
you that you are putting your hand on
your cheek. What are these books, which
are in front of you?
Ahmad? I am confused and I don’t know
what should I do.
Jamil: Well, first tell me what are you
looking up? Probably I can help you.
Ahmad: I was looking up an answer for a
question, which I wrote it in my
notebook, but I couldn’t find the
answer. I am disappointed.
Jamil: it's clear that you made yourself
tired.
Ahmad: That’s right, but I still have
some hopes.
Jamil: That’s good.
Ahmad: When my father asked me to make a
research about imam al-Mahdi(p.b), my
grandfather suggested a way to complete
this mission successfully, and the way
is to write down all the questions in my
mind in this notebook, and then I look
up them one by one.
Jamil: Good idea.
Ahamd: But I looked up these books and I
couldn’t find a suitable answer for my
question.
Jamil: well, I can help you. What's the
question?
Ahmad: The question is: why do we look
for imam al-Mahdi(p.b) himself. Isn’t there anybody else?
 Jamil: It's a nice and interesting
question. It is a proof that you think
well and accurate.
Ahmad: Thank you sir.
Jamil: We are looking for the hidden
imam, imam al-Mahdi(p.b) because he is
the only God's caliph on the earth.
Ahmad: What do you mean that he is the
God's caliph?
Jamil: First you have to know the
meaning of caliph, then you have to
know, why imam al-Mahdi(p.b) is called
with this name.
Ahmad: So, what does it mean?
Jamil: The meaning of caliph is the
deputy of another, so caliph is an
agent. I'm going to give you an example.
Ahmad: All right.
Jamil: When your father had traveled,
ofcourse he put a person who does your
father's works in buying some necessary
things for home or to solve the problems
and to manage the works at home as well
as possible.
Ahmad: Yes, my older brother Saiyd is in
charge of the house when my faher is not
at home.
Jamil: So we can say that your brother
is your father's caliph at home. I'll
give you another example: In the school,
you study, and the manager of the school
is in charge of the school, so he is the
caliph of the manager of the education
office in the province. He manages the
school by the instructions of the
manager of the education office and so
am i. I work in this library as the
caliph of the responsible in the town
hall, and any other place which contains
manager.
Ahmad: but how can imam al-Mahdi(p.b) be
the deputy of God?
Jamil: Well Ahmad, I ask you to answer
these questions to find the solution
from your answers.
 Ahmad: What are these questions?
Jamil: The first question is: Who had
created us?
Ahmad: God is our creator.
Jamil: So, did he create us for nothing?
Ahmad:of course not.
Jamil: So, God didn’t create us for
nothing, because he is an adviser. It
means that God created us for a purpose.
Ahmad: What is that purpose?
Jamil: God's purpose of creating the
human beings is worshiping him. God
stated in surah al-Thariat(I didn’t
create the human beings and the sprites
except for worshipping) , so that we
have to know how to worship God in a
right way.
Ahmad: How do we know that?
Jamil: So we need somebody to teach us
how to worship correctly and to tell us
God's orders, instructions, and he
should have some special characters.
Ahmad: what are these characteristics?
Jamil: He should not make mistakes,
because if he does any mistakes, how can
we be sure that he is telling God's
orders correctly?
Ahmad: this is the first one.
Jamil: He should not make any sin,
because how can we obey a person who
makes some sins, which are prohibited,
for us?
Ahmad: This is the second one.
Jamil: He should not forget anything,
because if he is a forgetful man, how
can he tell God's instructions
correctly? Is it right to say: I forgot
to tell you this order.
 Ahmad: Of course it is impossible.
Jamil: So, it means that we need a
person who had gotten these characters,
which we call them, the infallible (al-Esmah).
Ahmad: So, the meaning of the chaste
imam is who has these characters.
Jamil: Yes Ahmad, so as not to fall in a
wrong worshipping way of God, the person
who tells us the God's instructions
should be chaste to be our guide, and
this chaste man should be chosen by God
himself, because God is the most aware
one who knows the person who is suitable
for leading the human beings and to be
their guide.
Ahmad: Do you mean that the imam should
be chosen by God like the prophets?
Jamil: Yes my dear. God chooses his
caliphs, therefore God told the angles
(I am going to put a caliph on the
earth) and the phrase "I am" means that
I will choose a caliph for the earth,
because I know it all and the prophets
are God's caliph on the earth, the first
one is Adam(p.b) and the last one is our
prophet Mohammad(p.b) and after him, the
chaste imams, the first one is Ali bin
Abitaleb(p.b) and the last imam is al-Mahdi(p.b),
so we can not be without a chaste imam.
Ahmad: Why can't we be without a chaste
imam?
Jamil: I'll give you an example: Every
day you go to school to learn.
Ahmad: That's right.
Jamil: Let's guess that there is no
teacher in the school, so can we say
that Ahmad goes to school for learning?
Ahmad: Absolutely not.
 Jamil: The same as for the human beings.
We need a teacher to teach us how to
worship God and to guide us to the right
behavior. Therefore, this teacher is a
connection between God and us. He is the
God's deputy.
Ahmad: I've gotten another question
mr.Jamil.
Jamil: Go ahead Ahmad. What is that
question?
Ahmad: You said that the prophets and
the imams are God's caliph on the earth,
so what is the difference between our
prophet (p.b) and our twelve imams (p.b)?
Jamil: Nice question Ahmad. The prophet
is the leader of people in their
religion and their life action, directly
from God without any connective things.
I mean, God sends him to the human
beings directly, but the imam is the
leader of people in their religion and
life actions by the way of the prophet.
I mean that God chooses the imam and the
prophet should introduces him to the
human beings, therefore the prophet
Mohammad (p.b) is the introducer of the
twelve imams.
Ahmad: I don’t know how to thank you
mr.Jamil. Your answer was sufficient and
clear sir.
Jamil: Not at all; I'll give you a gift.
The gift is a book about imam al-Mahdi(p.b).
Ahmad: how proud I am of this nice gift.
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