The news on Friday, January 17

I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced this.

You have a task that needs to be done, and someone says, “I’ll do it for you.”

But you respond, “No, I’d rather die than have you do this for me.”

Even the thought of that person helping you makes you feel uneasy.

Allah, in a similar way, declares that He disapproves of such people assisting His Imam.

For all these years, I have kept My Imam in occultation, Allah says, and I can continue to do so for a few more years, rather than let these deceitful people be the ones to bring about the rise of My Qā’im.

Why, O Allah, don’t You grant them the success to prepare for him?

Haven’t you heard people say a group has "less or more readiness and capability”?

‘Iddeh‘ refers to quantity. For example, if a group has a small number of people, it’s said their ‘Iddeh‘ is low.

‘Uddeh‘ refers to quality, meaning the level or standard they possess.

Let’s use ourselves, Aradis merchants, as an example.

If our numbers are high, it means our ‘Iddeh is large.

Now, if each of our merchants excels in trade knowledge, honesty, trustworthiness, supply capability, branding, transaction volume, and customer satisfaction, it would be said that the ‘Uddeh of Aradi merchants is high.

The phrase "La’addu Lahu ‘Uddeh" encompasses both aspects, as the first part refers to quantity (‘Iddeh) and the second part pertains to quality (‘Uddeh).

In essence, Allah is saying: "If they truly intended to rise, why didn’t they increase and strengthen themselves both quantitatively and qualitatively?"

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) explained that "Lahu" refers to our Qā’im, Mahdi, who will rise in the end times.

Now, some skeptical readers might ask, "How do you know these people didn’t prepare themselves quantitatively and qualitatively for the rise of Imam Mahdi?"

Be patient; don’t rush.

Allah has also specified the criteria.

The exact term "A’addu" appears in another verse of the Qur’an and is not repeated elsewhere.

And that is where Allah says:

"Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into [the hearts of] the enemies." Surah Al-Anfal, Verse 60

So here, it becomes clear what we need to prepare, to the best of our ability.

What is power (quwwa)?

Haven’t you heard terms like "military power" or "economic power"?

Quwwa refers to strength and energy in a specific field.

Hearing power, vision power, and similar abilities also fall under sensory powers.

Some might argue that quwwa refers only to military power, but according to the words of the Imams and the interpretations of Qur'anic commentators, quwwa includes all dimensions of power.

Imam Mūsá al-Kāẓim (peace be upon him) explains: "Allah has clarified His meaning of power, where He states that it is to terrify the enemies of Allah and your enemies. Thus, anything that instills fear in the enemies of Allah is considered quwwa."

Now, the question arises: Haven’t the enemies of Islam attacked our economic strength?

What has been the primary threat from the United States and the forces of disbelief against us? Economic or military?

Are they more fearful of us becoming wealthy, or becoming militarily strong?

Certainly, both are important. But which area has the U.S. focused on more to weaken us?

The exact opposite of quwwa is weakness.

Is the focus on keeping us weak economically or militarily?

Over the years, have we faced more sanctions on our military growth or our economic development?

This simple question reveals which aspect the enemy fears more.

If the answer is economics, then it becomes clear that the primary quwwa, the power that terrifies the enemies of Allah, is economic, not military.

In the last twenty years, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic has not named a single year after military matters.

Thus, the primary power highlighted by the Qur'an—and one that changes according to the era—is economics in our time, as it is what instills fear in the enemies of Allah.

To better understand the concept of quwwa, let us also examine the views of Qur'anic commentators.

Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi, in his commentary on this verse, explains:

Here, a fundamental principle regarding Islamic jihad and the preservation of the existence of Muslims, as well as their glory, honor, and dignity, has been highlighted. The wording of this verse is so broad that it fully applies to every era, time, and place.

The term quwwa not only encompasses the weapons and modern tools of warfare of any era, but it also includes all forces and powers that contribute to victory against enemies, whether material or spiritual.

Economic, cultural, and political powers, which also fall under the concept of quwwa and play a highly effective role in defeating enemies, should not be overlooked. Therefore, those who have only considered a few narrations and restricted the meaning of quwwa to a specific example have made a significant mistake. Excerpt from Tafsir-e-Nemooneh, Vol. 7, Page 222

Now, we turn to those who claim to be supporters of the Imam of our time.

Ask them: "Are you truly a source of fear for the enemies of Allah?"

What is it that America fears about you?

What power or strength have you developed within yourself that could cause concern for the disbelievers?

Forget the enemies of Allah for a moment.

Are your own enemies afraid of you?

Every random person who comes along has humiliated you and crushed your spirit.

And you think you are ready to help the Imam of our time?

Forget it.

First, free yourself from this disgrace. Helping the Imam is a distant matter.

How can someone whose economic strength cannot even sustain their own household claim to assist their Imam?

Such a person, if the Imam were to arrive, would become a burden on the Imam’s government rather than a supporter.

Someone else would have to lift them out of their poverty and misery.

Has this individual strengthened themselves economically enough to say: "O my Master, I have brought this contribution to spend in your cause?"

Or are they simply waiting for the Imam to arrive so they can shift their unpaid debts onto him?

What exactly do we want to happen when the Imam arrives?

Shall we sacrifice our wealth and lives for his cause, or should we borrow money from him for the lives we were supposed to build ourselves but didn’t?

I have asked many false lovers of Imam Mahdi this question, and I encourage you to ask as well.

Why should Imam Mahdi come?

They say: "He should come so my son can get a job."

"He should come to provide a dowry for my daughter."

"He should come to fix the shortcomings in my life."

And so on.

Well, all these are things you could achieve through trade.

There’s no need for the Imam’s arrival for such matters.

So, do you not want an Imam who commands you to obey him?

Instead, you seem to want, God forbid, a porter to carry the burdens you were supposed to carry in life but chose not to.

For years, I’ve presented this logic to these people, yet it didn’t ignite the slightest passion within them to strive for economic growth.

They want the Imam to compensate for their laziness and inertia—not to inspire them to endure hardship and effort under his leadership.

They wish for the Imam to come so this useless, idle individual can eat and sleep for free, with all his life’s needs met.

This is how these people perceive the Imam.

And they think that when Imam Mahdi comes, he will change the verses of the Quran.

Haven’t they heard that God has said:

“That man can have nothing but what he strives for.” Surah An-Najm, Verse 39

So, what is the Imam’s role in this?

When the Imam comes, he will guide people away from misleading paths like stocks, cryptocurrencies, pyramid schemes, investment companies, gambling sites, and all forms of usury and gambling. He will call them towards true trade.

At that point, those who strove in trade will prosper, and those who did not will remain in misery.

There are numerous narrations about how, even during the government of the Imam, it will still be necessary for some people to do menial tasks, clean bathrooms, and perform low-level jobs.

Someone asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), “When Imam Mahdi comes, will all people live in comfort?”

The Imam replied: “No. Who then would take on the menial and arduous tasks, given that the needs for such jobs will never disappear?”

The man said, “You speak the truth.

So, who will do these tasks?”

The Imam replied: “Those who did not strengthen and prepare themselves for his arrival before the Qa’im’s emergence.”

The man asked: “Do you have a Quranic verse to support this statement?”

The Imam then recited this verse:

The day that certain of the signs of thy Lord do come, no good will it do to a soul to believe in them then if it believed not before nor earned righteousness through its faith. Say: “Wait ye: we too are waiting.” Surah Al-An’am, Verse 158