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

Iv.- Final Comments

Humanity today is currently in a period of its history in which profound changes are occurring and these are extending progressively throughout the universe. These changes, provoked by human intelligence, incide on its way of thinking and acting with respect to things and other persons. We stand before a true social and cultural transformation that also redounds to the spiritual and religious lives of people.

Mankind has never had such an abundance of riches, possibilities and economic power, and yet a great part of the world population experiences hunger and misery. Men have never had a more acute sense of freedom as they do today, yet new types of social and psychological slavery, such as consumerism and drugs - to cite only two of them - are appearing in society.

The world feels itself as interdependent: a necessary solidarity appears that is divided by the antagonistic forces dividing society into the political, the social, the economic, the racial and the ideological, without forgetting the danger of a war capable of destroying everything.

Man seeks to create a perfect order in this world using his own means, without worrying about progressing in the same way with his spiritual development. Spirits are perturbed: man fails to find himself, and it is beginning to dawn on him that he is incapable of seeing his own history through, and that this is overwhelming him.

These conditions are especially felt in the religious lives of people. Increasingly more persons are moving away from religion. They deny the existence of God or simply dispense with Him, particularly the youth, some of them in response to a new humanism, or due to the demands of the modern scientific world in which they put their blind faith.

The conviction is growing that man not only can and should increasingly strengthen his dominion over creation, but also that it exclusively falls upon him to establish Paradise on earth. The full and true liberation of humanity is expected solely through human effort, and it is believed that the future reign of man over the world will fulfil his heart's desires.

Say Prophet Muhammad,( p.b.u..h), "I cannot control any harm or benefit that come to me, except as God wills. There is an appointed term for every community, and when it is reached they can neither delay nor hasten it, even for a moment." (35)

May Almighty Allah Increase The Followers Of His True Path

V.- Bibliography

o Carment, David and Schnabel, Albrecht, Conflict Prevention, 2003, United Nations University, New York, USA..

o Gonz?lez B?rnez, Ra?l, El Cor?n, 2006, Miraguano, S.A. Ediciones, Madrid, Espa?a.

o Gurméndez, Carlos, El secreto de la alienaci?n y la desalienaci?n humana, 1989, Editorial Anthropos, Barcelona, Espa?a.

o Gurméndez, Carlos, Estudios sobre el amor,1985, Editorial Anthropos, Barcelona, Espa?a.

o Imam Ali, Nahjol-Balagha, Compiled by: Sayyid Shareef Ar- Razi, 2003, Ansariyan Publication, Qum, Islamic Republic of Ir?n.

o Küng, Hans, El cristianismo y las grandes religiones, 1993, C?rculo de Lectores, Barcelona, Espaa.

o La Biblia, 2003, Herder Editorial, S.L., Barcelona, Espa?a.

o Magris, Claudio, Utop?a y desencanto, 2001, Editorial Anagrama, Barcelona, Espa?a.

o Ortberg, John, The Spiritual Formation Bible, 2006, HarperCollins Publishers, Great Bretain.

o The Qur´ân,a new translation, M.A.S. Abdel Haleem, Oxford University Press, Inc., New York, USA

VI.- Notes

(1) Imam Ali bn Abi-Talib´s, Sermons, Nahjol-Balagha. (2) Matthew 10, 26-27 (3) Sura 32, 7-9 (4) Corinthians 5,6 (5) Genesis 1, 27-28 (6) Genesis 1,31 (7) Ephesians 4,24 (8) Wisdom of Solomon 2,23 (9) Hadith of Bukhari and Muslim (10) Wisdom of Solomon 2,24 (11) John 12,31 (12) Luke 9, 25 (13) Matthew 24,13 (14) Qur´ân Hadith 2154 (15) Qur´ân 35, 5-6 (16) Luke 10,36 (17) Matthew 19,19 (18) Matthew 7,12 (19) Qur´ân 35,2 (20) Matthew 6,24 (21) Revelation 3,16 (22) Qur´ân 65, 2-3 (23) John 11, 25-26 (24) Qur´ân 72,13 (25) Isaiah 50,11 (26) Qur´ân 2, 286 (27) Matthew 23, 11-12 (28) Qur´ân 22, 34-35 (29) Qur´ân 24,35 (30) John 3,8 (31) Qur´ân 17,85 (32) Qur´ân 66,8 (33) John 3,20 (34) Hadith of Abu Dawud (35) Qur´ân 10

Title of the article: Mahdism and Messianism utopia: believers attributes at "The Time of Appearance".

"Do not make haste for a matter which is to happen and is awaited, and do not wish for delay in what tomorrow is to bring for you." (1) There is an increasing interest in our society today concerning the appearance of the Messiah for Christians and the Mahdi (a.s. ) for Muslims that will bring God kingdom to earth. Many religions and schools of thoughts have prophesized and predicted it.

The Mahdi (a.s.) is the main eschatological messianic figure in Islam that will bring peace and reconciliation to our suffering world before the "End of Time". His appearance will bring spiritual harmony and order and He will encourage people to live for the needs of "others".

The strong believe of the Shi´a religious community in the appearance of the Mahdi (a.s.) has propitiated hope and inspiration to them to accept the responsibility of taking the necessary steps to accomplish all changes needed before his appearance.

"So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops." (2)

The appearance of the Mahdi (a.s.) or Messiah is inevitable and sure, but those that believe in His appearance will have to be aware of the transcendental changes that will occur in their life at a personal and professional level. Is no doubt that this is the greatest task that a human being could ever had in his/her life, but, still is a long journey to go and a lot of work to do before His appearance, but a bright future is awaiting us at the end of the "Journey".