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their schemes, and urged for a peaceful resolution, warning of dire consequences otherwise. But this was to no avail. And so, on 10 January 1843, NajĂb Páshá’s forces stormed Karbalá’, leading to a bloody massacre of ShĂ’a throughout the city. Except for the residence of Siyyid Kázim, no place was safe or a sanctuary, not even the Shrine of Imám Husayn. Hundreds gathered desperate to enter the compounds of Siyyid Kázim’s house to escape the massacre. His followers even secured many neighbouring houses, and tried to use them as safe houses, but there just wasn’t enough room. It is said that many died, just being trampled over, trying to get into the Siyyid Kázim safe area.41ACT1
This incident, which historians call the 1843 Sack of Karbalá’, made many in the local population realize how misled they had been by their own leaders, and also how different Siyyid Kázim was from the others. But this change in heart of the populace was late in coming, because Siyyid Kázim died soon afterwards.
Expectations of the ShĂ’a for the Promised One
The ShĂ’a hold a profound belief in and await the coming of the Qá’im [He Who Ariseth], which they believe will coincide with the Day of Judgement. The Qá’im they believe is the twelfth Imám who vanished into occultation 42ACT1 around 870 CE.
According to ShĂ’a teachings, the eleventh Imám, Hasan-al-AskarĂ , was succeeded by his young son Muhammad, who entered concealment under the guidance of appointed representatives (Gates). This period, called the Minor Occultation, eventually transitioned into the Greater Occultation, signaling the twelfth Imám’s withdrawal from the visible world. The ShĂ’a believe the twelfth Imám retreated to hidden cities, awaiting the Day of Judgement when he will resurface as the Qá’im, accompanied by a formidable force. The prophecies foretell a cataclysmic battle, where mountains will crumble, stars will fall, and the Qá’im will emerge triumphant. In this momentous event, Imám Husayn and all the other Imáms will return, the dead will rise, and God’s dominion will be established eternally on earth. This is
40 Chapter 2, p26
41Dawn-Breakers Chapter 2, p34-37.
42 Meaning concealment [and believed to reappear on the Day of Judgement as the Qá’im].
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