Is the rising of the sun from the west one of the immutable signs of Imam Mahdi’s reappearance? (question)

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Upper entryMahdism / Preconditions for the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (a) / Signs of the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (a)
Main entryThe rising of the sun from the west

Short Comprehensive Answer

  • One of the signs of Imam Mahdi’s reappearance mentioned within narrated traditions is the rising of the Sun from the west.[1] Scholars disagree with one another regarding whether or not this sign constitutes one of the immutable signs of Imam Mahdi’s return. Some of the various points of view presented for this sign are as follows:
    1. The rising of the Sun from the west represents one of the signs that will happen before Imam Mahdi’s return.[2] Abu Hamzah al-Thumali narrates that he addressed Abu Abdullah (i.e. Imam Sadiq (a)) and said : “Abu Ja’far (i.e. Imam Baqir (a)) used to say:[3] “The rising of the Sun from the west is one of the immutable signs of Imam Mahdi’s reappearance.”[4]
    2. The sun that shall rise from the west is actually Imam Mahdi (a) himself.[5] Nizal ibn Sabrah says :[6] “One day, Imam Ali (a) gave a sermon for us to hear … Sa’sa’h ibn Sawhan got up and said: “O’ Commander of the Faithful, when will the Dajjal appear?” Imam Ali (a) spoke about the issue and, in amongst his speech, he said: “God Almighty will kill him in the Levant (and He will do so) by the hands of a person behind whom ‘Isa ibn Maryam (a) will perform ritual prayer.” After the Imam had finished his sermon, Nizal ibn Sabrah addressed Sa’sa’h ibn Sawhan and said: “What did the Imam mean by these words?” Sa’sa’h replied: “O’ Sabrah, the person behind whom ‘Isa ibn Maryam (a) will perform ritual prayer will be the twelfth descendant from the family of the Holy Prophet (s) and the ninth descendant of Ḥusayn ibn Ali (a). He is the sun that shall rise from the west…”[7]
    3. The rising of the sun from the west is a sign of the establishment of Judgement Day and not a sign of Imam Mahdi’s reappearance.[8].[9] This means that the sun will rise from the west, instead of the east, immediately before the onset of Qiyamah (or Judgement Day). The Holy Prophet (s) is reported to have said :[10] “The Qiyamah (or Judgement Day) will not be established unless … the sun rises from the west and all people, by witnessing this sign, will profess faith. However, at this point faith will be useless for anyone who did not have faith before, or had professed his or her faith previously but had failed to act righteously.”[11]

Evidence and arguments presented by supporters of the second point of view

  • Some of the arguments presented by the proponents of these various standpoints are as follows:
  • The supporters of the second theory state: If we adhere to the superficial and apparent meanings of the narrated traditions at hand, the result will be a catastrophic disruption of natural order and a violent reversal of the celestial movement of the entire solar system. Such an idea contradicts the core principles and laws of nature and physics by which the physical universe works. Most certainly, Imam Mahdi (a) will establish his global government upon this very Earth.[12] Therefore, such an event cannot be a miracle since miracles happen in accordance to natural laws.[13] Consequently, the true meaning of the sun rising from the west is nothing except the person of Imam Mahdi (a).[14]

Evidence and arguments presented by supporters of third point of view

  • Arguments put forth by proponents if the third theory are as follows:
    • Firstly, narrated traditions presented by supporters of the second theory[15] are only admissible if they are interpreted in a metaphorical and cryptic manner. Saying that the sun rising from the west represents Imam Mahdi (a) is an instance of allegorical interpretation.[16] Such an allegorical interpretation can only be deemed correct if there existed a consensus amongst scholars in support of such a metaphorical understanding. Unfortunately, no such consensus can be found. Secondly, the chain of narration for the tradition in question is also unreliable.[17] Apart from this, the narrated traditions have mentioned the rising of the sun from the west alongside the mention of Imam Mahdi’s reappearance. If these two were one and the same event, then the mention of both in one place would represent redundant repetition. Therefore, the rising of the sun from the west is actually an extraordinary occurrence that shall take place after Imam Mahdi’s return and at the threshold of Judgement Day.[18]
    • Secondly, the first theory is based upon a narrated tradition reported by Shaykh al-Mufid.[19] This tradition cannot be utilized to prove the veracity of an historical event.[20]
    • Thirdly, the annulment and cancelation of repentance after the rising of the sun from the west, as mentioned within the narrated tradition of the Holy Prophet (s),[21] is a sign of Judgement Day and not a sign of Imam Mahdi’s reappearance.[22] The Holy Prophet (s) is reported to have said :[23] “The Qiyamah (or Judgement Day) will not be established unless … the sun rises from the west and all people, by witnessing this sign, will profess faith. However, at this point faith will be useless for anyone who did not have faith before, or had professed his or her faith previously but had failed to act righteously.”[24]
    • Fourthly, most of the narrated traditions that speak about the sun rising from the west mention this event as a sign of the end of the world. Certain other sources only mention that this event will be immutable in nature and, while doing so, have listed this occurrence alongside other immutable happenings such as the immutable signs of Imam Mahdi’s reappearance. The fact that this event is listed right next to the signs of Imam Mahdi’s return has led to the misunderstanding that it too is one of the signs of Imam Mahdi’s re-emergence from occultation. In truth, most of the source texts available to us have explicitly stated that the rising of the sun from the west is a sign of the Day of Judgement.[25]

