Destructive and evil powers for whom the epic of expectation is a disrupter of their injustices and plunders have always continued to forge Mahdi­looking   puppets. So as  to get rid of this history-making and revolutionary idea and turn the warm hope of the masses for a bright future into despair.

The appearance of these actors in the big power’s puppet-show did not only fail to find a remedy for human anxieties, or change destructive wars into joyful tranquility, or put an end to the tragedy of hunger, poverty and worry.  But all those miseries also increased and added to human sorrow.

As an example, we will deal here with one pseudo-Mahdi namely that of Mirza Ali Muhammad Shirazi, to show that there is nothing in common between these claimants and the true Mahdi.* . 

He was a son of Mirza Reza Shirazi, born in 1235 of the Hijra, in Shiraz and his mother was called Fatima.  In his youth, he studied Islamic subjects at Najaf and Karbala.  And these studies were undertaken from the viewpoint of the Sheikhia who believe that, at all times, there exist individuals as   intermediaries between Imam Mahdi and people.(66) After the death of his teacher, Sayed Kazem, he claimed to be his successor and set up the creed of Babiism, (67)and a few of the Sheikhia followed him.

His claim coincided with the years of internal riots and turmoil in Iran, and with the blows dealt with by colonizing countries, especially the Czarist Russia.  In that period of hardship, the people heartily welcomed the tidings of Islamic leaders, and more than any other time, longed for the advent of Imam Mahdi to liberate them from their sufferings. When Mirza Ali Muhammad declared that he had been nominated by Imam Mahdi to prepare the preliminaries for his advent, (68)  some simpletons and ignorant people, hoping for this advent of the Imam, gathered round this man, and called him Bab (i.e. door) which led to the Imam's threshold.

 As the Czarist Russia thought of him as a proper means of breaking up the united ranks of the Shias against itself, it gave him a free hand on the principle of "divide and rule", and helped him to propagate his ideas. His followers were sent to various parts of Iran to convert people to Babiism, and there were started riots so as to engage Iran's military forces in suppressing this confusion, while the colonizers could easily secure what they desired.

As an example the incidents of Badasht, Neyriz, Zanjan, and Ghal'a Sheikh Tabarsi at that time may be mentioned. (69)

As Mirza Ali Muhammad realized about people’s interest in his claim, he made a still greater claim to declare that he was Imam Mahdi himself, (70) forgetting that those who had gathered round him were believers in Imam Mahdi, and his second claim showed that his first one, too, had been nothing but a demagogic act. (71)

But as he was indulging in the pleasures provided for him by the Russian Government through Manouchehr Khan Gorji, Governor of Isfahan who was of Russian origin,(72) and as he (Ali-Muhammad) had taken as true (73) the promises of the Governor about the conquest of Iran in the war with Muhammad Shah, compelling people to follow him and placing huge amounts of money at his disposal,(74) he insolently declared: "I am Imam Mahdi whose advent had been promised to people.”(75)

When the people realized that his name was not Muhammad, and he was not a son of Imam Hassan Askari. Nor was his mother the Roman Narjis, nor a descendant of the disciples of Jesus, nor the date of his birth 255 of the Hijra, nor his life a lengthy one like that of Noah, nor was he hidden from public view, they abandoned and opposed him. Among the opponents could be seen two of his former ( ** ) followers who were praised by him in his books, and whose conversion to Bahai sect he took as a sign of the authenticity of his claim. (76)

But he was not content with this. And some time after, by writing two books called 'Bayan-e­Farsi' and 'Bayan-e-Arabi' he issued a verdict on annulling Islam and claiming his own Prophethood, and declared that the Quran was no longer a book to be followed by people, and offered his own book in its place.

This contention was another proof of his false claim, for, the people knew that according to the leaders of Islam, Mahdi would not introduce a new religion and, like the other Imams, would propagate the Quran and Muhammad's faith.

But this man who thought only of winning his masters' satisfaction, and obeying what they commanded hhim, went so far as to declare himself God.   And said: "Indeed Ali Muhammad Shirazi is God and is the reality of His existence.”(77)  and thus offered the seekers of truth the most futile testimony of his claim.

