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Background

To understand these accounts, it is necessary to explain the role of the Quran, Islam’s holy book, and related writings. Muslims believe that the Quran’s chapters, called surahs, were revealed to their Prophet Muhammad in Arabic. The Quran contains 114 surahs, generally arranged by their length, with the longest first. Because some surahs were difficult to understand without context, Muslim scholars eventually collected sayings of Muhammad, known as Hadith (Account), from contemporaries who had heard the Prophet comment on a surah.

One of the most prolific Hadith narrators was Aisha, the young wife of Muhammad. She once kidded him about some of the surahs revealed to him by Allah, saying, “I see that your Lord hastens to fulfill your desires.” Other Hadith sources include the Sahaba (the men who followed him to Medina) and the Ansar (those who welcomed him in Medina).

The compilation of the Hadith took place more than 100 years after Muhammad’s death. This necessitated chains of raconteurs who had heard earlier raconteurs, who had heard or witnessed the original account. Eventually, an immense body of Hadiths grew to support the views of partisans of a new movement in Islam. This led scholars such as Ibn Kathir, Al-Tabari, and Al-Qurtubi to classify Hadiths. Hadiths were classified as either strong or weak, depending on the trustworthiness of the chain of raconteurs.

Theological Topics

According to the Quran, Muhammad is the last prophet, or the “seal of the prophets.” Therefore, no other prophet or messenger is expected to appear before the End of Time. After Muhammad’s death, one of his close associates, Abu Bakr, established the Caliphate (succession).

Following the assassination of Ali, a great schism in Islam created Sunni Islam, supported by the Umayyad Dynasty, and Shi’ite Islam, which developed its own distinct beliefs and laws. This led to the formation of subdivisions throughout the Muslim world.

When theological topics are discussed in Islam, both in the Sunni and Shi’ite traditions, theologizing about Allah is nearly impossible. They face two strictures: he is Bila Kayf (Don’t ask how) and Bila Shabah (Dissimilar to anyone). In Surah 112 of the Quran, known as the Sincerity, absolute oneness is taught: “Say, ‘He is Allah, [who is] One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent.'"

While Surah 112 places significant limits on Muslim theologians, it didn’t keep them from engaging with eschatological subjects, which are referred to under the rubrics of the End of Time and the Signs of the Hour. Classical Islamic scholarship holds that the idea that the Hour is 'fast approaching' is a fundamental tenet of Islamic eschatology, as explicitly stated in the Quran (54:1), “The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has split.”

“The classical commentator Ibn Kathir explains this verse as a definitive divine statement on the imminence of the Day of Judgment, signifying that the era of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) is the final age of humanity.”

The Mahdi

The Mahdi (or Al-Madhi in Arabic) means “the Guided One” and is a central figure in Islamic eschatology. He is mentioned in a few authentic hadiths as a descendant of Muhammad who will appear in the end times. “He will fill the Earth with equity and justice just as it had previously been filled with injustice and oppression.” The Quran does not name him, and the authentic hadiths in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim do not refer to him by that title.

Despite the important role the Mahdi is expected to play, as described in the hadiths that mention him, he remains a relatively minor figure in Sunni Islam. However, in Islamic sects that originated in Shi’ite Islam, the Mahdi plays a pivotal role.

While Ali was the fourth caliph and the last of the “rightly guided” caliphs, he is also regarded as the first of the Twelve Imams of the Shi’ites. The caliphs were primarily government officials, whereas muftis and imams oversaw Sunni jurisprudence and religious affairs. By contrast, Shi’ite imams led the government and presided over religious matters. The twelfth imam, Muhammad ibn Hasan, was called the Mahdi by his father, Hasan al-Askari.

He entered occultation to avoid persecution by the Abbasid rulers following his father’s assassination. He is expected to return one day to establish universal justice and equity. In the meantime, his imamic mission is entrusted to the Ayatollahs. Iran has been ruled by Ayatollahs since 1979, when the Islamic Republic of Iran replaced the Shah of Iran.

Although less famous than Muhammad ibn Hasan, Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya, a son of Ali and the half-brother of the second and third of the Twelve Imams (Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali), was also described as a Mahdi by Mukhtar ibn Abi Ubaid. Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya played a leading role in Ali’s army; however, after Husayn’s death, he generally refrained from involvement in uprisings and politics. Conversely, Mukhtar led an uprising to avenge Husayn’s death.

Conclusion

In summary, the Mahdi is a key figure in Islamic eschatology. Both Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims look forward to his appearance or reappearance near the end of time, though they disagree on his identity and specific role.