Analytical examination of sighting Imam Mahdi during the Occultation, with emphasizing on the Hadith related to the Imam’s presence in Hajj

To visit Imam Mahdi (pbuh) during the Major Occultation is one of the long-standing wishes of those waiting for the appearance of the Imam of the age. The Hadith “The people miss their Imam, but he attends the season [of Ḥajj] and sees them, though they do not see him.”2 refers to the possibility of visiting the Imam every year, during the Major Occultation, in Hajj; the issue that researchers are not indifferent to, and they are faced with the question that if it is proven the possibility of visiting the Imam in the age of Occultation, how will the meeting of people with the Imam be in terms of the mutual recognition. It seems that the yearly presence of the Imam in the Hajj ceremony is one of the characteristics of the Major Occultation period, and the content of this Hadith with the help of similar Islamic narrations proves the possibility of seeing Imam Mahdi during Major Occultation. By examining the contents of this Hadith and with the help of the narrations of the same family, the purpose is to achieve this goal that it is possible for those who are waiting to see their Imam during his disappearance, especially during the Hajj. Although the people may not recognize him when they meet; except a few special close companions and believers who have the chance to meet the Imam with a proper knowledge. This paper seeks to achieve such a goal through a descriptive-analytical method. Proving the possibility of visitation of the Imam by people during the Major Occultation will be one of the results of this article