Islamic Messianism: The Idea of Mahdi in Twelver ShiʿismThe topic of this book is vital to the understanding of contemporary developments in Iran and other areas of the Islamic world in which Shi'ism is a significant social and religious force. Islamic tradition in general speaks about the appearance of the Mahdi, or divinely guided messianic leader, from among the descendants of the prophet. In Shi'ism, belief in the Mahdi is the foundation on which the entire spiritual and temporal edifice rests. Sachedina's purpose is to examine this key belief in the Mahdi and the doctrinal evolution of the idea of the Mahdi in early Imamite sources. Sachedina compares the Judeo-Christian conception of Messiah and the Shi'ite conception of Mahdi and discusses the developing relationship between the Shi'ite Muslims and political regimes. His primary sources on the development of doctrinal ideas about the Mahdi are the works of early Imamite scholars who developed their ideas when they were in a minority position in the Islamic world. As the first comprehensive study of the idea of the Mahdi, Islamic Messianism provides a valuable guide to students in religious studies and Islamics as well as to students of Iranian history and politics. |
Contents
The Twelver Messianic Imam | 39 |
The Occultation of the Imamate Mahdi | 78 |
The Imamate of the Hidden Imam | 109 |
The Return of the Mahdi | 150 |
Conclusion | 180 |
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Common terms and phrases
Abbasid Abu al-Qasim Abu Ja'far according agent ahl al-bayt al-'Askari al-Baqir al-Hadi al-Hasan al-Hilli al-Husayn al-Kazim al-Kulayni al-Mahdi al-Mufid al-Nawbakhti al-Qa'im al-sam'i al-Sharif al-Murtada al-taklif Alid anna al-a'imma appear appointed attain authority bada Baghdad believed Buyids caliphate death deputyship descendants divine earth establish evil faction Fatima Firaq followers ghayba hadith Hidden Imam hujja Ibid Ibn Babuya ijma Imam's Imamite Imamite doctrine Imamite jurists Imamite theologians Imamiyya incumbent infallible Imam Islamic isma Ja'far al-Sadiq justice Kafi kalam Kamal knowledge known Kufa Kulayni last Imam leader Mahdi maintained matter Mecca messianic Imam Milal Mu'tazilites Mufid Muhammad mukallaf Muslims obedience occultation opinion period person political principle of lutf proof Prophet Qa'im Qat'iyya Qur'an raj'a reason religion religious reported revealed Rijal rise rule Sahib al-amr Samarra says Shi'a Shi'ism Shi'ites Short Occultation sixth Imam sources successor Sunnite taklif tion tradition traditionists Tusi twelfth Imam Twelver Umayyad umma vindication zuhur