The momentous and singular aspects of his birth greatly resembled those under which the Prophet Moses (AS) was born. The birth of Hazrat Moses (AS) had signaled the downfall and extinction of the empire of Pharaoh, who had ordered the slaying of all the newly born children of Bani-Israel. The Abbasid kings were similarly apprehensive of the continuous traditions of the Prophet (S) about the birth of Imam Mehdi (AS), who was to bring about a curse to their (Abbasid) very empire. They were, therefore, laying in ambush to discover the birth of the Imam and to put an end to his life. But the event of the Imam's birth was enveloped and shielded by the same divine protection and miraculous phenomena which had marked the historical birth of Hazrat Moses (AS). His birth remained strictly confidential and his nursery shrouded in secrecy except to a few devotees.
The Imam's birth had coincided with the reign of al-Mutamed, the well-known Abbasid caliph. He, being aware of the prophecy of the twelfth Imam's birth occurring in his reign, was extremely worried and anxious to trace him out.
But on the death of Imam Hassan Askari (AS), when he was informed about the Imam's funeral prayer having been conducted by his five-year-old son, his perplexity knew no bounds.
It struck his mind that this very boy must be the Imam, but he managed to hide his inner concern at the news of the existence of the young Imam. In order to get confirmation that the young Imam did in fact exist, he ordered the arrest of the Imam's mother, Nargis Khatun.
Miscellaneous Information on Imam Mahdi (AS)
In a tradition upon whose authenticity all Muslims agree, the Prophet Mohammad (S) has said:
"Even if the entire duration of the world's existence has already been exhausted and only one day is left before Doomsday (Judgment Day), Allah will expand that day to such a length of time, as to accommodate the kingdom of a person out of my Ahl-ul-Bait who will be called by my name. He will then fill the earth with peace and justice as it will have been full of injustice and tyranny before then."
The context of the above precious tradition informs us that the golden divine promises will be fulfilled, sooner or later, one way or another, as mentioned in most of the Shia and Sunni sources.
In another tradition, Prophet Mohammad (S) said to Imam Ali (AS):
"There will be twelve Imams after me, the first of whom is you, O' Ali, and the last one will be the 'Support' (al-Qa'im), who with the grace of Allah, will gain victory over the whole east and west of the world."
The occultation of the twelfth Imam is divided into two parts: the first, the minor occultation (ghaybat-e sughra) which began in 874 C.E. and ended in 939, lasting about seventy years. During that period, people were in contact with him through four special deputies. That period served to prepare the people for the absence of the Imam.
The major occultation commenced in 939 C.E. and will continue as long as God wills it. There is no special deputy in direct contact with him in this period, and Muslim scholars are regular deputies of him at this time without having the ability to see him.
Imam Mahdi (AS) said:
"Rest assured that no one has a special relationship with Allah. Whoever denies me is not from my (community). The appearance of the Relief (Faraj) depends solely upon Allah. Therefore those who propose a certain time for it are liars. As to the benefit of my existence in occultation, it is like the benefit of the sun behind the clouds where the eyes do not see it. Indeed, my existence is an amnesty for inhabitants of the earth. Pray much to Allah to hasten the Relief, for therein also lies the release from your sufferings."
How can a five-year-old boy become an Imam for the people? And why attribute all this importance to him?
First, we must question whether or not in the history of religion, the phenomenon of young leaders has a parallel. Undoubtedly, there is. The Qur’an strikes two examples which are worthy of mention:
We have the example of Jesus (AS) who became a prophet and spoke to people when he was a baby in the cradle:
“But she pointed to him. They said: ‘How should we speak to one who is a child in the cradle?’ He said: ‘Surely I am a servant of Allah; He has given me the Book and made me a prophet; and He has made me blessed wherever I may be, and He has enjoined on me Prayer and the poor-rate (zakat) so long as I live.’” (Qur’an 19:29-31)
Thus Jesus (AS) became a prophet and received revelation and a book while he was less than two years old!
Furthermore, a few verses before, the Qur’an mentions the case of Prophet Yahya (AS), that is John the Baptist, to whom Allah said:
“O Yahya! Take hold of the Book with strength, and We gave granted him wisdom while yet a child." (Qur’an 19:12)
So if a two-year-old boy can become a prophet and receive revelation, then why can not a five-year-old boy become an Imam?
Have you ever heard of prodigies? They are kids between the ages of four to 18 that exhibit signs of exceptional skills that are usually found in highly qualified adults only. Here are some examples from history:
"John Stuart Mill (1806-73), a 19th-century English philosopher and economist, advocated utilitarian reforms in his many writings and as a member of Parliament. A child prodigy, Mill had mastered Greek by the age of 7 and studied economics at the age of 13. His works express his social thought with great clarity and thoroughness. (The Bettmann Archive)"
"The French thinker, mathematician, and scientist Blaise Pascal, b. June 19, 1623, d. Aug. 19, 1662, has been credited not only with imaginative and subtle work in geometry and other branches of mathematics, but with profoundly influencing later generations of theologians and philosophers. A prodigy in mathematics, Pascal had mastered Euclid's Elements by the age of 12. Pascal invented and sold the first calculating machine (1645)."
"Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was the greatest musical child prodigy who ever lived. He began composing minuets at the age of 5 and symphonies at 9."
"Beethoven's own talent was such that at the age of 12 he was already an assistant to the organist Christian Gottlob Neefe, with whom he studied."
"Sarah Caldwell, born in Maryville, Mo., Mar. 6, 1924, was a conductor and producer. She was a child prodigy in both mathematics and music, before reaching the age of ten."
