This task is intended as preparation for his appearance; given that if it is accomplished today, he will certainly appear tomorrow, and even access to him will be possible tonight, for Allah does not do injustice even for an instant—and this is reflected in Allah’s statement, where He has said: ﴿فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً ۖ وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ﴾[1]; “So when their appointed time arrives, they neither lag behind nor move ahead, even for an instant.” However, so far, the more I have searched, the less I have found, to the extent that I have become exhausted and disheartened; for it is as if the Earth is devoid of righteous people![2]

[The Consequences of the Mahdi’s Non-Appearance for People]

From this, it is understood that people’s lack of access to the Mahdi and the consequences that result from it are due to their own fault. Therefore, this is not considered an excuse for them to abandon the obligations that can be carried out through access to him. This is because anyone who places himself into a state of necessity through his own wrongful action and choice is not considered excused merely for his state of necessity; like a hungry person who intentionally wastes lawful food, despite knowing that he needs it, and then is compelled to eat unlawful food, and therefore, eating the unlawful food is a sin upon him, even if he has no other choice; as Allah Almighty has said: ﴿فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلَا عَادٍ فَلَا إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ﴾[3]; “Then whoever is compelled, without being negligent or exceeding the limit, there is no sin upon him”—meaning that if he is compelled due to his own negligence or excess, he is a sinner; or like a thief who willingly enters usurped land and then is compelled to perform prayer there, while his act of making use of that land is impermissible, even for prayer, and therefore, his prayer there is invalid, even at the end of the time and due to a state of necessity. This is the meaning of the statement of Allah Almighty, where He has said: ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُصْلِحُ عَمَلَ الْمُفْسِدِينَ﴾[4]; “Indeed, Allah does not make right the deed of the corruptors.” Therefore, those who, through their own negligence in sufficiently supporting the Mahdi, have prevented the establishment of his government are not permitted to form another government, even if they have no alternative; and their other government, if they form it, has no legitimacy.