Bismillah Al Rahman Al Raheem

“My twelfth descendant will disappear in such a way that he will not be seen at all. There will come a time when there shall remain nothing but a name from Islam. And, there shall remain nothing but a trace from the Qur'an. At that time Allah will permit him to revolt and through him Allah will reinforce Islam and revive it.” - Muhammad al-Khatam al-Anbiyah  (صل الله عليه واله وسلام)

Notes: Muntakhab al-athar, p. 98.

Two years ago when i wrote the first incarnation of this text i was overwhelmed with the profundity of these two eclipses occurring this soon. It was not lost on me that we have all seen so many signs fulfilled in such a short a time. Much of what i wrote presumed that the reader already accepted the fact that we are living in the time of fulfillment of the "Apocalypse" (Revelation). If one is dead set against believing that, then it is unlikely they will ever accept anything to the contrary, no matter how compelling the evidence. It assumed that the reader was not averse to the notion that an end to this deviant global society WILL indeed come. As well it assumed that one believed in the fulfillment of prophecy itself.

The problem that i found was that many - even those who profess Islam as their din - in their hearts remain skeptical of the reality of prophecy. Some are so shocked to hear that there are these things transpiring that synchronize with prophecy from thousands of years ago, that they shut out the relevant facts and write off the connection as mere coincidence after coincidence.

Prophecies abound from the 14 Ma'sumin (عليهم سلام) regarding the "end of the Age" or Zaman. Later in this text we will explore just what this "Age" is, and what the next one is, in the understanding of the Eastern Hindu and Buddhist traditions. But before we get to where we're going, we need some preparation in the form assuring that the reader understands that without question we are living in a time, THE time, that was prophesied so long ago.

The Sixth Imam Ja'far As-Sadiq (عليه سلام) is recorded as saying:

"The believer, in the time of Qa'im, while in the east will be able to see his brother in the west and he who is in the west will be able to see his brother in the east"

In what other age besides this one could such a thing occur? With video cameras, televisions and now even cell phones with cameras a commonplace reality, this prophecy is fulfilled to the letter.

As well, just a few of the literally HUNDREDS of signs that have been fulfilled include:

"Camels will no longer be used as a means of transport; People will ride on saddles that aren't saddles." We see this fulfilled with the advent of the automobile.

"The distance on earth will become short." We see this fulfilled with modern forms of transportation like automobiles, trains and airplanes. Far distances are spanned in a short period of time.

"Horses will not be used in wars." This too has been replaced by modern forms of warfare, airplanes, guerrilla warfare and the like.

"The Jews will gather again to live in Bilad Canaan." This of course has proven one of the most central matters to the instability of world peace. What seemed like an impossibility actually came to pass.

"Very tall buildings will be built." This one is perhaps an UNDERSTATEMENT it was fulfilled so accurately.

"Allah will send a disease to fornicators that will have no cure." We see a global crisis in AIDS as well as in rampant Sexually Transmitted Diseases in general.

"Men will pass by people's graves and say: 'Would that I were in his place'." Of course in no other recorded generation has there been the epidemic of suicides at the rate that we now see.

"Two large groups of people will fight one another, and there will be many casualties; they will both be following the same religion." This occurred in World War Two, where both the Nazi's and Britain along with the United States (Yajuj and Majuj), both claimed to be the true representatives of Christianity.

"Women will be wearing clothes but not wearing clothes." The popular western culture of the day propagandizes clothes that are barely coverings. While there are some somewhat modest women, the majority of the youth dress little different than prostitutes on the street.

Saoban reported that Muhammad  (صل الله عليه واله وسلام)  said: "It is near that the nations will call one another against you just as the eaters call one another at their dishes. Some body enquired: Shall we be few at that time? He said: No, you will be numerous at that time, but you will be so many rubbishes like the rubbishes of a torrent. Allah will then certainly take away the fear of you from the minds of your enemies and will certainly throw weakness into your hearts. Some body enquired: O Rasul'ullah, what will be (the cause of) weakness? He replied: Love of this world and dislike for death."

With these, just a few of the Ahadith on the signs of these times we are living in, borne in mind, the Muslim should not have a problem accepting that the Ma'sumin (عليهم سلام) were talking about this very age, the transition between what the Vedas called the "Kali Yuga" and the "Saya Yuga."

It is not expected that the heart of every kuffar who reads this will be turned. However, it is expected that with this the Mu'minin will appreciate the urgency of preparation and mobilization for the Inevitable.

What It All Means

The analogy that has often occurred to me was of a man jumping off of a cliff. When he first jumps he is plunging at the lowest velocity. However, as he continues in his descent he picks up speed. So too is it with the near global Beast that we find ourselves living within. It was that way with the build up of technology, with the spread of global colonialism and warfare, and it is that way too with moral indifference and decadence. This global Beast and the societies that it manifests within, are set on the course to Hell, full speed ahead. As they approach their destination, like the man who approaches the ground after having jumped off a cliff, the speed and intensity of the signs of these times increase in number of occurrences and in specificity.

So when i was prompted, so to speak, to contact the astronomical associations that i did in regards to this matter, i was somewhat skeptical myself. i did not expect to hear that this was something so soon. i did not expect to hear that the first time the double eclipse of Shahar Ramadan occurred - since that month of fasting was implemented for the Ummah - was when the 12th Imam (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) was 28 years old. Not only is this significant that it occurred first within his lifetime (since fasting in the month of Ramadan was instituted), but at the age of 28, whose mystical implications are undoubtedly not lost on the `urafa. Moreover, i NEVER expected that there were prophecies that foretold that the very dates of the 2003 Ramadan eclipses, and stated that this alignment of dates in the Holy Month of Ramadan was the first in the history of Heaven and Earth. This will be explored in depth as we continue.

When the first communiqué was sent out about this finding i was overwhelmed and in a state of apocalyptic fervor. That is not to say that i now believe one word of what i wrote was factually inaccurate. However, i do recognize that i was completely unaware as to how many people would read the text and how global of an impact it would have (both positive and negative).

