It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Muhammad al-Mahdi. (Discuss)

In Islamic eschatology the Mahdi (مهدي transliteration: Mahdī, also Mehdi; "Guided One") is the prophesied redeemer of Islam. The advent of Mahdi is not a universally accepted concept in Islam,^{[citation needed]} 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. Most Muslims believe that the Mahdi will change the world into a perfect and just Islamic society alongside Jesus before Yaum al-Qiyamah (literally "Day of the Resurrection" or "Day of the Standing"). The "hdi" of "Mahdi" refers to the Arabic root "هدی" which means "to guide". "Mahdi" is also an Arabic name. The word Mahdi (Arabic: ‎ translit: Guided One) may refer to: Mahdi - a messianic figure in Islam who will redeem the world before the end of days. ... Islamic eschatology is concerned with the Qiyamah (end of the world; Last Judgement) and the final judgement of humanity. ... Due to the fact that the Arabic language has a number of phonemes that have no equivalent in English or other European languages, a number of different transliteration methods have been invented to represent certain Arabic characters, due to various conflicting goals. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Islam holds Jesus (Arabic: `Īsā) to have been a messenger and a prophet of God and the Messiah. ... Yawm al-QÄ«yāmah (Arabic: literally: Day of the Resurrection) is the Last Judgement in Islam. ...

The exact nature of the Mahdi differs according to Sunni and Shi'a Muslims. For a more in-depth Shi'a account of the Mahdi, see Muhammad al-Mahdi. The concept of Mahdi is not mentioned in the Qu'ran. Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... Shia Islam ( Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite or Shiite) is the second largest Islamic denomination; some 20-25% of all Muslims are said to follow a Shia tradition. ... It has been suggested that Mahdi be merged into this article or section. ...

Introduction

Shi‘ites claim the Mahdi is their 12th Imam, as evidenced in a hadith from the Shia text (Kitab Al-Kafi) containing a conversation between the first Shia Imam Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib and a man named al-Asbagh ibn Nubata.^[1][2] Shiʻa Islam (Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite) makes up the second largest sect of believers in Islam, constituting about 30%–35% of all Muslim. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Ali ibn Abi Talib (علي بن أبي طالب) (c. ...

In a hadith widely regarded as authentic, Muhammad said,^{[citation needed]} This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Muhammad in a new genre of Islamic calligraphy started in the 17th century by Hafiz Osman. ...

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, God will expand that day to such a length of time, as to accommodate the kingdom of a person out of 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. Image:Michelangelo - Fresco of the Last Judgment. ... Ahl al-Bayt (Arabic: ) is a phrase meaning People of the House, or family. ...

—Sahih Tirmidhi, V2, P86, V9, P74–75.

The Mahdi, according to Shi'ite tradition, will arise at some point before the day of judgement, institute a kingdom of justice, and will in the last days fight alongside the returned Jesus against the Dajjal, the Antichrist. al-Dajjal sometimes spelled Dajal, (Arabic: الدّجّال, al-dajjāl) (The Deceiver/impostor), also known as the false Messiah (see also: Antichrist) is an evil figure in Islamic eschatology, who will appear before Yawm al-Qiyamah (The Day of Resurrection, Judgement Day). ...

However, like most religious concepts, various Muslim traditions have ascribed different characteristics to the Mahdi. Also, as Mahdiism is closely related to the leadership of the Ummah, it has had the potential to be abused as some leaders of secularly focused politico-religious movements in the name of Islam who have claimed to be the Mahdi. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

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 (Peace be upon Him) 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 (Peace be upon Him) 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 Shi'a belief is that Mahdi has been alive and in occultation for 1200 years and is eleven generations down from Muhammad - i.e. the twelfth Shi'a Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi. It has been suggested that Mahdi be merged into this article or section. ...

Divergent views among Sunnis

The coming of the Mahdi is a disputed notion within Sunnis, with the claim being denied by the Ahle Quran and Darul-uloom Nadwatul Ulama clerics.^{[citation needed]} Mahdi is not mentioned in the Qu'ran and there are few authentic hadiths that mention him in any detail. Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... Quran alone Muslims, Quranic Muslims or sometimes, anti-hadith Muslims are those Muslims who reject hadith, or recorded Islamic traditions, and follow the Quran, Islams sacred text, without any further additions. ... // Darul-uloom Nadwatul Ulama is an Islamic institution at Lucknow, which draws large number of Muslim students from all over the country. ... The Hadith (الحديث, pl. ...

Although the concept of a "Mahdi" is not reported in Sahih al-Bukhari nor Muslim, it is found in Sunan Abi Dawud, Ibn Majah and Tirmidhi and agreed upon by Sunni scholars as sound and trustworthy (saheeh and thiqat sanad).^{[citation needed]}

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."^{[citation needed]} 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.^{[citation needed]} 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."^{[citation needed]}

The Naqshbandi Haqqani Sufi Order, under the leadership of Shaikh Hisham Kabbani of Islamic Supreme Council of America (ISCA), is among the Sufis who strongly believes 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. Founded by Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Sufi Order of America (NQSOA) is an educational organization devoted to spreading the Sufi teachings of the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Sufi tariqah in America, under the guidance of the worldwide leader and master of the order as-Sayyid Shaykh Muhammad Nazim Adil...

