Preparation for the advent

Preparation for the advent
Waiting for the advent of Hazrat Mahdi (a.s.) is considered to be the cause of the opening and establishment of peace and justice in the whole world. In the hadiths of the infallibles, waiting for the advent is considered the best and most beloved act and a condition for accepting other acts. Waiting for the advent is considered to consist of three elements: not being satisfied with the current situation, hoping to achieve the desired situation, and attempt to achieve it. According to Islamic teachings, the exact time of the reappearance of the Imam zaman (a.s.) lies in divine knowledge and no one can know it accurately. What is important for us is to maintain a spiritual and emotional connection with the Imam zaman (a.s.) and to be constantly prepared for his reappearance. These words mean that every Muslim should prepare himself with concentration and seriousness for the realization of this great event and avoid negligence and laziness. One of the main characteristics of a true awaited person is to have a deep understanding and knowledge of the Imam Zaman (a.s.), which goes beyond simply learning his names, titles, date of birth and occultation. In particular, one should pay attention to the characteristics and existential dimensions of the Imam Zaman(a.s.) and reflect on his words and commands. Deep knowledge means examining the wisdom of the names and signs, the signs of the appearance and the wonders of the birth and life of the Imam, and also knowing the reason and wisdom of the occultation of the Imam, which mainly has many mysteries, is an important part of this knowledge. One of the effective ways to increase our knowledge of the Imam Zaman (a.s.) is to refer to reliable sources and benefit from the experiences and teachings of the elders, which can include specialized books and reliable articles. One of the important and reliable sources in this field is the book "Makiyal al-Makarim" written by the late Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Taqi Mousavi Isfahani. This book, which the author says was written by order of the Imam Zaman (a.s.), is known as a complete course in the field of knowing the Imam zaman, and its Persian translation is also available.
Waiting in the term “Mahdaviyat” means looking forward to the appearance of the last divine reserve and preparing to help him in establishing a government of justice and equity throughout the universe. Some great scholars, benefiting from the words of the infallible leaders (peace be upon them), have defined waiting as follows: It is a spiritual quality that causes people to be prepared for what they are waiting for, and its opposite is despair and hopelessness. The greater the waiting and the brighter and more brilliant its flame, the greater will be its mobility and dynamism, and as a result, the greater will be the readiness. Imam Khomeini considers the expectation of the end as the expectation of the power of Islam and the effort to realize this power in the world. He presents two interpretations of the expectation of the end, one correct and constructive and the other incorrect and false. Regarding the true expectation and the true waiters and their difference from the false claimants of this school, the Imam refers to people who have each suffered from a kind of misunderstanding and deviation from Shiite and Islamic teachings and goals. In Imam Khomeini’s thought, the interpretation of the expectation is in a way that is consistent with the spirit and truth of Islam; because the expectation of the end, which is a religious and religious teaching, must be presented in a way that creates a spirit of movement and dynamism towards spiritual development, the revival of Islamic teachings and the dissemination of religious truths among human beings and leads people towards a life with spirituality. The Imam has strongly criticized and condemned any understanding of the concept of expectation that leads to deception of people.

Translator: Faeghe Ebrahimpour