When i began my investigation, i found literally NOTHING on the web about it. i found literally NOTHING in print about it, save the ahadith that are recorded herein. Yet in time many would devise sites that were purporting to defuse the fervor that began with this text. They would lean heavily on the quote from Kitab al-Irshad expressing a reverse order of eclipses, and disregard all other ahadith that disagreed with that narration and agreed with those hadith that do not speak of things that are LITERALLY "Science Fiction" (since a reversed order of eclipses would require an entire rearrangement of the Galaxy.

As well, some such individuals would note the frequent PARTIAL double eclipses and say "See these things happen ALL the time." They could not have been further from the truth. But all of this is explained and has been widely accepted by Mu'minin all over the world. It is not hard to believe this unless you are trying to find fault with it, and trying to explain it away.

i did not realize that there were so many who would go to no ends to convince people that this was not going to happen. Yet at the same time ALL of these critics have been silent in confronting me personally. Usually you will find websites or fatawat that say this is not true. They have not confronted me to hear my response. They assume that what i wrote originally was all the information that i had on the subject. Thus, if they found anything that fell outside of the spectrum of what i introduced, then they assumed this was a hole in the text, rather than something that i simply had omitted out of urgency to get the message out to the Ummah and specifically to the Mu'minin.

However, we should not expect fair dealing from the majority of so-called `ulama. These same are the ones who racialistically conceal the ethnicity of the A'immah (عليه سلام) after Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (عليه سلام), those who teach that only people of certain ancestries can marry others of the same. Those same do not truly want the Imam (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) to rise (though they do not admit this to others, or in most cases even to themselves). Those same are devouring the Khums that he and his Jaysh are due for the GLOBAL REVOLUTION. Those fat-cat, so-called `ulama do not want to give half the khums to the poor and the other have to the Revolution and Dawah of Al-Qa'im (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف). They would rather spend it on their own vain pursuits and luxuries.

Some `ulama are genuine though, and to them we give our support. Naming them is not necessary. As `Isa al-Masih (عليه سلام) said, "You will know a tree by its fruits." So too do we know the true `ulama by their deeds. Who is genuinely spreading Islam? Who is supporting the poor? Who is backing the cause of the oppressed? These are your `ulama, those of knowledge who not only READ the words of Hadith, but take them to heart.

This text reflects additional information that i held back for one reason or another at the time of authorship. Insha'Allah you will find that this further strengthens your Iman of the imminence of the Imam al-Mahdi's (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) Rise (of which no one knows the specific time), and further shatters the critics who would love to relegate the Rise to the hypothetical, and presumably DISTANT future; one where they are not required to take action, chose a side, and prepare for battle.

With that, i present these truths for your edification...

Al-Yamani

While some of the minor signs have been relayed above, there are signs that we are told bear more significance than others. The topic of this text itself is perhaps the greatest of all of these signs, as it is said to bear the weight of ten signs itself. Among some of the other major signs is the sign of "Al-Yamani" (the Yemenite).

"There will be three appearances in one year, one month and one day. The Sufyani, the Khurasani and the Yamani. The standard of guidance will not be among them, except the standard of the Yamani, because he will summon (people) to the truth." - Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (عليه سلام)

Could it be that the world famous Yemenite `Usama Bin Ladin, is in fact this Yamani who was said to fight against the Sufyanic system, and against the nations of Yajuj and Majuj? The initial Shi'a reaction would be that this could not be; that the man is a "Wahhabi" like we are told by the Western propaganda machine. But in reality he is not a Hanbali "Wahhabi," he is a follower of Shafi'i fiqh. He blessed the Ahl'ul-Bayt (عليه سلام) in his speeches, those same speeches that the western media will not air the entire translation of.

The FBI recently said that they have recent UNRELEASED footage of him by a chalk board that has ahadith about Al-Qa'im (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) on it. They fear who this "Mahdi" is that he was expecting and writing about, because they fear he will be far worse for them than Yamani, and that Yamani will team up with him.

"U.S. military intelligence experts are studying a video clip of Osama bin Laden in which he stands before a dry-erase board with an Arabic phrase written upon it – "awaited enlightened one," reports Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.

CNN had an article in 1999 that said that Umar and Bin Ladin had a major falling out and were no longer on speaking terms. Just the year before they had the following report that they have not yet deleted from their archives for whatever reason (while they did remove the one from 1999), and which the New York Times ran, (though they removed it as well after 9.11.2001, in order to go with the grain of the status quo scapegoating of Bin Ladin).

CNN: Taliban wants Bin Laden to stop anti-U.S. threats http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/asiapcf/9808/24/afganistan.02/index.html

In that article it says that Umar was very angry with Bin Ladin for speaking out against the nations of Yajuj and Majuj, and he instructed him to stop. The Taliban is the Taliban and Al-Qa'ida is Al-Qa'ida. The latter only operated in some capacity in Afghanistan because the conniving so-called "Mulla" Umar OFFERED it as a safe haven for Yamani when he had no place else to turn. They were never standing shoulder to shoulder killing Shi'a. That has ALWAYS been something of the Pakistani ISI working in conjunction with the Taliban ad-Dajjal.

The media tells us that the cell structure of Al-Qa'ida is as such that there is no "head" of the group calling the shots and making orders. They claim that like Ronnie Lee's Animal Liberation Front (ALF), there is an ideology of resistance that resonates in the hearts of those who are then motivated to actions that they and their individual cells decide upon.

But this is not about Al-Qa'ida, the 9.11 attacks and `Usama Bin Ladin. It is about possibilities and probabilities. The probability is that we are being lied to about Bin Ladin. Nevertheless this is not to support, nor decry him. It is for us to ask ourselves WHY are we being lied to about him. Why do they tell us he is a Wahhabi when he blesses the Ahl'ul-Bayt (عليه سلام) and his son lives in Iran? Why do they tell us that he was murdering Shi'a in Afghanistan when in fact this was the work of the so-called "Mulla" Umar.

