Indications of Reappearance

People from all strata of the society today are distraught by the rampant growth of terrorism. It has made our lives miserable and has forced communities out of their homes, villages, cities to other habitats. Everyone is dejected and terrified.

It appears that super powers of today also are greatly unsuccessful in ending this menace or are feigning the inability to control it to boost the sale of their weapons. This terrorism is found in Islamic countries and so called Muslims are massacring fellow Muslims. The assassin screams ‘Allaho Akbar’ before killing someone and the irony is that the victim also proclaims ‘Allaho Akbar’. The former is glad being a so called ‘brave soldier’ and the later pleased with martyrdom.

Islam is being disgraced and ruined at the hands of Muslims. It seems terrorism is on the prowl to completely wipe out Islam. The ongoing oppression and acts of cruelties in Islamic countries has rendered the masses helpless and as a direct consequence of these misdeeds, they will be forced to take refuge in non-Muslim countries. Sooner or later, they will fade away in those un-Islamic societies and culture in such a way that there will be no trace of Islam. Islam will be destroyed at the hands of terrorism. Muslims will perish after migrating to non-Islamic countries and in this way, the last religion sent by Allah will cease to exist. The disbelievers and the polytheists will be successful in implementing their ulterior motives.

Divine light is being attacked by acts of infidels

This lamp not get extinguished by their weak blows

If none has created this earth and it has come into existence on its own, or if there was a creator before and there’s none now or if he is helpless or incapable now or is unconcerned about this world, then all the fears of world destroying one day are true and the end will be nothing but evil.

However, if this world has a Creator who is Omnipresent, All Powerful and All Capable, is it possible that He will let the world ruin like this and watch its destruction silently and forget what He had promised in the Holy Quran?

The freewill and respite granted by Allah the Almighty to His creation cannot be construed as Allah’s weakness or helplessness. Rather it is Allah’s way of examining His creation. He allows them to fulfill their desires. When they finish their life span, Allah will bring them back in such a condition that they will be burdened by their sins and the only recompense for them would be the extremely painful chastisement of Hell. This respite emboldens them to commit sins which in turn cause their hearts to die. The blessing of seeking forgiveness is not for dead hearts. The few remaining days of life will end soon and what will remain forever is severe retribution.

No matter how grave the situation is in this world, one should not consider the situation as beyond Allah’s control. The entire creation (of which this universe is merely a speck) is under Allah’s command and whenever He wishes, He will fulfill his promise. He has not declared a particular time to bring His promise to fruition. It is Allah’s promise and most definite and certain.

Even if a day is left for this world, Allah will prolong it to such an extent that a man from the progeny of Holy Prophet (peace be on him and his family), who will share his name and agnomen, will rise and fill this earth with justice and equality as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression.

[Muntakhab al-Asar, p. 153]

It is for this reason that the end result of this earth will be justice and equality and by no means devastation and destruction. The Holy Quran has foretold us about the bright future of this world.

  1. i) While revealing the news of the caliphate of Prophet Adam (peace be on him), Allah declared, “Verily, I’m going to appoint a Caliph on the earth.” At that moment the angels asked Allah, “What! Will you appoint those on the earth who will spread mischief and shed blood?
[Surah Baqarah (2): Verse 30]

This means the angels knew the actions of the progeny of Prophet Adam (peace be on him).

Allah the Almighty did not reject the assertions of the angels, but said: “Surely I know what you do not know.” It means you all see Qabeel, Firaun, Hamaan, Namrood, Bani Israel, Abu Sufiyan, Yazeed, Muwaiyah, Bani Ummayah, Bani Abbas, Daaesh, Taliban, Al Qaeda, the imperialistic powers and all their stooges, etc. while I see the government of the Mahdi of Aale Muhammad al-Hujjat Bin al-Hasan al-Askari (may Allah hasten his reappearance) in the last era. It implies that it was known that there would be injustice and bloodshed on this earth but its end will be justice and equity.

  1. ii) When Firaun and his followers caused destruction on the earth, Allah said:

We And certainly We wrote in the Book after the reminder that (as for) the land, My righteous servants shall inherit it.

[Surah Anbiyaa (21): Verse 105]

The tone of this verse clearly indicates that the rule will be over the entire earth and not just a specific part of the globe. This reality is stated in verse 128 of Surah A’araf. Prophet Moosa (peace be on him) gave glad tidings to his followers:

To Allah belongs this earth and He grants it to whomsoever He pleases, but the hereafter will be in the hands of the fearing-ones.

In Surah Noor (24), verse 55, Allah explains it in detail:

Allah has promised to those of you who believe and do good that He will most certainly make them rulers in the earth as He made rulers those before them, and that He will most certainly establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them, and that He will most certainly, after their fear, give them security in exchange; they shall serve Me, not associating aught with Me; and whoever is ungrateful after this, these it is who are the transgressors.

Allah has made five promises to the faithful and righteous servants in this verse and in the last part He has revealed the fate of disbelievers.

First Promise

They will be appointed as His representatives and caliphs on earth just as those in the past. In Holy Quran we find the accounts Prophets Dawood and Sulaiman (peace be on them both). Allah, Himself will appoint His representative on earth and it will not be done through selection, a council or general consensus. This appointment is destined for the people of belief and righteous actions.

