O wise brother, who desires good!

Allah forbid that He would make one who repents and reforms after receiving admonition from his Lord, like one who persists arrogantly as if he had not heard it! How could that be?! While He has said: ﴿أَوَمَنْ كَانَ مَيْتًا فَأَحْيَيْنَاهُ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِي النَّاسِ كَمَنْ مَثَلُهُ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍ مِنْهَا﴾[1]; “Or is one who was dead and We gave him life and made for him a light by which he walks among people, like one whose example is in darkness from which he cannot emerge?!” and said: ﴿مَثَلُ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ كَالْأَعْمَى وَالْأَصَمِّ وَالْبَصِيرِ وَالسَّمِيعِ ۚ هَلْ يَسْتَوِيَانِ مَثَلًا ۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ﴾[2]; “The example of the two parties is that of the blind and the deaf, and the seeing and the hearing. Are they equal when compared?! Will you not then take heed?!” The difference between them lies in the following aspects:

1. One who has not answered the invitation of Mansoor to prepare the ground for the Mahdi’s advent is “negligent” in failing to reach the Mahdi, while one who has answered it is “restricted,” and the restricted one is not like the negligent one. The one negligent in failing to reach the Mahdi is not excused for acting on conjecture; because he has caused his failure to gain certainty by his bad choice, but the one restricted in failing to reach the Mahdi is excused for acting on conjecture; because he has not caused his failure to gain certainty, but others have caused it. Therefore, one who has not answered the invitation of Mansoor to prepare the ground for the Mahdi’s advent is “oppressive,” while one who has answered it is “oppressed,” and the oppressed one is not like the oppressor. The oppressor will bear the burden of the oppressed one on the Day of Judgment; because he has forced the oppressed one to act on conjecture in situations where he has had no other choice, even though the oppressed one’s acting on conjecture in those situations is permissible for him; because Allah Almighty has said: ﴿وَقَدْ فَصَّلَ لَكُمْ مَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِلَّا مَا اضْطُرِرْتُمْ إِلَيْهِ ۗ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا لَيُضِلُّونَ بِأَهْوَائِهِمْ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ ۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُعْتَدِينَ﴾[3]; “He has already explained to you what He has forbidden you, unless you are compelled by necessity. And many lead others astray by their desires without knowledge. Indeed, your Lord knows best the transgressors.”

2. One who is unable to reach the Mahdi because of his negligence is obligated to prepare the ground for the Mahdi’s advent before he is obligated to perform prayer, fast, go to Hajj, and pay Zakat. If he engages in preparing the ground for the Mahdi’s advent, he is excused for acting on conjecture in his prayer, fasting, Hajj, and Zakat, as we have explained previously. However, if he does not do so, his prayer, fasting, Hajj, and Zakat based on conjecture are not accepted. Based on this, preparing the ground for the Mahdi’s advent is an immediate obligation that takes precedence over all other obligations.

3. One who is unable to reach the Mahdi because of his restriction is not forced to act on conjecture in all matters; because there are matters whose rulings are known through a verse of the Quran or a mutawatir report from the Prophet and his pure Ahl al-Bayt. Undoubtedly, acting on these sources in those matters is not considered acting on conjecture, but rather on certainty. It appears that the pillars of prayer, fasting, Hajj, and Zakat are among those matters. Therefore, the one restricted in failing to reach the Mahdi must seek knowledge of the rulings through studying the Quran and the Sunnah to gain certainty as much as possible. If he falls short in this, he is not excused for acting on conjecture in matters where he can gain certainty through this means, even if he is restricted in failing to reach the Mahdi.

4. One who is unable to reach the Mahdi because of his restriction is not allowed to act on ahad reports in matters about which there is no verse of the Quran or a mutawatir report from the Prophet and his pure Ahl al-Bayt; because the conjecture arising from ahad reports is no different from the conjecture arising from other sources in terms of being conjecture, and both are in the position of doubt in terms of not being evidence. Therefore, in matters about which there is no verse of the Quran or a mutawatir report from the Prophet and his pure Ahl al-Bayt, the one who is unable to reach the Mahdi due to his restriction should resort to “practical principles” that intellectuals rely on in cases of doubt to escape confusion and stagnation. These principles are freedom from obligation, precaution, freedom of choice, and presumption of continuity. If they doubt the very existence of an obligation, they resort to freedom from obligation; and if they doubt the subject matter of an obligation, they resort to precaution if possible, and to freedom of choice if not possible; and if they doubt the continuation of an obligation, they resort to presumption of continuity; until certainty comes to them.

