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Muhammad al-Mahdi
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Main page "Twelfth Imam" redirects here. For the twelfth imam in Isma'ilism, see al-Qa'im (Fatimid caliph).
Contents For the ruler of Córdoba, see Muhammad II of Córdoba . For other uses, see Mahdi (disambiguation).
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Born 15 Sha'ban 256 AH [1]
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Occultation
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Monuments Al-Sahlah Mosque, Iraq
Languages Maqam e Ghaybat, Iraq
‫ا‬ Jamkaran Mosque, Iran
Azərbaycanca Agent The Four Deputies
‫ر‬ Uthman
বাংলা Abu Jafar
Català Abul Qasim
Čeština Abul Hasan
Dansk Known for Last Twelver Imam
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ʾImām al-ʿAsr
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Ṣāhib al-ʾAmr
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(Master of the Obligation)[1]
al-Muntaẓar
( َ َ ْ ُ ْ ‫)ٱ‬
(The Awaited)[3]
al-Ghāʾib
( ِ َ ْ ‫)ٱ‬
(The Hidden)[1]
Delāvar

( )
(The Comforter of Hearts)

Term 874 CE – present

Predecessor Hasan al-Askari
Movement Twelver Shia Islam
Opponent(s) Shaytan, Sufyani, Dajjal
Parent(s) Hasan al-Askari (father)
Narjis (mother)[4][5]

Part of a series on Shia Islam

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The Twelve Imams
Ali · Hasan · Husayn · al-Sajjad · al-Baqir · al-Sadiq · al-Kadhim · ar-Ridha · al-Taqi · al-Naqi · al-Askari · al-Mahdi

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Monotheism · Justice · Prophethood · Imamate · Judgement Day

Other beliefs
Imamate of the Family · Angels · Mourning of Muharram · Intercession · Occultation · Wilayat al-Faqih · Usul al-fiqh · Ijtihad ·
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Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Mahdi (Arabic: ‫ٱ ْ َ ْ ِ ي‬َ َ ْ ‫​ ُ َ ِ ٱ‬, Muḥammad bin al-Ḥasan al-Mahdī)[a][6] is
believed by the Twelver Shia to be the Mahdi, an eschatological redeemer of Islam and the final Imam of the
Twelve Imams who will emerge with Isa (Jesus) in order to fulfil their mission of bringing peace and justice to the
world. Twelver Shias believe that al-Mahdi was born on the 15th Sha'ban 870 CE/ 256 AH and assumed Imamate
at nearly four years of age following the killing of his father Hasan al-Askari. In the early years of his Imamah, he
is believed to have had contact with his followers only through The Four Deputies. This period was known as the
Minor Occultation (‫ ) ٱ ْ َ ْ َ ٱ ْ َ ٰى‬and lasted from 873 to 941 CE.[7][8] A few days before the death of his fourth
deputy Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri in 941, he is believed to have sent his followers a letter. In
that letter, which was transmitted by al-Samarri, he declared the beginning of Major Occultation (‫)ٱ ْ َ ْ َ ٱ ْ ُ ْ َ ٰى‬,
during which Mahdi was not to be in contact with his followers directly, but had instructed them to follow the pious
high clerics for whom he has mentioned some distinguishing merits.[citation needed]

Most Sunni Muslims reject that he was the Mahdi and believe that the Mahdi has not yet been born. They believe
his exact identity is only known to Allah, other than the idea that he is to be from the descendants of Muhammad.
Aside from the Mahdi's precise genealogy, Sunnis accept many of the same hadiths which Shias accept about
the predictions regarding the Mahdi's emergence, his acts, and his universal Caliphate. Sunnis also have many
hadiths about Mahdi which are in their Hadith collections. Muhammad ibn Al-Hasan and At-Tayyib Abu'l-Qasim
ibn Al-Mansur are descendants of Muhammad who are considered by different groups of Shi'ites (respectively
Twelvers and Tayyibi Isma'ili-Musta'li-Isma'ilis) to be Occulted Imams and Mahdis.

Contents [hide]
1 Attributes
2 Birth and family
3 Occultation
3.1 Minor Occultation
3.2 Major Occultation
3.3 Consequences
3.4 Reappearance
3.5 Visitations
4 Condition after Al-Askari's death
5 Historicity
6 Scholarly observations
7 Non-Twelver views
7.1 Sunni and Sufi
7.2 Bahá'í
8 Historical social impact
8.1 Contemporary influence
8.1.1 Political controversies
9 Birthday celebration
10 See also
11 Notes
12 References
13 Sources
13.1 Encyclopedias
13.2 Books
14 Further reading
15 External links
15.1 Al-Islam.org
15.2 Encyclopædia Britannica
Attributes [edit]

