Sun Behind The Clouds

Huda has sat in front of her computer, and her love out of curiosity has pushed her to search inside some . During that time, she has faced some questions about Al-Imam Al-Mahdi (May Allah hastens his gracious appearance). And this has pushed her to look deeply in her readings, but she has found herself powerless to solve them. Therefore, she has brought her private copybook about Al-Imam Al-Mahdi (May Allah hastens his gracious appearance), and she has recorded all the questions in order to get enough and satisfied answers. After she has finished, she has closed her computer. Then, she has begun to look for her mother inside the house, but she has not found her. Thus, she has gone to the garden, and she has found her grandmother sitting there.

Huda: Oh! My grandmother, where is my mother, I have been looking for her?

Grandmother: She has gone to the neighbor, and she will come soon.

Huda: Well, I will sit with you for awhile, until the return of my mother. But you have to tell me "why are you sitting alone?"

Grandmother: I like to enjoy the Sun light, because our bodies need this kind of light.

Huda: But the sky is covered with clouds, and cloud has kept the Sun.

Grandmother: This does not form an obstacle. Though, light can reach us. But can you tell me about the copybook in your hand?

Huda: It is a note book about Al-Imam Al-Mahdi (May Allah hastens his gracious appearance); you have made me remember to ask you, my dear grandmother.

Grandmother: I am at your command, with pleasure.

Huda: There are people who say that the Shiites believe in a hidden Imam. And he has disappeared for more than one thousand year. Until now, they talk about him and mention his favors and they are continually calling Allah (SWT) to support him. And they are waiting his appearance to fill the earth with justice. But nowadays he is hidden. What is the benefit which people will get from this disappearance? And I have seen some web sites have dared to say that there is no difference between the existence of Al-Imam Al-Mahdi (May Allah hastens his gracious appearance) and his absence. In both cases, there is no difference. The grandmother has smiled after she has heard that speech.

Huda: Why do you laugh?

Grandmother: I have laughed about the bats' speech.

Huda: The bats' speech?

Grandmother: Yes, my dear. This question has made me remember a tale I have heard from my teacher; when I have been at your age.

Huda: What is that tale?

Grandmother: I will answer these questions, and then I will narrate the tale of "blind bat".

Huda: Well my grandmother. I am eager to hear you, and my pen is ready to record your answers.

Grandmother: Huda you have to know that the main reasons behind asking these wicked questions is that those people have weak faith and lack of knowledge in their God and his Holy Book. What I want to say: Is it reasonable to say that anything we can not see is useless?

Huda: Are there things we can not see them, and we can get benefits from them?

Grandmother: Yes, my dear. I will give a simple example. Can you tell me that there is a person has seen the air which is considered the main element of life?

Huda: No one has seen it.

Grandmother: If we can not see it, can we deny its effect in the life of human beings?

Huda: Absolutely not.

Grandmother: Therefore, there is a similarity between the existence of Al-Imam Al-Mahdi (May Allah hastens his gracious appearance) and the existence of air. All beings depend in her existence upon Him, but he is hidden. His disappearance dose not mean that beings become independent, and not in need of him? Absolutely, they are in need of him in every minute, because the earth must have a successor from Allah (SWT). Otherwise, the earth will be filled with chaos.

Huda: I can say that this is the first benefit.

Grandmother: Yes, my dear. The existence of Al-Imam Al-Mahdi (May Allah hastens his gracious appearance) is a source of getting knowledge and faith. Therefore, who does not know the Imam of his era, he will die as those who do not believe in Islam in the earlier ages.

Huda: This is the second benefit.

Grandmother: You know my dear that Al-Imam Al-Mahdi (May Allah hastens his gracious appearance) is the right Imam who is chosen by Allah (SWT) in our era to be a witness for us in the Hereafter. If he is not existed in our world, who will be a witness for us in the Hereafter?

Huda: This is the third benefit.

Grandmother: His existence among us is considered a source of safety and stability for ourselves, because his existence as the existence of the prophet of Allah (Allah's blessings be upon him and his progeny). If we are assured of his existence, even if he is absent. We will know that torture will be away from us and mercy will include us. And his existence has to be a reliable source of safety and stability.