While not exhaustive, this list serves the purpose of demonstrating that this phenomenon occurs naturally among normal human beings from all walks of life. So, scientifically speaking, it is quite possible that a child demonstrates abilities that adults can not. Also, religiously speaking anything Allah desires will happen no matter how strange. Indeed Allah asserts unequivocally in the Qur’an that if He wanted something, all He has to do is to say to it: "Be! and it will be!".
Everybody is mortal. How can he live so long?
Yes, in fact Imam Mahdi (AS) will die, too. But the difference is the length of life in this world. In fact the Qur’an and the prophetic traditions tell us that some people have had/are having long lives in this world. So it is possible to see these phenomena again.
Are you aware that according to the Qur’an (see 29:14), Prophet Noah (AS) lived at least for 950 years?
Do you agree that Prophet Jesus (AS) is still alive? He is in fact over 2000 years old now. Of course, he is not living on Earth right now; he is living in the heavens. But according to Muslim's belief, he will come back to Earth, and will pray behind Imam Mahdi (AS).
Do you agree that Khidr (AS) is still alive? The Qur’an mentions his story with Moses (AS). He existed before the birth of the Prophet Moses (AS), so Khidr (AS) is now more than 3000 years old. He lives right here on this earth, but we can not recognize him (fairly similar to the case of Imam Mahdi). He serves Allah as one of His agents.
No doubt Allah has the ability to grant a person a very long life, but He also has assigned a death time for everybody (including the abovementioned individuals), which can be very soon or later.
Moreover, scientifically speaking, there are no objections whatsoever to the extended life span assertion. A group of scientists conducted a series of experiments at the Rockefeller Institute in New York in 1912 on certain "parts" of plants, animals, and humans. These scientists included Dr. Alex Carl, Dr. Jack Lope, and Dr. Warren Lewis and his wife, among others. Among the experiments conducted was one that directly treated the nerves, muscles, hearts, skin, and kidneys of human beings. These organs were not in a human body, they were independent organs that were perhaps donated for the experiment. It was concluded by the scientists that these "parts or organs" can continue to live almost indefinitely as long as they are nourished properly, and as long as they are shielded from external negative interactions like microbes and other obstacles that might inhibit the growth of these organs; furthermore, the assertion was made that the cells would continue to grow normally under the above conditions, and that the growth is directly related to the nourishment provided. Again, aging had no effect on these organs, and they grew every year without any signs of deterioration or aging. The scientists concluded that these organs will continue to grow as long as the patience of the scientists themselves is not exhausted, causing them to abandon the nourishment process.
Where is Mahdi (AS) right now?
Imam Mahdi (AS) disappeared in 874 C.E. when he became Imam. The last time that he was seen was in the cellar of his father's house in Samarra, Iraq.
He can be anywhere Allah wishes. However, one thing is clear is that he lives on the earth among people while people around him do not perceive him.
With regards to the occultation of Imam Mahdi (AS), the Holy Qur’an does not rule out such an occurrence at all. Again, the examples of Jesus (AS) and Khidr (AS), who are both in occultation, are worthy of mention.
What about his mother? Provided that the Shia are right in their assertion that Imam Mahdi's (AS) mother was a slave or bondswoman, isn't it shameful that he should be born to a slave girl?
The answer would be in the form of the following questions: Wasn't Hagar (AS), the Prophet Abraham's (AS) wife, a bondswoman? Did she not bear Ishmael (AS), whom the Prophet Mohammad (S) is a direct descendant of? If it is acceptable for the Prophet Mohammad (S), the Seal of Prophethood, to be a descendant of Ishmael (AS) who was born to a bondswoman, then why not Imam Mahdi (AS)?
The birth of Imam Mahdi (AS) was an event surrounded with secrecy, because the authorities (the Abbasids) knew that Imam Mahdi (AS), who is to bring about a revolution, was going to be the son of Imam Hassan Askari (AS), and were awaiting his coming, to capture him for execution. Owing to that, Imam Hassan Askari (AS), Imam Mahdi's (AS) father, could not behave conspicuously by revealing who the mother of Imam Mahdi (AS) was. Imam Mahdi's (AS) mother was Nargis (SA) and was a Roman slave who married Imam Hassan Askari (AS). Notwithstanding, what has created the confusion among the critics of the Shia is the fact that Imam Hassan Askari (AS) did not refer to her (AS) by one name. A variety of names were used in an effort to fool the authorities, and to prevent them from recognizing who she was. That was part and parcel of the plan to protect Imam Mahdi (AS). Had the father been slightly negligent in protecting his son, it is clear that Imam Mahdi (AS) would not have survived. The story of the birth of Imam Mahdi (AS) is like that of Moses (AS). All the women were being regularly inspected by female specialists of Abbasids to find out if any were pregnant. Imam Mahdi's mother did not have any sign of pregnancy to the last hours, similar to Moses' (AS) mother. But there should be no doubt that what Allah wishes will certainly take place.
Given these adverse conditions and hardships, the birth of Imam Mahdi (AS) was kept in utmost secrecy, such that even the closest people to Imam Hassan Askari (AS), the father of Imam Mahdi (AS), did not know of the time of his birth. Only very few close associates were notified. The obvious contention is that the birth of Imam Mahdi (AS) constituted a direct threat to the continuation of the rule of the corrupt government. This situation is best understood by referring back to the early days of Islam when the Prophet Mohammad (S) preached the religion in utmost secrecy among a few loyal followers. The Prophet (S) feared for the lives of these believers, and, as such, forbade them from revealing any information that might have jeopardized the entire mission.
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