The martyrdom of Imam al-Askari (PBUH) marked the beginning of a challenging era in the history of Shia. The Imam of the Shia, Imam al-Mahdi (PBUH), disappeared from sight after the martyrdom of his father, Imam al-Askari (PBUH). The previous Imams used to think about how to form a nation that would pave the way for the advent of Imam al-Mahdi (PBUH). Therefore, they had prepared the Shia for the era of occultation. The wise measures and fatherly kindness of Imam Jawad, Imam Hadi, and Imam al-Askari (PBUT) came to the aid of the Shia in the difficult and dark days of occultation. Years ago, they had established the proxy network and underground organizations. Through this, they had taught the Shia that the deputy has the same authority as the Imam, and their ordinance is as lmam’s ordinance.
Now that the Shia knew that obedience to the Imam’s deputy was a religious and heartfelt duty, they had less problem with the beginning of the Imam’s occultation. So, they obeyed the Imam’s designated deputies and showed their loyalty to the Imam. the Imam’s special deputies were the only way for the Shia to communicate with the Imam. They were the bridge between the Shia and the Imam. Until the last deputy died in the year 329 AH. The Shia’s connection with the Imam’s special deputies was cut off. They transitioned from the era of special deputyship to the era of general deputyship, and the Shia began to follow the supreme leadership.
The formation of the ummah who prepares the ground for the advent of Imam Mahdi (PBUH) required an absolute belief and obedience to the supreme leader. Because some folks found it difficult to understand and accept this concept, they went astray. However, groups of people benefited the most from this opportunity. They made revolutions in obedience to the supreme leader. These people, with their revolutions, paved the way for the reappearance of the Promised Saviour and the formation of a new Islamic civilization. They recorded their names among the companions of the Imam of the Age.
In this section, we discuss how the formation of the ummah prepares the ground for the advent of Imam Mahdi (PBUH). We discuss about the various formations of Shias during the Imam’s occultation and talk about the fruits of sincere obedience and compliance with the representative of the Imam. Then, we reveal some secrets about the influential role of this obedience in the fate of our inner world and the role of this compliance in the destiny of the final battle between civilizations.