In the current situation where the Mahdi is not visibly present, people cannot have certainty about the rulings of Islam except for those that are proven with the explicit text of the Quran or a wildly transmitted Hadith from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, and they are few. This is a consequential and natural outcome of the Mahdi’s non-advent, and his non-advent arises from their neglect. Therefore, their inability to have certainty about most of the rulings of Islam is a punishment from Allah for their wrongdoing; as He has said: ﴿ذَلِكَ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَيْسَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِلْعَبِيدِ﴾[1]; “That is because of what your hands sent forth, and undoubtedly, Allah is not unjust to (His) servants,” while having conjecture about the rulings of Islam does not suffice them; as Allah Almighty has said: ﴿إِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا﴾[2]; “Indeed, conjecture is not sufficient for (proving) the truth,” and this signifies their misery, wretchedness, and lack of any alternative in the Mahdi’s absence, which they find hard to accept and deny, even though it is true; as Allah Almighty has informed them of a similar situation and said: ﴿ضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الذِّلَّةُ أَيْنَ مَا ثُقِفُوا إِلَّا بِحَبْلٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَحَبْلٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَبَاءُوا بِغَضَبٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَسْكَنَةُ﴾[3]; “They were struck by ignominy wherever they are found except with a rope from Allah and a rope from people, and they incurred wrath from Allah and were struck by wretchedness.” Therefore, their example in this is like that of a man who has lost his water bottle in a desert; he cannot quench his thirst by sucking on a stone or consuming thorns, and his destruction in this situation is an inevitable outcome resulting from his neglect of safeguarding his water bottle unless he returns to the place where he left it and then retrieves it. Now, if it is asked how he can quench his thirst before doing so, there is no answer to this question; because Allah Almighty has not placed anything in the stone and thorns that can relieve his thirst. This is what Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani intends to convey to Muslims; as one of our companions informed us, he said:

«قُلْتُ لِلْمَنْصُورِ: مَنْ لَمْ يَظْفَرْ بِخَلِيفَةِ اللَّهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَمَاذَا يُغْنِيهِ؟ قَالَ: إِنَّمَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ خَلِيفَةً فِي الْأَرْضِ لِيُظْفَرَ بِهِ، وَمَنْ لَمْ يَظْفَرْ بِهِ كَانَ كَمَنْ أَصَابَهُ الْعَطَشُ وَلَمْ يَظْفَرْ بِالْمَاءِ، أَرَأَيْتَ الرَّمْلَ وَالْحَصَاةَ يُغْنِيَانِ عَنْهُ شَيْئًا؟! لَا وَاللَّهِ، بَلْ يَمُوتُ عَطَشًا وَلَا يَنْتَطِحُ فِيهِ عَنْزَانِ!»[4]; “I said to Mansoor: ‘If someone does not have access to the Caliph of Allah, what will make him free of the need for him?’ He said: ‘Allah has surely appointed a Caliph on the earth so that he will be accessible, and whoever does not have access to him is like one who is thirsty and has not had access to water; do you think that sand and pebbles will make him free of the need for water?! No, I swear to Allah, but rather he will die of thirst, and no two rams will headbutt each other for him.’”

Also, one of our companions informed us, he said:

«قُلْتُ لِلْمَنْصُورِ: أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي لَا يَعْرِفُ خَلِيفَةَ اللَّهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَوْ لَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَيْهِ، فَهَلْ لَهُ مِنْ بُدٍّ أَوْ مَنْدُوحَةٍ مَا لَمْ يَعْرِفْهُ وَيَقْدِرْ عَلَيْهِ؟ فَطَأْطَأَ رَأْسَهُ كَأَنَّهُ يَتَفَكَّرُ، ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ وَقَالَ: لَا، قُلْتُ: وَاللَّهِ يَهْلِكُ إِذَنْ! قَالَ: نَعَمْ وَهُوَ صَاغِرٌ!»[5]; “I said to Mansoor: ‘One who does not know or have access to the Caliph of Allah on the earth, is there any choice or escape for him as long as he does not know him or have access to him?’ So he lowered his head for a while as if he was thinking, then he raised his head and said: ‘No.’ I said: ‘I swear to Allah, he perishes in this case.’ He said: ‘Yes, while he is worthless.’”

This signifies that Allah Almighty has not set any alternative or substitute for His Caliph on the earth, and the need for him is an inevitable decree upon people. Therefore, their argument about finding a substitute for the Mahdi is futile. In other words, the Mahdi’s non-advent is a great calamity and an irreparable loss that cannot be remedied, and the efforts of people to fill this void are fruitless. In such a horrible and unfortunate situation, it is better for people, instead of wasting their time and energy on such fruitless arguments and efforts, to answer the invitation of Mansoor and prepare the ground for the Mahdi’s advent as soon as possible; because this is the wisest course of action that the thirsty and bewildered can take in the desert, but unfortunately, most of them are not wise.