نشریه جامعه مهدوی
سال چهارم شماره 2 (پیاپی 8، پاییز و زمستان 1402)

Mahdavi governance finds meaning and concept in the form of Islamic governance, and Islamic governance is divided into types such as Prophetic governance, Alavi governance and Mahdavi governance. Mahdavi governance is divided into two types including transcendental Mahdavi governance and ideal Wilayat Faqih governance because the diversity of the Mahdavi governance based on the ages (age of occultation and reappearance of Imam Mahdi) leads to the diversity of the Mahdavi governance to the transcendental Mahdavi governance governed by Imam Mahdi, and the governance of the Wali Faqih governed by the successors of Imam Mahdi. Both governances, i.e. transcendental Mahdavi governance and ideal Wali Fiqh governance, have a single origin called Mahdavi thought, on the basis of which both of them are given the title of Mahdavi governance. In addition to sharing the origin (Mahdiism thought), these two governances have a two-way relationship and play an important role in each other's evolution and excellence. It is necessary and essential to provide the context for excellence and knowledge increase among people and society by expressing this two-way relationship. In this article, data collection has been done with a qualitative method and in the form of library and documents, and data processing has been done in a descriptive and analytical method. The results of this study are achievements such as the role-creation of transcendental Mahdavi governance in the form of three components of legitimization, acceptability, and goal-setting in relation to the Wali Faqih governance, and the role-creation of the Wali Faqih governance in the form of the three components of preparation, promotion, and model-making in relation to the transcendental Mahdavi governance.

Believing in the reappearance of Imam Mahdi is one of the most important beliefs of the Shia community, which provides the basis for getting rid of disappointment and failures. However, the reappearance of Mahdi Nama (Claiming to be Imam Mahdi) movements have always been a threat to this meaningful belief. From the very first days of the Occultation Age until now, individuals and groups in this regard have made claims such as succession, representativeness, prophethood, having relationship (with Imam Mahdi), representation, or even considering themselves as Imam Mahdi. The emergence of these movements may seem like a challenge to the religion at first, but in modern times, it can become a social challenge and provide the basis for the emergence of new sects as well as a social gap among Shias, and even a threat for the survival of society. For this reason, the confrontation and struggle with Mahdi Nama people has been the focus of theologians for many years, and has also been studied and considered in social sciences. However, there is still not much agreement on the most suitable solution for this confrontation. This study has tried to find the most appropriate solutions to face the phenomenon of Mahdi Nama people by using the elite interview method with experts from the field of sociology who have focused on this issue, and analyzing its content. These solutions sometimes refer to the teaching method of Mahdism and sometimes they refer to therapeutic procedures. Some experts emphasize changing the discourse of Mahdism and reducing its emotional strains, while others emphasize legal and judicial procedures. However, all experts consider Mahdi Nama people to be a social issue and not a theological one.

Qom Hadith School, as one of the most powerful schools of Imamiya, has been the focus of scholars for a long time. Studies in the field of Mahdism in this school are faced with shortcomings. Lack of a "school-oriented" approach, "lack of examination of the hadith characteristics of that era" about Mahdavi hadiths are among these shortcomings. Therefore, this article through a "descriptive-analytical" approach is trying to deal with this gap in studies before the era of Sadouq. Transferring the Mahdavi heritage of Ahl al-Bayt from other schools such as Kufa, by the resident and immigrating muhaddiths (scholars of hadiths) to Qom, is considered one of the most important features of this school. Strong adherence to texts and avoiding rationalism, confronting the transmission of exaggerated narratives, partial compliance with the inclusion of rare narratives in their hadith sources, dealing with weak narrators at a certain point in time by some of the elders of the Qom school are other privileges of this school. Being concerned about the current issues of the society regarding beliefs, especially the issue of Mahdism and the explanation of the narratives that are appropriate for its time, is another characteristic of the school of that era.

While the doctrine of Mahdism is one of the most effective doctrines in the individual and the society, the deviant sects attributed to Mahdiism are among the harmful factors that cause the individual and the religious community not only to not be able to benefit from this great doctrine as it deserves, but they will add to the scientific and practical problems in the society that believes in Mahdism. In this article, with a descriptive-analytical method, it has been tried to introduce the lifestyle of the waiting (for Imam Mahdi’s reappearance), as one of the strategic responses in dealing with the harms of deviant sects of Mahdism, because the Jihad-like nature arising from the nature of waiting raised by the Fourteen Infallibles is a huge support with which the waiters can defend themselves against the threats of deviant sects from the truth of Mahdism and the beliefs and values arising from it in three arenas including Jihad of insight, Jihad of orientation and Jihad of action, and that can lead to reforming and improving their insights, tendencies and actions of the waiters of Imam Mahdi.

Allah Almighty, in the Holy Qur’an and the books of the prophets of Bani-Israel, has promised the succession of the righteous people on earth. Since, according to the research, the succession of the righteous is accompanied by the desperation of the corrupt people, this research seeks to answer the question “How are the succession of the righteous and the desperation of the corrupt people, in the end of time, explained in the verses of the Holy Qur'an and the Testaments? In the present research, descriptive-analytical, comparative and exploratory methods have been used. According to the study of the verses of the Holy Qur'an and the Testaments, firstly, the promise of the succession of the righteous people on earth is devoted to this world, not the afterlife, and secondly, the interpretation of the succession of the righteous people to the government of the righteous people is not accurate and complete. Therefore, whenever a righteous person or persons reach the government, they will not be its example (the government of the righteous people), there is only one example, and that will be in the era of reappearance of Imam Mahdi. Thirdly, the meaning and term of the succession of the righteous people, in the Holy Qur'an and the Testaments, is a part of the tradition of divine judgment in the era of the prophets, in such a way that Allah Almighty judges in the era of the prophets. In this regard, the criminals are eradicated with the descent of the torment of desperation, and the righteous people are saved from the torment and inherit their property and all their possessions. Therefore, according to the verses of the Qur'an and the Testaments, the promise of the succession of the righteous people in the last prophet’s era, like the era of the first prophets, will be fulfilled with the eradication of all wrongdoers with the descent of the torment of desperation, and the earth will belong to the pious people until the Day of Resurrection.

Belief deviations mean a return from correct beliefs towards eclecticism and wrong thinking, which management and dealing with them in the Age of Occultation takes a different form due to the absence of the imam in the society. This article has been formed with the analytical-descriptive method and with the aim of the studying the methodology of the Supreme Leader of Iran in opposition to the belief deviations in the age of occultation, and his work is based on the idea of Jihad-e Tabyeen (Struggle for clarification). The Supreme Leader, as one of the elites of the age of occultation, considers Jihad-e Tabyeen to be the best way to inform the society about deviations and also the most successful way to defend the right view against the deviations of the enemies. Considering the division of different types of deviations into three individual sections, sedition of foreign enemies and internal questions and doubts, the method of explanation in each type will be different from the other. The main audience of Jihad-e Tabyeen are ignorant, unbiased people and those who have no idea about Islam and Islamic thoughts. However, explanation can also neutralize the tactics and fallacies of enemies. The explanatory methods approved by the Supreme Leader are in fact, the logical explanation of ideals and goals, and achievements. Therefore, protecting the society from the deviations of the Age of Occultation can be done by explaining things such as the issue of Imamate in Shia Imamiya literature, proving the birth of Imam Mahdi, recognizing and referring to authentic Islamic sources, paying attention to the definite signs of the reappearance of Imam Mahdi, correct understanding of the meaning of the waiting and the proxy system.