This stage was that of minor occultation during which
the Imam disappeared from the public scene, but
maintained his contact with his followers through
certain representatives who formed a connecting link
between him and those who believed in his role as an
Imam. During this period four persons, whose piety and
impeccability was recognized by all, occupied the
position of the vicegerents of the Imam. They are as
under:
-
Uthman ibn Sa'id al-'Amravi
-
Muhammad ibn Uthman 'Amravi
-
Abu'l Qasim Husayn ibn Ruh Nawbakhti
-
Abu'l Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Simmari
These four persons performed the duties of his
vicegerent in the above order. As and when one of them
died, another was duly appointed by the Mahdi to succeed
him.
The vicegerent was in contact with: the Shi'ah. He
carried their questions to the Imam and submitted their
problems to him. He also conveyed the Imam's replies to
his followers. The replies used to be mostly in writing
and were occasionally verbal. The people who missed the
sight of the Imam, found consolation in correspondence
and indirect contact. All the letters received from the
Imam during the tenure of his four vicegerents, which
lasted for about seventy years, Were in the same
hand-writing and in the same style and bore the same
signature.
Al-Simmari was the last vicegerent. He announced the end
of the stage of the minor occultation, the distinctive
feature of which was the appointment of the particular
vicegerent. It was turned into the major occultation
after its object had been achieved and the Shi 'ah had
gradually adapted themselves to the absence of the Imam.
They had been immunized against the shock and the
vacuum. Following the major occultation, instead of
being represented by a specially appointed vicegerent,
the Imam is now represented in a general way by the
qualified mujtahids (eminent legists, capable of
arriving at an independent decision on issues of
religious law) having a keen insight into both the
spiritual and temporal affairs. Now, in the light of the
foregoing, it can easily be inferred that the existence
of the Mahdi is a. fact which was experienced by a
larger number of the people. He was represented by his
vicegerents for seventy long years during. which they
dealt with so many people but no one observed any
inconsistency in what they said, nor discovered any
signs of deception in their conduct. Is it conceivable
that a fraud could be continued for seventy years by
four persons, one after the other, without giving rise
to the least suspicion? These four persons had no
special link with each other and no collusion between
them could be suspected. Their conduct was above
reproach. They gained the confidence of all and everyone
believed in the genuineness of their claim and the
reality of their experience.
An old proverb says that truth will always come but.
Events of practical life also prove that a fraud has no
chance to last for such a long time in such a way. It is
not possible to deal with so many people fraudulently
and at the same time to gain their confidence.
Thus we know that the minor occultation is tantamount to
a scientific experiment to prove the facts about the
Awaited Saviour including his birth, life and
occultation and the general proclamation of his major
occultation, according to which be retired from the
scene of life and does not now disclose his identity to
anyone.
(e) Reasons for his delay in appearance
Why did the Saviour not appear during all this period
when he had already prepared himself for the intended
task? What prevented him from reappearing on the scene
of life during the period of the minor occultation or
immediately thereafter, instead of converting it into
the major occultation? At the time it was simpler and
easier to bring about the required change. He had a good
opportunity at that time to mobilize his forces and to
start his work forcefully because he already had contact
with the people through the organization which existed
during the period of the minor occultation. Moreover, at
that time the ruling powers were not so powerful as they
subsequently. became as a result of the scientific and
industrial development.
The successful execution of a revolutionary order
depends on certain pre-requisites and on the existence
of a particular atmosphere. Unless these conditions are
fulfilled and that atmosphere is created, it cannot
achieve its object.
As regards the Divinely ordained shape of things it has
two aspects. As far as its missionary aspect is
concerned it, being Divinely ordained, does not depend
on any congenial atmosphere, but, as far as its
operational side is concerned, its timing and success is
linked with the conducive circumstances.
The same was the reason why the pre-Islamic period of
five centuries had to elapse before the Last Divine
Message came to Prophet Muhammad, though the world had
been in dire need of it since a far earlier time. It was
delayed only because its successful completion was
linked with certain suitable circumstances.
