A criticism on the famous viewpoint of rajfah in Fitnat al-Shām (trial of Damascus) prior to Imam Mahadi's reappearance

The main problem of this study is explaining and analyzing rajfat al-Shām prior to Imam Mahdi's reappearance. In the scene of the developments of fintnat al-Shām prior to Imam Mahdi's reappearance the two terms of rajfah and khasf have been explained as the key and crucial signs among the incidents prior to the domination of Sufyānī over Damascus (Syria) (the first definite sign of reappearance). Although there is a complete agreement about the meaning and instance of khasf, that is, it has been defined as being sunk into the ground in the region of Harasta or Jabiyah in [the suburbs of] Damascus, however, there exists a big diversity of opinions about the meaning and instance of rajfat al-Shām and the issue is still ambiguous. The high importance of rajfat al-Shām as the "First'" incident leading to Sufyani's domination backed by the westerners over Damascus (Syria) prior to the Mahdi's reappearance, has become a matter of controversy and caused academic dialogue among the experts and scholars of Mahdiism. In this article three interpretations for meaning of rajfat al-Shām are given: 1) a terrestrial incident (earthquake), 2) a celestial incident (attack with atomic fatal weapon causing more than hundred thousand people perish), 3) war in the territory of Sham (Syria). Taking into account the lexicons, cognate hadiths belonging to the same family, and other indications, the third interpretation was approved. Therefore, occurrence of a high scale enormous earthquake (the first probability), also attack with unconventional fatal atomic weapons (the second probability) prior to the reappearance in the Sham region causing the immediate killing of hundred thousand people are negated. So rajfat al-Shām means the war between two hostile military fronts that will result in numerous killing of humans within fitnat al-Shām. In this article – compiled in descriptive-analytical method - documentary and library-oriented sources have been used.