Muhammad al-Mahdi - Citizendia

For other uses, see Mahdi (disambiguation). Mahdi may refer to In Islam: Mahdi, the prophesied redeemer of Islam People claiming to be the Mahdi, religious leaders

Part of a series on the Twelve Imams Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi
A modern depiction
Muhammad ibn Hasan ibn Ali
The Twelfth Imam
Kunya	Abu al-Qasim
Birth	15th Shaban 255 AH ≈ 868 C.E.
Death	???
Birthplace	Samarrah
Life Duration	Before Imamat: 5 years (255 - 260 AH) Imamat: ??? - Minor Occultation: 70 years (260 - 329 AH) - Major Occultaion: ??? (329 - ??? AH)
Titles	al-Hujjah (the proof) Hujjatullah (proof of Allah)
Father	Hasan al-Askari
Mother	Narjis
Children	none
Ali · Hasan · Husayn al-Sajjad · al-Baqir · al-Sadiq al-Kadhim · al-Rida · al-Taqi al-Hadi · al-Askari · al-Mahdi

According to Twelver Shi'as Imam Hujjat al-Mahdī (المهدى) (or Hujjat ibn Hasan ibn Ali) is the twelfth Imam and the Mahdi, the ultimate savior of humankind. Kunya can refer to Kunya (Arabic an honorific in Arabic names Kunya Urgench, a town in Turkmenistan Kunya River Shaban may refer to Sha'aban, a month of the Islamic calendar Shaban Afghanistan The Islamic calendar or Muslim calendar ( Arabic: التقويم الهجري at-taqwīm al-hijrī; Persian: تقویم هجری قمری ‎ An approximation (represented by the symbol ≈ is an inexact representation of something that is still close enough to be useful Events By Place Asia 11 May — The Diamond Sutra, the oldest dated book is printed The Occultation in Shi'a Islam refers to a belief that the messianic figure al-Mahdi, who in Shi'a thought is an infallible male descendant of the founder Sāmarrā ( Arabic, سامَرّاء) is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris The Islamic calendar or Muslim calendar ( Arabic: التقويم الهجري at-taqwīm al-hijrī; Persian: تقویم هجری قمری ‎ The Occultation in Shi'a Islam refers to a belief that the messianic figure al-Mahdi, who in Shi'a thought is an infallible male descendant of the founder The Islamic calendar or Muslim calendar ( Arabic: التقويم الهجري at-taqwīm al-hijrī; Persian: تقویم هجری قمری ‎ The Occultation in Shi'a Islam refers to a belief that the messianic figure al-Mahdi, who in Shi'a thought is an infallible male descendant of the founder The Islamic calendar or Muslim calendar ( Arabic: التقويم الهجري at-taqwīm al-hijrī; Persian: تقویم هجری قمری ‎ Allah ( Arabic: الله, ʔalˤːɑːh) is the standard Arabic word for ' Hasan al- Askari (الإمام الحسن بن علي العسكري (Eighth of Rabi' al-thani 232 AH – Eighth of Rabi' al-awwal 260 AH Narjis was the mother of Muhammad al-Mahdi the twelfth and last Imam of Shi'a Islam. ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib (a=علي بن أﺑﻲ طالب|t=ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib 13th Rajab, 24 BH – 21st Ramaḍān, 40 AH Hasan ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib ( ar الحسن بن علي بن أﺑﻲ طالب)‎ (Fifteenth of Ramadhān, 3 AH – Seventh or Twenty-eighth of Safar Ḥusayn ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar حسين بن علي بن أﺑﻲ طالب)‎ (third of Shaban 4 AH / 8th January 626 AD at Medina ‘Alī ibn Ḥusayn (Arabic علي بن حسين) (approximately 6 January 659 - 20 October 712 is a great-grandson of Muhammad as well as the fourth Muḥammad ibn ‘Alī al-Baqir (محمد ابن علي الباقر) (676-743 AD or 1 Rajab 57 AH – 7 Dhu al-Hijjah 114 AH was the Fifth Imām Jaʿfar al-Sadiq (702-765 in accurate transliteration Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq Arabic: جعفر الصادق in full Jaʿfar ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Husayn Mūsá ibn Ja‘far ibn Muḥammad al-Kāżim (الإمام موسى الكاظم‎ ( October 28, 746 AD - September 1, 799 / Ali ibn Musa al-Rida ( علي بن موسى الرضا) (Commonly known as Ali ar-Ridha Ali Reza (Eleventh of Dhu al-Qi'dah, 148 AH – Seventeenth of Muhammad al-Taqi or Muhammad al-Jawad ( Arabic: الإمام محمد الجواد) ( Rajab 10 195 AH - Dhu al-Qi'dah 29 Imam Ali al-Hadi (الإمام علي الهادي also known as Imam Ali al-Naqi ( September 8, 828 &ndash July 1, 868) was Hasan al- Askari (الإمام الحسن بن علي العسكري (Eighth of Rabi' al-thani 232 AH – Eighth of Rabi' al-awwal 260 AH See also Shi'a Islam Twelver Shi'ism ( ar اثنا عشرية Ithnāˤashariyyah) is the largest branch of Shi'a branch of Islam Imāmah (إمامة is the Shī‘ah doctrine of religious spiritual and political leadership of the Ummah. Imāmah (إمامة is the Shī‘ah doctrine of religious spiritual and political leadership of the Ummah. In Islamic eschatology the Mahdi ( ar مهدي, also Mehdi; "Guided One" is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will stay on earth Other Shi'a schools adhere to different Imam successions and do not, along with Sunnis, consider ibn-Al-Hassan the Mahdi. Twelver Shi'as believe that Mahdi was born in 868 and has been hidden by God (referred to as the Occultation) to later emerge to fulfill his mission. Events By Place Asia 11 May — The Diamond Sutra, the oldest dated book is printed The Occultation in Shi'a Islam refers to a belief that the messianic figure al-Mahdi, who in Shi'a thought is an infallible male descendant of the founder

