General socio-cultural conditions before the appearance of the Imam (A.S): part 2
In another Hadith, it is narrated from Imam Muhammad Baqir (A.S) that he said, "Mahdi (A.S) will reappear at the time when fear, mischief, calamities, epidemics, violence, divisions in religion and transformation of the peoples' condition shall be dominant on the world and society. Day and night people would yearn for death and shall be at each other's throat.
In other words despair and hopelessness would have conquered them. At that time His Eminence would reappear; and congratulations to the one who reaches Imam Mahdi (A.S) and becomes his supporter and woe to the one who opposes him."
This above Hadith further expounds the socio-cultural condition of the society in general before the appearance of the 12th Imam (A.S). Specifically, it talks about the despair in the people with the state of affairs and that it is these conditions that will lead to the appearance of the Qa'im (A.S).
Conditions of those awaiting his appearance and those awaiting the appearance of the 12th Imam (A.S) will be Shia who will have acknowledged and believed in his existence and Wilayah (unconditional authority). The condition of such people will be in resonance with the Ahadith from the Aimmah (A.S), which speak to the characteristics of those waiting for the Qa'im (A.S). Some of the Ahadith will be studied in this section to identify the conditions of those who are consciously awaiting the appearance of the 12th Imam (A.S).
Imam Zainul Abideen (A.S) said, "Truly those people who in the occultation (of Imam Mahdi (A.S)) acknowledge his Imamate, await his reappearance, are better than the people of all times because Allah has given them such an understanding that occultation for them is as good as meeting him. At the time of occultation these people are like those who did Jihad under the command of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). In the sense they are sincere and they are our true Shias, they invite to the way of Allah secretly and openly."
The first thing that the 4th Imam (A.S) says is that those who have acknowledged the Imamate of 12th Imam (A.S) are better than the peoples of all times. The Imam (A.S) ends by identifying a quality or a trait of the people who have acknowledged the Imam and are awaiting his appearance - and this is that these people will invite to the way of Allah secretly and openly. And we can add that they will continue to do this, if given the opportunity, until the appearance of the 12th Imam (A.S). They will carry out such activities in anticipation of deliverance from the appearance of the 12th Imam (A.S).
Abu Saeed Khudri narrated that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) said, "In the Last Age, severe tribulations would afflict my community from their rulers and kings such that they have not heard of more severe atrocities and the earth shall become constricted for them and become filled with injustice and oppression and the faithful believer would have no place of refuge from those oppressions.
At that time, Almighty Allah would send a man from my progeny who would fill the earth with justice and equity and all inhabitants of the earth and heavens would be satisfied and happy and the earth would spew out its treasures and the sky would shower its blessings..."
The point we want to identify in this Hadith is that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) says that the faithful believer will have no place of refuge from the oppressions of the rulers. This is another condition that will prevail for those who are consciously awaiting the appearance of the 12th Imam (A.S). They (believers) will suffer oppression and will be victims of tyranny before the appearance of the 12th Imam (A.S).
Author: islamshia-w.com
Other links:
Getting to Know Imam Mahdi
People could get to know Imam Mahdi in two ways
Some of the Duties of the People who Are Expecting Imam Mahdi
Those people who Expect Imam Mahdi should do the following