According to the Shia, the Imam Mahdi belongs to Muhammad's Bayt (Household), being a descendant of Ali,
Fatimah and Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin, and is considered by Twelvers to be the son of Al-Askari, and
consequently the twelfth Imam of the Twelve Imams of the Bayt. It is considered that his life and occultation would
be prolonged, and then that with his appearance, he would fill the earth with justice and righteousness, and allow
Islam to rule it.[9]

Abdulaziz Sachedina describes him as "the victorious Imam" of Shia "who will restore the purity of the Faith" and
"bring true and uncorrupted guidance to all mankind, creating an adequately just social order and a world free
from tyranny and wickedness."[10]

Birth and family [edit]

According to Twelver Shias, because of the Abbasids' crackdown on

Alids' revolts for fear of the expected liberator from Ali's progeny, Al-
Askari kept the child's birth on 255/868 secret and informed only close
companions of the existence of his successor.[11]

Al-Mahdi's mother was reportedly named Narjis.[4] There are a couple of

narrations regarding the origin of his mother. One is that Narjis was a
Byzantine slave. [4] Another narration says she was a black slave from
Africa. Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi states that names like Sawsan, The Mosque of Al-Askari in Samarra,
Narjis or Rayhana were common names for slaves at that time and his Iraq, 2017. This is where Twelver Imams
Ali al-Hadi and Al-Hasan al-Askari,
mother's name supports this narration.[12] Another narration says that
respectively considered the grandfather
she was a Byzantine princess who pretended to be a slave so that she and father of the Twelver Mahdi, are
might travel from her kingdom to Arabia.[13][14] Mohammad Ali Amir- buried.
Moezzi suggests in Iranica that the last version is "undoubtedly legendary
and hagiographic".[12] Shaikh Tusi says that his mother's name was
Malika the daughter of Yashu'a-, son of the Caesar of Rome. Her mother was from the descendants of the
Disciples of Jesus, and her lineage went back to the successor of Jesus, Simon Peter. She adopted herself Narjis
when she came to Arabia.[15]

Aside from Shia works, almost nothing is known about the life of this Imam. [16] In the biographies of Mahdi written
by Shi'is themselves, it is hard to draw a line between hagiographical and historical works. In Shia sources, even
in historical works of Ibn Babawayh, the birth of the Imam was miraculous which must be considered as
hagiography.[17] According to Yaan Richard, some even cast doubt on his actual existence. [16]

Occultation [edit]

Main article: Occultation (Islam)

Twelver Shias believe that the Imam did not suffer death, but that, for various reasons, has been concealed by
Allah from mankind. This event is known as "The Occultation".[18] Since the year AH 329 (about 940 CE), the
occultation has been divided into two periods.[18]

The Quran states, that there are two kinds of saints of God among people: apparent and hidden. The hidden
saints live among the people and are aware of them, but the people do not know them. Surah Takwir 15–16
implies that even though people do not know the hidden saints, they benefit from them like the sun hidden behind
the clouds.[19]

Shias generally believe that in every age, there is an Imam, either apparent or hidden. But in times that there are
dangers threatening the life of the Imam, he is concealed by God's order, hence the Occultation of the twelfth
Imam.[20] Al-Nu'mani states two reasons for the Occultation in particular: a) a test for the followers of the Imam
and their faith, b) saving the Imam from Bay'a (allegiance) to the oppressive leaders.[21] With all that said, a
Hadith states that the real reason for the Occultation will be only known when the Imam re-appears as in the story
of Musa and Khidr where the reasons for Khidr's deeds were not immediately revealed to Musa. [21]

When Jabir asked Muhammad about the benefits of the hidden Imam, he replied that the people would benefit
from his authority (Walayah) as they benefit from the sun when it is covered by the clouds. [22] Sharif al-Murtaza , a
classical Shia scholar has argued that the reason for the Imam's Occultation was to protect his life after
establishing the just state had been rendered impossible by his enemies.[23] But Shias would still benefit from the
Imam because belief in his hidden presence keeps them from committing evil in their life.[24]

Since Shias believe that the primordial light of the prophethood has continued to shine through the ages in the
character of the Imams, be they hidden or apparent, no idea ever rose regarding the inaccessibility of the Hidden
Imam in the state of occultation.[25] According to Baha'i scholar Moojan Momen, numerous stories exist of the
Hidden Imam "manifesting himself to prominent members of the ulama (Muslim religious scholars)." [26] Publishers
close to the Lebanese Shia militant organization, Hezbollah, have published accounts by Hezbollah fighters on
how Mahdi intervened personally on the battlefields in critical moments during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah conflict
to help them fight against the Israeli army. [27]

Minor Occultation [edit]

Main articles: Minor Occultation, The Four Deputies, and The signed letter of Hujjat-Allah al-Mahdi

