Hawzah News Agency- Speaking at the Jamkaran Mosque on Monday, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, the head of Iran's Seminaries, emphasized the critical need to return to an authentic, active, and civilizational conception of awaiting Imam Mahdi (PBUH). "The Islamic world today, more than any other time, needs 'Resistant Mahdism' and 'Progressive Awaiting,'" he stated. "An awaiting that possesses a global attraction and simultaneously generates repulsion and resistance against the arrogant and Zionist currents."
Interpreting History Through Its Ultimate Apex
Congratulating the attendees on the auspicious month of Sha'ban and the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Arafi centered his speech on interpreting history based on its "ultimate pinnacle." He asserted that in religious thought, history is not merely a scattered sequence of events but an evolutionary, ascending path destined to culminate in a point where all potentials of intellect, justice, and divine-human values are fully manifested.
"A correct Islamic perspective holds that 'awaiting' is not merely an individual, spiritual matter," he elaborated. "It has social, historical, and civilizational dimensions and must play a role in the very texture of human life."
Warning Against Three Deviant Interpretations of History's End
The senior cleric issued a stark warning against intellectual deviations in messianic thought, identifying three principal distorted interpretations of history and humanity's future confronting the world today:
- Zionist Judaism
- Zionist Christianity
- The Western Materialist-Liberalist interpretation of the 'End of History.'
"Despite superficial differences, these three currents are operationally intertwined," Ayatollah Arafi emphasized. "They have formed the backdrop of many crimes, colonialism, racism, and unconditional support for the Zionist regime."
He argued that Zionism has successfully fused racism, anti-humanism, and distorted religious-philosophical interpretations to forge a dangerous global constellation comprising "Zionist Liberalism," "Zionist Christianity," and "Zionist Judaism," which now operates against the Islamic world and humanity at large.
The Three-Fold Mission of Authentic Mahdism
Ayatollah Arafi outlined three essential missions for promoting the correct doctrine of Mahdism:
- Global Articulation: To present a precise, rational discourse of Mahdism on a global stage, as the world today is "thirsty for this salvific message," and authentic Mahdism holds profound attraction for nations.
- Fundamental Critique: To undertake a deep, scholarly critique of alternative and deviant theories. "Zionist Liberalism and the distorted messianism of Judaism and Christianity must be critiqued fundamentally and with evidence to be removed from the mind and conscience of human society."
- Active Confrontation: To engage actively in the field of action, as these false theories have become tools of colonialism and arrogance, and theoretical opposition alone is insufficient.
Awaiting as a Force of Attraction & Repulsion
Ayatollah Arafi stressed that genuine awaiting inherently possesses both "attraction and repulsion." "Authentic Mahdism attracts hearts yearning for divine values across the world, while simultaneously creating steadfastness and resistance against the arrogant, the oppressors, and the enemies of humanity," he said.
He identified the "axis of resistance" as the tangible symbol of "Resistant Awaiting," declaring that "awaiting without resistance is incomplete awaiting." He called for an awaiting that both fosters unity and empowers the Islamic world to stand firm against enemy projects aimed at humiliation and forced submission.
A Unified Front or Singular Defeat
Issuing a grave warning about the current sensitive conditions, Ayatollah Arafi stated: "If the Islamic nation, with all its sects, ethnicities, and cultures, does not unite against these aggressive waves, it will be targeted and attacked one by one."
He asserted that the enemies of Islam seek nothing but humiliation, subjugation, and crushing defeat for Muslims, and for this goal, they even exploit religious and academic veneers.
The Message of the Conference
In conclusion, Ayatollah Arafi framed the core message of the conference as a "return to authentic Mahdism and genuine awaiting."
"This outlook is civilizational-building, global, and humane," he said. "And in the face of arrogance and Zionism, it adopts a firm and resistant position. It is the duty of scholars, thinkers, and elites to elucidate this discourse and advance it across the Islamic world and beyond."
The conference, held at one of the key centers associated with the belief in Imam Mahdi (PBUH), brings together scholars and researchers to discuss the doctrinal, social, and geopolitical dimensions of Mahdism as a pivotal Islamic belief.
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