1 Birth and early life according to Twelver Shi'a
2 The Occultation
3 Reappearance
4 Sunni view
5 Bahá'í view
6 Scholarly observations
7 See also
8 Notes
9 References
10 Further reading
11 External links

Birth and early life according to Twelver Shi'a

Twelver Shi'as believe that Mahdi was born in 868 AD as Hujjat ibn Hasan ibn Ali. Events By Place Asia 11 May — The Diamond Sutra, the oldest dated book is printed There is debate within the Twelver community who his mother is. Many believe his mother, Narjis (Melika), was a Byzantine princess who pretended to be a slave so that she might travel from her kingdom to Arabia. Narjis was the mother of Muhammad al-Mahdi the twelfth and last Imam of Shi'a Islam. ^[1] ^[2] His father, Hasan al-Askari, is believed to have been the eleventh and penultimate Shi'a Imam. Hasan al- Askari (الإمام الحسن بن علي العسكري (Eighth of Rabi' al-thani 232 AH – Eighth of Rabi' al-awwal 260 AH Imāmah (إمامة is the Shī‘ah doctrine of religious spiritual and political leadership of the Ummah. Shi'as believe that his birth was kept a secret due to the persecution that the Shi'a were facing during this time at the hands of Al-Mu'tamid, the Abbasid Caliph. This article is about the Abbasid Caliph al-Mu'tamid of Baghdad The Caliph is the Head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the leader of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah ^[3]^[4]

To support Mahdi's claim, Twelver Shi'as quote the following Hadith: "I and `Ali are the fathers of this nation; whoever knows us very well also knows Allah, and whoever denies us also denies Allah, the Unique, the Mighty. Hadith ( ar الحديث, pl aḥadīth; lit. "narrative" are oral Traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Islamic And from `Ali's descendants are my grandsons al-Hasan and al-Husayn, who are the masters of the youths of Paradise, and from al-Husayn's descendants shall be nine: whoever obeys them obeys me, and whoever disobeys them also disobeys me; the ninth among them is their Qa'im and Mahdi. " ^[5] (These Hadiths are not recognized as authentic by Sunnis)

