The system of the Mahdi (as) has currently been veiled by Allah so that Hazrat Mahdi (as) can work in peace. Hazrat Mahdi (as) is veiling himself and other scholars are also, knowingly or not, keeping him veiled.
All Sunni scholars, and most particularly Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, have stated that Hazrat Mahdi (as) would start work in Hijri 1400, in the 1980s in other words, that he will be an individual, that he will act together with his assistants and followers, and that after an intellectual struggle lasting 40 years, he will cause Islam to reign across the world. The coming of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and Hazrat (as), who will bring about the reign of Islam, which is foretold in the Qur’an and in trustworthy hadiths, is “a matter of unanimous agreement among the entire Sunni ulema.”
Nonetheless, however, the number of those who can currently see the presence of the system of the Mahdi (as) and its progress in the world is very small. And the number of those who can recognize Hazrat Mahdi (as) is smaller still. Only a very few blessed people can see and recognize Hazrat Mahdi (as) through the light of faith.
Some scholars directly serve the veiling of Hazrat Mahdi (as). Never before has there been such talk of Hazrat Mahdi (as) never coming. In particular, as of the 1980s some people who fervently espoused the idea of the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as) until a certain time, began saying, in a state of great alarm, that he would not be coming. Anyone looking at Islamic books, magazine, cassettes and pamphlets published in 1978, 1979 and the 1980s will see that there was intensive talk of the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as) in those days. After around 1986-87, however, there was a sudden U-turn on the subject, and a strong desire emerged to close down the subject of the system of the Mahdi (as) altogether. After that time there was a sudden rise in the number of publications and talk claiming that Hazrat Mahdi (as) would never appear.
And that despite the appearance of so many omens. Some people are now saying he will appear in 300 years’ time an others that he was their sheikh and has already come and gone. Some say that he will be a corporate personality, and others a spirit. What they all have in common is the desire to conceal the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as) through various interpretations and quibbles. Some even go so far as to say that “Raising or discussing the subject of the Mahdi (as) will be corruption.” In short, there is a great panic and unease in the air.
However, a major inconsistency emerges here. If they do not believe in the presence, coming and future activities of Hazrat Mahdi (as), there should be no need for them to attach such importance to it. They could just say, “In any case there is no chance of his appearing,” and leave it at that. But they do not; they keep trying to prove that “the Mahdi (as) will not be coming” on the television, on the radio, in newspapers and at every available opportunity. But if someone does not believe that something exists and will happen, they can be quite relaxed on the issue. Because nothing is going to come of it, the matter has already been resolved. But there is no such relaxation when it comes to Hazrat Mahdi (as); on the contrary, they are trying to work against Hazrat Mahdi (as) in a state of great panic, concern, alarm and agitation.
An important example of Allah’s creation of marvels emerges here. Allah wants “the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as), his identity, his activities and where he will be active” all to be veiled. Because our Prophet (as) describes how Hazrat Mahdi’s activities will be spread over long years, and that the moral values of Islam will only come to reign gradually as a result of those activities. If, during the course of that process, the name, location, activities and area of work of Hazrat Mahdi (as) were all fully known, then he would of course be the target for all ill-intentioned people. The way would be open to traps, obstacles and attacks from all those who wished to harm him and put a stop to his activities. But since the global reign of Islam and the victory of the Mahdi (as) are promised by Allah, He has created a system that will halt everything that might obstruct him. The unwitting task of those who say, “The Mahdi (as) will not come” is to prepare the ground for this decision by Allah by screening the Mahdi (as) off.
“Willingly or Unwillingly, by Allah’s Command the Whole World Is Serving the System of the Mahdi (as)”
Therefore, unbelievers, hypocrites and polytheists, those who adopt ideas hostile to the moral values of the Qur’an, and the enemies of Hazrat Mahdi (as) are still, much against their desires, by Allah’s choosing still providing great support, conscious or otherwise, for Hazrat Mahdi (as) and the global spread of the moral values of Islam.
It is a miracle how no matter what those who say, “The Mahdi (as) will not come” may do they still cannot avoid serving Hazrat Mahdi (as). Every move made against Hazrat Mahdi (as) just further contributes to increasing the effect of this blessed individual still further. Everyone who say, “I do not believe in Hazrat Mahdi (as)” will still be serving this holy personage in everything they do.
However, it will also be useful to remember that people desired to prevent the coming of the Prophet Muhammed (saas) too, but that these efforts changed nothing. The polytheists of that time experienced a huge panic. But they could not stop the coming of our Prophet (saas). The coming of the Prophet Muhammed (saas) was created in destiny, and he spoke the words and completed his work appointed for him by Allah in destiny. In the same way, no other messenger or envoy has ever been stopped from coming.
Additionally, the opponents of Hazrat Mahdi (as) also have another task to unwittingly perform; they are bringing about one of the definitive signs of the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as). Because talk of the Mahdi (as) not coming is one of the portents that his coming is indeed imminent:
"ALLAH WILL SEND HAZRAT MAHDI (as) WHEN PEOPLE ARE IN DESPAIR AND SAY, ‘THERE IS NO SUCH PERSON AS THE MAHDI’ (as)…” (Ali Bin Husameddin al-Muttaqi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 55)
"...HAZRAT MAHDI (as) WILL APPEAR WHEN HOPE OF HIS COMING HAS BEEN LOST, with the banner of Rasulullah, when affliction after affliction rain down on people..." (Ali Bin Husameddin el-Muttaki, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 55)
What everyone must know is that all the portents of Hazrat Mahdi (as) revealed in the hadiths have come about most miraculously one after the other. The Prophet Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi (as) will soon appear in such a way as to be visible to all mankind, insha’Allah.
