In a landmark publication for Islamic studies, the Islamic Revolution Publishing House has released a detailed exploration of one of the most profound and motivational beliefs in Shia Islam.
The book, titled “A Look at the Theory of Awaiting [the Savior] in the Thought of Ayatollah Khamenei,” serves as both an academic reference and a philosophical manifesto, unpacking the contemporary relevance of the belief in Imam Mahdi.
For a global audience, understanding this work requires a foundational knowledge of its central figure and theological context. Shia Islam holds that leadership of the Muslim community after Prophet Muhammad’s death rightly belonged to his divinely appointed successors, known as Imams. These Imams are seen as sinless, infallible guides in both spiritual and temporal matters.
The twelfth and final of these Imams is Imam Mahdi (whose title means “the rightly guided one”).
Born in 869 CE in Samarra, Iraq, Shia holds that he entered a state of “Minor Occultation” at the age of five, guiding the faithful through appointed representatives.
In 941 CE, this period transitioned into the “Major Occultation,” a state of complete concealment that continues to this day. Shia Muslims believe Imam Mahdi remains alive by God’s will, witnessing world events, and will reappear at a time decreed by God when the earth is filled with injustice and tyranny. His return will herald a global revolution, establishing a single, righteous world government of absolute peace, justice, and monotheism. This core belief system is known as “Mahdaviat.”
The emotional and spiritual engine of Mahdaviat is the concept of “Intizār-e Faraj”—“Awaiting the Relief.”
This is the dynamic, active state of living in hopeful anticipation of that promised era. It is this concept, far removed from passive waiting, that forms the subject of the new 8-chapter volume compiled by the Research and Education Department of the Islamic Revolution Cultural Institute.
The book meticulously organizes decades of statements by Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, constructing a coherent “theory of awaiting.” It posits that for Ayatollah Khamenei, Intizār is not a quietist, pie-in-the-sky hope but a sophisticated socio-political philosophy with direct implications for individual and collective action in the modern world.
The introduction of the book establishes justice as the non-negotiable core of Mahdaviat and argues that the Islamic Republic, founded by Imam Khomeini (RA), represents a tangible step in preparing the global conditions for the Savior’s advent.
Chapter one performs crucial conceptual work, dissecting the terms “Faraj” (relief from oppression) and “Intizār” (active, informed anticipation). It places this dual concept at the pinnacle of Shia religious obligations, framing it as the ultimate purpose of the faith.
Chapter two builds the rational foundation, citing five key proofs from Ayatollah Khamenei’s thought: the innate human yearning for justice (Fitrah), God’s irrevocable promise in scripture, the logical culmination of the mission of all prophets, the observable divine pattern where darkness precedes dawn, and the mass transmission of the belief across generations.
Chapter three outlines the two necessary conditions for the ultimate Relief: first, the global prevalence of corruption and injustice to its absolute peak, and second, the existence of a prepared vanguard of faithful, competent human forces ready to support the Imam’s mission.
Chapter four explores the psychological and social “functions” of awaiting. It is presented as the master key to understanding religion itself, a boundless source of hope that immunizes believers against despair in the face of superpowers, and the ultimate determinant of historical destiny, arguing that nations fueled by this divine hope are unstoppable.
Moving from theory to practice, Chapter five details the duties of the awaiters. This is the active core of the doctrine.
Duties are categorized into intellectual and theological effort to deeply understand the concept, spiritual and ethical self-purification to become worthy followers, social and political struggle to actively confront injustice and oppression, and practical preparation in all necessary scientific, military, and administrative fields to be ready for the future state.
Chapter six serves as a vital corrective, analyzing deviations and misunderstandings of Intizār. It warns against passive, fatalistic waiting; superstitious predictions of dates; and the misuse of the concept to justify political quietism or moral laxity. It critiques historical movements that have distorted the doctrine for personal or political gain.
The most politically significant analysis comes in chapter seven, which forges an explicit link between “Awaiting” and “Islamic Government.”
The chapter argues that establishing a just, virtuous Islamic governance in the age of occultation is the highest form of preparation.
It presents the Islamic Republic as a “practicum” or a “base of operations” that preserves the infrastructure of faith, trains cadres, and models resistance, thereby creating a societal prototype for the Mahdi’s global system.
Finally, chapter eight examines the historical confrontation of enemies with Mahdaviat. It analyzes how, from the Leader’s perspective, both foreign colonial powers and internal despotic regimes have historically sought to distort, suppress, or weaponize this belief, recognizing its power to mobilize and inspire revolutionary hope among the oppressed.
The book’s overarching thesis is that in Ayatollah Khamenei’s thoughts, hope and justice are the twin pillars of awaiting. The promise of Imam Mahdi generates an inexhaustible, revolutionary hope.
This hope, in turn, is not sentimental but operational, directly channeled into the active, lifelong struggle for justice. The belief, therefore, creates a powerful feedback loop: faith in a just future compels action for justice in the present, which itself constitutes the very preparation for that future.
Reported by Tohid Mahmoudpour
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