Ghaybat al-Sughra or Minor Occultation (874–941), consists of the first few decades of the Imam's
disappearance when communication with him was maintained through his deputies. Tusi and al-Mofid state that
the Occultation resumed on the third or seventh day [clarification needed] of his birth. [28]

Major Occultation [edit]

Main article: Major Occultation

Ghaybat al-Kubra or Major Occultation began 941 CE and is believed to continue until a time decided by Allah,
when the Mahdi will reappear to bring absolute justice to the world. According to the last letter of al-Mahdi to Ali
ibn Muhammad al-Samarri "from the day of your death [the last deputy] the period of my major occultation (al
ghaybatul kubra) will begin. Henceforth, no one will see me, unless and until Allah makes me appear."[29] Another
view is that the Hidden Imam is on earth "among the body of the Shia" but "incognito". [citation needed]

Muhammad al-Mahdi is represented by his close family members, the descendants of his younger brother Sayyid
Ali Akbar. Among these descendants are Baha' al-Din Naqshband and Hazrat Ishaan. This is why the followers of
Baha' al-Din Naqshband and Hazrat Ishaan.[30][31]

Consequences [edit]

The occultation of 12th Imam left a considerable gap in leadership of Shias. According to Shia beliefs the Imam
was both the spiritual and political head of the community. Although during the lesser occultation the network of
Imam deputies (wikala) claimed to have the right to handle Shia communities' issues, this system was not
continued during the Greater Occultation.[32] After the greater occultation, the role of Imam as the head of
community was left vacant, which did not theoretically matter at the beginning of Occultation because Shias had
no political power at that time. However, when Shia states arose in later centuries, since the hidden Imam was
alive and was the leader of Muslims, the role of the Shia states among Shia communities was in question.[32] This
problem has caused continuing tension between government and religion throughout Shia history.[32]

The occultation has resulted in many people claiming to be the returned Mahdi. According to seminary expert,
Mehdi Ghafari, more than 3,000 fake Mahdis were in prison in Iran in 2012.[33] In the last letter Muhammad al-
Mahdi wrote to Ali Ibn Muhammad al-Samari, the last deputy: "whoever claims seeing me before the rise of
Sufya-ni [clarification needed] and the call, he is a liar and a slanderer". [34]

Reappearance [edit]
Main articles: Reappearance of Hujjat Allah al-Mahdi and Signs of the appearance of Mahdi

Twelver Shi'as cite various references from the Qur'an and reports, or Hadith, from Imam Mahdi and the Twelve
Imams with regard to the reappearance of al-Mahdi who would, in accordance with Allah's command, bring
justice and peace to the world by establishing Islam throughout the world. Shi'as believe that `Îsâ (Jesus) will also
come (after Imam Mahdi's re-appearance) and follow the Imam to destroy tyranny and falsehood and to bring
justice and peace to the world.[35] This will also be accompanied by the raj'a (return) of several other personalities
for retribution of the previously oppressed against the oppressor. Shi'as also believe that Imam Mahdi will
reappear on a Friday, and that he will come forth speaking Arabic (probably all languages as he has Allah as
translator).

Visitations [edit]

Shia works on the twelfth Imam have usually included a chapter or two on "those who have seen or met with the
Sahib az-Zaman (Master of the Age)."[25]

Condition after Al-Askari's death [edit]

As Al-Askari died in AH 260 (874 CE) in Samarra, he did not leave any apparent son, because the situation was
difficult and Mu'tamid was searching for the successor of the Imam; the Imam did not reveal his son and Shias
were confused about the successor of the Imam. The troubled situation of the Abbasid khalifas made people think
that a descendant of Muhammad would rise with a sword (Qa'im bi'lsayf) and wipe out injustice on earth which
acted as a consolation for the oppressed people who were waiting for the establishment of God's will on earth. [36]

Historicity [edit]

The historical existence of the twelfth imam has been long debated since the death of the eleventh Imam. [37]
Even though Shi'ite Scholars believe that the Twelfth Imam is an actual person, the Eleventh Imam, Hasan al-
Askari, was kept more or less a prisoner by the Abbasids in the camp at Samarra, about 100 kilometres (62
miles) north of Baghdad, and died there in 874 CE at the age of twenty-eight. It appears that none of the Shi'i
notables knew of the existence of the son of the eleventh Imam. The only possible occasion the son of the
eleventh Imam is said to have made a public appearance was as a child at the time of the eleventh Imam's
death, thereafter the boy was seen no more.[38]

