The Shiite point of view of a living Imam, Imam Mahdi (as) is not something that is hard to believe if one believes in Allah and His Book, the Qur’an. Indeed, the Shiah aggressively assert that the concept of the Mahdi (as) and his being alive does not violate the Quran in any way, shape, or form.
For the believer whose heart has been filled with the love of and belief in Allah, there is no hesitance whatsoever in accepting the doctrine of al-Mahdi (as). For we as believers in Allah, believe in many hidden, unknown, miraculous, and seemingly impossible things that are stated in the Quran. Not only are they stated in the Quran, but a Muslim MUST submit in obedience and believe in these events. We also believe that Allah is capable of anything and nothing is difficult or impossible for Him to accomplish. Indeed Allah asserts unequivocally that if He wanted something, all He has to do is to say to it: “Be! and it will be!”
Let us look at some examples of miraculous events reported in Quran. Please take note of that NOTHING in the following verses or stories can occur, except by Allah’s permission.
We as Believing Muslims, believe Allah when He states in the Quran that a man (Hazrat Uzair) passed by a village and said to himself: “How can Allah revive this dead land?”Allah, in turn, put him to death for one hundred years, and then brought him back to life. Furthermore, Allah had left the man’s food INTACT for one hundred years! Then Allah told the man to look at the donkey and observe how Allah brings him back to life by reconstructing his bones and enclosing them with flesh. When the man saw that, he said: “Now I know (for certain) that Allah is indeed All Powerful, and is capable of anything.”
We as Believing Muslims, believe Allah when He states in the Quran that the Prophet Ibrahim (as) chopped up the birds into pieces and dispersed their parts over the mountains and then called on to them and they came flying by the permission of Allah!
We as Believing Muslims, believe Allah when He states in the Quran that the blazing fire prepared by the non-believers for Prophet Ibrahim (as) turned cool when the Prophet Ibrahim (as) was placed in it!!! Not only did the fire turn cold, but it turned cold in moderation to prevent the chill from killing the Prophet Ibrahim (as)!
We as Believing Muslims, believe Allah when He states in the Quran that Hazrat Isa (as) was born without a father by the permission of Allah! We also believe that he (as) is not dead and that he (as) will return to Earth when Allah wishes!
We as Believing Muslims, believe Allah when He states in the Quran that Hazrat Isa (as) brought the dead back to life by the permission of Allah; and that he (as) cured the sick, the blind, and others!
We as Believing Muslims, believe Allah when He states in the Quran that the stick of Hazrat Musa (as) turned into a snake! We also believe that the ocean was split in half to allow a safe passage for Bani Israel to escape the persecution of Firaun!
We as Believing Muslims, believe Allah when He states in the Quran that the water of the Nile River was turned into blood by the permission of Allah!
We as Believing Muslims, believe Allah when He states in the Quran that Hazrat Sulayman (as) understood the language of the birds and conversed with them; and with the ants; and with the Jinn; and that his (as) kingdom can fly up in the air; and that the kingdom of the Queen Bilqis was brought before him (as) in the blink of an eye, ALL by the permission of Allah!
We as Believing Muslims, believe Allah when He states in the Quran that the people of the Cave (Ahl al-Kahf) were put to death for 309 years or more or less, and then were brought back to life by the permission of Allah!
We as Believing Muslims, believe Allah when He states in the Quran that Hazrat Khizr (as) is alive and that he (as) has met Hazrat Musa (as) when they were together in a boat by the permission of Allah!
We as Believing Muslims, believe Allah when He states in the Quran that Shaitaan, the accursed, is still alive even though he was born before Adam (as); and that he watches us from where we cannot see him by the leave of Allah!
We as Believing Muslims, believe Allah when He states in the Quran that Hazrat Adam (as) was born without a mother or a father by the permission of Allah!
We as Believing Muslims, believe that Prophet Noah (as) lived more than 950 years. We as Believing Muslims, believe Hazrat Isa (as) is still alive and he is 1,994 years old now. We as Believing Muslims, believe that Hazrat Khizr (as) is still alive.
All the above CANNOT be proved or disproved scientifically, logically, or symbolically for that matter; yet, we ARE to ACCEPT it and BELIEVE it, else we would be forced to leave the boundary of Islam. Why then believe all the above, but not the notion of long life of Imam Mahdi (as)?
Now, the question is: If we, as Believing Muslims, are COMMANDED to BELIEVE (there is no choice here) in the above issues, why is it so strange to us when the Shiah say that the Mahdi (as) is alive and will return when Allah wills? Do we not believe in the Infinite Wisdom of Allah, in that He will bring forth Imam Mahdi (as) when the time is right? Is it not a clear promise by Allah to grant victory to His religion?
Other than the concept of his being alive, there is no fundamental difference between the Shiah and the Ahle Sunnah on the subject of the Imam Mahdi (as). Since they both believe in his appearance towards the end of this world, and that Hazrat Isa (as) will pray behind him in group prayer, and that he will fill the earth with fairness and justice just like it has been filled with injustice and unfairness, and that the Muslims will control the whole earth in his time and that prosperity fills the earth such that there won’t be a poor person, and that all Muslims will unite under his command. So let’s pray together to Allah that He would make that day near, since his appearance is the victory for the nation of the Prophet Mohammed (sawa). Aameen!
Read more about the long life of Imam Mahdi (as)
- Can Imam Mahdi (as) Live For More Than 1,100 Years?
- Is Long Life of Imam Mahdi (as) Established in Quran?
- Some More Thoughts on Long Life Discussed in Quran
- What Aimmah (as) Said About Long Life of Imam Mahdi (as)
- Long Life? Relax! Its Just An Exception…
- Ordinary People Too Have Enjoyed A Really Long Life
- Imam Mahdi (as) and Hazrat Khizr (as)
- Does Science Endorse the Concept of a Long Life?
- Longevity: Al Imam Al Mahdi by Ayatollah Ibrahim Amini