The first era is the one in which Muhammad (s) was born in Mecca;
they were coronated with prophethood and messengerhood and established a brand new religion in this world: Islam.
Then, they eventually declared that ‘prophethood has been terminated’.
What is the second era?
The Prophet (s) discussed the second era with the companions.
The Second Era of Muhammad (s)
Muhammad (s) was shahid (witness), is shahid and shall remain shahid.
Muhammad (s) removed the obstacles in our path and brought glad-tidings and unburdened our lives
He did this, he is doing this and he shall always do this.
Muhammad (s) forewarned us 1450 years ago, he is warning us today and shall continue to warn us.
And what is required of us?
We must support him. We must venerate him. And what else?
We must glorify him day and night.
This is what our creed must be in regards to the Prophet (s).
And above all this, Imam Mehdi (a) is to replicate in entirety the presence of Muhammad (s) ethereally and physically,
so we are to carry this creed over to Imam Mehdi (a).
Imam Mehdi is also shahid. This is because some have even read in the ahadith that the name of Imam Mehdi (a) shall be 'Muhammad'.
Would it just be the name that coincides or would there be a connection with Muhammad (s) too?
Nay! It is not the name that shall be the same, it shall in fact be Muhammad (s) himself.
The Qur’an states there are two eras:
‘walal-aakhiratu khairul laka minal-oola (your second era shall be greater than your first)’.
What is the second era?
The clergy claim the first era was spent in Mecca and the second era was spent in Medina.
How does that make the second era more eminent than the first?
Does the eminence lie in the fact that the time spent in Medina was less tumultuous for the Prophet (s)?
That it was easier spent and the Prophet (s) found aid there?
God could have made it just as easy in Mecca, too. How does it have anything to do with the era?
That’s not the first era.
The first era is the one in which Muhammad (s) was born in Mecca;
they were coronated with prophethood and messengerhood and established a brand new religion in this world: Islam.
Then, they eventually declared that ‘prophethood has been terminated’.
What is the second era?
The Prophet (s) discussed the second era with the companions.
When the companions would ask questions in regards to Imam Mehdi (a),
the Prophet (s) would describe Imam Mehdi (as)'s appearance and character.
And this would leave the companions perplexed, so they would ask,
'O Messenger of God, whenever we ask you of Imam Mehdi, you give us your own description,
so does that mean you shall return as the Mehdi?'
The traditions state, when the Prophet (s) was asked by the companions, ‘is it you who shall return as the Mehdi?’,
the Prophet (s) smiled gleefully and remained quiet.
Why would the Prophet (s) have smiled had it been incorrect?
In other words, the Prophet (s) were saying: shush, don’t say anything!
The smile said it all, didn’t it? It means the companions had understood.
If the Prophet (s) disapproved of this statement, would he have smiled?
Therefore, this signifies the second era.
The advent of Imam Mehdi in this world is the second era of Prophet Muhammad (s).
Now, the question is what does it actually mean that Imam Mehdi’s arrival in this world is the second coming of Prophet Muhammad (s)?
This is what I would like to discuss.
So what is the second coming of Prophet Muhammad (s),
and if we are to say that Imam Mehdi’s arrival is the second era of Prophet Muhammad (s),
then does that mean Imam Mehdi also has prophethood? Nay.
The connection of Imam Mehdi (as) to Prophet Muhammad (s),
has nothing to do with the facets and aspects of the Prophet (s) pertaining to prophethood.
The blessed soul of the Prophet (s) is the holder of prophethood.
It was about their blessed soul that the Prophet (s) said, ‘I was a prophet even before my arrival in this world’.
The blessed soul of the Prophet (s) possessed prophethood prior even to the Primordial Times.
The reason why Imam Mehdi (as) is the second coming of Prophet Muhammad (s),
is that Imam Mehdi has to do with the other set of souls of Prophet Muhammad (s) that have nothing to do with the Primordial Day.
They are the terrestrial spirits of the Prophet (s).
These terrestrial spirits, for common people, are frequently recycled to create new life.
When someone dies, their terrestrial spirits are used for the formation of a new child.
You see, the world has been around for billions of years;
for each soul to be born in this world, there requires three terrestrial spirits,
so if there were to be a million souls sent into the world,
there would be a set of three million terrestrial spirits for them.
If one billion souls are to be sent,
in order for them to be born there would be three billion terrestrial souls.
If one trillion souls are to be sent down, there would be three trillion terrestrial souls for them.
Isn’t that right?
However, this is not what God did.
Let me explain something to you here.
Let’s say there are about 1000-2000 of our people staying at a hotel,
we have to take them all to a programme but we only have one car.
So what would we do?
Take 50 people in one car and ask the rest to await another car?
And then go and buy another car…that’s not how it would be, right?
So, the first 50 would be taken in the first trip,
then the next group of passengers would be taken in the second trip,
then the car goes back to collect more passengers;
more people come and they are dropped off and the car goes back [for more passengers].
Just as a car, a vehicle, a plane, a ship are modes of transportation
They transport people from point A to point B.
This is exactly what the terrestrial spirits do.
They are a mode of transportation for us.
The three terrestrial spirits we have, are hosts to our main human soul that descends from the higher realms.
When the soul returns [to the higher realms], these hosts will then occupy another.
So the terrestrial spirit that transported our human soul,
it is those terrestrial spirits [of the Prophet (s)], that are transporting Imam Mehdi (as).
Furthermore, the part of the Prophet (s) pertaining to the rank of prophethood is the blessed soul of the Prophet (s) called ‘Ahmed’.
The soul ‘Ahmed’ has nothing to do with Imam Mehdi; that soul is in the higher realms, in the Station of Muhammad.
Within Imam Mehdi would be their own 'soul' (Zaat).
However, the body of Imam Mehdi,
The formation of the blessed body was carried out by the terrestrial spirits of the Prophet (s) that made the body of the Prophet (s).
Now, there is the first era and the second, greater era.
Why is it called the greater era?
Because in the first era, the terrestrial spirits of the Prophet (s) were in the company of one soul,
and now they are in the company of another soul.
The rest is for you to understand.
Apart from the terrestrial spirits,
Imam Mehdi (a) originates from a place where there are no terrestrial spirits, nor the need of ethereal spirits.
We already know now that the terrestrial spirits which Imam Mehdi (a) possess are that of Muhammad (s),
but where do the ethereal spirits [of Imam Mehdi (a)] come from? Now, this is a very interesting point. Why is it interesting?