 فنفوزا عظيم بسم الله الرحمن الرحيمة ونجعلهم ينانمس لي اكسبت بي all Muslims إزداء رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله تهز the Muslims من ما تولم يعرف إمام زمانه ما تميتة جاهلية يهو دايز without knowing the Imam the leader of his time دايز the death of the جاهلية meaning dies the death of the pagans before the religion of Islam and from this hadith there are many concepts that are derived many ideas that are understood first is the role and the importance of the Imam and the leadership because every time it has an Imam and رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله relates the Imam if someone does not know their Imam then this person is as if they are a pagan it's as if they have not accepted all of the religion and this is not a strange idea because the religion and the faith was complete on the day of Ghadir after رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله appointed Amir al-Mu'mineen the verse came down اليوم أكملت لكم دينكم so the faith is complete through Imam and this hadith also proves a very important point very important principles and the religion of Islam and that is the justice of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله the justice of Allah dictates that there has to be an Imam during every time if I believe that Allah صلى الله عليه وآله is Adil if I believe that Allah is just I have to believe that there is a leader for every single time because it goes against the justice of Allah this is a logical proof for the Imam it goes against the justice of Allah for Allah to leave the people without a leader without a representative without a guide at one point of the time and this is why we see that Allah سبحانه و تعالى at all times ever since the creation of the human being Allah says إني جاع لن في الأرض خليفة I have placed a vice gerent I have placed a Khalifa on earth someone that could represent Allah سبحانه و تعالى and Allah has appointed imams and leaders at all times there is no time that there was no leader and there was no Imam and these are imams that call people towards Allah سبحانه و تعالى that invite people towards worshipping Allah and believing in Allah و جعلناهم أئمة يهدون بأمرنا وأوحينا إليهم فعل الخيرات و إيقام الصلاة و إيتاء الزكات و كانوا لنا عبدين these are the imams that Allah سبحانه و تعالى sent to mankind so that they guide by the order of Allah سبحانه و تعالى and they bring people back to Allah سبحانه و تعالى this is from the justice of Allah سبحانه و تعالى because it does not make sense for Allah سبحانه و تعالى to leave people without a leader on the day of judgment we can tell Allah You sent us we were here but there was no one to show us the way and that will be a حجة so Allah سبحانه و تعالى in order for the حجة to be complete He sent proofs He sent the prophets and he sent the imams and the awliyaz and the حجة is at many levels at an internal level every single one of us we have a نفس الأمار every single one of us we have a part of our soul that is telling us to disobey Allah سبحانه و تعالى so Allah at the internal level He has also placed the fitrah He has also placed that consciousness that premortal consciousness that tells us to worship Allah سبحانه و تعالى so that there is a balance at the internal level at the internal level we have a نفس الأمار but Allah has placed the fitrah and at the external level there are the desires and there is Sheban that is bringing people away from Allah سبحانه و تعالى so in order for there to be a balance Allah سبحانه و تعالى sends imams and guides and messengers to counter the Sheban and to counter the influence of the external influences that bring us away from Allah سبحانه و تعالى and those are the imams that Allah سبحانه و تعالى sent and we are living in a time where we also do have an imam and that imam is the promise of Allah سبحانه و تعالى upon all of humanity و نريد أن نمن على الذين استقعفوا في الأرض و نجعلهم أئمة و نجعلهم الوارفين الله سبحانه و تعالى says we want to bless and we want to bestow upon the ones who have been oppressed the ones who are the believers the مؤمنين eventually we will make them the أئمة the imams and they will be the وارفين they will be the inheritors on earth Imam S.A.T. says نحن المستضعفون we are the ones who our rights was taken from us and this concept this ideology of believing in an imam at all times and believing in an imam that will save humanity at the end of times this is not something that only we the Muslims believe in this is the promise of Allah سبحانه و تعالى for all humanity and we see that the Jews they talk about this concept the savior the Christians they talk about this I've even read in other scriptures the buddhist and hindu books they also talk about a savior at the end of times so you see that all are united and Allah says و لقد كتبنا في الزبور من بعد ذكر أن الأرض يارثوها عبادية صالحون this promise of a savior at the end of time this is not something that