In The Name of Allah, The Most Beneficent, Most Merciful
After completing the sacred mission of his life, when our Imam Haz. Mahdi-e-Ma’ood (AHS) reached the age of 63 years, he (AHS) came to know that he would be leaving this world very soon. Hence the last Friday of his life, he offered Witr prayer after performing his Friday prayer. This action of Haz Mahdi (AHS) was in complete accordance with the conduct of Prophet Haz Muhammad (PBUH). Hence, knowing the significance of this event, the companions of Haz Mahdi (AHS) were stuck with grief.
After returning from the mosque Haz. Mahdi (AHS) developed fever. On Saturday he (AHS) explained verse no.3 of Surah Maida:
“Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed my favour upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” Then Haz. Mahdi (AHS) said: “I have conveyed to you whatever was commanded by Almighty Allah. My duty was to preach and practice and I did so. Now it is your responsibility to put my teachings into practice. If you fail to do so you will have to regret.” About his demise Haz. Mahdi (AHS) said: “It is just the transferring of place and death is a bridge through which a friend(mortal) meets another friend (the immortal One) i.e., Allah (SWT).” Haz Mahdi (AHS) further said to his companions: “Brothers, if anyone of you still has any doubt about my Mahdiyat, you can test my claim after placing me in the grave. If you find my body in the shroud, it means that I was not the promised Mahdi.”
Hearing all this, the companions became restless and very sad and Bandagi Miyan Shah-e-Nemat (RZ) began to weep. On this occasion Haz. Mahdi-e-Ma’ood (AHS) gave a very important message not only to the companions present there, but to all his followers that would come till the end. Haz. Mahdi (AHS) said: “Miyan Nemat it is not the time to cry as I am still with you and will be with you as long as you will follow me; live your lives according to the primary objective of your existence (to get the Irfan of Allah (SWT)) by practicing my teachings. But God forbid, if you become neglectful from the remembrance of Allah (SWT), if your hearts become empty from the desire of seeking Allah’s nearness and His vision, which are the fundamentals of my teachings. When worldly rich people begin to love you and incline towards you instead of troubling you, when you fall prey to luxurious worldly life, when you become victims to your own carnal desires, then think that I am no longer with you and that will be the time to weep. But I hope insha Allah Mahdi and Mahdavis will continue to exist till the Last.”
This message of Haz. Mahdi (AHS) is highly profound. Some very important points that emerge from this message are:
Haz. Mahdi (AHS) will be with his followers in every era i.e., his beneficence(faiz) and his blessings will be with us as long as we practice his teachings which are totally based on the Holy Quran and the following of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Perpetual remembrance of Allah (SWT) and desire for seeking Allah’s vision (Talab-e-Deedaar-e-Khuda) are the main objective of his teachings, which should be carried out sincerely by Mahdavis without fail.
The Quran says about the people who do not remember Him: “And whosoever turns away from the remembrance of the Most Beneficent (Allah), be appoint for him Satan (devil) to be his intimate companion.” (43:36)
Our Prophet (PBUH) has said that nothing can save people from the punishment of the
hereafter except the remembrance of Allah (SWT).
It is a must for every believer to nurture the desire of seeking Allah’s vision, because the Quran says: “Whoever is blind in this world, will be blind in the hereafter and more astray from the path(straight).” (17:72) It should be remembered that all faraiz-e-nabuwat and faraiz-e-vilayat are to be performed to nurture the desire of seeking Allah’s Vision alone.
3. Haz. Mahdi (AHS) warns us that he (AHS) will not be with us if we fail to put his teachings into practice, if we become materialistic, if we become fond of luxurious lives and slaves to worldly desires. Let us see what Quran says about the worldly life. It says: “Whosoever desires this worldly life and its glitter, We shall pay in full for their deeds in this life only, and they will have no diminution there in. They are those for whom there is nothing in the Hereafter but Fire, and vain are there deeds they did there in, and of no effect is that which they used to do.” (Surah Hud 15 & 16). In one of his sayings Haz. Mahdi (AHS) says: “I can keep thousand seekers of Allah in my company but not even a single person who desires this world.”
In a Naql-e-Mubarak it is said: “Tasdeeq-e-banda Amal ast.” It means that believing in Mahdi (AHS) is to practice; the oral declaration is not accepted. One of the most distinguished aspects of the teachings of Haz. Mahdi (AHS) is his emphasis on sincere practice, as he (AHS) said: “On the Day of Judgement Allah (SWT) will not ask whether you are the son of Ahmed or Muhammad, but He will ask about your deeds done with love and sincerity.” But it is very sad to say that we don’t give any importance to the sayings of Haz. Mahdi (AHS). We do not pay any attention to the warning mentioned above in point 3, though it is too serious. We do not know the value of just a glance of Haz. Mahdi (AHS), which is set to be better than the accepted worship of thousand years. If we want to be blessed with this glance of Haz. Mahdi (AHS), the last sentence of this message, “Insha’Allah Mahdi and Mahdavis will continue to exist till the Last” is a ray of hope, in the light of which, we once again find our way to the straight path by taking challenging measures to improve our selves. May Allah (SWT) help us, Ameen.