Al-Mahdi (a.s.)

the author of 'nurul-absar' says:- 'Mahdi's father was abu muhammad khales-ibn-ali hadi-ibnmuhammad jawad-ibn-ali ridha. Mahdi's mother was a slave-girl who was called nargis and as per some other saying she was called as seegal and still as per some other saying she was called as susan. about imam hassan askari he says: 'his mother was a slave-girl who was named as susan.

the author says: 'the truth is that imam hassan askari's mother was called as 'hadees' and what is well-known is this that susan was one of the names of Mahdi's mother.'

the author of matalib-us-su'ool says: 'Mahdi's father was hassan khales-ibn-ali mutawakkil-ibn muhammad qaneh-ibn-ali ridha.... his mother was a slave-girl named as seegal and as per some other saying was called as hakimah.

the author says: 'i do not know who has said this because, the woman by the name of hakimah was the daughter of abu jafar hazrat jawad and aunt of Mahdi's father and she was present at the time of Mahdi's birth.'

«Mahdi and his long life»

it was verified from the previous traditions that the expected Mahdi who shall emerge at the end of time and will fill the earth with equity and justice just as it had been filled with cruelty and oppression is none other than abul-qasim muhammad -ibn-hassan askari (a.s.). it was also proved that he was born in the night of 15th shaban, 256. what is integral to this matter is that he should have lived a long life and right from that time until now, more than one thousand and one hundred years have passed from Mahdi's age and Allah knows best about the time of his emergence and his demise.

although longevity is something unusual amongst the people yet, as per the nature it is a possible phenomenon. moreover, there exists proofs and reasons for the long life of Mahdi (a.s.). in other words, the prolongation of Mahdi's life is amongst the possible affairs and reasons too confirm this point. thus one is helpless in accepting and acknowledging this matter.

the author of 'tazkerat-ul-um says: the entire imamiah sect believe that khalaf-e-hujjat is living and receiving his sustenance. for proving hazrat to be alive they set forth the following reasons:

first reason: a group of people such as khizr and ilyas have lived a long life and it is (still) not known for how many years they have been living. every year they meet each other and catch each others hair.(91)

in 'torah' it has come that zul-qarnain lived for 3000 years. however muslims believe that he lived for 1500 years.