A Balanced Approach to Eschatological Narratives

Recent events in Syria have brought global attention to the region, and the discussions with relation to the signs preceding the reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (as) have become extremely widespread in Shi’a communities. The speakers have taken to the pulpit to discuss them, the uncles and aunties have begun forwarding the WhatsApp messages around, and the youth are all over social media arguing and sharing information about this.

Naturally, multiple opinions have surfaced with relation to the reports that we have in our books about the signs of the reappearance. We have one group of individuals identifying events on the ground as being certain signs of the reappearance, while others are saying that we should not try and connect the events happening to the reports at all!

How do we find a balance in understanding the signs of the reappearance in accordance with the verse of the Qur’an where Allah (swt) calls us a nation that walks the middle path?

وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِّتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًا

“We have appointed you a middle nation (ummatan wasatan), that you may be witnesses against mankind, and that the messenger may be a witness against you” (Qur’an 2:143)

1. The Prohibition of Tawqeet

The Imams explicitly warned against attempting to predict the exact timing of the reappearance. In many different narrations, it mentions waqqātūn (foretellers) who will try and give exact timings of when the reappearance will be and that they will be liars.

عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ) قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْقَائِمِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ)، فَقَالَ: كَذَبَ الْوَقَّاتُونَ، إِنَّا أَهْلَ بَيْتٍ لَا نُوَقِّتُ

From Abi Basir, from Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him), he said: I asked him about the Qa’im (peace be upon him), and he said:
“The foretellers are liars. We, the Ahlulbayt, do not set a time (for his appearance).”

Muhammad b. Ya’qub Al-Kulayni, Al-Kafi, V. 1, P. 368

I’m sure everyone remembers when people were saying that the world was going to end on the 21^st December 2012 (well I hope everyone remembers, otherwise I might be showing my age a little!), and since then there have been many different predictions that have not come true – these are examples of Tawqeet that have been shown to be essentially silly predictions. Remember that the Imams really discourage that kind of culture, especially if we are talking about the reappearance!

2. The Importance of Knowing the Signs

Some of you who have watched Jumah Nights will remember my episode where I discussed the definite signs and the indefinite signs. These exist so that we can have an idea of events and be ready to act when necessary, in accordance with the signs. This very fact shows the importance of us knowing the signs prior to them happening, otherwise we won’t have any idea of being able to differentiate between false and real signs.

أخبرنا أحمد بن محمد بن سعيد، قال: حدثنا علي بن الحسن، عن العباس بن عامر بن رباح الثقفي، عن عبد الله بن بكير، عن زرارة بن أعين، قال:

“سمعت أبا عبد الله (عليه السلام) يقول: ينادي مناد من السماء: إن فلانا هو الأمير، وينادي مناد: إن عليا وشيعته هم الفائزون. قلت: فمن يقاتل المهدي بعد هذا؟ فقال: إن الشيطان ينادي: إن فلانا وشيعته هم الفائزون – لرجل من بني أمية -. قلت: فمن يعرف الصادق من الكاذب؟ قال: يعرفه الذين كانوا يروون حديثنا، ويقولون: إنه يكون قبل أن يكون، ويعلمون أنهم هم المحقون الصادقون.”

Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Sa’id narrated, saying: Ali ibn al-Hasan narrated to us, from al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Amir ibn Rabah al-Thaqafi, from ‘Abdullah ibn Bukayr, from Zurara ibn A’yun, who said:

“I heard Abu ‘Abdullah (peace be upon him) say: ‘A caller will call from the heavens: “Indeed, so-and-so is the commander,” and another will call: “Indeed, Ali and his followers are the successful ones.”’ I said: ‘Who will fight the Mahdi after this?’ He said: ‘Satan will call: “Indeed, so-and-so and his followers are the successful ones”—referring to a man from the Umayyads.’ I said: ‘How will the truthful be distinguished from the liar?’ He said: ‘It will be recognized by those who were narrating our traditions and saying that it would happen before it happens, and they will know they are the truthful and correct ones.’”
Ibn Abi Zaynab Al-Nu’mani, al-Ghaibah, P. 270-271

أخبرنا أحمد بن محمد بن سعيد، بهذا الإسناد، عن هشام بن سالم، قال: سمعت أبا عبد الله (عليه السلام) يقول: “هما صيحتان: صيحة في أول الليل، وصيحة في آخر الليلة الثانية.” قال: فقلت: كيف ذلك؟ قال: فقال: “واحدة من السماء، وواحدة من إبليس.” فقلت: وكيف تعرف هذه من هذه؟ فقال: “يعرفها من كان سمع بها قبل أن تكون.”

