Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Mahdi is believed by the Twelver Shia to be the last of the Twelve Imams and the eschatological Mahdi, who will emerge in the end of time to establish peace and justice and redeem Islam.
23 Facts About Muhammad al-Mahdi
2.
Uthman claimed to represent Muhammad al-Mahdi, who had entered a state of occultation.
3.
Muhammad al-Mahdi is said to have received a letter from Muhammad al-Mahdi shortly before his death.
4.
The letter, ascribed to Muhammad al-Mahdi, added that the complete occultation would continue until God granted him permission to manifest himself again in a time when the earth would be filled with tyranny.
5.
Immediately after the death of al-Askari, his main agent, Uthman ibn Sa'id, claimed that the Imam had an infant son, named Muhammad al-Mahdi, who was kept hidden from the public out of fear of Abbasid persecution.
6.
Those who accepted the imamate of this Muhammad al-Mahdi later formed the Twelvers.
7.
Muhammad al-Mahdi's birthdate is given differently, but most sources seem to agree on 15 Sha'ban, which is celebrated by the Shia for this occasion.
8.
The Twelver accounts describe that, except for a few trusted associates, the existence of Muhammad al-Mahdi was kept secret since the Abbasids sought to eliminate the son of al-Askari, whom persistent rumors described as a savior.
9.
The birth of Muhammad al-Mahdi is often compared in Twelver sources to the birth of Moses in the Quran, who was miraculously saved from the pharaoh.
10.
Muhammad al-Mahdi's origin is recorded as the Byzantine empire or Nubia, and some accounts state that she was bought providentially by an agent of al-Hadi, who recognized by clairvoyance in her the future mother of al-Mahdi.
11.
Muhammad al-Mahdi contested al-Askari's will and raised the case with the authorities.
12.
Immediately after the death of al-Askari in 260, Uthman al-Amri claimed that al-Askari had a young son, named Muhammad al-Mahdi, who had entered a state of occultation due to the Abbasid threat to his life.
13.
Twelver sources detail that Muhammad al-Mahdi made his only public appearance to lead the funeral prayer for his father instead of his uncle, Ja'far.
14.
The letter, ascribed to Muhammad al-Mahdi, added that the complete occultation would continue until God granted him permission to manifest himself again in a time when the earth would be filled with tyranny.
15.
At the time, the occultation of Muhammad al-Mahdi was likely not a radical change for his followers.
16.
Ibn Babawayh suggested that the situation remains unknown until the reappearance of Muhammad al-Mahdi but added that the large population of the Shia did not necessarily guarantee his safety.
17.
Muhammad al-Mahdi's absence provided a basis for renewed criticisms at the time, voiced by the Mu'tazilites and Ash'arites.
18.
Indeed, it is popularly held that Muhammad al-Mahdi occasionally appears to the pious in person or, more commonly, in dreams and visions.
19.
Muhammad al-Mahdi's life has been miraculously prolonged until the day he manifests himself again by God's permission to fill the earth with justice.
20.
Along these lines, Tabatabai emphasizes the miraculous qualities of Muhammad al-Mahdi, adding that his long life, while unlikely, is not impossible.
21.
Muhammad al-Mahdi is viewed by the Twelvers as the restorer of true Islam.
22.
The foremost general sign of the second coming of Muhammad al-Mahdi is the prevalence of evil on earth in the form of tyranny, injustice, and religious and moral degradation.
23.
The birthday of Muhammad al-Mahdi is celebrated annually in Iran on 15 Sha'ban.