After the occultation and a few days before the death of his fourth deputy,history has it that he sent his followers a letter that declared the beginning of a Major Occultation during which he will not be in contact with his people. The Shia Muslims believe in the Twelver caliphates and that Muhammad is the Mahdi, the ultimate savior of humankind.
They also believe Islam will rule the world and during the reign justice and righteousness will fill the earth. The belief in Mahdi gave Shia Muslims identity. The Shiites believe that none of the twelve died a natural death. They were either assassinated or poisoned for being a legal threat to the rule of the caliphate.
Down the history line, the Shiites fought for recognition, and acceptance by their fellow Muslims. The history of the Twelve is based on revolutionary violence, an art the Shia Muslims had to master to survive. The twelve Imams rebuked assassination or plotting revolution unless they were defending their faith. These Imams make up the foundation rock supporting the Shia faith.
Depiction of the Twelve Imams seated together left and the Mahdi's triumphant return right. Benjamin Elisha Sawe February 16 in Society. Shias do not take one and reject the other; it is a complete package from Allah SwT via His Messenger. Then the Holy Prophet said words which were obscure to me. He said: All of the twelve men will be from the Quraysh. Then the Holy Prophet S said something which I could not understand.
I asked my father: What did he say? He said: He has said that all of them twelve caliphs will be from the Quraysh. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. And that was the prayer of Ibrahim as regarding us. First of all, these traditions ahadith are contained in the leading books of Ahlul Sunnah scholars. Hence, the burden of proof is on Ahlul Sunnah to say who they are, unless Muslims wish to question the prophesy of the Holy Prophet S!
So, who are they? They are eight. Four of them remain. So where are the 12 names he needs? Suyuti pulls together eight names and then just starts guessing and speculating, in a desperate but unsuccessful attempt to get to 12, as per the prophesy of the Prophet S. These are the twelve Imams. The Shia belief in the Mahdi as is not some unorthodox, unconventional, alien or mystical unIslamic belief.
Although, many of the Ahlul Sunnah brethren do not know about it or talk about it, all of the three Abrahamic faiths, including Islam Sunni and Shia , believe in the concept of a messiah, or one who shall return. In fact, traditions in the Sihah Sittah, the six authentic books of Ahlul Sunnah comfirm this point. In fact, the Ahlul Sunnah scholars narrate that not only will there be this Mahdi, but he will be different to the Messiah, to Prophet Jesus Isa , who will also return. Is it any wonder why the Shias hold their Imams in such high regard?
Shias are often criticised for believing in an Imam or leader who was a young boy — Imam Mahdi as , after all, was still a small child when his father, the 11th Shia Imam, Hasan al-Askari as , was martyred and passed away. The critics claim that such a young Imam would not have the mental capacity to lead the Muslims and be an infallible guide for mankind. Why the objection to a brilliant or genius or special child?
In the west, child prodigies are accepted and some common examples accessible via Wikipedia! These are all verifiable facts - so why are Shias questioned on the divinely-appointed child prodigy, Imam Mahdi as?
No one says that child achievements are impossible or that child prodigies do not exist. The following verses very clearly confirm a child can be guided by God: Ch. John the Baptist, at least, was a child but what about Prophet Isa Jesus who as a baby spoke from the cradle? Thy father was not a man of evil, nor thy mother a woman unchaste! And He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be, and hath enjoined on me Prayer and Charity as long as I live; He hath made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable.
So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life again. So youth, childhood, even babyhood, is no barrier to receiving revelation or inspiration from Allah SwT. In fact, a number of Shia Imams were very young when they became Imams. The 4th and 11th Shia Imams were in their early twenties, and the 9th and 10th were of ages 7 and 8 respectively when they became Imams upon the deaths of their fathers.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, there is nothing in science, which precludes or negates the possibility of such a long life. Thus, the only difference between the Shias and Aubrey de Grey is that Shias believe that fist person to live to 1, is 1, already! So, Jesus is still alive and yet Sunni Muslims doubt the Shias for believing Imam Mahdi as is alive — despite the fact that Jesus would already have been a thousand years old when the occultation ghaybat of Imam Mahdi as began. This is nonsensical.
Ali was assassinated in after a five-year caliphate that was marred by civil war. His sons, Hassan and Hussein, were denied what they thought was their legitimate right of accession to the caliphate. Hassan is believed to have been poisoned in by Muawiyah, the first caliph of the Sunni Umayyad dynasty, while Hussein was killed on the battlefield by the Umayyads in These events gave rise to the Shia concept of martyrdom and the rituals of grieving.
The Ithna Asharis are the largest group and believe that Muhammad's religious leadership, spiritual authority and divine guidance were passed on to 12 of his descendants, beginning with Ali, Hassan and Hussein. The 12th Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, is said to have disappeared from a cave below a mosque in Ithna Asharis believe the so-called "awaited imam" did not die and will return at the end of time to restore justice on earth.
In countries which have been governed by Sunnis, Shia tend to make up the poorest sections of society. They often see themselves as victims of discrimination and oppression. Sunni extremists frequently denounce Shia as heretics who should be killed.
The Iranian revolution of launched a radical Shia Islamist agenda that was perceived as a challenge to conservative Sunni regimes, particularly in the Gulf. Tehran's policy of supporting Shia militias and parties beyond its borders was matched by Sunni-ruled Gulf states, which strengthened their links to Sunni governments and movements elsewhere.
Today, many conflicts in the region have strong sectarian overtones. In Syria, Iranian troops, Hezbollah fighters and Iranian-backed Shia militiamen have been helping the Shia-led government battle the Sunni-dominated opposition.
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