A monthly magazine for a better knowledge about Imam al-Mahdi, the Twelfth Imam. March 2016 Issue no. 15 he T Final pe Ho * Imamate in the Quran * Biography * Sayyed al-Hassanī * Question and Answer * Teenage Corner https://www.facebook.com/Mahdismbelief عن علی ؟ع؟ قال قال رسول الله؟ص؟ »الْ َم ْه ِد ُّي ِم َّنا أَ ْهلَ الْبَيْ ِت يُ ْص ِل ُح ُه اللَّ ُه ِف لَيْلَة.« ‘Ali b. Abi Talib has related from the Messenger of Allah to have said, “Al-Mahdi will be among my family. Allah will make the provisions for his emergence within a single night.” Al- Sunan, by ibn Mājih, vol. 2, p. 1367, had- ith no. 4085; al-Musannaf by Ibn Abi Shaybah, vol. 8, p. 678, al-Jāmi’ al-Usūl by al-Siyūtī, vol. 2, p. 672, hadith no. 9243; Mizān al-E’tedāl, by al-Zahabī, vol. 4, p. 359, Tahzīb al-Tahzīb, by Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalānī, vol. 11, p. 159.) The Supreme Leader of Islamic Republic The connection between the Shia who have a proper knowledge (about their Imam), and the Promised al-Mahdi who possesses the level of Divine Guardianship is an everlasting connec- tion. How nice and how necessary it is that every of us from the depth of our heart maintain this connection through our at- tention to him, taking re- course to him and by talking to him (by our heart). Based on different supplications that are highly probably in- troduced by our Infallible Imams, this hearty and spir- itual connection between the individuals and the Imam of the Age (May Allah hasten to his appearance) is a praiseworthy and vital connection which contains some sorts of benefit since it maintain and enliven hope and a proper expec- tation within the hearts of people. (The Supreme Leader’s speech in his meeting with officials and the fam- ilies of the martyrs on Tuesday, the thirteenth of March 1990.) The Final Hope Chief Director Mojtabā Kalbāsī Editor in Chief Sayyed Abd-al-Mahdi Tavakol Hamid Sa’ādat Editorial Board Mohammad Mahdi Lotfī Mohsen Rahīmī Translator Specialized Center of Mahdism Graphic Design Hadi Abdulmaleki Table of Contents 8 Imamate in the Quran 12 Biography of the General Deputies of Imam al-Mahdi 18 Sayyed al-Hassanī 26 Question and Answer 34 Islamic sources and the existence of Imam al-Mahdi among people (Part Two) 49 Teenage Corner 50 Those who met the Imam 53 A letter to the Imam 6 The Final Hope Editorial Mankind is the only creature on the earth who possesses intellect and decided for what he wants to do. He instinctively look for perfection and loves spiritual salvation, but he, for being guided, needs someone since his intellect is not sufficient for him. Just we can think, how many times in our life we would become regretful about what we did, or that we did something wrong and then repent, needed to gain experience about a specific important action, or made a decision and then changed it. All of these in- stances show that we cannot be dependent to our in- tellect. If our intellect was totally perfect enough, we would not be at all remorseful or worried about our past. When this is the case with our worldly life, then more essentially we need some help with regard to our unseen and supernatural world. This is why we need a man who is from Allah to guide us and show us the correct path. Life is just given to us once and we have a short time to train ourselves. On the other hand, the time of our death is totally unknown. As a The Final Hope 7 result, we are totally needful of a completely prefect man who is no one, but Imam al-Mahdi. Although the Imam is in hiding, we can refer to his words and the words of his ancestors and can refer to his repre- sentatives. Editor in Chief: Sayyed Abd-al-Mahdi Tavakol [email protected] Imamate in the Quran The Final Hope 9 Surah al-Hūd verse 80 Allah Almighty, in Surah al-Hūd, verse eighty, talks about the prophet Lut when he wished to have enough power and a strong support to refer to, }قَ َال لَ ْو أَ َّن ِل ِب ُك ْم قُ َّوةً أَ ْو ِآوي ِإلَ ٰ ُر ٍكْن ِشَد ٍيد{ “He said, ‘If only I had the power to deter you or could take refuge in a mighty support’” An explanatory narration »أَ ِب بَ ِص ٍري قَ َال قَ َال أَبُو َعبْ ِد اللَّ ِه علیه السـام: َما َكَان يَ ُق ُـول لُ ٌـوط علیه السـام لَ ْو أَ َّن ِل ِب ُك ْم قُ َّوةً أَ ْو ِآوي ِإل ُر ٍكْن شَ ِـد ٍيد ِإلَّ َت َِنيّاً لِ ُق َّو ِة الْ َقائِ ِم علیه السام َو لَ َذ َكَر ِإلَّ ِش َّدةَ أَ ْص َح ِاب ِه فَ ِإ َّن َّالر ُج َل ِم ْن ُه ْم يُ ْعطَى قُ َّوةَ أَ ْربَ ِع َني َر ُج ًا َو ِإ َّن قَلْبَ ُه لَ َشَ ُّد ِم ْن ُزبَ ِر الْ َح ِد ِيد َو لَ ْو َم ُّروا ِب ِجبَ ِال الْ َح ِد ِيد 1 لَ َقطَ ُع َوها لَ يَ ُك َفُّون ُسيُوفَ ُه ْم َحتَّى يَ ْر َض اللَّ ُه َع َّز َو َجلَّ « It is narrated from Abū Basīr narrating from Imam al-Sādiq (the Shia’s sixth Imam) to have said, “The prophet Lut who said ‘‘If only I had the power to deter you or could take refuge in a mighty support’ wised nothing but to have a power like the power of the Upriser and Lut 1. Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 52, p. 372, hadith 44. 10 The Final Hope remembered nothing but the power of the Up- riser’s special followers since each of them will have the power equal to forty men and his faith will be strong like pieces of iron. If they face a mountain made of iron in their way, they will re- move it. They won’t put their weapon down (and will continuously fight) up until Allah becomes satisfied with them (and allow them to stop).’” Points 1. Having enough power and followers is neces- sary to implement Islamic laws: The universe is a place where everything taking place there should follow a certain of natural cause an effect procedures. Hence, if one, even a prophet or an Imam, does not have enough power and followers he cannot accomplish his mission. Imam al-Mah- di also is not excepted. As a result, he will come when he has enough followers and when the world is so prepared to let him fulfill his mission in the best way. The reason, or one of the reasons that his appearance is postponed is this. The Final Hope 11 2. The real followers of the Imam: Based on the mentioned narration explaining the verse at hand, the companions of Imam al-Mahdi will be like a firm place for others to take refuge. They are strong in their beliefs and possess a kind of phys- ical and spiritual traits that if others refer to them they will be confident and at ease. During the time of Occultation, those who wish to remain alive till the Imam comes and are hopeful to be accepted by him as his real followers, also should be like this – strong in faith and totally reliable when oth- ers refer to them. This is one of the most important traits of real Moslems at the time of Occultation. Biography of the General Deputies of Imam al-Mahdi The Final Hope 13 Ibn-e-Qūlawayh al-Qummī (d. 367 A.H / 977 A.D) Abū al-Qāsim Ja’far bin Muhammad bin Ja’far bin Mūsā bin Masrūr bin Qūlawayh al-Qummī, popularly known as Ibn Qūlawayh, was an outstanding, noble, and respectful Shiite traditionist and jurisprudent in the 4th century of Hijrī. The references did not deter- mine the exact date of his birth. However, he was born in a renowned, respectable, virtuous, and well-educat- ed family in the city of Qum, Iran. His father, Mu- hammad bin Ja’far bin al-Qūlawayh, who is buried in Qum was a great narrator of traditions and was well regarded in the field of jurisprudence that numerous traditions in Kāmil al-Ziyrāt have been narrated from him. Qūlawayh started learning knowledge since childhood under the supervision of his father and brother who were considered among the prominent hadith narrators of Shia at that time. Also he benefited from lots of consummate scholars such as Saʿd bin ʿAbd-Allāh al-Ashʿarī al-Qummī, Muhammad bin Ya’qūb al-Kulaynī, Ibn Bābawayh (Sheikh al-Sadūq’s father) etc. He immigrated to various places for learn- ing Hadith. He traveled to Egypt and benefited from 14 The Final Hope scholars teaching there. Also he went to Iraq and re- sided there since that he was ill. It is also said that some of his teachers were resident in Iraq. His Great Status Ibn-e-Qūlawayh was one of the most distinctive and unique scholarly figures of his time, and his hadiths over a thousand of year have been narrated and referred to in Shiite hadith sources. Shiite scholars and jurisprudents have a great regard for him and they rely on a large num- ber of individuals who have narrated from him. Also, a large number of great personalities like Sheikh al-Mufīd have benefited from him. He is one the jurists and theo- logians who tried to find a middle way between the viewpoints of Ahl al-hadith and Mutakallimīn (Islamic theologians) in that, his opinions were accepted by the both groups.