Although believing in the reappearance of Imam Mahdi is an Islamic belief, it has an outstanding position in the Shiite school. It can be said the main proof behind this position is that Shiites have accepted his birth and life. Regardless of the foundations and arguments of Shiites, some Sunni writers have sharply opposed this belief. Ahmad b. Taymiyya is one of these writers who has made certain objections against the Shiite belief in his book, Minhaj al-Sunna al-Nabawiyya. Among his objections are the following : a) Imam Hasan al-Askari has not had any children. b) Supposing a child for him, he had not reached the age of mental maturity at his father’s demise. So he could not undertake the Imamate of the Muslim society. c) Supposing he had assumed the position of Imamate, how is it possible for him to reach such a long life? Elaborating the spurious arguments of Ibn Taymiyya, the present article seeks to respond to them based on Sunni sources.
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