2. Spiritual perfection

Man, by establishing complete Anticipation, can create some of the states of the people of the time of the reappearance within himself, namely purity of heart, and with hope and anticipation save himself from despair and ruin. Imam Sadiq (AS) narrates from his ancestor Amir al Mu’minin (AS) who is quoted as saying;

اَفْضَلُ عِبَادَةِ الْمُؤْمِنِ اِنْتِظَارُ فَرَجِ اللهِ

 “The best worship of the believer is to have Anticipation for the reappearance of the Mahdi (AS) from Allah.”[1]

Therefore as a result of the state of Anticipation man can create within himself, some of the effects of perfection of the time of the reappearance. For further explanation of this matter consider Imam Sajjad’s (AS) orders to Abi Khalid. Abi Khalid narrates from Ali Ibn Hussein (AS) where the Imam (AS) has said;

عَنْ اَبِي خَالِدِ الْكَابُلِي عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ(ع): تَمْتَدُّ الْغَيْبَةُ بِوَلِيِّ اللهِ الثَّانِي عَشَرَ مِنْ اَوْصِيَاءِ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ(ص) وَ الاَئِمَّةِ بَعْدِهِ، يَا اَبَا خَالِدَ، اَنَّ اَهْلَ زِمَانِ غَيْبَتِهِ، اَلْقَائِلُوْنَ بِاِمَامَتِهِ الْمُنْتَظِرُوْنَ لِظُهُوْرِهِ اَفْضَلُ اَهْلِ كُلِّ زَمَانٍ، لاَنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَي ذِكْرُهُ اَعْطَاهُمْ مِنَ الْعُقُوْلِ وَ الاَفْهَامِ وَ الْمَعْرِفَةِ مَا صَارَتْ بِهِ الْغَيْبَةُ عِنْدَهُمْ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْمُشَاهِدَةِ، وَ جَعَلَهُمْ فِي ذَالِكَ الزَّمَانِ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْمُجَاهِدِيْنَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ(ص) بِالسَّيْفِ، اُوْلئِكَ الْمُخْلَصُوْنَ حَقّاً، وَ شِيْعَتُنَا صِدْقاً، وَ الدُّعَاةُ اِلَي دِيْنِ اللهِ سِرّاً وَ جَهْراً، وَ قَالَ(ع): اِنْتِظَارُ الْفَرَجِ مِنْ اَعْظَمِ الْفَرَجِ.

 “ The occultation will be extended by a guardian (Wali) appointed by Allah who is the 12^th of the guardians and Imams belonging to the family of the Holy Prophet (SAW) after him. O Abi Khalid, the people who will be present at the time of his occultation and believe in his Imamate and await his reappearance, are better than people of any other period. Thus Allah (SWT) bestows them with so much intelligence, understanding and knowledge that absence to them is like witnessing and at that time they will be given the position equal to those who struggled (mujahideen) and fought with swords in the presence of the Holy Prophet (SAW). They are truly of the sincere and are of our true Shi’as who call people to the religion of God, both openly and privately.” Then Imam Sajjad (AS) said, “ Anticipation of the reappearance is part of the greatness of the reappearance.”[2]

The righteous ones in Anticipation, who have attained perfection on the path because of their readiness for the government of Allah’s unseen powers all over the universe, at the time of occultation, attain some of the personal qualities of the time of reappearance e.g. purity of heart, such that the dark period of occultation appears to them as a time of presence and witnessing.

If it did not affect them in such a way, then how can Anticipation of the reappearance be a great part of the reappearance?

With the state of Anticipation, they bring together the period of reappearance and the period of occultation and they attain many of the states of that period during the period of occultation.[3]