Transcript of Lecture by Ayatullah Wahid Khurasani

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNweYo-7S1Q

In the name of Allah the beneficent the merciful.

Mid-Shabaan cannot be described or understood. We hear some descriptions but understanding these subjects is beyond the limits of our understanding. Who is Imam Zaman? This is one question. What is Quran? This is the second question.

As for what is Quran. Those who study the Quran know that what is located bain al-daftayn, between the two covers of this book, is everything that God revealed to the 124,000 Prophets. It�s all in this book.  Comprehending and understanding the subject matter astonishes the intellect. That is, that which was with Adam and that which God gave to Noah, that which God favored his friend Abraham with, that which the creator gave to Moses, son of Imran and bestowed on Jesus, son of Mary, that which was given to the first person in creation and the complete intellect, are all in this book. It begins with �In the name of Allah, the most beneficent, the most merciful, �(that is,) the chapter (called) al-hamd and ends with the chapter (called) Nas (human beings). This is the Quran! Everyone has to do his duty in regards to the Quran. The duty (one has) in regards to the Quran can be summed up in two words, the matter at hand can be summarized in these two words. One is the reciting of the Quran, this is the first word, the second word is acting and behaving in accordance with the Quran.

As for reciting the holy Quran. Whatever can be said (in regards to the matter) is contained in the words of the People of the house (of the Prophet). True knowledge is only that which is in the Quran and narrations (of the people of the House). Whatever comes from other than these sources is void. It is stated in a narration with a complete chain containing trustworthy reporters that the proof and sign of Allah stated, �anything that..� the word �any� is an indefinite pronoun that is general. ��has not come out of this house is void�. �Anything that has not come out of this House�� meaning the household of the People of the House that �Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanliness from you, O people of the House! And to purify you a (thorough) purifying�. That which is from other than this Household is void.

Now, what is it that has come out of this House? We will summarize it. From today, all of you act according to this program: The commander of the faithful stated to his son Mohammed ibn al- Hanafiyah, �This Quran is the covenant of God.� It is the covenant between God and his servants. A will that (comes) from a father like the commander of the faithful to a person like Mohammed ibn hanafiyah. This is (something) that requires (deep contemplating) for its comprehension. He stated, �this book is the covenant of God� . �Try not to let any day pass unless you renew your covenant with God�. His excellency has stated that the minimum (requirement). As for the minimum (requirement), it does not have a limit. Why? Because the Quran is the light (of guidance). Any verse which is added (to the daily reading of the Quran) becomes the light upon light. He said, �Do not abandon (reading) at least fifty verses a day�. Read at least fifty verses of the Quran. This sentence is enough. (imagine) if someone reads fifty verses a day! The word of the commander (of the faithful) is the commander of words. We never gained (complete) understanding of who Ali ibn Abi Talib (s) was! (The Prophet (s) has stated) �I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate�. Such a person calculated that in those fifty verses are all the necessary gems. Origin (of creation), resurrection and hereafter, ethics, and legal obligations.

If anyone attains the grace (of God) so as to read fifty verses (of the Quran) everyday, the questions still remains as to how he/she should read them. There is a strategy and way to reading (in order to gain the maximum benefit). �Do they not then reflect on the Quran? Or are there locks on their hearts?� That reflection and reading (of the Quran) must be accompanied with contemplation. If every person recites fifty verses of the Quran every day in this manner after forty days his soul will become a red (fiery) elixir. How unfortunate that our life passed us by and we did not manage to benefit from our life in its full potential. Start from today. Do not recite less than fifty verses. The more the better.  However, the (important) point is this:

Sometimes actions are (considered to be) for me (and increase our vanity). Such an action has no value. A person must not lose himself (in his ego and vanity). What is my value and what is so special about me? From head to toe I am guilty and full of shortcomings. This is (what we mean when we say) you have to find the (correct) way. Sometimes reciting the Quran becomes mine (and means for becoming vain). (On the other hand) sometimes the person makes use of his/her intellect and then, the page is turned. If you do this, it is only then that the page will be turned (on how your state will be).

