MASHREQ-E MOUOOD
Year:2008 | Volume:2 | Issue:6|Papers Count:11

The contemporary man does not necessarily belong to the End of Time or History; but he is treating as if he is living at the last period of history.Is this behavior the natural reflection of the life style of today’s man? Some of the contemporary philosophers and sociologists call the age we are living in the period of passing by grand narrations and traditions. They generally believe hat all of us are living during an awkward interval the future of which is dark and unknown and the past of which is full of errors and faults. Today’s man has neither the claim for servitude and nor does he approve of having the position of a god. He has separated from his past but looks pessimistically into the future. That’s why he accepts everything but does not choose anything.Many authorities call this period the post-modern or ultra-modernized time. However, does this period which some people imagine, through their despair or through their fear as an age different from the past, need an intellectual prophet or does the man want to be called a powerful god who has flown through the skies? In other words, when does this mortal man need a prophet and a leader.Does he need a prophet at the time when he is a child, at a time when he is a young person full of pride, or at a time when he is old and weak? If he agrees to the second alternative, what kind of a prophet may convince or satisfy him.Assuming the perplexity of today’s man, this article is going to find a solution as an answer to the above-raised questions. The main basis of our hypothesis is laid upon the fact that the discussion of prophethood or leadership will never end up.One of the signs of eternal life in our discussion is the doctrine of Mahdism. The subject of Mahdism will also appear inside the framework of natural laws.

Political education in the light of expectation for the appearance of the Savior means the acquisition of skillfulness, the necessary growth and the adequate development for active presence at political, national and global domains and being prepared to render service at the time of need. Such an education will seek to improve and reform the Islamic society of today and prepare the grounds for the Savior’s Advent by putting emphasis on the man’s role in political and social fields. Thus, with regard to the necessity of the subject to be discussed and analyzed, this writing has tried to deal with the political education which is always necessary for those waiting for and expecting the Imam of Time by making use of some Quranic verses, and other narrated quotations as traditions to three fields of political ‘insight’, ‘inclination’ and ‘behavior’ to put forward and describe the capacities for expectation in this respect. It has presented general principles needed for political education of the expectants by scanning verses and traditions to find the necessary materials.

The present article is going to deal with the important theories of convergence such as the views of functionalists, the neo-functionalists, the theory of Kantory and the view of Schpigel. It will try to highlight the weaknesses and defects of such theories emphasizing the failures in the functions at some levels of different international organizations to bring about convergence and cooperation or interdependence among them. This writing will explain the reason why such organizations have never been able to establish a permanent peace universally up to now. Then it will analyze “convergence” which has its bases in the heavenly doctrine of Mahdism with its advantages and successes in proportion to other theories in the West with their shortages.

One of the most important issues in the field of human political-social life is the subject of ‘security’ with its main factors as models that fulfil fundamental roles which act as infrastructural bases for other social domains. The fact seems to be so important that we may say: “In the Islamic political culture, we can rarely find a word to have been paid so much attention to or been specially deliberated over as the word “security”.The emphasis is really due to the widespread and inclusive effects of the term ‘security’ in all domains of human life whether political, social, economical, familial or others. Islam considers security or peacefulness as the ground for changes and variations that will be brought about positively in human social life. It is just for this reason that Islam’s view toward “security” has been a fundamental strategical approach ever since.On the same basis, we should say that the subject ‘security’ occupies a vital position in the indication of macro-politics programs of Islam as a basic, stable principle. So Islam has always planned to put forward Mahdist Security as the best model in its long-term activities to show the way for both today’s life policy and tomorrow’s perspectives.We have tired in this article to explain the importance of “security” with its effects on different walks of human social life by dealing with the comprehensive, inclusive meaning of Mahdist Security as the original basis for peacefulness mentioned in the political thinking of the great religion of Islam.

In this article, the writer has tried to introduce the government of Mahdi (PBuH) to the world as a humanitarian, philanthropic school and a proper model of life by making the readers recognize today’s crises and misfortunes of modernized man.Moreover, the writer wants the people to appreciate again their real identity by challenging other schools such as ‘humanism’ and ‘existentialism’ to obtain the relatively exact view and see the clear horizon in front of them, which all divine teachings of the prophets have so far promised them.On this basis, we have dealt with the most important subjects of anthropology to make today’s man become known at the time of Imam Mahdi’s appearance. Such issues are as human generosity, liberality, facilitation in behavior, broad-mindedness, negligence of others’ faults, human wisdom, and noble-natured ness.By explaining these human qualities at the time of the Imam’s Advent, we have tried to introduce the government of the Imam as an appropriate example to other governments of the world so that they may take the model for convenience and security.

