In a world spiraling into moral collapse, where the innocent suffer and falsehood reigns unchecked, the question echoes painfully in the hearts of believers:
Where is the Imam?
And what happens to a world when divine leadership disappears from public sight?
The occultation of Imam Mahdi (AS) — the 12th Imam in Shia belief — marks more than just a theological phase. It is a time where truth is buried, justice seems absent, and evil not only survives — it thrives. In this terrifying reality, suffering has become statistics, and human dignity is buried under piles of rubble and numbers.
Let us look at the real numbers, the real pain, and the real horror that define our world today — all happening without the open presence of the savior of humanity.
Global Suffering in Numbers
War, Famine, and Death
- In Sudan, over 150,000 civilians have died since 2023 due to civil war, hunger, and disease.
Source: AP News - An average of 200,000 people die every year from global conflicts.
Source: Wikipedia - 7,700 to 19,700 people die daily from hunger-related causes, often due to war and displacement.
Source: World Vision - In Northern Ethiopia, up to 200,000 people have died from starvation since the conflict began.
Source: Wikipedia - In Yemen, 130 children die every day from malnutrition and disease.
Source: Wikipedia
Gaza: A Hell on Earth
Nowhere is the horror more vivid than in Gaza, where war and blockade have turned life into survival — and survival into tragedy.
War Deaths
- 56,000+ Palestinians killed since October 2023.
Source: The Guardian - 80+ civilians killed in one day while seeking food aid.
Source: Al Jazeera - 62 killed in one day of Israeli airstrikes, including children.
Source: The Guardian
Hunger and Starvation
- 29 people, mostly children and the elderly, died of starvation over just two days.
Source: AP News - 57 confirmed deaths from hunger since aid blockade intensified in March 2025.
Source: WHO - Over 66,000 children suffering from severe malnutrition.
Source: WHO - 500,000 people at risk of famine-level hunger.
Source: British Red Cross
The Global Toll of Hopelessness
Abortions: Lives Never Born
- 73 million abortions per year = 200,000 unborn lives lost daily.
Source: WHO - 45% of abortions are unsafe, leading to maternal deaths.
Source: WHO
Suicide: The Pain No One Sees
- 817,000 people die by suicide annually = about 2,200 daily.
Source: Time - In the U.S. alone: 49,449 suicides in 2022 = one every 11 minutes.
Source: VeryWellMind
Why Is This Happening?
This is not just a human failure. It is a spiritual vacuum. The absence of Imam Mahdi (AS) — the representative of divine justice — allows evil to flourish. In the era of occultation:
- Truth is buried under propaganda
- The oppressed are voiceless
- The powerful are unchecked
- Morality becomes relative
- Despair replaces hope
Just like the children of Israel under Pharaoh, today’s believers face systems of oppression that seem eternal — but divine intervention comes only when people are ready, not just desperate.
What Can We Do?
While we await his return, we cannot remain idle. Our actions prepare the ground for him — or delay him.
1. Live by His Values
Be the mercy, justice, and truth the world lacks.
2. Stand for the Oppressed
Gaza, Sudan, Yemen — our silence is complicity. Speak. Share. Support.
3. Don’t Normalize Injustice
When lies become normal, the Mahdi’s return becomes distant.
4. Pray with Readiness, Not Just Desperation
Ask for his return — but also be worthy of his army.
Final Thought
When over 200,000 lives are lost daily through war, hunger, abortion, suicide, and disease — we are not just witnessing global tragedy, but a world abandoned by its conscience.
The world is not only scary without the Imam — it is dangerous, lost, and on fire.
But this pain is not the end.
It is the final chapter before the dawn.
And when that dawn breaks, may we not be among the spectators — but among those who waited, wept, resisted, and rose.
