By: Dr. Ghavidel, Clinical Psychologist (Javan Psychological Counseling Center) The fifteenth Sha’ban, 1423 (A.H.) is the birth anniversary of the Twelfth infallible Imam of Shi’a people. All his followers adore him and expect his reappearance day and night. In fact, he is not only expected by Shi’a followers, he is the promised one of all nations, the real savior of all mankind irrespective of race, sex and religion. The occasion offers a good opportunity to have a glance at him through the various supplications and traditions received from holy prophet Mohammad (S) and his infalible Household. To you: Son of proximate leader. Son of selected noblemen.
Son of rightly guides. Son of well disciplined men. Son of the purest men. Son of the purest and selected men. Son of chosen authorities. Son of chosen prophet (S.A) Son of Ali Murtaza (A.s) Son of khadija (A.S), The respectable Son of Fatema (A.S), The greatest Son of great stars Son of scintillating moons Son of glowing beacons Son of illuminating meteors Son of sparkling stars Son of clear path Son of shining standard Son of perfect sciences Son of famous traditions Son of divine knowledge Son of existing miracles Son of firm arguments Son of straight path Son of great news Son of basis of books Son of evidences Son of apparent arguments Son of clear and dazzling proofs Son of perfect proofs Son of revealed bounties Son of “Taha” (holy prophet S.A) and clear verses. Son of “yasin” and “Zariyaat” Son of “Tur” and “Aadiyat” To you: The reviver of the Sunnat (of the Holy prophet (S.A)) The riser with the command. The proof of Allah The guide towards Allah. The representative of Allah on the earth The witness (of God) on the servants The eyes of Allah by which the guided ones are guided The one through whom the problem of the believers are solved The master, the admonisher The ship of salvation The source of life The riser The awaited The guided The Successor, the proof The owner of time The master of era The master of age The teacher of Qura’nic precepts The purifier of earth The preacher of justice The one who will greatly honor the believers and oppressed The one who degrade the apostates arrogant and unjust The helper of the distressed and the destitute The respect of the self-respecting persons The splendor of Allah The beacon of light The hidden, the concealed The expected, the riser The awaited justice.
The caller towards the book of Allah The interpreter of book of Allah The covenant of Allah The promise of Allah The expansive knowledge The vast mercy The friend of the believers The light of truth The speaker with wisdom and truth The perfect word of Allah The apprehensive, the fearful The flag of guidance The light of the vision of creatures The one who will fill the earth with justice and equity The successor of his guided forefathers The successor of the past successors The remnant of Allah from the chosen ones The treasure of prophet’s (S.A) knowledge The nullifier of every falsehood The leader of the pious The honor of the monotheists The honorable one The word of praised one The giver of honor to the friends The heir of prophets (A.S.) The seal of successors The open justice The luminescent moon The brilliant splendor The sun of darkness The blossom of creation The freshness of days The holder of the sword The divine religion The written Book The proof of Allah upon His servants. The ultimate in prophetic heritage The master of command The reliever in difficulties The appointed one to end the rule of the oppressors The one who is expected to eliminate injustice and tyranny The authority for reviving religion and divine laws The one who is expected to enliven Qur’an and its injunctions The reviver of religion’s teachings and it’s followers The one who collects the people on the basis of piety The Promised One the Expected by All... Above mentioned are some names, epithets, agnomens and titles of Imam Mahdi (A.S.) by which he has been remembered in different supplications (dua), salutations (ziyarats) and invocation of blessings No doubt the powers and effects of supplications are miraculous While on one hand supplications are confessions of man’s servitude towards his Lord, on the other hand, the contents of prayers are expressions of man’s spiritual satisfaction.
If a request repeatedly made with the insistence on its acceptance and this presentation is made in various modes and manners on every important occasion with an untiring persistence, then certainly with their repeated requests, we can realize its extraordinary nature. The importance of such a supplication is enhanced manifold when we see it in verbal expressions of progeny of messenger of God. There are so many salutations and supplications where some demand has been made in come way or the other. Whether it is Ziyarat-e-Ashoora or Ziyarat-e-Jameah or Dua-e-Iftetah or Dua-e-Abu Hamah Semali, or the supplications of Shabaan and Ramazan, all these prayers have one thing very much common among them. Though it may have different forms, the common feature is the supplication regarding the joyous reappearance of Imam Mahdi (A.S.). Although there are ample traditions describing the various facets of Imam Mahdi (A.S.), his reappearance is such an epoch-making hallmark that it was not side lined even in the supplication to the Lord of the worlds. Through supplications, we realize the importance of the belief in Hazrat Imam Mahdi (A.S.) and praying for his reappearance. The persistence in this supplication also reflects the certitude in its acceptance. Ultimately, the prayers will be accepted if not today then certainly tomorrow. The only thought which persists is that should his reappearance take place in our lifetime then we would have witnessed the victory of Islam and the defeat and disgrace of disbelief and hypocrisy. Followings are some quotations from the most famous salutations which directly emphasize the subject: Ziyarat-e-Ashoora is an important and authentic salutation. Some of the religious scholars have even vouched for this to such an extent that they consider it to be from Hadis-e-Qudsi (those traditions of the Holy prophet (S.A.) which have been quoted from Archangel Jibraeel (a.s.) but do not form a part of the Qur’anic revelation. In it twice Imam Mahdi (A.S.) has been mentioned.
There is a supplication in the Ziyarat that says, “Then I ask of Allah, who elevated your position and honored me due to you, to allow me to avenge your blood along with Imam-e-Mansur (the one who is divinely assisted i.e. Imam Mahdi (A.S.)”. This reference is further made clear in the following words, “May Allah allow me to seek the revenge of your blood along with Imam Mahdi (A.S.) who will be from progeny (A.S.)”. Here the desire for the reappearance is also clarified along with its aim. Whoever’s hearts is aggrieved and eyes shed tears on event of Karbala, he will never stop from praying for the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (A.S.) so that the vengeance for the Imam Husain (A.S.) can be sought at the earliest. The marvel of a Ziyarat from the view point of text, authenticity, eloquence and rhetoric is Ziyarat Jameeh which significantly Imam Mahdi(A.S.) himself emphatically advised to Sayed Rashti (the most famous religious scholars) in these words: “Ashoora! Ashoora! Ashoora!, Jameah! Jameah! Jameah! “I.e. never miss these two salutations. To realize the importan0000ce of this fact pay attention to the following statement: “I confess to your veracity, believe in your return, testify to your Raj’at’, await your command and prepared for your government”. Furthermore it is said “May I be enumerated among your companions, among those who will be returned in your Raj’at, who will rule in your government, who will be dignified in your protection, who will get status in the days (of your government), whose eyes will be cooled by seeing you”. At yet another place it is found that, “...Until Allah the Most High, will revive his religion through you and return you in His days. And to make you reappear for His justice and equity, and establish you on His earth”. Repetitions show the importance of this supplication. These are those prayers which are not particular with Imam-e-Mahdi (A.S.). If so much insistence is there in these prayers then what would be the intensity of supplication in those prayers which are exclusively about him. In other prayers too, Imam Mahdi (A.S.) is referred to and remembered regularly. May Allah hasten his reappearance.