We should at least know why we need Imam Mehdi.
You have the Qur’an, the sayings of the Prophet (s), you know how to recite salah, you are able to go for Hajj,
now why do you need Imam Mehdi?
If you don’t have the answer to this question, then you do not deserve Imam Mehdi.
Why Do You Need Imam Mehdi?
Now, Mr Hafiz Asif, the problem is that the concept of Imam Mehdi (a) is generally founded on the elaborations of ahadith by two Muslim sects.
There are numerous narrations in regards to Imam Mehdi (a) that are elaborated upon by the creed of the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah.
Their scholars make mention of such narrations that are accredited to the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah,
and then there are a few narrations in regards to Imam Mehdi (a) that only the Shiites make mention of,
those of the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah [sect] do not mention them.
Now, the problem this creates is that, if both narrations are [in fact] stated by the Prophet (s), then why are narrations divided?
Half are believed by the Sunnis and the other half, by the Shiites.
So, the narrations that are elaborated by the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah, the Shiites deprive themselves from it.
And the narrations elaborated by the Shiites, the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah deprive themselves from it.
What is the reason?
When, according to you, both [sets of] narrations are the sayings of the Prophet (s),
both sets that are elaborated in both the sects - when both are the sayings of the Messenger of God (s),
then why do the Sunnis not believe in the narrations that the Shiites believe in?
And why do the Shiites not believe in the narrations believed in by the Sunnis?
So, this division has created a great amount of confusion.
Now, the Shiites - the Shiites believe that Imam Mehdi is the son of Imam Askari (a).
There is a place in Iraq called Samra.
In regards to that place, it is said that there is a specific cave in Samra and the son of Imam Hassan al Askari (a) is hidden there.
And the Shiites are of the opinion that the son [of Imam Hassan al Askari (a)] is Imam Mehdi and he was lost,
according to their ideology, he is in occultation, and that he shall return from his occultation.
And the scholars of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah are of the opinion that Imam Mehdi (a) is not the son of Imam Hassan al Askari (a).
The Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah also believe that the parents [of Imam Mehdi (a)]
will bear the same name as that of the parents of the Prophet (s).
Their creed goes as far as to state that the name of Imam Mehdi (a) will be the same, as that of the Prophet (s)’s.
When we study the accounts [of the Prophet (s)],
they state that the name of the parents of Imam Mehdi (a) will be in line with the name of the Prophet (s)
However, the scholars say that the names shall be [exactly] the same.
[Whereas,] there’s a difference between ‘being in line with something’ and ‘being exactly the same’.
Right, now, many scholars of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah say that Imam Mehdi (a) will be born in Medina,
however, this is not in [accordance with the] narrations of the Prophet (s), this is the opinion of clergymen.
Some clergymen even say that Imam Mehdi (a) will speak Arabic,
however, this too is their opinion - it is not found in the narrations of the Prophet (s).
One narration states: the Prophet (s) decreed,
‘the complexion of Imam Mehdi will be Arab whereas their body will be Israeli’.
This is in the narrations of the Prophet (s).
You’ll find that in the narrations thought to be authentic according to the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah,
it is abundantly mentioned that Imam Mehdi be from the progeny of Bibi Fatima (a) - that they shall be Fatimi.
There is another narration, which is very important.
Please listen to [the following] with great attention and ponder.
At one stage, the Prophet (s) stated, ‘My Ummah shall have 12 caliphs’,
so Ibn Abbas asked, ‘O Messenger of God (s), who shall they be affiliated to?’,
the Prophet (s) replied, ‘All 12 caliphs shall hail from the Quraysh’.
This is an account of the narration of the Prophet (s) that the people of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah believe to be authentic.
Now, if we study the narrations that the Shiites believe to be authentic - [those narrations] state,
‘There shall be 12 Imams in my Ummah and Imam Mehdi will be the 12th Imam’.
There is a sect in the Shiites which is based upon the concept of the 12 Imams, they are known as ‘Asna Ashari’.
What is Asna Ashar’? In the way we refer to the last ten days of Ramadan as ‘ashra’.
Ashra means ten and asna means two, so asna ashar means twelve.
Which means, those that believe in the 12.
So, the Asna Ashari say that there are 12 Imams and Imam Mehdi will be the 12th Imam.
And the narrations thought to be authentic by the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah, state that there will be 12 caliphs.
So, Ibn Abbas asked, ‘Who shall they be affiliated to?’
The Prophet (s) states in that narration,
‘All 12 shall be from the Quraysh’.
Now, in regards to the word ‘Quraysh’ - all people know is that the Prophet (s) was affiliated to the Quraysh.
However, if you are aware, Quraysh is the name of a nation,
whereas the culture of the Arabs at that time was not divided into nations, [they were divided] into tribes.
Within the Quraysh, the household of the Prophet (s) is known as Banu Hashim, which means, the Progeny of Hashim.
