بِسْمِ ٱللّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Introduction
More than twelve centuries have passed since the beginning of occultation, yet the longing for the reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) remains as vivid and alive today as it was at its very outset. Throughout these centuries, generations of believers including scholars, preachers, poets and our own ancestors have departed from this world with the belief of Intezaar, the awaiting of the reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (a.t.f.s.), firmly rooted in their hearts.
Human experience shows us that the passage of time does not affect everyone in the same way. For some, the passage of years strengthens their sense of waiting and deepens their faith and for others, however, prolonged delay gives rise to doubt and disappointment. While death is an undeniable reality, does this mean that if the reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) does not occur within our lifetime, we should surrender to despair? Is waiting destined to weaken with time or does it possess a deeper meaning that transcends generations?
To explore this question, the concept of Intezaar (awaiting) can be examined from two perspectives:
- The Importance of Awaiting and the Virtue of the one who awaits
- Outcomes of Intezaar in History: Success and Failure.
The Importance of Awaiting and the Virtue of the One Who Awaits
The one for whom we wait is no ordinary individual. He is the heir of the People of the Cloak (Ashaab al-Kisa), the divinely appointed leader through whom the religion of Allah will ultimately prevail over all other systems. He is the hope of the oppressed against tyranny, the final proof of Allah upon the earth and the means through whom the order of the heavens and the earth continues to exist. Regarding him, the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) declared:
أَفْضَلُ اَلْعِبَادَةِ انْتِظَارُ الْفَرَجِ
“The most superior form of worship is waiting for relief (the reappearance).”
[Reference: Kamaluddin, vol. 1, p. 287]
At this point, a fundamental question arises: Is this exalted act of worship confined only to human beings who wait for relief?
The answer is no. Imam Reza (a.s.) broadens our understanding of Inteẓār by linking it directly to divine practice itself. He states:
وَ ارْتَقِبُوا إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ رَقِيبٌ
"And watch; indeed, I am with you, watching." (Surah Hud (11), verse 93)
فَانْتَظِرُوا إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ مِنَ اَلْمُنْتَظِرِينَ
"So wait; surely I too am with you among those who wait." (Surah A'raf (7), verse 71)
Therefore, patience is obligatory upon you all, for surely after despair there will be relief, and those who passed before you were more patient than you.
[Reference: Kamaluddin, vol. 2, ch.55, h.5, pg. 645]
This narration clearly establishes that awaiting the reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) is not merely a human act of hope, it is a divinely endorsed state which Allah Himself associates with those who wait.
In another narration, Abu Khalid al-Kabuli reports from Imam Zain al-Abideen (a.s.):
یَا بَا خَالِدٍ إِنَّ أَهْلَ زَمَانِ غَیْبَتِهِ وَ الْقَائِلِینَ بِإِمَامَتِهِ وَ الْمُنْتَظِرِینَ لِظُهُورِهِ علیه السّلام أَفْضَلُ مِنْ أَهْلِ كُلِّ زَمَانٍ
“O Aba Khalid! Indeed, the people of the time of his occultation, those who believe in his Imamate and who wait for his reappearance, are superior to the people of all other eras.”
[Reference: Ehtejaaj by Shaikh Tabresi, p. 173]
The virtue of waiting is so immense that it even defines the identity of the most beloved followers of the Prophet (s.a.w.a.). One day, while some companions were present with the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.), he said:
اللَّهُمَّ لَقِّنِی إِخْوَانِی مَرَّتَیْنِ
“O Allah, allow me to meet my brothers!”
The Prophet repeated this statement twice. One of the companions asked:
أَ مَا نَحْنُ إِخْوَانَكَ یَا رَسُولَ اللهِ
“Are we not your brothers, O Messenger of Allah?”
He replied:
فَقَالَ لَا إِنَّكُمْ أَصْحَابِی وَ إِخْوَانِی قَوْمٌ فِی آخِرِ الزَّمَانِ
“No. You are my companions. My brothers are a people who will come in the last era.
آمَنُوا وَ لَمْ یَرَوْنِی
They will believe in me despite not having seen me.
