Hawzah News Agency- The first point to be raised is that "occultation" means "being hidden from sight", not being absent; therefore, in this section, we are talking about a period when Imam Mahdi (PBUH) is hidden from the eyes of people and they do not see him, while this great person is present among people and lives among them. This fact has been expressed in various terms in the narrations of the infallible Imams (PBUT).

Imam Ali (PBUH) said:

«فَوَ رَبِّ عَلِیٍّ إِنَّ حُجَّتَهَا عَلَیْهَا قَائِمَةٌ مَاشِیَةٌ فِی طُرُقِهَا دَاخِلَةٌ فِی دُورِهَا وَ قُصُورِهَا جَوَّالَةٌ فِی شَرْقِ هَذِهِ اَلْأَرْضِ وَ غَرْبِهَا تَسْمَعُ اَلْکَلاَمَ وَ تُسَلِّمَ عَلَی اَلْجَمَاعَةِ تَرَی وَ لاَ تُرَی إِلَی اَلْوَقْتِ وَ اَلْوَعْدِ.»

By the Lord of Ali, at that moment the proof of the Ummah is standing and he walks in its streets and enters its houses and palaces and travels in the East and the West. He hears the people and greets their congregations. He sees and is not seen until his time and promise come. (Al-Ghaibah Nomani, p. 144)

Of course, another type of occultation has also been described for that Imam.

Imam Sadiq (PBUH) said:

«إِنَّ فِی صَاحِبِ هَذَا اَلْأَمْرِ سنن [سُنَناً] مِنَ اَلْأَنْبِیَاءِ عَلَیْهِمُ السَّلاَمُ ... وَ أَمَّا سُنَّتُهُ مِنْ یُوسُفَ فَالسِّتْرُ یَجْعَلُ اَللَّهُ بَیْنَهُ وَ بَیْنَ اَلْخَلْقِ حِجَاباً یَرَوْنَهُ وَ لاَ یَعْرِفُونَهُ.»

"There are traditions from the prophets (peace be upon them) in the case of the owner of this matter [PBUH]... but his tradition from Joseph [PBUH] is to be hidden. God places a veil between him and the people [so that] the people see him but do not recognize him." (Kamaluddin, Vol. 2, p. 350)

Therefore, regarding the Mahdi (PBUH), occultation occurs in two ways: that great one is hidden from sight in some cases and in other cases he is seen but not recognized, but in any case, he is present among the people.

Background of occultation

Occupation is not a phenomenon that has occurred for the first time and only about the last proof of God, rather, there are many narrations that a number of great divine prophets spent part of their lives in secrecy and occultation, and this was due to the wisdom of God and not a personal desire or family interest.

Therefore, occultation is one of the divine traditions that has been practiced in the lives of prophets such as Idris, Noah, Salih, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Shuaib, Elijah, Solomon, Daniel, and Jesus (PBUT), and each of those divine messengers has spent years in occultation, depending on the circumstances.

This is why the occultation of Imam Mahdi (PBUH) has been mentioned in the hadiths as one of the traditions of the prophets, and one of the reasons for his occultation is that the Sunnah of the prophets (PBUT) has been implemented in the life of Imam Mahdi (PBUH).

Imam Sadiq said:

«إِنَّ لِلْقَائِمِ مِنَّا غَیْبَةً یَطُولُ أَمَدُهَا؛

Indeed, The Qa'im of my descendants will have an occultation that will last a long time.

The narrator says: What is the reason for this occultation, son of God's Messenger?

قَالَ إِنَّ اَللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَبَی إِلاَّ أَنْ یُجْرِیَ فِیهِ سُنَنَ اَلْأَنْبِیَاءِ عَلَیْهِمُ السَّلاَمُ فِی غَیْبَاتِهِمْ.

The Imam said: God wants the traditions of the Prophets, peace be upon them, to happen to him during their occultation. (Elal Al-Shara'i, Vol. 1, p. 245)

It is also clear that the matter of the occultation of Imam Mahdi (PBUH) was raised many years before his birth, and Islamic leaders from the Holy Prophet to Imam Askari (PBUT) have announced the occultation of that Imam, some of its characteristics, and what will happen during the occultation, and have also stated the duties for the believing people at that time.

Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, also said about the absence of Imam Mahdi, peace be upon him:

اَلْمَهْدِیُّ مِنْ وُلْدِی اِسْمُهُ اِسْمِی وَ کُنْیَتُهُ کُنْیَتِی أَشْبَهُ اَلنَّاسِ بِی خَلْقاً وَ خُلْقاً تَکُونُ بِهِ غَیْبَةٌ وَ حَیْرَةٌ تَضِلُّ فِیهَا اَلْأُمَمُ ثُمَّ یُقْبِلُ کَالشِّهَابِ اَلثَّاقِبِ یَمْلَؤُهَا عَدْلاً وَ قِسْطاً کَمَا مُلِئَتْ جَوْراً وَ ظُلْماً. »

"The Mahdi is from my descendants. His name is my name and his nickname is my nickname. In terms of character and behavior, he is the most similar of people to me. For him, there will be an occultation and awe in which the nations will be misled, then he will appear like a shooting star and fill the earth with justice and equity, just as it was filled with injustice and inequity." (Kamaluddin, Vol. 1, p. 286)

Excerpts from the book "The Jewel of Creation", with slight changes