only we the shias believe in not something that only the Muslims believe in this is something that Allah has promised in the زبور in the Psalms of David in the Bible in the تورات the promise of a savior at the end of time is a promise of Allah سبحانه و تعالى that all religions all monotheistic religions believe in و نريد أن من نعنى الذين استضعفوا في البلد الله سبحانه و تعالى has promised all of the religions that at the end of time there will be a savior and we see that that savior is المهدي المنتظر الموعود the one the promised savior from Al-Muhammad who will bring peace and justice to earth after it has been filled with oppression and tyranny and this is the promise of رسول الله سبحانه و تعالى and the promise in the Quran and we believe that Imam Al-Hujjah will rise with نبي الله إسا with Prophet Isa عليه السلام and رسول الله tells the Muslims كيف أنتم إذ نزلج المريم و فيك منكم كيف أنتم when the son of Mary comes down and your Imam the Imam that will lead the prayer the one that even Isa will pray behind will be from you the Muslims and that is Imam Al-Hujjah and we believe that the time that the Imam reappears that will be a time where all of the religions will be united because the Christians they believe in Jesus and they will see Jesus is with Imam Al-Mahdi and the Jews they are waiting for the Messiah to come even though he did come Isa is the Messiah however they are waiting for the Messiah to come once they see Jesus they will see that he is the Messiah and he will also be with Imam Al-Mahdi and the believers of the Muslims they see that all of the believers of the Tauheed the believers of the Abrahamic religions they will all be united under the banner of the grandson of Ibrahim Imam Al-Mahdi now this belief system that we have regarding Imam Al-Hujjah there are many that have come and brought some questions and they have some criticism regarding the belief that we have in Imam Al-Hujjah one of the main criticisms that today you hear and unfortunately you hear it from people who are Muslims they've read the Quran they have heard the Hadith of Rasulullah they know they're not far from the truth but yet you see that they are the first to criticize this idea and that is the غيبة the occultation of Imam Al-Hujjah some people they say it's difficult to comprehend how can someone be in a state of occultation for over a thousand years and today is Imam Al-Hujjah and in occultation how can we benefit from the Imam when he is in an occultation and these are questions there's nothing wrong with asking questions however when we ask questions we have to open our hearts and open our minds and we have to always go back to the Quran Rasulullah says انا بست عليكم الأمور كقطع الليل المظلم فعليكم بالغرآن فانه شافع المشفاع او you people if you see that matters are so dark in front of you you cannot tell the truth resort to the Quran go back to the Quran you will find the solution within the Quran you will find the answer taking the تفسير of the Quran from the rightful sources yesterday we spoke about taking the literal meaning of the Quran and how it could mislead people taking the تفسير of the Quran from the right sources from the Ahl al-Bait and from Rasulullah صلى الله عليه و آله now we go back to the Quran we see that the occultation it's not a strange theory it's nothing new it's not something new that is happening within the Muslims and on earth with the messengers that Allah سبحانه وتعالى has sent you look in the Quran you see Allah سبحانه وتعالى mentioned a story of أصحاب الكاف the people of the cave how many years were they asleep for over 300 years they were asleep غayba means hidden from the eyes they were in an occultation from the people but by the permission of Allah they were alive and they came back and they were alive after that long sleep this is one Allah سبحانه وتعالى speaks about Prophet Musa how many times did Prophet Musa disappear from his people he was hidden from his people now we know he was alive but the people during his time the first time where he escaped from Egypt and he went to Medaen he was gone for over 10 years people thought he was dead people did not believe in him they thought he was gone that's it even though he was a promised savior for that time Allah سبحانه وتعالى has promised that that time there will be a prophet that will save إسرائيل from فرعون موسى in another time he also disappeared one time he goes to the Miqat they tell they tell him he told his people were going to go for 30 days to the Miqat so that we speak to Allah سبحانه وتعالى 30 days passed and Musa did not come back many people did not believe in him because he took 10 days longer it became 40 days many people they stopped believing in Musa they said he's a liar Musa is not truthful after all the miracles that they saw after all of the proofs that they saw how he saved them how he brought the proof for them and many of the miracles many