Religious clergies from both the Muslim and Christian Communities on Saturday 22nd June, 2013; observed remembrance of the promised savior Imam Mohamed Al-Mahdi with theme awaiting, awakening and development at the Iran Cultural Center.
In his address the cultural consulate Mohamed Reza Ghezel Sofla disclosed that it is unanimously agreed by all the Muslim Ummah that the Mahdi will come as predicted by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) the only problem is that every group or sect have different interpretations as to the coming of Imam Mahdi. He stressed that according to Shi’a belief, Imam Mohamed Al-Mahdi was born on the 15th day of Shaban, 255AH and he is believed to be an ultimate savior of humanity and the final Imam that will come together with Jesus (AS) to fulfill their mission of bringing peace and justice to the world.
According to Mr. Ghezel Sofla, the Mahdi did not die but rather was hidden by God at the age of five years and urged all to prepare for the second coming of the Mahdi though according to him some Sunni believed that the Mahdi is not yet born, whilst other SECTs believed that he has come and died. He reiterated that their narration is just the same as the Christians as Jesus was born and was taken away by God and all are awaiting his second coming together with Imam Mohamed Al-Mahdi.
In his remarks Sheikh Ahmad Tejan Sillah catalogued series of hadiths’ of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (SAW) that categorically stated that the Mahdi will have a second coming and will bring peace and justice to the world. He narrated the story of the life of the Mahdi who was given wisdom and knowledge at the age of five when he led his father janazah prayers before he was hidden by Allah.
In his remarks Rev. Dr. Leopold Foullah, Dean of Faculty of Arts University of Sierra Leone reiterated that religion does not have a problem but the people who follow it refused to understand the religion and this gave rise to so many unnecessary conflicts in the world. He stressed that there are differences and similarities in all the religions and urged clergies to emphasize on the similarities so that unity and co-operation will be fostered.
Rev. Dr. Foullah draw similarity of the Mahdi coming with a biblical quotation from Act 1 verse 10-11 which reads “They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them."Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." He encouraged all that the duties of both the Muslim and Christian community is to show respect to each other as there are so many similarities of the prophets as they are all sent with one message to worship God only.
Similar sentiments were also expressed by Dr. Kadija Olivia Sesay and Rev. Amos K. Bangura as both cited several quotations from the Holy Bible and urged all to prepare for the coming of the messiah by being prayerful, eager and be good to humanity as the Bible says “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness; therefore let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober. (I Thessalonians 5-6)
Sheikh Madani Kabba Kamara Secretary General of the Forum of Islamic organization emphasized that the forum’s main aim is to call for sectarian tolerance and not sectarian combination, meaning one will not be a Shi’a at the same time a Sunni or Ahmadiyya as it has been negatively proclaimed. He reiterated that the Holy Prophet Mohammad (SAW) left one Ummah and later prophesized that the Ummah will be split into sects or groups and that our only duty is to see how we can manage the sects in order to foster peace.
