Chapter 1

Aim of Sending the Prophets(a.s.):

Allah, the Almighty raised the Prophets(a.s.) with clear proofs and also revealed withthem the Scriptures and the Balance so that thepeople may l ive with justice and equity.Moreover, He also send down the iron wherein ismighty power as well as many benefits formankind that Allahmay test who it is that will helpHimand His Messengers in the unseen .

It is known to one and all that whensomebody performs an action with a purpose, tillthe aim and purpose is not achieved, the actremains incomplete. If the purpose remainsunachieved, it is said that he was unsuccessful inhis task.

Allah, the Almighty has raised the Prophetsto establish truth and justice in the entireuniverse. Yet, till date humanity has neverwitnessed an era when truth and justice hasbeen established. Then, God forbid, should weassume that the Prophets' mission has beenunsuccessful? And that Iblis, who had taken anoath that he will deviate the entire humanity, wastriumphant in his objective?

Certainly not! Iblis can never be victoriousin his aim. Allah the Majestic has deemed all ofIblis' conspiracies, machinations and plots asweak and feeble. "Surely the plotting of Shaitanwas indeed weak. "

Chapter 2

Ultimate: Justice and Equity

In numerous verses of the Holy Quran andprior to it, in other Heavenly Books, Allah theAlmighty, has made it amply clear that

'Surely My righteous servants shall inheritthe earth. "

(Surah Ambiya : Verse 105)

Moreover, Allah the Almighty has promisedthe believers and the good doers that He willcertainlymake themthe caliphs and rulers of thisearth . And it is clearer than daylight that AllahtheTruthful isnota covenantbreaker.

Chapter 3

Why the Present State of Affairs?

A question can arise in the mind that if theaim and purpose of the Prophets (a.s.) was to fillthe earth with justice and equity, which has alsobeen promised by Allah, then why the presentstate of affairs? Why this oppression, tyranny,mischief, corruption, kil lings, genocide,insecurity, anarchy, chaos, disorder, etc.? Whatis the reason for all these? And till when willthesecontinue?

Chapter 4

Free and IndependentHumanBeing:

Allah, the Almighty, has created man freeand independent, which implies that he canselect either of the two ways, good or evil, beliefor disbelief, justice or oppression, of his ownaccord and free will. If he chooses the path ofgoodness, belief and justice, then of course, hewill be surrounded with bounties and blessings.But if  he  opts for the other course, its  consequences will certainly be disastrous andharmful. If somebody consumes poison, nodoubt, its damaging effects will manifestthemselves. Unfortunately, mankind chose thepath of evil, instead of goodness, and as a result,the world is engulfed with darkness and injustice.While indicating towards this reality, the HolyQurandeclares,

"Mischief appeared in the land and the seaforwhat the hands of the people earned. "

(SurahRome : Verse 41)

The mischief and corruption rampant in theworld is a result of our actions. And this is thecase whenAllah, theAll-Forgiving, pardonsmostof our sins and transgressions. This is theconsequence of only a few of our misdeeds. IfAllah really punishes us for all of our actions,whatever little of goodness and virtue isobserved in this world will also vanish and theentire universe will convert into a hell formankind. Allah the Almighty informs in the HolyQuran,

"Whatever calamities afflict you isbecause of what your hands have earned,while He forgives most (of your sins). "

(SurahShura : Verse 30)

The present state of our world is becauseof our vices, transgressions and evils. Come! Let's see what impressions we and  our deeds have left on religion, morals, societyand economics.

Religion:

Although we claim to be Muslims becausewe happened to be Muslims by birth, true Islamimplies complete submission before Allah, theMessenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) and their laws andcommands. Ameerul Momineen Ali Ibn AbiTaalib(a.s.) declares,

"Islam is submission."

Of course, today we are extremely obedientand compl iant but not before Al lah, HisMessenger (s.a.w.a.) and their laws, but in frontof our carnal desires, western culture,imperialistic attitudes, power and lusts.

Either we don't know how to recite the HolyQuran or if we do know, we don't read it. Even ifwe read it, we don't do so with regularity. Even ifwe recite it on a regular basis, we don't act on it.And even if we act on it, it's not a completeacquiescence before its commands andprohibitions. This is precisely the reason thattoday, although the Book of Allah apparently ispresent in our homes, offices, markets, shops,etc. yet, the Quranic thought and approach isconspicuouslyabsent.

We have adorned the mosques withexpensive embellishments and ornamentations,but not with Allah's fear, piety, godliness anddevotion. Thus, instead of being the propagationand dissemination centers of Islamic teachings,our mosques have been reduced as hubs of local politics.