Huda: This is another great benefit.

Grandmother: The existence of Al-Imam Al-Mahdi (May Allah hastens his gracious appearance) is a kind of mercy for us, he helps poor people, guide the lost people, and save the believers. Do you see how many sick man was recovered by the blessings of Al-Imam Al-Mahdi (May Allah hastens his gracious appearance).

Huda: Are there any other benefits?

Grandmother: The benefits of Al-Imam Al-Mahdi (May Allah hastens his gracious appearance) existence can not be counted, his existence is giving hope to those who waiting him. Also, there are another benefits, he is taking care of his Shiites and call Allah (SWT) to send His blessings on them. Therefore, people will get great benefits from his call which Allah (SWT) will never disappoint him at all.

Huda: I wonder how I forget all these benefits.

Grandmother: I have not finished until now. His existence is giving vitality to the message of Islam and continuing its existence and keeping its sacred rules.

Huda: I have never imagined all these benefits.

Grandmother: And those who believe in his Imamate and wait for the last moment in their life, they will get Allah's blessings absolutely.

Huda: Praise be to Allah (SWT) for all these benefits and blessings.

Grandmother: I will end my speech with another great benefit. The benefit which we get it from his existence as the benefit which we get it from Sun even if it is covers by clouds. All beings like trees, human beings, plants, lands need sun light. And if it is beyond clouds: If night is continuing for ever, can we say that life will continue in this world? The existence of Al-Imam Al-Mahdi (May Allah hastens his gracious appearance) gives brightness to this world and without him the world will be dark. Without him there is no light, stability, etc. Can we live without the existence of sun?

Huda: I think I have got acceptable answer. Now, I am eager to hear the tale of "The Blind Bat."

Grandmother: I have been told that there has been a blind Bat, who flew during the brightness of the day to hunt insects to eat them.

Huda: How can this blind bat hunt them?

Grandmother: The bat has an unbelievable high sensitive ability to hear. The bat produces ultrasound and when it hits certain things, this ultrasound will go back to him. Thus, the bat will be able to know the place of this thing and attack on it swiftly, and this bat hates high sounds because these sounds will disturb him. Whenever the feast has come, children group around the swings, and they have been laughed loudly; therefore, the bat has disturbed from that.

Huda: What the bat has done to them.

Grandmother: The bat has cried loudly, don't play here. Go to your home. I hate loud sounds.

Grandmother: But the children have not pay attention to him or obey his order. The bat has decided to cut the swings ropes because they have been an obstacles restrain his flying.

Huda: Has the bat done that?

Grandmother: Yes, the bat has cut the swing ropes into small pieces in order to prevent them from playing with swings and not tie them again.

Huda: This bat is an animal without heart or conscience.

Grandmother: Yes, my dear. This is the habit of wicked people.

Huda: Surely, the children have become sad.

Grandmother: Off course my dear. But fortunately sun was seeing what happened.

Sun: I have to do something to prove for those children that I love their laugh and their playing.

Huda: What can sun do?

Grandmother: Sun has cried loudly.

Sun: Do you think I will be silent without punishing you. Oh, blind bat.

Huda: What has sun done to bring back happiness for children again?

Grandmother: Sun has sent its ropes of light to all children in order to make new swings. The children have become very happy. The blind bat has feared a lot when the laughs of children have spread again and the bat has wondered. Thus the blind bat has decided to cut sun ropes also. But the blind bat can not do that because they have been very strong. Whenever the bat has been flown and hits one of the sun ropes, the bat has become very tired and fallen on the ground and had no longer able to control himself.

Huda: What has happened then?

Grandmother: When the children have finished their play and sun has set, the bat has got up and it has begun to fly without hearing their laughs. Therefore, the bat has decided not to fly during the brightness of the day and the blind bat has begun to tell the animals about sun. The bat has told them that sun is useless and harmful and many other lies about sun. From that day whenever I hear someone talks about our sun Al-Imam Al-Mahdi (May Allah hastens his gracious appearance) I remember this tale.