The eleventh Shi'a Imam Hasan al-Askari died on 1 January 874 AD (8th Rabi' al-awwal, 260 AH)^[6] and since that day, his son Mahdi is believed by Shi'as to be the Imam, appointed by God, to lead the believers of the era. Imāmah (إمامة is the Shī‘ah doctrine of religious spiritual and political leadership of the Ummah. Hasan al- Askari (الإمام الحسن بن علي العسكري (Eighth of Rabi' al-thani 232 AH – Eighth of Rabi' al-awwal 260 AH New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Events By Place Europe Ingólfur Arnarson arrives as the first permanent Viking settler in Iceland, settling Rabi' al-awwal (ar ربيع الأول is the third month in the Islamic calendar. This article is about Islamic Calendar and how it was formed, for the event of hijra see Migration to Medina. The most popular account of al-Mahdi in Shi'a literature is taken from his father's funeral. It is reported that as the funeral prayer was about to begin, al-Mahdi's uncle, Jafar ibn Ali approached to lead the prayers. However, al-Mahdi approached and commanded, "Move aside, uncle; only an Imam can lead the funeral prayer of an Imam. " Jafar moved aside, and the five-year-old child led the funeral prayer for his father. It is reported that it was at this very moment that al-Mahdi disappeared and went into ghaybat, or occultation.

The Occultation

Main article: The Occultation

Shi'as believe that, for various reasons, God concealed the twelfth and current Shi'a Imam, al-Mahdi, from humankind. The Occultation in Shi'a Islam refers to a belief that the messianic figure al-Mahdi, who in Shi'a thought is an infallible male descendant of the founder

Period

The period of occultation (ghaybat) is believed to consist of two parts:

Ghaybat al-Sughra or Minor Occultation (874-939) is the shorter of the two periods, during which deputies of the Imam maintained communication to the rest of the world. Events By Place Europe Ingólfur Arnarson arrives as the first permanent Viking settler in Iceland, settling This article is about the year 939. For the CPU socket see Socket 939 Events By Place Asia
Ghaybat al-Kubra or Major Occultation began 939 and is believed to continue until a time decided by God, when the Mahdi will reappear to bring absolute justice to the world. This article is about the year 939. For the CPU socket see Socket 939 Events By Place Asia

Minor Occultation

Main article: Minor Occultation

During the Minor Occultation (Ghaybat al-Sughra), it is believed that al-Mahdi maintained contact with his followers via deputies (Arab. an-nuwāb al-arbaʕa). The Minor Occultation ( Ghaybat al-Sughra) refers to the Twelver Shia Muslim belief in a period in the disappearance or Occultation, of the Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language They represented him and acted as agents between him and his followers.

Whenever the believers faced a problem, they would write their concerns and send them to his deputy. The deputy would ascertain his verdict, endorse it with his seal and signature and return it to the relevant parties. The deputies also collected zakat and khums on his behalf. This is a sub-article of Islamic economical jurisprudence. Zakaat ( زكاة zækæːh zakaat or zakāh, has the implied Khums ( خمس xʊms is the Arabic word for One Fifth (1/5 According to Shia Islamic legal terminology it means "one-fifth of certain items which a person For the Shia, the idea of consulting a hidden Imam was not something new because the two prior Shia Imams had, on occasion, met with their followers from behind a curtain. Imāmah (إمامة is the Shī‘ah doctrine of religious spiritual and political leadership of the Ummah.

Shia Tradition hold that four deputies acted in succession to one another:

In 941 (329 AH), the 4th deputy announced an order by al-Mahdi, that the deputy would soon die and that the deputyship would end and the period of the Major Occultation would begin. In Twelver Shia Islam, Uthman ibn Sa'id al-Asadi was the first of The Four Deputies appointed by the twelfth and final Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi In Twelver Shia Islam, Uthman ibn Sa'id al-Asadi was the second of The Four Deputies appointed by twelfth and final Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi In Twelver Shia Islam, Uthman ibn Sa'id al-Asadi was the third of The Four Deputies appointed by twelfth and final Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi In Twelver Shia Islam, Uthman ibn Sa'id al-Asadi was the fourth and last of The Four Deputies appointed by the twelfth and final Imam, Muhammad

The 4th deputy died six days later and the Shi'a Muslims continue to await the reappearance of the Mahdi. In the same year, many notable Shi'a scholars such as Ali ibn Babwayh Qummi and Muhammad ibn Yaqub Kulayni, the learned compiler of al-Kafi also died. Ali ibn Babawayh Qummi (?-939 was a Twelver Shi'a scholar from the time of the Ghaybat al-Sughra. TemplateInfobox Muslim scholars --> Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Ya'qub ibn Ishaq al-Kulayni Al-Razi (died 329 The Kitab al-Kafi is a Twelver Shia Hadith collection compiled by Mohammad Ya'qub Kulainy.