The aim of our creation is Allah's worshipand servitude. The essence of worship is divinerecognition and sincerity. Unfortunately,everything is available in our worship butsincerity. We perform Namaz and otherobligations not as a duty imposed by our Lordbut as a ritual and a habit.

For a gain of a few pennies, we are willingto sell our faith and belief. To acquire a littlemore profit, we are prepared to fib and liethrough ourteeth.

Morals and Ethics:

While Islam emphasizes having goodrelations with our relatives (sil-e-rahm), we takeprid e i n brea king re lati ons wi th the m(qat'-e-rahm). Dignity despite poverty was theadage of the old-timers; today, our motto is toacquire worldly wealth, regardless of thedegradation that we have to encounter.We don'tcare for the way that we adopt to earn ourlivelihood,whetherit's permissible or prohibited.

We bring the instruments of sins to ourhomes and deem it as our duty to use them andas a pre-requisite of our advanced thinking.Whi le wearing the Hejaab is the sign ofbackwardness and regress, moving aroundsemi-nude is the mark of progress andadvancement.

Lie, slander, fal se accusation andback-biting have become the norm of the day.Stealing in weights and measures, breach ofpromises, anger, dissatisfaction, tongue-lashing,rudeness, misbehavior, etc. are the essential elements of our lives today.

Society:

Earlier, we had joint families. No doubt, thesystem had some flaws and shortcomings but ithad a number of pluses like love, attachment,fraternity, sacrifice, sincerity, helping each otherin times of need, sharing of joys and sorrows,apportionment of difficulties, etc.Mutual trust andsincerity were the norms and closenessprevailed despite problems.

Bu t to da y, p er s on al b en ef i t s a ndadvantages rule the roost. Worldly gains arefavored to family kinship, while personal benefitsare preferred to close relations. This is preciselythe reason that divine blessings have left ourhomes. Despite the abundance of all sorts ofprovisions, we are afflicted with an endlessseries of anxieties and worries. In this regard,there is a quote of Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a.s.) thatgoes as follows,

"There are three things, the effects ofwhich will be seen by man in this very world,before his death: Rebellion, breaking ofrelations and false oaths.

The act fastest in recompense is patchingof relations. Those who patch relations will seetheir wealth multiply even if they are sinners.

False oaths and breaking of relations ruinhomes.

" Earthquakes, heavenly calamities, newillnesses and diseases, famine, etc, are all dueto our misdeeds and vices. On the one hand, a large portion of  humanity is deprived of basic needs like bread,clothes, housing, health, hygiene, etc.; while onthe other hand, arms and ammunitions are beingstockpiled. Trading in destructive weapons andgenocide of the poor and the innocent hasbecome the favourite pastime of the so-calleddevelopednations.

In today's world, with the transformation inconditions, implications of words have alsochanged dramati cal l y. Destruction andannihilation are called as 'progress', nudity istermed 'culture', immorality is named 'ethicality',ostentation is regarded as 'art' and so on and soforth.

Economy:

Our deeds (rather misdeeds) havetransformed the very face of the world. Due toour actions, rains are becoming scarce and theearth is becoming dry. Crops and cultivation arereceding to pathetically low levels. Perhaps, tomaintain our bank balance and to preserve ourartificial standards, crop outputs are deliberatelybeing reduced. By creating artificial shortageand sucking the blood of the poor, we are tryingto become healthy.

Excessive desires and expendituresexceeding incomes lead to worries, tension andnervous disorders. Consequently, bribery isrampant and inflation is touching the skies.Everybody is in a state of anxiety, holding othersresponsible for his own sorry state of affairs in anattempt to exonerate himself of the blame. Bycensuring others, he wants to give himself acleanchit.

But the truth is that we cannot separateourselves at this state of affairs at any cost. If weare not happy with the present conditions, andcertainly we are not, and would like to see divinepromise being fulfilled in this earth, and thegovernment of justice, equity, fairness, fraternity,Islam and belief, established, then first andforemost, we have to change ourselves. Allah,theMighty,informsclearly,

"Surely Allah will not change (theconditions) of the people till theytransform it themselves."

(Surah Ra'ad : Verse 11)

Never get scared of the conditions becausedespair is disbelief. Don't fear on account of yourweaknesses and ignorance. Take a steptowards Allah in His Name.

"Surely those who struggle for Us, We willcertainly guide them to Our ways. Andmost surely Allah is with the good doers."