It is interesting to know that this same Mirza Ali Muhammad who passed through the stages of claiming Babiism, Imamate, Prophethood and godhood, in the year 1264 of the Hijra which coincided with his declaration and the ensuing riots in various parts of Iran, at a meeting held in Tabriz in the presence of the then crown prince, Nasser eddin Mirza, to investigate that claim, was given lashes.(78) The prince then wrote to his father, Muhammad Shah: "This man has given a written and sealed pledge that he would no longer commit such improper acts."(79)   And after this lashing, he was exempted from further punishment by those present owing to the probability of his mental instability.(80)

Abol-Fazl Golpayegani, the well-known Baha'i missionary, has quoted, in his book "Kashfol-Gheta'e", a letter written by Ali Muhammad Shirazi to the crown prince, Nassereddin Mirza, at the same meeting begging for pardon.  Abass Afendi, titled Abdul Baha, who is another leader of Babiism, has seen this book, shown much appreciation of it to Golpayegani and ordered its publication. (81)

This letter is as follows:

"My life is for you. God and he who is with him witness that this humble servant has no intention to act contrary to the satisfaction of the God of Universe and His deputies, even though my existence is wholly sinful. If I have let my pen write words contrary to His satisfaction, my intention has not been to rebel, and in any case, I am penitent and beg His forgiveness. This humble servant has no knowledge at all that would justify a claim. I beg God for forgiveness and repent any matter attributed to me. If certain words and benedictions have been uttered by me, these are not the proof of anything, and I deny being a special deputy of Imam Mahdi, and I never claim this or any other matter." (82)

This letter is the best evidence of his inconsistency with his program, and with the armed combat of Imam Mahdi that would continue until the total destruction of oppressors.  In this course, Imam Mahdi and his followers are never permitted to conceal their faith, let alone expressing repentance!

We discover the real motive for this event when we see that on his being hanged in 1266 of the Hijra  for his riots, the Russian consul presented himself beside the corpse together with some painters to prepare a valuable document and evidence of a sacrifice as a martyred soldier in the service of the Russian government, namely that of Mirza Ali Muhammad Shirazi! (83)

As God always provides the best evidence of the falsehood of liars by their own hands.  So as to convince all people, we see in the works of Mirza -Muhammad Shirazi the sacred name of Imam Mahdi mentioned repeatedly, especially in his writings before his claiming Imamate. Such as his ‘commentary on Qur'anic Chapter Yusuf", "Commentary on Chapter Yusuf", "Commentary on Chapter Baghara" Commentary on Chapter Kauthar" and other commentaries, as well as his books like "Dala'el Sab'a" and "Sahifa Adlia" in which he explicitly speaks of Muhammad-ibn-Al-Hassan, and has even given reasons for his long life and absence.

As an example, we quote some sections from his book "Sahifa Adlia":

"Thirdly there is the knowledge of Doors (Chapters). There is a duty here to confess to the guardianship of Ali, Commander of the Faithful. Fourthly, there is the matter of knowing Imamate. There is the duty here for all beings to know the twelve holy Imams who are deputies of absolute guardianship. Here are their sacred names: Al Hasan bin Ali, A l-Husain bin Ali, Ali bin Husain, Al Hasan bin Ali, and the concealed Imam Muhammad bin Hasan, the lord of the time. (84)

Thus, this man has considered it a duty to believe in the Imamate of Muhammad-bin-Hassan after Imam Hasan Askari. This point is asserted elsewhere, too, as the following quotation from his book:

"The prayer given in the fifth Chapter includes all the phases of belief, and it is, by itself, sufficient for faith."  (85)

And in the same Chapter we note this:

"I testify to the successors of Muhammad, namely Ali, Hasan, Husain ……then Ali, then Hasan, and after him the lord of the time and Your treasure .... I testify, too, that the concealed Imam who belongs to these twelve, greetings, is my rightful Imam." (86)

So Mirza Ali Muhammad considers testifying to the Imamate of Muhammad-bin-Hasan as a requisite of true faith, and expresses his testimony to that Imam in the same manner. It is interesting that he writes at the conclusion of the same book:

 "Indeed, all the points mentioned in this book are my beliefs in God. I have lived with them, and I shall die with them by God's command, and shall rise with them by God's will on Resurrection Day. I testify, too, that Ali Muhammad, in all matters, is the servant of the Remainder of God." (87)

After this brief investigation, we return to the original topic, and remember that the world is awaiting for Muhammad bin Hasan to reappear by God's command, and act as a leader in defense of truth for the last combat with evil and its total destruction. We must remember also that our duty during his absence is to prepare the environment for his advent.  Therefore, we should start his program of combat with falsehood within our own ability and limit, and beg God Almighty to make us worthy of a true expectation and to witness his advent. Now that the human world is despairing of finding a remedy for its sufferings and distresses, we should await in this dark night for the bright dawn of Mahdi's uprising, gazing at the hope-inspiring horizon, and uttering the following prayer:

" O God, our hope and longing in you are to grant us the blessed government of Imam Mahdi, and in that government grant Islam and its followers honor and greatness and abase hypocrisy and its fellows, and grant us the glory of the life in this world and the life hereafter. " (88)