Grand Ayatollah Shirazi remarks on importance of 15th of Sha’ban

The daily scholarly meeting of Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Sadiq al-Hosseini al-Shirazi was held on Saturday, the 13th of Sha’ban. In this session, like the previous meetings, the Marja answered the questions of the attendees about various jurisprudence issues.

Regarding the possibility of the marriage of Imam Mahdi, peace be upon him, Grand Ayatollah Shirazi said: The Imam of the Time must have married, and this certain speculation is not merely an impression. Although we do not have authentic traditions indicating this happening, the Representative and Grand Vicegerent of Allah would not do anything to become the example of the narration of his noble grandfather, the Prophet, peace be upon them, who said: “Marriage is my Sunnah, whoever turns away from my tradition is not from me.”

His Eminence further emphasized that this is a matter of certainty, which stems from inference and is not an impression, and so this certainty is a Hujjah even if it originates from inference.

Regarding the virtue of the mid-Sha’ban occasion, the Marja said: God Almighty has made this one of the honorable and blessed days, and this matter existed even before the birth of Imam al-Hujjah, and perhaps one of the important reasons for its significance was that it was going to be the day Imam al-Mahdi would be born, like the day of Ashura, the 10th of Muharram, which existed before the birth of Imam al-Hussain, because Imam al-Hussain was supposed to be martyred on this day.

Grand Ayatollah Shirazi further said: In the narrations of the Holy Prophet and some of the Pure Imams, there are some things mentioned about the virtues and recommended acts of the night of the middle of Sha’ban when Imam al-Hujjah was not born yet.