From Jamkaran to the Square: Mahdism as an Act of Resistance

By Hassan Reza Sharara

Jamkaran Mosque stands on the outskirts of the city of Qom—not merely as a piece of architecture, but as a living marker in the conscience of every Muslim. It embodies the meaning of waiting and calls forth hope in a continually renewed divine promise. It is a mosque whose presence has settled into the collective memory as a place where supplication meets hope, and action meets watchful anticipation.

The story of the mosque’s founding goes back to the late fourth century AH. Historical accounts relate that Hassan ibn Muthla al-Jamkarani saw Imam Al-Mahdi [may God hasten his noble reappearance] one night during the month of Ramadan, and that the Imam instructed him to build a mosque at a specific spot in the village of Jamkaran. From that moment on, the mosque grew and expanded, becoming a weekly destination for thousands of visitors, especially on Wednesday nights, when hands are raised in prayer, Du’a al-Tawassul is recited, and the covenant of allegiance to the absent-yet-present Imam is renewed. Here, the believer does not stop at hope alone but renews a commitment to responsibility and duty: a form of waiting that reforms rather than paralyzes, that mobilizes rather than numbs.

Jamkaran’s significance extends beyond place into meaning. It is a symbol of the continuity of connection with the Imam—peace be upon him—and an affirmation that occultation is not absence, but a different mode of presence. In Jamkaran, the visitor learns that waiting is not an empty stretch of time but a project of preparation and construction: self-purification, justice in conduct and steadfastness on the path of truth and reality.

For this reason, Jamkaran Mosque has taken deep root in the Shiite conscience, renewed in every generation, reminding believers that the promise still stands and that the meeting—however delayed—remains possible, so long as the heart stays awake and action sincere. In an age when trials multiply and tyrants close in on the oppressed, Jamkaran remains a witness to the truth that hope itself is an act of worship and that waiting is a stance.

Along this path of active, not static, waiting, and in the heart of the holy city of Qom, the Baqi’ portico of Jamkaran Mosque hosted the 21st International Conference on the Doctrine of Mahdism, titled “Mahdism and Knowing the Enemy (the Jewish–Zionist Enemy).” The conference sought to frame waiting as a conscious commitment and responsibility, not mere anticipation. Its slogan was striking in its symbolism: “Mahdist Waiting: Haydar’s Dhu al-Fiqar Drawn Against the Jews of Khaybar,” underscoring that Mahdist culture is not an isolated metaphysical discourse but a historically grounded, resistance-oriented awareness—clear-sighted in identifying the enemy and perpetually prepared to confront injustice until the dawn of the divine promise breaks.

Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Nasser Makarem Shirazi addressed the conference with a message in which he stressed that, while belief in the appearance of a savior is shared across religions, within the school of Ahl Al-Bayt (peace be upon them), it constitutes a foundational doctrine tied to the continuity of the Imamate and the necessity of the Imam’s presence to guide humanity. He emphasized that the injustice and chaos engulfing the world today, especially the crimes of the Zionist entity and its backers, highlight the urgent need to cultivate the “true awaiter”: one grounded in faith in supreme divine power, equipped with knowledge of the enemy and its schemes, and capable of thwarting efforts to erase the culture of waiting. He concluded with a prayer for Iran’s security and endurance as a base for lovers and awaiters until the reappearance.

Likewise, the director of the Islamic seminaries, Ayatollah Sheikh Alireza Arafi, affirmed that the Islamic world today is in need of a “resistant Mahdism” and a “pioneering form of waiting”, a waiting that combines global appeal with the capacity to generate resistance against arrogance and Zionism. He clarified that true waiting is not an individual affair but one with social, historical, and civilizational dimensions. He warned against three deviant readings of the end of history: Zionist-Jewish, Zionist-Christian, and materialist-liberal interpretations, explaining how they intersect in producing a global system that sustains injustice. He also outlined three core missions of Mahdism: a rational, globally intelligible presentation; a scholarly critique of deviant alternatives; and an active presence in the field.

Ayatollah Sheikh Mohsen Araki, a member of the presidium of teachers at the Qom seminary, spoke about the divine laws governing history, affirming the inevitability of the historical trajectory culminating in the realization of global justice under the leadership of Imam al-Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance). He explained the laws of the “withdrawal of blessings” and “replacement,” warning against breaking the covenant and noting that the struggle between the “covenant-breakers” and the “faithful community” will continue until the reappearance.

This edition of the “Doctrine of Mahdism” conference also honored 17 figures recognized as “Supporters of the Mahdi” across various fields and unveiled nine specialized journals dedicated to Mahdist studies. The event concluded with the launch of two books—A Study and Analysis of Narrations on the Reasons for the Occultation of the Twelfth Imam and The Condition of Sins and Sinners under the Mahdist Government—alongside seven peer-reviewed quarterly journals in Mahdist sciences and research.

Thus, Jamkaran Mosque does not remain merely a destination for worship, nor is Mahdism reduced to a deferred idea postponed to the end of time. Rather, the place reveals itself as a living school—one that redefines waiting as awareness, position, and historical responsibility. From Jamkaran, it becomes clear that prayer without insight is deficient, hope without action is illusion, and true waiting is that which matures the human being, hardens one’s stance, and keeps the compass fixed on justice no matter how dense the darkness.

In a time when projects of domination intertwine and consciousness is reshaped to justify injustice, the discourse of resistant Mahdism rises to declare that the future does not belong to those with superior weaponry, but to those with truer faith and firmer resolve. Here, waiting becomes constant readiness; knowing the enemy becomes part of worship; and hope turns into an act of resistance rather than a retreat from reality.

From Qom, and from Jamkaran in particular, the old yet ever-renewed call resounds: the divine promise stands firm; occultation is a test, not an absence; and dawn is not born suddenly but forged in conscious hearts, discerning minds, and hands that work quietly and steadfastly. Between prayer and action, between awareness and patience, the awaiters move forward—not to count the days, but to create meaning, until the moment of encounter arrives.