It is obligatory to learn about the signs of reappearance that are taught to us by the Imams (as). These signs will help us to understand and differentiate between the true Imam Mahdi (as) and those who falsely claim to be him.
Knowing the signs of reappearance will ensure that when a person hears the call of Imam Mahdi (as), he will be able to recognise the truth of these calls through his knowledge. (Read More)
Imam Sadiq (as) said, Recognize the signs (of reappearance). After knowing them correctly, the hastening or delay of this affair (reappearance) will not cause you any harm. (Al-Kafi volume 1 page 372)
Imams (as) have described the signs that the Almighty Allah has appointed for the reappearance of the Imam Mahdi (as) so that the liar may be distinguished from the truthful. In some traditions there is mention of some mischiefs that the villains will create to mislead the gullible. But those who are aware of traditions of the Holy Imams (as) and know that such a thing would happen, they will not be fooled by these antics. They will be able to distinguish the liars from the truthful as they have learnt about the signs of reappearance on the basis of traditions
Umar Ibne Hanzala reports that Imam Sadiq (as) also said, There are five certain signs for Qaem (as): Sufyani, Yamani, Call from the Sky, Slaying of Nafs-e-Zakiyyah (The pure soul) and sinking of the ground at Bayza.
In another report from the Imam (as) it is mentioned that he said, Before the year of the cry (from the heavens), there will be a sign in the month of Rajab. He was asked, What is it? He said, A face and a protruding hand will appear on the moon.
Imam Sadiq (as) said, The cry (from the heavens), the rising of the Sufyani, the rising of the Yamani, killing of the pure soul and a hand appearing in the sky will be inevitable. There will be also a fright in Ramazan, which will awaken the sleeping people, terrify those who are awake and bring the girls out of their veils.
Imam Sadiq (as) said, If you see a great fire burning in the east for three days or seven days, then wait for the deliverance of Mohammed’s progeny (reappearance) if Allah wills. Allah is Mighty, Wise!
Then he said, The cry will not occur except in the month of Ramazan because Ramazan is the month of Allah and the cry is the cry of Jibraeel to the people. Then he added, A call will come from the heavens with the name of al-Qaem. It will be heard by everyone in the east and everyone in the west. The cry will make every sleeper awake, every stander sit and every sitter stand because of fright. Allah will have mercy upon whoever submits to the cry and obeys the caller because the first cry will be the cry of Jibraeel. Then he said, The cry will be in the month of Ramazan, on a Friday eve, which will be the twenty-third of the month. Do never doubt that. Listen and obey! At the end of the day there will be the voice of Iblees, the cursed calling out: So and so (Uthman) is killed unjustly, just to make people doubt and become confused and then go to Hell. If you hear the call in Ramazan, do not doubt it. It will be the voice of Jibraeel. The evidence is that he will call out the name of al-Qaem and the name of his father. The call will be heard by everyone until the ladies in their veils instigate their fathers and brothers to rise (to join al-Qaem). These two calls must occur before the appearance of al-Qaem. One will be from the heavens calling out the name of al-Qaem and the name of his father. It will be the call of Jibraeel. The other will be from the earth and it will be the call of Iblees calling out the name of someone claiming that he has been killed unjustly just to create sedition among the people. Obey the first call and beware of being deceived by the second one.
Imam Sadiq (as) was asked, Is the rising of the Sufyani inevitable? He (as) said, Yes, it is. Killing of the pure soul, the sinking of the desert, the appearance of a hand in the sky, the call that comes from the heavens and the appearance of al-Qaem are also inevitable. Then it was asked, What is the call? He said, A caller calling out the name of al-Qaem and the name of his father.
Zurarah reports that asked Imam Sadiq (as): Is the call, a fact? He replied: Yes, by Allah, so much so that every people will hear it in their own tongues.
Imam Sadiq (as) asked, Will there be certain signs before this matter (the appearance of al-Qaem)? he said, Yes, there will be. Then he (as) added, The perishment of the Abbasids, the rising of al- Sufyani, killing of Nafs Zakiyyah, sinking of the desert and the call from the heavens. The narrator said, May I be sacrificed on you, I am afraid that these things may take a long time! He (as) said, No, they will come like the beads of a rosary; coming one after that other.
Zurarah says that he heard Imam Sadiq (as) say, A caller will call out from the heavens that so and so is the emir and that Ali and his followers are the triumphant ones. I said, Then who will fight al-Mahdi after that? He replied, Shaytaan will call out that so and so and his followers are the triumphant ones, a man of the Umayyads (Uthman). I said, Then who will know which the truthful is and which the liar is? He said, Those who used to narrate our traditions, will know that and will know that they are with the truth.
Hisham bin Saalim said, I heard Imam Sadiq (as) say, There will be two cries – one at the beginning of the night and the other will be at the end of the second night. I asked, How will that be? He said, One will come from the heavens and the other will be from Iblees. I said, How one will be distinguished from the other? He said, He, who knows about it before its occurrence will recognize it.
Imam Baqir (as) said, The rising of as-Sufyani and the rising of the Qaem will be in the same year.
It is mentioned by Badr bin Khalil Asadi that he said, I was in the company of Imam Baqir (as) when he said that two signs would appear before the appearance of Imam Mahdi (as) that had never appeared since Allah had sent Adam down to the earth. He said that the sun would be eclipsed in the middle of Ramazan and the moon would be eclipsed in the end of Ramazan.
A man said, O son of Allah’s Messenger, it is the moon that will be eclipsed in the middle of Ramazan and the sun will be eclipsed at the end of it. Baqir (as) said, I do know what I say. They are two signs that have never occurred since Adam (as) descended to the earth.
Imam Baqir (as) said, Before the appearance of al-Qaem, the moon will be eclipsed five days before the end of the month and the sun will be eclipsed in the middle of the month. That will occur in Ramazan and then the calculations of the astrologers will fail.
In the book, Noorul Oyoon, among the signs of reappearance is that: People in the last period of time will give up wearing the turban and instead of that wear hats. It is also mentioned in a tradition that among the signs of reappearance is that: People would be happy not to have children and one who is childless will express joy and thankfulness.
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