as He has said: ﴿قُلْ فَلِلَّهِ الْحُجَّةُ الْبَالِغَةُ ۖ فَلَوْ شَاءَ لَهَدَاكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾[1]; “Say: ‘The conclusive argument belongs to Allah; so if He had willed, He would have guided you all.’” He carries out this task by appointing a caliph on the Earth on His behalf, whom He has guided to all things, their measures, and their places in the world, so that he can set everything in its place and realize justice on His behalf. By virtue of possessing this divine guidance, this caliph is called the “Mahdi”[2], for he has been guided by Allah to all things, their measures, and their places in the world[3].

[The Reason for the Non-Appearance of the Mahdi on the Earth]

From this, it is understood that Allah’s purpose in appointing the Mahdi on the Earth is the realization of justice on it; because he is the successor of the Prophets, and Allah has said about them: ﴿لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَنْزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ النَّاسُ بِالْقِسْطِ﴾[4]; “Indeed, We sent Our Prophets with clear signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance, so that people may rise for justice”—and it is clear that the realization of justice on the Earth is possible through the Mahdi’s appearance on it. Therefore, his non-appearance on it is not attributed to Allah, since that would contradict His purpose, and contradiction in His purposes is impossible; as He has said: ﴿مَا يُبَدَّلُ الْقَوْلُ لَدَيَّ وَمَا أَنَا بِظَلَّامٍ لِلْعَبِيدِ﴾[5]; “The Word does not change with Me, and I am not unjust to My servants.” Moreover, his non-appearance on the Earth prevents the realization of justice on it, while creating an obstacle to the realization of justice on it is oppression—and oppression is not attributed to Allah. To explain: the Mahdi’s non-appearance on the Earth is not because there is nothing that requires his appearance, for what requires it is the necessity of the realization of justice on the Earth and the fact that it is contingent upon his appearance, which exists; therefore, his non-appearance on the Earth is due to the existence of an obstacle to his appearance. This obstacle—whatever it is—cannot originate from Allah’s initial will and action;