It was believed that the twelfth Imam was connected to his community through four agents, giving his commands
via letter; Moojan Momen, a much-published Baha'i historian, doubts the historical accuracy of these accounts,
mentioning that there is no indication that the number of agents was limited to four and several others are
mentioned. It seems likely that after the death of the eleventh Imam, for the duration of a natural lifespan (i.e.
seventy years) this system had continued to operate. The brother of the eleventh Imam, Jafar ibn Ali, remained
firm in his assertion that his brother had no progeny and there were legal disputes over the ownership of his
brother's estate with the supposed agents.[38] Twelvers believe that Jafar ibn Ali was immoral, [39] while the
Baháʼís believe that he was a truthful person. [40]

Henry Corbin in contrast believed that the question of historicity is irrelevant admitting that the idea of the hidden
Imam was shaped by the person of twelfth and considering the extensive body of literature about him, saw the
birth and his occultation as archetypal and symbolic, describing it as "sacred history". In his History of Islamic
Philosophy he writes: "The simultaneity of these (birth and occultation) is rich in meanings from the mystical point
of view… here above all, our approach should be that of the phenomenological: we must discover the aims of
Shi’ite awareness...".[41]

There was a hadith that was already present in orthodox Sunni collections wherein Muhammad declares that he
will be followed by twelve caliphs (alternative versions have qayyims) from his descendants all from his tribe, the
Quraysh. The hadith appears in both Bukhari (as amirs Bab al-istakhlaf, 7062) and Muslim (as "caliphs", Bab al-
nas taba l-Quraysh, 4667). The statement had been in circulation long before 874 CE.[42][43][44]

Scholarly observations [edit]

Some scholars, including Bernard Lewis [45] also point out, that the idea of an Imam in occultation was not new in
873 CE but that it was a recurring factor in Shia history. Examples of this include the cases of Muhammad ibn al-
Hanafiyyah (according to the Kaysanite Shia), Muhammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyya, Musa al-Kadhim (according to the
Waqifite Shia), Muhammad Ibn Qasim (al-Alawi), Yahya ibn Umar and Muhammad ibn Ali al-Hadi (according to
the Muhammadite Shia).

According to Jassem Hossein, traditions regarding occultation of Mahdi had been collected by many different
Shia sects. Before 874, the traditions existed in Waqifi, Zaydi, Jarudi and Imamite books. In Waqifis, Anmati
Ibrahim ibn Salih Koufi, a disciple of the fifth Imam, wrote a book titled "Occultation". Ali ibn Hossayn Taee Tatari
and Hassan ibn Mohammad ibn Sama'ah each wrote a book titled "Book of Occultation" and introduced the
seventh Imam as the Imam who will go into Occultation. Among Zaydis AbousSaeed Ibad ibn Yaqub Ravajini
Asfari in a book titled Aboosaeed Asfari collects traditions on occultation and the twelve Imams and the end of
Imams in twelve without naming them all. From the Twelvers, Ali ibn Mahziar Ahwazi who died on or before 874
CE wrote two books titled, Kitab Al-Malahem and Kitab Alqaem both on occultation and the rise of Imam with
sword. Hossein ibn Mahboob Sarad wrote the book titled Al-Mashikhah on occultation. Fazl ibn Shazan Nisabouri
wrote Al-Qaybah which is narrated from Al-Mashikhah. He died two months before the 11th Imam and declared
the twelfth Imam as the Qaem.[46]

Yaan Richard suggests occultation was a "convenient solution" for the last Imams' justification of their
quietism.[16] According to Sachedina, however, the idea of the eschatological Qa'im who would rise after going to
occultation was mentioned by the fifth and sixth Imam, i.e. Muhammad al-Baqir and Ja'far al-Sadiq at various
times when the two were approached by their followers and assured of their support if they wanted to rise against
the existing regime.[47]

Hasan al-Askari's estate was divided between his brother Jafar and his mother. Moojan Momen writes: Jafar
remained unshakeable in his assertion that his brother (Hasan al-Askari) had no progeny."[48] According to
Sachadina, "sources describe Ja'far as a worldly and pleasure-loving man who in order to become the Imam had
used various repressive means in the presence of al-Mu'tamid and more than once has tried to slander those who
upheld the Imamate of the infant son of al-Askari in concealment." [49]
During the caliphate of al-Mu'tamid to that of al-Muqtadir, the agents of the dead Imam believed that Hasan al-
Askari had left a son who will appear at Allah's will. This group of people were under attack and opposed by
others. Al-Mutamid, the Abbasid caliph, ordered to investigate the house of Imam and also to inspect if Imam's
wives were pregnant. During these investigations, Narjis was imprisoned for not revealing the place of her baby.
In order to promote a dispute within Imam's family, they "supported Ja'far a brother of al-Askari and claimant to
the office of the Imamat". The situation changed when "political disturbances caused by the Zanj and provincial
leaders in Iran, Egypt and Syria" led to the capture of the caliph.[49]