people turned against him now we can comprehend because many people they stopped believing in Musa and he had left Haroon he left his brother Haroon with Bani إسرائيل they started worshipping the calf and they turned against Musa and they turned against Tauheed now we can comprehend the Hadith وَالْرَسُولَ اللَّهُ وَالَهِ وَالَهِ تَوْزَ عَلِي بْنَارِ بِطَالِبْ أنت مني بمنزلة حارون من Musa إلا أنه لا نبي من بعدي you to me are like Haroon was to Musa except you are not a prophet you see how Haroon was betrayed you see how Haroon was neglected the same way إبنة إبطالب was neglected and the Quran also gives us a clear example if I'm a Muslim I have to believe in the prophets of Allah سبحانه وتعالى today are Muslims in disagreement with where Asa is isn't Asa in occultation right now isn't Asa Jesus in a state of Ghayba right now Jesus is not dead Jesus is still alive Allah raised him but he is not dead and he is in a state of occultation so how can I understand and comprehend and believe that Asa is in occultation and I refuse to believe that Imam al-Mahdi is in occultation if I believe in Asa why do I not believe in Imam al-Hujja why is that difficult to comprehend if I say how could someone live for such a long time Allah سبحانه وتعالى gives us proof in the Quran of Nuh Allah says Nuh lived amongst his people for 950 years so if someone could not live that long Allah سبحانه وتعالى can extend the person's life where they could live for a longer life and when we look at the Quran we see that the issue of Imam al-Mahdi is very much related with the prophets of Allah سبحانه وتعالى you look at the birth of Imam al-Hujja you see that his birth was a hidden birth suddenly overnight his mother realized not just his mother she realized that she was pregnant now you go and you look at the Quran you see that the same thing happened with the mother of Musa the same thing happened her birth was a hidden birth for Aum there were prophecies that told him that there was going to be a person that will be born from Bani Israel that will be the reason for his demise so he began to kill all of the children of Bani Israel any woman who was pregnant he would abort her child and he would kill the child within her stomach but Prophet Musa عليه السلام Allah سبحانه وتعالى chose to protect him and he even went in the house of Pharaoh and he was protected in the home of isn't this a miracle now if I believe that the birth of Musa was a hidden birth and they protected birth Allah سبحانه وتعالى protected him until he grew older why is it difficult for me to believe that the grandson of Rasulallah is also the same who is the savior of humanity who is promised in all of the books so we see that Imam al-Hujja is very much related with all of the prophets of Allah سبحانه وتعالى you look at Noah his long life you look at Musa his birth you look at Isa his occultation and you look at Rasulullah عليه واله Imam al-Hujja he has the mercy and the Rahma from Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم صلى الله عليه وسلم صلى الله عليه وسلم now someone might ask how can I go into occultation the answer is that Allah سبحانه وتعالى wanted to protect the life of the Imam so that the message can be protected just like Allah سبحانه وتعالى chose to protect the life of Imam زين العابدين on a day where all of Bani Hashem all of the men were killed it was a miracle that one man who was the son of Imam who was the son of Imam al-Hussein they killed even the 6 month old child but they do not touch Imam زين العابدين isn't this a miracle from Allah سبحانه وتعالى Allah سبحانه وتعالى in order to carry on the message he protects the life of Imam الحجة because at that time because of the numerous a hadith numerous narrations from Rasulullah where he says that there will be a Mehdi there will be a Maud he is the 12th he is from the sons of Fatima these are nothing we have many narrations that speak about this so you look at the Khalifa at that time they had their eyes and they had spies in the house of Imam الحسن العسكري and they brought Imam Al-Hadi all the way from Medina to Samarra so that they could monitor the house of the imams so that there will be a child who will be born and he will be the savior of mankind they had eyes and they had spies in the houses of the imams Imam Al-Hadi he was brought all the way from Medina to Samarra so that the Khalifa at that time could watch the imam the day the Imam Al-Hadi passes away they had spies in the house the day Imam الحسن العسكري passed away the house was filled with spies they were monitoring that house of the imam so that they could see where is that مهدي المقود they knew that it's going to be the 12th one and of course another another relationship with Bani Israel and another relationship with you come and you look at how many disciples did he have he had 12 disciples you look at Musa how many tribes were there how many sons did yaqub have 