The Great Concealment is a fundamental term of the Shiite trend of Islam . Means the period of the life of the last, twelfth Imam Mahdi, in the presence of which the Shiites are double believers in the world, since 941 A.D. e. Until now. The great concealment was preceded by a small one , which lasted from 874 to 941.
Content
Concept
Muhammad ibn al-Hassan al-Mahdi is recognized by the Shiites as the last of the twelve imams, who, unlike the first eleven, did not die, but hides and appears at the end of time.
Background
Kaysanites for the first time in the history of Islam introduced the concept of concealment in religious life.
Reasons for Concealment
Sharif al-Murtaza asserted that the twelfth imam at the beginning of concealment was hiding only from enemies and only with an increase in danger to his life began to avoid supporters [1] . At the same time, there are many stories that he “manifested himself” in front of certain persons, “opening up” to them [2] . When Jabir ibn Abdullah asked Muhammad about the benefits of the hidden imam, the prophet replied that people receive from him the same benefits as from the sun when it is hidden behind the clouds [3] .
An opinion is expressed about concealment by order of God in order to save life in danger [4] . The following reasons are also mentioned: in the conditions of concealment, believers receive a reward for adherence to the imam, who is hidden from them, and he himself gets the opportunity not to take the oath to cruel rulers [5] .
The following reasons are mentioned in the Shiite tradition: the security of the imam, independence from the current authorities, the trial of believers and a secret reason that will remain so until the end of time [6] [7] . According to the hadith , the real reason will be revealed when the imam returns [5] .
Criticism
With the beginning of the Concealment, the role of the imam as head of the community remained vacant. At first, this did not matter much, since the Shiites at that time did not have political power. However, with the advent of Shiite states, this circumstance began to play a role, since if an imam exists, he should govern Shiites [8] . This situation caused and causes friction between the authorities and believers [8] .
Concealment Doctrine before concealment
Islamic scholars believe that the idea of a hidden imam was already well known by the 10th century and did not represent something new or unprecedented before. Previously, they applied to other Islamic religious figures. During the crisis of inheritance related to the circumstances of the life of the childless (at least, according to his opponents) eleventh imam, these ideas matured and a concept of great concealment was formed. It could be supplemented by the ideas of the early Shiites that Mahdi would come as a reformer and patron of the house (family) of Muhammad [a] .
Physical Existence
Shiites believe that the twelfth imam lives in the physical body. As one of the arguments in favor of the possibility of this, they use references to the unusually (by human standards) long life of some biblical prophets.
Shiite Separation During Concealment
Signs of Appearance
There are both accepted in the Shiite tradition, and common signs for the Sunnis and Shiites (signs, signs), which, according to believers, will precede or accompany the Mahdi phenomenon.
Shiite signs
- Appearance of Sufyani , tyrant and enemy of Mahdi
- The rise of the Yamani .
- Voice from the sky.
- "Swallowing" the land of the army of Sufyani in a place between the cities of Mecca and Medina [6] [10] .
Signs common to Sunnis and Shiites
Sunni view
Shiites and Sunnis have different views on the personality of the Mahdi. Sunnis do not recognize as such the son of Hassan al-Askari , and therefore do not believe in his concealment [11] . However, they believe that Mahdi will come from the family of Muhammad [12] . Sunnis believe that Mahdi has not yet been born, and his personality is known for certain to Allah alone [11] .
See also
- Gaybat
- Fourteen immaculate
Explanation
- ↑ see Majlesi, LI, pp. 49-54, and Arjomand 1998, p. 252, for further references. [9]
Notes
- ↑ Kohlberg, Etan. From Imāmiyya to Ithnā-'ashariyya (neopr.) // Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. - University of London, 1976. - T. 39 , No. 3 . - S. 521, 528 . - DOI : 10.1017 / s0041977x00050989 .
- ↑ Momen, 1985 , p. 199
- ↑ Sachedina, 1981 , p. 105
- ↑ Sachedina, 1981 , p. 23
- ↑ 1 2 Sachedina, 1981 , p. 104
- ↑ 1 2 Islam in Iran vii. The Concept of Mahdi in Twelver Shi'ism Neopr (2012).
- ↑ Amir-Moezzi, 1994 , pp. 113–114
- ↑ 1 2 Momen, 1985 , pp. 161–170
- ↑ Ḡayba unopened . Encyclopædia Iranica .
- ↑ Amir-Moezzi, 1994 , p. 118
- ↑ 1 2 Islam in Iran vi. The Concept of Mahdi in Sunni Islam . Encyclopedia Iranica . Date accessed August 26, 2015.
- ↑ al-Mahdi
Literature
- Sachedina, Abdulaziz Abdulhussein. Islamic Messianism: The Idea of Mahdī in Twelver Shīʻism. - Suny press, 1981. - ISBN 9780873954426 .
- Qazvini, Muhammad Kazim. Imam Mahdi from Veladat ta Zohur. - Qom: al-Hadi, 2009 .-- ISBN 9789644000126 .
- Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi. The Divine Guide in Early Shi'ism: The Sources of Esotericism in Islam. - SUNY Press, 1994 .-- ISBN 9780791421222 .
- Momen, Moojan. An Introduction to Shi'i Islam. - Yale University Press, 1985. - ISBN 978-0-300-03531-5 .