Second Promise

These divine representatives will establish a rule of a religion with which Allah is satisfied. The religion which is most loved by Allah the High will be declared as the universal religion based on which the governing rules will be framed. Allah has explained this religion in detail – the one which He will be satisfied with in the Holy Book.

He says in Surah Maedah (5), verse 3:

This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and chosen for you Islam as a religion; but whoever is compelled by hunger, not inclining willfully to sin, then surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

According to the interpreters of Holy Quran ‘Chosen’ and ‘Satisfied’ are almost synonymous. This verse was revealed at Ghadeer Khum after Holy Prophet (peace be on him and his family) announced the Wilayat (mastership) and caliphate of Ameerul Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Talib (peace be on them both).

The Islam of Ghadeer

Mastership and Imamate of Ahle Bait (peace be on them) will be established officially on the earth. Of the 73 sects in Islam, only the Islam of Twelver Shias will be official. When the shining sun of Ghadeer will emerge from the shadows of occultation, all other lamps will be doused and all stars would disappear. The Mastership and Imamate of Ahle Bait (peace be on them) will radiate on the horizon. Every nook and corner of the earth will be illuminated through its luminosity. Communism, imperialism, constitutional monarchy, democracy, oligarchy, aristocracy, dictatorship, every kind of government will be obliterated. It will be the divine leader appointed by Allah who will lead Allah’s chosen religion on His earth. It will be an era when Allah’s religion will be the only rule in His land.

Third Promise

The third promise is a result of the first two promises. When a divine leader appointed by Allah the Sovereign will govern the land based on Allah’s most-liked religion, the third promise will be its consequence viz. “we will most surely turn their fear into security.” Insecurities like hunger, struggles, inflation, war, terrorism, racism, bigotry, nuclear warfare, physical and cold wars, personal disputes, anxiety, diseases, human right abuses, etc. exist because the world is not governed by the divinely appointed ruler or Islamic laws. The world today belongs to Allah but is ruled by others. When Allah’s rule will engulf the world, fear will be eradicated. When a person shuns the path of moderation, the consequences will be dire. When justice and equality are forsaken, fear and insecurity grip the society.

There are three forms of diseases: Mental, spiritual and physical. Mental illness results in subjugation for which poet Allamah Iqbal once said: “Poverty teaches a hunter to prey.” Subjugation is the only result of oppression. It presents the most dangerous consequences in human society under which terrorism is gaining strength. This signals the arrival of a Divine Revolution.

Fourth Promise

The fourth promise is a result of the first three. When hearts of men will not fear others, they will worship only Allah. They worship others out of fear – fear of governments, people around them or even poverty. In that era all paths leading to polytheism and hypocrisy will be closed. Since human intellect will reach its zenith, none but Allah will be worshipped. Thus, egos will be put to rest and there will be no place for hypocrisy. It will just be sincere worship.

How eloquently the Holy Quran has described it in Surah Noor (24), verse 55:

They shall serve Me, not associating aught with Me…

‘Nothing’ will be associated with Allah’s worship. Under the leadership of the Imam of the monotheists, leader of worshippers, chief of the God-fearing ones, pillar of sincerity, beloved son of Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib (peace be on them both), cherished one of Fatima Zahra (peace be on her), Yusuf of Ahle Bait (may Allah hasten his reappearance) al-Hujjat Ibn al-Hasan al-Askari – there will be such worship regarding which Ameerul Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Talib (peace be on them both) says:

Surely a group worships Allah out of greed (for reward) and this is the worship of traders. Another group worships Allah out of fear and this is the worship of slaves. (Third) group worships Allah out of gratitude and this is the worship of the free ones.

[Nahj al-Balaagha, p. 510, H. 237]

This exceptional advice will be implemented in the government of Imam-e-Zamana (may Allah hasten his reappearance). At that time the tree of creation will be laden with fruits. The concept of “And I have not created the jinn and the men except that they should serve Me’ [Surah Zaariyaat (51): Verse 56] will then be fulfilled. There will only be fruits of sincerity on the tree of creation.

The pen obviously falls way short of describing the serenity and spirituality of this golden period but it will be an era when the angels will get an answer to their question of why Allah sent down humans as His representatives on earth. The interpretation of “I know what you do not know,” will be apparent. It is for a day like this that He had appointed humans as representatives on earth.

Fifth Promise

Sinner is a synonym for a transgressor, the one who opposes justice. One who repents and abstains from sins is a just person. One who sins is a transgressor. Another reality of a transgressor is that he is out of fold of religion. Holy Quran, in Surah Maaedah (5), verses 44 to 46, has termed those who do not act according to the rules framed by Allah as disbelievers, oppressors and transgressors.

These verses first talk about the disbelief and then the transgression. As they don’t believe in Allah’s promises and reject it, they have been referred to as disbelievers and as a result, are out of the realm of religion. A tradition from Holy Prophet (peace be on him and his family) indicates thus:

One who denies the rise of Mahdi is a disbeliever.

[Isbaat al-Hudaat, vol. 5, p. 277; Lisaan al-Mizaan, vol. 5, p. 130; Al-Qaul al-Mukhtasar fi Alaamaat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 56]

Thus, those who don’t believe in Allah’s promises are disbelievers and are out of religion.

Hence it is worth paying attention that not only should we strongly condemn all forms of sins, evils and terrorism, but also reform our character, readiness, thoughts, hearts, minds and consciousness to answer his call. Inshaa Allah!