Imam Reza (p.b.u.h.) said: "The most pious of believing men and women are those who are sorrowful for the (time of) flowing water (Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.)" Flowing water indicates that it is a part of the ayat: "Say ! Have you considered if your water should go down, who is if then that will bring you flowing water?" (Sura Al Mulk 67 : 30)

According to Imam as-Sadeq (p.b.u.h.) "the flowing water" in this Ayat means Hazrat Mahdi (a.t.f.s.). Hence the exegesis of this Ayat is as follows: "Say, if your Imam (p.b.u.h.) goes into ghaibat, who is it that will bring back your Imam to you. Who, like a gushing spring will teach you what is haraam and what is halal, and quench you thirst with good tidings (news) of the sky and the earth." (Refer Kamaaluddin Pg.325-326)

Imam Ja'far as Sadeq (p.b.u.h.) said: "Know him ! The one who would be hidden from you in your time until it would be said, He is dead! He is killed! He has gone into wilderness. And the eyes of the believers will be tearful." (Ghaibat-e-Nomani Pg.152. 153)

Imam Hassan al-Askaree (p.b.u.h.) said, "By Allah they do not truly wish for his reappearance, and do not attain salvation. Except those, whom Allah the High and the Mighty, has made firm upon the sayings of their Imams, and gave them the tawfeeq (opportunity) to pray for the hastening of the reappearance." (Kamaaluddin vol.2 Pg.384) Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) says: "And pray more for an early reappearance. For certainly, in it, is your success." (Kamaaluddin vol.2 Pg.485, Ghaibat-e-Toosi pg.292-293)

The Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.&h.f.) said: "Even if a single day remains for the day of judgment, Allah will send a man from my Ahlulbait. He will fill the earth with justice just like it is filled with tyranny." (Sunan Abu Dawood vol.4 Pg.107)

Dibil Ibn Ali al-Khuzai says: When I was reciting the Qasida (Panegyric) before my master, Reza (p.b.u.h.), I reached to the following lines. “I hope in the advent of my Imam. Who will rise up with the name of Allah and the divine blessings will accompany him. He will separate the truth from falsehood (for us) and he will reward and punish." Imam (p.b.u.h.) said to me: "O Khuzaee ! Ruhul Qudus (the angel) has made you recite these two couplets. Do you know who this Imam is? One who will rise?” I replied, "No my master, I only know that one of you, Imams will rise up and clear the earth of all injustice and fill it will equity." Imam Reza (p.b.u.h.) said, "O Dibil after me my son Mohammad shall be the Imam and after him his son Ali, and after him his son Hassan al Askaree, and after him his son Al-Qaim who shall be the awaited one during the period of his ghaibat. And when he shall be revealed, all the world shall bow down to him. Even if a single day remains for this world, Allah the High and the Mighty shall prolong this day till he will appear and fill the earth with justice as it has been filled with tyranny. And who knows when it will come to pass! I have heard it from my father, (who had heard it) from his father, and they had heard it from the Messenger of Allah (a.t.f.s.) when he was asked, "O Prophet of Allah (p.b.u.h.&h.f.) when will the Qaem of your progeny arise? He (p.b.u.h.&h.f.) had replied, "His likeness is to the Hour (Quiyamat), '.....none but He shall manifest it at its time; it will be momentous in the heavens and the earth; it will not come on you but of a sudden'." (Sura Araf 7 : 187) (Kamaaluddin vol.2 Pg.372-373, Faraidus Simtain vol.2. Pg.337-338. Al Fusool al Mohimma Pg. 250-251)

Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.&h.f.) said, "My Caliphs are my legatees and the proofs of Allah upon the creatures, after me they are twelve. The first of them is my brother and the last of them is my (grand) son". He was asked, "0 Prophet of Allah, which brother of yours" He replied, "Ali Ibn Abu Talib" Again he was asked, "And which Son?" He said, "Al Mahdi is the one who will fill the earth with justice and equity just like it had been filled with injustice and tyranny. I swear by the one who has sent me as the giver of good tidings, even is a single day remains for the world (to end), Allah shall prolong that day till he sends (to it) my son Mahdi. Then Ruhullah (spirit) Isa Ibn Maryam will descend and perform prayers behind him. The earth shall be illuminated by his radiance and his authority shall stretch from the east to the west." (Faraidus Simtam vol.2 Pg.312)

Amirul Mominin Ali (p.b.u.h.) said, "He will direct desires towards (the path of) guidance while people will have turned guidance towards desires, and he will turn their views to the direction of the Quran while the people will have turned the Quran to their views." (Nahjut Balagha, sermon no, 138) According to the submission of Ibn Abil Hadid, this saying refers to Hazrat Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) (Sharhe Nafyul Balagha vol.9. Pg.40)

Imam Ja'far as-Sadeq (p.b.u.h.) said, "When the Qaem shall arise, he will rule with justice, the tyrants of his time shall fear him, the righteous will be safe, the earth shall reveal its treasures, all the truth-seekers will seek his company and no follower of any religion would remain except that they see Islam and declare their faith in it." (Kashful Ghumma vol.3. Pg.255)

