Al-Mahdi (a.s.)

the incident of khawarij too is the same since the holy prophet (s.a.w.a.) had introduced their attributes and characteristics and issued judgement about them. thus, in the incident of ha and nahrwan, when ali-ibn-abi talib (a.s-) became sure that they are those same ones which the holy prophet (s.a.w.a.) had described he fought and killed them. therefore, ali-ibn-abi talib acted upon those reasonings and qualities which the holy prophet (s.a.w.a.) had some other group in mind. examples of such kind of reasonings and the necessity of acting upon them (in spite of the possibility of opposite reasoning) are many. thus, it became obvious that one cannot forsake a superior reasoning for the sake of an inferior one.

we further say: the necessity of affirmation of a decree, (with the existence of signs and reasonings which are found in someone) is an affair which is essential to be acted upon. the one who forsakes it and says: ((perhaps the one who is endowed with these characteristics and is worthy of this decree be not that intended person. and on the contrary, it is some other person who will come in the future) has indeed deviated from the truth and made himself worthy of rebuke.

the incident mentioned in torah too denotes this matter on the occasion when Allah revealed (a sign) upon musa and said: an arab prophet who will be the last of the prophets, shall be appointed at the end of time. he described hazrat by some qualities and made those signs as the sign and indicator of his messengership and prophethood. as such, the 'ummah' (nation) of musa remembered the prophet of islam by those qualities and knew that he would be appointed in the future. when the time of his emergence and appointment drew near, musa's nation threatened the polytheists and said: 'a prophet with such and such signs and qualities shall soon come. we shall join him and seek his help in fighting and campaigning against you.

however, when the holy prophet (s.a.w.a.) got appointed and they discovered in him, all those signs and qualities which were the proof of his messengership and prophethood, they denied him and said: 'this is not the same prophet which we often talk of. rather, he is someone who shall come afterwards'. when they acted upon something which was probable and left the existing proofs, god too turned away from them (for forsaking the afore-said signs and reasoning of torah and acting upon the probable).

this account of torah is the greatest and strongest proof for acting upon the existing proofs and substantiating the decree for the one who is endowed with these qualities. thus, when these qualities which are the proof of substantiation of the afore-said decree, are present in hujjat and khalaf-e-saleh i.e. muhammad, then that Mahdi, whom we spoke about will be verified without paying any regard to the possibility of a new Mahdi coming in the future.

chapter four

«Mahdi and his distinction»

in the first chapter of «eqdud-durar» the author narrates from abu ayub ansari who said: 'the holy prophet (s.a.w.a.) told fatemah (may Allah's peace be upon her) as such:- our prophet is the best of the prophets and he happens to be your father. our martyr is the best of the martyrs and he is hamza, your father's uncle. and from us is the one who possesses two wings and will fly with them to whatever part of the paradise he wishes.

and from us are the two 'sebt' (offspring) of this 'ummah' i.e. hassan and hussein and they are your sons.

and from us shall come the Mahdi. thereafter he writes: 'hafez abul-qasim tabarani has narrated this tradition in his minor mu'ajam.(67)