1

The 12th Imam - Mahdi How to determine the "Resurrection day by the arrival of the 12th Imam, the Mahdi The Mahdi (the name of the last of the twelve Imams, the first being Ali; son in law of Muhammed,) according to Islam, is the savior to come at the time of the Last Judgement to save the world. The return of the Mahdi constitutes the most frequent prediction of the Imams. Al-Kultani and al-Nu'mani consecrated an entire chapter and Ibn Babunye passed down in thirteen chapters the predictions of the Prophet, Fatima and of the eleven Imams on the subject of the Twelfth Imam. Unobtrusive presence Mahdi completely dominates the religious discussions of the Imams during the period of his disappearance until the return of the Messiah. The obscure expectation for the return of the Mahdi dominates totally the religious conscience of the Imams until the return of the awaited Savior. But, here and there, throughout the prophetic texts, there are hints of an esoteric knowledge. At the moment of birth a light pierced the top of the child's head and reached into the depths of the sky. This child is the Mahdi, he who will fill the earth with equality and justice just as it is now filled with oppression and injustice. Mahdi comes to re-establish the lost sense of sanctity. Firstly he will re-establish Islam to its original purity and integrity. The returned Mahdi will do as did the Prophet, destroying that which was before, just as the Prophet destroyed the rituals of the period of ignorance, and he will establish once again Islam. The Imam will repair the Mosque and will reconstruct his Mecca. Mahdi will bring a new Order, a new Book, a new Legislation and a new Tradition. Mahdi will equally reestablish the other religions, also abandoned and disfigured, in their original Truth and Purity. Indeed the Mahdi will extract the Torah and the other Divine Books from their caverns and will judge amongst the faithful of the Torah according to the Torah, amongst the faithful of the Evangiles according to the Evangiles, and amongst the faithful of the Koran according to the Koran. It is the universal initiation by the Imam for all men into the secrets of existence and of their own religions, and this is without doubt the meaning which must be understood by the term "Mahdi" given by the fifth Imam al-Bagir : "Mahdi ("the Guide") is named as such because it is he who will guide (Yahdi) us in the secret teachings". Thus, the awaited Imam will be the Instrument of both divine Vengeance and divine Wisdom, preparing the earth for the final court of the Resurrection. The battle of Mahdi will mark the ultimate victory of the "believers" against their "enemies" and the universal and final establishment of the " pure religion.

Imam Ja'far, in a long account of his vision of Mahdis coming, said that at one point, "9000 angels descend from the sky and then another 313 angels of those who accompanied Noah in the Ark; Abraham, when he was thrown into the fire; Moses when the waters of the sea parted before him; Jesus when God raised him up to Him. The number of accompanying Qa'ima-Mahdi (Ashab al-qaim)" a man of sincerity "(ahl alIkhlas), "the sincerely devoted" (al-khullas) is the same as the combatants of Badr 313. Each of the 313 companions bears a sword. At the time of his Rising, the 313 men will be dispersed to all parts of the world. Some amongst them will walk upon the clouds. Their names, as well as the names of their fathers, their quality (hilya) and their ancestors (Nasab) are known to us. " All or some of them will rule over all, even the birds and the wild animals will be subject to them. All believers to join the troops of Mahdi, will be granted special miraculous powers, the most special of them the feeling of being connected to the Imam, the Mahdi. God, may He be exalted and glorified, will develop the hearing and sight of our faithful in such a manner that, without there being a messenger between the Qa'im and themselves. He will speak with them, and they will hear and can see him without him having left the place where he is. For decisions which they have difficulty in taking, they will receive instructions and direction from the Imam who will write on the palms of their hands, they need only look and then execute the orders Allah says: O Muhammad. These are My friends, My pure elect, and My proof after you for mankind. They are your legatees and your priests and the best of My creatures after you. By My Glory and My Majesty I will manifest through them My religion and I will raise through them My Word; by the last of them (Mahdi) I will make the earth pure of My enemies. I will establish him from the sunrise to the sunset throughout the entire earth; I will confer to his power the wind and will lower for him the stubborn clouds. I will help him with My Army and aid him with My Angels until he raises My Name and the creatures acknowledge My uniqueness, and then I will prolong his reign and I will ensure the succession of My Friends over the time until the Day of Resurrection. He was born in 255 AH, which corresponds to the year 869 of the new era and continues to live for a long time in hiding. Such a long life from the point of view of science, medicine, and logic is not impossible. In the Holy Quran we read: "We sent Noah to his people and he stayed among them a thousand years less fifty years" (29:14). Just as God says about the Prophet Yunus (pbuh) "... He would have remained inside its belly until the Day they are resurrected. (37:144). For example, the holy Hezir or the prophet Jesus (pbuh), based on the Holy Qur'an, all Muslims are convinced, are still alive and continue to exist.