5. One who is unable to reach the Mahdi because of his restriction, if he is certain that Mansoor is the promised Mansoor Khorasani, whom the Prophet and his pure Ahl al-Bayt have commanded to be followed through mutawatir reports, can go to him to learn about the rulings that are doubtful to him; because Mansoor Khorasani is the most knowledgeable about rulings after the Mahdi, and if it is impossible to reach the Mahdi because of restriction, then it becomes necessary to go to the most knowledgeable person after him, which eliminates the need to go to others to examine opinions and pieces of evidence that lead to hardship and exposure to error and ordeal; as Ali pointed this out in one of his sermons about the tribulations of the end time, saying: «اعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ إِنِ اتَّبَعْتُمْ طَالِعَ الْمَشْرِقِ سَلَكَ بِكُمْ مَنَاهِجَ الرَّسُولِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَتَدَاوَيْتُمْ مِنَ الْعَمَى وَالصَّمَمِ وَالْبَكَمِ، وَكُفِيتُمْ مَؤُونَةَ الطَّلَبِ وَالتَّعَسُّفِ، وَنَبَذْتُمُ الثِّقْلَ الْفَادِحَ عَنِ الْأَعْنَاقِ»[4]; “Know that if you follow the one who rises from the East, he will guide you to the paths of the Messenger . Then you will be cured of blindness, deafness, and muteness, and will be spared the burden of seeking and going astray, and will cast off the heavy and dangerous weight from your necks.”

This is how Allah guides one who believes and is pious, makes a way out and ease for him, and removes his burden and shackle; as He has said: ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ يَهْدِيهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ بِإِيمَانِهِمْ﴾[5]; “Indeed, those who believed and did righteous deeds, their Lord guides them by their faith,” and said: ﴿وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا﴾[6]; “And those who strive hard for Us, We surely guide them to Our paths,” and said: ﴿فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى ۝ وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَى ۝ فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَى﴾[7]; “As for one who gives, is pious, and believes in goodness, We will surely smooth his way toward ease,” and said: ﴿وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ يُسْرًا﴾[8]; “And whoever fears Allah, He makes his affairs easy,” and said: ﴿وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مَخْرَجًا﴾[9]; “And whoever fears Allah, He makes a way out for him,” and said: ﴿وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَالْأَغْلَالَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ﴾[10]; “And He removes from them their burdens and the shackles that were upon them”; contrary to one who denies and disobeys; as He has said: ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَظَلَمُوا لَمْ يَكُنِ اللَّهُ لِيَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ وَلَا لِيَهْدِيَهُمْ طَرِيقًا ۝ إِلَّا طَرِيقَ جَهَنَّمَ﴾[11]; “Indeed, those who disbelieved and did wrong, Allah does not forgive them, nor does He guide them to a path, except the path of Hell,” and said: ﴿وَأَمَّا مَنْ بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَى ۝ وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَى ۝ فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَى﴾[12]; “As for one who is miserly, considers himself self-sufficient, and denies goodness, We will surely smooth his way toward hardship,” and said: ﴿كَذَلِكَ يُضِلُّ اللَّهُ مَنْ هُوَ مُسْرِفٌ مُرْتَابٌ﴾[13]; “This is how Allah leads astray whoever is extravagant and doubtful,” and said: ﴿ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمُ اتَّبَعُوا مَا أَسْخَطَ اللَّهَ وَكَرِهُوا رِضْوَانَهُ فَأَحْبَطَ أَعْمَالَهُمْ﴾[14]; “That was because they followed what angered Allah and were averse to what pleased Him, so He made their deeds come to nothing,” so that one who believes and is pious will not be like one who denies and disobeys; as He has said: ﴿أَفَنَجْعَلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ كَالْمُجْرِمِينَ ۝ مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ﴾[15]; “Would We then treat Muslims like criminals?! What is the matter with you?! How do you judge?!” and said: ﴿أَمْ نَجْعَلُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ كَالْمُفْسِدِينَ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَمْ نَجْعَلُ الْمُتَّقِينَ كَالْفُجَّارِ﴾[16]; “Or would We treat those who believed and did righteous deeds like those who spread corruption on Earth?! Or would We treat the pious like the wicked?!” and said: ﴿أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ اجْتَرَحُوا السَّيِّئَاتِ أَنْ نَجْعَلَهُمْ كَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ سَوَاءً مَحْيَاهُمْ وَمَمَاتُهُمْ ۚ سَاءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ﴾[17]; “Or do those who committed evil deeds think that We will make them equal to those who believed and did good, that their life and death are the same?! How bad their judgment is.”

We have answered your last question and established the proof against you from all aspects. Whether you are grateful, as you promised, or ungrateful, know that ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ﴾[18]; “Allah is All-Seeing of what you do.”