Table of Contents Intruduction

4. The all-encompassing and universal dimensions of religion in the era of globalization. Globalization is also dubbed as the age of return of religions. George Wiggle is of the opinion that today we are witness to the formation of a widespread movement of religious revival and one that is aimed at de-secularization of the world (see Heinz, 2002: 19). Thus, the 20^th century may be viewed as the last modern, secular century. It is quite likely that the 21^st century, at least from the point of view of the rationality of the enlightenment era, would come to be seen as the symbol of the post-secular world (Berri, 1993).

In fact, contemporary religious faith is erected upon the ruins of the secular nationalism of the Third World, the materialist capitalism of the developed world, and communism in Europe (Heinz, 2001: 64).

The most crucial aspect of the return of religions in today’s world may be said to be their power to provide meaning or their potential for theorization, a point brought up by Brown in his examination of the future condition of the world. Brown is of the opinion that the ability of a government in gaining ascendance in disputes with its rivals is contingent upon the dazzling power of the ideas that while brining together individuals of diverging orientations and communities together have the potential of compelling them to sacrifice their desires, personal security and even lives for the sake of defending the government. That who follows who as regards various issues is only determined through theorizing communities that have proliferated throughout the world and who, by transcending borders, have given birth to the most cohesive communities on the planet (Brown, 1995: 157; as quoted by Heinz, pp. 68 – 9). Owning to their universal teachings, religions have the potential for theorization and thus are considered as powerful players in the arena of globalization.
Conclusion

The above discussion was a brief account of the potentials of globalization, in all its connotations, for contributing to a deeper understanding of the Islamic idea of faraj. The most important aspect of globalization in this connection is its accentuation and clarification of the universal dimensions of the ideal Islamic government. Today, humanity has become convinced of the necessity for its members to live together in harmony. Though, there still exists little consensus with regard to the mode of this new way of life, a fact that gives rise to distinctions between the various interpretations of globalization and the universal government of Imam al-Mahdi, none the less, globalization has the potential of laying the groundwork for the ultimate establishment of such a government.

If at one time the realization of such a government was viewed as only possible through miraculous means, the man of the era of globalization is a de facto witness to such a process, which he may use to bolster his belief in the Islamic idea of faraj. Therefore, even if toady we reject the western version of globalization as an instrument of imposition of western culture and civilization on people of other orientations, through the means of advanced communication technologies such as satellites and the Internet, none the less, certain aspects of globalization may be used in the elaboration of the Islamic idea of faraj for contemporary man. Similar to many exact scientific points contained in religious texts, such as in the Holy Quran in connection with the intricate order and harmony of the universe, the reference in traditions and their predictions, some 1,400 years ago, regarding the conditions of the era of the appearance that bear an uncanny resemblance to the expansion of modern communication technologies may be viewed as further evidence for the truth of these religious beliefs, a fact that can further bolster our faith in faraj and encourage us to remind one another of the truth of the divine promise. May we live to see the coming of that auspicious day!
References

1. Immanuel Kant, “What is enlightenment?”, in Kant et al, What is Enlightenment?, Sirous Ariyanpour, Tehran: Agah, 1997, pp. 15 – 26.

2. Al-Bastuy, Abdul `Alim Abdul `Azim, Al-Mahdi al-muntazar fi du’ al-ahadith wa ’l-athar al-sahihah, Beirut: Dar Ibn al-Hazm, 1999, vol. 2.

3. Schulte, Ian, A Close Look at the Phenomenon of Globalization, trans., Mas`oud Karbasiyan, Tehran: Cultural and Scientific Publications Company, 2003.

4. `Ameli, Sa`eed Reza, “Globalizations: The Westernization and Islamization of the World, Aversion to Islam, and the Expanded Modernism”, in Sayyed Taha Marqati, The Universality of Islam and Globalization (A collection of articles, in Persian), Tehran: The World Association for the Proximity of Islamic Sects, 2003, vol. 2, pp. 204 – 225.

5. Tajeek, Mohammad Reza, “Globalization and Identity” (in Persian), in International and Political Strategies, # 3, Summer 2002.

