Rather, it has been narrated in Al-Kāfi from his Majesty Sādiq (pbuh) that, in the Holy Verse,
سَنُريھِمْ آياتِنا فِى الا فاقِ وَ فى اَنْفُسِھِمْ حَتّى يَتَبَیَّنَ لَھُمْ اَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ
Soon will We show them Our Signs in the (furthest) regions (of the earth), and in their own souls, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth. Is it not enough that thy Lord doth witness all things?”[1].
There, his majesty interpreted the word “Sign” as “the signs and indications before The Excellency’s Emergence”. And he did the phrase “manifest the Truth” to the Rise of Qā’im (mgehr). Further, he emphasized that these are righteous, and people will see them. Also, the Excellency’s rise will necessarily happen. Well, there are so many signs and indications; some people mentioned that they are approximately four hundred ones.
The fourteenth, is the heavenly call which names His Excellency, at the time of the Emergence. As it is included in many narrations, Alī ibn Ibrāhīm narrated from His Excellency Sādiq (pbuh), that he interpreted the Holy Verse,
وَاسْتَمِعْ يَوْمَ يُنادِ الْمُنادِ مِنْ مَكانٍ قَريبٍ
“And listen for the Day when the Caller will call out from a place quiet near”[2],
[The Imām (pbuh)] stated, ‘There, the Caller will call for Qā’im (mgehr) and his father’.
Moreover, in ‘Al-Ghaybah al-Nu’māni’, it has been narrated from his Majesty Baqīr (pbuh) that he stated, ‘There, the Caller will call Qā’im (mgehr) from the sky they narrated from His Excellency Bāqir (pbuh) that he stated:
There, The Caller in the heavens will call out his name “Qā’im (mgehr)”. And it is heard by whoever is in the east or west. Being stunned by Gabriel’s call, which will be heard on Thursday night, twenty-third day of Ramaḍān, whoever is asleep, will wake up. Whoever is standing, will sit down. And whoever is sitting, will stand up.
The components of the narration have been so much repeated, that exceeds the frequency. In some of them, it was considered as certain.
The fifteenth, is the planets’ speed will turn from usual rate into slow one. In addition, on His Excellency Qā’im (mgehr)’s spiritual progress, Shaykh Mufīd narrated from Abī Baṣīr, and he narrated from His Excellency Bāqir (pbuh) a long Ḥadīth. The Imām (pbuh) stated:
Then, he [Qā’im (mgehr)] will rule for seven years. But each year of that time, will be as long as ten years. Then God will revive the things, he wants.
There I asked, “O, I’d sacrifice my life for you! How will it be possible to have so long years?
He stated, “God commands the sky to delay and move slowly; hence, the days and years will last more.”
I wondered, “They say that if the sky changes, the universe will fall apart!
He replied, ‘The Zendiq[3] believe like this! But Muslīms are expected to believe it. There were such [surprising] cases before like: The moon was split in half by God [‘s order] for his Prophet [Muḥammad] (pbuh&h), the sun stood still for Yūšaʿ ibn Nūn [Joshua] (pbuh).
Anyhow, he [Imām Bāqir (pbuh)] informed me of the length of “the Day of Resurrection”. He stated, “It is like a thousand years of what, you usually count.”
To be continued…
1. Holy Qurʾān, Surah Fussilat, Verse 53.
2. Holy Qurʾān, Surah Qaf, Verse 41.
3- In medieval times, a person whose views or practices were considered contrary to Islamic dogma; a heretic or unbeliever, or one who practiced heretical magic were called Zendiq.