The Life of Imam Al-mahdipeace Be Upon Him
Poets Who Believed in Imam Mahdi (a.s)
- Kumayt
The poet of Ahle Bayt (a.s), Kumayt bin Zaid Asadi had faith in His Eminence, Imam Mahdi (a.s) and it was a part of his religious belief. This faith of his was due to the training of the Purified Imams (a.s) as he was a contemporary of theirs.
The following is one of his couplets:
“When the truth shall be established among you.
When your second Mahdi will rise up.”
- Dibil Khuzai
This poet was having a firm and a deep-rooted faith in His Eminence and he considered it a necessary principle of Islamic belief. He composed and recited poetical compositions in the presence of Imam Ali Reza (a.s) that impressed the Holy Imam (a.s) a great deal.
He composed the following couplets:
“Then if it had not been what I desire for today or tomorrow.
Any heart would have broken in the grief of your signs.
Advent of an Imam whose advent is imminent.
He will move with the name of God and with bounties.”
Imam Ali Reza (a.s) glanced towards Khuzai and said, “The Holy Spirit (Ruh al-Qudus) has spoken through your tongue. Do you know who this Imam is ?”
He replied, “No, I have only heard that an Imam from among you shall reappear and fill the earth with justice and equity…”
His Eminence, Imam Ali Reza (a.s) said, “O Dibil! Indeed, the
Imam after me is my son, Muhammad and after him his son, Ali and after Ali his son, Hasan and after Hasan his son, Hujjat (Proof) and the Qaim (One who rises). And he is the one who shall be awaited during his concealment and when he reappears, he shall be obeyed and he shall fill the earth with justice and equity like it would have been filled with injustice and inequity. But when shall he arisea This news is from the time when I heard through my father from his forefathers, that the Holy Prophet (a.s) said, ‘He is like the Hour, that would come all of a sudden and no one has any information about it.’”
- Sayyid Himyari
One of the prominent poets and followers of Ahle Bayt (a.s) is Sayyid Himyari who composed poems in praise of His Eminence, Ali (a.s) and the occultation of Imam Mahdi (a.s). His poem regarding the reappearance of His Eminence, the Master of the Age is as follows:
“And in the same way we have narrated from the successors of Muhammad
And none of us that has said it has any falsehood in it.”
- Wurd bin Zaid
This poet, like Kumayt, was among the sincere followers of the Imams of Ahle Bayt (a.s). He came to the presence of His Eminence, Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s) and recited a poem regarding His Eminence. And also in the end he recited couplets about Imam Mahdi (a.s) as follows:
“When is the one going to be born in Samarrah, if it comes to pass
That will be shinning like the shooting star
So much so that if the land of Iraq throws it to Hijaz, he will stay at Ja’ja’”
It can be understood from these couplets that this poet has already heard the traditions about Imam Mahdi (a.s) much before his holy birth.
And the saying of the Purified Imams is the saying of the Messenger of Allah and it is the continuation of the knowledge of their great grandfather. In these couplets he mentions the qualities of the Awaited Imam that shall come together in that new born infallible after his birth.
- Musab bin Wahab
Musab bin Wahab Nausajani was a contemporary of His Eminence, Imam Ali Reza (a.s). His poetical compositions inform us about his faith in the twelve Holy Imams, especially in the Awaited Imam (a.s) even before he (the Imam) was born.
The following is one of his couplets:
“Then if he asks me what my religion is
Thus what I express is what I hide. (It is the same)”
These couplets tell us about the faith of Musab regarding the Almighty Allah and the prophethood of the Messenger of Allah (a.s) who is the greatest messenger of God and the twelve Holy Imams (a.s) who are the vicegerents and successors of the Holy Prophet (a.s).
- Muhammad bin Ismail Saimari
This personality is one of the best and prominent partisans (Shia) of Ahle Bayt (a.s). He came to Imam Hasan Askari (a.s) after the passing away of Imam Hadi (a.s) and recited a poem, which also mentioned about Imam Mahdi (a.s). A sample of his couplets is as follows:
“There were ten stars in the sky that are silent and Allah will make to rise other stars like them.”
- Ali Khawafi
Ali bin Abu Abdillah Khawafi was a companion of Imam Ali Reza (a.s) and when the Islamic world was mourning the martyrdom of Imam Reza (a.s), the poets composed elegies in his honor and Khawafi was among those reciters who also mentioned about Imam Mahdi (a.s) in his compositions.
“In every age there is a guiding Imam from among you.
Then one-fourth of it is filled with your followers and also friendly (familiar) people.”
- Qasim bin Yusuf
One of those who had faith in His Eminence, Imam Mahdi (a.s) and awaited his reappearance was Qasim bin Yusuf. He has said as follows:
“Indeed I hope that I reach them with their hands.
So that my heart is satisfied by it.”
This poet is anticipating the reappearance of His Eminence, Imam Mahdi (a.s) so that he may arrive and take revenge from the enemies of God and those who have dishonored whatever He has sanctified.
- Ibne Rumi
Ibne Rumi is among the most prominent and accomplished poets of his times. The elegy he composed in the honor of the martyr, Yahya Alawi and the atrocities he suffered at the hands of the oppressors also mentions about the Master of the Affair, Imam Mahdi (a.s). He has also denounced the tyrannical Abbasid rulers through this. He says:
“You are in deceit if you say the truth that this condition will remain same forever for you.
