Hawzah News Agency- One of the significant events associated with the time of the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (AS) is the concept of Raj‘a—the return of the righteous and the wicked to this world. This is a well-established belief in Shia Islam.
The Concept of Return
Literally, Raj‘a means “return.” In religious terminology, it refers to the return of divine proofs—namely, the infallible Imams (peace be upon them)—along with a group of pure believers and the most wicked of disbelievers and hypocrites. They will be resurrected by God’s command and return to the worldly realm. This return is a form of resurrection that occurs in this world before the Day of Judgment.
The Philosophy Behind Return
Though the ultimate setting for divine judgment is the Hereafter, God has chosen to manifest part of His justice in this world. This worldly manifestation allows both reward and punishment to be witnessed publicly.
Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) states:
«... أَمَّا اَلْمُؤْمِنُونَ فَیُنْشَرُونَ إِلَی قُرَّةِ أَعْیُنِهِمْ وَ أَمَّا اَلْفُجَّارُ فَیُنْشَرُونَ إِلَی خِزْیِ اَللَّهِ إِیَّاهُمْ ...»
“As for the believers, they will return to experience the joy and delight of their eyes, and as for the wicked, they will return to suffer the shame and disgrace of Allah.”
(Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 53, p. 64)
Thus, the believers will return to be honored and to witness the fulfillment of divine justice, while the wicked will return to face public humiliation and divine retribution.
Another purpose of Raj‘a is to allow the believers to partake in the triumph and governance of the awaited savior, Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance). This aspiration is reflected in one of the supplications recited during the Ziyārah of the Imam:
«... مَوْلاَیَ فَإِنْ أَدْرَکَنِیَ اَلْمَوْتُ قَبْلَ ظُهُورِکَ فَإِنِّی أَتَوَسَّلُ بِکَ وَ بِآبَائِکَ اَلطَّاهِرِینَ إِلَی اَللَّهِ تَعَالَی وَ أَسْأَلُهُ أَنْ یُصَلِّیَ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ أَنْ یَجْعَلَ لِی کَرَّةً فِی ظُهُورِکَ وَ رَجْعَةً فِی أَیَّامِکَ لِأَبْلُغَ مِنْ طَاعَتِکَ مُرَادِی وَ أَشْفِیَ مِنْ أَعْدَائِکَ فُؤَادِی ...»
“O my Lord! If death overtakes me before your reappearance, I will still turn to You through your sacred self and the holy lineage of your forefathers. I beseech You to send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and to grant me the opportunity to return during your reappearance and rule. Let me fulfill my aspirations through obedience to you and find healing from the grief caused by your enemies and mine.”
(Bihār al-Anwār, vol. 99, p. 116)
This prayer beautifully captures the hope of witnessing and serving under the just rule of the Imam in this world, even after death.
The Scriptural and Hadith Foundations
The belief in Raj‘a is firmly rooted in Shia thought, supported by numerous Quranic verses and a vast number of authentic narrations from the Prophet (PBUH) and the infallible Imams (peace be upon them).
The renowned hadith scholar, Sheikh Hurr al-‘Amili, wrote in his book “Awakening from the Negligence: Proofs of Raj‘a”:
«فقد ذکرنا فی هذه الرسالة من الأحادیث والآیات والأدلّة ما یزید علی ستمائة وعشرین ولا أظنّ شیئاً من مسائل الاُصول والفروع یوجد فیه من النصوص أکثر من هذه المسألة.»
“In this work, we have cited over 620 hadiths, verses, and pieces of evidence related to the concept of Raj‘a. I do not believe that there exists any other theological or jurisprudential matter that is supported by such an abundance of textual evidence.”
This sheer volume of evidence underscores the centrality and authenticity of the belief in Raj‘a within Shia theology.
(This discussion continues…)
Adapted from “Negine Afarinesh, The Jewel of Creation,” with slight modifications.
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