6. Nash, Keith, Contemporary Political Sociology, trans., Mohammad Taqi Delforouz, Tehran: Kavir Publications, 2001.

7. Heinz, Jeff, Religion, Globalization and political Culture in the Third World, trans. Davoud Kiyani, Tehran: Center for Strategic Studies, 2002.

8. Castles, Manuel, The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture, trans., Hasan Chavoshiyan et al, Tehran: Tarh-e No, 2001, vol. 3.

9. Cassirer, Ernst, The Philosophy of Enlightenment, trans., Najaf Darya Bandari, Tehran: Khwarazmi Publications, 1993, chapters 4 & 5.

10. Ali Movahhediyan `Attar, “The Typology of the Idea of the Promised Mahdi in Islam” (in Persian), Haft Aseman Quarterly, # 12 – 13, p. 21.

11. Shari`atzadeh Khorasani, Mahmoud, The Universal Government of Hadrat Mahdi from the Viewpoint of the Quran and `Itrat (in Persian), Qom: Dar Al-Sadiqin Publications, 1997.

12. Majlisi, Muhammad Baqir, Bihar al-anwar, Beirut: Mu’asisah Al-Wafa’, 1411 AH.

13. Sadr, Sayyid Muhammad Baqir, Social Traditions and the Philosophy of History in the School of the Quran, trans. (and compilation), Hossein Manuchehri, Tehran: Raja’ Cultural Publication Center, 1990.

14. Mesbah Yazdi, Mohammad Taqi, Society and History in the Quran (in Persian), Tehran: Islamic Propagation Organization, 1989.

15. Qavam, Abdolali, Globalization and the Third World (in Persian), Tehran: The Office for Political and International Studies, 2003.

16. Frond, Julian, The Sociology of Max Weber, trans., Abdolhossein Nikgohar, Tehran: Rayzan Publications, 1989.

17. Davis, Tony, Humanism, Tehran: Markaz Publications, 1999, p. 171.

18. Durkheim, Emile, The Division of Labor in Society, New York: The Free Press, 1964.

19. Giddens, Anthony, Runaway World: How Globalization Is Shaping Our Lives, New York: Routledge, 2000.

20. Giddens, Anthony, The Consequences of Modernity, Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1990.

21. Rupert, Mark, Ideologies of Globalization, New York: Routledge, 2001.

22. Wallerstein, Immanuel, “Globalization or the Age of Transition?”, International Sociology, vol. 15, 2000, pp. 251 – 267.
The Universal Mission of Those Awaiting the Appearance of Imam al-Mahdi
Mohammad Mohammad-Rezai (Member of the academic faculty of Tehran University)
Abstract

Belief in the appearance of Imam al-Mahdi and his establishment of a just government throughout the world is among the fundamental principles of Islamic faith. Here, the important issues are the meaning of “awaiting” the coming of the Imam (faraj), the preconditions of his appearance, and the responsibilities of those awaiting his faraj. The position of the present article is that through their self-cultivation those awaiting the coming of the Imam can pave the ground for his appearance, since, based on the teachings of the Holy Quran, God does not effect a change in the life of any people unless they themselves act as agents of their transformation, or prepare themselves for a new condition. The realization of the universal, equitable government of Imam al-Mahdi is contingent upon the reception of men. The adherents of the Imam in the pre-appearance period will be agents of change through their self-cultivation and attainment of ethical virtues as well as by the establishment of a just government. Such actions will create a benchmark for others who will witness the example of a divine and equitable society based on morality and rectitude and who will recognize unjust systems for what they really are. Therefore, adherence to ethical values and calling upon others to fall in with such practice comprise the quintessence of the universal mission of the awaiters of Imam al-Mahdi.

Key terminology: universal mission, awaiters, awaiting the faraj of Imam al-Mahdi, reforms, justice, equitable government.
Belief in the appearance of Imam al-Mahdi is a fundamental tenet of Islamic faith. In the corpus of Islamic traditions (sing. hadith) there are numerous references to the idea that there will come a day when Imam al-Mahdi will rise in a world filled with injustice and will spread equity and justice throughout the world.

