The beginning of the Imamate of Imam Mahdi (PBUH)
His noble father was Imam Hassan Askari (PBUH), the 11th Imam of Shiites who was born in 232 AH (846 AC) in Medina and martyred in 260 AH (873 AC) in Samarra.
Imam Mahdi’s (PBUH) mother was Narjis Khatoon who from father side is Joshua’s daughter, the son of the Cesar, Byzantine Empire and from mother side she reverts to Simon one of the Jesus’ (PBUH) apostles that was transferred from Rome to Medina and then in Imam Hadi’s house, she got acquainted with Islamic Rules under the supervision of Halimeh Khatoon, the daughter of Imam Javad (PBUH). Then Imam Hadi (PBUH) married her off to Imam Askari (PBUH) and accordingly this pious gentlewoman had the honor of being Imam Mahdi’s mother. This respectful lady according to one quotation passed away in 261 AH (874 AC) and as another quotation one year after the 11th Imam’s martyrdom. Her honorable tomb is located next to Imam Askari’s Shrine in Samarra.
Imam Mahdi’s birth (PBUH):
The Abbasid Caliphs were fully aware of the fact that soon in Ahl Al-Bayt a holy infant would be born and would remove cruelty and corruption from human societies according to quotations from Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Impeccable Imams (PBUH). Based on this, the Abbasid had observed all Imams’ activities from Imam Jawad (PBUH), even they had transferred Imam Hadi (PBUH) and his son i.e. Imam Askari (PBUH) from Medina to Samarra to control their activities. These pressures got extreme in the era of the 11th Imam to lower the Imam’s meetings with his Shias. The Abbasid governors again and again would put him away in custody and from time to time they would raid his house probing everywhere to find any trace of that promised infant. But Allah’s providence was that this blessed infant be born in the ancestry of Prophethood and revelation as this verse of Holy Quran says: “Their intention is to extinguish Allah’s Light (by blowing) with their mouths: But Allah will complete (the revelation of) His Light, even though the Unbelievers may detest (it).” (61: 8)
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