«MAHDI IS ALIVE AND BEING GIVEN SUSTENANCE»

When we wish to speak on this topic and prove that Mahdi, the Expected one is alive, receiving his sustenance and living a life just like others until the time when Allah gives him permission to emerge and establish the truth and Justice and destroy oppression, we are bound to mention before anything else, the following preliminaries:

Firstly, it should be possible for man to live hundreds or rather thousands of years and just as you are aware, science and nature do not repudiate this possibility.

Secondly, Mahdi the Expected one is the same Abul-Qasim Muhammad-ibn-Hassan Askari-ibn-Ali Hadi-ibn-Muhammad Jawad-ibn-Ali Ridha .... just as it was previously mentioned too.

Thirdly, Mahdi was born on the day which we have previously mentioned and Imam Hassan Askari had no son other than Mahdi. Rather he is the only child of his father.

Now that you have become aware of these points we say: We are having with ourselves reasons which prove that Mahdi is alive and is being given sustenance. For an impartial person suffice it is for him to refer to only one of them:

First: Basically, what is deemed to be expedient is this that Mahdi is alive. This is because we are sure about his birth but doubt his death. Not even one authentic and reliable person has narrated anything about Mahdi's demise. The only thing which can be seen in the expressions of some of the deniers is certain improbabilities and the point that how it is or would be possible for Mahdi to live such a long life.

Verily, whatsoever I reviewed the sayings of reliable traditionists, historians and genealogists I could not find in their sayings any stipulation about the demise of Mahdi. Thus it is not right on our part to pass judgement about Mahdi's death after knowing for sure that he is living.

That Mahdi's long life is merely uncustomary and unusual does not recommend us to give up our previous firm belief. Thus it is fair to say that the one who believes in Mahdi's death is compelled to produce evidences as against the saying of the one who says: Mahdi is alive and is being given sustenance.

However, even if we assume that evidences can be produced yet one cannot pass judgement on Mahdi's demise. Rather one is forced to oppose to evidence with views which are stronger from the view-point of reference and more manifest from the view-point of denotation.

Second: When Mahdi's birth is proved, there remains no alternative but to accept one of the following two affairs:

We either accept that Mahdi (A.S.) is alive and continues to live like all other human-beings until the time when Allah shall command him to emerge or on the basis of what is in wont, believe that he has died and Allah by His Power shall make him alive at the appointed Time. However there is not the slightest doubt that the first affair is more closer to natural wont and principles of nature than the second affair which is far from natural wont. For this reason, the action of Prophets turning the death alive was considered to be a miracle and not longevity.

Third: The tradition which has been unanimously accepted by both Sunnis and Shias contains the following contents: The Caliphs (after the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.A.) and the Imams of the Muslims - so long as this religion continues - are twelve in number. After it has been proved that Mahdi is the twelfth amongst them, it becomes indispensable to believe that he is alive and living. Otherwise what necessarily follows is this that there will remain no Imam amongst the Muslims in this era and their death will be similar to the death of those people living during the period of ignorance.

Fourth: Traditions which speak of Mahdi's occultation and indicate the manner in which people derive benefit from his existence clearly shows that Mahdi is an alive entity who is being given sustenance and is living like other human-beings. Some of those traditions state that Mahdi is 'Muntazar' (Expected one) during the period of his occultation while some others specify that the period of Mahdi's occultation will be the same as the period of his age. Moreover some traditions say: Blessed is the one who during the period of occultation of Hazrat Mahdi is steadfast in his words about his Imamat. Besides these, there are yet other sayings which proves Hazrat's life and continuity till the day of his emergence.

Rather, it is possible to say that the very word of 'Ghaibat' (Occultation) about Mahdi and his title of 'Gha'eb' (Hidden one) are itself a clear testimony of his living because, the words '--' (Occultation) and '--' (Hidden one) have been placed vis-a-vis the words '--' (Appearance) and '--' (Appeared one) and do not correspond the words '--' (Death) and '--' (Dead one) and or the sentence 'soon he shall be born' just as Ibn-Abil Hadeed has mentioned.

Fifth: Specification of some of the great Sunni scholars about continuity of Mahdi's existence.

Amongst them we may mention the name of Shaikh Mohyiddin Arabi in his book 'Fotouhat' as per what has been narrated by Shaikh Abdul Wahab Sh'arani in his book 'Al-Yawaqit-wal-Jawahar' (just as we had narrated the same from the book 'Es'aaf-ur-Rhagebeen') who specifies this point that Mahdi is the immediate son of Hassan Askari and the fact that Imam Hassan Askari departed this world in the year 260 A.H. However what is incidental to these two points and explicit admittance of Mahdi's existence and his continued life till the time of his emergence or an admittance of his existence and demise and then Allah making him alive (once again). It does not appear that Shaikh Moyiddin Arabi was having the second possibility in mind.