Why is that same "Mulla" Umar who has continuously evaded capture now no longer a priority to capture any longer for some strange reason. Nevertheless, the truth about the kaffir "Umar" is for another time and place...

CNN: Afghan official: No rush to nab Omar http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/central/12/18/ret.afghan.omar/index.html

Why do they tell us that Bin Ladin and Umar are such close friends when both CNN and the New York Times reported that in 1999 they had a MAJOR falling out and were no longer even on speaking terms? We are being lied to on a seemingly incomprehensible scale, and the truth about the signs of the times are being concealed from us.

Al-Fadl ibn Shadhan reported on the authority of one who reported it on the authority of Abu Hamza ath-Thumali, who said:

I (Abu Hamza ath-Thumali) asked Abu Ja`far (Imam al-Baqir), (عليه سلام): "Is the revolt of the Sufyani one of the things which must happen?"

"Yes," he replied. "The call is one of the things which must happen as is the rising of the sun from the west one of the things which must happen. The dispute of the `Abbasids over the state is also one of them and the killing of the Nafs az-Zakiyya. The appearance of al-Qa'im from the family of Muhammad (صل الله عليه واله وسلام) is another of the things which must happen."

Ahadith tells of one "Nafs az-Zakiyah" (the innocent soul) who will be martyred as a sign of the times. This, like the rise of Al-Yamani, the spread across the globe of the nations of Yajuj and Majuj, a sweeping "Terror" that will precede the Mahdi "on all sides" and the like, are MAJOR signs of the imminence of the Imam al-Mahdi's (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) Rise.

"When the wall of the masjid of Kufa, which adjoins the house of `Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud is destroyed, then at that time the ruler of the people will disappear. At his disappearance, al-Qa'im will come forth." - Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (عليه سلام)

There can be no doubt about this. Kufa is so near to Najaf that some versions of the Hadith say Kufa while some say Najaf. Kufa is nearer to Najaf than any other city, as can be seen on any map of the nation of Iraq. Moreover, the "ruler of the people" who "will disappear" can be none other than Saddam Hussayn.

http://www.mideastweb.org/miraqd.htm

We can be certain, therefore, that this is in fact the event being foretold. There is no ambiguity in the literal fulfillment of this major sign of the times. The prophecy not only mentions that he who will be killed will be innocent, it also mentions the location and the destruction of the masjid wall and the death of 70 with him. Moreover, note the following Hadith which specifies even the day of the week when a major slaughter would occur in the same region:

Hammed ibn `Isa reported on the authority of Ibrahim ibn `Umar al-Yamani on the authority of Abu Basil, on the authority Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, (عليه سلام): "The kingdom of these men will not disappear until they slaughter people in Kufa on Friday. It is as if I was looking at heads falling between the Gate of al-Fil and (the place of) the soap-sellers."

Ayat'ullah Al-Hakim was martyred on FRIDAY the 29th of August, 2003. However, AI-Husayn ibn Abi Ali reported on the authority of Abu Basir, on the authority of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (عليه سلام) that this would be an even BIGGER slaughter - AFTER that of An-Nafs Az-Zakiyya and the 70 with him - that would kill 4,000! Insha'Allah that is not the case, but indeed it would not be surprising to see such a thing occur in war-torn Iraq.

"Before Sufyani rises, the Nafs az-Zakiyah will be killed with 70 people behind the mosque in Najaf." - Asr Zuhur (the time of the Rise), pg. 178

Nafs az-Zakiyah is further described as: "The manager of an Islamic group [supreme council] in Iraq who is against the leader of Iraq [Saddam]." - Asr Zuhur, pg. 189

CNN is keeping the death toll at 83, but that doesn't contradict the above saying. The day of the blast all news agencies said 70 people died alongside Ayat'ullah al-Hakim, but after that wounded persons died at the hospital and were added to the death toll.

The London Telegraph reported: "A prominent cleric and more than 70 Iraqis were killed yesterday by a car bomb that exploded outside the Imam Ali mosque in Najaf, one of the holiest sites for Shia Muslims."

The prophecy was fulfilled down to the exact number of those who died on the spot with him. Unlike what the media was reporting, Al-Hakim was not the West's "Ally" per se he was the enemy of Saddam. This in no way makes him an "ally" of the occupation itself any more than Bin Ladin would be the "Ally" of the U.S. for similarly opposing the Russians in Afghanistan. However, the six rich men who control all of the western media outlets will spin the story in the direction that best suits their political and financial agenda.

"At length, when the sight is dazed, and the moon is buried in darkness, and the sun and moon are joined together - the Day of That will Man say: 'Where is the refuge?'" Al-Qur'an, Sura 75:7-10

فَإِذَا بَرِقَ الْبَصَرُ وَخَسَفَ الْقَمَرُ وَجُمِعَ الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ يَقُولُ الْإِنسَانُ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَيْنَ الْمَفَرُّ

Allah gives a sign that Mahdi (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) will be among us when a double eclipse occurs in the month of Ramadan.

"It has been reported from Abu Ja'far (عليه سلام) that the event of the Mahdi's appearance shall be attended by two clear signs which will carry with them the weight of ten strong signs. These are the solar and the lunar eclipses; and a similar sign has never happened ever since Adam came upon this planet."

Notes: Ikmal al-Din, p. 361

This Hadith is key to understanding the matter of the Double Eclipses. Where as Shaykh Mufid notes in Kitab al-Irshad, that Imam Al-Baqir (عليه سلام) is reported as claiming that the Double Eclipse itself will be the sign that has not existed since Adam (عليه سلام) was sent down upon the Earth, other Ahadith such as this one above tell of the Double Eclipses being one sign and the sign that has not happened since Adam (عليه سلام) came to Earth is ANOTHER.

Unlike the four madahib of the non-Shi'a sects we do not hold that our Ahadith are "Sahih" though some sources like Nahj'ul-Balaghah are taken relatively so. But when we have two slightly different ahadith, we are not to disregard them both, nor are we to absolutely regard them both. Rather, we are to investigate them, hold them to the light of Reason (`Aql) and take them with the proverbial "grain of salt."