In the words of the Holy Prophet: “If there remains a single day in the life of the world God will appoint a man from among Ahl al-Bayt (the Holy Prophet’s household) to fill the earth with justice even as it is wracked with oppression and inequity” (Ahmad b. Hanbal, vol. 1, p.99; Sobhani: 1423 AH, p. 134).

In another hadith of the Holy Prophet, he notes: “Mahdi is among my children. His name is my name and his patronymic is my patronymic and in terms of temperament and conduct he bears the closest affinity to me from among all people.”

The Holy Prophet is also reported as saying that “the best of practices of my ummah is the awaiting of faraj” (Harani, 1984: 37).

There arise a number of questions in connection with the idea of faraj. What is the meaning of faraj and why is it considered as the best of practices? Is faraj imparted of a positive or negative connotation? If the prerequisite of the appearance of Imam al-Mahdi is the proliferation of injustice throughout the world, what then is the responsibility of Muslims? Will their reformist measures act as an impediment to the Imam’s rising? Will the appearance of the Imam take place abruptly or will it be contingent upon the realization of preliminary conditions?

Here, there appears to be a certain inconsistency. On the one hand, in our position as Muslims we are obligated to give reality to the religious teachings of the Holy Quran and to struggle toward the establishment of justice and, on the other hand, we must strive to lay the groundwork for the rising of Imam al-Mahdi, which is a world filled with injustice.

Is it not the case that the more we engage in the reforming of ourselves and our society the less oppression there will be and, therefore, the appearance of Imam al-Mahdi would be set back? Thus, if our efforts are focused toward the proliferation of oppression and injustice in the world, we have been derelict in terms of adherence to the teachings of the Holy Quran, and if we progress toward the realization of the objectives of these teachings, we will not have contributed to the proliferation of evil in the world.

In their attempts at coming to terms with these seemingly conflicting aspects, Islamic thinkers have produced a wide array of views.

Some have suggested that we should in fact assist the process of proliferation of oppression within human societies so as to hasten the coming of Imam al-Mahdi. This is the negative stance on faraj, i.e. we need to pin our hopes on the future and on the destruction of injustice by the hands of the Imam himself. This position appears to have been successful, since the world is indeed filled with inequity; though this particular stance disregards the direct proscriptions of the Holy Quran.

On the other hand, there are those who hold that it is our duty to actively engage in individual and collective reformist actions as a means of facilitating the appearance of Imam al-Mahdi. They reason that taking advantage of the sun’s light in the course of day does not imply that we should deprive ourselves of the illumination of a lamp at nighttime. Therefore, though it is true that real justice will prevail after the establishment of Imam al-Mahdi’s government, none the less, this does not imply that we should be deprived of just governance and individual perfection in the period of the absence of the Imam (occultation, Arabic ghaybah).

The present paper proposes to set forth a new solution aimed at reconciling the above contradiction. Both of the above theories are based on the assumption that the proliferation of injustice is an event that is to take place in the future, however, the position adopted in this paper is that such state of affairs exists today where the world is far from being governed within the framework of a divine system based on true justice and ethical virtues, a system that is surely incongruous with the ideals of Islam. But men are apathetic to this situation. Thus, any effort that would awaken their natures and instill them with awareness is one that will pave the way to the appearance of Imam al-Mahdi. In this paper, this position will be substantiated in a number of stages.

1. God has given man a nature laced with divinity. He has also inspired him with good as well as with evil. As noted in the Holy Quran: “So set your face steadily and truly to the religion, God’s handiwork upon which He originated the mankind. There is no changing God’s creation, that is the right religion, but most men know it not” (Rum (30): 30).

According to Imam Ali: “God has created hearts filled with kindness toward Him, and has inspired minds with His Knowledge.”

In another verse of the Holy Quran, it is said: “By the soul and that which shaped it, and inspired it to lewdness and godfearing” (Shams (91): 7 – 8).

2. God has sent prophets to awaken the treasures hidden in the natures and minds of humans and to remind them of a forgotten blessing and to convince them that the worship of the single God and obedience but to Him and striving toward good and steering clear of evil are innate to human nature. If man but pays scarce attention to himself, he will become able to traverse the path to perfection. In this connection, Imam Ali notes: “Therefore, God sent His emissaries among them and His prophets one after another so as to call upon them to do justice to the truth of their covenant of their nature (Arabic fitrah) and to remember the blessing (the innate belief in One God) that they have lost sight of and to remove all excuses by delivering to them God’s message and to open up to them the treasures of wisdom.”

