Who is Mahdi (a.s), and why are the Shia waiting for his reappearance?
The answer:
One of the common issues of the whole heavenly religions is the issue of the universal savior, who reappears at the end of the Time. Not only the Islamic society, but Jewish and Christian communities are waiting for this savior to come. This fact is clarified when refering to the books of the Old and New Testaments.***
In this regard, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants) has some hadiths, narrated by the Muslim narrators, including,
لو لم يبق من الدهر الا يوم لبعث الله رجلاً من اهل بيتي يملاها عدلا كما ملئت جورا *
(God will send a man from my household to fill the earth with justice after it has been filled with injustice even if there is only one day remained of the world.)
As stated before, the whole heavenly religions are in full agreement in the reappearance of such a savior, and also there exist an abundant number of traditions regarding ‘Mahdi, the Savior’ in the Sunnite sound and supported books. In addition, the Islamic narrators and researchers (both of the Sunnite and the Shia) have written excessive number of books on him.
These traditions, which specify his signs and characteristics, clearly verify that he is the son of Imam Hasan Askari (a.s), the eleventh Imam of Shia.
Apropose of these traditions, he is the twelfth Imam,* who has been called after the holy Prophet ** (peace be upon him and his descendants) and is one of Imam Hussein’s grandsons. *** Mahdi, the Promised, was born in the year 255 of Hijra, and now, like the other men, he is still living among us but unanymously. It is noteworthy to say that such longevity is neither compatable with science nor logic. The science in the world today is about to increase man’s life-span and firmly believes that human beings have potential to live longer if they manage to anticipale the calamities and then take steps to prevent them happening. The history has recorded the names of some individuals, who have had long lives.
Concerning Noah, the prophet, the holy Quran states:
فلبث فيهم الف سنة الا خمسين عاما
( So he lived among them for nine hundred and fifty years).
And about Joseph, it says,
(Had it not been that he invoked to Allah for accepting his repentance, he would have surely remained in the belly of the crocodile up to Day of Judgment.)
Besides, according to the holy Quran and Muslims’ outlook, Elias (a.s) and Jesus (a.s) are still living.
***The Ancient Times : David’s Psalms, psalm no. 96 – 97 ; the Book of Daniel, the prophet, section 12. The Modern Times : Mattew, section 13; Luke, section 21
* Sahih Ibn Davood, Egypt section, Al-Motbaatul-Taziah, vol.2, p.207 and Yanabiul Mavadah, p.432, and Noor Ul-Absar, section 2, p. 154
* Yanabi Ul-Mavadah, p. 443
** Sahih,Tirmizi, Delhi publication, 1342, vol.2, p.46; Masnad Ahmad, Egypt publication, 1313, vol.1, p.376
*** Yanabi Ul-Maradah, p.432
* Safat Sura, Vers no. 144
The source: "The Shia Responds", written by: Grand Ayatollah Hosseini Nassab.
