The Advent of the Awaited Savior

By: Sayyid Ali Shahbaz
15th of Sha’ban, the day which is marked in the Islamic Republic of Iran as the Day of the World’s Oppressed, because of the tidings of deliverance for them. It is the day when the Awaited Saviour of mankind was born in Samarra in the year 255 AH, corresponding to 869 AD.
Born to Imam Hasan al-Askari (AS) and the virtuous lady, Hazrat Narjis (SA), who was a granddaughter of the Byzantine Emperor and from her mother’s side was a direct descendant of Simeon the disciple of Prophet Jesus (PBUH), the newborn was given the name of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). He possesses certain interesting characteristics, such as concealed birth during those critical days when the Abbasid caliphs was looking for pretexts to exterminate the Infallible line of the Prophet’s descendants and had confined his father to house arrest. This was similar to the concealed births of Prophet Abraham in Mesopotamia during the days of the tyrant Nimrod, and of Prophet Moses in Egypt when the tyrant Pharaoh was killing every male born to the Israelites in a vain bid to prevent the birth of God’s promised deliverer. The 12th Imam who is occultation for over a thousand and one hundred years shares this characteristic of long age with Prophet Noah who lived for some two thousand years. With Prophet Job, the 12th Imam shares the characteristic of patience in the face of troubles, oppression and persecution. He will reappear at the holy Ka’ba in Mecca and invite people to the path of truth and salvation, Currently, when the Takfiri and other devilish groups are indulging in terror, violence, massacres and desecration of holy sites, it is said these are among the portents for the reappearance of the Promised Saviour of mankind, although no one knows except Allah knows when he will actually appear.
Ayay 33 of Surah Towba says: “It is He who has sent His Prophet with the guidance and the religion of truth, that He may make it prevail over all religions, though the polytheists should be averse.”
This ayah is indeed food for thought. Those in doubt, regarding the Prophet’s prophecy of 12 Righteous Successors of whom the last will be the Mahdi, who would fill the world with peace and justice – a hadith related by his prominent companions, including some those who styled themselves caliphs – should delve deeper into the meaning and purport of the ayahs of the holy Qur’an, including ayah 105 of Surah Anbiya where God says: “Certainly, We had written in the Psalms, after the Reminder (the Torah), Indeed My righteous servants shall inherit the earth."
The wording is clear, whether in this ayah or the one mentioned earlier. It is the Divine Promise of Islam’s eventual triumph. According to prominent exegetes of the holy Qur’an from among our Sunni brethren, such as Tha’alebi, Fakhr od-Din Razi, and Qortobi (of Islamic Spain), the ayah is a clear reference to the advent of Imam Mahdi in the end times to make Islam prevail over all other religions. All denominations of Islam are unanimous that the Mahdi is definitely not the offspring of any of the Sahaba or the Jews, the Christians, the Zoroastrians, the Hindus, the Turks, the Animists, etc, who later became Muslim – although the religious texts of these creeds do speak in varying degrees of the coming of a man of God with a mission to make peace prevail all over the world. A glance at the books of the leading Sunni authorities reveals that the Mahdi is the direct descendent of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), that is, the offspring of his daughter, Hazrat Fatema Zahra (SA), through her younger son, Imam Husain (AS) the Martyr of Karbala.
In the book Fara’ed as-Samtayn, a famous hadith through Sunni sources reads: The Prophet said: "My Caliphs are my legatees and the proofs of Allah upon the creatures, after me they are Twelve. The first of them is my brother and the last of them is my (grand)son."
He was asked:"0 Prophet of Allah, which brother of yours"
He replied: “Ali Ibn Abi Talib"
Again he was asked: "And which (grand)son?"
He said: "Al-Mahdi is the one who will fill the earth with justice and equity just like it had been filled with injustice and tyranny. I swear by the one who has sent me as the giver of good tidings, even is a single day remains for the world (to end), Allah shall prolong that day till he sends (to it) my son Mahdi. Then Ruhullah Jesus son of Mary will descend and perform prayers behind him. The earth shall be illuminated by his radiance and his authority shall stretch from the east to the west."