According to Jassim M. Hussain, the majority of the Imamites denied his birth or even his existence, and
abandoned their belief in the hidden Imam except for a small minority belonging to the circles of narrators, like
Ibn Qubba and al-Nu'mani who based their belief on the traditions of the Imams (i.e. Hadith about twelve Imams).
Jassim Hussain indicates, several books were written before the minor Occultation predicting the event of the
twelfth Imam being the Mahdi and his going to occultation.[50]

By the third and fourth decades of the 10th century (i.e. the closing years of the Lesser Occultation), the majority
of the Shias were agreed on the line of the Twelve Imams.[51]

Non-Twelver views [edit]

Sunni and Sufi [edit]

Historically, "the Sunnites often applied it [Mahdi] to the four caliphs after the Prophet, who were called al-Khulafa'
al-Rashidun al-Mahdiyyun, the rightly guided caliphs.' Sulayman b. Surd called al-Husayn, after his martyrdom,
Mahdi b. al-Mahdi".[46] The majority of Sunni Muslims do not consider the son of Hasan al-Askari to be the Mahdi
nor to be in occultation. However, they do believe that the Mahdi will come from Muhammad's family.[52] Sunnis
believe that the Mahdi has not yet been born, and therefore his true identity is known only to Allah. Aside from the
Mahdi's precise genealogy, Sunnis accept many of the same hadiths Shias accept about the predictions
regarding the Mahdi's emergence, his acts, and his universal Khilafat. Sunnis also have a few more Mahdi
hadiths which are not present in Shia collections.[53][54]

Sunnis also believe that Jesus will return alongside the Mahdi, with the only difference being that they disagree
with the Shia regarding exactly who the Mahdi is. Many other Sunnis, Ismaili and Zaidiyyah argue that Al-Askari
did not have a son.[citation needed]

Twelver Shias say his birth was concealed. Others argue that even if he had a son, Muhammad ibn al-Hassan
could not live for over a thousand years.[41][55][56][57] The existence of any descendant of Al-Askari is disputed by
many people. However it is believed by Twelver Shi'ites and some Sunnis that Al-Askari had a son who would be
the redeemer of Islam. Genealogy trees of Middle Eastern and Central Asian families, mostly from Persia,
Khorasan, Samarqand and Bukhara show that Imam Hasan al-Askari had also a second son called Sayyid Ali
Akbar,[58][59] however, his existence is rejected by Shiite historians. Sayyid 'Ali is Sultan Saadat (Sodot) who died
in Termez. His burial place is located in the main mausoleum Sultan Saodat memorial complex in
Termez[60][61][62][63] It definitely indicates that Imam al-Askari had children and it also substantiates the existence
of the Imam. Aside from the presence of other Shi'ites, the reason why whether or Imam Al-Askari had children is
disputed may be due to the political conflicts between the followers of the Twelver Imamah, and the leadership of
the Abbasids and Ghulat Shiites who had not believe Hasan's Imamah. Notable descendants of Sayyid Ali Akbar
are Sufi Saints like Baha' al-Din Naqshband,[64][65] descendant after 11 generations, [66] Khwaja Khawand
Mahmud known as Hazrat Ishaan, descendant after 18 generations and Sayyid ul Sadaat Sayyid Mir Jan,
maternal descendant of Imam Hasan al Askari and Hazrat Ishaan.[67] In her book "Pain and Grace: A Study of
Two Mystical Writers of Eighteenth-Century Muslim India" p. 32, Dr.Annemarie Schimmel writes:"Khwaja Mir
Dard`s family, like many nobles, from Bukhara; led their pedigree back to Baha'uddin Naqshband, after whom the
Naqshbandi order is named, and who was a descendant, in the 11th generation of the 11th Shia imam al-Hasan
al-Askari." Although Shiite historians generally reject the claim Hasan al-Askari fathered children other than
Muhammad al-Mahdi, the Shiite hadith book Usul al-Kafi, in Bab Mawlid Abi Muhammad al-Hasan b.'Ali confirms
the Sufi claim that Hasan al-Askari had more than one wife, in addition to slave girls, with whom he had relations.
In his Usul, al-Kafi writes, "When the caliph got news of Imam Hasan 'Askari's illness, he instructed his agents to
keep a constant watch over the house of the Imam...he sent some of these midwives to examine the slave girls of
the Imam to determine if they were pregnant. If a woman was found pregnant she was detained and
imprisoned...".[5][66][68][69]

