Leadership (Imamat) of Imam Mahdi

O believers! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you. [1]

Imam Askari was murdered on 8th of Rabi ol Avval of year 260 in Sameraa. After him, the Imam Mahdi's leadership was started. As Prophet Jesus and Prophet John and also like Imam Javad and Imam Hadi, he was a child when became leader. But you must know that Knowledge and wisdom of God isn't acquired and nobody can earn them by studying but the one who God decides. So like mankind knowledge you don’t need to grow up and get some experience for it. We have an Ayah in Quran which says that Prophet Jesus spoke with the Jews scientist when he was only few days old and he was in Mary's arm:

I am indeed a servant of Allah. He has given me (Holy Book) revelation and made me a prophet. [2]

After Imam Askari, his brother Jafar who was famous as Liar Jafar, wanted to became Moslems' leader. He denied Imam Mahdi's leadership. There is a custom in Islam and that is when an Imam dies, the next Imam must pray over his body and bury him. Jafar wanted to use this Islamic rule and he stood in the first line of Moslems who wanted to pray on Imam Askari's body and decided to start praying. Some of Shiite and special friends of Imam shocked and looked at him, suddenly a youth came and took Jafar's clothes and told him: "Dear Uncle, go backward because I'm deserver than you to pray for my dad." Jafar went back while he was wan and Imam Mahdi started praying. Because of this act of Imam Mahdi, every body who were there found out Jafar's lie and also they understood that the next Imam is Imam Mahdi. [3]

Jafar became anger and reported it to governor which was Motamed and he ordered his commanders to go after Imam Mahdi. But Imam was finished praying and by order of God became absent to save his life.

He is the last Imam (Khatam ol Osiaa) and like other holy leaders, he has special power and science which came through God. We have lots of stories about his miracles in our books, Just in Esbat ol Hoda which was written by Sheykh Hor Ameli, on volume 7, chapter 33, he brings 170 stories. These miracles are reason for his leadership too. Most of them are about curing sick people, help to poor ones, conduct people, direct people who lost their ways, foretelling future events and so on. These mean that his absent didn't affect on his leadership and he does what he must do. His absents is bad for us and its like when we want use sun, while it is behind clouds.

O God! During his absents and also his manifest, in this world and other world, put us as his companions, Amen.

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[1] Quran, Nesaa, Ayah 59. [Back]
[2] Quran, Maryam, Ayah 30. [Back]
[3] "Kamal al Din", Pages 475, Statement 25. [Back]

More knowledge about Imam Mahdi

That which is left you by Allah (Hojat) is best for you, if you believed. [1]

We have lots of statements from other Imams about Imam Mahdi which describe about him. Here are some of his properties:

Name: His name is same as Prophet Mohammad's Name. In lots of statements we prohibit calling him by this name, that's why some writers write his name with separate alphabets or use his nicknames or cognomens.

Cognomens: He has numbers of nicknames, each of them describe one of his characteristics. The famous one is MAHDI which is meaning the person who led in the right way. One of the Imam Bagher's companions asked him what does Mahdi mean and why 12th Imam called with this name? He replied: "his name is Mahdi; because he'll guide his companions to something that hidden and he'll decipher the original Mosaic Law and all other holly books and will judge for any religions followers by their holly books. He'll govern whole world and share wealth between people and tell them come and get these. These are wealth and money's that you fight for them and forgot your kinships, killed each other and corruption. Prophet Mohammad said He is from my blood, his name is as mine and God will keep and renew my government with him. He does like what I acted and makes the Earth full of trust and justice which was filled with cruelty and oppression before."[2] Another nickname is Baghiyatollah which means things that God left. Saheb ol Zaman (owner of career) is the other one. He also has another famous nickname which is Gha'em. This name means the person who'll revolt. When ever Imam Reza heard this name, stood and put his hand over his head and said:

O God! Manifest him as soon as possible and make it easy for him.

There is a statement that Imam Reza said about this name:

He named Gha'em, because he'll manifest when his name will be forgotten, during that time most of people who think they are his companion will apostasy him.[3]

Alias: He has a same alias as Prophet Mohammad. He also has another one which is "Aboo Saleh", and means Father of "Saleh". We don't know if he has children or not, but there is a tradition in Arabs when a baby is born, they select a name like this as alias for him/her.

Parents: His father was Imam Askari, which was 11th Imam of Shiite. Imam Mahdi is ninth grand son of Imam Hossein. Also Imam Hassan's daughter married with Imam Sajjad and delivered Imam Bagher, so through this way Imam Mahdi is one of Imam Hassan's grand son too. And from these two ways he is a grand son of Prophet Mohammad and also Prophet Abraham. Beside these relations, Imam Sajjad's Mother was Shahr Banoo who was daughter of Iran's emperor. Imam Mahdi's mother was Melaka (or Narjes). Her Father was Yashooa who was Rome's emperor and her 7th Grand father was Peter who was guardian after prophet Jesus. Story of her marriage with Imam Askari is so interesting. So Imam Mahdi is grand son of prophets of most religions and also offspring of two big emperors in the world on that time.

O God! Increase our knowledge about him and include us in his prays, Amen.
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[1] Quran, Hood, Ayah 86. [Back]
[2] "Behar Ol Anvar", Volume 51, Page 29 & 30, Statement 2. [Back]
[3] "Kefayat ol Asar", Page 283 , Also in "Mekyal Ol Makarem", Volume 2, Page 129. [Back]