The Occultation

The Occultation (Arabic: غيبة‎ Ghaybah) in Shia Islam refers to a belief that the messianic figure, or Mahdi, who in Shi'i thought is an infallible male descendant of the founder of Islam, Muhammad, was born but disappeared, and will one day return and fill the world with justice and peace. Some Shi'is, such as the Zaidi and Nizari Ismaili, do not believe in the idea of the Occultation. The groups that do believe in it differ on the succession of the Imamate, and therefore which individual is in Occultation. The Hidden Imam is still considered to be the Imam of the Time, to hold authority over the community, and to guide and protect individuals and the Shi'i community.

Twelver

In Twelver Shia Islam, the largest branch of the Shia faith, twelfth imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, went into Occultation in 873. The Occultation is split into the Minor Occultation and the Major Occultation. According to Shia, there are reasons for the Occultation: Imam being afraid of his being killed, not to be under the oath of tyrant rulers, the Shia are to be examined by God.

Minor Occultation

In Shiite literature The Minor Occultation (Arabic: غيبة الصغری‎) (874–941 CE) refers to early years of Imamate of Muhammad al-Mahdi who disappeared and would only contact his followers through the Four Deputies. This occultation is also called as the First Occultation (Arabic: غيبةالاولی‎).

Background

During the seven years of Hasan al-Askari's Imamate, he lived in taqiyah for the Abbasid Caliphs were afraid of Shia who had reached a considerable population at the time. Besides, the Caliphs came to know that the leaders among the Shia believed that the eleventh Imam, according to numerous traditions cited by him and his forefathers, would have a son who was the promised Mahdi. So the caliphs of the time had decided definitely to put an end to the Imamate in Shiism once and for all.

In such circumstances, Al-Mahdi gained the Imamate after the death of Hasan al-Askari in 874. In some narrations are mentioned that Muhammad Al-Mahdi prayed Salat al-Janazah on his corpse and then he went into Minor Occultation from the authorities of the `Abbasid caliphate as a precaution.

One Foundation

The One Foundation (Chinese: 壹基金), full title Shenzhen One Foundation Charity Fund (Chinese: 深圳壹基金公益基金会), was registered on December 3, 2010, as the first private charitable fundraising organization in China. One Foundation strives to provide a professional and transparent charitable platform according to the vision of "Charity by All, Doing What I Can" (Chinese: 尽我所能，人人公益). One Foundation's strategy is for this one platform to cover three areas of activity: in disaster relief, children's welfare and the training of public welfare professionals.

One Foundation was originally founded by Chinese Red Cross ambassador Jet Li in April 2007 as the Red Cross Society of China Jet Li One Foundation Project (Chinese: 中国红十字会李连杰壹基金计划). In October 2010, One Foundation registered in Shanghai as a private equity fund under the title Shanghai Jet Li One Foundation Charity Fund (Chinese: 上海李连杰壹基金公益基金会). Both of these registrations along with associated funds, projects and personnel were later rolled into the Shenzhen-based foundation.

Muhammad al-Mahdi

Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Mahdī (Arabic: محمد بن الحسن المهدي) is believed by Twelver Shī‘a Muslims to be the Mahdī, an ultimate savior of humankind and the final Imām of the Twelve Imams who will emerge with Isa (Jesus Christ) in order to fulfill their mission of bringing peace and justice to the world. Twelver Shī‘a believe that al-Mahdī was born in 869 (15 Sha‘bān 255 AH) and assumed Imamate at 5 years of age following the death of his father Hasan al-Askari. In the early years of his Imamate he would only contact his followers through The Four Deputies. After a 72-year period, known as Minor Occultation, a few days before the death of his fourth deputy Abul Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri in 941, he is believed to have sent his followers a letter. In that letter that was transmitted by al-Samarri he declared the beginning of Major Occultation during which Mahdi is not in contact with his followers.

Followers of Sunni Islam and other minority Shias mostly believe that the Mahdi has not yet been born, and therefore his exact identity is only known to Allah. Aside from the Mahdi's precise genealogy, Sunnis accept many of the same hadiths Shias accept about the predictions regarding the Mahdi's emergence, his acts, and his universal Caliphate. Sunnis also have a few more Mahdi hadiths which are not present in Shia collections.

Imam

An imam (/ɪˈmɑːm/; Arabic: إمام‎ imām, plural: أئمة aʼimmah; Persian: امام‎‎) is an Islamic leadership position. It is most commonly in the context of a worship leader of a mosque and Muslim community by Sunni Muslims. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, serve as community leaders, and provide religious guidance. For Shi'a Muslims, the imam has a more central meaning and role in Islam through the concept of Imamah; the term is only applicable to those members of the house of the prophet ahl al-Bayt, designated as infallibles.

Sunni Imams

The Sunni branch of Islam does not have imams in the same sense as the Shi'a, an important distinction often overlooked by those outside of the Islamic faith. In everyday terms, the imam for Sunni Muslims is the one who leads Islamic formal (Fard) prayers, even in locations besides the mosque, whenever prayers are done in a group of two or more with one person leading (imam) and the others following by copying his ritual actions of worship. Friday sermon is most often given by an appointed imam. All mosques have an imam to lead the (congregational) prayers, even though it may sometimes just be a member from the gathered congregation rather than an officially appointed salaried person. Women imams may only lead amongst female-only congregations. The person that should be chosen according to Hadith is one who has most knowledge of the Qu'ran, and Sunnah (prophetic tradition) and is of good character; the age being irrelevant.