لَقَدْ عَرَّفَنِیهِمُ اللهُ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ وَ أَسْمَاءِ آبَائِهِمْ مِنْ قَبْلِأَنْ یُخْرِجَهُمْ مِنْ أَصْلَابِ آبَائِهِمْ وَ أَرْحَامِ أُمَّهَاتِهِمْ
Indeed, Allah has informed me of their names and the names of their fathers even before they emerge from the loins of their fathers and the wombs of their mothers.
لَأَحَدُهُمْ أَشَدُّ بَقِیَّةً عَلَی دِینِهِ مِنْ خَرْطِ الْقَتَادِ فِی اللَّیْلَةِ الظَّلْمَاءِ أَوْ كَالْقَابِضِ عَلَی جَمْرِ الْغَضَا
Each one of them will hold firmly to his religion more strongly than one who walks on thorns in a dark night or one who grasps burning coals in his hands.
أُولَئِكَ مَصَابِیحُ الدُّجَی یُنْجِیهِمُ اللهُ مِنْ كُلِّ فِتْنَةٍ غَبْرَاءَ مُظْلِمَةٍ
They are lamps of darkness. Allah will save them from every blinding and dark tribulation.”
[Reference: Behaar al-Anwar, vol. 52, pp. 123–124, h. 8]
Those who await the reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) with patience and steadfastness were honored by the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) himself, who distinguished them from his companions and called them his brothers, a title that reflects their elevated rank and closeness to him despite never having seen him.
Outcomes of Intezaar in History: Success and Failure
Now that we have understood the importance of Intezaar in the light of the Holy Qur’an and the teachings of the Infallibles (a.s.), as well as the lofty station of a true Muntazir, we look to history to understand its reality. History does not just record anticipation and patience; rather, it reveals the outcome of Intezaar when the awaited one finally appears. History shows that Intezaar leads to one of two outcomes when the awaited one appears, acceptance and submission or denial and rejection.
First Example: A People Who Awaited the Prophet (s.a.w.a), but Rejected Him at His Arrival
When Abu Baseer asked Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (a.s.) about the verse of Surah al-Baqarah (2:89):
وَ كانُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ يَسْتَفْتِحُونَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا
“And before that, they used to seek victory over the disbelievers,”
Imam (a.s.) explained:
The Jews found in their scriptures that Prophet Mohammad (s.a.w.a.) would migrate between Mount ‘Ayr and Mount Uhud. Therefore, they set out in search of that place.
The Jews read in their books about the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) so they migrated in search of a land between ‘Ayr and Uhud.
Their waiting was not superficial. They abandoned their homes and possessions and migrated to an unfamiliar land, not a small sacrifice, especially in the harsh conditions of Arabia and in an era without maps or clear routes.
When news of their prosperity reached a Yemeni king named Tubbaʿ, he attacked them. Despite being under threat, the Jews defended themselves and later showed mercy to the weaker members of Tubbaʿ’s army by secretly providing them with barley and dates at night. Moved by this compassion, Tubbaʿ expressed a desire to live among them. The Jews responded by saying that this land was destined for the migration of a Prophet and was therefore not suitable for him. Tubbaʿ then decided to leave his family behind, hoping they would support the Prophet when he appeared.
Thus, the tribes of Aws and Khazraj came to reside in Madinah. Over time, as their numbers increased, they began to overpower the Jews and seize their wealth. The Jews would repeatedly warn them: “When Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) is sent, he will expel you from this land and take back what you have taken from us.”
However, when Allah sent Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) among them, the Aws and Khazraj believed in him and became the Ansar while those same Jews who had waited for him denied him. Regarding this, Allah says:
وَ لَمَّا جاءَهُمْ كِتابٌ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِما مَعَهُمْ وَ كانُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ يَسْتَفْتِحُونَ عَلَى الَّذينَ كَفَرُوا فَلَمَّا جاءَهُمْ ما عَرَفُوا كَفَرُوا بِهِ فَلَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكافِرينَ
“And when there came to them a Book from Allah confirming what was with them, though before that they used to pray for victory over the disbelievers when there came to them that which they recognized, they denied it. So the curse of Allah is upon the disbelievers.”
