Shafaq News / The prominent hard-line Iranian cleric, Ali Reza Banahyan  considered the emergence and spread of the new Corona virus, a prelude to the emergence of the expected Imam Mahdi who Muslims believe, especially the Shiites, of his absence and his emergence at the end of time.

The local Tasnim news agency quoted Benahan, who is close to the guide Ali Khamenei, during his analysis believe of the emergence and spread of   Corona virus, that “according to (Shiite) accounts, the spread of diseases and epidemics such as Corona virus is a prelude to the emergence of the absent Imam Mahdi,” calling on the Iranians to act to spread of this virus, because it will accelerate the emergence of al- Mahdi, as he put it.

He added in a speech on Saturday evening, “One of the most important philosophies of the catastrophic emergence of Corona virus before the emergence of al- Mahdi is that people understand the necessity of having a personality to manage this world (Imam Mahdi).

He added, “According to Shiite accounts, before the emergence of Imam Mahdi, the world suffers from widespread fears and many economic problems and deaths, and people will need a religious government led by Imam Mahdi.”

A prominent Iranian cleric called on the Shiites to plead and pray for the emergence of Al- Mahdi, especially with the approaching month of Ramadan, and he said, “We have a period of time which is 40 days before the blessed month of Ramadan, and we must continue to pray to God to accelerate the appearance of our Imam (Mahdi)”.

The Twelver Shiites believe that Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Askari is their last imam, who is absent at the age of six and who will emerge from them at the end of time and will be the “awaited Mahdi” who will build his just state.