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What role is the Hidden Imam expected to play at the end of time?
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Shiʿi
Shrine of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, Najaf, Iraq.
In Twelver Shiʿism, the 12th imam, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, is believed to have entered a state of occultation (or ghaybah) in the 9th century and remains alive, awaiting God’s command to return.1
Upon his reappearance, he is expected to fulfill the following roles:
- Inauguration of the End Times: As the mahdi (the "Rightly Guided One"), he will initiate the processes associated with the final days and the Day of Judgment.1
- Restoration and Justice: He will return to establish his rule, acting as a messianic figure who restores the faith and inaugurates a period of divine justice.21
- Collaboration with Jesus: His return is closely linked to the return of Jesus, who will also appear to participate in the events of the end times.1
Until this anticipated return, the community is guided by highly trained scholars known as mujtahids, who act as his deputies (nāʾib) in matters of doctrine and practice.1