In the name of Allah

The Imam of the Time (may Allah have mercy on him) has been in occultation for many years. His followers have been waiting for his luminous visit for many years. They pray for the Imam's release in their ceremonies. Praying is very good, and the Imam himself advises us to pray a lot for his release. However, praying alone is not enough; we must truly wait for the Imam with our own efforts and by preparing the ground for his release. He needs sincere and loyal friends. We must prove through jihad in the way of God that we are the Imam's friends and that we listen to and act on his words. Waiting for the release is considered superior; waiting is not just a word, but an action. God said in the Quran in verse 11 of Surah Ra'd:

«إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا یُغَیِّرُ مَا بِقَومٍ حَتَّیٰ یُغَیِّرُواْ مَا بِأَنفُسِهِم»

"God will not change the condition of any people until they change their own condition."

God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves. True awaiters of the reappearance (of Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his reappearance) are those who genuinely strive for it. In various hadiths, believers are strongly encouraged to preserve their faith during the time of occultation and to remain patient in the face of hardships. Maintaining true and complete faith during the age of occultation requires a legitimate successor — someone who can lead the people and prevent them from losing their religion. Preserving faith is not limited to performing prayers, fasting, or staying up for night vigil; rather, as stated in the hadiths, remaining silent in the face of oppression is a great sin. Therefore, fighting against the oppression of enemies is a very significant part of keeping one’s faith during the occultation. A clear example of oppression is the United States, which steals and kills people, and the usurping Israel, which has unjustly occupied the lands of the Palestinians and massacred around 30,000 of them. To stand against oppression, the unity of Muslims around the world must be maintained, and all must work together. Thus, a wise, knowledgeable, and pious leader is necessary — one who establishes unity and harmony among the people and strives to implement Islamic laws fully in society, including the command of jihad and resistance against oppression. The leader, in essence, is a commander who guides people toward jihad and a righteous, sin-free life so that they may gain the readiness required for the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance). Those who only rely on prayer without working to prepare the grounds for the Imam’s return are not true awaiters; they merely raise empty slogans. For example, if someone wants a friend to visit their home, they prepare the house for their friend’s arrival and behave in ways that their friend would appreciate. If they only sit and pray, asking God to make their friend come tonight, will the friend actually come? Similarly, one who wants to become wealthy works hard and strives for it — only then, with God’s help, do they achieve their goal. Simply praying for wealth without effort is useless; prayer must accompany action.In the same way, since we are awaiting the Savior of humanity, we must live in a way that pleases him and prepare the world for his blessed arrival. Preparing these conditions first requires true and heartfelt faith, second, striving in the path of God and fighting oppression, and third, constant prayer. May we all, God willing, be among the true awaiters and sincere followers of Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him).