ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Al-mahdi (a.s.) Chapter Seven : First Introduction The affairs regarding the end of time which have been mentioned in traditions are of two kinds: One kind of affairs are those which are preliminary steps and signs of 'Qiyamat' and another kind are those affairs which shall occur just before Mahdi's emergence. However, majority of the Shias and Sunnis has combined together these two kinds in their respective literature and writings.

The second kind, which shall occur before Mahdi's emergence and uprising, are also of two types: Firstly, that types which should occur before Mahdi's emergence and uprising. As such, occurrence of such affairs and non-emergence of Mahdi will not prove the incorrectness of the traditions. This is because such traditions are no proof and sign of Hazrat's emergence. Rather, the motif of mentioning such traditions is to reveal their occurrence just before Mahdi's emergence.

Secondly, those affairs which have been mentioned in traditions and which shall occur before Mahdi's emergence may be subject to 'bada' (change) which we Shias believe. As such, non-occurrence of some of these affairs will be no proof of the incorrectness of such traditions. For both of the afore-said affairs certain proofs and evidences exist in some of the traditions.

Thus, before anything else it should be first clarified whether the incident, which occurs, belongs to the first category or the second one. Thereafter, the state of the narrators of the second kind and the context, which proves the correctness or the incorrectness of traditions, should be reviewed.

Second Introduction If anyone ponders over the traditions mentioned by learned scholars in this chapter, he will realize that these traditions are either correct, weak, imputed or lacking (the mention of) the first transmitter. Rather amongst them are traditions, which are incorrect from the view - point of history and context. However we have restrained ourselves to 'Sahih' (correct) and authentic traditions or 'hasan' (good) traditions from the viewpoint of the chain of transmission.

We have mentioned only those traditions which happen to be authentic and for which we could find a context. Otherwise we have restrained from mentioning them. Similarly we have restrained ourselves to those types of traditions where credibility and conscience adjudge the possibility of their ascertainability and occurrence.