It was in such a situation that for the purpose of...

It was in such a situation that for the purpose of preserving the life of Hujja of the Almighty Allah, the occultation of the twelfth Imam (as) took place, which was the only practical way left to preserve the life of “Allah's caliph on earth.” That was because his presence among people would leave him open to being assassinated.

Thus, divine decree destined his Holiness to be hidden from sight so that the enemies' hands would be away from him and the intermediary of Divine blessings for the people of the whole world would remain safe and sound. In this way, although not being present, the guiding light of Allah's Hujja is directing his lovers and friends from behind the curtain of occultation.

Meanwhile, this was a punishment for the Muslim community who had not only deviated from the straight path of Wilayat and obedience to Amir al-Mu’minin ‘Ali (as) and his Infallible progeny, but also committed persecution and murder to them, which all in all led to the necessity of living a hidden life for the last Imam (as).

There is much to be said in this respect, but due to being pressed by time and in order to make the reader briefly acquainted with the importance of the hidden Imam in the Shi‘a worldview, we here relate what was stated by professor Henry Corbin in his meeting with ‘Allama Tabataba’i: “To my opinion Shi‘ism is the only school which has constantly maintained a relation of Divine guidance between Allah and mankind and is continuously keeping Wilayat revived and firmly rooted….

It is only the Shi‘ism that considers prophethood as sealed with the Holy (S), but regards Wilayat , i.e. the relation between guidance and completion, after his Holiness as existing forever.

That is a relation emerged out of connection of human world to Divine world, due to religious missions before Moses (as), in his era and the eras of Jesus (as) and Muhammad (S), and after him through the Wilayat of his successors (according to the Shi‘as), which has been and will be a living reality that can never be called superstitious and eliminated from the list of realities by scientific theories...

Anyway, it is Shi‘ism which has actualized the continuation and permanence of this reality, and contends that this reality will remain eternal and everlasting – between human world and Divine world.”[^3] That is of course based on believing in the living Hidden Imam.