• Statements
• 13 Sha’ban 1424

Imam Ali (A.S) Foundation statement on the anniversary of the birth of Imam Al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance)

In The Name of The Almighty

The Office of Grand Ayatullah Sayyid Seestani (long may he live)

Allah has promised those of you who believe and do good that He will most certainly make them rulers in the earth as He made rulers those before them, and that He will most certainly establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them, and that He will most certainly, after their fear, give them security in exchange. They shall serve Me, not associating aught with Me and whoever is ungrateful after is, these it is who are the transgressors. 24:55

Imam Ali (a.s.) Foundation in London presents its warmest wishes and felicitations on the anniversary of the birth of Imam Al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance), whose radiance filled the whole world during such days as these.
The best way that Believers can express their gratitude to their Creator (swt) for this great blessing, is to constantly thrive to avoid His wrath and aspire for His gratification, maintaining sincerity in their deeds and intentions and knowing Allah is aware of all their actions - cultivating ourselves, our families and our community; spiritually, educationally and ideologically to follow and adhere to the path of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) for they are the undivided and true path of Allah. Our piety should be such that it prevents us from disobedience and strengthens our submission [to Allah] because piety is the elixir of our hearts and the glow in our souls and our vision, the cure for our illnesses and our degeneration.

It is appropriate for one who one whose has piety as a medicine for the heart to merit to be loyal to Imam Al-Mahdi (aj), follow in his path and prepare for his reappearance particularly these days when corruption and evil acts are apparent. People have distant themselves form being obedient to The Most Merciful, following their whims by following Shaitan. Oppression, dishonesty, unreliability, betrayal, disobedience towards parents, breaking links with family and relatives and unkindness towards neighbours have all become the banner of our times.

Our responsibility these days is therefore profound. It is incumbent upon us whilst we live the birth anniversary of The Awaited Imam Al-Mahdi (aj) to illustrate his issue as follows:

- To present a discerning and well-researched illustration that covers all the various dimensions of the concept of Imam Al-Mahdi (aj), bearing in mind the plethora of the devastating currents that impede purity of the mind – not to mention filling it with deviant and destructive ideas -because a constructive illustration will lead the Ummah to discover the magnificence of true Islam, the vastness of its horizons, its depth and rationality.

- To reinforce the concept of Imam Al-Mahdi (aj) ideologically such that it would be directly and entirely linked to the human consciousness – for this will lead the human being to reach the station of “Yaqeen” [certainty] about the whole issue and thus reach one of Eman’s ultimate stations – for this is the station of having Eman in the unseen and Eman in the unseen necessitates complete trust in Allah’s victory in the darkest and most adverse circumstances experienced by the Ummah these days.

- Believing in the concept of Imam Al-Mahdi (aj) will deepen our love and devotion to Ahlul Bayt (a.s) who are the life-rafts to safety, the righteous path and guides to Allah. It is through them [Ahlul Bayt (a.s)] that we distinguish the path of truth and drink from the fountain of Knowledge of the Book. It has been repeatedly narrated in Hadith books of both faiths that: “Whoever dies without knowing his Imam-e-Zaman, dies a Jaheliyyah’s death”.Therefore to believe in Imam Al-Mahdi (aj) is an innermost and sound Islamic belief.

- Preparation for the reappearance of Imam Al-Mahdi (aj) should not only be confined to propagation by our Ullema as such, it should go beyond that to become part of a Muslim’s life and a need to look forward to unwearyingly. On an intellectual level, this issue can be best fathomed by linking it directly to our daily lives. The same applies on an emotional level when the issue of Imam Al-Mahdi (aj) becomes the bright sparkle in the Believer’s inner self. A Muslim person will have therefore practiced the required Islamic obligation in preparation for the reappearance of Imam Al-Mahdi (aj). The role of the Ullema [Foqaha] during the occultation period is that of deputyship [for the Imam (aj)] bearing a great responsibility for arranging and preparing a solid base in order to welcome the Imam – may Allah hasten his reappearance.

“ O Allah we desire from You in [his] glorious land to endear Islam and its followers and to belittle discord and its followers and to include us among those who call [people] for Your obedience and lead them to Your path and to grant us, through this, the dignity of this life and the hereafter”.

Wassalamu alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatoh
Imam Ali (a.s.) Foundation
13 Sha’ban 1424