That Quran which you read to that minimum (amount of verses mentioned before) in regards to the minimum (amount reading), the more the better- gift all of the blessings (you require from that reading) to the master of our era, the Imam of our time. If you gift it to him, the action (of reciting the Quran) will become more than being just for me and you. Its relation will return to him (the twelth Imam). That is, if the action is for me will it then be accepted (from me) or not? Such an action contains a thousand deficiencies. However, if you read the Quran and gift it to the Imam of our time, no angel has the power (to deny that). In fact it has to ascend until it reaches the highest throne. Start this first practice from today. Grab the maximum (of that which you are capable of achieving). Try to read as much of the Quran as you can. (then,) gift it to the master of our era and time.

But (now, as to) who is the Imam of our time (Imam Zaman). Any description is insufficient for stating what a gem he is! There is a narration from which you can draw all the necessary conclusions. That narration is the one reported by Saduq who narrates it from the fourth Imam, Imam Zayn al-Abedin. This is the narration: �The one who in his occulation��. From this narration it becomes obvious that those who live in the period of his occultation can achieve such a status.

What is his status? From this narration one should understand the conclusion of the subject matter from the way it begins. I myself am astonished by this. The narration is such a narration that the master of narrators (specialized in that science), Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Babawayh al-Saduq reports it. He reports it in such a book that he wrote when commanded by the Imam Zaman. The narration is this: �Those who in the duration of his occultation pass away while having his (ie Imam Zaman�s) guardianship their reward and blessings (with God) is equivalent to (the reward of) a thousand martyrs from the martyrs of Badr and Uhud. This is the station of those two who in his occultation are firm (in their belief) in his guardianship.

Now, what kind of status does the Imam of our Time have himself? Firstly, what is the secret of this narration? The answer (to that question) requires much focus and insight and can only be found in religious teachings. �Everything is before his sight in due proportion� �And the firmament has he raised high, and he has set up the balance�. �And we will set up a just balance�. The divine plan observes the balance (in creation) fully (without any shortcomings in any way) the secret of this greatness is that near the end of the time, protecting one�s faith and religion is most difficult. The problems (that occur during this era) is not one or two things. For the elite there are a great number of certain difficulties and for the general public there is great many other difficulties. Likewise, for women there will be certain kind of difficulties and for youth there will be certain others. Then, in this time, with difficulties and problems being to such degree of severity, keeping one�s religion. All one has to do is refer to the narrations that have come down to us regarding the period near the end of time.

One will be astonished. One narration talks about the danger of the end of the time being so severe that in the morning a person will go out of his home believing in religion, when he comes back home at night he will be without a belief in religion. It will reach such severity in such a time, keeping one�s faith and holding on to the guardianship of the people of the house, its beginning is this: �And as for those who strive hard for us�. This is because of this time, is the time to strive (and striving should be) only in the way of Allah. One should have patience when stricken with poverty, patience when stricken with calamities, patience with regards to obeying God and patience with regards to keeping away from sins. One needs to have more patience in these times. When difficulties become severe  and one is faced with those difficulties. Then the reward and blessings will reach the aforementioned station.

At that time any one of you, men or women, if in this time be steadfast in holding onto the guardianship of people of the house and be pious individuals when death overtakes you, man or woman, you will have the reward and blessings of a thousand martyrs of the battle of bardr and uhud. This is the narration from Shaikh Saduq and the one narrated from is the master of those who prostrate, Zayn al-abedin.

Now if his servants and followers have such a status during his occultation, then what is his status and station? This is where intellect become struck back. When he came into this world on the day of mid-shabaan it is reported as such in the narrations that he was born on the fifteenth of Shaban. When he was born a light came from this newborn and this light reached the highest point of heavens. What kind of soul and spirituality is this that causes this body due to the supremacy of its inner spiritual light, to become so radiant. There is a limit to for how far the lights illuminating property can reach. This light of al Mahdi reaches the ends of those limits. Furthermore, the Sun�s light has its limit. The limit that shined forth when the master of our time was born, this light reached the highest heavens. Anyway, in Sammarah a sun rose on mid-shabaan that lit the throne of Allah.

