فصلنامه مشرق موعود
پیاپی 5 (بهار 1387)

There is a book with the title: Usulu Madhab-al-Shia-al-Imamiyya-al-Ithna Ashariyya (Principles of the Faith of Shiites of twelve Imams) in the from of both presentation and criticism. The writer of this book claims that the Shiites regard Imam Mahdi (PBuH) to be at the status of a prophet. They believe that the Imam will abolish the religion of Islam when he appears and replaces it with a new religious law. The writer of this book has relied on various traditions to prove his claims.In this article, we have cited the eight groups of traditions to which the claimers referred and with which they found faults. Then we have investigated and criticized their reasons. Now, regardless of the fact that, in our opinion first of all, such traditions must be assessed and evaluated in their own place as to whether they are based on reasons and really documented or not, we have referred to three essential points:One, some of these traditions are not approved by any of Shiite scholars at all.Two, some others of these traditions have been narrated in some Sunnite sources with similar purports and remarks. Three, some of the difficulties that the writer has brought about generate from his intentional choice of some traditions but his significant feigning negligence of other related traditions; whereas, we can easily understand the real meaning of what has been meant by surveying the whole collection of narrations.

Utopia and utopianism are words to have been born simultaneously with man’s power of thinking. There have also been many thinkerys who have deliberated over and written about an imaginary city with a perfect social and political system at a golden age in a desirable life. At any rate, utopia must be an ideal place imagined like ‘Paradise’ which does not really exist on the earth. In Persian, utopia means “a city we do not know where it is”, since it is taken as an abstract word made and polished in the mind, a place that has not been realized yet.The term ‘utopia’ was first coined in the 16th century and used afterwards. In the following centuries, some antiutopian writers like Huxley arose and some critics such as Pauper appeared to oppose the idea of the “perfect city” to come into come into being or to be true.Utopia and Ideology, which is the manner of thinking about a desirable economic, political system in real life, are in contradiction. Ideology basically explains the existent system but utopia negates such a real physical system.Utopianism has paid much attention to most of human aspects of life such as family relations, possession of things, consumption of goods and food, organization of political life, religious beliefs and others. But many of its plannings are in contradiction with one another since they do not have identical characteristics. However, by studying different utopias, we can come to the conclusion that although, their characteristics seem to be different, some common concepts in utopias link them together. Such common concepts can be named as justice orientation, low-centeredness, general connection, peace seeking, etc…

Having investigated writings and compilations of the authorities, writers of every era or historical period, we can find out and understand which subjects have been the most important for them to deal with or deliberate over. This is because some special matters were considered more necessary or essential for the great thinkers to study and write about according to some particular conditions or circumstances present in the situation ruling that period. It was why the collection of materials would be attracted toward the direction of such important things.This is of no exception about the Qajar period of ruling Iran, during which we may come across some compilations about Mahdism. Deliberating over many writings, we will immediately see that Madism has been taken into account, being discussed much but unfortunately situated at a position for many deviational thoughts too, not only in our country but also in other Islamic lands.Mahdism, at the time of Qajars, was one of the most Important subjects to be discussed and investigated by Muslim thinkers whether Shiites or Sunnites everywhere. The great number of books written and published by some authors of this time about Mahdism indicates the fact that the subject was of real importance to be put into consideration. Now, the following article is going to elaborate upon such a point here.

One of the reasons to affirm the birth and existence of the Proof of God, the 12th Imam, Hazrat Hujjat-bin-al-Hassan Askari (PBuH) is a series of traditions the succession of which has been narrated by both the Shiites and the Sunnites, in which the prophet (MGSBH) has also specified that he would have twelve Imams as his successors one after another. These traditions are briefly called: “Traditions of the Twelve Imams (or Caliphs)”. Of course, some of the Sunnite and most of the Shiite traditions have gone further to explain the characters and qualities of the 12 successors in additions to mentioning the number “12” and names. Of the most important points cited in them is the introducing of the Riser, that is, the twelfth Imam and also the news of his occultation. The news is that he is absent from the people’s views, in addition to remembering his father’s name, his grandfather’s and his other ancestors.Such traditions indicate the existence of Hazrat Mahdi, the Riser (PBuH) in two ways: The first is a general denotation to reveal the number twelve to which both the Shiites and Sunnites agree; and the second is, in particular, the text itself in which the names, the characteristics and other features have been expressed with the introducing of the twelfth Imam who is the very Riser (PBuH).However, Ahmad-al-Katib has denied the existence of the Proof of God. Hujjat-bin-al-Hassan the 12th Imam by raising some doubts about the traditions. The purport of his statement is that all such traditions are forged in the 4th century A.H. and we can not rely on them. Now in this article, you will hear al-Katib’s reasons, his claims and our criticisms against them.

Investigating and clarifying the necessities, preparations and factors of the Advent to become realized seems to be incumbent upon us to deal with. In order for the expectants to know their duties at the time of waiting for the Imam of Time, they should establish the rightful culture to fulfil their proper function. In order for those waiting for the appearance of Imam Mahdi (PBuH), they must seriously struggle to indicate and enumerate the most important need that deserve to be presented out by the correct strategies and principal preliminaries that will lay the groundworks.In the following article, the writer has tried to deliberate over the most important spiritual and practical necessities in our belief toward the Advent and the way believers ought to be waiting for the appearance of the Imam of Time (PBuH), the manner of preparing the grounds whether cultural, social, political, etc. for the realization of that desire, which is a Divine Promise to save mankind from all the injustice and oppression on the earth.

The movement of Rowshaniyya (the enlightened) led by a person called Bayazid Ansari started in a Pashtu-dwelling area between Afghanistan and Pakistan in the period of Akbar Shah, a king of Timurid Dynasty. Bayazid was an uneducated, almost illiterate individual but, on the other hand, a clever and intelligent person to stand against the Timurids, dominance to save Pashtu people from the authority of the government of the time. He was Successful to incite the folks to rise and resist the oppressions. However, he proceeded to claim that he was Mahdi or the Messiah and declared that he possessed the occult and was endowed with the secret knowledge of the supernatural.This article is going to deal with the grounds and conditions under which the above-mentioned movement came to being to introduce its distinguished followers, to tell about their beliefs, their writings and other religious matters.The sources we have searched and the references we have found are hardly enough to let us go deep into the Rowshaniyya ideas. Yet, this article has tried and done the best of its activity to give the readers the utmost knowledge about the thought.