Evidence and arguments presented by supporters of first and second point of view

  • Some scholars support the first as well as the second viewpoint. According to them, narrated traditions about the signs of Imam Mahdi’s reappearance are of two types and categories when divided from the perspective of how language has been utilized within their contents. These types are as follows:
    1. The first group or category comprises of narrated traditions that utilize metaphorical and allegorical language. For instance, some narrated traditions inform us that the sun rising from the west is actually a metaphor for Imam Mahdi’s return and uprising.[26]
    2. The second group or category comprises of narrated traditions that are literal in their language. For instance, Abu Ḥamzah al-Thumali reports that he addressed Imam Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Ali (i.e. Imam Baqir (a)) and asked : “In the uprising of the Sufyani an immutable matter?” The Imam (a) replied:[27] “Yes, and the celestial proclamation is also immutable, just as the rising of the sun from the west is also immutable …”[28] Therefore, it is possible that both the literal and the metaphorical meanings be regarded as accurate. As such, the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (a) will indeed represent the rising of the divinely guided “sun” from the place of its previous occultation and hiding, while the sun itself will also miraculously reserve its route and rise from the west during the era of Imam Mahdi’s return.[29]

Conclusion

  • It seems that even if we accept the rising of the sun from the west as a sign of Imam Mahdi’s reappearance, the immutability of this sign will nonetheless remain unestablished since no proper and conclusive evidence or argument has been presented by any of the aforementioned groups of scholars. As such, regardless of whether this miraculous sunrise be taken in the literal sense or the metaphorical one, its immutable nature cannot be confirmed.