(Surah Ankaboot : Verse 69)

All the paths of Allah are that of goodnessand righteousness. Divine mercy is restless towelcome us. Come!

Let's move ahead!Let us take a glance at our responsibilities today.

Chapter 5

OurResponsibilitiesDuringOccultation (ghaibah)ofImam-e-Zamaan(a.t.f.s.)

Today, our greatest anxiety is theoccultation of our beloved Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.).The remaining worries are tolerable to a certainextent but the separation with our most adoredand dearest Imam-e-Zamaan (a.t.f.s.) is simplyinsufferable.We recite intheDua-e-Nudbah,

"It is very difficult and unbearable for methat I see everybody but cannot have a glimpseat your resplendent visage. That I listen toe v e r y b o d y b u t a m d e p riv e d o f y o u rever-comforting voice."

If we try to transformourselves and preparet h e g r o u n d f o r t h e r e a p p e a r a n c e o fImam-e-Zamaan (a.t.f.s.) and fulfill ourresponsibilities vis-à-vis him (a.t.f.s.), then mostof our difficulties will be resolved. And when he(a.t.f.s.) himself arrives, then Inshallah all ourproblems will be dispelled with immediate effect.

Come! Let us take a step to dischargethese duties in order to do away with ourproblems and difficulties. For, our existence andthat of the entire universe, is indebted toImam-e-Zamaan (a.t.f.s.). Therefore, he (a.t.f.s.)enjoys a right over each and every thing.Keeping brevity in consideration, we will mentionfour duties over here related to the heart, tongue,limbs and wealth.

Duties Related to the Heart

1. To Love Imam-e-Zamaan (a.t.f.s.): Allah theAlmighty has deemed the love and affectionof the Ahle Bait (a.s.) as the recompensefor Prophethood. Today, Imam-e-Zamaan(a.t.f.s.) represents the Ahle Bait (a.s.).Besides, the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.)declared,

"A person's faith cannot be complete tillhe does not love me more than his own self andmy progeny more than his own children andoffspring." Obviously, who is more of  adescendant of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) andcloser to him in lineage than Imam Mahdi(a.t.f.s.)?

2. To be sorrowful: When one's most belovedgoes into hiding, the lovers hold their heartsin grief and sorrows afflict them greatly. Inthis case, our beloved is the one who,despite being in occultation, prays for usand repels our difficulties. 'Master! Till whenshould we be beleaguered and hassled dueto your separation? O son of Allah'sMessenger! Is there a way to meet you?'This grief is augmented when we observethat the oppressors and tyrants havedeposed the Real Emperor, seizing thereins of power.

3. Awaiting:  Love and pain are the inevitableconsequences of separation. It is the mostimportant duty of every believer to wait forthe one whose occultation is the cause ofdifficulties and problems and in whosereappearance are their solutions, andwhose arrival is certain. The Messenger ofAllah(s.a.w.a.)declared,

"The best action of my nation is to awaitthe reappearance. " Imam Sadeq (a.s.) givesglad-tidings, "He who departs from the worldwhile waiting for the reappearance of Imam(a.t.f.s.) is like the one who is with him (a.t.f.s.) in  his tent. Nay! His status is even higher. As if heis fighting alongside the Messenger of Allah(s.a.w.a.) in the battlefield. " In other words,waiting for Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) is fighting in theway of Allah and the one who waits is a Mujahid.

Duties Related to the Tongue

1. To pray forthe safety of Imam-e-Zamaan(a.t.f.s.). For instance, in the qunoot of ourpra ye r s , we mu st re gu la rl y r ec i t eDua-e-Faraj, 'Allahumma Kun Le…'. InMafaateeh al- Jenaan, a number ofsupplicationsarementioned.

2. To pray for the protection of our religion,faith and belief. Abdullah Ibn Sinaannarrates from Imam Ja'far Sadeq (a.s.),"There will come a time when the standardof leadership cannot be seen and the Imamof guidance will be in hiding. In such asituation, only he will find salvation whorecites the Supplication of the DrowningOne (Dua-e-Ghareeq)." I (Abdullah) asked,'What is this supplication?' He (a.s.)replied,

"O Allah! O Beneficent! O Merciful! OChanger of hearts! Keep my heartsteadfast on Your religion.

"This supplication can be recited in theQunoot aswell as after the prayers (ta'qeebaat).

3. To pray morning and evening, and afterevery namaaz for the early reappearance ofImamMahdi (a.t.f.s.) and to give preference to it over all other supplications.

