We always expect an immediate reward for the one step we take forward. Among the seminary students, there is a famous saying:“An ignorant is the one who when he recites 2 units of prayers, expects to receive revelation” . In reality, we should evaluate the size of our expectation. Have we strived and struggled to the same extent? How far have we acted upon our religious duties?
An invocation (named as Dua during occultation), has come down in the books of Hadith with expression like,
“اللهم عرفني نفسك ”[118]
A part of this Dua says,
“O Allah! Make me such that I do not turn hasty in that which You have postponed and I do not postpone that which You have given preference.”
As a result, firstly, Hazrat Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) himself commands that, “Pray excessively for hastening Faraj (Deliverance) and resolving the affairs.[119]
Secondly, we are duty bound to pray constantly and should strive to fulfill our duty.
Thirdly, besides praying, we are eager to see his reappearance.
Fourthly, we are desirous of meeting him. This desire is out of love and not in the form of pressing for something as one’s due. It may seem impolite to express such sentences like, “Why don’t you come? Where are you? Why don’t you appear? We are ready!
On the contrary, it would be more correct to remain satisfied with the Divine destiny while at the same time, we eagerly pray before Allah for Imam’s early Reappearance.
The holy Imams trained people in a special manner. The eagerly desire to meet is one issue, while pressing for something as one’s due is another matter.
When Amir-ul-Mu’minin (a.s.) was struck with the sword, Imam Hasan (a.s.) came to the door and said to the gathered audiance: “Our master’s condition is very unstable, so please disperse.” The people left the place except for a few. One of them was Asbagh-ibn-Nobateh. Imam Hasan (a.s.) said, Why don’t you go away?” He replied,“Your command to depart is clear. But my legs are unable to move until I see my kind master! Courtesy too, does not allow me to willfully enter the house.”
Imam Hasan (a.s.) went inside and returned, and then said,“Come inside” . Asbagh entered and threw himself on Hazrat’s feet.[120]
We should behave in this manner before our Imams (a.s.). While keeping intact our manners, we should also express our love and devotion. May Allah shower His Mercy upon one of our great teachers. He possessed a very good ring in his finger. He gifted it to my friend. Another friend said, why didn’t he gift that to us?” One said,“If he deemed it advisable, he would have gifted it to you as well” .
Always, grace descends from top to bottom. He should gift it himself and not that we count on receiving something. The same teacher said,“I never asked anything from my teacher (in spite of possessing strength and ability). Whatever he gave me was out of grace.”
A Shia person should be keen and eager to meet Hazrat Mahdi. But this eagerness is not in the form of claim for some due. We are very insignificant and no figure to claim something as our due.[121] We should pave the background of our heart and life so that he himself showers his grace, as we are unaware of what is to our interest.
It’s likely that some problem may lie ahead of the person who meets Hazrat Mahdi. For example, he may fail to preserve this secret or pride and self-conceit may overtake him in such manner that he would lag behind in all goods deeds and would start imagining that he has achieved high ranks.