When he spoke his first sentences while putting his hands on the ground prostrating to God, he said, �Allah bears witness that there is no God except him and also bear witness the angels and the people of knowledge. Maintaining his creation with justice. There is no God but he, the mighty, the wise�. He recited the verse of shahadah (bearing witness). Then he reflected this sentence, �Verily, the religion with (and accepted by) Allah is only Islam�.

Now let those who are the contemplating type think. Those who are acquainted with Quranic sciences, know what kind of station the shahadah verse has! The verse of Shahadah is this: �Allah bears witness that there is no God except him and also bear witness the angels and the people of knowledge. Maintaining his creation with justice. The word with the highest status is �There is no God but Allah�.

This was the condition of his birth and speaking in this way has a detailed explanation of its own. If the opportunity arises, God willing I will talk about it in detail. Now I can only give some brief pointers. The most important word is �There is no God but Allah�. But there is a secret reason why the word �He� was used (in the aforementioned verse). That which bears witness (to this point) is the chapter of Tawhid. �Say: He is one�. It begins with the word �He�. First the word �he� is used then the word �Allah�. In the verse of shahdah there is no �There is no God but Allah�. In the verse of Shahadah there is �There is no god except him�. �Allah bears witness that there is no God except him�� . First in this verse, there is bearing witness of Allah, then the bearing witness of the angels, and then the bearing witness of the people of knowledge. What is he bearing witness to? � There is no God except him�. The first sentence that was uttered by the Imam of our time was the aforementioned sentence.

To sum it up, the sentence that all of the prophets and chosen people of God reached at the end, this was the first word of his first day in this world! This is who the Imam of our time is! He said: �Allah bears witness that there is no God except him and also bear witness the angels the people of the knowledge. Maintaining his creation with justice. There is no God but he, the mighty, the wise�. Then, �verily the religion with and accepted by Allah is only Islam� Nothing else needs to be said. In the sentence, �verily the religion with and accepted by Allah is only Islam� there is wonderment.

On this first day of his birth he said what he was going to do at the end. Now the person who on the first day of his birth, the light of his forehead covered the throne of Allah with light, now after a thousand or so years, with the pains he has felt, over what is happening with humanity and the word of God and so forth, with all those difficulties which he has faced�We simply cannot comprehend the matter at hand.

Every sin that is committed by a person will lacerate his heart! Every problem and difficulty that arises for any Shiah will disrupt his soul. It is for this reason that during this time (of occultation) no one knows the difficulties of the Imam of our time except Allah! Think about it.

You go to Karbala and your eyes will fall on that hexagonal tomb of Imam Hussain. What do you feel at that moment? But he is always in front of that grave and he sees the torn pieces of that body. Now think how his time passes! He will come to Mashhad. When he looks and sees Imam Redha, he sighs like a person bitten by a poisonous snake! When he goes near the grave of Siddiqah Kubrah (the daughter of the Prophet),he sees her battered body. Now, for the one whose light from the first day illuminated all of the firmaments, after all these calamities and all that worship, where is the radiance of his soul?

To summarize this issue and the answer to the question of where his radiance is consider this. �And the earth shall glow with the light of its lord�. This verse has been interpreted as referring to the appearance of the Imam of our time. This is the light of Imam Zaman! If the reality of a person is as such then, his rank and status is beyond our comprehension. This is the verse and this is its explanation. God states, the earth shall glow with the light of its lord. But for the explanation of this verse he states that, the light of the lord which will illuminate the entire earth is the master of our era and time.

O Allah, for your representative, the hujjat (proof), son of al-hassan send your blessings on him and his forefathers. In this hour and in every hour. As our guardian and protector, and a leader and a helper, a proof and a source of guidance. Until you place him on your earth as the head of the just government and bestow him an extended stay in it. Allah send your blessings and peace upon our guardian sent by you, the master of our time, which are limitless in your knowledge. Send everlasting blessings on him for the duration of your kingdom which is forever and hasten his reappearance and purge all corruption from the affairs of Muslims.