4. T o i n v i t e t h e p e o p l e t o w a r d sImam-e-Zamaan(a.t.f.s.), to instill his love intheir hearts, to draw their attention towardshim (a.t.f.s.), to answer queries raisedconcerning Imamat and Occultation, etc.Proclaiming the Imamat of the Ahle Bait(a.s.) and to invite the people towards it isthe greatest tradition of the Messenger ofAllah(s.a.w.a.).

Duties Related to the Limbs

1. Obey the instructions oftheShariah.

2. To organize gatherings and assemblies todiscuss the merits and virtues of the AhleBait (a.s.) and to participate in suchcongregations.

3. To keep away from the prohibitions. In asigned letter (tauqee'), Imam-e-Zamaan(a.t.f.s.)informs,

"The thing that has distanced me from you(Shias) are your undesirable acts that reachunto us and which we don't expect from you.

"In this regard, there is a fantasticsupplication provided by Imam-e-Zamaan(a.t.f.s.) himself and which goes as follows,"Allahummarzuqnataufeeq al-taa'ah… "

Duties Related to Wealth

In today's world, wealth is dearer than lifeand life more loved than faith. True faithdemands that one should sacrifice in the way ofAl lah the thing that he loves the most.Imam- e - Z ama a n ( a . t . f . s .) b e i n g t h erepresentative of Allah among His creatures, we  must sacrifice all that we have in his way.Therefore,wemust,

1. Pay sadaqah (charity) every day for thesafety of ImamMahdi (a.t.f.s.). This, by nomeans, implies that he (a.t.f.s.) is engulfedin some difficulties, God forbid. Certainly,this is not the case. Rather, it is the sign ofour love towards him (a.t.f.s.). Moreover,sadaqah is the medium for the acceptanceof our supplications and the channel toacquire the grace of Imam-e-Zamaan(a.t.f.s.).

2. Perform Hajj or send others on Hajj onhis behalf. Similarly, we must also performother recommended actions on behalf ofour beloved ImamMahdi(a.t.f.s.).

3. Help and assist in the spread andpropagation of his name and his cause.We must try to help those organizations thatare truly striving for his purpose. In atradition, ImamJa'far Sadeq (a.s.) states,

"As compared to other good deeds, toexpend one dirham for the cause of the Imamof the time is equal to spending two milliondirhams (for other causes).

"Today, it is our duty to elevate the nameand cause of Imam-e-Zamaan (a.t.f.s.) andspread it far and wide. We must acquaint thepeople with him (a.t.f.s.), strive to make themmore familiar with him (a.t.f.s.) that they mayrecognize him(a.t.f.s.). In this aim, let us leave nostone unturned. Inshallah, this very sincerity willhelp us tomorrow at the time of reappearanceand when the seeds of our supplications will yield fruit.Allah theGracious commands,"You invoke, I will fulfill your prayers."

The more we act on our obligations,transform ourselves and dye ourselves in thecolour of the Ahle Bait (a.s.), the faster will oursupplications be accepted. The promise of Allahwill be fulfilled and all the conspiracies andmachinations of the Shaitan will be quashed.Imam-e-Zamaan (a.t.f.s.) will certainly reappear.He (a.t.f.s.) will come for sure.

Come! Let's see what will happen after thereappearance of ImamMahdi(a.t.f.s.).

Chapter 6

A Glance at the Reappearance of Imam-e-Zamaan(a.t.f.s.)

It should be borne in mind that there will notbe a nook or corner of life that will remainuntouched with the effects of Imam Mahdi's(a.t.f.s.) reappearance. Then, not only the earth,but the shape of the entire universe will undergovisible and tangible alteration. Everything willappear new. For details, a separate book isrequired. Again, being brief, we will indicate justa few of the changes that will occur.

Justice and Fairness

The earth will be filled with justice andequity as it would be fraught with injustice ando p p r e s s i o n . I n t h e g o v e r n me n t o fImam-e-Zamaan (a.t.f.s.), none will oppressanother.

Everybodywillreceive their dues. People will be appointed in their respectivepositions as per their perfections and qualifications. The true and real standards of respect anddisgrace will be set.

Earth

1.The earthwillmanifest its bounties.

2. The earth will throw up the treasuresconcealedwithinit.

3. It will pour from the skies, the trees will beladen with fruits, the earth will be lush greenand fruits will be ripe. Each seed will yieldsevenhundredcrops.

Economy

Immeasurablewealthwill be distributed.

ImamMahdi (a.t.f.s.) will distribute wealth inanunprecedentedfashion.

Welfare and prosperity will attain suchheights that there will not be a single person onthe face of the earth eligible for poor-rate.

