In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Miracle of Imam Mahdi’s Birth (for 10 years old and more)
On Friday 15th Sha’ban 255 After Hijrah, the twelfth and last Imam of Islam from the Ahlul Bayt of Rasulullah [PBUH] was born. He is our living Imam whom Allah has blessed with a very long life without aging until such time as when Allah wishes for him to establish peace and Islam in the whole world.
His name is Muhammad – the same name of Rasulullah [PBUH] – but he is never referred to by his own name. Instead, he is referred to with titles like:
- “al-Mahdi” (which means the one guided by Allah)
- “al-Qa’im” (which means the one who will rise to establish justice)
- “al-Hujjah” (which means the proof of Allah)
And after his name, instead of saying “Alayhis Salam” (peace be upon him) we usually, say “Ajjalallahu ta’ala farajahu sharif” or even just “Ajjalallahu farajah” (which means may Allah hasten his return)
On the night before he was born, Imam Hasan al-Askari [AS] called his aunt, Sayyida Hakima the daughter of Imam Muhammad al-Jawad [AS] to come and spend the night at his home. This was a Thursday night. And so she came cover to his home for dinner and to spend the night there.
Imam Hasan al-Askari [AS] said to his aunt, “Tonight is the eve of the 15th of Sha’ban. Allah will reveal in this night His proof (hujjah) over the earth and the child born tonight is very special to Allah. Through him, Allah will give life to the earth again after it is dead.”
Sayyida Hakima told with amazing “But Narjis Khatoon shows no sign of being pregnant?”
“It is as I tell you”, replied Imam Hasan al-Askari [AS]. Allah had hidden the pregnancy as well because the spies of the Caliph even had maids in the house spying to see if the wife of Imam al-Askari [AS] was pregnant.
Sayyida Hakima sat besides Sayyida Narjis the whole night waiting for the miracle to happen. Just before the start of down when the sky was still filled with stars, Sayyida Narjis showed signs of childbirth and Sayyida Hakima narrates that Imam al-Mahdi [AJ], the child predicted by Rasulullah [PBUH] was born.
Imam Hasan [AS] took his son, who was born pure and purified and said to him,
“Speak my son, by the power of Allah.
Speak O proof (hujjah) of Allah!
O successor of prophets and the last of Imams!
Speak o Khalifa of the God-conscious (muttaqin)!”
And a miracle occurred. The child began speaking and recited:
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
وَنُرِيدُ أَنْ نَمُنَّ عَلَى الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَنَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَنَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوَارِثِينَ
وَنُمَكِّنَ لَهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَنُرِيَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَامَانَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا مِنْهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يَحْذَرُونَ
And We desired to show favour to those who were considered weak in the land, and to make them Imams, and to make them the inheritors, and to establish them in the land, and to show Fir’awn and Haman and their armies from them that of which they were afraid.
Surah al-Qisas, 28:5-6
As Imam al-Mahdi [AJ] recited these verses, tears fell from the eyes of Imam Hasan al-Askari [AS] out of awe for the words of Allah and his promise.
