The Riser

Who is the Qaim announced in the Islamic traditions? Why would his appearance be linked to a new Covenant and to a transformation of the world?

In the thirty-fourth Door of The Goal of the Wise, Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq (From Him is Peace) examines the identity and the mission of the Qaim.

The Arabic term Qaim means the One who rises or the One who rises up.

The book also uses the English term Riser to designate this eschatological figure.

The awaited Saviour

In certain Shia traditions, the Qaim is associated with the establishment of justice at the end of times.

The book takes up this hope and links it to the Seventh Covenant.

The Qaim does not appear in it solely as a political leader.

He is presented as a guide charged with bringing new knowledge and a new legislation.

A new Covenant

The chapter reports traditions according to which the Qaim would appear with a new matter.

The author interprets these announcements as the indication of a profound renewal of religious understanding.

This newness could surprise believers attached to the old interpretations.

The question of his identity

One of the central parts of the chapter concerns the identification of the Qaim.

The author reports conversations with Ahmed Al-Hassan and develops the understanding of his own mission in this story.

These claims belong to the doctrine presented in the book and are not universally recognized by the Muslim traditions.

Recognizing guidance

The chapter refers back to the criteria already studied in the first Doors: the Testament, knowledge and the call to divine sovereignty.

These criteria constitute, in the logic of the book, the means of recognizing the authentic guide.

Conclusion — Who will rise to establish justice?

The thirty-fourth Door places the Qaim at the centre of the fulfillment of the Covenants.

How can one recognize the one who claims to be charged with fulfilling the promises announced by the prophets?