Claims of being the Mahdi

Main article: People claiming to be the Mahdi

Over the course of history, there have been several individuals who have declared themselves to be the Mahdi prophesied 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. Many people through history have claimed to be the Mahdi, a messianic figure expected in Islam. ... In Judaism, the Messiah (Hebrew: , Standard  Tiberian  ; Arabic: ,  ; Aramaic:  ; the Anointed One) at first meant any person who was anointed with oil on rising to a certain position among the ancient Israelites, at first that of High priest, later that of King and also that of a prophet. ... Judeo-Christian (or Judaeo-Christian) is a term used to describe the body of concepts and values which are thought to be held in common by Judaism and Christianity, and typically considered (sometimes along with classical Greco-Roman civilization) a fundamental basis for Western legal codes and moral values. ...

The first historical recorded reference to a movement using the name of Mahdi is al-Mukhtar's rebellion against the Umayyid Caliphate in 686, almost 50 years after Muhammad's death. Al-Mukhtar claimed that Ibn al-Hanifiya, a son of the fourth Caliph Ali (the first Imam of Shi'ite), was the Mahdi who would save the Muslim people from the unjust rule of the Umayyids. Ibn al-Hanifiya was not actively involved in the rebellion, and when the Umayyids successfully quashed it, they left him undisturbed. Al-Mukhtar ibn Abi Ubayd was an early Islamic revolutionary who led an abortive rebellion against the Umayyid Caliphs who ruled the Muslim world after the murder of the fourth Caliph, Ali ibn Abu Talib. ... Ibn al-Hanifiya was a son of the fourth Muslim Caliph, Ali ibn Abu Talib by a wife known only as the Hanifiya. ...

The Mahdi in fiction

Many authors have used the concept of the Mahdi in fictional stories. Perhaps the best known is Frank Herbert, whose Dune science fantasy novels centered on the character of Paul Atreides. Frank Patrick Herbert (October 8, 1920 – February 11, 1986) was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science fiction author. ... Dune is a science fiction novel written by Frank Herbert and published in 1965. ... Science fantasy is a mixed genre of story which contains some science fiction and some fantasy elements. ... Paul Atreides, as portrayed by Kyle MacLachlan in David Lynchs Dune (1985), wielding the infamous Weirding Module. Paul Orestes Atreides is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ...

Hadith about the Mahdi

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

The promised Mahdi would be a Caliph of God and to make a covenant with him is obligatory. He would belong to the House of Muhammad and would be in the line of Imam Husayn. 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 Medina. He would protect the Muslims from destruction and would restore the religion to its original position.^{[citation needed]} Ahl al-Bayt (Arabic: ) is a phrase meaning People of the House, or family. ... Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abu Talib (c. ... Look up Abdullah in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the city in Saudi Arabia. ...

Bibliography (English)

• Shauhat Ali: Millenarian and Messianic Tendencies in Islamic Thought: Lahore: Publishers United: 1993.
• Timothy Furnish: Holiest Wars: Islamic Mahdis, Jihad and Osama Bin Laden: Westport: Praeger: 2005: ISBN 0275983838
• Abdulaziz Abdulhussein Sachedina: Islamic Messianism: The Idea of the Mahdi in Twelver Shi'ism: Albany: State University of New York Press: 1981: ISBN 0-87395-458-0
• Syaikh Hisyam Kabbani: The Approach of Armageddon:I slamic Supreme Council of America: 2002

See also

• Mahdaviat
• Dajjal
• People claiming to be the Mahdi
• Traditions about Mahdi
• Al-Qa'im (the Shi'a expectations)
• List of Islamic terms in Arabic
• Islamic eschatology
• Mahdi Army

Mahdaviat is a religious term in Iranian Shia Islam meaning belief in and efforts to prepare for the Mahdi. Believing followers of any Mahdi claimant can be referred to as Mahdawis (or Mahdavis); their belief, faith or school of thought is thus Mahdaviat (or Mahdawia(t) and similar transliterations... al-Dajjal sometimes spelled Dajal, (Arabic: الدّجّال, al-dajjāl) (The Deceiver/impostor), also known as the false Messiah (see also: Antichrist) is an evil figure in Islamic eschatology, who will appear before Yawm al-Qiyamah (The Day of Resurrection, Judgement Day). ... Many people through history have claimed to be the Mahdi, a messianic figure expected in Islam. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Al-Qāim (Arabic: القائم) is a messiah-like figure in Shia Islam, sometimes referred to as the Mahdi, but distinctly of a Shia tradition. ... The following list consists of concepts that are derived from both Islamic and Arab tradition, which are expressed as words in the Arabic language. ... Islamic eschatology is concerned with the Qiyamah (end of the world; Last Judgement) and the final judgement of humanity. ... Members parade in Sadr City The Mahdi Army, also known as the Mahdi Militia, Mehdi Army or Jaish al Mahdi (Arabic جيش المهدي) , is a militia force created by the Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in June of 2003. ...

External links

• Armageddon and the Mahdi
• Army of Mahdi
• A supportive view of the belief of the Mahdi at Sunni-oriented islam-qa.com
• A critical look at the belief in the Mahdi at Qurannic-oriented understanding-islam.com
• Information on the Mahdi on Shi'a-oriented al-islam.org