Name: Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Askari, the eschatological saviour in Twelver Islam.

Titles: al-Mahdi ( lit. ‘the rightly guided’), al-Qa’im ( lit. ‘he who will rise’), al-Montazar ( lit. ‘the awaited’), Saheb al-Zaman ( lit. ‘lord of the age’), al-Ghaib.

Kunya: Abu Saleh

Father: Imam Hasan al-Askari (AS)

Mother: Narjis

Born: 869 AD/255 AH, Samarra, Iraq

Minor Occultation begins: 874–941 CE, 260-329 AH

Age at time of Occultation: 5

We live in turbulent times.  Natural disasters are claiming lives all over the world, our government’s are corrupt and self-serving, families are breaking down, even our children are no longer safe in time-tested institutions like schools and places of learning. 

Is there no one to save us from ourselves? Where is the light at the end of tunnel, where is that ray of sunshine to shine a light on these dark days that have enveloped humanity? 

Do not lose hope; there is a saviour among us who is witness to everything that is going on, and he understands our pain and anguish.  He is also in pain and anguish because so many people in the world are suffering, including the poor and innocent. 

This saviour of humanity is none other than Imam Mahdi (AS). A beacon of hope in a world gone dark, we patiently await his for his reappearance.  Our beloved Prophet (SAW) stated, 

The Mahdi will be from my lineage, and will have a broad forehead a prominent nose. He will fill the earth will equity and justice as it was filled with oppression and tyranny, and he will rule for seven years.

And the earth has become filled with oppression and tyranny, and the armies of Jahal (ignorance) seem to be permeating all spheres of life, so much so, that things that were once sacrosanct like marriage between a man and woman, family life, community, helping the poor and needy, and looking after orphans, is crumbling before our very eyes. Ya Mahdi!

But why isn’t here now filling the earth with equity and justice?  Did he have to go into occultation, why couldn’t he live somewhere in the world where people could have access to him, whilst righting all wrongs?

First and foremost, the Imam of our Age has an important mission to fulfil upon his reappearance.  His duty is to establish an international Islamic government, based upon the teachings of his fathers, the Imams, and of course, the Prophet (SAW). When he does reappear, he will only rule for 7 years.  What does this mean for us, for you and I? It means we have to prepare the ground for his return.  This means we have to be mentally and physically prepared to receive him, so that he can fill the earth with equity and justice, and deliver the oppressed and down-trodden to freedom and prosperity. 

All is not lost, and there are benefits of the Imam’s occultation. Sulayman has said, “I told Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.), ‘How do the people benefit from the absent Imam?’ Imam (a.s.) answered, ‘Just as they benefit from the sun behind the clouds.’ Science has proven that the sun’s gravity prevents the earth from collapsing, and that its rotation around the sun causes day and night, and different seasons.  This benefits all of humanity, as the sun’s heat gives and maintains life for human, animals and plants, so does the Imam with his divine presence. His occultation also gives us time to prepare for his return, and to establish his office in Kufa, ready for him to take his place as the leader of humanity. 

One way in which many people prepare for his return, is by visiting the city of his birth, the city of Samarra, Iraq, on their Ziyarah trips.  Many tour operators, including Twelver Tours, include a trip to Samarra as part of their Ziyarah package.  It is a unique city, home to our tenth and eleventh Imams, Imam Taqi and Imam Askari, respectively, and where the Imam of our Age went into occultation. The Shia believe that he hid himself in a cave below a mosque in Samarra to escape persecution at the hands of the Abbasid empire; and that this cave is blocked by a gate that the Shia call “Bab-al Ghayba,” or the “Gate of Occultation.” This is one of the most sacred sites in Shi’a Islam, and the faithful gather here to pray for the return of the twelfth imam. 

If you would like to be a part of the faithful who gather at this most sacred site to pray for the return of The Mahdi, then please register your interest in our Muharram trip, on this website.  A customer service agent will be in touch with you to take further details, and you can book your spot on our upcoming Muharram Ziyarah trip.  Our package is comprehensive, superb, and every aspect of your Ziyarah trip will be taken care of.  This means you don’t have to worry about a thing, except enjoying your time strengthening your relationship with all of the Imams. 

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