The conducive circumstances, which affect the
accomplishment of the change, include those which create
a suitable atmosphere for it and those which determine
the right moment for the beginning of the operation. For
example, the revolution which was successfully led by
Lenin in Russia was linked with certain factors, such as
the out-break of the First World War and the decline of
the Czarist regime. In addition, there were some minor
factors also. For instance, Lenin's safe journey during
which he secretly slipped into Russia. If he had met
with some accident which might have impeded his entry
into that country at that time, the revolution would
possibly have been delayed.
It has been the unalterable practice, decreed by Allah,
that the actual implementing of a Divine revolution is
linked up with such objective circumstances as create
the right climate and general atmosphere for its
success. That is why there was a long gap of a several
hundred of years before the appearance of Islam during
which period no prophet was raised.
No doubt Allah is All-powerful. He can miraculously
remove in advance all difficulties and obstacles
impeding a Divine Mission. But He does not do so,
because the tests, trials and tribulations through which
man gains perfection require that a Divine revolution
should come about in a natural and normal manner. This
does not mean that occasionally Allah does not intervene
in arranging certain details not related to the creation
of the right atmosphere but which tend to give an
impetus to the revolution. The Divine help rendered by
Allah to his friends at critical junctures for the
purpose of protecting their mission was of this nature.
The fire set alight by Nimrud did no harm to Abraham;
the hand of the treacherous Jew who had drawn his sword
to kill Muhammad was paralysed and, a strong wind hit
the camp of the infidels who had besieged Madina during
the Battle of the Ditch and demoralized them. In all
these cases help was rendered at a critical juncture,
but only after the right atmosphere for the desired
change had already been created in a natural manner.
On this basis, when we study the position of the Imam
Mahdi, we find that the revolutionary task which has
been entrusted to him like any other process of a social
change is linked with certain circumstances which will
provide the right climate for its success. Hence, it is
natural that is should be timed accordingly. It is known
that the great task, for which Imam Mahdi has prepared
himself, is not of a limited nature nor is it confined
to any particular region. His mission in fact is to
revolutionize the world order in its entirety. It is to
rescue mankind from the darkness of vice and to usher in
an era of light and guidance. For such a gigantic
revolution the mere existence of a task and a leader is
not enough, otherwise it would have been accomplished
during the period of the holy Prophet himself. Such a
revolution requires specific climate and a general
atmosphere conducive to the fulfilment of all the
prerequisites.
From man's viewpoint the frustration and disillusionment
of a man of culture may be considered to be the basic
factor in creating the right climate. This feeling stems
from the failure of diverse cultural experiments. Only
then does a man of culture feel that he is in need of
help and turns to the unknown. From the material angle
the modern conditions of life may be regarded as more
suitable for the fulfilment of a mission on world level
than the conditions which prevailed at the time of
occultation, for now the distances have been shortened,
the chances of contact between various people of the
world have been improved and better facilities for a
central organisation to enlighten mankind on the basis
of the new message have become available.
It is true, as pointed out in the question, that the
military power and the war equipment which the Awaited
Leader would have to face have enormously grown, but it
is to be remembered that material power is of no
consequence when man is moralized and is determined to
fight against injustice.
Many a lofty civilization in history has collapsed at
the first touch of an invader, because it was already
dilapidated and lacked the power of resistance.
(f) His superhuman role
Now we come to another question of the above-mentioned
series. The question is whether a single individual,
howsoever great he may be, can accomplish such a great
task, when it is known that a great man is only he whom
the circumstances bring forward to be in the forefront
of the events.
This question is based on a particular viewpoint about
history which explains historical developments on the
basis that man is only a secondary factor, whereas the
main factor consists of the forces which work around
him. Man at the most can be described as an intelligent
interpreter of the inter-play of these forces.
It is evident that history has two poles, one of them
being man and the other the material forces around him.
Just as the material forces influence man like the
conditions of production similarly man also influences
the material forces around him. There is no
justification for supposing that action always begins
with matter and ends at man. The opposite can also be as
true. In history, man and matter have always been
interacting. If the interacting force of man is
celestial then his role in life will also assume the
celestial hue. Then it is the Divine force which directs
the course of history.