So, this is how there were households that carried the patronym of their progenitor.
This is how households were identified, and they were also recognised as tribes.
Like, Banu Hashim.
This has been shortlisted - whereas they are affiliated with the Quraysh, however, which family of the Quraysh is this?
Banu Hashim.
Now, if you were to shortlist the Banu Hashim even more, then you’ll get Banu Abd al-Muttalib.
Abd al-Muttalib was the grandfather of the Prophet (s) - he too had many sons.
One of them was Abdullah - he was very handsome.
He was betrothed to Bibi Aamna, and then the Prophet (s) was born from the womb of Bibi Aamna.
Apart from this, there were many other households in the Quraysh, like the Banu Umayyah.
Abu Bakr Siddiq was affiliated with the Banu Umayyah, as was Umar Bin Khattab and Usman e Ghani.
Now, look towards me.
The Prophet (s) was from Banu Hashim, which is also why one of the appellations of the Prophet (s) is Hashmi.
So now, if [someone] is from the progeny of the Prophet (s), they will be known as Hashmi.
However, the Hashmi are also from the Quraysh, [because] the nation is Qurayshi.
However, even if someone is from Banu Umayyah, they shall still be from the Quraysh,
and the narrations state that the 12 caliphs shall be from the Quraysh.
So, it’s one thing to be from the Quraysh, and another to be from the progeny of the Prophet (s).
Because Abu Bakr Siddiq is also Qurayshi, as is Umar bin Khattab and Usman e Ghani,
however, this is a household in the Quraysh, [known as] Banu Umayyah.
They are affiliated with Banu Umayyah, but are Qurayshi.
The Prophet (s) too is Qurayshi as is Maula Ali (a), however, they affiliate to the Banu Hashim.
Now, if we were to say that the 12th Imam will also be from the Quraysh - the matter still remains convoluted.
This leads to another [question]
that if the 12th Imam is affiliated to the Quraysh, then he could hail from Banu Hashim but he could also hail from Banu Umayyah.
If he is from Banu Umayyah, then he won’t be from the progeny of the Prophet (s) - although he won’t be from the progeny of the Prophet (s),
he’ll still be known as a Qurayshi.
So, the notion of the 12 caliphs is authentic according to the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah.
However, I say - what is believed to be authentic according to the Shiites,
that Imam Mehdi will be affiliated to the progeny of Bibi Fatima (a) - this is much more authentic,
because [Imam Mehdi] has been directly connected to the progeny of the Prophet (s) here, not the Quraysh.
[Whereas the Sunni notion] is convoluted.
When Maula Ali (a) was asked, ‘Please tell us something in relation to Imam Mehdi’.
Maula Ali (a) said, ‘They shall be from amongst us’.
So, there are many things that are said here and there.
Now just look, the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah has been ruined.
The Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah creed was authentic for centuries,
however now there are 11-12 sects in the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah alone.
The Barelvis identify themselves as the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah,
as do the Deobandi [and] Wahhabis - but just look at their ideologies, there’s a stark difference between the two.
So, now the thing is that you are laying claim to half the narrations and the Shiites lay claim upon the other half.
[Which means], you are deprived of half of the narrations and [the Shiites] are deprived of the other half.
So, what should we do now, where do we go?
Why can’t you put your differences aside for the sake of the recognition of Imam Mehdi?
[The Shiites] should study the narrations elaborated by the Sunnis, and [the Sunnis] should study the narrations elaborated by the Shiites.
Both [sects] should strive to recognise [Imam Mehdi] (a) in light of those narrations.
If you are a follower of the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah, you do not study the narrations elaborated by the Shiites
It’s highly possible that many signs [alluding to the Mehdi] are found [in the “Shiite” narrations].
And the Shiites do not study the narrations from the Ahlus Sunnah, they too have stagnated, haven’t they?
They should study the narrations of one another.
If they both study all the narrations together, they shall surely find some [sign].
Concludingly, whose sayings in regards to Imam Mehdi shall be most authentic after the sayings of the Muhammad (s)?
Those from the progeny of the Muhammad (s).
Study the sayings of all, Imam Ali (a), Imam Zain Abidin (a), Imam Ja’far e Sadiq (a).
Study the sayings of all these personalities, they must have inherited some secrets from Maula Ali (a).
However, you stopped studying such personalities and decreed the Shiites to be kafir.
Whereas, the Shiites limited themselves too.
They stopped giving importance to the narrations elaborated by the Sunnis.
The Sunnis abandoned the narrations of the Shiites.
Now, both the Sunnis and Shiites are stranded.
Both of them have become so stranded, because they’ve been subject to so much deception
that they now only believe in the concept of Imam Mehdi, but neither of them are searching for Imam Mehdi.
They only believe in the concept of Imam Mehdi
and say, ‘Yes, Imam Mehdi is to come’.
