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I'm wondering right now how many Catholics are familiar with this term and who it refers to within Islam? Up until a few months ago, I had no clue, but recently I've been seeing more recent articles online refering to this figure within Islamic prophecy. Below I'm going to post just a few of the articles I've read and they will give you a good overview. Why am I posting this on a christian forum? I believe it has relevance to biblical prophecy, specifically endtimes prophecy.
The World toward Illumination
Monday January 1, 2007
Imam Hasan Askari (PBUH), who was martyred at the young age of 28 years in the year 260 AH by the enemies of humanity, had told his 5-year old son Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance): God will break the back of the oppressors with your hand, revive the principles of religion, brighten world horizons, and establish peace from coast to coast. Even the child lying in his cradle will wish to run toward you. The savage ones in the desert will wish to find their way to you. Every part of the world will become green and fresh.
Security is one of the primary needs and the cherished wish of the human community, for in its light the flourishing of talents and creativities as well as growth of civilizations becomes possible. Man needs to establish a legal peaceful government in the light of security. According to the Holy Quran, security covers all individual, social, political and economic fields. Prophet Abraham (PBUH) had prayed to God for security. Ayah 126 of Surah Baqara has preserved his words:
"and when Abraham said: My Lord, make it a secure town and provide its people with fruits."
The Prophets cousin, son-in-law and first infallible successor, Imam Ali (PBUH), says there is no blessing better than security. He believes the worst city is one without security and greenness. He says qualified rulers are needed to establish this security. Imam Ali (PBUH) is quoted as saying in the famous book Nahj al-Balagha that people need a ruler under whom the faithful could go about their work peacefully and under secure conditions. It is the duty of the government to set up the treasury and use to thwart the plots of the enemies, so that roads will be safe and the rights of the weak will be taken back from the powerful.
Thus the creation of a legitimate and qualified government is the most important source for creating social security. But if the government has weaknesses, security will be endangered. In our world governments are run by people who have expansionist designs. They have not been brought up well and not benefited from religious teachings. Thus they are not committed to social justice and they create insecurity in the society. Islam believes that true security is provided in the light of faith. God Almighty says in ayah 82 of Surah Anaam "those who believe and do not mix up their faith with iniquity those are they who shall have the security and they are those who go aright."
As could be gauged by the verses of the Holy Quran, Imam Mahdi (AS) will establish security throughout the world. He will uproot lawlessness, remove anarchy and establish new social relations based on justice, law and respect for human rights. Everything will be precise and calculated, and as the holy Quran says at that time fear will turn into security. Young women will be able to travel alone, even on highways, without the least fear of being harassed. No one is afraid of his or her right being trampled. Theft and swindling will no longer exist and there will no longer be any grounds for the corrupt and oppressors to move about. The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (AS), says: the time of difficulties and thirst will end by our hand. And when the Promised One appears, hatred will leave hearts and animals will also live in coexistence. Women can travel from Iraq to Syria with all their jewelry without fear of anything.
Imam Mahdi (PBUH) says: I am the cause of tranquility and peace for those on earth as the stars are the cause of security in the skies.
Although in occultation by Gods Will, it is because of the existence of the Imam that the todays world exists, despite the rampant corruption and aggression. As a matter of fact, like the sun when it is behind the cloud, Imam Mahdi (PBUH) continues to inspire hope in the hearts of the faithful of his eventual appearance to fill the earth with peace, security and justice. There are many places around the world that are associated with the hidden Imam, who had appeared there or instructed the building of a site of worship at some specific spots.
The holy mosque of Jamkaran in Qom is a renowned place. A few kilometers from Qom the turquoise dome beckons the faithful. The people's huge gatherings and the sound of prayer draw the attention of those who just arrive. The mosque was built on the instructions of Imam Mahdi (PBUH) over a thousand years ago. Devotees gather at this place to beseech God and they come from all over Iran and even from other parts of the world. Some regularly visit the Jamkaran Mosque every Tuesday of the week. Here we see a special spirituality. Looks are filled with kindness, and faith is seen among the waves of people." A female university student says" When you enter the mosque you are like a drop in a big sea, you feel that everyone has come for love of the Mahdi and is impatiently awaiting his beautiful world."
The atmosphere is same every Tuesday in Iraq where on the skirts of the city of Kufa stands the sprawling Sahla Mosque, which was the home of Prophet Idris or Enoch centuries before the great deluge of the days of Prophet Noah. In the courtyard of the mosque is the Maqaam Saheb oz-Zamaan or the Place of the Imam of the Age, that is, Imam Mahdi. Like the Jamkaran Mosque, prayers are speedily answered here as well, where despite the persecution of the successive tyrannical minority regimes ruling from Baghdad, the faithful have not stopped coming to this sacred site. Now after the overthrow of Saddam, the masses have considerably increased, for when the Imam reappears, he will make Kufa the capital of his world government of peace, security, justice and equity, while he will deal with world affairs from the Sahla Mosque.
