**Imam al\u2011Mahdi (peace be upon him): Evidence of His Sacred Existence \u2013 Sheikh Baqir al\u2011Maqdisi**<\/p>\n
Under this title, Sheikh al\u2011Maqdisi presented a lecture discussing the existence of Imam al\u2011Mahdi (peace be upon him). He supported this belief with texts from the Holy Qur\u2019an and the purified Sunnah. The lecture included the following themes:<\/p>\n
1. The earth has never been devoid of a divine proof appointed by God.
\n2. The trust of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) requires that he would not leave the earth without a guardian.
\n3. The Imam is the channel of divine grace to the entire universe and the link between heaven and earth.
\n4. The two weighty things (the Qur\u2019an and the Ahl al\u2011Bayt) will never separate until the Day of Judgment.<\/p>\n
The Sheikh discussed these themes in detail. Below is a summary:<\/p>\n
**1. The Earth Is Never Without a Proof (Hujjah)**<\/p>\n
The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (peace be upon him), said:
\n\u201cThe earth is never devoid of one who stands for God with a proof, whether openly known or hidden in fear, so that the proofs and clear signs of God do not cease.\u201d<\/p>\n
In this statement, Imam Ali affirms that since God created the earth and placed a successor in it \u2014 as in the verse:
\n\u201cIndeed, I will place upon the earth a successor (khalifah)\u201d \u2014 the earth has always contained a divine representative.<\/p>\n
God says in the Qur\u2019an:
\n\u201cIndeed, We have revealed to you as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him; and We revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes, and Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon, and We gave David the Psalms. And messengers We have mentioned to you before, and messengers We have not mentioned to you. And Allah spoke to Moses directly \u2014 messengers giving good news and warning\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
The purpose of sending these messengers was so that people would have no argument against God after the coming of the prophets. God does not punish people until the proof has been established against them. Among the ways this proof is established is through the sending of prophets and their appointed successors.<\/p>\n
Imam al\u2011Baqir (peace be upon him) said:
\n\u201cGod has two proofs over mankind: an outward proof and an inward proof.\u201d
\nThe outward proof consists of the prophets, messengers, and Imams.
\nThe inward proof is the intellect.<\/p>\n
God created the intellect and said to it, \u201cAdvance,\u201d and it advanced; He said, \u201cRetreat,\u201d and it retreated. Then He said: \u201cBy My might and majesty, I have not created a creation more beloved to Me than you. Through you I reward and through you I punish.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thus, the intellect leads a person to recognize God, His oneness and attributes, then to recognize the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and afterwards the successors who come after the prophets.<\/p>\n
**2. The Prophet and the Issue of Succession**<\/p>\n
From the time of Adam, prophets would inform their people of the prophet who would come after them, or they would appoint an Imam or successor, because they were entrusted with the divine message.<\/p>\n
To claim that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) left this matter unresolved is considered false. Is it conceivable that Mu\u2018awiyah would be more concerned about appointing a successor than the Messenger of God, Muhammad ibn Abdullah?<\/p>\n
Therefore, it was necessary that the Prophet designate a reference for the people after him so that they would not fall into division. For this reason he said:
\n\u201cBring me ink and paper so that I may write for you a document after which you will never go astray.\u201d
\nAnd he also said:
\n\u201cI am leaving among you the two weighty things\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
This was the consistent practice of the prophets. Moses informed about Jesus, and Jesus gave glad tidings of the final Prophet. Likewise, the final Prophet appointed the Imams after him.<\/p>\n
Jabir al\u2011Ansari said: When the verse was revealed,
\n\u201cO you who believe! Obey Allah, obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you,\u201d
\nI asked the Prophet: \u201cWe know Allah and His Messenger, but who are those in authority whose obedience God has linked with His own?\u201d
\nThe Prophet replied: \u201cThey are my successors, O Jabir, and the Imams of the Muslims after me. The first of them is Ali ibn Abi Talib.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Prophet then named his successors one after another until the last of them, the Proof of God on earth and His remainder among His servants: Imam al\u2011Mahdi Muhammad ibn al\u2011Hasan al\u2011Askari (peace be upon him).<\/p>\n
**3. The Link of Divine Grace**<\/p>\n
Jabir asked the Prophet: \u201cWill the Shi\u2018a benefit from him (Imam al\u2011Mahdi) during his occultation?\u201d
\nThe Prophet replied:
\n\u201cYes, by the One who sent me with prophethood. They will benefit from him and be illuminated by the light of his guardianship during his occultation just as people benefit from the sun when it is hidden behind clouds.\u201d<\/p>\n
This means that the matter is not dependent only on his appearance; even during his occultation his existence is a blessing. Through his blessing God preserves the earth and those upon it. If the earth were ever without a divine proof, it would collapse upon its inhabitants.<\/p>\n
The Prophet said:
\n\u201cThe stars are a security for the inhabitants of the heavens, and my family are a security for the inhabitants of the earth.\u201d<\/p>\n
As long as the stars remain, the order of the heavens continues. Similarly, the presence of a divine proof on earth \u2014 whether prophet or Imam \u2014 prevents divine punishment.<\/p>\n
For example, when God intended to send punishment upon the people of Prophet Yunus, Yunus departed from them first. Likewise with the story of Prophet Lut: when the angels were sent to destroy his people, they said, \u201cIndeed, Lot is among them,\u201d meaning the punishment could not occur while he was present, so he and his family were removed first.<\/p>\n
Thus, the existence of the divine proof stabilizes the earth through the blessings of his presence. Many traditions also state that on the Night of Decree the angels descend, and they descend only upon the proof of God in each era. In our time, that proof is the awaited Imam al\u2011Mahdi (peace be upon him).<\/p>\n
**4. The Two Weighty Things Never Separate**<\/p>\n
Various Qur\u2019anic verses and traditions affirm the continual existence of the Imam as the final successor and one of the manifestations of the Prophet\u2019s statement:
\n\u201cMy progeny, the people of my household.\u201d<\/p>\n
God says:
\n\u201cIndeed, We have sent down the Reminder, and surely We will preserve it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Prophet also said:
\n\u201cThe two will never separate until they return to me at the Pool.\u201d<\/p>\n
This means there can be no temporal separation between them. Since the Qur\u2019an exists in every age, there must also exist an Imam who accompanies it. As long as the Qur\u2019an remains, God must have a proof who explains its meanings and interpretations until the Day of Judgment.<\/p>\n
Another supporting narration is the statement of the Prophet:
\n\u201cWhoever dies without knowing the Imam of his time dies the death of ignorance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Therefore, the Qur\u2019an must have a companion who explains it and clarifies its purposes. People cannot be held accountable for what they cannot understand, so there must be an infallible Imam possessing the conditions of leadership to serve as the reference for humanity and the channel of divine grace \u2014 the link between heaven and earth.<\/p>\n
May God preserve for us the blessings of our Imam and hasten his noble reappearance. Indeed, He is All\u2011Hearing and Responsive.<\/p>\n
*From: Sada al\u2011Mahdi Newspaper, Issue 29*<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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