Hawzah News Agency- Where will Imam Mahdi (pbuh) reside during the era of his Great Occultation?
It should be noted that if certain details about the occultation remain hidden, this does not create doubt or suspicion—just as clarifying them would not serve as proof of the principle of occultation. Since the occultation of the Imam (pbuh) and his concealment are both reasonable and logical—and we firmly believe in them—the concealment of specific aspects is also reasonable and logical. Ignorance of such details does not prove or disprove anything.
To give a brief answer to the question: according to some authentic hadiths and narrations, the Imam (pbuh) does not permanently reside in a particular city during the Great Occultation in such a way that he never leaves it. Rather, he travels from one place to another in order to fulfill his duties and responsibilities. According to some accounts, he has visited various locations. Among the cities certainly honored with his blessed presence are Medina, Mecca, Najaf, Kufa, Karbala, Kazimain, Samarra, Mashhad, Qom, and Baghdad. Likewise, there are numerous sacred places and shrines reported to have been visited by the Imam, such as the Jamkaran Mosque in Qom, the Mosque of Kufa, the Mosque of Sahla, the dedicated site of Imam Mahdi (pbuh) in Wadi al-Salam (Najaf), and the city of Hillah.
It is also not unlikely that his main residence, or the places where he is most frequently present, are Mecca, Medina, and the other holy cities.
If one asks about the connection between the Imam of the Time (pbuh) and “Mount Radwā” and “Dhi-Tuwa,” which are mentioned in the supplication of Nudba:
«لَیْتَ شِعْری أَیْنَ اسْتَقَرَّتْ بِکَ النَّوَی، بَلْ أَیُّ أَرْضٍ تُقِلُّکَ أَوْ ثَرَی أَبِرَضْوَی أَوْ غَیْرِهَا أَمْ ذِی طُوَی».
“Oh, if only I knew where hearts find calm through your presence! Which land shelters you, which ground carries you? Are you in Radwā, or somewhere else? Or in Dhi-Tuwa?”
The answer is that these two places are regarded as sacred according to dictionaries and historical sources. It is possible that the Imam spent some of his time in these locations for worship and supplication. However, this does not mean that either of them is his permanent residence.
In reality, such questions are not meant as inquiries for factual information. They are expressions of the burning pain of separation, showing sorrow over being deprived of the blessing of the Imam’s presence and lamenting the delay of his reappearance. Some phrases in the supplication of Nudba also indicate that he is among the people, such as this passage:
«بِنَفْسِی أَنْتَ مِنْ مُغَیَّبٍ لَمْ یَخْلُ مِنَّا بِنَفْسِی أَنْتَ مِنْ نَازِحٍ لَمْ یَنْزَحْ (مَانَزَحَ) عَنَّا».
“May my soul be your ransom! You are hidden, yet not apart from us. May my soul be your ransom! You are distant, yet not truly distant from us.”
As for the claim that some make—especially certain Sunni scholars who say, and sometimes use it as a point of argument against the Shia—that Shias believe the Imam (pbuh) is hidden in the basement of Samarra:
The answer is that this is nothing but a false accusation and slander. This claim has no foundation.
This discussion continues...
Adapted from “Answers to Ten Questions About Imamate; by Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani" with slight modifications.
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