12 sons رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم he also says there are 12 imams after me you see that there is a correlation and a relationship because the message ultimately is one and it all calls for توحيد and it all calls for الله سبحانه وتعالى so الله سبحانه وتعالى place the imam in an occultation to protect the life of the imam and of course there's a master plan many times we say why doesn't something happen the time that we want الله سبحانه وتعالى he has a master plan I'm only living in this life a very short period but there's a greater plan and that is the plan of الله سبحانه وتعالى we have to submit to that plan Prophet Musa عليه السلام he was lost in the desert with his people for 40 years he was lost they were traveling they were just traveling they would not find a place Prophet Musa he does a dua he asks Allah save us Allah replied to him immediately your dua has been accepted but when was the dua accepted 40 years later الله سبحانه وتعالى he has his own way because Allah knows what's best for us Allah knows when is the right time and he will send the imam at the right time and at the right moment so we should not lose faith and Allah سبحانه وتعالى now someone comes and asks how can I benefit from the imam if the imam is hidden if the imam is not around how do I benefit from him and this is a very important question many people they ask this question we see that according to the Quran and according to the ahadith the narrations of رسول الله and the Ahadith Bait that we benefit from the imam in many ways some are direct and some are indirect one of the most direct ways that we are benefiting from the imam is a hadith that says لساخة الأرض بأهلها if it's not for the حجة what's the purpose of life الله سبحانه وتعالى it does not make sense it goes back to the first point that we were speaking about it goes against the justice of Allah these people without sending a teacher for them so what's the purpose of life if there's no teacher this is why the hadith says لولا الحجة لساخة الأرض بأهلها if there's no proof of Allah on earth then who's going to guide these people so there's no point of life carrying on so the imam he is the reason for our existence لولا الحجة لساخة الأرض بأهلها and he is the حجة of Allah on earth he is the proof of Allah on earth because he is بقية الله one day came to Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام and he tells him how should I say سلام to Imam al-Hujjah because Imam al-Sadiq and Rasool Allah and Amir al-Mu'mineen all of the imams they used to speak about Imam al-Hujjah and they used to tell the people that many people will lose their way and they will be lost they will be led astray just like sheep without a shepherd so one of the companions of Imam al-Sadiq he tells the imam when the imam appears how should I say سلام to him should I tell him السلام عليك يا أمير المؤمنين should I say peace be upon you when Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام he says no that is the title for Ali ibn Abi Talib he is the only أمير المؤمنين but if you say سلام to him you say السلام عليك يا بقية الله في أرضه peace be upon you or remaining proof about Allah because Allah says بقية الله خير لكم إن كنتم مؤمنين so we send our salams to the imam because he is the proof of Allah and because he is the proof of Allah life carries on in one حديث in one letter the imam used to write letters during the smaller occultation during the غيب الصغراء he writes a letter to his people to his followers they tell him how do we benefit from you benefit from me just like you benefit from the sun on a cloudy day we need the sun to survive we need the sun for life to carry on but when it's cloudy just because I do not see it it does not mean that I do not benefit from the sun do I need to see the leader in order to benefit from the leader no there are many ways that we can benefit from the leader from our imam some are direct and some are indirect ways according to the traditions the imam he carries out some tasks he carries out tasks and he performs دعاء for the followers for the مؤمنين if it's not for the دعاء of the imam where would we be today it's the دعاء of the imam who is praying for us the imam according to one person in the Quran he is a witness he sees us Allah says in the Quran وقل عمله فسيار الله عملكم ورسوله والمؤمنون because Allah will see your actions رسول الله sees your actions don't say رسول الله is dead and he does not see my actions the Quran says والمؤمنون here the imams they say that المؤمنون here it refers to the imam the مؤمنون refers to the imam of the time and they would come and they would ask Imam al-Sadaq for a proof of an imam how do you prove the imamah Imam al-Sadaq عليه السلام he would tell his companions احتجوا عليهم if you want to argue the imam احتجوا عليهم بليلة القدر تضم about night doesn't Allah say that the angels come down on night who did the angels come