References

  1. See: Ismāʿīlī, Ismāʿīl, Barrisī-ye Nishānihā-ye Ẓuhūr, Chashm bi Rāh-e Mahdī, pp. 309-310.
  2. See: Shaykh al-Mufīd, Al-Irshād, p. 336; Ṣadr, Sayyid Muhammad; Tārīkh e Ghaybat e Kubrā, pp. 615-617.
  3. Ṭūsī, Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan, Al-Ghayba, p. 266.
  4. See: Nadhīr al-Ḥasanī, Sayyid Nadhīr, Muṣliḥ-e Kull, p. 211.
  5. See: Ismāʿīlī, Ismāʿīl, Barrisī-ye Nishānihā-ye Ẓuhūr, Chashm bi Rāh-e Mahdī, pp. 309-310; Salīmīyān, Khudāmurād, Darsnāma-ye Mahdawīyyat, vol. 3, pp. 147-148.
  6. Ibn Babawayh, Muhammad ibn Ali. Kamal al-Din, p. 525-532.
  7. See: Ṣadr, Sayyid Muhammad; Tārīkh e Ghaybat e Kubrā, pp. 615-617; Nadhīr al-Ḥasanī, Sayyid Nadhīr, Muṣliḥ-e Kull, p. 211; Ismāʿīlī, Ismāʿīl, Barrisī-ye Nishānihā-ye Ẓuhūr, Chashm bi Rāh-e Mahdī, pp. 309-310; Researchers of Ayandih Rushan Institute, Mahdawīyat, Pursishhā wa Pāsukhhā, p. 395.
  8. Shaykh al-Ṣadūq, al-Khiṣāl, p. 431, Hadith 13; Majlisī, Muhammad Bāqir, Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 55, p. 145, hadith 3.
  9. Researchers of Ayandih Rushan Institute, Mahdawīyat, Pursishhā wa Pāsukhhā, p. 395; Nadhīr al-Ḥasanī, Sayyid Nadhīr, Muṣliḥ-e Kull, p. 211; Salīmīyān, Khudāmurād, Darsnāma-ye Mahdawīyyat, vol. 3, pp. 147-148; Muḥammadī Rayshahrī, Muḥammad, Dānishnāma-ye Imām Mahdī bar Pāya-ye Qurʾān, Ḥadith wa Tārīkh vol. 7, p. 450.
  10. Sahih Bukhari, vol. 9, p. 74.
  11. See: Ṣadr, Sayyid Muhammad; Tārīkh e Ghaybat e Kubrā, pp. 615-617.
  12. See: Majlisī, Muhammad Bāqir, Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 52, p. 194; Nu'mani, Muhammad ibn Ibrahim. Al-Ghaybah Nu'mani, p. 252; Shaykh al-Mufīd, Al-Irshād, vol. 2, p. 371; Ismāʿīlī, Ismāʿīl, Barrisī-ye Nishānihā-ye Ẓuhūr, Chashm bi Rāh-e Mahdī, pp. 309-310.
  13. See: Ibrāhīm Amīnī, Dādgustar-e Jahān, p. 220; Ismāʿīlī, Ismāʿīl, Barrisī-ye Nishānihā-ye Ẓuhūr, Chashm bi Rāh-e Mahdī, pp. 309-310.
  14. See: Ismāʿīlī, Ismāʿīl, Barrisī-ye Nishānihā-ye Ẓuhūr, Chashm bi Rāh-e Mahdī, pp. 309-310.
  15. Ibn Babawayh, Muhammad ibn Ali. Kamal al-Din, p. 525-532; Ṣadr, Sayyid Muhammad; Tārīkh e Ghaybat e Kubrā, pp. 615-617; Nadhīr al-Ḥasanī, Sayyid Nadhīr, Muṣliḥ-e Kull, p. 211; Researchers of Ayandih Rushan Institute, Mahdawīyat, Pursishhā wa Pāsukhhā, p. 395; Ismāʿīlī, Ismāʿīl, Barrisī-ye Nishānihā-ye Ẓuhūr, Chashm bi Rāh-e Mahdī, pp. 309-310.
  16. See: Nadhīr al-Ḥasanī, Sayyid Nadhīr, Muṣliḥ-e Kull, p. 211.
  17. See: Ṣadr, Sayyid Muhammad; Tārīkh e Ghaybat e Kubrā, pp. 615-617; Nadhīr al-Ḥasanī, Sayyid Nadhīr, Muṣliḥ-e Kull, p. 211.
  18. See: Salīmīyān, Khudāmurād, Darsnāma-ye Mahdawīyyat, vol. 3, pp. 147-148.
  19. See: Shaykh al-Mufīd, Al-Irshād, p. 358.
  20. See: Ṣadr, Sayyid Muhammad; Tārīkh e Ghaybat e Kubrā, pp. 615-617; Nadhīr al-Ḥasanī, Sayyid Nadhīr, Muṣliḥ-e Kull, p. 211.
  21. Sahifih-ye Hammam ibn Manbah, p. 24; Nadhīr al-Ḥasanī, Sayyid Nadhīr, Muṣliḥ-e Kull, p. 211.
  22. See: Nadhīr al-Ḥasanī, Sayyid Nadhīr, Muṣliḥ-e Kull, p. 211.
  23. Sahifih-ye Hammam ibn Manbah, p. 24.
  24. See: Nadhīr al-Ḥasanī, Sayyid Nadhīr, Muṣliḥ-e Kull, p. 211.
  25. See: Muḥammadī Rayshahrī, Muḥammad, Dānishnāma-ye Imām Mahdī bar Pāya-ye Qurʾān, Ḥadith wa Tārīkh vol. 7, p. 450.
  26. See: Mahdī ʿAlīzadih, Nishānihā-ye Yār wa Chakāma-ye Intiẓār, pp. 40-41.
  27. See: Shaykh al-Mufīd, Al-Irshād, vol. 2, p. 371; Ṭūsī, Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan, Al-Ghayba, p. 453; Ṭabrisī, Faḍl b. al-Ḥasan, Iʿlām al-warā bi-aʿlām al-hudā, 426.
  28. See: Mahdī ʿAlīzadih, Nishānihā-ye Yār wa Chakāma-ye Intiẓār, pp. 40-41.
  29. See: Mahdī ʿAlīzadih, Nishānihā-ye Yār wa Chakāma-ye Intiẓār, pp. 40-41.