Yes, the non-creation of the Mahdi—if he has not yet been created—is an act of Allah, since creation or its omission is not attributed to anyone other than Allah; as He has said: ﴿أَلَا لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالْأَمْرُ﴾[1]; “Be aware that creation and command belong to Him.” However, creating the Mahdi becomes incumbent upon Allah when there is no obstacle from people to his appearance, considering that Allah’s main purpose in creating him is his appearance; if there is an obstacle from people to his appearance, his creation does not fulfill Allah’s purpose. Accordingly, it can be said that the non-creation of the Mahdi—if he has not yet been created—is the outcome of people’s voluntary will and action, even though it is an act of Allah. Likewise, if he has already been created, his non-appearance is the outcome of people’s voluntary will and action. In neither case is Allah accused of causing it; as He has said: ﴿ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَكُ مُغَيِّرًا نِعْمَةً أَنْعَمَهَا عَلَى قَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ ۙ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ﴾[2]; “This is because Allah never changes the blessing He has granted to a people until they change what is in themselves. And Allah is surely the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing,” and: ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ﴾[3]; “Indeed, Allah does not change anything for a people until they change what is in themselves.”

[The Obligation upon People to Make the Mahdi Appear]

Based on this, the creation of the Mahdi by Allah, if it has not yet occurred, and his appearance, if he has already been created, are contingent upon the voluntary will and action of people; meaning that if people remove the obstacle to his appearance, then both become possible; otherwise, they do not. It is clear that removing the obstacle to the Mahdi’s appearance is possible for them, since whoever is capable of doing something is also capable of abandoning it—and people have been capable of creating the obstacle to the Mahdi’s appearance;