Major Occultation

Main article: Major Occultation

The name of Imam as it appears in Masjid Nabawi

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. In Twelver Shia Islam, the Major Occultation refers to the longer duration of the Occultation of the final and twelfth Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi The Mosque of the Prophet (or Prophet's Mosque) ( Arabic: المسجد النبوي) /mæsʤıd ænːæbæwı in Medina, is the second holiest Hence forth, no one will see me, unless and until Allah makes me appear. My reappearance will take place after a very long time when people will have grown tired of waiting and those who are weak in their faith will say: What! Is he still alive?"

As he said in this letter, nobody will claim to have seen him except liars. However, this is interpreted to mean that those individuals who claim to have a relationship with the Mahdi like the four deputies did in the Minor Occultation, then those individuals are liars.

Another letter from al-Mahdi says: "Rest assured, no one has a special relationship with Allah. Whoever denies me is not from my (community). The appearance of the Relief (al-Faraj) depends solely upon Allah. Therefore those who propose a certain time for it are liars. As to the benefit of my existence in occultation, it is like the benefit of the sun behind the clouds where the eyes do not see it. "

With regards to advice for his followers during his absence, he is reported to have said: "Refer to the transmitters of our traditions, for they are my hujja (proof) unto you and I am God’s proof unto them. "

Reappearance

Twelver Shi'as cite various references from the Qur'an and reports, or Hadith, from Mahdi and the twelve Shi'a Imams with regard to the reappearance of al-Mahdi who would, in accordance with God's command, bring justice and peace to the world by establishing Islam throughout the world. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran Hadith ( ar الحديث, pl aḥadīth; lit. "narrative" are oral Traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Islamic In Islamic eschatology the Mahdi ( ar مهدي, also Mehdi; "Guided One" is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will stay on earth Imāmah (إمامة is the Shī‘ah doctrine of religious spiritual and political leadership of the Ummah.

Mahdi is reported to have said:

"During the last times, my people will be afflicted with terrible and unprecedented calamities and misfortunes from their rulers, so much so that this vast earth will appear small to them. Persecution and injustice will engulf the earth. The believers will find no shelter to seek refuge from these tortures and injustices. At such a time, God will raise from my progeny a man who will establish peace and justice on this earth in the same way as it had been filled with injustice and distress. "

Shi'as believe that al-Mahdi will reappear when the world has fallen into chaos and civil war emerges between the human race for no reason. At this time, it is believed, half of the true believers will ride from Yemen carrying white flags to Mecca, while the other half will ride from Karbala, in Iraq, carrying black flags to Mecca. Yemen ( Arabic: اليَمَن al-Yaman officially the Republic of Yemen ( Arabic: الجمهورية اليمنية al-Jumhuuriyya Mecca ˈmɛkə also spelled Makkah ˈmækə (in full Makkah Al-Mukarramah (Arabic mækːæ(t ælmʊkarˑamæ مكّة المكرمة, literally Honored Karbala ( BGN: Al-Karbalā’; also spelled Karbala al-Muqaddasah) is a city in Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad at For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. At this time, al-Mahdi will come wielding God's Sword, the Blade of Evil's Bane, Zulfiqar (Arabic: ذو الفقار, ðū l-fiqār), the Double-Bladed Sword. Zulfiqar "Spinecleaver" (ذو الفقار Dhū l-Fiqār) is the legendary sword of the Islamic leader ‘Alī.

Sunni view

Sunni Muslims do not consider the son of Hasan al-Askari to be the Mahdi nor to be in occultation. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic In Islamic eschatology the Mahdi ( ar مهدي, also Mehdi; "Guided One" is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will stay on earth 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.

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

It is said "predictions and lore conscerning the Mahdi abound"[9] 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.

