The Shias of Chennai are about 10000 I was told a minority within a minority , but collectively a major strong force that does exemplary Azadari , which means hosting the Mourning during Moharam that lasts fot two month eight days .
They have Imambargahs , hous majlis and much is centered around the iconic 1000 Lights Mosque.
From 1 st Moharam starts the mourning for Imam Hussain , 7 Moharam juloos the Martyrdom of Hazrat Qasim ibne Hassan is a huge event marked with a procession matams and zanjir zani.
Ashura 10 Moharam is another huge procession that is major mourning day and in the night is the Shame Gariban majlis in pitch darkness ..remembering the Battle of Karbala the burning of tents and the merciless killings brutality bestiality by the forces of Yazid , the forerunner of this force in modern times is the evil ISIS ,,.Evil never dies it spreads its tentacles from one era to the next that is why the Shias recite the famous noha of Marhoom Syed Sibte Jaffar Sab.. Jab Imam Ayenge referring to the occultation of the Mahdi.
from wikipedia
hi'ism[edit]
In Shia Islam, the Mahdi is associated with the belief in the Occultation, that the Mahdi is a "hidden Imam" who has already been born and who will one day return alongside Jesus to fill the world with justice. [10] Some Shia, such as the Zaidi and Nizari Ismaili, do not believe in the idea of the Occultation. The groups which do believe in it differ as to which lineage of the Imamate is valid, and therefore which individual has gone into occultation. They believe there are many signs that will indicate the time of his return.
Shias believe that the arrival of the Mahdi will be signalled by the following portents:[3]
The vast majority of people who profess to be Muslim will be so only in name despite their practice of Islamic rites and it will be they who make war with the Mahdi.
Before his coming will come the red death and the white death, killing two thirds of the world's population. The red death signifies violence and the white death is plague. One third of the world's population will die from the red death and the other third from the white death.
Several figures will appear: the one-eyed Antichrist (Masih ad-Dajjal), the Al-Harth, Al-Mansur, Shuaib bin Saleh and the Sufyani.
There will be a great conflict in the land of Syria, until it is destroyed.
Death and fear will afflict the people of Baghdad and `Iraq. A fire will appear in the sky and a redness will cover them.
Shia traditions also state that the Mahdi be "a young man of medium stature with a handsome face" and black hair and beard. "He will not come in an odd year [...] will appear in Mecca between the corner of the Kaaba and the station of Abraham and people will witness him there.[3]
Muhammad al-Baqir, the Fourth (Isma'ili) or Fifth (Twelver) Imam said of the Mahdi:
The Master of the Command was named as the Mahdi because he will dig out the Torah and other heavenly books from the cave in Antioch. He will judge among the people of the Torah according to the Torah; among the people of the Gospel according to the Gospel; among the people of the Psalms in accordance with the Psalms; among the people of the Qur'an in accordance with the Qur'an.
Ja'far al-Sadiq, the Sixth Imam, made the following prophecies:
Abu Bashir says: When I asked Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, "O son of the Messenger of God! Who is the Mahdi (qa'im) of your clan (ahl al-bayt)?", he replied: "The Mahdi will conquer the world; at that time the world will be illuminated by the light of God, and everywere in which those other than God are worshipped will become places where God is worshiped; and even if the polytheists do not wish it, the only faith on that day will be the religion of God.[36]
Sadir al-Sayrafi says: I heard from Imam Abu Abdullah Ja'far al-Sadiq that: Our modest Imam, to whom this occultation belongs [the Mahdi], who is deprived of and denied his rights, will move among them and wander through their markets and walk where they walk, but they will not recognize him ().[37]
Abu Bashir says: I heard Imam Muhammad al-Baqr say: "He said: When the Mahdi appears he will follow in the path of the Messenger of God. Only he [the Mahdi] can explain the works of the Messenger of God.[38]
The face of the Mahdi shall shine upon the surface of the Moon.[39]
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahdi#Shi.27ism
my shia site
