Mahdi
- For the Abbasid Caliph, see al-Mahdi
| Part of a series on |
| Islam |
|---|
 |
The Mahdi (Arabic: مهدي, also transliterated as: Mehdi or Mihdi; translated as: Guided One), in Islamic eschatology, is the prophesied redeemer of Islam, who will change the world into a perfect Islamic society before Yaum al-Qiyamah (literally "Day of the Resurrection").
The exact nature of the Mahdi differs between Sunni and Shi'a Muslims. For a more in-depth Shi'a account of the Mahdi, see Muhammad al-Mahdi.
Introduction
In a hadith widely regarded as authentic, Muhammad stated:
- "Even if the entire duration of the world's existence has already been exhausted and only one day is left before the Day of Judgment, Allah will expand that day to such a length of time, as to accommodate the kingdom of a person out of my Ahl al-Bayt who will be called by my name. He will then fill the Earth with peace and justice as it will have been filled with injustice and tyranny before then."
- Sahih Tirmidhi, V2, P86, V9, P74-75.
Birth of the Mahdi
Sunni, Shi'a, and Mahdavi sources
Sunni sources
- He will be born in Medina, Saudi Arabia
- His father's name will be Abdullah (same as Muhammad's father)
Shia sources
- He was born in 868 and is still alive
- He has been in occultation since the age of five years
- His father is the 11th Shia Imam, Hasan al-Askari
- His mother is Narjis, a Byzantine princess
- Twelver Shia Muslims believe that the Mahdi is the 12th and last of the Shia Imams
Characteristics of the Mahdi
Sunni and Shia sources
- His first name is "Muhammad"
- Some Muslims claim that his name can be an accepted variant of Muhammad such as Ahmed or Mahmoud; similarly, accepted variants of his father Abdullah's name include Abdul Rahman, Abdul Magid, and Abdul Hamid. Supporters of this idea quote a passage from the prophet Muhammad in the Hadith which reads: "His name is like my name, and his father's name is like my father's name."
- He is tall
- His facial features are similar to those of Muhammad
- His character is like that of Muhammad
Sunni sources
- He has a fair complexion
- He has a broad forehead and a bent prominent nose
Signs indicating the emergence of the Mahdi
Shia sources
- The 6th Shia Imam, Jafar al-Sadiq, is reported to have said:
- "Before the appearance of the one who will rise, peace be upon him, the people will be reprimanded for their acts of disobedience by a fire that will appear in the sky and a redness that will cover the sky. It will swallow up Baghdad, and will swallow up Kufa. Their blood will be shed and houses destroyed. Death will occur amid their people and a fear will come over the people of Iraq from which they shall have no rest."
- There will be an insurgence by the Sufyani, a descendent of Abu Sufyan. Abu Sufyan is considered by Shias to have been one of Muhammad's greatest enemies, along with his son, Muawiya I and Muawiya's son, Yazid. According to Shia narrations, the Sufyani's revolution will start from Palestine/Jordan, and his reign of tyranny will span the Middle East from Iraq to Egypt.
- A loud call from the sky signals the Mahdi's appearance.
Emergence of the Mahdi
Sunni and Shia sources
- He emerges during the last days of the world from Mecca
- He and Isa (ie. Jesus) are two different individuals
- He precedes the second appearance of Jesus, the Islamic and Christian messiah
- He establishes justice, peace and truth throughout the world by establishing Islam as the global religion
Sunni sources
- Jesus defeats the false Messiah or Antichrist, known as the ad-Dajjal
- Once the Dajjal is defeated, Jesus and the Mahdi live on Earth to live out their natural life
- According to some traditions, Jesus gets married, has a family, and dies. There are claims that a grave is dug for him next to Muhammad's grave in Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina, but this is not a universal Sunni belief.
Shia sources
- Upon his emergence, the young among his followers, without any prior appointment, reach Mecca that very night
- Each of his soldiers has the power of forty strong men
- Sinful opposers call their own followers to fight
- A large number of non-believers will convert to Islam once they see that the signs in the reports have occurred
Claims of being the Mahdi
There have been several personalities over time who have considered themselves the Mahdi prophesized in Islam. Similar to the notion of a Messiah in the Judeo-Christian religions, the notion of a Mahdi as a redeemer to establish a society has lent itself to various interpretations leading to different claims within minorities or by individuals within Islam.
The Mahdi in fiction
Several authors have used the concept of the Mahdi in fictional stories. Perhaps the best known is Frank Herbert, whose Dune science fiction novels centered on the character of Paul Atreides, who was proclaimed by his followers, the Fremen, to be the Mahdi. Paul's Fremen name, "Muad'Dib", means "teacher of adāb (manners and respect)" in Arabic, although within the novel it is a word in the Fremen language of Chakobsa, and is the name of a kind of desert mouse.
In the Wheel of Time fictional world, the Tinker people are divided into travelling bands each led by a mahdi, which is translated as "seeker". The Tinkers are of the same ethnicity as the Aiel, a Fremen-like desert-dwelling people.
See also
- Mahdaviat
- Mahdi army
- Isa (the Muslim perspective of Jesus)
- Dajjal
External links
Shia view
- Al-Imam al-Mahdi: The Just Leader of Humanity by Ayatollah Ibrahim Amini
- The Awaited Saviour by Ayatullah Baqir al-Sadr and Ayatullah Murtada Mutahhari
- A Discussion Concerning the Mahdi by Martyr Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr-Quddisa Sirruh