This is a fact which is abundantly proved by the history
of the mission of the Prophets and especially by the
life history of the last Divine Messenger, for Muhammad
(P) assumed the control of the course of history and
created a culture which could not be created by the
external circumstances around him.
Hence, what was possible to be accomplished by the
greatest of the Prophets can also be accomplished at the
hands of the Awaited Saviour of his Family - The Leader
whose appearance has been predicted by the holy Prophet
and about whose great role he has already informed
mankind.
(g) His modus operandi
Now we come to the last question which is about the
method which the Mahdi is likely to adopt to achieve his
objective of the final victory of justice and of the
complete eradication of injustice.
A definite answer to this question depends not only on
the knowledge of the timing and the stage at which the
Mahdi will reappear but also on the possibility of
imagining what particular circumstances will be
prevailing at that time. It is only in the light of
these circumstances that a picture of his possible
strategy can be drawn. So long as we do not know at what
stage the Mahdi will reappear and what will be the
prevailing circumstances at that time, it is not
possible to make any prediction on scientific lines. Any
presumptions made in this connection will be based
mostly on fiction and not on facts. Anyhow, there is one
basic presumption which can be accepted in the light of
the traditions and the historical experience of the
great changes.
This much can in any case be predicted safely that the
Awaited Saviour - will appear when the stage for his
appearance is set, neither earlier nor later. Let us be
clear as to the meaning - of this stage for his
appearance. This stage means the conditions prevailing
in the world and in the human society. It means the
decline in man's moral life, when oppression and tyranny
will be rampant and when mankind will have fallen into
the abyss of crime and immorality.
In addition, this stage for his appearance means that
the conditions then prevailing would create the
necessary psychological atmosphere for the reception of
a saviour. Mankind would be dead tired and fed up with
the shape of things and would quite naturally look
forward to a saviour for its liberation. This will
happen when wickedness will reach its climax. There will
be a great upheaval, a great conflagration, that will
send this universe to its doom. In the darkness that
will then prevail, there will dawn a new Sun in the form
of the Mahdi, spreading light and lustre. Having
liberated mankind from its misery and curse, the Mahdi
will then bring about a transformation of life in which
justice, peace, virtue and righteousness will abound.
Thus will the Awaited Imam accomplish his mission.
Certain Islamic traditions speak of a government of the
virtuous which is to continue until the appearance of
the Mahdi (May Allah hasten his advent) and, as we know,
some Shi'ah scholars who held a high opinion about a
certain number of their contemporary rulers have hinted
at the possibility of the continuance of their dynasties
until the appearance of the Mahdi.
On the whole, it is derived from the Qur'anic verses and
the Islamic traditions that the rising of the Mahdi will
be the last in the series of fights between the good and
the evil which have continued from the very inception of
the world. It will be the Mahdi who will give a concrete
shape to the ideal of all the Prophets, the saints and
the fighters in the way of Allah.
During the period of the occultation it is our duty to
be expecting the Awaited Imam. We must devise a sound
and judicious system of social development based on the
holy Qur'an and present it to the world. We must prove
the excellence and efficacy of Divine laws to the people
and attract their attention to the Divine system we must
fight superstitions and false beliefs and pave the way
for the establishment of Islamic world government. In
the light of the teachings of the holy Qur'an and
traditions of the holy Prophet we must chalk out a
programme for solving the world problems and put it at
the disposal of world reformers. We must enlighten the
thoughts of the people of the world and at the same
time, prepare ourselves to receive the Awaited Imam and
the emergence of a just world government.
The saviour's revolution
Chapter four
The Final Victory
The idea of the final victory of the forces of
righteousness, peace and justice over those of evil,
oppression and tyranny, of the world-wide spread of the
Islamic faith, the complete and all-round establishment
of high human values, the formation of a utopian and an
ideal society and lastly the accomplishment of this
ideal at the hands of a holy and eminent personality
called, according to the Islamic traditions, Mahdi is a
belief which, of course with variations in details, is
shared by all the Muslim sects and schools of thought.
Basically this is a Qur'anic concept and it is the holy
Qur'an which in very clear terms, predicts:
1. The final victory of Islam.
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