Imam Mehdi

Imam Mehdi

According to the Shia and Sunni versions of the Islamic eschatology the Mahdi (مهدي Mahdī, also Mehdi; "Guided One") is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will stay on earth seven, nine, or nineteen years (depending on the interpretation) before the coming of the day, Yawm al-Qiyamah (literally "Day of the Resurrection" or "Day of the Standing"). Muslims believe the Mahdi will rid the world of error, injustice and tyranny alongside Jesus. The concept of Mahdi is not explicitly mentioned in the Qu'ran nor in the Sunni hadiths such as Sahih al-Bukhari which only mention the second coming of Jesus. It is only one of the six books of hadīth. Some orthodox Sunnī theologians accordingly question Mahdist beliefs, but such beliefs form a necessary part of Shīʿī doctrine.

According to scholars Julie Vryhof and Mitchell Uitvlugt, the advent of Mahdi is not a universally accepted concept in Islam and among those that accept the Mahdi there are basic differences among different sects of Muslims about the timing and nature of his advent and guidance. The idea of the Mahdi has been described as important to Sufi Muslims, and a "powerful and central religious idea" for Shia Muslims who believe the Mahdi is the Twelfth Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi who will return from occultation. However, among Sunni, it "never became a formal doctrine" and is neither endorsed, nor condemned "by the consensus of Sunni Ulama." It has "gained a strong hold on the imagination of many ordinary" self-described orthodox Sunni though, thanks to Sufi preaching. Another source distinguishes between Sunni and Shia beliefs on the Mahdi saying the Sunni believe the Mahdi will be a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad who will revive the faith.

The "hdi" of "Mahdi" refers to the Arabic root "هدی" which means "to guide". "Mahdi" is also an Arabic name. Therefore Imam Mahdi means "leader of all (spiritual) Guides", including all saints and prophets too.

Muslim beliefs

1. The Mahdi will be a descendant of Muhammad of the line of Fatimah.
2. His name will be as the name of Muhammad.
3. He will rule for either seven, nine or nineteen years (though these years are consisted of days not necessarily the same as 24 hour days)
4. He will distribute wealth.
5. His coming will be accompanied by the raising of a Black Standard.
6. His coming will be accompanied by the appearance of the Dajjal (the 'Great Deceiver').
7. There will be a lunar and solar eclipse within the same month of Ramadan
8. A star with a luminous tail will rise from the East before the Mahdi emerges.
9. He will restore faith to its original form and eradicate moral corruption.
10. He will fight for the cause of Islam and make it prevail throughout the world
11. He will have a broad forehead, a prominent nose, and his eyes will be naturally mascaraed
12. He will fill the world with justice and fairness at a time when the world will be filled with oppression.

The coming of the Mahdi is a disputed notion within Sunnis. The concept is not mentioned directly in the Quran or Sahih al-Bukhari; however, the Mahdi is mentioned in the Sahih Muslim collection of ahadith. According to scholar Cyril Glasse, "Belief in the Mahdi has been rejected by noted Sunni authorities as being a Messianism … various Hadith about the Mahdi appear to be inventions to support political causes", It is also reported to be denied by the Ahle Quran.

On the other hand it is found in Sunan Abi Dawud, Ibn Majah, and Tirmidhi and "some non-Shiite Muslims believe that the Mahdi will come in addition to the Second Coming of Jesus."

Al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ja’far al-Katani said: "The conclusion is that the hadiths narrated concerning the Mahdi are mutawatir, as are the hadith concerning the Dajjal and the descent of Jesus the son of Mary, upon whom be peace." Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami in his fatwa titled The Brief Discourse on the Portents of the Awaited Mahdi, said that denial of the Mahdi is disbelief. Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti in his book The Rose Fragrance Concerning the Reports on al-Mahdi, wrote, "This is the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah, this is the belief of the Sufis, this is the belief of our Shaykhs, and this is the belief of the true Shadhili Shaykhs, whose path both al-Suyuti and al-Haytami followed. Whoever differs with them is a liar and an innovator."

Of those Sunnis that hold to the existence of the Mahdi, some believe the Mahdi will be an ordinary man, born to an ordinary woman. Umm Salamah said:

I heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'The Mahdi is of my lineage and family…'.

— Sunan Abu Dawud, 11/373; Sunan Ibn Maajah, 2/1368.

Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri said:

The Messenger of Allah said: "He is one of us…"

— Reported by Abi Na’eem in Akhbaar al-Mahdi, see al-Jaami’ al-Sagheer, 5/219, hadith 5796.

The Naqshbandi Haqqani Sufi Order, under the leadership of Shaykh Nazim and his khalifah Shaykh Hisham Kabbani of Islamic Supreme Council of America (ISCA), is among the Sunnis/Sufis who strongly believe the coming of Imam Mahdi in this 21st Century is imminent. Shaikh Hisham has written a book "The Approach of Armageddon" that touches much on this subject according to Sunni doctrine and beliefs.

In the light of traditions and interpretations, the personality of the Promised Mahdi would be as such:

It is said "predictions and lore concerning the Mahdi abound".Among them are that the promised Mahdi would be a Caliph of God and that to make a covenant with him is obligatory. He would belong to the House of Muhammad and would be in the line of Imam Hussein. His name would be Muhammad and his family name would be Abul Qasim, his father's name would be ‘Abdu’llah, and he would appear in Mecca. He would protect the Muslims from destruction and would restore the religion to its original position.^{[citation needed]}

Possible Interpretations

In their book, Al Mahdi and the End of Time, Muhammad Ibn ‘Izzat and Muhammad ‘Arif, two well-known Egyptian authors, identify the Mahdi from the Book of Revelation, quoting Hadith transmitter Ka'ab al-Ahbar.

In one place, they write,

“I find the Mahdi recorded in the books of the Prophets… For instance, the Book of Revelation says: “And I saw and behold a white horse. He that sat on him…went forth conquering and to conquer.”

‘Izzat and ‘Arif then go on to say:

“It is clear that this man is the Mahdi who will ride the white horse and judge by the Qur’an (with justice) and with whom will be men with marks of prostration (zabiba) on their foreheads.”

There are also an increasing number of Christian scholars who postulate that this Muslim Mahdi may in fact be the AntiChrist.