How Many Years Will the Global Government of Imam Mahdi (AS) Last?
How Many Years Will the Global Government of Imam Mahdi (AS) Last?
After divine expediency dictates that Imam Zaman (AS) emerges from the veil of occultation, enemies and oppressors will line up against him, and severe battles will ensue. By the grace of God and the effort of his sincere and loyal followers, he will achieve victory in all events despite enduring many hardships, and will establish the divine government of justice. Describing this, Umm Salamah narrates from the Holy Prophet (PBUH): “…”.
What are the characteristics of the global government of Hazrat Mahdi (AS), and how many years will Imam Zaman (AS) rule?
After divine expediency dictates that Imam Zaman (AS) emerges from the veil of occultation, enemies and oppressors will line up against him, and severe battles will ensue. By the grace of God and the effort of his sincere and loyal followers, he will achieve victory in all events despite enduring many hardships, and will establish the divine government of justice. Describing this, Umm Salamah narrates from the Holy Prophet (PBUH) that under the shadow of Hazrat Mahdi’s (AS) government, such justice will be established in society that the living will wish the dead were alive to benefit from that justice.
In another instance, while pointing to the fact that Hazrat Mahdi (AS) will rule over the hearts of the people, he (PBUH) said: “I give you glad tidings of the Mahdi, a man from Quraysh, with whose rule the inhabitants of heaven and earth will be pleased…” During his rule, the earth will open its blessings to the people, security will prevail over all societies, education and knowledge will progress extraordinarily, sincerity and warmth will spread in social relations, and so on. He will choose Kufa as the capital of his government, and Imam Sadiq (AS) even said: “The Mosque of Sahla will be the house of the Imam (AS),” meaning he will reside there with his family.
Regarding the duration of his rule, various opinions have been reported in narrations. In some narrations, the duration of Imam Zaman’s (AS) government is mentioned as seven years, in others eight years, and in some as ten, twenty, or even a thousand years. To reconcile these narrations, it has been said that the years of that time will differ from the years common in our time, as stated in some narrations: “His government is seven years, each year being equivalent to ten years of your years.
” Allameh Majlesi, in Bihar al-Anwar, writes about the discrepancy in these narrations: “Some narrations indicate the entire duration of the government, some indicate the period of its stability and consolidation, some are based on the years and days we are familiar with, and other hadiths are based on the years and months of that era, which will be long…” Nevertheless, what is certain is that the period of his government will not be short because, considering the great efforts made by the prophets and Imams (AS) throughout history, it is unlikely that the result would be the establishment of a 7 or 8-year government, especially given the numerous narrations and descriptions about that global government reported from Adam to the Seal (of Prophets).
In any case, the duration of this government will be sufficient for humanity to taste the flavor of justice, and after enduring centuries of injustice and oppression, they will achieve a just global society where issues such as economy, health, security, knowledge and industry, agriculture, etc., will enjoy a very high level of health, growth, and progress.
