A Replay To Belief of Mahdism in Shia Imamate
- the Prophet - a Paragon of Perfection and High Above an Ordinary Man =======================================================================
The Prophet is above an ordinary man.
He possesses qualities, which are not common among the ordinary people. This thought and belief which reason attests to. The belief in his being a chosen one in itself evidences his mission as his mission is the evidence of his being a chosen one. As we know one who is vested with the office of prophet hood should have distinct distinction from among others through either those of moral, knowledge, conduct and behavior - each at its zenith.
If he too stands at the same level in the same class with the same grade quite equal with others, then what superiority goes to him or what prominence and preference does he have over others? In such a case why should others obey him and why should he give orders? God does not impose not one upon others if he is not better than them. Of course, the Prophet is not a super human nor is he a being other than human. But, indeed, he is a man superior to other men, a distinguished one, a perfect one and a man in its complete sense. This factor remained open to all throughout his life - private and public. His generous behavior, exalted moral, a charitable character and the human virtue had already set him at a station higher than that in which lurked everyone else. He was not yet a prophet. We are not going here to compare his moral with that of others.
The writer too Mr. Abdul Azeer, whom we shall refer to hereafter as the writer, holds the same opinion. The terms used by him such as ‘paragon of the desired perfection’, ‘chosen one by Divine’, ‘a real leader’; reflect the same sense. This statement: ‘The consummate perfection which the Prophet left behind gives reason to this thought that he should be above a common man’, brought forward this conjecture after his becoming a prophet and before his death. Appointment to the office of prophet hood is subject to better decency and wider ability. All it shows was that the Prophet was not a common man. 2. One Universal Government Islamic Jusbice, and the Imamate of Mahdi:
That this Divine design in forming a new nation throughout the world should be worldwide and as such, a total justice under the oneness of God should stretch from end to end, was a salient factor in the invitation to Islam. Besides; the Quranic Verses too have given expression to this end in its several chapters. Muslims also have often and always looked forward in anticipating the realization of the goals in line with the promise committed by God and His Prophet. Furthermore, there are hundreds of predictions foretold by the prophet that Islam will be the absolute and universal religion and that a total justice will rule providing security over the earth; and this will be accomplished by Mehdi whose appearance is awaited as it is promised. He is from the Prophet’s progeny, son of Ali and Fatima, bearing a patronymic same as that of the Prophet.
One day Mahdi will appear; this belief has been introduced, that is, the specifications too are told. This is a belief that runs in the veins of Islam and is divulged in its preliminary texts. Besides, the traditions those are constant - and are their constancy runs no doubt - support the belief. The Prophet has given the tidings and it is he who has kept his nation in waiting for the day of the appearance of Mahdi. This belief, as other ones, is a principal and cardinal one envigoured by its originality and enlivened by its purity. The belief in the Prophet resigns to the belief in Mahdi.
Extract from the traditions has not constituted this belief. Prognostications that Islam will become worldwide and that the truth will obliterate the wrong, do exist and do provide an umbrella, but this belief stands by its own supported by the text. Symptoms are foretold and the qualities specified which are to be taken for granted when they occur as the indication of Mahdi’s appearance.
These predictions might have had been efficacious in the growth of this belief but the conditions and circumstances that came into being immediately after the death of the Prophet have not part in this belief, because this belief had already been divulged to the people far in advance. The origin of this belief is the prophet hood and not the time. Likewise, attachment of the faithful ones with the Prophet stands apart from the count to be regarded as one of the causes for Mahdism. Such a conjecture, if there be or to form one, is doomed to be rejected and refuted because it is bleak and barren; not an evidence nor a proof, nor a document, nor a logic is there to irrigate it so as to keep it alive. Therefore, if this be said, which, indeed, has been, that a group of Muslims were not happy in the rule of the caliphs whom had ruled after the Prophet’s death, some of the people among them were led to a belief which persuaded them to wait, anticipating the rise of one from the Prophet’s progeny, to take up the guidance of the people; is only an absurdity neither coherent nor congruous with reality. Resurrection of man is Islam according to the Quran does not indicate to the appearance of a redeemer in the person of Mahdi at the end of time. Therefore, those who were ardently faithful to the person of the prophet, gratified themselves to look forward to what they had hoped to witness in their own lifetime. The dispatch and constancy with which they held the view became a belief with them to anticipate the appearance of a man from the Prophet’s progeny, guided by God for the redemption of the people. Although such is their argument and thus their reasoning but it is not true.