So when Shaykh Mufid reports rare accounts that the order of the eclipses is reversed from what is astrologically possible, it does not mean we should dismiss this notion out rightly, but it does mean that we should view it within the context of being a MINORITY of reports along those lines in comparison to the ones that claim the times of the eclipse are in accordance with the Nature Order of things, and that the sign that has not happened since Adam (عليه سلام) was send down upon the Earth are two different things. Thus, i do not find it unreasonable at all to focus on the bulk of the Ahadith which are in fact scientifically sound, and to pass over the Kitab al-Irshad narration that even admits itself it is incomprehensible. Taken as a whole, this text most certainly makes the case that the prophesied Double Eclipse of the Month of Ramadan were speaking of this very year and this very month of fasting that we find ourselves in now.

Nonetheless, there need be no confusion about the matter. There is a specific alignment of the Eclipses of the the Holy Month of Ramadan that Imam al-Baqir (as) said has never happened before. That alignment is occurring in the month of Ramadan 2003 on the 8th and 23rd of November.

Non-Shi'a hadith tells us the following: "Of our Mahdi there are two signs which have never taken place ever since the Earth and the Heaven came into existence. One is that in the month of Ramadan the moon shall be eclipsed on the first of its nights and the sun in the middle of its days, and such a sign has never occurred ever since the creation of the Earth and the Heaven."

Notes: Dar al-Qutni, vol. 8, p. 188

Dar’ul-Qutni reports to have heard from Imam Muhammad Baqir (عليه سلام) the following statement: “Our Mahdi shall be accompanied by two signs the like of which have not happened since the creation of the Heaven and the Earth, namely, that in a certain month of Ramadan there will be an eclipse of the moon on the first of the three nights usual for such eclipses and in the same month in the second of three days assigned for the solar eclipse there will occur an eclipse of the sun.”

Thus, we see that there are not only ahadith that list the Double Eclipse as a singular sign and the sign that has not occurred since the time of Adam (as). Dar al-Qutni and Ikmal al-Din reports that the timing of the Lunar Eclipse on the first of the three days assigned for it and the Solar Eclipse on the second of the three assigned for it is a specific timing off the Double Eclipse of Shahar Ramadan that has not occurred EVER, not merely since Adam an-Nabi (as) came down to Earth, but since Heaven and Earth themselves were created. Later this will be explored down to the last detail; demonstrating that the 13th of the Month of Ramadan (8th of November), and 28th of the Month of Ramadan (23rd of November), are in fact the first of the three nights usual for lunar eclipses and and the 23rd is the second of thee days assigned for solar eclipses.

The specifications for the dating of the eclipses in the reversed order hadith are erroneous, as the timing during the month of Ramadan that the non-Shi'a version, and a narration in Kitab al-Irshad, states is a physical impossibility. First of all the moon could not be told to be eclipsed on the first night, since it is virtually invisible then anyway. Even if it did eclipse then, this would be a fruitless sign since it is nearly invisible at that time anyway. An eclipse at that time of the month would be totally invisible. No human eye would be able to see this sign of the darkened moon of the first night, and yet it is given as the primary sign of the advent of the return of our Imam al-Mahdi (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف).

These two phenomena of the lunar and solar eclipses will take place in a much different order. As the non-Shi'a hadith says it, with the solar eclipse occurring in mid-month, this would require the moon to suddenly double its speed of movement after the onset of the month! To believe not only that the moon would suddenly double its speed after the onset of the month is unreasonable enough in itself. However, coupled with the fact that a lunar eclipse on the first night of the month of Ramadan would be physically impossible to see, we must conclude that the scientifically unfounded version of this Hadith is unreasonable and the portion of it referring to the dates in the month of the eclipse must be rejected as plainly unscientific and unreasonable. Imam `Ali ar-Riza (عليه سلام) tells us that we must understand Islam through Reason:

"The greatest of miracles of Allah is the human mind. It allows ideas to be thought through and reasoned out. Islam appeals to human reason. Man must accept Allah through reason and not through miracles."

Muhammad ar-Rasul'ullah (صل الله عليه واله وسلام) has said:

"Almighty Allah has endowed upon mankind nothing better than reason. Sleep of a wise man is better than the waking hours of an ignorant. Rest of a wise man is better than the movement of ignorant. Allah has not send any Nabi or Rasul without first perfecting his reason; and his reason stands superior to all the reasons of (the people of) his community...

"No creature can ever discharge his obligations to Allah unless he comprehends those (obligations). All the worshippers weighted together can not reach the height of excellence of a wise man. The man of reason who are the possessors of understanding minds about whom Allah said: "...But non will grasp the Message except men of understanding." Al-Qur'an, Sura 2:269, 3:7

Usul al-Kafi, part 1 Hadith #11

So, following in the study of astronomy that Imam Sadiq (عليه سلام) also studied and taught, it is unreasonable to imagine that the scientifically unacceptable scheduling of these eclipses will occur in the order said by some narrations. As well, since Imam Al-Baqir (عليه سلام) mentions this sign in this way, in MOST versions of the Hadith, yet make no mention of the reversed dates of the eclipses in their relationship to the month itself, then it would be REASONABLE to accept only that the sign is that of the double eclipse during the Holy month of Ramadan.

The Double Eclipse is scheduled for November the 8th and approximately November 23rd of 2003. Fasting for the Month of Ramadan of 2003 began approximately on the 27th of October to approximately the 27th of November (depending upon what part of the world you are in). The Month of Ramadan being a 30 day lunar period, both the eclipse of November the 8th and November the 23rd will fall in this Holy Month. The November 8th Lunar eclipse will be visible from: Europe, South West Asia, Africa and America. The November 23rd Solar eclipse will be visible from Antarctica and the South Indian Ocean.

