What True Waiting for Imam Mehdi Really Means

On 15th Sha'ban, the birth anniversary of Imam Mehdi (AS) forces a hard question: does our waiting show ethical living and real readiness?

- Dabirah Hassan

As children, we hear about an Imam who lives in occultation, unseen but alive in history. We grow up believing that one day he will return.

When his name is mentioned, our heads bow almost on their own. And when his title is spoken, we say a prayer for his quick return, hoping the words keep the connection alive.

This becomes a habit we carry through life. The years pass, but the waiting stays the same.

Twenty-five years have gone by since my childhood, and the waiting continues. Only God knows when it will end, when the Imam will appear, and when hearts tired by injustice, confusion, and loss will finally see him.

The present period is known as the period of occultation. During it, we see ourselves as the awaiters of Imam-e-Zaman (AS). This idea, however, needs a clear understanding from the start.

The hope for a saviour does not belong to Shia thought alone. Many divine religions and spiritual traditions carry the belief that a redeemer will appear at the end of history.

Islam reflects this shared hope as well.

Scholars from both Shia and Sunni traditions have written in detail about the Mahdi, his return, and the social and historical setting around his reappearance.

These discussions show that waiting goes beyond sectarian labels. It speaks to a wider human and religious longing for justice, renewal, and moral order.

The deeper question sits somewhere else. What does occultation really mean, and what does it ask of those who say they are waiting?

Reappearance is more than a future event that will change history. It is a moment that asks for awareness and makes history seem to halt and wait.

In this sense, occultation holds meaning and purpose. It marks a long phase of intellectual, moral, and practical preparation. It works like a school, training people to carry justice with awareness and discipline, rather than through emotion or impulse.