Unloyal Children

The wise man asked me to close my eyes and imagine. I’ve never felt comfortable trying to imagine things I’ve been asked to, however, I assumed that this time this process is going to take me somewhere. Imagine you are the caregiver and guardian of a house; you live with your children, you love them unconditionally and in unimaginable amounts; all you want to do and aim to do is to ensure that you use all your power an capabilities to protect them and give them the life they want which will take them successfully to their hereafter. One night, a group of ignorant kidnappers and tyrants attack this house, your house, together with your children. You are shooed out of the house and you stand outside the house every day and night, seeing your children. Your children look out of the window each day; they cry and wail because of the oppression they are going through from those tyrants. You watch them helplessly, you want to help them so bad but you can’t. I opened my eyes with my chest heavy with the pain and sorrow of just imagining such a situation hypothetically. Oh my God!, I thought, I would never wish such a terrible position for any human being, let alone someone I know or myself! Seeing your children screaming for your help and not being able to do anything! Worse than death I’d imagine, I replied to the wise man, but I’d think that it’s a bit of a far fetched situation.

Far-fetched? I hadn’t thought of it thoroughly at all. How can it be a far-fetched situation when the most pious man alive today has been going through this very situation for more than 1000 years? Every minute of those years, Imam Al Mahdi (ajj) has been seeing and hearing us encounter all kinds of oppression, in millions of forms and patterns, being prone and tempted by all types of worldly temptations. He has been hearing our calls for his appearance and arrival and with every call, he asks God to give him the patience there is to bear with having to hear us and not do anything yet. But why can’t he do anything? Why can’t he appear when he is hearing his children go through pain?

He knows that this question will come in our minds, that is why he explains the answer to us in his own words.

ولو أن أشياعنا – وفقهم الله لطاعته – على اجتماع من القلوب في الوفاء بالعهد عليهم ، لما تأخر عنهم اليمن بلقائنا ، ولتعجلت لهم السعادة بمشاهدتنا على حق المعرفة وصدقها منهم بنا . فما يحبسنا عنهم إلا ما يتصل بنا مما نكرهه ولا تؤثره منهم . والله المستعان وهو حسبنا ونعم الوكيل ، وصلاته على سيدنا البشير النذير محمد وآله الطاهرين وسلم

His saying suggests that first, his children’s news is always reaching him. Our news is always reaching them. However small or big the action, it reaches him. I only realised the seriousness of this when I was told the similarity of this to a news program. An explosion here, a kidnapping there, a plane crash here, a war breakout there. We’ve had enough at this point; we put away the newspaper and get along with our lives. Imam Al Mahdi (ajj) does not have this option, he can’t put away the newspaper because the news never stops coming and with every newspaper, he prays that its contents will this time be better than the one before. I’m sure my children must have at least stopped their bad habits by 1% at least, he prays, but the newspaper always says otherwise.

It is this news that makes him helpless. On some Wednesday nights, he hears the news that 15 of his children are praying a special prayer to bring his appearance. The pain in his heart eases slightly. Some of them are waking up, he thinks. The prayer isn’t reaching. Some of them are smiling while praying while remembering a funny forward they got in their inbox today, some are planning on how they are going to save enough for the new BMW, some are trying to decide who they should support in tonight’s match, one is actually concentrating....he is praying and really thinking of the Imam (ajj). The pain in the Imam (ajj)’s heart eases a bit more. But this prayer doesn’t reach either. The same man who was a minute ago praying wholeheartedly is now sipping tea while having some of his brother’s flesh. The pain in the Imam (ajj)’s heart is back to its initial state. Next time maybe, he hopes.

Every day is Ashura and every land is Karbala. What on earth does that mean? I’ve been thinking since my parents told me that in my childhood. Ashura isn’t over. Just like his grandfather cried out that day and got no response from his martyred companions, Imam Al Mahdi (ajj) is crying out the same. He too gets no response. But they’re not dead, he wonders, they’re not martyred. They’re talking and walking and are as alive as ever. What is their excuse for not answering my call? No, do excuse them. Excuse them because their hearts, souls and minds are dead. The people you see who are alive and walking aren’t people, they are dead structures moving around and if you appear today, you won’t see any of them martyred by you like your grandfather did.

I will keep calling till they wake up, he says....is there no one to help us? (hal min naseren yansuruna?)