Imam Al-mahdi (as) and Opponents : the Dialectic of Complementarily and Contradiction

The Ultimate Holistic Theory

So far we have studied the Marxist theory of material dialectic and contradiction. Despite its intention to establish the laws of historical development, we have been unable to find them irrefutable. But the designers of the New World Order seem to highlight the conditions of the World only as they appear in their own eyes, without delving into theoretical principles.

While the theoretician of the Clash of Civilizations merely added a theoretical flavour to the previous Western political leader's idea, he, also, fails to present more than a prediction of the scenario of the World from his own eye.

We have been unable, however, to uncover more than conflicting evidence in his formulation to present 'the Clash' and 'civilization'. We consider that a reasonable and sensible thinker cannot tolerate or digest the image of a civilized individual initiating hostility and 'clash' with other so-called civilized individuals. Fighting and Clashes are not civilized phenomenon of human history.

Observing Khatami's idea from another angle, the Dialogue of Civilizations seems to introduce the best principle for a civilized individual; however, it lacks a holistic approach, as it is possibly detached from reality. A thorough all-inclusive theory needs to be introduced as a combination of the entire aforementioned discussion would have bitterly inevitable, albeit undesirable, consequences.

We, therefore, assume that regardless of the level of civilization, one develops a flavour of bitter conflict, despite the partly successful rounds of dialogue, which would ultimately be likely to succumb to clash and violence when one party seeks to enforce its agenda and claims through aggressive tactics.

This is the case when each and every party begins their distinctive path, when one ascends to an elevated position, while the second descends to its highest level of ambitions.

Islamic Traditions Supporting the Holistic Approach

At this stage we feel the need to elaborate on the meaning of the complementarity of the two forces. It seems to be assumed that forces of evil and good, devil and Divine can never interact nor react forcing each other into complementarity. Speaking laconic formulation one emphasizes that what is meant by complementarity is the Qur'anic, philosophical and mystical definition where both ways of complementarity are both possible and plausible.

The Holy Qur'an has described both forms of complementarity while distinguishing between two smart concepts: namely the ascending levels (Ad-Darajat) and descending steps (Ad-Darakat) where both parties would be qualified to reach their ultimate level of perfection, albeit in totally and completely opposite directions.

A historical record from the Prophetic era confirms these two examples. The first concerns the ascending levels (Ad-Darajat) which was confirmed when the Prophet (saws) relayed the news about Ja'afar bin Abi Talib having been removed of both of his hands, through chopping, before he was martyred; the Prophet (saws) informed the Muslims before Ja'afar's death that the Divine Almighty God (swt) substituted his two hands with wings, both of which, would be used for his soul to ascend to Heaven.

The Holy Qur'an described the different levels for believers in paradise as follows:

"ولكل درجات مما عملوا."

"Each will have rank according to whatever they have done."

Qur'an 46:19

And the Hadeeth related to Ja'afar bin Abi Taleb we read in the historical account as follows:

عن علي بن أبي طالب قال : ( بينما أنا مع النبي في خير أبي طالب التفت إلى جعفر فقال : أما أن الله قد وصلك بجناحين يطير بهما إلى الجنة كما وصلت بجناح ابن عمك )

The second - descending steps (Ad-Darakat) - is recorded by the fact that when the Prophet (saws) was present amongst a group of Muslims, they suddenly heard a voice emitted from very strong wind.

The Muslims were surprised and urged the Prophet (saws) to explain what was happening, based on his Divine knowledge. The Prophet (saws), being a Divinely enlightened messenger, informed them that a huge stone had been thrown into the Hell fire 70 years previously, and had now reached the fiery Hellish depth.

Another narration explains that the wind signalled the death of one of the most distinguished figures among the hypocrites. When the Muslims arrived at Madinah they heard loud mourning and lamentation from one of the hypocrites signifying that a member of the Muslim Madinan society had passed away. His name was Ben Zayd bin Tabut, who was an influential high-standing Jew who, despite being a hypocrite and a disbeliever had converted to Islam, at least in name.

"فلما نزل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بقباء من طريق عمق سرح الناس ظهره ، وأخذتهم ريح شديدة حتى أشفق، وقال الناس : يا رسول الله ما شأن هذه الريح؟ فزعموا أنه قال " مات اليوم منافق عظيم النفاق، ولذلك عصفت ، وليس عليكم منها بأس إن شاء الله " وكان موته غائظا للمنافقين - قال جابر بن عبد الله رضي الله عنهما : فرجعنا إلى المدينة فوجدنا منافقا عظيم النفاق مات يومئذ - وسكنت الريح آخر النهار فجمع الناس ظهرهم."