The appearance of Mehdi, the Redeemer, had been prognosticated long ago and the predictions in this regard abound to the extent that no other prediction in Islam, whatever its object, does not equal in number. It is certitude. Here what astonishes is this: The writer appears to have explored the subject thoroughly, and he says that the traditions, which predict the appearance of Mahdi exceed to more than a thousand. Further, the writer has quoted from the books written by others and he has taken sufficient store from the books of “HADITH” and interpretation.
After having had set out on such a journey, long and tedious, endangering himself of every possible hazard, and having had wandered far and wide he comes back only to tell that he has seen nothing. To believe him reasons rejects.
His toil has gone futile and his fatigue without compensation is his misfortune. This is a pity. Great Sunni scholars have written books on this subject. Twelve centuries have since passed and the books written then have withstood the ransacking by the scholars and researchers of Islamic sciences. From them they have narrated its material, and quoted its essence in their own books availing nothing but to tell that the advent of Mahdi was had never been foretold. In the glare of light they have failed to see the object. They attributed the fact to the personal attachment of a few with the Prophet. Even this argument that the advent of Mahdi is not mentioned in the Quran is lame because the Prophet had on many occasions informed the nation that such a day exists in the womb of time and there is not miscarriage of it. His companions heard him; and form mouth to mouth circulated the forecast. But, doubt still swells in the cradle of hesitation! Such is the obduracy and so the stubbornness.
This is a mistake, though not deliberate. Likewise, there are several other mistakes in the book, all because the writer has ignored authorities and references which form a foundation of the belief among all Muslims in the advent of the redeemer, Mahdi. His means of reasoning and way of argument has steered him to blunders. The issue of Mehdism has so disturbed him that he has disturbed all by his wrong discussion, in which instead of explaining has confounded the confusion.. The religion of Islam and the belief in Shiaism confronts him either to check or challenge him. He has gained nothing in his exploration but has lost the track to return back.
Consequence? Reason alarms us. Such a way of analysis and conclusion in the subject matter of Imamate if to be tolerated, will lead us to doubt other matters, such as the prophet hood of the prophets. And a step further, the issue of belief in God itself will be put to question. From the start it is a slaught on belief because of its wrong approach.
For instance, the prophet hood of Moses could be put to question. It could be argued that the Israelis were oppressed by the pharaoh, Moses thought to rescue them. In fact, it was the atrocities of the pharaoh who incited Moses to campaign under the title of prophet hood. In other words, it was nationalism that caused Israelis to accept Moses’ invitation. Or, it could be said that, the Prophet too campaigned under the title of prophet hood because of the heartening condition of the poor people of Mecca and the atrocities of moneylenders and the wicked deeds of the populace.
These and such analysis and justifications are close to fiction rather than to reality, as they do not have the remotest bearing on the actuality of causes and effects of things.
In spite of all this it should not be forgotten, as the writer has pointed out, that the atrocities of the people who held the affairs in their hands did not go without influence on the hearts. It made the public stauncher in their belief in Mahdi and his Imamate and more enthusiastic in anticipation of a redeemer because of the need for relief that was the deservation of their hour. The grounds, historical and social, have always aided in advancing the call of the prophets, as was the case with our Prophet. This conclusion is in agreement with the divine universal view. To link the prophet hood, and Imamate to circumstances and the divine outlook of the universe is not reasonable. The outlook of one who believes in God shall refute it. It is feeble, flaccid, and fake.
