پژوهشنامه موعود
پیاپی 6 (پاییز و زمستان 1400)

One of the issues that have been subject to changes and developments throughout the history of Islam is to determin the scope of duties and responsibilities of religious scholars, especially with the beginning of the disappearance of the twelfth Imam. With the passage of time and changing circumstances, Shi'a scholars, over time and under changing circumstances while maintaining their religious and jurisprudential responsibilities, have entered the political and social arena. And in the last phase of its development, the theory of “the Guardianship of Islamic Scholars” and the rule of jurists was proposed by some great scholars, including Sheikh al-Mufid, Mullah Ahmad Narāghi, and Imam Khomeini. Observing this change and developments in the area of responsibility of religious scholars, as well as observing the effectiveness of Imam Khomeini's model of governance as an objective example of the leadership of jurists, has led Orientalists to critique and examine this issue, especially after the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran. The present article firstly focuses on the opinions of some contemporary Orientalists such as Colin Turner, Heinz Halm, and Martin Kramer and then, express their views on the formation of the Islamic government in the period of absence and their objections to this issue, especially the idea of the authority of the jurist with a descriptive-analytic approach, and the problems and criticisms against them are discussed below.

The occurrence of the Islamic revolution in Iran, which was carried out primarily based on the religious and Mahdic beliefs, has disturbed the calculations of the arrogant powers and threatened their interests seriously. This brought on the arrogant powers to launch an overall assault in opposition to the Islamic Republic of Iran in order to regain their interests with the aid of destroying or weakening it and also to stop other nations from following the example of the Islamic Revolution. "Resistance Theory" is the basic strategy that the two leaders of the Islamic Revolution have introduced and encouraged everyone in opposition to this attack. Considering that Mahdism, from one aspect, is among the fundamentals and it is considered one of the grand goals of the Islamic Revolution, this query is raised that how the teaching of Mahdism can affect the resistance in the continuation of the Islamic revolution. This paper answers the mentioned question, by the descriptive-analytical method and using library resources and based on the Quran and Islamic traditions and by emphasizing Ayatollah Imam Khamenei’s Mahdic views. By strengthening the factors of resistance, i.e. faith, hope, persistence, and divine assistance, Mahdism can continuously increase the power of the revolutionary nation that believe in Imam Mahdi until the fulfillment of its lofty goals, which is the new Islamic civilization and the appearance of the Imam of the Age.

"Power structure" in all governments has been considered as one of the factors influencing the stabilization or destruction of that system. Hence, the composition of governance in the Islamic Revolution of Iran, which evolved from religious teachings of the Twelver Shia in 1979 A.D; It has usually been under consideration of thinkers. According to the teachings of the Shia school, the thought of Imamate and Mahdism determines the power structure. After the triumph of the revolution in Iran, the governance of the Islamic Republic was elected via the people and with the vote of the people, constitutional professionals had been shaped and the constitution was formulated. In this article, the function of the doctrine of Mahdism, in the shape of the power structure, will be defined in a descriptive-analytical way, relying on the principles of the constitution. In a general perspective, the centrality of the concept of Imamate and Mahdism and the concept of “Guardianship of the juris consult” (Wilāyat al-Faqīh) in the age of the occultation and the congruence of the plans and desires of the Islamic revolution is accentuated in the plans of the promised government. In addition to the generalities raised about the doctrines of Shiism and Imamate in the constitution, reviewing some programs and goals set in the constitution and their congruence with the packages of the promised government, such as the enhancement of moral virtues, scientific growth, the expansion of equity and justice, economic growth and the removal of poverty, freedom and security, refutation of arrogant and helping for the oppressed, and the restoration of civil rights shows the high function of the doctrine of Mahdism in this revolution. In general, it can be stated that the "Imamate and Mahdism doctrine" is the foundation of Islamic republic of Iran, and the strength of this government is structured on this basis.

Mahdism is one of the common beliefs amongst all Islamic sects, and its correct explanation and reliance on common factors will strength national solidarity and Islamic unity. These days, Mansour Hāshemi Khorāsani's deviant movement is one of the deviant currents in Mahdism, which has turned this cohesive doctrine into an anti-unity and anti-cooperation element, and caused damage in countrywide and Islamic harmony through proposing a number claims. Therefore, in this research, we analyze the position of the deviant movement of Mansour Hāshemi Khorāsani in growing a hole in national and Islamic unity, in a descriptive-analytical way and gathering information in a library method. The findings of this research says that this deviant trend, with a false analyzing from Islamic foundations and calling Islamic governments as tyranny authorities, and by making challenges in the values, norms and institutions, inspires and encourages the participants of the society to avoid the regulation and turn away from the system, and by categorizing the individuals of the society in the form of the majority and the minority and against each other. Also, by influencing families and education, he fosters his deviant ideas and brought about a gap in national harmony and Islamic unity in Iranian society.

The Islamic narrations about the disappearance of Imam Mahdi (pbuh) in the book al-Kāfi begin with a Hadith declaring the difficulties of religiosity during the time of Imam Mahdi’s disappearance i.e. “Certainly the rightful owner of this rule will have an occultation, such that the one who adheres to his religion during it will be like one who clutches on to a thorn bush with his hands…”2. This priority indicates the importance and necessity of paying attention to the mentioned subject. Examining the aspects used in the Hadith and explaining the way out of the harms damage the religiosity during the time of Occultation is one of the present paper. After the clarification of the narration, the text helps to compare the approach of observance of piety and referring to religion, noted in this Hadith, with the same examples from different narrations.

The late Kulayni has organized, in his book al-Kāfi, a chapter called " al-Ghaybah" (the Occultation) in which the Hadiths related to the occultation of Imam Mahdi (pbuh) are mentioned. One of the Hadiths mentioned in that chapter is a narration of Imam Sādiq to have said, “Ṣāḥib al-Amr (Imam Mahdi) will inevitably be hidden, and he will be secluded during his occultation, as well is his home in Medina and there is no fear in him due to being with thirteen of his companions…”2 This article has examined the above Hadith with a descriptive-analytical method with a documentary and content approach. The chain of the Hadith is acceptable due to the trustworthiness of Qom scholars and also the multiplicity of narrators. From the aspect of the content, the four subjects: "occultation of the Imam", "Isolation of the Imam", "the residence of the Imam" and " no fear in him due to being with thirteen of his companions" have been subjected to textual research. ]Based on the evaluation of the words of this narration, the Ṣāḥib al-Amr is the same Imam Mahdi (pbuh) who has a hidden life. Along with the imam's occultation, naturally, his isolation from the society is formed, which is itself affected via the stipulations of the time, such as the role of people and the Imam's fear from being killed. In other part of the mentioned Hadith that tells about the Imam's residence in Medina, it cannot be verified as a permanent place due to the existence of conflicting narrations; And in the last part of the Hadith, the presence of special companions and helpers is solely reserved for the period of minor occultation.