The Qur'an has also made the position of hypocrites explicitly clear with regards to the Hell fire:

"إن المنافقين في الدرك الأسفل من النار، ولن تجد لهم نصيرا."

"The hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the fire: no helper wilt thou find for them:" Qur'an 4:145

It reflects the very fact that this person, while being a member of the Muslim Society of Madinah, was able to reach his form of perfection, albeit in the totally negative and opposite direction. Both examples were confirmed and are the best proof of the fact that both forces were in conflict within the Muslim society of Madinah and that the contradiction and tussling between them reached ultimately complementarity, albeit in opposite direction.

Another Islamic tradition states the following:

"قال الباقر (ع) : " يا إبراهيم ! إن الله تبارك وتعالى لم يزل عالما قديما خلق الأشياء لا من شئ . ومن زعم أن الله - عز وجل - خلق الأشياء من شئ فقد كفر ، لأنه لو كان ذلك الشئ الذي خلق منه الأشياء قديما معه في أزليته وهويته كان ذلك أزليا . بل خلق الله - عز وجل - الأشياء كلها لا من شئ ، فكان مما خلق الله - عز وجل - أرضا طيبة ، ثم فجر منها ماء عذبا زلالا ، فعرض عليها ولايتنا أهل البيت ، فقبلتها . فأجرى ذلك الماء عليها سبعة أيام حتى طبقها وعمها ، ثم نضب ذلك الماء عنها وأخذ من صفوة ذلك الطين طينا ، فجعل طين الأئمة ( عليهم السلام ) ، ثم أخذ ثفل ذلك الطين فخلق منه شيعتنا ، ولو ترك طينتكم يا إبراهيم على حاله - كما ترك طينتنا - لكنتم ونحن شيئا واحدا " . قلت : يا بن رسول الله ما فعل بطينتنا ؟ قال : " أخبرك يا إبراهيم ، خلق الله - عز وجل - بعد ذلك أرضا سبخة خبيثة منتنة ، ثم فجر منها ماء أجاجا آسنا مالحا ، فعرض عليها ولايتنا أهل البيت ولم تقبلها . فأجرى ذلك الماء عليها سبعة أيام حتى طبقها وعمها ، ثم نضب ذلك الماء عنها ، ثم أخذ من ذلك الطين فخلق منه الطغاة وأئمتهم ، ثم مزجه بثفل طينتكم . ولو ترك طينتهم على حاله ولم يمزج بطينتكم لم يشهدوا الشهادتين ، ولا صلوا ولا صاموا ولا زكوا ولا حجوا ، ولا أدوا أمانة ولا أشبهوكم في الصور ، وليس شئ أكبر على المؤمن من أن يرى صورة عدوه مثل صورته " . قلت : يا بن رسول الله فما صنع بالطينتين ؟ قال : " مزج بينهما بالماء الأول والماء الثاني ، ثم عركها عرك الأديم ، ثم أخذ من ذلك قبضة فقال : هذه إلى الجنة ولا أبالي ، وأخذ قبضة أخرى وقال : هذه إلى النار ولا أبالي ."

'Summery: When Almighty God created human beings from clay, He mixed the pure with the impure and then declared that this one is going to the Hell fire, and I am not concerned, and this is going to Paradise, and I don't care. He then mixed them, without distinction, among creation.'

This tradition is likely to contribute to our discussion as it confirms that these two pieces - which in this context refer to two parties of humans, before they finally divide, were mixed and brought together after the primary distinction. It may metaphorically refer to the case that, despite the clear cut distinction between those two forces of good and evil, there will still be the overlapping of both principles and actors.

It also confirms that, despite dialogue, mixture and interaction between the two parties, the final distinction between them was made in favour of total perfection, albeit towards completely opposite directions.

While both narrations support our holistic approach, there is one slight difference: The first was related to internal complementarity between conflicting parties manifesting a domestic peaceful and undeclared contradiction, while the second refers to the external complementarity occurring between two foreign parties manifesting contradiction in the International arena.

Although both parties, politically and socially, in the case of internal and external contradiction, totally despise and feign reciprocal contradictory and absolute exclusiveness against the other, the natural dialectic of this action-reaction process is, however, consciously or unwittingly, forcing them towards interacting within the contradiction then ultimately reaching complementarity.

After studying the theoretical aspects of our approach, it now becomes appropriate to examine Imam Al-Mahdi's (as) relationship to his opponents in the light of the abovementioned holistic method.