In 648 AH / 1250-1 CE, the Syrian Shafi'i author Muḥammad b. Yusuf al-Gandji al-Kurashi wrote K. al-Bayan fi
akhbar sahib al-zaman in proving the Mahdiship of the Twelfth Imam using Sunni traditions. In 650/1252 Kamalal-
Din Muḥammad b. Talha al-ʿAdawi al-Nisibini, a Shafi'i scholar, composed his Maṭalib al-suʾul fi manaḳib al al-
rasul answering Sunni objections to the belief that the Twelfth Imām was the Mahdi. The Sibt ibn al-Jawzi wrote
Tadhkirat khawass al-umma bi-dhikr khasaʾis al-aʾimma, collecting hadiths from Sunni sources about the virtues
of ʿAli and his descendants, and at the end affirmed that the Twelfth Imam was the Expected Qaʾim Al Mahdi.
Among Sufi circles, Abu Bakr al-Bayhaḳī (d. 458/1066) had noted that some Sufi gnostics (djamaʿa min ahl al-
kashf) agreed with the Twelver doctrine about the identity of the Mahdi and his ghaybah (occultation). The
Persian Sufi Sadr al-Din Ibrahim al-Hammuyi (late 7th/13th century) supported Twelver doctrine on the Mahdi in
his Faraʾid al-simtayn. The Egyptian Sufi al-Shaʿrani, while generally showing no sympathy for Shiʿism, affirmed in
his al-Yawaḳit wa ʾl-djawahir
̲ (written in 958/1551) that the Mahdi was a son of Imam al-Hasan al-ʿAskari, born in
the year 255/869, and would remain alive until his meeting with Jesus.[70]

Bahá'í [edit]

`Abdu'l-Bahá has interpreted the Book of Revelation 11:3 "And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they
will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." [71][72] The two witnesses are
Muhammad and Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib. The 1,260 years are lunar years which refer to AH 1260 when Sayyed
ʿAli Muhammad Shirāzi revealed himself to be the 'spiritual return' of Muhammad al-Mahdi [73][74] on 23 May
1844.[75]

Historical social impact [edit]

The messianic belief in Mahdi helped Shias to tolerate unbearable situations to the level that without it the Shia
religion might not have been able to survive persecutions in the course of history. It also acted as a moderating
force among them by postponing political activities until the future coming of the Awaited Mahdi. [76] The belief has
also acted as an inspiration for social movements against political repression. The sense of responsibility for
paving the way for the reappearance of Mahdi has also led Shi'as to re-evaluate their social circumstances and
the shortcomings of their lives and strive to build their own provisional Islamic government in anticipation of
Mahdi's promised rule.[77]

Contemporary influence [edit]

The Shia millennial vision of history continues to be expressed, even today, through radical social protest against
political oppression. Abdulaziz Sachedina writes: "Without the deep sense of paving the way for the reappearance
of the Imam, the Shi'as would not have felt the need to re-evaluate their social circumstances and the
shortcomings of their present lives. Thus, the ghayba (occultation) of the Mahdi has acted as a creative force in
their lives that has not only helped them bear with patience the difficult times but also has also prepared them to
fulfill their historical responsibility of establishing a true Islamic rule, even before the Imam assumes the
leadership of the Shia after his final reappearance."[77]

The Shia Mahdi doctrine was a key element in inspiring the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran led by Ayatollah
Ruhollah Khomeini who argued as part of his theory of the Rule of the Jurist that the highest and most learned
Muslim Jurist could legitimately administer the government on a God-given mandate to prepare the world for the
return of the Hidden Imam. Khomeini succeeded in using the potent concepts of Shia eschatology and theodicy—
such as the Shia notions of struggle against injustice and worldly oppression—to mobilize the masses towards
revolutionary goals.[78]

Islamic traditions hold that before the ultimate return of the Muslim messiah, his influence manifests itself in the
world in different ways. Throughout history, "a vast and deeply personal literature" has emerged in the Shia world
that apparently exemplifies this influence in form of "revelations, dreams, healings, visions, and other occurrences
all attributed to the Mahdi's personal intervention."[27] Over the recent years in particular, a growing anticipation of
Mahdi's imminent return among the wider public has been identified, leading to spread of widely-available
literature about predictions and prophecies concerning Mahdi and his imminent appearance that include great
detail on where, when and how Mahdi will appear, overturn the modern order and establish the just state.[27] For
example, under the influence of the Lebanese resistant organization Hezbollah, literature containing classical
traditions as well as interpretations of contemporary events in the light of Mahdi's return have sprang from the
Lebanese press. A book including "miraculous occurrences" has been published including accounts by Hezbollah
fighters on how Mahdi intervened on the battlefields during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah conflict to help them fight
against the Israeli army.[27]

Another instance of contemporary Shia messianic tendency manifested itself in the discourse and policies of the
former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who thought that Mahdi's return was imminent. He "merged
messianic rhetoric with populist nationalism" at home and in his UN speeches he "combined references to the
Mahdi with a blistering Third-Worldist ideological attack on "Western Imperialism" and "Zionism" intended to
appeal to some Middle East audiences." He and his supporters also sought to depict Iran as "a chosen nation
and a superpower uniquely blessed by the special favors of the Lord of Age" [Hidden Imam] to lead a global
mission against injustice."[78]