Notes on the double eclipse during the coming Ramadan of 2003: Bao-Lin Liu and A.D. Fiala, "Canon of Lunar Eclipses, 1500BC- AD3000", 1992; Willmann-Bell Inc., Richmond, Virginia.
Or: J. Meeus and H. Mucke, "Canon of Lunar Eclipses, -2002 to 2526", 1983 (2nd edition); Astronomical Office, Vienna.

Eclipses may also be examined with computer software such as EclipseMaster, MoonTracker, SunTracker and AstroCalc; Zephyr Services, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. To help with this AstroCalc was modified to print out celestial positions of the Sun and Moon near each Ramadan (i.e. every 354.367 days). 

See also H. Mucke and J. Meeus, "Canon of Solar Eclipses, -2003 to +2526", 1983; Astronomical Office, Vienna
Websites that note the dates of these eclipses are:

Nasa Eclipse Watch Site - Eclipses for 2003 - http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/OH/OH2003.html

The FAS Eclipse Page - http://www.fedastro.freeserve.co.uk/eclipse/index.html
2003 The Year of Cold Eclipses: 4 central eclipses in one year! - http://eclipse.span.ch/2003.htm

Yet still we are told that the Ummah will deny the signs of our Rabb, and will reject the Imam al-Mahdi (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) until such Great Tribulation arises that they are left with no alternative but to follow him. May Allah strengthen our Iman that we might have the eyes to see and the ears to hear the Truth that the Ruh speaks to the Ummah. May Allah hasten the Imam's Return, and may Allah lead all who read this to recognize the Imam Al-Mahdi (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) when the sign is given that he is among us!

The New Teachings, Actions, Shariah and Kitab of the Mahdi (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف)

Fadl ibn Yasar heard Imam Baqir (عليه سلام) saying: "When our Qa'im rises he will face so much difficulty from the people, that even An-Nabi during the period of Jahiliyah did not face." Fadl asked: "Why should that be so?" The Imam said: “When An-Nabi was appointed people worshipped stones and wood. However, when our Qa'im arises people will interpret the ordinances of Allah against his interpretation, and will argue with him and dispute by means of the Qur'an. By Allah, the justice of the Qa'im will enter inside their homes, just as the heat and the cold enter them.”

Notes: Ithbat al-hudat, Vol. 7, p. 86.

It is said that Al-Mahdi (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) will have a much more difficult task than Muhammad (صل الله عليه واله وسلام), because he will be confronted with the argumentative dogma of 1,400 years of subjective and cultural interpretation of a Din that the masses have only learned of second hand. It is for this reason that Ahadith tells us that the Arabs will struggle with Al-Mahdi  (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف).

“When the Qa'im emerges he will come with a new Commission, a new Book, a new conduct and a new Judgment, which will be strenuous for the Arabs. His work is nothing but to fight, and no one will be spared. He will not be afraid of any blame in the execution of his duty.” - Imam Ja'far As-Sadiq (عليه سلام)

Notes: Ithbat al-hudat, Vol. 7, p. 83.

Imam Sadiq has made the aforementioned role of the Mahdi explicit: "When the Qa'im rises he will emulate the conduct of the Prophet, except that he will elaborate the traditions of Muhammad (صل الله عليه واله وسلام)."

Bihar al-anwar, Vol. 52, p. 347.

Imam Sadiq relates: “When our Qa'im arises he will call people anew to Islam, guiding them to the old thing from which people have turned away. He will be called Mahdi because he will guide people to the thing from which they have been separated. He will be called Qa'im because he will be commanded to establish the truth.”

Notes: Kashf al-ghumma, Vol. 3, p. 264; Mufid, Irshad, p. 240, 343.

As Shi'a, we clearly believe that Imam Al-Mahdi (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) will bring a new Kitab, and a new Shari'ah. However, if there were any group in Islam that did not have severe misunderstandings and false dogmatic interpretations of the Din then this would hardly be necessary. Imam Sadiq (عليه سلام) says:

“I can witness the Qa'im wearing the particular garment and taking out the letter of the Prophet sealed with a golden seal, and after breaking the seal he reads aloud to the people. The people disperse from him as the sheep do from the shepherd. And no one besides his wazir (vizier) and eleven chiefs remain with him. Then people begin to search for a reformer everywhere. But, since they do not find anyone besides him who can help them, they rush towards him. By Allah, I know what the Qa'im is telling them which they refuse to acknowledge.”

Bihar al-anwar, Vol. 52, p. 326

The rules binding upon the average people will not be necessary, nor incumbent upon the Imam Al-Mahdi (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف).

“Two cases of bloodshed are permissible in Islam. But no one executes the divine ordinance in those two cases until Allah sends the Qa'im from the Ahl'ul-Bayt who can execute Allah's injunction in those cases without requiring any witnesses: one is the case of a married man committing adultery who will be stoned by him; and the other is the case of a person refusing to pay the Zakat.” - Imam Sadiq said

Notes: Bihar al-Anwar p. 325

In another tradition Imam Sadiq (عليه سلام) said: "When the Qa'im from the family of Muhammad appears he will judge among people without requiring witnesses in the manner of Dawud and Sulaiman."

Notes: Bihar Al-Anwar p. 320

Generally it is understood from Ahadith that this will be the primary sign that Imam Al-Mahdi (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) has returned. However, i do not wish to speculate as to whether or not this means he will be physically visible. Nonetheless, in all likelihood that is the case, as has been understood from Ahadith from the beginning. However, this does not mean that he will return saying "i am Al-Mahdi." In all likelihood he will keep his identity a secret, at least at the beginning, or else the governments of the world (and the masses who will be offended by him), would simply send people to assassinate him. We are told that the majority of the Ummah will reject him. We are told by Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (عليه سلام) that "the Arabs will struggle with him," and that his teachings will be difficult for them to accept. We are told that 40,000 Ulama will die at the hands of the Mahdi (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) and his Shi'a. These are not small waves the man will be making in the Ummah.