**3. Shiasm and the meaning of Imam, the Redeemer: ** We will present explanations of some magnitude in order to obviate mistakes since there are several. The taking shape and the Foundation of Shiasm in the epoch of prophet hood:
A. Historical events and constant traditions indicate that during the prophet hood itself, the Shia faith started taking shape and gaining ground by its Salient feature that is the belief in Imamate fixed by the text. In the early years of his prophet hood when the Prophet commenced the call, a foundation was laid and officially announced to the people with much stress on the need for their adherence to it. This is quite obvious in the much known tradition of THAQALAIN (two heavy things). The Prophet did not suffice on that. He wanted to write it down in his will which he said was important and that they would never go astray if they adhered to it. He demanded a pen and paper for this purpose. As he was sick in his deathbed no one obeyed his order. Those who were present around him opposed him openly and said, “The man is ulterring nonsense.” They stopped him from writing down his will by not giving him a pen and paper.
Those who accepted the Prophet’s invitation and stuck to this faith was and is a Shia. It is the contents of the Prophet’s call and the essence of his Mission. As for the leadership of the nation, on every occasion and in every opportunity this issue has been made known to the people by the Prophet (SAW).
Imamate is a comer stone in the proclamations of the Prophet (SAW). The importance of it comes to light by this saying of the Prophet (SAW), which he narrated on various occasions. “He who dies without knowing the Imam of his time dies a death of ignorance.” What we infer from this tradition is that to ignore the Imam or not to recognize him is tantamount to death a death prior to Islam. The station of Imam is such. The Prophet (SAW) has specified the qualities of the Imam as to who and how he should be, also as from which class and which clan he should be. Their number too which is twelve was told by the Prophet (SAW). He in his lifetime had disclosed their names individually.
Every Imam is a perfect man of his time. His conduct, moral, and knowledge are superior to all. He is the example in every aspect to be followed. The Quranic verses as well support this. Imamate is a Divine office like that of Prophet hood. As God chooses His prophet, He chooses His successor too because the office is the same; the prophet introduced a mission and the Imam was and is the guardian of that mission. One propagates while the other preserves.
The writer says that in the early years of Islam there was no sign of either Shiasm or Sunnism. If he means by this that the Shia thought had no root in Islam in its early years; he is mistaken. He says openly quite contrary to the fact. The leadership of Ali (AS) or his succession to the Prophet (SAW) was the most original thought expressed by the Prophet (SAW) himself. It is as old as Islam itself. In addition to the Prophet’s sayings, there are several incidents and occasions of no less importance which occurred and which pointed to the issue of Imamate, that is the leadership after the Prophet.
During that time a division had not yet occurred. Opposition to the Shia thought and Imamate took years to develop and identify itself by the name of Sunni. The individuals who channeled things to flow in quite the opposite direction, which caused the division, were quite resigned to the original Islam because that was the age of the Prophet, which to them was the age of ambush. The Islam of that age, that is, the time of their ambush, remained in its originality that later begot the name of Shiasm because they had invented ‘Sunnism’ - a contrary school.
The life of the Prophet (SAW) rather shielded them. The death of the Prophet (SAW) exposed them. There they were feeble. Later they were cunning. What the Prophet had set up they upset. The upset one took the name of Sunni. The original setup preserved its entity in Shia.
Zero hour was the death of the Prophet (SAW). The meeting place was SAQIFA. They gathered; laid bare their intentions. The clamor died down and a successor to the demised Prophet was suggested, nominated, and appointed - all in no time. Why was Ali not there? Ali (AS) was occupied in the funeral of the Prophet (SAW). Actually the gathering at SAQIFA drew a line between Islam dividing it into two.
Now, their allegation. The Holy Quran has not located a center nor accommodated the scholars with a choice in interpretation of the issues and of fashioning the affairs into a discipline. This is not correct. The Quran says in the chapter ‘Women’: “If they had referred it to the Messenger and to those in authority among them, those of them whose task it was investigate would have known the mailer.”(4:85) Of course, its interpretation requires a separate chapter. But at a cursory view we come to know that the term, ‘those in authority’ purports to the Imams, immune of sins.
The Prophet had often said that the Quran was with them, and they with the Quran unseperable from earth other. In this respect readers may refer to the traditions ‘THAQALAIN’, ‘SAFEENA’, and ‘Amam’ and several other ones. In other traditions the Prophet says: “In every generation to come out of my nation, there are just people alongside the members of my House, who cleanse the religion from deviation of the arrogant and wrong of the wrong doers.”