Bahá'í view

Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá considered the story of the occultation of the Twelfth Imam to have been a pious fraud conceived by a number of the leading Shí`ahs in order to maintain the coherence and continuity of the Shí`ah movement after the death of the 11th Imam, Hasan al-`Askarí [1]. Bahá'u'lláh ( ba-haa-ol-laa "Glory of God" ( November 12, 1817 – May 29, 1892) born Mírzá Ḥusayn-`Alí Nuri ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ( ar عبد البهاء &lrm (23 May 1844 - 28 November 1921 born `Abbás Effendí, was the son of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'ís believe that Siyyid `Alí Muhammad-i-Shírází, known as the Báb (1819-1850), is the promised Twelfth Imam, the Mahdi, who had already made his advent and fulfilled all the prophecies. The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind Siyyid `Alí Muḥammad ( ( October 20, 1819 – July 9, 1850) was the founder of Bábism, and one of three central figures of the The Shaykhi movement of the early 19th century claimed to have made preparations for the Mahdi. Shaykhism ( Arabic, الشيخية) is an Islamic religious movement founded by Shaykh Ahmad in early 19th century Qajar Iran In 1848 the Báb and his followers began to teach more openly, and the Báb was publicly executed in 1850.

Scholarly observations

Some scholars, including Bernard Lewis^[7] also point out, that the idea of an Imam in occultation was not new in 873 but that it was a recurring factor in Shia history. Bernard Lewis (born May 31, 1916 in London, England) is a British - American

Later, Fatimid Caliph al-Hakim, the grandson of the Imam Nizar, and Taiyab abi al-Qasim were believed by their followers to have gone into occultation as well. Tāriqu l-Ḥākim, called bi Amr al-Lāh ( Arabic: الحاكم بأمر الله; literally "Ruler by God's Command" was the sixth Fatimid Abū Manṣūr an-Nizār al-Mustafa ad-Dīni l-Lāh was a Fatimid Caliph and a Nizāri Ismā‘ilī Imām. According to Taiyabi Mustaaali Ismaili Muslims, Taiyab abi al-Qasim (or Tayyib Arabic طيب was the 21st and last Fatimid Imam (or hereditary

Notes

^ The Expected Mahdi
^ Online Islamic Courses
^ The Imams
^ mahdi and the manner of his occultation
^ Ikmal of AlSaduq
^ The Imams
^ The Assassins: A Radical Sect in Islam, Bernard Lewis, pp. In Islamic eschatology the Mahdi ( ar مهدي, also Mehdi; "Guided One" is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will stay on earth Narjis was the mother of Muhammad al-Mahdi the twelfth and last Imam of Shi'a Islam. Many people through history have claimed to be the Mahdi ( مهدي) a messianic figure expected in Islam. See also Day of Ashura The Mourning of Muharram is an important period of mourning in the Shi'a branch of Islam, taking place in Muharram 23, 35, 49.

References

Kitab al-Irshad, Muhammad b. Muhammad b. Nu'man (al-Shaikh al-Mufid), 4th A. H. /10 A. D.
Review of 'Kitab al-Irshad' by Al-Mufid , by Dr. I. K. A. Howard

External links

Muhammad al-Mahdi al-Hujjah an article by Encyclopedia Britannica Online
ghaybah an article by Encyclopedia Britannica Online
Mahdi an article by Encyclopedia Britannica Online
ghaybah(The Occultation) an article by Encyclopedia Britannica Online
MAHDI'S DEPUTIES by Verena Klemm, an article by encyclopedia Iranica
List of sites about Imam Mahdi
Guide to the 12 Imams - Inc. Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (www. shiacode. com)
Information and Biography of Imam Mohammed Al Mahdi
The Awaited Saviour by Ayatullah Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr & Ayatullah Murtadha Mutahhari
A Discussion concerning the Mahdi, by Ayatullah Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr
Imam Mahdi's Biography
The Period of Confusion and Perplexity After the Death of Imam al-Askari
- Iran prepares people for 'messiah miracles'
[2] Unravelling lies from people about Imam Muhammad Mahdi
MISC. Information on Sunni & Shia Documentation about Imam Mehdi

Preceded by Hasan al-Askari	Twelver Shia Imam 874–	Succeeded by none

Hasan al- Askari (الإمام الحسن بن علي العسكري (Eighth of Rabi' al-thani 232 AH – Eighth of Rabi' al-awwal 260 AH Imāmah (إمامة is the Shī‘ah doctrine of religious spiritual and political leadership of the Ummah.

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