One Hadith tells of a delegation of Muslimin who are sent to ask him if he is the Mahdi (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف), and when asked he DENIES that he is Al-Qaim (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف). Later the group who asked him returns to those who commissioned them to go to ask him. They tell those who sent them that he denied being the Mahdi (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف). Then those who sent them said "Now we KNOW that he MUST be the Mahdi!" Those charlatans who parade themselves around for praise and self aggrandizement, openly professing that they are the "Mahdi" have in fact singled themselves out as the dajjalin that they in actuality are. For the TRUE nature of the TRUE Imam (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) is not one of self praise and self glory. Rather, as the Hadith says, "His mission is nothing but to fight."

So we must realize that in all likelihood he will not advertise the fact that he is the Mahdi (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) at first, but will rather call people to his cause of revival of Islam, and Jihad against kufr and oppression. May Allah help us all to recognize him when he rises!

"Ilyas Al-Injil": Understanding the Covert Nature of the Rise

Lunar and solar eclipses occur often during the same month. However, they do NOT occur often during the month of Ramadan. Of those that do occur every couple of hundred years or so, almost all are in fact "partial" eclipses which are not considered "true eclipses" nor can such partial eclipses be seen without telescopic enhancement. There is no question as to whether these were considered eclipses in the past, since these were completely unobservable.

We know that the Shi'a Hadith on this matter clarifies that "...in a certain month of Ramadan there will be an eclipse of the moon on the first of the three nights usual for such eclipses and in the same month in the second of three days assigned for the solar eclipse there will occur an eclipse of the sun."

Accordingly we know that, while it is significant that the first of such signs in the month of Ramadan since it's implementation as the month of the Islamic fast occurred when the Imam (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) was 28, the REAL significance is in the fact that it is THIS Shahar Ramadan in which the alignment that Imam Al-Baqir (عليه سلام) foretold will be fulfilled.

So our beloved Imam (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) was ALREADY with us for 28 years when this double eclipse happened. We also know that the one of 2003 will be the last FULL Double Eclipse in the Month of Ramadan for many hundreds of years. Taken in conjunction with all of the other signs of the times, and with the Eastern traditions that relay the Kalki Avatar will emerge in the year 2003, there can be little doubt as to the significance of this pair of Eclipses in 2003.

So we are not told that the Ramadan eclipse at the advent of his return has NEVER happened - in fact we KNOW it happened for the first recorded time when our Imam (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) was 28 years old. We are told only that this will be the sign of his return. It will not signify that his return is "close" but it will signify that they "Great Tribulation" of the Dajjal is close as Sura al-Qiyamah alludes to. We know that this reference in Al-Qur'an cannot be the double eclipse of the Imam's 28th year in 283 AH/896 CE, because we are told that in the "Day of That" people will ask "where is the refuge,” or "where can we fly to." Accordingly, these Ayaat specify, “In the Day of That” - not in a day hundreds of years later.

Guru Granth Sahib says in the scripture sacred to the Sikhs: "When the Nishkalank Avtar will appear, his coming will be proclaimed unto the whole world; and the sun and the moon will give his evidence."

We also know that the double eclipse of the Imam's (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) return is the one referenced in the following earlier Kutub Al-Anbiya...

"The stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine" - Isaiah 13:10

כִּי-כוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וּכְסִילֵיהֶם, לֹא יָהֵלּוּ אוֹרָם; חָשַׁךְ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בְּצֵאתוֹ, וְיָרֵחַ לֹא-יַגִּיהַּ אוֹרוֹ.

Similarly we read: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken; and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Adam in heaven." - Matthew 24:29

וְאַחֲרֵי צוֹק הָעִתִּים הָאֵלֶּה פִּתְאֹם תֶּחְשַׁ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְהַיָּרֵחַ א יַגִּיהַּ אוֹרוֹ הַכּוֹכָבִים יִפְּלוּ מִן־הַשָּׁמַיִם וּצְבָא הַמָּרוֹם יָזֻעוּ׃

Here it is confirmed that "then shall appear the sign of the Son of Adam in Heaven." This is a different sign than the aforementioned double Ramadan eclipse that is noted earlier in that same verse. The final "sign of the Son of Adam in Heaven" is a sign of the return of `Isa Al-Masih (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف), as he was referred to by himself and by other as the Son of Adam, including in the book of Matthew which that prophecy was reported.

So we know that the double eclipse of the most significance was not the one of 283 AH/896 CE, as that one was not also corresponding with the return of `Isa Al-Masih (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف), as the one in Az-Zaman Ad-Dajjal will be.

Dar’ul-Qutni reports to have heard from Imam Muhammad Baqir (عليه سلام) the following statement: “Our Mahdi shall be accompanied by two signs the like of which have not happened since the creation of the heaven and the earth, namely, that in a certain month of Ramadan there will be an eclipse of the moon on the first of the three nights usual for such eclipses and in the same month in the second of three days assigned for the solar eclipse there will occur an eclipse of the sun.”

This version clarifies “the first of three nights usual for such eclipses.” This is a very big difference than the Sunni misinterpretation that says “the first of three nights” - which implies that the eclipse would be during the beginning of the month and thus invisible. Al-hamdulillah, the majority of narrations on this matter are scientifically sound.

The A’immah (عليهم سلام) told us that we should use Reason above miracles. Muhammad (صل الله عليه واله وسلام) also told us to seek out `Ilm (science) even if we must go to China. We must never trade Reason and Science for fantasy and myth.

“The solar eclipse occurs towards the last part of the month when the moon has not yet begun to shine forth; and the lunar eclipse in the bright nights, i.e., 13th, 14th or 15th. This is the law of Allah pertaining to the motions of the sun and the moon.”