In Iraq where many hold deep suspicions of the U.S., there are frequent assertions in the apocalyptic literature
claiming that the U.S.-led invasion was aimed at finding and killing the Mahdi as part of an apocalyptic war
against the Shia world.[27]

Political controversies [edit]

On 3 May 2017, the then-Saudi deputy crown prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud, in an interview with MBC,
made repeated references to the Shi'ite ideology of the Iranian state to reject the possibility of dialogue with Iran
for settling the regional rivalry between the two countries. He argued that it was impossible to have dialogue with
an entity with an "extremist ideology" that believes its policies are divinely-guided to prepare conditions for the
return of the Imam Mahdi, fearing a spread of Twelver Shi'ite or Iranian influence to the land of Islam's holiest
shrine.[79]

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah Secretary General of the Iran-backed Lebanese resistance organization Hezbollah
responded to bin Salman's remarks by accusing him of wanting to turn a political struggle in the region into a
religious one. He added that the Mahdi doctrine is not specific to Shias and that, apart from the question of his
actual birth, there's a consensus among all Muslims that Imam Mahdi is from the progeny of Prophet Muhammad
and that he will rise from Mecca and that when he rises he will get rid of all corrupt rulers and fill the Earth with
justice. Addressing bin Salman directly, Nasrallah remarked: "Neither you nor your children nor grandchildren can
change this Divine destiny."[80][81][82][83]

Birthday celebration [edit]

The birthday of Muhammad al-Mahdi is celebrated annually in Iran. Every year on the evening of the birthday, [84]
millions of people in the country celebrate the occasion[85] by handing out food, often tossing juice containers and
candy into passing cars. Also, people picnic and enjoy fireworks displays. The city of Qom is decorated by bright
lights and flags.[86] The date of the celebration is based on the Islamic calendar and changes from year to year:

Islamic year Iran [87]

1440 21 April 2019
1441 9 April 2020
1442 29 March 2021
1443 19 March 2022
1444 8 March 2023
1445 25 February 2024
1446 14 February 2025

See also [edit]

Theology of Twelvers Shia Islam

Holiest sites in Islam (Shia) portal

Fatimid Empire Islam portal

Al-Hafiz
Safavid dynasty
Ismail I
People claiming to be the Mahdi
Criticism of Twelver Shia Islam
The signs of Muhammad al-Mahdi's reappearance in Islamic traditions
Nafs-e-Zakiyyah (Pure soul)
Princess of Rome
Occultation (Islam)
The signed letter of Muhammad al-Mahdi (Tawqee)
Dua-e Ahad
Du'a Nudba
Du'a al-Faraj
Moinuddin Hasan Chishti

Notes [edit]
 a. ^ also known as al-Imām al-Mahdī (‫) ٱ ِْ َ م ٱ ْ َ ْ ِ ّي‬, Imām al-Zamān (‫َ ن‬ ‫ إِ َ م ٱ‬, "Imam of the Time"), Ḥujjat ibn Al-Ḥasan
( َ َ ْ ‫ ) ُ ٱ ْ ٱ‬and Muḥammad ibn Al-Ḥasan ( َ َ ْ ‫) ُ َ ٱ ْ ٱ‬

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Review of 'Kitab al-Irshad' by Al-Mufid , by Dr. I. K. A. Howard
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translated by Muḥammad Sarwar.
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ISBN 0978147804.

Books [edit]

as-Sadr; Mutahhari (1986). The Awaited Saviour (5th ed.). Accra: Islamic Seminary Publications. ISBN 0-
941724-20-4.
Qazvini, Muhammad Kazim (2009). Imam Mahdi from Veladat ta Zohur. Qom: al-Hadi. ISBN 978-
9644000126.
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Further reading [edit]

al-Qarashi, Baqir Sharif (2006). The Life of Imam Al-Mahdi, translated by Syed Athar Husain S.H. Rizvi .
Ansariyan Publications. ISBN 964-438-806-2.
al-Sadr, Muhammad Baqir (1983). Awaited Saviour. Imam Al Khoei Islamic. ISBN 0-686-90398-6.
Amini, Ibrahim (1996). Al-Imam Al-Mahdi: The Just Leader of Humanity, translated by Abdulaziz
Abdulhussein Sachedina. Islamic Education and Information Center. ISBN 0-9680717-0-8.
Corbin, Henry (1993). History of Islamic Philosophy, translated by Liadain Sherrard and Philip Sherrard.
Kegan Paul International in association with Islamic Publications for The Institute of Ismaili Studies. ISBN 0-
7103-0416-1.
Hussain, Jassim M. (1986). Occultation of the Twelfth Imam: A Historical Background . Routledge. ISBN 0-
7103-0158-8.
Nasr, Seyyed Hossein; Hamid Dabashi (1989). Expectation of the Millennium: Shiʻism in History. SUNY
Press. ISBN 0-88706-843-X.
Tabatabae, Sayyid Mohammad Hosayn (1979). Shi'ite Islam. Seyyed Hossein Nasr (translator). Suny press.
ISBN 0-87395-272-3.

