The concept of Rajat in the Shia religion is a fundamental principle of the community of truth and the delivered sect. It is believed that before Qiyamat, some righteous and vile individuals will be raised alive during the tenure of the Qaim (the awaited Imam). The righteous will be returned to see the kingdom of their Imams and be rewarded for their good deeds, while the vile will be punished for their past actions. Imamiyah scholars support this belief, and many books have been written on this subject by Shia scholars and traditionists.

Importance of believing in Rajat

This hadith narrated by Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) shows the importance of the belief in Rajat. Imam(as) narrates: “That one is not from us, who does not have faith in our Rajat and who does not consider Mutah lawful.”

Quranic verses which are interpreted to be about Rajat

First Verse

وَيَوۡمَ نَحۡشُرُ مِن كُلِّ أُمَّةٖ فَوۡجٗا مِّمَّن يُكَذِّبُ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا فَهُمۡ يُوزَعُونَ

“And on the day when We will gather from every nation a party from among those who rejected Our communications, then they shall be formed into groups.” (Surah Naml 27:83)

In many traditions, it is narrated from Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) that this verse is regarding Rajat that the almighty Allah will raise a group from every nation.

Second Verse

وَإِذَا وَقَعَ ٱلْقَوْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَخْرَجْنَا لَهُمْ دَآبَّةًۭ مِّنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ تُكَلِّمُهُمْ أَنَّ ٱلنَّاسَ كَانُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا لَا يُوقِنُونَ

“And when the word shall come to pass against them, We shall bring forth for them a creature from the earth that shall talk to them, because people did not believe in Our communications.” (Surah Naml 27:82)

According to various traditions, the Dabba (a creature) mentioned here refers to Amirul Momineen (a.s.), who will appear just before Qiyamat (the Day of Judgment). He will carry the Staff of Prophet Musa (a.s.) and the seal ring of Prophet Sulaiman (a.s.). With the staff, he will mark the foreheads of believers as a sign of their faith, and with the seal ring, he will mark the foreheads of disbelievers as a sign of their disbelief. Similar traditions are also recorded in the books of Ahle Sunnat from Ammar and Ibne Abbas.

Third Verse

وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُم مِّنَ ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلْأَدْنَىٰ دُونَ ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلْأَكْبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ

“And most certainly We will make them taste of the nearer chastisement before the greater chastisement that haply they may turn.” (Surah Sajdah 32:21)

Regarding this verse, the Imam(a.s.) said: ‘Nearer chastisement’ means punishment with the sword during Rajat and words of the Almighty Allah ‘haply they may turn’ denote that during Rajat, they will be sent back in order to be punished.

There are many other verses mentioned, please refere Haqqul Yaqeen, pg.no 605.

Kingdom of Imams in the Era of Rajat

Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) said: “The first to come in Rajat will be Imam Husain (a.s.) and he will rule for such a long time that his brows will sag upon his eyes.”

It is narrated that people asked Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) about the interpretation of the following verse:
“…when He raised prophets among you and made you kings…” (Surah Maidah 5:2)
The Imam (a.s.) said: Prophets means the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.), Prophet Ibrahim and Prophet Ismail and his descendants; and kings imply the Holy Imams (a.s.). The narrator says: I asked: But what kingdom do you possess?
He replied: Rulership of Paradise and the kingdom of Rajat.

Abdullah, who in turn narrates from Jabir Jofi from Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) that he said: “Once again Imam Ali (a.s.) will return to this world waving his flag with his son, Imam Husain (a.s.) and take revenge from Bani Umayyah, Muawiyah, his followers and forces.
Then the Almighty Allah will send him back with his helpers and this time there will 30000 from people of Kufa and 70000 from others and he will fight in Siffeen once again and eliminate his enemies. Not one of them will survive, who can inform others what befell them. Then the Almighty Allah will revive his enemies for the second time and involve them in severe chastisement with Firon and his people.
Then His Eminence will arrive for the last time with the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) and he will be the ruler of the whole earth and other Imams will be his deputies. Almighty Allah will send him openly and Allah will be openly worshipped on the earth just as before it was done in a secret manner.

Those who will be revived during Rajat.

It is narrated in Tafsir Ayyashi from Rifaa bin Musa that Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) said: “Indeed the first to be revived and sent to the world will be Imam Husain (a.s.) and his companions, and Yazid, the accursed and his men; and like they had killed them, they (Imam Husain) will now slay them in the same way.

Imam Ja’far Sadiq(a.s.) said: When our Qaim stages an uprising, an angel will come to the grave of every believer and call out: O so and so, your master and Imam has appeared; if you want to join him you may do so, but if you want to remain in the blessings of Allah, you may continue where you are. Thus, some will come out and some will continue to lie in divine comforts.

Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) said that one, who recites Dua Ahad for forty days every morning, will be included
among the companions of Imam Qaim (a.s.) and if he dies before the reappearance of the Qaim, Allah will raise him from the grave at the time of reappearance.

In Dua Ahad there is this paragraph we read: “O Allah, if death becomes an obstacle between me and the Imam, which You have made incumbent for Your servants; then raise me from my grave while the shroud is tied around me and I am holding my naked sword and spear and that I should harken at his call; who will call all the creatures to help the Imam.”

This article is a brief summary of chapter Rajat in the book Haqqul Yaqeen. Readers can refer to this book for more.