Shia believed that Imam al-Mahdi who is the twelfth Imam according to the Prophetic traditions has been born but he is now in an occultation. In this article, we shall discuss the benefits of the occultations of Imam Mahdi (May Allah hasten his reappearance).
Engineer Madani: If the Imam is the leader of the people he should be present among them. What is the benefit of having an Imam who lives an invisible life? What is the use of having an Imam who lives in the state of occultation for centuries without fulfilling any of the functions that he normally undertakes: such as propagating religion, solving the problems of society, responding to the attacks of his opponents, commanding the good and forbidding the evil, helping the poor and redressing the wrongs committed against the downtrodden, upholding the ordinances of God by instituting proper penalties and explaining the lawful and the unlawful to the people, and so on.
Mr Hoshyar: The people are surely deprived of the benefits that you have enumerated during the occultation. However, the benefits of the Imam’s presence are not limited to these. In fact, there are other benefits that are available during occultation. The following two are among those many other benefits that you have not enumerated:
First, in accord with all that we have said previously and the proofs that were derived from the writings of Muslim scholars, including the hadith reports that spoke about the necessity of the Imamate, the existence of the Imam as a perfect and unique embodiment of humanity serves as a link between the material and the spiritual world. If the Imam is absent the human species will be extinct. If there is no Imam then God cannot be known or worshipped perfectly. Without the Imam the link between the material and the spiritual becomes severed.
The heart of the Imam is like the source of electricity that distributes light to numerous lamps. The illumination and energization of the hidden universe first mirror the heart of the Imam and then from there it reflects on the hearts of humankind. The Imam is the heart of the created universe and the leader and guide of humankind. It is evident that his presence and absence have an impact on these actualities. After all these, can one ask what benefit accrues from the invisible existence of the Imam?
I think that you are raising this objection on behalf of someone else who does not have a real understanding of the meaning of wilayat and the Imamate and who does not see the Imam as more than a legal expert and an administrator of justice, whereas the responsibilities of the wilayat and the Imamate are much more than these external functions. In a long tradition reported from Imam Sadiq it is related that Imam Sajjad said:
We are the leaders of the Muslims, Allah’s proof for His creatures, masters of the believers, guides for the god-fearing, and those invested with discretionary authority over the affairs of Muslims. We are the security for the dwellers of the earth, just as the stars are the security of the dwellers of the heavens. It is because of us that the heavens descend on the earth whenever God permits. It is because of us that the rain descends and blessings of the earth come out of it. If we had not been on earth its dwellers would have been consumed in it. He then went on to say:
From the day God created Adam until today, He has not left the earth without a competent authority (=proof=hujjat). But this authority is sometimes manifest and well known; at other times he is in occultation and in concealment. The earth will not be void of such authority until the Day of Judgement. If there is no Imam, God will not be worshipped. Sulayman, the narrator, asked Imam Sadiq: “How can people benefit from the existence of an Imam who is in occultation?” The Imam said: “In the same way as they benefit from the sun behind the clouds (1).”
In this and other traditions of this kind the existence of the twelfth Imam and the benefit derived from him is compared to the benefit derived from the sun hidden behind the clouds. To elaborate on this imagery let us remind ourselves of the way natural science explains the phenomenon. It is established in natural science and in astronomy that the sun is the centre of our solar system. The laws of gravity protect the earth from falling into an abyss and permit the earth to revolve around the sun, generating the distinction between day and night and different seasons according to its position in relation to the sun. The thermal energy produced by the sun is the source of life on earth and its light illuminates the otherwise dark earth.
This benefit accrues to the earth regardless of the fact of whether the sun is shining directly or from behind the clouds. In other words, all its functions (illumination, providing energy, growth, etc.) are intact even when it shines from behind the clouds. In fact, whether it is from behind the dark clouds or at night when we think the sun is not present, we are still recipients of the sun’s thermal energy and all other benefits that are critical for our survival on earth.
The existence of the Imam is like the sun behind the clouds that benefits the dwellers of the earth. He is the heart of humankind and its existential guide. In order for his benefits to reach humanity it does not matter whether he is manifest or in concealment. Let us recall our previous discussions about the necessity of the Prophethood and Imamate and review all their aspects so that we can appreciate the true meaning of wilayat. This review will help us to understand the most important benefit of having an Imam from the progeny of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny), whether manifest or in concealment. As we ponder this matter, we are actually enjoying the blessings of this Imam’s invisible existence.
As for other benefits enumerated by you, Engineer Madani, of which people are deprived, actually, both from the direction of God and from the existence of the Imam, there is no obstacle to these benefits reaching the people. The problem is with the people themselves. If these obstructions could be removed and if the people worked towards creating a just order and toward preparing to launch God’s Government by spreading the right information and strengthening the character of the people to receive the Imam’s leadership, then the Imam would appear to lead humanity towards the creation of the divine order on earth.
It is possible that someone might say: Under the circumstances when the overall situation is not favourable to the appearance of the Imam, why should we put ourselves in the dangerous situation of trying to prepare for his return? In response to this, it must be pointed out that a Muslim’s actions in this connection should not be motivated by the personal gain of some individuals; rather, it should become the goal of each and every person to endeavour for social reforms affecting all people. The seriousness of purpose in improving the conditions of the people and in removing causes of injustice and tyranny in a society is regarded as the most meritorious act of worship in Islam.
Continue in the next article: ( The Benefit of Having the Imam in Occultation 2 )
NOTES:
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1. Yanabi’ al-mawadda, Vol. 2, p. 317