Imam Reza (p.b.u.h.) said, "The fourth of my descendants is the son of the chaste maid. Allah shall purify the earth from every atrocity through him and rid it of every injustice. He is the one whose birth shall be doubted. He will have an occupation before his reappearance. When he reappears, the earth will light up with his brilliance. And he will establish the scales of justice among the people. Then, (among men), one will not oppress the other." (Faraidus Simtain vol.2. Pg.336)

"0 you who believe! Be patient and excel in patience and remain steadfast and be careful of (your duty to) Allah, that you may be successful". (Ale Imran 3:200)

Hazrat Imam Baqer(p.b.u.h.) explains the commentary of this verse: "Have patience in fulfilling the religious obligations, Excel in patience in facing your enemies. And be in contact with your Imam who is awaited". (Ghaibat-e-Nomani. pg.27, Yanabiul Mawadda pg.421)

Imam Ja'far as Sadeq (p.b.u.h.) said, "If I am able to reach him, I shall serve him for my whole life." (Ghaibat-e-Nomani Pg.245)

Religiousness During The Occultation of Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.)

The Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.&h.f.) said: "O Ali know that the most strangest of the people of faith and the greatest of them in certainty are those people who will be in Aakheruzzamaan (the last period of time). They will not meet the Prophet. And their Imam will be hidden from them. But they will believe (only) due to black upon white." (Kamaaluddin vol.1 Pg.288)
The "black upon white" means the writings on paper. It means that these people will believe in the Quran and the sunnat as recorded in the books, even though they may not see their Imam (p.b.u.h.).

Imam Ja'far as-Sadeq (p.b.u.h.) said: "Certainty, the master of this affair has an occupation. Then those who are the pious servants of Allah, will hold firmly to their faith". (Al Kafi vol.1 Pg.335 and 336, Ghaibat-e-Toosi Pg.455. Ghaibat-e-Nomani Pg.169)

Imam Musa al-Kazim (p.b.u.h.) said: "Blessed are our followers (the Shiites) who during the time of occupation (Ghaybah) of the Imam of the Age, identify themselves with our Authority (wilayah) and keep away from our enemies. They belong to us and we belong to them. They have accepted our leadership and we are pleased with their adherence. Therefore, blessed are they. I swear to Allah that they will be with us in our rank in Paradise".
(Kamaaluddin vol.2 Pg.361. Kifayatul Asar Pg.265-266)

It is related from Imam Ja'far as-Sadeq (p.b.u.h.) that the following dua must be recited during the time of ghaibat.
"O Allah! O Beneficent! O Merciful! O the knower of the thoughts (of the hearts)! make my heart firm upon your religion." (Kamaaluddin vol.2 Pg.352)

Benefits of Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) During His Ghaibat

Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) said: "As for deriving benefit from me in my occupation, (it) is like deriving benefit from the sun when it hides behind the clouds."(Kamaaluddin vol.2 Pg.485. Ghaibat-e-Toosi Pg.292)

Favours of Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) Upon His Shias

Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) says: "Surely, we do not neglect your condition nor are we forgetful of your remembrance. Had it not been so, then, terrible calamities would have struck you and your enemies would have destroyed you." (At Ihtejaj vol.2 Pg.598)

Awaiting For the Reappearance of Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.)

The Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.&h.f.) said: "The best worship is to await for the reappearance." (Kamaaluddin vol.1 Pg.287, Faraidus Simtain vol.2 Pg.335)

Amirul Mominin Ali (p.b.u.h.) said: "Await for the reappearance and do not despair of the divine mercy. Because the best deed in the eyes of Allah, the Great summer dresses and the Mighty is to wait for the Reappearance. It is the duty of those who are believers." (Al Khisaal vol.2 Pg.616)

Imam as-Sajjad (p.b.u.h.) said: "The greatest success is to wait for the reappearance" (Al Ihtejaj vol.2 Pg.154. Kamaaluddin vol.1 Pg.320)

Imam Ja'far as-Sadeq (p.b.u.h.) said: "Those of you who die on this affair (Shia faith) while you are in a condition of awaiting, are like those who has served the Qaem (a.t.f.s.) in his tent." (Ghaibat-e-Nomani Pg.200)

Imam Al-Jawad (p.b.u.h.) said: "Certainly the Qaem from among us is the Mahdi. Waiting for whom is obligatory during (his) ghaibat and obeying him is obligatory after his reappearance. And he is the third of my descendants." (Kamaaluadw vol.2 Pg.377)

Imam as Sadeq (p.b.u.h.) said: "One who desires to be among the companions of the Qaem, must await, adopt piety and behave courteously. If he dies in such a condition before the advent of Qaem, then his reward will be similar to the one who attains his era. Hence, congratulations to you all for your relentless wait." (Ghaibat-e-Nomani Pg.200)