Narrated by Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Saʿīd, through this chain, from Hishām ibn Sālim, who said: I heard Abū ʿAbd Allāh (peace be upon him) say: “There will be two cries: one in the beginning of the night, and one at the end of the second night.” I asked: “How will that be?” He replied: “One will be from the heavens, and the other will be from Satan.” I asked: “How will one distinguish between them?” He said: “It will be recognized by those who have been familiar with it before it happens.”

Ibn Abi Zaynab Al-Nu’mani, al-Ghaibah, P. 271-272

3. Gaining a Balance through The Principle of Hopes & Aspirations

The narration from Ali b. Yaqtin presents a perfect balance in understanding the signs of Imam al-Mahdi’s reappearance. It beautifully illustrates the benefit of knowing and acting in accordance with the signs while warning against predicting the exact timing. At its heart, the narration emphasizes that the purpose of these signs is to keep hearts alive and spiritually engaged, preventing them from hardening due to prolonged waiting or despair.

قال علي بن يقطين: قال لي أبو الحسن عليه السلام: “يا علي، إن الشيعة تُربّى بالأماني منذ مائتي سنة”. وقال يقطين لابنه علي: ما بالنا قيل لنا فكان، وقيل لكم فلم يكن؟ فقال له علي: إن الذي قيل لكم ولنا من مخرج واحد، غير أن أمركم حضركم فأُعطيتم محضه، وكان كما قيل لكم، وإن أمرنا لم يحضر فُعلّلنا بالأماني، ولو قيل لنا: إن هذا الأمر لا يكون إلى مائتي سنة أو ثلاثمائة سنة، لقست القلوب، ولرجعت عامة الناس عن الإسلام، ولكن قالوا: ما أسرعه وما أقربه؟ تألّفًا لقلوب الناس وتقريبًا للفرج.”

ʿAlī ibn Yaʿqṭīn reported that Abū al-Ḥasan (peace be upon him) said to him: “O ʿAlī, the Shīʿa have been nurtured with aspirations for two hundred years.” Yaqtīn said to his son ʿAlī: “Why is it that what was told to us came to pass, but what was told to you did not?” ʿAlī replied: “What was told to both you and us came from the same source. However, your matter arrived, so you were given its reality, and it occurred as you were told. But our matter has not yet arrived, so we were consoled with aspirations. Had it been said to us that this matter would not occur for two hundred or three hundred years, hearts would have hardened, and most people would have turned away from Islam. But they said: ‘How near it is, how close it is,’ to bring comfort to people’s hearts and to make the relief seem near.”

Ibn Abi Zaynab Al-Nu’mani, al-Ghaibah, P. 305

Conclusion

The Imams (as) want us to remember three things about the reappearance as we’ve covered in this article:

1. Understand and Act on the Signs: Knowing the signs is essential. They are not there to satisfy curiosity but to guide believers toward meaningful action. Acting in accordance with the signs helps maintain a connection to the divine mission.
2. Avoid Making Predictions: While being aware of the signs, believers are reminded not to fall into Tawqeet. The signs are not there so that we can start making exact predictions about when events will happen!
3. Always Be Ready: The narrations and the signs are there to make us always feel like we are close to the reappearance and the relief, in accordance with the principle of Hopes & Aspirations.

إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُ بَعِيدًا وَنَرَاهُ قَرِيبًا
“Indeed they see it as far, but We see it as near” (Qur’an 70:6)

Your brother, Mohamed Ali