In the Holy Quran, Prophet Muhammad is addressed thus: “Then remind them! You are the only reminder” (Ghashiyah (88): 21).

Therefore, the responsibility of the Holy Prophet of Islam and his followers is to be the reminders of the tawhidi (unitarian) nature of man as well as of the forgotten blessing, through reasoning and sound argumentation, so as to bring them out from darkness and lead them toward light and spiritual perfection.

3. In order to fulfill their divine mission, prophets are of sufficient capacity, i.e. they have reached psychological and spiritual perfection. One who takes on the task of leading the society must himself have acquired the necessary guidance. Only one who is of great comportment is capable of perfecting ethical virtues, since as noted by the poet: “How can the essence that has received no life from the Giver of Life be a giver of life.”

It is for this reason that the Holy Prophet is the ultimate role model: “You have had a good example in God’s messenger” (Ahzab (33): 21).

Imam al-Sadiq is reported as saying: “We are the source and foundation of all that is good, and every good is a branch stemming from our branch” (Kulayni, 2002: vol. 8, p. 242).

Therefore, the duty of the followers of the Holy Prophet is to set him up as their model and to realize that were they to take on the task of reforming the affairs of this world they should first begin by reforming themselves. In this connection, Imam Ali notes: “Whoever sets up himself as the imam and leader of the people, it is his duty to teach or reform himself before embarking on teaching others.”

4. For the realization of the universal government of Imam al-Mahdi, it is necessary that the people of the world have the required preparedness for such government. This preparedness will come about through a transformation in the minds and souls of men, which in turn calls for a great deal of prophet-like effort. Noah preached the religion of God for 950 years in order to awaken the divine nature of the men of his time.

The divine tradition is also such that precludes changes in men’s destinies taking place through the agency of miracles and in abrupt ways. Unless there comes about a transformation in the minds of men, there will be no change in their destiny. As in asserted by the Holy Quran: “God changes not what is in a people, until they change what is in themselves” (Ra`d (13): 11).

According to the philosophical rule that stipulates that “all created things and those with a beginning are posterior to matter and time”, the occurrence of any event calls for the laying of requisite groundwork within the context of time. Therefore, the people of the era of Imam al-Mahdi’s appearance must have the capacity for the acceptance of such a government; otherwise, such government will never come to pass.

The responsibility for the creation of such capacity rests on the shoulders of the awaiters of Imam al-Mahdi, who through self-cultivation and self-reform lay the groundwork for such acceptance. Of course, this calls for a great deal of prophet-like effort that, in turn, requires time. In this connection, Imam al-Sadiq notes: “Whosoever is glad to be in the ranks of the followers of Imam al-Mahdi must await and must strive after virtue and meritorious conduct” (Majlisi, 1984: vol. 52, p. 140).

One of the examples of such conduct is the adherence to divine commands in connection with the cultivation of the self as well as the improvement of one’s surroundings.

5. In order to gain an understanding of the idea of “the proliferation of injustice throughout the world” we aught to first focus on the meaning of the term “justice” so as to arrive at its opposite connotation. Now what does justice really imply? Imam Ali suggests the following definition for justice: “Justice is the assigning of affairs to their proper place.” Thus, by corollary, injustice, as the antonym of justice, implies a misallocation or misplacement.

Now that we have arrived at a clearer connotation of justice, we need to focus on the other key notion, i.e. proliferation or the world being filled with injustice. Is this “fullness” of a certain predetermined level? For instance, when we say a glass is full of water, this implies that there is no further capacity for adding additional water. Can we extend the same notion to our discussion and claim that by the world having been filled with injustice we imply that the people will have no more tolerance for oppression. This seems rather untenable, since it is always possible to assume a level of injustice higher than the status quo. Therefore, the notion of proliferation may be interpreted in a variety of ways. Whenever a certain extent of injustice materializes, it is still possible to imagine a higher level. Of course, there is disagreement as regards whether justice and oppression are accidental or are of the nature of secondary intelligibles, a question whose elaboration is beyond the scope of the present article. Here, another point that needs to be borne in mind is that the evilness of injustice and the goodness of justice are innate to human nature. God has created the nature of man in such a manner that he is able to discern goodness and evilness. However, he may falter in terms of deciding whether something per se is good or whether it is evil, just as in the time of the prophets, where in spite of the fact that God’s worship is built in the nature of man, people chose to worship other than God. Thus, the mission of the prophets was to convince them, through a variety of methods, that they have committed a mistake as regards discerning between the examples of good and evil.