In this article, after giving a definition for the word “government”, we have tried to explain the Islamic Perspective about the ultimate goal of God’s creation. We have expressed that the government of Imam Mahdi (PBuH), when actualized, will pave the way to reach the final goal of Creation, which is the very nearness of God to acquire His favor. Then, we have dealt with those non-religious opinions of some societies that believe “the world will become replete with peace, justice, security and restfulness only if the Savior appears on the scene.Finally, we have concluded that the appearance and presence of a great savior is in the belief of every freedom-seeking nation to arrive at the situation to save the oppressed and depressed people.Furthermore, since this desire for the Savior will not be realized if the preliminaries and prerequisites are not attained and the grounds are not provided for his coming, we ought to prepare every means necessary by programming carefully beforehand so that the Advent can be actualized. In this case the role played by the Islamic countries is very important and the governments should provide their situations for the Imam’s Advent.At the end of this writing, we have pointed to some important goals or purposes that the Islamic governments need to follow on the way to preparations and with regard to Universal Justice. They have been given under two kinds.1- general purposes (justice, security, powerfulness) 2- particular purposes (giving knowledge and education)

The subject of “future depiction” and the Advent of the Savior, which has been looked upon in a domain more and further than scientific and religious dimensions in the west, really deserves to be paid more attention to among the Muslims and in the Shiite circles than in other places because the belief has taken deep roots in their culture and so it must be studied more seriously.The subject of future perceiving ought to be always linked to the Shiites, life so that the manifestations of Mahdi’s Advent, which is promised to everyone, can be well crystallized within Mahdist Doctrine and its affiliated issues.Nowadays in the West, a large group of thinkers have centralized their thoughts over the way how they might approach the changes brought about during the period of the Savior and how to deal best with the management at the End of Time under the topic called “the Appearance of the Messiah (PBuH) and the wars at the end of history”. They emphasize their view of the Future Prediction by saying: “If you can predict the future, you will be able to build it”.The following article has tried to deliberate on the future events and changes that are going to happen and to explain the situations at the time and after the time of the Advent of Imam Mahdi (PBuH). This writing has gone farther to clarify and introduce the necessary strategies to encounter the scenes at the End of Time in order to shape and manipulate the days’ plans according to the explicit wording of the Quranic Verses based on continuing the policy of the Saints by putting an emphasis on the strategic school of Cognition and referring to Islamic traditions and benefiting from the comprehensive methodology of analysis of commentaries to comment on the future happenings.

The subject of ‘democracy’ with its capacity to conform to the national customs in Islamic societies has had the precedence of familiarity of Muslims with Plato’s and Aristotle’s opinions since a very ling time ago. In the contemporary period too, the Shiites looking into ‘democracy’ for indicating its relation and its proportion to the Mahdist government has attracted the attention of many thinkers to the issue.The theory of ‘democracy’ was designed and introduced almost 3000 years ago as a political thought which spread everywhere. But due to its wide sense and ambiguity of meaning its principles and bases have all made it difficult for many people to find the relation between democracy and the doctrine of Mahdism.Now, this article has dealt with the role of people in a government called “Mahdist Government”.It Has tried to clarify any compatibilities or incompatibilities between democracy and Mahdism to remove apprehension. The sacred movement of Mahdism will be an overwhelming global revolution to mobilize everyone to swear allegiance and promise loyalty with Imam Mahdi (PBuH).This government will function by using its special mechanisms to stabilize a universal policy.

The year 1387 (2008 AD) is named “the year of prosperities and great innovations” by our great leader Hazrat Ayatollah Khamene’i, may God lengthen his auspices! However, the year is more deserved to be appropriated to distinguishing and describing all flourishings and innovations at the Time of Advent of Imam Mahdi, the riser of the household of Muhammad (MGSBH) because all the events and happenings of Mahdist Revolution will be models and samples for everyone to follow.We believe that in the revolution, which will be the last global revolution started and led by Mahdi, may God hasten his Relief, the best and the latest prosperities and innovations will certainly happen.At the beginning of this Article, we will explain the most prominent feature of the Mahdist Revolution as a phenomenon new in its kind, which will be an innovation original in the history. Then, in two parts, we will mention some of the unique characteristics of the Mahdist revolution to be the most modern innovations in the world documented by reliable traditions of the great prophet of Islam or immaculate Imams (peace be upon them all).

Just as the woman at home is in the manner of the heart in a body, she is actually as important in the society. If the heart of a community becomes hard, dark and faulty without the remembrance of God, the human environment will also decline.But, it this heart palpates with clear transparent blood, it will circulate to reflect the light of God.This nucleus of the society, the woman, can change the dark night of depression and repression to a day full of activity and liveliness to challenge the evils and misfortunes.Undoubtedly, the attitude of the people in the society towards the woman has greatly changed since a long time ago. That’s why many thinkers have gone forward to evaluate again this precious pearl of God’s creation and write about the woman’s position and status. There are some new doctrines now that have sought to revive and promote the woman’s dignity as much as possible.The present article has chosen two views out of many common viewpoints prevalent in western theologies and in Islam and it has comparatively studied them. The feminist divinities in the west and the doctrine of Mahdism in Islam are two perspectives from which I have tried to analyze the ideas.I have first dealt with the reasons why the feminist theologies started and what thoughts were effective in them. Then I have shown some strategies towards knowing better the position of women in the society; and at last, I have drawn the reader’s attention to feminist views and the woman’s dignity in the doctrine of Mahdism.However, the writing style is always comparative and it is the reader who should decide and pick out the better view out of the two thoughts for today’s woman.