[Surah Baqarah (2): 89]
[Reference: Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 15, p. 226, from Tafsir al-Ayyashi]
Why Did They Deny the One They Were Waiting For?
Despite such intense and prolonged waiting, the Jews rejected the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.). Imam Hasan al-ʿAskari (a.s.) explains:
فَلَمَّا جاءَهُمْ هَؤُلَاءِ الْیَهُودَ ما عَرَفُوا مِنْ نَعْتِ مُحَمَّدٍ (صلی الله علیه و آله) وَ صِفَتِهِ کَفَرُوا بِهِ وَ جَحَدُوا نُبُوَّتَهُ حَسَداً لَهُ وَ بَغْیاً عَلَیْهِ
When the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) came to them, whom they recognized through his signs they denied him and rejected his prophethood out of jealousy and rebellion.
فَلَمَّا ظَهَرَ مُحَمَّدٌ (صلی الله علیه و آله) حَسَدُوهُ إِذْ کَانَ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ فَکَذَّبُوهُ.
When Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) appeared, they envied him because he was an Arab, and thus rejected him.
[Reference: Tafsir Imam Hasan Askari, p. 393]
This historical example serves as a powerful warning. Waiting alone is not sufficient. When Intezaar is corrupted by jealousy, pride, or personal interests it can transform a Muntazir (one who awaits) into a denier of his own Muntazar (the awaited one). We seek refuge in Allah from such a form of waiting where the awaited Imam appears, yet the hearts of the waiters fail to recognize him.
Second Example: A Model of True Waiting
Let us now turn to another powerful historical example that illustrates the true meaning of awaiting.
Anas ibn Harith al-Kahili, a companion of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) who fought in Badr and Hunayn. He heard the Prophet say:
إِنَّ اِبْنِي هَذَا يَعْنِي اَلْحُسَيْنَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ يُقْتَلُ بِأَرْضٍ مِنَ اَلْعِرَاقِ فَمَنْ أَدْرَكَهُ مِنْكُمْ فَلْيَنْصُرْهُ قَالَ فَقُتِلَ أَنَسٌ مَعَ اَلْحُسَيْنِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ
“This son of mine, Husain (a.s.) will be killed in the land of Iraq. Whoever lives to see that time must support him.”
[Reference: Al-Manaqib, vol. 1, p. 140]
History records that when Imam Husain (a.s.) arrived in Karbala, Anas ibn Harith was already present there. He had not come for any worldly motive, nor for tribal loyalty, but solely in obedience to the command of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.).
[Reference: Mausooah Fee Dhelaal Shohadaa al-Taff by Shaikh Haider Simyaani, vol. 2, p. 296, published in Qom, first edition 1432 AH]
Conclusion
From these historical examples, profound lessons emerge for us.
On one side, we see the waiting of the Jews, who abandoned their homes and endured hardship for the one they awaited, yet when his mission conflicted with their personal interests, jealousy overtook them, and they denied him.
On the other side stands Anas ibn Harith al-Kahili, who fulfilled the true right of waiting. His example teaches us that if one truly awaits the Muntazar, then the sole objective of the Muntazir must be unwavering support, obedience, and readiness to sacrifice for the Imam and nothing else.
This also shows that while Intezaar for the awaited Imam is a great act of worship, it requires constant care and sincerity. For this reason, the believer must always seek Allah’s protection and help, asking Him to preserve true waiting within the heart. It is with this understanding that we turn to Allah in supplication, as we recite in the Ziyarah of Imam al-Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) on Fridays:
وَاسْالُ ٱللَّهَ انْ يُصَلِّيَ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ
And I beseech Allah to send blessings to Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad,
وَانْ يَجْعَلَنِي مِنَ ٱلمُنْتَظِرِينَ لَكَ
and to include me with those who are expecting you,
وَٱلتَّابِعِينَ وَٱلنَّاصِرِينَ لَكَ عَلَىٰ اعْدَائِكَ
those who follow you and support you against your enemies,
[Reference: Jamaal al-Usboo’ by Sayed Ibn Tawus, pg. 38]