| Revision as of 13:56, 26 August 2004 edit202.63.110.253 (talk) →The Mahdi in Shiite traditions← Previous edit | Revision as of 20:02, 26 August 2004 edit undoSfeldman (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users1,320 edits Added a few internal links, edited for clarityNext edit → | ||
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| The exact nature of the Mahdi is not completely clear, but according to Sunni traditions a basic overview is as follows: | The exact nature of the Mahdi is not completely clear, but according to Sunni traditions a basic overview is as follows: | ||
| The Mahdi will appear during the last days of the world, and will precede the second coming of ], who Muslims believe to be the messiah. The two are different individuals, but they will work together to fight evil in the world and to cement justice on Earth. Mahdi means "the guided one" and he will apparently come from ] and rule from ]. He will not defeat the false Messiah, known as ] |
The Mahdi will appear during the last days of the world, and will precede the second coming of ], who Muslims believe to be the messiah. The two are different individuals, but they will work together to fight evil in the world and to cement justice on Earth. Mahdi means "the guided one" and he will apparently come from ] and rule from ]. He will not defeat the false Messiah, known as ]; that will be done by ], who will slay the pretender. Once Dajjal is defeated, Jesus and the Mahdi will live on Earth for a number of years. According to some traditions, Jesus will get married and have a family, and then die. There are claims that a grave is dug for him next to ]'s in the ] in ], but whether or not this is factual is unknown. | ||
| Some ] about the Mahdi give the following information believed by Sunnis: | Some ] about the Mahdi give the following information believed by Sunnis: | ||
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| One of the signs which will indicate the emergence of al-Mahdi will be that in the month of ] prior to his emergence an eclipse of the sun and moon will occur. These signs were visible right after the claim of ] to be the ] and ]. | One of the signs which will indicate the emergence of al-Mahdi will be that in the month of ] prior to his emergence an eclipse of the sun and moon will occur. These signs were visible right after the claim of ] to be the ] and ]. | ||
| The title has been claimed by various individuals in history, including ] who founded a short-lived ] in ] in the late ], and the ]i ] who founded the ] movement in ]. | The title has been claimed by various individuals in history, including ], who founded a short-lived ] in ] in the late ], and the ]i ] who founded the ] movement in ]. | ||
| Another ] |
Another historical ] was born in northeastern India, in a town called ] (now in the Indian state of ]). This town is known for its Islamic universities, which produced a number of great Islamic scholars. He was named ] and is also remembered as ]. There are hundreds of thousands of his followers around the globe. | ||
| ==The Mahdi in Shiite traditions== | ==The Mahdi in Shiite traditions== | ||
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| Like in the Sunni tradition, Shiites believe that the Mahdi will return to Earth at the end of times and will usher in a new age of peace and help defeat the false messiah. | Like in the Sunni tradition, Shiites believe that the Mahdi will return to Earth at the end of times and will usher in a new age of peace and help defeat the false messiah. | ||
| The Mahdi in fiction | ==The Mahdi in fiction== | ||
| Several authors, with varying degrees of understanding of the Sunni and Shiite beliefs, have used the concept of the Mahdi within their fictional stories. Perhaps the best known is ], whose '']'' ] novels centered on the character of ], who was proclaimed by his followers, the Fremen, to be the Mahdi. Also, Paul's Fremen name, "Muad'Dib", sounds similar to "Mahdi", a significance not lost on the Fremen. | Several authors, with varying degrees of understanding of the Sunni and Shiite beliefs, have used the concept of the Mahdi within their fictional stories. Perhaps the best known is ], whose '']'' ] novels centered on the character of ], who was proclaimed by his followers, the Fremen, to be the Mahdi. Also, Paul's Fremen name, "Muad'Dib", sounds similar to "Mahdi", a significance not lost on the Fremen. | ||
Revision as of 20:02, 26 August 2004
The Mahdi (or Mehdi), in Islamic eschatology, is a man who will come at the end of the times. The exact nature of the Mahdi differs between Shia Muslims and Sunni Muslims.
The Mahdi in Sunni traditions
The exact nature of the Mahdi is not completely clear, but according to Sunni traditions a basic overview is as follows:
The Mahdi will appear during the last days of the world, and will precede the second coming of Jesus, who Muslims believe to be the messiah. The two are different individuals, but they will work together to fight evil in the world and to cement justice on Earth. Mahdi means "the guided one" and he will apparently come from Mecca and rule from Damascus. He will not defeat the false Messiah, known as Dajjal; that will be done by Jesus, who will slay the pretender. Once Dajjal is defeated, Jesus and the Mahdi will live on Earth for a number of years. According to some traditions, Jesus will get married and have a family, and then die. There are claims that a grave is dug for him next to Muhammad's in the Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina, but whether or not this is factual is unknown.
Some hadith about the Mahdi give the following information believed by Sunnis:
Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth caliph, reported that the Prophet Muhammad said, "Even if only a day remains for Qiyamah to come, yet Allah will surely send a man from my family who will fill this world with such justice and fairness, just as it initially was filled with oppression."
According to other reported sayings of the Prophet Muhammad some of the features of al-Mahdi are:
- He will be tall
- He will be fair complexioned
- His facial features will be similar to those of the Prophet Muhammad
- His character will be like that of the Prophet Muhammad
- His father's name will be Abdullah
- His mother's name will be Aamina
- He will speak with a slight stutter
- He will occasionally hit his hand upon his thigh when he stutters
- His age at the time of his emergence will be forty years
- He will born in medina (literally a city or township)
- He will receive Knowledge from Allah
One of the signs which will indicate the emergence of al-Mahdi will be that in the month of Ramadan prior to his emergence an eclipse of the sun and moon will occur. These signs were visible right after the claim of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad to be the Promised Messiah and Mahdi.
The title has been claimed by various individuals in history, including Muhammad Ahmad, who founded a short-lived empire in Sudan in the late 19th century, and the Punjabi Mirza Ghulam Ahmad who founded the Ahmadi movement in 1889.
Another historical claimant was born in northeastern India, in a town called Jaunpur (now in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh). This town is known for its Islamic universities, which produced a number of great Islamic scholars. He was named Syed Mohammad and is also remembered as Syed Mohammad Jaunpuri. There are hundreds of thousands of his followers around the globe.
The Mahdi in Shiite traditions
Twelver Shia Muslims believe that the Mahdi is alive but in hiding. While he is not visible to humans, he is active in everyday life, and can be asked for help and will only reappear at the end of the world. See also: sleeping hero
The Mahdi was actually born in 868, but disappeared when he was five. For more information see: Muhammad al-Mahdi
Like in the Sunni tradition, Shiites believe that the Mahdi will return to Earth at the end of times and will usher in a new age of peace and help defeat the false messiah.
The Mahdi in fiction
Several authors, with varying degrees of understanding of the Sunni and Shiite beliefs, have used the concept of the Mahdi within their 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. Also, Paul's Fremen name, "Muad'Dib", sounds similar to "Mahdi", a significance not lost on the Fremen.
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