Our twelfth Imam Mahdi (a.s) was born on Friday, the 15th day of the month of Shabaan in 255 A.H. in Samarra.
His father is our 11th Imam Hasan Askari (a.s) and his mother is Bibi Narjis Khatoon (s.a).
It is related from Bibi Hakeema (s.a), the daughter of our 9th Imam Taqi (a.s), that one day Imam Hasan Askari (a.s) called her to his house to stay the night as a son was to be born to him. She says that she was surprised for she could see no signs of pregnancy in Bibi Narjis (s.a).
Bibi Hakeema (s.a) stayed the night. When it was past midnight, she saw Bibi Narjis (s.a) wake up, do wudhu, pray namaz e shab. Then she started to feel the pains of labour. Bibi Hakeema (s.a) did dua. Imam Hasan Askari (a.s) from the next room said to her “Recite the Surah of Qadr.”
Bibi Hakeema (s.a) says “I could feel that the baby still in the womb was reciting the surah with me. Then after a while there seem to be a veil between Narjis and me. I was worried.”
Imam Hasan Askari (a.s) said “Don’t worry,!”
Then Bibi Hakeema (s.a) said “When the veil was lifted what I saw amazed me. There was a beautiful baby in sajda, praying:”O Allah, fulfil your promise, complete my authority, fill the earth with equity and justice through me.”
Imam Hasan Askari (a.s) named him “Muhammad” and gave him the same surname “Abul Qasim” as the Holy
Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) had. This was the awaited Imam Mahdi (a.s), who would be the final authority of Allah on earth.
On the third day Imam Hasan Askari (a.s) showed him to his companions and said, “This son of mine will be your master and Imam after me. He is the Qaim who is awaited by everyone. When the earth is filled with injustice and tyranny, he will rise and fill it with justice and equity.”
Imam Hasan Askari (a.s) celebrated Imam Mahdi’s (a.s) Aqeeqa on a large scale. Meat from several sheep and goats as well as bread was shared among the people of Samarra.
This was done perhaps to make sure that many people find out about the birth of the twelfth Imam.