The Child the World Was Waiting For

In the quiet hours before dawn, when the world holds its breath between night and light, a child was born whose presence would reshape hope itself.

In the city of Samarra, under the watchful eyes of a hostile regime, Imam Hasan al-Askari (as) lived a life of constant surveillance. The rulers of the time feared a promise spoken by the Prophet Muhammad (s), a promise that from the lineage of Fatima (as) a child would rise to end oppression and fill the earth with justice. They searched homes, watched movements, and tried to extinguish a future they could not control.

Yet the decree of Allah (swt) is never stopped by fear or force.

Lady Narjis (as) felt the moment draw near in complete secrecy. No celebration, no public joy, no cries that would alert the guards. Only the silent protection of Allah (swt) and the trembling hearts of those who knew what this child meant for humanity. In the depths of the night, as the world slept unaware, Imam Muhammad ibn Hasan (as) was born.

There was no palace. No throne. No army waiting at the door.

But the angels rejoiced.

It is said that at his birth, the infant prostrated, his small forehead touching the earth, whispering words of praise to Allah (swt). A newborn yet already carrying the weight of the world’s suffering. A child yet entrusted with the hopes of prophets and the tears of the oppressed.

Imam Hasan al-Askari (as) held his son close, knowing that this joy would be brief and this trust immense. He knew his child would not grow openly among people. He knew that concealment was mercy, not absence. Protection, not abandonment.

Soon after, the Imam would be hidden from the public eye. Not because he was gone, but because humanity was not yet ready.

The birth of Imam Mahdi (as) teaches us something profound. That Allah (swt) brings light at the darkest hour. That divine plans unfold quietly, often unseen. That salvation may be growing while the world thinks hope is lost.

Today, we live in a world heavy with injustice, confusion, and despair. Many ask, where is the Imam? Why does he not appear?

But perhaps the better question is, are we preparing ourselves to stand with him?

The child born in silence still watches over this world. He is not distant from our pain, nor unaware of our struggles. His birth was a reminder that Allah (swt) never abandons humanity, and that justice, even when delayed, is promised.

Until the day he rises, every act of truth, every stand against oppression, every effort to purify the self is a way of welcoming him.

Because the night that hid his birth will one day give way to a dawn the world has never seen.