Every year, the 15th of Sha’ban makes the seekers of truth become better aware of the identity of the eagerly awaited Saviour of mankind, the Promised Mahdi. He is in occultation by the Will of God, and will reappear at the holy Ka’ba in Mecca to end tyranny on earth. Before his advent, his enemies will destabilize Syria, Iraq and Hijaz – as is evident by the terrorism unleashed by the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, and West European regimes. They will shed the blood of the innocent in trying to avert the inevitable, but will eventually be doomed before the power of the Mahdi and his sincere adherents despite their dangerous doomsday weapons. Here is the Special Supplication from the Prophet’s 6th Infallible Heir, Imam Jaf’ar Sadeq (AS), for the auspicious eve of 15th Sha’ban: “O Allah, for the sake of this night and for the sake of him who was born on it, Your testament and the promised Saviour– (by virtue of whose birth) You have added to its merit, thus fulfilling Your word, truly and justly: there is none who can change Your words or repeal Your signs. He is Your brilliant light, Your shining radiance, the banner of light in the pitch dark night, who is concealed and in occultation. Exalted is his birthday and honoured is his lineage. The angels are his assistants, and God is his Supporter and Protector, when the promised time comes the angels will be among his assistants. He is the sword of Allah that never misses its aim, and His light that never grows dim. He is the gentle one who never deviates. (The Imams are) the axis of the age, the spirits of the Time, the guardians of Divine sovereignty, the destinations of that which comes down in the Night of Ordainment, the superiors at Resurrection, the interpreters of His revelations, and the guardians of His commands and prohibitions. O Allah, bless their Seal and their Qa’em, who is concealed from their realms.
“O Allah, enable us to witness his days, his appearance and his rising, and appoint us to be among his helpers, avenging the martyrs alongside him. Write us among his supporters and dedicated friends; bring us to life in his reign, prosperous, enriched by his company, defending his cause, and secure from all ills, O Most Merciful of the merciful. All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds, and may His blessings be on our master, Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets and Envoys, and on his Progeny and Kindred, the truthful ones. (O God), may Your curse be on all oppressors! Judge between us and them, O fairest of all judges.”
Here we present you a piece of poetry on the birthday of Imam Mahdi (AS) by Iran’s English language poet, Dr. Hassan Najafi:
What some can’t understand they deny
Why...? Easy for them the facts to deny,
Into the fire was thrown Abraham Khalil
Safe he was amidst the flames - didn’t even feel.
How could this happen?
Because God decreed it to happen!
The staff of Moses becomes a dreadful snake
A piece of wood becomes a snake; was it fake?
Jesus cured lepers, brought the dead back to life,
Wasn’t this the Will of God, the Giver of life?
Such extraordinary things time to time
Do happen to keep alive God’s trace in every clime.
In spite of these things we still deny
The signs - a necessity to Faith and thereon to rely;
What holds God from keeping Mahdi alive?
He the Giver of life; short, medium, or for centuries alive!
In ancient times ages were longer
For example: Adam, Noah, and Khizr.
Fragrance is proof of existence, even if flower unseen,
The sun gives light, even if by cloud hidden.
Therefore to deny the Mahdi’s existence
Doesn’t hold water in view of his presence,
Such weary lengths went past
When will you, O’ Imam, appear at last?
The closed doors of mercy you will open on mankind
Virtues will grow as vices will be confined.
Before you bow down all mankind
To want, to toil, to the fatigue shall be consigned.
Peace shall rule the day, Reason rule the mind
Nobody will be tempted by evil, no grief they find.
On his appearance corruption and oppression will be no more,
Justice for all, the global government shall galore,
Evening dews enrich the glittering glade
Trees shall cast longer shade,
Radiance shall rule a cloudless sky
Each night the moon shall be brilliantly high
The sun of Ghadeer will enlighten the world
The darkness of Saqifa will forever be blurred,
The 12th Infallible Imam of Prophet Muhammad’s Household,
Behind whom Jesus will pray, as prophets have foretold.