down upon during the time of رسول الله they used to come down upon رسول الله who did they come down upon after رسول الله do they come down upon anyone who is appointed by Allah سبحانه وتعالى and that is the حجة of Allah سبحانه وتعالى الله صلي على so night it is a proof for the imam the angels they come down upon the imam night and he sees our actions فسير الله عملكم ورسوله والمؤمنون and also there are many indirect ways that we benefit from the imam but we don't realize today how do we have all these masks how do we have all these masks and institutions how do we have the hausa that is spreading the religion that is spreading the how does the funding come to all these institutions it comes from it comes from the money that belongs to the imam we build our masks with the imam we help our institutions our religious institutions that help the faith grow and help our institutions grow from the money of the imam when we pay our homes a portion of that goes to the imam so we are benefiting from the imam when you are sitting in this masjid this masjid it was built and it was purchased by money you are benefiting from the imam how do you say how do I benefit from the imam when you are sitting in a place and you are praying in a place that is purchased with the money that belongs to the imam another institution that we have the institution of مرجعية our scholars our علماء today you look at our علماء throughout history you see that if we did not have مراجع the sheias would have been perished the sheias would have been wiped out it was the decisions and the fatwas of our scholars our علماء that saved the تشير you look in Iraq when there was colonialism there was a revolution a rebellion in 1920 who was the one that saved the sheias it was the علماء that issued the fatwa right now last year who was the one that issued the fatwa it was the علماء the مراجع and Lebanon who was the one that saved the Muslims and the sheias from the occupation it was the علماء in Iran who was the one that brought Islam and helped Islam grow it was the علماء these مراجع where do they take their authority from they take their authority because they are the representatives of the علماء if they are not the representative of the علماء no one is going to listen to them no sheias are going to listen to them but because the مراجع as the نائب of the علماء he is the representative of the علماء we listen to him and if it was not for these scholars if it was not for these pious scholars today we the sheias they are nourished and you see that our علماء they are respected you compare them with the others you see that the politicians they come and visit our علماء they come and visit our مراجع where you see others the مراجع and the scholars and the مفتي they are the ones who are going after the politicians this is all from the علماء this is all an indirect way there is no time but you see many people many people they are benefiting and they are eating from the money that belongs to the علماء and they question the علماء they say how do I benefit from the علماء when he is taking the money that belongs to the علماء himself or many people they question they attack our scholars and our مراجعية and then they come and they say how are we benefiting from the علماء this is the initiative of the علماء and then there is also another way that we benefit from the علماء of our time that could be an indirect way maybe there are many times that the علماء does دعاء for his people he does دعاء for people maybe he does something behind the scenes that I do not realize and Allah سبحانه وتعالى gives us an example for this in the Quran Prophet خضر عليه السلام موسى was with خضر he builds a wall and then he goes and he kills a person and then he makes a hole in a boat that they are riding it all seems very strange but then خضر explains that I did this for a reason I built the wall because there was money that was hidden that belonged to orphans in order to protect the orphans I built that wall there I sunk the ship he did not sink the ship he made a hole in the ship because there was a king that was taking all of the boats and all of the ships that belonged to people and the owners of that ship they were good people so the king sees that there's a hole in that he does not take it he kills a person so Allah سبحانه وتعالى can give his parents who are believers a righteous son who will be a father of prophets this is a story in the Quran if I believe in the Quran then I believe that there are some of the some of the knowledgeable ones who were sent by Allah they do some things behind the scenes if I believe that خضر can do such a thing why is it difficult for me to believe that أمام الحجر does not do such a thing so this is the role of the Imam a final question what is our role what is my job many times we sit and we question when the Imam will come what will happen why is there occupation we ask so many questions