Imam Mahdi

The Birthday of the twelfth Imam (Imam Mahdi) occurred on Friday daybreak, on the 15th of Sha’bān in 255 A.H. (August 2nd 869 A.D.) in Samarra (a town in Iraq).

According to a narration quoted by Sheikh al-Sadūq (d.381 A.H./ 991 A.D.) in Kamāl al-Dīn, vol. 2, p. 424-426, Lady Hakīmah, the honorable aunt of the eleventh Imam (Hassan al-‘Askarī) says, “Imam Hassan al-‘Askarī sent for me and said,

“O aunt, have your Iftār (dinner) tonight with us. This is the night of mid-Sha’bān and Allah, the High, will bring forth the Hujjah (Imam Mahdi) on this night. He will be Allah’s Hujjah (a proof from Allah) on His

Lady Hakīmah says, “I said to him, “And who is his mother?’ and he replied, “Narjis’.

I again uttered, “There is no sign of pregnancy in her.

” He responded, “It is as I will tell you.”

Lady Hakīmah said, “I came and when I greeted and sat, Lady Narjis came to take off my shoes and said, “O my lady! How are you this evening?’

I responded, “Instead, you are my lady and the lady of my household.’

She said, ‘How did you come here, dear aunt?’ I told, ‘My dear daughter! Allah, the Exalted, will grant you in this night of yours a boy, a master in this world and in the hereafter.’ She sat and felt shy and embarrassed.”

When I finished the ‘Ishā’prayer and had my dinner, I went to bed and slept. When it was in the middle of the night, I got up to perform midnight prayers. I finished my prayers and she was sleeping and miraculously, there was no sign of any kind of pregnancy in her. I sat saying some supplication, then I went to bed, and then Iearth.”