This research, using a qualitative content analysis approach, investigates the signs of the appearance of Imam Mahdi (ajtf) in early Shia hadith sources—signs that have been narrated to a significant extent in works such as Qurb al-Isnad, Al-Kafi, Kamal al-Din, Al-Ghaybah by al-Nu'mani, and Al-Ghaybah by Sheikh al-Tusi. The historical examination of these sources, particularly given the temporal proximity of some of them to the era of the Minor Occultation and the Four Deputies, holds special importance in understanding the evolution of the concept of expectation (Intizar) in the Shia community. The research findings demonstrate that these signs were not presented solely for predicting the time of the appearance, but rather are considered part of an epistemological-educational system tasked with organizing the intellectual, doctrinal, and moral frameworks of the Shia community during the era of occultation. By shifting expectation from a time-oriented approach to a faith-oriented, rational, and realistic attitude, the signs of appearance prevent the formation of timing-fixation (Tawqit) and hasty political behaviors, while emphasizing key elements such as patience, knowing the Divine Proof (Hujjah), religious insight, and social preparedness. Functional analysis of the traditions indicates that in addition to representing crisis conditions, the signs serve as instruments for testing (Tamhis) and educating believers, in such a way that they strengthen doctrinal cohesion, make the expectant community resilient against trials (Fitnas), and offer an active, normative, and enduring model of expectation. The fluid and non-definitive nature of these traditions regarding the time of occurrence allows for their continued impact, reinterpretation, and application across different historical periods, making them an effective part of the educational-social system of Mahdism (Mahdawiyyah).