Every correct and beneficial belief is subject to distortion, misuse, and dangers that can transform it into something harmful and dangerous. Belief in the ideology of Mahdism is no exception to this rule, and since the early centuries of Islam, it has been subject to ignorant and incorrect interpretations and instrumental uses for achieving purposes such as power, fame, and wealth, and it can still be subject to such dangers. The most important dangers and deviations that we must be careful not to fall into are:
1. Claiming Contact and Meeting
Even if we accept the possibility that some chosen individuals have had contact with Imam Mahdi (aj) under special conditions, or that he sometimes, from behind the veil of occultation, has shown special guidance and attention toward a person, we still cannot have complete trust in any claim in this area. Because, beyond the possibility of lying and abuse, we usually face problems in such matters such as misinterpretations, errors in application, unwanted illusions, and other ambiguities that can distance us from the truth.
The Quran and Ahlul Bayt (as) have repeatedly warned about relying on conjecture and following guesswork, and have considered that the main factor in the deviation of most who have gone astray was trust in something other than knowledge and understanding. In the matter of Mahdism, we must also be careful not to be deceived by sacred names, titles, and appearances, and even from great personalities and people in whose good intention we trust, we should neither accept nor reject anything without evidence and documentation.
2. Claiming Representation
According to the belief of Twelver Shias, the current era is the period of occultation of Imam Mahdi (aj). In these conditions, benefiting from his existence is like using the light of the sun when it is hidden behind clouds; meaning that although we don’t see him and don’t have contact with him, the light of his existence shines upon our hearts and we receive spiritual blessings through this path.
But we must be mindful that in the period of occultation of the Imam of Time (aj), we are deprived of his direct guidance and have no right to attribute any opinion, whether in religious or social or non-religious matters, to him. Because no specific person or group has been designated as the representative or deputy of the Imam during the period of occultation, and essentially, the position and authority of the infallible Imam is not of such nature that a non-infallible person could take over his representation.
3. Applying Signs and Setting Times
Although in Shia hadith sources numerous traditions about the signs of the appearance of the Imam of Time (aj) are narrated, firstly, the manner of narration of none of these hadiths is such that it can be definitively attributed to religious leaders, and secondly, assuming such matters are correct, the possibility of error in determining examples is very high.
In addition to the frequent abuse that power currents have made in different periods of hadiths about the end times and signs of appearance, and whose examples can be found in written history, numerous errors have also been reported in this field from scholars and personalities in whose good intention we do not doubt and whose analyses we do not consider linked to political interests.
4. Passive Waiting
Another error that occurs in interpreting the concept of waiting for the savior is avoiding the fulfillment of one’s duties and responsibilities and postponing them to the future. Some believe that because we have been promised that all problems will be solved with the appearance of the Imam of Time (aj), until then there is no need for effort for personal progress or combating social anomalies, or that these efforts lead to no result, and thus they avoid what reason and logic puts on their shoulders.
This is while according to Islamic traditions, waiting for relief has been presented as “the best of deeds” which shows that real waiting is a kind of effort and action in the direction of getting closer to what we are eager to achieve, not inactivity and passivity. The true awaiter is one who strives for the reform of himself and society, does not remain silent in the face of oppression and injustice, and through learning and acquiring skills prepares himself to help the Imam of Time (aj); he, while hoping for a bright future, does not neglect his current duties and knows that preparing society for appearance requires continuous effort and struggle.
5. Promoting Superstitions
The existence of ambiguity and complexity in the matter of occultation and appearance of Imam Mahdi (aj) and the concealment of many of its secrets has created fertile ground for speculation and promotion of unfounded aspects in the field of Mahdism. This vulnerability includes many aspects such as the fabrication and narration of false and weak traditions, giving credibility to dreams and imagination, attributing false miracles and wonders to different people, belief in the effect of specific acts on hastening or delaying the appearance, and mixing non-Islamic beliefs with authentic teachings of Mahdism.
To deal with this problem, it is necessary that while referring to authentic and reliable Shia sources and benefiting from the opinions of religious scholars in understanding traditions, we refrain from unconditional acceptance of people’s claims and through strengthening critical thinking and limiting ourselves to what is clear and certain, prevent the spread of these superstitions in society.
In hope of the realization of the promise of prophets and divine saints and the appearance of humanity’s savior and establisher of peace, justice, and freedom.
In the hope of the fulfillment of the promises of the prophets and divine saints and the emergence of the savior of mankind and the establisher of peace, justice, and freedom.
اللهم عجل لوليك الفرج
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The above content was published on 20/3/2025 on Imam Ali (AS) Foundation Library