Here, a close examination of the meaning of justice and the teachings of the Holy Quran has indicated that the world system, and its government, is not founded upon justice. The exploitation of Africa, the oppression inflicted upon the poor by the wealthy, the dire situation of the Palestinians, the trampling of the rights of the peoples of Iraq and Afghanistan, and the backing given to oppressors by international institutions, are all striking examples of the fact that injustice is a ubiquitous phenomenon even in our world today, i.e. the world “is” filled with injustice. Here, the amazing thing is that people are quite unaware of the nature of the state of affairs and consider their oppressive governments as righteous and just. Were there dormant natures to awaken, given that they are innately capable of recognizing evil, they would come to condemn the evil of such injustice and would turn their backs against it.

The message of this particular part of the article is that were people to pay heed to their natures and return to their true ground of being they would come to realize that the condition for the appearance of Imam al-Mahdi is already in place. Though it is possible to imagine a state of affairs worse than what already is, none the less, the current condition of the world is congenial to the appearance of the Imam. However, humanity is yet to realize this fact. The responsibility of the awaiters is to actualize the condition of the coming of Imam al-Mahdi by cultivating themselves and their environment.

6. The meaning of the awaiting of faraj becomes clear from the above discussion. The awaiting of faraj means to create the requisite groundwork for the appearance of Imam al-Mahdi, which is but to embark on an effort of self-cultivation and transformation of others, i.e. to continue the mission of the divine prophets. In other words, following the reform of their own selves, the awaiters are to engage in awakening the natures of others and to acquaint them with examples of injustice and governments in contravention of divine teachings. Once men come to see cases of injustice for what they really are, since the evilness of injustice is innate to their nature, they will judge them to be unjust. It is under such a circumstance that they will come to await the coming of the divine ruler, and thus is prepared the ground for the world government of Imam al-Mahdi. As a consequence, so long as there has not yet occurred a transformation in men’s perspectives the condition for the establishment of the government of Imam al-Mahdi will not be fulfilled. Our discussion has also made clear the reason why the awaiting of faraj is the best of practices, i.e. since the continuation of the mission of prophets is, first, of the nature of action and, second, there is nothing more meritorious than the action of prophets, since it comprises an element of self-cultivation as well as an element of effecting change in others.
Conclusion

The theory set forth in this paper is fully capable of reconciling the contradiction in connection with the rising of Imam al-Mahdi, while the two other theories fail to meet this objective. Here is a brief account of the problem. Given that the condition for the coming of Imam al-Mahdi is the all-out proliferation of injustice throughout the world, we are left with two options. We can either contribute to this proliferation, which would imply that we are going against the teachings of the Holy Quran, or we can adhere to these teachings, which would imply that we are thwarting the process of proliferation of injustice.

The solution proposed in the present article is that those awaiting the coming of the Imam must engage in self-cultivation as well as in changing others and awakening them to their true natures. Since the world, in reality, is not presently governed according to justice, divine precepts, or ethical virtues but men are unaware of this state of affairs, the awakening of humanity to their God-given natures constitutes the fundamental element of the move toward the realization of the government of Imam al-Mahdi. The effort at self- cultivation and effecting change in others consists of nothing but putting into practice the religious teachings of the Holy Quran. Transforming others is also made possible through self-cultivation and self-cultivation and the establishment of a just society together will lead to an awakening of the dormant natures of men. Through the example of divine, self-made individuals and a just society, men are better able to recognize their governments for what they really are. Therefore, there remains no contradiction, since adherence to the teachings of religion or, put differently, the continuation of the mission of prophets is in itself a laying of the ground for the rising of Imam al-Mahdi.