5. The Length of al-Mahdi’s Life
Webelievethatthelengtheningofaman'slifeisnotanimpossibility,be-
causeitisexplicitlystatedintheQur'ānthat,“WesentNuhtohispeople
andsohelivedamongthemathousandyears,allbutfifty.”(29:14)Even
modernsciencedoesnotdenythepossibilityoflengtheningthehuman
lifespan.
Ifagreatlyextendedlifeisnotanimpossibleevent,thereisnothingto
preventGodfrom keepingamanaliveforthousands ofyears because
theregulationsofaman'slifeisinthehandsofGod.Hecanbringanew
orderintoexistencewhichhasprecedenceovertheusualorderofthings,
justasHedidinthecaseofallthemiracles.Themiraclesoftheprophets:
thecoolingofthefireforIbrahim,theturningofMusa’sstaffintoaser-
pent;bringingthedeadtolifethrough`Isa,andsoforth,areallagainst
theusualflowofthingsbutGodbroughtanotherorderintoexistenceby
Hisownpowerandamiracleoccurred. AlltheMuslims,the Jewsand
the Christians believe in these miracles.
Similarly,forthelength ofthe lifeof ImamMahdi,thereremainsno
place for any kind of objection, because if someone says that such a
lengthoflifeisimpossible,thenhisclaimcannotbeatallacceptedafter
thestipulationoftheQur'ānconcerningthelengthofProphetNuh'slife.
Ifsomeonesaysthataprolongedlifeispossiblebutagainstthe normal
naturalorderofthings,thenitcanbe retortedthatthe lengthoflifeof
Imam Mahdi is against the natural order just as the miracles of the
prophets are against the natural order but within the power of God.
SomeonewhobelievesinthepowerofGodandinthemiraclesofthe
prophets cannot have the slightest objection to the length of Imam
Mahdi’s life.
* * *This lesson is based onThe Roots of Religionof Dar Rah-e Haq.