Notes: Al-Ta’aruz ba’yn al-‘Aql, p. 224

Notes: Hujaj al-Kiramah, p. 344

The Lunar Eclipse has occurred on the 13th of Shahar Ramadan, "the first of the days usual for such eclipses" as was said by Imam Al-Baqir (عليه سلام). And the Solar Eclipse is on the 23rd of November. This is the 28th day of Shahar Ramadan, "the second of three days assigned for the solar eclipse." There can be no denying the matter. We are given the specific days of the eclipse in the range of days in which they can feasibly occur. The Double Eclipse of Shahar Ramdan 2003 has come to pass on the EXACT dates that Imam al-Baqir (عليه سلام) foretold.

For the moon there were two terms in Arabic language, “hilal” and “qamar.” For the first three or four nights, the moon is called “hilal” in Arabic, and thenceforward, up to the end of the month it is called “qamar.” The term “qamar” is never used for the moon of the first three or four nights. It is written in Sihah Jauhari:

“The moon of the first, second and third nights is called hilal, and after the third up to the end of the month it is called qamar on account of its brightness.”

Lisan al-Arabi is another famous Arabic lexicon. Under the term “qamar” it says that is, the term “qamar” is used after the third night up to the end of the month. Muhammad (صل الله عليه واله وسلام) used the term “qamar” and not “hilal.” Thus, it could not be the moon of the first night, as wrongly interpreted.

To believe that the solar system will somehow change is scientifically ridiculous. If such a thing were to happen then this would throw the tides into disarray as well as cause other acts contrary to nature. Also there is the question of what would make the Earth and Moon change their course to accomplish such an eclipse at the times contrary to nature? Certainly the Anbiya (عليه سلام) observed signs of natural occurrences, they did not foretell of signs where Allah alters nature just to make a point. Rather it is the other way around, in the occurrences of nature, and the movements of heavenly bodies are signs for those who reflect. When the Anbiya (عليه سلام) observed these they realized the meanings of the signs. This does not mean that said signs are a result of Divine alteration to the natural order of the Universe, but rather that the Divine illuminated those with eyes to see to have a glimpse of what these astrological signs mean.

In a last fleeting attempt to dissuade the faithful from recognizing this momentous sign, a few have tried vainly to caste doubt upon the dating of the first of the Month of Ramadan.

What matters is when the hilal initiating the month of Ramadan was signed in the location of the world where the lunar eclipse began. It is important to bear in mind that the Double Eclipses cannot be viewed from every part of the world. So in the west, the hilal was sighted LATE into the evening of Sunday the 26-27th. The first day of fasting was thus on Monday the 27th.

To be specific, so that no one can dispute or deny the mathematical facts, it was 13 periods of 24 hours since the first eve of Ramadan almost to the hour from when the hilal was sited to when the entire eclipse had occurred. For it to have been 14 it would have had to have landed on the following day.

In many places, the lunar eclipse began as early as 4:30 on Saturday. Now because this stretched beyond the sunset does not change the fact that it began during the day and occurred within the 24 hour period of 13 days from the start of Shahar Ramadan. Again, the hilal was not sighted as the moment of sunset, and the eclipse began well before sunset.

when a baby is born, it is not one year old, nor even one day. It is only after the passage of that time that it is a year or a day. You must count the sighting of the hilal as ZERO, not one, since the passage from its sighting to Monday evening is in fact one 24 hour period. Thus that makes 13 periods of 24 hours land on Saturday evening.

14 days = 336 hours. 336 - 24 hours = 312 hours.

From Sunday evenings hilal to Saturday evening is 312 hours. Beyond that, the Lunar Eclipse began even earlier, at approximately 305.5 hours in most places, but in some even earlier. Let there be no doubt about this sign, and do not let the Scribes and Pharisee's of today's Ummah claim that which they know is a lie.

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Salma ibn al-Khattab from Ali ibn Hassa’n from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Kathir who has said the following:

"Once I was in the presence of Abu ‘Abd'ullah that Mihzam came in and said to the Imam, ‘May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, enlighten me about this matter that we wait for. When it will take place?" The Imam said, "O Mihzam, those who give it definite time have lied, the expediting ones perish and salvation is for those who are submissive."

Notes: H 917, Ch. 82, h 2

Notes: Al-Kafi, H 918, Ch. 82, h 3

Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Ja'far ibn Muhammad from al-Qasim ibn ’Isma‘il al-Anbari from al-Hassan ibn Ali from Ibrahim ibn Mihzam from his father who has said the following.

“We mention before Abu ‘Abd'ullah the kings from the descendants of so and so. The Imam said, "People have perished due to their haste for this matter. Allah does not expedite it because of the haste of people. For this matter, there is a goal towards which it proceeds. Once they will reach that goal they then will not be able to move it forwards or backwards, even by one hour.”

Notes: Al-Kafi, H 922, Ch. 82, h 7

Certainly only Allah knows the specific date and time of Mahdi’s (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) Rise but we do know that as the signs are revealed his return will be confirmed, exponentially increasing confirmation will be given as to the immanence of his return from occultation.

For instance, once he is actually here - whether he says "i am the Mahdi and i am here" or not - then certainly only Allah KNEW the time of his return, but OBVIOUSLY at some point that knowledge will be revealed, not only to the Ummah at large, but first to his Inner Circle of 12 (11 and his Wazir), and then to the 313 Taliyah Al-Mahdi.

There is no Hadith that says we will NEVER know when he will return. For the sign could be a sign that his return IS ALREADY HAPPENING. He might already be among us, just as the first double eclipse happened when the Imam (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) was already alive for a number of years.

Significantly all astrological reports confirm that this is the last double eclipse during the month of Ramadan to occur in the foreseeable future. In 2,155 one will come close but it will not actually be a full eclipse and will not be visible to the naked eye - and thus is not a true eclipse, nor was it considered one at all in the time of Muhammad (صل الله عليه واله وسلام) and the A'immah (عليهم سلام).

Would it not reason that if this is the sign of the Rise of the Imam (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) then the last one for at least many hundreds of years - when all of the other signs have been revealed - will be of a great significance?

Essentially it comes down to accepting that this will be the double eclipse in the month of Ramadan that signifies his return from occultation, or not accepting such a sign at all. Since all of the other signs have been fulfilled that are required before his Rise, then there no reason but lack of Iman to doubt this clear proof of his presence among us.