Amongst them is Shaikh Abu Abdullah, Muhammad-ibn-Yusuf-ibn-Muhammad Ganji who in his book 'Bayan-Fi-Akhbar-Saheb-uz-Zaman' (just as what the author of Es'aaf-ur-Rhagebeen has narrated on page 227) says:

'One of the points which proves that Mahdi is alive and still living after going into occultation and the fact that his continuity is not an impossibility is the very existence of Hazrat Isa-ibn-Maryam and Hazrat Ilyas who are amongst the friends of Allah and the existence of Dajjal and the sinful Satan who are amongst the enemies of Allah. The existence of these personalities has been substantiated by Quran and Prophetic traditions.

Amongst them is the learned and mystic Shaikh Khawja Muhammad Parsa who in his book 'Fasl-ul Khetab' (just as the author of 'Yanabi-ul-Muwadda' has narrated on page 451) after mentioning the birth of Mahdi says: 'Allah bestowed wisdom upon Mahdi in his infancy just as He did so in the case of Hazrat Yahya and Isa.'

Khawja Muhammad Parsa continues and says: Allah has lengthened the age of Mahdi just as He has lengthened the age of Khizr.

Amongst them is Shaikh Abdul-Wahab Sha'rani who in his book 'Al-Yawakit-wal-Jawahar' (just as what has been narrated on page 157 of Es'aaf-ur-Rhagebeen) says: 'Mahdi is the son of Imam Hassan Askari and his date of birth is 15th Shaban 255 A.H. He is still living until he meets Isa-ibn-Maryam.'

Thereafter he says: 'Shaikh Hassan Araqi narrated this for me after his meeting with Imam Mahdi and the same has been conformed by Sayed Ali Khawas'.

Amongst them is Shaikh Sadruddin Qunawi who at the time of his death told his students (just as the same has been written in 'Yanabi-ul-Muwadda' on page 469) as such: 'You may sell my medical and philosophical books and give the money derived from them in charity to the poor. But with regards to my books on hadith and mysticism you may preserve them in the libraries and every night you recite seventy thousand times the attestation of Unity (of God) i.e. «---» and send my greetings to Mahdi.'

The author says: This saying of Shaikh Sadruddin does not necessarily prove the existence of Mahdi because he must have spoken these words under this impression that perhaps his students will witness his emergence. However the first saying is more evident.

Amongst them is Sa'aduddin Hamavi (just as what has come on page 474 of 'Yanabi-ul-Muwadda' narrating from the book of Shaikh Aziz-ibn-Muhammad Nasafi) who while mentioning about Allah's saints says: 'Allah appointed twelve 'Wali' (custodians) from Ahl-ul-Bayt for this 'Ummah' (nation) and made them the successors to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.A.) .... However the last of the saints who is the last successor of the Holy Prophet and the last custodian and the twelfth representative is MAHDI Saheb-uz-Zaman.'

Amongst them is Shaikh Shahabuddin Hindi who is famous by the title of 'Malik-ul-Ulema'. In his book 'Hidayat-us-Su'ada' (just as what has come in the book 'Durraril-Musawiya') he says: 'The ninth Imam from t he offspring of Imam Hussein is Imam, Hujjat-ul -Allah Qa'em Mahdi, the Hidden one. He shall live a long life. just as Isa, Ilyas and Khizr (amongst the believers) and Dajjal and Sameri (amongst the infidels) have lived a long life.

Amongst them is Shaikh Muhammad famous as Khawja Parsa who in the margin of his book 'Fasl-ul-Khetab' (just as what has been written in 'Durraril-Musawiya') says: 'Caliphate and Imamat shall end in Mahdi. He is the Imam right from the time of his father's demise until the Day of Judgement. Isa shall pray behind him and acknowledge him and will invite the people towards his school of thought.

Amongst them is the inspired traditionist Shaikh Shaeer-ibn-Hajar Askalani, the author of 'Fath-ul-BariFi-Shar-Sahih al-Bukhari'. In the book 'Al-Qaul-ulMukhtasar-Fi-Alamat-ul-Mahdi-ul-Muntazar' (just as what has come in Fotouhat - Islamiyah Vol. 2 Pg. 320) he says: 'Sound traditions have determined for us the belief in Mahdi's existence. Mahdi is the same person whose emergence shall coincide with the emergence of Isa and Dajjal. By Mahdi is meant this very personality and those before him were not Mahdi at all.'

Amongst them are some other learned scholars and mystics who have written such sayings and sentences about Mahdi in the form of poems and odes in Arabic and Persian (just as the same has been written in 'Yanabi-ul-Muwadda' and 'Manaqib'). These poems speak of Mahdi's existence and the fact that Hazrat is a living personality receiving his sustenance from his Lord. This is because they have depicted Mahdi with such positions as 'Vilayat', 'Imamat', 'Caliphate', Deputyship on behalf of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.A.) and the channel of divine blessings.

Those wishing to know more should refer to books written by our scholars in this regard especially the book 'Kashful-Astar-Fil-Gha'eb-Anil-Intezar' written by Haj Muza Hussein Nuri Tabarsi (may his dust be fragrant) - the Master of the the 'Mujtahids' and the last of the inspired traditionists. The contents of this book are such that it would quench the thirst of a thirsty person and cure the sickness of a sick person.