Where does Imam Mahdi live?
Before responding this question, we must ask as to where other great figures whom we consider alive because of reliable traditions, live.
As mentioned in some Shia books, Imam Mahdi lives in a place called Khadra Island. It seems that some great Shia scholars agree with this theory.
A baseless claim by Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn Khaldun
As quoted before, Ibn Taymiyya is of the view that Shias believe that Mahdi has gone into hiding in a basement in Samarra (in Iraq). Ibn Khaldun repeats the same thing saying: “Shias think that their twelfth imam – Muhammad bin Hasan Askari called Mahdi – has gone into hiding in the basement of his father’s house in Hilla, after he and his mother were arrested. (According to them) it is he who appears in the end of time establishing justice and equity in the world.
This Shiite belief is based on a tradition Timihdi has mentioned concerning Mahdi in his book. They are still waiting for his reappearance and that is why they call him ‘awaited imam’.
After offering evening prayer, they stand every night at the door of this basement. They bring an animal for him to ride on and appeal to him by calling his name to appear. As darkness looms, they disperse. This is what they do in the coming nights as well. The aim is to show that they are, as they have pledged, waiting…”1
These are some of the lies they attribute to poor Shias. Some Shias’ enemies have even expressed these lies in the form of poems saying: “Is it not the proper time for the basement to give birth to ….”
A response by Shiite scholars
I wish these people referred to a single Shiite tradition or a single word said by a Shiite scholar to prove their lies and accusations.
Great early and later Shiite scholars have decisively rejected such accusations. Below are some of their words:
Sheikh Arbili says: “Those who believe in Imam Mahdi do not claim that he lives in a basement. They instead believe that he is alive moving to and residing at different places in the world…”2
Sheikh Noori Tabarsi (another Shiite scholar) says: “Though we tried our best, we could not find any evidence to show the truthfulness of their words (that Mahdi lives in a basement). Above all, traditions have made no mention of this ‘basement’ either”.3
Sayyid Sadr says: “The opinions expressed by some Shiite laymen are attributed to us by some Sunni scholars. I could not find any evidence to show these opinions are right”.4
Commenting on this issue, Allama Sheikh Abd al-Husayn Amini says: “The accusation of ‘basement’ is more embarrassing than any other accusations. Though some other Sunni scholars have related this accusation as well, he (Ibn Tamiyya) has extremely exaggerated about it adding donkeys to horses.
He claims that Shias do this ritual every night and they have been doing it for the past one thousand years.
This is while Shias do not believe that their imam has disappeared in a basement. He has not hidden himself in that place nor will he arise from that place. According to Shiite beliefs that are based on sound traditions, Mahdi will appear in Mecca.
No (important) Shia believes that the basement is the place where he disappeared. Basement is a place each house had at that time. They made it in order to use it when the weather was very hot.
The basement of the Imam’s house is so important because it is related to him and other imams. This basement was used, like the rooms of his house, by three imams. Other houses belonging to anyone of the infallibles (including the Holy Prophet (S)) have the same place and status no matter where they are located. This is because Allah has said:
فِي بُيُوتٍ أَذِنَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تُرْفَعَ وَيُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ فِيهَا بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ
In the houses which Allah has permitted to be exalted and that His name may be remembered in them, there glorify Him therein in the mornings and the evenings. 5
I wish these liars reached a similar conclusion about the said basement so that we would not observe the signs of fabrication and lie in their words.
As an instance, in his travel account, Ibn Batuta says that the said basement is located in Hilla.6
In his Akhbar al-Duwal, Qarmani claims that it is located in Baghdad. Others have pointed out that this place is located in Samarra. Qamisi who lived years later than the above mentioned figures, was not aware of the location of this basement. Only to deceive others, he has made use of the term ‘basement’.
Having tried their best, Suwaidi and his likes were not able to find a single document in Shiite traditions or Shiite scholars’ words, to prove their point of view.”7
The Samarra basement as a holy place
Some Sunni scholars like Ibn Khallakan20 and Hafiz Ganji have considered the issue of ‘basement’ as indisputable and thus they have defended it on certain grounds.8
It is worth mentioning that the quotations we quoted from Shiite scholars (that according to Shia he does not live a basement) do not reject respecting and paying homage to the basement located in the neighborhood of the holy shrines of Imam Hadi and Imam Hasan Askari in Samarra (in Iraq). This basement is no doubt a holy place used by Prophet’s household and that is why believers visit it.
- 1. Muqaddima Ibn Khaldun, p. 352.
- 2. Kashf al-Ghumma fi M’arifat al-Aamma, vol. 3, p. 283.
- 3. Kashf al-Astar an Wajh al-Imam al-Ghaeb an al-Absar, p. 212.
- 4. Al-Mahdi, p. 155.
- 5. Quran, Noor, 36.
- 6. Safar Nama Ibn Batuta, vol. 2, p. 198.
- 7. Al-Ghadir fi al-Kitab wa al-Sunna wa al-Adab, vol. 3, p. 308.
- 8. Wafayat al-Aayan, vol. 1, p. 372.