but never once do I ask what have I done for the Imam never once do I ask what is my job right now what does he expect from me now how do I expect from the Imam never once do we say what does the Imam expect from me what is our role one of the حديث of رسول الله صلى الله عليه وعليه says من أفضل أعمال أمتي انتضار الفرج from the best actions of my أمة is to wait for the فرج now what does it mean to wait and watch like I'm waiting for someone no it means that we anticipate the arrival of the Imam we prepare ourselves for the Imam when you have a guest coming to your house you just sit and wait or you go and you prepare you go and you make sure that everything is ready when the Imam comes when your guest comes what have we done let me ask myself what have I done as an individual I want to come this is a very important question the imams they teach us how to strengthen our relationship with the Imam of our time one of the ways is to perform the ندبه the ندبه it's a tearful دعاء crying remembering the Imam bringing our heart with the Imam let me put myself in the shoes of the Imam what is he feeling right now where is he right now we gather we laugh we sit with our friends we sit with our family where is the Imam right now he is amongst us he is watching us but who is there with him he is remembering the miseries and the tragedies that took place he is a witness to the oppression that is taking place for his followers for the religion of Islam for humanity we have to connect ourselves with the Imam of our time just like the way the imams before him his fathers he used to cry when he remembers Imam al-Hujjad great grandfather Imam al-Rida they used to cry when they remember Imam al-Hujjad that the mu'mineen will go through the difficulties that the mu'mineen will go through one day one of the companions of Imam al-Sadaq he walked in on Imam al-Sadaq he saw the Imam crying crying and saying انا فترقادي oh my master your pain, your occultation it has taken away all of my rest وضليقة علي مهادي واسرت مني راحة فؤادي your غيبة the Imam Imam al-Sadaq he cries for the غيبة of Imam al-Hujjad and another and another دعاء دعاء الندبه دعاء that we are ask the Imam Imam al-Hujjad himself he asks his Shi'a to recite that dua the dua says إلا متى أحار فيك يا مولاي وإلا متى وأي خطاب أصف فيك وأي نجوا عزيز علي in one part of the dua for the events that are taking place and where is the Imam he is waiting for Allah سبحانه وتعالى to give him permission to reappear until the Imam says and the Imam is connected to Imam al-Hujjad Imam al-Hujjad is connected to Imam al-Fasayn and this is why the narrations they say that the day his movement will launch it will be the day of Haashu Allah and the first thing that he will do the first thing that he will do is that he will cry and the whole day much less for his grandfather أدن بن قطلات my dear brothers and sisters we have to connect with the Imam of our time who on days like this he cries when he remembers Imam al-Hujjad in زيارة الناحية he says يا جدا dear brothers and sisters on a night like this we remember Imam al-Akbar the son of Imam al-Hujjad عليه السلام he was the first of many Haashim to go out and fight he was the first he asked his father for permission Imam al-Hujjad عليه السلام he began to cry how can he stop his son from fighting when he has allowed others to go and fight but Imam al-Hujjad he reminds many of them he reminds them of the bravery of his grandfather أمير المؤمنين until suddenly Ali al-Akbar returns to Imam al-Hujjad he returns to the Imam but he is very thirsty he tells the Imam killing me I cannot fight with the thirst Imam al-Hujjad he tells him he felt the tongue of Imam al-Hujjad he saw that the tongue of Imam al-Hujjad was thirsty he tells him oh my dear son Ali go and fight and Rasool Allah will be the first to go and churn first يا بو courageously until a man he rushes to Ali al-Akbar the hadith says that Imam al-Hujjad he throws himself on the body thank you so much he could not carry Ali al-Akbar back he calls Bani Hashem oh Bani Hashem Ibn Al-Flat Ibn Talatant the woman Zayna brothers and sisters they are coming very close let us ask Allah سبحانه وتعالى by the love of Imam al-Fasayn by the children of Imam al-Fasayn by the position of Imam al-Fasayn any hajj anything that you have ask Allah right now ask Allah سبحانه وتعالى to answer your du'ad and the most important du'ad that we all have to ask in the reappearance of the Imam of our time Allah أمة عجل وليك الفرج وجعلنا من أمصاره وأعوانه والمستشهدين سأسألك الله أمة وندعوك بسمك العظيم الأعظم ألا عزل أجل الأكرم يا الله يا الله يا رحمان يا رحيم يا مقلب القلوب الله أم افر للمؤمنين والمؤمنات الأحياء من عم والأمطرات الخيرات إنك على كل شيء تدير لرس also conclude with this du'a for Imam Al-Hujjah everyone stand remember the Imam of your time الله أجت ابن الحسات اسكناه أرضك طوعة وتمتع فيها طويلة برحمتك يا رحم الرحمين وصلى الله عليه وسلم رحمة وعلى