That was the end of the 25th and last edition of our programme The World Towards Illumination. Thank you for keeping us company and goodbye, with an earnest prayer to God to speed up the reappearance of the Saviour of Humanity. Amen
http://english.irib.ir/IRAN/Leader/Illumination.htm
The World toward Illumination
Monday January 1, 2007
Imam Hasan Askari (PBUH), who was martyred at the young age of 28 years in the year 260 AH by the enemies of humanity, had told his 5-year old son Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance): God will break the back of the oppressors with your hand, revive the principles of religion, brighten world horizons, and establish peace from coast to coast. Even the child lying in his cradle will wish to run toward you. The savage ones in the desert will wish to find their way to you. Every part of the world will become green and fresh.
Security is one of the primary needs and the cherished wish of the human community, for in its light the flourishing of talents and creativities as well as growth of civilizations becomes possible. Man needs to establish a legal peaceful government in the light of security. According to the Holy Quran, security covers all individual, social, political and economic fields. Prophet Abraham (PBUH) had prayed to God for security. Ayah 126 of Surah Baqara has preserved his words:
"and when Abraham said: My Lord, make it a secure town and provide its people with fruits."
The Prophets cousin, son-in-law and first infallible successor, Imam Ali (PBUH), says there is no blessing better than security. He believes the worst city is one without security and greenness. He says qualified rulers are needed to establish this security. Imam Ali (PBUH) is quoted as saying in the famous book Nahj al-Balagha that people need a ruler under whom the faithful could go about their work peacefully and under secure conditions. It is the duty of the government to set up the treasury and use to thwart the plots of the enemies, so that roads will be safe and the rights of the weak will be taken back from the powerful.
Thus the creation of a legitimate and qualified government is the most important source for creating social security. But if the government has weaknesses, security will be endangered. In our world governments are run by people who have expansionist designs. They have not been brought up well and not benefited from religious teachings. Thus they are not committed to social justice and they create insecurity in the society. Islam believes that true security is provided in the light of faith. God Almighty says in ayah 82 of Surah Anaam "those who believe and do not mix up their faith with iniquity those are they who shall have the security and they are those who go aright."
As could be gauged by the verses of the Holy Quran, Imam Mahdi (AS) will establish security throughout the world. He will uproot lawlessness, remove anarchy and establish new social relations based on justice, law and respect for human rights. Everything will be precise and calculated, and as the holy Quran says at that time fear will turn into security. Young women will be able to travel alone, even on highways, without the least fear of being harassed. No one is afraid of his or her right being trampled. Theft and swindling will no longer exist and there will no longer be any grounds for the corrupt and oppressors to move about. The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (AS), says: the time of difficulties and thirst will end by our hand. And when the Promised One appears, hatred will leave hearts and animals will also live in coexistence. Women can travel from Iraq to Syria with all their jewelry without fear of anything.
Imam Mahdi (PBUH) says: I am the cause of tranquility and peace for those on earth as the stars are the cause of security in the skies.
Although in occultation by Gods Will, it is because of the existence of the Imam that the todays world exists, despite the rampant corruption and aggression. As a matter of fact, like the sun when it is behind the cloud, Imam Mahdi (PBUH) continues to inspire hope in the hearts of the faithful of his eventual appearance to fill the earth with peace, security and justice. There are many places around the world that are associated with the hidden Imam, who had appeared there or instructed the building of a site of worship at some specific spots.
The holy mosque of Jamkaran in Qom is a renowned place. A few kilometers from Qom the turquoise dome beckons the faithful. The people's huge gatherings and the sound of prayer draw the attention of those who just arrive. The mosque was built on the instructions of Imam Mahdi (PBUH) over a thousand years ago. Devotees gather at this place to beseech God and they come from all over Iran and even from other parts of the world. Some regularly visit the Jamkaran Mosque every Tuesday of the week. Here we see a special spirituality. Looks are filled with kindness, and faith is seen among the waves of people." A female university student says" When you enter the mosque you are like a drop in a big sea, you feel that everyone has come for love of the Mahdi and is impatiently awaiting his beautiful world."
The atmosphere is same every Tuesday in Iraq where on the skirts of the city of Kufa stands the sprawling Sahla Mosque, which was the home of Prophet Idris or Enoch centuries before the great deluge of the days of Prophet Noah. In the courtyard of the mosque is the Maqaam Saheb oz-Zamaan or the Place of the Imam of the Age, that is, Imam Mahdi. Like the Jamkaran Mosque, prayers are speedily answered here as well, where despite the persecution of the successive tyrannical minority regimes ruling from Baghdad, the faithful have not stopped coming to this sacred site. Now after the overthrow of Saddam, the masses have considerably increased, for when the Imam reappears, he will make Kufa the capital of his world government of peace, security, justice and equity, while he will deal with world affairs from the Sahla Mosque.
That was the end of the 25th and last edition of our programme The World Towards Illumination. Thank you for keeping us company and goodbye, with an earnest prayer to God to speed up the reappearance of the Saviour of Humanity. Amen
http://english.irib.ir/IRAN/Leader/Illumination.htm