While time obviously has two colors.”
- Yahya bin Aqib
Yahya bin Aqib in his panegyric regarding His Eminence, the Awaited Imam (a.s) has praised and extolled the Holy Imam and explained about the peace and security of his reign. Just as it is mentioned that the Imam would restore all the laws that have become ineffective down the ages:
“The complexion is wheaten, the countenance is blooming, the face is salty and fresh and ripe.”
- Fazl bin Ruzbahan
Fazl bin Ruzbahan has praised and described the Purified Imam (a.s) and His Eminence, Imam Mahdi (a.s) and says:
“Peace be on the Qaim, the awaited one.
Abul Qasim, the master, the light of guidance.”
- Abdur Rahman
Abdur Rahman Bistami is one of those poets who believed in the existence of Imam Mahdi (a.s) and in his panegyric he says as follows:
“The M of the greatness of the Progeny of Muhammad will reappear.
And first of all the justice of God will come in the people.”
- Ibne Abil Hadid
He has compiled the following couplets:
“And certainly I know that it is necessary that your Mahdi will come.
And I am awaiting for that day.”
- Amir Basri
He is also among the poets who had faith in the existence of the Imam of the time (a.s) and considered the reappearance of His Eminence imminent. He says as follows:
“Imam of guidance! How long will you be away from the sighta
To whom do we complain about your return, O our father ?”[1]
- Abul Ma’ali
Abul Ma’ali Sadruddin has said as follows:
“He will be established on the earth by the command of Allah and reappear on the earth
In spite of the mischiefs of the evil people.” [2]
[1] Al-Imam al-Mahdi [2] Yanabiul Mawaddah, Pg. 469
These couplets show that he has mentioned some of the signs of the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (a.s) on the basis of the science of letters (Huruf) that was taught by the Holy Imam (a.s).
- Bahauddin Amili
Muhammad bin Husain Shaykh Bahai is a prominent personality of the Islamic world and a great intellectual of the Shia school. He has written on various subjects like jurisprudence, exegesis, astronomy, mathematics, geometry, divination and prosody etc. He has also composed poems regarding His Eminence, the Awaited Imam (a.s) that appear under the title of Waseelatul Fauz wal Amaan fi Madhe Sahibuz Zaman:
“Lightning flashed from Najd and refreshed the memory.
The covenant became clear as an ember for strangers at Zeeqaar.” [1]
- Sayyid Haider Hilli
Sayyid Haider Hilli was a prominent personality and a meritorious and daring person. He had independent views and was a respectable man. He was among the famous litterateurs and an eminent man of letters. He composed elegies mourning the martyrdom of his ancestor, Imam Husain (a.s). These compositions are considered the treasures of our culture. In some of his poetical compositions he addressed His Eminence, the Remnant of Allah, the Great (a.s) and implored him to reappear and purify the earth of the wild wolves of the Umayyads, polytheism and corruption. The composition runs as follows:
“Is there anyone to take my message to the master of affaira
That contains the true feelings (sadness) and all of them are sparks of fire (embers).”
[1] A reference to Sermon 33 of Nahjul Balagha
- Sayyid Ali Khan
Sayyid Ali Khan Huwaizawi has said the following with regard to His Eminence, Imam Mahdi (a.s):
“Or a Qaim who is the Mahdi, the Jabbar[1] of the Sky
The one who is the guided one and the guide of all the creatures of the world from the darkness of the night of ignorance.”[2]
- Khalie-e
Khalie-e is among the believers in the Awaited Imam (a.s) who has also implored him to reappear.
“Holding strong spears, one who desires to scale great heights
He stops the she-camel to aim the arrow.”
- Abdul Ghani Aamili
This poet is from the lineage of the great scholar of the Islamic world, the Late Shaykh Muhammad Hurre Aamili, the compiler of Wasaelush Shia, the most famous book of the Shia Imamiyah and a reference book for Islamic jurisprudents. He composed many poems about His Eminence, Imam Mahdi (a.s) which were published in book form from Hadariya Press, Najaf Ashraf, Iraq in 1339 A.H. In one of his panegyrics he writes:
“O Imam of guidance and the best of the Masters
Allah has appointed angels as his soldiers.”
- Hasan Qaftan
Shaykh Hasan Qaftan is another poet who has many poetical compositions to his credit regarding His Eminence, the Awaited Imam (a.s). He says:
When he mounted the horse, those before him fled
Like goats of slaughter flee from slaughter.
[1] Powerful, strong etc. [2] Minanur Rahman, 2/230
- Sayyid Abbas
This poet is divinely inspired to compose such beautiful poems about the Holy Imam. He says in one of his compositions:
“O chief of those having a bright forehead
Who is foremost among the righteous in piety and forbearance.”
- Shaykh Muhammad Samawi
He composed many poems about His Eminence, Imam Mahdi (a.s) and the following is a couplet from his works:
“Congratulations to the prophethood and Imamat the one who is firm with the truth.
His personality is exalted and having real power.”
With this we conclude our discussion about the poets who had sincere faith in His Eminence, Imam Mahdi (a.s) and who were prominent poets of the Islamic world. They composed their poems regarding His Eminence, imploring him to reappear and establish justice and truth and destroy infidelity and oppression.