Abundance of provisions will make peopleneedless of hoarding.

People will be rich with various kinds ofwealth.

Society

All the roads will be vast and expansive.Rivers will overflow and will be foundeverywhere.

No nook or corner of the earth willbe denied water.

Sewerage and gutter water will not flow onroads and in public places.

Uncleanness will becompletelywiped out.

Chapter 7

Ruins will Not be Found anywhere.

Due to the blessings of Imam-e-Zamaan(a.t.f.s.), the colour ofthe earthwill change. Only and only Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) will ruleon the entire universe.

Religion

Imam-e-Zamaan (a.t.f.s.) will propagatereligion in such a beautiful manner that peoplewill accept it willingly and with the depth of theirhearts. They will worship Allah with utmostsincerity. Those who are far from religion willreturn to it like birds return to their nests.

All the innovations and deviations will bedestroyed.

Imam-e-Zamaan (a.t.f.s.) will invite thepeople towards Allah's Book, the Sunnah of theMessenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.), the mastership ofAli Ibn Abi Taalib (a.s.) and hatred towards hisenemies. The entire world will unite on the covenantofAhle Bait's (a.s.) love.

Knowledge

Due to the grace of Imam-e-Zamaan(a.t.f.s.), people's hearts will be enlightened withknowledge.

Housewives will be acquainted and familiarwith the Holy Quran and traditions of theinfallibles(a.s.).

Allah the Almighty has divided knowledgeinto twenty-seven parts. Till now, only two partshave been conferred on humanity. After thereappearance, the remaining twenty-five parts will be manifested as well.

Vision and hearing will attain such levelsthat the people of the East can see and listen tothe people of the West without the means of anyinstrumentorequipment.

General Hygiene

1. The blind will become seeing.

2. The sick willreceive cure.

3.By the grace of Allah, the believers will never be afflictedwith any illness.

General Security

All the roads will be safe and secure.Hooliganismwill be put to an end.

Mischief and corruption will be completelydestroyed.

Even the wild beasts will not harm thehumans.

The earth and its inhabitants will be free ofall afflictions and calamities.

Ethics and Morality

Intellects of all humans will be perfected.

Hearts will be cleansed of desires and lusts,while being filledwith needlessness.

Os t e nt a t i o n a n d sh ow- of f wi l l b eannihilated.

Trustworthinesswillprevail.The young will respect their elders, whilethe elderswill havemercy on the young.Lies and backbiting will be cleaned out.

None will be busy thinking about raising or pulling down others.

Friendshipwill be true and sincere.

Hearts will be abundant with love, and freefromjealousy,malice and enmity.

In short, that era will be a completely different age. Everything will change, earth,skies, seas, jungles, mountains, trees, birds,beasts, animals and humans.

All these will take place only and only onaccount of the golden and resplendentre appearance of the real proof of Allah on Hisearth, the friend of Allah, the infallible leader,divine guide, the beloved of the Messenger ofAllah (s.a.w.a.), the apple of Hazrat Zahra's (s.a.)eyes, the dearest of Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a.s.), thedarling of Hasan al-Mujtaba (a.s.) and the hopeand desire of Sayed al-Shuhada Imam Husain(a.s.), the last divine proof, al-Hujjat Ibn al-Hasanal-Mahdi(a.t.f.s.).

If we are truly waiting that momentous day,we should pray for his early advent from thedepth of our hearts, and prepare ourselves,along with others, for helping and assisting himin his cause.

Surely, the oppressors deem that day to be far

But

We regard it to be very, very near.

Aameen!

O Lord of the worlds!

Associationof Imam Mahdi(a.t.f.s.),

Mumbai-400 050.

October 2003 A.D., Sha'baan 1424 A.H

www.feedbooks.com
Food for the mind

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - Aim of Sending the Prophets(a.s.):

Chapter 2 - Ultimate: Justice and Equity

Chapter 3 - Why the Present State of Affairs?

Chapter 4 - Free and IndependentHumanBeing:

Religion:

Morals and Ethics:

Society:

Economy:

Chapter 5 - OurResponsibilitiesDuringOccultation (ghaibah)ofImam-e-Zamaan(a.t.f.s.)

Duties Related to the Heart

Duties Related to the Tongue

Duties Related to the Limbs

Duties Related to Wealth

Chapter 6 - A Glance at the Reappearance of Imam-e-Zamaan(a.t.f.s.)

Justice and Fairness

Earth

Economy

Society

Chapter 7 - Ruins will Not be Found anywhere.

Religion

Knowledge

General Hygiene

General Security

Ethics and Morality