Early Shiah narrations recorded in works such as Kitāb...

Early Shiah narrations recorded in works such as Kitāb al-Kāfī by al-Kulaynī and later in Biḥār al-Anwār by al-ʿAllāmah al-Majlisī explicitly refer to the return of the Imams and their followers, and the resurrection of their enemies, before the Day of Judgment. These reports form the earliest layers of doctrinal development for Raj‘at , giving it both a historical and theological grounding. In the fourth and fifth centuries AH, Shiah theologians such as Shaykh al-Mufīd (d.

413 AH) and Sharīf al-Murtaḍā (d. 436 AH) began systematizing Shiah beliefs. They included Raj‘at as a component of their eschatological framework, linking it with broader doctrines such as divine justice ( ʿadl ), Imamate, and resurrection. By this period, Raj‘at was no longer a vague eschatological hope but a formal belief rooted in both Qur’anic exegesis and authentic traditions of the . Today, the doctrine of Raj‘at remains a distinguishing feature of Twelver Shia theology.

It is taught in seminaries, referenced in religious sermons, and included in many Shia creedal texts ( ʿAqā’id ) as a sign of faith in God’s ultimate justice and power. Scriptural Foundations of Raj‘ah The concept of Raj‘at in Islam is rooted in various Qur’anic verses that Shia scholars have long interpreted as supporting this distinctive eschatological belief.

Although the Qur’an does not explicitly use the term “Raj‘at” in this theological sense, numerous verses allude to events or returns that precede the final resurrection, thus laying the groundwork for the doctrine of Raj‘at .

1: Return of Select Groups Before the Resurrection One of the most often cited verses in support of Raj‘at in Islam is: “On that day, We shall resurrect from every nation a group of those who denied Our signs, and they will be held in check [4] .” This verse refers to the return of a group of deniers, rather than the entire population of every nation.