Certainly one can be skeptical and doubt the matter just as the majority of the Ummah doubted the matter in 283 AH/896 CE. Allah has already told us in advance that most will not accept this sign and both Sunni and Shi'a masses will at first reject the Imam (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) when he returns.

The sign of the double Ramadan eclipse does not mean our Imam (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) will Rise on that specific date. In fact there are two dates in that month, so it would be impossible for it to be a calculation of THE date of his return. Rather it is a sign that his return is upon us, meaning that he may by that time already be returned but just not Risen to power.

We should not necessarily expect our Imam (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) to Rise to power by that time, but it would be nothing short of lack of Iman to doubt that he will have returned in the context of planning his Rise with his 313 Mujahidin by that time. When Allah and the Anbiya (عليه سلام) and the A'immah (عليه سلام) tell us that this is what that sign means then who are we to second-guess them? Certainly his military Rise will take some time and coordination after that. But the Shi'a should know that his presence among us in a direct leadership capacity is assured by this sign, to all who recognize him at his appearance.

We cannot foresee the day Imam Mahdi (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) will rise, but if Allah gives us a sign as monumental as this one, we can be sure that it is meant for us, not for people many years later. When a sign that we are told holds the weight of 10 Signs occurs, we would be foolish to imagine that this is a sign for any generation but this one. This does NOT mean that we know the time of his Rise, but it does mean we know that this is the Age of his Rise. However, a person should not say that this sign does not mean much in and of itself since we are told in fact that it means as much as 10 signs. So even if one is of the presumption that there are 10 more signs to be fulfilled then we are told that this sign alone is worth as much as them all put together. These are signs for those of Iman.

Sahl ibn al-Hasan al-Khurasani who was one of the followers of ahlul-bayt in khurasan (a province in Iran) came to Medina to meet imam Ja'far As-Sadiq (عليه سلام). Sahl al-Hhurasani said: “O son of the Rasul Allah! You are of the A’immah of Ahl’ul-Bayt. What prevents you from getting your right (i.e. the rule) while you find more than one hundred thousand Shi'a who are ready to fight for you?” The Imam (عليه سلام) asked him to sit down, and then ordered to turn on the oven that was in the house. after the oven became very hot and turned red, the Imam (عليه سلام) said: “O Khurasani step into the oven and sit in it.” The Khurasani said: “My master, o son of the Rasul Allah! Do not punish me by fire and make it easy for me.” At this time, Harun al-Makki entered the room, and after the greetings exchanged, the Imam (عليه سلام) told him to put down his shoes and to sit down inside the oven. He did so and the Imam (عليه سلام) started talking to Sahl about Khurasan as if nothing has happened. After some time, the Imam (عليه سلام) said: “O Khurasani stand up and look inside the oven.” Sahl looked into the oven and saw Harun sitting cross-legged inside the fire. Then Imam As-Sadiq (عليه سلام) asked Harun to come out of oven and he came out healthy with no burn or injury. At this time, the Imam (عليه سلام) asked Sahl: “How many individuals do you know in Khurasan like this man?” Sahl replied: “By Allah, not even one.” The Imam (عليه سلام) confirmed his saying and said, “We do not rise at this time when we do not even have five helpers (like him). We know better about the proper time.”

Notes: al-bihar, v47, p123, hadith #172; also in manaqib by ibn shahr ashub

In preparation for the advent of the return of Al-Qaim (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) we should ask ourselves some very serious questions. Firstly, are we personally ready for his return, or are we secretly longing for his return at sometime in the hypothetical future, so the burden of being among his Taliyah is not set upon us? Are we ready for the hard life that he will call us to?

Muhammad (صل الله عليه واله وسلام) himself said: "Happiness is for the one who will attend the Qa'im of my Ahl'ul-Bayt and will follow him before his rise. This person will love his (Qa'im's) lovers and hate his enemies, and will accept the leadership of the A'immah from before his advent. These ones are my friends, and are the most sincere members of my Ummah whom I honor very much."

We must purify every aspect of our lives. Our Din and Iman must be ever-increasing in strength towards perfection. We should ask ourselves what our time would be best spent doing. Instead of wasting our lives away we must begin training for the inevitable. While many suffer throughout the world, millions of Muslimin sit back and passively accept oppression and tyranny as “the way things are.” For the true Muslim, complicity is no longer an option.

We must look at our diets and strive to eat healthy and eliminate the poison food and cigarettes that the system of Dajjal has force fed the world. We must take exercise very seriously and if we are not already, begin a serious strength and endurance enhancement program. We should all be training in Martial Arts.

We all should familiarize ourselves with modern weapons and weapon-craft, as well as combat tactics on par with or superior to those of our enemies. Every one who wishes to be counted among the Shi’a Al-Mahdi should obtain a high-quality combat handgun and rifle of common model and caliber as the Taliyah Al-Mahdi.

If the prophecies of the 313 Mujahidin of the Mahdi (عجل الله تعالي فرج الشريف) strike you as unbelievable, and if you rightly recognize that you will never achieve such mastery of the mystic-warrior arts on your own - if you are asking yourself how to begin this monumental task of training for the coming Jihad against the system of Dajjal - then you should contact the Taliyah Al-Mahdi immediately to begin our “Path to Perfection” training lessons. You will be trained in every aspect of Din, `Irfan, Martial Arts, Firearms, modern weaponry, tactics, natural healing, dietary purity, exercise, strength and fitness.

Allah does not Reveal to us signs with no importance or reason. The time of passive acceptance of wickedness, and kufr is passed. The time of complicity in the face of Dajjal’s war on Islam is no longer a reality that we can accept. Allowing the nations of Yajuj and Majuj to colonize and oppress the entirety of the world is not something that the true Shi’a can stand for. Now is the time of our Imam’s Rise. Now is the time to throw off the shackles of this world. Now is the time to prepare for battle and move forward to Eden!

We are not waiting for our Imam, he is