However, if someone says,
‘there are a few people who believe in HDE Gohar Shahi to be Imam Mehdi’, they are immediately perturbed [and say],
‘this is a false claim!’.
How can it be a false claim? At least come and study [the claim].
[They say], ‘how can this be possible?’,
[we ask], ‘how can what be possible?’,
[they say], ‘how can HDE Gohar Shahi be Imam Mehdi?!’
This is what the bedouins of Mecca said!
[They used to ask], ‘Muhammad (the Messenger of God (s)), the grandson of Abd al-Muttalib,
whose father passed away in his infancy and was raised by his uncle
How can he be a Messenger of God?
He eats and drinks just like us, how can it be him?!’
This is what they used to say too.
So, study thoroughly. Study with sincerity.
Compile all the narrations and then study them.
Do not be bothered that a certain narration is elaborated by the Sunnis or a certain narration is elaborated by the Shiites,
compile the narrations of both [sects], and then see where it leads you.
There are some clergymen in the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah
that say there is no concept of Imam Mehdi in the narrations of the Prophet (s).
For example, Javed Ahmed Ghamidi says that not one authentic narration mentions Imam Mehdi.
He rejected everything. He is spreading a new wave of misguidance.
I do not force anyone to believe in HDE Gohar Shahi as Imam Mehdi.
I say that you should compile both sets of the narrations and also study the divine signs,
because the narrations state that God shall also manifest his signs for Imam Mehdi.
So, study the divine signs too - then shall you reach a conclusion as to why you even need Imam Mehdi.
You can try to recognise Imam Mehdi later on, first you need to establish whether you even need him or not.
If you do not need him, then what’s the point of searching for him?
We should at least know why we need Imam Mehdi.
You have the Qur’an, the sayings of the Prophet (s), you know how to recite salah, you are able to go for Hajj;
now why do you need Imam Mehdi?
If you don’t have the answer to this question, then you do not deserve Imam Mehdi.
At least ask yourself, ‘Why do I need Imam Mehdi when I have the Qur’an, when I know how to offer Salah and read the narrations.
I know how to perform Hajj.
So why do I need Imam Mehdi? What is the reason?’
If you find the answer to these questions then you deserve to find them.
However, if you don’t find the answers then what’s the point of searching for Imam Mehdi?
Keep offering salah - stay busy with that.
Why did we feel the need for Imam Mehdi?
We offered salah, we read the Qur’an and ahadith.
We did everything but even after doing all these things, we weren’t able to adopt the attributes of a momin.
We engaged in Zikr Allah, we offered salah, we grew our beard, we fulfilled the Sunnahs,
we tied turbans on our heads - we did everything but we did not become momin.
We remained to be liars.
We didn’t feel anything in our hearts.
Neither did fasting purify our lower selves nor did we refrain from wrongdoings by offering salah.
That’s when we realised that there is a fault in our prayers.
There’s something missing from our fasts. Who will fix these issues?
There is no one who can - neither Maulana Tariq Jameel nor Tahir ul Qadri nor anyone else.
Everyone comes to deceive you.
Everyone wants to start a fight.
Nobody ever rendered the formula with which one could awaken their heart through our prayers
and purify our lower selves through our fasts.
And HDE Gohar Shahi, who never proclaimed 'I am Imam Mehdi',
We sat in the Lord's company and their spiritual attention rendered divine light to our hearts
and our heartbeats began to commemorate God's name,
God's name collided with our heartbeats
and when the divine energy was produced, it began to purify the lower self.
When our hearts were enlightened and our lower selves purified, we were blessed by God and HDE Gohar Shahi one day and reached the Court of Prophet Muhammad (s).
When we reached the Court of the Prophet (s), we were told that Imam Mehdi must come in order for us to reach Muhammad (s) and God.
[Imam Mehdi] shall take you to God.
Verbal chanting of God's name is not a guarantee of faith.
'Iqar ul bil lissan' - the tongue is only supposed to declare.
You cannot become a momin until your heart affirms the kalima.
It is the affirmation that we have lost. The clergymen only taught us how to declare, they did not teach us how to affirm.
'Your heart is engulfed by the world while you prostrate to God'.
They taught us how to offer salah and when we stood to pray, our hearts were occupied with the world.
They didn't teach us how to remove the world from our hearts.
Why not?
Their own hearts are occupied with the world so how would help take the world out of our hearts?
So we needed Imam Mehdi for this reason.
And then we did our research and found out.
The one who awakened our hearts and purified our lower selves with His spiritual attention,
through the spiritual attention of whom sinners like us reached the Court of the Prophet (s) and were able to see the Prophet (s).
And we said, 'All our previous tenets were useless. Just this one tenet is correct'.
And that is to enlighten the hearts with divine energy and purify the lower selves with divine energy.
And when this divine energy enters the heart then, 'Neither am I Sunni nor a Shiite nor a Wahhabi nor a Deobandi'
'I am only a follower of Prophet Muhammad (s)'.