The Sunnis have narrated...

The Sunnis have narrated: The Apostle of Allah (PBUH&HF) said, "Even if only one day has remained for the duration of the world's existence, Allah shall prolong that day to send a person from my Ahl al-Bait whose name is the same as my name… He shall fill out the earth with peace and justice just as it was filled with injustice and tyranny."[^1] The above tradition proves that although Allah may postpone this divine promise even up to the last days of the world's existence, nevertheless it will certainly take place.

Hence, all the true believers should expect its happening through the hands of the promised savior from the family of Muhammad (PBUH&HF), whose most famous titles are al-Mahdi (the guided), al-Qa'im (the one who shall stand up), al-Muntadhar (the awaited). There are many traditions narrated by all Islamic schools where the Apostle of Allah (PBUH&HF) has portrayed the events just prior to the reappearance of al- Mahdi (PBUH).

The Shi'ite traditions, narrated from the Prophet (PBUH&HF) and the Imams of Ahl al-Bait (PBUT), provide much more details for these events. On the other hand, there are many traditions conveying that the advent of Imam al-Mahdi (PBUH) will be very sudden and unpredictable, and that Allah may cancel or change the signs before his reappearance and may let the Imam (PBUH) reappear at any moment. [^1] Tafsir Durr al-Manthur, al-Suyuti, vol. 7, under commentary of Verse 47:18; Sunan, Abu Dawud, vol.

2, Chapter 35 (Kitab al-Mahdi), Bab 1, Hadith 4279; Sahih, al-Tirmidhi, vol. 3, Chapter of Fitan, Bab 44 (what has come about al-Mahdi (PBUH)), Hadith 2331-2332. In the first part of this work, we will discuss the significance, purpose, and predictability of the signs, and the way they should affect our expectation for the arrival of Imam al-Mahdi (PBUH). We will examine the possibility of canceling the foretold signs in the light of the verses of the Quran and the traditions.

We will also investigate why the Imam (PBUH) has not yet started his mission, for what reasons Allah has delayed his advent, and how our behavior has contributed to this delay. In the second part, we will enumerate some of the divine commandments that if we follow, Allah may expedite the reappearance of the Imam (PBUH) and lessen the hardships that we are going to face prior to and during his advent.

They are the duties of everyone who is expecting al-Qa'im (PBUH), as instructed by Ahl al-Bait (PBUT).