External links [edit]

Mahdi's Deputies by Verena Klemm, an article by encyclopedia

Muhammad al-Mahdi
Iranica at Wikipedia's sister projects
Imam Mahdi's Biography
Twelfth Imam Media from Wikimedia Commons

Quotations from Wikiquote

Al-Islam.org [edit]
Main article: Ahlul Bayt Digital Islamic Library Project Data from Wikidata

Special specifications of Imam al-Mahdi (as)

The Awaited Saviour by Ayatullah Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr & Ayatullah Murtadha Mutahhari
A Discussion concerning the Mahdi , by Ayatullah Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr
The Days of the Newborn
What evidence is there regarding the birth of Imam Mehdi (AS)?

Encyclopædia Britannica [edit]

Main article: Encyclopædia Britannica

Muhammad al-Mahdi al-Hujjah an article by Encyclopædia Britannica Online

 Ghaybah
Mahdi
ghaybah (The Occultation)

Shia Islam titles

Preceded by 12th Imam of Twelver Shia Islam
Major Occultation
Hasan al-Askari 874 – present

v · t· e Shia Imams
1 Ali · 2 Hasan ibn Ali · 3 Husayn ibn Ali · 4 Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin · 5 Muhammad al-Baqir · 6 Ja'far al-Sadiq
Twelver · 7 Musa al-Kadhim · 8 Ali al-Ridha · 9 Muhammad al-Jawad · 10 Ali al-Hadi · 11 Hasan al-Askari ·
12 Hujjat Allah al-Mahdi§
Ali ("Asās" or "Wāsih" of Nabi Muhammad)
1 Hasan · 2 Husayn · 3 al-Sajjad · 4 al-Baqir · 5 Jafar al-Sādiq · 6 Ismā'il · 7 Muhammad · 8 Abadullāh (Wāfi Ahmad)
Tayyibi · 9 Ahmad (Tāqi Muhammad) · 10 Husayn (Rādhi Abdullāh) · 11 Abdallah al-Mahdi · 12 al-Qa'im ·
13 Isma'il al-Mansur · 14 Ma'add al-Mu'izz · 15 Nizar al-Aziz · 16 Mansur al-Hakim · 17 Ali al-Zahir ·
18 Ma'add al-Mustansir · 19 Ahmad al-Musta'li · 20 Mansur al-Amir · 21 Abu'l-Qasim al-Tayyib§
1 Ali · 2 Husayn ibn Ali · 3 Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin · 4 Muhammad al-Baqir · 5 Ja'far al-Sadiq ·
6 Isma'il ibn Ja'far · 7 Muhammad ibn Isma'il · 8 Ahmad al-Wafi · 9 Muhammad at-Taqi · 10 Abdullah ar-Radi ·
11 Abdallah al-Mahdi · 12 al-Qa'im · 13 Isma'il al-Mansur · 14 Ma'add al-Mu'izz · 15 Nizar al-Aziz ·
16 Mansur al-Hakim · 17 Ali al-Zahir · 18 Ma'add al-Mustansir · 19 Nizar · 20 Ali al-Hadi§ ·
21 Muhammad (I) al-Mutadi§ · 22 Hasan (I) al-Qahir§ · 23 Hasan II · 24 Nur al-Din Muhammad II ·
Nizari
25 Jalal al-Din Hasan III · 26 Ala al-Din Muhammad III · 27 Rukn al-Din Khurshah · 28 Shams al-Din Muhammad ·
29 Qasim Shah · 30 Islam Shah · 31 Muhammad ibn Islam Shah · 32 al-Mustansir Billah II · 33 Abd al-Salam Shāh ·
34 Gharib Mirza · 35 Abu Dharr Ali · 36 Murād Mīrzā · 37 Dhulfiqar Ali · 38 Nur al-Din Ali · 39 Khalilullah II Ali ·
40 Nizar II · 41 as-Sayyid Ali · 42 Hasan Ali · 43 Qasim Ali · 44 Abu'l-Hasan Ali · 45 Shāh Khalīlullāh III ·
46 Aga Khan I · 47 Aga Khan II · 48 Aga Khan III · 49 Aga Khan IV
§ in occultation

Authority control
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Other Faceted Application of Subject Terminology · SUDOC (France) (1 )

Categories: 869 births Twelver imams Shia eschatology Hujjat Allah al-Mahdi 9th-century imams
People of Byzantine descent Husaynids 9th-century Arabs Mahdism

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